The Forgotten Empire: War for the Empire by Raymond Weil (ereader ebook .txt) 📕

He saw first one and then two of the small Resistance support ships blow apart under the weapons fire from his ship. His ship shook again, and this time the lights dimmed and stayed dim.

We have a hole nearly two hundred meters long and forty meters deep in the port side of the ship, reported First Officer Dukal. The secondary power unit has been destroyed, and 30 percent of our weapons are nonfunctional.

The ship shook again, and the shaking continued. On the damage control console, more red lights appeared rapidly.

On the viewscreen, a Resistance battlecruiser blew apart when it was struck by several antimatter missiles.

Colane’s ship shook uncontrollably, and all the lights went out. Before Colane could send a mental message to Fleet Admiral Torrant, his flagship blew apart, sending flaming debris across space.

-

Morag Fleet Admiral Torrant pushed through the Human forces. In another few minutes he would be through the Human ships and their precious defense grid. Once that happened, he would start a full bombardment of the planet. He had pulled up his Conqueror battleships, but now they were all under heavy fire. Evidently the Humans had made them a prime target. All ships, sent Torrant. Begin immediate bombardment of the planet. Torrant grew concerned that, if his losses continued at this rate, he would not have enough ships to hit the planet with.

Suddenly Torrant felt his flagship shake wildly. Alarms sounded, and red warning lights appeared everywhere.

We’re losing primary power, reported First Officer Markel. We’ll only have full power for another minute or two.

On the viewscreen, a Human dreadnought was visible, the largest ship in the Human fleet. No doubt the Human admiral was on board. Torrant knew his ship was dying. Once the power failed, the Humans would make short work of his flagship. Helm, ram that large dreadnought. We’ll take the Human admiral with us. Torrant leaned back in his command chair. He would go out in honor, by taking his enemy with him.

-

The Destiny had been heavily damaged and was barely able to move, only by using its maneuvering thrusters. The chief engineer said, after fifteen minutes, the main drive would be back on.

“Enemy battleship on collision course,” reported Major Nower with concern in his voice. “It will collide with us in less than a minute.”

Derrick looked at the viewscreen and the Morag battleship rapidly growing closer. There was no way they could dodge it. I’m sorry, Layla, he thought. I so wanted to come back home to you.

-

In the Royal Bunker, Layla looked on in horror, when she realized what was about to happen. The Destiny was about to be rammed by the enemy. She knew Derrick, the love of her life, was about to die.

-

Rear Admiral Banora saw the danger heading toward the Destiny. Her own dreadnought was heavily damaged, with most of its weapons nonfunctional. But she could still save Derrick. “Full power to the sublight drive,” she ordered.

“It won’t be much,” cautioned her executive officer.

“It will be enough,” replied Audrey, as she watched the viewscreen. The Human Empire could do without her, but the Empire needed Derrick.

Moments later the Defiant moved, heading directly toward the Morag battleship. It rapidly grew larger on the viewscreen until it filled the entire screen. Then the Defiant slammed into the battleship’s energy screen, knocking it down and then a moment later crashed into the side of the ship. In a massive explosion, both ships blew apart sending huge amounts of debris flying across space.

-

Derrick stood and stared in shock at the main viewscreen. The Defiant had taken out the enemy ship. “Audrey,” he said, as he sat back down in shock. She had been with him from the very beginning. He couldn’t believe she was gone.

-

Layla looked over at Andrew. “Was that the Defiant?”

Andrew nodded. “I believe so. Rear Admiral Banora saved Derrick.”

Layla leaned back and closed her eyes. She couldn’t imagine how Derrick must be feeling. Rear Admiral Banora had been one of Derrick’s closest friends for many years.

-

Some of the Morag fleet now broke through the defense grid and was launching every missile they had at the Human planet below. From behind them came an avenging Rear Admiral Collison, his ships firing every weapon they had to stop the attack on the planet.

Attack interceptors led by Major Lisa Conroy were doing everything they could to stop the incoming missiles. Even so, many were getting through. The ground-based missile interceptors launched. Energy turrets surrounding the cities fired. The sky was full of the explosions of descending Morag missiles. Still, a few made it to the surface.

The energy shield around the city of Dreeson failed first, leaving the city open to a fusion missile that detonated just above it. In moments the city was consumed by the blast and the firestorm that followed. Four other missiles hit in the countryside, doing little damage. Seven more struck the oceans. Then three hit the energy shield protecting the Imperial Palace.

In the Royal Bunker, Layla felt the ground shake. Some dust fell from the ceiling. She knew a warhead must have gone off above the Palace. For a long minute the shaking continued, and then it stopped. Her gaze went to a viewscreen, and, with relief, she saw the Palace and the capital city were still intact.

“We got hit pretty hard,” said Andrew. On the viewscreens, multiple mushroom clouds rose. “But it looks as if the battle is over.”

On the tactical display, only a few red threat icons were still left, and those were rapidly being annihilated.

Layla looked at the display. Yes, it looked as if the battle was over, and they had won. The price of victory had been heavy, and it would be a long while before Golan Four was back to normal. At least for now, the war for the