Month 194, Doraz Territories, Alliance 6th Fleet
With the supply depots in the Sheund system coming along, the advance forces of the Alliance 6th Fleet were able to advance into the Revolver system, which was adjacent to the alien’s home system, while the bulk of the 6th Fleet was able to advance to the Sheund system itself. The supply master’s estimates were that it would still be two months before they could supply the entire fleet in the Revolver system, so Tai-sho Talix was going to have to decide whether or not to advance with just a portion of his forces, or wait for the supply network to build up its capacity. For now, he was content to wait, as new supply ships were under construction, or being loaded with supplies, and one way or another the supply situation would be remedied.
In the Aurarii home system, Lord Admiral Dromo, fearing that the invasion effort is flagging and that the indecisive ongoing battle will tarnish his reputation, uses all of his influence in the Court to call up every reserve unit in the Aurarii Republic and get them transferred to his command to reinforce his invasion of Norn Prime. The new units will arrive before the end of the month. Dromo is told in no uncertain terms that these will be the last reinforcements he receives.
Month 194, Alliance Naval HQ, Chruqua Nexus
The Naval Intelligence Strategic Assessment Group was assigned to analyze and integrate information turned over by the various member states of the Alliance finally began grinding away through the information sent by the Zir, and alarms went off almost immediately. The astrographic information contained both incredible opportunities and incredible threats. The Zir had discovered a warp nexus with an open, detectable, link to an unknown alien race, as well as three closed links to inhabited systems. Two of these links appeared to link to human systems, which made them interesting, and potentially useful should hostilities resume with that race, but it was the last link that was the most interesting. Not only was it to a Mintek system, but it was to a Mintek system that matched the known information associated with the Mintek Home system! An offensive into the Mintek home system would almost certainly end the long war with that race in one lightning operation.
A priority message was sent from the head of the assessment group to the chief of naval intelligence, who immediately requested a meeting with the ruling triumvirate. While the full Council of the Alliance consisted of representatives from every Alliance race, the representatives of the three full members were the only voting representatives, and they were the ones that made the real decisions for the Alliance. The Triumvirate was quickly informed of the new opportunities and threats, and acted quickly. The Chief of Naval Operations was tasked with developing a plan to assault the Mintek home system. Next, the Zir were tasked with building up the defenses of the Villiers system, which was the nexus system that connected to the Mintek Home System. Additionally, light forces were diverted from several locations in the Alliance to begun a buildup of forces in the Villiers system. Eventually, the newly formed 6th Fleet would be diverted to the Zir system, once its mission in the Doraz expanses were complete, but for now the Zir would have to shoulder the burden of the defense of the Villiers system. Finally, construction units across the Alliance were given orders to divert to the Villiers system as soon as their current tasks could be completed.
Month 195, Aurarii Home System, Doraz Territories
The Aurarii invasion of Norn Prime, bolstered by reinforcements arriving late last month, finally overwhelm the Norn defenders and the Norn Regime formally surrenders on the 1st of the month. Lord Admiral Dromo graciously accepts the surrender and disperses his troops across the planet to consolidate Aurarii control. He also loads his transports with loot from the conquered planet, and then takes the bulk of his fleet back to Aurarii Prime in victory. As his fleet departs, he orders three CVL’s from the newly reactivated reserves over Aurarii Prime to move to Norn Prime and take up watch stations to cover the troops on the ground. He has several reasons for doing this. First, his fleet is composed of capital ships only, which means that leaving any behind over Norn Prime would significantly weaken his fleet. This is something he intends to remedy in the near future, which is increased fame and influence at Court should make possible. Secondly, the ships in his fleet are commanded by captains personally chosen by him, and thus loyal to him. The ships of the New Fleet of reserve ships being reactivated over Aurarii Prime are commanded by captains and an admiral chosen by officers not beholden to him, and were likely chosen by factions within the Court opposed to his rise. While not necessarily enemies, they aren’t his people either, and can’t be trusted. Weakening the New Fleet slightly, while returning with his own fleet to Aurarii Prime, will ensure his primacy in orbit over the home planet. With his hard-won fame from defeating the Norn Fleet, and then conquering Norn Prime, along with the Norn loot he can now disperse to his followers and to the Court, he will be politically unstoppable. With all of that behind him he is sure that he can unseat the Regent and replace her. And once he controls the child-Emperor, there will be no limit to his reach. Lord Admiral Dromo is a very satisfied Aurarii.
Month 195, Day 15, Aurarii Prime
The victory celebration in the capital had been going on for hours, and would go on for hours more. Lord Admiral Dromo had been generous with his resources, and had funded food and drink for large celebrations throughout the capital and beyond. The average citizens loved it. The Norn had long been a distant threat they had vaguely feared, and with them vanquished, at seemingly no cost, they thought Lord Admiral Dromo walked on water.
The Imperial Court was celebrating too, and if their food and drink was of a better quality, and they were a bit more restrained than the commoners, they were, if anything, even more relieved at the outcome. Many of the more minor courtiers had thronged to Lord Admiral Dromo’s side upon his arrival, their keen political sense detecting an ascending star, and the Lord Admiral had been feted and adored throughout the evening, treatment that he soaked up as his due. The culmination of the evening for Dromo was a personal audience with the Emperor. The four-year-old didn’t really know what was going on as the adults around him handled the pomp and circumstance, but it wasn’t the boy that mattered to Dromo anyway. It was his aunt, the Dowager Princess Anastal, Regent for the crown, who mattered in that room. The Regent was very formal and correct, and effusive in her praise for Dromo’s accomplishments, and Dromo basked in the praise even as he knew it was false. The Regent knew him for a threat to her position, but there was little she could do about it with his political star ascending and the people and his fleet at his back.
The celebrations continued into the next day without pause. Sometime around midnight, Lord Admiral Dromo retired to his suite in the Palace. He would have preferred to stay someplace else, perhaps even aboard his flagship, but that wasn’t possible. He was the victor, and staying in the Palace was politically necessary. The day had been long and arduous. Dromo had been struck several times during the day with the thought that the Palace was a battlefield every bit as dangerous as the battles he had so recently fought, and perhaps even more so. By the end of the day, he was exhausted and his stomach was telling him that he had perhaps imbibed too much, or eaten too much of the rich food that had been present in such abundance. As he entered his suite, which had been swept by his people and was guarded by his personal guards, he just wanted to get a little sleep before getting up in the morning and restarting his political efforts. Without thinking too much about it he dimmed the lights and collapsed on the ornate couch in the entry way to his suite, not even bothering to take off his dress uniform.
Sometime later he awoke, bathed in sweat, disoriented, and in pain. The pain originated in his abdomen and radiated out, and was intense enough that he could do little but groan in distress. After a few seconds he heard a chuckle nearby. The sound sent waves of panic through him, and he attempted to find his communicator, but the pain in his stomach was debilitating and he couldn’t move. He peered around the dimly lit room in fear. “Who’s there?”, he managed to croak.
A dark figure sitting across from the couch he was sprawled on shifted and he started. In the dark hadn’t noticed the other. After a second the figure leaned close and a shock of recognition raced through him. The Regent! He looked around for his guards but no one else was there. He tried to ask how she had gotten into the room, as there was no way his guards would have let her into the room unescorted, but the pain crested and all he could get out was -”Guards!” in a low croak that couldn’t be heard much beyond the couch he was laying on.
The Regent chucked. “Don’t worry, Lord Admiral. They are on duty even now, diligently guarding you. This is my home, though, and I know it better than anyone else. Now, don’t you worry. The pain will fade soon, and after that you won’t have any worries at all.” She paused, and seeing the panicked look on the admiral’s face she continued, smiling openly now. “Oh Dromo, you had such dreams. I know. We all knew, how could we not? You may be a good admiral, but as a courtier or politician you were a beginner. Your dreams of Imperial purple were there for anyone to see, so obvious was your ambition. And I can’t have that, can I? My nephew will be Emperor one day, and neither you nor any of the others who lust after that damned throne will stand in his way.” Seeing that the light was fading in his eyes she nodded. “Don’t worry Dromo, your victories have gone a long way towards securing my nephew’s rule, as will your timely death. Goodbye dear admiral.” She stood and walked out of Dromo’s line of sight. A few minutes later Dromo’s eyes closed for the last time.
The next morning, thinking their admiral had merely slept in to celebrate his victory, Dromo’s guards shielded him from all inquiries. Finally, a servant was allowed to enter the suite with breakfast, and the guards that escorted her into the suite found Dromo dead on the couch. Dromo’s own naval medical personnel were called in and verified that he had died early in the morning from heart failure.
The Regent herself made the tearful announcement to the planet that their hero, the victor of Norn Prime, had died of natural causes after the celebration. She lauded the Lord Admiral, and announced that his family would be awarded an estate and a title for his service.
Month 195, Day 15, Aurarii Home System, Doraz Territories
One by one the ships of the 6th Alliance Fleet entered the Stone system, home of the aliens that had recently chased the Doraz contact ships out of the system. In all, one hundred and nine Alliance ships jumped into the system. Of these ships, five were supply ships carrying vital maintenance supplies, while the rest were warships of varying types.
Tai-Sho Talix had not originally intended to enter the system in this manner. For one thing, the supply depots set up two systems back in the Sheund system were not at full capacity yet, and wouldn’t be for several months. Also, the Alliance Council was still divided on the correct course of action to take with the natives of this system. While they had chased the Doraz contact group, and forced them to scuttle one of their ships to avoid capture, they had not fired on the Doraz ships or taken any openly hostile actions aside from the aggressive pursuit. Given that fact that Council had been against opening hostilities immediately, without further negotiation, but hadn’t wanted to risk any further contact ships either. All of the uncertainty had evaporated when the report from Naval Intelligence on the Zir situation had arrived in the Council’s hands. That had changed everything. Tai-sho Talix had received new orders requiring him to enter the alien’s system with as much strength as he felt necessary, and to resolve the situation as soon as possible so that his fleet could be immediately redeployed to Zir space. To Talix, “as much force as necessary” meant his entire fleet, even if it was at the edge of his ability to support, and so here they were. His orders covered any possible action he deemed necessary, up to but not including planetary bombardment.
After reorganizing, the fleet set out for the inner system, leaving the Doraz Contact Fleet behind to guard the warp point leading back to their space. Their ETA to the inner system of the primary star was nine days.
Four days later the Alliance fleet crossed an invisible line in space and popped up on the Aurarii sensor network. Admiral Vintari, the new commander of the Aurarii fleet, ordered his ships to leave orbit and intercept the incoming contact. A day and a half later the Aurarii fleet appeared on the sensors of the Alliance fleet. Just over a day later the two fleets met in deep space.
Aurarii Grand Fleet
Admiral Vintari, CO
3xML, 8xSD, 6xBB, 6xCV, 6xCVL, 217xF0 (3,005 Hull Spaces)
Alliance 6th Fleet
Tai-sho Talix, CO
15xBC, 18xCA, 15xCL, 11xDD, 1xCVL, 4xCVS, 19xCVE, 5xCT(pinnace), 16xCTV, 5xFT(Supply), 375xF0, 20xPinnace (4,431 Hull Spaces)
The two fleets closed to fifteen light seconds from each other and then came to a halt. Shortly thereafter a transmission from the native fleet arrived and was displayed on the command deck monitor on board Tai-sho Talix’s command battlecruiser. The display showed a humanoid figure, elaborately dressed in what was obviously a uniform with numerous medals and insignia hanging from the jacket. The native looked rather a lot like a human, with whom Talix had had some limited dealings in the past. The native’s language was incomprehensible, though, and it would take some time to decipher. Time Talix didn’t have. In spite of his orders, though, Talix did not want to initiate hostilities without a clear indication that there was not going to be another alternative. So, he was forced to wait as the contact team worked to decipher the alien language.
By the end of the month the Alliance communications specialists had made some headway with the native’s language. The natives, in spite of their previous aggression, were able to communicate well enough to get the fact that they wanted a peaceful contact with the Alliance. Indeed, not long after that message was relayed to the Alliance communication staff, all but three of the Aurarii ships turned for home. The three remaining ships were all cruiser sized, that being the smallest ship in the Aurarii fleet.
Tai-sho Talix was somewhat relieved, although anxious over the fact that he needed to begin moving his fleet to Zir space as soon as possible. After conversations with his staff, he decided to withdraw from the Aurarii system, leaving behind a small group of ships to conduct the first contact process. The Aurarii were warned not to follow the 6th Fleet as it withdrew, as Talix wanted to maintain the secrecy of the location of the closed warp point his fleet had used to enter the system. The three Aurarii ships seemed content to watch the bulk of the fleet depart.
Month 195, Day 28, Zir Villiers System
A Zir destroyer group from the Zir Frontier Fleet had been watching the open warp point to the unknown alien race’s system almost since it was discovered. The fact that the warp point on the far side was open as well meant that at some point the native race in that system may come calling through the warp point, although after all of this time the Zir didn’t think it was likely. Still, the destroyer group had been assigned to observe the alien system and guard the warp point out of caution. For all of that time they had sat on the far side of the warp point, observing the alien system, occasionally jumping back to the Villiers system to be resupplied. Now all of that changed. The Zir destroyers picked up a drive field contact on a direct course for their location. Quickly activating their drive fields, they jumped out of the system, in the hopes that the aliens hadn’t discovered the warp point and were merely coincidentally on a direct course for their location.
Several days later the alien ships had not jumped through the warp point. For now, the Zir ships would remain in their own system, in case the aliens were waiting on the far side.
Meanwhile, on the periphery of the Alliance, an exploration fleet probed a newly discovered warp point. The new system was a binary yellow/orange star system. The primary system had two type T planets, both inhabited. Problematically, the entry point into the system was located just seventy-two light minutes from the system primary, and one of the two inhabited planets was within detection range of the warp point when the probe ship entered the system. Following protocol, the probe ship sent a CD back through the warp point to inform the fleet of the discovery, then began sending contact messages to the two inhabited planets. Their response was swift, and soon the contact team on board the Rehorish survey corvette were working on deciphering the native’s language. The native’s appearance was a mystery, as all of the natives that had appeared in the contact messages were covered in a full suit of what appeared to be combat armor of some sort. From what could be seen they were bipedal, with two arms and two legs, but not much could be seen past that. By the end of the month partial communications had been established with the Lothar, as they called themselves. At this point they seemed friendly enough, and had sent a small ship to meet the Alliance survey ship to conduct their portion of the first contact procedure.