Author's Preface
To this day, the power of the BB class is unmatched. Since fighters are useless in space battles, the battleship has regained in space the power it lost on Earth.
Almost every star nation has battleships in its fleets.
But the unified work of the Aligned Worlds’ nations has created a ship whose silhouette alone stirs fear in its enemies.
That is why, even hundreds of years later, ships still carry the same basic layout.
The Aligned Worlds’ BB-class ships are Gods of War.
And the moment the Fleet sees the need to pull them out of their drydocks, someone’s day somewhere will get seriously worse.
— Gods of War , propaganda video, 2348 P.I.
Void Leader Fruug had to fight the urge to wag his tail as he walked through the hallway of the newest ship of the Burrow Navy.
Admiral Russo, who walked next to him, nodded in agreement as they passed crewmembers making final adjustments.
“Wonderful ship you have here, Void Leader. Me and my senior staff are honored that your navy leased her to the ASN as our flagship in the upcoming battle.”
“And me and my crew are honored to be the flagship.”
“I see you built the ship exactly to the blueprint of the new BB-1xx class. No adaptations to Shraphen technology?”
Fruug shook his head, a habit he had learned from his Human colleagues.
“No, the original plans already incorporated every augmentation Shraphen technology could offer Human shipbuilding, as well as Nuk shields and antigrav thrusters.”
“Never been on a true battleship, you know. Our first prototypes were overtaken quickly by new developments, so we stopped building them for some time. It was only recently that the Germans came up with this design again.”
This was new to Fruug, and he wondered how chaotic Human ship development must have been over the last few years for them to stop even trying to build battleships.
“Well, the Taishon is larger than any Shraphen military ship. Over two kilometers long.”
Russo whistled through his teeth.
“I noticed three spinal guns on approach.”
“Yes, Sir. 54 cm diameter, combined fire rate one shot per second.”
“And you really managed to build this ship in just a year, including full armament?”
“Yes, Admiral. After Human aid had built up Burrow’s space industry, the yard began her construction immediately. The BB-104 Taishon is a fully equipped ship, with laser and plasma point defense, as well as sixty-four medium twin-barrel 40 mm point-defense guns. Additionally, we have sixteen large 154 mm defense turrets.”
Russo began to laugh. “Only German designers can declare 154 mm turrets defensive.”
Fruug didn’t fully understand what the admiral was talking about; to him, arming everything to ludicrous levels was simply a Human trait.
Especially when he thought about the offensive capabilities apart from the three spinal guns.
The concept of a rapid missile launcher was frightening enough; combined with Nixtred frames, it was almost apocalyptic. And to think the frame was developed by a Shraphen scientist…
As they reached the CIC, Russo turned to face Fruug and placed a hand on the Void Leader’s shoulder.
“Son, in a few hours this glorious warrior will see her first battle. I’m sure you’ll do her proud.”
Admiral Russo’s staff had already begun to take their stations in the CIC. Fruug proceeded to the bridge. The CIC was nice, but the Taishon ’s bridge was something else.
Since the ship was so massive, the bridge was split across two decks. The lower deck was dedicated solely to offensive and defensive operations.
The upper deck had the traditional stations: navigation, sensors, comms, and a general tactical station. The most distinctive feature was the holographic interface.
The bridge itself was a holotank, allowing a 360° overview of the space around the ship, with the ship as a model hovering in the middle.
Fruug felt like he was drifting behind the Taishon , free-floating in space. He had to confess: he couldn’t get enough of it.
His XO, Commander Keira Ryan, a red-haired Human female, stood up.
“All stations report ready. Burrow Docks has cleared us for departure.”
His XO fascinated Fruug. Red fur was a rarity among Shraphen, and green eyes were unheard of. That Humans had such a variety of hair, eye, and skin colors had confused many Shraphen upon meeting Humans for the first time. Not even the color-rich Psstips had so many variations.
“Thank you, Commander.”
Fruug sat down in the auto-adjusting chair. Every new ship in the navy had those multi-species chairs that adapted to different anatomies.
“Void Hunter Labrex, take her out.”
“Aye, Captain.”
Another oddity of the ASN: everyone commanding a ship was addressed as Captain. Since the Taishon was nominally an ASN ship, the tradition survived on her.
The ship was 2.8 kilometers long, 490 meters wide, and 230 meters high. Despite her mass, she reacted almost as fast as a Veyr Hunter corvette, a ship a fifth of her size.
“The Lasgo and the Darude have been assigned as our screen, Captain. Integration into our firing grid is complete.”
“Thank you, Commander. Anything else?”
“No, Captain. Morale of the crew is great, and the ship is in perfect working order.”
Two ships appeared beside the holographic representation of the Taishon .
“What about the AI?”
“Still an open question. There are no free AIs available in the system for now, so we have to make do with a VI. Engineers are setting up the system right now.”
A melodic tone over the intercom cut off any further discussion. Admiral Russo was making a fleet-wide call.
“Russo to fleet. The Batract fleet has stopped two light-days outside Burrow’s heliosphere. If they attack the same way they did at Nekoo, they are gathering rocks to throw at us when they attack. That’s why the minefield is now deactivated, and we need to hold them off long enough for the planetary defense grids to take the rocks out. In this case, we can’t rely on a defensive posture, so we need to go out there and create as much havoc as possible untill we can reactivate the mines.”
Fruug had seen the tactical situation, and while it was bleak, the Human use of automated defenses, drones, and mines created an almost even battlefield, even if the numbers didn’t look like it. Drones had become especially important; that was why his ship had a separate control room for drone warfare, and thirty launchers to rapidly create her personal drone swarm.
Russo’s speech continued.
“Stay close, and fall back as soon as your shields drop. We have designated blocking forces and line reinforcements to plug gaps in our line if a ship needs to fall back. So don’t hesitate. There’s no shame in repairing damage. One more thing: you’ve all been equipped with Nixtred frames. Use of this weapon is on my authority only. The enemy hasn’t cracked this weapon yet, so we need to use it surgically.”
The upcoming battle should have frightened Fruug, but for some reason he was excited.
I’ve been around Humans too long, that’s it.
His tail wagged more with every turret turning green on the holographic ship model.
—————
The day had been long and stressful for Admiral Rolling. Contact with Sol was only possible through the sensor grid, a slow and failure-prone link. And the news they had gotten was… abysmal. Civil war…
That was why she was looking forward to a nice, quiet dinner at the best restaurant on the station’s promenade: Mama Rossi’s.
The Italian restaurant was almost always booked out. No wonder; selling Bolognese to Shraphen had become the new phrase for printing money.
But as the system’s military commander, she had a standing reservation. Every Friday, the small table for one next to the window on the promenade was hers.
The restaurant was already filled to the brim, mostly with Shraphen diplomats and business owners. But to her deep dismay, she saw a leather hat with a long feather moving toward her.
The cat-like figure opened his arms and stormed forward, ready to hug her.
“Admiral, what a fortuitous coincidence! Here I was, just talking to my assistant Riig about you.”
Ambassador Mekari… Rolling braced herself. This dinner would not be quiet.
The large Psstips hugged her, and she had, once again, the feeling that the “Historical Aristocratic Greeting” was nothing but overt sexual ogling.
“Come, come, sit with us, Admiral. Today is Ingwarn’s birthday, a deeply religious feast day. Ingwarn is the Psstips god of Feasting and Friendship.”
“Isn’t that Frambozi?” Just last Saturday, she had been guest of honor at his birthday. She was still missing an hour of that evening.
“Nooo, Admiral. Frambozi is the god of Feasting and Relaxation.”
“Yeah, I was so relaxed I lost an hour of my memory.”
The Psstips ambassador gave an almost hysterical laugh, holding his stomach like a mime faking it.
Rolling noticed, not for the first time, his long, pointy canines. Like a tiger’s.
“Ah, Admiral, that must have been the fermented honeytree bark. A very potent hallucinogen.”
“You drugged me?”
She had known as much when she woke up in the station’s catacombs. But it was a good excuse to get away from the ambassador.
“No, nooo, Admiral, we drugged everyone at the feast. That is the whole point. To relax and open up, to leave one’s burdens behind for a short time. And you, my dear Admiral, you seem especially burdened.”
That was the other side of Mekari. The understanding listener. The friend who always had an open ear.
Suddenly gentle, he guided her to an empty table. “Sit, Admiral. Is it the civil war at home?”
Realizing she wanted to go, she tried to stand up, but the ambassador’s gentle grip was surprisingly strong.
“Please, stay. We need to talk. About your civil war, about our war against the Batract, and about a fragile alliance that is about to break if we don’t act quickly and decisively.”
The ambassador’s face was now dead serious.
What is it now…
“What?”
“Do not ask questions now, Admiral, just listen. The other ambassadors are concerned. While humanity is, in terms of personnel and ships, one of the smaller members of our informal alliance, you are the glue. Act like it, or everything you worked for will fall apart.”
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the Flirr ambassador float toward them in his exosuit. Mekari’s demeanor changed instantly.
“Hahaha, Admiral, this is what I like about you Humans. Ambassador Kopt, here you are! I was just talking with the admiral, and she assured me the little distractions at home won’t change humanity’s investment in securing our worlds. Let us drink and feast, Kopt, my wet friend. Let’s leave the admiral to relax alone.”
Mekari grabbed her hand and shook it with both of his.
“Thank you, Admiral. You have restored the Emperor’s faith in our alliance. Have a wonderful evening.”
With a theatrical turn, the Psstips grabbed the Flirr ambassador and walked away.
Rolling opened her hand. Mekari had pressed something into her palm while shaking her hand.
A datachip.
Only now did she realize that the Psstips had guided her to her reserved table.
Her confusion only grew as the waiter came with her food. Ordered by Mekari.
What the hell just happened?
*****
She couldn’t relax one bit the whole evening in the restaurant.
She heard Mekari’s laughter across the restaurant multiple times. The feast must have been a large one; throughout the evening, she saw every ambassador on the station. From the Nuk to the Trkik and the Flirr, even the Groac ambassador was there, as well as the representatives of the developing systems.
The station, Nirg Farar, had become more cosmopolitan as time moved on. Already ten alien species had an embassy here, transforming her from a military leader into a diplomat. A role she was beginning to hate.
Now, Mekari’s words echoed in her mind.
You are the glue. Act like it, or everything you worked for will fall apart.
Acting on it was easier said than done. What could she do? Fly to Sol and lock everyone in their rooms until they learned to behave?
The datachip burned a hole in her pocket, so she hurried to her quarters to see what was on it.
Mekari had obviously known she ate every Friday in the restaurant. But did he instegate— Rolling stopped herself. The god… Ingwarn… Warning.
The Psstips had faked the whole feast just to have a reason to be in the restaurant? With hundreds of gods, no one would bat an eye at another Psstips feast.
She reached her door. The biometric sensors unlocked it in a second, but to Rolling it took a week.
The more she thought about it, the more urgency she felt.
What was the whole charade for?
Without sitting down at her desk, she placed the chip on it and scanned it for viruses.
Just a holographic video file.
“Play.”
The video started while she poured herself a port, her goodnight drink of choice.
“Admiral, we all owe Humanity a lot, but your recently started civil war is concerning. Not only does no one know whose side we are on; we don’t even know who is fighting whom, and why.”
Rolling cursed the facts she wasn’t allowed to communicate openly. She had feared exactly this scenario.
“Each nation is concerned it will have to stand alone, and this has only been worsened by the loss of your p-p network. You do not need to fear losing the Psstips, of course. I can tell the Emperor whatever I like, and I am fully on your side. But you need to talk to the others from a position of strength. Strength and honesty, Admiral.”
What strength? I’m just an admiral… Mekari, dammit.
“And last but not least, your government’s decision to send an ambassador to the Federation without involving us was unwise. I know his ships will transit into the system the day after tomorrow. I recommend asking the ambassadors to send someone aboard; otherwise, they will ask themselves why you didn’t.”
How did the sleek cat know when Ambassador Shore would arrive with Tirpitz ? She had only learned it herself seven hours ago…
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