A Galactic Empire Wars Novel

Chapter One

Supreme Military Overlord Harmock gazed at the large viewscreen in front of him, which showed the burning remains of a Hytalian battlecruiser. Harmock was a member of the Zaltule clan of the Kleese race. He was the leader of a warrior caste that had been bred to engage in war and expand the Kleese Empire across the galaxy. When their last great enemy had been defeated, the Zaltule had been placed in deep sleep. For thousands of years, they had slept only to be awakened when it had been discovered their long sleep was becoming dangerous. The Zaltule were dying in the sleep chambers, so Supreme Overlord Xatul had made the decision to awaken them before the warrior caste was lost.

The Kleese resembled giant arachnids but had a large hair covered upper body that rose up into the air with a large triangular shaped head and strange looking multifaceted eyes. Two nearly black arms extended from the upper chest ending in what looked to be hands with seven long, thin digits. The Kleese were large with bodies and six legs reaching nearly eight feet in width and six feet in height.

“Hytalian flagship has been destroyed,” confirmed Minor Overlord Gareth, Harmock’s second in command. “Their remaining fleet is retreating toward their world.”

The Kleese, for the most part, were devoid of most human emotions such as empathy, love, or pity. Instead, they focused on serving their clan and the Kleese Empire and the colder more harsh emotions that allowed them to rule with contempt all of the lower races of their empire.

“What’s the status of their remaining vessels?” demanded Harmock.

“One hundred and eighteen battlecruisers still remain as well as the defense grid above the planet,” reported Jalridd from his sensor console.

Harmock stamped his feet upon the Command Pedestal as he considered his fleet’s next move. He had twelve hundred updated Zaltule battlecruisers. The ships were over three kilometers across and one thousand meters thick. Their hulls were covered in weapons emplacements with pulse fusion batteries and energy turrets in abundance. Hundreds of small hatches hid sublight antimatter missiles ready to be launched at a moment’s notice. Unlike the larger Kleese exploration ships, the battlecruisers were designed for war, and there were no large training facilities for conscripts or holding areas inside the ships. The ships were filled with power systems and narrow corridors that would make it nearly impossible for a conscript in a battlesuit to traverse. These ships were designed for fleet battles and planetary bombardment. They were capable of traveling at one hundred twenty light-years per day in Fold Space.

“Move us in toward the planet,” ordered Harmock. “Contact the Hytalian ruling council and explain to them that if they agree to surrender, we will spare their world. They must swear allegiance to the Kleese Empire and wear the collars of obedience. If they refuse our demands, we will bombard their planet with antimatter missiles.”

“I will have the message sent,” replied Gareth, fully in agreement with the Military Overlord’s pronouncement. The Kleese were the dominant species in the galaxy and all others were subservient. The remainder existed only to serve the Kleese race.

-

Harmock watched from the Command Pedestal as his fleet moved toward the Hytalians’ home planet. The Hytalians were a very advanced race, and Harmock was determined to see to it they didn’t join the Human led Alliance that had become so troublesome. The Humans had even attacked the Kleese home system, destroying a Zaltule shipyard, heavily damaging another, and demolishing the Zaltule deep sleep chambers on the icy moon where four Queens had remained in suspension. The Queens had died in their sleep. This was the first time in the recorded history of the Kleese that a Queen had been killed by another species. Not only that, a Human battlecruiser had managed to attack and destroy the heart of the Kleese capital city, killing over six million. Never in the long history of the Kleese Empire had another race dared such sacrilege.

For over a year Harmock had been forced to halt his war of expansion against the nonaligned worlds. He had consolidated his forces and ensured the other Kleese worlds were well protected from future attacks. Former Supreme Overlord Xatul had also vanished with a major portion of the Kleese exploration fleet as well as two of the valuable Kleese trading stations. A search had been made but as of yet there had been no indication of where Xatul had fled. When he was found, Harmock intended to use the Zaltule warfleet to eliminate the former Supreme Overlord as it had been deemed he was unfit to rule the Kleese Empire. The Zaltule were now in charge, and all who refused to submit were being quickly eliminated.

“The Hytalians are refusing to surrender,” Minor Overlord Gareth reported in a harsh voice, his eyes focusing on the Supreme Military Leader. “They dare to defy us!”

“Perhaps they hope an Alliance fleet will arrive in time to save them,” spoke Salten, the weapons officer.

Harmock turned to glare at Salten with angry red flashing in his multifaceted eyes. “We’re too far away from the Human led Alliance,” he proclaimed in a commanding voice. “The Humans cannot reach the Hytalians in time. We’ll engage the Hytalian fleet and destroy it as well as all of their orbital works. When that has been accomplished, we’ll allow them one more chance to surrender before we destroy their world.”

-

The black ships of the Zaltule fleet rapidly approached the Hytalians’ planet. The defending fleet fell back into the planet’s powerful defensive grid hoping to add its firepower to their own. On the surface of the planet, sirens were sounding, sending the populace scurrying to find shelter. In the council chambers of the Hytalian Senate, accusations were flying over the failure of their fleet to defend them.

“We should have joined the Human Alliance!” yelled one of the senators standing up to his full seven feet height and shaking his thin hand accusingly at the chairman of the council. “When the Lanolthians came and offered us a seat in the Alliance, we should have accepted!”

“War!” challenged another senator, who was much older and nearing the end of his long life. “We are a peaceful culture; we are not warriors! We could not in good faith join the Alliance.”

“Look above us!” the first senator said in a shrill voice. “The Zaltule have brought the war to us!”

“But the neutrality agreement,” cried out the older senator, shaking his head in denial. “The Kleese promised to obey it; that’s why we signed it to begin with.”

“The Zaltule are not the Kleese we signed the agreement with,” replied another senator, rising to his feet. “The Zaltule have been violating the agreements since they awakened. The only nonaligned worlds that remain free are those few who have joined the Alliance. By us not agreeing to join, we signed our own death warrants!”

A high-ranking military officer opened the doors to the council chamber and stood gazing at the assembled senators. “The Zaltule ships are nearing our world; the surviving admiral of our fleet does not feel he can prevent them from bombarding the surface of our planet. The Zaltule are demanding we surrender and swear obedience to their empire.”

“Bah!” one of the younger senators said, rising up and shaking his head. “They will place their obedience collars around our necks, and we will be slaves from then on. Our fleet must fight!”

The older senator pointed his shaking fingers toward the other senators. “We must surrender; war is not our way.”

“Surely our defense grid will protect us,” the original senator to speak said. “It’s very powerful, and we built it for just this type of emergency. Who is our surviving admiral?” They had all been informed the commanding fleet admiral had died along with his flagship in the initial attack.

“Admiral Aniled has taken over command,” the military officer replied.

“A good admiral,” commented the chief councilor, rising to his feet. “What are our chances of stopping this attack? Can we prevail?”

“I fear not,” the military officer answered with sadness in his eyes. “We did not design the defense grid to stop a fleet of this size and power.”

“Nevertheless,” the chief councilor said, folding his arms across his chest. “We will not reply to the Zaltule until we know how our fleet and the defensive grid fare.”

“Then we all may die,” replied the military officer in a calm voice.

“Then we die,” the chief councilor answered, determined to give the fleet and the defensive grid the opportunity to save the planet. The other alternative was too horrific to even contemplate.

-

In orbit above the planet, the admiral in charge of the surviving ships of the Hytalian fleet prepared to engage the enemy. His one hundred and eighteen battlecruisers had fallen back to the powerful defensive grid that surrounded the planet. Six hundred orbiting satellites armed with powerful dual energy cannons were focused on the inbound Zaltule fleet awaiting the command to fire.

“We are about to die,” said Admiral Aniled to his second in command as he listened to his orders from the council over his comm unit. “The council refuses to surrender.”

“It will be an honorable death. Death in battle is much more preferable than wearing a Kleese obedience collar.”

“You are right, my friend,” responded Admiral Aniled, taking a deep fortifying breath. “Order the fleet to prepare for combat.”

-

Supreme Military Overlord Harmock felt annoyance over the continued refusal of the Hytalians to surrender their world. In the past few months, many nonaligned worlds had done the same. All had been conquered and brought fully into the fold of the Kleese Empire.

“Enemy fleet is within range,” reported Jalridd.

“Destroy them,” ordered Harmock coldly. “Let none of their ships escape.” It still angered him that the Kleese Council of Overlords had granted so many advanced worlds autonomy through the use of the neutrality agreements. It had been necessary for his fleets to conquer them one by one.

“Firing weapons,” said Salten as he activated the Warrior’s Fire’s weapons.

-

The space between the two fleets suddenly was filled with deadly energy and pulse fusion beams. The Hytalians’ beams were nearly comparable to the Zaltules’ energy weapons; however, the Zaltule had the more powerful pulse fusion beams as well as larger ships allowing them to bring more weapons to bear. The Zaltule energy screens were also more powerful as they had taken technology from numerous conquered nonaligned worlds to strengthen them.

The Hytalian ships were pyramid shaped and one thousand meters in length. Bright white energy beams lanced out to strike the Zaltule shields. The beams struck and then held as all the power the Hytalians could bring to bear was applied in an attempt to penetrate the powerful screens. More ships brought their weapons to bear trying to bring the shields down in coordinated attacks. Suddenly a beam penetrated, blasting a deep hole in the side of one of the Zaltule battlecruisers. The massive ship seemed to shudder and then several more beams penetrated, raking the hull with deadly energy. A large section of the hull was laid open, damaging numerous energy conduits. The shield wavered, and the Hytalians used the opportunity to launch several sublight antimatter missiles. The two missiles flashed past the weakened energy screen and struck the damaged enemy vessel. Two brilliant fireballs formed and moments later, the Zaltule battlecruiser blew apart.

However, the Zaltule were also firing. Energy beams, pulse fusion beams, and antimatter missiles were pummeling the Hytalian shields. The concentrated firepower from twelve hundred Zaltule warships was too much for the Hytalian fleet. Ship after ship saw their shields go down and then died in massive blasts of light as antimatter missiles sent them to oblivion.

-

Admiral Aniled held on to his command chair as his flagship shook violently from the enemy attack. “Report!” He knew the battle was going badly for his fleet.

“Thirty-seven of our ships have been destroyed, numerous others are reporting heavy damage,” his second in command reported.

“The Zaltule?”

“Four of their ships have been destroyed and seven or eight others have been damaged.”

“Our defense grid?”

“It’s firing, but having little effect on the Zaltule battlecruisers. The defense grids’ energy cannons just aren’t powerful enough.”

Admiral Aniled nodded, knowing the situation was getting desperate. On the main viewscreen, he could see one of his battlecruisers. Several Zaltule energy beams penetrated its shield, carving huge glowing rents into the side of the vessel. Then a pulse fusion beam struck, sending large sections of the hull drifting away into space. A Zaltule antimatter missile slammed into the bow of the ship and the vessel vanished in a fiery explosion.

Admiral Aniled felt his flagship shake violently, and warning alarms began sounding. Several consoles exploded into flames, sending sparks flying across the Command Center. The fires were hurriedly put out, but the smoke caused by the damage was only slowly clearing. Aniled felt his eyes watering and he began coughing. “Damage report!”

“Sublight drive is out, energy screen is down to 40 percent, the secondary fusion reactor is offline, and we have numerous compartments open to space,” replied his second officer. “We were hit by an antimatter missile that exploded just inside our energy shield. A little closer and we wouldn’t be here.”

“Have the defense grid switch their targeting to just a few of the Zaltule warships. Perhaps that way they can overload their energy shields.”

“We’re not going to last much longer,” the second officer commented as he carried out the admiral’s orders. “We’re losing ships too quickly.”

A few more moments passed as Admiral Aniled kept a grim watch on the tactical display and the ship’s viewscreens. All around the flagship Hytalian ships were dying. Ship after ship was blown apart in what seemed like a wave of systematic destruction.

“Defense grid has been retasked and is firing,” reported the second officer.

-

The satellites in the defense grid shifted their targeting to just four Zaltule battlecruisers. Over one hundred energy beams flashed out and struck each ship. They were joined by the more powerful beams of the surviving Hytalian warships and after just a few moments, the Zaltule energy screens flickered, and brief openings began to appear. The entire bottom section of a Zaltule battlecruiser exploded, and massive pieces of glowing debris began hurtling away from the stricken vessel. Moments later four sublight antimatter missiles streaked in, and four miniature suns appeared. When the fireballs died away, all that remained of the Zaltule ship was a spreading debris field of glowing molten metal.

-

Supreme Military Overlord Harmock gazed icily at the large viewscreen as another Zaltule battlecruiser vanished in an antimatter fireball. “Target the defensive satellites,” he ordered. “I want every Hytalian space construction annihilated.”

“Orders have been sent,” Minor Overlord Gareth responded. “Switching fire of all secondary batteries to defensive satellites and other space structures. There are three large space stations in orbit. Should we destroy them as well?”

“Yes,” replied Harmock. His cold, unblinking eyes moved to the weapons officer. “I don’t want there to be any signs the Hytalians ever ventured into space.”

On the main viewscreen, numerous explosions began erupting around the planet in lower orbit. Each explosion marked the death of an orbiting defense satellite. Three massive blasts of light in higher orbit signified the death of the three space stations. Harmock nodded his triangular shaped head satisfied at the destruction. There was always a penalty for resisting the Kleese.

“What’s the status of the Hytalian fleet?”

Jalridd checked the data coming from the ship’s sensors. “Only forty-two of their warships remain. All are damaged to some extent.”

“Destroy them and then prepare to bombard the surface of the planet,” Harmock said in a nearly emotionless voice void of mercy. “We shall make an example out of this world for all others to see.”

-

Admiral Aniled raised himself to his knees gasping in pain. The Command Center was full of smoke and he could hear crewmembers crying out for help. Only the dim glow of the emergency lights allowed him to see his crew. The flagship had been badly damaged by several Zaltule pulse fusion beams. Taking a deep breath, he staggered to his feet. “Report!”

“Power’s gone,” his second officer replied. “I can’t raise Engineering or any other section of the ship. I’m pretty certain one of the pulse fusion beams struck the stern directly above the engineering section.”

The ship shuddered violently several times. Aniled knew the shuddering was being caused by internal explosions. His flagship was in the midst of its death throes.

“It’s over, isn’t it?” asked the second officer, who had a jagged cut on his forehead. He straightened his uniform and stood at attention in front of the admiral.

“Yes,” Admiral Aniled said in an even voice. “We did our duty; now it’s up to the council to decide whether our world lives or dies.”

“As slaves to the Kleese,” replied the second officer in disgust. “I’m glad I’m on this ship and not down on the ground.”

“At least our people will survive if we surrender,” Aniled said in a voice filled with sorrow, knowing that his death and his crews was close at hand. “Perhaps someday the Human led Alliance will free our world.”

Before he could say anything else, a brilliant light filled the Command Center, incinerating everything in its path.

-

“Our fleet’s gone and the defense grid has been annihilated,” the military officer reported to the council. “Admiral Aniled died when his flagship was destroyed.”

“Our entire fleet?” uttered one of the senators in disbelief. “What do we do now?”

“Surrender,” suggested the military officer. “If we do anything else, the Kleese will destroy our world.”

“Then we surrender,” proclaimed the older senator. “We should never have built warships or the defense grid to begin with; perhaps without those, the Kleese would have honored the neutrality agreement.”

“Doubtful,” responded the council chairman. “However, in order to save our race, we will make the offer to surrender.”

-

Supreme Military Leader Harmock nodded with satisfaction as he listened to the Hytalians’ offer. “The planet is ours.”

“Should I begin sending down Zaltule with the collars of obedience?” asked Gareth. “We have pinpointed the council chambers and confirmed that all the senators are present.”

“No, not yet,” replied Harmock in a harsh and uncompromising voice. “We must teach these nonaligned worlds what it means to resist the Zaltule. Target ten of their largest cities, excluding the capital, and destroy them.”

“It will be a good lesson and a warning to other lesser species,” responded Gareth fully in agreement with that action. “The Kleese are the superior race and all the minor worlds must understand that.”

-

Moments later, ten antimatter missiles streaked through the atmosphere of Hytalia. Two thousand meters above their intended targets they detonated, spreading destruction for kilometers in all directions. Buildings were pulverized, skyscrapers collapsed, and massive fireballs of destruction blasted outward, leveling everything in their wake. In less than five minutes, twenty-three million Hytalians lost their lives. Above the stricken cities, palls of dark black smoke blotted out the sky, and ash floated in the air making breathing nearly impossible for the few survivors.

The antimatter missiles left no radiation, but the blasted out cities would forever bear testimony to the cruelty of the Kleese toward all other races.

-

In the council chambers, they had just received word of the destruction leveled upon their planet. The senators were silent, feeling shock at such wanton destruction. They had offered to surrender, why had the Kleese responded with such ferocity?

“It is as I said,” the older senator commented, rising once more to his feet. “We should never have armed ourselves. Now we are paying for that foolishness. If we would have had no weapons, the Kleese would have let us be.”

Another military office burst into the council chambers with a look of fear upon his face. “Several Kleese shuttles have landed in front of the council building. The Zaltule will be here shortly.”

“What do we do?” one of the younger senators asked. For years, he had heard stories about the cruelty of the Kleese and the disdain they felt for all other races. He had felt safe with their powerful fleet and the defense grid that had been placed around the planet to ensure its safety. Now all that was gone.

“We submit,” answerer the council chairman in a weary voice. “We lost and the Kleese are victorious.”

“These are Zaltule,” the head military officer quickly pointed out. “They are the warrior clan of the Kleese and will show no mercy. Any attempts to disregard their orders will end in disaster.”

Before anything else could be said, the doors to the council chamber were flung open, and six monstrosities in dark armor appeared. These were Zaltule warriors, and heavily armed. Behind them came four other Kleese dressed only in light ceremonial armor. One of them stepped forward and gazed at the Hytalian Council.

“I am Harmock, the Supreme Military Overlord of the Kleese Empire.”

The chairman stood facing the Kleese. “I am Zaltron, the Chairman of the Hytalian Senate and Council.”

Harmock was silent as he gestured for several of the armed Kleese to approach the ten senators and emplace the collars of obedience around their necks. He watched as the frightened senators allowed the collars to be put in place and locked.

“Why did you attack our cities?” the older senator demanded as his shaking hands moved to his neck to touch the silver obedience collar. “We were willing to surrender. Why did you violate the neutrality agreement? We were no danger to you.”

“Silence, vermin,” spoke Harmock harshly, his eyes focusing on the older senator. “You will not speak in the presence of a Kleese unless spoken to first. Without a moment’s hesitation, he pressed a button on the small black box he held in his right hand.

A sharp explosion rang out in the council chamber as the obedience collar around the old senator’s neck detonated. The senator’s headless body fell to the floor where it twitched uncontrollably in a growing pool of blood.

The other senators stepped back in shock with rampant fear showing on their faces. It was dawning on each what had come to their world, and they were powerless to challenge it.

“The collars of obedience will be put on all of your citizens of stature,” Harmock pronounced. “All of your government leaders, business leaders, and any others we find appropriate will wear the collars. Any attempt to disobey an order of a Kleese will result in more deaths, some will be indiscriminate.”

The senators looked at each other, realizing that for the rest of their lives they would never know if their collar was going to detonate because of the action of someone on the other side of the planet. They were doomed to live a life of fear and doubt.

“In the coming month, we will determine what service you can be to the Kleese Empire,” Harmock continued, his multifaceted eyes raking over the council members. “Remember one thing, you are being allowed to live for one reason and one reason only, to serve the Kleese Empire.” With that comment, Harmock turned and left the council chambers. More shuttles would be landing shortly, and Zaltule would spread out across the planet with hundreds of thousands of the collars of obedience.

-

Once back on board the Warrior’s Fire, Harmock checked the current status of his fleet. It would be necessary to send some of the vessels to one of the Kleese trading stations for repairs. He still had several more nonaligned worlds to subdue before he could begin his main campaign. For months now he had been slowly encircling the worlds aligned with the Humans. Their so-called Alliance would shortly be crushed, and all of Kleese controlled space would be under the rule of the Zaltule. Once that was done, the Zaltule fleet would begin moving out into other areas of the galaxy, expanding the empire.

One of the things that concerned Harmock were all the missing exploration ships that had fled with former Supreme Overlord Xatul. Those ships would have been useful in exploring those unknown regions and searching for suitable targets for the Zaltule warfleets. While there were still some exploration ships he could call upon, some of the exploring would have to be done by Zaltule battlecruisers.

However, before any of that could begin, the Humans and their Alliance would have to be dealt with first.

Chapter Two

Colonel Wade Nelson stood in the Command Center of the Earth heavy battlecruiser Victory. For the last eighteen months, ship construction in the Solar System had been highly intense as new heavy battlecruisers were being turned out like clockwork. Since returning from the Delton rescue mission, Wade had been busy flying between different worlds of the Alliance in between stops back at Vesta. He was anxious to return home and spend time with his new son. He knew that Beth was very happy to be a mother and his parents had been exuberant to become grandparents. His mother was already spoiling the child over Beth’s mild protests.

“Thirty-seven worlds,” commented Hyram Blake, who was the chief Human ambassador to the Alliance. “All dedicated to the overthrow of Kleese domination of this section of the galaxy.”

“I hope that’s enough,” sighed Wade, knowing some very big battles were ahead of them.

They had scored a significant victory by their attack on the Kleese home system. It had bought them sixteen months to prepare. The Delton rescue mission had also managed to bring back Wade’s younger brother and the Marines that had been trapped with him on Delton. It had been a huge relief to find his brother still alive. He had greatly feared that Ryan might end up a conscript of the Kleese and would never be seen again. Ryan was currently going through training at Freedom Station, the second huge trading station now in orbit around Earth.

Freedom Station had been seized from the Kleese in a daring attack and brought back to the Solar System. The station’s construction and repair bays had been modified to produce battlecruisers and a special Marine assault ship to be used in hit and run raids against Kleese controlled worlds. It also had a crew of over seventy thousand former Kleese captives and conscripts, who were working under Human supervision. They had elected to stay on the station and serve the Humans since their home worlds were under Kleese control.

“Colonel, President Raytol’s shuttle has arrived,” Commander Raelen Blair announced as she received confirmation from Communications. “The president and his aides are being taken to the main conference room.”

Wade nodded. This was going to be a war meeting to discuss the disposition of Alliance fleets in preparation for the expected Kleese attack. Several leaders of the Alliance would be attending as well as others Wade had invited that he felt were essential at this planning stage.

The Victory was in orbit around Lanolth, which had been chosen as the capital of the Alliance. Around the Victory were other heavy battlecruisers as well as numerous ships from other Alliance worlds. There was also one of the large Kleese trading stations in orbit. The station had been seized from the Kleese and taken to Lanolth in the same attack that had brought Freedom Station to the Solar System. The station was being used to create new Alliance ships to greatly enhance the number of warships, which could be used against the Kleese. Across the entire Alliance, a massive effort was underway to build new ships to greatly expand the fleet for the coming battle.

“Let’s get this meeting going,” Wade said as he turned and made for the hatch leading from the Command Center.

-

The conference room was full of dignitaries from numerous Alliance worlds as well as allies who had taken refuge in the Solar System. Lanolth, Nalton, Pradel, Waltarn, Tureen, Delton, Talt, and of course Kivean representatives were waiting expectantly. There were also representatives from over a dozen other Alliance worlds.

Wade took his place at the table and called the meeting to order. Then, in a grim voice, he began speaking. “I want to thank all of you for coming today. As all of you know, we just received word that the nonaligned world of Hytalia has fallen to the Kleese. We had a long-range scout ship observing the battle and from the reports we received, we know the Hytalian fleet was wiped out as well as the planet’s defense grid. Unfortunately, the Kleese didn’t stop there. They struck the surface of the planet with ten antimatter missiles, destroying some of the largest cities. The Kleese are currently conducting landing operations, no doubt placing obedience collars around those Hytalians they find essential to controlling the planet.”

President Raytol stood and looked with grave concern at his fellow members of the Alliance. Raytol was humanoid and stood six feet tall with dark hair and eyes slightly larger than the Human norm. He was also slim in stature, which was common for all Lanolthians. “In the last sixteen months, we have continued to expand the Alliance. As of today, we have thirty-seven star systems willing to oppose the Kleese.”

“The problem isn’t so much the Kleese as it is the Zaltule,” commented the representative from Nalton. “I think we could come to an agreement with the regular Kleese to leave the Alliance alone, but the Zaltule will never be willing to let us exist free of their empire.”

“We’ll have to fight for our freedom,” spoke the Tureen ambassador, rising to his feet and looking at the others. “If we don’t stand up to the Kleese and the Zaltule, a year from now we’ll all be wearing their collars of obedience. I have no intention of allowing that to happen to my people!”

“My people wore those collars for generations,” Marken said, his eyes taking on a somber look of understanding. “If we don’t stop the Kleese then I’m afraid they’ll go on a rampage throughout the known galaxy. This is a precarious time; the steps we take in the next few months might well determine the fate of tens of thousands of worlds. War is not something I enjoy; it is something I greatly deplore. However, sometimes battles must be fought for the greater good and I believe we are now at that point.”

President Raytol nodded his head. He had a lot of respect for the Kivean and agreed with his words. All the races of the Alliance had known peace for hundreds if not several thousand years. The course they were currently on went against most of what they believed in. However, they could not allow themselves to become slaves.

“Colonel Wade Nelson represents the Human military who have shown us that the Kleese can be defeated in battle. I have spoken to the Human President, Ralph Steward, as well as General Mitchell and Fleet Admiral Kelly. We are agreed that Human admirals will lead our fleets, and Admiral Rivers will become the new fleet admiral for the Alliance.”

Everyone nodded their heads in agreement. Most of the worlds of the Alliance had very substantial fleets of highly advanced vessels; they were just unfamiliar with the tactics required to conduct a space war. Most of the commanders of their ships, as well as the crews, had never fired the weapons on their vessels against an enemy. The few who had were the ones that had been on the Delton rescue mission.

“The Humans know the art of war better than any of us,” commented Fleet Commander Achlyn of the Deltons. “They are as fierce in battle as the Zaltule and with their guidance, we may indeed find a path to victory.”

-

The meeting lasted for several more hours, with plans being made and forecast production of new fleet units discussed. When it was finally over Wade, Marken, Fleet Commander Achlyn, and Ambassador Blake went to Wade’s quarters where they spent more time discussing what was ahead of them.

“Fleet wise we’re in a much better position than we were a year ago,” Hyram commented as he sat down with a cup of hot tea. “All the Alliance worlds are building warships at an astounding rate and the two trading stations we took from the Kleese have added a tremendous amount of ship construction capacity.”

“Ships with inexperienced crews,” Fleet Commander Achlyn quickly pointed out. “There’s a lot of training that needs to be done.”

Marken looked around the small group and then spoke. “There are only two more nonaligned worlds that haven’t fallen to the Kleese. I strongly suspect they’ll feel the wrath of the Zaltule shortly.”

“They’re at the far edge of Sector Twelve,” Hyram said, shaking his head. “Too far for us to send assistance.”

Wade nodded hating to write off those worlds; however, they had been contacted in the past about joining the Alliance and refused. “We probably have two to four months before the Zaltule start probing our defenses. There’s a lot of work ahead of us in order to get our fleets ready for what’s coming.”

“We need a diversion to give us more time,” Marken said with a thoughtful look. “We’re getting close to having the ships we need to stop the Kleese. The crews just need more time to become familiar with them.”

“We have a tentative plan,” Wade announced as he thought about his last meeting at Centerpoint Station. “General Mitchell and Fleet Admiral Kelly have an idea that just might give the Kleese pause and perhaps buy us a few more months.”

“Why do I feel this involves your brother and his new training?” commented Marken with a heavy frown. “It seems your family can’t stay out of harm’s way.” Marken and his lifemate Harnett had come to know Ryan and Casey very well on the trip back to Alliance space from Delton as they had been on the Micene, a Kivean hospital ship.

Wade gave a weak smile and nodded. “I guess it runs in our blood. For generations the Kleese have fought wars on their terms; we’re going to change that. The Zaltule may be the warrior caste, but they’ve never fought an enemy quite like us. That was apparent when we attacked their home system. They made a colossal mistake in suspending their attacks for such a long time while they fortified their core worlds. It shows they’re not infallible and are susceptible to innovative tactics. We’re going to test that notion and see if we can’t throw the Kleese another curve ball.”

“A curve ball?” asked Marken, looking confused. He still wasn’t familiar with all the idioms Humans used in their speech. “What’s a curve ball?”

Wade quickly explained and the others nodded their understanding. “I’ll be returning to the Solar System in a few days and we’ll set our new plan into motion.”

Marken nodded his acceptance. He was concerned about Ryan Nelson being involved. He recalled how upset Wade had been when he found out Ryan and his Marines had been taken prisoner by the Kleese.

In the back of his mind, he was satisfied with the way the war was going. His people had chosen the Humans to destroy the Kleese Empire, and Marken was pleased with the current direction the Humans were taking. He and Harnett had spent many long hours talking about the Humans and how they were different from most races the Kiveans had previously encountered. He still didn’t believe the Kleese, and the Zaltule in particular, realized just how big a danger the Humans were. He strongly suspected they were shortly going to find out.

-

In Freedom Station recently promoted Captain Ryan Nelson was putting his Marines through their paces. They were all wearing Type Four battlesuits and attempting to take a ridge in the training facility. Sergeant McElroy and a platoon of Marines in Type Three battlesuits were entrenched upon the ridge, firing down at Ryan’s advancing Marines. The Marines on both sides were using stunners, which were quite effective at immobilizing a battlesuit when its anti-stunner equipment was turned off. After the Marines had been captured by the Kleese on Diadem, the Kiveans had come up with new gear to prevent stunners from immobilizing a Marine inside a Type Three or Type Four battlesuit.

-

“Damn stunners,” muttered Corporal Alexander Parker as he ducked down beneath a stone wall. “I hate that stinging sensation when you’re hit. It feels like you’re being bitten by a hundred bees.”

“Then keep your big ass down,” replied Corporal Lauren Adams. She and Alexander were good friends even though he had been trying for months to get her in bed with him. “At least we’re not going up Charring Mountain.”

Ryan was listening to the exchange and couldn’t help smiling at the banter between the two. Since their initial training in the Type Four battlesuits and their harrowing experience with the Kleese, as well as being stranded on Delton, they had become a tight-knit group as well as close friends. Normally this would be frowned upon, but the size of the Human race had been drastically reduced by the Kleese almost to the point of extinction. Now clones made up a significant portion of the population and nearly 40 percent of Ryan’s Marines were clones.

The training center they were in was inside a large dome on the exterior of Freedom Station. The station had been seized from the Kleese and brought back to the Solar System in a daring raid. A second station was also seized and taken to the Lanolth System. The entire station was one hundred and twenty kilometers across and twenty-four kilometers thick. The domes covering its upper hull ranged anywhere in size from ten to twenty kilometers across. The smaller domes were normally home to the humanoid races that served the Kleese upon their ships and maintained the stations. They were currently home to the seventy thousand crewmembers who had decided to stay and work with the Humans.

Ryan took a moment to study the ridge in front of him with the sensors in his command suit. He allowed himself to smile seeing Sergeant McElroy had set up his platoon to provide overlapping fire down the slope. McElroy was a dedicated Marine and very crafty when it came to engaging the enemy. However, McElroy still hadn’t taken into consideration the difference between a Type Three battlesuit and a Type Four. The Type Fours were smaller, faster, and much more nimble and Ryan would now use those advantages to take the ridge.

“Sergeant Hunter,” Ryan said over the suit’s comm. “Are your people in position?”

“Yes, Captain,” she answered promptly. “I don’t believe they’ve spotted us.”

“Lieutenant Guthrie, what about your platoon?”

“Ready for the diversion,” she replied. “They’ll never know what hit them.”

“Corporals Parker and Alexander, you can resume your advance.” Ryan was curious to see how Sergeant McElroy responded to the three-pronged attack he was about to face.

-

“All right, Alexander,” Lauren called out as she signaled for her squad to move out. “Let’s see if you can keep up with us!”

Alexander swore as he saw Lauren begin bounding toward the ridge along with her squad. The Type Four battlesuits allowed its wearer to run at a speed faster than an Olympic sprinter. “Let’s go,” he ordered as he stood up and gestured to his Marines. “Let’s see how many kills we can get.”

-

Ryan watched with interest as Sergeant McElroy’s Marines began laying down heavy stunner fire at the advancing Marines. With a grimace, he saw several fall and lay still as they were hit.

“Lieutenant Guthrie, you may begin your attack.”

From the right flank of the ridge, twenty Marines in Type Four battlesuits suddenly rose up in the air using the antigravity plates in the boots of their suits. The plates generated a repelling force that allowed limited flight. They began moving rapidly toward the ridge in a zigzag pattern while firing their stunners at Sergeant McElroy’s Marines.

Ryan waited twenty seconds before giving his next order. “Sergeant Hunter, you may commence your attack.” Ryan focused his attention back on the ridge to see how the sergeant reacted. If all went as planned, Ryan’s Marines would have complete control of the ridge in the next ten minutes.

-

Casey nodded at hearing Ryan’s command and then signaled to her six Marines to follow her. She wanted to complete her assignment to impress Ryan. Since their return from Delton, she and the captain had been living together. It had been the happiest time of her life, and she knew that shortly it might have to come to an end as they couldn’t allow their emotions to get in the way of combat operations. She was disappointed that the change was necessary, but there would be other times in the future they could be together.

Casey and her Marines were on the far left flank of the ridge and using an arroyo with a small running stream in it to conceal their movement. If Ryan’s plan worked, Sergeant McElroy’s platoon would be focused on the attack on their center and right flank and would never see Casey’s squad approaching.

They were moving as rapidly as possible as they wanted to hold casualties down from the attacking Marines under Lieutenant Guthrie, Corporal Parker, and Corporal Adams. Casey knew if any of them lost a lot of their Marines, she would be in for it when they returned to the barracks.

“I’ve got movement,” Private Juan Rios said over the squad’s comm channel. Juan was from Luna City and had attended the fleet training center there.

“So do I,” added Private Mary Hatterson. Mary was a clone like Casey and they had known each other since the Academy. “I don’t think they’ve spotted us.”

They carefully continued to move along the arroyo and then began climbing around a small cliff face which should put them directly above Sergeant McElroy’s position.

Casey had her sensors probing every possible hiding place but all she could see were two Marines in Type Three battlesuits watching the battle on the lower slope of the ridge. They didn’t seem to be aware of Casey and her squad.

Spreading out across the top of the ridge Casey saw most of McElroy’s troops were now in plain sight below where they were firing upon the advancing Type Four battlesuits.

“It worked,” said Private Rios, as he pointed his stun rifle in the direction of the enemy.

It was that moment that Casey heard a laugh over the general command network, which allowed all of them to communicate, including Sergeant McElroy.

“Not this time,” the sergeant said.

Before Casey could respond, she felt her suit go limp and she felt as if she had been stung by a swarm of bees. She moaned from the pain. She hated getting hit by a stunner. Where the hell are they, she wondered as she fell to the ground? In her HUD, she saw the rest of her squad had been hit as well. It wasn’t going to be a fun time in the barracks tonight.

-

Ryan was astonished to see all of Casey’s squad suddenly switch from bright green icons to steady glowing red ones in his HUD. With a feeling of dread, he had a hunch he’d underestimated Sergeant McElroy once more. Standing up from behind the wall he had been crouching behind, he began scanning the ridge to see if he could spot the trap the sergeant had laid. Sure enough, just behind Casey’s squad two Marines in Type Three battlesuits were visible. They had been hiding behind some large boulders, which blocked sensor scans from revealing their position. He also saw that between Lieutenant Guthrie, Corporal Adams, and Corporal Parker he had lost eight more Marines. With a deep sigh, he knew he wasn’t going to be able to take the ridge, not without sacrificing most of his Marines.

“Everyone pull back,” he ordered over his comm, feeling disgruntled at giving the sergeant another victory. The sergeant was a great leader and excellent at defensive strategy. The sergeant’s biggest problem was his offensive tactics; too often Sergeant McElroy was hesitant to act quickly in situations that were fluid or rapidly changing. However, when it came to defense, there was none any better.

-

“At least I didn’t get stunned this time,” Corporal Parker said as he pulled back with his four surviving Marines. The other two were still lying stunned at the foot of the ridge.

“You were lucky,” Corporal Adams said as she pulled back with her three survivors. “As big a target as you are you should have been nailed almost immediately.”

The two squads joined back up and continued to fall back to the assembly area. Once everyone was there, Captain Olivia Morris would reactivate everyone’s disabled suits.

Corporal Parker walked over to Lauren and patted her suit on the rear with his right hand. “How’s that feel?”

Lauren spun around and slapped Alexander’s hand away. “I’ve told you before to keep your hands off me!”

“Oh, you know you like it,” Alexander said laughing as he turned and walked away. He really enjoyed teasing Lauren. She just needed to loosen up a little.

Lauren stood fuming. She liked Alexander and at times was even a little tempted to flirt with him, but he needed to be kept in his place. Without a moment’s hesitation, she raised her stun rifle and shot Alexander in the back.

“Damn, Lauren!” yelled Alexander as his suit shut down and he felt the stinging sensation from the stunner. “I was only joking!” Alexander tumbled to the ground to lay immobile face down.

“So am I,” Lauren said as she turned and continued on toward the assembly area.

The other squad members said nothing and stepped around the prostrate corporal. This was the third time Lauren had shot him at the end of a drill.

-

Ryan saw Corporal Parker’s green icon suddenly switch to red, indicating he had been stunned. With a heavy sigh, he shook his head. He had a strong suspicion Lauren was involved. Lauren and Alexander spent a lot of their free time with Ryan and Casey. The two didn’t date, but they were good friends, and there was no doubt in Ryan’s mind if Lauren were willing Alexander would take their relationship to a much more intimate level. He wondered what Alexander had done this time to infuriate Lauren; it seemed that after a while the corporal would get tired of her stunning him as he hated the stinging sensation. Ryan would talk to the two once more. While Alexander had probably deserved what Lauren had done to him, he couldn’t allow Lauren to continue to stun the other corporal every time they had an argument.

“I see that Alexander’s icon just changed from green to red,” Casey said over the command frequency. “I assume Lauren stunned him again.” Since she was wearing a command suit, she could still communicate though she was immobile at the top of the ridge.

“I assume so,” Ryan answered with a sigh.

-

Colonel Dylan Winfrey allowed a smile to cross his face at hearing the exchange over the command channel.

“She can’t keep shooting him,” Captain Olivia Morris commented with a frown. Olivia was formerly with the British Special Forces and was heavily involved in training for the Type Four battlesuits. Colonel Winfrey had been her commander back then and still was.

“I know,” answered Dylan. “They’re just blowing off some steam. I’ll make sure Ryan addresses the problem though I suspect from what he was saying he already plans on doing just that. What’s your assessment of Captain Nelson’s people?”

“They’re the best we have,” answered Olivia without hesitation. “My only concern is how close they are to one another. Hell, sir, Captain Nelson’s been sleeping with Sergeant Hunter.”

“Times have changed,” sighed Dylan. “If we restricted fraternization between our Marines we would have a revolt on our hands. We’re fighting for our very survival. From our latest surveys, we estimate 28 percent of our military personnel are paired up with someone in their units. It’s a good way for them to relieve the tension they’re experiencing.”

“That’s all well and good, sir, as long as it doesn’t affect their fighting capability.”

“Are Captain Nelson’s Marines ready for their mission?”

Olivia hesitated briefly. “I wish they weren’t. The mission we’re sending them on is highly dangerous, and they’re bound to suffer some casualties. These are all good people, sir.”

“This is war,” Colonel Winfrey responded grimly. “We lost Major Stevens and Colonel Stratford when they were abducted by the Kleese.”

“Ryan told me how they died,” Olivia said in a quieter voice. “They died as heroes.”

“We’ll lose more in the coming months.”

Colonel Winfrey looked across the training facility. He well remembered how intent Major Stevens had been about the arduous training for the Type Four suits. Captain Nelson’s group had been the first to complete the course and be deployed to combat. They had all nearly paid with their lives on Diadem. Sadly, many of them hadn’t come back from being abducted by the Kleese.

Olivia looked at the returning Marines in their Type Four suits as they came out onto the parade ground in front of the barracks. With a deep sigh, she pressed the button to reactivate all the suits that had fallen victim to stunners. She also sent out the recall order for Sergeant McElroy and his Marines. Captain Nelson had been the one to suggest that Sergeant McElroy and his people be included in this training. From what she had seen so far of the sergeant’s performance, Ryan had been right in making the suggestion.

“I’ll contact Fleet Admiral Kelly and General Mitchell and tell them the mission is a go,” Dylan said. “The new assault ships are ready and have been tested.”

“They’re more powerful than our original battlecruisers,” commented Olivia.

“They need to be,” Dylan responded. “They have to keep our Marines alive and we’re going a long way.”

-

Ryan was sitting in the mess hall eating his evening meal along with Autumn, Casey, Lauren, Alexander, and Juan.

“I think we should go astro gliding again on our next leave,” suggested Juan. “We had a ball last time.”

“Until that asshole showed up,” Lauren said pointedly.

“People have grown a lot more accepting of clones now,” Juan replied. “My cousin said there have been very few incidents in Luna City recently.”

“Same on Vesta,” added Ryan. “I spoke to my parents the other day and they say things have changed a lot.”

“The war is becoming more serious,” commented Autumn as she speared a carrot with her fork. “My brother recently moved to Mars and he says things are changing there also.”

“I think all the refugees we’ve taken in has helped to curb a lot of the hostility. We have the Kiveans, the Deltons, and the Talts all living in asteroids in the Solar System now. They’ve brought some valuable technologies with them that have been introduced all over.” Ryan knew this was making a huge difference.

In most Human colonies in the Solar System, it wasn’t unusual to see one of the three alien races that now called this their home helping out building new infrastructure or showing Humans how to use the new technologies. There were also visitors from some of the Alliance worlds on occasion. The news channels were now full of features on different alien worlds and their cultures, particularly those of the Alliance. Humanity had learned the hard way they were not alone in the universe. It was a lesson they would never forget.

“When do we deploy?” asked Autumn as she looked expectantly at Ryan. “This training is getting boring and I suspect Alexander is getting tired of Lauren stunning him.”

“I’m not sure, but I suspect it’ll be shortly. We’ve gone through a lot of training in the last few months. Then Ryan shifted his gaze over to Alexander and Lauren. “Lauren, you have to quit shooting Alexander with your stun rifle. It’s not setting a good example for your Marines.”

“It was my fault,” Alexander interrupted before Lauren could say anything. “I pissed her off and she blasted me.”

Lauren looked surprised at Alexander taking the blame. “I’ll stop,” she promised. “I need to control my temper better. It’s just that sometimes Alexander knows exactly what buttons to push.”

“Or feel,” Casey said with a mischievous grin. Lauren had been the one who had helped to show her how to act and feel more like a Human woman.

Lauren blushed slightly and looked down at her food.

“I’m supposed to meet with Colonel Winfrey tomorrow, maybe then we’ll know when we’re shipping out.”

“Do you think we’ll get some leave time before we go?” asked Juan. He really wanted them all to go back to Luna City and go astro gliding one more time.

“Maybe,” answered Ryan. He knew that Wade was due back in a few days from his trip to Lanolth. The Kleese were once more on the move taking over the rest of the nonaligned worlds. It was time for the Human race to lead the Alliance against the Kleese, and particularly the Zaltule. Ryan wondered just what role he and his Marines would play. He looked over at Casey, who was laughing and talking to Lauren. It had been great to spend so much time together since their return from Delton. Now that time was ending and it was time to go back to war.

Chapter Three

Colonel Wade Nelson entered General Alan Mitchell’s office expecting to find only the general waiting for him. With surprise, he saw Fleet Admiral Kelly, newly promoted Alliance Fleet Admiral Rivers, General Pittman, Admiral Adamson of the heavy battlecruiser Constellation, and Colonel Winfrey.

“Have a seat, Wade,” General Mitchell said, gesturing toward an empty chair. “We have a lot to talk about.”

Wade sat down and looked expectantly at the commanding general.

“We’ve all read the report that you and Hyram wrote about the current status of the Alliance as well as their assessment of the Kleese intentions,” Mitchell began. “Everyone is in agreement that the Kleese will attack either the Alliance or us as soon as the last nonaligned world falls.”

“That was our assessment as well,” answered Wade. “Even Alliance President Raytol is in agreement.”

Every since his return from the Delton rescue mission, General Mitchell had been sending Wade all across the Alliance in an attempt to drum up support for additional ship construction and military support. For the most part, that mission had succeeded. The Alliance fleet was now far larger and possessed highly advanced weapons. In addition, every Alliance world was protected by a defensive grid as well as powerful surface based ion cannons. The Alliance wouldn’t be an easy nut to crack for the Kleese.

“There are two more nonaligned worlds remaining in Sector Twelve,” Wade said, his eyes narrowing sharply. “Hyram went to both as well as an ambassador from Lanolth, and they failed to convince those two worlds of the danger they’re in. Both possess large fleets as well as orbital defenses. They don’t want to become involved in a war that might have significant impacts on their beliefs and way of life. They even refused to accept ion cannons to defend their worlds with. They believe the size of their fleets will cause the Kleese to uphold the neutrality agreements they signed centuries ago.”

“A sad mistake on their part,” said Fleet Admiral Thomas Kelly. Kelly had once commanded a frigate in the Royal Navy prior to the Kleese attack, which had devastated Earth. “Neither will survive for more than another few months and the Kleese will then turn their attention toward the Alliance and us.”

“Do we have the fleet assets to stop them?” asked General Mitchell, his steely eyes focusing on Fleet Admiral Kelly.

“Most of the Alliance worlds have built their fleets up considerably, particularly the Lanolthians since we sent them the second trading station we seized from the Kleese,” answered Kelly. “Our own ship production has been greatly intensified as well. The problem is going to be training. With all the new ships the Alliance now has, the crews are going to be very green. Hell, our own crews are inexperienced. If not for the cloning program on Vesta, we wouldn’t be able to come close to having the necessary crews to operate our new vessels. As it is, we’re taking trained crews off many of our assault ships and replacing them with much smaller inexperienced crews to cover our personal shortages on our new heavy battlecruisers.”

General Mitchell nodded and turned his attention to Alliance Fleet Admiral Rivers. “How soon will you be setting out for Alliance Space?”

“Fourth Fleet is in the process of loading supplies and munitions now,” Rivers responded. “I intend on going to Lanolth and meeting with President Raytol; from there I’ll go to Nalton and several other key Alliance worlds. I want to build Fourth Fleet up to sufficient power to enable it to handle any Kleese provocation by itself. We’ll have six smaller fleets assigned to fight holding actions until Fourth Fleet can react. They’ll be positioned where they can rapidly respond to any Kleese intrusion. In addition, we’ll have scout ships out watching for any signs of Kleese warships approaching the Alliance.”

“I wish you luck,” General Mitchell commented. “Admiral Kelly, what type of fleet units can we provide the Alliance to assist in its defense?”

Admiral Kelly cleared his throat and pressed an icon on the handheld computer pad in his left hand. “We currently have nine fleets. Fleet Admiral Rivers will be taking Fourth Fleet and we can spare two others without greatly compromising our own security. We’re better off fighting the Kleese in and around Alliance space than here at home. Keep in mind a major portion of Seventh Fleet will be going with Admiral Adamson on his mission into Kleese space.”

“With the two additional fleets, I can station them in the areas where we feel the Kleese will most likely attack,” commented Rivers as he thought over the strategy he would use to hold back the Kleese. “Somehow or another we need to find the Kleese main fleet and lure it into battle. If we can destroy their fleet, the war for all practical purposes will be over.”

The room was silent for a long moment as everyone mulled over Alliance Fleet Admiral River’s words. It was difficult to imagine a galaxy where the Kleese were not a major threat.

“There may be another wild card in all of this,” Wade said, leaning slightly forward.

“What’s that?” asked General Mitchell, turning his attention to Wade.

“The Kleese we’re having problems with now are their warrior caste, the Zaltule. From what we learned on our Delton rescue mission, the Kleese Empire has fractured. Supreme Overlord Xatul and several other powerful members of the Kleese Council of Overlords have fled the empire with a major portion of the exploration fleet. Military Overlord Harmock has taken over as the Supreme Overlord and is currently searching for Xatul.”

“Where did this information come from?” asked General Pittman, who had been sitting quietly and listening to what was being discussed.

“From our Delton rescue mission,” Wade answered. “Several Deltons heard the Kleese talking about a division in their ranks. We only recently confirmed it from several nonaligned worlds trading ships that managed to reach the Alliance after their worlds had been conquered. Minor Overlord Betel, when asked about it, also indicated it was true. I believe it’s also one of the reasons he surrendered.” Betel was the Kleese who had surrendered when his trading station had been seized by Wade and his Marines.

“What does that mean for us?” asked General Mitchell.

“Unknown,” Wade responded. “There has been no known fighting between the two groups, and the Zaltule are coming to believe Xatul left the empire to travel to another section of the galaxy to create his own Kleese Empire free of the influence of the warrior clan. I’ve spoken to Minor Overlord Betel about this several times but he refuses to speak of the Zaltule. I believe we’ve learned all we’re going to from him.” Betel was being kept on Centerpoint Station in a heavily guarded cell.

“So even if we manage to defeat the Zaltule, this former Supreme Overlord is out there somewhere and we may have to deal with him sometime in the future,” commented General Pittman.

“It may mean the Kleese are now weaker than we thought,” General Mitchell said, his forehead creasing in a thoughtful frown. He turned his attention toward Colonel Winfrey. “Is your mission ready to launch?”

“The training’s done,” Dylan said. “We can leave whenever you give the order.”

“Admiral Adamson, are your ships ready?”

“We are,” Adamson replied. “We can leave tomorrow.”

“I thought the new assault cruisers would be acting on their own?” queried Dylan, feeling slightly confused. They had discussed assigning each cruiser a series of targets, each one deeper into Kleese space.

“They will be,” answered Fleet Admiral Kelly. “However, we want to send sufficient fleet assets along so if one of the assault cruisers gets into trouble we can prevent the Kleese from taking our Marines captive as they did to Colonel Stratford’s people.”

“We’re still discussing the exact size of the fleet,” Admiral Adamson added. “We’ll have the final fleet makeup finalized tomorrow.”

Dylan nodded his head in agreement. They had lost a lot of good people on that mission to Diadem. “Have you chosen our targets yet?”

“Yes,” Fleet Admiral Kelly answered. “You’re going on quite a trip; almost to the heart of the Kleese Empire. We need to force them to hold off their attack upon the Alliance for several more months to give us time to train and make our final preparations. We want them confused as to the exact size of the fleet we have operating in their space. That’s another reason for adding so many warships.”

“So when do we depart?” asked Dylan. “I would like to give my Marines a few days leave before we go. Some of them probably won’t be returning home.”

General Mitchell looked down at his desk and sighed. He hated sending people on missions like this. “The mission leaves in five days. I think we can probably squeeze in forty-eight hours of leave time in that period.”

Wade felt a chill run down his back. He knew Ryan’s Marines would be in the thick of the fighting. How was he going to tell his parents that Ryan was going off into danger once again? They had nearly panicked the previous year when Ryan and his Marines had been abducted by the Kleese. He would also have to tell Beth; perhaps she could help him tell his parents. He doubted that Ryan, with a forty-eight-hour leave, would be able to get out to Vesta. He was glad Beth had resigned her commission and was now just a stay at home mom. It was one less thing he had to worry about.

-

Ryan and his friends were once more in Luna City. They were at the large park astro gliding and feeling exhilarated at the sensation of being so high up in the air with nothing more than a pair of wings to support them. The park had a large cliff where one could be equipped with artificial wings and leap off into the open air. The area was kept at Luna normal gravity to allow one to experience what it felt like to fly. It was much better than the feeling of flying one felt in one of the Type Four battlesuits.

Looking down below him, Ryan saw Lieutenant Guthrie floating on an artificial thermal as she experimented with the beginner set of wings she was wearing. Ryan was wearing an intermediate set, which allowed for more maneuverability. Without surprise, he saw Juan come swooping by as he did a complete loop in his pro set of wings, showing off to the rest of the group. Ryan knew Juan had spent years learning all the acrobatic maneuvers. Ryan was determined that eventually he would graduate up to the point where he could wear the more advanced wings also. Some of the maneuvers Juan was doing looked highly fun and exciting.

-

Casey and Lauren were flying close together, enjoying the freedom that flying gave them. “I love this!” yelled Casey as she caught a thermal and began rising higher up into the air.

“I’m glad we came,” Lauren replied as she followed Casey. If one caught the right thermal, a person could stay up in the air almost indefinitely.

Casey noticed that both she and Lauren were several hundred feet above Ryan. Mary, Cameron, Jasmine, and Cassie were already on the ground and sitting at a picnic table watching everyone else. This leave had been much different from the one several years back. At that time, there had still been a lot of distrust and concern about the growing clone population. Now thanks to a massive ad campaign from Cheryl Robinson’s office much of that had changed.

People were now becoming more accepting of clones, and the demonstrations had almost vanished entirely. There were still occasional signs that showed up on street corners and threats painted on building walls, but they were growing fewer and fewer. It also helped that former President Mason Randle was in charge of the cloning facility on Vesta, and he was still extremely popular with the Humans in the system. It was general knowledge that Mason had single-handedly saved the Human race from extinction after the Kleese launched the planet killer at Earth.

“Where do you want to go eat?” Lauren yelled as she began descending in a gentle curve. “I’m starving!”

“Italian!” Casey yelled back as she turned and began following Lauren down. “There’s a new Italian restaurant on the main square that’s supposed to be really good.”

“Italian it is then!” Lauren called back. “See you on the ground!”

Casey nodded. They had one more night in Luna City and then they had to return to Freedom Station. It would be the last night she and Ryan would spend together as lovers for quite sometime. They had both agreed that while on the mission they would sleep apart to set an example for the other Marines. It would also help with discipline and maintaining good morale in the ranks. While it wouldn’t be a problem with their platoon or Autumn’s if they bunked together, it might be for the other Marines and fleet personnel that would be on the ship with them and who were not familiar with Ryan and Casey.

If this was going to be the last night she could spend with Ryan in the foreseeable future, she was going to make the most of it. She had already gone shopping with Lauren at a lingerie shop in downtown Luna City. Lauren had helped her pick out the appropriate clothing items for tonight. She strongly suspected Ryan would approve of what Lauren had encouraged her to buy.

-

On Freedom Station, Colonel Winfrey and Admiral Adamson were standing in one of the station’s numerous flight bays gazing at a new assault cruiser. The assault cruisers had been designed to be much more powerful than the assault ships that had been used in the past. They were larger, faster, and better armed to give the Marines a maximum chance of survival.

“How many assault cruisers are going on this mission?” asked Dylan as he watched several cargo handlers moving supplies into the 350-meter long ship through a large open hatch. Dylan knew the ship was 70 meters high and had a width of 200 meters. It could hold one hundred twenty Marines and their equipment as well as its normal crew of one hundred.

“Ten,” answered Admiral Adamson. “We’ll also be taking the troop assault ship Defender, which will serve as your flagship for the operation. The Defender will only be called upon if there’s a situation the assault cruisers can’t handle.”

Dylan nodded. He had known about the possibility that the Defender was going to be included in the fleet. As a matter of fact, he had suggested it weeks earlier during the initial planning stages for this mission. “What about your fleet? How many warships will be going along?”

Adamson folded his arms across his chest as he watched several squads of Marines enter the bay carrying heavy weapons to place in the assault cruiser. “The Constellation and the Castillo will be the two heavy battlecruisers going. There will also be six regular battlecruisers and fifteen light cruisers. That should give us sufficient firepower to handle almost anything we come across unless we run into a major Kleese fleet.”

“The Constellation is a new ship, isn’t she?” asked Dylan. He knew the admiral used to command a regular battlecruiser with the same name.

“Yes, it only recently completed its space trials,” Adamson replied with a pleased smile. “We’ve replaced all of the battlecruisers that once served as fleet flagships with the more powerful heavy battlecruisers. They really proved their worth in the attack upon the Kleese home system.”

Dylan stood looking at the assault cruiser. It had an almost unlimited range and was capable of attacking targets on the surface of a planet. The ship was equipped with two particle beam cannons, eight pulse fusion cannons and twenty dual energy turrets for defense. In addition, there were six KEW batteries, which could be used to take out targets upon the surface of a planet. The ship was also equipped with eight missile tubes that could handle the new multi-warhead sublight missiles with twenty-megaton warheads. Dylan let out a deep sigh. They were getting ready to go poke a finger in the multifaceted eyes of the Kleese. He just wondered what type of reaction they would get.

-

Ryan took a cautious bite of the lasagna in front of him. They were inside a stylish Italian restaurant sitting at a long table that easily accommodated all of them. Looking around the dining room, Ryan noticed what appeared to be several other clones eating meals. Clones were, for the most part, easy to spot. Their skin was unblemished and had a healthy pink tone. They also acted a little uncertain in the company of Humans. Of course the clones Ryan was associated with had been exposed to enough harsh environments they were difficult to distinguish from a Human.

“Pizza!” uttered Lauren in disgust, glaring at Alexander. “How can you come to a nice restaurant like this and order pizza?”

“I like pizza,” Alexander said defensively as he picked up a slice and took a bite. “I can’t even pronounce what you ordered.”

“Fettuccine Alfredo,” Lauren said, speaking the words slowly.

“Whatever,” Alexander replied dismissively. “I’ll stay with my sausage pizza.”

“What did you order?” Lauren asked Casey, looking curiously at her plate.

“Pasta Primavera,” Casey answered. “It’s vegetables with a really tasty sauce. I’ve had it before and it tastes wonderful.”

Juan shook his head at the two girls. “I’m with Alexander. Pizza for me.”

Casey looked next to her at Ryan. “What did you order?”

“Spaghetti and meatballs,” he said with a grin as a waiter came over to the table and set a large steaming plate of spaghetti in front of him. “I haven’t had any since we were home and Mom cooked some.” There was a small plate of garlic bread in front of Ryan, and he reached out and picked up a slice.

Casey nodded. She well remembered that trip to Vesta. She had gotten to see Wade and Beth’s new baby and even hold it. She’d been amazed at how small and delicate the child was. It had been a wonderful trip and one she would always remember.

“I spoke to my brother earlier,” Autumn said as she took a bite of her food. “He says they’ve nearly cleaned up the debris from the Kleese bombing of Mars Central and are even talking about rebuilding the city.”

“I hope they do,” Ryan answered as he used his fork and spoon to swirl his spaghetti into a manageable bite. “We lost a lot of people when the Kleese hit Mars; it’s good to see it getting back to normal.”

They continued to talk throughout the meal and then afterward took a long walk through the downtown area of the city. It was amazing what had been done beneath the large dome. It was like walking in one of the old cities on Earth except there was no pollution or loud noises. They only saw a few walls with angry comments about clones but those were few and far between. Nothing like the riot Casey and Lauren had once been exposed to that time they were shopping.

-

A few hours later they returned to the hotel they were all staying in. Ryan and Casey excused themselves from the others, who were having a drink in the small club on the ground floor and went up to their room. It didn’t take Casey long to change into the lingerie Lauren had helped her pick out.

Casey posed in front of the full-length mirror in the bathroom, eyeing her figure critically. This sure doesn’t hide much, she thought as she turned various ways to see how she looked, hoping Ryan would approve. She wasn’t near as innocent and naive about sex as she once had been. Lauren had made sure of that. She was constantly giving her suggestions of things to do with Ryan. One thing Casey had learned was that Lauren had a really good imagination.

Stepping back into the bedroom where Ryan was she saw his eyes light up upon seeing her. She felt slightly embarrassed as his eyes moved up and down her body. Getting up, he took her in his arms and kissed her deeply, his hands pulling her close.

Moments later, they tumbled onto the bed still entwined in a lover’s embrace. Yes, Casey thought happily. I think he likes this outfit.

-

Colonel Winfrey was on board the troop assault ship Defender. The Defender was one thousand meters in length, two hundred meters wide, with a height of one hundred eighty meters. She was fully able to manage a full combat drop on an alien world and her Command Center was capable of commanding the entire operation.

“Welcome aboard,” Commander Greer said as Dylan entered.

“Glad to be here, Commander,” Dylan responded. “Are we ready to get underway?”

“The last of the Marines and their equipment will be on board by 07:00 in the morning,” Greer replied. “The ship is fully supplied and ready for a long term deployment.”

“I understand the Defender has been equipped with the new multiple warhead subspace missiles.”

Greer nodded his head. “Yes, we have eight missile tubes and they’ve all been modified to handle the new missile. I wish we had a plasma cannon like the new heavy battlecruisers, but the engineers don’t think it’s necessary.”

“At least you have a heavy particle beam cannon on the bow. It’s up to the warships accompanying us to do the fighting if any Kleese vessels show up. Our concern will be the Marine actions on the planets we’re going to be traveling to.”

Greer remained silent for a moment before replying. “The only thing is at some point during this mission I strongly suspect the Kleese will come looking for us.”

“We hope so,” responded Dylan, looking at the large viewscreen on the front wall of the Command Center. The viewscreen was showing Centerpoint Station, which was in orbit between the Earth and the Moon. Several ships could be seen in stationary orbit near it and a few assault ships were moving about on maneuvers. “If the Kleese come looking for us that means they aren’t attacking the Alliance. We need to buy the Alliance the time they need to finish training the crews on all the new ships as well as to let Alliance Fleet Admiral Rivers get them into combat shape.”

“I don’t envy Admiral Rivers,” Greer said, taking a deep breath. “It’s going to be a challenge to whip some of those races into shape. Many of them haven’t known war for hundreds of years or even longer.”

Dylan allowed himself to smile. “If I know Admiral Rivers, he’ll get the job done.”

A few moments later, Dylan was on his way to his quarters. He let out a deep sigh of regret. He wished Major Stevens could be here, but he had met his untimely death on board the Kleese exploration ship when he and Colonel Stratford had destroyed it so Captain Nelson and the other surviving Marines from the Diadem debacle could escape. This was going to be the first time Marines wearing the Type Four battlesuits were going to be deployed en mass. Steven would have enjoyed the coming battles and seeing the fruits of his training.

Chapter Four

Supreme Overlord Xatul was in his new flagship, the Empire’s Dawn, which had been built in one of the two trading stations they had taken from Kleese space and brought to the Strell Empire. For well over a year new Kleese warships had been built at a rapid pace as well as additional Strell vessels. Xatul had been surprised to find out the majority of the Strell shipyards had survived the war, and there were numerous Strell warships available that had been damaged and only needed to be repaired. This was something the Strell hadn’t mentioned when they had surrendered their empire.

“Can we trust the Strell?” demanded Overlord Syndat in a grating voice. “Their forces now outnumber ours.”

“We haven’t removed the collars of obedience from all of the Queens in the Great Dens,” Xatul replied coldly, his multifaceted eyes gazing at the large viewscreens in his new Command Center. “They will continue to do as we ask to ensure the Queens’ continued well-being. The Strell are a subservient race to the Kleese as they should be.”

Overlord Bixutl had been listening and now spoke. “You promised the High Strell Queen you would remove all the collars once Supreme Military Overlord Harmock has been killed or driven from Kleese space. If we are successful in removing the Zaltule from the empire, the Strell will once more become a major threat to us.”

“I have no intention of allowing that to happen,” Xatul replied. He shifted about on the Command Pedestal, his six legs making clicking noises against the metal of the deck. “We will only remove the last of the collars of obedience once we have determined the Strell are no longer a threat to our empire.”

“And how do we do that?” Demanded Syndat. Many of his clan had fled with Supreme Overlord Xatul to Strell space. The two trading stations they brought along belonged to him.

“We make sure the Strell are involved in the heaviest fighting,” Xatul explained. “Their ships will suffer the most, and we will use ours to destroy whatever vessels of the Zaltule remain after the Strell have engaged Harmock. When this war is over their fleet will have been decimated while ours will still be intact.”

“We have brought in many conscripts from Strell controlled worlds to operate our new warships and fill the ranks of our battlesuits,” Bixutl said. “The lesser races in Strell space are no different than those in our own empire.”

“All races are destined to submit to the Kleese,” spoke Syndat. “We are the superior race.”

“It is our destiny to rule this galaxy,” Supreme Overlord Xatul said in agreement. “The Zaltule, instead of helping in that goal, have only delayed it by their arrogance.”

Of course, there was one race he was not so sure about when it came to being inferior to the Kleese, and that was the Humans. From the reports his spies had brought back the Humans had managed to attack the home system, laying waste to a large portion of the capital city. They had also done considerable damage to the Zaltule shipyards and the deep sleep complex beneath the surface of the icy moon. Xatul could well imagine the anger Harmock must have felt from the attacks.

“The Zaltule were put in deep sleep because their warrior ways were deemed a threat to the empire,” Bixutl said, his multifaceted eyes focusing on the Supreme Overlord. “Even back in those days, the desire of the Zaltule to dominate the other Kleese clans was becoming apparent. They were great warriors but the path they were putting the empire on was too dangerous.”

“Yes,” replied Xatul. “The Zaltule were encouraged to go into deep sleep because there was no great danger to the empire. It was implied by the Supreme Overlord of that time that the Zaltule would be of greater service to the empire by being reawoken when a new threat to the empire arose.”

“Unfortunately, what we forgot was these were the same Zaltule who had become a threat in the past and once awakened they continued down that same dangerous path,” commented Overlord Syndat.

“A situation we are soon to correct,” Xatul responded.

“Supreme Overlord,” said the Kleese standing in front of Communications. “I have Den Leader Bith on the comm. He wishes to speak with you.”

It was distasteful for Xatul to have to speak with any member of the Strell. However, in order for his plans to come to fruition, it was necessary to have some contact with various members of the Strell race. “I will speak with him.”

On the main viewscreen, a Strell appeared. Bith was six feet tall and very thin. His head resembled that of a large snake. His eyes, set wide on the side of his head, narrowed to small slits as he turned to gaze at Xatul. Bith’s eyes could make out different colors though his ancestors in the dim past had only been able to see in black and white. The Strell had progressed far on the evolutionary scale from the time they had slithered on the ground until they developed arms and legs to allow them to build a technological civilization. The Strell were a cold-blooded species and showed very little emotion. Only the Queens in the Great Dens were emotional and they controlled the empire. A Queen very seldom ventured into space, preferring to stay beneath the ground surrounded by thousands of Strell who obeyed her every command.

“The fleet is nearly ready,” hissed Bith, his eyes unwavering and unblinking.

“Our own ships as well,” replied Xatul.

Bith’s tongue flicked out from his narrow mouth. “When will you remove the rest of the collars of obedience from our Queens?”

“When I have my empire back,” Xatul answered. “Your High Queen and those with her have had their collars deactivated, the same will be done for all the other Queens once we have driven the Zaltule from the Kleese Empire.”

Bith’s cold eyes regarded Xatul unflinchingly. “How do we know you will remove the collars once we have done what you ask?”

Xatul rose up to his full height gazing intently at the viewscreen. “Do you dare doubt the word of the Supreme Overlord of the Kleese?”

Bith hesitated briefly before he answered. “You conquered us, and our High Queen has sworn allegiance to your empire so ours might continue under your rule. You have promised us our empire back if we obey your orders. We will do so, but when the Zaltule are no more, we expect our Queens to be set free. If this happens, the Strell will never venture into Kleese controlled space again. This is the promise of our High Queen.”

Xatul paused at hearing those words. It sounded as if the Strell were offering never to come into conflict with the Kleese again. “What about the disputed worlds between our borders?”

“They will be yours,” Den Leader Bith answered.

“I will keep our agreement,” Xatul replied. There were a number of disputed worlds that would be of value to the empire. “When this is over, the Queens will be set free.”

With that, the screen went blank as the communication ended.

“Are you really going to return their empire back to them?” asked Syndat.

“Yes,” answered Xatul, turning to face Syndat. “The Strell are a very difficult race to control. They have little fear of death, unlike other subservient races. If they will stay in their empire, then we shall leave them be.”

“It will matter little,” Bixutl said. He folded his powerful black arms across his upper chest. “In time, we will surround their empire and the Strell will become insignificant in the grand scheme of the galaxy.”

Xatul turned his attention to the large tactical screen to the right of the Command Pedestal. On it, four hundred and eighty-two icons representing Kleese exploration cruisers were in formation around Xatul’s new flagship. There were also two hundred and forty new warcruisers, which had been built in the construction bays of the two large trading stations. While not as large as Zaltule battlecruisers, they were still very powerful warships. Additional weapons had been added to the exploration ships, increasing their firepower by nearly 40 percent.

Xatul had lost count of the number of conscripts who had died in building and modifying the new Kleese fleet. He knew the numbers were in the thousands. However, there were several thousand inhabited worlds in the Strell Empire that could be used to glean prospective conscripts. The deaths of thousands of conscripts were inconsequential.

Construction of the new fleet and modifications to the exploration cruisers had begun as soon as the cruisers and the two trading stations had arrived in Strell space. Construction had been nonstop, and those conscripts who were technicians or common workers and could not keep up to the new increased work schedules were summarily eliminated. More conscripts were brought in from Strell controlled worlds to replace those killed by Kleese overseers.

The sounds of small explosions had become quite common on the two trading stations as non-efficient personnel were removed. However, it had served its purpose. New Kleese warships had come into being and when combined with the exploration cruisers, the thousands of assault ships, and the recently rebuilt Strell fleet they would be able to challenge the Zaltule for control of the empire.

-

In the Kleese Empire Supreme Military Overlord Harmock watched his ship’s tactical screen closely. A large enemy fleet was maneuvering into position to defend the world he had come to conquer.

“They dare to defy us!” said Minor Overlord Gareth in disbelief. “They know they cannot defeat us.”

Harmock only shook his triangular shaped head. His head resembled that of a praying mantis. “It’s the Humans and their so-called Alliance. They have sown disrespect and rebellion across our empire. Daily we receive reports of unrest and collusion on many of the nonaligned words we have conquered since coming out of deep sleep. The Bashan fleet ahead of us is an example of the rashness which now sweeps the empire and will endanger it if we don’t soon deal with this Human threat.”

“A threat the former council under Supreme Overlord Xatul should have dealt with many years ago,” Gareth said coldly.

“Former Supreme Overlord Xatul,” Harmock reminded Gareth coldly “The former Council of Overlords was weak and incompetent. It is well that most of them died when the Humans attacked our home world.”

“The Bashan fleet has taken up a position between us and their world,” reported Jalridd. “There are numerous outposts on the other planets and upon several moons in the system.”

This didn’t surprise Harmock as the Bashan System was rich in heavy metals and the Bashans maintained a robust space mining industry. The Bashan traded heavy metals for many coveted items found on other nonaligned worlds, something the Zaltule put a stop to when they had conquered them. Now the Bashan found themselves standing alone.

“The Bashan Chancellor is demanding that we honor the neutrality agreement they signed seven hundred and forty-two years ago,” Dalock reported from Communications.

“Neutrality agreements!” Harmock spoke in anger. “How could our race have been so foolish to sign so many and allow hundreds of worlds to remain free of the empire?”

“The council was weak,” Gareth responded, unmoved by the Bashan request. “The Zaltule are not weak, and the council no longer exists.”

Harmock returned his attention to the tactical screen. “What is the composition of the Bashan fleet that opposes us?”

“It is quite large by nonaligned world standards,” Jalridd replied. “There are two hundred and twelve battlecruisers and four hundred and sixty support vessels in the fleet ahead of us.”

“Their primary weapons?”

“Pulse fusion beams similar to ours as well as a powerful energy cannon,” Salten reported from the tactical station. “Their ships are also protected by a strong energy shield.”

Harmock had been aware this wouldn’t be an easy world to conquer so he had brought two thousand Zaltule battlecruisers with him. He would overwhelm this fleet and then proceed to Bashan where the collars of obedience would be placed around the necks of the chancellor and the other foolish leaders of that world.

The Kleese were the dominate species in the galaxy, and all others would submit to Kleese rule. In Harmock’s mind, only the nonaligned worlds were worthy of surviving and being part of the empire. Their more advanced civilizations could be of use to the Zaltule when the Kleese ventured out to conquer the rest of the galaxy. The other inhabited worlds were infested with vermin and were only worthy of providing conscripts to be used as cannon fodder and to serve upon the exploration ships and assault vessels. Even though Harmock found this distasteful, it freed up Kleese and particularly Zaltule warriors to expand the empire.

“Advance upon the enemy, standard fleet offensive formation.”

Harmock was determined this would be a short battle, and once this world was subdued only one nonaligned world would remain. After that, it would be time to deal with the Humans and their paltry Alliance. Harmock wasn’t concerned so much about the Alliance; however, the Humans were another matter. They were a race of warriors and who Harmock had come to accept were almost equal to the Kleese in their ferocity. Of all the races the Zaltule had ever encountered only the Humans had shown no fear when facing the Zaltule in combat, both upon the ground and in space.

-

The two thousand Zaltule warships formed up into their offensive formation of five lines two hundred ships long and two ships deep facing the Bashan fleet. The Bashan had formed their fleet into a massive cylinder formation with the support ships on the outside and the heavier battlecruisers on the inside. The cylinder was aimed at the heart of the Zaltule formation. The Bashan battlecruisers were eight hundred meters in length, eighty meters wide, sixty meters thick, and almost arrow shaped. The front of the vessels flared out as well as did the stern where the sublight drives were located. All along the hulls were weapon emplacements. Powerful pulse fusion batteries, energy cannons, and a few missile tubes. The escort vessels were five hundred and twenty meters in length and fifty meters wide.

-

Bashan Admiral Kelp Hiath had no intention of allowing his fleet to be destroyed by the Zaltule. He had argued vehemently with the chancellor and others in the government about joining the Human led Alliance. However, the chancellor had been convinced that due to the size of the Bashan fleet, the Kleese would honor the neutrality agreement. Admiral Hiath had argued that so far the Kleese had failed to do so in every case where their fleets had come into contact with a nonaligned world, which had signed the agreement. He warned them that the Kleese would come and waving the agreement would do no good. Now he had been proven right. He had listened to the chancellor plead his case over the comm channel with the Kleese, pointing out the Kleese were honor bound to uphold the agreement. The Kleese had not responded.

“Forty thousand kilometers until engagement range,” Dath Mileth, Hiath’s second in command, reported. “Kleese fleet has formed up into an attack formation and is advancing.”

“I have a message from Chancellor Odis demanding we pull the fleet back to Bashan,” reported the communications officer.

“What are your orders, sir?” asked Second Officer Mileth, his narrow eyes focusing intently on the admiral. The Bashan were humanoid and looked remarkably feline with narrow eyes and cat-like ears. They also had a light fur covering their entire body, including their faces.

“Are the cargo and passenger ships ready?”

“Yes, they’re nearly loaded. They will enter Fold Space in twenty minutes,” Mileth replied.

Hiath nodded, everything was proceeding according to schedule. “We will stay with the plan.”

Several months back, Hiath and several other senior fleet officers had gotten together to decide how best to defend their planet. After much debate, it had been decided that Bashan couldn’t be saved without the help of the Alliance. In order to prevent their loved ones from being subjected to the dreaded Kleese collars of obedience, arrangements had been made to evacuate their families as well as some of the more prominent Bashan scientists off the planet. A fleet of ten passenger liners and twenty-two cargo ships were even now assembling high above Bashan to carry out that plan. For the last two hours, shuttles had been flying back and forth between the fleet and the planet bringing up the designated Bashans who would flee the system.

“Do you think the Humans will take our people in?” asked Mileth as he watched the tactical screen and the approaching Zaltule. The screen was covered in red threat icons.

“They have taken in other refugees and have even been involved in rescuing hundreds of thousands from Kleese controlled worlds. Our peoples’ best hope is with the Humans.”

Mileth nodded. His own family was on board one of the passenger liners. “What do we do about the Kleese fleet?”

Admiral Hiath smiled. “We give them a bloody nose, as the Humans would say, and then we leave.” Admiral Hiath had been fortunate to meet the Human ambassador some months back and spent some time talking to him.

“All ships are at full alert,” reported the communications officer.

“Energy shield is at 100 percent, and weapons are powered up,” added the tactical officer. “Missile hatches are open and sublight missiles are armed and ready to fire.”

“Now we show the Kleese we are not such easy prey,” commented Admiral Hiath. He had known peace for all of his years in the space service. As a young man he had yearned to journey out into the galaxy and explore, however, the Kleese Empire ensured that future was not to be. Hiath was a rare individual on Bashan as were many of the officers and crews of his ships. They were not willing to submit to the Kleese and had always dreamed of a brighter and freer future. This would be their first step in reaching that goal.

“Combat range in two minutes,” reported the sensor operator. “Kleese vessels are opening the hatches on their missile tubes. Short-range sensors indicate the Kleese have powered up their weapons systems and activated their defense shields.”

Admiral Hiath buckled himself into his command chair.

“Sir. Chancellor Odis is demanding we turn back now or he will have you removed from command,” reported the communications officer.

“Like that’s going to happen,” muttered Mileth. “There’s not an officer in the fleet who would obey that order.”

Hiath nodded. He and his fellow officers had considered all the ramifications of what they were about to do. If they succeeded, they would live to fight another day and perhaps sometime in the future, with the Humans help, they would return and set Bashan free.

-

On Bashan, Chancellor Odis turned in anger to his defense minister, who was also responsible for the fleet. “What is Admiral Hiath doing? Why won’t he obey my orders and return to defend Bashan?”

The defense minister was an older individual who should have retired years ago. “He knows we face an impossible battle. Even if his fleet returns to Bashan space and allows the defense grid to augment his firepower, he cannot stop the Kleese. They have come in numbers too great to fight against.”

Chancellor Odis sat down hard in his chair, looking with chagrin at the defense minister. “Are you saying the Kleese will destroy our fleet and the defense grid?”

“Yes, I fear very shortly that we will all be wearing the Kleese collars of obedience we have heard so much about.”

Chancellor Odis turned pale at hearing those words. “What of the fleet of passenger and cargo ships assembled in orbit? On whose orders are their ship commanders acting?”

“I fear I had less control of the fleet than I suspected,” the defense minister replied. “When Admiral Hiath came to us months ago and pleaded for us to join the Human led Alliance, we should have listened. I believe shortly after that he and a number of his commanding officers took matters into their own hands. From the reports I have been receiving those ships in orbit are some type of evacuation fleet. Many of the family members of the crews of our warships and some of our most acclaimed scientists have gone on board.”

“And you did nothing to stop this?” roared Chancellor Odis, rising to his feet and glaring at the defense minister.

“I chose not to,” the defense minister admitted, meeting the chancellor’s eyes. “At least this way some of our people will remain free.”

Chancellor Odis choked down his anger. “Where are they going?”

“I imagine to the Human led Alliance to seek sanctuary or possibly even to the Humans’ home system. We did have an Alliance delegation come to us months ago and ask us to join. I believe Admiral Hiath even met with the Human representative.”

Chancellor Odis mulled over the defense minister’s words. “At least Admiral Hiath will pay for his treachery with his life when he engages the Kleese fleet.”

The defense minister slowly shook his head. “I don’t think Admiral Hiath intends to die. The formation his fleet is in indicates he plans on escaping and joining the refugee fleet.”

“He leaves us to face the Kleese alone?”

“No, he leaves us to fight another day, and I wish him the best of luck.”

“I shall have you thrown in detention!” shouted Chancellor Odis, feeling he had been betrayed.

“It doesn’t matter,” responded the defense minister, rising to his feet and turning to leave the room. “Shortly, the Kleese will be the ones telling us what to do, not you.”

Chancellor Odis didn’t reply as he watched the defense minister open the door and leave. Odis sat back down, feeling very much alone. He realized now he should have listened to Admiral Hiath originally; perhaps then, none of this would be happening. In the back of his mind, he knew he had doomed his world to be subjugated by the Kleese. It was he who would go down in history as a traitor to his world, not Admiral Hiath or the defense minister.

-

The two fleets continued to close with the space between them rapidly diminishing. The Bashan fleet was maintaining its cylinder formation, which was pointed at the heart of the Kleese battle line. All across the Kleese formation weapons were made ready to fire. All they needed was the order from Supreme Military Overlord Harmock and the battle would begin.

-

“Strange formation,” said Minor Overlord Gareth as he studied the tactical screen with his multifaceted eyes. “It will limit the amount of firepower they can bring to bear against our fleet. It’s not a sound offensive strategy.”

Harmock agreed with Gareth’s assessment of the Bashan fleet’s tactics. “No, it’s a very poor offensive formation, but it might help to protect the ships in the interior. It seems as if that is where they’ve placed the majority of their battlecruisers.”

“In combat range,” Salten reported as the weapon consoles began lighting up with active targeting confirmations.

Harmock paused for a moment, savoring the power over life and death he commanded. The death of minor life forms such as the Bashan meant very little to him. However, the victory and bringing another world under the domination of the Kleese Empire did. “Fire!”

“Bashan ships are also firing,” reported Jalridd from sensors.

“Our fleet is slowing down to allow for maximum combat efficiency,” reported Gareth.

“Strange,” said Jalridd as he checked the speed of the Bashan ships. “The enemy are not slowing.”

“What?” demanded Harmock, his eyes focusing sharply on the tactical screen wondering what the Bashan fleet was up to.

-

The two fleets opened fire within seconds of each other. All across the Kleese battle line battlecruisers opened up with their pulse fusion and powerful energy weapons. The Bashan fleet did the same and space was soon filled with the bright flashes of the beam weapons. Across the front of the Bashan cylinder, titanic explosions began to appear as shields were overwhelmed and pulse fusion and energy beams hammered the armored hulls of the support ships.

Bashan ship hulls were split open, and alarms rang throughout their warships as emergency bulkheads slammed shut. In some cases crewmembers were trapped inside burning sections with no hope for escape. Other crewmembers struggled to put on spacesuits as the oxygen was sucked out of damaged compartments. In many instances crewmembers were hurled out of the breaches to die instantly in the heartless vacuum of space. Damage control teams rushed hurriedly to the stricken areas only to die themselves as secondary explosions rattled the ships.

Antimatter missiles soon followed, and Bashan ship after ship were blown apart in the fiery explosions resulting from the release of antimatter energy. In the time span of less than a minute, sixteen Bashan support ships were destroyed and numerous others severely damaged. The entire front of the Bashan cylinder was alight with burning and dying vessels.

As planned, the Bashan support ships were protecting the ships on the inside of the cylinder. These were all powerful battlecruisers and their firepower was now turned upon the nearing wall of Kleese warships. The fire from the Bashan fleet was directed toward one small segment of the Kleese formation. Hundreds of pulse fusion beams and energy beams pummeled the Kleese shields, seeking to bring them down. Several shields faltered from the intense bombardment and began to collapse.

Three Bashan pulse fusion beams slammed into the stern of a Zaltule battlecruiser, setting off massive explosions and hurling glowing debris into space. Moments later a Bashan antimatter missile arrived, and the vessel was turned into a glowing sun.

Several more battlecruisers quickly met the same fate as the Bashan cylinder reached point blank range and then continued penetrating the Kleese formation. Six more escort vessels exploded as they rammed Kleese vessels. In each case, the ships from both sides were destroyed in fiery explosions of released energy.

The Kleese suddenly found it difficult to fire upon the Bashan vessels without endangering their own ships. For a brief moment, the Kleese weapons fire faltered.

-

“What are they doing?” demanded Minor Overlord Gareth as he saw another Zaltule battlecruiser die as it was rammed by a Bashan support vessel.

Harmock studied the tactical display for a few seconds and then responded. “They’re trying to blast their way through our formation. Order all ships to intensify their weapons fire!”

“Our own ships are in the way,” Gareth replied as he saw two more Zaltule battlecruisers explode in flashes of brilliant light.

“Fire anyway!” Harmock ordered in a cold and uncaring voice. “I want the Bashan fleet destroyed before it escapes.”

“Escapes?” Gareth said, shifting his attention to the Supreme Military Overlord.

“Yes,” Harmock responded. “That’s why they’re in that formation. It forced us to slow down to enter combat, and now they’re blasting their way through our battle line. I strongly suspect, in a very short time, they will be entering Fold Space.”

“All weapons are firing,” reported Salten. “Launching sublight antimatter missiles.”

-

Admiral Hiath flinched as he saw the battlecruiser Greshen die on one of the viewscreens. He had known the ship’s commander since their early days in the fleet training school.

“We’ve lost six more support vessels and two battlecruisers, including the Greshen,” reported Second Officer Mileth.

Hiath nodded grimly. “How long until we clear the Kleese fleet?”

“The last vessel will be through in forty seconds,” the sensor operator answered.

“Evacuation fleet is moving away from Bashan and is preparing to enter Fold Space,” Mileth reported with evident relief in his voice.

Hiath felt the ship shake violently and several alarms began sounding. He looked questionably at Mileth.

“Minor damage to the outer hull at hull section forty-two. Energy shield is holding at 90 percent. A Kleese energy beam penetrated the shield.”

“All ships are clear of the Kleese fleet formation,” added the sensor operator.

Hiath nodded and took a deep breath. “All ships, full acceleration! Once we’re out of combat range, we’ll enter Fold Space and rendezvous with the evacuation fleet.”

“And then?” asked Mileth as he watched the tactical screen.

“We’ll go to Alliance space and then, if we can, on to the Humans’ system. We will need their aid if we ever hope to free Bashan from the Kleese.”

It didn’t take long for the Bashan ships to escape the clutches of the Kleese weapons. Once they were clear, they made the jump into Fold Space. For now, their war was over, but their fight to free their world was just beginning.

-

Supreme Military Overlord Harmock watched in anger as the Bashan fleet escaped into Fold Space. “More ships we’ll have to hunt down and destroy in the future.”

“They are doubtlessly headed for Alliance space,” Minor Overlord Gareth said. “We will destroy them there.”

“Yes, it’s nearing time to deal with the Alliance and the Humans. Set a course for Bashan. We’ll destroy their defense grid but leave the orbiting stations intact. This system is rich in heavy metals and once they’re refined they will be of use to the empire.”

-

Chancellor Odis sat alone in his office waiting for the Kleese to put in an appearance. He had been informed the Kleese fleet had gone into orbit around Bashan after using antimatter missiles to clear the space above the planet of its defense grid. Odis let out a deep sigh; there was already panic in the streets of the cities as citizens tried to leave and flee into the countryside. Little good it would do; anyone the Kleese wanted would be turned in once the collars of obedience were around enough Bashan necks. People would turn others in to save their own heads from being blown off.

A noise outside his door drew his attention. It sounded like a multitude of feet coming down the hallway. Drawing in a long breath Chancellor Odis stood up as the door was flung open and a Kleese entered. Due to the large size of the Kleese, it was barely able to fit through the door. Behind the first Kleese came two more, both heavily armed.

“You are Chancellor Odis?” the Kleese asked in a demanding and unforgiving voice.

“Yes,” Odis replied, trying not to show fear.

The Kleese opened a box it was holding and approached Odis, removing a circular silver collar with a light bluish tint. “You will submit to the will of the Kleese and wear this collar of obedience. If you fail to do as we ask, you shall die.”

Odis said nothing as the Kleese took the collar, unsnapped it, and placed it around his neck. The collar felt cold to the touch and Odis shivered slightly, knowing the collar contained an explosive charge, which could be set off by any of the Kleese.

“You are now a subject of the Kleese Empire and live only to serve.”

Odis nodded and sat back down behind his desk. His hand slowly lifted until it touched the collar. With a deep sigh, he knew Admiral Hiath had been right. They should have turned to the Alliance, and now it was too late. The long years of peace for the people of Bashan had come to an end, and it was all his fault. He was now an unwilling servant in the Kleese Empire.

Chapter Five

Captain Ryan Nelson stood in the Command Center of the Marine assault cruiser Deliverance. Looking around, he allowed himself to smile. The Command Center of the Deliverance was so different from the small assault ships like the one they had used to escape from the Kleese. For one thing, it was larger and competent fleet personnel staffed all the stations. When they had escaped in the assault ship, only a few of the Marines had any flight experience. If not for Lieutenant Guthrie and a few others, they would never have escaped and would still be prisoners or dead.

“I’m glad I’m not flying this ship,” Autumn commented from Ryan’s side. “It’s a relief not to have to worry about where we’re going and if something’s going to go wrong with the ship’s systems before we get there.”

Ryan laughed and nodded. “We have a competent crew and plenty of spare parts as well as engineers who know how to repair the ship if necessary.”

Ryan remembered how the growing malfunctions on the assault ship had made it seem questionable if they could even reach Delton safely. As it was, once they were down they had been afraid to move the ship again. If not for Delton Fleet Commander Achlyn and Admiral Rivers’ daring rescue attempt to bring more Deltons back to the Solar System, Ryan and his fellow Marines might still be trapped on the planet.

“How’s morale?” he asked. They were currently in Fold Space and flying deeper into Kleese controlled space every day. So far their flight had been uneventful and Ryan hoped it stayed that way.

“Good,” Autumn replied. “Most of the Marines that were with us on Delton are on board, and they’re ready to take the fight to the Kleese. There’s still a lot of anger over what happened to Major Stevens and Colonel Stratford as well as the Marines the Kleese executed.”

Ryan understood the underlying anger. When they had attempted to flee the Kleese ship, a number of compartments had been located where the Kleese obedience collars had been detonated. The Marines inside had all met gruesome deaths. Ryan wasn’t sure how many Marines had been coldly executed in this manner though he knew it had been quite a few. The Kleese had a disdain for all sentient life in the galaxy. They considered all others to be vastly inferior and nothing more than vermin to be used as the Kleese pleased or to be exterminated.

“We’ll all get our chance to make the Kleese pay for what they did to us on the exploration ship,” Ryan said evenly. “On this mission, we’re going to get more than one opportunity for payback.”

“We’re prepared,” Autumn said, taking a deep breath. “We’re all ready to kill some Kleese.”

-

The captain of the Deliverance, Marcus Durham, stepped off the Command Dais and over to where Ryan and Autumn were standing. “How do you like the trip so far?”

“There’s much more room on these new assault cruisers,” Ryan said, turning toward the captain. “The quarters aren’t nearly as cramped as on the old assault ships.”

“The food’s better too,” added Autumn. Alexander had quickly pointed that out after their first meal on the ship. One thing Autumn could say about the corporal, he definitely enjoyed his meals.

There were two different mess halls in the ship and qualified cooks prepared food in each one. Due to the size of the cruiser and the number of people on board both mess halls were available to everyone. Even the officers ate with the enlisted men and women.

“There have been some big improvements on these new ships,” agreed the captain. “We have the most modern equipment that our scientists, as well as our allies, have been able to come up with.”

“I understand our new Fold Space drives are capable of one hundred twenty light-years per day,” said Ryan. This was much faster than the older ships, which were limited to only eighty or ninety at the best.

Durham nodded. “That and our weapon systems are more powerful. We could even stand up to a Zaltule battlecruiser for a short time if necessary.”

“Let’s hope we don’t test that supposition out,” Autumn said, shivering slightly. She had always felt so vulnerable in space combat as she couldn’t control the situation. She much preferred to be on the ground in her Type Four command battlesuit.

“Don’t worry,” Durham assured her. “Our new energy shield would give us time to jump into Fold Space and escape if needed.”

Ryan turned toward the navigation console, which was displaying their current course on a data screen. “How soon until we reach our first target?”

“Twelve days,” answered Captain Durham, shifting his gaze to navigation. “We have one scheduled stop four days from now for routine maintenance checks and then we’ll continue on.”

“That will put us well inside the Kleese Empire,” Autumn said. It also meant they would be too far away from the Solar System and the Alliance to call for help if they ran into a large Kleese task force.

“Yes,” replied Captain Durham, nodding his head. “And if that attack goes well, we’re only going deeper into their empire.”

Ryan glanced at the viewscreens, which were all off due to being in Fold Space. If they were on all they would show was static. They were going into the Kleese Empire to stir up trouble and attempt to throw a wrench into the Kleese plans to attack the Alliance.

Ryan had his Marines conducting drills daily to stay sharp as he was expecting them to face some stiff resistance in the future. The assault cruiser had several large training compartments specially designed to accommodate Marines going through calisthenics and drills. When it came time to deploy, his people would be ready.

-

Admiral Adamson watched the tactical display and the green icons representing friendly ships. All of the new heavy battlecruisers had the new sensors on board that could detect ships in Fold Space. Excluding the Constellation, there were thirty-three green icons showing.

“We have a pretty powerful fleet at our disposal,” commented Commander Sandra Shepherd.

“Strong enough for us to handle about anything we encounter,” replied Adamson, folding his arms across his chest as he thought about their mission. “We’re going to begin hitting Kleese controlled nonaligned worlds in twelve days and continue to do so until the Kleese respond with sufficient forces to stop us.”

“How deep into their empire do you think we’ll go?”

“As far as necessary,” Adamson said as he turned around to face the Constellation’s commander. “General Mitchell and Fleet Admiral Kelly expect us to cause enough trouble to force the Zaltule to delay their attack upon the Alliance long enough to get all the new ship crews trained. We just need to buy them a few months of time.”

“Do you think we’ll be facing the Zaltule?”

“Possibly,” Adamson replied. “It just depends on how big a nuisance we can make of ourselves.”

“I have battle drills planned for the next two days,” Sandra said as she thought over Admiral Adamson’s words. “We’re dropping out of Fold Space in the outskirts of an older red giant system in four days. According to the Kiveans and the other Alliance races, it’s a dead planetary system and there should be little chance of us stumbling upon a Kleese ship.”

“We’ll emerge at Condition One as a precaution.” Adamson looked around the Command Center. He had a well-experienced command crew and was confident they could handle anything that might come up. He was not going to take any chances. It would be a disaster to underestimate the Kleese.

-

Ryan was in a small briefing room designated for his use during this mission. In the room with him were Lieutenant Guthrie, Sergeant Hunter, Sergeant McElroy, Sergeant Katy Lewis, and Sergeant Harmon Dewey.

“We have one hundred and twenty Marines on this ship,” he began. “We have five full combat platoons and a guard force of twenty.”

“Will the ship be setting down on the Kleese planets?” asked Sergeant Katy Lewis. This was the sergeant’s first deployment outside the Solar System.

“In some situations, it might. That’s why we have the twenty Marines, which will serve as a guard force. They will also be used to replace any Marines that might be injured or killed on our missions.”

Sergeant Lewis looked uneasy. “So you expect us to suffer some casualties?”

“This is a combat mission,” answered Ryan, leaning back slightly and gazing at the young sergeant. “Casualties are to be expected. Our job as officers and platoon leaders is to see to it those casualties are held to a minimum.”

“Yes, sir,” Sergeant Lewis responded.

“Do we have any information on our first target?” asked Sergeant McElroy, looking at Ryan.

“It will be the former nonaligned world of Taleth. It has a population of two billion and its inhabitants are humanoid. They produce very small robotic devices that have a myriad of uses in industry and mining.”

“Will they resist us?” asked Sergeant Dewey. Dewey had seen some limited action outside the Solar System. He was also in his early thirties.

“We don’t know what type of conscripts the Kleese will have on the planet. The Kiveans believe there will be a number of Kleese present at the spaceport near the capital city. That will be our primary target.” Ryan pressed a button on the conference table in front of him and on the large screen behind him an aerial view of the spaceport appeared.

Lieutenant Guthrie stood up and walked over to the screen and pointed to several large buildings. “We believe the Kleese will be in these two buildings next to the spaceport control tower. Both will be heavily fortified and probably guarded by a strong conscript presence.”

“What about popup weapons?” asked Casey with a large frown. The Kleese were known to use them around all of their installations. They had encountered them on Diadem when they had assaulted the spaceport there. They were also very difficult to spot as the Kleese had a tendency to embed them in the blastcrete of the spaceport and only activate them when they detected the near presence of an enemy.

Ryan nodded his head. “There will undoubtedly be a few. Some will fire armor piercing projectiles and the others will fire a high-intensity energy beam capable of penetrating a Type Three suit. The Type Four will give limited protection but only for a few seconds.”

“Can we take out those two buildings with KEW rounds?” asked Sergeant McElroy. “I understand the KEW batteries on this ship were designed for just that purpose. It might hold our casualties down.”

“If we can determine that only Kleese and their conscripts are inside,” Ryan said with a nod. “We don’t want any civilian casualties if we can help it. We’ve heard rumors the people of this world have been causing problems for the Kleese and that a large number of civilians have been executed for refusing to do as ordered. We’re here to stir the pot, you might say.”

“We have three platoons of Type Four battlesuits and one of the Type Three. Sergeant McElroy, you have command of the Type Three platoon and will also be responsible for the hover tanks. Your main job in these engagements is to protect those tanks so we can use their heavier weapons to destroy any hardened targets impervious to our regular suit weapons. The hover tanks will be extremely useful if we run into large numbers of popup weapon emplacements.”

“Will we be carrying nukes on the Type Four suits?” asked Sergeant Dewey.

“No,” Lieutenant Guthrie responded. “The planets we’re going to assault are all former nonaligned worlds recently conquered by the Kleese. If we use nukes, we could harm or even kill a lot of civilians and that’s not why we’re here. Our regular suit rounds should be sufficient. If we find they’re not, we’ll call in strikes from the hover tanks. With their energy cannon and secondary railgun cannons, they should be able to take out any hardened target we come across.”

Ryan looked around the small group. “In order to stir up as much trouble as possible, we’ll be hitting two separate systems. Captain Morris is on board the assault cruiser Lyra, and she and her Marines will be joining us in the attack on Taleth. There is another system twenty-two light-years distant that two more assault cruisers will be attacking.”

“So we’re dividing the fleet?” asked Sergeant McElroy. He didn’t like that; he felt safer knowing all the warships were close by.

“Yes,” Ryan answered. “The Constellation and the Callisto are our two heavy battlecruisers and one of them and some escorts will be accompanying the attack groups. The rest of the fleet will remain in a nearby system until the attacks have been completed. Then we’ll join back up and proceed to our next target. We’ll rotate which assault cruisers are involved in the different missions. That will give our Marines sufficient time to heal up and prepare for what’s next.”

Lieutenant Guthrie came back to the conference table and sat down. “We have very good medical bays on all of the assault cruisers. In addition, the troop assault ship Defender has a fully staffed medical bay capable of handling anything the med bays on our assault cruisers may find beyond them. There are several Kivean doctors on board the Defender as well as a large number of specialized surgeons.”

“What about the new medical nanites in the Type Four battlesuits?” asked Sergeant Lewis. She sounded uncertain of herself. “How effective are they?”

“They will keep you alive,” Ryan said. He had seen them used experimentally several times and they were now standard in the Type Four suits. They had actually saved Casey’s life on Diadem. “However, if you have a hole blown through your chest or your head has been blown off, they won’t do any good.”

Sergeant Lewis nodded and was silent after that.

Ryan stood up and gazed at the group. “You all have training schedules for your Marines. Just because we’re on board a spaceship doesn’t mean we get to slack. Keep your people in shape and ready for combat. We need every edge we can get to make sure as many of us as possible returns home when this mission is over.”

-

A few hours later, Casey was standing next to Lauren in one of the training facilities watching several squads go through their drills. “I didn’t realize how much I would miss sex when Ryan and I decided to sleep separately while on this mission.”

Lauren broke into laughter with tears rolling down her cheeks. “God, what have I created? You’re going to be a nympho.”

“Nympho?”

“Yes, a girl crazy about sex and that’s all she thinks about.”

“I’m not that bad,” Casey said as she watched Alexander stop and yell at a Marine, who wasn’t doing the drill fast enough. Shaking her head, she saw the Marine drop to the deck and start doing pushups. “I just didn’t realize how much I would enjoy it.”

Lauren lowered her voice. “You and Ryan could still get together occasionally if you’re careful. No one would suspect anything if you went to his quarters occasionally to discuss drill assignments.”

Casey sighed and shook her head. “I don’t think that would be appropriate. I’m a clone and I don’t want to offend the normal Humans.”

“Your loss.” Lauren paused and then looked over at Casey. “You do know that now no one can tell you apart from a normal born Human anymore. You’re just as Human as anyone; I should know.”

“I’ve changed over the last few years. I think being in the Marines has been helpful as everyone has treated me as an equal. Sometimes even I forget I’m a clone.”

Lauren looked over where Alexander now had the hapless Marine doing sit-ups. “I think I’d better go rescue Private Richards from Alexander before he passes out.”

Casey nodded. Private Richards always seemed to find someway to piss Alexander off. Casey wondered if it had anything to do with Richards stopping at their table the other night while they were eating and talking to Lauren. Was it possible Alexander was jealous?

Casey watched as Lauren went over to Alexander and said a few words. Moments later Private Richards rejoined his squad who were now on their way to the target range. Casey wasn’t sure, but it looked as if Lauren and Alexander were arguing. After a few moments, she saw Alexander turn away and walk off with a disgruntled look upon his face and Lauren headed over toward the target range. It might be an interesting evening meal tonight if the two were angry with each other. With a sigh, Casey left to go speak with Sergeant McElroy. Ryan wanted her to learn more about the two hover tanks the Deliverance was equipped with and how best to use them in a combat situation. Sergeant McElroy had a lot of experience with the tanks and would be able to give her some useful advice.

-

Colonel Dylan Winfrey was in the Command Center of the troop assault ship, Defender. The one thousand-meter long vessel was slightly larger than a heavy battlecruiser and heavily armed. The Defender had been designed to assault a planet and protect itself in orbit while conducting ground operations against the Kleese. There were five hundred Marines on the ship, and all could be deployed at a moment’s notice.

“We’re in Kleese space,” commented Captain Alicia Damon, the executive officer.

“Is there any chance the Kleese might detect us?” asked Dylan. He knew the fleet’s heavy battlecruisers had that technology and now so did the Alliance.

Commander Greer stood up and stepped down from the Command Dais. “It’s possible but highly unlikely. We haven’t been able to confirm the regular Kleese have the technology to detect a ship in Fold Space, but according to the Kiveans, the Zaltule probably do.”

Dylan looked at the ship’s viewscreens but all they showed was static; nothing was visible while they were in Fold Space. The tactical display did show the fleet around the Defender, and it was comforting seeing all the green icons.

“I strongly suspect the Zaltule will come looking for us after we hit the first two worlds,” he said.

Commander Greer nodded his agreement. “Do you have the next targets picked?”

“Yes,” Dylan said. “I’ve spoken to Admiral Adamson and we’re going to proceed on a straight line as if we’re heading toward the heart of their empire. Fourteen hundred light-years from our first targets there are three former nonaligned worlds relatively close together. Those will be our main targets. We’re going to move in, take all three worlds, and then hold them for several days. We have several Kivean scientists on board who claim they can disable the Kleese obedience collars. We’ll spread the word on all three worlds that we’re heading back to the Kleese home system to finish what we started the last time we were there.”

“Propaganda,” said Captain Damon, her eyes narrowing. “It was used in most of the world wars on Earth.”

Dylan looked over at the executive officer. “Yes, propaganda. We want the Zaltule to think we’re returning to the heart of their empire. If we succeed the Zaltule may pull their fleet back, which will give Fleet Admiral Rivers the time he needs to finish training the crews of his new warships.”

“What do we do if the Zaltule show up?”

“We’re going to try to be gone before that happens. We’ll change our course and move on to other worlds farther into the empire but not on a direct line toward their core worlds. Once we hit a few of those worlds, we’ll begin our return home.”

Commander Greer had been listening. “Will we hit any worlds on our way back?”

“No,” Dylan answered. “By then the Kleese and particularly the Zaltule will be looking for us. Our main priority will be making it back to Alliance space without being discovered. Fleet Admiral Kelly wants this task force returned intact if possible.”

“And if they find us?” asked Captain Damon with a hint of concern in her voice.

Dylan’s face took on a serious look. “Then we fight. We have a pretty powerful force and the Kleese will find we’re not a pushover.”

“What about other targets?” asked Commander Greer. “Are we limiting ourselves to former nonaligned worlds only?”

Dylan hesitated; there had been several long discussions about this very idea. “The Kiveans, Deltons, and Talts have furnished us with a list of very lucrative targets close to our line of flight. If we have the opportunity, we may attempt to take a few of them out. It just depends on the type of resistance we find on the nonaligned worlds. While we believe a schism has occurred in the Kleese Empire between two of the commanding factions, there are still a lot of exploration ships flying around as well as thousands of assault ships. Once we launch our attacks, we might find it difficult to remain undetected.”

-

The three spoke for a few more minutes and then Dylan left the Command Center to do an inspection of the Marines on board the Defender. He had a very competent staff of officers. Captain Jaime Stern and Captain Nicole Foster were in charge of the Marines on the ship. They were both experienced officers and had served with Colonel Nelson as well as with former Colonel Beth Nelson. They had brought with them a cadre of experienced Marines that should be able to handle any situation they ran into.

Major Jeffries wanted to come along, but Colonel Nelson had convinced him he would be of better use at Vesta working with General Bailey on organizing the asteroid’s defenses. Of all the colonies in the Solar System, the one they couldn’t afford to lose was Vesta. It was the glue that held the Human race together, particularly since the destruction of Earth.

As Dylan walked through the corridors of the Defender, he couldn’t help but notice how immaculate everything was. Discipline was strictly enforced and occasionally he passed a Marine, who was down on his hands and knees scrubbing the deck. Dylan allowed himself to smile. While the new Marine Corps was much different from the older one, some things never changed.

Chapter Six

Colonel Wade Nelson was in the Kivean asteroid visiting with Marken and Harnett. The sixty-kilometer asteroid was the home to eighty-one thousand Kiveans, some of whom had helped organize the original escape from the Kleese trading station where Wade and his captured Marines had been serving as conscripts. Those long months that Wade and the others had been forced to serve the Kleese were the worst months of Wade’s life. It had been a nightmare and something he wished he could forget. There were memories from those months which would always haunt him.

The other Kiveans had been rescued when the Humans had led a rescue mission to Kivea. Many of the Kivean scientists and their families had been rescued in that raid and had been brought back to the Kivean asteroid. Unfortunately, as a result of their mission, the Kleese had returned to Kivea and used antimatter missiles to make the entire planet uninhabitable.

There were two cities inside the asteroid, the original one where Marken and the six thousand Kiveans that had escaped from the trading station lived and a much larger city of seventy-five thousand where the survivors rescued from Kivea had taken up residence. The cities were both beautiful and something out of a fantasy. They resembled those that had been prevalent on their home world, sporting tall, slender towers with slim metallic bridges connecting them at different levels. The buildings were in multiple colors and of various shapes and sizes.

“I’m so glad the three of you could come,” said Harnett, gazing with excitement at the small baby Beth was holding. This was the first time Beth had brought the baby boy to the asteroid.

“We should have come sooner,” replied Beth, sitting down next to Harnett. “Do you want to hold him?”

Harnett nodded and allowed Beth to nestle the baby in the crook of her arm.

Marken watched, feeling sad at heart. Due to medical procedures the Kleese had forced on Harnett and the other females of the Kivean race on the trading station, she could not have children. It was a shame as Harnett was so good with them.

“I understand you received a message from Fleet Admiral Rivers today,” Marken said, looking over at Wade.

“Another refugee fleet is coming to the Solar System,” Wade replied, turning his gaze away from Beth and Harnett. He was still getting used to being a father. After being involved in the war for so long, it was a big change to have the added responsibility of bringing up a child. Fortunately, anytime Beth had a problem with Erick, Wade’s mother was only a phone call away.

Marken looked surprised. “There are only a few nonaligned worlds left that haven’t joined the Alliance. Is it from one of them?”

“Yes; from Bashan. An Admiral Hiath is leading a large fleet of warships as well as a few civilian vessels. They’ve requested sanctuary in the Solar System for their civilians and exchange they will place their warfleet under our command.”

“Bashan,” said Marken, his forehead wrinkling in a frown. “Didn’t Hyram ask them to join the Alliance a few months back?”

Wade nodded his head. “Yes, but they refused. It seems the Kleese showed up with a large fleet and Admiral Hiath, rather than risk losing all of his ships in a hopeless battle, escaped. He had already arranged to get a number of civilians off Bashan into some waiting passenger and cargo ships. From what Admiral Rivers said a large number of scientists and technicians are in the civilian part of the fleet.”

“How many warships is the admiral bringing?” asked Harnett as she gently rocked the baby in her arms.

“Quite a large fleet,” Wade answered with a pleased smile. “Over Four hundred support vessels and two hundred and four battlecruisers.”

“That is substantial,” murmured Marken, his eyes widening. His idea of using the Humans to take down the Kleese Empire was now showing huge dividends. With the Talt, Delton, and now Bashan ships it gave the Humans a very large fleet in the Solar System. Also, the Humans were building new vessels of their own at a greatly expanded rate. His dream of seeing the Kleese Empire come to an end was growing more likely every day.

“Fleet Admiral Kelly was quite pleased when he heard the numbers and that they wished to be placed under his command,” added Beth as she watched Harnett and the baby.

“I presume we need to hollow out an asteroid to build a home for the Bashans?” Marken said as he wondered which asteroid would suffice. “Do we know how large the civilian population is they’re bringing?”

“Not that large,” Wade said sadly. “From what I understand their planet’s chancellor knew nothing about the planned evacuation so only a minimal number of ships were used.”

“Why didn’t the chancellor know?” asked Harnett as she gently patted Erick. “From what I remember of the briefings we attended earlier in the year, the Bashans had quite a large fleet of cargo vessels and passenger liners.”

Wade sighed and shook his head. “Chancellor Odis didn’t believe that the Kleese would attack their system. He felt their fleet and the substantial defensive grid they’d put around their planet would discourage the Kleese from violating the neutrality agreement.”

“Guess we know how that worked,” murmured Harnett in a somber voice. The baby had fallen asleep and was resting quietly in her arms.

Marken stood up and indicated for Wade to follow him. He didn’t want to disturb the baby as he could tell from the happy look on Harnett’s face she was really enjoying her time with the young child.

-

Stepping out onto a balcony overlooking the Kivean city, Marken turned to face Wade. “The Zaltule will be coming soon. They know that unless they can defeat your race, their empire is in danger of slipping away from them. That’s why, over the last few months, the Zaltule have been conquering all the remaining nonaligned worlds that hadn’t joined the Alliance.”

Wade nodded. “Yes, Fleet Admiral Kelly and General Mitchell have come to the same conclusion. I know they met with President Steward recently to apprise him of the threat. The president gave his approval to install more ion cannons around all the colonies in the Solar System as well as strengthening the defensive grids, particularly the ones over Mars and the Moon.”

Marken looked out over the city. The brightly colored buildings, which soared high above the ground and the slim walkways that connected them to one another were breathtaking. Though he had spent most of his life on board a Kleese trading station, he knew what the cities on Kivea had looked like. He was also sad that all of those cities had been destroyed by the Kleese. So much culture and history had been erased in the antimatter bombing, let alone all the Kiveans who had died. Thanks to the Humans, his people had built a new world inside this asteroid free of the Kleese. Kivean scientists were some of the best in the known galaxy and doing everything they could to help in the war effort.

“I fear the Zaltule know if they can conquer the Solar System and eliminate the Human threat, the Alliance will collapse,” he said in an even voice. “I strongly suspect the Zaltule will attack here and not in Alliance space.”

Wade was silent as he thought over Marken’s words. The Solar System was heavily defended with every colony protected by ground-based ion cannons and other weapons. However, it was rumored the Zaltule had well over six thousand battlecruisers under their command. Wade knew there wasn’t a system in the Alliance that could withstand such an attack. He also knew the Solar System couldn’t either.

Looking out across the city, Wade could see a number of Kiveans in the lush green parks and walking between buildings. It was strange to see Kivean children. The children had come with their parents when the Kivean rescue mission had returned. The Kiveans had done so much to help the Human race. Wade wasn’t sure they would have survived without the higher science and technology the Kiveans had brought with them. There was already some talk about launching a terraforming project on Earth to cleanse its atmosphere of all the pollutants as well as to calm the earthquakes and volcanic eruptions still shaking the planet. The Kiveans had been quite adamant that they could correct many of these issues if the Humans could dedicate the resources. Unfortunately, with the present war situation, the resources weren’t available.

Wade turned back toward Marken. Over the years, he had grown to consider Marken a close friend and developed a special bond of trust with the Kivean. “So you believe it’s a false assumption that since the Alliance is between us and Kleese space they’ll attack it first? I know General Mitchell and Fleet Admiral Kelly have considered both possibilities.”

“Yes,” Marken said emphatically. “If it were the normal Kleese then yes, they would probably attack the Alliance, but we’re dealing with the Zaltule. They’re warriors and sound strategists and will attack the Solar System first.”

Wade’s eyes wandered down toward the nearest park where he could see several Kivean families. The children were playing a game kicking a ball around like any normal Human children would be. He sighed deeply, wondering how Fleet Admiral Kelly and General Mitchell would take the news that the Zaltule were coming for them and not the Alliance. As Wade thought about it, he realized how much sense strategically it made. If the Humans and their fleets could be eliminated, then the Zaltule could probably conquer the Alliance with minimal effort. Most of the admirals in the Alliance had very little experience in actual combat. That was one of the reasons Human battlecruisers were being placed in most of their fleet formations.

“Marken,” he said after a moment. “We need to find a way to defeat the Kleese if they attack us here.”

The Kivean looked long and hard at Wade. “That won’t be easy.”

“Of course not,” Wade responded. “However, between your people, the Talts, the Deltons, and now the Bashan, there must be a solution.”

“A new weapon,” murmured Marken as he frowned deeply. “Something that would be instantly fatal to a Zaltule battlecruiser.”

“Is it possible?”

“I don’t know,” Marken replied. “We may not have the time to develop such a weapon.”

“Is there anything we can do to modify an existing weapon system?”

“I’ll call a meeting of some of the preeminent scientists and technicians. Perhaps we can come up with something, but I don’t want you to get your hopes up. What you’re asking may be beyond us.”

Wade nodded. “I’ll speak to General Mitchell and inform him of what you’ve told me today. I don’t think he’ll take it very well.”

“We have some time yet,” Marken said. “Particularly if Admiral Adamson can give the Zaltule reason to pause in their attack.”

“Let’s just hope he’s successful.”

“Harnett is planning on fixing a special meal for all of us,” Marken said after a moment. “Let’s not talk about the war anymore. Your family is part of mine, and let us enjoy that kinship for the rest of our time together today.”

“Sounds fine to me,” Wade said. He knew Harnett as well as being a medical doctor was a fabulous cook. He had sampled her cooking more than once and never been disappointed.

-

Beth and Harnett were discussing the cloning facility inside Vesta, which was being run by former President Mason Randle. Harnett visited the facility on a regular basis to help evaluate the cloning techniques hoping to reduce the failure rate. No matter how hard they tried, a few clones in every batch were still nonfunctional and had to be destroyed.

Beth was watching Harnett rocking Erick. “Have you ever thought about creating a clone of either you or Marken? You could take it out of the cloning chamber at an early age and raise it as your own.”

A strange look crossed Harnett’s face, and she glanced toward where Marken and Wade were still out on the balcony talking. She leaned over closer to Beth and spoke in a soft voice. “Actually, I have. I’ve been working with DNA samples from Marken and myself and combining them in different sequences to create a unique child that would have characteristics from both of us. I’m very close to making it work.”

“That’s wonderful,” said Beth, knowing how badly Harnett wanted a child of her own.

“Malton’s been helping me,” continued Harnett. Malton was a Kivean geneticist.

“How close are you?”

“A couple of months, if we’re lucky.”

Beth nodded. “I hope it works. How’s the training of Mason Randle’s niece going?”

Harnett smiled. “Karen’s doing great!” In another two years she’ll have completed the first phase of her training and can begin doing fieldwork. She wants to go into advanced medicine specializing in nanotechnology.”

Beth laughed. She had met Karen on several occasions and recognized the young woman was very talented. It wasn’t surprising considering who her uncle was. “We can use more like her.”

“Yes, she’s interning at the main medical center in the New Eden habitat.” The New Eden habitat was inside Vesta and the home to over one and a half million Humans and clones. “She spends two days a week going on rounds with either me or another Kivean doctor I’ve assigned to help in her training. She already understands more about Kivean medical techniques than most human doctors ten years older than she is.”

“I’m glad,” Beth responded. “I’m sure Susan and Michael are proud of her.”

Harnett looked at Beth and then down toward the baby still sound asleep in her arms. “Do you ever regret resigning your commission?”

Beth hesitated and took a deep breath. “Sometimes. I made a lot of friends in the Marines, and the battles we fought were all very important. But I saw enough people die to last me a lifetime. I still have nightmares about our time on the trading station and the things the Kleese forced us to do. I know Wade does too.”

“Those were harrowing times,” Harnett said in agreement. “For years the Kleese forced us to do things which were revolting to our way of life. Even on the trading station and in the dome that was our home we tried to respect life and live as our people on Kivea did. It was very difficult, and we had nearly given up hope of ever changing the situation when the Kleese brought you and the other Humans on board. When they did, it changed everything as Marken and our other leaders realized this was the opportunity we had waited so many years for. In those early days when you were on the station, Marken and the others were forced to do things they regret to this day. I can well remember Marken coming home in the evenings or after a mission and complaining about what the Kleese had ordered him and the others to do.”

“We’ve spoken of this before,” Beth said. “In times of war, we all do things we wished had turned out differently. Right now all I want to do is raise our son and enjoy my time away from the war.”

“How’s your mother doing?”

“Fine, for her age. She’s having a few memory problems and sometimes I have to remind her who I am or who Wade is. The retirement home she’s staying at is taking good care of her. She really seems to perk up when I bring the baby around.”

“Wade’s parents?”

Beth smiled. “Never better, particularly when we returned from the Delton rescue mission and told them I was pregnant. Wade’s mom calls nearly every day to check on Erick, and I take him over to see them whenever possible. They love having a grandchild.”

“Perhaps someday Marken and I will have grandchildren if my plans work out for the clone.”

A noise attracted their attention as Wade and Marken came back into the living room. With a sigh, Harnett stood up and handed the still sleeping Erick to Beth. It was time for her to finish preparing their meal. Harnett had a special one planned for the four of them. She also had to be a little careful, as their Human friends didn’t care for some of the spices Kiveans enjoyed. Therefore, she would season their food a little differently. Going into the kitchen, Harnett looked back at Beth, who was making little cooing sounds at Erick. Someday, she hoped she would be doing the same thing. She was also convinced that Marken would make a great father.

-

Two days later, General Mitchell was meeting with President Steward, Fleet Admiral Kelly, Commander Pasha, Fleet Commander Achlyn, and General Pittman in his office on Centerpoint Station. “Have all of you read the message Colonel Nelson sent about what Marken and the other Kiveans believe the Zaltule will do?”

“Yes,” Fleet Commander Achlyn said. “I have spoken to some of my Delton officers, and they’re all in agreement with Marken’s assessment. They feel there is a 90 percent probability the Zaltule will strike here.”

“I’m in agreement,” Commander Pasha added. “If the Zaltule can conquer the Solar System, then the Alliance will be a much easier task.”

“Six thousand battlecruisers,” muttered Fleet Admiral Kelly, shaking his head. “How do we stop that many ships?”

“We can’t,” answered General Mitchell. “At least not alone.”

“What are you suggesting?” asked President Steward. “We can’t ask the Alliance to send ships here. If the Zaltule find out we’ve significantly reduced the size of the Alliance fleets, they could decide to attack them instead.”

“It’s a quandary,” admitted General Pittman, cocking his eyebrow. “Our biggest problem is we have too many places to defend. There’s the Moon, Mars, Vesta and half a dozen other asteroids with large Human colonies as well as the asteroids our Kivean, Talt, and Delton friends have taken up residence in.”

“We also have Centerpoint and Freedom Stations,” added Fleet Admiral Kelly. “We can’t risk either of them being destroyed.”

“I’ve authorized the installation of more ion cannons and other weapons around our colonies,” said President Steward in a voice showing his deep concern about the possible Zaltule attack. “Is there anything else we can do to protect our people?”

General Mitchell looked around the group. “We need a plan. Colonel Nelson says the Kiveans will be looking at developing a new weapon system to use against the Zaltule battlecruisers though they’re doubtful in the short time we have that it’s possible.”

“I’ll have our Delton scientists offer their assistance,” proclaimed Fleet Commander Achlyn.

“Our scientists will help as well,” declared Commander Pasha. “This solar system is our home now, and we must see to its defense.”

General Mitchell leaned back in his chair and then spoke. “Let’s assume we have four to six months before the Zaltule attack. What can we do in that timeframe?”

“That’s assuming Admiral Adamson is successful in drawing their attention back into their empire for a few months,” pointed out Fleet Admiral Kelly. “That plan may not work. We could be facing an attack much sooner.”

“I have to believe that it will,” Mitchell responded. They needed that extra time. His eyes narrowed and then he continued. “I want all current warship construction completed in four months and all ships fully crewed. If we have to rob from our defense installations to do that, then we shall. The same for any ion beam cannons or other defensive measures around our colonies and bases. I want all of those projects completed as soon as possible.”

“We need a better way to protect the civilian populations on Mars and the Moon,” commented President Steward with a deep sigh. “They’re our most vulnerable colonies.”

“We have deep shelters in place already,” commented General Pittman.

President Steward looked over at the general. “Will the deep bunkers stand up to a twenty-megaton antimatter strike or multiple strikes?”

General Pittman frowned and slowly shook his head. “They might be able to stand up to one direct strike, but multiple strikes would eventually penetrate the bunkers.”

“If the Zaltule show up with six thousand warships we’ll only have a few hours’ notice,” Steward said, referring to the Fold Space detection system. “There’s no way we can get millions of people into the deep bunkers that quickly. If the Zaltule attack with a force that large, we’re going to lose a lot of people. Mars Central is an example of what could happen to the Moon as well as the other cities on Mars, including the bunkers.”

The room was silent as they thought about President Steward’s ominous words. They were facing a nearly unstoppable force in the Zaltule, one that wanted the Solar System wiped out of existence.

Chapter Seven

Admiral Adamson took a deep breath as the Constellation and her fleet dropped out of Fold Space into an orange dwarf star system. They had dropped out an equal distance between the two systems that the Marines would be targeting. So far the fleet had remained undetected.

“System is clear of contacts,” reported Lieutenant Percy Lash. “It’s an orange dwarf spectral class K with a mass of .78 percent that of Sol. Sensors have located three planets and a small asteroid field. There’s also a moderate sized moon orbiting planet number two.”

“Are any of the planets life sustaining?”

“No,” Lieutenant Lash replied. “The system has a very small Goldilocks Zone and all three planets are outside of it. One is a gas giant similar to Neptune and the other two are much smaller, about the size of Mars.”

“Take us to Condition Three,” ordered Adamson since there were no obvious threats. “We’ll remain here for two hours and then launch our attacks on the two systems. I don’t want to stay in this sector of space any longer than necessary as we can’t risk our fleet being detected.” The area of space they were currently in had a number of advanced space-going races, all of which were controlled by the Kleese. There was also a Kleese trading station a little over three hundred light-years away.

“Going to Condition Three,” reported Commander Shepherd as she made the announcement over the ship’s comm as well as communicated the order to the other ships of the fleet. “I’ve ordered all departments to begin preventative maintenance checks to ensure all equipment is functioning properly.” This was standard procedure each time the Constellation dropped out of Fold Space.

Admiral Adamson nodded his head in acknowledgment. “Lieutenant Travers, get Colonel Winfrey on the comm. We need to make our final preparations for the attacks.”

“Yes, sir,” replied Lieutenant Travers a she turned toward her communications console.

Adamson leaned back in his command chair. He would be dividing the fleet into three task groups. Task Group One would consist of the Constellation, two battlecruisers, and four light cruisers. They would be escorting two of the Marine assault cruisers to the first target.

Task Group Two would consist of the heavy battlecruiser Callisto under the command of Commander Bree Symington. Her fleet makeup would be the same as the Constellation’s. The remaining ships would remain in this system under command of Commander Greer, who was on the troop assault ship Defender. If it was necessary for the Defender to respond to a call for additional aid from either of the two attack groups, then the command of the ships remaining in the system would fall to Commander Kevin Melvin on the battlecruiser Falcon.

“I have Colonel Winfrey on the comm,” Lieutenant Travers reported.

The plans for the attacks on the two Kleese controlled worlds had already been made. All Adamson wanted to do was check with Colonel Winfrey to ensure everything was still on schedule.

-

Hours later, Captain Ryan Nelson was in the Command Center of the Deliverance as the three hundred fifty-meter assault cruiser dropped out of Fold Space close to their intended target.

“Unknown starships detected,” called out Ensign Donna Edwards from the sensor console as alarms began to sound.

“Weapons online,” reported Lieutenant Samuel Michaels from Tactical. “Energy shield is powering up.”

“Constellation and her escorts are moving in to intercept the unknowns,” reported Ensign Edwards as the tactical screen flashed on and began updating.

“Energy shield is online and at full power,” added Lieutenant Michaels.

“We have tentative identification of the unknown ships,” reported Ensign Edwards. “Four Kleese assault ships are in orbit as well as a number of what appears to be civilian craft; probably cargo and passenger ships.”

The tactical screen began displaying the contacts. There were contacts spread throughout the system. Captain Durham looked questionably at Ensign Edwards.

“All the contacts in the outer regions of the system are confirmed to be cargo ships and a few passenger vessels, probably ferrying crews to the various mining installations.”

Captain Durham nodded. From his briefings, he knew the system had a robust asteroid mining operation.

“Admiral Adamson is advising us that they will take out the four assault ships and then we’ll be clear to begin landing operations,” reported Ensign Jacob Ernst from Communications.

Caption Durham turned toward Ryan. “Get your Marines ready, we’ll be sending out the drop ships shortly.”

Ryan nodded. “We’re ready; Lieutenant Guthrie is loading and inspecting the troops as we’re speaking.” He took a deep breath. Very shortly they would once more be engaged in combat. The last time Ryan and his Marines had been in a battle, they were kidnapped by the Kleese. Ryan hoped everything went smoothly this time.

-

In one of the ship’s two flight bays, Autumn was seeing to the loading of the two drops ships and the cargo drop ship that she was responsible for. Twenty Marines each were in the process of boarding the three ships and in preparation for the coming combat drop. Sergeant McElroy was on board the cargo ship, which contained both of the Marines’ two hover tanks. In the other bay, two other drop ships were loading as well.

Autumn had assigned Sergeant Casey Hunter to help supervise the loading in the other bay until Ryan arrived. She had the experience to make sure that nothing was being overlooked. In her bay, Autumn watched as Sergeant Katy Lewis and Sergeant Harmon Dewey hurriedly finished getting the last of their Marines up the loading ramps and into the two drop ships. She was anxious to see how the two sergeants did on this deployment as neither had much combat experience.

-

Corporal Alexander Parker watched as the Marines under his command took their seats and buckled themselves in. The descent of a drop ship was quite rapid and sometimes very turbulent. With a wolfish grin, he stepped over to where Private Richards was struggling to get one of the harnesses fastened over his chest armor.

“Private Richards!” barked Alexander, the smile leaving his face. “Do you know the danger of dropping without your safety harnesses fastened?”

Alexander knew since the private was in a Type Four battlesuit very little harm could come to him, but the private might not know that. Also, Lauren was in the other drop ship and couldn’t use her charm to protect the private.

“No, sir,” stammered Richards, fearing he was going to be doing additional duty when they returned from this mission. He was getting very adept at doing pushups.

Alexander reached down and grabbed the wayward harness and after a few hard tugs had it fastened securely. “Easy as pie.” He then turned and walked back to where he could see the other Marines. While it had been tempting to lay it on Private Richards, Alexander had decided that now, right before a combat drop, wasn’t the best time. However, he would remember this little incident and take appropriate action when they returned to the ship. With a frown, he wondered just what Lauren saw in this aggravating private.

-

On the Constellation, Admiral Adamson studied the tactical screen briefly before turning toward Commander Shepherd. “Four assault ships are in orbit around the planet. We’ll take the battlecruisers Cygnus and Cepheus in with us. The four light cruisers will stay with the two assault cruisers and give them protective cover if needed.”

“We’re at Condition One, and all weapon systems are primed to fire,” reported Commander Shepherd. “We can be in weapons range of the first assault ship in twelve minutes.”

Adamson turned his gaze back to the tactical screen and the four red threat icons it showed around the planet. He was certain that by now the Kleese had detected the presence of the Human ships. “Order the Cygnus and Cepheus to take up supporting positions on our port and starboard sides. We’ll go in together and launch a coordinated attack against the assault ships. We should be able to take their shields down rather quickly.”

Commander Shepherd spoke over her comm to the two commanders of the battlecruisers passing on the admiral’s orders. “Ships are ready.”

“Take us in,” ordered Adamson as he settled back in his command chair.

-

On board the Kleese assault ship, R-4572, Minor Overlord Tanel gazed in anger at the tactical display. “Identify those unknown ships!” No ships were allowed to enter the system unscheduled. Whoever had authorized these ships would suffer greatly as soon as Tanel found out who it was.

Tanel was the only Kleese on board the vessel as its Command Center and other essential systems were manned by Nabians. The Nabians were a little over six feet tall with clean-shaven heads and small, elfin-like ears. Their eyes, nose, and mouth looked nearly human. Their skin had a slight greenish tint to it, and they were completely devoted to the Kleese.

“Human,” replied Marlock, the lead Nabian in the Command Center. “Those are Human warships.”

Tanel felt growing concern. Of all the races the Kleese had encountered only the Strell and now these Humans posed a real threat. The Strell had been conquered, but the Humans continued to prove themselves to be worthy adversaries. Tanel had no respect for most of the inhabitants of the worlds the Kleese controlled. Most were barely more than vermin; however, these Humans were different. They dared to challenge the Kleese superiority. It was rumored Zaltule Supreme Military Overlord Harmock even looked at these Humans as equals. Tanel shifted about uneasily upon the Command Pedestal, his six legs making clicking noises upon the metal deck.

“Activate our energy shield and weapons,” he ordered in a cold and uncompromising voice. “Have the other three assault ships join us and prepare for immediate combat.”

“Yes, Overlord,” Marlock answered. He moved quickly to obey.

Stepping off the Command Pedestal Tanel went over to the communications station, pushing the two Nabians there out of the way. He quickly sent a message to the nearby trading station reporting the presence of the Humans. His assault ship was the only one of the four that had an FTL transmitter on board. It would take eight hours for his message to reach the station. Tanel knew that assistance wouldn’t arrive in time to prevent the coming Human attack. However, he was a Kleese and he would not flee.

The Zaltule had made it very plain that every combat action would be examined closely to ensure all Kleese were following the Zaltule code of battle. There were rumors of a number of Kleese being executed who had failed to live up to Zaltule expectations. Tanel then sent a message to the Kleese down on the planet informing them of the approaching threat and what he intended to do. There were fourteen Kleese down on Airad as well as several hundred conscripts in Type Two battlesuits. If the Humans dared to land, they would be met with a hail of weapons fire at the spaceport. They would find the Kleese on the ground would not be easy to overcome.

-

Admiral Adamson had no desire to risk damage to his warships. He had three major advantages over the assault ships. His heavy battlecruiser was armed with a plasma cannon, particle beams, and multi-warhead sublight antimatter missiles. He intended to make this battle short and sweet.

“Open missile hatches and target each one of those assault ships with a multi-warhead missile. If any survive the missile strike, hit them with our particle beams. Order the Cygnus and Cepheus to hold their sublight missiles and use particle beams only once we’ve launched.”

“Yes, Admiral,” replied Commander Shepherd.

“In combat range in four minutes,” announced Lieutenant Lash.

“Missile tubes one through four open and missiles are ready to launch,” reported Lieutenant Kali Summers from Tactical.

Admiral Adamson nodded. He fastened his safety harness as a precaution. Even these small assault ships of the Kleese were armed with sublight missiles as well as energy beams and could be dangerous.

-

In space, the two small groups of ships rapidly closed. From the Constellation, four sudden blurs in the missile tubes indicated the launch of the sublight missiles. At a major fraction of the speed of light, the missiles streaked toward their targets. Almost instantly, six brilliant flashes of released energy lit up the defensive shields on all four Kleese assault ships. Twenty-four antimatter explosions hammered the Kleese vessels. Each warhead released twenty-megatons of raw energy, which pummeled the shields and quickly overloaded them, causing the shields to immediately collapse. The ravaging energy then stuck the thin armor of the hulls and in a matter of microseconds, three of the Kleese assault ships exploded in fiery blasts. In their places all that remained was molten metal and glowing gas.

The fourth was heavily damaged with numerous blackened scars across its hull and a huge ragged rift that ran for nearly seventy meters and extended deep inside the ship. Inside, fires raged out of control as panicked Nabians tried to get to the ship’s flight bay to escape in the drop ships. In most instances, they found their paths blocked by fires or impassable corridors. Alarms were sounding loudly and panicked voices could be heard coming over the ship’s internal comm system.

The assault ship seemed to shudder violently and then all of its power faded. Inside, lights went out and the emergency lights came on. Moments later, twin particle beams from the battlecruiser Cygnus struck and blasted deep glowing rents into the hull, tearing open more compartments and sending additional Nabians to their deaths. With a final shudder the vessel blew apart, sending fiery debris in all directions.

-

“All four Kleese assault ships have been eliminated,” Commander Shepherd reported, turning her head toward the admiral. “All ships report no damage.”

Admiral Adamson looked at the tactical screen, which no longer showed any red threat icons. “Take us into orbit and have the assault cruisers and their escorts move in. They have the go to initiate their attack. The fleet will stay at Condition One until further notice.”

“Message sent,” reported Lieutenant Emma Travers from Communications.

-

Ryan felt the drop ship suddenly accelerate as it left the flight bay of the Deliverance. The ship banked sharply and darted down toward the surface of the planet. Drop ships were designed for rapid passage through a planet’s atmosphere to give defenders a minimal amount of targeting time. The drop ship also had a weak defensive shield that could take one or two weapon strikes before it risked failing.

“Eight minutes to target,” a voice came over the comm system.

“Standby to disembark,” said Sergeant Aryan Reinhart. He was a career minded Marine and had seen considerable action outside of the Solar System.

Ryan remained silent as he wanted the sergeants of the five platoons to be looked to for orders during battle. His own orders would be sent via his command suit to Lieutenant Guthrie and through her the five sergeants unless they were in the thick of battle. The shuttle began to vibrate and Ryan could hear the atmosphere starting to buffet the drop ship. The vibrations steadily grew stronger and the sound of their passage through the planet’s atmosphere reached a crescendo before it finally began to fade.

“Three minutes to target.”

“When we land and the hatch opens, I want this drop ship empty in twenty seconds,” barked Sergeant Reinhardt. “Form a defensive perimeter around the ship until we’ve assessed the situation. Once we’ve determined the potential threats, we’ll move out.”

Ryan nodded his approval. The sergeant seemed to be on top of things. The drop ship’s flight seemed to have steadied, as most of the vibration was gone. Ryan unbuckled his safety harness and stood up, grasping a support handhold on the hull. With the power of his Type Four battlesuit, he wasn’t worried about being thrown around the compartment. Ryan quickly checked his RG rifle and then his hand slipped to his Energy Lance. The Energy Lance was fastened to his waist and operated off the suit’s batteries. It emitted a blade of energy a meter long that was capable of cutting through almost any material with relative ease. For close in combat against the Kleese, this was Ryan’s favorite weapon.

“Saddle up!” ordered Sergeant Reinhardt as he unbuckled his own safety harness and stood up. “I want a quick weapons check and make sure you keep one hand on the handholds on the hull. I don’t want anyone falling or stumbling when we land.”

Ryan caught his breath as the ship suddenly seemed to drop straight down and then he felt a slight jar indicating the ship had landed. Glancing toward the hatch, he saw it slide open and the landing ramp extend.

“Everyone out!” barked Sergeant Reinhardt. The sergeant quickly headed to the hatch and started down the ramp, his RG rifle held at the ready.

Ryan waited until the last Marine had reached the hatch before he followed. Over his command channel, he knew the other three drop ships were also setting down as well as the larger cargo drop ship that held the hover tanks.

Exiting the hatch, Ryan quickly jogged down the ramp and came to a stop. They were at the extreme western edge of the spaceport on what appeared to be some type of parking lot for civilian vehicles. The parking lot was nearly empty, containing only several large trucks, which obviously were used to carry fuel. Every spaceport he had ever been on was similar.

“Immediate area is secure,” reported Sergeant Reinhardt.

Looking over toward the cargo drop ship, Ryan saw the two hover tanks emerge and move out away from the ship with their powerful energy cannons aimed toward the heart of the spaceport. The tanks also had two secondary railgun cannons as well as dual explosive shell launchers.

“Sergeant McElroy,” Lieutenant Guthrie’s voice came over the command channel. “Move your tanks another hundred meters away and then stop. Spread your platoon out in a skirmish line and wait for further orders.”

“We’re on the move,” responded McElroy as he passed on to his platoon what they were supposed to do.

“Captain Nelson, this is Captain Morris. We’ve landed just outside the spaceport on the north side. Hover tanks are deployed and we’re beginning to advance. No resistance encountered so far.” Captain Morris was in charge of the four drop ships and the cargo drop ship that had dropped from the other assault cruiser.

Ryan acknowledged the message and then addressed his sergeants. “Sergeant Hunter, your platoon will take point, Sergeants Lewis and Dewey, I want your platoons on Sergeant Hunter’s flanks. Sergeant Reinhardt, your platoon will be directly behind Sergeant Hunter’s and will serve as a reserve. Sergeant McElroy, your platoon and the hover tanks will remain here until I call for you. Let’s go people; we have a battle to fight and Kleese to kill!”

-

Moments later, the Marines began moving up. Eighty Type Four battlesuits began to advance toward the spaceport. The Type Four battlesuits were smaller and more form fitting then the Type Three or Type Twos. The suits were black and gray with small red battle damage lights at the joints and other areas. It was nimble and quick. The Type Four battlesuit was eight feet tall and made out of a composite material, which was stronger and lighter than that of the Type Threes. It allowed for greater flexibility in movement that at times made the wearer almost forget that he or she was incased inside one.

In addition, the Type Four suit was capable of operating in full combat conditions for nearly twenty hours before needing to be recharged. In non-combat situations, the suit could keep its wearer alive for well over a week. The antigravity plates in the boots were capable of generating a repelling force, which allowed the Type Four battlesuits a limited flying ability. This ability was seldom used as it made the Marine more visible and an easier target for incoming weapons fire.

-

Ryan was in between Sergeant Hunter’s platoon and Sergeant Reinhardt’s keeping a careful eye on the advance of his Marines. A sudden shout over the general comm drew his attention to the right flank where Sergeant Dewey’s platoon was.

“Popups!” screamed a voice over the comm as several explosions shook the ground around the Marine platoon.

“Take cover!” ordered Lieutenant Guthrie, who was thirty meters to the right of Captain Nelson. “Sergeant Hunter, see if you can spot those popups and take them out.”

“We have movement!” called out Sergeant Lewis, who was on the left flank. “There are incoming conscripts in Type Two suits; a lot of them.”

Ryan paused as he used the sensors in his command suit to scan the immediate area in front of them and to his left. All of his Marines showed up as small bright green icons on his HUD. His suit contained a neural link, which was connected directly to Ryan’s cortex. With just a thought he could control all the different systems of the suit, including the sensors. Switching to a different screen, he saw numerous red threat icons appear. From the looks of things, there were well over one hundred conscripts in Type Two battlesuits rapidly approaching. He then switched the screen back to show his Marines.

“We’ve got popups as well!” reported Casey. “Both explosive rounds and energy beams.”

On Ryan’s HUD, he saw several green icons suddenly turn amber and one a heart-wrenching red. Red meant the Marine had been killed! “Sergeant McElroy, I need the two hover tanks! Bring them up on the right flank and prepare to fire a salvo of explosive rounds.” The explosive rounds contained in the hover tanks’ launching tubes were ten times more powerful than the ones contained in the tubes on the back of the Type Four suits. They could be devastating to an advancing enemy and were quite capable of taking out the popup weapons.

“Sergeant Reinhardt, I want each of your Marines to fire ten explosive rounds two hundred meters in front of Sergeant Hunter and Sergeant Dewey’s positions,” ordered Lieutenant Guthrie. “That seems to be where the majority of the popups are.”

Ryan suddenly felt himself flying through the air as a popup explosive round landed nearly at his feet. He landed hard and rolled, getting the breath knocked out of him.

“Captain!” a frantic Lieutenant Guthrie called out, seeing Ryan go flying through the air.

“I’m fine,” grated out Ryan as he fought to catch his breath. Switching his HUD to give a diagnostic of his suit, he saw the battlesuit hadn’t been compromised though it was dented in a few areas. Stretching out his right arm, he picked up his RG rifle from where it had been knocked out of his hands. Looking down he flexed his left hand into a metal fist satisfied that the suit was still functioning properly.

Standing back up Ryan saw a series of explosions suddenly began hammering the blastcrete of the spaceport as explosive rounds from Reinhardt’s Marines landed. Each round was fired from one of two small tubes on the back of the Type Four battlesuit.

“We’re in position,” reported Sergeant McElroy. “Hover tanks are firing.”

A series of larger explosions suddenly began rolling across the blastcrete, blasting meter deep holes in the strong material and throwing debris up into the air. Black smoke began rising up blotting out the sunlight.

“Taking incoming fire from the conscripts,” reported Sergeant Lewis sounding worried.

Ryan drew in a sharp breath. This battle was rapidly becoming more intense.

-

Casey was behind a small wall where she was pinned down by the energy beam fire from several popup weapons. The weapons had been embedded in the blastcrete and risen up when the Marines came into close proximity. “Private Rios, I’m pinned down. Can you spot the popups firing on my location?”

“Got em,” Raul responded. He was twenty meters to Casey’s left behind some type of vehicle. Raul was carrying an energy cannon instead of an RG rifle and stepping out into plain sight, he fired two quick bursts at the two popups. Both exploded, throwing pieces in every direction for ten meters. Raul nodded in satisfaction at the two smoking holes in the ground. Raul suddenly yelled in pain as several RG rounds struck his suit. He darted back behind the vehicle.

Looking at her HUD, Casey was relieved to see that Raul’s icon was still green. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, but I’ve got a couple of pretty good dents in my chest armor.”

Poking her head up above the wall, Casey saw a number of the popups blocking their advance being blown apart from the explosive rounds being fired by the two hover tanks. It shouldn’t take long to clear them out and then they could continue their advance across the spaceport.

“Sergeant Hunter, I’ve got a problem,” Sergeant Lewis’s strained voice came over the comm. “The conscripts are coming fast and I’m afraid they’re going to overrun my position.”

Casey used her sensors and saw that Lewis was right, the conscripts were moving quickly and in only a matter of a few moments would reach Lewis’s Marines. “Corporal Parker, Corporal Adams; get your squads over to support Sergeant Lewis.”

Ryan’s voice came over the command channel. “Sergeant Reinhardt, move your platoon over to the left flank to support Sergeant Lewis. Sergeant McElroy, bring up the two hover tanks to just behind Sergeant Hunter. Your Marines will have to support her advance. I want to get to those two buildings as soon as possible.”

“Sergeant Lewis, you’re about to be involved in hand-to-hand combat,” warned Lieutenant Guthrie as she hurried over to where the sergeant’s platoon was. “Use your Energy Lances; the conscripts won’t have any as they’re not part of a Type Two suit’s weapons.”

-

Alexander and his squad had just reached Sergeant Lewis’s Marines when the first conscripts appeared. Lewis’s Marines were laying down a heavy fire of RG rounds, explosive rounds, and even some energy beam fire. The enemy were going down by the dozens, but there were over a hundred of them. Alexander quickly drew his Energy Lance and charged toward the nearest conscript. He swung the lance, piercing the conscript’s suit and nearly cutting it in half. Around him, Alexander could hear screams and Marines yelling as the fighting switched almost solely to hand-to-hand.

“Watch it, Corporal,” yelled Private Richards as he lunged forward, chopping the head off a conscript about to fire his RG rifle from point blank range into the corporal’s back.

“Thanks,” Alexander said, shaking his head. Of all the people to have to step in and save his life, it would be Private Richards. “Let’s finish this battle; we have some Kleese waiting for us up ahead.”

The fighting grew very intense as the conscripts in the towering Type Two battlesuits struggled to subdue and kill the Humans in the more nimble Type Fours. The difference in the battle were the Energy Lances. The lances could slice right through the armor the conscripts were wearing, and their bodies began to litter the landscape, many cut completely in two. Occasionally a Marine would fall, the victim of RG rounds from close range.

-

Ryan was monitoring the battle with his HUD and listening to the Marines over the general comm channel. This was the first combat for some of them, and the more experienced Marines were helping to keep them focused on the battle. It didn’t take long for things to start to wind down and without surprise, Ryan saw the last conscript icon vanish from his HUD. With relief, he switched the screen back over so he could check on his Marines.

“Enemy has been eliminated,” confirmed Lieutenant Guthrie. She was busily walking through the combat area with a squad of Marines making sure all the conscripts had been taken out. Occasionally she would stop and check a prone Type Two battlesuit.

Looking at his HUD one more time Ryan saw they had suffered eight wounded and four killed in the battle. With a sigh, Ryan looked around at the carnage. Using the optics in his suit, he examined the battle area, seeing several Type Four suits moving around covered in blood. Two of them were Corporal Parker and Corporal Adams; they always seemed to find a way to be in the middle of the heaviest fighting. He also searched for and found Casey’s battlesuit. She was slowly advancing toward the center of the spaceport followed closely by Sergeant McElroy’s Marines and the two hover tanks.

“Captain Nelson,” came Captain Morris’s voice over the command channel. We’ve captured several Airadians and they’ve informed us there are fourteen Kleese in the two buildings near the control tower protected by over seventy conscripts in Type Two battlesuits. They also claim there are a large number of popup weapons surrounding the two buildings.”

“Are there any Airadians in the buildings?”

Ryan heard Captain Morris speaking to someone over the comm and then she replied. “No, the Airadians say only the Kleese and their conscripts are there.”

This made Ryan feel relieved as it made the rest of the battle very simple. “Are the Airadians with you wearing the Kleese obedience collars?”

“Yes,” confirmed Captain Morris.

“Keep them with you then; the Constellation will be sending down a shuttle shortly with several Kiveans on board to scan the collars for their release frequency. I’m also requesting the Deliverance hit the two Kleese occupied buildings with railgun rounds.”

“Affirmative,” Morris answered. “We’ll hold our position here until after the strike.”

Ryan quickly contacted Commander Durham to request the railgun strike. The Deliverance had six KEW batteries specifically designed to hit targets on the ground. They were also capable of pinpoint accuracy.

“Attention,” Ryan said over the general comm channel. “There will be an incoming railgun strike on the two Kleese controlled buildings shortly. All Marines are to stay at least four hundred meters from the targets. Once the buildings have been destroyed, we’ll move in and sweep the area for survivors. Be aware there are possible popup weapons in the vicinity of the buildings.”

The Marines hurriedly took cover behind whatever they could find. Buildings, walls, vehicles, even holes in the ground from the explosive rounds that had been used. It didn’t take long and then everyone was looking upward expectantly, waiting for the rounds to fall. The railgun rounds weren’t explosive. The destruction they unleashed was caused by the terrific velocity they achieved, and it was that velocity released as kinetic energy, which was so devastating.

“Rounds are inbound,” Ryan announced over the general comm channel as the Deliverance confirmed their firing. Looking up, Ryan could see half a dozen brilliant streaks of light heading toward the ground. The light was caused by the friction of the rounds moving through the thick atmosphere of the planet.

Moments later, the rounds struck. The two buildings exploded into a million pieces as they were leveled. Fire leaped into the air and black smoke began billowing from the ruins of the two structures.

Ryan felt the ground shake from the impacts and the visor on his helmet automatically dimmed from the bright flashes of light caused by the impacting rounds. Standing still he surveyed the damage, satisfied both structures had been obliterated. The Kleese inside and their defending conscripts never knew what hit them. They would have died instantly.

“Sergeant Hunter and Sergeant McElroy, move your platoons forward and check out the wreckage. Lieutenant Guthrie, take Sergeant Lewis and Sergeant Dewey’s platoons back to the drop ships as well as our dead and wounded.”

Walking across the blastcrete, Ryan felt a little ill at what they’d done. He knew they had killed the fourteen Kleese in the two buildings as well as the conscripts. Conscripts who had no choice but to obey the Kleese or face death by having their obedience collars detonated. In a way they were innocents and Ryan felt sad for them. He well understood their situation as he and a number of his Marines had been forced to serve as Kleese conscripts in the past. However, this was war and sometimes hard decisions had to be made.

“We’ve detected no active popups,” Casey said over the command channel. “I believe they were probably all destroyed by the railgun rounds.”

Ryan reached the two platoons. Sergeant McElroy had the hover tanks in front of the two destroyed structures with their heavy energy cannons on standby. His Marines in their towering Type Three suits were positioned defensively around the tanks while Casey and her Marines checked the burning and smoking rubble.

“There are no survivors,” Casey confirmed after a few minutes of searching. “There’s a pair of craters ten meters deep where the buildings once were.”

“Okay, I want a defensive perimeter set up around the control tower while we wait for the shuttle carrying the Kiveans from the Constellation.” Ryan let out a deep breath. This battle was over, and while they had suffered a few casualties, it had been a good learning experience for the Marines who had little prior combat experience. Some of the coming battles in the future would in all likelihood be much more difficult.

-

The shuttle from the Constellation came down and landed next to the control tower. Captain Morris had brought over the two Airadians who were wearing the obedience collars. Two Kiveans emerged from the shuttle, and after scanning the collars with their instruments sent out a coded frequency that unlocked the explosive devices. The two Airadians looked stunned as the collars fell from their necks to fall to the blastcrete.

“You’re free,” Ryan said in the Airadians’ language. There was a small device implanted in Ryan’s head that allowed him to speak almost any language. The device had been implanted there by the Kleese years back when he had been their captive. Now it was standard procedure for all the Marines so they could communicate with other races, particularly their allies.

The two Airadians looked at each other uncertain of what to say or do. Then they looked toward Ryan as if waiting for instructions.

“We will free all of your people from the collars,” Ryan announced. “However, we’re leaving to go on to free other nonaligned worlds from the Kleese. What you do with your new found freedom is up to you.”

“Thank you,” one of the Airadians stammered. “You are the Humans we have heard the Kleese speak of?”

“Yes,” Ryan answered. “Someday soon we’ll be fighting the Kleese to free all of the nonaligned worlds of their empire.”

The Airadians nodded. “When the Kleese return, they won’t find our world so easy to hold again. We must go and communicate your words to our leaders.”

Ryan nodded. This was the first step in what was hoped would eventually result in the freedom of all the former nonaligned worlds. If things went as planned, the Kleese and the Zaltule would soon find their empire slipping away from them.

-

On board the Constellation, Admiral Adamson watched as the drop ships and the shuttles returned. No other Kleese vessels had appeared and none were showing on the long-range sensors.

“We have the broadcast code for the Kleese obedience collars on Airad,” Commander Shepherd reported. She was standing next to Lieutenant Emma Travers at Communications.

Adamson nodded. “Began broadcasting. We’ll make two orbits of the planet to ensure the broadcast reaches all of the collars.” They had originally planed on staying for several days in order to elicit a response from the Kleese, but with all of the Kleese on the planet dead, there was no reason to prolong their stay.

The first world had been freed with minimal losses. Adamson hoped the Callisto and her task force had been equally as successful. Shortly the word would be spreading across the Kleese Empire that the Humans were back and attacking Kleese controlled worlds. It should bring an immediate response from the Zaltule. However, the Kleese Empire was nearly eighteen thousand light-years across and finding Adamson’s fleet would be like hunting for a needle in a haystack. Adamson just hoped that when this was over, he could return to the Alliance and the Solar System with his fleet. The Zaltule would, in all likelihood, be doing everything in their power to prevent that from happening. Adamson had a cold feeling that many of his people would never see home again.

Chapter Eight

Supreme Military Overlord Harmock gazed in anger at Dalock, the Warrior’s Fire’s communications officer. His multifaceted eyes glowed red as the rage grew. “The Humans have attacked where?”

“Airad,” Dalock replied in a measured voice, not wanting to anger Harmock any further. “They destroyed the four assault ships in orbit then landed on the planet and wiped out our conscript forces guarding the planet’s main spaceport. They also reportedly called down kinetic energy weapon strikes from orbit and obliterated the two administrative buildings that housed fourteen Kleese. None survived.”

“How large of a fleet?” Harmock was concerned that this might be the beginning of a major attack on Kleese space. These Humans were too unpredictable and still showing that they were extremely dangerous.

“Only nine vessels,” Dalock answered. Then with hesitation, he continued. “There is also an unconfirmed report the planet Haycen was similarly attacked.”

Minor Overlord Gareth turned his triangular shaped head toward Harmock. “Both former nonaligned worlds.”

Harmock stamped his six feet upon the Command Pedestal, making clicking noises against the metal of the deck. He brought his anger under control, knowing it served no purpose other than to result in poor strategic decisions. He was a Zaltule and muddled thinking wasn’t allowed. “Is there anything else?”

“Yes,” answered Dalock, relieved to see Harmock’s anger was fading. “The Humans disabled all of the collars of obedience on the planet.”

Harmock spent a moment thinking about his options. It was unthinkable that any nonaligned world in Kleese space be allowed to remain free of influence from the supreme race. “Send word to the trading station to send two of their exploration ships to Airad and to Haycen. They’re to take as many conscripts as necessary to reassert control over those two worlds and to place collars of obedience around the necks of those worlds’ leaders.”

“What of the Human fleet?” asked Gareth. “It could be dangerous to allow them to run amuck in the empire. They could cause a lot of damage; look at what they did in our home system.”

“We must destroy it,” replied Harmock coldly. “Instruct all the trading stations between us and the core worlds to send out their assault ships to locate the Humans. Once we know their true strength, then we’ll decide how to deal with the Human fleet.”

It angered Harmock at how brazen these Humans could be. Not only had they attacked the Kleese home system inflicting significant damage, but they had also removed a large number of Deltons from the Delton home world as well. Harmock was determined that when the war with the Alliance and the Humans was over, there would not be a single living Human in Kleese space. He would wage genocide against this upstart race that dared to challenge the Kleese and drive them to extinction.

Turning his attention back to the main viewscreen, Harmock gazed at the sea of unblinking stars. The fleet had been preparing to hit the last nonaligned world that stood between it and the Human led Alliance. He had brought three thousand Zaltule warships with him. There was a very good chance the Humans might come to the aid of this nonaligned world, and if they did, he intended to crush them. Now he was concerned the Humans might once more be moving toward the Kleese core worlds. If that was so, the decisive battle he was counting on might not happen. He would delay his planned attack until he heard back from the trading stations to see if the invading Human fleet had been detected. If it was a small fleet, then several exploration vessels and a fleet of assault ships should be able to deal with them. If it was a large fleet, then he might have to pull his own fleet back to seek out and destroy the Humans. Once more these unpredictable Humans had demonstrated they were capable of very ingenious strategy.

-

Above the Strell home world, Supreme Overlord Xatul stood upon the Command Pedestal in his flagship, the Empire’s Dawn. Very soon, he would be returning to the Kleese core systems to reclaim his rightful leadership over the Kleese Council of Overlords. Military Overlord Harmock would never expect him to return to the empire leading a combined fleet of Kleese and Strell warships. Looking at one of the viewscreens in the front of the Command Center, he could see several Strell battlecruisers in orbit above his flagship. The ships were a dark gray nearly two kilometers long and one thousand meters in diameter. Their hulls were covered with small hatches hiding sublight missile tubes and numerous weapon turrets. As with the Kleese, their primary weapons were powerful energy beams.

Beyond the two nearby Strell battlecruisers, entire fleets of the two-kilometer-long vessels were visible, all waiting for Supreme Overlord Xatul to give the order to proceed to Kleese controlled space. The Strell were a cold and nearly emotionless race, except for their Queens. They were able fighters, and their ships were almost equal to the Zaltule in power.

“We’re nearly ready,” Overlord Syndat said from Xatul’s side. “The last of the ships will shortly be out of the construction bays, and even as we speak more conscripts are being brought from Strell controlled worlds to serve.”

Xatul remained silent. He could well imagine the anger and betrayal Military Overlord Harmock would feel when the attack was launched. Not since the days of death on the home world in the Kleese remote past had clans fought clans. True, there were occasional duels to rise in leadership, but nothing like what Xatul was planning. If his attack worked, he would wipe out the Zaltule to ensure they could never threaten the Kleese race again. It would be as it was in the old days when the nests of opposing Kleese Queens were found and destroyed to ensure the defeated clans could not procreate and ever become a threat again. He would search for and find every Zaltule Queen and eliminate her. Without Queens, the Zaltule would die out and soon would only be a memory.

-

In the Kleese home system, Minor Zaltule Overlord Kaluse looked over the latest readiness reports of the Zaltule fleet. Since the unprecedented attack of the Humans upon the home system, much work had been done. The shipyard they had destroyed had been rebuilt at the expense of thousands of conscripts. The other shipyard that had been heavily damaged was fully repaired, and now both were operational turning out new Zaltule battlecruisers on a regular basis. Kaluse had also been given the responsibility to ensure the home system as well as the core worlds were adequately defended.

He was still sending out exploration vessels, Zaltule battlecruisers, and assault ships searching for former Supreme Overlord Xatul and those members of the former Kleese Council of Overlords who were missing. Kaluse suspected Xatul and the others had fled Kleese space and gone to some unexplored region of the galaxy. He doubted if the former Supreme Overlord would ever be heard from again. However, Military Overlord Harmock wanted to confirm that the missing Kleese Overlords and their ships were no longer within the empire.

Unlike Harmock, who despised using conscripts, Kaluse had no problem with using the inferior races to achieve his goals. In the past year alone over one million had been brought in to work on construction projects in the three Kleese core systems as well as to serve on the assault ships. Unfortunately, the conscripts’ bodies were so weak that many had died in the harsh working conditions of the construction projects. This had been of little concern to Kaluse as there were billions more available if needed.

“The latest ship construction reports indicate we are ahead of schedule,” reported Genedt, who was in charge of the shipyards. “We have reached our goal of ten thousand updated Zaltule battlecruisers.”

“All have the newest weapons and energy shields,” added Overlord Darthu, who served as Harmock’s science advisor.

Kaluse nodded, his cold, calculating eyes staring at the viewscreens. They were in the huge command center of the primary Zaltule shipyard in the home system. Around the shipyard hundreds of Zaltule battlecruisers, assault ships, and even a few exploration vessels orbited.

“Have any of our search vessels found where Xatul and his treacherous brethren have fled?” Kaluse had to send a weekly report to Harmock detailing the results of the search. He knew the Military Overlord was becoming angry at the lack of results.

“No,” answered Minor Overlord Drusiid. “There are millions of stars to search and they could be hiding at any of them. We currently have two hundred and twenty Zaltule battlecruisers, forty-two exploration cruisers, and over two thousand assault ships conducting the search. It may take time, but we’ll find them.”

“Could they have left the empire completely?” asked Genedt. He found it difficult to believe that there had been no signs of the former Supreme Overlord.

“I doubt it,” Drusiid answered, his triangular shaped head gazing across the Command Center. It was operated by numerous Zaltule as well as several hundred conscripts. “I suspect our former Supreme Overlord is seeking a way to return and attempt to retake his former position.”

“How?” asked Genedt. “He doesn’t have the ships to be a threat.”

“He has over four hundred exploration vessels as well as the resources of two of our trading stations,” Kaluse responded harshly. “Those two stations are capable of producing hundreds of assault vessels in a very short time period.” The likelihood of Xatul contemplating a return was slight, but it was something Kaluse had to take into consideration.

“But he would need conscripts to operate them,” said Genedt. “There have been no reports of unauthorized seizures of conscripts on any of the worlds we control.”

“A mystery,” replied Kaluse, not pleased that he would once more have to send Harmock a report indicating there still was no sign of Xatul. “We must continue the search. If necessary, we may be forced to assign more ships. It’s also quite likely that he has left the empire.”

“We have sufficient assault vessels,” said Drusiid. “We could assign another thousand to aid in the search. I believe he and the others are close by. I disagree that they’ve fled the empire.”

“Do it,” ordered Kaluse. “Xatul must be found if he is still within Kleese space.”

-

On the Kleese home world, the remnants of the Council of Overlords was holding a meeting. A new Council Hall had been constructed as the old one had been destroyed in the Human attack along with a major portion of the capital city. Reconstruction of the city was still ongoing, and the latest estimates indicated it would take another year to restore the capital city to its former glory. Several hundred thousand conscripts had been brought in to aid in the construction.

Council Overlord Raluth was standing at the front of the large stone table. Only four other Council Overlords were present as the rest had either been killed in the Human attack or fled with former Supreme Overlord Xatul. Military Overlord Harmock had already indicated he no longer considered the Council of Overlords the legitimate rulers of the empire.

“The Zaltule continue to build their warfleets,” Raluth said, gazing at the others with his multifaceted eyes. “Each day they make more demands of the other Kleese clans for labor as well as resources.”

“They treat us as inferiors,” grated Overlord Martule in a cold and harsh voice. “They expect us to obey their every command.”

“What else can we do?” asked Overlord Caselt, who was in charge of exploration ship construction. “We haven’t produced a new exploration ship in two years as all of our resources are going toward maintaining the Zaltule fleet. The Zaltule don’t recognize the authority of this council any longer.”

Raluth nodded and placed his hands with their long seven-digit members palm down on the hard surface of the table. “They have allowed adequate defenses to be placed around our core worlds. There are also Zaltule battlecruisers in orbit to protect our worlds from future Human attack. While they may not recognize our authority, they are doing what is necessary to protect our worlds.”

“To protect us or to make sure we obey them?” Martule commented in a cold tone. “Every day more Zaltule are being born in their new nests. Tens of thousands are being prematurely matured to join the ranks of their warriors.”

“Our clans are growing more concerned as the Zaltule seem to be taking over the empire,” added Raluth, his multifaceted eyes gazing sharply at the others. “Even our remaining trading stations now have large Zaltule contingents on board.”

“My clan has heard rumors that the Zaltule have established twenty-six nests for their Queens,” Caselt informed the others. “Twenty of these nests are for their new Queens.”

“The new nests shouldn’t have been founded,” rumbled Raluth, his tone of voice indicating his outrage. “New nests can only be founded with the approval of the council.”

“The Zaltule don’t recognize the authority of this council any longer,” rumbled Martule. “They consider us weak and blame us for the problems they’re experiencing with the Humans and the nonaligned worlds.”

“We should have gone with Supreme Overlord Xatul when we had he chance,” stated Caselt. “This Human led Alliance has grown to be an actual threat to the empire. Once Military Overlord Harmock has dealt with them, he will attempt to increase his control over all of Kleese controlled space, including us.”

“You speak treason,” warned Martule, glaring at Caselt. “If your words reach the Zaltule, you may find them coming for you.”

Caselt nodded. He knew he had misspoken. “I was only speaking out of frustration for the lack of power the council now holds.”

The others nodded. Caselt had only voiced what all the others felt as well.

Raluth looked at his follow Kleese overlords. “It might be wise for us not to have any more meetings but to stay upon the exploration ships instead. At least with the firepower they have we will have some protection from the Zaltule.”

“The Zaltule will destroy our empire,” retorted Caselt. “If we are to retreat to our exploration ships, then I would suggest we recall sufficient numbers to guarantee our protection.”

“This council is the rightful ruling body of our empire,” Raluth said. “Caselt is correct, we must see to our own protection. We must also consider bringing in new Council Overlords to replace those who died in the Human attack. While the Zaltule may not recognize this council, we must continue as if it is still the ruling body of our empire.”

-

Outside in the hallway leading to the new Council Chambers two Zaltule warriors stood as guards wearing Type Three battlesuits. As per their orders, they had used their suits sensors to listen in to the meeting of the Kleese Council of Overlords. What they had heard would be sent to Kaluse and from him it would make its way to Military Overlord Harmock. There was little doubt that Harmock, after hearing the treasonous talk from the four surviving council members, would order their deaths. Deaths the two Zaltule warriors could accomplish very easily. However, the death of a Kleese Council Overlord was not to be taken lightly, and the two warriors would not make a move against them until they received orders.

-

Back in the Solar System, Colonel Wade Nelson, along with Marken and several others were in the Command Center of Centerpoint Station. They were awaiting the arrival of the Bashan refugee fleet.

“Inbound contacts,” reported Lieutenant Bryan Vail, the sensor operator.

“All weapons are online and ready to fire,” added Major Jordan Lest, the tactical officer.

Colonel Angus Robertson, the officer on watch, nodded his head. While they didn’t expect any problems, it was prudent they err on the side of caution.

“Station is at Condition Two,” Lest said as he checked his large tactical console. Other tactical consoles to the right and left of him were fully staffed with qualified fleet officers. Centerpoint Station was heavily armed and could defend itself if necessary.

“Emergence,” called out Lieutenant Vail as numerous vessels began dropping out of Fold Space just outside the orbit of Earth’s moon. “Admiral Kelly and First Fleet are moving into position to intercept.”

Wade watched the tactical screens intently as Admiral Kelly’s fleet moved out and took up escorting positions around the newly arrived vessels. There were seventy-seven ships in First Fleet, including forty assault ships. It was led by Admiral Kelly’s flagship, the newly commissioned one thousand-meter long heavy battlecruiser Armageddon.

“I have contact with Admiral Hiath of the Bashan fleet,” Lieutenant Brenda Arnold reported. “He’s asking where he’s to go with his fleet.”

“Tell him to go into orbit around the Moon at twenty thousand kilometers,” General Mitchell ordered as he came into the Command Center. He had broken off an important meeting so he could witness the arrival of the Bashan fleet.

Upon several of the viewscreens, Bashan vessels were being displayed. The battlecruisers were eight hundred meters in length and the escorts ships came in at slightly over five hundred.

“I believe the Bashans will make good allies,” commented Marken as he gazed at the viewscreens. “I have done some research on the Bashan civilization and they are very advanced. It’s a shame their world has fallen to the Kleese.”

“That’s six hundred more warships we can add to our fleet,” Wade said, looking over at General Mitchell, who had come over to stand next to the others.

Brent Adamson, a military research scientist, was also in the Command Center. “From the reports I’ve read they fought their way through the heart of the Zaltule invading fleet, managing to destroy a number of Zaltule warships in the process. From the information the Alliance has provided, the Bashan vessels are equipped with very powerful pulse fusion beams, energy cannons, as well as sublight antimatter missiles.”

“How many civilians are in their fleet?” asked Wade. He and Marken had discussed the best place to put the refugees. Working with President Steward, several suitable asteroids had been picked out and construction teams were on standby.

“Twenty-three thousand,” answered General Mitchell. “From the information Admiral Hiath provided the Alliance, this was an unauthorized evacuation and all he could save were members of the families of the crews of his vessels as well as a number of eminent scientists.”

“That’s more than we had originally,” commented Marken, recalling how they had fled to the Solar System with only the Kiveans from the trading station. Six thousand Kiveans had made that first hectic and dangerous journey to the Human System not knowing whether they would be received as desperate refugees or hated enemies.

General Mitchell turned toward Lieutenant Arnold. “Ask Admiral Hiath if he can come aboard Centerpoint to discuss the disposition of his ships and his people. Also, tell him that he and his people are welcome and to consider this their new home.”

-

Admiral Hiath listened to the messages being broadcast live in his flagship’s Command Center. On the ship’s main viewscreen, a huge trading station was visible. Hiath knew this had once belonged to the Kleese but the Humans had taken it from them.

“That station’s heavily armed,” commented second Officer Dath Mileth. “It by itself could hold off a major Kleese fleet.”

“And they have two of them,” responded Hiath, gesturing toward another screen showing the second station.

On another screen a cloud-shrouded planet was visible. Its atmosphere looked dirty and contaminated. Flashes of lighting could be seen from static discharges caused by heavy dust and contaminants in the air.

“So it is true the Kleese destroyed their world,” said Mileth, looking at the screen with great sadness in his eyes.

Hiath looked at the planet and slowly shook his head. “That might have been the greatest mistake the Kleese have ever made. That destruction has resurrected a warrior race with one desire and one desire only, the complete and utter destruction of the Kleese Empire.” Hiath shifted his gaze to Mileth. “And we’re going to help them do it!”

-

An hour later, the Bashan fleet was in orbit around Earth’s satellite. Admiral Hiath looked at the tactical screen showing six hundred and forty-eight Bashan ships in obit around the pockmarked moon.

“There’s a number of large domed cities on the surface,” reported Mileth as he examined the scans from the ship’s sensor readings. “There are also numerous heavy weapon emplacements.”

“Ion cannons,” Hiath said after a moment. “When the Alliance representatives came to Bashan to see Chancellor Odis they mentioned providing them for our defense. Chancellor Odis turned them down, claiming the Kleese would never violate the neutrality agreement.”

“If we would have had those cannons, we might have been able to hold Bashan against the Kleese fleet,” commented Milith, feeling anger toward Chancellor Odis.

The communications officer turned toward the admiral. “I have several of the civilian cargo ship captains asking if they’re going to be allowed to unload their passengers.”

“I imagine the civilians in the cargo ships are getting a bit space happy,” commented Mileth. “Their living conditions aren’t the greatest.”

Hiath gazed at one of the viewscreens, which showed the numerous large and small domes on the surface of the trading station. “I will speak to this General Mitchell and see if one or two of those domes can be used to temporarily house some of our civilians. As you say, I’m sure they would like to get off those cargo ships and even the passenger liners are a bit crowded.”

Mileth looked around the Command Center and the new feeling of hope showing in the eyes of the crew. “Should we reduce our alert level?”

Admiral Hiath took a deep breath and nodded. “Yes, this will be our home for awhile, perhaps a long while. There’s no point in making our new found friends distrust us. Secure from combat alert and go to station keeping. Lower our energy shields and power down our weapons.”

-

On board Centerpoint Station Wade and Marken were walking down a corridor to go to the conference room where they would be meeting with Admiral Hiath.

“This war is coming to a head,” Wade said as they reached a turbolift, which would take them to a lower level. “Admiral Adamson is in Kleese space and by now has hit his first few targets. There’s only one nonaligned world left before the Zaltule turn their fleets loose on the Alliance and us. A year from now and we’ll have either won or the Zaltule will control everything.” He didn’t go on to say that if the Zaltule won, they would all be dead.

Marken hesitated for a moment. “Wade, you know my friends and I chose your race over all others to wage war against the Kleese. For thousands of years, they have been a scourge to this section of the galaxy. Harnett and I have talked long into the night on many occasions about the wisdom of what we did. I still believe we made the right decision freeing your people and mine. We’ve all suffered greatly over the last few years, but the Alliance exists and the Human forces are stronger than ever.”

Wade let out a deep sigh. He couldn’t help thinking about Beth and Erick back at Vesta. “I don’t want my son to be brought up fearing the Kleese. Someday, Beth and I want to lead normal, peaceful lives.” It also bothered him that Ryan and Casey were somewhere once more in Kleese space on a combat mission.

“We all do,” responded Marken, understanding Wade wanting the war to be over. War was a terrible thing and something that the nonaligned worlds had put behind them long ago. Now war had returned and Marken wondered if it would ever be possible for any of the nonaligned worlds to return to their peaceful ways once this was over.

The door to the turbo lift slid open and the two entered. A few moments later, they exited near a tram station where they could take an inter-station tram to where the meeting was going to be held.

A few minutes later, sitting in the tram with Marken, Wade wondered what his life would have been like if the Kleese had never found the Solar System. If the exploration ship which had found Earth had continued on and not stopped to investigate the radio transmissions and other electromagnetic radiation that a budding civilization broadcast without concern for the consequences. Things could have been so different, but then he never would have met Beth, Marken, Harnett, and so many others. He also wouldn’t have a son. As he watched the metal walls of the transit tunnel fly by he hoped his son would never have to experience the horrors of war like he had.

-

Marken watched Wade in the seat across from him. He would always feel guilty for the path he had set the Human race upon. The actions he and his friends had caused by freeing the Humans had brought war to this section of the galaxy. A war the Humans were becoming very adept at waging. There were many nights that Marken had trouble falling asleep. Several times Harnett had awoken to find Marken standing out on the balcony of their home looking out across the Kivean city. At night, the colorful lights and gentle breeze helped one forget the war going on. Whenever that happened Marken and Harnett would stand in silence, their arms around one another as they gazed out across the city. Marken felt the same as Wade. Someday he wanted to stand on that balcony with Harnett and know the galaxy was at peace and the war was over.

Chapter Nine

Colonel Wade Nelson and Marken were inspecting the heavy battlecruiser construction bay inside of Vesta. Inside the mammoth bay, ten huge construction berths were in full operation building more of the one thousand-meter heavy battlecruisers.

“Damn impressive isn’t it?” commented General Will Bailey. Bailey was responsible for the defense of Vesta and he took the job very seriously.

“I never would have believed it was possible,” said Ethan Hall, who was responsible for the workings of the huge construction bay. “When Marken and the others came and told me what they planned, I said it couldn’t be done.”

Marken smiled. He well remembered that conversation. “Between Kivean, Delton, and Talt science I was fully confident we could do it. With the modifications we made to the Delton work robots, we can run the ship construction operation twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.”

Wade looked over at the nearest construction site, gazing thoughtfully at the large robots. They came in two different sizes. The small ones were slightly larger than a Human with four flexible metal legs and six flexible metal tentacles. These small robots were used for interior construction and were capable of doing more than one task at a time. Wade had once watched one take a power circuit apart with two tentacles while welding with two others.

The large work robots stood nearly fourteen feet high and were used for the heavier work on the ship’s actual physical structure and hull. These massive robots had six flexible legs and four long tentacles. They could actually pick up hull plates and weld them to the support structure without the need for any other special equipment.

“Will these be done in time?” Wade asked. He knew the deadline for the expected Kleese attack was growing near.

“It’ll be close,” Ethan said, folding his arms across his chest. “We’ll have these ten done in seven more weeks. Figure two weeks for space trials and then at least another four for crew training.”

“We can train the crews on other ships if needed,” Sean Miller said. Sean was responsible for all of Vesta’s spacedock and flight operations. “If we can have three more months, the ships and crews will be ready.”

Wade watched as two of the larger robots picked up an energy cannon and carried it to the nearer ship to begin mounting it. What amazed Wade was that there were hundreds of the large robots in the bay and even more of the smaller ones. There were also a number of Human construction personnel around as well as Kiveans, Delton, and Talts. All knew the importance of getting these ships done and ready for the coming battle.

“If we can get these done that will give us forty-four of the heavy battlecruisers,” commented General Bailey.

Sean looked around the bay and sighed. “I wish it were ten times that. The Kleese will be coming with thousands of ships this time around. I fear the next battle will be decisive. It’ll either be them or us.”

General Bailey nodded his head in agreement. “We’re doing everything we can to prepare.” He turned toward Wade and Marken. “Would you like to take a quick tour of the defenses we’ve set up outside? You’ve both seen the Kleese in action; perhaps you’ll have some suggestions.”

Glancing across the bay, Wade noticed a number of Marines in Type Three battlesuits stationed at key locations. He knew this was the same throughout the military parts of Vesta, including the spacedock. “Sure, it’s been awhile since I’ve looked at the outside defenses.” It would also make him feel better confirming that Vesta was sufficiently defended to protect his family.

-

A short time later, they were in a large shuttle inside of Vesta’s main spacedock. The bay had been enlarged several times over the years. It was now ten kilometers in width, two kilometers in length and a full kilometer from floor to ceiling. Inside the bay, numerous ships could be seen in their berths, prospecting ships, cargo ships, passenger liners, and even a few battlecruisers. On the far end of the bay, six new battlecruisers were nearing completion in their construction berths.

“How close are those battlecruisers to being done?” asked Wade, looking out one of the large viewports.

Major Jeffries had joined the small group when they entered the spacedock. He had served with Wade from nearly the beginning and had been in almost every major battle. “I was over there earlier today, and the construction superintendent says they’re just about finished. Another week and all six of them can begin their space trials.”

Several years earlier the spacedock had been the scene of a major battle between the Kleese and the Human Marines. It had been intense and there had been a lot of damage, but in the end the Kleese conscripts had been kept out of the interior of Vesta. Wade noticed that a number of hover tanks had been positioned at key points inside the spacedock.

“How many Marines are you keeping in the main spacedock?” asked Wade, feeling curious.

“Three full platoons at all times,” Jeffries replied. “If the Kleese attack us here it will take them awhile to get through the tunnel. By the time they can reach the spacedock, I can have another two hundred Marines in Type Three and Type Four battlesuits deployed.”

“They won’t ever make it down the tunnel,” General Bailey said confidently.

The shuttle lifted off and proceeded to the first set of massive airlock doors protecting the spacedock. Upon the shuttle’s approach, they partially opened and the shuttle slid through.

“If you look at the tunnel walls we’ve added ten pulse fusion cannons and two plasma cannons,” General Bailey said pointing out the weapons through the viewports. “Each can be targeted down the tunnel to take out any approaching ship.”

Marken looked at the cannons protecting the huge metal doors constructed of ship armor. “I’ve had a group of Kivean and Delton engineers working here as well. We can project a powerful energy shield in front of the doors if necessary. General Bailey is correct; the Kleese will never be able to enter.”

The shuttle accelerated down the long tunnel and finally emerged from a second set of massive armored airlock doors. Around the perimeter of the airlock, twelve small particle beam cannons ensured there would be no unauthorized entry.

“Any word from Admiral Adamson?” asked Major Jeffries. He had asked to go on the mission but had been told he was needed here at Vesta to help prepare its defense for the coming battle with the Kleese.

“No,” Wade responded. “We don’t expect to hear anything until they return. We’ll know they’ve been successful in their mission if the Kleese don’t attack.”

Major Jeffries nodded. “I would have liked to have gone.”

The shuttle went into orbit above Vesta where they could see the defensive bases.

“We’ve set up ten sites on the surface that contain the majority of our offensive and defensive weapons,” General Bailey informed everyone. “Each site contains two plasma beam cannons, four ion cannons, ten particle beam cannons, sixteen pulse fusion beam turrets, and thirty-six defensive energy beam turrets. The ten sites are also protected by an enhanced energy screen that can be activated at a moment’s notice.”

“Damn, that’s a lot of firepower,” muttered Major Jeffries. He had been more concerned about his Marines inside of Vesta and hadn’t kept up with what General Bailey had been doing on the outside.

Ryan nodded in agreement. He knew in the past there had been a number of railgun batteries, but those had been replaced with additional defensive energy beam turrets.

Looking down at one of the sites, Ryan could see it was spread out over a large area. The ion cannons and the particle beam cannons were the most obvious because of their long tubes. Each extended a good forty meters above the surface of the asteroid and had an overlapping field of fire. This allowed the cannons to cover the majority of the space above the site. A tall blastcrete wall surrounded the entire base, and Ryan could see a number of tall towers with small railgun turrets mounted on them.

“There are a thousand military personnel stationed at each site,” Bailey continued. “We have two hundred Marines in Type Three battlesuits in case the Kleese land conscripts. If the Kleese come near Vesta, we’ll blow them all the way back to their home world.”

The tour continued for another hour as they cruised over the surface of the asteroid discussing possible augmentations to Vesta’s already powerful defenses.

-

Several hours later Marken and Wade entered the Viridian habitat. Stepping inside, they paused and gazed at the world created deep inside of the asteroid. The area was forty kilometers in length and twenty in width. In its center, a modern futuristic looking city extended nearly the entire length of the habitat. Several of the tall buildings in the heart of the city were forty stories high. The areas on the edges of the habitat were reserved for farming, with a number of slowly flowing rivers and several small blue lakes making it appear much like Earth. It looked like a virtual paradise. It was well stocked with various breeds of livestock as well as other animals, birds, and insects to make the habitat ecologically stable. Slightly over 1.6 million people lived in the city.

It always amazed Wade how quiet everything was. All vehicles in the city were powered by electricity, and there was no pollution of any kind. It was the kind of city and environment the people of Earth had always dreamed of but had never been able to achieve. In the distance, Wade could see herds of farm animals in the lush green pastures and flocks of birds flying overhead. There were even fish in the streams and lakes.

Marken paused and looked over at Wade. “Harnett’s at the cloning facility visiting with Mason Randle.”

“How many clones are they producing this year?”

“Three hundred thousand,” Marken answered. “That’s the most yet.”

“People are beginning to accept the clones now,” Wade said.

He was glad as Ryan’s girlfriend and fellow Marine was a clone. He had come to know Casey quite well over the last year, and she was really a sweet girl. She and Ryan made a great couple. Even their parents had come to accept her. Wade knew this had been difficult at first for his mother but after awhile, once she came to know Casey, everything had turned out fine.

-

In the cloning facility, Harnett frowned in disappointment at her latest failure to create a viable fetus by combining her DNA with Marken’s.

“We’re getting closer,” Malton the Kivean geneticist said.

“I don’t understand why this is so difficult.” Harnett had been working with Malton for months trying to create a viable fetus. “It seems so much simpler with only one DNA strand.” One DNA strand was all it took to create a normal clone.

Malton nodded. “It’s because we’re trying to combine specific traits in the two DNA strands. We’re close, very close.”

Harnett leaned back in her chair and sighed. If the Kleese hadn’t performed surgery on her, she would have been able to have children. It only made her hate and despise the Kleese even more. Standing up, she looked over at Malton. “I have a meeting with Mason to discuss the next batch of clones.”

“Three hundred thousand this year,” Malton said. “Can we do more?”

“Not without expanding the facility. We’re already stretching our resources to handle the ones we’re producing now. I’m not sure we want to put more pressure on the system.”

Malton turned back toward his computer terminal, which was showing several complicated strands of DNA. “If the Kleese come, we may not have to worry about future clones.”

Harnett hoped that Malton was wrong, but she greatly feared that the Kleese were indeed coming to destroy everything she and Marken and the other Kiveans had helped the Humans build.

-

Entering Mason’s office, Harnett saw Cyrlia was there as well. Crylia was a Kivean and a specialist in Human Physiology.

“Welcome, Harnett,” Mason said, standing. Mason was the current head of the cloning facility. It was a far change from his past job of president but one he found very satisfying.

“I understand you want to discuss increasing the number of clones we’re producing?”

Mason nodded and indicated for Harnett to sit down. “We’re going to reach three hundred thousand this year with the majority of them going to the Academy, the Fleet school, or straight into the military.”

“We still have a failure rate of .005 percent,” Crylia pointed out. “That’s fifteen hundred clones that will fail to reach maturity or suffer mental deficiencies.”

“It’s much better than where we were,” replied Mason.

It was always difficult to dispose of clones that weren’t viable. The clones were so innocent and naive at first. However, due to the memory imprinting technology being used the clones were born with a basic understanding of many things, which made their assimilation into Human culture easier.

Crylia agreed it was better. “I should warn you that if we attempt to substantially increase the number of clones, we could see a significant increase in the failure rate.”

“We will see an increase,” Harnett predicted totally in agreement with Crylia. “Mason, why increase the number of clones? There’s a good chance the war between the Kleese and us will be decided in the coming months. The war may be over before these new clones reach maturity.”

“President Steward thinks it would be wise to increase the Human population as quickly as possible. While it’s true the Human birth rate has spiked, there are still less than twenty million of us.”

“The population will grow quickly in the future,” Crylia pointed out. “In less than one hundred years with current birth rates, there could easily be close to two hundred million Humans in the Solar System.”

Mason leaned back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest. He knew Crylia was correct. There had been a baby boom since the Human colonies in the Solar System had become well established. He and Adrienne even had a child. Lara was their pride and joy.

“I told the president that it might be impractical to substantially increase the number of clones. I believe there’s a growing fear amongst the government that we could see substantial civilian casualties if the Kleese attack the Solar System in force.”

Harnett remained silent. There was no doubt in her mind that the Kleese were going to do just that. “We would have to expand the facility as well as all of our clone training programs. It will take some time and effort; a lot of it.”

Mason nodded his understanding. “See what would need to be done. I’ll recommend we hold off implementing anything unless we see that it’s absolutely necessary.”

Harnett knew what Mason meant by absolutely necessary. If it were necessary then the Kleese would have managed to inflict major damage to the Solar System, killing a lot of Humans. It was something Harnett didn’t want to think about.

-

A few minutes later Harnett and Crylia were standing in the observation room above one of the clone awakening centers. Large glass covered cases were being brought in, and the status of the clones inside were being evaluated. Inside the room a number of Human and Kivean physicians were busily checking each case and then starting the awakening procedures. The room was sterile, with everyone wearing white medical uniforms and surgical masks.

“I never tire of watching this,” Crylia said softly. “Every time a new clone awakens, it’s a new life coming into being.”

“So many of them will be going off to war,” said Harnett regretfully. “Even if somehow we manage to defeat the Kleese, there will be more battles ahead.”

Inside the room one of the glass lids slid back, and two Human medical assistants helped a clone to sit up. The clone looked frightened and confused. The medical assistants spoke to the clone in soft, soothing voices, reassuring him everything was going to be fine. After a moment, the clone stood up and took several teetering steps with the medical assistants hovering close by. Satisfied, they led the clone out of the room where he could begin being assimilated into Human culture. As soon as that clone was removed a second case opened, this one a female. Great care had been given to ensure there were an equal number of male and female clones.

“We awaken over eight hundred clones a day now,” Harnett said as she watched the female clone sit up and then a few moments later being led from the room. “Our indoctrination systems can barely keep up. I just don’t see how we can increase these numbers without compromising the clones themselves.”

“Let’s hope we don’t have to,” responded Crylia, turning to face Harnett. “Mason is a good man and I’m sure he’ll see the wisdom of not increasing clone production.”

Harnett watched as another clone was awakened. “I walked through a section of New Eden earlier. It has changed a lot in the last two years. I saw clones on the streets and Humans were treating them as equals. In many instances, the clones have learned to behave as Humans and you can’t tell them apart.”

“A number of clones have married Humans,” Crylia was quick to point out. “They’re completely compatible and soon there’ll be children from some of those joinings.”

Harnett nodded. If her cloning experiment went as she hoped, then someday soon there would be a child in her home as well.

-

Wade and Marken were walking down the large downtown area of the Viridian habitat. Around them buildings soared high up into the air and the street was full of electric vehicles. Sidewalks were occupied by numerous people going about their daily business.

“It has always amazed me how rushed you Humans seem to be,” Marken commented as he watched a group of young people dart across the busy street. “You run instead of walking and take unnecessary risks instead of reasoning things out.”

Wade laughed. “Isn’t that why you chose our race to fight the Kleese?”

A serious looked crossed Marken’s face. “Yes, it was one of the reasons. That and the fact that nothing seems to frighten you.”

“We’re easily frightened. We just refuse to let that fright rule our lives.”

Wade stopped in front of a restaurant enjoying the aroma of the food cooking inside. It reminded him that he needed to take Beth and Erick out in the near future. Beth loved eating out though it was a slight hassle with Erick.

Looking around, Wade noticed the different stores and the advertising signs in some of the windows. In many ways it was similar to what Earth had been like, and in many others it was so different.

“If we win this war someday, I would like to see Kivea restored,” Marken said wistfully as they resumed walking. “It wouldn’t be that hard to repair the damage the Kleese did to the planet. A modest bit of terraforming and it could be made habitable again.”

“Would you move there?”

Marken hesitated and then slowly shook his head. “I don’t think so. For many of us, we like the home we have now. I’m sure some of those we rescued from Kivea might consider it. However, it will be awhile before we’ve built up our population to the point where returning to Kivea would be practical.”

“The same with Earth,” Wade said as they turned a corner and began walking toward the residential areas. “From what I’ve seen of the terraforming plans for the planet, it might well be over fifty years before we can even think of going back.”

“It’s the earthquakes and volcanoes,” Marken said with sadness in his voice. “It will take time to bring those back under control.” Marken knew that billions of Humans had died in the Kleese attack on Earth. Many had met horrible deaths as nuclear winter overtook the planet. The planet hadn’t died quickly, it had taken awhile and there had been much suffering.

Wade waved down a taxi passing by. It would take too long to walk to his house from here. While both he and Marken enjoyed their walks through the city, a four-kilometer walk was a little too much.

-

In the cloning facility, Mason Randle sat behind his desk with his eyes closed in thought. His life had been a lot less hectic since he was no longer president. He opened them and gazed across the room at a large picture showing Smithfield back in the days before the Kleese had come. In many ways he missed those days when mining was his number one priority. He had dreamed of flying to the stars and even begun construction on a ship to make the Human race’s first interstellar voyage. Then the Kleese exploration ship had shown up and changed everything.

His ship, the Phoenix, had been hastily redesigned into a warship, and his dreams of exploration had been ruthlessly taken away. It was strange now that interstellar travel was common and easy that he had remained in the Solar System. Adrienne had suggested several times that he take a trip to Lanolth and see the new capital of the Alliance, but Mason had declined. There was something special about being first, and now that could never happen.

His own brother-in-law, Michael Kirby, had even served as fleet admiral for a short time until more qualified people had been found. Mason knew his sister, Susan, was happy now that Michael was no longer involved in the fighting but had gone back to running his prospecting operation. Of course there was Karen, his niece who was studying Kivean medical technology. Mason strongly suspected that someday she might turn to the military or even go and visit other worlds.

Standing up, Mason walked over to the door of his office and after opening it, turned off the lights. It was time to go home to Adrienne and Lara and leave his job behind. He had already decided he was going to tell President Steward that increasing clone production at the present time was impractical. If Harnett and Crylia came up with an idea to increase production at a later date, he would consider it.

-

In one of the clone awakening centers, a female opened her eyes and stared up at the bright lights in fear. She could see several shapes moving next to her.

“Don’t be afraid,” one of them said in a soft voice. “We’re here to help you.”

“Help me?” she said hesitantly, discovering she knew what was being said to her and also how to respond.

“Yes, everything’s going to be fine.”

The clone smiled and allowed herself to be helped out of the case. She wondered who these people were and what was to become of her. Little did she suspect that she would be trained for war and to fight a most dangerous enemy. The Zaltule waited in her future, and the Zaltule showed no one any mercy.

Chapter Ten

Zaltule War Overlord Tetus stood upon the Command Pedestal of his flagship, the Fists of Glory. He was onboard one of the older Zaltule battlecruisers and had just received specific orders from Supreme Military Overlord Harmock. Somewhere in Kleese space, between the core worlds and the Human led Alliance, was a rampaging Human fleet attacking former nonaligned worlds and setting them free. He was to seek out that fleet and destroy it.

“The fleet is nearly ready,” reported Minor Overlord Klantos, who was Tetus’s second in command.

Tetus shifted his gaze to the bank of viewscreens showing the space around the Fists of Glory. They were in the system of Sherlund, which was one of the Kleese core systems. Sherlund was the home to over ten billion Kleese and also contained the massive shipyard used to construct new trading stations as well as exploration ships. There were fourteen worlds in the system as well as numerous moons. In the distant past, there had been several large asteroid fields, but those had long since vanished having been used as resources for the massive Kleese construction projects.

The planet Sherlund was the most heavily populated of the three worlds in the system that had breathable atmospheres. Sherlund was the fourth planet out from the K class star. The third and fifth planets had been terraformed to allow the Kleese to move about on the surface of the planets without the aid of breathing devices. All three worlds now held robust populations of Kleese, all dedicated to expanding the empire and someday dominating the galaxy. Around Sherlund, the orbiting space was full of artificial constructs consisting of space stations, shipyards, and massive storage facilities.

On the viewscreens, hundreds of Zaltule battlecruisers were visible. The ships were three kilometers across, one thousand meters thick, and heavily armored. Their hulls were covered in powerful weapons emplacements. Unlike the larger Kleese exploration cruisers, these ships were designed for war and to destroy the enemy. Capable of traveling 120 light years per day in Fold Space they could quickly travel to any section of the massive Kleese Empire.

“What is our first destination?” asked Minor Overlord Klantos.

Tetus reached forward and touched the command console in front of him with one of the seven digits of his right hand. On one of the viewscreens, a group of stars appeared. “Our war computers predict this area of space is the most likely region for us to encounter the Humans. Supreme Military Overlord Harmock believes this is but a feint to attempt to draw his attention away from the Human led Alliance. However, we can’t allow this Human fleet to be freeing former nonaligned worlds. What is even worse, they have found a way to neutralize the collars of obedience. Harmock believes the Humans have seriously underestimated the number of ships we have available and don’t believe we can respond to this threat without recalling the Supreme Military Overlord’s fleet.”

“Ten thousand of the new battlecruisers have been created in the Zaltule shipyards in the home system,” commented Klantos in understanding, nodding his triangular shaped head. “We also have nearly five thousand of our older battlecruisers.”

“Yes,” Tetus said in agreement. “Military Overlord Harmock left me in charge of our older fleet and protecting the core worlds from future attacks by the Humans and their allies. We will be taking fifteen hundred of those ships to seek out and destroy this Human fleet; the others will be left behind to protect our worlds.”

“When will the rest of the new battlecruisers still in the home system set out to rendezvous with our Supreme Military Overlord?”

“In the next few days they will be leaving,” Tetus replied. “Minor Overlord Kaluse has indicated construction is finished and the ships are ready for combat.”

“Then very shortly the Human led Alliance will fall and the Humans themselves will be exterminated.”

War Overlord Tetus nodded and turned his multifaceted eyes toward Klantos. “Once we have our victory over the Alliance and the Humans, we will begin to expand outward across the galaxy.”

Leaning forward, he changed the view on one of the viewscreens. A huge shipyard appeared, measuring hundreds of kilometers across. Inside a large open bay, a massive vessel was in the final stages of being completed. It was a new Kleese trading station; however, this one was much different from those constructed in the past. It was heavily armed and had fewer of the habitation domes on its surface. Even the assault ships that would deploy from its numerous flight bays were different. They had been upgraded and were now larger and much more heavily armed. While the Humans had shown themselves to be capable warriors, they had also demonstrated to the Zaltule weaknesses that needed to be corrected in the stations. The new trading station would have a large contingent of Zaltule warriors to protect it from possible boarders. No longer would it be possible for the Humans or anyone else to attempt to seize one of the stations. If they did make the attempt, swift death would await them.

“When the war with the Humans and their Alliance is over, that station will be moved outside of Kleese space and we will begin the expansion of our empire. In time, the entire galaxy will come to acknowledge our superiority and our rightful place as supreme rulers of all other species.”

Klantos stomped his six feet against the deck in approval. “We are the superior race.”

Tetus nodded. “When we reach the area of space I have designated, we’ll divide our fleet up into fifteen subfleets. Each fleet will have one hundred vessels and should be able to deal with this marauding Human force.”

Tetus tuned his gaze back to the large viewscreen showing the trading station construction yard. Even from here, the bright flashes of welding arcs were visible. There were over sixty thousand conscripts being used in the construction. From the latest reports, over the last two years, forty thousand had lost their lives in construction accidents. While the accidents were unfortunate as it meant new conscripts had to be brought in and trained, it was inconsequential as the lives of conscripts were unimportant.

-

Supreme Military Overlord Harmock gazed expectantly at the tactical screen. His fleet would shortly be dropping out of Fold Space into the last nonaligned system, which wasn’t a part of the Human led Alliance. Once he had conquered that system, his next move would be against either the Alliance or the Humans themselves. If everything went as expected, it would most likely be against the Humans.

“We’re nearing drop out,” reported Minor Overlord Gareth. “Do you expect the Humans or the Alliance to be waiting for us?”

“No,” answered Harmock. “The very fact that they sent a fleet into our space to attack former nonaligned worlds signifies they’re weak and not ready to come to the aid of other worlds.”

“So you believe this reported Human fleet attacking the empire is but a ruse?”

“Yes, a very clever one. If I were to respond to it by pulling our fleet back, it would delay the attack upon the Humans and their Alliance by months. That is what I believe they’re wanting, and I refuse to give them that extra time.”

Gareth nodded in understanding. “That’s why you have ordered War Overlord Tetus to search for and destroy this Human fleet.”

“Yes,” Harmock responded. “I don’t believe the Humans know our full fleet strength. Once we have conquered this last nonaligned system, they will shortly learn the error of their ways.”

“It will take time for the remainder of our fleet to reach us,” commented Minor Overlord Gareth.

Harmock felt the Warrior’s Fire drop out of Fold Space. Instantly on the main wall of the Command Center, numerous viewscreens began flashing to life.

“Alishian warships detected,” reported Jalridd from sensors.

Harmock shifted his gaze to the tactical screen. He had brought the fleet out of Fold Space two million kilometers from Alish. “Are there any Human or Alliance ships showing on the sensors?”

“No, just the Alishian fleet of sixty battlecruisers. They’re holding their position between Alish and us. They’re twenty thousand kilometers above the planet.”

“Take us in,” ordered Harmock.

He was anxious to subdue this system so he could turn his attention on his real adversary. While he expected major resistance from the Alliance when he launched his attack against their worlds, it wouldn’t be until he attacked the Human home system that he expected a truly grand battle. In many ways, he savored the thought of going into battle against the Humans. Of all the species he had ever fought, only the Humans had gained his respect. They were a true warrior race like the Zaltule and were worthy opponents in combat. While there was no doubt in Harmock’s mind that he would eventually defeat the Humans, he also knew he might never encounter such adversaries again.

“We have communication with the Alishian fleet officer. He is offering to surrender his fleet if we agree to allow his crews to go down to the surface.”

Harmock remained silent as he gazed coldly at one of the viewscreens showing an Alishian battlecruiser. The ship was six hundred and forty meters in length and seemed to be built in six sections. The sections were circular and one hundred meters in diameter. Each section was connected to the next by a short cylindrical shaped tube. The front globe was slightly larger than the others.

“Message from the planet,” Dalock added. “Their planetary leader is offering a full and unconditional surrender.”

“This nonaligned world is not as advanced as many of the others,” Minor Overlord Gareth commented as he studied some data on a screen. “Even their ships are weaker than many we have faced in previous battles.”

“We shall use this world as an example to the Alliance,” Harmock said in a cold and merciless voice. “We will eliminate their fleet and then move on to the planet. When we’re finished here, word of what we have done will spread swiftly through the Alliance Systems, and they may very well change their minds about resisting the Zaltule and the Kleese Empire.”

-

High Admiral Toshan stared at his ship’s main tactical screen with growing concern. The Kleese had so far refused all attempts at communication. “Still nothing?” he asked, looking over toward Communications. The Alishians were a short, squat race as the gravity on their world was considerable. They had diminutive legs as well as arms. Their heads seemed to set directly on their torso.

“Nothing,” replied the communications officer. “They’re also not responding to our leader’s offer to surrender.”

“Should we power up our weapons and energy shields?” asked the second in command.

Admiral Toshan slowly shook his head. “There are over twelve hundred Kleese battlecruisers inbound toward us. We dare not show any threatening gestures. If we keep our shields down and our weapons offline, surely they will accept our offer to surrender.”

“Kleese are nearly within weapons range,” the sensor operator reported uneasily. “Their weapons are online and their missile hatches are open.”

“I recommend we raise our shields,” the second officer said in a concerned voice, his eyes focusing sharply on the admiral.

Admiral Toshan looked at his long time friend and second officer. “If we offer resistance, we surely will be destroyed. No, our only chance is to submit ourselves to the Kleese and hope they show us mercy.”

“Incoming weapons fire!” screamed the sensor operator in panic.

Before a look of alarm could cross the admiral’s face searing heat swept through the Command Center, vaporizing everything in its path.

-

“Alishian flagship destroyed,” confirmed Jalridd from sensors.

“Launching sublight antimatter missiles,” added Salten from his weapons console.

“They were fools to leave their shields down,” commented Gareth contemptuously. “They have demonstrated weakness and do not deserve to serve us.”

On the main viewscreens, massive flashes of light were erupting as twenty-megaton antimatter sublight missiles struck the defenseless Alishian warships. Ship after ship was being obliterated in massive flashes of released energy.

“Destroy them all,” ordered Harmock coldly, his voice deadly and without mercy. “I want every Alishian warship turned into space dust!”

-

In space, the devastation continued. Not a single Alishian warship managed to raise its shield or fire an energy beam at the attacking Zaltule battlecruisers. It was a slaughter and within forty seconds of firing the first antimatter missile, the Zaltule ruthlessly blew apart the last warship of the Alishians. Where the proud Alishian fleet had once orbited, now all that remained were wisps of glowing gas and drifting wreckage.

From the surface of the planet frantic pleas continued to fill the communication frequencies with offers to surrender. The Zaltule battlefleet went into orbit above the planet at four thousand kilometers. For an hour, the fleet orbited and then their missile tubes became active once more. Two thousand twenty-megaton antimatter missiles slammed into the planet annihilating over two billion inhabitants in a matter of a few seconds.

Across the planet cities were leveled and massive fires raged, consuming the ruins. Palls of smoke began rising up into the atmosphere, darkening the sun. The few panicked survivors fled into the countryside heading for the mountains and other isolated areas hoping they would be spared.

It didn’t take long for the planet’s atmosphere to become dark and foreboding as dust, ash, and smoke from the raging fires turned daylight into dusk and in some areas to actual darkness. Communications from the planet had ceased almost immediately after the first missile fell as no communication centers had survived the initial bombardment.

For another hour, the Zaltule warfleet continued to orbit the planet and then two thousand more antimatter missiles rained down upon the planet. Large areas of the surface turned molten and the ground shook from earthquakes and reawakened volcanoes. If there were any survivors on the surface, their remaining lifespans would be very short.

-

“It’s done,” Minor Overlord Gareth said without regret in his voice. “The Alishian civilization has been destroyed.”

“Send our ships out across the system,” Harmock ordered. “Track down every Alishian ship and destroy every base or facility they can find.”

-

For hours the Zaltule battlecruisers spread throughout the star system, seeking out any cargo ships or passenger liners that might be in hiding. Across the moons and asteroids, Zaltule ships cruised low scanning for any signs of Alishian life. Occasionally a battlecruiser would pause and the surface of a moon or asteroid would erupt with antimatter energy, leaving behind a deep and often molten crater.

Alishian ships were ruthlessly hunted down, and a few in desperation entered Fold Space to flee toward Alliance space. Most of the ships were undersupplied and had no chance of completing the journey. Other ships that lacked a Fold Space drive tried to hide in the outer regions of the system using just enough power to keep their life support systems functional. Unfortunately, this made the ships detectable to the Zaltule and after awhile even those vessels ceased to exist.

-

“It’s over,” Minor Overlord Gareth reported as Zaltule ships began reporting in. “All Alishian vessels and outposts have been destroyed.”

Harmock stood still upon the Command Pedestal. “What about those that managed to jump into Fold Space?”

“Most will not make it to Alliance space,” Gareth answered. “Those that do will spread word of the destruction of Alish.”

Harmock felt no remorse that he had in all likelihood just wiped out an intelligent species. “The Alliance will hear of what we did to this star system. They will know the fate that awaits them. Perhaps this will weaken the Human led Alliance and some of their worlds will decide not to resist us when we launch our attack.”

“This system had nothing to offer us,” Gareth said in a cold and uncompromising voice. “It is just as well that this species has been eliminated.”

“When we have conquered the Alliance and destroyed the Humans, the Kleese Empire will be firmly under Zaltule control,” Harmock said, his feet making clicking noises against the metal deck of the Command Pedestal. “At that time, we will eliminate those races which are mere vermin and only keep those that can be of service to the empire.”

“That day comes near,” Gareth responded. “The Kleese are the superior race in the universe, and the Zaltule are the supreme clan of the empire. It is our destiny to rule.”

Harmock spent a few moments gazing at the viewscreens, several of which showed the now obscured planet of Alish. Its atmosphere was dark and menacing, laced with brown and black. Static lighting flashed from the massive quantities of contaminants that now polluted the air. It would be many years before life came back to the planet. Until then, it would stand as mute testimony to the power of the Kleese and particularly the Zaltule.

“Assemble the fleet,” Harmock ordered. “We will go to the trading station in Sector Thirteen to await our other ships. Once they arrive, we’ll launch our attack against the Alliance and the Humans.”

Gareth moved to obey. Very shortly all the internal threats to the empire will have been removed. Then it would be time for the Zaltule to lead the Kleese race in the conquest of the rest of the galaxy. It was the destiny of the Kleese to rule, and all would know and obey the supreme race.

-

Fleet Admiral Rivers stood in the Command Center of his flagship, the heavy battlecruiser Independence. The ship was only two light-years from Alish, and he was gazing at the large viewscreen on the front wall of the Command Center in shock. Several stealthed reconnaissance ships were in the Alishian system transmitting back data on the Zaltule attack.

“They destroyed the entire system,” muttered Commander Greerman, his eyes wide in shock at what was on the viewscreen. “They dropped over four thousand antimatter missiles on the planet and then ruthlessly hunted down every surviving ship in the system.”

“They’re animals,” said Lieutenant Sandra Brim from Tactical.

“Damn spiders!” added Lieutenant Horace Rodriquez from his helm and navigation console. “How could they do that? An entire race wiped out.”

“There will be a few survivors,” Rivers said, recovering his composure. “A number of vessels escaped into Fold Space, and I’m sure there are some cargo ships and perhaps even a few passenger liners visiting other systems.”

“Not enough to provide for a viable gene pool,” said Greerman, shaking his head sadly.

Admiral Rivers nodded in agreement. He had brought part of Fourth Fleet to this region of space to observe the Zaltule attack upon Alish. It hadn’t been practical to attempt to engage the Kleese in battle as the fleet wasn’t quite ready yet. It had pained Rivers to no end to watch what the Zaltule had done to the Alishians. They had also come for another reason.

“Contact the Ellipse and tell Captain Johnson his mission is a go,” ordered Rivers with a heavy sigh. Now would begin the dangerous part of his plan.

The Ellipse was one of the two stealth vessels in the Alish System. The Kiveans and the Deltons had been pretty certain the two small ships would be undetectable to the Kleese. Now was time for the hard part. The Ellipse was going to close with the Kleese fleet and attempt to attach a number of tracking devices to their hulls. The devices were constructed of the same stealth material as the small ships and were designed to give off a single tracking ping once per day on a specific frequency. With any luck, the Kleese would never know the tracking devices were there, nor would they be able to detect the brief signal.

“Message sent,” reported Ensign Martin Entz from Communications.

“Now we wait,” Admiral Rivers said as he sat down in his command chair.

On one of the viewscreens, he could see the heavy battlecruiser Union. He had brought the Union as well as four regular battlecruisers as escorts. His ships were hidden in the far outskirts of a small brown dwarf star system in a rocky ice field of comets and small asteroids.

-

In the Alishian Star System, the Ellipse received the message that her clandestine mission was on.

“Take us in, ten percent sublight,” ordered Captain Johnson. It was completely silent in the small Command Center as if everyone was afraid that even their breathing might be detected by the Kleese.

“Twenty thousand kilometers from the nearest Zaltule battlecruisers,” reported Ensign Howard in a soft voice. “No sign they’ve detected us. The Kleese don’t seem to be doing any active scanning at the moment.”

“Why should they?” commented Captain Johnson. “They’ve destroyed everything in the system.”

The Command Center became quiet once more as everyone focused on their jobs. The small ship steadily drew nearer the Zaltule battlecruisers. On the ship’s two viewscreens, the monstrous three kilometer in width vessels steadily grew larger until they filled the screens.

“Twenty kilometers to nearer vessels,” whispered Ensign Howard.

“All stop,” ordered Captain Johnson, his eyes glued to the viewscreens. “Deploy the first flight of tracking drones.”

Two small hatches slid open on the outer hull of the dark black vessel. Six small drones drifted out and then began moving rapidly toward the Kleese ships. As the drones neared the Kleese vessels, they slowed and then crept forward, landing upon the hulls. The drones were painted the same dark color as the Zaltule battlecruisers, which would make them nearly impossible to see.

Once the first set of drones had been successfully deployed, a second set drifted out of the open hatches on the Ellipse and proceeded to do the same as the first.

“All drones are attached to Zaltule battlecruisers,” reported Ensign Howard with relief in his voice. “There’s no evidence the Kleese ever noticed.”

“Very well,” Captain Johnson said pleased that the plan had worked. “Now, back us out of here and let’s put some distance between us and those Kleese warships.”

-

On board one of the Zaltule battlecruisers, a sensor operator looked closely at his console. It was detecting an unidentified contact within one hundred kilometers of the vessel. The only problem was the contact kept fading in and out. After a few more moments, the contact faded away completely, and the sensor operator decided it had been a sensor ghost or possible malfunction. Shrugging his shoulders, the Zaltule decided the strange contact wasn’t worth reporting.

-

Back in the brown dwarf system, the communications officer turned toward Fleet Admiral Rivers. “The Ellipse reports the tracking drones have been deployed.”

“We did it!” Commander Greerman said with a jubilant look in his eyes.

Admiral Rivers allowed himself to take a long and deep breath. This had been the dangerous part of the mission and even the Kiveans had felt there was a 40 percent chance the Ellipse might be detected when they deployed the drones. It looked now as if they had gotten away clean.

“The two stealth ships should be jumping into Fold Space shortly,” Commander Greerman added.

“Once they return, let’s get out of here,” Admiral Rivers ordered. “With a Kleese fleet that large, I have no desire to hang around to see what they’re going to do next.”

Admiral Rivers thought over what they had just achieved. There had been nothing they could do to save the Alishians. At least their deaths wouldn’t be in vain. If the tracking drones worked as the Kiveans and Deltons said they would, then they would be able to track the Kleese fleet. Already a series of hyperspace communication buoys were being emplaced around the Alliance. With any kind of luck, they would have a two to three day notice of any impending Kleese attack. Tactical wise, they had just achieved a strategic victory. Rivers just wished there had been something the Alliance could have done to save the Alishians. The failure to do so would haunt his dreams for quite some time.

Chapter Eleven

Seventeen days after their attacks on Airad and Haycen, Seventh Fleet once more dropped out of Fold Space within range of their planned targets. They were on the distant outskirts of a red giant star system close to three former nonaligned worlds.

“No contacts,” reported Lieutenant Lash, the sensor operator on board the Constellation. “I’m also not detecting any planets, moons, or asteroids.”

“Secure from Condition One and go to Condition Three,” ordered Admiral Adamson. “We’ll stay here for twelve hours before launching our attacks.” He was relieved that they had made it this far without being detected. They’d been careful to only drop out of Fold Space in systems with low probabilities of the fleet being noticed.

“Three systems at once,” commented Commander Shepherd with a frown. She looked over at the admiral. “Do you think it’s wise to spread our forces so thinly?”

Adamson switched his gaze from the tactical screen to his second in command. Sandra was a good officer and not afraid to voice her concerns. “It’s a risk,” he admitted. “By now the Kleese know there’s a Human fleet prowling around in their space and they’re bound to be looking for us. That’s one of the reasons we came another fourteen hundred light-years deeper into their empire. They may not suspect we would go this far into their space. Also, once we launch these attacks, it’s bound to cause the Kleese to wonder if our ultimate target might not be their core worlds.”

Sandra nodded her understanding. “I wish we knew what was going on back home. I hate being out of communications range like this.”

Adamson fully agreed. The Constellation had the power to send a message back to the Alliance, but it would take several days from this range for the message to get there and then two or more days for a reply. It would be too dangerous to remain in one location for that length of time if they wanted to continue to avoid detection. There was also the grim possibility that the transmission could be detected or intercepted.

“Get some rest, Sandra,” Adamson suggested. “Twelve hours from now things are going to start to get intense.” That was when he would be sending the fleet to their designated targets.

Commander Shepherd nodded and contacted the ship’s third officer. Captain Swenson could handle the Command Center while she was away. The admiral could also step out if he so desired.

-

Captain Ryan Nelson was once more in the Command Center of the assault cruiser Deliverance. He was talking to Captain Durham about their planned target and what they might encounter on the planet. “This is an older nonaligned world,” Ryan was saying. “From what we know of it, the people of this system were depending solely on the neutrality agreement they had signed with the Kleese to protect them. When the Zaltule came, there wasn’t even any attempt at resistance. The leaders capitulated as soon as the first Zaltule ship dropped out of Fold Space.”

“This is a unique system,” said Captain Durham. “There are two planets in the Goldilocks Zone and both are inhabited.”

“We’re not even sure where the Kleese are on either planet,” Ryan said with a deep sigh. He had spent hours studying the information they had on the system. The databases from the two captured trading stations were quite useful in that regard.

Captain Durham adjusted the screen they were using to view one of the planets. It quickly swelled to a close up view of a large city. “This is the capital of the two planets. It also has the largest spaceport in the system. If I had to make a guess, the Kleese will be somewhere on it.”

“That seems to be their normal operating procedure,” Ryan said, agreeing with Durham. The spaceport was quite large and had numerous large buildings on it and around its periphery. There were landing berths for dozens of spacecraft.

They spent another few minutes discussing the upcoming mission and then Ryan excused himself. He wanted to get something to eat before turning in to get some rest.

-

“Come on, Lauren,” Alexander pleaded as he twirled his fork in his mashed potatoes. “I didn’t mean to put Private Richards in the infirmary.”

Lauren stood up and put her hands on her hips. “Hand-to-hand combat using a Type Four suit against a Type Three isn’t fair.”

“He needed the practice in the Type Three,” Alexander said defensively, wondering how he was going to extricate himself from this mess. Too often recently he was ending up on Lauren’s bad side. This was another one of those unfortunate situations.

“Alexander’s right,” Juan said as he munched on a ham sandwich. “We all need to be proficient in both types of battlesuits. Camden made a mistake and got his arm broken. It wasn’t intentional.”

“Sit down, Lauren,” Casey said, feeling bemused by the situation. It was becoming more evident every day that Lauren was becoming more infatuated with the young private. “We all need to eat and then turn in for some rest before our mission. Camden will be out of the med bay in another few hours as good as new.” Casey knew a shot of the medical nanites would have the private’s broken arm completely healed in no time.

Lauren sighed and sat back down. She reached for her fork and speared a piece of cut up chicken breast on her plate. Looking over at Alexander, who was sitting across from her, she said, “Just be careful; I don’t want anyone else hurt unnecessarily.”

Alexander nodded and began eating again. He had gotten off easy this time, but he knew Lauren would get him back sometime in the future. The problem was he hadn’t intentionally tried to hurt Camden. It had been an accident and he had rushed the private immediately to the med bay for treatment.

-

Ryan came into the mess hall and, going to get a tray and a plate, proceeded to fill it. He picked roast beef and mashed potatoes but only about half of what he normally ate. Going over to the table where his friends were he sat down next to Casey. “Anything new going on?”

Casey smiled and nodded. “Just the usual. What did you find out about our mission?”

“We’re not quite certain where the Kleese are on the planet we’re going to hit. I spoke earlier to Colonel Winfrey and later to Captain Durham, and they both agree our best bet is the main spaceport.”

“What are the people like on this planet?” asked Alexander curiously.

Ryan leaned back and looked over at Alexander. “Did you ever watch any werewolf movies when you were younger?”

Alexander’s eyes widened. “You have got to be kidding!”

With a laugh, Ryan shook his head. “No, I’m not. The people of this planet are very similar to large wolves that walk upright. Their heads are wolf-like, and they have bright yellow eyes. They have hands, but also very sharp claws that retract.”

“How can a race like that not be warlike?” asked Lieutenant Guthrie. Autumn was sitting at the end of the table eating a large leafy salad.

“They were in their early days,” responded Ryan, recalling what he had read from the database. “They were so violent they nearly destroyed their world. Since that time they’ve put their violent tendencies behind them and have taken great pains to become a peaceful and productive society.”

“Until the Kleese and the Zaltule showed up,” muttered Jasmine.

Ryan looked back over at Alexander. “I understand Private Richards had a training accident?”

Alexander turned a little pale and fidgeted in his chair, not daring to look at Lauren. “A broken arm; he should be fine by the time we deploy.”

“Accidents happen,” Ryan said. “Let’s just make sure we do everything we can to hold them to a minimum. We never know when we may need everyone to fight.” He wondered if Alexander had been involved. He would ask Lieutenant Guthrie later when they were alone.

“Yes, sir,” Alexander answered as he took a bite of his mashed potatoes. For some reason, the potatoes didn’t taste as good as they had earlier.

“How much resistance are we expecting on the planet?” asked Mary.

“Unknown,” Ryan answered as he cut up his roast beef. “We’ll take sufficient Marines to ensure we can complete our mission. Also, the Defender will be going along as our heavy backup. The Constellation and the Callisto will be leading our other ships against the other two targets. We’ll be dividing the fleet up into three task groups.”

Casey put her hand on top of Ryan’s; at least at this table, she wasn’t concerned about the others seeing this showing of affection. “I don’t like splitting the fleet up like that; what if one group runs across heavy resistance?”

Ryan understood Casey’s concern. “That’s why we have Admiral Adamson and Colonel Winfrey. It’s their job to keep us safe and ensure we have the resources to complete our mission.”

Casey nodded and removed her hand from Ryan’s.

The group continued to talk about the upcoming mission as well as what they would do with their leave time when they returned to Freedom Station. Juan wanted to go astro gliding again at Luna City, and Alexander wanted to spend time in Vesta doing some fishing in the rivers and small lakes. Lauren liked that idea as her parents lived in New Eden.

-

Later, Ryan walked Casey back to the quarters she shared with Lauren. “I’ll be glad when this mission’s over,” he said. “I miss spending time with you.”

Casey smiled and looking up and down the short corridor was pleased to see that no one was in sight. She stopped and kissed Ryan quickly on the lips. “I miss our time together also. When this mission is over, I want us to spend some time with your parents, and I want to see Wade and Beth’s little boy.”

“Getting ideas?”

Casey’s face blushed and she giggled. “Not yet, but someday, who knows?”

Ryan walked her the rest of the way to her quarters and after saying goodbye, turned to go to his. He allowed himself to smile. In the years he had known Casey, she had come a long ways. Perhaps someday, when this war with the Kleese was over, they could settle down in Vesta. He knew it would make his parents very happy. However, that was quite a ways in the future. For now they still had a war to fight.

-

Admiral Adamson looked at the large tactical screen in the Command Center. He had divided his fleet into three task groups. He felt uneasy about doing this, but if they wanted their mission to succeed, it was necessary. They needed to hit the Kleese hard, and by attacking these three systems, they would announce their presence in no uncertain way to the Kleese. It was bound to force them to respond. If things went as planned, then Military Overlord Harmock would be forced to pull his ships away from Alliance space to search for the marauding Human fleet.

“All task groups are ready for departure,” Commander Shepherd reported. She was in contact with all the ships in the fleet over her command comm channel.

Adamson nodded. “All task groups are to enter Fold Space as planned.”

Due to the distances between the three systems they were going to attack, the three task groups would be departing the red giant system at slightly different times. This was to ensure they dropped out of Fold Space within a few minutes of each other at their targets. That would prevent word of their attack from reaching the other targets in time for them to summon help. Nearly all civilized worlds, even those the Kleese had conquered, had FTL communication. Fortunately, it wasn’t instantaneous. By the time any of the three systems could spread the warning, the attacks would be underway or nearly over.

-

On board the one-thousand-meter long troop ship Defender, Commander Greer was waiting for the timer to reach zero. Along with the Defender, he had the battlecruisers Falcon and Firebolt, five light cruisers, and two Marine assault cruisers. Once they reached their target system, the two battlecruisers and the light cruisers would be responsible for taking out any Kleese assault ships that might be in the system. The Defender would hang back with the two Marine assault cruisers, providing them protection.

“Two minutes to Fold Space entry,” reported Lieutenant Alexis Dragger from the Helm. “Fold Space Drive is online.”

“How long will it take us to reach Lymeth Three?” asked Colonel Winfrey, who was standing next to the sensor console.

“It’s six light-years distant,” Dragger replied. “At the speed we’ll be traveling, it’ll take seventy-eight minutes to reach the system.”

Dylan nodded. That was about what he had expected. He was a little nervous about splitting the fleet in case they ran across a Zaltule battlecruiser or even a Kleese exploration vessel. However, this three-pronged attack was necessary if they wanted to draw the Zaltule away from the Alliance.

“One minute to Fold Space activation,” reported Lieutenant Dragger as she prepared to activate the ship’s drive system.

“The entire fleet will go to Condition One ten minutes prior to our drop out from Fold Space,” Commander Greer informed Dylan.

“How close to Lymeth Three will we be?”

“Two million kilometers,” Greer answered. “That will put us close enough to quickly engage any Kleese assault ships there and still far enough away that we can withdraw if we find stiffer opposition than expected.”

Dylan sat down and prepared to wait. This mission was vital to the Alliance and it just had to succeed.

“Fold Space Drive activation,” reported Lieutenant Dragger as she pressed several controls on her console.

The drive activated and instantly in front of the Defender space became warped, making the distance between two points considerably less. The more power applied from the ship’s drive, the greater the warping effect was. The ship quickly accelerated to a speed far in excess of the speed of light.

-

The Defender and the other nine ships of her task force made the transition to Fold Space and vanished from the red giant system. The Callisto, under the command of Commander Bree Symington, had left twenty minutes earlier, and now all that was left was the taskforce under the command of Admiral Adamson aboard the Constellation. Ten minutes after the Defender left, Admiral Adamson’s task force made the transition into Fold Space, leaving the red giant system behind. In the system, there was no trace of the Human fleet ever having been there.

-

Ryan was in the Command Center of the Deliverance waiting for the ship to drop out of Fold Space. His Marines were already on the drop ships awaiting the orders to deploy.

“Drop out in five minutes,” reported the officer at the helm controls.

“Are your Marines ready?” asked Captain Durham.

Ryan nodded his confirmation. “They’re on board the drop ships. I’ll be joining them as soon as we go into orbit.” Ryan had decided that from now on his Marines would board the drop ships just prior to the Deliverance coming out of Fold Space. That way if something catastrophic happened to the Marine assault cruiser, his Marines would have a chance to survive. Of course if something that dire happened to the ship, then they would be in a very serious situation.

The remaining minutes passed by quickly and then the Deliverance dropped out of Fold Space into the Lymeth Three System.

“Energy screen is coming online,” reported Lieutenant Samuel Michaels from Tactical. “Weapons are powering up and should be available shortly.”

“Contacts!” called out Ensign Edwards sharply from her sensor console.

“How many and what are they?” demanded Captain Durham, sitting up straighter in his command chair. He had expected there to be some civilian ships in the system as well as possibly a few Kleese assault ships.

“I’m detecting twelve Kleese assault ships in orbit around Lymeth Three,” Edwards replied. Alarms suddenly began sounding on his sensor console. “Holy crap! I’ve got Zaltule battlecruisers dropping out of Fold Space all around us!”

Captain Durham took a deep breath as his eyes shifted to the tactical screen. Red threat icons were blinking into existence all around the Human fleet.

“How long before we can jump back into Fold Space?” he demanded as he stood up and stared intently at the tactical screen, which was coming alive with even more red threat icons.

“Two minutes,” the helm officer replied as his hands flew over his panel. “I’m recharging the drive now.”

“A trap,” Ryan said. Somehow, the Zaltule had figured out where the fleet was heading and had been waiting for them. He looked around the Command Center uneasily seeing the sudden increase in tension.

“Orders from the Defender,” called out Ensign Ernst from Communications. “We’re to engage the nearest Zaltule battlecruiser until we can enter Fold Space. Once our drive is charged, we’re to withdraw and head to the rendezvous coordinates.”

“A Marine assault cruiser against one of those,” muttered Captain Durham unhappily. “Lieutenant Michaels, I want all available energy applied to our defense shield. I need two minutes so we can escape.”

“You’ll have it, sir,” Michaels promised.

-

Commander Greer grasped the edge of his command chair as the Defender shook violently. “Status!”

“Energy shield is at 62 percent,” reported Lieutenant Craig Coleman from Tactical.

“How many Zaltule battlecruisers are we facing?”

“One hundred and three,” reported Ensign Martin Walton from his sensor console. “They’ve englobed us and are concentrating their fire on our ships.”

Commander Greer turned toward Colonel Winfrey, who was standing close by. “Have all of your Marines put on their battlesuits in case parts of the ship suffers a hull breach.”

“I’ve already sent the order,” Dylan replied evenly. He knew they were in a precarious situation. He wondered how the hell the Kleese had figured out where they were going, or was this just a coincidence? Either way, he knew they were in trouble.

-

Kleese Minor Overlord Matol gazed at the large tactical screen with satisfaction. War Overlord Tetus had been correct on where the Human fleet would appear. Tetus had spread fifteen fleets of one hundred ships each across the former nonaligned worlds in this region. Matol was pleased it was his fleet that would have the privilege of eliminating this pest from Kleese space. He didn’t share Supreme Military Overlord Harmock’s opinion that the Humans were as great as the Zaltule in combat. He was about to demonstrate that very decisively.

“Ten Human ships detected,” reported the Zaltule at the sensor console.

“Order all ships to target their Fold Space Drives. That will prevent them from escaping.” Matol stood upon the Command Pedestal, knowing he would soon have a victory over the Humans. Perhaps the Supreme Military Overlord would see fit to raise his status to that of a full overlord with greater responsibility.

-

In space, the Zaltule had the Human fleet exactly where they wanted them. The orders were quickly sent to disable the Human Fold Space Drives so they couldn’t escape. Weapons fire erupted between the two fleets, and hundreds of deadly beams of energy filled space with their destructive power.

-

Zaltule energy beams and pulse fusion beams were pummeling the shields of the ten Human vessels. One of the light cruisers was being heavily targeted, and its energy shield was radiating higher and higher as it attempted to shrug off the vicious attack. The ship’s screen had never been designed to withstand such an overwhelming assault. A single pulse fusion beam managed to penetrate a weakening section of the screen and struck the armored hull. It drilled deep into the ship’s interior, tearing through multiple compartments. Emergency bulkheads slammed shut and repair crews hurriedly rushed to the affected areas. In the Command Center alarms sounded and numerous red lights began appearing on the damage control console.

Another beam penetrated, raking the hull and creating a gash two meters wide and forty meters long. Several explosions from inside the ship tore large pieces of the hull loose, causing them to drift away from the ship. Then a Zaltule antimatter missile struck and the light cruiser was turned into a miniature sun, killing all on board instantly.

-

Commander Greer saw a brilliant flash of light on one of the viewscreens. “What was that?”

“The light cruiser Corvus is down,” reported Ensign Walton grimly.

“We have additional ships reporting severe damage,” added Captain Alicia Damon as she listened to the communications from the other vessels over the command frequency. “It’s going to be a good minute before we can enter Fold Space. Some of the ships aren’t going to make it.”

The Defender shook again and several warning alarms began sounding. Red lights appeared on the damage control console.

“Colonel Winfrey, I would suggest you return to your Marines and put on your battlesuit,” Commander Greer said in a calm voice.

Dylan started to argue but from the icy look upon Commander Greer’s face, he knew it would be wasted. “Good luck, Commander.” Dylan turned and sprinted from the Command Center.

“Damage?” asked Commander Greer, staring directly into Captain Damon’s eyes, seeing the look of deep concern on her face. He knew the report wouldn’t be good.

“Our Fold Space Drive’s been damaged,” she said in a strained voice. “It was a glancing hit. The Chief Engineer says it will take at least an hour to repair.”

“The Marine assault cruisers are entering Fold Space,” reported Ensign Walton.

Another flash of light lit up another one of the viewscreens.

“Light Cruiser Ajax is down,” reported Walton. “The rest of the light cruisers are jumping.”

The Falcon and Firebolt are moving in to cover us,” added Captain Damon. “Commander Melvin on the Falcon wants to know the situation with our Fold Space Drive.”

Looking at the viewscreens, Commander Greer could see the two battlecruisers. The Firebolt had a jagged hole in her side and numerous weapon turrets had either been disabled or destroyed.

“Commander Strand is reporting that the Firebolt’s Fold Space Drive has been destroyed and is not repairable,” Captain Damon said in a tense voice.

Commander Greer knew he had no choice. “Inform Commander Melvin of our drive status. The Falcon is to make the transition into Fold Space immediately. The Firebolt is to follow us to the planet.”

“Message sent.”

“Helm, take us to Lymeth Three. We’re going to attempt to land at the spaceport.”

“Land?” choked out Captain Damon, her eyes bulging. “The Defender wasn’t designed to land on the surface of a planet!”

“If we don’t land, we’re dead,” Commander Greer answered simply. “At least on the planet, we can give Colonel Winfrey and his Marines a chance.”

-

Minor Overlord Matol stared in anger at the tactical screen as a number of the Human ships escaped into Fold Space. Their energy screens were far more powerful than he had expected. He had managed to destroy two of their smaller warships and seriously damage a couple of the larger ones. The two larger ones were still there and it was obvious their Fold Space Drives were nonfunctional. He could still achieve a strategic victory if he could destroy the two Human ships.

“Concentrate our fire on those last two Human warships; I want them destroyed!”

-

The Firebolt and the Defender were the only two Human ships left in the system. The Zaltule were pouring heavy weapons fire into the two ships trying to overload their shields.

Commander Lynn Strand on the Firebolt felt her vessel shake violently as if struck by a giant fist. She knew there was no way the battlecruiser could land on the planet; the damage to the ship was too severe.

“Shield it at 32 percent,” reported Lieutenant Vardes from Tactical. “It’s not going to last more than another minute.”

Commander Strand took a deep breath and pointed to a viewscreen showing three Zaltule battlecruisers that blocked their path to the planet. “Lieutenant Vardes, I want a full spread of our multi-warhead missiles on those targets. Then reload the tubes and hit them again. We need to clear a path for the Defender.”

“Yes, Commander,” Vardes replied as his hands flew over his console and he spoke to the other weapon officers sitting next to him.

The Firebolt shook again and the lights dimmed and then brightened. More alarms began sounding and additional bright red lights began appearing on the damage control console. Too many lights!

Commander Strand knew her ship was dying around her and there was nothing she could do. She drew in a deep breath and leaned forward, gazing at the three Zaltule ships that blocked their path to the planet.

“Missiles launched,” reported Lieutenant Vardes.

-

In space, twelve multi-warhead missiles streaked at sublight speeds toward three Zaltule battlecruisers. In addition, the Firebolt was firing her four particle beam cannons as well as all eight of her remaining pulse fusion turrets. Each missile contained six twenty-megaton antimatter warheads. They struck the Zaltule energy shields and detonated with a violence that threatened to bring them down.

For a brief moment, the Zaltule ships were obscured by the brilliant flashes of light. The energy released by the antimatter warheads did cause a few short-lived holes to form in the shields. Through those holes particle beams flashed, striking the hulls of several of the Zaltule ships and blasting out deep, glowing crevasses. Moments later the next wave of missiles arrived. One of the missiles flashed through a Zaltule energy screen, and the battlecruiser vanished as six antimatter explosions blew it apart.

-

“Zaltule battlecruiser is down,” reported the lieutenant at the sensor console. “The other two battlecruisers are damaged and pulling back.”

The Firebolt suddenly shook violently. The lights dimmed and several consoles exploded in fire, sending sparks flying across the Command Center.

“We just lost our sublight engines,” reported the helm officer. “I have no power. The only thing we have left are some of our maneuvering thrusters.”

“The Defender is moving past the Kleese ships and accelerating toward the planet,” the sensor operator added.

Commander Strand took a deep breath. “Helm, use our thrusters to turn us around. Tactical, fire everything we have left at the nearest Zaltule battlecruiser. Perhaps we can buy the Defender the time it needs to reach the planet.”

“It won’t be much,” Lieutenant Vardes replied grimly. “We’ve lost two of our particle beam cannons and half of our pulse fusion turrets. Power is also becoming sporadic. Shield strength has dropped to 14 percent.”

The ship began shaking violently. On one of the still active viewscreens, Commander Strand saw the Defender heading toward the planet. Already a number of Zaltule battlecruisers were in pursuit. Commander Strand wasn’t certain if the Defender would make it or not. The ship shook again and Commander Strand could hear panicked screams of pain from outside the Command Center. On the damage control console, there were more red lights than green.

“Shield is down!” yelled Lieutenant Vardes.

Commander Strand unbuckled her safety harness and stood, looking at her crew. “It’s been an honor,” she said just as a bright light flashed through the Command Center.

-

On one of the viewscreens in the Command Center of the Defender, Commander Greer watched as the Firebolt was blown apart. Debris went flying in all directions, and a bright glow marked where the antimatter missile that had destroyed the ship had detonated. He had known Commander Strand for years. Her family lived in Luna City and would take her loss very hard as she was their only child.

“Firebolt is down,” reported Lieutenant Walton in a very subdued voice.

Commander Greer nodded, accepting the fact that they were now alone in the Lymeth Three System. He winced as the Defender continued to shudder from energy beam and pulse fusion hits to the energy screen. The energy screen of the Defender had been designed to stand up to heavy punishment, but no one had expected anything like this.

“Sir, we need to slow down before we hit the atmosphere,” warned Lieutenant Dragger. “We’ll burn up at this speed.”

“Wait until we hit the atmosphere and then begin braking,” ordered Greer. “The energy shield will protect us long enough.”

The ship lurched violently and more red lights appeared on the damage control console.

“Not if the Zaltule manage to breach it first,” commented Captain Damon as she held on to her console with both hands.

“We have ten Zaltule battlecruisers in pursuit,” reported Ensign Walton. “They’re closing fast.”

The ship lurched again and more alarms sounded.

“We have a hull breach on level twelve, compartment seventeen,” Captain Damon reported as she checked her console. “Damage control teams are on the way.”

The ship suddenly began shuddering violently.

“We’ve hit the outer atmosphere,” Lieutenant Dragger reported as she desperately began trying to brake the ship’s forward momentum. “If we make it, we’re going to hit hard.”

“Aim for the spaceport,” Commander Greer ordered. “If there are Kleese there, the Zaltule won’t dare hit it with an antimatter missile.”

“Zaltule battlecruisers are breaking off,” called out Ensign Walton. “They’re not following us into the atmosphere. They’ve also stopped firing on us.”

“Why?” asked Captain Damon, looking confused.

“Either they don’t believe we can land or they want to capture survivors,” Greer replied evenly. His eyes were glued to the viewscreens showing the rapidly growing surface of the planet. “Lieutenant Dragger, we really need to slow down or we’re going to make a very large hole in the blastcrete of that spaceport.”

“Working on it,” Dragger answered as she tried to slow the ship. She was using every trick she had ever learned in flying to brake their descent.

-

Minor Overlord Matol was growing angrier every minute. The Humans had managed to destroy one of his battlecruisers and damage a number of others. He had underestimated the enemy and had paid for it.

“I want captives,” he ordered in a cold and harsh voice. He had already ordered the pursuing ships to break off and take up stationary orbits directly above where the Human ship was going to land, if it survived the landing. “Prepare our warriors to go down to the surface and capture as many of the Humans as possible. Use stun guns to ensure they’re not killed.”

-

Through the upper atmosphere, the Defender tore like a burning meteor as it came ever nearer to the surface. The ship had never been designed to land on a planet. Down toward the large spaceport it came at breakneck speed. It was instantly obvious to everyone watching from the surface that the ship wasn’t going to slow down enough to make a gentle landing. With a loud roar and a thunderous explosion, the troop assault ship slammed into the blastcrete of the spaceport. The energy shield failed instantly and the superstructure of the vessel buckled. Several large explosions blew out huge sections of the hull. Black smoke poured out from the gaping holes from burning fires inside. The ship had landed, but it would never take off again.

Chapter Twelve

Colonel Winfrey woke up with a groan to find himself pinned by a fallen metal beam. Fortunately, he was in his Type Four battlesuit and, grasping the beam with both hands, managed to lift it off. Standing to his feet, he looked around seeing that the emergency lighting was on and the corridor he was in was full of smoke. Checking his HUD, he saw that his battlesuit had suffered no damage.

“This is Colonel Winfrey,” he said over the general comm channel. “Is anybody hearing me?” It was obvious they had crash-landed. Everywhere he looked, there was damage.

He heard a jumble of voices begin speaking.

“This is Captain Stern. I have a large group of survivors at the main hatch. We’re trying to get it open. The ship has crashed and most of the power is out. I haven’t been able to contact anyone in the Command Center.”

“I’m on my way,” Dylan responded as he turned and began jogging down the corridor to see if he could find a safe path through the wreckage.

As he moved through the corridors, he came across crew personnel both alive and dead. The ones still alive he sent to help the injured and to see if the med bay was still functional. The med bay was in the center of the ship and heavily armored to ensure its survival in nearly any situation. He just wasn’t sure a crash landing was one of those.

It took nearly twenty minutes to reach the hatch. Several times he had to pause and clear away wreckage or go completely around sections where fires were burning. He finally reached the main hatch to find a large number of Marines waiting in both Type Three and Type Four battlesuits.

Making his way to the front, he found Captain Jamie Stern watching Captain Nicole Foster attach demolition charges to the hatch. Upon seeing Dylan’s arrival Nicole turned to face him.

“The hatch won’t budge, sir,” she informed him. “I’m getting ready to blow it.” Nicole was an expert with demolition charges.

“We need to get out of the ship,” Dylan said, knowing they were in a dire situation. “Captain Stern, once we get out have your Marines secure the perimeter around the ship. Once we have our perimeter set up, we’ll need to start searching the Defender for survivors.”

“Yes, sir,” Jaime replied. “Sergeant Dawson, as soon as we’re out I want all of the nearest buildings secured with Marines in positions where they can see and report on what’s going on around us.”

“Yes, Captain,” replied Dawson.

“Ready to blow the hatch,” Captain Foster said as she began backing away.

“Everyone fall back,” ordered Dylan. He was concerned about going outside as most of the Marines on the ship were in Type Three suits with only four platoons in the more versatile Type Fours.

“Ready, Colonel?” asked Nicole, gazing over at Dylan through the helmet of her Type Three battlesuit.

“Blow it!” Dylan ordered. There was no point in delaying their exit from the ship. The longer they waited, the more ready the enemy would be.

Nicole pressed the detonator in her hand and several resounding explosions rang out. When the smoke cleared, the large hatch had been blown outward and Sergeant Dawson was leading two squads of Marines through the breach.

“Incoming fire,” Dawson yelled over the comm channel. “We’ve got several large groups of conscripts in Type Two battlesuits moving in.”

“Captain Stern and Foster, get your Marines out there and secure the perimeter,” Dylan ordered. “We can’t let them pin us inside the ship.” As Dylan watched, more Marines poured through the breach, and he could hear heavy weapons fire outside the ship.

A Type Four battlesuit coming up to him suddenly drew his attention. He recognized it as Captain William Taylor, who had been in Dylan’s British Special Forces unit.

“What did I miss?’ Taylor asked over the command channel. “The ship’s a mess.”

“At least we’re down on the surface,” Dylan replied. “Where are the rest of your Marines?” Taylor commanded all four platoons of the Type Four battlesuits assigned to the Defender.

“Looking for survivors,” he answered. “I figured the Type Fours, being smaller than the Threes, would be better for searching the ship.”

Dylan nodded. “Let’s just hope the damn thing doesn’t blow up on us.”

-

Outside the ship, the Marines were trying to establish a defensive perimeter. Heavy fighting was going on between the Marines and several hundred conscripts who were pressing forward. RG rounds were flying everywhere and occasionally an RG explosive round would go off. Already several Marines had been injured in the fighting.

“Enough of this!” Captain Foster said impatiently over the command channel. “Use your suit explosives to take these conscripts out!”

“Firing,” replied Sergeant Phil Dawson as he passed the order on to his squads.

Instantly, from the twin tubes on the back of the Type Three battlesuits small explosive rounds arrowed upward to fall back down on the advancing conscripts. Explosions tore through their ranks, quickly thinning out their numbers.

RG rifle fire and energy weapons soon eliminated the rest of the demoralized conscripts. Around the Defender dead bodies lay piled high and several buildings were on fire. Heavy smoke was rising up into the air with a lot of it coming from breaches in the Defender’s hull.

“My sector is secure,” reported Corporal Lisa Hayes.

“So is mine,” added Corporal Anthony Harris.

“I don’t see any more conscripts moving,” reported Sergeant Dawson. “I think we got all of them, at least for now.”

Captain Foster scanned the surrounding area with the sensors in her command suit. It did seem as if the area in the immediate vicinity of the Defender was secure. “Colonel, we’ve eliminated the conscripts and are setting up a defensive perimeter.”

Turning around, Nicole gazed at the Defender. She felt her heart start to pound when she saw the shape the ship was in. There were several massive holes in her side and a major portion of the superstructure was buckled. The Defender would never be able to take off from this planet. They were stranded here until they could be rescued.

“Colonel, you should know from out here, the damage to the Defender is terminal.”

“I already suspected that, Captain,” Dylan replied. “I’m sending more Marines out. I want that perimeter extended out at least four hundred meters from the ship.”

“Yes, sir,” Nicole replied.

Captain Jamie Stern walked over to stand next to Nicole. She switched her comm over to a private frequency so the two of them could talk.

“We’re screwed,” Jamie said, looking dismally at the Defender. “I don’t think we’re going to get off this planet. With the Zaltule warships in orbit, our own fleet doesn’t dare come back.”

Nicole was quiet for several seconds. “I know,” she replied softly. “Jamie, I’m not going to let the Kleese capture me. I won’t be wearing one of those damn obedience collars again. I would rather go down fighting here on this spaceport than live through that again.”

Jamie nodded. “We’re not dead yet; maybe the colonel can figure something out. There are some spacecraft here on the spaceport. Perhaps we can use one of those to escape.”

“If the Zaltule don’t nuke us first,” Nicole answered. “That’s what I would do if I were them.”

Jamie stood quietly and then looked toward the center of the spaceport where half a dozen large buildings stood as well as the control tower. “Maybe we should pay the resident Kleese a visit and take them captive. The Zaltule might be hesitant about using a nuke if they know we have some captives. We might even be able to use them as a bargaining chip.”

“It’s an idea,” Nicole replied with a nod. “I’ll suggest it to the colonel and see what he says.”

“We’d better do it quickly,” Jaime said. “They could be evacuating the spaceport at any time. Once they’re gone, we’ll never be able to find them.”

-

In space at the rendezvous coordinates, Admiral Adamson was under a lot of stress. All three task groups had been lured into Zaltule traps. He didn’t know how, but the Kleese had managed to figure out where his fleet was heading.

“What’s the latest fleet status?”

Commander Sandra Shepherd looked over at the admiral and shook her head. “It’s not good. From the Defender’s task group we lost the Firebolt, two light cruisers, and also the Defender. From the Callisto’s task group we lost the Cepheus, three light cruisers and one of the Marine assault cruisers. From our own task group, we lost the Lynx and two of our light cruisers.”

Admiral Adamson leaned back in his command chair and drew in a sharp breath. It was worse than he had thought. He had just lost three of his battlecruisers, seven light cruisers, one of the Marine assault cruisers, and worst of all, the Defender with Colonel Winfrey on board.

“Damaged ships?”

“Several,” Commander Shepherd answered. “However, all the damaged ships are still space worthy and should have the majority of their systems back up and running within six hours.”

“Do we have confirmation on the destruction of the Firebolt and the Defender?”

“No,” replied Commander Shepherd, shaking her head. “Commander Melvin on the Falcon reports both ships had lost their Fold Space Drives and were under heavy attack when his ship entered Fold Space.”

Admiral Adamson looked at the ship’s viewscreens for several moments. They were back in the red giant system licking their wounds and he was wondering what his next move needed to be. The screens were full of unblinking stars. One was focused on the red giant, which nearly filled the screen.

“I’m going to send the light cruiser Warspite back to Lymeth Three. I want to confirm that both ships have been lost.”

Commander Shepherd frowned. “That could be putting the rest of the fleet in danger. If the Zaltule detect the Warspite, they’ll know our surviving ships are close by.”

“It’s a risk I’m willing to take,” Adamson replied evenly, his eyes shifting to Commander Shepherd. “We don’t leave our people behind!”

-

Colonel Winfrey and Captain Taylor were standing in the ruined Command Center of the Defender. Commander Greer was severely injured and in the ship’s med bay undergoing treatment. The doctor was administering medical nanites in the hope they could save the commander’s life. The med bay had come through relatively unharmed and was running on an emergency power generator. Most of the rest of the command crew had died when an explosion had roared through the Command Center, tearing consoles loose and bringing down support beams from the ceiling. Captain Damon, Lieutenant Dragger, Lieutenant Coleman, and Ensign Walton had all died at their posts. Over 80 percent of the crew in the Command Center had perished in the crash-landing.

“What’s the latest report on survivors?” Dylan asked Taylor.

“Not good, sir. Out of a crew of six hundred we have three hundred and twenty confirmed dead, forty missing and around eighty severely injured.”

“Our Marines?”

“Our Marines fared much better, but only because they were in their battlesuits. Even so we lost eighty-seven.”

Dylan let out a heavy sigh. This mission had definitely gone south. The only good news was that the orbiting Zaltule battlecruisers hadn’t nuked them yet. A little while earlier, he had sent several platoons of Type Three battlesuits and one platoon of Type Fours to surround the large buildings and control tower at the center of the spaceport. Captain Stern was in charge of the Marines with strict instructions not to attack those buildings or the tower. If the Kleese followed their normal doctrine, there would be popup weapons in that area as well as additional conscripts the Kleese had held back for their own protection. As long as the Kleese were forced to remain on the spaceport, it might prevent the orbiting Zaltule ships from dropping a nuke.

“Captain, take several squads down to where our hover tanks are and see if we can get them out of the cargo hold. We could use their firepower if the Zaltule land conscripts or come down to fight themselves.”

“That area of the ship’s pretty banged up, sir,” Captain Taylor replied. “However, I’ll get some people on it and see what we can do.”

-

Captain Jamie Stern was several hundred meters from the tall grouping of buildings at the center of the spaceport. She had already confirmed the buildings and the control tower were protected by popups. Using her suit sensors, she also knew there were at least another hundred conscripts hiding in that area waiting for the Marines to attack. One of the tall buildings was heavily armored, and she strongly suspected that was where the Kleese were holed up.

Sergeant Dawson was standing beside her watching the buildings with his RG rifle cradled in his arms. “I wish we could go in and get them.”

“This might be best,” Jamie said. “This way they all stay alive and just maybe the Zaltule in orbit don’t blow us up.”

Dawson was quiet for a long moment. Normally, he had a lot to say. “Captain, what do you think’s going to happen to us?”

Jamie turned to look at Dawson. He had been with her from the very beginning. He had been abducted from the Marine base along with Colonel Nelson and everyone else many years ago. They all knew what it was like to wear the Kleese obedience collars. That time, in the trading station, the Kiveans and Colonel Nelson had gotten them home. Now it was up to Colonel Winfrey.

“There are several large spacecraft on this spaceport,” she said after a moment. “Perhaps we can use one of them to try to escape.”

Dawson looked across the blastcrete to where several spaceships rested in their docking cradles. What Jamie was suggesting was a long shot, but for now that was all they had. “The Kleese aren’t going to capture me,” he declared firmly.

Jamie knew what Sergeant Dawson was thinking and she agreed. She also wouldn’t allow herself to be captured alive. It was far better to die fighting than to end up as a conscript for the Kleese.

-

Minor Overlord Matol stood upon the Command Pedestal of his flagship. On the main viewscreen, the broken wreck of the Human ship lay upon the blastcrete of the spaceport. Black smoke was still coming from several gaping holes in its hull. However, Humans in battlesuits were visible moving around the ship and parts of the spaceport.

“All of the conscripts involved in the initial attack have been eliminated by the Humans,” reported one of the Zaltule, who was standing before the Command Pedestal.

Matol turned his unblinking eyes toward the Zaltule who had spoken. “What about the Kleese at the spaceport? Have the Humans killed them yet?”

Matol was well aware of the stories of how the Humans had actually killed Kleese in hand-to-hand combat. It was almost unbelievable that a vermin species could accomplish this. However, the Humans had managed to destroy one of his battlecruisers and severely damage several others. Zaltule had died on those ships.

“No, the Zaltule in front of the communications console responded. “The Kleese at the spaceport are requesting we launch a rescue mission immediately to move them to safety. The Humans have surrounded the building they’re in but are showing no indications of attacking.”

Matol shuffled his six legs on the Command Pedestal. He had already received word that the Humans had attempted to attack two more nearby worlds. Thanks to War Overlord Tetus the Human attacks had failed. Matol expected Tetus to arrive here at Lymeth Three sometime in the next twelve hours.

“Send one of the assault ships down with instructions to use their stun weapon upon the Humans. Once they’ve been subdued, we’ll land the other assault ships and take the Humans captive. I’m curious to see what’s so special about this species that they think they can challenge the Zaltule.”

-

Far out on the edge of the Lymeth Three System, the light cruiser Warspite dropped out of Fold Space.

“I want scans of the entire system,” ordered Commander Donaldson.

“Shields are coming up and weapons are charging,” reported Lieutenant Weirson.

“Fold Space Drive is recharging and will be ready for activation in two minutes and twenty seconds,” added Ensign Giles.

Commander Donaldson looked over at Ensign Jase Leighton at Communications. “Are we picking up any emergency beacons?”

“No; nothing,” replied Ensign Leighton, shaking his head. “I am picking up some communication between the Zaltule ships, but it’s encrypted.”

Donaldson weighed his options. Most likely the Zaltule had picked up his ship in Fold Space and would shortly be responding to his presence. Fortunately, he was far enough away that it would take them some time to reach the Warspite. He should have sufficient warning to allow his cruiser to escape. He let out a deep breath; he much preferred the command of his new light cruiser when compared to the assault ship by the same name he had once commanded.

“We’ll wait until the drive is charged and then send a broad beam message toward the planet. Perhaps survivors managed to land. We’ll try to contact them. If we don’t get any response, we’ll return to the fleet.” Donaldson knew that if anyone had made it to the planet, there was very little the fleet could do.

-

Colonel Winfrey was standing just outside the Defender directing the setting up of the defenses around the ship. Six of the eight hover tanks on board the troop transport were still operational, and a huge hole had been blown in the side of the ship so they could be gotten out. He also had crews checking the ten drop ships and six cargo drop ships in the ship’s flight bays. He had sent orders to Captain Stern that if the Zaltule sent down reinforcements she was to pull back to the Defender.

“Colonel,” came Captain Taylor’s excited voice over the command channel. “I’m in one of the cargo drop ships and I’m receiving a message from the light cruiser Warspite. It’s a broad beam transmission asking if there are any survivors from the Defender or the Firebolt. Should I respond?”

“Put me through to them,” Winfrey ordered. “Make sure you use an encrypted channel.” Dylan thought over what he was going to say. With the Zaltule battlecruisers in orbit, he didn’t see any way Admiral Adamson could launch a rescue mission. He was surprised the admiral had sent a light cruiser back to the system.

“Colonel Winfrey?” asked a strange voice over the comm channel.

“Yes, this is Winfrey. Who am I speaking with?”

“I’m Commander Donaldson of the light cruiser Warspite. Admiral Adamson sent me to the Lymeth Three System to see if there were any survivors from the Defender or the Firebolt that might have made it to the surface of the planet.”

“The Defender successfully set down at the spaceport,” Dylan replied. “However, the ship is so badly damaged she’ll never fly again. We’ve secured most of the spaceport and are currently waiting for the Zaltule’s next move. Unfortunately, the Firebolt was destroyed by the Zaltule battlecruisers, but not before she blew one of them to hell!”

“How many of you are still alive?”

Dylan hesitated before answering. He didn’t know if he wanted the admiral to attempt a rescue or not. He didn’t want to endanger the rest of the fleet in a rescue attempt that might be doomed to failure.

“There are a little over six hundred of us still alive. There were no survivors from the Firebolt.”

There was silence for several long moments before Commander Donaldson’s voice returned. “Our sensors have detected several Zaltule battlecruisers entering Fold Space. They’re probably coming for us. We’re leaving and we’ll tell the admiral your situation.”

“I don’t want to endanger the fleet,” Dylan said firmly.

“The admiral will decide that,” Donaldson answered. “You just need to hold out until the admiral can come up with a plan.”

The comm channel became silent and Dylan knew the Warspite had left.

“Colonel, we have an incoming assault ship,” Captain Foster reported.

A moment later an amber warning light began flashing on the HUD in Dylan’s suit. Stunners! The Zaltule were trying to use stunners to immobilize his Marines. Dylan shook his head. After what had happened to Colonel Stratford and Major Stevens, all battlesuits had been equipped with a small device that made stunners useless. There were also a number of the devices in the Defender, particularly the med bay. However, not all areas of the ship were protected due to the crash. He would have to have his Marines sweep the ship to see if any of the surviving crew had been stunned.

“The assault ship is leaving,” Captain Foster reported. “Guess they didn’t like it when they saw we weren’t falling over.”

Dylan looked around the spaceport. His Marines had taken up defensive positions around some of the nearer buildings and had even brought up vehicles and equipment they had located to form barriers. The six hover tanks were situated behind some makeshift walls the Marines had flung up to give them some added protection. Looking over toward the tall building he knew housed the Kleese, he wondered what they were doing inside. Captain Stern had reported very little movement from the conscripts defending the trapped Kleese.

“Captain Taylor, how many of the drops ships and cargo drop ships are still operational?”

“Not many,” Taylor replied. “Things got pretty banged up inside the flight bays. I have several of the ship’s engineers with me and they feel pretty confident they could get two or three of the drop ships operational and maybe one of the cargo drop ships.”

Dylan looked across the spaceport, scrutinizing the other spacecraft he could see. “Captain Taylor, when you’re through in the flight bay, take a squad of Marines and some engineers over to those spacecraft in the berthing cradles to the northwest of the Defender. See if they have Fold Space Drives and if it would be possible to fly them out of here.”

“We’ll get on it,” Taylor responded.

Dylan knew if Admiral Adamson attempted to rescue them, the best chance they might have was to use the spacecraft in the cradles to attempt to escape in the confusion. It wasn’t much of a chance, but it was better than what they had now.

-

Admiral Adamson stared at the data the Warspite had brought back from the Lymeth Three System. He let out a long and deep breath. Colonel Winfrey was trapped on the planet along with six hundred Human survivors. In orbit above the planet were over one hundred heavily armed Zaltule battlecruisers.

“I just don’t see a way in,” Commander Shepherd said, shaking her head. “If we try to land any of the Marine assault cruisers, the Zaltule will shoot them down before they can reach the spaceport. If we ask Colonel Winfrey to try to meet us in orbit, the Zaltule will shoot down anything he launches before it can reach us.”

“If we take all of our ships in, that will give us twenty-two ships if we include the Marine assault cruisers,” commented Adamson, reaching up and rubbing his forehead. “The Marine assault cruisers are pretty heavily armed.”

“We’ve already lost half of our battlecruisers, even with the Constellation and the Callisto we just don’t have the firepower,” Commander Shepherd replied in a grim voice. “These are Zaltule battlecruisers we’re talking about attacking. If we try a rescue, we could easily lose the rest of the fleet.”

Adamson closed his eyes and shook his head. The mission was a disaster. If his fleet were destroyed, Military Overlord Harmock would have no reason to pull his ships back from the Alliance. He also wondered how the Zaltule had figured out where his fleet was going to attack. Three large fleets at three former nonaligned worlds was extremely worrisome. He strongly suspected there had to have been other fleets involved as well. Was it possible they had drastically underestimated the size of the Zaltule fleet? If so, it was vital for that information get back to the Alliance and General Mitchell.

“Sandra, how long do you think the Constellation and the Callisto could stand up to the firepower of the Zaltule fleet over Lymeth Three?”

“Five or six minutes tops,” she answered. She looked intently at the admiral. “You’re not thinking of attempting a rescue with just our two heavy battlecruisers?”

“We don’t leave our people behind,” Admiral Adamson said, straightening his shoulders. “Look what happened to Colonel Stratford and Major Stevens the last time that happened. Do you want Colonel Winfrey and his Marines to suffer the same fate? We at least have to try to save them.”

Commander Shepherd knew the admiral was right. She just didn’t know how they were going to do the impossible.

-

On Lymeth Three, Colonel Winfrey was back in the Command Center of the Defender. The surviving engineers had gotten a few of the secondary systems working. Several viewscreens were functioning showing the surrounding spaceport. The short-range sensors were working sporadically and the communications console was once more functional.

“That’s it,” reported one of the engineers. “Everything else is too damaged and we’re way short on power.”

“What about weapons?” Colonel Winfrey was hoping they could get a few of the weapon turrets functional.

It might make a big difference if they ended up facing a large number of conscripts or even Zaltule warriors. Captain Taylor had reported back earlier that only two of the large cargo ships in the cradle berths were equipped with Fold Space Drives. The engineers thought they could launch them, but the ships had no weapons or energy shields.

“Not enough power,” the engineer replied. “We’re pushing it as it is.”

“Colonel, we have ships descending from orbit,” the young ensign at the sensor console reported. “It looks as if all ten of the Kleese assault ships are coming down as well as a number of small craft from the Zaltule battlecruisers.”

Colonel Winfrey stood up and activated his command channel. He was still wearing his Type Four battlesuit. “Attention! It looks as if the Zaltule are sending down more conscripts as well as some of their own warriors. Captain Taylor and Captain Foster, make sure everyone has extra load outs on ammo. Captain Stern, pull your people back from the Kleese buildings and the control tower. I’ll be out shortly.”

Dylan looked over at the engineer. “Even one weapons turret would be useful in what’s about to come our way.”

The engineer fidgeted. He was worn out from a lack of sleep and trying to piece together wrecked systems with a minimal workforce. “I’ll try. I’m not going to promise anything. The only weapon we might be able to get to function is one of the railgun turrets.”

“Do what you can,” Dylan ordered as he turned and left the shattered Command Center.

-

On his way down through the ship, he stopped at the med bay. Stepping inside, he saw it had suffered very little damage.

Walking over to the far end he concentrated and his neural implant raised the visor on his helmet. He looked down at the man on the bed.

“Colonel Winfrey,” spoke Commander Greer in a weak voice.

“Commander,” Dylan responded. “How are you feeling?”

“Like the ship fell on me,” answered Greer, forcing a weak smile. “The damn doctors won’t tell me much. How many of my command crew survived?”

Dylan shook his head. “The entire ship’s heavily damaged. We lost a lot of people in the landing. We’re lucky any of us are alive.”

Greer was silent for several long moments. Dylan thought the commander had fallen back to sleep but then he spoke again.

“This was a good crew. I suspect I’ll be joining them soon.”

“We all may be,” Dylan said with a sigh. “The Zaltule are landing their assault ships and some other small vessels from their battlecruisers. We’ll soon be engaged in heavy fighting.”

“Assault ships,” mumbled Commander Greer, his voice barely audible.

Dylan heard Greer say something else but it was so quiet he couldn’t understand it. Leaning closer, he asked Greer to repeat it.

With his lips barely moving, Commander Greer explained to Dylan what needed to be done.

Dylan stood back up, his eyes showing their stunned admiration. “Crap,” he said. “Why didn’t I think of that?” Turning, he rushed from the med bay.

-

In orbit, Minor Overlord Matol watched the ship’s viewscreens expectantly. He was sending down all ten assault ships so he could take advantage of the conscripts on board. They would be used as cannon fodder against the Human fortifications. Once they had been expended, he would send his Zaltule warriors in. Each warrior was encased in a Type Three battlesuit and would be more than a match for the Humans. He was disappointed the stun beams from the assault cruiser had failed to incapacitate them. There was no doubt many of the Humans would die in the coming attack, but his warriors had strict orders to capture as many of them as possible.

Standing upon the Command Pedestal, his multifaceted eyes gazed at the viewscreens and the descending ships. He had all of his battlecruisers on full alert. A small Human warship had been detected in the far outskirts of the system earlier. He had sent several of his battlecruisers to investigate, but it had entered Fold Space before his ships could get there. He suspected the Humans might be contemplating an attempted rescue of their trapped brethren down on the planet. If they did, it would give him the opportunity to destroy the rest of their fleet.

What the Humans didn’t know was that three more Zaltule fleets were in transit in Fold Space. The first of those fleets would arrive within the next three hours. The farthest fleet coming to Lymeth Three was none other than War Overlord Tetus. Matol hoped the battle would be over by then so the glory of the victory over the Humans would be his.

-

The ten assault ships landed around the periphery of the spaceport on the blastcrete. Hatches opened and from each ship eighty conscripts in hulking Type Two battlesuits disembarked and began making their way toward the entrenched Humans. A few moments later, a number of smaller vessels landed and from these emerged the Zaltule in their Type Three battlesuits. Very shortly the battle for control of the spaceport would begin in earnest.

-

Colonel Winfrey called a quick meeting with his three captains. What Commander Greer had suggested to him was still fresh on his mind. “Captain Taylor, I want you to take a full platoon of Type Four battlesuits and try to capture one of the Kleese assault ships.”

“A Kleese assault ship?” Captain Foster said, sounding confused. She was in a Type Three command suit. “What good will that do?”

“We can load our people on it,” Colonel Winfrey said. “It has an energy shield and just maybe we can get far enough out of the planet’s atmosphere to enter Fold Space. It’ll be crowded, but we can manage for a short time.”

“The Zaltule will only shoot it down before it gets high enough,” objected Taylor. “I would rather die here on the planet fighting back.”

“In all the confusion, the Zaltule might not realize we’ve seized the assault ship,” Winfrey quickly explained. “Captain Stern will take a platoon of Marines in Type Three battlesuits along. The Type Threes are similar enough to the Type Twos that the crew of the assault ship might not realize it’s not their conscripts returning until it’s too late.”

Captain Taylor pondered the colonel’s suggestion for a few moments before finally replying. “It’s a risk, but I don’t know what else we can do.”

“Pick your Marines and get moving. We don’t have a lot of time.”

-

Colonel Winfrey watched as Captain Taylor and Captain Stern moved out. They were going to try to thread their way through the approaching conscripts and Zaltule. If they had any hope of making it, they would need some help and he knew just where that help would come from.

“All hover tanks, I want a barrage of explosive rounds fired five hundred meters out and then continuous overlapping fire in increasing twenty-meter increments.”

This would put the rounds directly in front of the two Marine platoons and might just generate enough confusion to allow them to make it to the assault ship undetected. He knew if they failed, they were all doomed to die on the spaceport. Colonel Winfrey had already decided the Zaltule were not going to take his Marines captive. He had rigged two suit nukes to detonate inside the Defender upon his command. The resulting explosion would annihilate everything within five hundred meters of the ship.

-

Sergeant Phil Dawson gripped his RG rifle in his armored hands ready to fire. He was standing behind a makeshift wall of large crates and machinery the Marines had piled up to give them some protection.

“Keep your ass down, Sergeant Dawson,” Captain Foster said over the command channel.

“It’s Kleese time,” Phil responded as he aimed his rifle at the distant conscripts coming toward them.

Nicole shook her head. Dawson, like many of the other Marines, wanted a crack at the Zaltule in combat.

It was at that moment the hover tanks began firing their explosive rounds. Massive explosions suddenly erupted in front of the oncoming conscripts, bringing their advance to a halt. They hesitated and then the next barrage came down right on top of them. Suits were blown apart as the deadly rounds detonated. The conscripts died by the dozens, but there were nearly eight hundred of them. Several more explosive barrages landed and then the explosions began going off behind them, close to the advancing Zaltule.

“Hit them with suit explosive rounds!” ordered Captain Foster, seeing the conscripts were milling around demoralized from the hover tank bombardment.

Sergeant Dawson didn’t hesitate and began launching his rounds as rapidly as he could find a target. The confused conscripts were dying in droves as the nearly four hundred Marines in battlesuits let loose with an earth-shattering barrage. Smoke began to blot out the sun and even a few fires were burning where buildings had been hit. But now the conscripts were close enough to begin returning fire. RG rounds and even a few energy beams began to search for and find the Marines in their battlesuits.

Sergeant Foster groaned as she saw a number of green icons on her HUD turn amber and then red. Then, suddenly, explosions began going off around the Marines’ positions. She knew instantly it was the Zaltule firing off explosive rounds from their battlesuits. The battle had just taken on a much more dangerous and ominous tone. She saw several rounds strike the defensive barricades and a number of Marines go down.

An explosive round hit close to Nicole, blowing a large gaping hole in the defensive wall she was standing behind. Another icon on her HUD turned from green to red. Feeling ill, she looked to her left at the mangled Type Three battlesuit lying prone on the ground. It was Private Jacob Carter and he had been part of her platoon for a long time. Taking a deep breath, she looked out across the blastcrete at the enemy.

Pointing her RG rifle at the advancing conscripts and Zaltule, she took careful aim and fired. With satisfaction, she saw a conscript fall. Switching targets, she began laying down a withering hail of fire in the enemy’s direction.

-

Colonel Winfrey was watching the battle from inside the Defender. He had gone back inside to use the few functioning viewscreens so he could better direct the fight. With a grimace, he saw two of his hover tanks explode in fiery blasts as Zaltule explosive rounds took them out. The battle was becoming more intense as the Zaltule became more involved. If something didn’t change quickly, his Marines were in danger of being overrun.

Using one of the viewscreens, he zoomed in on the assault ship Captain Taylor and Captain Stern were nearing. With satisfaction, he saw them suddenly rush up the ship’s ramp and vanish into its interior. He couldn’t believe it, but it looked as if Commander Greer’s suggestion to capture an assault ship was actually going to work.

“Sergeant Dawson,” he said over the command channel. “Come back to the ship with your squad. I need you to escort some crew personnel over to the assault ship in case we actually get to fly it out of here.”

“On my way,” Dawson answered. “But, sir, there’s a lot of conscripts and Zaltule between us and the ship.”

Before Dylan could reply the engineer he had been speaking to earlier came into the Command Center. “Sir, I have two of the railgun turrets activated. We’re robbing the power from the med bay. They’ll only function for about thirty seconds.”

“That will do,” Dylan said with a wolfish grin. He looked over where an ensign was sitting at the tactical console. “Can you fire the railguns?”

“I think so, sir,” the ensign replied nervously. “I’ve been trained to, but I’ve never actually done it.”

Dylan opened his suit visor and smiled at the young man. “Just do as you were trained and you’ll do fine.” Dylan pointed toward the assault ship that Captain Taylor and Captain Stern had gone into. “See that assault ship, I need you to eliminate all the conscripts and the Zaltule between us and there when I give the order.”

“Yes, sir,” gulped the young man as he began hesitantly to press buttons and controls on the console in front of him. “I’m setting up a thirty-second controlled fire that will sweep back and forth between us and the assault ship.” It took the ensign several nerve-wracking minutes to finish and then he turned toward the colonel. “I’m ready, sir.”

“Sergeant Dawson, I have a little surprise for the Zaltule, have you made it back to where the crewmembers are waiting?”

“Yes, sir,” Dawson answered. “We can leave when you give the order.”

“I have two railgun turrets that I’m going to use to clear you a path. When they begin firing, get your ass to that assault ship.”

“Yes, sir,” Dawson replied.

Dylan nodded and turned toward the ensign sitting nervously at the tactical console. “Fire!”

-

On the broken hull of the Defender, two twin railgun turrets rotated into position and then began firing. Explosions racked the advancing conscripts and Zaltule, blowing huge holes in the blastcrete. The conscripts and Zaltule died by the dozens as the powerful rounds blew them apart. It was a slaughter, as not even the Zaltule in their Type Three suits were impervious to rounds designed to take out entire buildings. The kinetic energy released by the rounds was minuscule compared to what would have occurred if they had been fired from orbit, but the explosive force was still powerful enough to make the section of the spaceport the rounds were aimed at disappear in a series of massive blasts. Dark gray smoke and occasional flames leaped into the air, obscuring the carnage.

-

On one of the viewscreens, Colonel Winfrey saw Sergeant Dawson and his eight Marines escorting the twenty crew personnel who would operate the systems on the assault ship move out and head toward the now decimated enemy line. It was at that moment that the railguns stopped firing.

“That’s it, sir,” the ensign at the tactical station said regretfully. “There’s not enough power left to operate them anymore.”

Dylan nodded. “You did a good job, son.” He looked around at the six people still in the Command Center. “Let’s go; we’re getting out of here. “Captain Foster, fall back to the Defender and help with getting the injured out of the ship. We’re leaving.”

-

Minor Overlord Matol stared in disbelief at a viewscreen. It showed a major portion of the spaceport had been devastated. It was covered in smoke and fire. “What just happened?” he demanded.

“The Humans activated several railgun turrets on their ship,” the Zaltule at the tactical station reported.

“Many of our warriors died,” added the Zaltule at Communications.

“Overlord,” the Zaltule at the sensor console said, turning toward Matol. “I’m picking up inbound ships in Fold Space.”

“The Humans!” Matol said harshly. “They come to rescue their brethren.” Matol gazed at the smoke covered spaceport on the screen. He knew that hundreds of conscripts had been killed as well as numerous Zaltule. He had suddenly lost interest in capturing the Humans. He looked back at the Zaltule in front of Tactical. “Target the Human ship at the spaceport with a pulse fusion beam. I want it destroyed.”

The Zaltule hesitated. “A pulse fusion beam is not designed to be used in a planet’s atmosphere. It will destroy a major portion of the spaceport and kill many of our warriors.”

Matol rose up to his full height and gazed angrily at the Zaltule at Tactical. “Do as I have ordered!”

-

On the spaceport, Colonel Winfrey watched as Marines in battlesuits carried the wounded out of the ship. He was saddened to learn that Commander Greer had died only a few minutes earlier. Captain Taylor had reported the assault ship had been captured with no losses. Looking around, Dylan knew they needed to hurry. There was no way to tell what the Zaltule would do after the losses they had just suffered from the railguns.

-

The sky suddenly lit up as a beam of light flashed down from the Zaltule battlecruiser, striking the Defender. Marines stared in shock knowing what it signified. Colonel Winfrey’s shoulders drooped realizing he had failed to save his Marines and the injured. In a massive explosion the ship blew up, killing everyone within a six-hundred-meter radius. Conscripts, Zaltule, and Humans alike died in the powerful blast.

-

Sergeant Dawson had nearly reached the assault ship when a massive explosion shook the spaceport. Looking back, he saw a rising pillar of fire and smoke where the Defender had been. “Nicole,” he mumbled, knowing no one could have survived that blast. He stopped staring in shock at the carnage. He couldn’t believe that Captain Foster was gone.

“Sergeant Dawson,” Captain Taylor’s voice came over the command channel. “Get your people inside the ship, we need to leave.”

“But the colonel and the others!” objected Dawson. Surely some would have survived.

“They’re gone,” Taylor said in a shaken voice. “We will be too if we don’t get off this godforsaken planet.”

Dawson shook himself and then turned back toward the assault ship. “Let’s go, people,” he said feeling numb. “We’re leaving.”

-

The Constellation, Callisto, and the battlecruisers Cygnus and Carina dropped out of Fold Space within two hundred thousand kilometers of Lymeth Three.

“See if you can contact anyone on the planet,” ordered Admiral Adamson.

All the ships he had brought were at Condition One and ready for combat. He had left the battlecruiser Falcon with the rest of the fleet to act as a command ship if this rescue attempt failed and his ships were lost.

“I have a weak signal from Captain Stern,” Lieutenant Travers said. Then her face turned pale. “She reports the Defender and most of the surviving crew and Marines have been killed by what she believes was a Zaltule pulse fusion beam. They’ve captured an assault ship and are attempting to escape in it.”

“How many are left?” asked Adamson, feeling ill at the deaths.

“She reports less than sixty.”

Admiral Adamson face took on a look of grave determination. “Tell Captain Stern to take off, we’ll give them covering fire until they can enter Fold Space. Do they know the present fleet coordinates?”

After a moment, Lieutenant Travers nodded her head. “Yes, they have one of the Defender’s assistant navigation officers on board. He knows where to go.”

Adamson took a deep breath looking across the Command Center. “All right people, let’s do this. Helm, take us in. Tactical, prepare to fire all weapons.”

-

Minor Overlord Matol gazed at the four Human warships that had just appeared on the viewscreens. If he could destroy these four ships, then his victory over the Humans would be complete.

“Move out and engage the Humans,” he ordered. “I want them hit with every antimatter missile we have.”

“Overlord, an assault ship has left the spaceport,” the Zaltule at the ship’s sensors reported.

“I imagine all of them will be leaving soon,” Matol answered, not concerned about the ship. He was focused on destroying the four Human warships coming toward him. “Order all ships to close the range.”

-

In space, the two forces rapidly closed. Energy weapons began lighting up the void and then powerful antimatter missiles started slamming into the shields of both sides.

From the planet, a single assault ship rose through the atmosphere and began accelerating away from the battle.

A Zaltule battlecruiser was struck by two multi-warhead antimatter missiles, tearing a large hole in its overloaded energy screen. A particle beam and two pulse fusion beams struck the armored hull, carving a deep, glowing crater into the side of the ship.

Then the plasma cannon on the heavy battlecruiser Callisto fired and struck the already damaged Zaltule cruiser. The plasma beam tore a hole completely through the ship, setting off numerous secondary explosions. Almost instantly the energy screen went down, leaving the ship vulnerable. Another multi-warhead antimatter missile vaporized the vessel and in its place, six blazing suns appeared.

Even as this was happening, the assault ship activated its Fold Space Drive and accelerated away from the battle at a speed many times that of light.

-

“They’re gone,” Commander Shepherd said with relief in her voice.

Admiral Adamson nodded his head. “Then we’re leaving too. Helm, get us out of here. That’s way too many battlecruisers to be tangling with.” Even as he spoke, he felt the Constellation take a hard blow. A number of red lights appeared on the damage control console.

“An energy beam penetrated the shield. We have half a dozen compartments open to space,” reported Commander Shepherd. “I’m dispatching damage control teams.”

The ship suddenly began shaking violently. Consoles exploded in showers of sparks and Adamson could hear someone screaming.

“We’ve taken a hit to Engineering,” called out Commander Shepherd in a panicked voice. “Fold Space Drive is down and the sublight drive is damaged.”

“They’re hitting us with multiple antimatter missiles,” reported Lieutenant Kali Summers from Tactical. “Energy shield is down to 19 percent.”

“Can we repair the Fold Space Drive?”

Commander Sandra Shepherd straightened her shoulders and looked over at the admiral. “No, sir. It’s too heavily damaged.”

“Cygnus and Carina have made the transition to Fold Space,” Lieutenant Percy Nash replied in a quivering voice.

“I have Commander Symington on the comm,” reported Lieutenant Travers.

Adamson drew a deep breath. He knew the Constellation was finished. “Bree,” he said over the command channel to the Callisto. “Get out of here and get our people home; that’s an order. You’re in charge of the fleet now.”

“I’m sorry, sir,” Bree said. “Is there anything we can do?”

“No, we’ve lost our Fold Space Drive and the shield is about to fail. Get back to the fleet.”

“It’s been an honor, sir,” Bree’s voice came over the command channel and then it went silent.

“Callisto has made the transition into Fold Space.”

Before Admiral Adamson could say another word, a brilliant light lit up the Command Center, sending them all to oblivion.

-

Minor Overlord Matol nodded in satisfaction as the large Human warship was annihilated. In its place, a fiery ball of expanding gas was all that remained of the enemy vessel. He had been surprised at how quickly the other Human ships had fled. He was also curious as to why that single assault vessel had left the planet with out orders and transited into Fold Space.

“Inbound fleet detected,” reported the Zaltule at the sensors. “It’s one of ours.”

Matol was pleased. He had handed the Humans a resounding defeat. When the fleets gathered, he was sure War Overlord Tetus would send them out to find what was left of the Human fleet. Raising his triangular shaped head, he focused his multifaceted eyes on the tactical screen, which showed the first of what would be many Zaltule fleets coming to the Lymeth System. Stamping his six feet against the metal deck of the Command Pedestal, Matol was certain he would be promoted for his actions. Today had been a great day in his expected rise in power. The Humans had been defeated and were no longer a threat to the core worlds. Military Overlord Harmock was now free to carry out his attack against the Alliance and the Humans.

Chapter Thirteen

Captain Ryan Nelson was standing in the Command Center of the Marine assault ship Deliverance staring at the viewscreens in dismay. The heavy battlecruiser Callisto had just returned and confirmed that Admiral Adamson had been lost along with his flagship, the heavy battlecruiser Constellation. All the ships that had gone on the rescue mission were showing some signs of damage. The Callisto had several large burn marks on her hull and even a few spots where the hull had possibly been compromised.

“I can’t believe he’s gone,” Captain Durham said as he gazed at the viewscreen showing the recently returned Callisto. “Admiral Adamson has always found a way to survive. He’s been on dangerous missions before.”

Ryan felt a gut-wrenching torment. Not only had they lost Admiral Adamson, but Colonel Winfrey had perished as well. From the few reports he had seen so far from the survivors from Lymeth Three, most of the Marines and crew of the Defender had died in the blast when the troop ship had been destroyed. Even Captain Foster had met her end on the planet. Ryan knew his brother and Beth would take Captain Foster’s death very hard since she was one of the Marines who had been with them from day one. This situation was eerily similar to when Colonel Stratford and Major Stevens had died on the Kleese exploration ship.

“What are we going to do now?” asked Ryan, looking over at the captain. Ryan knew the situation had changed radically. The Zaltule would shortly be sending out ships to search for the rest of the Human fleet. There was no way they could dare go deeper into the empire, or they might never be able to return to the Alliance or the Solar System.

Durham let out a deep breath. “Well, the mission’s over, that’s for sure. As soon as we get the fleet organized I suspect we’ll start back toward Alliance space.”

Ryan wondered what all of this meant. They had obviously failed in their attempt to draw the Zaltule fleet away from the Alliance. Not only that they had suffered major losses both in ships and in personnel. Losses that would affect everyone for quite some time.

“I need to go speak with my Marines,” Ryan said after a moment. “They need to be told what’s happened.” It was a speech he wasn’t looking forward to.

Captain Durham nodded his understanding. “I’ll give you a few minutes and then I’ll make an announcement over the ship’s comm system so the crew will know what’s happened and how it will affect our mission.”

-

A few minutes later Ryan was gathered with his Marines in the largest training facility on the ship. He took a deep breath as he gazed at the concerned looks on most of their faces. They had all known about the planned rescue mission, and they must know by now something had gone horribly wrong.

Straightening his shoulders, Ryan began speaking. “A few minutes ago the heavy battlecruiser Callisto, along with the battlecruisers Cygnus and Carina, returned from Lymeth Three. All were damaged in the fighting above the planet but were able to safely disengage and return to the fleet.”

“Where’s the Constellation?” asked Alexander, cocking his eyebrow. “Shouldn’t they have returned with the Callisto?”

Ryan took a deep breath. “I am sad to report the Constellation was destroyed in the battle with the Zaltule. From the reports we’ve received, her Fold Space Drive was seriously damaged and Admiral Adamson couldn’t escape the Kleese. They gave their lives in the finest tradition of the fleet.”

The Marines grew silent as they stared at Ryan in disbelief. None had expected Admiral Adamson to die in the rescue attempt.

“What about Colonel Winfrey and the others; are they still trapped on the planet?” asked Lieutenant Guthrie, forcing herself to ask the question.

“No,” answered Ryan, shaking his head. “The Zaltule hit the Defender with a pulse fusion beam, destroying the ship and nearly everyone on board and around her. Captain Taylor and Captain Stern managed to seize a Kleese assault ship and escape with a small complement of Marines and crew. They’re currently undergoing debriefing on the Callisto.”

The training facility grew silent once more as everyone tried to grasp what Ryan had just said. How could they have lost both of the fleet’s commanders?

“They’re all dead?” asked Lauren, her face turning pale. She had known many of the Marines on the Defender, some for years.

“Yes, they died fighting and from I’ve been told they took a hell of a lot of Kleese conscripts and Zaltule with them.”

“What about Captain Foster?” asked Casey with concern in her voice. Surely Nicole had escaped.

Ryan slowly shook his head. “She was killed along with many other Marines we all knew.”

“What’s going to happen to us now?” asked Casey, her eyes wide in shock. She had met Captain Foster a number of times and knew what she meant to Wade and Beth. She was anxious to find out which Marines had made it out on the Kleese assault ship. Like Lauren, she had known a lot of the Marines on the Defender. About one-third of the Marines had been clones. “Are we going to continue our mission?”

“Commander Symington on the Callisto will decide that,” Ryan answered. “Captain Durham and I both believe that we will shortly be starting back toward the Alliance.”

“Then our mission has failed?” said Lauren, shaking her head in concern.

“We may have seriously underestimated the number of ships the Zaltule have available to them. We have no idea how they managed to discover what our target systems were going to be.”

“Will we hit any targets on the way home?” asked Sergeant McElroy.

“I don’t know,” Ryan replied. “We have a long list of secondary targets, but it may not be worth the effort. We may be better off returning to the Alliance and then back home.”

“What does this mean for the Zaltule fleets outside Alliance space?” asked Sergeant Reinhardt.

“We don’t know. The purpose of this mission was to create enough unrest in Kleese space to force the Zaltule to fall back into their empire and search for us. That part of the mission has obviously failed. Captain Durham will be making an announcement shortly, and perhaps then we’ll know what Commander Symington has planned for the fleet. For the time being all combat training is canceled. We need to think about our fellow Marines and the fleet personnel who fell in combat, for today they gave the greatest sacrifice to the Alliance and the Solar System they could; their lives.”

-

Later, Ryan was in his quarters with Casey, Autumn, Lauren, and Alexander. It was a very quiet and solemn group of Marines.

“Well, this was a big screw-up,” mumbled Alexander after a few moments as he plopped down on the small couch against the wall.

“I wonder why the Zaltule used a pulse fusion beam on the Defender? They must have killed a lot of their own warriors in the blast,” said Autumn. She was leaning against the wall with her arms folded across her chest.

Casey let out a deep sigh. “It’s war, things like this happen.” She looked over at Ryan wanting to hear what he had to say.

“It could have been any of us,” Ryan said as he looked at Casey and the others. “All of us are aware of the risks we take every time we go into combat.”

“Yeah,” Lauren said with a weak grin. “I can’t believe Alexander is still alive with all the risks he takes.”

“They’re too busy shooting at you to pay me any mind,” retorted Alexander.

Casey walked over and took Ryan’s hand. She wasn’t worried about showing some affection toward him with this group. “At least we’re all still alive and together, that’s what counts.”

“It just goes to show how fleeting life can be,” Autumn said with a deep sigh. “We’re Marines, and at any time we could face the same situation Colonel Winfrey did. Hell, we’ve been damn lucky so far.”

“This war with the Zaltule is coming to a head,” Lauren commented, coming over and sitting down next to Alexander, making sure she wasn’t touching him. No point in giving him any ideas; he had enough of those already without her giving him any additional encouragement.

“It would be nice not to have to worry about fighting for a while,” spoke Casey, squeezing Ryan’s hand.

-

The five continue to talk for several more hours. Eventually, it was time to leave as they all needed to get some rest. As Casey stepped outside of the hatch to Ryan’s quarters, she glanced up and down the corridor only to see Lauren patiently waiting for her. She turned around and allowed Ryan to take her in his arms. He kissed her deeply and held her in a long protective embrace.

“I won’t ever let anything happen to you,” he promised in a soft voice. “When this is over, we’re going to get married.”

Casey felt her heart start to race. “I’ll make sure you keep that promise.” With that, she felt Ryan release her and she turned and hurried down the corridor to Lauren.

“That looked interesting,” Lauren said with a knowing grin. “Anything you want to tell me about?”

Casey blushed and shook her head. “Someday, perhaps. Right now I’m tired and want to get some shuteye.” She knew she would have a hard time falling to sleep after what Ryan had just said. All of her dreams were coming true; she and Ryan just needed to survive this damn war!

-

Ryan watched the two head down the corridor and vanish from sight as they entered another. With a long sigh, he went back inside his quarters. Early in the morning, he planned to pay Captain Durham a visit to see what Commander Symington planned for the remainder of the fleet. After what had happened, he just couldn’t see the commander rushing back to the Alliance and the Solar System without making the Kleese pay for what they had done. They’d lost too many people not to extract a little revenge out of the Kleese, particularly the Zaltule. He also wasn’t looking forward to telling his brother about Colonel Winfrey and Captain Foster.

-

Supreme Overlord Xatul watched as his fleet gathered at the edge of Strell space; twenty-two hundred Strell battlecruisers, four hundred and eighty-two Kleese exploration ships, and two hundred and forty new Kleese battlecruisers. There were also two massive Kleese trading stations, which had been heavily armed and provided with stronger energy shields as well as thicker armor. In orbit around the two trading stations were six thousand assault ships, all modified with additional weapons and with Kleese in command of them. This coming battle was too important to allow any conscripts, even the most trusted, to command the ships.

“All is ready,” Overlord Syndat spoke. Syndat was on the Command Pedestal of the Empire’s Dawn at Xatul’s side. “The Strell fleet is ready for combat. Den Leader Bith has confirmed that his fleet is ready to enter Fold Space at your command.”

Shortly Syndat would be going over to one of the trading stations as they were owned by his family. He also felt safer since they were now heavily armed and protected by thousands of conscripts trained in the use of the Type Two battlesuits. He had also taken the precaution of having a number of the most trusted conscripts trained in the use of the Type Threes. These conscripts were all assigned to the command level to protect the large Command Center in the trading station from attack. He also had twenty members of his clan who would serve as guards inside the Command Center. Each one of these would be wearing a Type Three battlesuit as well.

Overlord Bixutl was on board another one of the new powerful Kleese battlecruisers. His vessel would act as the reserve flagship in case the Empire’s Dawn became disabled.

“Then it’s time,” Supreme Overlord Xatul said in exultation. It was time to return to the empire and for him to reclaim his rightful place as the Supreme Overlord of all the Kleese, including the Zaltule though if he had his way, the warrior clan would soon be a thing of the past.

Xatul gazed at the viewscreens showing numerous ships of the massive fleet. It was so large the farthest ships only showed as dim points of light. “All ships will make the jump into Fold Space upon the signal from the Empire’s Dawn.” Unlike past trips into Fold Space, new and powerful sensors on board the trading stations would be able to track the fleet. Special FTL transmitters would even allow for communication.

Xatul gazed toward the Kleese standing upon his six legs at the Fold Space control console. “Take us to the home world,” he ordered. “It is time for the Zaltule to learn they’re not the only warriors in our empire.”

-

A few moments later, the entire fleet jumped into Fold Space. They had a long way to go and when they arrived, the battle for control of the Kleese Empire would begin.

-

In the Kleese home system, Minor Overlord Kaluse studied the latest reports in the search for former Supreme Overlord Xatul. Once more there had been no sign of the elusive former leader of the Kleese.

“He has gone outside of the empire,” Kaluse said emphatically. “If he were still in the empire, we would have found him.”

“Supreme Overlord Xatul is no fool,” answered Genedt. “He took two trading stations with him. With those it would be very easy for him to set up a new empire amongst the distant stars. I also believe he has fled the empire and we’ll never see him again.”

Minor Overlord Drusiid shook his triangular shaped head in denial. “No, I believe Xatul and his ships are hiding in the empire, perhaps inside a nebula or in some remote sector. It may take time, but he will be found.”

Kaluse was a Zaltule and firmly believed in the superiority of the warrior clan. Genedt was a Kleese from another clan but very good at building exploration ships and the assault ships used to keep the conquered worlds of the empire under control. He was also very supportive of the Zaltule. Minor Overlord Drusiid was also a Zaltule and very well versed as a warrior.

“All of the new battlecruisers are en route to Military Overlord Harmock,” Kaluse said as he shuffled his six feet upon the Command Pedestal of the Zaltule shipyard. “As soon as they arrive Harmock will begin his assault on the Human led Alliance.”

Genedt looked at one of the large viewscreens, one of many that covered the walls of the massive Command Center. On the screen, an older Zaltule battlecruiser was visible. Beyond it, several assault ships could be seen patrolling around the shipyard. “We have sent the new battlecruisers away, and War Overlord Tetus has many of our remaining older battlecruisers searching for the Human fleet reported to be in our space. We also have many vessels out searching for Supreme Overlord Xatul. If the Humans manage to reach our core worlds, they could be in danger.”

Drusiid stomped his feet noisily. “Even with our reduced forces, our worlds are still heavily protected. If the Humans show up here, we will destroy them!”

Genedt didn’t reply. He had worked with the warrior clan to ensure the continued safety of the core worlds from the Humans. He greatly feared that in their desire to destroy the Humans and their Alliance, the Zaltule were endangering the very worlds they had sworn to protect.

“In a few months the Humans and their Alliance will be a thing of the past,” Kaluse said. “When our Military Overlord returns with his fleet, we can then complete our search for Xatul. If he is not found, then we will have confirmed he has fled the empire.”

Genedt nodded but remained silent. In the past, he had spoken to Council Overlord Bixutl about the Humans. He wondered if the Zaltule realized the risk they were taking in attacking the Human led Alliance. In many ways, he preferred the former rule of Supreme Overlord Xatul. At least his cautious approach in dealing with the nonaligned worlds and using the neutrality agreements to control them had assured the continued growth of the empire.

-

In Sector Thirteen, Military Overlord Harmock was in the Command Center of the trading station responsible for the sector. He despised coming aboard any of the trading stations because they were full of vermin from so many Kleese controlled worlds. Inside the Command Center, a large number of Nabians operated most of the control stations under the supervision of a few Kleese. Harmock gazed about in contempt at the Nabians who seemed so dedicated to their masters. Once he was finished with the Humans and their Alliance, there would be some major changes in the empire. He would require all vermin to be removed from the trading stations and qualified Kleese brought in to take their places.

The other clans of the Kleese, in Harmock’s opinion, had become weak and too reliant on the subject races of the empire to play important roles on the stations and even on Kleese exploration and assault ships. All that would soon change. A new order would sweep across the empire. Those Kleese who were deemed unfit would be removed and eliminated. With the twenty-six hidden Zaltule Queens producing more Zaltule warriors, they would soon have the numbers to force the other clans to do their bidding.

“Overlord,” spoke the station’s commander. “All of your vessels have been repaired and resupplied.”

Harmock looked over at Kamdel. He was from one of the other Kleese clans but had shown considerable initiative. Harmock had already witnessed him using the small black box he always carried in eliminating a number of the vermin on the station who were too inefficient at their jobs.

“As soon as the rest of my fleet arrives, we’ll be leaving,” he responded.

Looking at one of the viewscreens, he was satisfied at what it showed. Numerous Zaltule battlecruisers were visible. The ships were three kilometers across and one thousand meters thick. They were the most modern ships in the Kleese Empire. Once the rest of his ships arrived, he would have a fleet of nearly ten thousand Zaltule battlecruisers, which he would use to crush the Humans and their Alliance.

-

In a nearby star system, Captain Hailey Rogers sat in her command chair in the light cruiser Sparrow nervously drumming the fingers of her right hand against the armrest. The Sparrow was four point seven light years distant from the large Kleese trading station in Sector Thirteen.

“FTL signal detected,” reported Ensign Gene Taylor from Communications. “Zaltule ships are still at the trading station.”

The signal he was reporting was the single ping given off by one of the tracking devices the Ellipse had attached to a number of the Zaltule battlecruisers. Each device gave off a single tracking ping once per day on an obscure communications frequency.

“Let’s hope they stay there,” said Lieutenant Allen Stein, Captain Rogers second in command. He was also responsible for the ship’s sensors.

Captain Rogers looked over at Lieutenant Stein. “They have so far.” Hailey leaned back in her command chair. There were twelve of the small tracking drones attached to Zaltule ships. So far each was giving off its short ping once per day confirming the Zaltule ships hadn’t left the station.

The Sparrow was in a small brown dwarf system. The star was about seventy times the mass of Jupiter. The small star emitted no significant light and was nearly invisible on the viewscreens. The ship was a good twenty million kilometers away from it. There were no planets in the system, no asteroids, and no outer cometary field. It was a very lonely place to be as far as star systems went.

“Ship status?” asked Captain Rogers.

Lieutenant Stein turned toward Hailey. “All systems are operating at minimal power.”

Hailey nodded. They had orders to stay in this system until the Zaltule gave an indication they were leaving the trading station. If they departed the station, then they would probably be heading toward the Alliance or the Solar System. The Sparrow had left a line of small Kivean designed FTL communication buoys between the brown dwarf and the Alliance. Each would boost the signal from the ship’s small FTL comm system. This would ensure that Alliance Fleet Admiral Rivers had at least a four to five day warning before the Zaltule could reach the nearest Alliance world.

“Contact!” Lieutenant Stein suddenly called out as a warning alarm sounded on his sensor console. His hands ran quickly over the console touching several command icons on one of the screens. “Kleese assault ship at forty-two million kilometers.”

“Should we raise our energy shield?” asked Lieutenant Callie Smith from Tactical.

Hailey pursed her lips as she thought. As long as the ship stayed powered down, it was doubtful the assault ship would detect them. “No, not unless it turns toward us.” Hailey looked once more toward Lieutenant Stein. “What’s it doing?”

“Nothing, the ship is just sitting there. At a guess, they might be taking scans of the system.”

Hailey nodded. The Sparrow was covered with a composite material the Kiveans said should be impervious to scans. As long as they didn’t increase the ship’s power, they should remain invisible.

On the ship’s tactical screen, the small red threat icon wasn’t moving. If it came down to a battle, she knew her light cruiser should be able to destroy the assault ship with little effort. The Sparrow was three hundred meters long, fifty meters wide, and thirty meters high. The small ship had a crew of one hundred and fifty plus twenty Marines. Her primary weapon was the single particle beam cannon on the bow. The ship also boasted four dual pulse fusion turrets as well as eight missile tubes. For this mission, the ship’s missile tubes had been modified, and they all contained the new multi-warhead antimatter missiles.

“Detecting active scans,” reported Lieutenant Stein.

“I wonder if this is just a routine sweep of the system?”

“Possibly, Captain,” Stein replied. “As close as this system is to the trading station, it might be a routine patrol.”

The minutes passed slowly and the tension inside the Command Center was high. If they were detected, their mission would be a bust and they wouldn’t be able to give Alliance Fleet Admiral Rivers an early warning of an impending Zaltule attack.

“Detecting an energy spike,” reported Lieutenant Stein as he leaned forward intently, watching his sensors.

Hailey looked toward the tactical screen just in time to see the red threat icon vanish. She breathed out a long sigh of relief. They hadn’t been detected and their mission could continue. She knew that back in the Alliance Fleet Admiral Rivers was hurriedly training the new ship crews which would soon be needed. He had a daunting task, but Hailey knew that if there was anyone who could do the impossible, it was Fleet Admiral Rivers.

Chapter Fourteen

Alliance Fleet Admiral Rivers gazed in frustration at the main tactical screen of the heavy battlecruiser Independence. The fleet had just jumped into the Darovin System and ships were scattered over a twenty million kilometer area.

“Crap,” muttered Commander Greerman, shaking his head. “That won’t work; the Kleese would cut our ships to pieces.”

“Lieutenant Rodriquez, what the hell just happened?” demanded Admiral Rivers. If they dropped out of Fold Space to engage a Kleese fleet like this, their entire force would be wiped out in a matter of minutes.

“Fleet computers aren’t synching,” Rodriquez replied with a heavy frown. “There are just way too many different operating systems and they’re interpolating the navigation coordinates differently.”

With a deep sigh, Rivers turned his gaze back to the main tactical screen. He had over three hundred warships under his command. Somehow, he had to get this problem worked out before the other fleet contingents arrived.

“Why didn’t we have this occur on the rescue mission to Delton? If I recall correctly, all of our drop outs were far better than this.”

Rodriquez hesitated and then responded. “We were using a Delton navigation program. It’s quite advanced, and is capable of interacting with all the navigation systems of the fleet.”

“Why aren’t we using it now?”

“The Calthan, Fallon, and Janvian battlecruisers don’t have the Delton navigation program loaded into their nav computers. They insisted on using their own.”

Admiral Rivers looked intently over at Rodriquez. “And how long would it take to load the Delton program into their navigation computers?”

“A few hours, if they’re agreeable.”

“They’ll be agreeable,” Admiral Rivers said sharply. “Ensign Entz, I want a direct line to all of the ships in those three fleets, immediately!”

Rivers wanted to swear. The problem with working with so many different fleets was that the nonaligned worlds they came from were so advanced they found it hard to accept someone might have something that worked better than what they already had. This navigation error was a good example of some of the problems he was facing coordinating this fleet. More worrisome there were still over twenty additional fleet formations from other Alliance worlds scheduled to join Fourth Fleet in the next few days. He had hoped to have most of the problems in his core fleet ironed out before they arrived.

Commander Greerman looked over at the admiral. “This is a pretty large fleet; overall they’ve done pretty well with the combat drills we’ve run so far.”

Fleet Admiral Rivers shook his head. “It’s easy to blow comets or asteroids apart; they’re not shooting back. What I really want to do is place several Human officers in the Command Centers of each one of those ships.” Only a few of the Lanolthian, Tureen, Nalton, and Pradelian ships in the fleet had ever experienced combat, and that had been on the Delton rescue mission. The rest of the ships from those four races were in their home systems helping to train other ship crews.

“All ships are making their way to our position,” Lieutenant Mandy Hertz reported from her sensor console. “It will take a few minutes for them to take their assigned spots in our fleet formation.”

“I have all the indicated ship commanders on the command link,” added Ensign Entz.

Admiral Rivers nodded. Now he would have to explain why it was so important that the Delton navigation program be downloaded to all of the fleet’s navigation computers. He had already decided any ship that refused would be sent home. He hoped that would be enough of an incentive to ensure all the ship commanders complied.

-

Once the fleet had reassembled, it didn’t take Fleet Admiral Rivers long to convince all the commanders to accept the Delton program. They were made to understand, in no uncertain words, what would have happened if there had been a Zaltule battle fleet waiting on them in the Darovin System. Only a few commanders had objected, but when threatened with being removed from the fleet they had acquiesced.

It had taken nearly four hours to get the navigation program downloaded to all of the ships and tested to ensure it was working properly. It had been necessary to send a few Human computer techs over to help with the interfaces to make the new program compatible with some of the navigation computers in the fleet.

Finally, all ships reported compliance and Fleet Admiral Rivers had the fleet practice making some short Fold Space drop outs in various sections of the system. After each drop out he closed the formation and did it again, emerging each time with the ships evenly spaced from each other and ready for combat. He finished with the fleet dropping out in a tight formation next to a grouping of comets and obliterating them with the fleet’s energy weapons and pulse fusion beams. Overall, he was satisfied with the navigation program’s performance. He breathed a sigh of relief, satisfied the problem had been solved. Now it was time to go on to others.

-

“How much longer do you think we have before the Zaltule make a move on the Alliance?” asked Commander Greerman as he watched a disintegrating comet on one of the viewscreens. The comet had been hit with several pulse fusion beams from Calthan and Fallon battlecruisers. The fleet was continuing to perform battle drills in the comet and asteroid field.

Admiral Rivers looked over toward his second in command. “I don’t know. We have no idea what effect Admiral Adamson’s fleet will have on the Zaltule. If they’re going to respond to the threat of Seventh Fleet, there should be some movement shortly. So far the Sparrow hasn’t sent back any messages indicating they’ve detected anything.”

On one of the other viewscreens, a large asteroid blew apart as several Lanolthian battlecruisers used their powerful ion cannons on it. They then finished off the smaller pieces with their energy cannons.

“Nice shooting,” commented Rivers. The Lanolthians had come a long way in the last few years. It was one of the reasons Lanolth had been chosen as the capital of the Alliance. The Lanolthians also had the largest contingent of vessels in Fourth Fleet, with more promised.

Commander Greerman studied some information on his command console before turning back toward the admiral. “What about the six smaller fleets we’ve set up, what are we going to do with them?”

“We have a Human heavy battlecruiser in charge of each one,” Admiral Rivers answered as he watched a Tureen battlecruiser make an attack run on a rather large comet. A single sublight missile left the ship and almost instantly, the comet vanished in a blaze of light as a forty-megaton antimatter warhead detonated.

Commander Greerman had a thoughtful look upon his face. “Those Tureen antimatter missiles are pretty powerful. Can you imagine what the firepower of a Janvian battlecruiser would be if we could place our multi-warhead missiles with Tureen warheads in their missile tubes?”

Greerman was referring to the fact that the Janvian battlecruisers were one thousand meters in length. Their primary weapons were powerful sublight antimatter missiles. Each ship had sixty missile tubes, which could be used for highly precise and coordinated missiles strikes. The ship’s hull also had numerous energy beam turrets for offense and defense. On the bow, there was a large energy cannon that could fire a highly concentrated beam of energy.

Admiral Rivers allowed himself to smile. “We’re working on that. A fleet of Janvian battlecruisers is currently in the Solar System having their missile tubes modified for multi-warhead missiles. There are some Tureen scientists there as well helping to adapt their antimatter warhead technology to the missiles. Once they’re finished the ships will be assigned to Fourth Fleet.”

The Tureen were the only race known to have developed a technology capable of producing a forty-megaton antimatter explosion. Antimatter in quantities capable of generating more than a twenty-megaton explosion normally became unstable and had a tendency to detonate without warning.

On the viewscreen, the Tureen battlecruiser was moving away from the destroyed comet to join back up with the fleet. On other screens more asteroids and icy comets were being pulverized by various ships.

“When will Second Fleet and Third Fleet be joining us?” asked Greerman. The other two Solar System fleets were already well past their deployment dates.

Admiral Rivers hesitated for a moment. “Not for awhile; there’s a growing concern in command circles that the Zaltule might strike the Solar System instead of the Alliance.”

Greerman’s face turned pale at the thought. “What are General Mitchell and Fleet Admiral Kelly doing to prepare for that?”

“They’re beefing up the defenses in the Solar System. From what I understand, they’re installing more ion cannons around all the colonies. Vesta is being turned into a veritable fortress.”

“And back to the six smaller fleets we have?”

“Each of those fleets has only about seventy battlecruisers. They’re going through the same type of training we are though I think it would be wise to require all ships that are joining the different fleets to have the Delton navigation program installed. We should pass that word on to the six smaller fleets as well.”

Commander Greerman turned his attention back to one of the viewscreens. A squadron of eight-hundred-meter Nalton battlecruisers were making a pass over three large asteroids. As they did each cruiser fired a barrage of high-intensity energy beams at the asteroids, cutting them in two.

-

Back in the Solar System, Colonel Wade Nelson was visiting Marken at a weapons research center deep inside a small asteroid a short distance from Vesta. Inside the research center, scientists from all the races who had taken up residence in the Solar System were hard at work trying to devise a new weapon to stop the Zaltule fleet if and when it attacked.

Marken and Wade were in an observation room where they were watching the prototype of a new energy weapon being tested. The weapon fired and a searing white beam of energy tore through its target with relative ease. The two-meter thick piece of ship armor had a glowing round hole six inches in diameter all the way through it.

“Impressive,” Wade said, turning to look at Marken. “If we applied this to one of our warships, how much more powerful would it be?”

“Only twelve percent,” Marken said with a sigh. He turned away from the observation window. “It’s the same with all the weapons we’ve come up with. They’re mostly new versions of what we already have. We can improve all of them slightly but not enough to make the difference we need.”

Wade nodded his understanding. The problem was the size of the Zaltule fleet; six thousand ships were just too many to deal with. “I understand some of the Delton computer scientists have run some simulations of what will happen if the Zaltule attack the Solar System.”

“Yes,” Marken replied with a worried frown spreading across his face. “In every instance, the Zaltule are victorious and all life in the Solar System is wiped out.”

“Even Vesta?” It was hard to imagine Vesta being destroyed as large as the asteroid was and considering the massive defenses on its surface.

Marken nodded. “Even Vesta; if the Zaltule use enough antimatter missiles they can eventually crack the asteroid open.”

This caused Wade to feel great concern. Over six million people lived inside Vesta. It was home to his family as well as the cloning facility and so much more. Vesta was the one colony in the Solar System they couldn’t afford to lose. He wondered if anything else could be done to strengthen the asteroid’s defenses.

Wade walked back over to the window overlooking the room where the enhanced energy beam had been tested. “I just feel we’re overlooking something. There has to be a way to destroy the Zaltule fleet. Something we haven’t thought of that could even things up.”

“We have the finest minds in the Solar System working on it,” answered Marken, moving to Wade’s side. He was greatly concerned also. If the Zaltule destroyed the Solar System, then his race would be ended as well.

“The Zaltule fleet hasn’t moved from the trading station in Sector Thirteen,” Wade said after a moment. This worried him as it indicated that Admiral Adamson’s mission to attack former nonaligned worlds in the Kleese Empire had failed. If it had failed then what did that mean for Ryan? Wade hoped his brother and Casey were all right. “Marken, is there anything we could use as a weapon we haven’t thought about? What if we built hundreds of small bombers like we used to have on Earth, and arm them with antimatter missiles? Hell, I’d throw the kitchen sink at the Zaltule if I could get close enough or try to trick them into flying into the sun.”

Wade turned around and saw a strange look on Marken’s face. Wade had known the Kivean for years and this was the first time he had ever seen such a look. “Marken, what is it? Are you feeling all right?

Marken hesitated for a moment. “You got me to thinking about your comment. Perhaps you’re right and none of our current weapons are the solution. Maybe we need to look at something much simpler and more direct.” Marken’s eyes took on an excited look. “I may have an idea, but I need to talk to some of the others about it first.”

“What is it?” Wade was intensely curious about what the Kivean had come up with. If there were a way to destroy the Zaltule fleet and save the Solar System, it would be the Kiveans who would come up with the answer.

“Not now,” Marken answered, his eyes wide in thought. “I don’t know if what I’m thinking about is even practical. If it is, we need to start working on it immediately.”

“Will it destroy the Zaltule warfleet?”

“Maybe, if it works,” Marken answered. “We’ll need to run some tests and then construct a new base on the Moon. I have a few other ideas that we’ve come up with I need to run by General Mitchell. They’re a little unorthodox, but your suggestion about throwing the kitchen sink at the Zaltule might not be too far off.” Marken became silent lost in thought.

Wade knew he wasn’t going to get anything else out of his friend. When he was ready, Marken would explain his ideas. For now all Wade could do was wait.

-

Fleet Admiral Kelly was on board his flagship, the heavy battlecruiser Armageddon. His ship was currently in orbit over Mars and he was speaking to General Sanchez, who was responsible for the defense of the planet.

“How are the new ion cannon installations going?”

“Nearly done,” General Sanchez answered. “Every city on the planet is sitting inside a ring of them.”

“The underground shelters?”

“Finished, and our people can survive for a minimum of two weeks with the supplies they’ve been stocked with.”

Kelly gazed at the viewscreens, which showed the red planet. Plans had been drawn up to terraform Mars. Many thought it could be made habitable far faster than Earth. Mars was free of the earthquakes and volcanoes that continued to plague Earth and make it a nightmarish place to be. Only Jornada, in the former United States, was still occupied by people. General Wainright and Lawrence Henderson were both at Jornada heavily involved in salvage operations of important documents and artifacts from across the planet. They had several specially designed assault ships to use for their operations. A number of deep shelters had been built beneath Jornada. It was believed that if the Zaltule attacked, there was a good chance they would never notice the spaceport, not as bad as the Earth’s atmosphere was now. Jornada was buried under several feet of ice and snow with a continuously dark and foreboding sky. It had been years since the spaceport had seen the sun.

“If the Zaltule attack the Solar System, Mars may be one of their first targets,” Kelly said, turning his thoughts away from Jornada and Earth. “They’ll crack open every dome on the planet. How much of a warning do you need to get everyone into the shelters?” They both knew several direct hits from antimatter missiles could breach the shelters, even the deepest ones.

“Twelve hours to get everyone safely inside,” General Sanchez replied. “After all, we’re talking about evacuating ten large cities. The latest census indicates we have nearly five million people on the planet. A few live in the outlying areas. It will take some time for them to reach the shelters.”

“We can’t have a disaster like what happened at Mar’s Central,” Kelly said with a haunted look in his eyes. Nearly six hundred thousand people had died when the Kleese managed to destroy the city.

“The Zaltule show up over Mars and we’ll blow them to hell!” stated General Sanchez with confidence in his voice. “We’ve learned a lot since Mars Central was destroyed. I can promise you one thing, if the Kleese attack us here they’ll never leave again.”

Kelly looked over at his Executive Officer, Commander Kevin Makita and smiled. General Sanchez had always been one ready to go to battle if need be.

“I’ll be stationing Seventh Fleet at Mars effective immediately. Their job will be to fight a delaying action until I can get here with First Fleet if the Zaltule show up.”

“No word yet from Admiral Adamson?” asked Sanchez.

Kelly breathed out a long sigh. “No, not yet. Once he returns he’ll take immediate command of the fleet. Until he does, I’ve placed Commander Johanna Braun of the heavy battlecruiser Dresden in command for now.”

“How many ships?” asked Sanchez. He knew that a major portion of the heavy ships of Seventh Fleet had gone on the mission with Admiral Adamson.

“The Dresden, two battlecruisers, eight light cruisers, and sixty assault ships.”

There was silence over the comm channel as Sanchez thought over the fleet numbers and then he spoke. “Inform Commander Braun that I want her fleet close enough to Mars so our ion cannons can support her.”

“I will,” replied Kelly. Kelly knew even with a full sized Seventh Fleet that if the Zaltule attacked in force, Mars might very well be lost.

-

A little while later the Armageddon was preparing to enter Fold Space and head for one of the outer asteroids which held a large Human colony.

“We’re going to be spread pretty thin,” Commander Makita commented. “What if the Zaltule hit several targets at once?”

“Can’t be helped,” Fleet Admiral Kelly responded. “Everything will depend on what the Zaltule attack us with and where.”

Makita nodded his acceptance of those words.

Moments later, the Armageddon entered Fold Space and vanished from Mar’s orbit.

-

Colonel Wade Nelson was once more on Vesta. He was standing in the large spacedock just outside of the Smithfield habitat alongside General Bailey and Major Jeffries.

Wade walked over to several hover tanks parked in between two cargo ships that were being unloaded. He hoped the tanks wouldn’t be necessary, because if they were, then the Kleese would have broken into the spacedock in large numbers. The tanks operated with a three-person crew and at the moment, the tanks were unoccupied.

“I’ve never seen these in action,” General Bailey said as he placed his hand on the armor of one of the tanks.

“They can provide a lot of firepower when needed,” Wade said as he climbed up on the tank and opening the hatch, looked inside. It was cramped but still provided ample room for the three-man crew to carry out their duties. “The energy cannon on the front can take out most ground targets and the twin railguns can annihilate any conscripts or Kleese in battlesuits, including a Type Three. The explosive tube launchers can clear the ground in front of our Marines of the enemy very quickly and efficiently. I’m just glad we came up with these. They’ve been extremely useful.”

Major Jeffries nodded. “Do you think the Kleese will actually try to invade Vesta?”

“If they can, they will,” answered Wade, climbing back down from the tank. “They’ll want to capture any research we have. Once that’s done, they’ll destroy the asteroid by planting antimatter warheads inside.”

Major Jeffries shook his head. “If they get inside, I’ll be dead and so will every one of my Marines. We won’t let them get out of the spacedock, not while any of us are still alive.”

General Bailey looked around the large spacedock. “Wade, is there anything else we can do to keep the Zaltule out? In the worst case scenario, what happens if they take the spacedock?”

“We need to fortify Smithfield,” Wade said after a moment. “We can’t let them get to the larger habitats.”

“Mason Randle won’t like that,” General Bailey said with a frown. “He’s still very protective of his old home habitat.”

Wade looked over at a work robot passing by carrying a large metal beam. So many things had changed in recent years. “Mason is reasonable. Explain to him what we’re doing and why; he’ll go along with it.”

General Bailey sighed. “I’ll go talk to President Steward first and then to Mason. Mason knows the Smithfield habitat better than anyone and perhaps he’ll have some constructive ideas on what we can do, if he doesn’t throw me out on my head first.”

Wade smiled. “He won’t.”

-

Several hours later, Wade walked up to stand on the porch of the small house he and Beth lived in. They lived in the Viridian Habitat, and if one didn’t know better, you would never know there was a war going on for Humanity’s very existence. The temperature was in the mid-seventies, there was a light breeze blowing, and even a few birds could be seen flying above. Recently, several large hawks had been released into the habitat, and if one was lucky they could be seen floating on spread wings on the air currents high up in the habitat. Here in Vesta, the Human survivors had created their own visage of Earth, the type of Earth humankind had always dreamed of.

The door opened and Beth stepped out onto the porch. “I was wondering if you were going to make it home for supper.”

Wade walked over and sat down in one of the two large comfy chairs on the porch. Beth came over and took a seat in the other.

“I’ve been talking to Marken and General Bailey about what’s going on in the war. Beth, I’m really starting to get worried. We haven’t heard from Admiral Adamson, and the Zaltule are still at the trading station in Sector Thirteen.”

Beth reached out and took Wade’s hand. She had known him long enough to realize just how worried he actually was. Ryan was with Admiral Adamson’s fleet, and she knew that was part of the reason for his concern. “If Admiral Adamson’s mission was working, the Zaltule should have left the trading station by now. Why haven’t they? Perhaps it didn’t work and Seventh Fleet is on its way back.”

“That’s the six million dollar question,” answered Wade, arching his eyebrow and frowning. He watched as several compact electric powered cars drove down their street. It still amazed him how quiet cars were nowadays. “I think the Zaltule are waiting for something.”

“For what?” asked Beth with concern crossing into her eyes.

Wade took a deep breath. “More ships. Perhaps they’re bringing in their exploration ships and additional assault ships. Hell, Beth, they probably have tens of thousands of assault ships scattered across their empire.”

“We don’t have enough ships, do we?” Beth guessed. She knew that space war was all about numbers.

“No, not by a long shot, not if they bring in the exploration cruisers and assault ships.”

Beth squeezed Wade’s hand and turned to face him. “There must be a way to even things up.”

Wade pulled his hand free and standing up, walked to the edge of the porch. Across the street was a small park and a number of children were playing on the swings. He watched them for a moment, listening to their carefree laughter.

“Beth, I keep feeling I know the answer, but I just can’t figure it out. Some weapon we have that we’re just not using right.”

Standing up, Beth walked over to stand next to Wade. “I went to see my mother today; her memory is starting to fail. I don’t think she even knows where we are anymore. She keeps talking about taking a trip to the mountains. Maybe that’s what you need to do.”

“Go to the mountains?” asked Wade, looking confused. He wasn’t sure what Beth was talking about.

“No,” Beth replied. “Take some time off and relax. Give yourself some space and I’m sure the answer will come to you; it always has. Now, let’s go inside and eat. Erick should be waking up from his nap and I’m sure he’ll be excited to see you.”

Wade nodded. He knew Beth was right. Maybe he did need to take a few days off; he had been running all over the Solar System for the last several weeks. A few days of downtime might be good for him.

“I’ll call General Bailey tomorrow and tell him I’m taking the rest of the week off.”

Beth nodded. She had all the confidence in the world in Wade. He had successfully pulled them out of sticky situations numerous times. She was certain he would do the same again. After all, that was the type of man he was and one of the reasons she had fallen in love with him. Inside the house, she thought she could hear Erick stirring in his crib. She loved being a mother and staying at home. She just hoped nothing ever changed that.

Chapter Fifteen

Casey rolled over in her bunk and opened her eyes. It had been two weeks since the disastrous attack at Lymeth Three. Looking across the small room, she saw that Lauren was still sound asleep. With a sigh, she sat up and stretched. She missed waking up in the morning with Ryan at her side; it was something she had grown used to and enjoyed. She grinned recalling the passionate lovemaking they had shared on many of those mornings. Swinging her legs out of the bunk, she sat there for a moment thinking about the day’s activities. Her Marines were scheduled for a five-kilometer run, and she wanted to have time to grab a light breakfast before heading over to the training facility. Nearly one entire level of the Deliverance had been designed for Marine training, and it had one workout area that was perfect for a long run.

“Up already?” asked Lauren with a yawn as she rolled over and then sat up with her hands folded in her lap.

Casey nodded. “Busy day today.”

“Oh yeah, the five-kilometer run,” Lauren moaned as she collapsed back on her bunk and closed her eyes.

With a laugh, Casey grinned. “I’m sure you and Alexander will have no problem with it.”

“It’s not that, I’m just sure Alexander will find some way to berate Private Richards. Camden can’t seem to do anything to satisfy him.”

Casey walked over closer to Lauren. “Just what is going on between you and Camden, are you sleeping with him?”

Lauren opened her eyes, sat back up, and grinned. “Now that’s a thought. Can you imagine how Alexander would react if I did?”

“I take that as a no?”

Lauren shook her head. “No, I haven’t slept with Camden. He’s a nice guy and I enjoy talking to him, but he’s just not my type for a sexual relationship. I prefer my men to be a little bit more aggressive.”

“Like Alexander?”

Lauren blushed. “Alexander’s too aggressive! He doesn’t know when to leave well enough alone.”

“I’m going to take a quick shower and then head to the mess hall for a quick breakfast. Want to join me?”

“I’ll pass,” Lauren replied. “I’ll grab something to eat after the run.”

Casey nodded and went on to take her shower. The relationship between Lauren and Alexander confused her. She knew the two liked each other, but Lauren was doing everything she could to prevent their relationship from going further. Maybe if she asked Ryan, he could help explain to her what was going on between the two. There were still a few things about true Humans that confused her.

-

Ryan was in the Command Center of the Deliverance with Captain Durham. “So we’re going to hit another target?”

“That’s the plan,” Durham replied. “Commander Symington wants to hit the former nonaligned world of Anglesh. It’s far enough from the Alliance that it just might cause the Zaltule to pull their forces back and come looking for us. She’s still hoping to succeed in our mission of giving Fleet Admiral Rivers the time he needs to finish training his crews.”

Ryan looked at the ship’s main viewscreen. They had dropped out of Fold Space in a white dwarf star system. A white dwarf was the dying remnant of an imploded star. This particular star was a spectral type D with a mass just slightly over that of Earth’s sun. While they weren’t that far away from it, the star was still very dim.

“No contacts,” reported Ensign Donna Edwards from her sensor console.

Ryan looked over at the tactical screen, which showed the twenty-one surviving ships of the fleet. It was still a sizable force and with the Callisto and the three battlecruisers, they still had a lot of firepower.

“What’s so important about Anglesh?”

Durham turned his attention away from the viewscreen he had been watching. “It has a large Kleese base on it. Not Zaltule, but regular Kleese. “There’s not a trading station in the immediate area and the Kleese have taken over the two large orbiting space stations. They control this entire quadrant from Anglesh.”

“Won’t there be an exploration ship or two in the system as well as assault ships?” asked Ryan with concern. It sounded to him as if they would have to fight a fleet battle to secure the system before any Marines could be landed on the planet.

“Probably,” Durham responded. “Commander Symington will take the Callisto and the three battlecruisers in first followed by the eight light cruisers a few minutes later. They’ll try to clear the space around the planet before we come in. There’s a large Kleese compound next to the planet’s main spaceport. That will be the target of your Marines. Commander Symington is hoping by taking out such a high priority target the regular Kleese will demand that the Zaltule respond and pull their forces back to find our fleet.”

“She’s rolling the dice,” commented Ryan, folding his arms across his chest. “It’s risky.”

“But if it works, then Admiral Adamson and the others won’t have died in vain.”

Ryan nodded. All the surviving Marines wanted some revenge for what had happened to the Defender, Colonel Winfrey, and the others.

-

In the Anglesh System, Kanab watched the viewscreens in his Command Center inside the largest space station. Several cargo ships were inbound from the system of Calen, a Kleese controlled world. While the civilization wasn’t highly advanced, they did provide several foodstuffs the Kleese required. It had been unfortunate that over half of the population of Calen had to be eliminated before they agreed to be part of the empire. However, they were a lower order race just above vermin, and only the foodstuffs they provided made them important to the Kleese.

“The Calen ships will dock at bay two shortly,” reported Antolth, a tall Nabian who was responsible for all of the conscripts currently on the two stations.

“See to the distribution of the food items,” Kanab ordered coldly.

He cared little for the Nabians; however, the race was dedicated to the Kleese and went out of their way to follow orders without question. They served quite well in their subservient role and were intelligent enough to operate most of the control consoles while requiring little supervision from their Kleese overseers.

“A Zaltule battlecruiser is due to arrive tomorrow,” spoke Caleeb, a Kleese of the same clan as Kanab. He shuffled his six feet upon the deck of the Command Center. “I do not care for the Zaltule; I greatly fear they are dragging our empire toward its doom.”

Kanab stared at Caleeb through his multifaceted eyes. Caleeb had always mistrusted the Zaltule. He thought it was a huge mistake for the former Supreme Overlord to have awakened them.

“The Zaltule are a part of the Kleese race,” replied Kanab. “We will not treat them any differently.”

“What about the rest of the clans?” demanded Caleeb. “The Zaltule are already passing edicts they insist we follow in dealing with the subservient races and in expanding our empire. I have heard rumors of the Zaltule executing other Kleese, who have failed to follow their demands.”

“The Zaltule are the warrior race in battle and in the expansion of our empire. It might be wise to do as they ask.”

“What if they cannot defeat the Humans and their Alliance, what will that mean for the empire?”

“Not defeat the Humans?” Kanab responded, his voice rising in anger. “The Zaltule are the warrior clan of the empire; they cannot be defeated in battle. The Zaltule will crush the Humans and their paltry Alliance and then lead our empire to glory as we conquer this galaxy.”

Caleeb didn’t reply. He had been following the Zaltules’ conflict with the Humans and their Alliance. All a Kleese needed to do was look at what the Humans and their Alliance had done to the home system to realize just how big a threat they actually were. He had seen the glowing crater where the Human ship had devastated the capital city. Kanab was a fool for not recognizing the risk the Zaltule represented.

Leaving the Command Center, Caleeb intended to make a quick tour of both stations. He had been informed that some of the lesser conscripts were performing at subpar levels. Touching the small black control box he always carried at his side Caleeb had already decided to make a few examples. New conscripts could easily be brought up from the planet below or some of the nearby worlds under Kleese control. He still found it hard to comprehend how so many worlds could be infested with such vermin. Someday, far in the future, most of the vermin infested worlds would be cleared of their infestations and Kleese Queens would be brought in to repopulate the planets with the supreme race. Only a few former nonaligned worlds with relative high technical civilizations would be spared, and those would be dominated by the Kleese.

-

Commander Bree Symington waited anxiously for the fleet to drop out of Fold Space. She had staggered the fleet in case she ran into heavier than expected opposition. The Callisto and the three battlecruisers would drop out first and engage any major ships around the two space stations or the planet. Shortly after that, the light cruisers would drop out and destroy any assault ships that might be in orbit. A few minutes after that, the Marine assault cruisers would put in an appearance and begin their assault on the Kleese facility on the planet. Bree was concerned she was in slightly over her head. She had never commanded a fleet before let alone been responsible for coordinating multiple ship actions in a battle.

“Drop out in five minutes,” reported Lieutenant Karl Adams from the Helm.

Bree leaned forward in her command chair. The fleet was at Condition One, and she just hoped the Kleese in the Anglesh System didn’t have the capability to track a fleet in Fold Space. Her entire plan was based on the element of surprise.

The minutes passed slowly and then suddenly, the Callisto dropped back into normal space.

“Drop out,” reported Lieutenant Adams.

“Sensors coming online,” added Ensign Brenda Davis

“Energy shield is powering up and weapons are charging,” reported Lieutenant Bruce Fields.

Alarms started sounding and red lights began flashing on the sensor console. On the tactical screen, numerous red threat icons began to appear. Two of the icons were very large.

Bree felt the adrenalin start to surge through her body and her heart began to pound. She took several long and deep breaths as she waited to see what Kleese vessels were waiting for them.

One of the viewscreens suddenly cleared of static and Commander Symington’s face turned white when she saw the massive form of a Kleese exploration ship.

“I have two exploration ships on the sensors,” reported Ensign Davis. “I’m also picking up twelve assault ships in orbit around the planet.”

The exploration ships were the largest ships the Kleese built. They were twelve thousand meters across and over two thousand meters thick, heavily armored and contained additional assault ships. They weren’t as heavily armed as a Zaltule battlecruiser but were still extremely dangerous. It had been a Kleese exploration ship that had destroyed Earth.

Bree gazed at the massive ship on the viewscreen. “Tactical, hit that exploration ship with our multi-warhead missiles, flush the tubes before it can raise its energy shield!”

-

Almost instantly from the Callisto, twenty-four sublight antimatter missiles flashed from the tubes. Two seconds later, all twenty-four missiles slammed into the massive vessel before its commander could bring the vessel’s energy shield online. With six twenty-megaton warheads in each missile, one hundred and forty-four explosions burned through the hull of the ship melting metal, equipment, and crew. With a tremendous flash of light, the exploration ship exploded, sending fragments flying in every direction. The multiple explosions coalesced until they took on the appearance of a small brightly glowing sun.

-

Commander Symington leaned back in her command chair stunned at how quickly they had destroyed the larger vessel. She knew they had achieved a brief tactical victory by appearing unexpectedly so close to the Kleese vessels. Energy screens were power hogs, and most ships didn’t have them activated unless combat was expected.

“First exploration ship is down,” reported Ensign Davis exuberantly. “I’m detecting the shield going up on the second one.”

Bree hit her ship-to-ship comm. “All battlecruisers are to engage the second exploration ship. Knock its shield down and then use multi-warhead missiles to destroy it.”

-

Kanab stared at the station’s tactical screen in shock. One of the two exploration ships assigned to him had just been destroyed. Its shattered ruins were visible on one of the large viewscreens.

“Humans,” reported Antolth as the Nabian gazed at a ship now showing on one of the other screens. “The ships are Human.”

Caleeb came hurrying into the Command Center and came to a halt staring at the viewscreen showing the Human warship. On another screen, the shattered remains of the destroyed exploration ship were being displayed.

“What is the status of the other exploration ship?” demanded Caleeb. The Humans had come, and he knew if they didn’t destroy them, they would kill every Kleese in the system. Unlike most other races that went out of their way to avoid harming a Kleese, the Humans had no such compunction.

“It’s still operational,” Kanab replied. “It has its energy shield up and will shortly be engaging the Human ships.”

“Order the ship to launch all of its assault ships; we’ll need every vessel if we hope to defeat the Humans.”

Kanab turned his multifaceted gaze toward Caleeb. He had calmed down now that the other exploration ship had its energy shield up. “We have nothing to fear; the remaining exploration ship will destroy these upstart Humans. We are Kleese, and we are the superior race.”

Caleeb rose up to his full height and stared at Kanab in anger. “If you believe that then prepare to die,” he said harshly. “I have studied these Humans, and they are fearless in battle. Our Military Overlord has even stated he believes they are comparable to the Zaltule in combat.”

“You are weak minded,” snarled Kanab, shaking his head in denial. “No race is equal to any clan of the Kleese, let alone the Zaltule. I am sure the exploration ship and our assault ships will soon deal with this minor Human threat.”

Caleeb didn’t reply. He looked once more at the viewscreen showing the remains of the destroyed exploration ship. Turning around, he left the Command Center to make his way to the station’s flight bay. Kanab’s arrogance was going to cost the Kleese this system and Caleeb had no intention of dying. There was a small cargo ship docked to the bay, and he intended to commandeer it and leave.

-

“Battlecruisers have engaged the other exploration ship,” Ensign Davis reported.

“Put it up on one of the viewscreens,” ordered Commander Symington. “Lieutenant Adams, move us closer and prepare the plasma cannon to fire. Once we’re in range, hit the exploration ship with our primary particle beam cannons followed by the plasma cannon.”

“Light cruisers are dropping out of Fold Space,” Ensign Davis reported as eight friendly green icons appeared on the tactical screen.

Bree nodded and quickly contacted the eight light cruisers, ordering them to engage the assault ships. She felt confident the three-hundred-meter ships could handle the Kleese vessels.

“Firing particle beam cannons,” reported Lieutenant Fields.

Bree looked expectantly at the viewscreen, now showing the Kleese exploration ship. The massive vessel filled the screen.

-

From the Callisto, two powerful particle beams flashed out to impact the screen of the exploration ship. The vessel was already under heavy attack from the three battlecruisers. The screen flared up brightly under the attack and then the plasma cannon fired. The plasma beam overloaded the screen in the area of the particle beam strike and penetrated. In a massive blast, the exploration ship shook as a deep glowing crater appeared where the beam had struck its hull. Debris floated free of the ship, and several secondary explosions blew more hull material out into space.

On board the exploration ship, panicked conscripts rushed to escape the damaged area of the vessel as emergency bulkheads slammed shut. Fires and smoke filled the corridors dooming those unfortunate enough to become sealed in. Several more explosions rattled the huge ship as power junctions shorted out.

However, the exploration ship was huge and heavily armed and shrugged off the damage. Its own pulse fusion beams and energy beams were focused on the attacking Human battlecruisers. Numerous hatches on the hull of the ship suddenly slid open, and dozens of antimatter missiles were fired toward the Human vessels. However, instead of targeting all three of the battlecruisers, all the missiles struck just one. The battlecruiser Carina seemed to vanish under the powerful onslaught of antimatter energy. The Kleese commander of the exploration ship, sensing an opportunity, also fired a heavy barrage of pulse fusion beams at the vessel. Several penetrated the overtaxed screen and drilled deep glowing pits into the side of the ship. The Carina seemed to shudder violently as several secondary explosions caused additional damage inside the vessel, blowing out bulkheads and spreading fires throughout the ship.

Half a dozen Kleese energy beams flashed through the weakening energy screen and began tearing open compartment after compartment. With a sudden flash of bright light the Carina exploded, sending glowing debris in all directions.

-

“Battlecruiser Carina is down,” reported a stunned Ensign Davis. “She just blew apart!”

Bree felt a cold shiver run down her spine. “Hit that exploration ship with our multi-warhead missiles. We need to finish it off before we lose any more ships.”

“Marine assault cruisers are dropping out of Fold Space,” Davis added as nine more green icons suddenly flashed into existence on the tactical screen.

Bree quickly ordered them to stay back and out of the fighting.

“Launching missiles,” said Lieutenant Fields.

“I have two assault ships exiting the flight bays of the exploration ship,” called out Ensign Davis.

Bree knew she needed to destroy the exploration ship quickly before it could launch its full complement of assault ships. If that were to happen, then the battle could quickly turn in favor of the Kleese.

-

Multi-warhead missiles began to slam into the Kleese exploration ship, all in the same area where the shield had already been weakened. The other two remaining battlecruisers were also firing missiles as well as their beam weapons.

From the Kleese ship, another assault ship exited and then a missile penetrated the screen and struck the exploration vessel. Six twenty megaton explosions shook the massive Kleese ship. For a moment, it seemed as if it would survive, but then it began coming apart. The exploration ship broke into five sections, all with fires raging inside. More missiles struck, obliterating the sections and turning them into glowing gas and molten metal.

-

“Kleese exploration ship is down,” reported Ensign Davis with relief in her voice.

“A bright light suddenly lit up one of the viewscreens.

“What was that?” Commander Symington demanded. She knew a ship had just died.

“One of our light cruisers,” Davis reported. “The Aquila is down.”

Bree quickly ordered the Falcon and the Cygnus to help the light cruisers with the Kleese assault ships.

She looked at the viewscreens which showed the two large space stations in orbit. She knew the Kleese controlled these and there were Kleese on board as well as numerous conscripts. She wasn’t going to risk a boarding action to capture the stations; it would be too costly.

“Are those two stations armed?”

“Only lightly,” Ensign Davis answered. “Sensors are picking up a few energy weapon turrets but nothing else, not even an energy shield.”

“They never expected an attack here,” Bree said, nodding her head in satisfaction.

“Hit both stations with a multi-warhead missile. I want them annihilated.” She had already lost two valuable ships, and there was no doubt that the Kleese commander in charge of this system was on board one of the two stations.

-

From the Callisto, two more multi-warhead missiles flashed out from the missile tubes and streaked toward the stations. Moments later, six miniature suns appeared at each and the stations were no more.

-

“Both stations have been destroyed,” confirmed Ensign Davis.

Bree nodded. “Move us toward the nearest assault ship and we’ll help the battlecruisers and light cruisers take them out. We need to end this battle so the assault cruisers can send down their Marines.”

“We have several cargo ships leaving the system,” Davis added as she watched the two ships accelerate away from the battle in preparation for entering Fold Space.

“Let them go,” Bree said, dismissing them as a threat. “We’re not here to kill helpless civilians.”

-

On board the smaller of the two cargo ships, Caleeb was watching several viewscreens in the ship’s small control center. He hadn’t been surprised when the Humans had destroyed the second exploration cruiser. He had been shocked with how swiftly they had annihilated the two space stations with Zaltule like efficiency. He had been right all along; these Humans were not a race to be trifled with.

“Take us to Zaroth Three,” Caleeb ordered in a cold voice. It didn’t seem as if the Humans were interested in the cargo ships. He would make his escape now before they changed their minds.

“By your command,” replied Antolth. Caleeb had brought a number of Nabians on board to operate the small cargo ship.

There was a small Kleese compound at Zaroth Three with an FTL transmitter he could use to spread the word of the Human attack on Anglesh. He was curious if the Humans would still be at Anglesh the next day as the Zaltule battlecruiser was due to arrive. Unfortunately, there was no way he could contact the ship and inform them of what might be awaiting them.

Moments later, the cargo ship activated its Fold Space Drive and left the Anglesh System behind.

-

Captain Ryan Nelson was in the Command Center of the Deliverance watching the battle on the viewscreens and the tactical screen. With a groan of despair, he saw two Kleese assault ships bracket the already damaged light cruiser Swiftsure and begin pummeling its energy screen with pulse fusion beams as well as antimatter missiles. He knew the small cruiser wouldn’t last long under that punishing attack.

“They need to get out of there,” said Commander Durham as he watched the battle on the viewscreen. The light cruiser was nearly invisible due to the brilliant flashes of light from the antimatter missiles exploding against its energy screen.”

“They can’t,” called out Ensign Ernst from Communications. “Their subspace drive’s been damaged, and they only have enough power to stay in orbit.”

Another bright flash lit up the viewscreen and when it died away, the stern of the light cruiser was gone. Several more explosions wracked the ship, blowing out large segments of the hull. Then another Kleese antimatter missile arrived and the ship was obliterated.

“Swiftsure is down,” reported Ensign Donna Edwards in a subdued voice.

On the screen, the Callisto appeared and began to engage the two Kleese assault ships. It didn’t take long and both vessels were reduced to molten slag. It almost seemed as if the Callisto was out for revenge for what the two Kleese vessels had done to her smaller sister.

“All Kleese assault ships have been eliminated,” reported Ensign Edwards. “Commander Symington is giving us the go ahead to make orbit and begin operations against the Kleese compound on the surface.”

Captain Durham nodded his head. “Take us in.” Then, turning toward Ryan, he added. “Better get your Marines ready, we’ll be deploying them shortly.”

Ryan quickly left the Command Center. Since Major Winfrey had been killed, there had been a shakeup in the Marine command structure. Captain Olivia Morris had assumed overall command of all the remaining Marines and Ryan had taken over the role of second in command. Captain Stern and Captain Taylor were still on board the Callisto recovering from the disaster at Lymeth Three.

-

The Deliverance and the other eight Marine assault cruisers went into orbit over Anglesh. There were no attempts from the government of the planet to contact the orbiting fleet. The Kleese in the compound were controlling all communications.

-

In the compound, armored conscripts were sent out and ordered to bring in hundreds of the planet’s citizens. It was unfortunate that the only FTL communicator had been in one of the two orbiting space stations. The Kleese now had no way to inform the empire of what had transpired above. However, the Kleese had a large army of conscripts since their compound and the two stations had been responsible for the control of a large number of inhabited systems in the local area. By rounding up hundreds of the planet’s inhabitants and bringing them inside, they felt it might prevent the Humans from bombarding the compound from orbit. From the reports they had received of past attacks, the Humans seemed to go out of their way to hold casualties of the planet’s inhabitants to a minimum. The Kleese would now use that weakness against them.

-

Ryan felt the drop ship leave the Deliverance and begin its rapid entry into the planet’s atmosphere. They were going to land outside the compound and spend some time observing it to see just how many of the planet’s inhabitants might be inside. If it were a minimal number, then railgun strikes from the orbiting assault cruisers would be used to destroy it. If there were a large number of civilians, then it would be necessary to move in and kill the Kleese and their conscripts while freeing the civilians.

The drop ship began to vibrate from its passage through the thicker regions of the planet’s atmosphere. A roaring noise could be heard from the passing air as it was heated up by the ship’s rapid passage. Then a few minutes later, the ship suddenly dropped straight down and landed with a resounding thud, jarring the Marines. The hatch slid open and the ramp descended.

“Everyone out!” barked Sergeant Reinhardt, gripping his RG rifle.

The Marines quickly vacated the drop ship with Ryan following close behind. Pausing on the ramp Ryan gazed about, not seeing any signs of resistance to their landing.

“No conscripts nearby,” Reinhardt reported from the base of the ramp where he was standing and surveying the immediate area.

Ryan paused and ordered his neural implant to have his command suit use its internal sensors to scan the area around them. They were in a park like area with a few unfamiliar looking trees and tall grass. Glancing at his HUD, he saw the sensors weren’t picking up any obvious danger. Over his comm, he heard other platoon leaders begin to report in.

“Our sector is clear,” reported Lieutenant Guthrie.

“No sign of any conscripts,” reported Sergeant Katy Lewis.

The reports continued and all were the same. If there were any conscripts, they were inside the large Kleese compound.

“Captain Nelson, I’m sending a drone over the compound to see what’s there,” said Captain Morris. Most of the hover tanks had one or two small drones they could deploy to scan the enemy’s positions.

There were a few minutes of silence as the Marines moved away from the drop ships and headed cautiously toward the compound. From the cargo drop ships, hover tanks floated out and took up covering positions behind the advancing Marines. Marines in Type Three battlesuits appeared and spread out around the tanks.

“Damn,” muttered Captain Morris over the command channel. “There must be a thousand civilians in that compound. I had the drone fly directly over and it’s full of civilians.”

“The Kleese are using them for cover,” commented Ryan, as he looked at all the friendly green icons on his HUD screen. “We’ll have to do this the hard way.” It didn’t surprise him that the Kleese were using this tactic. The deaths of innocent civilians meant nothing to them.

There were a few moments of silence and then Captain Morris spoke again. “I’ll hit them from the west with my Marines. Captain Nelson, you will hit them from the north with yours. Move out and we’ll make a coordinated attack in twelve minutes.”

Ryan took a deep breath. They had landed nine hundred Marines with most of them in Type Four battlesuits. There was one Marine platoon from each ship in the larger and bulkier Type Threes. They were responsible for the security of the hover tanks.

“Move out,” ordered Ryan over the command channel that connected him to Lieutenant Guthrie and the platoon sergeants. “Look out for popups, there are bound to be some.”

-

“Damn popups,” muttered Corporal Parker. “Why are there always popups?”

“Because these are Kleese and they always deploy popups,” Lauren answered. “Just stay out of sight so they won’t target your big ass.”

Alexander didn’t respond because his suit was the exact same size as Lauren’s. All Type Fours were exactly the same with the only difference being whether the Marine was carrying an RG rifle or a portable energy cannon.

-

The Marines slowly moved up toward the Kleese compound. Sure enough, when they got within two hundred meters of it, popup weapons emerged from the blastcrete that surrounded the compound and opened fire. Several Marines instantly fell to the ground, their green icons turning amber and then red.

“Everyone halt and take cover!” Ryan ordered. “Sergeant McElroy, have the hover tanks place a series of explosive rounds between us and that compound. I want those popups blown apart!” Ryan wasn’t going to risk any more of his Marines now that he knew where the weapons were.

-

Sergeant McElroy stepped over to the nearest hover tank and rapped on the hull with his armor encased hand after receiving the captain’s orders. He had eight tanks under his command. For this attack, several other assault cruisers had sent their Marines and hover tanks down to reinforce Captain Nelson. With a wolfish smile, McElroy looked at the eight tanks now waiting in a staggered line for his orders. There were also four full platoons of Type Three battlesuits to protect them.

“I want explosive rounds beginning at fifty meters in front of our Marines and then subsequent rounds dropped every ten meters until they reach the outer wall of the Kleese compound,” he ordered the eight tank commanders.

McElroy watched as the small tubes on the back of the tanks elevated themselves and then heard a whooshing noise as the tanks began firing. McElroy knew the tanks were capable of firing several rounds per second from their tubes and the blasts from these explosive rounds were ten times more powerful than a grenade. Each tank had two of the explosive round tubes on them and both were firing. That was thirty-two rounds per second that were going to drop on the popups and the area directly in front of the Kleese compound. They would make quick work of the popups and anything else that might be in that area.

-

Ryan was standing behind a small stone wall when the first rounds struck. Pieces of blastcrete were hurled high into the air, and the ground seemed to shake from each detonation. Whenever a popup was hit, there would be a bright flash of light, fire, and then billowing gray smoke rising up into the air.

“That’s cutting them down to size,” Lieutenant Guthrie commented from her advanced position. Some of the rounds were hitting within thirty meters of her position, causing her to hunker down. Some of the debris from the blasts was even raining down on her battlesuit.

“I hate popups,” muttered Alexander over the comm channel. “I just love to see them blown to pieces like this.”

As the explosions continued and steadily marched toward the walls of the Kleese compound, Lauren added her own comment. “As near as I can tell, all of the popups in my area have been eliminated.”

Over the next few minutes, all the different platoons reported the same. Ryan was also aware of explosive rounds going off in front of Captain Morris’s Marines as well. Then it suddenly became quiet as the rounds ceased falling.

“Advance,” ordered Ryan. “Sergeant McElroy, I need two of your hover tanks. I want some holes blown in the wall that surrounds the Kleese compound.”

“On their way,” McElroy responded.

Ryan stood up and used his neural implant to connect to the sensors in his command suit. Looking toward the Kleese compound, he directed his sensors toward it. The compound consisted of six tall ten-story buildings with a large courtyard surrounding them. There were a good one hundred meters between the buildings and the wall that surrounded the compound. The wall itself was only five meters tall with two large metal gates allowing entrance. Both of the gates were currently shut.

The two hover tanks arrived and Ryan stepped over to speak with the corporal in charge of the nearest.

“Captain,” the corporal spoke with respect in his voice. He was standing with his upper chest, shoulders, and head sticking out of the open metal hatch. “You called for two hover tanks?”

“Yes,” Ryan answered and pointed toward the compound. “See that large metal gate in the center of that wall? I need you to knock it down.”

The corporal stared at the gate for a moment and then nodded. “No problem.”

“I also need areas of that wall knocked down for our Marines to go through.” The Type Four battlesuits were capable of limited flight with their repeller units but that also made the Marines easy targets.

“Can do,” the corporal answered as he quickly communicated the order to the other tank commander.

Ryan watched as the tank’s energy cannon swiveled around until it was lined up with the gate. Stepping back, Ryan turned his attention toward the Kleese compound. He flinched slightly as a white beam of concentrated energy suddenly leaped out and struck the center of the metal gate. The gate exploded into a thousand pieces. At the same time, the RG canons on the two tanks began hammering away at the wall. Large sections seemed to simply disintegrate, sending plumes of dust into the air. The walls were made of blastcrete, but even a wall as strong as this one couldn’t stand up to the deadly rounds and the kinetic energy they released upon impact.

“Advance,” ordered Ryan as he began moving toward the openings. “I want civilian casualties held to a minimum.”

The Marines moved quickly toward the gate and the crumbled sections of the wall.

“I have movement,” reported Sergeant Lewis.

“Same here,” added Sergeant Reinhardt. “I can see a lot of conscripts in Type Two battlesuits moving through the civilians and toward the openings in the wall.”

“Same thing on our side,” Captain Morris said. “I think they’re coming out.”

-

From the Kleese compound, hundreds of conscripts in Type Two battlesuits came swarming through the crumbled walls. The hover tanks opened up, sending streams of RG rounds into the charging conscripts. Dozens fell only to be replaced by more. More tanks advanced and additional RG rounds slammed into the conscripts, dropping even more of them.

“There’s too many,” Sergeant Hunter said over the command channel. “There must be over a thousand of them!”

“All Marines, prepare to engage,” ordered Ryan as he clicked off the safety on his RG rifle.

“Sergeant Dewey and Lewis, it looks as if your area’s going to be hit first. Hold your ground,” ordered Lieutenant Guthrie.

-

Casey aimed her RG rifle at the nearest conscript, now less than thirty meters away, and began firing. Around her, the other Marines with her began doing the same. RG rounds, energy beams, and occasional explosive rounds hit the conscripts, dropping many of them. But still they came on. She heard a scream and on her HUD saw a green icon turn amber and then red. With shock, she saw it was Private Jasmine Hopper.

Jasmine had operated the sensor console on the assault ship they escaped on when they fled to Delton. More icons turned from green to amber. Suddenly, energy beams began to hit her Marines. Using her suit sensors she saw a number of Type Three battlesuits suddenly emerge from the compound and join the conscripts. Looking at the new threat icons, she saw there were nearly one hundred of them.

“Be warned,” Ryan’s voice came over the command channel. “It looks as if the Kleese have joined the battle; they’re the ones in the Type Three suits. Sergeant McElroy, I want all of your Marines up here now. We’re going to need everyone.”

“Kleese!” roared Alexander over the regular comm channel. “I’m glad they came out; now we can kill them!”

“Be careful, Alexander,” Lauren’s concerned voice sounded over the comm. “Those are Type Three suits and impervious to our Energy Lances.”

-

The conscripts and the Kleese were suddenly upon the Marines. Casey drew her Energy Lance and activated it. Instantly a shimmering rod of energy one meter long appeared. It could cut through almost anything. Swinging it at the nearest conscript, the lance cut completely through the battlesuit, cleaving the suit in two.

Around Casey, other Marines had drawn their lances and were engaged in hand-to-hand combat. Others were using their RG rifles, trying to take out the Kleese who were mixed in with the conscripts. The intensity of the battle suddenly ratcheted up as the two sides became intermixed. Casey saw with trepidation that several of the Kleese were brandishing Energy Lances. The Kleese would soon realize the armor of the Type Four suits was impervious to the lances. Nevertheless, it was a fearsome sight to see the Kleese this way.

On the HUD in Casey’s suit more green icons turned amber and then red. Marines were dying; a lot of them. Suddenly another familiar green icon turned from green, to amber, to red. With a chill, Casey saw Private Cameron Swen had been killed. Cameron had been with the platoon for a long time. Swinging her lance, she decapitated a conscript who had come too close. “That one’s for Cameron,” she said in anger.

-

“Watch it, Lauren!” yelled Alexander as he saw a Kleese aiming an energy cannon at Lauren’s back. With a flying leap and using his boot repellers, he slammed into the Kleese just as he fired his weapon. The two rolled and Alexander stumbled back to his feet. At point blank range he fired half a dozen RG rounds into the faceplate of the Type Three battlesuit, watching it shatter then pulverizing the triangular shaped head of the Kleese inside.

With a sigh of relief, Alexander turned back toward Lauren to see her lying on her back, unmoving. He hurried over and bent down looking for any signs of an injury. In her side were the ugly burns from an energy cannon. It looked as if it had penetrated her suit.

“Lauren?” asked Alexander, looking for any signs of life.

“Alexander?” Lauren’s voice came back in barely a whisper. “I guess I forgot to duck.”

“How badly are you hit?” Alexander asked. Around him, the fighting continued but he was oblivious to it.

“Bad,” Lauren said with a moan. “I’ve activated the emergency medical nanites, but I don’t know if that’s going to be good enough.” Lauren coughed several times before she spoke again. “Alexander, I’m sorry.”

“Sorry?” Alexander replied not sure what Lauren meant. Looking quickly around, he saw Privates Hatterson, Richards, and a few other Marines were standing close by keeping the conscripts occupied.

“For being so mean to you,” Lauren said. “I really do care for you.” With those words, Lauren’s voice faded away.

“Lauren!” screamed Alexander. “Don’t you dare leave me!”

“Alexander, get Lauren back to the drop ship and up to the Deliverance!” Casey ordered over the comm. “Mary, I want you and Camden to go with them. We have other wounded also being evacuated.”

-

Casey watched as Alexander effortlessly picked up Lauren’s prone suit and began jogging back toward the drop ship with the other two Marines acting as guards in case any conscripts attempted to interfere. Casey felt numb as she looked at Lauren’s icon, which was still amber but in danger of turning red at any second.

Taking a deep breath, she got back into the fight. There were still a lot of conscripts that needed to be eliminated as well as the battling Kleese. She was determined not to lose any more of her friends.

-

Ryan was inside the Kleese compound with a number of Marines. The battle was winding down with nearly all the conscripts wiped out and the majority of the Kleese. The Kleese were being killed one by one and none were offering to surrender. It was just as well; Ryan was of the firm opinion the Kleese were a scourge that needed to be wiped out. No mercy was asked for and none was being given.

“Buildings have been searched and there were no Kleese inside,” reported Sergeant Lewis. “They must have all come out to join in the battle.”

“Let’s get all of these civilians moving out,” Ryan ordered. There were still hundreds of civilians inside the compound. Unfortunately, some had been killed by wayward RG rounds from the hover tanks when the walls were blasted down. “As soon as they’re gone I’m going to call down a railgun strike from the Deliverance. We’re going to level this compound.” Ryan knew it was the Kleese who had killed most of the Marines lost in the brutal battle. It had surprised everyone when they had joined in the combat. Ryan knew they were fortunate these were regular Kleese and not Zaltule. If they had been Zaltule, the casualties would have been much higher.

With a deep sigh, Ryan looked at his HUD. A lot of Marines had died in the fighting, including some close friends. He had also lost Sergeants Reinhardt and Dewey. Both had been killed in hand-to-hand combat against the Kleese. He was also greatly concerned about Lauren. He didn’t know how Casey would react if she lost her best friend.

“It’s done,” Captain Morris said as she walked up to stand next to Ryan.

“Yes, it’s done,” answered Ryan. “But we paid a heavy price; heavier than expected.”

“It’s war,” Olivia said. “We all lost friends today, but we also killed a hell of a lot of Kleese.”

Ryan nodded. “Let’s get back to the drop ships and back up to the assault cruisers. We’re done here.”

-

Two hours later, the complex erupted in massive explosions as railgun rounds from the Deliverance slammed into the buildings. They collapsed as the deadly rounds rained down, releasing their built up kinetic energy. Fire and smoke rose up into the air, blotting out the sun. When the explosions stopped, there was nothing to show the Kleese had ever been on Anglesh. All signs of their presence upon the planet and in orbit had been ruthlessly eliminated.

-

Commander Bree Symington gazed at the viewscreens, still in shock at the violence of the battle on the ground. Over one hundred and twenty Marines had died and another sixty were in serious condition. Most were expected to make it while others might not. If they still had the Defender and its advanced medical bay, they could probably save all of them. With a deep sigh, she now knew why she had never wanted to become an admiral.

“I have an inbound Fold Space contact,” reported Ensign Brenda Davis.

Bree turned toward the ensign. “How close is it?”

“Forty minutes until it drops out of Fold Space,” Davis replied.

Bree wondered what it could be. Most likely, it was a cargo ship from one of the worlds the Kleese controlled. It could also be a Kleese vessel. One thing she did know, she wasn’t going to wait around to find out.

“All ships, this is Commander Symington,” she said over the ship-to-ship command channel. “We have an inbound contact dropping out of Fold Space in forty minutes. We’re not going to wait around to find out what it is. All ships, standby to activate your Fold Space Drives. We’re leaving in ten minutes. It’s time to go home.”

-

Ten minutes later the surviving ships of the Human fleet activated their Fold Space Drives and left the Anglesh System. Thirty minutes later a Zaltule battlecruiser dropped out of Fold Space in close proximity to the planet. The ship was twelve hours ahead of schedule because its commander had decided to come earlier as he wanted to make a full inspection of the two orbiting space stations and the Kleese compound.

Minor Overlord Jadel gazed at the viewscreens showing nothing but debris orbiting Anglesh. Sensor scans had already determined these were the remains of the two stations as well as both exploration cruisers and a number of assault ships. The sensors also reported the ruins of three other vessels and after a few more minutes, the sensor operator identified them as destroyed Human warships.

Minor Overlord Jadel knew this had to have been done by the rampaging Human fleet that had been reported to be in Kleese space. It was obvious from the location of this attack the fleet must be heading back to the Human led Alliance. He quickly activated his ship’s FTL transmitter and sent the warning to all the worlds on the fleet’s path back to Alliance space. If enough Kleese ships could be gathered in time, they might yet be able to locate it and destroy it.

Chapter Sixteen

Colonel Wade Nelson was in Luna City visiting with Mayor Stan Silas. Stan had been the mayor for nearly twelve years and was considering retirement when the next election came around.

“It’s been too long,” Stan said with a deep sigh as he leaned back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest. “It’s not like the old days before the Kleese struck Earth. Those days were wild, and we never knew from one day to the next what we might find next here on the Moon. We had mining operations starting up in countless locations and prospectors fanning out across the surface seeking unclaimed mineral deposits. In many ways, we were like Vesta when Smithfield was the center of the mining operations going on in the belt. There was scarcely a day that Mason, Alex, and I didn’t talk about some new and exciting discovery.”

Wade nodded his understanding. Alex Scott had been killed when the Kleese devastated Mars Central. Four Kleese antimatter missiles had detonated above the city, destroying it and a number of the deep underground bunkers that were supposed to protect the populace. “This phase of the war will soon be coming to an end. The Kleese, or I should say the Zaltule clan of the Kleese, have a large fleet at the trading station in Sector Thirteen. We expect them to launch their attack on the Alliance or the Solar System at any time. If we can destroy their fleet, the war will turn in our favor.”

“That’s a big if,” Stan said, shaking his head. He leaned forward and picked up his cup of steaming coffee from his desk. Taking a sip, he smiled. “I always liked the coffee from Columbia,” He said wistfully, his eyes partially closed recalling the savory taste. “We had so many more blends from different countries back then. There was a time I could take one sip and tell you where the coffee beans originated.” Putting the cup back down he let out a deep sigh. “Now we grow all of our coffee deep underground where the plants never see actual sunlight. Somehow it just doesn’t seem right.”

“We lost a lot when the Kleese launched their missile at Earth,” Wade acknowledged. “I guess we’re lucky we managed to salvage as much as we did.”

Stan opened his desk drawer and slid a photo over toward Wade. It was a picture of an elephant. “Elephants are extinct now because of the Kleese as well as thousands of other animal species. I spoke to Lawrence Henderson the other day. They’ve been surveying the Earth’s oceans to see if any fish survived. Whales are gone as well as most everything else. Lawrence thinks a few species may have survived in the deeper waters, particularly around some of the volcanic vents, but at the moment, he has no way to conduct that type of deep water survey.”

“I spoke to Mason Randle a few months back about this,” Wade replied. He and Beth had gone to see Mason as they had some questions about cloning which had come up in a discussion with Harnett. “He said if we can find viable DNA samples from Earth animals, they may be able to use the cloning technology to bring them back.”

Stan’s eyes widened at the thought of what that might mean. “We’re going to start terraforming Mars shortly. Wouldn’t it be amazing to see the oceans on Mars teeming with life? Whales, tuna, sea lions, and all the rest. It would be a miracle.”

Wade nodded in agreement. “Our habitats are wonderful. The Kiveans have helped us to build cities and places to live very reminiscent of what Earth could have been. But we’re still living underground. I miss the open air, going to the beach, and camping in the mountains. We’ve built a safe environment to raise our children, but I feel they’re missing out on so much.”

“My wife says much the same,” replied Stan, sliding his chair back and standing up. He walked over to a large window that allowed him to look out over Luna City. Then he turned back around toward Wade. “I understand General Mitchell has you going around inspecting the deep bunkers we’ll use in case of an attack.”

“Yes, there’s a lot of concern that with the size of the Zaltule fleet, they may be able to damage some of our habitats with antimatter missiles.”

“Like Mars Central,” muttered Stan, wincing at the memory. “I’ll arrange for Major Baer to take you on a tour. All of our deep bunkers are very well maintained and have supplies for nearly a month.”

“Thank you, Mayor,” Wade answered. He knew that Mayor Silas had a busy schedule for the day and rearranged his agenda just so they could meet.

“Tell Beth I said hello and that my wife and I would like to see Erick next time the two of you come to Luna City.”

“I will,” promised Wade. So far, other than the Kivean asteroid, Beth and Erick had stayed in Vesta. Beth preferred the safety the asteroid provided.

-

Two hours later, Wade was standing at the end of a long and wide corridor. In front of him was a set of large metal doors. The corridor was brightly lit and it seemed as if the floors had been recently polished.

“We’re two thousand feet underground,” Major Baer explained as he slid his key card through the security identification scanner on the wall next to the doors. Stepping back, he watched as the two doors slowly swung open. Beyond them, another set opened in the opposite direction.

“Why aren’t there any guards posted in front of these doors?” asked Wade. He hadn’t seen any guards since they had entered the long winding corridor. He knew the corridor made several sharp turns in order to add protection to the bunker.

Baer pointed toward the ceiling where a small black globe was embedded in the concrete and steel. “We have security cameras in all the corridors leading to the bunkers,” he explained. “There’s also a company of Marines in Type Three battlesuits stationed close enough to respond to any interlopers. This particular company is responsible for the safety of four of these facilities.” The major paused and looked at Wade. “You may know the man in charge of this company of Marines. It’s Captain Samuel Griffith.”

Wade nodded, recognizing the name. Captain Griffith had been Colonel Stevens’ best friend and had served with him at Jornada during the cataclysm. Captain Griffith and his family now lived in Luna City. He let out a deep breath. Everyone had lost family and friends when Earth had died. Unfortunately, even now, there was still suffering when brave men and women perished in battle.

Stepping inside the bunker, Wade paused upon seeing the scope of what was before him. A large central corridor led off as far as the eye could see. On each side of the corridor, open hatches led to other parts of the massive bunker complex. As they walked, Wade occasionally paused to look past the hatches at what lay on the other side. Huge dormitories capable of holding hundreds of people were visible. There were cafeterias, supply rooms, and even a modern medical facility.

“How many people can this bunker hold?”

“Eighty thousand,” Major Baer answered. “We have twelve of these large bunkers around and below Luna City. There are emergency drills every three months where everyone evacuates the city and comes down to the bunkers. Each family has their own assigned berths in the dormitories as well as assigned schedules to eat in the cafeterias.”

Wade paused, looking sharply at the major. “That’s not nearly enough room for the entire population.” Wade knew over two million people called Luna City their home. There were several other large domed cities on the Moon as well.

“There are numerous small private bunkers throughout the city and the adjoining domes,” answered Baer. “Most are quite capable of surviving if the Kleese manage to hit the city or one of the domes with an antimatter missile.”

Wade knew what the major wasn’t admitting. If more than one antimatter warhead went off some of the bunkers could be compromised, just as they had at Mars Central.

Going into a small command and control room, Wade gazed at the now dormant facility. In case of attack, twenty people would be operating the control consoles that were now silent. Upon the wall, dozens of viewscreens were capable of showing views of Luna City and the surrounding desolate moonscape. Wade sincerely hoped it would never be necessary to activate this control center. If it was, then it would indicate the Zaltule had come to the Solar System in force.

-

General Mitchell was standing in one of Centerpoint Station’s many flight bays inspecting a battlecruiser that would be starting on its space trials the next day.

“That’s the last one,” General Pittman said. “The next group of battlecruisers won’t be ready for three more months. We used all of our resources to get the ones we were already working on finished and ready for combat.”

“I just hope it’s enough,” Mitchell said as he watched several large construction robots carrying crates and other supplies into the ship. Glancing over at General Pittman, he continued. “Robert, I want you to take command of Freedom Station. I need someone over there that I trust implicitly.”

General Pittman was taken aback by the request. “What about General Sampson? I thought she was doing fine commanding the station.”

“She is,” Mitchell replied. “But she has no combat experience. She’ll act as your second in command. I’ve already spoken to her and I’m pretty certain I sensed the sound of relief in her voice when I told her I was sending you over.”

General Pittman nodded. “I’ll arrange to have my personal items sent over to the station immediately. What are we going to do about Holbrook Station? Are you going to order it shut down?”

General Mitchell nodded his head. “I think we have to. It’s too lightly defended, and its energy shield wouldn’t last long against a Zaltule battlecruiser.”

“Darren Kirby won’t like that,” responded Pittman, arching his eyebrow. “He’s been fighting tooth and nail to keep the station open. He’s fully convinced that when we begin trying to calm the earthquakes and volcanoes on Earth Holbrook will be essential in that effort.”

“It would be nice to have since it’s so close to Earth and has all that scientific equipment on board.” The Kiveans in recent years had helped to completely modernize the station’s scientific instruments. Holbrook’s primary job was monitoring Earth and the ongoing changes to its atmosphere and tormented surface.

General Pittman nodded as he stepped back to allow two smaller work robots to go past them. They were carrying tools and headed toward an assault ship still in the bay. “When are you going to tell Kirby to begin evacuating the station?”

“Tomorrow,” General Mitchell replied with a frown. “I’m not looking forward to that conversation as I know Darren’s going to protest very strongly.”

-

The next day, Darren Kirby leaned back in his command chair and shook his head in anger. “Damn generals,” he muttered.

“What’s wrong?” asked Shirley Melvin, who was second in command of the station.

“General Mitchell has ordered us to abandon Holbrook and evacuate to Freedom Station until this crisis with the Zaltule is settled one way or the other.”

“Evacuate the station!” protested Shirley in disbelief. “We have so much work we still need to do. Juan is nearly finished with his latest atmospheric studies, and when he is he’ll have a workable model of what the volcanoes and the earthquakes are doing to Earth’s atmosphere. If we stop before he’s finished, it could set back Earth’s recovery efforts by years!”

Darren looked at a large viewscreen that was always focused on Earth. It was a dim and foreboding planet that filled the screen. Dark clouds covered the surface and occasional flashes of static discharges, very similar to lighting, were visible. The static lightning was caused by all the dust and other pollutants in the atmosphere. Darren knew by now there must be billions of tons of it.

“Juan can set the computers to continue his observations and record the necessary data,” Darren said after a few moments. “Once this crisis is over, we can return and he can finish running his atmospheric program.”

Shirley shook her head unhappily. “We’d better tell Lawrence we’re abandoning the station.”

Lawrence Henderson, chief of operations at Jornada, depended on them to furnish up to the minute weather forecasts for the forays his special salvage ships made around the planet. From the station, they could monitor the weather, volcanoes, earthquakes and even tidal waves. It helped that some of the special equipment the Kiveans had furnished them allowed them to see through the turbulent atmosphere. Granted, much of what they could see was partially computer generated as not even the most powerful equipment could see through some regions of the contaminated atmosphere.

Darren knew he had no choice but to obey his orders. He was pragmatic enough to know if the Zaltule set their sights on Holbrook, it could very easily be destroyed. The station had half a dozen energy cannons and two full sized pulse fusion turrets. It also boasted a powerful energy shield, but it lacked heavy hull armor. Holbrook had been built many years before the Kleese had shown up, back during the time when the Human race still thought they were alone in the universe. It had been built as a waypoint between Smithfield and Earth. Mason Randle would ship heavy metals and refined products to Holbrook where they would then be sent on to Earth to fulfill paid contracts from numerous Earth companies.

Darren missed those old days when everything was so much simpler and Earth was a living and vibrant planet. “Jamie, get Lawrence Henderson on the comm; I need to give him the bad news.”

Darren also wondered if he had been ordered to evacuate Holbrook what special orders Lawrence was given. Darren was well aware of the deep survival bunkers beneath Earth’s only functioning spaceport. If the Zaltule were successful in destroying the rest of humanity in the Solar System, there was a distinct possibility that sometime in the distant future survivors from beneath Jornada would rise up and make their presence known once more to the galaxy at large. Once he was finished speaking to Lawrence, he would have to start working out the evacuation schedule. There were nearly two hundred people currently living and working on the station.

-

In space out between the orbits of Mars and Earth, the heavy battlecruiser Armageddon cruised with her fleet. After much consideration, Fleet Admiral Kelly had combined a number of Earth’s fleets into one large formation. He knew there was the distinct possibility he could be facing several thousand Zaltule battlecruisers, and with ten separate Earth fleets, it would be too difficult to challenge the Zaltule for control of the system. First Fleet currently consisted of twelve heavy battlecruisers, twenty-four regular battlecruisers, seventy-two light cruisers, and one hundred and twenty assault ships. All the ships had the latest weapons and the most powerful energy shields that could be designed. In all, First Fleet’s battle order consisted of two hundred and twenty-eight ships.

The fleet was currently on a routine patrol practicing battle drills and doing occasional short Fold Space jumps to simulate emerging in crisp and ready to fight formations. It was essential the fleet be able to complete these maneuvers smoothly and concisely if they hoped to have any chance of a victory.

“Still no movement from the Zaltule,” muttered Commander Kevin Makita as he read the latest reports from the light cruiser Sparrow.

“Keep in mind those reports are nearly three days old,” Fleet Admiral Kelly said. It was fortunate FTL communications moved far faster than a ship could in Fold Space. It would take a ship three weeks to get from the Kleese trading station in Sector Thirteen to the Solar System. Unfortunately, the Alliance was only six days from the station.

“What are they waiting for?”

Kelly looked over at Makita and shook his head. “Who knows; perhaps more ships?”

“More ships! From where?”

“They could be waiting on exploration ships, assault ships, or even whatever battlecruisers they left scattered throughout their empire as they marched through it conquering all the nonaligned worlds that are not part of the Alliance.”

“All of our battle plans are based on facing a Zaltule fleet of no more than six thousand ships,” Makita said with a deep frown etched across his forehead. “What happens if they attack with more?”

“It will be a battle of attrition,” answered Kelly, shifting his gaze over to the tactical screen showing the friendly green icons of his fleet. He peered closely, seeing the battlecruiser Minotaur was drifting outside the formation. “Lieutenant Jones, contact the Minotaur and order them to close with the formation. I want Commander Lane to relieve whoever is at Navigation and assign them to extra duty. That’s the second time the ship has strayed from its assigned position.”

“Yes, sir,” Lieutenant Jones replied.

-

Aboard the Minotaur, Commander Samuel Lane glared at his communications officer. He had ordered the Minotaur to the far side of the fleet formation as he didn’t feel comfortable having his battlecruiser so close to other ships. He wanted room to maneuver if it became necessary. Being inside the tight formation Fleet Admiral Kelly had set up seemed counterproductive to that philosophy.

“Your orders, Commander?” asked Lieutenant Tristan Hays, the ship’s second officer.

“Ease us back into our former position,” Commander Lane ordered unhappily.

Commander Lane had already decided that if it came down to a battle, his ship’s survival was paramount. If he had to move it to the outer regions of the fleet formation or even outside of it, he would without hesitation.

“I’ll be in my quarters if I’m needed,” Lane said after a few moments.

He had known Fleet Admiral Kelly for a number of years and cared little for his tactics. Lane always felt he would have made a better overall commander of the fleets. He had several bottles of liquor in his desk and now was a good time for several stiff drinks.

-

Lieutenant Hays watched as Commander Lane left the Command Center. When he had been assigned to the Minotaur, he had looked at the assignment as a stepping-stone to his own command someday. He had come to be greatly disappointed in how Lane ran the ship. Discipline was poor, the crew suffered from bad morale, and the commander was often absent from the Command Center for long periods of time, even during his own watch. Hays had considered asking for a transfer. Unfortunately, that would have to be approved by Commander Lane, and Hays knew that would never happen. With a deep sigh, he moved to the command chair and spent the next few minutes making sure the Minotaur resumed its correct spot in the fleet formation. He knew when Lane returned he would probably order them to move the ship out of formation again.

-

In the Kivean asteroid, Marken was meeting with a number of Kivean, Human, Delton, Talt, Belen, and Bashan scientists, as well as technicians and military officers. After the Belens fled to the Alliance, President Steward had offered them refuge in the Solar System. Another asteroid had been picked out and a small but comfortable habitat built inside for the Belen survivors.

“So are we all in agreement as to the weapons we shall use to destroy the Zaltule if they attack here?” Marken asked.

“The new mines are being produced in mass at Freedom Station,” Gerald Lawson reported. “General Mitchell has allowed us to modify six assault ships to act as mine layers.”

“The mines should be undetectable to Zaltule sensors,” Larnell added. Larnell was one of the Kiveans who had been part of Marken’s trusted group from the very beginning.

“My only concern is the mines have very limited maneuverability,” Marken pointed out. “They’ll have to be emplaced directly in front of the Zaltule battlecruisers, and the assault ships doing the mine laying will, in all likelihood, be detected.”

“That’s why we set up several traps in the Solar System,” suggested Sub Commander Kith of the Talts. “We emplace the mines and then lure the Zaltule into them by offering to engage in a fleet battle. If our fleet is on one side of the mines and the Zaltule on the other, they’ll have no choice but to fly through them. When they do, the mines will do their jobs.”

Marken nodded his approval. “I’ll leave it up to you and Commander Pasha to work out the details with Fleet Admiral Kelly.” Turning back to Gerald Lawson, he asked the next question. “What about the cargo ships; are they ready?” Marken was referring to the eight hundred older cargo ships furnished by the Alliance. Each one had been equipped with an energy shield and their cargo holds filled with asteroid debris from the system’s mining operations.

“The cargo ships are ready,” confirmed Lawson, glancing at notes he had brought along. “Their energy shields and Fold Space Drives have been tested and will work as needed. When the time comes, we can use them to ram the Zaltule warfleet.”

“Be aware that Fleet Admiral Achlyn feels the Zaltule will be able to intercept many of these cargo ships,” warned Second Commander Baylith of the Deltons. “They will be destroyed well short of the Zaltule fleet.”

“I disagree,” said Sub Commander Kith, shaking his head. “If they’re all deployed at once I believe some will get through.” Kith saw some of the others nod their heads in agreement.

“I believe our other weapon would be far more effective,” commented Daebenn, the esteemed Delton professor of advanced sciences. “If it works, it could destroy the Zaltule fleet.”

“If it works,” repeated Marken with a deep and worried frown on his face. “If we have to use it, we risk destroying the Solar System and all of our races who now call this system home.”

“Is the apparatus ready?” asked First Commander Dasha of the Belen.

“It’s been installed on Earth’s moon,” replied Daebenn. “We’ve run some tests at low power and everything indicates it will function as projected.”

“We’re taking a terrible risk if we turn it on at full power,” commented Larnell. “It may be just as big of a risk as the Zaltule.”

“A weapon of last resort,” stated Marken, fully in agreement with Larnell’s statement. He hadn’t even told Fleet Admiral Kelly or General Mitchell what the weapon was fully capable of. When he did, he wasn’t sure how they would react. “What do the latest projections of the damage we’ll cause to the Solar System show if we activate the weapon?”

Daebenn looked gravely around the group. “There is a forty-two percent chance we’ll lose containment and there will be total destruction. Even if we don’t, there is a seventy-four percent probability of some harm being done to the Solar System if we activate it. However, it will destroy the Zaltule fleet.”

Marken stood and nodded his head. “I will go to Centerpoint Station and inform General Mitchell of what we’ve done. It will be up to him whether to use this ultimate weapon or not.”

-

After the meeting was over, Marken returned home and stepped out onto the balcony overlooking one of the two Kivean cities inside the asteroid. It was so beautiful and peaceful. Looking down at one of the parks, he could see Kivean children playing. He so wished he and Harnett had been able to have young ones. He had always wondered what it would feel like to be a father. With a deep sigh, he turned and went back inside.

He was gravely concerned the new weapon they had designed was too dangerous to use. If they did use it and they lost control of it, then it could very easily destroy everything they had struggled so hard to build. The Kivean race would be gone as well as the Humans, and his bid to free the galaxy of the Kleese would be at an end. While the weapon might indeed be capable of destroying the Zaltule fleet, with the Solar System gone the remaining Kleese would then destroy what remained of the Alliance and continue on their quest for galactic domination. Marken knew he was in for many sleepless nights as he worried about what the future might hold and what was the right thing to do.

Chapter Seventeen

Military Overlord Harmock gazed at the multiple viewscreens on the wall of the Command Center of the Warrior’s Fire. Zaltule battlecruisers were dropping out of Fold Space by the hundreds. He stamped his six feet upon the metal deck of the Command Pedestal in approval. He could finally begin his final push against the Human led Alliance and the Humans themselves.

“The rest of our fleet is here,” Minor Overlord Gareth said from his position on the Command Pedestal next to Harmock.

“I have heard from War Overlord Tetus,” Harmock said as he turned his triangular shaped head toward Gareth. “The Human fleet reported to be attacking former nonaligned worlds has been met in battle and defeated. He has reported what remains of the fleet is fleeing toward Alliance space and is no longer a threat to the empire.”

“Do you still believe it was a feint by the Humans to draw our fleet back from Alliance Space?”

“Yes,” answered Harmock, folding his powerful black arms across his chest. “The Humans are no fools and worthy adversaries in combat. It was a sound strategic move on their part. We’re fortunate we had our older Zaltule battlecruisers to call upon to deal with the threat.”

“What of former Supreme Overlord Xatul? Has there been any word on where he has fled?”

Harmock’s multifaceted eyes narrowed. He was deeply concerned Xatul could still pose a problem. Many of the other clans of the Kleese Empire still supported the former Supreme Overlord. “Kaluse reports there is still no sign of our former leader. He believes Xatul has fled the empire to some other section of the galaxy.”

“He may be a threat someday,” pointed out Gareth in a harsh and somewhat grating voice. “He could form another empire of his own in a different part of the galaxy and return to oppose us. He has members of three clans with him.”

“Clans which will soon be extinct in our own empire if they continue to show inclinations of supporting our former Supreme Overlord,” Harmock replied in an uncompromising voice. “There will be no thoughts of insurrection allowed by any of the clans. Also, Xatul has no Queens with him that we’re aware of. After we have defeated the Alliance and the Humans, we’ll return to our home system and reform the Council of Overlords with our clan in control. All other clans will be expected to fall in line or suffer the consequences. We have many more warriors that will soon be joining us from the new hatchings of our Queens.”

Gareth turned his attention back to the viewscreens as more of the three kilometer Zaltule battlecruisers continued to drop out of Fold Space. “What will be our first target?”

“A nearby Alliance world,” Harmock replied. He touched an icon on a screen on the command console in front of him. On one of the large viewscreens a blue-white world appeared. “That is the nonaligned world of Callenda. It is one of the weaker Alliance worlds and our first target.”

“And after we conquer Callenda, then where shall we go?” Gareth knew that Harmock had spoken of attacking the Humans next.

“To the Humans’ home system,” confirmed Harmock. “They will be expecting us to attack the rest of the Alliance worlds one by one. Instead, we will take our entire fleet and destroy the Humans once and for all. After their system has been destroyed, we’ll then turn on the Alliance and bring their worlds back under Kleese control. Their desire to fight will have been substantially reduced when they learn their Human allies have been annihilated.”

“What about the leaders of all of those Alliance worlds? They may be a problem after being under the influence of the Humans and unwilling to submit to Kleese rule.”

Harmock was silent for several moments before replying. “We will emplace the collars of obedience around all of their rebellious necks. They’ll be taken out before their populations and executed. Seeing the heads blown off of their leaders should quell any future thoughts of rebellion. They will fall in line and become part of our empire.”

“How soon before we launch our attack?” asked Gareth.

“We will leave tomorrow,” Harmock responded. “We’ll form the fleet into one single formation and proceed to Callenda. When the other Alliance worlds hear of the size of our fleet and what happened at Callenda, they may decide to recant their membership in the Alliance even before we attack the Humans.”

Gareth nodded. “The Zaltule are the supreme race in the galaxy. It is only right that all others serve.”

“Only those who can provide a service to the empire,” Harmock responded. “In time, we will annihilate all the vermin that infest so many of the worlds in our empire. Those worlds will be given to new Zaltule Queens to grow our clan. Someday this entire galaxy will be ours.”

-

The light cruiser Sparrow floated in space listening for FTL signals from the Kleese trading station a mere four point seven light years distant from the brown dwarf system they were hiding in.

“It’s too quiet,” Lieutenant Allen Stein said from his sensor console.

“How many signal pings have we recorded in the last twenty-four hours?” asked Captain Hailey Rogers, looking over at Communications.

“Twelve,” Ensign Gene Taylor answered. “The last was only twenty minutes ago. From its strength and intensity, the Zaltule are still sitting around the trading station.”

Captain Rogers nodded and let out a deep yawn. So far, other than one assault ship that had appeared in the system, this mission had been very quiet and uneventful. “I’m going to my quarters. Call me if anything changes.”

-

Hailey had been asleep for several hours when suddenly the Condition One alarms began sounding. Rolling out of bed, she hit the communication’s button on the comm device on her nightstand. “Report!”

“Zaltule fleet is moving,” reported Ensign Luke Marist. “The last two pings we received indicate the fleet has gone into Fold Space.”

“Summon the rest of the command crew,” Hailey ordered. “I’ll be there shortly.

It didn’t take Hailey long to reach the ship’s small Command Center. Stepping inside, she made her way to her command chair and looked over at Communications. “Status!”

“We’ve received one additional ping,” Ensign Taylor replied. “The fleet is moving in our general direction and toward Alliance space.”

“How close are they?”

“Less than a light year,” Lieutenant Stein answered as he checked his sensor data. “They’re probably still accelerating.”

“How close do we need to be to be able to scan that fleet with our new sensors?” The Sparrow had been equipped with the new sensors, which could detect ships in Fold Space.

“One tenth of a light year,” Stein replied, and then his eyes narrowed. “Are you thinking about moving us closer to the Zaltule fleet? Those are Zaltule battlecruisers and they’ll probably detect us once we enter Fold Space.”

“They may detect us but they won’t know who we are,” Hailey replied evenly. “We can only hope they think we’re just a harmless cargo ship.” She took a deep breath and looked at the expectant faces of her command crew. “Ensign Marist, activate our Fold Space Drive and plot an intercept course for the Zaltule fleet. Let’s just see where they’re going.” Hailey knew the enemy’s eventual destination would be vital to Alliance Fleet Admiral Rivers. She was determined to get him that information.

-

Adjusting course away from the brown dwarf system, the light cruiser Sparrow suddenly accelerated and moments later activated her Fold Space Drive. Space in front of the small three-hundred-meter long ship suddenly became warped, making the distance between two points much shorter. The ship continued to accelerate until it reached its top cruising speed of one hundred twenty light years per day.

For six hours, the ship flew toward the estimated position of the Zaltule fleet. Two more FTL pings from the hidden tracking devices aided in allowing the Sparrow to continue to track the fleet and its approximate course.

-

“Contact,” called out Lieutenant Allen Stein as Zaltule battlecruisers finally started registering on the special Fold Space detection sensors.

“Adjust our course to parallel the Zaltule fleet,” ordered Captain Rogers. Hailey leaned forward as the sensors began putting red threat icons up on the tactical display. After a few minutes, the screen looked like one solid mass of red.

“How many ships is that?” she asked, knowing she was looking at thousands of warships.

“This can’t be right,” muttered Lieutenant Stein, shaking his head in disbelief. “The sensors must be malfunctioning.”

“Why’s that?” asked Hailey as her eyes shifted toward Stein.

“The sensors are showing ten thousand two hundred and sixty Zaltule battlecruisers,” answered Stein in a stunned voice.

“What?” Hailey said, her eyes widening and her face turning pale. “That can’t be right. The Zaltule only have six thousand of their big battlecruisers. Is there any chance our sensors are picking up assault and exploration ships?”

“No, Captain,” replied Lieutenant Stein, shaking his head. “All vessels the sensors are picking up are first line Zaltule battlecruisers. I’ll run a system diagnostic, but I don’t think there’s anything wrong.”

“We’re screwed,” said Lieutenant Callie Smith from Tactical as she gazed at the red threat icons that filled the tactical screen. “The Alliance and the Solar System can’t handle a fleet of that size. It will roll over all of our defenses as if they aren’t even there.”

Hailey continued to gaze at the massive red blob on the tactical screen. She could feel her heart pounding and a cold chill run down her back. If this fleet reached Alliance space, she knew there was nothing Alliance Fleet Admiral Rivers could do to stop it. She leaned back in her command chair, deep in thought. Where the hell had the Zaltule come up with four thousand more battlecruisers? All of the intelligence gleaned over the last year had indicated the Zaltule had a maximum fleet of slightly over six thousand vessels. Someone had really screwed up.

“Send a message to the nearest FTL communication buoy,” she finally ordered. “We need to inform the Alliance and Fleet Admiral Rivers what’s headed their way. Download the data we’ve gathered into an encrypted communications packet and send it.”

“What about us?” asked Lieutenant Stein.

Hailey shifted her gaze to her second in command. “We’ll continue to follow the Zaltule fleet. They can’t attack us while we’re in Fold Space.”

Stein nodded his head and then went back to studying the information on his sensors.

“Let me know as soon as we’ve determined their most likely destination.” Hailey knew wherever this Zaltule fleet was heading, the system had no chance of a successful resistance. The question was, in the face of such an overwhelming force, should the system resist at all?

Hailey looked around at her command crew. All were strangely silent as if they had just witnessed the end of the world. Hailey knew there was nothing she could say to comfort them. The massive red blob on the tactical screen said it all. It was Armageddon headed toward the Alliance and the Solar System, and there was nothing she knew of that could stop it.

-

Alliance Fleet Admiral Rivers gazed at the data flowing across the viewscreen on his command console in silence. This was the encrypted data packet they had just received from the Sparrow.

“Where did they get those ships?” asked Commander Greerman in a very much subdued voice. “All of our intelligence indicated a Zaltule fleet of only six thousand vessels.”

Rivers slowly shook his head, feeling numb at what he was seeing. “Someone made a mistake, a very bad one.”

Commander Greerman gazed at the data for another few seconds and then began inputting information into his console. He finally stopped and shifted his gaze toward the admiral. “It looks as if their most likely destination is Callenda. We won’t know for sure for another four to six hours, assuming the Sparrow can continue to send us updates.”

“Captain Rogers will do her job,” Rivers said with conviction. “She’s a fine officer and knows how important this information is to the Alliance.” He also knew this data packet had been sent fourteen hours ago. By now, the Sparrow knew where the Zaltule fleet was headed and had probably already transmitted the information. It would just take a while for it to get to the fleet. He paused and looked over at Ensign Entz at Communications. “Send the communications packet to President Raytol at Lanolth and inform him we’ll keep him apprised of future developments. Also, send a copy to General Mitchell. They all need to know our battle plans have just taken a serious hit.”

“That’s putting it mildly,” commented Commander Greerman with a deep frown. “How do we stop ten thousand Zaltule battlecruisers?”

Fleet Admiral Rivers rubbed his forehead trying to come up with a viable battle plan. If he allowed the Zaltule to conquer Callenda with no attempt by him to stop it, then the Alliance might fall apart. He had no alternative but to engage the Zaltule fleet and hope for the best.

Turning toward Lieutenant Rodriquez at the Helm, he gave his next order. “Helm, set a course for Callenda. I want the entire fleet in battle formation Alpha.” Formation Alpha was a loose cylinder shaped formation that allowed sufficient distance between ships to ensure there were no collisions upon drop out. Once the fleet emerged from Fold Space, the formation could be rapidly tightened to provide for the maximum amount of defensive firepower.

“We’re going to be badly outnumbered,” warned Commander Greerman. “If we attempt to engage that many Zaltule battlecruisers we could be putting the fleet at risk.”

Fleet Admiral Rivers nodded his agreement. “We probably can’t save Callenda, but just maybe we can give the Zaltule a bloody nose, slow down their advance, and show the Alliance we’re willing to fight for every world no matter what the odds. What size defense fleet does Callenda have?”

Commander Greerman pressed some icons on his computer screen and his eyes narrowed. “Not a lot. They’re one of the smaller Alliance worlds as far as population and industrialization go. They’re quite advanced but normally very secluded. They shun contact with most races and only indulge in a minimal amount of trade. It’s one of the reasons they waited so long to join the Alliance. Their entire defense fleet consists of twenty battlecruisers and sixty support ships.”

“What about ion cannons on the surface?”

“Only twenty,” Greerman answered as he studied the information on his screen. “There hasn’t been enough time to install more. The original plans called for over one hundred. I’m afraid they won’t be of much help.”

“Fleet’s ready to enter Fold Space,” Lieutenant Rodriquez reported.

Rivers looked around the Command Center. Everyone was busy at their stations in preparation for entering Fold Space. “Do it,” he ordered. “Let’s go find us some Zaltule to kill.”

-

Military Overlord Harmock gazed curiously at the tactical screen showing an unknown contact shadowing the fleet at a discreet distance.

“That ship has been following us for three days,” commented Minor Overlord Gareth. “It has to be a Human vessel.”

The Military Overlord gazed at the screen for several long moments. “The Humans must have been watching us at the trading station, and when we left they followed us. That means the Alliance will know we’re coming.”

“But how?” demanded Gareth as he glared at the small red threat icon on the far edge of the screen. “We had assault ships out continuously on routine patrol as well as several battlecruisers. If the Humans had a ship in the system, we should have detected it.”

“Don’t forget the Humans have the advanced technology of a large number of Alliance worlds to draw upon. They may have found a method to make their ships harder to detect.”

Gareth shuffled his legs and his feet made a clicking noise on the metal of the Command Center’s deck. “Do you believe the Humans will come to the aid of Callenda?”

Harmock turned his multifaceted eyes toward Gareth. “They must, or their Alliance may collapse. That’s why we’re proceeding at a much slower speed than our ships are capable of. I want to draw the Humans out and crush their fleet before we move on to destroy their home star system.”

“What about the small ship that’s tracking us?”

“It’s in Fold Space and immune to attack at the moment,” Harmock said. “It’s obviously one of their light cruiser vessels. When we get to Callenda, we’ll destroy it.”

Looking around the Command Center, Harmock noted with satisfaction the quiet efficiency of the Zaltule standing before the control consoles. There were no conscripts upon the battlecruiser. None of the lesser races were allowed upon any Zaltule vessel. Looking down at his seven-digit right hand, he looked forward to the day they could begin using the black control boxes to begin eliminating those vermin deemed unnecessary to the empire.

-

Captain Hailey Rogers was once more in the Command Center. She had been taking only short breaks as being near so many Zaltule battlecruisers made her highly nervous. So far, they hadn’t responded to the Sparrow shadowing their fleet though Hailey strongly suspected they had detected them by now.

“Do we have their most likely target?” she asked as she sat down in her command chair.

“Callenda,” Ensign Marist answered promptly. “We have thought that for several days now, and they haven’t deviated from their course. If they stay at their present speed, in five days they will reach the Callenda System.”

Hailey looked with great concern at the tactical display showing the Zaltule fleet. She knew Callenda’s defense fleet would be swept away by the Zaltule as if it were nothing.

“Send the latest update to the Alliance and Fleet Admiral Rivers,” she ordered.

“How long are we going to follow the Zaltule fleet?” asked Lieutenant Stein.

“All the way to Callenda,” Hailey answered softly. “We’ll observe the attack on the planet and then report back to Lanolth.” Hailey leaned back in her command chair, folding her arms across her chest. She knew very shortly, the first battle to determine the fate of the Alliance and the Solar System was going to be fought. Unfortunately, she saw no way they could win.

-

“Alliance Fleet Admiral Rivers watched expectantly as the Independence dropped out of Fold Space and into the Callenda System.

“Report!” he ordered. The fleet had emerged at Condition One ready for combat just in case any Zaltule ships had arrived early ahead of their main fleet.

“Fleet is still emerging from Fold Space,” Commander Greerman answered.

“Energy screen is coming online and weapons are powering up,” reported Lieutenant Sandra Brim from Tactical.

“No Zaltule ships are being detected by the sensors,” added Lieutenant Mandy Hertz.

“We’re being challenged by an Admiral Zahn of the Callenda defense fleet,” reported Ensign Martin Entz.

“Send standard recognition codes,” ordered Admiral Rivers, glancing over at Communications. “Where is their fleet?”

Commander Greerman checked some data on the sensor screens. “They’re in orbit over Callenda in a standard defensive formation.”

Rivers nodded his approval. It was best for the Callenda fleet to stay close enough to the planet so the ion cannons could add to their offensive capability. “Take us in closer to Callenda and have all ships go to Condition Three. Our Fold Space sensors will give us ample warning of the Zaltule fleet when it approaches.”

Now it would be a waiting game, Rivers needed to come up with a plan to hurt the Zaltule while not allowing his fleet to be decimated. Peering at the viewscreen, he saw a blue-white world. Callenda looked much like Earth had before the Kleese missile strike. He wondered sadly what the planet would look like when he was eventually forced to abandon the system.

-

Time passed and the Zaltule fleet finally neared its target. Military Overlord Harmock was pleased with what he saw on the long-range sensors. The Humans had indeed come to this system’s defense. Large numbers of red threat icons were popping up one of the tactical screens showing the current disposition of what he assumed was the Human fleet.

“It’s as we hoped,” Minor Overlord Gareth said as he gazed at the screen. “The Humans have come to the aid of Callenda. We have the fleet battle we wanted.”

“Then they will die here,” said Harmock, relishing the thought of the coming battle. “We will drop out of Fold Space on the outskirts of the system and then initiate our battle plan.” Looking at another tactical screen showing the thousands of battlecruisers under his command, he began preparing for the coming battle. One thing he would not do was underestimate the Humans.

-

Alliance Fleet Admiral Rivers watched the tactical screen with trepidation. The screen was filled with red threat icons. His fleet was heavily outnumbered.

“Zaltule fleet is dropping out of Fold Space,” reported Lieutenant Hertz. “They’re way out, Admiral; close to the edge of the system.”

Commander Greerman looked over at Admiral Rivers knowingly. “They want time to study our fleet to see what they’re up against. This Military Overlord Harmock is no fool.”

Rivers nodded his agreement. “They won’t wait long before they launch their attack. Take the fleet to Condition One.” Immediately alarms and red lights began flashing as the order was implemented.

Rivers felt guilty with what he was about to do. The leaders of the planet beneath the fleet had been very adamant that he not risk major losses defending them. They were well aware of what was coming into their system and to their planet. Arrangements had already been made to surrender to the Zaltule as soon as the fleet action was over. The major cities were being evacuated and were already nearly empty. It was hoped that if the Zaltule did use antimatter missiles on the planet, the casualties would be held to a minimum.

Even the orbiting Callenda warships had their crews reduced to volunteers only. It was expected the battle would be brief and violent and none of the ships would survive. The ion cannons would be fired in support of the fleet but as soon as the battle turned in the Zaltule’s favor explosive charges would detonate beneath the cannons, blowing them into oblivion so the Zaltule wouldn’t be able to salvage any technology from the weapon sites.

“Keep our formation tight,” ordered Rivers as he checked the green icons on the tactical screen. The fleet was in a short and squat cylinder formation. Once the Zaltule arrived, he intended to attack one section of their battle line and force his way through it, destroying every Zaltule ship in his path.

“Zaltule are entering Fold Space,” reported Lieutenant Hertz. On her sensors screens, the Zaltule ships were vanishing, only to reappear on the Fold Space tracking sensors.

Rivers activated his ship-to-ship comm. “All ships, stand by for imminent combat.”

The Fleet Admiral took a deep and fortifying breath. This would be the fleet’s first actual combat. He had nearly twelve hundred ships in the fleet from twenty-eight different Alliance worlds. He and his other officers had worked hard trying to meld the numerous system fleets into one unit capable of following orders and performing well in combat. They were about to put that training to the test.

“Admiral Zahn reports his fleet is ready and the planetary ion cannons are powered up,” reported Ensign Entz. “He also says all major cities have been evacuated.”

-

The minutes passed slowly and the tension in the Command Center was steadily increasing. Talking was minimal as everyone had their eyes glued to the tactical screen showing the approaching Zaltule fleet.

Fleet Admiral Rivers buckled his safety harness securely around him, knowing that shortly the fleet would be engaged in combat.

“All ships are at Condition One with weapons on standby,” reported Commander Greerman.

He had once commanded an aircraft carrier and he felt at home in the Command Center. Glancing at a viewscreen, he could see a number of Alliance ships that seemed to be floating in the darkness of space with hundreds of unblinking stars as a background. At the moment, everything was still peaceful, but that was going to change shortly.

“Zaltule are dropping out of Fold Space,” called out Lieutenant Hertz as alarms began to sound on her console.

“Fire missiles!” ordered Fleet Admiral Rivers. He wanted to get in the first strike before the Zaltule could fully power up their energy shields.

-

The order was received by the fifty Javian battlecruisers in the fleet. Each Javian ship was one thousand meters in length. Their primary weapons were their powerful sublight antimatter missiles. Each ship had sixty missile tubes and could launch a coordinated missile strike on any target. The ships also had numerous energy beam turrets for offense and defense. On the bow, there was a large energy cannon that could fire a concentrated beam of energy. Each Javian ship had orders to target just one Zaltule battlecruiser each with their opening salvo.

-

“Zaltule have emerged in a cone formation,” reported Commander Greerman with a deep frown. “Crap, we’re already partially englobed!”

“Javians are firing their missiles, as well as the rest of the fleet.” Lieutenant Hertz could see her sensor screens come alive with contacts from all the missiles being launched.

-

As soon as the ten thousand Zaltule battlecruisers dropped out of Fold Space, their energy shields snapped into being. The shields had barely powered up when they were pummeled by thousands of twenty-megaton antimatter missiles. All across the Zaltule formation, bright flashes of light flared into being. Most of the missiles were scattered across the Zaltule formation, however, the missiles launched by the fifty Javian battlecruisers were not. Each Javian vessel had targeted one Zaltule battlecruiser. Not only that but due to the excellent coordination of their missile strike, each missile impacted on the same spot of the Zaltule energy shield within microseconds of one another. Almost instantly the shield weakened, allowing a number of the sublight missiles to penetrate and strike the hull armor. In fifty locations across the Zaltule formation, fifty burning suns appeared as the Zaltule vessels were annihilated in raging flames of antimatter energy.

-

“That hurt them!” called out Commander Greerman, his eyes glowing.

“What about the rest of our missiles?” asked Rivers.

“Negligible,” Greerman answered as he studied the tactical data appearing on his screens. “We caused some damage, but not much.”

“All ships, begin Stage Two,” ordered Admiral Rivers over the ship-to-ship communications channel. Now would begin the difficult part of the battle with incoming fire from the larger and more powerful Zaltule battlecruisers.

“Firing particle beams,” reported Lieutenant Sandra Brim. “Pulse fusion turrets are also firing.”

Rivers looked up at the viewscreens displaying numerous ships, both Alliance and Zaltule. Beams of energy were lashing out, striking energy screens. More missiles were being launched to explode in bright flashes of light, and now it would become a battle of attrition.

-

Pulse fusion fire from a number of Alliance battlecruisers slammed into the main part of a Zaltule warship, setting off massive explosions and hurling glowing debris into space. The ship seemed to shake uncontrollably for a moment before it was struck by a Nabian antimatter missile. It was instantly blown in two and the broken pieces were quickly targeted and destroyed. Other Zaltule ships were being targeted by multiple Alliance vessels trying to knock holes in their energy shields so an antimatter missile could be fired through the gap at the armored hull. Not even the strongest ship armor in existence could withstand the burning heat of released antimatter.

Plasma beams from several Human battlecruisers slammed into the bow of a Zaltule warship setting off fiery explosions and severely damaging the vessel. Shortly after, an antimatter missile arrived and the ship was turned into a mangled molten wreck.

-

On the surface of Callenda, the frightened populace looked up into the night sky. Bright flashes of light appeared in space, sometimes being too bright to even look at. Everyone knew the Alliance had come to their aid though it meant facing nearly impossible odds. Even from the ground, it was easy to see when a warship met its doom. A much brighter flash of light would appear and linger for several long seconds before dying away.

The major cities of Callenda had been evacuated, with most of the planet’s inhabitants seeking out farms or fleeing toward the mountains. Only a few deep shelters had been built and in these, the leaders of the planet’s government huddled, knowing full well that shortly they would all be wearing the Kleese collars of obedience. Their only hope was that someday the remaining Alliance worlds and the Humans would return to free them.

-

Supreme Military Overlord Harmock gazed coldly at the large viewscreens showing the ships his fleet were facing. This wasn’t the Human fleet he had hoped for; it was an Alliance fleet with a few Human vessels mixed in. He felt angry at being denied the fleet battle with the Humans he had been hoping for.

“We’re detecting ships from twenty-seven Alliance worlds as well as a number of Human vessels,” Minor Overlord Gareth reported.

Harmock shifted his eyes over to Gareth. “I want the maximum amount of damage possible inflicted on that fleet!” he ordered harshly. “This Alliance dares to defy us, and now is the time to show them the foolishness of challenging the Zaltule.”

-

In space, a Zaltule battlecruiser was blown apart by the intense fire of six Lanolthian warships. The six cruisers then switched their targeting to the next Zaltule battlecruiser a few kilometers away. Energy beams, pulse fusion beams, and more antimatter missiles began impacting its energy screen, causing it to radiate high into the ultraviolet.

Nearby, a Pradelian battlecruiser met its end as two Zaltule antimatter missiles penetrated its energy screen, turning the ship into a small sun. The space battle was growing more intense as the ships drew nearer to one another and very few weapons were missing their targets. The Zaltule had a distinct advantage as their ships were much larger and they had superior numbers. Already numerous ships in the Alliance fleet were burning or had been destroyed. The Alliance cylinder looked to be on fire from the sheer radiance of exploding antimatter weapons.

-

Fleet Admiral Rivers grimaced as several Zaltule pulse fusion beams penetrated the energy screen of a Calthan battlecruiser, separating the top section from the ship. A massive explosion blew debris spinning into space and then additional pulse fusion beams turned the rest of the vessel into glowing debris.

“We’re losing a lot of ships,” Commander Greerman commented between clinched teeth. “The Zaltule have too many battlecruisers and way too much firepower.”

Rivers nodded. “It’s time for us to get out of here.” Activating the ship-to-ship communications channel once more, he spoke his next order. “All ships commence Stage Three. Once you’ve cleared the Zaltule battle line, activate your Fold Space Drives and proceed to the rendezvous coordinates.”

-

In space, the Alliance cylinder began moving toward the heart of the Zaltule formation. Weapons fire intensified as now only targets directly ahead of the fleet were being fired upon. The Javian battlecruisers were concentrating their heavy missile fire upon the forward most Zaltule battlecruisers. The front section of the Zaltule formation looked like the heart of a fiery furnace.

Particle beam cannons and occasional plasma beams tore holes in the screens of the attacking Zaltule battlecruisers. Whenever that happened, an antimatter missile or two would be fired into the brief gap in the shield to impact against the unprotected hull armor. Each time this happened, the battlecruiser was destroyed and a small glowing sun would appear for a few brief moments.

However, as the fleet advanced, it became targeted by even more Zaltule weapons. The Alliance fleet was losing two ships to every Zaltule vessel they managed to destroy. The Alliance cylinder was aglow from exploding antimatter missiles, energy beams, and pulse fusion beams. The smaller Human assault ships were taking a real pounding, as they weren’t designed to stand up to a fully armed Zaltule battlecruiser. Assault ship after assault ship exploded in fiery flares of released antimatter energy as the Zaltule systematically blew them apart.

-

Commander Lane on the Minotaur was growing impatient with the slow progress of the fleet. On one of the viewscreens in his Command Center, he watched as a Zaltule antimatter missile slammed into the bow of a light cruiser and the ship vanished in a fiery explosion.

“Move us out of the formation and prepare to enter Fold Space,” he ordered, fearing his ship would be next. “We’re losing this battle.”

“Sir, that’s against our orders!” protested Lieutenant Hays. “We’re not to leave our assigned position unless ordered.”

Lane turned toward Hays with a glowering look of anger. “I command this ship, not you, now do as I ordered! If we remain here, we’ll be destroyed!”

Hays nodded and against his better judgment ordered the navigation officer to begin edging the Minotaur toward the edge of the formation.

Only a few seconds had passed when the ship shook violently and the lights dimmed. Several warning klaxons sounded and a number of red lights appeared on the damage control console.

“What was that?” demanded Lane, his eyes opening wide with a hint of fear.

“Several antimatter missiles impacted our energy screen,” Hays answered evenly, turning to face the commander. “The screen is down to 40 percent.”

“Get us out of this damn formation, now!” yelled Lane as the ship shook violently once more. His face was pale and covered in a look of panic.

-

Two Zaltule battlecruisers were now targeting the Minotaur. A Zaltule pulse fusion beam penetrated the weakened shield, blowing an energy beam turret to shreds and blasting a gaping hole in the hull. Atmosphere began bleeding out into space as several secondary explosions shook the vessel. The Minotaur took a massive hit to her bow, losing most of her heavy weapons with debris floating away from the ship. Additional Zaltule beams penetrated the energy screen, ripping open compartment after compartment and setting off more violent explosions.

-

In the Command Center of the Minotaur, the lights suddenly dimmed and stayed that way. Smoke was evident in the air and the air circulation fans had ceased to function. Panicked voices spread throughout the Command Center.

“Energy shield is at 12 percent, sublight drive is out, Fold Space Drive is nonfunctional,” Lieutenant Hays reported grim-faced. “Most of our weapons have been destroyed. We have numerous compartments open to space and out of control fires in many areas of the ship. We also have two Zaltule battlecruisers closing on our position.”

“Do something!” demanded Commander Lane, his face showing madness.

“It’s too late,” answered Hays as he folded his arms across his chest and prepared to die. He looked defiantly at the commander. “You’ve killed us all.” At that moment, a bright light flashed through the Command Center eliminating everything and everyone.

-

“The battlecruiser Minotaur is down,” reported Lieutenant Hertz. “It was moving away from the fleet formation.”

“Lane,” muttered Commander Greerman, shaking his head. “I never did trust that man.”

“His foolishness just cost him his life as well as that of his crew,” Admiral Rivers said grimly. He should have replaced the man weeks before; now that failure to do so had cost him a ship and its valuable crew.

“We’ve lost six more assault ships,” reported Lieutenant Hertz. “They just can’t stand up to the firepower of the Zaltule battlecruisers.”

Rivers nodded. This was a valuable but costly lesson. In future battles it would be best to use the assault ships in a supportive role, perhaps taking out enemy ships that had already suffered major damage.

Shifting his gaze to the tactical screen, he saw the front portion of the Alliance cylinder was beginning to penetrate the Zaltule formation. A few more minutes and ships could start entering Fold Space where they would be safe from attack. However, between now and the time that began to happen there was still a lot of fighting to do.

-

The Independence shuddered as two antimatter missiles struck her energy shield severely, jarring the ship. The screen seemed to flicker and then returned to full power.

A nearby Nalton battlecruiser blew apart as its power systems were compromised. A Tureen warship was split in two as it dueled with a pair of Zaltule battlecruisers on the outer edge of the formation. Throughout the Alliance cylinder, ships were dying.

The forward ships were now entering the Zaltule formation, forcing the Zaltule to be more precise in their targeting so as not to hit their own vessels. The Alliance warships began to take advantage of the momentary lull in Zaltule weapons fire and began hammering the nearest enemy warships with energy beams and antimatter missiles. The Human ships were striking hard with their particle beam cannons and plasma beams, trying to blast a path through the Zaltule battle line. More than one Zaltule battlecruiser had holes torn through their energy screens to die moments later as Alliance antimatter missiles blew them apart. Several assault ships found Zaltule battlecruisers blocking their path, and rather than slow down they rammed the blockading warships.

-

“Pull our ships in around the Alliance fleet,” ordered Harmock as he watched the intensity of the battle. He had grudgingly nodded his approval at seeing the Human assault ships sacrifice themselves against his battlecruisers. It only confirmed his belief that the Humans were equal to the Zaltule as warriors. “I want them completely englobed and annihilated.”

“Sending the order,” replied Gareth.

“Fleet status!”

“We’ve lost one hundred and eighty battlecruisers,” Gareth answered uneasily. “The Alliance fleet has lost over three hundred of their ships.”

Harmock shifted his multifaceted eyes toward the ship’s tactical screen. He could feel the Warrior’s Fire vibrate occasionally from an enemy weapons strike. It was obvious from the movement of the Alliance fleet that they were attempting to push through his fleet formation and there was very little he could do to prevent it. There were only so many Zaltule ships that could bring their weapons to bear in the region the Alliance ships were attempting to penetrate. His plan was for other Zaltule battlecruisers to swing around and attack the Alliance cylinder formation from the rear. There was no doubt that once they were through his fleet, they would enter Fold Space and escape. However, before they did he intended to make their escape as costly as possible.

-

Fleet Admiral Rivers felt himself thrown sharply against his restraining harness. Alarms began sounding and red lights began appearing on the damage control console.

“Two pulse fusion beams penetrated a weakened section of our energy screen,” Commander Greerman reported brusquely. “We have six compartments open to space and several fires burning. I’ve dispatched damage control teams and initiated the fire suppression systems in the affected areas. We also lost a particle beam turret and two energy beam turrets.”

“Keep me informed if we suffer any additional damage,” Rivers ordered as the Independence had now entered the Zaltule formation. Upon the viewscreens, Alliance ships as well as Zaltule battlecruisers were being prominently displayed. Rivers shook his head grimly as a Tureen battlecruiser was blown apart.

“Targeting Zaltule battlecruiser,” reported Lieutenant Brim as she fired off half a dozen antimatter missiles as well as the ship’s two primary particle beam cannons.

On one of the viewscreens, the targeted Zaltule battlecruiser was visible. Massive explosions suddenly lit up its screen, followed by the two particle beams smashing into the already stressed energy shield. This strike was quickly followed up by the ship’s powerful plasma beam cannon firing, causing a large failure in the Zaltule’s energy screen. Lieutenant Brim didn’t hesitate as four antimatter missiles flashed through the damaged screen and exploded against the armored hull of the Zaltule warship. Four bright flashes of light suddenly caused the viewscreen to dim to near darkness and then moments later it returned to normal. In the place of the Zaltule battlecruiser, there was now what looked like a small glowing sun, which rapidly began to dim and then vanished. There was no sign of the destroyed vessel other than a few wisps of faintly glowing gas.

“Zaltule battlecruiser is down,” confirmed Lieutenant Hertz.

“We’re beginning to exit the Zaltule formation,” reported Commander Greerman with obvious relief in his voice.

It took a few more minutes for the rest of the now shattered Alliance cylinder to emerge from the Zaltule battle line. As ships emerged, they quickly made the transition to Fold Space and set out for the rendezvous coordinates. Fleet Admiral Rivers was keeping the Independence at a safe distance and monitoring the Alliance ships as they emerged from the Zaltule formation and made their escape. He knew from what he was seeing that he had lost a lot of valuable ships; more than he could afford. However, in order to keep the Alliance together as a viable military force this sacrifice had to be made.

“We have about thirty ships with damaged Fold Space Drives that can’t make the entry into Fold Space,” reported Commander Greerman as he listened to the frantic messages over the ship-to-ship comm channel. “They’re turning around to reengage the Zaltule.”

Rivers watched grimly as the ships made the supreme sacrifice. They couldn’t escape and their commanders were refusing to surrender their vessels to the Zaltule. Instead, they turned on their attackers with renewed ferocity. They were led by the Human heavy battlecruiser Pacifica under the command of Commander Alicia Stork. The Pacifica was heavily damaged and just before the end managed to ram a Zaltule battlecruiser, destroying both vessels in a massive fireball. Other ships tried to do the same though most were destroyed by the Zaltule before they could ram.

“Let’s go,” ordered Rivers, knowing the battle was over. “We’ve done what was necessary, and we now have a fleet that’s been tested in battle. We’ll call some of the sub-fleets in to replace our losses and then wait and see where the Zaltule are heading next. There will be more battles in the coming weeks.”

Moments later, the Independence made the transit into Fold Space and rapidly left the Callenda System behind.

-

Admiral Zahn of the Callenda defense fleet gazed stoically at his ship’s tactical screen. The last of the Alliance ships that had lost their Fold Space Drives had died as the Zaltule battlecruisers mercilessly destroyed them. He had watched as one of the Human vessels rammed a Zaltule battlecruiser, destroying both ships. It had shown him just how fearless the Humans were in battle. He was determined his death would be equally as fearless. He had eighty ships under his command, and he expected to lose all of them in the next hour.

“Zaltule have reformed their fleet formation and are advancing toward Callenda,” reported Second Commander Xanth. “They will be in engagement range in ten minutes.”

Zahn nodded. “Prepare the fleet, for today we die for the future of our world.” Zahn was glad nearly sixty percent of the crews of his warships had been evacuated down to the surface. Someday they might be needed again, and there was no point in sacrificing their lives when it wasn’t necessary.

-

Harmock was pleased with the battle so far. He had eliminated a good third of the defending Alliance fleet, forcing them to flee into Fold Space. Now the Callenda defense fleet was all that remained between the Zaltule and the waiting planet.

“Energy cannons are their primary weapon,” reported Gareth as he turned away from his instruments.

“I want a full bombardment of antimatter missiles and then finish them off with our pulse fusion beams,” ordered Harmock in a cold and merciless voice. “There is one large space station in orbit; destroy it also.”

-

The Zaltule fleet continued to advance and upon entering engagement range, both fleets fired their weapons simultaneously. However, nearly ten thousand Zaltule battlecruisers launching antimatter missiles was overwhelming against a fleet of only eighty vessels. In the defending fleet massive and bright fireballs lit up space as the Callenda fleet was obliterated in a matter of seconds. When the light died down, there was not a trace of a single Callenda warship or of the orbiting space station.

The Zaltule fleet then went into orbit over Callenda, only to hastily withdraw as the powerful planetary based ion cannons opened fire. Seven Zaltule battlecruisers exploded as the ion beams tore the ships apart. After determining where the weapons had fired from, the fleet returned once more and launched antimatter missiles at the locations of each cannon. Before the cannons were destroyed, they managed to take out four more Zaltule warships.

-

“Ion cannons, and extremely powerful ones,” reported Salten, the Warrior’s Fires weapons officer. “We’ve eliminated all of them.”

Harmock gazed with a steady look at the viewscreen, which now was showing the planet. “An unexpected development. I suspect we’ll find more of these ion cannons on the other Alliance worlds, probably many more than were here at Callenda. This system only recently joined the Alliance.”

“What now?” asked Gareth. “Do we send our Zaltule warriors down and place the collars of obedience around the leaders of Callenda?”

“No,” answered Harmock, shaking his triangular shaped head. “We will initiate repairs and then proceed on to our next target.”

“I have a message from the leaders of Callenda,” reported Dalock from Communications. “They are offering a full and unconditional surrender.”

“Ignore them,” Harmock ordered. “We will make our repairs and then set out for our next target.”

“Which Alliance world will that be?” asked Gareth, shifting his gaze to the Supreme Military Overlord. “Or will it be the Humans’ home system?”

“Not an Alliance world,” Harmock said in a cold voice. “We will attack the Humans’ home system and destroy it. Once it has been eliminated this war with the Alliance will come to an end as I doubt if any of the Alliance worlds will be willing to fight our empire without the Humans. It’s time we put an end to this menace once and for all.”

Chapter Eighteen

Captain Ryan Nelson was in the small Command Center of the Marine assault cruiser Deliverance. In another hour, they would be dropping out of Fold Space into the Solar System. This had been a difficult mission, and many of the crewmembers and Marines were still adjusting to the disastrous events that had struck the fleet.

“It’ll be good to be home,” commented Captain Marcus Durham from his command chair. “I know you’re anxious to get Corporal Adams the medical treatment she needs.”

Ryan was just relieved they were so close to home. He knew Commander Symington had used the FTL transmitter on board the heavy battlecruiser Callisto to inform General Mitchell that what remained of Seventh Fleet would soon be arriving in the Solar System. It would be a dismal homecoming since they had failed in their mission and suffered horrendous casualties at the hands of the Zaltule. They had lost Admiral Adamson and his flagship, the heavy battlecruiser Constellation, four of six battlecruisers, nine out of sixteen light cruisers, the troop assault ship Defender, along with Major Winfrey, plus one of the Marine assault cruisers.

Lauren was still in the ship’s small and well-equipped med bay. She had suffered some serious internal injuries from the energy beam that had penetrated her armor. The medical nanites had worked miracles, repairing her injuries and keeping her alive. She still needed to be taken to one of the larger medical facilities in the Solar System to finish her recovery.

“Where will the fleet be dropping out of Fold Space?”

Durham looked over at Ryan. “Just outside of lunar orbit. They’ll have a medical shuttle standing by to take Corporal Adams and some of the other wounded over to Centerpoint to receive the appropriate medical care. I suspect the entire fleet will eventually be docking to the station. There’s going to be a lot of intense debriefing over this mission. Some very important people are going to want to know what went wrong and why it happened. You don’t lose over half of your fleet and not suffer repercussions.”

Ryan didn’t mention that since both Admiral Adamson and Major Winfrey were dead, it was going to be difficult to determine the exact cause of the mission’s failure, particularly as both men had been excellent and well-qualified commanding officers.

“Any word on whether the Zaltule have launched any attacks yet?” Ryan and the other Marines had been deeply concerned that since their mission had failed, the Zaltule may have already begun their attack upon the Alliance.

“No,” answered Durham, shaking his head. “So far there has been no information as to what the Zaltule are currently up to. We’ll know more when we reach Centerpoint.”

“I’ll go tell the others that a medical shuttle will be waiting to pick up Lauren,” Ryan said. They had all been worried about her ever since the attack on Anglesh. Ryan knew from talking to Casey that she was very upset about Lauren’s injury. She had come so close to losing her best friend.

-

Reaching the med bay, Ryan went inside to find both Alexander and Casey at Lauren’s bedside. Alexander had very seldom left Lauren since they had returned to the Deliverance. Due to the seriousness of Lauren’s injury, she had been kept sedated for the entire journey back to the Solar System. The doctors in the med bay had privately informed Ryan that if not for the medical nanites her battlesuit had injected her with she would have died down on the planet.

“How is she?”

Casey stood up and took Ryan’s hand. “The same. The doctor says once she receives treatment at one of the big medical facilities she should make a full recovery.” She looked at Ryan with a very intense and worried look. “I can’t believe how close we came to losing her.”

Alexander was sitting next to Lauren’s bed, holding her hand. “If I had only been a little quicker none of this would have happened.” He was still blaming himself for Lauren nearly dying.

“It was war,” Ryan said, walking over with Casey to stand next to Lauren looking down at her and noticing how pale she was. “We can’t control what happens in combat. People get hurt, and some even die. At least Lauren survived, and if you hadn’t acted when you did she wouldn’t be here.”

“How soon before we dock to Centerpoint?” asked Casey, looking at Ryan. It had been hard on her seeing Lauren lying so still for such a long amount of time. It had been ten days since that fateful battle on Anglesh.

“We’re dropping out near the Moon and a medical shuttle will be sent out to remove our injured and take them to Centerpoint for treatment.”

Casey switched her eyes over to Alexander. “When Lauren wakes up I’ll be sure to let her know how you’ve been at her side through all of this.”

“Don’t you dare,” stammered Alexander, his face flushing. “If Lauren finds out that I’ve been sitting here holding her hand, she’ll throw me out the nearest airlock.”

“I don’t think that’s the reaction she’ll have,” replied Casey with a gentle smile. “She hasn’t had the opportunity to see this side of you, at least not like I have the last ten days.”

Alexander let out a deep and regretful sigh. “She doesn’t care for me in that way. We’re friends, and that’s all we’ll ever be.”

“Things can change,” Casey responded. “Lauren suffered a serious injury and nearly died. You may find that when they finally awaken her, she may look at you a little differently. After all, you did save her life.”

“I don’t know,” Alexander replied doubtfully. “I’m just thankful she’s alive.”

Casey squeezed Ryan’s hand and turned to face him. “I’m glad we’re nearly home. It’s been so difficult staying apart while we were on this mission.”

“That ends now,” Ryan said. “Once we disembark at Centerpoint, I’ll see if I can swing us a few weeks leave and we can go to Vesta to see Wade and Beth as well as my parents. Perhaps Lauren and some of the others can join us once she’s released from the medical facility.”

“I would like that.” Casey looked quizzically at Ryan. “What about some alone time?”

Ryan allowed himself to smile. “There will be plenty of time for that too.”

-

Near the Kleese core systems, Supreme Overlord Xatul stood upon the Command Pedestal of his flagship, the battlecruiser Empire’s Dawn. Today was the day he would take back his empire.

“Report!”

“Fleet will be dropping out of Fold Space into the home system in forty minutes,” answered Cabot, the Kleese who was standing in front of the navigation console.

“They will doubtlessly detect our approach,” cautioned Minor Overlord Labatt, who was second in command of the Empire’s Dawn.

“Let them,” Xatul replied sharply. “It will do them no good. From the messages we’ve received from the loyal members of our clans in the empire, we know that Military Overlord Harmock is preparing to attack the Alliance and the Humans. War Overlord Tetus is away from the core worlds with a major portion of the reserve Zaltule fleet searching for a Human force that has been attacking former nonaligned worlds. Drusiid has sent many other Zaltule controlled vessels out across the empire searching for us. Now is the time for us to attack.”

“It is indeed time,” agreed Labatt. His cold multifaceted eyes turned toward the ship’s tactical screen, now beginning to display the home system.

-

Council Overlord Raluth was standing at the front of the large stone table in the massive building that housed the recently rebuilt Great Hall of the Council of Overlords. There were ten Overlords standing upon their six legs around the stone table. Four, including Raluth, had always been members of the council; the others were new members. Seven members of the council had died in the Human attack upon the capital city, which had destroyed the original Great Hall. However, the Zaltule no longer recognized the council’s authority. They so disdained the council that not even Darthu, Harmock’s military science advisor, ever attended the meetings anymore.

“A member of my clan has notified me that the Fold Space detectors in the shipyards have located a large fleet of vessels inbound,” Raluth informed the others in a sharp and cold voice.

“Who would dare to send such a fleet without permission into our space, particularly to our home system?” demanded Martule. “The Zaltule will destroy any such interlopers, particularly if they’re Human.”

Raluth looked at the faces of the other Overlords before making his announcement. “It’s not the Humans. Supreme Overlord Xatul is returning at the head of a fleet of Kleese and Strell warships.”

“What?” uttered Overlord Caselt, rising to his full height and placing his two seven-digit hands upon the hard surface of the stone table. “Why now? What can he hope to accomplish? The Zaltule will only kill him when they realize it’s our former Supreme Overlord who is returning.”

“Because at the moment, the Zaltule are at their weakest. I received a private message from Xatul just prior to this meeting beginning. He is ordering us to rise up and throw off the yolk of the Zaltule and drive them from the empire.”

“Certain death,” said one of the new Overlords in a harsh and uncompromising voice. “Why should we die in this battle between Xatul and Harmock?”

“Because if we don’t, we may die anyway,” Martule said, his multifaceted eyes narrowing as he considered Xatul’s order. “The Zaltule have established twenty-six nests to increase the number of hatchlings to add to their warriors. I greatly fear it’s only a matter of time before they turn on the other clans and demand our full allegiance. If we refuse they will begin to eliminate those Kleese they find unworthy of their warrior code.”

“We must fight,” Caselt said unflinchingly. “We are Kleese and this is our empire. The Zaltule slept for thousands of years, and since their awakening they have brought nothing but chaos.”

“They wish to wipe out all the races they consider vermin,” added Martule. “Many of those races serve the Kleese Empire in numerous capacities.”

“Then this is an insurrection,” said one of the other Overlords. “If we fail in our bid to remove the Zaltule from the empire, we will all die. Even our clans may be eliminated in the rage the Zaltule will hold against us.”

Raluth looked over at the others before speaking once more. “There are only twenty-two million Zaltule in the empire. There are billions of Kleese from all of our clans. We have hundreds of exploration ships we can call upon as well as tens of thousands of assault vessels. With the fleet the Supreme Overlord is returning with, we can defeat the Zaltule.”

“We will have to destroy their nests,” Caselt pointed out. “We don’t dare leave one in case the Zaltule rise again and seek revenge for what we are about to do.”

“We know what worlds their Queens are located on,” Raluth answered. “Some of us have gone to great pains to discover that information.”

The Overlords became silent as they contemplated what Raluth had revealed. Then one of the newer Overlords spoke. “What of the Strell? What guarantee does the Supreme Overlord have that ensures they won’t fall upon the empire if we manage to eliminate the Zaltule?”

“He has the assurance of the Strell Queen that they will turn away from our empire, even giving us all the worlds in the neutral territory between our two empires. He also has a number of their Queens still under control of our obedience collars. The Strell will obey the agreement they have made. It is their way.”

“Then it is war!” called out several of the new Overlords.

Raluth looked around the great stone table, seeing agreement in the multifaceted eyes of his fellow Overlords. He nodded his dark triangular shaped head. “It is war. We must go now and spread the word to our clans. It is time we take back our empire!”

-

On the main Zaltule ship construction yard, Kaluse looked with confusion at the station’s large tactical screens showing thousands of red threat icons inbound toward the home system

“Are we certain there are Kleese as well as Strell vessels in that fleet formation?”

“Yes, it has been confirmed,” answered the Zaltule at the sensor console. “Our long-range Fold Space sensors are showing Strell battlecruisers, Kleese exploration ships, assault ships, and what appears to be a new Kleese battlecruiser slightly smaller than one of our Zaltule battlecruisers. There are also two much larger contacts behind the fleet, which we believe to be the two missing trading stations.”

“How soon before the fleet drops out of Fold Space?”

“Eight minutes.”

“Prepare to activate the station’s energy shield and bring all weapons online.”

“This must be Supreme Overlord Xatul returning,” stated Minor Overlord Drusiid. “Now we know where he fled to. He went to the Strell Empire and now he is returning at the head of a warfleet. Our Supreme Military Overlord will be very displeased when he receives this report.”

The shipyard suddenly shook violently and warning alarms began sounding throughout the large Command Center. Red lights began appearing on the damage control console.

“What was that?” demanded Kaluse as his eyes shifted to the viewscreens to see who was attacking them. He knew none of Xatul’s ships had as of yet made it into the system.

“The two exploration ships in orbit around the station are firing on us,” reported the Zaltule at the sensor console. “They’ve raised their energy shields and have launched a spread of antimatter missiles. They’re also firing their energy cannons and pulse fusion cannons.”

The station shuddered again and then several more times in rapid succession. The lights in the Command Center dimmed and then returned to full brightness.

“Activate the energy shield,” ordered Kaluse, his multifaceted eyes narrowing sharply. “Destroy those two exploration ships and find out what clan they belong to. This is insurrection and we will deal harshly with its perpetrators.”

“Energy shield is offline,” the Zaltule at the tactical console reported. “The exploration ships have been targeting our shield generators.”

“I have reports that our other shipyards are under attack as well,” the Zaltule in front of the communications console reported. “It seems to be a coordinated attack against all Zaltule facilities in the home system.”

“Insurrection!” Drusiid said harshly, looking over at Kaluse. “We must destroy all who stand against the Zaltule.”

-

Throughout the Kleese home system battles were breaking out. Kleese exploration ships and assault ships were attacking every installation controlled by the Zaltule. Antimatter missiles were exploding across the system as the Kleese clans rose up against the warrior clan. The surprise of the attacks had allowed many Zaltule warships to be destroyed before they could even raise their energy shields. However, the element of surprise didn’t last long and now the Zaltule began to fight back.

Near one of the massive shipyards, a twelve thousand-meter exploration ship was being torn apart by heavy weapons fire from the Zaltule shipyard. The Kleese commander of the ship had no fear of dying as long as his death would promote the expansion and continued existence of the empire. Without hesitation, he ordered his dying vessel to ram the shipyard.

The exploration ship accelerated on its subspace drives, aiming for the heart of the massive structure even as its failing energy shield was pummeled by hundreds of antimatter missiles. Just prior to reaching its target the exploration ship exploded, knocking down the station’s energy screen and sending huge fragments to impact the armored hull of the shipyard. In several sections of the station, the massive fragments managed to penetrate deep inside, causing tremendous damage. Secondary explosions began wracking the station, threatening to tear it apart. Damage control teams rushed throughout the shipyard trying to bring the spreading fires under control. Thousands of conscripts died as numerous compartments were opened up to space.

-

The Empire’s Dawn dropped out of Fold Space amidst a system wide battle already in progress. Exploration ships and assault ships were locked in deadly and uncompromising combat with the Zaltule shipyards and other facilities as well as over two hundred of the older three-kilometer Zaltule battlecruisers.

Supreme Overlord Xatul gazed at the tactical screen for several moments and then directed Strell warships to engage the Zaltule battlecruisers. His own personal fleet of two hundred and forty Kleese battlecruisers he ordered to go into orbit around the home world. It was time to return to the capital city and send the message throughout the empire that he had returned.

-

Military science advisor Darthu was on board one of the Zaltule battlecruisers. He had been preparing to travel to Sherlund to see to the launching of the new Zaltule trading station, which would someday be placed outside the empire. His eyes narrowed sharply when he saw a squadron of Strell warships suddenly drop out of Fold Space within engagement range of his vessel. The Strell battlecruisers looked deadly and ominous. The ships were dark gray, nearly two kilometers long, and one thousand meters in diameter. Their hulls were covered with small hatches covering sublight missile tubes and numerous weapon turrets. Even as he watched one of the viewscreens, he saw the hatches slide open and what appeared to be sudden blurs of movement. At the same instant, his battlecruiser shook violently and the lights in the Command Center went out. Emergency lights flickered back on, but one look at the damage control console told him his battlecruiser was doomed. The Strell ships were just too powerful.

-

Den Leader Bith looked on as the Zaltule battlecruiser on his viewscreen exploded into a thousand pieces. A burning fireball at its center soon died out as the oxygen needed to sustain the fireball was rapidly depleted.

“Zaltule battlecruiser destroyed,” hissed his second officer.

Bith’s long tongue flicked forth as he nodded with satisfaction. It was good to kill the Zaltule who had been responsive for enslaving the Queens. “Move us to our next target. There is much killing that needs to be done today.”

-

Kaluse watched as the green icon that represented Overlord Darthu’s ship expanded and then vanished. The battle in the system had become so violent and so widespread it was becoming increasingly difficult to keep track of.

“Our forces are heavily outnumbered,” Drusiid said as he turned away from the tactical screens. “We must call in our ships from the other core systems.”

“Do so,” ordered Kaluse as he watched several more Zaltule battlecruisers vanish from one of the tactical screens. “What’s the current status of this station?”

“We’ve got a temporary energy shield up,” Genedt replied. “It’s not as powerful as the station’s normal energy shield but it’s better than nothing. The station has sustained heavy damage and many areas are no longer accessible.”

Kaluse knew they had made a serious error in judgment as far as Supreme Overlord Xatul was concerned. He was demonstrating he could be as ruthless and clever as the best of the Zaltule. “Send FTL messages to War Overlord Tetus and then to Military Overlord Harmock informing them of our current situation. Include as much information as possible on the forces attacking us. Tell them we don’t expect to be able to hold the home system.”

The station suddenly shook violently and continued to shake. The lights in the Command Center darkened and then slowly returned to full brightness. On one of the viewscreens, Strell warships were dropping out of Fold Space as well as over a thousand Kleese assault ships.

“This is the end,” Drusiid said in an emotionless voice. “We die for our clan today.”

Kaluse gazed at the numerous viewscreens showing their approaching death. “Send FTL messages to all the worlds sheltering our Queens. Warn them of a possible attack and that they need to be prepared to evacuate.”

Drusiid turned toward Kaluse with eyes showing sudden fear. “You believe Xatul will attack our Queens?”

“Yes,” Kaluse answered as he folded his massive dark arms across his chest. “This is a war of extermination. Either we survive or Xatul and the other Kleese clans survive. In this we are heavily outnumbered.”

The Command Center suddenly seemed to move sideways, throwing a number of Zaltule to the deck. Several consoles exploded, sending showers of burning sparks across the room. The very metal of the station seemed to be groaning as it was sheared apart from the Strell led attack.

“Messages have been sent,” reported the Kleese at Communications.

Drusiid gazed at Kaluse as the station continued to undergo its death throes. “We moved too fast after being awakened. We should have increased our numbers and bided our time until we were strong enough to take over the empire and hold the other Kleese clans to our ways.”

“It was Harmock,” Kaluse responded as he watched the red lights continue to appear on the damage control console. There were already hundreds showing, and many parts of the massive shipyard were no longer responding. “He was too anxious to take over the empire and begin to expand out across the galaxy. Now that master plan has been endangered.”

The lights in the Command Center dimmed and stayed dim. The fans circulating the air suddenly stopped working.

“Energy shield has failed,” Genedt reported as he looked toward Kaluse. “We’ve lost most of our fusion generators. Our remaining sensors are showing massive launches of sublight antimatter missiles.”

Kaluse nodded. This was the end.

-

Den Leader Bith nodded in satisfaction as the large Zaltule shipyard was systematically blown apart by multiple antimatter missiles. The Zaltule had been responsible for placing the Kleese collars of obedience around the necks of all the Strell Queens. Now that humiliation was being avenged a thousand fold. While the Strell were a cold-blooded and logical race, they did experience sufficient emotions to relish the deaths of their conquerors and oppressors.

“What have been our ship losses?” he asked his second in command.

“Eighty-two vessels have met their ends,” Riesa responded.

Riesa was a little over two meters tall and very thin. His head resembled that of a large snake. His eyes, set wide on the side of his head, narrowed to small slits as he turned to gaze at the tactical screen showing the battle around the Strell flagship. Riesa’s eyes could make out the different colors though his ancestors in the dim past had only able to see in black and white. The Strell had progressed far on the evolutionary scale from the time they had slithered on the ground until they developed arms and legs to allow them to build a technological civilization. The Zaltule had attempted to take their civilization away from them, and now the Strell were showing the Zaltule the true strength of the Strell race.

“The clans loyal to Supreme Overlord Xatul are causing much damage to Zaltule ships as well as their infrastructure,” Riesa added in a cold and nearly emotionless voice. “The Zaltule will shortly be eliminated from this system.”

Den Leader Bith nodded. “There are other worlds where the Zaltule reside. We will destroy all of the warrior clan and then return home to set all of our Queens free. The Strell Empire will once more be as it was.”

-

Supreme Overlord Xatul gazed at the tactical screen as they neared the home planet. Several Kleese exploration ships were fighting against a group of twenty Zaltule battlecruisers. Even as he watched, he saw several Zaltule pulse fusion beams smash through the faltering energy shield of one of the vessels, carving out huge jagged pits in the hull armor. With a sudden fiery explosion, the exploration ship blew apart as a Zaltule antimatter missile penetrated to the heart of the vessel.

“Take us in,” ordered Xatul, feeling no mercy toward the Zaltule. He had two hundred and forty new battlecruisers. Even though they were slightly smaller than a Zaltule vessel, the twenty remaining Zaltule vessels would be no match for his warships.

-

The Zaltule, detecting the approach of Xatul and his fleet, turned eighty degrees and accelerated toward the renegade Kleese vessels. As they neared, they fired off a barrage of antimatter missiles as well as a fusillade of pulse fusion beams and powerful energy beams. In Xatul’s fleet formation, four battlecruisers suffered the brunt of the attack.

Pulse fusion fire from the Zaltule vessels slammed into the main part of a Kleese warship, setting off massive explosions and hurling glowing debris into space. The aft section of the ship exploded, catapulting hull material toward the nearer ships, which disintegrated upon impacting the protective energy screens. An antimatter missile struck what remained of the vessel, destroying it in a sun-like explosion.

Two of the other targeted battlecruisers died under the unrelenting fire of multiple pulse fusion beams and energy beams. The other battlecruiser suffered heavy damage but its energy screen manage to stay up. The ship’s commander ordered it to pull back to the rear of the formation to undergo repairs.

-

Xatul gazed at the viewscreens, which showed the approaching Zaltule battlecruisers. The Zaltule had no chance of victory against his fleet, but being Zaltule they refused to back down.

“Destroy them,” he ordered evenly. “Let none of their ships survive.”

“We will use antimatter missiles against them,” Minor Overlord Labatt said. “Their formation is too compact and they will not survive such an attack.”

Xatul’s fleet fired upon the twenty approaching Zaltule battlecruisers and space became lit up like a fiery furnace from hell. So many antimatter missiles were detonating that the space in and around the Zaltule ships looked as if a small nova had gone off. When the light died down, the twenty warships had been reduced to a few pieces of molten metal and several clouds of drifting and glowing gas.

“The Zaltule fleet has been eliminated,” reported Labatt, feeling no regretful emotions at killing so many Zaltule.

-

“Our two trading stations are dropping out of Fold Space,” the Kleese standing before the sensors reported.

“Have them go into orbit around the home world,” ordered Xatul.

“The order has been transmitted,” replied the Kleese at the communication panel. “Council Overlord Syndat is inquiring if you want him to launch any of his assault ships.”

“No,” Xatul replied as he looked at the tactical screen. “They won’t be needed.”

“The space above the home world is ours,” reported Labatt as he turned around to face the Kleese Supreme Overlord. “Battles in other sections of the system are nearly at an end. All Zaltule shipyards and facilities have been destroyed as well as nearly all of their warships.”

Xatul nodded. He gazed at one of the viewscreens showing the capital city of the Kleese Empire. It was the only city on the desolate and nearly uninhabitable planet. He stared at the heart of the city, which had still not recovered from the deadly attack of the Humans from over a year ago. Six million Kleese had died from the detonation of the antimatter weapons from the Human warship. All of this because of the actions of Military Overlord Harmock and his Zaltule.

“Prepare a shuttle and my personal guards. I’m going down to the surface to reclaim my empire.”

-

Two hours later, Supreme Overlord Xatul and Overlord Bixutl strolled through the new massive building that was home to the Kleese Council of Overlords. As they made their way through the corridors escorted by twenty Kleese in Type Three battlesuits, they found signs of heavy fighting. Occasionally they would come upon a Zaltule in a battlesuit who had died or a number of unarmored Kleese, who had been ruthlessly eliminated. Several times they found Kleese in Type Three battlesuits who were not Zaltule, lying dead in pools of blood.

At last they reached the long and ornate hallway that led to the actual council chambers. It was here they found the first signs of living Kleese. Ten guards in Type Three battlesuits barred their way.

“Allow us through!” demanded Xatul as he glared at the Kleese in the battlesuits. “I am your Supreme Overlord and you must obey my commands.”

The guards hesitated for a moment and then stepped aside.

Pushing open the massive doors, Xatul entered the council chambers seeing ten Council Overlords standing around the large ceremonial stone table in the center of the room. Some he recognized and a few he did not.

“We are pleased to see your safe return,” spoke Raluth in a loud and commanding voice. “Your empire awaits.”

Xatul went to the front of the stone table as Raluth stepped aside. He paused as his guards took up protective positions around the perimeter of the room with their armored backs against the walls. Bixutl took his customary position at the table waiting for Xatul to speak.

“I have returned with a fleet of Kleese and Strell warships,” he began in a cold and steady voice. “With the aid of the Strell, we will drive the Zaltule from our empire and return it to how it was before the warrior race was awakened.”

“The Strell,” said Overlord Martule, shifting uneasily on his six legs. “Can we trust the serpent race?”

“We still control most of their Queens,” Xatul replied. “We have an advantage over the Zaltule at the moment as their fleet is scattered and will not be able to respond to our attacks upon them for quite some time. I intend to eradicate all the Zaltule in the empire.”

“Eliminate the warrior clan,” spoke one of the new council members. “Is that wise; wouldn’t it be better to put them to sleep again?”

“The icy moon which contained their sleeping chambers was attacked by the Humans and that facility was destroyed,” Raluth informed the other councilor. “There isn’t time to build a new facility to contain millions of Zaltule. I don’t believe they would submit willingly to going into deep sleep again.”

“Council Overlord Raluth is correct,” Xatul said, his eyes sweeping across the councilors. “It was a mistake to awaken them in the beginning though we had no way of knowing they would attempt to supersede this council. As we did with clans in our far distant past, we must eliminate the Zaltule as they represent a clear danger to the future of our empire.”

Raluth rose up to his full height and then spoke. “I have tactical information you may find useful.”

Raluth paused, wondering if he should require some type of compensation for his information and then decided in this instance it was best not to request anything of the Supreme Overlord. Too many Kleese had already died.

Xatul turned his eyes upon Raluth. “What is this information?”

“I have the location of all twenty-six nests of the Zaltule,” Raluth responded. “If we move quickly, we can eliminate their Queens and that alone will ensure the end of the warrior clan.”

“Send the coordinates up to my flagship, the Warrior’s Fire,” Xatul ordered. “I will see to the destruction of these Zaltule nests myself.”

-

The next day in the system of Sherlund, one thousand Strell battlecruisers along with two thousand Kleese assault ships dropped out of Fold Space around the Zaltule installations in the system. They found most of them already destroyed or under heavy attack from a number of Kleese exploration ships and assault vessels from other clans. A group of two hundred Zaltule battlecruisers had formed up around the massive shipyard that built the huge trading stations of the Kleese.

“There is no trading station inside the construction yard,” Minor Den Leader Riesa reported.

“Strange,” spoke Den Leader Bith. “Our reports indicate there should be.”

“Supreme Overlord Xatul will not be pleased with this information,” Riesa hissed, his tongue flicking forth.

“It is what it is,” replied Bith dismissively. “We will destroy these Zaltule battlecruisers and then continue to our next target.”

The Strell fleet and Kleese assault ships closed with the Zaltule battlecruisers. Just as they prepared to fire, the Zaltule ships accelerated and entered Fold Space. Within minutes, all the fighting in the system ceased as the reports began to come in of the sudden departure of the Zaltule.

-

Six light years away, Supreme Overlord Xatul watched the viewscreen in his flagship as the last Zaltule battlecruiser blocking his way to the planet that was his target was blown apart by heavy energy beam fire. He had divided his fleet up into four task groups of sixty each and assigned each task group a list of six planets to attack where there were populations of Zaltule as well as Queens. The task group with the Empire’s Dawn had eight targets to destroy.

“There are two million Zaltule living on this planet,” Minor Overlord Labatt said.

“Put us into orbit above the planet and locate all the Zaltule population centers and then I want them eliminated with antimatter warheads. Once we have located the Zaltule Queen that resides on this planet ensure her nest is annihilated.” Xatul strongly suspected this must be one of the worlds where an original Queen resided. That would explain the large population of Zaltule.

After a few minutes, Minor Overlord Labatt stepped over to the Command Pedestal. “We have detected large encampments of young hatchlings near one of the mountains on the planet. Computer estimates place more than eighty thousand Zaltule young near the mountain.”

Xatul wasn’t surprised. Queens preferred to keep the newly hatched close to them until they were capable of fending for themselves. A Queen could produce special hormones that would increase the growth rate of a hatchling so they could read maturity in less than two years. An older Queen such as the one that was probably beneath the mountain could produce over one hundred thousand new hatchlings per year as well as new Queens.

“It’s obvious the Zaltule are rushing the hatchlings into adulthood so they can rapidly increase their numbers,” Xatul said. “It is even more evidence that they intended at some point in the future to take complete control of our empire and possibly eliminate some or all of the major Kleese clans.”

“It is well we struck when we did,” Labatt responded.

-

For twenty more minutes, the Kleese battle fleet orbited the planet. At the end of that time, the hatches over the missile tubes slid open and two hundred antimatter missiles flashed down to explode one thousand meters above the surface. Zaltule by the tens of thousands were vaporized wherever they were upon the planet. There was no attempt to flee, as escape was impossible. At one mountainous area, twenty antimatter warheads detonated in series as a deep and glowing pit was blasted out of the ground. When the explosions finally stopped, the mountain that had once stood there was gone, and so was the nest of the planet’s Zaltule Queen.

Xatul gazed at the smoking ruins and nodded his triangular shaped head in satisfaction. “Take the fleet back into Fold Space and set a course for the next target. We have more Zaltule and more of their Queens to slay.”

Xatul was once more in control of the Kleese Empire. It would be weeks yet before Military Overlord Harmock learned of his return. By then it would be too late for him to save the Zaltule clan. The Queens would all be dead and their forces at the heart of the empire eliminated as well as the majority of their population. Xatul would show Harmock there was more than one Supreme Military Overlord and that Overlord would destroy the Zaltule once and for all.

Chapter Nineteen

Ryan and Casey were at his parents’ home taking some time off from the war. They had both gone through some grueling debriefing sessions at Centerpoint. There was no blame being placed for what had happened, just a determination by the officers in command to make sure such a mistake never happened again.

“It must have been dreadful,” Ryan’s mother said as she handed Casey a cup of tea. “How is Lauren doing now?”

“Much better,” Casey said as she took a cautious sip of her tea and then smiled. It was perfect! “We didn’t leave Centerpoint until Lauren was awake and we could talk to her.”

“Alexander and Autumn are still there and will be looking after her until they can all come out to Vesta,” Ryan added. “The doctors at Centerpoint injected her with some special medical nanites after they did surgery, and she should be able to leave the hospital in three or four more days.”

Ryan’s mother shook her head and frowned. “I just get the heebie-jeebies every time I think about having some tiny robot floating around inside my body. I don’t know if I could ever allow myself to undergo such a treatment.”

Ryan laughed. “You get used to the idea after awhile, particularly after you see what the nanites can do.”

“They save a lot of lives, don’t they, Ryan?” Jonathan said from where he was sitting next to his wife.

“Yes, they do.” Ryan looked over at his father. “I understand the two of you are getting in a lot of practice being grandparents.” Ryan knew that Beth brought little Eric over nearly every other day.

“I love it!” his mother said with a pleased smile spreading across her face. Then she looked pointedly at Casey. “Of course, I’m ready for another one.”

Casey’s face flushed as she wondered if Ryan’s mother was talking about her and Ryan. Before she could say anything, there was a knock at the front door and then it opened as Wade and Beth came in. Little Erick was cradled protectively in Beth’s arms.

“Hello, big brother,” Ryan said standing up.

“It’s been awhile,” replied Wade, coming over and giving Ryan and Casey a friendly hug.

Beth came over and sat down next to Casey. “Do you want to hold Erick?”

Casey nodded and reaching out took the small child and then cradled him in the nook of her arm. She began gently rocking Erick, feeling pleased when the baby seemed to fall back to sleep. “I must be doing something right.”

“You’re a natural,” Ryan’s mother said staring lovingly at Erick.

“Let’s go into the kitchen,” Ryan’s dad suggested. “I’m sure the women want to talk about babies with Erick in the room.”

“At least for awhile,” Beth answered.

The three men went into the kitchen and Wade walked over to a cabinet and opened it, taking down a colorful jar his mom always kept chocolate chip cookies in.

Jonathan laughed. “That jar has been in our family for years. It was one of the few items we brought up from Earth. Your mother always keeps it full of cookies just in case either one of you come home.”

The three spent some time talking about Vesta, what was going on in politics in the system, and to a lesser extent the war. They were sitting around the kitchen table when Wade’s comm unit went off. He frowned and removed the small device from his shirt pocket. It was very similar to an old Earth cell phone but had capabilities far in excess of anything one of the old cell phones ever had.

He saw he had been sent a message by none other than General Mitchell. Putting it to his ear, he listened to the message and as he did so, his face turned pale and his eyes grew wide. When the message was finished, he turned the comm device off and put it back in his pocket.

“Bad news?” asked Ryan, seeing the look on Wade’s face.

“We just received a message from the Sparrow.”

“What’s the Sparrow?” Ryan asked confused.

Wade sighed and leaned back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest. “While you were gone we managed to attach a number of tracking devices on a dozen Zaltule battlecruisers so we could trace their fleet movement. A week ago, they attacked the Alliance world of Callenda and fought a brief fleet battle with Alliance Fleet Admiral Rivers. All I know about the battle is that Admiral Rivers was forced to withdraw and the Zaltule took control of the planet. The Sparrow is a light cruiser and has been tracking the Zaltule fleet.”

“Callenda,” Ryan said thoughtfully. “Wasn’t that the last nonaligned world to join the Alliance?”

Wade nodded. “It was also the weakest since it waited so long to join. Fleet Admiral Kelly and General Mitchell have been waiting on the next report from the Sparrow. Some in the military assumed the Zaltule, after attacking Callenda, would attack the next nearest Alliance world. Marken and some others felt that they would come here.”

Ryan let out a deep breath. He knew without asking what his brother was about to say. “Marken’s right isn’t he, they’re coming here?”

“Yes, that’s what the message said. The Sparrow just confirmed the main Zaltule fleet is its way here and will arrive in eight to ten days.”

“We’re safe here in Vesta, aren’t we Wade?” asked Jonathan with concern in his eyes.

“We should be,” Wade answered, his eyes shifting over to his father. “Vesta has the strongest defenses in the Solar System and all four habitats are buried deep inside.”

Ryan shook his head knowing the time off he had been planning for him and Casey had just come crashing to an end. “I guess I better check in and see where they want Casey and I to report.”

“No,” Wade said, his eyes meeting his brother’s. “I’m going to pull some strings and have all of your Marines assigned to Vesta for this emergency. Major Jeffries could use some good experienced people to help in the defense of the spacedock, particularly if they’ve been trained in the Type Four battlesuits.”

Jonathan looked surprised. “You think they’ll make it inside?”

“They did last time,” answered Wade, recalling the intense battle. “However, we have much stronger defenses, but it never hurts to take some added precautions. Besides, after what Ryan and his people have been through they’ll be better off here inside Vesta.”

It was at that moment that Beth and Casey came walking in. “Your mother is putting Erick down in his crib for a nap and then she has a big meal planned.” Beth paused seeing the strange looks on the faces of the three men. “Did something just happen that I don’t know about?”

Wade nodded and took a deep breath. “The Zaltule fleet is coming and it will be here in about a week. I just received word from General Mitchell.”

“Oh no!” Casey said, becoming angry. “Haven’t we been through enough already?”

“Wade’s going to have us assigned to Major Jeffries here at Vesta,” Ryan said. “All of our Marines will be coming to join us.”

Beth looked warningly at Wade and Ryan. “I don’t want either of you to mention this to your mother until well after we’ve eaten. You all know how she worries. At least give her this family time with all of us here together.”

Wade and Ryan nodded. There would be a time to talk about the war later, but not now.

Casey walked over and took Ryan’s hand letting out a deep sigh. “It’s always going to be the Kleese or the Zaltule. They won’t ever leave us in peace.”

“We’re in a war,” said Ryan, putting his arm around Casey. “We just have to have faith in the future and that things will work out.”

Wade was listening and remained quiet. He hadn’t told them everything that was in the message. General Mitchell had informed Wade the Zaltule fleet consisted of close to ten thousand battlecruisers. Wade knew there wasn’t a system in the Alliance, including the Solar System, which could repel such a massive fleet. There was a very good chance this might be the last night the family would ever spend together. He would keep his secret for now so the others would at least feel they still had hope for a future.

-

General Mitchell was in his office with Fleet Admiral Kelly, General Pittman, General Wainright, Hyram Blake, Delton Fleet Commander Achlyn, Belen Admiral Trest, Bashan Admiral Hiath, Gerald Lawson, Marken, and President Steward.

General Mitchell stood up and walked over to a viewscreen displaying a Zaltule battlecruiser. “Well, they’re coming and there’s nothing we can do to stop them.”

“Where in the hell did they get ten thousand warships?” demanded President Steward. “I’ve been told all along that at the most the Kleese had six thousand vessels they could use against us.”

“The shipyards we saw in their home system,” Fleet Commander Achlyn said. “They must have rebuilt and repaired them.”

“I still don’t understand,” General Mitchell responded with a frown. “From Admiral Rivers’ report, there were not that many warships in the Kleese home system when we attacked it.”

“They may have been somewhere else,” explained Fleet Admiral Kelly. “There are three other systems the Kleese consider their core worlds and many of the vessels could have been there or even out attacking the nonaligned worlds Military Overlord Harmock was intent on bringing under control of the empire.”

President Steward looked around at the people in the room. “So, what do we do? Can our fleet stop them?”

General Mitchell looked over at Fleet Admiral Kelly for an answer.

“No,” answered Kelly, shaking his head. “We’re talking about ten thousand Zaltule battlecruisers each three kilometers across and one thousand meters thick. Every ship is heavily armed and protected by very powerful energy shields. I’ve received the after action report from Alliance Fleet Admiral Rivers. He fought a very brief battle against this fleet in the Callenda System. He succeeded in destroying two hundred and twelve Zaltule battlecruisers at the loss of four hundred and seventeen vessels in his own fleet. Many of those losses were assault ships, but keep in mind he went into the battle with twelve hundred warships.”

“Four hundred ships lost,” said President Steward, his eyes growing wide. “Was it smart for Admiral Rivers to attempt to take on this Zaltule fleet? It seems to me he made a serious tactical error.”

“It was necessary,” said Hyram Blake, raising an eyebrow. “By fighting at Callenda, he showed the Alliance we Humans were willing to fight for each and every Alliance world. He solidified the Alliance and reinforced their will to fight. While it’s regrettable he lost so many ships, it was a necessary sacrifice to keep the Alliance united.”

“I see,” President Steward replied noncommittally. He then turned back to General Mitchell. “So, what is your plan of battle? I assume you have one.”

“We do,” General Mitchell replied. “We only have a slim chance against a fleet this large and we’re going to take some very substantial losses no matter what we do.”

“How substantial?” asked President Steward, fearing he wasn’t going to like the answer.

“We may lose most of the Solar System, very likely Mars, and possibly Vesta. There’s a reasonable chance we could also lose the colonies on the Moon.”

President Steward’s face turned pale and then he looked over at General Wainright. General Wainright was in command of the Jornada space complex on Earth along with Lawrence Henderson. “Is that why General Wainright is here?”

General Mitchell slowly nodded. “Yes, in the worst case scenario there’s a possibility the only survivors in the Solar System will be in the underground facilities at Jornada.”

“How many people can we put in those facilities long term?” Steward asked.

“Forty thousand,” General Wainright answered. “Anymore than that and long term survival becomes questionable, particularly if we have to stay hidden on Earth for years.”

“We’ll be sending down additional assault ships,” Admiral Kelly added. “We can hide ten of them in the blastcrete ship hangars at Jornada.”

“How soon can we start sending people down?”

“Tomorrow,” answered General Mitchell, looking at the president. “We can have everyone down plus the necessary equipment and supplies in less than five days.”

President Steward nodded his acceptance. “Do it.” Then he looked over at Fleet Admiral Achlyn and their other allies. “What about your people?”

“We will stay hidden in our asteroids,” Achlyn answered. “We’re hoping the Zaltule will not discover them. We’re already in the process of camouflaging our offensive and defensive weapon sites so they won’t be detectable to Zaltule scans.”

“How do we win?” asked President Steward, looking intently at General Mitchell.

General Mitchell sighed. “You won’t like this.” He then proceeded to explain to President Mitchell the new weapon Marken and his team had come up with. Both Marken and Gerald Lawson had to spend time explaining to the president how the weapon would work.

When they were done, President Steward’s face was nearly ashen. “What you’re talking about could be as dangerous as the Zaltule fleet!”

“It may be our only hope,” General Mitchell answered with a grim look of determination. “We’ll only use it as a last resort.”

President Steward didn’t reply. He knew after listening to General Mitchell’s battle plan that he might be the last person in the Solar System to hold the office of president. Because if General Mitchell used the weapon Marken and Gerald Lawson had described, there might not be a Solar System left and every living being in the system would be dead.

Chapter Twenty

Military Overlord Harmock was pleased with his fleet’s progress. In two more days, they would be arriving in the Humans’ home star system. He felt no guilt at what he intended to do. He was going to eradicate the Humans and make their race extinct so they could never become a threat to the Kleese again. Once the Humans were eliminated, his fleet would proceed to Lanolth and give the Alliance an ultimatum. Surrender unconditionally to the Zaltule and swear allegiance to the warrior clan or face annihilation.

Kleese collars of obedience would be placed around the necks of all of the Alliance leaders. If Lanolth refused to surrender the Alliance, he would order the fleet to destroy every ship and facility in the system. Once that was done, antimatter missiles would be dropped upon the surface of Lanolth until all life upon the planet was obliterated. The fleet would then proceed to the next planet in the Alliance and demand the same thing. If they had to destroy every planet that had joined the Alliance, the Zaltule would do so.

However, Harmock strongly suspected that once the Alliance learned of the defeat of the Humans, they would quickly agree to the Zaltule terms. A few quick public executions of some of their leaders would also be beneficial in bringing them into seeing the wisdom of submitting to the Zaltule. Harmock had done some research on the worlds that made up the Alliance and many of them would fit in well with the Kleese Empire he envisioned. Particularly once many of the worlds inhabited by useless vermin had been cleansed.

“The small Human ship that has been shadowing us has most likely already informed the Human home system of our imminent arrival,” commented Minor Overlord Gareth.

“That will be for the best,” said Harmock, shifting his eyes toward his second in command. He hadn’t been able to destroy the annoying vessel at Callenda as it had stayed out of weapons range. “It will ensure all the Human ships are gathered in one location to oppose us. I know of no force in the galaxy that can stop ten thousand Zaltule battlecruisers. While the battle may be fierce, we will win by sheer firepower and greater numbers.”

“With the fall of the Humans and the Alliance, our last major obstacle to expanding the empire into the rest of the galaxy will have been removed.”

Harmock nodded. “When we are through, we’ll leave a token force to keep a watch on the former Alliance worlds and the rest of the fleet shall return to the core worlds. We will use our shipyards to repair our heavily damaged ships and build new ones to bring our fleet back up to full strength. Then we’ll move the new trading station outside of the empire and begin our expansion into the rest of the galaxy.”

“What if the other clans reject our vision of expanding the empire?”

“Those that object will be eliminated,” Harmock said coldly with his eyes turning red. “We have the ships to enforce our will upon the empire and all of the other clans. Between our fleet and the reserve fleet under command of War Overlord Tetus, the other clans will not dare challenge us.”

“The Zaltule are the supreme race in the galaxy,” Gareth said. “All others shall be subservient to us.”

Harmock turned his gaze back to the tactical screen and the small red threat icon that had been shadowing the fleet for so many days. Shortly they would drop out of Fold Space and when they did, he would give the orders to locate and destroy that small pest of a ship.

-

Captain Hailey Rogers was growing more anxious with every passing hour. Ever since they had discovered the Zaltule’s destination, the crew had been going about their assignments with a look of resignation. They all knew the Solar System couldn’t stop the Zaltule juggernaut now aimed at its heart.

“Any word from Centerpoint?” asked Lieutenant Stein as he came into the Command Center and took his place at the sensor console.

“No,” Hailey answered. “I haven’t been expecting a response to our communication updates. They know what’s coming and we can only hope, by some miracle, they can deal with it.”

Hailey leaned back in her command chair and took a deep breath. She had been getting very little sleep knowing that the future for the Human race was looking very bleak. She had finally asked the ship’s doctor to give her something to help. She would take the medication tonight, as she wanted to be on top of her game when they arrived in the Solar System. Hailey knew when the Sparrow arrived home, death would arrive with them.

-

Colonel Wade Nelson, Major Jeffries, Captain Ryan Nelson, and Captain Jamie Stern were standing in the massive spacedock inside Vesta. Ships were being moved outside and weapon emplacements were being installed in a number of strategic locations to cover the massive airlock doors. In addition, four assault ships had been brought in and placed in the berths closest to the airlocks leading to the habitats inside of Vesta. If it became absolutely necessary, the assault ships could use their energy turrets to aid in the defense of the spacedock.

“You think they’re going to get in, don’t you?” said Major Jeffries, looking over at Wade. He had known the colonel long enough to have a sense for what Wade was thinking.

Wade slowly nodded his head. He was still feeling shaken at realizing Captain Nicole Foster and so many other good Marines he had known had died at Lymeth Three. “We’ll need to be ready to blow the tunnel if they do. In previous battles, the Zaltule have withdrawn when it became evident they couldn’t win. In this case, I don’t believe they’ll withdraw until we’ve either destroyed most of their fleet or until they’ve achieved their objective.”

“That being our elimination,” said Captain Stern grimly. She had only recently been cleared for combat after her harrowing experience at Lymeth Three. It was difficult to be standing her with Colonel Nelson and discuss the coming attack without Nicole nearby with her usual satchel of explosives.

Wade looked over to where a number of hover tanks were being unloaded from a cargo ship. They had been brought in from Freedom Station where there was a production line for the small and deadly armored vehicles.

“What’s being done with all the ships we’re sending out?” Ryan asked as he saw several small prospector vessels making their way toward the massive airlock doors.

Major Jeffries turned his attention to the two small ships just as the doors began to open. “All the nonmilitary ships in the system will be hiding out in the asteroids and the Kuiper Belt in the hope the Zaltule will overlook some of them if the battle goes their way. They have instructions that when the warning is sent from Centerpoint that the Zaltule are about to drop out of Fold Space to power all of their systems down until the battle is over and the all clear is given. If they receive no message, they’re to remain silent and only power back up when their life support begins to run low.”

“Then what?” asked Captain Stern. “If the all clear isn’t given then that will indicate the Zaltule have won.”

“Fleet Admiral Kelly has sent two battlecruisers, four light cruisers, and twelve assault ships to a nearby system with orders to remain there until this is over. The hospital ship Micene as well as a number of fully loaded cargo ships, several passenger liners, as well as the troop ship Argyle will be with them as well. Once it’s been determined the Zaltule have left the system, the fleet will return and begin searching for survivors.”

“If they find no one?” asked Ryan, feeling deeply concerned that General Mitchell and Fleet Admiral Kelly had felt sending this small fleet to a nearby system was necessary. It indicated to him, they had little confidence of a Human victory.

Major Jeffries drew in a deep breath. “Once their search is over, they will leave the system and set out for a part of the galaxy far away from the Kleese Empire. Perhaps someday in the distant future Humans will return and finish what we began.”

Wade looked over to where some dockworkers were putting up blastcrete walls to act as protection for the Marines who would be defending Vesta. They were making a big mess of the spacedock, but if the Zaltule got inside what the dockhands were doing would be minor compared to the damage the Zaltule would cause. He looked back toward the airlock doors leading toward the inhabited parts of the asteroid. There were a lot of civilians who were depending on them for protection. Wade shuddered to think what would happen if the Zaltule got loose in any of the habitats.

-

Time passed and Fleet Admiral Kelly gazed with growing apprehension at the tactical screen on the wall of his flagship, the heavy battlecruiser Armageddon.

“They’re almost here,” commented Commander Kevin Makita as he studied the tactical screen, which was showing the approaching Zaltule armada. “God, that’s a lot of ships.”

Fleet Admiral Kelly had to agree. “Lieutenant Fullerton, have we determined their most probable drop out point?”

The lieutenant ran some quick calculations on her computer and then turned toward the admiral. “Mars,” she said, her eyes widening. “They’re headed for Mars.”

“Communications, send a message to Commander Symington on the Callisto and to General Sanchez that they can expect the Zaltule warfleet to drop out of Fold Space in their vicinity.”

“Are we going to support them?” asked Commander Makita. His eyes shifted from the tactical screen to the admiral.

Kelly let out a deep sigh. “We can’t. We have to focus on the defense of the two stations and the Moon. If we have any hope of victory, we must lure the Zaltule here to destroy them where our heaviest firepower is.”

“Commander Symington won’t stand a chance,” Makita said in a somber voice. “Mars will be hit heavily and a lot of people will die.”

“I know,” Kelly answered, his eyes showing a haunted look. “But they’ll hurt the Zaltule and for every ship they can take out, it will mean one less we’ll have to face later. We do have a little surprise planned for them once they arrive at Mars.”

“The cargo ships?”

“Yes,” replied Kelly, nodding his head. “The cargo ships.”

Commander Makita looked back at the tactical display, noting it was showing twelve minutes before the Zaltule warfleet dropped out of Fold Space. “At least with the Sparrow and the Fold Space sensors we had time to evacuate all the cities on Mars. Everyone’s in the deep shelters.”

Kelly nodded. All across the Solar System, the civilian population had gone to their shelters. For the last two days, a steady stream of people had made their way to their assigned bunkers. With a feeling of guilt, he knew there was a good chance, particularly on Mars, that the shelters wouldn’t be able to protect the people inside of them.

-

Commander Bree Symington watched the ship’s tactical screen as Seventh Fleet pulled back until it was directly over the surface of Mars. The red planet loomed large on one of the ship’s viewscreens. They were between the planet and the expected drop out point of the Zaltule Fleet. Bree’s fleet was twelve hundred kilometers above the planet and in range of where the numerous ion cannons on the surface could support her fleet. There were also eight hundred defense satellites armed with powerful energy turrets that could add their firepower to her ships.

Since their return from their failed mission, all of her warships had been repaired and sent to Mars. Due to her combat experience on the mission, she was given overall command of what was left of the fleet. With her return with what remained of Admiral Adamson’s force, the fleet around Mars had been greatly augmented. She now had two heavy battlecruisers, four regular battlecruisers, fifteen light cruisers, and sixty assault ships to oppose the Zaltule with. Bree knew it wasn’t enough, not by a long shot. Bree wished Admiral Adamson were here to command the coming battle; she wasn’t sure she was ready for this.

-

Minutes passed and suddenly three-kilometer-in-length Zaltule battlecruisers started appearing near Mars. They dropped out of Fold Space by the hundreds, and then by the thousands. In less than five minutes, nearly ten thousand heavily armed and dangerous Zaltule battlecruisers had appeared less than forty thousand kilometers from Mars. As soon as the last ships dropped out of Fold Space, the fleet formed up into a giant globe formation and began moving toward the planet.

Twelve million kilometers from Mars, eight hundred heavily laden cargo ships powered up upon receiving a signal from General Sanchez, who had noted the arrival of the Zaltule. They quickly dumped energy into their Fold Space Drives and made the transition into Fold Space. Their target was the Zaltule fleet now approaching the red planet. There was not a single living being inside any of the ships.

-

“Contacts!” called out Jalridd, the Zaltule standing in front of the sensor console of the Warrior’s Fire. “The sensors are showing eight hundred contacts have entered Fold Space and are heading toward our coordinates.”

“Eight hundred more warships?” said Minor Overlord Gareth in surprise. He shifted his multifaceted eyes toward the tactical screen, which was now displaying the new contacts as red threat icons.

“Can you identify the type of warships in that formation?” asked Military Overlord Harmock as he scrutinized the tactical screen. He didn’t trust the Humans to fight as other worlds had in the past. They were too clever at the art of war.

“No,” answered Jalridd with confusion in his voice. “They are of multiple types and sizes.”

Gareth looked over at Harmock. “A trap, or more Alliance ships?”

“Most likely a trap,” Harmock answered. “Salten, I want those ships targeted with multiple antimatter missiles as soon as they drop out of Fold Space.”

-

Several more minutes passed and then suddenly the first ships began appearing. As soon as they did, they powered up their sublight drives, activated their energy shields, and charged toward the tightly bunched Zaltule fleet.

“Cargo ships,” spoke Gareth as several of the mysterious vessels were put up on the viewscreens. “I don’t understand. There are cargo ships from several Alliance worlds coming toward us. What type of tactic is this? Where are the Human warships?”

Harmock rose up to his full height as he quickly recognized the threat to his fleet. “All ships, concentrate your fire on those vessels. They intend to ram!”

“Ram?” said Gareth in surprise.

“Yes, ram,” replied Harmock as the ships in his fleet began firing their missiles and energy weapons toward the charging cargo ships. “Every one of those cargo ships is probably heavily loaded and are now serving as massive projectiles aimed at our ships. Not even our energy shields can stand up to an impact from such an object of mass as those ships represent.”

On the viewscreens, the first antimatter missiles arrived, only to explode harmlessly against energy shields.

“Those cargo ships have shields!” swore Gareth in shock. “What type of race puts energy shields on cargo ships?”

“The Humans,” replied Harmock, his eyes focusing intently on the tactical screen. “The Humans have once more shown their cleverness and why they’re a threat to us. Intensify our rate of fire!”

More weapons began firing as Harmock informed all of his ship commanders of the approaching threat. He wondered what other surprises the Humans had waiting for his fleet. He strongly suspected this wouldn’t be the only one.

-

In space, several cargo ships exploded as their energy screens were quickly overloaded. There hadn’t been enough time to emplace new fusion reactors to allow for a fully powered military grade energy screen. Most of the energy shields could stand up to several antimatter hits before they failed, but the Zaltule were firing thousands of missiles in an attempt to destroy the cargo ships before they reached the fleet.

More cargo ships died as the weapons fire turned against them ramped up in intensity. A Lanolthian three-hundred-meter cargo vessel exploded in a bright fireball as its screen was penetrated. Nearby a Nalton, five-hundred-meter heavy cargo ship blew up as pulse fusion beams ripped it apart. Across the entire line of charging cargo ships, explosions filled space as ships were annihilated in rapid succession by the Zaltule battlecruisers. Even so, eight hundred ships were hard to destroy. Forty-seven made it to the Zaltule formation and thirty-one struck Zaltule energy screens, destroying both the cargo ship and the Zaltule battlecruiser. Across the Zaltule battle globe, titanic explosions marked the location of dying ships.

-

Harmock shook his head in admiration. This had been a clever tactic by the Humans; if it had succeeded, his fleet could have been heavily damaged. As it was, he had destroyed eight hundred cargo ships at the loss of thirty-seven Zaltule battlecruisers. He strongly doubted if the Humans had any more cargo ships left to attempt this strategy again.

“Proceed to the fleet guarding the planet,” Harmock ordered. “We will eliminate it and then bombard the planet’s surface with antimatter missiles. Once we have cleansed this planet of Human life, we’ll move on to the next phase of our attack.”

-

In Centerpoint, General Mitchell looked over at Marken, who was standing next to him observing the progress of the battle. “I had hoped the cargo ships would be more successful.”

“The Zaltule are clever warriors,” Marken answered as he turned toward General Mitchell. “They must have realized immediately the threat the cargo vessels represented.”

“Zaltule fleet is proceeding toward Mars,” Colonel Angus Roberson, the chief operations officer in the Command Center, reported.

General Mitchell turned his attention back to one of the tactical screens focused on the situation at the red planet. The next stage of the battle was about to begin. He felt great sadness knowing he was about to sacrifice a fleet.

-

Commander Symington watched steadfastly as the Zaltule began entering combat range. She had backed her fleet down to within five hundred kilometers of the surface of Mars to give the ion cannons more effective reach. On one of the viewscreens focused on the planet, she could see several of the large city domes.

“All ships are at Condition One,” reported the communications officer.

“Energy screens and weapons are powered up,” added Lieutenant Fields from Tactical. “Ready to fire on your order.”

“General Sanchez reports the ion cannons are online and powered up,” the communications officer said. “The defense grid will fire in conjunction with the ion cannons.”

“Stand by all ships,” Bree spoke over the ship-to-ship comm. She watched as the Zaltule neared engagement range, and then they were there. “Fire!” She let out a deep breath, knowing there would be no retreat and no surviving this battle. Her job was to destroy Zaltule ships, and she fully intended to carry that mission out.

-

Instantly from every ship in her command antimatter missiles, energy beams, pulse fusion beams, particle beams, and plasma beams were fired toward the advancing Zaltule ships. At the same moment, four hundred massive planetary ion cannons activated, sending their deadly beams toward the Zaltule ships. Two seconds later, the satellites in the defense grid directed their energy turrets at the Zaltule battlecruisers and fired.

Across the Zaltule formation, energy screens flared brightly as the weapons fire from the defending fleet struck. Then the ion beams and energy beams arrived. Dozens of Zaltule energy screens were battered down in an instant. Explosions blew out huge rifts in the hulls of numerous Zaltule battlecruisers. The Human fleet, detecting the failure of the energy shields, promptly fired antimatter missiles at the now defenseless Zaltule battlecruisers. In less than twenty seconds, sixty-eight Zaltule battlecruisers died as antimatter energy obliterated them from existence.

However, the Zaltule had a massive fleet and the losses to ten thousand vessels were negligible. The Zaltule battlecruisers took out their wrath on the defending Human fleet as well as upon the defense grid. Missile hatches slid open and a massive wave of missiles was launched at the defending fleet and satellites. The entire Human fleet seemed to vanish as they became encompassed in furnace fire from the exploding antimatter missiles. The area of space where the Human fleet was became as bright as a supernova. Satellites vanished from orbit as they were instantly obliterated by antimatter explosions.

The massive release of antimatter energy was far more than many of the Human fleet’s ships could handle. An antimatter missile penetrated the failing energy screen of an assault ship and slammed into the stern of the vessel, causing the ship to vanish in a fiery explosion. Zaltule pulse fusion beams penetrated the weakened shield of a light cruiser, ripping open compartment after compartment until the ship blew apart. More ships with failing screens in the Human fleet were targeted and swiftly annihilated by the massive firepower of the Zaltule fleet.

-

Commander Symington felt the Callisto rock as its energy screen was being pummeled by the Zaltule.

“Light cruisers Monarch, Renown, and Darden are down,” reported Ensign Davis in a strained and frightened voice. “Battlecruiser Stardust is down. We’ve also lost seventeen assault ships.”

“It’s the antimatter energy,” Lieutenant Fields said breathlessly as he fired the ship’s plasma cannon at a Zaltule battlecruiser. “It’s weakening our shields and allowing the Zaltule to penetrate them with their other weapons.”

Bree knew she was losing the battle, but every Zaltule ship she could destroy or severely damage was one less Fleet Admiral Kelly would have to face. “Flush our missile tubes as rapidly as possible,” she ordered, determined to cause as much damage to the enemy as possible.

“General Sanchez is preparing to fire the ion cannons again,” the communications officer reported.

Bree nodded. “All ships, the ion cannons are getting ready to fire; take out any Zaltule ships that have their screens taken down.” Bree knew this battle was rapidly nearing its end, and she had no intention of fleeing into Fold Space.

-

From the surface of Mars, four hundred ion beams leaped up to smash into the Zaltule formation. More screens were savaged and failed. Antimatter missiles followed, turning more Zaltule battlecruisers into miniature suns.

The Zaltule ignored the losses and continued to focus on the Human ships. Light cruisers and assault ships were rapidly being annihilated by the more powerful Zaltule battlecruisers. The heavy battlecruiser Dresden came under fire from over one hundred Zaltule battlecruisers. Her energy shield flared up into the ultraviolet and then a massive explosion tore the ship in two. Moments later over twenty antimatter missiles arrived, turning the two ship fragments into molten metal and glowing gas.

The ship battle continued as four more Zaltule battlecruisers were destroyed by the heavy fire of the Callisto and the remaining heavy cruisers. However, those were the only ships of Seventh Fleet still surviving and the entire might of the Zaltule fleet was turned against them. First to die was the Falcon, followed a few seconds later by the battlecruiser Oasis. The last of the battlecruisers, the Cygnus, managed to ram a Zaltule battlecruiser, destroying both vessels in a massive fireball. Then only the Callisto was left. Her energy screen flared brighter and brighter as the Zaltule increased the attack on the lone surviving Human vessel. Then the shield wavered briefly, but that was enough. Over one hundred antimatter missiles penetrated her energy screen and the Callisto and Commander Bree Symington ceased to be.

The Zaltule then closed on the planet, ignoring the ion beams and energy beams that continued to ravage their fleet. Occasionally a Zaltule battlecruiser would explode as its energy shield was hit by multiple beams. The Zaltule fleet paused for a moment and then spread out above the planet. More antimatter missiles were used to destroy the rest of the satellites in the defense grid, leaving only the deadly beams from the planet itself to deal with. Twelve more battlecruisers were destroyed by ion beams and then the Zaltule struck. Two thousand antimatter missiles were fired at the surface of Mars.

The missiles targeted all the visible population centers and the ion cannon installations. Across the planet huge flashes of light exploded, blasting the surface as antimatter energy ran amuck. All the cities of Mars died as the buildings were obliterated and massive craters appeared where the proud domed cities once stood. Ash and dust were tossed up into the atmosphere, blotting out the dim light from the distant sun.

The Zaltule, satisfied this Human planet was no more, split their fleet. They had lost one hundred and twenty-nine ships in the battle. Now it was time for the next phase. Eight thousand Zaltule battlecruisers headed for Earth and the other nineteen hundred turned and headed toward Vesta.

-

General Mitchell closed his eyes and shook his head. Seventh Fleet was gone and Mars had been ravaged. He had no idea what the casualties in the deep bunkers were, but he knew they would be heavy. General Sanchez had gone silent so Mitchell didn’t know if he had survived the attack or not.

“The Zaltule have split their fleet,” Lieutenant Bryan Vail at the main sensor console reported. “It looks as if eight thousand warships are headed toward us and eighteen hundred and seventy are heading toward Vesta.”

Mitchell turned toward Captain Jennifer Owens at Communications. “Contact Fleet Commander Achlyn and tell him what’s coming his way. He has permission to fight the battle as he sees fit.” Fleet Commander Achlyn was responsible for the defense of Vesta.

Letting out a long breath, Mitchell looked over at Marken. The Kivean had been at his side during the entire battle at Mars and had remained silent. “We’ll try the mines next; if they don’t work it will be a fleet action.”

“What about the new weapon?” asked Marken, feeling it was their only real hope for victory.

“Not yet,” responded Mitchell, shaking his head. “It’s a weapon of last resort. When it’s the final thing we have left, I’ll consider using it.”

Marken nodded. He turned his eyes toward the many viewscreens and tactical screens in the large Command Center. This coming battle would decide the fate of the Kleese Empire and the Alliance. This was what he had worked for all of his life, to see the end of the Kleese. He had no doubt the new weapon could bring that about, but it might also destroy everything they had built in the Solar System. Marken was glad it would be General Mitchell who would decide whether to use it or not. It was a decision Marken couldn’t make, no matter how much he wanted to destroy the Kleese.

Chapter Twenty-One

General Will Bailey was in his Command Center buried deep inside Vesta. He felt the anxiety of his officers ramp up in intensity when it was revealed just how many Zaltule battlecruisers were inbound toward the dwarf planet. The enemy had already made the transition into Fold Space and would be shortly dropping out probably in close proximity to Vesta. General Bailey was well aware of what had happened at Mars. The sheer size of the Zaltule fleet was playing havoc with the battle plans that had been drawn up for the defense of the Solar System.

“All surface weapon sites have been activated and their energy shields are up,” reported Captain Will Davis from his tactical console. “Marines are setting up their defenses in the spacedock and the explosives in the entrance tunnel are ready to be activated.” If there was danger of the Zaltule entering the wide and long entrance to the spacedock, explosives would be set off to bring down the ceiling, effectively blocking the tunnel.

“Fleet Commander Achlyn will allow the Zaltule to engage the defenses here at Vesta and then he’ll move in with his fleet.” General Bailey paused as he looked around at the worried men and women inside the Command Center. “People, we have over six million civilians to protect. We’re fighting for the very survival of the Human race and we will not stop fighting until every one of our weapons has been destroyed and there are no members of the military left to fire a rifle.”

“Zaltule battlecruisers are dropping out of Fold Space,” reported Lieutenant Jarvis Trent. “Range is two hundred thousand kilometers.”

“This is it, people,” Bailey said in his commanding voice. “Today we either defeat the Kleese Empire or humanity ceases to be.”

Bailey knew that in all four habitats sirens would be sounding indicating the likelihood of immediate combat with the Zaltule. All the inhabitants of Vesta had long since gone to their protective shelters to await the outcome of the battle. Marines had been deployed in the spacedock as well as at their fallback position inside of Smithfield. If the Zaltule made it into Smithfield, then something very bad had happened.

-

In space, nineteen hundred Zaltule battlecruisers dropped out of Fold Space and began forming up in a giant open cone formation. Sensor scans had already indicated the asteroid was heavily defended and probably the home to many of the surviving Humans. The presence of so many Humans was one of the reasons the asteroid had been listed as a high priority target so early in the attack.

“We are detecting ten heavy weapons sites upon the asteroid as well as a possible means of entry,” the Zaltule in front of the sensor console reported on the fleet’s flagship, the Conquerors Pride. “There is what appears to be a large airlock protected by multiple weapon turrets in one quadrant.”

Minor Overlord Barral gazed at the viewscreens, which showed the large asteroid. “Move us forward and engage those fixed defenses,” he ordered. “I also want ships assigned to probe the area of that hatch to see if we can gain entry. We must find a way inside so we can destroy this nest of the Humans.”

-

The Zaltule fleet began accelerating and soon entered engagement range of the asteroid when its defenses suddenly opened up. Ion cannons and particle beam cannons reached out and tore open the energy shields on countless Zaltule battlecruisers. Fiery explosions spread across the Zaltule cone of battle as vessels were blown apart. The attack was fierce and intense, bringing the Zaltule advance to a sudden halt.

-

“Those weapons are much more powerful than shipboard ones,” the sensor operator reported to Minor Overlord Barral. “They’re cutting through our energy shields.”

Barral studied the inbound weapons fire for a few moments as several ion beams tore open huge holes in the energy screen of a forward battlecruiser. At the same time, particle beam fire ripped into the ship, inflicting major damage until the vessel was reduced to a scattering of glowing debris.

“Return fire,” Barral ordered. In all his life as a Zaltule warrior, he had never encountered such powerful fixed defenses. “Target just two of those weapon sites with the weapons of our entire fleet. Once we have destroyed the first two weapon sites, we’ll turn our fire toward the next two. We have the ships and the firepower to destroy those weapons.” Barral watched expectantly as his fleet began to return fire. He knew he would lose a number of vessels to the powerful weapons, but in the end, he would destroy every weapon on the surface of the asteroid and then the Humans within.

The Zaltule returned fire and a barrage of antimatter missiles struck two of the Vesta weapons sites. However, these sites were powered by multiple fusion reactors, more than were on a heavy battlecruiser. The shields had been designed to take this type of punishment, at least for a while.

Space above and around the two weapons sites was lit up by the bright explosions of antimatter missiles. The ground around the two sites quickly turned molten from the released energy striking the energy shields. Energy and pulse fusion beams lanced down seeking an opening but only made the shields glow brighter where they struck. For the moment, the two weapons sites were resisting the combined firepower of the Zaltule battlecruisers.

-

At the tunnel entrance to the spacedock, ten Zaltule battlecruisers came in low over the horizon. They had lost four other battlecruisers from defensive weapons fire. Upon detecting the approach of the Zaltule vessels, the twelve particle beam cannons surrounding the huge airlock opened fire. The forward leading Zaltule warship burst into flames and then arrowed downward, crashing into the airless dark surface of Vesta. The other battlecruisers opened fire with their energy weapons and pulse fusion cannons trying to eliminate the dangerous weapons turrets protecting the large armored airlock. First one and then two of the particle beam emplacements were destroyed as they were blown apart. The remaining particle beam turrets continued to fire and another Zaltule battlecruiser was blown in two with the remains of the shattered vessel falling to impact in a nearby crater.

The remaining ships intensified their efforts and after few more minutes eliminated the last of the particle beam cannons. Energy beams were brought into play and focused on the massive airlock doors, gradually burning deeper and deeper into the thick protective armor. More Zaltule battlecruisers dropped down and then had to move even closer to the surface as a nearby weapon site blew three of them apart in fiery explosions.

The great airlock doors finally gave way. From one of the Zaltule battlecruisers an antimatter missile launched and flew down the long tunnel. Moments later a fiery ball of energy exited the tunnel entrance and the surrounding ground shook from the underground blast. From the Zaltule battlecruisers, several hundred small attack shuttles exited airlocks and darted inside the smoking remains of the entrance.

-

“We have Zaltule in the entrance tunnel,” reported Captain Davis from his console inside the Command Center. “They’ve destroyed the particle beam cannons and have blown a hole in the airlock.”

“How did they get past the defensive sites on the surface?” demanded General Bailey with a concerned frown on his face. The large defensive sites were supposed to prevent this from happening. One of the sites was only a few kilometers from the tunnel entrance.

“They came in low so our big weapons couldn’t target them,” Davis answered. “We took out a number of them out as they came in, but once they were down low enough we couldn’t bring the big ion cannons and particle beam cannons to bear.”

The room suddenly seemed to shake.

“What was that?” Bailey demanded.

“Crap!” groaned Captain Davis. “The Zaltule fired a missile down the tunnel. It detonated against the energy shield protecting the inner airlock door. The energy shield is down and all the weapon emplacements in the tunnel have been destroyed.”

“What about the explosives to bring down the tunnel?” demanded Bailey, his face turning pale. They had never considered the possibility of the Zaltule using an antimatter warhead inside the tunnel.

“Nonfunctional,” answered Davis, looking over at the general.

General Bailey shook his head in frustration. The battle was already going badly. “Communications, inform Colonel Nelson and Major Jeffries they have Zaltule coming their way; a lot of them.”

-

Colonel Wade Nelson stood in his Type Three Command Suit inside the spacedock and just outside of the airlocks leading back to Smithfield. All the Marines under his command had been equipped with a new Energy Lance, which could cut through the armor of a Type Three battlesuit such as the ones the Zaltule would be wearing. Looking toward the four nearby assault ships, he saw their energy turrets swivel down and target the massive airlock doors. Already he could hear explosions battering against the outside armor. Wade knew that back home inside the Viridian habitat, Beth and his parents had gone to their shelter. If not for Erick, Wade knew Beth would have been fighting at his side. She had also insisted on having a Type Three battlesuit in the shelter so if it became necessary she could defend their family.

-

Captain Ryan Nelson was standing next to Sergeant Casey Hunter. They were both holding their RG rifles at the ready knowing the Zaltule would shortly be through the airlock. Already they could see it buckling in several areas.

“I’m scared, Ryan,” Casey said as she gazed worriedly at the large airlock. “What if we can’t stop the Zaltule?”

“We all are,” answered Ryan. He greatly feared this could be the end of all of them. The Zaltule fleet was just too big and the mere fact they had already managed to reach the inner airlock doors hinted that the battle outside was going badly. “We have a lot of Marines and firepower inside both here and back in Smithfield. We’ll stop the Zaltule.”

Casey nodded. She hoped Ryan was right, but she was worried he was only trying to ease her fears.

Lauren stepped over close to the two. She had been released several days before from the medical center inside of Centerpoint and had demanded to take part in the battle to defend Vesta. “They’ll be through soon.” She gestured toward the airlock with one of her armor encased arms. The door was glowing cherry red in the center.

Those words were barely out of her mouth when the huge doors blew apart, scattering pieces of metal across the spacedock. Fortunately, the atmospheric force field prevented the atmosphere from being sucked out, though the Marines being encased in their powerful battlesuits wouldn’t have been affected. Through the smoking opening in the airlock, Zaltule shuttles began entering.

-

Detecting the inbound Zaltule shuttles, the four assault ships opened up with their energy beams, blowing the small shuttles apart in small fiery explosions. But there were hundreds of them, more than the assault ships could target at once. The defending hover tanks opened up with their energy cannons bringing down more of the small shuttles in flaming ruins, but some survived and managed to land. In only a few moments, armored Zaltule began swarming out, firing their weapons at the defending Human Marines. Weapons fire began impacting the assault ships since they couldn’t activate their energy shields inside the spacedock. Several of the turrets on the ships exploded as they were struck by powerful energy beams.

The spacedock rapidly began to fill with smoke and the sounds of battle. The four assault ships had managed to take out nearly half of the Zaltule shuttles emerging through the blown open airlock doors. Zaltule had emerged from the others and set up weapons that were now taking out the energy turrets on the assault ships. Hover tanks began firing both their energy cannons and RG cannons, killing many of the Zaltule before they could find cover.

Suddenly twenty of the Zaltule shuttles rose up into the air and accelerated toward the assault ships. Twelve of them fell to the ground in balls of fire as the ships’ energy cannons found them. However, eight reached their targets and exploded against the hull armor of three of the assault ships.

-

“Get back,” ordered Wade over the command channel as he saw that the small shuttles must have been loaded with some type of high explosives. Secondary explosions began rocking the three assault ships and several hatches suddenly opened as their crews hurriedly evacuated.

Wade quickly directed them to one of the airlocks leading back to Smithfield. The crews of the assault ships were not wearing battlesuits and wouldn’t survive long inside the spacedock with all the weapons fire.

“Zaltule are advancing,” warned Captain Jaime Stern over the comm channel. “There are also more of those shuttles coming in.”

Wade looked up and saw the captain was right. With three of the assault ships disabled, the Zaltule were bringing in more warriors. The weapons fire between the Marines and the Zaltule was intensifying as the battlesuit encased arachnids rapidly closed the distance between themselves and the first defensive line of Marines. Wade saw Energy Lances suddenly ignite as the first Zaltule reached the blastcrete barriers.

-

Ryan drew his Energy Lance as several Zaltule leaped over the blastcrete walls. He swung his Lance, decapitating the nearest Zaltule. He saw Casey step up and fire a dozen armor penetrating RG rounds into the helmet of the other.

“There’s too many of them,” Lauren said as she used her Energy Lance to slice a Zaltule in two who had breached the blastcrete barrier next to her.

Several sections of the wall suddenly exploded and collapsed. Swarms of the arachnid-shaped Zaltule began pouring through, overrunning the first line of defense.

On Ryan’s command suit’s HUD, he saw numerous green icons begin turning amber and then red.

“We can’t hold them,” called out Lieutenant Guthrie from the midst of a group of Zaltule her Marines were battling. “There’s too many of them! If we stay here, we’re going to be cut to pieces.”

“Pull back to the second defensive line,” Colonel Nelson’s calm voice came over the command channel. “The hover tanks will lay down covering fire.”

“Pull back,” ordered Ryan, as he heard the other commanding officers repeat the order.

“Damn, there are spiders everywhere!” called out Alexander. “Where’s the exterminator when you need one?”

“We’re the exterminators!” replied Lauren as she cleaved another Zaltule in two who was trying to pull her down. She untangled herself from his clutches and began backing away. She sheathed her Energy Lance and grabbed her RG rifle. Lauren began firing into the horde of Zaltule, who were pouring over the now nearly demolished blastcrete wall.

“We’re firing explosive rounds,” called out Sergeant McElroy from where he and his Marines were supporting forty hover tanks in the third and final defensive line.

As Ryan pulled back, he saw the area between the first defensive line and the blown airlock hatch suddenly erupt in explosions as the hover tanks’ explosive rounds landed. Fire and smoke erupted, concealing much of the area around the airlock.

“How many Zaltule are we facing?” asked Lieutenant Guthrie as she pulled back toward the next defensive line. She was still heavily engaged with the Zaltule. Some were still mixed in with her Marines in hand-to-hand combat.

“Over a thousand,” Captain Stern’s voice came over the Command Channel. “Those damn little shuttles of theirs are also armed with small energy canons. They’ve managed to take out a number of our static defenses and they’re also using energy cannons to take down our blastcrete barriers.”

Ryan knew they were getting themselves into a bad situation. Looking toward the shattered airlock, he saw more of the small shuttles entering.

-

Colonel Nelson was studying the current tactical situation. It was growing more apparent with every passing minute that they weren’t going to be able to hold the bay. A loud and violent explosion nearly knocked him off his feet. Looking to his left, he saw the last assault ship had been taken out.

Calling up a different screen on his HUD, he was dismayed at how many green icons were now glowing a steady red. He knew all the Zaltule were in Type Three battlesuits equipped with RG rifles, energy cannons, and explosive rounds. They also knew how to use them as they had been trained as warriors their entire lives.

“We need to withdraw to Smithfield,” Major Jeffries said over the private channel he had with Wade. “If we stay in the spacedock much longer we’re going to be overrun.”

Wade looked out over the raging battle. Explosive rounds, energy cannons, and RG rounds were flying everywhere. Most of the embattled Marines had made it back to the second line of defense, but already the Zaltule were beginning to penetrate it in several locations. This was the first time the Marines had ever fought against so many Zaltule and Wade was beginning to see why they were so feared as warriors.

“Major Jeffries right,” General Will Bailey’s voice came over the command link. “Pull back to Smithfield and blow the connecting tunnels. That will at least buy us some time.”

Wade took in a deep breath. He knew that General Bailey and Major Jeffries were speaking the truth. The battle here was lost; there were just too many Zaltule.

Activating the general communication frequency, he gave his next order. “All Marines, pull back to Smithfield. We’ll blow the tunnels connecting the habitat to the spacedock in an attempt to slow down the Zaltule advance.”

“Wade, if we don’t attempt to delay the Zaltule, many of our Marines won’t make it out,” said Major Jeffries. “They’ll be overrun before they can get to the airlocks.”

“What are you suggesting?”

“I’ll fight a delaying action with the Hover tanks to cover the withdrawal. When everyone has gotten out, I’ll pull out with the tank crews.”

“Do it,” ordered Wade, knowing it would save lives. “Just be damn careful. I want to see you in Smithfield when this is over.” He had already lost too many friends in this war; he wasn’t ready to lose more.

-

For the next few minutes, the surviving Marines headed for and entered the small airlocks that led to the connecting tunnels to Smithfield. They were just large enough to accommodate a Marine in a Type Three battlesuit.

Major Jeffries gradually pulled the hover tanks back toward the airlocks with Sergeant McElroy’s Marines providing cover fire. The Zaltule must have realized what was happening as a new and larger shuttle began entering the spacedock through the shattered airlock. These shuttles were armed with more powerful energy cannons and instantly began targeting the hover tanks. Tank after tank blew up in fiery explosions, often killing some of the nearby Marines that were supposed to be protecting them.

Major Jeffries estimated there were still well over one thousand surviving Zaltule inside the spacedock even after all of their losses. He didn’t know how many hundreds lay dead across the bay. Most of the surviving Marines had reached the airlocks and vanished through the hatches. “It’s our turn now,” he said over his comm channel. “All tank crews get out and let’s exit this place.”

The three-man crews hurriedly crawled out of their tanks and began running toward the nearest airlock hatch. The Zaltule must have realized what was happening as they began targeting the airlocks with their energy cannons. Major Jeffries was almost to an airlock when a Zaltule energy beam hit it, collapsing the tunnel and sealing the Marines with him inside the spacedock.

“Damn,” said Sergeant McElroy as he gazed in horror at the ruined airlock. He turned toward Major Jeffries, who was standing next to him. “Now what?”

Major Jeffries took a deep breath and drew his Energy Lance. “Now we fight and take as many of these damn spiders as we can with us.” Jeffries knew he wasn’t going to be able to keep his promise to Wade.

Sergeant McElroy nodded. They weren’t getting out of this situation alive. “Let’s go, Marines!” he yelled, gesturing to the survivors of the four platoons he had been commanding.

The surviving Marines with Major Jeffries and Sergeant McElroy in the lead charged the nearing horde of Zaltule warriors.

-

Wade reached Smithfield with his surviving Marines and began rapidly to deploy them. There were also reinforcements waiting for them as another six hundred Marines in Type Three battlesuits had been held back in Smithfield just in case the battle in the spacedock was lost.

After the last Marine had exited the tunnels, Wade stared for several long moments before he finally accepted Major Jeffries wasn’t coming. With an icy chill running down his back, he gave the necessary order. “Blow the connecting tunnels.”

Moments later fire and smoke erupted from the tunnels, sealing the habitat off from the spacedock.

Stepping back, Wade wondered how long the collapsed tunnels would hold back the Zaltule. He had no doubt that at some point the Zaltule were going to break through.

-

Ryan gazed at his HUD dismally, seeing how few green icons remained. He had lost nearly half of his Marines in the battle. From the report he had just received from Wade, Sergeant McElroy and all of his Marines had failed to make it out of the spacedock. Ryan hoped the sergeant had taken a hell of a lot of Zaltule with him. He also saw that Private Camden Richards and Corporal Mary Hatterson had been lost as well. Mary had been very close to Casey for years.

“We’re to pull back to the middle of Smithfield,” Lieutenant Guthrie said as she walked over to Ryan. Her battlesuit was covered in blood from using her Energy Lance against the Zaltule.

Ryan nodded. He had just received those orders also. Gathering his Marines, they began heading toward the city. Wade wanted them to set up a crossfire in the city’s main intersection. Blastcrete walls had been constructed in a number of streets to provide cover for the defending Marines.

A number of platoons under the command of Captain Stern and Lieutenant Guthrie were remaining behind to attack the Zaltule as they exited the connecting tunnels. They were waiting behind a number of thick blastcrete walls that had been built for just that purpose.

“Mary’s gone,” Casey said over the private channel she had with Ryan. “I saw it happen and there was nothing I could do. She got cut off from the rest of us and was killed before I could send help.”

“A lot of Marines died today,” replied Ryan, feeling Casey’s pain. “There will probably be more if the Zaltule make it into Smithfield.”

Casey didn’t reply. She knew if the Zaltule made it into Smithfield, the Marines would have a hard time holding the large habitat. If the Zaltule took Smithfield, then there would be nothing left to prevent them from reaching the other habitats.

-

Time passed and occasionally Wade could feel the ground shake slightly. He suspected this was probably from the surface battle and antimatter missiles detonating upon the energy shields of the ten defensive weapon sites.

“Colonel Nelson, this is General Bailey. We’ve been detecting a series of explosions in the tunnels connecting Smithfield with the spacedock. We believe the Zaltule are blasting their way toward you.”

“We’ve got our defenses set up,” Wade answered over the command channel. “We’re going to try to hold them at the airlocks. I’ve also set up a second blocking force in Smithfield itself. If we’re defeated, we’ll pull back to the entrance to the next habitat and make our final stand there.”

General Bailey became strangely quiet and then his concerned voice returned. “Wade, our remote sensors are detecting antimatter in one of the connecting tunnels between Smithfield and the spacedock.”

“Antimatter?”

“It’s a bomb!” General Bailey said in a highly agitated voice.

“Crap,” Wade said, realizing the significance. The Zaltule weren’t trying to get into Smithfield; they were going to destroy it. He instantly switched his comm to the general frequency. “Everyone take cover immediately! We have reason to believe the Zaltule are preparing to detonate an antimatter warhead inside one of the tunnels. Take whatever shelter you can find!”

Marines everywhere took off and ran toward the nearest shelters. There were a number of shelters in Smithfield not in use by the civilians as they were too close to the airlocks. The problem was that for many of the Marines, they might not be able to reach the shelters in time.

-

Two minutes later, a massive explosion shook Smithfield and the spacedock. The airlocks into Smithfield blew open as superheated air vaporized the blockages and a deadly burning blast wave swept toward the city. Buildings toppled and the deadly heat caused fires to erupt. Trees were uprooted and the animals on the outlying farms died almost instantly.

The city erupted into a firestorm as numerous structures caught fire. Fortunately, the Smithfield habitat was protected by an energy shield to ensure the roof would never cave in upon the city below. It was this shield which now held the damage to just the habitat and didn’t allow it to spread to the others. The powerful shield wavered but managed to hold.

The spacedock was also heavily damaged. The construction berths and all the equipment in the huge bay were destroyed in the backlash of the powerful blast. More fires broke out and the power of the blast continued down the tunnel until it erupted from the remains of the outer airlock doors.

The Zaltule had withdrawn back to their ships to see the result of their use of an antimatter bomb inside the asteroid. They had hoped the explosion would blow the asteroid apart. It stayed together, but just barely. The energy shield in Smithfield and the blown open airlocks in the spacedock prevented the energy of the blast from having its desired effect.

Inside Smithfield, the blast died down. The city itself was in shambles with most of its buildings blown down and large fires raging. There was no movement of any kind indicating anyone had survived.

Chapter Twenty-Two

General Alan Mitchell shook his head in disbelief. The Zaltule had managed to blast their way into the spacedock at Vesta. Not only that but they had driven Colonel Wade Nelson’s Marines out of the spacedock and into the Smithfield habitat. Worse yet was the news the Zaltule had set off an antimatter warhead close to Smithfield and effectively destroyed the habitat and the spacedock. Casualties to the Marines had been heavy, and thus far, there had been no communication with Colonel Nelson or any of the Marines inside the habitat since the antimatter bomb detonated. From what General Bailey had reported, the conditions in Smithfield were so bad it would be hours before rescue teams could enter and begin sifting through the rubble.

“What’s the current status of Fleet Commander Achlyn’s fleet?”

“They’re moving into combat range now,” Lieutenant Vail reported.

“Fleet Commander Achlyn is hoping to pin the Zaltule battlecruisers between his force and Vesta,” commented Colonel Robertson. “It will force the Zaltule to fight on two fronts and might give him a slight tactical advantage.”

“He’ll need that advantage against the Zaltule fleet,” Mitchell said as he shifted his gaze to one of the tactical screens showing Fleet Commander Achlyn’s fleet emerging from a dense area of the asteroid belt where they had been waiting with their systems powered down.

“General Bailey has confirmed two of his weapons sites have been destroyed and a third has been heavily damaged,” reported Captain Jennifer Owens from Communications. “He estimates in another forty minutes all the sites will have been eliminated.”

Mitchell felt grave concern after hearing the reports. The battle so far was going against the defenders. First Mars, and now the grim news coming from Vesta.

“Zaltule battlecruisers should be dropping out of Fold Space in twelve minutes,” Lieutenant Vail reported as he watched the mass of red threat icons that were rapidly nearing the Moon.

“General, what about the weapon?” asked Marken. He was feeling great sadness knowing that Colonel Wade Nelson may have perished at Vesta. He wondered how many others he knew were missing as well. Wherever the Kleese went, they always brought death and destruction.

“Have it on standby,” Mitchell responded. He let out a deep and determined breath. “If we have to use it to stop the Zaltule, we will even if it means we destroy the Solar System in doing so. At least the Alliance will continue and there will be some Human survivors with Alliance Fleet Admiral Rivers as well as the ships we sent away.”

Marken nodded. He knew if the weapon destroyed all life in the Solar System, his own people would meet their final end. There were only a few Kiveans on the medical ship Micene and none in Admiral Rivers’ fleet. The few on the Micene would not be enough to continue the Kivean race. Without hesitation, Marken contacted the Human commander at the secret base on the Moon built to house the new weapon. The weapon was a drastic redesign of one of the fleet’s current weapon systems. It had been developed by the Kiveans along with the other alien races present in the Solar System.

-

Fleet Commander Achlyn looked at his ship’s tactical screen as his fleet left the group of asteroids they had been hiding in and accelerated toward the Zaltule fleet besieging Vesta. He had eight hundred and ten warships under his command including sixty Delton heavy battlecruisers and three hundred and thirteen regular battlecruisers. The rest of the ships in his fleet were support vessels.

The core of his fleet was built around the sixty Delton heavy battlecruisers, each of which was twelve hundred meters in length and the most powerful vessels ever built in the Alliance. They should easily be able to go heads up against a Zaltule warship.

“Admiral Trest of the Belen fleet and Admiral Hiath of the Bashan fleet both report ready for combat,” Second Commander Baylith reported from his command station. “We’ll be in combat range of the Zaltule battlecruisers in fourteen minutes.”

“Have they detected our fleet?”

“Yes,” answered Baylith, nodding his head. “The attack on the weapons sites on Vesta have substantially decreased and it appears the Zaltule are attempting to adjust their formation to meet our fleet.”

“Excellent,” Achlyn said, pleased the Zaltule were reducing their targeting of the large Human inhabited asteroid. “All ships, stand by to fire. Our first attack will be a general assault on the nearer Zaltule battlecruisers with antimatter missiles and then we’ll switch to multiple fleet units attacking individual Zaltule ships.”

This was the strategy the three fleet commanders had agreed upon. A general strike on the entire Zaltule formation and then groups of four to ten ships targeting individual Zaltule vessels. It was felt this tactic would allow for a greater strategic success. Achlyn just hoped it worked. The lives of millions of people in Vesta were relying on him being able to defeat this Zaltule warfleet.

-

Minor Overlord Barral’s multifaceted eyes gazed unflinchingly at the ship’s large tactical screen. It was showing over eight hundred red threat icons approaching his fleet. They had been hiding in a region of dense asteroids and hadn’t been detected by the fleet’s sensors until the vessels had powered up and began advancing.

“We have detected Delton, Belen, and Bashan warships in that formation,” Falolt, the ship’s second in command reported. He stomped his six feet upon the floor of the deck as he looked up at Barral, who was on the Command Pedestal. “Of concern are what appear to be sixty large Delton warships of twelve hundred meters. These are obviously new constructions and may contain upgraded weapons from the Alliance.”

“We shall destroy them regardless,” Barral said confidently. “We are the Zaltule and are supreme in battle. Our fleet vastly outnumbers theirs, and we shall annihilate it. Once their fleet has been dealt with, we shall return to destroying this planetoid the Humans are hiding in and then seek out the hiding places of the Deltons, Belens, and the Bashan. I suspect they’re inside some of the nearby asteroids this system has an abundance of. They shall die here as well as the Humans.”

-

The Zaltule fleet reversed its course and adjusted their formation into a solid wall of battlecruisers. Even as they did so ion beams and particle weapons fire from Vesta blew four more of their battlecruisers into twisted wreckage.

-

In Centerpoint, General Mitchell watched the tactical screens in the large Command Center as Fleet Commander Achlyn’s combined fleet neared combat range of the Zaltule. At the same time, enemy battlecruisers began dropping out of Fold Space in close proximity to the Moon.

“Sixty thousand kilometers,” Lieutenant Vail reported in a strained voice as hundreds and then thousands of three-kilometer Zaltule warships exited Fold Space. “Detecting energy shields coming online and weapons powering up.

“Now it’s Fleet Admiral Kelly’s turn,” General Mitchell said as he looked at the large group of friendly green icons representing the admiral’s fleet. The fleet was in between Centerpoint and Freedom Stations. Already it was moving out to intercept the Zaltule.

“The weapon is nearly ready,” Marken said as he gazed at the massive Zaltule fleet showing on multiple viewscreens. “It will take twelve minutes to activate once the order has been given.”

“Let’s hope that order isn’t necessary,” General Mitchell said.

Marken nodded. He wished Harnett were here with him. She helped to keep him calm and if the weapon inadvertently caused the destruction of the Solar System, the two of them would die being separated by the vast distance of space between Centerpoint and the Kivean asteroid.

-

Fleet Admiral Kelly gazed intently at the tactical screen on the front wall of the Command Center of the heavy battlecruiser Armageddon. He had over five hundred warships to hold back the Zaltule. Thirty heavy battlecruisers, sixty regular battlecruisers, one hundred and forty-four light cruisers and three hundred assault ships. With a deep sigh, he knew that wasn’t enough considering what was waiting in front of them.

“Send in the mine layers,” Kelly ordered. No one knew how successful this gambit would be. Mines like these had never been used in the war before.

-

The six special assault ships flew a parallel course between the two converging fleets. From tubes in their hulls, small one-meter mines made out of a material that should be immune to detection floated out. In a matter of a few minutes, thirty thousand mines were quickly emplaced between the two fleets. Each mine contained a twenty-megaton warhead and would detonate upon contact with a Zaltule energy shield or hull.

-

“What are those six assault ships doing?” demanded Military Overlord Harmock as he watched the ships suspiciously on the tactical screen. He strongly suspected the Humans might be setting another trap. At every turn, these Humans were showing to be unpredictable in their strategies. Time after time, they were showing themselves to be worthy adversaries.

“There’s nothing appearing on the sensors,” Jalridd reported as he used the ship’s powerful sensors to scan the six assault ships.

“Perhaps they wanted a closer scan of our ships,” suggested Minor Overlord Gareth.

“No,” said Harmock, shaking his triangular shaped head. “They’re up to something, but I don’t understand what.” He folded his powerful arms across his chest and gazed at the tactical screen as the six assault ships returned to the Human fleet.

“The Human fleet has stopped its advance,” Jalridd reported.

“They’re outside of our weapons engagement range,” Salten commented from his weapons station. “We will need to move closer.”

Harmock nodded his acceptance of having to close with the Human fleet. “In order to engage the Humans, we’ll have to travel through the area of space those six assault ships recently passed through.” Harmock spent a few moments trying to guess what the Humans were up to. He finally settled on a strategy that would gain him some insight. “We shall send one thousand of our ships toward the Humans. If there is a trap waiting, those ships should spring it. If there is no trap, then the entire fleet will move forward and destroy the Humans.”

-

Back at Vesta, Fleet Commander Achlyn’s fleet had entered engagement range of the Zaltule. The two fleets opened fire and antimatter explosions swept across the energy screens of vessels in both fleets.

A Zaltule pulse fusion beam smashed through the weakened energy screen of a five-hundred-meter Bashan escort ship, opening up numerous compartments to space. Energy beams cut into the hull of the vessel compromising the hull integrity across a large area. Debris drifted away from the ship as the frantic crew tried to close off the damaged compartments. Then a Zaltule antimatter missile arrived, and the escort ship vanished as it was completely obliterated.

In the Zaltule formation, the preliminary antimatter missile attack had lit up space throughout the fleet formation. Then individual Zaltule battlecruisers came under attack by groups of opposing warships. Ten plasma beams from the new and larger Delton battlecruisers crashed through the energy screen of an enemy battlecruiser, boring deeply into the hull. Moments later the ship exploded in a fiery fireball, which quickly faded away, leaving only a few wisps of glowing gas and spreading debris behind.

In both fleet formations, ships were dying. The defense sites on Vesta were firing nonstop, targeting the nearest Zaltule battlecruisers that were now at extreme range. Over the course of twenty seconds, ten more enemy battlecruisers died.

-

Minor Overlord Barral realized he had been trapped in between the planetoid with its dangerous weapons and the incoming fleet. This was a situation easy to correct.

“Move us further away from the asteroid,” he ordered. “We’ll eliminate the fleet first and then return to finish the destruction of the Humans.”

Barral looked sharply at Falolt as the Conqueror’s Pride shook violently and several red lights appeared on the damage control board.

“Plasma beam strike to the aft section,” Falolt reported. “Emergency bulkheads have sealed off the damaged area and combat efficiency has not been affected. Our energy shields are having difficulty stopping the plasma beams.”

Barral felt enraged that his flagship had suffered damage. His multifaceted eyes turned red in anger as he leaned forward and placed his two seven-digit hands upon the control console in front of him. “Move the fleet forward!” he ordered. “We will show these subservient races what it means to face the Zaltule in battle!”

-

Delton Fleet Commander Achlyn felt his ship vibrate slightly from Zaltule pulse fusion beams impacting the energy shield. He looked grimly at the tactical screen, noting he was losing three ships to every Zaltule battlecruiser he was destroying. Many of the losses belonged to the smaller support ships of the Belen and the Bashan. Looking at a viewscreen, he saw a Belen support ship explode in a blaze of light as it was destroyed by Zaltule antimatter fire.

“We cannot destroy this fleet,” Second Commander Baylith said, his eyes showing his dismay. “It’s too powerful.”

Achlyn accepted the truth of that statement. He had waited to attack with his fleet hoping Vesta’s powerful defenses would be able to destroy or damage a significant number of the Zaltule battlecruisers. While it had helped, it wasn’t going to be enough. “Nevertheless, we will remain and fight until either by some miracle we win or the Zaltule destroy us. We owe that to the Humans.”

Baylith nodded. It was the honorable thing to do even if it meant the death of everyone in the fleet. There was also nowhere else they could run where the Zaltule wouldn’t eventually find them. Better to die here in battle than in the deep darkness of space.

-

Fleet Admiral Kelly watched as one thousand Zaltule battlecruisers crept toward his waiting fleet.

“They suspect something,” Commander Makita said with a deep and worried frown spreading across his face.

Kelly nodded his agreement. He let out a deep breath and spoke. “It must have been the assault ships. Harmock must suspect something is up, particularly after we hit them with the cargo ships at Mars.”

It was quiet in the Command Center as the Zaltule battlecruisers entered the minefield. The mines were equipped with very rudimentary sublight drives, which would be activated by a signal from the Armageddon.

“Fleet is ready to advance,” Commander Makita said as he listened to the various ship commanders over his ship-to-ship comm. “All ships are at Condition One, energy shields are up, and weapons are charged.”

“Stand by,” said Kelly as he watched the Zaltule battlecruisers intently. They were nearly in the center of the minefield. Just another few seconds and it would be time to send the activation signal.

“Now!” ordered Kelly as the enemy battlecruisers passed the midpoint of the area of space saturated with the antimatter mines.

The signal was sent and almost immediately brilliant and violent antimatter explosions began detonating against the energy shields and occasionally the armored hulls of the Zaltule ships.

Simultaneously, the Human fleet surged forward, activating their weapons and laying a withering hail of weapons fire into the beleaguered Zaltule battlecruisers. All of Admiral Kelly’s heavy battlecruisers and regular cruisers were equipped with plasma weapons, and these were being used to wreck havoc on the trapped Zaltule fleet formation.

On one of the viewscreens, Kelly watched as four plasma beams tore through the energy shield of a Zaltule battlecruiser, tearing the ship open and causing secondary explosions to finish its destruction. Other Zaltule battlecruisers were suffering the same fate. Even though the thousand Zaltule battlecruisers badly outnumbered the Human fleet, at the moment Admiral Kelley had the advantage thanks to the minefield.

-

Harmock stepped off the Command Pedestal until he was standing directly in front of the largest viewscreen showing the chaos his advance ships had wallowed into.

“Mines!” he said, his eyes glowing in anger. “Those six assault ships were laying a minefield.”

“But we detected nothing on the sensors,” protested Jalridd as he looked once more at his sensor readings. We’re not showing anything there.”

“The materials the mines are constructed of are immune to detection,” Harmock said harshly. “Once again the Humans have tricked us.” Harmock stepped back and studied the tactical screen. “The minefield must run from here to here,” he said pointing to different areas of the screen. We’ll take the rest of our fleet around it and attack the Humans from their exposed flank.”

“What about our other ships trapped in the minefield?” asked Minor Overlord Gareth. “They’re suffering heavy losses between the attacking Human ships and the mines.”

“They will serve to hold the Humans at bay until we have made our move toward their flank.” Looking at another viewscreen, Harmock bristled as he saw four more of his battlecruisers in the minefield explode as they were turned into miniature suns.

-

“Main part of the Zaltule fleet is attempting to go around the minefield,” Commander Makita reported. “They’re trying to flank us.”

“Heavy battlecruisers Clayton and Cheyenne are down,” reported Lieutenant Fullerton. “Battlecruisers Reliant, Sword, and Eden are down as well.”

“What about the light cruisers and the assault ships?” asked Commander Makita.

“Twelve light cruisers are down and thirty-seven assault ships lost so far.”

“The Zaltule?” Admiral Kelly knew they were losing a lot of ships in the minefield and from the weapons fire his fleet was pouring into them.

“We’ve nailed one hundred and thirty of them so far,” Lieutenant Fullerton replied as she tallied the numbers.

“They’re beginning to emerge from the minefield,” Commander Makita pointed out as the lead Zaltule ships begin to pull out from the area laced with mines.

Fleet Admiral Kelly let out a deep breath. “Pull us back toward Centerpoint and Freedom Station. We’ll need their heavy weapons if we hope to survive the next phase of this battle.” He also didn’t dare allow the main Zaltule fleet to flank him.

-

General Mitchell watched as Fleet Admiral Kelly began to withdraw back toward the stations. On another screen, he saw that Fleet Commander Achlyn was suffering heavy ship losses in his battle at Vesta.

“Projections indicate Fleet Commander Achlyn will have lost his entire fleet in twenty more minutes,” Colonel Robertson reported grimly. “He’s losing three ships for every Zaltule battlecruiser he takes out. The Zaltule have also moved too far away from Vesta for the asteroid’s weapons to be of any use.”

“General?’ Marken said, his eyes looking knowingly at General Mitchell. “It’s time.”

A huge light suddenly filled one of the viewscreens.

“What was that?”

“Holbrook Station,” Lieutenant Vail answered in shock. “The Zaltule sent a wave of antimatter missiles toward it. The station never had a chance.”

“At least it was evacuated,” Colonel Robertson said. Holbrook Station had orbited Earth for years. It had been one of the last remaining symbols of the age before the coming of the Kleese.

General Mitchell let out a deep breath. He realized they had reached the point of no return. If the battle continued as it was, the Solar System would be overrun by the Zaltule and all the Humans and even the hidden alien races that had made the Solar System their home would die. The only survivors might be those hiding out at Jornada.

“Do it!” he said looking over at Marken. “Activate the weapon. Captain Owens, send a message to Fleet Commander Achlyn to break off and retreat. Inform him that Operation Phoenix is being initiated.”

Captain Owens looked confused as she had never heard of this before but she quickly did as ordered.

“Now what?” asked Colonel Robertson. He was well aware of what Operation Phoenix was.

“We wait,” General Mitchell said as he walked over and sat down in his command chair. “We need to hold the Zaltule fleet at bay for twelve more minutes and then it will be over.” He didn’t add that it might be over for everyone in the Solar System as well; that still remained to be seen.

-

Fleet Commander Achlyn felt his flagship shake severely. The lights went out and several control consoles exploded, sending showers of hot sparks flying across the Command Center. He heard several crewmembers cry out in pain.

“Status!” he barked as the power came back on.

“Pair of energy beams hit the aft section near Engineering,” reported Second Commander Baylith as he checked the damage reports coming in. “Some power couplings were damaged as well as the backup fusion reactor. Our power is down by 30 percent.”

The ship shook again and Achlyn could hear the shriek of tearing metal.

“We need to pull back and initiate some repairs or the ship is going to come apart at the seams,” added Baylith, hoping the Fleet Commander would agree.

“No,” Achlyn said, shaking his head determinedly. “We will continue to fight.”

On one of the viewscreens, a Bashan eight-hundred-meter battlecruiser was under heavy attack. Its energy shield flared brighter and brighter and then a single Zaltule pulse fusion beam penetrated. The ship seemed to shudder on the screen and then a massive explosion blew out a large section of the hull. Whatever the Zaltule had hit inside the vessel must have substantially weakened the ship’s energy screen as four energy beams penetrated, opening up numerous ship compartments to space. On the screen, Achlyn could see a number of crewmembers who had been blown out of the gaps in the hull. He shuddered, shaking his head in despair. Their deaths would have been instantaneous. A moment later, the Bashan battlecruiser exploded as a Zaltule antimatter missile detonated, ending the ship.

Fleet Commander Achlyn took a deep breath. Since the battle had started, he had lost nearly 40 percent of his ships. They were now losing four ships for every Zaltule battlecruiser they managed to destroy.

“Fleet Commander,” called out the ship’s communications officer. “We’re being ordered to pull back. General Mitchell is activating something called Operation Phoenix.”

Achlyn turned a pasty white upon hearing those words. He looked over at Second Commander Baylith. “Order all ships to fall back to the emergency coordinates. Once there, plot a course to the nearest Alliance System.”

“The Alliance?” said Baylith confused. “I don’t understand.”

“It’s best you don’t,” Achlyn responded. “In a few minutes, we’ll know if the Zaltule have been defeated and if we need to flee the system.”

“Defeated?” Baylith uttered, his eyes widening. “How can we defeat them if we’re pulling back, and why would we flee the system?”

“Because Operation Phoenix has the potential to not only destroy the Zaltule but the entire Solar System as well.” Fleet Commander Achlyn knew the tactical situation must be dire if General Mitchell were willing to take such a huge risk.

-

Minor Overlord Barral watched in puzzlement as the attacking ships suddenly reversed course and activated their Fold Space Drives, fleeing the battle. Of course there were a few ships remaining with damaged drives that could not escape. These were rapidly annihilated.

“Set a course for the planetoid,” he ordered. “We’ll finish destroying its defenses and wipe out any Humans who may still be alive inside.”

“By your command,” Falolt responded as he began passing on the orders.

Barral gazed at the tactical screen wondering why the enemy fleet had broken off contact and fled. He had a strange feeling something wasn’t right. However, that was for Supreme Military Overlord Harmock to worry about. Barral’s orders were to reduce the planetoid to a lifeless husk, and that was exactly what he intended to do.

-

On the surface of the Moon, a massive secret installation suddenly activated. It was protected by the most powerful energy screen ever devised and was capable of withstanding the full attack of the Zaltule fleet for many long minutes if necessary. From its communications center, an FTL command was transmitted to a number of special satellites orbiting the sun. The satellites, upon receiving the order, turned their giant fifty-meter dish antennas toward the burning furnace of the star. A beam of light suddenly flicked out from fifty such satellites to impact the surface. Thirty seconds later, the star flared up in each one of the impact areas and the satellites began collecting energy. The energy was then transmitted to a one thousand meter sphere one million kilometers distant, and from that sphere, a single beam of intense energy was sent along a string of ten massive energy collection and projection satellites back toward the Moon. The energy was being transmitted at the speed of light, and it would vaporize anything in its path.

On the Moon, the massive installation waited for the surge of stolen energy from the sun to reach it. A massive dish rose up above the desolate surface waiting for the energy needed to activate the powerful weapons built at the base, weapons so powerful they needed the sun itself for power.

-

In space, Fleet Admiral Kelly had managed to maneuver the Zaltule into a position where the Zaltule battle fleet was visible to the base. A timer on his command console was steadily counting down. His breathing had quickened and his heart was pounding. Two minutes remained, and at that time they would know if they had won the war or lost the Solar System.

The Armageddon suddenly seemed to roll over on its side as it was struck a hammer like blow. The lights went out and the dimmer emergency lights came on. A number of alarms began sounding and red lights were flashing on the damage control console.

“Power is out,” Commander Makita said as he tried to contact Engineering.

Kelly only nodded. The viewscreens and tactical displays had also died. He knew if the power was out, the energy screen was down also. It would only be a matter of a few moments before a Zaltule antimatter missile destroyed the ship. In his mind, he could picture the Zaltule battlecruiser preparing to fire the killing shot. Closing his eyes, Kelly waited for his death.

Long seconds passed and nothing happened. A full minute went by and then suddenly the power came back on.

“Why are we still here?” he asked, gazing in amazement around the Command Center. No one seemed to know.

Looking at the viewscreens that were now coming on, he saw the answer. Nearly every remaining heavy battlecruiser in the fleet had formed a protective wall in front of the heavily wounded flagship. Kelly choked up seeing the debris from at least two destroyed heavy battlecruisers. The crews of those ships had sacrificed themselves so the Armageddon could survive.

Looking down at the timer on his command console, he saw that less than a minute remained. He needed to move his fleet away from the Zaltule. Activating the ship-to-ship communications channel, he made a sudden and surprising announcement. “At my mark, all ships are to turn one hundred and eighty degrees on their axis and accelerate away from the Zaltule fleet.” Kelly paused for a few seconds and then said, “Five, four, three, two, one mark!”

-

Supreme Overlord Harmock gazed in uncertainty as the Human fleet suddenly turned and fled, leaving the two former Kleese trading stations undefended as well as their colonies on the large moon. Was it possible the Humans were setting another trap, expecting the Zaltule fleet to follow them?

“Overlord,” called out Jalridd in sudden fear. “I’m picking up a massive surge of energy headed toward our location from the system’s sun. I’m not certain but the star may be undergoing a nova transformation.”

With a feeling of dread, Harmock suspected the Humans had just played their last trick. Could the Humans have found some way to cause their star to go nova in order to destroy the Zaltule fleet? Fold Space Drives were not functional in such a highly stressed area of space. He knew if the star had indeed gone nova, his fleet would be destroyed. Was this the Humans’ final trap? Harmock gazed at the viewscreens waiting for an answer.

-

The massive beam of solar energy arrived, feeding power to the hungry installation on the surface of the Moon. Five massive energy projectors turned toward the Zaltule fleet and greatly enhanced plasma beams lanced out. The beams were so powerful and wide that they cut through Zaltule energy shields as if they were butter, taking out two or three warships at a time. The Zaltule battlecruisers died like moths caught in a flame. Ship after ship exploded in massive fireballs as the five beams played across the Zaltule fleet formation.

Another blast of energy was generated from the base, making it impossible for the Zaltule fleet to activate their Fold Space Drives. The space around the Zaltule ships became too stressed to establish a warp bubble to allow for Fold Space travel. The Zaltule fleet was trapped.

-

Supreme Overlord Harmock gazed without comment as his fleet was being systematically destroyed. The five beams of plasma energy were unstoppable as Zaltule battlecruisers vanished into oblivion. The Zaltule at Navigation had already informed him that Fold Space was closed off.

Harmock knew his plans for a Zaltule controlled Kleese Empire was about to come to an abrupt end. He now realized the Humans were not only equal to the Zaltule in battle, but were their superiors! Those were his last thoughts as one of the deadly plasma beams struck the Warrior’s Fire, ending the life of the Supreme Military Overlord of the Zaltule and the Kleese Empire.

-

At Vesta, Minor Overlord Barral witnessed the death of Supreme Military Overlord Harmock and his fleet on the long-range sensors. He stood frozen upon his six legs, finding it nearly impossible to believe Harmock was dead.

“Inbound contacts on the Fold Space sensors,” called out the sensor operator.

“How many?”

“Over a thousand,” the sensor operator replied. “It’s an Alliance fleet.”

“Withdraw,” Barral ordered. “We will return to the trading station in Sector Thirteen to repair our battle damage and assess the situation. This battle is lost, and we must send word to the other Zaltule that our Supreme Military Overlord is dead.”

A few minutes later, the last Zaltule ship made the transition into Fold Space and fled. The battle for control of the Solar System was over.

-

On Centerpoint Station, General Mitchell had his eyes focused on a viewscreen. It showed the sun and what appeared to be a number of massive solar flares erupting from its surface. He looked over at Marken, who was speaking rapidly over a comm channel with a number of Kivean scientists as well as others from the Deltons, Bashans, Talts, and Belens. Mitchell knew these were the brightest minds in the Solar System, and all eyes were focused on the growing activity on the surface of the star.

Finally, Marken seemed to be satisfied and he turned toward General Mitchell. “The news isn’t good but it’s not as bad as it could have been. Mars will be hit by one of the solar flares directly and may suffer some serious damage to any surviving surface installations. If there are survivors in the deep bunkers, they must remain there until the flare has passed. Any Humans out on the surface will die immediately when the flare reaches the planet.”

“What about here?”

“We also will be struck,” Marken said, sounding grim. “All personnel in the outer regions of the two stations will need to move to the central areas. The habitats will become death traps if any people remain in them. On the Moon, there will be some damage to the surface installations, but the people should be safe as long as they stay in the shelters. The solar flare headed toward us isn’t as large as the one that will impact Mars. We also need to move all ships out of the paths of the flares, even in the outer regions of the system. We came very close to causing the sun to go nova.” Marken didn’t want to tell the general just how close they had come. As it was, Marken would have a hard time sleeping for the next few nights.

General Mitchell nodded his understanding. There would be more damage but they would survive. On one of the large tactical screens, the Alliance fleet was dropping out of Fold Space near Vesta. Alliance Fleet Admiral Rivers had arrived.

It was just now dawning on General Mitchell that they might have just won the war against the Kleese. The majority of the Zaltule fleet was wiped out. Fleet Admiral Kelly still had a major portion of his fleet surviving, and Fleet Commander Achlyn had his fleet as well. With Alliance Fleet Admiral Rivers’ fleet, it was possible they could go on the offensive and drive the Kleese back from many of the inhabited worlds they controlled.

Looking over at Marken, he asked the question. “Did we just win the war?”

“We’ll see,” answered Marken, ready to board a ship and return to the Kivean asteroid where Harnett awaited. “We did today what no one believed possible. We defeated the Zaltule and their Supreme Military Overlord. The Kleese Empire will never be the same, and we may be in a position to finally bring peace to our section of the galaxy.”

Mitchell nodded. There was still a lot that needed to be done. The cities on Mars had to be rebuilt and Smithfield had to be searched for survivors. A lot of people had died today, both Humans and their alien allies, but for the first time in a long while, the future of the Human race looked to be secure. In the coming years, they could rebuild the Solar System, terraform Mars, and someday return Earth to its former glory. Mitchell just hoped he would see the day when the home planet was once more green and he could walk out onto its surface and breathe the air once more.

Epilogue

Far out past the Kleese Empire in uncharted space, a massive object dropped out of Fold Space. It was one hundred and twenty kilometers across and twenty-four kilometers thick with its surface covered by a number of habitation domes ranging in size from five to twenty kilometers. The domes were the homes for the station’s crew of eighty thousand Zaltule. It was also heavily armed, far heavier than any previous trading station.

War Overlord Tetus stood upon the Command Pedestal in the main Command Center of the massive station. He was watching the viewscreens as fourteen hundred Zaltule battlecruisers began exiting Fold Space. A few moments later, seventeen hundred of the older Zaltule battlecruisers began appearing.

“It was fortunate our brethren near the core worlds were able to rescue three of our young Queens,” commented Overlord Barral. Barral had been advanced in rank and now served as the War Overlord’s second in command.

“Yes,” Tetus answered, his multifaceted eyes watching as the large battlecruisers formed up into squadrons. They were six thousand light years from the empire; far enough away that the Humans and their Alliance would never find them, at least not until it was too late.

“The exploration squadrons are ready,” reported Haralt, the station’s commander.

“Send them out,” ordered War Overlord Tetus. “We need three new worlds for our young Queens. From them will spring the next generation of Zaltule warriors.”

Tetus knew it would take many long years to build the Zaltule clan back up to its former numbers. Years where they would have to remain hidden from their enemies. However, someday the Zaltule would return to the empire to claim what was rightfully theirs. The Kleese Empire and the Humans would someday tremble with fear when the Zaltule made their presence known once more.

-

Ryan and Casey were sitting in their new home in the New Eden habitat inside Vesta. It had been three months since their rescue from the ruins of Smithfield. Unfortunately, many of their Marine friends had met their deaths when the antimatter warhead had detonated.

“So, how does it feel to be married?” Alexander asked from where he was sitting next to Lauren.

“Yes,” Lauren said with her eyes twinkling. “What’s it like to be able to have sex whenever you want?” She squeezed Alexander’s hand. Casey had finally come forward and told Lauren about how Alexander had stayed at her side when she had been injured and held her hand for hours in the med bay of the Deliverance.

Casey blushed and smiled. “I love being married. It’s everything I always dreamed of.”

“Any children planned?” asked Lauren. She knew Ryan and Casey had been discussing it, particularly now that the war was over.

“Ryan’s mom and dad are wanting us to start a family soon,” Casey admitted. “I think Ryan and I want to enjoy married life for awhile before we have any kids, but when we do I want at least three!”

“Three!” gasped Ryan, his eyes widening.

“Yes, three,” Casey said firmly.

“What about the two of you?” asked Ryan, looking over at their two friends.

“We’re still exploring out relationship,” Lauren answered with a grin. “If Alexander continues to behave, who knows what may be in our future.”

Ryan nodded. It was good to have friends like Lauren and Alexander. With the war over, they could now all live normal lives. Lives that a few months before they all thought they never could have.

-

Colonel Wade Nelson was standing in the middle of Smithfield with Mason Randle looking at the piles of ruins. Construction equipment was already working hard at clearing the rubble. There were even a few work robots that had been reprogrammed for civilian construction work.

“It’s hard to believe it’s gone,” Mason said as he looked sadly around at the devastation. “My grandfather and father spent years building Smithfield.”

“You did a lot of it too,” Wade said. “If not for what you did, the Human race wouldn’t have survived. Everything here that was destroyed can be rebuilt.”

“Two hundred thousand people died in the shelters here in Smithfield,” Mason said. “We should have built the shelters deeper and stronger.”

“No one could have predicted the Zaltule setting off an antimatter bomb like they did,” Wade replied. “Most of our people survived, and in a few years Smithfield will be newer and better than it was before.” In the distance, Wade could see Captain Stern and Lieutenant Guthrie. They had a number of Marines in Type Three battlesuits with them helping to sift through the rubble.

“You’re right,” sighed Mason. “I’d better get back to Adrienne. She gets aggravated if I’m late for supper.”

Wade nodded his understanding. Back home in the Viridian habitat, Beth and Erick were waiting for him. It was strange not to be running from one crisis to the next anymore. He was even considering retiring from the military and working at the cloning facility with Mason. It would allow him to spend more time with his family and that was more important than anything else. Only the day before, Beth had told him she was pregnant again. Tonight they were going to tell his parents. He knew they would be extremely excited and thrilled at the thought of a new Nelson coming into the world.

-

General Mitchell, Fleet Admiral Kelly, and General Pittman were sitting in Mitchell’s office discussing the current state of affairs.

“Eight hundred and seventy thousand people were lost on Mars,” General Pittman said, shaking his head. “Plus two hundred thousand at Vesta.”

“General Sanchez has reconstruction well under way,” General Mitchell commented. “We even moved Freedom Station to Mars to help.”

“What’s the latest reports from the Alliance and the Kleese Empire?” asked Pittman. He knew much had changed in the last few months.

“The Kleese have agreed to allow the Alliance complete control of all worlds in Sectors Eleven and Twelve,” Fleet Admiral Kelly answered. “They have a lot of problems of their own cleaning up what the Zaltule did to their empire, and with our surviving fleets they don’t want a war. They’ve agreed to return all the former nonaligned worlds back to their former status as set up by the original neutrality agreements. Trade will be allowed between all nonaligned worlds and the Alliance under the condition that no Alliance or Human warship can venture out of Sector Eleven or Twelve into other parts of the empire.”

“They killed all the Zaltule and their Queens,” commented Fleet Admiral Kelly. “They practiced genocide against their own race.”

“The Kleese don’t consider it genocide,” General Mitchell said. “When their former Supreme Overlord returned with the Strell, they annihilated the Zaltule, who they deemed a threat to the other Kleese clans. They did the same thing in their remote past during the clan wars on their home planet.”

“So the Zaltule are gone,” Pittman said in a pleased voice. Then he noticed the strange look that passed between General Mitchell and Fleet Admiral Kelly. “What is it you’re not telling me?”

General Mitchell took a deep breath. “Between the Kleese and us, we may not have gotten them all. From the intelligence we’ve been able to gather, a large, specially built trading station was taken from the construction facility in the Kleese core system of Sherlund. It along with an estimated three thousand Zaltule battlecruisers are missing.”

“Crap!” muttered Pittman, his face turning pale. “Where are they?”

“No one knows,” Fleet Admiral Kelly said. “They seem to have vanished. The Kleese feel a Zaltule by the name of War Overlord Tetus has fled the empire to parts unknown with them.”

“Who is this Overlord Tetus?”

“He was Supreme Military Overlord Harmock’s second in command,” Kelly replied.

Pittman shook his head. “So we may have to do this all over again someday.”

“That’s unknown also,” answered Kelly. “The Kleese believe they killed all the Zaltule Queens. If that is so, then the Zaltule will soon be a thing of the past. However, just to be on the safe side, President Raytol is insisting the Alliance keep a large military fleet for its own protection as well as ours.”

“So, what do we do now?” asked Pittman.

“We rebuild,” General Mitchell said. “We rebuild our population, start the terraforming of Mars, and someday restore Earth to what it was before the arrival of the Kleese. Before I die, I want to walk the wheat fields of Kansas one more time.”

General Pittman stood up and went and got three glasses from a cabinet, which he filled from a special bottle he had brought. Still standing, he looked at the others and held out his glass. “To Earth,” he said.

“To Earth,” repeated the others as they stood and touched glasses. They were all excited about the future in front of them. It was bright and full of hope without the shadow of war.

-

Marken was at home in the Kivean asteroid. He was standing out on the balcony looking at the colorful lights of the buildings. It was the night cycle and the buildings were beautiful to look at. His Human friends said the Kivean city looked like something from a fantasy story with its tall, slender towers and brightly painted colors. A gentle breeze was blowing and he smiled as Harnett came out and took his arm.

“It’s done,” he said, feeling complacent. For the first time in his life, there was no fear or worry in the back of his mind. His gambit with the Humans had paid off. Even though the Kleese Empire hadn’t been destroyed, it was but a shadow of what it once was.

“Supper’s ready,” Harnett said. “I cooked your favorite.”

Marken turned and gently kissed Harnett on the lips. In the background, he could hear a baby crying. Harnett and Malton had finally managed to combine the DNA and a new Kivean child had come into being. Marken had a son and he had so much to tell him someday.

“Let’s go inside,” Marken said as they went to check on the baby. For the first time in his memory, the galaxy was at peace and the Kivean race could grow without fear. Marken was looking forward to a long and beneficial relationship with his Human friends. There was still so much ahead in their future and the Humans still had a lot to learn.

The End

If you enjoyed The Galactic Empire Wars: Insurrection and would like to see the series continue, please post a review with some stars. Good reviews encourage an author to write and also help sell books. Reviews can be just a few short sentences, describing what you liked about the book. If you have suggestions, please contact me at my website, link below. Thank you for reading Insurrection and being so supportive.

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Website: http://raymondlweil.com/

Other Books by Raymond L. Weil

Available on Amazon

Moon Wreck (The Slaver Wars Book 1)

The Slaver Wars: Alien Contact (The Slaver Wars Book 2)

Moon Wreck: Fleet Academy (The Slaver Wars Book 3)

The Slaver Wars: First Strike (The Slaver Wars Book 4)

The Slaver Wars: Retaliation (The Slaver Wars Book 5)

The Slaver Wars: Galactic Conflict (The Slaver Wars Book 6)

The Slaver Wars: Endgame (The Slaver Wars Book 7)

-

Dragon Dreams

Dragon Dreams: Dragon Wars

Dragon Dreams: Gilmreth the Awakening

Dragon Dreams: Snowden the White Dragon

-

Star One: Tycho City: Survival

Star One: Neutron Star

Star One: Dark Star

-

Galactic Empire Wars: Destruction (Book 1)

Galactic Empire Wars: Emergence (Book 2)

Galactic Empire Wars: Rebellion (Book 3)

Galactic Empire Wars: The Alliance (Book 4)

Galactic Empire Wars: Insurrection (Book 5)

-

The Lost Fleet: Galactic Search (Book 1)

The Lost Fleet: Into the Darkness (Book 2)

The Lost Fleet: Oblivion’s Light (Book 3)

-

The Star Cross (Book 1)

-

(All dates are tentative)

The Lost Fleet: Genesis (Book 4) May 2016

The Star Cross (Book 2) July 2016

Turn the page for an introduction to The Star Cross (Book 1).

The Star Cross

The Star Cross Series (book 1)

Chapter One

The Earth’s eight-hundred-meter-long heavy battlecruiser Star Cross slid silently through empty space, the ship’s powerful sensors scanning everything ahead and around it. Her four light cruiser escorts were in screening positions, protecting the massive battlecruiser from attack. The six-hundred-meter-long light carrier Vindication followed closely behind, protected by six small destroyers. Each ship was on high alert, and tensions were high among the crews. Everyone glanced anxiously at one another, wondering what was awaiting them at Earth.

In the Command Center of the Star Cross, Admiral Kurt Vickers watched the main viewscreen, which was focused on the light carrier, as four Lance fighters left the flight bay to patrol in front of the fleet. The light carrier had twenty fighters in its bay, plus ten small Scorpion bombers.

“CSP has been launched,” Lieutenant Lena Brooks reported, as four friendly green icons appeared on her sensor screen. The twenty-eight-year-old woman let out a quiet breath.

Vickers could tell Lena was hoping they would remain undetected by her rapid breathing. She wasn’t the only worried one in the Command Center.

Lena focused her hazel eyes upon the admiral, awaiting further orders. She trusted him to bring them through the coming ordeal.

“Current status?” asked Vickers in a steady voice, turning to his XO and commander of the battlecruiser, Captain Andrew Randson.

The captain checked several data screens before answering the admiral. “Long-range sensors indicate no unusual movement from the enemy ships. I don’t think they detected our hyperjumps.” Randson let out a deep, ragged breath.

He seemed to be feeling the tension running through the Command Center. Everyone’s nerves were on edge. The first part of the mission was a success. They had jumped into the Sol System without the enemy becoming aware of the small battle fleet.

Admiral Vickers nodded, as his gaze returned to the main tactical screen, now displaying information from the long-distance scans. He felt a tremendous weight of responsibility upon his shoulders, knowing his next few decisions could well determine the future of the human race. His fleet was the last fleet Earth still possessed; all the others had been destroyed by a vicious and unknown enemy.

The Command Center crew waited his further orders in silence. Everyone wanted to know what had happened here in their home star system, and if their friends and families were still alive. Kurt knew they had good reasons to be concerned.

-

Two weeks back a mysterious and hostile alien fleet had appeared out of hyperspace and annihilated the two human fleets permanently stationed around Earth for protection. The majority of the ships had been destroyed before their shields could be raised or a single weapon fired. Only a few had managed to fight back and then only briefly. This wasn’t surprising, as no aliens had been detected by any of Earth’s long-range exploration ships, and no one had been expecting an attack. So the ships had been at a low level of alert. Many of the crewmembers had even been on leave down on Earth.

The Star Cross and her fleet had been in the Newton System, practicing maneuvers and testing the new particle beam weapons the battlecruiser and the light cruisers had been equipped with. The Newton System held a thriving human colony of nearly eight million inhabitants, plus a large orbital station designed for deep-space exploration and minor ship repair. The colony had a number of large scientific outposts, since ships sent on exploratory missions were required to report to Newton before being allowed to return to Earth. Newton was also the only true Earth-type planet to be discovered so far in the humans’ explorations. Humans could survive on other planets, but none could compare to Earth or Newton.

A heavily damaged light cruiser had limped into the Newton System and reported the shocking news of the attack on Earth. The ship’s commander, Captain Owens, had barely escaped and had lost over half of his crew in the brief battle above the planet. The report of the attack had shaken the Newton colony, and, after conferring with the colony’s governor, it had been decided that Admiral Vickers would return to the Solar System. His mission was to determine the current condition of Earth and the number of alien ships still present.

-

“What now?” Captain Randson asked, as he stepped closer to the admiral. Upon the tactical screen, a large number of red threat icons were visible. “Twenty alien ships are in orbit above Earth. Four of them are approximately the same size as the Star Cross, and the rest seem to be similar to our own light cruisers.”

Vickers nodded. “From the reports we received from the captain of the light cruiser, the alien ships are heavily armed. I don’t want to risk an engagement with them at this time if we can avoid it. We have the Newton colony to think about. Our fleet is their only means of protection.”

“The enemy ships are still above Earth,” Randson pointed out. “They may not even know about Newton.”

“We can’t afford ship losses,” Kurt replied with a heavy sigh. “Governor Spalding specifically requested that we return to Newton rather than risk involvement in a major combat operation.”

“You don’t have to answer to Spalding,” responded Randson, raising his eyebrow. “Fleet Command and the president are on Earth.”

“I’m not sure about that,” Kurt said. “If Earth has been conquered, then Governor Spalding’s next in line for the presidency. There are no other high ranking members of the government off Earth.”

Randson was silent for a moment, as he seemed to consider that. “So what do you want to do?”

“We need more information.” Kurt had spent hours with Captain Owens, going over the tactical data recorded during his light cruiser’s brief battle above Earth. It had been painful to watch as Earth’s proud space fleet had been all but annihilated.

“Our new particle beam weapons should give us an advantage,” Randson carefully pointed out. “None of the ships we had over Earth were equipped with them. I’m very concerned about what the aliens may have done to our people.”

Kurt didn’t like entering such an unknown situation while the Solar System was so quiet. The Moon and Mars both held sizable human colonies. The total silence was eerie and frightening as to the possible cause that ceased all communications. Normally the radio frequencies were full of transmissions and messages. “Can we detect any transmissions from Earth, the Moon, or from Mars?”

“No, and all the scientific outposts are also silent. Not a peep coming from the asteroids or the moons of Jupiter and Saturn,” Randson replied with growing concern in his eyes. “It’s just too damn quiet! I can’t believe they’ve all been wiped out.”

Kurt could only imagine how Randson felt. His wife and twelve-year-old daughter were on Earth, just outside of Houston. So was Kurt’s sister and her family.

“We could send in a couple destroyers,” Randson suggested, “to check on some of the outposts.”

“Not yet,” replied Kurt, shaking his head, as he thought about the absence of signals. “They might be detected. Right now, our biggest tactical advantage is that the aliens don’t know we’re here. Let’s keep it that way for a little while longer.”

“Sir,” Lieutenant Brooks said, her eyes alight with fear. “The long-range sensors are picking up elevated radiation levels from Earth.” Lena worked at her console fervently. “I’m trying to get better readings.”

Captain Randson stepped over and studied the data, the frown on his face deepening. He shook his head, and his breathing quickened. “A few nuclear weapons have definitely been dropped on the surface,” he stated, drawing in a sharp breath. “The level isn’t dangerous, but it’s four times higher than normal.” He gazed at the admiral, his expression deeply concerned. “I’m not sure we can afford to wait. What if they drop more bombs?”

“The bombs may have been dropped in the original attack,” Kurt said evenly, struggling to stay calm.

He knew, if the radiation-level readings were correct, that millions of people could be dead on the planet. He felt anger growing inside him at such an enemy who would nuke a planet from orbit. This said a lot about the temperament of the aliens they faced. While Kurt had never gotten married and his parents were deceased, he worried about his sister, Denise, and her six-year-old son, Bryan. Denise’s family lived in Houston because her husband, Alex, had a systems analyst job with an up-and-coming company there.

“What are your orders?” Randson asked.

The indications of nukes being used on the planet might also explain the communications silence, if everyone was afraid of drawing the aliens’ attention.

Admiral Vickers studied the tactical screen for a few more moments, while he decided on the best course of action. The enemy ships couldn’t be allowed to continue to orbit the planet. They had to be driven off before they nuked Earth again. The presence of an elevated radiation level changed things considerably. Vickers was afraid to even guess how many people had already died. He wondered if the aliens had landed ground troops. In the back of Kurt’s mind, he could hear Governor Spalding saying to not risk his fleet. He had a hard decision to make, and it wouldn’t be easy.

“It looks as if the shipyard is relatively intact,” Kurt said, looking at the large green icon on the tactical screen. Earth’s only shipyard orbited forty thousand kilometers above the planet.

“It is, sir,” Lieutenant Brooks said, nodding her brunette head as she studied one of her data screens. “My scanners are showing only minor damage to the shipyard, and its power systems still seem to be operating.”

“I wonder why they spared the shipyard?” asked Captain Randson with a questioning look upon his face. “You would think it would’ve been one of their first targets.”

“Unless they want it for themselves,” Kurt responded, thinking about the two thousand men and women who operated the station. He wondered if they were still alive or had been killed by boarders. So many unknowns faced them.

“The first alien race we encounter and they’re the ones to find us,” Randson said, as his eyes narrowed. “Why did they attack us in the first place?”

The higher officers in Earth’s space fleet had always expected to eventually encounter an alien race with the planet’s exploration ships ranging deeper and deeper into unexplored space. First-contact protocols had even been set up with linguists and other specialists assigned to each exploration mission, just in case another exploring spacecraft from an alien civilization was encountered.

“We may never know,” replied Kurt brusquely. “Lieutenant Brooks, are you detecting anything else on the long-range sensors?”

“No,” responded Brooks, shaking her head.

“What about communications?”

“Nothing,” replied Randson. “No radio or video broadcasts of any type have been picked up from Earth, the Moon, or Mars. Everything’s silent.”

“I’ve got additional information on the radiation in Earth’s atmosphere,” Lieutenant Brooks added, her eyes showing growing worry. “It originates from twenty-two different sources where major cities are located on the planet.”

The silence in the Command Center was profound, as everyone realized the magnitude of the calamity that had struck Earth.

Randson’s eyes widened in anger. His gaze shifted back to the admiral. “We need to get into Earth orbit!”

“Get Captain Watkins on the Vindication,” ordered Kurt, folding his arms across his chest, as he thought about his options. He knew he didn’t really have any but one. The knowledge that some of Earth’s cities had been nuked was the deciding factor. He didn’t think Governor Spalding would react negatively to Kurt’s decision, once the governor learned of this.

“Captain Watkins is on the comm,” Ensign Brenda Pierce, the communications officer, reported.

“Henry, we need to drive away those alien ships. From our scans, it’s obvious that Earth has suffered a nuclear bombardment. We can’t afford to allow them to bomb the planet again.”

“I was afraid of that,” his longtime friend replied. “Our scanners are showing the same thing. What do you have in mind? We’re outnumbered by nearly two to one.”

“I’ll jump in first with the light cruisers. We’ve spotted what looks like four enemy capital ships. We’ll try to take them out with the new particle beam weapons. Once we’re engaged, you and the destroyers will jump in. Launch your bombers and have them target the smaller ships with their Hydra missiles. Hopefully we’ll have enough surprise on our side to carry this out.”

“It’s risky,” Henry replied after a moment’s pause. “But I don’t see where we have any other choices. We’ll only have one shot at this.”

“Get your bombers ready,” Kurt ordered decisively. “We make the jump in twenty minutes.”

Lieutenant Brooks stepped over and handed Kurt a list of the nuked cities. He noted with relief that Houston wasn’t on the list. However, Chicago; Washington, DC; Rome; Cairo; Moscow; and numerous other cities scattered around Earth were. He felt his heart grow cold as he looked over the list. If this was correct, well over forty million casualties could have resulted from the orbital attack. His eyes shifted to the tactical screen and the twenty red threat icons. How could an enemy be so callous as to nuke defenseless civilians?

-

The tension and anxiety in the Command Center had increased considerably as the time for the attack neared. All the ships in the fleet were at Condition One with their crews at their battlestations. This would be the first time any member of Admiral Vickers’s fleet had actually gone into combat. They had trained for it and even participated in war games against other Earth fleets, but never in the history of the fleet had a weapon been fired against another ship.

“Ready to jump,” reported Captain Randson, as he listened to the readiness reports from various ships over the short-range comms. His eyes focused on the admiral, still studying the large tactical screen on the front wall of the Command Center.

Kurt nodded. There was no point in waiting. Pressing the fleetwide button on his command console, he announced, “All ships, initiate jump in sixty seconds. All ships to fire upon targets as soon as you exit hyperspace. Don’t wait on orders from the flag to engage. The element of surprise is essential if we want to win this battle. Good luck and good hunting.”

Captain Randson activated a counter on his console. “Helm, prepare for hyperspace insertion.” Randson buckled himself in his chair in preparation for combat maneuvers.

The hyperspace jump would only last a few seconds. Kurt, like everyone else, wondered what they would find when they reached Earth.

“Tactical, ready the main particle beam cannon,” ordered Kurt, noting the increased activity in the command crew as they prepared for combat. “Lock on the enemy’s nearest capital ship and fire as soon as you have a confirmed firing solution.” The cannon could only be fired once every forty seconds due to heat buildup. They needed every shot to count.

“Weapons are ready,” reported Lieutenant Evelyn Mays from Tactical.

The counter on Captain Randson’s console reached zero. “Jump!” ordered Randson, his hands gripping the armrests on his command chair.

-

High Profiteer Creed of the Gothan Empire stood in the Command Center of the Profiteer ship Ascendant Destruction. He was bipedal and slightly taller than a human, with light blue skin and coarse white hair. His face, while humanoid, had larger-than-normal eyes. The last few days had been quiet, while he awaited the return of the rest of his ships, plus the others he had sent for: a large fleet of detainee ships and a number of heavy cargo ships.

The Gothan Empire, with planet Marsten as its capital, was a loose federation of 118 star systems that routinely raided many of the civilized races of the galaxy. It was a dangerous living, but the huge rewards from the bounty collected more than offset the danger.

“We’ll make huge profits from this planet,” gloated Second Profiteer Lantz, as he gazed at the main viewscreen on the front wall of the Command Center, depicting the blue-white planet beneath them. “Their people will sell well in the slave markets on Kubitz.”

“Their world is rich in many things that will bring good profits on the black markets,” added Creed, recalling his last trip to the bustling black market world. “Gold, platinum, jewels, and even some of their art will add much to our coffers.”

Hundreds of alien races could be found on the planet Kubitz, either selling or buying, some of it openly and some done in the back rooms of the pleasure houses. It was also a very dangerous place for someone unfamiliar with the workings of the black market system. People were known to vanish quite routinely, and the local authorities always seemed to look the other way.

“We were fortunate to find this world in this backwater system,” Lantz said. “Few ships have ventured into this area where the stars are so far apart.”

“We can thank the Kreel for that,” Creed said. “Several of their cargo ships have reported unknown ships detected by their satellite marker buoys in a number of systems they have claimed. It wasn’t difficult for the computers on Marsten to correlate the data and extrapolate the most likely location of those ships’ home world.”

Lantz nodded in agreement.

Though it hadn’t been quite that simple, as the computers had given them an area of space nearly thirty light-years across, which had contained quite a few stars, even in this sparse region. The Profiteer fleet had searched for two weeks before finally pinning down the system they sought.

“It is well that we found this system when we did,” Lantz said with greed showing in his eyes. “They had a sizable fleet and, in a few more years, would have been too powerful to overwhelm without major losses. They still remain hesitant to obey our demands, even after we destroyed their cities. More examples might need to be made.”

Before Creed could reply, warning klaxons sounded, and red lights flashed in the Command Center. His eyes instantly went to the sensor operator. “What’s with the alarms?” he demanded.

“We have ships exiting hyperspace,” reported Third Profiteer Bixt, as red threat icons appeared on the sensor screen before him. Then, after a moment, he looked at First Profiteer Creed with astonishment on his face. “They’re human!”

“We didn’t get them all,” muttered Lantz.

-

Admiral Vickers felt the familiar gut-wrenching sensation as the Star Cross dropped from hyperspace within close proximity to its intended target. The tactical screen quickly updated, showing the alien ships in orbit around Earth.

“Energy shield is coming online,” reported Captain Randson.

“Target lock!” called out Lieutenant Evelyn Mays, as green lights flashed on her console. “Firing particle beam cannon.” She reached forward and pressed several buttons, activating the deadly weapon. Beside her, two ensigns entered targeting information for the ship’s heavy KEW batteries and prepared to fire the ship’s missiles.

-

From the Star Cross, a deep blue beam flashed across space, smashing into the targeted enemy battlecruiser. Its defensive energy screen was operating at a low level, which failed to stop the beam. A massive explosion tore into the cruiser, leaving a gaping hole fifteen meters across in its hull and blasting a huge fragment off into space. The ship seemed to stagger, as valuable systems inside were compromised and ceased to function. Several secondary explosions rattled the ship, sending waves of fire through shattered interior compartments and corridors.

From the bow of the Star Cross, the two heavy KEW cannons fired, sending a pair of large armor-piercing rounds at 10 percent the speed of light toward the reeling enemy cruiser. The rounds impacted the alien ship, tearing completely through it, setting off additional explosions. The energy generated was like twin nuclear explosions. With a brilliant flash, the battlecruiser blew, sending debris in all directions.

“Enemy battlecruiser is down!” Lieutenant Brooks reported with elation, as the red threat icon swelled up on her sensor screen and then vanished.

“We caught them before they could raise their shields!” uttered Captain Randson, his eyes shining with a wolfish glint. “We surprised them, just like they did when they attacked Earth.”

“Switch to secondary target,” ordered Kurt, as he intently watched the tactical screen, seeing what success his other ships were having. They had to hit the enemy quick and hard if they were to have any hope of victory.

“The Hampton has downed a second enemy battlecruiser,” reported Brooks, as she saw another red icon vanish from her screen.

“Vindication is jumping in!” added Captain Randson, seeing more green icons appear on the tactical screen. “We caught them flatfooted!”

-

First Profiteer Creed picked himself up from the deck, looking around the Command Center in anger. “What’s happening!” he demanded, as his gaze shifted to the ship’s tactical screen. He could see numerous red threat icons appearing nearby. They were appearing almost on top of his fleet!

“It’s a human fleet, and they’re attacking,” reported Second Profiteer Lantz breathlessly. “We’ve already lost the Warriors Pride and the Addax. The enemy is using a powerful particle beam weapon against us and kinetics.”

“Particle beams and kinetics!” roared Creed in disbelief, his eyes growing wide.

He knew that, for most warships, particle beams were impractical—as they required a tremendous amount of energy and needed a long cool-down time between firings. Most Gothan ships were armed with ion cannons, energy projectors, and missiles, which were cheap and efficient. Kinetics were a thing of the past and had been given up to be replaced by more modern weapons. No one used kinetics anymore!

“One of the new arrivals is a carrier of some kind,” Third Profiteer Bixt warned. “It’s launching smaller warships toward us.”

“We’ve lost four of our escorts,” said Lantz, watching the ships drop off the tactical screen. He groaned and murmured, “My profits … the pleasure houses …” Then he reported, “All our ships have their shields up and are returning fire, but I fear we’ve already lost too many. The Glimmer Fire is reporting heavy damage, and they’re asking permission to withdraw.”

The Glimmer Fire was their only other remaining battlecruiser besides the Ascendant Destruction. Creed looked at the viewscreen, which showed numerous explosions in space. He could even see the flash of a few beam weapons. “Order all ships to jump!” he grated out, knowing that he had no other choice but to withdraw or risk being destroyed.

They were in this for profits, not to lose expensive warships! He would return to Kubitz and come back with a much more powerful fleet. This planet was too rich to allow a single human fleet to keep him from it. The humans could have the planet for now, but, in time, he and his much larger force would retake it. He would also have to intercept the detainee and cargo ships on their way here and have them return to the Kubitz System.

-

“We’ve taken out two more of their light units,” Captain Randson added, watching as a pair of red icons fell off the tactical screen.

Andrew Randson breathed a little easier. At this rate, they would win the battle, and then, as soon as possible, he intended to take a shuttle to Houston and evacuate his family. He knew others would be doing the same thing.

“Destroyer Brant is down,” Lieutenant Brooks reported grimly, as the friendly green icon representing the small destroyer vanished from the sensor screen.

Kurt winced at that news. It was the first ship under his command he had ever lost.

“Enemy ships are showing an energy spike,” Lieutenant Brooks informed them, per one of her sensors. “They’re activating their hyperdrives.”

Kurt switched his gaze to a large viewscreen just in time to see one of the two remaining enemy battlecruisers jump away. On the tactical screen, other red threat icons also vanished.

“Their last battlecruiser is too damaged to jump,” Brooks reported, as the enemy ship turned toward them with its weapons firing. “They’re attacking!”

Kurt felt the Star Cross shudder slightly as an energy beam struck the ship’s screen.

“Some type of ion beam is hitting us,” Lieutenant Brooks reported, looking at the data on one of her sensor screens.

“The shield is holding at 84 percent,” Captain Randson said.

“Particle beam is recharged,” Lieutenant Mays stated, as she targeted the alien battlecruiser. “Firing!”

-

The deep blue particle beam smashed into the Glimmer Fire, flashing right through its weakened defensive energy screen. A huge hole was blasted in its bow, and the ship seemed to lose all power. Two heavy KEW rounds from the human’s bow cannons plowed into the Profiteer ship, traveling nearly its entire length, and then the vessel detonated in a blaze of light as too many vital systems were compromised.

-

“All enemy ships have either jumped or been destroyed,” reported Lieutenant Brooks, breathing a sigh of relief. “We have control of Earth orbital space.”

Kurt nodded, allowing himself to relax. This battle had gone far better than expected. “Get me Captain Watkins. I’ll have the Vindication check out the shipyard. We may need their Marines to secure it.” Kurt turned his attention back toward one of the viewscreens, which showed Earth.

“Now let’s try to contact someone down on the surface and see just what the hell is going on!”