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

squadrons once they were launched, and she wanted to ensure those launches went smoothly.

“I want all our battlecarriers ready to launch at a moment’s notice,” she told her executive officer, Major Patrick Sullivan. “Make sure all battlecarriers are prepared to execute hot turnarounds on all squadrons when they return to refuel and rearm.” The turbo engines on the interceptors were all that needed refueling. They allowed for rapid increases in speed. The regular sublight drive had a long-term power supply.

Carrie looked at the tactical display. It wouldn’t be much longer before they were in range of the Confederation fleets.

-

On Tantula Five, Krista and Cheryl watched tensely, as the Human fleet closed with the Confederation vessels.

“They look like so few,” said Cheryl, seeing how badly Dylan’s fleet was outnumbered.

“We’re always outnumbered,” replied Krista.

“I wouldn’t be too worried,” said Governor Dyson. “The biggest mousetrap ever built sits on the north pole of Gideon. If Admiral Cleemorl can force the Confederation ships into weapons range, we have a surprise waiting for them. You see, on the north pole of Gideon is the most powerful military base ever built by the Empire, designed to destroy a fleet, a Confederation fleet. Now we just have to wait and see if it works.”

Krista took Cheryl’s hand and squeezed.

Cheryl smiled and said, “Dylan knows what he’s doing. He may be our most talented admiral.”

Krista just hoped Cheryl was right. A lot was resting on what occurred in the next few minutes.

-

“Confederation fleet is heading toward the north pole of Gideon,” reported the sensor officer. “They will be in combat range of the moon in two minutes.”

“And us?” asked Dylan.

“We’re thirty seconds behind them.”

Dylan activated his ship-to-ship comm and waited for Rear Admiral Carrie to come on the line.

“Yes, sir,” she answered.

“We’ll be in combat range in another few seconds. As soon as you see the rest of the fleet open fire, you’re to launch all your interceptors. I want them to launch all their missiles from medium range and then return to be rearmed. I want those Confederation ships pushed closer to Gideon so the big base can hit them with their new fusion energy cannons.”

“What’s so special about those cannons?” asked Rear Admiral Carrie, confused.

Dylan smiled. “You will see. Stand by to launch.”

-

Rear Admiral Carrie was on board her flagship, the dreadnought Exeter. All twenty of her battlecarriers carried full loads of attack interceptors. Backup interceptors and crews had been brought in from several of the other primary worlds of the Hagen Star Cluster to fill out the squadrons that had suffered losses over Tantula Five, while fighting the Druin drones.

She had divided up her command. She was in charge of her dreadnought and all twenty battlecarriers. Rear Admiral Krest on board the dreadnought Tetrex was responsible for the defense of the battlecarriers.

Looking at her executive officer, she gave an order. “All carriers are to stand by to launch. Inform Major Barkley that Admiral Cleemorl wants a medium-range launch of missiles and then for the squadrons to return and rearm.”

On the main viewscreen, she saw the fleet slowing down, and then weapons fire erupted as the Confederation fleets lit up with explosions. At the same time the entire front of Admiral Cleemorl’s fleet lit up as well. The battle had started.

“Launch!” ordered Carrie. She felt the adrenaline flowing through her, as her heart beat rapidly. She knew what was at stake in this battle, and she had no intentions of letting Admiral Cleemorl down.

-

Dylan winced from the sheer volume of weapons fire striking his fleet. Already a number of battlecruisers and a few dreadnoughts had been destroyed. But the Confederation forces were suffering as well, as Imperial particle beams tore through ships, leaving lifeless hulks in space, and Rear Admiral Barnes’s accelerator cannons blew enemy ships into oblivion.

On the main viewscreens, Dylan saw the attack interceptors launching and forming up into squadrons. After only a few minutes they moved toward the Confederation fleet in two waves. Dylan needed their extra missiles to help push the Confederation fleet closer to Gideon and the heavy weapons of the base.

-

“Activate defense grid,” ordered General Flynn, as he watched the nearing enemy fleets on the viewscreens and tactical displays. The Confederation fleets were now in range of most of the grid. The ground-based PDCs were still out of range, but the distance was still dropping.

“The enemy fleets are still heading directly toward the north pole and this base,” reported Colonel Jensen. “They will be in range of our primary cannons in three more minutes, if they keep moving at their current speed and direction.”

“Have our primary cannons target enemy battleships. The more of them we can take out, the weaker their fleets will become.” A wolfish grin spread across General Flynn’s face. The Confederation fleets had no idea what was waiting for them when they engaged this base.

-

Morag Admiral Norlan was surprised by the heavy firepower coming from the moon’s defensive grid.

Enemy attack interceptors coming in range, warned the sensor officer. They’re launching their missiles. Missile count is 10,200 and still rising.

Shoot down as many of those as possible, ordered Norlan. The Humans were attempting to overload his fleets’ energy screens by massive missile bombardments.

Norlan wished he had some of the new light cruisers, designed to take out the Human interceptors, but Morag Fleet Admirals Torrant and Colane had all of them, since the two fleet admirals felt they would be needed in the Golan Four System, where they expected to face large numbers of the dangerous interceptors.

Order the Druins and the Zynth to engage the Human fleet. We’ll take out the moon’s defensive grid and that huge base.

-

The ODPs in range of the Confederation fleets were in full launch mode. They had extra-large supplies of missiles, and every ODP