Legal Disclaimer.
This a work of fiction. All legal rights belong to the geniuses that made so many happy hours of entertainment, the guys from Ronal Moore (Battlestar Galactica 2003), Ark Perfomance (Aoki Hagane no Arpeggio), Jack Campbell (The Lost Fleet). This work must not be used to obtain any profit. It is just what it seems, fun.
After the Cylon War, which ended with both human and Cylon variants nearly extinct, the Federation continued its expansion. Two worlds had been handed to their new neighbors, the Cylons and the Colonials. Though both groups remained separated and deeply distrusted each other, only time would tell if they could achieve peace.
The Fleet, of course, remained attached to Earth. In some ways, Gretel's daughters considered that little blue planet more their home than humans did. The Hybrid Project was still in its infancy and was being slowly and carefully introduced to the Federation of Worlds. It was clear that to create a true hybrid, the process should start in early childhood, but controlled experiments on adults showed interesting benefits—such as increased physical strength, resistance to chemicals and radiation, and immunity to diseases.
Curiously, many Cylons worked as teachers for these new hybrids. Their experience with projection made them good candidates. Humans, meanwhile, had been experimenting with cyborg implants since the ocean's blockade, so the transition was less jarring. However, the Colonials only accepted prosthetics for those with physical disabilities, rejecting brain enhancements outright. There was still too much to process after the Exodus, and time was needed to heal. The Cylons, of course, were already hybrids, so for them, the changes were minimal.
For the Armed Forces, it was obvious that soldiers could benefit from this limited version of the project. As a result, the Marines were the first to receive the treatment.
One of the favorite pastimes for many girls in the Fleet was exploration. Many humans shared this peculiar trait, so numerous ships with mixed crews embarked on long-range exploratory missions. The Admiralty was particularly concerned about their new neighbors, nicknamed the "Machine Men."
Fleet Admiral Gunzou Chihaya was a strong advocate for sending explorers near the claimed space of the Machine Men. A gut feeling, supported by Kongo, suggested to him that these beings would soon cause more problems.
Heavy Cruiser Atago
The small exploration flotilla consisted of a heavy cruiser and two destroyers: Vampire and Fletcher. Both destroyers carried a minimal complement of engineers and marines, as space within their small hulls was a precious commodity.
On the bridge, Atago was chatting with her first officer, a red-haired girl promoted to first lieutenant after the Cylon War. "Something feels unnatural, Sylvie. The space around us is so... empty," the mental model said.
"Atago, I don't believe we're going to visit every star system and discover a new species," Sylvie replied.
"True, but I still want to find more intelligent beings," Atago sighed.
"Girl, be careful what you wish for," an engineer chimed in while monitoring the reactionless drives, which were copied and improved from Cylon technology. This gadget, freely shared by the Cylons, had been installed across the Fleet just weeks after the war ended. The magnetodynamic plasma engine was a significant improvement over the ion engines the Fleet had previously used.
Atago pondered the old man's words. Maybe, just maybe, an empty universe around Earth would be preferable. However, she doubted that I'kon didn't play dice with intelligence in the galaxy.
Sylvie's voice broke Atago's reverie. "We're ready to fold," Sylvie announced over the ship's speakers. Although the transition was usually smooth, it was always safer to make the announcement clear, especially after a few galley accidents during previous folds.
Atago checked in with her escorts, the coordinates, and the ship's status. The smaller ships, previously lacking mental models, now enjoyed that freedom thanks to Gunzou. He had a long discussion with Hyuga about why light cruisers and destroyers couldn't have mental models. Hyuga explained that the processing power was insufficient, and that was all.
Just as Gunzou was ready to concede defeat, he had an idea. "Hyuga, install a co-processor in the destroyers and light cruisers. The main core can sustain the mental model, while the co-processor can handle the ship's systems." Hyuga had looked at Gunzou, astonished that she hadn't thought of something so simple and facepalmed hard. From that day, Gunzou became an idol for the destroyer fleet, second only to the submarine fleet in number.
With everything in order, Atago gave the fold order. Three spheres of light enveloped the ships, sending them to a higher dimension. They reappeared at the system's edge, as per Admiralty orders to avoid intruding on potential new species' territory.
"Attention all ships, use passive sensors only," ordered Atago.
"By your command," Vampire replied sarcastically.
"Ha ha, very funny," Atago said, frowning. The radiation signature on the second planet was artificial. Something had happened there. She transmitted her logs via fold comm, just in case, and issued a red alert to her flotilla.
The three ships, in staggered formation, set courses for the second planet. The hyperspace layers showed slight disruptions, indicative of FTL flight. The affected volume of space suggested that a large fleet had recently been present, but now, the system was empty.
"Atago, should we initiate an active scan?" Harrison, the sensor operator, asked.
"Not yet, but be ready to start one if I request it," Atago replied. Her sensors were focused on the planet, revealing numerous craters, a high concentration of particulate matter in the atmosphere, and elevated sulfur dioxide levels. The planet was entering a nuclear winter.
"Something really bad happened here," Sylvie murmured, almost as if afraid someone—or something—might overhear. But Atago needed hard data, not fears. She made a decision.
"Vampire, approach L1 of the planet and take all readings you can. Once finished, send the data and land your hull. Find a city or ruins, something. We need proof. "
Vampire, Bridge.
The little room used by Vampire's mental model and her little crew of twenty was fully focused on her new mission. The planet was attacked by someone, and the Cylons were innocent in this case.
Her sensors, though a bit limited compared to Atago's, were collecting enough information. The isotopes profile was characteristic of fusion bombs, and it was exceptionally toxic to organic beings. Craters, a lot of craters dotted the surface. One of her marines, using an old optical telescope, found a little village close to the North Pole.
A number of small circular structures, arranged in a series of concentric rings, were still standing. The builders must have been small creatures since the houses had only three meters in diameter. Vampire began the maneuver of atmospheric insertion, leaving a plasma trail behind her. Since she didn't know how much time she had, she chose a fast maneuver, destroyer style.
When she crossed the upper layers of the atmosphere, she decelerated before reaching the village. Her hull hovered close to the villa, and she extended a series of landing pylons, landing. Her mental model opened a hatch, and she stepped onto the planet under her feet. When she put her feet on the ground, Vampire said, "It is a small step for a destroyer, but a giant step for the Fleet." A chorus of screams and congratulations flooded her comms. She only said, "I always wanted to be like Neal!"
After that, she became serious again, and the war machine prevailed once more. She walked quickly to the first house. Her old maid dress was no longer an option. Only Repulse dressed like that, and she had suspicions that old Komaki had a few fetishes about that.
The construction, almost a semispherical dome with two windows and a small door, exhibited a thick layer of red dust. The matter in the air must have been settling for some time.
She approached the house carefully. Her sensors didn't show any life signs, but they were calibrated for the life she knew. So, she broke the door slowly with her hands. When she stepped inside, she recognized the smell. A rotten odor saturated the place, and the cause was in front of her. A small being, an hexapod with a little armored chest and head protruding from the body, was there, resting in a small hammock made of red fibers.
She understood why it was dead. The recipients around the dead being were empty. With the atmosphere unbreathable, the weather in chaos, he was unable to obtain food. The poor thing had died from hunger and dehydration.
Vampire, who did this act of cruelty, cursed. Leaving the corpse behind, she visited more houses. The same sad spectacle was seen here and there, sometimes with what she could describe as familiar groups.
The little mental model compiled her report, informed her of the results, and waited.
Heavy Cruiser Atago. Bridge.
Atago and her officers were having a meeting about what to do. She had already sent everything to Lexington, her own flagship.
"Seems our task is complete. These beings were exterminated from the orbit, that's obvious. The aggressor's identity is unknown. However, I have my suspicions," Atago summarized her thoughts.
" I said we left a sensor buoy on this moon," and Sylvie pointed to a small moon located on an ice giant. The moon's rotation speed kept the same side facing its planet, so it could watch what happened in the system most of the time.
"Nice idea, please do it, we don't have the numbers to face an invasion force," Atago nodded. "When it's done, we will leave. Vampire, join us. Good job."
"Roger that," the destroyer replied.
Forge Planet. Federation Space Navy Headquarter.
Gunzou and Iona had arrived at the meeting, fearing what it could be the new front line very soon. He walked fast to the Operations Room, the place of a big reunion between the Admirals and the Fleet. They had a brief respite of ten years, time the Space Navy had used to fortify the colonies. A real planetary mirror system was protecting every major colony, so the Fleet was confident in its ability to protect the population.
The shipyards were working extra time to produce more ships. A new series of superbattleships was close to completion, based on a modernized design of the H-44 battleships, following the old Fleet's habit of using old designations. There was a rumor that the Fleet would start using science fiction movies as a source of inspiration when the first and second world war inventories finished.
I hope everything will be enough, begged Gunzou. A war between two species was something unimaginable for him. His companion, however, was more stoic. They will fight, and we will see who survives, she said ten years ago.
The pair reached the mobile cabin on the lower floor and reached their destiny. The atmosphere felt heavy, Iona said through the mental link. He replied that they are afraid of a war against the unknown.
The three First Superbattleships, Galactica, and the leader ships of each "family" were there. All the senior admirals were talking with each other. Gretel, however, was not there. She was busy at the Federation High Council, helping to define a common strategy for this new, possible war.
Admiral Gunzou Chihaya, being the most senior admiral in the room, was in charge of keeping the meeting on track. He ascended the stairs to the podium and addressed the assembled personnel.
"Esteemed Admirals, High Flagships, and Leader Ships, I must confirm the rumors. We found a new species located behind the space claimed by the Machine Men," he said. Iona projected the images from the planet, the destroyed surface, and the sad scenes from the village.
As you can see, what we found was a mass grave. Somebody attacked the planet and eliminated all organic life on the surface. The weapons looked like they were especially designed to kill organics," he explained while showing the isotopic profile of radioactive waste. He put his hands heavily on the podium and sighed. "Everything suggests our new neighbors considered the organics down there as a pest," he concluded. "However, I have to emphasize that, so far, the evidence is not supported by hard facts," he added, "Atago had the good sense of leaving a hidden probe in that system". He could see Takao nodding with pride about her sister's actions.
Shinano added her opinion. "I'm sorry to differ, Admiral Chihaya. I am the only one with combat experience against the Machine Men. The torpedoes they used against my flotilla left the same isotopic profile."
A strong rumor was raised by the people in the room. "However," Admiral Peterson stated, "we haven't been attacked. We don't know the relationship between these two species."
Takao, even though she was a light unit compared to the real heavies here, had a lot of weight because of her relationship with Chihaya. So she chose to speak, "Admirals, my sister's records didn't show any space debris from a space battle. These beings didn't defend themselves. It is simply a genocide, nothing more, nothing less."
A rumor of incredulity rose from the Admirals. They felt a bit stupid because they hadn't seen something so obvious. Again, it was a blatant evidence of their lack of experience in space-based conflicts.
Yamato asked for a bit of calm, and she said, "Admirals, I propose we send a delegation to the Machine Men's capitol star system. We must obtain answers from them. We could start a war with the wrong enemy."
"Seems like a good idea. However, last time, they attacked Shinano without a word, and we don't know how much they could have progressed in ten years," Peterson agreed. The idea was approved, even if some girls had their doubts. They could arrive in very unfavorable conditions, against an unknown number of enemies.
Diplomatic Delegation Fleet. Battleship Nagato.
Two battleships arrived in Forge orbit last hour. Both sister ships, the large battleships Nagato and Mutsu, docked with Alexandria. Nagato will be acting as the Federation's ambassador. Her sister and the battleships Richelieu and Joan d'Arc will act as direct escorts. This time, just in case, no light units will be with the delegation. If things go to hell, they need to survive the attack while leaving the machines with a nice memory of them. Then, they will leave as fast as they can. They weren't heavy or superbattleships, so they needed to avoid a long battle against superior numbers.
Alexandria Starbase. Fleet Admiral Chihaya Ready Room.
Gunzou was, as he always did when he was nervous, drinking a cup of tea. His mind was racing ahead of him, and he imagined a lot of complications when the fleet deployed in the Machines' star system. Right now, he and Iona were the only room occupants. They hadn't needed to talk for a long time. Both of them shared a unique bond, a product of long years of working together. Now, the bond was literally flooded with concern.
The chime sounded more like a formality than a necessity because both of them knew the mental models of Nagato, and those of her sister, Mutsu, were coming. Iona opened the door and greeted her old enemy formally. There were bad feelings between them. Iona had learned an important lesson, and Nagato did what she had to do.
"Ms. Nagato, Ms. Mutsu, welcome to Admiral Chihaya's office," Iona greeted the four mental models. "Iona, it's a pleasure to visit you and the Admiral," Nagato and her second self, Nyota, said. Mutsu was, and she will always be a tomboy, so she just said, "Hi, girl, how do you do?"
"I'm fine, thanks. Please come in," she returned the greetings.
"Nagato, Mutsu, welcome. Please, take a seat," said the admiralty.
"Nice office and nice armchairs, by the way. It's nice to be an Admiral, ha," commented Mutsu. Nagato only sighed. "What wonderful mission do you have for us, Admiral?" Nagato asked with a smile.
If a smile could kill me, this could, thought Gunzou. Through Iona, she knew many girls didn't like this particular approach. They would rather mass the fleet, make some old and tested gunboat diplomacy, and if the machines aimed a missile against them, well, they were looking for trouble.
"Nagato, Mutsu, what do you think about the data packet from Atago?" he asked. "It's simple, Admiral. These beings were unable to offer any resistance. This species was defenseless. They were in the way of someone or something, and they eliminated the interference," Nagato explained.
Gunzou looked at the desk for a moment. He must try diplomacy first. Those are the orders from the president. The fleet was in alert, and more ships were folding to the less protected colonies. However, he was sending a few ships into a possible battle.
Gunzou used his admiral voice, "I agree that is the most logical explanation. However, we can't just do the same. We need to know before we suffer a Pearl Harbor. Nagato, I am ordering you to purge all unnecessary information from the Flotilla databases. Everything else, use maximum encryption to avoid any risk if you or your companions are captured."
Nyota was, as always, the most practical of both aspects. She never lost her playful look, and she only asked, "What about human sailors, Admiral? What could they reveal about the Federation?"
Gunzou froze for a moment. The grotesque scenes from some science fiction movies came like an unpleasant memory. He only said, "The mental models know what to do, Nyota." The mental models nodded, understanding that they cannot be taken as prisoners by the machines.
Iona said, "However, you will not be completely alone."
The four girls looked at her, and Nagato asked, "reinforcements or trap?"
"Trap. Twenty submarines will arrive five minutes before you. We will remain hidden, so if the situation degenerates into a battle, we will saturate the area around with torpedoes and missiles. We can't face these ships in open combat, so it will be only one broadside. Use it wisely," Iona suggested to Nagato.
The other mental model, one of the oldest, smiled and nodded. "Where are you sending me and the girls, Admiral?" she asked herself. "We could be facing, surely, an entire fleet."
"I know it, but we need to understand them," Gunzou admitted a bit embarrassed.
"Everything has been covered, I believe. You have your parameters for your diplomatic mission," Gunzou explained. "We will leave as soon as we can," Nagato said.
"Then this meeting is adjourned. Good luck. Prioritize your safety," Admiral Gunzou Chihaya said.
"Thank you, Admiral. Iona," Nagato said. The four girls left both alone.
One hour late, the four battleships and the twenty dimensional submarines folded to the Machine Men star system.