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

Command Bunker beneath the House of Worlds. You cannot remain in the Imperial Palace, as it will be one of the primary targets for the Morag.”

Layla smiled. “There is one thing you don’t know. I had a very powerful energy shield installed to protect the Palace and the surrounding grounds. It is much more powerful than the ones our dreadnoughts are equipped with.”

Andrew was surprised. He hadn’t known this. “Well, let’s hope the energy shield isn’t needed. One more thing I’ll recommend. The Morag would like nothing more than to capture one or both of you. We need to double or triple the number of Marines guarding the Palace and the surrounding grounds.”

Layla nodded. “You’re right. I’ll mention that to Colonel Emerson immediately.”

Andrew turned to leave, when Layla spoke. “Andrew, you need to stay here as well. No need for you to risk your life on the space stations or the shipyards.”

Andrew shook his head. “I still have a few more things to do on one of the shipyards. As soon as I’m done, I’ll return to the Palace.”

“Make sure you do,” said Layla sternly. “Also, before you go back up to the space station, you need to go see Kala.”

Layla watched as Andrew left. She was now very concerned about Derrick.

“Are we in any real danger?” asked Krista. She had a highly nervous look on her face.

Layla took her cousin’s hand. “We’re perfectly safe here in the Palace. The energy shield will protect us, if necessary.”

Krista nodded. She was still uncertain. “I hope Mathew is safe.” She was greatly worried about him.

“He’s with Rear Admiral Carrie, and Admiral Cleemorl will make sure he stays safe. Now let’s go get something to eat. We have some House of Worlds’ representatives coming to the Palace for a grand tour later, and we don’t want to disappoint them.” They still had to conduct business as usual, even with the danger of an impending attack.

-

Rear Admiral Anderson watched as the Resistance ships took up defensive positions around the six ODPs, and all the Imperial warships formed up around the Lodestone.

“Still no sign of the Morag,” commented Lieutenant Proston, who had her focus on the tactical display,  still only showing green icons. Many of them were cargo and passenger ships.

Anderson studied the tactical display for a long moment and then spoke. “I think it’s time all those cargo ships and passenger ships head toward another Human system, until this is over. No point in some of them being destroyed by stray weapons fire.”

“I’ll have them on their way shortly,” promised Proston.

The rear admiral watched as the other two dreadnoughts and the sixty-three Imperial battlecruisers formed into a tight wedge formation around the Lodestone. He wanted to hit the enemy hard and fast, and this would be the best formation for that.

It took about twenty minutes for all the ships to form up around the ODPs and around the Lodestone. Looking at the tactical display, Rear Admiral Anderson knew that all he could do now was wait.

-

In the underground Command Center, Governor Stewart had returned from his quarters. “What’s the current status?”

“No change, as far as the Morag,” replied General Marley. “However Captain Anderson has been promoted to the rank of rear admiral, and all the Imperial and Resistance ships in this region of the periphery have been directed here. Currently we have 109 Imperial and Resistance ships in orbit, including three dreadnoughts. The Resistance ships have been assigned to protect the ODPs, and Rear Admiral Anderson has the Imperial ships in an attack formation. He intends to do hit-and-run raids against the Morag fleet once it gets here.”

“Will that be enough?”

General Marley shook his head. “No, Rear Admiral Anderson is hoping to cause the Morag to lose enough ships that they will retreat. However, both he and I agree the odds of that are slight, due to the number of warships he will be facing.”

Governor Steward nodded. He understood their chances of victory were almost nonexistent.

-

Morag Admiral Voxx was once more ready for combat. In only a few more minutes they would drop out of hyperspace into the Astor System. No doubt, after the attacks against Ranier Two and Leonora Five, the enemy would be expecting his fleet.

We will drop out twenty thousand kilometers from Astor, sent First Officer Bale. That will be outside of any potential defensive weapons fire and will give us a few minutes to analyze the Humans’ defense.

Let’s hope the Humans have no surprises for us, commented Admiral Voxx. So far we have faced about what we expected, but the Humans are cunning, and we must not take these easy victories for granted.

Chapter Seventeen

Rear Admiral Liam Anderson was in the ship’s officers’ mess, eating a sandwich, when the alarms sounded, and red lights flashed. Lieutenant Proston’s voice instantly came over the ship’s comm system.

“We are detecting a Morag fleet exiting hyperspace at twenty thousand kilometers. Fleet is going to Condition One. Stand by for combat. Rear Admiral Anderson, please report to the Command Center.”

Liam took another two bites of his sandwich and two swigs of his tea and headed out of the officers’ mess. With a deep sigh, he knew it was time to go to war.

-

Detecting Human warships, reported the Morag sensor officer.

How many? asked Admiral Voxx.

The sensor officer was silent for a moment, and then he sent his findings. A combination of Imperial ships and Resistance ships. Three dreadnoughts, seventy-seven battlecruisers, and twenty-nine smaller support ships. All the Resistance ships are defending the six ODPs in orbit.

Admiral Voxx’s eyes narrowed. This was a much larger force than he expected to face. Also the planet seemed to be heavily armed. While there was no doubt in his mind he could still take this planet, he would suffer some losses. He decided