UGT (Unified Galactic Time): 20th Revol (July) 280 a.G.A. (after Galactic Armistace) / 8:34 a.m.

  Location: ASF Destroyer Aurora, Felsmark system (yellow dwarf), (Outer-)Noran Principality, Kingdom of Ferron, Milky Way

  Together with the FSF fleet the ASF Aurora hung in hyperspace, within the hyperlane exit point. As always hyperspace massively warped the sensor capabilities of the ASF Aurora, making it hard to even find the positions of the SHF ships. What was going on in the Felsmark system they wouldn't find out until officially leaving hyperspace. An unfortunate drawback of their sensor systems in hyperspace, one that even the Aetherian hadn't managed to circumvent.

  The hyperlane exit point into the Felsmark system was extremely narrow, just as I had been warned by Admiral Thorrison. Therefore, we would be forced to split our fleet into two waves upon entering the system. Seeing how this natural chokepoint would be easily defensible for Ferron, we expected resistance the moment we left hyperspace. What Admiral von Kr?henfels luckily couldn't know was that the ASF Aurora could leave hyperspace slightly outside of the natural hyperlane exit point, meaning their first wave of ships would be far bigger than expected. And with the ASF Aurora being part of that first wave, I honestly wasn't all that worried.

  All in all, my ship would be accompanied by a Battlecruiser, two Cruisers, four Destroyers and five Frigates, only the heavy Federation ships and the Corvettes staying behind. They would either take up too much space in the narrow passage or be too small and insignificant to survive the expected kill zone on the other side.

  "Fen are we in position? Is the remaining fleet?"

  [ Everything is in position Captain. On your order the ASF Aurora will leave hyperspace and the first wave of Federation ships under Commander Ashcroft should be seconds behind at most. ]

  I nodded at that. Admiral Thorrison and I had agreed that it would be too risky for both him and me to be in the first wave of ships rushing into the kill zone. Therefore, the ASF Aurora would go first while Admiral Thorrison and his flagship stayed behind in the second wave. Though that did mean that I would have to work with Commander Ashcroft again, who was in command of the first wave of Federation ships exiting hyperspace.

  "Then get us out of here Fen. It's time to see what Admiral von Kr?henfels prepared for us," I said grimly. There was a short half-second of vertigo when realspace reasserted itself, then we were officially in the Felsmark system.

  [ Re-entry complete, shields are up at full power. I'm scanning the surroundings now and we have multiple mass signatures everywhere around us, we have dropped into the middle of a minefield! ]

  The very second Fen spoke these words, explosions started to tear through space. Instantly multiple explosions went off around the ASF Aurora and suddenly the ship shook as alarms blared. "What happened Fen!?" I screamed, worried our shields had somehow broken.

  [ A single mine went off inside of our staggered hypershield. Our armor plating absorbed most of the damage and we lost nothing important but we have a hull breach in the section. The shield holds. ]

  "Spread fire with our lasers and Disintegrators across the entire hyperlane exit point Fen. We need to get these mines out of the way before the Federation jumps in!" I ordered, knowing that our allies wouldn't take this minefield nearly as good as the ASF Aurora did, and even our shields had dropped to below 80% integrity already.

  Fen, for his part, didn't hesitate and laser beam after laser beam bloomed across space, precisely destroying every single mine or drone that our sensors made out. Seconds later the direct hyperlane exit point was cleared, and just in time as well, as the first wave of Federation ships jumped out of hyperspace. Instantly Commander Ashcroft opened a connection to the ASF Aurora which Fen patched through to me without hesitation.

  "Captain Lunaris," Commander Ashcroft’s voice said, both of us not bothering with a video connection right now. "What's the situation?"

  "We preliminarily eliminated the mines within the hyperlane exit point that were supposed to surprise us. But we're still in the middle of a massive kill zone and we'll need to push forward to create space for Admiral Thorrison and the remaining fleet. You have our sensor data," I replied curtly while looking over the numbers Fen projected on the holoscreen in front of me.

  "So, he created a layered grid, what about the Ferron fleet?" Commander Ashcroft asked.

  "Not here, keeping their positions close to their habitable planets, it's just the automated kill zone, stretching nearly 20.000 kilometers around the hyperlane exit point. I believe my ship can clear a way through if we act carefully though."

  Commander Ashcroft didn't take long to understand what that meant. "Then do so, Captain. All FSF ships are to hold formation and follow you while you clear the mines at range."

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  I nodded to myself. "Fen, do it," I muttered. "Get us into a spin, I want to use all of our weaponry.

  Without hesitation the forward weaponry of the ASF Aurora started to fire, annihilating mines by the dozens of not hundreds as the ASF Aurora slowly started to spin to make use of their full weaponry without cooldown. Piece by piece the kill zone Admiral von Kr?henfels had set up was being dissected by us. But even as we cleared the nearest layer, Fen’s tone shifted subtly.

  [ Captain, I'm detecting increased secondary emissions. It seems to be electronic warfare signatures spiking from multiple vectors. They're actively degrading our sensor resolution and I fear the Federation ships will soon be blind and have to depend on our data. ]

  "Send everything to them, we cannot risk the Federation fleet flying blindly," I ordered instantly. Still, it was guaranteed that our unusual scans would confuse the Federation as well, leading to a drop in efficiency.

  Just as we did our best to overcome the sudden electronic warfare signatures, Admiral von Kr?henfels unleashed the next surprise he had apparently been preparing for us. Suddenly, multiple missile signatures streaked from all around us, dormant structures concealed by the electromagnetic disruption. Thanks to our sensor data, Commander Ashcroft noticed it as well. "All Destroyers, intercept them. We cannot let them reach the smaller ships," he ordered instantly.

  As the Destroyers surged forward, their point defense weaponry lit up like fireflies as they engaged the incoming missiles together with the precision fire of the ASF Aurora. Explosions blossomed once more in space as more and more of the incoming warheads were destroyed. But unfortunately, we didn't manage to get all of them. A Federation Frigate took two impacts, her shield flaring and absorbing the first explosion, but shattering under the second one. The Frigate's hull ruptured in a brief violent plume.

  [ The FSF Frigate Sparrow is venting atmosphere, and their power seems to be down at least 60%. It's a miracle none of their reactors went off. Either way the ship is down for the count for now. ]

  "We need to hold our formation, even if we lose ships!" Commander Ashcroft ordered coldly. "Either we clear this space for our bigger warships, or our losses will become truly horrendous."

  Mines continued to detonate around them as more missiles streaked in, both the ASF Aurora and the Federation doing their best to stop the incoming fire. Luckily, we had done enough damage by now that no more missiles went through our defenses and hit the Federation fleet. The shields of the ASF Aurora easily weathered the storm as well, shield integrity having only dropped to 73%.

  [ Captain our sensors have managed to punch through the electromagnetic interference. I have detected four converted Freighters, most likely mine tenders. ]

  "Take them out," I ordered instantly, knowing that these mine tenders were the ones most likely for the ever-continuing missile storm. Fen reacted instantly, firing multiple antimatter-loaded railgun shots that easily punched through the tenders and saw them flare up in violent explosions.

  Nonetheless another wave of missiles came in, this time accompanied by railgun slugs fired from an asteroid cluster close by. The slugs, moving far faster than the missiles, speared through the shields of multiple Federation ships, though none reported serious damage. None except for one Federation Destroyer that is, which took a hit dead center. Suddenly a fireball bloomed where the Destroyer had been and only debris remained.

  [ The FSF Destroyer Valient is down for the count, it seems like there were no survivors. Also, I have more anomalous readings from the asteroid clusters. I'm afraid they seem to be charging up some kind pf plasma lance. ]

  My jaw tightened. Admiral von Kr?henfels had known what he was doing, setting up this kill zone. Already our losses were higher than I had hoped them to be. "Commander Ashcroft, we have seconds at most before the second wave jumps in, we need to speed the process up. The ASF Aurora will push ahead and take out the asteroid clusters, they seem to be charging up an experimental weapon there!"

  "Do so, Captain. But our ships will follow, if these are truly plasma weapons their effect can be highly destructive. We need to take them out at all costs," Commander Ashcroft replied immediately as the entire fleet slightly shifted course. And indeed, as they closed in on the asteroid clusters, a lance of searing plasma suddenly cut across the void, a line so bright that even the other explosions in space paled in comparison.

  With no ability to stop the plasma lance, or whatever that thing was, it easily struck the FSF Cruiser Peregrine. The Cruiser's shields flared blindingly white, cracked, and then the hot plasma washed across the Cruiser, practically melting off the armor of the ship. Instantly the FSF Cruiser fell out of formation, still alive but heavily damaged.

  Only seconds later the ASF Aurora returned fire, taking out all the asteroid clusters in vicinity. And just as time as the second wave of Federation ships jumped out of the hyperlane exit point behind us, shields up and weapons primed. Nonetheless, one of the FSF Corvettes was caught by a stray missile upon exiting and instantly went up in a fireball.

  Nonetheless, slowly but surely the automated Ferron fire died down as the kill zone was mostly dismantled. Silently I stared at the debris all around us in space as finally the last pieces of Ferron's automated defenses were silenced. We had cleared the hyperlane exit point and we had gotten our fleet into the system mostly intact, but it had been expensive.

  I had no doubt that if Admiral von Kr?henfels had decided to make his stand here he would've grievously damaged the ASF Aurora and taken out the Federation fleet. He would've lost his entire fleet in the process, but any hope we had of pushing further into Ferron would've been thwarted. The ASF Aurora was strong, but not strong enough to contend with 50 ships firing at her at the same time at full power. However, Admiral von Kr?henfels had been bound in is decision. Even just proposing to sacrifice his fleet would've most likely seen him removed from rank after what we had done to the civilians in the Schwarzfeld system. He could not take the slightest risk of us getting a chance to repeat that. So, my gamble, after all, had paid off.

  This battle may have only just begun. But Admiral von Kr?henfels had been forced to waste the best shot he had at defeating us. Now the time had come for us to take the Felsmark system.

  "Fen, open a channel to the FSF Defiance. It's time for another strategy session with Admiral Thorrison on how to best take the system now that we've broken down the door."