Into the Black

(Flag Bridge, BSN Ama-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi, Uldat System)

“Well, we’ve gotten everyone off that we could. The remaining facilities in the system are going to be packed until transports can be arranged to ferry the civilians to refugee centers further inside the Empire.”

Admiral Huang looked like he’d been run ragged. Probably because he had. We all had been, trying to save the civilian population of Uldat from the Ihm nanoweapon. Fortunately, having two fleets worth of ships in system made a lot of things possible. They’d managed to save 90% of Uldat Prime’s population.

I nodded to the screen, and said, “Yes, we did the best we could. Fortunately, the Ihm decided to bolt, instead of attacking us while we turned to humanitarian efforts. They could have really hurt us if they did that.”

Huang shook his head. “Yes, but now my fleet is stuck in place, and the Empire is forced to divert transports from across its space to help relocate these people before starvation and worse set in as supplies run dry. On top of our logistics base being wiped out for this sector of the front.”

There was a hyperspace warning, as ships began entering the system. They were expected, so the alarms were quickly silenced. Looking over to an aide, I said, “My compliments to Commodore Dakha, and send her the briefing packet.”

Turning back to Huang’s image, I saw the screen split, and a new face joined us. Admiral Landry was obviously still recovering from her wounds, given the wrapping around her head, and covering one eye, but she was at least conscious enough to take command of what remained of Eighth Fleet, so she was doing her job. Her voice broke slightly as she spoke. “Admiral Landry, Eighth Fleet, reporting from the Traitor’s Bane. How can we help?”

Huang took a breath, and then said, “Admiral Landry, this is Huang, of Third Fleet. I have spoken with the Admiralty, and confirmed that unit commendations will be going out for the ships of Eighth Fleet, and the fleet as a whole, and special commendations for you and your Captain Hodges.” He held up a hand to stop Landry’s protest, and continued, “You responded well to a surprise invasion, got your ships and crews together faster than any reasonable projections, and moved to transition to the target system as quickly as possible, to save lives. When a before now unthought of weapon system disabled most of your fleet, your people held it together, and managed to preserve the majority of your force until you were able to escape. Eighth Fleet may be battered, but it was not broken, and Admiralty believes that no small part of the credit for that belongs to you, for the way you trained your people.”

He sighed. “But the truth is that the war is over for you, at least for the time being. With Bandar Base being destroyed, the closest shipyards capable of repairing and refitting your fleet are well out of the combat zone. Your orders are to guard Uldat until the relief column gets here, and then escort the transports to Helvacare Base, where Eighth Fleet can get the dock time it needs.”

Landry looked deflated, as she nodded. “Understood, sir.”

“Good. And, if it softens the blow, I understand that the R&D teams are going to take this time to outfit Eighth Fleet with some of the latest systems to come out of testing. When your ships are back in service, they’ll be some of the strongest in the fleet.”

“I guess I’m counting on you to make sure that the war has already been won by then, so I can have a nice, quiet shakedown cruise, instead of doing the tests under live fire.”

“That is what I would like to do. Unfortunately, all our bases along the front have been destroyed thanks to the new weapons and drives the Ihm are using. Our war-fighting potential is even lower than it was during the Civil War.”

I decided to cut in, here. “Thankfully, the Ihm are also reeling, thanks to the consequences of what happened here in Uldat. The treaties might not require all other parties to jump in, like they would have if the Ihm had used an FTL weapon against Uldat, but they have freed the currently warring parties from treaty concerns about allowable weaponry. The Ihm homeworld of Ihmana has been completely destroyed by FTL weaponry, and the parties responsible are in the clear, legally speaking, so long as they are working as agents of one of the warring powers.”

Huang nodded. “Unfortunately, there is also the news out of Sedara. The Imperium’s forces there have completed the ritual they were conducting. A rift into what people are calling Hellspace has opened on the planet, and the entire system is in the process of getting drawn into Hellspace.”

Landry bristled. “Then Eighth Fleet should be here, with you. We can still fight!”

“I do not doubt you can, and that your crews would be willing, Admiral. But, for now, your orders are to safeguard the civilian refugees, and then get your ships ready for the next fight. We can’t afford to put all our forces in one place anymore, not with this new drive the Ihm have.”

“About that. After studying the sensor reports, I’m going to formally suggest that all Imperial forces and bases carry a limited supply of Starbolt torpedoes, or their equivalent. Something about the use of a warp field inside Hellspace causes a psychic shockwave that destabilizes the rifts, and temporarily incapacitates anyone in the system.”

Huang looked my way. “Yes, but what about the defenders? Every time one of those Starbolts has been launched at a rift, the psychic shockwave has knocked out any living creature for anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes. Regardless of any other concerns, anyone piloting a vehicle at the time, even a ground vehicle on one of the planets, could be injured and killed, along with any passengers or unlucky bystanders.”

I nodded. “True enough. However, my Second Group, under Commodore Dakha, was testing experimental shielding around critical systems and compartments. I am pleased to say that the shielding worked, effectively creating a psychic Faraday cage. It is not an immediate solution, but it did allow Second Group to react decisively to the incoming Ihm ships, while they were defenseless. Implementing that shielding into existing military ships should be fairly straightforward, during any refit.

“As for civilian ships and small craft, well, there isn’t much that we can do. Some casualties of the psychic shockwave would be inevitable. However, the current situations in Sedara and Uldat suggest that the consequences of doing nothing would be worse.”

Landry snarled, “Losing one world is not enough for what the Ihm have done, even if it is their homeworld. We should—”

“We should do our duty, as officers of the Imperial Navy, and servants of the Empress. Not allow our anger at what has happened to cloud our judgement. There will be a time for vengeance, but first we should see to finding a way to defend the people of the Empire from the Ihm, and these new weapons they’ve developed.”

Landry looked chastised at Huang’s words, but there was still a defiant gleam in her eyes. Well, after what she and her fleet had been through, it was only reasonable to be wanting blood. Even amongst my people, the sight of what had happened to Uldat was a serious bone of contention, with a lot of people wanting to do the same, or worse to the Ihm.

But Huang was right. Getting into a war of atrocities never ended well, especially when the enemy had capabilities you didn’t even properly understand. Mutual Assured Destruction only worked if it was mutual, after all. And we couldn’t guarantee that it would be.

“So, the Ihm people as a whole are likely reeling, with the loss of their homeworld. But militarily, they’ve still got the better position, as their logistics haven’t been hit as hard, and their fleets aren’t in disarray. With their additional mobility due to these Hellspace Drives, they can maneuver around traditional lines of battle, and strike deep in the rear, if they wish.”

Huang nodded. “Indeed. Which is why we need a plan to force the Ihm to gather, and find a way to break their momentum, somehow. There are ships going behind enemy lines as we speak, wreaking havoc on their supply lines and manufacturing with sneak attacks. But compared to losing entire planets, and logistics bases, they’re still ahead.”

“Then we need a way to draw the Ihm back into their territory, without making them desperate. They are effectively religious fanatics at this point. If they believe that all is lost, they may decide to burn everything they can before they are overwhelmed.”

“That is what Intelligence fears, yes. And with these new weapons, their military would have the ability to do a lot of damage, very quickly. We need a way to interdict them somehow.”

“I would suggest getting the diplomats to reach out to the Confederacy. The events at Jagloth prompted a surge R&D on anti-nanite weaponry. The use of Greenwave several times during and after the Imperial Civil War has only furthered the necessity of such research. They may have some options for you, there.”

“Foreign Affairs is already working along those lines, I am told. The negotiations, according to all reports, are going well, but these kinds of things take time, and it has only been two weeks since the nanite attack on Uldat. We need something a little more immediate, to draw the Armada’s attention.”

Huang paused, and then said, “There are two primary targets, identified for us by Intelligence and the ships we have behind enemy lines. The first is the Prime Indoctrination center, where the Armada trains and equips all their navy forces, at Skethis Base. The second is a location that we believe to be the primary manufacturing and storage site of the Imperium’s Exterminatus-class weaponry. Along with being their primary Research and Development center, outside of those that have been subsumed into the Eye of Despair.”

“A coordinated strike on those two targets would definitely force the Ihm to reconsider their strategy. One is too high profile to ignore, especially after the loss of their homeworld, and the other is too strategically important for their continued war efforts. If both of them are struck, they’ll have to scramble for control.”

Landry frowned. “But won’t that push them into burning everything, like you suggested?”

I shook my head. “No. Or, not to the same degree as glassing planets would. It is the same as boiling a frog. You drop the frog in boiling water, they’re going to try and get out. Drop the frog into warm water and heat it up gradually, the frog stays until it is too late and it can’t get out.

“So, if you go around glassing planets or otherwise just destroying everything in your path, that is like dropping the frog in the boiling water. That’s too big, too visual, too widespread. Causes a much bigger reaction, in response. On the other hand, if you keep hitting them in ways that will hurt, but aren’t hurting them enough to go full Armageddon, then, by the time they realize that they’re being wiped out, the potential damage they can do is dramatically lessened.”

“Exactly. Landry, it is like Admiral Mollen says. We need to force the Ihm back onto their back foot, and keep hitting them with blows that will hurt, until they can’t move. Winding up for a haymaker could give them time enough to think, and the ability to counter us.

“Right now, we are at a critical disadvantage, thanks to everything that has happened. If we go blow for blow with them, we’re likely to get knocked out. Even if we survive it, we’d still be barely hanging on. So, we have to keep up the offense, and not give them time to think about a counterattack. It is the only option we have.”

Landry huffed. “Fine, I get it. So, Eighth Fleet will be guarding the civilians, while you two go off and kick the Ihm in the balls. But who is going to be going for which target?”