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

hope to send twenty battlecarriers, a fleet supply train, as well as four repair ships.”

“Four repair ships?” repeated Bryson, frowning. “That’s all that we have.”

Reynolds nodded. “Yes, but we have shipyards here to effect ship repairs.”

“What about the new particle beam cannons the Human Empire has developed?”

“We have the designs. Every dreadnought we have is being equipped with them. We are also working on a mass accelerator cannon. We’ll be doing tests toward the end of the month. These could be put on our battlecruisers. They can accelerate a medium-size projectile up to nearly the speed of light. We think, if we hit the enemy shields with one, it would knock down the shield completely.”

Colonel Bryson glanced at the large viewscreens in the Command Center, focused on the massive defensive grid around Pallas. “I understand you’re getting ready to go on a tour of the system and to check on the progress of the reconstruction.”

“Yes, I’ll be taking the Dassault. It will also give me a chance to speak with Rear Admiral Everett. I think I’ll check on the construction going on in the new bays.”

Bryson nodded. “Colonel Fillmore is down in bay forty-five. Some of the engineers overseeing the construction had some questions.”

Reynolds nodded. “Bay forty-five is for dreadnought construction, if I remember correctly.”

“Forty-five through fifty,” responded Bryson.

-

Twenty minutes later Fleet Admiral Reynolds stood in the Control Room for bay forty-five. He listened to Colonel Fillmore argue with several engineers.

“I don’t care. I want this bay fully automated, and I expect us to stay on schedule. If you need more construction robots, requisition them. I’ll sign the approval.”

The engineers stopped to consult with one another, and finally the lead engineer turned toward Colonel Fillmore. “In order to meet your schedule, we need sixty more construction robots.”

“Very well, you will have them by the end of the week.”

Admiral Reynolds looked out over the partially completed bay. Construction robots were everywhere. A few engineers were visible, directing their activities. In another few weeks the bay would be done, and the keel would be laid for its first dreadnought. The bay was 1,600 meters long and 600 in diameter.

“Admiral,” said Colonel Fillmore. “What can I do for you?”

“Just checking on the progress of the bays.”

Fillmore smiled. “They’ll all be ready on time.”

“I never doubted it. What about raw materials? We’ll need a lot for all the ships we plan on building.”

Fillmore nodded. “We’re bringing that in, and some of the more important components are already being manufactured in our factories.”

“Excellent. If there’s anything you need, let me know.”

“I will.”

Admiral Reynolds looked one last time at the bay and then turned to leave. Time to board the Dassault for a quick tour of the Solar System.

-

The Dassault orbited Titan, the large moon around Saturn. Fleet Admiral Reynolds was in the Command Center, gazing sadly at the main viewscreen. The moon’s atmosphere was still dark and gray from all the debris thrown up by the fusion and antimatter blasts that had rocked the moon in the last Confederation battle. New terraforming equipment had been brought to the moon, but it would be several years before the atmosphere was clear once more.

On the surface four large domes now housed the survivors. All four domes were protected by powerful energy shields, and a series of fusion energy beam turrets surrounded the domes to give them added protection. Outside each dome was a small spaceport, which served the mining operations now reopening on many of Saturn’s moons.

“The new defense grid is nearly finished,” commented Rear Admiral Everett.

Reynolds nodded. At the moment two hundred defensive satellites, twenty missile platforms, and two ODPs were up and operational. The ODPs were positioned to protect the four domes. Plans called to double the current strength of the defensive grid. “These miners are stubborn. However, we’ll need what they’re mining. One more reason we decided to rebuild the defensive grid and to place the ODPs in orbit.”

Reynolds didn’t mention it, but also two dreadnoughts and twenty battlecruisers were assigned to protect the Saturn system. He didn’t want a Confederation ship to pop in and to hit any of the moons with a few antimatter missiles. The ships would ensure that didn’t happen.

“Admiral, I have Colonel Edwards on the comm,” reported the communications officer.

“Put him through,” ordered Reynolds.

“Admiral,” said Edwards. “Did you come out to see our progress?”

“Yes, Colonel. Is there anything you need?”

“I would like to build two new PDCs to help protect our four domed cities. We’ll need some help with that.”

“I’ll see what I can arrange,” replied Reynolds. He was determined to make every inhabited place in this Solar System as heavily defended as possible.

-

They spent a few more hours in orbit, discussing the defenses and allocating the necessary resources. When they were finished, Reynolds was satisfied they had put in motion everything they could for Titan. “Set a course for Earth. I want to inspect the Moon and the construction of the new shipyards.”

-

The Dassault dropped from hyperspace just above the Moon. Even from here the massive craters where Luna City once stood were visible. Fortunately most of the other domed cities had survived.

“I always wondered why we didn’t terraform the Moon,” said Rear Admiral Everett.

Fleet Admiral Reynolds laughed. “Esthetics. The Moon has always looked a certain way orbiting the Earth, and the people didn’t want to change it.”

Everett shook his head. “But look how many people could live on the Moon if it were terraformed. It would be like another complete world.”

“Maybe someday,” replied Reynolds. “Let’s inspect the new defense grid.”

The Dassault made a slow transit around the Moon, inspecting the defensive grid. Much of it had remained after the attack, and more elements were added every day. There was even some discussion of