The Lost Fleet: Genesis: A Slaver Wars Novel (32 page)

Kazak turned
to gaze at Kelsey. “I have chosen five Simulin systems to destroy,” he said
evenly, his eyes focused on Kelsey. “After the fifth system, we will travel to
the Simulins’ primary world where their leadership is located. We will deliver
an ultimatum. If they accept the war is over, if they refuse, I will destroy
that system as well.”

“Emergence,”
announced Captain Brent Adams from Navigation.

Kelsey felt a
slight uneasiness in her stomach and then the massive viewscreen surrounding
her cleared, showing a view of space and hundreds of unwinking stars. In the
distance was a planet, which rapidly swelled as the viewscreen’s magnification
was increased. It was a blue-white world with numerous orbital facilities.

“Sensor
contacts,” reported Lieutenant Burke. “I have sixty-seven Simulin
battlecruisers in orbit above the planet as well as two hundred and twelve
escort cruisers. There are also a number of cargo ships as well as orbital and
defensive installations.”

“Are we in
combat range?”

“Not of the
Simulins, but they may be for our weapons,” Burke responded.

A red light
suddenly appeared on the tactical console. “Missile launched,” reported Major
Mason Donaldson. He hadn’t launched the missile, Kazak had!

“Detecting
sensor scans!” added Lieutenant Burke. “The Simulins are scanning us.”

“Hyperdrive is
activating,” Captain Adams reported as a swirling vortex formed in front of the
Dominator
.

“Five seconds
to missile impact,” called out Major Donaldson.

Kelsey knew
the missile was equipped with a miniaturized gravity drive that was far faster
than a normal sublight missile. Her eyes focused on the blue-white planet and
then she saw a sudden flash of very intense light. For a moment, the planet
seemed as if it would stay intact, but then it blew apart in a titanic
explosion. The orbiting warships and cargo ships were instantly annihilated as
the debris field was pushed outward from the fiery ruins of the planet.
Kelsey’s heart skipped a beat, knowing nearly two billion Simulin lives had
just been snuffed out. Her breath caught in her throat as she forced herself to
swallow.

“Planet
confirmed destroyed,” reported Lieutenant Burke in a stunned voice. “Orbiting
ships and infrastructure are also gone.”

“Entering
hyperspace,” Captain Adams added as the
Dominator
accelerated and
entered the safety of the vortex.

Kelsey was
still finding it hard to breathe. In just a few seconds, they had destroyed an
inhabited Simulin world. By this action, she wondered if they were any better
than the Simulins. By destroying an entire world, had they descended to the
same level of barbarism as their enemy? Drawing in a sharp breath, she knew
only future historians would decide.

-

Three days
later on board the
Avenger.
“Exiting hyperspace in twenty seconds,”
reported Ensign Striker from Navigation.

“Sensors are
showing an expanding debris field where the system’s fourth planet should be,”
reported Kevin in a subdued voice. “There are also a number of Simulin vessels
in the vicinity and throughout the system. The
Dominator’s
already been
here and gone.”

Jeremy nodded.
From what Ariel had calculated, they were about seventy hours behind the
Originator ship. “As soon as we drop out of hyperspace I want detailed scans of
the system. Search for any wreckage that might indicate the
Dominator
was damaged. Once the scans are complete, I want us back in hyperspace.”

“An entire
planet wiped out,” said Commander Malen in awe. “I never imagined such a
thing.”

“Dropout,”
reported Ensign Striker. “The rest of the fleet is dropping out as well.”

“Sensor
contacts,” called out Kevin. “None within combat range.”

Ariel was busy
using the ship’s sensors to search for any wreckage of the
Dominator
though she was confident they wouldn’t find any. “No sign of wreckage from the
Originator ship, though I am finding debris from hundreds of Simulin warships.
They must have been in orbit when the planet was destroyed.”

“How many
Simulins were on the planet?” asked Jeremy. He knew that information was in the
data Kazak had sent them from the computers on the Simulin battlecruiser.

“One point
eight billion,” Ariel replied. “There’s another eighty million scattered about
the system on bases and mining operations.”

“Many of those
may not survive,” Commander Malen said as she studied the data. “The loss of
the fourth planet will affect the entire system.”

“Simulin
vessels have detected us,” reported Kevin. “I’m detecting energy buildups.”

“Stand by to
jump.”

Jeremy had
earlier brought the fleet out of hyperspace sixteen light years away from this
system. He had allowed the drive cores a maximum cool down time so they could
make a quick exit if necessary. They would now jump twenty light years, then
drop out of hyperspace and allow for cool down of the drive cores as well as
recalibration of the hyperdrives if necessary. He had no intention of becoming
involved in combat with the Simulins.

“Simulins are
jumping,” warned Commander Malen as a warning alarm began sounding.

“Take us back
into hyperspace,” Jeremy ordered as he leaned back in his command chair.
“Ariel, plot the fleet a course to the Simulin capital world. At some point,
the
Dominator
is going to show up there. We’ll wait nearby until they
do.”

“What are you
going to do when we catch up to Kazak?” asked Kevin. He was greatly concerned
since Katie and Kelsey were on board the ship.

“I’m not
sure,” answered Jeremy. “I have an idea, I’m just not certain if it will work.”

-

Supreme High
Commander Callat looked at the latest report from the Dranlon System. Four
billion dead, the planet destroyed, and three hundred warships annihilated in
the planetary explosion. Five planets in ten days and fourteen billion Simulin
lives lost.

“We must stop
the ship of the Sphere Builders,” High Commander Faberh said, his voice in near
panic. “Never in our long history have we suffered such losses.”

“We can’t,”
Callat responded harshly. “The ship only stays in the systems long enough to
launch its missile and then it reenters hyperspace before we can attack it.
Every attempt to meet it in combat has failed.”

“Then we must
learn to shoot down the missiles!” Faberh said, his eyes flashing with fear.

“Not
possible,” Callat answered in a cold voice. “Our weapons can’t lock onto the
missiles. They’re made of some type of alloy that confuses our targeting
sensors. They also move at such a high speed interception is impossible.”

“So, what are
we to do?”

“I’ve gathered
the majority of our remaining fleets here at Malkor and Tranton,” Callat
replied as he thought over the strategy he had come up with after consulting
the battle computer. “When the ancient ship appears, we will fire every missile
we can in its path. Perhaps if we detonate them all, we can eliminate the
world-destroying missile before it strikes Malkor. I have also given the order
for two hundred battlecruisers to be prepared to jump to the ship’s coordinates
in an attempt to ram and destroy the vessel. If we can destroy the first
missile, then just maybe we can buy the time we need to destroy the ancient
ship.”

“It is a good
strategy,” conceded High Commander Faberh. “There can be none but Simulin.”

“None but
Simulin,” replied Callat. However, he was beginning to realize this galaxy
might be different. If he was not successful in destroying the ancient ship of
the Sphere Builders, then this galaxy might see the end of the Simulins, who
had come to conquer it.

-

Kelsey watched
the swirling purple colors on the large viewscreen. While the screen had been
darkened so the effect would not be so pronounced, she took comfort in knowing
the ship was safe in hyperspace.

“We’re nearly
there,” said Katie from her computer console. “The data from the Simulin
battlecruiser indicates the system ahead is where their last remaining Supreme
High Commander is located.”

“It is also
the seat of their government,” Mikow added. “They have formed a new Grand
Council to represent the Simulin worlds in this galaxy.”

Kelsey felt
numb from the worlds they had destroyed. Billions of Simulins had been killed
and nearly two thousand of their warships destroyed. Kelsey knew it was
something that would haunt her for the rest of her life. She also was
frightened of what Jeremy would say when he found out what the
Dominator
had done.

“Will this
ultimatum work?” she asked, looking over at Andram. The esteemed Alton scientist had been very quiet recently, no doubt due to the death and destruction the
Dominator
was dishing out. His face was paler than normal, and Kelsey
knew he wasn’t eating well.

“It might,”
Andram said slowly. “The Simulins are not tolerant of other races. However,
they have never been in this situation before. They are cut off from
reinforcements from the other Dyson Spheres, at least for the foreseeable
future. They’re on their own and Kazak has demonstrated he has the power to
destroy them.”

“But we only
have two dark matter missiles left,” Katie said. “We don’t have the missiles to
destroy all of their worlds.”

“They don’t
know that,” Kelsey said. “Besides, Kazak could always take the
Dominator
back to the blue-giant nebula and get more dark matter.”

-

Callat watched
as the ancient ship of the Sphere Builders dropped out of hyperspace just
outside of weapons range of the two thousand Simulin warships that he had
gathered to destroy the vessel. They had detected it minutes before as it
approached.

“They haven’t
launched their missile,” High Commander Faberh reported in confusion.

“They’re
sending us a message,” the Simulin officer in front of Communications reported.

“Send it to my
console,” ordered Callat, wondering what type of strategy this was. The battle
computer had predicted they would launch their missile as soon as the ship
exited the spatial vortex.

“I am Kazak,”
a powerful male voice spoke over the comm. “I am a creation of the Originators
or the builders of the Great Spheres as you call them.”

Callat knew
from the sound of the voice this Kazak was not one to be trifled with. “What do
you want? Have you come to destroy this system as you have the others?”

“That is up to
you,” Kazak responded. “I have the power to destroy every one of your worlds.
It is up to you if I use that power.”

“Battlecruisers
are ready,” reported High Commander Faberh.

Callat nodded.
“Send them!” Then over the comm he added in an uncompromising voice. “There can
be none but Simulin!” As his words faded, two hundred Simulin battlecruisers
jumped to the location of the ancient ship with one simple order. Ram and
destroy it!

-

On the
Dominator
,
alarms sounded as the ship suddenly came under attack.

“I have two
hundred Simulin battlecruisers exiting hyperspace nearly on top of us,” warned
Lieutenant Burke, her face turning pale. “They’re already within weapons
range.”

“Gravitonic
cannons firing,” reported Major Donaldson as his hands flew over his tactical
console. “Antimatter cannons online and firing.”

On the large
viewscreen, space became lit up with massive explosions as Simulin
battlecruisers were blown apart from the deadly weapons fire before their
energy screens could come online.

“Missile
launch,” reported Major Donaldson in surprise. “What the hell? That missile
just jumped into hyperspace.”

“Hyperspace?”
Kelsey said in confusion as she felt the
Dominator
vibrate slightly from
multiple antimatter strikes to its energy shield.

“Yes,”
answered Kazak, his face showing anger. “I am disappointed to report the
Simulins cannot be reasoned with, so I am taking the only means available to
make them understand the error of the route they have chosen. They will pay a
high price for their treachery.”

On the massive
viewscreen, gravitonic cannon fire slammed into an inbound Simulin
battlecruiser, setting off massive explosions before the ship was obliterated.
Another battlecruiser vanished in a fiery explosion as an antimatter beam swept
across it.

“Sixty-two
Simulin battlecruisers are down,” reported Lieutenant Burke breathlessly.

“They’re
coming in too fast,” warned Andram. “We’re not going to be able to get them
all.”

“Firing
primary weapon,” Kazak said calmly.

On the hull of
the
Dominator
, massive hatches slid open. From each a blue sphere of
energy leaped forth, targeting the inbound Simulin vessels. The energy spheres
stuck the Simulins’ energy shields, draining them, and then latched onto the
ships themselves. In moments, they were turned into drifting fields of black
space dust.

Suddenly the
Dominator
shook violently and the lights dimmed.

“What
happened?” demanded Kelsey, looking over at Kazak.

“Power is out
except for batteries,” answered Kazak, his face showing disbelief. “The
Simulins tried to jump a pair of their battlecruisers into our exact
coordinates. Due to the nature of hyperspace, all three vessels were violently
repelled away from one another. Unfortunately, it caused a power drain. It will
take a few minutes before full power is restored; time we don’t have.”

“Why?” asked
Kelsey, feeling a cold chill run through her.

“Look at the
screen,” Andram said in a stunned voice.

On the screen,
the system’s sun seemed to shrink in on itself and then suddenly began to
rapidly expand. It had gone nova!