Audrey looked at the viewscreen, which was full of stars. “It feels strange returning to the Empire after so long to attack the Druins. I still remember the day we left Golan Four with the two Princesses.”
“It was a sad day,” replied Derrick, recalling their escape. “Druin troops in the palace, our fleet in ruins, and cities across the Empire being bombed. It’s something we must never forget.”
Audrey’s gaze moved to the tactical display, which showed the hundreds of friendly green icons surrounding the Destiny. It was time to teach the Druins and the Confederation a lesson they would never forget. They should never have attacked the Human Empire, much less eaten Humans.
-
Druin Admiral Kreen watched the tactical display as his third fleet arrived. It immediately went into orbit around Golan Four.
“Admiral, all the Human cargo and passenger ships in orbit are leaving,” reported First Officer Falorr. “Even the two shipyards and the space stations are being evacuated.”
Kreen glanced at the tactical display. Ships vanished from orbit as they made the transition into hyperspace. “They suspect something is coming.”
“The messages about the return of Princess Starguard are still being broadcast throughout the Human Empire.”
“Former Human Empire,” Kreen reminded Falorr. “They are a thousand separate star systems now.”
“Our star systems,” said Falorr.
Admiral Kreen did not reply. He knew the danger associated with the return of High Princess Layla Starguard. If anyone could reunite the former Human Empire, it was the return of the Royal Princess and what she represents. “Have the fleets combine into a globe formation. We’ll wait for the arrival of the Earth Humans. Once they show up, we’ll adjust the formation as needed.”
Kreen wondered if being in Human space for so long had changed his way of thinking. He knew the Great Council usually had long and measured discussions before committing to any major endeavor. Sometimes it took years to make a decision. However, in this instance, the safety and continuation of the Confederation itself might be at stake. He didn’t understand their lack of response.
“Send another message to the Great Council,” he ordered the communications officer. “Inform them we expect to be engaged against a large Human fleet within the next seventy hours. Victory is not guaranteed. Also inform them of the possible presence of a Royal Princess. Send them copies of all the hyperlight messages and videos we’ve been receiving.”
If this didn’t elicit a response from the Great Council, Kreen didn’t know what else to do.
-
General Livingston was in the underground Command Center on Lydol Four. They had just received a message from Admiral Cleemorl that the long-awaited attack would begin in about twenty hours. “Begin contacting our other bases. Send the coded message, Freedom Begins, countdown twenty. Then contact Admiral Marloo and give him the same message.”
“Twenty hours,” said Major Klower. “I can’t believe it’s finally here.”
“We need to get our people ready. Inform Colonel Bright to prepare his troops for deployment. It will do our people good to see military troops in Imperial uniforms among them. Also we need to be ready to interrupt all planetary communications as soon as Admiral Cleemorl launches his attack against the Druins. We’ll give our people a brief history of the Empire and the role of the Royal Family and the House of Worlds. We’ll also tell them what to do during this time of crisis.”
Major Klower laughed. “I bet half the people across the Empire don’t even know there was a Human Empire with a central government. This will come as a shock to many.”
“That’s why we’ve been spreading the true history of the Empire for years by word of mouth. The Confederation tried to erase it from our histories, and we’ve tried to keep the memory alive. All these videos being broadcast about High Princess Layla Starguard should help as well.”
-
On board the stealth destroyer Starburst, Princesses Layla and Krista were busy filming new videos to be broadcast. They showed the glory days of the Empire with views of the Royal Palace and the House of Worlds. They showed what Golan Four once looked like before the fall. Layla had brought an experienced media crew on board just to help with the filming and getting the word out, once they returned to the Palace.
“With the Palace abandoned for so long, will it be safe to even enter?” asked Krista, as the production crew filed out. Today’s media filming was finally over.
“I doubt it,” replied Layla sadly. “We’ll have some structural engineers check it out very thoroughly before anyone’s allowed to enter. Once we know how badly it’s been damaged, we’ll begin immediate reconstruction.”
“I wonder what our old rooms look like?”
Layla shook her head. “I doubt if anything remains after so much time has passed.” She looked at Krista and smiled. “Look on the bright side. We’ll get to redecorate the entire Imperial Palace.”
Krista sat and took a drink of cold water from a glass on the table. “There were so many beautiful paintings, tapestries, and statues throughout the Palace. I used to spend hours just looking at them. I guess all of those are gone now.”
“I’m sure we’ll find some that are just as wonderful,” replied Layla, coming over and pouring herself a glass of water.
“So much of our history has been lost, destroyed,” said Krista, with sadness in her eyes. “Some of those works of art were thousands of years old.”
Layla took a sip of her water. “We’ll be arriving in the Empire in a little over a week. I’m sure we’ll be in for some shocking experiences. We must remember who we are and what we represent.”
Krista laughed. “Now you sound like my mother.”
Layla smiled. She just wished their parents were still around.
-
Admiral Cleemorl breathed out a long sigh of relief as the Themis exited hyperspace in the Oden Six System. According to the sensors, no Druin ships were present. The system was completely empty of spacecraft, except for the three Human fleets now dropping from hyperspace.
“Incoming message from the battlecruiser Ark Royal,” reported Lieutenant Newsome. “The ship’s captain reports nearly 1,600 Druin warships in orbit near Golan Four. Makeup of the fleet is as follows. Battleships, 706. Battlecruisers, 923.”
“That was good timing,” commented Captain Fulmar.
“It’s on a loop, and they’ve been broadcasting for over an hour,” reported Newsome.
Dylan leaned back in his command chair. “Inform the fleets we’ll stay here for one hour. At the end of that hour we’ll enter hyperspace and go to the Golan Four System. We’ll exit twenty thousand kilometers from the Druin fleet.”
“That’s nearly in weapons range,” pointed out Captain Fulmar.
Dylan nodded. “We have to give the fleets time to get into our attack formation. Once we’ve done that, we’ll close the range. At the same time Linda Martin will begin broadcasting her virus. Whether it works or not, we’ll immediately attack the Druin fleet. We’ll have the numbers, but they have a hell of a lot of battleships.”
Captain Fulmar looked at the tactical display, currently covered in friendly green icons from the three Human fleets. He knew full well that, if this attack failed, they would never have another chance to free the Empire.
-
Druin Admiral Kreen stood in his Command Center, his gaze occasionally wandering to the tactical displays to see if any red threat icons were revealed. He had a feeling the attack was very near. He had already received reports of mysterious hyperlight messages being transmitted in a code that, so far, they could not break. Some of those messages were thought to originate very close to the Golan Four System.
“They’re coming,” said Kreen, looking at First Officer Falorr. “Has there been any response from the Great Council?”
“No, Admiral. We did receive that one message that they were evaluating our information but nothing since then.”
<
br /> Suddenly alarms sounded, and, on the tactical display, hundreds of red threat icons began to appear.
“Confirmed Imperial dreadnoughts and battlecruisers,” reported the sensor officer.
“It’s the Earth Humans,” said First Officer Falorr, as his gaze went to the displays.
Admiral Kreen sat in his command chair. He could see they were still out of range. “Notify the Great Council we are under attack by a massive number of Imperial warships from Earth. I also want the fleet to change formation into a standard attacking wedge. We will show these impetuous Humans not to take Druins lightly.”
“Admiral, the Humans are changing formation as well,” reported the sensor officer. “It looks like an inverted cone formation with the apex facing us.”
Admiral Kreen studied the tactical displays intensely. He thought, with his three fleets, he might just have a little more firepower than the Humans.
It took the two fleets nearly seven minutes to adjust their formations. Once that was accomplished, the Human fleet moved toward the waiting Druins.
“Prepare to fire,” ordered Kreen in a cold and steady voice. “Target the apex of their war cone. That’s where the command ships should be.”
-
On Lydol Four, a hyperlight message was received that the attack against the Druins in the Golan Four System had begun.
“That’s it,” said General Livingston, drawing in a deep breath. He could barely believe this moment had finally arrived. “Send a hyperlight message to all commands. The attack has begun. Commence operation Empire!”
Livingston knew, as soon as that message was sent, all across the Human Empire the hidden bases would come out into the open. Imperial troops would make an appearance on hundreds of worlds, and hidden spacecraft would launch from their underground bunkers.
“Message sent,” reported the communications officer.
Livingston looked toward the large bank of viewscreens on the wall. On one, several massive hatches opened, and, from them, spacecraft launched. The ships ranged in size from powerful Imperial battlecruisers to lighter support craft. At the main spaceports on the planet, special cargo vehicles would begin delivering the satellites for the defense grid. Livingston was determined that, never again, would the Confederation attack Lydol Four.
“Admiral Marloo reports a successful launch, and he will soon be assembling his fleet in orbit.”
Livingston nodded. He knew ships from six different worlds would be coming here to join Admiral Marloo. That would give him a powerful fleet to use against the Druins, if necessary. Other fleets were forming in other parts of the Empire as well. “Begin sending the prepared hyperlight messages.” It was time to announce to the Empire in general that a new war against the Confederation had begun. A war the Empire fully intended to win.
-
Rear Admiral Leeson watched the viewscreens uneasily as the fleets neared combat range. “Is the virus ready?”
Linda Martin nodded. “Yes, I can send it when you give the order.”
“We’ll be in combat range in twenty seconds,” reported Captain Newman.
Leeson drew in a deep breath. “Very well. Send the virus.” Leeson then activated the fleet communications channel. “All ships, virus is being sent. Stand by to fire!” His gaze shifted to the viewscreens, which showed the Druin fleet in front of them.
-
Admiral Kreen was about to give the order to fire when the lights in the Command Center flickered. He looked alarmingly at First Officer Falorr. “What caused that?” He felt a coldness sweep over him.
“The Humans are trying to infiltrate our systems with a virus.”
“Are the new firewalls stopping it?”
“Energy shield is down,” shouted the tactical officer in alarm.
“Hyperdrive is down,” added the navigation officer.
“Incoming fire!” reported the sensor officer.
“What about our own weapons?”
“Still online. The Human virus hasn’t managed to shut down all of our systems. Our firewalls are slowing its advance.”
“Then return fire. We must destroy them before they destroy us.”
-
The forward sections of both fleets suddenly erupted in brilliant and massive explosions as antimatter missiles and fusion energy beams struck. In the Human fleets, the weapons merely caused the energy screens to brighten while in the Druin fleet the weapons slammed into the battle armor, protecting ship hulls. Fusion energy beams drilled deep into Druin warships, causing massive internal damage. Secondary explosions threw huge pieces of hull material off into space. Antimatter missiles blew apart other ships, leaving tangled and glowing wreckage behind. The entire front of the Druin battle wedge was under heavy attack, and ships were dying in great numbers.
-
“Virus is partially effective,” reported Linda, as her hands moved over her console as she entered more computer code. “I’ve managed to shut down their energy screens and their hyperdrives. However, they might manage to bring them back up in a few minutes. I’m trying to prevent that, but I can’t guarantee anything.”
Leeson nodded. “Then we need to take advantage of the time we have to weaken their fleet.”
On the viewscreens, the front of the Druins’ battle wedge looked like a burning furnace. Ships were being blown apart, and others riddled with fusion energy beam fire. Leeson felt his flagship shake slightly as an antimatter warhead detonated against its energy shield.
A sudden flash of brilliant light caused the viewscreens to dim.
“What was that?”
“We just lost the battlecruiser Acadia,” answered the sensor officer. “She was hit by multiple antimatter missiles.”
Leeson drew in a sharp breath. Even though they had the Druins at a tactical disadvantage for the moment, the Druin fleet was still armed and firing its weapons at the Human ships. “Continue to close the range. We need to destroy as many of them as we can while their shields are down.”
-
On the surface of Golan Four, millions of Humans looked up toward space. Even in the bright daylight, the massive battle in space was visible. Huge flashes of light indicated the detonation of antimatter weapons. Across the media stations, announcements were made that the move to free the Empire from the Druins was in progress. Many people watched their media screens as a history of the Empire was broadcast, as well as messages to remain calm from the Imperial High Princess Layla Starguard.
In homes and in the streets of the capital, people watched or listened, enthralled by what they were seeing and hearing. Large groups of people began assembling and talking about what was happening. Surprisingly a large number of soldiers dressed in Imperial uniforms had appeared. They reassured the people and proclaimed that today marked the rebirth of the Human Empire.
In the front of many businesses and private homes Imperial flags appeared. Everyone was curious and excited about what the future held. They were also concerned about what the results would be if the planned attack to free the Empire failed.
-
Derrick felt the Destiny shake violently as multiple antimatter missiles slammed into the ship’s energy screen. “Status?”
“Shield is holding,” reported Lieutenant Breen.
“We’ve lost one dreadnought and six battlecruisers,” reported Captain Banora. “Even though the Druins’ energy screens are down, their weapons are still functioning.”
Derrick’s gaze went to the main viewscreen. On the screen, a Druin battleship was being ripped in two by heavy fusion energy beam fire. His gaze roamed across the Command Center, as it was a beehive of activity. Tactical was busy targeting and firing the ship’s weapons as rapidly as possible. Sensors were keeping track of the battle and the loss of ships. Communications was constantly being updated as to the damage ships were suffering. Everyone was busy and keeping their minds on the job at hand.
“We’ve taken out nearly 20 percent of their fleet,” reported Captain Banora. A
udrey was busy keeping track of the activity in the Command Center as well as the current status of the battle. “Admiral Cleemorl is ordering us to close with the Druin fleet.”
“He wants to cause as much damage as possible before they get their energy shields back up.” Derrick agreed with this. He looked at a smaller viewscreen that showed Golan Four. He wondered what the people on the surface were thinking. The battle in space should be easily visible on the planet.
-
On the surface of Golan Four huge crowds were gathering. There was much discussion of the battle in space and the expected return of the High Princess. Her return was being broadcast on every media station on the planet. For the first time in many long years people felt a new kind of hope. A hope that was generated knowing that full freedom might shortly be within reach.
-
Dylan watched in satisfaction as the front of the Druin battle wedge was being devastated. It was full of exploding ships and drifting wrecks. “Launch attack interceptors,” he ordered. “Their targets are any Druin ships. As long as their shields are down, they are vulnerable to the interceptors’ weapons.”
“Order sent,” replied Captain Fulmar. “All nine battlecarriers are launching.”
Dylan knew the nine battlecarriers in the three fleets had been waiting for this order. Now was the time to put in the killing blow to the struggling Druin fleet.
-
Captain Barkley felt exhilaration as his attack interceptor raced out of the launch tube of the battlecarrier Orion. He quickly turned on his beacon to identify his craft so the rest of his squadron could form up.
Out the cockpit window, he could see massive explosions everywhere. He put his interceptor far enough out so an antimatter missile exploding against the Orion’s energy shield would not endanger his gathering squadron. He knew some interceptors were probably being destroyed as soon as they launched.
“Everyone’s here,” reported Lieutenant Simmins. “It’s getting hot out there. Let’s not stick around too long.”
Mathew nodded. “Then let’s go kick some Druin ass!”
The Forgotten Empire: Earth Ascendant: Book Two Page 26