Galactic Empire Wars: Insurrection (The Galactic Empire Wars Book 5) (29 page)

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.