SOLAR YEAR 2429, LEO SYSTEM, SECTOR ONE, PLANET RED 420 ORBIT. 1230 HOURS, THE MARSHAL THIRTY MINUTES AFTER INVASION

“Admiral Axton,” An officer brandishing the Captain insignia on his uniform said with unease. ”Was it wise that we did not fully briefed the vanguard landing force about our suspicion on the unusual GEOM signals on our Thermal scans?”

The Admiral’s hologram on the Captain’s panel flickered. “We can’t undermine our soldier’s morale about the stakes Captain Hawkins. Besides, The vanguard is commanded with the best Knights HQ can spare.”

Captain Hawkins can’t shake the numbing feeling on the pit of his stomach. They have basically sent the men with one eye blindfolded. “Sir, Permission to send the second wave.”

“Permission denied.” The Admiral’s voiced crackled on the coms. “Follow the protocol Captain we can’t send more soldiers without a foothold on Red 420.”

The Captain almost gave away his frustration. “Sir, two com checks from now it might be too late.”

“That’s an order Captain.” The hologram disappeared.

Hawkins collapsed on his chair; his officers on the bridge gave brief glances at him then went back to work on their respective stations. The invasion plan was flawed from the start. Headquarters were rushing the offensive, desperate for results---trying to follow up their victory defending the inner Virgo system.

“Lieutenant Herrard, post the thermal scans on screen.”

“Aye Captain.” The Lieutenant typed a series of commands and a grid went on bridge’s holographic screen.

The grid contained templates of all the thermal scans they took on Red 420; the earliest dating two weeks before the invasion. The captain carefully studied the thermal scans for anomalies they had missed or similarities from previous thermal scans on prior invasions. One template caught his attention.

“Lieutenant, enlarge template number thirty two.”

The thermal scan was Io and its surrounding area; glowing red hot at its outskirts, indicating GEOM activity.

“Zoom in Lieutenant.”

“Yes sir!” the image focused on Io. The city had a faint orange glow and a red dot almost perfectly situated on the city’s center.

“Compare the image with Io’s map.” A Fifty year old industrial city map blinked beside the thermal scan.

“Shit,” The Captain muttered, “Lieutenant Buhari, Get me Admiral Axton right now!”

“On it Captain,” The Lieutenant said with a heavily African-accented voice, “On screen now.”

But just before the Admiral’s hologram fully materializes the display went white with static and a thud rocked the Marshal hurtling the Captain sideways.

“We are under attack Captain!” Lieutenant Herrard exasperated. “I’m counting twenty three Bogeys coming from 420’s moon---they’re GEOM controlled ships sir!”

“Son of a bitch,” Captain Hawkins recovered and held the bridge’s railing, “Sound the alarm! All hands on battle stations, Buhari I want to know if we have orders dammit!”

“Sir--.” The Lieutenant’s voice trailed off.

“Spit it out Lieutenant, we don’t have time for dallying!”

Lieutenant Buhari swallowed and took a deep breath “Flagship...Red Dawn is—gone sir”

Captain Hawkins gawked, wide-eyed, “give me aft cameras.” One of the screens blinked and showed the burning wreck slowly being pulled by Red 420’s gravity. “My god.”

“Frigates Minerva and Helix have engaged the enemy sir,” Lieutenant Buhari snapped, “The rest of the Battle Squadron is waiting for your orders Captain.”

Hawkins straightened, with Axton gone he was second in command of the Squadron; he mustn’t panic. He remembered what his drill sergeant kept ringing into him during his basic training, lives were counting on him.

“Rally the fleet into squadron formation on us; hail the Minerva and Helix to stop their advance!”

“Order’s away Captain,” The communications officer entering encrypted codes on the panel, “Minerva and Helix have sustained heavy damage sir.”

A display then flashed with both frigates venting atmosphere and fires erupting on their structures. The Captain gripped the railing tighter. “Report Lieutenant.”

“We just lost two Myrmidon-class destroyers and a Tera cruiser,” Lieutenant Buhari consulting the coms he has been receiving.

Hawkins then looked at his tactical officer, Lieutenant Shizuka Miyo, absorbed at her control panel, typing commands checking weapon systems. Her face impassive and her sudden silence was unnerving.

“Shizuka weapons status?” Hawkins snapped

Not looking up from her monitor she responded, “Ordnances and Lebensschmerz rail guns are all green. Autocannons are green. Bogeys are in range in ten seconds.”

“We just lost the Minerva Captain.” Lieutenant Buhari reported his uniform starting to get drenched by his perspiration.

“Herrard get us in formation, I want full speed on our engines. Our left flank is falling apart.”

“Aye Captain,” the Navigation Officer steered the Cruiser on the lead finger formation, “running on two hundred fifty percent on primary engines---ETA thirty seconds before blank party. Two minutes before red line.”

The destroyers Damio and Vasily formed at the Marshal’s port and starboard respectively and the fleet’s only carrier — The Nobunaga—completed the lead finger four formation. Three other sets of finger four formations completed the fleet squadron.

“The Helix is heading towards the middle of the enemy formation sir!” Lieutenant Buhari displayed the stern camera’s feed on the bridge display. The Icatha-class frigate was going towards the now thirty ship strength GEOM fleet as fast as its damaged engines would allow it to. Green glowing projectiles homed in at the Helix as it lumbered towards the heart of the enemy formation. The frigate riddled with explosions---pieces of debris peeled off from the Helix every hit it took. The Helix was almost in range for its planned kamikaze detonation of its fusion core when a streak of red light fired from the GEOM flagship—twice the Nobunaga’s size—and hit the Helix amidships; the frigate’s stern and rear sections separated and exploded.

“Shit. We need our Operator online now.” Captain Hawkins gritted his teeth. That was surely the weapon that sniped the Red Dawn when the GEOMs opened up on them and the ship AI, called an operator, was the only countermeasure to precisely dodge the GEOM beam’s trajectory. Unfortunately, the ship’s AI was scheduled for a much needed reformatting after the last of the transport ships have landed on Red 420 because Intel from Tera HQ stated that the invasion of Red 420 was a low GEOM density level mission and GEOM space presence was non-existent.

“Two minutes before Rita is online sir.” Buhari reported as he overrides the AI’s reformatting midway.

The GEOM beam flashed again hitting a cruiser from their rightmost formation of the squadron.

“Buhari send an SOS message to the Herodutus invasion force,” Hawkins said with urgency on his tone, ”the queen’s not on Herodutus it’s on Red 420.”

Another UTSF ship, the Conway, was hit by the GEOM beam; splitting the destroyer in half before it lazily drifted and exploded. Fourteen Ships remained in the Red 420 invasion fleet.

“Rita is now loading sir!”

“Thirty seconds to blank party.”

“Get me on squadron frequency Buhari,” Captain Hawkins ordered, ”Release LS rail gun and torpedo safeties Shizuka and as soon Rita is online delegate the autocannons to her as well as the port and starboard break thrusters Herrard.”

“Aye Captain,” the Bridge officers said in Unison.

“Eleventh USTF squadron I’m sending firing solutions and maneuvers now. Godspeed.”

A few seconds later, as the Marshal’s operator materializes from the bridge hologram, the barrage of LS raliguns and various torpedoes and missiles fired on the Plague fleet---half of the barrage focused on the animated GEOM flagship. The GEOM fleet consists mostly of ships with GEOM controlled crewmen whom the plague captured during the seventy-four years of conquering human controlled planets and space. But every now a then, an organic ship would spawn from a queen-controlled space dock, as intel would theorize.

“Twelve of thirty GEOM ships neutralized from initial salvo Keptan Hawkins,” The Marshal Operator said with a cool, artificial and imperfect Russian accent, “autocannons have engaged GEOM generated projectiles and GEOM controlled fighters.”

“Sir we’ve reached red line on primary engines!” Lieutenant Herrard reported, “She is now running on thirty percent with secondary reactors Captain.”

There was a dull thud that sent the ship portside a split second before a flash of light fried the starboard primary camera, the GEOM flagship had missed. The Nobunaga had now deployed most of its single manned Karve fighters. The Blank party has started.

“Rita what’s the status on GEOM flagship?” The Captain asked; cold sweat ran down his pores.

“GEOM flagship’s propulsion has slowed and as my statistics surmise, its reload time extends after each shot it takes with its beam weapon.”

“A weakness perhaps?” Hawkins mused. “Calculate next firing sequence of GEOM beam Rita.”

“Sixten Sekends.” The Operator responded.

The Marshal made a sickening lurched as its hull was hit with a direct hit from a gravity cannon.

“Decks 7 through 9 compromised, sealing.” Rita’s hologram crackled.” Damio has taken extensive damage.” The Marshal’s port camera feed came into view showing the destroyer listing to its port.

“Send firing solutions to third finger and the rest of lead to target the GEOM flagship with their LS guns.”

“Solutions away Captain.” Buhari said as he types the order.

“LS guns are primed on GEOM flagship.” Shizuka reported. She ignored her brown hair as it fell, covering half her face. “Rounds away.” Simultaneous car size chunks sped towards the GEOM flagship.

“GEOM ships are maneuvering between our LS trajectories and the GEOM flasgships Keptain Hawkins.” The AI focused the stern camera on the GEOM ships sacrificing themselves by blocking the Lebensschmerz volley. “Eighteen out of thirty GEOM ships neutralized zir.”

The GEOM flagship fired its main weapon hitting the cruiser Miyagi. The damaged cruiser lost control of its engines and collided with the frigate beside him; the two ships spun in a death embrace and slowly went out of the Marshal’s starboard camera view.

Captain Hawkins slammed his control panel in frustration. The GEOMs were learning. Most of the fleet also had their operators rebooted after the initial invasion wave and they were paying the price for it.

“Twenty sekends before GEOM beam weapon recharges,” The AI announced, “New GEOM conteks kemin frem coordinates Ex-sero-sero-Why-thirteen-four-Si-fivty-eight-four.”

Captain Hawkins double-checked the coordinates, His eyes widened. The GEOM reinforcements were coming from below them. The Marshal groaned as she sustained another hit.

“Sir, armors on Decks 2 through 5 are down to five inchez,” The Operator reported. “autocannon ammunition is at twenty percent.”

“LS railgun reloaded Captain.” Lieutenant Shizuka said, facing the Captain. “What do we do sir?” Her voice strained with stress.

They were almost at melee range with the GEOM main line and the GEOM flank was almost in range to fire their weapon on the fleet’s bilges. It would be almost impossible to evade the GEOM beam from this range.

“Rita, send orders to release chaff bilge side and for formation two to intercept the flanking maneuver,” Hawkins commanded, “Herrard, I want one hundred percent on our secondary engines. Shizuka, target the GEOM flagship with our LS guns and release safeties on all our port and starboard Leonid missile pods, this is going to get messy.”

The officers hurried to their tasks and Rita paused as she sent new orders to the eleventh UTSF fleet. The second finger-four formation---consisting of two frigates and destroyers---dove in an almost ninety degree angle to face the ten ship strong GEOM flanking force. Captain Hawkins winced. Dividing his forces isn’t the most optimal tactic in the situation but The GEOMs had used their element of surprise with great effect. Their only hope was that the intercepting second formation could buy them time as they try to destroy the main line of GEOMS.

A static-filled com signal from the Nobunaga filled the bridge speakers. ---Captain---kins—we los—half our Kna---fighters--primary –secon---engines fail---. The connection ended with white noise.

The display then showed the Nobunaga, her armor had taken significant hits. The carrier was peppered with holes and fire-filled crevices; one such crevice ran from her centerline to her stern.

“god almighty.” Hawkins heard Herrard gasp.

“Nobunaga, we are heading into melee,” Hawkins responded on the intercom, “hold here and provide fighter and ordnance cover, over.”

There was a pause and the intercom flared ---with—due res-pect sir. You –an shove yo—cover up your---ass we did—t go all thiss---ay to watch a frea—n movie. –over.”

The Nobunaga’s engine fired for a moment before venting black smoke. It used what momentum it had and followed lead formation towards the heart of the GEOM main line. Audio again erupted from the intercoms. Second formation has engaged the enemy sir. Seven first-gen Tera-class cruisers and three unknown frigate-size animates. Explosions from the destroyer’s com line ended the signal.

“Ten seconds before melee,” The navigation officer reported, “Three minutes before secondary engines go red line. Primary engines forty percent operational.”

A salvo of LS ordnance launched towards the GEOM line, four ships shielded the GEOM flagship disabling three. The fourth one floated aimlessly but kept firing its organic weapons.

“Rita, take control of Leonid Firing trajectories and hold autocannons for counter---.” The Captain’s command ended abruptly as gravity cannons and a missile barrage hit the Marshal portside.

“Damage report!” Hawkins barked as he braced himself from the impact. Sparks erupted from the instrument panels and the ringing of warning alarms filled the bridge.

“Sector D is gone sir!” Lieutenant Buhari said frantically, he turned to face Captain Hawkins. “One of the enemy frigates crashed into us sir!”

Hawkins gritted his teeth. They were being boarded; the GEOMs are trying to capture his ship. A blinding crimson light coruscate the bridge. The GEOM flagship had fired on the Nobunaga, piercing the carrier from bow to stern; despite the gaping hole and the severe damage it sustained, the Nobunaga was still navigating towards the GEOM flagship.

--We’re—g-ing---nish what—Helix—start—d sir! The Nobunaga’s com line stuttered.

The Captain understood. “Rita, isolate sector D and sound the boarding alarms. Shizuka give Nobunaga all the covering fire we can spare.”

“Sir?” Shizuka paused indecisively before snapping to attention, “Yes sir!” She entered the commands on her panel.

“What’s the status on the GEOM boarding party?”

“All bulkheads and fents towards sector D are sealed,” The Operator responded, “The Organizms are trying to go through the bulkheads on Deck 6.”

The GEOM and UTSF line had started to mesh together reaching the battle’s climax. Fire and return fire hailed from both sides, shells of armor peeling away from ships, fires breaking out and sparks spewed as the graphic melee went on. The crew of the heavily damaged Damio tried to steer a collision course on one of the GEOM controlled cruisers. The Vasily fought point blank against a GEOM destroyer---parts tore away from both ships. The GEOM flagship fired once more on the Nobunaga but that did not stop the cruiser from crashing into it. The Nobunaga’s stern bent upwards as it collided with the flagship’s prow---it kept cutting through the animated ship until it split amidships and imploded on itself. The carrier broke into pieces, its debris floated aimlessly. When the GEOM and USTF lines passed each other, only three USTF ships remained---all sustaining severe damage.

Lights blinked on the Marshal’s bridge, Captain Hawkins used his chair to lift him up. His vision blurred and there was a constant ringing on his ears. The Operator’s hologram fizzled in and out of its projector as it repeats the cruiser’s status: all decks compromised. All crew evacuate to life boat sections and standby. GEOMs have taken Decks 6 to 8, initiating counter measures.

Captain Hawkins assessed their situation, Herrard was resuscitating Buhari---who seemed to have hit his head hard, blood gushed from his forehead---Shizuka was still on her panel coordinating fire teams to flush the GEOMs out, more than half his bridge personnel were injured; he calculated that the Marshal alone had a thousand casualties.

“Rita, hail the Vasily and the Epitome,” the Captain gasped, he tasted blood in his mouth, “Get them on display please.”

The last of the cameras fed their recordings on the display. The Vasily’s starboard was so decimated it looked like it was half a ship; The Epitome, another Icatha-class frigate, had fires burning throughout its structure but were slowly going out.

“Vasily here, we got wrecked sir,” Vasily’s Captain reported, “All starboard side deck faces destroyed but we still got half a reactor working and several Leonid pods.”

The frigate sent an electronic message reading:

AUDIO COMS DISABLED. LS GUN DISABLED. RUNNING ON SECONDARY REACTORS. CAPTAIN OSLO IS DEAD.

The Captain said a short prayer to the one who was watching over that battle. They survived the first clash but he knew there was still another GEOM force they would have to fight.

“Rita, status on second formation.”

The AI paused then answered, “UTSF second formation has been annihilated Keptan Hawkins. Five GEOM controlled Tera-class cruisers and three unknowns are inbound on our coordinates.”

The display then showed a formation consisting of five grey ships enveloped by black throbbing webbing and three flesh-colored frigate-sized ships heading towards them.

“Buhari, send orders to the remaining ships to turn towards the Plague---we’re not going down without a fight.”

“Buhari is dead sir,” Lieutenant Herrard said with sullen eyes as he returned to his station, Buhari’s blood still in his hands.

The Captain nodded grimly. “Rita, follow up on previous order. Shizuka, what do we have left?”

“Missile pods L through O and four LS rounds and one working railgun sir,” The tactical officer responded, her steely demeanor returning.

“Noted. Herrard give me everything our engines got,” Captain Hawkins sat on his chair then turned on the external coms, “All right boys and girls let’s send these bastards to hell.”