“Any word on getting through that wormhole?” James asked.
“Yes,” Lee said, a smile finding its way onto his face. “We may have it. We can adjust our gravity projectors to manipulate the wormhole. I’m told it won’t be the smoothest ride, but we can do it. There are some modified components en route to 2nd Guards Fleet and it shouldn’t take long to swap out. They will be joined by the 3rd Guards Fleet and a few additional military police ships.”
“Good,” James said looking back at Jupiter. “Send the fleet through the first chance you get. Don’t give the traitors any more time to prepare or hide.”
“Yes sir,” said Lee. “You aren’t worried about the Conglomerate?”
James shook his head, Lee’s concerns easily dismissed.
“Of course not,” James said. “Josaka is not officially Conglomerate space. This is between humans as the Conglomerate will understand it. A ‘human matter’. We must unite humanity before we deal with the Conglomerate. Besides, I’m told Josaka is not part of the Conglomerate and their laws are peculiar about conflict in such ‘dark’ systems.”
“And if the Caliphate attacks while Second and Third Fleet are away?” Lee asked.
“We call them back,” James said. “Besides, if the Caliphate has additional forces I think they would have committed them to battle already. That juggernaut and their cruisers were likely the majority of their fleet, a last gasp of a failing religious ideology. We need to show everyone the Jupiter Alliance is strong, capable and united. A victory will show we still have the upper hand over the Caliphate and that we aren’t mired in that religious garbage. We also need any technology we can get from the Conglomerate.”
“It might be too late for Harris Town,” Carl said, staring at his tablet and unable to meet James’ eyes.
James sighed. “What now?”
“Social Net report shows they are on the edge of rebellion,” Carl said. “In fact, people have stopped using Social Net, claiming it is a tool of oppression and is censored.”
“How can you have a functioning society if uneducated idiots say whatever they want?” James asked, not surprised but curious if there could be a wider danger. “Do they know the truth?”
“Unknown. A majority is calling for Harris Town to withdraw from the Alliance,” Lee said. “At this point my analysts believe they have the support for it and that might cause other colonies to leave the alliance and create a new one.”
“Ungrateful bastards,” James said. “They will just sit there behind the ice while we keep the skies above free of the Caliphate. They will just hide behind our fleets and troops.”
James scowled. This couldn’t be happening at a worse time. Some people couldn’t see past their own greed and self-centered purpose. The JSP didn’t have complete control yet, so people didn’t have all the approved facts and they were still subject to fake, misleading or inconvenient news. Not everyone could see or understand everything at stake. It took true intellect to see the big picture, something most people didn’t have the time, mental capacity or understanding for.
“Shall I schedule a Jihadi attack?” Carl asked. “I have assets in place.”
“Do it,” James said with a scowl. It wasn’t the way he wanted to operate, but anybody not willing to work towards the common good would only detract from it. Mankind needed to be united now, not later and sometimes you had to break a few eggs to make an omelet.
“Massive body count,” James said with a heavy heart. There might be a better way, but the JSP didn’t have time for that. “I want people in other cities and colonies scared. Play up the fact how Harris Town has rejected Alliance peace keepers who specialize in hunting down Jihadi dissidents and sympathizers. We can’t unite the human race unless we pull together and if they don’t want to join us, then humanity does not need them. Use leaks to imply there is a bigger, more dangerous conspiracy.”
Carl nodded and checked his tablet.
“How is Project Defender going?” Carl asked changing the topic and drawing James’ interest. Why was Carl bringing that up?
“Well,” Lee said. “We need more subjects. Lots of washouts, some people just can’t handle the stress, or their bodies reject the implants.”
“Use the survivors from Harris Town,” James said, seeing where Carl was going. “Render the city uninhabitable and send any surviving men to Project Defender and the women to Gaia.”
“Everyone?” Carl asked in surprise.
“Yes,” James said. “If they don’t want to join the human race peacefully, they will do so by force. Do the usual. Show how the Alliance is ready to render aid to our members, show happy people being rescued, spare no effort, have the news agencies report we don’t have a list of survivors yet, but there aren’t many. Cook the numbers and show only people that don’t have relatives or friends in other colonies as surviving and being moved. Any queries for survivors get returned with a killed or unknown. Just make them all disappear. List most of them as missing, lost to the ocean or the attack.”
Carl nodded looking at his tablet.
“The population is about sixty thousand,” Carl said. “The attack might kill ten thousand? Those people would go a long way to improving numbers and will help Project Defender and Gaia.”
“Good,” James said. “Use social net to ramp up fear, then give priority to posts and discussions about Caliphate sleeper cells. Play up on the fact they have wormhole technology and other Conglomerate technology because Athena and now New Alamo are in league with Risyat to conquer the Alliance. Speculate that the jihadi’s have gotten super advanced Conglomerate stealth technology as well.”
Carl and Lee nodded.
“Is the Ceres invasion still on track?” James asked, changing the subject.
Lee nodded. “Our agents are in place. Fifth Guard fleet will be ready shortly. Computer simulations show it should be easy since we have already suborned the Ceres external and internal defense network.”
“We need to unite the colonies,” James said looking at both Carl and Lee. “Make sure your people understand. We have little time. Based on information we received before the traitors in Josaka abandoned us, General Lewis believes the Conglomerate is in decline. A strong Sol system and an energetic human race will go a long way and be able to take control of the Conglomerate if we play our cards right. We are fighting for the common good of the human race. Individuals don’t matter as much as the whole. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. Never forget that.”
Lee and Carl nodded. Standard speech.
“The end justifies the means,” Carl said looking at his tablet.
“Exactly,” James said realizing he was preaching to the choir and reigning it in. “We need a strong and united Sol Alliance, not just a Jupiter Alliance. Do whatever it takes.”
“Do you think our fleets can take on the rebels in Josaka?” Lee asked. “They managed to fend off a major Caliphate force.”
“Barely,” James said. “Only that one idiot ramming his ship and killing the admiral commanding the fleet saved them. With their leader gone you know how those religious fanatics fall apart. Once we land troops any ships still intact will surrender, I’m sure.”
Lee nodded, James could tell he wasn’t convinced but he would not make an issue of it.
“Anything else?” James asked.
“Not exactly,” Lee said, hesitating. “Risiyat is calling for the Jupiter Alliance to join Earth in peace, to convert to Islam and all that other religious crap.”
“Now?” James asked. “He does that before a major attack.”
Lee nodded. “The timing is unusual, unless he is bluffing.”
“Find out,” James said. “He rarely bluffs and the timing is odd. He might have something else up his sleeve.”
“We can’t get anything close enough to Earth to find out for sure,” Lee said. “He has several asteroids in orbit now and they are covered with weapons, fighter bays and sensors.”
“He is not making
more juggernauts, is he?” James asked alarmed.
Lee shook his head. “He can’t afford to. They lack the expertise and they still have issues getting things out of Earth’s gravity well. Analysts say unless he is getting technical help, and lots of it, that juggernaut was all he had. He might make more but don’t expect a fleet of them.”
“We could play on the Caliphate threats and tie them in with the Harris Town situation,” Carl said his mind still on other things.
“I like it,” James said. “But get more recon elements to Earth if you can, let’s make sure. I would wager Risyat has enough problems with his staggering defeat. Losing that much military hardware has got to be hurting the old goat politically.”
Lee nodded.
“Maybe we could work Athena into the upcoming Harris Town disaster?” Carl said.
James cocked an eyebrow.
“Show the Jihadi’s came in through Athena as vetted immigrants,” Carl said. “Maybe we could create a captured ring leader who said the Athenian authorities helped them, implicate that bitch Perro and her pet admiral what’s his name.”
“Good,” James said. “I like it. Tie in Ceres if you can.”
“I’ll see what I can do,” Carl said. “If this works out well, we might have to do it again.”
James nodded. “I would like to save more people than we lose though, otherwise we become the bad guys.”
Lee nodded. “Agreed, but you can’t make an omelet without breaking a few eggs.”
“Some people enjoy breaking eggs,” Carl said glancing at Lee. “Way too much.”
Lee shrugged.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Counter Invasion
Captain Sonya Hoffman stared at the display of her InnerBuddy and then sent the alarm. The wormhole was opening. The New Alamo battle cruiser Cincinnatus changed course and accelerated. Throughout the ship lights dimmed, making it easier to focus on displays. Everything was still too new and different for her. She wasn’t used to this ship yet and now they were about to go into battle. It didn’t fill her with confidence but she had worked with most of the crew off and on for decades.
“Multiple ships,” Lieutenant Harris reported from the CIC as Sonya ran down the hallway. The older officer seemed professionally bored as he watched the screen but Sonya noticed his glances around and the practiced calm. “Looks like they had a rough ride.”
Sensors picked up ships spilling out of the wormhole. They were squawking Jupiter Alliance identification. All around them thousands of missiles powered up and maneuvered toward the wormhole.
“Open broadcast from the intruders,” Harris said, still in command.
“Captain has control,” Sonya said.
“Captain has control,” Harris echoed and Sonya saw a notification in her InnerBuddy that she now had full control.
“On speaker,” Sonya said.
“This is Admiral Kaplon of the Jupiter Alliance, stand down! I say again stand down!” a voice said with some authority.
“I wonder if that is what he said to Captain Anderson before they shot him to pieces,” Harris muttered, his voice monotone and emotionless. Captain Anderson had been a captain of one of the New Alamo ships that had been monitoring the Sol side wormhole when the Jupiter Alliance turned on them and he had been a friend of Harris and Sonya.
“All units,” Admiral Day said on an encrypted frequency. “Repel invaders. This is another hostile act by the Jupiter Alliance and will be met with maximum force, they sent warships, not a courier. You have your orders. Carry them out.”
“Sweet,” Lieutenant Fry growled zooming in at the emergence. As the third senior officer and in charge of weapons Marcus Fry was considered a rising star in the New Alamo Defense Force. “Someone is about to have a terrible day.”
Sonya stared at the display. There was no mistaking this as anything other than an invasion force. All around the wormhole missiles were acquiring targets and accelerating. There were fifty waves available. It would be a slaughter unless the Jupes had an ace up their sleeve, and Sonya doubted the Cincinnatus would fire at all. Once long ago she had worn a Jupiter Alliance uniform and firing on them now after four decades still did not sit well with her.
The Cincinnatus was thirty minutes out from the engagement envelope. The distance would give the new battle cruiser enough sprinting distance to get a higher velocity. Already the Cincinnatus was circling the wormhole moving at a good speed. Any ships coming out of the wormhole would struggle to accelerate when the Cincinnatus changed course and swept into them like an eagle among pigeons.
“Breadbox is laying down a mass driver barrage and plasma gun volley,” Harris reported. “Time on target is fifteen minutes.”
Sonya nodded, slipping into her command chair. The crew of the Cincinnatus was fifteen, large for a New Alamo ship but under strength for most Jupiter Alliance or Caliphate vessels that relied on large crews. If Jupiter classifications were being used, the Cincinnatus would be classed as a battleship.
“Deploy fighters,” Sonya said and squadrons of fighters broke away from the Cincinnatus, further increasing their acceleration and speeding past the Cincinnatus. The drone fighters wouldn’t have to worry about soft organic crew and could reach crushing levels of acceleration.
Sonya watched the first trio of JA cruisers slam into a wall of missiles and the avalanche of missiles continued to fall on another cruiser squadron making transition.
“It is a slaughter,” Harris said and Sonya nodded feeling sick to her stomach. Another trio of cruisers died and more ships kept coming, they didn’t have a choice. Apparently, the Jupiter Alliance did not have an ace up their sleeve and old Sol technology was no match for Conglomerate ship killing missiles.
“New orders Captain,” Harris said looking at Sonya and sending a file to her queue.
Sonya pulled them up on screen and stared at them. They were from Admiral Day.
“Maintain distance,” the orders read. “At first chance slip through the wormhole into Sol. You have ten wormhole transit drones. We need a reconnaissance of the Sol system. Your mission is the Jupiter Alliance and the outer planets. Act against targets of opportunity. The battle cruiser Octavius will make a run toward the inner planets. Additional details to follow.”
Sonya sent an acknowledgment.
“Bring the fighters back,” Sonya said. She could already tell the Jupiter Alliance ships didn’t stand a chance. The Cincinnatus was overkill. Octavius was on sensors as approaching the wormhole.
“Decelerate and prepare wormhole transition,” Sonya said. “It will be rough but we will need velocity coming out the other end.”
“Prepare to decelerate, Aye,” Harris said.
Sonya leaned back wondering what they would find. An opposing minefield set by the Jupiter Alliance? Would the Jupes have had time to deploy a good one? The Cincinnatus would find out. Hopefully the Jupes at the far end didn’t have a force large enough to stop her and the Octavius. She watched the ships dying. Would that soon be the Cincinnatus?
An orders packet from Admiral Day arrived in her queue.
The fight would not be lasting much longer. The Jupiter Alliance ships had not stood a chance and the Jupes would not flee before they were slaughtered by waves of missiles.
Mark Harrison looked at the screen and felt sick. It had been a slaughter. What had they been thinking? How many thousands had died?
“We took no casualties,” Admiral Day said, but he didn’t sound happy about it. “No Jupe survivors yet.”
“Did we do the right thing?” Mark asked Day.
The Admiral nodded, his cold eyes taking in everything in New Alamo’s virtual command center. Officers, councilors and the prime minister were all in different parts of the colony but they could all take part and view the data as it became available to the Admiral. The Admiral had the authority to lock people out though if they became disruptive. This was his center and everyone, including the prime minister, were guests.
“No doubt in
my mind,” the Admiral said. “They came through with a fleet, after attacking our sentries on the other side. They weren’t here to talk and we couldn’t let them roam the system.”
“There is no doubt about it,” Mark said staring at Felix who was curled up on a cushion in the corner of his real office. “We are now at war with the Jupiter Alliance.”
Felix looked up at Mark and then padded over to sit by the Prime Minister, Felix’s head finding its way under Mark’s hand.
“Next steps?” Mark asked, scratching Felix behind the ear which seemed more soothing to Mark than Felix.
“I say we punch a strong force into Sol to keep watch on the wormhole,” Day said. “We will see anything coming and that will give us warning. We are at war so that makes it easier. The Cincinnatus and Octavius have made transition. They will use their maneuverability to get intelligence and wreck holy hell if you give the word.”
“Try to keep the body count to a minimum,” Mark said. “It is harder to make peace when people are grieving for the dead.”
“Aye. Do you think the Topa will have a fit about us forward deploying those ships?” Day asked.
“The Conglomerate is dead,” Mark said looking at Day. “The Tal are dead, scattered or powerless. The Topa are doing their best to keep the Conglomerate from devolving into war but without their big stick they can only use kind words.”
“Will they ask for their ships back?” Day asked.
“They haven’t yet,” Mark said. “Doesn’t mean they won’t, but I don’t see it making a difference. How will they take them back?”
Day nodded.
“So, what does the death of the Conglomerate mean to us?” Day asked.
“It means we are alone,” Mark said. “Us and Athena.”
“Alone? You aren’t worried about any of the dukes in the Chonka system coming after us?”
“It will take a while before they have anything to threaten our battleships with,” Mark said. “Last intel from Wise said they were fighting each other. The Conglomerate Patrol vessels are trying to stop it and so far, half have been destroyed. That is where Wise is at. Getting more intel, looking for allies.”
New Empires: Conglomerate Series Book 3 Page 4