A Prequel to The Sky People Arrive
Rebellion threatens to tear apart the Keftiu Stellar Empire.
After the Orion Battle Group is nearly wiped out in a disastrous battle in the Rigel system, Fleet Operations Command resorts to a highly controversial plan to suppress the Lazcar-Rigelian rebels.
Captain Patrick Seidon convinces the members of the Fleet Operations Command to allow him to take the fight to the rebels using tactics that are similar to those Pirate Captain Van P'ire used against the Fleet during the Open Clusters War.
I have met with Joshua Nollenberg, the head of the Astronomy Department at SUNY Oneonta.
We have identified many of the star systems of the Keftiu Stellar Empire including the Capital system of Igdrasel.
The battle has been taken to the enemy in the Corinthian Corridor.. The area between the Orion Spur and the Perseus Arm of the Galaxy.
Glossary of Terms
3AC After Action Assessment Conference: A gathering of all Department and Division heads in a Conference to review all details of a battle and to revise Standard Operating Procedures if necessary.
CasRep: A list of equipment that was inoperative or in need of repair
COCC: Combined Operations Control Center
COMJAG Commander, Jaegar Forces
ISCZ Intrastellar Clearance Zone: A region in a multi-star system where the gravitational interactions force objects out of that region. (Similar to the L2 Lagrange point)
ISDZ Intrastellar Debris Zone: A region in a multi-star system where the gravitational interactions force objects together. (Similar to the L4 Lagrange point)
JPS Jump Point System
JTC Jaegar Tactical Communication circuit
Kkps Thousand kilometers per second
LSO Landing Signals Officer
PDP Perimeter Defensive Patrol
Ready 5 Ready 5 is a tactic used on Mother Ships where a Jaeger unit is
manned and ready to launch in 5 minutes or less. This tactic
provides a rapid response to new threats to the Mother Ship.
Standard Orbit Geocentric orbit around a planet
SAO Scanner Array Officer
SOPOS Senior Officer Present On Scene
(X)kc X Thousand times the speed of light
BOOK 1 THE BATTLE OF RIGEL
Chapter 1
I was half way through the Causality & Repair (CasRep) file that Jaegar Maintenance Officer, Commander Pete Cobb, had submitted an hour ago when I was interrupted by my adjutant on the intercom. “Captain, Commander Madden and the Squadron Leaders have just arrived.”
“Tell them to come on in and join us Imhotep.”
The door whipped open and the five of them stormed into my office. My good friend Commander PJ “Red” Madden, the 82nd Jaegar Wing commander led the pack into my office. His bright red hair matched his fierce, fiery style of fighting.
He was flanked to his right by the Jagdfliegter Squadron Leaders. Jeff “Doc” Case, a barrel chested man who started his life following his father’s calling in the Medical field; Mike “Dagger” Somnitz, whose tall & thin frame was honed to a razor’s edge; and Steve “Slim” Degenfelder who I could never figure how he was able to squeeze his massive body into the seat of a Jagdfleigter.
On Madden’s left stood Raptor Squadron Leader Doug “Snake” Schilke, a man who could slip into the tightest spots and strike with deadly accuracy. My Adjutant, Lieutenant Imhotep “Blazer” Segnar, stood beside Schilke to take notes.
Madden demanded, “Captain, when the hell are we going get our Operational orders!”
Doc Case added, “My pilots are getting edgy as hell waiting for orders. They’re starting to fight among themselves over the smallest provocation!”
“Red, the sign on my door says COMJAG, so that means I only have complete control of all the Jaegar units on Tigress. Orion Battle Group Commander, Admiral Williams, has not seen fit to schedule the Operational briefing for the Rigel system assault! All we can do is to make sure every one of our ships is ready to launch.”
“Red, Cobb’s report states there are still three Jagdfliegters that haven’t finished overhaul. How much longer will it be until they are ready?”
“We will have them finished in five hours. You just need to give us our armament package and attack plan.”
“Good! Snake, Cobb says there are only eight of your twelve Raptors ready. That is not acceptable! What IS the hold up?”
“Relax Captain, they will be ready. After you told us to expect an intense, close range battle, I’m having Cobb’s people modify the Raptor targeting system to cut in half the number of targets we track so we can lock our targets and launch quicker. Those last four are older models and it’s taking longer to modify them.”
“That’s good thinking Snake, but make damn sure those last ships are ready! Doc, Dagger, and Slim, run all of your men through the simulators set at the highest number of opponents at the closest programmable range. Get them ready to react quickly and to think out of the box.”
“We are only twenty hours from Rigel, so Williams can’t hold off on the briefing much longer. I’ll call all pilots and service chiefs to the Ready Room just as soon as I know our assault plan. Dismissed!” With a chorus of Aye Sirs, everyone except PJ Madden headed out.
As they headed out the door I asked, “Imhotep, have you gotten the latest updates of the Rigel system from the Navigator yet?”
“Yes sir, I’ve transferred them to your Navcom file.”
After the door closed, PJ walked over to my desk, pulled out my bottle of Seidon Farms scotch and a pair of glasses, poured us a drink and sat down. With a silent toast, we shared a drink.
“Patrick, why in hell is Williams waiting so long to brief everyone?”
“We both know he comes from Internal Affairs. I have also found out he has served on their Personnel Oversight Committee. I think he is so used to looking for spies and traitors within, he feels he needs to keep his plans secret until the last minute.” I took another swig.
PJ slowly shook his head and then looked into my eyes. “Papo, you really ran us ragged back at Regulus before we left. We logged a shitload of hours chasing those sensory ghosts. I heard Admiral Rogers was complaining to Admiral Williams that you were pushing the crew too hard just before the upcoming battle. Why?”
“I never agreed with the Sensory Array Officer’s (SAO) claim that we were only seeing sensory ghosts. I recognized a pattern in the indications we were picking up. We called it Snooper Search Tactics. I couldn’t determine the pattern, so I’m not sure who it was. However, Daimeti would know someone good enough to pull it off.”
“What the hell are you talking about? I’ve never seen anything in all the Fleet manuals I’ve read that described “Snooper Search Tactics”.
“My friend, you won’t find any reference to Snooper Search Tactics in standard Fleet manuals, but I’ve used them more than a few times.”
An odd smile came to PJ’s face. “Oh…Now we’re talking about what you did before switching over to Jaegar Command.”
It was time to change subjects. “How are the new recruits shaping up?”
“They’re simulator scores are excellent, but we both know they don’t always mean they’ll perform well in combat. We just can’t duplicate the split second decisions and multi-tasking that is needed to survive close quarters combat. I think they’ll be alright.”
“PJ, I have fought battles for the Empire at various levels for over 700 years and I’m getting a VERY bad feeling about this battle. So don’t take this to mean I don’t trust you, but I plan to lead with the staff section and want you to fly in the second element. I just refuse to commit the Wing without taking them same risks as the rest of you. We will be loaded on the catapults and be the first to launch.”
“No offense taken. I know you joined the 82nd when it was formed and have its best interests in your mind. Hell, you and I have served together every time you’ve been assigned to the 82nd for the last 400 years!”
“Damn right! I was impressed the first time I flew with you when I commanded the First Group and have always requested you be reassigned to the Wing whenever I’ve been posted with the 82nd. I always like flying with fellow Rathians. That’s why I also requested Dusty Kassel and have him flying as my wingman.”
“PJ, we’re going to need to look out for these new kids today. We’ve gotta make damned sure they’re ready to face the Coalition’s Kormas fighter-bombers.” I emptied my glass before continuing. “Speaking of kids, how is Jenna doing with her first deep space assignment?”
“She loves it on Garcon! She’s a natural and has already received her first promotion to Petty Officer 1st Class.”
“Wonderful! Send her my congratulations. Now get your ass out of here so I can review the system plans!”
Before leaving, he added to our glasses and we toasted each other with the traditional Rathian hunter’s toast. “Hals- und Beinbruch!”
The Navcom file opened to holograph of the Rigel system and I began to review the latest data on the Rigel system and included a quick review of some of the near-by star systems. It was the largest star system in the Empire. A three star system: Ry Nark, the B8 blue-white Supergiant that anchored the system, Dy Nark and S’Nark the closely linked B9 stars orbiting Ry Nark at a distance of 12 light days, 22 planets, 112 moons and countless dwarf planets and large asteroids. The system was the home of the largest anti-matter processing facility in the known Galaxy. That made the system such a valuable possession for the Lazcar and Rigelian Coalition forces.
Rigel orbited Dy Nark and S’Nark protected from Ry Nark’s intense radiation by their immense magnetospheres. The earliest Lazcar explorers had overlooked the system thinking it was not possible they’d ever find habitable planet. They never got over the fact that Keftiu explorers colonized Rigel and claimed the system!
All of that information flashed quickly through my mind because I was more interested in reviewing the details of the multiple Intrastellar Debris Zones (ISDZs). I wanted to refresh my memory of their location and composition. They would be the ideal area to hide the Coalition Kormas fighter-bombers. The ISDZs were so dense; our scanners would be unable to locate their fighter-bombers until the Fleet would be right on top of them. The pirate Captain Van P’ire had effectively hid his ships in the Nova Epsilon ISDZs and had caused considerable damage to the Strike Fleet ships before using them to cover his withdrawal.
My secondary concern was to locate the exact position of each of the six planets orbiting Dy Nark and S’Nark, the twelve planets orbiting Ry Nark and the four ice planets that orbited all three stars. Since the Coalition Fleet should know we were on our way, they could even hide each of their major units behind a planet opposite the Intrastellar Clearance Zone (ISCZ) we would probably use as our hyperspace jump entry point. I plotted their likely positions relative to the secondary ISCZ on the Regulus side of the system and calculated the proper intercept vectors for my Jagdfliegters. It still wasn’t enough! There were so many different ISDZs and asteroid belts that could hide Coalition ships. The Coalition Fleet could even have their ships anchored on an asteroid and defend them with flak battery pods.
Ninety minutes passed quickly as I plotted the possible threat vectors, calculated intercept times, and inputted them into the Threat Assessment Plot.
The intercom sounded and Imhotep informed me that Admiral Williams had ordered me to meet in the Main Briefing Room in ten minutes. I transferred a copy of the Threat Assessment Plot to my personal data pad and headed to the Main Briefing Room with Imhotep.
