18.

Over half of Earth’s interceptors hurdled toward the Genghis Khan. Torpedoes poured out of the interceptors’ tubes and their laser cannons spewed at will. The Genghis Khan’s anti-missiles knocked out ninety-nine percent of the interceptors’ torpedoes. Packets of prismatic chaff absorbed the lasers. Then the orbital fighters began a turkey shoot, destroying interceptors as fast as they could target, lock and fire.

Amid the slaughter, the heavy proton beams from Manila, Taipei, Shanghai and Vladivostok shone. Interceptors and orbital fighters—every space vessel caught in the dull-colored beam—vanished. The real target sprayed lead-lined gel, thousand pound layers of it. The gel absorbed protons, dissipating strength. The proton beams didn’t flash in pulses like lasers, however, but maintained constant targeting. The gel heated, melted, and then vanished. The Genghis Khan sprayed more. Their supply seemed endless. Yet  the new and deadly beams kept shining. Closer and closer, the devastating fury of the proton beams neared the Doom Star.

Grand Admiral Cassius roared orders.

Million-ton chunks of rock previously blown off the moon were maneuvered into position. General Hawthorne’s assessment teams had considered them mining asteroids brought near Earth for the industrial habs in high L-5 orbit. Their assessment was horribly wrong.  Engines attached to the million-ton rocks pumped furiously. Targeting computers guided the rocks toward their impact points on Earth.

Meanwhile, the first merculite missiles streaked out of the gravity well of Earth and toward the Genghis Khan. Normally it would have been simplicity itself for the Highborn to knock out the merculites. However, the orbital fighters alone didn’t have the ECM power to lock onto them. The Julius Caesar tried, but amid the proton beams, the incredible gel mass between it and its target and the orbital fighters, the Julius Caesar failed for the first time in its existence. Anti-missiles from the Genghis Khan zoomed at the merculites. The heavily armored Earth rockets shrugged off the majority of the anti-missiles. Of course, a few of the merculites were shifted off target by the blasts. A few headed for deep space. Very few of the merculites exploded. But more than one slammed into the Doom Star Genghis Khan.

 Explosions like volcanoes threw metal, air and flesh into space. Flames roared briefly, mere nanoseconds, before vacuum stole the needed oxygen. The Doom Star was compartmentalized like a beehive, but Grand Admiral Cassius was flabbergasted that the premen had attained this much. The Doom Stars were the Highborn, the essence of their power. If one was destroyed....

More merculites hit the stricken vessel.

Admiral Cassius closed his eyes, trying to contain his rage. He breathed heavily, opened bloodshot eyes and ordered the Genghis Khan to break off.

As he spoke, more explosions rocked the massive ship. Damage control reported a full eighth of the ship on fire or destroyed. Another eighth was in immediate danger. The Genghis Khan could very well be destroyed if something wasn’t done fast to counteract such a tragedy.

Reluctant, enraged, baffled, Grand Admiral Cassius ordered an antimatter strike in near space.

Bombs sped almost instantly from the Genghis Khan and detonated just as fast. Killing EMP surges washed over the Doom Stars and down at the merculites racing up. Hundreds of orbital fighters and the remaining interceptors died in the antimatter blasts. Thousands of Highborn aboard the Genghis Khan perished or they would die in hours or days from poisoning. Social Unity had never managed to strike such a savage blow before.

The antimatter blasts gave the Genghis Khan the time she needed. The Julius Caesar finally hove into position. Her anti-missiles and more importantly her heavy beams blew up the next flight of merculites. And now the million-ton rocks entered the stratosphere.

“Scum!” roared Cassius. “Animals! Eat this!”