The Forgotten Empire: War for the Empire by Raymond Weil (children's ebooks online TXT) 📗

designs for PDCs. Plus we will also be demonstrating our attack interceptors. As you already know, they’re quite deadly and easy to build.”

Krista leaned back in her chair and stretched. “It’s been a long day. How do you like married life?”

Layla flushed. “It’s been different, but I really love it. Derrick’s been great.”

“Keeping you up late at night?” asked Krista, with a mischievous grin.

“Maybe I’m the one keeping him up,” countered Layla, grinning back.

Krista stood; she was meeting Mathew for the evening meal. “Maybe in another year or two Mathew and I can get married. If you like married life this much, I would really enjoy it.”

“Don’t rush into it,” advised Layla. “You and Mathew have plenty of time. Besides, we’re still rebuilding the Empire.”

“Father and Aiden would be proud,” commented Krista, wishing both of them were here.

Layla nodded. She had a few more things to take care of, and then she would head to the Royal Quarters. She and Derrick were having a private meal together tonight, and they planned on doing nothing more than listening to music and relaxing. Even a Royal Princess needed some time off.

-

Andrew and Kala had taken a shuttle to the dreadnought High Kingdom. Several of the quarters on board had been converted for use by the Royal Family and their guests. Six members of the Imperial Guard were with them, as well as a small number of attendants.

“Welcome aboard the High Kingdom,” greeted Captain Jacob Barrow. “Your quarters are ready for you, as well as for those who came with you. We’re honored to have you on board.”

“Thank you, Captain,” replied Andrew, smiling.

“How soon do you want to get underway?”

“That’s up to Rear Admiral Carrie,” answered Andrew. “She has command of the fleet. I don’t even know where we’re going yet. All of that has been kept secret, and only the Imperial Council and Rear Admiral Carrie know all of our planned destinations.”

Captain Barrow nodded. “A wise security precaution. I’ll have an ensign show you to your quarters, while I inform the rear admiral that you are on board, and then we can depart anytime.”

-

It didn’t take them long to reach their quarters, and, as they entered, Kala paused in surprise. The quarters, while not lavish, were very nice. Nearly as nice as the ones she had stayed in on the Emerald Princess. “I can’t believe quarters like this exist on a dreadnought.”

Andrew smiled. He could tell Kala was pleased with the accommodations. “Another set of quarters quite similar to this one is across the hall. These quarters were designed in case the Royal Family had to leave the core worlds to visit places in the Empire that might be a little dangerous. A full company of space Marines are on board as well.”

Kala walked through the suite of rooms. “This will work quite well, if we’ll be on board for three or four weeks. I wonder what the food will be like?” Kala had to admit that she was a little spoiled from the fare the Royal Chefs had been cooking at the Palace.

“Better than you expect. They have some of the better chefs in the fleet on board. If they served it at the Palace, they could probably serve it here. I understand they have stocked up the freezers and the dry storage units in recent days, anticipating our arrival.”

Several attendants came in, carrying their luggage. Kala directed them to the large bedroom, where they began unpacking everything. This had taken Kala a while to get used to. Now she didn’t worry about it.

As the attendants left, the female ensign returned. “We will enter hyperspace in twenty minutes. We’re just waiting for a few supply ships to join us. Captain Barrow said, if the two of you wanted to come to the Command Center, you are both more than welcome.”

Andrew smiled. “Thank the captain, but, I think, for now, we’ll just stay in our quarters and out of everyone’s way.”

The ensign nodded and left, closing the door behind her.

Kala sat down and looked over at Andrew. “I guess we’re on our way.”

“Yes.” Andrew still hadn’t told her that she would be involved in some of the negotiations. That would come about later.

-

In the Solar System, Pallas Fleet Admiral Reynolds studied the latest reports coming in on the reconstruction going on across the Solar System. New shipyards were being built over Earth, Mars, Ganymede, and Callisto. Thousands of Pallas work robots had been constructed and were heavily involved in building the new ship-construction facilities.

Inside each of Pallas’s forty-two ship construction bays were new partially assembled warships. Ten more bays were under construction and would be completed in another two weeks. The Solar System was preparing for all-out war against the Confederation, particularly the Morag. All the construction bays inside Pallas were fully automated, and construction of warships was a rapid process.

“We’re ahead of our construction schedule,” reported Colonel Evelyn Bryson. “I understand that Third Fleet will be returning in about another month?”

“Yes,” replied Admiral Reynolds. “They’re coming back for some R&R and possible crew rotation.”

“With the ships that have returned from First Fleet, that will once more give us a sizable force in the Solar System.”

“Over 1,600 warships, with more coming out of the active shipyards every day.”

Colonel Bryson asked the question on everyone’s mind. “When do we launch our attack against the Confederation?”

“A few months yet, at least,” replied Reynolds. “I want all the shipyards here finished and all the defensive grids brought back up to full strength.”

“Who will command the fleet that we send to the Confederation?”

“We will send two Rear Admirals—Rear Admiral Collison and Rear Admiral Barnes. They will each be in charge of at least one thousand battlecruisers and two hundred dreadnoughts.”

“What about battlecarriers, supply vessels, and repair ships?”

“We