Galactic Empire Wars: Rebellion (The Galactic Empire Wars Book 3) (21 page)

The Warrior’s
Fire suddenly shook violently and warning alarms began sounding. A Kleese
rushed to silence the alarms and then reported to Harmock. “Secondary power
system has been compromised; maneuvering ability has been reduced by twenty
percent. There is also a sixty-meter hole in the outer hull, which extends down
through twenty decks. There are multiple fires in adjoining areas.”

“Get the fires
under control,” commanded Harmock, harshly. “If necessary, seal off the damaged
areas and flush the air. Fires can’t burn without oxygen. What about our combat
ability?”

“We lost two
pulse fusion cannons, four energy gun turrets, and two missile tubes,” answered
Salten. “All other weapons are functioning normally.”

“Continue the
attack,” ordered Harmock. “We have the numerical advantage; we must eliminate
this Alliance fleet.” Harmock gazed at the tactical screen, swiftly calculating
the odds of a Zaltule victory. At the moment, neither side had a clear
advantage.

-

The light
cruiser Artemis was having a rough time against the two Kleese battlecruisers
attacking it. Antimatter missiles were stressing the energy screen, causing it
to flicker in near failure.

“Status!”
barked Commander Manning as a shower of sparks exploded across the Command Center from a shorted out console. The air was becoming thick with smoke and
crewmembers were coughing heavily as they reached for and placed breathing
masks over their faces so they could continue to function.

“Energy screen
is at fifteen percent,” Lieutenant Barkley responded with a desperate tone in
his voice. “Engineering reports fusion two is down and we’re operating entirely
on the primary fusion plant. They’ve got it redlined trying to pump more power
into the shields.”

The ship
shuddered violently and the lights in the Command Center went out, only to be
replaced by dim emergency lighting. The ship continued to shake as if it was
coming apart.

“Primary
fusion plant is down,” gasped Barkley his eyes turning pale as he glanced
desperately at the commander. “We’re running on batteries. Energy screen is at
two percent.”

“Then this is
it,” spoke Commander Manning as he looked calmly at his command crew. “It’s
been a privilege to serve as your commanding officer.”

Before he
could say another word, the world turned white as three Kleese antimatter
missiles vaporized the ship.

-

“Light cruiser
Artemis is down,” reported Lieutenant Lash. “Assault ships 432, 475, 515, 562,
and 601 are down.” Lash knew those ships had names but calling out the numbers
was easier and faster.

“The Falcon is
being hard pressed,” reported Commander Shepherd. She was in constant contact
with the other battlecruisers so she could coordinate her own ship’s attacks
with theirs. “Commander Melvin reports his energy shield is down to forty
percent.”

“Order the light
cruisers Scout and Argonaut to reinforce the Falcon,” ordered Admiral Adamson.

They were
losing ships, all the Alliance fleets were, but if Adamson was reading the
tactical screen correctly, the Kleese were losing ships at a much faster rate.
The tide of the battle was beginning to shift toward the Alliance. He had to
keep up the pressure on the Kleese even if it meant more ship losses.

-

Fleet
Commander Achlyn watched grimly from his Delton flagship as another of his
battlecruisers died in the burning hellfire of multiple antimatter explosions.
It was the third of his battlecruisers to die since the battle began. He also
knew it wouldn’t be the last.

“The Senchell
was a valiant ship,” commented Second Commander Baylith as he watched the
hellfire die away on one of the ship’s viewscreens, leaving a glowing gas field
and a scattering of debris behind. He felt a hollow feeling inside knowing more
of his people had just died. Delton ships were identified by numbers, but they
all had names as well.

Achlyn nodded
in agreement. His large round eyes were focused on the ship’s tactical screen
as his ships continued to press the attack against the hated Zaltule. With grim
satisfaction, he saw another Kleese warship die under his fleets’ heavy energy
weapons fire.

“We’re
winning!” cried Baylith as he studied the various reports coming in from across
the Alliance fleet. “The Zaltule are losing ships at over a two to one rate.”

“Superior
weapons,” stated Achlyn, pleased that the tables had finally been turned on the
evil Zaltule. “For once they will know the pain of defeat.” He was glad now
that he had agreed to join the Alliance the Humans were trying to put together
against the Zaltule. He'd already taken note of the diversity in the weapons
technology each used; almost every nonaligned world had technology, which was
unique. If the Humans could hold this Alliance together, there still might be
hope for the future.

“Press the
attack,” Achlyn ordered his large eyes narrowing. “It’s time the Kleese learn
what it means to die!”

-

“Battlecruiser
Rampage is under heavy attack,” reported Commander Shepherd. “They’ve lost one
of their fusion power plants and thirty percent of their weapons are offline.”

“Move us
closer to them,” ordered Admiral Adamson, not wanting to lose one of his
valuable battlecruisers. “Have the light cruisers Ajax and Odin move in with
us.”

“We won’t make
it,” Sandra said with a disheartened look in her eyes as she shook her head.
She gestured toward one of the viewscreens where the Rampage was under heavy
attack.

As Adamson
shifted his gaze to the indicated viewscreen, he saw a brilliant explosion and
the bow of the battlecruiser disintegrated before his eyes. The ship attempted
a sharp turn trying to bring her secondary weapons to bear on the attacking
Zaltule battlecruisers, but before the turn was completed, the ship vanished in
a giant fireball as an antimatter missile detonated in her heart.

“Battlecruiser
Rampage is down,” reported Lieutenant Lash in an even voice as he fought down
his emotions at the loss of so many Human lives. Lash knew that nearly seven
hundred Humans had just died.

Admiral
Adamson let out a deep and ragged breath. He momentarily closed his eyes and
then reopened them. “They died in a just cause,” he said as he looked into the
eyes of his shocked command crew.  “Now let’s finish this battle.”

-

On the main
viewscreen, Harmock had watched an Alliance battlecruiser die. They'd
determined that the ship was a Human one and it had been very difficult to
kill.

“The Human
battlecruisers are very powerful,” stated Minor Overlord Gareth as the
Warrior’s Fire trembled from weapons fire impacting the ship’s armored hull.
“They have extremely strong energy screens as well as that infuriating particle
beam weapon, which seems to pass easily through our ship’s shields.”

“This battle
is lost,” uttered Harmock as he studied the tactical screen noting two more
icons representing Zaltule warships flicker and then disappear. “Our fleet is
not powerful enough to stand up to these advanced weapons, not in the numbers
were facing now.”

“It’s the
fault of the Council of Overlords for letting these worlds develop such weapons
to begin with,” pointed out Gareth.

“They were lax
in their duty to the Empire,” agreed Harmock. “When we return to the home
world, there will be some immediate changes.”

“Then we’re
returning?”

“Yes,” Harmock
responded as his multifaceted eyes took stock of the tactical situation. “This Alliance is dangerous, but if we cut off its head it will collapse in upon itself.”

“The Humans?”

“Yes,”
answered Harmock as he thought of a strategy to neutralize this new Alliance. “We shall return to the homeward, address the problems with the Council of
Overlords, and then return with a fleet large enough to annihilate the Humans
and what remains of their star system.”

“It is a wise
decision,” Gareth spoke in agreement.

“Ready the
fleet for departure,” ordered Harmock. He'd already lost far more ships than
expected. There was no point in sacrificing more in a losing situation.

“What about
the ships in orbit over Ryerson?”

Harmock
studied the tactical screen briefly and then shook his head. “Order them to
begin picking up the ground forces immediately. They have fifteen minutes and
then we execute our jump into Fold Space.”

“They won’t be
able to extricate all of the ground forces in that short of a time period,”
warned Gareth. “Some will be left behind.”

“Those that
remain will bring glory to the Empire,” Harmock answered in a dispassionate
voice. “They know their duties as warriors.”

“I will pass
on the orders,” replied Gareth.

Harmock turned
his attention back to the tactical screen. He still had a battle to fight as he
organized his fleet’s withdrawal. His multifaceted eyes focused on a viewscreen
showing a close up of one of the Human battlecruisers. Even as he watched, a
bright blue beam of light flashed forth, spearing through a Zaltule
battlecruiser’s energy screen and setting off a massive explosion. A large
section of the ship’s hull could be seen drifting off into space. The Human
ship then fired two antimatter missiles through the weakened screen, destroying
the ship.

Harmock felt
suddenly uncertain about the Empire. These Humans were an unknown. They had
revolted against the Kleese, escaped the trading station, then returned and
stole the trading station. Later, they defeated a Kleese fleet in their home
system and then gone on a rescue mission to Kivea where they had rescued a
number of prominent Kivean scientists, and then returned home to defeat a major
Kleese fleet once more.

Were the Humans
a greater menace to the Empire than what he had originally thought? When he
returned to the home world, he fully intended to speak with other Kleese who
had dealt with the Humans first hand, if any could be found. There would also
be more changes to the council. By allowing the Humans to survive, the council
had shown itself to be weak and incompetent; Harmock fully intended to change
that. Now he needed to extricate his fleet before he lost too many more ships.

-

Admiral
Adamson watched as the twenty Kleese warships over Ryerson suddenly broke orbit
and accelerated away toward open space. In a matter of only a few minutes, they
had accelerated sufficiently and jumped into Fold Space.

“Kleese fleet
is disengaging,” reported Commander Shepherd as she studied the tactical
screen. She could see the Kleese ships trying to put some distance between them
and the different Alliance warships.

“All ships
continue to press the attack,” ordered Adamson over the com, which connected
him to all of the individual ship commanders. “We want to inflict as much
damage as possible on this Kleese fleet to ensure it doesn’t return.” He leaned
forward in his command chair, studying the tactical screen intently. With
satisfaction, he saw a number of ships closing the gaps between them and the
withdrawing Kleese.

-

The light
cruisers Warspite and Sultan closed with a Kleese battlecruiser that had
already suffered some damage. A major section of its armored hull plating had
been blasted away and a thousand-meter wide crater was carved deep into the top
section of the disk.

“Its energy
shield is fluctuating,” Commander Bolton of the Warspite communicated to
Commander Atkins on the Sultan.

“Then let’s
finish it off,” Atkins replied as his light cruiser activated its particle beam
cannon.

A bright blue
beam of light flashed out, smashing through the weakened Zaltule energy shield
and slamming into the side of the disk ship, setting off a colossal explosion.
It was quickly followed by a second particle beam from the Warspite.

-

“Two Human
ships are engaging us,” the Zaltule in front of the sensors reported.

“What’s the
status of our ship?” demanded Maltkel from the Command Pedestal.

“Fold Space Drive has been destroyed, sublight drive is functioning at forty percent,”
reported the Zaltule at Damage Control. “We’ve lost sixty percent of our ship’s
weapons, and we have major fires burning in most areas. Our energy screen will
only last for another few minutes.”

“Fire every
antimatter missile we can at the nearest Human ship,” Maltkel ordered. He was a
commander of the Zaltule and while his ship might be doomed, he could at least
take one of the accursed Human ships with him.

From the
Zaltule battlecruiser, twenty antimatter missiles flashed out from its
remaining missile tubes to impact the energy screen of the Sultan.

-

“Energy shield
is failing!” screamed Ensign Sherry Wild from Damage Control as she was hurled
painfully against her restraining straps.

The Sultan
shook violently and then seemed to be shoved hard to one side as if struck by a
giant iron fist. Several consoles in the Command Center blew out, sending
cascades of brilliant sparks across the room. Screams of pain and cries of
fright could be heard throughout the ship.

In
Engineering, Chief Engineer Barker turned pale as the primary fusion reactor
began to shake in its mountings. “Evacuate Engineering,” he ordered as he saw
the reactor itself beginning to glow, indicating a possible meltdown was taking
place inside. The magnetic containment fields must be failing.

“The hatches
are locked down!” screamed Spaceman First Class Jones. “There are fires on the
other side!”

A dozen
crewmembers looked expectantly at Barker, waiting for his orders. Surely, the
chief engineer would know what to do.

Barker looked
frantically around, knowing they were trapped. He looked down at one of the
gauges, which showed the internal temperature of the fusion reactor and turned
pale, seeing that it was redlined as far as the dial would go. He looked up at
the reactor just in time to see its side melt away. In an instant, everyone in
Engineering was incinerated as the reactor’s tremendous heat was released