GENESIS - THE BEGINNING. Book 1

CHAPTER 20 ... Landfall - Plus 32 Hours And Counting. In The Open

Admiral Isak Blair stood on the Bridge of the Pyrenees and nodded to his Number One. "Notify all forces, converge on the enemy. All Bulldogs to wait further instructions."

The vast Empire fleet at last came out of hiding. They came from behind distant planets and moons. They lifted off from clusters of massive blocks of ice that circled one of the home planets. They came from all directions and converged on the enemy from a distant solar system. And amongst them, invisible to eye and electronic scanner, coated in thick, plastic enhanced chameleon cloth ..., the Polrobs.

"The enemy has seen us Admiral."

"Thank you Mr. Quiney, although I'm positive they noticed us the moment we moved from hiding and now they are kicking themselves for not sending out probes sooner. Their mistake, our fortune. The fact that a third of their force has been utterly destroyed may have something to do with it though. A shock like that to the system can be utterly disorienting to say the least. So. Now it's our turn. Have all our forces link up Mr. Quiney. As of this moment we are at our weakest."

"It will take at least an hour sir. Though those furthest away have been able to leapfrog from hiding place to hiding place. But the general consensus out there is an hour."

Admiral Isak Blair stared at his Number One with a steely eye. "An hour? Not five? Has something occurred in the meantime Mr. Quiney that somehow passed me by? Something that nobody thought to notify me of? Because the last time I checked my salary slip, it said in bold black lettering that I was Admiral Isak Blair; Naval Commander of the Galactic Empire. I could be wrong though as my eyes definitely are not what they were." He finished off with sarcasm dripping. "That was an idiotic, brash thing to do." He hesitated. "Just who may I ask gave that instruction and how did they accomplish it without setting off the enemy alarms and come to think of it," he turned to the Navigation and Plotters section of the Bridge. "Why did we not notice anything on our own screens?"

"Uh. To be honest sir." His number one hesitated. "The maneuver was accomplished some three hours ago although I only found out from Captain Bill O' Ryan twenty minutes ago."

"Twenty minutes? Twenty minutes? And you only deign to noti ... and who the hell is this Captain Bill O' Ryan that he ... why does that name sound familiar Number One? I seem to recall something ..." a finger clicked as it returned to him. "Ah yes. Our esteemed Annular negotiator none the less. Well you can notify Mr. O' Ryan that he is up on orders as soon as this fiasco is over. I will have him against the wall for this, negotiator or no negotiator. I will not have any person doing as they please in my Navy. And by the way, consider yourself on orders as well. Twenty minutes." he turned away fuming.

"Uh. Sir?"

"What now, Number One?"

"A message from Captain Bill O' Ryan sir." He handed over a slip of paper with pencil scribbling's on.

After a few seconds of reading and rereading the message, Admiral Isak Blair looked up at his Second in Command. "And notify the Emperor that she too is on orders." He said as he stumped away.

There were too many chiefs and not enough Indians in this goddamn navy. It was high time that some of them departed right smartly.

***

Two vast armadas approached each other tentatively. fighter jets and Bulldogs swarmed amongst their respective bigger brothers. Battle ships and Aircraft Carriers with their companioned and assorted war craft squared off and jockeyed for position. Once more death was but moments away as eager fingers hovered above firing buttons or triggers. Almost equal in numbers and fire power, the end result of this conflagration in waiting was going to be determined on skill and experience. Both sides were confident of the end results although one had lost almost a third of its forces which included its Admiralty AND its Supreme Commander in one foul swoop. The strength, the will to carry out previous orders and the conviction that a wrong had to be righted was foremost in the driving force of Old Earths Navy. Come what may, they were going to teach this back stabbing rabble a lesson.