Galactic Empire Wars: Insurrection (The Galactic Empire Wars Book 5) (24 page)

“Buildings
have been searched and there were no Kleese inside,” reported Sergeant Lewis.
“They must have all come out to join in the battle.”

“Let’s get all
of these civilians moving out,” Ryan ordered. There were still hundreds of
civilians inside the compound. Unfortunately, some had been killed by wayward
RG rounds from the hover tanks when the walls were blasted down. “As soon as
they’re gone I’m going to call down a railgun strike from the
Deliverance
.
We’re going to level this compound.” Ryan knew it was the Kleese who had killed
most of the Marines lost in the brutal battle. It had surprised everyone when
they had joined in the combat. Ryan knew they were fortunate these were regular
Kleese and not Zaltule. If they had been Zaltule, the casualties would have
been much higher.

With a deep
sigh, Ryan looked at his HUD. A lot of Marines had died in the fighting,
including some close friends. He had also lost Sergeants Reinhardt and Dewey.
Both had been killed in hand-to-hand combat against the Kleese. He was also
greatly concerned about Lauren. He didn’t know how Casey would react if she
lost her best friend.

“It’s done,”
Captain Morris said as she walked up to stand next to Ryan.

“Yes, it’s
done,” answered Ryan. “But we paid a heavy price; heavier than expected.”

“It’s war,”
Olivia said. “We all lost friends today, but we also killed a hell of a lot of
Kleese.”

Ryan nodded.
“Let’s get back to the drop ships and back up to the assault cruisers. We’re
done here.”

-

Two hours
later, the complex erupted in massive explosions as railgun rounds from the
Deliverance
slammed into the buildings. They collapsed as the deadly rounds rained down,
releasing their built up kinetic energy. Fire and smoke rose up into the air,
blotting out the sun. When the explosions stopped, there was nothing to show
the Kleese had ever been on Anglesh. All signs of their presence upon the
planet and in orbit had been ruthlessly eliminated.

-

Commander Bree
Symington gazed at the viewscreens, still in shock at the violence of the
battle on the ground. Over one hundred and twenty Marines had died and another
sixty were in serious condition. Most were expected to make it while others
might not. If they still had the
Defender
and its advanced medical bay,
they could probably save all of them. With a deep sigh, she now knew why she
had never wanted to become an admiral.

“I have an
inbound Fold Space contact,” reported Ensign Brenda Davis.

Bree turned
toward the ensign. “How close is it?”

“Forty minutes
until it drops out of Fold Space,” Davis replied.

Bree wondered
what it could be. Most likely, it was a cargo ship from one of the worlds the
Kleese controlled. It could also be a Kleese vessel. One thing she did know,
she wasn’t going to wait around to find out.

“All ships,
this is Commander Symington,” she said over the ship-to-ship command channel.
“We have an inbound contact dropping out of Fold Space in forty minutes. We’re
not going to wait around to find out what it is. All ships, standby to activate
your Fold Space Drives. We’re leaving in ten minutes. It’s time to go home.”

-

Ten minutes
later the surviving ships of the Human fleet activated their Fold Space Drives
and left the Anglesh System. Thirty minutes later a Zaltule battlecruiser
dropped out of Fold Space in close proximity to the planet. The ship was twelve
hours ahead of schedule because its commander had decided to come earlier as he
wanted to make a full inspection of the two orbiting space stations and the
Kleese compound.

Minor Overlord
Jadel gazed at the viewscreens showing nothing but debris orbiting Anglesh.
Sensor scans had already determined these were the remains of the two stations
as well as both exploration cruisers and a number of assault ships. The sensors
also reported the ruins of three other vessels and after a few more minutes,
the sensor operator identified them as destroyed Human warships.

Minor Overlord
Jadel knew this had to have been done by the rampaging Human fleet that had
been reported to be in Kleese space. It was obvious from the location of this
attack the fleet must be heading back to the Human led Alliance. He quickly
activated his ship’s FTL transmitter and sent the warning to all the worlds on
the fleet’s path back to Alliance space. If enough Kleese ships could be
gathered in time, they might yet be able to locate it and destroy it.

Colonel Wade
Nelson was in Luna City visiting with Mayor Stan Silas. Stan had been the mayor
for nearly twelve years and was considering retirement when the next election
came around.

“It’s been too
long,” Stan said with a deep sigh as he leaned back in his chair and folded his
arms across his chest. “It’s not like the old days before the Kleese struck
Earth. Those days were wild, and we never knew from one day to the next what we
might find next here on the Moon. We had mining operations starting up in countless
locations and prospectors fanning out across the surface seeking unclaimed
mineral deposits. In many ways, we were like Vesta when Smithfield was the
center of the mining operations going on in the belt. There was scarcely a day
that Mason, Alex, and I didn’t talk about some new and exciting discovery.”

Wade nodded
his understanding. Alex Scott had been killed when the Kleese devastated Mars
Central. Four Kleese antimatter missiles had detonated above the city,
destroying it and a number of the deep underground bunkers that were supposed
to protect the populace. “This phase of the war will soon be coming to an end.
The Kleese, or I should say the Zaltule clan of the Kleese, have a large fleet
at the trading station in Sector Thirteen. We expect them to launch their
attack on the Alliance or the Solar System at any time. If we can destroy their
fleet, the war will turn in our favor.”

“That’s a big
if,” Stan said, shaking his head. He leaned forward and picked up his cup of
steaming coffee from his desk. Taking a sip, he smiled. “I always liked the
coffee from Columbia,” He said wistfully, his eyes partially closed recalling
the savory taste. “We had so many more blends from different countries back
then. There was a time I could take one sip and tell you where the coffee beans
originated.” Putting the cup back down he let out a deep sigh. “Now we grow all
of our coffee deep underground where the plants never see actual sunlight.
Somehow it just doesn’t seem right.”

“We lost a lot
when the Kleese launched their missile at Earth,” Wade acknowledged. “I guess
we’re lucky we managed to salvage as much as we did.”

Stan opened
his desk drawer and slid a photo over toward Wade. It was a picture of an
elephant. “Elephants are extinct now because of the Kleese as well as thousands
of other animal species. I spoke to Lawrence Henderson the other day. They’ve
been surveying the Earth’s oceans to see if any fish survived. Whales are gone
as well as most everything else. Lawrence thinks a few species may have
survived in the deeper waters, particularly around some of the volcanic vents,
but at the moment, he has no way to conduct that type of deep water survey.”

“I spoke to
Mason Randle a few months back about this,” Wade replied. He and Beth had gone
to see Mason as they had some questions about cloning which had come up in a
discussion with Harnett. “He said if we can find viable DNA samples from Earth
animals, they may be able to use the cloning technology to bring them back.”

Stan’s eyes
widened at the thought of what that might mean. “We’re going to start
terraforming Mars shortly. Wouldn’t it be amazing to see the oceans on Mars
teeming with life? Whales, tuna, sea lions, and all the rest. It would be a
miracle.”

Wade nodded in
agreement. “Our habitats are wonderful. The Kiveans have helped us to build
cities and places to live very reminiscent of what Earth could have been. But
we’re still living underground. I miss the open air, going to the beach, and
camping in the mountains. We’ve built a safe environment to raise our children,
but I feel they’re missing out on so much.”

“My wife says
much the same,” replied Stan, sliding his chair back and standing up. He walked
over to a large window that allowed him to look out over Luna City. Then he turned back around toward Wade. “I understand General Mitchell has you going
around inspecting the deep bunkers we’ll use in case of an attack.”

“Yes, there’s
a lot of concern that with the size of the Zaltule fleet, they may be able to
damage some of our habitats with antimatter missiles.”

“Like Mars
Central,” muttered Stan, wincing at the memory. “I’ll arrange for Major Baer to
take you on a tour. All of our deep bunkers are very well maintained and have
supplies for nearly a month.”

“Thank you,
Mayor,” Wade answered. He knew that Mayor Silas had a busy schedule for the day
and rearranged his agenda just so they could meet.

“Tell Beth I
said hello and that my wife and I would like to see Erick next time the two of
you come to Luna City.”

“I will,”
promised Wade. So far, other than the Kivean asteroid, Beth and Erick had
stayed in Vesta. Beth preferred the safety the asteroid provided.

-

Two hours
later, Wade was standing at the end of a long and wide corridor. In front of
him was a set of large metal doors. The corridor was brightly lit and it seemed
as if the floors had been recently polished.

“We’re two
thousand feet underground,” Major Baer explained as he slid his key card
through the security identification scanner on the wall next to the doors.
Stepping back, he watched as the two doors slowly swung open. Beyond them,
another set opened in the opposite direction.

“Why aren’t
there any guards posted in front of these doors?” asked Wade. He hadn’t seen
any guards since they had entered the long winding corridor. He knew the
corridor made several sharp turns in order to add protection to the bunker.

Baer pointed
toward the ceiling where a small black globe was embedded in the concrete and
steel. “We have security cameras in all the corridors leading to the bunkers,”
he explained. “There’s also a company of Marines in Type Three battlesuits
stationed close enough to respond to any interlopers. This particular company
is responsible for the safety of four of these facilities.” The major paused
and looked at Wade. “You may know the man in charge of this company of Marines.
It’s Captain Samuel Griffith.”

Wade nodded,
recognizing the name. Captain Griffith had been Colonel Stevens’ best friend
and had served with him at Jornada during the cataclysm. Captain Griffith and
his family now lived in Luna City. He let out a deep breath. Everyone had lost
family and friends when Earth had died. Unfortunately, even now, there was
still suffering when brave men and women perished in battle.

Stepping
inside the bunker, Wade paused upon seeing the scope of what was before him. A
large central corridor led off as far as the eye could see. On each side of the
corridor, open hatches led to other parts of the massive bunker complex. As
they walked, Wade occasionally paused to look past the hatches at what lay on
the other side. Huge dormitories capable of holding hundreds of people were
visible. There were cafeterias, supply rooms, and even a modern medical
facility.

“How many
people can this bunker hold?”

“Eighty
thousand,” Major Baer answered. “We have twelve of these large bunkers around
and below Luna City. There are emergency drills every three months where
everyone evacuates the city and comes down to the bunkers. Each family has
their own assigned berths in the dormitories as well as assigned schedules to
eat in the cafeterias.”

Wade paused,
looking sharply at the major. “That’s not nearly enough room for the entire
population.” Wade knew over two million people called Luna City their home. There were several other large domed cities on the Moon as well.

“There are
numerous small private bunkers throughout the city and the adjoining domes,”
answered Baer. “Most are quite capable of surviving if the Kleese manage to hit
the city or one of the domes with an antimatter missile.”

Wade knew what
the major wasn’t admitting. If more than one antimatter warhead went off some
of the bunkers could be compromised, just as they had at Mars Central.

Going into a
small command and control room, Wade gazed at the now dormant facility. In case
of attack, twenty people would be operating the control consoles that were now
silent. Upon the wall, dozens of viewscreens were capable of showing views of Luna City and the surrounding desolate moonscape. Wade sincerely hoped it would never be
necessary to activate this control center. If it was, then it would indicate
the Zaltule had come to the Solar System in force.

-

General
Mitchell was standing in one of Centerpoint Station’s many flight bays
inspecting a battlecruiser that would be starting on its space trials the next
day.

“That’s the
last one,” General Pittman said. “The next group of battlecruisers won’t be
ready for three more months. We used all of our resources to get the ones we
were already working on finished and ready for combat.”

“I just hope
it’s enough,” Mitchell said as he watched several large construction robots
carrying crates and other supplies into the ship. Glancing over at General
Pittman, he continued. “Robert, I want you to take command of Freedom Station.
I need someone over there that I trust implicitly.”

General
Pittman was taken aback by the request. “What about General Sampson? I thought
she was doing fine commanding the station.”

“She is,”
Mitchell replied. “But she has no combat experience. She’ll act as your second
in command. I’ve already spoken to her and I’m pretty certain I sensed the
sound of relief in her voice when I told her I was sending you over.”

General
Pittman nodded. “I’ll arrange to have my personal items sent over to the
station immediately. What are we going to do about Holbrook Station? Are you
going to order it shut down?”

General
Mitchell nodded his head. “I think we have to. It’s too lightly defended, and
its energy shield wouldn’t last long against a Zaltule battlecruiser.”

“Darren Kirby
won’t like that,” responded Pittman, arching his eyebrow. “He’s been fighting
tooth and nail to keep the station open. He’s fully convinced that when we
begin trying to calm the earthquakes and volcanoes on Earth Holbrook will be
essential in that effort.”

“It would be
nice to have since it’s so close to Earth and has all that scientific equipment
on board.” The Kiveans in recent years had helped to completely modernize the
station’s scientific instruments. Holbrook’s primary job was monitoring Earth
and the ongoing changes to its atmosphere and tormented surface.

General
Pittman nodded as he stepped back to allow two smaller work robots to go past
them. They were carrying tools and headed toward an assault ship still in the
bay. “When are you going to tell Kirby to begin evacuating the station?”

“Tomorrow,”
General Mitchell replied with a frown. “I’m not looking forward to that
conversation as I know Darren’s going to protest very strongly.”

-

The next day,
Darren Kirby leaned back in his command chair and shook his head in anger.
“Damn generals,” he muttered.

“What’s
wrong?” asked Shirley Melvin, who was second in command of the station.

“General
Mitchell has ordered us to abandon Holbrook and evacuate to Freedom Station
until this crisis with the Zaltule is settled one way or the other.”

“Evacuate the
station!” protested Shirley in disbelief. “We have so much work we still need
to do. Juan is nearly finished with his latest atmospheric studies, and when he
is he’ll have a workable model of what the volcanoes and the earthquakes are
doing to Earth’s atmosphere. If we stop before he’s finished, it could set back
Earth’s recovery efforts by years!”

Darren looked
at a large viewscreen that was always focused on Earth. It was a dim and
foreboding planet that filled the screen. Dark clouds covered the surface and
occasional flashes of static discharges, very similar to lighting, were
visible. The static lightning was caused by all the dust and other pollutants
in the atmosphere. Darren knew by now there must be billions of tons of it.

“Juan can set
the computers to continue his observations and record the necessary data,”
Darren said after a few moments. “Once this crisis is over, we can return and
he can finish running his atmospheric program.”

Shirley shook
her head unhappily. “We’d better tell Lawrence we’re abandoning the station.”

Lawrence
Henderson, chief of operations at Jornada, depended on them to furnish up to
the minute weather forecasts for the forays his special salvage ships made
around the planet. From the station, they could monitor the weather, volcanoes,
earthquakes and even tidal waves. It helped that some of the special equipment
the Kiveans had furnished them allowed them to see through the turbulent
atmosphere. Granted, much of what they could see was partially computer
generated as not even the most powerful equipment could see through some
regions of the contaminated atmosphere.

Darren knew he
had no choice but to obey his orders. He was pragmatic enough to know if the
Zaltule set their sights on Holbrook, it could very easily be destroyed. The
station had half a dozen energy cannons and two full sized pulse fusion
turrets. It also boasted a powerful energy shield, but it lacked heavy hull
armor.  Holbrook had been built many years before the Kleese had shown up, back
during the time when the Human race still thought they were alone in the
universe. It had been built as a waypoint between Smithfield and Earth. Mason
Randle would ship heavy metals and refined products to Holbrook where they
would then be sent on to Earth to fulfill paid contracts from numerous Earth
companies.

Darren missed
those old days when everything was so much simpler and Earth was a living and
vibrant planet. “Jamie, get Lawrence Henderson on the comm; I need to give him
the bad news.”

Darren also
wondered if he had been ordered to evacuate Holbrook what special orders Lawrence was given. Darren was well aware of the deep survival bunkers beneath Earth’s
only functioning spaceport. If the Zaltule were successful in destroying the
rest of humanity in the Solar System, there was a distinct possibility that
sometime in the distant future survivors from beneath Jornada would rise up and
make their presence known once more to the galaxy at large. Once he was
finished speaking to Lawrence, he would have to start working out the
evacuation schedule. There were nearly two hundred people currently living and
working on the station.