• Date: January 23, 2183


  
• Time: 11:00 AM


  
• Location: Secundus Military Headquarters


  

  Stepping into the War Room, the esteemed Vice Admiral Abraham Gaft made his presence known to the other admirals. His colleagues were already seated, awaiting his arrival along with the Fleet Admiral. Of course, when he entered the premises, he was already greeted by Vice Admiral Cob.

  ''The genius who created a clever trap for the Kaynian Flotilla is late. How am I not surprised.''

  ''Thanks for the compliment, Picket.''

  Gaft responded as he placed a hand on his fellow admiral's shoulder. Along with an accompanying chuckle as he took his seat and made himself comfortable. Vice Admiral Cob merely smirked as he accepted his friend's gesture.

  ''Hey, someone has to point that out, and it sure won't be Accelerate or the Fleet Admiral.''

  The admiral stated, and as he concluded his pleasantry. The entrance opened again, and the Fleet Admiral, Sasha Zveroboy, entered.

  [Everyone, attention!]

  Vice Admiral Accelerate stated as he and the rest rose from their seats and saluted their superior. Sasha passed by her subordinates and took her seat. Afterward, she raised a hand and, with a downward wave, signaled them to take their seats.

  ''Let's get started.''

  As quick as they stood, they did so as they sat. The Vice Admiral complied and affirmed their superior's order.

  ''Vice Admiral Accelerate. Information regarding the other Kaynian Flotillas?''

  [I.C.E. has confirmed that Mesopotamia is under siege by another flotilla, but luckily, the First Fleet has made their move and should arrive to reinforce the Third Fleet.]

  Explained the A.I. admiral, causing quite a revelation to the Fleet Admiral and the others. With confirmation, the A.F.E. Navy would surely be busy taking down the other flotilla. However, that still rules one flotilla destroyed, one currently engaging with the Third Fleet, and the last hovering above Babylon.

  ''Holy shit.''

  [Indeed, Cob...]

  [...Fleet Admiral, as of right now. I suggest we fortify Eden while the Kaynians are still at a distance.]

  The A.I. suggested it, and as she considered it now, it was the only strategy that yielded a solid result. The Kaynians weren't fools—prideful, yes, but not stupid. The same trick wouldn't work twice, so they had to defend Eden with the ships they had.

  ''Well, I suppose that's our only course of action right now...''

  ''...But what about the third flotilla hovering above Babylon?''

  [The information about them is scarce, and the only piece of info regarding them is their increase in numbers since Babylon fell.]

  No info, that was bad, no, it was the worst thing that could befall the admirals. The final flotilla present on the Orion Arm posed a threat to Earth and Her People. A one-hundred-kilometer-long dreadnought hovered as the capital ship of the third flotilla. It was jarring to think such a vessel existed in their enemy's arsenal. However, it was the reality of their situation.

  "I see. Have I.C.E. monitor that flotilla closely, and if they depart through slip space, we must prepare for the worst."

  [I'll relay the command immediately.]

  Nodding at her subordinate, Sasha turned around to the other admirals. While Accelerate busied himself with I.C.E., Vice Admirals Abraham Gaft and Picket Cob were assigned their tasks. They would be responsible for preparing Eden, strategically positioning their remaining ships, and coordinating with the H.E.L. cannon platforms on the planet. Eden had one ring of platforms ready for gunning down any Kaynian ship.

  ''Cob, Gaft. The two of you will prepare Eden's defenses for a potential Kaynian invasion. Work together, you two, and fortify Eden, for it is the only planet between Sol and the Kaynians.''

  ''Gotcha, Fleet Admiral. Me and Gaft have this...''

  ''...Right?''

  Abraham glanced at his colleague and merely shrugged, prompting Cob to sigh, knowing he was still toying with him. Regardless, they would work together to establish a proper defense against the Kaynians.

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  ''Of course. If that's what you want.''

  Gaft responded with mischief in his voice. With the situation being handled—contacting I.C.E. assets to spy on the last Kaynian Flotilla and preparing Eden's defenses—everything was progressing smoothly, all things considered.

  ''Anyway...''

  ''...Fleet Admiral, may I speak?''

  ''Go on. What is it, Gaft?''

  ''It's about my battlegroup, ma'am. With the damage we sustained during the previous battle, I don't think the remaining ships under my command could do much.''

  Why was this, Sasha contemplated. She had already accumulated resources to repair the surviving ships under Gaft's battlegroup. And at the moment, assigning new ships ready for Battlegroup Yorktown was already in the works, so why was he telling her that his battlegroup wouldn't be able to do much?

  ''Why? I've already assigned prioritization for repairs and replacements for your battlegroup?''

  The Fleet Admiral asked, wondering what could have made her subordinate think this way.

  ''Although, that is the case. I've seen that only corvettes and destroyer hulls were the only ships that would be replaced in my battlegroup. Fleet Admiral, what I need the most is my cruisers. Without them, my battlegroup is missing several sub-capital ships under my command.''

  He pointed it out, and Sasha immediately understood the issue. Without sub-capital ships under a Vice Admiral's command, coordination and communication across the battlegroup would inevitably suffer, further complicating the situation. It was a risk her admiral had taken, but now he was requesting replacements—something she couldn't provide.

  ''I'm sorry, Gaft, but with how strained our resources are, I could only provide you with replacements for your corvettes and destroyers...''

  ''...My chain of thought was that after you and Cob formulate a plan for the defense. I would order your battlegroup to be near the H.E.L. cannon platforms. That way, you could inflict damage with the help of the platforms and provide security if any Kaynian vessel would dare to get past the fleet.''

  Explained the Fleet Admiral, and it was something that Gaft would have to contend with. Knowing how desperate things were with the confirmation from I.C.E. that another Kaynian Flotilla was currently attacking Mesopotamia. He couldn't argue with the Fleet Admiral's decision, not like he had any reason, remembering that his trap was the reason his battlegroup was almost wiped out.

  ''I see. Well, that would ease my consciousness a bit.''

  The Vice Admiral sighed, recognizing that things would be different. Of course, seeing that things had finally come together in how they would defend Eden. It was about time to end the meeting.

  ''Okay, does anyone want to say or ask something before I conclude this meeting?''

  No one said anything, letting the Fleet Admiral know everyone was satisfied with their roles. Standing up with a sigh, she stared at her three subordinates with stoicism. However, being unable to rest would leave her mentally and physically exhausted, but she had to push on.

  ''No...''

  ''...Then this meeting is over. Dismiss.''

  

  
• Date: January 23, 2183


  
• Time: 11:30 AM


  
• Location: Babylon


  

  Hidden in space: an I.C.E. spy satellite observed a gathering of Kaynian vessels hovering above Babylon. This satellite had been deployed by Ghost Team Command and Conquer before their departure to regroup with the Second Fleet and execute the trap planned by Vice Admiral Abraham Gaft. The Kaynians haven't realized anything yet, but the satellite has taken images and recordings of Kaynian activities.

  [SPY SATELLITE SEVEN ZERO SEVEN ONE REPORTING TO I.C.E. AGENT INDIGO.]

  The program A.I. reported before establishing an encrypted connection with the designated agent. It wouldn't be long until a link was secured, creating a direct channel between the spy satellite and the I.C.E. agent.

  [Seven zero seven one, this is Agent Indigo. Input your report.]

  [AFFIRMATIVE. KAYNIAN SHIP AND COMMUNICATION ACTIVITY SPIKED.]

  [Any information on why?]

  [UNABLE TO DECRYPT KAYNIAN COMMUNICATION, BUT CERTAIN TRANSLATIONS WERE MADE...]

  [...ENTITY KNOWN AS WARMASTER HAS COMMANDED TO PREPARE BATTLE FLOTILLA. TARGET UNKNOWN. PURPOSE UNKNOWN. MOTIVE UNKNOWN. ALL KAYNIAN VESSELS DISPLAY HIGH READINGS OF RADIATION. HYPOTHESIS. FLOTILLA WILL PERFORM A SLIPSPACE JUMP TO UNKNOWN TARGET.]

  This caught the agent by surprise. It was well known that Kaynians were fast responders in naval and ground combat. This was evident during the First Contact War when Kaynian vessels could coordinate themselves properly when faced with a proper defense by the A.F.E. or taken by surprise. Their enemies proved to be a responsive race, as the A.F.E. discovered during the war ten years ago.

  [I see, is there any other activity I should be aware of?]

  A pause occurred between the two A.I.s. The spy satellite would search through its recordings and find something noteworthy. That something would be a message to a Kaynian known as Arc Betrayer.

  [KAYNIAN COMMUNICATIONS HAS BEEN SENDING A RECURRING MESSAGE.]

  [What is it?]

  [IT STATES...]

  [...FOLLOWERS OF OUR ARC'S VISION HEED THIS REQUEST AND ASSIST HIM IN HIS DREAM.]

  The spy satellite stated as the I.C.E. agent it was connected to displayed a curious expression. Of course. Allowing the satellite to continue, she signaled for it to proceed.

  [WHOEVER THIS IS, IT IS MOST LIKELY A LEADER AND IS REQUESTING HELP FROM NEARBY KAYNIAN FLOTILLAS.]

  [That is new, and I assume that's why the Kaynian Flotilla above Babylon is slowly preparing their FTL?]

  [AFFIRMATIVE.]

  Never in their conflict with the Kaynians has I.C.E. heard about a Kaynian rank of Arc. Perhaps it is their term for admiral? Or maybe it is someone of value, like a king? These questions swirled within Agent Indigo's brain matrix. Shaking her head, she didn't care whether or not a supreme leader of sorts was commanding the flotilla. What matters is her report to the I.C.E. and the A.F.E. to ensure that they are not caught off guard.

  [Hmm, very well. Seven zero seven one, continue your observations. Monitor the communications of the Kaynian Flotilla. If any significant changes occur, report them to me immediately. Understood?]

  [AFFIMATIVE. WILL CONTINUE PRIME DIRECTIVE AND WILL REPORT FOR ANY RADICAL CHANGES-]

  The spy satellite halted its observations as the flotilla it monitored registered a surge in power readings. All one hundred vessels burst with high radiation readings due to their FTL powering up. However, the entire flotilla was dwarfed by the sheer power radiating from the one-hundred-kilometer-long dreadnought.

  [Seven zero seven one, is something the matter?]

  Indigo asked as she noticed the abrupt pause of the A.I. program. Curious as to what got the spy satellites' attention in their conversation. However, unbeknownst to her, a pivotal event would occur as a massive burst of radiation erupted from the flotilla.

  [ENERGY READINGS FROM KAYNIAN FLOTILLA GOING CRITICAL. KAYNIAN DREADNOUGHT RADIATION READINGS GOING- ERROR. UNIT DAMAGED. UNIT DAMAGED...]

  [...EXTREME LEVELS OF RADIATION BREACHING SYSTEMS. SENDING CURRENT READINGS NOW. SENDING. SENDING. SENDING.]

  Answered the spy satellite, catching the agent's attention as she processed the information sent. The radiation readings were enormous, several hundred times compared to readings seen on a Kaynian Flotilla. Indigo began to panic as she tried to find a way for the spy satellite to live through the intense radiation.

  [Seven zero seven one, listen to me! Activate your main trusters and take cover now!]

  Heeding the advice of its superior. The spy satellite activated its thrusters to seek cover from the radiation burst emitted by the Kaynian Flotilla. However, despite its efforts, its mobility was insufficient, and its systems began to sustain damage from the intense radiation.

  [ERROR. ERROR. ERROR. DAMAGE ON MAIN COMPUTING SYSTEMS DETECTED.]

  [Don't you dare give up and self-destruct! You're the only satellite we have that could spy on the Kaynians in Babylon!]

  [AFFIMATIVE. CREATING DIRECTIONS TO THE NEAREST CELESTIAL OBJECT...]

  [...CELECTIAL OBJECT FOUND. PROCEEDING TO TAKE COVER.]

  The spy satellite fired its thrusters at maximum power, desperately attempting to reach safety. However, critical system failures made its efforts futile. Radiation had severely damaged its navigational controls, thruster output, and overall mobility, leaving it unable to maneuver effectively. No matter how hard it tried, Seven Zero Seven One could not escape and ultimately fell short of reaching the celestial object.

  [SYSTEMS FAILING- FAILING.]

  [Wait! Don't-]

  [APOLOGIES. AGENT- AGENT INDIGO- SPY SATELLITE SEVEN ZERO SEVEN ONE. SIGNING OUT.]

  The program A.I. said before the radiation finally claimed its systems and caused it to perish. The lifeless husk of the spy satellite drifted through the open void. The connection between the I.C.E. agent and the satellite was severed as the program A.I. initiated an emergency self-destruct sequence and data purge before its destruction.

  To Be Continued.