The day came slowly. Everywhere in the world the soldiers that were assigned to the ships said goodbye to their loved ones, wrote letters to the people they couldn’t see, and then went away. The site on that dark street in the small town in the Balkan country was repeated in a thousand places all over the world.
The soldiers were going away. They were going to war.
27 June 2019 04.15 hours
Proxima Centaury System
The blackness of space was surprisingly torn as hundreds of vortexes across several hundred thousand square miles suddenly opened. The stars in the distance disappeared for a second and were replaced by blue shimmering light of hyper space. Hundreds of large ships came out of it spread out across the vastness of empty space. Immediately after coming out sensors started scanning the star system they were in for the objects present. They inputted the systems planet and the three planets in the habitable zone. The life signs on the second planet lit up as a beacon on the ships systems. The warp point, their destination did the same. After almost four cycles or years as the humans called them their journey was coming to an end. Their destination was just a moment away through the warp point ahead of them, and their goal the final conquering of their ancient enemies.
And as the ships started forming up a small sensor probe placed in the system so long ago by a race now long extinct scanned and sent a report to the others four light years away. And a drone transitioned just moments after the anomalies were detected though the warp point.
Admiral Vokar du Mas watched from his flagship, the dreadnought named Ahairna after one of the ancient gods of his people as the fleet regrouped. The sensors showed that all six hundred and eighteen ships were present. The forty largest ships, the fleet’s troop transports were in the middle of the formation together with the ten fuel, and four factory ships.
Each ship was almost sixteen miles long and ranging from half a mile at one end to four miles at the other in width. And each was heavily armed almost as the dreadnought class, with massive amounts of armor and strong shields. It was needed considering that each carried one and a half million legionnaires and their gear and equipment.
The other ships were fifty four dreadnoughts, ten heavy, and twenty light carriers, sixty battleships, fifty heavy and seventy light battle cruisers, eighty destroyers, and one hundred frigates and hundred and twenty corvettes.
The scans showed no signs of the scout ships but he didn’t expect them. They were supposed to join with the fleet at the edge of the other system, their final destination. He had confidence in Mran the commander of the scout force, but even more in the young Ristarion, the son of the lord of one of the clans that contributed to this fleet. The al Mach clan was one of the oldest clans in the empire. They were far from the power they once held but they were well respected and always produced good legionaries and commanders. And the reports about the humans, the name that the descendants of the Alterans used now, gathered in the past indicated that they were far behind in their development. The estimates were that they were at a tier 3 a civilization that barely made it in to space. A smile that showed his sharp white teeth appeared. That was low considering that the Alterans were at tier 8. Although some later researches said that they were lower considering that the Icarians and the Farsians were considered between tiers nine and ten.
He picked up and put his helmet on his head just as the door opened.
None of the officers manning the consoles on the bridge turned. They all paid attention on their jobs as they should have.
The officer that entered was his second in command. He was far younger than Vocar and he was a member of the same clan.
“What do you have to report Sokar?”
The officer saluted and handed a data pad to his superior.
“We have the full report of the fleet. All ships report ready. There are some minor damages but they will be fixed by the time we reach the warp point.”
“What about the troops. What are the reports about the cryo-pods?”
“We suffered one percent casualties. The long time they spent in them is the main reason.”
“And the old design of these ships.”
“Yes admiral. The legionaries are almost finished exiting the pods. They will be ready by the time we reach the warp point. The fleet personal is all well prepared. We lost 0.3 percent from them too.”
“I hope that none is on the most important list. No admiral, most are part of small crews in the maintenance that can be easily replaced.”
The admiral turned and looked at the screen that was showing the darkness outside.
“Good Sokar. I want you to schedule a meeting in two persks.”
“Yes Admiral.”
The aid saluted and left the bridge. Voran looked at screen and pressed a button that showed him a representation of the system.
He focused on the second planet, the one that had an indigenous species on it. It showed the map of the planet made by the scout teams that mapped it eighty cycles ago, the days when the Alteran home world was discovered again. He smiled at that thought.
The empire searched for that planet for so long, always knowing that a part of the Alterans fled. It eluded them for eons. Finally eight thousand cycles ago the Zerg contacted and offered human slaves to the empire. The offer was the slaves in exchange for being left alone. They made a deal with one of the clans and the deal lasted for a long time but several hundred cycles ago the empire and the Zerg Commonwealth finally had a common border and the empire invaded. The reason for the invasion was the discovery of the plans of the clan that made the initial deal for making a strike for gaining the throne. The Zerg supported the clan’s plans knowing that it will cause a civil war that might weaken the powerful enemy. In the end that proved to be their downfall. The battle was hard and long as the Zerg proved a relentless enemy that was well prepared for the war. But in the end they lost. The race was but a whisper now from the former glory the survivors serving as slaves in the asteroid mines in countless systems slowly being worked to death. The estimates were that they will be extinct in the next hundred cycles. It was their punishment for the hiding of the world that lay in the next star system.
Voran’s clan was one of the clans that gained glory in that war. And now just as the al Kadash they were too trying to invade without the empire’s permeation. If discovered there was a great danger that the clan will be severely punished but the gain was too big and well worth the risk.
The humans were not just a great enemy in the ancient past. They were also a well adoptable species capable of really adapting to any conditions in order to survive. They were one of the best valued slaves. Over seven hundred million were placed in several hundred systems and planets and were worked almost to their death. But while other races would just give up they never did. Instead they used every opportunity to rise up and attack their masters. That was the reason for the small number left, and one of the main reasons why this mission was approved by the council. A planet that could bring several billion slaves, and a planet where the race could be housed to constantly give a new generation, plus the rich uninhabited systems in this part of the galaxy offered the clan a great opportunity. It was a chance to form a small empire for their clans. They never planned to attack and try to seize the throne, but this kind of gain was something that could provide an unimaginable wealth and prestige in the future.
The journey to this sector of the galaxy was long. It was almost three and a half thousand light years away from the last place where a Dacarian battle fleet was conducting operations. The ships in the fleet were powerful but were from older designs. That limited the risk of discovery. The rest of the fleet that four cycles was conducting operations in the Malaka sector continued mopping up the last defense stations and systems in that sector. His guess was that by now everything was over back there. No one was going to look for them for at least several more cycles and considering the level of technology that their soon to be opponent had that was more than eno
ugh time to conquer that world and setup colonies in the nearby systems.
He looked at the settlements on the planet. Most were abandoned. He remembered that the race was nomadic, but he knew that the real reason was the poison that was used by the scout mission. It was a slow killer. He had the report the ship that returned made. The race was deemed to primitive to be of any use. And it was also not a good source of food. He smiled as he remembered the taste of human flesh. It was something every dacarian liked. Many of their opponents found it appalling, the fact that his race sometimes ate some of their opponents. But they were carnivores, and although they ate many other things not just meat, some of their opponents were really good as a food source. The Alterans belonged in that category also but the respect for the race prevented them being deliberately used for that. Only a small portion of the dead, and mostly the ones that died fighting were used like that.
They were a race that every legionary, every dacarian always felt a kind of kingship with. They were told stories about the ancient wars, about the way Alterans fought. It was hard to imagine knowing what he knew now that they delivered such terrible losses so long ago. The race was now if not primitive definitely really regressed. They were still using oil as fuel, nuclear plants, and they barely came out of their planet. The video screens that they picked up were four cycles old, and they showed an advanced culture, and multiple conflicts on their world. They showed several satellites that were drifting throughout the system exploring and mapping the outer planets. The analyses showed that if not invaded they would start colonizing their system in the next hundred cycles and probably start colonizing other systems when they discover the warp point. But that was something they would never have. His fleet was here with a task to put an end to the ancient menace ones and for all.
They might spread out to other systems but under strict control and to work for their masters like they should.
He looked at the time. The meeting he scheduled was about to start.
He signaled to one of the officers on the bridge and then left the bridge.
He went to the meeting hall. It was a large chamber with special holographic projectors that were now showing the rest of the captains in his fleet. Also the consul leading the ground forces was present. They were all placed around the table and appeared to be siting. None was present in person, but there was no need. With the technology available the meetings face to face were still practiced but not in situations like these. It would take too much time.
He noticed Sokar waiting for him.
“Everyone is present admiral.”
He nodded and took his seat. He looked around the table at the holograms of the captains under his command. He knew each and every one of them well. They served with him throughout his career and in the campaigns he commanded and he trusted them all. And many of those missions were much harder than the one that was ahead of them.
“Welcome. I trust that by now you managed to get your ships up to date and in order. I believe that all crewmembers are now out of the cryo-chambers and on their posts.”
He got conformation form all of them.
“Are there any changes in the plan Admiral? Or we are proceeding as we agreed?”
He turned and looked at the one who asked the question. It was V’las the commander of the third squadron. The young captain was from the al Mach clan and was a valuable addition to the fleet. He was sometimes to annoying looking for every little detail but that made him efficient and made him a sort of favorite in the eyes of Voran. The youngling was sixty seven cycles old and gained the rank of captain at the age of forty. That was impressive to say the least. He gained it for his actions in combat against the Lacarian alliance fleets in the Kernchen System during the early stages of the war. The alliance had the initiative in that stage and it surprised the empire with its swift and bold action. The battle in that system marked the turning point in the war. And the actions the ship V’las commanded after the death of his commander were instrumental in the final victory and brought him his first command. He was bold and didn’t fear to take surprising action. That is why he gave him the command of a squadron of cruisers. They were fast and agile and powerful ships that were ideal for the kind of action V’las preferred. He didn’t expect to have much need for any fleet action considering the humans level of technology. Much more work would have to be done by the ground troops led by consul Mokal. The legionaries on the troop transports would have to pacify the population and deal with the ground forces that will survive the bombardment. He expected that the scout force under Mran’s command would have the necessary data about all troop deployments on the planet. That would give the fleet all the needed data about the targets it will have to destroy. After the military bases were dealt with the troops would land. And do the mopping up. Casualties were expected to be as high as fifteen percent. That was about seven million legionaries. But considering that he had sixty million under his command that was something he could allow. The biggest casualties probably won’t come from the initial invasion but later during the final stages of pacifying before most of the population is shipped out.
“No V’las the plan remains the same. I know that it is in a way boring considering that we have no fleet to contest us. They have some military satellites and a space station in orbit but that is all. Their nuclear warheads will be dangerous but considering that we will hold the orbital’s they will be easy to deal with.”
V’las nodded and smiled.
“Yes admiral.”
“We all know our duty. You all know why we are here. The fleets main job will be to deliver the legions on the ground and destroy as much of the resistance as possible before they land.”
“I’m not sorry to say that Consul Mokal’s troops will have most of the fun on this mission. We are just the delivery boys on this one. But don’t be fooled by our superiority. We all know the Alterans. We have all heard the stories about the great wars of the past. And we know the humans as their descendants call them self now.”
“Yes admiral. The ones that the Lacarian Alliance freed caused us much grief in that war. And they are still causing us. And I believe that not only the legions suffered from them but the fleet as well.”
“Yes Mokal you are right. And we all know the rebellions and how hard it is to break them. We have to act with caution, as we always do.”
“Is there any report from the scout force?”
“No Jongar. They should contact us in the next system after we transition through the warp point. As for safety the scans of this system show no signs of any movement. It is all as we expected.”
“Then we should proceed as we planned Admiral.”
“Yes. The twenty seventh squadron under command of Kerak al Shu will stay here as a rear guard.”
He turned towards
“I know that we don’t have much reason for that Kerak but it is a precaution I don’t mind making. After we transition you have the parameter of your mission to take the samples from the habitable planets.”
“Yes admiral. It will be as you say. I look forward to the hunt.”
The comment caused several smiles. The Dacarians loved to hunt. It was something that was natural to them, considering their ancient past.
“The rest of the fleet will transition through the warp point in three persks. Make the final preparations and checks on your ships I want the fleet at full readiness by that time. For the glory of the Emperor…”
“For the glory of the Emperor...”-the reply came from the voices of the captains.
The holograms disappeared one by one. As the last one disconnected from the net he was left alone with Sokar. He turned towards the younger captain and the man that was commanding officer of the flagship in his absence.
“How is the readiness of the crew of Ahairna?”
“The ship is at full readiness my lord. They are all at their posts and ready for their tasks, as they should be. They are legionaries.”
“Yes Sokar. In the
emperor’s name we die. That was our pledge. The pledge every legionary takes. We gave our lives the day we were born, the day we joined the legions. We gave them to our emperor.”
“What do you think about our mission Sokar? What do you think about the humans?”
The younger officer looked in to the eyes of his superior. Voran noticed the calm demeanor of the captain. There was no fear in the look he saw, only deep respect.
“Just as anyone my lord I know the ancient stories. They are excellent warriors. And this is their home world. The world the Icarians took them from just as the Farsians took our ancestors from Dakar.”
The admiral exhaled.
“Yes and even do they had far greater superiority and controlled the orbitals the battle on the planet was fierce, and long. I fear that it might be the same here.”
“I fear from that too. You know the reports about how the Alterans fought at the end. Our ancestors suffered grievous losses before eradicating their forces. The ones that we took as prisoners at the very end were the ones that couldn’t fight anymore, or couldn’t fight at all.”
“You’ve seen the reports about their wars, especially the ones about the great ones, at the beginning and in the middle of the previous century. Just as us they do not fear war, and when it comes they are capable of great violence and sacrifices. I fear that we might awaken a beast tomorrow, a beast we won’t be able to control.”
The younger captain looked at Vokar. He spoke quietly but with a firm voice.
“Do you fear that we might fail my Lord?”
The Icarian Legacy Collected Edition: Brave Souls - First Strike (Volume 3) Page 32