Well, here I am with the first chapter. Unfortunately, I did have to change the title from 'Rising From the Ashes' to 'Rising from the Embers of Sera' Apparently there was another story with the same name and I didn't want to be a dick so…small title change. Also, I'll do my best to start fleshing out the military structure and equipment in the coming chapters.
So, without further waiting…the story!
Chapter One.
O2Ib-783 system (203 L.Y from Aspho) 421 A.E. 12th of Heat
2nd Squadron, 5th fleet
The swirling blues and whites of slipspace disappeared with the familiarity of exiting a tunnel. A sensation one hundred three ships experienced over the next few moments.
The Ganil Sea emerged first as the lead ship, her size and length as a battleship profound. Shields remained steady as doctrine indicated, weapons coiled to standby. Over fourteen hundred meters in length, she was larger and more powerful than humanities first dreadnaught decades ago. A blocky vessel of rough angles and dull gray armor, it would not win any beauty contests. But then…most naval officers would prefer an ugly ship that could survive battles over a pretty ship that became spinning debris in vacuum.
Like her larger cousins, Battleships were equipped with the double punch offensive power of a mass accelerator cannon and the HoD. But with her appearance representing a giant, floating space rifle, the double spinal column for the main weapons had to literally be aimed at any potential threat. Port and broadside missile launchers alleviated this problem somewhat along with laser point defensesystems, but like any vessel throughout history…nothing was perfect. Something would always get through.
Sensors began to sweep, spurned on by the efforts of enlisted personnel from multiple vessels as they broke apart into four sections to begin the survey of this latest system.
Rear Admiral Adrian Trescu crossed his legs, slowly stroking his goatee while sitting in his command chair. Gaze shifting through the windows of the bridge, it was bathed in red from the supergiant of the system as his bridge crew continued their survey. The Tac-com holographic display rested calmly in the middle of the bridge, obediently feeding new data as the ships slid through the darkness of space. A guard-rail ran around the circular display, bathed a light red under the gaze of dying starlight.
Adrian knew the layout would be foreign to ancient wet-water navies. Back then they had the room to do such things. But when humanity first started building warships in space, every inch mattered. They couldn't be bothered separating two aspects of command by bulkheads and separate rooms. Then…the design stuck after centuries despite the abundance of interior space. Frankly, it streamlined incoming data that could be critical. But at the moment…all it displayed was the lifeless system of moons around the storm wracked gas giant of purple out a sigh of boredom, he already knew what sensors would say.
"Another dead system…inner rocky worlds devoid of life or water…too much radiation or heat…" Sometimes he wondered why they even bother surveying in strength. Command could send out a ship or two to do the job of his whole squadron. But on the other hand… "We don't know what's waiting in the dark. Better to be overprepared"
Adrian was a taller man, towering over most of his crew by at least several inches. His features were…not attractive by most standards, with the exception of his eyes. Those orbs of green carried the same gaze…the same desire to serve as the legendary Miran Trescu of the locust war. A tradition his family had carried on through the centuries of settlement, reconstruction, and expansion.
His frame was fit, well within the standards of athleticism even at the age of fifty one. He had taken the genome treatment despite the first strands of gray decorating his goatee of raven black hair. A matching shade of closely clipped hair upon his head matched his facial hair.
Adrian had first joined the navy thirty years ago at nineteen, electing for officer school. He had been accepted, training at Reach and leaving the family farm on Nova Gorasnaya behind…something his father had been furious about. Not because he joined the military, but because he had ignored the infantry and went for the navy. It was a choice that would take years to heal between himself and his father…the stubborn bastard.
Years of steady service lay behind him, slowly rising through the ranks of peacetime. He had started a family with his wife Sonya, a wonderful woman that had birthed six amazing children. Of course, he had made sure they would learn the old language despite standard Tyran being the official language of the Coalition.
He lightly snorted, wondering what the long dead Gorasnayan hero, Paduk would think of that. "Probably call us all traitors if you believe the stories about him"
Reverting his attention around the bridge, it was a mash-up of personnel from all across Seran space. Men and women drawing heritage from Pelles…or the islands, Tyrus…Vasgar… SavangoI. It was a snapshot of how far humanity as come from the near extinction of their civilization hundreds of years before. But…he had a job to do, no matter how boring it has become.
Trescu was momentarily surprised that an hour had passed.
"I should stop thinking about the old heroes" Straightening his shoulders, his voice was crisp and clear. "Report"
The crewman on his left was rapidly interpreting the sensor data, a young woman with hair almost silver and tied in a ponytail as her fingers flew across the blue tinted touchkeys. She turned her head after a moment, features displaying a youthful beauty.
"She's a recent replacement…Mina Dragneel? That whole family has weird hair colors…but they have served proudly for generations"
"Sir. Preliminary data shows that this is a lifeless system. The star is a super red giant, nearing the end of its life. The two inner planets are estimated to reach between eight and nine hundred degrees and the out gas gi—"
The screen flashed, retaking her attention. "Please wait sir…I'm…that can't be right"
"Report, crewman" Adrian spoke with a firmer tone, spurning on the woman.
"Sensors are picking up…drive signatures on the far side of the system. Their faint, but I'm counting…thirty so far. No…make that forty"
Trescu tried not to show it, but his eyes widened at the implication. They were over sixteen hundred light years from Sera…no human has been this far. And drive signatures could only mean one thing…
"Comms to the other ships! Possible first contact! Weapons ready! Staggered box formation! And make sure to notify command!" Adrian shouted to the communications specialist as transmissions of orders swept across the squadron.
The lights dimmed to a harsh orange as the crews of each ship scrambled to battle stations. Destroyers moved up, flanking the capital ships in a protective box among the vacuum of space.
"Sir! The Centaur confirms! At least fifty signatures!"
Trescu stood with urgency. Swiftly closing the space with the Tac-com holographic display, the preliminary layout of the system was shown in detail. His squadron quickly lit up like blue triangles from the 'south' while the unknowns burned red past the gas giant.
"Have they spotted us yet?"
His X.O stood across the circular display, a squat man with a bulbous nose and old burns from early in his career. Balding, Trevin Paynor was not a good looking man…but that didn't matter. He was a reliable officer capable of keeping a cool head and logical thinking.
"Unknown sir. If this really is first contact, we have no idea what kind of sensors, weapons or tactics these xenos could display. For all we know they could be peaceful"
"And they could be hostile, Trevin" Pointing toward the gas giant and her moons, Trescu traced a blue line with a holo pointer. "Have Captain Chimenko take The Centaur and a balance of thirty ships behind this lava moon. Commander Sato of The Firebow will take another group of thirty and hide in the upper atmosphere of the gas giant. We will…" Trescu pointed toward an open space between the orbiting moons and the gas giant, forming a supporting triangle for his ships. "Wait here and send the first contact package. Hopefully they'll be peaceful and respond…"
"But if they aren't, we can hit them in the flanks"
"Hopefully that won't happen" Adrian finished as a growing knot of fear coiled in his stomach. He wanted to believe that this new contact was peaceful…but the war with the locust…even after all these centuries… "What if they're like the grubs? What if we can't communicate and something happens?"
The orders went out, the 2nd squadron increasing speed as they sought to make peaceful first contact. Trescu watched his formation split over the next hour, burning hard toward the gas giant as he thought of his family. "Has command been notified of the situation?"
"They should be receiving the data now, sir"
It was a small reprieve of relief in case something happened…but dammit…Trescu couldn't ignore the rising dread in his stomach as his ships drew closer and closer across the harsh cold of space…
Far side of O2lb-783. 2nd Subjugator Fleet
Fleetmaster Ki'nav sat in his command chair, idly tapping the tips of his manicured claws against the metallic armrest. Raised above the lowly crew, he found most of their bloodlines…pathetic. A rabble from the ten known worlds of the Klor'vin Chaliphate, they could never match the honor of his ancestors. After all, his own great grandsire launched an extermination campaign against... "What was that race called? The…Servo? No..Senili'ki. A race barely capable of constructing wooden sailing ships. Just like the Trinvil and Voro…vermin in need of eradication"
A tiny tug of his grayish green lips pulled upwards along his large mouth, daring to show his teeth at the fond stories he heard as a hatchling. That world was now home to over eight hundred million of their people, standing on the ruins of an extinct race.
"What is so amusing Fleetmaster?" Turning his head, Ki'nav studied the high priest of Klorta. His scales were a pure green, advertising his noble bloodline as a prophet along with his draping blue vestments of the finest silk. Blinking, the yellow eyes closed vertically below the hardened bone ridge of the exposed skullcap. Breathing slits inhaled damp, humid and hot air, a virtual match to the homeworld of Tenvor'ti and its beautiful swamps, bogs and marshlands.
If a seran could see them at this moment, the appearance of the Klor'vin would resemble upright frogs or toads.
Ki'nav shifted his command sash over his exposed chest of scales and ridges, trying to get more comfortable as his lower web suit clung to his body along his waist and legs.
"Just thinking of my grandsire and his stories. A mere lesson of my bloodlines duty" he responded with a cracking hew of throating words.
"Of course. The great Tri'niv…a devout follower for our god, Klorta"
A small warbling of an alert sounded from a nearby computer console, the operator shifting uneasily as the throat sac expanded in nervousness. "Fleetmaster…"
Ki'nav glared, his "Did I give you permission to speak, sub-tech?"
The technician lowered his gaze, submitting with a bow. "My apologies for speaking out of turn, but our sensors have detected…vessels across the system…along with radio and video transmissions"
The high priest sneered, his lips curling in building anger. "Impossible! We are the chosen race! The fact some…vermin had the gall to develop space flight is an affront to Klorta!"
Fleetmaster Ki'nav shared the sentiment with the priest. And judging by the tints of crimson among many throat sacs, the crew felt anger at the insult to their deity. He hissed, pointing toward the stretching wall screen for tactical displays. "Show the images…of these…creatures"
A being in some sort of black clothing appeared with lines of gold or bronze running vertically down its flanks. The skin a sickly pink-pale and smooth. Strange fur covered the head while a small mouth opened to speak. The nose rose from the face, separating a pair of eyes that blinked…horizontally. Unknown words reached the crew, reminding them of a lame or dying Malni beast.
"Disgusting…how could such a creature even reach the stars. No bone ridge…no throat sacs…and its eyes scream stupidity"
The priest wanted to spit, the offensive appearance raising his throat sac…he wanted to croak in distress. "Fleetmaster. The will of Klorta is clear. We must eliminate this…plague and liberate their worlds. After all, it is only under our steady claws can we protect the life these abominations have enslaved and desecrated"
"Of course, High Priest. The will of our god is paramount" He rose, towering above the lower classes as his eyes burned a harsh yellow. "Bring about the fleet. We will destroy this filth. Summon the 1st and 4th Fleetmasters…the Caliphate must expand"
Clasping his clawed, three fingered webbed hands behind his back, Ki'nav stood silently as the eight hundred ships of his fleet turned to burn across the system. Lead by his battleship, the K'lin was almost a mile in length. Armaments included a ship length cannon to launch a 17kg shell at 0.9% lightspeed…or about thirty five kilotons of force. Defensive missile and laser batteries were strong along the length, no doubt enough to stop any attack.
Glancing at the positions of his fleet, Ki'nav studied the four plasma equipped battleships leading their respective assault groups.
"This will truly be a great day for the Klor'vin Caliphate…"
Trescu was sure he could've heard a pin drop as the unknowns drew closer and closer. His face was growing pale, a few beads of sweat falling after he sent the first contact communication.
There had been silence…and the ships had turned toward his command.
"What's the count up to?" he asked hollowly, his voice a crack of dread. Adrian hadn't needed to ask…the Tac-com display was all too clear.
Hundreds. Hundreds of ships heading toward his squadron of one hundred and three ships. So far it seemed like they hadn't found Chimenko's or Sato's groups, but if they proved hostile that wouldn't last long.
He turned to the woman sitting at weapons. He could see the paleness of dread draining the blood from her face. She was scared…all of them were, but there was still a chance this race was peaceful…but every passing moment reduced that belief in Adrian's eyes. "Is the HoD ready to fire?"
"Yes sir"
"Target their lead ship. If they prove hostile, I want two salvo's from every vessel…then we jump to MVIII-782" He caught Trevin's gaze of worry. "Aspho is the closest colony. We can't lead them to Coalition space"
"They don't even have orbital defenses yet…just a division spread across the whole planet. If…"
"SIR! I'm detecting weapons fire across their battle line! Slugs range from five to seventeen kilograms! Point nine percent light speed!"
"RETURN FIRE!" Trescu yelled as the first tungsten tipped shells raced toward his ships. Sentinel laser defenses sprang to life, striking down dozens of incoming munitions with blazes of blue lances of hard light…but the sheer number of incoming shells could not be stopped as the first hits struck 2nd squadron.
Ganil Sea shuddered under multiple impacts, her shields flaring bright under the hammers of kinetic firepower. Orange light built at the aperture of her main weapon, glowing to match the nearby star as her Boomshot missile batteries fired.
A stabbing lance of superheated energy slid through space toward the enemy dreadnaught, a silent beam of orange destruction quickly followed by fifteen kilograms of tungsten/steel slamming into the bow, depleting shields by half.
It would take another forty seconds to reload and recharge…meaning they would have to sit and take punishment as more impacts flared against beaten shields.
The twin cruisers, Tollen and Vetrograd kept up the rear flank of the Ganil Sea out of effective enemy range, firing 12kg thermic lance slugs like snipers of old. Accompanying missiles were released even with the random impacts of stray hits. Those piercing lances screamed silently at 1.1% the speed of light, glowing like beams of white. Striking an enemy cruiser, the first thermic lance overloaded the forward shields like the burning temperatures of a sun. The second following close behind was much more effective, stabbing through the ship's armor as it melted and buckled. Burning through several bulkheads and exposing dozen's of Klor'vin to vacuum, the damage was significant as systems screamed under the torment of warped metals. Several point defense blisters were knocked offline, opening a small breech in the defensive net…which the Seran's would exploit to full effect.
Two more lances of searing white fired from the twin cruisers, crossing the space to hammer the wounded enemy ship as her armor burned and buckled under additional carnage.
Destroyers launched their torpedo salvos, a high yield fusion warhead…followed by 7kg shells as the surrounding space came alive with battle. Shields flared…harsh lances of blue light and purples of respective fleets trying to keep enemy weapons from killing them. Three of the fusion tipped weapons homed through the defensive gap toward the crippled cruiser, detonating amid ships. Harsh fusion light bloomed, a circle of raw heat and energy like miniature suns as the Pil'tik was torn apart with all hands.
Commander Sato moved her ships from the cloud covers of the gas giant, the roiling storms interference enough to hide the thirty vessels under command. Burning hard as engines flared bright, it was a commander's dream as her ships came up behind the fleet of hostiles.
A short woman, her small frame and stature made many underestimate her capabilities. Black bangs framing her slim face, her gaze became dark like a wolf hunting sheep…a lot of heavily armed sheep. "All ships target their engines before they turn! Make each hit count!"
The Longbow vibrated from the launch of her mass driver, sending the first 10kg shell hurtling toward the closest exposed ship. The Battlecruisers missile launchers emptied, sending two dozen warheads toward the exposed rears of the enemy fleet. Her destroyers surged forward, launching their own space torpedoes in a staggard line. After that, mass drivers came to life as they fired, completing the salvo as the first enemy vessels tried to turn in time.
They wouldn't be able to avoid the incoming death.
Crashing into the burning green engines, that 10kg shell wrought heavy damage on the vital workings of Klor'vin nuclear cores. Half the engineers were killed outright from the impact breaking through the vital workings while even more were suddenly exposed to harsh vacuum. Alarms blared from spilling radiation and bent rods, staggering the vessel.
The terror was short lived as two dozen fusion warheads along with another forty eight heavy yield torpedoes screamed to make contact. A few Klor'vin ships managed to move enough to shoot down some…but not nearly enough as fully half broke through.
Fresh suns burned as the weapons crashed into the engine rooms of these exposed ships. Armor's broke and cracked…sundered by fusion fire inside the vessels.
It was instant death for four light cruiser's, one heavy cruiser, and thirteen destroyers as they became spinning debris fields of broken shards and slagged support struts. A few random armor plates hit nearby ships…the occasional corpse freezing and breaking against green shields like shattering glass.
Considering how overwhelmingly the serans were outnumbered, it was a good blow...but hundreds of ships remained.
"One more salvo…" Commander Sato whispered as the first enemy vessels managed to turn and begin sending their own brand of destruction her way. The Longbow shuddered under the first hits even as she returned fire with mass driver and missiles, hoping for luck to hold out.
The Nathan died twenty seconds later, overwhelmed by heavy hits…far too much for the destroyer as more began to take damage.
Longbow bucked hard, alarms screaming as she took three hits midships. Sparks flew from overloaded systems and power surges. A crewman screamed, a victim of electrical burns as his station became engulfed in dirty flames.
"MA'AM! Shields are barely holding! Another few like that and we'll be dead in the water!" The young man at the nearby station screamed. The woman next to him ignored the fresh cut along her forehead, the red dripping down as her eyes scanned the incoming information. "Three more destroyers are gone! Many are reporting increasing damage!"
"Status of our missiles!?"
Tactical was thrown from his seat, eliciting a cry before scrambling to look with fresh cuts along his cheek. "Only five made it through…two more vessels destroyed and damage to another four"
"Shit…when is Trescu going to order the retreat?" Sato asked in growing trepidation as another hit staggered her vessel.
Captain Chimenko led The Centaur and his accompanying ships around the moon of molten seas and poison air. She was a cruiser like the Tollen, equipped with a Thermic Lance Slug instead of the standard driver round. The rest of his command consisted of four battlecruisers leading packs of 7 destroyers each.
A squat man with a hawkish nose, his facial scars from childhood acne were prominent under the blue glow of the Tac-com display. Scowling, he had hoped there would be time for a third pass…but with the state of the squadron, he would only get two at most….maybe three if he was lucky.
"Captain. Sato and Trescu are under heavy attack. At most, they can only hold for another few minutes before they are overwhelmed"
"I'm quite aware of that lieutenant" he replied darkly, his voice rough and full of the gorasnayan accent. Grabbing the holo-pen, he dragged a line to the right flank of the enemy race.
"Based on current speed, we will get one or two clean shots before they can bring their numbers to bear. The Centaur and our Battle cruisers will concentrate on this capital ship. Crippling it will cut open this portion of their defensive net for the destroyer torpedoes. After that, we will initiate our drives and escape"
"What about our ships too damaged to retreat? The other sections are getting beaten badly"
"Then they will die. Hopefully by fighting to the last moment. Now…carry out my orders"
"Sir!"
Squadron 2.3 moved hard and fast, using the gravity well as a slingshot to increase speed toward the enemy flank. The Centaur fired moments later, sending a Thermic Lance Slug at 1.1% light speed toward the closest capital vessel. Supporting MAC rounds followed close behind on the lance's heels, eager to meet a target. Slamming into the first vessel, the shields flared and buckled a harsh green. A secondary salvo followed thirty seconds later, beating against the shields. Unfortunately, defensive lasers destroyed two of the MAC slugs before impact, staving off destruction for a few more moments.
It was the third salvo that finally broke through, cracking and melting thick armor. Air streamed out in ruptured sections among tumbling aliens and rendered metalwork, staggering the vessel. The Battlecruisers launched one twenty eight sprint missiles at that point, ready to exploit the weaknesses before them.
The destroyers moved in, fusion torpedoes flying straight at the defensive gap. Launching two each, the hope was to overwhelm nearby laser point defense as over one hundred seventy missiles and fusion torpedoes burned silently through the dark. Five struck the wounded cruisier along the flank, blooming like superheated balls of destruction as her crew died in a burning hell of flashing light.
Approximately 73% of the remaining were shot down by point defense from nearby vessels…but that still left nearly fifty to wreak devastation in the form of tiny suns. Five light cruisers, a heavy cruiser, and seven destroyers fell to overwhelming fusion fire, the balls of fire melting armor…crashing shields as they simply shattered under the cataclysmic blows. Another dozen ship's took varying damage.
But…like Commander Soto realized earlier, hundreds of vessels were just waiting to chomp at the bit to fight and kill Seran vessels.
A full two hundred turned to face the new threat, opening heavy salvos that screamed to overwhelm the vastly outnumbered ships. Many missed due to evasive maneuvers…others shot down by point defensive lasers…but some got through to enact revenge. The Arthur T. Riley took three 15kg hits along with another half dozen from enemy destroyers. Her shields were flayed open…ruptured armor broken and cracked as air leaked like a sieve. Supporting structures screamed in agony, the vessel not meant to take such a horrid beating while Seran corpses froze as they tumbled into space. Death took the ship three seconds later by another trio of 15kg slug slamming into the exposed interior near the engine flickering with electrical glows and superheated embers. She exploded in a flash, the drive going critical with all hands.
More CoG vessels bucked under damage, their drives warming up to initiate slipspace despite the hammering. the battle cruiser Timberland leaked air…a barely flying wreck as her defensive net struggled to keep her crew alive for another ten seconds. She had been ravaged in the last minute by heavy hits with nearly a third of her crew dead or wounded. Yet…she still managed to fire another MAC round at the enemy in defiance.
A surging flare of green plasma shot from a large enemy vessel, roiling through the silence as it tracked the Centaur. Laser point defense tried to stop the mass of energy, but it was as effective as throwing a rock against a tidal wave.
Captain Chimenko knew there was no way his ship could avoid the coming attack as alarms blared with shields under bombardment. "Brace Comrades!"
Burning plasma washed across the bow, eating away the remaining shields before attaching to the exterior armor plating as Centaur bucked and screamed with fresh damage.
"SIR! Bow sections two, four and five are gone! Estimated thirty two dead! Sensor nets are destroyed! Forward shields are gone! Rerouting power and systems!"
"How long until we can jump?" He asked the lieutenant with a cold demeanor. Thirty two was better than the whole ship he admitted as his vessel fired another Thermic Lance at the closing fleet. "It appears they aren't the only ones with tricks up their sleeves…"
"FIVE SECONDS!"
Trescu staggered, another shell smashing against their depleting shields. His ship was taking more hits, the numbers overwhelming point defense as the HoD neared ready to fire.
'As soon as we fire, make the jump. We've done all we can" he ordered calmly as the tac-com flickered from another hit. Another vessel just went code black…The Alfred Winlock…all hands.
Chimenko and Sato's group were retreating, the icons going orange as they entered slip space one by one…but many ships would never move again…their funeral pyres spinning debris around an unnamed gas giant.
"Ready to fire!"
"Make that Dreadnaught hurt" He finished harshly, looking away from the holo display as the Tanil Sea took more hits. Shields were barely holding at 17%, several sections had taken damage and casualties from electrical surges and blown relays. An enemy slug had pierced her armor among the mess-hall during a temporary fail, creating a tangle of twisted metal. Fortunately, it had been empty…but it was still open to space as flaring embers licked at heated metalworks.
The HoD glowed orange, flickering with power and destructive energy as her MAC prepared another 15kg tungsten shell to send at humanities newest enemy. It fired, a burning beam of superheated energies followed by 15kg of destruction.
K'lin took the hits, her shields flaring to five percent from the laser beam…then smashed in the central bow as the MAC round splintered that forward section. Armor buckled…a few areas opening to space and killing several crew as the round tore through supporting sections. In terms of overall damage…it was minimal. Only severing secondary relays and conduits… But the fact it happened would throw Ki'nav into a rage.
Tanil Sea's drive surged, punching a hole into space through the use of exotic particles. Slipping through moments later, the last of 2nd squadron fled, leaving the enemy fleet.
The Klorvian High Priest glared at Fleetmaster Ki'nav, his anger palpable. No…his rage almost nuclear at the actions of their fleet.
"You dare call yourself a Fleetmaster!? No enemy has ever struck our fleets! When your grandsire eradicated the Senili'ki, his ships never were damaged!"
"That's because he fought a race still using metal swords and arrows! We have never faced a species that even built steam engines, let alone space ships!"
Glaring back at the religious Klorvian, Ki'nav was…barely able to contain his own rage. Not only had he been insulted by a numerically inferior enemy, but they had fought like cowards…hiding in wait to destroy his vessels.
They even attacked from behind like…like vor'sket! And their lead ship…was actually able to stand up to the might of his flagship…to cause her damage… Turning with a sneer, his gaze set upon a lowly sub-technician. "How many ships of the vermin did we destroy?"
The lower crewman's sac expanded, a hint of purple indicating fear and worry while his eyes blinked a slow vertical. "We destroyed seventeen of their vessels. Almost all of the remaining took varying amounts of damage"
"Our own losses?"
"…Thirty five fleetmaster. And another sixteen damaged"
The priest calmed at the news, his burning red throat sac returning to a healthy green. "At least our casualties were light. And the enemy fleet took more damage than we did in terms of total losses. Another engagement or two and they'll wilt before their extinction. Now…Fleetmaster. Find their homeworld and exterminate them!"
Ki'nav bowed, his respect to the church too great to question the will of their god. "We will need invasion troops. Klorta does not accept harming healthy worlds with plasma or nuclear fire"
"Of course we will use standard bombardment weapons, our desire to protect life is too great to do otherwise" Pausing, the priest studied the tactical display nearby, his large lips forming a fresh scowl. "And even if they have a few more ships, our fleets will crush them"
"Obviously High Priest" turning to communications, his gaze was even. "Order the damaged ships to the Senil Shipyards for repairs. Begin pushing out advance groups to find the vermin worlds for liberation"
His crew sprung into action, letting the fleetmaster to retake his elevated command chair. The love for Klorta was strong in his heart and mind…but… "This race…this new war of extinction…it will not be like the others…I can feel it"
Strangely…he found the prospect exciting as his fleet began to carry out fresh orders.
System FV-779 (37 light years from O2lb-783) 421 A.E. 13th of Heat
Blue tinted holes opened in space, disgorging the beaten and battered 2nd Squadron into the red dwarf system. It was lifeless…a mere ember of a low temperature star orbited by two gas planets. The outer reaches had a massive asteroid belt that had been marked for mining…but that wouldn't be happening any time soon.
Timberland shuddered, her hull breached in multiple places as slagged supports and rendered armor glowed hot like a broken beast. That ship wasn't the only one as Centuar, Longbow, Tollen and dozens of others drifted among the outer system with gaping holes in armor…flickering shields and dusting of escaping water flowing from ruptured pipes. Vetrograd's sewage system along the bottom deck had been sheered away by a driver round, spilling frozen tendrils of waste in her wake.
"Sir. Timberland is reporting severe damage and heavy casualties. Her engines have taken damage and the jump didn't help. If they can't be repaired, she might need to be towed to Oceania"
Trescu nodded, the sterile glow of yellow casting the bridge in harsh illumination. Leaning over the Tac-com holographic display, he felt distress…a hollow pit in his stomach at the loss of so many ships.
"Seventeen…seventeen full crews…gone by a race that didn't even attempt peace…"
"Open a channel to Admiral Rojas. Send every byte of tactical data from the battle to Northern Command. Any undamaged ships are to lend assistance with repairs and rescue"
"Yes sir"
Adrian knew his flagship had taken hits…a few casualties, but his command had been in the fires of combat. Human's have been at relative peace for centuries, but yesterday had broken that era like a falling hammer.
War was here, and they needed to be ready.
Comms sprung to life, punctuated by a visage of the man in charge of 5th fleet. Most of it was spread across the northern sector, tasked with surveying systems along the edge of Coalition space.
"Doesn't matter though…even if the whole fleet was at Oceania, it would still take about two weeks to reach us with the current generation of slipspace drives" He scowled at that, knowing scientists were working on an upgrade…supposedly it could reach 60ly per day. But that was it…a rumor.
Adrian squashed the errant thought as Admiral Rojas spoke. "What the hell happened out there, Adrian? Chairman Diaz and the joint chiefs have been chewing my ass off for information"
"The Xeno's were extremely hostile sir. I initiated first contact protocols and they…they opened fire with no warning or hesitation" Trescu paused, pursing his lips. "Second squadron is heavily damaged sir. Seventeen ships destroyed with another seventy damaged"
"I'm sorry Adrian, I am. But we all knew the risks putting on the uniform" Admiral Rojas glanced down a moment later, his eyes tracking the new information as his eyes widened in mild shock. "Eight hundred ships! Plasma weapons? Is this right?"
"That's what we encountered" Another relay blew behind Trescu, showering the floor near Mina Dragneel as she worked on repairs with several other crew.
"Admiral Rojas" Commander Paynor interjected, drawing the attention of both.
"Yes Commander?"
"This is a preliminary observation, but it appears they didn't employ torpedoes or sprint missiles. Any they did have was for defensive purposes and their overall tactics were…poor"
"Elaborate"
"During the entire engagement, their entire fleet moved as one mass. No pickets or staggered formations to cover the rear…just a wall of firepower. The fact Commander Sato and Captain Chimenko were able to easily ambush and destroy several dozen ships before they were brought under fire speaks volumes"
"Do you think they simply didn't care? After all, they had your ships outnumbered eight to one"
"It's…possible. Or perhaps arrogance. Or maybe they think its cowardly. Until we know more, getting behind them to launch our attacks seems to be a sound strategy"
"Wouldn't work against our people that well, can tell you that much. Humans can be damn paranoid" Nodding in thought, he stroked the heavy beard of salted red adorning his chin. Looking offscreen, his face scrunched in disapproval. The fifth fleet was spread across seven hundred light years…and a fourth of that had just been beaten by a hostile race.
"Third Squadron just passed the Fenix system two days ago. I'll have them fall back to Aspho. Join them there with as many ships you can use effectively. I'm sorry to do that to you after what just happened, but you and rear admiral Taggert are the closest ships we have"
Trescu wanted to object, but knew the CoG needed to buy time. "I understand sir. We can't abandon our colonies without a fight"
"Damn right we can't. I'll have 4th squadron turn around and link up with the rest of the fifth fleet at Prescott. From there, we'll make plans on how to beat these bastards. Now if you'll excuse me, I must inform the Chairman" A quick salute and the screen went blank. Leaving Rear Admiral Trescu with his new orders.
"How many of our vessels will need heavy repairs in spacedock? Aside from Timberland, Trevin?"
"…seven, sir"
"And the rest of us will have to try and patch the holes… Very well, have the Blair and Donner escort them. C.R.V Clement will travel with the rest of the squadron. Once we reach Aspho, she can start emergency repairs for the squadron"
Sitting down in his chair as his battered battleship prepared to get underway, Adrian found himself thinking of his family as they slid into the spatial breech once more…
Sera. New Ephyra. Ministry of Defense 13th of Heat
Chairman Izabel Diaz had just finished reading the report…for a second time as the waning light of Onyx fell to the horizon outside. Of course, she wouldn't know that being in a secured bunker five levels below the sub-basement of the government building.
A woman at sixty eight years of age, she had barely made the cut-off for the genome treatment as a teenager decades before. Luckily, it had taken hold as her looks remained youthful…her hair gleamed a midnight black while her features remained unblemished by wrinkles or time. While not as attractive as a celebrity or model, she was considered a good looking and friendly woman despite the years in politics which had helped her spurn on to the position of Chairman.
That…and her promise to her fellow citizens to establish a carrier force and build a sixth navy to protect all their worlds.
It looked like those ships under construction would be a much needed commodity.
"Actual contact… I dreamed of this as a child...but with friendly aliens wanting to make friends…" She finished again, setting down the data pad. Setting her elbows on the of sheening surface of wood, Izabel lightly remembered that it had been harvested and built on Beta Sarfuth.
Clasping her hands, she looked out at the joint chiefs and her advisors situated around the circular piece of furniture.
"I had hoped that if our species encountered another race among the stars, that they would be different from the locust. That they would strive for peace and understanding…that they would value culture and art…" her eyes narrowed. "That is obviously not the case. Some might say we made a mistake, but Rear Admiral Trescu followed protocol to the letter. No…this race is hostile…warlike" her blue eyes cast around the room once more, taking in the uniformed generals and naval officers…the head of communications. The woman just elected to colonial affairs.
"Thoughts?"
Secretary of the Navy, Herman Kentrilli cleared his throat before leaning forward in his chair. He was a pudgy man, pushing eighty years but still fully capable of running the logistics and maintenance of their naval forces across hundreds of lightyears. Sadly, he had already been too old to take the genome treatment when it became available. "Chairman, I recommend we treat this threat as seriously as the locust. They didn't hesitate in the slightest when opening fire on our ships. I believe we should immediately put the Coalition onto a war footing. Ramp up production of ships, munitions, and recruitment across all our worlds"
"Agreed. And what of our new carriers? When could we expect them to be field ready?"
"Right now, Raven Nest and Azure Ocean are approximately eight months away from completion. Construction just began on The Condor so she won't be ready for at least another year and a half. Same with The Osprey and Belpharus Bay being built at the Anvil and Kuat shipyards respectively. But putting our industrial capacity on a war footing we could have the first two ready in…approximately six months"
"Do it. And make sure flight crews are ready by the time they launch. I have a feeling we'll be needing them" Taking a breath, she couldn't really do anything about the carrier situation. Her predecessor had dragged his feet pushing the new vessels…something she would point out when the inevitable media accusations started.
"What about naval deployments? Right now, the fifth fleet is still spread across hundreds of light years and our remaining fleets are even further away"
From the right, a darker skinned male approaching fifty eight years leaned forward. His head was shaven, the skin an ebony polish only broken by his uniform of black material with gold trim. Fleet lord Jacob Stratton hit a few commands for the built in holo display situated in the center of the table, bringing Coalition space to life. Colony names, naval assets and ground forces were displayed, making it a simple affair.
"As we are all now aware, the xeno fleet appeared to the far north past Aspho. The size is almost double any of our own, bringing a 1-2 advantage in their favor"
"Do you think that is their only fleet?" Diaz inquired, knowing that the odds were long.
"I highly doubt it Chairman. We should assume that they have multiple fleets on route as we speak"
"So, a head on fight would be highly discouraged?"
"Correct. Based on our current knowledge, the xeno's don't appear to have much imagination when it comes to tactics except a frontal mass charge. We should exploit that before they learn otherwise"
"What do you have in mind?"
Stratton dragged a holo pen, highlighting several dead systems north of the Aspho, Blaze, and Fenix colonies. "I recommend we have our forces conduct raiding actions against the initial fleet and any others that appear. Have them hide in asteroid fields…the gases of planets or above the system elliptical. Anything to get the drop on them and whittle down their numbers and…hopefully morale" Drawing more lines, he highlighted the remaining fleets. "I'll bring the 4th and 2nd fleet northwards to assist. 3rd and 1st will remain as emergency reinforcements at Tri-Ostri. Unfortunately with our current generation of slipspace drives, the very earliest we can assist the fifth fleet is in about…thirty seven days from the current location of the 2nd fleet near Avengad"
"Shit… Just a few more years and those distances would be covered in half the time" Pursing her lips, Diaz knew she didn't have the military knowledge to take charge as she studied the floating orb 3-D representation before her. "Very well Lord Stratton, proceed with this current plan until something changes. Avoid standing battles at all costs."
"Chairman" Sitting down, the naval officer was already formulating contingency plans as the woman wrung her hands lightly. "Gentlemen…ladies" she glanced at the four other women in the room, her features betraying a nervousness at the implications of what she was about to say. "Right now, we don't know what they want. It could be territory…to make us some slave race or…full extinction. Either way, the civilian population does not know about this…yet" Her gaze became drawn, a thick knot in her stomach. "I want to prepare for the fortification act. If these aliens prove genocidal, we simply can't afford to protect every colony. The survival of our species could hang in the balance and we can't be throwing away half our fleets to protect three million over the remaining 2.7 billion of our fellow citizens. Make sure it's ready if" she emphasized sternly. "…if the time comes, we must make sacrifices to ensure our species survival. Now, get moving"
A chorus of agreement rang out following her orders. Still sitting there, Chairman Izabel Diaz closed her eyes. Thoughts of her daughter in the 2nd fleet flooded Izabel's mind, the fear of a mother knowing a child may be putting herself in harm's way.
"By the Allfathers…protect us…"
Coalition Ship Index Circa 421 A.E.
Dreadnaught: Jacinto class
Length: 1.3 miles
Armor: Tungsten/Chromium Steel 215 centimeters thick
Crew Complement: 5,500
Computer systems: Class V battle systems
Primary Weapons: Hammer of Dawn Battery x2
-18kg spinal Mass Accelerator Cannon. Fires at 1.3% light speed.
Secondary Weapons: Eight Boomshot Batteries (Port and Starboard)
-Capable of launching four fusion missiles each. 20 Kilotons yield
Defensive Armament: Sentinel Laser Batteries
-Anti-missile tracking systems
-Class V shields
Two Fusion Engines
-Slipspace Drive 33 lightyears per day
Battleship: Mt. Kadar class
Length: 0.9 miles
Armor: Tungsten/Chromium Steel 190 centimeters thick
Crew Complement: 4,700
Computer systems: Class V battle systems
Primary Weapons: Hammer of Dawn Battery x1
-15kg spinal Mass Accelerator Cannon. Fires at 1.2% lightspeed.
Secondary Weapons: Six Boomshot Batteries (Port and Starboard)
-Capable of launching four fusion missiles each. 20 kilotons yield
Defensive Armament: Sentinel Laser Batteries
-anti-missile tracking systems
-Class V shields
Two Fusion Engines
-Slipspace Drive 33 light years per day
Cruiser: Longshot Class
Length: 0.7 miles
Armor: Tungsten/ Chromium Steel 155 centimeters thick
Crew Complement: 3,200
Computer systems: Class IV battle systems
Primary Weapon: 12kg Thermic Lance Slug. Fires at 1.1% light speed.
-Once launched, burns at nearly 4,000 degrees to form a superheated 'lance' to punch through heavy armor.
Secondary Weapons: Two Lightmass cluster batteries (Port and Starboard)
-Capable of firing twenty-four, 5 kiloton warheads in rapid succession.
-Ideal for close proximity to enemy combatants to assist in retreating actions.
Defensive Armament: Sentinel Laser Clusters
-Heavy point defense
-Class IV Shields
-Can link with multiple ships to increase defensive efficiency
One fusion engine
-Slipspace Drive 28 lightyears per day
Battlecruiser: Paladin Class
Length 0.5 miles
Armor: Tungsten/Chromium Steel 130 centimeters thick
Crew Complement: 1,900
Computer systems: Class III battle systems
Primary Weapon: 10kg Mass Accelerator Cannon. Fires at 0.9% light speed
Secondary Weapon: Two light Boomshot batteries (Port and Starboard)
-Capable of firing six, 10 kiloton fusion missiles (Medium Range)
Defensive Armament: Sentinel Laser systems
-Class III Shields
One fusion engine
-Slipspace Drive 28 lightyears per day
Destroyer: Baird Class
Length: 1300 feet
Armor: Tungsten/Chromium Steel 90 centimeters thick
Crew Complement: 500
Computer systems: Class II battle systems
Primary Weapon: Fusion Torpedo Launchers x2
-30 kiloton yield
-Complement of 20 torpedoes
-Slower speed than sprint fusion missiles
Secondary Weapon: 7kg Mass Accelerator Cannon
Defensive Armament: Sentinel laser systems
-Class II Shields
One fusion engine
-Slipspace Drive 30 lightyears per day
C.R.V- Coalition Repair Vessel (Variations include armory and medical vessels)
-light armor and shields. Support ship
Crew Complement: 250
Defenses: Light Sentinel laser systems
-Class I shields
One fusion engine
-Slipspace Drive 30 lightyears per day
Well, That's the first story chapter. A new hostile race and the first battle! Hopefully I did alright describing it. And please…don't nitpick about how space weapons work. It's basically all sci-fi at this point so relax. Anyway, hope you enjoy and leave some positive words. I'll be working on Dragon of the Cog next…just couldn't leave this as a one chapter planet list haha.
Anyway…see ya next time!
-Thehappy