-
Some of the AI ships have entered hyperspace,” warned Commander Arnett as they vanished from the tactical display.
“Can we plot their course?” asked Race. He was concerned they might be jumping into the heart of the battle.
“It’s not good,” replied Taalon Briez, the Alton navigation officer. “If these readings are correct they’re on their way to the Dyson Sphere.”
Colonel Cowel looked surprised. “They left their other ships here to continue the battle so they could escape?”
“We can’t let them reach the Dyson Sphere,” said Commander Arnett. “What if they gain access?”
Race knew Madelyn was right. “We’ll take the WarHawk and ten more dreadnaughts. The rest will stay here under Admiral Baasil’s command. Captain Travers, inform Admiral Stoddard we’re leaving in pursuit of the twenty-one AI battle spheres that just jumped into hyperspace.”
Race was certain his dreadnoughts were faster in hyperspace than the AI battle spheres. If he left immediately he should be able to beat them to the Dyson Sphere. The only problem was he had been told by Reesa any ships approaching the sphere would be destroyed. It was a risk he was going to have to take.
“Messages sent and acknowledged,” reported Captain Travers.
“Taalon, set a course for the Dyson Sphere.”
Taalon pressed several icons on his navigation console and then turned toward Race. “Course set.”
Race quickly informed Taalon which dreadnoughts to send the navigation information to. He also spoke briefly with the commanding officers of the ten dreadnoughts accompanying the WarHawk.
“All ships are ready to enter hyperspace,” reported Commander Arnett.
Race nodded. “Let’s go. We can’t let the AIs beat us to the Dyson Sphere.”
Moments later blue-white spatial vortexes formed in front of the eleven dreadnoughts and they quickly entered them, vanishing from the system.
-
Massie had watched the twenty-one AI battle spheres jump into hyperspace and then shortly after that Race followed with the WarHawk and ten of the dreadnoughts. The rest of the dreadnoughts and the Alton battleships remained locked in heavy combat with the remaining battle spheres.
“Admiral, we received a message from Admiral Tolsen as they were jumping. They’re pursuing the AI battle spheres that left earlier. He believes they’re on their way to the Dyson Sphere. The rest of the fleet is to remain here and finish the battle.”
Massie drew in a deep breath. She understood the AIs could not be allowed to reach the megastructure.
“Admiral, remaining AI battle spheres are jumping!” warned the sensor operator.
Shifting her eyes to the viewscreens in the front of the Command Center, she saw numerous white vortexes forming. The AI battle spheres entered them vanishing from the battle.
“What the hell?” muttered her executive officer. “Where are they going?”
“Vortexes forming throughout the Shari fleet formation,” reported the sensor officer. “The AI battle spheres are reemerging.”
A cold chill ran through Massie. The Shari vessels stood no chance against the AIs. It would be a massacre.
“Alton battleships and remaining dreadnoughts are entering hyperspace.”
Massie looked at the tactical display seeing the battleships and the dreadnoughts reappear in close proximity to the AI battle spheres. The battle was about to be ratcheted up another notch. “Release all of our escorts except one battlecruiser and four strikecruisers to Admiral Stoddard.” Massie felt certain the five combat ships she was keeping could protect her from an AI battle sphere if one appeared. This battle was getting so intense Admiral Stoddard was going to need every ship possible. Her battlecarriers were also heavily armed if they had to defend themselves.
“Bomber wings are beginning to return for rearming,” reported Colonel Tillerson.
“What are the losses?” Massie was dreading hearing Tillerson’s response.
“Forty-three percent,” he said grimly. “However, they took out a lot of damaged ships as well as sixty-two Ralift light escorts.”
Massie nodded. She knew every ship her bombers took out was one less the fleet had to worry about. “Get them aboard and rearmed. We need them back out there as soon as possible.” Massie leaned back in her command chair. This battle was far from over.
-
The AI battle spheres began firing upon the Shari vessels as soon as they exited hyperspace. Hundreds of Shari warships were blown apart by the fierce and unexpected attack of the AIs. The Shari formation began to unravel even more than it had been as ships tried to put distance between themselves and the deadly AI spheres. More vortexes opened and Alton battleships and the Human dreadnoughts charged out, opening fire on the AI battle spheres. The combat became one on one as the two powerful forces began battling it out for supremacy.
-
High Lord Droll felt panic when the AIs jumped into the midst of the Shari fleet firing their heavy energy weapons and missiles. He felt sickened as hundreds of Shari vessels succumbed to the deadly attack. Then the Alton and Human vessels stormed out of vortexes, attacking the AI battle spheres. In bright flashes of light the AIs began to die.
“We have suffered massive losses, both from the AIs and the Ralift,” reported Lower Lord Malben. “Between our fleets and High Lord Tabor’s we have lost nearly two thousand vessels.”
Droll closed his eyes shaking his head in despair upon hearing the staggering losses. He had known they had been heavy but had expected nothing like this. “The Ralift?”
“They have lost nearly three thousand ships, many of them due to the Federation fleet assaulting their rear echelon.”
“We may have to fall back to the defense grid shortly,” High Lord Droll said. On one of the viewscreens, a Shari battlecruiser was drifting powerless from heavy damage to its engineering section. Several Ralift energy beams suddenly struck the vessel, breaking it in two.
High Lord Droll knew emergency plans had been made in case the Shari fleets suffered catastrophic losses. They would fall back to the defense grid and add its heavy firepower to the fleet. Droll knew that time was rapidly approaching. He was growing fearful the Ralift fleet was too large to defeat.
-
In space, ships from all sides continued to die. The Alton battleships and the dreadnoughts were more powerful than the AI battle spheres and had stronger energy shielding. The battle between the two forces was intense as the AIs poured ever bit of firepower they could bring to bear against the battleships and the dreadnoughts. Occasionally a battleship’s energy shield would be overpowered and in a cataclysmic explosion, the Alton battleship would be destroyed. The dreadnoughts were a tougher nut to crack. In several instances, the AIs managed to bring four of their battle spheres to engage a dreadnought. In massive blasts of light which lit up the entire region of space around the battling fleets, the dreadnoughts Trieste and Raven were destroyed.
In the rear of the Ralift fleet, Admiral Stoddard and Alton Admiral Lankell were pushing forward with their warships. As Ralift ships were damaged, they were left behind to be eliminated by the lurking squadrons of Anlon bombers. Particle beam fire was playing havoc with the Ralift vessels. One Ralift battleship had its stern torn apart as particle beams cut it open, laying its compartments open to space. Moments later a pair of Anlon bombers placed two twenty-megaton Shrike missiles into the stern, finishing off the ship.
The Ralift were also fighting back. They were still using englobing tactics against the Federation forces. They would send in a squadron of battlecruisers, englobe a Federation ship, and then overpower its shields with their energy beams and antimatter missiles. Battlecruisers and strikecruisers too often found their shields overwhelmed and were blown apart by the fury of the Ralift weapons. This tactic wasn’t working against the more powerful Human battleships. In most cases, the Ralift englobing squadron suffered heavy losses and was forced to withdraw under the devastating firepowe
r of the battleship.
-
Admiral Stoddard sat grimly in his command chair as the losses steadily mounted. The entire battle hinged on the destruction of the AI battle spheres. ‘How many are left?” Stoddard had witnessed a number of massive explosions in the Shari fleet indicating the destruction of some of the attacking AI ships. He had also noticed the loss of a number of Alton battleships as well as at least two of the dreadnoughts.
“Seventy-two,” answered the sensor operator. “All of them are under heavy attack.”
Stoddard studied the tactical display for several long moments. “Communications, contact High Lord Tabor and High Lord Droll and suggest they fall back to the defensive grid. We’re going to need more firepower to finish off this Ralift fleet.”
A minute passed and then the communications officer turned toward Admiral Stoddard. “They agree; they’ll be breaking off contact shortly and will fall back to the defense grid.”
“The Alton battleships and the dreadnoughts should be finished destroying the last of the AI battle spheres shortly,” reported the executive officer. “The AIs have managed to destroy four of the dreadnoughts and forty-eight of the Alton battleships. However, that still leaves twenty-five dreadnoughts and 142 Alton battleships. They should have no trouble destroying the rest of the AIs and then they will be free to engage the Ralift.”
“Let’s hope when that happens and the Ralift realize their masters are gone they won’t assault the defense grid and Melsberth.” Stoddard took a deep breath as he focused on the tactical display. This battle still had a long way to go.
-
Nest Lord Creesth watched in shock as the last AI battle sphere was blown apart under the combined fire of four Alton battleships.
“The AIs have been defeated,” said Second Nest Lord Albion in disbelief. “How can this be?”
“The Humans and the Altons,” replied Creesth harshly. “Now we know why the AIs fled to our space.”
“The Shari are breaking contact and are pulling back to the defensive grid around their planet,” reported the Ralift at the ship’s sensors. “The Alton battleships and the dreadnoughts are joining them.”
“What about the Federation ships attacking our rear?”
“Still there; there’s no indication of them pulling back and joining the other ships in the defensive grid. Nest Lord Fresnel is reporting heavy losses to his fleet and is requesting reinforcements.”
Creesth looked at a viewscreen showing the carnage occurring to his rear echelon. Lord Fresnel’s fleet was nearly destroyed. “Send Third Nest Lord Ovath and his fleet to reinforce Fresnel. We can spare no others.”
“The defense grid around Melsberth is extremely powerful,” pointed out Second Nest Lord Alboin. “We will lose a lot of our ships assaulting it, particularly with the addition of the Shari and Federation forces.”
“It is the will of our masters,” replied Creesth. “Order the fleet forward; we will destroy the Shari fleet and the Federation forces defending the planet and then lay waste to it with our nuclear missiles.” Creesth knew the Command AI was on its way to the Dyson Sphere. If the Command AI succeeded in gaining access to the Dyson Sphere then the Ralift would become the dominant power in the galaxy. Creesth was not going to risk going against the Command AI’s orders with what was at stake.
-
The Ralift fleet surged forward, leaving the remnants of Nest Lord Fresnel’s fleet and Third Nest Lord Ovath to hold off the Federation forces they were engaged with. As the Ralift fleet neared the defense grid, the defending forces opened up. Now the Ralift realized the awesome power of the Alton battleships and the Human dreadnaughts. Huge swaths of destruction were carved into the Ralift formation. Energy cannon satellites, orbiting missile platforms, and several large battlestations joined in. Within the first two minutes of battle the Ralift lost another thousand warships. Space was full of dying ships and glowing fields of debris.
Nest Lord Creesth felt his flagship shake violently and then found himself flying through the air to come crashing down on the deck. Struggling to stand, he stumbled back to his command chair. Looking around he saw smoke and sparks everywhere. Alarms were screaming from the damage control board, and red lights were rapidly blinking on. “Damage report!”
“Multiple breaches along the forward hull and part of the stern near Engineering. We’re venting atmosphere,” the damage control officer reported. “We have numerous compartments open to space, and we’re suffering a major power loss.”
“Engineering has suffered major damage,” reported Second Nest Lord Alboin. “They report it will be impossible to restore full power. They can give us enough power for maneuvering but the hyperdrive has been destroyed.”
Looking at the damage control console, Creesth knew the damage to his flagship was fatal. “Order all ships to target the planet.” At least he could still destroy Melsberth before he died and carry out part of their masters’ orders.
-
From the thousands of attacking Ralift vessels nuclear missiles were launched. The Shari defense grid instantly switched its targeting to the missiles as did all the orbiting ships. Many of the missiles were intercepted and knocked down but a few managed to get through. Over the capital city four nuclear missiles detonated, sending out devastating blast waves across the helpless city. Four mushroom clouds rose up into the air as debris, ash, and smoke were pulled in by the powerful updraft of superheated air.
Across the planet other missiles struck their targets. In the space of two minutes 30 percent of the population of Melsberth died. Then the nuclear missiles ceased falling as the defense grid and orbiting ships shot down the last remaining ones.
-
Aboard Creesth’s flagship, the crew was working at a frantic pace trying to effect repairs. The ship started shaking violently as several particle beams slammed into its hull. In a brilliant explosion the ship blew up, sending glowing debris across space. The last sight Creesth saw on the ship’s viewscreens were the mushroom clouds rising up into the atmosphere of Melsberth.
-
Nest Lord Fresnel saw the destruction of Creesth’s flagship. To him this marked the end of the attack. The AI battle spheres had been destroyed, and the Command AI and twenty other spheres had fled while being pursued by eleven of the larger warships of the Federation. This battle was lost. If he continued he would lose a sizable portion of the remaining Ralift fleet. Better to retreat and pull back to the border of the Ralift Empire. Perhaps they would maintain control of the Shari worlds they had conquered. The empire would be larger than before, but now there would be no more AIs. Without hesitation he gave the order to retreat.
-
High Lord Droll watched in disbelief as the Ralift fleet pulled away from Melsberth and began making the transition into hyperspace. The battle was over and they had won with the help of the Federation. With a deep sigh, he looked at one of the viewscreens showing Melsberth. Numerous mushroom clouds were rising above the surface and well into the protective atmosphere. The loss of life would be horrific, but the planet had survived.
-
Massie watched with relief in her eyes as the Ralift fleet fled the scene of the battle. A few damaged ships remained and Admiral Stoddard’s warships were making short work of them. Taking a deep breath, she watched as the bomber wings began returning. There were far fewer than what had been sent into combat at the start of the battle. Looking at a viewscreen showing a sea of unblinking stars, Massie wondered about Race. He had twenty-one AI battle spheres to deal with at the Dyson Sphere. She just hoped her brother knew what he was doing.
Chapter Fifteen
Jeremy was back at the Communications and Transport Hub. What remained of his fleet had only made it back the day before. It had been necessary to stay at the Dyson Sphere nearest the Median Galaxy for his ships to be repaired in one of the large spacedocks. Once that was done, he brought the fleet back home in defeat.
“It was a disaster,” Jeremy said to Admiral
Kalen, General Wesley, and Governor Barnes. “The Eternals played us from the very beginning. I’m not sure what to expect now. We may have started the war we had hoped to avoid for another year or two.”
Admiral Kalen nodded his understanding. “It’s evident the Anti-Life, or the Eternals as they now call themselves, are more advanced than what we originally believed, particularly in military technology.”
“I spoke to Bartoll earlier and he’s holding a meeting with the rest of the surviving Originators and some of the AIs responsible for research,” said Governor Barnes. “He’s gravely concerned about the stealth technology the Eternals demonstrated as well as their ability to lock a ship out of hyperspace. He’s fearful they may be monitoring some of the Dyson Spheres and have not been detected. He has ordered a search in all systems containing a Dyson Sphere, looking for dead areas like the ones you detected in the Median Galaxy before you were attacked.”
“I’m sorry to hear about the loss of Grayseth,” added Admiral Kalen. His eyes filled with sadness. “He was a fine Carethian warrior and represented his people with honor.”
Jeremy nodded. The loss of Grayseth was something he was still having a hard time accepting. Even though he had witnessed the Warrior’s Prides destruction, he still couldn’t believe his friend was gone. “I spoke to Admiral Calmat earlier. He will be taking over as leader of the Carethian clans.”
“He will make a fine leader to the Carethian people,” Governor Barnes said approvingly. “I understand he is already planning a ceremony to honor Grayseth.”
“Yes,” answered Jeremy. “When a great leader of the clans falls in battle they have a ceremony honoring his achievements. All clan leaders will be attending as well as many others. The ceremony lasts for nearly a full day.” Jeremy would be attending and giving a speech on how Grayseth had unselfishly sacrificed his life so Jeremy and the crew of the Avenger might survive. “How is Major Wilde doing on retaking the rest of the Dyson Sphere Control Centers?”
The Originator Wars: Universe in Danger: A Lost Fleet Novel Page 23