《The Admiral and the Empress》


 01. The First Mission

    Captain Abbas al-Salem was twenty-two, but his eyes sparkled like that of a little boy¡¯s. He was always fascinated with the blackness of space, and the shining stars, and the planets and the comets. He could only see those things from his smartphone previously, but in a few moments he would be able to see them with his own eyes. ¡°Oi, Abbas!¡±


    A large hand slapped him from behind, followed by a jolly laugh. ¡°Oh, Henry,¡± Abbas said softly. His voice had always been rather soft and calm, but next to Captain Henry Applewood¡¯s booming voice it was practically cotton candy.


    ¡°Come on, we can¡¯t be late for the fleet launch, can we?¡±


    The two young captains rushed from their quarters to Planet Yepren¡¯s launching base. They boarded the battleship Black Rose, flagship of Battlefleet Datura. It was rare for such young officers to be posted at flagships.


    ¡°Late again, are we, Captain al-Salem, Captain Applewood?¡± the sharp voice of the Chief-of-Staff, Vice Admiral van Roijen, rang. Instinctively, the two Captains saluted.


    ¡°We weren¡¯t late,¡± Henry countered. Van Roijen looked at his watch, and, surprised, realized that they really weren¡¯t. A rare smile came to his face.


    ¡°It must be a miracle,¡± the aged officer said. ¡°Anyways, the Admiral is requesting your presence. Off you go now.¡±


    Black Rose was designed as an utilitarian warship, almost identical to the standard battleship deployed by the Republic of New Stars Armada, except that it was painted pitch black. It was rather blocky, both externally and internally. The Republic was never fond of romanticism, and preferred utilitarian designs. It was easy to navigate through, and the two Captains, though unfamiliar with the structure, soon found themselves in the central command room.


    ¡°Admiral Falkhausen, you asked for us,¡± Abbas said.


    ¡°I did.¡±


    Admiral Falkhausen, a man in his late fifties, nodded. His body was rather frail, a rarity amongst the armed forces. ¡°I heard good things about both of you,¡± he said. ¡°You will join me as advisors for the coming campaign.¡±


    Both men couldn¡¯t conceal their slight surprise, before responding, ¡°Yes, Commander.¡±


    After being dismissed, they returned to their shared quarter. ¡°Aren¡¯t advisors usually rear admirals? Or commodores, at least?¡± Abbas asked rhetorically.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it because this is a crap fleet?¡± Henry half-joked.


    Abbas smiled. ¡°Well, it¡¯s our crap fleet, then.¡±


    The territory of the Republic was divided roughly into three subsections: the Core Sytems, the Sub-Core Systems, and the Frontier Systems. Of the Armada¡¯s 28 battlefleets, most of them were allocated to the Frontier Systems, where war raged, or, rather selfishly, the Core Systems, with the Sub-Core Systems receiving scraps. This was reflected in the quantity and quality of the fleets as well: the three battlefleets in the Sub-Core Systems had fewer battleships than usual, and were comprised of subpar officers and older ships. Battlefleet Datura was one such fleet.


    Abbas really couldn¡¯t be bothered about such things, however. The space had captured his heart. Battlefleet Datura sped in space a few hours later. The two Captains stood beside their commanding officer.


    The Empire, having more territory and resources, was as usual on the offensive. Imperial invasion may as well be added to the list of natural disasters: it was almost guaranteed for the ¡°Imps¡± to invade once every two or three decades. Battlefleet Datura was mobilized to aid the beleaguered frontier fleets. ¡°Good luck,¡± Abbas whispered to his friend.


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    ¡°We make our own luck, Captain,¡± Admiral Falkenhausen interrupted.


    Battlefleet Datura flung through space with FTL engines. Space was vast, but most of it was full of destructive things: debris, black holes, anomalies, and others. Lanes where fleets could safely pass were limited in number. Sixteen thousand vessels¡ªbattleships, cruisers, and frigates, alongside many other smaller boats and supply ships¡ªformed Battlefleet Datura.


    Admiral Falkenhausen was relaxed. He was a veteran of several dozen battles, and had a good track record. His mind and heart were both geared towards warfare. One week later, Battlefleet Datura arrived at the southern frontier. The Republic bordered the Empire on three different fronts: the ¡°south¡±, the ¡°east¡±, and the ¡°west¡±.


    War was chaos. The age of single, decisive battles were long gone. The 33rd century was the age of assymetrical warfare, battles between fleets, hit-and-run attacks, and so on. Field battles between combined fleets of hundreds of thousands of ships were still present, but rarely were they decisive. Most ended in pointless bloodshed.


    Battlefleet Datura rendezvoused with the other fleets around Planet Qatash, a fortress-planet that doubled as a supply base. A meeting was convened, but only the commanding officers of each fleet were invited. Nevertheless, the two Captains obtained information from Admiral Falkenhausen.


    To begin with, the Republic had, in addition to Battlefleet Datura, four full fleets for this campaign:


    Battlefleet Lotus, 14,000 strong, commanded by Vice Admiral Wallenstein;


    Battlefleet Agni, 22,000 strong, commanded by Admiral Anand;


    Battlefleet Heaven, 22,000 strong, commanded by Admiral Kadita;


    Battlefleet Sakura, 13,000 strong, commanded by Vice Admiral Koo.


    ¡°All three of the sub-core system battlefleets are here?¡± Abbas muttered. Battlefleet Lotus and Battlefleet Sakura were almost mirror images of Battlefleet Datura. ¡°That is ... strange. Where are the frontier fleets?¡±


    ¡°Apparently tied up holding off another invasion in the east,¡± his commanding officer replied. ¡°That is not your¡ªor my¡ªconcern. Rather, concentrate on our task.¡± Abbas lowered his head in face of this mild rebuke.


    The Imperial Fleet¡ªalso called the ¡°Numbered Fleet¡±¡ªdeployed six of its own fleets: the Second, the Ninth, the Twelfth, the Thirteenth, the Fourteenth, and the Twenty-Second Fleets, each comprising roughly twenty-thousand vessels.


    ¡°I wonder if the commanding officers are also called ¡®Admiral One¡¯, ¡®Admiral Two¡¯, and so on,¡± was a popular joke amongst the midranking officers of the Republic¡¯s Armada when denigrating the Imperial Fleet.


    Battlefleet Datura raced to Supply Base #190, besieged by Imperial forces. The supply base was well-equipped and¡ªnaturally¡ªwell-supplied, but if the siege were not broken, the defenders couldn¡¯t last forever. The besiegers were 9,000 ships of the Ninth Fleet.


    Admiral Falkenhausen was an open-minded man, and, per regulations, began an open meeting with his staff officers. The majority of the officers, Henry included, agreed on a general attack to rout the besiegers. After all, they had a nearly two-to-one numerical advantage.


    Something nagged on Abbas¡¯ mind. Too easy, he thought. In the first place, why would the Ninth Fleet, twenty thousand strong, split just to besiege some supply base? If they had intended to take it, they ought to have sent in the whole fleet. Nine thousand ships¡ªjust large enough to be a threat, but small enough not to warrant powerful counterattacks. And just where did the remaining eleven thousand ships go? The Information Bureau had failed to locate them.


    Could this be a trap?


    ¡°Captain, if you have anything to say, go ahead,¡± Admiral Falkenhausen said, annoyance in his voice.


    ¡°Y-yes, Sir,¡± Abbas said. ¡°I think this may be a trap, Commander.¡±


    ¡°A trap? How so? And why do you think so?¡±


    ¡°The enemy¡¯s movement doesn¡¯t make sense, Commander. If they seek to take the supply base, they could¡¯ve done it long ago with overwhelming force. Based on that, and that the whereabouts of the remaining ships of the Ninth Fleet aren¡¯t known, I believe this is a trap.¡±


    ¡°Specifically, once we commit our fleet, the remainder of the Ninth Fleet would attack us from behind.¡±


    ¡°The Captain¡¯s words have merit,¡± Vice Admiral van Roijen said, ¡°but on the other hand, if we don¡¯t interfere, the supply base really will fall soon.¡±


    Everyone went silent. All seemed to agree with Abbas¡¯ assertions, but the supply base had to be helped, no matter what. ¡°Then, what if we sent in part of our own fleet, then, when the trap springs, we can spring our own trap, and ambush them from behind. The vanguard part of the fleet, knowing this, can also quickly turn to face the attackers from behind,¡± Henry offered.


    The staff officers agreed, and adopted the plan.


    So began Abbas¡¯ first large-scale battle.

 02. Battle of Alvisa Starzone

    Battlefleet Datura moved to the Alvisa Starzone, where the besieged supply base was located. Admiral Falkenhausen rang out an order:


    ¡°Attack!¡±


    That word itself was clarity. Ten thousand vassals of Battlefleet Datura charged forth from the rear. Abbas¡¯ heart was pounding, and so was Henry¡¯s. The Ninth Fleet was ready, however, and their remaining warships enveloped the outnumbered Battlefleet Datura from all sides.


    ¡°Form a sphere formation, hold them off,¡± Admiral Falkenhausen said calmly while sipping his coffee.


    The Black Rose didn¡¯t shy away from action. It was leading the fleet from the front, facing the part of the Ninth Fleet that was rescuing its comrades. Any time now, the rest of Battlefleet Datura would come in.


    On the Imperial side, Admiral Valentina was watching with delight. The young, promising admiral believed there was nothing to fear. When her gunners spotted the distinct Black Rose, her orders were clear:


    ¡°Fire on the enemy flagship! We¡¯ll break their coherence!¡±


    Her flagship, the Imperia, had landed several hits on the Black Rose, but the black-painted flagship held. A few minutes later, the remainder of the Republic forces attacked, and the Imperia was shattered to pieces by ion cannon fire. Admiral Valentina, only twenty-six, only barely escaped death via an escape shuttle. A piece of glass had been embedded deep in her skull, sending her into unconsciousness.


    In the bridge of the Black Rose, however, chaos reigned. Imperial ion cannons had shaken its bridge, sending the fleet¡¯s key officers flying. Alarm bells rang.


    Abbas could barely stand, but the rest around him were laying down. ¡°This is bridge, this is bridge¡ªrequesting medical assistance at once.¡± Abbas¡¯ eyes diluted in horror.


    ¡°Captain al-Salem, you take command of this part of the fleet,¡± Admiral Falkenhausen¡¯s voice remained calm as ever, even in the face of his arm being lacerated by a thousand glass shards.


    ¡°Understood, Commander.¡± Abbas¡¯ heart was trembling, especially after seeing the unconscious form of his friend, Henry. Vice Commander Vice Admiral Fulham laid dead, and Chief-of-Staff Vice Admiral van Roijen¡¯s breath was failing.


    ¡°This is acting commander, Captain Abbas al-Salem. Admiral Falkenhausen is currently injured. All ships, follow the plan,¡± was the urgent communique sent by the communications officers via a series of flash codes of blue and red lights.


    However, if the condition in the Republic¡¯s fleet were chaos, then no sufficient word in the Standard Galactic language could hope to describe that of the Empire¡¯s fleet. Trapped by the fleet they thought they had trapped, ambushed from all sides, they looked upon the Imperia for guidance. But there was no answer by the dead husk. Fighting devolved into ship-to-ship combat, one which the confused and demoralized Imperials stood little chance winning.


    Three hours later, the Ninth Fleet had been reduced to just ten thousand vessels, trapped within isolated pockets. Individual ships had begun to flash white lights¡ªa sign of surrender. Abbas breathed a sigh of relief. The adrenaline of war had died down. Another hour later, the Ninth Fleet was almost completely wiped out, save for four thousand vessels, escaping after a daring attack led by one Commodore Radbruch.


    Abbas felt sick. He was a lover of space, but war was a cruel mistress. Hundreds of thousands must have died that day, if not more. His hands were bloody. Suddenly the ¡°boring¡± simulations, training, and rear-guard duties he had previously felt comforting.


    ¡°A-acting Commander! A new enemy fleet spotted!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Abbas¡¯ voice was suddenly sharp.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Imperial Twelfth Fleet, Acting Commander!¡±


    ¡°How far are they?¡±


    ¡°Half an hour!¡±


    The officers and enlisted men of the Black Rose grew pale.


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    ¡°Disable the remaining ships of the Ninth Fleet. Send news to the other fleets. Form a sphere formation!¡± The sphere formation was the supreme defensive formation, like a porcupine baring its quills. Its maneuverability, however, was awful.


    The Ninth Fleet must have somehow managed to contact its allies, Abbas thought. His heart was pounding again.


    On the Imperial side, the Twelfth Fleet picked up Commodore Radbruch¡¯s shattered forces. Its commander, Count Arlesheimer, was furious. ¡°Come! Let¡¯s show those commoner bastards how imperial nobility fight!¡±


    His officers, almost all of noble birth, laughed. The only one of common birth, his advisor Commodore Thompson, frowned slightly. He was a man of thirty years old, and had seen firsthand the difficulties of war many times.


    When meeting Battlefleet Datura¡¯s formation, Commodore Thompson adviced the standard counter-formation: a siege formation that involved all besieging ships spreading apart, in order to maximize fire and chip away at the opponent slowly. Another alternative was pinning them down on one side and attacking from another.


    Count Arlesheimer banged his command table. ¡°Impudent mockery! We outnumber them! Frontal attack! Crush them!¡±


    The Twelfth Fleet clumsily charged. Count Arlesheimerm, a lover of wine and parties, was never one to take much value in military discipline or orderly formations or, really, anything that might construe the proper way a fleet should be run. Commodore Radbruch, having rearranged his fleet, shook his head.


    ¡°What a disgrace of a fleet!¡± he had told his subordinates. ¡°Let¡¯s just hope we¡¯re not just sending the Reps another fleet to destroy ....¡±


    Ion cannons and missiles were vomited out of the battleships of both sides. Battlefleet Datura held its own. Count Arlesheimer was afflicted with the sickness of nobility¡ªthe feeling that his wishes ought to come true, no matter what.


    Abbas made use of the theories he learned at the academy, and rotated his fleet in three shifts to minimize exhaustion. When one of the Imperial attacks nearly cracked his center, he flanked them from port and starboard, forcing the Imperials to withdraw.


    ¡°Why haven¡¯t we simply crushed them!¡± The poor innocent table was banged upon a few more times.


    Two hours of more inconclusive combat followed. In the Twelfth Fleet, a group of commonborn officers, having had enough, had launched a tide of protests to Count Arlesheimer. The Count had shot one of them, and a riot was on the verge of breaking out.


    It was at this moment that Republican reinforcements arrived from their allies¡¯ starboard. Jade-colored ships and turtle-shaped ships charged from the coldness of the space. The Twelfth Fleet¡¯s detection systems should have seen it from far away, but in the quarrels nobody noticed.


    The reinforcement fleet was Battlefleet Chiyou, commanded by the one-eyed, slightly unhinged, legendary Admiral Tang. From the bridge of her flagship, she sent in her battle-hardened fleet to slaughter the tactically deranged Twelfth Fleet wholesale. Count Arlesheimer put down the mutiny and ordered another frontal charge, which only hastened its demise.


    ¡°Who¡¯s the commander of the Twelfth Fleet, again?¡± she asked her chief of staff, Rear Admiral Yue.


    ¡°Count Arlesheimer, Commander.¡±


    ¡°Man, these aristocunts sure suck at battle,¡± Admiral Tang mocked. ¡°On the other hand¡ªhmm. A sphere formation? I never thought Falkenhausen¡¯s a defensive admiral.¡±


    Seeing the change in the battlefield¡ªbelatedly¡ªAbbas ordered Battlefleet Datura to charge forward. The Twelfth Fleet finally formed a defensive sphere, after Commodore Thompson¡¯s insistence, but it was too late. The combined firepower of the Republic¡¯s forces broke the thin lines. Commodores Thompson and Radbruch struggled to keep order.


    But together they had spotted the weak link of the Republican onslaught: Battlefleet Datura. They organized the remaining ships, formed a spindle formation, and tore through. Both commodores were seriously injured¡ªthe price for the escape of two thousand ships, out of two fleets that had comprised forty thousand altogether.


    ¡°What the fuck is Falkenhausen doing? Why is his formation so shit?¡± Admiral Tang hurled her fearsome fist at her command table.


    ¡°Surprisingly sloppy for such an experienced commander,¡± Rear Admiral Yue commented coldly. ¡°It is a great victory, regardless. We should contact Battlefleet Datura.¡±


    ¡°Battlefleet Chiyou is grand, isn¡¯t it? It allows rear admirals to mock full admirals,¡± Admiral Tang said, grinning. ¡°Not many can handle you as their chief-of-staff, Rear Admiral Yue.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying the truth. Not many admirals can handle that,¡± Rear Admiral Yue replied. ¡°And it¡¯s not as if you¡¯re the easiest commander to work under, Admiral.¡±


    On the bridge of the Black Rose, Abbas sat down on the floor with nutrition-fortified milk on his hand, still trying to process what just happened these past hours. ¡°Capt¡ªer, Acting Commander, Sir! Battlefleet Chiyou is opening communications with us!¡± one of the communications officers said.


    ¡°Open the channel,¡± Abbas said weakly. He forced himself to stand, even if he¡¯d like to sleep.


    The screen showed the strong form of a saluting Admiral Tang. Abbas saluted at the same time¡ªhe wasn¡¯t quite sure who should¡¯ve saluted first, or if they should¡¯ve saluted on the same time. ¡°Wait, who¡¯re you? Where¡¯s Admiral Falkenhausen?¡±


    The thunderous voice of Admiral Tang cowered Abbas a little. He mustered his resolve and replied, ¡°I¡¯m Captain Abbas al-Salem, Acting Commander of Battlefleet Datura. Admiral Falkenhausen was injured early in the battle; he¡¯s currently recovering in the ship infirmary.¡±


    Admiral Tang¡¯s brow raised up. ¡°I see. Send him my well wishes. You can retreat to Qatash. My fleet will clean the battlefield and rescue survivors.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Abbas did as best as he could and retreated the fleet.


    ¡°Captain Abbas, huh? Interesting,¡± Admiral Tang said to herself. ¡°Let¡¯s see if you¡¯re a cat or a tiger cub.¡±


    And so, another Imperial invasion was sent back running.

 03. The Young Princess

    Emperor Frederick V von Nassau was the aging emperor of the Empire. He was 60 years old, and it was showing. He was afflicted by a number of diseases in his youth, making him physically frail. He spent most of his time resting in the Imperial Throneworld of Arcadia.


    He had one child¡ªhis heir, Princess Katharin von Nassau. At the age of nineteen, high society would expect her to mingle with the her noble peers, and do poetry, or take up sewing, or such similar things. The Princess, however, was instead in a meeting with two of her closest aides, and previously she had been studying military tactics.


    Those two aides are Spymaster Klaris and Admiral Karl von Marbach. The former commanded the Empire¡¯s spy rings and kept domestic threats¡ªfanatic republicans, Republic-controlled resistance cells, and, perhaps most importantly, the noble families¡ªunder check.


    The latter was once hailed as a military prodigy and scored a number of victories over the Republic, but after suffering three consecutive defeats against Republic Admiral Tang that saw nine Imperial fleets almost completely wiped out two decades ago, was now called the ¡°Thrice-defeated Admiral¡±. The psychological scar of the defeats never fully recovered. Nonetheless, he was loyal and capable.


    That day, however, grim news had arrived from the frontier. The Emperor had authorized an invasion of the pesky Republic in an attempt to shore up his¡ªand his heir¡¯s¡ªauthority and power, but instead two fleets had been annihilated, and the rest forced to retreat.


    The Empire currently possessed 35 fleets with each fleet¡¯s numbers roughly equal to the Republic¡¯s. Furthermore, Admiral Karl commanded the Royal Fleet, which was almost three times the size of a normal fleet. Each noble family also owned private war fleets, though no one family was allowed to own more than six thousand ships. Similarly to the Republic, the Empire also owned smaller, less well-equipped fleets for patrol duties. From a purely numerical perspective, the Empire held a decisive advantage.


    ¡°It¡¯s not always the numbers,¡± Katharin said, shaking her head as she saw the simulation of the destruction of the Ninth and Twelfth Fleets.


    ¡°Count Arlesheimer did awful. He should¡¯ve used proper formation to destroy the first fleet, rescue the Ninth Fleet, and then retreat when the other enemy fleet arrived,¡± Admiral Karl offered his opinion.


    Katharin nodded. It was the loss of the Ninth Fleet that hurt her most. Its commander, Admiral Valentina, was a personal friend, and also a commonborn in an era where almost all of the Empire¡¯s fleets were commanded by noblemen. Though not all noblemen were incompetent, and not all incompetent were noblemen, there was a marked difference in quality between tried-and-tested admirals and those earning their station through birth. It made Katharin sick. If the Empire¡¯s officers had been equal to the Republic¡¯s, it would¡¯ve won the war by now.


    ¡°Incidentally ... there are two high-ranking officers alive: Commodores Radbruch and Thompson. What should we do with them?¡± Spymaster Klaris asked. ¡°The Emperor told me to trust your judgement.¡±


    It would normally be a grave offense to refer to the Emperor as merely ¡°the Emperor¡±; the proper phrase would be ¡°His Majesty the Emperor¡±. However, this emperor was unusually lenient with his subjects, especially such close ones.


    ¡°Father¡ªthe Emperor did? I¡¯m honored.¡±


    The Imperial Fleet was¡ªat least nominally¡ªthe property of the Emperor, who was able to bestow promotions and demotions at his will (theoretically).


    Katharin closed her eyes and turned the gears of her brain. It would¡¯ve been easy to execute and blame the loss on them; a classic tactic of many previous emperors. But it would be unfair. That was what she believed.


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    ¡°Promote them by one rank. But give them some do-nothing jobs for a while and keep them out of public sight. Admiral Karl, if you will, please train them in tactics further. We¡¯ll be needing their strength.¡±


    The two loyal vassals nodded slightly. This was also a breach of decorum; royals ought to be bowed to, not merely nodded to. The Princess rewatched the simulation. ¡°Who¡¯s the commander of the first enemy fleet?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s Battlefleet Datura, led by Admiral Robert Falkenhausen. However, he was injured early in battle and a man by the name of Captain Abbas al-Salem took over,¡± Klaris answered.


    ¡°I¡¯m not familiar with that name.¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be. He has been unremarkable so far.¡±


    ¡°Keep tabs on him. He¡¯s showing real promise there. What about the second fleet?¡±


    ¡°It is Battlefleet Chiyou, led by Admiral Tang Jinhua.¡±


    A small tremor ran its course through Admiral Karl¡¯s hands, but he steadied quickly. ¡°Not much Count Arlesheimer could¡¯ve done against her,¡± he commented. ¡°They¡¯re on entirely different levels.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s quite a troublesome foe. We¡¯ll need to get rid of her, one way or another. We don¡¯t have to defeat her in the battlefield to take her down,¡± Katharin said. ¡°Klaris, look into it. Though it¡¯s not a high priority.¡±


    The Princess stood up. Her vassals bowed slightly as she left. A princess of the Empire had many events to attend. The most urgent, at this point, was the funeral of Count Arlesheimer.


    She deactivated herself mentally during the funeral of Count Arlesheimer. She offered some textbook words of condolences to the Count¡¯s family, as was expected. The chief reason was that Count Arlesheimer was a relative of one of the Empire¡¯s most powerful noble families, House Gerlach, through marriage to one of the House¡¯s daughters.


    ¡°Your Royal Highness, it is an honor for us,¡± said the elderly head of House Gerlach, Alexander von Gerlach.


    ¡°It is only natural that I should be here. Count Arlesheimer is a great nobleman who has done many things for the nation.¡±


    Such as destroying an entire fleet for no gain whatsoever, Katharin seemed poised to add.


    There was little sincerity in both of them. One of House Gerlach¡¯s members was particularly notable: Elizabeth von Nassau, niece of the Emperor, had married Cornelius von Gerlach and bore the family a prized son, still in infancy. This son was House Gerlach¡¯s ace weapon: with (some) royal blood, it is this son whom they¡¯ll use to claim the throne. Even if the Emperor declared Katharin his successor, as he had done, they wouldn¡¯t simply accept it.


    The Emperor in question was visiting a graveyard. It was that of his wife and Empress. So many things have been very heavy in his heart.


    The war, for one. The Empire¡¯s military was rotting. Its industries were vast and machineries were advanced, but leadership was sorely lacking. In the 30 years of his leadership, the Empire had lost more than it won.


    Because it had won nothing. Every single time the Empire launched an expedition, it always failed. Sometimes they¡¯d take a few dozen or hundred star systems, or destroyed a number of enemy fleets. Yet they¡¯d always be beaten back.


    Truthfully, he yearned to focus inwards. If he could, he¡¯d sign a peace deal with the Republic immediately. As it was now, he¡¯d already turned a blind eye to the merchantile dealings between the merchants of both sides. He¡¯d rebuild the economy, and strengthen the industry. And yet ....


    The Emperor¡¯s wrath emerged. Time and time again, it was the majority of the nobility who sought to make war. Inspired by practically all previous emperors, who were warmongerers, they dreamed of crushing the Republic. Rainfall poured in, but one of his loyal vassals, Admiral Karl, swiftly placed an umbrella over him.


    ¡°It¡¯s a long road for our daughter, Theresa,¡± the Emperor said to the grave of his wife. ¡°I¡¯m not long for this world. I¡¯ll be joining you soon.¡±


    The Emperor coughed wildly a few times. ¡°I¡¯m a failure of an Emperor, and a failure of a father,¡± he said bitterly. ¡°Once I pass away, House Gerlach and many other nobles will rise up in rebellion to dethrone Katharin ... but you¡¯d know that. You were much more politically savvy than I am. If only you were still alive ....¡± Empress Theresa was also the previous Imperial Spymaster.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Theresa.¡±


    Admiral Karl, choosing his words very, very carefully, spoke up in his middle-aged voice. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t worry, Your Majesty. Her Royal Highness will be a fine Empress. And even if your enemies are many, you have many allies as well.¡±


    The Emperor looked at his vassal¡¯s eyes. His Empress owned what their enemies called the ¡°All-seeing eyes¡±¡ªeyes that could pierce through any lies and discern one¡¯s psychological makeup. The Emperor had learned part of these skills, and he saw only loyalty in Karl¡¯s blue eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be relying on you, Admiral.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    The year was 2601, and it still had ten more months under its name. The year that would shake the universe was yet to end ....

 04. The Orphanage in Olkutchen

    On another side of the galaxy, a party was held to celebrate the victory at Alvisa. The star was supposedly Commodore¨Che was naturally promoted¨CAbbas al-Salem.


    However, in practice, the many politicians of the Republic tried taking the spotlight for themselves. Elections were about to come and they were eager to score easy points.


    In the Republic, there existed thirty-five provinces, each led by a governor. Each of the provinces was in turn made up of countless star systems, both inhabited and uninhabited¨Cthese were led by mayors. There was a central government, led by the High Council, which was in the turn led by the Council Leader. There was also a legislative body, the Representative Council. In a year or so, there would be an election (conducted once every eight years) to elect all these important officials.


    Abbas was not good with speeches, so he was initially glad to have these orators take over. Many of the speeches scared him, however; some called for all-out war. Many demanded the shedding of Imperial blood.


    "Viva democracy! Viva republic!" one politician shouted after declaring the urgent need to "hang the Imperials by the neck" to "save the Republic and ensure its livelihood forever".


    Abbas shook his head. He had seen the bloodshed in space, how many had been killed or maimed under his command in Alvisa. And he won. The Imperials must have lost even more men. How many families were grieving thanks to that one battle?


    "It''s always these bloody cunts." The voice of Admiral Tang was loud and clear, though not enough to overcome the voice of some third-rate politician currently speaking with a microphone. "It''s always those who hide in the Coreworlds who call for war."


    A good number of party guests who heard it frowned, many among them fellow military officers. Admiral Tang the Turtle Admiral¨Cwho at eight major battles and countless minor ones had destroyed more Imperial ships than almost all her fellow fleet commanders combined¨Cwas not one to hide her opinions. She gazed back at each and every stare, and cowered them all.


    "All fine and well to have an opinion, but you don''t have to blather about it unnecessarily," came the voice of Rear Admiral Yue, the eternally stressed out chief-of-staff of Battlefleet Chiyou.


    These two were walking around, drinking cups of tea when they stumbled upon Abbas, who, lost in thought, nervously saluted.


    "Fancy meeting you here, Commodore," Admiral Tang said. "I haven''t heard your speech yet."


    "Oh ... I''m not sure when''s my turn." Around nine or ten politicians had made their speeches. One of the party''s organizers approached them.


    "Apologies for taking so long, Admiral Tang, Commodore Abbas. Your speech is due in three or four minutes."


    They were guided to go behind the speech platform. When Abbas was called to make a speech, he was almost overcome with nerves. He made some bumbling speech about being glad to win and remembering to honor the dead.


    "That''s already better than all the other speeches combined," Admiral Tang commented amidst reluctant clapping.


    "In its essence, anyway. Your delivery was horrendous," Rear Admiral Yue added.


    Admiral Tang made a far more dramatic speech. She drew a knife from her pocket and slashed her own cheek with it.


    "This is the most infinitesimal fraction of what you have gone through, my fellow soldiers. So rest well. This is also the most infinitesimal fraction of what our fallen friends and even foes have gone through. So let us remember our friends with fondness and our foes with respect. Remember the price of victory in battle¨Cpaid not only in cash but in life and blood."


    "What are you, a soap opera character?" Rear Admiral Yue said amidst very, very reluctant clapping.


    "You''re very brave," Abbas complimented.


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    "A knife slash through your cheek doesn''t hurt much. Shrapnel through your eye¨Cnow that does."


    Abbas'' reluctance for war had found new, unexpected friends. He sat next to his two superiors, watching the rest of the event. A popular and aggressive young officer, Admiral Potiorek, was delivering a speech calling for an invasion of the Empire, to retaliate for this battle. "Coreworld bastards. Imbeciles, all of them. Childish tactics, awful strategy. Do they not learn of logistics?" Admiral Tang cursed freely. At this point, her chief-of-staff gave up trying to rein her in. Abbas only smiled somewhat softly. He couldn''t agree with that sort of prejudiced statement, especially as he himself came from Olkutchen, a coreworld.


    "There is distrust between central command and frontier fleets," Rear Admiral Yue said to her newfound friend.


    Abbas nodded a few times. "It''s quite common throughout history," he said. "Central command can''t control frontier fleets as well as the coreworld fleets." Here he lowered his voice. "If one of the frontier fleets rebel, it''d be a bigger problem than if one of the coreworld fleets do."


    Rear Admiral Yue let out a small smile. "You''re quite learned. That''s good," she said. "But this kind of distrust can''t be allowed to foster. We''re on the same side, after all ...." Her words trailed.


    Aside from a promotion and a medal, Abbas was rewarded with rest of three months. He decided to visit his old orphanage in Planet Olkutchen, bearing gifts. Old, childless Mr and Mrs Baker ran the orphanage with care and love, and Abbas had no intention of forgetting them.


    When he arrived, he was greeted by a cackle of younger children. Around half of them knew Abbas. He was busy distributing chocolates and candy to the children when the bent shadow of Mrs Baker came by. "Oh my¨Cis this Abbas?" she asked with a warm smile, adjusting her glasses.


    "It is," Abbas said, smiling widely. He hugged his caretaker, one whom he may as well call ''mother''.


    "What have you become, now? I remember you joined the military?"


    "Yes, Mrs Baker. I just became a commodore."


    "Come, let''s talk in the living room. Incidentally, another military person just arrived to visit."


    Bearing no little curiosity about this "other military person", Abbas followed Mrs Baker to the living room.


    There he saw a beautiful woman with a cheerful smile. Her hair was black and short. She was laughing at something¨Ca joke, maybe; Mr Baker was good at comedy.


    She was Rear Admiral Yue, Chief-o-Staff of Battlefleet Chiyou. Abbas instinctively saluted.


    It was Mr Baker who returned the salute with a wide grin. He burst into laughter, together with his wife and Rear Admiral Yue. "I''m just Yue here, Abbas," she said. "This isn''t the military."


    "O-oh, I see."


    He sat down. Mrs Baker poured some tea with milk and placed a platter of cookies. He felt like a child again. How many years had it been since he left the orphanage?


    "How''s everything going, Mrs Baker?" Abbas asked. "You both look very fine."


    "Same old, same old," Mrs Baker answered with a smile. "Olkutchen''s peaceful. There''s nothing to worry about."


    Abbas knew it. The Bakers had powerful financial strength, having invested in some very profitable ore mines many generations ago. And Olkutchen, with its meager population of a few dozen million, was peaceful ....


    Time passed so quickly when in friendly company, Abbas thought. By the end of the day, he and Rear¨CYue were exchanging stories about the orphanage.


    "I''ll let you in on a secret," Yue whispered to the young man eight years her junior, "you know how they say the doors in the orphanage''s third floor would creak and bang if no cookies were left on the table?"


    "Ooh, yeah," Abbas replied. It was a popular urban tale in the orphanage.


    "Well, you''re seeing the person who began it all," Yue said with a smirk. "I must''ve had hundreds of cookies¨C"


    Before Abbas could respond, a loud bang was heard from outside. Someone was hurling their fist or some such at the wooden oak door. Abbas and Yue hurriedly ran down.


    "Who is that?" came Yue''s icy voice, sharpened after almost a decade of meritorious military service. "This is an orphanage. You are disturbing the children''s sleep. If your business is urgent, state it now. If not, leave."


    "We are the Interstellar Patriot Alliance. Rear Admiral Yue, Commodore Abbas, you have been mingling with forces counter to the independence and sovereignty of our republic; your anti-war sentiments cannot be interpreted as anything else but treason to the Republic. After all, this war is a sacred war to preserve democracy and destroy despotism!"


    Abbas found himself seized by some fury. "If you think so, why don''t you join the Armada and fight the Imperials, rather than terrorize orphanages? What have you done for the Republic?"


    Yue drew her pistol. Each high-ranking officer was issued a standard laser pistol that they were permitted to bring with them, even when not in duty. Abbas drew his, as well.


    Military-grade grenades were thrown, destroying the door. Masked men armed with laser pistols barged in and fired.


    The two officers ducked and sought cover while firing back. Abbas'' heart was pounding. Just who were this Interstellar Patriotic Alliance?


    Old Mr Baker came down to see the commotion, but Yue shouted immediately, "get back upstairs, lock all the doors! Call the police!"


    The words "the police" seemed to drive away the invaders. That very same night, Yue and Abbas hurriedly bade farewell to their foster guardians and left.


    "Just what have we done?" Abbas asked to himself as Yue and he hailed a taxi and headed to a hotel.


    Who are those people?

 05. Enemies Within

    "This is why you can''t be too close to Admiral Tang," Yue replied. "She''s got too many enemies, and I''m not talking about the Imperials. I¡¯ll explain later.¡±


    Unbeknownst to the two young officers, an old, wrinkly man had listened to this talk.


    "Are you married?" the receptionist made small talk while the administrative staff did their work.


    "We''re just friends," Yue replied bluntly. A few days¨Cor even a few hours ago¨Cthe answer would have been "acquaintances", if even that.


    ¡°Friends who sleep in the same room?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Yue said, even if both Abbas and she slightly blushed, just now realizing the implication of two young, unmarried people booking a hotel room together. ¡°I don¡¯t recall probing personal lives as a receptionist¡¯s job. You¡¯d do well as an interrogator.¡±


    After hurried apologies, the receptionist gave them a key. She wasn¡¯t unfamiliar with military officers and their often indiscreet dalliances.


    These particular two, however, had no such intentions. They took a short bath in turns and had pudding brought to the room. ¡°So, what did you mean by ¡®enemies¡¯?¡± Abbas asked.


    ¡°The Interstellar Patriot Alliance¡ªthe IPA; they¡¯re nominally just an extremist terrorist group,¡± Yue explained. ¡°Well, you realize Admiral Tang has a grudge against some other admirals?¡±


    ¡°The frontier against the coreworlds,¡± Abbas said.


    ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t put it that way. Hm, how should I put it,¡± Yue wondered. She shook her head. ¡°They¡¯re pro-war extremists, you see. Viva democracy and stuff. Admiral Tang has been against the likes of them for some time now. They¡¯re natural enemies.¡±


    ¡°And we¡¯ve been associated with her,¡± Abbas added.


    Those who call for war always hide from the actual war, indeed, he thought.


    ¡°Yeah, well, I¡¯m her Chief-of-Staff since I became a Captain.¡±


    Yue yawned. ¡°Come on, I¡¯m tired. Forget about the IPA. Let¡¯s sleep.¡±


    And so sleep took them.


    In the morning, they partook in the breakfast buffet in the hotel. That day, however, the breakfast hall was louder than might be expected. The source was a game machine called the Space Battle Simulator.


    It was a rather popular game, if the crowd watching were any indicator. It was designed to simulate actual space battles, and was also used to train military officers. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Abbas asked one of the spectators.


    ¡°It¡¯s this guy!¡± he said, pointing to an old man playing. ¡°He¡¯s been beating everyone! Everyone here has lost their 100 credits!¡±


    The old man came up. ¡°Do you want to play as well?¡± he asked with surprising vitality. ¡°The bet¡¯s a hundred creds each.¡±


    Abbas stepped forward.


    ¡°You want to play?¡± Yue asked.


    ¡°Who¡¯s the two-time champion of Olkutchen¡¯s SBS competition?¡± Abbas said with a glint of pride in his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re on, Mr¡ª¡°


    The old man exploded in raucous laughter. ¡°You can call me Tom,¡± he said. He scanned the two newcomers. ¡°Hm. Are you both military officers, by any chance?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. I¡¯m Commodore Abbas al-Salem.¡±


    Tom smirked. ¡°The Hero of Alvisa?¡± he said, provoking whispers from the spectators. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s play.¡±


    The two sat down opposite each other, separated by a distance of around ten metres. They had a tablet each, and there was a large screen for the spectators. Each commanded a thousand ships, including battleships, carriers, cruisers, and more.


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    Abbas followed military protocol. He sent in a hundred ships as vanguard before slowly advancing his entire force.


    The old man Tom, grinning, unleashed a storm of ships at his centre, crushing the vanguard. Abbas hastily recalled his ships, forming a standard U formation. Tom¡¯s ships charged straight¡ªto retreat and go left or right would expose them to fire from Abbas¡¯¡ªand it looked like Abbas¡¯ U formation would slaughter the invading ships.


    That was when Tom¡¯s ships formed a sphere formation so quickly whilst the remainder of his forces attacked from starboard. Abbas¡¯ formation was shattered, and a few minutes later Tom had won.


    A shocked Abbas handed over a hundred credits to his opponent, not able to say much. ¡°Not too bad, Commodore. But you see¡ªalways protect the sides of a U formation with reserve ships.¡± An arrogant grin formed on Tom¡¯s face.


    ¡°My turn,¡± Yue said. ¡°I¡¯m going to get everyone¡¯s money back. Here¡¯s two thousand creds.¡±


    Tom smiled impishly amidst cheers from the crowds. Yue took her seat with Abbas next to her. ¡°Arrogant prick,¡± Yue muttered.


    ¡°He¡¯s ... really good,¡± Abbas warned.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve eight years of experience on you.¡±


    Yue advanced her ships in four groups. Tom stayed still. When Yue probed the defences of her opponent, she let out a low gasp. ¡°Something wrong?¡± Abbas whispered.


    Yue shook her head.


    She began a concentrated attack on one of the sides. Tom casually moved ships from one side to another to counter her attack. Yue pulled back and thought for a while. Tom looked as relaxed as ever.


    She split the forces into four groups, attempting an encirclement. Just as she did that, Tom¡¯s ships charged forth, destroying one of Yue¡¯s squadrons. Yue descended into chaotic tactics, sending frantic attacks left and right, and turning the battlefield into pure chaos. But she was now outnumbered four to three, and half an hour later she lost.


    ¡°This man ... you¡¯re not cheating or anything, are you?¡± Yue asked. Before Abbas, she was the champion of Olkutchen¡¯s SBS competition, and she was a sore loser in this game. ¡°There was a fog of war, how did you know I¡¯ve split my forces?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it was quite obvious. Aside from a defensive formation, your only choice would be to try and encircle my formation. And you don¡¯t seem like a defensive type, that is all.¡±


    Tom took the two thousand credits with a grin. The disappointed crowd dispersed. ¡°You want to know the solution?¡± he asked as he approached Yue and Abbas. ¡°Use all your force strength to break through one point of my formation before I could shift my reserves to defend that point. It¡¯s a risky move, of course. Ordinary protocols demand you keep a portion of your forces as reserve. But you must know how and when to commit everything.¡±


    ¡°The way you speak, I¡¯d think you were a marshal,¡± Yue said, admitting the loss. ¡°Thanks for the pointers.¡±


    Tom left, and the two officers returned to the breakfast table.


    ¡°... you saw the formation he used?¡± Yue asked.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Abbas replied. Yue¡¯s probing had momentarily cleared the fog of war and revealed Tom¡¯s formation: two layers of ships forming a shell and a mobile reserve force in the middle. ¡°What of it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Admiral Tang¡¯s signature ¡®Turtle Shell¡¯ formation. It¡¯s like a sphere formation but more flexible and can be used offensively. I don¡¯t know how, but it¡¯s almost an exact replica ....¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s probably a coincidence,¡± Abbas said, trying to brush things off. Yue nodded, but something in her eyes suggested she wasn¡¯t satisfied with that.


    ¡°Where are you going after this?¡± she asked, finishing off her breakfast of dangerously excessive quantities of waffles and eggs.


    ¡°Probably to the hospital. My friend Henry is hospitalized there.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see. I¡¯m off to visit a few old friends. Want to meet again here?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Abbas headed to the hospital in a taxi. Henry was already almost fully healed¡ªexcept for one thing: his legs were gone. ¡°I¡¯m going to move to Rear Service,¡± he said, smiling. ¡°Wounded in my first battle¡ªit¡¯s not a good omen.¡±


    Abbas, fully aware of Henry¡¯s penchant for certain concepts such as ¡°omens¡± and ¡°fates¡±, only nodded. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯d make a good logistician,¡± he said. ¡°Maybe as high as Rear Service Chief!¡±


    In the Armada, the highest position is Joint Headquarters Chief, followed by Supreme Commander of the Armada, and then the various chiefs of departments: Rear Service Department, Intelligence Bureau, and so on. Currently the Joint Headquarters Chief was the quiet, unassuming Marshal Gabriel Popov, and the Supreme Commander of the Armada was Admiral Mario Cardona.


    ¡°And you¡¯ll be the Supreme Commander of the Fleet, then?¡±


    The two officers laughed pleasantly before a strict nurse kicked Abbas out for being too loud.


    ¡°Heh heh. You really should keep quiet,¡± came the voice of Admiral Falkenhausen, who was on a wheelchair. Abbas saluted.


    ¡°You did very well,¡± Admiral Falkenhausen said. ¡°Good work, Commodore.¡±


    The elderly admiral smiled. ¡°With people like you, I can feel comfortable retiring.¡±


    ¡°Retire, Sir?¡± Abbas asked, a little surprised.


    ¡°Well, in a few months, anyway. These old bones can¡¯t keep up with the times,¡± he said. ¡°Old folks like me should step aside and make room for the youngins.¡±


    At that time, a young aide came running. She twitched at Abbas¡¯ presence before whispering something to the old admiral. His eyes lighted up.


    ¡°Really? Ridiculous ....¡±


    The old admiral¡¯s eyes turned towards Abbas. ¡°Commodore, you¡¯ll accompany me.¡±


    ¡°Where to, Admiral?¡±


    ¡°War council,¡± he sighed. ¡°They¡¯re planning to invade imperial territory.¡±

 06. The War Council

    In the Republic, nationalization wasn¡¯t very prominent. Aside from certain gases, minerals, and water, most other resources are corporatized. This included arms production. Roughly 35 percent of armaments were produced by the government, whilst the remaining 65 percent by corporations.


    The biggest of them was the Lunar Defense Group. They produced most of the Republic¡¯s warships, with the exception of battleships, turtle ships, and some other specialized ships. Its current chairman was Wilson Kaufmann, ninth generation of the Kaufmann family. He was a short man with short, black hair and average build.


    As usual, he was reading reports alongside his top aide: his younger sister, Petra. ¡°So, the Republic is planning an invasion, hm? That¡¯s rare,¡± Wilson said. ¡°What of the Empire?¡±


    ¡°They appear ignorant of the issue. The war council that is convening now is top secret. Only the fleet commanders and upwards, and their aides, are allowed to attend,¡± Petra said. ¡°Well then, should we tell our branch in the Empire to warn them?¡±


    In the Empire, Mark Defense Company supplied them with important war armaments. It was, unbeknownst to everyone else, a branch of Lunar Defense Group.


    ¡°Hm, I wonder whether we should,¡± Wilson said.


    The balance of powers. The Kaufmanns have profited from the war. If it ceased, the Kaufmanns¡¯ war industry would collapse. The Empire and the Republic; neither strong enough to decisively defeat the other.


    Recently, however, the Empire lost two fleets in Alvisa. Whilst hardly fatal, this shifted the tide to the Republic¡¯s side slightly. ¡°It¡¯d be good if both sides fight again. Hopefully the Empire wins this time, but not so overwhelmingly,¡± Petra gave her opinion. Like her brother, her mind was shrewd. Physically, however, she was so unlike him. She was tall and overwhelming, in her eyes a fire of vitality undimmed.


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s make it so. As soon as the Republic¡¯s plans are known, leak them to the Empire. See to it,¡± Wilson said, as casually as ordering dinner.


    And in this way, the war never ended, despite a number of peace-headed emperors and chairmen.


    The war council itself was held two months after the news first spread to high-rank officials. Abbas and Henry both attended: the former as Admiral Falkenhausen¡¯s aide, and the latter as an aide for Admiral Karunaratne¡ªthe chief of Rear Service Department. Fear of Imperial tapping of communications led the Republic¡¯s top brass to convene a meeting in person, on Planet Tarlend, a Coreworld.


    Marshal Gabriel Popov, Joint Headquarters Chief, opened the meeting dully: ¡°The civilian government has ordered and authorized a general invasion of the Empire. With that in mind, let us have a rational and proper discussion.¡± The marshal was a dark-skinned man, tall and muscular. Nevertheless, there was a certain fatigue in his eyes as he scanned the room.


    As an aide, Abbas wasn¡¯t given a seat. He had to stand behind his commanding officer. By (probably not) pure chance, Yue was standing next to him.


    Admiral Tang was about to raise her hand when the gaunt hands of Admiral Karunaratne raised. Marshal Popov nodded.


    ¡°As Rear Service Chief, I have to say, we are in no shape to launch major offensives. Anything involving more than three or four fleets would require months of logistical build-up,¡± he said. His breath was already weak.


    The Rear Service was equal to the other departments, but in practice it was afforded some sort of special respect by the other departments. There was a reason no chief of Rear Service lasted more than a decade; many retired citing exhaustion, many others dying of heart attacks and fatigue.


    ¡°Three or four fleets are enough!¡± came the roaring voice of Admiral Potiorek, commander of Battlefleet Dragon, rising to his feet. ¡°We will attack, strike the hearts of the Imperials with fear, and capture frontier territories. The supplies, we can take from the enemy bases. After all, this is a war meant to topple tyranny! We cannot win with half-assed efforts. We must dare to attack!¡±


    ¡°Marshal Popov,¡± Admiral Falkenhausen said calmly. ¡°Are we told the goals of this expedition?¡±


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    ¡°We are to determine it by ourselves.¡± There was a pained tone in the old marshal¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s send in a fleet, destroy some asteroids or something, and then return home. Isn¡¯t that what the government wants? A ¡®victory¡¯?¡± Vice Admiral Koo¡¯s flat voice was choked with sarcasm.


    The responses ranged from strong disapproval to Admiral Tang¡¯s open, supportive laugh. ¡°Yes, I support that. In fact, we should just send a torpedo boat, no need for a fleet,¡± she said.


    ¡°This council is no place for ridicule!¡± Admiral Cadorna shouted. He stood up, a gesture meant to intimidate, probably.


    Why did he suddenly get angry?


    Marshal Popov coughed loudly enough to silence everyone.


    Abbas could see from his elevated height the two camps that soon formed: one was Admiral Cadorna¡¯s ambitious, pro-war stance, and the other was Admiral Tang¡¯s anti-war stance, with the latter being outnumbered roughly three to one. Abbas knew well where he should side.


    There was no need to bathe the stars with crimson.


    The majority quickly overrode the minority. ¡°A true democracy, hm?¡± Yue whispered very lowly.


    Abbas smirked.


    At last, a tactical plan was ¡°agreed¡±: a general offensive against the Empire¡¯s most prosperous zone, that was in the south of the Republic if viewed from above. The lynchpin of the Empire¡¯s domain in this zone is Fortress Thalassa, orbiting the Thalassa Starzone. If this zone fell, the Empire would suffer a severe economic blow, particularly in its agriculture.


    A break was convened. There was a restaurant for high-rank officers nearby. Abbas, Yue, and their commanding officers picked a particularly isolated table. They ordered roast venison and sat down.


    ¡°So, Fortress Thalassa, is it?¡± Admiral Tang said. ¡°It is a strategic fortress, I¡¯ll grant them that. The Imperials were smart to build it.¡±


    ¡°What are our chances of taking it, Admiral?¡± Abbas asked, partly out of curiosity. He¡¯d very much like to see this fortress for himself.


    Admiral Tang¡¯s eyebrows quivered as she put a piece of venison in her mouth. ¡°Mm, your question is flawed. If we throw our entire Armada at it, it¡¯ll fall, naturally. But the Imperials will send their own fleets to defend it. Logistics, materiel, the number and quality of warships involved, the skill of the commanders¡ªall of that would decide the outcome.¡±


    ¡°Not much, unless we send in at least half the Armada.¡± Admiral Falkenhausen¡¯s answer was far more straightforward. ¡°Judging from all those factors.¡±


    ¡°Admirals, have you prepared a united front?¡± Yue asked. ¡°Admiral Cadorna¡¯s faction is far more organized.¡±


    Admiral Tang shrugged. ¡°Look, it is what it is,¡± she said. ¡°Aside from Falkenhausen and I, the big names on our side are¡ªlet¡¯s see¡ªKoo, Kadita, Wallenstein, Anand ....¡± She listed some other seven or eight names; fleet commanders and a few department chiefs.


    ¡°So the plan is to rein them in as much as possible. It doesn¡¯t look possible to stop it entirely,¡± Admiral Falkenhausen sighed.


    The foursome toasted with some white wine at his prompt.


    ¡°Can I ask something more personal?¡± Abbas asked.


    ¡°Ask away,¡± Admiral Tang said.


    ¡°I noticed something ... it looked like Admiral Cadorna was very agitated the moment Admiral Tang stepped in. Is it just his character or is there something else?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re quite sharp,¡± Yue said. ¡°Well¡ª¡°


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell the story myself,¡± Admiral Tang interjected after pouring herself another glass of wine. ¡°You know the Battle of Istoria Starzone?¡±


    ¡°Oh ... yeah, I know.¡±


    The Battle of Istoria Starzone was one of the Republic¡¯s biggest victory over the Empire. The Empire launched a massive invasion with twelve numbered fleets, with Admiral Karl von Marbach on the head.


    ¡°Our good friend Cadorna was in charge, and he got spanked. So Marshal Popov ordered me to take over,¡± Admiral Tang said. ¡°I was still thirty-three back then ... it was 20 years ago or so. Ah, how time passes so quickly.¡±


    Everyone had finished their main course and was going for sorbet. ¡°I ambushed Karl once, then beat him in a field battle twice ... ah, good old Karl. He was real good. Of course, imbeciles like Cadorna doesn¡¯t stand a chance against him. Where¡¯s he now, by the way, Falkenhausen?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s head of the Royal Fleet now, I hear,¡± the old admiral said.


    ¡°Kicked upstairs, then, huh? Poor guy,¡± Admiral Tang chuckled. ¡°Oh, back to the original question. They wanted to promote me to Supreme Commander of the Armada. I declined, because I felt I was too young back then, and I wanted to build up my experience with Battlefleet Chiyou. So fucking Cadorna got the job.¡±


    Admiral Tang grinned. ¡°That¡¯s all. He¡¯s psychologically shaken, because he only has his current position because I practically gave it to him. Well, of course, I couldn¡¯t do it without this guy right here.¡± She elbowed Admiral Falkenhausen, causing him to gasp in pain.


    ¡°My ribcage isn¡¯t made of steel!¡± he protested.


    ¡°Falkenhausen, you were the one who pinned down the enemy fleet at Isto¡ª¡°


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to recall past battles,¡± he said. ¡°Our hands are stained with blood.¡±


    Admiral Tang sighed. ¡°We¡¯re soldiers fighting a war. We¡¯ll shed blood either way. Theirs, if we win, and ours, if we lose.¡± Admiral Falkenhausen nodded in dismay.


    Abbas looked at his own hands. Hands stained with blood.


    Stained with blood from the very beginning.


    Abbas mentally shook his head off and tried to switch to happier news. ¡°But, Admiral Falkenhausen, you¡¯re about to retire, right?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. I am.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s toast to your health and safe retirement then!¡± Abbas said.


    The quartet toasted again with another bottle of white wine.


    ¡°And to peace,¡± Admiral Falkenhausen added in low voices to himself.


    The war council was about to convene again.

 07. Imperial Might

    ¡°The general aim of the campaign has been decided,¡± Marshal Popov said in the blandest imaginable voice. ¡°Then, about the number of fleets we should send, as well as the commander of the expedition ....¡±


    Admiral Potiorek was very enthusiastic. ¡°Marshal, I would like to request my own appointment as commander of this campaign,¡± he said. ¡°I have a draft plan ready.¡±


    The plan called for a grand total of fourteen fleets, striking in unison. Such a force would quickly overwhelm Fortress Thalassa before Imperial reinforcements arrived.


    Or so Admiral Potiorek believed, anyways.


    ¡°So ... do you have any actual plan to ¡®storm Fortress Thalassa¡¯, Admiral?¡± Admiral Kadita¡¯s oddly bass voice came. Admiral Kadita¡¯s face was often compared to that of high schoolers¡¯, and her two ponytails didn¡¯t help either; so when she used that bass voice that was so very rare, people couldn¡¯t help but be intimidated.


    Fortress Thalassa was the size of a small planet, or a particularly large moon. It was guarded by the Seventh Fleet as well as various anti-ship guns. Most terrifying was its main weapon, the ¡°Devil¡¯s Breath¡±, a massive EMP blast that could disable many ships at once.


    ¡°The Devil¡¯s Breath can only disable, what, five or six thousand ships before having to recharge. We¡¯ll have almost three hundred thousand ships at disposal, and can overwhelm it with sheer force!¡±


    ¡°The mobilization of half of our Armada is not something that can be concealed. The Imperials would know it, and would deploy their own fleets. Then it¡¯ll be a simple pitched battle, where we¡¯d be outnumbered with the fortress on their side,¡± Vice Admiral Koo opined. It was impossible to read the faces of the assembled officers.


    ¡°You¡¯re too pessimistic. As we mobilize first, we¡¯ll have the advantage in numbers.¡±


    But how much of an advantage would that be, mused Abbas.


    Even the ¡°pro-war admirals¡± weren¡¯t so keen to follow this sort of unchecked aggression. Marshal Popov sighed, like a teacher sighing at his bratty students, and proposed something:


    ¡°Then let¡¯s modify our aim a little. Rather than directly assault the fortress, we will use our forces to establish control over the surrounding starzones and besiege it.¡±


    No objections, none at all. Admiral Tang slightly nodded, like some sort of approval.


    ¡°Admiral Karunaratne, as we are ordered to attack within six months, please calculate how many ships we could possibly send.¡±


    Six months? Why so specific? thought Abbas, but the answer came three seconds later from his brain.


    Ah. The election. So they¡¯re trying to shore up popularity with a military victory?


    Don¡¯t they think of how many lives will be lost?


    The mathematical and logistical genius replied immediately. ¡°150,000 warships at most, alongside the appropriate supply ships and logistical work,¡± he said. ¡°It will, however, practically deplete the supplies and therefore the fighting strength of the frontier fleets. Taking that into account, a figure around 100,000 or 110,000 warships would be ... more proper, so to say.¡±


    ¡°Then, Joint Headquarters will decide which fleets to send, in conjunction with the civilian government,¡± Marshal Popov said, raising to his legs. It looked like he couldn¡¯t stomach this antagonistic meeting any longer.


    The meeting was adjourned thusly. ¡°What a mess,¡± Abbas commented to nobody in particular.


    ¡°Well, at least we¡¯re not throwing half the armada to Thalassa,¡± Admiral Tang said, shaking her head.


    The Kaufmanns, having received this secret information through one of their agents¡ªan aide to Admiral Cadorna who was bribed¡ªsent news to the royal family in the Empire through another agent.


    At this time¡ªwhich was roughly three months after the war council--the Emperor and Princess Katharin were attending a garden party held by Duke Dahl, an old admiral enamored with military traditions. His true intentions, really, were to speak with the respected Admiral Karl von Marbach. The old Duke ¡°secretly¡± hated the physically weak emperor and the princess, who was going to be the first Empress of the Empire soon.


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    It wasn¡¯t much of a secret, though, thanks to Spymaster Klaris¡¯ spyrings.


    It was in this garden party that Spymaster Klaris came to the Emperor and told him of the news in whispers. The Emperor nodded, excused himself and his daughter, and returned to the Imperial Palace. They sat down in the lounge room.


    ¡°Katharin ....¡±


    ¡°Yes, father?¡±


    ¡°You handle this.¡±


    Katharin¡¯s eyebrows raised. ¡°Are you sure, father? If I fail ....¡±


    ¡°Sooner or later, you¡¯ll be Empress. With effort and luck, perhaps the war will end in your reign. But if not, then you¡¯ll have to know how to fight it. Coordinate with our vassals,¡± the Emperor said. He stood up and walked towards the room¡¯s exit. ¡°I trust in you, Katharin.¡±


    ¡°Understood. Thank you, father.¡±


    The person to consult, naturally, was Admiral Karl von Marbach. The two studied the general plan of the enemy. ¡°I see. As a strategic plan, it is not bad. They¡¯re prudent enough to avoid attacking Fortress Thalassa head-on,¡± Karl opined.


    ¡°As for the forces involved ....¡±


    Katharin meddled with a projector. The enemy forces would be:


    Battlefleet Dragon, commanded by Admiral Potiorek, doubling as commander of the whole campaign;


    Battlefleet Wyvern, commanded by Admiral Orban;


    Battlefleet Heaven, commanded by Admiral Kadita;


    Battlefleet Wingfoot, commanded by Admiral Grant;


    Battlefleet Lotus, commanded by Vice Admiral Wallenstein;


    Battlefleet Datura, commanded by Admiral Falkenhausen.


    ¡°I see. Six battlefleets, two smaller than others ... that¡¯d be around 110,000 warships or so. What is this? Their reserve?¡±


    ¡°Ten thousand ships, taken from Battlefleet Chiyou,¡± Katharin said. ¡°Commanded by one Rear Admiral Yue Fangling and one Commodore Abbas al-Salem.¡±


    ¡°The relationship between an admiral and their fleet is like that of a sun and its planets. Without the sun, the planets cannot revolve; without the planets, the sun¡¯s light is useless. I¡¯d like to know the justification for separating parts of Battlefleet Chiyou from its admiral,¡± Karl wondered. This man, an elite admiral, full of experience and knowledge, knew fuck-all when it came to politics.


    Thank goodness we have an abundance of schemers and politicians, Katharin thought to herself, because if she had to rely on Karl for it, she may as well just dissolve the Empire right there and now.


    ¡°Whatever the case, this is what we have to face. I¡¯m thinking¡ªwe shouldn¡¯t let them know we know,¡± Katharin opined.


    ¡°Indeed. That goes without saying. The issue here is how to move our forces discreetly to Thalassa Starzone, and how many fleets to send in the first place, and which ones.¡±


    ¡°I have no experience in this. Please teach me, Admiral,¡± Katharin asked. For a member of nobility, much less royalty, the word ¡®please¡¯ tends to be non-existent in their dictionaries.


    ¡°For now, let¡¯s discuss the number. I¡¯m thinking around seven or eight numbered fleets¡ªthat should grant us enough of a numerical advantage that we ought to decisively repel the invasion.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s mobilize the Royal Fleet, and put you in overall command,¡± Katharin said almost off-handedly.


    ¡°The Royal Fleet, Princess? It¡¯s unprecedented ....¡±


    ¡°The Royal Fleet needs to have some battle experience, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°Certainly.¡±


    If there were a split between the throne and the nobility, Karl would be on the former¡¯s side¡ªKatharin was sure of it. Therefore, she would like to promote him to a marshal, and afford him some more prestige. For that to happen, however, she needed Karl to win a victory.


    ¡°The Royal Fleet alone is fifty thousand ships. The Seventh Fleet guards Fortress Thalassa, and the Twenty-First Fleet patrols the area. If we had five numbered fleets to that, we should have enough of a numerical advantage to overwhelm the enemy reliably.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll personally arrange it. Also, it seems like Rear Admirals Thompson and Radbruch have recovered. I want them to participate in the battle.¡±


    ¡°As you wish. The Royal Fleet¡¯s too large for me to command alone anyway,¡± Karl said before taking his leave.


    Katharin summoned Spymaster Klaris for her weekly briefing. She was beginning to take over matters of state from her father, who wholeheartedly approved. ¡°A number of notable things happened this week,¡± the spymaster stated after a bow. ¡°Most interestingly, a small uprising demanding food erupted in one of the planets under Count Telmar¡¯s domain. The Count used deadly force. Three thousand people were killed, ten thousand more injured.¡±


    Katharin¡¯s forehead wrinkled. Count Telmar was a well-known ally of Duke Gerlach; in fact, there was a sort of friendship between the two noble houses for hundreds of years. Something buried within the young woman¡¯s sea of memories emerged. ¡°Doesn¡¯t Count Telmar¡¯s realm have many agricultural worlds? Why would his people starve?¡±


    Agricultural worlds were populated with only farmers; these were meant to produce food for the Empire.


    ¡°Apparently the Count just held a birthday party for his daughter, which consumed a lot of agricultural resources. The Count disregarded his serfs ....¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t buy it,¡± the sharp princess cut off. ¡°Investigate where his produces go. No way he spent them on a party.¡±


    What the Republic called ¡®civilians¡¯, the Empire called ¡®serfs¡¯. They were not quite slaves¡ªslavery was abolished several emperors ago. Serfs may own land and live at their discretion, but were still bound to the will of the ruling nobles above them, and paid taxes to them, some of which went to the royal family.


    ¡°Princess, have you prepared for the Republic¡¯s invasion?¡± Spymaster Klaris asked cautiously.


    ¡°I have. Is there something about it?¡±


    ¡°Our recent defeat in Alvisa has stirred anti-imperial sentiments in some worlds. A victory would do much to curb them.¡±


    Of course, the Empire portrayed Alvisa as a ¡°victory¡±, but when 130 million souls were lost¡ªdead or captured¡ªit was simply impossible to practically deny reality, even if the Empire housed more than three trillion humans.


    ¡°I see. I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± A warlike gleam shone in her eyes as she stood up.


    ¡°Well, shall we teach them a good lesson?¡±

 08. The Republican Storm

    Commodore Abbas al-Salem was transferred to Battlefleet Chiyou. This was done by the hands of Admiral Tang. Marshal Popov had wrestled a concession from her: to allow parts of her oversized fleet to be used as reserves for the coming campaign. Battlefleet Chiyou numbered 35,000 ships, far outstripping any other fleet. Even Battlefleet Aegis, the fleet defending the capital, only numbered 30,000 ships.


    ¡°Well, if my fleet is going to be led by other officers, I will choose the officers for it,¡± Admiral Tang requested. Naturally, she chose her own chief-of-staff, who in turn picked Abbas as her second-in-command. The two met in one of the fleet¡¯s ships, the Quetzalcoatl.


    ¡°Alright, Abbas,¡± Yue said. The two had dropped the honorifics long ago. ¡°You¡¯ll be leading the snake ships, and some destroyers and smaller craft. Here¡¯s your flagship: the Quetzalcoatl.¡±


    The snake ships were a special sort of ship: more heavily armed and faster than a battleship, but much more fragile. Developed by Admiral Kadita¡¯s hand-picked engineers of Terraria Defence Group, these were first used by Battlefleet Heaven, before spreading to the other frontier fleets. By now, Joint Headquarters had grudingly acknowledged their use and was ramping up production, renaming them ¡°fast battleships¡±. Imperial authorities, on the other hand, was loathe to copy.


    Quetzalcoatl, the name of the Aztec sun god of the ancient past. The ship was colored red and green. ¡°Not the easiest name to say, is it?¡± Abbas half-joked.


    ¡°Well, whoever named it is a genius,¡± said the mythologically ignorant Yue scathingly. Perhaps an Aztec might be able to pronounce it quickly in the heat of the battlefleet; though, with the ethnic races of the Republic having intermingled to quite an extent, determining the exact ethnicity of someone was a tough task.


    For the weeks coming up to the invasion, Yue and Abbas trained together with drills with the fleet. Abbas¡¯ friend, Henry, was even busier. The Rear Service, after hearing of the decision to invade, collectively let out a sigh as they procured supplies and arranged supply lines. The sickly Admiral Karunaratne was, as Henry would recall, ¡°running around like a manic pixie with a magic wand that spawned supply lines and plans¡±.


    In the Republic¡¯s capital of Lephelia, there lied a cabinet that really couldn¡¯t be bothered with it. The Robertson Administration was a fragile compromise between the various parties; Chairman Robertson himself was a largely modest and not-too-popular but uncontroversial chairman, but now he had ideas about a second term.


    With that in mind, he had allied himself with one of the two big power blocs in Republican politics. Strictly speaking, there were at least ten thousand political parties, but with the big issue being the war, they had conveniently divided themselves into two blocs: the ¡®Flares¡¯, a pro-peace movement named after Albert Flare, its founder, and the ¡®Whitmores¡¯, a pro-war group whose name¡¯s origins are unclear.


    Right now Chairman Robertson had allied with the Whitmores, whose popularity grew significantly after Alvisa. Ironically, Abbas¡¯ victory had obstructed his own dream of peace. He had hoped that a succesful invasion would propel his own popularity enough for re-election.


    It was under this condition that 120,000 ships, alongside almost 800 million men, were sent to fight.


    To hear Admiral Potiorek put it, this was a great opportunity.


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    ¡°Is it not a good opportunity to bloody the imps¡¯ noses?¡± he boasted to his subordinates at the dinner party before launch.


    The commander of the reserve fleet, Rear Admiral Yue, wasn¡¯t around. She was having a talk with Admiral Tang. She couldn¡¯t quite get the latter¡¯s words out of her head when she returned to dinner:


    ¡°It¡¯s not without its positives. The light of greater stars make the lesser stars seem dim; even if the lesser stars might grow to a great light. So long as you¡¯re my chief-of-staff, even if you score achievements, it¡¯ll just end up being credited to me. You¡¯ve got to come out of my shadow, eventually; it may as well be now.¡±


    A silent salute was all she could muster. This was the first time she held independent command. Admiral Tang had lent her her own flagship: the turtle ship Tiangong; besides that she had seven thousand vessels under her direct command and three thousand under Abbas¡¯.


    ¡°We sure are awfully young compared to everyone else,¡± Abbas whispered to her. There was only the two of them at that particular table.


    ¡°Oh, certainly.¡±


    Abbas was only twenty-two, and Yue twenty-eight. In contrast, even the ¡°young¡± Admiral Potiorek was already forty-six. Most others were in their fifties and sixties.


    ¡°Everyone, give your all for the glory of the Republic!¡± Chairman Robertson expended his five hundred years¡¯ worth of charisma in this one sentence, stoking the flames in Admiral Potiorek¡¯s veins.


    Admiral Kadita, the most senior of the commanding officers, shook her long, white hair. ¡°Vanity,¡± she said to herself. Famed as the ¡°Unstoppable Lance¡±, having broken through imperial defences at the legendary Battle of Istoria, there was now a certain disgust and exhaustedness in her eyes.


    There was a bloody intermezzo before the launch. Admiral Karunaratne suffered a stroke and passed away. His position was taken by the freshly promoted Admiral Ali.


    The grand invasion¡ªehem, liberation¡ªfleet launched from Planet Temphoria in the frontier. Abbas was taking in the experience of commanding a fleet from his flagship when a young, blonde woman came to salute him.


    ¡°Lieutenant Alice Black, reporting for aide duty, Sir,¡± she said with a sort of unmatched vigor. Abbas returned her salute rather clumsily. As a lieutenant, Alice Black was three ranks below him. There was an unmistakable tremor on her legs.


    ¡°Are you nervous?¡± Abbas asked, smiling.


    ¡°Er, this is my first real combat assignment, Sir, and it¡¯s such a big operation. I¡¯m a little nervous, yes.¡±


    Abbas nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s my first real commanding assignment, as well.¡±


    ¡°Oh, but you¡¯re the Hero of Alvisa, Sir!¡±


    Abbas was beginning to wonder how long this ¡®Hero of Alvisa¡¯ thing would hound him.


    ¡°In any case, our fleet is just a sub-fleet¡ªof the reserve force, to boot. We won¡¯t be fighting too much, I think,¡± Abbas said. ¡°You can go.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    Ship captain Bon came to greet Abbas as well. ¡°We¡¯re ready to launch, Sir. The signal¡¯s been given.¡±


    Abbas nodded. ¡°Then launch.¡±


    In Quetzalcoatl, whispers were exchanged between the gunners.


    ¡°I heard a kid was appointed as our leader this time,¡± one sneered.


    ¡°He might be a kid, but he¡¯s already called the Hero of Alvisa,¡± another argued.


    ¡°It was just one battle,¡± the first gunner said.


    ¡°Admiral Tang trusted him. That is enough for me,¡± a third one interfered, and silenced the others.


    At around this time, Abbas began writing a memoir, or a diary of sorts. The first entry was written such:


    I have to admit I have some unease, though it is probably just the nerve of a beginner. My greater unease is the general aim of the campaign, which to me seems a bit far-fetched, to put it lightly. At the very least I am the second-in-command of a reserve fleet; my chance of living, alongside my crew, is higher.


    In his office, Wilson Kaufmann watched as events unfolded with delight. A number of the Republic¡¯s governors had ordered a number of patrol boats recently, but more importantly, the two great powers were about to clash once more.


    ¡°Who do you think will win?¡± his younger sister and assistant, Petra, asked as the two shared a bottle of wine.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. That¡¯s part of the fun,¡± he replied. ¡°But I think the Empire is at an disadvantage. They haven¡¯t mobilized anything, and there are only two fleets in Thalassa.¡±


    25th of October, 2601, the Republic launched its first large-scale invasion fleet in more than four decades.

 09. Invasion of Imperial Territory

    It was true that the Empire hadn¡¯t mobilized anything.


    But, in the Teluva Starzone, Princess Katharin was holding a military parade. ¡°A cheap political shot,¡± the disgruntled high nobles whispered among themselves. Not many, if any, paid any mind to the fact that Teluva and Thalassa were, at most, three weeks apart.


    The Empire had thirty-three numbered fleets left, with the destroyed Ninth and Twelfth Fleets not yet rebuilt. Princess Katharin had mobilized five of them: the First, the Third, the Twentieth, the Thirtieth, and the Thirty-Fifth Fleets. The First Fleet¡¯s former commander was Baron Heron, incarcerated for blatant corruption some time ago; he was replaced by Vice Admiral Valentina, her rank invariably knocked down one rung for the defeat in Alvisa. The other fleets were commanded by officers of modest experience.


    Under Admiral Karl¡¯s direct command was 20,000 vessels of the Royal Fleet, with Rear Admirals Thompson and Radbruch commanding 10,000 each. Most curious was Princess Katharin herself, who took direct control of the remaining 10,000.


    ¡°Any moment now, Admiral Karl,¡± she said as she watched the fleets.


    ¡°Indeed.¡±


    Bearing banners of freedom and trumpets of democracy, the inva¡ªliberation-- fleet swam through the black void in confidence. The largely defenseless worlds of the Empire raised the white flag quite early.


    The Twenty-First Fleet was just another imperial fleet. It was led by Viscount Holm, a middle-aged, wise commander. He had a reputation of mingling with commoners, giving him quite a bad name amongst high society.


    He was drinking coffee with his subordinates in his personal room that evening as his fleet performed the regular patrols. ¡°This is rather boring, isn¡¯t it?¡± he complained. The subordinates laughed pleasantly.


    ¡°I would think a boring but safe assignment is better than a risky one, Sir,¡± one said.


    ¡°Oh, no doubt about it.¡±


    But still, sometimes I want something to happen.


    ¡°C-Commander, Sir!¡± a staff officer came running from bridge.


    ¡°Calm down, Lieutenant,¡± Viscount Holm said calmly, ¡°what¡¯s the matter?¡± Many aristocrats would whip such ¡°insolent¡± staff officers, daring to interrupt their rest.


    ¡°There¡¯s an enemy fleet detected, Commander!¡±


    Viscount Holm, in hurried but sure steps, returned to bridge. ¡°How many ships?¡± he demanded.


    ¡°O-over a hundred thousand!¡±


    It¡¯s an invasion ..., thought Viscount Holm, curling up his palms into fists.


    Anxiety, fear, and panic swept through the Twenty-First Fleet like wildfire. ¡°What do we do, do we fight?¡± another staff officer asked.


    ¡°Moron! Our motto is courage and honor, not stupidity and suicidal tendencies! All ships, retreat at full speed! Communications officers, send word to the Throneworld!¡±


    The Twenty-First Fleet executed a hasty but ordered retreat. The Republic¡¯s fleets did not pursue.


    On the Republic¡¯s part, problems were beginning to arise.


    For one, a large quantity of supplies somehow vanished from the supply ships. An improptu investigation was held, and it turned out a ring of smuggler-soldiers had misappropriated them to sell in the black market. They were summarily punished, but the supplies had already gone.


    Taking advantage of this, the local patrol commanders had, by their own initiative, launched hit-and-run attacks against Republic¡¯s supply lines and ships. Only one week in, the Republic¡¯s commanders had to convene for a new plan.


    A few days later, the invasion fleet had captured a number of fertile planets and took the produces there, triggering severe local unrest. Abbas took a shuttle to Tiangong to meet Yue and have dinner and wine, that if undertaken by two non-officers, would be enough for people to suspect some romantic attraction.


    ¡°Have we just become looters and plunderers?¡± Abbas asked with a bitter tone as he poured a glass of wine for Yue and himself.


    ¡°Looks like we¡¯re the baddies now,¡± Yue mocked the situation. ¡°I don¡¯t know what Admiral Potiorek¡¯s thinking. At this rate, the Imperials would muster enough forces to force us out.¡±


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    ¡°What do you think we should do, then?¡± Abbas asked.


    ¡°If it was up to me, we wouldn¡¯t be invading in the first place,¡± Yue said. Her grip was almost strong enough to shatter the wineglass. ¡°So ... let¡¯s return home, that¡¯s what I¡¯m thinking.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t just give up halfway, can we?¡± Abbas said, a little uncomfortable with Yue¡¯s bold proposal.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not fall victim to the sunk cost fallacy, here.¡±


    A grim piece of news arrived as they finished the wine. It was a video transmission of a horde of protesting civilians, complaining about food shortages. They were put down with gas.


    On a more positive note, from the Republic¡¯s perspective, at least, a subfleet from the Twenty-First Fleet was routed by Battlefleet Dragon; the former lost two thousand ships.


    ¡°Would all commanding and vice commanding officers gather in the Klagenfurt for a general meeting, please?¡±


    The Klagenfurt was Admiral Potiorek¡¯s, and therefore Battlefleet Dragon¡¯s, flagship. Fourteen officers convened there. Abbas was the youngest, and also the lowest in rank.


    Admiral Grant proposed something quite new. ¡°Rather than insisting on a frontal attack, shall we not cement our presence in the rim of this region, capturing their supply bases and winning the hearts of the local people?¡± Admiral Grant had, so far, avoided the factional fighting between Admiral Potiorek and Admiral Tang.


    This sensible if debatable suggestion was answered with a bang on the table from Admiral Orban. The bald admiral shouted, ¡°what is that nonsense! Have your honor vanished, Admiral? Your passivity and lack of courage only benefits the enemy!¡±


    ¡°There is no need to go to such lengths,¡± Admiral Kadita said sternly. Admiral Orban, the product of sheer nepotism¡ªhis father and mother were both high-rank politicians¡ªwas, in Admiral Kadita¡¯s judgement, probably the worst admiral in the history of the Republic, ever.


    Admiral Grant calmly drunk his coffee. This sort of attitude was what spared him the factional fighting.


    ¡°We¡¯ll attack!¡± Admiral Potiorek suddenly raised to his feet. ¡°We will attack, and crush the enemy. By doing so, we will show them the might of the Republic! Viva democracy!¡±


    ¡°Viva democracy!¡±


    This is stupid, thought Abbas.


    ¡°If I were the Imperials, I¡¯d be toasting myself right about five minutes ago,¡± Yue grumbled as they left the meeting room. It wasn¡¯t a meeting; it was just an intimidation-themed farce.


    Things were far more¡ªer¡ªserious, so to speak, in the Imperial camp. Viscount Holm, unable to bear seeing imperial worlds fall so effortlessly, had tried to split his fleet and defend some key worlds, but it ended with two thousand ships lost. He was bowing his head before Princess Katharin in her flagship, the Regalia.


    ¡°Raise your head, Viscount. I do not punish slight failures,¡± Katharin said. ¡°At least, we received important data. Gather with Admiral Karl and form a plan to counter the enemy. I will go there soon, as well.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness!¡±


    Admiral Karl¡¯s flagship was the Illustrious, a golden ship of the Regalia-class. Only four ships of this class had ever been produced: the destroyed Imperia, the Regalia, the Monarchia, which was the Emperor¡¯s flagship, and Karl¡¯s own. It was a sign of the favor and trust the imperial family gave to him.


    They were watching a playback of the defeat of Viscount Holm¡¯s vanguard when the man arrived in the Illustrious¡¯ meeting room. ¡°Oh, Viscount. Have a seat,¡± Karl said. The princess arrived ten minutes later. To the surprise of the gathered officers, she took a seat next to Karl, leaving him in the center position of the oval table.


    ¡°I think we know enough of the enemy¡¯s psyche to know what sort of tactics they¡¯ll be parading around,¡± he said. ¡°Everyone, take a look at the way their fleet moves. It is a blitzkrieg, an immediate and quick attack. This is interesting, because the number of ships between both sides was almost equal. Blitzkrieg is usually not the option taken. Therefore, I can conclude that the enemy commander is a very aggressive one, and will likely attack us immediately.¡±


    ¡°It means we have to put up a solid defence, right?¡± Vice Admiral Valentina said. It was a textbook suggestion: ¡°if the enemy attacks fiercely, defend solidly¡±.


    ¡°We really only have three options, tactically speaking. We can defend, we can attack, or we can retreat.¡±


    ¡°Retreat?¡± Vice Admiral Dortmund of the Third Fleet scorned. His eyes gleamed with disgust.


    ¡°We can defend, but only if we have fleets specialized and trained to defend very, very well; which we don¡¯t have,¡± Karl said, ignoring Dortmund, whom he had branded long ago as incompetent. ¡°Well, if the Second Fleet is around, we could use that tactic.¡±


    The Empire¡¯s Second Fleet did specialize in defence; though that fleet was not the first fleet that came to Karl¡¯s mind when it came to defence.


    ¡°We can attack. But it¡¯ll be like a pack of ordinary wolves against rabid dogs. We¡¯re likely to be overwhelmed.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we retreat to Fortress Thalassa and wait for our enemy to waste their supplies while summoning more of our fleets? They¡¯re in our territory, after all. We have the advantage of easy re-supply and transportation,¡± Rear Admiral Radbruch suggested.


    ¡°That¡¯s good strategic thinking, unfortunately we can¡¯t let our rim worlds be undefended just like that, not when we have the numerical advantage,¡± Karl said with the tone and expression of a teacher who really would give their best pupil a perfect grade but had to tone it down to a 90. ¡°The best way to win, I think, is to construct a tactical trap, one where we can launch pincer and enveloping attacks on the enemy. I¡¯ll develop it, and we¡¯ll meet again then. Adjourned.¡±


    As the officers left, Katharin stood up. ¡°You¡¯re as sharp as ever, Karl.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your kind words, Princess. I am only doing my duty.¡±


    ¡°I purposefully picked younger officers for this campaign. What do you think of them?¡±


    ¡°They all have good potential, except Dortmund, that is. Radbruch was very sharp there. I¡¯m optimistic.¡±


    ¡°Good, good.¡±


    ¡°You were rather quiet, Princess.¡±


    ¡°I still have so much to learn,¡± she said, throwing away her face.


    ¡°Everyone has to start somewhere. You¡¯re a wonderful learner, Princess.¡±


    Katharin nodded. ¡°Well, shall we cut the veins of our enemy?¡±

 10. The Jaws of the Lion

    ¡°Commander, our scout ships have detected the enemy!¡±


    This were the words that would shake the Republican spirit to the core. At this moment, the officers were holding another largely fruitless meeting.


    As the forces of the Empire moved openly into the Ventii Starzone, a pitched battle was practically unavoidable. This was the nature of pitched battles in space; the Empire wished to deal a decisive blow to fend off the Republic¡¯s attack, while the Republic sought to eliminate the Empire¡¯s fleets, improve morale, and then move to the Thalassa Starzone and take the fortress.


    Ventii Starzone comprised of a gargantuan star, with eleven large planets orbitting it. There was plenty of space between planets, and there were no asteroid belts or other objects. It was, in a sense, the perfect zone for a pitched fight. The Republic¡¯s intelligence department had obtained a star-chart for this starzone, which nulled the Empire¡¯s initial geographical advantage.


    The first bar of the Battle of Ventii Starzone began when Battlefleet Wyvern detected ten thousand vessels, commanded by a golden ship. ¡°What ship is it?¡± Admiral Orban demanded.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡ªit¡¯s the Regalia, flagship of their princess!¡± his staff officer replied.


    Admiral Orban immediately ordered an attack. His fleet at this point comprised only of ten thousand vessels, the other ten thousand having been broken up to scavenge for supplies. He relayed the information to Admiral Potiorek, who relayed this fateful order:


    ¡°All ships, converge on Battlefleet Wyvern¡¯s position and crush the enemy! Capture the princess!¡±


    The entire expedition fleet followed his orders. ¡°Are we ... are we about to fight, Commander?¡± Lieutenant Black asked, a little giddy, a little nervous.


    Abbas nodded his head. ¡°I suppose so,¡± he said. A message was broadcasted to the whole fleet. ¡°Reserve fleet: stay back. Battlefleets Dragon and Wyvern in front. The other fleets in the middle.¡±


    Something immediately clicked in Abbas¡¯ head. ¡°Looks like he¡¯s trying to deny the frontier fleets achievements,¡± he said to Lieutenant Black.


    ¡°Pardon, Commander?¡±


    ¡°I said what I said.¡± A certain snark was developing in Abbas.


    Princess Katharin sat confidently in the commander¡¯s chair in the Regalia, with an aide named Commodore Eierkutchen. Right now, her fleet was engaged with parts of Battlefleet Wyvern. ¡°Princess, their entire fleet has almost arrived,¡± her aide said.


    ¡°As soon as they arrive and begin to attack, immediately retreat according to plan,¡± Princess Katharin ordered. Rarely did an imperial prince, much less a princess, lead the Empire¡¯s military forces. Admiral Karl was not fond of it, and Katharin had to invoke her royal authority to override him.


    Admiral Potiorek was grinning. This was the chance for glory! The old Marshal Popov is in his decline. He believed, with a triumph, Cadorna and he would be promoted to Marshal and become Joint Headquarters Chief and Supreme Commander of the Armada respectively; his ¡°friends¡±, a ring of Whitmore politicians, would guarantee it. Then they could deal with that pesky Turtle Admiral and her ilk whenever and however they wanted.


    It was with this sort of mentality that he ordered a frontal charge. The Royal Fleet¡¯s division immediately ran away with no sort of order or resistance whatsoever; or so it looked like to untrained eyes, anyways.


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    ¡°Something looked wrong ... this is too easy,¡± Abbas muttered. ¡°Lieutenant Black.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Commander?¡±


    ¡°Open comms to Rear Admiral Yue.¡±


    A comms channel was opened. After saluting, Abbas began, ¡°Rear Admiral, I believe we¡¯re walking towards a trap.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Yue said, her face disgruntled. ¡°The enemy is trying to lure us into attacking, whereupon we would be attacked in a pincer assault. Admirals Falkenhausen and Kadita are contacting the supreme commander, so focus on your task.¡±


    Communications were cut off. Yue¡¯s mood wasn¡¯t the best, to put things lightly. The entire Republican fleet, under Admiral Potiorek¡¯s orders, was steadily advancing at high speed, equal to the speed of the retreating imperial fleet. Another order flew:


    ¡°Reserve fleet, slow down.¡±


    ¡°Slow down the fleet, then,¡± Abbas said, his arms crossed. For some time, there was nothing left to do for Abbas.


    ¡°Commander, what did you mean ¡®it¡¯s too easy¡¯ earlier?¡± Lieutenant Black asked.


    ¡°Put simply, the enemy¡¯s withdrawal is too messy,¡± Abbas said. ¡°Our opponent is the elite Royal Fleet. The enemy commander is skilled, but maybe too skilled. A less able commander would make it more natural.¡±


    Two hours later, the gap between the reserve fleet and the main fleet was becoming quite large. Yue and Abbas were on constant communication.


    ¡°Do you think Princess Katharin¡¯s the main enemy commander this time around?¡± he asked. There was a tense air and widespread unease in the oxygen.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Admiral Karl von Marbach is, probably,¡± Yue said. ¡°All the reason to be vigilant. Well, Commodore, if you don¡¯t mind, it¡¯s time for lunch, and I¡¯d like to take it with my men. Fare well.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Abbas didn¡¯t realize his own hunger. A cook delivered him lunch which he ate on the bridge with his aide and the ship¡¯s captain. Captain Bon was an elderly officer¡ªalmost seventy-five, three or four years above the standard retirement age--and he had many stories to tell.


    This tall man, whose complexion was olive, had a far better mind for strategy than Abbas had expected, as it was tempered by experience. ¡°The enemy ... would draw us in as far as possible. I have seen this before in Istoria,¡± he said.


    ¡°Then, how did the Republican commanders counter it?¡± Abbas asked as he drunk his coffee.


    ¡°Admiral Tang ....¡±


    Captain Bon coughed for a while. His health was evidently not the best. ¡°She let some of the ships to fall into the trap, while taking the rest into a wide detour and flank the enemy headquarters fleet.¡±


    ¡°Can we do something like that?¡± Lieutenant Black asked enthusiastically.


    ¡°Ten thousand ships wouldn¡¯t be enough,¡± Abbas said. ¡°And besides, it¡¯d be against direct orders. We¡¯d be court-martialed. Well, Rear Admiral Yue and I, that is.¡±


    ¡°Ugh,¡± Lieutenant Black complained. ¡°It¡¯s always the higher-ups, isn¡¯t it? The top uniforms, the civilian government ....¡±


    ¡°In any case, we¡¯re soldiers of a democracy. We follow the civilian government, and our superiors in the brass,¡± Abbas said sternly.


    No matter how stupid they are, Abbas added in his heart.


    Things were far more heated on the Imperial side. Ten thousand vessels fled away as hours passed. There was no possible opportunity to warp away under such persistent hounding. Of course, not that there was any reason to.


    At some point, the Republic¡¯s attack stopped. There was no way for Katharin to know it, but Admirals Falkenhausen and Kadita had managed to convince Admiral Potiorek to slow down.


    ¡°Oh no, we can¡¯t have that. Fleet, turn around and engage the enemy, but prepare to feign retreat as before,¡± Katharin said calmly.


    The fleet did as ordered. ¡°Insolent rabble! Attack at full speed!¡± Admiral Potiorek maniacally shouted, banging the table. ¡°Let¡¯s show them the spirit of democratic republicanism!¡±


    Admiral Karl von Marbach, commander of the fleets, and Vice Admiral Valentina, commander of the reserve, were waiting like hawks at the end of a long and wide trap; one that only such a formidable, experienced, and skilled admiral like Karl could even hope to start weaving.


    ¡°I¡¯m quite worried about Her Royal Highness, Princess Katharin,¡± Vice Admiral Valentina said. ¡°Is it seriously all right to allow her to be ... the bait?¡±


    ¡°Well, she¡¯s the princess, so she outranks even me. If the princess wants it, what can I say?¡± Karl shot back. ¡°Enough of this. If you wanted to protest, it would have been well to do so earlier. We¡¯ll have to trigger the trap soon.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Forgive me.¡±


    Four hours later, communications officers in Tiangong and Quetzalcoatl reported a chilling thing:


    ¡°Jamming signals! Communications lost with the main fleets!¡±

 11. The Stand at Ventii

    Innumerable points of lights filled the dark space ....


    Katharin¡¯s squadron continued to run, with over a hundred thousand enemy vessels on her tail. At last, she saw allied vessels in front. The trap was about to spring.


    ¡°Begin preparations for an orderly withdrawal,¡± Admiral Kadita, premonitions of catastrophe in her mind, gave the orders.


    ¡°Er, Commander? Are you sure?¡± her aide asked.


    ¡°Did I stutter?¡±


    ¡°Fleet, hard to starboard!¡± Katharin ordered loudly. Her fleet made a sharp turn, prompting the enemy to do the same.


    Which left them unprepared when forty thousand vessels charged from what was once their fore. ¡°Attack from port! Attack from port!¡± panicked shouts rang throughout the Republic¡¯s fleet.


    ¡°Can you identify the enemy flagship?¡± Admiral Karl asked his gunners. It had always been his favorite tactic to shoot down enemy flagships and paralyze their commanding chain.


    ¡°Enemy flagship Klagenfurt identified!¡±


    ¡°Fire at it.¡±


    Concentrated ion cannons blasted apart the Klagenfurt. Admiral Potiorek¡¯s name was erased from the rolls of the living.


    ¡°Attack! Turn to port and¡ª¡°


    Admiral Orban couldn¡¯t finish his words as his flagship, the Uswassa, suffered three hits in the hull and one in the engine. A finishing blow sunk his ship, with him alongside it.


    ¡°Turn around, attack!¡± Katharin¡¯s orders flew as she smirked. ¡°Looks like we¡¯ve won.¡±


    Admiral Kadita, through light signals, had given an order for general retreat. The fleets managed to turn around and began to flee as the Imperials tailed them. The predator and the prey had just changed sides. ¡°Admiral! New enemy forces from above, below, port, and starboard!¡± her aide reported.


    ¡°We have no choice. Ignore the losses and retreat at full speed. Shift energy from weaponry to shields,¡± the veteran admiral said. ¡°What about the other fleet commanders?¡±


    Her aide took some time to process the reports. ¡°All ... except Battlefleet Datura and Battlefleet Wingfoot, all other fleets have lost their commanding officers.¡±


    ¡°The enemy¡¯s smart. Nevermind. Keep on retreating.¡±


    Things were far more jubilant on the Imperial side, not that it was evident on Karl¡¯s face. ¡°Whoever is taking control now is quite good,¡± he complimented.


    More ships charged in from their initial positions, shaving away the bulk of the Republic¡¯s fleets, until, at last, a mere detachment of six thousand ships turned and made a stand. It fought ferociously, unleashing a storm of neutron beams and missiles at the imperial vessels.


    Admiral Falkenhausen, mere months from retirement, perished. Battlefleet Datura had ceased to exist. Unfortunately for him, outnumbered more than twenty to one, he could barely delay the imperial onslaught.


    The Republic¡¯s reserve fleet, meanwhile, was plagued with confusion. Yue had ordered a standard square position and sent a number of scout ships. These scout ships had just now returned, though it was unnecessary; the remnants of the Republic¡¯s fleets were already in sight, running away.


    ¡°Form the turtle wall formation!¡± Yue ordered through light signals, while also commanding Abbas¡¯ fleet to maintain an offensive posture.


    ¡°Oh no, oh no ...,¡± Lieutenant Black whimpered. ¡°We just lost, didn¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°If I say we lose, then we lose. But I don¡¯t want to say it, so it¡¯s not quite over yet,¡± Abbas said. His heart rate was once again through the roof.


    The turtle wall formation saw the turtle ships move in such a way that their ¡°shells¡± were locked with one another, and the dragon heads attached to the front hull rotated to face fore. Imperial ships began to close in. ¡°Ready the turtle cannons!¡±


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    ¡°New enemy forces detected! Numbers: roughly ten thousand!¡± flew communications to the Illustrious.


    ¡°Attack and defeat them. We outnumber them greatly, there is no need for excessive finesse,¡± came the response.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Karl murmurred as the Illustrious moved further to the front, affording him a clear view of the enemy formation. ¡°That formation¡ªscatter! Scatter into small squadrons, don¡¯t bunch up!¡±


    His orders came too late.


    ¡°Fire!¡± Yue ordered.


    An experimental weapon¡ªa destructive heat ray¡ªwas belched out from the dragons¡¯ mouths, combining into a beam of unparalleled power. Thousands of imperial ships, too densely packed, were vaporized in an instant. Karl¡¯s orders flew, prompting imperial commanders to start to reorganize their fleets. Even though the turtle cannons didn¡¯t do that much damage in terms of percentage of lost ships, they had struck enough of a psychological blow.


    Yue was too smart to think she could rely on this formation for long. ¡°Form the standard square formation, concentrate fire at the spot we just hit!¡± That in mere minutes her orders were executed was a testament to the discipline that Battlefleet Chiyou¡¯s soldiers and officers possessed.


    The jamming signals were finally overcome. A transmission came to Tiangong and Quetzalcoatl.


    ¡°This is Vice Admiral Hemanth. I¡¯m the highest ranking officer left in the main fleet. I¡¯ll withdraw, and put the actions of the reserve fleet entirely within its commander¡¯s purview.¡±


    So Admiral Falkenhausen is dead ....


    ¡°So many have died,¡± Abbas said, his throat dry. ¡°What a useless battle.¡± Even so, with weak hands, he organized his fleet to concentrate fire upon the now loose imperial squadrons.


    ¡°Tch. Looks like the enemy has got some good commanders on their side,¡± Katharin cursed. ¡°Captain! Bring this ship forward. The men will need the morale boost.¡±


    Indeed, the arrival of Regalia dispelled the momentary stun suffered by the imperial commanders. ¡°There¡¯s nothing else we can do,¡± Yue sighed. ¡°Signal this to all ships: withdraw immediately, before the imperial reorganization is finished.¡±


    ¡°What a shame. I thought we¡¯d at least do something,¡± Lieutenant Black said as Abbas began retreating his ships.


    ¡°Three thousand ships is a small amount in a battle of three hundred thousand ships,¡± Abbas commented. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s run.¡±


    But if Yue had thought her fleet could leisurely retreat, she was dead wrong. Vice Admiral Valentina¡¯s First Fleet, until now in reserve, commited itself. It charged forth like a leaping leopard, pouncing upon the outnumbered enemy. To counter this, Yue and Abbas split.


    ¡°Their slender ships are too fast for us. Pounce at the larger and slower fleet,¡± Vice Admiral Valentina commanded. The imperial main fleets were not too far behind.


    Her aide was a little surprised. He said, ¡°Vice Admiral, the smaller fleet is led by that Commodore Abbas al-Salem. After the events at Alvisa, I thought¡ª¡°


    ¡°Of course I want to avenge my defeat against that snot. But if I compromise our victory out of personal vendetta, I¡¯ll be lucky if I¡¯m dishonorably discharged,¡± she replied, grinding her teeth. ¡°Don¡¯t bother me with trivialities. Focus on taking down the enemy.¡±


    A sense of relief, coupled with tense feelings, dominated the Quetzalcoatl. ¡°Commander, the enemy is not pursuing us,¡± Lieutenant Black reported.


    ¡°Which means they¡¯re pursuing Rear Admiral Yue¡¯s fleet.¡±


    ... is Yue sacrificing herself to save me?


    ¡°All ships, ninety degrees starboard. We¡¯ll flank the enemy.¡±


    ¡°What? We¡ªwe just escaped death¡¯s jaws, why do you want to go back?¡± Lieutenant Black prostested.


    ¡°I thought you said you wanted some action,¡± Abbas snarked.


    Abbas¡¯ fleet made the maneuver look almost effortless. They swung ninety degrees, crashing unto the flank of the enemy ships pursuing Yue and disarraying the imperial forces.


    ¡°Abbas, you brave idiot! All ships, turn around!¡± Yue ordered.


    ¡°You fucking bastard! Are you here just to make my life miserable?¡± Vice Admiral Valentina raged as Abbas¡¯ sudden attack, coupled with Yue making a 180-degree turn, snapping at her fore, threw the First Fleet into confusion. ¡°Reorganize the formation! Pin them down until the main fleets arrive!¡±


    The main fleets indeed arrived with overwhelming numbers. ¡°Princess, I¡¯ll leave to pursue the enemy. I¡¯ll leave the situation here to you,¡± Karl transmitted. He brought almost the entire royal fleet with him, as well as Rear Admirals Thompson and Radbruch.


    ¡°Extend both wings, form a siege formation,¡± Katharin ordered.


    As imperial ships, exhausted as they were, slowly extended their formation to envelop the remaining republican ships, the two highest commanders remaining on the field were mired in a debate.


    ¡°My ships are slow. It¡¯s best that I stay behind while you retreat,¡± Yue argued.


    ¡°Sacrificing a big fleet for a small fleet is unprecedented. The reverse, however, has had many historical examples,¡± Abbas countered.


    Since when ... since when did I become this way?


    ¡°Besides, I have a plan,¡± Abbas insisted.


    ¡°What? What¡¯s your plan?¡±


    ¡°The golden ship in the middle ... the Regalia, their princess¡¯ flagship. It¡¯s too far forward. If I can take it hostage, they¡¯ll be forced to cease chasing you ... and the remnants of the main fleet, and my own fleet will be safe as well.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an insane gambit.¡±


    ¡°Even if I fail, they¡¯ll be thrown into enough chaos that you can safely withdraw.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too young to play hero.¡±


    ¡°And are you not?¡±


    Yue looked at Abbas in the eye. ¡°Don¡¯t die, Abbas. All ships, withdraw as orderly as possible!¡±


    Communications was cut.


    Yue¡¯s fleet retreated, purposefully leaving gaps between their formation. Imperial commanders, salivating at the prospect of more glory, unleashed their ships like a hurricane.


    ¡°Form the spindle formation,¡± Abbas instructed. ¡°We¡¯ll take the Regalia hostage.¡±


    Abbas glanced and saw that his aide was gone, but he didn¡¯t pay too much mind to it. Secretly, she had escaped herself with a shuttle, not having any desire to take part in a suicidal charge.


    In silence, Abbas¡¯ fleet formed the spear-like spindle formation.


    ¡°Attack!¡±

 12. Abbas Gambit

    ¡°Both wings, stop extending and strike at the enemy retreating. Center, advance and shatter the enemy in the middle,¡± Katharin issued her orders. At some point, numerical advantage could become such that no opposing advantage, be they logistics or discipline or tactical brilliance, could overcome it.


    Abbas¡¯ fleet was about to prove otherwise.


    It charged forward like a raging tsunami, blasting apart imperial forward ships. ¡°Shift as much energy as possible from the shields to the weapons!¡± Abbas instructed.


    Imperial reply was swift enough, with ships forming two lines that fired so fiercely that Abbas¡¯ fleet was thinning at a horrendous pace. Katharin herself, however, was focused on taking down Yue¡¯s retreating fleet.


    Perhaps too focused.


    ¡°Regalia spotted!¡± Abbas¡¯ gunner reported.


    ¡°Good. Switch to close range, send in the starfighters!¡±


    ¡°Wait ... that fleet¡ªit¡¯s too close to Her Royal Princess. All ships, switch course and aid the main fleet!¡± Vice Admiral Valentina ordered to her fleet.


    Unfortunately, this move proved fatal to the imperial forces. Other fleets, seeing Katharin in danger, also changed course. This clogged the battlespace as the fleets struggled to coordinate, giving Abbas precious minutes and affording Yue the opportunity to retreat unmolested.


    Katharin only now realized the danger she was in. Orders to mobilize imperial starfighters flew, but it was too late: republican starfighters had already swarmed the local battlespace, and when their imperial counterparts detached from their motherships, they were immediately greeted with fire from multiple enemies.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Katharin cursed, stomping the ground in rage. ¡°Withdraw! Withdraw for now!¡±


    ¡°Your Royal Highness, the enemy--!¡±


    In the confusion, the Quetzalcoatl closed in on the Regalia, and after disabling the latter¡¯s engines with two well-aimed shots, had set its murderous weapons upon the hulls of its enemy.


    ¡°Your Royal Highness, a transmission from the enemy!¡±


    ¡°Connect it to the main screen.¡±


    Abbas saluted. ¡°To the enemy commander: your flagship is disabled and within our firing range. I demand that you cease all military activity immediately, including the withdrawal of ships currently chasing and attacking any vessels of the Republic of New Stars. I also demand that rescue ships are allowed to rescue any remaining living spacemen and retrieve the dead. If our demand is not met within thirty seconds, we will fire.¡±


    Abbas felt his heartbeat bursting to the sky. If the enemy had simply said, ¡°fuck it¡±, he would be toast.


    ¡°We accept your terms,¡± was the reply.


    Abbas breathed a huge sigh of relief.


    ¡°The mad idiot, he¡¯s done it,¡± Yue muttered. ¡°Good grief ....¡± Yue turned back her fleet and began evacuating the downed crew under the careful watch of the Imperial Fleet.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Katharin banged her table. It took her almost a minute to calm down. ¡°Calculate our losses and the enemy¡¯s losses. Begin evacuation.¡±


    When a shuttle came to Karl, he was fighting the remnants of the Republic¡¯s main fleet. Vice Admiral Hemanth had been killed when his flagship sank; the fleet was then commanded by Vice Admiral Villeneuve who himself fell five minutes later. Vice Admiral Brooke took control, but a textbook mediocrity like him couldn¡¯t hope to match the sheer experience and skill of the Empire¡¯s best admiral.


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    ¡°What? The Princess has been taken hostage? Tsk. All ships, withdraw!¡± was his response to the news


    Vice Admiral Brooke took what was left of a fleet 110,000 strong¡ªa measly collection of ten thousand vessels, half of them damaged¡ªand fled back to republican space unmolested. He didn¡¯t realize why, but he was thankful nonetheless for the opportunity.


    Abbas retired to his quarters and had a few hours¡¯ worth of sleep before returning to bridge. ¡°How many of our ships are left?¡± he asked to a new aide.


    The aide informed him that a mere 800 ships had survived unscathed, with a thousand more ships badly damaged. The rest had been consumed by the hungry beast named war.


    It took 24 hours for the Republic¡¯s forces to withdraw fully, leaving only Quetzalcoatl surrounded by imperial forces. Katharin, her emotions much calmed, ordered, ¡°let him go. There¡¯s no honor for us otherwise.¡±


    ¡°Commodore Al-Salem, huh?¡± Karl wondered from the Illustrious¡¯ bridge. He messed with his own hair. ¡°Looks like we have another strong enemy on the horizon.¡±


    That was how Abbas escaped.


    So concluded the Republic¡¯s campaign and the Battle of Ventii Starzone, which ended in a decisive imperial victory, only slightly marred by ¡°that one little snot¡±¡ªas Vice Admiral Valentina put it.


    Back in the Republic, a political, economic, and social shitstorm raged throughout the government, and then the common people. The loss of so many personnel necessitated insane pension spendings, and the Republic had to lick its wounds and repair its damaged Armada, now down to twenty-two fleets. Abbas¡¯ victory at Alvisa was practically an ant next to this disaster.


    ¡°Well, fuck,¡± so one officer after another whispered in hushed tones.


    This turn of events completely derailed the Whitmore politicians. They had expected a minor victory or a draw that could be spun into an overwhelming victory, but a total defeat like this was, to their second-rate politicians'' minds, a blow towards their political ambitions.


    They forgot that they were elected to serve the people, not maintain their power indefinitely like some sort of parasitic leech.


    The Flare politicians offered words of comfort and condemnation to their war-loving foes, but in a secluded manor, Abodemi, the Flares'' leader, was toasting with his closest associates, blazing smiles on their face. Their win in the coming election was practically guaranteed.


    Things were far more sombre in the Armada. Someone had to take the blame for the loss, and the dead Admiral Potiorek was the easiest target. Not only was he denied the customary posthumous one-rank promotion, he was actually degraded by two ranks down to rear admiral.


    Henry Applewood was promoted to Commodore as his superior, Admiral Ali, also suffered the blame and got demoted.


    There was also a need to prop up heroes to divert attention, and who else but Yue and Abbas to fulfil that role?


    The duo, though, was visiting the fallen admirals'' graveyard. "Admiral Falkenhausen was a few months away from retirement," Abbas said as he placed flowers. "Rest now, Admiral." On his grave Abbas put more flowers than others''.


    Yue approached him. "Are you done, Abbas?" she asked.


    "Yeah," Abbas replied. "Is it time for that vanity show again?"


    By vanity show, Abbas meant the usual pomp that the government would serve its people to mask the stench of defeat. There would be a ball, where he and Yue would be made to deliver speeches. The attendees would be government officials, those who hid in the coreworlds while sprouting and blustering about war. Maybe, if they were shameless enough, they would spin the battle into a victory.


    "Thankfully, Admiral Tang covered for us and said we were too fatigued to attend."


    In a way, these two really were too fatigued. Not physically, but mentally. "However, Marshal Popov called us."


    Marshal Popov, in Abbas'' eyes, played a part, big or small, in causing the deaths of such millions of hundreds. After all, what sort of commander was he, if he couldn''t even control his subordinates?


    But Marshal Popov''s anguished facial features when he met them through virtual lens made all sorts of ill feelings vanish. "Vice Admiral Yue Fangling. Rear Admiral Abbas al-Salem." These two were naturally promoted.


    The old marshal averted his eyes. "In light of your achievements, HQ has decided to move you to new posts. Vice Admiral Yue, you will command a new fleet formed from the remnants of the invasion fleet and supplemented with new forces. The name is Battlefleet Isolde, 16,000 ships in total. It will be ready in six months. Until then, please report to your new flagship after your break."


    Yue''s small pupils widened. This was certainly not expected.


    "Rear Admiral Abbas al-Salem, you will serve as Battlefleet Chiyou''s new chief-of-staff, replacing Vice Admiral Yue Fangling. That is all. Rest well."


    Marshal Popov cut off communications. "Ah, I see. So you''ll be my successor in Chiyou, then," Yue said finally.


    "I suppose so," Abbas said. "Congratulations. You''ll be commander of a fleet."


    "They must be running short of manpower if they''re using me," Yue joked. "I wonder how things are in the Imperial side."

 13. Imperial Victory

    Oh, things were way, way, more jubilant in the Empire. The Emperor announced a one-rank promotion for all personnel involved (except those ranked admirals, except Karl), and a rest period of two months. This meant that, after 70 something years, the Empire would have a Marshal who''s not promoted posthumously.


    Karl von Marbach knelt before the Emperor. "Admiral Karl von Marbach, your achievements have been magnificent. I hereby name you Marshal of the Empire. I also hereby name you Duke of Ventii. Emperor Fredrick V."


    Karl smiled faintly. "My achievements are due to the grace of Your Majesty," he said as he received his baton, a glorified iron stick covered in gold and silver, adorned with a ruby.


    This is way too much pomp, he thought, though he was fully aware of the necessity of it.


    A number of hours later, Katharin gathered her most trusted advisors again to discuss the effects of the recent victory. The members of this kind of gathering would be named the "Hands of the Princess" by historians. In this particular meeting, Spymaster Klaris proposed a particular item.


    "An exchange of prisoners?" Katharin said, her brows quivering. "Is that something politically feasible?"


    Karl squirmed a little. "It''s perfectly feasible," Klaris replied. "Now that we''re in an advantageous situation, we have enough leeway. They took a lot of prisoners at Alvisa, and we took only a few at Ventii, but the damage to their military should be great enough that an exchange would be accepted, unbalanced quantitatively as it may be."


    Of course, Klaris skimmed over the Ventii part, since she didn''t want to remind the princess who exactly bungled the epilogue of that one.


    "How''s the reaction in the Republic?"


    "Well, the main impact is on their general election," Klaris answered. "Previously, the Whitmore faction held a small advantage¨Croughly 55 percent against the Flares'' 45 percent. Currently, the numbers are around 40 percent for the Whitmores and 60 percent for the Flares."


    Katharin let out a low laugh. "It''s a funny thing, this ideology they call democracy, isn''t it?" she said. "Just a thing or two, and their votes can swing left and right."


    "It is to be expected. After all, the Whitmore politicians planned this attack to bolster their popularity," Klaris added.


    "They throw away a few hundred million lives for an election?" Katharin mocked. "Stupid. Also, what about the investigation that I asked?"


    "Of course, I''ve done it."


    Klaris showed a projection of two persons. "Yue Fangling, 28 years old, currently holding the rank of Vice Admiral, commander of Battlefleet Isolde. Abbas al-Salem, 22 years old, currently holding the rank of Rear Admiral, Chief-of-Staff of Battlefleet Chiyou. These two were the ones who held command over the rear guard at Ventii."


    "It appears that they''re both orphans, with no notable family members to speak of. They live in the military complex normally, but they''re currently on vacation together."


    Klaris showed little to no emotion; she was perfectly stoic as she observed her princess'' grumbling expression.


    "Both of them will be trouble in the future."


    Holding back the instinct to say "no shit", Klaris replied: "Yes. Shall I arrange an assassination? Should be relatively easy."


    Karl, who had stayed silent, raised his voice. "You can''t assassinate willy-nilly like that. Last half dozen times, it failed pathetically."


    "You are a military man, Marshal. But not everything can be solved with ship-to-ship combat. We''re a nation, not gladiators."


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    Katharin raised her hand, prompting silence just as Karl was about to speak again. "Continue monitoring these two. No need to take action ... yet."


    Too late, Klaris realized the princess royal has a good deal of pride in her. After that uppity Abbas had stained a perfect imperial victory, there was no way Katharin could sit there and swallow it without concocting a plan to repay the humiliation with interest.


    Someone knocked on the door. "Come in!" Katharin''s sharp voice ordered. It was the imperial family''s court physician, a man by the name of August. He was a man of age fifty or so, an experienced and skilled doctor.


    "August, what brings you here?" Katharin asked, with her voice a little shaky.


    "His Majesty the Emperor suffered a small stroke this morning, but has since recovered almost fully. His Majesty requests that Your Royal Highness focus on Your Royal Highness'' tasks and not worry about His Majesty."


    "I see ... dismissed, if nothing else."


    A grim smile came to Katharin''s lips. "Father won''t be alive for too long ...," she pondered. The inevitability of death was one she could accept. It was one that her father taught her to accept.


    "On that matter, a number of marriage proposals have been thrown at us from notable noble families," Klaris said, prompting a frown from both Karl and Katharin.


    "Awfully opportunistic, aren''t they?" he said.


    Katharin''s young age and her status meant she was prime marriage target. In noble families, both sons and daughters were often used as fodder to build or maintain alliances. Katharin dismissed Klaris'' concerns with a swing of her hand. "Delay them as much as you can," she ordered.


    "Of course, Princess.¡±


    Some months after Ventii, Abbas assumed his new post as Chief-of-Staff of Battlefleet Chiyou. It is around this time that the general elections were held. It would take at least five months to count all the votes.


    Prior to the elections, the Empire¡¯s proposal for a prisoner exchange was accepted by the Republic¡¯s ruling council in yet another desperate attempt to prop up their popularity¡ªwhich worked a little.


    Strictly speaking, there was no war between the Empire and the Republic. Both sides acknowledge the other as ¡°separatist states¡±, ¡°rebels¡±, or some such. The roots of this nonsensical state of affairs could be traced back to the founding of the United Space Nations, a gargantuan democratic state that stood for six hundred years. Its founding was a historical achievement, proof that humanity could shed its old national and tribal identities to unite and rule space together.


    Alas, it was not to last. A series of crises, raising food prices, shortage of goods, and a slew of other issues stemming from corrupt administrations and a slothful citizenry gave birth to a brutal conflict as Emperor Truvach, formerly Defense Minister, raised a popular rebellion that would become the Empire. The democratic forces suffered defeat after defeat, until they managed to turn the tide and stabilized the lines, transforming into the current Republic.


    Nevertheless, it was a fact that people fought. People died. People suffered. And people were captured.


    For this prisoner exchange, the Empire deployed Princess Katharin herself, accompanied by Marshal Karl von Marbach and his Royal Fleet, alongside a slew of other important officials. Admiral Valentina¡¯s First Fleet also attended as escort. Representing the Republic would be Defense Minister Alessio Cadorna, older brother of Admiral Mario Cadorna, as well as Marshal Gabriel Popov. Admiral Tang Jinhua of Battlefleet Chiyou and Vice Admiral Yue Fangling of Battlefleet Isolde participated as well.


    In total, both sides deployed almost a hundred thousand warships¡ªjust for a prisoner exchange, signifying just how little trust had been fostered between the two states. Roughly 35 million imperial prisoners would be exchanged for 15 million republicans.


    Treatment of prisoners became a sticking point of antagonism as well. Republican prisoners-of-war were usually put into harsh labor camps or prison worlds. Under more cruel emperors, cases of murder and rape became a daily occurrence in such worlds. Not that the republicans were much better; the imperials remember with ¡®fondness¡¯ the Oakrend Massacre of 2599, where one million imperial prisoners were butchered with a gas weapon by a particularly unhinged Defense Minister¡¯s orders.


    Nevertheless, both sides entered the space of Isparion Starzone, a starzone of three dwarf planets orbiting one yellow sun. This imperial space bordered republican territory. The Tiangong parked right next to the Illustrious, sandwiched between the former and Yue¡¯s new flagship, the Rosebud.


    ¡°It¡¯s really a beautiful ship, isn¡¯t it?¡± Admiral Tang commented from the bridge of her ship to Abbas as her eyes scanned the Illustrious. ¡°I never got the opportunity to see it up close. Usually we begin bombing each other from a much farther distance.¡±


    Abbas smiled faintly. ¡°It¡¯s a little too garish for me,¡± he said.


    ¡°I can see your point. Well, unfortunately this isn¡¯t a museum. We need to go.¡±


    Standing tall behind the Defense Minister, Abbas gazed as the Imperial delegation made their way to the hall.


    ¡°So that¡¯s the princess,¡± he muttered. Katharin strode forward with an aura of unmitigable pride and confidence, her eyes scanning the republicans, before locking for a few moments at Abbas.


    The prisoner exchange began.

 14. Storms Beginning

    Abbas really couldn¡¯t be bothered to pay much attention to the proceeding ceremony. With this ceremony came an implicit peace treaty¡ªwell, at least until some stupid issue flamed the war again.


    Or perhaps, mysterious hands behind the veil would reignite the machinations of war once more, as have happened many times before.


    He had to stand around looking busy as exchanged POWs made their way to transport ships. An unexpected presence incited his interest, though. ¡°Oh, hey, Henry!¡± he greeted his old friend, who looked like he would suffer a stroke within the next few days.


    ¡°Oh, Abbas,¡± Henry replied with a weak smile, a stack of documents in his hand.


    ¡°You look tired,¡± Abbas mused.


    ¡°You¡¯d be tired too if you had to handle all this,¡± Henry retorted before sighing. ¡°They really should be giving us warning before doing things like this. Well, I guess it¡¯s better than your predicament.¡±


    ¡°My predicament involves standing around, so I don¡¯t think so,¡± Abbas chuckled.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean¡ªoh. Here comes the devil.¡±


    The devil was an overweight, short man in uniform¡ª¡®Admiral¡¯ Black, who came from a wealthy line of defence contractors. He commanded Battlefleet Ouroboros, a coreworld fleet. His character was certainly wanting; as Admiral Tang so eloquently put it in one of her insult-filled rants, nuanced in bigotry:


    ¡°I have no idea how that imbecile is even allowed to function in society; surely at some point we ought to give mercy and let the idiots rest in mental hospitals. An earthworm has greater intelligence than that pathetic mockery of an admiral. Symptomatic of the general incompetence, inexperience, and stupidity of the coreworld admirals. In fact, so terrible is this piece of garbage, that I now count Battlefleet Ouroboros as an Imperial fleet; for all purposes it is one¡ªa threat to our Armada.¡± The objectivity of this statement would later be questioned.


    Abbas saluted him. ¡°Rear Admiral, pleasant to meet you,¡± he said. ¡°And for my daughter to serve as your aide again! She has done a good job, last I hear?¡±


    Abbas¡¯ head tilted. ¡°A good¡ª¡° Frankly, he was surprised she wasn¡¯t court-martialed after the escape stunt she pulled.


    ¡°She did a good job, didn¡¯t she?¡± Admiral Black¡¯s twisted mouth smiled widely.


    Abbas was no dolt. He knew the subtle threat that danced around with that sentence. He gritted his teeth. It looked like he was ready to turn around and explode¡ª


    ¡°Oh, dear me, there is nothing wrong here, is there?¡±


    A short man of brown complexions entered the fray with a friendly, peaceful smile on his face. Admiral Anand, commander of Battlefleet Agni, had interfered. Admiral Black took a physical and mental step back.


    ¡°Nothing at all, Admiral Anand, I was just complimenting the rear admiral on his recent achievements. Well then, good day.¡±


    As soon as Admiral Black was out of sight, Admiral Anand walked closer. His face grew stiff, his friendly smile replaced by a grim, flat expression. ¡°You¡¯d do well to avoid confrontations with that man, Rear Admiral. His connections in political circles are as deep and thick as the roots of a great tree,¡± he said.


    His expressions relaxed a little. ¡°We need a few more able admirals at the front, to replace those tragically lost at Ventii¡ªbut I prefer them to not have a bad temperament.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the help, Admiral.¡±


    Admiral Anand waved his hand and left¡ªto be replaced by a woman in imperial uniform, immediately causing Abbas to straighten his pose. This woman, in likeness of Imperial Spymaster Klaris, was one of the latter¡¯s many, many ¡®doppelgangers¡¯, agents who looked and trained to act like her. Not that Abbas would know any of that¡ªin fact, he didn¡¯t even know who Klaris is. ¡°I believe you are Rear Admiral Abbas al-Salem,¡± the agent said. ¡°Our Royal Highness Princess Katharin sends you her regards. ¡®Until we meet again¡¯.¡±


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    The agent disappeared as mysteriously as she came.


    Until we meet again ....


    Katharin was taking her time to observe the soldiers of the Republic, alongside Marshal Karl von Marbach at her side. ¡°Rear Admiral Abbas al-Salem ... if only he had been an Imperial, I¡¯d like to have him under our command,¡± Katharin remarked. ¡°It appears they have better officers than ours, in general.¡±


    Katharin¡¯s teeth gritted like that of a predator¡¯s. ¡°We¡¯ve been showing too much favoritism towards the nobleborn. Like parasites they¡¯ve burrowed themselves into our society without merit.¡±


    ¡°Be as that may, they still possess great resources. For a monarchy our central authority is quite lacking,¡± Karl commented.


    ¡°There¡¯ll be a war soon, Karl,¡± Katharin said, her mouth forming a sharp smile. ¡°I¡¯m afraid my father is dying. The nobles won¡¯t accept me as their Empress.¡±


    ¡°Certainly, young empresses on the throne is considered a softer target for rebellion,¡± Karl said nonchalantly. ¡°That said, I don¡¯t believe there is anyone worth their salt as a military commander in their ranks.¡±


    The two of them continued walking in silence after that. A few days later, everyone returned home¡ªand war resumed.


    Katharin and Karl rapidly established a new admiralty, ostensibly for modernization purposes. The Numbered Fleets were reorganized, forming twenty large fleets of roughly 30,000 ships each. The Royal Fleet was restrengthened, numbering 60,000 ships. In total the Empire could muster 660,000 warships.


    Of notice were Katharin¡¯s newly picked commanders: Admiral Valentina, commanding the First Fleet; Vice Admiral Radbruch, commanding the Second Fleet; Vice Admiral Thompson, commanding the Fifth Fleet.


    ¡°Not enough,¡± was Katharin¡¯s response to the assembled admirals. ¡°We need more talent.¡±


    Katharin¡¯s desire to surround herself with competence, rather than yes-men, would shape the way her figure was assessed by future historians. And so would her fighting spirit.


    In a fortnight, she would get her wish. A crisis had broken out in one of the Empire¡¯s frontier starzones. It first started as a dispute over ore mining rights of some newly discovered ore veins in a number of planets between Marquis von Knittlingen and a reasonably wealthy commoner.


    According to legal experts, the ore veins, located under the commoner¡¯s property, were completely under the Marquis¡¯ ownership. Imperial Spymaster Klaris¡¯ investigation revealed that the experts¡¯ family had fallen under threat by the Marquis.


    There was another issue at play. The Marquis is technically part of the royal family, even if his royal blood is thin. The commoner, a disabled, retired commodore by the name of August Vokel, had launched a complaint. The only reason the complaint even came to Katharin¡¯s desk at all was that August Vokel was a passing acquaintance with Marshal Karl.


    ¡°Marquis von Knittlingen is a highly respected noble in court,¡± Klaris commented. ¡°If we¡¯re to side with this man August Vokel, we¡¯ll be alienating him.¡± Klaris¡¯ eyes sharpened, and the blades were aimed at Karl.


    ¡°Commodore August Vokel is a very popular man in the lower rungs of the military, an idol of sorts,¡± Karl stated stiffly.


    ¡°He has no noble pedigree, and yet managed to rise to the rank of commodore. He must be quite good,¡± Katharin noted. ¡°And besides, in this case Marquis von Knittlingen really is on the wrong side. Klaris, summon August Vokel for me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Princess.¡±


    Katharin left the room. Karl and Klaris immediately turned on one another. ¡°If you think the only thing governing requires are big ships and big guns and strong admirals, think again,¡± Klaris hissed.


    ¡°What use is statecraft if it harms the people?¡± Karl shot back.


    ¡°I¡¯m making a small sacrifice for a better future. We¡¯ll have to rid Knittlingen one day, but not now. We can¡¯t alienate him and his supporters for the sake of one person and a bunch of commoners. The maths don¡¯t add up. If you want to help that Vokel so much, I can pilfer some funds from the Imperial Household Treasury to compensate him.¡±


    ¡°And just who are you to make that sort of decision? Are you God? You calculate left and right, but this is an empire, not a computer.¡±


    The voices of these two were perfectly calm and stable even as they conjure verbal storms at one another, like tall and proud lighthouses in heavy rain.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about your opinions,¡± Klaris said finally. ¡°But you can¡¯t keep steering Princess Katharin towards your fleets.¡±


    ¡°The princess is perfectly capable of forming her own opinions. She¡¯s not a child.¡±


    ¡°For all intents and purposes she still is.¡±


    ¡°For all your intents and purposes, mayhaps.¡±


    The two loyal servants of the Empire left the room, their differences unsettled. In any case, a favorable result was bestowed towards Vokel, who rejoined the military. It was a decision that flamed the wrath of Marquis von Knittlingen and his associates in court, but cheered the hearts of many commoners in the military.


    The date was 18 June 2602. The news that shook the entire galaxy was brought.


    Emperor Fredrick had passed away.

 15. The Tollerwald Alliance

    The day was cloudy and grey. Assembled were a host of high nobles, bureaucrats, ministers, and military officers. Warships from the Royal Fleet hung above the sky.


    The funeral procession of the Emperor was grand, his coffin made out of the finest ironwood. Princess Katharin walked with heavy steps as she placed flowers on her father¡¯s dead body. She did not cry. If she had cried, the Emperor would¡¯ve looked from above with disapproval.


    From Imperial Spymaster Klaris¡¯ perspective, as tragic and sad and blahblahblah as the Emperor¡¯s passing was, the more important issue at hand was the nobility. Her liege had¡ª¡°stupidly¡±¡ªantagonized a number of influential nobles.


    The two biggest bastards, as Klaris viewed it, were the two Dukes: Duke Gerlach and Duke Dahl. The former was a textbook opponent with a son who could claim the throne. The latter had charisma, and could muster many imperial fleets under a banner of rebellion. As admittedly formidable as Karl von Marbach was, he was also nicknamed the ¡°Thrice-defeated admiral¡±.


    It took only one month for events to begin bursting out like pus. Duke Gerlach, having an infant son by the name of Heinrich von Gerlach, offered a proposal to Princess Katharin. The proposal could be summed thusly:


    Princess Katharin would be betrothed to Heinrich von Gerlach to form a union between the Houses of Nassau and Gerlach. Furthermore, Heinrich would become Emperor, with Duke Gerlach and would-be Empress Katharin as regents. Katharin metaphorically (historians alleged literally) burned this proposal down. The background of this proposal was far more pragmatic than expected, however.


    Duke Gerlach was having Marquis Knittlingen over for talks that day. The marquis, having vast resources and a fairly intelligent mind but no claim to the throne himself, begrudgingly allied himself with the duke. The duke had wooed him with these words: ¡°once my son is Emperor, I will elevate you to a duke and give your house preferential treatment.¡±


    Marquis Knittlingen nodded. ¡°No matter what, we can¡¯t allow that brat to become Empress,¡± he said, his words full of venom. ¡°She may have noble blood, but her actions are that of a peasant.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, it is as you say, Marquis.¡± There wasn¡¯t much sincerity in the duke¡¯s words.


    ¡°Then, what do you plan to do? We may revolt, but we need a good reason¡ªfor publicity reasons, at least,¡± the marquis said. At his heart, the marquis is a calculator; and a pretty good one at that. He had joined this pact with the calculation that he had a greater than 50/50 chance of coming out on top¡ªnot just against Princess Katharin¡¯s faction, but also the Duke, once the war would be resolved.


    ¡°I will deliver the princess a proposal that she cannot accept regarding the throne. We will then use that refusal as the reason to declare war.¡±


    The Gerlach-Knittlingen axis was thus formed with a firm handshake¡ªfor now. The malcontent nobles were gathering under their secret banner.


    Vice Admirals Thompson and Radbruch were watching events unfold with great interest. They had just completed a joint exercise, and were now playing cards and drinking wine with each other in a popular restaurant and bar for high rank officers. ¡°I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re vice admirals now. I thought I¡¯d be stuck at commodore,¡± Radbruch remarked. ¡°Her Royal Highness is truly generous.¡±


    ¡°Generous towards us commoners and low nobles. The issue is, will the high nobles sit back and accept that?¡± Thompson said gloomily.


    ¡°Are you saying¡ª¡±


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    ¡°It is customary for admiralty¡¯s members to be high nobles. Marshal Karl von Marbach used to be the only exception. Now that us lowly folk are promoted to fleet commander, the paradigm is shifting. There¡¯s no way they¡¯ll just sit back quietly and accept it,¡± Thompson muttered pensively.


    ¡°Well, we¡¯ll just have to be ready!¡± Radbruch proclaimed. ¡°Come what may, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll come up on top.¡±


    Thompson¡¯s prophecy could be proven almost immediately if they had just eavesdropped on a table far, far away in the restaurant. Duke Dahl, commanding the Tenth Fleet, were talking with Admiral Luvert, commander of both Fortress Thalassa and the Seventh Fleet. Admiral Luvert had been maneuvering himself out of petty court clashes, and was a true professional military man. He was the cousin of a relatively unimportant viscount, and a seasoned fighter, having even fought at the Battle of Istoria long ago. Marshal Karl once evaluated his abilities as ¡°decent¡±¡ªand the marshal was a harsh evaluator.


    ¡°Admiral Luvert, think about it. The princess is meddling with the military. She¡¯s playing with personnel assignments without a care in the world, without paying attention to the courtly issues that lie beneath, as well as competency and experience. In short, she¡¯s treating the military like her own toy. Will you sit back and relax even as we¡¯re being castrated like this?¡±


    Admiral Luvert scratched his not itchy head that was decorated with greying hair. ¡°I don¡¯t know about this, Duke. Complaining, protesting¡ªbut actually going against the throne with military force ¡­ I don¡¯t know if this is the right path forward.¡±


    ¡°Admiral, think about it like this: for hundreds of years we¡¯ve had emperors. My question is why should they rule?¡±


    This blatantly treasonous talk made Admiral Luvert shudder a little. Duke Dahl smiled. ¡°Why should bloodlines decide everything? For hundreds of years it has always been us, the personnel on the frontline, who fight and squander blood for the defense and interests of the Empire. Yet now we¡¯re being played like marionettes on a string.¡±


    A long, uncertain pause danced in the air as the admiral¡¯s mental gears turned. ¡°I heard about Duke Gerlach and Marquis Knittlingen¡¯s alliance,¡± he said finally. ¡°Are you part of it, Duke?¡±


    ¡°Certainly not. Why would I trade one monarch for a lesser one?¡± Duke Dahl said, disgusted. ¡°What Duke Gerlach and Marquis Knittlingen are doing is nothing more than petty court struggles and power plays. What I¡¯m aiming for is a better Empire. I do not seek to depose the person on the throne only to replace it with another.¡±


    ¡°Suppose you go with your plan and seize power. What do you plan to do?¡± Admiral Luvert asked.


    ¡°First of all, I¡¯ll crush the Republic of the New Stars. They¡¯re a constant thorn in our side, a monster that is draining our blood. And then I¡¯ll form a military council to rule over the Empire. Of course, we¡¯ll involve civil professionals as well,¡± he replied, tilting his wine glass. That last sentence of his felt like a rushed addition. ¡°So, how about it, Admiral?¡±


    ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll join you,¡± Admiral Luvert said finally. ¡°For the good of the Empire.¡± Admiral Luvert emphasized that last part.


    Uncountable light years away, the Kaufmann siblings, Wilson and Petra, were also watching the developments with great interest. ¡°Marquis von Knittlingen just ordered 10,000 more ships. Everything considered, the Gerlach-Knittlingen axis have ordered close to 200,000 warships,¡± Petra reported. ¡°They¡¯re obviously gearing for all-out war, and Princess Katharin¡¯s faction knows it. Their spies have been trying to track those ships.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re keeping them safe, I take it?¡± Wilson asked.


    ¡°I am. I¡¯ve left enough red herrings to fill an ocean world,¡± Petra confirmed. ¡°Also, it seems like the civil war will be more complicated than that. Duke Dahl has recruited Admiral Luvert. Their fleets combined would total 60,000 warships, and Fortress Thalassa is in their hands.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I don¡¯t care about the Imperial civil war¡¯s result, or even how it proceeds. Monitor the situation as much as possible. We simply must ensure that the Empire doesn¡¯t simply collapse,¡± Wilson said, the wine in his glass drunk with one big gulp, ¡°if it does collapse, we¡¯ll need to have solutions to weaken the Republic in turn. See to it.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    The only important thing, as Wilson and Petra had put it, was that there was a balance. They couldn¡¯t let the war end. Nor did they care who was fighting who. As long as mankind thirsted for blood in space, they¡¯d need weapons. And the Kaufmanns would be there to supply them.


    22 December 2602 was the date when Princess Katharin crowned herself Empress of the Empire.


    28 December 2602. The Tollerwald Alliance gathered in the great forest world of Tollerwald, led by the combination of Duke Gerlach and Marquis Knittlingen. Almost two-thirds of the nobility joined them. They signed an agreement to revolt when timing is right.


    The Imperial Civil War was on the horizon ¡­.

 16. The Battle of Westmarch Starzone: Part 1

    "The flowers of rebellion are blooming. Let them bloom so that we can burn them to the roots," Empress Katharin once said during a meeting with her closest associates.


    "Perfectly poetic, Empress," Spymaster Klaris replied artlessly. "But we should plan the burning from now."


    "Yes. Begin our plan at once," Empress Katharin said.


    The plan had been drafted via the combined minds of both Katharin and Klaris, alongside hundreds of bureaucrats and political planners. It was a plan to decisively sort out the treasonous nobles.


    Firstly, Katharin announced the promotion of many distinguished commoners to the noble rank of Imperial Knight. A select few were even made barons. These former commoners came from all sorts of backgrounds; one had been an excellent retired fleet commander, another had been a skilled scientist who invented many new chemicals for agricultural use; yet another was a supreme painter.


    Many of the nobles immediately became outraged. "The title of nobility had become a tradable commodity," they claimed.


    Furthermore, Katharin lifted the ban on criticizing nobles, allowing even herself to be criticized. Limited freedom of press were enacted, and the ban of unions were also lifted.


    Many of the indecisive nobles joined the Tollerwald Alliance. On the flip side, the various reformist factions immediately pledged support for the young empress. Popular support among commoners sided completely with her as well.


    The issue, as Katharin worried, was the military. Aside from the Royal Fleet, as well as fleets commanded by Admiral Valentina and Vice Admirals Radbruch and Thompson, the other fleets were largely divided. Karl''s efforts at reform did not work perfectly; many officers were still nobles. Even though the average common soldier might favor the Empress, they''d have to contend with their superior officers.


    The Tollerwald Alliance, born out of self-interest and pursuit of power, had comprised of roughly 20,000 nobles. Their military strength comprised of 400,000 warships, gathered from both private armies and collaborators in the Imperial Fleet. Around 10,000 nobles had secretly contacted or been contacted by the Crown and had agreed to assist the Empress. This faction didn''t have¨Cor need¨Ca formal name, but its members and enemies soon came to call it the Loyalists. Roughly 5000 others were still indecisive.


    The Loyalists were clearly outnumbered, but the cracks in the Tollerwald Alliance had begun to show.


    For one, the location of the main base of the Alliance. Duke Gerlach had wished to make his homeworld of Gerlach to be the main stronghold, but was met with opposition from Marquis Knittlingen. The reasoning of the marquis was thus:


    "The Gerlach Starzone is too close to the Loyalist Throneworld. Our forces aren''t massed yet, and the Loyalists can plausibly launch an all-out attack. In that scenario Gerlach cannot hold."


    Many of the nobles found themselves agreeing with Marquis Knittlingen. Unfortunately, the marquis'' suggestion of his own homeworld was opposed as well.


    The Tollerwald Alliance had designated Admiral Dortmund, commander of the Eleventh Fleet, supreme commander of the  fleets. Duke Gerlach himself had invited him to his manor, plied him with monetary gifts, beautiful, scantily clad women, and promises of a high rank. Admiral Dortmund wasn''t hard to tempt.


    That much, at least, was known to the Loyalists. It was alleged that Karl, upon hearing this, twisted a smile and said to an associate, "with him at the enemy''s helm, the battle''s half-won." Like his counterpart in the Republic, he was brimming with confidence bordering on arrogance¨Cthough in his case his humility toned things down.


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    All three sides were making intensive preparations, but Duke Dahl committed a fatal blunder before the first move of the war was even played. He invited Karl to his manor, trying to recruit him into the cause.


    Karl sat there in contemplative silence while Duke Dahl preached about his militaristic ideology. At last, Karl smiled. In the realm of pure politics he was a lost lamb, but this was simple military deception work.


    "Duke, I sympathize with your point of view," he said. "Matter is, even if I join your camp, the men under me won''t. They''re loyal to the Empress."


    "Is that so ...." Duke Dahl looked frustrated.


    "How about this. You realize your position in Fortress Thalassa is highly advantageous, but it''s also a prime target?"


    "Of course. It is my plan to spring a trap when Loyalist forces approach."


    "It is likely the Tollerwald Alliance would deploy forces there as well."


    "Yes, they''re the biggest threat. Bunch of madmen ...."


    "How about this: I''ll select as many men personally loyal to me. You pin the Tollerwald Alliance down in Thalassa. I''ll then join you as soon as possible, and repel the Tollerwalds. This way we weaken both the Loyalists and the Tollerwalds."


    "Magnificent! Brilliant insight as expected from the great Marshal!" Duke Dahl said earnestly while clapping.


    "Farewell Duke. We''ll meet again soon."


    Things were moving very quickly. Tensions were unbearable, and everyone involved in imperial politics realized that an explosion would happen soon.


    The declaration of war happened on 12 February 2603. The Tollerwald Alliance had risen in revolt. Empress Katharin didn¡¯t bother reading the declaration, which completely condemned her.


    Neither Duke Gerlach nor Marquis Knittlingen were particularly enthusiastic to wage war this early. Consolidation of their assets wasn¡¯t finished yet. However, the young nobles under their command were bloodthirsty and kept on pushing for war.


    Admiral Dortmund was particularly revitalized by the prospect. A young noble by the name of Fogel had persuaded him over drinks to launch an early attack on the thinly defended Imperial Throneworld. The idea was tactically sound. Fogel was sent, with the permission of Duke Gerlach, to attack the Throneworld with 100,000 warships. Of these, of particular notice was 30,000 ships of the Sixth Fleet.


    The Loyalists were, indeed, thrown into temporary chaos and confusion. The leadership abilities of Katharin pulled through, however. She immediately summoned the First, Second, Fifth, and Eleventh Fleets under the commands of Admiral Valentina, Vice Admiral Radbruch, Vice Admiral Thompson, and Admiral Viscount Holm, respectively. She felt that she couldn¡¯t trust the other fleets enough. The plan was to concentrate Loyalist forces and deliver a decisive blow quickly against the main force of the Tollerwalds, while allowing other fleets and allied nobles to hold off Tollerwald uprisings elsewhere.


    Unwilling to allow Tollerwald forces so near the Throneworld, Katharin and Karl led the 60,000 ships of the Royal Fleet against them. The two armadas were poised to meet on the Westmarch Starzone.


    ¡°Admiral¡± Fogel was the head of a wealthy, hedonistic family. A temperamental man who, even as his massive fleet moved ever closer to the designated battle zone, still bathed himself in wine and women in his room. The noble officers were fully confident in their victory. One officer said thusly:


    ¡°She may be titled Empress, but it¡¯s an empty title. She¡¯s just a commoners¡¯ whore!¡± to the laughter of his fellow officers.


    Many of the Tollerwald soldiers, of mostly common birth, were nervous; not that the officers cared. The only one to hold significant unease was the tomboyish Vice Admiral Bianca Scharnhorst, commander of the Sixth Fleet. A rare female commanding officer of the Empire, she hailed from a poor aristocratic family, and had joined the force to earn bread. She had judged the Tollerwalds to hold the advantage and therefore joined them, but now she was having doubts.


    She contacted Admiral Fogel to discuss battle plans, but was surprised to see the face of an unclothed woman. ¡°Who are you? Where¡¯s the admiral?¡±


    ¡°Uhm, the admiral told me to, uh, tell you to not contact him. I¡¯m just a lady of the night that the admiral hired.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± she said icily, not letting out the ¡°We¡¯re fucked¡± in her mind, while cutting the transmission.


    Meanwhile, Empress Katharin was visiting Marshal Karl¡¯s flagship, the Illustrious. ¡°You¡¯re not resting, Marshal?¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty. I¡¯m still arranging our formation,¡± came the marshal¡¯s answer. His eyes were focused on the screen.


    ¡°What ideas do you have?¡±


    ¡°Not many. The best one is to use our forces defensively, and launch flanking attacks from starboard. We¡¯ve also prepared decoy ships with sensor decoys to attack from port and distract them. But if they have scouts deployed, as they should, it may not work. I need to think of other backup plans.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself too hard, marshal,¡± the Empress said. ¡°I¡¯m not sure those noble officers even know how to move their ships!¡±


    To this boastful jest the marshal only smiled. The Battle of Westmarch Starzone was about to begin.

 17. The Battle of Westmarch Starzone (Part Two)

    Historians would later tell of the Battle of Westmarch Starzone: ¡°neither side were properly ready for war; the Tollerwald Alliance were not ready to attack, nor were the Loyalists ready to defend¡±.


    Whatever the case, both sides were poised to clash at Westmarch. The Loyalists surprised everyone, including themselves, by putting Marshal Karl von Marbach at the head of its expeditionary force¡ªwith the Empress herself under him. ¡°Rank is rank. But in war nobody cares about rank,¡± the Empress remarked.


    The seasoned marshal formed a generally offensive formation of 45,000 ships, holding back 15,000 ships under Rear Admiral Eierkutchen to launch a flanking attack. Rear Admiral Eierkutchen was previously aide to the Empress and had received personal training from Marshal Karl.


    Against this, the Tollerwalds arrayed 100,000 ships in ¡°either the strangest formation I¡¯ve ever seen, or they don¡¯t know what a formation even is¡±, as the Empress put it. The only fleet to maintain some sort of proper order and cohesion were the Sixth Fleet, positioned on the left flank of the Loyalists.


    ¡°That¡¯s a strange formation ... just what are they planning?¡± Karl asked as he established communications with the Empress. ¡°I honestly can¡¯t make sense of it. The only thing I can think of it is they¡¯re deliberately making us let our guard down and launch a careless assault.¡±


    The Empress smiled. ¡°I think they¡¯re just incompetent.¡±


    ¡°I sure hope so.¡±


    The star Westmarch was generally quite stable, but at certain intervals there would be unpredictable moderate winds. It was something that the marshal had calculated.


    ¡°Admiral, we¡¯ve detected the enemy!¡± a Tollerwald officer reports. ¡°Roughly 45,000 ships!¡±


    ¡°Impudent mockery! Heheheh, what can they do with such a small fleet? Fire, fire, fire away!¡± was the order from Admiral Fogel.


    The outrageously long distance meant that this order did practically zero damage to the Loyalist fleet. ¡°The distance is too far, what is the enemy thinking, I wonder,¡± Karl remarked. ¡°Prepare to fire at regular distance.¡±


    As the fleets approach one another, the Loyalist fleet fired its armaments, unleashing orderly destruction on the wild mob that was the Tollerwald fleet. The Sixth Fleet immediately assumed a defensive sphere formation. ¡°Focus fire on the enemy center and left flank!¡± Karl gave orders. He intended to shatter the mob and isolate the Sixth Fleet. Things had gone better than expected, so his plan to use decoy ships was sidelined for now.


    ¡°Attack!¡± the Empress said over communication channels, and that order was clarity itself. In merely a few hours¡¯ fighting, the center and left of the Tollerwalds were already close to collapse. At that point, Karl unleashed his reserves in a flanking assault to pin down the Sixth Fleet.


    The noble officers, having never tasted real battle and trusting in their noble blood to prevail, were now facing the strength of the Empire¡¯s best fleet, commanded by its best fleet commander. They never stood much of a chance.


    ¡°The difference in experience and skill is too wide to overcome, huh,¡± Vice Admiral Bianca muttered to herself as her allies were butchered and her own fleet pinned by fire from fore and port. ¡°Looks like I picked the wrong side.¡± Her flagship, the Phantom, stood like a fortress of order amidst chaos.


    ¡°Our allies are being routed. What do we do, commander?¡± her second-in-command requested.


    ¡°We¡¯ll serve as rear guard,¡± she replied. ¡°Tighten our sphere. Hold the enemy off as long as possible. Prepare to form the spindle formation as well.¡±


    Communications came from the Illuminator, the flagship of Admiral Fogel. ¡°ATTACK! ATTACK!¡± he roared like a mad man. ¡°Prove the pride and courage of the nobility! Attack!¡±


    At this command, the Tollerwald fleet regrouped as they could under heavy fire. Sensing trouble, Karl ordered his fleets to pull back and reorganize.


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    When the Tollerwald assault arrived, Karl launched his own fleets unto an attack. This sort of aggressiveness was his trademark. The Royal Fleet soon overwhelmed their dwindled enemies, inflicting massive casualties. The Illustrious charged forward. ¡°Destroy the Illuminator.¡±


    Concentrated fire to take out opposing leadership was also a trait of Karl¡¯s. The Illuminator burst into a ball of flames, prompting the remaining ships to retreat disorderly. Only ten thousand ships made it out.


    Like a shining spot in a web of darkness, the Sixth Fleet fought admirably, focusing fire to cover their retreating allies. The Loyalist battleship Wendigo was struck by the combined firepower of three cruisers and exploded; the destroyers Tempa and Tempo were blasted to bits by the Phantom. ¡°They¡¯re causing too many casualties, Marshal,¡± the Empress said. ¡°We should probably do something about it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Let¡¯s allow the others to leave and surround the Sixth Fleet.¡±


    The Royal Fleet quickly extended their wings, enveloping the Sixth Fleet. ¡°Form the spindle formation,¡± Vice Admiral Bianca said. ¡°We need to get out before they fully surround us.¡±


    The Sixth Fleet¡¯s movements were neither particularly fast nor sluggish. The Loyalist fleets, as if struck by some sort of dumbness, withdrew slowly and tethered their ships unto one another and held back fire. Vice Admiral Bianca seized the moment to retreat.


    That was when a burst of strong solar wind from Westmarch¡¯s fixed star disrupted the movement of her fleet. The Loyalist fleets fired again in earnest. ¡°Commander, over 50 percent of our fleet is destroyed or disabled, and the rest is in shambles. I fear we cannot possibly escape,¡± her aide said with a worried expression.


    ¡°... shut down the engines. Tell them we surrender unconditionally.¡±


    Fighting like a mercenary for a side that abandons me ... I¡¯m not that stupid.


    And so ended the first clash of the Imperial Civil War. The Loyalists returned to their throneworld to regroup. The same day the Royal Fleet returned, Admiral Valentina¡¯s First Fleet and Admiral Holm¡¯s Eleventh Fleet also arrived. The Loyalists had captured their first officer.


    ¡°Vice Admiral Bianca Scarnhorst. I value both your tactical ability and your rationality. I can only conclude a misjudgement to be your reason to join the rebels.¡±


    Vice Admiral Bianca, her hands cuffed and with two soldiers with laser rifles standing next to her as the Empress interrogated her in the throne room, nodded. ¡°It is as you say, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Yet you still call me Your Majesty?¡±


    ¡°I am born of a poor aristocratic family, with more debt than coin. And I am a defeated admiral. There¡¯s no reason to not acknowledge your supremacy.¡±


    ¡°So you so easily betray the Tollerwald Alliance, to whom you have sworn loyalty?¡±


    ¡°I have done my best. My efforts are not enough to overcome Your Majesty¡¯s strength. And if I may be bold, I don¡¯t think anyone else in the Alliance could have done any better.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re bold. I like that. Very well then. I will have you rejoin your Sixth Fleet in due time. For now, I will put you under house arrest and your fleet under supervision of Admiral Holm. Certainly you understand, I cannot have a former rebel switch colors so seamlessly.¡±


    ¡°No words can convey my gratitude, Your Majesty.¡±


    Vice Admiral Bianca Scarnhorst couldn¡¯t believe she got out in one piece; hell, she couldn¡¯t believe she was even standing there, as she entered the fairly luxurious villa that would become her place of house arrest.


    Republicans were treated with little mercy by past emperors, but rebels were treated with even less. A quick execution would have been overtly generous. A prolonged torture and a gory death in a public execution were the norm.


    Of course, she couldn¡¯t have known the background event that led to this magnanimous treatment. For once, Marshal Karl and Imperial Spymaster Klaris agreed on the same course of action.


    ¡°Speaking purely from a military point of view, Vice Admiral Scarnhorst is certainly a rare gem. It¡¯s a waste to not have her on our side. The Sixth Fleet is quite an asset as well, obviously,¡± Karl said. He glanced at Klaris, seemingly anticipating a rebuttal.


    ¡°For completely unrelated reasons, I agree,¡± Klaris said. ¡°The optics of an important enemy commander bending her knee to you would be quite a sight, Your Majesty. It will drive home the point of your supremacy, and deal a political blow against our opponents. We¡¯ll have to monitor her for a while, of course.¡±


    ¡°I see. If both of you suggest the same thing, I see no reason to be a contrarian. For my part, blood in battlespace is one thing, but shedding it outside battlespace isn¡¯t pleasing to me. I¡¯ll implement what the two of you suggest,¡± the Empress said. ¡°Now, on to the next matter. Klaris, I believe Duke Dahl had just declared a military revolt.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. Joining him are Admiral Luvert of the Seventh Fleet and Admiral Boll of the Eighteenth Fleet. The former has rendezvoused with him at his base in Thalassa Fortress, while the latter is still on his way. Incidentally, the Tollerwalds are launching a major assault in that area.¡±


    ¡°Marshal, your opinion? They could be a useful shield against the Tollerwalds, especially with the trap you¡¯ve set with Duke Dahl.¡±


    ¡°I agree, but it doesn¡¯t mean we passively do nothing. I suggest we send some forces to waylay the Eighteenth Fleet, at least. Send another contingent to deal as many casualties against both the Tollerwalds and the military revolt.¡±


    The Empress nodded and stood up. ¡°Well then, let¡¯s retake the Empire.¡±

 18. Katharins Resolve

    Things were, er, problematic in the Tollerwald League, to put it in the least offensive language. Having lost nearly a quarter of their fighting strength in a single battle, without inflicting any significant damage, a few of the more level-headed nobles began to waver.


    At least their main base had been decided: Edelweiss Fortress, a powerful fortress in the subcore region of the Empire. Fortress building was always interesting; it was an area where the Republic excelled. The Empire had stolen blueprints of the Republic''s ''Flying Fortresses'', but Republican agents managed to tamper with it just enough: they made it less efficient, consuming insane amounts of energy; its armor too thick for no reason in one place and too thin in another; and, crucially, ruined the schemes needed to make the fortress mobile.


    As a result, when the Empire built Edelweiss Fortress, hoping for it to be a mobile engine of victory, they were greatly disappointed when the mammoth fortress stood idle, unable to move. Now it orbited the planet Edelweiss V in the Edelweiss Starzone.


    The fortress had always been a constant drain in resources, and political will to destroy or repurpose it had never been mustered. Now it was the base of the Tollerwalds, alongside its main gun, the Eternal Flower. "Well¨Cnow we have a good reason to destroy that good-for-nothing metal junk," the Empress half-joked.


    Still, the overwhelming majority of the Alliance remained outrageously optimistic.  Believing in their noble blood to carry the day, they continued their rebellion. They were drawing up plans to invade the Thalassa Starzone and nearby starzones, all of them agriculturally rich.


    Once more, the Alliance sent 100,000 ships, this time under Marquis Knittlingen. Duke Dahl immediately sent word to Marshal Karl. The latter affirmed his promise of aid.


    Naturally, Karl did muster his fleets. The Royal Fleet, First Fleet, and Eleventh Fleet came to roughly 120,000 ships, but he couldn''t afford to leave the Throneworld undefended. The next major clash in this civil war was predicted to be in Thalassa Starzone.


    Meanwhile, the Loyalist Second and Fifth Fleets were dispatched to waylay Admiral Boll, who had joined in the military revolt. It was the first independent command Vice Admirals Thompson and Radbruch had. They carefully maneuvered their fleets and caught the Eighteenth Fleet in Zelica Starzone, an inhabited starzone.


    Admiral Boll was of a similar psychological build to Duke Dahl: a "true" military man who believed in the sword. He was both experienced and skilled, and the Loyalists rued that they must battle him.


    When Admiral Boll detected the Second Fleet moving against him, he grew silent. "Hmm. Thirty thousand, I see," he muttered. ¡°An entire fleet.¡±


    Many scenarios played in his mind. Could this be a direct challenge? Or was this fleet in front of him a distraction? And what would he do? Engage or retreat?


    In the end, after taking counsel with his subordinates, Admiral Boll decided to engage head-on. He massed his forces in the right flank, intending for it to smash against the enemy with temporary numbers.


    "The enemy is engaging us," was the report given to Vice Admiral Thompson, commander of the Second Fleet.


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    "Good. Fight them minimally as we have planned." Vice Admiral Thompson would be described by contemporary analysts as a jack-of-all-trades, equally able of presenting a solid defence as attacking fiercely.


    The Second Fleet clashed against the Eighteenth Fleet, and the latter''s commander''s experience began to shine. The casualties suffered by the Second Fleet reached 10 percent as its left wing crumbled.


    It was at this time that the trap sprung. The Fifth Fleet was twelve hours away, far enough to be undetected. Vice Admiral Radbruch''s style of speed and overwhelming offense became famed. He, at the cost of leaving 10,000 straggler ships behind, crashed against the aft of the Eighteenth Fleet, spending four hours for a journey that would normally take thrice that time.


    The Eighteenth Fleet did not lose its discipline. Admiral Boll quickly formed a wide but thin front to bluff Thompson, whilst turning the majority of his forces against Radbruch.


    This was not without the two Loyalist commanders'' calculation. Radbruch immediately retreated, at which point Thompson charged. It was a delicate dance.


    Admiral Boll recognized the odds against him and rallied his forces, breaking through Radbruch''s fleet. His offensive strength hid a defensive weakness, a weakness that now Admiral Boll exploited.


    The Battle of Zelica Starzone ended inconclusively. The Loyalist fleets suffered around 16,000 ship casualties, whilst the Eighteenth around that amount. "So it''s a defeat," Karl commented after news came to him. Lesser commanders would''ve evaluated it as a draw of sorts, but for Karl, the objective¨Cstopping the Eighteenth Fleet from reinforcing the revolt¨Chadn''t been achieved.


    "At least it''s not overwhelming," the Empress added. The Eighteenth Fleet soon joined the military revolt in earnest, and the trifecta of Dahl-Luvert-Boll posed a serious threat to both the Loyalists and the Tollerwalds.


    "Despite the mandate given to us, we have failed to stop the enemy. This shame is ours to bear," was the message sent to the Empress by Vice Admirals Thompson and Radbruch, and the reply was "a minor setback cannot stop our eventual victory. Head for the Thalassa region immediately and await further orders".


    Efficiency and concentration of force¨Ca school of thought that the Empress was a believer in. She concentrated all Loyalist forces in Thalassa Starzone and released Vice Admiral Bianca Scarnhorst, allowing her to lead the Sixth Fleet once more.


    Leaving behind only Admiral Holm''s Eleventh Fleet to defend the Throneworld, the Loyalist fleets made way to Thalassa in two waves: a vanguard, comprised of half the Royal Fleet and the depleted Sixth Fleet under the Empress, and the main force, comprised of the other half of the Royal Fleet and the First Fleet under Marshal Karl. A total of nearly 110,000 warships marched to the fertile battleground.


    The Tollerwalds marched under glittering banners of pride and haughtiness. Marquis Knittlingen, desiring to obtain more prestige, had wormed his way into being the commander. With his own wealth, he had hired a great number of mercenaries and ex-pirates, bloating his numbers to around 160,000 warships, more than twice the military revolt''s number.


    "Never fear," Duke Dahl said to his comrades as he sortied against the Tollerwalds, "Marshal Karl von Marbach is on his way with a fleet loyal to him. Once he arrives, the situation is salvaged."


    Duke Dahl was certainly no imbecile. Splitting his fleets to small squadrons and conducting hit-and-run attacks, he slowly whittled down the lumbering Tollerwald fleets. It was a testament to his skill.


    Two weeks later, the Second and Fifth Fleets joined the vanguard. Their commanders were rather surprised to see Vice Admiral Bianca in the fleet.


    "Wow ... there''s a thin line between bravery and¨C"


    Radbruch held his tongue at the last moment; calling the Empress stupid in an autocratic nation hardly seemed prudent.


    "Her Majesty is certainly brave. I hope it''s not a ploy by the enemy," Thompson commented simply.


    Empress Katharin was certainly brave¨Cand enthusiastic to wage her first independent campaign. The parasitic nobles¨Cleeching on the lifeblood of the Empire¨Cand the opportunistic, thick-headed revolt who favored guns above all¨Cshe''d crush them all.

 19. Color of War

    Battle in space had always been confusing. Fighting from light-seconds away, ships had to be identified with their ID; since enemy ships'' ID couldn''t be identified, both the Republic and the Empire normally knew pretty well friend and foe. But a civil war between imperial factions was another matter.


    "It''s a shame that we have to kill fellow imperials," Radbruch remarked to his friend as the two of them prepared for battle. I wonder, if Her Majesty placates the nobles, whether this could be avoided."


    "What would be the point?" Thompson asked rashly. "They''re parasites. They need to be removed."


    "All water under the bridge now, I think. What I''m more concerned is the military revolt."


    "What? Don''t tell me you have hidden sympathies for them."


    "Not really, but ... you know, I can see where they''re coming from," Radbruch said. "The nobles are just fighting for their own privileges, but the revolt, at the surface, looks like they care about the Empire''s people."


    In her flagship Regalia, the Empress sat wondering how to approach the coming conflict. Waiting until the two rebel forces to exhaust themselves and finishing them off were tempting, but would her enemies be so kind as to allow her to do that unimpeded? At worst, they might temporarily join forces against her. She summoned the three fleet commanders under her and asked their opinions.


    "There''s no rush, why not wait for our main forces to arrive?" Bianca offered her opinion. It was a very responsible and conservative opinion.


    "Can we be so passive, though?" the Empress asked. All three vice admirals almost immediately caught what she meant; the Empress had already decided to fight; all that were to be decided was where and how.


    The condition was thus: unexpectedly, the military revolt was having the upper hand against the Tollerwalds in a series of skirmishes. Their forces, drawn from the Imperial Fleet, were well-equipped and well-trained, and to some extent was very disciplined and had high morale.


    "But that is all they have," Bianca pointed out. "They have two and a half fleets left. If they lose any more, they''ll be forced back inside Thalassa Fortress."


    "So we focus on the military revolt first?" Thompson confirmed.


    "Yes. Radbruch, Thompson, Scarnhorst; set out with your fleets and detect them."


    The force that made contact with the enemy was the Fifth Fleet under Radbruch. With maniacal speed, he caught up with the Eighteenth Fleet. The two depleted fleets fought furiously.


    The Fifth Fleet had the advantage this time¨Cattacking was its natural domain, and the Eighteenth Fleet had to summon reinforcements.


    Admiral Luvert answered the call, but it was too late. The Eighteenth Fleet had been scattered. Admiral Boll had passed from his mortal coil. In vengeance, Admiral Luvert laid down furious fire upon his opponent.


    The Sixth Fleet, having been in vicinity, arrived near Luvert''s rear. "Yes! Attack!" Radbruch proclaimed, his flagship bravely charging at the front whilst the Sixth Fleet ruined the enemy formation from behind.


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    Assailed from fore and aft, Admiral Luvert promptly retreated, having suffered 30 percent losses. "These people really know how to run away, huh?" Radbruch remarked, to the open, boisterous laughter from his staff officers.


    Bianca let out a small smile. "A victory. Always nice to have one." She opened a can of soda and gulped it all in one motion. "Alright, it''s time to clean up."


    Both fleets reduced even further, the Fifth and Sixth Fleets decided to join forces. Strange rumors began to spread about how the two fleet''s commanding officers would go to each other''s flagship ... at eleven at night ... while sneaking around.


    In a sideshow, Vice Admiral Thompson clashed with Duke Dahl himself, but after some steady fighting, both withdrew.


    "They''re targeting me," Duke Dahl wondered to himself. With a loud groan, he commanded both his fleet and Admiral Luvert''s to retreat to Thalassa Fortress for repairs. In this way, the Loyalists had effectively neutralized one of their enemies¨Cand the more dangerous of the two, to boot.


    It was 45 days after the battles began that Marshal Karl''s main fleets arrived on the theatre. After conducting communications with the Empress'' vanguard fleets, the two decided to combine and crush the Tollerwald fleet in one sharp blow.


    But things weren''t as easy as expected. The Tollerwalds had recruited a new, professional commander; his name was Admiral Christopher von Weyhern. He was a seasoned commander, second-in-command to Marshal Karl during the (in)famous Battle of Istoria.


    In that battle, the Republic''s Admiral Kadita¨Cthe ''Unstoppable Lance'' who fell in battle some time ago¨Cpierced through his fleet, jeopardizing the entire imperial formation and turning an evenly fought battle to a severe defeat. Admiral Weyhern bore most of the blame and was shuffled to some do-nothing job, before he himself retired early and built a corporation specializing in agriculture.


    Weyhern had hoped to evade the chaos of the civil war and had even rejected Duke Dahl''s offer to join his revolt, but his personal situation forced him to act. His sons and daughters, inheritor to his corporation, had nearly bankrupted it through a series of reckless speculation and uncontrolled personal spending. Marquis Knittlingen offered to bail the corporation out¨Cthe price being his service. And so the admiral, his hair graying, donned his uniform once more.


    "Our main priority should be to stop the Empress and the Marshal from joining forces," he had advised the marquis.


    "Why should we? Let them join forces and we beat them in one strike!" one young noble, high in rank but lacking in military acumen, shouted over the table.


    "Marshal Karl von Marbach is the most formidable commander in this civil war ... engaging him in a pitched battle without significant numerical superiority¨Cnot withstanding the skilled officers under his command¨Cwould be suicidal. Our only chance is overwhelming the two separate squadrons of the enemy before they can unite."


    This sober evaluation enraged the gathered noble commanders. The next four hours were spent on useless debates.


    Weyrend retired to his suite dejected. "What sort of force was this? This was no army, no sir, this was a rabble," was his recorded words in his journal.


    However, for entirely selfish reasons, a good part of the rebel nobles supported Weyrend''s idea. As they wished to achieve glory for themselves, they had enough of a cool head to realize fighting a small force is easier than a bigger one.


    Eventually Weyrend was able to bring almost the entire fleet against the Loyalist fleet under Marshal Karl. It was his one shot, Weyrend thought. 160,000 against 60,000¨Cwith that sort of odds, surely even a humble officer as he had a chance to best Karl. Many starzones away, the Loyalists made plans of their own.


    "The enemy is suspiciously sluggish," Admiral Valentina observed.


    Marshal Karl hummed noncommittally. He had seen this before; a classic tactic of the Republic; feigning sluggishness to incite rashness. Of course, in this case it was simply incompetence, but he couldn''t afford to think that.


    Stable communications had been made with the Empress'' fleet. Karl half-abandoned the idea of a decisive battle and proposed a plan¨Can insidious trap. When the Empress received the plan, she grinned. "To some extent I sympathize with the rebels¨Cto have to face the ingenuity of this man!"

 20. Battle of Tarrasch Starzone

    After some time when all three sides repaired their damaged ships, the Loyalists made a major move: the Empress'' forces moved towards Thalassa Fortress.


    Duke Dahl watched this development with a shudder and ordered his forces to assume a fully defensive posture. Admiral Weyrend couldn''t help but feel suspicious at this unexpected turn of events. Shouldn''t the Loyalists be focused on linking up?


    "First you tell us to fight, now you want to not fight. What do you want, Admiral?" Marquis Knittlingen rebuked Weyrend, who for his part had to acknowledge this rebuke.


    With no other choice, he fought Karl''s fleet in Tarrasch Starzone. At first it seemed that the Loyalist fleets were ambushed and in disarray.


    "Haha, this is what the commander was so afraid of?" The young nobles rashly charged, disregarding order or formation.


    At which point the Loyalists dropped their guise, reformed formations, and blasted their carelessly advancing enemies effortlessly. This was the result of careful planning and training. "Don''t advance too far! Withdraw!" Karl''s orders flew as some of his ships began to thirst for blood and charge. Weyhern was forced to hurriedly recall his vanguard.


    "I suppose this battle is boring for one as experienced as you, Marshal," Admiral Valentina said jokingly. "The enemy is little match for our forces, even outnumbered as we are. Now we only need to buy time until Her Majesty arrives."


    "Don''t let your confidence turn to arrogance, Admiral. But from the onset of the war I''m not too cautious of the Tollerwalds," Karl said. "They have a major weak point."


    "Their commanders suck?"


    "No. Weyhern might not be my equal, but he''s close enough that I won''t be able to overcome a 8:3 disadvantage, ceteris paribus. It''s because there''s no trust between the commander and the second-in-command, and between the senior and junior officers, and between the officers and soldiers. Everyone fights for their own glory and reasons. Without a unified will, a fleet is worthless."


    Meanwhile, the Empress made a stunningly sharp turn. The Loyalists had spread misinformation about heading to Thalassa Fortress; they had, in fact, planned to rejoin the main fleet and ambush the Tollerwalds. The fleet that headed to Thalassa Fortress was a ragtag fleet of damaged and old ships, and even these were being pulled back.


    "What is our commander doing? We must attack!" was the sentiment that burned in the Tollerwald nobles. Their thirst for glory was blinding all reason.


    It was the Loyalists who seized the initiative as Weyhern reorganized his fleets; the First Fleet launched a devastating hit-and-run assault on the enemy''s left wing, enraging the nobles and prompting a poorly planned counterattack.


    This counterattack was rapidly beaten back by the combined Loyalist forces, inflicting more damage to the Tollerwalds. "Poor Weyhern. No commander should have to command a navy this disorganized," Karl commented. "Admiral Valentina, status of the vanguard?"


    "Her Majesty the Empress'' forces are around 40 minutes away," was the reply.


    "Good. We''ll attack."


    The Loyalist fleets attacked again. But at this point Weyhern had managed to take control of his own forces, and put up a solid defense.


    "New enemy reinforcements at our rear!"


    "What?"


    The Empress, grinning, led her fleets to attack the enemy rear. "Here I was, afraid there''d be nothing to fight once we get here. A tiger doesn''t need to think twice about killing a cat; attack, and whatever enemy you see, blast them apart!"


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    The order reinvigorated the Loyalist fleets, and they tore through the unprepared Tollerwald rear. "There''s no choice. We must withdraw."


    The majority of the noble forces seemed to agree¨CMarquis Knittlingen was the first to cowardly try and make a run for it, but so incompetent was his attempt that his ship was immediately sunk by Radbruch''s Fifth Fleet and Scarnhorst''s Sixth Fleet.


    Weyhern''s actual retreating attempt was praiseworthy; he successfully identified the weak link¨Cthe Fifth Fleet¨Cand ran away after scattering it. In total, the Tollerwalds still lost a staggering 50 percent casualty rate. Marshal Karl was content to let them go. Mentally speaking, his soldiers were fresh, and morale was very high. Physically, however, they were exhausted.


    Later on, with infighting, the Tollerwald fleet broke apart. Weyhern, with around 50,000 ships (somewhat) loyal to him, devised a cunning plan; circle through the territory of the Republic and take control of the Empire''s rim worlds, forcing the Loyalists into a two-front war. The remainder of the Tollerwald fleet¨Cmany mercenaries¨Ceither returned to their base, surrendered, or simply disappeared.


    As the Loyalists celebrated the destruction of yet another significant chunk of their enemy''s forces, Weyhern made his way to Republican space ....


    As elements of the Empire fought one another, one couldn''t ignore the opinion of the other superpower, the Republic of New Stars. Though there were some who called for invasion¨Cas this was the perfect moment¨Cthe scars of the horrible defeat at Ventii were still fresh. For now, the Republic was content to shore up its own defences and watch its enemy tear itself apart.


    The Republic''s Armada emphasized fleet action; for this reason, fleet commanders were afforded both a degree of independence and respect. They were allowed to provide inputs for their own fleet composition, for one; and to conduct their own exercises.


    Battlefleet Chiyou and Battlefleet Isolde, both ordered to patrol the border, were conducting military exercises. Battlefleet Isolde was an example of the Republic''s average fleet; it was comprised of 4000 battleships, 4000 cruisers, 2000 fast battleships, and 6000 smaller warships such as destroyers, torpedo boats, and gunships. Its ships were a mix of old and new.


    "Sweat spent today saves tomorrow''s blood," Admiral Tang once said. She viewed herself as a trainer for her two students.


    For now, she gave command of 14000 "snake ships"¨Cfast battleships¨Cand destroyers to Abbas, her chief-of-staff. She was very frank. "I don''t think you''ll ever be a commander of large fleets, Abbas," she said. "They say a commander''s true nature is revealed in their first battle. You''re the fierce type; I''ll mold you into Kadita''s successor."


    "You don''t have to be so plain ...," Yue sighed. A good part of the exercises was pitting Abbas'' offense against Yue''s defense; the latter won, mostly, but the former had been able to nick off a win or two.


    The two fleets were conducting yet another day of exercises when border patrols detected a large Imperial force crossing the border. This was Weyhern''s fleet, but it would take a few more days for news to arrive.


    Although Abbas was chief-of-staff, he was also informally filling the empty seat of vice commander, like Yue before him. For that, he commanded Quetzalcoatl, the ship that he captained in Ventii. His official aide came from the Capital.


    When Abbas saw the shameless face of Alice Black, the lips of his mouth formed a cruel twist. "You know what you did, Lieutenant."


    "It''s Lieutenant Commander, Sir," Alice said sheepishly. It was hard to discern whether she was truly sheepish, or it was a shameless ruse.


    "Sure. Congratulations for the promotion; what would I do without you in Ventii? Now go sort out my documents." Venom was dripping from Abbas'' tongue.


    With a weak salute, his aide left Abbas'' presence.


    "Is that bastard ''Admiral'' Black trying to fuck with my fleet or what?"


    This was Admiral Tang''s nasty response when she, Yue, and Abbas convened together in Yue''s flagship Cutrose¨Cformally to discuss further exercises, informally to badmouth the new arrival.


    Yue and Abbas shot a look at one another. "The roots of nepotism run deep, don''t they?" Yue said pensively.


    "Hmph. Fine. Battlefleet Chiyou isn''t for the faint-hearted. She''ll learn to adapt¨Cor be pushed out," Admiral Tang said.


    Abbas retired to Quetzalcoatl¨Cthere he was confronted by his own aide, Alice. "Commander, I want to apologize for my conduct in Ventii. I ... feared for my life."


    "That much was obvious."


    "My fa¨CAdmiral Black intended to put me in Battlefleet Ouroboros. I asked to transfer here¨Cto redeem my actions."


    A glitter of cautious sympathy danced in Abbas'' eyes. "Then see to it that you do, Lieutenant Commander."


    The chance to redeem her name arrived almost immediately¨Cthe next day, hurried communications of imperial forces crossing the border arrived. The two battlefleets marched to intercept their foes.

 21. Battle at the Border

    "There are a few criterion to decide where to fight a pitched battle," Admiral Tang lectured her students. "First, we need to decipher the enemy''s aim."


    The trio, after some discussion, took the conclusion that, although the enemy''s aim seemed to be to return to the Empire, they were also going to pillage a supply base in the frontier. The intelligence division supported this conclusion.


    Thus, when Weyhern, his fleet''s supply nearly exhausted, headed for a major republican supply base, he found himself facing around 50,000 warships. With no other option, he steadied himself for battle. The only other option was retreat¨Cand a death by starvation.


    "The Tiangong ...," he groaned at the sight of that gargantuan jade-colored ship. On the other hand, Admiral Tang also recognized her opponent.


    Weyhern was commanding the Faithful, an older design warship that was state of the art at its time. Its bronze coloring was easily identified. "Wait, I know this guy. Isn''t he Karl''s second in Istoria?" she muttered. "Communications to Yue and Abbas: be careful. This enemy is experienced."


    Carefulness aside, both sides formed their formations. Weyhern, knowing the unreliability of his officers, prepared a near-total defensive formation.


    Admiral Tang deployed her own fleet on the right and Yue''s fleet on the left. Abbas was positioned in the middle, some distance away.


    The battle was joined when Admiral Tang threw Yue and herself at the enemy in a frontal charge. A few particular light signals sparkled.


    "That''s the signal. All ships: charge in the middle, cut the enemy in two!"


    This time, Alice Black stood firm next to him. She was the one to transmit Abbas'' orders to the entire fleet.


    "Enemies to our left, right, up, and down! No need to aim¨Cfire at anything bearing imperial colors!" Abbas said, standing from his command chair. Mathematical precision wasn''t the only deciding factor in battle; often, vigor could swing the tide of luck''s favor.


    Abbas'' fleet cut their opponents like hot knife through butter. In this crisis, Weyhern gave a simple order: "All units, fire on the enemy fleet attacking us".


    At this point, the remainder of the republican forces launched a combined, ferocious assault of their own. The entire Tollerwald fleet was buckling under tremendous pressure, and only Weyhern''s calm, level-headed orders kept the fleet intact. He himself led a massive counterattack down the center, and even Abbas had to switch to defense.


    "The enemy commander is very strong, isn''t he?" Black asked.


    Abbas nodded slightly. He looked at the interface. "Yue''s fleet is quite advanced ...."


    Trusting in Yue, Abbas momentarily withdrew, baiting Weyhern to push forward and stabilize his line of battle. "Ah, I see what he''s doing," Yue said, smiling in satisfaction. She directed half of her fleet to perform a pincer attack. At this moment, Abbas stopped his withdrawal and attacked again. In this confusion, the Faithful broke into pieces, and Admiral Weyhern passed unto the gates of afterlife. When the lion leading the army of sheep fell, naturally the sheep would crumble.


    The rest of the battle was a natural, dynamic slaughter as republican ships preyed on their hapless, demoralized enemies. The three commanding officers were content to watch. Many of the Tollerwald nobles committed suicide by planting the muzzles of their pistols on their temple.


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    The adrenaline of the battle was calming in Abbas'' blood. He was sharing a toast with Alice Black when alarms rang.


    Another Imperial fleet, larger this time, sped through black void and was rapidly approaching. "Reform the formation," Admiral Tang instructed calmly.


    Abbas couldn''t help but feel uneasy. It wasn''t everyday two imperial fleets came to invade.


    The Imperial fleets were that of the First Fleet and half of the Royal Fleet. Marshal Karl had decided to lead this fleet to search and destroy Weyhern''s fleet; the reason for this was that he realized Weyhern''s fleet could potentially circle around republican space unto exposed imperial outskirts. The two fleets arrayed themselves.


    "I see the republicans have finished the job before us," Karl commented.


    "Do we fight them, Marshal?" his young second-in-command asked.


    "And for what purpose? No, I''ll negotiate to bring the Tollerwald prisoners back to the Empire. Otherwise they could be used as leverage later. Come with me and prepare the green signals."


    "Oh, fuck," was Admiral Tang''s response to the new arrivals. Any imperial fleet she could''ve beaten even if she were outnumbered, but this one commander ....


    The Illustrious and Admiral Valentina''s new flagship, the Curacao, advanced ahead of formation with green lights.


    "He''s seeking negotiations," Black helpfully  tells her commanding officer, who really couldn''t be bothered to memorize things like that.


    "Then we''ll let our supreme commander handle it."


    A moment later, with orders for Yue and Abbas to prepare in case hostility broke out, the Tiangong marched out to meet the imperial envoys. Yue and Abbas had special communication links to the Tiangong, and could hear the contents of the negotiation.


    When communications opened, Admiral Tang and Marshal Karl saluted each other briefly. Admiral Valentina held her salute a second longer.


    Admiral Tang let out a small smile. "Well, Marshal, since you didn''t immediately begin opening fire, I presume you have another reason to bring almost 60,000 vessels here that doesn''t involve the two of us fighting to the death. If you''re thinking about having a joint picnic, I''m afraid we don''t have enough champagne for everyone."


    "Haha, we have plenty of ale and dark beer to substitute for champagne," Marshal Karl said. "I''m afraid we''re not here to drink. Truthfully, I came to destroy the rebel fleet that went into your space. But it looks like you got there first."


    "I see," Admiral Tang said, nodding. "I''m aware you imperial folk have been hacking each other to bits for quite some time now. Though I''m sure your side will win."


    A smile formed on Karl''s lips. "I''m glad for your confidence," he says. "Let me get straight to the point then. Since Admiral Weyhern is dead, I''d like to recover his body, and also take the Tollerwald personnel you took as prisoners."


    "They''re traitors, you know¨Cfrom your perspective, at least."


    "They''re still imperial subjects."


    "I see. Well, normally I need formal approval from our government for this, but I presume you can''t afford to stay around for a month or two."


    "I''m afraid not."


    "Screw it, then. Go ahead and take the prisoners, Marshal."


    "You have my thanks." At his command, imperial ships began extracting the Tollerwald prisoners.


    "Is this really fine?" Abbas wondered aloud.


    "Silly as it may be, given that they''re supposed to be mortal enemies, but the two of them are about as close as enemies can get," Yue said. "If there''s any meaning in this, it''s emotional."


    "I''m talking about what our government will do," Abbas said. "Won''t this be a perfect excuse to drag Admiral Tang to a court-martial, or worse?"


    "If they could, they''d have done it long ago.  Even they must admit Admiral Tang is the key defense of the frontier; without her, imperial invasions would be far more dangerous."


    As the Tollerwalds, both living and dead, were extracted by the Imperial Fleet, Karl prepared to withdraw. He and his archenemy exchanged another salute.


    "Oh, and Karl¨Cbe well until our next fight."


    "You think the war will continue?"


    "Generations change. Emperors and council leaders change. And yet the war always continues."


    "Not this time. Our empress is preparing for peace."


    "Then let''s hope for peace. But prepare for war."


    "In that case, Tang¨Cbe well until our next fight."


    Uncountable light years away, Empress Katharin began the Siege of Thalassa Fortress.

 22. Siege of Thalassa

    The Imperial Civil War had been going for roughly four or five months at this point. Though no seer could yet see its conclusion, it was clear that the Loyalists had the upper hand.


    Empress Katharin sent Radbruch and Scarnhorst back to the Imperial Throneworld and summoned Viscount Holm and his Eleventh Fleet in their stead. It was a sizable force, 90,000 warships strong, but what should she have done with it?


    The obvious answer was to besiege Fortress Thalassa and overthrow the military revolt once and for all¨Cbut it would also leave her vulnerable to a pincer attack, if the Tollerwald Alliance had any brains. She remained indecisive for some days, sending Thompson and Holm to hunt down Tollerwald stragglers.


    What changed her mind was a personal interrogation of a defecting Tollerwald officer. "Admiral Dortmund and Duke Gerlach are still at a standstill regarding military strategy. Especially since Marquis Knittlingen''s death, the duke has been trying to overrule the admiral."


    "Hmm. Is that so?" was Katharin''s noncommittal answer.


    Admiral Dortmund once led the Eleventh Fleet, but was then shuffled to the decrepit Sixteenth Fleet after the reorganization. Marshal Marbach''s opinion of him was insultingly low, and the Empress was inclined to agree after only a short review of his military career. All his victories were minor but bloated with flowery praise, while his defeats were concealed with trite excuses such as the weather, poor subordinates, or bad luck.


    "What do you two think?" she asked her lieutenants, Thompson and Holm.


    "If the enemy is bickering amongst themselves, we may as well bring the fight to them," Holm said. "Strike while they''re unprepared."


    Holm, 42 years old, held two titles: as a noble he held the rather low title of viscount, while as a military officer he was a vice admiral. He didn''t have the reputation of a genius or a young prodigy or a legendary commander, but he was solid and dependable; the sort of man perfect to lead a subordinate fleet or to be chief of staff.


    "But that might force them to set aside their differences to fight us," the Empress said. "Besides, the military revolt isn''t finished yet."


    The Empress decided to besiege Thalassa. It was not to be an easy task. By most estimates Duke Dahl still had some 45,000 warships at his disposal. Thalassa Fortress¨Cand its dreaded EMP blast weapon the Devil''s Breath¨Cremained firmly under his control.


    A frontal attack would make her go down in history as one of the most incompetent, foolish commanders. She couldn''t simply wait out for the revolt to starve either; Thalassa had various production capabilities¨Cfood from hydroponic plants, water from purifying machines, and so on. Though it couldn''t indefinitely sustain the revolt''s soldiers, it would be long before serious issues arise.


    Vice Admiral Drongull, a fleet commander in the Royal Fleet, offered this advice:


    "There is no need for hurry. If Your Majesty simply waits for His Excellency Marshal Karl to arrive, our forces would be overwhelmingly numerous. Victory would be assured then."


    The Empress smiled pleasantly and rejected it outright. She put her own plans, designed with inputs from Holm and Thompson, into action.


    She took Thompson''s Second Fleet under her own command and in return gave him a makeshift fleet of missile ships and the first generation of imperial fast battleships. It was an offensively formidable fleet, one that Radbruch would salivate over, but its defensive strength was quite weak.


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    "I put my faith in you. The success or failure of our siege depends on your fleet and your abilities."


    To this Thompson saluted, and replied, "I will give it my all."


    "I expect nothing less from you, Vice Admiral."


    Thompson led his fleet around Thalassa. This was not undetected by Duke Dahl''s scout ships, but the Duke¨Cin all fairness this was a sensible judgement¨Cbelieved it was a fleet meant to smash the Tollerwalds, and made no moves against it. "Just a few more months," the Duke insisted to his followers. "Marshal Karl von Marbach will arrive to help us."


    A week later, the Duke was rudely awoken by a fleet 70,000 strong, led by the Empress herself. He scrambled to defend his last stronghold.


    Conventional military understanding of sieges was thus: the besiegers would surround the fortress as well as they could, and try to attack blind spots. The besieged must watch out for these attacks, and if possible sally out to break the siege.


    So what on earth was this young empress doing, brazenly challenging this mighty fortress head-on. Duke Dahl wanted to chalk it up to naivety and ambition but couldn''t quite feel safe. He deployed his forces on the left and right, leaving the Devil''s Breath free to hold off attacks from the middle.


    The Empress launched her first offensive at 1400, directed at the left and right wings of the enemy. "Engage them minimally, then withdraw and let the Devil''s Breath do its work!" Duke Dahl commanded.


    The Empress smirked. "Send in the starfighters. Execute the plan," she said casually.


    Loyalist ships ramped up their speed, stunning their retreating counterparts. Soon loyalist and traitor ships mingled. The Empress had successfully turned the siege into a battle of attrition. And if the revolt tried to retreat, the Loyalists could follow them. The Devil''s Breath was useless, unable to fire, as it would hit its own allies.


    Duke Dahl''s sweat broke in the cool atmosphere of his flagship. This crisis was unprecedented for him. "Enemy attack from the rear! They''re trying to breach the fortress!" was the terrified communications from Thalassa.


    Vice Admiral Thompson launched four separate decoy attacks, prompting the panicking revolt soldiers to try and aim the Devil''s Breath, at which point he struck and blew apart their defenses with a massive assault in the center. Thalassa Fortress'' multilayered super-steel broke.


    Duke Dahl attempted a withdrawal to the fortress, but there simply wasn''t an opening. Every time he retreated an inch, the Loyalists advanced an inch. "My goodness ...."


    In the end, the Duke was strangled by one person and stabbed by another. Vice Admiral Thompson sent in large boarding parties, and within twelve hours many of the garrison had surrendered. The central command room had fallen, and now Fortress Thalassa, its EMP blast weapon, and its various turrets had been wrenched away from the revolt''s hands.


    Seeing no other option, the Duke opened communications to the Empress'' flagship. The Empress was active; directing her forces, switching out exhausted units with fresh ones, and pouncing at any small error made by the enemy in their desperate efforts.


    "Your Majesty, Empress Katharin."


    "Duke Dahl. You have flown the flag of rebellion, and you still call me Empress?"


    "Your Majesty. Please believe that I do not do this out of malice towards you, or your government. I rebelled simply because I thought I could have done better, for the Empire, and for imperial citizenry."


    In the Empress'' face was an expression of solemnness. "I have ordered my soldiers to step down. I only beg for leniency for them."


    "I will grant that," the Empress said. "Duke, your honor as a vassal of the Crown is forever broken. But you honor as an Imperial remains unstained."


    "Your Majesty, please be the Empress that the Empire needs. Hail to the Empire!" The Duke whipped a pistol from its holster, aimed it at his head, and committed suicide.


    "Your Majesty, the revolt has surrendered," was the report from her lieutenants.


    "Treat them fairly and properly," the Empress instructed. In her tone and expression was a mix of pity and regret. The egotistical nobility was one thing, but she didn''t like this at all.


    A week later, Marshal Karl and his forces arrived. He was pleasantly surprised to see the revolt beaten. After exchanging formalities with the Empress, he smiled at his second.


    "It is quite surprising, isn''t it, Marshal?" Admiral Valentina remarked.


    "Hmm. Either the duke''s well of luck had dried too early, or¨C"


    "Or the Empress is more talented than I thought. Perhaps it''s a new age after all ...," Karl added in his mind.


    The Imperial Civil War had yet to end. Progress and reform still craved more blood. Quietly but bountifully, Loyalist commanders once more turned their sights to the Tollerwalds.

 23. Clash for the Throne

    The life of nobility¨Cat least those who weren''t downright poor¨Cwas one of worldly pleasures. Food and drink piled high as a mountain, manors and jewelry, and all they could care about was jostling against fellow nobles for influence. Few had any sense of noblesse oblige.


    Now that they were engaged in brutal conflict against the Empress'' faction, many of them began to feel something new¨Ca sense of impending defeat, a sense that maybe, just maybe, they weren''t always right.


    Not so with Duke Gerlach, however. He hosted parties every two days, currying favor with other high nobles. While the Loyalists drafted strategies, the Tollerwalds drank their wines and slept in their canopies.


    "Wars aren''t fought by officers, but by soldiers"¨Cthis sentence was passed down by one great admiral to another. The Loyalist soldiers were fresh, enthusiastic, and the string of uninterrupted victories had lifted their confidence and loyalty enormously. Just yesterday, the Empress confiscated much of Duke Dahl''s assets and gave rewards to the soldiers, in the form of a bonus of four months'' worth of regular pay.


    "What do we do? What do we do? Do we keep on fighting, or do we surrender and defect?" could sum up the feelings of the Tollerwald soldiers. Most had followed their commanding officers into rebellion. Some had been motivated by personal, materialistic reasons, and others half-forcibly conscripted from noble-controlled worlds. Their loyalty was conditional on the Tollerwald League¡¯s victory. Already a few had defected.


    Three weeks after the fall of Thalassa, a rapid advancement saw five hundred star systems retaken by the Loyalists without a fight. One of them was Gerlach Starzone, homeworld of Duke Gerlach. A number of Duke Gerlach''s relatives were taken prisoner.


    ¡°How dare they!¡± Duke Gerlach smashed his wineglass against the floor. ¡°We cannot let this insult stand!¡±


    Flames burned across the Tollerwald nobles. Strategically, the Empress had hunted down the relatives of many high nobles and imprisoned them in Gerlach III, third planet of the Gerlach Starzone.


    The enraged duke decided to, at once, bring out all his remaining forces for an all-out battle. The Empress was discussing strategy with Marshal Karl when news arrived.


    "What? They sortied out? All of them?" was the Empress'' reaction. She wore an expression of shock that soon turned into a malevolent grin.


    "An interesting tactic, trying to force us to a single field battle," the Marshal commented nonchalantly. "If that is what they want, we should oblige."


    "Indeed ... very well then, let''s set up the playing field."


    Recon indicated that the gathered Tollerwald forces numbered almost 220,000 warships, certainly more than the Loyalists could muster. The Empress hurriedly recalled Radbruch and Scarnhorst from the Imperial Throneworld. She offered pardons and rewards for any captured enlisted men and low officers who had served the revolt. Around half accepted the offer. The revolt''s ships were seized and used to furnish the Fifth and Sixth Fleets especially.


    The Loyalists mustered around 190,000 warships for the coming battle, comprised of the full-strength Royal Fleet, First Fleet, Second Fleet, and Eleventh Fleet, as well as the somewhat under-strength Fifth and Sixth Fleets. Few imperial commanders ever commanded such a large force; even Marshal Karl only once did so. The Empress broke precedent by placing Marshal Karl in charge of the fleet, with herself under him. No monarch of the Empire had ever done this.


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    "So, a big battle to end things, huh?"


    Three distinguished commanders¨CThompson, Radbruch, and Scarnhorst¨Cgathered in a club for high rank officers aboard the Empress'' flagship, having received information about the coming battle. Thompson, having asked that question, opened a bottle of wine and poured it.


    Scarnhorst swirled her glass. "If they''re to shake off the omen of previous defeats and turn the tide of the war, a single, open battle is the only way," she remarked. "Especially since we have a nice, juicy loss condition."


    Radbruch and Thompson squirmed uncomfortably. The ''loss condition'' was clear: the newly crowned Empress was heirless, and no clear line of succession could be drawn. If the aristocrats could kill her, the Loyalist cause would lose the banner under which they were fighting, and disunity would reign.


    The trio drunk more wine and talked about other, calmer subjects such as anything not involving the Empress'' possible death before parting ways and returning to their own flagships.


    One day, the Empress announced the trial of a number of Tollerwald nobles, including Duke Gerlach''s relatives. Enraged, the Duke predictably sped up.


    "A fleet of nearly two hundred ships. Quite a thing to behold, isn''t it, Marshal?" Katharin said, observing the numberless columns of light.


    "It is as you say, Empress," Karl replied. "The enemy will have a greater force, however."


    "That won''t help them much," Katharin replied. "They''ve been quite subpar. I don''t expect them to be a sudden genius."


    "It is as you say."


    For the coming battle, Karl contacted four young officers¨CValentina, Thompson, Radbruch, and Scarnhorst. "I''ll leave the planning to you four," he said with a mysterious smile before cutting off transmission.


    "Is this really fine, Marshal?" Vice Admiral Holm asked. For the coming battle, Holm was chosen as Karl''s second-in-command.


    ¡°It will be fine,¡± Karl said, nodding firmly. ¡°Young officers are like children. One day you have to let them take control of things.¡±


    The four young officers were shocked to hear the weighty responsibility hurled unto them, and quickly scrambled to form a tactical plan for the battle.


    ¡®The final battle¡¯ was the unofficial name spoken by many, and also the name often used by historians. Another name would be the Battle of the Gerlach Starzone, but that was boring.


    Boring, though, would be the most incorrect word to describe the feelings of the file-and-rank; the cooks, the riflemen, the gunners, the petty officers. The Loyalist soldiers sang before the battle, riling each other up,


    ¡°Our Empress hasn¡¯t lost a battle yet, it¡¯s not going to change now!¡±


    Few unbiased records remained about the Tollerwald preparation and morale before the battle. High-level tacticians move their ships like toys on a child¡¯s game, and the common soldier pays the price for the former¡¯s incompetence.


    The stars were bright that day, that marked the eighth month of the Imperial Civil War. Innumerable walls of light, engines of destruction of death, blot the beautiful stygian space. ¡°To the enemy commander. To the enemy commander,¡± was the beginning of a ¡®communication¡¯ from Marshal Karl. ¡°Your fleet is demoralized, your faction is on the brink of loss, and your soldiers are unwilling to follow you. Stand down, shut your engines, and I promise you the mercy of the Empress.¡±


    There was no reply, which was to be expected. ¡°Mmm, now let¡¯s see how much our young comrades¡¯ plan is worth, shall we, Holm?¡± Marshal Karl muttered while flexing his muscles.


    ¡°It¡¯s a good plan,¡± Vice Admiral Holm commented.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s good. It¡¯s just inflexible. I wonder if they can imagine what counters a proper commander can whip up against it.¡±


    The Empress¡¯ personal fleet lied 30 light-seconds behind the main formation: Marshal Karl on the center, Vice Admiral Thompson on the left, Vice Admiral Scarnhorst on the right, and Vice Admiral Radbruch held in reserve.


    Duke Gerlach sat on his command chair in his flagship, the Starlight. His fleets are divided as well as they are able. Admiral Dortmund held secondary command.


    ¡°Fire!¡±

 24. The Dawn of a New Age

    Hundreds of thousands of beams of light were exchanged, but at such long ranges, the damage had been minimal on both sides. After ten minutes of steady fighting, Marshal Karl gave his approval for the plan by a light signal.


    ¡°Alright!¡± Scarnhorst exclaimed, standing up from her command chair. A cool flame was burning around her; a controlled yet overwhelming passion. ¡°Sixth Fleet, advance at full speed!¡±


    ¡°Advance!¡± Marshal Karl ordered. Almost ninety thousand warships charged in unison. Thompson¡¯s Second Fleet lagged behind, however.


    So majestic was the march of the Loyalist warships that the Tollerwald forces grew desperate, despite their numerical advantage. The Starlight retreated some 120,000 kilometres, away from the fiercest fighting. ¡°If we don¡¯t do something, they¡¯ll destroy us! Attack with everything we have! Attack! Attack!¡±


    Vigor and maniacal energy could often turn the tables on logic and cold, rational tactics, and Marshal Karl knew it. Admiral Valentina¡¯s First Fleet was committed to the battle only half an hour later, and together with the other fleets, formed a thick wall against the attack.


    ¡°This is where we must hold firm. Don¡¯t flinch from their firepower!¡± Marshal Karl ordered. Then, in a lower voice, he whispered to himself. ¡°Perhaps you know a thing or two, Dortmund.¡±


    Admiral Dortmund ordered his forces to concentrate on whittling away the wall that his opponent has created before him. ¡°We outnumber them. We will bury them, ship for ship!¡± he said, galvanizing his soldiers.


    That was when Vice Admiral Thompson¡¯s Second Fleet, which was around 80,000 kilometres behind the other fleets, abruptly retreated. An urgent communique, which ¡®leaked¡¯ from Marshal Karl¡¯s flagship, flew:


    ¡°Vice Admiral Thompson, why are you retreating? You¡¯re jeopardizing our formation. Advance immediately, and rejoin the formation!¡±


    ¡°Now!¡± Dortmund ordered excitedly. ¡°Deploy all reserves, push on our right flank!¡± The reserve forces were led by Vice Admiral Hohenlohe, a marquis.


    Looks like your well of luck has dried, Marbach!


    ¡°Contact Radbruch. Tell him to wring the life out of the enemy¡¯s neck,¡± Marshal Karl ordered with a firm nod. ¡°This flagship will push forward alongside the center and right fleets, and widen the gap between the enemy¡¯s forces.¡±


    As the Tollerwald warships rushed to engage Thompson¡¯s retreating fleet, the latter artfully turned around and stood his ground. ¡°Hold the line, don¡¯t let them pass!¡± Thompson ordered from the bridge of his flagship. ¡°Send in the starfighters, engage them in close combat!¡±


    Vice Admiral Hohenlohe tried pushing forward, but Thompson held firm. Ships went up in flames, bringing their crew to Thanatos¡¯ embrace. Starfighters launched out of their motherships from both sides. At one point Hohenlohe managed to breach Thompson¡¯s left wing, but this gap was rapidly filled. Hohenlohe might be a noble, but he was a notch better than his peers; he was able to keep even with the young star.


    With Hohenlohe fully in combat, the Loyalists executed their stratagem. Radbruch¡¯s Fifth Fleet charged like a horde of wild bulls, crashing against the right wing of Hohenlohe¡¯s fleet. At this point Valentina¡¯s First Fleet withdrew from the main formation and attacked the left wing of Hohenlohe¡¯s fleet. Hohenlohe found himself assailed from three sides.


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    Meanwhile, Karl launched a frontal attack that Dortmund was barely able to fend off to distract him from the carnage that was happening to Hohenlohe. He sighed and turned to Holm. ¡°And here lies the weakness of our young comrades¡¯ tactical planning, which we will have to compensate with individual fleet strength.¡±


    Karl glanced at Holm, who looked pensively at nothing in particular. ¡°They have a temporary numerical advantage. If they use all their resources now ....¡±


    ¡°Precisely,¡± Karl said, nodding in satisfaction. ¡°It would require the enemy commander to realize the thinning of our lines, and quick fleet maneuvers; thankfully those two factors seem to elude them.¡±


    He then turned to his communication officers. ¡°Send shuttles to the Empress¡¯ fleet with this message: ¡®be ready to join the main formation at moment¡¯s notice¡¯.¡±


    Eventually, the combined efforts of the First, Second, and Fifth Fleets decimated Hohenlohe¡¯s fleet to around two-thirds of its original numbers. A difficult decision was dawning upon Hohenlohe. Continue fighting and hope for reinforcements, try to break through the fleet in front of him, or withdraw and take casualties?


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t reinforcements arriving?¡± Hohenlohe cursed out loud. ¡°Can Supreme Command not see the situation we¡¯re in?¡±


    Neither Hohenlohe nor the Loyalist commanders could¡¯ve known, but an internal dispute between Admiral Dortmund and Duke Gerlach were brewing. Admiral Dortmund had, in fact, spotted the same weakness that Marhal Karl had highlighted, but was unable to commit forces directly under Duke Gerlach¡¯s control to the endeavour.


    Hohenlohe finally took the decision to retreat. It was a difficult effort, but he managed to extricate half of his fleet from the carnage. Both sides were exhausted from the battle, and both withdrew some 800,000 km.


    Two days later, combat resumed when the Tollerwald centre advanced against the heart of the Loyalist formation. ¡°A frontal attack,¡± Scarnhorst remarked. ¡°Are they still trying to whittle us down through attrition?¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Karl was observing the battle from his flagship, and in a few moments had spotted the weak point of the enemy formation: Hohenlohe¡¯s depleted fleet, deployed at the far right of the enemy. ¡°Contact Valentina, and have her attack Hohenlohe. And have the Empress¡¯ forces prepared to launch an attack on the enemy center.¡±


    ¡°On the enemy center, commander?¡± the communications officer confirmed; to him, it seemed far more natural to pile up the pressure on the right wing of the enemy. Karl merely nodded.


    Vice Admiral Valentina of the First Fleet was a young prodigy; rather than something so simple and unsophisticated as a frontal assault, she battered Hohenlohe¡¯s fleet on several points, forcing Hohenlohe to spread his forces to those points, at which point she switched targets. Two hours of such combat and Hohenlohe was reduced to one-fourth of the forces he had commanded at the beginning of the battle.


    It was only natural that Dortmund would shift forces from his center to reinforce Hohenlohe, completely falling to Karl¡¯s trap. The entire Loyalist center, spearheaded by the Empress¡¯ fresh squadron, utterly routed the Tollerwald center, and the battle was won. A hole was opened in the Tollerwald formation.


    ¡°Use everything we have, crush their center!¡± Radbruch said, pumping his fist, ¡°there¡¯s nothing left but victory and glory¡ªdon¡¯t let the other fleets overshadow us!¡±


    The Loyalists rapidly rammed their train of warships into that gap, splitting the Tollerwalds into two. Admiral Dortmund, whatever his other faults might have been, fought courageously, and did not retreat to safety. Perhaps he had realized that the battle was lost, and rather than face the consequences, decided to fight bitterly to the end. Or perhaps he considered it a slight against his traditional honor to hide behind his lines of ships.


    ¡°Hail to the Empire!¡±


    was his last words before his flagship burst into a fireball from three missiles striking its hull.


    Admiral Dortmund was the glue that was holding all the broken pieces that were the Tollerwald fleets together. Without him, a clear chain of command could not be discerned, and the Tollerwalds fell apart. Many looked up to the Starlight, Duke Gerlach¡¯s flagship, for instructions. However, the Starlight had already begun departing, fleeing the battlefield. Radbruch, ever the aggressive hothead, wouldn¡¯t stand for it. A squadron of nine destroyers were loosed after it, and the Starlight was sunk.


    The death of Duke Gerlach triggered a severe loss of morale within the Tollerwald ranks. Empress Katharin stood up, absorbing the historical moment.


    It¡¯s the dawn of a new age!

 25. End of the Civil War

    The Battle of Gerlach Starzone marked the end of the Tollerwald revolt. Sporadic resistance remained, but when Edelweiss Fortress flew the white flag, the result was clear to see: Empress Katharin had fended off two separatist factions and maintained her throne through military might. The Imperial Civil War was over.


    In the Imperial Throneworld, Empress Katharin made a speech. Flanked by trusted advisors, she addressed the people. Of note was the lateness of the normally very disciplined Spymaster Klaris.


    When the young Empress, with a majesty unrivalled, steps unto the stage, the people cheered. Her reforms had made her popular; her victory had propelled it to sky-high. She let the crowd cheer and clap.


    It took a good five minutes for the crowd to get physically exhausted and stop cheering. "My people," she began. "The Empire had just passed its direst hour. A coalition of disgruntled nobility and disaffected military members had launched a revolt. They were summarily defeated."


    Few emperors had managed to whip up their people to such zeal, such passion, with so little an effort. A variety of expressions could be observed on her trusted subordinates; Marshal Karl and Spymaster Klaris remained unsmiling and purely professional, but a smirk broke out on Vice Admiral Radbruch''s face. The other military officers couldn''t help but smile, too.


    "The imperial government will continue the reforms it had begun enacting since the beginning of my reign."


    Cheers again. "The nobility who had not aided the opportunistic Tollerwald League will keep their titles and possessions," she continued, "however, progressive taxes will be applied to them, per the Imperial Decree Number 188, as it is applied to the populace in general."


    "Nobody cheers this time," Thompson whispered to his friend, Radbruch.


    "Who the hell likes paying taxes?" his friend replied.


    "Soldiers and junior officers of both the military revolt and the Tollerwald League; all of you have fought commendably, and your honor remains intact. Any dishonor belongs to the nobility and senior officers that had led you to a causeless war. I pardon all of you, and you will receive a sum of severance pay. Any who wishes to re-join the military is welcome to do so by following the proper procedures."


    Amongst the crowd were a number of officers who had defected early. They sighed a breath of relief.


    However, now the Empress dropped her tone of sagacity and adopted a dark, vicious tone. "As for the senior officers and nobility of the Tollerwald League, who had plotted insubordination and lawless rebellion in the name of their own selfish privileges and values, I urge you to turn yourself in. Your punishment will be harsh; but if you are caught by the tendrils of the Imperial Fleet, it will be doubly so."


    She had been careful to not mention the military revolt when speaking of such threats. Admiral Luvert, the sole surviving senior officer, had voluntarily accepted house arrest, and mid-rank officers such as commodores had been let go, even if Spymaster Klaris'' agents kept a close watch on them.


    And so did the reading of Imperial Decree 231 end. In the evening, she had authorized the promotion of Thompson, Radbruch, Holm, Valentina, and Scarnhorst to the rank of admiral.


    The Empress returned to her palace and slept soundly through the night. In the morning, she held a meeting with Spymaster Klaris, Marshal Karl, and a dozen other ministers.


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    Spymaster Klaris provided a long, almost boring report; monies and resources taken from the defeated nobles had far exceeded even the most optimistic calculations; the stains of corruption spread its terrible stench everywhere. For the nobles who had corrupted the Empire''s finances, two choices remain: execution or imprisonment for life.


    The meeting was notably austere. Lunch was roasted beef and bread. After several more hours of discussion regarding other topics, the Empress returned to the meat of the issue. ¡°One way or the other, we have to end the war with the Republic.¡±


    Ending the war with the Republic. Imperial die-hards might suffer a heart attack from such an audacious thing spoken by the monarch; but pragmatically the war had to end. A large amount of resources is allocated to the military. Large warships and bases, annually consuming manpower, precious metals, and money, were nothing but a drain in the Empire¡¯s treasury, and the only reason the military was so big was the war.


    The Empress wasn¡¯t willing to surrender the Empire, so the way she saw it, there were only two paths: defeat the Republic in battle or a peaceful negotiation.


    She threw a glance at the brooding Marshal Karl. He was her¡ªand her late father¡¯s¡ªtrump card. Furthermore, she had gathered a cadre of young, talented officers who had proven their mettle in helping her destroy the rebel fleets.


    The Republic was an entirely different thing, though. The Empress let out a mental sigh. Unlike the rebels, the Republic represented a near-equal of the Empire, with a higher GDP which balanced their lesser population. In terms of military strength, even if the Empire held a slight, consistent advantage, it was not enough to decisively defeat the Republic. The Republic still had many fleets, and a few excellent commanders.


    If anything, historically there had been an occurence during Emperor Jochen von Nassau¡¯s reign, where economic troubles, domestic uprisings, and malcontent nobles bred the perfect environment for a Republican invasion. It was only barely repelled in face of the Throneworld.


    The Empress scanned the room with her eyes. Only two subordinates met them directly; Marshal Karl and Spymaster Klaris. ¡°Shall we try to conclude a peace treaty with them?¡± she said.


    A few ministers shuffled uncomfortably on their seats. ¡°They¡¯re undergoing a change of government in a few months or so,¡± Spymaster Klaris interjected. ¡°If we¡¯re to negotiate a treaty, best we wait until then.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Of course. I forgot they like to change governments every few years,¡± the Empress said with a smirk. Democratic government never made sense to her. It was recorded by a vassal of hers that she once spoke thusly to a scholar:


    ¡°It is not that I do not share power. My vassals do¡ªmy right hand woman Klaris, and my head of military Karl, and many others. The difference is that they are chosen through merit and my discerning eye. Why should we let the ¡®people¡¯ choose? Their votes are fickle, their ideologies as an animal on a lilly pad. Half a dozen loaves of bread could buy a vote; your rulers will merely be those who have the most bread. My competent government has benefitted the people greatly; if tomorrow they elect some amongst themselves to rule, can you guarantee it¡¯ll do as good, or better than my government?¡±


    The Empress waved her hand. ¡°Klaris, begin research into potential negotiations,¡± she ordered. ¡°All of you, do your duties as assigned.¡± With another wave of the hand, she dismissed the meeting. Except Spymaster Klaris remained.


    ¡°Empress, I need to speak about an important issue.¡±


    ¡°Certainly. What is it?¡±


    ¡°Your marriage, Empress. A number of prominent families has offered their sons¡¯ hands¡ª¡°


    The Empress tsk-ed. ¡°I¡¯m barely twenty-one,¡± she said. ¡°The Empire is not yet stable, how can I marry?¡±


    ¡°Twenty-one is plenty old, Empress. Your peers have married two or three years ago.¡±


    ¡°Fine. Let me see the candidates.¡±


    The son of an oil baron. The grandson of the most powerful banker family. The son of a retired fleet admiral. ¡°Nepotism babies, all of them,¡± the Empress mocked. ¡°Find an equal, Klaris.¡±


    ¡°There could be no equal to you, Empress.¡±


    ¡°Then someone close. Not these pathetic people.¡± With another wave of the hand, the Empress dismissed Klaris.


    There could be no equal to me?


    The face of a certain officer from the other side of the galaxy popped in her mind. Abbas al-Salem; the first man to defeat her in battle.


    I¡¯ll get you one day.


    Countless light seconds away from the Throneworld, in the worlds of the Republic, a crisis was brewing.

 26. The Troubles

    Ten thousand stars sparkle in the distance. If a god was to look from above, he would see the stars, accompanied by manmade warships.


    Battlefleet Chiyou and Battlefleet Isolde shared a new base in the Florelian Starzone. It was located very close to the border. The two battlefleets number more than 50,000 warships in total. Together, they represent one of the Republic¡¯s most potent frontline defence.


    As vice commander of Battlefleet Chiyou and its chief of staff, Abbas al-Salem found himself assailed by two separate things; one was the weight of his office. The other one ....


    His diary, which was otherwise filled with fairly mundane things, had this particular entry:


    ¡°I find myself charmed by the fiery grace of Yue. But it¡¯s hard to put my feelings to words.¡±


    His romantic inclinations would unfortunately have to wait. From the starships of the Armada, news came from nearby worlds through the internet connection. A series of worrying news emerged:


    ¡°Whitmore Coalition alleges voting fraud.¡±


    ¡°Activists under the banner of the Flare League protests a series of laws lowering minimum age requirements for governorship; opening up opportunity for Governor Rucat¡¯s son to succeed him. Water cannons used by police. Nine dead, three hundred missing.¡±


    ¡°Governor Rucat denies allegations of his interference in Planet Florelian¡¯s constitutional court.¡±


    ¡°Tear gas use by police condemned by the Universal Human Rights Associations (UHRA).¡±


    Elections had happened some time ago, but soldiers weren¡¯t allowed to vote; this was to ensure the neutrality of the armed forces. In a way, Abbas and Yue officially had no dog in the race.


    Abbas squirmed uncomfortably at the news. Everywhere, unrest was rising. Some he thought was reasonable, some inter-party conflicts. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Yue said as the two of them watched television and demolishing the snacks of Quetzalcoatl¡¯s officer lounge. ¡°This has always happened every time there¡¯s an election, has there not?¡±


    ¡°Not in 2498.¡±


    The Crisis of May, 2498 was the most catastrophic political event in the history of the Republic. A fatal combination of economic disasters, political power-play, and opportunism led to a schism within Republic, complete with massacres of several worlds. Several fleets rebelled, and a number of worlds fell under rebel control. It took two months of chaos for things to calm down.


    Abbas took a look around. The lounge was empty except for him and Yue. The atmosphere was comfortable and cozy; only slightly spoiled by the portrait of an old, wrinkly man. ¡°That is Marshal Yi. My mentor,¡± Admiral Tang once said.


    ¡°There is no Marshal Yi,¡± Abbas replied, after a few minutes of internet browsing. What existed was Admiral Yi, famous for holding off 133,000 Imperial warships with only a single fleet in the Battle of Miong Starzone. After that, he slipped into obscurity. His age now would be around late nineties.


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    ¡°Government bastards took it away from him. If anyone deserves to be marshal, it¡¯s him.¡±


    Something in that old man¡¯s face reminded Abbas of a certain someone who thrashed him and Yue in SBS. He shook off the feeling.


    ¡°So,¡± Yue said, breaking the quiet, ¡°how do you like it as chief-of-staff?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a lot of work,¡± Abbas replied, half-complaining. ¡°Listening to Admiral Tang¡¯s rants is half of the hard work.¡± He smiled pleasantly.


    ¡°Heh. Agreed,¡± Yue said. ¡°Don¡¯t waste this opportunity, Abbas. Admiral Tang doesn¡¯t just take anyone under her wing.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Abbas nodded. He drunk his tea and refilled it while Yue looked pensively unto the television.


    ¡°SBS?¡± Abbas offered.


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Neither Yue nor Abbas paid too much attention to the game, but it seemed to help them divert their mind from the unease.


    ¡°How many friends do you have, Abbas?¡± Yue asked as she played.


    ¡°Not many,¡± Abbas admitted. ¡°Just the ones from the orphanage.¡±


    ¡°You and I are a kindred soul,¡± Yue claimed, legs crossed. The game had ended in a draw. ¡°I never had much time for friends either. My birth parents gave me a nice inheritance; a debt of some hundreds of millions of dinars. Whelps. I suppose it helped me find the fleet as my career. Paid it off five years ago and now ... I don¡¯t really know where to go.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m now commander of a fleet. Can¡¯t really go much further than that. Battlefleet action is where my heart is. I can¡¯t stand sitting in an office stamping documents.¡±


    ¡°Why not enjoy it?¡± Abbas suggested.


    ¡°Enjoy it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. You¡¯ve gotten what you want. There¡¯s no need to set new goalposts, is there? Why not sit back and relax?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a new perspective to me,¡± Yue said. ¡°For all my life I¡¯ve always been trying to get to the top ... and now I¡¯m at the top. Or close to it, I suppose.¡±


    For a moment there was a strange silence, except for the music that accompanied SBS. Abbas and Yue looked at one another, neither able to find another topic. An unexplainable expression colored their face¡ªaffection and hesitation blurring into one. ¡°Yue,¡± Abbas said after much deliberation. ¡°Do you have a partner?¡±


    Yue smiled. ¡°No.¡±


    Neither knew exactly who lunged first, but a few seconds later, Abbas and Yue were kissing each other. Their hands, fair yet hardened by war, are thrown behind each other¡¯s backs. It was a strange romance. Nosy historians would describe it as ¡°not so much a romance, but a close companionship, brought to its logical conclusion¡±.


    Uncountable light-years away from Abbas and Yue¡¯s budding romance, stood the Republic¡¯s Capital.


    It boasted itself proudly as the bastion of democratic governance. A large, beautiful planet, lush with forests, housing ten billion people. Not once has it ever tasted the horrors of war. It was protected by two forces: one was a ¡®flying fortress¡¯; Starfort A, a mobile fortress capable of laying waste to multiple fleets, armed with anti-fighter guns, numerous defensive cannons, and a main cannon. This fortress was directly controlled by Admiral Black, a steadfast enemy of Admiral Tang¡¯s faction, and father of Abbas¡¯ aide.


    The second force was Battlefleet Aegis, commanded by Admiral Mahmoud. Outside of Battlefleet Chiyou, it was the single, most powerful fleet in the Armada. It comprised of 30,000 vessels, almost all of them of the newest design. It was well-supplied and well-equipped, its soldiers a mix of talented newbies and hardened veterans. Its commander, Admiral Mahmoud, boasted a long and marvellous career.


    Having served the Armada for more than 30 years, the veteran admiral had fought the Imperial forces at numerous battles. He had kept clear of political intrigues and factional struggles, and was looking forward to a fairly peaceful retirement within a decade or so.


    Or so he thought. One day, under the pretense of the anniversary of Battlefleet Aegis¡¯ founding, Admiral Black of Battlefleet Ouroboros, invited Admiral Mahmoud to a private meeting.


    Two weeks later, Admiral Mahmoud was yet to be seen.


    The biggest crisis in the Republic¡¯s history was about to begin.

 27. Democracy in Danger

    Admiral Mahmoud was brought to a small, rather dingy restaurant. His sharp eyes narrowed; a suspicious smell was thick in the air. He had stayed out of factional fighting, but he never liked this Admiral Black.


    His suspicions only strengthened further when he saw the sort of men waiting for him in the restaurant. The two notable names were Admiral Frida Agnarsson, commander of the powerful Battlefleet Tempest, and Mr Sawatzki, Minister of Agriculture and a prominent member of the Whitmore Coalition.


    The well-dressed waiter served steak. "To what occasion do I owe you this pleasure, Admiral?" Admiral Mahmoud''s harsh, grating voice sounded out. His eyes cautiously scanned the other guests.


    Admiral Black grinned. But he seemed loathe to get to the point. "Admiral, what do you think of our country?" he asked rather skittishly.


    "It''s a democratic republic. And I love democracy," Admiral Mahmoud answered robotically. He reached for his laser-pistol concealed in his uniform, and was relieved to know it was there.


    "Why so, Admiral?" Admiral Black asked. "What is it about democracy that you love so much?"


    "Democracy is the only system that returns sovereignty to the people," Admiral Mahmoud, completely suspicious at this point, replied firmly. "Each move that a democratic government makes reflect the compounded wills of each and every single citizen ... that is why I love democracy."


    ¡°Ludicrous,¡± Minister Sawatzki interfered. ¡°What we have is a mobocracy. There has never been a democratic government in all of human history. A human is a farmer. Foolish, easy to placate. Only concerned about the next meal and the next harvest.¡±


    ¡°Are you insulting your own constituents, Minister Sawatzki?¡± Admiral Mahmoud probed. ¡°Nothing wrong with farmers; nothing wrong about being concerned about the immediate, rather than distant, future. Besides; say you dislike this ¡®mobocracy¡¯, Minister Sawatzki. What alternative do you propose?¡±


    ¡°We must ensure that only the best and the brightest steer the directions of this ship we call the Republic. Let the sheep eat their grass in peace. We the enlightened ones, the shepherds, will provide them with the grass and fence wolves out.¡±


    ¡°... so it¡¯s just a dictatorship then. A monarchy, even. Shepherds on top, and sheep on bottom. Nothing less than a betrayal of the democratic government.¡±


    ¡°No. The sheep can arrange their own small affairs.¡± Heat was rising in the hearts of both Admiral Mahmoud and Minister Sawatzki.


    ¡°I can¡¯t see the difference between your strange system and a despotic governmental system. It sounds like you¡¯re just wishing for power.¡±


    ¡°A shepherd guards the sheep. Some power he has over them; but much responsibility.¡±


    "Enough, Minister. Clearly Admiral Mahmoud is a fervent believer of the current democratic government. In that case. Surely you agree that we have to destroy the despotic Empire," Admiral Black said.


    "If the government orders me to fight them, I will."


    "And if it does not?"


    "Then I won''t."


    "But you said you love democracy."


    "Indeed. Which is why I obey the elected government, and not my own feelings."


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    "Even if that government seeks peace with authoritarianism?"


    Admiral Mahmoud flinched for a second. "Yes."


    "I see."


    ¡°I can see what you¡¯re trying to do,¡± Admiral Mahmoud said, legs crossed. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what ... a rebellion, or a radical constitutional change. But you want to erode the democratic pillars of our country. I will not stand by it. When I leave, I shall muster all I have to protect what you¡¯re trying to overthrow. Now, good day, gentlemen.¡± Admiral Mahmoud stood up.


    A shifty man from the end of the table digs deep inside his pocket. He drew a pistol, firing at the admiral but only grazing his left ear. A split second later, Admiral Mahmoud turned around and drew his own pistol, shooting the assailant.


    Six laser shots answered him. The renowned admiral''s tough body fell onto the floor, bloody holes carved on his chest. "It is a shame, Admiral Mahmoud," Admiral Black said. "Get a doctor for Mr. Kevler. I¡¯m sure your boss Mr. Kaufmann will hear a lot from us."


    The task of an aide in the Armada was multi-pronged. In battle they offered advice to their commanding officer, clarified the situation, and relayed orders. Outside battle they were often compared to civilian secretaries; aiding their commanding officer in paperwork and bureaucratic matters, as well as organizational issues.


    Lieutenant Commander Alice Black''s reputation, in the eyes of the battle-hardened veterans of Battlefleet Chiyou, was in tatters. Having cowardly fled the heat of battle, she had used the influence of her father to save her own hide.


    The one person who viewed her with any modicum of respect was, ironically enough, her commanding officer Rear Admiral Abbas al-Salem. "Let''s give her a second chance," he had once said to Yue.


    That day Abbas was leading a small division of a thousand ships on a regular patrol. It was a most boring duty; the area he was patrolling was relatively deep in friendly territory.


    "Commander, we''re detecting a formation of 3000 vessels seven light-seconds away," Black reported to her commander, who was irresponsibly covering his tired eyes with his beret.


    "What, it''s not imperial ships, right?" Abbas asked, letting out a yawn. He didn''t sleep a wink last night when visiting Yue''s chambers.


    "No ... but isn''t it a bit weird? Three thousand ships patrolling near our own?"


    "Yeah, fair enough," Abbas replied, using all that his brain could muster. "Go ask them where they''re from."


    A series of orders went to the communication officers through Black. The ships were closer now. Just six light-seconds. "Unidentified ships, please identify yourself. This is Quetzalcoatl, commanded by Rear Admiral al-Salem, part of Battlefleet Chiyou. Unidentified ships ...."


    Even closer now. Five light-seconds. If they were hostiles, now would be time to ready the cannons. "This is Quetzalcoatl ...."


    Four light-seconds. "Are their communications screwed?" Abbas wondered aloud. "Or are ours having some¨C"


    "Missiles from 12 o''clock!"


    Abbas was jolted into action. "Maneuvers! Loose formation!" he ordered. "All ships, return fire while retreating! Keep trying to communicate with the mysterious fleet!"


    "It''s ... it''s ships from Battlefleet Horus, a coreworld fleet. What is it doing here?" Black said.


    As ships of Battlefleet Chiyou retreated, a thousand more hostile ships appeared from behind. "Commander, we should probably retreat to either direction of the Z-plane¨C"


    "No," Abbas said, shaking his head firmly. "All ships, turn about, and carve a path through the enemy fleet behind us."


    Her commander was always a bit mad, Black thought. An old fear was gnawing at her. The primal fear of death.


    "No. Not again," she thought. "This time I''ll stand and fight¨Cjust like I should always have!"


    Abbas¡¯ fleet turned around, ripping apart the unprepared new fleet behind them. A hole was opened in the middle of the formation. ¡°Get in!¡± Abbas commanded, and his fleet escaped.


    Abbas lost one hundred ships in the ambush. ¡°Damn it!¡± he cursed. ¡°Lieutenant Commander, send news to Battlefleet Chiyou¡¯s main body!¡±


    ¡°Y-yes!¡±


    When he returned to Florelian Starzone, Abbas, tailed by Black, met with Admiral Tang and Vice Admiral Yue. ¡°Admiral¡ª¡°


    ¡°I got your report,¡± Admiral Tang, a tense expression plastered over her face, cut off. ¡°And I think I know what exactly happened ....¡±


    Admiral Tang switched on the news. A military officer with a black-and-white armband stood upright.


    ¡°Today we announce the dissolution of the bloated, corrupt government, and the rotten Republic of New Stars; and the ascension of the Democratic People¡¯s Republic of Aten.¡±


    Familiar faces of high-ranked government ministers and generals adorned the screen. ¡°It¡¯s a rebellion.¡± Yue noted, her voice shaking.


    Both she and Abbas looked to Admiral Tang. She stood in silence for a solid minute before her eyes blazed with storm. ¡°Muster the fleets,¡± she said.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°To war. With those we called our brethren half an hour ago.¡±

 28. Aten Uprising

    Marshal Gabriel Popov was  a busy man. As Joint Headquarters Chief, he was the number one man in uniform. He had to ensure the well-being of the entire military. He had to stymie the brewing conflict between the warhawk Supreme Commander of the Armada, Admiral Cadorna, and the Republic''s best fighting commander, Admiral Tang. He had to rebuild the lost fleets, and ensure the safety of the frontier.


    When a letter came to him telling him about a routine military exercise in Lephelia, the Capital, he didn''t pay it too much mind.


    14 January 2603.


    When armed soldiers barged in to his office and shot his guards, he was beyond surprised. At this point rebels had taken over all of Lephelia''s strategic infrastructure. Admirals Agnarsson and Black had positioned their fleets on Lephelia''s orbit. In the confusion Starfort A fell to their hands. The only remaining Loyalist force was Battlefleet Aegis, but with their commander gone, most of their ships and crew ended up confiscated and taken prisoner.


    "Admiral Cadorna. What is this?"


    "Old times are over, Marshal," Admiral Cadorna said. "Aten Eternal will rise up from the ashes of the crumbling republic. This bloated mobocracy¡¯s purpose is no more.¡±


    ¡°Fools ¡­.¡±


    Admiral Cadorna¡¯s eyes sharpened. ¡°We will destroy the Empire, as we are always meant to be. We will accomplish things your dear republic cannot, Marshal.¡±


    The two men gazed at one another intently. One was the stubborn guardian of democratic republicanism. The other bore the marks of military authoritarianism.


    Until at last, Marshal Popov slumped his wide shoulders. "So be it. I am beaten," he says. "But there are those who will defeat you. The frontier fleets."


    "We will take them down too."


    "No. You will try, and fail."


    "... Take him away."


    Thus Lephelia fell under the control of Aten, a new military dictatorship. In a few short days, using the coreworld fleets that it had attracted, Aten had subjugated large swathes of former Republican territory. The military enacted a ban on free press, suppressing dissent. Although so, through illegal radio frequencies a line was repeated again and again:


    "All hope is not yet lost. The frontier fleets are coming."


    It was Vice Admiral Yue Fangling who had the idea of operating this illegal radio frequency. Hope, she said, was a powerful force; far more powerful than rational calculations.


    Newly promoted Rear Admiral Henry Applewood was enacting his usual, supply-related duties when the ''Lephelia Uprising'' began. He immediately declared allegiance to Aten, escaping imprisonment.


    On the fifteenth of January, Henry managed to slip into the prison where Marshal Popov was held. With a taser in his hand, he stunned the lone guard, who went down. He covered the guard''s mouth so as to muffle his scream. "Marshal," he whispered.


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    The sleeping imprisoned marshal stirred from his sleep. "Is that ... Rear Admiral Applewood?"


    "It''s me, Sir," Henry replied, taking the key from the guard. "I''ll bring you out."


    "No. They check on me once every hour. You''ll only jeopardize yourself. Can you escape from here?"


    "I can. I''ve come to contact with Battlefleet Aegis¡ªor what¡¯s left of it."


    "Give me a pen and paper."


    Marshal Popov scribbled a long letter, and gave it to Henry. "Bring this to Admiral Tang Jinhua of Battlefleet Chiyou. You must go."


    "Marshal ...."


    "Go!"


    Henry Applewood rallied the few remaining vessels and personnel of Battlefleet Aegis; a scant five thousand warships, all of them understaffed, with very few battleships. They managed to slip through Admiral Black''s watch, and began the long march to the frontier.


    In the frontier, Admiral Tang''s call to arms didn''t go unheeded. Battlefleet Agni and Battlefleet Sakura were marching to her base, and so was many smaller units. In a mere fortnight, though the battlefleets were yet to arrive, ten thousand vessels had reinforced her. The task to command and reorganize these forces fell to Abbas.


    "I didn''t think this day would come," Lieutenant Commander Black muttered as she helped Abbas organize his new warships.


    "You should rest," Abbas says. Here his voice dithered. "After all, your father too ...."


    "Don''t worry about me," his aide replied, heaps of bitterness in her tone. "Though I wonder. Is this conflict so necessary after all?"


    "What do you mean?"


    "For long, there is conflict between the coreworlds and the frontier worlds. Now most of the coreworlds have effectively seceded. Could we not live side by side?"


    "Unfortunately, that''s not for us to decide," Abbas sighed. "And I personally can''t accept the existence of a military dictatorship birthed of a bloated democracy. Also, from a geopolitical view, we''re squashed between the Empire on one side and Aten on another."


    A fortnight of preparation later, Henry Applewood''s party arrived in the frontier. They immediately rendezvoused with the frontier fleets, and were granted audience with Admiral Tang, accompanied by Yue and Abbas.


    "So Popov was captured," Admiral Tang rued. "What about the others?"


    "Most high officials, both civilian and military, have either turned, or been imprisoned. Thankfully, there has been no executions."


    "And the fleets?"


    "Only Battlefleet Aegis remains loyal, and they have been neutralized," Henry said gravely. "The rest has either joined Aten or remained neutral."


    "Hmm. And how¡¯s the general mood?"


    ¡°It¡¯s been ambivalent so far. Nobody¡¯s too enthusiastic about the uprising, but nobody¡¯s too enthusiastic to support the government either. If Aten¡¯s officials can prove themselves able, I can see the populace supporting them.¡±


    ¡°Of course they do. The government was a bunch of spineless incompetents.¡±


    Admiral Tang opened the letter slowly. Abbas could see the contents from the corner of his eye.


    "In an event of emergency, specifically uprising of rebellious elements within the military, I, Marshal Gabriel Popov, Joint Headquarters Chief, hereby:


    <ol>


    <li>Invoke article 19 of the Charter;</li>


    <li>Promote Admiral Tang Jinhua to the rank of marshal, and appoint the person to the office of acting Joint Headquarters Chief and acting Supreme Commander of the Armada;</li>


    <li>Bid for the Armada to defeat the rebellious forces."</li>


    </ol>


    Article 19 is a highly controversial article in the Charter, essentially declaring a major emergency and giving power to the military to resolve it without civilian intervention. Enclosed within the letter is an insignia, bearing three golden stars, with a violet line across it. The insignia of a marshal. Marshal Tang took it, and, carefully removing her previous insignia, wore it on her uniform. ¡°So we now have legal grounds to attack Aten,¡± Marshal Tang said. ¡°Very well then. Let¡¯s fight.¡±


    Abbas suddenly found himself at the command of a temporary fleet; he named it Battlefleet Tristan, with Quetzalcoatl as his flagship. It comprised of small, unaffiliated groups of warships unattached to the large fleets, and augmented by the remnants of Battlefleet Aegis. Its strength was 15,000 warships, but it severely lacked battleships and carriers, and there was an issue of under-staffing. Henry was attached to Abbas¡¯ fleet as chief logistician.


    The frontier fleets are coming.

 29. The Republics Civil War: Battles of Westra Starzone

    Emotions were swirling in Lieutenant Commander Alice Black''s mind like a maelstrom. Time to choose her loyalty beckoned nearer and nearer. Marshal Tang had finally completed her preparations. 95,000 warships, drawn from Battlefleets Chiyou, Isolde, Tristan, Agni, and Sakura had been assembled. In a matter of weeks, open war would erupt in the Republic.


    The lights were dim. Clothes scattered around the floor. The time was 11.45.


    "I should go," Abbas whispered, caressing his lover''s cheek.


    "No," Yue whispered back, "nobody knows. Stay with me this night."


    "If that''s what you want."


    Footsteps in the dark. Somewhat loud. But the lovebirds were asleep, and even when the assailant opened the door with a lockpick, they didn''t wake up.


    It was only when Yue got thirsty and woke up to fetch a glass of water that she saw a silhouette. She immediately punched the light switch. Abbas, who couldn''t sleep a wink with lights on, was awakened from his slumber.


    Panicked, Lieutenant Commander Black drew her laser pistol. Ten seconds pass amidst heavy breathing. Nobody was sure what the hell was going on.


    It was Yue who snapped back to reality first. "What are you doing?" she asked, baring her fangs. Her eyes snapped sharp.


    "I ... I cannot let you do this," Alice replied, shaking. "I can''t let the frontier fleets leave."


    Realization dawned on Yue and Abbas. "Traitor!" Yue spat out. "You''re working for your father, aren''t you?"


    "I won''t let him be killed!"


    Yue''s anger was rising, but Abbas holding her hand from under the bedsheets seemed to cool it down. A shot from Alice''s pistol flared it up again. The shot nearly hit their hands. "D-don''t do anything funny!" Alice said. "I''ll shoot you."


    "If you shoot one of us, the other will immediately jump on you," Abbas said sharply.


    "And even if you kill us both, it''ll change nothing," Yue added. "If anything, it''ll only motivate the fleet even more. Seriously, what are you thinking?"


    "Y-you are my hostages," Alice said.


    "And then what?" Abbas insisted. "In a few hours it''ll be morning, and the others will know."


    "I DON''T KNOW! I DON''T KNOW, OKAY? WHY ARE YOU ASKING SO MUCH?" Alice shot a few times between the duo. Laser beams nearly graze their ears.


    Abbas and Yue exchanged a knowing look. Just when the two were starting to coordinate their moves, Alice cried. "I didn''t want to do this!" she sobbed. ¡°Can you imagine¨Chaving the choose between your father and your superior? I-I respect you, Sir. But I have to do this.¡±


    Alice calmed. The murderous muzzle of her pistol was set upon Abbas'' head. ¡°I¡¯ll make this quick, Sir,¡± Alice said, lips trembling. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Abbas breathed in as much air as he could. He didn¡¯t want to die. Not like this. Not this early. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Alice,¡± Abbas said. ¡°I forgive you. I can understand your position. But please think this all over again. You have no escape plan. And even if you do, can you say honestly whether the Aten government will win?¡±


    Alice¡¯s calm hand went unsteady once more, but her finger inched ever closer to the trigger.


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    Yue was about to pounce on Alice, but a second later, the latter started crying, and her pistol dropped. Both Abbas and Yue immediately seized her.


    Broken into a sobbing mess, Alice didn''t resist when Yue and Abbas, after wearing their clothes, dragged her to prison. "Poor girl," both of them remarked simultaneously.


    The news quickly spread in the morning. When it reached the desk of Marshal Tang, she merely nodded and sent word to ship commanders to watch out for infiltrators. Secretly, she assigned additional bodyguards for all personnel ranked rear admiral and above. The veteran commanders of the so-called ''Legitimate Fleet of the RNS Armada'' weren''t afraid of death; but if they were felled, the command system would be severely disrupted.


    On the twenty-second day of February, 2603, the RNS Armada declared its intentions to be loyal to the democratically elected government, with Flare coalition leader Abodemi as its head. It further decried the Aten government as illegitimate and demanded its surrender.


    In response, the Aten government condemned it as a rebel military unit, and quickly mobilized forces to put it down. On 27th February, a host of high-ranking officials, including Chairman Abodemi, arrived in the Armada''s headquarters, and immediately began making speeches. They were lucky to be off the Capital when the uprising started, but without knowledge of which military units had stayed loyal and which had turned traitor, they couldn¡¯t figure out where to go¡ªuntil Marshal Tang¡¯s declaration.


    ¡°Ha. Those politicians could only talk,¡± Marshal Tang commented to Abbas and Yue. ¡°But when shit hits the fan, they think they¡¯re in a hotel called democracy and we the cleaning staff have to jump in.¡±


    ¡°In their defense, would you want him in the fleet?¡± Yue silently gestured towards the chubby¡ªto put it politely¡ªChairman Abodemi.


    ¡°I can always use more gunners,¡± Marshal Tang said with a scorning expression.


    On the second of March, 2602, the RNS Armada, spearheaded by veteran admirals Koo and Anand, launched an assault against the occupied coreworlds, defeating a motley fleet of a thousand ships in the Welstra Starzone, a starzone between the frontier and the coreworlds. Marshal Tang had intended for a direct attack against the capital, but interesting news broke on the sixth of March.


    The imprisoned crew of Battlefleet Aegis managed to enact a daring breakout, taking with them nearly twenty thousand warships. Hotly pursued, they sent a call for help. The RNS Armada dispatched Yue and Abbas to assist them.


    Diligently combing through black space, they finally found Battlefleet Aegis¡¯ forces in the Welstra Starzone. ¡°There they are,¡± Yue said in satisfaction. She instructed her communications officers. ¡°To the commander: this is Vice Admiral Yue, commanding officer of Battlefleet Isolde. Please respond.¡±


    After half a minute of silence, broken communications went through. ¡°This is Rear Admiral Isakov of Battlefleet Aegis ¡­ requesting help ¡­.¡±


    Yue was about to ask further, but no questions were necessary when she saw ships chasing the allied fleet. ¡°Retreat to the coordinates I¡¯m sending. We¡¯ll take on the enemy.¡±


    The gargantuan warship Vistula-Oder, commanded by Admiral Black, led a thirty thousand strong Battlefleet Ouroboros on a chase. ¡°Admiral, the ships are stopping,¡± his aide informed him.


    ¡°Hm! Are they trying to fight?¡±


    ¡°Please wait a second¡ªit seems those aren¡¯t ships we were chasing! Those are warships from Battlefleet Isolde and Chiyou!¡±


    Admiral Black grinned. Wordlessly, he signaled to prepare for battle.


    Against him, Yue positioned the bulk of her forces on her left flank, with Abbas¡¯ aggressive forces at the head of it. She herself commanded the thinned center and right. Warships of Battlefleet Ouroboros arranged against the Armada, their hulls bearing a stripe of white sandwiched between two stripes of black; the Aten government¡¯s colors.


    At a distance of five light-seconds, the two fleets fired upon one another, gales of energy bursting from murderous cannons. After an hour¡¯s worth of fighting, Yue started to retreat. It was this battle where the ancient oblique order became known as the ¡®couple¡¯s dance¡¯. Abbas hurled the entire weight of his wing against the Aten fleet, poised to crush Yue¡¯s center.


    Battlefleet Ouroboros¡¯ left wing disintegrated. The seemingly triumphant Battlefleet Ouroboros soon found themselves assailed by an overwhelming force as Abbas¡¯ offensive coordinated with Yue turning back and launching a pursuit. Just before it turned into a wholesale slaughter, Admiral Black managed to disengage. Thirteen thousand ships of Battlefleet Ouroboros were lost to the carnage, and it would take weeks for the scattered ships to reunite.


    Thus concluded the Second Battle of Welstra Starzone, just a few days after the first one. It was a blow against the Aten government, which not only lost 13,000 warships, but also had to content itself as Battlefleet Aegis joined the Armada.


    Yet the civil war was only beginning. Everywhere in the Republic and the Empire, wherever humanity drew breath, all waited anxiously to see who would emerge triumphant.


    The date was 18 March 2603. War would color the affairs of the Republic for the foreseeable future.

 30. The Republics Civil War: Drums in the Void

    Open war erupts in the Republic!


    The news arrived as fast as humanly possible to Empress Katharin¡¯s workdesk. Imperial Spymaster Klaris was off-world, negotiating with a number of nobles about mining rights of a certain sector. So she summoned the Imperial head of military, Marshal Karl von Marbach, instead. The marshal had also received reports.


    ¡°Their country has been divided between the pro-war and the anti-war factions for as long as I remember,¡± Marshal Karl said with a flat smile. ¡°I suppose it¡¯s only a natural conclusion.¡±


    ¡°And so, the facade that is democracy unravelled at last,¡± Katharin said, legs up on the table¡ªutterly unbefitting of an empress. ¡°A nation divided against itself cannot stand. And their nation has always been held up by such severe division.¡±


    Marshal Karl murmurred a slight hum. ¡°I believe the question now is what we will do¡ªand what we can do,¡± Katharin continued.


    ¡°We¡¯re not in a good shape to launch a full-scale invasion, if that¡¯s what you mean,¡± Marshal Karl said immediately. ¡°Limited incursions might work. Since Marshal Tang¡¯s faction is moving their forces inwards, naturally there¡¯d be very few defenses left in the frontier.¡±


    ¡°Hm. I don¡¯t intend to make war right now. I keep on thinking I should do something ... but perhaps we should let them tear themselves apart. After all, they did the favour of staying out of our own civil war, didn¡¯t they?¡± Katharin let out a low laugh. ¡°Once this is over, I¡¯m thinking of peace. What will be the result, I wonder?¡±


    ¡°Marshal Tang is on the side of the government. She¡¯ll win,¡± Marshal Karl said unambiguously.


    ¡°You hold her in such high regard, don¡¯t you? I can¡¯t fault you ....¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the full extent of it. I also hold the Aten government¡¯s admirals in very low regard.¡±


    ¡°It seems they lack a unifying leader, those rebels,¡± Empress Katharin remarked. ¡°In the end, order decides everything.¡±


    Everywhere in the Republic, the Armada was making good progress. Having smashed Battlefleet Ouroboros, Vice Admiral Yue Fangling continued to lead the Armada¡¯s vanguard.


    Meanwhile, Battlefleet Aegis had a major problem. All of its high-rank officers had been executed by the Aten government, leaving Rear Admiral Isakov the sole officer above the rank of commodore; he was the logistics chief, unsuited to command as he himself admitted. Furthermore, the composition of this fleet was utterly mixed; less than a half was drawn from the original crew. A third of its ships had been lost to the enemy; another third badly damaged.


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    In response to this, Marshal Tang handed over temporary command of the fleet to Abbas.


    ¡°It¡¯s easy to command a well-built fleet,¡± she said to her student. ¡°Now I want to see you rebuild one.¡±


    It was merely 10,000 warships strong. Abbas silently worked to recreate the fleet¡¯s command chain.


    Even though the resources commanded by the Aten government were vast, they were plagued by infighting and political plays. This was obvious as the admirals of Aten convened to discuss battle plans.


    The most developed plan was that of Admiral Frida Agnarsson¡¯s, supported by a young, ambitious Admiral Fattah. ¡°Essentially, we draw all of them to one spot,¡± she said. ¡°Here, in the Wettan Starzone, for example. We can spread false news about planning to execute prisoners or something. Once they fall for it, we can ambush and destroy them at leisure. Repeat this until the enemy runs out of fleets.¡±


    Gazing left and right, Admiral Agnarsson saw no support arrayed for her. The reason was blindingly obvious. If the plan succeded, it would be her who would reap most of the credit. No agreement was made that day.


    As a little side show, Admiral Fattah attempted an ambush against Marshal Tang¡¯s headquarters, only to be brushed off with 30 percent casualty rate (¡°a young cat ought not play with old turtles, for his claws are dull,¡± was the observation of Vice Admiral Yue afterwards). The main shift in the war¡¯s paradigm, however, was the activation of Starfort Almus, officially called Starfort A.


    ¡°Starfort Almus has been activated?¡± was the astonished reaction of Abbas when news first came to him. ¡°I suppose with their forces in the Capital, they can afford to mobilize it ....¡±


    Starfort Almus was one of the two major ¡®flying¡¯ fortresses of the Republic. It usually guarded the Capital alongside Battlefleet Aegis. It was a fearsome war machine, equipped with hundreds of anti-fleet guns, and numerous anti-fighter armaments. It was able to support millions of humans, and tens of thousands of warships.


    Abbas threw his weight against the back of his command chair, eyes emptily staring at the space where his aide Alice used to be. ¡°Anyhow we can¡¯t do anything about it. We only have our orders to follow. Though, do tell the scout ships to pay extra attention to it. If any of our squadrons encounter it, by no means are they to engage; rather, they are to retreat and rejoin formation.¡±


    It has been almost four months since the Aten uprising took place. Most of the coreworlds remained in their firm hands, with military law enacted within those worlds.


    While they had to contend with the Abodemi government, supported by the Legitimate Fleet of the Armada, an equally immediate concern was the economy. The coreworlds import many goods, especially foodstuffs, from the outer worlds. Now that that line of supply was cut off, several worlds were starting to draw on their last food reserves. Pressure was high to finish the war.


    Commodore Anton Zach was one of Abbas¡¯ captains. He led his vanguard, two thousand warships strong. Young and talented, Commodore Zach hailed from a long line of naval officers. At a time when his commanding officer was in deep discussion with his fellow fleet commanders, he flew deep strikes into Aten territory. He was in the middle of such a raid when the space itself tremored.


    Emerging like a behemoth from the black void adorned by twinkling stars, Starfort Almus stood unflinching. Its grey hull made of super-alloys gleamed murderously. A pinnacle of efficient, ruthless engineering, the cube-shaped starfort flung itself at Commodore Zach¡¯s fleet.


    ¡°Retreat! Retreat! Get us out of here!¡±

 31. Third Battle of Welstra Starzone: Part 1

    Weeks of progress were wiped out in an instant as the Armada¡¯s fleets withdrew from the might of Starfort Almus, supported by nearly 130,000 warships from various Aten fleets. The tide seemed to turn once more.


    ¡°Our fleets have been forced to retreat everywhere,¡± was Vice Admiral Yue¡¯s report to Marshal Tang. ¡°I do not foresee anything different until Starfort Almus is brought down.¡±


    A mere 24 hours later, a message came out to all fleets from headquarters: ¡°cease all operations, concentrate all forces on the Welstra Starzone.¡± Five fleets were in good enough shape to respond: Battlefleet Agni, Battlefleet Sakura, Battlefleet Isolde, Battlefleet Tristan, and Battlefleet Aegis. Combined with headquarters¡¯ forces, they would number roughly 110,000 warships.


    It was Admiral Black who earned the credit for pushing back the Armada¡¯s forces, and he seized control over much of Aten¡¯s fleets. Upon hearing of the Armada¡¯s massing in Welstra, he was of the mind to march there at once and destroy the enemy¡¯s main force.


    Yue and Abbas had finally been reunited in Welstra, and they enjoy a drink together in Cutrose¡¯s lounge.


    ¡°I have to say, it¡¯s a different feeling when we fight fellow Republicans,¡± Yue said, her drink swirling aimlessly. ¡°This just feels wrong.¡±


    ¡°Full agreement,¡± Abbas said. ¡°The faster we resolve this, the better.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    The two of them looked outside. It was a soldier¡¯s privilege, to be able to look upon the shining stars so clearly. ¡°For years now, all I know is fighting,¡± Yue said. ¡°I¡¯ve never thought of anything else. What about you?¡±


    ¡°I like the stars,¡± Abbas said, somewhat emptily. ¡°I grow tired of all the fighting.¡±


    A comfortable silence lingered between the two. Both were struggling to let out their feelings. ¡°Yue,¡± Abbas said finally. ¡°After this war is over, will you marry me?¡±


    The cold Yue smiled warmly. Raising her glass, she toasted her fiancee. ¡°With pleasure.¡±


    16 May 2603 was the date when scout ships first detected the arrival of Aten vanguard fleets in Gandharva Starzone, adjacent to Welstra. Nodding grimly, Marshal Tang convened a council.


    ¡°My fleet¡¯s turtle ships will form the center, in the Turtle Wall formation. Combined, the turtle cannons should be a match for Almus¡¯ main gun. Of the rest of my fleet, I¡¯ll command half as the headquarters. Yue, you take the other half, and together with your own, you¡¯ll form up the port.¡±


    Vice Admiral Yue nodded. ¡°Understood,¡± she said.


    ¡°Anand, you¡¯ll be the starboard. Koo, you¡¯ll be the reserve.¡± The two quiet men, deep in thought, nodded. It was said that they traced their ancestry to old warlords of Earth.


    ¡°As for scouts in the rear and flank, we¡¯ll use local defense units,¡± Marshal Tang continued. Her eye then shifted to her protege.


    ¡°Abbas!¡± here Marshal Tang¡¯s voice seemed to be twice as mighty as it previously was. ¡°This is your opportunity, especially, to prove your mettle. Take both Battlefleet Tristan and Aegis, and circle around the starboard flank as far as you deem appropriate. Attack Almus from behind and disable it. I¡¯ve assigned several divisions of sappers and elite ground troops to your fleet. They can infiltrate Almus and disable its systems.¡±Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°You expect this battle to be long, then. Circling the starboard will take at least twelve hours,¡± Admiral Anand noted.


    ¡°I expect it to be at least half as spectacular as Istoria. Also: if I am killed, command falls to Anand, then Yue, then Koo,¡± Marshal Tang said. ¡°If nothing else, all of us should rest and prepare our forces.¡±


    On 21 May 2603, the Third Battle of Welstra Starzone erupted. The two fleets faced one another in fairly orderly lines. Starfort Almus hung ominously in the middle of the formation. The grey, cube fortress was brimming with activity, its anti-air defense taunting. A horrible, red eye emerged from its core¡ªits main gun, oozing with power.


    Against it, stood ten thousand turtle ships. Most of their crew had been evacuated, leaving only the gunners and essential personnel behind. The shields of the ships, vertically arranged such that their shell-shaped hulls faced the enemy, congealed into one supercharged barrier. The dragon heads at the head of the ships turned 180 degrees, ready to fire.


    ¡°Marshal Tang. Surrender and I will treat you generously,¡± was Admiral Black¡¯s message before the battle.


    ¡°I have crossed lances with an admiral whose fingertip has more wisdom than you,¡± was the reply.


    ¡°So it begins,¡± Abbas remarked. He had a message sent to his second-in-command, Commodore Zach. ¡°Commodore Zach, be prepared to follow my fleet at a moment¡¯s notice.¡±


    ¡°Aye, commander.¡±


    Positioning himself around three light seconds behind Koo¡¯s reserve fleet, Abbas could barely watch the carnage in front of him. Anti-radar systems had become so advanced that radars were practically obsolete in military use, and obviously he couldn¡¯t send out scout ships. All he could see was discerned from his own eyes and reports from the frontward fleets.


    But he could still see quite clearly. A baleful blast of energy struck Marshal Tang¡¯s turtle wall formation, blasting apart a few ships. Dragon cannons jointly fired, forming a powerful beam that struck Starfort Almus. Ships swarmed on port and starboard. Neither side wished to suffer a blow from the other¡¯s superweapon, so the firing started at a much shorter range than usual¡ªone or two light seconds, perhaps.


    ¡°Please be safe, Yue ...,¡± Abbas muttered.


    Yue was in the fight of her life. Guarding the port alone, she concentrated on defense, skilfully switching out exhausted units with fresh ones. Sweat broke in her forehead despite the cool temperature inside her command deck. Admiral Anand, holding the starboard, was in the same predicament. The Aten fleets were numberless, their hulls blighting the Welstra system¡¯s sun. The Armada could not play the game of numbers.


    ¡°Rear Admiral Abbas, it¡¯s time. Take your fleets, circle the starboard, and fall on the rear of the enemy.¡±


    So important was this message that Marshal Tang did not send it by digital communications out of fear of interception, but rather with a shuttle. At once, Abbas and Zach led their fleets.


    ¡°Press our advantage!¡± Admiral Black ordered. He had the numerical advantage in the first place, and that advantage was only exacerbated further by Marshal Tang¡¯s sending of Abbas and Zach. He also saw no need to devote forces to reserve, or to guard the flanks and rear. Perhaps overconfidence was sometimes a boon.


    ¡°Koo, to starboard, help Anand. Fleet, we¡¯ll smash the port!¡± Marshal Tang ordered.


    The combined firepower and discipline of Battlefleet Isolde and Chiyou held off the overwhelming numbers of the enemy whilst Anand and Koo¡¯s guns sung a song of death and destruction on their front, but it was only a matter of time until Aten¡¯s fleets overwhelmed the Armada. The battle hung at a delicate balance. The fate of the Republic was at stake. Would military authoritarianism finally triumph over republican democracy today, at this time, noon of the twenty-second day of May of 2603?


    Just as the delicate balance was about to be turned over, a line of Aten ships at the back exploded into a ball of flames. Commodore Anton Zach¡¯s fleet had arrived, and they now struck the enemy¡¯s starboard. Starfort Almus sluggishly shifted its main gun, prepared to fire at Zach¡¯s fleet.


    ¡°Unguarded rear. Unprotected flank. His eyes see only forwards. And that is why we will win today,¡± Marshal Tang said. ¡°Advance, sandwich their starboard between us and the flanking fleet. Dragon cannons, fire!¡±


    The dragon cannons belched out a concentrated beam of pure destruction, distracting Starfort Almus. Though the turtle ships suffered a blow as compensation, the duel lasted long enough for Zach¡¯s ships to close in.


    At 1400, Abbas¡¯ fleet finally arrived. Abbas stood from his command chair. The cubic structure of Starfort Almus stood in front of him, yet oblivious to his presence. His body felt stiff from the pressure and the euphoria.


    ¡°Attack!¡±

 32. The Armadas Might

    The stygian space behind Starfort Almus was left empty. Admiral Black did not believe the Armada had anywhere near enough strength to launch such a pincer attack, and would pay a high price for his carelessness.


    In a mere hour since striding so bravely into the scene, Abbas'' elite boarders have infiltrated the cubic hull of that dreaded fortress. Another hour later, great energy dissipated from Almus'' main gun. The tide had completely turned.


    With skill befitting of their stations, the commanders of the RNS Armada pulled back all their fleets, constructing a siege formation. "Fire at will!" Marshal Tang ordered to the turtle ships.


    Densely packed warships of the Aten fleet fell victim to the concentrated fire of the turtle ships. Chaos reigned supreme. Assailed from fore and aft, their starfort disabled, Aten''s morale broke. Some surrendered on the spot by disabling their engines. Some made disjointed attempts to escape, but these were shot down quickly.


    Fighting was initially fierce inside Starfort Almus as its guards were deployed to its defense, but as soon as the main gun was brought down, it became a one-way slaughter. As ships tried to escape on their own, the Vistula-Oder¡¯s escort ships became loosely positioned.


    "There we go, an opening," Abbas remarked. "We''ll go in and take Admiral Black''s head ourselves."


    A decisive charge by Battlefleet Tristan was the coup de grace of the battle. Almost all order dissolved when the Vistula-Oder was shattered by Quetzalcoatl''s main guns. All that remained was Battlefleet Tempest, commanded by Admiral Agnarsson. Yet even this speck of light was snuffed out when Koo and Anand hurled their warships at this last organized unit, scattering it. Admiral Agnarsson fell in battle, and second-in-command Vice Admiral Bugo took over. Officers of the Armada breathed a simultaneous sigh¨Cof relief and of somberness.


    A few hours later, Vice Admiral Bugo gathered all the strength he could spare, and broke through one of the siege formation¡¯s weaker spots. All that remained from a fleet hundred thousand strong was a hobbled collection of damaged ships numbering barely ten percent that.


    Abbas'' lightweight body slammed against his chair. There was one person he had to inform personally.


    Ever since her meltdown, Alice had never been the same. Initially held in prison, she had been transferred to a mental health facility abroad the Quetzalcoatl after wardens reported of her mental instability. The facility was usually used to treat soldiers¡¯ PTSD. Doctors reported that she often looked into the horizon emptily, and once tried to take her own life.


    "Lieutenant Commander Alice."


    "Commander?" a hazy voice answered.


    "I have to inform you ... your father was killed in battle."


    Alice''s unstable eyes turned to Abbas''. "His flagship sunk, and he went down with it," he informed. "If it matters to you, my ship was the one sinking it."


    Seeing Alice practically catatonic, Abbas beat a hasty retreat. Tears fell down her eyes, but he couldn''t see it.


    ¡°W-wait!¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Abbas turned his body around. ¡°Yes?¡± he asked.


    ¡°After I recover,¡± Alice said, her voice suddenly stable and strong, ¡°can I be your aide again, Commander?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯ll depend on Joint Headquarters¡¯ decision ¡­.¡±


    Abbas¡¯ own feelings was conflicted. Even if Joint Headquarters were to order him to take Alice back as aide, would he just accept it? This could-have-been murderer?


    What a farce. How many men have he killed, when he ordered those grand charges and feint retreats, those flanking pushes, those close combat maneuvers?


    ¡°My loyalties were conflicted,¡± Alice said. ¡°My father ordered me to kill you.¡±


    ¡°But now that he¡¯s ¡­.¡±


    ¡°Now that he¡¯s dead, I only have you, Commander.¡±


    A cold silence, amplified by the atmosphere of the mental hospital, hung in the air. ¡°Once you recover, I¡¯ll be glad to take you back,¡± Abbas said finally. A light flamed in Alice¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Thank you, Commander. I¡¯ll be sure to recover quickly.¡±


    After the victory, a banquet was held. Marshal Tang was not fond of it (''we haven''t won yet''), but Chairman Abodemi overruled her.


    "So, how''s that girl Black?" Yue asked at the banquet. "I heard you went to tell her personally."


    "She seems better. She said she wants to be my aide again," you said. "Though I¡¯m not sure if she''ll ever recover."


    "Hmm. We shall see.¡±


    Back in the capital world Lephelia, panic slowly spread across Aten''s governing body. Their fleet had been defeated, and morale was at rock bottom.


    Admiral Cadorna mustered all the fleet strength he could for a final, decisive battle. Unlike the others, he remained supremely optimistic. In fact, this was precisely the reason he allowed Admiral Black to take control earlier.


    Marshal Tang and her merry band of democratic loyalists have done him the favor of deposing his chief rival. His gambit had worked, but not to the extent he¡¯d have liked. He hoped for the mutual annihilation of both Admiral Black and the Armada, clearing the way for him to seize full authority.


    Nevertheless, all he had to do now was engage and take the Armada down at Lephelia. Luckily, he had mobilized Starfort Bassano, the twin brother of Starfort Almus. He put Vice Admiral Bugo in charge of it, alongside ten thousand ships, survivors from the Third Battle of Welstra.


    But then disaster struck.


    Vice Admiral Bugo absconded into unknown space, bringing with him Starfort Bassano and ten thousand warships. After a short investigation, it came to light that he had dealings with unknown third parties, who promised protection and compensation in exchange for bringing Starfort Bassano and his fleet to a certain location in ¡®wild space¡¯, unexplored space unclaimed by either the Republic or the Empire. The only human existence there were explorer outposts and ships, criminals, and pirates. Admiral Cadorna panickedly sent a fleet to the coordinates; the fleet was lost.


    This news spread uncontrollably, even to the ears of the Abodemi government¡¯s armada, prompting a meeting by Joint Headquarters.


    ¡°¡­ what the hell just happened?¡± was the opening statement by the usually calm, flat Vice Admiral Koo.


    Admiral Anand¡¯s back firmly stuck to his seat. ¡°This is certainly a first,¡± he noted, to the general agreement of others. ¡°In total, they lost, what, a starfort and about 15,000 warships?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s thinking, sending 5,000 warships after a fleet twice that size, plus a starfort,¡± Yue added.


    ¡°He¡¯s an idiot. That is well-established,¡± Marshal Tang said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. ¡°I¡¯m more worried about this ¡®third party¡¯ thing. It implies someone is rich or powerful enough to compel a starfort and at least 10,000 warships to join them.¡±


    ¡°Could it be the Empire?¡± Yue suggested.


    ¡°That would be very irregular,¡± Admiral Anand replied. ¡°That is not the Imperial Navy¡¯s MO at all.


    ¡°Agreed. But they¡¯re the only faction capable of pulling this off,¡± Yue countered.


    ¡°I wonder if that¡¯s true,¡± Abbas commented. ¡°What about corporations? Some of them are very rich.¡± It was pure conjecture.


    ¡°Sure. But what would they use the fleet for? It¡¯s not like one fort and 10,000 ships can stand against either us or the Empire,¡± Marshal Tang answered.


    ¡°There¡¯s a possibility Vice Admiral Bugo simply ran away, intending to be some sort of pirate warlord.¡±


    Although there were suggestions for the Armada to locate and capture Starfort Bassano and the absconded ships, a consensus was eventually made to focus on the coming battle against Admiral Cadorna.


    And so, the final act of the Aten Uprising began.

 33. The Mysterious Abscondence

    ¡°What do you mean the Atenians lost a fortress and a fleet to¡ªthey don¡¯t even know who?¡± was Empress Katharin¡¯s response to the report that came from the Imperial Military Headquarters. The pristine wooden desk, atop which a two-page article laid, shone weakly in comparison to the Empress¡¯ brilliant eyes. With her were two subordinates: from the military side, Admiral Scarnhorst, and from the civilian side, Minister of Palatial Affairs, an experienced, old bureaucrat by the name of Rumroyen.


    ¡°It is as written, Your Majesty,¡± Admiral Scarnhorst replied. ¡°Vice Admiral Bugo absconded with ten thousand ships and Starfort Bassano.¡± Since the end of the war, Admiral Scarnhorst¡¯s Sixth Fleet was assigned to guard the worlds near the Throneworld, so she was almost always at hand for the Empress to consult with.


    Empress Katharin let out a small, impolite laugh. ¡°We had no hand in this, I take it?¡±


    ¡°Not unless someone eluded our Marshal¡¯s bird-eye view on the entire Imperial military, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°So, what do you think happened, Scarnhorst?¡± the young empress crossed her legs, her eyes brimming with vitality.


    ¡°There¡¯s report that Vice Admiral Bugo was paid to abscond. The exact amount is yet to be known, but it¡¯s said to be at least five trillion Republican dollars.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s around 1,25 trillion Imperial marks ... enough money to feed an entire family¡¯s bloodline for practically forever,¡± Katharin remarked.


    Katharin¡¯s legs crossed more intensely. Her mind immediately went to the likeliest, yet strangest, scenario: a third party purchasing Vice Admiral Bugo¡¯s fleet and fortress. She thought the Aten commander had simply escaped to be a pirate lord or some such, but news that someone paid him to escape threw a wrench in her ideas.


    ¡°Have our intelligence divisions be examined. If any of our own dared to commit such a scheme without approval, I will personally wring the life out of their necks,¡± Empress Katharin said.


    ¡°At once, Your Majesty.¡±


    Scarnhorst immediately left her liege¡¯s side to deliver instructions. ¡°I hope you brought me some interesting news, Rumroyen,¡± the Empress said.


    ¡°News are often dull, Your Majesty,¡± Rumroyen replied with utmost courtesy.


    ¡°It appears you and my other courtiers are pushing me towards marriage, Rumroyen,¡± the Empress said, holding up a file detailing the biography of a certain duke¡¯s son. ¡°I wonder why.¡± As if seized by some supernatural anger, she tore the file into two with her battle-hardened fingers.


    For a short moment the Empress¡¯ sheer vitality overwhelmed the old bureaucrat¡¯s mental stability. ¡°Your Majesty, it is customary for monarchs of the Empire to marry and continue the Nassau line,¡± Rumroyen said matter-of-factly. ¡°The remaining nobles, too, are waiting for it anxiously.¡±


    ¡°Why so then, Rumroyen?¡± the Empress asked. ¡°Why is it that the Nassau line must continue?¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty ... if the Nassau line does not continue, who will assume the position of emperor?¡±


    Empress Katharin smiled. ¡°Tell me. Have all emperors of the Nassau line ruled properly?¡±This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    ¡°Each of the Emperors have contributed greatly to the nation ....¡±


    ¡°So the official lines go. But many of them are full of shit. My successor will be one with equal or greater ability than me. And so will my spouse be, Rumroyen. Not these children with little else but bloodline and inheritance to their name.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, surely there is no equal to you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not so conceited to think so.¡± At this, Rumroyen swallowed his own spit.


    ¡°Then, do you have a candidate in your mind?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps later. Return to your duties now.¡±


    ¡°As you wish, Your Majesty.¡±


    Katharin¡¯s gang of fleet leaders had grown unexpectedly close. In the old Empire, officers often butted heads with one another for the sake of promotion¡ªand with that, martial glory. But the new Empire¡ªor at least its key military officers¡ªhad changed.


    One thing didn¡¯t change: the human proclivity to gossip. With light music and fine wine in front of them, Admirals Valentina, Scarnhorst, Thompson, and Radbruch sat together with their youth and spirit quelled a little. ¡°I heard the civil officials are spending a lot of time convincing the Empress to marry,¡± Thompson said. ¡°Say, Scarnhorst, you¡¯ve been spending time in the Throneworld lately. Is that true?¡± Merely calling Katharin the Empress signified the trust that Katharin put in her admirals, which was greater than that which she put in her civil officials. The only exception is Scarnhorst; as a defector from the Tollerwald League, the Empress felt a need to put a small barrier between the two¡ªat least for now.


    ¡°It is,¡± she said with a small laugh. ¡°I don¡¯t know why they¡¯re so pushy about it. It¡¯s almost like they¡¯re trying to push her buttons.¡±


    ¡°It is quite unprecedented for a monarch to be unmarried at this age of¡ªwhat is it, 21? 22?¡± Radbruch said.


    ¡°That¡¯s mostly just to pacify the nobles, though. They¡¯re always making power plays, and if the monarch has no heir they can move more easily,¡± Valentina pointed out, ¡°and now the nobles are gone. I still can¡¯t believe we played a part in such a historic event.¡±


    Radbruch grinned. ¡°They were just asking for it. All the anger and dissatisfaction of the people ... it only took a match to detonate everything, and we got a damn great one.¡±


    After several bottles of wine down their throats, their talk turned back to gossip. ¡°But why exactly is the Empress so reluctant to marry?¡± Valentina wondered. ¡°Is she just a romantic who¡¯s waiting for the perfect one? Just like you, Scarnhorst.¡±


    Scarnhorst had been engaged with an old sweetheart in few months. She thought he had been imprisoned after the Imperial Civil War, but it had transpired that his family had secretly sided with the Empress and fed her intelligence. ¡°You know, this might be baseless gossip, but could it be that the Empress is in love with that man from the Republic¡ªwho was it¡ªah! Abbas al-Salem?¡±


    ¡°She saw his face, like, once,¡± Thompson rebutted. ¡°Besides, she knows nothing of his personality.¡±


    ¡°I actually like that theory,¡± Radbruch said. ¡°Like an amazon of old tales! She¡¯ll only marry someone who has defeated her.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be the one who takes that man¡¯s skull,¡± Valentina said, a streak¡ªno¡ªa tsunami of rage temporarily taking hold of her, only barely held in check by a wall of sanity. ¡°Not the Empress.¡±


    Valentina left early. ¡°You know ... one of us should get to beating him soon,¡± Radbruch joked. ¡°Or else I can¡¯t imagine what Valentina will do to him if she gets her claws on him.¡±


    Lephelia. Capital of the Republic. For centuries, it remained the chief bastion of republican democracy, unassailed even by the Empire, if only by the grace of its distance to the Imperial heartlands.


    ¡°The first army to take Lephelia ... will be us, soldiers of the Republic. It¡¯s all rather ironic,¡± Yue remarked after battle plans were prepared. ¡°I wonder which one would be a worse tragedy; this or a complete Imperial victory.¡±


    ¡°That is a difficult question to answer,¡± Abbas lamented. ¡°The only solace is that this should be over soon.¡±


    ¡°Yes ... it would be over soon,¡± Yue said with a soft smile. ¡°So, have you thought of a wedding venue?¡±


    ¡°What about your own battleship, the Cutrose?¡± Abbas suggested with a shade of pink on his cheeks.


    Yue smirked. ¡°So much for professionalism.¡±


    The turtle ship Tiangong boasted many decades of service. It had been custom built for Marshal Tang when she reached the rank of Rear Admiral, and had bore witness to many historic events.


    ¡°Steady, old girl,¡± the one-eyed marshal said to her ship as it led a grand fleet to Lephelia (which was probably enough to get anyone else admitted to mental hospital immediately). ¡°It¡¯s time to settle our score with Cadorna.¡±