The Forgotten Empire: Earth Ascendant: Book Two

by Raymond L. Weil

  “I agree. It’s like waiting for the next bomb to drop. I can’t believe they won’t try again.”

  Loren let out a deep breath. “Admiral Reynolds agrees with me. The Druins seriously underestimated us the first time around. They won’t make that mistake again.”

  “Then what will we do?”

  Loren’s eyes narrowed. “We set a trap. A computer trap. We’ll use a computer virus to try to disable the next Confederation fleet that attacks us. Immediately after that, we’ll launch our attack to free the Human Empire from underneath Confederation rule.”

  Patricia’s eyes widened. “So soon?”

  Loren nodded. “If we don’t, we lose the element of surprise. Also, by shifting the war to the Empire, we take the Confederation’s mind off Earth.”

  Switching his gaze to the large viewscreen on the far wall, Loren could see one of the six ODPs that now orbited the space station. Construction crews were now working full-time building ODPs around all the shipyards, space stations, and inhabited planets and moons in the Solar System, preparing for a massive attack by the Confederation.

  Loren let out a deep sigh. The system had now switched over to a wartime economy due to the Druin attack. The attack had served to unite the entire system. The few who had been holdouts had quickly changed their minds when they saw the Druin fleet and its wild charge to get to Earth.

  Patricia stood and walked to the far wall, looking at the two paintings. They had hung on the wall for nearly seventy years. One was of the Moon, and the other was of Earth. Both were beautiful and very realistic. “What do you think will happen when we start the war in the Empire?”

  Loren shook his head. “That is something a lot of people have been working toward for a very long time. There’s no way to guess how it will end. That’s one reason we are making the Solar System into a fortress. We want one place where the Human race will always be free from the Confederation.”

  “Freedom,” said Patricia. “It’s something so many people take for granted. They don’t realize how many people have to die to keep them free.”

  Nodding his head, Loren knew how right Patricia was. The war ahead would be long and brutal. Freedom was once more about to take a huge toll in Human lives.

  -

  Admiral Reynolds looked down at the green surface of Ganymede. It was the largest of the Jovian moons and the most heavily colonized. The moon now had an atmosphere and an atmospheric retention field. It also had a special energy field that magnified the radiation from the sun to warm up the frigid moon. Over twenty million Humans now lived there.

  Today Admiral Reynolds was in the Imperial Dreadnought Dassault, examining the defenses that had been emplaced around the moon. Ganymede was 3,275 miles in diameter and orbited Jupiter every seven days.

  “It’s hard to believe that’s Ganymede,” commented Captain Everett. “It sure has changed a lot.”

  Admiral Reynolds nodded in agreement. Thirty percent of the moon was now covered in water. The moon was a little bit drier than Earth or Mars with their larger oceans. “Take us closer to the space station.”

  A large space station orbited above Ganymede. It had several small repair bays to service the large number of mining ships active in this part of the system. Jupiter had a massive moon-mining operation. Many of the smaller moons that orbited the large gas giant were rich in minerals.

  Reynolds’s gaze was drawn to Jupiter, the largest planet in the Solar System. The great red spot was still barely visible. Over the years it had shrunk, and most likely would vanish completely in a few more. Jupiter had over seventy-five moons. Several science stations were on one of the smaller moons. Metis was only 128,000 kilometers from the huge gas giant and was an ideal place to observe Jupiter. The small moon was only forty kilometers in diameter. Some were even smaller.

  After a few minutes the space station became visible. The natives called it Ganymede Central, as it pretty much controlled the space traffic throughout the Jovian system. The station was a large tri-ringed structure with two repair bays at the bottom of the station. Numerous ships orbited the station, some waiting to unload cargoes and others waiting for shuttles to ferry the crews down to Ganymede itself.

  “Busy place,” commented Captain Everett.

  “They have a big mining operation going on,” answered Reynolds. “Ganymede has the largest population of the four inhabited moons. Contact Colonel Green,” ordered Reynolds. “He’s in charge of the station as well as the defenses we have placed in orbit. Inform him that I’m coming over for an inspection.” It had been several months since Reynolds’s last inspection, and the station was due for another. During his last visit, he had made a number of recommendations to improve the defenses for the station and for Ganymede.

  -

  Admiral Reynolds had boarded his shuttle and was on his way to Ganymede Central. As he watched through the cockpit windows, he saw several small prospector ships docking to various docking ports. The prospectors were a ragtag group and spent most of their time either in the asteroids searching for riches or out in the Kuiper Belt. Many had struck it rich, but a large number had gone bust.

  “We’ll be docking shortly,” reported the pilot, as he adjusted the controls in front of him.

  A few moments later the small shuttle slid into the open docking hatch and smoothly sat down. The hatch closed, and a number of dock workers swarmed out to resume their work. While the hatch had an atmospheric retention field as a safety precaution, the workers were evacuated anytime the hatch was opened. This was a safety precaution that Admiral Reynolds approved of.

  A number of other shuttles were in the bay, some being loaded and others unloaded. Reynolds saw Major Gina Nelson come through a hatch and stop next to his shuttle. Going down the ramp, Reynolds greeted the major. “Hello, Major Nelson. Is the station ready for an inspection?”

  Major Nelson frowned at a couple scruffy-looking asteroid prospectors and nodded. “As well as it can be.”

  Reynolds had to laugh. No one cared for the prospectors, but they provided a valuable service in searching out minerals and resources for all the foundries and factories involved in the war effort. “Where’s Colonel Green?”

  “He’s in docking bay seven. He’s handling a problem with several of the miners. He’ll join us as soon as he can. In the meantime I’ll be glad to show you around. I believe you’ll be impressed at what we’ve accomplished since your last inspection.”

  -

  Major Nelson led Admiral Reynolds through the station, explaining all the changes that had been made. Several times they had to go through security check points manned by Marines. Finally they entered a large bay filled with attack interceptors.

  “Most of our interceptors are based on Ganymede. We currently have eighty on the surface and another fifteen here. Colonel Green wants two hundred based on Ganymede to better protect the entire Jovian system.”

  Admiral Reynolds nodded. Everyone wanted more interceptors after the battle with the Druins. The Earth production lines were now running around-the-clock, trying to fill all the orders. He also knew four dreadnoughts and ten battlecruisers were assigned to protect the four inhabited moons as well.

  The tour continued, going through Engineering, inspecting the repair docks, and the large med-bay which was fully staffed with doctors and nurses. They were set up to handle a major emergency if necessary. They were going through life support procedures when Colonel Green joined them.

  “Sorry I’m late. Two of those damn miners were fighting over a claim. Both were claiming the same location on an asteroid. I sent them to the brig for twenty-four hours to cool off.”

  Admiral Reynolds was glad he didn’t have to deal with those types of problems. “Let’s go to the Command Center and discuss the defenses we’ve added to the Jovian system.”

  “I think you will be impressed,” replied Colonel Green.

  They made their way through several busy corridors and then took a turbolift to the command level. A fe
w moments later they were inside the large Command Center, which was a beehive of activity as the officers operating the consoles were responsible for all ship traffic throughout the Jovian system. Three officers manned a very large tactical console. Several banks of viewscreens showed views from all over the Jovian system. Hundreds of small observation and sensor-collecting satellites were in orbit around the gas giant and its moons.

  Admiral Reynolds’s gaze noted the one showing Europa. This moon was an oddball in the Solar System. It was the only place besides Earth where life had developed. Since the terraforming, the moon was now covered by 80 percent water with most of the landmass being large islands. It only had a population of six hundred thousand, with many of those being research people studying the strange life-forms in the deep oceans of the moon.

  “Give me a rundown on your current defenses.”

  Colonel Green nodded. “We have four ODPs circling Ganymede as well as two hundred defensive satellites. On Ganymede itself we have eighty attack interceptors on the surface and fifteen in one of the bays of this station. The station itself is heavily armed with fusion energy beam turrets and twenty missile launch tubes. We also have a powerful energy shield that can be used to protect the station if need be. Two hundred Marines are assigned to the station, and we have several large assault shuttles available for them, if the need ever arises. We currently have twenty-two million people living on Ganymede.”

  “What about the other moons? How are they defended?”

  “Europa has forty defensive satellites in orbit, and that’s it at the moment. I have requested another twenty be made available for its defense. At Callisto we have eighty defensive satellites, and I’ve requested another forty. Also one ODP is in geosynchronous orbit above the main population centers on the moon. The last population count showed we have a little over six million people living there.”

  “What about Io?” Io had several large active volcanoes.

  “It’s been terraformed, but, due to the volcano activity, people still live in protective domes,” replied Colonel Green. “Slightly over one million people are on Io, with most of them involved in mining operations. Only twenty defensive satellites currently orbit that moon.”

  “What about the other moons?” Reynolds knew the Jovian system had around eighty moons, many of them rich in mineral deposits.

  Colonel Green shook his head. “Thirty independent mining settlements are scattered about on the different moons. Some range from only a few hundred people to several thousand. We have interceptor patrols that check on them daily.”

  “I’ll see about assigning more attack interceptors to you as soon as possible,” said Reynolds, realizing Colonel Green’s resources were really stretched. “I’ll get you more satellites and another ODP for Callisto. I want those people protected.”

  “Thank you, Admiral,” replied Colonel Green, looking relieved.

  -

  Admiral Reynolds spent a few more minutes talking to the colonel and the major before heading back to his shuttle. His next stop would be Saturn and its large number of moons. Fortunately only Titan had been heavily colonized, although a number of small mining colonies existed on a large number of Saturn’s other moons. Titan had a population of over seven million, with many of them involved in mining operations of some sort.

  Letting out a deep breath as he climbed on board his shuttle, Reynolds wondered what defenses Colonel Edwards would want added to the Saturn system. Everyone wanted more of everything, and, for now, the wants were far greater than the production. When he returned to Pallas, it would be necessary to see what could be done to speed up or to increase production of some of the needed military hardware. Reynolds just hoped he could get everything done before the next Confederation attack, which could occur any day.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Admiral Cleemorl was back on Pallas, which was now busier than ever as the center for the defense for the Solar System. In orbit around the asteroid were six ODPs, covering all the possible approaches. Also a large number of defensive satellites and missile platforms were in orbit. On the surface large defensive installations could provide more heavy weapons fire, if needed. Overall, Pallas was a veritable fortress.

  Dylan had given the crews on his ships a two-day leave. The crews would rotate, allowing only a fraction of them to be on leave at a time so as not to overwhelm the facilities on the asteroid. Dylan currently stood in one of the large landing bays, watching as several thousand crewmembers disembarked from shuttles to begin their leaves.

  “I’m glad you’re back.”

  Dylan turned toward the pleasant female voice behind him, seeing Cheryl standing there. Without hesitation he took her into his arms and kissed her. Immediately a chorus of wolf whistles broke out from some of the crewmembers passing by.

  Cheryl turned red and giggled. “I guess I still have it.”

  “You definitely do,” replied Dylan, smiling. “Let’s go get something to eat before all these fleet personnel overwhelm the restaurants.”

  “No problem,” answered Cheryl. “I’ve already made reservations.”

  Dylan noted with satisfaction that several of his officers were controlling the disembarking crews. “Let’s go.” Dylan was ready to spend some alone time with Cheryl. Next time he took his fleet out, he had two weeks’ worth of maneuvers planned. If the Druins returned or another Confederation fleet, Dylan planned on being prepared. The drills the past week had shown him what his fleet needed to work on.

  It didn’t take Dylan and Cheryl long to make their way through the numerous corridors to the main turbolift junction. From there they entered a turbolift that took them deep beneath the asteroid to the civilian sections. In the last sixty years, these had been greatly expanded. Now nearly one million people were inside Pallas, working on the war effort.

  The restaurant Cheryl had selected was a small eating place with dim lighting and candles on the tables. Inside, Dylan saw it was full of mostly couples, enjoying a romantic meal together. “I hope this is a good indication of what’ll transpire later.”

  Cheryl laughed. “I have a special night planned. I can’t wait to show you what I’ve done while you’ve been gone.”

  Dylan nodded. He had a suspicion Cheryl wasn’t talking about a romantic evening but something else. He wondered what she had been up to now.

  -

  Admiral Reynolds stood in the underground Command Center, gazing at several of the tactical displays, currently for Mars and for Earth, so he could study the defenses they had operational to date.

  “We’re getting stronger every day,” commented Colonel Bryson, standing next to the admiral.

  “But is it enough?” Reynolds was worried what would happen if a massive Confederation fleet showed up. He wasn’t as confident in the new virus as Linda Martin was. “In another year, we’ll be there. Right now I feel we’re still vulnerable.”

  “You think they’ll attack us again?”

  Reynolds nodded. “That’s what I would do. Some of the Druin fleet escaped. They took back a lot of data on our defenses. It’s only logical that, after studying that data, they would send a much more powerful fleet to attack us. One they feel could win.”

  Colonel Bryson looked at the tactical displays. “We’ve taken nearly 70 percent of our ships in stasis and put them on active duty. We still have a number of crews to train before we can take out the rest. Between us, Earth, and Mars, we’re building new ships constantly that are then put into service. The Fleet Academy on the Moon has been expanded to help train all the crews that are needed. We just can’t do everything in one day.”

  Reynolds let out a deep sigh. “I know. I just wish we had a little more time. I greatly fear our time is about to run out.” His gaze returned to the tactical displays, wondering what else Pallas could do to prepare for the expected attack. He wanted a decisive advantage over the attacking fleet.

  -

  After their romantic meal, Dylan expected Cheryl to take them back
to her yacht. Dylan had almost gotten used to the luxury that Cheryl’s yacht represented. Instead she took him to one of the new residential areas, only recently constructed deep beneath Pallas. It was different as this residential area had actual homes in it. It was built in a large cavern two miles in length and nearly one mile wide. The roof covering the area was a good five hundred feet above and painted to resemble the sky as seen on Earth.

  Several large residential neighborhoods had been built here, as well as a single street full of small businesses and restaurants. It was like a small city.

  “Why are we here?” asked Dylan, confused.

  Cheryl grinned as she flagged down a small electric taxi. “Just be patient, and I’ll show you.”

  A few minutes later they pulled up to a medium-size house in one of the residential neighborhoods.

  Getting out, Cheryl gestured toward the modest home. “Do you like it?”

  “I’m confused. What are you showing me?”

  Cheryl laughed. “Our new home. I bought it!”

  Dylan looked at Cheryl in amazement. “You’re giving up your yacht?”

  “Not quite, I had it put into stasis. If I ever need it, it will be there. Let’s go inside. There’s so much I want to show you.”

  Dylan was nearly speechless as Cheryl led him inside. While the house wasn’t nearly as opulent as the yacht, it still possessed a large number of elements that definitely displayed Cheryl’s enjoyment of some of the better things in life. Dylan had to laugh when she showed him the small fully stocked wine cellar beneath the home. “Why did you decide to do this?”

  Cheryl let out a deep sigh. “I really enjoyed living in the yacht with you, but our space was severely limited. I think and hope this will work out better for us. Do you like it?”

  Dylan took Cheryl’s hand. “I think this is a great idea. Now I will have you and a real home to come back to. We can make some very good memories here.”