Snail: When I designed Vladimir, I actually thought the very same word.
Chapter 4, On the verge of collapse
-This is the channel 1 news, with your host, me, Derik Manhattan.
-And Lisa Tyler.
-As of todays first news, Terran Imperium emrgency council has made peace with
the rebels forces. Thought early in the war contained threat to the Terran
Imperium, within weeks Bosches forces had out manouvered Imperium Navy on
numereus worlds and finally peace treaty was signed yesterday, making Bosch
the new Emperor of the Terran Imperium.
-It is also suspected that Emperor Vladimir has taken himself into hiding
within the Vasudan space.
-On other news...
And a man pressed a button on he`s remote controller and the news diseappeared
from the screen.
-We will send this propaganda message on the first day and feed the public
with more Vasudan related news about Vladimir, that should make any pro-Vladi-
mir political movement even harder.
-Excellent, you are to be commendet for your work, now if you excuse me I have
a war to win.
-Of course, my I ask where are you striking now?
-Even that information is classified beyond your clearance, thought I will
be perhaps always in debt to you.
-Yes, my admilar.
Bosch left the room and moved to an elevator, he pressed the button for the
bridge and started waiting, twiching he`s eye.
-Blasted doctors, they didn`t know I was allergic to this dammed medicine
they gave me.
The elevator stopped and Bosch entered the bridge, still bit damaged from
the battle with blown consoles. Still, the bridge was full of emotion as
the Iceni was still the flagship of the fleet.
-Report!
-What remains of Imperial Navy still a threat to our own, has fled to
Vasudan space where the newly constructed navy has taken it under protection.
-Then that`s our next target. While TID Rolling Rock is taking Vega, we
will move our fleet to Alpha Centauri and from there to Aldebaran.
-Why Aldebaran, I thought they had their new capital at Antares?
-Yes, but their largest shipyard is at Aldebaran, only place where they can
support a fleet of three Orion class ships. And on to note...
-Yes, admilar?
-Have you located any remains from...
-No admilar, our search has not find any trace of rear admilar from the
wreckage of Colossus.
-From four destroyed Orions, we barely made it, but still the true victory
came from the Koth and he`s brave man who killed Vladimir, now making the
Terran Imperium leaderless entity and secured chaos inside Colossus. But it
would seem this new power will not celebrate it`s heroes, only mourn them.
Bosches fleet, now composed of five Orion class destroyers, 18 smaller cruise-
rs and of course, the Iceni, made their way from Sirius jump node to Alpha
Centauri, however, their arrival was most suprising.
-Were now in Alpha Centauri system and... my god.
-Helm?
-Admilar, Alpha Centauri...
-WHAT Helm, WHAT IS IT!?
As Bosch asked the question from he`s helm, he could see her face turn white
out of fear and eyes turn wet out of mourn... But Bosch had no time to loose
and pushed her aside and taked a look himself. What he saw was beyond any-
thing else he had sawn. Inner rock planets had been spreadet into dust and
outer gas planets had collapsed, so the gas was now spreading accross the
space, the amount of wrecage from spaceships and stations in the system was
enourmeus, so that it could be watched just by the ships observation cameras,
the intera system had been devestated, nothing remained from the system, ex-
cept it`S glowing sun and it`s three jump nodes. Whatever rock and wrecage re-
mained would go in time.
For the remainder of the day, the fleet stayed in Alpha Centauri, to mourn
the died Terrans, who had been killed by this unknown destroyer, this new
enemie Bosch would have to face, to find.
-Sir? We have been here more then 24 hours, would it be now time to move on
to Aldebaran?
-No...
-Sir?
-However has committed this... massacre, no doubt doesn`t want this to conti-
nue. Start sending scout fighters to confirm that what remains of the Imper-
ial Navy has been destroyed.
-Yes, admilar Bosch.
The expedition tooked few more days and located the wreckage of what was
three Orion class vessels, remains of the Terran Imperium navy.
During the next weeks Bosch tooked control of the remaining Terran and Vasu-
dan system, excluding Aldebaran, wich Bosch had taken with Alpha Centauri in-
to quarantine until the doer of this massacre was found.
In the year 2369, Bosch had reconstructed the newly reformed Terran Navy,
wich now constisted 21 Orion class Destroyers and 66 smaller cruisers and
corvettes. Iceni had been refitted with new, more powerfull systems and was
now capable of leading intera war from it`s commanding capabilities, making
it the world`s most mobile HQ with the firepower of an command frigate.
However, in that same year, Bosche`s research team had discovered what seemed
to be information about Ancient portal in Gamma Draconis. Bosch assembled fle-
et of five Orion class Destroyers to investigate and test newly made ETAK
project.
-Were 10 000 meters away from the Ancient portal, admilar.
-Excellent, is the ETAK powered?
-Yes, my admilar, if there are any Shivans out there, they will hear it ones
we have engaged it.
-This shall mark the day we became invinsible good soldier!
-Wait a minute... Admilar, i`m reading a jump signature!
-From the portal?
-Negative! It`s 5000 meters from Iceni`s position, small shuttle, it is
hailing us... Admilar! It Rear admilar Koth!
-What? Put him trought!
As Bosch said this, Koth`s fave appeared in the bridges viewscreen, thought
a bit static, Koth`s voice was hearable.
-Repeat, this is Rear admilar Koth of the 1st fleet! Admilar Bosch get the
fleet out of Gamma Draconis before it`s too late! Your allies have turned
against you! Their going to attack right about n...
Suddenly Koth`s face disappeared from the viewscreen.
-Comm! I want that signal back right now!
-I can`t, the shuttle has deactivated it`s comm system.
-Admilar, my sensors are reading unusal readings coming out of supspace.
-Show me!
Bosch ran to he`s helm`s officer and checked the readings and started pushing
buttons on the console.
-Admilar, what are you doing?
-What does it look like? I`m making Iceni jump back to subs...
But suddenly gigantic explosions started ripping trought the Iceni and the rest of the fleet, like they where bombarded by an invisible enemy fleet. The Iceni made it to the supspace, taking heavy damage, while the rest of the fleet was destroyed by the mysterious bombartment.
