Huge explosions appeared on the hulls of all ships both human and Dacarian as they fired at point blank range.
Human ships exploded. Twenty more Los Angeles class exploded just several minutes after the battle went from fleet to fleet to ship to ship.
Even the Argus and the cruisers reported damages. But at the same time the number of the Dacarian ships was cut for a third. And more and more ships were drifting.
Anaya locked the powerful weapons of the Argus on one of the remaining dreadnoughts. The beams cut deep in to the huge super structure of the powerful ship. Dozens of rail gun rounds impacted after them. The dreadnought held for several more minutes until four MAC rounds found their way to its insides. As they hit the powerful ship ceased to be. The losses were massive on both sides. But no one was retreating.
The Dunkirk, an Essex class ship found itself on the path of two enemy dreadnoughts.
Johnson knew the commander of the ship.
Captain Jonas O’Reilly. The Dunkirk lined up its MAC gun with one of the dreadnoughts. One forty ton tungsten shell erupted at a speed of 260 km/s and tore a huge hole in the inside of the dreadnought and at the same time plasma beams fired from the M-100 plasma cannons followed after it. Every gun on the Dunkirk was firing. Rail gun rounds and nuclear missiles impacted the hull of the other dreadnought. Its shields shimmered for a second and then failed and huge gaps started appearing on its surface as the armor was torn apart. At the same time the plasma beams, kinetic rounds and missiles impacted the shields and as they failed, the hull of the far smaller Earth battleship. The Dunkirk burned but it never stopped firing. The three ships drifted slowly apart dead in space. The dreadnought that was hit by the MAC round exploded after a minute. The second lasted several seconds longer until three MAC rounds found it and tore it apart.
In a way it was a fiery salute to the death of the Dunkirk.
Two Los Angeles class ships faced off two dacarian destroyers. All four ships exploded as the weapons they fired impacted them. A little further away one burning Los Angeles class found an enemy heavy cruiser that was locked in a death struggle with the Pretoria an Orion class battle cruiser under the command of Captain Simon De Santos. The Pretoria was a ship that was built by mutual cooperation of the countries of South America.
The ship showed hull breaches on several places.
The Paris crushed in to the cruiser and both ships tumbled away locked in a deadly embrace. Moments later the Pretoria fired MAC rounds that gutted a second heavy cruiser, and as it fired missiles and plasma weapons at a dacarian destroyer a second destroyer fired plasma beams that hit her stern. A second shot hit her side and cut a huge gap through the depleted armor. Air and fire exploded through the huge wound. Bodies followed them blown away by the internal decompression. But even in death nuclear missiles erupted from the remaining launchers and hit the two still functioning destroyers. Huge explosions erupted on both ships and internal explosions gutted both ships. The Pretoria followed them in to oblivion seconds later. Far in the distance seven Los Angeles class ships surrounded an enemy dreadnought. Evan as it fired powerful plasma beams that cut through their hulls they fired MAC rounds. Each Los Angeles ship could fire three consecutive shots launching three ten ton tungsten shells at speeds of 150km/s. Within seconds twenty one rounds hit the enemy dreadnought. Its shields flickered as the first rounds impacted managing to hold the destructive kinetic energy away from the hull. But when the next rounds impacted they were already depleted. Huge gaps opened up all over the large six kilometer long enemy ship and internal explosions erupted through them. The ships armor and hull swelled trying to contain the released energy within and then failed. Plasma erupted outward from the wounds. The dreadnought stumbled away burning lifeless. But there was no time for celebrating as two of the ships the Dakota and Serengeti erupted in flames as plasma beams fired from two cruisers hit their midsection. The other five ships enacted their revenge firing rail gun rounds and broadsides helped by the fighters that joined them. The smaller rounds came in after the nuclear warheads that depleted their shields. As the shields failed the rail gun rounds started tearing the ships apart. Hundreds of missiles impacted after them burning the insides of the two ships. Two missiles fired from the cruisers impacted the hull of the Nagoya. The thermonuclear missiles caused an explosion that cut the ship apart. Moments later the cruisers followed it in to oblivion.
As the battle raged it was at the same time a glorious and a terrifying sight. Each ship that exploded meant the death of countless lives.
The Argus rocked as plasma beams and graviton rounds impacted the ships shields. The dreadnought that fired them followed with thermonuclear missiles and then accelerated at rapid fire. Anaya returned fire.
Four plasma beams and fifty ton tungsten shells hit the dreadnought. At the same time the Apollo and Erich von Manstein fired MAC rounds. The forty ton shells impacted right after the plasma beams and the shells from the Argus. The dreadnoughts shields held for a second and then the rounds tore deep inside its super structure. Just moments later plasma beams from the two Essex class battleships and the Argus impacted again. Internal explosions erupted and the dreadnought drifted away. The Orion class the Lenin finished it firing three more MAC rounds in it. The dreadnought blew apart as the rounds hit it.
The Demetrion fired its weapons at two enemy cruisers. The plasma beams cut their super structures and the following missiles and rail gun rounds finished them. Several hundred fighters literally tore a destroyer apart behind the cruiser. Not much further away eight corvettes faced off with two dacarian heavy cruisers. The smaller ships circled their prey constantly firing missiles and rail gun rounds and plasma beams at the two cruisers. The constant barrage depleted the shields and the mounted rail guns on the corvettes immediately went to rapid firing. The thousands of rounds tore in to the armor blowing at first small and in second’s huge gaps in their structure. The rounds were followed by stingers and tomahawk missiles. The two cruisers were torn in half.
Jongar watched the battle. All over the space was filled with burning hulls of ships both human and dacarian. But the humans were wining. By the sheer weight of numbers they were surrounding and depleting the few remaining ships in his fleet. As he watched the carnage tears rolled down his eyes. They were tears of shame but at the same time they were tears of pride. It was a glorious battle. It was a kind of battle that every Dacarian dreamed about. He thought about his clan back home. He wished that he could say goodbye. On the screen he saw V’las closing his eyes. The battle meant even more to him. It meant that the scout mission had failed. The son of the leader of the al Mach clan was part of that mission. It was a blow that would have huge consequences on the clan’s future.
They were hoping for jumping in system a long time ago. But the raging battle and the damages they took postponed the jump. Two and a half persks passed since then. About half a dozen ships cruisers, destroyers and battleships were retreating towards the warp point. He hoped that they would make it. But as he watched the warp point shimmered and in a second thirty human ships appeared behind them. The humans were restricted by the same laws that the dacarians were when they passed through but they had luck on their side. The retreating ships didn’t notice them in time. They were preoccupied with the ships that were pursuing them. By the time they realized that they have enemy ships in their rear and tried to react hundreds of kinetic killer projectiles slammed in to their rear. The ships were literally torn apart. The appearance of those ships meant only one thing. That Kerak’s small fleet was also destroyed. Judging by the amount of damage they had it was obvious that he died fighting but that didn’t change the outcome.
In the distance the squadron of Duras, or what was left of it, eleven battleships faced of twice their number of human ships. They were surrounded. As he watched they tried to make a brake for it but that resulted in the destruction of four ships and the rest followed soon as hundreds of nuclear missiles and projectiles overwhelmed their shields and point defenses. In
a last desperate act three battleships rammed the human ships. But the ramming was mutual and even in their death they were hammered by missiles and as he watched they fell apart.
“My lord we can execute the jump.”
Jongar turned towards the hologram of V’las. The younger captain nodded.
“Execute the jump. “
The ships jump caught everyone by surprise and as the coordinates were determined immediate messages were sent back to Earth.
The squadron in the asteroid belt accelerated towards Earth and the fleet that was stationary in Earth’s orbit went on full alert.
Levin watched the message on board the Bellerophon.
The battle was won but two enemy ships managed to break through. The satellites positioned them self and the stations batteries also went to full charge.
“Where are you, you bastards?”
He looked at the scanners searching for a sign, for anything. As he watched the ships suddenly broke through in to normal space.
As they did they were immediately locked on.
“All ships fire. I repeat fire.”
Levin didn’t even notice how he yelled those words. Everything was going too fast.
As soon as the cruiser and the dreadnought exited hyperspace their weapons systems went to overdrive.
Hundreds of kinetic rounds, plasma beams and missiles shot towards Earth. Moments later the missiles and weapons fired from the small fleet of guarding ships from the satellites and the station impacted them.
Neither V’las neither Jongar managed to live long enough to see the results of their work. The ships were gutted in several seconds.
“All ships fire on those missiles!!!”
All batteries both on the ships and on the stations and the satellites opened fire on the rounds. The ships literally intercepted those rounds they couldn’t stop with their hulls. The fighters were doing the same.
They stopped most of them but didn’t stop them all.
In the incoming fire, a fire that wasn’t aimed at all the missile and kinetic rounds impacted all over Europe, Asia, Africa and America. Several fell in the oceans.
In several minutes the explosions killed fifty four million people. Essen, Brussels, a part of London, several quarts of Los Angeles, Denver and Chicago, Geneva and several other cities were hit and suffered terrible damage. Most were totally destroyed. Millions more died from the floods that were caused by the rounds that impacted on water. The tsunamis took many lives. So did the consequent earthquakes that shook the planet.
Huge mushroom clouds could be seen from orbit as the helpless ships watched.
Shouts of despair erupted on the bridge of the Bellerophon. Levin held his face serious and impassive. He knew that this was bad but he also knew that it was something that could be expected.
“I want everyone to stay calm!”
“But sir…”
He turned towards the young officer that cried out…
“No but’s. You are a soldier. You are all soldiers. Act like it. We all knew that this might happen. Plans were made and I’m sure that even as we speak rescue teams and the ground forces are reacting. Our job is to prevent another attack like this.”
His words brought back the order among the crew. He knew the pain they all felt. He felt it too. He had family in London. He knew that millions were dead and even more will die in the days that followed. But he also knew that humanity survived. Yes millions died but so did millions of the aliens. The alien fleet was routed and the last surviving ships were being destroyed at these moments.
“Admiral we have a call from Washington.”
“Send it to my cabin.”
“Yes sir.”
He turned and went to his cabin on the other side of the bridge.
As he entered he noticed the face of the US president.
Carter looked at the face of the admiral on the other side… Levin looked calm.
“Mr. President...Sir“
“Admiral Levin.”
Levin looked at the American president. He knew that he didn’t really answer to him but considering that Earth was hit bad he didn’t know the real damage that was done.
“How bad was it sir?”
Carter exhaled.
“Geneva is gone. So is the Federation council and representatives in the parliament...And the president.”
Levin exhaled. He liked Unary. The now deceased president was a god man and a man he respected.
“I’m sorry to hear that sir.”
“How many more ships Admiral? How many are coming Admiral? When can we expect another attack?”
“There are no more ships Mr. President. The two that fired were the only two that managed to pass through the Home fleet. The rest are being finished off even as we speak.”
Carter felt his spirits rise as he heard the news. He was already informed but nothing was confirmed. Not until now.
“Those are great news the best news so far.”
“Yes sir, are there any news about casualties sir?”
“The results are still coming in Admiral. But it is bad. We were hurt. Europe was hurt the worse but there isn’t a continent that hasn’t been hit. They even hit Siberia for god’s sake.”
“They fired blindly. It was an act of desperation and revenge. We stopped most of the missiles and rounds...most but not all.”
“It is not your fault. We all knew that this might happen. That it will happen. We’ve been hurt…but we will live.”
“Yes sir. We will live…we always do.”
“Return to your duty admiral. We will talk later.”
“Thank you Sir.”
The link cut away.
Levin sat on is chair and closed his eyes. He felt tired. The attack took him by surprise. He knew that it was an act of desperation but it feared him. It proved the ruthlessness of the enemy that they were fighting. And he feared that humanity might have to become like that again in order to fight them.
Johnson watched at the carnage outside. The battle was finally over five minutes ago. He received the words about the attack on Earth several minutes before that. He still didn’t share them with the crew or the rest of the captains. Earth was hurt and hurt bad. But they would live.
The armor plates that were guarding the bridge were raised and he watched through the glass. The view showed an image of hell. For thousands of miles in all directions the space was filled with burning hulls of ships. Not a single one Dacarian ship survived. Several could still have survivors on board. Marine contingents were preparing to enter them. The home fleet was also devastated. From the two hundred and forty ships that entered the battle several hours ago only ninety seven remained. Forty nine others were still barely functioning. The greatest casualties were suffered among the Los Angeles class. Ninety percent of the ships that were destroyed were ships from that class. It was expected. But no one died for nothing. Humanity won. It survived. And as the now late president said it would come out stronger from this.
He watched with proud eyes at the damaged ships moving outside. He was proud of the men and women he commanded. They faced the alien juggernaut and stopped it. They paid a terrible price. But as he watched the people on his bridge he saw pride on their faces. There were no smiles. Too many died for there to be any joy. Everyone lost a friend out there.
As he watched he noticed the pelican drop ships approaching the broken ships that still had air on them. They were carrying soldiers, members of the newly formed federation army, in this case members of the best Special Forces in the world. He wanted prisoners and he wanted information’s.
“Anaya direct the shuttles towards the ships on which you registered live signs. Tell them that I want prisoners. And if they can capture the hulks without totally wrecking them I would appreciate it. We need information’s.”
The AI carried out his order immediately. Hundreds of shuttles were flying in the debris field approaching the pieces of destroyed ships that showed live signs on them. And even
more were launching.
As she watched the scene outside and scanned it she felt enormous satisfaction. And as she watched the humans she felt pride. They fought hard and brave, they fought against all odds and even though they suffered terribly they managed to win. This was a great battle, a battle that in here awoke memories of the distant past. The Argus was designed for battles like this. It was a weapon of war.
She remembered the bodies that were taken from her decks. This was in a way a payback for that long gone past. They were avenged. A long time ago they were forced to run. But the running stopped. And it stopped at this moment. Humanity was ready now, ready to fight back.
“The orders were transmitted sir.”
“Thank you Anaya. What are the damages on the Argus? We were hit hard out there.”
“Yes sir.”
“We have hull breaches on twenty seven decks. Hangar bay two is out of operation and opened to vacuum. We also suffered six hundred and seven casualties among the crew. The plasma turrets two and three are out of operation and we lost forty percent of our point defense grid. The engines were also hit hard. I’m afraid that the ship can only move on five percent of the former speed.”
The admiral sighed.
“Well it seems this old lady is ready for an extensive stay in the dockyard.”
Anaya smiled at the comment. Indeed the Argus was ready for it. In the distant past after damages like this, and considering that it had a broken keel it would have been scrapped. But the humans made plans for total rebuilding of the ship. She knew that it would take years to do it. But they were years that were possible now. Humanity managed to give it self some time. No one knew how much, but it was time that was going to be put to good use. She knew the plans that were established and worked on. And as time would pass it would only grow stronger.
“Yes it is sir. It has been for a long time.”
The admiral looked at her.
He felt sadness in her voice.
“Don’t worry Anaya. This battleship is the pride of this fleet. It is the flagship. And we will restore it to its former glory. You will get your skin back dear. We have time now to do a proper job.”
The Icarian Legacy Collected Edition: Brave Souls - First Strike (Volume 3) Page 38