January 7, 2366
The 1st Expeditionary Fleet has assembled on the innermost unexplored warp point in the V1581 Cygni system. At the signal from the fleet flagship, the assembled Guard and Naval ships begin jumping out. They arrive in a binary system with an M2-V primary and M4-V secondary stars. The third planet of the primary and the second planet of the secondary star have oxygen-nitrogen atmospheres, but both are far too cold for unaided human colonization. Worse, the second planet of the secondary star has a significant amount of fluorine in its atmosphere.
After identifying the system as the Groombridge 34 system, the fleet moves into the inner system to begin its probe for civilizations and automated warships.
January 28, 2366
The Imperial Guard takes receipt of its first three brand new frigates on this date. The ships are newly arrived from the yards over Verge.
February 2, 2366
The 1st EF jumps out of the V1581 Cygni system through the second unexplored warp point. They arrive in a K0-V star system with a single close-in super-jovian planet. The system is quickly identified as Sigma Draconis, and the fleet moves in-system to probe for civilizations or threats.
February 27, 2366
The 1st EF jumps out of the V1581 Cygni system through the last unexplored warp point. They emerge in a binary system with a G8-V primary and a K4-V secondary star. The primary is orbited by two planets very close in, a super jovian and a terrestrial type planet, while the secondary has no orbiting bodies. Admiral Craig orders the fleet to move in for a probe of the two orbiting bodies.
March 18, 2366
The Imperial Guard Salvage Group returns to the Solar System. The Guard salvage group has spent over a year salvaging wrecked automated warships, along with the hulks left by the Imperial conquest of the Ssssith home system. The holds of the four freighters assigned to accompany the salvage ship are more than half full of salvaged resources and ship systems, which are scheduled to be unloaded on Terra. Shortly after arriving in the Solar System the Guard salvage ship transmits data on advanced armor gained from exploring the hulks to the research labs on Venus. This data is vital on ongoing Imperial research into compressed carbon armor.
The Imperial Navy announces the transfer of the 3rd Cruiser Group, which currently consists of the cruiser Patton and three Lexington class frigates, to the Delta Capricorni system to watch over Sssith Prime. The 3rd CG replaces a detachment of light cruisers and frigates from the 1st Battle Group.
April 24, 2366
Work begins on converting the yard formerly devoted to building frigates to construct the new destroyer class. The Clemson class is intended to replace the older Lexington class frigates. The Clemson class has the same anti-missile missile capability of the Lexington class, but has enhanced laser engagement capability, as it is equipped with of two of the latest generation 120mm turrets, in place of the older single 100mm turret of the Lexington class.
Clemson class Destroyer 10000 tons 1103 Crew 3946.56 BP TCS 200 TH 1280 EM 960
6400 km/s Armour 3-41 Shields 32-240 Sensors 72/72/0/0 Damage Control Rating 26 PPV 47
Annual Failure Rate: 133% IFR: 1.9% Maintenance Capacity 1480 MSP Max Repair 461 MSP
Magazine 455
Imperial Atomics IC Fusion Drive (8) Power 160 Fuel Use 50% Signature 160 Armour 0 Exp 5%
Fuel Capacity 330,000 Litres Range 118.8 billion km (214 days at full power)
Theta R240/20 Shields (8) Total Fuel Cost 160 Litres per day
Mk 2 Triple 120mm DP Laser Turret (2x3) Range 192,000km TS: 32000 km/s Power 12-12 RM 6 ROF 5 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 2 2
Cyberdyne Mk 2 PD FireCon (2) Max Range: 192,000 km TS: 32000 km/s 95 90 84 79 74 69 64 58 53 48
ICF Reactor (2) Total Power Output 24 Armour 0 Exp 5%
PA Shrike II AMM Launcher (15) Missile Size 1 Rate of Fire 5
Imperial Dynamics Capital AMM Firecon (3) Range 3.6m km Resolution 1
Shrike III Missile (455) Speed: 53,000 km/s End: 1.1m Range: 3.6m km WH: 1 Size: 1 TH: 989 / 593 / 296
ID Basic Active Search Sensor (1) GPS 6000 Range 60.0m km Resolution 100
Cyberdyne Capital AM Search Sensor (1) GPS 360 Range 3.6m km Resolution 1
Cyberdyne Standard Thermal Sensor III (1) Sensitivity 72 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 72m km
ID Standard EM Detection Sensor III (1) Sensitivity 72 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 72m km
Compact ECCM-2 (5) ECM 30
Missile to hit chances are vs targets moving at 3000 km/s, 5000 km/s and 10,000 km/s
This design is classed as a military vessel for maintenance purposes
May 6, 2366
The 1st EF jumps out of the Gliese 706 system through the system’s innermost unexplored warp point, once again pushing back the boundaries of the Empire in the Altair region. They materialize in a single-star system with a K7-V primary. The star is orbited by five rocky planets and two gas giants. One of the rocky planets has an oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere and has a reasonable temperature, although the oxygen is a bit thin for humanity. Admiral Craig orders the fleet into the system to probe for signs of civilization.
May 20, 2366
The 1st EF jumps out of the Gliese 706 system again, this time through the second unexplored warp point. The fleet finds itself in a binary M4-V/M5-V system. The primary star has no planets, but the secondary star, which closely orbits the primary, has two terrestrial and four gas giant planets. One of the terrestrial planets has an oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere. Admiral Craig orders the fleet into the system to probe for threats.
June 22, 2366
The Imperial Guard takes receipt of its first CVL, and begins construction of its fighter wing. The wing will consist of a new fighter design, an interceptor designed to detect and engage hostile fighters.
FI-2 Raptor class Fighter 151.5 tons 14 Crew 54.9 BP TCS 3.03 TH 120 EM 0
39603 km/s Armour 2-2 Shields 0-0 Sensors 1/1/0/0 Damage Control Rating 0 PPV 0.9
Annual Failure Rate: 1% IFR: 0% Maintenance Capacity 23 MSP Max Repair 20 MSP
Magazine 6
Imperial Atomics FTR IC Fusion Drive (1) Power 120 Fuel Use 7500% Signature 120 Armour 0 Exp 100%
Fuel Capacity 10,000 Litres Range 1.6 billion km (11 hours at full power)
IA AMM Box Launcher (6) Missile Size 1 Hangar Reload 7.5 minutes MF Reload 1.2 hours
ID Anti Fighter Firecon (1) Range 2.4m km Resolution 4
Shrike III Missile (6) Speed: 53,000 km/s End: 1.1m Range: 3.6m km WH: 1 Size: 1 TH: 989 / 593 / 296
Missile to hit chances are vs targets moving at 3000 km/s, 5000 km/s and 10,000 km/s
This design is classed as a military vessel for maintenance purposes
This design is classed as a fighter for production and combat purposes
July 26, 2366
The 1st EF has rendezvoused at the Altair Depot* and refueled. Originally, Admiral Craig had intended to return to Sol at this point, as the original mission had been completed and the fleet had been out of the Sol system for over a year, however, new orders have arrived. Admiral Craig has been ordered to take the fleet to the Gliese 1061 system and probe the warp points there, after which the fleet will refuel in the Sol system and probe the unexplored warp points in the systems beyond the Barnard’s Star system. The changed orders were issued without comment, leaving Admiral Craig to wonder at the change in the schedule. The systems he is to probe were scheduled for the next mission of the 1st EF, to be undertaken late in 2367.
*The Altair Depot was set up to support the 1st EF, however, the Imperial Navy has decided to make the installation permanent. The Depot is set up on the innermost moon of the system’s innermost gas giant. The moon is otherwise uninteresting, as it is just another tiny, resource-less rock in a system with many such. The Depot is guarded by the 21st Imperial Army Security Brigade, and boasts a large stock of fuel. In the near future the fuel dump will be augmented by stocks of missiles and maintenance supplies, giving the Depot the capability to support an Imperial fleet operating out of the Altair system.
September 12, 2366
The 1st EF has reassembled at the innermost unexplored warp point of the Gliese 1061 system. The Gliese 1061 is only two jumps from Sol. After taking a short amount of time to reorganize, the fleet jumps through to the new system.
The fleet materializes in a binary system with a G0-V primary and an M6-V secondary star orbiting each other fairly closely. The system contains several terraformable worlds and one nearly perfect Terra-like world with what could be considered a “shirt-sleeve” environment.
A quick search of the old databases reveals the fact that this is the Chi Orionis system, and it was known to the old Empire. The habitable planet, Orion, was colonized not long before the collapse of the old Empire. The combat elements of the fleet set out for Orion at maximum speed.
Two hours later the sensors on board the Far Eye detect five ships orbiting Orionis. At first there is jubilation at the concrete evidence that the colony on Orion still exists, but after a short period of time the jubilation turns to horror when the ships are ID’d as automated warships. Further analysis of the sensor data reveals that an additional automated warship is present over Orion, however, it is powered down and appears to be destroyed.
Admiral Craig acts decisively. He orders the Imperial Guard detachment to return to the warp point to protect the irreplaceable Scout Far Eye, and continues on towards the colony with the 3rd Battle Group. Shortly thereafter the group of five automated warships is observed to leave the planet on an intercept course for the 3rd Battle Group. As a precaution, Admiral Craig ordered his six frigates into missile interception formation. The frigates broke into two groups and moved ahead of the battle group to interpose themselves between the main group and the oncoming warships.
Twenty seven hours later the battle group had closed to 40 mkm’s, and Admiral Craig ordered his battleships to open fire. The big ships came about and began running before the oncoming automated warships even as their missile crews began to sync their systems for coordinated fire on the enemy. Five of the big ships were tied together in seconds, but the Devon was the newest addition to the battle group, having been incorporated into the 3rd BG shortly before it departed Sol, and its untrained crew took twenty seconds longer than the others to prep for fire. Finally one hundred and two Capital III missiles sped away from the battleships, followed every thirty seconds by an additional salvo. After four salvoes Admiral Craig called a halt to the bombardment and the fleet continued to run, with the automated warships slowly gaining with their 971 kps speed advantage.
Fourteen minutes later the first wave of Capital III missiles reached attack range. Twenty four Terran missiles were swatted out of space by last second point defense fire, but the remainder slammed into their targets unhindered. Forty three missiles hit their targets, completely destroying three of the alien ships. In addition, seven secondary explosions were detected, including two extremely powerful detonations that must have originated in the target’s magazines. The remaining missiles, having lost sight of their targets, began circling and seeking new targets with their on-board sensors. Five second later they wiped out another alien ship, leaving one 14,400 ton ship to approach the Terran fleet. At least, it continued approaching until the second wave slammed into it, leaving nothing but a thin scattering of debris.
With the confirmation that the threat was over, Admiral Craig recalled the frigates and set out for Orion.
Thirty seven hours later, as the group was approaching Orion, the combat AI’s on the battleships began sounding the general quarters alarm when the BB’s anti-missile sensors detected twelve very large missiles in orbit over the planet. Anti-missile missiles were launched, but seconds later the battleship’s sensors registered small objects detaching from the large missiles. Seconds after that the objects were determined to be small missiles, forty eight in number, targeted on the group. The squadron’s anti-missile missile launchers began expelling AMM’s at maximum rate. The smaller missiles were easily dealt with by the squadron’s anti-missile defenses.
When the combat elements of the 1st EF made orbit over Orion their worst fears were confirmed. The former colony was in ruins and there was a fair amount of lingering radiation in the environment. As far as the survey teams could tell there were no survivors.
September 24, 2366
The 1st EF jumps through the second unexplored warp point in the Gliese 1061 system, emerging in a system with a single, dim red dwarf star. The dull central star is orbited by a huge asteroid belt ranging from 300 mkm’s to 2 billion kilometers. A single tiny planet with one moon orbits very distantly at 6.6 billion kilometers.
After some consideration Admiral Craig decides to probe the asteroid belt and orders the combat elements of the fleet into the inner system.
October 4, 2366
The 1st EF jumps out of the Gliese 1061 through the system’s last unexplored warp point. The fleet appears in a single-star system with a G5-V central star. The system only has three planets, all rocky planets. Only one has an atmosphere, and it is Venus-like. Admiral Craig orders the fleet in to probe for threats.
October 8, 2366
The 1st EF, moving in-system, detects three unknown ships in-system of its location. The contacts are soon identified as 7,200 ton automated warships. Admiral Craig orders the Imperial Guard contingent to come to a halt and continues on with his battle group.
It took thirty-eight hours for the two groups of ships to close to missile range. Fifteen seconds after reaching effective missile range the six battleships at the center of the battle group launched ninety capital missiles at the oncoming automated warships.
The missile salvo proved to be overkill. Only one missile was intercepted by close-in defenses. The remaining missiles slammed into their targets. It took thirty-one capital missiles to destroy all three automated warships. Fifty eight missiles were left circling,, bereft of targets.
November 26, 2366
The 1st Expeditionary Fleet transits through the Solar System, en route to the Alpha Centauri system to probe the warp points there. The fleet pauses only to refuel and take on replacement missiles. The public is not informed that the fleet is in-system as it is only passing through.
Admiral Craig was attempting to straighten out the one hundred and one problems that had arisen from the rushed re-provisioning of the fleet, and to placate his officers and crewers who were upset that no one was being granted leave during their first visit to the solar system in over a year, when his personal comm. began chiming. He held his wrist up and the implant activated to show a holo of his Chief of Staff. “Yes James?”
“Admiral, you have a…visitor. He came up on the last supply lighter, and is waiting for you in conference 2.”
Admiral Craig opened his mouth to question his Chief of Staff as to the identity of this visitor, as they were specifically prohibited from going on leave or meeting with family during this short stop, but one look at his aide’s face stopped him short. Captain James Swartz was normally unflappable but right now he looked as if he had swallowed a ticking time bomb. “I’ll be there directly.”
Conference room 2 was two levels down and a short walk across the ship from his day room and he thought he was prepared for anything but came up short when he entered the room. The first thing to leap out at him was that someone, presumably the visitor, had reprogrammed the conference room’s simulated windows to show an enhanced view of the orbital shipyards that they were currently co-orbiting with. The entire wall had been reconfigured to display an enhanced view of the Sol Invictus, the lead ship in the Star class Monitor series, now being overhauled in the ancillary docks attached to the huge yard complex. The Sol was huge, twice the size of the California, and it currently had dozens of boats swarming over it, replacing sensor arrays and performing other minor maintenance acts. It was a stunning view, and it shouldn’t have been possible for a mere lieutenant commander like the one sitting across the room from him, staring at the panoramic view, to access, especially a lieutenant commander not assigned to this ship. The wall displays were set to mimic a generic star field to give the illusion that the room was larger than it was. Admiral Craig advanced into the room, determined to figure out who this officer was that could reprogram his flagship’s computers.
His confusion evaporated as the other officer stood and turned around. Without thinking Admiral Craig crossed the room with a happy cry and embraced the other officer, pounding him on his back. “You son of a gun! Here I was all set to dress down a presumptuous junior officer and I find you! How the hell are you, Admiral!”
There was only one man that Admiral Craig and his fellow survivors of the civil war called “The Admiral”, and that was Admiral of the Fleet Tannenbaum, the commanding officer of the Navy and the Emperor’s brother. The Admiral had led them through the dark days of the rebellion and civil war, and had brought them through to victory all the while upholding the traditions and honor of the Navy. It would have been very easy in the name of expediency to abandon that honor, and Craig had felt that temptation many times during the dark days of the war, but The Admiral had been unshakable in his belief that the Navy’s tradition of honor and service would bring them through, and he had been proven right in the end.
After a minute the two separated and Admiral Tannenbaum gestured at the chairs. They sat, both instinctively turning to keep the stunning panoramic view in sight. Admiral Tannenbaum chuckled. “Quite a sight, eh?”
Craig nodded. “We could have used old Sol back in the war, that’s for sure.” The Sol Invictus all by herself significantly out-massed the entire Imperial Navy as it existed throughout most of the rebellion, and would have gone through the rebels like a hot knife through butter. A smile flickered across Craig’s face, followed quickly by a wolfish grin that was Craig’s trademark. “I presume something has come up?”
Admiral Tannenbaum gazed intently at Craig. “How did you work that out? Maybe I’m here to see my old friend.”
“Ha! I could smell this setup from a klick away, through vacuum. First my mission profile is changed to include additional systems, and now this top secret stuff we get when we finally get back to the system? Of course something is going on.”
Admiral Tannenbaum looked deeply unhappy. Sam Craig was one of his oldest friends and confidants. He and Craig had served against the rebels during the civil war and along with a few others had forged a bond that had kept them close through all of the years that had passed since. He shook his head. “Things are changing, Sam. And not for the better. Right now the Senate is debating the fate of the Procyon system, and as things stand they are almost certain to approve an expedition against Procyon for next year.”
“That’s why you changed our mission profile! You wanted to get these systems surveyed before any conflict with Plateau.”
Admiral Tannenbaum grimaced. “Partially. Also, to be honest, I was hoping to find something to distract everyone one from the Procyon system.”
Admiral Craig frowned. “Maybe you better explain. You can’t be afraid that Plateau can beat us!” He waived at the massive bulk of the Sol Invictus as a physical representation of the Navy’s might and the ludicrious nature of the thought that anyone could resist them.
Admiral Tannenbaum shrugged irritably and went off on a seeming tangent. “How much do you know about the current political system?”
“Just what we get from the public broadcasts we got while we were out, along with the confidential briefing material intelligence sends out.”
“As usual with politics it’s a lot more complex than it seems. All you need to know is that there is a significant majority of political, military, and industrial interests in favor of expansion. Until a few years ago the majority of these interests were in favor of peaceful colonization and the exploitation of uninhabited systems, but there was a significant minority that stood to profit from the forceful incorporation of systems into the Empire. Over the last several years the interests in favor of forceful expansion, and specifically of opening Procyon at any cost, have been gaining adherents. They are poised to force the issue, unless something arises that would distract them for a time.”
Now it was Craig’s turn to frown. “What, exactly, are you hoping for? I can’t conjure an enemy up out of the vacuum.”
Now Tannenbaum looked pensive. “No, you can’t. But if you should find yourself in a situation where a little “forceful action” might result, then I want you keep in mind the good it would do back here.” Admiral Tannenbaum settled back. “To be honest, I had hoped that your expedition would reveal a new target for the unrestrained expansionists to feed on before now. A good, honest, despicable dictatorship would have done the trick very well, and given the business interests and do-gooders something to concentrate on for the next several years.”
Admiral Craig got to his feet and walked over to the display, peering at an ammunition lighter nestled up against the Sol Invictus. After a few seconds he turned back to his friend and superior officer. “Admiral, tell me, what is it about Procyon and Plateau that’s got you so spooked?”
“Sam, it’s a trap, pure and simple, and there is no way that the Navy will come out unscathed.” Seeing the look on Craig’s face he shook his head. “Oh, you’re right, there is no way that they can stop us, but they can hurt us, maybe badly. After all, they know where we are going to enter their system and they’d be stupid if they didn’t have defenses in place by now, after all of the time we’ve given them. But that’s not what I’m talking about. Right now we have no reason to go poking our noses into their system. They’ve made their lack of interest in joining us, or even talking to us clear. And worse, they’ve given us no pretext to intervene, and no way to manufacture a pretext. We literally have no information. They could be the universe’s worst despotism over there, or the galaxy’s freest democracy, but either way we have no way of telling before we jump in and begin shooting the warships that are undoubtedly guarding the warp point. If we do that, if we go in and destroy their defense forces and kill a bunch fo their citizens and we find that we’re suppressing a free and decent people, all in the name of our greed, what will become of us? What will become of the Navy?”
Craig opened his mouth with a hot retort. If the government of Plateau got in the way of the Imperial Navy, then they deserved what they got. He was poised to say as much when he saw the look on The Admiral’s face. It was the same look he got during the darkest days of the civil war, when things were bad enough they feared defeat and betrayal stalked them at every turn. It was then that The Admiral had proven to be the leader that they all knew him to be, when he upheld the Navy’s honor through their darkest hours. When it would have been so easy and expedient to cast it aside and do what was necessary to survive. After a few seconds he chuckled and sat down again, shaking his head.
Admiral Tannenbaum smiled with his old friend uncomprehendingly. “Now what, Sam? I thought you were going to bite my head off, there for a second.”
“You always do it to me, Admiral. The firs thing I thought of when I saw you standing in this room was about the old days, and how your belief in the honor of the Imperial Navy might have been the only thing that got us through those dark days intact, and now here I was, all set to chew you out for that same thing. You brought us through those days to victory, Admiral, and the current situation is nothing like as desperate as back then. I’ll give you what you need, one way or another.”
Now it was Admiral Tannenbaum’s turn to stand and walk over to the display. “Sam, sometimes I think that success is more dangerous than the threat of failure. For almost three hundred years the Imperial Navy has symbolized the best of humanity. It has stood in between humanity and chaos and death. For the common man it is synonymous for freedom and protection from danger. If we allow ourselves to be used to conquer Plateau without justification, we’ll kill that tradition deader than the old twentieth century democracies.” He waived at the planet behind the Sol Invictus. “Oh, they’ll all cheer us now, but if we allow this to happen then next year they’ll begin fearing us, and we’ll never recover.”
Admiral Craig rose to attention. “We’re all behind you, Admiral. We follow where you lead. Always.”
Admiral Tannenbaum smiled at his old friend. “I know, Sam, and believe me, I do appreciate it. Now let’s see what we can do to make sure that Plateau doesn’t become the unwilling focus of the Empire’s avarice.”
As they turned to walk out, Admiral Craig stopped, and Admiral Tannenbaum turned back to see what the problem was. After a second Craig nodded, seemingly to himself. “You know, Admiral, the problem with our position is that we don’t know what is going on in Plateau. It is just as likely that a despicable government is in charge over there as a good one, isn’t it. In fact, knowing people like we do, isn’t more likely to be a bad government than a good one?”
Admiral Tannenbaum turned back to the door. “That’s the problem alright. But we just don’t know.” And with that he walked out into the command ship’s corridors.
December 19, 2366
After its long voyage through the Solar System for re-provisioning, the 1st EF was finally in location in the Alpha Centauri system at the system’s innermost unexplored warp point. Following standard procedure, six ships, three Guard and three Navy ships, would jump through first to probe the far side of the warp point and establish a beachhead. As usual, Admiral Craig led the way in his flagship, the battleship California.
The transiting units found themselves in a single-star system with a G2-V primary. A short period of examination determined that the system consisted of four rocky inner planets, three outer gas giants, three icy outer planets, and a huge asteroid belt orbiting far beyond the orbits of the planets. Two of the inner planets possessed oxygen-nitrogen atmospheres, and one, the third planet out, was nearly perfect for human habitation.
The fleet’s entrance point was approximately 150 million kilometers from the system primary, just outside the orbit of the third planet. In fact, the third planet was currently just 55 million kilometers from the fleet’s position, just outside of standard missile range and well within capital missile range. Once the fleet’s thermal detection systems came back online they immediately sounded warnings on the bridges of the fleet units in the system. The third planet was exhibiting a thermal signature one third greater than that of New Victoria, which currently had a population of 605 million. In addition, thirteen other thermal contacts had been detected in orbit over the planet. The largest was strength 880, approximately one quarter that of Admiral Craig’s flagship.
By the time the California’s systems had recovered from the jump, the six Imperial ships had restored their active sensors and additional information was available on the contacts:
3x22,300 ton contacts
1x1,000 ton contact
3x35,000 ton contacts
4x7,200 ton contacts
2x14,400 ton contacts
In addition, a medium shipyard had been detected in orbit over the planet. By then, the scientific team on the California had identified the system. It was Zeta Reticuli, and it had been known to the old Empire! A new lost colony had been found! According to the old records, the inhabited planet of this system was named Oceania, due to extensive ocean coverage.
The natives wasted no time in responding to the Imperial intrusion. Within a minute of the appearance of the Imperial ships, the orbiting ships got underway. The six largest ships began moving away from the Imperial squadrons almost immediately, moving at 1568 kps and 999 kps directly away. The smaller ships headed towards the Imperial squadrons at uniform 3055 kps, all except the single 1,000 ton ship which was moving at 4,000 kps.
A lean, wolfish look spread across Admiral Craig’s rough face. This couldn’t have been better if he had planned it. Unlike The Admiral, he had a jaundiced view of humanity and government. No government alive didn’t have a dirty underside, and by the time he got done with these people they’d be the worst dictators seen since the twenty first century. “Communications, orders for the Agincourt. They are to transit out and warn the rest of the fleet, and then to return with the second guard gunship-carrier. In the meantime the rest of the fleet is to remain on alert on the far side of the warp point.”
“Aye aye, sir.” The communications officer fiddled with his console for a minute or so, and then turned to Admiral Craig. “Message away, sir.”
“Very well.” Even as the Imperial Guard flagship began transit procedures, Admiral Craig considered the situation. “Communications, record a message for broadcast, in the clear, to the oncoming ships and the planet.” When the communications officer nodded his readiness, Admiral Craig stood and centered himself before the recorder. “To the citizens of Oceania, I am Admiral Craig, commander of this detachment of the Imperial Navy. The warp points are open again, and once again the Empire is taking upon itself the responsibility for protecting and defending humanity. We are overjoyed at discovering our lost cousins, and wish only to welcome you back into the fold of humanity once again. I await your response with interest.”
Once that message was broadcast, Admiral Craig ordered that a second message be broadcast to the oncoming fleet. “While we come in peace, we do not wish to place either ourselves or you in a dangerous position. Please approach no closer than thirty five million kilometers from our present position. If you do, it will be considered an act of war.”
With the messages away, he settled in to wait. The oncoming ships exhibited Imperial emission signatures, so he was fairly sure that they would understand Imperial Standard English, and if they didn’t their computers should.
Eighty minutes later there had been no reply, and the tiny Oceania gunboat, which at 4,000 kps was leading the oncoming fleet, was nearing thirty five million kilometers. Admiral Craig ordered a warning shot. Seconds later the Guard flagship Agincourt, the only Imperial vessel that could engage a gunboat at that range, launched one capital missile at the oncoming gunboat.
Fifteen minutes later the capital missile slammed into the oncoming gunboat. The huge missile gutted the tiny ship, causing massive damage and leaving it dead in space. In the aftermath of the dramatic demonstration of the Empire’s abilities, Admiral Craig sent another message ordering the oncoming ships to halt.
Twenty five minutes passed without any change in the approaching fleet. Even the normally cynical Admiral Craig was surprised at this obstinate behavior. He had anticipated having to work somewhat harder to engineer a situation where he could initiate hostilities. They were making it too easy. He ordered a second warning shot to be launched, this time at the largest of the approaching ships. The battleship Virginia handled this one, and shortly thereafter another capital missile was headed towards the Oceanic fleet. Just over fourteen minutes later the missile hit the light-cruiser sized Oceanic ship, gouging a glowing crater in its armor but causing no other apparent damage. By then the Imperial ships were within active detection range of the Oceanic fleet’s active systems.
Once again there was no response from the Oceanic fleet or from the planet. By this time Admiral Craig was confident that his battleship squadron was capable of dealing with anything the Oceanic fleet could launch, given the fact that his three ships out-massed the entire Oceanic fleet and given their demonstrated detection range and speed. He therefore ordered his squadron to remain in place, allowing the oncoming Oceanic squadron the first move.
An hour passed, during which the Oceanic fleet approached to just under nineteen million kilometers. Finally, Admiral Craig had had enough. He issued one more warning both to the oncoming fleet and the planet, giving them twenty minutes to retreat or at least to establish communications before he eliminated the threat to his squadron.
Still the Oceanic squadron approached. When the twenty minutes ran out Admiral Craig shrugged. Oceania had chosen their fate. Without a second thought he ordered his battleships to eliminate the oncoming ships. Seconds later a full broadside, fifty five capital missiles, raced away from the Imperial squadron, targeted on the seven ships of the Oceanic fleet. Admiral Craig ordered a cease fire at that point, confident in the belief that fifty five Imperial capital missiles would be more than enough to deal with the exhibited capabilities of the Oceanic fleet.
Five minutes later the Imperial missiles slammed into the Oceanic formation like the wrath of god. There had been some indication that the Oceanic vessels were launching their own missiles in the meantime, but if so it was too late, the faster Imperial missiles reached their targets first. Thirty nine Imperial missiles hit their targets in the first wave, leaving sixteen after the initial explosions cleared. Four of those were missiles that had been targeted on the already damaged gunboat, while the remainder were missiles whose target was destroyed before they could attack.
Four of the six oceanic ships were destroyed immediately, and the remaining two in the leading group were destroyed as soon as the twelve missiles that had lost their targets acquired them. That left four capital missiles from the Agincourt to close on the crippled gunboat. The Oceanic missile attack, if indeed they had launched missiles, never materialized once the tracking systems the Oceanic missiles were depending on were destroyed.
Eight minutes later the gunboat was destroyed and the Imperial squadron owned the system. Admiral Craig once again dispatched the Agincourt to Alpha Centauri with a message, and then dispatched another message to Oceania. “This is Admiral Craig. Your inexplicable persistence in ignoring my reasonable warnings has resulted in the complete destruction of your fleet. I demand your immediate surrender to legitimate Imperial authorities. My fleet will be entering orbit soon. When we do make orbit I expect to meet with your representatives to discussion the incorporation of your planet into the Empire.”
Shortly thereafter, the Agincourt re-appeared in the system, this time with additional Imperial units, including the troop transports Gallipoli and Algiers, carrying the 3rd Imperial Guard Shock Brigade, the 3rd Marine Brigade, and two brigades of Imperial Army troops.
December 20, 2366
Admiral Craig smiled appreciatively as he read the intelligence report. Yesterday they had rescued 2,243 survivors of the Oceanic fleet from their life pods. Imperial Naval Intelligence specialists had been working with the survivors since then, extracting as much information as they could. Their initial report was interesting in light of how much they made out of how little they had gotten. According to the specialists, the rank and file from the Oceanic crews knew very little, both specifically about relevant intelligence and generally about anything at all. They were very poorly educated beyond their particular specialization, and apparently knew very little about the world beyond the bounds of their ship. The officers were somewhat better, but only slightly. From this near complete lack of information the specialists had deduced that Oceanic society was static and extremely limiting for most of its inhabitants. Based on statements made by several officers it appeared that The State (the capitals were apparent in the way the officers spoke) ruled every aspect of its citizens lives.
This situation couldn’t be better for the Empire if he had conjured it whole-cloth. A moribund dictatorship unable to imagine change and so oppressive that its citizens couldn’t even conceive of rebellion was just what The Admiral needed. It also wouldn’t be very effective resisting the overwhelming force that the Empire could bring to bear. Modernizing the society and deprogramming and educating the citizens once the conquest was complete would be an entirely different thing, but it also wouldn’t be his problem.
By that time the assault squadron was busily landing the four Imperial Brigades at several bridgeheads on the surface, opposed only by desultory local resistance.
