NationStates Jolt Archive

[Falamor, Capital of the Republic of the Six Hordes]
"I absolutely refuse to believe that one of our finest Tribuni Angusticlavii has ordered for a full scale rebellion against the Republic. Every fine officer, especially one of his status, understands, and was furthermore taught, that the two thousand year old Republic was conjured to stand, and that an act against the Republic would be punishable on death. Moreover, it is well known what happened to the last rebellions - squashed. They are fools, and I refuse to believe that someone like Aegidius would do such a thing," ranted Senator of the Republic Xtoverus. His face turned red with anger. Why would someone turn against the Republic - a state that had offered her soldiers so much, for so little in return.

The other man standing, also red faced, retorted in kind,"You are a fool for believing your own rhetoric. For all the advancements our race has committed itself towards we are still humans, and as humans we are subject to ambition. The latter is all that Aegidius has in his heart."

In the center an older man sat slumped in his gilded chair, his hand over his eyes. He looked frustrated and tired, at the least, particularly vexed. He put his hand down and looked at the two men quibbling about something that had already been decided. He licked his lips and spoke, calmly, yet with stunning seriousness,"Like it or not Xtoverus, Aegidius, the man who you thought would one day lead this Republic, has opened full fledge rebellion. Legionis, what does Aegidius control?"

Beside him, standing erect, Legionis Ezekielis, one of the finest legionary commanders in the Republic, pointed towards a map of the system. He solemnly listed the units under the command of the upstart rebel,"Aegidius, understandably is not in control, although he is the major force behind the rebellion. He shares command with four other Angusticlavii, and their one superior is Legionis Guglielmus. Under the command of all six generals there are three battle groups, containing largely our own ships - including, some of our best technology, including twelve Celestial Carriers, which in turn boast no less than one thousand five hundred Starstrip Fighters, amongst the most advanced in the System. Understandably, this puts the other planets also on alert, although I have already made sure that they receive a sattelite databurst detaling circumstances within the Republic - ergo, the dual planets under our control, Alpha Vorscanus and Corusc."

The chancellor sighed and replied,"And in terms of ground forces?"

Ezekielis returned the sigh and said slowly,"Ten full legions."

The entire parliamentary discussion forum erupted in startled cries. From one direction a senator, of six hundred, let loose a wild howl, stating,"That is two hundred thousand men!"

The chancellor looked up in disgust and quickly followed up with,"And how much can we throw at them, to make sure that this rebellion doesn't get out of hand?"

The general laughed,"Chancellor, this rebellion will be over before you know it. That is all you must know. Regardless, there are some other matters we must discuss before this war continues."[i] He paused to see the reaction on the Chancellor's face. He suspected that the elderly man knew the results. He continued,[i]"I request that you turn over power to the military, temporarily. This rebellion calls for martial law, or you will see more and more men turn to his side. This rebellion must be stopped with brute force."

More gasps came from all quarters and it took at least two minutes to quiet everyone down again. The chancellor was obviously worn. He merely said,"Given."

In all the two thousand years of the existance of the Republic, never had power been turned over to the military. In the very beginning, two millenia ago, the Constituion had beared that under extreme circumstance, the Parliament could turn over power to a single man, known as a dictator, to complete the task that the Parliament could not complete. However, the amendment has been largely forgotten through the winds of time, and even this surpassed the original context of the Constitution. Indeed, power had just been turned over to the entire military - meaning the General Staff would now be in full control of the Republic. What this meant was unknown - hopefully, it would all turn out for the best.

It wouldn't truly matter. Already, the mobilization which Ezekielis had ordered prior to his meeting with the Parliament - evidently confident that he would get his way - was already under way. Within a day six legions would be fully mechanized for the war, and six battle fleets ready to engage the upstart Aegidius.

As Ezekielis walked out from the Parliamentary forum and onto the hallway which ran around the circumfrence of the building he shuddered at the name Aegidius. He failed to notice the view of the city beyond the glass windows which made the walls of the Parliament building and instead thought of his execution of this war and the destruction of Aegidius. He cared not for the Republic, or for power, but for the death of the wretched man named said name. Years ago they had been fighting for the same position, and Ezekielis had cheated Aegidius of his status as Legionis. He suspected Aegidius was returning to kill Ezekielis, and the latter would not easily accept the fact. He laughed inside, he had never thought that a personal war between two would cause the breaking of the Republic.

(OOC: Sooo, how do you want people to respond to this?)

[Two Astronomical Units From Corusc - ca. 300,000 Kilometers]
"Decurion Tobias reporting for reconaissance squadron zero-zero-one of Battle Fleet Gamma."

The Decurion's crystallized HUD to his forefront the Coma Fighter, one of the more antiquated fighter designs used by the Republic, reserved mostly for reconaissance and deep space missions, where combat had relatively little been seen, sizzled as some of the electro-photons of the transmission were lost through the dust cluttering behind the engines of Coma. Regardless, seconds later the head of the Battle Fleet commander, Legionis Xtopher, appeared and he spoke without a hint of emotion,"Proceed to engage lead elements of the foe."

The single Coma Fighter was followed by another ninety-nine of its breed. The Decurion had known that his mission was beyond reconaissance due to the sheer size of the unit assigned to him - in normal reconaissance missions a Decurion was given no more than nine other pilots. The reasoning for the latter was simple. An ambush could claim many lives, and the best way to cut deaths was to make sure there weren't enough for the enemy to slay.

Moving quickly the swarm of one hundred Comas began to accelerate, hitting at least a gforce of eight. The Comas did not really have a high maximum velocity since they were elderly designs. Nonetheless, their ordnance would be capable of doing damage upon the first rings of defenses on that Battle Fleet, although in a pack of one hundred it was questionable. Regardless, the duty of any soldier of the Republic was to die for the Republic, and every pilot in the Republican Fleet was ready to do just that.

However, the Decurion had little time to think of his attack. On the HUD before him a triangle shape appeared at the corner of the screen, catching the attention of the pilot. Within seconds a small transponder on the nose of the Coma sent a photo-electric code to the object in question, and in return the transponder of the object in question gave a return signal. The HUD of the Coma filed it as negative, meaning that the subject was an enemy, and ergo, the triangle on the screen turned from a very light grey to a blood red. The Decurion cursed under his breath and into the radio said,"IRDS senses the presence of a wing leader. It's been classified as a Ghost. Careful folk, there will probably be more behind him."

As the Decurion prophesized the screen in front of him was soon potmarked by over twenty shapes, and even that soon grew to at least fifty. A small counter on the bottom right of the screen began to shoot upwards as more red triangles filtered in. Finally, when the analyzation process was over, the HUD screen had counted over two hundred and fifty shapes. The Decurion gasped,"Holy shit, that's half a carrier."

But he had no time to worry about his newest fear. The swarm of Ghost Fighters came upon the reconaissance unit like a fury. Within seconds the rebel aircraft had begun a melee that would only end under very bloody circumstances. Almost immediately, three Coma fighters were torn asunder by a cacophony of lasers, tearing apart through the brittle polymer wings of the elderly Comas. They began to take on flame and finally began to corkscrew away in opposite directions. They did not follow a path set before, as their own engines failed to put out force for much longer, and thus they took the path that the last force had given them. Consequently, some hit other Coma fighters in their path, who had failed to swerve out of the way.

All the while the small time battle in the outer rim of the rebel fleet's perimeter began to intensify. Comas locked horns with Ghosts, and the other way around as well. Aircraft from both sides began to sweve in opposite directions, obviously hit and destroyed. Nonetheless, the excess of casualties seemed to be received by the Comas - a sign of their age and their general uselessness against the more nimble Ghosts, of which very few existed.

In the midst of all the wreckage and war a single missile slammed through the emptiness of space, leaving a single, but long, cloud of dust behind it as it escaped the fission powered engine. Many of the pilots took but a single look at the strange shape - it had been nothing they had seen before. There seemed to be other powers at work here. Indeed, the missile was a new design, specifically produced by Aegidius, for his cause. It whizzed through the mass and finally locked onto a single Coma, exploding in midair, sending thousands of small depleted uranium balls through the area in all reachable dimensions. The balls had been released through a disentigrating centrifuge, designed to disperse high numbers of kinetically driven depleted uranium balls, and thus effectively creating a spreadshot warhead. The balls tore through the glass cockpits of Coma fighters, as well as the polymer bodies, sending most of them to their fates in the outer reaches of the universe. Those who were hit would never stop their voyage across space until an outside force acted upon them - however, it was much deserved voyage for the dead.

Seconds later, the small engagement had ended as soon as it began. The Decurion in command of the reconaissance wing was found to be dead after he failed to respond to a photonic radio transmission. The new lead of the wing had decided to cut his losses and flee from the situation, and thus a remaining eleven, of one hundred, Coma fighters turned tail and began to make their way back to their assault carriers. Behind them the Ghosts did not follow, intent on keeping their normal patrolling routes across the Outer Rim perimeter of their Battle Fleet - why should they continue, in any case, when they had only lost no more than eight aircraft?

Nonetheless, the small battle would startle the Republic, for they had not expected the rebellion to hold such high technology in their hands. Moreover, it would warn the rest of the universe.

The Republic's lead Battle Fleet around the area of Corusc received only a single transmission before the remnants of the battered reconaissance wing arrived,"Ghosts. We are dead men. We salute those who will see the end of this war to come."

The rebellion had begun...

[Message from Aegidius]
Under my command the rebels shall emerge victorious in this war anew. Although I came to you no more than a Angusticlavii, I stand before this electronic machinery, speaking to you, as a conqueror. Together we shall tear apart this vile, corrupt Republic which has only done harm to your lives, and in its place put an Empire that will finally achieve the ambitions which the people have asked for.

No longer shall our two planets be the laugh of the universe. Instead, we shall rise to greatness and conquer what is not ours! However, the one way to achieve this goal is to win this Civil War, and in that I count on you, my soldiers, to carry the day.

Nonetheless, be warned Chancellor of the Republic, your Parliament shall be destroyed, and with it the Republic. Surrender now, or die forever.

[Late Night Bump]

[Sagaruk Pass]
The Titanus System was based around five planets, and single star, with Alpha Vorscanus the center planet, flanked by Corusc - a territory of the Republic of the Six Hordes - and a much larger planet occupied by the Arato Confederacy, a lukewarm ally of the Republic of the Six Hordes. Some four astronomical units from Corusc sat Sagarak Pass, a tear in the fabric of space, providing the solar system with its single warp, providing it with an escape to the rest of the galaxy, and ultimately to the rest of the universe.

Consequently, Sagarak Pass was perhaps the most vital link to the Republic, since it was the single superhighway used by the Republic to receive trade from other planets outside the Titanus System. Ergo, it was the location of Battle Fleet Hasient, the rebel fleet waiting to score an early victory against Republican Fleet Mist, one of the smallest in use by the Republic, and just a reconaissance fleet, designed to keep the galactical trade routes open.

The situation had gotten tricky for Battle Fleet Mist, who's mission was, indeed, to keep Sagarak Pass completely open. However, it had already failed, as in between Sagarak Pass and itself was Battle Fleet Hasient. The latter's occupation of the area been a subterfuge against the Republic, but regardless, it had done it well - and now the Republic was in danger. Subsequently, the only words the Praefectus Alae, or commander of the Battle Fleet, received were:


*Encrypted Photonic Radio Transmission*
[For the Praefectus Alae's Eyes Only]

The situation which has been crafted with the beginnings of this newest threat to the sovereignty and the existance of the Republic. As you know, Sagarak Pass has been blocked. Therefore, our only orders to Battle Fleet Mist is to re-open the passage to pass and to save the Republic from an utter debacle.

We impatiently await the results of any offensive you may need to undertake to rid us of this most unwanted foe.
*End Encryption*


It would have to begin, and Battle Fleet Mist opted to begin sooner, rather than later. Three wings of Coma Fighters, somewhere near three hundred aircraft, quickly displaced themselves from the single Carrier operating inside Mist. The entire strike group represented three-fourths of the surviving Coma Fighter group, since just about a hundred had already been destroyed in the preliminary fighting along the outer rim perimeters of Battle Fleet Hasient. Moving quickly the three hundred Coma Fighters hoped to penetrate the outer rim without the roaming bands of the more advance Ghosts being able to respond in time.

The sweeps would be quick, and the general idea was to enter the Outer Rim, send out a few PELDAR signals, and catch the exact location of capital shipping inside Hasient. Consequently, Hasient's position would be compromised and Mist would be able to bring her larger guns to bear on the rebel fleet.

The three hundred aircraft broke into six groups of fifty Coma Fighters each, darting in completely different directions, in order to avoid all being caught by the Ghosts, in case worst came to worst. Squadron A sworve fast moving towards the Outer Rim. Unfortunately, it was engaged by a large swarm of Ghosts and the melee forced the Comas back, with heavy casualties. The other squadrons had limited results, although better than Squadron A, although heavy casualties were reported elsewhere as well.

In Squadron A, Captain Coronus looked at his HUD and saw a band of incoming Ghosts, painted as red triangles. He swore into his photonic radio,"Son of a bitch, here they come. These fuckers aren't letting us get anywhere. What's the deal with the other squadrons?"

A gargled response came on his screen below,"They've been turned back with heavy casualties. Seems like we're the only ones left. You better make this count."

Corunus nodded to himself and picked up his velocity, throttling the engines of the Coma. He kept an eye on the HUD screen infront of him, and he saw the Ghosts come closer every second. However, he pressed on, certain that his comrades in the squadron would sacrifice themselves for the success of this mission. The four minutes which passed seemed like an eternity to all, and from the corner of his eye Coronus could see the Ghosts beginning to engage Squadron A.

He suddenly turned attention to his rear, looking through a seperate crystal screen beside the HUD which provided a rear view using a system of cassagrian cameras. "Damn, I have two on my tail. Help."

Seemingly out of nowhere a single Coma swerved behind him opening up on the Ghosts with their lasers. One Ghost was hit in the back, but both seemed to bank and then dissapear, and then suddenly his rear was filled with a bright white light. When it dissipated the Coma was torn to pieces. He gasped and under his breath muttered,"How the hell are we supposed to win against these things?"

It did not matter, however, as he continued and finally, two minutes later he had penetrated the outer rim of the fleet's defense. He moved his right hand from the joystick between his legs to a switch on the control panel of the Coma, and he flipped the big red lever. A single pulse escaped from his transmitter under the nose of the Coma and spread throughout space in a one hundred and eighty degree arch. A second later his HUD screen filled with the image of Hasient. His mouth dropped in awe, but he would not return to claim what he saw. A single missile ripped through his cockpit, killing his instantly.

Regardless, the image had returned to Mist, although not in as much detail. It wouldn't matter. Mist was ready to engage. Although the probing of the outer rim had cost the destruction of most of those three hundred aircraft Mist had gained the information needed to strike, and within three hours to true battle would begin.