This area is like a lot of other similar regions. This locale mostly contains ejected materials from nearby systems. Asteroids of all sizes follow random, tumbling irregular paths in their orbit of the remains of a mid-sized rogue rocky planet. A ring of equally haphazard icy boulders or comets stands sentry duty on the outer boundary. Frosty dust fills the region - a result of the constant collisions of the unruly group. Though uninhabitable, it is a good source of water and the hydrogen and oxygen that can be extracted from it. And, it is a good duck blind to operate from.
But the Isesinis close proximity to this turbulent swarm also creates a distinctive tactical handicap for them. Sensor systems are absorbed in the task of monitoring the maelstrom to avoid possible collisions; making it nearly impossible to scrutinize all the surrounding region. Logistically, it is a great location. Tactically, it leaves a lot to be desired.
Suddenly, ninety-six ships and sixty Raptors appear in the lower and upper left corners of a group of monitors. Bearing down on their targets at high subluminal velocities, they have initiated all weapons' systems. Hell is rained upon the objects of their attack with such ferocious intensity, the space between the assailants and their victims seems to be filling with fog. All the while, the OFSA force is launching twenty-four fighters every seven seconds onto the battlefield to supplement the onslaught even further.
Within a few minutes of the Zeta -T1-1 appearance, twenty-seven enemy crafts are destroyed. But, the eight enduring ones fight on; landing several blows. Two OFSA fighters suddenly veer off. Their frenzied courses lead them straight into the rocky floating debris. Two flares erupt on sizeable asteroid surfaces which suddenly shift their orbit in reaction to the concussions. Two more enemy ships, too close to avoid the huge careening obstacles, are destroyed by them. Their remains ricochet off several more boulders. A chain reaction is building. The local region quickly becomes a giant pinball game.
But, the pummeling continues. Another three erupt into fusion flares, lighting the surrounding space. Two others go dark. It's hard to tell if they were killed by weapons' fire or caroming debris. There is one ship left. One-hundred-ten small pods spring from docks all over its port and starboard sides as their mother goes dark; then, erupts in a fusion flare. It is over.
Andy watches the FSS Sheriff as it moves gingerly through the battle zone; recovering the many escape pods before they can be dragged down by the rogue planet's gravitational pull.
Zeta -T1-1 has lost no assets. But three vessels in the Precinct One Fleet are damaged.
MEMO
IN THE CLEAR AND UNENCRYPTED
From:Adm. A. Urquhart Zeta T1 Commander
To:Adm. Anna Arce Zeta T-1-1 Commander
C.C.V. Adm. Luft Guximsem, Precinct One Fleet Commander
Admiral,
Please exchange Precinct One Fleet with one of the reserve Fleets, for the upcoming mission. It has sustained some damage and probably significant casualties. It appears to be able for a standby role; but, should no longer perform a primary function.
Please congratulate your people on the excellent execution of the first mission of our agenda and advise your Fleets that we will engage the force at the second targeted location.
Admiral Andrew Urquhart
An annunciator sounds from Andy's system. There is mail.
MEMO
CLASSIFIED - ULTRA SECRET (NTK)
ENCRYPTED - AUTHENTICATION ROOT I.D. ZET-SF-03-K7761-795!>
From:Admiral Savign Zeta - SF - SOCC Commander
To:Admiral A. Urquhart Zeta T1 Commander
C.CZeta Tier 2 Commanders
Re:Ripe Fruit - Mission 2
Date:September 29, 2267
Admiral,
The ships at this location left abruptly at 14:35 hours. We tracked their trajectory to RA 89.2535678º x DEC. -25.935354º @ 114 Ly -your current location.
Admiral Savign
Andy makes a quick judgment that verbal orders are much faster. He calls Anna and all her Fleet Commanders and conveys that they are to come to his position and wait. They will then return to the original battlefield to engage the group approaching from the second location. They will arrive in about fifteen minutes.
He watches all ships jump out quickly. A few minutes later, they are all at the Inquisitor's sides. He observes the abandoned region.
Twenty minutes goes by. Then, thirty-one objects appear suddenly. They peruse the site and begin retrieving remaining escape pods, scrap, and flotsam.
Andy gets back on the com. Anna is also viewing the sensor images. They will attack in the same pattern as the first encounter. He advises her, she should not leave for another quarter hour. At the moment, the enemy contingent is too scattered. They will begin to reform, once they have satisfied their need to investigate. She would be wise to observe the enemy for that long before launching. They all wait.
Zeta T1-1 is moving twenty minutes later. Then they are gone. Andy eyes the monitors.
At fifteen hundred hours forty minutes, he sees what looks like a replay of the opening of the first encounter. Ninety-six of the big warships and sixty Raptors are peeling in on the enemy with more fighters launching all the time. All the while they are directing maximum firepower down on the unresponsive enemy. But, this time, the enemy is occupied by the kaleidoscope of asteroids, rocks, and comets that have been disturbed. Anna's team has caught this contingent entirely off guard. Their opponents apparently didn't expect Zeta to return to the scene of the previous skirmish.
A hail of modified anti-matter torpedoes mixed with Spears of Fear and fusion missiles pours down on their opponents. Thirty-one are demolished in a minute and a half. Again there is only one remaining; but, it fights on valiantly. In a few minutes, it too is extinguished. Anna's team heads back to the Inquisitor. Then, they all jump back to their main base.
...........................................................................................................................
We were all sitting in my office aboard the Examiner at eleven hundred the morning after the attacks of September 29. King David, Fleet Admiral Stephenson, Fleet Admiral Tonaka, Admirals Urquahart, Arce, Savign, Hurst, Sielu and Vice Admiral Svjosloki had all joined me for the debriefing meeting. Each relaxed with cup or glass in hand and their favorite finger-food or pastry on a nearby coffee or end table. We laughed and joked for a few minutes about nonsense.
"We should get this show on the road. I invited Vice Admiral Svjosloki in so he could hear what his modifications have made possible. Admiral Sielu will record this proceeding. Admiral Hurst was present at the battle sites but did not participate. He is here in case he saw something that's missed in the debriefing. I will first bring King David up to speed on what's happened in the last twenty-four hours. Then, we'll get all the details from the participants.' I stopped to look at David, who nodded his assent.
'Yesterday, under the leadership of Admiral Urquhart, Zeta T1-1 accompanied by Zeta T1-2 and supported by surveillance at several locations by SOCC launched two attacks. They were to be at different places; but, ended up playing out at the same position.
An Isesinis Fleet of thirty-five was attacked at vector RA 89.254 by Dec -25.935 degrees at one hundred fourteen light-years, first. They were dispatched in less than ten minutes. I must say that Anna Arce had a great tactical plan that permitted constant fire along two tracks without even the remote possibility of "friendly" hits. This is a tactic we must consider for larger attacks with a greater chance of crossfire.
As they mopped up, SOCC spotted the second target jumping to the first's location. So Andy ordered Anna back to his observation post to wait and watch.
The enemy arrived a short while later and became totally absorbed in investigating the incident and avoiding flying debris.
Anna jumped back in; employing the same tactics as before and annihilated the second contingent as quickly as the first.
So we are reporting destroying sixty-seven enemy ships and taking nearly two hundred captiv
es, yesterday. We suffered some damage to two vessels in the Precinct One Fleet which resulted in four deaths and nearly a hundred injuries. Our people did an incredible job." I finished my summary.
"That is a relief to hear!' David mumbled. He was leaning forward, arms supported on his thighs, hands joined prayer-like between his knees, as he eyed the floor. Then, he continued. 'We knew you had found a way to deal with them on a small scale. But success at a medium-sized endeavor is appreciated. It means we honestly have a chance of evicting these squatters." The King responded.
"We'll hear from Andy, Anna and Savign next and in that order. Please recount in detail everything you can about the missions we are discussing." I ordered.
It was thirty minutes before all debriefing statements were completed. The remaining Tier 3 Commanders joined us. There was a lot of glad-handing and back-slapping. We all agreed there should be a celebration, of sorts. I spoke to the King in front of the others about releasing a statement to our Citizens and our enemy. He agreed. Then, we went our separate ways.
MEMO
UNCLASSIFIED - IN THE CLEAR
UNENCRYPTED
From:F. Adm. K Brubacher Zeta HQ Commander
To:All Zeta Commands All Personnel, Office of CIC
Dist:For Zeta Command General Distribution
Date:September 30, 2267
All,
I am pleased to inform you that in two separate operations at the same location Zeta T1-1 destroyed sixty-seven enemy vessels. Zeta T1-1 suffered four losses and nearly one hundred injuries. A list of the fatalities will be posted. Though we detest losing any or suffering harm, our responsibilities require us to face these possibilities. I am always saddened by losses. But, my spirit is also elevated by the victory. It means our people did not perish in vain.
We invite you to attend a gathering this evening to celebrate our victory and honor those who died to achieve our objective. Hangar One on both the Examiner and Interrogator will open at eighteen hundred hours. There will be a dinner followed by music and dancing. The entire event will begin again at twenty-three hundred hours fifty-nine minutes. Even a brief attendance by each person would boost our solidarity.
My thanks to the entire Zeta Command
Admiral K. Brubacher.
MEMO
UNCLASSIFIED - IN THE CLEAR
UNENCRYPTED
From:F. Adm. K Brubacher Zeta HQ Commander, King David I Orion Federation Head of State, OFSA CIC
To:All Orion Federation Citizens, All OFSA Commands, All OFSA personnel
Dist:For Federation-wide General Distribution
Date:September 30, 2267
All,
I am pleased to inform you that in two separate operations at the same location Zeta T1-1 destroyed sixty-seven enemy vessels. This brings our total to over eighty destroyed enemy vessels since commencing offensive operations. And, it should indicate to all Orion Federation citizens that the Federation is not dead, and we are fighting to evict the trespassers.
To our enemy, we would like to add a warning. You will not be safe, anywhere. We still have considerable assets and support. We will be everywhere. You will not know when - or where, we will strike you next. By the time we expel you from our territory, you will have lost everything.
King David I Orion Federation Head of State
F. Admiral K. Brubacher C&C OFSA (for the OFSA C&C Commission)
The first went out via intra-ship communications. The second went to all Federation and OFSA permanent Communication Stations.
...........................................................................................................................
As I move about the dance floor with Fredricka tucked in tight against me, I can't help thinking of Roh's work. In a few short hours, Hangar One was cleared of fighters, decorated and furnished with tables, chairs, serving stations, bars and a dance floor. The usual head table was anchored by the King and Royal Family with all my Tier 1 and 2 Admirals and my senior staff members joining me on either side of the Royal Family. Grace and Bill bookended the table.
The standard opening included the usual toasts and jokes; but, this time the King addressed Zeta Command's eleven thousand attendees directly.
"I'll try not to make this too long. I know how many times I've sat while others made long-winded speeches... Oh... sorry Bill... I um... I forgot you were back to work.' He was forced to pause for the laughter to die down.
'All I really want to say is that you are great people. You put your lives on the line every day for Federation citizens. And, your leadership is incredible. The C&C have found a way to make our defeat of the enemy possible.
Please raise a glass with me to toast both the Federation and the OFSA.' David elevated his glass toward the audience. 'To the Orion Federation and to its protector the OFSA." He bellowed, took a sip from his glass, and returned to his seat.
"Let's all eat. The foods getting cold." I hollered over all the din.
We all ate sumptuously. Soft music began playing about halfway through dinner. Well into the dessert phase, the volume began to rise. By the time the tables were clear, it was summoning everyone to the dance floor.
I am genuinely enjoying this dance with Fred. She fits great, and it feels good. I think I may pop the question, soon. A little pang of guilt strikes as that thought comes and goes. Then, I hear Helena whispering to me. She is saying I must move on. A silent argument ensues inside my head.
"But, I love you."
"I know. But, you love her, too. And, this is different."
"What about Bryant?"
"He loves her. You know that. And, she loves him."
"But, I love you."
"And, you always will. But, you have to move on. Do it!"
Did I just talk myself into marrying Fred? Or, was Helena actually speaking to me?
"Marry me, Fred?' I whisper as I lean back to look in her eyes. 'I don't have a ring, yet?"
"Yes, I will marry you. What about Helena?"
"She says it's okay."
"Thank you, Helena," Fred whispers, softly.
...........................................................................................................................
On Tuesday, October 1, I direct the Examiner and its Security Flotilla to head for Gamma's location. I would generally take my "yacht" but, I've loaned it to the Royal Family. It's time for another meeting. This time, I take Grace and Bill. They are both healthy and eager to contribute, fully.
The meeting goes well. We discuss the recent assaults. They will become textbook tactical plans for upcoming raids of similar size. I start a big flap when I announce to the entire Committee that I will marry Fredricka. No one even questions her journalism role. I guess it seems inconsequential with all the problems we face.
.......................................................................................................................
By Friday, October 4, I am starting to run into Officers and Crew from both Musca and Libra Fleets as I conduct business throughout the Examiner. Some are beginning to reemerge into normal society. I check with the head of Counseling Services for Zeta HQ. Admiral Savage says the majority are much improved. She adds that many will require treatment for considerable periods. They had suffered several near-death events under the worst of conditions. And, much of their acute fear and misery ensued over a period of several weeks.
.................................................................................................................
On Saturday, October 5, I start a full weekend off to be with Bryant as we head back to Zeta Command. Fred joins us. We all spend a lot of time on the mall on level four. By Sunday night we've seen three movies and eaten out at the pub, the restaurant, and the bistro. And, we stopped for ice cream at every opportunity. We all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.
.............................................................................................................
On Monday, October 6, I call in the entire Zeta Command Senior Officer team. They all join Fred and me in the office. I announce the impending marriage. Fred shows off the ring that I managed to acquire while we were at the mall. It's a beauty. Not too gaudy; but substantial. There is quite a flurry. Everyone seems genuinely happy for us. They all ask when. But, we haven't set a date, yet.
I advise them we'll do that soon. We all grab a drink from the bar and just relax together for an hour before I break it up to get some work done.
Chapter 16 A Big Surprise
Saturday, June 15, 2268
"Surprise is the greatest gift which life can grant us." Boris Pasternak
We all feel we've spent long enough conducting limited separate actions while in hiding. And we've upgraded a considerable portion of all our forces. Even Crux and Libra Fleets are back in the fold. They required an enormous amount of repair work. They each needed replacement vessels and Libra required senior management. It took several months while all this was happening for Counselling to certify most personnel fit for duty. A few were still suffering a deeper form of PTSD. Epsilon and Gamma have both joined in on the offensive operations. Everone's been running continuous successful independent raids since late last year. Our most frequent targets have been groups of under fifty vessels standing in or patrolling open space in the routes between stellar systems. With the aid of our partners, the three commands have destroyed nearly seven hundred enemy ships in batches of forty or less.
Righteous Reign The Series: E-version Boxed Set Edition Page 106