At three hundred thirty on Friday, March 2, 2249, Columbia opened one communications channel from the vortex to Pisces and another to Eridani at three hundred fifty hours. This also took considerable effort to compute, since Bryant wanted the messages to be received by the two Fleets simultaneously at the appointed time, after they'd configured their systems.
The first message read:
Tactical Action Message #FM49-0022
CLASSIFIED
From:Admiral George T. Bryant Fifth Mobile Command
To:Vice Admiral Arian Bicell Commander Pisces Fleet
C.C.OESA C&C
Date:March 3, 2249
Fleet Commander Bicell,
You are requested and required to move your Fleet to the following coordinates. RA 4hr: 0min: 0s / Dec +12Degrees Displacement 85LY - perspective is Earth You must be there in twenty-two hours. Velocity 40 is authorized. You will be conducting a diversionary action, so the object is to draw attention from the actual point of attack. Once at the above location, reduce speed to exit vortex. Split your force in two and travel negative Z axis at real space velocity 40 until contact is well established. Engage enemy long enough for them to believe yours is a real attack. Continue on Z axis until you make contact with Eridani Fleet. Turn west along ecliptic towards RA 3hrs: 0min: 0s engaging our opponents along the way until you have left the battlefield. Find a safe spot and stand down. Report results to Mobile Fifth Command.
Any unnecessary communication regarding this matter should be avoided. All steps should be taken to secure this information should communication be necessary.
George T. Bryant Commanding Fifth Mobile Command
Tactical Action Message #FM49-0023
CLASSIFIED
From:Admiral George T. Bryant Fifth Mobile Command
To:Vice Admiral Kura Neko Commander Eridani Fleet
C.C.OESA C&C
Date:March 3, 2249
Fleet Commander Neko,
You are requested and required to move your Fleet to the following coordinates. RA 4hr: 0min: 0s / Dec -12Degrees Displacement 85LY perspective is Earth You must be there in twenty-two hours. Velocity 40 is authorized. You will be conducting a diversionary action, so the object is to draw attention from the actual point of our counter-attack. Once at the above location, reduce speed to exit vortex. Split your force in two and travel positive Z axis at real space velocity 40 until contact is well established. Intensely engage enemy long enough for them to believe yours is a real attack. Continue on the Z axis, until you make contact with Pisces Fleet. Turn east along ecliptic towards RA 5hrs: 0min: 0s engaging enemy along that path until you have left the battlefield. Find a safe spot and stand down. Report results to Mobile Fifth Command.
Any unnecessary communication regarding this matter should be avoided. All steps should be taken to secure this information should communication be necessary.
George T. Bryant Commanding Fifth Mobile Command
Tactical Action Message #FM49-0024
From:Admiral George T. Bryant Fifth Mobile Command
To:Admiral Zelená Tráva Theatre One Commander,
Admiral Inang'aa Mkali Theatre Two Commander
Date:March 3, 2249
C.C:OESA C&C, OESA Quadrant 1 Command
A substantial tactical operation will commence in a cube-shaped area along our outer border between RA 3:0:0 and RA 5:0:0 between declinations -10 and +10 degrees and from 90 to 100 light years from Sol system. It may end up extending out to 105 light years, against our enemy at eight hundred hours March 5, 2249.
You are requested and required to have all Fleets already engaged in action begin concerted attacks and bombardment in their areas by seven hundred hours. At that time, two diversionary attacks will also be launched. The enemy appears to be incapable of dealing with speeds higher than thirty percent in normal space, so faster velocity approaches are recommended. Normal Space Speeds to forty percent are authorized for distances less than half a light year, at a time. By eleven hundred hours, all forces should return to the duty status they were at before the bombardment began.
Our objectives are
1) Cripple supply lines
2)Decimate enemy reserve forces where they are the heaviest, at the widest part of the wedge they have created.
3) Destroy as many front line vessels as possible.
All attacking forces should reserve substantial firepower and should maximize their onslaught by deploying a significant portion of fighter craft to start the attack.
Further, you are directed and required to establish a temporary supply depot at BD+22 583 Co-ordinates Ra 03 52 05.598 Dec+22 40 17.87 - 87.6 Ly from Sol. We will be expending substantial resources for a period estimated to be around two weeks from the dates above. By March 10, 2249, it is projected we will need to resupply.
Any unnecessary communication regarding this matter should be avoided. All steps should be taken to secure this information should communication be necessary.
Thank you.
Admiral George Bryant
As Fifth Mobile negotiated their vortices, they were receiving constant intelligence and positional updates. It was important to have accurate and timely information if the planned maneuvers were to have any effect. Each of the two Fifth Fleets would begin a run at their specified point, traveling at high speed, exiting a jump at a known enemy stronghold and engaging them, jumping to the next known location and engaging the ships there and so on along the entire swath. It would involve a series of half to one day jumps and battles with small contingents all along that front. If they weren't stopped, Bryant estimated it would take two weeks to cross the expanse, projecting enemy losses at close to four hundred vessels and Fifth losses in the range of twenty percent. But, if they succeeded, they would essentially cut a fire break through the forest of enemy ships.
They reached the starting point for the maneuver on March 4th at twenty-three hundred twenty hours settling in a thin nebular cloud for the night. By now, everyone involved was in constant contact with them. Quadrant One had its Theatre Commands quickly configure the new communications system and were a central hub for a lot of information since both just happened to be relatively centrally positioned for the operations north and south of the ecliptic. This kept them and the Quadrant Command in reasonably close contact with everyone concerned. Both Fleets would drop a reserve at these starting lines which would travel the same arc in a continuous vortex at only twenty percent. This would allow them to lag behind the main bodies but catch up as the Fleets exited the MST (Minkowski Space/Time) to engage enemy formations. All the while, these reserve Groups would be in contact with their Fleets.
Based on intelligence, Boots would travel an arc beginning at vector RA five hours, zero minutes, zero seconds, declination plus twelve degrees at a distance of ninety light years from Earth. This arc would bottom out at the position, Right Ascension four hours, zero minutes, zero degrees, declination zero degrees - at ninety-seven light years from Earth. It would continue on from there to RA three hours, zero minutes, zero degrees plus twelve minutes declination, at a distance of ninety-five light years from Earth. Draco would travel nearly a mirror image of the Boots course, with the exception of, minor variations needed to engage the enemy in their run. At each stop, a Fleet would secure the landing area, then branch out to additional nearby enemy formations returning to the stop to jump out to the next point. Travel by the main three Groups of each Fleet would be at forty percent both in and out of jump vortices. Sensor upgrades would allow them to detect enemy positions before the enemy even realized they were there unless they dropped in right on top of the invaders. All Raptors were advised to pick a target the moment one appeared on sensors and fire as early as possible when in range, then alter course immediately. The advanced detection system would permit them to fire before being spotted and to move before being exposed. Fifth Mobile would enjoy one-fifth the instrumentation lag the enemy seemed to have. These blitz attacks were designed to do as much damage as poss
ible in a quick action, demoralize the enemy by displaying formidable firepower, faster approaches, and maneuvering, and allow them to grasp the superior sensor and communications systems Empire forces enjoyed.
On March 5, 2249, Boots reached its first objective at eight hundred hours precisely with weapons firing and Raptors launching minutes after exiting the wormhole, a quarter light year from their opponents. In the darkness of space, a hail of unseen spears inevitably destroyed whatever targets they found, and were joined by the volleys of particle bursts, missiles, and torpedoes as Mobile Fifth reduced the distance between the two forces. Fourteen rival vessels were destroyed before the antagonists altered course towards Boots, which indicated when they detected the three Groups. By then, Raptors were on top of them, zig-zagging through their formation, landing unremitting showers of ammo. Three hours after Boots appearance, their nemesis fled. Columbia stayed put to mop up, while the other two Groups headed out to repeat similar actions upon nearby ancillary enemy formations. Constant communications indicated these confrontations had similar results. There was a twenty-four-minute lag in communications between Mobile Fifth on the Columbia and Draco Fleet, but all updates and reports suggested similar outcomes. In the meantime, George was receiving constant updates from both the diversionary Fleets and the ones on the Frontlines with various lags in reporting due to distances. Those accounts were similar in nature. Grenada and El Salvador returned to Columbia by twelve hundred thirty hours that morning. The results were most encouraging. Boots had lost three Raptors. Draco had lost two. Three Pisces fighters had been destroyed along with five from the Eridani Fleets. The four Fleets involved in the diversionary and main counter-attack had not spent a vessel or sustained any serious damage employing the superior technology and tactics. Things did not go quite as well along the frontlines fifteen light years inside the border, where the enemy was extremely concentrated. Five Fleets jumped into heavy enemy concentrations using the new technology and the same tactics as Mobile Fifth but were forced to stand and fight a lengthy pitched battle at the typical twenty percent velocities. This was an intentional strategy designed to keep their adversary occupied instead of allowing them to fortify Mobile Fifth's assault region. The Five OESA Fleets would continue to engage over the next several days. In their own right, this force was doing considerable damage, but the enemy was inflicting losses on them, too. A report from Theatre One received around thirteen hundred hours indicated that by eleven hundred thirty the five fleets had lost fifty-four Raptors, two Frigates, and a Cruiser. The Carrier Burundi was severely damaged, and temporarily out of action. It had suffered considerable casualties. His report to the C&C at thirteen hundred hours, that day put OESA losses at thirty-three hundred and seventy-one with another twelve hundred eighty injured. In all, they had lost three warships. One was out of service, and nearly seventy Raptors were gone. To this point, the enemy lost ninety-one warships crewed by an estimated one hundred thirty each, eleven civilian supply ships, and over two hundred fighter craft. They had withdrawn from the areas where the counter-strike started. Based on intelligence, Bryant projected their losses at around thirteen thousand dead and five thousand injured. He sent two messages out - one to Pisces and one to Eridani.
Memo
To: Commanders Pisces and Eridani
From:Admiral George T. Bryant Commander Mobile Fifth Command
C.C:OESA C&C, Theatre One Command, Theatre Two Command,
Quadrant One Command
Date:March 5, 2249 13:10 hours
Commanders,
I commend you on your performance. Your people are acquitting themselves very well.
I want to convey my condolences for your personnel losses. I can only offer the fact that this action must be done to protect our citizens and rid us of this invader as a buffer to your feelings.
Reports from all engagements indicate we have suffered losses. Though they are tactically acceptable ones, they are tough to swallow. The same reports indicate we are prevailing in this initial phase.
I would like to say thank you and reiterate that, I feel your losses with you.
An action message will follow shortly.
George T. Bryant
Tactical Action Message #FM49-0025
CLASSIFIED
From:Admiral George T. Bryant Fifth Mobile Command
To:Vice Admiral Arian Bicell Commander Pisces Fleet
C.C.OESA C&C, OESA Quadrant 1 Command
Date:March 5, 2249
Commander,
You are ordered and required to continue to apply intense continuous pressure at your attack point and surrounding systems until,
1) The need for Fleet resupply within three days becomes apparent
or:
2) Your corrected chronometer readings reach Nineteen hundred hours, that day.
When either of the above conditions is met, jump your entire Fleet, to meet Boots Fleet at RA 5H, 0 M, 0 Sec, Dec. +12 degrees at a distance of ninety light years from Sol. You will drop one group to hold this region and follow Boots with the remainder of your Fleet - releasing a Group at each subsequent invasion. Your Groups should be advised to only attempt to hold against forces no more than ten percent superiority. Should stronger resistance be presented, they should notify all Commands immediately so adequate assistance can be dispatched. This tack shall prevail regardless of any technical advantages your Groups may enjoy over the enemy.
You will have time to resupply your assault vessels from your supply ships at this first stop. Supply crafts should be parked at the second and third attack point, after that.
Admiral George T. Bryant Commanding Mobile 5th Command
Tactical Action Message #FM49-0026
CLASSIFIED
From:Admiral George T. Bryant Fifth Mobile Command
To:Vice Admiral Kura Neko Commander Eridani Fleet
C.C.OESA C&C, OESA Quadrant 1 Command
Date:March 5, 2249
Commander,
You are requested and required to continue to apply intense continuous pressure at your attack point and surrounding systems until,
1) The need for Fleet resupply within three days becomes apparent
or:
2) your corrected chronometer readings reach Nineteen hundred hours, that day.
When either of the above conditions is met, jump your entire Fleet, to meet Draco Fleet at RA 5-hours, 0-minutes, 0-seconds, Declination -12 degrees at a distance of ninety light years from Sol. You will drop one group to hold this region and follow Draco with the remainder of your Fleet, dropping one Group at each subsequent invasion. Your Groups should be advised to only attempt to hold against forces no more than ten percent superior. Should stronger resistance be presented, they should notify all Commands immediately, so adequate assistance can be dispatched. This tack shall prevail regardless of any technical advantages your Groups may enjoy over the enemy.
You will have time to resupply your attack vessels from your provisioning crafts at this first stop. Supply transports should be parked at the second and third attack point, after that.
Admiral George T. Bryant Commanding Mobile 5th Command
Bryant knew that may not be the end of it. The enemy may hold until they were utterly destroyed, in which case, he would be forced to draw four more Fleets just to be able to retain the twelve attack points in each of Boots' and Draco's paths. He was aware that, each new Fleet he enlisted, weakened other sections of the Empire. He hoped it wouldn't come to that.
By March 13th, George could tilt his chair back and smile into the air with some sense of satisfaction. The war was definitely not over yet, but Boots and Draco had been wildly successful in their endeavors. Each Fleet had jumped into four battle zones and taken them in relatively short order. Now, each would dispatch ships to surrounding areas and clear out smaller isolated enemy contingents. The Marine intelligence was incredibly accurate. On several occasions, the Marines had to board rival Frigates and fight for control. Both Fleets now held a considerable
number of prisoners in their brigs. George used several opportunities to let Malcolm know how much he appreciated the job he was doing. But his opinion of Malcolm went up ten points in one of the subsidiary battles, the day before. They encountered a wily enemy Captain who kept darting in and out of an asteroid belt. Malcolm originated the idea of taking one of the larger shuttles into the belt to lie in wait. As the enemy craft passed, the shuttle deployed grappling hooks then pulled themselves into the ship, finally forming a soft-seal over a portal. They blew the entryway and took the vessel in frenzied hand-to-hand combat. This group of invaders did not seem to be familiar with our Marines personal armor or weaponry. Though martial arts and compartment-by-compartment fighting went on for over an hour, the opponents were easily captured with only a few minor injuries to our team.
Including the casualties from outlying Fleets, and those from the previous day's battle the OESA had lost just under eleven thousand people, six warships, and one hundred seventy-one Raptors. Theatre One and Two Commands oversaw all the logistics for resupply. They had established the bases, as requested, and had gone to great trouble to ensure necessities were moved even closer if needed. They even pushed to draw replacements like Raptors from uninvolved Fleets. Even the six warships were supplanted by requisitioning an entire Group from a Fleet and assigning its ships to Groups in need. Full strength for those in the field was relentlessly maintained, while the enemy’s strength was bleeding away by sizable amounts, each day. To date, in actions initiated or requested by him, George tabulated enemy losses at approximately three hundred seventy-five ships and nearly nine hundred fighter craft, with casualties totaling around sixty thousand dead, twenty thousand wounded, and seven hundred captured.
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