Unity

Chapter 31

"Why didn't you include the drives, and how will we get them to each system?" somebody asked.

Argol replied, "It was not my idea to deploy the battle stations in this manner, so I'll let the founder of this idea explain." He motioned towards Andrew.

Andrew stood and looked around before speaking. "During our last meeting the importance of keeping jump drives out of the Zrynt's hands was discussed, and we still feel that it is an absolute priority. Each battlestation will be constructed in system. Once the construction is complete, the equipment used will be moved on to the next system. We didn't include subspace drives because that method of transit is too slow to be feasible. As we said before, the jump drives are too important to fall into enemy hands."

"What's to stop the Zrynt from copying the battlestations and using them against us?" demanded Zalix.

Andrew smiled and replied, "I'm glad you asked. Each battlestation will be powered by a Galactum core, as well as many other new technologies on board that we do not want the Zrynt to find. Built within each battlestation are fail safes, to put it simply, if the battlestation is going to fall, it will self-destruct. We don't see this as a likely scenario, but we decided to plan for it anyway. Anytime a battlestation is attacked, those at Narrisal, as well as deployed fleets, will be notified immediately. Although they are capable of protecting themselves, we're not going to leave anything to chance." Andrew waited a moment to see if there were any more questions before taking his seat again.

Argol stood and finished the description. The first battlestations would be constructed as soon as approval was given by Queen Shaniir. I trusted Andrew, so I gave it my stamp of approval immediately. Next it was Sofya's turn to report. She stood and said, "We have been tasked with gaining information about our enemy. We separated the information we need into three categories: we need to know the size and location of the enemy fleets, regular fleet movements, and where they are getting their supplies from. We have developed a plan on gaining this information. A subspace sensor network will be deployed throughout the galaxy, starting close to Narrisal. Once the network is operational, we should be able to track ship movements and tell roughly how large the fleet is. Regular traffic can show supply lines and give us an early warning that a fleet is gathering."

"More detailed information will need to be gathered by manned ships. We launched a new method of surveying hostile territory during the mission to recapture Fraewei. As you are all aware, our ships were able to go undetected and give us real-time intel on enemy locations. With limitless raw materials, and the use of jump drives, we should have a working sensor network of the immediate vicinity within three cycles. Teams will be assigned to gradually grow this network. Any questions?"

Shahae stood and asked, "The Zrynt have been eliminating our sensors for some time. How are you going to prevent that?"

Sofya gestured to what must have been somebody else in her committee. A young petite woman rose and said, "In the past we were restricted to the area immediately surrounding stable sub-space routes. We are now able to place the sensor much further away, and in locations that will be hard for the Zrynt to access. Locating the sensors will be difficult as well, when armored with the Active Absorption Field Generator, as the Terrans call it, it will be nearly impossible to distinguish the sensor from surrounding space."

After another moment of silence, everyone sat back down. I was slightly confused, as I really didn't know much about the physics of subspace. From what I had gathered from listening to others, subspace was basically a network of tunnels that allowed ships to travel many times faster than the speed of light. I made a mental note to study up on it.

The next group quickly outlined a training schedule for new recruits. They requested the Unity provide training for the Tuleeririan instructors, who would then pass it on to the new recruits. I cringed as I thought about the short training schedule. My crew had been training for a year, and at times I still felt like it was not enough. I also recognized that the Tuleeriri didn't have time for a prolonged training period, as things were going to get intense very quickly. Finally, it was my turn to report.

I stood and looked around. All eyes were on me. I looked and saw several different reactions as the Tuleeriri observed me. The looks I received ranged from disdain and contempt to respect and an almost silent fervor. After a moment of silence, I spoke, "Our biggest threat is the overwhelming number of fighters the Zrynt use. They use them defensively as well as offensively, and we gained some valuable intel during our last encounter. The Zrynt fighters take two minutes to switch from standby to being launched from the ship. Normally, that window is so small and insignificant that it wouldn't make much of a difference, but when exploited properly, can have a devastating impact. Once the main ship has been neutralized, all command and control to the fighters is lost and they go into an inert state until another Zrynt ship takes over command and control. This is one advantage that can be immediately exploited. My team is also working on a weapons solution to deal with the fighters, as well as methods to engage in electronic warfare." I stood in silence for a moment and sat down. I had intentionally been vague and refused to reveal my source of information yet.

With the exciting part of the meeting out of the way, the rest passed by in a blur. Much of the time was spent planning on targets to scout and exact locations to start our sensor network. The decision on where to place the first battlestations didn't warrant discussion, as their primary concern was protecting their own skin. Personally, I would have started with Fraewei as the Tuleeriri home system had defensive capabilities in the form of ships. The supplies coming from Fraewei were vital in sustaining future military efforts. When it was time to leave, we left exhausted. Physically, the most we had done was go for a quick stroll during one of the breaks, but mentally, we were tapped out. I blamed it on politicians, and for a brief moment, I could see the attraction of a military led government. I quickly dispelled the idea as history had proved how things turned out when people were led by a single military mind. Soon we were in the comfort of our own ship, and I sent my commanders to get a little R&R. I decided to man the bridge for a while, besides, I had some thinking to do.