Chapter 1

We had been in this conflict a very long time. Twenty-three years, seven months, two weeks and three days to be exact. Two cycles ago, the damaged vessels of the fleet left our remaining weapons platforms and ships in a holding action against our enemy, the Dern. Let me explain, each of our years consisted of six cycles, roughly forty-seven earth days, each lasting thirty eight hours in duration.

Our empire consisted of more than one hundred planets and sixty-nine billion people. Our enemy was about the same size. Both races were human and both, I am certain, were formed from the same sources.

How the conflict started, no one really knows. What follows is a summary, taken from ships logs and presented in a manner to tell you how things were when the Klaxon invaded, and why things were as they were.

A Human Machine Takes Form

We were near the end of our journey. The last six of the missile carriers surrounded the smaller and lightly shielded AI fighter. A Missile Carrier was much smaller than our newer weapons platform. Three types of missiles could be carried but only one was used today, this for the long range and larger warhead it could carry. One half of its carry capacity was converted to armour plating and shield generators, only one mass volley, some 2,600, would be fired then the massive, reinforced hulls used only to protect the AI.

Three slightly bruised and battered frigate ships filled in any openings they could around them with their very battered hulls. These had been stripped of weapons, They now would extend Proto-shields around these few remaining ships. At the very front the last battleships we had took up point, they were the VSS Victory, the Valiant and the former Command Ship, Viceroy.

All three were new, the best we had. Each equipped with four heavy beam weapons and two tractors. Their Plasma shields and Neutron armour would hopefully protect the remaining older ships. The most vulnerable was the AI. She had very little armour, only minimal shielding had been restored on her hull and the shipyard had taken the AI from the damaged Vindicator Class Command ship when it had been determined repairs would require too much time. As it was, the AI ship, now christened Victorious represented our last hope in the long fight we had been in with the Dern.

In more than twenty years of battle no clear determination had ever been reached. I suppose that over-time both sides had decided any defeat would mean the end of that civilisation. By the time that this last battle was taking place, it was clear that the winner would take all.

Winner, right, whoever would win would inherit two dead. near-dead or dying empires. Even with the resources of both empires, it would require many cycles to even repair and replace defence weapons for one side, let alone both.

The command to engage was given and a countdown of sorts was begun, timed to coincide with our appearance in the fight.

We emerged into an indescribable horror of floating ship hulls, burning wreckage and millions of crew from both sides floating in space around our formation. Some seventy-three of the enemy remained. They were attacking our last functioning weapons platform and thirty Bella Class destroyers. They were all that remained functioning. When sensors notified them of our approach, two things happened. All of the enemy broke off the attack of the platform, turned about to face us, and then began to target us with everything they had left.

I said us because, at that moment, we flew as one. Our AL was given control of all ships, even the former Command ship. Missile were launched and an even tighter formation was then formed around the AI. All our ships would now sacrifice everything to protect the AI. Offensive responses would come from the three battleships alone. Plasma fields were used as a forward shield and any propulsion would be from the nine ships behind.