Every Moment Has a Thousand Faces

[Mr Dermont]

Tyrgrath IV: The Dominion forces totaling over thirty million ships have converged in the Tyr System to engage an equal sized force found in the Star Haven Alliance. Both sides are made up of a hundred different factions, come together to defend the cluster from what they see as an invasion from the other side. Tyrgrath IV before the war was an industrial planet known best for producing high quality power cells for construction and agricultural products. Now, those cells have a far more...destructive purpose. The jump gate glittering far above the planet has made it an ideal staging area for those in the Star Haven Alliance. However, a year of posturing between the two armadas has brought it to this inevitable and devastating finale. Over thirty billion souls wait anxiously as the clock ticks down.


Sub-Admiral George Brackness

There is nothing but tension on the bridge of the dreadnought Endurance as everyone held their breath waiting for the enemy to drop from their hyperjump. Sub-admiral George Brackness gripped the edge of his chair as he watched the timer slowly tick down. The first ships would be entering normal space within the next two minutor saw combat. With a little over twenty-nine million vessels the the Star Haven Alliance, to say the battlefield was large was to completely under describe the situation.

Brackness was from the Free Union, a group of traders turned soldiers after the Dominion fleets began dropping soldiers on their customer's planets. The Unions forces totaled over fifty thousand ships. Anywhere else, that would have been quite an impressive number. Here, they were overlooked and unnoticed. Just another tiny blip in the great fleets of the Star Haven Alliance. However, they were to do their part. Thirty-six dreadnoughts, 22 thousand heavy cruisers and countless support ships all waited on the orders of their Sub-Admiral. It was all a bit overwhelming.

Brackness reached down to the cup holder that rested to the side of the chair and put his drink to his lips. Water was the primary liquid, but this morning he had broken down for the first time in twelve years. Anyone who came close enough could smell the vodka he had splashed in as well. The admiral rubbed his day's worth of stubble under his chin as he smacked his lips and set the cup back down. Judgements be damned. If today was the last day to life, there wasn't a chance he'd be doing it sober. The title might say admiral, but two years ago, he was just the supervisor of an orbital reactor with three unfinished years in a terrible local navy as his only military service. He was not cut out for this.

Beside him, standing tall and straight and of course clean shaven like a baby was the captain of the Endurance. The man whose chair he had usurped due to rank. Captain Maddox Carpenter was a military man through and through. He had run security for Free Union ships for eight years and was no stranger to combat. He was currently barking orders and ignoring the tension all around him. For all anyone could tell, it was just another day for him. If thirty million hostiles incoming bothered him, it never once showed. A man born to lead, he did his utmost to keep the disdain for Brackness off his face whenever he had to deal with the Sub-admiral.

"However much longer until we engage the enemy?" Carpenter asked the tactical officer.

"One minute, twenty seconds until the first ships drop from their jump." was the response.

Carpenter frowned at the misunderstanding. "Try that again, lieutenant. How much longer until we engage the enemy?"

The officer paused and then looked to his console. He seemed to be running a few figures in his head.

"Hard to be super specific, sir. My best estimate is four minutes and thirty five seconds. If they come out of jump as we're predicted, that is..."

Brackness looked up at the comment. There was something about the way he said it. "Explain that, officer."

Carpenter's frown deepened and looked as if he were going to say something before simply crossing his arms over his chest and waiting. The tactical officer glanced at Brackness over his shoulder before turning his chair to face him.

"Well, sir. There are thirty million ships heading this way. Just like we're spread over the space around three different planets because there is simply no room, the invaders will have to file in to make space for the ones behind them. They have to do it in an organized way. An almost predictable way. If not..."

Brackness glared at the man. "Try completing your thoughts, sir. Have it out...what happens?"

The captain could not hold it back any longer. He tried to keep any condescending tone from his response. "There's a giant crash, sir. Ships dropping out of jump literally on top of one another. Or worse, on us. Or in the middle of the planet. If they don't have an exact plan to dropping out of jump beyond just landing and getting out of the way, they would be defeating themselves before the battle even started.

Brackness downed the rest of his cup and Carpenter looked disgusted. Clearly, he was close enough to tell what had been in the cup.

"Perhaps you'd like to freshen up. You could make it back within the three minutes, sir."

Brackness just gazed up at him, horror filling his eyes. "In just a few minutes, there will be close to sixty million ships trying to destroy each other. So many people dying so fast. Damnit, Maddox! How can you just stand there calmly?!"

"Years of training, sir." he leaned in close and whispered to Brackness. "You are leader of the entire Union power. Please sir. I need you to act like it. For just a few minutes longer."

The captain stood tall again as the sub-admiral took a deep breath.

"So, captain, this is your ship and you have years of combat behind you. What do you think our best course of action would be?"

Looking grim the captain could only shrug. "We do our duty, of course, sir. We defend our fellow traders and our families back home. Shields up and weapons online.

Oh, and one last thing. We try really, really hard not to die."