Shadow Space Chronicles 1: The Fallen Race (27 page)

He turned his attention back to the forces that fled before him.  They obviously saw their end approach.  From what he knew of humans and their pathetic emotional ways, it would only be a matter of time before they broke and scattered.

“
Uh, Planetary Governor?”

“
Yes?”  Kleigh turned his attention back to the sensor officer.  He couldn’t remember this one’s name, but he’d already decided to demote the Chxor.

“
The cruisers have opened fire on Defense Force Two.  They’re using high-power, short range weapons, more powerful than Commander Kleiss expected.  Commander Kleiss is requesting assistance and doesn’t think that he will be able to escape them.”

Kleigh spoke slowly, as if to a child, “Tell Commander Kleiss he is relieved of command, and his second is to take charge and destroy the enemy.”

“Planetary Governor, Commander Kleiss’ vessel just lost power.  The other ships of his force have lost engines or power or both, and some are reporting they are being boarded.”

Kleigh stared at the officer for a long moment, “Tell them to fight to the last, for the Chxor Empire.”

“Yes, Planetary Governor.”

***

A tangle of human and Chxor bodies all but blocked the doorway to the command center.  A dozen men and women were dragging them out of the way.  Lauren stepped inside, trying to ignore the charnel house reek.  Blood and bits spattered control panels.  The Chxor commander and a handful of Chxor officers might have tried to surrender, from the looks of things.  She doubted any rebels had noticed, not after the carnage of the past months of Chxor rule.

“Get Lieutenant Beeson in here,” She called.

“
He’s on the way.” Reese stood over a panel and frowned.  “This is the fire control station.  I don’t read Chxor though.”

“
I do.” Lauren said.  She moved over to stare down at it.  “I was a tech aboard a cruiser for a time.”  She frowned, “Everything is online, power plants are up, weapons are charged.”

“
Where’s the communications systems?  We stopped jamming as soon as we took the command center.  I’d like to let the Baron know we’ve taken over down here.”

Lauren looked around, and pointed at a console, “There, that one.  I can help you—”

“No, I’ll figure it out.  Here’s Beeson.”  Reese nodded as the breathless lieutenant hurried in.  They’d told him to hang in the rear, for his knowledge of the weapons systems would be essential.  Evidently, he’d disregarded those orders.  A bandage wrapped the side of his head.  Scorch marks and blood stained his uniform.

“
Oh, crap, it’s in Chxor.” He stared at the console.

“
Already ahead of you,” Lauren laughed.  “What do you need to know?”

“
I need the sensor repeater, targeting data…” She pointed out the things he required.

“
This won’t work, we need two people trained in weapons systems to handle the main guns.  And with how they’ve got it set up, neither of them will be able to operate the air defense systems.  We’ll need those up to deal with the Chxor combat shuttles that will come as soon as we open fire.”

“
I can operate ship’s guns,” Mason said.  “I just need someone to read Chxor.”

Both looked over at the smuggler.  He was just as dirty and blood spattered as them, but there was a new vitality to his face.  Lauren nodded, “I’ll show you.  Just show me how to operate the air defenses.”

He gave a sharp nod.

The three settled at different consoles.  Lauren moved from one to the other, now and again directing individual rebels to push toggles or buttons at various areas around the room.

“How are we getting targeting data?” Lauren asked.

Reese smiled from the communications console.  “Live feed from the Chxor.  They’re forwarding us their positions, for now.”

“Seems fitting.” Mason said.  He looked over at Beeson.  “I’m ready here.”

“
Me too.”

The entire base vibrated slightly as the massive lasers began to fire.

***

“Planetary Governor, one of the planetary defense centers just opened fire.”

Kleigh peered down at his screens.  “What is their target?  There can’t be anything in their range.”

“They’re firing on our own ships.”

Kleigh jerked his head up, at a loss for words.

“Dreadnought 05848 reports severe damage, they are evacuating ship.  Officer Krath reports that enemy fire has destroyed two cruisers and that he has ordered troops to attack the facility from the ground.”

“
No, order the first assault to be by air.  It will be more rapid that way.” Kleigh said instantly.  He knew that he must correct his officer in at least one way to show that he was in charge.

“
Tactical Planning Officer Krath respectfully responds that he believes the air defenses will knock out at least half of such an assault.”

“
Casualties are irrelevant, only victory matters.” Kleigh snapped.  “Have—”

“
Planetary Governor, Tactical Planning Officer Krath reports that a new warship has begun firing on his forces.  He reports it possesses sophisticated stealth systems and their sensors are unable to target it.”

Kleigh shook his head.  He looked first at the retreating human force, then at the ongoing battle near the moon, and lastly at the battle which had erupted at Faraday.  “Order the other planetary defense center to open fire on the intruder.  Tell Officer Krath that we will return to Faraday as soon as these other humans are crushed.”

“Sir, the other planetary defense center is not responding to communications.  Krath believes that a rebel force has attacked both sites.  He—”

“
Cut all further communications from Faraday, we must focus on the task at hand.” Kleigh typed in several notes.  First, he would insure that both planetary defense commanders and their officer cadre received demotions.  Next, he typed up a request for reinforcement and a detailed list of the failures of his officers that led to the current losses   He attached his expectations of the next battle.  This one he forwarded immediately to the Sector Commander, his superior at the Melcer system.

Chxor High Command would act best on the most relevant information.

***

Lucius tightened his restraining straps one last time.  His gaze roved the bridge.

“
Thirty seconds fer’ the Chxor comin’ around the gas giant.”

“
Thank you Lieutenant Palmer,” Lucius said.  He contemplated the forces he’d mustered.  The two squadrons of fighters launched from the
War Shrike
and the three from his makeshift carrier
Success
hung in a halo around the gathered warships.  They’d rearmed in record time, due to Captain Naevius’s ritual of constant drill.

Those fighters were joined by another squadron launched from the
Gebneyr
, and brought the total to thirty six Harassers.

The fighters of Admiral Mannetti joined his own.  The smaller Interceptor-class fighters carried a lighter payload and two lighter guns.  She was able to bring more of them for their size, though.  The
Peregrine
carried three squadrons rather than two..

Admiral Collae’s carrier carried another three squadrons.

Her two cruisers and the added bulk of the
Peregrine
herself made up one flank of Lucius’ force.  The
War Shrike
and the
Gebneyr
made up the other.  Admiral Collae and his heavily armed destroyers and the modified cruiser
Rubicon
lay in the middle.

“
Here they come.”

The Chxor force crested the horizon of the moon.  They finally received solid sensor readings of the force they faced.

At that moment, every fighter and ship launched their missiles.

Over two hundred and twenty missiles stabbed out.  Most of those came from the halo of fighters.  The
Gebneyr
launched forty from its external racks.  Most of the other ships mounted only a couple or more missile tubes.

The Chxor commander didn’t have time to gain sensor lock on the numerous ships.   Lucius wanted it that way.  The Chxor might claim to be above emotion, but he knew even they knew panic.

The Chxor force split, half went to full deceleration in a vain attempt to avoid the battle.  The other half continued their course, too stunned to take action.  Sporadic fire lashed out at the inbound missiles as all the Chxor ships attempted evasive maneuvers.  One of the dreadnoughts, and Lucius had a suspicion it was Kleigh’s, rolled behind the others.  That ship couldn’t lend its firepower to support its fellows, only hide behind them.

Lucius marked that icon, “I want this ship.  If it survives, we go after it.”

The Chxor had almost a minute before impact.  Lucius’ ships began to match their course.  The two fleets lay separated by twenty thousand kilometers on launch.  By the time the missiles began to impact, they had closed to fifteen thousand kilometers, just at the edge of range for the heavier ships.

The two hundred missiles slammed into the Chxor force.  Explosions blossomed and ships died.  The screening cruisers did their job, this time, for every one of those lighter ships took two, sometimes three ship-killer missiles that otherwise would have hit a dreadnought.

Even so, cruisers could only take so much damage.  Over a hundred missiles made it through to target the larger dreadnoughts.  The six dreadnoughts shuddered in the grasp of that firepower.  Two of them vanished, wreathed in nuclear fire.  Two more came through as gutted hulks, lifeless irradiated tombs.

One dreadnought, streamed air and water but still managed sporadic fire at the human forces.  The other, relatively untouched, heeled over in an attempt to evade the enemy forces.

“Close the range.  Don’t let them withdraw.” Lucius said.  “That one!  Target that ship.”

Admirals Collae and Manetti swarmed over the damaged dreadnought.  They fired their lighter weapons into the massive ship from point blank range.  Their lighter ships dodged and wove as they closed the distance and fired everything they had.  The
War Shrike
and the
Gebneyr
closed on the relatively undamaged flagship.  The cloud of fighters swarmed around them to strafe the damaged and crippled cruisers that sought to intercept.

“
Target his engines, he’ll try to jump to Shadow,” Lucius snapped.  Commander Kleigh had a knack for surviving defeats.

Fire snapped out.  The dreadnought, as if it finally realized that its pursuers would not allow its escape, returned fire.  The
War Shrike
shuddered as it took a grazing hit.

“
We just lost forward hangar rails and missile tubes three and four.”

The ship thrummed as the EPCs cycled.  Explosions and debris marked the effectiveness of Kral and Doko’s fire.

Lucius spared a moment’s attention to look at the rest of the battle.  One of Mannetti’s cruisers spun, powerless, a shattered wreck ripped lengthwise by fire.  A squadron of Naevius’ fighters had strayed into the path of a Chxor broadside.  Twelve more bunks would be empty tonight.

Lucius jerked against the seat restraints.  The
War Shrike
lurched and then heaved again from a second hit.  A third and fourth hit signaled they’d received the love of a full battery.  “Major hits, Baron.  We lost our port fuel tank, the hangar, and environmental in sections—“

Another hit cut off the list, and the forward bulkhead exploded.  A fireball cut through the compartment.  Lieutenant Palmer vanished, along with half his department.

***

Planetary Governor Kleigh forgot about his legacy.  He forgot about his duty.  As his squadron died around him and his ship reeled from impact after impact, everything ceased to have meaning beyond his own survival.

“
Plot us a course, now!”  His throat felt raw and he couldn’t seem to get enough air.  “Jump as soon as you have a course plotted through shadow space!”

***

The fire died and a vortex of air ripped through the bridge.  Pressure doors slammed down.  Lucius slammed his visor.  “First responders to the bridge.  Medic team to the bridge.”  He looked over, Doko and Kral still typed in firing orders.  Chief Winslow seemingly teleported from his console to the helm and managed to replace the wounded helmsman and put the
War Shrike
through a dizzying evasive maneuver at the same time.

When he looked back at his screens, Lucius saw the fleeing dreadnought had finally turned at bay.  As he watched, sections of the ship’s defensive screen flickered.  A haze of escaped gas and water vapor boiled around the damaged ship.

One of the engine pods exploded.  Another series of hits stippled the flank.