by Saxon Andrew
Admiral McArdle asked in the ensuing silence, “If you’re dividing my fleet up among the carriers, exactly what will I be doing during this mission?”
RJ turned to him, “Admiral, all of our Senior Admirals will choose the thousand ships they want to go with, and they will join in the fight to defend the carrier. The Carrier’s Commander will be the senior officer in command of their fighting units.”
McArdle turned to Grady, “Do you approve of this?”
“I will be with the unit defending Maranda’s Carrier and yes, I do approve of this.”
McArdle turned to RJ, “Where will you be during this mission?”
“I will be with the Garrions coordinating their efforts against their defensive forces on our side of the core. The new computer will make a huge difference in keeping them organized.”
Taffy’s expression turned pale as she reached over and grabbed Grady’s arm. So much for RJ not putting his ship in a dangerous situation. Everyone in the room knew that being with the Garrions was far more dangerous than being with the carriers. McArdle smiled slightly and said, “Stay safe, War Admiral.”
RJ nodded and said, “I’ve had the computer develop some simulations for your units to run before launching. You’ll have a week to go through them before we organize and launch two weeks from today. Senior Admirals, you need to immediately make the assignments of which Carrier you are going to assign your Hares. Use this time wisely.”
• • •
The old War Leader sat on his Planet Killer and didn’t like what was going on. He finally got up his nerve and contacted one of the Ruling Councilors, “WHAT DO YOU WANT?!” the Councilor demanded.
“Supremacy, something isn’t right, and I request permission to send some scouts to check up on the attack fleet.” The Councilor scowled at him and the War Leader forged ahead, “The fleet has been gone for almost five months and it should have completed its mission months ago.”
“The attack against the Fagan Civilization took almost a year!!”
“Yes, Supremacy, but there were thousands of planets being attacked. The attack fleet only had one planet to destroy and that should have been done much faster.”
“We’ve received message probes saying the attack was proceeding according to plan and there have been no issues.”
“I know, but something just doesn’t seem right, Supremacy.”
“Are you suggesting that the message probes weren’t sent by the Supreme War Leader?!” The old War Leader didn’t respond, and the Councilor snarled, “YOU HAVE YOUR RESPONSIBILITY! DO IT AND STAY OUT OF THINGS WHERE YOU DON’T BELONG!!”
The monitor went dark and the old War Leader fell back in his container. He had seen the messages being broadcast by the message probes from the attack fleet and none of them had a visual recording. Every probe sent by the Supreme War Leader from the conquest of the Fagan had videos detailing the destruction of the Fagan planets. The message probes sent back from the First Enemy’s planet only had short verbal messages; something wasn’t right. He should have said that he believed those probes weren’t sent from the Supreme War Leader, but his courage failed him. He would have probably been executed if he did suggest it. He so wanted to die, but not at the hands of his persecutors. He looked out of his viewport and feared what was happening. He remembered the intercepted message from the white ship that destroyed his fleet admiral’s ship. He swore his civilization was going to be destroyed down to the last being. He shivered from a sudden cold that racked his body. Something was terribly wrong and why wasn’t anyone else seeing it?”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Admiral Martov looked at the tactical screen on his panel and saw the giant Defense Platforms holding position around his ship. Amy Sherridon appeared on his display and said, “Admiral, I need you back in one piece. Our new government is depending on your wisdom and guidance.”
Martov smiled, “It is my fevered wish that I do exactly that, Supremacy.”
“Can the Supremacy crap!” Amy replied. I mean it, we…I mean, I need you.”
Martov smiled, “I’ll do my best to make that happen, Amy. Just hold things down until this is over.” Amy nodded and the monitor went dark. Martov looked across the bridge where Chelly had been sitting for years and saw a new person in her chair. She requested retirement and he gave in to her request. She didn’t want to be with anyone that had as much power as he currently held; it frightened her. He also discovered that another one of his officers retired a couple of days after she did, and he realized she had found someone else to take her attention. He had thought about doing something about it…but didn’t. That would be what the old Dictator would have done, and he vowed to never be like that monster. He took a deep breath and blew it out. He turned to Gary and ordered, “Launch the fleets.”
The Planet Killers were going to take three and a half weeks longer to arrive at alien territory than the gravity driven ships of his allies. His units didn’t need to practice simulations; they were wise in the ways of war and he knew they were ready. He wasn’t afraid. He was remarkably calm considering where they were going, but it was what it was. His warships were ready and so was he. It was time to finally end this war one way or another.
• • •
RJ heard Misty say from her console, “Sir, the final Hares have arrived from New Britannia and have moved into formation with the Carriers.”
RJ turned to Candy, “Order launch, Admiral.”
Candy lifted her communicator and ordered, “All ships launch and maintain position around the Troke.” The two-hundred formations disappeared from above New Melbourne and a few moments later, Candy ordered, “Go to maximum speed.” The huge formation flew out of New Melbourne’s star system in less than ten seconds and was out of the Outer Spiral Arm thirty minutes later. It blew past the Perseus Spiral Arm an hour later and Candy saw the Fagan’s spiral arm growing larger by the second. She put her hands on her large belly and felt the baby moving. She smiled and thought, “Be calm, little one. We’ll get there soon enough.” RJ watched her and was worried. God help him if anything happened to her. He turned back to the main wall monitor as he put his hand on Candy’s arm. Candy was worried that RJ’s ship was going to be weaker due to the loss of Matt and Angel. But RJ calmed her saying that the new computer was far better than any human scanning officer could ever be. RJ took slow deep breaths and knew that all the planning was over and all he had to do now was fight. He focused on his responsibilities and felt Candy put her hand on his. He smiled and prayed for success.
• • •
The Combined Fleets caught the Defense Platforms four days outside the alien’s scanner range and slowed to match speed. The carriers immediately started launch operations and two hours later, every Garrion had been launched from the two-hundred Attack Carriers. The Carriers and their escorts went to full speed and headed toward the top of the giant black hole in the center of the galaxy. They would arrive at the same time the Defense Platforms entered scanning range of the aliens.
Taffy appeared on Candy’s display and Candy quickly said, “I’m fine, Mom.”
“Honey, I’m so worried about you.”
“You need to keep my father safe, Mom. I’ll do the same for RJ.”
“And your baby!”
Candy smiled, “And my baby. If it’s a girl, I’m naming her Adelle.” Taffy’s eyes teared up and Candy ended the contact.
RJ turned to her, “Adele?”
“That’s my mother’s real name, RJ. I hope you’re ok with it.” RJ smiled and nodded.
Martov saw RJ appear on his console, “Admiral Martov, I’m moving ahead of your formation and will be taking out their detection field as you enter their scanning range. Maintain your course and don’t vary it in the slightest. If you can narrow it, that would help my planning.”
“I’ll have my fleets form a cylinder formation, will that work?”
“Yes. Move in at a slow speed until you see the ships in front of your fleets start b
eing destroyed. Immediately go to maximum speed and use your blasters to clear any debris.”
“Yes Sir.”
RJ contacted Connie, “Do you have the ships plotted that are maintaining the aliens’ detection field.”
“I’ve fed it to your computer, Sir.”
“Thanks, Connie. Continue to send me a feed on their formations.”
“I will, Sir.”
RJ looked at Candy and she nodded. RJ ordered, “Computer, assign enough Garrions to take out the ships used to produce that protection field and have them fire once the Planet Killers move inside the alien’s scanning range.”
“Targets are being sent and firing time is in three days.” RJ sat back as he watched the Garrions moving out to their assigned targets.
• • •
The War Leader was sitting in his container and heard his Scanning Leader say, “Sir, I’ve not been able to contact any of our long-range scouts.”
“None of them?”
“None of them are responding to my communications, War Leader.” Suddenly thousands of small explosions erupted far out from the defensive line and the Scanning Leader shouted, “THE DETECTION FIELD IS DOWN!!” A moment later, he yelled, “I’M DETECTING A HUGE FORMATION OF WARSHIPS HEADED TOWARD OUR LINES.” He paused and added, “THEY ARE THE SHIPS USED BY THE FIRST ENEMY!!”
“How did they destroy our detection field?”
“War Leader, I detected nothing attacking the ships used to make it operational!”
The old War Leader saw his nightmare was coming true. It always started with the destruction of the detection field. “Order our defenses to tighten up in front of that formation. Be prepared to open fire and then move out to envelop it on all sides.” He had handled these ships in the past and knew how to defeat them.
The Lead Scientist looked up from his console, “War Leader, these ships are different from those we’ve confronted in the past.”
The War Leader ordered, “SHOW ME!”
Two images appeared on the huge center wall monitor and the Lead Scientist observed, “The blaster barrel on the front of those incoming ships is much larger than the ones they had in the past!”
The War Leader looked between the two images and saw the scientist was right. He saw the giant ships come moving in at a slower speed and he ordered, “FIRE ON MY COMMAND!!”
• • •
As soon as the detection field went down, the Troke and Garrions moved through the aliens’ defenses without being detected. They flew at high speed once they cleared the lines and formed up behind the alien defenses confronting the incoming Defense Platforms. “Assign targets!!”
Two minutes later, the computer announced, “Targets assigned.”
RJ said over his helmet communicator, “Do not launch your heavy missiles. Hit your targets with your cutters and be prepared to move out of the Defense Platform’s course. Once they pass, fall in behind them and you’re on your own in slowing down the alien pursuit!”
• • •
The War Leader’s Planet Killer was high above the area of the impending collision. He saw the giant white warships moving in slowly as he prepared to open fire. Suddenly, tens of thousands of his warships confronting the enemy formation started going up in massive explosions. He screamed, “OPEN FIRE AND SURROUND THEM!!” He saw the enemy formation suddenly change from a wide formation into a cylinder shape and accelerate into his lines. It opened fire and blasted everything in its path into vapor as it passed through his defenses at maximum speed. The ships that flew out to surround the giant formation were left behind as it accelerated past them. The War Leader was frozen in shock until he heard, “THAT FORMATION HAS CHANGED COURSE AND IS HEADED DIRECTLY TOWARD THE RULING PLANET!!”
He snatched up his communicator, “ALL SHIPS, LEAVE YOUR POSITIONS AND PURSUE THAT FORMATION. LEAVE YOUR POSITIONS AND DESTROY THOSE WARSHIPS!!” He turned to his Communication Leader, “Contact the Council and notify them of what’s happened. Send a video of it with the warning!!”
The War Leader’s Second turned to him, “Is it wise to abandon our defenses?”
“What good are the lines now? They’ve made it through our defenses and the Fagan are certainly not around to exploit it.”
• • •
Captain Riale whipped his Garrion around and was proud of his wing for maintaining their formation as he made the tight turn. “Spread out and pick a target. You don’t have to destroy it, use your cutters and save your heavy missiles for hard targets. Our job is to delay the pursuit. We’ll come back and clean up the mess later.” Don turned and headed in on a giant Planet Killer turning in behind the Defense Platforms. He looked at Grant and heard him say, “Captain, turn a little more to the port side. I want to line up a cutter on their missile storage.” Don turned the ship slightly and suddenly saw the cutter beam leap out and hit the Planet Killer just behind the reactor rooms. A giant explosion erupted, and Don barely managed to avoid running through it. Grant grunted, “My grandmother drives better than that.”
“You don’t have a grandmother, you came out of an egg!” Don replied. Grant laughed out loud as Don moved in on another planet killer. All around the Garrion, alien warships were going up in horrific blasts. The newness quickly wore off as the Garrions were confronted with hundreds of thousands of targets.
Grant shouted over the launch of a heavy missile, “How do you stop a tsunami?”
“I don’t know, Grant, how do you stop a tsunami?”
Don whipped the ship away from a Planet Killers main bean and Grant yelled, “You don’t! You ride it out.” Don hated to admit it, but Grant was right. There appeared to be no end to the alien warships chasing the Defense Platforms.
• • •
“War Leader, that formation has broken up and the computer has determined that hundreds of their ships are on courses toward inhabited planets.”
The War Leader saw small groups of the giant white warships leaving the giant formation but more than a hundred were still holding course toward the Governing Planet. “Notify the Council of this development and assign our fleets to stop those ships.”
He turned to his pilot, “Set course for the Governing Planet now!!” The War Leader saw hundreds of his warships blowing up around him and ordered, “ALL SHIPS INITIATE A BLASTER BARRAGE. WE ARE BEING ATTACKED BY SHIPS WE CAN’T DETECT!!” He stared at his tactical monitor and fell back in his container, this was far worse than any of his nightmares.
• • •
The Supreme Council was in uncontrolled turmoil until the Supreme Councilor shot two of the loudest. The room was instantly silent, and the Supreme Councilor asked, “How long until they arrive?”
“Three days, Great Leader.”
“Contact the War Leader commanding our fleets over the core and order him to send four-hundred-thousand warships to defend our planets.” The Council Members stared at him in silence and he said with a wicked tone, “I know we’ll be risking our planets there!! But would you rather protect them or us?” The Second Councilor began speaking into his communicator.
• • •
Connie stared at her helmet’s face plate and said, “Grady, thousands of their warships are leaving their lines and headed over the core.”
“What are the warships of the two civilizations attacking them doing?”
Connie stared at her visor and said, “They’re holding position but they’re moving in closer.”
“Time for us to do our job.”
“All ships to battle stations! Enemy warships moving in our direction!” blared over the Rex Hare’s loudspeakers.
Grady looked at his crew, “You heard the lady, activate all weapons and move into position.”
Maranda’s Song Bird and Kendal’s War Bird were on the course to the governing planet and they saw more than a hundred thousand Planet Killers moving at high speed toward them from over the core. The two Carriers moved apart and stopped directly in front of the massive formations moving toward them. �
��Weapons free!” Maranda announced.
Both Carriers began launching heavy missile volleys from their five-hundred missile tubes and the Hares added their missiles from around the Carriers. A huge wall of nuclear flame appeared in front of the Planet Killers and those behind the destroyed ships tried to fly around it only to be met by the Carriers and Hares’ cutters. And still the heavy missiles homed in on the alien ships. The battle was fierce and was over in less than forty-five minutes. Only twenty-thousand Planet Killers survived the attack to defend the ruling planet of the aliens. The Supreme Councilor knew that would not be enough to stop the giant white warships moving his way. He took the communicator from the Second Councilor and ordered, “SEND ALL SHIPS TO DEFEND THE EMPIRE!!”
“But Supremacy, if I withdraw all of my warships there will be nothing to defend our worlds here!”
“CARRY OUT MY ORDER OR I WILL HAVE YOU EXECUTED AND FIND SOMEONE WHO WILL!!”
• • •
Connie stared at her visor and said, “It looks like you and RJ were right. Every warship in the aliens’ defensive line has broken out and is headed toward the top of the core.”
Grady huffed out a breath as Taffy said, “We can’t handle that many warships, Grady.” Taffy turned back to her visor and laughed, “It looks like we won’t have to! The Gron and Treele are joining the dance.”
Grady looked at the main tactical monitor and saw the two attacking civilizations rush in to the rear of the alien Planet Killers as they abandoned their lines. They were forced to turn and defend themselves or be destroyed from behind. The aliens no longer had a cross-fire to defend themselves and the entire side of the core became a giant fire fight.
The Carriers were given data on where to meet the largest formations that managed to make it out of the battle taking place below them and the alien warships were decimated. Many small formations made it over the top of the core but of the millions of warships that left their lines, less than half a million made it over the core. “Are we going to attack the Gron and Treele if they start moving our way?”