The Broken Peace

The view from the shuttlecraft revealed a spectacular sight. Thirty ships rested at anchor in the fleet Tasso now commanded. Each ship had the same angular shape at its bow, with their bridge rising amidship overlooking the gun turrets. Each ship was painted a dark gray with green running lights, giving an almost spectral effect to the fleet.

Tasso felt a slight twinge as the shuttle banked toward its destination—the centerpiece of the fleet that he would soon call his flagship, the SNV Eurotas. The ship was 4200 feet long with a fighter complement of eighty fighters, twenty-five bombers, and its shuttles and scout ships. The launch bays ran along the length of the bottom of the ship while the landing deck was at the ship’s rear.

Gazing at the Eurotas, Tasso believed it looked similar to the Iowa class battleships he read about in the history of Earth. Its angled bow gave it the impression of an ocean vessel. The massive gun turrets housed the main weapon systems, able to fire both energy and projectile munitions. To bolster these were several antiship missiles and point defense system.

The Eurotas was an impressive ship meant to project force across the galaxy. A layered shield system protected the Eurotas’ armored hull to stop energy and solid weapons. Inside the armor was just over five thousand crew alongside five hundred marines.

Tasso felt a sense of pride as the shuttle began landing in the port side shuttle bay near the stern. Dignitaries and high-ranking fleet officers used these unique shuttle bays for formal welcoming aboard the ship. It also saved time for officers who needed to return to their command in a hurry without waiting on the normal flow of craft landing and taking off.

The shuttle settled on the deck without a bump. A hatch opened to the hangar’s rear, and an honor guard of marines marched out in formation. Following behind the marines were a group of the ship’s officers to greet the new admiral.

“Admiral on the deck,” called one of the officers as the formation came to attention. Tasso descended the ramp, marveling at the sight that greeted him. He noted the lack of flash on the dress uniforms of the Spartiartes personnel. Even their dress uniforms, in their dark green color, were made to perform some duty on the ship rather than convey style.

Whatever their lack of style, the discipline in the ranks was superb. The fleet personnel stood in perfect formation, each man and woman present arrayed in pristine yet practical uniforms with no decorations. The marine honor guard’s armor was spotless. Each man and woman stood rigid, without a crease in their uniform that was not supposed to be there.

Tasso stopped at the bottom of the ramp from the shuttle, looking to his right and left at the assembled personnel, admiring the courtesy offered to him. As he reached the rear of the hangar bay, he stopped in front of the ship’s senior officers. With the same precision the others showed, the gathered officers saluted with their right arm closed fists across their chests. Tasso returned the salute with the same sharp movements. “Captain Irving, I presume,” he said to the gray-haired man standing before the senior officers.

“Yes, Admiral.”

“Permission to come aboard, Captain.”

“Permission granted, Admiral Tasso. It is a great pleasure to meet you.”

“Thank you. You are First Officer Nettles, correct?” he asked the dark-skinned, black-haired woman to Irving’s right.

“Yes, Admiral. First Officer Samantha Nettles, at your service.”

He nodded and looked at the bald man with tanned skin beside her. “You are Engineering Officer Lawrence.”

“Yes, sir,” he responded.

Tasso then caught a familiar face behind the senior officers. A blond-haired woman wearing the familiar uniform of the Krypteia bowed slightly in recognition of him. “I guess I will finally get to know your name now.”

“Security Officer Bernadette Ellison, Admiral. I trust you are well.”

“I am. Just so you know, there are no hard feelings from when we first met.”

“Thank you, Admiral.”

“Admiral, if I may,” Irving interjected, “the fleet is ready to deploy. We received our orders before your arrival, and they await you in your ready room.”

“Very good, Captain. Dismiss the parade, and then all senior officers will meet in my ready room in half an hour. Oh, and Captain, please let all officers and staff know that ten minutes early is right on time in my eyes.”

The senior officers assembled in Tasso’s ready room precisely ten minutes early. “Thank you all for coming,” Tasso began. “I know there will be some adjustments and some getting used to how I run the fleet. I also know a few officers and crew may question why I now command this fleet. Let me assure you that my loyalty is to this ship, its crew, and to the government that employs me. With that said, please know that while I value your opinions, never contradict me in front of the crew. Is that clear?” The gathering all gave their agreement.

“Now, our orders are to proceed immediately to Thassara, near the Anatolian border.”

“Sir, that’s one FTL jump from Meteora,” said Captain Irving.

“Yes, it is, Captain. Our presence there will cause a diplomatic protest and heighten tensions along the border. However, these orders come from King Brasidas himself. Our orders are meant to be a warning to Anatolia about any extreme actions against the population of Meteora.”

“What if they do not heed our warning?” asked First Officer Nettles. “How far are we authorized to go to protect Meteora?”

“We’re not protecting Meteora. We are a warning to Anatolia.”

“Then we’re bluffing?” Nettles asked.

“In a way, yes,” Tasso answered. He could sense the tensions rising in the room. No one voiced their doubts, but he could see their worries from the side glances and worried looks. “I know what some of you are thinking. This is a move that could lead to war.”

“Why Meteora?” asked Irving. “It has little strategic value other than it’s close to the border. Its population is small, and we have little vested interest there. Are we trying to provoke the Anatolians?”

“I do not intend to lead this fleet into a war. Our orders do not include forcing a fight. We will defend ourselves if we have to; otherwise, we will stay on our side of the border.”

Tasso was unsure he believed what he told them, but it was all he could say. What they didn’t know was that Meteora controlled what would soon be the largest trade route in the galaxy, thanks to the discovery of Rabilix.

Meteora’s position was all the more critical because of the Zheng He Star Cluster. Running for several light years, the Zheng He Star Cluster was a nearly impenetrable grouping of stars and supernovas. The radiation concentration in the cluster is so great that most ships cannot navigate through it, and the ones that can often are damaged beyond repair after entering the cluster. Going around, it was also not an option due to the distance and time dedicated to the attempt. So, Meteora just became the most strategic planet in the galaxy.

Tasso wondered how long it would take the Anatolians to discover the Rabilix. Even more interesting was how the Sparitartes found the Rabilix. The Crown Prince told him a scientific ship discovered it, but how did it get there without the Anatolians spotting it? More importantly, what was Brasidas willing to do to gain access to the Rabilix?

“Captain Irving, issue jump orders to the fleet. I want us underway within an hour. Destination Thassara. Dismissed.”