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TCS Phlegethon;
Bridge
Arrival
The Canés Venatici Galaxy
System 77-G, Sector Alpha Tango Theta
1745 Hours (CST)
“Not as bad as I expected," Commodore Tierson spoke.
Jared felt queasy, to say the least. The nauseating sensation of an S-Fold journey seemed strangely magnified on the TCS Phlegethon, paling the Amadaeus’ trip in comparison. Thinking about it, Jared figured it had more to do with the fact that the Canés Venatici Galaxy was considerably farther from the Milky Way than Andromeda had been.
Looking out the viewports, he found himself once again in uncharted territory. A nearby sun could be seen flaring with illuminating magnificence, as well as entire clusters of nebulae and dense clouds of a multitude of colors mankind had yet to catalogue.
"Sir, ConFleet High Command transmitted the encryption codes to priority message zero-zero-twelve just prior to our S-Fold. Shall I relay the message on-screen?"
Tierson smiled. He’d been expecting it. "By all means."
Jared and Tierson both looked patiently at the frontal viewports as they became filled with flickering blackness, then a face. A surprisingly familiar face.
Commodore Christopher Blair, XO and CAG of the megacarrier Concord’s Claw (recently renamed from the TCS Blair) and a newly-appointed commandant of the Special Operations Division of Confed. A man whose renown legacy could be traced back well over a hundred years ago. His return two years before was a subject greatly debated throughout the Confederation’s ranks. First he was called an imposter when he returned to apparently sacrifice himself to stop the Steltek invasion. Then he was cleared of all doubt when Confed TCIS Intelligence released a story to the media that explained he’d been cryogenically frozen after going insane during the rise of the Firekkan Commonwealth in 2684 and only "apparently" being assassinated in 2685 by a Confed Special Ops team; that he’d been cured of injury and mental illness while in stasis; awakened during the Steltek invasion; retreated from the public eye after the incident; then came back to a mystery-shrouded encounter with a Kilrathi baron in the Vukar Tag Sector. It was even whispered that the Cat baron encounter was directly related to the sudden invention of S-Fold Drive. If it was, Confed Intell wasn’t talking. Jared didn’t care enough either way to bother looking into the matter.
"You are all aware of the attempted Steltek invasion two years ago," Blair began the briefing. "A Steltek ‘mothership,’ a capship we’re now classifying as Marauder-class, entered Confederation space and destroyed fifty-nine capital ships—forty-eight of which belonging to the Space Navy. Gentlemen, that Steltek vessel didn’t enter Confed space on Jump Drive—it came directly from another galaxy. It’s taken two years of research and preparation, but TCIS has managed to get a complete spectral analysis of the exit point of the Steltek mothership’s entrance into our space. In doing so, we discovered the entry point, which telemetry indicates to be within the heart of the Canés Venatici Galaxy."
Jared swallowed. He didn’t like where Blair was going with this.
"That Steltek mothership wasn’t a one of a kind. We have every reason to believe a second Steltek invasion is impending, and that first mothership was a mere vanguard of the full enemy invasion force. Or maybe just a scout. To make a long story short, we need recon. The TCS Phlegethon is the only ship we can trust in this matter. The largest, most formidable ship in the Armada, it is the only vessel that can hope to stand a chance in a Steltek encounter and hope to get away in one piece. You realize now that it was no accident the Phlegethon was the first carrier to be given S-Fold Drive.
"Your orders are as follows: the TCS Phlegethon is to proceed to the Delta Agnes System, the closest star system to the Gamma Onisis System—the system we have confirmed the original Steltek mothership to have made the S-Fold journey to the Milky Way two years ago from. It may be their home system, perhaps even containing the Steltek homeworld or homeworlds, or possibly just a military staging zone. It is imperative that we know the size of their fleet and what to expect in the next invasion. From the Delta Agnes System, you are to do a thorough long range scan of the Gamma Onisis System. At your discretion utilizing full DSSS, then scan the remainder of the Alpha Tango Theta Sector. When your work is completed and you have DSSS confirmation of the fleet’s size—or if there even is one—you may return with all due haste to Sol Sector for debriefing.
"Ladies and gentlemen, you’ve been given... well, one hell of a maiden voyage. A trial by fire, we’d call it in my time. Good luck."
"You heard the man," Tierson shouted. There was a note of eagerness to his voice. "Scan the immediate area for appropriate jump nodes and set course for the Delta Agnes System as soon as possible."
"Yessir," every officer on the bridge acknowledged in unison.
That was the one drawback about Space-Folding Drive. Even when powered by synthetic Cynium it required a minimum of two days of recharging between trips. It made Jump Drive, which could be used to minimal power drain, not quite as obsolete as it might have seemed when S-Fold Drive first flew off the R&D drawing boards.
Jared left Tierson’s side and found Lt. Commander Nichols, the CAG. "Commander Nichols," he spoke as he came up to the man, saluting.
The Asian-looking man, probably in his mid-to-late forties, shot back a quick salute. "Yes, Major...?"
"With your permission, sir, I’d like to brief the squadron commanders of my fighter wing on what Commodore Blair has just told us."
"Feel free. I’ll see that you’re called you when we approach our destination."
Great, Jared mused, now I’m on call...
TCS Phlegethon;
907th FW Pilot Barracks
1802 Hours (CST)
"I’d like to call a meeting."
Major Davidsen stepped into the locker room of the barracks, finding it to be exceptionally expansive. At first the chattering mixture of showering squadron commanders and pilots of the 907th Tactical Fighter Wing—all ninety-six of them at least partially naked—didn’t seem to acknowledge. They quickly responded, however, as he gave a nearby locker a swift, loud kick.
An assortment of male and female faces—some of which he readily recognized from the pilot profiles he’d gone over a week ago, others only vaguely—looked up and gave him their attention. When he guiltily found his gaze dallying on the four breasts of a blue-skinned, unashamed Dolosian female in Red Weevil Squadron he made a conscious effect to keep his eyes constantly spanning the room.
"Allow me to introduce myself," Jared started off. "I’m Major Jared Davidsen. You’ve probably heard of me. Used to go by the callsign ‘Devilbane,’ but I’d prefer being called ‘Major Davidsen’ by you ladies."
"Hey, you’re that guy that went to Andromeda," one of the brighter squadron commanders gave his input.
"That’s right. Now I’m the WC of this outfit, so listen up. As you’ve probably heard, we’ve been diverted from our trip to Andromeda, instead entering the Canés Venatici Galaxy. I know you’re wondering why we’re here. I sure as hell did. But a briefing from Commodore Blair has revealed our true mission."
"It was my understanding that the Phlegethon’s maiden voyage would be a quick, out-of-Galaxy scouting run," stated another squadron commander. Captain Patrick "Overkill" Shmidt, CO of the Sophia-class "Tarantulas." "Y’know... a run around the block. We’re... we’re not being put on the offensive, are we?"
Everybody’s gotta be a smartass. "No, not necessarily, but we do have to watch our backs. We’re doing recon work now. Confed thinks they’ve located the Steltek staging site from which they launched that invasion two years ago out on the Rim. They think it’s here, in Canés Venatici, in the Gamma Onisis System."
"We’re going to jump into Steltek space?" a pilot shouted. Jared couldn’t see the guy’s face through the crowd.
"If Confed’s right, we’re already in Steltek space. But we’re not going to Gamma Onisis, so they think we’ll be all right. No, we’re going to the Delta Agnes System. That’s where the Phlegethon will conduct its long range recon’n shit." Jared shrugged. "If our luck holds out, we’ll finish up and leave without having spotted a single Steltek ship."
"And if not?" Shmidt asked.
"We’ll just have to be ready for anything. When we reach Delta Agnes in a couple of hours I want your squadrons ready to fly. Then all of us are going to be running patrol shifts until the Phlegethon’s done its recon business and is ready to make the S-Fold home." Jared opened and clasped his hands. Well, that about did it. "Any questions, or are we understood? Anybody? Anybody at all? Don’t be bashful, don’t be shy..."
A few exchanges of glances and a handful of muttered curses, but no one spoke up.
"All right then. Dismissed."
Jared could tell right away it was going to be a long mission.