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And so it begins.
 
A new officer corps goes out into the universe, carrying great promise and great responsibilities with them. They may be young now, but the future of the Confederation lies in their hands.

Stanfield I'm certain will go far if he's anything like his namesake in the previous story, though he may have to be dragged kicking and screaming by Admiral Aderawa ;)
 
Well, it's been a while. I know I've been gone AWOL for a fair bit, but I do intend to continue this story. And what a better time is there to lay it's foundations while we wait for the new DLC to drop, and then for the mods to start working again. Hope you guys will stick around for the ride, and I hope that I will have a more consistent release schedule.

Very strange. Either the assassin has found a way to spoof the Confederation's most advanced security sensors, or they aren't playing by the usual laws of physics -- though the use of an energy blade would seem to indicate the former. Either way, the implications are disturbing.

I get a feeling, though, that this incident was meant more to send a message than as a "proper" assassination attempt, since it seems like they could have taken Macedo's life at any time they wished with that much of an advantage -- unless, of course, something spooked them in turn.
Confederation politics are tense to say the least, as ideologies flare up and factions seeks to remain/gain power. This attack, may be a sign to come, or a warning paving the way for a more advanced civilization to enter the fray.

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic" as someone once said.

Just read through. As for Marlon, well, someone has to be part of the PBI.
PBI's not that bad of a job... well, maybe.

And so it begins.
Slowly but surely.

A new officer corps goes out into the universe, carrying great promise and great responsibilities with them. They may be young now, but the future of the Confederation lies in their hands.

Stanfield I'm certain will go far if he's anything like his namesake in the previous story, though he may have to be dragged kicking and screaming by Admiral Aderawa ;)
Stanfield will be a very large part of the story, just like in the previous one. More than that though, we'll have to wait and see.
 
997rSaB.jpg
‘Here I am.’ He thought to himself as he boarded the Battleship Archangel. Walking through the endless metal corridors, the only noise he could hear was the metal clanging following his each step on the surface.

Travelling through a Confederation Battleship often felt like an eternity. With a length of half a kilometer, getting from one side through another, through each compartment and level, was a long endeavor.

“It will take some time getting used to.”

Walking beside him was Commodore Webster.

“I’d have thought that with the Navy’s budget, these ships would allow easier movement from one side to another.”

“Well, Officer Stanfield, I’m sure that the Bureau’s R&D department will be interested to hear about any possible improvements to their designs.”

Stanfield chuckled, shooting a quick glance in Webster’s direction. Webster himself was smirking.

Always wanted to give the department a few tips and pointers. I just don’t think they’d listen you know?”

“Well, I’m sure you can try.”
Webster shrugged lightly. “I’m sure they’ll ignore you, but you can try.”

After a while the two of them reached their destination. On the highest floor of the Archangel, the communications deck oversaw all traffic in and out of the Battleship.

Outfitted with top of the line systems, Archangel was one of the few Confederation flagships to possess such high quality equipment.

Over the communication engineer’s stations, one platform stool tall. Atop of it, the Commander’s Chair oversaw the rest of the deck, and, by extension, the control of the battleship.

Admiral Aderawa was seated into his chair. Furrowing his eyebrows, he browsed through the contents of his datapad, unaware of the arrival of Commodore Webster and Officer Stanfield. After a brief pause, Commodore Webster, noticing no change in Admiral Aderawa’s actions, coughed into his fist and reluctantly announced himself and Officer Stanfield.

“Commodore Webster, present on deck, sir. I’ve brought Officer Stanfield, as you’ve instructed.”

Aderawa shuddered slightly, snapping out of his focused state. Staring down the two youths, his lips formed a small smile. With a huff, he stood up from his chair, towering above the two individuals by at least a head. Silently, he approached the two before bringing his hand up towards his face, saluting them. Webster and Stanfield returned the gesture immediately.

“Welcome, Officer Stanfield. It’s been a few weeks since we’ve first met at the academy ball. How are you doing?”

Stanfield briefly returned a smile. “I’m doing fine, sir. I’m uh, adjusting.”

Aderawa moved in closer, placing both of his arms on Stanfield’s shoulders.

“I’m sure you will adjust just fine, Officer. Has the Commodore shown you to your quarters yet?”

Stanfield awkwardly looked at Aderawa before nodding approvingly. Aderawa’s careful attention towards Stanfield felt odd to say the least, given that he was only a fresh graduate, and was far from an established and known figure within the Confederation. Arguably, Admiral Aderawa’s treatment of Stanfield was... unorthodox.

“Very well. As I’m sure you’ve been made aware, you will be stationed on this deck, along side Commodore Webster. You’ll be under his direct supervision. Any issues you have, any questions, take it up to him. Understood?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good.”


Aderawa shook his head in satisfaction. He maintained his grip on Stanfield’s shoulders, staring down at him, causing Stanfield to shoot a glance in Commodore Webster’s direction.

Sighing, Webster intervened.

“Admiral?” he asked. “Would that be all?”

Aderawa paused for a second.

“Officer Stanfield, if I recall correctly, you were one of the highest rated in fleet combat simulations, hmm?”

Stanfield nodded slowly, curiously looking up at him.

“Great. I hope to play a game with you in our spare times, and I will be relying on your advice moving forward.”

Aderawa pat him on the shoulders and then released him. Stanfield staggered slightly before regaining his composure. He didn’t realize it until now, but the Admiral firmly planted him into the ground. He could barely move.

“I believe this is your first time on a fully outfitted combat vessel, isn’t it, Officer Stanfield?”

Aderawa shot a glance over his shoulder towards Stanfield as he walked over to his seat. Slowly, he sat down and crossed his legs. Bringing his palms together and interlocking his fingers, he looked at the youth. Stanfield nodded affirmatively.

“Very well. Soak it in.” Aderawa looked towards Webster. “Commodore, are we ready for departure?”

“All vessels are accounted for and ready to move, Admiral. Awaiting your order.”

Webster straightened out his back, nodding to him.

“Very well.” He responded as he pressed on the button attached to his seat. Slowly, a holographic image of himself was projected in front of him and on the many panels through-out the vessel and rest of the fleet. “All ships! Lift off. Ignite your hyperdrives and enter coordinates for the Alinaendlor System.”

Alinaendlor, initially a solar system dedicated to the research of it’s native Neutron Star, has been recently repurposed to serve as a defensive strategic point following the ongoing pirate crisis in the Confederation’s SE Quadrant. As such, efforts have been made by the Navy’s Central Command to fortify positions and deter any potential incursion by the Corsairs in the Human Core Worlds.

“Admiral Aderawa, as I am sure you are aware, a representative of the D.I.D stationed on Alinaendlor Station has requested an audience with you once we arrive. We’ve been instructed by Central Command to cooperate with the representative, so long as his demands are... reasonable.”

Aderawa sighed, resting his temple into his balled first.

“What does the D.I.D want now? If my memory does not fail me, part of this crisis is a direct consequence of them misjudging the situation.”

Aderawa shifted his gaze towards Stanfield. After a few moments of silence, he returned his gaze towards Commodore Webster.

“Very well. I’ll entertain. While I am entertaining the ‘esteemed’ representative of the D.I.D, I want you and Officer Stanfield to coordinate with the fleet groups and iron out any issues in regard to our plan of action.”

“Understood.”
Webster nodded.

“Until then, we’ve a couple of hours. Officer Stanfield, you’re excused. Familiarize yourself with your quarters, crew, what not. Webster, remain here.”

“Very well, sir.”
Stanfield kicked his feet together, saluting the two.

Laggardly, Stanfield made his way off the platform and through the communications deck. Looking around, everything seemed to be in order. All stations were occupied and everyone seemed to be hard at work. Leaving the deck and one of the battleship’s main halls, auxiliary staff as well as maintenance crews were ensuring that the interior of the ship was in pristine condition.

As he made his way through the corridor, Stanfield noticed the increasing attention from his fellow shipmates. While he wasn’t the only officer stationed on the Archangel, he was the only officer that was directly stationed on the communications deck, under the direct guidance of Commodore Webster and supervision of Admiral Aderawa himself.

Words spread quickly of his feats during the naval academy. A top graduate, on par with Lockhart Weiss, heir of the Weiss conglomerate. Touted as one of the two ‘Diamonds’ of the Rarillic Naval Academy by the instructors and alma matter, Stanfield was one of the main sources of admiration for the academy, coming with no less intrigue given his family’s status; or rather, non-status.

While meritocratic in nature, the Confederation Navy’s higher echelons were more or less elitist. Most of the Admirals, including Admiral Lana Oldham, who selected Officer Weiss for her fleet, and excluding Admiral Barau Aderawa who chose to select Officer Stanfield were in stark contrast. Admiral Aderawa, a veteran of the Nashrivanni Wars that plagued the planet of Horizon and its satellites for half a decade. Admiral Oldham, a political appointment backed by the Confederation’s industrialist conglomerates, as well as a proponent for the war with the Nashrivanni Empire.

So, one could easily argue that these latest ‘Diamonds’ are a part of a greater ideological clash that stretches back hundreds of years, never truly allowing the Confederation, and by extension, humanity, to reach its potential.

a7LzDV0.png

Nashrivann, otherwise known as Horizon to the Human Confederation, was the home of a sentient bipedal lizard civilization living in an extensive cave network located on the planet of Nashrivann/Horizon. During the initial expansion of the Confederation and establishment of the colony of Horizon, contact was made between human settlers and a scouting party belonging to the Nashrivanni Empire.

While relations were initially cordial, with extensive trading between the two civilizations, different events led to the souring of relationships. Ultimately, due to the influence of the industrialist conglomerates within the Confederation, the Nashrivanni Empire was framed into attacking the human city-outpost of Freiberg, giving the Confederation casus belli to attack.

Contrary to all expectations, the Nashrivanni fought tooth-and-nail, resisting most Confederation attempts at pushing into their territory. After years of grueling conflict, the Nashrivanni succeeded sacking the settlements of Horizon City, Freiberg, Ironwood and Talmberg City, spurring the Confederation into pooling more resources into the conflict.

While initially the Confederation believed it would easily obtain the resources they sought from the native population, the Central Army and Naval Commands suffered blow after blow to their prestige, resulting into extensive bombardment of the planet’s surface. All accounts of human casualties have been censored and/or disposed of, but are estimated to be close a million, combatant and non-combatant. On the other hands, Nashrivanni reported casualties stand close to three million, although unofficial sources estimate them to be closer to six million, with the majority being non-combatant.

‘I ought to get some sleep.’ Stanfield thought to himself as he continued to make his way to his quarters. ‘Atleast while I still can.’


Back on the communications deck

“So what do you think of him, Commodore?” Aderawa inquired.

“He’s interesting, to say the least. We’ve had a few chats, I could see why Rear-Admiral Okina thinks so highly of him. But...”

Webster shrugged his shoulders, looking at the man.

“But he’s not a fit for the Confederation, hmm?” Aderawa closed his eyes, shaking his head lightly.

“It’s too early to say whether he is a fit or not, but I can probably already name a few individuals that will take issues to his beliefs.”

“Like Lana?”
Aderawa snickered.

“Like Admiral Oldham, indeed. From what I’ve seen and read about Officer Stanfield, he’s her polar opposite.” Webster sighed. “Just like you.”

For a brief moment, the duo’s gazes locked onto one another, before the both of them cackled.

“Irrespectively, it is our duty to guide the new generation. I’ve never seen Okina so passionate about a student before. I owed it to her. With the recent events, who knows what’s next to come? We ought to prepare our youngsters for the future.”

Aderawa squinted his eyes, staring down at the datapad in his left hand.

“I’ve read through the files we’ve received several times, and I cannot shake off the feeling that there is more to it. Something happened for the Corsairs to suddenly become hostile and occupy Confederation territory.”

Webster furrowed his eyebrows, looking down at him.

“With all due respect, they are a pirate civilization, are they not? It’s not outside the realm of possibility for them to seek to loot and plunder.”

“I don’t disagree, Webster, but is that all they do? Having read the reports, they’re not just looting and plundering, they’ve occupied human territories, expanding their own outposts and fortifying their positions.”


Aderawa sighed, resting the datapad on his chair’s armrest.

“I don’t think they’re seeking riches. I think there’s something more at stake here.”
 
The old conflict between merit and status. Stanfield is stepping into a hornet's nest, and he doesn't even realize it -- or if he does, he's playing his cards rather close to the vest.

The Nashrivanni Wars sound like a classic tragedy, starting with suspicion and misunderstanding and ending in brutality. Knowing what's been revealed of his character so far, I can't imagine Admiral Aderawa is proud of everything that he had to do there, what with the sorts of things that such conflicts entail, even if he knows they were necessary to avert some greater catastrophe.

And that last bit about the Corsairs is both worrying and tantalizing...
 
The old conflict between merit and status. Stanfield is stepping into a hornet's nest, and he doesn't even realize it -- or if he does, he's playing his cards rather close to the vest.

The Nashrivanni Wars sound like a classic tragedy, starting with suspicion and misunderstanding and ending in brutality. Knowing what's been revealed of his character so far, I can't imagine Admiral Aderawa is proud of everything that he had to do there, what with the sorts of things that such conflicts entail, even if he knows they were necessary to avert some greater catastrophe.

And that last bit about the Corsairs is both worrying and tantalizing...

I wouldn't credit Stanfield too much yet! In spite of everything, he's still a fresh graduate.

I'd say the Nashrivanni Wars are a classic display of human greed. In spite of reliable trade, at the first sight of conflict, they chose to justify a potential war against another race instead of trying to work out through the issues. After all, they thought it would be like taking candy from a toddler.
 
Stanfield in this reboot is still uncomfortable in his position, but this time he's also young and inexperienced. I wonder how things will turn out for the next few crucial months and years. Good enough in the end, is my guess, but some awkwardness in between too. ;)
 
Great stuff here. I do love a good narrative based AAR. And Stellaris is certainly the game for the old genre to carry forward into a new dawn. Very enjoyable reading. Keep it up!

Cheers!
 
Very engaging! I am very interested to see where Stanfield's and Wiess's respective career paths will take them (possibly in opposition) and how their relationship during their time at the Academy may effect it. As the two "Diamonds" of the academy, were they friendly rivals or bitter enemies? Either scenario could create a very interesting conflict!
 
A few weeks have passed. Admiral Barau Aderawa and the Lancer Fleet have recently entered the South Eastern Quadrant, stopping near the Alinaendlor central fortress. Admiral Aderawa himself departed for the fortress to meet with a representative of the D.I.D, while Commodore Webster and Officer Stanfield remained aboard the Archangel.

“It’s been several hours now. Do all meetings with the D.I.D take this long?” Stanfield inquired while browsing through several files on his datapad.

“Not usually, no.” Webster quickly responded.

Commodore Webster and Officer Stanfield were wrapping up any outstanding issues related to supply and planning. Soon enough, the Lancer Fleet was to depart Alinaendlor and swoop through the occupied Confederation territory and destroy any naval enemy forces.

“It must be something major if they’ve been going at it for so long. I fear this doesn’t bode well.” Webster added on.

Stanfield remained silent, furrowing his eyebrows.

Webster glanced at him, before lowering the papers he was holding.

“If you want to say something, say it.” Webster sighed. “Is it about the D.I.D?”

“Yes and no.”
Stanfield rubbed the back of his head. “I’m having trouble understanding the sequence of events leading to here.”

Webster frowned.

“What do you mean?”

“Well. I’ve read these documents several times. Nothing written here is indicating that these are raiding parties, so-called pirates, or anything of the sort.”
Stanfield motioned to the datapad with his hand. “It’s an occupying force.”

“The Corsairs have long been a raider civilization. This is how they live, Officer.”

“But that’s not what they’re doing. Everything here indicates they are settling, and based on the reports, they are settling exclusively into Confederation space, heading in one certain direction.”


Webster furrowed his eyebrows, surprised by him.

“Your point?”

“The gathered information does not match what we’ve been briefed. And this... This doesn’t make sense.”


Stanfield extended the device to Webster.

“Our intelligence indicates that every time the Corsairs took control of a planet, they immediately began fortifying positions with a token force, while the main fleet moved ahead.” Stanfield continued. “There is no more intelligence from that system moving forward, only from adjacent systems, indicating high energy fluctuations. Storms? Magnetic reading failures? Perhaps even—”

“Combat?”
Webster interrupted him and then shrugged his shoulders somewhat defeated. “It is as you say. Admiral Aderawa seems to have a similar suspicion.”

“But then Central Command and the D.I.D are sending us in unprepared, possibly blind.”
Stanfield pushed himself off of his chair, pacing around frantically. “There’s something more going on in there than just... `Pirates trying to plunder the Confederation`!”

Stanfield turned around to face Webster, who remained unfazed in his seat. The two stared at each other for a moment, before Stanfield broke the silence.

“What?” he asked.

“Have you not figured it out yet?” Webster sighed.

Stanfield furrowed his eyebrows, staring down at the man in the seat, somewhat confused by his question. Noticing this, Webster stood up, slowly approaching him.

As he closed in, Webster placed both of his arms on his shoulders, looking him straight in the eyes.

“For all your brains, you seem to be grasping a basic concept, Officer. And you better grasp it sooner than later.”

“And that is?”

“Fleet Command and the D.I.D will only release the information THEY believe to be relevant for the mission, and nothing more.”

“I don’t follow.”
Stanfield shook his head.

“Our concern is not the abnormal readings, but the fleet two systems away from our current location. The abnormal readings are just that, abnormal readings.”

“But—”




Beep. Beep. Beep.

Commodore Webster’s personal holoterminal flickered.

“Aderawa to Commodore Webster, I am returning to the Archangel. I believe the ETA is five minutes. Get Officer Stanfield and see me in the meeting room. Aderawa out.”

“He seems... fine.”
Stanfield noted.

“No... no he did not. I don’t think that meeting went well at all. I’ve not seen him this angry since Nashrivann.” Webster sighed, making his way towards the exit. “Come on, let’s move.”

Stanfield quickly followed in tow.

“Nashrivann? You were there with him?”

“I’ve been with him for a couple of decades now. Fresh out of the academy, straight into the same fleet as him.”

“Sounds like you two have been together a long time, huh.”

“We’ve been through a lot of stuff together, Stanfield. Enough for a lifetime.”


Webster grimaced, unconsciously letting out a sigh. Stanfield looked at him and remained silent. The rest of the trip to the Archangel’s meeting room, neither of them uttered a word. As they closed in on their destination however, they noticed that Admiral Aderawa had already arrived, his body visible through the open door.

“Welcome back, Ad—”

“Sit down.”


Stanfield was cut off shortly by Aderawa, much to his and the Commodore’s surprise.

Aderawa himself dropped into one of the seats, playing around with a ball pen laying about on the conference table. After a few moments of tense silence, Aderawa stood up from his seat and paced around the room. Following a few quick laps around the table, he settled down by leaning his back against the table.

`I’ve never seen him like this`, Stanfield thought to himself. A quick glance in Webster’s direction confirmed that the Commodore did not either. He seemed aghast.

“We’ve received new reports from the occupied territories.”

Aderawa sighed, staring up at the ceiling.

“D.I.D has notified us that the main Corsair fleet is heading towards us at full speed, and will be entering the Ilshivarr system within a few hours.”

`That is no reason for him to be like this` Stanfield thought. Before speaking up, the Admiral continued.

“D.I.D has managed to collect significant information from the occupied territories left behind by the main fleet. It would seem that all of the formerly-occupied planets have been torched and burned.”

Stanfield’s eyes widened in sheer shock at the developments, but Aderawa pressed on.

“Casualties are unknown, but it is estimated that they are in the hundreds of millions. We cannot safely assume how many of them were captured and enslaved.”

`But they were fortifying positions. Why would they exterminate the local population? That doesn’t make sense`

As Stanfield pondered his thoughts, Commodore Webster ran a hand through his hair, trying to regain his composure. Aderawa himself too appeared distraught, showing a face that Stanfield had never seen before.

“With this new information, Fleet Command wants us to set out immediately and intercept the Corsair fleet. We are to stop them at all cost.”

`Even a pirate civilization is better than that. It’s not profitable to commit killings in the number of millions. They had a steady supply of defenseless slaves`

....

.....

.....

“STANFIELD!”

Admiral Aderawa slapped both of his hands on the table. Stanfield shook, snapping out of his thoughts, frantically looking around disorientated.

“Have you snapped out of it?”

“I’m sorry. Yes.”

“I don’t know what that was, but I expect you to have your head on your shoulders at all times. Are you going to daydream like that during combat too?”


Admiral Aderawa’s tired hazel eyes stared him down, perhaps disappointed at what seemed to him to be the young officer daydreaming.

“Admiral, if I may.” Webster intervened. Aderawa shifted his gaze towards him, nodding. “I find it hard to believe that the pirate fleet caused all that damage by itself. From the information we’ve gathered over the months, they are very much a pirate civilization. They’re not some religious fanatics on a crusade to cleanse the galaxy. I believe the D.I.D is withholding more information.”

“I share the sentiment, however the damage to our colonies is an undeniable reality. We expected things to be bad since the communication black out, but not this bad.”
Aderawa shifted in his seat. “Stanfield, I want to hear your opinion. How should we proceed?”

Stanfield paused for a moment before speaking.

“For now we have to assume that the Corsair fleet has the necessary firepower to torch and burn a planet. From what we know, they have four Cruisers in composition, all of which we can safely assume are some sort of command centers. If they have that firepower, it will be their cruisers.”

Aderawa nodded. “Very well. And?”

“Pirate ships are meant to be quick and capable of transporting ground troops. I’d assume that they do not have very much armor and instead rely on shield technology. Planet’s torch and burn would also indicate they have more energy based weapons, plus they wouldn’t have to worry that much about resupplying equipment.”


Aderawa shook his head in agreement as Stanfield continued talking. Webster himself had a slight smirk forming in the corner of his mouth.

“All in all, I believe that our torpedo boats will be instrumental to the battle. I also think that the Archangel should spearhead the battle with the other six Cruisers in our fleet composition. Our heavy ships should be able to bear most of the brunt of the damage.”

Aderawa shot a quick glance in Webster’s direction before nodding affirmatively to Stanfield.

“Very well. It’s not a bad assessment. You know your assignment, officer. I’ll wait for you on the Command Deck.”
 
It's never a good sign when an enemy starts changing their M.O. out of the blue, especially resorting to such brutal and counterproductive methods. I'd put good odds on some unknown-as-yet power manipulating them behind the scenes...

Glad to have you back, @crisrko :)
 
“Have you heard? We’re probably going to be engaging the enemy by the end of the day.”

“We’ve been travelling for so long I forgot we’re here to kill pirates.”

“The Corsairs.”
He scoffed. “The merchants always talk about them. Eight feet tall monsters, wearing pitch black armor, with scissors and blades for hands.”

The other one laughed heartily. “Monsters. Embellished stories by travelling merchants! Until a few years ago, we’ve never even heard of their existence!”

Indeed. The conflict between the Confederation and the “Corsairs” had begun around six years ago, when several fringe colonies under the protection of the Confederation began receiving raids by an unknown civilization. At first, it was nothing more than harassment, merchant ships disappearing here and there, with the occasional attack on the System Outposts. As such, the Confederation considered them a nuisance, rather than a threat. Poorly coordinated and in few numbers, the attacks never really amounted to much until three years ago.

“Well what are they then! You haven’t seen them! So how do YOU know they’re not monsters!” he rebuked him, visibly annoyed. Clicking his tongue, he looked around, before leaning in and whispering. “You know they’ve pushed the Confederation back to Alinaendlor! You’re telling me some normal pirates can do that?”

“What I know, is that I don’t know. And we shouldn’t be talking about this in the damn canteen!”


-----------



Below the canteen, the Infantry component of the Lancer Fleet was being equipped ahead of the battle. Typically, given the carrier capabilities of the Confederation Battleships, one such vessel could carry and deploy an entire company. In general, the purpose of these companies was to defend any possible boarding actions, or to defend captured enemy spaceholds moving forward. These companies were used to a great extend during the Nashrivanni Wars, especially during the reclamation of Nashrivann and its satellites.

While the public was briefed that the Nashrivanni only succeeded in taking brief control of human cities on the planet, the reality was that the Nashrivanni force managed to capture several dockyards on the planet, giving them spacefaring capabilities. Using these newly attained resources, the System Outpost was brought to heel within days, while the rest of their forces established strongholds on the habitable planets neighboring Nashrivann, an action which heavily prolonged the conflict and brought shame upon the Fleet Command and the Confederation as a whole.

As such, a heavy propaganda campaign was conducted, and all reports of the actual situation were quickly dismissed. To this day, outside of the Fleet Command, certain elements of the Confederation Leadership, the belief is that the Nashrivanni only destroyed the city of Freiberg.

Returning to the present, these companies are now typical attachments of all Confederation fleets with Battleship components. Named ‘Assault Squads’ by the Officers, and ‘Suicide Teams’ by the non-commissioned soldier, they were a very effective force due to their defensive and offensive capabilities. Most Admirals preferred to use them as boarding teams meant to disable enemy vessels during combat. As such, they typically had a very high rate of death.

“How did I end up assigned here.” He thought to himself. Slumping forward, the youth equipped his armor and duty-issued pistol. “I never should have left Central.”

Looking around, most of the soldiers were young, recent recruits just like him. There seemed to be very few veterans. “They probably died.” He thought. Yes. It would be a pretty fair assessment. Fleet Command’s use of Military lives was quite liberal. In the present-day Confederation, terrestrial combat was very rare, typically restricted to the poorer colonies where unrest was a rampant issue. Well, ‘combat’ would be an overstatement, there’s only so much some starving colonists could do against the local garrisons.

As Marlon continued to equip himself, a grizzled older man appeared before him and the rest of the soldiers present. He was tall and very well built, exuding the aura of a combat veteran. His body bore the scars of many different battles; especially his arm, or more precisely, the lack thereof. In place of his arm, the commander had a robotic prosthetic in the shape of an arm. In addition to his general appearance, it made him look like a veritable ‘bad-ass’.

“I’m looking at every single one of you, and I’m disappointed.” The man scoffed. “To think that the Confederation would send me milk-drinkers. Pah.” As he moved through their ranks, the man eventually came to a halt and kicked down one of the depositories, sitting on it.

“He had to pick mine.” Marlon twitched, as he thought to himself.

“I don’t know what shabby training you received on Knoxville, or what they told you before giving you this assignment.” He crossed his arms as he spoke. “There will be no glory, or songs, or any of that shit the academies feed you useless lot nowadays.”

Murmurs broke in the ranks.

“We’ve been told to stand-by for deployment. We’re most likely going to be a boarding force. I’m not going to sugar coat you like a bunch of toddlers. You’ve heard the rumors. Most of them are true, and a good part of you are going to die.” He continued on, candidly. “You’re soldiers, and that is your duty.”

“Way to raise morale.”
Marlon thought.

“Well, those of you that will survive will come out stronger. You survive this trial, you’ll no longer be children sucking on their moms teets.”

The old man stood up, walking through the ranks again, looking at every soldier’s face.

“You want to live? Then you better fight for your damn lives. That’s all I have to say. You don’t care about what these bastards have done to your people? You didn’t want to be here in the first place?” He screamed at the top of his lungs. “Then fight for your damn lives. And once we come back—” he pointed towards the elevator “we’ll head to the god damn canteen and get drunk, on me.” and then pointed at himself.

“OORAH!”

“Good. Now that’s more like it! We’re to report to the hangars in sixty minutes! MOVE IT!”


-----------



“You think this is going to work, Admiral?” Webster said as he used his datapad to browse through the planning.

Admiral Aderawa, Commodore Webster and Officer Stanfield were located on the Command Deck of the Archangel Battleship. In front of them, a huge holographic projection of the System’s Layout and Astronomical Bodies for the Ilshivarr System.

“I will admit that this is not the best plan of engagement, but we do not possess enough information on the Corsair fleet. Assuming that what the D.I.D has told us is correct, our Torpedo Corvettes would be the most effective, however their shield systems are very poor. If we allow them Corvettes to enter combat first, we’re just asking for loses.” Stanfield intervened.

Admiral Aderawa remained silent as he continued to browse through the documents. Webster on the other hand continued.

“So your solution is to have the Archangel, which is essentially the Command Vessel, spearhead the battle against what you yourself claim, is an enemy we do not have enough information on?” Webster stared down at Stanfield incredulously. “Are you trying to get us all killed, Officer?”

Stanfield shook his head. “No. But the Archangel is one of the strongest ships in the Confederation’s line-up. Given that the Corsairs failed to take control of Alinaendlor, having already been repelled once, I believe it’s fair to assume they do not have enough firepower to take down a hastily made bastion. And so, I believe that the Archangel will be able to withstand the initial barrage.”

Webster sighed once again. “But if the Archangel takes too much damage, that will hamper our next move. You’re banking on this, and it might just bite us in the ass if we go ahead with it. I’ll remind you, Officer, this isn’t a simulation. Combat doesn’t end with this battle. We’ve no guarantee they don’t have any other ships in hiding, and it will be a huge problem if they seize control of the Archangel or any of the technology onboard.”

Stanfield bit his lower lip, unable to rebuke Webster’s words. Indeed, the Archangel was a State-of-the-Art Confederation vessel. It was equipped with the latest Confederation shield technology, as well as plasma cannons only found in planetary defense systems. It was a technological masterpiece, and should they lose it, they’d probably answer with the Court Martial; if they survived, at least.

“I understand where you’re coming from.” Admiral Aderawa spoke up, looking at the two. “Both of you. While your plan has merit, Stanfield, I believe that we’ll need to account for any further battles. We’ve no guarantee their barrage will be able to do heavy damage to the Archangel and our cruiser unit, nor do we have any guarantee we’ll receive reinforcements from the Confederation.” Aderawa shrugged, placing the datapad on the small table next to his seat.

With a puff, Aderawa stood up to his feet, making his way to the end of the command deck. Looking outside the ‘window’, the star of the Ilshivarr System shone brightly, shedding its light over the many small planets and asteroids of the system. Unfortunately, these planets were uninhabitable and were only used by the mining guild of the Confederation.

“We’ll proceed normally. Our corvettes will be at the forefront of the battle, making use of their speed and the torpedo systems. Their targeting software should give us the upper edge. In the meanwhile, the Archangel and the cruiser unit will provide long range support. We’ll adjust as needed.”

-----------

About an hour later



“What are we looking at, Webster?” Aderawa cupped his hands together as he sat down in his chair, watching over the holographic projection of the system.

“Exactly five minutes ago, the Corsair fleet entered the system. It would seem it is composed of sixteen Corvettes, a dozen Destroyers and four Cruisers. Out of the four Cruisers, one of them seems to be of a different class. We believe that’s where the Corsair leader is.”

Waving his hand across the projection and then pinching his fingers, Webster zoomed in on the vessel.

‘It’s not that much smaller than the Archangel.’ I thought to myself. ‘We knew D.I.D held up on us, but I didn’t think they’d risk this much. What a joke.’

“Very well. For now we’ll proceed as planned. Has the Assault Squad been brief?”
inquired Admiral Aderawa, shooting a glance towards me. I nodded quickly before responding.

“They have. Captain Rutt and his men are equipped and ready to be deployed at a moment’s notice.”

“Very well Officer. Now then...”
Aderawa swiped his hand over the projection. “Have all vessels move forward. We will be engaging the Corsair fleet as soon as possible.”

With these words, I heaved a sigh. Months after my graduation, I would finally see real combat. It was nothing like they told us at the academy. I look around me and I see many faces, some of which I bonded with. And I know that some of them will probably die.

-----------



“We’ll be deploying soon!” Captain Rutt shouted at his men, pointing his robotic arm at each and every one of them. “Admiral Aderawa has tasked us with boarding the enemy command vessel and take control.”

On a small table in the middle of the military quarters, a small holographic projector was displaying a rough sketch of the main Corsair vessel. Based on the readings and information previously collected by the D.I.D, the Corsair Command Vessel was a modified version of the Gamoran ‘Igzuz’ class Cruisers.

Unlike their Gamoran counterparts, this vessel was outfitted with energy weaponry, as well as an outdated shields system over the Plasteel armour. As such, it was safe to assume, at least according to the intelligence departments, that the internal layout will be if not identical, atleast very similar to the normal Igzuz class Cruisers.

Of course, the question that everyone wanted to ask was “Why the hell do the Corsairs have a Gamoran vessel.”, although it would have to wait until later.

“We will split into two teams. Alpha team will be tasked with sweeping the lower floors and taking control of the life support systems and the reactor room, while the Beta and Charlie teams will swoop up, taking the living quarters, armory and eventually the command deck.” Rutt scratched his scruffy beard before closing the hologram. “So, this is how the teams will be split...”

.......

..............

‘Great. I’m in the mad man’s team.’ I thought to myself as I saluted Captain Rutt after hearing my name being called.

“Private Davis, this is your first operation, isn’t it?”

I could see him squint his eyes and scrutinize me. Why is he even asking me this?

“Affirmative.”

Rutt bobbed his head slowly, before grinning.

“If you’re half the man your father used to be, then I have nothing to fear.”

“What are you—”


Rutt shook his hand in the air as he motioned towards the hangar room. “Everyone! We’re moving out! Move it!”

‘Just how the hell did I end up here?’
I sighed in exasperation as my helmet shut tight.



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Writer's notes:

hi, it's been a while
 
‘Freehold Corsairs’, ‘The Corsairs’, ‘Corsairs’

Adjective

Relating to or characteristic of the pirates situated in the South-Eastern Confederation territories

Noun

A member of the pirate group situated in the South-Eastern Confederation territories


Freehold Corsairs are a pirate group comprised of several species, including but not limited to: Humans, Vissari and Gamorans. Typically, most of their members are criminals, former convicts or fugitives with varying backgrounds, from farmers to former soldiers. As such, despite being a ragtag group, the Corsairs have been capable of coordinating attacks on the Confederation’s colonies for over a decade.

Freehold Corsairs are based in the Uziz System, located south of the borders between the Confederation and the Unified Vissari Systems. Uziz and its neighboring systems do not contain any habitable planets by either of the races mentioned above, nor are they particularly rich in minerals. Instead, the Corsairs have created several rudimentary habitats, housing their troops, fleets and bounty.

‘The Fat Whale’, is the primary habitat within the Uziz System, and the main base of operations for the Freehold Corsairs. It’s name is a reference to the spaceborne whales native to the Milky Way, the Tiyanki, and is the prime location in this part of the galaxy to illegally purchase slaves or scavenged technology.

Within recent years, the Freehold Corsairs became far more aggressive towards the Confederation, no longer conducting raids on its fringe colonies, but waging war and occupying planets. All planets that have been occupied by the Freehold Corsairs have had their communications with Mars severed and can no longer be contacted or monitored.

On the directive of the Domestic Intelligence Department, all citizens belonging to any planet under the current control of the Freehold Corsairs are to be presumed enslaved or dead. In the present, no survivor or escapee of these planets has been discovered.


------------------------------------------------------------------
Writer's notes:

With the return of the AAR, I've decided that an interesting thing to do on the side, besides the progression of the narrative, is to throw in some bits and pieces containing information about the varying factions, races and nations in the story. I hope you'll enjoy it.
 
‘It’s finally begun.’ I thought to myself as I looked through the glass. With our ships approaching the Corsair fleet, I could hear rumbling under my feet. Our kinetic batteries had begun their barrage. Hundreds of guns rained fire upon the enemy fleet aiming to disable their shields and allow our plasma cannons to tear apart their armor and hulls.

To my side, Admiral Aderawa is sitting confident, but vigilant in his seat. How many battles has this man seen before, to be so calm in the face of potential death? My chest felt tight, and my throat felt as if it was being choked. It was hard for me to breathe. I’ve been studying for this for the past few years, but I suppose it hadn’t sunk in yet: this is real combat. My life, and the lives of others, are on the line.

On my other side, Commodore Webster was managing the communication with the other vessel commanders. He’s the man that has been standing at Admiral Aderawa’s side for years; he’s been his right hand, before, through and after the Nashrivanni wars. Is he just as composed as the Admiral, or is he simply absorbed in his task?

I sigh as I tug at my collar, unbuttoning the top of my uniform. It would seem that the battle is progressing in our favor. Our swarm of Corvettes quickly entered firing range, unleashing a bombardment of Armored Torpedoes that made quick work of the Corsair Corvettes and Destroyers. Unfortunately, the payload was vulnerable to the point-defense systems mounted on some of their Corvettes, and it was not as effective as we would’ve liked.

After deploying our torpedoes, our Corvettes entered a dog-fight with the enemy ships, harassing them and hindering their medium range weaponry. With the screen resulting from the swarm of Corvettes from both sides, the Cruisers could not enter combat effectively. We risked hitting our own vessels, and so did the Corsairs.

“Stanfield.”

I looked to my side, nodding to him.

“Admiral Aderawa?”

“Notify the Assault Squad. We’ll create an opening within the next few minutes. I want them ready to board the enemy Command Vessel.”


Aderawa ran his hand through his short hair before placing his hat back on. He continued to focus on the battlefield after giving me his orders. I saluted him before opening a direct channel to Captain Rutt and his men.

“Captain Rutt.” I spoke softly. “We’re going to create an opening. You will be boarding the enemy Command Vessel within the next few minutes.”

“About time!”
Rutt barked back. “I thought you forgot about us.” Rutt laughed heartily as he placed his robotic arm on his hip.

‘They’ve armored up, I see.’

Indeed. Captain Rutt and the rest of the Assault Squad were fully outfitted for close quarter combat. Possessing the latest Plasma Rifles and Ceramic Plating Armor, they looked extremely intimidating to anyone who would’ve come across any of them in the open field. Unfortunately, this would not be a battle in the open field.

Historically, urban warfare had been far deadlier than normal combat. In that sense, boarding an enemy vessel was just as deadly. Confined to tight spaces and long corridors, numbers meant less, and weaponry with larger area of effect reigned supreme. In the current age, where energy weapons are the primary choice for militaries and criminals alike, armor was less effective than in the era of firearms.

Some equipment had built in shield systems that were capable of tanking a few hits from a laser weapon, but plasma weapons were always a tossup. Those weapons could tear through even the thickest armor, and while they were less effective against shields, full-body energy shields were still too expensive to produce in the Confederation or any of its neighbors. The D.I.D managed to obtain information of a prototype in the Unified Vissari Systems, but it’s still far from completion, and the testing site very well guarded.

Having been sidetracked, I’ll return to the initial point. Confederation Assault Squads did not tend to live long. Captain Rutt was an exception to the rule, but he was still that, an exception, and the brunt of combat had taken its toll on him, as evidenced by his robotic arm.

“Forget about you? How could we? You’re an instrumental part of our tactic, Captain!” I feigned a smile and tried to offer atleast some words of encouragement.

Captain Rutt laughed at my words before placing his helmet on and locking it in.

“You worry about the big picture, Officer. Let us worry about the details. We’re ready to depart and await your signal.”

I placed the channel on hold before turning back to Admiral Aderawa.

“Admiral, the Assault Squad is ready to deploy on your mark.”

“Very well.”
Aderawa responded. “Webster, instruct our Corvettes to prepare to withdraw, and notify our Cruiser unit to prepare that.”

“By that, are you referring to our latest cannons?”
Webster inquired as he opened a communicate channel to the other captains.

‘Latest cannons? Are they talking about the upgrade we received in Alinaendlor?’ I thought to myself. I know I’ve snooped around and found out they’re some new energy-based weapons, but I fail to understand how they’d help now.

“Yes. Have them fire on my mark. Stanfield, notify the Assault Squad to deploy on my mark.”

I nodded, staring outside the window in expectation of Aderawa’s next move. I shot a quick glance in his direction and he seemed pretty smug about this. He raised his hand before speaking out to Webster.

“All Corvettes. Pull out.”

In response, Webster broadcasted to the Corvette unit leaders.

“Corvettes, pull out immediately, full speed.”

In a well-coordinated move, the Corvettes pulled out of the dogfight, creating a path directly to the Corsair’s Destroyer screen and it’s larger vessels. Immediately, Aderawa dropped his hand, chopping through the air in front of him.

“Cruisers, fire!”

“Fire!”


And then I saw it. Large blasts of lightning zapped through the space directly, making direct contact with the Corsair fleet. Some Destroyers blew up immediately, while others were visibly engulfed by the crackling electricity. With the Corsair’s rudimentary shields and electric systems, this blast probably reigned hell on their components, as some vessels seemed to drift aimlessly, disabled even if for a moment.

Before Admiral Aderawa even looked in my direction, I could understand that this was the moment.

“Now! Assault Squad, deploy and board the enemy command vessel!”

“Assault Squad deploying.”


---------------



I gripped my rifle tightly as I could feel the traction beams disengage. I was sat across Captain Rutt, strapped into my seat as we flew out of the Archangel’s hangar. It was dark, our faces lit by sparse red lighting mounted on the inner walls. We couldn’t see outside even if we wanted to. We had to sit still, and believe we’ll make the landing. I wanted to steal a glance at the look on the others faces, but since we were all wearing our helmets, I couldn’t see what kind of faces they had on right now. I wonder if they were as stressed as I was.

Some of those people I had been a recruit with on Knoxville. In fact, most of us came from Knoxville. Our company was composed of 76% new recruits. As such, only 24% of our company employed veterans, or soldiers that had seen atleast one battle before. Captain Rutt was the only true veteran in the company, and the only surviving member of the initial Archangel Assault Squad.

It was eerily silent inside. Beyond the occasional crash and screech from outside, no one was speaking. Everyone was waiting the fated moment with bated breaths. Captain Rutt, sitting across from me, was staring at me. Or atleast I think he was because I couldn’t tell with those damn masks on.

‘Oh, he’s moved his head.’

Rutt groaned as he moved his neck before looking from side to side.

“We’ve not arrived there yet, have we?”

‘Huh?
’ I squinted at him through my helmet. ‘What do you mean we’ve not arrived there yet? Haven’t you been paying attention?’

Rutt stretched out his arms and shoulders, groaning again before letting out a loud yawn.

I stood there dumbfounded. I refused to believe he was taking a nap. Is there no end to the carelessness of this man?

As I kept complaining to myself, Rutt refocused his attention on me and spoke up.

“Private Davis. Are you at ease with yourself? You seem to be trembling.”

Trembling? I look down at myself and I could see my leg tapping uncontrollably and my grip on my plasma rifle shaking. Huh, I guess I did not even notice.

Rutt continued. “All of you! It’s your first mission! It’s normal to be nervous. It’s normal to be afraid. Do not forget this fear, because it will be fear that will keep you alive!”

I balled my fist, dreading each second.

Rutt moved his spare hand to his helmet, before nodding.

“Understood.”

With these words, our security straps were unlocked. It seemed that we arrived at our destination. Everyone’s focus now switched onto Captain Rutt, our leader.

He had untied his straps and stood up to his feet, his robotic arm grabbing the handle etched into the transport’s roof.

“Our Officers were kind enough to blow a hole in the side of that Cruiser. We will be dropping inside and taking control of their hatch system. Safeties off and prepare to engage your boot’s magnetic fields. We’ll be walking in the vacuum.”

One by one, we stood up and caught onto the handles etched above our seats. I could feel my heart race; it felt as if my chest was about to burst. Slowly, our transport opened up and we could see the vessel below us. One by one, we dropped out of the transport, aiming for the large opening in it’s hull. Captain Rutt was the last one to drop.

My breathing rate increased as we dove through the vacuum with the help of our suit propellers. Looking around me, the battle continued to rage on. Confederate and Corsair ships alike were being disabled, though it seemed that the Confederation had the upper hand. While the Confederation’s Cruisers and the Archangel did not even enter combat yet, the Corsair’s Cruisers had already taken a severe beating. It was only a matter of time before the battle would be decided.

‘I would’ve prepared not having to fly through space wreckage to fight in a tin can, though.’

I could hear a low screech in my ear, then a voice spoke.

“Captain Rutt to all teams. Disengage your propellers and activate your walkers. We’re being expected.”

---------------



“It would seem that the Assault Squad has managed to land and are now engaging the enemy.” I nodded as I presented my report to Admiral Aderawa and Commodore Webster.

“Very well. Battle is progressing well, though I hope they succeed in taking control of the enemy command so that we may end this battle with fewer casualties.” Aderawa said confidently, standing with his hands behind his back in front of the windows. “Have we received any news from Fleet Command?”

Webster shook his head lightly. “Not really, no. Admiral Oldham has sent you her regards and is wishing for your swift victory, but otherwise, no.”

“How very like her.”
He rolled his eyes. “What is she doing right now even? Is she still ‘patrolling’ the Core Systems?”

“I believe the Landsknecht Fleet has been deployed to our eastern frontier. Apparently there are rising tensions with the Vissari and the Mirati Imperium.”

“The Mirati?”
Aderawa furrowed his eyebrows. “Years of cooperation, thrown out of the window just like that.”

Aderawa groaned while placing his palm over his face. “I can’t believe we’ve allowed our relations to sour so much.”

“It... is a result of the expansionistic policy the Confederation had several decades ago, huh.”
Webster said, visibly annoyed. “Still, we had never had border incidents with them until recently. I guess it was to be expected after they defeated the Vissari a decade ago.”

In the year 2398, the Vissari – Imperium war had finally reached it’s conclusion after six years of grueling war, with a total Mirati victory. To provide some context, the Confederation and the Imperium had been allied until the year 2380, two years after the expansionistic Citizen’s Elite Coalition attained control within the Confederation Government as a result of the Nashrivanni Wars. With the insult dealt to the human people by the Nashrivann, the nationalistic and elitist sentiment had once again been sparked. As such, the C.E.C made use of this sentiment and followed a policy of eastern expansion, leading to a series of conflicts with the Unified Vissari Systems, culminating with the Battle of Procyon in 2379.

Officially, the war had been a resounding success for the Confederation, gathering under its control no fewer than a dozen valuable systems and many habitable planets. In reality, the Confederation suffered significant financial loses, leading to the economical crisis that has shaped the Confederation of today. While the Core Systems and especially Mars, are rich and well off, the majority of the colonies outside of the Core Systems, not including touristic planets or governmental facilities, are very poor.

Nonetheless, the well-oiled war machine that is Fleet Command still commands significant funding, and is thus, operating almost as well as before, at the expense of the general population. And so, many youths seek to join the Navy or the Army to obtain a better life.

After the success in 2379, nationalistic sentiment as at an all time high, and the C.E.C was emboldened, setting its sights on the Mirati Imperium, their allies for over a century. While the Confederation acknowledged that they could not openly poke at their allies, raids were conducted on Mirati fringe colonies by ‘unaffiliated’ fleets, capitalizing at the current disharmony within the Imperium.

In 2380 however, High Queen Kriszorwyn, daughter of High King Vaklan had ascended to the throne, seizing control of the situation and quelling any rebellions within the Imperium. In a show of force, the High Queen terminated the alliance between the Confederation and the Imperium and deployed the Mirati Armada on their western borders. Several clandestine Confederation vessels were destroyed or captured, in spite of the Confederation’s diplomatic protests. In 2381, the C.E.C had lost control of the government and had been replaced by the Solidarity Council, the party of the present-day Secretary-General Macedo. With this change in leadership, hostilities between the two nations ceased, though the Imperium would never forgive the Confederation for its actions till the present day.

Ten years later, this part of the galaxy would see conflict once again, as the Unified Vissari Systems and the Mirati Imperium would go to war over the mineral-rich systems within the Thresher Nebula as part of their westward expansion policy. This brings us today, when the borders between the Confederation and the Imperium are at their greatest.

“Well, I don’t think we need to worry about war with the Imperium.” added Webster, shrugging. “I’m sure both sides will probably annoy each other for a few months and then call it quits.”

“Mhm. I hope Lana does not escalate the conflict. She’s been hanging out too much with those idiots in the C.E.C. I’m concerned she’ll get overzealous.”

‘Ah, yes, another war’,
I thought to myself. ‘As if the Confederation has the money to afford another war’ then sighed. ‘Maybe they should get rid of the issues within their borders first.’

Beep. Beep. Beep.

It was the communication device linked to the Assault Squad. Have they succeeded in their mission?

“Webster.”

“Yes, sir.”


With a gesture from Webster, the device projected Captain Rutt’s face in front of us.

“Captain Rutt reporting to Admiral Aderawa. We’ve taken control of the vessel, but we’re having issues taking control of the Command Deck. It seems they’ve all hurdled up inside. We request permission to destroy the ship and that we be extracted immediately.”

Aderawa interlocked his fingers, pondering for a moment.

“Understood. I’ll prepare a transport. What’s your casualty rate?”

“We’re still operational. We’ve lost eight men, with a further fifteen injured. We’re confident about extracting all our injured.”
Rutt responded.

“And the dead?” Aderawa inquired.

“I believe that we don’t have the time and the capability of getting them on the transport. I believe the enemy forces know that we’ll aim to destroy their core and will be mounting a counter-attack soon.”

“I understand. Given the possibility of further loses to this counter-attack you may leave their bodies. Collect their dog tags if you can. They’ll be buried with full honors.”


I shook my head. ‘Just like that.’ I don’t like it, but I cannot fault what the Admiral and the Captain are saying. I could see Webster shooting a glance in my direction. Was I making a face right now?

“Stanfield, liaise with the system outpost at Alinaendlor, and notify them that we’ll be holding a funeral for eight men. In addition, have the quartermaster prepare...” Aderawa sighed. “Have him prepare eight caskets.”

Aderawa turned towards Webster.

“Webster?”

“ETA is ten minutes. Can you open the hangars, Captain Rutt?”

“We’ll have them open by the time our extraction is here.”
Rutt nodded.

“Very well. Ten minutes, they’ll pick you up from the hangar.” Webster reaffirmed.

“Captain Rutt” Aderawa intervened. “Make sure the core explodes.”

“We’ve already rigged the core and the life support systems, Admiral. Please enjoy the lights! Paha!”
Rutt laughed heartily through his helmet, before saluting and terminating communications.

---------------



With the destruction of the Corsair Command Vessel, the remaining ships tried to turn around and flee. As they dispersed, Admiral Aderawa ordered all vessels to pursue and destroy every fleeing ship. By the end of the engagement, the majority of the Corsair fleet was destroyed. On the other hand, the Confederation had merely lost three Corvettes. It was a resounding success, and the Lancer Fleet’s first foray in the Corsair territory.
 
Good to see this back! :)