Somewhere near Tareleen VI
Tareleen System. Minbari Federation.
The Dolan'Ste and the Valen'shonn, both belonging to the Wind Swords clan, just arrived. Without them another 348 Sharlin warcruisers, 56 heavy cruiser of all kinds, and 179 of smaller support ships were already there. There were expecting another hundred more before departing to the Sol system. They wished could muster more, but the Warrior Cast Council had decided to do so by themselves, apart and in secrecy because the other two casts were trying to end the war.
Bunch of cowards...
Two years earlier.
Drazi Task Force Friendship Hyperspace, near Narn Regime border
The sensors were picking some really weird in the patron of the Hyperspace disturbances. It looks like somehow the Hyperspace was creating somekind of huge bag, just around them!
-That's NOT a natural phenomena. All ships, battle stations! Ready to emercency jump to normal space! On my mark!
- Captain, the Hyperspace is moving us off the beacons!
- Jump engines ready!
-All ships, jump!
Two minutes later the fleet jumped to normal space, scattered across almost a half light year. Of the 1000 ships, 876 we're back into normal space.
-Status, all ships report!
- 123 ships didn't make it.
-Captain Frogan is hailing us.
-Put him through
-Sir,what the heck just happen?
-Looks like someone is helping the Minbari...We can't return to Hyperspace, at least for a while.
And we are being followed.
-By who? The Minbari? The Centauris?
-I bet my monthly pay in the Vorlons, only they would dare, and have the knowledge to do so. We need to split the fleet, by squadrons. As far as i remember we have three months of supplies, so we will use them and travel thru normal space until we are far from here. Then, we jump back.
-Where?
- I will tell every squadron leader personally.
One year later
Sunhawk Grommal, Third squadron, Somewhere near Sh'lassen Triunvirate controlled space.
-Captain Rowanis, the Thunder Serpent is here. They are hailing us.
-Good to see you again captain. Please come join us.
-Good to see you too, my friend.
The strange out-of-protocol chatter was a code to avoid giving any information to the ones who could be monitoring them. After a year of wandering around the League, pretending to have abandoned their inicial mission and assuming the Drazi typical behavior, patroling, anti piracy surveillance and piracy, but allways going to the Earth Alliance space to see how the things were going.
-The humans had figured out, i hoped they would do it. Now we must get ready to do our part. When we departed from the Freehold i used to think our participation was all about honour, with little chance to anything but to honour the humans who have died saving ys from the Dilgar. But after the strike of the Vorlons...
-You don't know that sir-
-Shut up! Don't be a fool, captain! Who else could be? The Minbari are they favourites and no one else around had the technology to do something like it! As i was saying,it was obvious they thought are forces could change the outcome of the war itself. So that is what we are gonna do.
-It will take months to get everyone in place...
-I know. I will handle it myself, as always. You will go to the human system of Proxima III, and stay out of vision. If they spotted you, just tell them you are going to Earth.
-I'm glad to hear the League would finally do something about it.
-Too sad it took a wall of Nova's plasma turrets to make it happen...
Present day.
Black Omega scout party.
Aproaching Tareleen VI orbit.
Another day in another damn Minbari system. The pair of Psi Corps stealth fighters were used as elite recon assets to search for fleet movements, supply lines, enemy bases, etc. deep inside Minbari territory. With that data the hit-and-run strikes were planned and executed, a year ago they were doing it blind sight, just appear, shoot everything they find and retreat, if they could.
The telephats were a small but usefull contribution of the Psi Corps, but as soon they could Earthforce started to train and send telepaths just discovered so they could bypass the Corps indoctrination.
They could feel the thoughts of the crew of ships beyond the range of any sensor, and far more in Hyperspace. Telepaths were asigned to the control Battlegroups to asure they survival.
This time the pilots, nicknamed Bilbo and Frodo, for they geekness and known Lord of the Rings's stuff lore, were gathering intel about the Tareleen system, destroyed (jumpgate included) in the first strike to the boneheads space. Now those strikes were quite rutine, but the last months the captains were reporting a great low in the number of ships defending Minbari space. That was quite suspicious, Earthforce Intelligence knew the aliens had a pretty limited ship construction capacity, and the Worker Cast was really slow in their tasks, even routine manteinance, perhaps the Minbari Federation were just running out of ships. If that was the case they should take the chance and launch a head on offensive to end this madness, but it could be something else. Perhaps they were hiding their fleet, maybe for an invasion.
Anyway they Joint Chiefs thougth that if they were the Minbari leaders, they would definitely hide their fleet in the Tareleen or Nocalo systems, leveled and cutted off from the Hyperspace network until just a few months ago.
"Frodo, i think i hear something. Yes, Minbari language, war cast dialect"
Telephatic conversation. Perfect to avoid being detected.
"Yes, i can hear it too. Something about...
"A Fleet. And Earth!
Frodo, who barely recognized the enemy's language, could read easily the images in the Minbari's mind.
"Too bad i never learn enough of their stupid language...
"This Minbari is a visual thinker... His mind is full of images... I wonder were they are hiding so many- Ahhhh! This gas giant!
"Hijos de p.ta! They are here! let's go by that small moon over there, if they are at the other side we will see them...
For an Argentinian, Bilbo had no problem thinking in English, but insults were still in plain Spanish.
"i think in english is "Sons of a bit.h , right?
"Yes, you are learning quick... Let's take a look..
Telepaths, talking between them allowed strict radio silence. They followed and saw their target, a small trasnport. Those little taxis never go to the middle of nowhere alone, much less to a devastated system. A few minutes later they found a huge 700 ship's fleet.
"Wow!
"Acá estaban los hijos de p.ta! Here they were, let's get everything on record and get out before they spotted us!"
Earth Joint Chiefs of Staff Headquartes
EarthDome, Géneva, Switzerland.
Earth Alliance Homeworld
-This was recorded a week ago. We have been looking for them in every corner and under every rock from Sol to Minbar, and nothing. I have ordered to halt the raids on their territory and get everyone ready for a huge strike. All our colonies and space station have been mined, reinforced and filled with all the ammo and fighters we could get. If they are coming here, as some of us suspect, they will arrive in at least two weeks.
-What plans do we have in that case?
-Admiral
-Yes. This is the Midway line. All the ships beyond won't be here in time if the aliens are moving in this direction. So we have ordered all ships inside it to be ready to jump to Earth at any time. To the rest, we are working in what General Leftcourt call Operation Cold Dish, if the Earth is attacked, or worst, taken or destroyed, the ships too far to help will take the chance and go for the Minbar homeworld, and level it to the stone age. Then we would do the same to all their worlds, and when they finally show up to their victory parade, we will be waiting for to welcome home as they deserved.
The Sun Hawks and Sky Serpents jumped to normal space right above the center of the Minbari wave. The Sharlins and their escorts were taking a lot of damage from the main guns of the earthers while tried to get in range to return the fire, and were in the full fight with the Drone Capital ships and it's fighters, so there wasn't much they could do to stop the Drazi.
The Freehold units just went through, shooting with all they had to everything in their path, until they apeared below the Minbari fleet, almost unscathed. Dizens of blue cruisers dedtroyed or crippled behind them.
-Well done, now turn around and do it again!
-Drazi fleet, this is Admiral Abu Bakr of the Home Fleet. I thought you would Never show up.
-My friend, it's been so long. We have been... delayed. But better late than never as you humans say
-Yes. Good to see you again. Don't do another pass, we will take care of persecutors. You don't want to miss the show...
-Of course not. See you
Sign all the squadrons, take position behind the human line, and make it quick.
The Minbari reacted the best they could, taking down a couple dozen Sunhawks in the second pass and the following retrear, and they still steamrolled right to the human line, now in range. The Skeletor and Robocop were being crippled or destroyed by dozens, yet holding the line, the Minbaris had losed more than 100 ships, twenty of them in the Drazi strikes.
Four jump points opened right in front of the Minbari line, and two hundred unmanned tug vessels draging asteroids appeared just in front of them. The slowness of the new comers don't matter because the Minbaris were going top speed and they had to evade that wall of obstacules that just came out of nowhere. The asteroids and their escorts were shooted down but not quick enough and about twenty capital ships and dozens of fighters crushed against them or the debris. And when that happen, the humans detonated the nukes in them. The explosion not only blinded the minbari sensors, and destroyed several ships, but the fragments of the detonated rocks become like giant shrapnel that destroyed or seriously wounded the Minbari fleet. Only seventy ships went almpst unharmed of that trap.
- Sir, the first reinforcement force is here.
-Send them in. And make the move.
Both fleets, Drone, jumped right above the aliens, descending over them with all guns shooting on the boneheads. The Minbari have already splited their ships trying to evade the asteroids, so they weren't stroke by above like just happened with the Drazi, so they could fight back. The relentless fury of the warrior cast, frustrated by the limitless of the human resources used against them, finally defeated the newcomers and pass away trough the asteroid wall. Now only 56 ships still fighting, 34 with light damage and 13 with heavy damage but still in battle shape.
-Fleet, fall back to the Rally point. Skeletors, retreat and wait my sign. Novas, get ready.
The ships turn around and make haste to Earth, while drone fighters cover them. Minbaris went on full assault, almost the only manouver they were doing since the begining. But this time seamed to really work. Dozens of human ships were destroyed, and drone fighters were destroyed by the hundreds.
-Skeletors, now!
The Skeletors turn around 90 degrees, and aimed all their bateries to the Minbari. 176 ships against 53. The Sharlins and others just keep firing on them, and the barrage came. And another. And another. By the third one, only five Minbari Ships were still attacking. They destroyed 47 Skeletors and 25 other ships. The fourth and last barrage anhiliate them, they went to the next life screaming "In the name of Valen!". If they only knew...
-Good job everyone! Enjoy it, you have earned it! But stay focused, that was just their first wave! Ensign, how much time for the Rally point?
-A quarter of the fleet is already there, we will be in 5 minutes.
-How much loses?
-Numbers are still coming. Roughly we lost 56% of the drone fleets, 23% of the National Guard, 27% of the manned fleet, 13% of the allied forces and 34% of the second line fleet.
-That's a lot. So many lives, so much death. Just for one mistake. Is not fair...
-Open jump points, let's finish this.
-Multiple jump points, over the rally point! Enemy contact!
The Minbari appeared just a few dozen killmeters in front of the still reagruping Home Fleet, and attacked them with all they have. Many ships were destroyed, and the orbital defence started to shoot, so many ships were trapped in the crossfire.
-Now! Deploy Avatars and bring the cargo fleet! Now! While the defenders started to form a new line flanking Earth and behind the Automatic Orbital defence line, but the Minbari were unstoppable and the fleet was not in formation. Even outnumbered and outgunned the blue ships were killing dozens of ships and hundreds of fighters. Suddenly, a lot of jump points opnened before the Minbari war machine, destroying several ships in the process. Then a fleet of more than 7500 civilian ships went in full collision course towards the attackers. It was like a space stampede.
Behind them the shuttles full of Avatars roammed full speed against them, manouvering between the debris of the destroyed civilian hulls. The Minbari were too busy trying to get thru the wall of unmaned vessels, destroying all they could, so mostly of the small crafts could get trhu without being intercepted. The batallions were activated, and launched like torpedoes. The Avatar were equippied with fusion rockets, like the missiles, and their pilots, hidden in Earth underground bases, managed to approach the enemy ships trying not being hitted. Many of them just crashed, others were destroyed by Nials and others by the dense defensive grid. Those who carried nukes and managed to put their feet over the hulls, using plasma cutters made holes in the cristaline armour and leave there the payload. After that they fly away to another ship and used their Heavy Pulse cannon to shoot down any fighter they saw or to add damage to vitals parts of the ship. Minbaris were really worried about them, but the Shay Alyt ordered the ships to stay close and use their grids to kill tge avatars one ship to another. However between the arrive of the Avatars and the Minbari reaction 23 nukes were used, and 31 ships destroyed or heavily crippled.
The Minbari once again reagroup and move forward, now targeting the planet. Earthers knew this could happen so they deployed another trick: huge howering drones over cities and critical assets, with umbrella like shields, about 500 meters wide each, and covered with pieces of cristaline armor recovered from Minbari debris. Those floating shields were used to intercept enemy beams in case of orbital bombardemebt. And a 200 strong fleet of Artemis Frigates and Novas all covered with plates with crystal armour of Minbari debris. The boneheads couldn't believe what they were seeing, and after the inicial surprise they, completely outraged charge shooting with all they had.
Now the whole planetary defence grid started to lay all their weapons on the Sharlins, flying like stting ducks they were an easy target. The combined fleets sorrund them from each side of the planets, shooting at them tireless. One Minbari ship after another exploded for the thousands and thousands of shoots incoming at them from allmost all directions. The Minbari warriors hoped that they could get enough close to do some damage, but now, the swarm of drone fighters -all of them- was sended first between them and the Planet, and them in attack vector. Hundreds of nukes detonated, and many ships abandoned their flanking positions and put their ships as live shields, many were destroyed doing so. Finally the Vree, the Drazi and the Markab decided to go for them, Starfuries and the rest of the fleet follow them. In just minutes all the Minbari fleet was completely destroyed.
Even so, some ships could shoot to the surface. Cities ( Florianópolis in Brazil, Nuakchoot in Mauritania, Thule in Greenland and Sa'na in Yemen were hitted but the shields could reduce the damage to a few blocks. Others hit rural areas or even National Parks, like the argentinian Patagonia, the Western Sahara Desert or the Rockies, perhaps trying to hit something they missed in the battle. But the bad news were the four shoots that made thru. The First hitted the Vatican, the Saint Peter's Cathedral was evaporated and the rest of the Vatican turned into rubble . The second blow the Norfolk Navy base in Virginia, USA. The third glassed the Ciudad de Nazca, a resort city in Peru, near the famous Nazca Lines the Minbari thought was a ancient religious center. And the last was the Mecca, right over the Kaaba.
When that happen a wave of religious histeria, more when some christian believers and scholars said tha two Bible passages described the destruction of both cities, and if we added the Temple of Jerusalem rebuilded a couple of years ago after the Chanel Wars, were the Al Aqsa Mosque and the Rock Dome were sit, it was an earthquake in the Earth beliefs systems. The more conservative christians flourish while catholics diminished, and muslims... the mullah of Mecca, who has been evacuated to the Khamys Musayt spaceport, called to all muslims to a jihad against the Minbari. The Goverments of the United Islamic Nations and the Indonesian Consortium backed the call, and surprisingly many catholics supported, with the Archbishop of Malta calling for a Crusade, and both Crusaders and Muyahiddins united started to create an Armada. Many captains of the Earthforce fleet defected to support the holy crusade, about 15% of Earthforce fleet joined, and several hundreds of private ships, and almost all the space branch of both regions National Guard, and half of the Ground forces. The President Levy was adviced to not do anything cause she would risk a secession or worst, and the Earth Alliance was too weak. Besides, everyone was hoping the Operation Cold Dish were successful and with Minbar in Human hands the Jihadi fleet would not do anything. Even when all this desertion was a court martial issue, nobody dare to put thousands of catholics and muslims on trial by their faith, when billions supported them and encouraged them to do so. Five days after the attack the improvised armada departed, meanwhile the Cold Dish task force was a week from reaching Minbar. The Minbaris started a Holy War, now was time to reap what they sow.