《Endless Expanse Online》Chapter 27- Wheels within Wheels

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John looked out at the 6 ships and the crews and engineers swarming all over them. "The Oceanus and the Warrior will be refitted within the next two days. Those 4 Badgers will be refitted within 2-3 weeks sir. Both the skeleton crews of the Warrior and Oceanus are assisting with refits which help out but the destroyers don't have that yet so its slowing the refits down. Once the Oceanus or Warrior are moved we will get an Athena in here for a refit." Chief Letts reported as John looked at the shipyard.

The Oceanus was the second Assault Transport to be refitted and used to transport new personnel to Atlantis. The Warrior would be the first Light Carrier recommissioned. Both had skeleton crews working for them and the Warrior wouldn't have a flight group for another 3 weeks at least. Both ships would undergo trials of Warp Engines and weapons within the week. "Pride, when will your people be ready to start live training?" John asked the Commander of Starfighter Operations.

Daniel looked up from his tablet before responding "I already have pilots already working in the SIMs now. Once the current group of pilots finishes training we will double the number of star pilots that are trained and ready. I want the current crop of pilots training on SIMs for 2 weeks before going live training operations off the Warrior. We will be able to field 4 squadrons on the Warrior. If everything goes alright, the Flight Group should be ready for Combat Operations within 6 weeks. We will also be introducing Carrier landings, take-offs, and combat ops with the training program with the next group of trainees. It will not lengthen the current program, just jam more into the current one. We will be able to field a full flight group within 3 months."

John grimaced, he wanted a full flight group ASAP, but he wouldn't rush people. Cutting back on training would get even more people killed and enough people were going to die as is.

"On a positive note Captain, all the refitted ships will have the stealth tech from the Riptide in them. Johnson and I have been looking at the specs of the ships out there and everything smaller than a Battleship hull should be able to integrate the Stealth Tech that we have. I already told Dr. Burmingham about that, and they are working on a fourth Generation Stealth Suite that can accommodate the bigger ships." Chief Letts added in. "We will be adding the Tech to the Orchid and Dragonfly tomorrow as well, so if they have to go out on a mission, they will be operational."

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"Thank you, Chief for figuring that out. Having Stealth Tech on our smaller vessels will make them a lot more versatile and open up a whole new range of possible choices." John responded as he walked away from the ship yard. Being able to get within Imperial space and raid shipping, Black sites, and get out undetected would be a major boon for the Heirs. Both the Raven and Riptide had left 4 days ago to raid the Black site they had confirmed. Both should be back within 5 days.

Target: IntelDiv Merc Raiding Base

Location: Hades-Alpha Cluster, Epsilon System, planet 4 (see attached star map for details)

Intel: Analysis suggest up to 50 Mercs are on site with 2-3 IntelDiv Operators (HVT for Capture if possible), sensor grid, walled compound, and automated turrets are present. (See detailed analysis for vulnrabilities of camp, ingress and egress routes)

Assets Assigned: Destroyer Raven, Scoutship Riptide with Captai Stein in overall command from the Raven; 6 Squads of Marines (Mixed units with Mark II and Mark I MECHs), Raid headed by Commander Smitt

The two R&D facilities had finally been confirmed as real but the strike on the Epsilon System was already under way. Once the Raven and Riptide were back, then they would go forward with plans for the two other systems.

Target: Intel Div R&D Lab (Possible Alpha 3 site), Location where modification of Thon Virus for application against Da'Gog and Gol'dan

Location: Hades-Gamma Cluster, Rigel V System, 3 Moon of Planet 2 (see attached star map for details)

Intel: Due to proximity of the sun, facility is located underground. Due to location, intelligience gathering was severly limited. Caution is highly advised for all personnel who will be raiding this site. (See attached analysis of window of launching raid and window of insertion and extraction, limited facility analysis)

Assets Assigned: N/A as of yet

Target: Intel Div R&D Lab (Possible Alpha 4 site), Location where modification of Thon Virus for application against Da'Gog and Gol'dan

Location: Beehive Cluster, Capella III System, Moon of Planet 4 (see attached star map for details)

Intel: 20 security personnel and 6 scientists (HVTs for Capture if possible) have been observed on site. Site has not entered testing phase, so no subjects are present. If possible capture any biological samples as well as tech for reverse engineering possibilities and anitvirus research. (See attached analysis for vulnrabilities of facility, ingress and egress routes)

Assets Assigned: N/A as of yet

The limited Intel on Rigel V was going to be a problem and Jimmy had already volunteered his squad to lead the assault because it was going to be tougher to go in blind. They limited assets they had in IntelDiv had not been able to get any Intel and supposedly all information on Alpha Black Sites were being monitored 24/7 now.

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They had reported that the commander of IntelDiv, Colonel Monroe, was planning something but no details had been discovered. They didn't even know which of the Imperial neighbors had been targeted by the new plan. John just left standing orders to report anything that might hint at a target.

FleetComm had increased border patrols and had recalled scouting of nearby systems due to the possibility of increased threats against the Imperium. In other words, due to IntelDiv losing multiple covert bases outside Imperial space, they would turtle up and watch to see which of their neighbors claimed responsibility. None would, but they might accuse the Imperium of supporting actions against their remote colonies, which the Imperium would deny...

They had also intercepted Comm chatter indicating that 2 squadrons of destroyers had been placed on detached duty with IntelDiv. No attached orders had been intercepted and no one had seen the squadron sense. Rumor mill thought they had been reassigned to Loki Base, which only high level IntelDiv and Admirals Board members knew the location of. John was willing to bet Atlantis Base, that whatever Colonel Monroe was planning would include those two squadrons of destroyers.

Jaine Carmichael and Daniel McPherson quickly found him as he made his way into the Operations Center, both would have reports for him. Jaine was the first to get to him though.

"Captain, the two new ore processors have been deployed within the asteroid belts. It will increase production within the Belts by 25%. The construction drones and ore processing units have reached planet 2 and will begin excavation and processing within 1 month and will double the ore we receive within 3 months. We have tasked drones to scout out Planets 7 & 8. Construction drones are nearly gone building the H3 refineries in orbit of planet 6 and will be able to produce fuel within 1 months time." Jaine finished her report.

Daniel quickly cut in before he could respond. "We have begun the initial checks of the volunteers, over all we have 1200 so far. 350 Marines, 500 Fleet personnel, 50 Officers, and 200 pilots with another 100 volunteers for various other fields. Considering our lack of Naval personnel I would suggest giving them priority for now. We have Spica system in the Draconis cluster as the pickup point for new personnel and the locals are enjoying the increase of traffic from people coming in, even if its only temporary."

"Good job Jaine, we are going to need those H3 refineries sooner rather then later. Our H3 fuel reserve is getting lower than I would like. Daniel, you are correct, we need to finish the background check on the Naval personnel first. The Oceanus should be up and running within a week, and we should be able to start picking up new personnel from the new rally point in the Draconis Cluster soon after." John responded to the two aids. Having the new resource nodes would double their industrial output and hopefully the new recruits would fill the critical niche they had been lacking.

Loki Station

Location: Unknown

IntelDiv HQ

Colonel Monroe looked at the HALO display that showed the mobile units in system. Most would remain in defense of Loki station, but 2 squads of destroyers, 4 light cruisers and 1 heavy cruiser would be leaving in the next 2 weeks for the target. In one week, information about the raid would be leaked through various sources and the unknown enemy would recieve the Intel and have to act. If they acted the way Monroe predicted, the enemy would be destroyed. The way they were targeting the Black sites, they would not allow such a target to be destroyed. The force he had assembled should be more then enough to take out what few assets the enemy had. By all reports they only had 2-4 ships and 50-100 trained Marines. Nothing the task force could not handle.

"Sir, the emergency beacon at Zeta 4 was activated 4 hours ago. We have a ship en route. Sir, Captain Ronald Williamson was at the site when it was triggered. We do not know what his status is at this time and with the Unknown enemy targeting and capturing our operatives." Lieutenant Withers reported as she rushed into his office.

"It doesn't matter. Soon the enemies mobile units will be destroyed and the security implant Williamson has will insure his silence. We have nothing to fear Lieutenant." Colonel replied "Soon everything will be back the way it once was."

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