《Earth's Uprising》 Prologue: The Beginning Humanity had always been a potential threat to the rest of the galaxy. Every time an attempt was made to stamp them out, the despicable humans came back stronger and more numerous than the last time. The Galactic Alliance took notice of mankind¡¯s existence from early on¡ªas was their duty¡ªand kept an eye on them. They watched from afar, as mankind evolved from primates with slightly higher intelligence to Neanderthals to modern day man. However, what worried the Alliance¡¯s governing board the most wasn¡¯t humanity¡¯s rapid evolution, but the unprecedented manner in which their society and technology evolved. To them, the humans¡¯ rapid growth certainly wasn¡¯t anything worth worrying about¡ªfor it was rather normal for most primitive species to do so. What made them nervous was how quickly the humans decided to globalize. Humans began to conquer and master the art of warfare. Their rulers thrived on manipulating rivals and weak-minded individuals to do their bidding. They brutally fought amongst each other for riches and glory. It was this lust for battle and conquest that laid the groundwork for the rapid growth in technology. The most shocking part, was even after all the battles for supremacy ended, the technological evolution didn¡¯t hit an impasse; rather, it shot up rapidly. It seemed despite their technological advances, humanity was never content with their progress. They wanted something even better and sought different ways to accomplish that goal. The humans even went as far as shaping their environment in ways to achieve their objectives. With every advancement, the humans not only expanded their exiting knowledge knowledge but also innovated new and more superior technology on a daily basis. The Alliance had never witnessed or observed this sort of rapid growth by a new civilization. The Alliance compared the human¡¯s growth with theirs and it wasn¡¯t close. What humanity was able to do in a few chaos cycles took them eons. At that rate, humanity would quickly reach and eclipse the Alliance¡¯s accomplishments and perhaps oppress them. His Imperial Majesty ordered the Alliance to keep a closer eye on mankind and report everything directly to him. His Imperial Majesty passed down a decree to put an end to mankind¡¯s rapid advancement in technology and eliminate them when the humans landed on their home planet¡¯s moon in a single Chaos Cycle after achieving basic flight. When reports of this feat reached the Alliance¡¯s ears, they reported it with disbelief to a furious Imperial Majesty. Even though he considered it impossible, His Majesty still ordered the Alliance to investigate. The Alliance quickly formed a security detail and sent them to verify that humanity had been there. Upon receiving confirmation, the Alliance deliberated over what to do. The powers included in the Alliance were not peaceful people. They had fought each other for centuries with the end result¡ªdevastating losses to all involved parties. Frustrated with all the fighting, His Imperial Majesty stepped in, quelled the fighting, and set up the Alliance. After consolidating their power, the Alliance decided that they would not be conducive to peace with other galactic powers and set off to eliminate all who had potential to challenge their power. If humanity reached a level rivaling theirs and the other galaxies, not only would the humans pose an immediate threat, but the balance of power would also be tipped in their favor and the humans would surpass the other galaxies. Thus, the Alliance collectively agreed that this could not be tolerated and the humans must be eliminated as soon as possible. After discovering the humans beginning to colonize a nearby uninhabited planet in the their solar system, the security detail was immediately deployed. They set off towards the human¡¯s solar system and conducted a quick investigation into the extent of humanity¡¯s growth. Upon concluding that the humans posed a threat to the Alliance, the security detail made short work of humanity¡¯s forces. The humans were caught off guard and completely unprepared for a sudden attack by an invading force. They could only watch helplessly as they were outgunned and slaughtered like sheep. Everything they had achieved over the past few chaos cycles was destroyed. Their books burnt and their leading scholars and leaders all killed as a warning. At the end of the day, even with their rapid advancements in technology and weaponry, mankind was still far behind the technological capabilities of the Alliance.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. As much as the Alliance wanted to drive the humans to extinction, they couldn¡¯t. They had to adhere to the Imperial Doctrine¡ªdrafted by His Imperial Majesty¡ªthat stated that under no circumstances, could the Alliance completely eliminate any other civilization to the point of extinction. Only in extreme circumstances¡ªlike a civilization threatening the Alliance¡ªcould the doctrine be overturned. Some radicals in the Alliance appealed to His Imperial Majesty, arguing that the human¡¯s rapid advancement in technology made them a serious threat to their power and begged him to make the humans a special circumstance and wipe them out. After deliberating for some time, His Imperial Highness and a majority of the Alliance ultimately decided that killing off all of the humans would be immoral. To everyone¡¯s surprise, a few chaos cycles later, mankind had recovered and was actually more advanced than before. Not only did they start to recolonize a nearby neighboring planet, but they also started to expand and colonize other habitable planets in their solar system. As a result, the security detail was dispatched to the human¡¯s home planet and ordered to remain there. This time not only did they had to remove and eliminate all traces of the former human civilization in hopes that future generations would pose less of a threat, but also keep watch and observe how the humans managed to return to their former heights in such a short amount of time. This cycle continued for some time. The humans would rise up and the security detail would reappear and oppress them. After putting the humans down a seventh time, the security detail received word that the Alliance was under attack by enemies and all available bodies had to return to the home planet and help fight off the invaders. The security detail believed that when the war was over, the humans would still be in the process of rebuilding, so they didn¡¯t protest the order to return home. They unwisely assumed they would be able to deal with anything the humans came up with during their time away. This foolishness was their downfall. By the time the war was over, the humans had fully colonized all habitable planets around them and begun to explore space travel. They were researching methods to split space and time in an effort to colonize distant galaxies. This time, their advancement in technology was unimpeded as other galactic issues swamped the Alliance¡ªthe war had left the Alliance¡¯s forces in shambles and they were struggling to recover their once vibrant societies. The Alliance decided to put rebuilding at the forefront of their priorities and blatantly decided to ignore proof of how far the humans had advanced. Furthermore, the Alliance refused to authorize any mission to the human¡¯s home planet. After waiting another two chaos cycles, the security detail finally received an official deployment notice. They were authorized to bring more men and the latest weaponry as a precaution¡ªstill believing that the humans could not have advanced very far in a relatively short time frame of a thousand years or so. Confident they still held the upper hand, the security detail expected no resistance. However, upon arriving at the human¡¯s solar system, the security detail encountered a shocking sight. The humans had designed an armada of space-faring vessels capable of traveling to other planets in the solar system within hours. Furthermore, the ships were spread all over the solar system, with one or two guarding each colonized planet. As the security detail gazed at the sight before them, one thing immediately jumped out at them¡ªthe humans had designed their ships with a single purpose in mind: war. At that precise moment, the security detail received a communications transmission from the humans and stopped their approach. The message was brief, but one thing was apparent, it was a thinly veiled threat: We remember. We are ready. Now we will conquer. Good luck. Chapter 1 The entire security detail paused for a moment as they slowly took in the contents of the message. They laughed nervously and glanced at each other before returning their attention to what awaited them on the other side of the glass. No words could describe the feelings that were passing through them as they gazed in awe at how far the humans had come. According to their standards, it wasn¡¯t possible¡ªwhat the humans had accomplished defied logic. They shouldn¡¯t have been able to colonize other planets and construct space ships in such a small amount of time. Perhaps no other individual was as bewildered as Ca¡¯luc, who was the commanding officer of this operation. He was a veteran of five deployments to the human¡¯s planet and was lauded by many as the utmost authority on anything regarding humans. Ca¡¯luc knew the majority of his crew had never been apart of the deployment forces, so he couldn¡¯t count on them for any input. That was what worried him the most. He¡ªthe leading authority on humans¡ªdidn¡¯t know what to do. He spent countless Chaos Cycles studying the humans, mingling with them, and gaining their trust over and over again. He observed how their wars started, how the strategists of each army directed their troops, and most importantly how the wars ended. He even watched as history repeated itself¡ªnobody learned from the past. A single conflict could easily erupt into a full-blown war and the process would repeat itself. After experiencing countless petty wars and conflicts, Ca¡¯luc came to the conclusion that humans were mere animals. To put it in his predecessor¡¯s words, ¡°Humans are brutish, violent creatures who act primarily on impulse than reason. They constantly tell themselves to learn from the past, yet they still repeat it. They are beyond hope. Ironically, the humans say they advocate peace; however, they spend a majority of their time researching and building new weapons. It is clear their lust for war is something that will never be satisfied.¡± Despite their flaws, the brutish people somehow managed to create a flourishing society unlike any other. It irked him to see the beings he considered as insects¡ªwith below average lifespans¡ªadvancing themselves further and faster than any other known species. ¡°The humans thrive on chaos; their society evolves off of it. Based off of expert analysis of the human¡¯s evolution trajectory, it doesn¡¯t seem possible they would get to this point so quickly. What changed?¡± Ca¡¯luc asked. ¡°Captain?¡± his second-in-command asked. Ca¡¯luc didn¡¯t answer. He was busy replaying the message over and over in his mind¡ªWe remember. We are ready. Now we will conquer. Good luck. In four short sentences, the humans conveyed their intent and showed how much they had matured. His mind raced as he pondered potential possibilities to how they came this far in so little time. He even considered the humans knew more about the Alliance than previously imagined before shaking his head and laughing it off. Still three questions lingered in his mind: Did the humans really know about the Alliance? If so, how much did they know? The most fearsome question that lingered was how far have they truly come since the last extermination? Suddenly, a thought crossed through his mind¡ªdid we leave anything behind after the last cleansing? As with the previous human extermination, he and his team were ordered to remain behind and remove all traces of their arrival as well as any hint of mankind¡¯s past civilizations in hopes that the humans would stop their rapid advancement and return to normal growth patterns. The upper echelons of the Alliance hoped that with every cleansing the humans would lose their edge and become docile, thus paving the way for the Alliance¡¯s forces to take over. ¡°Captain, what should we do?¡± his second-in-command asked. Ca¡¯luc snapped out of his trance and turned his attention to the screens around him. He quickly scanned and analyzed the status reports, which revealed hundreds of space-faring vessels honing in on their three ships. There was no question left in his mind¡ªthey had been lying in wait. Ca¡¯luc took a deep breath before saying, ¡°Nothing. We will do nothing, but fight. If we retreat, we die. If we fight, we have a slim chance for survival. If we die fighting, at least our deaths will not be for naught¡ªthe details of our skirmish will be transmitted home. The data will be analyzed and used for battle preparations. Sooner or later, our two worlds will collide and war will break out. Brothers, if we are destined to die today, let us die with honor and take out as many humans as we can! It has been a pleasure serving with you all.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Ca¡¯luc understood even with the latest weaponry and additional ships, they were still doomed. The Alliance had become too confident in their powers. In the past, every species they deemed a threat¡ªeliminated. Perhaps being in power for eons made them careless and merciful. No longer did the Alliance seek to eliminate entire civilizations; rather, they let them live.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Ca¡¯luc realized that time was a commodity they couldn¡¯t afford to waste. He had to accumulate as much data as possible regarding the humans to transmit back to headquarters. He walked to his seat and pressed a button, linking him to the other ships and gave his final orders¡ªtwo ships were to buy time and divert the humans¡¯ attention, while his ship scanned and collected data. ¡°Sir, the humans have locked onto our location and are approaching fast!¡± ¡°Tell the other ships to arm their torpedoes and begin evasive maneuvers,¡± Ca¡¯luc said calmly. ¡°Meanwhile, divert some power to maintaining our shields and cloaking, the rest shall be used primarily for data collection. Keep me updated.¡± With a groan, Ca¡¯luc sat down and observed the battle raging before him. Bright lights littered the surrounding horizon. Explosions occurred when a torpedo found its target. Destruction was rampant. Ca¡¯luc saw several destroyed enemy ships riddled with holes drift by and knew¡ªfor now¡ªtheir weaponry was advanced enough to hold the humans off. A part of him hoped the diversionary ships could suppress the humans and win; however, he came to terms that it was a long shot. He only had one goal left¡ªcollect enough data to transmit back to headquarters. Suddenly, the skies lit up. An explosion had taken place. ¡°Sir, one of our ships self-donated. It sustained too much damage.¡± ¡°How are we on the data collection?¡± ¡°75% done.¡± ¡°Start evasive maneuvers, circle the solar system, and speed up data collection. We have no time left!¡± Ca¡¯luc ordered. He squirmed around on his seat as nervousness set in. In his time as part of the security detail, he never once imagined the humans would be responsible for his death. Another explosion rocketed the area. It was only a matter of time before the humans locked onto his location. ¡°How are we on the data collection?¡± ¡°85% there. But sir, you must see this!¡± Ca¡¯luc swiveled around his seat and took a look at the screen. His chief science officer pointed at a planet they had cataloged in the past as greyish looking. Upon closer analysis, it appeared the planet wasn¡¯t grey anymore; rather, it looked quite similar to the humans¡¯ home planet. It didn¡¯t take a rocket scientist to tell him what it meant¡ªthe humans successfully terraformed a planet! Goosebumps crept up Ca¡¯luc¡¯s arms. He thought to himself, humans were thought of as a potential threat. Who knew, if left unimpeded, they would advance this far¡­ ¡°Sir, the humans have locked onto our ship.¡± ¡°How much data have we accumulated?¡± ¡°95%, sir.¡± ¡°That will have to do. Start transmitting the data back to headquarters! Allot the remaining power to the shields.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± He looked around the command center and saw grim, determined faces on displayed. He knew the crew understood the consequences of failure. If they failed to transmit the data, their civilization would be at risk. It was unspoken, but it was clear to him and his crew that the humans had somehow come across evidence of the atrocities committed against them. Perhaps the humans had even discovered that the other galaxies thought of them as a hostile, brutish civilization that needed to be eliminated every few chaos cycles. If the humans did, then by their current actions, it could be said the humans had given the other galaxies advanced notice. They were going to war, to conquer, to destroy, and to ensure their own survival. ¡°Sir, the data isn¡¯t transmitting!¡± ¡°What? How is this possible? We were able to communicate with headquarters in the past, why not now?¡± ¡°The humans seemed to have set up a interference barrier. Any transmission we send out is instantly intercepted and scrambled.¡± ¡°Back up the data on a drive. Who is the youngest on my ship?¡± ¡°Done and Lieutenant Ga¡¯ruk is the youngest, sir.¡± ¡°Tell him to come to the command center.¡± Ca¡¯luc got out of his chair, walked to a nearby window, and looked at their surroundings. Enemy ships had surrounded his ship; their weapons ready to fire. ¡°Ga¡¯ruk should be here by now. What is taking him so long?¡± Ca¡¯luc asked. Suddenly, the door leading to the command center slid open and a disheveled young soldier rushed in. ¡°Sorry it took so long, sir. I was preoccupied¡­¡± Ga¡¯ruk said. ¡°Lieutenant Ga¡¯ruk, I¡¯m assigning you an important task.¡± ¡°Why me, sir? I¡¯m the youngest and most inexperienced. Furthermore, there are many others on this ship more qualified than I am.¡± ¡°It¡¯s precisely because you¡¯re the youngest. The rest of us have all lived long fulfilling lives, but you haven¡¯t.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°No buts! The humans are currently jamming our transmissions, so there is no way to contact home. You are to head to the escape pod with this drive containing all the data we have collected on the humans and bring it home. Remember it is worth more than your own life. You must protect it at all costs.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± ¡°Now go! Launch the pod a few seconds before the ship detonates. It should provide you with enough cover to get a head start.¡± Ca¡¯luc watched him scurry away. If the boy failed to escape, the Alliance would be doomed. ¡°Sir, the humans are requesting that we surrender.¡± ¡°That we will never do. Did the boy make it to the pod?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ca¡¯luc took one final breath and uttered the words he never thought he would say: ¡°Detonate.¡± The last thing he saw before debris and broken parts clouded his view was a full view of the human¡¯s home planet. He had long resented his stationing there and hated the planet to his very core, yet in his final seconds, the planet captivated him. He regretted not taking the time to explore and revel in the planet¡¯s beauty. It seemed to him that this ¡°paradise¡± had given birth to devils. He hoped that future generations would not make light of these upstart humans and take caution when dealing them, thus in his final captain¡¯s log, he wrote: The humans we once thought were beneath us, have realized their potential. I fear my death is just the beginning of widespread warfare. Take caution. For when the humans take action, destruction is left in their wake. Our civilized world has never faced such great danger. Good luck in surviving this calamity¡­ Chapter 2 Ga¡¯ruk watched as the ship detonated, bringing with it numerous human ships. Tears welled up in his eyes; he clutched the drive tightly in his arms and swore that when the Alliance was ready to wage war against the humans, he would be on the front lines. ¡°Captain, I will never forget you. You are my savior. I will get revenge for you.¡± Ga¡¯ruk was reluctant follow through with the Captain¡¯s last orders. He had been so tempted to ignore orders and fight with his brothers to the bitter end. The word, retreat, was not part of his vocabulary. From day one in the academy, the professors indoctrinated him and his classmates that retreat was dishonorable and a sin punishable by death. On his father¡¯s deathbed, Ga¡¯ruk had sworn that he would never retreat¡ªeven if the situation was highly unfavorable¡ªand bring honor to his family. Thus, he volunteered to be part of the security detail; however, the mission ended in failure with him being the lone survivor. Unfortunately, Ga¡¯ruk understood that because the transmissions were jammed, the mission had changed. His respect for Ca¡¯luc was beyond compare, which is why he didn¡¯t put up too much of a protest when he was ordered to head home with the drive. Ca¡¯luc was the most experienced member of the security detail and the most knowledgeable scholar on mankind. His loss could be thought of as dealing a huge blow to the Alliance. Ca¡¯luc¡¯s death made it more important than ever to deliver the drive and inform the Alliance of what transpired in the human¡¯s home world. Reality set in when he noticed the remnants of his former ship drift by his escape pod. It was the first time in thousands of chaos cycles that multiple Alliance ships had been on the opposite end of a beat down. If the destruction of several ships by the humans didn¡¯t alarm the Alliance, the loss of Ca¡¯luc certainly would. As Ga¡¯ruc prepared to initiate hyper drive sequence for home, he paid special attention to what remained of the human¡¯s forces. It seemed to him, that they weren¡¯t as numerous as before. The humans may have won the battle, but the cost of winning was disastrous. Despite being outnumbered, the security detail managed to take a significant number of humanity¡¯s ships with them. Does it matter anymore? Ga¡¯ruc thought. We came to send the humans back to the Stone Age; however, they managed to turn the tables. Not only did they destroy our ships, but they also killed an important asset. The mission was a complete failure. Even though they dealt a significant blow to the humans, it was not enough. To them, the loss of hundreds of ships would merely be an inconvenience. The humans would count their losses, examine what went wrong in the battle, and return with greater numbers and advanced weaponry. Perhaps, by the time the Alliance was ready to act, the humans will have expanded their forces and set out to conquer other galaxies. The humans just fought a skirmish against us and won. Not only have they gained confidence they can hold their own against other civilizations, but they also gained experience. They will not be so careless next time. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. As his escape pod drifted to the outskirts of a ringed planet, Ga¡¯ruc reached out and pushed a button to engage hyper drive and set the destination to be the closest Alliance held planet. He knew sustaining hyper drive would be tough for his tiny escape pod, so upon reaching the planet, he would seek to obtain better transportation to the Alliance¡¯s headquarters. As hyper drive kicked in, Ga¡¯ruc thought of the warning Ca¡¯luc gave the crew moments before their arrival in the humans¡¯ solar system. ¡°The humans are a brutish, battle hungry civilization. You must never underestimate their capabilities. Their potential is limitless. When we arrive on the humans¡¯ home world, we must proceed with caution.¡± These words lingered in his mind. We were cautious and respected the threat the humans posed. We brought along more ships, more men, and our latest weaponry. It didn¡¯t seem possible for us to lose, but we did. What more could we have done to prevent this? Ga¡¯ruc fidgeted around in his seat. He couldn¡¯t stand being stuck in a cramped space for too long. He felt uneasy¡ªthere was no way the humans didn¡¯t notice him¡ªafter all the humans managed to discover three cloaked ships. His escape seemed too easy. Maybe they were preoccupied with counting their losses. Or maybe, the damage done to their ships didn¡¯t allow them to follow in pursuit. Perhaps, we didn¡¯t deal as much damage to the humans and they are preparing an invasion force right now. Heightened by a newfound sense of urgency, Ga¡¯ruc increased the speed of the pod as far as it could go. He had to make it to the nearest planet and deliver the news. Learning everything they could about the humans and their universe should now be a top priority for the Alliance and its forces. Before launching an all out assault against the humans, the Alliance had to understand how the humans think. From there, they would create thousands of battle simulations to find the best strategy for fighting the humans and transmit the information their forces. The Alliance prided itself on its ability to craft pristine battle plans with high success rates. Their strategies were designed to attack their opponent¡¯s weaknesses and wreak as much havoc as possible. Failure was not tolerated, so usually a security detail consisting of battle-tested veterans would be sent to test how well the strategy held up in real combat and from there adjustments would be made. I must remember to tell the Alliance that they must think several steps ahead of the humans. Anything that they draft up could potentially be useless when our armadas clash. Ga¡¯ruc thought. He turned his attention back to his screen and began monitoring the radar for enemies. He let out a sigh of relief when he discovered none. It appeared the humans hadn¡¯t managed to travel faster than the speed of light, but did it even matter? Ga¡¯ruc knew he wouldn¡¯t be surprised if the humans achieved it by the time the Alliance set out in full force to eliminate the humans. Voosh! His escape pod pulled out of hyper drive upon reaching his destination¡ªA¡¯rai. The Alliance considered A¡¯rai to be one of their crowning achievements as it was home to hundreds¡ªif not thousands¡ªof civilizations who set aside their differences and came together against all odds. Most of the time Ga¡¯ruc felt a sense of pride whenever he saw the planet; however, today was not one of those days. He felt a sense of urgency and sadness¡ªfor he knew when war broke out, this could be the first territory devastated by battle. Upon entering the planet¡¯s atmosphere, Ga¡¯ruc directed the pod towards a nearby space station where he hastily flashed his credentials to the stationmaster, uttered a few lines of explanation, and was given a shuttle to take him directly to Olras, the Alliance¡¯s headquarters. Chapter 3 It was nighttime when he arrived at Olras. The moment his shuttle docked, Ga¡¯ruk made his way towards the Alliance headquarters with a sense of urgency and purpose¡ªnobody was going to stop him from delivering the news to the Alliance as soon as possible. Any time a sentry attempted to stop him, Ga¡¯ruk flashed his credentials and kept moving forward. He was in no mood to exchange pleasantries. Upon arriving at the Alliance headquarters, Ga¡¯ruk was informed by a cleric that the members of the Alliance¡¯s governing board were currently deliberating over new rules and regulations and would not be able to meet with him until a month later. Disappointed, Ga¡¯ruk headed to the doorway with his head down. The closer he got to the doorway, the more irritated Ga¡¯ruk got. The security detail had sacrificed too much. He needed to inform the Alliance of all that had transpired, so he turned around and ran towards the Alliance¡¯s meeting room. Out of the corner of his eye, Ga¡¯ruk noticed several guards reaching for their weapons and sped up. He couldn¡¯t afford to be brought down. Ga¡¯ruk steamrolled over anybody who got in his way and made a conscious effort to avoid being hit by laser blasts. He had one foot through the doorway to the Alliance¡¯s meeting room before he was finally tackled and cuffed by the guards. As the guards began dragging Ga¡¯ruk out of the meeting room, Ga¡¯ruk shouted, ¡°Stop, please! I have something I need to report.¡± ¡°You broke countless rules when you forced your way in here. Why should we give you an opportunity to speak?¡± an board member asked. ¡°Sir, it¡¯s about the humans!¡± Ga¡¯ruk said. ¡°What about them?¡± ¡°They destroyed all of our ships.¡± The members of the governing board sat in stone silence, looking at each other before bursting into laughter. ¡°That¡¯s a good one, kid! Do you know who is in charge of human extermination this time?¡± ¡°Yes, but¡­¡± ¡°Captain Ca¡¯luc is a very capable commander. There is no way this mission would end in disaster. Guards, take him away!¡± Ga¡¯ruk shook his shoulders and managed to break free of the guard¡¯s hold. ¡°Sir, my name is Ga¡¯ruk I¡¯teck. I was part of the security detail sent to subjugate the humans. Please, let me speak.¡± ¡°Someone please bring up the roster sheet for the security detail and check to see if a Ga¡¯ruk I¡¯teck is on it,¡± another board member said. Ga¡¯ruk couldn¡¯t help but notice a touch of annoyance in the Alliance member¡¯s tone. It took all he could to avoid opening his mouth and retorting. ¡°Y¡¯Iok, he is on the roster,¡± another board member said. ¡°Fine, if the ships are really destroyed, why didn¡¯t you go down with it?¡± Y¡¯lok asked. ¡°The humans were jamming our communications devices so we weren¡¯t able to transmit data. As a result, Captain Ca¡¯luc downloaded the data onto a drive and ordered me to deliver it to you.¡± ¡°Where is the drive?¡± ¡°Here.¡± Ga¡¯ruk handed the drive over. ¡°We will adjourn to review the drive. You will stay here.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Ga¡¯ruk struggled to keep himself under control. He didn¡¯t understand the Alliance¡¯s actions. It seemed to him that they didn¡¯t comprehend the true danger the humans posed. The members most likely thought he was fabricating a lie to avoid being court-martialed for running away from battle. He hoped they would set aside all preexisting bias and review the drive. After some time, members of the governing board slowly made their way back to the room with grim faces. Judging by their reactions, Ga¡¯ruk knew that they had fully analyzed the recordings and understood the danger the humans posed. ¡°We have analyzed the data, listened to Captain Ca¡¯luc¡¯s log, and reviewed recordings of the battle,¡± Y¡¯lok began. ¡°Needless to say, the operation was a failure.¡± A failure¡­ Ga¡¯ruks temper slowly reached his limit. He curled his fingers to make a fist and squeezed them in an attempt to relieve his anger.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. He recollected himself before calmly replying, ¡°As the lone survivor of the security detail, I must state Captain Ca¡¯luc¡¯s final recommendation. He advises the Alliance to begin recruiting and training new officers to prepare for the eventual war. Furthermore, we are to spend more resources to advance our technology and outfit our ships with the latest weaponry. ¡°What Captain Ca¡¯luc wants us to do is assemble another army and prepare for another war?¡± a board member interjected. ¡°Do you not understand we are three chaos cycles removed from our last war? The populations of our respective civilizations are still rebuilding. To go to war once more will devastate them. We do not have sufficient resources and have more dire issues to consider. Gearing up for another war would not only decrease morale, but also lay the groundwork for rebellion. From what we have considered, while the humans have advanced far enough to pose a threat, going to war seems to be an overreaction.¡± ¡°An overreaction?¡± Ga¡¯ruk¡¯s self-control began unraveling. ¡°The humans caused the destruction of three of our ships and the deaths of their crew!¡± ¡°I understand, you are still in shock. The loss of Captain Ca¡¯luc must have hit you hard,¡± Hasep¡ªthe oldest board member¡ªsaid gently. Upon hearing his words, Sah¡¯ra¡ªthe only female board member¡ªfrowned and opened her mouth to disagree. Noticing this, Hasep raised his voice and said, ¡°But you need to realize, the Alliance has more important things to worry about. While it is surprising that the humans managed to gain the upper hand, it is our belief that the sacrifices made by Captain Ca¡¯luc and the others¡ªin detonating their own ships¡ªdealt a huge blow to humanity¡¯s forces. We feel that sending another security detail with a few more ships to the human¡¯s home world would rectify this failure.¡± The Captain was right. The Alliance has become too entrenched in their ways. They don¡¯t see the humans as a true threat. They believe that no other species can compete with them. The Alliance¡¯s governing board consisted of ten members¡ªrepresentatives from each sentient species that had joined. In the event of a tie, His Imperial Majesty served as the tiebreaking vote. Many of these seats were like a revolving door¡ªthe representatives were always changing. As of now, very few individuals from previous deployments were still alive and would be willing to back up Ca¡¯luc¡¯s claims about the danger the humans posed. Thinking back, it took Ca¡¯luc two chaos cycles to convince the Alliance to send three ships with the latest weaponry to the humans¡¯ home world. It truly appeared the Alliance had truly forgotten how seriously their predecessors had taken the human threat as. We must proceed with caution and respect the humans for the threat they pose¡­ these words kept reverberating in Ga¡¯ruk¡¯s mind. Why can¡¯t these idiots understand? The humans are the greatest threat to their civilization since the beginning of time! ¡°We have lost a valuable asset in Captain Ca¡¯luc. Thousands of our own men have died in a mere skirmish with the humans. The humans accomplished this much in an additional two chaos cycles. While this is shocking, it is not cause for alarm. As stated previously, we will deploy another security detail¡ªthis time consisting of ten ships equipped with both our newest weaponry and our experimental ones. We will convene with His Imperial Majesty and recommend that you take control of the flagship for this expedition. You will choose the captains of each ship.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ga¡¯ruk, you may be young, but your experience with dealing with the humans is one-of-a-kind. That is why we are recommending you as the leader of this expedition.¡± The governing board¡¯s unconcerned tone baffled Ga¡¯ruk. It seemed they believed the humans would easily be put down with an additional seven ships. The death of Captain Ca¡¯luc was supposed to emphasize the threat the humans posed; however, the Alliance treated his death as a mere footnote in the history books. ¡°You will lead the next expedition to crush the humans,¡± another board member began. ¡°In the past, it took a single ship to send the humans back to the Stone Age. Based off of our calculations of the human¡¯s trajectory path, ten ships will be more than enough to eliminate the humans. This time, you must put an end to their civilization.¡± ¡°With all due respect, I disagree with your analysis,¡± Ga¡¯ruk responded angrily. ¡°It will take a chaos cycle or two to properly brief and train the crews for the ten ships. Three chaos cycles ago, Captain Ca¡¯luc stood here and begged for a formal deployment order to be issued to quell the human threat. He reminded you of the dangers humanity posed to the rest of the world. Instead of listening to him, you blew him off! It took another two chaos cycles before you would relent to sending a force to the human¡¯s home planet. When we set out for the human¡¯s home world, we were outnumbered, outgunned, and exterminated. Imagine what the humans could accomplish in a chaos cycle or two. It would be the equivalent of sending us to our deaths and wasting the key opportunity Captain Ca¡¯luc gave us!¡± ¡°And you think preparing for war and assembling an army would be even faster? It seems to me that we must strike while the iron is hot¡ªdestroy their confidence as fast as possible,¡± Y¡¯lok said. ¡°You don¡¯t understand. The humans are advancing more quickly than we imagined. They could discover the formulas to achieve hyper drive at any moment! When they accomplish this, entire galaxies would be at their mercy. I believe it¡¯s a better use of time, to gear up for war and fend off any human attack that can come,¡± Ga¡¯ruk pleaded. ¡°The key word in your statement is could. You are basing your thought process off of potential scenarios and not offering us cold, hard facts. Why should we believe you?¡± ¡°I was there. I saw what happened.¡± ¡°You are blinded by rage. You see, but you don¡¯t see,¡± Hasep said. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°We will meet with His Imperial Majesty about giving you command of the flagship. Upon receiving confirmation of your new title, Captain, you will also receive a list of commanding officers. You will be free to choose who you want as your fellow captains on this excursion. You are dismissed.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Guards, show him out!¡± Y¡¯lok shouted. Ga¡¯ruk¡¯s mouth was covered as he was forcefully dragged out of the room. He wanted to tell them one last thing¡ªYou are overconfident in your abilities. Believe it or not, the human threat is real. They will seek to destroy us for what we have done to them in the past¡­ Chapter 4 ¡°Initiating hyper drive launch sequence, test number 666, in a minute.¡± Dr. Raymond Gregory had heard those words repeated over and over again in the last twenty years. It had been a long road for him. ¡°Test initiating in 45 seconds¡­¡± Please work. Please work. Please work. I don¡¯t know how much more of this I can take. I¡¯m at the end of the rope. If this test fails, I¡¯m quitting this project and retiring. This project was my baby, now it¡¯s my kryptonite. The moment I saw the wreckage of this engine, it had become my whole world. I lost my family because of this. I really must get out of here. Raymond had spent a majority of his life attempting to reverse engineer an engine that many believed was capable of traveling faster than the speed of light. It had been roughly two hundred years since the Battle and the human civilization had largely recovered from their losses. Their leaders swore that they would never again suffer so many losses in a winning effort again and laid the groundwork for another technological age. In fact, the last six hundred years of human history had brought enormous technological advancement with it. A large part of the success was attributed to the discovery of alien technology hidden in various ruins around the world. The first piece of alien technology was found in the year 1955 when an expedition team set out to explore the Arctic, got lost, and stumbled across the remains of what appeared to be a large shuttle, the construction and design of which was unrecognizable. It had taken the world¡¯s greatest minds tens of years before they managed to extract anything practical from the remains. The fruits of their research led to the achievement of basic flight and the development of cars and spaceships These discoveries fundamentally changed the trajectory of human civilization for the better because the discoveries changed the way travel was conducted and allowed the military to conduct top-secret experiments to leapfrog to the forefront of weapons development. ¡°Test initiating in 35 seconds¡­¡± Then came the second discovery, in the year 2050, when humanity first attempted to colonize Venus. A team of astronauts sent into space noticed an abnormality located somewhere in the jungles of Brazil. The second discovery was considered revolutionary, for it completely rewrote human history. Everything the humans thought they knew about their history, their planet, and their galaxy, was completely scrapped and changed. The humans discovered they were not the only sentient beings in the world. There was a third discovery around the year 2132, when rescuers stumbled across a hidden cave in the side of a cliff. When they ventured into the cave, they discovered a mostly intact ship that was larger and more complex than anything the humans could¡¯ve built. This is what changed the human trajectory for the better. Countless of scientists poured over this finding; always attempting to reverse engineer it to no avail. After another two hundred years of failure, the gavel had finally been passed to him. Whenever he was asked which discovery was the most revolutionary, Raymond would always insist it was the second discovery. Without it, humans would¡¯ve been kept in the dark about their origins. They never would have discovered that they weren¡¯t the only sentient beings in the universe and wouldn¡¯t have made it this far in technological advancements without a sense of urgency. ¡°Test initiating in 20 seconds¡­¡± Raymond thought back to the day he was first handed the project. He was full of joy that he, a seemingly insignificant scholar slaving away at a subpar research facility, had been chosen to be a part of such an important assignment. Not only that, but the task he was to undertake had stumped some of the world¡¯s greatest minds! He accepted the commission on the spot and never looked back since.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Every time he looked out his office window, he never regretted his decision because not only was the ship intact, but the ship was also perfectly functional. However, neither he nor his colleagues were able to comprehend the alien¡¯s language and had to scrap the idea of piloting the ship. Instead, they focused on the only thing they could do: reverse engineer the ship¡¯s core. Raymond remembered what one of his predecessors had wrote, ¡°Human¡¯s are naturally inquisitive. If you give a human enough time, there is nothing their mind isn¡¯t capable of solving.¡± This statement became the focal point in his determination in solving the puzzle before him. He gathered a team¡ªconsisting of the brightest young minds the world had to offer¡ªand worked with them to extract data from the ship. After years of analyzing the data, the team concluded that the documents found in the second discovery were most likely true¡ªthey weren¡¯t the only intelligent life forms out there; they weren¡¯t alone. There was one problem¡ªthe other life forms considered the humans as a threat to their galactic society and repeatedly attempted to eliminate them. ¡°Test initiating in 10 seconds. The last part of the data put mankind permanently in a state of fear. They feared that one day, the aliens would come and destroy them. Quickly, leaders from all over the world set aside their differences and devoted every possible resource for the sole purpose of advancing science and technology. Day by day, new innovations started headlining the news¡ªspaceships outfitted for war were invented, more advanced radar systems were developed, even outposts were developed all around the galaxy. By the time the alien invaders arrived in their three colossal ships, the humans had colonized every habitable planet in their solar system and protected them with millions of combat ready ships. The invaders put up a great fight and even detonated their ships to inflict more damage on the humans¡¯ armada, but eventually the humans won. Originally, Raymond thought the battle had been a total waste of time and resources, until a scavenger ship discovered what seemed to be a drive floating around the wreckage of an enemy ship. Raymond and his team purchased the drive and eventually were able to piece together a working knowledge of the alien language and deciphered what the ship¡¯s engine was really capable of. The engine he and his predecessors had been working to reverse engineer was indeed capable of allowing the humans to leave the constraints of their universe and explore numerous galaxies. With the data¡¯s help, Raymond and his team managed to reverse engineer the engine and built multiple copies from the remains of the alien ships floating around. They knew the models they built were not practical. The core they constructed was cylindrical in size and roughly twenty stories high and five football fields wide. At this point in their research, they didn¡¯t care about practicality; to them, the most important item in their itinerary was getting the core to work. In total, they had run 665 tests. Today was their 666th. They had tinkered with the engine¡¯s design and tweaked the startup process multiple times to no avail. They hypothesized that for the engine to work, the cylinder had to spin and rotate on its own at super high speeds. So far, it was only able to do so when physically prompted by artificial tools. They haven¡¯t been able to understand why the engine wasn¡¯t able to operate on its own. Raymond didn¡¯t have high hopes for the 666th test; they had only changed a line or two in the code. At this point in the trials, he was not optimistic that the 666th time would be successful. ¡°Test initiating in 5 seconds¡­¡± The engine began to slowly hum as it revved up to full force. Artificial tools responsible for keeping the engine humming slowly began to detach. ¡°Test initiating in 4 seconds¡­¡± ¡°3 seconds¡­¡± ¡°2 seconds¡­¡± ¡°1 second¡­¡± Please work. Raymond thought to himself. A look of desperation appeared on his face, he didn¡¯t want to see another failure. He closed his eyes and prayed. Boom! Through his eyelids, Raymond noticed a bright red flash of light appear. He flinched and subconsciously took a step back. He heard the rest of his team curse, as they feared another failure. The light soon died down. Raymond opened his eyes and saw the most beautiful thing he had ever seen in his entire life. The core was still spinning! For a moment, Raymond and his team stood there shocked. They rubbed their eyes and pinched themselves to see if they were awake. After realizing that they weren¡¯t dreaming, cheers of joy and excitement erupted. Raymond dropped to his knees in excitement¡ªit finally worked! Chapter 5 ¡°Dr. Gregory, it is a pleasure to see you again,¡± Fleet Admiral Hitchens said with a friendly smile. The Fleet Admiral extended his hand in welcome to the person who had carried the hopes of the human population for over a decade. ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure, sir,¡± Dr. Gregory replied, firmly shaking Hitchens¡¯ hand. After celebrating the first successful testing of the hyper drive core, Dr. Gregory and his team contacted the Fleet Admiral through secure channels. They were ordered to keep quiet about the accomplishment until the Fleet Admiral came to witness their achievement firsthand. He had brought along various leaders from all over their solar system to bear witness to the first official run of Dr. Gregory¡¯s hyper drive core. After acknowledging their achievement, the Fleet Admiral and the various leaders jointly ordered a ship¡ªbig enough to house the hyper drive core¡ªto be constructed as soon as possible. The team tasked to build the spaceship was sworn to secrecy and isolated in Dr. Gregory¡¯s lab. Because they couldn¡¯t move the hyper drive core, the construction team had to figure a way to build around it. Frankly, it amazed Dr. Gregory and the Fleet Admiral that the ship had been fully constructed within five years. They had anticipated at least seven years. Unfortunately, end result was enormous; it was the largest spaceship ever built by human hands. With her red and black exterior, her massive frame, and hundreds of thousands of concealed weaponry packed throughout her body, the ship seemed perfect to announce the humans¡¯ arrival to galactic warfare. It seemed only fitting for the ship to be named The Executioner. ¡°What do you think of your new flagship, sir?¡± Dr. Gregory asked. ¡°She¡¯s a beauty,¡± Hitchens said. ¡°Does she really have to be this big, though? It almost seems so impractical¡­¡± ¡°Haha, you and I both know looks aren¡¯t everything. What matters is the end result, Fleet Admiral,¡± Dr. Gregory said. ¡°I know, but I fear the moment hyper drive is started; the ship will be blown to bits. I¡¯d really hate to see my flagship destroyed before I step foot on her,¡± Hitchens responded with a chuckle. Although the Fleet Admiral spoke in a joking tone; however in reality, he was voicing the unspoken opinion of many. A majority of those who knew about the project feared the weight of the core would cause the ship to crash and burn before it even reached terminal velocity. Dr. Gregory took the comment in stride, laughed, and said, ¡°As a fellow human, I understand your concern with the ship¡¯s design. However as a scientist, I can tell you that the best and brightest minds worked together in building this masterpiece. We have put her through multiple computer simulations and I can reassure you that the odds of failure are really slim.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear,¡± Hitchens said as he turned to the observation deck. Once again, the respective leaders of their solar system had gathered together, this time on the outskirts of Jupiter, to witness this historic event. For the sake of total secrecy, in case of failure, the ship had been veiled and towed from Earth to Jupiter for her maiden voyage. They watched as the hand-selected crew for The Executioner walked out of the hanger and towards the ship with a sense of purpose. They stopped at the entrance to the ship, turned around, and saluted the spectators with determined expressions on their faces. ¡°Fleet Admiral Hitchens, I hope the captain of The Executioner¡¯s maiden voyage is a competent individual,¡± President Tikon said. ¡°If he messes up, who knows how long it will take to engineer another hyper drive engine.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mrs. President. Admiral Ichika is the one of the best pilots in the armada. There¡¯s no one I¡¯d trust more to pilot The Executioner on her maiden voyage. Furthermore, Ichika has been an integral cog in how the ship was constructed so quickly. He walked on her deck, offered his own input and advice on how to improve her, and most importantly, he has a feel for her¡ªhe understands her every movement. At this point, The Executioner is like the daughter Admiral Ichika never had. He won¡¯t let anything happen to her.¡±If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Hmph. I¡¯d feel better if you were piloting the ship.¡± ¡°¡­¡± They fell silent as an electronic voice said, ¡°Maiden voyage for The Executioner beginning in one minute.¡± ¡°Are you nervous, Dr. Gregory?¡± Hitchens asked. ¡°I believe in science and cold, hard facts, sir. I¡¯m confident that it will work.¡± ¡°Your confidence is catchy, Dr. Gregory. My confidence is growing with each passing second. Can you believe we are about to witness history?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± Fleet Admiral Hitchens opened and shut his mouth as the countdown hit 10 seconds. Dr. Gregory walked up to the glass for a closer view of the launch. He subconsciously gripped the railing as the countdown slowly decreased. ¡°7 seconds¡­¡± ¡°6 seconds¡­¡± ¡°5 seconds¡­¡± The crew started the ship¡¯s engine and pull away from the dock. ¡°4 seconds¡­¡± ¡°3 seconds¡­¡± The observers watched the ship start to drift away from the planet. ¡°2 seconds¡­¡± Everyone invited collectively took a deep breath. ¡°1 second¡­¡± Time seemed to stop as they waited for the crew to engage the hyper drive core. Suddenly, the onlookers heard Admiral Ichika¡¯s voice through the speakers, ¡°Hyper drive core engaging.¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes immediately darted towards the video monitors mounted on top of the observation deck and watched The Executioner¡¯s progress. Not only did the video monitors provide the spectators with a completely unhindered view of the crew, but also presented up to date analysis on how the hyper drive core held up. ¡°Well Dr. Gregory, how is she holding up?¡± ¡°Fine! Absolutely fine!¡± Dr. Gregory said. ¡°Admiral Ichika, run a full systems check from your end.¡± ¡°Affirmative.¡± Suspense filled the air as they waited for the Admiral to reply back. ¡°All systems are functioning, sir. It runs perfectly.¡± ¡°Thank you, Admiral. Reverse course for home,¡± Hitchens said. The Fleet Admiral turned around and observed looks of tension transforming to relief on everyone¡¯s faces. Cheers of joy soon followed. They had done it. Now humanity would no longer be at the mercy of other galactic civilizations. ¡°Congratulations on your achievement, Dr. Gregory. You and your team have changed the trajectory of the human civilization for centuries to come,¡± Hitchens said. ¡°Thank you, sir. I¡¯d like to thank you in advance for your future efforts in bringing peace to a vastly troubled universe.¡± Hitchens laughed and said with a bloodthirsty smile, ¡°Dr. Gregory, you know as well as I that I won¡¯t be bringing peace to the rest of the universe. I will be seeking to conquer.¡± ¡°¡­¡± A sliver of a smile appeared on Dr. Gregory¡¯s face. When he undertook the project, he understood that the hyper drive core would be implemented into ships and used for war purposes, yet a part of him hoped the upper echelons of military command would change their minds and use this opportunity for the betterment of human society. They could travel throughout galaxies, research indigenous species on habitable planets, and perhaps colonize other worlds. He didn¡¯t want his engine to be primarily used for war. ¡°Dr. Gregory?¡± ¡°I hear you are meeting with President Tikon and other world leaders tomorrow to discuss humanity¡¯s next move.¡± ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°What are you going to recommend?¡± Dr. Gregory asked timidly. Dr. Gregory knew his responsibility lay in reverse engineering the hyper drive core; he was not entitled to know anything more. He understood that he only played a small role in the grand scheme of things, but as the lead scientist in charge of developing the hyper drive core, he hoped that he would get an answer. ¡°Sorry, that is classified,¡± Hitchens said. Dr. Gregory¡¯s face fell. ¡°But, I sure as hell can¡¯t tell you that we are about to go on the offensive.¡± Dr. Gregory grimly smiled and nodded. He knew the Fleet Admiral bore no love for the invaders. Even though it had been two hundred years, he still bore a grudge. Rumor had it that many of the Fleet Admiral¡¯s family had fought in the Battle of Survival and had perished. Furthermore as the highest-ranking officer in the armada, the Fleet Admiral had access to all the classified documents regarding the aliens. Maybe the Fleet Admiral knew something that the rest of the world didn¡¯t. By the gods, I hope the war will be a successful endeavor. My only hope is there is something left for us, scientists, to harvest from the destruction, Dr. Gregory thought as he turned around and left. ¡°Good luck, sir!¡± Dr. Gregory said to the Fleet Admiral without turning around. Good luck, indeed¡­ Chapter 6 After being forcefully thrown out from the Alliance¡¯s headquarters, Ga¡¯ruk found himself pacing aimlessly around in his room. He didn¡¯t know what to do¡ªhis task was basically a death sentence. If I don¡¯t follow through with my orders, I will be put on trial for insubordination. If I follow through with my orders, I will be leading hundreds of thousands of men to their deaths, Ga¡¯ruk thought. I don¡¯t want to bear this massive responsibility. Bzzz! Ga¡¯ruk snapped out of his thoughts when his communications device vibrated on his bedside table. He stopped pacing, reached for the device, and answered it. ¡°Hello?¡± Ga¡¯ruk asked. ¡°Ga¡¯ruk, this is Sah¡¯ra I want to apologize for Y¡¯lok¡¯s actions today. He usually isn¡¯t like this. He has a lot on his plate; we all do.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Furthermore, I want to congratulate you on becoming the youngest commanding officer of the security detail in our civilization¡¯s history. We have consulted with His Imperial Majesty and He affirmed your appointment.¡± ¡°Thank you, ma¡¯am. It is a great honor,¡± Ga¡¯ruk said while cursing his luck. ¡°You have been granted access to an officer database from which you will select the captains of the other ships. When you access the database, you will find all of our papers, references, and existing knowledge regarding the humans.¡± ¡°Thank you, ma¡¯am. I will get to work right away.¡± ¡°Take the night off and begin work tomorrow. Congratulations and good luck.¡± When the call ended, Ga¡¯ruk angrily threw his communications device against the wall. Take the night off, she says. What does she know? Ga¡¯ruk thought. She has never once been out on a battlefield nor has she ever encountered a society similar to what the humans have constructed. No, the first thing to do is to read Captain Ca¡¯luc¡¯s notes on the humans. Everything else takes a backseat. He gazed out his window at the peaceful nightlife before him¡ªfrom the couples going on dates to the movies to the young families strolling around the park, all of them more ignorant than the next at the potential danger lurking above the horizon. As Ga¡¯ruk looked down at the scene before him, he let out a sigh. His mission had to be a success or else who knew how much longer the peaceful days would last. Ga¡¯ruk then sat down at his desk, logged onto his terminal, and began the arduous task ahead of him. The first thing he did was access his late captain¡¯s data logs and read through each and every one of them in hopes of discovering something the captain failed to mention about the humans¡ªa weakness of sorts. Ga¡¯ruk wasn¡¯t optimistic that he would find something that his former captain failed to mention¡ªgiven Ca¡¯luc¡¯s fine attention to detail¡ªhowever, he still held out hope that Captain Ca¡¯luc might¡¯ve overlooked one small detail when he prepared his reports. As he flipped from one report to another, he thought back to the first conversation he had with the Captain. He had been a fresh recruit at the time¡ªeager for his turn to make his mark upon the world¡ªwhen he met Captain Ca¡¯luc. The Captain had been at the Alliance headquarters pleading with the leaders of the Alliance for an official deployment order for the security detail. Ca¡¯luc had briefed the leaders about what the humans were capable of and had started to voice his concerns about the potential ramifications of letting the humans be for another chaos cycle when Ga¡¯ruk walked into the audience room. After listening to Ca¡¯luk¡¯s arguments, Ga¡¯ruk was outraged when the Alliance refused to grant Ca¡¯luc¡¯s request for deployment. When the hearing concluded, he had quickly rushed out of the room to catch up with Ca¡¯luc and asked to be part of Ca¡¯luc¡¯s crew. ¡°So did you rush here to make fun of me too?¡± he remembered Ca¡¯luc asking him. ¡°No, sir. I agree with your reasoning. The humans must be put down while they are a non-threat. I just don¡¯t understand why the Alliance doesn¡¯t see the humans as a threat,¡± he replied.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. ¡°Those idiots have never been to the human¡¯s home planet before, nor have they been on a battlefield; they can only imagine what it¡¯s like out there. Those buffoons have become stuck behind their stuffy desks for so long, they probably forgot what the outside world is like. Just because we have successfully put down several human uprisings, doesn¡¯t mean we should underestimate our enemy. Boy, those humans evolve at faster rates than we could ever imagine, that¡¯s why, we need to respect them. Always learn to respect your enemy, boy, always respect them for you do not know what they are truly capable of.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Ga¡¯ruk understood that the Alliance had grown too comfortable in their positions. They had never experienced true war; rather, whenever war erupted, they cowered in their seats and issued orders to the front lines. After eons of putting down all who opposed them, the Alliance had grown soft and no longer felt the need to respect anybody, besides themselves. As a result of their cockiness, Captain Ca¡¯luc had suffered an untimely end. How many more lives must be sacrificed before the Alliance decides to view the humans as the threat they truly have become? How many more lives will be lost before the Alliance relearns how to respect their enemy? Ga¡¯ruk thought as he drifted off to sleep. When he woke up, he discovered a memo from Sah¡¯ra on his terminal regarding the orders she issued after their talk last night¡ªhe was to be granted the first choice of all available captains and crew members. As he read the memo, a part of him wondered why Sah¡¯ra treated him so kindly. Ga¡¯ruk knew the timetable he had given the Alliance was too optimistic¡ªnormally it would take multiple chaos cycles before one would be deemed ready for battle¡ªbut time was of essence. He needed to collect information, brainstorm battle tactics, recruit the smartest, cleverest soldiers, and then brief the new recruits on the mission. After making a cup of coffee, Ga¡¯ruk dived back into reviewing his former captain¡¯s notes and logs. On one screen, Ga¡¯ruk highlighted and annotated important sections as he browsed through the documents. On the other, he reorganized the papers into an index, so he would be able to reread them with ease later on. Ga¡¯ruk stopped what he was doing when he came across Ca¡¯luc¡¯s personal notes¡ªthey were intricately hidden in one of the Captain¡¯s daily logs. After deciphering the encryption, Ga¡¯ruk opened the file and was astonished when a hologram of a younger, stronger, less battle-hardened Ca¡¯luc appeared on his desk. ¡°If you are viewing this, then it means I have passed on and you have now been named commander of the new security detail,¡± the hologram of Ca¡¯luc said. Ga¡¯ruk nodded. ¡°Sigh, I guess all things come to an end; regardless, of how careful one is. Was I killed in battle?¡± Ga¡¯ruk fell out of his seat in shock¡ªholograms were antiquated technology and served primarily as a way of leaving messages. They weren¡¯t supposed to be able to interact with their audience. ¡°Kid, I don¡¯t have much time. In an effort to avoid tedious questions, I uploaded a strand of my consciousness into the database as insurance¡ªI didn¡¯t want to let my knowledge of the humans disappear when I died. So, answer my question.¡± ¡°On our last mission to eliminate the humans, we discovered that they had advanced further than we expected¡ªthey were ready for us. When we realized we were outnumbered, you gave the order to detonate the ship.¡± ¡°At least my death served a purpose. When you brought the news of the failed mission to the Alliance, I bet they put you in charge, gave you more ships and more men, and ordered you to lead another offensive.¡± ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°Idiots, the lot of them.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I left this strand of consciousness to help my successor organize and analyze all the data I have collected over the years regarding the humans. I wish you the best.¡± Ga¡¯ruk watched open-eyed as Ca¡¯luc¡¯s hologram disappeared, only to be replaced by thousands of documents, spreading out all over his desk and reorganizing themselves into proper sequential order. He knew when it came to the subject of humans; there was no one, alive or dead, who could rival Ca¡¯luc¡¯s claim of being the utmost authority on mankind. He was a decorated war hero¡ªsurvivor of multiple excursions to the humans¡¯ home world. It was said the Captain had gone solo for some scouting missions. While the Alliance may not understand how much of a threat the humans are, Ca¡¯luc surely did. From brief glimpses of Ca¡¯luc¡¯s personal notes, Ga¡¯ruk knew that Ca¡¯luc had been preparing for an emergency such as this one for a long time. He noticed quite a few pages regarding what would happen if they suffered defeat at the hands of the humans and noted numerous predictions of the outcome of the battle, each more frightening than the next, but one thing remained consistent¡ªif the humans won, they would quickly regroup and rebuild, and set their eyes on conquering the other galaxies. Ga¡¯ruk could almost hear Captain Ca¡¯luc¡¯s voice warning them of the consequences¡ªshould they suffer defeat at the hands of the humans¡ªonce more. ¡°Should the humans emerge victorious in this battle, any survivors must¡ªusing any means necessary¡ªmake their way back to Olras and warn the Alliance. We must convince them to send out a formal army to crush the humans as soon as possible. If the Alliance fails to respond to the known danger within a short period of time, I fear the humans would advance farther and quicker than before and take the war to us. At that time, it will be impossible to guess the outcome¡­¡± Ga¡¯ruk gulped as he recalled Captain Ca¡¯luc¡¯s final warning before they entered the humans¡¯ solar system. He knew no matter what, he had to get his forces together¡ªas quickly as possible¡ªto combat any advances the humans could¡¯ve accomplished in a short time frame. Suddenly the pages on his desk stopped sorting themselves, Ga¡¯ruk looked down at the top page and froze. There was only one line written on the page¡ªin the event of a failed offensive, the Alliance should expect the humans to bring the war to them in one or two chaos cycles, maybe less¡­ Chapter 7 Sah¡¯ra paced back and forth in her room¡ªlost in her thoughts. She had been a member of a previous security detail. Through that experience, she was one of the few who understood the danger humans posed to the other galaxies. As a result, she ended up stuck in a quandary¡ªshould she keep silent and let things be or should she head over to speak with Ga¡¯ruk and offer up her expertise? She sighed. It was not going to be an easy decision. ¡°I¡¯m going to leave it up to fate,¡± she voiced aloud. ¡°If my coin lands on heads, I will keep silent. If it lands on tails, I will go speak with Ga¡¯ruk.¡± She reached for her lucky coin on her nightstand, flicked it up, and followed the coin¡¯s progression. She closed her eyes as the coin hit the ground and flipped itself over¡ªnot daring to look at the result. After some time, she took a deep breath, opened one eye, and peeked at the outcome. It was tails. Hm¡­ Fate has spoken. I¡¯ll go pay Ga¡¯ruk a visit tomorrow. In the meantime, I will do all I can to make sure his transition¡ªfrom a mere lieutenant to a commanding officer¡ªgoes as smoothly as possible. The next morning, Sah¡¯ra headed for the security detail¡¯s main building. ¡°Hello, I need to speak with Commander Ga¡¯ruk,¡± she told the receptionist. ¡°Do you have an appointment?¡± the receptionist asked. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Sorry ma¡¯am, when the commander came in this morning, he told us to screen his meetings¡ªhe will not meet with anyone without an appointment.¡± ¡°Tell him governing board member Sah¡¯ra, is here on urgent business.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± the receptionist squeaked. She pressed a button on her desk and said, ¡°Commander Ga¡¯ruk, board member Sah¡¯ra is requesting an audience.¡± Why would board member Sah¡¯ra ask for an audience? Ga¡¯ruk thought. She has already helped me out by paving the way for an effortless transition to power for me. Is she here to cash in the favor? ¡°Very well. Show her to my office.¡± Minutes later, Ga¡¯ruk heard a knock on his door. ¡°Come in,¡± he said. He stood up as his receptionist opened the door and watched Sah¡¯ra enter the room. ¡°Board member Sah¡¯ra, it¡¯s a pleasure to finally meet you in person,¡± he said. ¡°Please, call me Sah¡¯ra. Thank you for meeting with me on short notice,¡± she said as she gazed around his office, pausing briefly on the unorganized stacks of paper on his desk and surrounding chairs. Ga¡¯ruk followed along with her gaze and observed piles of documents strewn all over his office. ¡°Sorry about the mess. It has been a wild day and half. I have been far too busy reading reports. I must not let this next mission be deemed a failure,¡± he said as he moved to clear some papers off of a chair. ¡°Please have a seat.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Sah¡¯ra said. ¡°Thank you for all the help you have given me. I have been able to access everything I need without impediment,¡± Ga¡¯ruk said as he continued to move papers around. ¡°You¡¯re welcome. Do let me know if you require access to anything that you aren¡¯t approved for. I¡¯ll do my best to get ahold of it for you.¡± ¡°Will do. Anyhow, what brings you to the security detail¡¯s headquarters today?¡± When he didn¡¯t get a response, Ga¡¯ruk stopped what he was doing and gazed in Sah¡¯ra¡¯s direction. He noticed that she was reading some of the documents he had left on a nearby chair. He watched with interest as Sah¡¯ra flipped through the pages and sighed. ¡°Captain Ca¡¯luc¡¯s sacrifice was an enormous loss for us all. I¡¯m sure you understand more than most the significance of his loss. Sadly, it¡¯s a pity not many understand the significance of his loss,¡± Sah¡¯ra began. ¡°Thankfully, he left behind plenty of observations and documentations.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± ¡°The reason I¡¯m here today is to lend you a helping hand.¡± Shocked, Ga¡¯ruk stumbled and felt compelled to take a seat. He gazed inquisitively at Sah¡¯ra¡ªtrying to discern whether she was telling the truth or not. He didn¡¯t know much about her¡ªonly a few rumors here and there. He heard that she had been one of two mainstays on the governing board¡ªshe had managed to outlast many of the changes that caused the downfall of her peers. Furthermore, it was said the only reason she managed to avoid the constant turnover was because she never took part in any major issue¡ªshe remained neutral. ¡°I¡¯m listening,¡± Ga¡¯ruk said. Sah¡¯ra fidgeted in her seat and paused. It seemed to Ga¡¯ruk she was conflicted about whether she should reveal her secrets. He watched as she took a deep breath before he said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to force yourself to say anything. Your help has been more than enough.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Not many people know this, but I was a previous member of a security detail¡­¡± Sah¡¯ra paused once more as her words trailed off. Under normal circumstances, Ga¡¯ruk¡¯s impatience would¡¯ve led him to press for a clear, concise answer; however, with Sah¡¯ra¡¯s current revelation, he restrained himself. Her last sentence changed everything. For Sah¡¯ra to personally come to his office and reveal such sensitive information, as it may seem, Ga¡¯ruk was inclined to hear her out. He hoped that she would share her experiences as a member of a past security detail, offer him advice, and help him plan out an adequate strategy to take on the humans.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Before I became a board member, I was a science officer commissioned on Captain Ca¡¯luc¡¯s ship.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it would come as much of a surprise if I told you that ever since I retired from the security force, I have kept in close contact with Captain Ca¡¯luc and kept an eye out for any issues regarding the humans for him.¡± Ga¡¯ruk nodded. ¡°Ever since you brought back news of his passing, I have been reviewing my own notes and observations in hopes of discovering something we may have overlooked.¡± ¡°Did you find anything?¡± ¡°Not yet, but as I was analyzing the data, it dawned on me that we should look to the past and attempt learn from it.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Right now, you are faced with two major problems. The first being getting the governing board to grasp the gravity of this conflict and the second being crafting an efficient battle plan to confront humanity¡¯s forces.¡± ¡°I¡¯m already aware of those issues, Sah¡¯ra,¡± Ga¡¯ruk said dismissively. ¡°My apologies for stating the obvious, commander, but please be patient I still haven¡¯t made my point yet.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°To solve the first, I hope you have already read Captain Ca¡¯luc¡¯s notes and recognized his frustrations whenever he had to deal with the Alliance¡¯s governing board?¡± ¡°Yes. In the past, whenever I heard him vent his frustrations regarding the board members, I thought he was merely exaggerating the extent of their ignorance, but after my sole meeting with them, I have to agree with his conclusion¡ªa majority of the board members are bigots.¡± ¡°Agreed,¡± Sah¡¯ra replied calmly. ¡°As I said earlier, we must look to the past and learn from it. After years of study, one thing I have constantly noted is that history repeats itself.¡± ¡°Go on?¡± ¡°Over the past few chaos cycles, you must have witnessed Captain Ca¡¯luc repeatedly enter Alliance¡¯s headquarters and ask for deployment orders, correct?¡± Ga¡¯ruk nodded. ¡°Time and time again, the Alliance refused to give the deployment orders. Do you understand why?¡± Ga¡¯ruk shook his head. ¡°He always used the same arguments as his predecessors did¡ªthe humans are a threat because they thrive on chaos¡ªand never once attempted to change his way of thinking. Every time, I tried to help him and offer him input, he brushed me aside. He wanted to do things his own way.¡± Ga¡¯ruk worked to hold back a smile¡ªit was so like the captain to refuse help. Sah¡¯ra continued, ¡°After decades of listening to the same arguments over and over again and watching their deployment forces easily crush the humans, the Alliance has gone complacent in their thinking. In their opinion, Captain Ca¡¯luc and his predecessors had grown bored sitting around and wanted a deployment order to bring some excitement back into their lives. What you need is a different approach and new arguments.¡± Ga¡¯ruk felt his frustration disappear. What Sah¡¯ra said made sense¡ªhe had read the captain¡¯s notes and logs and repeatedly found that the captain usually used his predecessors¡¯ arguments as the starting point. ¡°How should I craft a new argument?¡± he asked. ¡°For starters, you have me in your corner. From now on, I¡¯ll be a more active participant in board member meetings.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Furthermore, did you happen to come across the section, in Captain Ca¡¯luc¡¯s notes, dedicated to humanity¡¯s discovery and use of atomic power? ¡°Yes, I have.¡± ¡°What did you gather from the data?¡± Ga¡¯ruk paused. He understood Sah¡¯ra wanted him to make the inference himself, but he didn¡¯t know what it was she was hinting at. ¡°Just the usual,¡± he said. ¡°The humans discovered how to harness atomic power in an attempt to put a quick end to the war. They didn¡¯t really care about how many lives were lost in the ensuing explosion.¡± ¡°Correct.¡± ¡°The humans developed atomic power and used it without regard for the loss of life?¡± ¡°Yes, the humans put scientific innovation first and foremost; however, when they discover a potential military application for an invention, they will devote all of their resources to weaponize it for military purposes.¡± ¡°Okay?¡± ¡°In the case of the nuclear bomb, the humans discovered how to induce nuclear fission and split a radioactive atom into smaller nuclei. Without any regard for the loss of human life, they immediately decided to test their new weapon on an unsuspecting country. The humans willingly put their entire existence in jeopardy without further regard for potential consequences to themselves or to their home planet. What does this action tell you about the humans, commander?¡± Ga¡¯ruk fell silent as he pondered over Sah¡¯ra¡¯s question. He didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°All it tells me is the humans are a dangerous threat to themselves and to the other galaxies.¡± ¡°True, but what I¡¯m trying to get at is the humans are an unpredictable force.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ga¡¯ruk asked. ¡°I¡¯m sure you know by now that humanity thrives on chaos. It is a part of them. We have both seen it first hand¡ªhow unpredictable the humans are. One moment they are trying to build a civilization, the next moment they are butting heads over petty differences. I feel you should emphasize humanity¡¯s unpredictable and brazen nature in future meetings with the governing board.¡± ¡°Understood, but didn¡¯t Captain Ca¡¯luc and his predecessors at least touch upon the humans¡¯ unpredictability?¡± ¡°Yes and no. Captain Ca¡¯luc and his predecessors did point out humanity¡¯s unpredictable nature, but they never bothered to emphasize and connect it to potential ramifications it creates.¡± Sah¡¯ra paused for a moment to allow Ga¡¯ruk to digest the information. ¡°If you want the Alliance to realize how much of a threat the humans are, you must shift the conversation to focus on these points.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t I forcibly removed last time for addressing potential scenarios?¡± ¡°You had tried their patience by barging in earlier. It was a miracle they even bothered to hear you out. Not only that, you basically threatened them with your last sentence¡ªhumans could develop hyper drive and launch attacks on Alliance held planets¡ªwithout proof to back it up.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°This time will be different. Using the atomic bomb as the basis of your argument, you will explore the potential, immediate consequences of what would happen when they achieve hyper drive.¡± Ga¡¯ruk sat there silent. He understood what Sah¡¯ra was telling him to do, but he wasn¡¯t prepared to follow through with the plan. ¡°Now consider what a hyper drive engine does¡ªit rips apart space and time in ways we still can¡¯t comprehend. Imagine that in the humans¡¯ hands.¡± Ga¡¯ruk found himself speechless. He had never once considered that possibility. ¡°But is it possible to weaponize a hyper drive engine?¡± he asked. ¡°Who knows, but given the humans¡¯ lust for battle, it might be possible. If they managed to weaponize a hyper drive engine, the universe will never be the same again.¡± Ga¡¯ruk was stunned. Sah¡¯ra had opened the door for actual action to be taken. In fact, the Alliance might give the human threat the respect and attention it required. ¡°Would the governing board understand the gravity of the situation?¡± ¡°Potentially,¡± Sah¡¯ra said as she stood up. Ga¡¯ruk rose to his feet as well. ¡°Before I forget, I believe you should have this,¡± Sah¡¯ra said as she reached into her bag, took out a small blue drive, and handed it to Ga¡¯ruk. ¡°In this drive, you will find drafts of several battle plans that Captain Ca¡¯luc and I devised solely for the sake of winning the war against the humans. I hope you will take these plans into consideration when you plan your method of attack.¡± ¡°Thank you, Sah¡¯ra.¡± ¡°I have nothing more to say. Hopefully, you will learn something from these battle plans. I¡¯ll leave you to your work, commander. If you need my assistance, my door is always open. Good luck.¡± Sah¡¯ra walked out of Ga¡¯ruk¡¯s office, leaving him in stunned silence. Everything changed. He now had a plan of attack. He looked at the drive in his hand and inserted it into his terminal. Now it¡¯s finally time to get to work, he thought. It¡¯s time to convince the Alliance that the humans are a force to be reckoned with. Chapter 8 ¡°Twenty hours ago, The Executioner finally finished its mission and is heading here to refuel before heading back to Earth,¡± Lieutenant Commander Sylvia Erikson said as she ordered her troops to gather around the space station¡¯s window. She pointed at a small black dot along the horizon and proudly said, ¡°That¡¯s our flag ship!¡± She had wanted to shake up the morning¡¯s routine, thus she shared the news that The Executioner was heading towards their base on the outskirts of Jupiter. To her surprise, everyone who heard her stopped what he or she were doing and quickly gathered and squinted in the direction she pointed in. ¡°That ship looks dope!¡± Ensign Jake Boyce shouted with glee. ¡°Ten credits says I can convince the Admiral to let me on his ship!¡± Ensign Boyce was their newest recruit¡ªsent to them from the Academy. In the six months since he got here, he had quickly garnered a reputation for being a child in an adult¡¯s body. He really is a child. Sylvia thought. But at least he helps brighten the mood every now and then. ¡°Lt. Commander, sir, do you know what it¡¯s last mission was?¡± Ensign Boyce asked innocently. The moment he voiced his question, everyone in the room quickly fell silent. They focused their attention on their Lt. Commander, hoping that she knew and was willing to enlighten them. Cheeky brat, Sylvia thought. Why does he always have to voice anything that pops up in his mind? Sylvia lightly coughed before replying, ¡°From what I have been told, a part of The Executioner¡¯s mission was to explore the Andromeda galaxy and deem whether any of the planetary bodies are capable of sustaining life. If any of the planets are deemed worthy, expeditionary forces would be sent down and begin paving the way for our arrival. The second p¡ª¡± ¡°Oooh! Did any of the expeditionary forces find any traces of life?¡± Ensign Boyce interrupted and asked. ¡°Ensign Boyce, if you interrupt me again, I will have you work double shifts cleaning bathrooms for the next three months,¡± Sylvia said with a stern expression. She watched as Ensign Boyce¡¯s face¡ªflush with excitement¡ªquickly transform into a mournful one. ¡°Sorry, sir. It won¡¯t happen again.¡± Sylvia resisted the urge to laugh at the face he was making. ¡°The second part of its mission was to begin construction of several outposts dedicated to monitoring events throughout the universe.¡± ¡°So, it¡¯s true then? Over the past few years, we have heard rumors of The Executioner being deployed to various galaxies around us¡ªtesting the limits of its hyper drive engine as well as laying the foundations for outposts to be built everywhere The Executioner ended up at,¡± Ensign Boyce asked again. ¡°Yes. For now, any outpost built¡ªoutside of the Milky Way¡ªwill serve as a marker of how far humanity has come. Furthermore, under the world leaders¡¯ new initiative, these outposts will eventually link together to form our first line of defense.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ensign Boyce asked ¡°Eventually the outposts will be outfitted with advanced sensors designed to warn us of any alien encroachment into our territories.¡± ¡°D-d-do you think we will be assigned to one of these o-o-outposts?¡± Science Officer Ronnie Lajovic asked with a worried look on his face.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°Who knows, but you should be honored if you are chosen,¡± Sylvia said with a stony expression. It was no secret that many enlisted officers in the Syndicate dreaded being assigned to these outposts. They didn¡¯t want to have to spend years stuck in the middle of nowhere manning an outpost no one was ever going to visit. ¡°B-b-but what if we don¡¯t want to go?¡± Science Officer Lajovic asked. ¡°Man up. Orders are orders,¡± Sylvia said. ¡°Sir, if he¡¯s chosen and he doesn¡¯t want to go, can I go in his stead?¡± Ensign Boyce asked. Sylvia laughed and shook her head. Sylvia then took a deep breath and shouted, ¡°Everybody, break¡¯s over! Get back to work! When Admiral Ichika gets here, I don¡¯t want him to think my troops are slackers.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Sylvia headed back to her office and wearily sat down in her chair. She moved some reports off her desk, put her face in her hands, and sighed. I don¡¯t know how much more of this I can take, she thought. She had spent the last few weeks reading top-secret reports and debating whether or not to divulge the information to her men. The leaders of the Syndicate were debating over whether they should commission a few more star ships with the goal of going to war; however, they faced opposition in the form of Dr. Gregory who protested the need for rapid militarization. Dr. Gregory implored the leaders to take a peaceful route and focus more on research and exploring other solar systems; whereas, the leaders wanted to focus primarily on militarization. The leaders did not want another repeat of the Battle, where they won the skirmish but experienced overwhelming losses. That was unacceptable. Over the past two hundred years, the Syndicate devoted 80% of their resources to outfitting the armada and updating their weaponry accumulating with the creation of the hyper drive core. The only problem was, the alien force had yet to launch another attack; therefore, despite their advances in technology, the leaders were faced with the question of whether their weapons will be enough to repel the alien forces. One report, in particular, troubled her most¡ªunder the leadership of Fleet Admiral Hitchens, the Syndicate had begun devising a battle plan designed to take the war to the aliens. She didn¡¯t know what to make of it. On one hand, she supported how aggressive the Fleet Admiral was being, but on the other, she feared the consequences of what would happen if they lost the war. She didn¡¯t like how the leaders desired to fight a battle when they clearly knew nothing about the other party, but the other side knew much more about them. When war eventually breaks out, I wonder how many of my men will live to tell the tale¡­ Knock! Knock! Knock! Sylvia snapped out of her trance and looked up at her door. She pinched herself to make sure she wasn¡¯t hearing things¡ªher men knew not to disturb her when her door was closed. Knock! This time, she knew she wasn¡¯t dreaming. She quickly straightened out her desk before saying, ¡°Come in!¡± Admiral Ichika walked in. Sylvia immediately got out of her seat, snapped to attention, saluted, and said, ¡°Welcome, sir!¡± ¡°At ease, Lt. Commander,¡± Admiral Ichika said. ¡°Thank you, sir!¡± she said. ¡°Please, have a seat.¡± Admiral Ichika sat down in an open chair and gazed around in silence for a while as he took in his surroundings. As she sat down in her chair, Sylvia quietly wondered why the Admiral was here¡ªif he were merely here to refuel, he would never get off his ship; rather, he would delegate someone to transmit his request to her mechanics. Furthermore, there were more populated outposts closer to Earth to refuel at. ¡°I suppose you¡¯re wondering why I¡¯m here,¡± Admiral Ichika said. Sylvia nodded. He had basically stated what was on her mind. ¡°Have you been keeping up with the top-secret reports sent out over the past few weeks?¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°Good.¡± ¡°Sir?¡± ¡°Lt. Commander, I have had my eye on you for some time¡ªever since you ran your mouth off when you were talking to one of the stuffy old Syndicate leaders.¡± ¡°Sir! That wasn¡¯t my fault. I couldn¡¯t stand it when he kept bragging about his ¡°accomplishments¡± and making up stories in an effort to impress me.¡± ¡°Relax, you aren¡¯t in any trouble. In fact, I rather like that attitude of yours. You aren¡¯t afraid to voice your own opinion, regardless of the consequences. I need someone like you by my side¡ªsomeone willing to tell me I¡¯m wrong or if what I¡¯m doing isn¡¯t moral.¡± ¡°Sir, are you recruiting me to be your conscience?¡± ¡°Precisely. We are at a trying time in our history and I don¡¯t want to lose my morality in the ensuing chaos.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Lt. Commander, we are on the cusp of war. The Fleet Admiral has ordered a meeting to be held, consisting of the top brass of the armada, in an effort to determine what path we should take¡ªshould we stay on the defensive or should we go on the offensive and bring the war to the aliens?¡± ¡°What does this have to do with me, sir?¡± ¡°I want you to be there to advise me.¡± ¡°Can I think about it? This is a difficult decision to make.¡± ¡°I will be leaving tomorrow at 0600 hours. I hope you will have a favorable answer for me by then.¡± Sylvia nodded and watched Admiral Ichika leave. Chapter 9 After her meeting with the Admiral, Sylvia didn¡¯t wasn¡¯t quite in the mood to finish her duties for the day. She placed a call to the cook asking to have dinner sent straight to her room before leaving her office. As she wandered down the hallways to her quarters, Sylvia kept replaying the conversation she had with the Admiral in her mind and didn¡¯t pay attention to her surroundings. ¡°Ouch! Do you even have e¡ª?¡± Ensign Boyce yelled out when she accidentally bumped into him. Sylvia looked up and mumbled an apology before continuing to head to her room. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the Lt. Commander?¡± Ensign Boyce asked. ¡°She seemed so absentminded. Do you think I should ask?¡± ¡°N-n-no,¡± Science Officer Lajovic replied. ¡°Aww, you¡¯re no fun.¡± ¡°I b-b-bet if you a-a-asked her, y-y-you¡¯d be put on c-c-cleaning duty for three m-m-months.¡± ¡°Eh. Never mind then.¡± Upon reaching her bedroom door, Sylvia placed her hand on the doorknob and unlocked the door. She headed to the bathroom and splashed water on her face before heading straight to bed. Why have I become so distracted after a single meeting? She thought to herself right before she drifted off into an uneasy slumber. ¡°Sylvia, honey, can you see it? ¡°See what, mommy?¡± Sylvia asked as she squinted at the night sky. ¡°Orion¡¯s belt up in the sky. It¡¯s right there, see?¡± Sylvia lay back into the grass and struggled to identify which part of the sky her mother was pointing at. ¡°No, mommy. I can¡¯t see it. There are too many stars in the sky,¡± Sylvia replied with a hint of defeat in her voice. Her mother laughed as she picked Sylvia up and used her arm to point upwards at Orion¡¯s belt. ¡°Do you see it now? It¡¯s those three stars right there¡ªif you connect the three stars together, it looks like a belt.¡± ¡°Yay! I see it!¡± Sylvia exclaimed. She made an attempt to reach out with her right hand and touch the stars. ¡°Momma, you¡¯re tall. Can you grab a star for me?¡± Her mother laughed and said, ¡°Unfortunately not, Sylvia. The stars are too far away from us to be touched.¡± ¡°Momma, I want a star! Please, please, please!¡± ¡°Honey, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m not willing, but I¡¯m not tall enough to grab a star for you. Besides, each and every one of those stars could be home to a little girl just like you,¡± her mother patiently said. ¡°Rweally?¡± ¡°Yes, Sylvia. These stars may look small from here, but if you were to see them up close, you would look tiny right next to them.¡± Sylvia¡¯s eyes grew as wide as saucers. ¡°You mean, they are this big?¡± she asked as she stretched her arms out. ¡°Even bigger, honey,¡± her mother said while laughing. ¡°Momma, when I grow up, I wanna ride in a spaceship! Ima be an astronaut and see the stars up close!¡± ¡°Okay, Sylvia. Mommy will support you no matter what you want to do, but if you want to travel to see the stars, be careful though.¡± ¡°Why, mommy?¡± ¡°Some of the people on those stars aren¡¯t as friendly as we are. They might seek to harm you,¡± her mother replied with a somber smile. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Nobody knows. Maybe you will find out one day,¡± her mother said with a smile. Her mother carefully lowered Sylvia to the ground, held her hand, and they headed home hand in hand. ¡°Sylvia, you should always remember, there is an entire world out there, waiting to be discovered. You should never let anything stop you from paving your own path.¡± Sylvia gazed up into her mother¡¯s eyes and nodded. ¡°In the future, we will be able to travel to the stars, while I may not be there to witness the achievement, I hope you will¡­¡± ¡°Momma will live forever!¡± ¡°Hahahaha!¡± ¡°Momma?¡± Sylvia asked when she suddenly felt her mother let go of her hand. ¡°Momma, where did you go?¡±A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. She moved her head left and right trying to find where her mother went. ¡°Momma, I wanna go home!¡± Sylvia cried out, panic creeping into her voice. Suddenly, clouds came and blocked the night sky and didn¡¯t let a speck of light through. The grass around her dried up and, from her vantage point, it seemed the small town suddenly vanished only to be replaced by a large, scorched crater. A sense of hopelessness overwhelmed Sylvia and she curled into a ball¡ªdesperately trying to hide from the impending disaster. ¡°MOMMA! SAVE ME, PLEASE!¡± she cried out in desperation. Sylvia shot up from her bed, gasping for air, beads of sweat dripping down her forehead. She looked to her left and saw it was only 2200 hours. She had napped for five hours straight. As she got out of bed, she noticed a blinking red light on her cell phone¡ªit was from the chef stating he had left her dinner outside her doorway. Sylvia sighed and slowly made her way to her door. She opened the door, picked up her tray, and shuffled back inside. She placed the tray on her nightstand before grabbing her towel and headed straight to her bathroom to take a shower. As she did all this, the one thought that kept going through her head was¡ªwhat did the dream mean? It wasn¡¯t the first time Sylvia had this dream. She had a similar dream the night before she took her entrance exam for the Academy. Her memories were all that Sylvia had left to remember her mother by, which was quite depressing, considering how hard her mother worked to get her to this point. Her mother had inspired her to pursue her dreams and encouraged her every step of the way. Every bump and bruise she encountered along the way to becoming a highly touted officer in the Armada was always alleviated with a few encouraging words from her mother. Her mother was her rock and when she lost her to a dreadful car accident, she had lost herself for some time. For Sylvia, the dreams were a way to connect with her mother. It seemed to her, her mother used the dreams to communicate with her. It always comforted Sylvia to think that her mother was looking out for her from beyond the grave, but she constantly pondered what her dreams meant. I have been given the opportunity of a lifetime. Would mother tell me to accept Admiral Ichika¡¯s offer? She thought to herself. As she felt the hot, steaming water splash on her face, she couldn¡¯t help but remember the ending of her most recent dream. She shivered and felt goose bumps slowly creep their way up her arms. What does it mean? Sylvia wanted to scream aloud. One moment, I¡¯m holding hands with my mother. The next, I¡¯m curled up in a ball, while my hometown is destroyed. What does this all mean? After some time, Sylvia got out of the shower and toweled herself off. As she got dressed, a thought hit her¡ªwhat if her mother sent the dream to remind her that her path is her own and nobody could dictate it. She was her own person, free to pursue her dreams and ambitions. Comforted by the thought, Sylvia immediately decided to take Admiral Ichika¡¯s offer and venture out into the unknown. She quickly headed to her computer, put her arrangements in order, set her alarm clock for 0500 hours, and headed back to bed. When she woke up at 0500 hours, Sylvia felt adrenaline pumping through her veins. She couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling that she was making the wrong choice for her career path. By 0530 hours, Sylvia was out the door and making her way to the hangar where she promised to meet Admiral Ichika and inform him of her decision. Am I making the right decision? She asked herself repeatedly as she made her way through the mess hall. A part of her wondered whether Admiral Ichika was lying about the meeting¡¯s agenda because she couldn¡¯t see a scenario where the humans could take the offensive and win without suffering costly losses. It didn¡¯t seem possible. In her opinion, in order to launch a full-scale war and win, one needed to know their opposition¡¯s strengths and weaknesses before deciding what battle tactics could be used and unfortunately humanity knew next to nothing about the alien invaders. For Sylvia, she could care less about the battle plans or whether humanity was going to take the offensive in the war or not. What swayed her decision was the opportunity to be amongst the first to travel to a distant solar system the likes of which had never been seen before. It was this opportunity that gave Sylvia a sense of wonder and a childlike desire for adventure. She wanted to live out her childhood dreams and prove her mother was right¡ªdreams can come true. I hope you will support my decision and look out for me, mother. When she finally arrived at the hangar, she heard Admiral Ichika briefing his officers about the contents of their new mission. Sylvia hung back for a while, hoping to avoid getting noticed by Admiral Ichika and allow the Admiral to finish his briefing. Unfortunately, it didn¡¯t work. When the Admiral looked up mid-brief, he noticed a spot of red hair out of the corner of his eye, and paused to get a better glimpse of his eavesdropper. He noticed it was Sylvia on the outskirts of the hangar doors, looking quite unsure of herself. ¡°Good morning, Lt. Commander. I trust you have made up your mind?¡± he asked. ¡°Good morning, sir! Yes, I have made up my mind. I will accept your offer if you accept my two condition.¡± ¡°Oh? What are they?¡± ¡°One, I want my input to be heard for all matters¡ªnot just the ones you deem important.¡± ¡°Done.¡± ¡°Sir, you did hear that I want my input to be heard for all matters, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then why did you so easily agree to my condition without thinking about it?¡± ¡°Lt. Commander, I know your track record. Everything you say is usually thought through and without fault. I¡¯m sure if you have something to say, it will be in my best interests to hear you out. Plus, it¡¯s always better to start off every new partnership with honesty. Sylvia nodded. ¡°Secondly, whenever we come across a habitable planetary body, I want to be part of the expeditionary groups sent to explore the planet.¡± ¡°Hahaha! Interesting, may I ask why?¡± Admiral Ichika asked with a wide smile. ¡°No,¡± Sylvia replied. ¡°Very well. Done. Welcome aboard The Executioner, Sylvia. I will introduce you to your fellow officers and crew members on a later date,¡± Admiral Ichika said while reaching out for a handshake. ¡°Remember your promises, Admiral,¡± Sylvia said as she shook his hand. ¡°I will,¡± the Admiral said. ¡°Sylvia, stay for the conclusion of the briefing. I will have someone show you to your new quarters in a bit.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°Fleet Admiral Hitchens has ordered his closest confidants to gather at a top-secret government base on Io. At 0600 hours, we will head out and warp towards the Andromeda galaxy before cloaking and doubling back towards Io. Nobody, outside the upper echelons of the armada, is to know the existence of this meeting. The reason I¡¯m telling you all about the existence of this meeting is because we may be sent out to battle when the meeting is concluded. I want my officers to be as well informed as possible in order to keep the crew¡¯s morale up.¡± The Admiral paused for a moment as he solemnly gazed at the people around him. ¡°Which brings me to my point. None of us have ever engaged the aliens in live combat, so we don¡¯t know what they are capable of. If we are ordered to bring the war to them, I ask that you all keep in perspective the reality of the task in front of us. We are responsible for watching each other¡¯s backs and making sure everyone is on the same page. We will never lose to the likes of them as long as we keep to those ideals!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s head out.¡± Chapter 10 At 1000 hours, The Executioner finally arrived at Io. ¡°Admiral Ichika, we have entered the restricted area surrounding Io,¡± First Lieutenant Rodgers said. ¡°We have sent a transmission to the space station asking for permission to enter Io¡¯s atmosphere. Admiral Ichika nodded and gazed outside view screen at the sight before him¡ªthe Io before him was no longer the Io he remembered. The yellowish, greenish hue that had once surrounded the planet had disappeared and replaced by a blue-greenish hue resembling that of Earth. ¡°Sir, we have received acknowledgement to land from the Fleet Admiral, himself.¡± Admiral Ichika nodded and watched as his helmsman slowly steered the ship into the docking station. ¡°Rodgers, you¡¯re in command while I¡¯m gone. Someone notify Lt. Commander Erikson and Ensign Polvov to meet me at my office. Let them know that they will be accompanying me to the meeting.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Admiral Ichika got out of his seat and headed to his office. Upon arrival, he noticed Lt. Commander Erikson and Ensign Polov outside his door. Without faltering, Admiral Ichika walked up to his door, keyed in his entry code, and entered the room. He headed to his desk and sat down. ¡°Why are you still standing out there?¡± he asked. ¡°Come in, sit down.¡± He gestured at the chairs in front of him and laughed as they hesitated for a second before sitting down. ¡°I¡¯m sure both of you are wondering why I summoned you to my office,¡± Admiral Ichika began. Lt. Commander Erikson and Ensign Polov both nodded their heads. ¡°I asked you two to meet you here for one reason. I want to know your opinions on whether we should take the offensive and bring the war to the aliens,¡± Admiral Ichika said. ¡°Take some time to gather your thoughts.¡± As Ensign Polov and Lt. Commander Erikson slowly collected their thoughts, Admiral Ichika stood up, walked to his window, and gazed outside with his arms folded behind his back. He chuckled as some of the scientists and soldiers assigned to the base stopped what they were doing when The Executioner landed in the hangar. ¡°Sir?¡± Ensign Polov asked. ¡°Don¡¯t mind me, Polov. I¡¯m just laughing at the people who dropped whatever they were holding the moment The Executioner landed in the hangar. I¡¯m wondering what excuses they will come up with if they ended up breaking something valuable.¡±Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡°Uh, sir, I, uh, am ready to voice my opinion.¡± ¡°Oh? Go for it, Ensign.¡± ¡°If push comes to shove, I recommend we go on the offensive.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°We learned from year one in the Academy that offense is the best form of defense. In the past, the strategies of many of our famous leaders¡ªfrom President Washington to Mao Zedong¡ªall emphasized the need to take the initiative and strike first. For they believed the surest form of success occurs when one thoroughly eliminates an enemy¡¯s ability to attack. Based off of their success, if we are to win this war, we should strike first to carve fear and doubt into the hearts of the aliens. With our advanced weaponry and new ships, I don¡¯t think we will be on the losing end of the war.¡± Admiral Ichika nodded and took some time to think about what Ensign Polov said. After a few minutes he turned to Lt. Commander Erikson and asked, ¡°What are your thoughts on this issue?¡± ¡°Sir, I think we should remain on the defensive.¡± ¡°Again, why?¡± ¡°For starters, we do not know anything about the alien invaders at all. Our weaponry has advanced, that is true, but who¡¯s to say that the aliens haven¡¯t advanced at all either?¡± Admiral Ichika nodded. ¡°Furthermore, the aliens haven¡¯t launched an attack in 200 years. Why haven¡¯t they attacked in force by now? Surely, after their defeat at our hands, they would¡¯ve sent a full fleet of ships to eliminate us all. I know if I was in their shoes, I would do it¡ªeliminate humanity. Not only that, we don¡¯t know what they have been up to in the past 200 years. Maybe they are lying in wait, waiting for us to attack them.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡° Ensign Polov said. ¡°Let her finish,¡± Admiral Ichika said. ¡°Rather than spend all our time planning for an all out attack directed at the aliens¡¯ home planet, we should be spending our time exploring known galaxies and discovering their strengths and weaknesses. Once we discover them, we will be able to set up locations for ambushes as well as hidden areas to retreat to if needed.¡± ¡°Interesting¡­ Now what were you going to say, Ensign Polov?¡± ¡°The alien technology might¡¯ve advanced, but so did ours. Furthermore, we dealt them a huge blow last time, so we could¡¯ve frightened them off with that display of firepower.¡± ¡°Are you an idiot, Ensign? Did you learn nothing from the Academy?¡± Lt. Commander asked. Ensign Polov turned red with anger, ¡°I-I-Idiot? Me? I¡¯ll have you know that I graduated at the top of my class.¡± ¡°So the rest of your class is dumber than you? I find that hard to believe.¡± ¡°W-w-why you!¡± Admiral Ichika chuckled at the exchange before saying, ¡°Play nice, Lt. Commander.¡± ¡°Yes, sir. For the record, the ¡°huge blow¡± we dealt the aliens consisted of destroying their 3 ships, while they destroyed thousands of our ships and killed countless of enlisted men and women. Is that what you consider a deterrent?¡± ¡°No, but¡ª¡° ¡°Exactly, so please think before you say something.¡± ¡°Hahaha!¡± Admiral Ichika burst into laughter. ¡°Lt. Commander, you took the words out of my mouth. Maybe I should be calling you Admiral now.¡± Sylvia blushed. She didn¡¯t mean to burst into a rant, but what Ensign Polov had said really irked her. ¡°Sir, I have one more thing to say.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know anything about our enemies, but I¡¯m pretty sure they know everything there is to know about us. In my honest opinion, fighting a war, without knowing the enemy, seems like a disaster waiting to happen.¡± ¡°True,¡± Admiral Ichika said. ¡°You both have made good points. Give me a few minutes to digest all of what you two said.¡± He fell silent once again as he closed his eyes and replayed the statements over and over again in his mind. After thirty minutes passed, his pager buzzed. He opened his eyes and checked the message. He turned away from his window with a slight frown on his face and said, ¡°We are heading out now. The meeting is about to begin.¡± Chapter 11 ¡°Fleet Admiral, you look as young as ever,¡± Admiral Ichika said as the dilating door slowly opened and he saw the Fleet Admiral standing near his ship. ¡°Thank you, Admiral,¡± ¡°Thank you, Madame Councilor,¡± Admiral Peters responded. ¡°Countless people gave their lives during that Battle, so I would be remiss if I did not insist that they are the ones who we owe a great debt.¡± ¡°Indeed, Admiral,¡± Harrison replied. ¡°Now, on to business. We have a lot to discuss.¡± ¡°Yes we do,¡± the Admiral said, looking around at all twelve members of the Defense Council. ¡°I come before you today with a recommendation for a military operation that I am sure you will all disagree with at first. However, I must stress that you all hear me out, as I have devoted many years working with our top intelligence agencies, scientists and researchers in learning as much as we can about the alien threat and developing a strategy to deal with them. As such, the plan I am presenting to you now is one that has been many years in the making, and the best possible option for mankind.¡± ¡°Okay then, Admiral,¡± another Councilor said, ¡°we are all ears.¡± Admiral Peters took a moment to gather himself. He had been preparing for this briefing for years now, ever since the announcement of Dr. Edward Higgins¡¯ success in developing a working Hyperdrive Core. Now that the Ares One was deemed fit for deployment, it was time for the UNEM to begin taking the proper steps to combat the alien threat, and having dealt with politicians and bureaucracy in the past, the Admiral knew that presentation was often just as important as substance when trying to sway government officials to your side. Admiral Peters withdrew a keychip from the pocket of his uniform and placed it in the slot of the podium he stood in front of. A hologram projection of a strange structure popped up from the floor between the Admiral and the Defense Council. The Admiral gave the Council a few moments to take in the image before he spoke. He wanted their minds to wonder. He needed their curiosity and their concern. ¡°And what is it we are looking at, exactly, Admiral?¡± Councilor Harrison finally asked. Her tone carried the concerned curiosity the Admiral was hoping for. The structure was a long, cylindrical shaft with two, rounded cone-shaped points on either end, resembling a double-edged spear. ¡°What you see here is an image taken directly from data recovered from one of the destroyed alien ships during the Battle,¡± the Admiral began. ¡°This is one of many images we managed to recover and decipher.¡± ¡°Is there a reason you are showing this particular image to us, Admiral?¡± Another Councilor inquired. ¡°Yes,¡± the Admiral said. ¡°From the data we have recovered and deciphered over the years, we have deduced that of all the locations of alien structures known to us, this one in particular is closest to Sol.¡± ¡°And how close are we talking, Admiral?¡± ¡°Roughly three hundred light years away in the 42 Draconis system,¡± Admiral Peters replied. ¡°As of now, we estimate that it would take the Ares One approximately three to four weeks to get there from Sol.¡± ¡°Why would we want to go there, Admiral Peters, when the Ares One has not even left the solar system yet?¡± Here we go, the Admiral thought. ¡°It is my firm belief that humanity¡¯s best response to the alien threat is a counterattack,¡± he said, wasting no time to respond. His response was met by murmurs and whispers and Council members shifting in their seats. The Admiral seized the opportunity to continue. ¡°From what we¡¯ve been able to gather, should humanity simply sit and wait in Sol and do our best to build a more capable defensive force against an inevitable second attack, we would be wiped out and defeated swiftly,¡± the Admiral said, his tone punctuated by certainty. ¡°The threat we face is one that is comprised of multiple alien species rather than just one,¡± the Admiral continued. ¡°We are aware of that, Admiral,¡± one of the Councilors interjected. ¡°Yes,¡± the Admiral replied as amiably as possible. ¡°What that means, however, is that the force we defeated in the Battle was barely even a fraction of what the threat is truly capable of, and our victory came very, very narrowly. If we sit and wait, the same threat will undoubtedly send a much more capable force which could defeat us in a matter of mere hours.¡± ¡°So what logic is there in launching an offensive against a threat capable of such force?¡± Councilor Harrison asked. ¡°More logic than humanity sitting and waiting to be exterminated,¡± the Admiral answered. He had a tendency to be blunt, and that tendency often came through even when a conversation called for a more amenable approach. ¡°Again, from what we¡¯ve gathered, these aliens seem to consider us a rapidly advancing species; a species which operates and moves and grows and evolves at a rate which they have not themselves seen. This is likely the reason why we have not experienced a second attack in over half a century, as from their perspective, not much time has passed since the Battle itself.¡± The Admiral expected a stern follow up question from the Council, but was instead met with silence. He pushed ahead. ¡°The way in which these aliens perceive us, therefore, is ultimately rooted in fear, whether they would admit it or not. We must utilize this perception in our favor. Make no mistake; these beings know that at the end of the day, they are more than capable of erasing us from existence with little effort as of now. That said, if they thought we were the threat we could potentially be, they would¡¯ve sent that force already. Yet they haven¡¯t.¡± ¡°With respect, Admiral, I still fail to see how launching an attack against this threat is either a good idea or even a plausible idea.¡± ¡°I understand your reservations, Councilor,¡± the Admiral said, this time with a more measured tone in his voice. ¡°The objective behind launching an offensive is to put the threat on the defensive; to discourage them from immediately launching a second attack against our home. We must demonstrate to them that we too are capable of extending our military reach far beyond our solar system. If we keep them on their toes, we may give them more incentive to take a more defensive or measured approach, thus reducing the chances that Sol sees a second attack any time in the near future.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Admiral, you use words like ¡®may¡¯ and ¡®chance,¡¯¡± one Councilor said. ¡°Your own language suggests a tactic like this may not necessarily yield the desired results you speak of.¡± ¡°Of course, Councilor,¡± the Admiral admitted. ¡°We cannot rule out any possibility. When it comes to war, anything can happen. My duty ¨C our duty ¨C is to give humanity the best possible chance to survive and win this war, and having dedicated so many years to outlining a strategy, I believe this provides us with that chance. It may not be a sure thing, but I firmly believe it is the best option we have.¡± ¡°Do we know what kind of facility this structure is?¡± Councilor Harrison asked. ¡°We only have a rough idea, I¡¯m afraid,¡± Admiral Peters answered. ¡°The structure itself is certainly larger than either of the massive alien ships we faced in battle, and is around three to four times the size of any of humanity¡¯s largest habitable space stations. From the data we deciphered, both of the capital ships we fought against stopped at this facility prior to arriving in Sol. Despite that, data suggests the facility is not necessarily military in nature. It is more likely an outpost for resource-gathering, though military and security forces will certainly be present as well.¡± ¡°Admiral, you are suggesting that we launch an attack against what might ultimately be a civilian or scientific facility?¡± Admiral Peters paused and stared at the Councilors. If they intended on refusing to follow his plan because of some ill-founded moralistic reasoning, then humanity was doomed. A swell of angry passion built up inside the Admiral. ¡°Perhaps,¡± the Admiral said, attempting to control his tone. ¡°Whether or not it is should not matter. This is a threat that sought to exterminate us without prejudice. They made no distinction between military or civilian lives, and if we are to deal with them effectively, neither should we.¡± The Admiral could tell his response struck a cord with the Council, tempering the anger growing inside him. ¡°Further, launching an attack against this facility will serve other purposes,¡± the Admiral said, adjusting the image to show a more detailed view of its features. ¡°As you all know, in addition to constructing the Ares One, we have been hard at work at developing weapons and assets we believe will be more effective against the enemy based on our experiences in the Battle. I, along with some of my most trusted colleagues, have developed a very specific plan of attack.¡± The Admiral used the touchpad on his podium to zoom in on a spot just under one of the cone-shaped tips of the facility. ¡°This area here is a primary docking bay for the station. If we were to launch an attack, we would most likely have the element of surprise. Using certain weapon assets we have developed, we would be able to cut off any defensive forces responding to our attack before they can even make it out of the station itself. Not only will this make the overall operation easier, but it will allow us to dictate the flow of the battle, providing our pilots the opportunity to gain experience in fighting the enemy in a relatively controlled live-combat environment.¡± ¡°How can you be so sure that we would be able to dictate the flow of the battle, Admiral? By your own admission, nothing is certain.¡± ¡°No, nothing is certain,¡± the Admiral reiterated. ¡°Again, however, the data we have recovered rather conclusively suggests this is not a military facility. We can be sure of this because we have data regarding other stations and facilities that indeed are military in nature. Thus, so long as we have the element of surprise, we can expect significantly less resistance in attacking this particular facility. What resistance we do face will serve as a crucial learning experience for our pilots.¡± ¡°All that aside, Admiral, how can we possibly expect to launch an offensive attack three hundred light years away with only the first ever Interstellar Military Starcruiser which hasn¡¯t even left the solar system yet? And how can we leave Sol virtually defenseless while the Ares One is deployed?¡± The Admiral closed the hologram image. He took a moment to look into the eyes of every Councilor before speaking. ¡°By recommending this strategy, I do not necessarily suggest we immediately launch an offensive,¡± Admiral Peters began. ¡°Instead, I recommend that the Ares One follow through with the Defense Council¡¯s own plans to construct the Extrasolar Perimeter. Not only will doing so allow the Ares One to go through several test flights, but it will provide us with an expanded defensive presence while the Ares One is deployed. Additionally, while the Extrasolar Perimeter is being constructed, I recommend that the Council approve funding and resources for the construction of additional Interstellar Military Starcruisers to further bolster our defensive capabilities.¡± ¡°That¡¯s asking a lot, Admiral,¡± one Councilor spoke up. ¡°We all must ask a lot of ourselves and each other if we are to win this war,¡± Admiral Peters retorted. The Councilors again whispered amongst themselves. Admiral Peters had made his case. Now he awaited only their questions. ¡°Admiral, supposing we were to implement your strategy, how soon would the preliminary measures ¨C the Extrasolar Perimeter and the additional Starcruisers ¨C need to go into effect?¡± ¡°Preferably as soon as this briefing is over, Councilor,¡± the Admiral bluntly stated. ¡°If we got started as soon as possible, the operation could be launched within the next decade.¡± Again, the Admiral patiently waited while the Councilors discussed amongst themselves in hushed voices. After a few moments, Councilor Harrison spoke up. ¡°Admiral, you firmly believe that this is absolutely humanity¡¯s best option?¡± She asked. ¡°I do, Councilor, without a doubt.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± she said. ¡°By order of the UNEM Defense Council, the Ares One will be deployed to the Alpha Centauri system in forty eight hours. The Ares One will scout the system to determine an ideal location for the construction of the first space station to form the Extrasolar Perimeter. Once construction is underway, the Ares One will be deployed to additional nearby systems for additional stations.¡± Each Councilor typed away on hologram keyboards as Councilor Harrison spoke. ¡°During this time, the Defense Council will also allocate resources for the construction of additional Interstellar Military Starcruisers and will appoint senior military officials to command them. Although we will retain sole authority over the appointments, we will be glad to consider any recommendations you might have, Admiral.¡± As the Councilors finished typing, Councilor Harrison looked up from her screen at Admiral Peters. ¡°We have faith in your assessment, Admiral Peters, and we will follow your advice. You have everything you need, though we do expect you to keep us updated on any changes or occurrences that may impact your plan.¡± ¡°Of course, Madame Councilor.¡± ¡°Good luck, Admiral.¡± As Admiral Peters exited the Council chambers, he recalled everything he had experienced and been through leading up to this moment. The Admiral had a perspective of the coming war that few others had ¨C either human or alien. He fought in the Battle for Human Survival and lived to tell about it. He spent over half a century studying what information humanity had at its disposal regarding the enemy and developing a long-term strategy accordingly. He had seen what the enemy was capable of and had an overview of their greater society and military force. He witnessed the millions upon millions of lives lost in an effort to stave off that threat. Admiral Peters couldn¡¯t go anywhere in public without someone thanking him for his service; for everything he had done. Not that the Admiral didn¡¯t appreciate the sentiment, but those words came across as though his service had already been completed. I haven¡¯t even begun, the Admiral thought. He solemnly reflected on the many friends and fellow pilots who perished to protect their own kind, and those who would undoubtedly perish in the future. This one is for the Fallen, for the Living, and for Those Yet to Come. This is for the Perished, the Valiant, and the Brave Souls who seek to carry on their Legacy. This is for our Tragic Past and our Prosperous Future. This is for Humanity and our Destiny. The Admiral stepped into the elevator to take him to the Shuttle Bay. The image of the fully-functional Ares One crept into his mind; its thrusters emitting that dark purple energy, as if begging for deployment. This is the War to Come, and it is Retribution. update Hi everyone, Sorry for not posting chapters lately, midterms have me overwhelmed. After I finish midterms--tomorrow I think--I will be able to have the time to write chapters and post them on a daily basis. Sorry for the inconvienence ^^.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. . . . . . .. . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .....