The fall of Battle Group Trinity Pt 1
Posted on 20 Feb 2020 @ 9:29pm by Fleet Admiral Sho'Thor & Vice Admiral Caleb Severide
963 words; about a 5 minute read
Mission:
Empty Creche
Location: Inside Federation space
Timeline: ED 2
ON:
The communication channels of the Federation had been swelled with reports of the destruction of numerous outlying colonies. Hundreds of thousands of Federation citizens were dead as a destructive force lay waste to anything Federation in its path, no matter how small, no matter how defenseless.
This destructive force was none other then the sixth fleet flagship dubbed Imperium. The gargantuan war machine, designed only to destroy glided through space, illuminating the skies of various worlds with barrage of weapons fire, leaving homes and cities as piles of dust and bodies.
Now, the Imperium approached what would be one of the Federation’s last stands. A task group sized fleet of ships, led by the USS Atonement drew the line between the Imperium and earth. The Imperium slowed down as it came into visual range of the Federation fleet.
--USS Atonement
Captain Samantha Sokolov sat in the center chair of the Excalibur class vessel newly christened USS Atonement. The shakedown cruise of the ship had been cut short and the ship had been pressed into service as the lead ship in the newly formed Battle Group Trinity. Besides the USS Atonement floated the USS Bismark, a Sovereign class vessel, the USS Roman a Prometheus class ship, the USS Checkov a Defiant class and the USS Archimedes an Intrepid class. Those five ships comprised the ships close enough to Earth to form into a makeshift battle group with the untested Atonement at its center. Their mission was to investigate and halt whatever was silencing the outer colonies
Sokolov looked over the readout of the large ship before them and sighed "It's the ship that destroyed the Archer." she said to herself before tugging at her uniform jacket and saying to no one in particular "At least it's Tuesday," before speaking loud enough that the ops officer could hear her "open hailing frequencies."
"Frequencies open Captain."
"This is Captain Samantha Sokolov of the USS Atonement, commanding Battle Group Trinity. You are hereby ordered to stand down your ship and prepare to be boarded. Any further incursion into Federation space will be met with deadly force."
The main view screen of the Atonement changed, but only barely as only the image of Vice Admiral Caleb Severide’s sneering face appeared on the dark screen, the rest of the screen was still blackened with only a few faint silhouettes visible to the crew of the Atonement.
“This is Vice Admiral Caleb Severide of the sixth fleet vessel Imperium. I hereby reject your order and substitute it with my own. Your ships will break file and allow my vessel passage without incident.”
His sneer faded as his expression became more serious.
“Otherwise I’ll turn your little band into spare parts.”
Sokolov's face went hard as she nodded to the man on the screen "I would prefer you surrendered Admiral but should you press us, every member of each crew has taken the same oath you did to defend the Federation... from threats foreign and domestic."
The Admiral snickered as he looked down to the floor momentarily, amused by the Captain’s comment. He looked back at the Captain, still smiling. “Look, I get it, you’re young, idealistic. You believe the Federation is this great thing, all about exploring, and spreading good will and hugging....”
Severide’s smile faded again.
“Newsflash my dear Captain, it’s not. The Federation is a cancer and I’m the cure. Corruption, greed, want of power has spread our borders too thin, allowed our enemies to pick us clean, murder our people. For god sake I just waltzed through Federation space like no one else was even there! You want to know why, because no one was.”
A brief pause. “Look beyond the view screen Captain. The corrupt Admiralty has sent you here for ONE reason. To protect them. Not the million on earth, not the thousands on Starbase one....Just them.”
"If the Federation was cancer and you were just after the leaders why did you destroy every colony, ship, and starbase between where you began and here? No, Admiral, you've gone mad and I can not in good conscience allow you to go further. Surrender, fight or leave those are your only options."
“Because they too had been blinded by the visage put forth by the corrupt bureaucrats. You are better then that Captain. Do not sacrifice the lives of your crew for a false idol. Let us through and the sixth fleet will no longer be an enemy of yours."
"That is not logical Admiral, you see the unarmed citizens of the Federation as corrupted yet everyone in this battle group as not so long as they stand aside? Did the colonists stand in your way with pitchforks and shovels?"
Severide presses his lips together lowering his head. “That was regrettable, but sadly those colonies were harboring former corrupt officials who still held sway with the brass.” He said looking back up to the Captain. “I wish I didn’t have to do that.”
"That is an excuse and you know it, those actions went against everything your uniform stands for."
“I’m not sure this uniform stands for what it did when we signed up.” Severide retorted. “Tell me Captain, you have any kids?”
"On Earth, where they would be casualties of war in your eyes Admiral." She replied evenly.
He shook his head. “No Captain. I’m not planning Armageddon. Your children will not be harmed. Just please stand down.” He said almost pleading. “Your children may be safe on earth, what about the other mothers, fathers? Your children need you, do you have a daughter?”
To be continued...
OFF
Caleb Severide
Vice Admiral
6th Fleet
USS Imperium
&
Samantha Sokolov
Captain
Commanding Officer
USS Atonement
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