June 2, 11,958 CE
Interplanetary space close to Union garden world of Falaknuma, 18 Scorpii System, Hellespont Sector, Earth Cluster...
The Union Halycon-class Light Cruiser UEASN Feodosiya II emerged out of FTL travel accompanied by over forty capital ships, a greater part of the Hellespont Sector Flotilla, arraying themselves aggressively to meet their expected enemy.
On the bridge of the Feodosiya II, Commodore Govorov immediately demanded to his sensors officer, Lieutenant Unit 141, "Scan the area, I want the hostiles identified immediately! Let's try and get in at least a few kills before they get away this time!"
Unit 141 scanned the sensor data rapidly. "A lot of merchant traffic… but… there! They're attacking- or rather looting- the transport Edgar Allen Poe!"
"Navigation, take us to the Poe immediately! Limited in-system jump with Mark II Engines!" Commodore Govorov ordered. "What do you know… Intelligence was right on the money..."
The Union Flotilla re-emerged from lightspeed just a mere 10,000 kilometers away from the Poe, and, with sublight engines, quickly closed the gap rapidly in a matter of minutes.
The pirates vessels saw them coming and rapidly disengaged from the gutted Poe. However, instead of fleeing chaotically, the hodgepodge ships instead formed up into what might generously be called a battle line, pulling back to draw distance between them and the Union ships, but not fleeing entirely.
"Hmmm, brave… and organized… for a bunch of thieves and scoundrels," Govorov observed.
"They really came out in force this time, huh, sir," The Tactical Officer, Commander Meitner, noted. "Two frigates, six corvettes, six raiders, ten armed transports, and about a dozen gunships. Maybe about fifty fighters and small craft. There's no way they would need that much force just to loot some transports with barebone defenses. Enough to seriously harass the Falaknuma "
"They're still hopelessly outgunned and outnumbered," Commodore Govorov shrugged. "Keep bringing us closer!"
"What's with the red aesthetic?" Captain Yang, the Commodore's executive officer questioned, noting the pirate ships were completely coated in red paint. "The Red Druids just painted their symbols on the side, they didn't bathe their ships in red paint."
"It's the so-called 'Crimson Command'," Govorov noted. "One of the splinter groups that broke off from the Red Druids. Admiral Eleanor told us at the last Flotilla Cluster meeting. They're led by Ionia Ivan- a pirate warlord much more cunning and strategic than Vandor of the Red Druids, and former enforcer and spymaster under the infamous Judas. If we can kill or capture her here, it would strike a blow to pirate activity through this cluster."
He turned to the communications officer, Lieutenant O'Kelly. "Initiate an unencrypted, general frequency broadcast directed at the pirate fleet. This is perhaps a rare chance we might actually speak to them."
"Yes, sir!"
"Attention pirate vessels! I am Commodore Govorov of the Union Navy's Hellespont Sector Flotilla," Govorov declared authoritatively into his comlink. "Your vessels are wanted for the destruction of Union ships, the murder of Union personnel, destruction and theft of Union property, and acts of sedition against the Union. If you surrender now, your lives will be spared. You have five minutes." He set down his comlink.
"Sir, we're getting a transmission from the enemy ships!" Lieutenant O'Kelly exclaimed.
"Put it through. Let's hope they see sense."
The transmission revealed an image of a female Android. "I can give you your answer right now… Commodore. I am High Admiral Ionia Ivan of the Crimson Command! I will only bow to those I deem worthy of respect- and it is most certainly not you and your pathetic Union."
" 'High Admiral'?" Govorov snorted at the pirate leader's self-aggrandizement. "Don't make me laugh- you're just a pirate." Then his tone softened a little. "But I've heard about you- you weren't always a pirate, were you? You were once a Captain in the Artemisian Navy… what happened?"
"So they didn't bother to tell you that much, huh?" The self-declared "High Admiral" Ivan snorted derisively. "Figures. I haven't been a member of the Artemisian Navy in nearly a century. Just know this- I vowed to fight the Artemis Republic until the day I die, and now the Republic is part of the Union, that makes the Union my enemy! Goodbye!"
The transmission cut off, and a moment later, all the pirate ships opened fire, waves of Archer missiles, Javelin torpedoes, and machine gun fire lancing out.
"Govorov to all fighters: assume forward screening positions! Cover our starboard flank! Order the Platypus III to head to these coordinates! All ships, focus fire on and pursue the enemy frigates- do not let them escape!"
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On board the Crimson Command pirate frigate Ronald Reagan…
The Crimson Command's pirate leader, the arrogantly self-dubbed "High Admiral", Ionia Ivan, tapped her fingers as she watched the battle play out.
"High Admiral, our fighters are taking heavy losses- we can't break through their screens! And the Rumpelstiltskin is taking heavy damage!"
"My, my, those spanking-new Union F-41 Broadswords really something aren't they?" Ionia muttered. "Our Artemisian F-37 Calhouns are outmatched. Something to put on my procurement list…" She tapped her tactical screen. "Divert our fighters to defend the Rumpelstiltskin's retreat! Order Zappolino to cover the gap- make a little use of her new GARDIAN lasers!"
"Ma'am, four enemy destroyers are initiating what appears to be an enveloping maneuver around our fleet! They're not yet in effective range!"
"Trying to trap us, are they? Well that just won't do, would it? Summon our new toys!"
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On board the UEASN Feodosiya II...
The sensors began beeping a moment before the sensor officer, Lieutenant Unit 141 called out, "Commodore, I'm getting a signal inbound, I think it's a capital ship! No, not just one- !"
Seconds later, three destroyer-sized starships burst into view, just outside the Union's exterior picket line, painted in the bright-red paint scheme of the Crimson Command. But what caught everyone's attention the most was their ship design.
"Oh m-my- ," Captain Yang stammered from beside Commodore Govorov, pulling at her hair reflexively out of nervousness. "By the Oracles, those are Locust ships!"
"Transmission incoming from enemy frigate!"
"Put it through, but continue combat and pursuit! Adjust course heading, Y-79 degrees!"
The transmission turned on to once again reveal pirate leader Ionia Ivan. "How'd you like my new toys? We found these babies floating derelict in space, so we… appropriated them accordingly. Made a few modifications."
"Impressive resourcefulness," Govorov replied conversationally, seemingly unfazed. "But you're still far outgunned. You can't win this."
"We'll see about that." Ionia turned to someone out of sight. "Launch the interceptors!" She turned back to Govorov. "And goodbye."
Just as the transmission ended, dozens of Locust Interceptors poured out from the commandeered-Locust Destroyers, while the destroyers themselves began lobbing plasma fire and missiles at the Union picket line.
"As if that will stop us!" Govorov gritted his teeth. "Arm Archer missiles with proximity fuses and fuses and fire into the swarm! Then withdraw the exterior line and readjust envelopment maneuvers!"
The Union's Archer missile barrage blast swaths through the Locust Interceptors, reducing most of them to debris. Some of them, carried by their momentum, still impacted on the kinetic barriers of Union warships, while most of the remnants flew out into space. Judging from the trajectory, some of them might reach the system's star, 18 Scorpii, in a couple years.
Only a few Locust Interceptors survived intact, but most only made a few potshots before being cut down by GARDIAN point-defense lasers.
But they had done the job- the Union lines had fallen into temporary disarray as warships hastily readjusted their heading and formation to respond to the new threat.
Most of the Crimson Command vessels took the opportunity to initiate a micro-jump through gaps in the Union formation, pulling back about 30 million kilometers- nearly a quarter of an astronomical unit- well out of reach of any of the Union's weaponry.
Only the three Locust Destroyers remained in range, retreating at sublight speed while trading fire with the outside ring of Union vessels.
Commodore Govorov clenched his fist, furious at the prospect of letting more pirates escape once again, as they had in so many engagements. "Maintain pursuit!"
"They could easily have escaped the system entirely if they wanted to," Captain Yang pointed out. "But they haven't. It's almost like they're… taunting us."
"Or luring us into a trap," Commander Meitner narrowed his eyes. "This feels like a complete set-up."
"Commodore, we have multiple ships- heading 240, 50-32-75 degrees, coordinates 254-622-211!" Unit 141 piped up in alarm. "At least eighteen capital ships- destroyers, frigates- and a cruiser-sized vessel!"
"What?!" Govorov rushed to look at his own tactical screen. "But- they're nowhere near us! Are- are they heading for Falaknuma?"
"Sir- it's an Locust invasion force! Locust capital ships launching drop pods, sir!"
"How is that possible?" Govorov gaped. "Locusts here? In the Earth Cluster?! How could they get so deep into Union territory without our sensor and deep-space defense stations detecting them? Get me Narva-2 Station!"
A few minutes later, Lieutenant O'Kelly piped up, "Uh, no response from Narva, sir. Also, their station beacon is offline."
"What? Have they been destroyed?" Captain Yang exclaimed. "That quickly?"
"What about Geyer-5 Station?"
"Wait a minute- transmission received!"
A moment later, a voice transmitted. "This is Commander Botsaris of deep space defense station Geyer-5. How may I help you, Feodosiya?"
"Commander, a Locust invasion fleet on rapid approach to Falaknuma! How come you didn't raise the alarm?!"
"What?!" Commander Botsaris exclaimed. "Our sensors didn't detect any enemy presence. We just lost contact with Narva-2 a short while ago, so we've been trying to re-establish contact. What's this about Locusts? Here? In the Earth Cluster?"
"It's possible Narva has already fallen to Locusts," Govorov replied curtly. "I'm going to check in with Station Viking-3 now."
A few minutes later, they managed to get in contact with Viking-3 Station Lieutenant Commander Danlos, who also professed to have detected no anomalies, and certainly no enemy fleet.
"How can this be?" Govorov exclaimed. "This is impossible!"
"If I may postulate," Sensors Officer Unit 141 brought up cautiously. "Perhaps the Locust ships have developed some sort of stealth system to keep themselves off long-range scanners, or even some form of cyberwarfare to disrupt our station sensors."
Govorov narrowed his eyes. "Issue a broadcast to the pirate fleet. I want to know if they know something about this. This seems too fishy to be just coincidence."
A minute later, the Crimson Command leader reciprocated the Union flotilla's hail, and Ionia Ivan reappeared on screen, chortling lightly. "I was wondering when you'd call, Commodore."
"Did you know about this Locust invasion, somehow?" Govorov demanded. "What connection do you have with the Locusts? I'm pretty sure Locusts don't… randomly leave entire intact capital ships just floating through space."
Ionia laughed mirthfully, a raw, caustic sound. "Oh, your expression is too funny! But who knows? It's not like I'm going to tell you! Toodles, and enjoy fighting the Locusts!"
The transmission cut off abruptly, and seconds later, the entire Crimson Command pirate force- red Locust Destroyers included- initiated FTL travel, vanishing from the system.
"Damn that crazy bitch," Govorov muttered.
"What do we do now?" Captain Yang questioned. "We still have the numerical advantage, but the Locusts can sometimes punch above their weight."
"We don't have much of choice, do we?" Govorov replied. "Our duty compels that we defend Falaknuma. We have Locusts to kill!"
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Deep in interstellar space, somewhere in the Earth Cluster…
Ionia Ivan stood on the bridge of her flagship, the frigate Ronald Reagan, watching as Locust Drones and Crawlers navigated over the hulls of her ships, repairing the damage done to her fleet.
While the Locust Destroyers X23, X34, and X35 dwarfed her flagship, Ionia staunchly refused to move her flag to one of them. The Locust ships were… unsettling, with their nest-like interiors, strange symmetries, and corridors at unusual angles. It seemed more like a cold, geometric maze than the comfortable, familiar quarters on the Reagan.
"High Admiral, you have a call," Her timid adjutant, Commander Emilia Howard, stepped over. "Priority Alpha, from the Ballast System."
Ionia smirked. While the Ballast System was officially registered as under the administration of the Union Intelligence Service, it was secretly controlled by the enigmatic Organization.
"I'll take it in my quarters." She strode off to her private room.
Once inside, she put the call through. "Why, if it isn't Agent Legasov himself? I trust you have the second part of my payment ready?"
"Yes, in due time. Sending the rendezvous coordinates now. I trust the operation went as planned?"
"Well, I lured the Sector Flotilla to Falaknuma, didn't I? And they witnessed the Locust invasion taking place, so it's all good."
"Excellent, you've done well." Legasov congratulated. "I always knew you were the reliable sort, not like the fool Vandor."
"Speaking of which, are you planning to dispose of Vandor anytime soon?"
"Unfortunately, our Deputy Director thinks he and the Red Druids are still of use for the time being. What's left of the Red Druids, anyhow. Why, you want his position?"
"Nah," Ionia shook her head. "But I'd adjust my operations accordingly if the Red Druids were to collapse entirely."
"Speaking of which, what's been happening with the various Red Druid splinter factions after, you know, the splintering?"
"Well, last I heard, the Red Druids- those still loyal to Vandor- got themselves into a three-way turf war with the Black Druids and the Red Fleet. I hear they're losing more ships fighting each other than the Union," Ionia poured herself a glass of wine. "And no one's seen any trace of that pompous 'Supreme Overlord' Pinochet and his faction, the Vengeance Group, in months. And I hear there's a new upstart pirate group that popped up in the Sanctuary Sector- the Blue Scales, I think they call themselves? Anyway, I personally try to stay out of the way of the other pirate factions, so my info might be a little out of date."
"Still, you were once one of Judas' top enforcers, and his intelligence expert," Legasov pointed out. "You single-handedly kept all the factions of the Druids in line and rooted out traitors for over fifty years. Vandor might have been the official second-in-line, but everyone knows you were Judas' real right-hand woman. So, I'd trust your analysis over anyone else's."
"It wasn't all me," Ionia sighed. "Judas had a certain… charisma to him. A charm that kept the factions together. Make no mistake, he was a savage rogue with no real loyalties or cause- he would have cast me aside the instant he saw profit in it… but he gave me the chance to exact revenge. What a pity the damned Artemisians had to go and kill him. It all fell apart after Vandor took over."
"Yes… what a pity, indeed…" Legasov muttered. "Anyway, it doesn't bother you to work with the Organization? We are a part of the Union you hate, after all, even though we are a secret part. What you told Govorov-"
"News travels that fast, huh? I might have exaggerated a bit. My enemy is still the Artemis Republic. I'm no fan of the Union, but if working with other factions within the Union can help me better exact revenge on Artemis, I'm all for it."
"Then I must say it's been a pleasure working with you, and may we have more opportunities for mutual cooperation in the future."
"Likewise, Agent. You know, you remind me a little of him…"
"Who? Judas?"
"No, someone else. Never mind."
"Uh, okay. Suit yourself, then. Until next time."
As the transmission shut off, Ionia reached for the necklace around her neck. The heart-shaped pendant at the end opened to reveal the photographs of two Androids- one with the appearance of a young man, and another who looked like a little girl. "Armin… Shirley… Don't worry, I'll keep avenging you. I swear I'll make more of those bastards bleed like a leaky pipeline." She began to laugh maniacally.
