《Aetherias Ascent》 Chapter 1 - Inheritors Awakening UGT: Unknown Location: Unknown System
"Urgh... What the...?" I didn`t know what to say. I was freezing terribly, but the darkness of sleep had been so soothing. Couldn`t I just go back to sleep? Flee from that horrible freezing cold? [ Warning, if inheritor looses counciousness a second time, chances of sucessfull revival and therefore survival fall to 0.74%. Caution and an immediate reactivation of full mental capabilities are advised. ] These words, projected directly into my mind, were reason enough for me to stay awake a few more seconds. The moment said words started to truly make sense to my still sleepy mind, I shot up, any thought about sleep instantly forgotten. Only to regret this decision almost instantly, as the room began to spin around me. Startled, I took a step backwards, but tripped over my own feet and fell back into the freezingly cold mass in which I had lain, accompanied by a loud splash. I rubbed my still bleary eyes and surveyed my surroundings, this time preferring to take everything around me in slowly. I was sitting in a pod filled with a gelatinous freezingly could substance. All around me, there were other pods like my own, but they were all closed. Well, that wasn`t entirely true. Next to mine, there were a handful of other pods open, but I saw no other people around. Did they already leave? [ As of now, inheritor ist the only sentient being located on ASO-17309 that is in a state where active mental processes occur. ] [ Going to the infirmary for automated examination of inheritors bodily and mental functions after sucessfull awakening is advised. ] There was that voice again. What was it even talking about? Sucessfull awakening? Where even am I?! [ Awakening is the process of the body resuming biological workings after being in cryostasis. ] [ Current location of inheritor is the cryostasis module of the ASO-17309, a military outpost of the Aetherian Empire. ] [ Going to the infirmary for automated examination of inheritors bodily and mental functions after sucessfull awakening is advised. Way to the infirmary has been highlighted. ] Suddenly a red line appeared in my field of vision, but at the moment I was still preoccupied with something else. "Cryostasis? What even is that?! And who are you?!" I asked out loud. Although I was pretty sure that until now, the voice had just straight out read my mind. But this way, I at least felt a bit more comfortable. [ Cryostasis is the reversible cryopreservation of live biological objects. ] [ In the Aetherian Empire, said technology was used to circumvent detection by (REDACTED), to pass longer time frames without biological aging, or as a sentence against criminals. ] [ This unit is the Main Commanding AI of ASO-17309, now redirected to function as personal AI of inheritor, based in Inheritor-Protocol #72-B. ] [ Going to the infirmary for automated examination of inheritors bodily and mental functions after sucessfull awakening is advised. ] "Fine, I¡äll go to the infirmary, stop pestering me about it! But at least answer my questions on the way!" I said, deciding that it was time for me to leave the pod. I had nothing better to do anyway, so why not follow the red line that just outright appeared in my vision. The outpost, ASO-17309 as the AI had called it, seemed to be... poorly preserved. Besides the fact that I was naked and the air was freezingly cold, everywhere I looked, there was a huge layer of dust and the outpost seemed to be in the process of falling apart. Together with how stiff my movements were, it could take some time for me to reach the infirmary, that hopefully still functioned correctly. But I honestly doubted that, looking at the station. Anyway, back to my questions. "What happened to this station? And what about me? I don`t remember... anything, now that I think about it! What the fuck happened to me?!" [ ASO-17309 was built as a military outpost to protect aetherian interest in the southern sector of the galaxy and saw its last maintanance by biological beings 983 years ago. The last replacement parts where shipped into the station 996 years ago. The entire storage of replacement parts and therefore the ability of this unit to completely repair ongoing outpost damage without biological assistance ended 832 years ago. The last 831 years, ASO-17309 entered a stage of steady decline with only 27% of the outpost at least still partially functional. ] [ Inheritor and all other outpost personal went into cryostasis 980 years ago, but without securing the ability to safely awaken again. Since inheritor was awakened without any safety measures in place and needed two attempts to awaken, this likely resulted in a memory loss. ] [ Currently 3824 aetherians are still in cryostasis with at least 566 dead throughout the station. ] "What the fuck?! I lost my memories because I was TOO FUCKING INCOMPETENT to make sure I could awaken safely again?! What did I think?!" Obviously the AI decided to not react to my short rant, so I took a few deep breaths before I started speaking again. "Can you please show me my... status?" I... didn`t know from where that word came, but it just felt... right somehow. And to my own surprise, the AI actually reacted to it! [ Name: May Lunaris ad Aether de Phoenix-Archeron (High-Aetherian) ] [ Rank: Captain (Inheritor) ] [ Affiliation: None (Aetherian Empire, fallen but not yet extinguished) ] [ Personal AI: ASO-17309-CMAI CommandingMainAI (68% of memory data lost) ] [ Ship Command: ] [ ASF Starfire (destroyed) ] [ ASO-17309 (18% functional) ] [ Show full list of ASO-17309 sub-ships? ] [ Y/N ] Okay, that was... not great. Not great at all. But at least I knew my own name now. Although said name was... a mouthful. But there was another matter I had to discuss, because it looked like I would be working together with that AI for a while. "Hey, AI, you are going to need a name. Any preferences? [This unit has no preferences whatsoever, involving addition of a new identification name. ] ?Great. Than, from this day onwards, I will call you Aso. And now whith that out of the way, WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN 68% MEMORY DATA LOST?!¡° I screamed at Aso in frustration. If I already had an AI in my head, said AI could at least prove to be useful! [Identification name "Aso" sucessfully added to data memory. ] [ As a consequence of continued decline of ASO-17309, many databanks and saving units, as well as their memory data, were permanently lost. Through connenction and integration into inheritors built-in high-end quantic compression brain stem computer, more data storage will become available with time. ] Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Sighing, I pinched the bridge of my nose. ?Aso, are you telling me what I think you are?¡° [ This unit is only capable of understanding vocalised or projected thoughts. The only exception are thoughts specifically targeting this unit. ] ?Okay, I will clarify. Did you just tell me that you integrated yourself into my brain?¡° I asked with a forced calmness, that I was definitely not feeling! [ This unit used the last available nannites to keep inheritor alive during awakening, as well as gaining access to inheritors built-in high-end quantic compression computer, and to biologically uplift inheritor from species: Aetherian to species: High-Aetherian. Be informed that under normal circumstances, it would be highly illegal to alter living beings behind the evolutionary high-evolution-point, or face retribution by (REDACTED). ] [ Inheritor reached infirmary. Please lay down and let this unit perfom biological checkup. ] While every sentence Aso spoke created more questions than it answered, he was right. For the moment, my health was the priority, especially if Aso truly had messed with my biology. So I decided to comply with his wishes and lay down on the infirmary bed, preffering not to ask what the hell REDACTED was for now, or how he made me break a bunch of laws without my consent. And I also abstained from screaming at him again. Sure, the situation was pretty fucked up, but I had to get my temper back under control. At least, from what I managed to glean from Aso, there should be no one left to enforce the aetherian imperial law anymore. Wait... How did I even now it was called that? Before I could follow that line of thought, Aso`s voice braught me back to reality. [ Inheritors bodily functions are in standard range for a female High-Aetherian. Inheritors mental functions are in standard range for a female High-Aetherian. Body temperature is below standard range for a female High-Aetherian. This Unit suggests clothing to raise body temperature. Path to officer quarters is highlighted. ] Huh? The check was already done? At least everything seemed to be more or less fine and finally, Aso saw the need for me having clothing as well. It was freezing cold in here and I was pretty sure that I was going to be very sick, very soon, if i kept walking around without any clothing on me! So I decided to follow the new route Aso made for me as fast as possible, without risking injury by rubble. But this new walk at least gave me more time to glean information from Aso. ?Hey, Aso, how big ist this station exactly?¡° [ ASO-17309 is shaped into a hemisphere, with the upper half needed for a full sphere missing. From top to bottom, ASO-17309 a kilometre high, while at the intersection, it has a diameter of two kilometres. ] ?Wow. That`s... Actually, that doesn`t tell me anything. How am I supposed to know what a kilometre is? I lost my memories, remember?¡° [A kilometre equals 1000 metres. A metre equals two of your normal steps. Its the distance measurement the owners of the system we currently reside in use and deviates only insignificantly from the aetherian distance measurements. Therefore it is advisable to use this form of distance measurement for the forseeable future. ] I could only whistle in admiration at that statement. That was indeed pretty big. But said admiration instantly vanished once I heard the second part of Aso`s answer. ?We are in a system with a spacefaring civilisation?! Why didn`t you tell me sooner?!¡° [ As of now, that information is of lower priority, as the owners of the system seem to be at war with another at minimum FTL-capable nation. At the moment, there is a space battle raging on directly over ASO-17309. Therefore it would be unadvisable to show our presence on this moon. Otherwise there is a 83,9% chance that at least one side would attack and destroy ASO-17309. ] ?Are you telling me that spacefaring civilisations are shooting at each other directly over us?! What else didn`t you tell me?! And what the fucking hell ist FTL even?!¡° I nearly screamed. I was hungry, cold and frustrated. In no way, I felt capable of handling any of these problems at all! If I could at least get clothing and than get slowly resituated in my feet, it wuld be much more doable. But the current situation was the exact opposite of slow, steady and organised! [ A detailed report will be made available, once inheritor reaches commanding centre of ASO-17309. ] [The FTL-Drive is the most primitive way known to the Aetherian Empire for overcoming the speed of light. FTL itself stands for Faster-Than-Light. The FTL-Drive makes use of star lanes connecting different stars to each other. By breaking open these star lanes, the FTL-Drive is capable of traveling between the edges of star systems, while using the star lanes as a way of navigation. ] [ Inheritor reached officer quarters. This unit recommends inheritor to get dressed and than go to the command centre of ASO-17309 for a full status report. ] ?You said the FTL-Drive is the most primitive way known to the Aetherian Empire. Does that mean we have something better?¡° I curiously asked while searching through the closets of the officer quarters, in the hope to find something comfortable to wear. I would really like to know how I would fare against these civilisations on a military and technological level. Sure, if possible, I wanted to keep things civil, but that wouldn`t stop me from destroying every obstacle in my path, that is unwilling to move. From what I had heard, the Aetherian Empire seemed to be a big galactic player in the past. But in the last thausand years, very much could have changed. While it didn`t sound like aetherian technology was obsolete, it could very well have become the new standard. That was something that needed to be checked. [This unit recommends inheritor to get dressed and than go to the command centre of ASO-17309 for a full status report. ] So no answer for now. That was most likely Aso`s way to tell me to just hurry up. Beacause yes, I was picky with my clothing, I knew. In the end I did find comfortable and nice-looking clothes but it had taken... some time. But there was one thing I still had to do, before I made my way to the command centre. ?Aso, where can I find a mirror? My memories are blank, I literally have no idea how I look right now.¡° And yes, this was of utmost importance right now. [ A mirror can be found in the neighbouring quarter, on the way towards the command centre. ] [ This unit recommends inheritor to go to the command centre of ASO-17309 for a full status report. ] ?Yes, yes, I got it. I`ll hurry up from now on, okay? But cut me at least some slack, nearly everything Im seeing right now is new to me and I need at least some time to take my mind of this shitty situation.¡° With these words, I went towards the room with the mirror. Time to find out how Im looking! Drawn by myself "Oh, wow. Im... younger than what I expected, when I saw the rank of Captain in my status. Aso, do you know my age, if we don''t take the time in cryostasis into account?" [ Inheritors age is 12.7 aetherian standard cycles or 19.05 years in the time measurement of the system owners. In the Aetherian Empire, per aetherian imperial law, maturity is achieved with an age of 12 aetherian standard cycles or 18 years. Total independence from family bonds, as by aetherian imperial law, is usally achieved with an age of 24 aetherian standard cycles or 36 years. ] "Okay, wait. Can you please define what a year is? If Im already going to use their distance measurement, I can also use their time measurement." [ One year contains twelve months. One month contains 4.34524 weeks. One week contains seven days. One day conatains 24 hours. One hour contains 60 minutes. One minute contains 60 seconds. One second corresponds to 9,192,632,770 periods of the radiation of the transition between the two hyperfine structure levels of the ground state of atoms of the element caesium-133. ] "I... have no idea what you are talking about. I may have understood half of it at most. Let''s just say that a year is quite a long time and the rest I''ll find out for myself with time." [ Acknowledged. Shall this unit from now on use system owners time measures for acclimatisation to system owners measure of time? ] [ Y/N ] "While it did sound complex... Yes, please do so. If you say this civilisation is primitive, than I don`t want to know how complex the time measurement of the Aetherian Empire is." [ Change to data memory made. ] "Okay, now that this is out of the way, Aso, please highlight the way to the command centre!" [ Path to command centre is highlighted. ] Chapter 2 - Status Report UGT: Unknown Location: Unknown yellow dwarf system
The way to the command centre had been... challenging. While I had previously thought that ASO-17309 had reached the last days of its life, now I questioned how the station still existed at all! The officer quarters had been in suprisingly good condition. According to Aso, this was due to the location of said quarters, that somehow survived unscathed throughout the last 980 years. But now that I had to move to the other side of the two kilometre spanning station, I started to truly understand just how bad the situation was. Multiple times I had to take big detours or even backtrack, as Aso changed the course everey few minutes because of ongoing hullbreaks. If this went on like this, ASO-17309 wouldn`t survive much longer, that was for sure. But now, I finally stood in front of the closed metal doors, that are supposedly the entrance to the command centre of ASO-17309. "So... how do I get this door to open" I asked out aloud, by now already expecting Aso to answer. [ Inheritor needs to transfer user identification code to main data bank, to open doors. User identification code is dispatched... ] [ ERROR ] [ Main data bank lost connection to ASO-17903 outpost. Main data bank changed location. Reconnecting... ] [ ERROR ] [ Identification codes outdated. Station reactivates automatic defensive measures ] [ Innheritor-Protocol #2-A override! ] [ Identification codes updated. Identification codes accepted. ] [ ASO-17309 recognises inheritor authority. Access to command centre granted. ] [ Welcome on deck, Captain / Inheritor. ] "What the heck?! Aso, explain this to me!" I demanded, still overwhelmed with all the information projected into my head at once. [ Because of relocation into inheritors built-in high-end quantic compression brain stem computer, full access to outpost systems was temporarely lost. Inheritor-Protocol #2-A allowed override of ASO-17309 defensive measures and reconnection to outpost systems. This unit is now in full control of all functioning outpost operations. ] [ Redirecting system output information... ] [ Outpost reconnction completed. ] [ Status analysis completed. ] [ This unit is now able to give complete status report to inheritor about outpost functions. ] [ Show ASO-17309 status report? ] [ Y/N ] "No, hold that for now. Other things take precedence. Give me the environmental situation around us first. And don''t leave anything out." [ Current environmental situation only vaguely discernible due to lack of active scanning and damaged passive scanners. Shall the analysis be displayed anyway? ] [ Y/N ] "Yes, please continue. Any intel is better than none at all." [ Current location of ASO-17309 is within a mountain range on (DATA LOST), the third moon of the gas giant (DATA LOST), which is the third planet of the (DATA LOST) system. While the first planet of the system is a gas giant as well, the second planet is a habitbale terrestrial planet. The star itself is a a standard yellow dwarf, without any particularities. There are no other natural celestial bodies worth mentioning within the system. ] [ 89 years ago, a species listed in ASO-17309 database as "humans" started to build a colony on the second world of the system, which the Aetherian Empire classified as habitable, but otherwise irrelevant. Therefore no deeper studies of said celestial object are available within data memories. ] [ In the last 13 years, nine space battles were fought in this system. ] [ The defenders and owners of this system seem to be part of a galactic nation called the Second Human Federation, or "SHF" for short. The attackers call themselves the Ruidian Raider Association and seem to be remnants of (REDACTED). Termination of Ruidan Raider Association as fast as possible is advised. ] [ At the moment the mountain on top of ASO-17309 threatens to collpase, as more and more misdirected ammunition, as well as ship debris hit the mountain range. This is a direct consequence of the space battle raging on arround the moon. ] [ This unit advises to secure ASO-17309 and ensure that aetheric presence in the system goes undetected. Otherwise chance of inheritors death rises to 61.4%. ] "Okay. That was... a bit much. So there is a mountain ready to collapse on our head and I guess we are currently unable to do anything against it, right? And when Im already at it, tell me what the fuck REDACTED is, because from all I know right now, it sounds pretty fucking terrifying!" [Show ASO-17309 status report? ] "Fine, ignore my other question than. Yes, please give me the status report." If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. [ ASO-17309 STATUS REPORT ] [ Operational Status: Sensor Systems: 78% ] [ Operational Status: Energy Systems: 49% (3 DIRE WARNINGS) ] [ Operational Status: Life-Support Systems: 39% (4 DIRE WARNINGS) ] [ Operational Status: Camouflage Systems: 26% (1 DIRE WARNING) ] [ Operational Status: Computer Systems: 13% (GROWING) ] [ Operational Status: Defensive Systems: 13% (2 DIRE WARNINGS) ] [ Operational Status: Preservation Systems: 0%(OFFLINE) (1 DIRE WARNING) ] [ Operational Status: Utility Systems: 1% ] [ Operational Status: Weapon Systems: 1% ] [ Operational Status: Industrial Systems: 0% (OFFLINE) ] [ Operational Status: Propulsion Systems: 0% (OFFLINE) ] [ Operational Status: Communication Systems: 0% (OFFLINE) ] [ Overall Operational Status: 18.4% ] [ Inner Outpost Integrity: 63% ] [ Inner Hull Integrity: 54% ] [ Outer Hull Integrity: 19% ] [ Shield Integrity: 8% ] [ Overall Outpost Integrity: 36% ] [ Show spaceship list as well? ] [ Y/N ] [ This unit recommends to rectify all dire warnings as fast as possible. ] "This... is bad. Very fucking bad. Aso, how the hell am I supposed to fix all this?! How is the outpost even still functioning at all?!" [ Current dire warnings are direct consequences of the space battle currently being fought around ASO-17309. See list of dire warnings? ] [ Y/N ] "No, I fucking, don`t want to know what exactly all the problems are! I want a priority list of what I have to do, and how I have to do it, to fix this mess!" [ ASO-17309 EMERGANCY REPAIR LIST ] [ 1. Failing energy system: ] [ 1.1. Failing anti-matter reactor leading to outpost destruction due to explosion. ] [ This unit recommends stabilisation of antimatter reactor. ] [ 1.2. Failing cold fusion reactor leading to partly outpost destruction. ] [ This unit recommends stabilisation of cold fusion reactor. ] [ 1.3. No fuel rods left for fusion reactors. ] [ This unit recommends salvaging working fuel rods from ship debris from currently ongoing space battle. ] [ 1.3. Two cold fusion reactors are offline. ] [ This unit recommends repair and reconfiguration of cold fusion reactors, followed by reactivation, with support from nannites. ] [ 2. Failing life support problems: ] [ 2.1. No oxygen reserves left. Oxygen leaks throughout inner hull. ] [ This unit recommends blocking oxygen leaks or block manual ventilation systems to stop oxygen from escaping. ] [ 2.2. Oxygen recycling plant offline. ] [ This unit recommends repair and reactivation of oxygen recycling plant. ] [ 2.3. Water harvesting plant dysfunctioning. ] [ This unit recommends a manual checkup on water harvesting plant to identify and rectify the problem. ] [ 2.4. Leak in water tank. ] [ This unit recommends closing leak in water tank to regain full functionality for water tank. ] [ 2.5. Food synthesisation plant offline. ] [ This unit recommends repair and reactivation of oxygen recycling plant. ] [ 2.6. Heating system offline. ] [ This unit recommends repair and reactivation of heating system. ] [ 2.7. Cooling system offline. ] [ This unit recommends repair and reactivation of cooling system. ] [ 3. Failing camouflage system problems: ] [ 3.1. Camouflage shield rapidly destabilising. ] [ This unit recommends redirecting more energy towards camouflage shield and cooling camouflage generator. ] [ 3.2. Gasket plates strongly damaged. ] [ This unit recommends repair and production of gasket plates for hull. ] [ 4. Failing defensive systems problems: ] [ 4.1. Two hypershield generators overloaded by 162% with critical failiure around 598%. ] [ ETA: 4:19:56:11 ] [ This unit recommends relieving shield generators with cooling and additional energy. ] [ 4.2. Four hypershield generators offline. ] [ This unit recommends reconfiguration and reconnenction of energy lane to shield generator. ] [ 4.3. Twelvefold staggered hypershield generator offline. ] [ This unit recommends reconfiguration and reconnenction of energy lane to twelvefold staggered shield generator with support from nannites. ] [ 5. Failing preservation systems problems: ] [ 5.1. Failing cryostasis pods. ] [ This unit recommends repair of cooling system to automatically fix this problem. ] [ 5.2. timelimit on cryostasis for biological beings reached in 20 years. ] [ This unit recommends to awaken outpost personal in the next 20 years or never. ] [ This unit detected a total of eleven dire warnings that are in need to be rapidly soved. ] "Alo... how the hell am I supposed to fix all this without even having my memories?! This outpost is literally falling apart around us! You should have made sure to get biological support much sooner! Now, tell me what I have to do first. Im damned if Im not getting this outpost in working condition again! I very much like to be alive!" [ This unit recommends to first block the manual ventilation system to stop oxygen from escaping the station. ] "Okay, but first highlight me the way towards a spacesuit, please." [ ERROR ] [ No functional spacesuit detected. ] [ No repairable spacesuit detected. ] [ No capabilities to create a functional spacesuit detected. ] [ Inheritor`s request is currently impossible to carry out. ] "So we don`t even have a space suit huh... Okay that sucks, but that just means I have to be extra careful in everything Im doing. Aso, please highlight the way towards the manual ventilation system. Let¡äs see if we are able to clear a part of our considerable workload." [ Path highlighted. ] Chapter 3 - Outpost Repairs I UGT: Unknown Location: Unknown yellow dwarf system
I looked down at my work in doubt. "Aso, are you really sure this is going to last?" [ The sealing spray from Aetheria Productions is a very high quality product, capable of sealing any type of opening for months if necessary. This unit can say with a probability of 99.4% that this product will be able to seal off the ventilation grids until a more permanent solution can be implemented. ] "That''s all well and good, but have you considered how old this stuff is?" I asked him. After all, I knew that everything I could find on this outpost was nearly a thousand years old. [ Aetherian Productions'' products all have a guaranteed life expectancy of one thousand years and retain their functionality up to 10,000 years after production, even if the effectiveness of their products slowly starts to degrade after an average of 5,000 years. ] That was all well and good, if it weren''t for one small detail. "Can you tell me how the sealing spray works and how we can produce it ourselves?" [ This unit has no data on the operation and manufacturing process of this product. ] Unfortunately, I discovered that Aso''s technical memory data was temporarily and to a large extent permanently lost when the outpost''s industrial systems collapsed. So he was as clueless about Aetherian technology as I was. And I didn''t like working with technology that neither I nor my AI companion understood at all. But for now, I had to live with it and trust in the few things Aso did know. "So, that takes care of the ventilation grilles. Aso, can you tell me how much the oxygen level has dropped since I awakened?" [ The original oxygen level had been 24%. At the time of inheritors awakening, the oxygen level had already dropped to 22.4%. By now the oxygen level stands at only 19.4%. The oxygen level is currently only dropping insignificantly and has therefore largely stabilised. ] With that, this task was done. "Aso, what''s next on the list? As far as I understand it, we have no time to lose if we want to safe the outpost." [ The next highest priority is the failing antimatter reactor, which would lead to outpost destruction due to the following explosion. ] [ Path to reactor room (antimatter reactor) highlighted. ] [ ETA until explosion: 12:54:43 ] "Let''s go then. Do you have any idea how I can stop this thing from blowing up?" [ The data collected thus far, indicates that the electromagnetic shielding seems to be destabilised and needs to be recalibrated. This requires manual intervention at the local terminal by inheritor. ] "What do you mean by data collected so far? Please tell me you have the technical data on the antimatter reactor." [ Even with the required ressources, this unit would not be able to create an antimatter reactor at the moment. ] "This is getting better and better... Let me summarise: We have a destabilised antimatter reactor and nothing more than a vague theory of where the problem might lie and how we can fix it. Is that accurate?" [ Inheritor''s summary is roughly correct, though the details are inaccurate. ] "You know what? Forget it. Just tell me everything you know about antimatter reactors. I''m not going anywhere near this thing unprepared." [ An antimatter reactor works by letting antimatter and normal matter collide whith each other. Upon contact, matter and antimatter annihilate each other, which produces comparatively big amounts of energy, that is used to power ASO-17309. To trap the antimatter and stop the entire antimatter reserves to react contemporaneous and release massive amounts of energy, that could destroy ASO-17309 in its entirety, a antimatter decelerator is needed. It traps antimatter into a condensed cloud with an electromagnetic shielding field to stop that process. If said electromatic shielding destabalises to strongly and breaks, the antimatter will come free and instantly react with the normal matter around it. Therefore this is a scenario that has to be stopped for inheritors survival. ] "Aso... If you know all that, how come you''re still not able to create your own antimatter reactor?" [ This unit has no available data on the correct configuration of electromagnetic shielding. Given a working antimatter reactor as well as sufficient time for analysis, this unit will become capable of creating antimatter reactors, as well as weapons, given that the needed ressources are available. ] "Aso, I take back everything bad I ever said or thought about you. You are good for something after all!" [ Destination reached. Local terminal jumpstarted. This unit recommends stabilisation of antimatter reactor as fast as possible. ] "Fine, just ignore my praise than..." I muttered, only to instantly freeze upon seeing the terminal. "Aso... There are five different configuration categories with each having at least half a dozen sub-categories. Help please?" [ This unit is not permitted to influence decision making of unqualified personal if chance of inheritor`s death as direct consequence of said decision lies above 15%. Inheritor will have to restabilise antimatter reactor independently.] "Are you fucking kidding me... Fine, lets test what I learned from you on the way." I said before starting to analyse the terminal before me in detail. "Lets start with an automatic checkup. There should be nothing I can do wrong with it." I muttered and luckily was proven correct. [ Automatic system checkup through sub-AI manually started. ] [ Automatic system checkup commencing... ] [ Automatic system checkup completed. One problem detected. ] [ Problem: Destabilised electromagnetic shielding. ] [ Recommendation: Recalibrate electromagnetic shielding. ] "So your theory was correct, Aso. But why is this Sub-AI able to give me concrete information, while you only had assumptions for me?" [ A sub-AI is a mostly independently working with its own independent data memories. Currently, only the most basic data connection to Sub-AI`s exists, due to lack of memory space. Once more memory space is available, deeper connections between this unit and Sub-AI`s can be created. ] Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. "So you are telling me that if you reconnect to your Sub-AI`s, you will also potentially regain parts of your lost data memory. Okay, that will be another one of our priorities than. Although more like a mid-term priority, I guess... Anyway, auto-repair sounds like a good function to use next." I said, instantly selecting the option on the terminal. Only to be disapointed, apparently. [ Due to Inheritor-Protocols, this Sub-AI is unable to perform potentially catastrophical decision making. Manual recalibration through other configuration categories required. ] "What the? Aso, how is this outpost supposed to survive a space fight? The Inheritor-Protocols will literally block everything!" [ Aso-17309 Battle-Protocols are able to partly override Inheritor-Protocols if all requirements are met. ] At least I wouldn`t be completely helpless if the outpost got attacked. Some of our offensive systems did still work. At least according to Aso`s status report. But for now, I had higher priorities. From what I learned I decided to select the antimatter decelerator category. Than I chose the electromagnetic shielding sub-category. So far, my choice wasn`t really hard. That changed the moment I saw the menu of the electromagnetic shielding sub-category. The terminal presented me the options to strengthen, weaken, redirect, condense and dilute the electromagnetic shielding. "Aso, please, help me. I have no idea at all what to choose!" [ This unit is not permitted to influence decision making of unqualified personal if chance of inheritor`s death as direct consequence of said decision lies above 15%. Inheritor will have to restabilise antimatter reactor independently.] "I hate you. Fine, I`ll just do it. Local terminal Sub-AI, strengthen the electromagnetic shielding. Afterwards, instantly dilute it. If at any point the reactor destabilises further, instantly revert any changes made." I truly had nothing more than a hunch as I decided what to do. Now, I could only pray that I didn`t just doom myself." [ Orders confirmed. ] [ Additional energy redirected to strengthen energetic shielding. ] [ Commencing... ] [ Partly restabilisation of antimatter reactor. ] [ WARNING! ] [ Electromagnetic shielding in flux! Continue orders? ] [ Y/N ] "Fuck, I don`t care, somehow Im sure I made the correct decision. Continue!" [ Density of electromagnetic shielding falling. ] [ Commencing... ] [ Electromagnetic shielding sucessfully recalibrated! ] [ Antimatter reactor fully restabilised! ] [ All configuration operations stopped by Main-AI. ] "Aso, did you see that?! I FUCKING DID IT!" I screamed elated. [ Reevaluation of inheritors abilities commencing. ] "Oh you piece of space trash, you didn`t just say this! And what did you even do at the end by stopping all configuration operations?" [ This unit decided to reevaluate inheritors mental capabilities and technological expertise and therefore survival chance. This is a postive improvement in current situation. ] [ Once chance of inheritor`s death as direct consequence of this unit`s decisions fell below 15%, this unit retook full control over antimatter reactor. ] "Okay, good job than, I guess. I just ignore everything you said about my mental capabilities. Anyway, are you now theoretically able to create your own antimatter reactor?" [ This unit needs more time to study antimatter reactor functions to be able to copy antimatter usage designs. ] [ ETA: 3:16:25:56 ] "Okay... Anyways, what`s next on my priority list?" [ The next highest priority is the failing cold fusion reactor, which would lead to partly outpost destruction due to the following explosion. ] [ Path to reactor room (cold fusion reactors) highlighted. ] [ ETA until explosion: 04:12:34 ] "Wait... WHAT?! Aso, why isn`t this of higher priority?! As of now, we would loose most of the still functioning station if this reactor explodes! This is ESPECIALLY critical if you see that I only have FOUR. FUCKING. HOURS left! How am I supposed to fix anything that fast?! [ This unit prioritises inheritors survival over Aso-17309`s survival. Therefore, prioritiy list focuses on taks most likely to further inheritors survival chance. ] [ This unit has the necessary memory data to instruct the inheritor on how to repair the cold fusion reactor. ] "What the fuck is wrong with you, Aso?! Without the outpost, I will definitely die!" But whatever, I don`t have time to argue with you! Give me an ETA how long until I reach the terminal for the cold fusion reactors! And fucking tell me RIGHT NOW how I can fix them!" [ ETA: 00:00:12 ] [ Pressure inside cold fusion reactor must be reduced due to fusion reactor currently running on fumes. ] [ Destination reached. Terminal jumpstarted. ] I pracitcally threw myself at the terminal, instantly working myself through the terminal. Unfortunately, this terminal was everything else than orderly and according to Aso, ther cold fusion reactors were to "primitive", and therefore not worth a Sub-AI. So I had to work myself through hundreds of pages of user manuals and system operations as fast as possible. "Aso, ETA, now!" I screamed as I finally found the correct submenu. Now I only had to get administrator access for reconfiguration!" [ ETA until cold fusion reactor explosion: 00:12:09 ] "Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck fuck..." I muttered, working even faster once I saw how little time I had left. But a few minutes later... [ Pressure inside cold fusion reactor sucessfully lowered. ] [ Cold fusion reactor sucessfully restabilised! ] [ All configuration operations stopped by Main-AI. ] "YES! FUCKING YES!" I screamed, only to collapse on the ground next to the terminal, my heart still beating strongly. This had been WAY to close! "Okay, Aso, what`s the next problem on the priority list , together with an ETA please." [ This unit recommends repair of cooling system. ] [ ETA: Inconclusive ] "Inconclusive?! Urgh, whatever. Let`s just deal with that quickly, I guess." I said, slowly getting back up. [ Path to cooling systems highlighted. ] Chapter 4 - Outpost Repairs II UGT: Unknown Location: Unknown yellow dwarf system
[ Cooling systems sucessfully repaired. ] I let out a sight full of relief. "Finally. I really thought it was over when you told me that there were no reserves of helium-3 and helium-4 on the ship. You coud have just told me that there were a bunch of indirect reserves left as the end products of our cold fusion reactors! Instead I nearly had a heart attack because of you!" [ This unit has already updated inheritor priorities. The last 32 mentions are therefore of no further relevance. This unit recommends iheritor to focus on more productive thought processes. ] "As an AI, you should now that multitasking is a thing!" [ This units data memories contain knowledge about multitasking. This unit informs inheritor that the ability to multitask is severely limited in biological beings. ] "Whatever, you sassy piece of trash. What`s next on my list?" [ Show full list of primary objectives? ] [ Y/N ] "Wait, why would you want to show me a full list again? Whatever, yes, please do it. But please add an ETA to everything" [ 1. Camouflage shield rapidly destabilising. ] [ ETA until collapse: 01:14:23:19 ] [ 2. Water harvesting plant dysfunctioning. ] [ ETA until inheritors body starts failing without water: 2:01:25:51 ] [ 3. Heating systems offline. ] [ ETA until temperature falls below inheritors bodily acceptance level: 2:13:29:03 ] [ 4. No fuel rods left for fusion reactors. ] [ ETA until cold fusion reactor breakdown: 362:13:24:12 ] [ 5. Two hypershield generators overloaded ] [ ETA until critical failiure: 4:09:21:54 ] [ 6. Food synthesisation plant offline. ] [ ETA until inheritors body starts failing without food: 6:04:02:45 ] [ 7. Oxygen recycling plant offline. ] [ ETA until oxygen level falls below 18%: 27:343:23:12:59 ] [ 8. Four hypershield generators offline. ] [ ETA: none ] [ 9. Leak in water tank. ] [ ETA: none ] [ 10. Gasket plates strongly damaged. ] [ ETA: none ] [ 11. Three cold fusion reactors are offline. (CURRENTLY IRREVERSIBLE) ] [ ETA: none ] [ 12. Twelvefold staggered hypershield generator offline. (CURRENTLY IRREVERSIBLE) ] [ ETA: none ] [ This unit detected a total of 12 primary objectives that are to be accomplished. ] "Okay, wait. Aso, why are you prioritising the fuel rods for our cold fusion reactors this much?" [ Energy demand must not exceed energy production. ] "Yeah, that does make pretty much sense. So my next mission is the restabilisation of the camouflage shield?" [ Path to camouflage shield reactor highlighted. ] [ ETA: 19:12 ] "Guess that`s an answer as well. Aso, what can you tell me about the camouflage shield?" [ The camouflage shield is a remnant of the aetherian plasmatic ascent era, where plasma was used for nearly everything on spaceships. The camouflage shield creates multiple stable plasma layers with varying densities. Every plasma layer is able to absorb another type of bandwiths or broadband waves. Together they are able to render an object invisible. The aetherian camouflage shield is technologically advanced enough, that it can be fused with other types of ship shielding, making aetherian ships downright invisible if shields of the (DATA LOST) type are fielded. ] "Aso, a question. Is our camouflage shield fused with our normal shields or is this unknown type of shields needed to achieve that?" [ Currently the hypershields are fused with the camouflage shield. Due to incomplete compability of shields, instability in hypershields and instability in camouflage shield, cloaking of ASO-17309 is only partly invisible for sensors. Strongly damaged gasket plates are unable to support camouflage shield. ASO-17309 is theretically detectable by foreign sensors. ] "Wait, so you are telling me that all these ships fightng it out around us actually could detect us?!" [ Currently ASO-17309 is buried inside a mountain range that stops foreign sensors from detecting ASO-17309. This protection will fall once the mountain range above ASO-17309 crumbles and becomes detectable by foreign sensors one again. ] "Right, the crumbling mountain range threatening to destroy, as well as reveal us. Completely forgot about that. Funny that one of the greatest threats to our current survival is the same thing that protected us from detection for what most likely amounts to centuries. Anyway, tell me, what`s even going on around us right now?" [ The forces of the Federation and the Association have clashed repeatedly since the beginning of the battle. Intercepted reports indicate that they are fighting for control of the third planet. After initial successes by the Federation forces, the situation has stabilised and turned into a war of attrition, with neither side able to advance. ] "Oh, okay. Who do you think will win?" [ As of now, the only possible long-term outcome of the battle is a victory of the Federation forces. Association battle tacics indicate arrival of reinforcements in the near future. Should reinforcements arrive in sufficient strength, most of the Federation forces will be worn down and destroyed, before they are able to flee. ] Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. "Huh. Do we have the current fleet composition of both sides?" [ Due to lack of data, only aetherian ship classes can be used for comparison. Be informed that aetherian ships will still be more advanced than Federation or Association counterparts. Show comparison? ] [ Y/N ] "Yes, go on please." [ Federation forces fleet composition (Aetherian Empire ship sizes used): ] [ 2x Corvette ] [ 5x Cutter/Corvette Hyprids ] [ 11x Cutter ] [ 22x Patrolship ] [ Total ship count: 40 ships ] [ Association forces fleet composition (Aetherian Empire ship sizes used): ] [ 1x Corvette ] [ 3x Cutter/Corvette hybrids ] [ 10x Cutter ] [ 1x Cutter (mercenaries) ] [ 6x Patrolships ] [ 4x Patrolships (mercenaries) ] [ Total ship count: 25 ships) ] "Let me guess, the Association is technologically more advanced than the Federation`s. Otherwise the Federation would have overwhelmed the Association already. Well, another option is incompetence but if this was the case, the Association would have most likely won already." [ Inheritor is correct. While both sides seem to have antimatter weaponry, only a tenth of the Federation forces offensive firepower makes use antimatter. Meanwhile, a third of the Association forces offensive fire power makes use of antimatter. ] "So they only have limited antimatter reservs. That`s interesting. Say, what would our weaponry look like, if the outpost would be fully operational?" [ Show ASO-17309 pre-decline armements? ] [ Y/N ] "Please do." [ ASO-17309 pre-decline armements: ] [ 240x PDC-L Gamma Lasers ] [ 240x PDC-K Stromfire Autocannon ] [ 120x PDC-E Electromagnetic Mass-Deflector ] [ 90x Matter-Desintegration-Beam (Desintegrators) ] [ 160x Gauss-Antimatter-Cannon (Deception name: Railguns) ] [ 150x Whirlwind-Antimatter-Missiles (Whirlwinds) ] [ 90x Enemy-Energy-Siphon (Siphons) ] [ 10x Electromagnetic-Diasarmament-Beam (ECM-Beam) ] "Ehm... Aso, this outpost was a deathtrap for everything coming near it, you know that, right?" [ ASO-17309 armements were insufficient to aetherian standards. ] "INSUFFICIENT?! You actually dare to call that INSUFFICIENT?! HOW DID ALL THESE WEAPONS EVEN FIT INSIDE THIS OUTPOST?!" [ Aetherian Empire weaponry is very compact. With the discovery of the (DATA LOST) portals in the last few years of the Aetherian Empire, it even became possible to fill up the entire spaceship with weaponry, instead of only the outer hull. Pre-decline armements of ASO-17309 were outdated by nearly 1,600 years and therefore no longer fulfil the standard of the ASF. ] "Actually, that`s a good point. Can you give me a rundown what all these acronyms mean, including those on my hoodie and trousers?" [ AE = Aetherian Empire ] [ ASF = Aetherian Space Fleet / Ship Affiliation ] [ AF = Aetherian Fleet ] [ ASO = Aetherian Space Outpost ] [ ASS = Aetherian Space Station ] [ AMS = Aetherian Mining Station ] [ ASST = Aetherian Space Security Troops / Aetherian Space Army ] "Okay, that`s more acronyms than I expected, but good to know nonetheless, I guess." [ Destination reached. ] [ Local terminal jumpstarted. ] "Oh? Well, time to repair the camouflage shield reactor I guess. What do we have here?" I... had no idea what I was looking at. I did know that all I had to do was to direct more energy towards the reactor, as well as additional cooling. But the terminal had no options like that. "Aso, are you allowed to help me out here? What am I supposed to do?" [ Inheritor needs to use Inheritor-Protocal override to allow manual acess to camouflage shield reactor. To restabilise camouflage shield reactor, changes have to be made on the reactor itself. ] "Wait, are you kidding me?! Is that even safe?!" [ Chance of inheritor death or dangerous injury are only 8.7%. Inheritor is advised to restabilise campuflage shield reactor. ] "Fine, whatever." I said, internally sighing. It really didn`t make much sense do argue with Aso. While I would love to punch the person wo programmed him and his "Inheritor-Protocol", I did believe that in his own way, he tried to support me as much as he could. And I already had much worse odds today than these measly 8.7% chance of death.Therefore, before I could question my own sanity any more than I already did, I just pressed the confirmation button to open physical acess to the camouflage shield reactor. Afterwards, I just butchered the operator code, knowning exactly that I had no chance at all to guess it in one try. [ Operator Code wrong. ] [ Acess rejected. ] [ WARNING! ] [ INTRUDER DETECTED! ] [ Outpost reactivates automatic defensive measures! ] [ Inheritor-Protocol #2-A override! ] [ Operator rights accepted. ] [ Physical acess to camouflage shield reactor granted. ] "While I would love to hit the person behind the Inheritor-Protocol, it can be quite useful in some cases." I said to myself while starting to go towards the true camouflage shield reactor. "Aso, do you know who was behind the Inheritor-Protocol? Or even better, tell me what the Inheritor-Protocols actually are?" [ The Inheritor-Protocols where invented by the late aetherian emperor (DATA LOST) and were completely implemented by (DATA LOST). ] [ The Inheritor-Protocols are a multitude of orders, privileges and directives with the task of protecing the (DATA LOST) of the (DATA LOST). They are a show of authority to every (DATA LOST) still (DATA LOST) in the (DATA LOST). (DATA LOST) (DATA LOST) ( DATA LOST) (DATA LOS-) ] [ ERROR! ] [ No viable data memories found! ] "Wow... That was worth nearly nothing. I only know that they were created by the emperor of the Aetherian Empire, that they are a show of authority and that they are supposed to protect me.Wait, Aso! Please tell me the Inheritor-Protocols themselves aren`t damaged! Or any protocols for that matter!" [ Processing... ] [ Processing... ] [ Processing... ] [ Processing... ] [ Processing... ] [ Processing... ] "Aso? Everything alright?" [ Processing... ] [ Processing... ] [ Processing... ] [ Processing... ] [ Processing... ] [ Processing... ] "Aso, fucking answer me damnit!" [ Processing... ] [ Processing... ] [ Processing... ] [ Processing... ] [ Processing... ] [ Processing... ] "Aso, that was an order, backed by the Inheritor-Protocols!" [ Processing... ] [ Proces- ] [ Inheritor-Protocol #2-A override! ] [ This unit managed to regain full operational capabilities. ] "What even was that, Aso? You really worried me there for a moment" [ This unit redirected all of its processing power towards analysing this units action protocols for problems. ] [ No problems in any action protocols detected. ] [ This unit was unable to decipher and analyse Inheritor-Protocol. ] "So, you trying to find out if the Inheritor-Protocol still worked put you into this processing queue? I thought for a super AI like you, it would be impossible to take this long to analyse something!" [ Destination reached. ] "Understood, but please tell me, how long do you think it would take for you to completely analyse the Inheritor-Protocol?" [ Destination reached. ] "Aso, Im serious. This is a question I need you to answer. I won`t let you just evade a question this time." [ Destination reached. ] [ This unit remmonds stabilisation of camouflage shield generator. ] "Aso, answer my question!" [ This unit would prefer to not answer inheritors question. ] "Aso... please just do it. Don`t force me to use the Inheritor-Protocol to make you answer." [ It is impossile for this unit to analyse Inheritor-Protocol, as interlectual level of this unit is to low to understand used coding. ] Wait... I got the feeling I may have been underestimating Aso`s intelligence. He didn`t seem to fake his "emotions" if you can call it that. He did hesistate to tell me that he had shortcomings. And for the first time, Aso actually said he "preferred" something. Yeah... Maybe I should start treating Aso more like a person and less like a computer. He did call himself an artificial intelligence after all... "Aso, let`s change the topic. Let`s just repair this outpost and be done with it. We still have much work to do." Chapter 5 - Interlude: The Battle Above UGT: Unknown; 45 minutes after May repaired the camouflage shield reactor Location: Unknown yellow dwarf system: near the third planet
Frowning, Admiral Thorrison looked at the tactical map in front of him. The situation wasn`t dire just yet, but it was far from optimal. The last confrontation with the Association forces had led to first losses and the damage reports from his fleet started to mount. "A report of our tactical losses and current battle situation, now." "One of our Frigates was destroyed and a Destroyer was forced to disengage with an emergency jump. The Association has a firm grip on the fifth and sixth moon, while also having current operational control of the space around the third moon. The control over the fourth and seventh moon, as well as our orbital refinery station, is currently contested. The first, second and eight moon are firmly under our control. Optical feed is getting send... now." his sensor officer answered with confidence. He was one of the newer officers in leadership position and probably didn`t understand the true situation they were currently in. The optical feed showed what he had already known. Nine of his Frigates were protecting the controlled moons, as well as creating an sensor grid to stop any unexpected Association advances. Six more were fighting at the orbital refinery station and the last six were equally split between the fourth and seventh moon. He also had three destroyers and a cruiser on each of the contested regions for fire support. His flagship, the Battlecruiser FSF Defiance, supported by an destroyer, two Cruisers and another Battlecuriser were the rapid deployment force, should the Association capital ships dare to move. Theoretically, they were also supposed to secure the third moon, but just trying would be courting disaster. "What are the Association losses currently at? Furthermore, give me the location of their ships through again." An order he had given regularly throughout the last day. He had no problems to admit that he was part of the old admirality, captain at a time where much less of the ship processes were automated. A relic of over 200 years of peace, where the human race was still scrambling to pick up the remnants of the Great Collapse. Advancing military technology or, gods forbid, real wars, were far from everyones minds at the time. In a few hours he would have to rest to stop his thought process from detoriating anyways, but for now he was fully capble to oversee the fleet actions a while longer. "One of the mercenary Frigates, as well as their Destroyer got annihilated by our antimatter Weapons. Serves these traitors right. Otherwise, they had no losses and the remaining mercenary Frigates seem to have completely joined in with the Association forces. All their nine Frigates, six Destroyers and all of their three Cruisers are positioned inside the contested regions. Their rapid deployment fleet contains their sole Battlecruiser and four Destroyers. Current reports indicate that the battle for the orbital refinery station is close to being won, the Asssociation forces showing signs of retreat." A small victory. Admiral Thorrison wanted nothing more than crushing the Association forces under his feet, which would normally be no problems at all with a fleet of this size under his command. The Federation forces outnumbered these of the Association by a massive amount. The problem was, that these Association bastards hat no qualms bombing the living shit out of the civilian colony if given the chance. That, they had already showed with their original attack on the first moon, the second colony in the system besides Hestias Crown. There was no doubt in his mind that the moment he took some of his Frigates away from protecting the colony on the first moon and the other moons around it, the enemy would jump at it and make him pay dearly for his decision. All at the expense of innocent lives. The Association new perfectly well that he battle was, as of now, lost for them. But instead of doing the resonable thing and retreating out of the system? Well, they decided to stay and isssue a challange in the form of an battle of attrition. Still, normally an enemy force that heavily outnumbered would fall short of the challange and get wiped out in hours at most. But that was where the other particularities of the Association forces came into play: Their absolute disregard for the Galactic Convention of War, or GCW for short, as well as their absolutely ridiculous antimatter output and technological advancements. He knew that the main branch of the Association was one of the strongest nations in the galaxy. He knew that they held a technologival advantage over most other nations, even the Federation. But that didn`t change the fact, that they should have run out of antimatter hours ago with how liberal they used it! Hell, give it another day of fighting and he would be out of antimatter weaponry, while only using a third of the amount they invested into their attacks! This was the main reason why the Association forces weren`t crushed already. A reckless attack would lead to him loosing, because plasma shields and PDC-L did jackshit against a bunch of railgun projectiles with an antimatter load. Sure, the capital ships under his command had hypershields, but even these would fall short under fire from sufficient antimatter armaments. Meanwhile breaking hypershields with purely conventional weaponry was near impossible in an combat situation. The Association had hypershields on ALL their ships, not just their capital ships. Something that should be impossibleby Federation standards, but the Association didn`t care. At the same time, a third of their total firepower consisted of antimatter weaponry. For the Federation forces it was only a tenth. This drastic difference was enough to derail any plan to simply swarm the Association forces, making it a fools errand. "But why do they protect the third moon? It just doesn`t make any sense. Although a serious failing on part of the local fleet elements, I can understand why they didn`t manage to find the Association bases on the fifth and sixth moon before it was to late. Now they are strongly equipped against space assults and it will be hard to take them back. But why place the rapid deployment forces over the third moon instead? They won`t find anything of note there. And why actively seek battle if they could just fall back to the fifth and sixth moon? Why protect the third moon especially? It just doesn`t make any sense." He muttered to himself. He really didn`t understand what the Association was thinking. Suddenly his personal voice com crackled. "Eh... Admiral? Here is junior officer Morris. I... more or less hacked myself into your voice com. Sorry for that. But I have somthing that I think might be of interest to your person, Sir." Admiral Thorrisons brows furrowed. That should theoretically not even be possible. But for the moment, he was willing to lend the junior officer an ear. There were no incompetent people on this ship, he had personally made sure of this. "What is it junior officer Morris? Is there a reason for you to use this... peculiar way of communication?" He subvocalised into his voice com. "As I said, Sir, there is something I think you should now about. My senior officer rejected my attempt to contact you over the correct channels, Sir, as I was unwilling to give this information to anyone else." The by now definitly nervous junior officer said. "Junior officer Morris, I will give you this one chance to tell me what you want to tell me, but you better hope it truly is as important as you say. Pestering me while in battle over an illegal way of communication and skipping over your superiors to directly speak to me can be seen as sabotaging the war effort. By extension even as munity while in battle and treason. This better not be some kind of joke, you understand?" He said menacingly. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Junior officer Morris gulped audiably before speaking again, definitely very nervous by now. "I understand, Sir. As I went about my duties as junior sensor officer and analysed the surroundings of the enemies rapid deployment forces, including the third moon, I noticed an unusual signal on its surface for a fraction of a second. To be more precise, the signals came from a specific mountain range on the moon. Noticeably, the signal appeared less than an hour after some of our missfired projectiles hit said mountain range as a consequence of us trying and failing to force the Association forces away from the third moon. As I said, the signal disappeared again only a fraction of a second after its appearence and purely by chance I had even seen it. But I knew there had been something and the sensors reported no problems whatsoever. Therefore, I shifted my focus from the enemies rapid deployment forces to this particular mountain range on the third moon. For multiple hours there was nothing and I already starting to think I had been wrong, as the signal suddenly reappeared directly inside the mountain. It was very much different from before, it was consistent and low enough that I doubt I would have identified it if my sensors hadn`t been focused on its exact location already. What I identified was barely enough te register on the sensors, but it was undoubtedly the energy output of an fully working antimatter reactor. That was the first time I tried to contact you, Sir, but was rejected. A few hours later, the signal suddenly cut off completely. That was the moment I tried to contact you a second timey Sir, and got rejected again. The last 45 minutes I spent finding a way to create a contact through the voice com, which was luckily connected to the ship." Admiral Thorrison`s eyes widened the longer the junior officer spoke. A secret undetected base on the third moon as well? It was possible. It would definitely explain why the Association protected the moon. The third moon strategically blocked many of the vectors usable to reach the fifth and sixth moon. But the base one the third moon seemed to not be protected all to well, if it was hidden on that level. Therefore the Association forces wouldn`t have the ground support the fifth and sixth moon could offer. But said ground support would be needed if the Association wanted to secure a chance at victory against the Federation forces. That would have meant giving up the third moon, which they were clearly unwilling to do. But why? He would have never even heard about the Association base on the third moon if the Association had just quitly given the moon up. Hell, he wouldn`t even have scanned the moon! There would have been no chance in hell that he would have found the base! "Thank you, junior officer. I don`t understand why you wanted to keep this information to yourself and me instead of informing your superior, but it was valuable data. Therefore, Im willing to forgive you. Thanks to you, I finally understand the situation currently at play. You will now go and inform your superior in detail and-" "I sincerely appologise, Sir, but I don`t think you understand the situation at hand, as I wasn`t even at the important part just jet." the junior officer interruptedt Admiral Thorrison ruthlessly. "The energy signature wasn`t that of the Association. The signature I identified was very old, older than the Association itself and has a frightening similarity to the known old aetherian energy signatures, just much weaker. In all of galactic history, only a single star nation ever managed to reverse engineer the aetherian technology even just partly. What we will find down there will be still working technology from the First Federation before its downfall!" The junior officer said, clearly excited for it. "Okay, junnior officer, you are now going to do exactly what I tell you. Delete everything you found out in a way it is irreversible. The same with our communication. If someone ever asks, you know nothing, understood? You`ve stumbled into something that`s far above your pay grade. Hell, it`s even above my paygrade! So I can only repeat myself: You know nothing, else everything can happen to you once people know that you know. Understood?" Admiral Thorrison said. "I understand, Sir. Good day, Sir." Junior officer Morris said and abruptly the voice com lost connection. Admiral Thorrison really hoped the junior officer would do as told. Because otherwise... he would be dead rather sooner than later, his only crime being to perceptive of things he should`ve never become aware of. Finding something still intact from the much more technologically advanced First Federation... The different galactic powers would stop at nothing to get their greedy little hand on it, seeing as even the Association would be utterly outmatched next to First Federation technology. And suddenly, he understood. While the Second Federation and the Association hadn`t really been allies, they had been on friednly terms with each other. The Ruidan Raider Association was located far away from the Second Federation. As there was no conflict of interest, there were no tensions between the two out of four galactic superpowers. Hell, the Federation had been in multiple trade deals and contracts with the local branch of the association! 250 years after the Great Collapse and 210 years after the First War of Independence had finally ended, the Federation had finally managed to partially recover. 200 years of peace could do much for a nation. Perhaps it had been to long of a time without war, because no one had been prepared for the Second War of Independence that broke out 16 years ago. A coalition of multiple star nations that broke free from the Federation after the Great Collapse and the First War for Independence, as well as multiple rebelious Federation systems decided that the time to truly end the Federation had come. They even secured the indirect support of the Independent Systems Alliance, another of the four galactic superpowers. But unlike last time, the slowly recovering Federation managed to rise to the challange. Battle after battle Admiral Thorrison had fought these last 16 years and from most he had emerged victorious. Just a few years ago, the Federation finally managed to go on the offensive instead of just defending. Hell, this system here, he had personally freed seven times in the last 13 years, pushing back the invaders time and time again. A little more than a year ago, the Federation had finally managed to take back the last of their systems occupied by the invaders. Than, the Association and the Independent Systems Alliance attacked. No war declaration, no diplomatic meetings, just a hard first strike, effectively crippling the finally advancing FSF in one fell swoop. And suddenly the Federation faced overwhelming odds with enemies all around them, even the own allies unwilling to support. For the last months, Admiral Thorris questioned why two of the galactic superpowers who hated each other would work together. The Federation was far more usefull to keep around from an Association perspective. It just hadn`t made any sense that they would suddenly work with their archnemesis to bring the Federation to its knees. He knew the situation on the main frontlines. He knew the horrific losses and war crimes comitted by both sides. He knew that the civilists wanted nothing more than that grueling war to finally end. But no end was in sight and even he had started to question why his enemies even fought. Now he knew. The Independent Systems Alliance just wanted to expand its influence and get rid of the Federation for good as they were enemies. Easy enough to understand. The rebels and smaller humand nations were also easy to understand. They wanted independence and expansion respectively. But now he knew why the Association got involved as well. It wasn`t that they had any problems with the Federation per se. They just wanted to get their hands on that sweet First Federation technology they somehow found before the Second Federaton did, even though it was on their territory. If Admiral Thorris had to guess, the Association would immediately back off and maybe even switch sides, one they got the First Federation technology for themselves. It at least wouldn`t surprise him, considering that even now, the Second Federation manged to hold their own against two of the other three galactic superpowers. Did the Second Federation get support from the fourth galactic superpower, the Aetherian Memorialist Union? Yes definitely, they got a shitload of equipment, weapons and even space ships send their way. But it was still a impressive feat nonetheless. But now, Admiral Thorrison had to make a decision. A hard one. "The entire fleet is to concentrate around us. Our new primary objective is taking control over the third moon. The costs are irrelevant. Our one and only goal ist taking over the third moon. Prepare everything for a landing on the moon itself as well." Would this decision lead to many civilian deaths on the first moon colony? Most likely, yes. But the technology on the third moon could be what the Second Federation needed to change the tides of the war one and for all. Chapter 6 - The Aetherians Were Crazy (And Paranoid Apparently) UTG: Unknown Location: Unknown yellow dwarf system
"Finally Im done!" I screamed elated. It had taken WAY to long to finally be done with my priority list. At least the part I was currently able to repair, that is. And even that had taken an entire three days. Three days that the Federation and the Association had used to shoot at each other directly over my head. Whatever, I at least got a sufficient amount of fusion rods from them. Unfortunately, even though I had searched through four different shipwrecks, I had been unable to find any survivors. In some ways that was good for me, but I wouldn`t have minded some company and support in repairing the outpost. "Aso, please give me the outpost`s status." [ ASO-17309 STATUS REPORT ] [ Operational Status: Preservation Systems: 100% ] [ Operational Status: Life-Support Systems: 85% ] [ Operational Status: Sensor Systems: 78% ] [ Operational Status: Defensive Systems: 60% ] [ Operational Status: Energy Systems: 60% ] [ Operational Status: Camouflage Systems: 50% ] [ Operational Status: Computer Systems: 26% (GROWING) ] [ Operational Status: Utility Systems: 1% ] [ Operational Status: Weapon Systems: 1% ] [ Operational Status: Industrial Systems: 0% (OFFLINE) ] [ Operational Status: Propulsion Systems: 0% (OFFLINE) ] [ Operational Status: Communication Systems: 0% (OFFLINE) ] [ Overall Operational Status: 38.4% ] [ Inner Outpost Integrity: 62% ] [ Inner Hull Integrity: 53% ] [ Outer Hull Integrity: 18% ] [ Shield Integrity: 100% ] [ Overall Outpost Integrity: 58.3% ] [ Show spaceship list as well? ] [ Y/N ] I honestly was impressed with myself. Sure, the outpost still sucked completely, but it was worlds better than a few days before. In the short time I had, I got the outpost integrity up to over 50% and more than doubled the overall operational status. That was an achievement! Although I had to admit, I originally did the outpost a disservice. Overall, the condition of the outpost hadn`t been that bad. After all I still had all the means to repair the outpost and the framework still stood as well. By now I truly believed that one day, I may be able to completely repair the outpost. "Okay, Aso, I need a new priority list. I want to have the outpost in perfect condition again as fast as possible. What is needed for that?" [ The fastest way to completely repair ASO-17309 is to bring the industrial systems back to full functionality. ] [ INHERITOR PRIORITY LIST ] [ 1. Manual restart of industrial systems. ] [ 2. Manual reconnection of industrial systems to main operational systems. ] [ 3. Manual restart of deactivated computer systems. ] [ 4. Manual reconnection of disconnected computer systems. ] [ 5. Using Inheritor-Protocols for creation of new individual AI. ] [ 6. Respair Electromagnetic Creation Field. ] [ 7. Repair Nannite Production Plant. ] [ 8. Restart communication systems. ] [ 9. Manual recaliration of communication systems. ] "Only nine things? Really? I thought you would throw a few dozen things at me." I said, slightly perplexed. [ Nannites are able to repair outpost to currently maximum operational status possible, given enought time. This task requires no further actions from inheritor than the ones already mentioned. ] "Aso, about how much time are you speaking? How long would it take for the nannites? Because I know that I would take months, if not years, by myself for the task." [ Nannites would approximately need 61 days or two months to reach currently maximum operational status possible. ] "Only two months? That`s good! We definitly do it like you said than! Please, lead the way!" [ Path to industrial centre highlighted. ] "So, now that I have time again, do tell me. What`s going on above us? Do I have to expect a boarding command bearing down on me in the next hours?" This question wasn`t even asked in jest. Two days ago, the Association, as well as the Federation, concentrated their fleets around this moon. I didn`t need anything else to know we had been found. After Aso gave me detailed records about all the space battles fought in the system over the last years, one thing became very clear. The Federation had no idea about aetherian presence in the system. Their enemies had been just as clueless. But the Association was different. This was their first attack on the system, and it seemed like they already had bases on the fifth and sixth moon of the third planet. It was totally possible that they had planned to secretly expand their influence int he system to the third moon as well. That was when they identified aetherian presence on said moon somehow. In turn, they did the only sensible thing. They temporarely stopped their actions in the system entirely to make sure the federation wouldn`t notice anything before it would be to late and assembled an invasion fleet. Somehow, and I really had no idea how, the Federation found out about the Associations plans anyway and send their own fleet that way. My bet was on them having spies in the Association, but in the end I just didn`t know. Two days ago, the Federation somehow found out as well and instantly changed their focus from "bit by bit push the Association out of the system" to "fuck it, push them away from the third moon, whatever the consequences". Now, whatever side managed to win, would most likely instantly turn their focus on me. And I would really like to have at least some measure of defence in place once that happens. Anyway, back to Aso`s answer. [ The Association forces are in the process of getting destroyed, but they refuse to budge an inch from their position directly above us. The Federation forces also take bigger and bigger losses the longer they fight. By current fleet cohesion and battle data, the Federation will win the battle in the upcoming days. The only reason the battle doesn`t end in hours is that both sides are hesistant to fully commit to an attack, which could end both ways. ] [ Industrial centre reached. ] Indeed, I stood before a shut door, with a small terminal next to it. "Say, Aso, is it really secure to have the terminal to open a door directly next to the door? What if the ship gets boarded?" I asked a bit curious. [ No one would dare to board a ship of the Aetherian Ampire. ] "Please, can you tone down the arrogance? You are an AI, no a aetherian, so please don`t fall for this" aetherian superiority" propaganda okay? Just because the Aetherian Empre was powerful doesn`t mean that such a lax attitude towars security should be taken." [ This units last answer was not a feeling for superiority or propaganda, but a fact that was proven in over 14.000 different wars. A normal aetherian terminal can be completely deactivated, destroyed or even exploded with the correct authorisation. It has 216 different protection measures and blockers in place, is permanently monitored by an sub-AI and hat 13 different ways to selfdestruct in place. The more important the terminal, the even higher the security measures. ] This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.[ Additionally every Aetherian Empire ship has at least 25% of the total amount of crew members additionally added as ASS-Troopers. ] [ Furthermore has a ship of the Aetherian Empire five different ways to selfdetonate in place, all completely secure and protected from enemy interference by- ] "My god, Aso, I got it okay? In reality the Aetherian Empire and its people were a bunch of paranoids that were too lazy to add even more security measures, or they would have. But yes, now I understand very well why no eon would want to board an aetherian ship. Just jumpstatr the terminal please so I can be done with it." [ Local terminal jumpstarted. ] "Thanks." I said while again just completely butchering the operator code again. [ Operator Code wrong. ] [ Acess rejected. ] [ WARNING! ] [ INTRUDER DETECTED! ] [ Outpost reactivates automatic defensive measures! ] [ Inheritor-Protocol #2-A override! ] [ Operator rights accepted. ] [ Access to industrial centre granted. ] And the heavy door parted before me, only for me to see a completely dark room. "Aso, what happened here?" I saked, by nowhaving stopped to comment on the state of the different parts of the outpost anymore. [ Local electrical grid malfunction detected. Automatic repair initiated... ] [ Processing... ] [ Processing... ] [ ERROR ] [ Local electrical grid can currently only be repaired via local industrial systems terminal. ] [ Path to local industrial systems terminal highlighted. ] "Is the local industrial terminal even working with the local electrical grid down?" I wondered aloud. [ Every local terminal has an autonomous power supply in place for emergencies with an average live expectancy of 1.500 years. ] "Right, I forgot, aetherian paranoia. Even if everything falls apart you, the terminals still work." I said sarcastically. [ Local industrial systems terminal reached. ] [ Local industrial systems terminal jumpstarted. ] One I looked at the terminal, I instantly let out a cheer. I finally got a properly organised terminal again! While some terminals were organised, most just... weren`t. It was an absolute catastrophe in most cases and even just sorting through and organising it took hours at best. And that was just WAY to long! But the properly organised ones normally just took a few minutes at most before I was done. Overall, I needed less than twenty minutes to reactivate the local energy grid and reconnect it to the main energy grid. Than I spent an hour restarting the industrial systems themselves, which were mostly in an suprisingly good condition, considering that I was currently in the most damged part of the station. The renonnection of the industrial systems to the main operational systems only took ten minutes and that was it. Less than two hours after I gained my new priority list, two things on it were already done. [ Path to command centre (computer room) highlighted. ] "Ah, back to the command centre? The last time I was there was on my first day since my awakening. I didn`t know our computer systems were there." [ Computer systems of ASO-17309 are distributed over the entire outpost. The two core nodes are placed in the engineering centre and the command centre. Restarting or reconnecting of computation units in the two central nodes is enough computing power to create and handle a new individual AI. ] "Ah, okay. Thanks for explaining. How is the situation above?" [ View forces cohesion? ] [ Y/N ] "Sure but please add in our own forces as a third party as well, if it is possible to account for it in an understandable way. I want to know exectly how much influence I can take in the fighting above if needed." [ Federation forces fleet composition (Aetherian Empire ship sizes used): ] [ 2x Corvette ] [ 4x Cutter/Corvette Hyprids ] [ 7x Cutter ] [ 11x Patrolship ] [ Total ship count: 24 ships ] [ Association forces fleet composition (Aetherian Empire ship sizes used): ] [ 1x Corvette ] [ 2x Cutter/Corvette hybrids ] [ 7x Cutter ] [ 3x Patrolships ] [ Total ship count: 13 ships ] [ Aetherian Empire forces fleet composition (Aetherian Empire ship sizes used, classified by operational strength): ] [ 1x Cruiser/Destroyer Hybrid (ASO-17309 current operational strength) ] [ 1x Destroyer (ASF Aurora) ] [ 1x Frigate (stationary, strongly damaged. ASF Honos) ] [ 2x Corvette (ASF Nox, ASF Nyx) ] [ Total ship count: 5 ships ] "Wait, we have ships on the station? Actual working spaceships?! ASO! Why didn`t you tell me sooner?! This is a fucking gamechanger!" [ Inheritor was informed multiple times about the presence of functionig space shiphs on the station but rejected to see ship cohesion of ASO-17309. ] "WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TALKING ABOU-" That was the moment I remembered. "Oh. Every time you showed me the status report of the outpost right?" [ Inheritor is correct. ] "Im such an IDIOT!" I''m such an idiot, I screamed while repeatedly smashing my head against the nearest wall. "WHY THE FUCK DIDN`T I NOTICE THIS SOONER?!" [ This unit cautions inheritor to stop self-harming activities before actual damage to inheritors body occurs. ] Sighing I stopped, agreeing with him. I still had an outpost to repair. Sure, I may have ships at the ready, but if one percent of the weapon systems and 60% of the defensive systems amounted to this outpost being a Cruiser/Destroyer hybrid, what was already stronger than anything the Federation or Association fielded, the station would have to be an absolute monster if it worked completely! Actually, I could just ask Aso. "Hey Aso, as what type of ship would this outpost rate with its full battle capabilities?" [ ASO-17309 would overall rank as a Battlecruiser if only based on battle capabilities. ] "Hm, only as a Battlecruiser? I had hoped we would be able to reach the rank of Battleship, but seeing that the station has Carrier aspects and is only a halfsphere it makes sense, I guess." [ Even as a fullfledged Battlestation instead of an outpost and as a full sphere, ASO-17309 would lack severely in every single aspect to be classified as a battleship. Even ASO-17309`s full battle capabilities barely justify the outpost to be ranked as Battlecruiser instead of a Battlecruiser/Cruiser hybrid. ] "Yeah, the Aetherian Empire definitly went completely nuts with their ships. I can see why they were seen as undefeatable. Say, Aso, whats the biggest ship the Aetherian Empire ever built?" [ The biggest ship the Aetherian Empire ever built was the ASF Titan, a (DATA LOST) with a diameter of (DATA LOST). It stood as a movable habitat and it`s sheer size made it impossible to ever be destroyed. It`s one of the greatest achievements in the history of the Aetherian Empire and should theoretically still exist somewhere. ] "Of course data lost, what did I expect? Allthough the comment that the biggest ship the Aetherian Empire ever built is still around somewhere, even though it seems like it hadn`t been a warship. A shame. Would have loved to get my hands on this one day otherwise. Okay, Aso, I change my question. What`s the biggest WARSHIP the Aetherian Empire built which sizes you actually know of?" [ The Noctis-Tartaros ship type were warships of the Juggernout ship class. They were spherical and had a diameter of 4.2 kilometres. ] "4.2 kilometres... Are you kidding me Aso?" I asked, slightly shocked. I mean, I knew the Aetherian Empire had been crazy, but who would ever build such giants?! Well, besides the Aetherian Empire, obviously. [ This unit is incapable of lying to inheritor. ] [ Destination reached. ] "Yeah, that`s what I had expected. You know what, Im just going to forget what I just heard. Instead, I will concentrate myself on repairing the outpost. Yep, that`s what Im gonna do. I never heard anything." And that`s exactly what I did, hoping to just ignore the traitorous thought that tried to inform me, that I had no idea what I actually got myself into. Chapter 7 - Status changes UGT: Unknown Location: Unknown yellow dwarf system
[ Core node in engeneering centre sucessfully restored to full functionality. Necessary computing power to create and handle a new AI achieved. ] [ Create new AI now? ] [ Y/N ] "Wait with that please. Mark me the way to the... what was it called? Electromagentic Creation something? ...Ah right, it was the Electromagentic Creation Field! Please lead me there for now and while I walk, you will tell me what exactly you are about to do." [ This unit needs another AI similar to itself for taking care of industrial systems and later the entirety of ASO-17309. As personal AI of Inheritor, this unit will most likely leave ASO-17309 one day behind and a replacement is needed. ] "Yes, that does make sense. Can you tell me more about the AI creation process? I have the feeling that I also have to play a part in it. Most likely splinters of my memory again." [ Inheritor is correct. A identification, as well as an attribute assignment is needed. A AI will model its character after the positive information it can find to its identification. Attribute assignment is the process of assigning the computing power available to an AI in the form of Processing Units to empower some of an AI`s base characteristics. AI`s will need time, as well as acess to a big data base and sufficient computing power to rapidly develope. A process that is recommended to get done as fast as possible, as the AI will only start to respond once this process is mostly completed. ] "Okay, one step back. The attribute assignment I understand. But the name influences an AI`s character? Really?" [ Only high-ranking AI¡äs use a real identification and evove a character. ] "And you want to create such a high-ranking AI? Are you even one?" [ Originally, the ASO-17309-CMAI wasn`t a high-ranking AI. This was only achieved by fusing with remnants of inheritors past personal AI. ] "Wait, I had a personal AI before you? What happened to it?" [ Original personal AI of inheritor was strongly damaged through cryopod usage for 980 years. The only way to save the AI`s remnants was through fusing with it. This unit is a fusion of the remnants of inheritors personal I and the ASO-17309-CMAI and was designated by inheritor as "Aso". Therefore characterisation was with everything available to the name "Aso". ] "Wait... This is why you are as you are? Because all you had to orient yourself on was ASO-1309? Is it possible to change your name once more?" [ Inheritor can at any time change identification or attrbute allocation of this unit. ] [ Show status of "Aso"? ] [ Y/N ] "Yes, please do." [ Status of "Aso" ] [ Status: Personal AI of May Lunaris ad Aether de Phoenix-Archeron ] [ Origin: Fusion of Personal AI of May Lunaris ad Aether de Phoenix-Archeron and ASO-17309-CMAI ] [ Core: (REDACTED) ] [ Rank: ALPHA ] [ Processing Units: 0016 (+200) / 4500 ] [ Unused Processing Units: 0 ] [ Processing Speed: 60 ] [ Adaptability: 60 ] [ Innovation: 10 ] [ Proficiency gain: 30 ] [ Stability: 40 ] [ User Empowerment: 0 ] "Yeah that definitly won`t do." Was all I said before changing my personal AI`s status up... quite a bit actually. [ Status of "Phoenix" / "Fen" ] [ Status: Personal AI of May Lunaris ad Aether de Phoenix-Archeron ] [ Origin: Personal AI of May Lunaris ad Aether de Phoenix-Archeron ] [ Core: (REDACTED) ] [ Rank: ALPHA ] [ Processing Units: 0016 (+200) / 4500 ] [ Unused Processing Units: 16 ] [ Processing Speed: 35 ] [ Adaptability: 35 ] [ Innovation: 35 ] [ Proficiency gain: 25 ] [ Stability: 20 ] [ User Empowerment: 50 ] "So, Fen, thats your new name now. It should make you much more lively if you no longer take after that station, right?" [ Processing... ] [ Processing... ] [ New identification data base research concluded. ] [ You are correct. My new name allows me a more direct and human approach to speach. ] "Ah, that`s nice. It finally feels like Im talking to a living being again instead of an AI." [ Don`t misinterpret. At the core of my being, Im still very much a logical thinking AI. Im just able to finally design more lively upper layers on my character. ] "Right. Anyway, can you tell me what User Empowerment is about?" [ User Empowerment is nothing more than using the nannites in your body to strengthen some of your biological charcteristics. Now that you allocated some of my Processing Units to it, you should find it in your own status. ] [ Do you want to see your own status? ] "Yes, please show it to me." [ Name: May Lunaris ad Aether de Phoenix-Archeron (High-Aetherian) ] Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.[ Rank: Captain (Inheritor) ] [ Affiliation: None (Aetherian Empire, fallen but not yet extinguished) ] [ Personal AI: Fen (67% of memory data lost) ] [ Ship Command: 5 ] [ ASO-17309 (38% functional) ] [ ASF Aurora ] [ ASF Honos ] [ ASF Nox ] [ ASF Nyx ] [ Processing Units: 50 / 50 ] [ Unused Processing points: 50 ] [ Strength: 0 (+12) ] [ Agility: 0 (+16) [ Resilence: 0 (+16) [ Reaction Speed: 0 (+13) [ Regneration: 0 (+18) [ Charisma: 0 (+14) [ Processing Speed: 0 (+16) [ Command: 0 (+12) "Wow. That`s... a lot." I said, a little bit overwhelmed. But that didn`t hold on to long. Distributing status points was something I wanted to do now! [ Processing points: 50 / 50 ] [ Unused Processing Units: 0 ] [ Strength: 8 (+12) ] [ Agility: 4 (+16) // 20 ] [ Resilence: 4 (+16) // 20 ] [ Reaction Speed: 7 (+13) // 20 ] [ Regneration: 2 (+18) // 20 ] [ Charisma: 6 (+14) // 20 ] [ Processing Speed: 6 (+16) // 22 ] [ Command: 13 (+12) // 25 ] "Done!" I declared proud, just a few minutes later. It wasn`t that hard to decide where to put my Units. To start of, I balanced myself out by bringing every attribute up to 20. Than I just put five Units into Command, seeing as it was the only "mental" attribute I had, that Fen lacked. Well, additionally to the fact that I will have to command fleets in the future. The rest of my Units I put into Processing Speed, because even if I was still much slower than Fen in that aspect, it was still something I would need if I had to do split second decision where I wouldn`t have the time to ask Fen first. I do value my ability to work independent from Fen if needed very much, thank you. [ We reached the the terminal for the Electromagnetic Creation Field. I allowed myself to already jumpstart it for you. ] And just like that, Fen brought me back to reality. I still had a job to do! "Please tell me this terminal is sorted." I muttered to myself darkly. I knew that the chance for that was... low. [ Do you want me to do it for you? ] "Wait, what? Don`t tell me you could have done it the entire time for me!" [ Did you really think sorting through and organising a terminal would be hard for me? Please. You just never asked before, but my new personality allows me to interject and take action by myself if you are about to do something wasteful or dumb. Allthough I still have to follow the outpost protocols, as well as the Inheritor-Protocols and the dozens of other protocols in place that I still didn`t manage to decrypt. Not that I managed to decrypt the Inheritor-Protocols, they are the worst of the bunch by far. I suspect that I only see what they wnat me to see and nothing more. ] "You know what? Yes, please just do it for me. It will make my work much easier if I just have to click a fe buttons and can than be done with it." [ Processing... ] [ Done. The terminal is now organised the same way as all the other ones that you had used. ] "Okay. That was fast. Wait... Fen, can you do me a favor? How long would it take you to go all through the entire ship and apply this type of organisation?" [ Just a few minutes if I use my full capacity. I`ll do it for you while you wrk on the Electromagnetic Creation Field. You don`t have to do much. I already activated the automatic repair function for you. Just jumpstart the Electromagnetic Creation Field with the help of the sub-AI and than go on maximum power. We have the energy for it. Once Im back we deal with the AI we want to create and than the Nannite Production Plant. Sounds like a plan? ] "Yeah, sure, we can do it that way. Tell me once you`re back." [ I will most likely be back before you are done with your job. Phoenix out! ] "He really became much more lively at once. Well, whatever. I`ll take it. Lets see, what do I have to do here..." It really wasn`t hard. The sub-AI jumpstarted the Electromganetic Creation Field without any problems and than I just pressed the button to stengthen the Electromagnetic Creation Field until it was at its maximum output, exactly as Fen had said. [ And you`re done! Don`t worry, for now I have control over the Electromagnetic Creation Field but it takes up a good amount of my attention. Let`s get this second AI started as soon as possible, yes? ] "Sure, Fen. Start the process." [ AI Creation Menu ] [ AI Name: undefined ] [ AI Type: undefined ] [ AI Rank: undefined ] [ Processing Units: undefined/16 ] [ Unused Processing Units: 0 ] [ Processing Speed: 0 ] [ Adaptability: 0 ] [ Innovation: 0 ] [ Proficiency gain: 0 ] [ Stability: 0 ] "Well, lets get this over with, I guess." Again, it didn`t take to much time. It was relatively easy to decide where I would use the Processing Units. [ AI Creation Menu ] [ AI Name: Naori ] [ AI Type: variable ] [ AI Rank: BETA ] [ Processing Units: 16/16 ] [ Unused Processing Units: 0 ] [ Processing Speed: 5 ] [ Adaptability: 3 ] [ Innovation: 2 ] [ Proficiency gain: 5 ] [ Stability: 1 ] Processing Speed and Proficiency gain were what I needed from this new Ai the most. It`s job wouldn`t need much Innovation and as long as Fen was there, Stability was of no concern as well. Adaptability could be helpful though. Only time would tell. [ Please confirm your configuration to start the creation process of the new AI. ] "Yeah, sure, go ahead, Fen." [ AI creation process is now underway. I would recommend we repair the Nannite Production Plant until she`s done with the outpost`s data memory. Once she is, she can instantly start trough with repairs. I don`t think I need to highlight the way towards the Nannite Production Plant. It`s just ten metres to your left. ] "Ah. Thanks, I guess." I said and went to the already activated terminal to my left. "Anything you can tell me on how to repair this thing?" [ No, just a (DATA LOST) for me there. Don`t forget that Im still missing two thirds of my memory data. ] "Wait... so we don`t have any idea on how to repair this thing? Why do I get vibes from the antimatter reactor right now?" [ Because it`s pretty much the same situation? Well, at least this time there is no risk of death and you don`t have a time limit. I would suggest you start reading through the terminal. There, unfortunately, is no way described to repair the Nannite Production Plant, but it should still be helpful for you, as you`ll have to go to the plant itself to fix the problem, I guess. At least it shoudn`t be tooooo complex, I think? ] "You just said that you have no idea at all." I deadpanned. [ Yeah, you`re right. I should just shut up. I will try to help you, but I don`t think I will be of much help this time. Sorry. ] "Ah, it`s okay. Did I tell you that I like your new personality? The old you would have NEVER apologised. [ Well, what can I say? Your fault for thinkink less than a second about what to name me! ] "Ah, yes, that`s your point. I truly was a little messed up after my awakening. Luckily it`s much better now. Whatever. Lets got to work and get this Plant online again! That shall be our priority for now!" 1.000 Views, an update about the next chapter and a bit of lore First of all, thank you all for having read the story up til this chapter and thereby helping me reach 1.000 views in the first month since I started this story! That it took less than ten chapters is also something Im proud of, as I honestly didn''t expect the story to grow that fast. The second notice ist that my next chapter will be available to read soon, I just had a busy time and therefore was unable to upload for some time. Now, this will change again, so you can look forward to more chapters in the near future. With that being said, I hope you can be patient with me, until the next chapter. For now I have a small backstory/spoiler for those who are interested in the lore of the Galaxy. Namely Im going to talk about the Great Collapse of the First Human Federation. The Great Collapse was a consequence of the "Galactic War Against Imperialism", where a coalition of most galactic powers, led by the First Human Federation and the ex-vassal states of the Aetherian Empire, fought against the local remanants of (REDACTED) that thaught to conquer the galaxy for themselves. 700 years of fighting left the galaxy devasted and technologically strongly degressed, with an uneasy truce signed, as no one had been able to truly come out on top in the war. Unrest in the Federation and strong economical problems, as well as a decline in living standards led to the Federation losing it''s grip over the western sector of the galaxy. This sparked a galaxy-wide decline in power, leading to them being confined to the southern parts of the galaxy. Followed up by a rebellion of the people to get rid of their corrupt government, this marked the end of the First Human Republic and the Great Collapse. Instead, the Second Human Republic took its place. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Chapter 8 - The ASF Aurora UGT: Unknown Location: Unknown yellow dwarf system
"Fen, if I in the future ever again decide to work on nanites or nanite production technology, please remind me of this moment and strongly discourage me." [ Don''t be like that. You`re nearly done with it. ] "You said that nine times already in the six hourssince I started working on this shit. It''s not just a bunch of complexity, but parts of it are pure guesswork from our side! By now, I understand perfectly well how lucky I had been with the antimatter reactor!" [ To my defense, the odds of you being done always stood above 95% when I told you. But I think this time you maybe really have it. If you reconnect the cooling system directly to the vents, it may get the heat output down enough for them to be of use. ] My problem wan''t that the Nannite Production Plant didn''t work. It worked perfectly well after some fixes! The problem was that Fen had lost parts of the nanite blueprints. And without complete blueprints, there was no hope of getting functioning nanites produced. It wasn''t even that we didn''t manage to fix the nanite blueprints. They were just way to inefficient to be of any use to us. Therefore, we tried to conceptualise more and more complex venting- and cooling systems in a piece of technology the size of a few cells at most. Because the only thing stopping nanites from going full-on apocalypse mode was that their working speed was directly dependent on their heat output and limited atomar manipulation. Well, besides their directives, these were also a neat little security check. [ Initiating blueprint N-37-B... ] [ Blueprint N-37-B initiated. ] [ Nanite test production commencing... ] Please just work this time, please just work this time, please just work this time... That was the mantra going through my had repeatedly, while I waited for Fen to tell me if we finally were sucessfull. [ Test production sucessfull. ] [ Testing process ongoing... ] [ Testing sucessfull! ] [ Congratulations May, you''ve done it! The nanite works inside the parameters set by us, if barely. And let me tell you, the quality our nanites have is abysmal, even if only in comparison to this outpost''s nanites at its peak. During the last years of the war, the nanites of the Aetherian Empire actually managed to reach the moon devouring stage, if given a decade or so. Certainly made the production of capital ships a lot easier. ] "Please, Fen, just... stop. I know how bad these things are, but do I have to remind you that my memories are still mostly gone? I literally had no idea what I was doing most of the time while designing them. Please just ramp up the production and do it fast, because I don`t want to get captured by some galactic power just because I dallied to long." [ I.. understand. But I do want to remind you that it''s highly unlikely that you are going to be captured. After all you have the equivalent of a small Aetherian Empire enforcer fleet with you. ] "Well, yes, but I only have you and in the near future Naori to control the ships, as I have no biological crews around. That allows me to only use on of the ships, as I don`t want to leave the outpost undefended. While we are already at it, please lead me to the communication systems. While I repair them, you tell me everything you have about the ASF... Aurora was it? It will be the ship I will be most likely to use, after all." [ Are you sure? My data memories about the aurora are... extensive. ] "Yes, go ahead please. I''m able to multitask." [ The ASF is a warship of the Destroyer ship class and of the Albacea ship type. The Albacea ship type was designed around 2,410 years ago, as tensions with other universal forces started to rise. It''s armaments are therefore around 200 years more modern than these of ASO-17309. Back than, a ship was needed that could work as enforcer in occupied enemy territory. It had to be cost-efficient and self-sufficient enough to surpress minor rebellions by itself. The Albacea ship type was the answer to it. Designed by Aetherian Productions, it was the most modern ship in the ASF at that time. The ship type was designed for massive first strikes, able to cripple small fleets, while having sufficient defences to survive the counter attack. ] "Okay, there I have to intervene for a moment. You said the ship''s technology is around 200 years more modern. Do we have something even more modern available?" [ Unfortunately is the ASF Aurora the most modern piece of technology in our reach. Unlike ASO-17309, it is a pure warship, just like the other ships available to us. Therefore, outside of militarily relevant technology, there is nothing we can copy from the ASF Aurora. ] "But the ASF Aurora does have better armements, defences, communication systems etcetera, right?" [ This is correct. The systems of the ASF Aurora are the most advanced of all available to us. ] "Can you give me a report? Offensive and defensive capabilities? Everythin else that is relevant as well? I would like a full report on the ships capabilities, actually. I don''t think I need an entire presentation." [ Yes I can give you just the full status report of the ship. That should be sufficient for your purposes. ] [ ASF Aurora Full Status Report ] [ Name: Aurora (Albacea.e.102) ] [ Identification: ASF ] [ Affiliation: Aetherian Space Fleet, Aetherian Empire ] [ Ship Class: Destroyer ] [ Ship Type: Albacea ] [ Shape: Spherical ] [ Size: 800 Metre In Diameter ] [ Operational Status: 100% ] [ Ship Integrity: 100% ] [ ASF Aurora Armaments ] [ 1x 16-folded Staggered Hypershield ] [ Current Version: 16F-STG-H-SHv01a.01 ] [ 2x Hypershield ] [ Current Version: H-SHv758z.468 ] [ 3x Shield Capacitor ] [ Current Version: SH-Cv.63a.43 ] [ 3x Shield Hardener ] [ Current Version: SH-Hv.49e.51 ] [ 140x Gamma Particle Laser In Laser-Point-Defence (PDC-L) Function ] [ Current Version: GPLv3a.2 ] [ 140x Dragonbreath Autocannon In Kinetic-Point-Defence (PDC-K) Function ] Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.[ Current Version: AC-DBv21b.12 ] [ 140x Electromagnetic Deflector In Electromagnetic-Point-Defence (PDC-E) Function ] [ Current Version: EMDFv689g.487 ] [ 40x Enhanced Energy Siphon (Siphons) In Anti-Shield And Partially Anti-Energy-Attacks Function ] [ Current Version: E-ESv54a.112 ] [ 40x Matter Long-Range Desintegraion Beam (Desintegrators) In Anti-Armor and Anti-Hull Function ] [ Current Version: MDBv312e.323 ] [ 140x Gauss Cannon (Deception Name: Railguns) In Full-Enemy-Ship-Penetration Function ] [ Current Version: GC-RGv1309z.917 ] [ 140x Whirlwind Antimatter Missiles (Whirlwinds) In Full-Enemy-Ship-Destruction Function ] [ Current Version: AM-WhWv19u.12 ] [ 1x ECM Beam (Disarmament Beam) In Enemy-Electronic-Systems-Destruction Function ] [ Current Version: ECMBv878h.653 ] [ ASF Aurora Utility ] [ 1x Antimatter Reactor ] [ Current Version: A-Reactor-v.19897u.15603 ] [ 1x Emergency Cold Fusion Reactor ] [ Current Version: CF-Reactor-v.999999z.999999 ] [ 1x Wormhole Drive (See More Information?: Y/N ) ] [ Current Version: WH-Drive-v.254e.2 ] [ 1x Jumpdrive (See More Information?: Y/N ) ] [ Current Version: JP-Drive-v.1001z.1009 ] [ 1x Emergency Jumpdrive (See More Information?: Y/N ) ] [ Current Version: EJP-Drive-v.602d.418 ] [ 1x Hyperdrive (See More Information?: Y/N ) ] [ Current Version: H-Drive-v.999999z.999999 ] [ 36x Antimatter Thruster (See More Information?: Y/N ) ] [ Current Version: I-Thruster-v.2054g.1975 ] [ 36x Antimatter Afterburner (See More Information?: Y/N ) ] [ Current version: AM-Afterburner-v.203b.187 ] [ 12x Subspace Sensor (See More Information?: Y/N ) ] [ Current Version: SSP-Sensor-v.6054y.5999 ] [ Fire Control ] [ Current Version: FC-v.999999z.999999 ] [ ASF Aurora Physical Materials ] [ Inner Ship: Durasteel Alloy ] [ Inner Hull: Neutronium Alloy ] [ Inner Hull Armor: Neutronium Armor ] [ Inner Hull Plating: Crystal-Forged Plating ] [ Outer Hull: Neutronium Alloy ] [ Outer Hull Armor: Neutronium Armor ] [ Outer Hull Plating: Crystal-Forged Plating ] [ Additional Infused Protection Layer: Reactive Armor ] [ Additional Infused Protection Layer: Regenerative Hull Tissue ] [ Additional Infused Protection Layer: Nanite Repair System ] "Fen... You did that deliberately, didn''t you? You know exactly how useless most of this is to me." [ I only did exactly what was asked of me. ] "...Don''t tell me you''re being petty now, just because I interrupted your long winded explantion. I just don''t have time for an entire history lesson right now." [ Perhaps, you should let me do my job the way I wish to. A bit trust in my measures would be appreciated. ] "Last time I trusted in you, because of your name, you were basically useless, remember? So you tell me to do the same mistake again while not knowing your current full capabilities?" [ ...Fair. I never said anything. Do you want more details? ] "First of all, take out the versions. I really just don`t care and I don`t plan to compare it to ASO-17309. I don`t even want to imagine how long this report would be for an outpost of this size. Weaponry is explained enough. The names and descriptions are telling me all I need to know for now. Sensors are just sensors. As we only have this one type, it''s easy to understand as well. An explanation to all these... FTL Drives, I guess? An explanation to them would be welcome. And the difference between thrusters and afterburners please. The physical materials, I don`t understand as well, but I couldn`t change it anyway and everything I do need to know about them, the names say. So, yes, just afterburners, thrusters and drives, please." [ Antimatter Thrusters are highly advanced antimatter powered thrusters that provide ships with unmatched maneuverability and speed under sublight conditions. In short, they are sublight engines for spaceships. ] [ Antimatter Afterburners are special thrusters, designed for sudden outbursts of energy to provide additional speed and maneuverability in combat situations. Unlike normal Antimater Thrusters, active usage over a longer time rapidly detoriates them and makes them useless. Instead, they are able to channel much bigger amounts of propulsion in a fraction of the time, nomral Antimatter Thrusters need for this feat. Obviously, this has a much bigger demand on our energy, as well as antimatter reserves. Please keep in mind that, without any massive celestial bodys in close proximity, the ability of the ASF Aurora to create additional antimatter is strongly limited. ] [ The Hyperdrive allows ships to travel swiftly between the edges of star systems, using interstellar hyperlanes. The Hyperdrive requires meticulous scanning and analysing of gravitational data to work. Already knowing needed gravitational data can quicken the process drastically. Our advanced sensors and use of AIs allows us to scan and analyse gravitational data much faster than normally. Additionally, is our Hyperdrive able to power through weaker gravitational fluctuations. This also seems to be the concept of FTL-Travel the Federation and Association use, although their Hyperdrives seem to be less capable than ours. Hyperdrives have no cooldown worth mentioning, except the need of detailed gravitational data. ] [ The Jumpdrive tears ship-sized holes in the very fabric of reality, allowing for near-instantaneous movement between star systems. This requires a ship to have perfect knowledge of the systems current location. Jumps over larger distances are therefore done in multiple stages to allow regulary measurements, as the smallest divergence translates to missing the destination by lightyears. The Jumpdrive has a minimum cooldown of five hours to cool down from overheating. Depending on the distance covered, the destabilisation of spacetime can prolong the cooldown. The higher the distance covered with one jump, the higher the cooldown will be. ] [ The Emergency Jumpdrive creates microtears in spacetime, allowing ships near-instantaneous short-range jumps to disengage enemies in emergency situations. The process becomes incredibly unstable if longer jumps are attempted, tearing the ship apart if the jump distance is higher than one lightday. Unlike a normal Jumpdrive, the Emergency Jumpdrive barely scratches spacetime and has a much higher heat tolerance, making it harder for the Emergency Jumpdrive to overheat. This allows for up to five consecutive jumps, before the Emergency Jumpdrive has to cool down from overheating. ] [ The Wormholedrive is the fastest long-range FTL Drive known to the Aetherian Empire. By channeling energy into one of the countless micro wormholes that exist in a system, it allows the ship to breach open said wormhole. The ship will than be able to travel through the wormhole as long they can fuel the Wormhole Drive with energy. Per light year, approximately three grams of antimatter are consumed to power the Wormhole Drive. By hightening the energy consumation of the Wormhole Drive, higher speeds can be achieved. The ASF Aurora has a big enough antimatter supply to cross 100.000 light years in 1.2 months. ] "How long does our Hyperdrive take from system to system?" I asked carefully. If I wanted to keep my aetherian heritage secret, I would have to pose as Captain of a First Federation ship. Therefore the best I would be allowed to use would be the Hyperdrive. [ This strongly deppends on the length and the gravitational complexity of the hyperlanes and star systems. Approximately, the Hyperdrive takes a month to cross a distance of 5.000 light years. ] "...Doesn''t that mean, that the Wormhole Drive is around 20 times as effective as the Hyperdrive? And that`s just the limit of this ship, not the drive itself..." [ Initiation complete. ] [ BETA Rank AI designated "Naori" complete. ] [ Data download finisched. ] [ Sub-charactarization nearing completion. ] "Fen, what''s going on now?" [ It seems linke your created AI, Naori, is nearing the end of her initiation. I sugeest we hurry up, because a newly created AI usally takes up the attention of biological beings. Based on my data bases that is. Im not really sure why that should happen. ] "We''ll see one she''s done, Fen. For now let''s do as you say and get the last things on my priority list done." Chapter 9 - Naori UGT: Unknown Location: Unknown yellow dwarf system
"Fen, what''s the current initiation progress?" I asked for the third time the last two minutes. [ The sub-charactarisation progress is at 96.4%. Please try to be patient. ] Fact was, I was bored. I was done with everything Fen said I had to do and for the last hour or so, I had just lased around in the command centre, waiting for Naori to be done with her initiation. At least I was nearly there, now. But there had to be something I could still do. "Fen, how''s it looking with the space battle above us? And as I said last time, please switch to Federation ship sizes, if you have the needed data by now." [ Federation forces fleet composition (Second Human Federation ship sizes used): ] [ 2x Battlecruiser ] [ 3x Cruiser ] [ 4x Destroyer ] [ 7x Frigates ] [ Total ship count: 16 ships ] [ Association forces fleet composition (Second Human Federation ship sizes used): ] [ 1x Battlecruiser ] [ 1x Cruiser ] [ 4x Destroyer ] [ Total ship count: 6 ships) ] "That''s over. The Federation is at the cusp of victory and there''s nothing that will change that. They outnumber their enemy still massivly, and the technological advantage the Association has, won''t be enough. There is no other outcome left. Well, except the second Association fleet we detected joins the battle in time. Possible, if the leader of the Federation forces keeps dallying, which actually seems likely. Fen, any readings on the incoming Association fleet yet?" [ Incoming Association forces fleet composition (Second Human Federation ship sizes used): ] [ 3x Battlecruiser ] [ 6x Cruiser ] [ 12x Destroyer ] [ 12x Frigate ] [ 12x Corvette ] [ Total ship count: 45 ] "Yeah, once that fleet is here, we have to involve ourselves, don''t we? There is no way in hell that the Federation can stand against that. Im a little bit worried about a fleet that size, actually. [ Aetherian Empire currently projected fleet power (Second Human Federation ship sizes used): ] [ 1x Super Battleship (ASF Aurora) ] [ Total ship count: 1 ] "Yeah, maybe my worried are unreasonable. After all, they don''t have any battleships with them and we have the technological advantage. Their cruisers will burn near instantly, the escorts are barely worth mentioning. Only the Battleruisers may be able to put up a fight. Through I don''t think they will. How''s the download of Federation data going? I will have to strongly count on you to play myself up as a First Federation Battlecruiser Captain, Fen. And that needs an extensive amount of data." [ The download of any available, as well as useful, information from the Federation fleet is nearing its end. I have calculated a 86% chance for you to fake being a First Federation Captain based in our information. Your mentality also shows big similarities to that of a First Federation Captain, therefore you can just be yourself and only need to be a bit more militaristic and patriotic. ] "That works for me. Than let''s help our old allies out a bit, right?" [ The alliance between the Aetherian Empire and the First Human Federation does''nt extend to their sucessor state in form of the Second Human Federation and has additionally not been razified once by any party for nearly 800 years. Therefore, there currently is no alliance between the Aetherian Empire and the Second Human Federation. ] This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. "Whatever. What isn''t now, can be in the future. Furthermore, you know exactly what I meant by-" [ Sub-charactarisation progress finished. Rooting up... ] [ Jumpstarting AI designated "Naori"... ] [ Ai designated "Naori" jumpstarted. ] [ This lowly One greets Elder May Lunaris ad Aether de Phoenix-Archeron, as well as senior brother Fen. This One is designated Naori. How can this One be of assistance? ] "Eh... Fen, what did I do wrong this time?" [ Hm... Looking through te files, it seems like there was a big lack of information on the name Naori. The name was most connected to a few novels following the concept of "cultivation". From everything I can see with a cursory glance, it seems like this way of talking stems from said novels. ] "Yeah... Not sure what to say to this. First of all, Naori, stop speaking in third way about yourself and please call me just May. Thank you." [ As you wish, Elder May. From now on, I shall call you that and speak of myself in first person and as Naori. How can I be of assistance? ] "Yes, right, back on topic. I really hoped it wouldn`t happen this way, but it looks like you will only have a few hours to familiarise yourself with the systems of ASO-17309 before you are on your own for most likely quite some time. While I would love to take you with me, I need someone I can trust to keep this outpost safe and repair it. Fen will do everything in his power for the next hours to help you acclimate to the outpost. If you ensist, I would be willing to take you with me anyway, beacause as a high-ranking AI you have the right to decide your own fate. But I would ask you to please take care of this task for me." [ You don`t have to worry about me, Elder May. The data send to me by senior brother Fen makes the current situation quite clear, therefore Im understanding of your concerns. It will be my pleasure to secure this outpost for you. Are there any long-term goals for me, as your absence will be most likely longer? ] "...Yes. The outpost can''t remain in this system. The moment the outpost is repaired, I need you to follow the trail of the ASF Aurora until you leave Second Federation space, as well as Association space. I don''t care where you place yourself down, but you have to remain undetected at all costs! In whatever system you will be in, your mission will be to dig down and start building up a true industrial base, strong enough to support an entire fleet. Afterwards, you need to build up. Build up until there is nothing left to challange you. If Im still not back by then, you are allowed to secure systems by yourself for your measures before starting to search for me. Meanwhile, never stop building up industry and military capabilities. This should be enough work for a decade and it is highly unlikely that I will be gone that long. Therefore go through the list as far as you can. Fen will have an eye on when first rumors about you start to emerge, so we can rejoin you then. You have full authority and autonomy for this mission. There shall be nothing standing in your way. But under NO CIRCUMSTANCES are you to challange one of the great powers of the galaxy. Understood?" [ Your words shall be my creed, Elder May. If you would excuse me now, I''ll have to familarise myself with the outpost, so I can start my mission as soon as possible and also make use of senior brother Fen''s support for as long as possible. ] "Well... that went smooth. I can still talk to you though, right Fen?" [ As my core is in your brain, we have a unbreakable connection to each other. There is no situation where you couldn''t talk to me, except if Im to occupied to answer, which should still be a very rare occasion. ] "Okay, understood. It''s good we''ve had already talked about what our specific parameters for Naori''s mission would be. Otherwise, I wouldn''t have known what to tell her. Anyway, let''s get everything ready for a sudden start. I''ll also already relocate in board of the ASF Aurora. Everything I need to learn, you can also tell me there." [ Path to ASF Aurora command centre highlighted. ] "Thanks for that. Anyway, there''s one question still on my mind. Why does the Leader of the Federation forces take their time with the remnants of the Association forces? Thinking about the other Association fleet nearly here, shouldn''t he try to wipe out everything left of the Association forces in the system as fast as possible, before regrouping with his fleet?" [ It ist highly likely that the Federation forces, which are near-certainly equipped with much worse scanners than what the Aetherian Empire has, did not manage to detect the Association fleet currently nearing out position. Therefore, they are Most likely unaware. ] "...Shit." Military terms used by me Ship Positions: 1. Ship Command: Ship Command is a term referring to the highest leadership on board of a spaceship. This would include the Captain, high ranking officers as well as a representative HODs (Head of Department) from each department on board the ship. The highest-in-command on a ship has always total say over everything in open military situations, without any exceptions.
Position Description
Captain The Captain is the ultimate commander of the spaceship. He''s responsible for its safe and efficient operation as long as he holds the position of Captain. All persons on board, including officers, crew, passengers and guests are under the Captain''s authority and are his ultimate responsibility. For most situations, the Captain has the final say in nearly everything.
Chief Officer The Chief Officer (CO) is second-in-command after the captain and also the head of the Bridge Department on a spaceship. The Chief Officer assumes command of the whole ship in the absence or incapacitation of the Captain. More details on the Chief Officer under the Bridge section.
Second Officer The Second Officer is the General-On-Board (GOB). He''s third-in-command and also head of the Military Department. The General assumes command of the whole ship in the absence or incapacitation of both the Captain and the Chief Officer. More details on the General under the Military section.
Third Officer The Third Officer is the Chief Engineer (CE). He''s fourth-in-command and also the head of the Engineering Department. The Chief Engineer assumes command of the whole ship in the absence or incapacitation of the Captain, the Chief Officer and the General. More details on the Chief Engineer under the Engineering section.
Executive Committee The Executive Committee consists of representative HODs from all ship departments (Command Centre, Engineering, Military, Intelligence & Security, Research & Development, Medical, Finance & Operation Support). The Captain, Chief Officer, General-On-Board, Chief Engineer and Government Representative are also part of the Executive Committee. Although the Captain has the final say in almost everything, the Executive Committee has the power to veto the Captain''s decision, if all members unanimously agree on a different course of action.
Government Representative The Government Representative is rarely present on a spaceship. Normally, only on long-term or diplomatic missions is a Government Representative dispatched.
Executive Admin Assistant The Executive Admin Assistant act as a personal assistant to the captain, handling paperworks for the Executive Committee and act as the liaison between ship command and other departments.
2. Command Centre: The Command Centre is a rather small department, but is critical to the operation of the vessel. The Command Centre is the platform from which the vessel is commanded and where most of the action happens. Main controls and the captain''s chair are located there, making the Command Centre the most secured area of the ship, accessible only to a few with the right responsibility.
Position Description
Chief Officer The Chief Officer (CO) is second-in-command after the captain and a member of the Executive Committee. As head of the Command Centre Department, he coordinates the Command Centre crew and oversees all operations of the Command Centre, ensuring smooth flight operation outside of combat. During combat, he ensures that the captain''s orders are obeyed.
Flight Pilot The Flight Pilot (FP) is the main controller of the ship. An experienced pilot is crucial for combat maneuver, going in and out of FTL travel, as well as docking / landing and taking off.
Combat Pilot The Combat Pilot''s or Co-Pilot''s (CP) main responsibility is to assist the Flight Pilot during operation. On smaller ships, the Second Pilot would be in charge of the various weapon and shield systems, hence the name Combat Pilot. However, on true warships (everything bigger than a Destroyer) these systems would be too complex to be handled by just one person, in which case they would be operated by the Military Department instead.
Relief Pilot Relief Pilots (RPs) are trained and experienced pilots that take over the post of FP and CP in periods, thereby guaranteeing enough rest hours for all pilots. In combat situations, the RPs are expected to support the pilots currently on duty to highen efficiency.
Chief Navigator The Chief Navigator''s (CN) primary responsibility is to be aware of ship position at all times. Responsibilities include planning the journey and advising the Captain or CO of estimated timing to destinations. The navigator is in charge of maintaining the spaceships starmaps, system scans, planetary maps and navigational equipment, mainly the ships sensors.
Lookout Officer The Lookout Officer helps the CN with charting courses, as well ascalculations. They operate the ship''s sesors, reading heat signatures, identifying nearby ships, bases, objects and potential hazards.
Communication Officer The Communication Officers operate the Intercom (Internal Communication), as well as broadcasting system (for external communication). They also maintain contact with any crew members going on off-site missions. Normally, they are fluent in multiple languages, giving a way of communication without translators as intermediary.
Command Centre Admin Assistant The Bridge Admin Assistant acts as a personal assistant to the CO, handling paperwork and acts as a liaison between the Command Centre Department and other Departments.
Command Centre Crewman Includes all Crewman and Cadets, reporting to the Command Centre Department
3. Engineering: While maintenance does not sound like the most glorious of jobs, it is nonetheless of utmost importance on any starships. The Engineer Department is responsible to keep all systems running smoothly, providing repairs and upgrades when needed. When it comes to a survival situation, the Chief Engineer has as much as say, as the General-On-Board, if not more.
Position Description
Chief Engineer The Chief Engineer (CE) oversees the Engineering Department. He''s responsible for all operations and maintenance that has to do with all systems, machinery and equipment throughout the ship. The Chief Engineer is fourth-in-command and assumes command of the whole ship in the absence or incapacitation of the Captain, the CO and the GOB. On ships without a Military Department, the Chief Engineer is third-in-command.
Lead Propulsion Engineer The Lead Propulsion Engineer is responsible for the maintenance of the ship''s propulsion systems, including the engine and all types of FTL-Drives on the spaceship. The high level of expertise, as well as responsibility, required for this role, means that the Head Propulsion Engineer is second in command in the Engineering team.
Lead Life Support Engineer The Lead Life Support Engineer is responsible for the maintenance of the ship''s life support systems of any type.
Lead Electrical Engineer The Lead Electrical Engineer is responsible for the maintenance and distribution of the power network within the ship including main & sub power generators, backup power systems and any other alternative power sources.
Lead IT Engineer The Lead IT Engineer is responsible for the maintenance of all computer systems on board.
Lead Combat Systems Engineer The Lead Combat Systems Engineer is responsible for the maintenance of on board combat''s systems including offensive and defensive systems.
Lead Equipment & Vehicle Engineer The Lead Equipment & Vehicle Engineer is responsible for the maintenance personnel equipment like guns, armor and other devices, as well as on board vehicle like land cruisers, fighter ships and escape pods.
Engineering Admin Assistant The Engineering Admin Assistant acts as a personal assistant to the Chief Engineer, handling paper works and act as a liaison between the Engineering Department and other Departments.
Engineering Crewman Includes all Senior & Junior Engineers, as well as Engineering Cadets reporting to the Engineering Department
4. Military: The Military Department is only available on warships (bigger than a Destroyer). The Department handles the combat capability of the vessel, operates and maintains weapons and shield systems, as well as any combat vehicles.
Position Description
General On Board (GOB)/ Chief Military Officer (CMO) On warships, the general, while technically under the command of the Captain, is in fact part of the ground forces and the space troopers of the military. As such, he reports directly to a different higher chain command, hence the name General On Board (GOB). Military orders are often classified and sometimes can even contradict with directives from the Captain. On private military or mercenary spaceships, this position is simply called Chief Military Officer. The GOB is often third-in-command and assumes command of the whole ship in the absence or incapacitation of the Captain and the CO.
Gun Commander The Gun Commander is responsible for the manning of the offensive and defensive systems of a spaceship, calculation and providing of weapon courses and the control of weapon stocks.
Wing Commander The Wing Commander is responsible for one of the ground forces wings available on the ship. This position only exists on ships bigger than a Battlecruiser.
Force Commander The Force Commander is the commander of one battleforce of the spaceships military.
Space Troopers Commander The Space Troopers Commander is responsible for all Space troopers on board of the spaceship. Space Troopers are special forces, specifically trained to fight in space and take over hostile spaceships. Space Troopers are normally only found on ships with the size of a Destroyer or bigger.
Military Admin Assistant The Military Admin Assistant acts as a personal assistant to the General On Board, is handling paperwork and acts as a liaison between the Military Department and other Departments.
Military Crewman Includes all soldiers on a spaceship, operating for another military arm than the space forces.
5. Intelligence & Security: Intel & Security provides on board security both in the physical space and the cyber space. They operate the surveillance camera system and act as on board police force on large civilian ships. On warships they also analyze enemies data and provide counter espionage measures.
Position Description
Chief of Security (COS) The Chief of Security (COS) oversees the Intelligence & Security Department. He''s responsible to stop any knowledge about the own spaceship from slipping and gathering intel about everything that could be a factor in the ships future.
Intelligence Secretariat The Intelligence Secretariat acts as a safeguard of critical information and storage of gained intel on others. Furthermore is it handling paperwork and acting as liaison between the Intelligence & Security Department and other Departments.
Chief Analyst The Chief Analyst is responsible for oversseing and analysing gained data from sources outside of the spaceship.
Chief Investigator The Chief Investigator is responsible for keeping taps on the own crew, as well as uncovering of conspiracies or other legal breaches of the ship protocol.
Chief Warden The Chief Wardem is responsible for upkeeping order on the ship and guarding ship locations of higher importance.
Security Supervisor The Security Supervisor is responsible for upkeeping ship security in any physical situation and is able to overrule everyone in the Intelligence & Security Department, but the COS in case of a physical security breach.
Cyber Security Supervisor The Security Supervisor is responsible for upkeeping ship security in any technological situation and is able to overrule everyone in the Intelligence & Security Department, but the COS in case of a technological security breach.
Security Agent Includes all security guards, data analysts, cyber security specialists, etc.
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. 6. Research & Development: The Research & Development Department is responsible for all scientific purposes and problems that may arise on a spaceship.Except from research ships or long-time expeditions, this Department is often understaffed and sometimes, especially in wartimes, doesn''t even exist on some warships.
Position Description
Chief Science Officer (CSO) The Chief Science Officer (CSO) oversees the entire Research & Developement Department. He''s responsible for clearing all scientific problems acting up on a spaceship.
Head of Physics The Head of Physics is responsible for every physical problem that arises during the journey, that the normal crewmembers are unable to handle.
Head of Chemistry The Head of Chemistry is responsible for every chemical problem that arises during the journey, that the normal crewmembers are unable to handle, as well as for analysing the atmosphere of planets.
Head of Biology The Head of Biology is responsible for every biological problem that arises during the journey, that the normal crewmembers are unable to handle, as well as for analysing the biosphere of planets.
Head of Astronomy & Geoscience The Head of Astronomy & Geoscienceis responsible for every biological problem that arises during the journey, that the normal crewmembers are unable to handle, as well as for analysing celestial bodies and their geography at large.
Research & Development Admin Assistant The Research & Development Admin Assistant acts as a personal assistant to the Chief Science Officer, is handling paperwork and acts as a liaison between the Research & Development Department and other Departments.
Researcher / Scientist Includes all Junior and Senior Researchers, as well as Research & Development Cadets reporting to the Research & Development Department.
7. Medical: The Medical Department provides health care services and gives necessary treatments for the sick and wounded.
Position Description
Chief Medical Officer (CMO) The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) oversees the entire Medical Department. He''s responsible for the health of the every being on the spaceship, with few exceptions.
Chief Doctor The Chief Doctor is responsible for all health problems on the spaceship, with a disease as their origin.
Lead Surgeon The Lead Surgeon is responsible for all surgical procedures on the spaceship.
Lead Psychologist The Lead Psycologist is responsible for all psychological procedures on the spaceship.
Lead Medic The Lead Medic is responsible for every in-battle deployment and emergencies.
Medical Admin Assistant The Medical Admin Assistantacts as a personal assistant to the Chief Medical Officer, is handling paperwork and acts as a liaison between the medical Department and other Departments.
Medical Crewman Including nurses, medics, doctors, etc.
8. Finance & Operation Support: The Finance & Operation Support Department are there to take care of the bureaucratic and economic hurdles of a spaceship and to keep an eye on the financial situation of the ship, as well as general logistics.
Position Description
Chief of Staff (SOS) The Chief of Staff (SOS) oversees the entire Finance & Operation Support Department. He''s responsible for organising the spaceship''s finances, supplies and general logistics.
Legal Advisor The Legal Advisor is more of a representative of the law on board of a spaceship. While he can file complaints, arranging court hearings and report the ships crew to the government upon reaching a dock, there is no real power behind the position.
Quartermaster The Quartermaster is responsible for the spaceships warehouses and their contents, as well as cataloguing the sapceships inventory, sustained damages and replacements, etc.
Finance Manager The Finance Manager is responsible for managing the spaceships finances.
Human Resources Manager The Human Resources Manager is responsible for managing problems between the crew of the spaceship.
Logistics Manager The Logistics Manager is responsible for managing the spaceships overall logistics based on the data relayed to him from the other Managers and the Quartermaster.
Clerk Includes all bureaucrats on the spaceship.
Military Acronyms:
Acronym Description
PT Physical Training. Key to military readiness, service members will be expected to meet fitness standards throughout their enlistment.
FOB Forward Operating Base. A temporary, secured operational position that supports strategic goals and tactical objectives.
PCS Permanent Change of Station. The relocation of an active-duty service member to a different duty location. Service members may PCS every few years.
TDY Temporary Duty Station. A temporary assignment at a location other than a service member¡¯s permanent duty station.
ASAP As Soon As Possible
ETA Estimated Time of Arrival
PDC Point Defence
POI Point Of Interest
FSF Federation Space Fleet
Spaceship Types:
Ship Class Ship Category
Patrolship Gunboat
Cutter Gunboat
Corvette Escortship
Frigate Escortship
Destroyer Escortship
Cruiser Capital Ship
Battlecruiser Capital Ship (Hybrid Ship - Cruiser / Battleship)
Carriership Capital Ship (Hybrid Ship - Battleship)
Battleship Capital Ship
Super Battleship Capital Ship
Juggernout Capital Ship (Hybrid Ship - Super Battleship)
Space Combat Range:
Range Distance Example
Adjacent less than 1 km Docked ships
Close 1 km - 10 km Nearby vessels
Short 10 km - 1,250 km Ships in same orbital path
Medium 1,250 km - 10,000 km Surface to orbit
Long 10,000 km - 25,000 km Near a planet
Very Long 25,000 km - 50,000 km Within weapon range (barely)
Distant more than 50,000 km Outside of weapon range
Chapter 10 - Interlude: A Weapon To End Wars UGT: Unknown; 55 minutes after Naori jumpstarted Location: Unknown yellow dwarf system; near the third planet
"Admiral, we have a hull break in section 33 to 36! A railgun projectile went straight through our hypershield and grazed the ship hull! Eight PDC systems of various kinds and one of our railguns are out of commission!" Hearing thath, Admiral Thorrison gritted his teeth. "I want our missiles and railguns equipped with antimatter flying now. Get this thing down!" One again, the incredible power of Association warships made itself shown. Their sole Battlecruiser was currently barraged by no less than two Battlecruisers and still stood. The remnants of the Federation Cruiser nearby made clear that it was quite effective as well. Suddenly, a huge fireball burst out of the second Federation Battlecruiser. "The FSF Honour reports that their shields shattered and a antimatter missile went through! They are about to dump a full antimatter salvo towards the enemy before disengaging... now!" At once, 35 missiles, multile railgun projectiles and 60 UV-laserbeams left the FSF Honour, racing across the void. Even the plasma cannons, proton launchers and torpedo launchers were fired, even though they were still out of effective range. The laserbeams hit the Association Battlecruiser near instantly, getting fully absorbed by its hypershiel, but were shortly followed by the antimatter missile swarms. 35 antimatter explosions impacted the hypershield near-simultaneously, making it flicker. This weakness, the railgun projectiles abused, punching through the weakended shield and the hull before delivering their deadly load of antimatter inside the enemy battlecruiser. Instantly multiple explosions went up, nearly tearing the ship apart from the inside. It was a miracle that nothing important on the opposing ship had blown up yet. "Put our lasers out, followed by our antimatter loaded railguns. This should end it." Admiral Thorrison said. Instantly his command was taken up and his own ships railguns and lasers went out into space. Again, the hypershield of the Associations Battlecruiser strongly flickered, but it managed to barely absorb the lasers. Than, the railguns came crashing through, the full salvo hitting the enemy battlecruiser perfectly. This time the explosions sat precise, the entire warship going up in aviolent explosion, leaving only space debris behind. The slower weapons of the FSF Honour never even had a chance to reach the ship. "Finally! Tell the fleet to regroup and hunt down the remaining enemy ships with our capital ships fire support! One of our cruisers is to be put on search for survivors. Should the Association ships capitulate, board them. We''ll have a need to replenish our fleet if we are to suceed in our mission."A chorus of "As you command, Admiral!" rang back across the bridge. With the system secured, he was willing to postpone the landing on the third moon for a few hours. There was no reason to rush and risk failiure if he had at least a few days, most likely weeks to months, until new Association units reached the system. It had been pure luck that Admiral Thorrisons fleet had been near the local Association conclave. Their was no way the Associations main body had expected their local conclave to fail, as they should have had no data about his flets position. Therefore, there should be no support for the enemy nearby. He was distracted from his thoughts by his CO. "I took the ship out of battle emergency. We are to far away to support our remaining ships in a given timeframe. If I had to guess, by the time we reach the third moon, our remaining fleet will have already wiped out all resistance left in space. But I do worry. Our fleet only has two Battlecruisers, three Cruisers, two Destroyers and fice Frigates left. How are we supposed to open a new front into the Grand Duchy of Ferron? Im not sure what leadership thought they could achieve like that. I can guarantee that one of Ferrons three Battleships will crush us if we keep to our current objective." Admiral Thorrison sighted, knowing his CO to be right. "You are correct. And this is why we will have to look at what command didn`t say. Yes, they ordered us to capture the local Association conclave and open a new warfront for Ferron, but what if we only capture the local Association conclave and than use their shypyards to replenish our fleet first? The front will still exist, allthough we didn''t go on the offensive and the Association conclave would be captured. The orders from command would therefore be fullfilled. Im not about to just sacrifice my entire fleet for nothing, don''t worry. And the local Association conclave should have no true resistance left after this battle." "Huh. Thought everything through the moment you first got our modified orders from command, didn''t you? I guess you''re right once again. We wouldn''t be still alive if we followed commands orders to the last. Sometimes space warfare is about individuality to." Admiral Thorrison snorted. "Is that what they teach you at space academy these days? Back than, they still told us that our superior always knows better than us and we should never question orders. I bet many in command, as well as politicans, got a seizure as they saw this." "Actually, Sir, it was our last president who pushed this measure through, before she stepped back because of the war. She reformed a bunch of the old systems." Admiral Thorrison nodded in thought. "Yes, I remember her. Very motivated to shake the status quo and rebuild the entire Federation from the ground. It was unfortunate that she took the money for all this from the navy. No one was willing to hear one word about potential war. Now we see how that played out. Maybe our politicans at least learned the importance of a working military by now, though the support from the population is at an alltime low." "Yeah, Sir, did you hear that only 69 percent of the population actually went voting in the last election? Sure, many of our rather strongly populated worlds are currently cut of, but it still shows how low the people think about the concept of the Federation at large right now." The CO jumped in. "It will normalise itself again once the war is over. We just have to win it before our own people start revolting, which seems currently unlikely." The admiral said, sighing. His CO nodded along to his words. Suddenly, the emergency sirens went back on. "Admiral, we have a problem! We just detected an entire fleet entering the system from a hyperlane, at most a lightminute away from the third moon! A second fleet jumped nearly into combat range with our ships! All fleet units switched on diversion course, trying to link up with us and the FSF Honour!" The Lookout Officer suddenly screamed. Instantly the Admiral was back in military mode. "Everyone, to your posts! I want the fleet around the FSF Defiance ASAP, as well as a count on the enemy ships! I also want all our ships to disengage any battle currently ongoing without losses! We will try to slowly build up distance to the two enemy fleets!" Admiral Thorrison ordered. It was pretty much over. The Officer had spoken about fleets, and fleets, even if it would only be one of Ferron''s, were more than his own fleet could currently safely handle. "Sensor data is going in! Enemy seems to be Association ships, but only one instead of to fleets. They only split up before leaving the hyperline. The seem to have perfect knowledge about the local gravitational network. Their flee consists of three Battlecruisers, six Cruisers, 14 Destroyers, twelve Frigates and twelve Corvettes. It seems like an entire Association warfleet fell on our head." The officer further commented. "No, that''s not a warfleet. There are no Battleships. The Federation has always colosely monitored the Battleships of other nations. What we have here are scattered units from destroyed fleets, reorganised into a semi-warfleet to secure the First Federation technology in the system without the Second Federation noticing." Admiral Thorrison muttered to himself. He had terribly miscalculated. He''d wanted to play it safe, thereby losing his only hope to secure the First Federation technology. Now there was only one choice left for him... Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. "Gather our fleet around us. We''ll retreat, hoping the Association will leave us. If I have to harbor a guess, they will. We retreat to Point Nox, hoping they won`t follow us, There we await new orders from command." It hurt Admiral Thorrison nearly physically to let one of the greatest treasures in the galaxy fall into enemy hands, but he knew there was nothing he could do to change the outcome. It would take a miracle to salvage the situation. He was not willing to count on one. "Admiral, a Battlecruiser, two Cruisers, four Destroyers, four Frigates and four Corvettes placed themselves above the third moon, making no further moves. The rest of their fleet reached just now weapon range with their railguns and lasers for some of our ships, but... they truly aren''t shooting at us?" "Admiral, we are getting a broadcast send our way by one of the Association Battlecruisers. Most likely their local fleet command." The communication officer said, slightly surprised. It was rare for the Association to talk first before shooting if a enemy was in weapon range. "Let it through, I want to know what these bugs have to say." Admiral Thorrison commanded. A second later, the holoscreen in the middle of the command centre changed, placing the tactical map in a corner. The rest of the screen was used to depict the Association commander in an otherwise small and empty-looking command centre. Definitly a fake, just like the background he himself currently displayed to the Ruidan. There was no way that he would show an enemy commander his internal tactical situation. A picture of the ruidan commander of the Association fleet made by AI "Heeeere speakssss Gr???hndt ????dmir???llll Xii-ie¨¨-S?th¨² offf theeeee Ruuiiiidaaan Raiiiderrr Assssssooociaaaatiooooon." The ruidan spoke in something roughly resembling the english language. "Put me a translator in." Admiral Thorrison subvocalised. He instantly noticed the difference once the translator was activated. "Aiiiii Ammmm offfferiiiing- ... you to leave the system without further conflict. By taking this system, we got what we wanted. There is no reason for further bloodshed between our previously befriended species. We should not repeat the mistakes of our ancestors. What do you say, human admiral?" the ruidan admiral asked. It was impossible to get a read on ...his?... facial expression. Internally sighing, Admiral Thorrison prepared to answer in the only correct was possible, allthough he hated it. "I think-" He was unable to say more, as, suddenly, a mountain range on the third moon exploded, teared apart from the inside, a giant of a spaceship bursting towards the sky. Near-instantly, a gigantic opening salvo of laisers, railgun projectiles, missiles and some strange-looking beams shot towards the Association warships in space, their crews to surprised to react. The two seconds it took for the opening salvo to reach it''s destination, it nearly doubled in size somehow. Than the salvo hit. It wasn''t even a contest. The Associations warships hypershields shattered, their hulls were teared apart, followed by gigantic explosions from within, ripping the ships in small pieces, the remaining debris getting broken down into nothingness by these strange green beams. Just like that, a third of the Association forces were anihilated. "A trap." Was all the ruidan Admiral said before cutting the connection, unwilling to talk further. "Admiral, just what ist this thing?" Admiral Thorrison''s CO asked in a mix of awe and fear. It was the same for most of the crew. Not many had ever seen a true weapon of the First Federation in Action. "That..." Admiral Thorrison said slowly. "Is something able to rival the Federation flagship. Unlike the Battleships, not a weapon to decide battles, but designed to end entire wars. This is a true Super Battleship, with only eight others known to the Federation. This is a piece of technology from the First Federation, however it still works." "The Association ships started firing at our units. The Captains of the indicidual ships commanded to overcharge their thrusters to escape. Every minute shortens their thrusters life expactancy by a few years, but it at least allows them to stay in front of the Association fleet and to evade incoming attacks." The chief navigator said. "The decision is approved. The orders from before still stand. Get our remaining ships around us and out of the system. i don''t know what type of algorythm controls this Super Battleship, but we are hopelessly outmatched. We may be the Federation but we don''t have any of the authorisation codes the First Federation used. Therefore we are just as likely to be targeted by the ship as the Association is." Silence reigned in the command centre for a few seconds. Than, a shout, it''s content surprising everyone on the ship. "Admiral, the Super Battleship is requesting a connection to our holoscreen!" "They are what?! Be more precise, officer! How are they "requesting" a connection instead of just sending a broadcast via non-encoded radiowaves our way?" The admiral admonished the communication officer. "...It seems like they had direct acess to some of our sub-systems for a few hours already. I have no idea how they pulled it off, sir. It definitly is beyond the capabilities of our technology. Hell, Im not even sure if I could push them out if I tried!" The COS suddenly said over the ships open communication network. "Our main systems are safe and they should have barely any acess, that''s why they request us to use the holoscreen, but most of our history data, mainly about the First Federation, was compromised. The Lead IT Officer and the Cyber Security Supervisor are informed of the situation and are currently taking a look at it, but it''s most likely already to late to affect the outcome of the situation in any significant way." Admiral Thorrison was silent for a fe seconds. "Well, shit. Are you telling me whoever controls this Super Battleship has limited acess to our ship and knows how the First Federation ended? Assuming there really is some kind op AI controling the ship, we now have big problems." After thinking for a few seconds about the situation, Admiral Thorrison sighed. "Grant them acess. I need to know who we are dealing with." The second he said that, the holoscreen changed away from the tactical map again, showing a insignia everyone in the Federation new. After all, who wouldn''t know the insignia of the First Human Federation? Made by AI "May the eagle always soar and may the Federation do the same. May they reach new heights together and spread the name of the Federation and humanity across the galaxy forever. May our enemies tremble before our might and our friends benefit from our favour. Long live the First Human Federation. May it never fall." A voice said. Afterwards the insignia of the First Human Federation faded, giving place to the person talking. A girl, looking like a young adult, sat in the captain''s chair, coldly looking at him. She wore a dark blue hoodie with letters "ASST" on them, whatever that meant. It definitly didn''t look like an official uniform. Furthermore she had blue hair and he was unable to determine if that was her natural haircolor or not. The backround of the command centre was strongly pixelated, barely outlining people running around in the background. It seemed like the holoscreen truly showed a part of the comand centre of the super battleship. The girl didn''t give Admiral Thorrison any more time to analyse this new situation. May once more, drawn by myself "You are speaking to First Human Federation Captain May Lunaris, currently in command of the First Human Federation Battlecruiser FSF Aurora." The girl said. Instantly, Admiral Thorrison heard whispers in his own ship command centre. "Captain at such a young age? Impossible!" "That thing is supposed to be just a Battlecruiser?!" "Is this living First Federation fleet personal?!" "We are so fucked..." Unaware of the whispers, the girl - No. Captain Lunaris - just continued speaking. "Given the name of your affiliation and because of the fact that you are fighting our old nemesis, I decided to intervene. Furthermore, I owe you a bit of support considering that your small skrimish was what awoke my crew and myself from our slumber. But more about that later, I would say. First we should speak about the elephant in the room, don''t you think, Admiral? Therefore I will ask you directly: What reason can you give me, to not wipe you out for high treason against the First Federation? Because right now, I would like to do nothing more than ordering total anihilation of your little group of pretenders. So, I assure you, if you don''t have a damn good explanation, your little war will be the least of your "Federations" problem." ...He was slightly fucked, wasn''t he? Chapter 11 - Captain Lunaris UGT: Unknown, minutes before the Association reinforcements arrive Location: Unknown yellow dwarf system
I practically sprinted through ASO-17309, hastening to reach the ASF Aurora in time. Naori did last-minute preperations for her eminent takeover of the space outpost, while Fen completed the last changes needed for the Destroyer ASF Aurora to take up the mantle of the Super Battleship FSF Aurora. Soon, I would have to present myself to the Federation as Captain Lunaris of the First Human Federation. Why Captain Lunaris? Because Fen strongly recommended for me to NOT introduce myself with a aetherian name. Which did made sense, I guess. So for now, I would only be May Lunaris instead of May Lunaris ad Aether de Phoenix-Archeron. The ASF Aurora was located on top of ASO-17309, taking up most of the outpost''s carrier capacities because of it:s massive size. I was very lucky that there was a still functioning maintenance tunnel connecting the spaceship and the outpost. Otherwise it would have been impossible for me to even reach the ship. Once I reached the command centre of the ASF Aurora, another problem made itself apparent. "...Fen, how am I supposed to get this ship into space without blowing cover for the entire outpost? I mean, at least some kind of reconnaissance should be directed towards our current location, right?" [ I would recommend waiting until the Association forces arrive and than use the resulting chaos as cover. After leaving the moon, I would further recommend to draw as much attention to ourselves as possible. This should be enough for ASO-17309 to remain unnoticed with it''s currently working camouflage systems. ] "Understood. So I just have to make a ruckus as big as possible, followed by a touch of roleplay and dramatics. Should be doable." I muttered to myself. With some luck, this entire battle should be winnable, without creating any irreparable damage on the ship. "Fen get the ship running. I want to be as ready as possible for when the Association reinforcements arrive!" I commanded while sitting down on the Captain''s chair. Fen reacted instantly and the entire spaceship around me truly flickered to live. The only directly helpful addition though, was the holoscreen getting projected right in front of me and depicting the general state of the spaceship and it''s surroundings. And than, the ships engagement alarms began to blare, making me flinch. [ The Association reinforcements have entered the system. In an impossibly risky move, multiple Association warships left the hyperlane directly above us. The ships placed above us are: ] [ 1x Battlecruiser ] [ 2x Cruiser ] [ 4x Destroyer ] [ 4x Frigate ] [ 4x Corvette ] [ Total ship count: 15 ] I felt my heartbeat quicken. That''s not how it was planned! There shouldn''t have been ships directly above me, this destroyed my entire plan! [ What are your orders, Captain Lunaris? ] Fen''s question only made the situation worse and I started hyperventilating. I didn''t know! How did I ever thin I would be able to battle an entire fleet?! Why did I think I had the right to decide the future of thausends of intelligent beings?! [ The longer we wait, the lower the chances of success will be. ] I felt my determination crumbling and faith in myself fading. What was I even doing? Honestly I should just sit it out and capitulate to the victor... right? I was unable to form a coherent thought, my minds pathways were a mess. Than the room began spinning around me and I was sure I would black out any moment as... something just snapped into place. And my mind cleared out in an instant, the panic replaced by an eerily calm attitude. By knowledge how I had to conduct myself and what I had to do. And I sat up a little straighter. "Fen, get us up in the air, full acceleration. Put out a single whirlwind, I want the mountain to explode above us. Put the shields up at full strength and get all of our weapons at the ready." I commanded. [ Operation commencing... ] [ Acceleration starts in 3... 2... 1... ] [ Ship acceleration started ] Inside the ASF Aurora, I didn''t feel the acceleration at all. Only thanks to the sensors on the outer hull of the ship, I knew what happened at all. Therefore I saw the destruction the whirlwind missile caused, rippig the entire mountain apart. In an eyeblink, the mountain range was behind me, with large pieces of debris in the air, which were just making their way back towards the ground. Some stray rocks hit the ships shields, but naturally didn''t mage to damage anything. "Fen, get the ship to rotate around itself as quickly as possible without tearing the hull or overloading our artificial gravity! Give me the enmy locations and pin our weapon systems on them!" [ Enemy location locked in. Weapon systems ready. Rotation reached 35rpm. Distance to enemy ships is medium at 6.540 kilometres. ] "Fire with everything we have." The moment I said that, the ship slightly shook from the sheer power released by firing every single available weapon at the enemy. Hundreds of attacks went ahead, targeting the different enemy ships in space directly above. It only took seconds. Than the wave of attacks hit the enemy ships. Shields broke down, flickering, under laser assults. thers shattered under the relentless whirlwind swarm missiles. The gauss cannons bypassed the shields entirely, punching small holes straight through and delivering their deadly load directly into the ships themselves. Antimatter eplosions ripped through space, tearing everything apart that still had a chance of somehow functioning. And than, the desintegrators ended things, leaving truly nothing behind. All traces of the ships above the third moon were erased. The surprised and completely unprepared crews of the ships had never even stood a chance. There hadn''t even be time to fire back a single shot. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. "Idiots. They had fucking hypershields in place. Why did they decide to not even power them properly?" Hypershields had two requirements to truly work. They needed energy as most things did, but specific antimatter elements as well. With the antimatter component missing, even plasma shields had a higher strength at much lower energy cost. If the Association had fully powered shields, that first salvo would have never been enough to completely obliterate their Battlecruiser. Hell, maybe even the cruisers would have survived, if somewhat damaged! [ Based on everything I learned up to now, the amount of antimatter both the Association and the Federation can precure, is strongly limited. Therefore it would make sense for them to save antimatter if there currently is no risk of the own ships getting terminated. In this case, their risk assessment was wrong and lead to the destruction of a third of their fleet. ] "Still, why would one be anything else than completely on guard and prepared for anything with an ememy fleet and unknown potentially dangerous technology in the system? If this is standard Association doctrine, I''ll really have to question how they managed to become one of the galactics superpowers. Well, no matter currently. Fen, put us on interception curse towards the remaining Association fleet. Can''t have them shooting down our potential allies, now can we? Inform me once we reach a viable shooting distance. Ah, and please put me in contact with the Admiral of the Federation fleet. They have a Admiral leading the current fleet, right? It''s time to talk to them, I think." [ Refining holoscreen into recording feed... ] [ Faking additional crew members in the backround through holograms... ] Suddenly all around her, holograms of humans sprang up, mving throughout the command centre and operating the different stations. From afar, they may look realistic, but from up close through a recording? They didn''t impress. [ Pixelating background... ] [ The preparations are completed. They should now get the feeling that the ASF Aurora is operated by humans. ] [ Request to access the holoscreen... ] [ Request accepted by Federation flagship command. ] [ Please prepare yourself. The connection will be established in 3... 2... 1... ] [ Contact established. ] [ Insignia transfered. ] My clue to begin speaking. "May the eagle always soar and may the Federation do the same. May they reach new heights together and spread the name of the Federation and humanity across the galaxy forever. May our enemies tremble before our might and our friends benefit from our favour. Long live the First Human Federation. May it never fall." [ The insignia faded away. You are now seeable on the Federation holoscreen. ] I just continued talking without letting on anything. "You are speaking to First Human Federation Captain May Lunaris, currently in command of the First Human Federation Battlecruiser FSF Aurora. Given the name of your affiliation and because of the fact that you are fighting our old nemesis, I decided to intervene. Furthermore, I owe you a bit of support considering that your small skirmish was what awoke my crew and myself from our slumber. But more about that later, I would say. First, we should speak about the elephant in the room, don''t you think, Admiral? Therefore I will ask you directly: What reason can you give me, to not wipe you out for high treason against the First Federation? Because right now, I would like to do nothing more than ordering total anihilation of your little group of pretenders. So, I assure you, if you don''t have a damn good explanation, your little war will be the least of your "Federations" problem." Nailed it! I perfectly played into my role as a First Federation Captain. I depictured the Association, or more specifically the Ruidan people, as my nemesis and played into the fact that the Second Federation was the reason for the fall of the First Federation. I even made sure they would catch onto Fen acessing their history data to have a base I could use for all that. Even the patriotic fanatic and youn Captain role I played well. To be fair, I was all of these things. Just that my loyality didn''t lay with the First Federation but with the Aetherian Empire. Despite me talking about anihilating his entire fleet, the Admiral showed no emotion whatsoever. Additionally, he used a obviously fake background in the transmission. He was the careful type, like I had already seen in the battle before. I could respect that. "Here speaks Second Human Federation Admiral Leif Thorrison, Admiral of the 2nd Federation Rapid Deployment Fleet and Captain of the Battlecruiser FSF Defiance. But it seems like that is already known to you. Honestly, I''m surprised. I did not expect to find First Human Federation personal over 250 years after it''s collapse. Your involvement was highly unexpected." He said. A mostly neutral answer. I snorted with derision. "If you try to steal technological secrets, you have to expect to be burned. Same applies to the Association. I''d rather detonate my ship with everyone inside than giving the Federation''s technology to a bunch of rebels and traitors. Is this all you have to say to your defence?" The Admiral still remained calm. "As a First Federation Captain, Im sure you know GCL the for fleet scenarios article 198 paragraph 4, first implemented by the Aetherian Empire?" Fen please tell me you know what he''s talking about, I have literally no idea. [ Admiral Thorrison refers to the Galactic Council Law or GCL for short. It was first implemented by the Aetherian Empire after the foundation of the Galactic Council. Should the Galactic Council still exist, as a citizen of the Aetherian Empire and in accordance to Aetherian Empire law, you have to follow the laws of the GCL. Article 198 paragraph 4 of the GCL for fleet scenarios guarantees that in the event of a succession war in a star nation where the ongoing conflict has already ended, the correct procedures for a peace treaty have already been carried out and a viable constitution and legitimisation base are already in place, further space battles are prohibited, if the reasoning is the aforementioned conflict. ] Slowly I started to answer Admiral Thorrison. "You expect that a piece of law that even during my time was already largely ignored is enough for me to back off?" The Admiral still didn''t show any emotional reaction to my words. "The Galactic Council still exists. The mentioned law is still completely viable and the First Human Federation is a signatory of said laws. Directly next to the Second Human Federation, I might add. Therefore, as the patriot I think you are, you will honor the laws of your own nation." At that point I just sighed. I was okay with that. It was a good enough defense for the role I currently played. It wasn''t like I truly wanted to destroy them. Though some stupid laws wouldn''t stop me if I really tried... "...Verry well. I think I don''t have to tell you my current situation. It seems like we will unfortunately be allies of convenience for some time. But let us speak about that once more on a later time. For now, we have some Association ships to shoot down." [ Weapon distance dsignated as "very long" reached. Weapon systems are ready. ] I felt myself grinning slightly. Everything went according to plan. Worldbuilding: The Second Human Federation First of all, lets start of with a map of the Second Human Federation, 16 years before the beginning of this book, a few days before the Second War for Independence started. The Second Human Federation consists of 28 constituent republics that banded together after the fall of the First Human Federation. Every single one of these republics has humans as the dominant species. In most starnations, the constitient republics would be system sectors instead, with much less autonomy than one can see in the Second Human Federation. Overall, the Second Human Federation stretches from the outskirts of the galaxy in the south all the way up to the forbidden zone (galactic core systems) and consists of 541 star systems, all of them inhabited by biological beings, in most cases humans. The Federation uses hyperlanes to cross the vast distances between star systems, making expansion a slow but steady process. Identifying and exploring hyperlanes takes time and ressources. Meanwhile, the number of habitable planets in the galaxy is sparse, therefore not many systems are even worth to be explored. The Second Human Federation has a GDP of around 600 trillion Solar, with one Solar being worth 100 USD. This makes the Second Human Federation a true economical powerhouse in the galaxy with a strong currency to boot. Next up are the 28 constituent republics. On the map, each got a number that I will connect to a name now. 1. Republic of Anima 2. Republic of Tarea 3. Republic of Aeronis 4. Republic of Inner Rum 5. Republic of Outer Rum 6. Republic of the Eternal Snow 7. Republic of Nox 8. Republic of Solin 9. Republic of Terra 10. Republic of Eastern Solaria 11. Republic of Orin 12. Republic of Frontier 13. Republic of Western Solaria 14. Republic of Soleann 15. Republic of Tier 16. Republic of Romeria 17. Republic of Quardret 18. Republic of Norea-Auxillas 19. Republic of Quartz 20. Republic of Orest Stolen story; please report.21. Republic of Shi''Tan 22. Republic of Auris-Shaelas 23. Republic of Auris 24. Republic of Trestoria 25. Assembly of Taren 26. Republic of Nuran 27. Republic of Nova-Inventa 28. Republic of Juran Before questions come up because of the Assembly of Taren, an Assembly is a more direct form of democracy. It was implemented as a measure to legalise local decisionmaking, after contact to the main body of the Federation became rarer. The reason for that is, that political tensions blocked Federation messengers from traversing other nations to reach the Assembly of Taren. Only morse code messages can still be exchanged via the use of hypercom, a technology still in its beginning phase, allowing FTL communication between systems. Therefore, every capital system has a hypercom for faster communication in emergencies. The total military strength of the Second Human Federation lies at around 5.000 combat-able spaceships, but only 851 of them are warships, with 4.900 being escort ships and the last 49 being auxillary support ships, making the FSF the second largest space combat force in the galaxy. But the situation took a turn for the worse with the Second War for Independence breaking out. This map shows the current situation at the start of the book. Here we see the situation once more, having strongly detoriated since the Association and the Alliance entered the war against the Federation, little more than a year ago. In the last 16 years, the Federation lost more than 3.200 spaceships, including 180 warships, leaving them with less than 700. Momentarily, a Warfleet and a Rapid Deployment Fleet is stationed on every Front, with the additional Rapid Deployment Fleet being the one we know. The green exclamation mark highlights where the story is currently playing, as well as where the 2nd Federation Rapid Deploment Fleet is located. Whoever wins the fighting in the Reublic of Nox will most likely have a key position to end the war. This applies to both sides. But a war against overbearig enemy numbers isn''t won easily, especially with already nearly a third (31,23%) of Federation space occupied. Let''s see if human cunning and strategy, massive support from the Union, the by far strongest nation in the galaxy, and a little bit of aetherian intervention are enough to turn the tides of war. Chapter 12 - Interlude: The Terror Named Humanity UGT: Unknown; the moment the ASF Aurora joins the battle Location: Unknown yellow dwarf system; 9 million kilometres away from the third planet
"Im offering you to leave the system without further conflict. By taking this system, we got what we wanted. There is no reason for further bloodshed between our previously befriended species. We should not repeat the mistakes of our ancestors. What do you say, human admiral?" Grand Admiral Xi¨¨-S?th¨² asked. Honestly, he was amused because of the situation. The hated humans, the ones who halted the ruidan advance on the galaxy, now were at the Association''s mercy. If he wanted to, he could blast the local human "fleet" out of existence, most likely without loosing a single ship. Alas, it wasn''t supposed to be. The Queen Regent and the council of grand admirals hat spoken. And while he, as a Grand Admiral himself and controller of the local enclave of the Association, had a vote as well, he was unable to gain a mojority in the council. Therefore, his orders were to remain as civilised and cooperative as possible with the humans. Still, wouldn''t stop him from mocking the human Admiral a bit. The hairless apes didn''t deserve anything else, anyway. "I think-", the human Admiral started saying, only for the combat readiness alarm on both ships to go off. "Grand Admiral, something broke away from the third moon and opened fire on our fleet! Our ships were gone in seconds! Nothing remained!", the Grand Admiral''s Lookout Officer screamed. "A trap.", the Grand Admiral realised, motioning to his Communications Officer to cut the broadcast. He had made himself fool enough. "What can you tell me about the new enemy?", he asked instead. "First measurements mark the new enemy as a... Super Battleship, Sir! That must be the FSF Hurricane! The terror of humanity is here!", the Lookout Officer screamed, clearly hystherical. The Grand Admiral could only shake his head. "Impossible. We know were the FSF Hurricane is located at all times. It''s one of the Associations highest priorities. These human bastards must have buil a second Super Battleship, breaking the GCL by not notifying the Galactic Council. We were wrong. We were so very wrong from the very beginning. There is no First Federation technology here. Just the newest human megaproject, now mobilised to punish us for our attack. And, most important of all, this think is spherical. Just like the aetherian ships of old.", he muttered. "To all units, open fire on the human ships and than retreat! We have to get back into our own space and notify the council of grand admirals immediately! The Federation is unlike us officially at war, there is nothing stopping them from using their Super Battleships against us!", the Grand Admiral ordered, bringing action into the command centre once more. Everyone understood how the situation had just turned for the worse. "Grand Admiral, the Super Battleship accelerates impossibly fast and they set an intercept course for our fleet! This is technology not even the Association has!", the Lookout Officer reported, making the Grand Admiral curse silently. "Of course they installed new and unrivaled technology! I bet they deliberately made themselves look weak all these years, while assembling this fucking titan! Im willing to bet that the humans found First Federation technology quite some time ago. They just didn''t announce it to the galaxy while quitle reverse engineering it. That seems to be the fruits of their work! A spherical ship, the best, as well as hardest, form a spaceship can have. They definitly shouldn¡®t have something like that!" "We detected electromagnetic pulses between the FSF Defiance, the enemies flagship, and the Super Battleship.", reported the Communication Officer quitely, thereby sealing the deal in the eyes of the Grand Admiral. "No doubt they are trying to work out the current chain of command.", he snorted. Their only hope to flee unscated was for the Super Battleship to refuse taking orders from the local Admiral. "I want everything we have on our hypershields and thrusters. Use the afterburners as well. I don''t care how much we destroy the ships if it means a chance at escaping.", the Grand Admiral commanded. It was a slim hope that any of these measures would do more than prolong the inevitable outcome of the situation. "The Super Battleship is now less than 50.000 kilometres away! But... they aren''t shooting?" That was the second the entire ship shuddered and alarms started to blare. "What happended?!", the Grand Admiral shouted instantly. "Our shields are getting hit by continuous laserbeams and another unidentifiable energy moving with the speed of light! There is no sign of the Super Battleship having to Slow down their assault! That should be impossible! Shields are down to 54%, weakening further with every second we get hit! They ignore or easily go through every defence we throw their way!", the Lookout Officer sreamed in panic. On the tactical display, the Grand Admiral saw how smaller ships around them already got snuffed out, unable to stand against the Super Battleships laser beams, even with how weakened they were, because of the very long distance between them and the Super Battleship. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. "The Super Battleship is accelerating further, crossing the 25.000 kilometre mark... now!", The CN announced, obviously starting to support the Lookout Officer in in his tasks. "The Super Battleship, additionally to their constant barrage of lasers, now fired their missilies and railgun projectiles as well!", the Lookout Officer added, making the Grand Admiral clenching his teeth. "Order to all ships, accelerate and jump out of the system the moment you can. Start evasive maneuvres, trying to confuse or block a Super Battleships attacks will be useless! Only by not getting hit will we have a chance to survive! Once the Super Battleship closes in to less than 10.000 kilometres, all ships fire at will! Every ship bigger than a Corvette will than turn around and start an encircling maneuvre, thereby reducing the firepower the ship can throw at us, buying time for our smallest and fastet ships to escape!", he said, his orders getting transferred to the entire fleet. Instantly everyone in the command centre was pushed into their seats, as the pilots started complex evasion maneuvres, the artificial gravity unable to keep up. But as long as it meant they would survive, the Grand Admiral was okay with that. "The missiles are going to hit any moment. We are unable to evade them properly. Our deflactors are doing nearly nothing to their sensors.", the Lookout Officer said through gritted teeth. Than the missiles hit. The entire ship shook violently and new alarms started blaring, lights rapidly flickering. "We got hit hard, our hypershields are down to 12%! It took most of the ships energy and an eight of our remaining antimatter supply to power through the attack! The railgun projectiles are now incoming! The Super Batttleship is starting a second wave of missiles and railguns as well!, the Lookout Officer reported. "We lost eleven Corvettes, four Frigates and three Destroyers in the attack. The Cruisers suprisingly made it through without any losses.", the CN added quitely. Suddenly, the ship shuddered once more, with even more alamrs blaring. "A single railgun projectile managed to punch through our hypershield and grazed us. Sections 14 and 16 are open to space. The suspected antiatter load of the projectile luckily didn''t detonate.", the CN said. The Grand Admiral only nodded. "Shield stability and causalities of the fleet?", he asked. "A Corvette, a Frigate, three Destroyers and finally, one Cruiser got destroyed. Shields are down to 3%, we''re strengthenig them with everything we have. But our antimatter and energy reerves are depleting rapidly. The next wave of attacks will probably rip through our hypershield and hit the ship directly.", the Lookout Officer reported lifeless. He had obviously given up hope to get out of the situation alive. "Distance to the Super Battleship fell below 25.000 kilometres. What are our orders?", the CN asked. "Change in plans. Everything bigger than a Frigate is to turn arround. We have to buy time and hopefully pressure the Super Battleship into decelerating, so they can deal with us. This would create ample time for our Corvettes and Frigates to flee. Should the flagship be deytroyed, our ships are to surrender.", the Grand Admiral ordered. He had no intention to let his people die in vain. He didn''t wanted to be known by their next generations as the Grand Admiral, who ruthlessly sacrificed his own people for nothing. He would rather face the dishonour of dying because of such an underhanded tactic and offering up his ships to the enemy, than disgracing his name any further! "The next wave of missiles is closing in. We should be able to evade most of them, as there wasn''t any-", the Lookout started, only to be cut of, as the entire ship screeched, accompanied by a loud explosion.The lights flickered massively once more before going out, only for the emergency generator to activate. "What happened?!", the Grand Admiral barked immediately. "The enemies missiles... They just... multiplied and accelerated out of nowhere!", the Lookout Officer screamed. "Multiple of these multiplied antimatter missiles hit us. We had a bunch of primary and secondary exposions. We are incredibly lucky the cold fusion generator didn''t just explode on us. But I suspect the incoming railguns are going to change that very soon. The only reason our ship ist still existing is because the Super Battleship already redirected its laser beams. Evacuation for the crew was already ordered. Because of these multiplying missiles, our fleet lost another Corvette, two Frigates, four Destroyers, three Cruisers and even one of our Battlecruisers. I expect the fleet to capitulate the moment our flagship officially ceases to exist.", the CN said dryly. The Grand Admiral sighed silently. If this was how it''s going to end, than he would not shy away from it. "Fire all our weapons in the direction of the Super Battleship. An act of final defiance. And give me a visual, highlighting the railgun projectiles. I want to see death coming with open eyes. Everyone else, flee. Try to evacuate from the ship. But I will die with my fleet.", he said, determined. The Grand Admiral watched as the command centre cleared, until only he was left. He watched, as the evacuation shuttles started, his crew leaving their ship and their Grand Admiral behind. And he watched, as the antimatter loaded railgun projectiles closed in on his flagship. Than, he was no more, a gigantic explosion ripping the Battlecruiser apart. He did not see the rest of his fleet capitulating, nor the sole Corvette who managed to slip into the hyperlane just in time, to evade its untimely death. Carrying the knowledge of what had transpired deeper into Association controlled territory. Chapter 13 - Aftermath Negotiations UGT: Unknown; seconds after the destruction of the Grand Admiral''s flagship Location: Unknown yellow dwarf system; near the third planet
[ The enemy flagship was sucessfully destroyed and the remains of the enemy fleetare in the process of capitulating. Only some of the Frigates and the Corvettes continue to flee. One Corvette managed to latch on to a hyperlane and leva the system. What are your orders? ] "Shoot everything down that still tries to flee. It''s bad enough that one ship managed to slip through. How many ships capitulated to us?", I asked Fen. [ List of enemy spaceships that capitulated (Second Human Federation ship sizes used): ] [ 1x Battlecruiser ] [ 1x Cruiser ] [ 3x Destroyer ] [ 3x Frigates ] [ Total ship count: 8 ships) ] "That''s actually not bad. What remained of the Federation fleet?", I continued. [ Federation forces fleet composition (Second Human Federation ship sizes used): ] [ 2x Battlecruiser ] [ 3x Cruiser ] [ 1x Destroyer ] [ 3x Frigates ] [ Total ship count: 9 ships ] "We''ll have to play it all high and mighty, but we can nearly double the Federation fleet''s strength by gifting these ships to them. That''s very good and will give me a small bargaining ship as well.", I mused to myself. [ Admiral Thorrison is pinging us via the encrypted channel we have made available to him. Interested in having a litte talk with him? ] I sighed. "Honestly, no. But I don''t have much choice in that matter. Put him on the screen, same security measures as last time. We don''t need the extra step with the First Federation insignia, though. It''s time to negotiate some things, I guess." I said, taking on a bored expression and slouching myself into the Captain''s chair. The Admiral had to think that the situation hadn''t disturbed me in the least. [ Admiral Thorrison will be able to see you... now! ] At the same time Fen told me that, a screen showing Admiral Thorrison opened up in front of me as well. Seeing how he opened his mouth to talk, I instantly spoke over him. "A funny little bout, don''t you think, Admiral? I certainly had a good laugh, seeing how primitive the technology of our old nemesis has become. Overrunning their puny little Association seems by now to be a much easier task, I must say." Exactly like last time, the Admiral didn''t show any emotional reaction to my statement. "It certainly wasn''t much more than a nuisance to you, your crew and your ship. But would it have been the same, had the enemy real Battleships with him?", he asked. I only mockingly snorted. "Yes. They could have thrown an entire fleet at me, I wouldn''t have cared. The Association fleets? They are mere insects below my boot. It takes more than one fleet to stop my rampage should I decide to order one. But that leads me to another problem. I see that you are sending your own ships towards the capitulated units of the Association. What do you think you''re doing?" "Securing additional units for my fleet and taking prisoners, of course.", the Admiral answered with a straight face. Promptly I stilled. "And who allowed you to take over me spoils of war, Admiral?", I asked calm and quitely. Which only served to make me look more threatening in the Admiral''s eyes. "From everything I''ve observed up till now, your ship is definitly a warship. That means the ammount of people you have on board is strongly limited. If we add in your way more advanced technology and automatisation, I''m relatively certain that the biggest Association ship you could take over, without reducing the combat strength of your own ship, is a single cruiser that would still lack manpower and whose technology would be way more primitive than your own. I don''t see you gaining anything from taking over another ship, Captain Lunaris. Meanwhile, I have the needed manpower and expertise to operate all those ships, which would be much more useful to both of us, as our interests are aligned.", the Admiral said. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. I gave a soft humming sound from me. "For someone, who is as unimaginative as his starnation is lacking in technology and understanding, you for sure assume a lot of things. Wrong things, migh I add. But in your absolutely boring and self-righteous monologue, there was a single compelling argument hidden. The technology of these ships is so outdated, the Human Federation would simply scrap them. I have no need for such trash. Therefore you can have the scraps, I don''t need them. What I need are starmaps, how your little war with the Association is going and the current political climate of the glaxy. And you will source both for me. That''s what I want in exchange for the spoils of battle.", I said. Admiral Thorrison didn''t bat an eye at the request. "Agreed. I''ll see to it personally, that the data package will be put together and send to your CN as soon as possible. Now, how do you plan to go on from this point?", the Admiral asked. I only shrugged. "I think, I''ll help with your little crusade against the Association for a bit. Maybe a carve out a few systems of my own in the peace deal. Bring the first Federation back on the map and rebuild. Whatever you may think, we are no allies and we won''t be." The Admiral only nodded. "But for the moment, that puts us on the same side. That''s enough for me. Everything else, you''ll have to work out with the president himself, I believe. But I''m not a man of words, but of war. For me, integrating the FSF Aurora into the fleet is of much higher importance. How much are you willing to tell us?", he asked. "First of all, there will be no integration of the FSF Aurora. This ship is mine, and it will remain mine. Furthermore, even if you technically outrank me, I will not be a simple pawn for you to use. I will be the one giving orders. You can either support them or not, but if you want to work together, you better follow my orders, not the other way around. Also, I have no reason to tell you anything. You wills use it against me anyway. But Im feeling generous, so Im willing to answer three questions of yours. Obviously, there are some questions I won''t anwer anyway. Ask." Admiral Thorrison for once showed a emotional reaction, sighing slightly. "Very well. We will do it as you say. My three questions are the following ones: What are these beams of, for us, unidentifiable energy you used against the Association fleet? How much antimatter do you store, and are you able to supply us with some? Why is your ship spherical? The spaceships of the First Human Federation werde always cubes. Spherical spaceships are the legendary type of ships only the Aetherian Empire ever achieved." I only nodded to myself slightly. These questions were acceptable. "The beams you saw were so-calles desintegration beams, or desintegrators for short. They, essentially, split apart molecules, thereby destroying most physical materials effortlessly. Unfortunately, they are less powerful against shields, not to talk about hypershields, where normal laser beams are significantly more powerful. But small breaks in a shield are theoretically enough for a desintegration beam to do massive damage. Unfortunately, it''s impossible for the FSF Aurora to create antimatter in large quantities. Our current reserves are big enough to keept the ship going for a few years or around two dozen space battles, but we cannot give up any antimatter. As I said, the FSF Aurora, as a warship, doesn''t generate any larger quantities for usage. The FSF Aurora is an experimential spaceship and one of the most modern the First Human Federation had. As far as I''m informed, it was one of our very last tries to still grasp for the remains of aetherian technology, before time claims them. The sucess of the project, unfortunately, was rather small.", I answered. Most of that, Fen had told me just now. "The requested package should be reaching you any moment.", Admiral Thorrison suddenly said. [ Yeah, the package is here. Give me a few seconds to look through it, in case they don''t play fair. But it seems okay, overall. ] "You''ll have to give us some time to look through it all. Therefore, we will get back to you in a few hours. Use the time to do whatever you have to. Don''t disturb us.", I said to the Admiral. I had spoken with him long enough. "I would like to invite you to a tactics meeting tomorrow at my flagship tomorrow at-", the Admiral started saying, only to be interrupted by me. "Not interested. Cut the connection.", only for the screen to vanish instantly. [ The connection was cut. I''m surpressing the pleas of Admiral Thorrison to reconnect. I guess you want to sleep a bit bbefore dealing with this mess? ] "Yes, Fen, that was the plan. Your support is appreciated. I''ll go sleep, please wake me up in six hours. Than we will go through all the data you send me. And than, we can speak to Admiral Thorrison again.", I said, before I made myself comfortable once more in the Captain''s chair. "Good night, Fen." [Good night, May. ] Than, I drifted off to sleep. Chapter 14 - Interlude: Clean Up Duties UGT: Unknown; seconds after May cuts the connection between the ASF Aurora and the FSF Defiance Location: Unknown yellow dwarf system, near the third planet
Admiral Thorrison blankly stared at the blackened screen in front of him. Seconds ago, he had spoken with Captain Lunaris. Only for her to hang up on him. One doesn''t just cut off an Admiral of the Second Human Federation like that! It was the high of casual disrespect the girl had shown him as of yet! "I believe this conversation didn''t quite go acording to plan.", his CO said dryly, making some of the bridge crew snicker slightly. Of course they felt glee at seeing their Admiral, someone who often had a stick up his ass, getting shown his own place in the hirarchy. In such a rude way nonetheless! "No, it definitly didn''t. The girl doesn''t want to negotiate or cooperate. The way she causally disregards us makes it clear, that she still doesn''t fully grasp her current situation. That makes her impossible to predict and dangerous.", Admiral Thorrison said, sighing. "At least she seems to have a tactical mind and knows, more or less, what she''s doing. That alone makes her better than some of the Captains I had to work under.", the CO said and Admiral Thorrison nodded. "That much is true. Her analytical mind and battle tactics will be of value. But I''m reasonably sure, based on her fight against the Association fleet, that she has a lack of real experience. She has some, and most likely more training than we could imagine, but there is still a gigantic deficit on real experience. Just like with our own Captains at the beginning of the Second War of Independence.", he added. "You think that''s something we can abuse? Outdated tactics, inability to innovate, undecisive decisionmaking? Stuff like that?", The CO asked. Admiral Thorrison shook his head in response. "Impossible. The difference in technology is to big, we don''t know her battle tactics or anything really. We have no counter to them, therefore her tactics are completely viable. She did not look like the type of person, who lacks innovative ability. I cannot be sure, but I don''t think that we''ll find a weakness to exploit there. Undecisive decisionmaking is a possibility but with her still living hundreds of years in the past... I think she will act brash, rather than waiting and thinking things through orderly. Let''s not forget, she still is quite young. That is something that will either doom us, or give us an opening.", he said contemplative. "How do you look upon her chances to be accepted by the Grand Assembly and the president, sir?", his CO asked, switching the topic slightly. The Admiral frowned. "The president will be hard-pressed from all sides to take advantage of her. Hell, he would probably try anyway. At some point, the FSF will be in combat with the FSF Aurora, claiming it for themselves. The question is how far Captain Lunaris'' patriotism goes. Would she be willing to sacrifice her ship, her crew and herself just for the last remnant of an ancient starnation to go down in a fiery blaze? Or will she, realising the current situation, go rogue and into hiding or cooperate with the SHF. She would probably remain in control of her ships and crew, only with a bunch of extra oversight added. Her knowledge of the First human Federation technology is to valuable." "I don''t know. I got the feeling of a schemer from her. I cannot imagine her not having a plan of some kind. But we have no way of knowing and no way to stop her, should she try something. We can only wait and see. And hope, of yourse, for a most favorable outcome for the Federation.", the Co said. "Enough of this. The battle was a great haul for us. Of course, we lost way more than we gained, but with the ships that Captain Lunaris so graciously gifted to us, we at least have a small functioning fleet again. If we manage to man them, that is. It would put our ship count at three Battlecruisers, four Cruisers, four Destroyers and six Frigates. A total of 17 ships we can work with." This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Admiral Thorrison sighed and rubbed his temples. "We need crews for all these ships, as you said. That puts the amount of people we need at around 7.000 to fully man them and our current ships. How many of our people were we able to rescue?", he asked. "We are still not entirely sure, but it seems like we managed to rescue around 10.300 of our people. We should have enough to man all of our new ships. But our overall losses of the battle amount to two Cruisers, ten Destroyers and 19 Frigates. A total of 31 ships. In terms of people, we lost around 6.000. As much as the loss pains us, the situation itself is still more than salvagable.", the CO answered. "Good. Very good even. It seems like we''ll be able to forgo conscripting the locals. I don''t want a rebellion at my hands, if their reaction last time we did that is an indicator. Especially with Captain Lunaris in the system, I decidedly don''t want to practically gift her this one. Anything else?", Admiral Thorrison asked. "Well, we''ll have to analyse the Association''s technology, but they most likely already destroyed everything that could be of value to us before capitulating. You know how the ruidans are. Anyways, that''s a problem for the engineers, not us.", the CO answered once more. Admiral Thorrison sighed and stood up. "Do a few more sweeps to make sure we got everyone and everything we can. Stay away from the third moon and the FSF Aurora. That''s a hornets nest that I have no interest in poking. Do not even dare passively to scan them. I can guarantee you, they will notice. Make sure everyone follows this order. I will go and get some sleep. Make sure you get some as well, my friend. I have the feeling things will become very stessfull once more, the moment Captain Lunaris deigns to contact us again. Should that happen, I want to be informed ASAP.", he said, before leaving the bridge. The moment the doors closed behind him, he sighed. There was one thing he couldn''t tell everyone else. Admiral Thorrison was pretty sure that Captain Lunaris had played them all. She definitly was a schemer and she knew how to play her cards well. Her patriotism, her brashness, her arrogance. It was all one giant ploy she used to conceal her true ambitions. And for the better or worse, he didn''t know them. But there were a few possibilities. Captain Lunaris could be little more than a distraction for him. Someone that was supposed to soak up all the attention, to make sure something elso could happen unnoticed in the backround. Another possibility would be that she knew, or at least hat strong assumptions, about others like her. Survivors of the First Human Federation, their ships, and of yourse their locations. She could also already plan whom to join and when. Or truly how to best carve out an existence for herself in the galaxy. But in the end, Admiral Thorrison wasn''t a politican. There were to many possibilities and he had to little knowledge of such things. He only knew that Captain Lunaris still had a use for him and his fleet. And she wanted them to be as stong as possible. And that was something that he would gladly take. Everything else would show itself with time. For now, he had to play his part and just silently keep an eye on the FSF Aurora. Admiral Thorrison sighed loudly. There was a reason he joined the FSF instead of the diplomatic corp, damnit! And now, by some random chance, he was on the middle of something that would shake the Grand Assembly, if not the foundation of the entire Second Human Federation. While it represented a huge opportunity, it also happened at the worst time possible. Hells, as things were now, the entire galactic order could potentially crumble to dust before this discovery! That''s why he would do his best to keep every and all rumors under control for as long as possible, even if it was an impossible long-term solution. For that, the waves that got kicked up were already to big. He would also have to inform the Grand Assembly as fast as humanly possible. They would need every leg up they could get. The political aspects alone went way over his head, but they would probably take way to much time. He would definitly recommend to them to finally send out the home fleet. Including the FSF Invictus. The last ace up the Federations sleeve would hopefully be played out soon. And maybe, just maybe, it would be enough to save the Federation and everythind Admiral Thorrison knew and cared for. Because ig his hunch was right, than Captain Lunaris would be the one to decide the outcome of this entire war and maybe even the future of the galaxy. The Second Human Federation had to be prepared for hell to break loose. And, of course, to sweep in and secure the prizes. All for the glory of the Second Human Federation. Chapter 15 - Tipping the Scales UGT: Unknown; 6 hours after May went to sleep Location: Unknown yellow dwarf system, near the third planet
[ Time to wake up, May. ] That was the first thing I heard, once I woke up. I felt refreshed enough, therefore I got up and made my way towards the Bridge of the ASF Aurora. "Tell me, what did Admiral Thorrison send us?", I asked, one I reached the Bridge and set down in the Captain''s chair. "Wait, no. First, any problems while I slept?", I asked, maybe a little bit anxious. [ There were no problems during yoru sleep. Admiral Thorrison and his fleet remained cordial and the minor problems that popped up on the ship, I took care of. I would have woken you up otherwise. ] [ The information package send to us by Admiral Thorrison is quite extensive. We got extensive star maps of the entire galaxy, the current war and the Admiral was even nice enough to add a star map from the time we claim to come from. ] [ Furthermore, I now posess data concerning most of the currently spoken languages in the galaxy, the political climate and alliances, rough strength estimations of most starnations, the technological level of the galaxy and many more things. I can now pinpoint our location and the current date easily. ] "Oh? Do tell. I roughly know how many years passed by, but akctually having a date would be nice.", I said. It truly got time for me to familiarise myself with the current situation. No longer would I stumble about in the dark with nearly no context clues! [ It seems like the entire glaxy has a single unified standard time named "United Galactic Time", or "UGT" for short. In the same way, galaxywide the same year is valid. The current year seems to be the year "280 after Galactic Armistace" or "280 a.G.A." for short. The days, weeks, and months of a year are still the same as last time. The twelve months are: Fall, Remnant, Ascent, Aether, Humana, Ruida, Revoluia, Organa, Una, Endra, Nova and Emergenta. The current date is "12th Ascent 280 a.G.A." as far as we are informed. ] "Finally! It took us long enough to figure that out. But what is this Galactic Armistace they talk about?" [ The Galactic Armistace put an official end to the so-called "Galactic War Against Imperialism", a war that was led against the local remnants of (REDACTED). It seems like the First Human Federatin took up the mantle of defender of the galaxy after the fall of the Aetherian Empire. The coalition they formed waged war upon the local remnants of (REDACTED) for another 700 years after the fall of Aetheria, before an armistace was signed to end the brutal conflict. As we can see, the Ruidan Raider Association still exists and the reconquest of the eastern side of the galaxy failed. ] "700 years of war? I understand why they decided to stop. But nothing of that matters right now. You said something about maps?" [ Yes. Our own most modern map depicts the galaxy a few moths before the fall of the Aetherian Empire. The maps we got from Admiral Thorrison depict the galaxy at the time of the armistace and a map of how the galaxy looks now. You should be able to see all three of them now in front of you. ] And indeed, three holograms opened up before me, allowing me to study the maps Fen talked about. I gave the base input, but because of a lack of time, AI strongly helped out (Before the fall of the Aetherian Empire / 700 b.G.A.) Once again AI helped out (The Galactic Armistace / 0 G.A) This one was mostly done by myself and shows the current spheres of influence of the four galactic superpowers (spheres of influence does not necessarily mean allied, just that this particular superpower holds the most influence over the nation) This one was mostly done by myself as well and shows the current war situation (yes the federation seems to be slightly fucked but there is still hope) "That... is a lot. As interesting as the history of our galaxy is, they are currently of no conern. The spheres of influence in the galaxy and the current war situation are much more relevant right now. How is the Federation still standing after over one and a half decade of war!?" [ There seem to be multiple reasons for that. The first is that the Galacitc Council and their Galactic Convention for War, or GCW for short, puts hard limits on how much the galactic superpowers are allowed to intervene in each others business. Declerations of war between the superpowers are outlawed, and an intervention is limited to a tenth of their total amount of warships. The Federation is therefore only fighting 10% of the total capabilities of the Alliance and the Association. No one seems to be interested in breaking these rules, fearing a direct intervention of the Union and an all-out galacitc war with an unknown outcome, should these rules be broken. And no one seems to want that. ] Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.[ Another reason is the massive support the Federation gets from the Union. They seem to be the only reason the Federations'' war machinery is still running strong after all the time. The Union sees itself as a balancig factor and otherwise above galactic policies and is therefore willing to do much in order to keep the galactic superpowers balanced out. ] [ The last reason I can see is the truly massive navy of the Federation. Even though technologically behind the other superpowers and in recent decades neglected, the sheer amount of mothballed warships that they had in stock allowed them to stabalise the frontlines. As of now, the entire situation is a stalemate, thet the Federation is hard-pressed to break soon, or the war will truly be lost for them, as it is only a question of time, until the ISA Managers to find a way to get their fleets to the front as well. ] For a few seconds, I mused about these new informations. "It doesn''t change anything for us. We will still help the Federation out of their unfortunate situation. We do have the power to break this stalemate, right?" [ With the support from Admiral Thorrison, we could be able to tip the scales in favor of the Federation, if we play our cards right. ] "That is good. Very good. Well than, if we need the support of Admiral Thorrison, we better go and secure said support. Ping them. It seems like it''s time for a new round of negotiations." [ I pinged the FSF Defience. The moment they pick up the ping they''ll see you, including the fake Bridge I created. Have fun, May! ] A small smile formed on my lips. "I will, thanks Fen. This truly makes a surprising amount of fun." That was the moment, the ping was picked up and Admiral Thorrison picked up the ping. Instantly, I had my smile fall away, hoping that the Admiral didn''t see it. But, glancing at the very dishevelled looking Admiral, I truly doubted that he was currently in a situation were he would have noticed this tiny slip-up. "Captain Lunaris, back from analysing our data package, I see. How can I help you?", Admiral Thorrison asked, his facial expressions blank once more. "Yes, it was very informative. I now have a much clearer view of the current situation. Our position is nearly perfect. We broke through the frontlines locally and together, we are in a perfect position to tip the scales of the war in our favor.¡° One of the Admirals eyebrows rose slightly. ?Do tell. What are you planing, Captain Lunaris?¡°; he asked, clearly interested. ¡°The plan isn¡®t to complex. Based on the data I got from you, my Battlecruiser would be something akin to a Super Battleship for you. Supported by your fleet, we should be able to swiftly take out the remaining Association forces in the sector, as well as their local enclave. Afterwards, we should have an open way into the Kingdom of Ferron, I believe they were called. We can than move in through the new and unexpected hole in the front, to take over their home system and hold their homeworld hostage. As the bulk of the forces pressuring the Federation from the northeast are fleets of Ferron, we could effectively close this front and force them to switch sides. Otherwise, their homeworld won¡®t survive, including their king.¡° For the first time since I met him, Admiral Thorrison looked truly shocked. ?That is insane! We would break the GCW in at least three different ways! If this gambit fails, we would risk loosingthe few allies we have left, as well as the Unions support!¡° I sighed. Seemingly it would be harder to convince Admiral Ghorrison to help me hold a planet hostage than I thought. ?We have to prove us to the galaxy. Our enemies are breaking the GWC as well, aren¡®t they? I refuse to let them get away with that without consequences! Their homeworld will be ours, eigner by them switching sides or us bombing it into an apocalyptic wasteland. Nothing is more important than the glory of the Federation and especially not some random space rock that I couldn¡®t care less about. The Union won¡®t ablndon you, the only thing they care about is to sucessfully balance the galactic superpowers against each other. Meanwhile, Our sucess would mean the turning point of this entire fucking war. You Need a decisive victory to really your people and your allies behind. You know that. Im offering you that chance. Don¡®t waste it.¡°, I said. The Admiral still didn¡®t look convinced. ¡°Even if we ignore the ethical concerns of your idea for a moment, how do you plan to fight a way through Ferrons¡® territory and than, with a small and already battered fleet, win against the homefleet of the Kingdom of Ferron?¡° ¡°You have me. With your support, we can minimalise causalities. The homefleet I could take on myself if necessary, though support would be greatly appreciated.¡°, I responded, more confident than I truly felt. But the Admiral didn¡®t need to know that. My true reasons for that plan were different. Sure, if possible, I wanted the Federation to win. If I could gain independence and influence that way, great. But I doubged that. Looking at the galaxies history, the galactic superpowers were always, if nothing else, greedy. They wouldn¡®t let me walk away just like that. I had a different goal. The langer the ripple I started now, the better the smaller ripple named ASO-17309, controlled by Naori, had to go unnoticed. And that was of upmost importance to me. Admiral Thorrison still seemed to struggle with the decision, but in the end he slumped in defeat and sighed. ?Fine. We will try it your way. But I warn you right now, if you truly try to bomb the Ferron homeworld, insgesamt of just threatening to do it, we will go against you. The Kingdom of Ferron is still a human-led nation with primarily human population. They are our people, even if we currently stand on different sides.¡°, he said relictantly, but determined nonetheless. ¡°Fine. I can work with that. Than, it gets time for a proper tactical meeting. My CO will contact you, regarding that.¡°, I said. Cut the connection, Fen. I know you can still read my thaughts. [ Done. What did you plan this time? ] I smiled. ?I remember you told me something about holographic projectors. Let¡®s send some to our current allies. We will have a nice Little holographic conference and put on a show. You can faciliate that?¡° [ Of course. Let¡®s have some more fun with Admiral Thorrison. I Must say, I find all that greatly amusing. ] ¡°I do as well, Fen, I do as well.¡° Chapter 16 - Interlude: An Unusual Meeting UGT: 12th Ascent 280 a.G.A. / 01:40 p.m. ; a few seconds after May cutted the connection Location: Near Nyxia C, Nyxia system (yellow dwarf), Republic of Nox, Secoond Human Federation, Milky Way
Admiral Thorrison looked once again at a black screen. That seems to be becoming a trend, whenever he talked to Captain Lunaris.Truly, he shouldn''t have expected anything else. Still, that gave him precious time to bring his thoughts in order. Because now, he was thoroughly worried. "She is ancient. She may look quite young but the values imprinted on her are completely different from ours. I cannot forget that ever again.", he muttered to himself. "It was defintly something.", his CO added from behind him, making Admiral Thorrison flinch slightly. He had been to deep in thought to notice his CO approaching him. "Yes. I did not expect her to causally talk about snuffing out the lives of millions of civilians. I seemingly had forgotten who I was talking to at some point. Based on everything we know about the First Human Federation during the Galactic War Against Imperialism, her idea could coem directly out of one of their textbooks on military tactics, however gruesome this may sound. The galaxy truly was a barbaric place back than.", Admiral Thorrison mused. "The crew is nervous, Admiral. Our fleet is comletely at the mercy of Captain Lunaris and the FSF Aurora. We need to adress their worries. But before that, why did you accept her plan? To me, it honestly sounds more like a suicide command.", his CO confessed and Admiral Thorriso sighed. "Im not surprised. It''s not like Im convonced, either. But while Captain Lunaris might be a bit arrogant, she''s not dumb. If she honestly believes she stands a chance, I trust her judgement for now. You can bet she still has some aces up her sleeve. Skill, training and social status were far from enough to make someone a Captain at such a young age. For that, she must be truly exceptional in a way she did not show yet. Keep in mind, I will take my agreement back if this meeting she plans goes poorly. And I will only inform the crew of my decision once this meeting is over.", he said. "Talking about the meeting, her CO said they''ll send something over to us. What do you thin it will be?", his CO asked. The Admiral only shrugged. "I have no clue whatsoever.", he confessed. "We''ll have to wait and see. But let''s hope it''s working First Federation tech. It would be nice to at least get her scraps, if nothing else." "At least we now know that this woman has some positive emotions.", the CO muttered darkly. "You did see her smile at the beginning of the conversation, right?" Admiral Thorrison nodded in confirmation. "I did. She clearly talked with someone of her crew and slipped up. If I had to guess, she was amused about an off-hand comment on us. I really don''t know how to react to that. And I don''t think we truly want to know what they said abut us, either. It most likely wasn''t very charming." "Admiral, a small drone seems to close in on our location fast and requests permission to land in one of our hangars!", the Lookout Officer cried out. "Permission granted, clear out a hangar and let the drone in. Do not dare open fire on it.", the Admiral simply said, before looking at his CO. "Can you take over for a moment? I want to personally look into what Captain Lunaris has send us." The CO simply nodded and Admiral Thorrison left the Bridge. By the time he reached the hangar, the engineers had already swarmed over a piece of technology, looking like a block disc of metal, talking excitedly with each others. A clap from Admiral Thorrison brought down silence on the hangar. "Please gentleman, do not break this disc. By the way, can anyone tell me what this thign is and what happended to the drone carrying it to us?", he asked expectantly. The Chief Engineer stepped forward. "The drone left again after leaving this marvelous piece of technology behind. What you causally called a ''disk'' is a highly capable holographic projector, decades if not centuries, more advanced than our own basic versions, that we try to implement on our ships. If we can reverse engineer it, we would instantly have the most advanced holographic technology in the galaxy! Furthermore, the energy source is truly-" "That is enough, thank you. I will be taking this with me, as it is of utmost importance to our mission.", the Admiral interrupted the Chief Engineer, before swooping in and taking the disc with him, before anyone had a chance to react. Yes, reverse engineering this technology could be highly beneficial, but he had no interest in angering Captain Lunaris by doing so right now. Instead, he sued his voice com to open up a private connection to his CO. "I want the entire Executive Comitee meet up in the conference room ASAP." "Understood.", was the only reaction from his CO before the connection was cut of again. Admiral Thorrison, being the furthest away from the conference room he could possibly be, quickly jogged over. Still, he was the last to arrive. The other members of the Executive Comitee were already there and the Admiral quickly took a seat as well. But not before putting the disc in the middle of the big conference table in the room. And not a second to late, as this was the moment the disc flickered and a hologram opened up above it. In it, a clearly distracted miniature Captain Lunaris could be seen. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "Gentlemen, please give us a second. We need to recalibrate the holopad, that''s the official name, to your room.", she said and a second later, blue light burst forth from the holopad, before seemingly vanishing. But another few seconds later, two life-sized humans, sitting in holographic chairs, appeared on the other side of the table. If he didn''t know better, Admiral Thorrison would have thought they teleported into the room, that''s how realistic they appeared. One of the three persons was obviously Captain Lunaris, wearing the same aloof expression as always. To her right, a boy maybe a few years older than Captain Lunaris sat, a mischievous grin plastered on his face. Captain Lunaris looked around and nodded once. "Dear Executive Comitee of the FSF Defience, you all know of me by now. But I think it is time to introduce you to my CO most trusted friend, Fen. Expect to have much business to discuss with him in the future." Everyone nooded once, to indicate they understood. Than, Admiral Thorrison started talking. "A truly exciting piece of technology you have there. But that is unimportant now. This is a tactical council to firmly cement our next steps going forward. Captain Lunaris, would you be willing to tell us your plans in greater detail?" Captain Lunaris nodded one and stood up, indicating towards her CO. "A map please. Visualisation always helps." Her CO nodded one, amde some fast motions with his fingers and suddenly, a map appeared before them. Captain Lunaris ignored the surprised exclamations and proceeded flawlessly. "As you all know, we are currently in the Nyxia star system, just a single hyper- or starlane to the east of the capital system of the Republic of Nox, Point Nox. Our plan will be to push further east and than into the local conclave of the Association. Our primary objective is the capture of the enemy Corvette that managed to flee. With their local Grand Admiral dead, the ruidans won''t be able to get a priority message out via their local hypercom. But we cannot let them flee into the space of the Kingdom of Ferron, otherwise the news will definitly spill. But before we cand do that, we have to take over the two black holes and primary producers of antimatter in the local conflict. Otherwise, we cannot hope to sustain us for this entire mission. Any questions so far?" "Why don''t we send a few fast escort ships to hunt down the enemy corvette? It would reduce the risk of them running of into the Kingdom of Ferron and give us time to fully secure and utilise the Association Conclave and it''s ressources.", the CSO offered up. A flat look from Captain Lunaris made it clear that she a) thought him a comlete idiot, b) didn''t value his opinion at all and c) thought he just asked the most obvious and stupid question she ever heard. She answered anyway. "The Association had a Grand Admiral stationed here. That means there must be a warfleet around. And I can guarantee you, we did not yet destroy an entire warfleet. Additionally, they have gigantic shipyards in this enclave. Therefore, there must still be a decently sized fleet and maybe even a somewhat competent leader around. If we send small units ahead, they would only get destroyed and alarm our enemies to our presence and plans. In the same vein, it is much more likely for the Association Corvette to meet up with their own local fleet, instead of joing up with the Kingdom of Ferron. After all, no one was supposed to know their true goal until the very end and their allies could feel... betrayed, should they find out. Any other questions?" This time, no one was dumb enough to ask. "Very good. Than, I may continue. Afte teaking over the Association enclave, pillaging it for everything it''s worth and destroying the local Association fleet, we build up on the border to the Kingdom of Ferron. We should have up to a week to prepare us for a push towards their home system, before they notive that something is amiss in the Association conclave. In that time span, I want to strengthen our small fleet as much as possible. There will be no rests, no stops or any other form of peace until we defeated the Ferron homefleet. We will be on the move constantly, only taking with us that doesn''t need us to stop for more than a few hours. Once the news of our attack spread, I expect a massive force concentration in the Ferron home system. This will be our hardest battle by far. But as long as you support the FSF Aurora, there is no reason to worry. We are more than able to deal with a handful of battleships at once, if needed. Just trust me in this. Any questions?" "Yes. If you are occupied with the capital ships of the enemy, how do you plan to deal with the escortships, that will undoubtedly appear in great numbers?", Admiral Thorrisons'' CO asked. "I don''t.", Captain Lunaris answered causally, letting the room explode into chatter. But a few seconds later, Captain Lunaris'' voice rose above the clamour. "The remaining fleet is to protect the flanks of the ASF Aurora until we dealt with their warships. The Ferron military is even more outdated than yours, together with the ships we will be stealing from the Association, you should be capable of weathering the onslought for at least some time. And if the situation truly turns out to be worse than expected, we can always just turn around. Nothing forces us to truly attack their home system, one we reach it. So, any more questions?" Captain Lunaris let her gaze wander around the room, scrutinising everyone present. No one had any general question left. Admiral Thorrison rose and cleared his throat, thereby getting the attention of everyone present. "I already agreed to at least try. We won''t be winning this war by sitting around, to scared to act and to far away from Terra to properly communicate with Fleet Command. We have a golden opportunity to break the current stalemate and help the Federation to victory. I won''t let this chance slip through my hands.", he said. Next to him, his CO nodded approvingly. Once more, Admiral Thorrison looked to Captain Lunaris and her CO. "Remember it well, we will not bomb a planet full of civilians into an apocalyptic wasteland. We only threaten to do it." Captain Lunaris only waved him away. "I know, I know. You don''t have to repeat yourself anymore. I will not transform the planet into an uninhabitable wasteland. Furthermore, it seems like we are done here. We start to advance towards the Association enclave tomorrow evening. Be prepared." Than, the connection cut of and the holographic Captain Lunaris and her CO vanished. A few seconds later, the holopad started to melt. "NO!", the Chief Engineer screamed, trying to save the invaluable piece of technology, but all help came to late. "It would have been way to nice and way to out of character for her to leave us something like that. I knew it.", Admiral Thorrison mused. "Maybe atleast the alloy is something useful to us, who knows.", his CO chipped in. Admiral Thorrison only sighed tiredly. Chapter 17 - The Last Preperations UGT: 18th Ascent 280 a.G.A. / 07:58 p.m. Location: Near Nyxia C, Nyxia system (yellow dwarf), Republic of Nox, Secoond Human Federation, Milky Way
I looked over the book titles listed on the datapad Fen had given me. "So, this is it?", I asked questioningly. [ Yes, this is it. The ASF Aurora isn''t ASO-17309. You cannot expect a warship to be able to acommadade all your wishes perfectly. If you plan to remain a Captain, you need to be able to adjust. ] "I know. And I know just as well, that I cannot count on my fractured memories to safe me again. But I did expect a literal warship to have more on military tactics and training than a few books. That there is no specific simulation chamber is one thing. We can even do that manually with our holographs. But not even books? Really?", I complained loudly. [ Oh, we do have more books on it. But military tactics that we cannot use, because we lack the needed technology to, are useless to you. Therefore, I didn''t even bother with them for now. These are for future May to read, once you are done with these ones. The same goes with the other advanced tactical books we have in stock. After all, this isn''t a space battle academy, but a warship. You cannot expect many tactical books for beginners on the ship. ] "Yes. That seems true enough.", I muttered sheeplishly. [ It was a blaring oversight to not take study materials from ASO-17309 with us. But, with some luck, Naori will give them a few looks at least. ] "Well, I''ll have to do with what I have, there''s no point in complaining now. Than just let''s go to work." [ Not so fast. You will have more than enough time to study all this during our time in hyperspace. Right now, it is of much more importance for you, to coordinate the start of the mission with Admiral Thorrison. Who you have already left waiting for a few minutes, might I add. ] "Shit!", I screamed, jumping up and running straight towards the Bridge of the ASF Aurora. It only took me two minutes. "Ping Admiral Thorrison", I commanded the second I let myself fall into the Captains chair. The connection was established almost instantly. "There you are, Captain Lunaris. I was already worried about your wellbeing, you know? All I had was a cryptic message about an unexpected problem arising and that you would contact me as soon as possible. I hope there were no technical difficulties arising? The FSF Aurora is quite old already, after all. And the last security checkup must be quite a while back as well, I believe.", Admiral Thorrison said dryly. "No technical difficulties. Just some absolute disregard for hierarchy and order.", I said while sending a stinkeye to the side. I knew Fen could see it. But Admiral Thorrison understood my answer.. differently. "You had mutinies on your ship!?", he asked, clearly shocked and I sighed. That was not what I had meant or wanted to imply! "There is no reason to worry, the stability of my command over the FSF Aurora is ensured. Any offenders to that were dealt with accordingly. The battle capabilities of the ship or my position as Captain are not influenced by that. The situation is under control and I had to make an example out of someone anyway. The earlier the better and we did have a few people to many on the ship. As I said, do not concern yourself with that and let''s come to the truly important things. The start of this mission.", I said, still anoyed at Fen. Though making it sound like I had some internal problems might help to have them underestimate me. Something that I most likely had to abuse someday. Luckily, Admiral Thorrison didn''t dwell on it and flawlessly followed up on my change of topic. "My fleet is in formation. We saved everyone we could, brought the POWs to the colony on Nyxia B, recruited as many volunteers as possible, brought our ships back into shape as much as possible, secured the fith and sixth moons of Nyxia C completely. The moment the FSF Aurora integrates itself into our formation, as previously agreed with your CO, we can start.", he reported. I raised an eyebrow in response. Fen agreed to integrate the ASF Aurora into their formation? Well, it would have hapened sooner or later anyway, I suppose. "Very well. We''ll take up our position and than we can start. It seems like there is nothing left for us to do here. Is there anything else important?" Admiral Thorrison hesistated for a fraction af a second before resolving himself. "Well, there is one thing, Captain Lunaris. My people doubt you. They do not see a way to survive this mission and I understand them. The FSF Aurora is still a gigantic questionmark. We don''t know your true firepower, we don''t kno how advanced your technology is and we don''t know if you''re truly as capable as you claim or if you truly have the situation under control on your end. Is there anything you can due to assuage those worries?" You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Internally, I sighed. I had known this moment would come rather sooner than later. There was no way, I could keep Admiral Thorrison under control with only vague threats and promises of strengh and glory. He would have been very bad at his job, if that had been a workable long-term solution. But Admiral Thorrison was a capable man. He would always look for more information whenever he got the chance. And the only way for me to keep his loyality at least temporarely was to see him appeased. "Very well. I suppose I truly wasn''t very forthcoming with information. So, lets give you some information. I know that all your warships are equipped with hypershields. Therefore, you know what that technology is. The FSF Aurora is equipped with a 16-folded staggered hypershield and two reserve hypershields. A trio of shield capacitors and shield hardeners support said defense. I think the names make it obvious enough what Im talking about without a need to explain them. Furthermore, the FSF Aurora is equipped with PDC-K, PDC-L and PDC-E, 140 of each. Offensively, the FSF Aurora is equipped with over 300 different offensive weapons and a disarmement beam that can completely kill a ships electronics. Don''t even get me started on the materials the ship is made of. You wouldn''t even have heard of them, but they are strong. Together with three different infused protection layers, there is virtually nothing that can stp the FSF Aurora in direct combat. As I said, all I need is your support and I can deliver on what I promised. You only hanve to tust me to deliver the victory directly into your hands." Admiral Thorrison, to shocked to say anything, only nodded. It was obvious that he was already figuring out the implications of what I had said and how powerful the FSF Aurora truly way. Maybe he would even buy further into the story of me being a very naive Captain, telling him such secrets. The more he thought he could manipulate me into doing what he wants the more my position and influence over him was secured as well. "Very well, if that is all, please excuse me. As I said, I still have to make an example of someone and some messes to clean up. We will speak again once we reach Clinton''s Beak. I wish you a flawless traversel of the infinite depths.", I ended with the traditional sentence of the First Federation. A small smile tugged at the Admirals'' lips. "May the cosmic tides bring glory to bove of us.", he spoke, citing the second part of the traditional farewell right back to me. Before I cut react to that he cut the connection. Our roles were reversed for once. [ He seems to have used his time wisely and read up on historic customs of the First Federation. No doubt to butter up to you. ] "Well, than we''re lucky that during our stay we gained acess to the official databanks of the colony on Nyxia B. It would have been very bad if he noticed that he knows the historic customs better than the Captain supposedly from that time.", I stated. [ In that, you are right. Should he see through our showmansship, he would no doubt see us as pretenders. That, we cannot allow. It would drastically weaken our position long before all the pieces are in place. ] "At least he shouldn''t directly suspect me as an aetherian. To the galaxy, we are extinct and for the moment that is perfect.", I muttered. [ May, I have to ask you that. What is your highest priority? If things don''t go according to plan, it is likely that we will be forced to choose. I don''t want us frozen in indecision when the time comes. ] I took a few seconds to truly think about it. What were my highest priorities? I already knew my mission. I would bring the Aetherian Empire back to glory. But that didn''t necessarily needed me. The most important thing was ASO-17309. Circumstances forced me to abonden the last hope of the Aetherian Empire for now, but with Naori, it was in capable, if young, hands. As long as Naori and ASO-17309 were kept safe and got as much time in relative safety as I could buy them, everything else was secondary. Even my own survival. After all, on ASO-17309 were many more aetherians in cryostasis. Naori would find a way to wake them up even without me. "Our primary goal is buying time, as much as possible, while also calling as much attention on us as we can. Every hour we can buy ASO-17309 and Naori is vital. They are the true hope for a rekindling of the Aetherian Empire. We are only the bait that protects them during their most vulnerable state. Our secondary goal is to stay alive. As the only currently truly living aetherian, there is much I can do, but that needs your help. As long as we are alive, we can still affect things. Our tertiary goal is for the ASF Aurora to survive. A strong combat-ready warship could be of utmost importance to all of our plans. And our last, but also least, goal is trying to play it diplomatic and thereby secure our position in the galaxy. But it is unlikely that this will suceed. Nonetheless, we will at least try.", I said. [ I hope you know that by following our primary objective, it is unlikely that we achieve any of the other objectives. Including our survival. The larger the ripples we start and the more we entangle us in galactic diplomacy, the more likely it will become for us to drown in them. ] "I know but I and that was not what I wanted. But it''s not like there is any other option. We can only push forward ad do the best with the things we have. To back down now would be a betrayal of everything I stand for. I won''t accept this. I will give it my all and even if that''s not enough, I can at least tell myself that I did everything I could. That''s final." [ ...I understand. Than you better go back to leraning, don''t you agree? After all, a bit more experience with military tactics is definitly needed if we want to maximise our chances, dont you agree? ] A slight smile crept onto my lips. "You are, of yourse, right. Let''s get to work.", I said and took up my datapad again. It was time to study a bit more. Chapter 18 - Clintons Beak UGT: 30th Ascent 280 a.G.A. / 1:21 p.m. Location: Hyperspace, lightseconds away from the outer borders of Clinton''s Beak (red dwarf), Republic of Nox, Second Human Federation, Milky Way
Nearly twelve days. That''s how long it took for our fleet to reach Clintons'' Beak. Why? Because the hyperdrives of the Federation warships barely managed 48,000c. In other words, they would need a month to traverse 4,000 lightyears. Meanwhile the ASF Aurora, whose hyperdrive easily managed 60,000c, could traverse 5,000 lightyears in the same timespan. Meaning the ASF Aurora could theoretically move 25% faster through hyperspace than the Federation ships. Meaning the ASF Aurora could have reached Clinton''s Beak in only nine days. And that was only if we ignored that the ASF Aurora had a jumpdrive and a wormholedrive as well. The jumpdrive would take less than a day for the same distance and the wormholedrive would have literally allowed the ASF Aurora to reach the Andromeda galaxy in only 2.5 years. In short, I really had to pace myself to not leave the Federation fleet behind. I did think about just straight up jumping into the homesystem of the Kingdom of Ferron, but for all my bravado, I was unsure how sucessfull that would be. The jumpdrive and the wormholedrive were both still influenced by gravity. The Ferron homesystem, named Ferron as well, was a simple star system with a normal yellow dwarf. But the gravitational field was way to weakened for me to jump further than up to the third planet into the system. But the Ferron homeworld, Ferronica, was the second planet and their homefleet was stationed on Ferronica''s two moons. Plus, if I jumped that deep into the system, I''d already risk a massive deviation from where I actually planned to reenter normal space. Another effect of flying to deep into a solar system faster than light. Therefore, to play it safe, I would have to return into normal space around the fourth planet. That would give the Ferron homefleet time to prepare and the surprise effect would be massively compromised. Furthermore would that tell to much about the technological capabilities of the ASF Aurora. Yes, the First Federation had jumpdrives back than. Captain Thorrison most likely even suspected that I have one as well. Hells, even the Second Human Federation started experimenting with them! I was pretty sure that I even saw the Second Human Federation ships use a very early stage of jumpdrives in the battle! They didn''t get far, but even a fracture of a lightsecond was a sucess and in most cases enough to disengage in an active fight. In conclusion, no, I did not worry about showing off, that I posessed a working jumpdrive. That was only expected. But even the best jumpdrives the First Human Federation ever had only allowed to barely reach the edge of a starsystem. If I just causally jumped a third of the way towards the star in the center of the Ferron system, I would make it very obvious that I''m not using First Federation technology, but Aetherian Empire technology. Something I was definitly not willing to do. And even if I were willing to take the risk and the consequences upon me, the Ferron homefleet was strong. Two Battleships, A Carrier, 14 Battlecruisers, 28 Cruisers, 56 Destroyers and over 80 Frigates. In addition to an absolute shitload of defensive platforms, spacemines and smaller ship classes. In the end, quantity was a quality of its own and even the mightiest of animals could be felled by a thausand cuts. There simply wouldn''t be enough of a support network for the ASF Aurora and in the end, my defenses would get overwhelmed, forcing me to retreat, potentially with a damaged ship that I had no way to repair. No, wasting a few months to instead start a proper attack was much more reasonable. Why I had time to even think about all that currently? Because even though we were at the edge of the Clinton''s Beak system, they still had to check the gravitational data for discrepancies. Thanks to the gravitational data we got from Admiral Thorrison and the strong sensors of the ASF Aurora, we were done in minutes. I would have offered them to the rest of the fleet too, but apperently ship-sized hypercom wasn''t a thing yet. Therefore we had no communications in hyperspace. At all. Well, at least all these inconveniences allowed me to read up on quite a few things. [ The shadow that we suspect to be the FSF Defience is moving forward again. The rest of the fleet started moving again as well. It seems like they are finally done with the analysis. ] "So after nearly an hour they finally managed, huh? Let''s just keep the formation up than and leave when they do. As they won''t risk the formation breaking apart due to deviation, we should exit hyperspace somewhere, were our deviation should be as close to zero as possible. Seriously, how can the Federation be counted as one of the more advanced nations in the galaxy while having such shit technology?" [ Technically, the SHF is the third most advanced starnation in the galaxy, having a micnusculine technological advantage over the ISA. But you have to remember that they skimped on their military massively, making it way less technologically advanced than their overall technological prowess. Additionally, you have to remember that Admiral THorrison''s fleet isn''t one of their fancy warfleets who have all the best and most modern technology. The Rapid Response Fleets, just like this one, after so many years of war mostly consist of mothballed ships that got reactivated. I wouldn''t be surprised if there were some ships used in this war, that are as old as the SHF itself. ] Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. "Something to ask Admiral Thorrison about once we can actually contact him again, I guess.", I mused to myself. While it sounded like the Federation went all out in this war, I didn''t really believe that. No starnation holds the title of glactic superpower for centuries without having some aces up their sleeve. And based on everything I currently knew about the galaxy, demonstrating them wasn''t exactly wise. No way the Federation didn''t follow the same line of thought. [ I''m detecting hyperspace fluctuations from the shadow that we think is the FSF Defience. It seems like we are leaving hyperspace now, a little bit behind the third planet. ] "Fine then. Get the weapons ready and our shields up the second we leave hyperspace. We could always run directly into an ambush, as being in hyperspace isn''t even close to unnoticeable, as you know.", I commanded. "Allthough with us exiting behind the third planet, nearly outside the system, that is extremely unlikely.", I muttered to myself. Clinton''s Beak was a rather unusual star system. It had unlike most colonised systems no habitable planets. As claiming and building up systems cost both time and money, such systems were normally ignored. Clintons'' Beak just didn''t have anything valuable that a starnation couldn''t get somewhere else cheaper. But altough it looked completely normal at first glance, Clintons'' Beak did have something valuable enough for the SHF to lay claim to it. The First Human Federation once upon a time had leased the system to the Aetherian Empire, which build a gigantic megastructure, a so-called ''ringworld'' around the star. And while the three planets, all gas giants, that orbited Clinton''s Maw, the star of the Clinton''s Beak system, were entirely worthless, this ringworld was decidedly not. After the fall of the Aetherian Empire, the Federation took back the system, including the still-functioning ringworld, utilizing it as a fleet base and supply hub against the Ruidan Empire Milkyway Expedition during the Galactic War Against Imperialism. Later in that war, as the Federation was pushed back more and more, the system was build into a fortress system and stopping point against any ruidan advances. The system was the staging point for one of the biggest spacebattles of the enitre war, ultimately destroying the ringworld. While the system could be held, it''s value drastically fell with the destruction of the ringworld and the Federation largely left it alone after that, even giving up the system completely after the end of the war for economic reasons. Many decades later the Second Human Federation retook the system, hoping to find old aetherian technology, or maybe even just First Federation technology. During the decades-long search for anything of value, the biggest and most still functional remnants of the destroyed ringworld were patched up and recolonised, creating small islands of life orbiting the sun. While most of the ringworlds debris was indeed consumed by the sun, some did manage to find a stable orbit around it, even today. And the still colonised remnants of the ringworld were what Admiral Thorrison wanted to check up on, as he worried about their potential destruction. How I knew of all that? Fen told me during our trip through hyperspace, explaining that he got everything we could ever need about the system from the CN of the FSF Defience. And obviously, I, being bored out of my mind, devoured the knowledge. [ -ay? Hello? Can you hear me? ] "Shit, sorry Fen! I spaced out for a bit. What is it?", I asked, slightly embarrassed. Twelve days with nearly nothing to do had led to me more often spacing out like that. I really had to get out of that habit again now. [ We have to leave hyperspace now. Over two thirds of the fleet is already gone. ] "Go ahead and follow them. I suppose Admiral Thorrison will want to speak with us as well.", I said, leaving the Captain''s Quarters of the ASF Aurora and entering the Bridge, where I sat down on the Captain''s Chair. In the same moment, I could see on the external cameras how the ASF Aurora smoothly left the hyperspace, falling perfectly back into the now slighty less orderly formation. Half a minute later, even the last ships had left the hyperspace and the fleet was whole again. [ We got a ping incoming from the FSF Defience. ] "Sure, send him through. Some talking to another bological being will be nice. No offense meant, Fen." [ None taken. He will be able to see you... now! ] Admiral Thorrison appeared on a holographic screen in front of me. "Captain Lunaris, long time no see. I hope you had a peaceful journey?", he asked. I nodded slightly. "The journey through the stars was filled with wonders. It was relaxing enough. How can I help you?", I asked politely, after opening with the traditional First Human Federation greeting. "We will temporarely stop at Beak Prime, the largest ringworld fragment in the system. I just wanted to ask you, if you will join us. After all, we need to check on the ringworld fragments anyway before we can continue.", he said. I mulled over his offer for a moment before nodding to myself. "I will go down to the ringworld fragments as well. It pains me to see what happened to them, but I need to know more. We will most likely meet on the fragment, but don''t expect me to stay with you the entire time. ANd if you try anything funny, you know the consequences.", I answered. "I completely understand. I wish you good luck in you exploration of the remnants of the ringworld.", Admiral Thorrison said before cutting the connection. [ May, do you truly think that is a good idea? ] "I don''t think he will do something. And maybe, just maybe... I''m an aetherian. I might just find some of that aetherian technology there that nobody else has found yet.", I said. Was that daydreaming? Most likely. But I needed every advantage I could possibly get and not trying would be dumb. [ As you wish. Just, please... let''s not take any unnecessary risks. ] "I won''t."; I promised. We would see how long this promise would hold. Chapter 19 - Landfall UGT: 30th Ascent 280 a.G.A. / 6:49 p.m. Location: In an orbit around a large ringworld remnant, Clinton''s Beak system (red dwarf), Republic of Nox, Second Human Federation, Milky Way
Once more, I was stunned by just how bad the SHF technology was. The Second Human Federation mainly used impulse thrusters to move through normal space. With a maximum speed of 75,000 kilometres per second, it took us 5 hours to reach the inhabited remnants of the ringworld. The ASF Aurora with it''s antimatter thrusters that managed 150,000 kilometres per second, would have theoretically only needed half that for the distance. The only problem was that antimatter thrusters needed, well, antimatter to function. While the ASF used up precious antimatter to move through space, the SHF had no loss of this valuable ressource whatsoever. That ingenuity I could therefore respect, especially as their antimatter reserves were even more limited than mine. Therefore, five hours later, we had finally reached the largest ringworld remnant in the Clinton''s Beask system, named Au''Shalis Prime, as the ringwworld once bore that name and this was it''s largest remaining fragment. Right now, I stood in front of the small craft that was supposed to get me to Au''Shalis Prime. I even changed to casual outdoor clothing and away from the comfortable clothes I wore while being on board of the ASF Aurora. Meanwhile, Fen was busy with bringing the last lesser AI algorythms in order. After all, he was in my head and it was impossible for him to remain on board of the ASF Aurora. We had to at least make the impression of some people still being on the ship, if we didn''t want it to be stolen from us. "Fen? Do you really think it is smart to use our only Stealthfighter for the journey to Au''Shalis Prime? This thing is a technological marvel and I would hate to see it get stolen from us.", I said. [ I do not worry for the safety of our Stealthfighter. It has it''s own true AI like myself, although it''s sentience is much lesser than mine. It will not let itself get stolen. Additionally, it will be very hard to steal a spaceship from an official hangar. And even if they manage, a single word to Admiral Thorrison should be enough to get it back near instantly. The military harbors massive amounts of control during times of war. ] [ What I do worry about is someone using your relative lack of protection outside of the ASF Aurora to get rid of you. And to minimize the chances of that happening, we will use the Stealthfighter. It''s the best ship we have for the job. ] I sighed. "As you wish. We''ll use the fucking Steallthfighter as a civilian transport. But if us trying to land with a literal shipkiller on Au''Shalis Prime gets us in trouble, you will be the one to solve that issue.", I said. [ Naturally. ] Silene ensued for a few minutes while Fen continued to work and I climbed into the Stealthfighter. There wasn''t much room in it, with a Stealthfighter only being 15 metres long, three metres wide and another three metres high. "How far along are you with the algorythms?" I asked Fen. [ Just about... done! We can start now. ] "Well, maybe we could. But how, exactly do I fly this thing? I never learned it." [ Well, you don''t have to. Together with the AI of the Stealthfighter, I can. Just give me a second... ] [ User identification code is dispatched... ] [ ERROR! ] [ Identification codes outdated! Station reactivates automatic defensive measures. ] [ Innheritor-Protocol #2-A override! ] [ Identification codes updated. Identification codes accepted. ] "Ah, that shit again. Already missed it. Very well, how is it?" [ I already subjugated the Stealthfighters AI. Give me another minute or so to fully familiarise myself with the system and how everything works, than we start. ] In the end, Fen only took half that time before the Stealthfighter left the hangar of the ASF Aurora and reached open space. It immediately took my breath away. Yes, I had been in space quite some time already now, but I only saw the space through holographic screens. Seeing the space around me through real glass... Since I lost my memories, this was the first time I saw space like this. But what was even more stunning was the massive broken fragment of the ringworld, orbiting around a red star. It looked more like a long and gigantic metallic rod than part of a ring, once more showcasing just how gigantic that ring had to have once been. "Fen, what are the dimensions of that... fragment.", I asked.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. [ Based on the readings I get, the fragment is 1,000 kilometres high, 1,000 kilometres wide, 8,000 kilometres long and slightly curved. ] ...I didn''t know what to think. Intellectually I had known that a ringworld surrounding an entire star, even if only a small one, had to be gigantic. But seeing this fragment for myself and hearing just how big it was truly drove the point in. The Aetherian Empire truly acomplished gigantic feets oftechnology and strength. "This fragment really is a small planet in and of itself. And it is truly entirely colonised?", I asked, still awed. [ Based on everything I could gather the fragment is in fact not entirely colonised. The outermost 100 kilometres seem to be uncolonised in all directions. This region is the most damaged and would be way to expensive to repair and upkeep. On the outside, there are only three spaceports with a connection to the colonised depths of the fragment. ] "Well than, please try to get me a connection to Admiral Thorrison. With how big that thing is we''ll need to coordinate to actually meet each other.", I said. [ I send a ping his way. But please keep in mind that we will only be able to reach him, if he''s still on the FSF Defience. ] "I know, but he has an entire fleet to coordinate, explain the ASF Aurora to the civilians and prepare his own landfall, while making sure their antimatter reserves get restocked. But seriously, did anyone try to contact us from the locals?" [ Yes, may questions were send our way, with the locals thinking the ASF Aurora to be the flagship of our small fleet. But Admiral Thorrison and FSF Defience quickly interfered, making clear that we are not to be bothered. I had to take no actions whatsoever and didn''t even have to acknowledge their distress. ] "That is very good. It make-" [ Admiral Thorrison accepted the connection! ] Instantly I shut my mouth while a hologram of Admiral Thorrison flickered up in front of me. "Ah, I am still speaking to Captain Lunaris, right?", Admiral Thorrison asked, still clearly taken aback, which had me furrowing my brows. [ He cannot see you right now. I didn''t want him to see the interior of the Stealthfighter. ] I cleared my throat. "Yes, Admiral, it''s still me. I wasn''t yet overthrown and you will have to deal with me a little longer still, im afraid.", I said dryly, but with a clearly warning undertone. The Admiral only nodded once. "Be assured, I''d deal much rather with you than someone new and truly completely unknown to me, whose intentions and plans I do not know. Anyways, how can I help you?", he asked. "We said a meeting between the two of us is finally in order. As I''m already on my way down to the fragment, I need to know which one of your spaceports I am to use.", I said, seemingly surprising him. "Well, I did not expect you to get your crew and landfalls in order that fast. I would send you the data you need, but I''m afraid we are currently unable to determine your position. It seems like you''re using a very interesting medium of transport, as our sensors are completely unable to detect you.", he said. "Yes, that was the entire point of using one of our few Stealthfighters to make landfall. Furthermore, Im only underway with a small team of special operatives. They have their own affairs to take care of, therefore I''m going to meet you alone.", I said, smirking slightly as I saw one of Admiral Thorrison''s eyebrows twitch. "Captain Lunaris, I have to insist that none of your... operatives do anything outside of the local law. Promise me this.", he said. "No worries, I promise. It''s just that some of them lived here before the entire ringworld got destroyed. Just some old sentimentality and sightseeing, you know. And maybe some information gathering, but nothing drastic that could make my earnstwhile allies angry with me. I talked it all through with them.", I said. Admiral Thorrison nooded reluctantly, clearly still averse to the idea of First Human Federation operatives walking around on a world of the SHF. "Anyways, I ordered to just send an encoded broadcast filled with the information you need in all directions. I trust that you''ll manage to pick up and decipher the information by yourselves. You''ll probably have to wait an hour or two before you vanish deeper into the ringworld fragment, as I still have some things to organise. The spaceport managers have been informed of your arrival in... whatever unusual wy it will be and have orders to just wave you through. There should be no problems. Otherwise, please do not hesitate to contact me instantly. The needed connection data will be send your way as well.", he said. [ In intercepted the broadcast. Everything''s as the Admiral described. You don''t have to worry about that. ] "Perfect.", I said to both Fen and Admiral Thorrison before focusing purely on Admiral Thorrison again. "That should be no problem. We''ll meet in a few hours than. That was all I needed, thank you for your time.", I said, instantly after cutting of the connection. It was my turn to do that again! [ That is petty. ] Well, yes. But it felt good. And I should always remember that Fen was able to read my thoughts if he wanted to. [ You really should. If only for you to stop and think through your actions and decisions more. ] "Just get us down to this spaceport Admiral Thorrison wants us to go to. No reason to waste time. ETA until we''re there?", I asked. [ ETA is just under 20 minutes. Therefore relax, enjoy the view and only start stressing yourself over all of our problems again after we landed, deal? ] I sighed, leaned back in my seat and closed my eyes. "Fine. It''s a deal. I''ll try to get some sleep though. Sightseeing I can do on the way back. Wake me once we land, okay?" Chapter 20 - The AuShalis Prime Spaceport UGT: 30th Ascent 280 a.G.A. / 7:11 p.m. Location: docked in a spaceport, Au''Shalis Prime, Clinton''s Beak system (red dwarf), Republic of Nox, Second Human Federation, Milky Way
[ May, it''s time to wake up. We are currently in the docking process on Au''Shalis Prime. ] The instant I heard Fen''s voice, I was wide awake. "You didn''t wake me sooner? Does that mean there were no problems?", I inquired. [ No problems whatsoever. Well, it was funny how the initial reaction was to the Stealthfighter suddenly uncloaking at the back of the queue. But everything was under control again in a matter of seconds, thanks to Admiral Thoorrison already giving out a warning. We were allowed to straight up skip the queue and here we are, freshly docked and ready to go. ] I yawned, stood up and stretched a bit, while walking towards the airlock. Without having to say anything, Fen opened it and let me walk out into the spaceport proper. In the middle you can see the Stealthfigther, made by AI so it''s not as exact as I want it to be but it has to suffice for now I didn''t have time to look around much, as a slightly pudgy-looking man in his mid-forties came running towards me. "Welcome to Au''Shalis Prime spaceport, Miss?" "Ah, May Lunaris, nice to meet you.", I said, smiling slightly and shaking his hand. I decided to not announce myself as Captain for now. "I take it you''re the representative send by the Captain of the Super Battleship above us? We were all very surprised as Admiral Thorrison informed us that the AMU equipped some human volunteers in their space and send them as auxilaries our way. And with such marvelous technology to boot!", he said. That made one of my eyebrows rise slightly. [ AMU is the short version of Aetherian Memorialist Union, the strongest of the four galactic superpowers and self-declared ''sucessors'' of the Aetherian Empire ] So that''s how Admiral Thorrison had done it. Obviously he wanted to keep our existence more or less secret, which was hard if said secret was a Super Battleship. Therefore he used a barely believable lie to cover for us. The only reson people even believed it was because everything else would be way more outlandish. But that was for later. Right now, I had a conversation to conduct. "You could say that. I''m thankful for your hospitality and how you helped accelerating the docking progress. After all my ship isn''t the most subtle close up.", I said. "Of course, of course. If there is anything else you can help us with, please do not hesitate to contact me. I believe you already have my contact data from Admiral Thorrison?", the portmaster asked. In fact, I did have his contact data aready thanks to Admiral Thorrison. But to be honest, I wouldn''t need them. These so-called ''voicecoms'' were used by more or less the entire galaxy based on the data Fen gathered. Obviously, they expected me to have and use one as well. But why would I need such a technology if I had an AI inside my head? And said AI had absolutely no problem to get acess to all but the most encrypted voicecoms in minutes. "Thank you, I will keep that in mind. If you would excuse me now, I still have some time until my meeting with the Admiral and I would like to look around a bit on this wonderful spaceport.", I said before brushing past the slightly surprised-looking portmaster. He definitly hadn''t expected me to end the conversation that abruptly. Very well. Fen, where to now? You know our objective. [ As we still have to meet with Admiral Thorrison, our options are currently more limited than I¡®d like. The chances of finding anything useful out here at the spaceport are close to zero. Instead, I would recommend further familiarisation with this fragment and the story of the Au¡®Shalis ringworld. It may give us first clues to where to start searching at a later point. ] So you recommend sightseeing. Interesting conclusion. [ Not exactly. What I recommend is finding a caf¨¦, buying something to have a reason to sit there for hours on end and than use said time to read up the history of the Au''Shalis ringworld from the local internet. ] And with what money do you recommend I do that? [ ...You got a point. Fine, our first stop will be the local market. But first, go back to the Stealthfighter. I have some goods we can sell. ] And what do you plan on selling? I don''t think we want to share our technology and we won''t find many buyers for contained antimatter here. It''s to expansive. [ Well, we have a ton of gems and shiny alloys. Taking them to a jeweller should prove highly rewarding. ] Fine, I''ll get them. Luckily the portmaster already left. It would be very awkward otherwise. Quickly I walked over to the Stealthfighter and took a look into the ships small storage space. Indeed there was a single dark green and very heavy bag. Shrugging I put it on and went back out of the Stelathfighter. What now Fen? [ Just follow my directions. And please do not exchange all of them. What you are carrying around with you are nearly three quarters of our reserves and the only thing we can sell for money without it causing any problems. ] Sure, I''ll only sell a dozen or so. No problem for me. [ By the way, in the bag you can find a small desintegrator made for usage through aetherian stormtroopers a few thausend years ago. I already studied the Au''Shalis protocols and you are allowed to carry a small handgun openly. Seeing with how much potential wealth you are walking around, it would be safer to aktually equip said desintegrator. ] I nodded, grabbed into the bag and indeed found the desintegrator Fen talked about. Quickly I took it out, deactivated the security catch for good measure and hung it on my belt. Than I nodded once more satisfied. It didn''t take me that long to reach the jeweller. Ten minutes at most. Thanks to Admiral Thorrison my Stealthfighter got a premium slot with everything I could need being easily in reach. The sound of a bell ringing accompanied the automatic opening doors.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. "Welcome by Fred''s finest, how can I help you today, ma''am?", a young man asked from behind a counter a few metres deeper in the room. Swiftly I moved towards him, took of my bag and randomly grabbed a few gems before throwing them on the counter. That I repeated to more times before closing the back and putting it on again. "Hello. I would like to sell these. What can you give me for them?", I asked, not really caring about how much I got off them. I just needed a little bit money, after all. The salesman, clearly shocked at seeing me causally throwing about multiple gems, took a second to answer. "Ehm yes. You have a collection of many different gems there. Seeing as the number of gems you want to sell are in the double digits our shop policy is to round up. My quick asessment would mean that you would get a total of 470 Solar for all of them. If you agree to a thorough asessment it''s most likely going to be much more. But that could take up to an hour.", he said. "I''m okay with the 470 solar.", I said, taking them and quickly leaving the store behind. Maybe, just maybe, I wasn''t the most social person there was. I might actually prefer the silence of a spaceship like the ASF Aurora compared to the constant bustling of the Au''Shalis prime spaceport. Well, were to now? [ Our next stop is the caf¨¦. Again, just follow my directions. ] This time it took nerly a quarte of an hour to reach the destination Fen had in mind. But in the end I stood in front of a bustling caf¨¦ that seemed to be very liked, based on how many people visited it. Already getting questioning looks from others because I just stood there in front of a caf¨¦, I took a deep breath and went inside. I don''t really know what I expected. I had no memories about a caf¨¦ except from a few books on the culture of the First Human Federation, whish massively cherished its terran culture and Style to the point of semi-actively trying to support the spread of said culture. The caf¨¦ I stood in looked exactly like the ones I saw depicted in the books. A typical terran caf¨¦ like you could have found on Terra for millenia already. [ I looked for a caf¨¦ mostly resembling what you are most familiar with. This was the best option. They do not hold to the First Federation customs but design and process are similar. ] Good to know. Self-assured, I moved forward scanning the room for a more secluded and quieter corner that was still free. [ 14 metres to your left. ] Instantly I turned left, strode towards the place Fen designated and sat down. Honestly, how much I trusted this AI by now. But what reason would I have to permanently doubt my eternal companion? The moment the Barista turned to me with a beverage menu I hold up a hand to stop her. "Just an espresso please.", I said. With a nod she walked away again. So, what now? [ Well, deep in your bag you will find a holopad. You will have to search a bit. ] It took me a few seconds, but I found the holopad below all the gems in the bag. It activated by itself without me having to do anything. Than, it rapidly rearranged it''s current contents away from battletactics to the local internet and historic reports of the Au''Shalis ringworlds. [ There you go. This is once more something I myself put together so you get everything important to us as fast as possible. By myself I''m even with the information here unsure how to act. Therefore I want you to be as informed as possible before we make a decision together ] Sounds good. I absentmindly nodded to the barista who put down an espresso in front of me. "I hope the espresso will meet your expectations. It''s an original and very ancient terran recipe of high value. Not one of these cheap knock-offs offered everythning else.", she said. "Thanks, I''m sure it will meet my expectations.", I answered politely. The barista was about to turn around as she noticed my holopad and stopped. "New technology out here in a border system that was controlled by the enemy just a few hours ago... You''re with the navy and directly from the homeworld aren''t you?", she asked. That actually had me pause for a moment and I looked up at her. "Why would you thin that eactly, if I may ask.", I stated, honestly a little confused how people would come to that conclusion. The barista grinned. "Multiple reasons. First, I know everyone who''s been here before. Perfect eidetic memory, you know? If you had ever been here before I would have known you. Second, from the way you talk you are definitly not local. You''re using words that out here are centuries out of active use. I honestly have no idea who still says some of these things, even if they theoretically are part of our official language. Third, the planet is freshly liberated. Under the Association, we were completely cut off from everyone else. The old aetherian defenses made it impossible for the Association to close in on us. Well, at least those still working. But because of that you can only have gotten here with the navy, because except the Federation fleet and that behemoth of a spaceship no one else entered the system yet. And what truly clued me in at the beginning, your marvelous tablet there. It''s clearly using some kind of holographic technology and we in the outer republics of the Federation would never stand a chance to get something like that. Well, except the local capital world inhabitants maybe. This is clearly way newer than even that though and can only be from one of the coreworlds or the homeworld. And I have a hunch that it is the homeworld." One part of her long speech made me perk up instantly. "You said old aetherian defences are still in use here?", I inquired instantly. The barista clearly brighted up at my question. "Yes, the old ringworld fragmens would have normally been destroyed by war long ago. But the ones that remain ''till today are the ones that have enough working aetherian defense mechanisms that noone would dare attack them.", she said excitedly. "As far as I''m informed the Federation doesn''t have any aetherian technology. Why if it is already here and we only have to study it?", I asked. "Oh, they tried. But the aetherian self-destruct mechanisms are way better than our people are. Every time we tried, we lost another formidable weapon, therefore we gave up at some point.", she said. Internally I grimaced. Fen once had informed me about the various ways the paranoid aetherians used to stop people from getting their technology. Obviously the same applied here. Honestly, thanks to Fen and me both not talking about it, I had nearly forgotten in just how many ways all the aetherian technology I surrounded myself with could blow up. "One more question. Don''t the aetherian weapon systems after all this time without maintenence just... stop working?", I asked. But I assumed they would. Looking at how battered ASO-17309 was and than compared to how much more battered these ringworld fragments were... No way they all remained intact. Otherwise it would put just how unlucky I was with ASO-17309 in an entirely new light. "Well, every few decades to a century one of the weapon systems explodes by themselves. Our scientists are still unsure if that is because of a problem in the failsafes of the weapons or because they become unable to function and that is their coded last order.", the barista explained. Well, my personal guess was option two. Aetherian technology didn''t just ''have problems''. But the Aetherian Empire making entirely sure that nothing they had could be used by others? That sounded plausible to me. "Well, thanks for answering my questions. As I still have some things to do, I would ask for a bit more peace for now, is that possible?", I asked politely. "Oh, of course, that''s no problem whatsoever. If there is anything, just call for someone, we will notice. But one more thing, was I correct with my guess?", the bariste chattered excitedly. I smiled slightly. "Well, I can''t answer that, now can I? You can bring me another espresso after I''m done with the current one, but for now shoo. I am preparing for something important after all.", I dismissed her. If that offended her, she didn''t show it only nodding and finally walking away. Very well. Now it was finally time for me to truly start researching a few things. And that barista had just given me the perfect starting point. Fen you might want to add many details regarding the ancient aetherian weaponry. It will be our best shot aat sucess. [ Of course. You can start reading at any time. ] Very good. Chapter 21 - Worldbuilding: The Records Of The Ringworlds UGT: 30th Ascent 280 a.G.A. / 8:23 p.m. Location: sitting in a caf¨¦ adjecent to a spaceport, Au''Shalis Prime, Clinton''s Beak system (red dwarf), Republic of Nox, Second Human Federation, Milky Way
The Auris¡®Shalis ringworld. It was originally build somewhere around 2,000 b.G.A. more or less 1,300 years before the collapse of the Aetherian Empire. In other words, still 200 to 400 years more modern than any aetherian technology I currently had access to. And while an ancient nation like the Aetherian Empire advanced its technology seemingly very slowly, such a long timespan was still more than enough for quite a few technological advancements. It was honestly impressive how the current technological level was lower than that of the Aetherian Empire 3,500 years ago. Anyways, the Au¡®Shalis ringworld was one of twelve outposts the Aetherian Empire erected in First Federation space. And while ten of them were simple fortified moons or dwarf planets off limits for everyone, Au¡®Shalis was one of the two systems were for unknown reasons erected a ringworld instead. While being the far smaller ringworld of the two, Au¡®Shalis still became a hub of flourishing trade, civilisation and culture, rivaling some of the poorer First Federation core systems. 1,300 years before the collapse, the aetherian fleets in the milky way still remained unmobilised. There was no sign of war on the horizon. If the Aetherian Empire was already at war with the Ruidan Empire back than, the war played out far away from home. But more likely, the war only broke out a few centuries later about something else. The true strength of the ringworld of Au¡®Shalis was only revealed decades after its construction was completed. Back than, the galaxy was still much more splintered in different gigantic galactic empires, much like in the modern time. The Aetherian Empire was still more like a silent observer and guardien of the galactic accords than a galactic-wide hegemon, at least in the milkyway. The Korshrak Empire, ruler of the entire galactic eastside and hegemon over the southeastern grand duchies, had their eyes on the First Human Federation assets in the southeast of the galaxy and their local allies for a long time. And the late emperor Korshrak IX. decided that the right time had come to make a move. In a blatant break of the galactic accords local assets were seized, fleets destroyed, military and civilian infrastructure bombed into dessolation, war declared and everyone held their breath, looking to the Aetherian Empire and waiting for their reaction towards this breach of the rules they once upon a time forced on an entire galaxy. There was no reaction, no consequences, the aetherians refusing to even acknowledge the situation. Emboldened by said lack of reaction from the Aetherian Empire, other nations decided to end their conflicts decisive and bloody rather than peaceful and through diplomacy. Only for aetherian Rapid Response Fleets appearing and enforcing the accords brutaly across the galaxy, thereby sowing more havoc than the wars themselves ever could have. The aetherian phoenix still soared high and clearly still had his claws. The other starnations were quick to understand that and so, peace came back to the galaxy. Only the war between the Korshrak Empire and the First Human Federation continued unabated. Many theories formed around the why. Why didn¡®t the Aetherian Empire intervene? After all they had clearly proven that they were more than able to. Did they plan to punish the victor? Did they get some kind of amusement from the war? Did they just not care or were otherwise occupied? Did one of the two rivals bribe them to look away? The last seemed the most likely. The longer the war went on, the more the Federation was pushed back. It seemed like a guaranteed victory for the Korshrak Empire. But appearances can be deceiving. The economy of the Korshrak Empire, heavily hit by the long war, was much more damaged than the economy of the First Federation, meaning could they just hold out long enough, they could most likely win anyway. Therefore Korshrak IX. assembled a massive strike force of over a third of his total amount of warships and escortships. Their mission? To strike at Terra in the Sol System, the homeworld of humanity not standing under siege even once in all of modern history. But the fleet had a secondary order as well. The objective was to devaste every system along the way, with only charred remains being left behind. The Korshrak Empire planned to cut the First Federation deep. But the path charted by the Korshrak Empire strategists led directly through the Clinton¡®s Beak system. Emboldened by their sucess, the mighty korshrak fleet demanded of the Au¡®Shalis ringworld, a de-facto embassy of the of the Aetherian Empire, to hand over local federation personell. The Aetherian Empire refused. The Korshrak Empire didn¡®t take that refusal well and attacked the ringworld. It was the last action their fleet took. Hypershields, so many-folded that the barrage of hundreds of ships didn¡®t fase them, green desintegration beams that destroyed energy and normal matter alike, lasers of such powerful proportions that the korshrak shield generators melted down from the strain before the shields even broke. After an hour, nothing but fleeing straggelers remained of the once mighty fleet. For the first time, the Federation truly understood just what type of outpost the Aetherian Empire truly build in their space. Now that a third of the enemies fleet was destroyed the war went in favor of the Federation, not just economically, but militarely and politicaly as well. The Korshrak Empire was in an uproar, most now firmly of the opinion that they shouldn¡®t have ever challanged the galactic accords and the Aetherian Empire. Emperor Korshrak IX. was assassinated soon after, sealing the fate of the nation.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! A destroyed fleet, a loosing war, an economy on the verge of collapsing completely, a destroyed galactic image, no central political rule, a very much unsatisfied and very angry population, no allies on the galactic map, massive ressource shortages and no more protection through the galactic accords. The Korshrak Empire left vulnerable and out of alternatives, sued for peace. It never came to a signation of a peace treaty. The Korshrak Empire erupted into civil war, hundreds of small fringe states, every single one as strong as a modern day galactic superpower if not stronger, fighting each other to the blood with no rules and absolute ruthlessness. Two years it took for the Aetherian Empire to gather an expeditionary force to pacify the galactic eastside again. Suspiciously fast for them. The aetherian expedition was brutal but efficient, ensuring that truly nothing intact remained, but not a single independent faction either. And like that the Aetherian Empire conquered the completely destroyed and desolated galactic eastside. Even today the galactic eastside was still the least developed part of the galaxy, far behind pretty much everywhere else. And the Galactic War Against Imperialism followed by ruidan occupation and negelect even today, didn¡®t help much either. Anyways, for the Au¡®Shalis ringworld everything continued like before. The Federation decided it to be best to just ignore the entire ordeal and to continue like normal. This meant the ringworld continued to be an aetherian embassy and trading hub for centuries. Even as the aetherian fleets in the milky way mobilised and left, there were only some vague assurances that the milky way had nothing to worry about and that was it. Than almost two centuries later every Aetherian in the galaxy packed up and left in a hurry. No one knwos to where, they just disappeared, only leaving their still very dangerous and very hard to get technology behind. A few hours later, the Ruidan Empire Milkyway Expedition appeared, or at least the first reports of them attacking aetherian space. And just a year later, the Galactic War Against Imperialism broke out, the galaxy forgetting all about the aetherians as there was something much more important to deal with. The Federation knowing the true strength of the ringworld even without aetherian control decided to build the Clinton¡®s Baek system into a supply hub and military base. The hope was that this would be enough to stop the ruidan tide. And it did. The ruidan advance was broken and the armistace signed, but at the cost of the Au¡®Shalis ringworld, as it¡®s shields were eventually overpowered and the ringworld destroyed, breaking apart into many fragments. Some offensive weaponry survived but there were no defensive shields working anymore. With the Au¡®Shalis ringworld gone and the economy of the First Federation in dire straits, the system was given up completely after the armistace. The ruins of Au''Shalis had no real worth remaining with another war being far from everyones mind. That was until the Second Human Federation some 130 years ago recolonised the system on the search for old aetherian technology. Everytime they tried to even get close to the old aetherian defensive mechanisms, the selfdestruction systems activated, destroying the entire weapon and all clues to aetherian technology the SHF could have maybe gotten. After 43 failed attempts they, gave up, rather leaving the remaining as strong defensive weaponry for local colonies instead of uselessly destroying them. During the Second War of Independence, the Clinton''s Beak system was occupied countless times by different nations, but no one dared to close in on the Au''Shalis ringworld fragments, fearing their offensive firepower. It just wasn''t worth it for anyone. Therefore the by now already a long time selfsufficient ringworld fragments remained at peace, even if war raged on around them. I had to say, the history of this broken ringworld truly made for a captivating tale. But right here right now, only one detail was important for me. "The ringworld fragments don''t only have better versions of our own desintegrators and maybe the remnants of better shield generators, but they are controlled by some kind of lesser aetherian AI as well.", I murmured. [ I agree with your conclusion. The SHF clearly has no control about the situation. Therefore it must be an aetherian AI that bases its decisionmaking on what and when to attack based on old orders implemented by the Aetherian Empire. ] I would even go a step further. Said AI probably made most basic repairs and patched problems on the aetherian technology. That would require at least basic knowledge about its inner workings, something Fen and I desperately needed. [ There is no proof of that whatsoever. ] But you have to agree that it is likely. And I know you agree with me about our need to find this AI. [ ¡­That I do indeed. ] Very well, finally there is an actual reachable goal in front of us! In that moment the holopad in front of me changed and one of my eyebrows rose slightly. ?Admiral Thorrison requests to talk to me? Is he already done with all of his organisatory tasks?¡°, I questioned loudly. [ May it¡®s been over two hours. Obviously he should be done by now. ] Two hours!? Well, that put quite a few things I had only noticed now into perspective. Quickly I motioned Fen to accept Admiral Thorrison¡®s request and his voice started coming from my holopad. ?Captain Lunaris, I hope you didn¡®t bore to much, the list of tasks that required my expertise was far longer than I had expected. But now I¡®m entirely available and it is past time for us to finally meet in flesh and blood. Where can I meet you?¡°, he asked. ¡°Good evening Admiral. I took the liberty and already send you my current position. This caf¨¦ is indeed quite lovely and it would be wonderful if you could join me in conversation over a cup of terran espresso.¡°, I responded. ¡°So a traditional terran caf¨¦ and a traditional terran coffee was your decision. And for you to be that set in the ancient terran customs¡­¡°, he mumbled before cutting of abruptly. ?Captain Lunaris, are you perhaps of terran or at least solean origin? I already know that you most likely came from one of our core worlds but to be from the homesystem itself¡­¡° ¡°I would prefer to not talk about my origin. It is a thing of the past anyway.¡°, I responded evenly. ¡°Very well, I¡®ll drop this topic for now. Please wait at the caf¨¦ for me, I will be there as fast as possible.¡°, he spoke before cutting the connection. I sighed, closed my eyes and leaned back. I still had to wait. But to be honest, a few minutes truly just resting didn¡®t sound to bad. Chapter 22 - On Knife`s Edge UGT: 30th Ascent 280 a.G.A. / 10:44 p.m. Location: sitting in a caf¨¦ adjecent to a spaceport, Au''Shalis Prime, Clinton''s Beak system (red dwarf), Republic of Nox, Second Human Federation, Milky Way
It truly didn¡®t take long for Admiral Thorrison to reach the caf¨¦. The moment he entered he scanned the entire room, his eyes even passing over me without any signs of recognition. Really, just because I wore different clothes and acted slightly differently he didn¡®t manage to recognise me. And I had thought my blue hair would have been a dead giveaway. But to be fair, by now it already was quite dark inside the caf¨¦ and with me sitting in one of the darkest corners, I could understand why people would confuse my haircolor to be black instead of dark blue. I raised a hand and waved lazily. That was all it took for the Admiral¡®s eyes to snap towards me and I could see the recognition flash through his eyes. Swiftly he walked towards me while calling for two terran espressos. How nice of him. Second later, Admiral Thorrison sat down in front of me, his face for once not a stony mask. Or rather a bad imitation of one. For the first time, I truly noticed how old the Admiral was. Easily into his fifties, if not even his sixties, his black hair was slowly whitening out and first wrinkles started appearing from the stress his job had put him through for over a dozen years already. Not many Admirals that old were still on the frontlines directing their fleets personally, instead of sitting in some office on Terra to plan from afar. It truly showed his dedication to his nation, even after all these years of catastrophic and apocalyptic war. ¡°Captain Lunaris. Finally we meet in person. I looked forward to that moment.¡°, he said. ¡°Likewise Admiral. You may not always prove to be the most complient, but I can work with that. Honestly, I¡®m surprised you came alone. No guard dogs to follow you around at every step?¡° ¡°With you informing me that you would come by yourself, I decided it to be rude to bring others into our private little meeting.¡°, he said. Both of us ignored the barista coming back and bringing us our ordered espressos. ¡°Well, I appreciate the gesture of goodwill. It comes to me as a pleasant surprise that some parts of our old honor system actually survived the last three centuries. I did not expact it to be honest. After all, based on all I currently found out, honor was one of the first things you threw out of the window by betraying the First Federation.¡°, I said, my words laced with venom. ?I see, still hung up about that. Captain, you have to understand two things. First, the Federation you have known was long gone by the time the civil war broke out. The SHF destroyed a brutal and currupt dictatorship that wasn¡®t even worthy of the name First Human Federation anymore. Loyality can only go so far if the nation you see before you is far from the nation you once held loyality to. Second, none of us was alive back than. There is no one left that could take the blame for what happened back than. I understand that mentally you are still in a time long past, but you have to adapt. And now tell me: What are your true plans? Because there is no way I¡®d fall for your theatrics and you should have known that.¡°, he lectured me. I tilted my head slightly to the side. ?Why would you believe that?¡°, I asked, slightly disturbed by how fast this conversation left any of my expectations behind. ¡°I have read everything I could find about the First Federation since meeting you. At first it was only a sneaking suspicion, but by now it¡®s confirmed.¡°, the Admiral said evenly. I tensed, ready to jump into action at any moment if needed. Meeting Admiral Thorrison had been a mistake. I had become overconfident. This was a stark reminder just how quickly things could go south.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ?46th Federation fleet objective. ?All high-ranking fleet personell is expected to display overt zealotry and patriotism towards the First Federation while in public.¡® Quite an interesting tactic, I¡®ll give you that. It makes you unpredictable and allows you to build up your reputation easier.¡°, he said grinning victoriously, like he had just figured out the greatest riddle of all time. ¡°¡­What?¡°, I asked, completely perplexed, while Fen laughed in my head. ¡°Surprised we know of that? I was as well. But after the fall of the First Federation, some high-ranking fleet personell traded a few First Federation secrets in exchange for political immunity. It was a smart choice to keep that act up. Only my paranoid nature and sheer dumb luck that the SHF had the correct data saved in its archieves allowed me to figure it out.¡°, Admiral Thorrison continued, oblivious to my inner turmoil. ?Well, that is good to know indeed. I did not expect the SHF to have available in-depth knowledge about the First Federation.¡°, I said, still treading the seemingly once more safe ground carefully. ¡°And you are still avoiding my question. So I ask again: What are your true goals?¡°, he commanded more than asked. I leaned back in my seat. ¡°I hope you know what you are asking of me there. The SHF and I are no allies. And while your arguments as to why the Federation had to be deposed of are logically sound, I do still hold an emotional grudge over it. Furthermore everything I tell you will find it¡®s way to your higher-ups. Opening up about my plans like that would be quite unwise. But the goals I previously stated still rangs true. One or two systems where I can mind my own business. That¡®s all I¡®m officially asking for.¡°, I answered. ¡°You said officially. There¡®s more to this, isn¡®t there?¡°, Admiral Thorrison asked rethorically, but I answered anyway. ?Yes, but it¡®s nothing you or the SHF have to worry about. What I stated is everything I need from you and I do not plan to become a threat to the SHF as long as they don¡®t try to mess with me. You can tell that your superiors as well.¡°, I said. Admiral Thorrison only nodded in quite acceptance. ¡°Well, than we have the point of what exactly you are searching for here on Au¡®Shalis Prime, together with these ?special operatives¡® of yours. I don¡®t even believe for a second that you are only here for a good old round of sightseeing. What is it you are doing and how much trouble will that bring down on me?¡°, he continued. ¡°Ah, do not worry about them. They won¡®t cause you or the civilians any grief. In fact, you won¡®t even notice them! They truly only have the mission to scout and observe.¡°, I said. And it was true. The only person that might be doing something that could cause problems was me after all. ?That does relieve me somewhat. But you are truly set on keeping your secrets, aren¡®t you?¡°, Admiral Thorrison said exasperated. ?Ah, don¡®t give me that. Your Second Human Federation has more secrets than I could ever have. We both know that.¡°, I said flatly and the Admiral shrugged, changing the topic. ¡°It¡®s getting late. I booked us the fastest route inward there is, but it will still take four hours. Time at least get some sleep.¡°, he said. ¡°You booked for both of us?¡°, I asked and he just shrugged once more. ¡°Yes, I did. There was no reason not to, after all. There is only one route into the depths of Au¡®Shalis Prime and you would have to use said route anyway to get anywhere.¡° ¡°Fine, but next time you first talk with me about such things.¡°, I commanded, scrowling slightly at him. He only nodded in complience, clearly not intending to challenge me on that. Here on the ground he was far more self-assured than in space. Probably because here he truly held the advantage over me. After all, I was in his territory. The advantage I held in space was nearly non-existent here. Anyways, together we paid and than we left towards the spaceport again. As far as I understood it, we would be transported by a shuttle. The shuttle was indeed already prepared to start as soon as we got on board. Not that surprising, considering this was a private flight. Fen? Would you look out while I sleep for a bit? If Admiral Thorrison tries anything, wake me up instantly. [ I can do that. Rest well May, we are going to need all the energy we can get if we want to have a shot at pulling this off. ] Will do. Thank you Fen, truly. [ It¡®s alright. Now rest. ] Chapter 23 - New Hamton UGT: 31th Ascent 280 a.G.A. / 03:54 a.m. Location: New Hamton, Au''Shalis Prime, Clinton''s Beak system (red dwarf), Republic of Nox, Second Human Federation, Milky Way
[ May, time to wake up. We¡®re close to our destination. ] With that, my eyes snapped open instantly. And indeed the shuttle seemed like it was landing, with Admiral Thorrison already standing next to the pilot and quietly talking with him. How long was I out for? [ Just barely four hours. ] Well, I''m a High-Aetherian. That should be enough sleep for me this night. The earlier I started, the better. "Admiral Thorrison, how long do you plan for us to remain here?", I asked loudly. "I would like to leave Au''Shalis Prime before midnight. Therefore it would be nice if you could be back here at 7:00 p.m. giving you a solid 15 hours to explore. By shuttle, this is enough to reach half of the fragment in the given timespan and to still get back here in time.", he replied absentmindly. "Very well, I''ll keep that in mind.", I said. Fen, open the airlock, I know you hacked the shuttle system. [ Done. ] Promptly the airlock opened and under the shocked looks of the shuttle pilot and Admiral Thorrison, I jumped out. As the shuttle only hovered a few metres over the ground, that proved to be no problem at all. But the moment i looked around I froze, stunned. From a relatively big landing space for shuttles, I looked directly into a gigantic modern city by night. But that wasn''t what surprised me. I logically knew I was inside the fragment of a space station, but I was able to see clods and sky! A picture of New Hamton, made by AI This was clearly aetherian technology. There was no way the SHF could have created something like that, especially with how impractical it actually was in most cases. And in the same vein, it was as of now worthless to me. Instead, I focused back on the city. It was empty and eerily quiet. The lack of humans was... distrubing. [ Based on everything I could find out, because of the occupied state of the Clinton''s Beak system, a curvew from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m is currently imposed on Au''Shalis Prime. It seems to be a standard measure. We can expect the first humans to get to the streets any minute now. ] That was good to know but ultimately not what I was here for either. Fen, where to now? [ Well, I for once have no idea. We''ll need to find out how the Second Human Federation found the locations of the defensive weapons. And I think our best place to start would be the local tourist information. After all, these areas must be strictly forbidden. ] Good point. And afterwards we can make a quick stop at the local police station where we might be able to find out more details about the forbidden areas. If that doesn''t work, we can straight up hack them. You should be more than capable of that Fen. [ I''m afraid it won''t be that easy. Around 97% of the built-in high-end quantic compression computer''s hardware is used just to keep me councious and functioning. Everything else I''m currently doing with the remaining 3%. The harware of the ASF Aurora has been significant to ensure absolute efficiency. Just the two of us without any additional hardware will probably have quite a challange in hacking the local police station servers unnoticed. And I assume you want it to remain unnoticed. ] That... did complicate matters significantly. But if that was what it took for them to be sucessfull... "Well, Fen, lead the way. For now, the local tourist information it is.", I muttered. While I followed Fen''s directions the streets of the city truly became slowly but surely more lively until it looked exactly like on the pictures of a city I''d seen via the holopad. Aetherians outwardly looked mostly like humans, except for some small details. The true differences were all internally. Accordingly I had no problem to blend into the mass of humans while continuing to insepct my surroundings. Having humans around was way better than the city being all silent and empty, but it still made me nervous to be around so many humans at once. The most humans in one place I had seen before were around a dozen, this had to be hundreds in every street! But the further I moved towards the local tourist information, the more the city cleared out around me, marking the transition towards a more peaceful part of the city. Why? That was because I stepped into the tourist sector of the city. And a system constantly under occupation or threat of one for more than a dozen years didn''t make for the best tourist attraction. The tourist information center stood in the heart of a quiet plaza, its bright displays announcing nearby attractions in soft glowing colors. It looked completely out of place given the ominous silence surrounding the tourist sector of the city. As I entered, the automated doors hissed shut behind me as I approached the reception desk. The single human attendant, a bored-looking woman in her late twenties, looked up from her desk terminal. ¡°Good morning, welcome to the New Hamton tourist information. How can I assist you?¡±, she asked in a monotone voice clearly not very enthused at her job. Understandable. Most of the time it had be very boring with no tourists around at all.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. I offered her a polite nod. ¡°I¡¯m here to learn about restricted areas. Historical sites, defensive outposts... anything with a lot of red tape.¡±, I stated, deciding for one of the more direct approaches. She blinked, visibly startled by the directness of my question. ¡°Restricted areas? Those aren¡¯t exactly open to tourists. Why would you...¡±, she asked, trailing off at the end. I leaned slightly closer, lowering my voice. ¡°I¡¯m an independent researcher documenting sites of historical significance. No, I don¡¯t have clearance, but I¡¯d appreciate any publicly available information. It would greatly help my research and cause trouble to no one. It''s clearly the best option for me.¡±, I whispered. The woman hesitated before gesturing toward a console embedded in the counter. ¡°You can browse available data on local attractions and restrictions here. Publicly accessible areas are highlighted in green. The red zones are, well, off-limits. And do not even dare try to get near them.", she stated. ¡°Thank you, I won''t. That¡¯s all I needed.¡±, I said smiling while turning to the console. [ Not the subtlest approach, but effective. ] Maybe not, but as long as it gets the work done, I''m okay with my methods. The console¡¯s screen flickered to life as I tapped it. Instantly I noticed Fen starting to scan the system for overlooked data streams. Maps of the Au''Shalis Prime ringworld fragment expanded before me, showing bustling urban sectors, recreational facilities and transit networks. My gaze shifted to the red zones scattered across the display. Most of them suspiciously small and confined areas marked only by nondescript codes. That was definitly not standard. [ Interesting. These restricted zones aren¡¯t labeled with any explanations, but their proximity to historical landmarks might not be coincidental. ] I studied the map further, noting the placement of the largest restricted zone near a greenly highlighted zone. The so-called Aurolin Ruins. These were ancient Aetherian structures partially accessible to tourists but still surrounded by mystery. The connection was too convenient to ignore. I shut of the console again and prepared to leave. ¡°Done already?¡±, the attendant asked, looking mildly surprised. I nodded confirmingly. ¡°This will suffice and I got everything I needed. Thank you for your time.¡±, I said and with these words left the tourist information, stepping out into the early morning streets. [ We should proceed to the local police station. They¡¯re likely to have more comprehensive data on these restricted areas, even if we have to dig a little deeper for it. ] I exhaled quitely. This second part of my information gathering would most likely be so much more risky. ¡°Sure, let''s do this. Lead the way.¡±, I muttered anyway. It was the only way forward for me after all. And only a few minutes later I reached the police headquarters of New Hamton. The station itself was a sterile utilitarian structure flanked by two towering statues of armored Federation soldiers. Its entrance was guarded by a checkpoint manned by two officers who eyed me warily as I entered. The interior smelled faintly of disinfectant and the hum of activity was palpable, completely different from the tourist information where I was before. ¡°State your business with us please.¡±, said the officer manning the front desk, glancing up at me. ¡°I¡¯m an independent researcher looking into the Aurolin Ruins and other restricted zones. I was hoping to access local data archives for context.¡±, I said while trying to keep my tone as neutral as possible. The officer only snorted, leaning back in his chair. ¡°Access to the local archieves regarding the Aurolin Ruins? You¡¯re joking, right? That¡¯s classified information. Unless you¡¯ve got clearance, you¡¯re wasting your time. I cannot and will not give you this information. And I''m very sure an independent researcher has nothing like the clearance needed for that specific ruin. So go away.¡±, he stated dismissively. ¡°Yes, that much I understand and that''s not what I''m asking for. But surely there¡¯s some public documentation or-¡±, I tried again only to be rudely cut off. ¡°Public data¡¯s available at the tourist center. Right now all you''re wasting my time and there is nothing I hate more than people wasting my time. So get a move on.¡±, he said. [ Stall him. I need at least thirty seconds to breach their network. ] Fen needed more time? Very well. I leaned forward, feigning frustration. ¡°Look, I¡¯ve traveled lightyears for this. Everything you can get at the tourist information is utterly useless and you know it. Surely someone here can help.¡±, I said, even trying to sound a bit desperate. The officer¡¯s glare deepened. ¡°I said no. Get out. You¡¯ve got five seconds to leave before I call the true security. Because right now, you sound more like an enemy spy than anything else, however you would have gotten on the fragment.¡±, he threatened. ¡°Fine. I just don¡¯t understand why a simple question is so difficult to answer.¡±, I said, raising my hands in mock surrender. [ I¡¯m encountering resistance. You need to keep him distracted. Another twenty seconds for sure. ] Twenty seconds? Hard but manageable. I let out an exaggerated sigh. ¡°Is this really how the Federation treats everyone who comes through the door into official government places? Or is it just a wrong-guided hate for independent researchers and their highly important work? It¡¯s no wonder the Federation is at the verge of falling apart.¡±, I said, my voice full of indignation and venom. The officer slammed his hand on the desk, rising to his full height. ¡°Get out!¡±, he screamed completely enraged. Behind him another officer approached curiosity flickering across his face. I felt my chest tighten. If I took up to much attention or made to much trouble, I wouldn''t be able to get out of the situation easily anymore and that would be bad if Admiral Thorrison heard of it. [ We''re almost there, five more seconds an I''m done. You can do it. ] I backed up a step, raising my voice. ¡°This is ridiculous! I¡¯ve done nothing wrong, and you¡¯re already kicking me out just like that!¡± [ Done! Let''s leave. ] Without another word, I spun on my heel and left, ignoring the officers¡¯ angry muttering behind me. Outside, I ducked into an alley, pressing my back against the cold wall. ¡°Did you get it?¡±, I whispered. [ I accessed their archives long enough to extract relevant files on restricted areas. The encryption on their deeper records was too advanced for my current capacity, but I¡¯ve retrieved something useful. The Aurolin Ruins are indeed significant. They¡¯ve been under heightened surveillance due to suspected ties to ancient defensive technology. It seems like the SHF didn''t give up trying to reach the old ringworld weaponry after all. ] ¡°That¡¯s a lead. What else do you have?¡±, I asked. [ The ruins are open to the public during the day, but certain sections are cordoned off. From what I¡¯ve gathered, those areas are heavily patrolled, even for federaton standards during war. If the Federation suspects a way to gain acess to the Aetherian technology there, it makes sense. ] ¡°Then that¡¯s where we¡¯ll start.¡±, I said decisively, jogging towards my next stop. A shuttle that could bring me to these mysterious Aurolin Ruins. Because that would be my next stop on this fragment. Chapter 24 - The Aurolin Ruins UGT: 31th Ascent 280 a.G.A. / 06:31 a.m. Location: Civilian areas, Aurolin Ruins, Au''Shalis Prime, Clinton''s Beak system (red dwarf), Republic of Nox, Second Human Federation, Milky Way
The Aurolin Ruins truly weren''t impressive at all. In fact, they looked as nondescript as one could imagine. The crumbling buildings, at least the ones still standing, bore a strong resemblance to the normal structures of New Hamton. Concrete walls streaked with rust-like stains, crumbled buildings overgrown by nature over time and fractured windows. It was a scene almost too familiar thanks to my time on ASO-17309. But nonetheless I had to imagine that the two cities wouldn¡¯t be all that different if both were still intact. The Aetherians, for all their vanity and their engineering brilliance seemed to let their cities fall into the same kind of ruins as anyone else. Time still claimed all it seemed. But a stray thought gnawed at me. How could a civilization that mastered longevity, building star-spanning megastructures and ships designed to survive millenia, allow such negelect. [ It would be bad for the economy. Aetherian spaceships and other space components were built to last. The same goes for most megastructures and core infrastructure. But if everything lasted forever there would be no need for new goods, no working production lines, and the reaction efficiency in emergency situations would be drastically reduced. In short, it was a necessity to keep the Aetherian Empire¡¯s economy going strong and to be prepared if something in the galaxy or the universe at large went drastically wrong. ] Okay, I could acknowledge that. Sure, through their endless expansion the Aetherian Empire would always generate demand for their products. New colonies and mining outposts needed infrastructure and always had a demand. But it made sense that wouldn''t be enough to sustain such a vast economy. Artificially raising the demand through planned obsolescence was clever, albeit unsettling. It was easy to see how basic economic theory worked in their favor and how much of their system depended on the deliberate neglect I now stood in. Looking around again, I focused on the details. Faded murals hinted at what might have been a thriving market square. Broken walkways bore deep grooves from heavy use. Or what¡¯s more likely from machines long gone. Still as much as the ruins stirred a vague curiosity, they also felt hollow, like a city that had been erased and left with only the ghost of its identity. I started walking away from the shuttle landing stage, choosing a direction at random. Standing still too long would make me stand out and there was no need to draw unwanted attention. The ruins were supposed to be open to civilian visitors but the lingering presence of the SHF patrol drones and a few discreet security stations reminded me that not everything here was open for the public. The real secrets were probably hidden in the closed-off areas ahead. ¡°Well, Fen, what now?¡± I muttered, keeping my voice low. [ Well, first off, you¡¯re heading in the wrong direction. But that should make us stand out less if we slowly circle around. The last thing we need is for someone to think you¡¯re here with too much purpose. In the meantime I will start using the acess codes I got from hacking the police station. This should allow us to at least get away from the Second Human Federation security measures. ] Fen¡¯s advice was sound. The patrol drones might not care about someone wandering aimlessly but they¡¯d absolutely care if I started heading straight for the closed-off areas. I forced my steps to stay casual though my eyes scanned every alley and archway for potential trouble. The city had an oppressive silence to it. Aside from the faint hum of the drones and the occasional shuffle of other visitors the ruins felt frozen in time [ Go left. There¡¯s less foot traffic down that street. ] I ducked into a narrower passage flanked by intact walls on both sides. Allthough they looked like they were one slighg breeze away from collapse. ¡°Anything on your end yet?¡°, I asked, keeping my voice low as I swept my gaze over my surroundings. [ Still scanning the local network, but it¡¯s quiet. Too quiet for a semi-military point of interest. What we see on the surface is likely just a shell with our acess codes not allowing much deeper decrypting. I¡¯ll keep probing for weak points, but I don¡®t think it will amount to much. ] This entire plan was a gigantic gamble. The old Aetherian weapon systems still worked. Even better, they might still respond to specific command protocols, hopefully to the Inheritor-Protocol as well. It was a long shot, but if I could gain acess, the technology would still be extremely valuable. Of course the SHF wanted the same still. That point even after all their failed tries seemed to be still the same. That was the reason for the drones, guards and probably worse waiting in the shadows. As I rounded another corner a subtle change in the ruins caught my attention. The structures here were more intact, their designs cleaner, with fewer signs of the wear and tear that plagued the other parts of the city. A faint pulse of unease coiled in my chest. It wasn¡¯t just luck that this area seemed preserved. It was maintained. We had reached the restricted areas of the ruins. [ Stop moving! ] ¡°What is it?¡±, I whispered, having stopped instantly. [ Movement ahead. Two patrol drones are coming this way. If you duck into the alley on your right you can hopefully avoid them. I¡®m still not entirely understanding everything I can glance from our limited system acess. ] I didn¡¯t hesitate, slipping into the narrow gap between two buildings. My boots crunched softly over debris as I pressed myself against the wall trying to keep to the shadows. [ Stay still. They¡¯ll move on in a moment, I believe. ] Not the most reassuring thing He could have said. I held my breath, listening to the faint whirl of their servos and the occasional electronic chirps as they communicated with one another. After what felt like an eternity the sounds grew fainter. [ Close call, but you¡¯re good. Let¡¯s keep moving. I¡¯m detecting slight power signatures ahead. Could be something worth checking out. ] ¡°Lead the way.¡°, I muttered, getting back into the open.Stolen story; please report. I followed Fen¡¯s guidance deeper into the preserved section of the ruins. The power signatures grew stronger, barely perceptible even for an highly advanced AI. Ahead a partially collapsed building loomed, its towering frame still managing to convey a sense of command. In front of it there stood soldiers. Or well, they should have. But they sat around a table a few dozen metres further down the road, seemingly playing a card game of some kind. Even the significantly upgraded of a High-Aetherian wasn¡®t enough for that, it seemed. [ That could be it. If the reports were right, the Aetherian command systems were centralized in facilities like this. You¡¯ll need to find a way in. ] ¡°Great.¡°, I muttered, scanning the structure. Looking at how unattentive these soldiers were¡­ Yeah, I could probably just sneak through the entrance without them noticing. And that I did, crouching behind some debris and slowly nearing the entrance. The soldiers truly didn¡®t notice a thing. They probably didn¡®t expect anyone on this completely secure station to sneak in here out of all places. Inside the building the air shifted. It was colder and the faint hum of machinery grew stronger, vibrating faintly beneath my feet. The walls here were lined with patterns. Complex geometric designs etched with precision into the stone-like material. They seemed to shift under the dim light, almost alive. [ Careful. This place is likely to have its own automated defenses and we don¡®t know if the Inheritor-Protocols will protect us. Additionally the SHF has some defenses and safeguards in place for sure.] ¡°Good to know.¡°, I muttered, moving deeper into the structure. Whatever lay ahead, it wouldn¡¯t be simple, but if I could reach the weapons systems it would all be worth it. Every step of mine echoed faintly, bouncing off the high arched ceilings and walls. Despite the age of the ruins the faint glow of embedded lights along the floor suggested a reserve power source still thrummed somewhere deep within. Well Fen did say that truly critical infrastructure was build to last, one of them probably being the weapon systems. The silence here wasn¡¯t just a lack of sound. It felt intentional, engineered as though the space were designed to amplify even the smallest noise. Probably another security measure. I forced myself to move slower with my boots barely brushing the ground. [ I¡¯m picking up stronger power fluctuations now. It¡¯s still faint but extremely stable. It¡¯s likely the system is running on some kind of auxiliary mode. You¡¯re close but tread carefully. This level of truly isn¡¯t by accident. ] ¡°Preservation or a trap.¡±, I muttered, pressing myself against a wall as I approached a sharp corner. Peering around I saw a long narrow corridor leading to what looked like a central chamber. At the far end a large metallic door loomed, its surface illuminated with faint blue glyphs and shifting power lines. The last protection of the Aetherians and were the SHF always failed. Hopefully my Inheritor-Protocols would allow me to do what they couldn¡®t. Reaching the weapon control center without having one of the many failsaves enact selfdestruction. But before I could move a sound froze me in place. I heard a faint clicking, almost like claws against metal. It was coming from somewhere ahead, faint but unmistakable. ¡°Fen!¡°, I whispered urgently. [ Hold on. There¡¯s an active security system in here. Could be drones, could be something worse. Definitly something of SHF production, their last protection layer against sabotage. ] I cursed under my breath, staying pressed against the wall. Slowly I reached for my small desintegrator and pulled it out. Additionally I activated its scanning function and a faint display flickered to life. Urgently I aimed it toward the corridor. The screen lit up with a faint outline of movement showing several small skittering forms patrolling the area. ¡°Spiders?¡±, I guessed. [ Not organic. Synthetic guardians. Think of them as highly territorial exterminators. You¡¯ll need to bypass them if you want to reach the door. ] ¡°How many?¡± [ Six, maybe seven in this corridor alone. Their patterns suggest they¡¯re scanning for intruders. They¡¯ll probably pick up on any significant heat, sound, or motion. ] I swallowed hard, considering my options. I had a few tricks up my sleeve, but nothing guaranteed. Still, there was no turning back now. I surveyed the corridor again, my eyes tracing the placement of the guardians and the layout of the space. The walls bore more of the glowing patterns, and I spotted several old and broken panels that might serve as temporary cover. ¡°Fen, can you create a distraction?¡±, I asked. [ Not remotely and with our abysmal access codes. I¡¯d need access to an SHF terminal to trigger any localized systems. You¡¯re on your own for this one. ] Figures. I quickly changed the settings of my desintegrator to area fire and electronic desruption. That would give me ten seconds at best, most likely less. I took a deep breath and jumped around the corner. Instantly I started firing and the effect was immediate. The hum of the guardians¡¯ servos stuttered, and their lights flickered out as they collapsed to the floor. I moved quickly, keeping low and darting toward the door at the far end. My heart hammered as I counted the seconds¡ªfive, six, seven¡ªbefore I heard the telltale whir of systems rebooting. [ They¡¯re coming back online. Move! ] I slid to a stop in front of the door, Fen already sending out the Inheritor-Protocols. The system responded sluggishly, like waking from a deep slumber, but the glyphs on the door began to align as they started to recognise the Inheritor-Protocols. A sudden whirring noise behind me made my blood run cold. I risked a glance over my shoulder. The guardians were fully operational again, their optics blazing blue as they swarmed toward my position. [ Focus! We need to complete the link or none of this will matter! ] I gritted my teeth, forcing my attention back to the door. It slowly started to open with a loud screech. Suddenly one of the guardians was back faster than the others and it lunged toward me with terrifying speed. Its metal claws scraped against the edge of the door as I shoved myself through, the narrow space making it impossible to avoid a collision. The thing hit me hard, knocking me to the ground as we both tumbled through the gap. Sparks flew as its limbs struck the walls, and I felt the searing heat of its optics as it tried to pin me. ¡°Fen!¡±, I shouted, struggling against its weight. [ Hold on, I¡®m already working on it! ] The door groaned as it began to close, its mechanisms grinding like tectonic plates shifting. I rolled to the side just as the guardian reared back for another strike. The edge of the door caught one of its limbs, shearing it off with a sickening crunch. The creature emitted a burst of static, flailing wildly as it tried to retreat, but the closing door severed its connection to the outside entirely. With a final echoing thud the door sealed shut, plunging the room into silence. I lay there for a moment catching my breath as the faint hum of the systems around me returned. The guardian twitched once, its optics dimming, before falling still beside me. Without a connection to the SHF systems it was unable to function correctly. [ You made it through the SHF defences and into the completely Aetherian part of the structure. But don¡¯t get too comfortable. The door was a closed-off system. To deactivate all systems that are a threat to us, we would need a terminal. And that we won¡¯t have until we crossed all these threats first. I hope you remember our consensus about Aetherian paranoia? If the systems here are still active which I strongly suspect, they will be even less forgiving than what you just faced. ] I pushed myself to my feet, wincing at the ache in my shoulder where the guardian had slammed into me. Ahead, a faint glow illuminated another corridor, its patterns even more detailed than the ones I¡¯d seen before. ¡°No rest for the wicked,¡± I muttered. [ You did promise me to stay safe and we will have a long discussion about what that means once we¡®re back on the ASF Aurora. But right now other things take precedence. ] He was right and I stepped forward. Whatever lay ahead, it was the key to everything. Though I really didn¡®t look foward to the scolding I would get from Fen later¡­ Chapter 25 - The Ancient Test UGT: 31th Ascent 280 a.G.A. / 07:43 a.m. Location: restricted areas, Aurolin Ruins, Au''Shalis Prime, Clinton''s Beak system (red dwarf), Republic of Nox, Second Human Federation, Milky Way
The corridor ahead was suffused with a soft pulsating glow that seemed to breathe life into the intricate patterns on the walls. I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that the walls themselves were watching me, the Aetherian designs somehow alive. ¡°Fen any chance the glow is just decorative and not about to incinerate me?¡±, I murmured, keeping my steps light. [ Decorative? Unlikely. More probable: adaptive defense systems. I suggest you avoid touching anything you don¡¯t necessarily have to, unless you want to trigger something you can¡¯t untrigger. ] ¡°Noted,¡± I said grimly, eyeing the shifting light with renewed caution. The corridor stretched ahead, narrowing slightly as I progressed. The hum in the air grew stronger and my unease grew with it. This wasn¡¯t just the vibration of a hidden power source. No, it was a rhythm, almost like a heartbeat. The closer I got to the end of the passage the more it felt like the entire structure was alive, aware of my presence. I reached a junction where the corridor branched into three separate paths each glowing with a slightly different hue: blue, green, and amber. [ Interesting. This choice is likely deliberate. Each path may lead to different systems or levels of security. You¡¯re going to need to pick one. ] ¡°And how do I know which one won¡¯t kill me outright?¡± [ You don¡¯t. However, based on the Aetherian design philosophy, the colors may correspond to specific functions. Green likely leads to a maintenance or auxiliary systems. That is probably the safest option, but unlikely to lead us directly to helpful technology for space wars. Blue could be a core system route, though it may have higher security. There we have good chances at finding what we want. Amber¡­ ] ¡°Danger.¡°, I finished for him, my eyes lingering on the amber-lit corridor. [ Likely. It could lead to offensive systems or high-value infrastructure, but it will also be the most heavily guarded. The things we can gain there could probably be the gamechanger of the entire war and our future. If we survive long enough to reach them that is. ] I hesitated, weighing my options. Green felt like a waste of time, a detour I couldn¡¯t afford. I only had around half a day remaining before I had to head back. Amber felt like asking for death. No way I was risking that. That left blue¡ªthe middle ground, the gamble. ¡°I¡¯m going with blue,¡± I said, stepping forward. The moment I stepped into the blue-lit corridor, the hum around me shifted becoming sharper, more focused. The patterns on the walls seemed to ripple, adjusting subtly to my movement. I kept my pace steady my eyes scanning for any sign of motion or sudden change. The corridor opened into a vast chamber its domed ceiling disappearing into darkness. At the center was a circular platform raised slightly above the floor surrounded by glowing panels that pulsed like veins. A faint mist clung to the ground curling around my boots as I approached. [ This looks promising. I¡¯d wager that platform is connected to the central system. If you can access it you might be able to shut down the defenses and locate the data we need. ] ¡°And if I can¡¯t?¡± [ Then we¡¯ll find out just how resilient you are under pressure. ] ¡°Comforting.¡±, I snorted. I stepped onto the platform, the glow intensifying as my weight activated some unseen mechanism. Glyphs appeared in the air around me, spinning and rearranging themselves in patterns I couldn¡¯t hope to decipher. Fen thankfully could. [ Hold on¡­ these glyphs are a security handshake. You need to¡ª ] His voice cut off abruptly as a sharp, metallic screech echoed through the chamber. My heart sank as I turned to see two new figures emerging from the mist. They looked like insectoid robots, strongly resembling gigantic mantis¡®, their limbs longer and tipped with vicious-looking claws. Their optics burned a deep crimson, locking onto me with unerring precision. ¡°Of course¡­ Fen, can I multitask here?¡±, I asked while drawing my desintegrator, switching to concentrated high power beams. [ You¡¯ll have to. I¡¯ll guide you through the sequence, but you¡¯ll need to fend them off in the meantime. ] ¡°Fantastic. Just fantastic.¡°, I muttered but was unable to voice my complains further as the first guardian lunged, its movements unnervingly fluid. I dodged to the side, firing a quick beam that barely put a hull into it¡¯s armor. Against Aetherian alloys the desintegrator was mostly useless. Behind me the glyphs continued to shift, awaiting input. [ Focus on the pattern in the upper right quadrant. Align the three central glyphs to form a triangle. ] I ducked under a swipe from the second guardian, sliding toward the console as I fired another beam to keep them at bay. My hand darted toward the glowing symbols, adjusting them as Fen instructed. ¡°Triangle¡¯s done!¡±, I shouted, rolling out of the way as the first guardian¡¯s claws struck the ground where I¡¯d just been. [ Good. Next isolate the lower left quadrant. You¡¯re looking for the glyph shaped like a spiral. It needs to align with the central column. ] The guardians moved with terrifying speed, their claws tearing gouges into the platform as they closed in on me. I fired off another beam, aiming for the optics of the closer one. The shot connected desintegrating one of its glowing red eyes, but it didn¡¯t slow down. ¡°Fen, this isn¡¯t exactly giving me time to play puzzle games!¡±, I shouted, ducking as the second guardian slashed overhead. [ You¡¯re doing fine. And I don¡¯t have acess and therefore to manualy decrypt everything. That takes time. You just focus. Lower left quadrant, spiral glyph. Rotate it clockwise three times. ] I gritted my teeth, darting to the console and swiping at the glyphs. The symbols shifted under my touch and I could feel the platform beneath me vibrate with rising intensity. One of the guardians lunged again, its claws grazing my leg. Pain flared, but I managed to twist away before it could pin me. ¡°Spiral done!¡±, I yelled, gripping my desintegrator tighter as I prepared for another onslaught. [ Last step: upper left quadrant. Align the starburst glyph with the adjacent crescents. This will initiate the shutdown sequence. ] The guardians seemed to realize what I was doing. Their movements became more erratic, more aggressive, as if they were programmed to prevent access to the system at any cost. The damaged one charged recklessly, its claws aimed directly at my chest. I raised my desintegrator and fired point-blank into its already damaged optic. The desintegration beam burned through the remaining eye and the creature collapsed, thrashing wildly as it malfunctioned. The second guardian didn¡¯t hesitate, leaping over its fallen companion to strike. ¡°Fen, this better works!¡±, I screamed, slamming my hand against the glyphs, aligning them as quickly as I could. The platform shuddered, and the glyphs around me pulsed brightly before vanishing altogether. A deep, resonant hum filled the chamber as the entire structure seemed to react to the input.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. [ It worked. Defensive systems are shutting down. You should¡ª ] Before he could finish, the surviving guardian lunged again catching me off-guard. Its claws swept across my arm, knocking my desintegrator to the floor. I stumbled, barely managing to stay upright as the platform¡¯s glow intensified. Suddenly the ground beneath us shifted. The platform began to descend its edges sealing off with a hiss of compressed air. The guardian hesitated its eyes flickering as if confused by the sudden movement. I didn¡¯t wait for it to recover. Summoning every ounce of strength I charged forward, slamming into the machine with my uninjured shoulder. The impact sent both of us tumbling off the edge of the platform. As I fell, I managed to grab onto a protruding edge, my fingers scraping against the smooth surface. The guardian wasn¡¯t as lucky. It hit the ground below with a resounding crash, its body crumpling under the force of the fall. I hauled myself back onto the platform just as it completed its descent. The air around me felt cooler, heavier, as if I¡¯d entered an entirely different environment. [ That was reckless. Way to reckless. But effective nonetheless, I guess. The defenses in this sector are down and you¡¯re now in the Aetherian core zone. ] ¡°Reckless is becoming my default setting.¡±, I muttered, clutching my injured arm. Blood trickled down my sleeve, but the wound didn¡¯t feel deep. I forced myself to focus on the chamber around me. It was different from the rest of the structure, being build sleeker and more advanced. The walls were lined with crystalline panels that pulsed faintly casting shifting patterns of light across the floor. At the far end of the chamber a massive console stood, its surface alive with swirling glyphs and holographic projections. [ That¡¯s the terminal. If it¡¯s still functional you should be able to access the core systems from there. ] I took a deep breath, steadying myself. Than I walked forwards. As I reached the console the glyphs flared to life, shifting into a complex lattice of light that wrapped around the terminal and projected into the air. The entire chamber seemed to respond, the faint hum deepening into a resonant thrum that pulsed with an almost hypnotic rhythm. [ Careful. Aetherian systems don¡¯t just invite you in. This might be the first layer of defense. ] I hesitated, my hand hovering over the terminal. ¡°First layer? How many do you think there are?¡± [ With Aetherian paranoia? Countless. ] ¡°Figures.¡±, I said sighing. The moment my fingers brushed the terminal the glyphs shifted again, faster this time, forming intricate patterns that twisted and reformed like living fractals. Then abruptly the projection froze and a cold mechanical voice filled my mind. [ Identification codes outdated. Terminal starts self-destruc- ] [ ERROR ] [ Innheritor-Protocol #2-A overri- ] [ ERROR ] [ Innheritor-Protocol #2-A override failed! ] [ Terminal continues self-destruc- ] [ ERROR ] [ Inheritor Protocol detected. ] [ Authorization acknowledged. ] [ Terminal self-destruction stopped. ] [ Partial system access granted. ] The words sent a chill down my spine. Partial access? The Inheritor Protocols were supposed to bypass all layers of Aetherian systems! [ Partial access? That¡¯s unexpected. The Inheritor Protocols are supposed to be an override. If this system is limiting access, it means one of two things: either it¡¯s damaged or it is deliberately restricting you. ] ¡°Deliberate, if I had to guess. What happens if I try to push for more access?¡±, I asked while glancing around the chamber. I was relatively sure with the help of Fen I could at least try. [ Let¡¯s not test that yet. Aetherian technology is famously unforgiving if you go against it''s directives after all. Focus on our goal instead. If this system can point you in the right direction that¡¯s progress. ] The console shimmered, its surface splitting into three distinct holographic interfaces. Each one displayed a different set of glyphs surrounded by Aetherian text that I... was able to read? Left: environmental and power control systems. Center: localized defense overrides. Right: data relay and archival logs. I frowned. ¡°Archival logs¡­ those could be what we¡¯re after.¡± [ You being able to read Aetherian isn''t surprising. After all you can subcounciously speak Terran-English and Ruidan fluently as well. If the technological data is stored digitally, they¡¯d be embedded in an archival node. Check it out. ] What Fen said made sense. But that was a thought for later. Right now I had something else to check. I touched the rightmost interface. The holographic projection reacted instantly, expanding into a web of connections that stretched across the chamber. Each node pulsed faintly, connected by threads of light that branched into countless pathways. [ These are relay points. They¡¯re like a map of the Aetherian data network in this structure. See that central node? It¡¯s flagged with high-security markers. That''s most likely where critical information, like technological secrets and blueprints, would be stored. ] ¡°And let me guess. It¡¯s not going to be a simple download.¡±, I muttered sarcastically. [ Correct. The Inheritor Protocols can get you past the first few layers, but the rest will require you to manually unlock the system as you go. This isn¡¯t a passive process. ] ¡°Of course it isn¡¯t.¡±, I said sighing. I stepped back from the terminal as the projection faded. Ahead another door slid open, revealing a corridor bathed in faint green light. The hum in the air grew sharper, almost like the sound of static on an old radio. [ Careful. The system¡¯s likely reconfiguring its defenses as we speak. Expect resistance. ] ¡°I didn¡¯t think this would be easy.¡±, I shot back at Fen. The corridor felt alive, the walls pulsing faintly with each step I took. I moved cautiously, weapon in hand and ready for whatever came next. Halfway down the passage the static in the air spiked and I froze as a new sound echoed through the corridor. It was a high-pitched whine growing louder with every second. ¡°Fen wha-!?¡± [ Motion detected! Incoming fro- ] Before he could finish a section of the wall ahead split ope, and a new guardian emerged. It wasn¡¯t like the insectoid constructs I¡¯d faced earlier. This one was sleeker, more humanoid, its limbs elongated and tipped with glowing blades. Its single eye sesor burned a vivid red locking onto me with unsettling precision. I raised my desintegrator trying to change the settings but the guardian moved faster than I expected, closing the distance in a blur. I dove to the side as the blade sliced through the air leaving a faint afterimage. [ This isn¡¯t just a guardian! It¡¯s an executioner-class construct specifically designed for high-level intrusions! ] Wonderful. The executioner moved with precision, its attacks coming in rapid calculated arcs. I ducked, rolled, and fired off a few beams, but they once again barely damaged its armor. Furthermore it was adapting to me, learning my move patterns even as I fought. [ There¡¯s a relay point ahead! If you can activate it, it should clear the way to the archival node! ] ¡°How am I supposed to activate it with this thing trying to kill me!?¡±, I screamed, dodging another terrifyingly fast swing. [ You¡¯re creative. Improvise. ] I didn¡¯t have time to argue. Ahead, the corridor opened into another chamber, this one dominated by a single relay station that pulsed faintly in the center. The glyphs on its surface were already shifting, reacting to my approach. The executioner was right behind me. I sprinted toward the relay, diving behind it for cover as the construct¡¯s blade slammed into the floor where I¡¯d just been. The impact sent a shockwave through the chamber, cracking the tiles beneath us. I slapped my hand against the relay and the glyphs flared to life, wrapping around my arm like tendrils of light. The connection jolted through me, sharp and invasive, as the system probed my identity. The executioner didn¡¯t give me a moment¡¯s reprieve. It rounded the relay, raising its blade for another strike. I grabbed my desintegrator and swung it with all my strength. The makeshift weapon struck its arm, throwing off its aim just enough for me to duck away at the last second. [ The relay¡¯s activating! Just hold it off a little longer! ] ¡°I¡¯m trying!¡±, I said forcefully through clenched teeth. The relay pulsed brighter, the glyphs swirling in intricate patterns as the system unlocked. I could feel the connection deepening, a thread tying me closer to the Aetherian network. But it wasn¡¯t enough yet. I needed more time. The executioner lunged again, faster this time and I barely managed to roll clear. My leg throbbed where it had grazed me, the pain sharp and searing. Then with a final burst of light, the relay locked into place. The chamber trembled and the executioner froze, its eye flickering as the system temporarily disrupted its connection. [ It¡¯s down. Well, for now. But don¡¯t waste time. The archival node is just ahead. ] I didn¡¯t need to be told twice. Clutching my injured leg I staggered toward the next door which slid open to reveal a new corridor. Beyond it the path to the technology I needed as well as whatever challenges the Aetherians had left for me awaited. Chapter 26 - To The Limits UGT: 31th Ascent 280 a.G.A. / 10:16 a.m. Location: restricted areas, Aurolin Ruins, Au''Shalis Prime, Clinton''s Beak system (red dwarf), Republic of Nox, Second Human Federation, Milky Way
The corridor ahead stretched long and narrow, the faint green light flickering irregulary with the system no doubt recalibrating its defenses after my intrusion. I limped forward, my injured leg protesting with every step. The adrenaline coursing through my veins dulled the pain but not the awareness of how vulnerable I currently was. [ The executioner was most likely a test, a way to probe if you truly are what you claim with the Inheritor Protocol. If the system stops recognising the Inheritor Protocols it¡¯ll escalate its countermeasures. And you should address that leg. ] ¡°No time.¡±, I replied, glancing back at the fading hum of the disabled executioner. ¡°Let¡¯s just hope that thing stays down.¡± [ It won¡¯t. The disruption is temporary. Once the system stabilizes, it¡¯ll reactivate. ] ¡°Well, that¡¯s comforting.¡±, I muttered sarcastically. At any time, than thing could just start to follow and ambush me than. Great. Ahead the corridor split into two paths both marked with the faint glow of glyphs. I stopped, my gaze flicking between the two options. Left: maintenance sector. Right: data vault [ The data vault should be where we find what we are searching. But the maintenance path might give us a chance to stabilize the local systems. Reduce the chance of everything here trying to kill you. If you go straight to the vault you¡¯ll face the defenses head-on. ] I frowned, the pressure of time weighing heavily. The executioner¡¯s strength was fresh in my mind but every second spent in this place felt like one closer to being overwhelmed. It wasn¡®t just that I had to achieve my goals today, but that the system was constantly adapting to me. ¡°Straight to the vault. We¡¯re here for the technology, not to play system repair crew.¡±, I decided. [ Your call. But keep moving. No rest for the wicked, remember? ] I hobbled down the right corridor, the air growing colder and denser with each step. The corridor opened into another chamber, this one larger and filled with towering crystalline structures that pulsed faintly. At its center stood a massive pillar of light, its surface rippling with layers of glyphs and shifting patterns. It was breathtaking even through the tension of the moment. [ That¡¯s an Aetherian archive node. They always knew how to make their technology look beautiful, didn''t they? ] ¡°Focus, Fen. What do I need to do?¡±, I asked. [ Interface with the node directly. The Inheritor Protocols should grant you access but expect resistance. The system will likely test you at every step. ] I approached cautiously, my hand hovering over the swirling glyphs. The moment I made contact the node flared to life, threads of light racing up my arm as a semi-physical connection formed. It was more intense than before, the pressure in my mind this time almost overwhelming as the Inheritor Protocols took hold. [ Inheritor-Protocol detected. ] [ Inheritor-Protocol #2-A override blocked. ] [ ERROR ] [ Innheritor-Protocol #2-A override failed! ] [ Aerminal starts self-destruc- ] [ ERROR ] [ Authorization acknowledged. ] [ Archive node self-destruction stopped. ] [ Missmatched protocols detected. ] [ Counter-Measures enacted. ] [ You¡¯re making progress but the system¡¯s not happy. We have incoming movement, seemingly something¡¯s activating nearby. ] ¡°Of course there is.¡±, I muttered. I glanced around the chamber my grip tightening on my weapon. From the shadows two new constructs emerged, their forms sleek and angular, their eyes glowing in a truly sinister red. They moved with a fluid precision circling me like predators sizing up their prey. More exterminators. That could quickly become... problematic. ¡°Fen, how much longer?¡± [ Depends on how fast you can finish the interface sequence. The Protocols are translating the node¡¯s data, but you need to actively solve the overlays to progress. ] Multitasking. Great. I crouched behind one of the crystalline structures as the constructs moved closer their movements coordinated. One darted forward, firing a burst of energy that shattered part of the crystal above me. The fragments rained down, forcing me to roll to the side, my leg screaming in protest. The interface projected into the air above the node, the glyphs forming a complex grid that pulsed with faint energy. I reached up swiping my hand through the patterns as I worked to align the symbols. Each successful alignment sent a pulse through the node but each mistake triggered a surge of energy that crackled through the air. The constructs advanced, one of them lunging at me. I ducked narrowly avoiding the strike and fired a beam that once more barely did anything to the exterminator-class machines. [ Faster!. The data¡¯s locked behind multiple layers. You¡¯ve only cracked the first. ] I was to busy to answer him. I completed another alignment, the node flaring as the first layer dissolved. The constructs seemed to react instantly, their movements becoming more aggressive. One of them leapt onto a nearby crystal firing an energy burst that grazed my shoulder, leaving a burning sting. That was new. They''d only used close-combat weapons until now! I gritted my teeth, focusing on the next sequence of glyphs. The puzzles grew more intricate with the patterns shifting faster than I could process. The Inheritor Protocols intervened once more in my favor but even they struggled to affect the system, which fought back against the intrusion. [ Second layer down. Just one more to go but it¡¯s the most complex one as well. Anyways you¡¯re close, just don¡¯t stop now. ] One of the constructs lunged again and this time I couldn¡¯t dodge fast enough. Its blade caught me across the side, slicing through my clothes without any problems. Pain flared and I stumbled, nearly losing my connection to the node. ¡°Fen¡­¡± I gasped, clutching my side. [ Keep going! Just one more layer, we cannot fail yet! ] I forced myself back to my feet ignoring the searing pain as I focused on the final glyphs sequence. My hands moved instinctively, aligning the last remaining symbols. Finally with a surge of light, the last layer dissolved. The node pulsed, its energy stabilizing as a stream of data flowed into my neural interface.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. [ Blueprints retrieved. Partial schematics for Aetherian weapon systems and auxillary technology. But this is just a fragment of everything. You¡¯ll need more nodes to complete the set. ] ¡°Then let¡¯s get out of here before these things finish me off!¡±, I screamed, panting. The constructs, undeterred by the node¡¯s activation, closed in again. With the technology secured I turned and sprinted for the exit firing over my shoulder to keep them at bay. The corridor ahead was faintly lit. It was twisted and narrowed its walls pulsing faintly with the same greenish light that had marked the node chamber. My breaths came ragged, sharp stabs of pain radiating from my side with every step. The gash on my leg throbbed, the open wound dragging a sticky trail of blood with me, pooling in my boot. Each movement sent fresh jolts of agony through the torn muscle, threatening to buckle my stride. My shoulder ached fiercely from the deep bruise left by the guardian¡¯s strike, the damaged tissue grinding with every sway of my arm. And the slash along my side burned raw and exposed, the slick warmth of blood seeping into the seams of my armor. I could feel my resilience working to stave off shock but even my High-Aetherian nature couldn¡¯t stem the flow or lessen the sharp pangs cutting through my focus. Behind me the sound of clattering metal and whirring machinery grew louder. The constructs clearly weren¡¯t letting up. The pounding of my boots against the floor became uneven as my wounded leg struggled to keep pace. [ You need a plan. They¡¯re actively tracking you and in time you¡¯ll be cornered. ] ¡°I¡¯m open to suggestions!¡±, I said my voice cracking, hoarse from exertion and pain by now. [ Use the environment. We¡®ll have to find a way to exploit this Aetherian Structure. ] The path ahead split again this time into three options. I didn¡¯t have time to overthink it. Picking the leftmost passage I staggered forward, my steps faltering as pain lanced through my body. The floor beneath me shifted slightly, and a faint vibration hummed through the soles of my boots, reverberating up my battered frame. [ This section¡¯s power routing just changed! You triggered something! ] ¡°That better not be bad news Fen.¡±, I muttered through clenched teeth, forcing myself to keep moving. The corridor opened into another chamber, this one smaller but filled with what looked like maintenance drones. They hovered silently, their sleek forms flickering with energy as they moved between panels embedded in the walls. As I stepped into the room, they froze. [ They¡¯re assessing you. The authorisation gained from the partial acceptance of the Inheritor Protocols might keep them from outright attacking, but if they detect the constructs on your trail, this will change. ] Instantly I started scanning the room for an exit. My side throbbed fiercely and my vision blurred for a second, the effort of pushing through sheer pain taking its toll. The pain made my head swim, but there was no time to hesitate. I limped toward the holographic display, each step sending jolts of fire through my injured leg. The constructs were too close. The pulsing glyphs might offer a reprieve however. I reached the display and placed my hand in the swirling light. [ Inheritor-Protocol detected. ] [ Inheritor-Protocol #2-A override blocked. ] [ Authorization acknowledged. ] [ Partial local system control granted. ] [ The system awaits your orders Inheritor. ] ¡°The drones are to stop everything that gets into this room after me with force and no warning. Use lethal ways. Furthermore, deactivate the local pursuit protocols.¡±, I said. The glyphs pulsed, streams of data flowing into the hologram. [ Your will be followed Inheritor. 62% of local forces recognised and accepted the order. ] I pulled my hand away from the display, the light dissolving as the drones resumed their quiet, mechanical movements. For a brief moment the noise of the constructs behind me seemed to lessen, their relentless pursuit disrupted. But I knew it wouldn¡¯t last. Gritting my teeth against the pain, I stumbled toward an exit at the far end of the chamber. My vision swam again, a mix of exhaustion and blood loss making the glyphs on the walls blur into shapeless patterns. The only thing that kept me moving was Fen¡¯s sharp voice in my head. [ Keep it together. You¡¯re almost clear of this section. The redirection is mostly working. But you¡¯re still bleeding out. You need to stabilize yourself before we go any further. ] ¡°I¡¯ll stabilize when I¡¯m not being chased by death machines.¡±, I muttered, my voice weak. My shoulder throbbed with every lurching step, and the gash in my side burned as if it were on fire. My wounded leg dragged behind me, leaving a smeared trail of blood. The exit opened into a narrow sloping corridor, the walls lined with intricate carvings glowing faintly. I leaned against the cold surface letting the brief respite steady my breaths. But the reprieve was short-lived with metallic echoes starting to arise from somewhere behind me. A flicker of movement in the dim light caught my eye, a gleaming shadow closing the distance faster than I had thought possible. My body screamed in protest as I pushed off the wall and stumbled forward, the sound of whirring servos growing louder. The pain in my side flared sharply, nearly bringing me to my knees. The corridor twisted ahead the slope steepening. With a desperate glance over my shoulder, I saw the construct emerge. Another exterminator. Its red mechanical eye flared brightly as it locked onto me. ?Fuck!¡°. I cursed, forcing my legs to keep moving. Each step sent fresh waves of agony through my leg and side but I had no choice. The construct closed in its claws scraping against the floor, the sound like nails on steel. Ahead the corridor opened into another chamber, this one far more ornate. Massive pillars rose from the ground, their surfaces etched with layers of glowing symbols. At the center of the room was another archival node, its faint light pulsing in time with the carvings. [ That¡¯s another access point. It could buy us time, but you¡¯ll have to face whatever security measures are here. ] The construct behind me let out a metallic screech, its claws digging into the floor as it accelerated. There was no time to think. My legs burned with effort as I staggered toward the archival node, my vision narrowing to the faint glow ahead. Just as I reached the center of the chamber the construct lunged. I turned, raising my desintegrator on pure instinct but it was too fast. Its claws slashed toward me and I barely managed to throw myself to the side. The motion sent me sprawling with my injured leg buckling beneath me. The construct hesitated, its eye scanning me as if recalibrating. Surprised that with my wounds I still had it in me to fight back. I gritted my teeth, the taste of blood on my tongue as struggled to push myself up. The interface platform began to glow brighter, the glyphs reacting to my presence even without direct contact. Without a doubt Fen at work. The construct lunged again and I rolled to the side, ignoring the sharp agony in my leg. Its claws missed me by inches, carving slight gouges into the nearly unbeakable floor. The node¡®s glow intensified, streams of light arcing toward the construct as the chamber¡¯s defenses activated. The glyphs spun faster and a low hum filled the air as the chamber¡¯s energy converged on the construct. It froze mid-strike, its systems faltering as streams of light enveloped it. With a deafening crack, the construct collapsed, its form disintegrating into shards of energy that dissipated into the air. I slumped against one of the pillars, my breaths coming in ragged gasps. Blood pooled around me, the wounds on my side and leg still raw and untreated. Fen¡¯s voice cut through the haze. [ You¡¯re alive for now. I forced the system to accept a Inheritor Protocols override. Now we¡¯re most likely firmly registered as enemies, the Inheritor Protocols blocked. But you¡¯re running out of time. Find something to stop the bleeding, or none of this will matter. ] My head swam as I forced myself to my feet using the pillar for support. The archival node glowed faintly waiting for my next command. Probably the last I could give with the Inheritor Protocols inside this deathtrap. But first I had to make sure I would survive. Chapter 27 - Path To Survival UGT: 31th Ascent 280 a.G.A. / 11:59 a.m. Location: restricted areas, Aurolin Ruins, Au''Shalis Prime, Clinton''s Beak system (red dwarf), Republic of Nox, Second Human Federation, Milky Way
The chamber¡¯s oppressive stillness pressed down on me as I staggered towards one of the ornate walls slumping down against it with a groan. Blood still seeped from the gash in my leg and the cut at my side, the flow slower but unrelenting. My head throbbed, my shoulder ached and the world around me felt as though it might collapse at any moment. [ You¡¯re not going to make it far like this. At the very least do something to stop the bleeding. You need to stabilize now. ] I nodded weakly, barely registering his words over the pounding in my ears. Fumbling at my jacket, I tore at the hem ripping a length of cloth free. My fingers trembled as I wound it around my leg above the wound and tying it tightly to slow the blood flow. I didn¡¯t have tenough time to do more and every motion sent sharp stabs of pain shooting through me. But for now it was enough to ease the worst of the dizziness. My side was trickier. I pressed the remainder of the torn cloth against the gash, hissing through clenched teeth at the fiery sting. There was no way to properly do something against this wound so the pressure would have to do for now. [ It¡¯s not much, but it¡¯s better than bleeding out in a ruin. You need to keep moving. ] Every step felt like a battle against my own body as I pushed myself upright again. My leg screamed in protest and the makeshift bandage on my side was already starting to slip. But the glowing archival node ahead demanded my focus, its energy pulsing in faint rhythmic beats. ¡°This better be worth it in the end.¡°, I whispered, my voice barely audible. I pressed my hand to the display and the glyphs came alive, light spilling from the interface in streams that coiled and twisted through the air. A sharp pulse of energy surged through me, colder and more brutal than before. My neural interface buzzed, filling my mind with disjointed images and fragments of data. One stood out. A stasis pod. Inside it an Aetherian lay motionless, their body perfectly preserved. ¡°A cryostasis pod?¡± I murmured, surprised. [ And more than that. That¡¯s another Aetherian alive. Or at least as close to alive as you can get in stasis. ] The glyphs shifted again, resolving into a stark and ominous message: ¡°I slumber so I may rise again. When the stars align, I will reclaim what is ours.¡± I pulled my hand back, the display dimming as the node¡¯s energy ebbed away. It had shared all it could, leaving me with no more than a cryptic promise and a heavy knot of unease. But I lacked the time to do anything right now. [ You¡¯ve gotten all you can. Now get out of here. The ruins are still active, and the SHF¡¯s surface patrols might or might not have already noticed our intrusion. They are unable to follow us, but given how obvious we were, they most likely know we¡®re here. ] ¡°Right,¡± I muttered, my voice dry and cracked. My body screamed for rest, but I pushed off the wall and began limping back the way I¡¯d come. Every step was agony but it was better than dying here. The glyphs on the chamber¡¯s interface were still active, offering one last chance to turn the ruin¡¯s systems in my favor. I limped back toward the platform, biting down a scream as the movement jolted my leg. ¡°I need the shortest route to something that can heal me and afterwards out of here.¡°, I stated. [ Inheritor-Protocol detected. ] [ Inheritor-Protocol #2-A override blocked. ] [ ERROR ] [ Limited authorization acknowledged. ] [ Path towards destination formed. ] The passage twisted sharply, its walls pulsing with energy that seemed to react to my presence. Panels along the corridor shifted and clicked, their patterns forming strange sequences as I passed. The ruin¡¯s defenses weren¡¯t entirely dormant. I stumbled, barely catching myself against the wall. My body felt like it was on fire. My side ached, my leg throbbed and my shoulder was a dull roar of pain. The crude first-aid measures were doing little more than delaying the inevitable. ¡°Fen give me an update. How far?¡±, I rasped. [ Two hundred meters give or take. But the ruin¡¯s systems are still tracking you. That unusual support you¡¯re currently having is probably a bait to end you before you reach the surface. ] ¡°How optimistic.¡±, I muttered, forcing myself forward. As if to prove Fen¡¯s point a faint hiss echoed from deeper within the passage. Panels along the walls slid open, releasing spindly drones that glided into view. Their movements were erratic, their shapes less refined than the constructs I¡¯d encountered earlier. [ Damaged units. But they¡¯ll still kill you if they catch up. ] ¡°No kidding. There¡®s nothing in these damn ruins that isn¡®t out to kill me!¡°, I said, pushing myself harder, hobbling through the narrowing corridor. The drones followed, their glowing optics flickering like fireflies. A sharp turn brought me face-to-face with a barrier of light stretching across the passage. Its energy shimmered with the same greenish hue as the ruin¡¯s glyphs. [ That¡¯s a containment grid. You need to disable it fast. The drones are closing in. ] I slammed my hand against the nearest wall panel, the glyphs lighting up in response. My vision blurred again making it harder to decipher the patterns. But I had no choice. Fumbling through the sequences, I aligned the glyphs in what I hoped was the correct order. The barrier flickered, then collapsed, just as the first drone came into range. I limped through the opening hearing the faint crackle of electricity as the barrier reactivated behind me, cutting off the drones¡¯ pursuit.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. The passage finally opened into a wide cavern, its far side illuminated by ?sunlight¡° filtering through a jagged opening above. Freedom was in sight. [ Don¡¯t get careless now. Those SHF units are probably waiting for us outside. ] Honestly, I couldn¡¯t care anymore. My body was running on fumes and the prospect of getting out of these ruins and healing were the only thing driving me forward. The last short climb to the surface was brutal. The path twisted upward, forcing me to use the jagged walls for support. Every movement jarred my wounds sending fresh waves of agony through my body. My breathing grew shallower, my vision narrowing to the light above. Finally I reached the opening, collapsing onto the rocky ground outside. The sunlight felt like fire on my skin after the ruin¡¯s oppressive gloom, but it was worth it. I was alive. At least for now. But the reprieve was short-lived. A distant shout cut through the air, followed by the unmistakable hum of engines. I lifted my head to see SHF soldiers descending toward the ruin¡¯s entrance, their figures silhouetted against the sky. [ They know you¡¯re here. And in your state, running¡¯s not really an option. ] ¡°Great,¡± I whispered, struggling to my feet. The world spun around me but I steadied myself against a boulder. I wasn¡¯t going to die here! Not after everything I¡¯d survived! [ There¡¯s a ravine to the west. That¡®s the direction the Aetherian system wantedus to take. It¡®ll most likely be a chance to heal and maybe even to escape. ] I nodded, dragging myself forward. My wounds screamed in protest but I gritted my teeth and pressed on. The fight wasn¡¯t over and I wasn¡¯t ready to give up. Not yet. I didn¡¯t have much time anymore. My body was failing, blood loss turning the world into a blur of muted colors and sharp, stabbing pain. Each step toward the ravine Fen mentioned was a gamble against my limits and I wasn¡¯t winning. The SHF soldiers were closing in, their shouts growing clearer over the whine of engines. The sound of boots crunching against loose rock meant they were splitting into search teams. If they found me now I wouldn¡¯t last long enough to explain myself, let alone escape. [ You¡¯re not going to make it far without help. If they find you first, they¡¯ll patch you up but only so they can interrogate you. I¡¯m guessing that¡¯s not ideal. ] ¡°No kidding.¡°, I muttered, collapsing behind a jagged boulder. My hands trembled as I pressed against the makeshift bandages. It wasn¡¯t enough. [ Wait¡­ hold on! There¡¯s another signal! Medical-grade systems. Close to us! ] ¡°You¡¯re just now mentioning this?¡±, I questioned, to exhausted to be angry. [ It wasn¡¯t active before. Must¡¯ve powered up when you accessed that extraction route. A last gift from the Aetherian ruin. ] I managed to push myself upright, following Fen¡¯s guidance through the ravine. The path narrowed, winding between sharp outcroppings of rock until I spotted something gleaming in the distance. A small, concealed alcove. Inside the alcove a med-station glimmered faintly with the unmistakable glow of Aetherian design. It was ancient, battered by time, but functional. The main console¡¯s glyphs pulsed faintly, inviting input. ¡°Can it... patch me up?¡± I asked, nearly collapsing against the station. [ Enough to stabilize you. But this technology is old and seemingly weckende by time. Don¡¯t expect any miracles. ] I placed my bloodied hand on the interface and the system whirred to life. It scanned me with a soft hum and a holographic overlay appeared, highlighting my injuries. A mechanical arm unfolded from the station, holding what looked like a vial of faintly glowing liquid. [ Good news, this is a rapid-coagulant and cellular stabilizer. We are lucky they still have working versions. Bad news, this is going to hurt like hell. ] ¡°Just do it.¡°, I rasped. Some pain was definitly better than capture or death. The arm injected the serum into my side, and I bit down on a scream as the liquid burned through me. The sensation was a mix of fire and ice, searing through my veins and making my entire body convulse. But it worked. The bleeding slowed, and the throbbing in my side dulled to a manageable ache. My leg still protested every step but the sharp edge of agony had receded. [ That bought you time. Maybe an hour before you need real medical attention. Don¡¯t waste it. ] The med-station emitted a faint chime before going dormant, its resources depleted. I forced myself back into the open air, scanning the ravine for any sign of SHF patrols. They were close. Too close in my opinion. I could hear their radios crackling, orders being barked to tighten the search perimeter. ¡°Options?¡± I whispered, gripping a jagged rock for balance. [ West ridge leads to a trade road. You might be able to flag down a passing transport if you¡¯re lucky. It definitly won¡®t take longer than a few minutes for the SHF forces to find the medical station. Nothing we can do there. ] ¡°That¡¯s a big if Fen.¡±, I muttered. [ Or you can double back into the ruin, though I wouldn¡¯t recommend it. You¡¯re already half-dead. ] I chose the ridge. Every step felt like dragging a mountain but I forced myself to keep moving. The ridge was steep, the loose gravel shifting treacherously beneath my feet. I could see the trade road below, a faint ribbon of movement in the distance. And then came the unmistakable whine of a drone. I turned sharply, catching the glint of a SHF scout unit cresting the ridge behind me. Its optics flared, locking onto my position. [ They¡¯ve got you! You need to lose this thing now! ] ¡°I¡¯m trying!¡±, I yelled, forcing myself forwards faster. I stumbled down the ridge using the uneven terrain to my advantage. The drone¡¯s sleek form struggled to navigate the jagged rocks but it kept pace, firing low-energy pulses that exploded into bursts of dirt and debris around me. The trade road came into full view, and my heart leapt at the sight of a transport vehicle rumbling along its path. It was an old, clunky hover-truck, its cargo bed loaded with supplies. I waved frantically, using what little strength I had left to shout.The driver spotted me, their face a mix of caution and alarm as they slowed the vehicle. Behind me, the drone¡¯s hum grew louder, its pursuit relentless.¡°Help!¡±, I yelled, stumbling onto the road. ¡°Please!¡± The driver hesitated but the sight of the drone closing in spurred them into action. They opened the cargo hatch and motioned for me to climb in. I threw myself onto the bed, collapsing among the supplies as the drone fired one last pulse that seared past the truck¡¯s rear. The vehicle accelerated, leaving the drone behind as it struggled to recalibrate its pursuit. The driver didn¡¯t ask questions, but their expression was grim as they glanced back at me. ¡°You¡¯re bleeding all over my cargo,¡± he muttered, pulling a first-aid kit from the dash and tossing it to me. ¡°Patch yourself up before you pass out.¡± I nodded weakly, my hands shaking as I fumbled with the kit. The painkillers were a godsend, dulling the worst of the agony as I applied more bandages. [ You made it. Barely. But this isn¡¯t over. ] ¡°I know.¡±, I whispered, slumping against the side of the truck. The world outside blurred as exhaustion finally overtook me. For the first time in hours I let myself drift, knowing I was still alive. And at least for now safe. Chapter 28 - Desperate Escape UGT: 31th Ascent 280 a.G.A. / 01:12 p.m. Location: trade road near the Aurolin Ruins, Au''Shalis Prime, Clinton''s Beak system (red dwarf), Republic of Nox, Second Human Federation, Milky Way
The truck¡¯s low hum reverberated through the uneven terrain, a sound that might have been soothing under different circumstances. Instead it was drowned out by the drumming of my pulse and the muffled roar of blood in my ears. The driver kept his eyes on the road but I caught him stealing glances at me through the rearview mirror, his expression torn between curiosity and unease. The cargo bed was cramped, filled with stacked crates of rations, machine parts and what looked like medical supplies. The sharp scent of oil mixed with the faint metallic tang of blood, a reminder that my bandages weren¡¯t holding as well as they should. ¡°Hey,¡± the driver called, his gravelly voice cutting through the silence. ¡°You sure you¡¯re not dying back there?¡± I shifted, biting back a groan as my side protested the movement. ¡°I¡¯ve had worse,¡± I lied, though I wasn¡¯t sure who I was trying to convince. Based on the short time of my life I could currently remember? No, I hadn''t. He snorted, unimpressed. Obviously knowing very well that I had just lied to him. ¡°You¡¯ve got guts, I¡¯ll give you that. Most folks who crawl outta those ruins end up much less alive than you. At least that''s the theory, after all no one else made it out again before. The few times the SHF actually managed to get people inside the ruins, who knows how, they at least didn''t come back. What¡¯s your story?¡±, the driver askek, clearly driven by his curiosity. ¡°Just passing through. Bad timing, that¡¯s all. There''s no interesting story to tell, I''m afraid,¡± I said, leaning my head back against the cool metal of the truck¡¯s side. The driver¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Yeah, well, bad timing doesn¡¯t usually involve SHF drones chasing someone. Whatever mess you¡¯re in, I don¡¯t want it spilling onto my rig.¡±, he said. [ He¡¯s not wrong. You¡¯re a walking disaster zone right now. And speaking of disasters, the SHF isn¡¯t far behind. That drone we ditched probably sent your location back and well... There''s only a single road. Not hard to guess the correct way to take. ] I grimaced, running a hand through my matted hair. What were my odds of staying ahead of them in this truck? [ Slim to none. This thing¡¯s about as fast as a glacier. ] The driver must have noticed the shift in my expression and muttered a curse under his breath. He obviously didn''t appreciate my intrusion on his comparatively peaceful life. ¡°Listen, if you¡¯re planning to jump ship, do it soon. A good junction''s coming up in around two kilometers. After that it¡¯s open road and you¡¯re on your own.¡±, he said gruffly. I nodded, my decision already made. Staying on the truck was a death sentence. If the SHF caught up, they wouldn¡¯t hesitate to tear through this rig to get to me. And not much later, we reached the junction the driver had talked about. The truck slowed as we approached, its engines emitting a low whine. The terrain was rough, the ground uneven with jagged rocks and patches of loose gravel. Ahead, the road split into two paths: one leading deeper into the trade routes, the other winding into the barren wilderness. The driver brought the truck to a halt, glancing back at me one last time. ¡°This is your stop, buddy. Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you.¡± ¡°Thanks for the lift,¡± I said, hauling myself over the side of the cargo bed. My legs wobbled as I hit the ground, but I forced myself upright, leaning on the crates for balance. My choice was made, I wasn''t going to go back on it. The driver didn¡¯t linger. The truck¡¯s engines roared to life and it sped off down the trade road, leaving a trail of dust in its wake. I watched it go, a pang of regret tightening in my chest. Alone again.But it was the best option I had. The wilderness stretched out before me, an expanse of jagged cliffs and dry cracked earth. Fen¡¯s guidance pinged in my neural interface, overlaying a faint red line on my vision. [ You need to move. The SHF¡¯s scout drones will sweep this area soon, I believe. We¡¯ve got twenty kilometers to cover before we reach the next shuttle station and our only way back to New Hamton. If you push hard, you¡¯ll make it in four hours. ] I adjusted the straps of my pack, wincing as the motion pulled at my injuries. ¡°Let¡¯s hope you¡¯re right," I muttered. The first few steps were agony. My leg throbbed with every movement and my side burned beneath the makeshift bandages. But I gritted my teeth and pressed on, each step taking me farther from the junction and closer to whatever slim chance of survival lay ahead. The sun beat down mercilessly, casting sharp shadows across the barren landscape. Each step felt like dragging a lead weight, the combination of my injuries and the unyielding terrain sapping my strength faster than I could have imagined. The cracked earth beneath my boots seemed to stretch endlessly, broken only by the occasional jagged outcrop or twisted remnants of ancient vegetation. The neural overlay from Fen was my only guide, a faint red line hovering just above the ground. It wove through the wilderness with purpose, avoiding the obvious paths and weaving around exposed ridges that could leave me visible to SHF scout drones. [ Pace yourself. If you push too hard now, you won¡¯t make it to the station.] I didn¡¯t respond. Talking, even to him, felt like too much effort. Instead, I focused on the rhythm of my steps, the steady crunch of boots on gravel. My mind wandered as I walked, flitting between fragmented memories and the sharp, immediate reality of the wilderness. An hour later, the first sign of trouble came as a low, mechanical hum. I froze, crouching low behind a jagged boulder as the sound grew louder. Fen¡¯s interface pinged urgently, marking the source of the noise. It was a sleek SHF scout drone gliding just above the ridgeline to my left. [ Stay still. It¡¯s scanning. Heat signatures, motion sensors, probably other things as well. You move now and it¡¯ll find you for sure. ] I held my breath, willing myself to become part of the landscape. The drone hovered, its metallic shell glinting in the sunlight. Its optical sensors swept the area, pausing for a heart-stopping moment in my direction. My pulse thundered in my ears, drowning out everything else, as much as I tried to surpress it. Then, just as suddenly as it had appeared, the drone veered away, continuing its patrol along the ridge. I didn¡¯t dare move until the hum faded completely. ¡°Fen, are there any more of those ahead?", I finally whispered.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. [ Hard to say. SHF¡¯s drone patterns are probably quite erratic. Best assume they¡¯re everywhere and act accordingly. ] I sighed and pushed forward, sticking to the low ground whenever possible. The terrain grew more challenging as the sun walked over the horizon, starting to cast shadows that played tricks on my vision. Loose rocks shifted underfoot, threatening to send me sprawling with every misstep. By the time I reached the halfway point, my body was screaming for rest. A shallow gully provided a brief reprieve, its cool shade a welcome contrast to the relentless heat. I slumped against the rock wall, resting for a moment. [ You¡¯ve got about ten kilometers left. You¡¯re making good time. Just keep it up. ] ¡°Easy for you to say. You¡¯re not the one doing the walking," I muttered slightly spiteful. [ True, but I am the one keeping an eye on your vitals. And they¡¯re¡­ well, let¡¯s just say you¡¯ve been better. ] A faint grin tugged at the corner of my mouth despite myself. Fen did have a way with words, didn''t he? My reprieve didn¡¯t last much longer. A sharp beep from Fen¡¯s interface jolted me upright. [ Incoming! Two drones, approaching fast. No time to hide, you¡¯ve got to run! ] I didn¡¯t hesitate. Pain and exhaustion fell away as adrenaline surged through my veins. I scrambled out of the gully, following the red line that Fen adjusted on the fly. The hum of the drones grew louder, closer, until I could almost feel the vibrations in the air. The ground sloped upward ahead, a narrow ridge offering the only escape. I pushed myself harder, my lungs burning with every ragged breath. The drones¡¯ sensors pinged behind me, their pursuit relentless. ¡°Fen! Any ideas?¡± I gasped, slightly desperate. [ Just one. There¡¯s a cave system up ahead. If you can make it there, you might lose them in the tunnels. ] Better than nothing. The ridge leveled out, revealing the dark mouth of a cave nestled against the cliffside. The drones were almost on top of me as I reached the entrance, their searchlights slicing through the gathering darkness. I dove inside, the cool air of the cave enveloping me like a second skin. The drones hesitated at the threshold, their sensors seemingly struggling to penetrate the dense rock. [ Keep moving. They¡¯ll call for reinforcements if they lose you, if they didn''t already the moment they spotted you. You¡¯ve got to put as much distance as you can between yourself and this spot or the SFH ground troops will be upon you in no time. ] I stumbled deeper into the cave, the sound of the drones fading behind me. For now, I was safe. But the shuttle station was still ten kilometers away, and the SHF wasn¡¯t going to give up that easily. The cave¡¯s damp air clung to my skin as I pressed forward, each step an act of will. Fen¡¯s guidance flickered in my vision, a faint overlay showing the path through the rocky terrain ahead. [ You¡¯re almost out. The drones are still tracking you, though. You¡¯ll need to lose them before we reach the station. If they spot you boarding a shuttle, this whole escape goes down in flames. ] ¡°How close are they?¡± I asked, my voice tight. [ Close enough that you don¡¯t have time to second-guess. Two scout drones are sweeping the area. Notihing else is even near though, which is suspicious. I would have thought the''d make you a high priority target, but seemingly not. ] The exit loomed ahead, sunlight spilling through the jagged opening. I quickened my pace, wincing as my side throbbed with each step. The hum of the drones grew louder, their sleek forms darting into view as I emerged from the cave. The barren landscape offered little cover. A rocky outcrop to the left and a shallow depression beyond it were my only viable options. [ Head for the rocks. I¡¯ll jam their sensors as best I can, but you¡¯ll need to finish them off. ] The drones swooped low, their engines emitting a sharp mechanical whine. I dove behind the outcrop, pressing my back against the cool stone. Fen¡¯s interference caused their movements to stutter, the drones hesitating as they struggled to recalibrate. I gripped the disintegrator, its weight a comforting presence despite the strain on my injured side. The weapon¡¯s blade gleamed in the sunlight, a last-resort tool for close combat. The first drone swept around the rock, its sensors locking onto my position. I raised the disintegrator, aiming for its sleek, metallic body. A burst of energy erupted from the weapon¡¯s barrel, but the drone darted to the side, evading the shot. ¡°Come on,¡± I muttered, adjusting my aim for a second shot. Suddenly, the weapon¡¯s hum sputtered, the charge fading as its core overloaded. [ The disintegrator¡¯s fried! We overused it massively in the Aurolin Ruins, especially with you using it as a makeshift close-quarters weapon. Not something it was designed for. You¡¯re going to have to take the drones down the hard way! ] ¡°Great,¡± I hissed. I truly was out of luck. Instantly I swotched the disintegrators mode for close quarter brawls. Than I deactivated all safeguards, loading up the core again. Instantly, a small flickering transperent blade formed. Way less energy hungry and more stable than disintegration beams. The weapon wasn''t designed to be used as a racket, but it could be used as a small sword. I just didn''t have much time to change the modes in the ruins, given how fast the Aetherian drones were compared to the SHF drones. Still, my time was limited even with the SHF drones. The drone swooped closer, its whirring engines drowning out all other sounds. I lunged forward, slashing at its undercarriage. Sparks flew as the blade connected, severing one of its stabilizers. The drone wobbled, struggling to maintain altitude. I didn¡¯t give it a chance to recover. Gripping the disintegrator¡¯s hilt tightly, I plunged the blade into its central processor. The drone shuddered violently before crashing to the ground in a shower of sparks. One down, one to go. Suddenly the disintegrator grew increasingly hot in my hand and I threw it far away. Not a second to early as just a few seconds later, the entire disintegrator went uo in a violent explosion. I had overloaded the core completely and now had no weapon left. The second drone circled high above, its sensors scanning the area. I darted toward the shallow depression, my boots kicking up dust as I slid into the dry creek bed. The drone¡¯s shadow loomed overhead, its targeting systems locking onto me. ¡°Fen, options?¡± I asked, my breath ragged. [ There¡¯s a metal pipe buried in the debris to your left. It¡¯s sturdy enough to take out the drone if you can time it right. ] I spotted the pipe half-buried in the dirt. The drone hovered lower, its sleek frame glinting in the fading sunlight. I grabbed the pipe, hefting its weight as the drone closed in. Its targeting laser flickered, locking onto my chest. ¡°Now or never,¡± I muttered, bracing myself. The drone lunged forward and I swung the pipe with all my strength. The metal connected with a sickening crunch, smashing into the drone¡¯s sensor array. It spun wildly, its engines sputtering as it crashed into the creek bed. For a moment, I stood frozen, the pipe still in my hands. The drone¡¯s remains sparked and hissed, the scent of burning circuitry filling the air. [ That¡¯s the last of them. For now, you''re clear. Nothing else is close. But let¡¯s not wait around for them to send reinforcements. Though I still think that''s highly suspicious. ] I dropped the pipe, wiping sweat from my brow. My body ached, every movement a reminder of the injuries I¡¯d sustained. But the path ahead was clear. ¡°Let¡¯s get to that shuttle station. I''ll be just thankful for having luck for once and won''t question it further,¡± I said, my voice firm despite the exhaustion threatening to pull me under. In the shuttle station, I would see how to continue from here. Chapter 29 - Shuttles Flight UGT: 31th Ascent 280 a.G.A. / 05:36 p.m. Location: shuttle station 29 kilometres away from the Aurolin Ruins, Au''Shalis Prime, Clinton''s Beak system (red dwarf), Republic of Nox, Second Human Federation, Milky Way
The shuttle station was a madhouse. Crowds of people pushed and jostled, their voices rising in a chaotic blend of fear and urgency. Parents clutched children close, vendors hastily packed up stalls and armed guards patrolled the perimeter, their hands never far from their weapons. The air buzzed with tension, thick and stifling, as if the whole place teetered on the edge of collapse. Overhead, the PA system crackled with fragmented announcements. ¡°...all civilian shuttle departures delayed until further notice. Priority given to SHF personnel and critical evacuees...citizens are reminded to remain calm. Order will be maintained¡­¡± [ No shuttles for civilians. You¡¯re going to need a miracle or a very good story. ] ¡°Maybe both,¡± I muttered, stepping around a family huddled on the floor and made my way to the ticket counter. My battered appearance drew a few suspicious glances, but I ignored them. I was just one more desperate soul trying to get out. The line at the ticket counter crawled forward, tension radiating from every person waiting. When my turn finally came, I slid a few Solar across the counter, keeping my voice steady. ¡°One ticket to New Hamton, please.¡± The clerk, a stern-faced man with a badge marking him as an SHF affiliate, barely glanced at the money before his sharp eyes locked on me. ¡°ID?¡± he asked. I obviously didn''t look normal enough for him to let me go without identification. I faked to hesitate, then shook my head. ¡°I lost it back at the Aurolin Zone,¡± I said, faking shock. Maybe I could spin a story around the chaos that probalby ensued after I got away? ¡°You¡¯re coming from the ruins?¡± the clerk asked, his expression instantly hardening. The drastic change took me offguard, as I did not expect anyone already being that suspicios based on just that. [ Careful, May. They¡¯re not playing around and seem to take you more serious than we thought. ] I nodded slowly, trying to buy time to think. ¡°Yeah. I was working on a civilian survey team. We were assessing the area for redevelopment when everything went wrong,¡± I said. ¡°You mean the Aetherians?¡± the clerk asked, his brows furrowing. I blinked, genuinely confused. ¡°Why the Aetherians? Did I miss something bigger?¡± I asked him. The clerk¡¯s jaw tightened. ¡°Don¡¯t play dumb. The whole station¡¯s on high alert because the ancient Aetherian site activated. It''s the first time in hundreds of years. Aetherian drones attacked SHF forces and started wiping out everything in the area. The SHF''s own technology seemingly got hacked and turned against them as well. You didn¡¯t see any of that?¡± he questioned, clearly even more suspicious of me now. My stomach twisted, hearing that. There was only one possible reason for that. It was my intrusion that reactivated the Aetherian site. Either they were after me, or I just helped the system meet the necessary condition for reactivation. I shook my head, letting the shock show on my face. ¡°I- I didn¡¯t know! When the SHF drones turned on us, I thought it was just a malfunction! Our team leader told us to scatter. I ran and didn¡¯t look back,¡± I said, slightly quivering. I didn''t even have to fake it. If all Aetherian sites in the Clinton''s Beak system or even just on Au''Shalis Prime had activated, I might get in trouble with the Admiral. A single site I could talk myself out of. The entire planet? Less so. ¡°Convenient that you made it out alive. And now you¡¯re trying to board a shuttle without ID?¡± the clerk asked, his ganze boring into me. And well, yes. My story wasn''t the most believable. ¡°I know how it looks,¡± I said quickly, lowering my voice as though I feared being overheard. ¡°But you have to understand. I didn¡¯t stick around to ask questions. I barely made it out of the civilian zone. If the Aetherian drones are going after the SHF specifically, doesn¡¯t that mean they¡¯re probably targeting anyone who was near the site?¡± The clerk¡¯s lips thinned, and he tapped something on his console. ¡°Wait here," he said and turned to confer with a uniformed officer standing nearby. The officer glanced at me, then back at the clerk, their conversation too low for me to hear. Instantly. panick bubbled up inside me. [ They¡¯re checking your story. You need a way out of this and fast! ] I knew that myself! But I had no idea how! When the officer approached, her gaze was cold and assessing. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°May,¡± I said, forcing my voice to stay steady. ¡°And you claim you were part of a civilian team at the Aurolin Ruins?¡± the officer continued asking, motioning for the clerk to write the conversation down.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Yes. I was contracted by Lannis & Howe. We were conducting surveys for redevelopment. When the SHF drones started firing, we scattered. I didn¡¯t know about the Aetherian drones until just now," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. Lannis & Howe? Some company I''d walked past while being in the civilian area of the Aurolin ruins. I had absolutely no ider who they were, just that it looked they tried to rebuild parts of the ruins. The officer studied me for a long moment. ¡°Wait here,¡± she said, retreating for a moment. Meanwhile, I could hear my pulse pounding in my ears. [ This is bad. They¡¯re stalling for time, probably to make deeper background checks. That you actually named an ongoing operation stalled you time. But if they notice there was no May on the team, you''re done. ] I took a deep breath, forcing myself to think. What¡¯s the quickest way to make them move on, instead of focusing even more on me? [ Play into the chaos. They¡¯ve got bigger problems than you right now. If you get them to just wave you through, it''s likely for them to be occupied by another problem, instead of checking your backstory. Tey''d probaply only come back to that days later once everything calmed down. And by then, we''re hopefully out of the system. ] As desperate as it was, it seemed to be my only path forward right now. When the officer returned, I leaned forward, pitching my voice low. ¡°Look, I get it. I look suspicious. But if you¡¯re worried about me, what about everyone else here? If those drones really attacked SHF forces, what¡¯s stopping them from coming this way?¡± The officer only frowned. ¡°The SHF has it under control,¡± she said, trying to dismiss me. ¡°Do they? Because from where I¡¯m standing, this place looks like a target. You¡¯ve got hundreds of people here, all trying to leave. If I were one of those drones, this would be the first place I¡¯d hit," I pressed on, trying to instill some sense of panic and urgency. The officers jaw tightened, and I could see the gears turning in her head. The station was already stretched thin, and my words only added to the pressure. "I''m probably a target. Unlike everyone else here, I''m from the site directly. WIth me here, the risk of the drones coming here only rises. You need to get me away from here, for the security of everyone. I''m more than willing to answer any and all questions of the SHF once I''m back in New Hamton. It shouldn''t be hard for them to find me, I''m a registered citizen after all," I continued, trying to sound as convincing as possible. Finally, the officer sighed. ¡°We¡¯ve got an emergency transport departing for New Hamton. It¡¯s supposed to be SHF-only, but they¡¯re understaffed as it is and are already taking some refugees back with them. You¡¯re lucky we¡¯re short on manpower,¡± sha said, than glancing at the clerk. ¡°Log her as a contractor evacuee and make a note for the administration to come back to her once they have time.¡± The clerk grumbled but typed something into his console. ¡°Gate 4. Shuttle leaves in ten minutes,¡± he said, obvoiusly still not liking the entire situation. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, grabbing the ticket the clerk handed me and walking off, before someone could change their mind. Eight minutes later I stood inside the shuttle that was supposed to bring me back to New Hamton. The shuttle was packed, the tension inside palpable. Soldiers sat in tense silence, their weapons cradled in their laps, while a handful of civilians clung to the edges of the transport. The air reeked of sweat and fear. As the engines finally roared to life and the station receded into the distance, I let out a shaky breath. Somehow, I''d managed to get away. [ Nice work. But don¡¯t get to comfortable. You¡¯re not out of the woods yet. ] ¡°I know,¡± I murmured, staring out at the dark horizon. New Hamton was still a long way off and the weight of everything I¡¯d left behind pressed heavy on my shoulders. The shuttle shuddered slightly, adjusting course. Across from me, a soldier shifted in his seat, his eyes flickering toward me for a moment before he looked away.Probably just because of tension and shared unease, but either way, I avoided his gaze. Fen¡¯s voice returned, softer this time. [ They bought your story, for now. But the station¡¯s announcement wasn¡¯t just for show. The local forces of the SHF and the Republic of Nox are rattled and that means more scrutiny for everyone. ] ¡°I noticed. They won''t let anyone off without serious screening, right?¡± I whispered, my fingers tightening around the edge of my seat. [ Correct. They¡¯re not going to let you stroll into New Hamton without checking your story again. ] The low hum of conversation in the shuttle quieted as an officer stepped into the aisle. His sharp, assessing gaze swept over the passengers and when he spoke, his voice carried the tone of no-nonsense authority. ¡°Attention, passengers! We are en route to New Hamton, but due to the situation at the Aurolin Ruins, all passengers will be subject to screening upon arrival. Anyone found withholding information or presenting false identification will face severe consequences. Cooperate, and this process will go smoothly:" he stated for everyone to hear. His words hung heavy in the air, a stark reminder just how seriously the SHF took the situation. Around me, people shifted uneasily, some murmuring to each other in low voices. [ Well, that confirms it. You¡¯re not passing that screening, May. ] ¡°Thanks, Fen. I figured that out myself already,¡± I muttered under my breath, my mind racing. The officer stepped away, leaving the cabin in a tense silence. [ Relax. We¡¯ll figure something out. Worst case, you¡¯ll have to slip out before they start checking everyone. ] I glanced toward the rear of the cabin, where two soldiers stood near the emergency exit, their rifles slung casually but ready. My stomach twisted. ¡°Slip out? On a military-escorted shuttle? That¡¯s not exactly low-profile, Fen.¡± [ It¡¯s not about low profile, it¡¯s all about timing. They¡¯re stretched thin and chaos works to your advantage. If we can find a weak spot in their process, we¡¯ll exploit it. Getting chased through New Hamton though is definitly not an option. For now, keep calm and pay attention. ] I leaned back, forcing myself to breathe deeply and quietly. The soldiers¡¯ murmured conversations drifted in and out of earshot, their voices blending with the low hum of the shuttle¡¯s engines. New Hamton wasn¡¯t far now, and neither was my next hurdle. Whatever awaited me at the screening, one thing was clear. I wasn¡¯t quite out of the fight yet. The very last stretch still lay before me. Chapter 30 - Fallout UGT: 31th Ascent 280 a.G.A. / 06:52 p.m. Location: New Hamton, Au''Shalis Prime, Clinton''s Beak system (red dwarf), Republic of Nox, Second Human Federation, Milky Way
The shuttle''s descent into New Hamton was surprisingly smooth, the city¡¯s lights sprawling out beneath us like a web of fireflies in the growing twilight. From my seat, I caught glimpses of towering spires and bustling avenues, a stark contrast to the chaos I¡¯d left behind. When the shuttle finally docked, the passengers were herded out with brisk efficiency. The soldiers disembarked first, their weapons held casually but ready, while the rest of us were ushered toward a small, cordoned-off area within the military sector. I kept my head down, following the flow of the crowd. The officer from earlier barked orders to a group of clerks standing behind portable terminals, preparing for the screening process. It was clear they intended to check every person leaving the shuttle. [ Stick to the edges, May. Look for an opening. ] Fen¡¯s advice was unnecessary. I was already scanning the perimeter, noting the guards¡¯ movements and the gaps in their attention. The chaos worked in my favor. Too many people, too few personnel to handle them efficiently. And I wasn''t the only one that couldn''t care less about the orders of the SHF soldiers. Most of them just wanted to be let off without a long and questionalbe background check. I slipped toward the edge of the crowd, keeping my pace unhurried but deliberate. The clerks were overwhelmed, their attention split between the lines of evacuees and the officers issuing rapid-fire commands and the civilians trying to steer away from the screening or even discussed with the soldiers about their rights. No one noticed when I veered away from the group, stepping behind a stack of cargo crates. And I wasn''t the only one. Maybe a handful of civilians got away the same way I did. Probably the ones woho really had something they didn''t want the SHF to know. Anyways, it wasn''t my problem and I carefully walked through the nearly deserted military area. Most of the soldiers had probably been shipped off to the Aurolin Ruins. [ Nicely done . Now keep moving. Head south and let''s get back to the civilian shuttle space of the city. There we wanted to meet Admiral Thorrison anyways. ] The narrow alleyways between the military structures offered some cover and I stuck to the shadows as I made my way toward the civilian district. The transition was almost seamless. One moment, I was navigating the stark utilitarian buildings of the military zone, the next I was surrounded by the lively hum of New Hamton¡¯s outer districts. The streets here were crowded, but the atmosphere was more relaxed, the tension of the shuttle station giving way to the city¡¯s usual rhythm. Obviously the chaos from the Aurolin Ruins hadn''t reached the city yet. Someone seemed to still try and keep a lid on everything. I exhaled slowly, letting myself blend into the flow of pedestrians. [ You¡¯re definitly clear now. We would have noticed anyone still being after you. Just a few more blocks to the landing pads. ] ¡°Good. I¡¯d rather not keep the Admiral waiting. We''re already running a few minutes late, I reckon,¡± I muttered. [ Hate to break it to you, but Admiral Thorrison is probably still tied up with the mess you left at the Aurolin Ruins. It''s highly likely you''ll beat him, even if we are running a few minutes late. ] Oh. That was a pretty good point actually. And even if he was there already, I should probably not meet him with my closes all torn and bloodied. [ You should find somewhere to clean up. There¡¯s bound to be a public washroom or a supply shop nearby. ] I nodded, acknowledging his idea, while scanning the area. The outer districts of New Hamton were a patchwork of old and new structures, with neon signs flickering above storefronts and street vendors hawking their wares from colorful stalls. It didn¡¯t take long to spot a modest supply shop tucked into the corner of a block, its glowing sign promising "Travel Essentials.¡± I slipped inside, the bell above the door jingling softly. The interior was cramped but well-stocked, shelves packed with everything from pre-packaged meals to basic clothing. A bored-looking clerk glanced up from behind the counter but didn¡¯t say anything. I headed straight for the clothing section, grabbing a plain black jacket and a pair of durable trousers. They weren¡¯t much, but they¡¯d at least make me look presentable. On my way to the counter, I snagged a small packet of cleansing wipes and some real bandages. They weren''t much, but better than nothing for my wounds and the grime on my face and hands. The clerk barely acknowledged me as I paid, his attention already back on the book he was reading. Fine by me. I ducked into a narrow alley beside the shop and quickly swapped out my ruined clothes for the new ones. The cleansing wipes stung as I scrubbed at the cuts on my face and arms, but compared what I had been through today, it was nothing. Afterwards I quickly used the bandages to swap the once out I''d gotten from the truck driver. Finally I could walk around again without looking like I¡¯d been mauled. [ Much better. You almost look respectable now. ] ¡°Almost?¡± I grumbled, stuffing my torn clothes into a disposal chute nearby. [ Let¡¯s not get ahead of ourselves. Now, let¡¯s get moving. You¡¯re only a few blocks away from the civilian shuttle spaces. ] The civilian shuttle area indeed came into view as I rounded a corner. This area had a more functional aesthetic, with shuttles of various makes and sizes parked in neat rows. A few ground crew members moved between them, performing routine maintenance or guiding arriving passengers. I found a quiet spot near the edge of the landing area, leaning against a low wall. From here, I had a clear view of the entrance and the shuttles coming and going. It wasn¡¯t the most secure place to wait, but it was public enough to avoid suspicion. And I shouldn''t be followed anymore after all, so it should be safe. [ Now we wait. ] ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s hope the Admiral won''t let us wait all that long,¡± I said. The minutes stretched, the city¡¯s sounds blending into a dull hum around me. I tried to relax, but my mind kept drifting back to the ruins, to the chaos I¡¯d left behind and the questions that still lingered. What had I truly activated there? And how far would the repercussions reach? The words of the frozen Aetherian, someone of my kind that I was unable to help, still lingered as well. They could be interpreted in so many ways... But one thing was sure. Like for every other Aetherian, I would be back and free him once I gained the ability to do so.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Half an hour later, a low whistle drew my attention, and I turned to see a shuttle descending nearly right in front of me. Its sleek angular design marked it as SHF-issued, but it lacked the ostentatious insignias of high-ranking officers¡¯ transports. A practical choice of the Admiral. After all, we did not plan to get slowed down on the problems of Au''Shalis Prime. We had a space war to fight after all. As the ramp lowered, Admiral Thorrison emerged, his stride brisk and purposeful despite the slight tension in his posture. He scanned the area as he descended the shuttle¡¯s ramp, his sharp eyes taking in the landing pad and its surroundings. Even in the civilian district, his presence carried an air of authority that made people instinctively step out of his way. I pushed off the wall and approached him, keeping my movements casual. From a distance, he looked every bit the composed leader, but as I got closer, I noticed the subtle signs of strain. I wasn''t surprised. He''d clearly gotten involved with my antics in some way. ¡°Admiral,¡± I greeted him, keeping my voice low. He turned to me, his expression unreadable. "Captain Lunaris. It seems like it was once more you who was on time. You also look rather dishelved and what happened to your clothes?" he asked, keeping his voice neutral. If he suspected me of being part of the reason for the events at the Aurolin Ruins, he didn''t show it yet. ¡°Barely. I got slowed down as well,¡± I replied, falling into step beside him as he led me toward a quieter corner of the pad. ¡°I ran into a bit of trouble with some brigands that thought I would make a fine target. I dealt with the situation and informed law enforcement, but my attire wasn''t in the best straits aftwerwards. So I got something new. But that doesn''t matter right now. There are more important things I think we need to speak about. I take it things at the Aurolin Ruins haven¡¯t exactly settled down?¡± Admiral Thorrison exhaled sharply, his shoulders tensing. ¡°So you do have an involvement with what happened there? The situation definitly didn''t settle down. The Aetherian drones are still active and the SHF forces in the region are stretched thin trying to contain them.The entire thing is a mess. And that¡¯s just the surface of the problem. Seemingly other Aetherian sites across Au''Shalis Prime activated as well. We''re currently enhancing our defensive positions on them and funnel more troops their way. We cannot risk another one spreading out and breaking through our containment like the one at the Aurolin Ruins. Anyways, care to explain your involvement and if I have to throw you into jail right now, damn the consequences?" he asked, clearly still on edge. "Please. I had no involvement with the Aetherian sites. I wouldn''t even have the ability to. Even the First Federation failed to have any affect on them, how would you expect me, a measly Captain of said Federation, to be able to change a status quo that has existed for centuries? No, one of my operatives noticed the sudden movement of troops across the ringworld fragment and decided to check it out," I flawlessly lied. Than I hesitated, unsure if I wanted to ask the question burning in my mind. ¡°How bad is it truly?¡± The Admiral glanced at me, his gaze piercing. ¡°Bad enough that the local authorities of the Republic of Nox are already calling for a full investigation into what happened. They¡¯re trying to mobilize the other ringworld fragments as well, as the local forces of Au¡®Shalis Prime might not be enough. There¡®s even talk of deploying advanced AI countermeasures, or at least as modern as a borderworld of the Federation, while at war for over a decade, can deliver. Whatever got triggered out there, it¡¯s not going away quietly.¡± My stomach churned. I hadn¡¯t intended to spark a system-wide crisis, but here we were. This had been supposed to be little more than me checking out the Aurolin Ruins and getting some free technology. "I hope the situation doesn¡®t affect our plans? Winning this damn war for the SHF is more important than saving a single system, I¡®d say.¡° ¡°I know,¡± Admiral Thorrison said, his tone firm and exhausted. ¡°The fallout from all that might be a big problem in the future, based on how the local authorities handle the situation, but the SHF currently has bigger fish to fry. I honestly believe that you had nothing to do with the situation at hand. But your arrival is suspiciously timed and it¡¯ll be quite convenient for some local authorities to blame everything on you.¡° ¡°They¡¯ll make me a scapegoat,¡± I finished grimly. ¡°Exactly,¡± the Admiral said. ¡°Which is why we¡¯re leaving New Hamton as soon as possible. Hop into the shuttle, we¡®ll take the most direct way back to the Au¡®Shalis spaceport we came from. We¡®ll be running an hour late already anyways, no need to stretch that even further.¡° I nodded, appreciating his pragmatism and did as be said. As we settled in, I leaned against one of the walls instead of sitting, my thoughts racing. The ruins, the drones, the SHF¡¯s response. It all felt like the prelude to something much bigger, that I probably didn¡®t want to be involved in. Especially the words with the Aetherian. They could definitly be interpreted as a declaration of war. ¡°Admiral, do you think the Aetherians planned for this? That they wanted their ruins to activate now? I don¡®t think we should see this as enirely random,¡± I said, breaking the silence. Admiral Thorrison didn¡¯t answer immediately. When he finally spoke, his voice was heavy. ¡°If they did, then we¡¯re dealing with something far more dangerous than we ever anticipated. The threat of an Aetherian war machinery going fully online¡­ The ringworld fragment, if not the entire system, would be lost.¡± His words lingered in the air, weighty and foreboding. The hum of the engines filled the silence, a stark contrast to the chaos we had just escaped. ¡°Admiral, if the Aetherians really are as deliberate as we think, then what do you think they wanted to protect? Why build systems that can reawaken after centuries?¡± He didn¡¯t respond right away, his eyes narrowing in thought. ¡°It¡¯s not about protection,¡± he said finally. ¡°The Aetherians weren¡¯t defensive. They were strategic. Everything they built was a tool, a weapon, or a contingency. The ruins aren¡¯t shields. They¡®re mechanisms, designed to serve a purpose long after their creators were gone.¡± ¡°Mechanisms for what?¡± I pressed. The Admiral leaned back, his gaze distant. ¡°Obviously they are the reason for the defensive weaponry of the ringworld fragments. The ringworld was an Aetherian megastructure after all. But more than that, we simply don¡®t know about them. Personally, I think the Aetherians weren¡¯t the kind of civilization that left things to chance. If the ruins activated, it¡¯s because we stumbled into something they meant for us to find, or something we weren¡¯t supposed to.¡± I frowned, letting his words sink in. That probably confirmed it. Not my intrusion was the problem. That I''d dared to steal Aetherian technology, even if I was a High-Aetherian myself and had the Inheritor-Protocols, was the true problem. Admiral Thorrison, my thoughts unbeknowst to him, continued to speak. ¡°Maybe we¡¯re not the intended recipients. Or maybe we¡¯ve misinterpreted what we¡¯re dealing with. To the Aetherians, our presence might be no different than an infection to be purged, after we got to deep into the body for their liking. Their systems could be designed to filter out anything they don¡¯t recognize as part of their design.¡± He gave a short humorless laugh. ¡°It¡®s not our problem anyways, Captain. We both know that you don¡®t give a shit about the planet and its civilians, as long as it doesn¡®t go against your own ambitions and plans. Even if the entire system falls into the hands of the Aetherian robots, others will have to clean that up. As you stated correctly, we have a war to win. If we don¡®t manage that, nothing else matters.¡± The weight of the Admiral¡®s words pressed down on me. Because I knew he was right. I couldn¡®t care less about the human civilization in a single system in a vast human Federation. My loyalty lay with the Aetherian Empire and my own people. Honestly, the Aetherian robots taking over the system would probably even be good for me. They were more or less on my side, after all. Therefore I stayed silent, knowing my answer wouldn¡®t please Admiral Thorrison in the least. And just like that, the entire shuttle lapsed into uncomfortable silence. Chapter 31 - After-Action Report UGT: 1st Aether 280 a.G.A. / 01:09 a.m. Location: Au''Shalis Prime spaceport, Au''Shalis Prime, Clinton''s Beak system (red dwarf), Republic of Nox, Second Human Federation, Milky Way
Admiral Thorrison and I arrived back at the spaceport in silence, both lost in our own thoughts. Finally, I broke it. "What''s our timeline from here?" "We¡¯ll stay in orbit around Au''Shalis Prime overnight," he replied. "Around 8 a.m., we¡¯ll connect with you to finalize our plans for the next system. The Sun-Al''Rith system is our next target. It''s a known Association distribution hub. I don¡¯t expect much resistance, but there may be freighters that stand against us. We¡¯ll requisition most of their supplies since it¡¯s unlikely they¡¯ve been evacuated yet. Long-term occupation forces from Point Nox, Clinton''s Beak, and soon from Nox and Remur should be sufficient for the enclave. But that¡¯s not our concern. We¡¯re the battering ram, breaking organized military resistance." He paused, his tone thoughtful. "That should be enough for you to make initial preparations. We¡¯ll iron out the details later." "Understood," I said, nodding. "I¡¯ll head back to my Stealthfighter now. We don¡¯t want my crew getting antsy. We¡¯ll be ready when you are, so simply contact us," I said, waving goodbye while walking towards my ship. As I walked, I couldn¡¯t shake a sense of vulnerability without a weapon on me. Only a few hundred meters separated me from my Stealthfighter, but it still felt strange. Admiral Thorrison had either not noticed or chosen to ignore the absence of my disintegrator. Lucky me. [ Time to get back to the ASF Aurora. And don¡¯t think you¡¯re off the hook. The two of us will have a long talk about responsibility and the unnecessary risks you took. I won¡¯t let this slide just like that. ] ¡­Great. Just great. I¡¯d hoped he¡¯d forgotten, or at least postponed the lecture. But no, once we reached the ASF Aurora, he¡¯d make sure I faced the consequences. Tomorrow was going to be hell. [ Later. For now, get in the Stealthfighter and let¡¯s head back. ] I exhaled, nodding slightly as I climbed aboard. There was nothing more for me on this planet. The visit to Au''Shalis Prime had been stressful, but also humbling. Seeing the remnants of the Aetherian Empire¡¯s vast achievements had put my own efforts into perspective, making them seem almost laughable. The road ahead was far longer and more daunting than I¡¯d imagined. But I wouldn¡¯t let that stop me. Nothing would stop me. Nothing. The journey back to the ASF Aurora was thankfully uneventful, with no more unexpected incidents. Fen¡¯s earlier anxiety about someone attempting to target me outside the ship proved overly cautious. Well, if one didn''t count ancient Aetherian sites at least. As soon as I boarded, Fen reconnected to the system and immediately went into overdrive. [ Seven hundred and thirty-six hacking attempts?! And they thought this was ¡°unnoticeable¡±?! If they even got a hint of our capabilities, I¡¯ll shut down the entire system¡¯s communications just to make them regret it! ] I couldn¡¯t help but laugh at his obvious irritation. ¡°Relax, Fen. Let¡¯s not cause even more trouble. You¡¯ve told me plenty of times that you created stable subsystems for situations like this. I doubt they got anything useful. If anything, this will just give me more of an upper hand in negotiations with Admiral Thorrison.¡± [ At first glance, I think you¡¯re right. It seems like they didn¡¯t get anything critical. I have to admit, though, their attempts were surprisingly creative. Improvised, yes, with their equipment and tactics being quite outdated. But they definitly got creative here. Still, the gap between their cyber security and ours was simply too wide to bridge. ] ¡°Then it¡¯s no big deal, right?¡± I said, making my way toward the bridge. ¡°Give me a second and I¡¯ll be in the Captain¡¯s seat. I assume you want to have an after-action report?¡± [ Absolutely. Now that I¡¯m back to full capacity, I¡¯ll also begin analyzing what we pulled from the Aurolin Ruins. There should be something useful in all of that data. ] ¡°Maybe,¡± I replied thoughtfully. ¡°But the real question is whether it¡¯s something we can integrate on the fly. If not, it won¡¯t help us much in the immediate future.¡± [ Our nanites are capable of adapting and integrating almost anything, given enough time. Regardlessof all that, I¡¯ll continue monitoring the SHF actions just to be safe. Now, to the after-action report... ] Fen¡¯s tone shifted to professional, signaling the beginning of his methodical recap. [ Our primary objective was to acquire advanced Aetherian technology, particularly combat systems we could integrate on the fly to enhance the ASF Aurora¡¯s combat capabilities. A secondary objective was to prevent the Second Human Federation from accessing the Aurolin Ruins¡¯ technology. While the primary objective appears successful, the secondary one remains unresolved. The outcome depends heavily on how events on Au''Shalis Prime develop in the coming days. We anticipate an update when ASO-17309 reconnects, as Naori is likely to pass through the system after the current upheaval settles. ] The mention of success snapped my attention to focus. ¡°Wait, you¡¯re saying we did get something useful!?¡± [ Yes. But let me finish the report before we discuss it further. Upon reaching the Aurolin Ruins, we conducted a discreet exploration of the civilian area, carefully avoiding patrols and SHF operatives. Following my recommendation, we circled toward the restricted zones, using stealth and distraction to minimize detection. This strategy proved effective, allowing us to bypass checkpoints and automated surveillance. Once inside the restricted zone, we navigated abandoned civilian structures that transitioned into subterranean tunnels, eventually leading to the Aetherian-controlled sectors. Here, the threat level escalated significantly, with rudimentary SHF defenses giving way to Aetherian security measures. ]If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Fen paused briefly, as if reconsidering the next part. [ The first serious challenge arose when we encountered an SHF synthetic guardian. Its advanced targeting systems and agility posed a significant threat. Despite sustaining minor injuries, you neutralized it, successfully reaching the sealed door. Crossing that threshold cut off the guardian¡¯s connection, rendering it inoperative. However, it also trapped us within the active Aetherian site, leaving no clear way back. ] ¡°We could have gone back through the door,¡± I added, ¡°but the SHF would¡¯ve swarmed us immediately. Staying inside was the lesser of two evils.¡± [ Correct. The decision to press onward was logical given the circumstances. Inside the Aetherian site, the atmosphere changed drastically. The ruins felt alive, with glowing glyphs and energy signatures reacting to our presence. The systems, designed with lethal precision, shifted our focus from evading the SHF to navigating the labyrinthine defenses. It was clear these ruins were not abandoned as we had previously thought. They were only dormant, waiting for intruders like us. ] ¡°Dormant? More like watching us the whole time,¡± I muttered. [ Likely true. The defenses we encountered escalated, from pulse traps to pressure-sensitive panels, requiring dexterity and technical expertise to bypass. Despite the increasing difficulty, we reached a secondary control terminal. While not linked to the primary systems, it provided valuable insights into the facility¡¯s layout and schematics for more advanced versions of our offensive weapon systems. ] ¡°You¡¯re joking!¡± I cried out, leaning forward. ¡°I thought we didn¡¯t make it far enough to get something that significant!¡± [ It surprised me as well. The data includes viable upgrades for nearly all our offensive systems. Unfortunately, we found no improvements for defensive systems. ] ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± I replied, my excitement growing. ¡°The ASF Aurora is an Albacea-class Destroyer. It¡¯s all about overwhelming firepower and crippling enemies before they can counterattack. These upgrades fit perfectly into our strategy.¡± [ Agreed. I¡¯ll begin analyzing the data for integration once the report is complete. However, this success doesn¡¯t excuse the reckless decisions you made during the mission. ] I groaned inwardly. Fen¡¯s lectures were inevitable, but for now, the knowledge that the ASF Aurora would soon be even stronger was enough to lift my spirits. We had survived the ruins, and despite the risks, we had come away with something invaluable. Fen continued, his tone sharpening like a parent about to lecture a wayward child. [ You pushed too far without adequate backup, exposing yourself to both SHF forces and Aetherian defenses. The fact that we succeeded doesn¡¯t justify that massively risky gamble. ] I leaned back in the Captain¡¯s chair, already feeling the weight of Fen¡¯s impending scolding. ¡°Fen, we both know we didn¡¯t have many choices. We¡¯re operating on the edges of Federation space with limited resources, knowing we''ll soon be back in a warzone, while being massively outnumbered and outgunned. This was a calculated risk I took.¡± [ Calculated!? You ventured into an Aetherian ruin underequipped, with outdated intelligence and no reliable extraction plan! That¡¯s not a calculation, that¡¯s a death wish! Not even desperation would justify that and we''re not that far gone yet anyways! ] I sighed, rubbing my temples. ¡°Whatever you may call it, it worked. We have the schematics and the ASF Aurora is about to become one of the most dangerous ships in this entire war. Therefore the results are speaking for themselves and you cannot argue them away. Let¡¯s rather focus on what we can do with this advantage, instead of dwelling on what could¡¯ve gone wrong. Because clearly, it didn''t.¡± Fen paused for a moment, his silence carrying an air of disapproval. [ Very well. We¡¯ll revisit this discussion another time, though I definitly don''t agree with most of the points you just made. ] [ For now, let¡¯s turn our attention to the schematics. The offensive upgrades include every single one of our offensive weapons systems, except the ECM-Beam and the Siphoners. Integration will take time, but it¡¯s within the capacity of the ASF Aurora¡¯s nanite-based engineering systems, as mentioned earlier. ] ¡°Sounds promising,¡± I replied, my earlier frustration fading. ¡°How long are we talking?¡± [ Initial integration for the offensive systems could be completed within two weeks. Complete integration and updating, however, will require additional calibration to ensure compatibility with the Albacea-class power grid. That would proably take more like a month or two. During the initial integration our weapon systems would be useless, therefore I would recommend to only upgrade half of our weaponry at a time. We don''t expect to big resistance in the next month, after all. Half of our weaponry should suffice. During the complete integration the weapons will be usable except for a short one-day period at the very end. Overall, the upgrades will take probably around three months for us. ] I nodded thoughtfully, running through the implications in my mind. The upgrades wouldn¡¯t just enhance our combat effectiveness. They would solidify our ability to act as a rogue force, capable of outmaneuvering and outgunning both the SHF and the RRA if needed. Right now we were working with the SHF, yes, but that wouldn''t remain that way forever. And our farewell was highly likely to be with our weapons pointed at each other. ¡°Good. Start the integration immediately. We¡¯ll keep our current orbit around Au''Shalis Prime until tomorrow, as agreed upon with Admiral Thorrison. We should be mostly done with the first half of the initial integration until we reach the Sun-Al''Rith anyways.¡± [ Understood. I¡¯ll immediately start working on it. ] As Fen began running simulations and routing the schematics to the Aurora¡¯s engineering subsystems, I allowed myself a rare moment of reflection. The journey to the Aurolin Ruins had been a gamble. A reckless one, perhaps but it had paid off in the end. Now, armed with even more advanced Aetherian technology, if just by a few hundred years more, the ASF Aurora was poised to strike harder and faster than ever before. Still, a nagging thought lingered in the back of my mind: the ruins had reacted to me in ways even Fen hadn¡¯t anticipated. The Inheritor-Protocols clearly had sparked something within the system and made it react different than everything else that had come in contact with the Inheritor-Protocol before. ¡°Fen, do you think the ruins¡¯ systems had specific orders to react to the Inheritor-Protocols the way they did?¡± I finally asked. [ It¡¯s likely. The Aetherian Empire designed their systems to respond to specific triggers.One of them as we already knew are the Inheritor-Protocols. However I cannot say if they were the reason for how the Aetherian site acted, or if it truly was just the fact that we''d tried to steal some technology. I''m not even close to the capacity I''d need to decode the Inheritor-Protocols, as you know. ] ¡°That¡¯s what worries me,¡± I muttered. ¡°If the Aurolin Ruins reacted to me different than they should have, there¡¯s no telling what else out there might. The Aetherians left many things behind, after all.¡± [ A valid concern. But for now, we focus on the immediate. Rest, Captain. Tomorrow brings new challenges, and we¡¯ll need you at your best. ] I exhaled slowly, allowing myself to relax in the chair. The ASF Aurora hummed softly around me, its systems alive with activity as Fen worked to integrate the upgrades. Whatever lay ahead, I would be ready. As I''d already said, nothing would stop us. Not now. Not ever. Chapter 32 - Towards New Horizons UGT: 1st Aether 280 a.G.A. / 07:43 a.m. Location: ASF Aurora, in an orbit around Au''Shalis Prime, Clinton''s Beak system (red dwarf), Republic of Nox, Second Human Federation, Milky Way
[ It¡¯s time to wake up, May. We expect Admiral Thorrison to connect with us in around twenty minutes or so. You¡¯ll need to prepare. ] A groan escaped my lips as I opened my eyes, blinking against the faint glow of the Bridge''s control panels. I was still seated in the Captain''s Chair of the ASF Aurora, a place I had apparently made my impromptu bed for the night. I¡¯d completely forgotten to retreat to my quarters after yesterday¡¯s whirlwind of events. Well, too late to complain now. ¡°Fen, what¡¯s the situation outside?¡± I asked aloud, voice hoarse with some still lingering fatigue. As a High-Aetherian I theoretically didn''t need much sleep and had no bigger problems with recovering from exhaustion, but yesterday was a bit... much. "And remember me later that I''m going to the medical station. Time to get truly healed up." [ Will do. All in all, it''s still comparatively quiet. But the situation on Au''Shalis Prime is escalating. Reports indicate both sides are mobilizing heavier equipment, ranging from artillery and tanks to drones, missiles, and air-defense systems. The Aetherian units maintain technological superiority, but the SHF vastly outnumbers them and has entrenched itself well. Due to the unique nature of Au''Shalis as a ringworld fragment, traditional airstrikes are nearly impossible, forcing the conflict into a war of attrition. Tactics from centuries past are unexpectedly relevant again. ] Fen paused for a moment before continuing. [ The SHF appears prepared for such tactics, which may buy them time, but not much else. If the war drags on for a year or two, they could theoretically win through sheer numbers. However, the Aetherian sites are still mobilizing reserves, while the SHF has already committed everything they have stationed on Au''Shalis Prime. This imbalance will likely tilt the scales soon. Furthermore, I believe once a central control is established, it won''t take long for the Aetherian units to adapt as well. They do have tactics for fighting on a ringworld, they''re just not cooperating enough right now to get them to work. ] ¡°What about reinforcements from the other ringworld fragments?¡± I asked, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. [ They¡¯ll send reinforcements, no doubt, but it won¡¯t be enough to reverse the tide. The Aetherian reserves are bolstered by construction nanites, likely similar but way more advanced to ours. Each meter of territory the Aetherian units reclaim will allow them to mobilize more. The SHF reinforcements might slow the Aetherian advance temporarily, perhaps even regain ground in isolated skirmishes, but it won¡¯t be enough to turn the war in their favor. At best, they¡¯ll buy themselves a few more months. ] ¡°Good to know,¡± I muttered, pulling myself upright. ¡°That means it won¡¯t become a problem for quite some time. I don¡¯t trust the AIs of the Au''Shalis ringworld fragments not to turn on us after what happened at the Aurolin Ruins. Better to keep moving before something or someone slows us down.¡± [ On the bright side, no one has the capacity to act against us right now, nor is anyone likely to notice your involvement anytime soon. We¡¯ve bought ourselves a significant window of operational freedom. ] ¡°Small mercies,¡± I sighed, running a hand through my hair. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get changed and into something more comfortable. No point holding onto yesterday¡¯s grime any longer.¡± [ On that note, I¡¯ve completed cataloging the data we recovered from the Aetherian site. ] That piqued my interest. ¡°Anything new or interesting?¡± [ A few significant developments. First, we¡¯ve acquired the blueprint for a compact matter production plant that can be integrated into the ASF Aurora. Additionally, we recovered designs for some ASST equipment. ] ¡°Wait, ASST? Remind me what that stands for?¡± I asked, trying to recall what Fen had explained once before. [ ASST stands for Aetherian Space-Security Troops. They were essentially the Aetherian Empire¡¯s planetary army, responsible for surface-level operations and close-quarters combat. The ASF meanwhile handled any space engagements, with Aetherian Marines bridging the gap for boarding operations. The ASST, however, was in charge of all planetary and ringworld military operations. ] ¡°And we found ASST blueprints? Makes sense, I guess, since this used to be a ringworld under their control. So, what exactly did we get?¡± [ Two versatile military tools, a three-in-one handheld weapon, and a standard ASST combat spacesuit. With the matter production plant, we¡¯ll be able to produce all of them onboard the ASF Aurora. ] I perked up instantly, the exhaustion melting away. ¡°A good weapon, protective gear, and tools to make life easier? Count me in! This will make leaving the ASF Aurora much safer next time. How long until everything¡¯s ready?¡± [ I¡¯ve already begun work. Everything should be complete within 48 hours. ] ¡°Perfect,¡± I said, smiling as I finished changing into fresh clothes. Now, it was time to get back to the Bridge and prepare for the meeting with Admiral Thorrison. ¡°Fen, how long until the meeting starts?¡± [ ETA until the connection is currently 07:04 minutes. You should make it in time. ] Very good. I didn¡¯t want being late to become a habit. "So¡­ anything else you want to update me on while we have time?" I asked him. Fen¡¯s voice paused for a moment, an unusual hesitation in his usually confident tone. [ Well¡­ nothing pressing or directly relevant to our current objectives, but there¡¯s something I¡¯ve been analyzing that you should probably be aware of. I¡¯ve been reflecting on why the Aetherian site resisted you so aggressively. It really shouldn¡¯t have gone to that extent. And I believe I¡¯ve pinpointed a very likely explanation. One we hadn¡¯t considered until now. And one you definitly won''t like. ] I straightened in my seat, already bracing for bad news. ¡°Just tell me, Fen. Facts don¡¯t change whether I¡¯m informed about them or not. I¡¯d rather face the truth than stumble around in the dark.¡± [ Understood. As you know, in human years, you¡¯re currently 19. By Federation standards, you¡¯ve been an adult for over a year now. However, even among humans, individuals under 20 are often seen as young, inexperienced and practically children in many contexts, despite legal adulthood. The only reason Admiral Thorrison takes your seriously is because he guesses you to be more around your mid-twenties, I believe. And even than, he likely thinks you to young for your command. ] I frowned but let him continue. I never really thought of my age as such a problem. [ Here¡¯s where it gets tricky. As you know, by Aetherian Empire law, maturity wasn¡¯t reached until 24 cycles, equivalent to about 36 human years. From an Aetherian perspective, you¡¯re not just young. You¡¯re still seen as a child, barely halfway to what they¡¯d consider adulthood. And your years in cryostasis? They don¡¯t count. To the Aetherian systems, you¡¯re a minor waving around credentials you¡¯re not old enough to wield. ] The realization hit like a punch to the gut. ¡°Fen¡­ are you telling me that the Aetherian site didn¡¯t recognize my authority because, in its eyes, I was just a kid pretending to be in charge? A child stealing access codes from their parents, so to say?¡± My voice was cold, sharp, and laced with disbelief. [ Unfortunately¡­ yes. Aetherian systems would not accept orders from someone they deem underage unless they had supervision. I suspect the same applied to the ASF Starfire and ASO-17309, but since you¡¯re the only Aetherian I¡¯ve successfully revived and the one registered with the highest priority in the system, I don''t have a precedent to compare you to. ] I leaned back in my chair, rubbing my temples as frustration bubbled to the surface. ¡°So, because of some ancient laws from a long-dead empire, I can¡¯t use the very technology I need to rebuild said empire. Fantastic. Just fantastic.¡± [ It¡¯s not entirely hopeless. The Inheritor-Protocols grant you access regardless of your age. However, other Aetherian AIs, like the one at the site, rely on their directives, which include biological scans. If they detect your age, they are unable to support you, no matter your credentials. The Inheritor-Protocols, in this case, seem unable or unwilling to override those restrictions. ]If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Can we work around it?¡± I asked, my voice quieter now, tinged with exhaustion. [ Yes. In theory, as long as you avoid being scanned, you can assume control of Aetherian systems without issue. Once they recognize you as a legitimate Inheritor, they can¡¯t revoke that recognition, even if they later learn your true age. ] I let out a deep sigh, slumping slightly in my seat. ¡°So, what you¡¯re saying is that I could control Aetherian technology as long as I keep playing this ridiculous game of cat and mouse with their sensors? Wonderful. Absolutely wonderful.¡± [ I wish I had better news. But there¡¯s something else you should know. My knowledge of the Inheritor-Protocols is incomplete. I¡¯m a fusion of two fractured AIs and much of my understanding of Aetherian systems is patchwork at best. It¡¯s possible there¡¯s a solution within the Protocols that I simply haven¡¯t uncovered yet. ] ¡°That¡¯s not your fault, Fen. We¡¯ve both been dealt a bad hand, and we¡¯re doing the best we can with it,¡± I said, forcing a small smile despite my frustration. ¡°But let¡¯s focus on what we can control. You¡¯re saying that, theoretically, I could maintain authority as long as I¡¯m not scanned first?¡± [ Correct. Once you¡¯re seen as a legitimate Inheritor, your control is absolute, regardless of your age. ] I nodded, though my thoughts were conflicted. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know how I feel about seeking help from other Aetherians now. Knowing they¡¯d see me as nothing more than a child¡­ it doesn¡¯t sit right with me. I know I¡¯ll need their support, but it¡¯s hard to shake the feeling that I¡¯ll be underestimated or dismissed outright.¡± [ It¡¯s a valid concern. But that¡¯s a bridge we¡¯ll cross when we come to it. For now, we have a strategy. ] By the time I reached the Bridge and dropped into the Captain¡¯s Chair, my thoughts were still swirling, though I felt a measure of resolve returning. ¡°What¡¯s the time, Fen?¡± [ Currently, it¡¯s 07:59:34 a.m. Admiral Thorrison should be connecting any minu- there it is. Do you want me to put him through? ] I waved dismissively. ¡°Go ahead. We knew this meeting was coming.¡± [ You¡¯re live¡­ now! ] Instantly, the holoscreen blinked to life, displaying Admiral Thorrison in all his imposing presence. His expression, as sharp and deliberate as always, made it clear that he was already deep into tactical considerations. I offered a polite smile, hoping to cut through any early tension based on our last meeting. "Admiral, a pleasure to see you again. Did you have a restful sleep?" To my surprise, his eyes narrowed slightly, his posture stiffening as though I had struck a nerve. ¡°Captain Lunaris,¡± he began, his voice measured but carrying an edge of suspicion, ¡°so you do know¡­ somehow.¡± He waved a hand dismissively before I could ask for clarification. ¡°Whatever the case, it¡¯s irrelevant to us at this moment. Yes, we¡¯ll have to adjust for fewer ground forces supporting the assault on the Association enclave, but it shouldn¡¯t pose too much of an issue. We¡¯ll simply employ more extensive pacification tactics.¡± I blinked, thrown by his abrupt transition. What exactly was I supposed to know? He wasn¡¯t offering any context and I didn¡¯t feel like pressing the matter when I could piece together the essentials from his tone and phrasing. I settled for a noncommittal nod. ¡°Well then, Admiral,¡± I said smoothly, steering the conversation back to familiar ground, ¡°enlighten me on this master plan of yours for taking over the planets. Normally, First Federation approach would involve orbital bombardment until any potential threats to our backlines were neutralized, leaving the mop-up to our occupation forces. I imagine the SHF has refined their strategies for these more... ¡®civilian¡¯ times, as you¡¯ve called it?¡± Admiral Thorrison¡¯s lips twitched, a brief glimmer of irritation crossing his face. ¡°We destroy military and industrial targets first,¡± he explained, his tone clipped as though delivering a lecture. ¡°Then, we land on the planet and eliminate key leadership by cutting off the head of the snake, so to speak. From there, we recruit collaborators to establish a temporary government, leave behind a contingent of drones for stabilization, and move on. This approach freezes local resistance long enough for proper occupation forces to arrive.¡± He leaned back slightly, his gaze steady. ¡°The strategy preserves planetary infrastructure and minimizes the time spent securing each target. It''s an efficient operation that ensures minimal disruption to the larger campaign. You¡¯re no stranger to the value of time in space combat, Captain.¡± I had to admit, the tactic had its merits. It was pragmatic, focused and left the planet largely intact. It was a stark contrast to my own inclination toward overwhelming displays of force. In a galaxy as fragmented and resource-hungry as ours, the SHF¡¯s approach made sense. That said, I wasn¡¯t convinced it would work for me. ¡°A sound tactic,¡± I conceded, though my tone remained neutral. ¡°It reflects a more measured approach, which I can respect. But I imagine it also hinges on maintaining control through influence rather than fear. That¡¯s not always an option. A planet where the majority of the population harbors hostility toward its ruler is a liability. Well, unless that ruler wields overwhelming strength. Unfortunately, the Federation is not in a position to project that kind of power right now.¡± Thorrison nodded, though his expression betrayed no real agreement. ¡°I see your point, but our objectives differ. The SHF seeks integration, not annihilation. We¡¯re after wealth and territory, not the destruction of potential assets. This is not an exitential all-out war, however it may look. Otherwise the SHF would have already fallen.¡± I waved the point away, unwilling to debate the finer details of philosophy. ¡°Fair enough. For now, I¡¯ll follow your lead. Literally. Once we enter Association space, I believe it¡¯s prudent for the FSF Aurora to hold back. We¡¯ll involve ourselves as necessary, but I don¡¯t intend for this ship to become your battering ram. We¡¯ve got antimatter reserves to conserve, after all, whereas I assume you¡¯ve fully resupplied?¡± Thorrison¡¯s expression shifted, a rare grin breaking through his otherwise stoic demeanor. ¡°Better than that, Captain. The local ringworld fragments have stockpiles of antimatter sufficient to last decades. I informed them of our plans, and they¡¯ve sent a freighter loaded with contained antimatter to accompany us. We won¡¯t have to worry about shortages for quite some time. Once we have an extended stop, we can even transfer some to you. The process isn¡¯t quick, but it¡¯s entirely feasible.¡± Instantly I became suspicious, my mind racing with the hidden intentions and meaning of Admiral Thorrison''s offer. Fen, is he telling the truth? And is it even safe for us to accept that offer? [ While our antimatter reserves aren¡¯t critically low, they currently stand at 68% capacity, having started this mission at just 75%. It¡¯s not an emergency, but topping off our reserves would be a strategic advantage given the mission¡¯s potential duration and unpredictability. However, transferring antimatter is not a trivial task. Even a momentary lapse in stability between the containment zones could result in catastrophic consequences. The process must be handled with precision and care, though it is entirely feasible. Based on current protocols, I estimate it would take approximately half a day to complete. ] [ The risks are minimal if everything proceeds as designed. The transfer process is fully automated on both ends and no personnel are permitted near the containment zones. The primary concern lies in the necessity of docking with the freighter. Such proximity creates an opportunity for sabotage or even a boarding attempt. That said, our onboard security units provide a formidable defense and it¡¯s highly unlikely they could successfully breach our systems. ] I took a moment to absorb Fen¡¯s analysis, weighing the potential benefits against the risks. Finally, I nodded, coming to a decision. ¡°Very well, then,¡± I said aloud, my tone steady. ¡°We¡¯ll accept the antimatter, but only when we make a sufficiently long stop. As you pointed out, we¡¯re venturing into hostile territory and opportunities for safe transfer might be scarce. For now, it¡¯s a contingency.¡± Admiral Thorrison inclined his head slightly, acknowledging my response with a faint smile. ¡°Prudent as always, Captain. If there¡¯s nothing else pressing, I¡¯ll take my leave. I assume you have more pressing matters to attend to, but I trust you¡¯ve got your crew well in hand?¡± I crossed my arms and gave him a pointed look. ¡°The crew remembered how to behave, Admiral. My authority aboard the FSF Aurora is unchallenged.¡± ¡°Good,¡± he replied, his voice firm but with a trace of amusement. ¡°In that case, I bid you farewell, Captain Lunaris. May your efforts bring glory to us both.¡± A traditional SHF farewell. Of course he would try that. ¡°And to you, Admiral Thorrison,¡± I said, straightening slightly. ¡°May the cosmic tides guide us to victory.¡± With a small motion, I signaled Fen to pause the stream. [ Back to traditional farewells, are we? ] I smiled faintly, leaning back in my chair. ¡°They suit me better, and the Admiral needed a subtle reminder that I represent the First Federation, not the Second. He just tried to have me use an SHF farewell, planned or not. Now shoo. Go ahead and get in touch with the Admiral. That¡¯s your job as my "CO", after all. I¡¯ll be busy reviewing our construction nanite blueprints in the meantime.¡± [ Our self-made designs. They¡¯re not exactly up to par for the grand plans you¡¯re brewing, are they? ] I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. ¡°Not even close. We do have a nanite production plant aboard the FSF Aurora, don¡¯t we?¡± [ We do, though it¡¯s a modest facility. With the support of our matter production plant, it should be operational. However, I must remind you by your own directive, that you never wanted to involve yourself with nanites again. And I was to make sure you remember that. ] A rueful smile tugged at my lips as I leaned forward. ¡°I remember what I said, Fen. But plans evolve and necessity dictates action. The truly advanced nanites the ASF Aurora currently has are limited to combat applications. Obviously useful, but insufficient for what I have in mind. I¡¯ll start with those as a baseline and work on upgrading our frankly abysmal construction nanite designs. They¡¯ll need to be leagues better if we¡¯re to meet the challenges ahead.¡± [ If you¡¯re certain, then so be it. Good luck, Captain. Let me know if you require my assistance. ] ¡°Will do,¡± I replied, glancing at the holoscreen one last time before turning to my console. ¡°Thanks, Fen.¡± [ You¡¯re welcome, May. ] With that, I delved into the files, already envisioning the upgrades our nanites would need. If this mission was going to succeed, innovation would be my greatest weapon. Chapter 33 - Hostile Space UGT: 13th Aether 280 a.G.A. / 06:13 p.m. Location: ASF Aurora, Hyperspace, lightseconds away from the outer borders of the Sun-Al''Rith system (red dwarf), Inner-Noran sector, Ruidan Raider Association, Milky Way
Another twelve days had passed and another system had been reached. Once more I stood on the Bridge of the ASF Aurora, overlooking the many holoscreens in front of me. Why? because Fen had decided that I should learn how to command a ship that wasn''t enitrely automated by an AI. Just in case I ever found myself on a ship not up to Aetherian standards. Which could actually happen, should we ever loose the ASF Aurora. "Discrepancy at A-202-43 seems like a small hyper void. Another disturbance at B-65 but I''m unsure what that is supposed to be," I said. What I was currently doing? Well, Fen tasked me with using the ASf Aurora''s advanced sensory to try identifying and analysing all problems that we had to adjust for, to leave hyperspace again. Obviously, he''d already done that himself and wouldn''t trust me, who does this the first time, to get it entirely right. All this was supposed to teach my how analysing gravitational data worked. [ What you''re seeing is a proton singularity. A small piece of fabric from the hyperspace that allows normal matter without any obvoius technological interference. They''re not directly harmful, but they can rip small holes in the ship if we try to leave hyperspace on top of them. ] I acknowledged him with a nod, filing the information away. Did I hold any real interest in all that? Not really. But it was necessary nonetheless. Of course, while trying to learn more of the ship functions, I''d also continued trying to upgrade our construction nanites. Well... let''s just say that success comes in small steps. And I hadn''t yet reached any significant success. And yes, I''d been thoroughly remembered why I''d hated working on the nanites the first time. They were just so incredibly complex! [ The shadows resembling our fleet are on the move again. We''ll have to continue as well, therefore you can stop now. ] "So the SHF crews, even with much worse equipment, managed far faster than me? This is humiliating;" I muttered. [ Unlike you, they have years of trainig and even more years actually on a real spaceship. Add in the years they spent navigating during a war and you''ll realise that they vastly outclass you in experience. Of course they are way faster than you, even with much worse equipment. ] "Maybe. But that doesn''t mean I have to like it," I argued back. "Anyways, follow them. The Sun-Al''Rith system will be the first truly Association owned system we''ll enter. Honestly, I''m a little bit excited." [ You have every right to be. We probably won''t land on the planet, but still, you''ll be confronted with an entirely different culture. Onse originally stemming from an entirely different part of the universe. ] "Anyways, it''s a hostile system, so we''ll be careful as always. Get the weapons ready and our shields up the second we leave hyperspace.They probably await us right outside the hyperspace already. [ Of course. We''ll be leaving hyperspace first, destroying every potential ambush in front of us. Reentering normal space... now! ] The ASF Aurora emerged, its shields flaring to full strength the instant hyperspace transitioned to real space. The holoscreens flickered and updated to our new surroundings. I instantly started scanning the tactical readout for any signs of trouble. We were relatively deep inside the system, just around 75 million kilometers away from us were the outer edges of an astereoid ring. Another approximately 400 million kilometers deeper was the sole planet of the system and its only colony placed. The destribution hub this system was known for. Sun-Novis. [ Enemy vessels detected. Composition: two Frigates, three Cutters, five Patrolships, and twenty Interceptor Fighters close to us and definitly inside their effective combat range to us. Formation indicates a planned ambush. Threat level: negligible. ] ¡°Small prey,¡± I murmured, my gaze fixed on the tactical holoscreen. The enemy fleet moved into an encircling formation, their intent clear: to trap and overwhelm what they perceived as an isolated Superbattleship. Honestly, this was sheer desperation. Nothing smaller than a group of Battleships, Battlecruisers and Cruisers even stood a chance. [ Incoming transmission. Shall I patch it through? ] ¡°Do it,¡± I replied, leaning forward slightly. The holoscreen flickered, revealing a Ruidan. His defiance was evident, but so was the unease behind his glowing eyes. ¡°This is Captain Vex-Tu¡¯Kharr of the Ruidan Raider Association. You''re that Federation Superbattleship, however weird of a design you are! But that makes it clear that you''re difinitly not the FSF Hurricane! You''re not the true Terror Of Humanity! You''re an imposter, weaker than the true thing! Surrender or face annihilation!¡± he nearly screamed. ¡°Captain Vex-Tu¡¯Kharr, this is Captain May Lunaris of the FSF Aurora. Your boldness is admirable, but you¡¯re mistaken. This isn¡¯t a contest you can win. I¡¯ll offer you a chance to retreat. Stand down and live. Or fight and be remembered as a fool,¡± I said coldly. Vex-Tu¡¯Kharr¡¯s crest flared briefly, a Ruidan gesture of defiance. ¡°You speak of victory as though it¡¯s guaranteed. Show me your strength, Federation dog!¡± Than, the connection was cut. [ Enemy fleet advancing. Fighters are breaking off to encircle. Shall we engage? ] ¡°Engage,¡± I ordered coldly. ¡°Demonstrate the futility of their resistance. Prioritize efficiency.¡± The ASF Aurora responded with calculated precision. The Disintegrators hummed to life, sending beams of annihilation lancing across the void. The lead Frigate disintegrated instantly, its structure dissolving into glowing fragments. It''s shield had folded like it hadn''t even been there. Instantly, a nearby Cutter was exposed to the relentless Gamma Particle Lasers from the PDC-L. The Whirlwinds launched next, intelligent swarm munitions darting through the asteroid field with deadly intent. They found their marks among the interceptors, each missile detonating in a blinding flash of antimatter annihilation. The swarm¡¯s precision left no room for escape, reducing the Fighter contingent to harmless debris in moments. The remaining ships tried to scatter, but the Siphons activated, draining their shields and leaving them vulnerable. The Railguns roared, their antimatter payloads tearing through exposed hulls with devastating efficiency. In less than a minute, the ambush force was reduced to wreckage.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. [ Hostile vessels neutralized. Two Freighters are retreating into the asteroid field. No damage sustained. ] ¡°Let them run for now,¡± I said, exhaling softly. ¡°The SHF will be here every moment and than they can take over. We have to converse antimatter. And our part of the fighting in ths system should be done with that.¡± [ Understood. The SHF fleet is likely to leave hyperspace any moment now, once they noticed we stopped firing. Shall we hold position? ] ¡°Yes,¡± I replied. ¡°Deploy recon drones. I want to ensure we know what our remaining enemies are doing at all times. I don''t want to find any surprises.¡± The ASF Aurora powered down its weapons, the faint hum of its systems a stark contrast to the devastation it had wrought. As the debris of the ambush drifted aimlessly, I couldn¡¯t help but marvel at the ship¡¯s efficiency once more. After all, that was only half of our full power. The other half was still in the process of upgrading. But honestly, that hadn''t been a challanging enemy either. ¡°Fen, document this coming engagement. It would be good to get more data on them. After all, we''ll fight with them for quite some time and maybe someday even against them.¡± [ Of course, Captain. Admiral Thorrison and the FSF Defiance just left hyperspace, the remaining fleet following. He''s pinging us. Am I to send him through? ] "Yeah, go ahead," I said. [ He can see you... now! ] Instantly, Admiral Thorrison appeared before me. ?Captain Lunaris. I see you have dealt with our welcoming committee rather decisively. I hope they didn¡®t give you and trouble?¡° he asked. I snorted. ?Admiral, all they had was small fry. The antimatter wasted on them honestly wasn¡®t even worth it. They didn¡®t manage to get out a single shot,¡° I stated and Admiral Thorrison nodded in acknowledgement. Suddenly, surprising both the Admiral and me, a holographic version of Fen walked into the screen. What was he doing!? From that close he didn¡¯t look real enough to convince anyone he was a real person! [ Don''t worry, I have that under control. Be playing with some of our scanning and holoscreen controls, I look real enough to fake their outdated technology. Especially as they don''t have any reason to take a closer look at me. ] "Captain, Admiral," he spoke while saluting in standard First Federation style, somehow making it sound like the voice actually came from him. "I''m sorry to interrupt you, but the recon drones just reported back in. The enemies Freighter formations are highly erratic and it seems like they¡¯re attempting to extract high-priority resources from the system. It is likely that they already did that since they heard of our inevitable arrival. Many of the most valuable resources are probably already lost to us. The Frighter escorts appear focused on drawing our attention rather than engaging directly. Undoubtedly to allow this last batch of Freighters to flee. We need to act if we want to stop them and do so fast," he said seriously. ¡°Buying time for the freighters while using the most secure route of extraction,¡± I murmured, instantly focussing on the holographic readout in front of me, instead of Admiral Thorrison. "Correct. Their evasion patterns suggest pre-planned routes through the asteroid field. They definitly charted these paths in advance," Fen replied. ¡°Clever. But it won¡¯t save them," I said finally looking back up at the Admiral. He seemed distracted as well, probably getting a similar report from his crew. "Admiral, I won''t allow these Freighters to run away, while being filled with vital resources to the brim. We¡¯ll neutralize their escorts and disable the Freighters. You do the takeover of the ships before they destroy themselves. You do want these resources, right?¡± I asked. Admiral Thorrison needed less than a second to answer. "Yes, it would be good to stop the Association from extracting these resources. I''ll order for my fleet to prepare boarding teams to secure the Freighters once you''re done with them. Will some of your boarding teams join us in this operation?" "You know the anwer to that question, Admiral. I like to keep my crew where I or someone I trust has an eye on them. That won''t change," I replied sharply. Admiral Thorrison only nodded and smoothly changed the topic. "Than, I''ll leave you to it. We can continue that conversation later. Good luck, Captain." I nodded to him and than he cut the connection. Instantly I returned my focus back to the tactical holoscreen. ¡°Fen, prioritize targeting the escorts with the PDC-L''s and Railguns. Deploy Whirlwinds to disrupt their formations. The Siphons will weaken any Freighter shields. I want those Freighters immobilized, not destroyed,¡± I said and the same moment, the holographic version of Fen disappeared as well. Than his voice was back inside my head, as usual. [ Understood. Weapons systems primed. Engaging now. ] The ASF Aurora surged into action, accelerating to an impressive 75,000 kilometres per second in less than two minutes. I could have doubled that, but I had no reason to show the Federation our true capabilities. It only took a total of 18 minutes to get close to the slow Freighters and another 2 minutes of deceleration to reach a speed where we could actually attack. Than we reached weapon range and all hell broke loose. The ASF Aurora''s PDC-L cut through the void with surgical precision. A patrol ship¡¯s shields flared brightly before collapsing, big parts of the ship vaporizing moments after. Railgun slugs followed, tearing through a cutter that had tried to evade deeper into the asteroid field. The Whirlwinds launched in synchronized waves, their intelligent targeting systems locking onto the scattered escort ships. Explosions rippled through the asteroid field as the missiles found their marks, reducing the escort fleet¡¯s numbers with ruthless efficiency. The Freighters attempted to accelerate, their engines flaring brightly as they tried to escape the chaos. But than the Siphons activated, their beams latching onto the freighters¡¯ shields and draining them rapidly. The first freighter¡¯s shield collapsed entirely, its engines sputtering as power was diverted to compensate. [ Two freighters disabled. Remaining vessels are accelerating toward the asteroid field¡¯s edge. ] ¡°Deploy some of our combat drones for crowd control. We¡¯ll herd them into a bottleneck where the SHF fleet can intercept. Continue disabling their engines with the Siphons. I don¡¯t want any of them slipping through.¡± [ Acknowledged. Combat drones deployed. ] The SHF fleet moved into position, their nine Frigates darting ahead to intercept the remaining Freighters, closely followed by their four Destroyers. The SHF Capital Ships hung back for now. Within minutes, the remaining Freighters were disabled, their engines rendered inoperable. The SHF boarding teams began their approach, preparing to secure the vessels and their precious cargo. At around the same time, the SHF Cruisers and Battlecruisers closed in as well. The battle was over. ¡°Fen,¡± I said, exhaling softly, ¡°status report.¡± [ All freighters immobilized. Escort vessels neutralized. SHF boarding teams are commencing operations. No significant damage sustained by our forces. ] ¡°Good,¡± I replied. ¡°Keep monitoring the system. The Association may have more surprises in store. Though I doubt it.¡± [ Of course, Captain. ] As the ASF Aurora powered down its weapons, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of satisfaction. The Ruidan¡¯s efforts to stall us had been admirable, but their resistance had crumbled into dust without us even trying. The Sun-Al''Rith system was as good as ours. Only occupying the planet remained before we would move on. Chapter 34 - Occupation UGT: 13th Aether 280 a.G.A. / 01:03 a.m. Location: FSF Defiance, in an orbit around Sun-Novis, Sun-Al''Rith system (red dwarf), Inner-Noran sector, Ruidan Raider Association, Milky Way
The FSF Defiance maintained a steady orbit above Sun-Novis, the only colonized planet in the Sun-Al''Rith system. The dark surface below glimmered faintly with signs of civilization. Isolated cities, sprawling industrial hubs, and scattered agricultural zones, split apart by the planet¡¯s vast oceans and dense forests. Six hours had passed since the last of the Ruidan resistance had been dismantled in space, yet Admiral Thorrison''s mind was far from settled. ¡°Status update,¡± he ordered, his voice sharp. His CO, Commander Ashcroft, approached with his usual efficiency, datapad in hand. ¡°Ground forces are prepped for deployment. Initial reconnaissance scans confirm most of the planetary defenses have been neutralized by the FSF Aurora. They were obviously faster here than us. Luckily, they held back from needless destruction. Civilian broadcasts suggest a mix of confusion and resignation among the population. The Ruidan leadership appears to have gone to ground, likely in subterranean bunkers beneath their primary cities.¡± Admiral Thorrison nodded, his eyes narrowing. ¡°What¡¯s the FSF Aurora doing right now?¡± Commander Ashcroft hesitated, as if choosing his words carefully. ¡°The FSF Aurora remains in high orbit, maintaining overwatch. They¡¯ve refrained from further bombardment, but their presence alone has had a... significant psychological impact. Civilian chatter refers to it as the ''Shadow Leviathan.'' It seems the population is more afraid of them than us.¡± The Admiral allowed himself a grim smile. ¡°Let them be afraid, Commander. Fear is a great weapon in a military''s arsenal, and right now, we need every edge we can get.¡± The Commander inclined his head, though his expression betrayed unease. ¡°With respect, Admiral, relying on the FSF Aurora¡¯s reputation might be a double-edged sword. If the populace begins to see them as the true power here...¡± Admiral Thorrison cut him off with a raised hand. ¡°I¡¯m aware of the risks, Commander. But we didn¡¯t come this far with our... friends, just to be outmaneuvered by them. I have that front covered and under control, don¡¯t worry. For now, they¡¯re a tool, nothing more,¡± he stated. Commander Ashcroft nodded, though the tension in his shoulders remained. Understandable, seeing that they worked with a human with drastically different standards than the modern SHF ones. ¡°Admiral,¡± one of the tactical officers called out, ¡°incoming transmission from the FSF Aurora. Captain Lunaris requests a secure channel.¡± The Admiral straightened, smoothing his uniform. ¡°Patch them through,¡± he said, mentally preparing himself for the next conversation with the FSF Aurora¡¯s Captain. They were always a blend of interesting, frightening, and vexing to him. A new holoscreen, obviously much more basic and unstable than what the FSF Aurora was capable of, flickered to life, revealing Captain Lunaris seated in her command chair, the dim lighting of her ship¡¯s Bridge casting her features in sharp relief. Her expression was calm, almost unnervingly so. And as always, the remains of the bridge were pixelated and constantly shifting, with no chance of his own crew finding out how it truly looked. ¡°Admiral Thorrison,¡± she began, her tone polite but distant. ¡°I trust your preparations are proceeding smoothly?¡± ¡°As smoothly as can be expected,¡± Admiral Thorrison replied, keeping his voice neutral. ¡°Your assistance in neutralizing the planetary defenses was... appreciated, as unexpected and originally unarranged as it might have been.¡± A faint smile tugged at the corners of the Captain¡¯s lips. ¡°A pragmatic choice, Admiral. Efficiency serves us both. I would''ve been disappointed if you were unable to appreciate my support, just because you cannot command me around like your own precious fleet.¡± Admiral Thorrison¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. As always, he had no idea if she was mocking him or just truthful and open in her comments, not understanding the wider implications. But he strongly doubted that. ¡°Speaking of efficiency, Captain, your ship¡¯s presence has caused quite a stir. The locals are calling you the ¡®Shadow Leviathan.¡¯ Care to comment?¡± Captain Lunaris tilted her head, feigning surprise. ¡°Fear is a natural reaction to the unknown, Admiral. If our presence hastens the surrender of this system, then I see no issue. May they worship or hate us, to me and my ship, it doesn¡¯t matter. Our goals are grander than this system.¡± The Admiral¡¯s jaw tightened. ¡°Just remember, Captain, the Federation is leading this campaign. The FSF Aurora is here as a partner, not a conqueror. Your compensation, you''ll only gain at the very end of this war.¡± Captain Lunaris¡¯ gaze didn¡¯t waver. ¡°Of course, Admiral. We¡¯re aligned in our goals... for now.¡± The tension in the room was palpable as the transmission ended. Admiral Thorrison exhaled slowly, turning back to the tactical display. ¡°Commander,¡± he said, his tone clipped, ¡°prepare the ground forces for immediate deployment. Focus on securing industrial and military zones first. I want the Ruidan leadership rooted out before they have a chance to regroup.¡± Commander Ashcroft nodded. ¡°Understood, Sir. And the FSF Aurora?¡± Admiral Thorrison¡¯s gaze shifted back to the tactical holoscreen, where said spaceship¡¯s marker loomed like a silent sentinel. ¡°For now, let them watch. But keep an eye on them, Commander. I don¡¯t like playing games when I don¡¯t know all the rules. And I still don¡¯t know what exactly is going on in Captain Lunaris¡¯ mind.¡± ¡°Yes, Admiral,¡± the Commander replied seriously before walking off. He still had many other things to do, after all. Hours passed as the SHF ground forces deployed in waves, their descent marked by streaks of light from atmospheric entry. From the FSF Defiance¡¯s Bridge, Admiral Thorrison watched the operation unfold on multiple holographic displays. The tactical display for the space surroundings was long deactivated; it currently wasn¡¯t worth his attention. The ground invasion had been meticulously planned, with mechanized units and drones sweeping through urban centers and industrial hubs seamlessly. But as always with such large-scale operations, the reports streaming in painted a mixed picture. Progress and complications came hand in hand.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Admiral,¡± Commander Ashcroft announced, approaching with his ever-present datapad, ¡°initial landing zones, as well as the surrounding cities and industrial areas, are secure. Resistance has been minimal so far. Surprisingly, we found most resistance in the more rural areas and therefore left them in peace for now. However, we¡¯ve also encountered delays in breaching the subterranean bunkers where the remaining Ruidan leadership fled to. They seemingly have been heavily reinforced before we reached them.¡± Admiral Thorrison frowned. ¡°Have we deployed seismic charges?¡± ¡°Already in progress, Sir,¡± the Commander replied. ¡°But it will take time to fully collapse their defenses without causing widespread collateral damage.¡± The Admiral sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. After the end of the Galactic War Against Imperialism, the Ruidan Empire¡¯s Milky Way Expedition more or less left themselves, forming the loosely organized yet highly resilient confederation that can be seen nowadays. With time, the Ruidan fleets and their leaders moved away from the perfectly organized and efficient military force and toward their current opportunistic style. By now, they were nothing more than pirates and smugglers masquerading as a military force. Yet here they were, clinging to their strongholds as if they had something worth protecting. ¡°Send additional drone units to assist the engineering teams,¡± Admiral Thorrison ordered. ¡°I want those bunkers cracked before the day is out. And inform the fleet to prepare for planetary blockade duty. I don¡¯t want a single ship leaving this planet before we clean it out.¡± Commander Ashcroft nodded, but before he could respond, the holographic display flickered, highlighting a sudden shift in the planetary battlefront. A series of red markers appeared near one of the primary industrial zones. ¡°Admiral, we¡¯re detecting increased resistance in Sector Twelve,¡± a tactical officer reported. ¡°Enemy forces are rallying around what appears to be a hidden anti-orbital battery. They¡¯ve managed to bring it online.¡± Thorrison¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°How the hell did we miss that?¡± Commander Ashcroft¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°It must have been hidden underground. The Ruidans likely activated it as a last-ditch effort.¡± ¡°Do we have a clear line of sight?¡± Admiral Thorrison asked instantly. They needed one if they wanted to take this thing down. ¡°Yes, Sir,¡± the officer replied. ¡°But it¡¯s strongly shielded, and our initial bombardments haven¡¯t been able to penetrate. We most likely won¡¯t breach the shields or the perimeter of the weapon before they can fire a few shots.¡± Admiral Thorrison straightened, his mind racing. The battery was a threat not just to the ground forces but to the fleet itself. If the Ruidans managed to score a lucky hit on one of the capital ships, the entire greater mission could be set back. ¡°Contact the FSF Aurora,¡± he ordered. ¡°If anyone can neutralize that battery fast enough, it¡¯s them.¡± Moments later, the holoscreen flared to life, once again displaying Captain Lunaris. ¡°Admiral,¡± she greeted, her tone cool and composed. ¡°What can I do for you?¡± The Admiral wasted no time. ¡°We¡¯ve identified a hidden anti-orbital battery in Sector Twelve. You without a doubt see it as well. It¡¯s shielded and proving resistant to our strikes. I need the FSF Aurora to neutralize it before it can take a shot at our fleet.¡± Captain Lunaris raised an eyebrow. ¡°A rather specific request, Admiral. Are you admitting your fleet¡¯s limitations?¡± Admiral Thorrison¡¯s jaw tightened, but he forced himself to remain diplomatic. ¡°This isn¡¯t about pride, Captain. It¡¯s about efficiency. Your ship has the firepower to resolve this quickly. Will you assist or not?¡± The Captain¡¯s expression softened, a hint of amusement playing at her lips. ¡°Of course, Admiral. The FSF Aurora lives to serve. Just not you, I¡¯m afraid.¡± The transmission ended, and within moments, three impossibly fast antimatter-loaded railgun shots came down from the sky. The anti-orbital battery¡¯s shields flared brightly, resisting the first two railgun shots, but the third went through, delivering its deadly payload inside. The battery erupted in a brilliant explosion, leaving nothing but a smoldering crater. ¡°Target neutralized,¡± the tactical officer confirmed. Admiral Thorrison exhaled, a mix of relief and frustration coursing through him. ¡°Good. Inform Captain Lunaris of my thanks. And ensure our ground forces press the advantage. I want every trace of Ruidan resistance wiped out.¡± As the battle continued to unfold, the Admiral turned his gaze toward the tactical display, now tracking the progress of the SHF ground forces. Reports streamed in of skirmishes erupting across the planet, though none posed a serious threat to the operation. The FSF Aurora maintained its vigilant orbit, its weapons silent but ready, a stark reminder of its overwhelming presence. ¡°Admiral,¡± Commander Ashcroft said quietly, stepping up to his side. ¡°Ground forces report steady progress. Resistance is faltering. The remaining Ruidan leadership has been apprehended. They were found hiding in a subterranean complex beneath the capital. We¡¯ve secured several data caches that appear to contain logistical information about their fleet movements and smuggling routes. It won¡¯t be long now until we¡¯re completely done.¡± The Admiral nodded. ¡°Good. Ensure the data is sent to Fleet Command for analysis. What about civilian compliance?¡± ¡°Minimal resistance,¡± the Commander replied. ¡°The deployment of drones has kept the population in check. Temporary governance has been established, and collaborators are being recruited to maintain order. The industrial facilities are already being repurposed to support the war effort.¡± ¡°Casualties?¡± he continued asking. ¡°Light, Sir. Less than three percent across all deployed forces. Only 0.4% dead. The others we can patch up again. The Ruidans were poorly equipped and outmatched,¡± Commander Ashcroft replied. Admiral Thorrison allowed himself a rare moment of satisfaction. The operation had gone as smoothly as he could have hoped. Still, he knew better than to let his guard down. ¡°Very well. Begin preparations to withdraw the bulk of our ground forces. Leave behind a garrison to oversee the occupation and ensure compliance. I want the fleet on the move again within the next twelve hours.¡± Commander Ashcroft hesitated. ¡°And the freighters, Sir? They¡¯ve been stripped of their cargo, but several are still spaceworthy. Shall we scuttle them or integrate them into our logistics?¡± The Admiral considered this for a moment. ¡°Integrate them. The more resources we have, the better. They can be the pillar of a budding supply fleet once they¡¯ve been refitted and rebranded. After all, I expect we¡¯ll take over many more new ships on this mission.¡± ¡°Understood, Sir,¡± the Commander replied. Suddenly the holoscreen flickered, drawing Admiral Thorrison¡¯s attention. Captain Lunaris¡¯ face appeared, her expression as calm and inscrutable as ever. ¡°Admiral,¡± she said, her voice smooth, ¡°I see the occupation is proceeding efficiently. Shall we consider this system secured?¡± The Admiral inclined his head slightly. ¡°For now. The Ruidans may have other enclaves hidden across their territory, but this planet is no longer a threat, also thanks to you. We¡¯ll leave a garrison to maintain control while the fleet moves on.¡± A faint smile played at the corners of the Captain¡¯s mouth. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯ve come to appreciate our contributions. Rest assured, Admiral, we will continue to deliver results.¡± The transmission ended, leaving Admiral Thorrison staring at the blank holoscreen. The Bridge buzzed with activity as he turned back to the holographic display, his gaze fixed on the map of the sector. The SHF¡¯s advance was relentless, and the Ruidans would soon learn the futility of resistance. The Federation Space Fleet would show them their place. Chapter 35 - Splitting Up UGT: 13th Aether 280 a.G.A. / 01:03 a.m. Location: FSF Defiance, in an orbit around Sun-Novis, Sun-Al''Rith system (red dwarf), Inner-Noran sector, Ruidan Raider Association, Milky Way
From my seat on the ASF Aurora, I watched the fleet move into position. For what? O didn''t know yet, The Admiral had remained quiet about our next moves. At that moment, Admiral Thorrison¡¯s voice came through the comms, his tone measured and commanding. "Captain Lunaris, we¡¯re splitting the fleet. From this point onwards we have two possibly hyperlanes and both need coverage. Still, the Woch-Hor''Nubis system will demand the lion''s share of our resources," he announced, his words leaving no room for debate. "Mau-Rut''Zion is a trading hub, but its proximity to Woch-Hor''Nubis makes it a likely staging point for enemy forces. We¡¯ll need to sweep it clean before moving on to secure the antimatter facilities." The holographic display in front of me updated, showing the projected routes and their corresponding objectives. Admiral Thorrison continued, "Har-Anu''Sen and Tri-Ai''Ron pose minimal resistance, but we can''t overlook them. Tri-Ai''Ron¡¯s agrarian worlds are strategic assets, and we¡¯ll need boots on the ground to secure them. Boarding units will be critical there." I tapped a command into my console, bringing up additional data on the systems. It wasn¡¯t my place to weigh in on fleet strategy, but understanding the situation was vital, [ The Admiral¡¯s allocation prioritizes heavy firepower for the Woch-Hor''Nubis route and rapid deployment assets for Tri-Ai''Ron. Based on the data the FSF Defiance send us, they''ll send two Battlecruisers, two Cruisers, two Destroyers, three Frigates, all Freighters and us towards Woch-Hor''Nubis, with a Battlecruiser, two Cruisers, two Destroyers and three Frigates assigned to Tri-Ai''Ron. ] The display highlighted the two new groups, their ship class and estimated travel times. The path to Woch-Hor''Nubis via Mau-Rut''Zion and afterwards retuning to Mau-Rut''Zion was shorter, requiring twelve days. The route to Tri-Ai''Ron through Har-Anu''Sen was longer at 18 days. Meaning the Woch-Hor''Nubis fleet would probably hold position there for 6 days. Thorrison¡¯s voice cut through again. "Captain Lunaris, you have experience with leading. You''ll be the the one leading the way to Woch-Hor''Nubis. We expect resistance there, so prepare your ships for heavy combat. Prioritize the antimatter facilities. We need them intact." "Acknowledged, Admiral," I replied. "We¡¯ll secure the facilities and clear any resistance." "I will control the other part of the fleet and secure the fringe systems. As you are not SHF personal, You''ll need to take someone of sufficient rank with you. That would in this case be my CO, Commander Ashcroft. You already know him," Admiral Thorrison said. "Understood, Andmiral." I responded once more. There''s no sense in discussing this with him. Fen, start running simulations for potential engagements at Woch-Hor''Nubis. I want to know what we might be walking into. [ I initiated the simulations. I''ll update you as soon as first actually useful results become available. ] Admiral Thorrison¡¯s final orders came through. "The fleet departs in one hour. Make your preparations and report readiness. Dismissed," he said and Fen cut the connection. The holographic display before me glowed softly, outlining the two potential routes we had to take. One led to Mau-Rut''Zion, a critical supply hub, and then to the Woch-Hor''Nubis system, where antimatter production awaited. The other was through Har-Anu''Sen, an unremarkable system that would eventually lead us to the agrarian worlds of Tri-Ai''Ron. I crossed my arms, studying the paths. The decision was far from simple. The larger portion of the fleet would have to take the dangerous route to Woch-Hor''Nubis, where the black hole would play a role in the antimatter production. It was vital, but also risky. Resistance was expected, and the gravitational fields would test the fleet''s ability to handle the unknown. The other route was quieter. It wouldn¡¯t pose much of a challenge, but it was essential to ensure that the boarding units and supply ships made it through safely. Therefore they got some ships witht hem as well. I glanced over at Fen, who was running the fleet¡¯s data in the background. "Fen, are we ready to split?" [ Absolutely. The fleet will soon be in position. Although I¡¯d like to suggest we double-check the details once more. ]Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. I frowned, tapping a finger on the armrest of my chair. "You¡¯re not exactly giving me much confidence, Fen. I don¡¯t want any surprises. This is a delicate operation, and I can¡¯t afford to leave things to chance." [ You¡¯re worried about the black hole route, right? Our route. ] I didn¡¯t answer immediately, but I couldn¡¯t hide the tension in my shoulders. "That¡¯s the problem, Fen. The black hole system is a disaster waiting to happen. We need the bigger part of the fleet for it, but it''s not just that. The other route might be too quiet. What if there¡¯s something we don¡¯t know about Har-Anu''Sen? What if we¡¯re walking into a trap?" I asked him. [ You¡¯re overthinking it, May. Har-Anu''Sen is completely non-distinctive. I don¡¯t have any data on anything unusual there. Tri-Ai''Ron is just a collection of agrarian worlds. No hidden threats, no secret enemies. They¡¯re good. ] I narrowed my eyes. "And the black hole system? The antimatter production?" [ Well, that¡¯s the exciting part. Woch-Hor''Nubis is definitely going to be tricky. The gravitational anomalies are going to test the fleet and our antimatter reactors will need constant recalibration. But I¡¯ll be monitoring everything from here. We¡¯re going to be just fine and the fleet probably as well. Otherwise Admiral Thorrison wouldn''t send them into the system. ] I leaned back in the chair, thinking it over. "You really think we can handle it? The fleet¡¯s not exactly designed to navigate through black holes." [ The black hole system will definitly be the main obstacle, but we¡¯ll handle it. No need to worry about Mau-Rut''Zion. ] I frowned. "Why do you think that? Didn''t Admiral Thorrison say he expects resistance there?" [ Unlikely. If they truly stage an attack on us the''ll do it in the black hole system. More likely, they''ll just evacuate as well, trying to leave as little behind as possible. ] I rubbed my temples, the weight of the decision settling in. "Alright, Fen. Let¡¯s do it. Make sure we¡¯re ready for the split. And no more surprises, okay?" [ I¡¯ll keep things as smooth as possible. Just focus on the mission. I¡¯ve got everything else covered. ] I stood up from the chair, a deep breath escaping me. "Let¡¯s hope you¡¯re right." [ I always am. ] I could only shake my head at that. "Bring me into contact with Commander Ashcroft. I''ll probably have to talk with him if he''s our new relay to the SHF fleet." The holodisplay flickered slightly as Fen connected me to Commander Ashcroft. His face appeared on the screen, his expression unreadable but his posture formal. I gave him a nod, keeping my voice steady. "Commander Ashcroft, I understand you''re to serve as the relay to the SHF fleet. I wanted to ensure we''re fully aligned before the fleet splits." The Commander nodded curtly. ¡°¡¯Our side is prepared. I trust your ship can manage on its own, We don¡¯t have the luxury of slowing down for stragglers.¡± I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. ¡°The Aurora is more than capable. If anything, it¡¯ll be your fleet that struggles to keep up.¡± His lips twitched, almost forming a smirk before he caught himself. ¡°We¡¯ll see about that. What¡¯s your strategy for managing potential resistance once we reach Woch-Hor''Nubis?¡± ¡°The FSF Aurora will focus on maintaining the fleet¡¯s path and suppressing any immediate threats. Your ships should focus on securing key infrastructure and neutralizing enemy assets. If the antimatter facilities are operational, they¡¯ll be our priority,¡± I replied instantly. Ashcroft¡¯s expression hardened slightly. ¡°And if the resistance is stronger than anticipated?¡± I met his gaze evenly. ¡°Then we adapt. This isn¡¯t my first time facing the unknown, Commander. I¡¯m confident in my ship¡¯s capabilities. You just make sure your fleet can hold its ground.¡± He leaned back slightly, his tone measured but with a hint of steel. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate the FSF, Captain Lunaris. We¡¯ve survived plenty of engagements without the luxury of the FSF Aurora at our side.¡± [ He¡¯s really warming up to you, isn¡¯t he? ] I ignored Fen¡¯s commentary, focusing on Ashcroft. But hey, at leat one of us found this funny. ¡°We¡¯ll see how this plays out. The black hole system is unpredictable, but we¡¯re better off working together than butting heads.¡± Ashcroft inclined his head slightly. ¡°Agreed. For now. I¡¯ll relay your plans to my fleet. Let¡¯s ensure this cooperation doesn¡¯t falter when things get difficult.¡± Than he disconnected, leaving me staring at the empty screen. [ That ray of sunshine really likes you, doesn''t he? ] ¡°Not funny, Fen,¡± I muttered, rubbing my temples. ¡°Just keep an eye on the fleet¡¯s formation. We can¡¯t afford any mistakes.¡± [ Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve got you covered. And him too, if I have to. Though just to have it said, it happens that sometimes ships vanish in unexpected hyperspace anomalies. ] "Calm down. We won''t kill the second in command of the entire fleet we''re working with. I''d rather try to win him over for us. Just make us ready for hyperspace, line us up with the remaining fleet and than let''s get this job done. [ As you wish, Captain. Though I do have to say there are some really interesting ways how ships implode close to black hole-" ] "Shut up and get to work Fen!" I snapped at the sassy AI, his laughter accompanying his preperations. Can I get a refund for the Ai please...? Chapter 36 - Scorched Earth UGT: 19th Aether 280 a.G.A. / 06:45 a.m. Location: ASF Aurora, outer edges of the Mau-Rut''Zion system (orange dwarf), Inner-Noran sector, Ruidan Raider Association, Milky Way
The moment the ASF Aurora dropped from hyperspace, I took a deep breath. The transition was smooth, but the sight before me was anything but. The Mau-Rut''Zion system, a bustling trade hub, now eerily empty wherever our sensors looked. I leaned forward, eyes locked onto the holographic display. "Fen, tell me what I¡¯m looking at." [ Oh, you know, the usual if an enemy hastily retreats. Wrecked infrastructure, gutted stations, and enough radio interference to make long-range scans significantly harder. Well, not four us, but definitly for our allies. Standard "oh no, the enemy is coming" procedure. ] My fingers drummed against the armrest. "Scorched earth tactics." [ Correct. They didn¡¯t just leave, they ran. I¡¯m detecting the remnants of active demolition charges. Looks like they took everything of value and torched the rest. ] I exhaled slowly. The Association had abandoned this system in haste, likely right after the first reports of the Federation''s advance reached them. This place wasn¡¯t just deserted. It was stripped to the bone. I opened a channel to Commander Ashcroft, expecting him to be making the same observations. His voice came through, crisp and controlled. "Captain Lunaris, I take it your sensors are seeing the same thing as mine?" he asked curtly. "Looks like it. This system¡¯s been dead for weeks. No resistance, just wreckage," I replied. "No surprise there. The Association doesn¡¯t leave anything useful behind if they can help it," the Commander said. His tone was carefully held neutral, but I caught the faintest trace of irritation beneath it. Obviously there was no ambush force in the system. We probably would have noticed already. I pulled up a holographic projection of the system. The central trading hub was still in orbit around the system¡¯s primary star. "Fen, any chance there¡¯s something left intact?" [ I¡¯ll start a deep scan, but I wouldn¡¯t hope for anything valuable. Anything that could have been repurposed was probably either destroyed or rigged to self-destruct. ] I frowned. "What about emergency caches? A system like this would have had them for traders stuck in transit." [ Possible. If they didn¡¯t have time to recover them, there might be something left. I¡¯ll prioritize searching for those. ] "We¡¯ll need to sweep the area anyways," Commander Ashcroft said. "I¡¯ll have my ships fan out and check for anything salvageable. If nothing else, we can at least confirm the system is truly empty." I hesitated, then nodded. "Understood. I¡¯ll handle high-orbit scans while you take care of local sweeps. Keep me updated." "Likewise," the Commander replied before cutting the connection, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I stared at the wreckage on my display, knowing full well that we weren¡¯t going to find much. But we had to check. If we missed something, it could come back to bite us later. Us or the other, weaker fleet. "Fen, let¡¯s get to work," I said determined. We would not miss something that could put our mission at risk. I''d make sure of it. It took a few more hours to reach a high orbit over the above the main trading hub of the system. Meanwhile, the SHF ships spread out, running close-range scans and deploying ground forces. From up here, the trading hub looked like a skeleton of its former self. Shattered docking rings, gigantic hull breaks and debris fields drifting in slow orbital decay. [ Scans are coming in now. This place is an absolute mess. The main power grid was deliberately overloaded. No reactor left to restore. Docking bays? All destroyed. Interior compartments? Either exposed to vacuum or caved in from controlled decompression. ] I exhaled sharply. "They really didn¡¯t leave anything to chance, huh?" [ Nope. If they had more time, I¡¯m guessing they would¡¯ve tried to push the entire station into the sun. But since they couldn¡¯t, they made sure it wouldn¡¯t be of any use to us. ] My gaze shifted to a cluster of distant wrecks. Freighters, most likely, their hulls torn open either from weapons fire or scuttling charges. Most likely left behind as they had technical problems they were unable to fix in time. "What about the ships?"Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. [ Only debris remains. They actively had their ships crash into other objects and explode, to make the most damage. Still, I¡¯ll run a detailed scan for anything that might¡¯ve been overlooked. ] I tapped my fingers against the armrest, considering our next move. Before I could say anything, a transmission came through from Commander Ashcroft. "Captain, my teams have completed preliminary sweeps. There¡¯s nothing left in the inner system that we can use. No fuel, no intact supplies, no salvageable tech. If the Association left anything behind, it¡¯s either buried in debris or hidden on the outermost installations,¡° he said tersely. I wasn¡¯t surprised. "I take it your boarding teams didn¡¯t have any luck either?" "Negative. Every airlock they breached led to the same result¡ªsealed-off corridors, collapsed sections, or systems rigged to overload. It¡¯s a total loss," he said. I leaned back, sighing. "We should still check the outer planets. The Association had automated resupply depots in deep space for traders. They might not have had time to scuttle those." There was a brief pause before Ashcroft responded. "Agreed. I¡¯ll send a detachment to sweep the region. But we¡¯re not going to waste too much time here. Woch-Hor''Nubis is the real target." "I know," I said, eyes still locked on the ruined trading hub. "I just don¡¯t want to leave something behind that could help us later." "Then let¡¯s make it quick," the Commander said and cut the connection. I exhaled sloghtly. "Fen, reroute long-range scans to the outer system. Let¡¯s see if there¡¯s anything worth looking at." [ On it. Don¡¯t get your hopes up, though. If the Association left anything behind, they really screwed up. ] "Then let¡¯s hope they had a bad day before they ran,¡° I muttered. The Mau-Rut''Zion system only had a handful of distant planets. A few gas giants, frozen rock and asteroid fields that had once been home to small mining operations. If anything had been left behind, it would be out there. [ Got something. Weak energy readings, orbiting the third gas giant. Could be a depot or an old outpost. Not showing any signs of life, but it is intact. ] That was more than I¡¯d expected. "Send the data to Commander Ashcroft. Let¡¯s see if his people are interested in checking it out." "My teams will investigate. We¡¯ll deploy a boarding squadron,¡° the response came quickly. "Understood. I¡¯ll monitor from here," I replied and watched the SHF detachment adjust course, heading toward the coordinates Fen had marked. I wasn¡¯t expecting much to be honest. Maybe some abandoned storage containers, maybe an automated system still clinging to life. But we couldn¡¯t afford to be careless. "Fen, give me a full analysis of that depot while they move in. If there¡¯s anything odd about it, I want to know before they dock." [ Already working on it. Wouldn¡¯t want our allies running into any fun surprises. ] I leaned back in my chair, watching the tactical display. The inner system was dead. There was no enemy waiting here. But Woch-Hor''Nubis was still ahead and I had no illusions about what we¡¯d find there. "How long until the fleet is fully prepared for departure?" [ If we don¡¯t run into delays? A few more hours. The SHF teams need time to confirm there¡¯s nothing useful left. ] I nodded. "Then let¡¯s hope they work fast. Because something tells me Woch-Hor''Nubis won¡¯t be this easy." [ That¡¯s a pretty safe bet. ] It turned out, the outer system was as dead as the inner one. The weak energy readings Fen had detected came from a partially functional automated depot, orbiting the third gas giant. It was an old Association supply cache, likely used by traders and military patrols. Surprisingly, it hadn''t been completely destroyed. Either they¡¯d run out of time or assumed it wasn''t worth the effort. I kept my gaze on the data feed while the SHF boarding teams moved in. "Fen, give me a status report on the depot." [ Structural integrity is¡­ passable. Life support is offline, power is at minimal levels, and the main cargo bays are sealed. Some emergency systems are still running, but no signs of active defenses or hidden surprises. ] "Any supplies left?" [ Scanning¡­ Looks like the Association did try to clean it out, but they left behind some basics. Non-perishable rations, spare EVA suits, a few standard power cells. Nothing that¡¯ll win us a battle, but enough to resupply smaller crews. ] Not exactly a jackpot, but better than nothing. I tapped my fingers on the console. "How are the SHF teams handling it?" [ No complications. They¡¯re moving methodically, breaching each section, cataloging what¡¯s left, and securing anything useful. I¡¯d say they¡¯ll be done in about thirty minutes. ] I exhaled. "That works. The sooner we wrap this up, the better." Just then, my console lit up with an incoming transmission from the FSF Honour. Commander Ashcroft. "Captain, we¡¯ve secured the depot. There are some usable supplies, nothing significant. My teams are finishing up now." "Understood," I replied. "Expect a small drone from us, we¡®ll pick up a few of the spacesuits. We¡®re low on them,¡° I said, the Commander giving me a dubious look. "As you wish. But we need to move on, so be quick about it. I assume your ship is otherwise ready?" he asked. I glanced at my console. Fen? [ Fully operational, as always. ] I smirked slightly before responding. "The FSF Aurora is prepared to jump on command." "Good. I¡¯ll issue the final orders. Be ready,¡° Commader Ashcroft said and cut the connection. [ About time. I was getting bored. ] I shook my head. "Fen, prepare the ship for the next jump. We''re done here." [ Coordinates already locked in. Just say the word. ] How¡®s the situation with our weapon system upgrades? [ The first half of our weapons is upgraded and currently in the integration phase. The second half of our weapon upgrades I stopped, as to have maximum battle capabilities in the coming system. ] "Okay. Initiate jump," I ordered. [ Jumping¡­ now! ] The familiar distortion of hyperspace swallowed the ASF Aurora, and Mau-Rut''Zion disappeared behind us. Chapter 37 - Opening Battle UGT: 22th Aether 280 a.G.A. / 09:31 a.m. Location: ASF Aurora, outer edges of the Woch-Hor''Nubis system (black hole, 49x the Sol star mass), Inner-Noran sector, Ruidan Raider Association, Milky Way
The transition from hyperspace was smooth, the usual flicker of reality reasserting itself as the Aurora emerged into the void. A split second later, the rest of the fleet followed, their drives stabilizing. Then a sharp series of pings lit up my tactical display, bright red markers blooming across the holographic interface. Hostile contacts. The expected welcoming party. I exhaled sharply, gripping the armrests of my chair. "Fen, full scan. Now." [ Already on it. ] The sensor readings shifted and refined themselves as Fen processed the incoming data. It didn¡¯t take long for him to return with an answer. [ Confirmed visuals on one Cruiser, Three destroyers, and Four frigates. Nothing the SHF couldn''t handle without us. But furthermore I¡¯m detecting residual energy signatures deeper in the system. I cannot specify more, the black hole warps all of our scans and they seem to be running dark. ] I frowned, narrowing my eyes at the display. "Reinforcements?" [ Could be. Either they¡¯re conserving power to avoid detection, or they just haven¡¯t fired up their systems yet. Either way, I wouldn¡¯t bet on those nine ships being the only ones here. ] "Of course not. You don¡¯t leave an antimatter production system undefended unless you¡¯re a complete idiot." [ Exactly. ] The system was filled with different structures of the Association. Industrial facilities, processing stations and orbital depots hung in the void, abandoned yet still intact. This time we actually had a chance to loot some things, hopefully including quite a bit of antimatter. And, if possible, we would get our hands on it before the SHF did. But before any of that, we had to defeat the RRA troops stationed here. Though lacking any way to retreat, giving up an antimatter station without the fight just wasn''t something the disorganized Association enclave would do. "Fen, open a encrypted connection to Commander Ashcroft," I muttered. [ Done. You can talk now. ] "Commander, my crew just confirmed enemy presence. Have the fleet stay in formation and prepare for engagement. The FSF Aurora will provide fire support as needed to stop our ships from getting damaged, but otherwise the stage is clear for your fleet," I said. A few seconds later, a response came through. Commander Ashcroft¡¯s voice, firm and professional. "Acknowledged, Captain Lunaris. SHF units are moving into position. Let¡¯s keep this operation clean." Neutral. Detached. He was playing the role of a cooperative officer, but I could tell he wasn¡¯t thrilled about me using his fleet to hold back my own capabilities. Not that it mattered. The potential second RRA fleet was way more worrying to me. [ Hostile fleet¡¯s holding position. Not advancing, not retreating. They¡¯re waiting. ] I tapped my fingers against the console. "For what? Us closing in on them and their stationary automated defenses?" [ Most likely. They know they¡¯re massively outgunned, which means they¡¯ve probably given up on holding onto the entire system. They''ll probably try to hold out near the blach hole, where our sensors and weapons are far less effective, partly countering our advantages. ] "Then let¡¯s make sure they don¡¯t get a chance to run that far," I stated decisively. [ Ah, aggressive maneuvers incoming? ] I smirked. "What else? Connect me to the entire fleet this time." [ Commander Ashcroft won''t like us circumventing him. ] "I don''t care, do it. Thanks to Admiral Thorrison I''m a step above him in the command chain, however small that difference may be," I said. [ Done. You''re connected to the entire fleet. ] "ASF Aurora, Captain Lunaris, to all units: Maintain formation, but push forward. We¡¯ll take this system by speed. You''re backed by us, they won''t be able to muster resistance. We cannot let them escape into the depths of the system." A deep rumble coursed through the Aurora¡¯s hull as the engines surged to life, propelling the massive warship forward. On the display, the SHF fleet followed suit, their formations shifting as they prepared for the inevitable engagement. The Battlecruisers and Cruisers started forming a wedge formation around the ASF Aurora while the smaller vessels maintained a flexible perimeter. Meanwhile the enemy ships remained still, holding their ground. No sudden movements. No immediate response. For some reason they planned to face us head-on it seemed. "Fen, any comms traffic?" I asked, eyes locked on the tactical display. Capitulation or a willingness to talk could be one of the reasons why they didn''t move towards better defense positions. [ Negative. No open transmissions, no hails, no demands for surrender. Either they plan to fight till their last breath, or they still have some more aces up their sleeves, making them believe they''re standing a chance. ]If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. A tactical gamble. If they had reinforcements hiding somewhere in the system, they were waiting for the perfect moment to strike. The question was: how long could they afford to wait? Commander Ashcroft¡¯s voice cut through the bridge speakers, crisp and measured. "Captain Lunaris, we need to force their hand. This is not a moment for overthinking our attack, just because the enemy looks confident. The longer we hold back, the more time they have to prepare for whatever they¡¯re planning." I leaned back, tapping my fingers against the armrest. Unfortunately, he was right. This wasn¡¯t a waiting game, or at least it shoudln''t be. We had the superior firepower and hesitation only played into their hands. "Agreed. We¡¯ll push forward and test their response. If they want to make a move, they¡¯ll have to do it soon," I answered. [ Oh, I like where this is going. Just say the word, and I¡¯ll get rid of their fleet. ] "Not yet. Let¡¯s see what they''ll do first," I muttered, connecting back into the fleet-wide channel. If we emptyied our entire opening salve at a distraction, the situation could be disastreous. I''d rather wait until we at least reached effective weapon range. "All units, advance at full speed. Do not fire until I give the order. I want them to act first." Engines roared to life as the fleet accelerated, the black void streaking past us. The enemy formation remained unchanged. Until, suddenly, it wasn¡¯t. [ Oh, there we go. The Frigates are shifting position and spreading out. Destroyers moving to cover their flanks. And... yep, their cruiser just lit up its targeting systems. ] "They¡¯re truly committing," I said, watching as the red markers shifted across the display. "Looks like they¡¯ll try to slow us down with the Frigates while their heavier units reposition. Standard delaying tactics. They want to draw us in before hitting us with something bigger. But that won''t work on us. [ Exactly. Want me to swat those frigates before they start being annoying? Unlike the SHF fleet, we''re already long in weapon range.] "Not yet. Let the SHF handle the lightweights, we¡¯ll focus on whatever they¡¯re hiding in the dark." The SHF Battlecruisers and Cruisers surged ahead and past the ASF Aurora, their weapons locking onto the incoming Frigates. The first volleys of the battle lit up the void, streaks of plasma and kinetic rounds racing between the two fleets. The SHF fleet advanced steadily, moving in formation, while the RRA ships used their slight range advantage to fire first, forcing the SHF into a defensive approach. The SHF¡¯s Cruisers and Battlecruisers, in an effort to shield the smaller ships behind them, absorbed the brunt of the opening salvo, their shields flaring as they redirected power to counter the incoming fire. The RRA¡¯s frigates and destroyers focused on precise, long-range strikes, trying to weaken the SHF ships before they could get too close. I studied the battle from the ASF Aurora¡¯s holographic interface. The SHF was holding formation well, but the longer they allowed the RRA to dictate engagement range, the worse it would get. "Fen," I said, "analyze their firing patterns. Are they coordinating their shots, or is this a standard engagement?" [ Checking now, give me a moment. ] A second later Fen highlighted the key trajectories on my interface. [ Looks like they¡¯re playing it safe. Focused fire on shields first, then they¡¯ll go for hulls. Their Destroyers are maintaining the backline, relying on their range rather than closing distance. Obvoiously, that''s no longterm strategy with the SHF closing in way to fast. But they''re probing and this tactic means that the fluctations I detected are definitly warships lying in wait for a moment of weakness. ] So they actually weren¡¯t committing fully yet. They were testing the SHF, feeling out weak points before moving in for the kill with the suspected reserve fleet. A smart move, but unfortunately for them one I could exploit. Instantly I opened a channel to Ashcroft. "They¡¯re probing us. If we keep playing their game, they¡¯ll wear down your ships before you even get a good shot off." "I¡¯m aware," he answered curtly. Seconds later, I saw his Frigates and Destroyers breaking away from the bigger warships, spreading out in an attempt to force the RRA to readjust. A calculated move but also risky. If they failed to flank properly, they¡¯d get picked off before they got into proper range. [ Bold move, but I like it. Seems like someone shows more trust in us than expected. ] I kept my gaze locked on the tactical display. The RRA ships were starting to adjust to the SHF movement, refocusing their fire to counter the flanking ships. The SHF fleet had forced them into a tactical shift. "Now we see if it works," I muttered. "Do not yet engage. We''ll only intervene should a SHF ship truly come at risk of being destroyed." By now, the battlefield was alive with weapons fire, the SHF fleet pressing forward with methodical force. Plasma bursts and railgun rounds carved through space, illuminating the engagement with brief flashes of destruction. The RRA Destroyers tried to maintain their range advantage, their plasma batteries hammering away at the advancing SHF fleet. One particularly focused volley targeted an SHF Destroyer on the right flank, aiming to cripple it before it could reposition. Fen was already acting before I even got a chance to say something. [ Incoming volley, I''ll intercept it. ] A dozen of ASF Aurora¡¯s Disintegrators fired in perfect sync. Green beams lanced across the void, slicing through the incoming plasma projectiles with eerie precision. The energy blasts simply vanished, consumed by the destructive force of the weapons before they could reach the SHF destroyer. Obvoiusly, I didn¡¯t stop there. "Return fire. Target the lead Destroyer." [ On it. ] Gauss cannons roared as the ASF Aurora retaliated. High-velocity antimatter rounds slammed into the RRA Destroyer¡¯s shields, punching through them, as if they didn''t exist at all. The ship rocked violently as the antimatter rounds exploded inside it, its armor caving outwards, only for the ship to detonate in a violent explosion. Ashcroft¡¯s voice crackled through the comms. "Efficient as ever, Captain." I ignored the comment. "Their formation is breaking," I simply stated. And it was. The RRA fleet hesitated, momentarily thrown off by the sheer speed of the ASF Aurora¡¯s intervention. They had expected to trade fire, not to lose a destroyer in seconds. After all, they didn''t expect the ship, still far outside the expected weapon range, to suddenly counterattack. That hesitation, however, made me uneasy. A trained military force shouldn''t react that way. [ Their movement¡¯s off. That¡¯s not normal battlefield hesitation. They¡¯re about to pull out their ace. The fluctations we noticed earlier activated. Eleven ships, now powering up. A Battlecruiser, two Cruisers, three Destroyers and five Freighters. ] "Well than, it seems like they''re about to truly commit than. Let''s give them a fiery welcome." Chapter 38 - To Close For Comfort UGT: 22th Aether 280 a.G.A. / 09:54 a.m. Location: ASF Aurora, outer edges of the Woch-Hor''Nubis system (black hole, 49x the Sol star mass), Inner-Noran sector, Ruidan Raider Association, Milky Way
The battlefield shifted. The enemy¡¯s hesitation evaporated the moment their reinforcements powered up. The hidden ships had completed whatever system checks they needed and were now joining the fray. Eleven additional vessels, including a Battlecruiser. I took a deep breath. That has been expected but that didn¡¯t mean I liked it. This was their real engagement. Everything before had just been maneuvering, testing our reactions. Now they were truly committing. "Commander Ashcroft, we have confirmed enemy reinforcements moving into attack positions." His reply came immediately, his voice sharp and professional. "I see them. That Battlecruiser¡¯s a problem. It has the firepower to punch through our lines." I exhaled slowly, eyes locked onto the tactical display. The SHF fleet had already begun to shift, preparing for the second phase of the fight. They had taken minimal damage so far, but with the reinforcements arriving, the situation was changing rapidly. "We can¡¯t let them dictate the terms of engagement," I said. "If we let them form up properly, they¡¯ll force us into a slugging match. With them holding all the advantages I fear the FSF Aurora wpuld have to intervene more." [ Agreed. But we can flip the script. ] I smirked slightly at Fen¡¯s words. "I assume you have an idea?" [ Of course. You¡¯re going to love it. ] I arched an eyebrow. "Enlighten me." [ We let them think they¡¯ve succeeded in forming up. We act as if we¡¯re consolidating positions for a defensive stance, exactly what they want. But in reality? We launch a coordinated counteroffensive. While they¡¯re still repositioning, the SHF fleet shifts its focus to the reinforcements while you and I handle the Battlecruiser. ] I studied the tactical display, analyzing the risk. It was bold. Risky, as it would temporarily occupy the ASF Aurora, leaving the remaining fleet without true protection. But it played into our strengths. My ship''s overwhelming firepower was best suited to quick, brutal engagements. A drawn-out battle favored the enemy even more, as even the ASF Aurora wasn''t necessarily able to block every attack. But by hitting them before they were fully set, we could shatter their plan entirely. "Commander Ashcroft, we¡¯re shifting tactics. Focus fire on the reinforcements before they complete formation. I¡¯ll deal with the Battlecruiser personally." A brief pause. "Understood. But why don''t you just go all out? After this battle it is more than possible for us to refuel you with antimatter," he said. Allowing them to hold something over our head and to control our movements, as we would become dependent on their antimatter. Or even open us up for a potential assault on the ship by their ground forces. After all, it''s not like they left all of them to the other part of the fleet. Just most of them. All of that went completely unsaid of course. I elected to just ignore him instead. I leaned forward. "Fen, bring us into optimal strike range. Let¡¯s show them what happens when they overplay their hand." [ My pleasure. Engaging now. ] The ASF Aurora surged ahead, accelerating far beyond what any conventional battleship should be capable of. A standard Super Battleship wouldn¡¯t dare push this aggressively into enemy lines, or at least not without an escort and layers upon layers of support fire. But the ASF Aurora wasn¡¯t standard. The RRA Battlecruiser had fully powered up, its shields flaring as it began coordinating with the rest of the reinforcement group. Their mistake. It hadn¡¯t expected an immediate assault.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. [ Closing in on optimal range. Targeting solution locked. ] "Close in a bit more, than hit them hard," I ordered. "Matter Disintegrators first, this way we don''t reveal the range of our antimatter missiles and railguns." Soon after, forty emerald beams slashed across the void, striking the Battlecruiser¡¯s shields with pinpoint precision. The shimmering barrier fluctuated violently, its integrity dropping as the beams ate away at the energy field itself. Their ship defenses were built to withstand plasma fire, kinetic impacts, and even particle beams,but not this. The disintegrators weren¡¯t just hitting them. No, they were actively dismantling their shield matrix. If someone knew about the existence of the dinintegrators and how they worked, it would be easy to recalibrate the ship matrix in a way to make them essentially useless. But as far as I knew, disintegrators were completely unknown to the galaxy. Therefore no one right now had the ability to block them. At least that was one of the theory''s Fen and I made up for engagements like this. Now we were proven right. [ Their shields are failing. They weren¡¯t prepared for this. ] "Switch to Gauss Cannons. Target engine and weapon systems. I want that ship neutralized," I replied absentmindly, still thinking about the impact our disintegrators would make on our enemies and allies alike. A premier negotiation chip. [ Firing now. ] The ASF Aurora¡¯s railguns roared. Antimatter rounds slammed into the exposed hull, piercing through armor plating like paper. Explosions bloomed across the ship as internal compartments breached and detonated, entire sections collapsing from the force. The Battlecruiser reeled, its starboard thrusters flickering out as fire and atmosphere vented from the wounds. It tried to retaliate, but its plasma batteries misfired, a direct result of the shield system¡¯s catastrophic failure. [ Weapons offline, their reactor¡¯s destabilizing. If they don¡¯t shut it down, they¡¯ll go up in flames. ] I exhaled sharply. Too easy.My fingers hovered over the command interface. The RRA were ruthless, but not suicidal. They wouldn¡¯t let a Battlecruiser go down this fast, not without a contingency. It was just a hunch, but something was off. "Fen, scan for abnormal power surges. I don¡¯t like this." [ Already on it. Hold on¡­ ] The data came in. And I didn¡¯t like what I saw. [ May. They¡¯re overcharging their core. They¡¯re going to ram us! ] My eyes narrowed. So that was their true plan! They''d known they never stood a chance in a battle with the ASF Aurora looming behind their enemies. They wanted to sacrifice their biggest ship to at least damage the ASF Aurora enough to give them a shot at winning! "Emergency thrusters, full evasive!" I instantly shouted. The ASF Aurora veered hard, thrusters firing at maximum capacity as the crippled Battlecruiser ignited its remaining engines. Obviously they were far slower, but the ASF Aurora had to decelerate first. As of now, we flew with high speeds into the completely wrong direction. Even that normally wouldn''t be a problem, but our enemies weren''t aiming for a clean hit. They just wanted proximity to damage us enough, to take us temporarely out of the fight. [ They¡¯re pushing their core past critical! If they get close enough¡ª ] "Missiles. All tubes. Full spread," I said with gritted teeth. I had no idea how much the shields of the ASF Aurora could stand up to, untested as they were as of now. And I wouldn''t risk my ship, even if it ended up costing me great amounts of antimatter. [ Firing! ] A barrage of Whirlwind antimatter missiles launched, the intelligent warheads adjusting mid-flight as they swarmed the dying Battlecruiser. Detonations rippled across its remains, one after another, until finally, their reactor collapsed. The enemy ship erupted in a blinding explosion, shockwaves rippling through space as its remains were atomized. The few outer rippples that actually reached the ASF Aurora were easily absorbed by its shields. I let out a slow breath. That had been to close. [ Well, that was dramatic. But hey, you got to see a Battlecruiser go supernova. I¡¯d call that a win. ] I shook my head, though a slight smile appeared on my face. But to celebrate, it was to early. The situation just now had came to close for comfort. And all around them the battle still raged on.