Captain Rhicker began his final approach to the station. It was a long journey, and all he wanted to do was get out of his ship.
The comms crackled to life...
"Standby for authentication."
"Roger that. Standing by."
He sat back and looked around, taking it all in. There were squads flying everywhere. Something was up, and something big. The old man didn't go out of his way like this for any amount of pomp.
"Authentication verified. Welcome Captain Rhicker. The Commander is expecting you. He wishes you to report immediately after docking."
"Roger that. Bay?"
"Bay #9 sir. You may proceed."
"Thank you." He flicked off the comms and drifted towards the hangar.
Walking through the corridors, he couldn't help but notice the atmosphere. Everyone was tense... tight-lipped. And there was no shortage of strange stares as he navigated his way through the familiar walkways. The occasional greeting from a passing clerk were the only noises piercing the silence. As he rounded the last corner and approached the commander's office, the security detail sharply saluted awaiting his acknowledgment. He returned the gesture, and glided past them.
He didn't knock. He never did. He simply pushed the door open and walked in.
Across the room sat the commander and a horde of other officers. The low muttle of voices trailed off as he entered and stared across the room.
The commander looked up, and smiled.
Cleared for publication by: Ander
"Captain."
"Commander."
"I trust your journey here was uneventful?"
"That it was. And long. Very long. That fresh?" Rhicker nodded indicating the coffee machine on the side table. He walked over to it and grabbed a mug off of the shelf.
"Is it ever?"
He chuckled. Nothing's changed it seems. He poured his coffee and turned to face the entourage in front of him. Sipping his coffee, he eyed each person before finally settling his gaze on the Commander.
"You're just in time. We were just about to get to the meat of the topic."
He walked over to the Commanders table, and set down his already half empty mug.
"Please continue. I'll catch up as we go." He gestured towards the map table.
The display sprawled out before him was eerily familiar. Daunting to any who had never seen or participated in such logistical nightmares such as this. Commanding a fleet was a larger than life task which was only superseded by one other thing... navigating the fleet.
The table was just as it was the last time he'd seen it 3 years ago. Same controls, buttons, lights, and the stoic face that ran it all.
As he surveyed the entire region, his eyes settled on a particular solar system whose sole entrance was a solitary jump gate. One way in, one way out. The squadrons that were positioned around the gate were no laughing matter. Some of the commander's highest regarded pilots were there.
Several other systems were also being guarded as precautionary measures for what was about to ensue.
"The bottom line... hold the region." A few of the other officers shuffled uneasily, and passed weary glances around the room at one another. Obviously not entirely confident with what was going to take place.
"Sir, If I may?" Replied one squirrelly Captain.
"Speak freely." Grunted the Commander.
"With all due respect Sir, I'm not quite certain this can be done. With the current situation in the surrounding systems, and the reported news about what lies on the other side..."
"Enough with that! This isn't a debate for which you ply your fleet experience against his." Rhicker chided.
"No Sir! Of course not. It's just..." He trailed off. Knowing he'd already made the mistake of voicing his fears out loud.
"Go on Captain." Replied the Commander while eying Rhicker and slowly shaking his head. Rhicker only smiled. He loved making the fellow brass sweat.
"Sir, With the reports of the last squadron that was ambushed, it is a common belief now that there is definitely a mole. How can we be assured that this whole operation hasn't already been compromised?" He was shaking by the end of his sentence.
"You can never be assured of anything in life except it's untimely end. Of course there is a "mole" and that is just what we are here to determine. If you feel you are not up to the task at hand, I will find someone who is. You've all been brought here for specific reasons, because at one point in time you have all served under me. I trust you, and trust in your expertise in such matters." The Commander stood straight. He was a full head-height above the others in the room.
"Captain Rhicker will lead the next squadron through the gate. He and his Interceptors will provide the necessary cover for your survey team to asses the situation from the other side. Once through, we believe you will only have 3 minutes before they attack. In that time, it is essential that we get a completed scan. Is that understood?"
"Yes Sir." They all replied in unison.
"Very well. You all know what has to be done. Do your part, and don't stray from the plan, and you will come back alive. It's an operation of time, not skill. Get in, get it done. Dismissed." He waved them away and they turned and filtered out of the room one at a time.
Rhicker still standing at the table, was eying the fleet layout once again. Once the last person departed the area, he looked up at his Father.
"Survey scan eh?" He queried.
"Heh. Yes, I see you still have a keen eye for tactical deployment." The Commander chuckled.
"As always. So what's really going on? There is a lot of activity out there, and you can cut the air with a knife. So now that we are alone, you wanna fill me in on exactly what is going on?"
"Take a seat Son." The Commander gestured towards his desk across the room.
If there was one thing the Commander never spared an expense on, it was comfortable seating. No better way to ensure someone is willing to listen to you than having them plant their sore arse in a soft chair. Works every time.
So he was aware that the coming conversation was not going to be one he would want to hear. They walked across the room and he sank into the chair, and let out a loud sigh.
"I love these damn things... even though they always precede horrible news. So let's have it then."
"About 10 months ago reports came in about a vast deposit of resources in one particular area. There were reports of highly volatile gas clouds in one particular system that would pose as a brilliant supply source for the fleet. So when we arrive, we immediately began all the preliminary scans. System was completely devoid of any inhabitants as far as we could tell. However, not only were there enormous, and numerous, gas clouds, we also stumbled upon several large ice fields. Enough resources to keep several full crews busy for at least 2 years straight." He paused seeing the glitter in his Son's eyes.
"That is a hell of a lot of supply concern. 2 years of mining operations? Let alone the nightmare of transporting it all the way back? It's so remote, it's no wonder why this area hasn't been tapped already." Rhicker was shaking his head... he already knew the answer.
"Correct. A logistical nightmare of epic proportions. Needless to say nobody was happy about the orders that trickled down from above. The area was to be secured and mining ops were to ensue ASAP."
"So?"
"So... about 1 month into the operation, we picked up a distress beacon a few jumps away from the fields. Obviously this rose alarms all around considering this are is so remote not to mention only one way into this system. I sent a pilot to inspect the signal and see what exactly was happening." The Commander looked down for a moment.
"Who did you send? Someone you trust I suspect?" Rhicker waited as the Commander gathered his thoughts.
"Yes. The only person I knew I could trust fully with the situation at hand." He looked up at his Son again. A small glint of sadness in his eyes.
"Meece?" It was more of a statement than a question.
"Meece. You know how delicate an operation like this is. And to have someone 'accidentally' stumble upon it just wouldn't do. Let alone the fact that there may actually be hidden activity in the area. Meece made contact with the distressed ship."
"Visual or vocal?" Rhicker asked hastily.
"Both. He reached the wreck. Turns out some moron was the victim of a bad source of information. Warped right into a wreckage nearly destroying him in an instant. Meece arrived at the scene, and began the necessary actions to get the wreck in stable enough condition to have it towed back to the fleet. But then..." He trailed off, and looked away again.
"But then what?" Rhicker was already impatient. He wanted the brunt of the news right away so he could deal with it. He hated the way his Father always beat around the bush in situations like this.
"Something went wrong. Meece and the victim were ambushed by someone. We lost his NAV beacon. We lost the distress beacon. When I sent a search party to the last known location, there was nothing but wreckage everywhere."
"Pirates?"
"Hard to say. There was no pillage. Just destruction."
Rhicker sat silent for a moment letting it all soak in. He and Meece had been friends since childhood. They both joined the academy at the same time. Flown together in countless missions, both hair-raising and mundane alike.
"Has there been any contact from the Pirates at all? Any indication of their intentions?" Rhicker was scouring his brain for ideas. Possibilities.
"No. Nothing. I had search squads roaming the area for months with nothing to account for any of it."
"Fuck." Rhicker stood and paced for a few moments. He walked back to the coffee machine to brew a fresh pot.
"Which brings us to our current predicament." The Commander walked back to the ops table and flipped a few switches.
Rhicker returned and stood beside him. He was the only person who had ever stood on this side of the table other than his Father... he and Meece that is.
As he flipped the last switch, a small jump-gate appeared. It looked like shit. Hardly anything that would render on a scan, let alone be interpreted for a functional gate.
"We found this. However we cannot activate it. Seems to be controlled from the other side, which indicates activity on some level."
"Activity of what kind? Human? Alien?" Rhicker was examining the gate. The Commander could see the concern in his eyes. His brain was in full motion. He knew that if anybody would be able to figure out how to sort this shit out, it was his Son.
"We don't know. That is why I brought you out here." Rhicker looked up from the table.
"And the other gate?" He asked.
"Fodder. Smoke and mirrors. If the fleet gets wind of what is actually going on here, it would be disastrous, and you know how quickly rumors and news filters down among the ranks. Before you know it, we'd have Gallente encroaching upon us."
"Ahh. So at least we know it isn't a military matter on the other side. Otherwise it would have already blown out of proportion."
"Exactly my thoughts. However we cannot rule out the possibility that there may be some unknown military order behind it all. Whomever they are, they are well skilled, and very coordinated with their actions." The Commander turned off the switch to the hidden jump-gate. He rubbed his eyes for a minute. He was obviously over-stressed and the lack of sleep was starting to show as well.
"When do you want the op to happen?" Rhicker was making a few adjustments to a few of the positioned squadrons near the designated gate. When he looked up, he saw his Father staring at him.
"Right. Now then. I'll go prep. I take it the rest of the crew is already assembled and ready to fly?" Rhicker was downloading the necessary waypoints to his portable NAV computer.
"They are ready and waiting. I'm repositioning the fleet a bit further from the target, in hopes of not drawing too much attention to what's about to take place."
"The crew will know. You know this."
"Perhaps. But I must still go through the motions. You know this."
They both smiled, and stood there a moment letting it all sink in. Rhicker was obviously shaken by the news of his best friend, but he'd never show it.
The comms crackled to life and the voice of the Commander's aid broke the silence.
"Commander, you have a call." The voice stated.
"Very well. Patch it through. I'll take it at my desk."
"Yes Sir." The comms clicked off and he turned towards his desk.
"Be careful. The other side of that gate should be completely barren, but don't take any chances."
"Do I ever?"
The Commander only chuckled as Rhicker was leaving the room.
"Commander."
"I trust your journey here was uneventful?"
"That it was. And long. Very long. That fresh?" Rhicker nodded indicating the coffee machine on the side table. He walked over to it and grabbed a mug off of the shelf.
"Is it ever?"
He chuckled. Nothing's changed it seems. He poured his coffee and turned to face the entourage in front of him. Sipping his coffee, he eyed each person before finally settling his gaze on the Commander.
"You're just in time. We were just about to get to the meat of the topic."
He walked over to the Commanders table, and set down his already half empty mug.
"Please continue. I'll catch up as we go." He gestured towards the map table.
The display sprawled out before him was eerily familiar. Daunting to any who had never seen or participated in such logistical nightmares such as this. Commanding a fleet was a larger than life task which was only superseded by one other thing... navigating the fleet.
The table was just as it was the last time he'd seen it 3 years ago. Same controls, buttons, lights, and the stoic face that ran it all.
As he surveyed the entire region, his eyes settled on a particular solar system whose sole entrance was a solitary jump gate. One way in, one way out. The squadrons that were positioned around the gate were no laughing matter. Some of the commander's highest regarded pilots were there.
Several other systems were also being guarded as precautionary measures for what was about to ensue.
"The bottom line... hold the region." A few of the other officers shuffled uneasily, and passed weary glances around the room at one another. Obviously not entirely confident with what was going to take place.
"Sir, If I may?" Replied one squirrelly Captain.
"Speak freely." Grunted the Commander.
"With all due respect Sir, I'm not quite certain this can be done. With the current situation in the surrounding systems, and the reported news about what lies on the other side..."
"Enough with that! This isn't a debate for which you ply your fleet experience against his." Rhicker chided.
"No Sir! Of course not. It's just..." He trailed off. Knowing he'd already made the mistake of voicing his fears out loud.
"Go on Captain." Replied the Commander while eying Rhicker and slowly shaking his head. Rhicker only smiled. He loved making the fellow brass sweat.
"Sir, With the reports of the last squadron that was ambushed, it is a common belief now that there is definitely a mole. How can we be assured that this whole operation hasn't already been compromised?" He was shaking by the end of his sentence.
"You can never be assured of anything in life except it's untimely end. Of course there is a "mole" and that is just what we are here to determine. If you feel you are not up to the task at hand, I will find someone who is. You've all been brought here for specific reasons, because at one point in time you have all served under me. I trust you, and trust in your expertise in such matters." The Commander stood straight. He was a full head-height above the others in the room.
"Captain Rhicker will lead the next squadron through the gate. He and his Interceptors will provide the necessary cover for your survey team to asses the situation from the other side. Once through, we believe you will only have 3 minutes before they attack. In that time, it is essential that we get a completed scan. Is that understood?"
"Yes Sir." They all replied in unison.
"Very well. You all know what has to be done. Do your part, and don't stray from the plan, and you will come back alive. It's an operation of time, not skill. Get in, get it done. Dismissed." He waved them away and they turned and filtered out of the room one at a time.
Rhicker still standing at the table, was eying the fleet layout once again. Once the last person departed the area, he looked up at his Father.
"Survey scan eh?" He queried.
"Heh. Yes, I see you still have a keen eye for tactical deployment." The Commander chuckled.
"As always. So what's really going on? There is a lot of activity out there, and you can cut the air with a knife. So now that we are alone, you wanna fill me in on exactly what is going on?"
"Take a seat Son." The Commander gestured towards his desk across the room.
If there was one thing the Commander never spared an expense on, it was comfortable seating. No better way to ensure someone is willing to listen to you than having them plant their sore arse in a soft chair. Works every time.
So he was aware that the coming conversation was not going to be one he would want to hear. They walked across the room and he sank into the chair, and let out a loud sigh.
"I love these damn things... even though they always precede horrible news. So let's have it then."
"About 10 months ago reports came in about a vast deposit of resources in one particular area. There were reports of highly volatile gas clouds in one particular system that would pose as a brilliant supply source for the fleet. So when we arrive, we immediately began all the preliminary scans. System was completely devoid of any inhabitants as far as we could tell. However, not only were there enormous, and numerous, gas clouds, we also stumbled upon several large ice fields. Enough resources to keep several full crews busy for at least 2 years straight." He paused seeing the glitter in his Son's eyes.
"That is a hell of a lot of supply concern. 2 years of mining operations? Let alone the nightmare of transporting it all the way back? It's so remote, it's no wonder why this area hasn't been tapped already." Rhicker was shaking his head... he already knew the answer.
"Correct. A logistical nightmare of epic proportions. Needless to say nobody was happy about the orders that trickled down from above. The area was to be secured and mining ops were to ensue ASAP."
"So?"
"So... about 1 month into the operation, we picked up a distress beacon a few jumps away from the fields. Obviously this rose alarms all around considering this are is so remote not to mention only one way into this system. I sent a pilot to inspect the signal and see what exactly was happening." The Commander looked down for a moment.
"Who did you send? Someone you trust I suspect?" Rhicker waited as the Commander gathered his thoughts.
"Yes. The only person I knew I could trust fully with the situation at hand." He looked up at his Son again. A small glint of sadness in his eyes.
"Meece?" It was more of a statement than a question.
"Meece. You know how delicate an operation like this is. And to have someone 'accidentally' stumble upon it just wouldn't do. Let alone the fact that there may actually be hidden activity in the area. Meece made contact with the distressed ship."
"Visual or vocal?" Rhicker asked hastily.
"Both. He reached the wreck. Turns out some moron was the victim of a bad source of information. Warped right into a wreckage nearly destroying him in an instant. Meece arrived at the scene, and began the necessary actions to get the wreck in stable enough condition to have it towed back to the fleet. But then..." He trailed off, and looked away again.
"But then what?" Rhicker was already impatient. He wanted the brunt of the news right away so he could deal with it. He hated the way his Father always beat around the bush in situations like this.
"Something went wrong. Meece and the victim were ambushed by someone. We lost his NAV beacon. We lost the distress beacon. When I sent a search party to the last known location, there was nothing but wreckage everywhere."
"Pirates?"
"Hard to say. There was no pillage. Just destruction."
Rhicker sat silent for a moment letting it all soak in. He and Meece had been friends since childhood. They both joined the academy at the same time. Flown together in countless missions, both hair-raising and mundane alike.
"Has there been any contact from the Pirates at all? Any indication of their intentions?" Rhicker was scouring his brain for ideas. Possibilities.
"No. Nothing. I had search squads roaming the area for months with nothing to account for any of it."
"Fuck." Rhicker stood and paced for a few moments. He walked back to the coffee machine to brew a fresh pot.
"Which brings us to our current predicament." The Commander walked back to the ops table and flipped a few switches.
Rhicker returned and stood beside him. He was the only person who had ever stood on this side of the table other than his Father... he and Meece that is.
As he flipped the last switch, a small jump-gate appeared. It looked like shit. Hardly anything that would render on a scan, let alone be interpreted for a functional gate.
"We found this. However we cannot activate it. Seems to be controlled from the other side, which indicates activity on some level."
"Activity of what kind? Human? Alien?" Rhicker was examining the gate. The Commander could see the concern in his eyes. His brain was in full motion. He knew that if anybody would be able to figure out how to sort this shit out, it was his Son.
"We don't know. That is why I brought you out here." Rhicker looked up from the table.
"And the other gate?" He asked.
"Fodder. Smoke and mirrors. If the fleet gets wind of what is actually going on here, it would be disastrous, and you know how quickly rumors and news filters down among the ranks. Before you know it, we'd have Gallente encroaching upon us."
"Ahh. So at least we know it isn't a military matter on the other side. Otherwise it would have already blown out of proportion."
"Exactly my thoughts. However we cannot rule out the possibility that there may be some unknown military order behind it all. Whomever they are, they are well skilled, and very coordinated with their actions." The Commander turned off the switch to the hidden jump-gate. He rubbed his eyes for a minute. He was obviously over-stressed and the lack of sleep was starting to show as well.
"When do you want the op to happen?" Rhicker was making a few adjustments to a few of the positioned squadrons near the designated gate. When he looked up, he saw his Father staring at him.
"Right. Now then. I'll go prep. I take it the rest of the crew is already assembled and ready to fly?" Rhicker was downloading the necessary waypoints to his portable NAV computer.
"They are ready and waiting. I'm repositioning the fleet a bit further from the target, in hopes of not drawing too much attention to what's about to take place."
"The crew will know. You know this."
"Perhaps. But I must still go through the motions. You know this."
They both smiled, and stood there a moment letting it all sink in. Rhicker was obviously shaken by the news of his best friend, but he'd never show it.
The comms crackled to life and the voice of the Commander's aid broke the silence.
"Commander, you have a call." The voice stated.
"Very well. Patch it through. I'll take it at my desk."
"Yes Sir." The comms clicked off and he turned towards his desk.
"Be careful. The other side of that gate should be completely barren, but don't take any chances."
"Do I ever?"
The Commander only chuckled as Rhicker was leaving the room.
Ander