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 relatively 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 to engage force. All the while, these reserve Groups would be in contact with their Fleets.
Based on intelligence, Boots would travel an arc beginning at 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 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 declination plus twelve degrees; at a distance of ninety-five light years from Earth. Draco would travel nearly a mirror image along of 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 Group bodies of the Fleets 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 their sensors indicated one and fire as early as possible when in range; then, alter course immediately. The advanced sensors would permit them to fire before they could be seen and to move before they had been located. Fifth Mobile would enjoy one fifth the sensor lag the enemy seemed to have. These rapid in - rapid out devastating attacks were designed to do as much damage as possible in a quick action, demoralize the enemy by displaying formidable firepower, faster approaches and maneuvering and allow them to see the superior sensor and communications systems Empire forces enjoyed.
On March 5, 2249, Boots reached its first targeted fleet at eight hundred hours precisely; with weapons firing and raptors launching minutes after exit from the wormhole, a quarter light year from the enemy. 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 enemy vessels were destroyed before the enemy altered course towards Boots; which, indicated when they detected the three Groups. By then Raptors were on top of them flying in and out through their formation; landing one hit after the other. Three hours after jumping in, the enemy jumped out. 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 took a similar turn. There was a twenty-four-minute lag in communications between Mobile Fifth on the Columbia and Draco Fleet; but, all updates and reports indicated similar results. In the meantime, George was receiving continuous updates from both the diversionary Fleets and the ones on the Front lines with various lags in reporting due to distances. Those reports 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 lost a vessel or sustained any serious damage employing the technology and tactics used. Things did not go quite as well along the front fifteen light years inside the border, where the enemy was extremely concentrated. Five Fleets jumped into heavy concentrations using the new technology and the same tactics as Mobile Fifth; but, had stood and fought a long pitched battle at the normal twenty percent velocities. This was an intentional strategy employed to gain full engagement of the enemy in those regions to keep them from reinforcing those facing the counter attack. They 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 badly damaged; and temporarily out of action and 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 war ships; one was out of service and nearly seventy raptors were gone. To this point the enemy lost ninety-one war ships crewed by an estimated one hundred thirty each; eleven civilian supply ships; and over two hundred fighter craft. and had withdrawn from the areas where the counter attack 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
March 5, 2249 13:10 hours
Commanders,
I commend you on your performance. Your people are acquitting themselves very well.
I want to offer my condolences at 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 very hard 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 are 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; dropping a 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 tact 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 supply vessels at this first stop. Supply vessels 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 Quadr
ant 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 are met, jump your entire Fleet, to meet Draco Fleet at RA 5H, 0 M, 0 Sec, Dec. -12 degrees at a distance of ninety light years from Earth. 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 tact 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 supply vessels at this first stop. Supply vessels 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 additional Fleets just to be able to hold the twelve attack points in each of Boots' and Draco's paths. He was aware that, each additional Fleet he drew, 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 had jumped into four battle zones and taken them in relatively short order. Then, each would jump vessels to surrounding areas and clear out smaller remote enemy contingents. The Marine intelligence was incredibly accurate. On several occasions the Marines had to board enemy vessels and fight for control. Both Fleets now held a considerable number of enemy prisoners in their brigs. George used several opportunities to let Malcolm know how much he appreciated the job he was doing. But Malcolm went up ten points in one of the subsidiary battles, the day before. They ran into a wily enemy captain who kept darting in and out of an asteroid belt. Malcolm came up with 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 portal and took the vessel in hand to hand combat. This group of invaders did not seem to be familiar with our Marines personal armor or weaponry. Though hand to hand and compartment by compartment fighting went on for over an hour, they were easily captured with only a few minor injuries to our team.
Including the casualties from outlying Fleets, and those from yesterday's battle the OESA had lost just under eleven thousand people, six war ships and one hundred seventy-one raptors. Theatre One and Two Commands oversaw all the logistics for resupply. They had established the bases, as asked and had gone to great trouble to ensure materiel was moved even closer, if needed. They even pushed to draw replacements like Raptors from uninvolved Fleets. Even the six war ships 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 constantly maintained while the enemy’s strength was bleeding away by a sizable amount, every day. To date, in actions initiated or requested by him, George tabulated enemy losses at approximately three hundred seventy-five ships, nearly nine hundred fighter craft with casualties totaling around sixty thousand dead twenty thousand wounded and seven hundred captured.
He started composing.
DIRECTIVE
Date: March 13,2249
From: Admiral George T. Bryant Commander Fifth Mobile Command
To: Quadrant One Command
Subject: Enemy prisoners.
C.c. OESA C&C, Quadrant Commanders, Theatre One Commander, Theatre Two Commander
Commanders,
I am aware that we currently hold a substantial number of captured enemy troops scattered throughout Fleets engaged in this conflict. Could you please forward me a list of these parties by rank, if it can be determined? From those we hold prisoner, I need to find the party with the highest rank. I am seeking a member of the upper echelon of the Command in charge of this invasion. It would be nice to find a captive at a rank equivalent to Admiral, Vice Admiral or Rear Admiral. It is imperative that, I be included in direct interrogation of a senior commander. It may help shorten this war. This will be an important requirement in documenting all prisoners captured at future engagements.
Your assistance in the matter is greatly appreciated.
Admiral George T. Bryant
Memo
Date: March 13, 2249
From: Admiral George T. Bryant Commander Fifth Mobile Command
To: OESA C&C
Cc. All Quadrant Commanders, All Theatre Commander
Subject: Support Forces
Sirs,
As you are aware, we have made substantial progress in our efforts to expel the invading force from our territory. We have regained a considerable territory, previously lost to the hostiles. However, each time we retake ground, we are required to leave a force behind to prevent the enemy from returning to the area and using it as a place it can stage attacks from. We are currently using all the forces at our disposal in both offensive and defensive roles. Could you please assign two additional Fleets to my Command to hold territory we recapture? I believe Theatres One and Two cannot sustain additional transfers; so, I am asking you to divert this help from other relatively nearby resources. Pisces and Eridani Fleet have done an excellent job, for me. They took some losses in the original offensive role they played; but, have taken none in the current duties they conduct. I am looking for help to perform a similar task to the one done by those two Fleets, at the present moment.
Thanks in advance for your assistance. I look forward to seeing you both and all the Quadrant Commanders soon, with good news.
George T. Bryant
All the memos and orders were encrypted and transmitted. It would take three days for documents going to HQ to get there; even with, the improvements in the system. But, he had copied the Theatre Commanders, too. Some were considerably closer and would be able to return a reply in twenty-four hours. Whatever happened, George was prepared to order the next attack. They would jump to the next action and hold it themselves afterward, if they had to. He would jump to the one after that with three Groups and no reserves; if, that was required to get the job done.
At seven hundred hours, they exited into the next system located at RA four hours thirteen minutes, twenty seconds, declination seven-and-a-quarter degrees at a distance of ninety-two light years from earth. Again, it was somewhat one sided, at first; and, even when the enemy got their bearings they couldn't hit what they couldn't find. The raptors were giving all hell; while the warships would fire and move to fire again. The mayhem within the close battlefield was complicated by the one on one dogfights. OESA raptors made short quick moves at forty percent; usually confounding the enemy fighters; while their own sensors could track the opposing vessels in near real-time, at these short distances. For the second time, Bryant eyed a sight he had never seen in all his duty time in space. So many ships turned into fusion balls at the same time that, even the dark vastness of space could not diminish the flare. George was thankful they were watching on screens. Everyone would have been blinded had they viewed this live without heavy welding type glasses. A short while later, he realized seven vessels had exploded in the same instance, by their burnt out carcasses and the flotsam left behind. In short order, another eight rival warships were extinguished; and, the enemy Fleet jumped out. Grace ordered two groups to visit four surrounding systems; while Columbia mopped up. It was six hours later when
they returned reporting having expelled three squads from the four systems. By the following morning the mop-up was complete.
At eight hundred hours on March 14, George received memos from two Fleet Commanders.
Memo
Date: March 14, 2249
To: Admiral George T. Bryant Fifth Mobile Command
From: V. Admiral Azul Cielo Commander Gemini Fleet
Cc: Theatre Three Command, Quadrant 2 Command, C&C
Admiral,
Thank goodness we have already enabled new communications system. I received your request for help a few moments ago. I am currently located at Hip 35265 (Gemini). Position is RA 07 17 09.532 Dec. +33 05 31.39 at 89 Ly. Commander Theatre Three has advised us to participate, if needed. Can be there in five days nine hours at forty percent. I will relieve whoever you have left in the systems Boots occupies with Gemini Groups and will follow your Fleet to your next location. We are happy to protect your advances. Leaving now for your current location.
Azul Cielo
Memo
Date: March 14, 2249
To: Admiral George T. Bryant Fifth Mobile Command
From: V. Admiral Naabaahii Commander Orion Fleet
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