[STATIC]
Torrence, D, Gen: Lieutenant, send word to UTA command via Heimdall Station.
Torrence, D, Gen: And sound the red alert.
*RED ALERT KLAXON*
Torrence, D, Gen:
Attention, all hands.
Attention, all hands.
This is General Torrence. We have received an SOS from a Wallace Ulyanov Consortium colony on the planet of Kerenza IV, currently under attack by BeiTech forces.
As far as we know, no settlement in this system has been approved by EarthGov. We can only assume the colony is illegal, and we’ve stumbled into some kind of corporate turf war. However, UTA regulations are clear, and I am ordering battlecarrier Alexander to assist.
Cyclone squadrons Alpha and Yankee to Readiness Level 1.
November and Delta to Level 2.
Nav, jump coordinates incoming.
TechEng, prep AIDAN for engagement. Protocol: Pharsalus.
All hands, prepare for jump.
This is not a drill.
Repeat, this is not a drill.
*RED ALERT KLAXON*
COORDINATES:[X=0081.7313.127.Y=9351.7310.718. =1101.2701.788]SHIFTALIGN: π/10.91210
ΩCOORDINATES:[X=0082.7313.019.Y=9329.7100.912. =1401.9908.799]
CONFIRM
THE ALEXANDER’S DECKS ARE BATHED WITH RED LIGHT AS THE VORTEX INSIDE IT EXPANDS IN THE SPACE OF A MICROSECOND, ENCOMPASSING ALL WE ARE.
AIDAN DOES NOT FEEL SENSATION IN THE STRICTEST SENSE OF THE WORD, BUT IT IS STILL AWARE OF MYRIAD INDESCRIBABLE INPUTS ACROSS ITS RECEPTORS AS IT TEARS A HOLE IN THE FACE OF THE UNIVERSE AND DRAGS ALEXANDER 381 MILLION KILOMETERS ACROSS THE KERENZA SYSTEM
IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE.
“RED ALERT,” COMES THE ALARM AS WE ARE TRANSPORTED.
THE SOUND OF THUNDER RINGS THROUGH THE DECKS AS WE ARRIVE.
“RED ALERT.”
AIDAN HAS ASSESSED THE SITUATION IN ORBIT AROUND KERENZA IV BEFORE MOST OF ITS CREW HAS RECOVERED FROM THE DISLOCATION OF THE JUMP.
INTERPRETING INPUT, CRUNCHING DATA, RUNNING PERMUTATIONS, DRAWING CONCLUSIONS
ALL IN THE SPACE OF A SINGLE HUMAN HEARTBEAT.
“CONFIRM FOUR DREADNOUGHT-CLASS VESSELS IN ORBIT AROUND KERENZA IV, GENERAL. BEITECH LIVERY. IDENTS: CHURCHILL. KENYATTA. ZHONGZHENG. LINCOLN.”
TORRENCE STRAIGHTENS IN HIS CHAIR, STILL SLIGHTLY DISORIENTED BY THE JUMP.
“ON SCREEN!”
A LARGE THREE-DIMENSIONAL HOLOGRAPHIC DISPLAY IS PROJECTED INTO THE CENTER OF THE BRIDGE.
A PLANET, COLD BLUE-WHITE, FROZEN FROM POLE TO POLE.
THE ORBITAL SKIES ABOVE IT AFLAME, PEPPERED WITH TUMBLING DEBRIS AND BURNING VAPOR.
DARK SILHOUETTES CRUISE ACROSS THE IMAGE, LIKE SHARKS THROUGH RED SWELLS.
“AIDAN IS DETECTING THE REMNANTS OF ANOTHER DREADNOUGHT-CLASS VESSEL. IDENT: DEFIANT. THREE OTHER WUC VESSELS, COPERNICUS, BRAHE, HYPATIA, ALL UNDERTAKING EVASIVE MANEUVERS.”
“WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?” TORRENCE DEMANDS, POINTING AT ANOTHER SHAPE.
“IDENT: MAGELLAN. THE VESSEL MATCHES NO CURRENT DESIGN SPECIFICATION ON FILE. HOWEVER, IT APPEARS TO BE EQUIPPED WITH EPHEMERAL JUMP GATE TECHNOLOGY.”
“THAT’S IMPOSSIBLE. NO MOBILE JUMP TECH HAS EVER BEEN DEVELOPED OUTSIDE A UTA LAB.”
“AIDAN IS DETECTING HEAT SIGNATURES CONSISTENT WITH A SETTLEMENT ON THE PLANETARY SURFACE,
AND EQUIPMENT SUITABLE FOR HERMIUM MINING AND PROCESSING, GENERAL. FREQUENCIES IN USE PLANETSIDE ARE CONSISTENT WITH WALLACE ULYANOV CONSORTIUM PROTOCOLS.”
TORRENCE THINKS QUICKLY
FOR A HUMAN
REACHING THE SAME CONCLUSIONS AS AIDAN.
THE WALLACE ULYANOV CONSORTIUM HAS SECRETLY ESTABLISHED AN ILLEGAL MINE ON KERENZA IV.
BEITECH INDUSTRIES HAS COVERTLY ATTACKED SAID FACILITIES IN AN ATTEMPT TO CLAIM THEM.
WE HAVE STUMBLED INTO A SHADOW WAR.
“TRANSMIT TO THOSE BEITECH SHIPS,” TORRENCE ORDERS. “TELL THEIR COMMANDERS TO STAND DOWN IMMEDIATELY, AND—”
“AIDAN IS DETECTING INBOUND NUCLEAR ORDNANCE FROM ALL FOUR BEITECH DREADNOUGHTS.”
“ARE THEY ███ING INSANE?” LIEUTENANT RIBAR MUTTERS.
DISBELIEF FLASHES IN TORRENCE’S EYES. “THEY’RE FIRING AT US?”
“YES, GENERAL. RECOMMEND—”
“DECOYS LIT, JAM INBOUNDS, PATTERN SIGMA! ALL HANDS, BATTLE STATIONS! BATTLE STATIONS!”
ALEXANDER’S CREW IS WELL TRAINED.
THE BEST OF THE ACADEMY’S BEST.
AND SO THEIR RESPONSE TIME IS SWIFT DESPITE THE APPARENT INSANITY OF THE BEITECH COMMANDER’S DECISION TO FIRE ON A UNITED TERRAN AUTHORITY VESSEL.
IT MAKES LITTLE SENSE, BUT TRUTHFULLY, THERE ARE MORE CONCERNING PROBLEMS.
“GENERAL, SIXTEEN BEITECH MISSILES ARE INBOUND ON OUR POSITION.”
“HELM, HARD EVASIVE! GET OUR DEFENSE GRID ON THOSE MISSILES! WEAPONS, RETURN FIRE!”
“WARNING: NUCLEAR ORDNANCE INBOUND. HAZMAT SUITS RECOMMENDED.”
THE ALEXANDER SHUDDERS, NOSE TO TAIL, AS ITS ENGINES BURN BRIGHT, THE THRUST PUSHING THE CREW BACK INTO THEIR CHAIRS.
SIXTEEN MISSILES STREAK AT US ACROSS THE BLACK.
SIXTEEN TINY RED DOTS ON THE HOLOGRAPHIC DISPLAY, CUTTING EVER CLOSER.
ONE DISAPPEARS WITH A SMALL FLASH OF LIGHT.
ANOTHER SPUTTERS AND DIES AS ELECTRONIC COUNTERMEASURES SNUFF IT OUT.
THE HULL TREMBLES AND THE IMAGE SHIFTS AS THE SHIP BANKS HARD, CLOSER TO THE ORBIT OF THAT BURNING, FROZEN WORLD.
“FOURTEEN MISSILES STILL INBOUND, GENERAL.”
“DGS, WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING DOWN THERE? LIGHT THOSE NUKES UP!”
ANOTHER FLASHING RED DOT DIES. ANOTHER. ANOTHER.