Annihilation: The Power of a Queen (23 page)

Kosiev looked at Kelly and said, “Count it down.”

Kelly said, “3 minutes, 2 minutes, 1 minute, 30 seconds, 20 seconds, 10, 9, 8, 3,2,1, execute.”

All eight asteroid forts fired their primary beams at the dreadnaughts attacking their screen. The 90 ships inside the earth’s screen flew out and started toward the Alliance fleet that turned and moved to intercept them. On the other side of the planet, eight Ultra ships broke into normal space with two for each Alliance ship left behind. The Alliance sensor officers were distracted when the forts began firing their weapons and that hesitation was fatal. The Ultra ships blew them apart with their primary beams. At the same moment that the Ultra ships were breaking into normal space the forts fired an intense needle into each of the beams the 400 dreadnaughts were using to drain the planets screen on the sun side of the planet. The beams that were drawing energy from the planets screen sucked the needles into their intakes at light speed. Each of those needles had 1000 hornets pulsed into those dreadnaughts. Before any of the ships on the opposite side of the planet from the main Alliance fleet could communicate they were all blown out of existence. Even the rubble was destroyed by hornets with no target.

The Subleader ordered his fleet to fan out in front of the 90 Earth ships but to stay out of range of the forts beam weapons. He heard his sensor officer trying to get his attention but he ignored him and continued to issue orders to his fleet. Suddenly the sensor officer yelled at the top of his voice, “We must escape now.”

The Subleader was startled and saw the sensor officer pointing at the main sensor display on the wall. He saw the ninety ships rising from the planet but then he saw a scarlet wave of ships fanning out from the backside of the moon moving to trap his fleet between the planet and the moon. He began to order his fleet to run to either side of the planet to escape the incoming ships which his monitor said numbered more than 4,000. Suddenly the monitor showed two more waves of ships coming around the planet from both directions and he knew his fleet was trapped. He had seen what 600 of those small ships could do during their attack back in the Alliance home system and if his count was right, he was facing more than 7,000 ships to his 8,500. Before he could think of an escape plan his fleet was surrounded. He radioed the Warleader and told him his situation and then his communication was blocked. His board started receiving requests for directions but he was uncertain of what to do. Suddenly, a squadron of eighty ships broke and made a run for what looked like a gap in the Humans formation. Before they could get halfway to the gap, sixty huge ships jumped in from Star drive and destroyed all eighty in less than thirty seconds then disappeared back into null space. The Subleader was stunned along with every other ship in his fleet. It’s not possible to use a star drive that close to the sun. What he just saw was impossible, but he witnessed it. He knew his fleet was doomed. Then his communications officer said, “Subleader, the Humans are asking to communicate with you.”

The Subleader looked at him, shrugged, and said, “Put them on.”

The display came on showing a human in Military uniform addressing him in standard Alliance, “Are you the commanding officer of this fleet?” The human asked.

“Yes, I am.”

“We have your fleet surrounded but we do not wish to destroy you if it can be avoided. We have destroyed the 400 dreadnaughts and the four ships you stationed on the other side of the planet and we don’t want to continue the slaughter, but make no mistake, unless you do exactly as instructed we will destroy every ship. Are you ready to comply with our instructions?”

The Subleader tried to collect his thoughts but was frozen. He didn’t know what he should do and the Warleader was blocked from his communications. One thing he knew for certain, he had no chance against the Human fleet and the other half of the Alliance fleet could not arrive in time to save him. He decided that death was better than being captured. “Attack the Humans,” he ordered over his command circuit. Then he watched his display for the battle to begin and saw that nothing was happening.

Suddenly, one of those huge Human battleships appeared next to his ship. The human on the display, which he was certain was being broadcast to all the ships in his fleet said, “Perhaps you would like to start the action.”

The Human ship was half the size of his dreadnaught but he had no doubt that it would totally destroy his ship. He sat down in his chair and said, “What are your instructions?”

“We will have a line of battleships between your fleet and the moon to insure our instructions are followed. One of our ships will escort 100 of your ships to a crater on the moon where you will land your ships and disembark into one of your transport shuttles that has interstellar capability. If you don’t have enough transports to take all your crews, then after the first load is transported back to the Alliance, we will allow the same shuttles to return for other crews. If the Alliance fleet stationed near the star drive limit would like to use some of their shuttles to help in the process, we will allow them to assist using a blue green strobe. If they will not and the Alliance will not allow the shuttles to make a return trip then we will transport you later to a neutral site for pickup. You will not be mistreated or abused.”

“What are you going to do with our ships?” the Subleader asked.

“We’ll hold them for safe keeping until the Alliance chooses to end this nonsense. Until such time that we can negotiate a diplomatic understanding, they will remain parked on the moon. We really don’t care if you set self destruct mechanisms on them. We have no intention of coming anywhere near them.

The Subleader thought for a moment then asked, “I have one request of you and then I will comply with your requests.”
Kosiev looked at the Alliance Fleet commander and said, “What request is that?”

“I want to leave the commanding officer of each ship and one other crew member for support behind on each ship.”
Kosiev looked amused and said, “Why would you want to do that?”

“I’m going to have to go back and explain how I allowed all our ships to fall into enemy hands without fighting. If someday we do come back to retrieve them and we’ve left the self destructs active, we could have a huge loss of life. Also, it will insure that you won’t use our own ships against us. The commanders can use the self destruct mechanisms to destroy the fleet if you don’t keep your word.”

The Human looked off the display and appeared to be listening to someone else. “We will allow it provided we place a mine on each ship’s hull to ensure that no one tries to move them. We will also allow a relief of the crew members left behind on a scheduled basis. Will you have enough stores for them?”

“We just arrived and the ships are provisioned for entire crews. There should be plenty.”

“Then we are agreed,” Kosiev said. “I will open a communications channel as soon as all your ships are parked on the moon. I would ask the following to expedite the process. All ships from one member of the Alliance will move out from your ranks and move as a unit to the moon. That way it will be easier for the members to move their ships later.”

The Subleader thought, “Why didn’t I think of that?” Then he said, “All Spejk ships move out of formation and form on the Human escorts. After them the Bewyas will go second. My staff will notify each of you when it is your time to move.” The Subleader knew his career was over but at least he would not be remembered for a massacre. He had hoped the other Alliance ships further out in the system would come to their aid but they had made no move to come in system. He suspected that the Warleader was somewhat fearful of these Humans. Now he knew why. He suspected that the former Subleader didn’t make it out alive because he was stupid.

The Warleader was relaxing in his command chair when his sensor leader said. “Warleader, there’s something happening around the Human’s home world.”

He looked up and said, “What do you see.”

“Nothing, our feed from the Subleader has been cut off. Our long range sensors show the asteroids circling the planet firing their energy beams.”

“Why would they do that? Are they reaching our ships?”

“No, Warleader, but now I’m getting a reading of numerous ships lifting from the large moon and moving toward our fleet at an extremely high speed.”

The Warleader felt a sick feeling and asked, “How numerous?”

“At least 4,000 and now I’m reading more than 2,500 more ships coming around from the backside of the planet.”

The Warleader just stared at the sensor leader.

“Our systems now confirm more than 7,000 ships have moved in and trapped our fleet between the moon and the planet.”

“Open a channel to the fleet and tell them to get out of there.”

“Our communications are being blocked. Warleader, sixty huge ships have just come out of star drive inside the moons orbit and destroyed eighty ships trying to escape. They have now jumped back into star drive and disappeared from our sensors.”

“That’s impossible. No ship can jump in that close.”
“I’m replaying it on your display.”

The Warleader watched and saw the ships appear close to the escaping ships and then destroy all of them instantly. They then disappeared. “Do we still have communications to the Alliance Center?”

“Yes, Warleader, I’ll open a channel now.

State leader Sten was in his office waiting for updates from the fleet with Headman Dgzh when his assistant came in saying emergency communication from the fleet. Stein and Dgzh looked at each other and both could see the anxiety in each other’s face. “Put it thru.”

“State Leader, the Humans have surrounded half of our fleet at their home world,” The Warleader said. “It appears they have more than 7,000 warships.”

Sten and Dgzh were stunned speechless. Finally, Dgzh said, “Why is only half your fleet at the planet?”

The Warleader felt a sick feeling but knew his life depended on his answer. “I expected some kind of trap from the Humans. We scanned every inch of space in their system with the entire fleet to make sure no low powered ships were hiding. We found only the 90 ships left over from the last battle. I was concerned that the Glod Union would jump in to save their Human ally so I stationed half our fleet at the Star drive limit to prevent any surprise attacks that would pin our fleet in system too far to jump to safety. The Humans hid their ships inside the moon deep enough to avoid our sensors and had 3,000 more on the surface hidden by their screen. It’s a good thing I did what I did or we might lose our entire fleet.”

“Warleader, you outnumber them almost three to one. You would have had a better chance with your fleet intact.”

The Warleader looked at the Alliance leaders and said, “Admiral, 600 of their ships jumped into your system before this battle and destroyed more than 5,000 ships. They lost only 500 or so ships. They have consistently killed between six to ten ships for every one of theirs we kill. Now they have 7,000 ships in system. How many ships do you think it would take to defeat them?”

Sten and Dgzh knew he was right. If all their ships had been trapped that far from the star drive limit; they would have probably lost them all.”

“There’s one more thing that you need to know,” the Warleader said. “I’m sending a recording of what happened when some of our ships tried to break thru the Human blockade.”

Stein and Dgzh watched as the eighty ships tried to escape and the 60 huge Human battleships jumped in on top of them and destroyed them all. “That’s not possible,” Dgzh said as he jumped up from his chair. “No one can jump that close to a star.”

Then the two Alliance leaders looked at each other and it dawned on them that if the Humans could jump that close to their own planet, then they could jump in right next to theirs. “Warleader, bring the remainder of your fleet back to Alliance Central immediately. As soon as you jump in move your fleet around the planet.”

“State Leader,” his assistant said while running into the room. “There are more than 250 warships that just jumped in close to our planet. They are right outside our atmosphere and the leader is requesting to speak with you.”

The Warleader looked at the two and could see their fear. He then said, “Do you still want me to jump into your system?”

“No, you would never arrive in time to save us. Take your ships to Luris and inform the leader of our Safety Prime Council what has happened. He will decide our next course of action.” Sten then looked at his assistant and said, “Put the communication thru to my office.” He then sat down knowing his world did not have long to live.

The Subleader watched as his ships were escorted to the moon and parked. He kept hoping that the Warleader would come and assist him but even that hope was dashed. “Subleader, the Alliance ships at the jump point have disappeared. They have jumped out of system.”

Now he knew most of his personnel would be trapped here. They just didn’t have enough transports to move them all. He could tell in his crews faces that they were feeling despair.

“The Human leader wishes to speak with you again.”

“Put him on.”

“Commander, it appears your fleet has decided to leave,’ Kosiev said. “I would like to offer a suggestion if you’re open to it.”