• Date: January 22, 2183


  
• Time: 9:50 AM


  
• Location: UGS New Jersey Admiral Office


  

  "Kaynian activity near Eden has increased, and their numbers now surpass those seen during our First Contact War with them. Coupled with the loss of the Fourth Fleet on Babylon, it's only a matter of time before they arrive and wreak havoc across U.G.E. space..."

  ''...The flotilla spotted in Babylon by Command and Conquer has tallied two hundred vessels and counting. But more concerning issues lay on the fact that at the center of that conglomeration of ships is a Kaynian Dreadnought at the length of one hundred kilometers.''

  Fleet Admiral Sasha Zveroboy informed the individual in front of her was no other than the President of the U.G.E. himself, Orion Epta. The former I.C.E. agent eyed the details on his holo pad as it showed him the dreadnought the admiral was talking about. The Kaynian vessel was enormous, and even the President was taken aback by its size. They had yet to witness the full extent of what their enemies could bring to the table. Perhaps now they would see how grand the Kaynian Empire is.

  ''Tell me, Fleet Admiral, could the navy perhaps hold the Kaynians at bay while we figure out how to destroy such a vessel?''

  The President asked, and honestly, Sasha couldn't say how her fleet or Jaxing's fleet could hold the Kaynians back. However, if she were to take a page from Fleet Admiral Lowe's book and turn Eden into a fortress, then maybe. But with the state things were, that was just impossible for now. Eden would have to evacuate more than three point five billion people from the planet, not to mention the refugees from Babylon. The fourth Earth-like planet had a population of almost half a billion, and now Eden and Mesopotamia were dealing with them.

  ''I cannot guarantee that, Mister President.''

  ''I see, but would it help if the First Fleet arrived to your aid?''

  This caught Sasha off guard; did she hear the President? The First Fleet housed veterans from the First Contact War, led by the esteemed Fleet Admiral Arthur Kingstone. They were instrumental in defending Earth during the Battle of Luna and the eventual reclamation of Mars. The fleet was stationed over the Sol System, guarding the U.G.E.'s most important planets.

  ''But that would mean Earth would be open to attacks!''

  ''Hmm, you lack your father's integrity.''

  ''Mister President, please, don't bring him into this.''

  The daughter of the Famed Defender of Pluto hissed with venom, but the President didn't mind. He wanted to see what would happen if she were placed in the situation her father was in ten years ago and how it would affect her. Mentioning her father was just a bonus to her stress and focus. Having more freedom than her predecessor, she couldn't guarantee anything without massive loss of life. Which was a shame, but she was in charge of Eden, so the President understood and moved on.

  ''Then, Eden will burn if you do not try your best, Fleet Admiral. Unlike your situation, your father did his best under the constant stresses brought to him by the Kaynian's arrival on Pluto...''

  ''...You don't have that excuse. You are aware of what capabilities they have. Your father didn't, and even until his demise, the Battle of Pluto was won. If we are to survive this, you must hold Eden for as long as it would take.''

  Orion Epta stated with his calm yet blunt demeanor, and the Fleet Admiral couldn't help but feel dread crawling on her back. Sasha couldn't deny the President's orders even if she wanted to. Orion Epta had done so much to prepare them for this moment, yet she was struggling to realize a way for Eden to stand without fail.

  ''Let me remind you that I spend ten years of my term preparing everyone for this exact moment. I have played my part in this Fleet Admiral, and I am not done yet. While you are about to start your part in this fate, we all are destined to take.''

  The President stated crypticly, and the Fleet Admiral swiftly grasped the President's intent. The First Contact War was just a trailer or a teaser for what would come. This was the beginning, making her realize how skewed things were for Earth and Her People.

  ''Your order is to hold Eden and if they arrive. The First Fleet will come to your aid and repel them, but if the same happened to Mesopotamia, then the First Fleet will come to their aid instead...''

  ''...I could not state this enough, hold the line, admiral.''

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  ''Understood, Mister President. I shall do what you command me to. Eden will hold its ground until its dying breath.''

  ''Good, Earth and Mars will commit several shipments of supplies to Eden and Mesopotamia as long as you are on the lookout for any Kaynian threat. We will keep supplying you with precious material and sustenance for your populations.''

  ''All routes to Eden will be monitored heavily, sir, as long as those supplies reach us.''

  ''Godspeed, Fleet Admiral, and let us hope that fortune will favor us.''

  With that, the hologram of the most dangerous human in history disappeared. The current President was somewhere up there with the likes of Joseph Stalin and Adolf Hitler, but he wasn't like them. Orion Epta prioritized the ensured survival of Earth and Her People. Going so far as to perform unethical acts on alien prisoners to learn their secrets or putting down alien sympathizers without mercy. He has gained a nickname across the U.G.E., the cold-hearted devil they called the President.

  'Finally, I can breathe normally without him.'

  The Fleet Admiral thought as she relaxed her posture. Opening a special compartment on her desk, Sasha revealed a two-century-old bottle of wine. She took it, poured herself a glass, and drank. As she gazed at her reflection in the glass, she stared at her face. Reflecting on the President's words about her role in this situation filled her with anxiety about the impending challenges.

  "Playing my part, huh? Looks like I.C.E. has discovered something significant enough for the President to say that. Maybe it's due to that Returned Ghost that's got them so riled up."

  Sasha picked up her holo pad and searched for information on the Returned Ghost, codename Tale. The information available to her was about the Ghost's relationship with the inhabitants of Eldrant, the homeworld of elves. The admiral couldn't make heads or tails whether these human-like aliens could be potential allies or enemies.

  'Hold the line, admiral.'

  The President's voice echoed in her mind, but how could she accomplish that, especially given the current state of Eden? Morale among the A.F.E. was at an all-time low now that the Fall of Babylon had been made public. To make matters worse, she and the Governing Authorities of Eden would have to consider the implications of the refugee crisis. There was too much on her table, not to mention the Kaynian Flotilla over Babylon's influence.

  ''How am I going to do this?''

  Swinging her chair around, she faced the portrait of her father. The Famed Defender of Pluto, Tsar Zveroboy. His death had made quite an impact on her life just ten years ago; she was just an aspiring Vice Admiral in her Independence Class Battle Carrier. Now, she has assumed her father's position and is responsible for safeguarding an entire solar system. The amount of responsibility over her shoulders has made her feel stressed and paranoid, evidenced by her conversation with Abraham Gaft a few hours earlier. Her subordinate didn't want to say it, but she knew he was thinking about her situation and to be honest. Sasha wasn't so sure whether she could pull this off without billions of lives lost in the process.

  'What would you do, father.'

  She pondered as she gazed at her father's portrait, contemplating what he might have done in her stead. It wouldn't be long until she finally realized her circumstances and what to do. Maybe there was a chance for Eden to stand and hold; albeit small, it was good enough for her.

  ''Tempest.''

  [Yes, Fleet Admiral?]

  ''Call in my Vice Admirals...''

  ''...If the President wants Eden to hold the line against the Kaynians at all cost. Then we do all that we can and prepare for such eventuality.''

  [Understood, Fleet Admiral.]

  Tempest responded before disappearing to inform the Vice Admirals about the meeting that was about to come. She has to do something unconventional to even the odds between her second fleet and the Kaynian Flotilla. If Sasha sits ideally and only reacts to them, Eden will fall much like Babylon.

  'Hmm, maybe Gaft will offer a solution to this...'

  '...He is always optimistic and resistant to changes in command. Yet he possesses exceptional skill in leading his ships into battle. I wonder how the others would receive this situation we are in.'

  

  
• Date: January 22, 2183


  
• Time: 10:05 AM


  
• Location: Atlantis Space Station Dock


  

  On the Atlantis Space Station lay the Essex Class Battle Carrier, Yorktown. After the confrontation with the Kaynian Frigate several hours earlier, I.C.E. insisted on inspecting the ship to recover any recordings. This has outraged the crews on board the mighty battle carrier. Luckily, the crews were not alone in this; Vice Admiral Abraham Gaft had argued that inspecting the Yorktown was unnecessary, and he battled the right for the battle carrier not to be inspected.

  ''Vice Admiral, the Yorktown engaged with a Kaynian vessel. Please, you know why we have to do this.''

  ''And I told you, Thomas, she doesn't need any inspections!''

  The admiral responded as he faced an army of I.C.E. agents sent to "inspect" his beloved warship, their true intent being to erase or collect any footage related to their enemy.

  ''Without due respect, anything relating to the Kaynian has to be observed in full detail by I.C.E.''

  ''We engaged the frigate with drone craft and anti-ship lasers to crack its shields before gutting it with the Yorktown's H.E.L. cannon!''

  ''To rescue the Returned Ghost, codename Tale, we are aware...''

  ''...We just need three days to perform our task before moving on.''

  I.C.E. Agent Thomas stated, and the Vice Admiral couldn't help but ball his fist and punch the agent in the face. He considered the person he was talking to as perhaps the most idiotic agent he had ever conversed with. Couldn't he read the room; the Kaynians invaded Babylon, and they're slowly making their way to Eden and Mesopotamia. If that happens, Yorktown would be caught with its metaphorical panties down.

  ''Unacceptable! You want to inspect my battle carrier for three days! Have you lost your mind!''

  ''Our initial estimation for this was three weeks.''

  ''Listen, without Yorktown, the Second Fleet wouldn't function properly in any defense against the Kaynians...''

  ''...I don't care what your Director thinks of this, but between him and the Kaynians inching closely to Eden. Then you can tell him to sod off!''

  Abraham shouted in disagreement with the I.C.E. agent. The admiral's outcry prompted the crews watching from afar to voice their support, loudly echoing their agreement with their leader. Thomas squinted at how the Vice Admiral promptly denied them access to the battle carrier's systems.

  ''Yorktown will set sail to protect Earth and Her People by holding the line here on Eden!''

  Articulating his point successfully, he emphasized how their already dire situation could only exacerbate if one of their capital ships were to be out of commission for three days. The agents were disappointed, but the admiral wouldn't allow them to perform their duty. They would have to leave and report to I.C.E. about the Vice Admiral's insubordination.

  ''Then we shall take your word to him.''

  Thomas responded as he and his team turned around, leaving the dock area. Seeing how he successfully forced I.C.E. away from his ship, Abraham sighed in relief. Turning around, he saw his battle carrier in all of her beauty. The two-point-five-kilometer-long warship resulted from amalgamating the capabilities of the old Independence Class and the Midway Class Battle Carriers.

  [My dear.]

  ''Yes, Luck.''

  Materializing on his right was his A.I. assistant. Turning his attention to her, he wondered what news she would bring, hopefully a good one. But immediately, he noticed how subtle she was, meaning it was something important if he was to guess.

  [Fleet Admiral Sasha Zveroboy gave a mandatory meeting of all the admirals in the War Room.]

  To Be Continued.