The Forgotten Empire: Earth Ascendant: Book Two

by Raymond L. Weil

  “Where to now?” asked Mark Grayson, one of her guards.

  “My house,” replied Cheryl. “I want to see if it’s still there. I have most of its contents stored, and I need to make arrangements to have all of it transferred to the Princess Haven.”

  It took some time and several more bribes, but Cheryl finally stood in front of her house. She could tell it was occupied, as she never had a swing set in the yard. Also a ball and several other toys lay in the grass. It made her wish she had children of her own. It was something she and Dylan had not discussed. She had just assumed that eventually they would have a kid or two.

  With a deep sigh, Cheryl decided to make the necessary arrangements to get her personal items transferred to the yacht. While that was being done, she had several businesses she needed to check on.

  -

  Later that evening, she was in an entertainment bar with her two guards. They had just finished their meal and were relaxing, enjoying a few drinks. Cheryl was quite satisfied with what she had learned. Her business holdings had grown considerably. The bar they were in was owned by one of her companies. The president who was now in charge of her companies had been very surprised when Cheryl had shown up.

  After proving who she was—and explaining her time in cryo—he had become very informative. Cheryl had a reputation of not putting up with riffraff or anyone who might double-cross her.

  Relaxing at her bar was just what she needed after a day like today. Cheryl had just set down her glass of wine when she felt the table tremble slightly.

  “What was that?” asked Mark, looking around worriedly.

  The table shook again, only more violently.

  Suddenly an alarm sounded.

  “The station is being attacked,” explained Cheryl, standing up. She had experienced this several times during her time on the station. Normally it was the Confederation. Now she was not sure who it could be.

  “What should we do?” asked the other guard.

  “I don’t think we have time to reach the yacht. The safest areas on the station are the deep residential areas. We should go there and wait this out.” Cheryl hoped Captain Bryan had gotten her yacht to safety.

  As they left the entertainment bar, they saw all the establishments were rapidly emptying, as people of all races made a rush for the lower levels.

  “What’s going on?” Mark asked a nearby security guard.

  “Lamothians,” the man replied. “One of their fleets has entered the system, along with a large number of cargo ships. We’ve heard rumors the Lamothians eat Humans and other intelligent species.”

  “They’re not rumors,” said Cheryl, with growing concern. “We need to get below and out of sight.” She quickly turned and led her two guards toward a tunnel that ran deep beneath the surface. The tunnel had several thick metal hatches that would shut as soon as the evacuation was complete or when the danger became too severe.

  -

  Lamothian Admiral Zahn’s eyestalks quivered as he watched from the Command Center while his armed shuttles filled with Lamothian troops landed in the docking bays of the station. His mission was very simple. Since taking Humans from the Human Empire had been banned, he would take them from this system instead. This would be a take-all mission. Every sentient in the system, whether Human or of other races, would be taken as food.

  Zahn’s fleet had already knocked down the energy shields that protected the domes and had destroyed the weapon turrets that had been firing on his fleet. He had lost two battlecruisers to the incoming weapons fire with another four receiving moderate damage.

  “The system’s warcraft have formed up into one large fleet and are approaching,” reported the first officer, the oily sheen of his skin glistening in the light in the Command Center.

  “How many?”

  “Eighty-seven.”

  On the main viewscreen, the incoming defensive ships could be seen. They were far smaller than a Lamothian battlecruiser. “Turn the fleet. We will dispose of this nuisance and then return to take over Highland Station and the other habitats in this star system.”

  The station’s destroyers came in and opened fire with every weapon they had. Their missiles exploded against the powerful energy shields of the Lamothian battlecruisers to little effect. The station’s fleet sent energy beams, probing the Lamothian screens, seeking a weakness, but finding none.

  The Lamothians, in turn, returned fire with antimatter missiles and fusion energy beams. Explosions spread through the attacking destroyer formation as ships were blown apart. The battle raged for less than a minute, and, when the explosions died down, all eighty-seven of the defending destroyers were gone. What remained was glowing debris and a few small fields of gas.

  “Enemy destroyed,” confirmed the first officer.

  “Very well, resume the attack on Highland Station. As soon as we’ve taken all the sentients, we will move on to the other habitats in the system.” Behind Admiral Zahn’s fleet, 507 large cargo ships waited. These were nearly all the cargo ships the Lamothians had left after the ones they had lost in the Earth System.

  -

  Cheryl and her two guards made it to one of the civilian sectors deep beneath the ground. Everywhere she looked, she saw frightened people and aliens, all wondering about what was happening. Rumors were spreading rapidly that Lamothian soldiers were landing and gathering up everyone.

  Looking about, Cheryl wondered if they could hide anywhere.

  “What do we do?” asked Mark, now holding his energy pistol in his right hand.

  “There’s nowhere else to go,” answered Cheryl, as she looked around. “These underground habitats are designed to survive a surface bombardment, not an armed invasion by ground troops.”

  In the distance, they heard an explosion, and smoke rose in the air where one of the main hatches that led to this habitat was located.

  “They’ve broken in!” screamed a woman, who grabbed her child and ran in the opposite direction.

  Weapons fire could be heard as the security guards tried to hold the entrance to the habitat. The fire was heavy for a few minutes and then died down. All that could be heard were buzzing noises that sounded like a hive of angry bees.

  “Stunners,” said Cheryl, as she recognized the sound. “We need to find a place to hide.” She saw a house nearby with an open door. “Into the house. At least it will give us some cover from the stunners.”

  The three of them hurried inside and shut the door. Outside they heard screaming, occasional weapons fire, and the sound of stunners coming closer. Cheryl peeked out the window and saw a squad of Lamothians coming down the street. She had forgotten just how hideous Lamothians were. They were sluglike creatures that stood upright on four legs and had six appendages that served as arms with three protuberances on their hands that allowed them to manipulate equipment. Their skin was pale and glistened with an oily sheen. Cheryl shuddered upon seeing them.

  One of the Lamothians carried an instrument and pointed it at each house as they passed it.

  “They’ve got a heat sensor,” said Cheryl, recognizing the device.

  The Lamothians stopped in front of the house Cheryl and her two guards were in. The one with the sensor pointed it at the house and said something to the others. Instantly six of them came in their direction.

  “Kill them!” ordered Cheryl. If they could kill this group, perhaps they could escape out the back door and find another hiding place.

  Her two guards stepped up to the window and fired through it. Three of the Lamothians fell from the energy beam fire, but the rest fired their stunners. Both of Cheryl’s guards fell. Cheryl turned to run and heard another stunner buzz. Her body felt an electric shock, and then she lost consciousness.

  -

  Cheryl slowly opened her eyes. Every part of her body seemed to be on fire. She lay on a hard surface, and, as she tried to sit up, she groaned.

  “Lean against the wall,” said Mark Grayson, who was nearby. “The pain will go away
shortly.”

  Cheryl did as instructed and looked at Mark. “Where are we?” From what she could see, they were in a large room filled with people—men, women, children, and even a few small babies.

  “As near as I can determine, we’re on a Lamothian cargo ship.”

  Dread passed through Cheryl. She knew what the Lamothians did to Humans. “We’re screwed.”

  “We’re not dead yet,” replied Mark. “I’ll find a way to get us out of this mess.”

  “Where’s Daryl?”

  Mark shook his head. “I haven’t seen him. He may be in another cargo hold.”

  Cheryl closed her eyes, thinking about Dylan. Why hadn’t she listened to him? What if she never saw him again? Cheryl didn’t know what to do; all she could do was trust Mark to get her out of this mess. At least he was an ex-Marine, with considerable military training.

  Opening her eyes, she noted two Lamothian guards, standing near the hatch, heavily armed, their eyestalks constantly moving. Cheryl shivered. She had been in some bad spots in the past, but nothing like this.

  Epilogue

  Admiral Cleemorl was in a state of shock. He had just received word from the battlecruiser providing escort for the Princess Haven that Cheryl and possibly two of her guards had been taken by the Lamothians.

  “They pretty well stripped the system of human and alien life,” reported Captain Fulmar. He had spoken to the captain of the battlecruiser over the ship’s hyperlight transmitter.

  “We can go after them,” said Lieutenant Bedell from Tactical. “The entire crew would support you.”

  Dylan stared hard at the viewscreens, which showed some of the other ships of First Fleet.

  “I have a message from Golan Four,” reported Lieutenant Newsome. “The High Princess is giving you permission to take part of the fleet and attempt a rescue. Just leave enough ships to defend the Vortex Worlds. She also said to use your own judgment on how to punish the Lamothians. She will back whatever you decide.”

  “We have permission,” said Captain Fulmar. “We can be gone within the hour.”

  Dylan was torn about what to do. With the reduced ship strength they had now, the Empire could not afford for him to take a major portion of First Fleet off to the Confederation. Particularly since there was a good chance this could be a suicide mission.

  “Contact Captain Manson on the Taggert and inform him that I’m leaving him in command of First Fleet. His primary orders are to keep the Vortex Worlds safe. I’ll be taking a portion of the fleet to the Confederation to attempt a rescue of the people the Lamothians have taken.”

  The message was quickly sent, and Dylan explained in more detail what he wanted Manson doing while he was gone.

  “How many ships are we taking?” asked Captain Fulmar.

  “Double the number of Marines we have on board all the ships that will be going. They may be needed for some ground operations. We’ll take ten dreadnoughts and sixty battlecruisers. Let’s get the Marines transferred as quickly as possible.” Dylan hoped Cheryl was unharmed. If the Lamothians harmed her, they would pay for it with the loss of their worlds.

  -

  A little over an hour later the task group was ready to depart. Dylan sent Captain Manson a few final orders and then gave the command to get underway. It was time the Confederation, particularly the Lamothians, learned they could not kidnap Humans. Dylan just wished he could tell Cheryl that he was on the way.

  -

  High Princess Layla and Princess Krista were in the Royal Court. In a few more days a meeting of the House of Worlds would be held for the first time in over one thousand years. A lot of work had been done on the Palace with more work continuing. Work crews were everywhere. Great care was being done to restore the Palace to its former glory.

  “We’ll announce our engagement on the same day we convene the House of Worlds,” Layla said to Derrick, as Krista joined them as they walked through the Royal Court, checking all the preparations. Each representative was allowed to bring a small delegation, so each was provided a conference table and appropriate chairs.

  “What about Admiral Marloo?”

  Layla nodded. “We will announce his promotion to Fleet Admiral at the meeting as well.”

  Krista stopped to examine a large statue that had recently been brought into the Royal Court. “Is that your father?”

  Layla paused in surprise. She hadn’t seen this statue before. “I believe it is.” She stood gazing at it, wishing her father were here.

  “I spoke to Admiral Reynolds earlier today,” said Derrick. “He’s dispatching Rear Admiral Stella Barnes’s fleet to the Empire. It will be here in a little over three weeks. Also more cargo ships are coming, with additional war material as well.”

  Layla was relieved to hear that. The Confederation was still busy consolidating the Human worlds they controlled. It would be several months at least before the Empire was ready to launch any attacks to begin freeing some of those planets recently retaken.

  “Who will we name as Admiral Marloo’s vice admiral?” asked Krista. “We can’t name Admiral Cleemorl, since he’ll be gone.”

  “We’ll wait,” replied Layla. “The vice admiral needs to be either Derrick or Admiral Cleemorl, and, since Derrick is my military advisor and will soon be my husband, it wouldn’t be wise to promote him to the vice admiral position.”

  Krista had a look of deep concern on her face. “Do you believe Admiral Cleemorl can rescue Cheryl?”

  “It’ll be difficult,” answered Derrick. “But, if anyone can pull it off, it will be Admiral Cleemorl.”

  Layla looked at Derrick, frowning. “What do you think he will do to the Lamothians?”

  Derrick let out a deep sigh. “If he can’t find Cheryl, and if he believes she’s dead, he will attempt to destroy every single Lamothian world. It’s what I would do in his place.”

  Krista shuddered. “They deserve it for what they’ve done to people over the last thousand years. I can’t feel any pity for them.”

  “A lot of us feel that way,” said Derrick. “However, if we destroy any Lamothian worlds, what will the rest of the Confederation do in return?”

  Neither of the Princesses answered. It was a difficult question to respond to.

  -

  They continued their tour of the Palace, going up several flights of stairs to where the Royal Quarters once were. The majestic hallway was rebuilt and painted and new doors were on all the rooms.

  Taking a deep breath, Layla opened the door that once led to her suite of rooms. Her eyes opened in surprise. The rooms had been redone and looked as pristine as they once did. The only thing lacking were the furnishings.

  “I could move back in,” said Layla excitedly, as she went from room to room.

  Derrick laughed. “You wouldn’t get a lot of sleep with all the work that still needs to be done.”

  “I’m going to check my rooms,” said Krista, as she rushed out the door and down the corridor.

  Layla stepped over to the large window that allowed sunlight into the room. From the window, she could see several of the massive towers, as well as some of the huge connecting arches. Her gaze wandered to the Royal Gardens, where several gardeners were busy cleaning, planting, and pruning.

  Derrick joined her and put his hands on her waist. “What are you thinking?”

  Layla turned around and put her arms around Derrick. “How long do you think this war will last?” Layla didn’t want to be known for the war but for a time of peace.

  “Quite a while,” replied Derrick. “We have to free all the Empire and then make it so strong that the Confederation will leave us alone. Then comes the question as to what will we do about the seven races.”

  “I’m so afraid we have some very bad times ahead of us.”

  Derrick bent his head and gently kissed Layla. “Don’t be afraid. I’ll be at your side through everything. We will get through this together.”

  Krista came back through the door, a pleased loo
k on her face. “My rooms have been redone as well. Maybe in a few weeks we can move back into the Palace.”

  Layla took a deep breath. “We better get back to the Starburst. We have some decisions to make about the House of Worlds, and we need to discuss our wedding plans.”

  As the three left the Imperial Palace, followed by several Imperial Guards, Layla wondered what her future held. She felt Derrick take her hand and knew that, no matter what, she would not be alone.

  -

  Cheryl felt sick. The gruel the Lamothians fed them was horrible and almost impossible to eat. Mark forced her to eat all of her portion as she needed to keep up her strength. Thinking back over the last few years that she had been with Dylan, she realized they had been the happiest years of her life. She had been a fool to risk all that by coming to Highland Station. If she survived this, it was a lesson she would never forget.

  The hatch opened, and four Lamothians came in. They paused for a moment and then grabbed a Human close to the hatch, dragging him outside. The hatch slid shut with a resounding clang.

  “Where did they take him?” asked Cheryl.

  “It’s best we don’t know,” answered Mark, keeping his face neutral.

  Cheryl felt even sicker at the implication. She hoped Mark could figure a way out of this mess. If not, she shuddered to think what was in her future. “I’m sorry, Dylan,” she said softly.

  -

  Admiral Cleemorl was in the Command Center of the Themis. He figured his fleet was about two days behind the Lamothians. The only problem was, Dylan didn’t know where the Lamothian fleet was headed. After all, they lived on six worlds.

  “We’ll find her,” promised Captain Fulmar. “We won’t return without her.”

  Dylan nodded. He knew his crew was fully behind him. For all the warships in his task group, the crews had volunteered for this mission. “I know we will. I just hope we get there in time.” Dylan had already decided, if Cheryl was killed by the Lamothians, he would not return until he had destroyed all six of their planets, even if it cost him most or all of his task group. “I’m coming, Cheryl. Don’t give up,” Dylan said softly. He looked at the main viewscreen, showing a sea of stars.