Fifth Year of the Diaspora Project, Zeroth Year of the Exodus

Zeroth Year After the Battle of the Sol System

“Cryer, record for transmission to the flotilla. High priority, standard encipherment.”

“Ottolu’Liekki, Cryer. By your will.”

“Proclamation begins. This is Ottolu’Liekki Ensimmainen’Vanha’Verta, commanding the Viinein’Laiva’Elossa. The loss of our fellow ship has proven beyond all doubt that this system is infested with hostile forces opposed to the illuminating will of the Empire. All ships are to raise screens and prime meteor cannons. We will leave no rock unturned and no foe unmarked. In the Empire’s name! Proclamation ends.”

“Cryer, Ottolu’Liekki. Clean recording Ottolu’Liekki. Transmitting now.”

The communications rating frowned at his display, then pressed a key, “Communications, Admiral. Message coming in for you Admiral, from Earth Command. On your auxiliary display now.”

“Thank you.” Admiral Supesu tapped the play key and listened intently to the tinny voice on the recording.

“All ships, this is Earth Command Actual. Authorization code Alpha Zero Zero Echo Charlie Papa. Code Omega is Confirmed. I say again, Code Omega is confirmed. Earth Command is activating battle plan Masada at this time. All ships, TUCVG, TUCMS, and civilian alike, are to make for Earth orbit at war emergency speed.”

“Helm, set course for Earth orbit.”

“Helm, Admiral. Aye Aye sir..”

“Tracking, status on the Far Strider?”

“Admiral, tracking. Still stationary on the far side of the system as of twenty minutes ago Admiral.”

“Very good Tracking. Inform me if the Far Strider changes course radically.”

“Admiral, Tracking. Willco.”

The computers of the Far Strider finished their abrupt departure calculations. The helmsman, a luckless fuel barge driver by the name of Donn MacBrash, who had been at the right place at the right time confirmed the course and set the autopilot. That done, he headed for the cryosleep compartments, his emergency task completed. He dreaded waking up in the far future and having to explain everything to everyone who had missed what was going on.

The Far Strider’s central computer recieved its extra-system course and fired the thrusters to orientate on is exit vector. As one process triggered the escape burn, another section tallied the command roster and found several glaring holes. The helmsman position was vacant, but the helmsman’s cryopod was full. The computers considered the emergency launch orders that it had received and assigned Donn MacBrash to the rank and position of helmsman. Tracking and Guns were likewise vacant, and filled from the ranks of available non-commissioned officers on the basis of seniority. Overall Void Guard command was also vacant, as was the entire Void Guard command staff. They had been scheduled to embark in the last week before launch, and would never have the chance to do so now.

Far Strider’s central computer went scanning through the ranks of embarked Void Guard personnel, and came up with only a single commissioned officer: Lieutenant Commander Korekage Supesu. In the total absence of any more senior personnel, and given that the Void Guard commander’s slot was marked as an Admiral’s command, Far Strider’s central computer began processing the paperwork for the needed promotions. The necessary time-in-rate between promotions would elapse during transit, and the promotions for the rest of the Void Guard command staff would follow suit.

After all, the Far Strider would take over eight hundred years at its maximum velocity of 0.05c to reach its new destination: the TRAPPIST-1 System.

It massive engines burning at maximum sustainable rate and producing an acceleration of almost twelve thousand kilometers per second, a feat only possible in near zero gravity conditions, the Far Strider began the two-week process of leaving the solar system.

“Ottolu’Liekki, Weapons. Request permission to arm missiles.”

“Weapons, I am considering. Scopes, do we have target vector analysis on the hostile ships in this system?”

“Ottolu’Liekki, Scopes. Active scopes and Beacon probes are only tracking ships on this side of the system’s primary star. All specified ships are shifting orbits. Destination appears to be the third planet from the system’s primary star. They do not appear to be using inertialess drive mechanisms. Projecting target vector analysis on your tactical repeater now.”

“Scopes, I have it. Weapons, permission to arm missiles is denied at this time. Run pre-arming checks and stand by to arm them, but I see no reason to risk a premature detonation while our foes are so helpfully massaging themselves. For your information, I plan to arm and launch witch such timing as to catch the foe as they settle into orbit around the third world from the system’s primary star, approximately one Crown World orbit from now.”

“Ottolui’Liekki, Weapons. By your will.”

Admiral Supesu studied his displays and wondered. The hostile ships were approaching on a totally predictable vector; slightly ‘above’ the asteroid belt to avoid the miners, but otherwise a direct linear approach towards Earth at a constant acceleration.

“Guns, run some numbers for me.” the Admiral ordered. “Assuming the hostiles do not change vector, and that they are accelerating at their maximum possible rate, could we hit them if we opened fire with our mass drivers? And more importantly, would we hit any friendly ships if they evade?”

“Admiral, Guns. Given the current vectors and accelerations in play, hitting the hostiles is a matter of simple mathematics. Missed shots and over penetrating shots would be above the system plane and headed out system. Tracking, do you confirm that there are no TUCVG, TUCMS, or civilian ships in the cone I’m sending you on display three?”

“Guns, Tracking. I confirm zero total TUCVG, TUCMS, and civilian ships in the purposed cone of fire.”

“Admiral, Guns. I confirm no possibility of blue on blue if we were to open fire with mass drivers at this time.”

“Thank you Guns. Communications, contact Earth Command and request permission to open fire with mass drivers at extreme ranges.”

“Admiral, Communications. Wilco.”

“Ottolu’Liekki, Scopes. Several of the smaller foe ships have rotated along their current vector. Estimate that they are bringing meteor cannons to bear on our projected vector.”

“Very good Scopes. Any sign of screens?”

“Ottolu’Liekki, Scopes. None at this time.”

“Ottolu’Liekki, Battle Information Center. Analysis of foe ship signatures and observed acceleration numbers indicates that the larger foe ships are merchant- or transport-class ships. Designating as T-AG plus figures on your displays now. The smaller classes of ships, the ones that just rotated to engage, appear to be a system defense force of some kind. Designating them as FF plus figures and DD plus figures on your displays now.”

“Very well BIC. Is there any indications of screen or weapons fit aboard the foe ships?”

“Ottolu’Liekki, BIC. Possible meteor cannons aboard foe FF and DD class ships, unknown if foe FF or DD class ships carry missiles. T-AG ships weapons fit unknown. Foe ships of all types do not appear to carry screens.”

“BIC, Say again foe screen status?”

“Ottolu’Liekki, BIC. I say again, foe ships of all types do not appear to carry screens.”

“Understood BIC. Cryer, transmit authorization for independent evasive maneuvers within the formation to the flotilla. I want zero collisions, but I also want ships to evade against incoming meteor cannon projectiles without having to ask for authorization.”

“Ottolu’Liekki, Cryer. By your will.”

“Admiral, Communications. Message from Earth Command Actual. Message Begins: ‘To all TUCVG ships, engage with mass drivers at your discretion.’ Message ends.”

“Acknowledge that message Communications.”

“Admiral, Communications. Wilco.”

“Guns, open fire with mass drivers at will.”

“Admiral, Guns. Wilco. Opening fire.”

“Admiral, Communications. Additional message from Earth Command Actual. Message begins: ‘to all TUCVG and merchant ships, keep well clear of the attached vectors. Improvised weapons fire will be outbound along the attached vectors within the next seven days per Battle Plan Masada.’ Message Ends.”

Admiral Supesu frowned and wondered. ‘Improvised weapons?’ What was Earth Command on about? Battle plan Masada did call for the use of any and all means to defend the Sol system against outside attackers, but what improvised weapons were there to be used?

“Ottolu’Liekki, Scopes. Active sensors have picked up faint energy spikes emanating from foe ships. Passing data to BIC for detailed analysis.”

“Ottolu’Liekki, BIC. Probable meteor cannon projectiles inbound, though the weapon signatures are far weaker than our own meteor cannons. Suspect electromagnetic based launchers instead of gravitic launchers. Incoming fire will be much harder to track due to lower launch transient signatures.”

“Very good BIC. Scryer, new flotilla-wide proclamation. High priority, standard encipherment”

“Ottolu’Lekki, Cryer. Recording for transmission.”

“Proclamation Begins: Foe ships are using low-signature Meteor cannons. All ships are to go to evasion pattern Kiertamalla’Kaarme at this time. Proclamation ends.”

“Ottolu’Liekki, Cryer. Clean recording, transmitting now.”

The mass driver rounds crawled across the vast distances of space. Each round was a mere ten kilograms worth of ferrous materials and was hurled by electromagnetic drivers with an acceleration a hundred times the force of gravity on earth. Yet any given round would impact with about as much impact force as a thousand kilogram bomb.

The Empire scout-clamant flotilla squirmed along their vector. They could not evade, not fully.

They had their screens raised, though. They did not need to evade at all.

“Ottolu’Liekki, Weapons. Intermittent screen impacts from foe meteor cannon projectiles. Null damage at this time.”