The Slaver Wars: First Strike (The Slaver Wars Book Four) (33 page)

“Yes,
Admiral,” replied Trist, relieved that the attack was going to commence. “What
about their main fleet base. Do we attack?”

“No, at least
not yet.” Then, with a cunning smile, Hedon added. “We will send in half a
dozen light cruisers just to ensure that they know we’re here.”

-

Fourth Fleet
was carefully maneuvering into their attack positions. Jeremy knew from the
latest data from their stealth scouts that all of the Hocklyn warships were
inside the gravity well of the planet at which they were based. Fourth Fleet
would jump in first in a bid to keep the Hocklyns pinned against the planet, and
then the larger Fifth Fleet would come in and enter the gravity well to destroy
them. Jeremy’s fleet would stay just outside the gravity well in case it was required
to meet any Hocklyn reinforcements.

“I guess this
is it,” Kelsey spoke nervously over her mini-com to the others. “This is what
our parents worked for all of those long years ago.”

“I just wished
they were here to see it,” Katie added in a very subdued voice.

She could
remember her father, Greg Johnson, speaking to Jason Strong about how in some
ways he would like to be around when the Hocklyns and humans tangled once again
in the future. But their destiny had already been set in creating the new Human
Federation of Worlds.

 “I suspect
they are,” added Angela, wistfully. Angela was very religious, and there was no
doubt in her mind that they were indeed being watched.

“This first
battle shouldn’t be too bad,” pointed out Kevin from his console where he was keeping
a vigilant eye on his sensor screen. At the moment, it just showed ninety
friendly green icons and a few Talon fighters flying CAP.

“This is only
the first of many,” Ariel pointed out to the group. She was feeling excited
about the coming battle and was standing just behind Jeremy, her voice coming only
over the mini-com.

“Yes, the
first of many,” Jeremy reminded all of them in a serious tone.

“I think I
would prefer to be back on that beach resort on New Tellus,” Angela commented
as she thought about what was ahead of them.

 “Just do your
jobs and we will come through this okay. If we do, I promise that when we get home
we will go back to that resort.”

“You just want
some more of those wild fruit drinks,” teased Kelsey, feeling her mood lighten.

“That works
for me,” answered Katie, enthusiastically. The resort had been a blast, especially
when she had returned and talked Kevin into going parasailing with her over the
ocean. It had been the most fun she had ever had! She would love to return there.

It was at that
moment that a warning alarm suddenly sounded on Kevin’s sensor console. A dark
red threat icon had suddenly appeared less than twenty million kilometers from
the fleet.

“Crap!” Kevin uttered
as his hands flew over the touch screen and he looked back at Jeremy. “We have
a Hocklyn armed scout within easy scanning range of us!”

-

Aboard the 300-meter
Hocklyn ship, First Leader Calyss looked on in shock at what his sensor
operator was putting up on the screen. He had thought Fleet Commodore Resmunt was
insane when he had demanded that the armed scouts be used to search for an
invading human fleet. Now, here it was upon his screens!

“Numbers and
types,” he demanded as he ordered the ship ready to jump back to the base.

His
communications were already being jammed, and he knew he would be under attack
in moments. Jumping back this quickly without letting his drive core cool down
would probably seriously damage his ship, but there was no other choice. Honor
demanded that he return to the base and spread the warning of this threat. For
the first time in their long and glorious history, the Hocklyn Empire was about
to be invaded.

Before his
sensor operator could reply, two human light cruisers micro-jumped to within
ten thousand kilometers of his ship and began accelerating. The ships appeared
on the main viewscreen. Already, he could see flashes of light indicating missiles
were being launched.

“Jump us,
now!” he oathed as he realized his ship was about to be destroyed if he didn’t
do something.

Moments later,
the armed scout vanished, and the missiles passed harmlessly through the
location it had just occupied.

-

“They jumped!”
reported Kevin, worriedly. “Now what?”

“Get me
Admiral Gaines,” ordered Jeremy, swearing under his breath. “Angela, send a
message to Admiral Streth and inform him that we have been detected.”

After a quick
consultation with senior Admiral Gaines, it was decided they would launch their
attack immediately. After being detected by the armed scout, there was no sense
in delaying it.

Jeremy looked
around the busy Command Center as the excitement of approaching battle swept
over the crew. “Colonel Malen, take us to Condition One and prepare for
battle.”

“Yes, Sir,” Malen
replied as she pressed several buttons on her console at the plotting table. Instantly,
red warning lights began flashing and alarm klaxons began sounding throughout
the ship. “All crew go to Condition One, this is not a drill,” she spoke over
the ship’s com system. “Condition One is now set.”

“Helm, prepare
to jump,” Jeremy ordered, his eyes narrowing.

“Ship is
ready,” Ariel reported as she stepped up to stand closer to Jeremy.

-

The armed
scout had jumped back to its forward base, but First Leader Calyss was having a
hard time convincing the War Leader of the orbiting fleet of his discovery. The
War Leader was convinced that it had to be a sensor error and was demanding
that Calyss return to the system for additional scans. No one attacked the
Hocklyns, it was unheard of!

Calyss was
about to retort that he would not have his honor challenged in such a way when
his sensor operator reported numerous red threat icons appearing behind them.
Calyss glanced at the screen and knew he was too far out from the gravity well
of the fleet base for protection. His ship was doomed.

“Turn us
around,” he ordered grimly with his right hand touching his battle armor across
his chest. “Honor is before us.”

“Honor is
before us,” his Second Leader responded in understanding. Instantly, the small
300-meter Hocklyn scout turned to attack the war fleet that was appearing
behind it.

-

Jeremy looked on
in surprise as the small armed scout turned to attack his fleet.

“What’s he
doing?” Kevin asked in shock. “That’s suicide!”

“They’re Hocklyns,”
Colonel Malen responded, her eyes focused on the rapidly approaching ship. “He
attacks to protect his ship’s honor.” Colonel Malen had studied Hocklyn
psychology at the Fleet Academy.

“The Monarch cruiser
Reprisal is firing,” reported Tactical.

On the screen,
several missiles flew toward the Hocklyn scout and then detonated against its
screens. One of the missiles was a Devastator ten-kiloton nuke, which erased
any trace of the Hocklyn armed scout.

“Admiral
Gaines and Fifth Fleet are jumping in,” Ariel reported as her sensors detected
the numerous spatial vortexes forming four million kilometers away.

“Take us in
closer to the planet, but stay outside the gravity well,” Jeremy ordered as he
focused his eyes on the tactical display. It was time for his fleet to take up
its position for the battle.

He watched an
hour later as Fifth Fleet began entering the gravity well of the planet and the
twenty-three ships of the defending Hocklyn fleet surged forward to meet it.

-

Fleet Commodore
Resmunt had just returned to his office from his inspection tour when his aide
came rushing in. “They’re here!” the aide reported, breathing heavily, his
large black eyes even wider than normal. “A human fleet is attacking the fleet
base at star 7712!”

Resmunt eyes
immediately moved to the large map of the sector on the wall. Fleet base 7712
was one hundred and ninety light years away.

“How large a
force?” he demanded. If this was the human attack, it might be wise to take his
own force here at his base and respond. Then he paused as he calculated the
time to get there. At maximum jumps of thirty light years, it would take him
forty hours to arrive, by then the battle would be over.

The aide
paused as he passed on the news. “Base 7712 is reporting that it is under
attack by over ninety heavily armed human warships!”

“Honor be served,”
Resmunt muttered quietly as he realized the fleet at the base would be
annihilated.

“Honor be
served,” his aide replied, taken slightly aback at the Fleet Commodore’s
response. “Are we not going to send our fleet to aid them and destroy these
humans?”

It was at that
moment that a warning alarm sounded on his desk. Stepping over, he activated
the blinking com system and listened to First Leader Ganth on the flagship.

“That won’t be
necessary,” replied Resmunt, looking at his aide with a hint of sadness in his
eyes. “The humans are coming for us also. That was First Leader Ganth, and he
reports that six human light cruisers have just jumped into the system and are
conducting scans of our defenses. I believe in the next few days, many of us
will be finding honor.”

“What should
we do?” his aide asked. He was not afraid to die, but it was unthinkable that a
human victory was possible, not against the Hocklyn Empire!

“Send a
message to the High Council that we are under attack by human ships of unknown
power and numbers. It is my belief that these same humans are also responsible
for the destruction of all four of War Leader Bisth’s fleets.”

Fleet
Commodore Resmunt watched as his aide rushed away to carry out his orders.
Activating his com unit again, he sent word to have his shuttle prepared. He
would be returning to the Liberator to conduct the upcoming battle.

-

A few hours
later, Admiral Streth watched without surprise as a Hocklyn armed scout jumped
into the small red dwarf star system First Fleet was occupying. He knew the
Fleet Commodore in charge of the Hocklyn fleets had probably sent out every armed
scout he had in an attempt to find the human fleet that was endangering his
world.

Under his orders,
no efforts were made to prevent the armed scout from scanning First Fleet. Hedon
fully intended to use First Fleet to hold the main Hocklyn forces at this base,
which would allow the other four fleets of Operation First Strike to destroy the
Hocklyn forces at their remaining five forward fleet bases. Once that was done,
he would call forward Second and Third Fleet to eliminate the main Hocklyn
force.

“They’re
gone,” Colonel Trist reported as the small red threat icon on the tactical
display vanished. He turned toward Hedon. “From our latest reports the attacks
by our other forces are proceeding as planned. Fourth Fleet was detected, but
they launched their assault upon the Hocklyn base immediately. That battle
should be nearly over with by now.”

Hedon nodded.
He let out a weary breath hoping this all ended well. So far there had been no
reports of AI ships. That was the big danger; an AI ship could seriously damage
his fleet. It still wasn’t known if the new Devastator Three missiles could
take one out.

Looking around
the busy Command Center, Hedon felt the weight of responsibility knowing that
tens of thousands of Fleet personnel were depending on his decisions. He just
prayed that he made the right ones. Unexpected developments occurred in war, nothing
could be taken for granted. He recalled his brother Taylor mentioning that to
him one evening while they were at the cabin by the lake. His brother had been
a major in the Federation marines at the time and had studied military tactics.

Taylor had said that war was a steadily evolving process with constant flux on the
battlefield. He had warned Hedon to be cautious. What might work today could fail
miserably tomorrow. Hedon had always taken his brother’s advice seriously. He
would never take combat against the Hocklyns for granted!

-

Jeremy watched
as the Hocklyn dreadnought put up a valiant fight against the inbound Anlon
bomber strike. He cringed as two, four, and then six of the bombers exploded
from defensive fire before the rest of the four squadrons delivered their
nuclear tipped Shrike missiles. When the nuclear fire cleared, all that was
left of the dreadnought was a crumbled mass of glowing wreckage, which blew
apart when several of the ship’s remaining nuclear self-destruct devices went
off.

“That’s the
last of them,” Colonel Malen reported as the final red threat icon on the
tactical display vanished.

“What were
Fifth Fleet’s losses?” Jeremy asked. He had watched more than one green icon
flare up and vanish during the brief but intense battle.

Colonel Malen
frowned as she studied the data. “One Monarch cruiser, two light cruisers, and
four destroyers.”

“In exchange
for twenty-three Hocklyn warships,” commented Jeremy, frowning. “What were the
bomber and fighter losses?”

“Twenty-two
Anlon bombers and sixteen Talon fighters.”

Jeremy had
watched with intense interest as the Anlon bomber strike had gone in. Two of
Admiral Gaines battle carriers were carrying the new shielded bombers and their
attack had been devastating against the Hocklyn fleet after Fifth Fleet had
battered down their defenses. Not a single Hocklyn ship had managed to make a
suicide run.

“Admiral
Gaines is currently going into orbit and is preparing to send his assault
shuttles down from the carriers to mop up the base.”

Jeremy nodded
toward Colonel Malen. “Keep us in position just outside of the gravity well; we
don’t know what might pop in. By now, this entire sector of the Hocklyn Empire
knows it’s under attack. Take us to Condition Two.”