The Slaver Wars: First Strike (The Slaver Wars Book Four) (30 page)

Admiral
Johnson stood up and stepped around her desk to stand face to face with Teleck.
“We could need those ships if the Hocklyns stop Operation First Strike. By
doing this, you could be endangering the entire Federation!”

“The ships may
never be needed,” responded Teleck, not backing down. He gazed calmly at
Admiral Johnson before continuing. “We still have a large fleet at Ceres, and
more ships are under construction in our bays even as we speak.”

“Admiral
Streth’s survival is that important to you?” Karla demanded, her eyes widening.

“Isn’t he to
you, also?” countered Teleck.

Karla stepped
back, frowning. Teleck was right. It would be devastating to the Federation if
Admiral Streth were to die in this campaign.

“How many
ships are we talking about?” she finally asked, realizing that she wasn’t going
to change Teleck’s mind.

Admiral
Telleck paused before he spoke, knowing his words would shock the admiral. It
had always been a highly guarded secret just how many ships were hidden inside
Ceres’s vast fleet bays.

“We are
sending eight battle cruisers, six battle carriers, four strike cruisers, ten
Monarch cruisers and twenty light cruisers,” he stated, his eyes meeting the
Fleet Admirals.

“Forty-eight
ships,” Karla breathed surprised at the number. She wondered just what else was
hidden inside Ceres. She suspected but couldn’t prove that this was only a
small portion of the ships the Federation survivors inside of Ceres had at
their disposal. After all, they had been building warships nonstop for several
centuries.

“It is part of
our agreement with the Federation that we be allowed to maintain our own
defense fleet,” Teleck reminded the Fleet Admiral. “Those ships can be
committed as we see fit. At this time, these ships will act as an emergency
support fleet if First Fleet becomes imperiled. The fleet will stay behind and
hidden from the Hocklyns as well as Admiral Streth. He won’t know they are
there unless they’re needed.”

“How will he
know?” Karla demanded, her eyes narrowing suspiciously.

“It’s actually
quite simple,” Teleck replied with a knowing smile. “Clarissa will call for us.
She will know if we’re needed and she will also always know where we are.”

“Clarissa?” Karla
mumbled in realization. “She is the AI on the StarStrike.”

“Yes,” Teleck answered.
“That’s one of the reasons we put her there.”

Then, in a
more condescending voice, he added. “Karla, we must keep the admiral safe. He
is our best chance for winning this war. Operation First Strike will succeed.
More than likely he will never need our fleet and will never know it was there.”

Karla nodded
her head in defeat. She knew in her heart that Admiral Teleck was correct. She
also knew that Operation First Strike had to succeed or the Federation’s
chances of survival would be very low.

High Leader
Ankler had just dismissed the latest meeting of the Hocklyn High Council. Once again,
High Counselor Ruthan had demanded to know when the AIs would be notified about
the humans. The debate had become heated, and the council was obviously divided
on the issue. The councilors were becoming highly worried about the absence of
any word from War Leader Bisth and the four fleets he had left Fleet Commodore
Resmunt’s base with. Ankler had managed to put off notifying the AIs by the
slimmest of margins in the final council vote.

It had been
over a week since he had revealed that the AIs had agreed to allow them to
settle the four new star systems. Already Hocklyn construction crews were
descending on the four new inhabitable planets laying the groundwork for
immediate colonization. That had kept the council pacified for the time being.
Now several council members, led by Ruthan, were becoming even more worried
about what would happen when the AIs found out about the humans.

“This is a
dangerous game you’re playing,” High Councilor Nartel warned as he watched the
others file out of the large ornate room where the council met. “A number of
the councilors are coming to believe that you are hiding something from us. I
warn you now, High Leader, the next vote will go against you unless we hear
positive news from War Leader Bisth.”

Ankler turned
to gaze unblinking at Nartel. He was slightly larger in build than Ankler with
a bulkier stature and thick sinewy arms. “I hide nothing,” he spoke in a
rasping voice. “Bisth is taking longer because he is subduing the human home
world.”

“Perhaps,”
Nartel replied in a steady voice, unafraid of the High Leader. “But it has been
nearly six weeks since he left Resmunt’s base. Some word should have been sent
back by now. I am beginning to wonder if these humans might be a bigger threat
than we originally believed. If by some chance the humans have defeated Bisth,
the AIs will not be pleased with us. There could be some serious consequences,
including taking the four new systems away from us. If that happens, you will
not survive as High Leader of the council.”

“Don’t
threaten me, Nartel!” snarled Ankler, letting his anger show. He reached down and
tapped the blade at his waist. “I have fought honor duels with others for far less
than what you have just said and won.”

“It was no
threat, High Leader,” responded Nartel, taking a step back. He tapped his armor
and touched his own blade. “I too have fought honor duels and won. A victory
over me might not be as easy as you think. I was not challenging your honor. I
was merely explaining what might happen if things don’t change quickly.”

Ankler was
silent. He knew an honor duel between council members would be highly frowned
upon and only further weaken his position.

“Very well,”
responded Ankler, moving his hand away from his blade. “If we have not heard
from War Leader Bisth in another ten days, then I will agree to notify the AIs
about these new humans.”

Nartel nodded,
pleased with this concession from the High Leader. It was not good for the
council to argue any longer over this subject, they needed to begin expediting
the work on the new colony worlds and moving some of their expanding
population. The civilian population was becoming more disgruntled every day. If
the colonization plan were to fall through, it would be necessary to bring the
military in and reduce the Hocklyn overpopulation. Nartel did not even want to
contemplate the difficulties involved if such a drastic move became necessary.

-

Fleet
Commodore Resmunt was in orbit in his flagship, the powerful dreadnought
Liberator. He was in the process of organizing a defense of this system. There
still had been no word from War Leader Bisth, and Resmunt was starting to
believe that Bisth had failed in his attempt to conquer the human mining world
or had met his end in an effort to take their home world. It was very seldom
the Hocklyns encountered a powerful enemy, but all the evidence was now pointing
to that worrisome possibility.

“The two new
fleets sent by the council have arrived in the system,” First Leader Ganth
reported as he gazed at the numerous green icons appearing on the long-range
sensor screen.

“What are the
make up of the fleets?” Resmunt demanded. The fleets came from a distant base,
and he had no idea what he had been sent. He had requested additional
information, but High Leader Ankler had not replied.

“Each fleet
has two dreadnoughts, four war cruisers, and twelve escort cruisers,” Second
Leader Aanith reported from his position at a computer console.

“Honor is
lacking in this,” swore Resmunt, wondering if High Leader Ankler was out to
destroy him. These were small fleets! “I was expecting more escort cruisers.”

“We have our
own two fleets we have pulled from the other bases,” First Leader Ganth
reminded Resmunt. “They have a large complement of escort cruisers.”

“Weak in
capital ships though,” responded Resmunt, wishing he had more ships. The two
fleets made up from the seven bases consisted of four war cruisers and fourteen
escort cruisers each. With a heavy breath,
he knew
he needed more dreadnoughts. Unfortunately, there was only one way he could get
them.

“Contact our
other five forward bases,” ordered Resmunt, coming to a quick decision. “I want
each base to send us one of their dreadnoughts.”

Ganth was
silent for a long moment as he mulled over these new orders from the commodore.
“The base commanders will not be pleased with that order. That will
significantly reduce the firepower of their fleets.”

“It still
leaves them their command dreadnought,” responded Resmunt, giving his second in
command a hard look. “This is our primary base in this sector and must be
protected at all costs.”

Ganth nodded
and moved toward the communications console to pass on the order.

Resmunt gazed
about the massive War Room of his flagship. The ship had served him well and had
brought honor to him and his crew, but his concern over these new humans was
growing. He had asked himself what he would do if he were the humans and an
alien race attacked his home world. The answer was simple, immediate and
overwhelming retaliation.

Because no
word had come back from Bisth, he had no idea what he might be facing. Perhaps
nothing at all. The humans might have been weakened by Bisth’s attack to the
point where it might not be possible for them to retaliate. But in his gut,
Resmunt knew that was wrong. All the years of sensor ghosts and missing escort
ships that didn’t return from long-range exploration missions warned otherwise.
Now Bisth’s fleets were failing to report in. Four powerful Hocklyn fleets had
gone missing as well as four War Leaders. Resmunt knew something was not right.
Either more humans than believed possible had escaped the destruction of the
Human Federation of Worlds, or there was another human civilization in this
sector of the galaxy.

-

Fleet Admiral
Johnson was on Earth at the Federation Council Chambers meeting with President
Kincaid.

“What do you
think the odds are of Admiral Streth succeeding with Operation First Strike?”
the president asked in a concerned voice with lines of worry showing around his
eyes.

“I think the
first part of the attack will be a success,” Karla replied with confidence in
her voice. “The Hocklyns will not be expecting an attack and should be taken by
complete surprise. If he can eliminate the Hocklyn fleets at those six advance
bases, then he should be able to push them back several hundred light years at
least.”

“When will he
know when to stop his advance?” Kincaid asked, his eyes focusing on the Fleet
Commander.

“When he
begins running into heavy resistance from the Hocklyns,” Karla answered. “It
will take them a while to respond and we are not sure what type of FTL
communications they have for the vast distances across their empire. Admiral
Streth has over fifty stealth scouts on the various carriers in his fleets. He
will use those to determine targets of opportunity once he reaches unknown
sections of their empire.”

President
Kincaid was silent for a long moment. “I spoke with Governor Malleck
yesterday,” continued Kincaid, recalling his long conversation with the
Governor of Ceres. “He told me about the fleet he has sent to support Admiral
Streth if needed. It concerns me that we are committing so many ships to this
operation, ones we might need later.”

“I don’t think
we had a real choice,” Karla confessed with a tired look crossing her face.
“The Hocklyns found us sooner than we expected. We need the time Operation
First Strike will give us. It also serves to bring home to the civilian
population just what is at stake in this war.”

“How strong
are our defenses if the Hocklyns attack us here?” asked Kincaid, looking over
at a large, detailed star map that showed the ten inhabited human systems and
the thirty mining colonies. “Can we hold against them?”

“I believe New
Tellus can,” responded Karla, carefully. She had spent a lot of time studying
the defenses of the various inhabited systems and what could be done to
strengthen them. “Those asteroid fortresses are monstrosities in both firepower
and defensive shielding, and I believe Earth and Ceres are the same. Our
orbital battle stations should be able to stop the Hocklyns here in the Sol
System. The other inhabited planets will have to depend on their defensive
grids and our fleets until their defenses can be sufficiently upgraded.”

“What about
the AIs?” asked Kincaid in a quiet and worrisome voice. He could picture the
new Human Federation falling under their onslaught; the first Human Federation
had.

“We don’t
know,” admitted Karla uneasily, her eyes shifting to the star map. “New Tellus
is confident their asteroid fortresses can stop them, the same thing with our
battle stations here above Earth. We don’t have that capacity in the other
systems, at least not yet.”

“What about
Admiral Streth and his fleets?” President Kinkaid continued, his eyes showing
deep concern about what he was about to ask. “What if the AIs attack him?”

Karla didn’t
answer for a moment. The AIs were the big question and unknown in all of this. Admiral
Streth had fourteen of the new heavy strike cruisers with him that had been
designed specifically to take on an AI ship with their Devastator Three
missiles and heavy energy shielding. “We won’t know until he encounters them,”
she answered, her eyes meeting the president’s. “He is laying a series of FTL
communication booster buoys behind him. We should have reasonable
communications with the admiral even when he reaches Hocklyn space.”

“How
reasonable?” Kincaid asked. This was a vast distance of over 600 light years.
Most FTL communication in the Federation was less than thirty light years with
New Tellus, the fartherest from Earth at twenty-seven light years. He knew at
that vast a distance there would be some communication delay.