General Homsar General Homsar

Rise of the Earth Federation

Rise of the Earth Federation

yet annother Terran Alliance AAR

  "I've always hated bureaucrats, but now I have become one. Even If it means I'm the head of government that spans an entire planet, irony...sucks."
Edgar Ford, President of the Earth Federation to reporters, circa 2226.

Throughout the twenty-first century, humans wondered how, when, of if Earth would be united.
Some thought it would be out of pure and bare necessity after World War Three, others though it would a military coup' de tat, and some though it would never be united.
However, they were all wrong. It all began in 2016, when the Federated States of Micronesia, tired of being dependent on U.S. aid, held a summit with Tonga, Kiribati, and Fiji with the purpose of creating a political union of island nations that would pool money and resources to fund civil projects, provide disaster aid, and if needed, military support to each other. They called themselves the Oceanic Union. In 2020, a constitution was signed, and the Pacific Federation was born, consisting of all the Pacific island nations excluding Taiwan. While this was going on, dissent against China's communist government culminated in a popular revolution in 2031, which threw out the Communist Party and established the Republic of China. Although this was a turbulent event, the leaders of many countries quietly breathed a sigh of relief, because of them, especially the United States, had increasingly cool relations with Communist China. The most violent step toward the unification of Earth occurred in the Middle East, when Iran and Syria formed a coalition and invaded Lebanon in 2035. Saudi Arabia, Israel, and surprisingly the PF and China formed their own coalition and declared war on Iran and Syria that same year. World War Two-And-A-Half, as it was sometimes sarcastically referred to, went back and forth, with many soldiers dying on both sides, but following a missile bombardment of Damascus in 2042, Syria surrendered and Iran shortly followed suite. To avert another event such as this, Saudi Arabia and Egypt held a conference in Riyadh, and with much work, the United Arab Republic was formed. (Israel assumed protectorate status.) the final steps were more peaceful. As European countries gave more and more power to the European Union, many began to merge together until the fabled United States of Europe emerged in 2062. ,The United States, seeing where the world was going, signed a treaty with Canada, Mexico, and Cuba, which had recently renounced its communist government, creating the North American Republic.
Finally, South America followed suite and created the South American Conglomerate in 2070.
Aside from occasional skirmishes between the minor nations, things were quiet until 2092, when the infamous Thalan probe was discovered in Havana. In response, the nations of the world banded together and formed the Earth Federation in 2110.
With the discovery of cold fusion in 2210, and the subsequent discovery if Hyperdrive in 2220, the Earth Federation was ready to expand into the stars.


That's part one, part two is coming soon...and yes I'll tell you my game settings then.  


587,691 views 253 replies
Reply #201 Top
OK, how do I get it?

(sorry if i'm being a hassle)
Reply #203 Top
The twin ion engines of the Barbados hummed to life as the reactor came on-line. The lights dimmed momentarily, and returned to their original brightness as the hum of the engines became a low,steady drone. Evans shivered in his black admiral's uniform as the ship slowly floated out of its dock and into space. The shiver wasn't due to cold--it was rather warm on the bridge--it was an involuntary reaction to his sigh of relief. He had been doubtful when the ship was repaired in nine days, rather than the twenty-four Risson had estimated. The engineering crews had done everything short of crawling through the plasma conduits, and given him the go-ahead to leave port. And yet, Evans was still doubtful that everything was alright. He couldn't pin it down, but he had a nagging feeling something was wrong. He couldn't stay on Ashira's Shield any longer; he had recieved orders the day before to procede to the Epsilon system as soon as possible. No details, just a short, to-the-point e-letter from one Rear Admiral George Healy. At first, Evans thought of protesting, but orders were orders,and he expected it wouldn't have done much good.
"Earther ship, you are cleared to jump to hyperspace," a crisp voice announced through the comm-link. Evans replied, "Understood, will jump momentarily", and closed the channel. Turning to his right, Evans said, "Methesus, set course for the Epsilon system, but be ready to drop out of hyperspace at a momemt's notice." Nodding, the Thalan gave a nervous "Aye, sir," and set course. "Tendath, be ready to send a distress call if we drop out of hyperspace in an emergency." Tendath nodded to confirm he was ready, and Evans faced forward again. "Prepare to jump to hyperspace..."--this had better work--"now!"
A brilliant flash of light flooded into the bridge, and the starscape outside twisted into a whirlpool of colors. The comm-link crackled to life with the voice of the chief engineer: "Commander Larsen to the bridge. The reactor is running smoothly, and all sytems are normal, repeat, all systems are normal. Looks like it's smooth sailing."
"Roger, but if anything goes wrong, report immediatly. I don't want anyone one this ship to get caught with thier pants down."
Commander Larsen was quiet for a moment, which Evans guessed was fighting down a laugh, and then the cheif engineer replied, "Understood, you'll be the first to know."
Evans gave curt thanks and closed the channel. "What's our ETA on Epsilon?" he asked Methesus. "Essstimated time to desstination: fourty-five minutes."
Evans nodded. "Thank you,Methesus. I hate to disappear like this, but I'll have to be in my quarters for a while." As he left the bridge, Evans pointed a gloved finger at his First Officer. "Miss Royer, the bridge is yours." She wore a small but eager smile as she walked to the captain's chair.
Once in his quarters, Evans sat on his cot. The fear of a mishap with the ship was gone, replaced by an odd sence od anticipation muddled with a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. If his superiors were being tight-lipped about his new orders, something big was happening. And Evans knew that during wartime, when something "big" happened, it was never good.

A small drone kicked out of hyperspace near Korx. It circled carefully, taking pictures of the ships arrving to bolster the defence fleet, of the orbital fortifications, and intercepted as many transmissions as it could with out being detected. On its last sweep,it flew over Korx's moon,only taking one picture and some sensor readings before vanishing into hyperspace undetectded. When anylyzers overviewed the pictures and sensor logs, they would asume the moon's defences to be no better than a few laser cannons and squadrons of fighters: hardly worth attacking. What the wouldn't know was that deep within the orb, something great and terrible was coming to life---something that could and would prove disasterous for the Allies.





















Reply #204 Top
was there supposed to be a picture there?

If so put it on to imagshak and copy the URL. Then click the picture icon and paste in the URL.
Reply #205 Top
mmmm a Terror star maybe?  ;p 
Reply #206 Top
was there supposed to be a picture there?


No, just some kind of formatting error.

mmmm a Terror star maybe?


The Telenath, actually.
Reply #207 Top
Ahhhh ok.....
Reply #209 Top

NEWS FLASH: I had to get a new computer, so expect more updates soon.

Long live the Federation!

Reply #210 Top

Stop teasing General }:)

Reply #211 Top

This is a metavers question, but I played a tornament and clicked "yes" to post it to metavers, and it isn't on there.

Reply #212 Top

Evans skimmed over the latest war news displayed on his computer. It wasn't encouraging: the Allies' blitzkrieg, which had seemed unstoppable when the war broke out, had suffered setbacks and slowdowns in the past--the relaization that the Korx had capital ships came to Evans's mind--but now it had, in essance, stopped. Gone were the pictures of jackbooted Federation soldiers, Thalan battle-mechs, and Assryian shocck troopers parading through captured Korx cities. More often, pictures of ruined tanks, once-beautiful fields pockarked with craters, and the dead of both sides being lowered into mass graves (though Korx casualties suffered that indignance more than Allied ones did,) were displayed on the screen. Not only had the blitz lost momentum, but the planets already siezed were becoming problematic: stories of car bombs and geurialla raids were becoming more and more commonplace, and some of the colonies that had declared their independence were beginning to become less and less cooperative. (Evans wondered why news of thier declarations had escaped everyone's notice). But there was one thing that was especially troubling: the Korx work camps. The concept of using POWs and criminals as a cheap larbor force wasn't completely unheard of to Evans: the Federation had a small number of such camps, and they were well-known. But the Korx camps were another matter entirely, or many different matters: every one was different. Some treated thier inhabtants well, some were gulags, some were in between the two. What everyone was wondering--and worried about---was if a "Second Holocaust" had been going on behind the scenes in the Dominion for all these years. Evans hoped the suspisions were wrong. The war had taken a severe toll on the Allies' economies, particualrly the Federation's, and an occupation of a conquered Dominion would be even bloodier if fanatical Korx murderers survived to wage thier own private war. Anti-war sentients were brewing, too. If the war didn't end soon, riots might break out.

Evans turned off his console and reached for a glass of mild brandy. (Captain's privilage, he thought with a wry laugh). As he sipped, the comm system by the computer beeped for attention. Pressing the speaker button, Evans answered, "Evans here. What's there to report?"

"Sir, we've arrived at the Epsilon system," Lt. Hernendes replied, and then added, "and, to be frank, one hell of a plan is in the works."

Now I'll see why I was ordered to come here--and if whatever's going to happen is as bad as I think it is, Evans thought. Aloud he said, "I'l be coming on the bridge. Hold an orbit until I get there."  A few minutes later, Evans arrived on the bridge, his entry announced by an unseen officer barking, "Admiral on the bridge." Out in front of them hung the Epsilon system, a pale green star burning fiercely as a gray, mountainous planet drifted through space, surrounded by dozens of ships---human, Thalan, and Assryian---and scarred with craters, some of which loked recent. As the Barbados neared the planet, a huge  pyrimidial object came into view from behind the moon. Hushed gasps and not-so-hush whistles filled the air as the monolith came closer. Evans needed a moment to recognize it: it was a Federation starport, bristling with evil-looking weapons and made bulky by its thick armor plating.

"Why would anyone build such a badass starport in a no-account system like this? I mean, it's in Federation terriory," somone said.

Ignoring the crude diction, Evans answered, "They're probobly plannng something big"--something that could end the war--"and don't want these ships getting jumped."

"Makes sense, but why would they need so many ships? Looks like they're just practicing bombardment."

"No, there's some transports in there, too....and it looks like they're landing soldiers," Hernendes cut in.

They're planning an invasion of a vital planet, Evans realized. Then he realized something else: Which ever one we invade, it's going to be a slaughterhouse.

"The station's hailing us," Tendath said.

"Onscreen. Let's see why they called us here," Evans answered.

An Assryian, looking uncomfortable in his Starfleet uniform, appeared on-screen. "Federation ship, identify yourself, or we will be forced to take defensive measures." By his voice, it was obvious defensive measures really meant vapoize yor ship, and the Assryian officer didn't look like he'd hesitate for a second to give that order. Pushing the thought from his mind, Evans repied, "I am Admiral William Evans of the EFS Barbados. I was ordered to come here by Rear Admiral George Healy." 

The Assryian officer looked through some computer files and announced, "Your story proves truthful, procede to Docking Bay Eighty-Four G and await furthur instructions." In meanacing tones, he added, "And do not tell anyone of what you have seen here, unless they are your superiors...or the consequences will be severe." With that, he closed the channel. Evans's lips shaped a silent whistle. Something big was going to happen, and it would defintely bring the war to an end.

How many would die for it to succeed, and what would happen if this plan (whatever it was) failed, Evans didn't want to think about.       

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Hessarah grasped the guard rail and leaned over the edge of the raised walkway, staring down at the massive bulk of the Telenath. After years of quietly, secretly building, researching weapons, defences and propulsion worthy of such a monster, and hundreds of workers dead, (she dipped her head in respect for those who had died building the ship), it was finally completed. It's our last hope, she thought. The only thing standing between our civilization and slaughter. She watched workers striding along the workways, tending to thier jobs. A few weren't workers at all: they carried whips, clubs or other weapons as they coerced the slaves, many of whom were Snathi, to thier jobs for them. Hessarah eyed the slave drivers with something stronger than disaproval but weaker than hatred. She had no great use for slavery of any sort, and only had a few servants herself. She turned her gaze back to the Telenath. Weather it stops the war or noteveryone will know that we fought back. Next to her, somone cleared thier throat uncofortably. Turning, Hessarah saw the person in question was Torren. "Yes, Torren?" she asked.

Torren swallowed nervously. "Y-Your Excellency," he stuttered, "many of the Telenath crew are expressing....dissatidfaction at oyur planned use of the ship."

Hessarah nodded, she had been expecting this. "How so?" she asked evenly.

Torren seemed to shrink a bit. "They, ah....think we should launch immediatly and attack the facsits' homeworlds, instead of waiting for them to come to us."

"And I suppose you share this view?" Hessarah asked cooly.

Torren went pale. His head tilted forward and he looked at the floor. "Yes, Your Excellency," he said quietly.

Hessarah nodded. "Assemble the crew immediatly,and have them meet in the main briefing room."

Torren, his head still bent, replied, "Yes, Your Excellency," and skulked away.

Sighing, Hessarah looked back to the Telenath. From nowhere, she remembered that an Earther prophet had predicted that after a great battle, everything would be at peace and war would be forgotten. That didn't seem likely for the battle she would fight, but she hoped it woulg happen soon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reply #213 Top

Thank you General this is a good story. 

 

This last post was easier to read too.

Reply #214 Top

One questions where are the pics. of the ships and bases.

Reply #215 Top

Nice update General-the story gets better and better (though I would put in a plea for you to check spelling and grammar more often as it detracts from your excellent story-telling)

Reply #216 Top

How did you get your allies to plan with you.  In games I play the only thing that my allies are good at is getting their fleets killed in useless attacks.  How did you get their armaddas together in the same system.

Reply #217 Top

How did you get your allies to plan with you. In games I play the only thing that my allies are good at is getting their fleets killed in useless attacks. How did you get their armaddas together in the same system.

It's just story-telling, an I figured that a big invasion would need a lot of secrecy and training. (cough,D-day,cough).

+1 Loading…
Reply #218 Top

The Telenath crew filed into the briefing room, each member shooting out thier arm in salute as they took thier seats. "Are you sure they are all loyal to me, Torren?" Hessarah whispered, with an undertone of, They had better be.

Torren spoke with grave certainty: "Of course, Your Excellency.We handpicked them specifically for this ship, and we...relieved any who showed disloyal tendencies of thier duties."

Hessarah nodded mutely. Most of those warriors had been discreetly excecuted, but she had no doubt the crew assembled before her knew perfectly well what had really happened when a friend suddenly disappeared. No one had tried to kill her yet, but she allways carried a plasma pistol under her robes so any opertunistic assassin would be unpleasently suprised. Dismissing Torren, Hessarah took the podium.

"Comrades," she opened. "It has come to my attention that many of you are dissatisfied with my planned use of the great ship you crew. You have said that since it is finally completed, we should launch immediatly and strike at our enemies' homeworlds, or that we should gather a masive fleet and rampage across sapce, destroying everything we find. I will only say this once, so listen well, all of you: We will stay here."

Most of the crew sat silently, either--resignedly--agreeing with her or holding objections in, fearing the consequenses of speaking out. Others stirred uncomfertably, mumbling things she couldn't here. But none of them objected, or even called to be acknowledged. Hessarah approved. If none of them would try to contradict her, she wouldn't have to waste time by correcting them---and it would give Torren one less victim to mark for murder.

"I will tell you why we must stay: no matter how cunning, intelligent, or resourseful our foes may be, they will have to face one truth: any invasion of our homeworld will require a massive amount of ships and troops, which would take painfully long to organize, and reuire vast sums of money. If we wait for them to come to us, we can destroy thier marauding fleet with our maginifcant ship"--she waver hand, emcompassing the enitre room--"and gallant warriors. When that fleet of monsters who wish to destroy the Dominion is destroyed, our enemies will have no choice but to accept peace, because it woud take them years to build up strength again. If we rampage across the cosmos, we may deal a great deal of damage, but we will not end this war, for every ship from the smallest fighter to the mightiest dreadnought will want our blood. If we suprise our foes, they will caught like a dust mite in a balj web, and stand no chance against us. Remember the words of Kaxxtar The Great: 'As there are many stars in the sky, so there are many roads to victory.'" She paused to let her words take hold, then shot our arm and shouted, "Long live the Dominion!"

If nothing else convinced them, the quote and the salute to thier home--thier civilazation--did.

"Long live the Dominon! Long live Hessarah!" The chant came off them in waves as they jumped to thier feet and shot out thier arms in salute.

Hessarah nodded. "I am glad I was able to convince you. Now, I have an announcement: the orbital fortifications around Korx are not yet finished, so I am ordering task forcees from the rest of the Navy too attack one of the fascists' main training grounds for thier invasion: the Episilon system."

How they cheered! It was as if their military formality and bleakness dropped away and withered to nothing, and thier shouts of delight were so loud, so piercing, they might crack the stars.

"Thank you all," Hessaeah said, genuine pride in her voice. "You are dismissied."

They shot out thier arms in perfect unison, and filed out of the room.

Now, Hessarah thought as she got down, There is the matter of that Earther missionary that was press-ganged into the Navy. I wonder how Torren will take to the news...and if he knew about it. The thoughts dripped with meanace.

*Sorry to disapear, but school's in full swing*:(O

 

 

Reply #219 Top

Haha-welcome back General :thumbsup:

Reply #220 Top

Colonel Alexandr Kosolov shifted in his seat as the dropship descended through the atmosphere, its engines snarling like wild boars as the craft cut through the air. "Alright, people, listen up!" Brigadier General Hans Richter barked in his gutteral German accent,  "I know full well each and every one of you wants to land on Korx and take the fight to the Greyskins as much as I do, but I'll let you in on a little secret: the planet is full of mountains. So we're going to go down to Epsilon and give you flatfoots some training in mountain warfare, so you all don't fall off a cliff when we're on the drop in Korx. And this isn't Basic, either. In some places, it's a hell of a long way down." He paused to let that sink in, then growled, "Is that clear?"

"Crystal clear, Sir!" Kosolov shouted in return, his voice one among many.

Richter nodded briskly. "Good. Now get your butts in gear; we're on the drop."

The dropship's dive steepened. The roar of the engines deepened, and the air whooshing past sounded eerily like a Siberian blizard. Hands tightening around the restraints holding him in his seat, Kosolov looked out through his vision slit. He couldn't see much, but the scene was an impressive one: hundreds of dropships diving through the clouds toward the surface, and soldiers--who were little more than specks at this altitude--running out of the drop ships that had already landed.

The dropship touched down, creating a jolt that made Kosolov appreciate the restraints: if they hadn't been there, (or if they weren't locked down properly) he would have been sent pinballing around the dropship. No sooner had the thought gone through his head than the aforementioned restraints detatched themselves, and the ramp at the rear of the dropship fall open.

"Go! Go! Go! Don't stop to think, just move!" General Richter barked, with officers echoing him, only far more profanely. Kosolov sprang from his seat and ran like a man possesed down the ramp with everyone else on his heels. Cold smote as soon as he stepped outside, but he kept moving, only stopping when he came to a group of Marines standing at ease but in neat ranks. Marines kept running out of landing dropships and joining their comrades until the 357th United States of Europe Brigade was assembled in the rocky outcropping in its entirity. Kosolov's eyes skimmed his surroundings: mountains, looking like nothing short of natural pyrimids, soared heavenwards everywhere, many capped with snow; enormous craters--he reliazed they were from ships practicing orbital attacks--pockmarked the landscape, turning mountains into plateaus and creating sinkholes that gaped monsters' jaws in the dim moonlight. 

"Aten-hut!" General Richter ground out. Without consious thought, Kosolov straigtened his back and clicked his heels. Richter strided over to the Marines, his jackboots thumping on the rocky ground as the breeze created ripples in his uniform's black tunic.

"Now that we're here, let's make a few things clear:--" He had said clear at the same instant a dropship exploded in midair.

Richter whipped around, drawing his pistol. More drop ships were bursting into fireballs, the debris raining down in glowing shards that absurdly reminded Kosolov of fireworks.

General Richter cursed horribly and snapped his attention back to the Marines...but he seemed to be looking right at Kosolov. He asked the inevitable question, biting off one word at a time: "What-the-hell-is-going-on?"

As if to answer his question, a low rumbling filled the air, and six bat-like shapes roared overhead, seemig to cut the air in half. "Good God, those are Korx fighters!" Koslov shouted in shock.

"That doesn't make sense!" General Ricter shouted back. "They're supposed to be hoarding all thier ships in a defence fleet around Korx!"

 Is it a diversion? Are they attacking somewhere else right now, but only using this to catch us off guard? Were these ships even ordered to come here? A few captains have gone rougue.  All that went through Kosolov's mind in a heartbeat, but that the Korx might be stalling for time hadn't occured to him.

Flashes of light in the sky: ships coming out of hyperspace. Korx ships.

General Richter snarled something Kosolov didn't catch, and barked outy orders: "Take cover, NOW! The Greyskins will pulverise this rock with everything they have! Keep your heads down!"

But no bombardment came, save for debris from the destroyed dropships. Kosolov looked in the sky. Points of light danced around each other, with arcs of glowing energy arcing between them.

Two thoughts ran through his mind. First: This is what a space battle lookd like plaentside. Then, with genuine horror: They found us. They know where we're training.

A ship--whose side was it on?--exploded. It wasn't the spectacular, horrible fireball Kosolov had seen before. It was simply a point of light flashing bright then fading away as if it has never been. More and more ships perished in similar fasions.

The Battle of Epsilon had begun.

 

 

Reply #221 Top

I'll try to update again tomorow; it's geting late.

Reply #222 Top

The worst kept secrets are military ones.

Reply #223 Top

Klaxons wailed everywhere. Evans stood up from his chair as a crowd of sailors ran past him down the hall. Well, Evans thought, I guess Rear Admiral Healy will have to wait to tell mhy he called me to the breifing room. No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than a loudspeaker added to the cahos: "Enemy ships have jumped into the system! Scramble all fighters! All captains and crew, report to your ships immediatly!" As Evans took down the hall, he ammended his previous thought: Assuming either of us survives this attack. Evans turned a corner, and was almost knocked off his feet. Clang! Clang! Clang! Someone shouted, "The Greyskins are shooting the starbase!" He sounded indignant, as if they had no buisiness shooting a space station. Evans turned another corner and joined the crowd he had seen earlier. They filed through one more door and into the docking bay.

Catwalks bridged the massive hangar, and dozens of ships floated in place, secured by mooring lines. Evans found the Barbados on one of the upper walks, and almost bumped into an engineer he didn't recognize as the starboard door to his ship opened. As he entered the bridge, he noticed many of the bridge crew were already aboard. To no one in particular he asked, "How many are on board?"

"One hundred and fifty out of two-seventy, sir!" Methesus ground out, turning every word into a furious hiss. Was he angry that they were under attack, or that the whole crew wasn't here? Evans didn't know, or care. If he dwelt on anything other than the attack, he was liable--hell, he was garenteed--to get himself killed.

"Ensign Methesus, full impulse. Get us out of the docking bay; we can't wait for everyone. Lt. Hernendes, bring all weapons online. Looks like we'll get to try out those thirty-milimeter cannons after all." The orders came out in a single breath, and in a voice that bore no argument.

Methesus made a sound like sand being poured on hot metal, and slammed one of his scythes on his console. Turning to the Thalan, Evans barked, "What is it?"

"The mooring lines are still attached," Methesus growled, his red insectiod eyes seeming to glow in anger.

As if to add insult to injury (and injury to insult), A Korx ship moved in front of the docking bay and began filling the hangar with weapons fire, making two ships collide into each other as they tried to evade the fire in the confined space.  Evans cursed horribly, and just as he began to give the order to detatch the mooring lines, a shot from the Korx ship, still defiantly hanging in fron of the docking bay despit the fire it was taking, screamed overhead and struck behind the ship. The jolt rocked the Barbados and threw crewmembers from thier seats. "What the hell was that?" Evans shouted.

"They've taken out the docking controls! We can't detatch the lines!" Evans didn't know who spoke, but he recognized what was in the voice: despair. The Korx on that ship are probobly laughing at us right now, he thought savagely. Well, let's see them laugh at this. Turning to Hernendes he said, "Lieutenant, fire on the mooring lines with the thirty-millimeters." Turning back to Methesus he said, "Override the overload protocals on the engines. We're getting the hell out of the station."  An alarm blared when the engines went all-out. The thirty-milimeters, meant for anti-fighter duty, chattered as they spat out streams of flame. One by one, the lines desintigrated under the cannons, making cheerful pop-pop-pop noises that sounded oddly like breaking glass. The Barbados, now free, surged forward with her plasma cannons blazing away at the Korx ship that was trying to beat a hasty reatreat from the docking bay's end. Evans's lips skinned back from his teeth in a savage grin: his blood was up, and he knew it. "Target thier bridge, maximum yield," he growled.

The Korx ship never had a chance. It was already damaged, having taken fire during its blockade of the docking bay. When the purple streams of light struck its bow, the bridge simply fireballed, spewing white-hot debris everywhere and was reduced to a burnt stub. No one could have survived. The remainder of the ship, now a directionless hulk, drifted away, and the Barbados exited the docking bay and entered the battle. "Ensign Methesus, re-engage protocals and return engines to eighty percent full power," Evans said, settling into his chiar. "We don't want to overtax the reactor."

Hundreds of fighters swirled around each other, dogfighting as capital ships jokeyed for firing posistions. "Target the nearest enemy ship," Evans said. He had cooled off some, and his mind was going from bloodlust to tactics.  "Target identified: it's one of those Thalan cruisers the Greyskins bought," Lt. Hernendes announced. "Looks like it's tangling with an Assryian ship."

Evans nodded briskly. "Pursuit course; increase power to bow hull plating." Barbados dove after its target, which was twisting around an Asrryian cruiser, evading its foe's missiles and taking potshots with its cannons. "Target thier staboard cannon....fire!" The targeting was perfect; the Korx ship's weapon went up in flames. Realizing it was being double-teamed, it veered hard to satrboard and tried to escape.

But the Barbados was on its tail, and the Asrryian ship had the initiative. The latter vessel fired a barrage of photonic torpedos, the deadly missiles were on target this time. They struck the stern, near the engines, and blossomed into explosions. Fire ripped through the ship, buckling the hull and shooting out of cracks that werer forming all across the ship. A shot from the Barbados's plasma cannons finished it off.

"Sir, I'm getting a message from the Assryian ship," Hernendes announced. (Tendath wasn't on board; Hernendes would have to be the comm. officer.) "It's thier captain....she extends her thanks."

Evans couldn't help grinning. Leave it to Assryians to remember chivalry in the middle of a battle, he thought. The comic relief was gone in a flash; someone shouted, "Bombers incoming!"

"Evasive maneuvers!" Evans shouted. "Blanket those bastards with the thirty-milimeters!" The Barbados twisted and turned in a series of complex maneuvers, and the anti-fighter guns chattered as they spewed death at the attackers.

"One bomber down!" Hernendes shouted triumphantly. "Two more...and another! The last one's breaking---"

WHAM!! The bomb slammed into Barbados with a terrible racket. Sparks spewed from the lights, crewmembers were thrown from thier seats, and a few didn't get back up. "We've been hit on our starboard side," Hernendes annouced. "Decks A through H are reporting casualties and fire, and we're venting warp plasma."

"Reidirect plasma flow from the breaches, and activate anti-fire systems," Evans replied.

"Spawn of ra'kaggs!" That wasn't a shout, it was more like a scream. That it came from Methesus, and with such bloodthirstiness alarmed everyone, even Evans. "They're running away!"

"They're running away," Evans echoed, but with far less heat than his Thalan helmsman. The Korx ships that hadn't been destroyed were jumping out of the system with blinding flashes of light. Evans exhaled all the air in his lungs. The fight was over. Methesus was still hissing something under his breath when Hernendes spoke up: "We're getting a message from the starbase. It's being broadcast to all Allied ships in the system."

"Put it through," Evans replied.

A crisp voice said, "All Allied ships: due to the attack, all training exceriszes are cancelled until furthur notice, and no prisoners from this attack are to be taken. Repeat:do not take prisoners. Also, all significantly damaged ships are ordered to report to Docking Bay Seventeen A, while all other will remain on high alert until it is certain that another attack will not occur. That is all."

Evans nodded curtly "Go to the docking bay. We need repairs," he said.

The bridge crew said not a word as the Barbados made its way back to the starbase. They passed a cripled Korx cruiser, which was surrounded by Federation and Thalan ships, casually pounding it with thier weapons until it finally broke apart. Fighters prowled the wreckage, searching for escape pods. Sighing, Evans shook his head.

When they docked, everyone filed out of the ship, with slouched backs and glum faces. They met no congratulations or euphoria at victory.

A few days later, Evans learned that the captain of the Assryian ship he had saved--he never learned her name--was going to be replaced. When he asked why, he learned that she had refused to terminate the life support of an injured Korx prisoner when orders not to take prisoners had come down. You couldn't stay innocent, not in this war.

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Hessarah nodded appreciatively. "Are you certain this report is accurate?" she asked the fresh-faced Director who had informed her.

"Yes, Your Excelency," he replied. He looked ready to bolt at the next instant, everyone was still shocked at her ordering Torren's execution.

Ignoring her meesenger's fear, she recited the report: "Three enemy ships destroyed, the starbase damaged, and training in that system cancelled until further notice." She spoke the last three words with relish. More so among Earthers than Korx, that was a less jaring way of saying, it probobly won't ever continue. "You may leave, Director Ussmak."

Her new second-in-command all but sprinted out of her quarters. But Hessarah thought she had been right in disposing of Torren. He had known full well about the Earther missionary who had been press-ganged, and he had lied to her about him. 

She shoved the thought aside; there was a war to fight. 

Reply #224 Top

If you take no prisoners then how do you find out if this attack was planned or spur of the moment. 

In other words how do you find out when your secret got out.

Reply #225 Top

It's a thematic device like how commanders made stupid desisions in Ender's Game.