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Katerina sighed quietly, "I could only guess they would roll through the fringes first. My guess is they are going to scare the civilians into the core systems and try to cut off Convoys from getting in. When we are all in one spot, the League will probably then hammer us into Oblivion... just like they did to the Saurian Kingdom." Shi sighed gently, before nodding. "As for the repairs, that's probably the best choice. If we cut down the barrels of the Ventral turret and make it look like it's a particle bomb mortar." She heaved a frustrated sigh;
"It's not the best answer, but better than nothing. Particle Bomb mortars are short ranged, but they have been used as planetary bombardment weapons before. I'm mostly concerned about getting the compartments and corridors secured for space."

The Commodore’s comment about ranged communications crossed hir mind again and with another thought she let all four shoulders sag; "In terms of the communications. You've asked the wrong Captain this question. I'm not capable of making those requests or allowances." Shi rubbed the bridge of hir muzzle; "Even with my Relationship with High Admiral Koronikov, I couldn't authorize such a thing... I'm a Sutfein, we're simply not given such leeway." A frustrated grumble shi waved; "Besides, if I authorized such a move from the Commonwealth - Such a fleet movement would be noticed by the other Nations here. Who knows how -they- would react. My suggestion? The Fleet should be mobilized and sent.... here" Shi motioned to a star map that seemed to appear out of nowhere; A hologram no doubt. It was a system marked; "Katanova's Folley". "If my ships can make it home, there should be a flotilla awaiting you to get you to Rockhaven. However, we have a much more pressing matter." Shi motioned; "These destroyed vessels and engagements lead to a planet named "Plane", an Indigenous race that recently joined the Coalition. We need someone to assist us in getting to the blocking force protecting "Plane", I don't know what we'll be running into in regards to straggling enemy forces."

The commodore nodded to what the Captain was saying sending out repair orders as she allowed things. The display of the pad rapidly turned to grey in each area as repair teams were given their orders and as of yet repairs had not been undertaken to any successful level. As it stood, the coalition ships were considered somewhat of a blank slate for repairs they were damaged yes but no repair team save for critical repairs had actually done anything pending the damage survey. The allowance for repairs set the teams, which were now aboard and organized with materials into motion. With that the Commodore looked up from the data pad towards the captain meeting her gaze flat out, the comment about not being able make a simple relay request struck him as odd.

“Have I now? Because I beg to differ Mrs. Zarahdnik. You see, you are the senior officer representing the coalition right here on this front. I see no others present who can overrule you. While I am not clear on the Coalition standards for officer conduct, I can guess that a captain relaying an offer for military aid from a friendly foreign power overrules whatever species bias you might face. I see it not a matter of one captain making a call for hir nation, as this new conflict is bigger than you, bigger than me, and bigger than the nations out here representing their own interests. It became so when you mentioned the brutality of the Serian League, and the IDI this became a ‘We’ and ‘Us’ affair.”

The Commodore typed a few things into his personal data device. While what he was typing was unclear it was by the nature and speed at which he typed that seemed to indicate that this was about the current situation.

“I’m asking you to make an appeal to them…I can pull family strings, twist blood oaths and call in favors. Our nations have been friendly for decades it’s only fair that after years of your peoples incredibly fair trade that we the peoples of Saumur pay back the debt of kindness. We will go to war for this if, your command asks.”

Katerina chuckled softly, "If only rank got rid of species-ist thought processes." Shi shook hir immense head; "I am only Captain because I have the 'honor' of being blood-bonded to High Admiral Koronikov from a time long ago. Were it not for hir pushing to allow the entire Cyzorne Sweep into the Coalition, my people would be particles floating in space from a planetary searing - or enthralled by the IDI." Shi huffed, "Even now people claim we should be cast out as 'too dangerous' and a 'relic of the past'. Perhaps this will change the outlooks, perhaps not. But..." The Commodore listened intently to Captain Zarahdnik. It seemed to be an odd but familiar problem she faced really. No matter where one went there was always some form of racism, or bigotry often based on old fears and bolstered by stereotypes.

“I can understand that. My people come from a home world where everyone save for about nine percent of their genetic makeup is roughly identical. Yet we still have bigotry and racism, and sexism. After all; the concept of racism starts with a fear of the perceived or actual fear of the things that are not familiar. As the highest ranking male in the entire Commonwealth military I understand. It’s not going to be easy but with time it might change.”

Hir forked tongue flicked out as if tasting the air for some sense of reality; "That isn't today." Shi eyed the Holographic Starmap projection, "Katanova's Folley is the largest Cyzorne Sweep enclave planet. It's the site of our Council Enforcement Flotilla... all ten ships. Send your fleet there. Both the Gadzu and Sutfein in that system will recognize my name and its connection to High Admiral Koronikov. I cannot promise anything beyond that, but look for Squadron Commandant Aster Prochazka. Shi is a low level council seat, as well as the Flotilla Commandant." With a sigh, shi chuckled, "And like that, I just gave permission for a fleet to march into Coalition space unhindered. My warning? Stay away from systems occupied by Teruvians and Therions. It'll be difficult to traverse into Coalition Space that way, but prejudices against me and the idea that you might have been already enthralled by the IDI and deceiving us like the Serian League had been before the initial attacks might cause them to pull triggers without warning." The immense Naga then looked over the readouts, "Now for some questions from me. I am not privy to things from the councils, so I need your honest opinion." Shi motioned to the scattered sensor returns from the various other nations coming in from the damage sensor units aboard the Thunderer. "What do you think about these militaries? What have they shown you thus far? Are any of them prepared for all out war? I fear as though... heh..." Shi quirked an ironic grin, "We are all but chicks before a Sutfein onslaught." Shi seemed to take sardonic humor from the ancient saying referring to a bloody past.

The mention of a location and how to approach caught the Commodore’s attention as he took notes. It made for an interesting quandary; just how many times had the League been betrayed for certain parts of its population to be so jumpy? The parallel he could think of was found with the Sons of the Pale Sea and the Lavetier Dynasty. A momentary thought crossed his mind…’enthralled by the IDI’. It was clear IDI subverted governments and used divisive methods to turn a culture against itself, what was the chance of this foreign force contacting the Lavetiers or Sons of the Pale Sea, both were ousted or disgraced elements of the Commonwealth Society. This could be a bigger problem than previously thought, as domestic terrorism had already reared its terrible head with the sabotage of the Goshen. It warranted further consideration and cautious research but now wasn’t the right time to make inquiries there was already a crisis on hand, first things first. It was then that Captain Zarahdnik began posing her questions. It took a few moments to consider the nature of the questions and how best to answer without sounding either racist or thoroughly crude. He’d personally seen the battle behaviors of four nations not counting the Coalition and some of it in review brought to light a few critical observations. Of course it wasn’t fair to judge a nation on a first encounter yet, it was also unfair to not mention the outcome of that encounter for detailed consideration.

“That’s not an unexpected query. I’ll say it like I’d tell my navy’s high command. They’re inexperienced, some more than others. From what I’ve personally seen and have confirmed reports of, they seem to operate peacetime fleets. The military preparation might be there if the gravity of the situation is realized, but that could take time.”

The commodore paused in his statement for a moment to find his pipe, a habit he’d picked up during the time period of the court martial as a measure of comfort against being nervous. A lot rode on that trial, political entities clashed hotly as the fate and future of his career was debated by pundits and street vendors alike. It wasn’t a pleasant time and tensions ran high then. Even so the commodore managed to pack and light his pipe and move it to one side of his mouth.

“I’m sure you can see with your sensors what they brought to a diplomatic meeting. The Dorians came with an opulent luxury liner escorted by two battleships. Clearly they intended to impress, but didn’t know that battleships make poor escorts, that’s a very elementary mistake. Their leader seems a bit volatile, mind you and so I wonder who is the military brains in that outfit. The Car…Cahrn…eh I still can’t pronounce their name but they at least had the decent sense to send cruisers that could keep up with their diplomatic vessel. They aren’t communicative, but that might be a language barrier issue. Then there’s the DHR, they sent a rather large support ship and four cruisers… that’s a logical textbook deployment, but when their commander volunteered to command the group as we sought the cause of the distress calls he or she appears to have hesitated up a few times.”

The commodore let thin curls of smoke drift away before continuing. If smelled or tasted the smoke would have a pleasant aroma similar to cedar, lavender with a touch of sandalwood.
“It could be a cultural thing, but hesitating gets perfectly good crews killed and can cost trillions in military hardware…which of course back home gets you a court martial; if you survive your error.”

Katerina chuckled softly before nodding, "Perhaps, one day. One day I'll be a Commandant and you'll be a High Admiral playing Poker with my Sister Shurya." Sitting back and thinking for a bit, shi shrugged gently and began mulling over his remarks about the new players on the field. The idea of being promoted that far was certainly amusing even if currently the Commdore through it unlikely. The barriers, and high commands opposition plus the social effects and the risk of becoming some kind of pariah or martyr were all factors in it. Yet the idea of it was slightly amusing including the newspaper snapshot of the poker playing.

“I warn you, I’d be playing Poker hung-over most likely. The commencement celebration for me winding up in the Admiralty would redefine the word celebration. I’m rather sure in the history books when someone looked the event up in a military history book the aura of the event would probably spark civil disobedience decades after.”

He let the humor of the statement sink in; it’d after all be the perfect crime. The idea of the Commodore getting promoted that high and then celebrating it with wanton binge drinking probable debauchery and damage or destruction to public property all were completely at odds with what anyone knew of his character. Or maybe, just maybe this was his version of gallows humor. But his tone of the conversation went back to strategy as Katerina continued. The facts were simple the Coalition had always been looking for allies, but like many societies the Coalition had sunk into a "Not our current problem" funk... This resulted many of the previously insular groups to try and push for a more 'strict' entrance policy into the Coalition, with others demanding that more 'untoward' races to be excluded from the Coalition entirely due to their histories in the old universe and the fact the "Threat had passed". Some of the races involved included the Sutfein and Cinnabarans, which was causing quite a bit of tension internally... For Katerina's race they atleast had the steadfast support of the Cyzorne Sweep Council and the Gadzu... but things looked somewhat dire for races like the Cinnabarans which had been pirates before the fall and had never had the assistance of races were now on the ropes with various races trying to push for their exclusion from the Coalition despite being one of the smallest groups, and surprisingly one of the most well behaved to stay under the 'protection' of the Coalition.

With a shrug, the big Sutfein thought about the other nations, trying to reel her mind back on track. "Inexperienced. Do you think there is a chance they could survive long enough to get the Experience? Peacetime fleets still have bite, and they can be worked with. This time, if we can secure the chokepoint we can hold for a lot longer than when we were back home. Back home, we were surrounded, this time we have a singular point - that we know of - to defend. It gives us time; if we can secure the rift... then we can build our forces. Our first step though, is clearing out these raiders. We can't do anything with them running rampant through our space. If the units here can assist in tracking down and helping destroy the raider force in this sector with the sector defense forces that are left, it'll open up a huge asset for the Coalition to move to the Rift." Shi rubbed the 'scale Goatee' on hir chin briefly before nodding. "The Thunderer is pretty beat up, but she can support you. I know that when the line broke, one of the Vlaew fled into this sector. Perhaps if things get to dire you can request support."

“But yes, the ‘inexperienced’ label stands, but it’s from the perspective of an officer of a nation where there is no such thing as a peace time military except as the butt of a raunchy or lewd joke. We just don’t do that, we’re either on patrol, deployed or retired but there’s no mention of peace. It frames a differing evaluation system, yes they could improve and as you’ve suggested, patrolling for these raiders may be how to conduct a quiet evaluation of these neighboring nations. To that end I can make the call on getting forces to the choke point but I cannot speak for the other internationals. They might not believe what is at stake until they see it for themselves and that is where the new plan comes into play.”

The commodore gestured with his pipe gently creating swirls of smoke that surprisingly resembled the international forces present in space around the CNV Thunderer. The effect held for a moment before a rocking motion of the Commodore’s wrist stirred the bowl on the end of the pipe causing the effect to dissipate.

“We both know there are only three more Subspace beacon ships in this area of space and the raiders by past actions will try to hit some or all of them. Therefore, it is logical to either position at the most likely target and put observers on the other two or split into three tactical forces to patrol all three. A vanguard force of the slowest ships and support elements will be left here as they will be a target for the enemy up front. The maneuver will force the internationals to demonstrate what they are made of but also it may impress the urgency of the situation and get them to offer military aid packages. But before all that I’ll put a priority call back to high command and apprise them of the situation. If my information is correct; then a certain Staff Admiral will be on a shakedown cruise in her new command the CSS Ericsson along with its task force. They’d be appropriate for helping hold the gap.”

Katerina chuckled softly, “Perhaps the celebration should be followed up by a gallivanting about Coalition space tagging freighters and lighting space stations on fire?” Shi sniggered before settling back and thinking about his next statement about clearing out the Subspace Beacons. “Hmm, Perhaps. Your right there are three transit beacons, but also there is a single new Planetary System Beacon.” She motioned at the hologram; “Duellos, Vanheim, and Cyranov. Three transit beacon ships. This Convoy was bound for Duellos. Meaning it’s probably empty, but Vanheim and Cyranov will probably have tramp freighters or even Passenger Liners coming from these three small colonies. My guess, is that a small deployment of Serian Destroyers, probably a pair of Destroyers escorted by a six frigates hitting Vanheim and Cyranov. They will probably have a single destroyer, escorted by three Frigates, and the two Cruisers acting as flotilla leaders standing by at Duellos waiting for the other two units to form up after their search and destroy missions. This strike force is probably lagging behind the formation that is heading for Plane… here.” Shi motioned to the glowing Planetary System Beacon. “If you keep this strike force busy, or knock it out… It’ll allow the Planetary Defense force at Plane to either turn the attack or blunt it and give the beings there a chance.”

Shi thought about his last statement before nodding; “Staff Admiral? Who is that? I would agree with you that a task force is needed, if you can route that to Katanova… I think that would be our best bet.” The commodore listened to the points of contention making his own notes. He didn’t say it to Captain Zarahdnik but he noted that indeed the bait and switch method would work here. If Vanheim and Cyranov were the best probable zones, then putting a recon asset on Duellos with a tactical reserve at the present position and visible forces on both Vanheim and Cyranov would potentially lessen civilian casualties.

“The thing is if we put a visible presence at Vanheim and Cyranov while passive reconnaissance watches Duellos while a tactical strike force remains here we could see where they try and press their attack the deploy the support accordingly or, use the tactical force to hit the cruisers without their normal supporting elements hampering their morale and tactical capabilities. We have thetheoretical numbers for the action…”

It then dawned on the Commodore he had not answered her question. Honestly he was not hoping to have to mention whom the staff Admiral was at all simply to avoid any misconceptions on the proposed maneuver. Then again there was a standing parallel between the two officers at this moment, the usual family ties. It wasn’t nepotism but rather trusting someone to do the job correctly the first time.

“As for who? The officer in question would be Staff Admiral Nyarai Duvalier my eldest sister, she is the commanding officer of the fleet task force known as Unkuduma abaningi kusuka ntula. There is no approximate translation of that from my language to standard, but a close meaning would be the Ten thunders of Ntula. As you can guess the fleet task force consists of ten vessels with very selectively handpicked crews. Equipment standards in the task force are higher than the rest of the fleet, and I’m rather sure She’d be spoiling for a fight since the commonwealth fleet overall has been stuck on patrol for a while. If anyone could make a convincing case to the top brass that military deployment is needed it’s her.”

Katerina sighed, but nodded. "You are right. The Cruisers, which could be anything from your standard cruiser to a UMSS Carrier, are perhaps the most pressing threat. You have line forces in this deployment which could potentially take out the cruisers with ease... and surely could wipe the floor with the destroyers and frigates. I would at least, hope, that is the case. The Serian League is tried and tested in warfare, a coordinated unit of Destroyers and Frigates is not something to laugh off... But, if allowed to reform with the cruisers they would be an even greater potential threat as a heavy taskforce. They represent a major division of the Raiding squadron, which is why they are allowed to operate independently of the Squadron flag to take out one of the most important strategic assets the Coalition has - FTL Networking. I am not sure other nations realize this, but these Subspace Beacon ships aren't just layover points for Coalition Convoys... We only have a handful of Packet Boats available for operational use, and most of those are attached to flotillas. If these nodes keep going down, they will effectively cripple Coalition command and control. Ships like the Thunderer had standalone beacons, but they are only area of effect and are useless if they don't have a network to connect -into-." Shi scowled frustratedly. "The Serian League knows this, that's why this formation is out here. If they can cripple local communications systems, the Coalition is operating in the blind while the Serian League reaps the benefits by destroying colonies and at least one species' homeworld."

Shi leaned back against the wall, causing it to groan in protest, as she considered his next statement before chuckling; "I would have some more questions along that line, to see if there were indeed parallels between you and your sister, and myself and Admiral Koronikov."

“Hmm that would be interesting, though…my sister, she’s a bit intense…a risk taker, I’ve met Admiral Koronikov. It would be an interesting fleet action to see who would best who in simulations or a rivalry battle for sure. Though…heh Nyarai she has a short temper for anyone who has not proven themselves martially capable. She threw a provincial senator out a sixth story window to her death because she opposed my promotion to captain. The senator had no military experience at all much less any self-defense training and decided to block the promotion because of political lines… In short she’s got a bit of leeway because most of her opposition either hopes she’ll die in a blaze of glory, and or that they’re afraid she’ll challenge their representatives to a duel of honor.”

Shi quirked a grin before motioning towards the map. "In that case, if Staff Admiral Duvalier gets to Katanova... I am sure that Admiral Koronikov will appreciate the assistance in recapturing the Rift with the Coalition Fleet. I would have to say, it would be quite the battle to be a part of... if your description of your Sister is akin to how we both know my sister." Shi snickered softly, "I would have to say that I might even pity what would be heading towards the Serian League forces... Hells, we might actually need to collar the both of them to keep them from diving right back through the rift!" The commodore paced, as he considered what was available…and what he’d use for each position and how he’d sell it to the internationals. It wasn’t a sweet bit of candy for sure, he expected perfectly good crews to die and perhaps in pretty heart wrenching ways. He didn’t figure he’d have to write letters home to the grieving families if they were internationals… but still the idea of being responsible wasn’t favorable.

“Alright the DHR has four cruisers…half of them are part of this, their special ops ship and two of the DHR cruisers stay here, likewise one Dorian battleship and their diplomacy vessel stay. The same is true for the Carn-nat’s diplomatic ship and one of their cruisers. That gives the forward force three cruisers, a battleship, one destroyer, and two torpedo ships. If I use my two torpedo ships to observe duellos, my cruiser and a DHR one in rapid response reserve, while one DHR cruiser and my destroyer go to Vanheim and a Carneh cruiser and a Dorian battleship go to cyranov…we should have a bait and switch situation. The battle ship will look like a anvil…they’re going to want to strike a softer target; or at least move forces to strike the battle ship which we can readily observe and react to. The ball will be in our proverbial court and they won’t even know it. I can say this, they clearly did not offer mercy to those civilians out there, I am not planning to offer it to them...their lives became were forfeit the moment they started that mess.”

The Commodore taped away at his data pad and it projected an image of the maneuver. A lot of heavy ships were involved but then it seems the diplomatic mission was a bit top-heavy anyway. The dispersion put a lot of capitol ships across the area where their communications and sensors overlapped well. The torpedo ships, both Meroe class had the speed and small size to hide within astronomical features near Duellos and the rapid response reserve was battle winning by sheer tonnage.

Katerina nodded quietly, "A Bait and Switch might work, but they may also recognize their destroyer units are outgunned and might pull back to Cyranov to regain their concentrated advantage. Luckily, we believe that the singular carrier we witnessed jumping through the rift - an escort carrier - went to a different sector so you definitely will not be facing it... But the idea of an easy win might be thrown to the dogs if one of those cruisers are Cyranov turns out to be a UMSS Carrier and you find yourself up against what amounts to a Cruiser, a Light Cruiser, A Destroyer, and about a Dozen frigate escorts. A lot hinges on the disposition of the Cyranov force, Duellos or Vanheim might run into a pair of Destroyers and Escorts running in consort instead of Solo and Cyranov might just have the Cruisers sitting there alone over the destroyed remains of the Beacon Ship. Alternatively, Cyranov might be flat out -empty-, and your light forces will run into a Cruiser with a light escort at either Duellos or Vanheim, and a Cruiser with an Augmented Escort at the -other-." Shi scowled frustrated at the Hologram, "Frankly, the light strike forces heading to Duellos and Vanheim is our best case scenario. Without Command and Control operating in this area we're effectively running blind, I'm trying to think back to the escape, and you’re trying to think about the actions of a completely unknown force. And through it all, I don't even know if the Serian League has updated their tactics. The worst case scenario is, that they have deployed four Destroyer groups so that a pair of destroyers and escorts can move with a singular cruiser and you have two Divisions rather than a singular one out there." With a frustrated hiss that sounded like sandpaper across sandpaper, shi clenched hir lower fists.

"You have the assistance of what's left of my taskforce here. The Thunderer can still offer limited long range support, and the Delight and her consort still have seventy five percent Torpedo availability. In addition, I'll give you the military-band assistance-request tachyon pulse. You don't have a receiver, but if shit hits the fan... you might be able to gather some of the scattered Coalition forces in the area to assist you, with hope one of the Vlaew is still in the area to assist and hasn't started back to the fleet Rendezvous yet."

“There is one key feature you have forgotten; we are an unknown force to them. They will have no means of knowing what we are capable of or are willing to do to bring about their defeat. They do not realize we have two battleships, seven cruisers, a destroyer, a frigate and two corvettes at our disposal.”

Using his datapad the commodore brought up a holographic image of the warships in the international group. The DHR’s four cruisers were lit in light grey, the Carnaith’s two cruisers were lit in green, The Dorian’s Battleships in blue and the Commonwealth vessels were in bright red. With the image stabilized the commodore looked back to the captain.

“They do not know you are here being repaired nor do they know we have a theater command ship and a hospital vessel right outside your window. They are known, we are unknown, they have no way of knowing what we will throw at them nor when or how. Strategically we have the initiative. They expect you, not us and I intend to exploit the hell out of that. To that end..”

The image shifted to show the coalition vessels and their current status and time left until completion of on-site field repairs. The Thunderer still needed four hours at least to regain most of her combat ability and the escorts with her needed slightly less time. Meanwhile the issue with the unknown species apparently scavenging damaged coalition vessels blinked in the image.

“While you are under repair you have a situation as a representative of the coalition must handle. These foreigners are actively rummaging around your destroyed vessels and retrieving parts of your ships. They have been warned to cease and desist…but won’t. Given the amount of time needed to stabilize your vessels I’m rather sure you can either work out the situation with them or have them kicked out of the sector. Since this area is the rally point, you won’t be alone and buys you time to get patched up as best as is possible without a dock.”

The commodore shifted the image to zoom in on the unknown arrivals moving about around the who apparently have taken a defensive formation and were erecting shields of some sort as if they expected to be assaulted or were preparing to abscond with stolen technology.

“More so I’d rather that you and your destroyers stay put for the moment. I have no intention of telling the high admiral I green lighted you sailing the thunderer in its current state into battle before nominal repairs are complete. If someone sent my sister out under the same circumstances, you could be sure I’d be demanding a duel afterwards. Either way you don’t have to take the hint, my rank and yours are roughly equivalent so I can’t give orders for the obvious reasons but you have a potential first contact incident that will not require weapons fire. We’ll handle the raiders or well I think you know what the result of failure will be. If successful it’ll be one bright spot in a pretty dark day.”

Description
Katerina sighed quietly, "I could only guess they would roll through the fringes first. My guess is they are going to scare the civilians into the core systems and try to cut off Convoys from getting in. When we are all in one spot, the League will probably then hammer us into Oblivion... just like they did to the Saurian Kingdom." Shi sighed gently, before nodding. "As for the repairs, that's probably the best choice. If we cut down the barrels of the Ventral turret and make it look like it's a particle bomb mortar." She heaved a frustrated sigh;
"It's not the best answer, but better than nothing. Particle Bomb mortars are short ranged, but they have been used as planetary bombardment weapons before. I'm mostly concerned about getting the compartments and corridors secured for space."

The Commodore’s comment about ranged communications crossed hir mind again and with another thought she let all four shoulders sag; "In terms of the communications. You've asked the wrong Captain this question. I'm not capable of making those requests or allowances." Shi rubbed the bridge of hir muzzle; "Even with my Relationship with High Admiral Koronikov, I couldn't authorize such a thing... I'm a Sutfein, we're simply not given such leeway." A frustrated grumble shi waved; "Besides, if I authorized such a move from the Commonwealth - Such a fleet movement would be noticed by the other Nations here. Who knows how -they- would react. My suggestion? The Fleet should be mobilized and sent.... here" Shi motioned to a star map that seemed to appear out of nowhere; A hologram no doubt. It was a system marked; "Katanova's Folley". "If my ships can make it home, there should be a flotilla awaiting you to get you to Rockhaven. However, we have a much more pressing matter." Shi motioned; "These destroyed vessels and engagements lead to a planet named "Plane", an Indigenous race that recently joined the Coalition. We need someone to assist us in getting to the blocking force protecting "Plane", I don't know what we'll be running into in regards to straggling enemy forces."

The commodore nodded to what the Captain was saying sending out repair orders as she allowed things. The display of the pad rapidly turned to grey in each area as repair teams were given their orders and as of yet repairs had not been undertaken to any successful level. As it stood, the coalition ships were considered somewhat of a blank slate for repairs they were damaged yes but no repair team save for critical repairs had actually done anything pending the damage survey. The allowance for repairs set the teams, which were now aboard and organized with materials into motion. With that the Commodore looked up from the data pad towards the captain meeting her gaze flat out, the comment about not being able make a simple relay request struck him as odd.

“Have I now? Because I beg to differ Mrs. Zarahdnik. You see, you are the senior officer representing the coalition right here on this front. I see no others present who can overrule you. While I am not clear on the Coalition standards for officer conduct, I can guess that a captain relaying an offer for military aid from a friendly foreign power overrules whatever species bias you might face. I see it not a matter of one captain making a call for hir nation, as this new conflict is bigger than you, bigger than me, and bigger than the nations out here representing their own interests. It became so when you mentioned the brutality of the Serian League, and the IDI this became a ‘We’ and ‘Us’ affair.”

The Commodore typed a few things into his personal data device. While what he was typing was unclear it was by the nature and speed at which he typed that seemed to indicate that this was about the current situation.

“I’m asking you to make an appeal to them…I can pull family strings, twist blood oaths and call in favors. Our nations have been friendly for decades it’s only fair that after years of your peoples incredibly fair trade that we the peoples of Saumur pay back the debt of kindness. We will go to war for this if, your command asks.”

Katerina chuckled softly, "If only rank got rid of species-ist thought processes." Shi shook hir immense head; "I am only Captain because I have the 'honor' of being blood-bonded to High Admiral Koronikov from a time long ago. Were it not for hir pushing to allow the entire Cyzorne Sweep into the Coalition, my people would be particles floating in space from a planetary searing - or enthralled by the IDI." Shi huffed, "Even now people claim we should be cast out as 'too dangerous' and a 'relic of the past'. Perhaps this will change the outlooks, perhaps not. But..." The Commodore listened intently to Captain Zarahdnik. It seemed to be an odd but familiar problem she faced really. No matter where one went there was always some form of racism, or bigotry often based on old fears and bolstered by stereotypes.

“I can understand that. My people come from a home world where everyone save for about nine percent of their genetic makeup is roughly identical. Yet we still have bigotry and racism, and sexism. After all; the concept of racism starts with a fear of the perceived or actual fear of the things that are not familiar. As the highest ranking male in the entire Commonwealth military I understand. It’s not going to be easy but with time it might change.”

Hir forked tongue flicked out as if tasting the air for some sense of reality; "That isn't today." Shi eyed the Holographic Starmap projection, "Katanova's Folley is the largest Cyzorne Sweep enclave planet. It's the site of our Council Enforcement Flotilla... all ten ships. Send your fleet there. Both the Gadzu and Sutfein in that system will recognize my name and its connection to High Admiral Koronikov. I cannot promise anything beyond that, but look for Squadron Commandant Aster Prochazka. Shi is a low level council seat, as well as the Flotilla Commandant." With a sigh, shi chuckled, "And like that, I just gave permission for a fleet to march into Coalition space unhindered. My warning? Stay away from systems occupied by Teruvians and Therions. It'll be difficult to traverse into Coalition Space that way, but prejudices against me and the idea that you might have been already enthralled by the IDI and deceiving us like the Serian League had been before the initial attacks might cause them to pull triggers without warning." The immense Naga then looked over the readouts, "Now for some questions from me. I am not privy to things from the councils, so I need your honest opinion." Shi motioned to the scattered sensor returns from the various other nations coming in from the damage sensor units aboard the Thunderer. "What do you think about these militaries? What have they shown you thus far? Are any of them prepared for all out war? I fear as though... heh..." Shi quirked an ironic grin, "We are all but chicks before a Sutfein onslaught." Shi seemed to take sardonic humor from the ancient saying referring to a bloody past.

The mention of a location and how to approach caught the Commodore’s attention as he took notes. It made for an interesting quandary; just how many times had the League been betrayed for certain parts of its population to be so jumpy? The parallel he could think of was found with the Sons of the Pale Sea and the Lavetier Dynasty. A momentary thought crossed his mind…’enthralled by the IDI’. It was clear IDI subverted governments and used divisive methods to turn a culture against itself, what was the chance of this foreign force contacting the Lavetiers or Sons of the Pale Sea, both were ousted or disgraced elements of the Commonwealth Society. This could be a bigger problem than previously thought, as domestic terrorism had already reared its terrible head with the sabotage of the Goshen. It warranted further consideration and cautious research but now wasn’t the right time to make inquiries there was already a crisis on hand, first things first. It was then that Captain Zarahdnik began posing her questions. It took a few moments to consider the nature of the questions and how best to answer without sounding either racist or thoroughly crude. He’d personally seen the battle behaviors of four nations not counting the Coalition and some of it in review brought to light a few critical observations. Of course it wasn’t fair to judge a nation on a first encounter yet, it was also unfair to not mention the outcome of that encounter for detailed consideration.

“That’s not an unexpected query. I’ll say it like I’d tell my navy’s high command. They’re inexperienced, some more than others. From what I’ve personally seen and have confirmed reports of, they seem to operate peacetime fleets. The military preparation might be there if the gravity of the situation is realized, but that could take time.”

The commodore paused in his statement for a moment to find his pipe, a habit he’d picked up during the time period of the court martial as a measure of comfort against being nervous. A lot rode on that trial, political entities clashed hotly as the fate and future of his career was debated by pundits and street vendors alike. It wasn’t a pleasant time and tensions ran high then. Even so the commodore managed to pack and light his pipe and move it to one side of his mouth.

“I’m sure you can see with your sensors what they brought to a diplomatic meeting. The Dorians came with an opulent luxury liner escorted by two battleships. Clearly they intended to impress, but didn’t know that battleships make poor escorts, that’s a very elementary mistake. Their leader seems a bit volatile, mind you and so I wonder who is the military brains in that outfit. The Car…Cahrn…eh I still can’t pronounce their name but they at least had the decent sense to send cruisers that could keep up with their diplomatic vessel. They aren’t communicative, but that might be a language barrier issue. Then there’s the DHR, they sent a rather large support ship and four cruisers… that’s a logical textbook deployment, but when their commander volunteered to command the group as we sought the cause of the distress calls he or she appears to have hesitated up a few times.”

The commodore let thin curls of smoke drift away before continuing. If smelled or tasted the smoke would have a pleasant aroma similar to cedar, lavender with a touch of sandalwood.
“It could be a cultural thing, but hesitating gets perfectly good crews killed and can cost trillions in military hardware…which of course back home gets you a court martial; if you survive your error.”

Katerina chuckled softly before nodding, "Perhaps, one day. One day I'll be a Commandant and you'll be a High Admiral playing Poker with my Sister Shurya." Sitting back and thinking for a bit, shi shrugged gently and began mulling over his remarks about the new players on the field. The idea of being promoted that far was certainly amusing even if currently the Commdore through it unlikely. The barriers, and high commands opposition plus the social effects and the risk of becoming some kind of pariah or martyr were all factors in it. Yet the idea of it was slightly amusing including the newspaper snapshot of the poker playing.

“I warn you, I’d be playing Poker hung-over most likely. The commencement celebration for me winding up in the Admiralty would redefine the word celebration. I’m rather sure in the history books when someone looked the event up in a military history book the aura of the event would probably spark civil disobedience decades after.”

He let the humor of the statement sink in; it’d after all be the perfect crime. The idea of the Commodore getting promoted that high and then celebrating it with wanton binge drinking probable debauchery and damage or destruction to public property all were completely at odds with what anyone knew of his character. Or maybe, just maybe this was his version of gallows humor. But his tone of the conversation went back to strategy as Katerina continued. The facts were simple the Coalition had always been looking for allies, but like many societies the Coalition had sunk into a "Not our current problem" funk... This resulted many of the previously insular groups to try and push for a more 'strict' entrance policy into the Coalition, with others demanding that more 'untoward' races to be excluded from the Coalition entirely due to their histories in the old universe and the fact the "Threat had passed". Some of the races involved included the Sutfein and Cinnabarans, which was causing quite a bit of tension internally... For Katerina's race they atleast had the steadfast support of the Cyzorne Sweep Council and the Gadzu... but things looked somewhat dire for races like the Cinnabarans which had been pirates before the fall and had never had the assistance of races were now on the ropes with various races trying to push for their exclusion from the Coalition despite being one of the smallest groups, and surprisingly one of the most well behaved to stay under the 'protection' of the Coalition.

With a shrug, the big Sutfein thought about the other nations, trying to reel her mind back on track. "Inexperienced. Do you think there is a chance they could survive long enough to get the Experience? Peacetime fleets still have bite, and they can be worked with. This time, if we can secure the chokepoint we can hold for a lot longer than when we were back home. Back home, we were surrounded, this time we have a singular point - that we know of - to defend. It gives us time; if we can secure the rift... then we can build our forces. Our first step though, is clearing out these raiders. We can't do anything with them running rampant through our space. If the units here can assist in tracking down and helping destroy the raider force in this sector with the sector defense forces that are left, it'll open up a huge asset for the Coalition to move to the Rift." Shi rubbed the 'scale Goatee' on hir chin briefly before nodding. "The Thunderer is pretty beat up, but she can support you. I know that when the line broke, one of the Vlaew fled into this sector. Perhaps if things get to dire you can request support."

“But yes, the ‘inexperienced’ label stands, but it’s from the perspective of an officer of a nation where there is no such thing as a peace time military except as the butt of a raunchy or lewd joke. We just don’t do that, we’re either on patrol, deployed or retired but there’s no mention of peace. It frames a differing evaluation system, yes they could improve and as you’ve suggested, patrolling for these raiders may be how to conduct a quiet evaluation of these neighboring nations. To that end I can make the call on getting forces to the choke point but I cannot speak for the other internationals. They might not believe what is at stake until they see it for themselves and that is where the new plan comes into play.”

The commodore gestured with his pipe gently creating swirls of smoke that surprisingly resembled the international forces present in space around the CNV Thunderer. The effect held for a moment before a rocking motion of the Commodore’s wrist stirred the bowl on the end of the pipe causing the effect to dissipate.

“We both know there are only three more Subspace beacon ships in this area of space and the raiders by past actions will try to hit some or all of them. Therefore, it is logical to either position at the most likely target and put observers on the other two or split into three tactical forces to patrol all three. A vanguard force of the slowest ships and support elements will be left here as they will be a target for the enemy up front. The maneuver will force the internationals to demonstrate what they are made of but also it may impress the urgency of the situation and get them to offer military aid packages. But before all that I’ll put a priority call back to high command and apprise them of the situation. If my information is correct; then a certain Staff Admiral will be on a shakedown cruise in her new command the CSS Ericsson along with its task force. They’d be appropriate for helping hold the gap.”

Katerina chuckled softly, “Perhaps the celebration should be followed up by a gallivanting about Coalition space tagging freighters and lighting space stations on fire?” Shi sniggered before settling back and thinking about his next statement about clearing out the Subspace Beacons. “Hmm, Perhaps. Your right there are three transit beacons, but also there is a single new Planetary System Beacon.” She motioned at the hologram; “Duellos, Vanheim, and Cyranov. Three transit beacon ships. This Convoy was bound for Duellos. Meaning it’s probably empty, but Vanheim and Cyranov will probably have tramp freighters or even Passenger Liners coming from these three small colonies. My guess, is that a small deployment of Serian Destroyers, probably a pair of Destroyers escorted by a six frigates hitting Vanheim and Cyranov. They will probably have a single destroyer, escorted by three Frigates, and the two Cruisers acting as flotilla leaders standing by at Duellos waiting for the other two units to form up after their search and destroy missions. This strike force is probably lagging behind the formation that is heading for Plane… here.” Shi motioned to the glowing Planetary System Beacon. “If you keep this strike force busy, or knock it out… It’ll allow the Planetary Defense force at Plane to either turn the attack or blunt it and give the beings there a chance.”

Shi thought about his last statement before nodding; “Staff Admiral? Who is that? I would agree with you that a task force is needed, if you can route that to Katanova… I think that would be our best bet.” The commodore listened to the points of contention making his own notes. He didn’t say it to Captain Zarahdnik but he noted that indeed the bait and switch method would work here. If Vanheim and Cyranov were the best probable zones, then putting a recon asset on Duellos with a tactical reserve at the present position and visible forces on both Vanheim and Cyranov would potentially lessen civilian casualties.

“The thing is if we put a visible presence at Vanheim and Cyranov while passive reconnaissance watches Duellos while a tactical strike force remains here we could see where they try and press their attack the deploy the support accordingly or, use the tactical force to hit the cruisers without their normal supporting elements hampering their morale and tactical capabilities. We have thetheoretical numbers for the action…”

It then dawned on the Commodore he had not answered her question. Honestly he was not hoping to have to mention whom the staff Admiral was at all simply to avoid any misconceptions on the proposed maneuver. Then again there was a standing parallel between the two officers at this moment, the usual family ties. It wasn’t nepotism but rather trusting someone to do the job correctly the first time.

“As for who? The officer in question would be Staff Admiral Nyarai Duvalier my eldest sister, she is the commanding officer of the fleet task force known as Unkuduma abaningi kusuka ntula. There is no approximate translation of that from my language to standard, but a close meaning would be the Ten thunders of Ntula. As you can guess the fleet task force consists of ten vessels with very selectively handpicked crews. Equipment standards in the task force are higher than the rest of the fleet, and I’m rather sure She’d be spoiling for a fight since the commonwealth fleet overall has been stuck on patrol for a while. If anyone could make a convincing case to the top brass that military deployment is needed it’s her.”

Katerina sighed, but nodded. "You are right. The Cruisers, which could be anything from your standard cruiser to a UMSS Carrier, are perhaps the most pressing threat. You have line forces in this deployment which could potentially take out the cruisers with ease... and surely could wipe the floor with the destroyers and frigates. I would at least, hope, that is the case. The Serian League is tried and tested in warfare, a coordinated unit of Destroyers and Frigates is not something to laugh off... But, if allowed to reform with the cruisers they would be an even greater potential threat as a heavy taskforce. They represent a major division of the Raiding squadron, which is why they are allowed to operate independently of the Squadron flag to take out one of the most important strategic assets the Coalition has - FTL Networking. I am not sure other nations realize this, but these Subspace Beacon ships aren't just layover points for Coalition Convoys... We only have a handful of Packet Boats available for operational use, and most of those are attached to flotillas. If these nodes keep going down, they will effectively cripple Coalition command and control. Ships like the Thunderer had standalone beacons, but they are only area of effect and are useless if they don't have a network to connect -into-." Shi scowled frustratedly. "The Serian League knows this, that's why this formation is out here. If they can cripple local communications systems, the Coalition is operating in the blind while the Serian League reaps the benefits by destroying colonies and at least one species' homeworld."

Shi leaned back against the wall, causing it to groan in protest, as she considered his next statement before chuckling; "I would have some more questions along that line, to see if there were indeed parallels between you and your sister, and myself and Admiral Koronikov."

“Hmm that would be interesting, though…my sister, she’s a bit intense…a risk taker, I’ve met Admiral Koronikov. It would be an interesting fleet action to see who would best who in simulations or a rivalry battle for sure. Though…heh Nyarai she has a short temper for anyone who has not proven themselves martially capable. She threw a provincial senator out a sixth story window to her death because she opposed my promotion to captain. The senator had no military experience at all much less any self-defense training and decided to block the promotion because of political lines… In short she’s got a bit of leeway because most of her opposition either hopes she’ll die in a blaze of glory, and or that they’re afraid she’ll challenge their representatives to a duel of honor.”

Shi quirked a grin before motioning towards the map. "In that case, if Staff Admiral Duvalier gets to Katanova... I am sure that Admiral Koronikov will appreciate the assistance in recapturing the Rift with the Coalition Fleet. I would have to say, it would be quite the battle to be a part of... if your description of your Sister is akin to how we both know my sister." Shi snickered softly, "I would have to say that I might even pity what would be heading towards the Serian League forces... Hells, we might actually need to collar the both of them to keep them from diving right back through the rift!" The commodore paced, as he considered what was available…and what he’d use for each position and how he’d sell it to the internationals. It wasn’t a sweet bit of candy for sure, he expected perfectly good crews to die and perhaps in pretty heart wrenching ways. He didn’t figure he’d have to write letters home to the grieving families if they were internationals… but still the idea of being responsible wasn’t favorable.

“Alright the DHR has four cruisers…half of them are part of this, their special ops ship and two of the DHR cruisers stay here, likewise one Dorian battleship and their diplomacy vessel stay. The same is true for the Carn-nat’s diplomatic ship and one of their cruisers. That gives the forward force three cruisers, a battleship, one destroyer, and two torpedo ships. If I use my two torpedo ships to observe duellos, my cruiser and a DHR one in rapid response reserve, while one DHR cruiser and my destroyer go to Vanheim and a Carneh cruiser and a Dorian battleship go to cyranov…we should have a bait and switch situation. The battle ship will look like a anvil…they’re going to want to strike a softer target; or at least move forces to strike the battle ship which we can readily observe and react to. The ball will be in our proverbial court and they won’t even know it. I can say this, they clearly did not offer mercy to those civilians out there, I am not planning to offer it to them...their lives became were forfeit the moment they started that mess.”

The Commodore taped away at his data pad and it projected an image of the maneuver. A lot of heavy ships were involved but then it seems the diplomatic mission was a bit top-heavy anyway. The dispersion put a lot of capitol ships across the area where their communications and sensors overlapped well. The torpedo ships, both Meroe class had the speed and small size to hide within astronomical features near Duellos and the rapid response reserve was battle winning by sheer tonnage.

Katerina nodded quietly, "A Bait and Switch might work, but they may also recognize their destroyer units are outgunned and might pull back to Cyranov to regain their concentrated advantage. Luckily, we believe that the singular carrier we witnessed jumping through the rift - an escort carrier - went to a different sector so you definitely will not be facing it... But the idea of an easy win might be thrown to the dogs if one of those cruisers are Cyranov turns out to be a UMSS Carrier and you find yourself up against what amounts to a Cruiser, a Light Cruiser, A Destroyer, and about a Dozen frigate escorts. A lot hinges on the disposition of the Cyranov force, Duellos or Vanheim might run into a pair of Destroyers and Escorts running in consort instead of Solo and Cyranov might just have the Cruisers sitting there alone over the destroyed remains of the Beacon Ship. Alternatively, Cyranov might be flat out -empty-, and your light forces will run into a Cruiser with a light escort at either Duellos or Vanheim, and a Cruiser with an Augmented Escort at the -other-." Shi scowled frustrated at the Hologram, "Frankly, the light strike forces heading to Duellos and Vanheim is our best case scenario. Without Command and Control operating in this area we're effectively running blind, I'm trying to think back to the escape, and you’re trying to think about the actions of a completely unknown force. And through it all, I don't even know if the Serian League has updated their tactics. The worst case scenario is, that they have deployed four Destroyer groups so that a pair of destroyers and escorts can move with a singular cruiser and you have two Divisions rather than a singular one out there." With a frustrated hiss that sounded like sandpaper across sandpaper, shi clenched hir lower fists.

"You have the assistance of what's left of my taskforce here. The Thunderer can still offer limited long range support, and the Delight and her consort still have seventy five percent Torpedo availability. In addition, I'll give you the military-band assistance-request tachyon pulse. You don't have a receiver, but if shit hits the fan... you might be able to gather some of the scattered Coalition forces in the area to assist you, with hope one of the Vlaew is still in the area to assist and hasn't started back to the fleet Rendezvous yet."

“There is one key feature you have forgotten; we are an unknown force to them. They will have no means of knowing what we are capable of or are willing to do to bring about their defeat. They do not realize we have two battleships, seven cruisers, a destroyer, a frigate and two corvettes at our disposal.”

Using his datapad the commodore brought up a holographic image of the warships in the international group. The DHR’s four cruisers were lit in light grey, the Carnaith’s two cruisers were lit in green, The Dorian’s Battleships in blue and the Commonwealth vessels were in bright red. With the image stabilized the commodore looked back to the captain.

“They do not know you are here being repaired nor do they know we have a theater command ship and a hospital vessel right outside your window. They are known, we are unknown, they have no way of knowing what we will throw at them nor when or how. Strategically we have the initiative. They expect you, not us and I intend to exploit the hell out of that. To that end..”

The image shifted to show the coalition vessels and their current status and time left until completion of on-site field repairs. The Thunderer still needed four hours at least to regain most of her combat ability and the escorts with her needed slightly less time. Meanwhile the issue with the unknown species apparently scavenging damaged coalition vessels blinked in the image.

“While you are under repair you have a situation as a representative of the coalition must handle. These foreigners are actively rummaging around your destroyed vessels and retrieving parts of your ships. They have been warned to cease and desist…but won’t. Given the amount of time needed to stabilize your vessels I’m rather sure you can either work out the situation with them or have them kicked out of the sector. Since this area is the rally point, you won’t be alone and buys you time to get patched up as best as is possible without a dock.”

The commodore shifted the image to zoom in on the unknown arrivals moving about around the who apparently have taken a defensive formation and were erecting shields of some sort as if they expected to be assaulted or were preparing to abscond with stolen technology.

“More so I’d rather that you and your destroyers stay put for the moment. I have no intention of telling the high admiral I green lighted you sailing the thunderer in its current state into battle before nominal repairs are complete. If someone sent my sister out under the same circumstances, you could be sure I’d be demanding a duel afterwards. Either way you don’t have to take the hint, my rank and yours are roughly equivalent so I can’t give orders for the obvious reasons but you have a potential first contact incident that will not require weapons fire. We’ll handle the raiders or well I think you know what the result of failure will be. If successful it’ll be one bright spot in a pretty dark day.”