[Starhawk]

2442.1 The Newest Breed of War:
Admiral William Ross, commander of the first fleet relaxed in his ready room aboard Superior and sighed contentedly, it had been a year of relative peace throughout the Icaran Empire, as the government paused and took stock of the new threats that the United Mantisoran Kingdom could bring against Icara. Though the 1st fleet was in Remorhaz space they were never in any real danger as the fading republic didn’t have enough warships left to threaten a single division of Super Dreadnought’s much less a full on battle fleet.
Word had reached the intelligence service a few weeks ago that the Delta Corporation had dispatched a privately funded fleet of mercenaries to one of the former Anderman worlds, and that hey had conducted horrible experiments on the civilian population. Ross remembered sourly that when he first read the reports containing details of the experiments his stomach heaved not only because of the experiments but because the Home Fleet was going to be assigned to destroying the renegades, fortunately that hadn’t been needed in the end as the Mantisorans tried to liberate the world.

Ross felt a strange sense of guilt as he remembered feeling remorse when he heard the news that two Mantisoran fleets had been destroyed on two separate attempts to rescue the inhabitants of Horod V killing nearly three hundred thousand of their spacers before a third fleet of some sixty warships finally overwhelmed and destroyed the DC fleet, however they too lost five ships with crews of around 6,500 each.

William re-read the report and frowned, though they had liberated the world of Hodor V it was a hollow victory as marine landing parties from the Mantisorans discovered that the population was so horribly deformed there was no point in saving them, in the end the Mantisoran commander, one Admiral Vincent DeLeno had glassed the world to end the agonies of those that were unlucky enough to survive the horrible experiments conducted upon them.

Ross knew that the Mantisorans were his enemy but he also knew that they were an enemy he could respect and that they like Icara dealt with prisoners with honor and compassion so the thought of hundreds of thousands of their naval personnel being killed by renegade pirates seemed wrong on the most basic of levels; navy personnel were soldiers, fighting for what they believed in, the mercenaries that had killed them were fighting for money and were doing horrible things to innocent men women and children for the sake of making a profit and though he would never tell anyone how he felt Ross could not help but feel sympathy for the families of those brave men and women who died trying to do what was right, they died trying to protect innocents.

Suddenly William was pulled from his thoughts as klaxons howled and a voice boomed over the ships speakers calling all hands to action stations, as he stood and tugged his jacket back on Ross couldn’t help but wonder if that enemy he just felt sympathy had decided to come and try to kill his young men and women.

As he reached the bridge Ross noticed the pale shocked faces of his sensor crew and flag Captain and felt the hair on the back of his neck rise, they were all veterans so whatever could make them look like that must be either very bad or worse.
“What is it Captain?” The Admiral managed to keep the concern out of his voice, though his worry grew when it donned on him that the marine sentry on the bridge forgot to announce his arrival.
“Uh, captain we’ve just had a warp point open and…..well sir.” The captain flinched at the screen again before finally looking directly at Admiral Ross “Sir according to our reports something the size of a small planetoid is coming towards our position and I’m reading energy signatures off the charts.” The flag captain shrugged and looked back at the screen.
“Small planetoid eh? How big exactly is it?” Ross said somewhat irritated by the fact that his crew was standing around like slack jawed back breeds, though he couldn’t entirely blame them.
“Sir unknown object has sixty kilometer diameter with a mass reading of twenty five megatons and an energy signature of several hundred terawatts I can’t get an exact reading from this range.” The Sensor tech looked as if she’d seen a ghost as she reported her sensor’s readings.

Five hours passed and nothing new came in, the 1st fleet assembled in battle formation with the vulnerable troop transports hidden away at the center of the fleet to protect them from whatever was coming.
“Um, Admiral I’m receiving a signal from that…..ship.” A young com tech tabbed a control and the primary screen on the bridge came to life, everyone on the deck visibly relaxed when a young looking woman wearing an Icaran Royal navy uniform appeared on screen, a mischievous smile on her face.
“Sorry if I startled you folks, I was ordered to keep radio silence until I was in position to join your fleet, I’m Commodore Rukia Fujita commander of the HMS Holy Crusade one of two battle moons that just launched from port, I also happen to be your new flag officer Admiral.” Her smile brightened as she snapped a salute in parade fashion.

Ross couldn’t help but smile, he had met Fujita only once before and that was back on Icara while she recovered from wounds she sustained during the campaign in Ulda Fraiv when the 1st fleet was still under command of Admiral Tyson Babcock before his reassignment to 3rd fleet.
Ross remembered that even while they grew limbs for the ones she lost, and even while she was undergoing agonizing physical therapy her spirit had barely lost any of it’s flair and toughness, she even refused to let the doctors remove a scar across her right cheek where a piece of shrapnel the size of a dinner plate barely grazed her. She told Ross that if she got rid of that scar it would be ignoring the only good bit of luck she had had that day.
“It’s good to see you again Rukia, come on in and take formation with the rest of the fleet.”

“Aye sir and I’d love to give you a tour of your new flagship sir.” Rukia bowed and saluted again before cutting the circuit.

(to be continued……)