Admiral’s Fall – Sneak Peek Chapter 1

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Admiral’s Fall: Book 13

(A Spineward Sectors Novel:)

By Luke Sky Wachter

Chapter: Mopping Up

We may have won the war but the battle had yet to reach its final resolution.

This realization left me momentarily dumbfounded but I got over it quickly.

“How long until the last major contingent of the Confederation jumps out of this star system?” I asked my navigator.

“Depending on hyperdrive charge rates we’re looking at anything from a half hour to an hour from now, Admiral,” my Navigator said helplessly.

I looked back at the main screen where the Bug Spheroid along with the surviving imperials and confederations ships that were unable to maneuver or were still trying to stave off bug boarders were still active.

“Give me a count of Bugs and Glorious Fleet ships still listed as hostiles,” I instructed as a series of orbital turrets and pop up missile launchers went active opening fire on every remaining bug ship in their range.

“I’m still reading around twenty battleships in various states that have refused to surrender. The majority of them imperials. As for Bugs, it looks like everything of significant size has been destroyed except for the Spheroid. All that are left are around eighty scouts and scout marauders,” reported Tactical.

“It doesn’t seem like those bugs are going to last long,” I commented as the turrets and missiles started to whip out the remaining bugs.

“Determine if they’re not contacting us because of genuine battledamage or because they’re feeling intractable. If they refuse to speak redirect a few of our turrets and open fire until they do. After you’ve figured that out contact Spalding and inform him we’re going to need another demonstration,” I said coolly, “I think after losing a few more heavies they’ll find reason.”

With their forces broken by the mine field and the imperial command carrier out of action the imperial and old confederation forces had no way of putting up an effective resistance to the Lucky Clover.

Despite the turrets the Clover fired twice more and two broken battleships later, the remainder of the Glorious Fleet was ready to surrender. It would have been one thing to lead a death defying charge into the teeth of the superbattleship. But it was another to sit there in a ship with broken engines and scream defiance until the Clover got around to annihilating you and your crew with one well placed shot.

No sooner had we taken their parole and thus in effect promised to protect them from the Bugs while they were in our theoretical custody than the Spheroid decided to make its presence known.

Appearing agitated by the mine field blast and showing enormous gaping wounds on its hull the Bug Mothership finally decided to stop munching on the hull of the Command Carrier. Releasing the Mighty Punisher in a way that almost seemed like it was spitting it out the giant, moon sized, Bug Spheroid floated away.

Minutes after letting go of the broken command carrier its mouth started writhing.

“That can’t be good,” said Commander Snyder.

“Don’t jinx it,” Lisa Steiner my chief of staff muttered.

As if words of prophetic wisdom had just been spoken the puckered, battle damaged ‘maw’ of the Bug Spheroid once again opened and…. out slid a pair of heavy harvesters.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I said with a flash of anger. The battle might be over by the agreement of all human parties in this mess but apparently the Bugs disagreed.

“I’m sorry, Sir. But the sensor read out is accurate,” said Commander Snyder.

“That’s fine,” I cut her off and turned to com’s, “tell the Commander he is to switch his targets. We need to whittle down that Spheroid sooner rather than later. Let’s see what a couple of HPC rounds do to it.”

The com-officer nodded and relayed my message. He listened and then turned back to me. “Commander Spalding asks to speak with you.

“Put him on,” I said blinking with surprise.

“Terrance Spalding here and it’s good to see you, Sir,” the old Engineer said happily.

“Good to see you in one piece, Commander,” I nodded letting loose a smile before turning serious again, “we’re going to need some help with that Spheroid, as you can see she’s still sending out combatants. I’d like the Clover to put a few rounds in her.”

Spalding laid a finger alongside his nose.

“That won’t be necessary, Sir,” he winked, “why don’t you let me focus on trimming down Harvesters until those runners from Glorious Fleet are gone. After that we can turn that Bug Moon into hash on command. The droids put a few, let’s call surprises, inside the Moonlet of Mayhem. One transmission and boom! It’s gone,” he said slapping his hands together with a crack.

“Spalding you’re a wonder,” I said with fervent appreciation. “However I’m not sure we can wait that long. We’ve already taken paroles and that Moon’s already proven to be surprisingly mobile for something of its size.”

“Not a problem, Sir,” the old Engineer said seriously, “I’ll get the droids and see what we can do.”

“Then I’ll leave the matter in your capable hands,” I said.

Several minutes later and sensors registered a small seismic episode that shook the hull of Spheroid just enough that our sensors could register.

From that point onward the Spheroid didn’t move again.

After that it was simple matter of cleaning up the battlefield. Sending lancers over to help our beleaguered former enemies, those that we could reach in time anyway and putting prize crews aboard those ships that were still somewhat functional.

In total only a couple dozen undamaged ships actually surrendered. The rest all had some form of battle damage.

All in all a good days work.