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

Leaning back in her command chair, Captain Jill Jennings closed her eyes. She wished she knew how the future turned out for the Empire. That was her last thought as blackness suddenly overcame her when the Command Center was blown open to the harsh vacuum of space.

-

Colonel Evelyn Hatcher closed her eyes, as the Imperil battlecruiser squadron died. It had fought to the last ship and had gone out in a blaze of glory.

“All we have left are ten energy beam satellites and three missile platforms in the shipyard’s defensive grid,” announced Captain Harms, the executive officer.

“Energy shield?”

“Holding at 92 percent,” answered the tactical officer.

Evelyn looked at two of the viewscreens, which showed the space stations. Both were under heavy attack but still putting up resistance.

“General Landryal says he needs more time to get the underground bunkers filled,” reported the communications officer.

Evelyn looked at the tactical display and the massive Morag fleet, now bearing down on the shipyard and the two space stations. “We may not have the time to give him.” She knew that even the shipyard’s powerful energy shield could not withstand the attack of so many enemy warships. “Continue to fire all weapons. Make sure we empty those three missile platforms and tell them to evacuate and go to the ground. We can control those stations from here.”

“Colonel, space station Ganlon is under heavy attack, and their energy shield is about to fail,” reported the communications officer.

Evelyn shifted her gaze to a large viewscreen, focused on the space station. Station Ganlon was a very large space station and had handled much of the trade with alien races. Even as she watched, a huge explosion occurred in one of the docking pylons. The pylon came apart, and a few fires could now be seen burning in the station.

Another explosion occurred in the main docking bay, and the station started to wobble, as its gyroscopes were now out of balance. Weapons fire from the station suddenly came to a stop, and a large number of shuttles could be seen evacuating. The station vibrated and shook violently. Two more missiles slammed into the hull, and the station exploded, throwing glowing debris in every direction. A few of the escaping shuttles were struck by the debris and torn apart. The rest descended into the planet’s atmosphere.

“Station Ganlon is down,” reported the sensor officer in a shaken voice.

-

The two hundred attack interceptors were busy, shooting down any stray missiles that entered the atmosphere. In addition, ground-based interceptor missiles were steadily being launched to take out any missile the interceptors missed. From the ten cities with energy beam turrets surrounding them, a steady energy beam fire took out even more missiles.

Suddenly above an unprotected city, a fusion missile detonated. The blast wave and tremendous heat leveled the center of the city, and a mushroom cloud rose. Fires were everywhere, and the sky was full of smoke and ash. Terrified screams for help came from the rubble of collapsed buildings.

Over the next several minutes, three more cities were struck and devastated.

-

General Landryal shook his head, sadly seeing the destruction of the cities. “Contact the Morag admiral and tell him we are willing to surrender.”

Major Billingsly looked at the general in surprise. “Are you sure? The other space station and the shipyard still have a lot of firepower.”

“I know, but I don’t want to lose them, and we’re losing some of our cities.”

Billingsly nodded and went over to Communications to send the surrender message.

General Landryal leaned back in his chair with a big sigh. He had known they could not win, but he had never expected to face a fleet this large. He wondered now if even the Hagen Star Cluster or the core worlds could stop a fleet of this size.

-

Morag Admiral Voxx listened to the offer to surrender. He had been expecting this. He was surprised it hadn’t occurred earlier. Inform the Humans all resistance must stop immediately. The energy screens on their remaining space station and shipyard must be lowered. We will leave a few ships in orbit to ensure they don’t try to rebuild their defenses.

Voxx listened as First Officer Bale spoke to a Major Billingsly. It only took a few minutes for both sides to come to an agreement to stop the fighting.

What did we lose? asked Voxx.

Sixty-seven battlecruisers and four battleships, answered Bale.

Admiral Voxx nodded. Not a bad price to pay for conquering a heavily populated and defended Human world. It was a good victory. Leave ten battlecruisers and one battleship in orbit to ensure this world stays out of the conflict. We will go on to our next target.

Moments later the Morag fleet entered hyperspace to go a little deeper into the Empire. They had new orders to attack the Human World of Astor. The war for the periphery of the Human Empire would continue.

-

“Have all the interceptors land,” ordered General Landryal. “Put them inside their hangars and wired to explode. We don’t need the Morag capturing any of them. If we detect Morag shuttles coming down to any of the bases where the interceptors are based, the interceptors are to be destroyed. Also we need to begin rescue operations in the cities hit by missiles. We might save quite a few people, if we work quickly enough.”

General Landryal turned toward the communications officer. “Send a hyperlight message to Golan Four and inform them that Ranier Two has fallen. Our part in this war is over.”

Chapter Sixteen

Fleet Admiral Marloo was now thoroughly confused. Ranier Two had been attacked by a fleet of over four thousand Morag warships, and now Leonora Five reports they were under attack as well by a similar fleet.

“Could we be wrong?” asked General Gantts, as she studied the reports.

“Maybe,”