Fight! At the Front

March 21st, 2441

New Norfolk Shipyards, Earth Orbit, Sol

07:30 Earth Standard Time

Captain Nikolai Traskin stood at the gallery, looking down on the two hundred thousand ton behemoth that sat suspended by tractors and massive clamps. Work parties scurried along her outside spot welding armor into place while hordes of engineers hurried along the inside ensuring that all of her systems were intact and operational.

Most of the work had been completed on CA-201, what was to be the Confederate Naval Ship Nebraska. All of her armor had been placed, her weapons were all onboard and sealed up and most of her interior furniture and consoles were either installed or almost.

The ship would be ready for builder’s trials in less than a week, and her crew was already starting to arrive for quarters assignments. Under Naval regulations, they were not actually required to arrive until the day before the ship left the docks on trials. But everyone knew that apart from general arrangements, sleeping quarters were first-come first-serve; and no one wanted to be on the end of that list.

The docking bay where he stood was empty at the moment, the docking tube lead to the flag loading bay, located amidships and atop the vessel. Three decks below, however, there was a throng of naval officers and ratings scrambling to board the ship and claim their quarters. The boat bay officers and security personnel had been the first to board and were ensuring that everyone behaved themselves.

Nikolai allowed himself one more glance at the vessel below him, just as the first painters began to mark her forward quarter with her number and name. With the press of a button, the blast shield on the gallery slid back into place and Nikolai found himself riding the lift alone apart from his bags.

---

Midshipmen Carlo Marcos, Kevin Trenton and Midshipwoman Emily Sands pressed through the crowded terminal toward the far end and their first assignment out of the Academy. Terminal Alpha-Lynx was crowded with bodies. Three Union­-classcruisers, four General-class destroyers and two Warrior-class frigates were preparing for builders trials and taking on their crew. Over twelve hundred naval and marine personnel would use the terminal to find their ships; engineers would use the terminal to move back and forth between the station and the ships they were finishing construction on.

The New Norfolk shipyard was one of the largest construction facilities in the Confederation, owned and operated by the New Hampton Construction Company. The company had been in business for over three hundred years; the first inter-stellar starship had been a New Hampton model. The shipyard, at full capacity, held forty-five “small” slips for frigates and destroyers and forty “large” slips for cruisers and battle cruisers. An enormous base provided housing for thousands of construction personnel and engineers; entertainment for the entire compliment and enough temporary housing to accommodate over five thousand naval and marine personnel if their boarding was delayed.

Kevin shook his head as he shouldered past a pair of rather slow moving engineers and lead his classmates toward the docking tube ahead of them.

Docking Tube AL-04 was surrounded by a small waiting area, for the rare occasion when the New Norfolk yard brought a civilian ship in for dry-dock. Two rows of chairs, backs pressed together and feet secured into the deck, were empty. Kevin could just see the end of a grav-tote slide into the tube and slip around the corner, further into the ship.

A pair of gruff-looking marines guarded the station-side hatch, their arms behind their backs at parade rest. One bore the chevrons of a corporal, the other those of a private. Both saluted as the midshipmen approached the hatch and the trio returned it.

“Midshipman Kevin Trenton to join the ship’s company, Corporal,” Kevin informed the marine, handing over three ID cards and the data-pad containing their orders.

“All’s clear here, Midshipman” the marine reported after a moment, giving the ID cards back to their owners and handing Kevin the data-pad.

“Thank you, Corporal,” Kevin nodded, giving the marines another salute and leading the trio into the zero-gravity docking tube.

---

Nikolai stepped from the lift, grav-tote following obediently behind him on its counter-grav pads. The terminal was rather crowded, as was to be expected, but it took the seasoned officer only a moment to locate the proper boarding terminal and start for it.

A trio of midshipmen was just sliding into the tube as he cleared the crowd and Nikolai hid a small smile at their reaction when he swam up behind them. All naval personnel were proficient at zero-g navigation; Nikolai was quite good at it.

The marines stiffened ever so slightly as he approached, he watched their eyes fix on a point on the other side of the gallery and again had to hide a smile at their reaction. The station marines’ reaction to the arrival of a ship’s commanding officer never ceased to amaze Nikolai. Even the corporal had probably seen at least a dozen captains board their ships for the first time, and yet his reaction was still as stilted and formal as that of the private beside him. Perhaps it was best that way so as to instill the fear of God in them. It wouldn’t do to have a station marine not on his best behavior when a commanding officer boarded his ship, especially when that officer was a senior-grade Captain.

“Sir!” The marines saluted with parade ground precision and Nikolai gave them a moment to sweat before he returned it.

“Captain Nikolai Traskin to take command of the Nebraska, Corporal,” Nikolai announced, extending the folder that contained his orders, ID card and clearance file.

“Everything looks in order, Sir,” the corporal, his nametag read Monroe, announced. He handed the file back to Nikolai and both marines saluted.

“Have a nice day, gentlemen,” Nikolai instructed as he slipped into the tube and shot forward.

The sixty meter tube twisted at three points, mirrors were posted in the corners to prevent accidents. The twists generally slowed the process of “Swimming the Channel” by clogging grav-totes and encouraging a slower approach.

Nikolai had no intentions of a casual approach to the corners and he used his momentum to twist through the tube with ease. His grav-tote followed at nearly half of his speed and would arrive just as he was about to board the lift for the bridge. He had timed the event down to a matter of a few seconds.

The last twist gave the Captain a chance to slow down and present a more conservative look as he reached into the docking bay of the cruiser. The marines at the entrance would have already alerted the ship’s boat bay officer that the captain was on his way and there would undoubtedly be a compliment waiting on the other side to greet him. If he had moved quickly enough, he would catch three of his middies in that party.

---

“Do you really think that scaring the middies as soon as they were onboard the ship was really necessary?” Rear Admiral Jenna Rosenthal asked as she sipped the piping hot coffee Nikolai’s steward had provided for the pair.

“There’s nothing like a good scare at the beginning of a deployment to put the fear of God into the midshipmen.”

Captain Traskin had not officially taken command of the Nebraska and would not until after she cleared Acceptance Trials. In the next day or so his officers would begin arriving and the command staff would be able to begin forming a team. But for now the pair relaxed comfortably in Nikolai’s office.

His desk, made of Martian pine, was complimented by the Martian oak chair behind it and the two Yarrisian hardwood chairs in front of it. His computer console, a cup of pens, a clock and a small stack of data-pads adorned the top. The carpet, a rich rose, was almost invisible beneath the two vast couches, side tables and the luxurious table while the hard steel walls were covered with paintings of Earth, Mars and Tau Centra as well as several plaques and awards.

“From what I understand you did give them quite the scare, too,” the Ranking Officer of the Navy Acceptance board chuckled.

Having been neighbors back on Mars, the pair knew each other quite well. He had served as her tactical officer on two separate occasions and they had continued correspondence throughout their careers. They were both rather comfortable around each other and there were always whispered rumors of a relationship between the pair.

“Ah, so you have spies aboard?” Nikolai asked with a grin. “I always thought the Admiralty was slippery but I didn’t know they had resorted to spies.”

“Oh, Nik, do you really think we would allow our captains out in space without someone to keep an eye on them?”

“Well, I had hoped you trusted us beyond your own reach,” Nikolai set his empty mug on the side table and shook his head.

“Well, you’ll be deploying quite far out of our reach, if what I understand is correct,” Jenna noted cryptically.

“Really?” Nikolai sat up just a bit straighter, his curiosity piqued by the clue as to his orders. “And would the Admiral be willing to share that information with a lowly Captain.”

“Only because said lowly Captain is a good friend,” the admiral sat up and leaned closer. “I was speaking with Vice Admiral Collins.”

“The Deputy Director of the Planning Bureau?”

“The same. He mentioned that President Pollack and Admiral Tanaka have decided to deploy ships to the Independent Systems on our southern borders. Since we are withdrawing the battle cruisers they want to replace the current deployments with new ships. They’re sending five destroyers, two squadrons of cruisers and a pair of battle cruisers to relieve Vice Admiral Locust, and Jeffery said that the cruisers will all be Union-class and that three of them will be fresh out of the docks.”

“And since there are only four cruisers in the yards at the moment the Nebraska is probably going to be deployed.” Nikolai added with a nod.

“That and I suggested to Admiral Collins that your ship be deployed. I mentioned the fact that the Indiana’s completion was pushed back two months because of a pair of faulty power couplers.” The admiral sipped from her mug and smiled.

“Well as soon as my officers arrive I will get them working on preparation for the Builder’s and Acceptance Trials. After that I’ll make sure we’re ready for immediate deployment.”

“Good,” Jenna smiled and nodded. “So how is your sister holding up? I heard she made Lieutenant Commander last month…”

---

March 21st, 2441

Presidential Mansion, Alexandria, Eastern American District, Earth

13:30 Earth Standard Time

Nancy Pollack, President of the United Earth Confederacy, sat in her overly comfortable armchair in the middle of the Presidential Mansion, located deep in the hills of what had once been Virginia. She was joined by Confederate Security Minister Tyson Charns, Fleet Admiral Jonathan Hargreaves, the Confederate’s Chief Naval Officer, and by Senator Jill Hawkins, the leader of the majority Centralist party in the Confederate Senate.

The small room was completely enclosed, a lack of windows or ventilation shafts made electronic surveillance on the meeting almost impossible. The fact that the Confederate Secret Service was also involved meant that the words uttered in the walls of the small chamber would remain with those that were there.

Because what the top four members of the Confederate government were discussing was not something that they wanted the rest of the Confederacy to know. Yet.

When the reports had first arrived that the Outer Colonial Alliance was attempting to enlist the help of the Yarrisian Empire against the Confederacy, Nancy had been furious. She had almost expelled the Allied ambassador from the embassy on Earth and declared war on the only other major human star nation.

She had been convinced that attacking the Alliance without hard evidence was likely to cause the independent star systems and the various alien races to side with the Allies and cause even more problems for the Confederacy. And, considering the history between the Confederacy and the Alliance, there would have to be a plethora of evidence before the Senate would approve a declaration of war, or the population would sustain such an act.

Before 2398 the United Earth Confederacy had been in direct control of every human colony in the galaxy. The majority were still under colonial governors and a few were under military control. The laws that governed the outer colonies were no different than those on the inner sectors of the Confederacy, but direct rule by the people of those outer systems was lesser.

But when the outer governors started to look for more independent rule they began gently prodding their populations toward the measures. At first it was a whisper among the people, and then the Governor’s Association had called for an inquiry into the popularity of a vote for independence.

By the end of 2399, over twenty outer colonies had passed resolutions “requesting” that they be allowed to rule themselves. The pressure on the Senate and the President had been enormous and they had finally allowed every system in the Confederacy to hold a referendum on Confederate membership.

Of the seventy-nine inhabited systems at the time, twelve had approved the formation of the Outer Colonial Alliance, thirteen had voted for independence and six had voted for “partial” status in the Confederacy. The transfer of power had been carried out smoothly and with full Confederate cooperation to ensure the smoothest transition possible.

Since then, the Alliance and the Confederation had worked on expanding various trade agreements and colonization efforts and had, overall, had very few troubles. A Confederate system here or there on the border would request the right to join the Confederation and after review most were permitted.

Because of the way the Confederacy handled their colonies and allies, there was very little “imperialism” to fight and so there were few problems.

If an independent system wished to start on the path toward Confederate membership, they first allied with the Confederacy in mutual defense and non-aggression pacts. Trade barriers were lessened on both sides and the larger Confederacy would extend special diplomatic gestures to the system.

The next step was “Protectorate” status. At that point in their development, the trade barriers would be dropped completely, Confederate influence in the government would increase slightly and Confederate military forces would be stationed in the system to help defend the system and patrol its borders.

A Confederate “Territory” would begin receiving trade subsidies from the Confederation, a Confederate Ambassador would take up the role as “Domestic Advisor” and Confederate companies would be allowed to move in and begin investing freely in the local infrastructure.

Confederate “State-hood” ended the star-system’s individuality and brought it officially into the folds of the Confederacy. While States were now subject to taxes, they also were allowed to elect a Senator to be sent to Sol and would begin receiving money from the government for education and infrastructure improvements.

The final step for a star system was Membership in the Confederacy. As a member, the system would elect two Senators, be accorded full rights under the Constitution and would be considered Citizens in all other Confederate members and states. The increased privileges meant that the system paid the full tax burden under Confederate law and would begin contributing forces to the military, but many believed it was a most advantageous exchange.

After as few as ten years at each stage a system was allowed to hold a referendum on their status and either request advance, withdrawal or a freezing of their situation with the Confederacy, all without fear of reprisal from Sol.

This cordial relationship meant that there were very few people that would allow the Confederacy to impose its will on outside human star systems.

“So what do we know about their plans?” Nancy asked at last, starting the meeting.

“Emperor Ji’Kal has informed me that they will wait until we commit a large assault force to the Orin Kin before they make their moves on the independent systems. According to the Emperor, Alliance task forces will be deployed to attack Benton’s Star and Kilgore and a small contingent will be assigned to take the Illinois system.” Tyson paused. “Apparently, there will be a Yarrisian element to the assault on Kilgore because the system is one of the more powerful independents in the region.”

“That’s perfect. When the Alliance fires on our ships, the Yarrisians can hit them from behind and eliminate the task group,” Jonathan nodded with a smile.

“That’s what I was thinking,” Tyson agreed with a nod.

“We need to try to make the Alliance fire the first shot or do something requires us to fire on them. We can have our captains order the Alliance to stand clear and if they enter weapons range fire warning shots first. We have to be careful not to get blamed for this, but at the same time maintain the safety of our ships and crews,” Nancy added.

“I’ll work out some plans for that,” Tyson noted.

“Jill, when the time comes, do you think you will be able to get a declaration of war through the Senate quickly?”

“It’s hard to say. It really depends on how the first fight goes. If we crush the Alliance forces with a large enough margin of victory, it will be a lot tougher to get a declaration passed. I will need the help of either the Conservatives or the Liberals no matter what.” Jill’s position as leader of the Centrist party meant that she controlled thirty-five of the eighty-seven Senate seats. The Conservative party controlled twenty and the Liberals controlled thirty-two.

“I’ll see what I can do with Senators Paris and Washington, but you know how the Liberals feel about military intervention. It was nearly impossible to get Senator Washington and his party to approve the action in Lira.”

“Speaking of Lira,” Jonathan interjected. “According to the Director of Marine Intelligence, some of the marines from the one hundred and thirty-first came into contact with militia forces on Tenneson and were informed of the truth of the situation.”

“Have they been informed that this issue is of vital national security and that they are not to discuss it?” Jill Hawkins asked, slightly panicked.

“They have. But the marines are not what we have to worry about. The platoon that is in question was accompanied by the embedded reporter from the United Broadcast Networks.”

“John Darro?” Jonathan Hargreaves asked. With all of the embedded reporters from the various news agencies, he had a hard time keeping track of which reporters belonged to which agencies.

“Yes, Darro,” Nancy confirmed. “I think that when he arrives in Sol, we’ll have to have a private chat with him. We can’t afford to have the public know that we knew about the Alliance ruse and played into their hands. It’s cost us too many lives as it is.”

“Which ship is bringing them back to Sol?”

“The Frigate Spartan. They departed the Lira system five days ago. They should be arriving in a matter of days. The Frigate had to make a run to the Remington system after it picked up the passengers and it will be stopping in Galus for refueling.”

“When it arrives, have the platoon and mister Darro brought here. I think that I can convince them to remain silent,” Nancy frowned and closed her eyes in thought…