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The bulk of the Advent Navy had attacked the TEC planet Halleria. Temporarily, the Vasari united to throw the Advent off.
But the treaty did not last long. A small merchant convoy was sent from one of the TEC's most defended planets, Jaklet, to Halleria to deliver supplies and reconstruct the badly-damaged planet. But to do so, they had to travel deep through Vasari territory. After contact was lost, the question arose: why were there no escorts?
Soon after, the Vasari launch an attack on TEC-held territory. As the small asteroid a small TEC task force was resting at was destroyed, the mechants owning the asteroid give their lives to help let the TEC escape.
The race begins to try and find the merchant convoy before they are executed. Why were there no escorts? Was there a mole in the Board of Intelligence, helping the Vasari annihilate the TEC?
It all will lead down to one last battle- the mettle of all three factions will meet at the Core- a mysterious planet near the center of the galaxy. No one has been there for over ten-thousand years. Until now.
Will the Vasari ally with the TEC to help destroy the Advent? Or will they turn against the TEC, joining the Advent?
PROLOGUE
10,031 years after supposed Vasari extinction
Day 092
Aboard TDN Frade, Kol Battleship
The formation of ships smoothly glided away from the planet.
Nearby, a Percheron Light Carrier turned in the direction of a Kodiak Heavy Cruiser, the heavy-hitters of the TEC Navy.
Over the bridge radio, a woman's voice sounded.
“Battlegroup Dunov, you are clear to depart. Good luck out there.”
Admiral Hupo sat in the captain's chair. “Let's go.” he stated simply. The Navigator nodded and pressed several buttons. There was a large, red button. He pressed it and the ship shook.
But it wasn't from engaging into lightspeed.
Several blue strikecraft shot by the bridge.
More booms followed.
Nearby, a Cobalt Frigate was blown in two.
The Admiral could barely get a glimpse of the strikecraft; Advent Bombers.
“This is Admiral Nupo, all ships engage targets!” he yelled over the radio. He turned toward the navigator and said, “Any contacts?”
The navigator's jaw dropped in disbelief.
“We have three Rapture Battlecruisers and a Halcyon Carrier. No way we could survive, sir.” he said in dispair, wanting action.
The Admiral sighed. He qued the intercom to the station. “Command, evacuate the station. We are under attack and outnumbered. Retreat to Halleria immediately.”
There was a crackle and an explosion. The woman's voice could be heard in panic.
“Roger Admiral, evacuating now. We lost Commander Gregori. We're launching all ships that we can move to get the hell out of here. We'll contact you once we're safe, out.” she said.
The Admiral nodded. He qued the fleet-wide intercom and said, “All ships- do not engage! We are heavily outnumbered. Continue on our course to Halleria.”
Looking out the bridge window, he could see several small Protev Colony Frigates leaving the station. They weren't armed at all, and had very little armor.
Following it was three Cobalt Frigates.
As the main reactor powered up for the departure, Hupo waited for more ships to escape.
No more came.
“Damn it.” he muttered. That was only around two-thousand people. There were at least four-thousand on there.
The ship shook violently, and left the system.
When they were in sub-light travel nothing worked- radios, radars, maneuvering. All they could do was wait.
The problem was, Vasari and Advent tech were far more advanced then the TEC's “evolutionary” tech. They used projectiles, which weren't as powerful and were slower. They could really slow down a heavily-armed ship and leave it dead in the water. Advent and Vasari ships used Non-Matter: Plasma, Beams, Lasers, the like.
Advent and Vasari ships could also engage in combat with each other while in slipspace.
The bridge crew watched and waited. The entire crew did. The Fleet did. They all prayed.
And Hupo hoped God was praying with him, too.
CHAPTER I
10,031 years after supposed Vasari Extinction
Day 092
Aboard TDN Justify, Krosov Siege Frigate
Commander Fronz Rento, a man who's ancestors were half French, half Native American, was a sturdy, well-built man. He commanded the Justify, a Krosov Siege Frigate part of the 17th Charas Colonization Fleet. It composed of the following:
Five Arcova Scout Frigates
Sixty Cobalt Light Frigates
Twenty Javelis LRM's
Fifteen Krosov Siege Frigates
Twenty-Five Garda Flak Frigates
Three Protev Colony Frigates
Fifteen Percheron Light Carriers
Twenty-Five Hoshiko Robotics Cruisers
Three Cielo Command Cruisers
Fifteen Kodiak Heavy Cruisers
One Sova Carrier
One Marza Dreadnought
Both Capital Ships, the Marza and the Sova, weren't direct combat ships, but could be if put to use, for they both had well armaments.
The 17th Fleet was the largest fleet in the star system, and, unfortunately, one of the only fleets there. Only three other fleets were there: The 63rd Light Defense Force, stationed out of Yakamara, the TEC's capitol planet in the system, the 127th Carrier Group, which had a job of going around the system and destroying Pirate Raiders, and uncommonly raiding the local Pirate Asteroid Base, and the 312th Heavy Combat Fleet, which composed most of Kodiaks and a Kol Battleship. The 312th was tasked with attacking heavily-defended planets and destroying as much enemy structures, equipment and ships as possible. Since Kodiaks had little to sometimes no shields, they were known as “Suicidals,” the crews of the ship (those that enlisted, not drafted) were called “Suicidies.” In the 63rd Defense Force, Cobalts were known as “Depart and Attack” ships, for they would immediately be departed from port and ordered to attack immediately thereafter. Whenever a planet was attacked in the star system, usually one-third of the cobalts were destroyed, and another quarter were heavily damaged and would take months to repair. And in the past ten days, Pirates, Local Militia, Advent, and Vasari forces at launched a total of twelve attacks against TEC-fortified locations and planets.
Meaning, over one-hundred ships were destroyed.
And an estimated seventeen-thousand killed.
The TEC Super-Governor of the system then declared two-thirds all colony ships in the system refitted into light, fast-attack warships with heavy firepower. Two of them, the TDN Escalate and Overpower had single-handedly destroyed a Vasari Heavy Cruiser with just several autocannons, rail guns, and nearby fighter support from local militia enlisted into the TEC military.
Commander Rento, in his bluish-gray uniform, was thirty-two years of age, one of the youngest commanders in the fleet. Krosov Siege Frigates were made to Siege and bombard nearby planets from orbit. This tactic was known as “B.R.”, or “Bombard and Raid.” where once the Krosov destroyed planetary shields, several cities, and anti-air defenses, the orbiting fleet was land two-thousand to ten-thousand TEC Marines to radi the planet quickly.
Krosovs, in order to Siege planets, used the most powerful weapon in the TEC- or even, Humanitiy's arsenal for thousands of years- Nuclear Warheads.
They carried fifteen each.
Nukes were originally invented in the 1950s, almost twenty-thousand years ago. Still in service, they are the super-power weapons.
The radioman said abruptly, “Commander, we have a message from COMCOLFLT.” COMCOLFLT was the designation for the Commander of a Colonization Fleet in a star system. Com in Commander, Col in Colonization, and Flt in Fleet. It was a type of code used also since the 1900s, and is still effective today- especially since they were fighting a different species.
“Patch it through.” ordered Rento. The large invisible viewscreen showed from nowhere over the glass windows and started a clip. Admiral Tompsin, the commander, or “COMCOLFLT,” as they said, was showed on the bridge of the Sova Carrier. “Commander, I, as you already know, have promoted you from Lieutenant Commander, of that Cobalt to Commander of that Krosov. I can assure, you will still represent and continue your oath?” he asked, cocking an eyebrow.
Rento saluted stiffly and said, “Yes, Admiral!”
The Admiral smiled and said coolly, “Me and Captain Gorodre have come up with a plan. Hopefully, with you, your crew, and your new Krosov, it can be pulled off. We need to join with the 3rd Fleet at Mjolnir. Once we do that, we need to move and attack the Vasari Planet of Teton. We expect medium defenses. The reason we're attacking is because it is an Artic planet, but has twenty percent more oil reserves than other Vasari Planets border our sector of the system. We'll have a fighter squadron protect you from enemy frigates and strikecraft. Move in with the rest of the formation to bombard the planet. Understood?” briefed the Admiral. Rento saluted again, and said even more seriously, “Sir, Yes sir!”
The viewscreen filled with static. It rolled back up into the ceiling to reveal a small flotilla of Cobalt Frigates moving in front of them.
The bridge crew started to work furiously as it pulled into formation with the rest of the flotilla, containing six Krosovs, two Cobalts and a Percheron Carrier, named the Enforcer. The second in command, Lieutenant Commander Charles LeBouge, was a French-Canadian man. More than ninety-percent of the TEC's military and civilian population had it's roots from Earth's countries, thousands of years before.
LeBouge could be heard over the Flotilla COM. “All ships, form up behind us. We're moving at 0500-hours. Get some good rest, we're meeting up with the 3rd fleet at 0700.”
A bridge crew operator turned around in surprise at Rento. “The Third! Holy crap, are you serious?”
The Third Fleet was the most renowned fleet in TEC history. Consisting of over twenty capital ships and three hundred ships total, it was a force to be reckoned with. It once completely smashed the defenses of an Advent planet defended by an enormous Advent fleet of two-hundred ships with almost no loses.
Only the most experienced and renowned captains and ships were allowed in it. And, of course, the most famous TEC ship of all: The TDN Jusiac.
The Jusiac is a Kol-class Battleship, the second ever created almost one-hundred years earlier. Although it's old, it's performance outnumbered even the most newest additions to the fleet. It could travel exceptionally faster than most Kols, has upgraded weapons, and even a Sub-Novalith, a mini version of the Novalith Cannon. It, same as the Novalith rounds, could tear a planet apart in one shot with around the same amount of force that destroyed ancient creatures, Dinosaurs, sixty-six million years ago.
0458 hours
Commander Rento, still tired, had forced himself from bed. Large, purple bags under his eyes, his eyes half open, looked around at his bridge crew. They were in no better shape than him. He had even let his communicator rest an extra hour and a half, for he had been updating the navigation charts with ship information as the ship moved into standby mode with the rest of the fleet.
The temporary replacement, Ensign Michael Yamakira had his roots from Japanese-Americans. His original post was Cryo Bay One, the only Cryo bay on the ship. It had a total of fifteen pods, and a person could fit inside it. They would be forced into a deep sleep and it would be constantly feeding the body nutrients and vitamins over the flight, which could save supplies aboard the ship, and make crew members feel refreshed during a battle.
He had been the Co-Operator, next to Lieutenant Junior Grade Dunov Slovkoski, a strong, well-built Russian man.
He suddenly turned around to Rento and said, as though it were daytime, “Commander, we have COMCOLFLT on the horn. Patching through now.”
The hologram screen rolled down. Tompsin again was on the screen.
“Sorry for the early wake-up Commander. Give your regards to your crew, too.”
“Aww, could we have a kissy with that?” asked one of the navigators. He had either drunken too much whiskey last night or was so pissed he acted completely idiotic, thought Rento.
Tompsin, ignoring the negative comment from the crew member, continued, “It should take us only two hours to get to Mjolnir. Once there, we'll make final preparations with the third, refuel, and smash those Advent bastards to dust.” With those last words, he threw his hand in his other, has if there was a pesky insect in his hand, trying to pinch his skin for blood.
Rento, still half asleep, warily brought his arm up in salute. He slurred, confused, “Yessir.”
Tompsin nodded in approval and disappeared.
Renton fell back into his command chair. He brought out a bottle of whiskey. Even though it was against Protocol to have alcohol in combat zones or on duty, he had always kept a secret stash hidden at his desk on the bridge. “So, who wantssome? Gonna be a long trip!” exclaimed Rento. Several crew members cheered, while others clapped and whistled.
He took out a glass cup and poured it to the brim with whiskey. “So. . . let the games begin.” he whispered.
CHAPTER II
10,031 years after supposed Vasari extinction
Day 093
Aboard TDN Conflict, Dunov Battlecruiser
The Terran planet Mjolnir sat to their left, slowly spinning. Their side had been under the light of the sun for almost three hours now. Only, with the 17th fleet, the sun was just coming up.
The enormous fleet of ships sat in position. Several nearby hangar bays and repair platforms stood ready. A Kodiak Cruiser, the Imulsify, was getting last-minute repairs from the crew of a repair station.
Then, the whole command bridge dimmed. A shadow loomed over them.
Suddenly, appearing on the right side of the viewscreen, came the best thing: The Jusiac. The lumbering giant, a Kol Battleship, was the oldest and greatest ship in the TEC's fleet.
Bridge crew clapped and whistled and cheered away as it slowly made its way past them. When it disappeared, the crew stopped, and went back to work.
Captain James Morogaurde, a British-American man, commanded the TDN Conflict, a quick strike, quick repair and quick retreat-style Dunov Battlecruiser. Her first captain was his father, Vice Admiral Trevor Morogaurde, and had lead her through many dangerous missions. Then, it all ended.
In a battle against Vasari forces, a Jarrasul Evacuator identified as the LarrTul after the battle, approached the Conflict. Knowing the Dunov couldn't stand a chance, he pulled back and called for several Kodiaks to come and mop up the Battleship.
Suddenly, there was a white flash. When it disappeared, a bright blueish-white plasma bolt, enormous in size, came from the LarrTul and hit the Dunov. No communications came from the Dunov.
A recovery team arrived. Over three quarters of the crew had been killed in the blast. It was surprising the ship was even intact. Most of the hull had been punctured, and shrapnel from the hull had injected itself into the ship, which killed most of the crew. The survivors the crew, mostly driven mad with fear, had managed to pilot the ship to safety. To this day, no one knows why they were scared.
The shock that hit Morogaurde was terrible. The recovery team headed to the bridge to find Vice Admiral Moroguarde's body. James, only a Lieutenant Commander on a Kodiak at the time, was enraged. He vowed revenge on the Vasari, and had taken a part of the 3rd fleet in an effortless chase for the LarrTul.
Eleven years after his father's death, James is still driven with hatred, his blood boiling at the thought of Vasari Scum. Most of the crew's family members had also been killed by Vasari forces. As long as they knew what he was going through, it was fine.
But long ago, when he was a mere back-up Commander of a brand-new support cruiser, he had vowed vengeance on the murderers of his father.
He could almost taste it with his tongue, feel it with the tips of his fingers.
It was so close, but yet. . . so far.
Was there something he overlooked? One tiny mathematical error that lead him chasing the wrong ships, or yet, nothing?
His stomach churned at the thought. He had worked so hard for so many years. He didn't want it to go to waste just because of faulty technology or defects in the “brand new” supercomputers installed on the battlecruiser.
He had upgraded the cruiser since his father's death. The battle, known as “The Great Massacre,” now has a memorial where survivors of the battle still visit to this day. James had noticed, every year, the amount of visitors is slowly diminishing, slowly going as if in-uninvited.
The worst thought came to his mind.
The Vasari. . . they were cruel, cruel creatures. There had been rumors that they had no feelings at all. No remorse. No regret.
Those without emotion witness defeat in their soul. Those with too much emotion witness permanent defeat in their soul.
James would teach them to evolve, to evolve one simple thing.
Emotion.
And he would do it forcefully. Violently. Any way possible.
As long as the emotionless blood of the Vasari bastards would be spilled, then, then only, would his thirst be quenched.
CHAPTER III
10,031 years after supposed Vasari extinction
Day 093
Aboard TDN Justify, Krosov Siege Frigate
They had been in travel for an hour and forty minutes already. Rento had drunk his whiskey bottle empty, played the holographic game Command and Conquer, even stayed in the Cryo pit for twenty minutes.
Yet he was still bored. And there was still time left.
There had to be something to do.
If only there were women, he thought.
There are never women, you idiot. Replied his mind.
Yes, but thankfully there are literally.
The other half of his brain replied,
You know, that guy over there in the navigation chair isn't a man, it's a woman.
Don't be stupid. I command a ship.
And I command you. Meaning, theoretically, I command the commander.
Frustrated, Rento finished,
You're me. I'm not gonna listen to myself as thousands of guys could die in just several hours.
Rento shot his chair across the bridge. He opened his file cabinet. He took out a group of papers in a a file and pulled them out. At the top, was written:
Don't you run around with your head cut off.
Amazed, Rento shook his head and looked at the paper again.
If you're having trouble, listen to me.
“What the hell. . . “ Rento whispered in amazement. This document was supposed to contain the names of all the crew members on the ship.
And the odd thing was, it looked like his hand writing.
Cut the head of the snake off, and it will die.
Ever heard of Sun Tzu?
Rento, almost knowing what to do, reached over to his desk for a ballpoint pen. He scribbled quickly,
Yeah, that ancient Greek Philosopher?
Yes. He was one of the smartest strategists in history. And remember, this guy is over twenty-thousand years old. Hell, he probably had Dinosaur pets around that time.
Rento abruptly laughed, drawing the eyes of several bridge crew.
Rento waved his hand, dismissing their stares. They quickly went back to their panels.
You know, the inevitable question will come sooner or later.
In confusion, Rento replied,
And what question is that?
Who I am.
Then there it is. Who are you?
Rento waited. The words faded away, and more words faded in.
What if I were to tell you the TEC could win. What if, there was a bomb on this ship. Would you believe me?
Rento thought, then wrote,
Theoretically, yes, I would.
Then would you believe this?
I'm you. In the future.
Rento was more confused than ever.
Ok. Then answer this: Who was my childhood crush?
There was a pause, then:
Rose Kelso. Obviously.
Ok, then what was my mother's maiden name?
Walker. Are you done here? Can I continue?
Frustrated, Rento let himself continue.
Let me tell you something. I don't have much time. Something very bad will happen very soon. It's inevitable, and it's inescapable. If you do just one thing different than I did, you may be able to change it all. . . and save your life.
Meaning. . . I die?
There was no answer. Astonished, Rento sat back in his chair.
Remember, the snake will die if it's head is lost. Remember that. It just may save your life.
The last words echoed in Rento's mind. It may just save your life.
CHAPTER IV
10,031 years after supposed Vasari extinction
Day 093
TDN Conflict, Dunov Battlecruiser
More and more ships continued to move around the fleet. Almost three dozen Cobalt Frigates had already passed by the Conflict's viewport.
Moroguarde looked at his navigator, Lieutenant Junior Grade Amakanze Tokyoshamna, a Japanese technician, and asked, “When will the 17th get here?”
Tokyoshamna didn't look up from his panel. After several seconds, he stuck his finger into the air. He then dropped it down, as if saying Now.
As if on que, dozens of ships entered the gravity well of Mjolnir.
Moroguarde looked at the fleet. He counted a Sova, Marza, at least four dozen Cobalts, around twenty Krosovs, fifteen Kodiaks . . .
Good. That, coupled with the extreme firepower of the third would cripple the Advent defenses quickly.
The com board blinked and beeped. The communications officer said abruptly but quickly, “Captain, we have a fleet-wide transmission over COM.”
Moroguarde nodded, and the officer punched in the codes to start it.
“All ships, this is Admiral Tompsin. The 17th is here. Us, with you guys and the third, can punch a hole in Advent defenses. We may have hope of winning this war.
We're moving out in ten. Prepare all final operations. Get refueled, re-armed, re-paired ASAP. You're gonna need it. These Alien bastards are tough to teach a lesson to.”
The com went slack.
“Warm up reactors one and two. Keep number three on standby. Prepare at weapons stations A though C.”
Tokyoshamna, still looking, dragged in to his nav panel, imput the commands. He nodded, smirked and put a thumbs-up to Moroguarde to show it was done.
Moroguarde smiled in approval. He was ready to kick ass for himself. His family. His friends. His species.
Unfortunately, they weren't Vasari invaders.
At least they were foreign. It's all that counted.
A nearby Percheron Carrier, dubbed the Enforcer, lead a small flotilla of several Krosovs and Cobalts.
A french-sounding man came over the COM. “This is Lieutenant Commander LeBouge of the Percheron Enforcer. We've been ordered to escort you in the battle. My flotilla is pretty experienced, we should be able to fight off some Advent frigates before some reinforcements arrive.”
Moroguarde clicked the COM button on his desk and said, “Commander, this is Captain Moroguarde of the Conflict. Thanks for the assistance. We're tasked with taking out any heavily-armed Advent starships in sight. With you at our side, it should be pretty easy. Thanks again.”
LeBouge laughed and said, “It's all part of our job, Captain. Good luck.”
Moroguarde smiled and ended the communication.
“Tokyoshamna, give LeBouge and his flotilla battle coordinates on all ships in the fleet.”
Tokyoshamna nodded, but said quietly, “There's probably so many ships it will overload the computer.”
“Maybe. But we need to. He may think it's a ragtag ship when it's the Goddamn Jusiac or something.”
Tokyoshamna was always very passive, not a common user of body lanaguage. He was sort of mysterious. But screw that. Over the years, he had proven an excellent main navigator. He was smart, and even cracked a joke once and a while. Good man.
Over the fleetwide COM, Fleet Admiral Nick Norrington spoke.
“Everyone, we're moving out. Form up with your flotilla leaders. We'll push these bastards from the system, then the galaxy itself."
NOTE: I DID NOT MAKE THIS! I PUT THIS ON HERE FOR ONE OF MY FRIENDS, DO NOT CREDIT ME!
