“Open the Fleet wide comms please Turiel.” Johanna said to her ships Ai. Unlike Fleet Commander Farkas, she did not have a personal Ai, but all warships were required to have one.
“The comms are on, Fleet Commander.” Turiel said in his deep voice.
“Attention Second Fleet. We are about to embark on a mission to free our home world, Earth, from alien oppressors. The trip will be long, and once we arrive our mission hard. But I, the Fleet, and all of Olympus have confidence in your ability to meet the challenge. We will not fail. I expect only your best.” Johanna said and closed the comm, then she manipulated the command board and issued the orders to the fleet. Immediately Ship Master Venter passed her orders to his crew.
“Set the course towards the outgoing trans-station. Maximum speed.” His confident voice rang out.
Almost Immediately Johanna could see the entire fleet move on her c-board. After the retrofits, her ships were now capable of moving faster, and the trip from Sanctuary would now take two days. After seeing that everything is in order, Johanna left the Command Center, to review reports in her ready room. She spent the next two days reading reports, scheduling and devising simulations, and reading the data from Earth resistance.
Johanna was on the bridge when they reached the trans-station. An area of space filled with trans particles. Projecting a “trans field” on this area of space would push any matter in the area (trans-station) from normal space into the trans-space, or what was called a trans-lane. Each lane was capable of transporting matter only in one direction. So in order to leave a system using a trans-lane one needed to find an outgoing trans-station. Looking at her c-board she opened the channel to the one of two trans-ships, the retrofitted explorer ship Traveler and the newly built Observer.
“You are clear to begin the transfer.” Johanna said.
“Yes ma’am.” Answered Ship Master Kisaragi Hana of the Traveler, “Beginning the transfer sequence in sixty seconds.”
On the main holo table in the middle of the Command Center a countdown clock appeared, ticking off the sixty seconds. Johanna turned to her Sensor Handler,
“Turn on the viewer if you please Adjunct Reddy.”
“Yes Fleet Commander.” Sensor Handler Mark Reddy answered.
A second later the round walls of the Command Center turned bright white and then they showed space, the CC was now sitting in space on top of the Monarch. Around them they could see the Second Fleet with its exterior lighting turned on and the light of Sanctuary’s sun Apollo reflected off a part of their hull, while it bathed the rest in shadows. The background was that of the nebula, dark teal streaked with greenish and red mass of thick gas, its opacity blocking the stars of the galaxy.
And then the clock reached zero. For a moment nothing happened and then a violet wave of light appeared, washing over the Second Fleet. As soon as it passed, they were away. The outside changed, it looked as if they were traveling through a tunnel of violet and white light. Her crew looked at it in awe as small arcs bounced off their ship’s hull, looking all the more impressive because the Command Centers viewer was active. Johanna already saw what trans travel looked like from the First Fleets recordings, but she had to admit that in person it looked even more impressive. Every now and then a big arc of lightning would bounce off Monarch’s hull and leap towards another ship, and then to the next. The sight was breathtaking.
Snapping herself from her reverie Johanna turned to Ship Master Venter, “What does the Fleet Report?”
“All ships report clear Fleet Commander.” Ship Master Venter said.
“Good.” Johanna said, she got up and started towards her ready room, “You have the command Ship Master.” She said.
“I have the command.” He confirmed.
Johanna entered her ready room and went to her desk turning it on, she sat and opened the records of the Earth’s Great War. The Second Fleet would not arrive in Sol for another fourteen months, plenty of time for her to learn the Ra’a’zani language, and get completely informed about everything that happened on Earth since Olympus left.
Chapter Three
Dreadnought Leviathan
Fleet Commander Adrian Farkas was in big trouble, he could not find a way to escape the danger no matter what he did. Every move he could make that didn’t result in instant death would only serve to prolong his life for a couple more moves. But he refused to surrender, he raised his head and looked into the swirling green eyes of his opponent, who was looking at him with an apparent blank face. But Adrian had spent a lot of time in the company of Retsar Isani. He knew his opponent was in fact amused by Adrian’s futile attempts at delaying his defeat. But accepting defeat was not in Adrian’s nature, so he lowered his eyes back to the board and after another minute of thinking decided to make the move that would delay his defeat the most. After another four moves, his opponent finally won.
“Another good game Adrian, you almost had me there.” Retsar Isani said in Nel.
“Almost doesn’t matter.” Adrian responded in Nel as well.
“You should have let me help you.” Iris said in Adrian’s head.
“You have only learned Lus, it is a testament to your skill that you almost made it hard for me who had played it since childhood. But I believe it is still impossible for you to achieve victory. Perhaps if you study the game for a few more years.” Isani said, smiling softly.
“I want to win on my own” Adrian said to Iris in the privacy of his head.
“Well, I do plan on beating you in the near future. Each game we play gives me more insight in your strategy.” Adrian responded to Isani with a corner of his mouth lifting in a crooked smile. Iris snorted in the back of his head.
“That is the beauty of Lus, each game one plays give something to the opponent. It is key that one learn to give only that which he desires his opponent to know.” Isani said.
Adrian turned his palm in a Nel gesture, agreeing. “Yes, I noticed. The game is similar to a game my people play call chess, although much more intricate.”
“Lus was created many millennia ago on Nelus. And it has been used in various situations, from simple fun to as a means for resolving conflict. Now it is primary mean of settling debates between families and political opponents on Nelus.” Isani said.
Adrian shook his head in disbelief, “I have no idea how your people could have reached so far by using a game as the primary means of resolving conflict.”
“Same as I have no idea how yours could have survived by using war.” Isani said in the same tone.
“Point, I forget sometimes how different we truly are.” Adrian said.
“As do I. But perhaps both of our people could learn something from each other.”
“I hope so.” Adrian said. Isani nodded in a human gesture and reached over to the game board, clearing its holographic top and resetting it for another game. They spent the first few opening moves in silence. Then after Isani finished his move Adrian spoke,
“How much chance do you think there is that your people will accept our offer.” Adrian asked. The two of them set off towards Nelus four months ago at Leviathan’s fastest hyperspace speed, they still had another two months of travel until they reach their destination. Aside from Leviathan, Adrian had brought the light cruiser Swift and the heavy cruiser Enterprise. While Retsar Isani didn’t bring any of his ships, choosing to travel on board the Leviathan. He didn’t want to risk his government trying to confiscate his ships. He was already worried that they might try to imprison him, but Adrian assured him that he won’t allow that to happen. The rest of Adrian’s force was back at Nuva, there was little chance that Sowir would return anytime soon, but they couldn’t risk it.