The Icarian legacy: Brave Souls

by Kocho

  “But…”

  “But in the next four years only one star system holds the people that know about it, that know about us. If in the next four years that system is destroyed, if they are dead then our secret, our world will be safe. We will be safe long enough that we will have time to prepare for the next confrontation. But in order to have that we need to attack. And we need to do it now.”

  As he finished they all looked at him. It was clear that they are afraid. The first one who spoke was the Chinese senator.

  “The plan you suggest is not without danger. But it offers the best hope for survival. I agree but can we really do that. Can we attack?”

  “As you all know we lost fifty percent of our fleet. And many ships will have to be repaired. But we currently have three hundred hulls under construction. Many far stronger and larger than the ones we have. They will be finished within the next two years. The retrofitting of several other ships from the alteran fleet will be finished in the next year. Yes we can. It will be a risk but it is real and possible.”

  The discussion took a different turn after this. Several hours later the decision was made. The plan was approved. And the operation

  First Strike was started.

  10 August 2019 16:00

  Fleet Headquarters Washington DC

  Jennings stepped in to the office with a smile on his face. It was good to be back on Earth. The last two months after the battle he had to make constant errands to the Proxima system and the new colonies that were being established there. After the trill of the battle it was something he didn’t feel right doing. He knew that there was still danger out there and he wanted to be there to confront it. And it was bad not having his ship. He missed the Prometheus. And he missed Linda. She was scheduled to get her own command, a cruiser. He knew that she deserved the command but he wanted his wife by his side.

  As he stepped in he noticed Admiral Johnson waiting for him.

  “Sir...”

  “Sam.”

  They shook hands.

  “Take a seat.”

  Jennings sat down.

  “How are you feeling Sam? How is the establishing of the new colonies going?”

  “You know that it is going well. As well as it could. It will be tough especially for the first generations. But they will manage.”

  “Yes I guess they will.”

  “Sir why am I here.”

  “Is the Prometheus ready to ship out again? Johnson sighed and sat down.”

  “Sam you won’t be getting the command of the Prometheus.”

  “Sorry Sir?

  “You will, should you choose to listen to me and agree to the mission that I will show you in that case, take command of the newly build Excelsior.”

  “The Excelsior, Sir?”

  “It is a ship from the Deadalus class of cruisers Sam. It is faster better armed, bigger and far better shielded.”

  “How better are we talking?”

  “See for yourself.”

  He handed him several notes showing the new ship.

  Jennings looked at it. It was four hundred and sixty meters long twice the size of the Prometheus. It had an air wing of sixty fighters, four pelican drop ships, one MAC gun that could fire a fifty ton projectile and it could fire three in a row, twelve plasma cannons, and thirty six missile launchers. An advanced Aegis system, four main rail guns placed on the front, forty eight placed on other parts of the hull and eighty four dual kinetic point defense weapons. It was impressive and it was powered by sixteen fusion reactors. And it had an AI.As he read the report he was surprised it was Aria.

  “What sort of a mission admiral.”

  “You will have to say yes before I tell you.”

  “Does it have a connection with the war?”

  As he watched the admiral face he realized he was right.

  “We are going to attack aren’t we sir?”

  “Will you sign?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then yes.”

  “When do we attack?”

  “That depends on your mission but no later than eighteen months.”

  “What is my mission?”

  Johnson smiled. He pressed a button and an image of a star system appeared.

  “This is the Arcadia star system. It is four thousand and two hundred light years away. It is the place we need to destroy in order to be safe and to prevent the enemy from spreading the information about our position and existence to the other clans.”

  Jennings looked at the system. He knew about the way the empire was governed. All who were in the fleet knew it. Some information’s were withheld but most were shared.

  It was a system similar to the solar system. The star was the same type as Sol, and it had eight planets, a large asteroid field and Ort cloud and only one habitable planet. It was larger than Earth but not by a big margin.

  “Your mission will be to do a recon on the system. A squadron of Special Forces will infiltrate the planet and gather information’s on it.

  In sixteen to eighteen months you will meet with the rest of the fleet here two light years away. After that we will invade.”

  Jennings thought for a second.

  “When do I go?”

  “In four weeks. The Excelsior should be ready till then. The rest of the information’s about the mission you will get from Aria.”

  “Yes sir.”

  “There is one more thing Sam. You will need to resign your rank for this mission. Until the duration of it you will be a Captain again.”

  Jennings smiled. “If that is all that I need to do to have this command that consider me a captain again.”

  “I think that that can wait for a little while.”

  “Yes Sir”

  “That is all Sam. You have a leave coming. I suggest you take it Sam and spend as much time with your family as you can. You will need it.”

  “I don’t need a reminder of that sir.”

  Johnson took his hand. He looked in to his eyes. Jennings was the most experienced captain he had. He was also the most inventive from what he saw in the report from the battle of Proxima. He knew that he was the best commander for this mission. As he watched him go he wondered if he will ever see him again.

  6 September 2019 07:00 hours

  Edge of Proxima System

  USS Excelsior

  Jennings looked at his crew. They were new, most of them young. He knew the reason for that. Most of the experienced crews were gone, killed in the battle three months ago. But they were good and eager. And he had time. It would take six to eight month by the best estimates. It was a time he planned to use for getting the crew in to the best shape he could.

  He looked at the screen that showed the outside. They were at the edge of the Proxima Centaury system. It was a system he rigorously fought to defend three months ago, a system where the victory over the aliens started.

  He remembered all the people he lost that day. They were just new faces that were added to the ones that he had already lost, new people that needed to be avenged. And this mission was the first step towards that.

  He turned towards Aria. The AI was beautiful as ever.

  She returned his look.

  “Are we ready?”

  “Yes Admiral.”

  “Prepare to open the window.”

  “Yes sir.”

  He activated the inter come.

  “Three months ago we all fought in the greatest battle our kind has fought. We fought and we won. But we all knew that that battle was only the beginning. Not all of you know me but on that day I gave a promise. I said that we didn’t start this war, but that by god’s name we will finish it.

  This is our first step in that direction. Be brave, be smart, follow my orders and we will get through whatever we will see out there. And in eighteen months we will join the rest of our brothers and sisters and give our enemies hell.”

  He turned towards Aria.

  “Let’s go.”

  A moment later
the Excelsior accelerated. As it reached its needed speed a hyperspace window opened in front of it. Seconds later the Excelsior disappeared inside it.

  As the ship disappeared its long journey started and behind it the constant work carried on.

  The first battle was won…But the war was just beginning.

  The mission “First Strike” was the first step in it.