Solarium, Unity Station
The light reflecting off of Summit’s illuminated half and coming from the star the planet orbits around passes through the wide, transparent walls of the Solarium and fills the airy chamber with bright natural light. The faint hum of HVAC systems working to maintain controlled atmospheric contents can be heard, accompanied by the slight breeze of cold air from hidden vents. A few lines of night lights running up the thin arches that hold up the dome-like walls remain lit; in a few moments, the lights turn off.
In between Summit and Unity Station, backlit by the planet’s reflected sunlight, a portion of the system defense force can be seen heading towards the Station for scheduled repairs and upgrades. The visible ships, though only a small portion of the total forces defending this star system, are still numerous enough to stand out against the planet behind it. The engine flares of other vessels appear as bright points of lights, slowly moving in contrast with the backdrop of the firmament. All of this is framed by the arched ribs of the Solarium, curving up from the edges of the large room towards a point directly above the center.
On each cardinal direction of the lofty chamber is a solid set of doors, adorned in gold leaf and covered over in elaborately etched decorations. One shows the Ruling Council gathering to declare the First Solar Crusade, while another shows the Council delivering the 5th Millennial Anniversary speech. Behind each set of doors is an armored turbolift shaft, connecting the Solarium to other notable locations such as the Council’s private hangar and the administrative zones for the various Ministries. The floor is composed of a material that has the consistency of vitreous carbon and forms a glass-like surface that appears glossy black to the eye.
At the center of the Solarium, raised three steps above the ground by a platform of the same obsidian-like material and surrounded by a complement of Council Guards, is a large toroidal table with a holo-projector at its center. Four members of the Ruling Council have gathered at this late morning hour and are watching the projector display an elliptical galaxy that has been heavily marked over with borders, locations of interests, positions of naval formations, and other relevant information. The sounds of discussion could be heard above the HVAC systems as the Council members present discuss the next appropriate steps to advance their war plans. A solitary observer drone hovers over the scene, taking in visual and auditory input from its surroundings.
Imperator Eternal, the de facto head of the Council, reaches over with a gauntleted hand and presses a button, and the projector switches to display a dense cluster of stars. The cluster is divided into two sections, with the larger section marked with a symbol of four concentric cogs around a larger cog and the smaller section marked with that of a red gauntlet. Several icons appear in the star cluster, some indicating locations of allied and hostile forces standing off against each other at the border and others indicating vital systems containing major military-industrial arcologies. A smaller display appears next to the main display, showing a nebula labeled “Starfish Cove” with a single point of interest near its center.
“Internal conflicts within the borders of the neutral Eridani Collective have reached an all time high regarding the issue of revoking their neutrality and joining the Elysian Accord. The portions of their government and populace more favorable towards a seat in this Ruling Council are clashing with their counterparts who seek signatory status with the Accord, and our intelligence indicates that civil unrest has already escalated to armed insurrection in several areas. Some of their more distant sectors are preparing to secede, and without further intervention a civil war is likely.”
“The forces of the Combined Defense Force have been deployed along the border between the Collective and the Terran Federal Republic, in the event that conflict spills across borders, and the Accord are amassing a similarly sized force on their borders to stand off against possible incursions from our forces. Our contacts, however, indicate that the Accord is preparing to intervene soon and have already deployed several First Strike weapons in Collective territory aligned to their ideology. Given the method by which Jump Drives function, I have reason to believe that the Accord pushed their weapons up so that it can strike at allied territory quicker.”
“At the same time, we are now aware of the location of the Jump Gate by which they will attempt to thread the Keyhole. Though it is in their territory and well-defended, it is not unreachable. Operation Matador will resolve this issue.”
“I have assembled two special task forces to undertake Operation Matador. The first task force, composed of a large naval armada and led by the Death of Hope, will arrive at the location of these First Strike platforms and force a confrontation. The Ministry of Foreign Relations will follow up by demanding the immediate withdrawal of all Accord aligned First Strike weapons. Finally, the Combined Defense Force will encircle and blockade the targeted systems with interdiction fields. This will draw attention to the crisis at hand and away from the next step.”
“The second task force, disguised as a suicide force dispatched by one of several existing terrorist groups, will be deployed to Starfish Cove immediately after we draw their attention with the first task force. They will escort a Neutron-class Kill Ship, similarly disguised, that will deploy an oversized fission-fusion payload to destroy the Jump Gate there and set them back decades. By then we will only be mere days from threading the Keyhole, and all we need to do is to maintain security of our Jump Gate.”
“The confrontation and crisis will draw the attention of the public to the Collective, and our attack on their Jump Gate will initially go unnoticed. The Accord cannot invoke the argument of retaliating against an attack upon their territory, as the intruders will appear to be belonging to a hostile third party that is neither us nor them. If they choose to ignore our claim of innocence and launch an attack against us in response, we can invoke our own defense protocols and initiate massive retaliation.”
“I do not expect the second task force to survive, as they may have to be destroyed during the operation to ensure that the disguise is complete. The loss of one Kill Ship is a small price to pay for our salvation, and once the dust settles we will honor the crew of the ships appropriately.”
He looks at the few others sitting around the round table, gauging their reactions. Revelation is enigmatic as usual, with the floating screen serving as a proxy displaying His unreadable face. The Advisor has her attention elsewhere as she sends out orders to the Directors of Defense and Internal Security to convene at the Solarium within the hour. Beholder’s single cybernetic eye stares back at him, lit from within by an acid green light.
The Advisor issues the last of the orders, eyes focused on the screen before her while her pale fingers tap away at a rectangular part of the table outlined in a white glowing edge. The screen registers the taps as keystrokes and enters the final sentence, before one last tap sends the executive order out to Internal Security and Defense. Once the message is out, the Advisor pulls up a set of status reports before returning her attention to the rest of the Council.
“The task forces are ready and awaiting our command. The Combined Defense Force is ready to cover the insertion of our forces, and the Xenobiology Division confirms that they have samples of the Life-Eater ready to deploy in the event of a First Strike contingency order. Our current retaliation stance is currently set to Caution; I can increase it to Battle Alert if need be.”
Beholder interjects.
“Would the Accord not be suspicious of our sudden preparation of First Strike capabilities? Perhaps we have made our move too early.”
“The presence of Exfoliator Torpedo equivalents in Eridani Collective territory is an open secret between the two superpowers. The Accord knows that we are aware of their weapon, and our initial preparation is a reasonable response that they too would have taken had we deployed our own weapons. Once the confrontation occurs, we will have the casus belli to ready our First Strike protocols in the event of further escalation.”
Revelation, silent until now, speaks in His synthetic voice. The floating screen, standing as a proxy of His physical presence, swivels slightly to face each of the three other members present.
“We will proceed with the plan with all deliberate haste. The other member states will not be informed. Only those who need to know – we in the Solarium and select agents that I have picked out – will be informed.”
This time, the Advisor questions the decision.
“I was under the belief that we would convene the Council in full tomorrow to present Operation Matador and call for a vote. And what of the backlash once our plans come to fruition and the rest of the Council learns of this? The Terran Federal Republic and the Pan-Galactic Union certainly would not respond to our deception lightly. I fear that this may worsen existing disagreements and leave behind permanent divides in the ranks of the Council.”
Revelation, expecting the rest of the de facto inner circle to question his decision, continues.
“I suspect one or more of them may be sympathetic to the Accord’s cause. Take note of the various times where the Pan-Galactic Union and other like-minded members acted in direct contradiction against our collective interests. No sane head of state that believes in the Imperial Dream would turn down coordinated efforts to root out foreign espionage, yet they have done so time and again.”
“Even if they are loyal at heart, they will inevitably leak the specifics of Operation Matador through a slip of word. They will, through necessity, discuss the events in the Solarium with their cabinets and associates. These politicians will then inform their contacts, and the rumors will spread. It is the unfortunate reality with less security-minded member states.”
“The other member states will learn in due time that we have deceived them so that they can survive to see the Imperial Dream brought to fruition. The alternative is to be left behind as our enemies thread the Keyhole and then lock us out. If these petty politicians cannot stay in their place for even a moment, then there is no place on this Council for them.”
“I have instructed my agents to bolster the ranks of the Ministry of Internal Security and maintain vigilance over the less trustworthy members. The debacle that was Operation Binary Storm will not repeat itself this time.”
Beholder and the Advisor, after a moment of consideration, indicate their approval of Revelation’s decision. Imperator Eternal sees that the other members are in consensus and moves to adjourn the meeting.
“Then we are in agreement.”
He motions towards the drone that has been silently watching, which floats over and focuses its photosensors on him.
“On the 295th day of the 968th year of Millennium 09, select members of the Ruling Council have convened in the Solarium to consider the possibility of direct military action in order to sabotage Elysian Accord military-industrial facilities dedicated towards threading the Keyhole. Due to security concerns over the possible presence of hostile agents in the Council and the rapid development of recent events, we have chosen not to inform the remaining members of the Council.”
“Through unanimous decision of all four members, Operation Matador will be executed and will be effective immediately. In anticipation of possible escalations, First Strike readiness is to be escalated to Battle Alert and the Combined Defense Force is to mobilize and prepare for conflict. The Ascendance fail-deadly control system is to be activated and put on standby.”
“The Council wills it, and it shall be done.”
The Advisor taps on the invisible keyboard one last time to send out the launch order. She turns the screen around to face the rest of the Council, and upon its onyx surface is a single line of glowing text.
The Death of Hope has been deployed.
Hey Zehong! This is a great draft. I’m once again floored by your creativity and ability to describe a world that doesn’t exist in such detail. As far as things you can fix, there’s some awkward phrasing which needs to be tightened. Similarly, there’s a lot of scientific lingo that needs to be explained a bit more clearly. Even though you have a solid understanding of what an “HVAC system” is and how it contributes to “atmospheric purity” doesn’t mean your reader does. Similarly, I would take a little more time to develop the characters and the conflict before going right into a discussion of war strategy. I’m still not one hundred percent clear on what the Accord’s mission really is, or even about the specifics of how their society operates. Clarify if you can. Looking forward to the next draft!
