'Boys, today we stand at the crossroads of history.'
Corporal Dan Eli peered at the distance shape of Colonel Brumsfield at the far end of the parade ground. The Colonel was perched on the hood of a staff car. Spread out on the massive parade ground were no less than five brigades of infantry; more than than two thirds of the 107th Lodoninium Spacelanding Division, stood in parade ranks.
'Today we embark upon a great crusade; to remind the colonials exactly what their obligations to the homeworlds are.'
The Colonel paused and drew breath, beads of sweat trickled down his face.
'The Grand Alliance of the core worlds is nothing less than greatest expression of human unity and endeavour that we shall ever see in our lifetimes. The Independent Worlds are riled for a fight; a fight over their love of their own bloody minded will to rule. They have turned away from the light of civilisation. What they will create, is a network of warring planet states. This situation is not unlike the fall of Earth That Was. Boys, we must strangle this baby of disunity while it is still in the crib; lest it grow up and tear our Grand Alliance apart.'
The Colonel paused and looked around at his assembled men. They were young, very young. The 107th was little more than a solid core of full timers, who were swelled by eager, but inexperienced volunteers. They were a few thousand, amongst the millions of brave, young men and women who answered the call.
'I know you boys, you will not falter, you will not stumble and most of all, you will not fail.' boomed the Colonel as he punched the air with his fist.
The mass of assembled soldiers joined him, emitting a deafening roar that startled the birds out of their perches in the spaceport buildings; and for a second, drowned out the loud rumbling of the troop ships in the distance. Their embarkation ramps were extended and taking on suppliers from massive cargo haulers. Further afield, the skies buzzed with traffic. Fighters and bombers from the carriers in high orbit provided security for the ships beginning their transition into orbit. On the ground, tanks and other armoured vehicles rumbled into the larger landing ships.
'Rest assured my brave boys. The Independents have no fight in them. They'll topple like a house of cards in the wind; when they are faced with the true might of the Alliance. On that day, you can tell you children, that you were there; on the day when we built a better verse from the fire of war.'
The cheers rang louder, Dan's voice amongst them. He hoisted his rifle over his head and yelled, trying in vain to make his voice heard over the din.
*
A few hours later they were mashalled towards their ships. The name of their allocated ship was written in meter tall white lettering on her nose.
'The IAV Somme' muttered Dan, sampling the unfamiliar word with curious relish.
'It's named after a big battle' said a guy next to him.
Dan looked over and saw a shorter, but older man. He wore a pair of those stupid looking military issue glasses, and had a bookish look.
'Oh you didn't have to be a zhen de shi tian cai figure that one out,' said Dan as he offered his hand to the strange soldier.
'Dan Eli, what about you peng you?'
The short man smiled and took Dan's hand.
'Tech-4 Li Matthews, second platoon radio op,' he said.
'Huh, ain't that nice. Same platoon haven't even seen you till now.'
Li snorted back a laugh.
'Yeah, I'm a victim of some last minute re-org. Some Yu ben de looey put me in second from company HQ. They've been scratching around to find a new rad-op for the last day now. They don't want me back though. Can't stand my bullshit you see.'
'Ah, never would have picked you for that.'
'Yeah, Bachelor of Old Earth History; makes those Military Academy meat heads reconsider how well educated they really are.'
Dan laughed and looked back at the crowd of soldiers lined up behind him. His armour, pack and rifle weighed heavy, and his knees began to twinge with a slight ache.
'So what is your story Dan?' asked Li.
'Not much really, just graduated from secondary. Joined up against me Dad's wishes. They made me a corporal, still trying to figure out why. What are you doing here though? With a degree and all?'
Li shrugged and trudged another step up the ramp.
'When you spend a life writing about history, and then you get an opportunity to make it. It really makes a man reconsider his career options.
Dan chuckled at this.
'Ku, any idea where we are headed?' asked Dan.
Li shook his head.
'Fraid not, we're getting our orders once we reach orbit. Security concerns, so I'm told.'
'A load of Niu shi my friend. This is Londoninium, nobody here is gonna sell us out to the Independents.'
'You'd think that, but not so. There are more than a few cells of pro-Independent sympathisers around.'
Dan paused for a moment.
'You mean some of our own gorram people have reservations about this?'
Li nodded.
'Students mostly, all of the fringe elements. Thankfully most of them are as daft as the whole Independent Planets Movement, and oppose the policies of the Alliance solely because they feel that they should.'
'Well, they don't matter so much. They'll appreciate what we have done in years to come, I'm sure of it.'
Li smiled, 'History is written by the winners after all' he said.
*
The IAV Somme lifted up from the southern continental mass of Londoninium that evening. The battalion of troops that rode in her belly clutched to hundreds of hand holds in the main cargo deck. They did this in order to secure themselves against the violence of a planetary lift off. When the Somme punched through the last vestiges of atmosphere, she arced high towards far orbit. In the distance a mighty invasion flotilla was forming up. Attack Ships, with their banks of rail guns and missile pods. Fighter Carriers, Tender Ships, Bulk Carriers and hundreds upon hundreds of Troopships. Every one divided into invasion squadrons numbering from a small flotilla, to an impressive battle fleet. Out on the frontier, hostilities were already starting. Small engagements between Alliance patrols and Independent Space Force Wolf Packs were playing out. So far shipping on both side had been harassed, but the ever vital war materiel still flowed.
The Somme slipped into a task forced headed by the Destroyer IAV Waterloo. She moved into escourt positions behind the Waterloo's picket perimeter of frigates. Dozens of transport ships jockeyed for other positions behind the screen. On board the bridge of the Waterloo the crew checked and re-checked all of the warship's major systems.
'Captain, all boards are green, and all of our ships have reported green on positioning. We have slaved their navigation systems, and are now clear to commence navigation,' said the executive officer of the Waterloo.
The captain nodded and looked at the primary system boards, then at the Destroyers gravidar display. All around them, the ships of the fleet were marked as tiny gravitation disturbances, in the otherwise even space time of high orbit.
'Sir, we are receiving a transmission from the Normandy' said one of the comm operators.
'Play it through ship wide' replied the captain with a nod.
On the command deck of the IAV Normandy, the command vessel for the expeditionary force, General Richard Wilkins stood up and looked around at the bridge crew. He gave his executive officer a brief glance, then launched into his speech.
'Soldiers and Sailors of the Alliance Expeditionary Forces. Today we embark upon a great crusade, to bring peace and stability to a violent universe. The souls and dreams of freedom loving people march with us on this day. This is General Wilkins to all ships, you are a go to engage your grav-drives. Good luck, and good hunting.'
The executive officer of the Normandy stepped next to Wilkins as he cut the broadcast to the fleet.
'Very good sir, I doubt anyone could have topped that' he said.
Wilkins waved the compliment a way.
'I paraphrased Eisenhower' Wilkin's muttered.
'Who sir?'
Wilkin's brow furrowed in annoyance and then he shook his head.
'Never mind, let us get this farce of a war over and done with shall we?' said Wilkins as he turned back to the navigation hologram that dominated the tactical display.
In a remote corner of the IAV Somme, Li Matthews frowned as the speakers cut out.
'What Wilkin's said, Eisenhower beat him to it by a few hundred years.'
Dan looked over at Li and frowned.
'He beat who?'
Li winced and almost shuddered.
'Ren chi de shang di, quing dai wo zou' muttered Li.
'All right Li, Nai mei guan shi.' said Dan with a lopsided smile.
*