Escape from Conel. Chapter 1; Over and out

Chapter 1 Over and out

Location Frigate: HMS Bearer, Elexus system.

Date April 27th (Earth) Echo A39 (Closest planet: Conel)

Time 1000 hours ‘shiptime’,

Year Minus (971,006,000,) 000,002

I looked out from the bridge of the HMS Bearer at the dozen military assault vessels floating through the vacuum through the unoccupied space above the vastly unexplored planet, Conel. With only a population of three million spread out throughout seven cities it was uncommon to have so much military activity, but the little green-purple planet was special.

Instead of its brother and sister planets in the Elexus system; Lexus and Harbourne, it didn’t completely rely on tourism and trade to keep the planet going; it relied on something greater but much more dangerous.

Iron. With iron you could create titanium, and with titanium you could create vessels, trade or military. And vessels were the backbone of any space-faring empire.

And before the discovery of Conel, iron had been running out, and that meant all vessels that were destroyed or lost couldn’t be replaced, and Her Majesty’s Royal Navy would slowly crumble, taking the Commune down with her.

The Commune, the guys we’re fighting; the bad guys. We’re suppose to the good guys, but the truth is that we are just as bad. We kill, we rape, we plunder, and they retaliate by making the CRCP; China-Russian communism pack, then joined by Korea, Japan and India to make the Commune, known to many as the Comm.

The Commune used proper gander to make them look better than us, and we do the same vice versa. See? Everything is Her Majesty’s Royal navy and Her Majesty’s Royal Marines and Her Majesty’s Bullshit.

“Captain sir?” A bridge officer broke me out of my chain of thought. “Seven Commune ships are breaking from the atmosphere and heading to our position.”

“Chinese?”

“Russian sir” Damn it, the Russians were the hardcore communists of the Comm group, maybe if it were china peace negotiations would be possible.

Yet if this little confrontation didn’t go very well it could become a very messy battle, and his superiors wouldn’t be pleased. This mission was about a supposedly peace talk about the iron situation on Conel.

The planet had been ‘peacefully’ switching between the Commune and the MoD for years, resulting in dozens of light skirmishes on the plants densely packed forest surface, which both governments had tried very hard to cover up, maintaining their peaceful, trustworthy reputation.

“Admiral Laurenhowgh wants a status report sir.” Laurenhowgh, the name would make the most powerful generals soil their pants. He was arguably the most powerful commander in the navy, and was definitely the most dangerous. To say that I liked the man was wrong, and to say that he didn’t like me was a gross understatement.

The officer held the receiver and waited for me to take it. When I did she looked at me as to say, good luck. No wait, it was more like Jesus Christ be careful.

I told him situation, heard him pause then say “Captain”

“Yes sir?” I replied

“If things don’t go as planned, I want you in charge of the ground operation if we are to invade Conel.”

“If you don’t mind me asking sir, why not Commander Richards or any of the other captains?”

“You were a major yes? Before you were drafted to the navy. You led four very successful campaigns before against the Commune; I couldn’t trust anybody else on the ground in my fleet as much as you.

Then in the space of a second his warm words turned to ice cold.

“But captain remember, just because I trust you; doesn’t mean I like you.

“This is Admiral Laurenhowgh. Out”

I didn’t know whether to be thankful that I was being given such a big operation over my higher ranking Captains, or scared because if Laurenhowgh put so much trust in me, and I messed this up because he wouldn’t be happy, that meant his superior wouldn’t be happy either.

The admiral only had one superior.