Read Online Galactic Empire Wars: Rebellion (The Galactic Empire Wars Book 3) by Raymond L. Weil - Free Book Online

at
first but seems to be settling in.” Then she looked deeply into Wade’s eyes.
“What did General Mitchell want?”
    Wade let out a
deep breath. He looked over where the two eight hundred-meter military transports
were berthed. They were the biggest ships in the fleet and General Mitchell had
placed them under his command.
    “We have a new
mission,” Wade answered as he and Beth began to walk toward an airlock that
would allow them to exit the bay. “We have several advance scouts which have
reported back and the war between the Kleese and the Strell will soon be over
if it isn’t already.” The fighting was taking place so far away it was
impossible to get real-time information. Everything they had was months behind.
    “Are the
Kleese going to win?” asked Beth, growing concerned. It had been hoped that the
two Empires would weaken one another to the point that they wouldn’t be a
serious threat anymore.
    “It’s those
damn Zaltule,” uttered Wade, shaking his head. “Their warships are more powerful
than those of the Strell and they have superior numbers. The Strell have taken
some horrific losses and Marken feels they’ll have no choice but to surrender shortly
rather than risk the destruction of any of their home worlds.”
    “Then the
Kleese will come after us,” Beth said, feeling a cold chill run down her back
at the prospect of more of the massive disk ships coming to the solar system.
    “No, Marken doesn’t
think so, at least not at first. He believes they’ll go after the nonaligned
worlds.”
    “Even with their
neutrality agreement?”
    “The Zaltule
don’t believe in neutrality,” responded Wade, grimly. His eyes took on a more worried
look. “The Zaltule believe you’re either a part of the Kleese Empire or you’re their
enemies.”
    Beth stopped
in mid-stride and looked back at the Constellation where some of her crew were
exiting the hatches. Then she looked at her husband accusingly. “You’re going
to the nonaligned worlds,” she said with dawning comprehension. “That’s why you
came back in the Constellation.”
    Wade was
silent for a moment before confirming Beth’s words. “We’re going back,” he
corrected her. “We’re going to some of the nearer nonaligned worlds; you and I
and a very carefully handpicked group of marines. We’ll be escorting several high-level
diplomatic ships, which will be making a last ditch effort to bring as many of
the nonaligned worlds as possible into an alliance with us.”
    “Will there be
any combat?” Beth asked her eyes seeking Wade’s. It had been years since any of
the marines under her command fought in a battle.
    “We’re taking
the Fire Fox and the Crimson Star,” Wade answered solemnly in explanation. “If
there is, we’ll be prepared.”
    “What about
warships?”
    “A full
fleet,” Wade answered. “We’re taking the Constellation, the three new
battlecruisers, sixteen light cruisers, and two hundred of the latest disk
assault ships.”
    “You expect us
to fight a major battle,” Beth said sharply her eyes widening at hearing how
many assault ships would be going. “Are the Kleese that close to returning to
this sector of space?”
    “We think so,”
Wade said as they resumed walking and stepped through the airlock. “If the
Kleese attack one of the nonaligned worlds in our sector of the galaxy we have
a plan. It may only work once, but if it does we have a good chance of bringing
a number of the nonaligned worlds into the Alliance.”
    “What if we
can’t bring them in?”
    “Then we
lose,” Wade said in a softer voice. “By ourselves, we can’t hope to stand up to
the Zaltule in a galactic war; at least not yet. Many of those nonaligned
worlds have a science and technology more advanced than the Kleese. You’ve seen
some of that technology from the computer flash drive they gave us.”
    Beth nodded.
The cloning technology, new ion cannons, and even better sensors and energy
shields had come from