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

already sounded in all the cities and across the planet. Marloo saw a few aircars, fleeing into the countryside. Probably people who had waited until the last minute to leave their homes. His gaze returned to the main tactical display. All he could do now was wait.

-

Layla was awakened when Colonel Emerson burst into her bedroom. He had passwords where he could override the door locks on every suite in the Royal living quarters of the Palace.

“Get up and get dressed,” said Emerson. “Morag scout ships have already jumped into the outer regions of the system. Fleet Admiral Marloo expects the main Morag force to appear at any time.”

Layla sat up and nodded. “Get everyone else in the Palace ready to evacuate. I’ll be ready in just a few minutes.”

Emerson nodded and hurriedly left Layla’s bedroom to get Prince Andrew and the others still in the Palace ready to evacuate.

Once the colonel was gone, Layla got out of bed. She had already laid out her clothes, so it wouldn’t take long to get ready. She was surprised when Emira came in.

“Even in an emergency, you must look like the High Princess. I have several attendants on the way to help.”

Layla started to object but saw the determined look in Emira’s eyes. “Okay, but we need to hurry.”

Emira grinned. “I’ve been helping Royals get ready in emergencies before. Sit down, and let’s start with your hair.” Even as Emira spoke, two more female attendants rushed in.

-

Thirty minutes later Layla was ready. She wore a modest gown, as she stepped out into the corridor to find an anxious Colonel Emerson.

“The others are on their way to the bunker,” said Emerson. “We must hurry.”

“Have the energy shields been raised over the Palace and the surrounding grounds?” Layla knew these shields were very powerful, particularly the one protecting the Imperial Palace.

Emerson nodded. “They’re up, and no one can get in or out. The Marines have taken up positions throughout the Imperial Palace grounds and the surrounding area. They do have small bunkers they can go to if necessary. All the Imperial Guards will be responsible for protecting the Palace itself, as well as the tunnel to the underground bunker. We better get going.”

Layla, Emira, the two attendants, and the four Imperial Guards with Colonel Emerson all followed him. They took an elevator to the lower level far beneath the ground, where the Imperial bunker was located.

-

As they stepped into the bunker, Layla was surprised by its appearance. The corridors were carpeted and had modest lighting. Andrew and Kala were already there, waiting for her.

Kala laughed. “Even in an emergency you have to look like a High Princess.”

Layla felt a little embarrassed but nodded. “Emira insisted.”

“Let me show you to your quarters,” said Colonel Emerson. “Then we can go to the bunker’s Command Center, where you can keep track of what’s happening on the surface, as well as in space.”

-

Admiral Masters was watching the tactical display when the sensor alarms sounded, and thousands of red threat icons appeared fifty thousand kilometers away from Golan Four.

“Confirmed Morag warships,” reported Major Nower calmly. “Four thousand and increasing.”

Derrick nodded. The battle for the Empire was about to begin, and this was a battle he could not afford to lose.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Morag Fleet Admiral Torrant gazed at the tactical display, showing his fleet of slightly over 15,000 warships. At the heart of his formation were 50 truly massive vessels. Each was three thousand meters in length and was classified as a Conqueror class battleship. Each had three times the firepower of a normal battleship, with heavier weapons and energy shields. With these, Torrant planned on destroying the Human homeworld.

All ships are here, reported First Officer Markel.

Torrant nodded. We will form up into one fleet of ten thousand with the fifty Conquerors and a second fleet of five thousand. This will prevent the Humans from focusing on just one of our fleets and force them to divide their forces. I want both fleets in cone formations and ready to engage the Humans in twenty minutes.

-

Admiral Masters gazed at the ship on the main viewscreen, a monstrosity. If it was as powerful as it looked, it would be a problem. “We’ll need to hit those with our particle beams and accelerator cannons. I don’t know if anything else has a chance of penetrating those screens.”

There was no doubt in Derrick’s mind this was the secret Morag weapon they had heard rumors about. Those fifty giant warships had to be kept away from Golan Four.

“A little over 15,000 Morag warships are in the system,” reported Major Nower. “No more are dropping from hyperspace. They have formed up into two cone formations.”

“One hell of a fleet,” commented Colonel Bryant, as she gazed at the myriad of red threat icons on the tactical display. “What do you want to do?”

Derrick was deep in thought. He had a little over 3,500 ships to take on 15,000—nearly five-to-one odds. “I don’t think we have much of a choice. We need to fall back closer to the defense grid, so we can use its firepower to help even things up. Counting the ground-based attack interceptors, we have nearly 18,000 of them that we can use in the battle.”

“We’re detecting another ship type,” reported Major Nower, as she put a view of it on the main viewscreen.

The new ship appeared to be about the size of a light cruiser.

“An interceptor killer,” hissed Colonel Bryant. “Look at all those short-range energy beam turrets. I can see a lot of missile tube hatches as well, so they probably have interceptor missiles also.”

“How many of them are there?” asked Derrick, as he examined the ship up on the viewscreen.

“One hundred and thirty-two,” replied Nower. “They’re scattered throughout the main Morag formation.”

“Designate