We would probably do that anyway. Theres not a realistic probability that we could destroy all 17,000 Alliance ships. Some would escape with recordings to share with their leadership. I see no good reason not to use them in this battle.
Well, I dont have another plan to use, so we might as, Tag! He suddenly heard in his mind.
Hold on just a minute, Admiral. Danielle, whats wrong. I notice your thought has levels of distress.
Tag, I was talking with Tgon-Gee a few minutes ago and he mentioned that if you were successful in defeating this Alliance fleet that it was a good thing that the Asteroids were in place. When I asked him why; he told me that there were at least fifty other races that would jump at the chance to attack his home world if the Alliance wasnt there to stop them. I didnt give it much thought then but it has been bothering me. I called Terl and asked how many of the Alliance members had feuds with each other. Tag, he said more than 90% would attack another member if they could get away with it. If you go thru with the destruction of this Alliance fleet, will the Alliance collapse? If they do, how many lives will be lost because of our actions?
Tag was stunned. He saw the truth in her words. It would be like the Grendap and Procians on a massive scale. Tag could visualize the nuclear holocaust that would ensue.
Tag, we cant let that happen, Danielle thought. We would lose our souls if we caused that much loss of innocent life.
Let me think about this, Danielle. Ill let you know what we plan to do but we may have no choice but to defend ourselves.
Admiral, what do you think will happen to the Alliance if we destroy their fleet? Tag asked Kosiev.
Kosiev was bewildered. Did you just come up with that thought? You change directions too fast for me to keep up. To answer your question; I have no idea. Quite frankly, I dont really care. They chose to attack us and they are responsible for their actions.
Admiral, what did we do after we defeated the last Alliance fleet?
We went to get revenge on the Cainth.
Now I want you to consider your next few answers carefully, Admiral. How do you feel about the Cainth now?
Kosiev was silent for a long time. We came very close to destroying another race that is now our friend and Ally. If they had fired one shot, they would have been wiped out.
What stopped us from doing it before?
The Alliance. Kosiev said. Tag what are you trying to say?
Admiral, Tgon-Gee and Terl both have confirmed that more than 90% of the Alliance members would attack another member but for fear of the Alliance. Do you want the blood of billions of innocent lives on your hands if we bring the Alliance down?
Kosiev just looked at Tag on his monitor. He could see cities burning and planets disrupted by heavy space weapons. He could visualize it in small part because he had almost gone thru with the destruction of the Cainth. No, he finally said. I dont want to cause that; however, Im a military man and Ive sworn to protect our world. I dont see a way out of avoiding battle with this fleet.
Then I think I have a plan. Admiral Kosiev and Colonel Taz listened to Tags ideas and they started nodding their heads after questioning him for thirty minutes. Kosiev thought that perhaps they could make it work.
Chapter 14
The alliance fleet sat inside the moons orbit and watched as the 800 dreadnaughts fired their beams into the eight asteroid fortresses. It appeared that the Humans shield was showing no change but the dreadnaughts reported that it had been reduced in thickness by more than 10 feet. The ships had spread out and were surrounding the planet to make sure no ships could escape. On board the Vgrig ship Death Master the Subleader was watching the display trying to determine how long his fleet was going to have to wait until the screen was sucked dry. It was extremely boring. His sensor officer looked up and said, Subleader, I have received word from the moon side of the planet that multiple ships are lifting off the planets surface and forming up. The sensor officer paused and said, It looks like more than ninety ships.
The Subleader hit his command circuit and called the Warleader to inform him of what was going on. You say they are forming all their ships into a single formation on one side of the planet.
Yes Warleader. It appears they are going to try and break thru our lines.
The Warleader thought for a minute and said, Then gather all your ships on that side of the planet and set them to maneuver where ever their remaining ships try to breakout. I think that is all the ships they have left. Leave several ships on the other side of the planet to make sure nothing is happening. Keep me informed, Subleader.
As you wish, Warleader, Then he turned and ordered, Notify all ships to form up where the Earth ships are forming up. Leave four ships on the opposite side of the planet to watch for another breakout attempt.
Kosiev watched his display and saw all the Alliance ships inside the moons orbit move to the moon side of the planet. He waited for what he knew was coming and the wait wasnt very long. Admiral, they have left four ships on the other side of the planet, Colonel Taz said. The coordinates of those four ships follow.
Kosiev looked at his display and then looked at Lt. Kelly and said, Pass those four coordinates to the eight Ultra ships weve selected and prepare to have them jump in and destroy those ships. The asteroid forts will fire their weapons to distract the fleet and will mask the communications from those four ships. Kosiev then commed Commodore Rubens on the moon and said, Commodore, we are going to jump in and destroy the four ships left by the alliance in ten minutes. Start moving your ships up to the surface of the moon away from the fleet. When the four ships are downed, the three thousand ships on the planet will exit on the other side of the planet from the alliance fleet and split to go around both sides of the planet to prevent any Alliance ships from running away from your ships toward the planet. Its important that your fleet leave the moon at full speed and pin that fleet between the two sides of the planet our ships will be coming from. Once you have the fleet surrounded, hold your position and do nothing unless they attack; only fire on ships trying to escape. Do you understand?
Yes sir. Do you think theyll just sit there?
Im hoping that the ninety ships coming out of the planets screen will distract them long enough to confuse them. If they hesitate, then well have them pinned in before they can organize a response. Of course, if they choose to fight, then we will destroy them. The Ultra ships will jump in to the middle of their fleet as you pin them down.
Were moving some of our ships now to the surface using elevators. Theyll be at the bottom of deep craters so the Alliance fleet out near Jupiter wont be able to see them on their sensors. We should be able to get all our ships moving in less than 2 minutes after you initiate action.
Kosiev looked at Kelly and said, Count it down.
Kelly said, 3 minutes, 2 minutes, 1 minute, 30 seconds, 20 seconds, 10, 9, 8, 3,2,1, execute.
All eight asteroid forts fired their primary beams at the dreadnaughts attacking their screen. The 90 ships inside the earths screen flew out and started toward the Alliance fleet that turned and moved to intercept them. On the other side of the planet, eight Ultra ships broke into normal space with two for each Alliance ship left behind. The Alliance sensor officers were distracted when the forts began firing their weapons and that hesitation was fatal. The Ultra ships blew them apart with their primary beams. At the same moment that the Ultra ships were breaking into normal space the forts fired an intense needle into each of the beams the 400 dreadnaughts were using to drain the planets screen on the sun side of the planet. The beams that were drawing energy from the planets screen sucked the needles into their intakes at light speed. Each of those needles had 1000 hornets pulsed into those dreadnaughts. Before any of the ships on the opposite side of the planet from the main Alliance fleet could communicate they were all blown out of existence. Even the rubble was destroyed by hornets with no target.