Beta had decided to sacrifice itself in the name of intelligence. Gamma, Epsilon, and Zeta Commands were being fed constant images and sensor data on the raging battles. Their intent was to give us a chance to find a weakness.
Through it all, Gamma, Epsilon, and Zeta kept falling back, on the recommendations of those on the front line. And, the remaining C&C wanted something left to fight with, at a later time. It was foolhardy to keep tossing away more assets. In the first twenty-one days, the enemy had driven a stake in our heart without losing one ship.
Into the fourth week, they surged forward from Rigil Kentaurus. Columns moved into Boötis, Draco, Virgini and Leo. They kept widening their scope fanning out into more and more of our Federation. We retreated farther. We all crossed the border at various locations when 44 Boötis fell. They were almost entirely across the Federation.
I was stunned when I studied the images sent by Beta HQ. They engaged against three hundred enemy Cruisers. In the background I could see a ghostly spherical image; but, no matter how we tried to enhance the video, we could not determine its purpose or capabilities; or even if, it was a man-made object. And their warships' shields deflected our weapons as if they were ping pong balls. Every once in a while a craft would enter or exit Normal Space. But the motive power was uncertain from the sensor readings we had. All this and, their weapons penetrated our shields as if they were nothing. We were more like a pesky nuisance than an adversary.
All seemed hopeless.
Chapter 8 When Friends Die
Thursday, March 21, 2267
"A man may die, nations may rise and fall, but an idea lives on." John F. Kennedy
For Fleet Admiral Tso Shah the day started like most others. The morning meeting with his COS and Deputy HQ Commander included discussions of the patrol status of all thirty-two Fleets within his four Tier 3 operations. Security, ship maintenance, and Fleet deployments were all reviewed. These may be dry subjects; but, it's important to keep your fingers on all the buttons you control.
He wound his way through the labyrinth of corridors, elevators, and hallways that comprised the route from his Flag Bridge office to the Officers' Mess for a light breakfast. He could have eaten in the Flag dining room; but, this journey provided a daily opportunity to examine a good portion of his Mobile Headquarters.
The FSS Apollo is the Headquarters Mobile Command for Delta -HQ which he leads. It is one of the massive Supercarrier Class vessels employed by the OFSA for this purpose. There are six more of them in the unit. Two are the homes of the next level of authority subordinate to him. And, four are the bases for the levels below that. Level Eleven Admirals, Roger Linkletter and Egi Oh run the Tier Two ventures. Four Level Ten Admirals Run the Tier Three outfits. His thirty-two Fleets and all the HQ Commands employ nearly two million personnel. A massive internal logistics operation make the whole thing self-contained. And, the unit's four Mobile Hospital units ensure the best of care for all his people, though each ship in the flotilla is well equipped for medical needs. The Apollo and all the other crafts in his Command are formidable fighting platforms, and each Carrier and Supercarrier can launch a barrage of Raptor Class fighters to extend their reach. Over three-quarters of a kilometer long and more than three hundred meters abeam, the one hundred sixty-one meter tall vessel is gargantuan. It is virtually a small city boasting nearly every service a traveler could want or need.
Several teams are already on patrol in nearby systems; but, even with only a little over a quarter of Delta Command nearby, the space around the Apollo is much like the downtown of a busy city. Supply vessels travel from Base Stations to Fleet members and back. Others move between the various Tiers of Supercarriers. Shuttles journey from ships to Stations on important business and there is constant traffic between all the different elements and the Mobile Hospitals. Wherever parked, each Command HQ always employs its "Traffic Control" to handle the constant "rush hour" conditions.
Admiral Shah enjoyed his ancestors' traditional fish and rice; but, always had a couple of over-easy eggs with the entree. And instead of tea, he enjoyed a big mug of dark roast coffee. He was just downing the last gulp of his second cup when the annunciator on his data pad sounded off. Pushing his plate forward on the table, he moved the pad to a more accessible location in front of him. There was mail. He tapped the icon; then navigated to the item. It was marked "Urgent." He touched the listing to bring up the full communications.
MEMO
CLASSIFIED - SECRET (NTK)
ENCRYPTED - Authentication Root Om-T2-X@Y2365-906-**
From:Admiral Egi Oh Commander Delta T2-1
To:F. Admiral Tso Shah C&C / Delta HQ Commander
C.C:Admiral Roger Linkletter Commander Delta T2-2
Re:Invasion
Date:March 21, 2267
Sir,
Several Fleets within my chain of command have reported scores of heavily armed unidentified vessels within their patrol areas. They are under attack. According to reports, our forces are unable to penetrate these ships' defense systems. Meanwhile, this enemy is quite capable of effortlessly destroying our crafts.
I have attached communiques from both the Aquarius and Pegasus Fleet Commanders describing the intensity of the attack and giving exact locations. I am ordering my entire T2-1 Command into these actions and holding T2-2 until I determine if other assaults are in progress.
Admiral Egi Oh
Before Admiral Shah could finish, his annunciator sounded again.
MEMO
CLASSIFIED - SECRET (NTK)
ENCRYPTED - Authentication Root OM-T2-2-Q@G1165-423-%^
From:Admiral Roger Linkletter Command Delta T2-2
To:F. Admiral Tso Shah C&C / Delta HQ Commander
C.C:Admiral Egi Oh Commander Delta T2-1
Re:Enemy Attack
Date:March 21, 2267
Sir,
I am attaching e-mails from V. Admirals Brittney Agnew of Cygnus Fleet and Jasper Congrave of Eridani Fleet. Both are currently attempting to defend against massive attacks. They describe the attacking vessels, their strength, and location in the e-mails. Since both operations are part of the same Tier 3 Command, I have ordered the rest of the unit into action to assist. I am holding my other Tier Three Commands in reserve until I know more.
Admiral Roger Linkletter
Shah studied the attached e-mails carefully. The two Fleets mentioned in the first communique are fighting near Kappa Pegasus. The two in the other notice are near Theta Pegasus. Off the top of his head, he calculated they are about thirty light-years apart. This is a significant surge.
.........................................................................................................................................
Alpha HQ Commander Fleet Admiral Iku Shagotha was likewise enjoying breakfast when he received similar notifications.
MEMO
CLASSIFIED - SECRET (NTK)
ENCRYPTED - Authentication Root ALP-T2-1-Y*R2342-740-&%
From:Admiral Onda Obini Commander Alpha T2-1
To:F. Admiral I. Shagotha C&C / Alpha HQCommander
C.C:Admiral Julianne Mercado Commander Alpha T2-2
Re:Incursion
Date:March 21, 2267
Sir,
Vice Admiral Klog Meget and Vice Admiral Alicia Blackman have both filed reports indicating they are under attack. I have attached their notifications which include ship descriptions, formation strengths and assault position. I have inserted the rest of their Theatre into this operation and am holding the other one in reserve for the time being.
Admiral Onda Obini
MEMO
CLASSIFIED - SECRET (NTK)
ENCRYPTED - Authentication Root ALP-T2-2-K?R1357-086-+$
From:Admiral Julianne Mercado Commander Alpha T2-2
To:F. Admiral I. Shagotha C&C / Alpha HQCommander
C.C:Admiral Onda Obini Commander Alpha T2-1
Re:Assault!
Date:March 21, 2267
Sir,
<
br /> I believe we are under attack. I have received reports from two Fleets indicating they are fighting pitched battles. Aeris and Triangulum Fleet are currently taking heavy casualties. Their reports are included.
Admiral Julianne Mercado
Admiral Shigotha took the time to study the supporting information. The Fleets involved were situated at 79 Ceti and 109 Piscium.
.........................................................................................................................................
Vice Admiral Meget is at the expansive viewing window. The big monitors are working fine; but, he wondered if he was seeing correctly and went to the portal to get the real truth. But, it's all factual. Ceti Fleet's weapons are just bouncing off this adversary's shields. And, their antagonists' weapons are devastating. The only thing that has kept so many of his ships from being destroyed is the fact they were employing the Nichols' maneuver to complete their patrol of the 79 Ceti system.
Within minutes of encountering the intruders, the FSS France was destroyed. It all happened so fast he isn't really sure he has it right in his mind. The much larger carrier had laid a sound pounding on an enemy vessel, to no avail. Then one shot from the opponent was all it took to obliterate them.
Meget is aboard the FSS Eritrea the Flagship of the Eritrea Group and Ceti Fleet's Task Force One. It also flies the pennant of the Ceti Fleet with Vice Admiral Meget in Command. Four hundred enemy vessels are bearing down on the seventeen remaining craft in Ceti. Though they will be momentarily more vulnerable, he has to find the right moment to pull them out of their patrol pattern; so, they can more directly confront the intruders.
In the meantime, Meget has transmitted a report to his superiors and a request for help to his sister Fleets of Alpha HQ - T1-2. But, the way things look he'll be lucky if anyone shows up in time. He finally decides no moment will be truly better than the next and orders his Fleet to execute a maneuver that will put them in an arrowhead formation facing their foes.
As they move, the Frigate FSS Philadelphia Flares into non-existence. It's followed shortly after by the Cruiser FSS Michigan. "At this rate, there'll be nothing left in another ten minutes," he thinks to himself.
.........................................................................................................................................
Vice Admiral Alicia Blackman the daughter of Fleet Admiral Blackman the Gamma HQ Commander is as tense as at any time she can remember. She pulled her entire Pisces Fleet together as fast as she could when she received the call from her friend and colleague Klog Meget. They were racing to 79 Ceti to answer his call for help.
But as her Fleet enters normal space and glides into the system, all they see is shrapnel, scrap, and flotsam spiraling through the region on random courses to nowhere in particular. She goes to the view window.
"Sensor Station can you find Ceti Fleet?" She Barks.
"This is it, sir."
"What's it? I don't see anything but flying garbage."
"Yes, sir. That's Ceti Fleet. There's tons of the aluminum alloy we use for our hulls. Lot's of plastics, too. And. there are considerable numbers of corpses and lots of body parts."
"Any sign of the bastards that did this?"
"No, sir. There gone. And, there's no trail."
"Son of a bitch! I can only assume they're headed deeper into our territory. Set a course for HD 1461 and get us there at forty percent, Helm." She snaps as she walks weakly to the Command Center and collapses into her chair.
.........................................................................................................................................
Vice Admiral Otoko of the Aquarius Fleet has had the ships in his Fleet following evasive patterns since the first encounter with the unknown enemy. It's the only thing that's kept them alive this long. Aquarius weapons have been ineffectual; while their pursuer has no trouble destroying them.
Though it seems like an eternity, its only been five minutes since the first encounter. And their opponent has already demolished a Carrier, two Cruisers, four Frigates and forty Raptors. Otoko has reported and put out emergency calls for support. But, he's not sure anyone can get there in time. At the rate things are going, they'll all be dead in a few more minutes.
.........................................................................................................................................
Vice Admiral Gozel Giz has been struggling to keep the ships in Pegasus Fleet alive since the enemy entered Theta Pegasus half an hour ago. As soon as their first ship was demolished, he realized their only hope was an escape. They have been struggling to open jump points, ever since. But, their antagonist destroys the conduit thresholds as fast as they can project them.
.........................................................................................................................................
Admiral Tso Shah is beside himself with worry for the Fleets in his command that are under such an incredible onslaught. He calls in his COS Admiral Eugenio Volpe.
TACTICAL ACTION MESSAGE #OM-T1-1145-5431
CLASSIFIED - SECRET (NTK)
ENCRYPTED - Authentication Root OMG-T1-HQ-Z*R1397-986-*&
From:F. Admiral Tso Shah Commander Delta -HQ
To:All Delta subordinate Commands
C.C:All OFSA C&C, CIC
Re:Invasion
Date:March 21, 2267
All,
It is apparent, we are in the midst of a widescale intrusion by a powerful enemy. All Delta HQ forces are ordered and required to execute the following.
Delta T2-1 will order half its forces to assist at 79 Ceti. The other half will be held in reserve until it is determined they are needed.
Delta T2-2 will order half its forces to Theta Pegasus to intercept and engage enemy forces there. The other half will remain nearby as a reserve unless needed.
Please note that no forces have been able to mount a successful attack on this enemy, yet. All caution should be taken to protect the personnel in your charge. But, the defense of the Orion Federation is a priority.
F. Adm. Tso Shah
"Gene, can you make sure this is okay and encrypted. Then get communications to send it out - pronto!" Shah ordered as he tapped various icons on the screen of his data pad.
"Yes, sir. I'll get it right out.” Volpe responded, stiffened, saluted, and left the room.
Shah thought for a moment about how fortunate the discovery of Volpe had been. Eugenio had been traded to him in a deal with Epsilon Command. He graduated the Academy in 2251 and had been commissioned as an Ensign in a Fifth Mobile Fleet. By 2255, he had risen to Executive Officer of the Shenzhen, an Epsilon autonomous Frigate. From then to now, he had advanced steadily through tactical Commands until the trade with George, last year. But Tso often silently patted himself on the back for spotting Gene's administrative abilities, and had been responsible for his movement through the Headquarters' Tiers to finally arrive as his COS at the rank of a Level Ten Admiral.
The attack continued as a repeating pattern for the next few days. By then, there was nothing left of Alpha HQ and very little of Delta HQ remaining. Both operations even threw their Headquarters Supercarriers and Security Flotillas into the fray in a suicidal attempt to turn the tide. It didn't work.
Beta HQ entered the conflict when the enemy engaged at 16 Cygnus. But, they too were badly mauled. Shah no longer knew the condition or location of any Beta HQ contingents.
Reports came in rapid succession. Each seemed worse than the one before. By the end of the third day, it was evident there was a direct route to Sol in mind. The trespassers had taken Kappa Pegasus, 79 Ceti, 109 Piscium, Theta Pegasus, Sigma Pegasus, HD197210, HD 1461, 94 Ceti, 16 Cygnus and BE Ceti, by then. It was a ninety-degree-wide column leading directly to Earth. All the while, he was sending reports to each HQ and the CIC hourly. In the last several he advised it was futile to throw more forces into the struggle unti
l OFSA ships were fitted with improvements that would enable a more positive response. He suggested having all Commands attempt to disengage and move to safer positions.
The C&C were in constant communication with each other throughout those early days. It was soon apparent that the Orion Federation had no protection against this enemy's weapons and no way to breach its defenses. So, it was decided to discontinue all resistance and fall-back; until a way could be found to counter the assault.
None ever was. By the time things settled down, most remaining forces were outside Orion Federation Space with a small percentage scattered in hiding places throughout the territory. It had been a rout.
From start to finish. It took the enemy less than a month to capture the entire realm.
.........................................................................................................................................
As the outbreak was unfolding, I was continuously updated in communications with other C&C or by being copied on direct reports. In turn, I kept my Command aware of what was going on as the Commission kept agreeing to new fall-back positions. We all felt that no purpose would be served by throwing ourselves into the action; if, we could not offer a solid defense. In George's words, "We need to save something to fight with after we find a way. Until then, it's just suicide."
By the time it was over, we had found ourselves all the way back in HD 47186.
Over time, we got back to considering the future. But, in the first days, it was not unusual to find people with tears in their eyes. On occasion, I even rounded a corner in a corridor to find someone leaning against a wall weeping uncontrollably. Everyone walked around like zombies, at first. We had been surprised and even thrown back in past battles. But, in the end, the OFSA had always prevailed. I believe we thought we were invincible.
One thing was obvious to me. Since, the formation of Mobile Fifth RAC and IGB, the four original Quadrant Commands had become nothing more than police or patrol forces. With very little exception, they had not been involved in actually prosecuting a military action in a very long time. Epsilon was always the primary defender against invasions, and Zeta was its partner when help was required. For that matter, none of us had participated in anything more than minor skirmishes for the last five years. And ten years ago, we used to run regular inter-agency War Games where we would pit one Command against another. Since, the war with the Spiel, we had been so busy expanding, we had ceased this form of practice. We were all pretty rusty at handling our chief responsibility.
Righteous Reign The Series: E-version Boxed Set Edition Page 98
