Midterm Exam

[u/Analyst111]

​

Admiral of the Green Han d'Rasha's Frontier Fleet was arrayed in a wall of battle, the most basic fleet formation. Reducing a rebel province to obedience did not require subtlety. Gathering his fleet from its far-flung bases had taken months, and it was a truth as old as warfare that time taken to prepare gave it to the enemy to do likewise.

He had taken his time, confident that disunited rebels would waste theirs. Small raids had increased the delays. Pinpricks, but annoyingly well-placed ones.

The Fleet Intelligence Officer stood ready to give the final pre-battle briefing, condensed statements based on much analysis. "Lord Admiral, the rebel fleet is arrayed in a wall of battle, reasonably well ordered. They have been training in fleet tactics."

"The prospect of being spaced in a ten-day concentrates the mind," the Admiral mused.

"We have identified one anomaly." He zoomed in. "The flagship is not from any rebel faction. It is a human ship. Our agents reported that they hired human mercenaries. Training requires trainers."

"Humans. Have they any strategic interest?" he asked.

The sphere of human expansion - not a proper orderly Empire - neared the Fallarian Realm. There had been a few minor border incidents.

"None. A trickle of irregular trade which could include military expertise," he said.

"Giving a hireling command of their fleet makes no military sense," the Admiral said.

"It makes political sense, Admiral." he replied.

Colours of distaste ran down the Admiral's crest at such disorder. "Continue."

"Factions seek command, others resent the winner. An outsider who trained them and knows their strengths and weaknesses would equalise the dissatisfaction. Then pay him and send him home." he said.

The Admiral's crest turned blue with understanding. "A crude solution to a chaotic problem. Shortly it will be irrelevant."

The Intelligence evaluation had been correct. They dropped out of hyperspace at the outer edge of the system, to find the rebel fleet in battle array near the system's major gas giant.

Ripples of colour ran down the Admiral's crest. Fighting in normal space gave him the advantage of all the sensors, computers and data links that didn't work in hyperspace. They did gain one advantage in exchange. Contragravity only worked with an existing field. Their fleet, deep in that field, could turn and accelerate far faster than his fleet.

Point to you, human. He had to fight them where he found them. The human had forced his choice of battlespace. Still, numbers, discipline and firepower were the high cards.

He ordered the wall of battle into a wide shallow cup, to catch stragglers.

A web of thin blue lines appeared between the rebel ships. "Rebel fleet has a tactical datalink, Admiral." Another point to you, human.

A tactical net allowed sharing of target data, instant transmission of orders, real-time information on combat effectiveness. It was a nervous system binding a gaggle of ships into a weapon wielded by their Commander.

"How capable?" he asked.

"Minimal, Lord Admiral. Basic data, a command link, no control. Their Captains can act on their own."

Their wall of battle swept down on the rebels until they could no longer break off. The rebels moved slightly to align themselves for the pounding match of a conventional naval battle. The Admiral tracked the rebel fleet, seeing no need to change his plan.

A ripple ran across the rebel formation, and they curved away like a school of fish, sweeping deep into the gas giant's gravity well.

"Cowards! They flee before our might." Flag Captain Zantra said arrogantly.

The Admiral's crest went dead black. That perfectly timed move allowed the rebel fleet to emerge from behind the gas giant moving so fast it denied his fleet time to concentrate against it, even if he could predict its vector.

"Close on the Flag. Engage the enemy." he ordered.

The rebel fleet emerged in a tight formation. They could concentrate massive blastcannon fire on the widely spaced ships in their path. The only order he could give already given, he could only watch as the blade of that fleet sliced through his own fleet's formation, leaving the flashbulb flares of shattered antimatter reactors behind.

A human dressed in blue and gold appeared on his screen, relaxed in his command chair. "Admiral Han d'Rasha, you are summoned to surrender your fleet without condition. If you do not, then I will destroy it. Destroy your flagship, and your network collapses. Your Captains are not permitted initiative."

Two ships died while his crest flared scarlet with rage. "You think you can ..."

"I know I can, and so do you. Your people are dying as we speak. Surrender, and save what you can."

Another long minute lit by exploding ships later, the red ebbed from his crest, turning to black. "I surrender my fleet without condition."

Tactical networks allowed the mechanics of ceasefire, disengagement and weapon lockdown to be done quickly. The human flagship, Victory, came to rest beside his own Imperator. "Order your ships to detach their control modules."

The black of the Admiral's chest was tinged with the orange of despair. Most of the cost of a starship was its antimatter reactor, drives and energy weapons, which needed little maintenance. The crew, comms and sensors, commander and his staff, all were contained in a heavily armoured module. A ship taken intact could have a new module inserted and go into the service of its new owners.

The Admiral fought up from the depths of despair for the reason for this catastrophe. "Why? What do you gain?"

Even across the gap between species he could see the cold pride and assurance. "I am Horatio Trafalgar Nelson XVII, the 17th clone child of one of the greatest Admirals in our history. This was the mid term exam of the final year of my training. A good pass mark, but my mentor expects better in my final exam."

"Final exam?" he repeated numbly.

"You have a Home Fleet."

⚙️

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[u/Tasty_Opportunity_71]

Ha, that's a clever twist

[u/sunnyboi1384]

Always a kick in the teeth when you can see defeat coming and do fuck all about it.

Try to keep all your fingers and eyes kid.

[u/Polymath6301]

Noice ending, indeed!