(updated 12-08-2020)
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Nemesis has arrived
"The SDF-4 was the same design as the original SDF-3 (also called the Pioneer-Class Super Dimensional Fortress) the REF used in their home universe. Other than a 'few minor' improvements recommended by Chief Larson, the ship design was an exact duplicate to its predecessor. This meant this ship and the successive ships built in this class, with their main Reflex Cannon, were—and still are—the most powerful warships in the galaxy. Despite how powerful the SDF-4 and her sister ships would become, the SDF-4's rushed introduction and debut into battle was almost its last..."
— excerpt from "Weapons of the Haydonite-Alliance War"
oOoOo
"Power levels building..."
Captain Wright nodded, acknowledging the bridge crew's updates. The hum of the SDF-4's power systems echoed through the ship, growing louder as the energy levels increased. That energy would feed the twin boom array of the ship's primary weapon—the immense Reflex Cannon.
"Captain, the fleet is taking a pounding!" Chief Larson reported.
James nodded, grimacing as he read the tactical display monitors. It didn't take a strategic genius to see the situation didn't bode well for the Alliance fleet.
Time to change that, he thought, his grimace changing to a small expecting smile.
"Eighty seconds until full power, sir!"
"Prepare to fire on my command!" James ordered.
"What's our target, sir?" replied the crewman manning the weapons station.
James didn't hesitate, "Target the cluster of orbital platforms! They're causing the most damage... I want them gone!"
"Aye, sir!"
Suddenly the crewman manning the engineering station shouted out, "Sir! We're getting a pulse feedback through the main power conduits!"
Shit!
"Chief!"
"I'm on it!" Rachel replied, dashing over to the engineering station.
Time moved at a crawl as James watched the Chief working at the engineering console, pushing buttons in a frantic effort.
"Chief, talk to me!"
"One sec, sir!" Rachel said, not looking up from the console.
"We don't have the time, Chief!"
She finally looked up from the console. Her expression didn't give James any confidence, "How bad?" he said.
"Sir, the power system is getting a feedback."
"What the hell does that mean, Chief?" James swore, wondering what else could go wrong right now.
"It means we never ran the main gun at full power to test everything," Rachel replied, giving him a grim look.
She added, "We're only going to get one shot and then we're going to blow out some of power conduits."
James shook his head in disbelief, "I'll repeat my question. How bad?"
"The ship will hold together, but we'll lose our primary power systems," Rachel replied grimly.
"How long to repair?"
Rachel sighed, shaking her head, "Sir, we'll need at least four days to pull the damaged conduit and install new ones. Luckily, we're tied into the Fantoma's power systems. We'll still have power to operate our forward particle beam batteries and give us some forward shield coverage, but that's pushing it."
"And we can't do anything to stop the firing..." James sighed.
"No, sir..."
"Then we better make this shot count then, shouldn't we?" James replied in a resigned voice.
oOoOo
Dejan evaluated this new arrival, trying to figure out who and what this new unknown ship was.
The unknown ship was closing, but wasn't yet in range of his ships or the defense platforms. He dismissed this new ship as only a minor threat he could dispose of at his leisure.
Yet, a strange unease was growing in him as the ship closed the range. He decided upon tasking a pair of platforms to target and destroy this unknown ship once it was in range.
It is only one ship... What can one ship do?
"Prelate, we are detecting a high energy buildup emanating from the ship!"
The unease and uncertainty gripped Dejan, "Is it a weapon?"
He got his answer... just not in the way he expected as the unknown ship unleashed a hell storm of fire.
oOoOo
Wild cheers erupted, filling The Arcadia's War Room. The holographic display updated to show the Haydonite orbital platforms destroyed.
An elated Coulson stared at the holographic display, grasping the sudden change in their situation. Like everyone else, Coulson was trying to determine if the new ship was a threat or not. They were attempting to communicate with the unidentified ship when it fired. The fire power it unleashed was staggering.
A communication tech called out, "Sir, I have an incoming transmission from a ship identifying itself as the SDF-4!"
Coulson took a moment to grasp the significance of the ship's name. He was more than familiar with the history of the SDF-class of ships. He'd heard rumors of a new ship-type under construction, but he had no idea Admiral Coleiro was building a ship like this.
A wisp of a smile formed on the General's face, guessing who was calling. He nodded, and the incoming transmission came up on the War Room's main display screen. Coulson was a little taken aback in surprise when Captain Wright's face appeared rather than who he expected.
"Sir, Admiral Coleiro sends his compliments," James said.
General Coulson immediately noted the Captain's grim expression, and the alarms shrieking in the background, "Captain, what's the problem?"
James breathed deeply, his face still grim, "Sending the SDF-4 here was a gamble. The ship was still under construction. We didn't have time to finish and test all her systems. When we fired our main gun, we blew out some of our power conduits..."
"How bad is it?" Coulson said, glancing towards the holographic display. He noted some Haydonites ships reorienting towards the SDF-4, trying to close on an intercept course.
"We still have propulsion, some of our forward batteries and shielding. Unfortunately, that one shot was all we had... I wish we could've done more," James said in an apologetic tone.
"You got rid of those platforms, Captain. That's given us a chance," Coulson replied.
"Sir, we've plotted a course to rendezvous with the fleet. We don't have much left, but we can add our remaining firepower to yours."
Coulson nodded, ending the transmission. All the while he wondered why Admiral Coleiro wasn't here.
He's got something else planned, Coulson thought, focusing his attention back on the continuing battle.
oOoOo
Dejan studied the latest tactical data on his flagship's holographic display. A sense of confused wariness gripped him. He'd dismissed the unknown ship as inconsequential to the battle. The ship's unleashing of unprecedented firepower, destroying all his orbital platforms, swept aside that opinion.
Despite the shock, he reacted, ordering his fleet to disperse, to not make them a single target. He'd been considering ordering the bulk of his fleet to attack the new arrival, removing the threat, when it changed directions towards the Alliance fleet. This perplexed him even more that it hadn't continued firing.
What are those organics planning?
One of his officers reporting cut short any further thoughts, "Prelate, we have scanned the enemy ship. We are getting fluctuating power readings. Our scans also show the ship has shielding covering only the forward section."
This information only confused Dejan. He needed more information to make a proper decision, "What does the Awareness say?"
"From the information available, the Awareness surmises, this must be a new ship design, and sent into battle before being completed and fully tested. This new ship appears to be experiencing problems with its power systems, preventing further firing of its weapon. Our scans have detected a heavy cruiser-class ship attached to the ship's hull. The smaller ship may be providing power and propulsion. The ship is hastening to join the rest of the organic ships," replied the officer.
Dejan considered this information. At first glance, the battle appeared to have swung back in favor of the Alliance. Even with the orbital platforms destroyed, his fleet was relatively unscathed. His fleet still had more dreadnoughts and battleships—with more combined firepower—than the enemy's fleet.
There was no hesitation as he gave his orders, "Launch our reserve fighters! Have the fleet regroup and close up! We will advance and destroy the organics!"
oOoOo
The Arcadia shook violently as her shields absorbed another hit. General Coulson ignored it, focusing on the holographic display. A painful grimace flashed on his face as an icon—representing one of his battlecruisers—disappeared. The ship died after taking a pounding of concentrated fire from several Haydonite dreadnoughts.
Despite the worsening situation, the troopships carrying the Marines had only taken minor damage. They hadn't come under fire yet from the Haydonite capital ships.
So far, only enemy fighters had tried—and failed—to swarm the troops ships. Skull squadron, along with the Grim Reapers and the rest of the Veritech squadrons, had taken a heavy toll on the enemy fighters. The Invid carriers were supporting the Veritech squadrons with their mecha. Coulson didn't need to be told the Haydonites were using their PSI jammers. He'd seen Tashe struggling to maintain her psychic link with the other Invid.
With the Veritech squadrons and Invid mecha protecting the troopships, this left his warships open to fighter attack. The enemy saw this and were launching another wave of fighters to exploit this weakness. Piling on top of this, the enemy fleet was advancing behind the fighters.
With most of his drone fighter force wiped out, he'd lost his main offensive striking force. He'd known from the start the larger and heavier armed Haydonite warships outgunned his fleet. Now, that disparity was taking its toll on his fleet and his people. He tried not to think about the number of distress signals they had received from damaged warships and escape pods.
"Sir! The fleet is getting torn to shreds!" Captain Tami said, taking Coulson's attention away—briefly—from the tactical display.
"No…" Coulson muttered, trying to deny what was happening. His eyes locked on the beckoning and taunting holographic image of Earth.
We're so close…
The spell broke as the ship shuddered again from another hit, and the awful reality finally sank in. From the start, this attack had been a gamble, and the realization was that he'd lost. He shook off the growing sense of failure to focus on the immediate situation.
Captain Tami noted the General's expressions, sympathizing with her commander. While she understood the situation was deteriorating, "Sir, we have to withdraw! If the Haydonites get in firing range of the troopships, it will be a massacre!"
Coulson's eyes shifted from the holographic image of Earth, glancing around the War Room. Captain Tami was right, they needed to save as much of the fleet as they could.
"Captain, inform the fleet we are withdrawing. Contact Commander Mashal and General McLean to have them withdraw their troopships. The fighter squadrons and Invid ships will stay with them to provide cover. The fleet will hold to cover their withdrawal until they can execute a fold back to Tirol. Understood?"
Tami nodded, "Yes, sir!"
oOoOo
"Prelate!"
"Yes, I see it!" Dejan said dismissively, watching the enemy ships' movements on the holographic display.
Despite his apparent dismissiveness, a predator's hunger gripped Dejan, "The organics want to disengage and retreat... I do not think so! All fleet units continue the advance! We will not allow them the chance to escape!"
oOoOo
Coulson's face became grimmer as the Arcadia heaved again from another hit. He could see the Haydonites weren't going to make it easy for him or his ships to withdraw. The troopships and fighter squadrons might escape unscathed, but how many of his fleet units would survive was another matter.
"Captain Tami… Have our most damaged ships that can still execute spacefolds fall back to designated point Lambda-Five. Route all escape pods and rescue craft there too."
"Yes, sir!"
"Captain…" Coulson said, catching his aide before she left to carry out his orders.
The Garudan paused, turning to face the General, "Sir?"
"Order all ships that can't fold, but can still fight to form up around us. Is that understood, Captain?"
Tami took a moment to grasp the General's order. She nodded, then left to carry out her orders. She realized the General wouldn't order the Arcadia to leave until the last moment. Either the Arcadia would fold, taking as many damaged ships as she could within her spacefold field or get caught by the advancing Haydonite ships.
oOoOo
Willow was a lowly spectator to the ongoing battle. She didn't understand everything that was happening, but she could easily grasp that their side was losing. When she overheard the orders to retreat, she fought the urge to scream in frustration.
She found it hard to believe they were going to run away after coming so far. Several more holographic icons—representing Alliance ships—winked out of existence, tempering her frustration. Her thoughts turned to Kennedy and Samantha.
At least Kennedy and Sam will be safe, she thought with some relief. Thoughts of her own survival moved to the forefront as the Arcadia shuddered from another hit, and damage control alarms sounded.
As she glanced around the War Room, a sense of helplessness and uselessness gripped her, seeing everyone doing something. She wished she could invoke a magic spell or incantation to make the enemy disappear, but no spell or power—she had—could change what was happening.
Her gaze settled upon Tashe. The Invid had been quiet and statue-like during the battle. Willow noted how deep in concentration the Invid was, struggling to overcome the PSI jamming to control and direct the Invid mecha with the fleet.
The situation was grim as the ship shook from another hit. Willow noted more worried looks among the crew as the ship's PA system called for damage control teams to report in.
Willow's eyes again settled on Tashe. This time, rather than intense concentration, a strange expression filled the Invid's face. She seemed more relaxed… almost joyous.
Willow found herself drawn towards the Invid. As she approached, the expression on Tashe's face intensified, "Are you okay? Is something wrong?" she whispered, unsure of what was happening with the Invid.
The Invid turned to face Willow, catching her by surprise. The Invid stared at her with an uncomfortable intensity. It was almost as if she was staring through her and seeing someone else.
"I hear them… I can hear them… I understand now," she repeated in a hushed voice.
Tashe's behavior worried and alarmed Willow, "Hear who? Who can you hear?" she said.
Tashe continued, "I can hear her… I can hear him… I can hear all of them…"
Confusion gripped Willow as Tashe turned away, moving towards General Coulson.
oOoOo
"Sir, the troopships have reached point Lambda-Five. Our damaged ships are falling back towards that point too. They should be there in ten minutes," Tami reported.
It's going to be a long ten minutes, Coulson thought grimly, studying the tactical display, showing the enemy fleet still advancing.
"Captain Tami, inform the fleet we will hold our position for the next ten minutes. After that, we'll begin our withdrawal towards point Lambda-Five. Inform the ships already there to commence spacefolds to return to Tirol."
"Yes—" Tami said.
A shout filled the War Room, catching everyone by surprise, "WAIT!"
Coulson and Tami, along with everyone else in the War Room, turned to see Ambassador Tashe hurrying towards the General.
Surprise and concern gripped Coulson, seeing the Invid rushing towards him, "Ambassador Tashe, what's the problem?"
"You must not retreat, General!" the Invid said. Her eyes were almost glowing as she approached Coulson and Tami, which confused and concerned them.
Coulson shook his head, anguish and guilt filling his voice, "Tashe, we have to retreat…! We don't have enough ships and we're outgunned. We'll lose everyone!"
"You must stay, General… The fleet must stand!" Tashe demanded.
Confusion filled Coulson's thoughts, "Why? Why do we have to stay?"
The General shuddered as the Invid stared at him intensely with those deep dark eyes, "Because they are coming…"
Before Coulson could ask who was coming, Aaron's face flashed on to the main video display in the War Room, "General!" he exclaimed.
Coulson was unsure of which problem and person to deal with first. He recovered, turning his attention towards Aaron on the display screen, "What is it, Commander?"
"Sir, sensors are picking up the beginnings of a massive spacefold!"
Alarm and confusion gripped Coulson, "Where? Where is it occurring?" he said, trying to process this new threat.
The disbelief and confusion filling Aaron's face was easily readable, "Everywhere! It's all around us!"
oOoOo
Triumphant hate gripped Dejan, looking upon the holographic display, showing the Alliance fleet retreating in disarray.
"Continue the advance. Destroy every last organic ship! There will be no prisoners taken!" he ordered.
Once they are destroyed, we can finish up back on the planet…
One of his officers interrupted his thoughts, "Sir, we have identified one of the enemy ships. It is the Arcadia!"
Exuberance swelled in Dejan at this news. For too long, that ship had been a curse upon the Hegemony and his people.
"Inform all ships to target the Arcadia! We will destroy it, striking a blow against the Alliance by removing her and what she symbolizes."
Before his orders could be relayed, another officer spoke up, "Sir, we are picking up the formation of an incoming spacefold!"
This news caught Dejan by surprise. There had been no warning of any further ships arriving with the Alliance fleet in retreat, "Who? Where are they?" he uttered. The holographic display started updating, filling with new ship icons.
The Prelate stood transfixed, staring at the display as more ships—hundreds more—continued to flash into existence in the space around his fleet and the retreating Alliance ships.
Disbelief washed over Dejan as he muttered, "It cannot be… It cannot be… They are all—"
oOoOo
Shock and disbelief filled Captain Tami's voice as she reported, "Invid! They're all Invid ships, sir! Sensors classify them as Mollusk-class Carriers."
Stunned disbelief hung over the War Room. General Coulson found it hard to shake off as more Invid ships continued to appear on the tactical display. He finally found his voice, "How many ships?" he muttered.
"The count is over two thousand, with more still arriving," Tami stammered in disbelief.
My God! Coulson thought, trying to grasp what was happening.
A crewman manning one of the sensor stations shouted out, "Sir! Something is happening to the Invid ships!"
"Put it on the screen! I want to see it!" Coulson ordered.
Stunned silence now gripped the War Room as everyone stared at the main display screen, showing the space around the fleet filled with Invid carriers. All the carriers, operating as a single entity, opened both their upper and lower huge clam-shaped doors, showing them filled with mecha.
Questions and confusion filled Coulson's thoughts. Awe filled his voice as he whispered, "My God!"
oOoOo
Dejan was speechless, watching the Invid fleet form up. The size of the Invid fleet stunned him. With the Invid fleet mostly held in their home system because of the PSI jammers, the Hegemony only had estimates of their strength. Even during the desperate fighting of the Second Battle of Optera, the Invid didn't deploy a fleet of this size.
Panicked thoughts filled his head, They wouldn't deploy all their forces here and leave their homeworld unprotected! If this fleet represents only a small fraction of their strength, they will...
"Ensure all jammers are at maximum output," Dejan brusquely ordered. He kept telling himself the PSI jammers would overcome the Invid numbers, but a sense of dread pulled on him.
"All jammers are at maximum, Prelate!"
Even knowing all the PSI jammers in his fleet were operating at maximum didn't provide any relief or confidence to Dejan. He couldn't shake the sense of dread weighing on him.
"Recall all fighters. Order the fleet to close ranks and prepare to fall back," he ordered, catching his subordinates by surprise.
He noted their questioning looks, "This is only as a precaution to allow us to concentrate our jammers and firepower to destroy the Invid," he said. Even as he gave the orders, he was trying to figure out if he was trying to convince his subordinates or himself.
He stared at the tactical display, painfully aware of how pitiful his fleet looked compared to the immense Invid fleet. Fear now replaced his dread as the enormous doors on the carriers opened, unleashing an unending torrent of mecha at them.
oOoOo
Coulson and the others in the War Room watched in stunned silence as the Invid mecha launched from their carriers. He'd heard stories and seen video clips of the Invid from the other universe, but what he was watching here dwarfed anything he'd seen or could imagine. Everyone watched as thousands… tens of thousands… hundreds of thousands of Invid mecha streaked towards the Haydonite fleet.
It's like a horde of locusts descending on… No, horde doesn't even describe this. It's a tsunami going to engulf the enemy, Coulson thought.
He finally shook off the shock, turning his attention to the Invid Ambassador, "Tashe, how? What about the jammers? Is the Regess here?"
Tashe's deep dark purple eyes met the General's eyes, "The Regess is still on Optera. I can hear her and the rest of the hive. I can feel their purpose. He leads us now."
Coulson stared at the Invid in confusion and disbelief, "Who is he? What purpose?"
"He is the Regent. He has shown us the way. The Invid from the universe I came from became what they were after the Robotech Masters took away the Flower of Life from us and defiled our homeworld. Here the Shadows sought to keep us down… keep us from achieving our destiny. The Regent has given us what we need to end this war… to achieve our destiny as a species," Tashe replied, stunning the room into silence again.
Like everyone else, this reversal in the fortunes of war stunned Willow. She had no words to describe what she was feeling, seeing the Invid mecha descend on the Haydonite fleet. She'd overheard the exchange between Tashe and General Coulson. Without thinking she blurted out, "G-Given you what? What did h-he give you?" she stammered, her voice echoing across the still silent room.
Tashe turned and looked at her. Willow shuddered as she took in those dark alien eyes. The Invid studied her for a moment, considering her question.
The Invid answered in a calm surreal-sounding voice, "Rage… The Regent has given us rage."
oOoOo
Invid mecha engulfed the lead elements of the Haydonite fleet like a raging tidal wave of death. Prelate Dejan watched helplessly as the Hegemony's worst nightmare played out in real-time.
Explosions and death filled the space around Earth as the enormous wave of Invid mecha attacked the Haydonite fleet. Desperate Haydonite ships fired every weapon they had, but the Invid they killed was only a pinprick in what was coming at them. For every Invid that died, a dozen filled its place, with their deaths only enraging the surviving Invid even more.
Invid plasma cannon fire raked ships, causing shields to fail and blow chunks out of hulls. When plasma weapons couldn't do enough damage, mecha went after the hulls with their armored-piercing pincers. The Invid overwhelmed the leading ranks of the Haydonite fleet, leaving debris and the remains of dead Haydonite ships littered their wake.
It was obvious the PSI jammers were not affecting the attacking Invid as they continued their onslaught. Dejan watched, transfixed, as his fleet was literally being torn apart around him. They were killing hundreds… thousands of Invid, but they were dealing with a force easily numbering over a million fighters. There were so many his ship's sensors couldn't provide an accurate count.
He finally shook off his paralysis, issuing orders for the fleet to disperse, and execute spacefolds to escape. The Prelate realized the Hegemony needed to know what was happening here. His race faced the spectre of unprecedented disaster if the Invid had neutralized the effect of the PSI jammers.
The Awareness foresaw this possibility when we discovered the Invid! If they have fleets of this size, and our jammers are useless, then our defeat… Our extinction is all but assured…
"Prepare to fold!" Dejan ordered, his voice cracking, trying to keep his fear and panic at bay.
Our dreadnoughts should be able to absorb the fighter attacks long enough to escape from here…
As his orders were being carried out, Dejan's thoughts drifted to how they would counter the Invid threat. There could be no hesitation or delay with deploying the new Neutron-S missiles. Once these missiles were ready, there would be no stopping the Hegemony when they unleashed their destructive power on Alliance planets.
Caught up in his thoughts, he missed seeing the fighters weren't the only Invid ships attacking. Hidden among the massed groups of fighters were Invid carriers. Upon noticing the carriers, Dejan initially dismissed them as a threat. The carriers only carried short-range attack missiles and point-defense weapons. They were no match in a straight up fight against his large capital ships.
A horrified Dejan finally grasped what the Invid intended when an Invid carrier rammed into one of his dreadnoughts, consuming both ships in the explosion. Even with this new level of carnage, the Invid attack didn't pause or slow down.
Panic and fear now gripped Dejan, "FORGET THE FIGHTERS! TARGET THE CARRIERS!"
Haydonite ships fired desperately to destroy or hold off the attacking Invid carriers. Their fire was futile as the carrier's shields and armor held long enough for the Invid to complete their death runs. In the space around Earth, mini-suns erupted into existence, and then faded, marking the annihilation of the Haydonite fleet.
Among the last ships destroyed was Dejan's flagship. He died, still staring at his tactical display, trying to make sense of what was happening, when a pair of Invid carriers rammed his ship.
oOoOo
The ferocity of the Invid attack left the General speechless. He'd thought he'd seen it all when the fighters tore into the enemy, but the carriers ramming the larger enemy ships was beyond all comprehension.
"Sir?" Captain Tami said, trying to get the General's attention.
It took a moment for Coulson to regain his focus, "Yes, Captain?"
"Sensors report all Haydonite warships destroyed other than a few surviving fighters."
"So, no survivors?" Coulson said.
"Uh… no, sir. The Invid are mopping up… They're not taking prisoners," Tami muttered.
Coulson nodded in understanding, "Did any of the Haydonite ships escape?"
Tami nodded, the confusion evident on her face, "That's the strange thing, sir. The Invid were pretty organized and ruthless in taking out all the larger Haydonite ships. Sensors detected one light cruiser executed a fold."
"How is that, Captain?"
"The Invid had the ship surrounded. They appeared to hold back and allowed it to escape."
Before Coulson could ask any further questions, Dawn's face appeared on the main display screen, "General, we're receiving communications from one of the Invid ships. They are identifying themselves as the Regent!"
Coulson didn't hesitate, "Thank you, Lieutenant! Put them through!"
Of everything happening today, the face suddenly appearing on the main video display surprised Coulson more than anything else. He stared, speechless, at a younger version of Admiral Coleiro. For a moment, he questioned his sanity, trying to make sense of everything, debating whether this was real or some illusion.
Coulson finally found his voice, "A-Admiral?"
"I am not him… The one you called Admiral Coleiro is no more. He has given himself to The Shapings. His sacrifice created my existence and allowed for my species to come to your aid and destroy the Haydonites…"
The news smacked Coulson hard, barely registering the gasps of shock echoing through the War Room. He struggled to keep his focus, trying to utter the words he never thought he would say, "The Admiral is d-dead?" he stammered.
"He is no more," the Regent replied, studying the human. Memories of the other drifted through his thoughts, telling him this human had been a good friend and someone he could trust.
The Regent continued, "He knew your attack to free your planet would fail. He realized there was no alternative… that this was his path. You should know he made this choice freely and embraced his destiny."
Coulson again questioned his sanity as he stared at the younger-looking version of the Admiral. As he studied the Regent on the screen, he took notice of differences. The Regent had longer, wilder, unkempt hair with no gray showing. There was still a scar in the same location as Admiral's distinctive scar, but now only a faint outline, barely noticeable.
It was the Regent's eyes that stood out. His eyes were a deep, dark purple—almost alien-like. Coulson glanced towards Tashe, and then the Regent, noting how similar their eyes appeared. The Regent interrupted any further comparisons.
"We have removed the Haydonite fleet from orbit. You may begin your landings on the planet, General."
Coulson took a deep breath to recover and focus. Through bitter experience gained over the years, he pushed the growing pain and anguish of losing a good friend down. He realized the battle for Earth wasn't over yet. There would be time later to mourn in his cabin. There he could scream and rail against the cruelty and unfairness of the universe.
"Understood… I'll send the orders for our Marines to begin landings," Coulson replied, showing no emotion as he spoke.
A nagging thought pulled at the General, "Our sensors showed a light cruiser managed to escape?"
"We let it go," the Regent replied.
Coulson eyed the Regent incredulously, "Y-You let it go?"
"Yes, we wanted to send a message," the Regent replied calmly.
"A message?"
"We want the Haydonites to know what happened here today. We want them to know we are coming for them," the Regent replied, not hiding the hate and hardness in his voice.
The Regent quickly added, "My fleet has thirty carriers loaded with Shock Troopers. We will land on the planet to assist the Marines. I will lead the landing force myself."
This news caught Coulson by surprise, adding to his ever growing confusion. He took a moment to collect his thoughts, getting a grip on everything suddenly dumped on him.
It was obvious the Regent could overcome the Haydonite PSI jamming, unleashing the full force of the Invid. The repercussions and possibilities were now dawning on him. With the Invid now able to fight free of the jammers, they could bring all their forces into the war. A fleeting sense of hope flared in him, realizing this nightmare could be over soon.
The Regent's face on the video screen and the casualties his fleet had suffered tempered Coulson's thoughts of the war ending. Warning bells echoed in the General's head at the Regent's plan to land with the assault forces. The last thing they needed was to lose the Regent.
"Isn't that risky? Wouldn't it be better if you waited in orbit until we've secured a beachhead on the planet?" Coulson said.
"There is risk in everything we do," the Regent replied.
General Coulson arched his eyes in surprise as the Regent's tone sounded so much like Admiral Coleiro.
"Besides, I have a promise to keep," the Regent added before cutting the channel.