Rise of Humanity (The Kantaki Saga Book 1) by Andreas Brandhorst

Author:Andreas Brandhorst [Brandhorst, Andreas]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: A7L Thrilling Books Ltd.
Published: 2024-06-07T00:00:00+00:00

Kabaea

MARCH 421 SN LINEAR

4th planet in the Epsilon Eridani system, central region of the Alliance

The fires of death and destruction flickered in space above the night side of the planet. Flashes of light scanned for fighter shuttles and battleships. The screens in the shuttle's bow, which appeared transparent, also served as a tactical display: the data servo marked the countless ships and battle platforms, green for friend and red for foe.

There were at least three times as many red dots as green.

"They were expecting us," the pilot repeated as his fingers scurried over the controls. This time the words sounded angry instead of startled and stunned.

Valdorian stared at the tactical displays and realized immediately that the attack was doomed to fail.

"Retreat!" he exclaimed, his voice sounding strangely muffled inside the helmet. "Take us back to the Kantaki ship!"

The engine hum became a howl as the pilot abruptly changed course and accelerated. The compensators worked perfectly, keeping the occupants from being crushed by the enormous thrust.

But the Kantaki ship they had used to reach Kabaea retreated from the planet, followed by an empty transport bubble. And the other Kantaki ships, with troops and war materials in tow, also retreated from Kabaea instead of beginning their approach to land. They sped away, much faster than the shuttle, and a few seconds later they disappeared into trans-space.

Valdorian hardly wasted a thought wondering why. They were stuck in the Epsilon Eridani system, and that was all that mattered. And they were up against a far superior enemy.

Several thousand miles away, high above Kabaea, passenger capsules exploded when they were hit by an energy beam. They had neither shields nor the engine power to perform complex evasive maneuvers. Containers ruptured, struck by Hefok flashes, and the personnel inside were suddenly exposed to the vacuum of space.

Valdorian watched the events unfold on the screens. Everything happened in eerie silence; the void of space carried no sound. The steel, three-hundred-foot oval bodies of the Tiger-class battleships seemed to swell; then they burst into an abrupt glow that for a few seconds dwarfed even the light of the Epsilon Eridani sun. Wolf-class fighters burned in nuclear fire. Escape pods appeared here and there, like sparks rising from the fires of destruction. The planet's gravity caught them and they fell toward Kabaea.

The enemy force formed a tightly stretched net, and this net now draped itself over the attackers.

The image on one screen changed to show Cordoban's cadaverous face.

"I have ordered a retreat," the Consortium's chief strategist said, the cool calm of his voice at odds with the events. "We will assemble in the rings of the seventh planet. There, the enemy's superior firepower will be of no use." The communication servo transmitted not only Cordoban's voice, but also the repeated hiss of the Hefok cannons and the hum of the engines of his battle gear.

"The Kantaki ships are in transit," Valdorian replied. He did not need to point out that the battleships and fighters had only interplanetary propulsion. Without the Kantaki ships, the Consortium force had no way to leave the Epsilon Eridani system.

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