The Forgotten Empire: War for the Empire Raymond Weil (the reading list TXT) 📖

ships, some over one thousand years old. Many of the ships were kept in stasis for future use, while others had the airlocks open, allowing the vacuum of space to preserve them.

Four large space stations on the edge of the shipyard were responsible for disassembling the oldest of the ships. However, now, instead of taking ships apart, they were updating them and equipping them with modern equipment and weapons.

As Councilor Addonis watched, a massive battlecruiser eased from one of the bays. Its design was used nearly two hundred years ago. The battlecruiser turned and moved away from the station toward a large conglomeration of ships. Addonis knew over four thousand ships were in that formation. All were ships that had been repaired and updated. Three other similar formations were above other worlds in Morag space, where similar repairs had been done or were being done.

Your fleet is nearly ready, sent Addonis to Admiral Norlan, who stood close to him. In two more weeks it will be time for you and your ships to take part in the attack on the Human Empire. This would be the only reserve fleet used in the attack. The rest would be used to patrol Confederation space, while most of the more modern warships took part in the assault.

We will be ready, replied Norlan with confidence. The war in the Human Empire will be short and over very quickly. They have never fought the Morag when we have deployed full fleets of our warships.

Addonis nodded. The Zynth and the Druins will take part in the attack as well. Each will be assigned a sector of Human space to attack.

We will not need either, replied Norlan. Our forces will be sufficient.

Perhaps not, agreed Addonis. But we must not underestimate these Humans. They have shown to be quite cunning and dangerous in past battles.

Norlan did not reply. His gaze was on the massive fleet of reserve vessels that he was to command. He would take over the fleet today and would begin practicing battle maneuvers. Battles, such as were ahead, often led to very good promotions. He hoped to be a fleet admiral before this was over and maybe someday to hold a seat on the Morag High Council. After all, he was a very strong telepath, one of the strongest in Morag space.

-

Admiral Dylan Cleemorl nodded in satisfaction, as he inspected the last of the major inhabited moons in the Hagen Star Cluster. All had powerful defensive grids around them, as well as a few ODPs. The seven major worlds of the cluster had also built a few hundred battlecruisers to add to the cluster’s defense. No dreadnoughts had been built, as the decision had been made to concentrate on quantity for now. Dreadnoughts would come later.

“We’re as ready as we can be,” commented Rear Admiral Fulmar, as he gazed at an orbiting ODP on the main viewscreen.

Dylan nodded. He expected an attack within the next few weeks. All across the Empire, preparations were being made to defend against a massive assault by the Confederation. He was pleased that all his dreadnoughts had been equipped with the new particle beam cannons. When used, they should present a great surprise to the Confederation fleets.

Dylan was also pleased with the number of warships he currently had. Not counting the ones being produced by the worlds of the cluster, he had 1,350 battlecruisers and 129 dreadnoughts. He planned on dividing his fleet into three task groups of 450 battlecruisers and 43 dreadnoughts each.

“How soon will you send Cheryl back?”

“A couple more days,” answered Dylan. He didn’t want her around all the fighting, and he expected the fighting in this star cluster to be quite heavy. “She’s actually enjoyed spending time on Tantula Five. It’s very similar to the core worlds, and she’s been running around with the governor’s wife.”

“Probably asking questions to find out if she can put some of her entertainment bars here in the cluster.”

Dylan smiled. His wife still had that wild side to her, and he enjoyed it. It made her very special. “Probably.”

A more serious look crossed Fulmar’s face. “Do you think we can actually stop them here?”

“We’ll make one hell of an attempt,” answered Dylan, his eyes narrowing. He hoped he hadn’t set this star cluster on a path toward total destruction. In another few weeks he would know.

-

On Tantula Five, Cheryl stayed at a luxury resort that catered to anything she wanted. The food was fabulous; the entertainment was great, and the resort offered so many other things. She also was greatly enjoying her time with Dylan. She so looked forward to the end of this war, when they could be together all the time.

She had seen some of the things he had done in this cluster. There was no doubt in her mind that Dylan intended to end the war right here. Cheryl was so proud of what Dylan was doing. One other thing she wanted to do—take advantage of a huge opportunity in this cluster for her restaurants and entertainment clubs.

She had spoken to the governor’s wife a number of times; Cheryl believed her entertainment bars and family restaurants would be a big hit in the cluster. Once she returned to Golan Four, she would meet with Captain Bryan about extending their operation out of the core worlds and across more of the main worlds of the Empire, particularly this cluster. A fortune could be made here, and she would not miss out on it.

-

Dylan and the Themis were back in orbit around Tantula Five. He was rotating the downtime for the crews of his fleet. He wanted everyone to get some time off over the next ten days, as he knew, after that, the Confederation could attack with overwhelming force, or at least with what they thought was overwhelming force. He was turning command of