Chapter 026: Invasion
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Inactivity for troops isn’t a good thing. Not only will they tend to get complacent, but when troops get bored, bad things happen. So, to forestall any likely problems, General Malia Alana, commander of the fleet’s ground forces, sets up OPFOR training exercises to keep the troops busy during the long trip to Sigma Draconis.

[Friday, December 3]
[0617 UTC]

The fleet drops into normal space just outside of Sigma Draconis’s heliopause. Quickly separating into two fleets based around each of the PASs, they again enter jump space for their designated points, leaving the troop transports, medical ships, and assault carriers in place along with 50 carrier battlegroups for protection should the Alkarin Navy somehow slip past to strike at them.

Furthermore, the fleet divides up into 32 sub-fleets and jumps out to the initial points englobing the system. Thereby denying the Alkarins any chance for a decisive engagement that they probably hope for. Instead, the commonwealth fleets will use hit and run engagements to whittle down the Alkarin fleet little by little to preserve the commonwealth fleets for the final engagement in the Alkarin home system.

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Unknown to anyone, the Alkarin didn’t just occupy three systems, but five. Word of the war and the blockade of the home system had finally reached the other two Alkarin systems, setting in motion events that will soon bring the war home to the Sol system.

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[Saturday, December 4]
[Tau Ceti, 0612 UTC]

As the attack on the Alkarin fleets begins in Sigma Draconis, a massive Alkarin fleet exiting hyperspace on the periphery of the Tau Ceti system sets off sensors on every commonwealth ship, and a flash traffic alert is sent to CMCC. The message entails the emergence of a massive fleet and a request for reinforcements. Not that reinforcements are likely to make it in time if the commonwealth fleet in the system is unable to hold out against the new fleet. Unfortunately, that is highly unlikely since they will be fighting a two-front battle for the system. Not to mention the new Alkarin fleet outnumbers the commonwealth by 15 to 1.

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[Saturday, December 4]
[CMCC]

Moments after the message from Tau Ceti was sent, it was received at CMCC. General Chambers is in his office, enjoying his second cup of coffee since arriving at 0530 that morning. Colonel Davis, the staff duty officer on duty, relays the message to him less than a minute after the message is received.

General Chambers frowns as he reads the message only deepens as his fear of other Alkarin systems comes to fruition. Immediately, he makes a call.

Sora is grumpily awakened by the phone on the bedside table. Picking it up, she sees that it’s Jason calling.

“Jason, this better be good. I just got to sleep a couple of hours ago.”

“I apologize, Sora, but we have a problem. Just as we worried, the Alkarins have other systems. A huge fleet just jumped into Tau Ceti.”

Sora instantly comes fully awake, sits up in bed, and asks, “How big?”

“According to Admiral Mbata, they are outnumbered 15 to 1. If they remain in the system, we are likely to lose all of the battlegroups there.”

She sighs. “Order them to jump for home, Jason. They’d probably destroy much of the Alkarin fleet, but it’s not worth losing them. We can return in force once we’ve taken Sigma Draconis. Alert Admiral Abrams to expect Alkarin reinforcements, and I want you to raise the alert level here. I’m sure they’re planning to come to visit us.”

“My thoughts exactly, Sora. Should I order all civilian ships grounded?”

“That might be prudent, but we need the resources they’re gathering. They can jump back into the inner system if, or more likely when, the Alkarin show up. I do want you to order all non-essential personnel to leave HighPoint and Lone Star stations. Also, reinforce them. I’ll be making a public statement about this later today. Thank God that we’ve been building bunkers for the population.”

“Unfortunately, we’re still lagging behind on the defenses for Mars.”

“Then light a fire under their butts, and while you’re at it, begin evacuating all non-essential personnel to Earth, and do the same for the Moon bases.”

“Sora, we don’t have the transportation to do that in a timely manner.”

“Then use the military transports. I don’t care how you do it, just do it.”

He sighs. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

Sora ends the call with a sigh and lays back down. ‘I knew things were going too well for us in this. Well, it is war, so surprises are to be expected. We’ll simply have to adjust our plans to account for at least one more Alkarin colony.’

Rolling over, she sighs as she snuggles against Ryu, although she’s not able to get back to sleep.

Jason rubs his face and sighs as the call ends, then calls for the SDO to issue the orders to have Admiral Mbata jump for home immediately, to deploy the fleet to their ready positions around the system, and to begin the evacuation.

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Roughly ⅔ of the fleet are deployed outside of the Sol System, so anxiety levels are rather high at CMCC. The personnel assigned to monitor the early warning systems are glued to their monitors, even though Persephone would inform them of any possible threat approaching.

[Monday, December 13]
[1922 hours UTC]

The fleet from Tau Ceti arrives in the Sol System and is ordered to move to the shipyards at Asteria Station in high orbit of Mars for repair, refit, and replenishment, and their transports are ordered to aid in the evacuation.

[Saturday, December 18]

Sora and her family are enjoying a quiet lunch when Jason and the rest of the Queen’s Guard gather Sora, Chinatsu, Ryu and their children and quickly bundle them out to waiting SUVs, almost tossing them in. The doors aren’t even closed when the small convoy takes off at high speed.

‘Something really, really bad is happening,’ she tells herself. Looking at Jason across from her, she asks, “Mind telling me what the hell is going on?”

“A huge Alkarin fleet just exited hyperspace.”

I close my eyes with a sigh. Opening them, I ask, “How many? What kind of ships? How long until they reach the inner system?”

Jason shakes his head. “Sorry, I have no idea. The moment the alert came through, we immediately got you out of there. I didn’t wait for more information. General Chambers is at the CMCC bunker, and I am sure he can answer all of your questions.”

She merely nods and settles back for the short ride.

Citizens are enjoying their day shopping, watching sports, or any number of other things when air-raid sirens go off around the world. A few minutes later, a dreaded announcement interrupts them… “This is a Commonwealth Emergency Broadcast. This is not a test. Ships have been detected exiting hyperspace in the Sol System.

“There is a high probability of landings by enemy forces soon. All military personnel are ordered to immediately return to their units by the quickest means possible. All civilian aircraft are ordered to ground immediately at the nearest possible landing area. All citizens should take their emergency pack and quickly, but calmly report to their assigned shelters. Martial Law is now in effect. Any crime against persons or property will result in summary execution. More information will be broadcast as it becomes available. Repeating…”

Regardless of where they are, or what they’re doing, everyone unconsciously looks up as if to see the approaching fleet while orders to the Commonwealth fleet are issued from CMCC to intercept the approaching ships.

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A surge of neutrinos announces the arrival of the first ship at a distance of no more than 6,000 kilometers in front of the waiting strike fighter divisions stationed in front of the rest of the Commonwealth fleet. A literal mountain of black and red metal is soon identified by multiple AIs as an Alkarin Dreadnought and is soon followed by hundreds, then thousands of other ships of various classes.

Giving them no time to acclimatize after exiting hyperspace, the strike fighters pour on power and begin to engage the enemy ships, and are quickly followed by the swarms of fighters and fighter/bombers. Only the class 1 AIs could ever begin to resolve the swirling engagement. The remainder of the Commonwealth fleet soon adds their fire into the fray.

The Alkarin fleet moves to a crescent-shaped formation to pin the Commonwealth fleet down and reduce their ability to flank them.

A couple of hours into the engagement, the Alkarin assault ships move from the rear of their formation and begin to take a long, curved course at high speed to clear the engagement zone. After they’re clear, hundreds of them adjust their courses to head for the inner system. Orders come from General Chambers at CMCC to intercept them, but the Commonwealth fleet has no ships to spare from the heavy fighting since they’re outnumbered several times over.

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“This is Robert Gentry reporting from the CMCC.” The familiar, and extremely popular, reporter is grim-faced. He stands in a nondescript, brightly lit hallway. In the background, figures in tan and black uniforms could be seen hurrying this way or that. “Thank you for joining us for this special live report from the CMCC.

“It would be inaccurate to say that the Commonwealth military hasn’t been expecting the Alkarin, and it is true that they’ve come both earlier and in far greater force than anticipated. As the situation progresses, we will be bringing you more live reports from here in the CMCC.

“I had the chance to speak to General Chambers here earlier, and while I can’t show you the projections of Persephone, I can tell you that both she and General Chambers expect landings by Alkarin forces within a couple of hours. Millions of Armored Infantry have been deployed around the world with Peregrines to quickly transport them to landing zones as projections are fine-tuned.

“In my conversation with General Chambers, he stated that their landing sites can only be accurately projected a half hour before the actual landing, and we will be standing by live at that time to give updated information on them. The Queen is expected to hold a short press conference within the next hour. It’s unknown what she is going to say. Reporting live from the CMCC, this is Robert Gentry.”

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There are only a few reporters at the CMCC bunker conference room, and the remainder are attending virtually.

Yui walks up to the podium, “I would say good afternoon, but considering the circumstances, I’ll forgo that. Her Majesty is very busy, but she has a short statement to make and will take a few questions afterward. Ladies and Gentlemen, Her Majesty, Queen Sora.”

Everyone rises and either bows or curtsies, and she walks over to the podium.

“You may be seated. As we’ve always feared, the Alkarin are here, and here in numbers that are simply mind-boggling. Other than planetary defense forces here on Earth and Mars, all of our forces are fully engaged with the Alkarin. The fighting is as vicious as anything we’ve ever seen, and losses on both sides are extremely heavy. For now, though, the Commonwealth fleet is giving more than they get, but we all know the vagaries of war.

“I hope that all citizens have reported to a bunker by now. If not, you need to quickly make your way to one. The Alkarin will not differentiate between civilians and the military, and if they catch you, they will kill you. The bunkers are heavily armored and have multiple redundant shield systems. They are as safe as we can make them, and we highly doubt that anything other than an extended barrage from multiple dreadnought class ships could break through the shields. Even then, it’s highly unlikely.

“Remain calm, and trust in me and your forces. Each bunker is supplied with years worth of food and water. Thank you.” She points to one of the few reporters present for a question. “Mr. Gentry, you have a question?”

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