The Slaver Wars: Galactic Conflict (13 page)

“What about
the Great Project?” another AI asked. “We must complete it as soon as
possible.”

“Work on the
project has been speeded up,” the Command AI reported. “The first tests should
begin within the next year.”

“Finally,” the
AI at the sensors spoke. “We will be rid of the organic races once and for
all.”

-

Jeremy stared
impassively at the counter on the bottom of the tactical display. It was a
forty-minute trip to system K-774. Without the help of Ariel and Kelsey, it
would have been impossible to plot a jump with the accuracy they were
attempting.

“Two minutes
to jump termination,” Colonel Malen reported as she checked the different
control stations using her mini-com. “All stations report combat ready.
Missiles are loaded and power beams are standing by to be charged.”

Jeremy nodded
as he clenched and unclenched his fists. There were seven AI ships waiting for
them and he had eight strikecruisers. In normal situations, he wouldn’t stand a
chance. However, he had Ariel and she would have full control over the Avenger
and the Nemesis in the attack. She'd already demonstrated her ability to
destroy AI ships, but this would be the first time she would be taking on more
than one.

“One minute to
jump termination,” Colonel Malen continued as she watched the counter switch
over and begin counting down the seconds.

Over their
private channel, Jeremy heard Kelsey’s voice. “I love you, Jeremy.”

Jeremy looked
over at Kelsey and replied softly. “I love you too.”

“Vortex is
forming, we’re dropping out of hyperspace,” Colonel Malen said as she gripped
the edge of the holographic table with her hands.

Eight
blue-white spatial vortexes suddenly formed in system K-774 and the Avenger and
the other seven strikecruisers suddenly found themselves three thousand
kilometers from their targets.

“Systems coming
online,” Ariel reported as she quickly powered up essential systems. “Shields
are at one hundred percent and power beams are charging.”

On the front wall,
the screens were beginning to clear of static. At the same time, the tactical
display began updating.

“Firing Devastator
Threes,” Ariel reported as she got a firm sensor lock on the AIs. She sent firing
orders and sensor information to the Nemesis and Avenger’s targeting computers.
She knew it would only be seconds before the AIs responded to the sudden
appearance of the Federation ships.

“Incoming
fire,” Colonel Malen reported as the Avenger shuddered violently. “Shield is
holding. All ships are firing.”

In space,
Devastator Threes from the Avenger and the Nemesis were already arriving on
target. Due to the distance and it taking several microseconds for the missiles
to arrive upon target, the AIs were able to shoot down eight of the deadly
missiles in the first wave. However, Ariel had expected this and had launched
fourteen missiles at the AI she'd targeted. Four of the forty-megaton missiles
detonated on a narrow section of the AI’s energy screen in bright fiery blasts,
causing a small hole thirty meters across to form in the energy shield. Instantly,
the other two missiles flashed through, detonating on the armor of the AI ship.
Uncontrolled energy burned through the hull, melting systems and turning
thousands of tons of metal and battle armor instantly into incandescent gas.
The ship’s self-destructs, detecting irreparable damage, instantly activated,
blowing the 1,500-meter sphere into a million pieces of glowing debris.

“AI is down,” reported
Kevin, excitedly.

“Accelerating
toward the next target,” Ariel spoke as she moved the Avenger and the Nemesis
toward the next nearest AI sphere. Power beams were firing and the violet
energy beams were hitting the AI’s shields, causing them to glow from the
influx of energy.

“Second AI is
down,” Kevin reported as another of the orange icons flared up and vanished
from his sensors.

Now all of the
remaining AI ships were returning fire. Powerful energy beams pummeled the screens
of the advancing strikecruisers. Several screens began to glow brightly and
brief holes began to appear. Beams flashed through and tore massive holes in
the battle armor, reaching inside and setting off internal explosions. In just
a matter of a few seconds, two strikecruisers exploded as they received enormous
interior damage, causing their nuclear self-destructs to detonate.

“Strikecruisers
Taurus and New London are down,” Kevin spoke, his face turning pale. Both had
died within a few seconds of one another.

“We need to
concentrate our fire,” Colonel Malen spoke as the Avenger shook violently. She
saw several amber and red lights appear on the damage control console. “We just
got hit by an energy beam. We have multiple compartments open to space and
several internal fires in our storage areas. Damage control teams are en
route.”

Jeremy quickly
ordered the remaining strikecruisers to concentrate on a single AI. He knew he
had to destroy them quickly or all was lost. Their ships were taking too much
damage.

“Firing
missiles,” Ariel reported as she watched with that faraway look in her eyes as
missiles from the Avenger and Nemesis flashed out of the missile tubes toward
the designated target.

Fiery
explosions roared across the screen of the AI once again, tearing a brief hole
in the shield, then two more missiles darted through, impacting the hull.
Moments later, the AI ship was in ruins.

But the AIs
were not idle. They intensified their fire, concentrating on one strikecruiser.
The shields of the Federation ship glowed bright and then began to buckle
beneath the onslaught. Two AI energy beams burst through, blasting deep glowing
holes in the cruiser’s hull. Then more beams penetrated, riddling the cruiser
as the shield failed completely. Sensing the massive damage, the ship's two
nuclear destruct charges initiated. Two glowing fireballs marked the cruiser’s
death.

“AI is down,”
Kevin reported as he watched another AI vanish from the screen. Then he saw a
friendly green icon swell up and also vanish. “Strikecruiser Zeus is down.” At
this rate, there would be no AIs or strikecruisers left at the end of the
battle.

-

“Foreign AI
operation detected,” reported the AI at the command ship’s computer consoles, turning
to face the Command AI. “This must be the second of the two AIs the Humans reportedly
have on board their ships.”

The Command AI
nodded. “Send the virus. The AI must be destroyed!”

-

“Fourth AI is
down,” Kevin reported as Devastator Three strikes from the other strikecruisers
continued to slam home. On his sensor screen, another orange icon flared up and
died away. Kevin was beginning to believe they just might win.

It was at that
moment that the Communications panel exploded, hurling Angela brutally to the
floor. At the same time, Ariel’s hologram vanished.

“No!” screamed
Katie her face turning ashen as her fingers ran rapidly over her computer control
console.

She got up,
ran over to Ariel’s computer console, and slammed her hands down on two prominent
red buttons. The panel was beginning to smoke as Katie tore open its protective
cover. She reached inside, grabbing the large green crystal at the panel’s
center. She pulled it loose, clutching it to her chest, then fell back just as
the panel exploded, throwing a shower of bright sparks over her.

“Medics to the
Command Center,” Jeremy yelled over his mini-com, seeing that both Angela and
Katie weren’t moving. He started to move toward them.

“Jeremy, fight
the ship!” Colonel Malen spoke in a stern voice. “You can’t help them if we’re
all dead.” Then she turned to Kevin, who was already kneeling over Katie. “Lieutenant
Walters, the same goes for you. Get back to your station; the medics will take
care of Lieutenant Johnson.”

Jeremy forced
himself to turn his attention back to the battle. “All strikecruisers form up
on the Avenger. We have three AIs left; designate them as targets one through
three. All ships, target the nearest AI and fire Devastator Three missiles.”
Jeremy had to force himself to remain calm. It was all he could do not to rush
over and check on Angela and Katie. Glancing over at Navigation, he saw that
Kelsey had a pale and shocked look upon her face.

“Kelsey, plot
us a jump back to Careth. Get us as close to the gravity well as possible.”

Kelsey nodded
as she turned back to her console and began entering numbers. She didn’t have
Ariel to help her plot the jump, but she knew what had to be done.

The Avenger
shuddered and another control panel exploded in a shower of sparks just as the
medics rushed in. Smoke began to fill the Command Center.

In space, the
weapons fire between the three surviving AIs and the five attacking strikecruisers
intensified. Energy beams and power beams flicked back and forth. The AIs were
rotating their ships in an attempt to prevent the strikecruisers from hitting
the energy shields in a small area, thus preventing holes from forming.

Eight AI energy
beams bracketed the strikecruiser Punisher and her energy shield failed. Even
as she died, her last Devastator Three missiles flashed out from her tubes,
joining the other missiles launched from the other strikecruisers and smashing
into the shield of the nearest AI ship. Forty-two Devastator Threes managed to strike
the energy screen in brilliant explosions of energy. Two holes formed and six missiles
struck the armored hull. The AI ship turned into a glowing sun as its metal was
consumed.

“AI One is
down,” uttered Kevin, as he looked back seeing that the medics were working on
Katie. She didn’t seem to be conscious. She still had Ariel’s memory crystal
clutched tightly in her hands. A few feet away other medics were working on
Angela. Kevin was really worried and it was all he could do not to get up and
rush to her side.

“AIs are
jumping out,” Colonel Malen reported with relief in her voice as the two remaining
AIs vanished from the tactical display.

“All ships,
prepare to jump,” ordered Jeremy, nodding at Kelsey to transmit the jump
coordinates to the other three surviving strikecruisers. “Let’s get the hell out
of here.”

Moments later,
spatial vortexes formed in front of the four strikecruisers and they quickly entered
them, jumping into the safety of hyperspace. The vortexes collapsed back into
nothing and the strikecruisers were gone, leaving behind them glowing wreckage
and destruction.

-

Commodore Krilen
looked in shock at what his sensor screens were telling him. The brief battle
had only lasted a few minutes, but it had been long enough to allow the Humans
to destroy five of the massive AI ships at a loss of only four of their own.

“The AIs are
gone,” spoke First Leader Angoth, looking at the tactical screen in shock. “How
did the Humans destroy five of them so swiftly?”

“Those damn
hell weapons,” Krilen snapped his eyes full of fire. “They took the AIs by
surprise, which shouldn’t have happened.”

“What do we do
now?”

Krilen
hesitated for a moment as he thought over his options. The Humans had used a
lot of their deadly missiles against the AIs, more than the AIs had thought remained.
It made Krilen wonder just how many more they still had. “We can’t attack until
we receive more reinforcements or the AIs' return. We will continue to repair
our ships and wait; we have no other choice.”

Krilen looked
at one of the viewscreens, which was showing the area of space where the recent
battle had occurred. It was full of glowing gases and debris. He was now beginning
to understand just why the AIs were fearful of the Humans. He would send a full
report of the battle to the High Council. There was no doubt in Krilen’s mind
that they would not like what he was going to say.

Jeremy
breathed a belated sigh of relief as the Avenger dropped back out of hyperspace
into the Carethian system. It had been a harrowing forty minutes as medics
carried both Angela and Katie out on stretchers.

“I put Ariel’s
memory crystal in the secure safe,” Colonel Malen reported as she came out of a
small doorway on one side of the Command Center.

Through the
doorway was a very small office that could be used by the commanding officer.
The small office contained a desk a few chairs and a safe that was used to keep
important documents, as well as ship orders. Jeremy very seldom even used the
office; most of the time he forgot it was even there.

“Did it look
damaged?” asked Jeremy, concerned. He knew there had to be a reason that Katie
had been so frantic to get the crystal out of the console, possibly risking her
life to do so.

He couldn’t
imagine life without Ariel. She had been a part of his life since returning
from the New Horizon incident so long ago. Even worse was the fact that two of
his closest friends had been injured and were even now being treated in the med
bay. Jeremy had no idea how serious their injuries were. He glanced over at the
sensor panel, which had been taken over by an ensign and felt a sense of loss.
Kevin had gone to check on the two girls. Both had still been unconscious when
they'd been carried from the Command Center.

“The crystal
looks as if it’s been slightly burned on one end,” Malen replied. “I don’t know
enough about it to guess how badly the crystal is damaged; only Lieutenant
Johnson would know that.”

Jeremy was
silent as he thought that over. He knew there was nothing he could do until
Katie was back up and on duty. She had designed the memory crystal for both Ariel
and Clarissa. Taking a deep breath, he tried not to think what it would mean if
the crystal was irreparable and Ariel was gone.

“What’s the
status of our ships?” inquired Jeremy, tilting his head slightly.