Righteous Reign Episode 3 - Rampant Rampage

by Thomas J. MacDonald

  Once Beta forces move in, the rest of us jump out for Xi Boötis. Xi is ten parsecs from 72 Hercules. That's a long haul for anyone. But by plotting our course correctly, we can do it in two jumps with a stopover at Zeta Hercules without increasing the distance. This system is a trinary with two stars that support humanoid Federation members. Yet, our antagonists have not occupied it; possibly because there are no OFSA installations there. A small contingent of subs has already departed for it at forty percent. We will be sure of its status before we jump there.

  The two legs of our journey are thirteen and nearly nineteen light-years. The first portion will take two days eight hours. The second stretch will require three days nine hours. So we will travel, then rest a day, then go again; striking our enemy at Xi on Thursday, June 10, 2269.

  Much of the debriefing for 72 Hercules is done in flight via the laser communications system. But, during the stop at Zeta, I ask everyone to meet aboard the Examiner. First, I discuss the Sub situation with George. Then, we join the rest of the group in the small amphitheater. The C&C Commission is all present along with the King, all Tier Two and Three Admirals including SOCC and Epsilon -SF leadership.

  "Though it wasn't apparent, there was an incident at 72 Hercules of some importance to all of us. When we arrived, we found over a thousand Isesinis vessels patrolling instead of the fo... " I was cut off.

  "Sir, the report you based your assault on was two weeks old. We were never asked to go back for a pre-raid reconnaissance missi.. " I cut Savign off.

  "If you'd have let me finish, you'd have heard me point that out and not blame our Covert Forces at all.' I directed at her; then, continued.

  'But, Savign is right. We issued orders at and incredible rate and over such a wide area that a return to 72 by SOCC or Epsilon -SF wasn't possible. George and I have discussed this, and we realize it was our mistake - not SOCC and not Epsilon -SF. But, we have an idea for preventing it.

  We want the four Tier One Field Commanders to sit with both covert leaders in the lull between each group of missions. We will examine upcoming targets, defensively patrolled areas and proposed deep surveillance requirements together and allow the Tier 3 Covert Commanders to select what can and can't be handled without compromising tactical offensive operations. In effect, those two Commands will set their mission priorities themselves from those requested." I finished.

  There was a considerable discussion. But, in the end, everyone agreed.

  "You all know General Svesion. He is my Marine Army Commander. He has a report for us regarding things on Earth. He placed a team on the planet a short while back to organize and lead a resistance movement. Lieutenant General Christopher Sparks the ISIE Commander is on the surface leading the operation, himself. Anyway, the General will bring you up to date." I finished as I turned the podium over to him.

  Svesion spent an hour recounting the mission to get Sparks and a hundred man team onto the planet. Then, he outlined their activities, since. At this point, the Isesinis has moved all its ground forces outside the major centers and away from installations as a result of attacks that have killed several thousand of them. They seem to have decided to reduce their visibility to the population and are operating at arms-length.

  There was a lot of excited jabber and noise as we broke up the meeting. People were very positive about the actions on Earth. Savign sought me out and apologized for her interruption, after the adjournment.

  ...........................................................................................................................

  Last minute intelligence indicates the force at Xi Boötis has been upgraded to twelve hundred warships and a Base Station has been shifted there. We will follow an attack plan similar to the two that destroyed polyhedrons before. It's a lucky break that our covert forces detected this. Even with the recent change, they are spread so thin, it could have been missed. Now that we know, we'll all attack on the correct vectors. And, Zeta HQ forces use completely different tactics when fighting one of the monsters. We'll stay to finish off any remaining troops - if we prevail.

  We were just lucky the positioning of all our ships is always so good. We typically keep a minimum of six hundred meters all around each ship as a safety zone. Today we were hit by what I would call a storm. It is more likely the remnants of a wave that originated with a supernova somewhere very distant to us.

  In the near vacuum of space, these waves leave the focal point at somewhere close to thirty thousand kilometers a second. They lose energy and slow as they expand outward and journey through the galaxy. The one that hit us was still traveling at a velocity of close to forty-three million kilometers an hour but had little force due to dissipation. Nonetheless, it was still potent enough to shove us around to the point where automated thrusters kicked in on most ships to stabilize them. We analyzed the wavefront; backtracking it to an unseen star thirty-six hundred light-years away. It had been traveling through space for somewhere near fifty-five thousand years. Much of the rest of the wave would have been exhausted by nebulae and stellar systems it encountered; but, we happened to confront a portion that had missed everything. It was detected before making contact, and our scientists took steps to recover some particulate for analysis. They can often tell what size and type of star generated these waves if they recover samples.

  ...........................................................................................................................

  It's always a bitch when people change things just when you're getting used to existing circumstances. That's what we found when we leaped into the XI battlefield on June 10. Our nemesis has taken steps to reinforce the cover over the garbage chute on the Base Station. They added a grate. But, I know you can't add something after the fact to a device like this and achieve the same strength as the rest. You have to attach it somehow. Whether bolts, pins, or welding are employed, they will be the weak points. The frame and panels of the Orbs are so dense, it is hard to drill and hard to weld. So, the modification delayed us; but, our Raptors ordered up a couple of antimatter hits by a frigate, and the whole damn thing just evaporated off the surface. They went about the business of shattering the hatch locks. In all, it took nearly two and a half hours to gain access to the internal shaft.

  Meanwhile, fighting was furious for half a million kilometers surrounding the polyhedron. Forty-two hundred ships and thirteen thousand fighters from both sides filled that region. Ammo flew in all directions. Ours became opaque sheets blocking the view of the space behind them. The area turned nebular with all the smokey dust and fundamental gas particles. Flares and flashes created a surreal image as they flickered and reflected off all the vessels, flying ammunition, and clouds. Bolts of particle beams parted the clouds on their way to already damaged assets. Some Raptors, Raiders, and Machskafs zipped in and out and over and under obstacles, as they sought some enemy fighters and evaded others. Others were part of the assault on the giant door or the attack on the opposing Fleet.

  ...........................................................................................................................

  Aboard all our ships it would be much as it is on the Examiner. People would be scurrying about to examine this image, plot that course or direct an order to someone. Weapons would be aiming, Communications are sending and receiving, Helms are maintaining station keeping or following an instructed heading. Battery crews are keeping the hungry guns, and launchers fed. Engineers are checking and rechecking everything. Sick Bay is treating the injured. Counseling is traveling through the ship observing - and offering a comforting or motivating word here and there as needed. CAGS are supervising launches and scheduling refueling and redeployment. Emergency teams stand ready - rushing to concussion sites - just in case of reactive damage. Rescue squads hurry to pick up wounded to bring to the medical department. Even those in the galley kitchens work at breakneck speeds to keep adequate supplies of cold foods like meat plates and sandwiches available
. The only things hot are beverages. No fryers, boiling kettles, or pans, are used. Ovens are relatively safe; so many finger foods and pastries are prepared continuously. Salads are the order of the day. Cooking is dangerous during battle, but people have to eat at whatever time they can get relief or take a break. It all seems like mayhem. But, it's really organized - like the movement of dancers on a stage. As ships deployed in wartime, we practice these situations nearly every day.

  Even the mess halls find a way to rehearse for this condition. Once a week they hold a "Cold Plate Day." Mess hours are eliminated. The crew is allowed in at all times. And, only foods like those served in battle are the available selections. Even Flag Officer's personal teams follow the protocol. Coffee is brought in sealed pots. Only sandwiches, meat and cheese plates, finger foods, salads, and pastries are on the menu.

  If anyone aboard absolutely has to have a hot meal during a scuffle, they can place an order for "yesterday's fare." Left-overs will be microwaved and served. But, you take what you get.

  ...........................................................................................................................

  Outside, the fighters back away as the Subs move in to deliver their homing drones into the garbage chute shaft. They watch their monitors - as do the Captains of the Frigates assigned the task of conveying the deadly missiles. The sensor system says both have made it to their targets. Both ship's masters snap orders to their weapons chiefs. Catapulted torpedoes wind their way to the opening and disappear in search of the transmitting drones. There is a brilliant flash followed by a cough of flotsam from a titanic opening created when a quarter of the orb vanished. The remains of the Polyhedron begin to glow and pulse.

  "Give ground! Everyone move away! She's about to blow!" A Sub Captain broadcasts across the HQ communications channel. Zeta, Gamma, and Epsilon all retreat; giving up some space to put distance between themselves and the giant volatile bomb. But, they continue to apply unrelenting weapons fire on the Isesinis as they move.

  The fusion flare is reminiscent of a nova when it goes. And, the Base Station takes almost five hundred Isesinis Carriers and Cruisers with it. This battle is all but over. But the OFSA offers their foe no respite. The onslaught continues without any reduction. Ships now double up on their opponents. So, surviving enemies face an even greater torrent of missiles, torpedoes, spears and particle charges.

  In the end, only enemy fighter crafts remain, with nowhere to land or refuel. When they finally exhaust themselves, they are on random courses to somewhere in our galaxy. Some will crash into distant stars or planets in a hundred years or so. A few may even make the galactic core in about a hundred thousand years. We rescue the nearby ones; but, leave the others for defensive reasons. Soon, they will just be frozen corpses in their cockpit caskets.

  This attack and most of the ones before have all been George's creations. He commands our core objectives and responsibilities. We all return our individual Headquarters plan, after consultation with our Tier Two Commanders. He approves or modifies our submissions and incorporates the final results in his overall scheme. So far, Admiral Bryant is handling this much like he did the Spiel years ago. Jump in. Take out the enemy. Secure the region. Jump to the next target; picking your targets carefully. Hop-scotching this fast creates a lot of doubt in the defenders' minds.

  We will secure this site and spend the next few days reviewing the battle in debriefing meetings. Then, we will all sit down to plan again. But, I know we will need to liberate or secure 61 Virgo, Laland, Barnard's, and Wolf 359. They are on or close to our pathway to Earth and are near enough to Sol to pose a threat if we don't secure them, first. Rigil itself may become a menace to us as might 82 Eridani; but, I know we need to reclaim Sol first. Rigil lies beyond it from our vantage point. And we have to consider its population and facilities. And, 82 Eridani is less than twenty light-years from home but has a substantial population and an evolved OFSA assembly and logistics operation. It will be heavily guarded by Isesinis. But, taking back Earth would be a big motivator. It is the center of the Orion Federation and has the largest shipbuilding, logistics, and Academy programs in the Realm.

  ...........................................................................................................................

  I receive a report relayed through the FSS Specter an SOCC sub. It's from Sparks. He has things organized on Earth and has left the hundred-man team in the charge of Major Dave Axelon. He's back aboard the Specter and wants to move to Rigil in advance of us. Svesion agrees.

  I call in Savign and have her dispatch recon squads to the next four targets. Other parts of SOCC, Epsilon-SF, and Beta Command will already be patrolling all the regions recently taken. For the rest of us, the offensive battle is what counts. We ask her to detach a ten unit Squad to pick up Sparks and drop him and another hundred SF Marines on Rigil.

  ...........................................................................................................................

  As I thought it would, the debriefing took three days. By then Savign had received reports from her remote squads. As far as the planning goes, surveillance information says only 61 Virgo has an enemy presence. In that meeting, she also reports that Sparks was successfully retrieved and is on his way to Rigil.

  We will separately jump to Barnard's, Lalande, and Wolf 359 to ensure their security then jump from those to meet at 61 Virginis. This may seem strange because all three primary targets are closer to Sol than 61 Virgo; but, we won't be safe if we don't secure them first. I drew Wolf 359 for the first operation which is a break. All three are roughly the same distance for the first jump, but Wolf 359 is a little closer to 61 Virgo than the other two. We will make all trips at twenty percent to avoid fatigue and reduce time-dilation. So it will take three days nine hours for each of us to arrive at our first target. Barnard's and Laland are about twenty-six light-years from 61; so Gamma and Epsilon will need nearly five days to reach it. The trip from Wolf is shorter at just under twenty-three away; so, Zeta will require about four days. We will layover at 359 for a day before we make our final jump. Xi Boötis is closer to Earth than 61 Virgo; so, we will head back to Xi after securing the Virgo system properly.

  Reconnaissance shows there is no Isesinis Headquarters at the Virgo site; but, five Fleets of Carriers and Cruisers hold it in a vice-like grip. So, we will use our no-HQ plan. I will attack from front and rear as George approaches from above and Steven Nichols from below. Every Carrier will have ten Raptors in flight before exiting. All will be firing as they enter Normal Space.

  ...........................................................................................................................

  It's June 30, and we've been back at Xi for three days. I just came out of the briefing meetings. We lost 13 Raptors in the last confrontation. And, seven ships were damaged enough to need a space dock. We lost sixty-eight people, and another one hundred eighty-four were injured. But everything we needed to do to be ready for Sol had been completed.

  We are taking a five-day break. It's kind of a stress reliever. Then, we'll probably take a good two weeks to plan the Sol attack.

  So, Bryant, Fredricka, and I are heading down to XI, right away. We will be back in just under three days. Though Fredricka is not a big fan of the cold, I've talked her into going skiing in the mountains. I want Bryant to sample everything; so, he can make his own informed choices. We'll spend the last of my off-time on Deck Four, at the mall. Bryant really loves it there.

  At seven, he's one of the "big kids" now, and in grade two. Games are different than before. He likes baseball and floor hockey. He still talks about dinosaurs; but, doesn't play with the toys the same way. He is still a superhero fan; but, he loves the old movies better than playing with the dolls. And, Bryant has taken to models of OFSA ships. He has both classes of Carriers, a couple of Cruisers, three Frigates, five Raptors, a Mobile Hospital and even an Admirals Craft. He also has mo
dels of Spiel and Gray vessels and pits them against the OFSA ones in battles. I tell him they are not our enemies. But, it seems unimportant to him. He is more concerned with building elaborate tactical scenarios - a chip off the old block? He's advanced in math and English. His teachers think they should move him to fourth-level at the end of the school year. I am watching him closely because I'm not sure he's ready for that. On the other hand, I do not want to hold him back if he's ready. Boredom can be a major enemy.

  ...........................................................................................................................

  Friday, July 9, 2269, is the third day we've been locked in the boardroom hashing out the details of the Sol attack. This is the biggest one so far. The Isesinis understand the importance of the Star System to the Federation. They have two of the HQ orbs there with fifteen hundred sixty-two Carriers and Cruisers. This is the most even matchup, yet. And, I have to devise a way to take two Polyhedrons out at the same time. It will take a few weeks to put a viable plan together. It may require several revisions as we attempt to take everything into account.

  On this, day three, of the planning sessions, things are moving at a crawl.

  "I think the problem is that we're all trying too hard," I mumble.

  "What do you mean?" Bill asks.

  "It's just that things have come pretty easy so far. So, we expect to come up with the entire solution immediately." I stopped because it was all I wanted to say. There was a long pause.

  "Elaborate, please?" King David inserted.

  "Well the way things have gone, we expect to develop the perfect plan in one day, and go into Sol and evict the trespassers the next day. But, that's not the way things work in war, usually. We've been lucky, so far.

  I think we have to take the pressure off ourselves. Let's set a tentative attack date for late October. At most, we need a month for rehearsals of some aspects. So that means we need a plan near the end of September. Then, we can take our time, instead of grinding away at it. The concept and details will probably come very effortlessly when there's no stress. We imposed this pressure on ourselves because Earth means so much to us. We should tell ourselves it's no more important than any other objective. More time will also probably result in less chance of a mistake." I finish.