Santa Barbara
22-12-2003, 18:42
Theta and Sigma stations in Earth Orbit, ranging from the immense Reciprocity battle platforms to the Brightstar class satellites, the MetaPratt One CCCTG satellites, and even the clunky OMFs still classified as Gamma stations for production-- all activated.
Data flew at the speed of light from each one to the other, a vast interconnected network of invisible laser beams, precisely directed and received, using combined gigawatts of energy just for this. Facing the surface below, many of the orbital OPs began intensive scans on all frequencies, checking the same locations they always have, but now with an increased alertness; ready, waiting.
But that wasn't all.
Breaking off from their regular courses of patrols, between Earth and Luna in some cases, on polar or geosynchronous orbits in others, the 4th "O" Destroyer Group, 5th and 6th "N" Destroyer Groups, and the sixteen vessels of the 2nd "L" Merchant Cruiser Group-- 28 warships total-- burned their engines bright and hot as they gathered in a tight group perhaps 5000 km wide.
And resumed their patrols, as one, speeding over the planet in formation. Aboard their many command centers, VCMs were hotbeds of activity as the billions of calculations required for just this maneuver were handled with crisp military efficiency.
Simultaneously, the 1st Mobile Logistics Group, consisting of the 1st "L" Merchant Cruiser Group and four 690 thousand ton John Xavier heavy transports, and their assorted mini-fleets of drones and landers, pulled slowly to intercept the 1st DBS. They cruised much slower, of course, even the Two Pipe class merchant cruisers, which didn't have to. It was another formation, and soon met up with the other 28 warships in LEO.
During all of this, the entire GADTG began to mobilize. Calls were made. High Readiness Division commanders organized their battalions, and threatened the APT pilots if they did not get the transports ready in time. But here too, the efficiency of the exceptionally well-trained corporate military shown bright, and within the hour the 354,094 personnel were ready-- eager, even -- to engage in the war they had trained so long for.
More activity could be readily apparent in the LTSTG, as over 3 million logistics troopers received the order to report to their bases. The massive logistics apparatus began to wake. Ships, armored trucks, APTs and even ordinary cargo jets began fuelling, loading munitions, loading HCMs, and preparing for the inevitable order to begin a strategic deployment and stream.
Naval forces put to sea. The trimaran hulls of Western Asian ships cut quickly through the waters of the Southern Ocean, and hundreds of patrol vessels of all sorts stepped up ASW operations along the hundreds of thousands of kilometers of coastlines-- on the offchance that some nation would be foolish enough to attack the continent of Santa Barbara by sea. Even the modified EOE Hama battleships fired up their reactors; their enormous guns hungry for the 330mm shells.
A full thirty GADTG divisions, including defensive and assault divisions, were ordered to nearby POEs; it would take some time, as the heavy Gavel MBTs were loaded onto heavy transports, soldiers were pulled from leave or sleep, and immense fleets of trucks and planes began roving the urbanized landscape of Santa Barbara like hordes of metal insects.
Almost a million ITDO field personnel were saying good-bye to their homeland, their families, and their lives. All of them knew the severity of the situation. Santa Barbara had not mobilized for war ever since crushing Resi Corporation-- and that had been over before the ADs and DDs ever came into play; a victory stolen by the OOTG and the coalition of the world's most powerful space militaries.
But this time, there was no coalition. No, this time, there wasn't even an enemy, at least none that the Santa Barbaran troops would be aware of. Nothing had shown in the newsnets, but that hardly meant anything. They knew only that the Integrated Theatre Defence Force was preparing for war.
And they had no intention of emerging anything but victorious or dead.
Data flew at the speed of light from each one to the other, a vast interconnected network of invisible laser beams, precisely directed and received, using combined gigawatts of energy just for this. Facing the surface below, many of the orbital OPs began intensive scans on all frequencies, checking the same locations they always have, but now with an increased alertness; ready, waiting.
But that wasn't all.
Breaking off from their regular courses of patrols, between Earth and Luna in some cases, on polar or geosynchronous orbits in others, the 4th "O" Destroyer Group, 5th and 6th "N" Destroyer Groups, and the sixteen vessels of the 2nd "L" Merchant Cruiser Group-- 28 warships total-- burned their engines bright and hot as they gathered in a tight group perhaps 5000 km wide.
And resumed their patrols, as one, speeding over the planet in formation. Aboard their many command centers, VCMs were hotbeds of activity as the billions of calculations required for just this maneuver were handled with crisp military efficiency.
Simultaneously, the 1st Mobile Logistics Group, consisting of the 1st "L" Merchant Cruiser Group and four 690 thousand ton John Xavier heavy transports, and their assorted mini-fleets of drones and landers, pulled slowly to intercept the 1st DBS. They cruised much slower, of course, even the Two Pipe class merchant cruisers, which didn't have to. It was another formation, and soon met up with the other 28 warships in LEO.
During all of this, the entire GADTG began to mobilize. Calls were made. High Readiness Division commanders organized their battalions, and threatened the APT pilots if they did not get the transports ready in time. But here too, the efficiency of the exceptionally well-trained corporate military shown bright, and within the hour the 354,094 personnel were ready-- eager, even -- to engage in the war they had trained so long for.
More activity could be readily apparent in the LTSTG, as over 3 million logistics troopers received the order to report to their bases. The massive logistics apparatus began to wake. Ships, armored trucks, APTs and even ordinary cargo jets began fuelling, loading munitions, loading HCMs, and preparing for the inevitable order to begin a strategic deployment and stream.
Naval forces put to sea. The trimaran hulls of Western Asian ships cut quickly through the waters of the Southern Ocean, and hundreds of patrol vessels of all sorts stepped up ASW operations along the hundreds of thousands of kilometers of coastlines-- on the offchance that some nation would be foolish enough to attack the continent of Santa Barbara by sea. Even the modified EOE Hama battleships fired up their reactors; their enormous guns hungry for the 330mm shells.
A full thirty GADTG divisions, including defensive and assault divisions, were ordered to nearby POEs; it would take some time, as the heavy Gavel MBTs were loaded onto heavy transports, soldiers were pulled from leave or sleep, and immense fleets of trucks and planes began roving the urbanized landscape of Santa Barbara like hordes of metal insects.
Almost a million ITDO field personnel were saying good-bye to their homeland, their families, and their lives. All of them knew the severity of the situation. Santa Barbara had not mobilized for war ever since crushing Resi Corporation-- and that had been over before the ADs and DDs ever came into play; a victory stolen by the OOTG and the coalition of the world's most powerful space militaries.
But this time, there was no coalition. No, this time, there wasn't even an enemy, at least none that the Santa Barbaran troops would be aware of. Nothing had shown in the newsnets, but that hardly meant anything. They knew only that the Integrated Theatre Defence Force was preparing for war.
And they had no intention of emerging anything but victorious or dead.