The Forgotten Empire: Earth Ascendant: Book Two

by Raymond L. Weil

Layla watched as Derrick left. She really needed to find some excuse to spend more time with him, a lot more time.

  -

  The next day Derrick was in the Command Center of the Destiny. The entire fleet was currently at Condition Two. “What’s the status of the defense grid?”

  “It was activated thirty minutes ago,” replied Captain Banora. “All space traffic has been ordered either to jump to another core world or to go into low orbit beneath the grid. The shipyards and space stations have been partially evacuated, only essential personnel remaining. Their energy screens have been activated.”

  Derrick’s gaze wandered over to one of the viewscreens where the Orion was visible. The Orion and the other six battlecarriers with her were just below the defense grid. They had an escort of ten battlecruisers to help shield them from incoming fire.

  “I wish we had some ODPs.”

  “Orbital Defense Platforms would be nice.” Audrey nodded in agreement. “We will shortly. All four space stations are working on them, and the first should be ready to deploy in two more weeks.”

  “Have either of the two inbound fleets been detected?”

  Audrey shook her head. “No, they might not exit hyperspace until they reach this system. Our best time estimate is that we have about an hour, maybe two.”

  Derrick looked at the tactical display. His fleet was currently in a globe formation. “Have the fleet form up into an inverted pyramid formation. Put the Destiny in the center and back us up close to the defense grid. We’ll let the Confederation fleets come to us.”

  -

  Admiral Kreen was relishing this moment. His fleet and the Zynth fleet were about to drop out of hyperspace twenty thousand kilometers from Golan Four. They had orders not to target any civilian population centers, but he fully intended to put a fusion missile on top of the Palace complex. It was the seat of power for the High Princess, which, to Kreen, made it a military target.

  “Hyperspace dropout in twenty minutes,” reported First Officer Falorr. “The fleet is at full battle readiness.”

  Kreen was considering all the consequences of what he was about to do. No doubt he had a massive advantage in ships and firepower. He doubted, in the short time the Humans had available to them that the Earth Humans could have done much when it came to fortifying the planet. So Kreen would swoop in, destroy the defending Human fleets, bomb the Palace, and then claim victory. The other Human core worlds would swiftly fall in line. There was no doubt in his mind that, once he had control of the core worlds, the resistance across the Human Empire would collapse.

  -

  The final few minutes passed, and the fleet began dropping from hyperspace. In front of the Druin fleet was Golan Four and the defending Human fleet in a pyramid formation. A minute later the Zynth fleet dropped out of hyperspace.

  “We have them outnumbered nearly five to one,” gloated Kreen. “This will be much easier than I thought.”

  First Officer Falorr stood near the sensor console. “There may be a problem. If these scans are correct, the planet is behind a massive defensive grid, and the space stations and shipyards have been armed.”

  “We still have the advantage in numbers and firepower. Put the fleet into a line formation, ten ships high and one hundred long. Have the Zynth form up on our right flank in a similar formation. We will attack the Humans and attempt to englobe their fleet.”

  -

  The Druin and Zynth fleets rapidly morphed into the designated formation and advanced on the Human fleet. Hatches on missile tubes slid open and weapon turrets swiveled to face the Human warships. The Druin battlecruisers were 1,400 meters long and crammed full of deadly weapons. The battleships measured 2,000 meters and were even more deadly. The Zynth ships were wedge-shaped, and were about the size of a normal Human battlecruiser, and were covered in weapon turrets and open hatches, revealing missile tubes. All of these weapons in both fleets were pointed in the direction of the vastly outnumbered Human fleet.

  -

  “This does not look good,” said Captain Banora, as the fleet prepared to do battle. All ships were at Condition One and waiting for the order to fire.

  Derrick examined the Druin and Zynth formations on the large tactical display. He could move forward and attack the center of the formation, but then it would most likely collapse around Fifth Fleet, trapping it. If he attacked either flank it would have the same result. If he stayed where he was, the defensive grid should prevent the Confederation fleets from getting in the rear of his pyramid formation.

  “All ships prepare to fire,” ordered Derrick. “The defensive grid and all stations are to fire at the same time we do.” Derrick knew that only one shipyard and one of the space stations would be in range of the Confederation fleets. The others were too far away.

  “Engagement range in two minutes,” announced Lieutenant Nower.

  “Targeting missiles and fusion energy turrets,” reported Lieutenant Breen. “We have hard locks on enemy targets. They are just barely out of range.”

  Derrick’s gaze was now glued to the viewscreens. He could see both Druin and Zynth warships. It was a vast armada, and it was coming directly toward his fleet.

  “What are your orders, Admiral?” asked Audrey, her gaze showing a hint of worry.

  Derrick gripped the armrests on his command chair. “All ships are to hold position. They will fire on my order.”

  The tension in the Command Center quickly mounted as everyone knew the odds of them surviving this battle were not good. Conversations were few as everyone focused on their duties or watched the viewscreens and the approaching Confederation warships.

  “Ten seconds!” called out Lieutenant Nower, her voice quivering.

  “Stand by to fire,” ordered Derrick over the fleet comm channel.

  “Now,” said Nower.

  “Fire!”

  On the viewscreens, energy beams appeared as well as missiles. In just a few moments, explosions raged across the Druin and Zynth formation. However, at nearly the same time the two enemy fleets fired back. The viewscreens erupted in light from thousands of explosions.

  “Get me the Orion,” ordered Derrick as two of Fifth Fleet’s battlecruisers blew apart under the bombardment of the two attacking fleets.

  “This is the Orion, Captain Anderson speaking.”

  “Captain, I want a full strike carried out by all the carriers and the attack interceptors based on the ground. I need you to hit the left side of the Zynth fleet before they finish their attempted englobement.”

  “Give me ten minutes, and we’ll be there,” replied Captain Anderson.

  Derrick leaned back in his command chair, his gaze moving from the tactical displays to the viewscreens. Space was full of explosions and dying ships. Many of those dying ships were Human. Too many.

  -

  Admiral Kreen felt elation flood through him as he watched a Human dreadnought crumble in on itself as it was smashed by repeated fusion energy beams, and finally an antimatter missile turned the wrecked ship into a molten mass of glowing metal.

  “We’re destroying three of their vessels for every ship we lose,” reported First Officer Falorr.

  At that moment the defensive grid fired as well as one of the space stations and the shipyard. The entire front of the two Confederation fleets lit up with explosions.

  “You were saying?” said Kreen, gazing at his second in command.

  “It’s more even now,” replied Falorr as he studied some sensor readings. On one of the viewscreens, a Zynth battlecruiser was being torn apart by energy beam fire from the defensive grid. Suddenly, in one massive explosion, the vessel blew apart, sending glowing debris in every direction. Some of the debris slammed into the energy shields of nearby ships but didn’t cause any damage.

  Admiral Kreen looked coldly at the carnage. He could afford to lose the ships; the Humans could not. He would destroy this Human fleet, annihilate the defensive grid, and then take out the space stations and the shipyards. Once
that was complete, he would drop a fusion missile on the Palace compound. At that time this war would be over, and the Human Empire would once more be under control of the Confederation, and his past losses would have been avenged.

  “Press forward. I want that Human fleet partially englobed.”

  -

  Derrick winced as he saw several more of his battlecruisers die under the heavy bombardment of antimatter and fusion missiles. Both warships vanished in bright explosive fireballs.

  “Attack interceptors beginning their attack run,” reported Captain Banora.

  On the viewscreen, over 1,200 small green icons were on a course for the left side of the Zynth fleet. “Switch all targeting to that side of the Zynth formation. Let’s see if we can clear a path for our interceptors.” Derrick knew, if he didn’t, very few of them would return to the carriers.

  -

  Captain Barkley led his squadron of twenty attack interceptors toward the Zynth fleet. “We will all target the same battlecruiser. Once we’ve destroyed it, we’ll move on to the next.”

  “Damn, there are a lot of explosions are out here,” said Lieutenant Simmins, looking out the cockpit window. “It looks as if you could walk on them, there are so many. How do we find our target?”

  “I’m more worried about how we get to our target,” said Lieutenant Kline.

  “We’re coming in from the left flank of the Zynth fleet. Just before we begin our attack runs, the fleet will shift its fire to give us a clear path. We’ll search for any damaged ships and try to take them out.”

  “Missiles are ready,” reported Linda. “Do we fire all four or save two of them for later targets?”

  “Fire two,” replied Mathew. “I’m hoping we can take out two battlecruisers in our attack runs.”

  Linda nodded. “Will do. I’m ready whenever you are.”

  In front of them the explosions suddenly died away as Fifth Fleet shifted its fire.

  “Black Dart squadron, let’s begin our run. Follow me in, and stay with your wingman.”

  Mathew increased his acceleration, as he wanted to go in fast and get out fast.

  The twenty fighters headed in as the Zynths targeted them. The Zynth ships had no effective counter defenses for such an attack, so they were forced to use their heavy energy beams to try to take out the interceptors. Unfortunately the beams were so powerful the forward energy shields of the interceptors could not handle them.

  Mathew winced as he saw two of his squadron interceptors vanish from the small tactical display. “Vary your courses more, or they’ll pick most of us off before we can launch.” He had barely said those words when his wingman was hit. The interceptor exploded in a bright fireball.

  “Missile range!” called out Linda. “Firing missiles.”

  Mathew felt a slight vibration as the two missiles launched. He quickly turned his interceptor around in a tight curve. Looking behind, he saw two powerful explosions erupt on the energy shield of the damaged battlecruiser, causing no additional damage. He let out a deep sigh of disappointment, but now other missiles struck the Zynth battlecruiser’s energy shield, and it began to waver. Suddenly the shield collapsed, and half a dozen of the small fusion missiles slammed into its hull. The ship vanished as unleashed fusion energy consumed it.

  “That’s one down,” said Rod, grinning.

  Mathew checked his tactical display as his gut clenched. Only fourteen interceptors of Black Dart squadron remained. The rest had been lost in the attack. “Searching for the next target,” he said. Looking around, he saw other fusion explosions as other squadrons made their attack runs. Portside, he saw a damaged Zynth battlecruiser. Its energy shield was down, and it should be an easy target. “We’ll hit the one portside.” Mathew quickly contacted the rest of the squadron, identifying the target to them.

  Moments later he began his attack run, followed by the rest of his squadron. Looking out the cockpit window, he could see numerous fireballs in space. He knew that each one of those fireballs represented a dying interceptor. There would be a lot of empty bunks on the carriers tonight.

  Mathew led his squadron in, trying to dodge the incoming defensive fire. While the targeted Zynth battlecruiser was heavily damaged, it still had many operating weapons.

  “Target lock, missiles away,” said Linda.

  Mathew turned his fighter just as an energy beam brushed the interceptor’s left wing. He felt the interceptor shake violently, and several red warning lights appeared on his console. The interceptor felt a little sluggish, but it seemed to still be flyable.

  “That was close,” commented Rod. “Another two meters and we would have been toast.”

  Checking his tactical display, Mathew saw ten more of his squadron following. That meant he had lost three more of his squadron in this attack. “All interceptors, head back to the Orion. We took out two of their battlecruisers, though we lost nearly half of the squadron. Let’s not lose anybody else.”

  In Mathew’s mind he wondered who all had made it. No doubt crews he had known for months would not be answering the roll call once they returned to the battlecarrier. He just hoped the cost in lives had been worth it.

  -

  Derrick sat in his command chair, his fists clenched. He had watched the attack interceptors go in, weaving through the incoming fusion fire. Bright fireballs were everywhere, indicating dying interceptors.

  “They’re pulling back,” reported Captain Banora. “All their missiles have been expended.”

  “Were they effective in their attack?” Derrick hoped he had not sacrificed so many Human lives in vain.

  “Eighty-seven confirmed kills,” reported Lieutenant Nower as she checked her sensors.

  “How many interceptors did we lose?”

  “Six hundred and twelve.”

  Derrick blinked his eyes. That was nearly half of them. He hoped Captain Barkley had survived. “Pull us back closer to the defense grid.”

  He was losing this battle, and he was rapidly running out of options. His gaze went to the main viewscreen, showing a Druin battleship under heavy attack. The ship’s energy screen wavered, and an antimatter missile slipped through. In a massive explosion, the ship blew apart.

  -

  Admiral Kreen watched as the Humans’ small attack ships withdrew. They had managed to take out a number of damaged Zynth warships, though the Zynth had been able to destroy a large number of the small attack ships. “Continue to press forward. I want our flanks to close in around the Human ships.”

  Kreen could see no way the Humans could escape without entering hyperspace, and, with all the antimatter explosions, he didn’t believe they could even do that. He felt his flagship vibrate slightly as several energy beams struck the energy shield. On one of the viewscreens, another Human dreadnought was in trouble. He looked just in time to see the rear portion of the ship explode, sending pieces of metal flying across space. The rest of the ship tumbled and barely missed a Human battlecruiser. An antimatter missile arrived, putting an end to the tumbling as well as the rest of the ship.

  “We’ll have the Humans pinned back against their defensive grid shortly, with our warships on all sides,” reported First Officer Falorr. “They won’t last much longer.”

  -

  In the underground bunker beneath the capital, both Lyla and Krista were in the Command Center, watching the battle.

  “We’re losing,” said Krista, tears in her eyes. “I wonder if Captain Barkley is still alive. We lost a lot of attack interceptors.”

  Layla didn’t reply. Her gaze was focused on the large green icon representing the Destiny. So far she didn’t think it had been damaged.

  “Rear Admiral Leeson is on his way,” General Gantts informed them. “He should be here shortly.”

  Layla nodded. That would help, but still a large number of Confederation ships were attacking Fifth Fleet. She should have known taking back the Empire would not be easy. She wondered if she would ever see the Palace rebuilt or have a life wi
th Derrick.

  -

  Derrick was getting desperate. He was losing ships at a very fast rate. If this kept up, he would not have a fleet in a few more minutes.

  “What can we do?” asked Captain Banora.

  “Break formation and drop the fleet back into the defensive grid. That will help to increase our firepower and give us a little added protection.”

  -

  Moments later the fleet disengaged from its pyramid formation and fell back to the defensive grid. Upon seeing this, the Confederation fleet formed up directly in front of the remaining ships of the Human fleet and poured on the weapons fire. They were going in for the kill.

  -

  Rear Admiral Leeson’s fleet dropped out of hyperspace twenty thousand kilometers from the battle. He winced when he saw how many ships Fifth Fleet had lost. “Close and engage,” he ordered. Second Fleet quickly formed up into an open cone formation and began advancing on the enemy.

  -

  Admiral Kreen saw the appearance of the new Human fleet. “Have the Zynth turn and take on this other Human fleet. While they do that, we’ll finish off the one in front of us.” Admiral Kreen was determined not to allow anything to keep him from destroying this fleet and then destroying the Palace compound.

  -

  Derrick felt the Destiny shake violently, and, in the distance, he could hear screams and the sound of tearing metal. On the damage control console, dozens of red lights flared into being.

  “Two energy beam hits amidships,” reported the damage control officer. “We have several fires, and I’m activating the fire suppression system. I’m also sealing off some compartments. We have two large holes in our hull, and we’re bleeding atmosphere.”

  Derrick knew that some members of his crew had just died. He looked around the Command Center. The command crew were all busy at their stations, passing on orders and keeping the ship fighting. None showed any fear.

  “Should we fall back some?” asked Audrey.

  Derrick shook his head. “No, we stay here until either we win or we lose the ship.”

  Audrey nodded. It was the answer she had expected.

  The ship shook again, almost as if something massive had slammed into its side. Several consoles in the Command Center shorted out, sending cascades of hot sparks flying. A crewmember screamed as she was burned. A med tech hurried over to check on her injuries. The lights flickered, dimmed, and then returned to full brightness.