The Slaver Wars: First Strike (The Slaver Wars Book Four) (35 page)

“What about
High Leader Ankler’s habitat?” asked Ruthan, gazing inquiringly at High Leader
Nartel. “What is to become of it?”

“His family’s
honor will be substantially reduced,” responded Nartel, looking at Ruthan with
his cold, dark eyes. “Order seventy percent of their wealth to be ceased, and
then send another 200,000 Hocklyn civilians to their habitat. I believe they
have the room.”

-

Fleet
Commodore Resmunt stood upon the command pedestal of his flagship gazing with
deep concern at the gathering of red threat icons forty million kilometers from
his fleet base. In desperation, realizing that a massive battle was soon going
to take place, he had called up all the ships from the rearward bases as well
as the older escort cruisers garrisoning eighteen of the conquered worlds in
his sector. In response, he had gained another six war cruisers and twenty-two escort
cruisers. There was nothing else that could reach him in time before the humans
launched their expected attack.

“What’s the
latest report from our last two forward fleet bases?” Resmunt asked First
Leader Ganth. “Did the dreadnoughts manage to escape?”

Once Fleet
Commodore Resmunt had realized that the humans were systematically reducing his
supporting bases to impotency, he had ordered the dreadnoughts to jump to the
main fleet base to give Resmunt more experienced War Leaders as well as heavier
firepower. None had showed up.

“We have now lost
contact with all five fleet bases,” Ganth reported as he came back from Communications.
“The last report was from War Leader Daseth in system 7734. He was under heavy
attack and did not believe he could escape from the gravity well of the
planet.”

Resmunt nodded,
folding his sinewy arms across the light battle armor he wore. He gazed
ponderingly at the main sensor screen. What were the humans up to? If they
could destroy his fleet, they could push back the Hocklyn Empire for hundreds
of light years in all directions. He knew the humans were using at least three
large war fleets to attack the empire. Their superior weapons and tactics so
far had been devastating to the defending Hocklyn forces. Many brave Hocklyns
had met their honor in the last several days.

At last, the
red threat icons on the main sensor screen seemed to stop growing, and after a
few minutes, Resmunt knew this was the fleet he would have to face. “What are
their numbers and makeup?” he demanded, looking over at First Leader Ganth.

“That information
is coming in now over the main sensors,” Ganth responded, his eyes widening
upon seeing the data. “We are detecting one hundred and twenty warships. At
least thirty-eight are of capital ship size.”

Resmunt nodded,
not really surprised. The humans would not be attacking unless they thought
they could win. “They hope we will leave the gravity well of the planet and
engage them in open space, but that will not be so. Contact War Leader Osbith.
He is to position his fleets directly over the fleet base and beneath the
defensive satellites. I want him in such a position so he can add his firepower
to the satellites or the fleet base as needed. We will move the remaining ships
and take up a position around the shipyard; its weapons are as powerful as four
dreadnoughts.”

“Yes, Fleet
Commodore,” First Leader Ganth responded as he turned to begin carrying out his
orders. He felt great excitement at the coming battle, confident that the
commodore would defeat the humans and achieve much honor in his victory. That honor
would be shared by all the crewmembers of the dreadnought Liberator. “May honor
be with us today.”

“May honor be
with us,” Resmunt replied with a nod.

His gaze
turned back to the main sensor screen. He did not trust these humans, and wondered
just what their Fleet Admiral was up to. With a deep, rasping sigh, he turned
to go send an FTL message back to the High Council. Fortunately, the FTL
transmitter on the fleet base was so powerful it was immune to human jamming.
He would send a message on estimated human fleet strength and what the
potential danger from these humans were. Resmunt knew the High Council would
not like what he was about to say.

-

Rear Admiral
Sheen gazed speculatively at the tactical holo display as she studied the
Hocklyn fleet movements. She watched as the Hocklyn ships carefully positioned
themselves into several defensive formations, one directly over their fleet
base and the other around their shipyard.

“Interesting
move,” Commander Samantha Davidson commented from Amanda’s side, gazing
thoughtfully at the tactical display. “I expected them to come out and meet us
in open combat due to that honor system of theirs.”

“Admiral
Streth believes the commodore, or possibly Fleet Commodore, in charge of this
base is unique. He has not done what previous Hocklyn War Leaders have in the
past. These ship movements only prove Admiral Streth to be correct.”

Amanda pressed
a button on her command console and was instantly in contact with Admiral Adler
on the battle carrier Wasp. “Jacob,” Amanda spoke as she continued to gaze at
the tactical display. “I don’t see any point in delaying this any longer. I
will take Second Fleet into the planet’s gravity well and engage the ships
defending the shipyard. Follow us in, but keep at a safe distance. When I feel
we have caused enough damage it will be time to send in the bomber strike.”

“You’re going
to lose some ships,” Jacob warned. “That Fleet Commodore is shrewd. It’s going
to be tough going against those defenses.”

“I know,”
Amanda replied with a heavy sigh, knowing a lot of good people under her
command were about to die. “But what other choice is there?”

“You could use
the Devastator Three missiles,” suggested Jacob, cautiously “That would
significantly weaken their defenses.”

“You know we
can’t do that,” Amanda replied. She had direct orders to save the Devastator
Threes for use against the AIs if they showed up. They only had a limited number
of the super powerful missiles. They were also extremely expensive and
complicated to build.

“Only a few,
Amanda,” suggested Jacob, softly. “It would only take a couple to allow the
bomber strike to be successful.”

Amanda was
silent for a long moment. She knew she could contact Fleet Admiral Streth and
ask permission, but he had made her an admiral. This was her decision to make.
“I will take it under advisement, Jacob. Second Fleet will micro-jump to just
outside of the planet’s gravity well and begin the attack. Good luck.”

“Same to you,
Amanda,” Admiral Adler replied.

-

Fleet
Commodore Resmunt sent off his final reports to the High Council. Due to the
communication lag, he knew he would not hear back a reply before his forces
were engaged by the humans. By the time a reply arrived, he strongly suspected
this battle would be over.

On the main
sensor screen, he watched impassively as a large part of the threatening red
icons vanished, only to reappear scant moments later just outside the gravity
well of the planet. “Here they come,” he spoke as he gazed around the busy War
Room. Every Hocklyn was at their post ready for the coming battle. “May honor
be with us!”

First Leader
Ganth felt his excitement rising. At last, the humans were here, and he could
find new honor in combat. He couldn’t wait to send his first missile and energy
beams against the approaching enemy.

-

Second Fleet
entered the gravity well and accelerated toward their target. Light cruisers
and destroyers screened the heavier ships. The crews were at their battle
stations, knowing this was the first real battle of Operation First Strike. The
other bases had been pushovers because the human fleets had possessed superior
numbers and firepower; however, that was not the case here.

“Battle carriers are launching their fighters,” Commander Evans reported as numerous green
icons began leaving the two battle carriers to take up a defensive position
around the fleet.

“Hocklyns are
launching fighters also,” Lieutenant Stalls reported as his sensor screen
bloomed with numerous small red threat icons leaving the Hocklyn ships. “We’re
going to be badly outnumbered.”

“All ships
launch fighters,” Amanda ordered over her ship-to-ship com. She knew that would
help to even the odds. She also knew her capital ships had nothing to fear from
the Hocklyn fighters. They only carried small missiles that could be a threat
to a destroyer but nothing larger.

“Third Fleet
has jumped in,” Lieutenant Stalls added as more friendly green icons appeared
just behind Second Fleet.

“Twenty
minutes until we reach optimum firing range,” Lieutenant Mason from Tactical
reported.

“All ships,
concentrate on destroying the Hocklyn defensive weapons, particularly their
short range railguns on their war cruisers and escort ships,” Amanda ordered in
a calm voice. “Our primary objective is not to destroy their ships but to
partially disable them so we can send in an Anlon bomber strike.”

“I just hope
this works,” Colonel Bryson the executive officer spoke with worry showing on
his face. “I still think we should go for their dreadnoughts.”

“It will,
Colonel,” promised Amanda, glancing over at the colonel. “We will just get the dreadnoughts
a little later.”

Amanda leaned
back in her chair and watched the tactical display. In many ways, she wished
Richard were here to tell her she was making the right decisions. But it also
gave her comfort knowing that he was safely back at New Tellus in a monstrous
asteroid that was heavily armed and armored. At least one of them was safe.

Second Fleet
continued to close, and soon the first missiles began to be fired. Bright
flashes of light roared across the Hocklyn formation, smashing into their
shields.

“Power beams
are to target their dreadnoughts,” Amanda finally ordered as the WarStorm
shuddered as increasing Hocklyn ordnance began to strike her shields. The first
few rounds of weapons fire had been aimed at reducing the Hocklyn’s defensive
fire, but the heavy weapons fire from their dreadnoughts was proving to be too
deadly. Already, a number of her warships were reporting heavy battle damage. She
knew there were ten dreadnoughts she had to destroy if her attack had any
chance of success.

It was at that
moment the weapons on the Hocklyn shipyard began to fire. Her face blanched
when she saw one of her destroyers and a light cruiser flare up and vanish from
the tactical display.

“Heavy weapons
fire from the shipyard,” Colonel Bryson reported as he studied the data. “They
have heavy missiles, railguns, and energy beams.”

“Damn!”
Commander Davidson swore as she looked over at the admiral. “This Hocklyn War
Leader or Commodore isn’t taking any chances.”

In space,
missiles, railgun rounds, laser beams, energy weapons, and power beams crisscrossed
between the two opposing fleets. They struck energy shields, causing them to
waver and occasionally fail. When that occurred, a well placed heavy missile or
nuke would either cause serious damage or destroy the helpless ship. Space was
full of exploding ordnance as interceptor missiles and railgun defense systems
intercepted incoming weapons. On the heavier human ships, defensive laser batteries
blasted apart missile after missile before they struck the shields. Even as
intense as the defensive fire was, numerous missiles and railgun rounds were still
getting through.

“Status!”
barked Amanda as she saw two more of her light cruisers vanish from the
tactical display. She wasn’t hurting the Hocklyns enough; she couldn’t afford
to trade them ship for ship. The weapons on that heavily armed shipyard were
tearing her ships apart.

“We’ve taken
out two of their war cruisers and eight of their escort cruisers and damaged
others, but not enough for a bomber strike,” Commander Evans reported. “That
damn shipyard has too many heavy weapons on it, and we can’t seem to be able to
penetrate its energy screen.”

“Then we must
eliminate it,” Amanda said with fire in her voice as she watched another of her
destroyers blaze up and vanish on the tactical display. “I am authorizing a
Devastator Three missile launch. Load two of them into the missile tubes and
target the Hocklyn shipyard.” She then switched over to Third Fleet’s
frequency. “Jacob, I am authorizing a Devastator Three strike against the
shipyard, we’re taking too much damage. I want your bomber strike ready to go.”

“Give me two minutes,
Amanda,” Jacob replied as he passed on the orders to move his fleet up closer
to Second Fleet and to launch the bombing strike. “What about the Hocklyn fighters,
how many remain?”

“Quite a few,”
answered Amanda, looking at the tactical display that showed the massive fighter
dogfight going on around the fleet. “They’re rather occupied at the moment.”

“Just tell me
when, Amanda, we will be ready.”

-

Fleet
Commodore Resmunt grinned in satisfaction as another human warship fell to the
massed fire of his fleets and the shipyard. He knew now it had been the correct
decision to fall back to it. With its heavy weapons and powerful energy shield,
it was almost impervious to damage from the attacking humans. As long as he held
his ships close to the shipyard, he could destroy this arrogant human fleet.

“We are winning,”
First Leader Ganth spoke with pride as another human destroyer fell to the
weapons fire from the flagship. More honor for the crew.

“We will
continue to let them come to us,” instructed Resmunt, knowing if he could
continue this heavy bombardment of the human fleet, he might very well manage
to hold his base.

-

The two
minutes were up, and Amanda nodded at Commander Evans. “Initiate Devastator
Three launch. All ships to fire upon the shipyard after Devastator strike.”