Read The Lost Fleet: Genesis: A Slaver Wars Novel Online
Authors: Raymond L. Weil
Tags: #Science Fiction & Fantasy, #Science Fiction, #Alien Invasion, #Colonization, #Exploration, #First Contact, #Galactic Empire, #Military, #Space Fleet, #Space Marine, #Space Opera, #Space Exploration
The Lost Fleet: Genesis: A Slaver Wars Novel
(
The Lost Fleet
Series, Book 4)
The Lost Fleet
Series
The Lost Fleet: Galactic Search
(Book 1)
The Lost Fleet: Into the Darkness
(Book 2)
The Lost Fleet: Oblivion’s Light
(Book 3)
The Lost Fleet: Genesis
(Book 4)
The Lost Fleet: Search for the
Originators
(Book 5)
Coming October 2016
Website:
http://raymondlweil.com/
Copyright © May 2016 by Raymond L. Weil
All Rights Reserved
Cover Design by Humblenations.com
This
book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either
products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to
actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. All
rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted
in any form or by any means, without permission in writing from the author.
Admiral
Race Tolsen gazed worriedly at one of the
WarHawk’s
main holographic
tactical displays. On it were hundreds of red threat icons and their numbers
had been steadily growing in recent days. The majority of the red icons were Shari battlecruisers with a length of eleven hundred meters. The other icons were the
smaller nine-hundred-meter cruisers, which served as escorts for the larger
vessels. Glancing over at a viewscreen, he studied one of the Shari warships
being displayed. On the screen there was a large, cylinder-shaped spaceship. It
was dark and menacing with numerous energy weapon turrets and small hatches
indicating missile tubes. The Shari used two types of sublight missiles, both
tipped with nuclear warheads. The yield of the smaller warhead was estimated at
twenty megatons and the larger one a little over thirty. The Federation had a
definite edge in weapons technology, but the Shari ships could still pose a
significant danger, particularly if their numbers continued to grow.
“I guess the
peace talks between the Altons and the Shari aren’t going well,” commented
Commander Madelyn Arnett as she stood with her arms folded across her chest
staring at the screen. Madelyn had been with Race for many years and was a
trusted friend and officer.
Race shook his
head and sighed. “No, from the last update we received from the Federation and
Ambassador Tureen, the Shari are demanding we leave the Rylus Cluster and never
return. They say our being here is an act of war.”
“What does
your sister think of all of this?” Race’s sister had arrived with the relief
fleet.
Race looked
over at another screen showing the battlecarrier
Hera
. It
was
fifteen hundred meters in length, and Massie had made it her flagship though
Race would feel better if she transferred her flag to one of the more powerful Federation
battleships. His sister had been promoted to rear admiral and, along with Alton
Admiral Lankell, had been given command of the relief fleet. Upon its arrival,
command of the combined fleets had been passed on to Race as the senior officer
present.
“How do we
defend this Dyson Sphere?” asked Madelyn with a worried frown. “The damn thing’s
just too huge! While we’re on this side, the Shari could very easily be on the
other. We don’t have the ships to protect such a massive object without
spreading ourselves too thin. Not only that, we’ve been here for three months
and our scientists, as well as those on the Alton science ships, haven’t
managed to find a way in. The thing’s built like a damn fortress!”
“No one said
this would be easy,” answered Race, standing up and walking over to stand in
front of the massive viewscreen that covered the entire front wall of the
WarHawk
.
The
WarHawk
was the largest warship ever constructed by the Altons. The battle
dreadnought measured three thousand meters in length and four hundred meters in
diameter. The Command Center was buried deep within the six-hundred-meter globe,
which was the bow of the ship. In the rear, where the engines were located, the
ship flared out to five hundred meters.
“Admiral, the
defensive grid has been completed, and Commander Stewart of the
Hadean
wants to know if you’re ready to do an inspection,” reported Colonel Brice
Cowel from his command console.
Race nodded.
The
Hadean
was also a dreadnought but slightly smaller than the
WarHawk
.
The
Hadean
was two thousand meters in length and constructed along the
same lines as the flagship. Commander May Stewart was the commanding officer of
the powerful warship.
“All the particle
beam satellites, as well as the Indomitable Class battlestations, are now in
place and operational,” Kelnor Mard reported. Kelnor was an Alton scientist
well versed in the study of the Originators. He also served as the
WarHawk’s
science officer along with Reesa Jast, another Alton who was exceptionally
brilliant.
It had taken
awhile to decide on the exact placement of the defense grid. The Dyson Sphere
was too large to place a grid entirely around it, so the scientists on the
Alton science ships had chosen a smaller area to defend, one which they thought
there was a high probability of being able to find a way inside.
Looking at the
massive viewscreen, Race could dimly make out the giant sphere of metal the
WarHawk
was orbiting. The metal surface reflected back only a minimal amount of the
starlight shining upon it. From a distance, the sphere appeared to be an area
of darkness until you were close enough to actually see it in the dim light
from the surrounding stars. The Rylus Star Cluster was composed of over twelve
thousand stars, and it was their light that made the Dyson Sphere visible.
The sphere wasn’t
smooth. There were mysterious structures and other constructions dotting its
surface. What their purpose was had thus far eluded all of the scientists.
There were ten Alton science ships with the fleet, and their scientific
instruments were focused continuously on the Dyson Sphere.
“Put the
defense grid up on one of the tactical displays,” Race ordered as he turned
away from the viewscreen.
“Coming up on
display two,” Captain Brent Davis replied as he pressed several icons on one of
his screens at the sensor console.
Instantly, in
the indicated holographic display, twenty large blue icons appeared. Each one represented
an Indomitable Class battlestation. Each
station
was one thousand meters in diameter and armed with numerous heavy particle beam
cannons, energy turrets, and sublight antimatter missile tubes. There were
other defensive weapons as well. Around each station were a hundred smaller
light blue icons. These were the particle beam satellites that completed the
defense grid.
Race studied
the tactical display for several minutes, even walking around it to examine the
grid from different perspectives. “That will do,” he said finally. “We’ll move
the fleet beneath the grid and then wait and see what the Shari do.” The
defensive grid had been emplaced three hundred thousand kilometers above the
Dyson Sphere. The fleet would position itself just below the grid where it
could add its considerable firepower if the Shari attacked. “I want four
squadrons of fighters and two squadrons of bombers out on patrol at all times.”
“I’ll pass on
the orders,” Madelyn said, relieved the fleet was going beneath the grid. If
the Shari attacked, they would quickly find out an Indomitable Class
battlestation was nothing they wanted to tangle with, particularly when the
firepower of the particle beam satellites was included.
Now it would
be up to the scientists to find a way to enter the Dyson Sphere. For three months
they had studied the massive megastructure seeking a possible entrance, but it
was sealed tight. The metal the structure was composed of was also impervious
to all of their scans as well as the weapons the Altons and Federation ships
had at their disposal. Race was intensely curious to see what was inside the
sphere. There was room on the inner surface for several million Earths. Even
more important was the question whether there was anyone living inside. Only by
gaining entry could they find out the answer to that haunting question.
-
High Lord
Aktill stood in front of his ship’s tactical screen gazing angrily at the multitude
of red threat icons around the Dyson Sphere. From a few communication
intercepts, he knew it was what the Humans and their allies called the
megastructure. He had been defeated three months previously when a large Human
and Alton fleet arrived in the system. If the relief fleet had waited just
another hour, he could have defeated the ships he was engaged with. However,
with the arrival of the reinforcements, he had been forced to withdraw after
suffering significant losses. Now he was back with a much larger force. The
Grand Council had been stunned when he reported what he had found in this
system. The very existence of the Dyson Sphere had shaken their beliefs to the
core. The science to construct such a structure was nearly incomprehensible.
“Any word from
the Grand Council of High Lords?” asked Lower Lord Samarth, his eyes flashing
with impatience.
“No,” answered
Aktill, shaking his head. “They’re still in negotiations with the Altons.”
“I don’t
understand why they don’t destroy the Alton fleet and allow us to attack these trespassers.
By entering Shari space, it’s an act of war.”
Aktill turned
to face his second in command. “The Altons are a very ancient and clever race.
The fleet they have in our space conducting negotiations consists of sixty
battleships and one hundred and thirty battlecruisers. It would be a very costly
battle. Their weapons and energy shields are far superior to ours.”
Samarth looked
toward a viewscreen showing one of the large two-thousand-meter enemy warships
in orbit above the Dyson Sphere. The ship was obviously of Alton design, but
from the communication intercepts it was being operated by the Humans. “Any
word on the other aliens we were encountering before the Humans and the Altons
put in an appearance?”
Aktill
remained silent for a long moment before speaking. “There have been rumors of their
ships being sighted in various parts of the star cluster. The Grand Council is
convinced they’re also searching for this Dyson Sphere.”
“What of these
robot creatures some of our ships have reported finding? There are many of them
on the world where we found debris from the battle the Humans fought against
the aliens. We have lost numerous soldiers on some of the research missions
that have landed on worlds with signs of ancient structures.”
“I believe
they’re from these same mysterious aliens,” Aktill answered. “I have sent
orders for there to be no more landings on any planets in the Rylus Cluster.
The answer to all of our questions lies within the structure that surrounds
this star.”
Samarth gazed
at one of the screens showing the megastructure. “Our best scientists can find
no way to enter the sphere. Several have suggested using nuclear weapons to attempt
to blast our way in.”
Aktill shook
his head. “Won’t work. The metal of the sphere is too strong and thick. Our
most powerful weapon would barely scratch the surface. No, our best chance is
to continue to search the surface of the sphere. There’s bound to be a way to
enter somewhere. We just need to find it before the Humans or the Altons do.”
An officer
came up and spoke briefly to Samarth, who frowned in concern. “The Human and Alton fleet is moving closer to the Dyson Sphere. They have finished constructing their defensive
grid over sector seventeen quadrant eighty-seven. From our sensor scans, it’s evident
they’re moving their fleet beneath it.”
“It was to be
expected.” This didn’t surprise Aktill. It was what he would have done. It was
becoming evident the Humans and the Altons had decided to limit their search of
the Dyson Sphere to this one small area. He wondered worriedly if they had
found something. The Sharis’ own scientists were working diligently on the far
side of the sphere. A large task group of Shari warships was supporting them,
ensuring no Human or Alton ship came near.
“Do you believe
we will fight the Humans and their allies for possession of the sphere?”
Aktill nodded
his head. “Yes, once we have the necessary ships and the negotiations with the Altons
have come to an end, I am certain we’ll be ordered to attack. This Dyson Sphere
is too valuable to allow anyone but us to control. With the knowledge the
sphere will provide, it will allow us to finish what the AIs started. The Shari
Empire will spread throughout the galaxy until all worlds answer to us.”
“It is well
then that we have been reinforced.”
“More ships
are on the way,” Aktill informed Samarth. He gazed at the red threat icons on
the tactical screen. “This will be the beginning of war between the Shari
Empire and the Human Federation and their allies. It will be a long war, but we
will be victorious in the end.”
Samarth stood
silently as he thought over what Aktill had said. “I worry for the empire,” he
finally said. “The Humans and their allies destroyed the AIs, and the AIs were
truly powerful.”
High Lord
Aktill didn’t answer, for there was truth in what Lower Lord Samarth had just
said. The Hocklyns had learned that the hard way.
-
Rear Admiral
Massie Tolsen watched as a squadron of Talon fighters launched from one of the
Hera’s
flight bays. The squadron would patrol out past the defensive grid. Race had
placed her in charge of the fleet’s ten battlecarriers, and she didn’t intend
to let him down. She could still recall the shock when word of her brother’s resignation
had reached her on the
Hera
. Fortunately, she had been close enough to
home to contact her parents at Ceres. After talking, they had all felt something
else was going on. It had been confirmed when Fleet Admiral Nagumo had called
her into his office. Alton ambassador Tureen had been present and when she emerged,
she was wearing the stars of a rear admiral and given joint command of a large
fleet. Alton Admiral Lankell was the other admiral going on the mission. When
it had been explained to her what was at stake and what her brother was
seeking, she had realized just how important Race was to Admiral Nagumo and the
Federation. She had felt a swelling of pride at the mission her brother had
been entrusted with.
“Captain
Weinhardt reports all Talons of Falcon squadron have launched, and they’re
heading out to their patrol coordinates,” reported Commander Braden Macleod.
Massie nodded.
Captain Weinhardt was the ship’s CAG and a very competent commanding officer.
He had seen considerable combat in the war against the Hocklyns and the AIs and
was one of the best combat pilots she had ever seen fly a Talon.