Gabatrix: The Cipra Campaign
Copyright© 2022 by CMed TheUniverseofCMed
Chapter 1: The 3rd of October 2349 AD (Prelude)
Space ... Outside, we stare at the endless infinite of stars. Using the light spectrum, we are surrounded by a sea of darkness. It’s a journey that takes us 355 light-years from the Sol sector. Up, down, left, right ... it doesn’t matter. There is nothing here but the endless dots of burning balls of light. With nothing to constrain us, we simply float in the expanse of nothingness.
There is a solemn beauty to the environment. For those who call themselves humanity, it has been a source of wonder and spiritual enlightenment, but it can also bring loneliness. Many simply see it as an obstacle. This nothingness is so vast that even simple trips on Earth feel appallingly long when trying to reach new locations far beyond our solar system. The humans who have created their technology to survive in it are gifted with both a profound moment of glee and excitement and one of fear and trepidation. As we float free in the endless vacuum of space, we have every aspect of view available to us. It is one that is easily distinguishable as a four-dimensional plane.
Of course, such a system has to have four dimensions in order to exist properly, at least to how humans observe it. We have depth. We have length. We have breadth, and ... we have time. Even in the vast blackness of space, we have a pleasant view of the cosmos. In the Milky Way Galaxy, we are bombarded with endless amounts of cosmic radiation. The darkness isn’t infinite, as the millions of stars glow and radiate to us.
As we stand here floating in the expanse of nothingness, we look at the different glowing orbs. Some are stars. Some are pulsars. Their ongoing reactions are the only sign to us that this ever-expanding realm is active. Billions of years ago, such a concept was unheard of. Everything was much closer together. Space travel was so much easier, but it was more than evident that things were far more dangerous to contend with. In our evolution, we were more than fortunate that we managed to escape this location and go beyond this universe.
However, leaving this plane of existence means leaving behind anything we may miss out on. Trillions upon trillions of stars leave countless opportunities to learn the intricate forms of life that can exist. It is why you are here, aren’t you? Even now, we have the chance to go anywhere in the universe. But you decide to be close to a place that you seem to focus much attention on. No doubt there are profound reasons as to why. Humanity has a unique opportunity among the many species that operate like them. Their ability to adapt and survive against hardships is a story of triumph. Like the few, they just might make it. Countless other species have not. Whether by choice, the actions of others, or cosmic events, the few species that manage to survive to reach the next realm have their own stories to tell.
Instead, it’s my goal to help you learn more about how the universe works. Whether it is fate or simple natural progression, this universe cannot survive forever. Even if time is graciously on our side, the evolving species here will have to learn to adapt to these changes. Time is a flickering concept. It’s always moving, unending, and never ceases. Without it, the laws of this universe collapse on itself. One can bend and manipulate it if one eventually reaches such an ability. However, the ability to do such a thing usually requires elements beyond this universe or a far greater power than most ever imagine.
Thankfully, we treasure this ability. Witnessing past events is a gift. It’s something that can’t be abused but allows us to do enough that the species we observe may get their second chance at survival. Maybe it can be a third chance as well.
As this is said, our view is focused on a brightening light in the vastness of space. It’s time to witness an event that happens throughout the entire universe. The past has finally caught up to us as the glowing dots grow brighter. It’s still so far away that it’s impossible to illuminate the entire scene, but our vision has been used to seeing this sort of change for some time. It started as nothing, originating from a distant, tiny dot. The brightening is enough that one would think that a new star appeared out of nowhere.
We will not travel to this location. We don’t need to go there. Instead, we hold out our hands. Before us, the tiny glowing white dot is enlarged in the image. We magnify what holds our attention. Such ways of manipulating our sight are ones that are often less appealing. The joy of traveling to vast locations in the cosmos is often relaxing, but I know you well enough. You wish to be here because you want to be close to the humans ... and perhaps the Itreans.
As the image gets bigger and bigger, we can see that this glowing dot originates from a distant galaxy. Humans have called this galaxy NGC 4526. It is a lenticular galaxy over 55 million light-years away. It serves as an intermediate between the elliptical and spiral-type galaxies. At the center of this formation is a bright, yellow-and-reddish glow. Outside it is a large dark disk that revolves around its bright central mass. Unlike the Milky Way Galaxy, the disk carries almost no revolving “arms.” The bright center only reveals the illumination of the revolving mass. It’s quite unique to look upon. One can easily say that there are no stars there, but that is far from the truth. We know better because one of these galaxies was our home ... perhaps more.
Our attention, however, is not the galaxy itself but the glowing dot of light that continues to get brighter. It sits outside of the revolving disc, most likely on the far edge of the orbital pattern. Possibly, it has been knocked out of the galaxy or is going to get swallowed up by the stellar mass. This gives us a unique opportunity to see the full length of this cosmic phenomenon. We continue to magnify this image. Eventually, our sights reveal the cause of this brightening light.
As our eyes adjust to the great intensity, we see a pair of binary stars. The common dancing stars twirl around one another. The sibling partners are ones that are often seen in the universe. Brothers ... sisters ... they will remain together for as long as they can until some other massive object tears them apart. Of course, that is only a minor chance. Instead, the greatest threat to binary stars is themselves. Their natural age is revealed to us as we look upon it. One star has aged faster than its counterpart. Both of them were G-type stars locked together. One of them had long turned into a white dwarf, expelling almost all of its matter into the universe. The other is a red giant, the younger sibling of the two.
Even if its glory days are long gone, the white dwarf star is hungry. It’s playing a slow role in the demise of its companion. The dying star’s intense gravity pulls matter from the red giant. The trail of glowing dust and hydrogen is being swallowed up, but the mouth can only feed on so much. The small dot has instead consumed too much. The white dwarf instead overconsumes its sibling. The mass that it draws in builds up on the surface until the star can handle it no more. An enormous explosion of light has occurred. It fills the spectrum and continues to glow brightly. We have witnessed a carbon detonation. Humans tend to call these types of explosions a Type 1a supernova, although they have many categories to narrow this down. The white dwarf has sent a shockwave of cosmic radiation and intense light. Essentially, in so many words, the star is throwing up.
The regrettable fact is one of astounding beauty. One can view the white dwarf star as a vampire. It loved its sibling, but it must survive at whatever cost. It must consume to continue its life. Instead, it jettisons the exploding matter far from itself. Many of the beautiful nebulae that we have seen so far are these types of perpetrators. It is possible that this star that orbits near NGC 4526 may desire more in the future. It might stay as it is as it continues to draw more matter from its other star. It’s even possible for it to become a brand-new star as it eats the life from the other. If the orbit between them decays and draws them closer, it could easily result in an explosion far greater than what we are seeing now.
Everything you are seeing at this moment matters because what we are seeing is the past. It took 55 million years for this light to reach us. Others witnessed the tale of these two simple stars long before we did. Even from where we are observing, humans have already seen it as far back as 1994 on their calendars. Now it is our turn to see the famed event. Everything that we see is history. Light is a fast-moving process but is still limited by the sheer size of the universe. It is easy to surmise that many of these stars that we see right now have long been dead or have become something else. At the same time, new stars have long been formed. This prevalent life cycle is reflected in the history of humans and Itreans.
Mankind has long been recovering from the shock of discovering another alien species. The Itreans have been a source of wonder; both fear-invoking and inspirational at the same time. Their history is one of hardship in the Milky Way Galaxy. At the same time, however, we have never truly lost hope in them. It is only a hope to us that they don’t turn out to be that white dwarf star, consuming and obliterating humanity in the process.
The reality of the Itreans, more specifically, the Aksren clan, is that of momentum. This subspecies of the Itrean race is easily reflected in the beliefs of the other clan species. The humans view the Aksren clan as holistically evil. The Shal’rein clan views them as a powerful but dangerous nuisance. The T’rintar clan is probably the most unique. Most of them tend to view them as dangerous adversaries, confounding, and almost unstoppable. The truth, however, is revealed only in their history: the Aksren clan initially controlled the galaxy and the entire fate of the Itrean species. Only one species managed to accomplish that task, but it slowly lost it over time.
A simple wave of the hand and the image of the binary stars are gone. Instead, the darkness of space reflects that of a single picture image that appears before us. It is that of a single Aksren. The anthro oviraptor is shorter than the typical human being. He is sitting on a lavish throne adorned with gems from every planet that belongs to the former Empire of Yol’ikren. His smooth, scaled skin is red and brown. He generally looks the same as many of the Aksren of his kind, but the clothing and persona that he gives off are those of royalty. From the brief but controllable smile that he has, it is easy to deduce that he knows that he has the respect of the crowds. He knows that people like him and worship him and that he must tend to their needs as well. The clothing is that of a long cloak of white fur. From his torso, he has a ruby shirt and brown silk pants.
When others compare this image to other Aksren emperors, they find only a few who reflect this attitude. The leader we see here is a commoner. He does not want the others to view him as the luxurious elite, even if he was born of nobility. He was raised to treat others as second-class citizens, but that isn’t what he desires. In the four-digit left-hand of this leader is that of a small scepter. At the top of this icon is a holographic display showing warship schematics. His face is almost drawn to this image as if he desires it more than anything else. His long brown tail flows off the throne and down to the ground. His posture is that of assurance.
There is much more to this picture and image. While drawn to the image on his scepter, his view is of others who seem to be around him. A small amount of light reflecting off his gold-plated, adorned, protruding nose crest shows other Itrean hands, most likely feminine by their portrayal. According to many Itrean historians, this was how the emperor wanted his picture to be taken. There are two pairs of Itrean hands or arms. One is that of red and brown, similar to his. The famed mated woman who would become empress shows care, concern, and pride towards the emperor. However, this comes into question, as the hand can be withdrawn at a moment’s notice, almost as if the emperor knows it. The other hand is grayish and has fins protruding near the elbow.
A purple gold-plated ring could be seen on one of the four-digit fingers. The hand is much bigger than his. Even more perplexing, the Itreans know she is a Shal’rein, a prize of the emperor’s conquest, but much more.
These hands and posture show that of outright love, desire, and caring. Despite the leader’s view of the image, his gaze seems pulled toward this Shal’rein woman, rumored to be a lover and mistress. His other free hand is drawn towards her as a form of lingering desire to have her.
This image that we observe is that of Emperor Jalgren the Great, one of the most famous Itreans to exist in the Itrean Era of New Space. Many humans learning about Itrean history have nothing but incredible reports about this singular individual. No doubt, Jalgren is one of the pinnacle characters that would shape the destiny of all Itreans. His reputation is surprisingly respected by all of the Itrean subspecies, even if he was a warlord and powerful ruler.
Jalgren the Great was, by many, the most idealistic and successful of future rulers. He had access to one of the best shipyards in the most powerful Aksren Empire of the long-deceased Yol’ikren the Great. Jalgren was speculated to be a family descendant of Yol’ikren, even if the bloodline had long faded into obscurity. Instead, he treasured and valued the things he enjoyed most during his childhood. He loved spaceships. Humans often compare Jalgren to an Itrean Peter the Great mixed with attributes from Alexander the Great and Genghis Khan. If anything, he managed to succeed and survive far greater than those previous examples. It was widely spoken that a few Yutilians and Shal’rein who lived in the brutally racist and casteful conditions of the Yol’likren empire had taught and introduced ideals into the young future leader. He became sympathetic but realistic to the environment that the Itreans lived under.
What makes Jalgren a renowned individual is that he got his wish. When he wasn’t delegating the tedious orders of leadership, he was at the orbital shipyards working with fellow construction workers or designers. His love and passion were never-ending, and he picked up on every little detail on how to make the best spaceships that could ever operate.
In time, Jalgren realized that Renlar, his planet, and the Empire of Yol’ikren could very well seize upon the critical assets of other worlds. To control space was to control the destiny of future civilizations. He used his skills to design brand-new warships that he believed would change the tide of future warfare. With the immense resources, technical innovation, and careful negotiation, Jalgren would begin to spread his influence. One by one, solar system after solar system would fall to his fleets. Other Aksren empires had no choice but to agree to his actions. Yutilians, Shal’rein, Palierans, and the Alara’jal clans would watch as their fleet assets would succumb to Jalgren’s ingenuity and power-hungry maneuvering to conquer the known galaxy.
Jalgren was never the sort of individual who believed in exterminating the other. He was the first emperor to wipe out all opposition successfully, but many viewed him as a gracious victor. To him, he was “liberating” the clan species from the atrocities and decadence that the clan’s internal governments, warlords, and leaders had brought towards their own people. Even other clan species can later acclaim that, in some respects, the Aksren emperor was a genuine hero. The Alara’jal and Shal’rein were just the prime examples of a people that focused on fighting amongst themselves to the point of barbaric brutality. When Jalgren rode through, the devastated Shal’rein and Alara’jal fleets were obliterated. When the emperor announced his victory, the defeated populations feared the worst. They believed that the nuclear bombs were to fall upon their world, but the Aksren wanted none of it.
It was here that many viewed Jalgren the Great as an Itrean uniter. Cohesion was his main goal as he continued to fight the Yutilians and the others who continued to resist him. He fulfilled his promise by passing reform after reform. Even if parts of the population were against him, his word was law. He wanted equality for the defeated subspecies. Their cultural views, beliefs, traditions, and practices would slowly bleed into Renlar culture and spread in all directions, while Aksren ideals, language, and moralism would fall upon them in turn. Now named the Empire of Jalgren, it would spread outward and control all of Itrean space. By the end of his life, he watched as the last vestiges of Itreans would surrender to his growing superpower. Within 200 years, Jalgren controlled a quarter of the Milky Way Galaxy. While humans were still in their most infantile pre-civilization stage, the Aksren clan ruled and dominated everything.
A single Aksren was all it took for the lives of trillions to be affected. Jalgren’s legacy was profound. It was known as 20,000 years of peace, as more and more non-Aksren adjusted to life among the Aksren clan. To this day, all the Itreans at least understand the U’ck’ck language, the words that can be spoken from planet to planet. Some often compare the Empire of Jalgren to that of the Roman Empire on Earth, both in personality, culture, and economic prosperity. Slavery and castes were all but nonexistent.
However, Jalgren’s empire was never to last. Not everyone cherished his idealism and openness to others. Some in the Aksren clan were raised in a cloud of elitism, outright bigotry, and racism. Ten thousand years ago, the empire was no more. Despite all efforts to establish unity, the clans splintered off and fought one another once again. Determination to eradicate the other was paramount. Violence would return as the few Itreans dreamed of the Yol’ikren age or the later crumbling glory days of the Jalgren Empire. By the time we are talking, five of the Aksren empires are united under economic and partnership treaties. The Empire of Itsis is the remnant of the Empire of Jalgren and desires to create a galaxy under the rule of Aksren, maintaining it by any means necessary.
Why is all of this important? You already have that answer. The knowledge of the Itreans is now bleeding into the human race. Like the two binary stars we just witnessed, one star may consume the other. However, it’s also possible that the two stars can combine to become a new star that will burn brighter than anyone can ever imagine. Mankind has essential choices to make in its long future. There are consequences with every action or inaction that they make. The only way to help answer those questions is to analyze the past thoroughly. The interactions and sacrifices of a single individual can influence billions to trillions. Even if there are far fewer humans than Itreans, the single impact of their discovery can become beneficial. Each of the clan species also has its own choices to make if they are going to survive indefinitely.
With a simple wave of the hand, the image of Jalgren fades into obscurity, replaced by the great field of stars. We say goodbye to this location as we must return to a time and place that we already know. We begin to move, watching as the burning balls of gas rush past us. We don’t have far to go. Occasional small nebulae, cosmic phenomena, and natural space debris rush past us as we go beyond the speed of light.
You know this time. This was the day that the humans learned about the creation of Minerva. Much more happened, but not just on one ship. Our destination takes us to that same time, but at a different location, one where our story will begin and possibly end, depending on the outcome of the choices and actions made. We must view the past if we are to learn of future events.
The stream of stars begins to slow down drastically as we approach a singular star system. This star is much like that of Sol. It is a G-Type with a bright yellow hue. Located in the Tucana constellation back on Earth, it is known as HD 4308. It is 72 light-years from Earth and is simple but elegant. Unlike the crowded nature of the Sol system, this solar system only consists of four planets. The furthest planet of Dakra is a gas giant that we almost can’t see until we fly past it. It consists of light-absorbing gases that make it appear reddish-black. Even the orbiting moons reveal more than what the planet shows.
We get closer and closer to the star until we can see the transpiring events. We are nearing our destination. A single orbiting planet is seen, but there are flashes that can also be observed. These are not natural and consist of a variety of explosions. We get closer and closer until we can define what the planet looks like. It is mostly yellow, with hints of white clouds, brown mountaintops, and very faint signs of green. The singular green is isolated in a large crevice and canyon valley. Hints of ice have formed on the high canyon walls, with small amounts of water at the top of the north pole. The enormous flat terrain of hot, arid sand consists of 85% of the world’s environment. It is easy for others to see that this is a desert world but a habitable one nonetheless.
Ah ... it appears that you do know of this place. Yes, this is the colony of Cipra, and we are about to witness an event that is going to transpire. Nothing more needs to be said, as we are close enough to see that the explosions are coming from orbit. It is a battle consisting of two sides. The UHN battleships are taking losses. On the other side, in the great distance, is an Itrean fleet of the Aksren clan. Hundreds of tiny red dots fire salvos of hypervelocity rounds and guided missiles at the beleaguered defense force. Humanity is outnumbered and outgunned.
We are close enough to see one of the UHN warships, a Magellan-class battleship named the UHN Champlain. It is a cylindrical vessel with a series of eight missile tubes in the front bow. On the mid-dorsal and ventral sides is a railgun turret with AIO turrets dotting the front mid-section of the vessel. The centripetal rotating ring persists near the rear engine and reactor module. The Champlain survived the defeat at Eutera, but you know her fate. The warship is fighting for its very life. Much like every UHN vessel that is present, the men and women will fight to the bitter end if need be. The act of courage and defiance isn’t enough. The Aksren clan simply has sheer numbers on their side. The only hope that the UHN can offer is to stop the waves of missiles from impacting their targets.
Cipra is losing this fight. The Itreans have struck the humans with simplicity as a powerful, crushing force. The warship captains decide to either protect themselves or save the escaping ships from the planet. A series of boxlike transports can be seen leaving Cipra. Their destination is that of a tethered ring in orbit. The gate array is still functioning, but its array of defense weapons is not enough to protect the escaping ships that are fleeing to it.
The intercept missiles and flak fire from the UHN warships litter the region of space, but it’s barely enough. The Aksren clan has resorted to a simple, slow siege. More and more of their ships have been appearing to the point that the UHN can’t do anything to counter it. The Itrean missiles and torpedoes flutter and move around with unending speed and ferocity. For every two missiles that are shot down, another one simply gets through. The results are unfavorable to the escaping civilian vessels. We watch as the Cortes, another UHN battleship, closes near the gate array. It isn’t trying to flee from the battle as a folding wormhole opens in the array ring. It seems that the Cortes is trying to protect these four boxy-looking transports. Their engines are working as hard as possible. Blue flames radiate from the thruster nodules, propelling them to ever-greater speeds.
Nothing can be done as two large anti-ship Itrean torpedoes near one of the transports. The Cortes manages to shoot down one of the torpedoes as another missile strikes into the mid-section of the vessel. The battleship crews know that they can handle some of the damage, but the escaping Cipran population transports cannot. The AIO turrets rotate and try to target the last incoming torpedo, but it is too late. The Aksren warhead is a cluster missile designed to separate into four smaller homing munitions. Each missile zips past at incredible speed, flying toward its intended target.
One by one, each of the transports is struck by one of these smaller missiles. The results are devastating. While the missiles are not nuclear-tipped, they carry enough explosives to penetrate and obliterate everything from within the transports. The hulls explode into tiny debris that showers towards the direction of the gate array. Meanwhile, the Cortes resumes firing at the incoming munitions that come raining down towards her and the planet below.
A large explosion erupts in the UHN fleet formation. The Champlain, one of the battleships, has taken multiple hits from incoming missiles. The last of these munitions was a nuclear warhead. They slam into the weakened hull of the battleship in tandem. Inside the vessel, the enclosed atmosphere is the perfect environment for a nuclear explosion to do its worst. A cataclysmic shockwave explodes in all directions as the Champlain is turned into a burning bright ball of orange and blue light. With no atmosphere in the confines of space, the explosion quickly dissipates. The Champlain is no more, another victim of the ongoing Aksren assault.
Meanwhile, the UHN fleet is numbered in the sixties. Every effort is made to defend Cipra. The human warships continue firing volleys of missiles toward their distant targets. Again, it almost seems pointless. Many of these warheads are getting targeted and destroyed before they impact the Itrean vessels. The overwhelming numbers are proving to be an overwhelming defense for the red alien warships. The humans have no reinforcements available. Everything is being poured in to save the colony. Cipra cannot fall as Eutera did.
One of the UHN stealth cruisers, named the UHN Korea, tries to break off from the defense fleet in place. It is hard to see the vessel; it is very flat and black, blending into the background. The crew seems adamant in taking the fight directly to the Itrean siege. Perhaps they hope that they remain undetected, but perhaps the alien invaders don’t consider them an adequate threat. The one thing that can be more clearly seen is the volley of eight missiles that fly out of the bow section of the vessel. The stealth ship then makes a turn to change its position. The black material begins to shimmer as the Itrean warships fire an array of tracking missile probes. It begins to illuminate the scenery, revealing the stealth ship’s full profile. The fate of the Korea is unknown. Much like many of the UHN ships, hope and morale are crumbling.
As the UHN Korea turns, new light can be seen from the ventral side of its hull. It is reflected light from the Itrean fleet. Three swirling vortices can be seen. The folded space reveals that the Aksren fleet is receiving additional reinforcements. Within a minute of the ongoing battle, three large Aksren warships come through it and enter the scene. One is a super-dreadnought, possibly a command ship. It is much larger than the typical dreadnoughts of the Aksren fleet. The two supporting vessels consist of a large bow-mounted cannon strapped into the frame of the warship. The forward section of the hull is pointed directly at the desert planet.
We move towards the planet of Cipra. The space battle is a seemingly lost cause for the human military forces. As we fly into the atmosphere of the world, we can see that the few missiles and fast-moving projectiles are en route towards where we are heading, almost as if they are following us. But, of course, their goal is to target whatever is present on the planet.
After flying through the clear but seemingly dusty atmosphere, the incredible canyons are revealed. We are heading towards the central location of the Cipran colony of New Hong Kong. It is a world struck by heavy dust storms. The great wall of rocks protects and shelters the small flourishing green environment from the intense heat and sunlight of the Cipran sun. At the same time, melted water from the canyon mountains naturally drains down into the valley below. It is easy to see why Cipra’s main colony is located here. The temperatures aren’t as hot, offering comfort.
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