The Slaver Wars: Galactic Conflict (6 page)

“But we have
Devastator Threes, and a lot of them,” Jeremy replied as he studied the
tactical display. “I don’t think they realize just how many we have and we'll
use that to our advantage.”

He had placed
Devastator Threes on all of his warships except the destroyers. From studying
the battle data between Fleet Admiral Streth and the Hocklyns above the fleet base,
he knew the Devastator Threes could be extremely dangerous to the Hocklyn
ships. The Hocklyns, of course, would have no idea of just how many of the
deadly weapons he had. They were about to find out.

“Admiral
Streth didn’t have Devastator Threes on his light cruisers,” Colonel Malen
spoke with a wolfish grin. “The Hocklyns won’t be expecting them.”

“Order all
ships to load only Devastator Threes in their missile tubes,” Jeremy ordered as
he prepared for the battle. “This will only work once. Lieutenant Striker, plot
an interception course for the Hocklyn fleet. Contact Commander Marks and have
her coordinate a bomber strike with the station. Make sure it has sufficient
fighters to protect them as they go in.”

“What about
our shipboard fighters?”

“Launch them,”
Jeremy ordered, his eyes showing fire. “They are to engage any Hocklyn fighters,
but stay away from their heavy warships. Leave those to us and the bombers. I
want to smash this attack! Perhaps it will gain us some time before the next.”

-

War Leader
Versith watched the tactical display closely to see if the Humans would come
out to engage the Hocklyn fleets. Without surprise, the fleet nearest the space
station moved out and began heading toward them on an interception course. It
also began launching fighters. The other fleet on the far side of the planet
remained unmoving.

“One Human
fleet approaches,” spoke First Leader Trion, pointing toward the fleet on the
tactical screen. “Why does the other not join it? The single fleet does not
possess sufficient ships to be a serious threat to us. Honor will come quickly
in this battle, for it will not last long.”

“Don’t
underestimate our enemy,” cautioned Versith, allowing his left hand to rest on
the breastplate of his battle armor. “These Humans are full of surprises.”

“They only
have ten of the capital ships that have their heavier missiles,” Trion added as
he studied the makeup of the approaching Human fleet. “We will suffer losses
but our superior numbers will defeat them.”

“Make sure
those ten ships are priority targets,” ordered Versith, feeling uneasy at the
way the Human ships were approaching. They seemed not to fear the Hocklyn’s
superior numbers. “Launch our war wings. They have two of their large ships
that carry the small bombers. I don’t want any of their small craft to make it
to our fleet.”

Second Leader
Jaseth watched the small sensor screen above his weapons console with
anticipation. Finally, he would be given the opportunity to destroy more Human
ships. He could already taste their blood. He could feel the blood in his veins
running hot as the time for battle neared. It would be a great day as he killed
more of the Human vermin. His right hand moved unconsciously to the sharp blade
at his waist. Someday that blade would be drenched with the blood of his hated
enemies. On that day, he would take back his family’s honor.

“Enemy small
craft launching from the space station,” Trion suddenly reported as numerous
small red threat icons began appearing.”

Versith nodded
his head, not surprised. He was certain there would be large numbers of the
small deadly bombers in those approaching formations. If he were the Human
commander, he would engage with his ships first and then, in the heat of the
battle, attack with the small bombers.

“Hold several
of our war wings back to protect our ships,” Versith ordered as he watched the
swarm of red icons continue to grow.

-

Jeremy watched
tensely as the Avenger and the rest of Fourth Fleet continued to move toward
the approaching Hocklyns. “What are the AIs doing?”

“They’re just
sitting there,” Kevin replied as he watched the data coming across his sensor
screens and then appearing on the large tactical display. “They’re two hundred
thousand kilometers behind the Hocklyns and haven’t moved since they jumped
in.”

“Perhaps
they’re just going to watch, same as they did last time,” Colonel Malen suggested
as she gazed at the four large orange threat icons.

“I doubt it,”
Jeremy replied as he activated his mini-com to speak with Rear Admiral
Stillson.

“Yes, Sir,”
Admiral Stillson’s spoke over the com link.

“Keep an eye
on those AIs,” Jeremy ordered as he took in a sharp breath. “I fully expect
them to jump in toward the station or the planet as soon as Fourth Fleet
becomes engaged with the Hocklyn ships. If they do, hit them with Devastator
Threes.”

“We’re
watching them,” replied Stillson, confidently. “If they jump in, we'll make
them pay. They won’t get past us!”

“Nearing
engagement range,” Ariel reported from her position next to Jeremy. She quickly
checked the ship’s weapons systems as well as the energy screen. Everything was
ready for battle.

The fleets
continued to close. Fighters were launched and already on attack vectors, which
would bring them into contact shortly. From the space station, four hundred
bear bombers protected by two hundred fighters had settled into their attack
formations. A dozen Human bombers launched also and tucked themselves into the
bear squadrons. They would help to coordinate the attack with the less
experienced bear pilots.

“Engagement
range,” Ariel spoke in a calm and cool voice.

“Fire!” Jeremy
ordered his eyes glued to the tactical display.

From the Human
ships, hundreds of Devastator Three missiles launched. Due to their sublight
drives and inertial dampening systems, they arrived on target almost at the
instant of firing. From the missile tubes, only a brief blur was visible and
then titanic explosions of nuclear fire began rolling across the Hocklyn fleet
formations.

“Follow up
with power beams,” Jeremy ordered as he shifted his gaze to the large
viewscreens on the front walls. The screens were lit up with hundreds of 40-megaton
explosions as the deadly sublight missiles ravaged the Hocklyn fleet.

“Hocklyns are returning
fire,” Ariel warned as space became full of flying ordnance and energy beam
fire.

-

In the Hocklyn
fleet, shield after shield failed under the tumultuous attack of the Devastator
Three missiles. Due to their subspace drives, the missiles were nearly impossible
to shoot down.

Hocklyn escort
cruisers died as their shields failed and additional missiles struck their
heavily armored hulls. However, even heavy armor could not keep out the deadly
destructive power of a 40-megaton warhead. Support cruisers began dying in
bright explosions as the deadly missiles blew the 800-meter ships apart.

Several
warcruisers died as their shields were stripped away and nuclear detonations
against their hull blasted massive glowing holes in the ships. Not even a
warcruiser could survive the detonation of a 40-megaton warhead against its
battle armor. In each case, the warcruiser died as its self-destructs activated,
blowing the remains of the ships into thousands of pieces.

-

“The Hocklyns
are losing ships,” Colonel Malen reported with a savage grin as red threat
icons began blinking out.

“Keep firing
the Devastator Threes,” Jeremy ordered grimly as the Avenger shook from missile
and railgun fire impacting the ship’s energy screen. He knew the Devastators
were his big advantage and he intended to use them to push the Hocklyns back.

“Light cruiser
Malven is down,” Kevin reported as the friendly green icon flared up and
vanished from the screen.

In space,
heavy Hocklyn energy beam fire overloaded a section of the energy screen on the
light cruiser Johnson. Explosive decompression blew out several large sections
of the hull where the beams penetrated. Then the shield failed completely.
Seeing an opening, half a dozen Hocklyn nuclear missiles struck the hapless
cruiser, sending it into nuclear oblivion.

“Order the
bomber strike in,” Jeremy said between clenched teeth as he watched another of
his light cruisers vanish from the tactical screen.

“Light cruiser
Johnson is down,” Kevin uttered as he tried to keep track of the growing battle
on his sensor screens.

-

Commodore
Krilen watched in increasing frustration as more of his ships died around him. On
the main viewscreen, a warcruiser was being torn apart by enemy energy beams,
which were cutting deep swaths in the ship’s hull. The warcruiser finally exploded
as its self-destructs were set off.

“Honor has
found them today,” Angoth intoned as he watched the destruction on the screen.

“What about
the AIs?” Krilen demanded. He had never expected the Humans to fire so many of
their deadly sublight missiles and now their bomber strike was coming in.

“AIs are
jumping now,” Angoth reported.

-

In space, the
four AI ships suddenly opened up white spatial vortexes in front of their
vessels and accelerated into them. Moments later, they reappeared midway
between the space station and the second Human fleet. They were close to the
defensive satellite grid and all four AI spheres instantly opened up with heavy
energy weapons fire upon the satellites and the dozen small battle stations
within range. There were even a few of the Humans' destroyers inside their engagement
range. All were targeted by the AI’s deadly energy beam weapons.

In moments,
the grid was covered in destruction as satellites were blown apart. Even from
the surface of the planet, Carethians could look up and see the bright
explosions lighting up the night sky above them.

Satellites,
battle stations, and the few destroyers in the area instantly responded, but
none had weapons that could endanger an AI. However, that was not true of Ceres
Fleet under command of Admiral Stillson. Seeing the AIs appear, he instantly
ordered his strikecruisers to lock on and fire.

The AIs had
been bombarding the satellite grid for less than ten seconds when their screens
were suddenly covered in 40-megaton explosions from Devastator Threes launched
from the strikecruisers. However, the range was just enough that a few of the
deadly missiles were intercepted by AI defensive fire.

One of the AI
screens suddenly weakened and a Devastator Three struck the hull of the huge
1,500-meter sphere. Instantly, thousands of tons of steel and armor were turned
into red hot plasma and incandescent gas. The AIs quickly activated their jump
drives. New spatial vortexes formed and they jumped into hyperspace. But they
had done their damage. Six of the small battle stations were gone, two Human
destroyers, and over two hundred defensive satellites had been annihilated in
the brief attack.

-

Second Leader
Jaseth grinned in wolfish satisfaction as a Human battlecruiser died under the
withering weapons fire from the Viden. The Viden and two other dreadnoughts had
managed to knock down the cruiser’s screens and then finish the destruction
with missile and railgun fire.

“AIs have
jumped back out,” First Leader Trion reported as he saw the four large green
icons that represented the AIs vanish and reappear again far behind the fleet,
safely out of the gravity well of the planet. “One of them appears to have been
heavily damaged.”

“Yes, and
Commodore Krilen is ordering us to withdraw,” War Leader Versith responded as
he looked critically at the tactical display. The Human bombers were nearly
upon the fleet and he had ordered the two war wings he had held back in reserve
to intercept them. The rest of the fleet’s war wings were tied up with the Human
fighters in a deadly dance of death. Bright fireballs upon the main viewscreen
attested to the ferocity of that battle. Versith knew the fleet would take some
losses from the small attack craft as it withdrew. “Load all tubes with
interceptors,” he ordered grimly. “I want as many of those bombers destroyed as
possible when we exit the gravity well.”

“As you
command,” Trion replied as he moved to carry out the orders.

-

Jeremy groaned
as he watched one of his two battlecruisers vanish from the tactical screen.
Looking at the one of the main viewscreens, he could see several nuclear
fireballs where the powerful battlecruiser had been.

“Battlecruiser Republic is down,” Kevin reported in a strained voice. He knew that close to
two thousand fleet personnel had just died.

“Hocklyns are
withdrawing,” Ariel reported with obvious relief in her voice. “They are moving
toward the edge of the gravity well.”

“Continue to
hammer them with Devastator Threes,” Jeremy ordered as he blinked his eyes and
looked around the Command Center. “I want to cause as much damage to them as
possible.”

“Bomber strike
is going in now,” Colonel Malen informed Jeremy as she saw the swarm of small
green icons nearing the retreating Hocklyn ships.

“Ten more
seconds and then stop Devastator launches,” Jeremy ordered not wanting to
accidently destroy any of the bear bombers.

“Bombers continuing
to close,” Ariel reported as she watched the attack with her sensors. “Devastator
Three launches have stopped. Bombers beginning their attack run.”

In space, four
hundred bear bombers protected by two hundred fighters hurled themselves at the
Hocklyn ships. Interceptor missiles reached out and began destroying the
incoming bombers in bright fireballs. Energy beams and railguns began targeting
the inbound bomber strike. A few Hocklyn fighters moved in to attack, but were
intercepted by the defending bear fighters. The bear bomber formation was full of
balls of fire as bomber after bomber died, but then they were within range. Hundreds
of missiles were fired. In all, over nine hundred small nuclear tipped Shrike missiles
rained down on the battered Hocklyn fleet formation. Ship after ship died as
nuclear fire ravaged the targeted ships.