Blood War 1: Last Stand of the Legion: Rift (11 page)

"But how did you go from what most analysts believe is simple indifference to active aggression?"

"A the Hawkins Rule states that any intelligent species that becomes space faring is by its very nature an aggressive species. I believe the Xotoli are at the extreme of that aggressiveness. That is why I believe they are about to attack."

Kitmura changed the holo to one that showed the entire Pleiades Fleets Area of Operation and the locations of the
wormholes.

             
"The attack, I believe will be against us in the Pleiades Fleet. We protect the richest portion of the "pie" of the Confederation. Our section contains 65% of the Von Fleet crystal producing planets, as well as 75% of the projected future water resources and 50% of other critical exotic resources. We have had over a 200% increase in businesses requesting exploration permits as well as new claims. The systems the Pleiades Fleet protects are the closest together. So if the Xotoli are successful they will be able to consolidate their new holdings more easily than any of the other fleets. And as you all know the Lyten System is the hub for six different wormholes that lead to the rest of our operations. By attacking here, the aliens stop, for all intents and purposes, any further expansion by the Confederation not only in our AO but throughout the known systems. The Eyas Fleet predicts only 10% further expansion in their area of operation. The Nam Fleet projections are only 11% and the distances between resource planets are so great as to be prohibitive."

"So as the Fleet Legion Intelligence
Officer I believe it is my duty to inform you of my analysis. I believe an attack on the Anchorage and the Lyten System is imminent and suggest we put the Fleet on Threat Level 3."

"You are aware of the cost of such a change in our preparedness levels are you not?" Admiral Oxford said.

"Yes, I am Admiral, it is according to my calculations in the 10's of billions."

"All on what amounts to a hunch?" Oxford said.

"Yes ma'am."

"Now Captain..." Admiral Golenpaul said.

Raurk actually frowned and Golenpaul seemed to shrink under her glare.

"Please, Admiral Gole
npaul, we cannot have a discussion until we have been presented with all of the facts. Captain Knott, Kitmura’s naval counterpart will give us his interpretation of the data. Captain Knott," Usiche Rauark said.

LYTEN SYSTEM

RIFT

FLEET HEADQUARTERS

ONE HUNDRED FLOORS BELOW GROUND

EMERGENCY COMBAT INFORMATION CENTER

The elevator took a long time to reach the Fleet's Emergency Combat Information Center. The Center was over a thousand feet below ground in one of Rifts countless caverns. Rift was honeycombed with caverns left over from the period in her history when there was abundant water. Istas stepped out of the elevator. She was dressed in the uniform
of a Sub-Lieutenant of the Confederation Navy. She wore it correctly and understood all of the rules, regulations, and protocols that went with her rank and job within the Navy. It was not the first time she had used the disguise of a naval officer for a mission. Her footsteps echoed down the long empty hall that led to a huge blast door that was closed and sealed. Istas stood in front of the door, and then leaned forward for a retinal scan. When she received a green light from the security check she proceeded to the next step and placed her hand on a flat panel that read her palm and fingerprints as a second check. Again, the green light flashed. Finally she ran her security card through the scanner and the door’s locks slammed back with a loud bang. It never failed to amaze Istas at the ability of the Anjin to supply her with new identities that would pass all security systems anywhere, almost at a moment’s request.

Istas stepped through the door. She had been supplied with everything she needed to pass for a Sub-Lieutenant reporting for duty in a high security area.
This was a never before used combat center, but high security, nonetheless. Two security guards waited for her when she approached the first checkpoint. They both snapped off salutes and she returned the salute then stepped forward with her orders held out. The bigger guard on the right took them and examined them carefully then stepped to his computer to have them confirmed. Istas knew that while they were armed neither would pose a threat to her. After many long years she could read them easily-bored with a dead end job with only the occasional new member reporting to break the day's long monotony. She knew that was about to change but they did not.

"Everything seems to be order
, Sub-Lieutenant."

"Thank you Chief
," Istas said.

"Lieutenant Netis is over there
. She is the one talking to the Chief Yeoman now."

"Again, thank you Chief
," Istas said.

She flashed him a flirtatious look and released some sex pheromones to make sure he responded. She saw his face flush letting her know it had taken
effect. He was one less she would have to worry about. The release and her look would slow him down enough for her to have the edge when the time came. Istas turned and entered the huge room. One entire wall was a screen that displayed the Fleet Anchorage and all the ships in port. The individual combat status of each of the ships was displayed by its symbol. To one side of the screen was the present location of Task Force 7 that had gotten underway three days prior for a long patrol to Groombridge twenty light years away.

It would require two long wormhole transits to reach
its patrol area. The patrol consisted of the battleships Aquila, Draco, and Lupus with the escort destroyers Beta Centauri, Altair, Mira, Vega and the cruisers Regulus, Beta Cirus and the Antiares. It was the largest taskforce in years. It was as much a training mission as it was a patrol for the officers and crews to practice the art of moving through space in such a large attack fleet formation. It carried the 2
nd
Legion battalion spread between the battleships and the destroyers. They were scheduled to be gone over six months. Istas knew all of this from her Anjin briefing. She walked over to where Lieutenant Netis was finishing her conversation with Chief Yeoman.

"You may go Chief
," said Lieutenant Netis.

"Ma'am." The Chief turned on his heel and head back to his station.

"Yes?" Lieutenant Netis said.

"Ma'am
, Sub-Lieutenant Coya reporting as ordered."

Istas held out her orders to the Lieutenant. Before she accepted them
, Netis looked Istas over carefully checking her uniform and bearing. Then she held out her hand for the orders. She took them without a word and carefully looked them over. As she did Istas decided that she liked this young Lieutenant. She was professional and formal in her bearing. She handled people under her command with respect, yet keeping her distance, as an officer should. This was a position that many would not take seriously, but Istas’s observations of the guards and the Chief told her whoever ran this room was a serious and disciplined individual who took their responsibilities seriously. Istas appreciated that, given her own training and discipline.

"Sub-Lieutenant
, welcome aboard. Your qualifications seem to be in order. You know your station so there should be no need for a familiarization of your job."

Lieutenant Netis stared at her for a long moment then said
,

"Sub-Lieutenant
, there would be many who would not be happy with this assignment. This facility has never been used and we work in the background with little notice. Yet should this facility ever be needed it is critical that we are ready for what ever the Fleet needs. Understand?"

"Yes, ma'am." Istas
liked this one more with each moment. The Lieutenant reminded her of her Anjin instructors so long ago.

"Good. Now take your position. I want a report in one hour. Very well
, that is all at this time."

"Ma'am."

Istas turned and went to her console and began getting up to speed on the report Netis just ordered her to deliver. While she worked on the report her eyes were darting around the room watching the others on the floor, their various positions and where they would be when it started. She found the position that would be an important one, the Intercept Center. A female who looked as if she were very busy with her own report manned it. Her name floated above her position Lt. Ezhno. Istas would have to watch her; she would be a key person. She was where she was supposed to be and ready for her mission. Now all she could do was wait. It was something she was very good at, the waiting before the explosion of violence. She had done it so many times before that it was now second nature.

LYTEN SYSTEM

SWIFT BOAT TS 111

PATROL SECTOR ALPHA

"Chief Kim, I have multiple incoming boogies," Electronics Warfare Mate Odaka said.

"Say again."

"Chief, I have multiple incoming boogies. Many, many. At 093.33. They appear in formation and they are not squawking on any of our recognition channels."

Chief turned off his window view and glanced at the sensor readout that Odaka was talking about. He was right
- there was a fleet out there, a big one. They seemed to have just appeared out of nowhere. Their sensors should have picked them up long ago. He could not understand how they could be this close. Then he saw something he had never seen before on any screen throughout all his years in the Navy. It was the biggest reading he had ever seen. So big, he refreshed the screen to make sure it had not malfunctioned. It again appeared, only this time there was another behind it. A vast fleet of all-sized ships was screening the huge objects. They looked like destroyers, cruisers, and battleships with a screen of fighters protecting them on all sides.

"Odaka
, are you screening us?"

"Check, Chief I am trying everything I know to do to hide. But their sensors seem to
be much stronger than ours. I am not sure how successful I am."

"Just do your best till we figure
out a couple of things. Lee, wake up! You might want to see this."

"I'm awake
, Chief. Honest...."

"Make ready all weapons systems."

Chief Kim heard the rest of the crew check in as he continued to try and understand what he was staring at on the screen. The first thing he needed to do was report this to the squadron.

"Odaka
, can you get me a laser comm with D50?"

"Ahead of you Chief
, I've been trying. Nothing. It is like they aren't there anymore."

"What?"

"Yeah, Chief, I am getting nothing. It's very strange."

"Could we have a malfunction?"

"Already thought of that. We’re good, it's on their end."

"Check. Then get me Fleet
, Odaka, we need to let someone know," Chief Kim said. "Also prepare a comm drone as a last resort."

"Roger, Chief."

If he could not contact D50 he had to let the Fleet know he had an unknown fleet heading toward the Fleet Anchorage. The location of the Fleet Anchorage was one of the most closely held secrets in the Confederation. Even the civilians had to have clearance high enough to work in the system. How could this fleet have known where it was? Who were they? And what were their intentions? What to do with what was obviously an alien fleet was way above his pay grade. He needed some guidance. Almost as if the aliens had heard the question about their intentions, the weapons lock alarm sounded. Chief Kim didn't need any instructions on what to do to defend the vessel and his crew.

"Chief
, somebody has lock on us and is firing."

"All personnel. Weapons free,
repeat weapons free. Odaka get to work on those missiles."

Multiple incoming missiles appear
ed on his screen as the ships on his screen fired at them. The vessel rocked as Ludwig fired the scram cannon at the largest of the vessels. The Chief slammed the old Swift boat into as hard a turn as he thought it could take.

"Chaff out
," Odaka said. As he tried to fool the incoming missiles with multiple chaff modules, the Swift Boat rocked as each of the chaff missiles left their tubes.

"Give me a mine dispersal. As wide as possible," Kim said.

Assistant Gunners Mate Kindall hit her mine dispersal button, and the TS 111 began to spit out mines as it turned away from the missiles. Maybe between the chaff and the mines they could buy enough time. The missiles continued to close.

"Lee
, fire your weapons. Max spread. Are the rails guns on auto?"

"Roger, Chief."

Lee began firing all of the protective weapons of the Swift Boat. It must have looked like a twirling fireworks display as all of the available weapons fired at once. A missile chased one of the chaffs. Kim pushed the old ship’s engines to the firewall. Another missile exploded as one of the Swift Boat's proximity mines exploded. The Swift Boat was now headed for home at max power. The mini-rail gun suddenly spit out a wall of projectiles at a missile as it closed in, causing the missile to explode.

"We
're beating them, Chief."

Chief Kim reached out and hit the emergency button on his communication panel. The next transmission would be sent out on all of the fleet's frequencies
. As it would take minutes or more before the broadcast was received all the way back at Fleet Headquarters, he launched their own communications drone with the message. Maybe the drone could cut down the time it took to reach Fleet.

"We are under attack by large fleet of unknown type vessels. Vessels appear to be alien. Repeat vessels appear to be alien. Repeat we are under attack by a large fleet. Fleet is inbound to
the fleet anchorage. Repeat, inbound to the fleet anchorage."

"Chief
, we’ve got multiple fighters on our ass."

The Swift Boat rocked as Lee fired. Kim had wondered how long before the fighters found them. They were closing at an astonishing speed
, faster than any Legion fighter he had ever seen at this close range. Their readouts on the screen appeared to be much larger than the Legionnaires fighters. 

"Release mines."

"Already on it Chief."

"Continue to repeat the warning message on a loop. We have to make sure it gets through," Kim barked as he pulled the Swift Boat into an evasive maneuver.

Kim could see the fighters closing in on them. One got close enough for the mini-gun to fire. The fighter disappeared. Kindall was firing her scram cannon even though it was not designed as a defense against fighters.  The fighters were closing in fast; they were much faster than the Swift Boat. Kim could feel the ship rock as Lee used missiles against the fighters. He even got off two torpedoes at the largest ships. What happened next astonished the Chief; two of the fighters broke off their attack and dove in front of the torpedoes disappearing in the flash of an explosion.

"Lee
, did you see that?"

"Roger Chief, firing all tubes on max spread. They will find that big target all by themselves."

Lee was good; Chief Kim thought he had been right to keep him in spite of his attitude. A spread of torpedoes left the Swift Boat. Kim watched his screen as fighters dove for each of the torpedoes. One by one they disappeared in flash. Kim thought that they had been able to escape the onslaught - just as the swift boat suddenly lurched as a missile struck it.