Snippet #3 from The War to the Knife

Admiral Emily Kane had no idea that anyone was searching for her. She like the rest of the galaxy had no idea of the invasion that had begun or what danger it represented. After the battle against the New Imperials she had taken the remains of her fleet and left the New Texas system. Searching for a place to lick her wounds and rebuild she took the fleet to the very edge of the old Empire’s boundary.

The Greenlandia system was about as far out as you can go and still remain civilized. The fleet maintained a small resupply base out here along with a fleet of patrol craft. She was hoping they had not been co-opted by the Cabal yet.

Her small fleet finally made the jump into the system. It had taken more than a dozen jumps to get here.

“Sir, a fleet just jumped into the system!”

“Sound battle stations and alert the fleet! Lock down the bunker.” The small combat center was located inside one of the small mountains on Greenlandia. It was the most modern system on the planet. The whole mountain was a base. Red lights began to flash and special action teams raced to secure all the exits. A large ten ton door began to swing closed. It was an old school solution that would stop most pirates or raiders. The door closed with a loud boom sealing the combat center.

Across the planet every community was enacting something similar. Young women and children were running to the shelters. Militia members were arming themselves and city defensive batteries were uncovering. For over fifty years the planet had been at the mercy of every pirate or mercenary band in this end of the galaxy. After joining the Empire changes were made.

“Do we have an ID on those ships yet?”

“Sir, our sensors say they are Imperial fleet but we can’t tell which one yet.”

“We need to know the ID’s on those ships! If this is the Cabal we could have a serious problem!” The techs and specialists were typing and working at a frantic pace. The threat against the planet was real.

“Major! I have ship ID’s!” The major stepped over to the techs station and peered down at her console. One of the sensor stations in the asteroid field was in position to lase the ships and check their identification.

“Sir, they look pretty beat up. The carrier is the Vindex we have her as being the flagship of Admiral Emily Kane. The two heavy cruisers are the Warspite and Lepanto. Records have them as being surplus models from IS2. We don’t have records for the destroyers or the light frigates. There are about a dozen patrol craft being towed by the larger ships and what looks like two supply ships. Not a huge fleet but one that can hurt us.”

The Major agreed. “Pass the word to President Erikson that he may be needed. We need to contact them and find out who we are dealing with here. Contact the defense fleet and order them to continue to hide. When that fleet reaches orbit with Máni lase them and send the standard greeting.”

Onboard the Vindex Admiral Kane watched her plots carefully. This system was a complete unknown to her. They were one of the last planets in this sector of space to join  the old Empire. Her fleet records were incomplete and only showed the resupply base.

“Admiral!”

“Yes, Captain Moore?”

“Ma’am we have just been lased by a communication laser. We have the following message from the planet.”

“Put it on screen.”

The vid screen lit up with the head and torso of a man dressed in a military uniform of some kind. He had very pale skin and almost white hair. “This message is for the fleet that just entered the system. Identify yourselves or prepare to be destroyed.”

Emily stared at the screen. “Hmm, that's a bit ambitious of them don’t you think? Contact them for me please.”