The Forgotten Empire: Earth Ascendant: Book Two Read online

  The Forgotten Empire:

  Earth Ascendant

  A Forgotten Empire Novel

  (The Forgotten Empire: Earth Ascendant, Book 2)

  By

  Raymond L. Weil

  USA Today Best Selling Author

  Books in the Forgotten Empire Series

  The Forgotten Empire: Banishment (Book 1)

  The Forgotten Empire: Earth Ascendant (Book 2)

  The Forgotten Empire: The Battle for Earth (Book 3) July 2020

  Website: http://raymondlweil.com/

  Copyright © April 2020 by Raymond L. Weil

  All Rights Reserved

  Cover Design by Humblenations.com

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the author.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Epilogue

  The Forgotten Empire

  Earth Ascendant

  Book Two

  Chapter One

  Druin Admiral Kreen watched with cold eyes as antimatter warheads detonated on the planet below. Massive mushroom clouds could be seen rising high into the atmosphere of what had once been a pristine planet. Spacecraft were trying to flee the stricken world but were being blasted apart by fusion energy beams from the orbiting Druin fleet of battleships and battlecruisers.

  This was a world inhabited by the Visth. A humanoid species that refused to send the required raw materials to the Confederation. The Visth controlled eleven star systems and had been subjugated by the Confederation several thousand years in the past. They were required every year to send so many tons of a rare radioactive isotope to the Confederation for research. This year they had missed their quota by nearly 70 percent. The Visth had claimed they were running out of the needed materials to create the isotope and had requested the Confederation reduce the yearly quota. Admiral Kreen’s fleet had been the answer the Confederation sent.

  “All cities with a population of over one hundred thousand have been eliminated,” reported the tactical officer in a cold voice. “Sufficient population remains that they should be able to repopulate their world over the next seventy-three years.”

  Kreen nodded. This bombardment would serve as an example to the other Visth worlds to increase their production of the isotope.

  On the viewscreens, four more Visth cargo ships lifted off from the planet in an attempt to escape the bombardment. Kreen watched without emotion as Druin fusion beams struck the ships, tearing them apart. The burning wreckage fell to the planet to add to the destruction.

  Thick plumes of ash and smoke rose into the atmosphere, dimming the sunlight. In a few days the entire planet would fall into a nuclear winter. Large swaths of the planet had been burned off in the bombardment. The once-pristine world now looked devastated and nearly uninhabitable.

  Finally Admiral Kreen was satisfied and ordered his fleet to return to the Human Empire to resume their patrols. For the last year he had sent Druin battlecruisers to patrol the edge of Human space, searching for the base where an unknown stealthed warship operated from. So far they had not found the base, and they had seen no further signs of the mysterious vessel. Admiral Kreen was beginning to consider that the base must be farther away than he had first believed.

  For the time being he would place battlecruisers in various Human systems and wait for the strange ship to return. When it did, he would have it followed back to its base. A base he would destroy with his fleet. This unknown base represented a threat to the Confederation and could not be allowed to exist.

  -

  Admiral Dylan Cleemorl sat in his command chair in the Draxon Hauler, the new cargo ship built inside Pallas, designed to travel throughout the former Human Empire and to not attract the attention of the Druins.

  The Draxon Hauler replicated the most modern cargo ships currently in use in the Empire. However, this ship had some special assets, which other cargo ships did not. Its space drives were all military standard; hatches on the outside hull of the ship disguised weapon turrets and missile tubes. Also a number of hidden compartments were scattered throughout.

  The ship had been en route to the Empire for over four weeks. They had taken a course that ensured, if they were traced, the course would not lead back to Earth.

  “Where to first?” asked Captain Fulmar. The ship sat on the edge of Empire space. The crew had trained hard for the past year so they could pass for a regular cargo vessel and not raise suspicions.

  Much of the command crew of the Themis had transferred over to the Draxon Hauler, as they were more familiar with the current Empire than the Imperials living inside Pallas. The crew had rehearsed their roles in case they were boarded for inspections.

  “Let’s go to Bratol Three. They know we’re coming, and, from them, we can learn where we need to go next.” Cleemorl would use the Draxon Hauler to inspect many of the inhabited systems of the Empire. He wished also to contact a number of the secret bases rumored to be hidden on some of the Human-inhabited worlds. By moving around the Empire in a cargo ship, Cleemorl could also keep track of what the Druins were doing.

  “Course set,” reported Lieutenant Trisha Marks from Helm and Navigation.

  Captain Fulmar nodded. “Take us into hyperspace. It’s time for us to take on the role of a real cargo vessel.”

  None of the crew were in their military uniforms. They were dressed as expected for crews of cargo ships. Only Captain Fulmar wore a uniform, and that was to signify he was in charge of the vessel.

  Dylan felt a slight wrenching in his gut as the Draxon Hauler made the transition into hyperspace. It would take them four days to reach Bratol Three, where hopefully some members of the Human Resistance groups would be waiting for them. Since leaving Lydol Four the previous year, after the Druins had bombed all the major cities of the planet in retaliation for violating rules of the Confederation, Cleemorl and his fleet had made no additional trips to the Empire. This would be the first one and, because of that, the most dangerous.

  -

  In Earth’s Solar System, Admiral Bract inspected one of their battlestations, formerly a Druin command station. He was on board the Titan with Rear Admiral Leeson.

  “Let’s put some defensive satellites around all eight of the battlestations,” suggested Admiral Bract. “I would also like to increase the number of three-man attack interceptors assigned to each station to forty.”

  Rear Admiral Leeson gazed at the viewscreen, displaying the two-thousand-meter diameter of the battlestation. It was covered with weapon turrets and hatches concealing missile tubes. “We would have to make some more modifications to the stations, but I believe it could be done.”<
br />
  “I want to assign a battlecruiser to each station as well. The battlecruiser will act as the command ship for the attack interceptors, if we have to commit them to combat.”

  Leeson shifted his gaze toward the admiral. “Do you want to bring more battlecruisers out of stasis?”

  Admiral Bract nodded his head. “I think it would be wise. We have crews from Earth training regularly on Pallas now. We have to be prepared, in case the Druins show up earlier than expected. I think we need one hundred battlecruisers and ten dreadnoughts in service. That will allow us to patrol the entire Solar System, as well as assist any of the new colonies if they get into trouble.” Additional colonies were being established on Mars and on all four of Jupiter’s moons.

  Leeson’s eyes widened. “We’ll need to train more crews from Earth.”

  “I know, but we need those ships just to ensure the safety of the Solar System. Expansion to all areas of the system is getting ready to explode. We’re already building a civilian shipyard around Earth. The first keels for the first Imperial battlecruisers are even now taking form in Earth’s new military shipyard.”

  As three sleek attack interceptors launched to assume patrol duty in this section of the Kuiper Belt, Bract and Leeson’s attention returned to the battlestation. Millions of small icy bodies of rock and nearly solid balls of ice floated in orbit around the Sun here in the Kuiper Belt, and these three-man attack interceptors were being used to map all such objects in close proximity to the battlestation.

  “Let’s head back to Pallas,” ordered Admiral Bract. “I have a council meeting to attend later this afternoon. General Brier is requesting that we emplace defenses around Jupiter’s moons. He’s willing to have Earth build all the defense satellites, if we’ll help put them in place.”

  “Sounds reasonable to me,” replied Rear Admiral Leeson. “We need to make the Solar System into a fortress if we plan on eventually engaging the Druins. No doubt, when we finally announce our presence, they’ll send a fleet to destroy Earth and everything else in this Solar System. We have to be ready.”

  Leeson quickly ordered the navigation officer to set a course for Pallas. Rear Admiral Leeson didn’t mention one thing to the admiral. In recent months Leeson had been seriously considering going into cryo so he could take part in the future war against the Confederation.

  -

  The Draxon Hauler dropped out of hyperspace in the outskirts of the Bratol Three star system. Eight planets were in the system, the third from the star being inhabited.

  “Contacts!” called out Lieutenant Casella. “Twenty-eight ships of various types, all Human. No sign of any Druin vessels.”

  Dylan breathed out a sigh of relief. He had hoped no Druin vessels were present. It would make his job a lot easier. “Take us in and put us into orbit at ten thousand kilometers. Space Control should contact us shortly. When they do, tell them we’re delivering some special equipment ordered by Governor Rastell. Once we’re in orbit, I’ll send a coded signal to the governor.”

  The hatch to the Command Center opened, and Cheryl stepped through. “Are we there?”

  Dylan nodded. “We’re on the outskirts of the system and are preparing to go into orbit around Bratol Three.”

  “Druins?”

  “None,” replied Dylan.

  Cheryl stepped closer to the command chair. “I have a few contacts on Bratol Three. I want to meet with them while I’m here to check on some of my assets.” Cheryl had once been a pirate and had assets hidden all over the Empire. She wanted to ensure they were being taken care of in her absence.

  The Draxon Hauler made the transition back into hyperspace and, after a few seconds, dropped back out near Bratol Three.

  “Bratol Three Space Control has contacted us,” reported Trent Newsome, the communications officer. “I informed them that we’re here to deliver a special cargo to the governor. We’ve been given permission to go into orbit.”

  Dylan waited as the ship entered orbit, and then he approached Communications. He took a small communication chip from his pocket and handed it to Newsome. “Transmit the contents of this on the special frequency. Then let me know when you receive a response.”

  Newsome took the small chip and inserted it in a slot in his communication console. “Transmitting.”

  -

  For nearly an hour the Draxon Hauler orbited Bratol Three, waiting for a response. During that time several shuttles from the surface flew close to the ship, scanning it. Finally a short message came in.

  “A shuttle will rendezvous with us shortly,” reported Newsome. “An envoy from the governor will be on board.”

  Dylan nodded. “Hopefully this will be somebody from this new council we were hoping they would form.” Dylan had asked General Creel the year before if the resistance bases could form a council to better coordinate activity against the Druins.

  Jalen Gresth, a Pallas representative, stood nearby and turned toward the admiral. “How do we know who they really are?”

  “That’s been taken care of. General Creel will give the envoy a code word so I’ll know he’s genuine. If he doesn’t have the code word, we’ll just toss him out the nearest airlock.”

  Gresth turned pale. “Would we really do that?”

  Dylan laughed. “No, but I just wanted to remind you how serious all this is.”

  “Admiral, a shuttle is taking off from the main spaceport near the capital,” reported Lieutenant Casella at Sensors.

  Captain Fulmar stepped to a communications panel. “Sergeant Drake, we have some visitors coming in a shuttle. Please meet me in the shuttle bay with an appropriate escort.” Fulmar then left the Command Center, heading to the shuttle bay.

  Dylan stood and looked at Cheryl and Jalen Gresth. “We’ll go to conference room one and wait for our guests. This should be interesting.”

  -

  Captain Fulmar waited in the landing bay, as the shuttle from Bratol Three set down smoothly on the deck. Fulmar had Sergeant Drake with him, as well as four other Marines. All were in uniform, as the people exiting the shuttle should know a little about the true identity of the Draxon Hauler and why it was over their planet.

  The shuttle’s hatch opened, and a ramp extended automatically down to the deck. From the open hatch two security personnel stepped out, followed by a woman. She paused at the top of the ramp and then descended it to stop in front of Captain Fulmar.

  “I’m Lisa Strell. I’m a representative of the Human Resistance.”

  “I’m Captain Fulmar. If you will follow me, Admiral Cleemorl is waiting for you in the conference room.”

  As they walked through the corridors of the Draxon Hauler, Lisa observed everything. “This ship’s brand new, isn’t it?”

  Fulmar nodded. “She was just commissioned a few months back.”

  Lisa nodded. “I thought so. It doesn’t smell like a cargo ship that’s been in space for several years. I never understood how people could work on those vessels.”

  Fulmar laughed. “I’ve been on some older cargo ships in the past. It’s something one gets used to after a while.”

  After a few more minutes they reached the conference room and went in. Admiral Cleemorl and Cheryl were already seated, waiting.

  Captain Fulmar quickly made the necessary introductions.

  “Admiral Cleemorl,” said Ms. Strell, as she sat, “I’m a member of the resistance council that you requested we set up. You must understand that I have some questions I must ask before we go too much further.”

  Dylan nodded. “I was expecting that. However, before we begin, I need the password to prove you are who you say you are.”

  Lisa smiled. “A good precaution. The password is liberty.”

  “Very good,” replied Dylan. “You may continue.”

  Lisa took a deep breath and then began. “We know that you were in command of the fleet that tried to free Lydol Four from the Druins. We know the attempt failed, and Lydol Four was bombed. How much of your fleet e
scaped?”

  “Two battlecruisers and three support ships,” answered Dylan.

  Lisa shook her head. “That’s not much of a fleet to free the Empire with.”

  “No,” replied Dylan. He turned around and gestured toward a large viewscreen showing a portion of space. The most important thing portrayed there were the four Imperial dreadnoughts and over twenty Imperial battlecruisers. “That video was shot less than six weeks ago. As you can see, I have much more than the fleet I left with.”

  Lisa’s eyes widened. “How do I know those ships are real?”

  “We’re willing to take one member of your council back with us to show you what our resources are. I promise you. They are considerable.”

  Lisa slowly nodded her head. “We want to limit the number of people who know about your base to a minimum. The fewer who know, the less chance there is of the Druins finding out. I understand that General Creel and Governor Swen are aware of it, and both have vouched for you. I have been authorized to give you some basic information on our bases, but I’m restricted in telling you where they are for security reasons.”

  “Sounds reasonable,” replied Dylan. “Of course our plan will take years to carry out. We’re probably looking at eighty to one hundred years before we are ready to move against the Druins and the Confederation.”

  “Some hope is better than none,” replied Lisa. “Our bases have not moved against the Druins for fear of what the reprisals would be. The Druins have no compunction against using antimatter and fusion missiles against civilian populations. For years, since they conquered the Empire, they have bombed our planets for the slightest of reasons. The death toll from those bombardments is in the billions.”

  “I’m well aware of that,” said Dylan. “I saw what they did to Lydol Four.”

  A strange look passed over Lisa’s face. “I’m sorry. I had forgotten that Lydol Four is your home planet. What exactly do you want our council and our bases to do?”