Righteous Reign The Series: E-version Boxed Set Edition

by Thomas J. MacDonald

George is watching Epsilon ships as they demolish enemy vessels two and three at a time. But, it's been costly. The Epsilon T1-1-2 Carrier FSS Loki has been destroyed with all hands lost except fifty-five active fighter pilots. Twenty-two Raptors have also been lost. But, Epsilon has made the Isesinis pay. So far, they have smashed one hundred seventeen of their ships and nearly two hundred fighters.

  Focusing past the mayhem, Admiral Bryant takes a moment to absorb the beauty of the system. 44 Boötis is actually a trinary unit and has always been one of his favorite stellar highlights. The A-star is a yellow/white with seven satellites. The fourth one is known as Tetrad by its inhabitants who are Orion Federation Members. These people support a sizeable OFSA ship manufacturing and assembly complex and considerable Academy campuses. Within his sensor image field of view, George can see one of the orbiting spacedocks.

  The two secondary stars are both orange/yellows; each about two-thirds the luminosity of Sol. They form a close binary pair. In fact, they have shallow atmospheric contact at many points in C's orbital path around B; resulting in high x-ray emissions. They are a fiery pair to watch from the current vantage point.

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  Steven Nichols peers at the monitors in his Command Center aboard his Headquarter Carrier the FSS Andromeda. His three hundred Gamma and Spiel warships have ripped almost three hundred Isesinis vessels apart. Nearly seventy-eight hundred Raptors and Raiders are constantly harassing their opponents and deflecting the assaults of their fighters. But, Gamma has lost two Cruisers and forty-two of the little hornets. The loss of nearly three thousand haunts him as he issues orders to counter the changing conditions.

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  Standing on the main floor of the bridge, Commander Zak Fulida Captain of the Frigate FSS Magistrate struggles to plot a safe course to the Base Ship Garbage chute that will avoid all the drifting scrap and enable a clear shot at the opened shaft. His anxiety had driven him from his usual perch. He stands on the decking in the semi-circular pathway between the Command and the Operating Stations. Finally satisfied, he forwards coordinate headings that are deep inside the targeted structure to weapons.

  "Weapons load torpedo tubes one and four on the starboard and port bows." He orders.

  "Weapons loaded, sir." The Weaps Officer calls out.

  "Fire!"

  Two cylinders catapult from the nose of the ship automatically adjusting their own trajectories to place them on a direct line to the target. The cones on their leading ends contain the magnetic traps that hold deadly anti-matter safely, until detonation. Raptors guard their paths, fighting off incoming fighters until the weapons finally disappear into the Polyhedron. There is a delay. It is followed by a muted flash as one-third of the orb blows away, and the rest begins to throb and glow.

  "Success! Get the hell away from this thing. It's a ticking time bomb." He yells into the communications system which is now set to general broadcast.

  Over three thousand OFSA and allied ships begin to give ground. The Base Ship generates the largest fusion eruption Fulida has ever seen. Scrap, flotsam, dust, superstructure and hull panels pinwheel throughout the nearby vessels. There are hundreds of new flares as support crafts are annihilated in a complex series of chain reactions.

  Then Gamma, Epsilon, and Zeta Commands move in to finish off the two hundred, or so, remaining enemy craft.

  By six hundred hours, Saturday, it's all over but the mop-up. The most indispensable system to the OFSA in this region has been liberated. The two dual Academies, three triple space docks, and all the ground based ship manufacturing plants are ours to use again. Along with Lambda Bootis, this gives the ability to build all the various types of ships and weapons in the OFSA arsenal. They can also train the personnel to man them. A nearly half-million member Marine Division fans around the planet to ensure its security; but, finds no landed enemy forces. A large contingent composed of many engineering disciplines is dispersed throughout the various OFSA facilities to inspect, repair and restart them.

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  It takes five days for the debriefings. It has been a long month. During those meetings, we all expressed our surprise that our opponents did not do more damage to our facilities. Most were still in pristine condition. A few needed minor repairs. Instead of destroying them, they all just stood abandoned and unused. In most cases, OFSA personnel even took the time to mothball them; so, they could easily be restored to functionality.

  And though they stood empty during most of the past nearly year and a half the Academies were intact, and their faculties were all available. Most of them were part of the OFSA. But, for some reason, the Isesinis had ignored them, though a lot had combat experience.

  As on Lambda, the C&C Committee and the King were all very warmly welcomed. Over a two-day period, staffs were all consolidated. OFSA accounts had stood unused for the past eighteen months and were now accessed to pay all back wages to employees. Federation Assemblymen from the six populated planets that were freed would sit in a session with the King. Business, financial markets, and local stores all opened. Industry was restarted. Though more expansive than a few months ago, our little corner of our Federation would employ the trade routes we'd protect to restart trade and commerce between the liberated planets. They would again be required to pay tax to the Federation. The limited Assembly, C&C Commission, and the King would operate the government in the restored regions, though a state of Marshal Law would be continued for the present. King David and the entire OFSA Planning Committee would sit as a "War Council" to manage the still significant service. But the C&C would continue to prosecute the campaign to evict the trespassers.

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  The Commission set the span for a pause, before continuing the counter attack. We needed time to rest and recuperate. It would also allow us to begin expanding our forces by new additions and absorption of those Fleets now continuously reappearing from in hiding. They also created a list of the next stellar systems to free. Four would be targeted based on their distance from 44 Boötis, which is now our central base of operations. And, a defensive blueprint was approved that would secure the recaptured systems and the routes between them.

  First, we would take back Nu Draconis. Though uninhabited it is located strategically just under twenty light-years from here. Failing to occupy the system would leave a flank unguarded. Following that, we would enter the Alpha Boötis system, commonly known as Arcturus. It is six-and-a-half parsecs from here and devoid of planets and life. But, again there is a tactical need to protect a fringe; so, we will occupy it. There is no enemy representation in either system.

  Murphid, otherwise known as Eta Boötis, is a yellow subgiant seven parsecs away that has a blue planet that supports life orbiting in the cool part of its habitable zone. There is no intelligent civilization there; but, it is an excellent source of gasses, water, meat protein and vegetable nutrition. So, we must ensure it cannot be used against us.

  72 Hercules is a Sol-type star with two life-sustaining planetary systems. One civilization is pre-industrial. The other is a member of the Federation. There is a sizable enemy contingent there, but no Base Station. It is approximately 23.7 light-years from 44 Boötis, and along the corridor, we are recovering, on the way to Sol.

  The fifth, final, and most important target in this round is Xi Boötis nearly twenty-five light-years away. It is a trinary system. But the primary star is a small yellow with a Federation Member Planet. There is a sizeable antagonistic force there. Tactically, it is within our corridor, and it is just over six-parsecs from Earth. Our plan is to keep a good-sized force at
both Lambda and 44, but move a majority of our strength to Xi Boötis and use it as a base for our lunge to Earth.

  By mid-February, another eleven Fleets arrived; reappearing from hiding places throughout regions around 44 Boötis. And we had word from another ten in route from more distant areas. Once resupplied, we spent the next six weeks upgrading those first vessels in the orbital shipyards at 44. By the end of the month, the other ten successfully landed with us. Over the last six months, we had absorbed the equivalent of three Theatres. And some senior leadership and a supercarrier headquarter came along with them.

  On March 16th, the first ships came off the production lines at Lambda and 44 Boötis. These were ships that had been in mid-assembly when the war began. But, production had been halted when it appeared there would no longer be a Federation or OFSA.

  The same thing happened with the Academies. Several classes in the continuous intake system had been suspended after our ejection. Many were close to completion. By the time the ships were ready for release, nearly ten thousand graduated. By reducing some Theatres from five to four-shift systems and redistributing experienced personnel, we could man the twelve new vessels with the addition of these new postings. It was not quite another Fleet; but every little bit helps, at this point.

  As all vessels arrived, they were reallocated by the C&C Commission. But, we were all rising to levels above the R&R specifications. So, we considered reforming one of the missing Commands. Beta is the best choice. Half of it is with Gamma. This could be separated and combined with all the new additions to recreate the Command at almost its full strength. And the new Beta could be utilized to deploy its four Theatres to protect recaptured territory; freeing all Gamma, Epsilon and Zeta forces for use in the offensive. Beta is also capable of supplying its own leadership. Two level ten and a level eleven Admiral had survived with their organizations. It was a simple matter of promoting from within all the way down through the ranks and replacing the lowest with newly graduated officers.

  Chapter 22 Defiance

  Friday, April 2, 2269

  "Secret operations are essential in war; upon them, the army relies to make its every move." Sun Tzu

  Susan Sylvestry had just sat back with a glass of Gamay, a crossword puzzle, and Bear to enjoy an hour with this week's Super Cross when the muffled three-knock signal was tapped out on her back door. Setting down the glass and puzzle, she shifted the Retriever so she could rise and answer the call. But, puzzlement was her primary mood as she shuffled to the rear of the brownstone with the click-click of Bear's nails on the porcelain-tiled floor as he padded quietly behind her.

  Leaving the security chain in place, she unlocked the door and cracked it just enough to see Fred with Dave Axelon just over his shoulder.

  "Let us in, please. It's dangerous meeting like this." Fred whined.

  Susan slid the chain off its hasp and opened the door. Fred and Dave were followed in by a third man - tall, handsome and very fit looking. She closed, locked, and resecured the entranceway.

  "What the hell are you doing here. We aren't supposed to meet here anymore." She barked. A low growl rumbled from Bear.

  "Something important came up." Dave pointed to the third party.

  "No one's so important that you should've breached our security protocol."

  "This is."

  "And whom might you be?" Susan examined the man up and down then burned a stare directly into his eyes.

  "Lieutenant General David Sparks Commander OFSA ZETA ISIE." Susan was startled. But, she was struck by how mellow the man's voice was.

  "What's I.S.I.E?" She asked belligerently.

  "You knew it as IGB. But, I.S.I.E. is the Intelligence, Security, Investigative and Enforcement Divisional Command of Zeta HQ. My division is one of five that reports directly to General Svesion who works for Fleet Admiral Kurt Brubacher. Both of them wanted me to relay their greetings." Sparks finished as the three men followed her and Bear back to her sitting room.

  Susan kind of wobbled as she leaned back with her hand on her chair back. Then, she just kind of fell into it.

  "How the hell did you get here?" Her tone was much more restrained.

  "I am not sure if you are aware of it; but, the OFSA has found a way to fight back. We have repossessed quite a wedge of territory from the Isesinis. And, we are aware they have finally actually occupied many of the planets they absorbed including Earth.

  The OFSA is generally run by a nine-member Command and Control Commission of Eight Fleet Admirals and one Marine Marshal. However, one of the Admirals recently suffered a heart attack and the Marine Marshal is still M.I.A. from the invasion. We believe he is on Rigil. Two other Fleet Admirals were killed in the initial assault. But, one of those has been replaced.

  The OFSA is still a substantial force. Five of the Headquarters Commands are now completely intact, and they have been upgraded with weapons and defense systems capable of dealing with the invaders. So far, we have recovered fifteen systems including two with extensive ship-building and Academy facilities.

  At any rate, the C&C Commission has set Sol as the next system to liberate. This information is Top Secret on a Need to Know basis only. So, you may tell President Salizar of this meeting; but, no one else.

  Once Sol was determined to be the next target Fleet Admiral Savign sent covert forces here to surveil the situation. She runs the SOCC HQ. It is comprised almost entirely of cloaked vessels we call Subs. These ships are invisible to both eyes and sensors. At first, they were our only technology the Isesinis couldn't defeat because they cannot detect them.

  Included in her report was her belief that a more robust ground resistance would help our cause. The C&C discussed it and decided to send ground operatives here. Each sub carries a squad of Special Forces Marines; so, Admiral Savign ordered ten vessels here to drop one hundred agents. These combatants all work for me, and this is a most important mission. So, with the approval of Admiral Brubacher and General Svesion, I decided to come and run the organization, myself. We landed four hours ago.

  Right now, Dave has access to all the funds and equipment you arranged. I need that to change to my direct control. I will add the ten Subs to your firepower. They can sit in orbit without being detected, and we can call up strikes when we need them. It adds a substantial force to what you have."

  Aside from Bear's constant panting, there was absolute silence in the room for several minutes.

  "Oh my goodness. I'm sorry for my rudeness. Would you like a glass of Gamay or a coffee or tea?" Susan offered as she lamely pointed to her wineglass.

  "Yes, that'd be great." Chris pointed to the wine bottle as he answered.

  She brought back three glasses and a fresh bottle of wine; pouring out the last of the first bottle for Dave and Fred, then, a serving from the new one for General Sparks. Finally, she topped up her own. All the while, the visitors could see she was deep in thought. Chris sipped at the ruby liquid.

  "This is quite nice!" The appreciation of the liquid treat was apparent.

  "There's quite a story behind that." Sylvestry nodded toward the bottle.

  "Please, go on."

  "Back in the twenty-first century when northern Earth was covered in ice the wine regions of many countries were ruined. But, some of the vintners took precautions to save the species they loved so much. They stored cuttings and even seeds as a precaution. Cave Springs is, and was, in the Niagara Penninsula in Ontario Canada; so, it got creamed by the cold. But the Niagra Escarpment saved it from the Glacier. So, the land was not stripped clean, and the vintners were able to survive in their estates because of the rock formation.

  As the ice sheet retracted and temperatures warmed, the Escarpment shielded the region restoring it to a near-normal climate quite quickly. The vintners went to work replanting. Seven years after cultivating they had their first grape crop and have been producing ever since. The same was true of several regions. But, Cave Springs had a few award winning wines from before our Apocolypse. So,
they attempted to bring new wines back to the quality they were before the devastation. By the twenty-second century - they had this.' She lifted the bottle. 'And, they've sustained it ever since. One thing that may be important to some people is that their wines are all gluten free. There are four wineries from that region that brew wines in that fashion. As far as the Gamay goes, I even have a bottle from the 2015 vintage - before the mini Ice Age. I don't even know if it's still good. But, I'm not about to open it to find out. If someone wants to, they can give me a million Sovereigns for it.

  Anyway, I love the lighter reds, and this Gamay is my favorite. I buy several cases at a time. I usually enjoy it a couple times a week. But, since the invasion, I'm a three-glass-a-night-girl." She laughed.

  "I'll have to remember that. Many of us love wine. And Fleet Admiral Bryant and his wife are real connoisseurs. And Admiral Brubacher loves it, too and has a gluten issue. So, I will pass it on; though, they may already know."

  "Why not Rigil, first?" She asked, returning to the original subject.

  "To be blunt, it's not as important as Earth. It is the Headquarters for the OFSA and the home of the Federation Assembly, but there are barely a million inhabitants there. There's a billion and a half Federation Citizens here. Plus, it's the official center of the Federation. And tactically, Earth is on our pathway before Rigil. It would not be wise to have an enemy held system behind us."

  "I see. When are they planning to attack, here?"

  "In war, things are always fluid. Changes can make you alter your plans one way or the other. There are four star systems to reoccupy on the way here, still - to ensure our rear remains open and protected. Three are uninhabited with little or no enemy representation. Xi Bootis will require an encounter which will take some time. So, we will probably be in Sol in mid-June. My job is to create a real nightmare for the Isesinis stationed here, in the meantime."

  "I see. Our emancipation is at hand. I will speak to the President, tomorrow morning. He has to change things through his Commerce Secretary; but, that's not usually a problem. He does what he's told. What about the safety of the general population?"