The Commander looked at them, checking for any doubt on their faces. He'd known then long enough now, and their automatic response was always to say yes.
"You're certain?"
The chorus of nods answered his question. He leaned in closer to them as though about to share a great secret. He checked his Secpad, waited, and then smiled.
"We've just passed out of the 10th Quadrant, and are now in Star Empire territory. That means we can be given the full target details, and I can officially inform you that you weren't brought here just to get you home. Your presence was requested by General Honorius himself!"
He rubbed his chin, deciding the best way to put it.
"This taskforce is powerful, but it lacks a fighter component, and that's something they are all too familiar with."
Nate looked to the others and smiled as he spotted Valdis looking back at him. She remained nonplussed and turned her attention back to the Commander.
"Commander Higgins. There are still only a few of us here. What difference do they think we can make?"
Lieutenant Commander Holder took up the question, after Commander Higgins gave her the nod.
"That's a good point," she replied, "This is an unusual fleet. Normally, you would find a mixture of warships and transports, as well as a carrier component. The IAB does things a little differently, it would seem. They are optimised for rapid travel and ground assault. They are not designed around large-scale fleet engagements."
Billy had a confused expression on his face.
"So what use are we? We're not soldiers."
"True," said Commander Higgins, "This flotilla consists of five ships, and we're heading deep inside enemy territory on this critical mission. We have a pair of heavy transports, each brimming with ground forces, plus three Confederate Class Assault Carriers. It will officially be a joint Byotai and Alliance operation, using IAB assets. General Honorius is nominally in charge, with Colonel Gun commanding the fleet, and Major Spartan in charge of the assault element."
His eyes shifted to Lieutenant Commander Higgins who was staring wide-eyed at new information on her Secpad. With each passing moment, her expression became even more exaggerated.
"Are they up for it?"
She looked up to Commander Higgins and answered without a moment's hesitation.
"You know me, and you know the Squadron, Sir. They're ready for this."
Commander Higgins let out a slow breath.
"Very well. This is gonna be one for the history books."
Commander Higgins adjusted his stance once more and moved to the centre of the upper command deck. It looked as if he was leaving them all there, but he soon stopped and looked back. They watched him like a hawk, waiting for him to give them the order they all expected.
"Come with me to the briefing room. The Captain wants to see all of us. The entire command crew will be there, so stand up straight, and speak only when spoken to."
Valdis shifted uncomfortably.
"Sir, what about us?"
The Byotai pilot indicated towards her two comrades, Lilija and Svana.
"What about you?"
Valdis looked deflated, and her mouth opened as she attempted to regulate her temperature. Nate knew right away that she was unhappy, but why was hard to ascertain at this moment.
"What should we do?"
Commander Higgins looked as confused as the other pilots now.
"I don't understand. You're part of the Squadron, are you not?"
Valdis nodded.
"Well, then, join the others and get smartened up. Meet me on the command deck in twenty."
Without checking to see if they'd even heard him, he was gone, and Lieutenant Commander Holder went with him.
"Can you believe that?" asked Billy.
Cassandra moved to a drone control unit and lowered herself into position. She wiped her brow and looked up to Nate.
"Can we make that much of a difference?"
Nate was already heading out of the small space and back onto the operations level. There were no crew nearby, but line upon line of the silent combat drones. It gave the place a weird, almost ghostly feel, and as he looked at them, he felt a chill running up his spine. They'd been designed specifically to look intimidating, both in shape and colour. Nate completely forgot about what they were doing for a second.
"We need to hurry. Back to our quarters and grab our stuff."
CHAPTER SEVEN
Alliance Assault Carrier 'ANS Victorious', Behind Enemy Lines
27 December 2472
Nate and his friends moved quickly behind Lieutenant Commander Holder as they travelled through the smart interior. He moved quickly, trying to keep up with the pace of Saffron. She rarely walked slowly anywhere, and today it felt more like a jog. He'd seen most Alliance warships in the simulator before, but not once had been anywhere near one of these powerful vessels. There was an official block on adding them to the gaming system due to the secrecy around the ships. A quick look behind showed his friend moving at speed. Cassandra noticed and smiled.
"What?" he asked, thinking it was because she was looking at him.
"This ship, can you believe it?"
Nate looked back just as they rounded a corner. The place still smelt new, and there were so many people on board he was beginning to lose his mind. Like all ships, there was a myriad of passages, but those on this ship were larger than normal. The average height was three metres tall and wide enough for eight people to pass. Bright lights lit every part, and automatic doors opened and closed as they moved through each bulkhead area.
"This ship is amazing," said Billy.
Unlike other ships they'd been aboard, it seemed to use advanced technology at every stage. The Secpad network was at full strength and connected to all parts of the ship. Security cameras monitored every single passage, while biometric scanners blocked entire parts off from prying eyes. But of all things, the one that stood out the most was the complete lack of movement. Even the Liberty Class destroyers of the fleet, with their gravitometric artificial gravity systems could not fully mask major manoeuvres. When their engines were pushed to full burn, there was always a moment when the passengers could feel the shifts in direction and velocity.
"You don't say," answered Matilda. She looked to Cassandra and then ran a hand along the wall as they travelled closer to the front. From the outside, she'd appeared massive, but travelling these corridors made it feel more like they were aboard a space station than actually inside a warship.
"The Confederate Class is unique, something I thought we'd ever see. You know, some even doubt their existence at all. And now there's more than one."
"How many?" Valdis asked.
The Byotai pilot travelled towards the rear of the group, along with her two kin. They were equally enamoured by the complexity and apparent power of the Alliance ship. Though they'd served on the Byotai flagship, neither had been aboard such a large Alliance vessel before, and certainly not one as advanced. Matilda looked at a projection on her Secpad bracelet, and then shrugged as she answered.
"According to the fleet registry, the Navy manages a number of vessels on behalf of the IAB. They include multiple classes, with the Confederate Class showing six completed hulls."
"And what about those other two ships?" asked Billy.
Matilda appeared confused for a second, but then understood.
"What, the big transports?"
Billy nodded.
"Yeah, they look a bit like the warships."
Matilda held up her wrist where a rough diagram of the transport appeared. It had a lot in common with the Confederate Class, but the large weapon extensions were gone, and the engine nacelle rings broken up into three pillars, with curved ring sections joined by crackling energy. She spun the model about. Shapes along the flanks marked loading doors and launch corridors.
"Wow," said Billy, "That is a nasty looking ship."
"There's not much in the record for her. Seems she's a Naval Aux
iliary support ship, classed as a Landing Ship."
Nate found it hard to hide his excitement at hearing that. He pointed to the front.
"It definitely looks similar to the ship we're on. And you're saying that with those nacelles it can travel faster than light. That would..."
Matilda cut him off in mid sentence.
"And then they can deploy an entire ground combat unit in the field in a matter of minutes. It's a ship designed for rapid operations."
She then smiled to herself. "An absolute beast."
"She's no carrier, though," said Valdis, "These IAB warships seem to have forgotten that. They concentrate on heavy weapons, infantry, and dropships. There are times when fighters are critical."
"True," agreed Nate, "No reason why she shouldn't be, though."
* * *
Commander Higgins waited patiently on the command deck of the great ship. Months earlier he'd been a lowly fighter pilot, a Lieutenant aboard ANS Relentless. Then he'd moved into the mentor role for the fighter squadron, and now was the CAG; a lot of change for such a short amount of time, yet none of that had prepared him for what lay in front. Now he was in the centre of the group and planning a mission beyond anything he'd been part of before.
The command deck hummed with the gentle sound of conversation as the officers discussed the running of the ship. While screens and windows littered the place, the small group of command officers waited in front of a single large computer unit. He waited alongside General Honorius, the hero of the Byotai Empire, and listened to every single word with interest. For the last ten minutes the topic had been the fighting around Karnak. Now they were describing the recent events aboard Furiosa. The IAB Major, known as Spartan took over, but Commander Higgins found his attention continually drawn to the General and his old war stories. Even the ones he had personally been involved in sounded so much grander from the voice of the aged General. This was one of those titanic moments when the old veterans discussed strategy and made the big decisions. And here he was, with a ringside seat.
"As you know, the Alliance is in a..." Major Spartan looked to Colonel Gun who then shrugged. Spartan looked back and sighed before carrying on, "...a very tricky position. What remains of your Byotai Empire is in ruins. And the Star Empire, or whatever they're calling themselves now, is on the rise. We have an obligation to your citizens, General. But our priority is to keep our citizens safe. Both sides in this crisis are mobilised, but they still outnumber us nearly three to one."
His voice trailed off, and it sounded like he wasn't particularly interested in discussing events, only in checking what they could or could not offer the fleet.
"Luckily for us, there are only two ways through to the Alliance, and both take them into the Helion sector. So that is where High Command is placing most of our assets."
Spartan tapped a button on the forward monitor, and up popped a model of a sector of space. Three spheres flashed white, and then faint lines joined them together into a triangle formation.
"The strategic position is fragile at best. You'll be familiar with..."
"The Trinity," whispered General Honorious.
It was the sacred name given to the triple star system that housed the overwhelming majority of planets of her old Empire. Now, after the revolt and the utter humiliation of the Byotai military, it was the seat of the Orion Empire. All of them were aware of the importance of the place, both in the past, as well as in the present.
"Yes," replied Gun, "It is indeed."
He then turned his attention to the senior officers.
"And now the heart of our enemy's Empire."
He then spoke under his breath, as if the very mention of the enemy was an insult.
"Be under no illusions. The Orion Interstellar Empire has turned the Trinity into their own capital, and they mean to expand, with our Alliance standing right in their way. Even now, they control dozens of star systems, and harbour a population that is almost double ours."
He waited as the stars shrunk until becoming a single dot amongst a myriad of stars. Below them was Alliance space, with the star systems of the Helios Nexus clustered at the centre and pushing out to meet the territory of the Orion Empire like the tip of a needle.
"The Helion Nexus as we call it, the hub that links all of our people. This is where our alliance of independent systems connects to their territory."
Gun’s lip trembled as he continued speaking, and Spartan chuckled at the great warrior's discomfort. Commander Higgins was confused as he watched them. He'd heard of both, though he'd expected the Colonel to be less vocal and much more barbaric.
"We are more fragmented than the enemy, with the Klithi always pulling back, and the Khreenk wanting to stay out of a fight, if they can."
"But..." added Spartan, "The threat is a unifying factor, and with each battle, we're finding more support from our allies."
Gun nodded slowly.
"True. Now, if you look here, you'll see the five Helion star systems, and the network of Spacebridges to every major star system, including those of our allies, the Khreenk, T'Kari, and Klithi start here."
His hand moved to the left of the five Helion star systems.
"The most important one for us is, of course, the T'Karan Spacebridge. It connects our worlds at Sol and Alpha Centauri back directly with the planet of Helios Prime."
His hand rose and pointed to the left, where the Star Empire stretched out into multiple star systems. In the middle of this huge swathe of territory was the single area of grey, an area that they had recently departed from.
"The only other way the Star Empire can now make it through to our colonies is by passing through the Tenth Quadrant. And with Karnak under Byotai control, they would have to fight through General Makos, Furiosa, and the remnants of the Byotai fleet to make it."
"I see," said General Honorius via the translators, "And I can assume you are still well entrenched at Helios Prime, no matter which one they come through?"
Spartan looked to Gun, who gave him a nod.
"Yeah. As you know, Admiral Churchill is still leading the defence at Fiorr Veej, and Admiral Anderson is preparing a reserve at Helios Prime. Together their forces represent three of the Alliance eight fleets. Thirty-six warships, plus nineteen Auxiliary ships in support."
"That's not enough," said General Honorius, "Our last estimate of the enemy strength was at least seventy ships, with more coming. I suspect they will attack once they know they have a three to one advantage."
"Why?" Gun asked.
The translator on the General's armour hesitated, and when it finally answered, there was silence.
"Because that is when I would attack if it was me."
Spartan rubbed at his chin, considering what the General was saying.
"Well, our forces still control the Fiorr Veej System on the border, and..."
"Yes, I know," agreed the General, "Whoever controls the Fiorr Veej System controls secondary routes back to the Serpentis and Karnak System just inside the Star Empire's territorial control. The Admiral's forces are impressive, of that I can agree."
He pointed to the mapping data.
"If they try and smash through to Helios, they will find your Alliance fleet already in position at Fiorr Veej to block any attack. General Makos can send forces to assist in less than two days if they are waiting at the Spacebridge near Karnak."
"Yes," said Gun, "Through the Serpentis Rift and on to Fiorr Veej. And the same is true if they choose to move on Karnak first. If they try and hit my kin, General Makos will be able to reinforce him as well."
"Yes," said Colonel Gun, "But this only applies for as long as Admiral Churchill controls Fiorr Veej. If he is forced back, then we lose the fast link to assist each other."
General Honorius nodded as he examined the information.
"I see. Yes, the only other route to our colonies is here, through the Tenth Quadrant, the area we've just left. The Spacebridge takes you directly into the Helios System where
the exit point orbits the Helion planet of Spascia. But with General Makos, Furiosa, and the remnants of the Byotai fleet guarding the flank; there is no way for the enemy to reach us unmolested, not without a fight anyway."
Gun grunted.
"Now, back to the mission, because none of this really matters to us, does it?"
Commander Higgins, who'd been quiet until now, finally spoke up.
"I'm sorry? Are we not moving in to assist the fleet?"
Gun groaned.
"We are not the Alliance Navy, Commander. The IAB is a precision tool."
Spartan laughed as he listened to his old friend speak. Commander Higgins was not familiar enough to know them personally, but he knew from the records that they'd fought together for decades. This banter sounded aggressive, but he suspected it was like this all the time with them.
"Precision? Gun, are you kidding?"
Gun shrugged.
"Okay, perhaps not precision. But we are not a traditional fleet. We move fast, and hit hard. But as you can see, we do not have many ships, and we don't need them. Point us at the target, and we'll see it destroyed."
He licked his lips as though he'd just seen the tastiest of meals.
"And we have a target that makes these fleets look like Biomech fodder. That's why we're here."
That got the Commander's attention more than an entire broadside from a cruiser.
"We've learned of a new threat, a massive one, and it will have the potential to render any of our fleets irrelevant."
General Honorius seemed intrigued as he listened to this.
"I see, go on."
Colonel Gun pointed back at the Trinity area, and the mapping data shifted to show the key system and the capital.
"Ctenosaura," said General Honorius. His voice hushed, almost sad. Nate looked to him and instantly understood his sadness. Ctenosaura was not just a former world of his people. It was the historical, economic, political, and cultural capitol of the Byotai. The Star Empire had not just taken control of it; they'd retasked it to serve their nefarious ends by placing their own capital amidst the ruins.
Star Crusader: Battle Fleet Victorious Page 12
