Read Online Galactic Empire Wars: Insurrection (The Galactic Empire Wars Book 5) by Raymond L. Weil - Free Book Online

the
former council under Supreme Overlord Xatul should have dealt with many years
ago,” Gareth said coldly.
    “Former
Supreme Overlord Xatul,” Harmock reminded Gareth coldly “The former Council of
Overlords was weak and incompetent. It is well that most of them died when the
Humans attacked our home world.”
    “The Bashan fleet has taken up a position between us and their world,” reported Jalridd. “There
are numerous outposts on the other planets and upon several moons in the
system.”
    This didn’t
surprise Harmock as the Bashan System was rich in heavy metals and the Bashans
maintained a robust space mining industry. The Bashan traded heavy metals for
many coveted items found on other nonaligned worlds, something the Zaltule put
a stop to when they had conquered them. Now the Bashan found themselves
standing alone.
    “The Bashan
Chancellor is demanding that we honor the neutrality agreement they signed seven
hundred and forty-two years ago,” Dalock reported from Communications.
    “Neutrality
agreements!” Harmock spoke in anger. “How could our race have been so foolish
to sign so many and allow hundreds of worlds to remain free of the empire?”
    “The council
was weak,” Gareth responded, unmoved by the Bashan request. “The Zaltule are
not weak, and the council no longer exists.”
    Harmock
returned his attention to the tactical screen. “What is the composition of the Bashan fleet that opposes us?”
    “It is quite
large by nonaligned world standards,” Jalridd replied. “There are two hundred
and twelve battlecruisers and four hundred and sixty support vessels in the
fleet ahead of us.”
    “Their primary
weapons?”
    “Pulse fusion
beams similar to ours as well as a powerful energy cannon,” Salten reported
from the tactical station. “Their ships are also protected by a strong energy
shield.”
    Harmock had
been aware this wouldn’t be an easy world to conquer so he had brought two
thousand Zaltule battlecruisers with him. He would overwhelm this fleet and
then proceed to Bashan where the collars of obedience would be placed around
the necks of the chancellor and the other foolish leaders of that world.
    The Kleese
were the dominate species in the galaxy, and all others would submit to Kleese
rule. In Harmock’s mind, only the nonaligned worlds were worthy of surviving
and being part of the empire. Their more advanced civilizations could be of use
to the Zaltule when the Kleese ventured out to conquer the rest of the galaxy.
The other inhabited worlds were infested with vermin and were only worthy of
providing conscripts to be used as cannon fodder and to serve upon the
exploration ships and assault vessels. Even though Harmock found this
distasteful, it freed up Kleese and particularly Zaltule warriors to expand the
empire.
    “Advance upon
the enemy, standard fleet offensive formation.”
    Harmock was
determined this would be a short battle, and once this world was subdued only
one nonaligned world would remain. After that, it would be time to deal with
the Humans and their paltry Alliance. Harmock wasn’t concerned so much about
the Alliance; however, the Humans were another matter. They were a race of
warriors and who Harmock had come to accept were almost equal to the Kleese in
their ferocity. Of all the races the Zaltule had ever encountered only the
Humans had shown no fear when facing the Zaltule in combat, both upon the
ground and in space.
    -
     The two
thousand Zaltule warships formed up into their offensive formation of five
lines two hundred ships long and two ships deep facing the Bashan fleet. The Bashan had formed their fleet into a massive cylinder formation with the support ships on
the outside and the heavier battlecruisers on the inside. The cylinder was
aimed at the heart of the Zaltule formation. The Bashan battlecruisers were
eight hundred meters in length, eighty meters wide, sixty meters thick, and
almost arrow shaped. The front of the vessels flared out as