The Babylon Project: The Peace Maker Chronicles Chapter 3
There is an old saying on Earth, "A lot can happen in a day", and so far history has backed it up. Pearl Harbor, 9-11, San Fransisco. But no matter how much things can change in one day, seven months can produce even more wide-spread changes. Especially in a humanity that believes they are being threatened with invasion by a vastly superior foe.
In the time since the alien battleship had first come into the Sol system the inhabitants had not been idle. With the founding of the Proxima Colonies providing a steady supply of Quantium-40, production had accelerated on all manner of ships. Many of the largest ship building firms had gotten their hands on the most precious metal in the Earth Alliance by agreeing to produce four jump capable military ships for every civilian ship they turned out with the same kind of drive.
Earth Gov had decided to leave the mining and construction operations in the hands of nonmilitary firms. This had two effects, first boosting the economy from increased government spending, and second allowing them to jump almost immediately into production with the already existing infrastructure. New ship yards were built, but mostly for maintaining the massive number of ships being built.
The frenetic pace of construction available to a unified human race allowed for the development of three new ship classes as well. These were sub-capital escorts designed to provide cover for the carrier class ships. The Angel class heavy cruisers and Athena class light cruisers acted as close-in screening elements, also lending their fire to attack if an enemy ship could close. The Charon class destroyers had the distinguished purpose of closing with the enemy on the heels of the troll class LACs. While only sporting about half the acceleration of the smaller ships these vessels could mount even more weapons due to the more energy efficient grav drive. They lacked the jump capability of their larger cousins, but were designed to escort such ships until they met opposition.
Other designs were on the boards, but most suffered from power problems. One such class was intended to produce exawatt range particle lances for surgical planetary strikes, but no known power plant was capable of providing for the massive containment fields necessary.
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The relayed images from the hyperspace probes was playing on the wall screen in the President's office. Fifteen ships were approaching Earth, twelve destroyers, two battlecruisers, and a battleship.
Harmon steepled her hands before her face and light reflected from her glasses, obscuring her expression."So. It only took them seven months to get around to this system."
The cabinet members sitting in the room looked nervous. They all knew that the Centauri invasion was a lie. But it had averted a war that they knew was coming between Earth and the Belt Alliance. Now they just had to survive a very different war. This would be a war for survival, where neither side could stop before the other was no longer capable of fighting.
Admiral Townsend understood the realities of this, even while suspecting that some of the other advisors did not."Madam President, the enemy fleet is five hundred kilometers within the tachyon interdiction zone. They are also coming up on the intercept area for The Legion. I don't think we'll get a better chance than this."
"Very well, Admiral." The redhead said."Commence the operation."
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Aboard the Octurion Class Battleship Centaur the chief com officer slapped a key to kill the static coming through his ear bud. "Captain," He said as he tried to get his ears working again,"Com just went on the fritz. I'm getting nothing but static on all channels."
The commander sighed, "Figures that the first excitement we have on this whole trip is a malfunction." He turned to his XO, "Take us into normal space to effect repairs."
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Without communications to coordinate their movements the pilots of the huge ships were reduced to guessing the movements of their fellows as they exited hyperspace. But the pilots were some of the best available, allowing them to deftly maneuver the massive vessels back into formation once back in the endless black of normal space.
Just as the fleet was reformed a group of twenty-five synchronized transmissions hit their receivers. The overlapping voices were very disconcerting to the bridge crew. "We are Legion. Surrender immediately. You are now the prisoners of the Earth Alliance for your aggressive actions toward our peaceful planet."
The sensor officer reported from his station,"Sir, we are detecting twenty-four small frigates and one capital ship approaching from the aft."
"Sound battle stations and turn to face the enemy. These idiots will find out what a mistake it is to trifle with the Republic." The fleet commander snapped.
"Fusion reactions detected. Twenty-four sources." The sensor tech called.
"Are they firing, at this range?" The XO asked.
"No sir. It looks like their their using a fusion torch drive. The G-forces must be insane."
"Launch all fighters and prepare to meet them head on." The commander ordered."Where is the cap ship?"
"Hanging back. It may be a carrier with few offensive weapons."
"We'll deal with it once we've squashed these bugs."
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The LAC squadron continued to accelerate at twenty g's toward their victims. As they passed the difference in velocities gave each side only one shot. Coherent light stabbed out from the small human ships, while a combination of particle, laser and rail gun fire responded.
The seventy-two over-powered lasers of the Earth forces gutted six of the destroyers, causing them to erupt in balls of solar fire. The two battlecruisers were left with holes clean through the outer edges of their mass and deep gouges dug into their central sections. The battleship did not escape unscathed, but it's heavier armor and thicker bulkheads meant that it fared much better than it's consorts. Half of it's particle arrays were vaporized instantly and all the forward facing matter cannons were scrapped.
The LACs screamed past with only five hits. Four of the Centauri particle gunners managed to lead their targets enough to strike the mark. But the high velocity particle did little more than pit the extra thick armor. Additionally one of the rail-guns struck LAC seventeen and managed to destroy one of it's lasers and shattered a fuel line, cutting it's max thrust by thirty percent.
The crew went to full power to keep up with the rest of the squadron as they made their pass. This was almost as damaging as the laser barrage with the plumes of fusing hydrogen raking across the surface of the Centauri ships. Three more destroyers exploded and two others were crippled, along with the two battlecruisers. The battleship lost more weapons as well as it's ability to turn to port.
As the LAC squadron made it's turn for another pass the two remaining functional ships dove relative to their attackers in an attempt to escape. LACs seventeen and eighteen peeled of to head back to the carrier for repairs, leaving only twenty-two ships to deal with the last of the invaders.
The smaller ship opened a jump point and escaped while the larger ship took the full barrage of laser fire from the approaching squadrons. It's jump drive, engines, reactor and C&C were completely destroyed in the hale of coherent light. The powerless hulk drifted listlessly away from it's assailants with the small craft turning for the carrier.
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Once again the President of the Earth Alliance came before the human race. This time her speech was relayed not only all over the system but also to Proxima. The entire human race held its breath in anticipation for what might be the announcement that would change the course of human history.
"Ladies and gentlemen of the Earth Alliance," The President said."Earlier today, a fleet of fifteen ships from the Centauri Republic exited hyperspace near the orbit of Mars."
"This fleet was met by the LAC Carrier Legion and her two squadrons of Light Attack Craft. Despite being out gunned our brave fighting men and women engaged the attackers when they refused to leave or surrender."
Harmon paused to let the tension grow."After a brief, but fierce, exchange our forces emerged victorious with only minor damage and no causalities. Unfortunately one of the enemy destroyers escaped and has no doubt already reported in."
"In the first unanimous vote in the history of the Earth Alliance senate, war has been declared against the Centauri. Let me assure you that the security and freedom of Earth are in no danger. No conscripts will be called for and taxes will not be increased. Instead I call upon all of those willing, to join the forces that will lead us to victory over a tyrannical regime that has set its sights on Sol. We are now engaged in a battle for our very survival and the enemy has both superior numbers as well as the ability to attack us at will. We must remove that ability before we can be sure of a lasting peace for all man kind."
"I do not asked this lightly. Some soldiers are going to die in this war. But I promise that no lives will ever be sacrificed for no reason. Thank you, and good night."
The screens of billions of humans went blank for a moment before news specials came on to show shots from the battle. Instantly tens of thousands of husbands, fathers, sons, wives, mothers and daughters rose from their seats to report to the nearest recruiting stations. The war had begun.
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Thanks to my wife and Birga for pre-reading for me.