* * * *
It was 2am local time on the surface of Dracon-3, when the Admiral Faiz strode into command and control centre to take control of the graveyard shift.
He sighed heavily as he sank back into his seat at the centre of the room. Packed full of communication, sensor and weapon control consoles, from which they would defend their home planet from any threat or attack. They’d been at war with the Iconian’s for generations, locked in a bloody stalemate not only for the entirety of his military career, but for as long as he or anyone else could remember. He’d sometimes wished that one of the major corporations would put an end to it all, mount a hostile takeover of either the Dracon or Icon systems, perhaps even both. Sometimes the price of freedom was just too high to be worth paying. He’d seen too many good young men and women die in a conflict neither side could win. He wondered how many of the soldiers he’d sent to their deaths actually knew what they were fighting for. He’d certainly lost sight of it.
He ran his left hand slowly through his short cropped steely grey hair and down the nape of his neck, his short boxed beard and moustache clipped as always with neat military precision. They were strange thoughts for a man who had devoted his entire life to the military, and had a chest full of medals to prove it, to be having on the eve of his retirement. In forty-eight hours from how he and the battleship he’d spent most of his career commanding, currently tethered to the military hub in geostationary orbit high above the planet, we’re being decommissioned. The Sultan was being sent to the scrapheap, unceremoniously cut up and melted down to be recycled into components for a new generation of military vessels. As for himself, once the decommissioning ceremony was over, he planned to live out the rest his years in the remote retirement cabin he’d built, high up in mountains overlooking the capital city. One more shift and he’d be free to look for a new meaning to life in his twilight years.
A flashing red light and klaxon brought an abrupt end to his personal reverie.
“Sir we’re detecting an unidentified vessel approaching from behind the gas giant, it’s massive.” said an anxious young lieutenant manning the main sensor array.
“Put it on the main screen, let’s get a good look, and see what we’re dealing with.” replied Faiz exuding the calm and confidence that came with a lifetime of military service.
The young solider nodded and brought up the sensor image of the Fury on the main screen that dominated the command centre. “There's nothing in our database that comes close to matching their transponder codes.”
“How did something that fragging big get so close without being noticed?”
“They must have jumped in on the far side of the system and used the gas giant to hide from our sensors.”
“The question was rhetorical lieutenant, open a channel and let’s hail them.”
“Hailing frequencies open sir.”
Faiz stood up and straightened his jacket. “Unidentified alien vessel, this is Admiral Faiz of the Draconion fleet, you have violated Dracon space. Please identify yourself and your intentions.”
The sensor image on the screen dissolved to be replaced by Jasper’s scowling face on the bridge of the Fury. Slowly he raised himself up out of his chair and drew himself up to his full height. His cybernetic eye clicked and whirred and his scar twitched as he spoke, in cold, cruel tones.
“Admiral Faiz, I have come to deliver a message on behalf of the Iconian people.”
“What kind of message.” Faiz replied his own voice cold as steel.
“The terms of your surrender.” Jasper paused for a moment and smiled. “Well actually that’s not strictly true, you see there are no terms, other than your immediate, complete and unconditional surrender. Now be a good boy and run along and fetch your president, if you want to live long enough to draw your pension.”
“Go to hell.”
“Not before you do Admiral.” replied Jasper terminating the transmission
“Initiate general quarters, fire up the planetary defence gird ,and call all fleet ships in range to target that ship. Lieutenant alert the Admiralty and the President, tell them we have a code blue incursion.”
She licked her lips nervously and nodded.