Elder
Minister
Hausa Samburu was
exiting the
War
Room
of
the
Exodus,
having just finished holding
a
video
conference
with
a
number
of
Star
Liner
commanders
from
the
fleet.
They
were
nearing
Freedmen
Prime,
and
needed
to
prepare
themselves
for
the
upcoming
battle.
A
few
extra
ships
had
joined
up
with
the
fleet,
totaling
their
fleet
number
to
550
ships.
They
still
had
a
large
number
of
Star
Liners
stationed
at
the
border
of
Confederation
space,
just
in
case.
If
they
needed
reinforcements,
or
were
unsuccessful
in
repelling
the
enemy,
then
those
ships
would
be
invaluable
to
their
plans.
This
was
quite
honestly
the
largest
military
operation
ever
initiated
by
the
Confederation,
and
they
wanted
to
be
fully
prepared
for
anything
that
came
their
way.
He headed toward the bridge, ready to prepare his crew, and the
fleet, for battle. A few of the crewmen on board stop, and salute
him as he passes them in the hallway. He returns the salute, and
continues on.
He
makes his way onto the bridge, greeting his Ras. The bridge crew
comes to attention, and then returns to their duties. “Elder
Minister...we have just reached the Freedmen Sector...!”, pipes the
young Helmsman.
“Ras..”,
he barks, “Order the fleet to power down their Dogon Drives! We'll
continue on to Freedmen Prime under full power.”
“...Yes,
Elder Minister!”
“Akoben...have
all fighters waiting on standby. I don't want any
surprises this time around...”
“...Yes,
Elder Minister!”
You
could hear the waning whines of the Dogon Drives as the ships power
them down. They begin to slow their forward velocity a bit, now
hurdling through under normal engine power. “Dogon Drives have
been deactivated...the fleet has now slowed down to full power.”
“Deploy
Akoben fighters, and arm all weapons systems!”
“...Yes,
Elder Minister!”
“Djeli...radio
all Star Liners, and tell them to initiate attack pattern Hannibal.
All ships are to hold their positions until we reach Freedmen Prime.”
“...Yes,
Elder Minister!”
The
ships begin to shift their positions, and realign themselves.
Various warriors throughout the fleet begin to prepare themselves for
the upcoming battle. They scurry about to their battle stations,
readying their ships for the expected engagement. The drums of war
could be mentally heard throughout the roster of the entire fleet,
the pulsating beat pushing them forward, enticing them on.
“Elder
Minister...”, the Helmsman cries, “We've reached Freedman Prime's
orbital airspace!”
“Akofena
alert! Put it on the forward screen!”
“...Yes
Elder Minister!”
He
punches a few buttons, and the main screen projects an ungodly sight.
Freedman Prime still stands before them, apparently still intact,
but her orbit is filled with hundreds of unknown ships. The bridge
is quiet, as her crew sits there somewhat in shock at the sight
before them. Hausa finally finds his voice, trying to hide his
surprise. “Magnify image...”
The
Helmsman does as told, and they are able to get a closer, clearer
picture of the fate of the planet. There is a debris field
surrounding the planet, most likely the remnants of their Stellar
Civil Defense Force and satellite system. At
least their M.O. still seems to be consistent with their tactics at
Freedmen Alpha IV,
he thinks to himself. At the same time, it was still very eerie to
see so many ships converged around the planet. “Magnify again”,
Hausa commands, “I want to make sure that it's them...”
“It's
confirmed, Elder Minister..”, his Akoben says after a moment, “They
carry the same markings as the other ships. It's the Yurugu Union.”
The
'Yurugu Union' was the name that they had chosen to identify them as.
It was one of the names that their ancient ancestors had once
identified them as, and the Confederation leadership felt that it was
only appropriate to label their attack force by such a name. Hausa
grimaces, his anger now overcoming his initial unease. He was
appalled at the site of so many alien ships arrogantly swimming
through the planet's orbit. “Akoben...what's their status?”
“...They
appear to have a force of about 825 ships in total...including those
ships around her three moons.”
Great,
he growls to himself, we're
outnumbered.
“...And Freedman Prime?”
“Planetary
defenses are down...no sign of their Stellar Civil Defense Force.
Most likely, they've been destroyed.”
“Djeli...?”
“...Communications is down. Their satellite network has apparently been destroyed as well.”
“...Communications is down. Their satellite network has apparently been destroyed as well.”
“...What
about her moons?”
“I'm
getting slight activity from Tubman Alpha...”
“What
kind
of activity?”
“...Unconfirmed.
We're still too far away to get any clear readings or signals.”
“Could
it be possible that a resistance force might have formed there...?”,
the Ras asks.
“...It's
possible. We would need to send in a recon force on the ground to
confirm that-...”
“...-We'll
get to that”, Hausa barks, cutting him off, “Open a radio
frequency...all linguistic channels.”
The
Djeli officer taps a few buttons on his console , and it chimes in
response. “...Channel open, Elder Minister.”
“Attention...This
is Elder High Council Minister Hausa Samburu of the Star Liner
Exodus, representing the Universal Neo-Africana Intergalactic
Diasporic Confederation. You have violated the sovereignty of the
people of this world, who are our allies, and under our protection.
You are hereby ordered to surrender your forces, and withdraw from
this sector. If you do not comply with this order, your refusal will
be met with deadly force.”
He turns to his
Djeli Officer. “Keep repeating that message until they
respond...or begin firing”, he commands, “Either way, we'll know
their answer.”
“Heads
up...!”, the Akoben yells out, “They're moving to intercept!”
“Looks
like we got our answer...”, Hausa says, going to his chair.
“Akoben...”,
the Ras barks, “Launch first and second waves of the fighters!”
“...Launching!
Third and fourth waves on immediate standby!”
“All
ships...”, Hausa barks, “Move in, and attack!”
Space
immediately becomes filled with spectacular explosions, and
multicolored streams of phaser fire. Both sides swiftly move in on
each other, and the glorious dance of death begins. The
Confederation forces valiantly throw themselves at their enemy,
hitting them with everything that they have. The Union forces, on
the other hand, continue to march forward, daring to challenge these
newcomers on the battlefield. Their might was able to easily subdue
the forces of the Nonaligned worlds, and these unknown newcomers
should be no different. Of course, they have never faced all
of the battle-classed Star Liners before; especially not all at one
time.
“Akoben...”,
Hausa barks, “Signal the other ships! Have the Hannibal-classes
prepare a missile barrage. The fighters, Nzinga-Class, and
Amina-Class Star Liners will draw their fire!”
“Yes,
Elder Minister!”
“Order
a battalion of Candace-Class ships to prepare for a volley of their
own!”
“A
secondary barrage...?”, his Ras asks.
“No.
Tell them to fire their Solar Cannon. Let them learn what it means
to tangle with the 'Searing Spear' of the Confederation!”
The Confederation
fleet begins to realign itself, taking out as many ships as they can,
preparing to enact their plan of action. Though not as powerful as
their Candace-Class and Hannibal-class cousins, the Nzingas and
Aminas open up a world of hurt among the Union forces. Their speed
and maneuverability make it hard to get a weapons lock on them, and
easier to evade the enemy's weapons fire. Having no defense against
the fighters, the Union ships get quite battered by them, as if being
swarmed by a hive of angry insects.
“Elder
Minister...”, the Akoben replies, “The ships are in position.”
“...Fire
missile barrage!”
The fighters and
Star Liners quickly disengage, and an oncoming stream of missiles
streaks towards the Union ships. They strike their targets, heavily
damaging many of them. The Union forces stand undaunted, though,
continuing on with their destructive mission.
“...Direct
hit! Several enemy ships are heavily damaged!”
“They're
still coming”, his Don calls out, “We've bloodied their nose, but
they're not backing down yet...”
“...Prepare
to fire the Solar Cannon!”
The Candace-Class
Star Liners were the biggest and most powerful ships in the fleet,
and their most powerful weapon, the Solar Cannon, was unmatched in
the known galaxy. The ships were powerful enough to fire an
intensely powerful beam of energy, encompassing the power of a small
nova.
“...Solar
Cannon fully charged. Target is locked!”
“...All
ships have exited the firing zone”, the Navigator announces, “We
have a clear shot.”
“...Fire!”
The ships hum with
power, a bright light beginning to emanate from the crown of the Star
Liners. The intensity of the light brightens more and more, until a
beam of light harshly hurdles forward, incinerating all ships in its
path. Many ships disappear from the battlefield, the intense heat
from the multiple Solar Canon blasts searing all in it's path,
illuminating space itself in the process.
“The
enemy has sustained heavy damage”, the Akoben reports, “It looks
like we've opened up a hole in their forces! We've made a path to
reach her moons!”
“Contact
the Redemption! Have her Ras take three battalions, and head for
Tubman Alpha. If there is
a resistance force there...they're going to need our help!”
“...Yes,
Elder Minister!”
“Press
the attack, and give them some cover fire!”, the Ras yells, “Our
job isn't done yet!”
“...I'm
on it!”
Several
Star Liners streaked forward towards the moons, while the rest of the
Confederation fleet continues to engage the remaining Union forces.
Though slightly weakened, this fight was still far
from being over. The Union ships still held a numerical edge on
them, and were still very much in this fight. About eighty-six Start
Liners are able to make it through, before the Union forces are able
to regroup and close the hole. “Elder Minister, they've sealed the
hole”, his Akoben replies, “They've cut us off from our forces
heading towards Freedmen Prime's moons!” “They're on their own
then, for now”, Hausa replies. He felt in his heart that this
would only be temporary; they wouldn't be separated from their fellow
warriors for long. It would only be a matter of time before the
Union forces fell to them. “Keep pressing the attack”, he barks,
“We'll deal with that issue when we get to it!” And so the
battle ensues...
The Star Liner
Redemption hurdles forward towards Tubman Alpha, followed by her
garrison of ships. A contingent of Union ships has left her orbit,
and are now on an intercept course to greet them. “Ras Assata...”,
her chocolate female Akoben replies, “Union ships are heading on an
intercept course on our position!” Assata Afeni, The Redemption's
Ras, turns her onyx gaze to her Djeli officer. “Anything from the
surface, yet?” “No, Ras Assata...”, he replies, “I can't
tell if they're jamming us, or if the signal is just too weak to pick
up from this distance.” “Very well, then...”, she says,
returning her steely gaze to the main viewscreen, “We'll just have
to continue to fight our way through this one...” She turns to her
umber female Helmsman. “Helm...initiate attack pattern Ji Jaga!”
“Yes,
Ras Assata!”
“All
ships...prepare to engage the enemy!”
“Weapons
fully charged, and standing by”, her Akoben reports, “Fighters
are ready to engage the enemy!”
'Union forces are
within weapons range”, her Don calls out, “It's now or never...”
“...All
ships...attack!”
Both Union and
Confederation forces combine to pummel and pulverize each other.
They fiercely fire volleys, trading shots with one another, looking
to batter the other either into submission, or oblivion. Space
becomes filled with streaks of light, and violent explosions.
Starships on both sides continue to duck and dodge, juke and jive,
trying their best to outmaneuver their opponent. The Assatas and
Shaka fighters swarm around the Union ships, battering them with
weapons fire like angry insects whose hive had been invaded by a
bungling interloper. The multiple metallic hides of the various
Confederation ships provided a rainbow of death to the Union ships
that they had destroyed, and were inflicting a world of pain on the
remaining enemy forces.
“Let
them continue to taste the cold blade of the 'searing spear' of the
Confederation”, Ras Assata hisses, “All ships...attack pattern
Zulu!”
The
Confederation Star Liners realign themselves, and continue to
mercilessly rain down their weapons on their enemy. Never before had
an enemy felt the full weight of the Confederation's military might.
They wanted a lesson to be taught; the first time you were lucky.
That last encounter was barely a schoolyard skirmish, a few scrapes
and a bloody nose; this
is war!
The Uhuru Kamau were caught off guard last time; this time....they
were more prepared. This is not just a simple battle to them; this
is their reason for being. It is who they truly are...warriors!
This is their lifestyle, their essence; this is
who they are. This is what they live for, trained for all of their
lives...
Space
continues to become illuminated with weapons fire, and fireballs of
death. This tug-of-war for interstellar dominance is being fiercely
waged by both sides, and neither was willing to give up an inch to
the other. Ras Assata turns to her Djeli Officer. “Anything yet
from the moon's surface?” He pauses before answering. “It's
very faint...”, he finally responds, “But I am
reading some activity from Tubman Alpha's northeast quadrant.”
“That's correct...”, her golden female Navigator concurs,
“Sensors indicate some enemy troop movements in that sector.”
“...A
distress signal?”
“...Too
weak to tell. They must be using some sort of really obsolete
communications system, or something...”
A determined look
crosses Ras Assata's face. “We need to get our ground forces down
there.” She turns to her Akoben Officer. “What are the nearest
Candace-Class Star Liners to our position?” Her Akoben momentarily
pauses, looking down at her instruments. “On our starboard
flank...the Yanga...the Maceo-Marti...the Sebastian Lemba...the
Zumbi...and the Esteban Montejo. Covering our port flank is the
Queen Amina...the Askia...the Mansa Musa...the Tarik...the Dahlia
al-Kahina...and the Queen Nannie.”
“Radio
those ships! Tell them to prepare their ships for the 'Aten
Maneuver' against the Union forces!”
“Yes,
Ras Assata!”
“Djeli...contact
the rest of the garrison, and tell them to commence attack pattern
Hannibal. That should draw their fire long enough for us to get into
position.”
“Yes
Ras Assata!”
Her bridge crew
diligently followers her commands, and the Confederation's forces
begin to realign themselves. The remaining ships in the garrison
continue to batter the enemy's numbers, while the golden
Candace-Classes align themselves in a circular fashion.
“All
twelve Star Liners are in position, Ras Assata.”
“...Power
up the Solar Canon!”
All twelve ships
being to hum with power, the crown of their ships starting to
illuminate, generating the radiated heat necessary to fire.
“...Solar
Canon powering up!”
“Target
their starboard flank, and prepare to fire.”
The ships continue
to hum with power, building up to their maximum yield. The crowns of
the ships generating a growing ball of light.
“Solar
Canon at maximum power!”
“All
attacking ships are breaking off their attack. The enemy ships are
in position!”
“...Commence
'Aten Maneuver', and fire!”
All twelve ships
fire an intense beam of light at the Union forces, their ships being
devoured and seared by the heat of the light. Their ships are
instantly incinerated, like gnats in the path of a flamethrower. The
power of a small nova explodes forth, searing the darkness of space,
leaving vacant a swath of space once full of starships. Those ships
not instantly destroyed in the blast, lay crippled and unmoving, now
a permanent part of the debris field. The faces of the Redemption's
bridge crew brightens.
“Direct
hit! We've broken a hole through their lines!”
“Don't
get happy yet...”, Ras Assata warns, “This battle isn't anywhere
near over...”
“We've
opened a clear path to Tubman Alpha's northeast quadrant”, her
Navigator replies, “No orbital defenses have been detected.”
“Ready
the Terrestrial Drop-Shuttles”, Ras Assata barks, “We going in!”
“Terrestrial
Prides have already boarded the shuttles”, her Akoben responds,
“Standing by for launch, and land fall.”
“Helm...take
us in!”
“...Yes,
Ras Assata!”
All
twelve Candaces move out, now heading for the moon's surface. The
rest of the garrison continues to engage the enemy, providing cover
fire for them to reach their destination. And
NOW the fun REALLY begins....
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