by James Ashman
Chapter 3
"Welcome back, sir."
"It's good to be back. Terv, was it?" Relos asked.
"Yes, sir. Terv Rend. Assigned to Nirvash for now. Hopefully permanently, sir," Terv said.
"Not so long. Until we get you a ship of your own. Until then, you've got the best place in the universe," Relos said. Terv saluted and smiled. Relos nodded, and then entered the ship. He made his way through it until he reached the bridge. He stopped just before the door. He took a deep breath, and then made sure his uniform was straight.
"That's the last one. Prepare for departure," Alquin said while Relos entered the room. Relos took a few steps, arriving at Alquin's side.
"Sir. Relos Va Raign reporting for duty," Relos said."
"Excellent to have you back. No better time, as well," Alquin said. "Navi, take off when ready."
The brief lurch of the ship made Relos take a step back. Relos laughed quietly at himself, thinking it was strange that he should forget something as simple as bracing himself for launch. The Nirvash was soon in space, as was the fleet Alquin commanded.
"We're on standby for a while. We were only to launch at the moment," Alquin said while he stood. "Terv, I'll be in briefing with Relos."
"Sir."
Alquin and Relos left the bridge and entered a meeting room. Inside, Alquin pulled up a holographic display of a planet while Relos took a seat.
"Do you know what this is?" Alquin asked.
"I think. No, no I don't recall which planet," Relos said. He studied the planet a bit, finding it very familiar.
"Exoquis," Alquin said. He had both hands on the table, and was staring intently at the hologram.
"Exoquis? Alquin, that's Exoquis?"
"Never seen it before? A shame, Relos."
"I don't think many study the look of planets they don't live on. You'll have to excuse me."
"No matter. But I've never forgotten this planet. There is Aion. Here are the islands of the Genus sea. Right about here is where the capitol, Tenor, lies. I can point practically anywhere and tell you which province is there."
"Was there."
"Will be there, Relos. Will be."
"Is that what this is about?"
"Ingrid's permission to retake Exoquis has been granted to me. Ridiculous, isn't it?"
"With our fleet? It is ridiculous!"
"That's right. It is. How could we possibly stand a chance at removing the General Common Coalition from their entrenchment in our planet? What was our planet. My planet."
"Alquin, I know your feelings on this. You've talked about it so much that I practically feel I've visited there. What's really going on?"
"Pardon my passion for a moment." Alquin stood straight and breathed out slowly. He took a breath, and then sat down. "The higher-ups have been deliberating over it for a while, and now they've finally decided on trying to reclaim Exoquis. But with the coalition in control of such a critical planet, things have been looking bleak. The force the coalition has there is the largest of the border forces. It might be easier to conquer a fresh coalition planet than to take Exoquis back. With the relay there, its priority is high, but not enough to warrant a full-scale assault. So they ordered me to reclaim it."
"Just that? You were ordered to?"
"Someone up there must have realized their hate for me. It was bound to happen. Win or lose, it doesn't matter to them. Win, we all benefit. Lose, and they eliminate me permanently. Of course, I couldn't refuse the offer to retake Exoquis."
"Blast it, Alquin. We can't take that on yet."
"That's right, and everyone knows it," Alquin said happily. He had a broad smile. Relos shook his head and sighed.
"I pray God gives them well-deserved heart attacks when we come off victorious," Relos said. He laughed lightly.
"That's why I needed you to come. Always reasonable, Relos. So, plans?"
"Win. We will take back your home planet. That's all there is to it. And after that, they will realize it's much harder to get rid of this thorn than they expected."
"So you've already formed a strategy?"
"A bit. You're final touches should make it work. But you owe me, now," Relos said. He made the hologram zoom out and display the general military setup around the planet. He watched it as he continued speaking with Alquin.
"Of course I'll owe you. I already thought of that."
"Oh really? Then what can I expect?"
"She likes stars and card games. A brunette."
Relos smiled and continued watching the hologram. But his thoughts were traversing other worlds.
Admiral Gim Alcard adjusted the glasses on his weary face. He turned a page in the book. He made a small humming sound, and had soon turned another page. After a few more minutes, he smiled and put the book down.
He removed his reading glasses and placed them on the table beside him. He stretched his legs and placed them on the footstool. He reclined in the leather chair and closed his eyes. The quarters were large, suitable for an admiral in space, so he had no intention to get up and walk over to the nearby bed. A few pictures adorned the room, but nothing was going to distract the admiral from his sleep. His head was soon bobbing, and was just about to go limp as sleep descended.
"Admiral! Emergency! Admiral!" The intercom screamed at Gim without remorse. His eyes opened wide, startled. In a couple seconds, he realized what was happening. Accustomed to years of being rudely interrupted, he regained his composure shortly.
"Speak it!"
"Sir, it's the Ingrid Empire! There are a number of Ingrid ships approaching!"
"How many?"
"About two hundred."
"That's it? I'll be there soon. Put out an orange alert."
"Orange? Not red? This is the empire, sir."
"Two hundred ships? That's barely enough to cover the tail of an ambassador. They'd be fools to attack, yellow, orange, red, or whatever. Get to it!"
"Yes sir!"
The intercom went silent. Gim stood, worked a knot in his back for a moment, and then dressed in his usual coalition uniform of blue and gray. He adjusted his hat, and then walked out of the room. He did glance back at the soft leather chair once.
"Status?" Gim asked as soon as he entered the command room.
"They've taken position just at range, line formation."
"Weapons?"
"Locked on them several times over. One command and they wouldn't be leaving in less than a hundred pieces."
"Communications," Gim said.
"Yes sir, they are open. They've just requested that we speak with them."
"Put it onscreen," Gim said. A young man appeared on the screen. He was handsome and smiling.
"Greetings," Alquin said.
"Just a kid?" Gim asked.
"I'm the commander of this fleet, sir," Alquin said.
"Then state your business," Gim said. He sighed slightly, and then relaxed in his chair.
"My name is Alquin Tor Rinard. And I've come to remove you, your fleet, and the coalition presence from Exoquis," Alquin said. He was polite and continued to smile.
"Oh?" Gim asked. He laughed slightly, and then smiled as well. "Well, Alquin, yes. You're welcome to try, anytime. Unfortunately, you won't succeed."
"Yes, I'm well aware of that. I'm here on a suicide mission. I cannot win," Alquin said. His smile didn't falter in the least.
Gim chuckled slightly and internally praised his foe. He looked at the other people on the screen behind or near Alquin. None of them seemed distraught by Alquin's words. Gim wasn't a fool, and decided not to accept anything Alquin said at face value.
"Surely you have a plan," Gim said. "I think it must be a great one, if you're challenging my control of Exoquis. Something to deal with the thousands of ships here in orbit?"
"Nothing that will work. Believe it; I've tried several suggestions and strategies. As much as I've thought, I still have nothing I can guarantee will work. And that isn't good enough for my s
uperiors, as they will not wait any longer. So, I wanted to offer you my formalities," Alquin said.
"Do you actually think this little play will get you my sympathy? Do you think I'll be sympathetic if you're friendly?" Gim asked. There was a hint of annoyance in his tone, but not much because he was still trying to figure out Alquin's objective.
"No, no," Alquin said. "In fact, I prefer death in this case. It is a suicide mission. So that's the goal. Sir, my effort will, at least, be very valiant. Even if it ends in failure, you may lose quite a few ships to me. Just enough to soften your fleet, after which the main fleet can come."
"I don't believe that. You're coming just to die? Ridiculous."
"Of course you don't! You're already famous! Don't think the Ingrid Empire takes its foes lightly. Just with appropriate caution and strategy. As for me, I've only shown a little bit of strategy here and there, only just enough that my superiors think I'll prove a worthwhile loss. Their caution, my strategy. But I don't mind. After all, my entire family will be given noble status and riches. My sons will grow up knowing that their father was a valiant man who died in service to his country, in a single battle that secured the future of the war. Thirty or eighty years of life are equal when one's achievements are great, in the empire. I'll achieve far more in death than life, where right now I am little more than a tiny grape. I wish to be wine."
"Hmm. Well, I've never really understood your ways over there. But, fine. Then to a good fight, I will salute you," Gim said. He stood tall and gave a respectful salute to Alquin. He found Alquin's reasoning strange, but understood the greater depths of it. As an admiral with several accomplishments under him, what more could he do in life? Thus, he reasoned, if the empire would give those several years’ worth of accomplishments to Alquin, why should it matter if he died early? As long as the result was the same, the process didn't matter as much, Gim realized.
"Sir! Thank you! I'm glad you understand," Alquin said while smiling widely.
"Not entirely," Gim said. "But I can see the draw of fame, even at such a cost."
"Admiral Gen, your reputation certainly doesn't do you justice. Relos!"
"Yes sir?" Relos asked.
"We will proceed on schedule, no change. For your information, Gim, sir, our assault will begin in three hours. I suggest you prepare your defenses," Alquin said.
"As I said before, we are ready anytime, warning or not," Gim said.
"Excellent," Alquin said. He turned and said something quietly to Relos. After a moment, he turned to face the screen again. "Sir, since we have a few hours, can I ask a favor of you?"
"What is it?" Gim asked. He smiled slightly, wondering what new thing Alquin would say.
"As you know, I'm young. But I'm very interested in tales of old. Call it a fetish, of sorts. Stories and tales of heroes and their foes, entertaining stuff. Actually, many Chinese epics, classics from Earth even. Anyways, there has always been a fascinating amount of ritual and chivalry that these warriors had. Even though they would go on to fight and kill each other, many times both the hero and the foe would have a last drink together. Maybe it is a cultural relic of times better forgotten, but I hope you can forgive my presumptuousness and then have a drink with me. It would honor me."
"No," Gim said. He had replied casually, as though without thought.
"I… you'd not? Oh, right, of course not. I'm just an empire brat. Or you may say empire dog. You have absolutely no reason to listen to me. My apologies."
"I don't drink," Gim said with a smile breaking the corners of his lips. "Old age. It doesn't agree with many things of my youth. Or so my doctor says."
"Ah! You're already winning, and not a shot has been fired," Alquin said.
"I wouldn't say that. But, for a martyr, maybe I could disobey his instructions. In fact, I think I shall. Yes, a drink is just fine," Gim said, reasoning as much for himself as he was for Alquin. "What's your drink?"
"An old wine I've had for a while," Alquin said with enthusiasm. "Well, it's decided then! I shall see you again soon." Alquin smiled, bowed slightly, and then ended the transmission.
"Odd. Strange fellow. Fine, we shall drink and dance. Operations, listen! Keep on full alert, and don't relax for a moment. Raise to red, and have everyone man battle stations. Prepare for any attacks, and be ready to intercept any and all hostilities." Gim said.
"You aren't going to trust him, sir?" an operations person asked.
"Of course not. That empire brat may have some strange ideals, but that doesn't mean he won't try anything. We should be prepared."
"Sir, one of the ships in the enemy fleet has started moving. No, wait, the fleet is moving away, and the one ship is coming closer," operations said.
"Oh? So he's coming in person? That makes things interesting," Gim said.
"The rest of his fleet is out of their firing range. Now they are out of our best range as well. They've stopped. The single ship is coming closer," operations said.
"That's fine. Keep a lookout, just in case. Once the ship has docked, inform me. I'll be in my quarters," Gim said.
"Sir, are you really going to let them come?"
"It's one ship. Even if it were filled with men, we have the advantage," Gim said.
"Yes sir."
Gim took his leave from the bridge and went back to his room. He took a look at his attire. It was fine, he decided. He made sure everything was on straight and proper. Even if the only enemy who'd see him in person would soon be dead, he wanted to make an imposing impression. He would be doing Alquin a disservice if he didn't make the correct impression, to seem like the kind of person it would be respectable to be killed by. A twinge of regret arose in his heart, but it was quickly squashed. An admiral of his experience had long ago discarded his feelings for the enemy.
Satisfied with how he looked, he took a seat and waited. It would only be a matter of minutes for Alquin's ship to arrive, but he wasn't going to meet Alquin personally. It wouldn't give the appropriate impression, he thought. He closed his eyes for a while, waiting in silence.
The floor, the walls, and the ceiling all seemed to be the same thing for a moment. Gim gripped the arms of his chair, trying to keep from flying out of his seat. The lights in the room flickered. The moment the shaking stopped, Gim went to the intercom.
"Report! What was that?" Gim asked.
"Sir! It was a trap! The enemy ship self-destructed!"
"I'll be there momentarily! Open fire on the enemy fleet immediately!" Gim said. Gim immediately left the room after that and made his way to the bridge, which was a mess of noise.
"Sir," operations said, "the enemy ship must have been a dummy, completely filled with explosives. They've taken out a dozen ships in the vicinity immediately. Another dozen were hit by the shockwave. They may either be functioning or not. They are at drift."
"I'll hear a full report on damages later. For now, I'll take care of the enemy. On screen, show how they are attacking," Gim said.
"Sir, they aren't. They've already left. Just before the explosive ship reached us, they turned and left. They haven't returned. Shall we pursue?"
"No. We're here to defend. It might be part of their plan to have us come after them, making the force weaker. We will stay put and wait," Gim said.
The reports kept coming in, inundating Gim. He silently cursed Alquin each time a report arrived. He'd then shake his head and turn his words on himself. He tried rationalizing that anyone would fall into Alquin's trap, but he wasn't able to successfully forgive himself. Alquin had dealt a blow to his pride. And Gim wasn't one to let such insults go by without retaliation.
The day ended, however Gim stayed awake for an extra hour in the control room. Eventually he took his leave. He was able to sleep, even amidst the trouble.
"Anything happen?" Gim asked. It was early the next morning, and Gim had just entered the control room.
"No sir," operations replied.
Gim took a seat. He gave directions and took reports while
anxiously awaiting any news of Alquin's fleet. He sent out a couple scout ships to look for Alquin, to no avail. He considered having the scouts venture into empire territory, but decided against it. He didn't want to lose more ships in a stupid venture.
Gim retired that night at the normal time, although he had trepidation. The next day, the same thing. It went by without event. He questioned why Alquin only attacked once. It was a great attack, he decided. To purposely lose one ship in order to take on a larger enemy was something he had to admit was good. But he couldn't forgive Alquin for taking advantage of him. For pretending to be a nice and naive person, Alquin had earned himself a great deal of hatred.
The third day after Alquin's attack, Gim took reports as usual. Several ships had been lost in the initial explosion. However, more than double that had been lost due to damage from the shockwave and debris. A few ships that had been in the area were hit by some of the disabled ships, destroying them. Gim saw the total number of ships lost and grimaced. It was a loss he couldn't accept. But Alquin was nowhere to be seen; therefore Gim's revenge would have to wait.
"Sir!" operations said.
"What is it?" Gim asked.
"It's… it's a single ship! It's already in range! It's traveling too fast, the fleet just detected it. It's in the second division's area on the other side of the planet!"
"Destroy it!"
"They… they were hit. Sir, it was another explosive ship."
"Already? How fast was it going?"
"A quarter light."
"Any other enemy movement?" Gim asked. He hoped the answer would be yes.
"No sir. Only the one ship. Again, it appears it was loaded with only explosives. The casualties aren't small."
"Alquin," Gim murmured. His previously rising interest was being replaced by dread. Alquin had attacked twice without warning, each time inflicting great amounts of damage to a defense that was supposed to be impenetrable.
Gim spent his time taking reports and coordinating efforts for that day and the next, though there was a dread that had appeared in the back of his mind. He started to wonder when, how, and whether Alquin would attack again. He lost much sleep over it.
Gim awoke in the middle of a certain night. It was the sixth day after Alquin's first attack. It was too early for him to be awake. In his fog, he tried turning off the alarm that seemed to be going off. But it wasn't an alarm; it was a frantic voice on the intercom.
"Admiral! Sir! It happened again. Are you awake, sir? The third division was attacked. The same tactic."
"How? We've been ready for that attack for a day now, how did the third falter?" Gim asked. The grogginess started to leave him.
"The crews were tired, sir. They were taken off guard, and didn't have the time to react."
"Incompetence!" Gim said, and then turned off the intercom. He tossed and turned as he tried to sleep.
"We shot it down," operations said. It was the ninth day after Alquin's original attack. The fourth division had been attacked this time with the same tactic as before. That meant that the four major fleets, one covering each quarter of the planet, had all been attacked.
"That was it," Gim said. "He's attacked all four corners. The real attack will be coming soon."
A day passed with no additional information. Gim ordered that all shifts be completely staffed and at battle stations at all times. Not a moment of relaxation was to be given. Gim restricted himself to four hours of sleep a night, ensuring he'd be awake and in command whenever Alquin would next appear.
They intercepted and destroyed yet another explosive ship on the twelfth day after Alquin's original attack. It has been heading for the second division again. By this point, rumors were spreading around the fleet. The officers were all tense with constant stress, not knowing when Alquin would attack. And it was becoming evident that the attacks were as much psychological as they were physical. For almost two weeks, everyone had been on edge, wondering if they would become the next victims.
Gim thought that the attacks would consistently be every three days, as they had been. But on the next day the fourth division was attacked again. The doom ship, as it was being called, was destroyed just in time. But it proved to Gim that Alquin could attack at anytime, from anywhere.
Then there was a full week of silence. Every person in Gim's fleet was stressed to an unbearable degree, but no attacks came. Gim gritted his teeth in annoyance. He knew what this untold message from Alquin meant. Gim wouldn't be able to relax his guard. He was under siege.
"A message has arrived, sir," communications said.
"From?" Gim asked.
"It's from the empire, sir. Pre-recorded and delivered long-distance. It looks like they've sent it via beacon. Even if we knew where it was sent from, the fleet wouldn't be there."
"Blast. Well, play it onscreen," Gim said. The officer complied, and soon there was a picture of Alquin on screen.
"Greetings, Admiral Gim. Allow me to reintroduce myself. I am Alquin Tor Rinard. I'm a lowly general who was given the impossible task of retaking Exoquis. Well, nearly impossible. I've actually succeeded at it, as you will soon know. I suggest you disarm yourself and surrender peacefully. If you don't, you'll lose so much of your fleet that you wouldn't be much resistance at all. My fleet is small, but much larger than the number of ships I originally showed up with. That was to give you a demonstration of how small your fleet will be if you struggle. So, surrender, please."
The message ended. Gim resisted the urge to be furious. His fleet had taken damage, true, but it was miniscule compared to the size of the entire fleet. He considered laughing.
"Sir, there is a second message coming in," communications said.
"Play it as well," Gim said. Alquin was on screen again.
"Since I know you won't surrender just like that, I'll give you a demonstration. I hope I won't have to repeat this. Please turn your attention to your second division."
"On it already, sir," operations said. "Nothing out of the usual."
"What's he playing at?" Gim asked. Alquin's recording kept silent, smiling.
"Emergency," operations said. "There was an explosion. Wait, no, much, much worse. The second division has been crippled!"
"What?" Gim asked.
"A reactionary weapon!"
"No," Gim said, silently. A minute later, Alquin's image resumed talking.
"That division should be taken care of, by now. I'm sure you're wondering what just happened. Let me enlighten you. Those ships I sent you, their goal wasn't to be destructive. Their goal was to silently deploy nuclear devices in the chaos of the explosion. Those ships, as large as they were, went unmanned, and were controlled remotely. The devices they delivered were carefully packaged so as not to be destroyed in the explosion. Once in space, they would appear as debris. Normally, they might be detected, but not when you're on full alert, waiting for my real attack. Now, there are more out there. I can either destroy you completely, or you can surrender. I'll be there soon. If you don't, you'll be gone before we're in range of your weapons. Have a good day, admiral."
The screen went blank. It was over. It was all over, Gim realized.
"Well, aren't you going to greet your audience?" Relos asked.
"A moment to think, Relos," Alquin said.
"Agreed. It is slightly emotional, to say the least. I still think they'd appreciate it, whether you're composed or not," Relos said. Alquin nodded, and then stood up. He exited the room and walked the halls until he was outside.
Alquin stood on marble, surrounded by pillars and military personnel. He took his stand at a podium filled with microphones. He looked out over the tens of thousands of people that had gathered, their noise almost overwhelming. His image appeared as a hologram overhead. For a brief moment, the crowd went silent.
The cheers that ensued lasted for a while. Alquin took it all in, unwavering on the stand. He closed his eyes and felt the screams and words flow through him. In this moment, he r
emembered his youth, the last time he had stood on the ground of this planet. All the years that had passed seemed but a moment in time. He no longer saw the sky with the eyes of a small boy. Almost twenty years had passed in anticipation of this moment. Alquin opened his eyes and held up his hands. The crowds went silent.
"When I was a child, I lived on Exoquis. I lived through the first part of the coalition attack back then. My friends, you are my brothers. My fathers. My mothers. My sisters and my children. I remember the day like it was yesterday, even though I was a small boy. And, knowing that, I cannot help but be moved by those who were older than me. Knowing that you've seen it all, heard it all, lived through it, and had to weep and gnash your teeth in pain while enduring the occupation of your native lands. I weep with you. And I rejoice with you this day. This day of freedom and life. Where the coalition forces have been driven off. But, my friends, we cannot linger in our duties. We must carry on. We mustn't think for a moment that we are alone, either in terms of allies or enemies. Ingrid will support you, my friends. The coalition will oppress you, brethren. And they will not let you be in peace. You are a precious resource. You hold only precious resources. Many that the enemy has held onto for years, and isn't eager to let go of. But take heart. Your and my day of freedom has arrived. Rejoice, and know that you are again citizens of the Ingrid Empire. No, you always have been. But now you can tell your sons and daughters. You can talk in the streets about your heritage. You can relax, knowing you are free from control, again. Ingrid will make sure of that. Thank you for your patience. I am sorry. I deeply apologize that it has taken this long. Thank you."
Alquin's speech ended. Though it was impromptu, the crowd roared with applause and cheers. The entire planet was awake and filled with shouts of joy and revelry. No matter where they were, there wasn't a person sleeping. Parents forced their children to stay awake and see what their savior said. There was no protest. The coalition hadn't been in power long enough for anyone to forget what had happened. And on this day, which would later be a planetary holiday, people laughed, cried, and rejoiced.
"How was it?" Alquin asked Relos once they were in private.
"A bit soppy," Relos said with a wide smile.
"Perfect. A bit over-the-top even?" Alquin asked.
"Yes."
"Good, good. Then it was just perfect."
"Why?"
"Because if it seemed soppy to an outsider, it was just right for a citizen."
Relos laughed, realizing what Alquin meant. Relos and the other officers had been slightly embarrassed through Alquin's speech, but he now realized that none of the planet's residents would have the same detachment as him. Alquin, on the other hand, had been worried he would be detached as well.
The days on Exoquis passed by with astounding speed. In just a week's time, all major installations had been secured by empire personnel. The few groups of coalition resistance were eliminated with haste. Supporters of the old regime were always coalition staff, and were soon rooted out and arrested. All coalition staff were imprisoned and held indefinitely as hostages. Alquin also made a point of keeping the accommodations for his hostages comfortable, quelling any instances of abuse quickly and with severity. He made the announcement that revenge was not to be taken by the populace, as revenge belonged to the empire's military only. The penalties for disobedience were stiff, so abuse was rare. Considering the situation, it was fortunate for the coalition forces. This sort of kindness in peace coupled with absolute brutality in combat made Alquin an imposing figure in both the minds of the citizens and the hostages.
Alquin hadn't been expecting the request that came from the populace. With the replacement of the coalition government, the planet lacked a ruler. Unlike the coalition, empire cities and planets were ruled by individuals, who all eventually answered to the emperor himself. The empire was still making preparations to send additional defenses to Exoquis, and hadn't yet decided on whom to install as the planetary ruler.
"I'm turning it down," Alquin said.
"Why? Why not?" Relos asked. The other generals in the room echoed Relos' sentiments.
"There's much more to do. As much as I appreciate it, I'm a military man. I shouldn't be confined to this place. I'll humbly reject," Alquin said.
There was another motive in Alquin's rejection, which made itself apparent soon after. Alquin could only smile as he showed the communication he had received from empire headquarters. The emperor himself had heard of Alquin's decline, and was pleased by it. As a result, Alquin was promoted again. Alquin's promotion was several ranks. The size of the fleet granted to him was ten-thousand, several times as large as his prior one, and one of the largest in the empire. It was a sign of faith from the emperor. And it was just what Alquin wanted, even it if was beyond his initial expectations. There was another matter that would appear before Alquin could leave the planet, though.
