-
“Hyperspace missile launch,” called out the tactical officer. “Retargeting and preparing to fire second set of missiles.” On his console, twelve lights flashed on, indicating successful launches. The time from launch to impact was measured in microseconds.
On the main viewscreen, white flashes of intense light appeared in the oncoming Destroyers of Worlds’ fleet formation.
“Second missile launch,” reported the tactical officer as the next set of missiles left the battlecruiser.
“Pull us back,” ordered High Commander Arbale, his eyes focused intently on the black fleet.
“Enemy is firing,” warned the sensor operator, “their black antimatter beams!”
Arbale’s flagship shuddered violently. Alarms sounded, and officers shouted commands. The lights in the Command Center dimmed and then returned to full brightness.
“Weapons strike above Engineering,” the damage control officer reported. “We have four decks open to space and several fires in adjoining compartments. Repair teams are en route.”
High Commander Arbale turned to study the damage control console. Several of the fires were near vital areas. “Vent those compartments on fire to space.”
“But, High Commander, crew personnel are still there,” objected the second in command, his eyes wide with concern.
“If we don’t, we’ll lose the ship!”
The second officer hesitated.
“Do you dare to disobey at a time like this?” High Commander Arbale asked. “You were given a direct order, implement it!”
“Vent those compartments,” murmured the second officer, forcing the words from his mouth.
The damage control officer pressed several icons on his screen. His face was so pale it was nearly white. “Compartments vented. Fires are out.”
“Now get us to the defense grid before they can hit us again,” ordered Arbale. He didn’t want to think about how many of his crew he had just ejected into the killing vacuum of space.
His breath caught in his throat when he looked at the viewscreens, seeing the further decimation of his fleet. Battlecruisers were being cut in two by the black antimatter beams, and others simply exploded as too many systems were compromised. On one screen, a battlecruiser was missing its stern, while, on another, a black sphere was draining the power from a ship’s energy screen.
-
Prince Brollen watched attentively as his fleet methodically destroyed the opposing warships.
The beams from the battleships are tearing apart the defending ships, reported Military Commander Fraymot. While the beams from our cruisers take several seconds or even more, one strike from a battleship can destroy an opposing vessel.
How many ships did we lose from their missiles? One thing Brollen had noticed from the recent battles, the enemy ships no longer attempted to use their energy weapons. Instead they resorted to powerful missile attacks.
Only two, replied Fraymot.
How many enemy ships will make it to their defense grid?
Fraymot turned to study a tactical display. Less than fifty.
Very well, continue with the battle as I observe.
Fraymot bowed slightly and then contacted a large number of Vorn ships telepathically. Time to destroy the planet’s defense grid and the remaining enemy warships.
-
The carnage the Destroyers of Worlds had inflicted upon High Commander Arbale’s fleet stunned him. Only forty-two of his battlecruisers had made it to the defense grid, and most of them were severely damaged.
“The last passenger liner and cargo ship capable of hyperspace travel have left the system,” reported the sensor operator. “They began jumping out as soon as the Destroyers of Worlds’ fleet was detected.”
“There are reports of wholesale panic on Drasni Five,” reported the communications officer. “The few available deep shelters are overrun, and fighting on the surface has been reported.”
“Fighting on an Enlightened World?” said the tactical officer, confused. “I don’t understand.”
“Life or death,” Arbale explained simply. “Even someone who has become Enlightened wants to live. This situation will bring out the worst in even the best people.”
“The Destroyers of Worlds’ fleet is inbound,” reported the sensor operator. “Engagement range in four minutes.”
“We still have time to withdraw,” said the second officer, his glare focused on High Commander Arbale. “We don’t have to die here.”
“No, we will remain,” Arbale said, resigned to his death. “It is our duty as a Protector World fleet to stay and die for those who are incapable of defending themselves.”
“No, we will not die today,” the second officer responded as he pulled his sidearm and shot the high commander in the head.
The stunned command crew sat at their consoles, all eyes focused on the second officer in disbelief.
“Helm, plot a hyperspace jump to Nelum Seven. We’re leaving. Communications, inform any other ship that wishes to withdraw that they have permission to do so.”
The crew remained frozen, not sure what to do.
“Do it now, or we die here!” ordered the second officer with his handgun still clutched in his hand.
For a long moment the crew hesitated, and then the helm officer plotted the hyperspace jump. At the same time, the communications officer spoke to the other ships in a frantic voice.
A few moments later the flagship vanished into hyperspace, followed by over half the remaining battlecruisers. Those that remained were too damaged to flee.
-
As the black fleet neared the planet, the Vorn battleships moved out of the formation and toward the defensive platforms and the remaining battlecruisers. Black antimatter beams shot out and tore apart the few remaining battlecruisers. In a panic, the commanding officers in the platforms fired their missiles at the nearest targets. Coordination was forgotten as each platform tried to save itself. Across the formation of battleships, bright explosions lit up their energy screens, which easily absorbed the antimatter energy, sucking it up as if it were nothing.
Defense platform after platform exploded or was simply cut into dozens of pieces as the black ships focused their fire on the platforms. In only a few minutes the last defensive platform vanished from the space above the planet. The Command and Control Station lasted a few more minutes, but then it too blew apart in a massive explosion, sending fiery debris raining down on the planet. The few orbital defense satellites were likewise eliminated. Their destruction briefly lit up the sky over the dark side of the planet in brief flashes of light. Then it was over, and the planet lay helpless beneath the victorious Vorn fleet. Above the planet glowing debris was all that remained of the once powerful defensive grid.
The Vorn motherships left the safety of their spherical formation and moved into low orbit above the planet. The black beams flashed down, converting the two billion inhabitants into a black ash, which was whisked up into the waiting motherships and into the converters. Every major life form on the planet perished.
Prince Brollen stood in one of the converter rooms and, as soon as a suitable food pellet was ready, consumed it. While not the best he had partaken of, it was still passable. It would not suffice for the Queens, but, for others of the Royal Court, it would be acceptable.
-
An hour later and the fleet was ready to depart. The planet had been turned into a radioactive cinder. The orbiting shipyard and the two large habitats had been destroyed with antimatter missiles, leaving scattering debris fields. Vorn cruisers had been dispatched to the other nearby planets, and the habitation domes found there were likewise annihilated. When the Vorn fleet left the system, nothing living would remain.
Prince Brollen gazed at the main viewscreen with his multifaceted eyes. He was pleased with the results of this harvesting. Military Commander Fraymot had performed as expected. Set a course for the assembly area, where the rest of our cruisers await. They will join
our fleet, and then we will set a course for our target world. It is time I sampled food species 236. As a precaution, Prince Brollen had decided to increase the size of his fleet. He had already summoned two other large harvesting fleets.
A few minutes later the massive Vorn fleet entered hyperspace. It was time to destroy the most powerful of the Protector Worlds.
Chapter Seventeen
Fleet Admiral Kurt Vickers stood in the massive construction bay, gazing at his recently reconfigured ship. The Star Cross was now 1,700 meters long and more heavily armed than ever. Not only that, additional armor had been placed around the Command Center and Engineering, making those two areas nearly indestructible. The Glaymons had assured him not even a Vorn black antimatter beam could damage those two areas of his ship due to its special armor.
“What about their black energy spheres?” asked Andrew, standing next to Kurt. “Can they still siphon off the power from the energy screen?”
“No, the new energy screen protecting your ship rapidly rotates through a series of energy frequencies,” explained Tasid. “It’s what you would call a heterodyne effect. It tends to disrupt the power absorption of the black spheres.”
“I’m worried about some of the new technology on board my ships,” said Lomatz, his yellow eyes showing his concern. “None of my technicians understand it.”
“In time they will,” promised Tasid. “The weapons technology isn’t millions of years more advanced than your own. We didn’t load up your vessels with superscience that would be forever incomprehensible. While we do possess such science on many of our ships, we did not apply them to your vessels.”
Kurt looked at Tasid. “What about replacement parts? What if some of this new technology breaks down?” Kurt had taken a chance on allowing the Glaymons such a free hand with redesigning the Star Cross and his four heavy battlecruisers.
“Lomatz’s ship, the Construct One, has been modified so it can produce the spare parts you might need,” replied Tasid. “Two Class One replicators are on board that can furnish any spare parts your vessels might require. Also twenty Glaymons are on board, fully familiar with the new equipment, and can show the ship’s engineers how to operate it. The ship also has a very powerful energy shield as well as two Zero-Point Energy modules. The extra module is required to operate the replicators.”
Andrew looked thoughtful. “It’s a good thing a few of your people will be with us on our ships. It makes me feel better in case something goes wrong. I can see our engineers staring blankly at a piece of equipment that has failed with no clue about how to repair it.”
“We recognize the technology will take some getting used to,” replied Tasid. “Plus the AI will be new to you, but you will find the repair robots are now far more versatile.”
They were interrupted as Gaylith, the female Glaymon responsible for monitoring communications in the galaxy, came rushing up. “The Vorn are on the move. They’ve harvested five planets in a direct line toward Lakiam. They will arrive in the Lakiam System in five to seven days.”
“Damn,” muttered Andrew, shaking his head, then turned to Tasid. “Can we get there in time?”
“Yes,” replied Tasid, with a slight frown. “Considering the distance the ships need to travel, we can be there in a little over three days with the new hyperdrives, if we leave in the morning.”
“We?” Kurt asked Tasid.
Tasid grinned and nodded. “You didn’t think I was staying here? I’ve dreamed of fighting the Vorn all my life.”
“Not much time for a shakedown cruise or to test the new weapons,” commented Andrew. “What if something goes wrong?”
“Don’t worry. The AIs on your ships can handle everything if need be. All you have to do is tell them what you want. Most of your control consoles still look and operate the same. The weapons are just more powerful, and a new panel has been installed to handle the Zero-Point Energy rounds for the KEW cannons. Your crews will find the ships very similar to what they had.”
Kurt turned toward Andrew. “Let’s get our crews on board so they can familiarize themselves with the changes.”
“We’ve assigned ten Glaymons to each one of your warships,” said Tasid. “I myself will be on your flagship to assist in the Command Center. Others will be in Engineering and other crucial compartments of the ship.”
Kurt looked at Captain Waelt, standing close by. “How many of your ships are coming?”
Captain Waelt smiled. “More than I had hoped. We’ll be ready to depart first thing in the morning. When we do, we can’t turn back. So far, we’ve managed to keep it a secret as to what we’re planning. Once we leave the Dyson Sphere and exit the nebula, the secret will be out, and the Glaymon Council will be furious. They can’t stop us, but there will be serious repercussions for those who stay behind.”
“We’re prepared for that,” Marshton said with a grimace. “No doubt we’ll be called before the council and told that our numbers must be reduced. They may also want us to turn over our remaining warships.”
“Will you do that?” asked Kurt. He couldn’t believe what the Aggressives were willing to give up in order to help in the war against the Destroyers of Worlds.
“There will be a compromise,” Valan said with a deep sigh. “In the end, we will agree to reduce our population to only one habitat square if we can keep our remaining ships. I’m pretty certain they will agree to that. We don’t want to be left defenseless in case the Vorn ever find our Dyson Sphere.”
“What will happen to your people in the three habitat squares you’re giving up?”
Marshton laughed. “Did I mention that we are extremely long-lived? The average lifespan for a Glaymon is over 12,000 years. Those of childbearing age will all gradually move to the habitat square we’re keeping. The others will be allowed to live out their natural lives in their current homes. Eventually, as the population gradually drops, due to deaths, we’ll pull back to three habitat squares, then two, and finally the one. So, as you can see, it will be thousands of years yet before the sanctions really affect us. Of course, if you can find a way to defeat the Destroyers of Worlds, all that could change. That’s our biggest hope.”
Kurt looked at the Star Cross. Hard to believe it was now one of the most powerful ships in the galaxy. Only the ships possessed by the Glaymons were more powerful.
“One other thing,” said Gaylith anxiously. “Some of the reports we’re picking up indicate the Vorn have deployed a new warship, perhaps a battleship class.”
“There is no mention of such a vessel in our research into the Vorn,” replied Valan, shifting his gaze to Gaylith. “The damaged cruiser we recovered long ago did not contain information of a battleship in its computer files.”
Captain Waelt’s face creased in a frown. “We have no idea of the power of such a vessel. If they have deployed battleships, they wish to make an example of the Lakiams. This won’t just be a battle for the Lakiam System. The Vorn will seek to harvest and destroy every Lakiam world and colony.”
“If Lakiam falls, the entire galaxy will follow,” commented Lomatz. “The other Protector Worlds will abandon the Enlightened Worlds completely and pull back their fleets to cover their core systems. The Vorn could then harvest most of the galaxy with impunity, saving the Protector Worlds for the end. Then they will annihilate them one by one until no civilized world remains.”
Kurt looked at Captain Waelt. “We can’t let Lakiam fall.”
Kurt had originally hoped to travel to Lakiam and have Mara introduce him to Fleet Commodore Dreen and turn over some of the Glaymons’ technology to him. The Zero-Point Energy system alone might allow the Lakiams to eventually defeat the Destroyers of Worlds. Even the KEW cannon with some of the exotic rounds the Glaymons had furnished might be a game changer. But then the Aggressives had offered to send a fleet, and now, with the Vorn rapidly closing on Lakiam, Kurt unhappily realized he would be forced into playing a more active role.
“My ships will be ready in the m
orning,” replied Captain Waelt.
“I need to make a few more arrangements before we leave,” said Tasid. “It won’t take long, and then I’ll come to the Star Cross.”
Marshton looked at Valan and then spoke. “We have a few more preparations of our own to make. There may be a surprise for you in the morning.”
“A surprise?” asked Kurt, wondering what it could be.
“Yes, two more vessels will accompany you. They’re not quite ready, but I believe we can have them done by morning if we add more construction robots to the project.”
“I must notify all my ship captains that we’re leaving.” Kurt asked Valan, “Have you seen Mara today?”
“She’s on a tour of one of our major museums,” said Valan. “I think she believes that, by studying our past, it will help her to better understand some of our science. She even has several of her scientists with her.”
“Can you inform her that we’ll be leaving in the morning?”
“Yes,” replied Valan. “I’ll see to it immediately.”
Kurt shifted his attention to Andrew. “Let’s board the Star Cross. We have a lot to do before we’re ready to depart. It may be a long night.”
-
Several hours later, Kurt was on board the Star Cross as the command crew worked with Tasid and several other Glaymons. While all their consoles were similar to what was there before, some subtle differences existed. The biggest one for Kurt was the small platform in front of his command console. Currently a beautiful Human woman stood upon the platform—the AI the Star Cross had been equipped with. Her projection was a three-dimensional hologram, and she almost seemed real.
“All ship systems are operating within design specifications,” she reported in a soft feminine voice. “Supplies and munitions are on board, including new and updated hyperspace missiles.”
Kurt hadn’t known about the changes to the missiles until Tasid had casually mentioned it earlier. The missile warheads had been replaced with dark matter warheads, capable of exploding with a force of five hundred megatons, similar to the ones the Lakiams used. Tasid confided in Kurt that Mara had frowned when told the Glaymons had furnished the Star Cross and the other Human vessels with the missiles that, until now, only the Lakiams had possessed.
The Star Cross: Galaxy in Peril Page 25