After his return from the eco-pod, Andre couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to the old gardener than meets the eye. His insights were unusual for someone with green thumbs. However, he had no time to dwell on such matters; tensions were rising.
Intelligence reported that business at the stargates controlled by the Centauri Alliance Solar System went on as usual. Ships continued to crisscross between the gates, oblivious to the brewing storm. Yet, the tension at the other gates was palpable. NOMA Shipping Group, Ares Corps, Germanicus Corps, Star Libertadores, Eagle Guard... All factions, big and small, named and unnamed, seemed ready to jump into the fray.
Antonios' fleet boldly ventured through the Stargate, marking their territory in the Wasteland Star System. Then, a peculiar lull settled in. Peace, yearned for by so many, made a brief cameo. Even the swashbuckling Privateers, who used to be at each other's throats, found common ground. With old scores set aside, they banded together, marshaling fleets to navigate the Stargate.
Excluding the Ares Corps and Germanicus Corps, who were both sympathetic to the Terran Sphere Government, as well as some factions within the Antonios Consortium, almost all the major powers were ready to cross swords with Antonios. Still, nobody wanted to take the first step. The Star Libertadores sent another formal missive to the Centauri Alliance Solar System, fervently calling for military intervention. This plea was broadcast for all to see on the data network, yet the Terran Sphere Government ignored it.
The entire galaxy turned their eyes to the Terran Sphere Government.
Yet, no one harbored any illusions that peace had truly settled in. To many, this was just the calm before the storm. Amidst the shards of the galaxy, a full-blown war was about to erupt.
The fleet under Antonios' banner had seized the Wasteland Star System, casting a shadow over the Stargate. However, many people saw this blockade as more of a political statement. The Consortium did not have the key to the Stargate and could not shut it down by force. While there was a workaround, it was a double-edged sword. Antonios had the option to wrench the "Space Seed" out of the Stargate, which would bring all travel to a halt. However, re-embedding the "Space Seed" would require a prolonged recharge, spanning a whopping sixty-six years. The Consortium could never accept that.
As a result, the Antonios Consortium was left with only one option: create a physical blockade around the Stargate. However, they couldn't stop other ships from passing through the Stargate. General Derrick, the fleet's supreme commander, sought direction from Andre, "If a fleet indeed throws caution to the wind, boldly stepping into the Stargate, despite our stern warning, should we open fire?"
Lost in thought, Andre took his time before declaring, "Should any Privateers dare to tread through the Stargate, show them no mercy; take them out on the spot. Yet, if it's the Centauri Alliance Solar System or the fleets from the NOMA Shipping Group, consult the Strategic Center first. Refrain from any preemptive strikes and hold your fire until you receive further commands."
At the same time, Antonios's vanguard fleet rolled out even more Carilion recon fleets, intensifying the hunt for the signal relay station.
At the most recent strategic meeting, the Strategic Center pieced together potential scenarios and dissected each one, including all possible outcomes. Those foolhardy Privateers, dancing on the edge of recklessness, might flout Antonios' edict and wander into the Wasteland Star System. The solution for such temerity was clear as day: wipe them off the map. The remnants of the Empire might risk everything. In their eyes, the Empire still existed, and both the Wasteland Star System and the X Star System were still territories of the Sacrum Chu Imperium. In their view, the actions of the Antonios Consortium were nothing but blatant trespassing on Imperial territory. As preposterous as this claim seemed, it did resonate with several Privateers who sailed under the Empire's colors. These particular Privateers were far more dangerous than the others. They often banded together to form even larger fleets. Therefore, the Star Libertadores' call to arms did raise some eyebrows. Yet, experts at the Strategic Center were of the view that the Terran Sphere Government wouldn't back such a call. History has shown that the statesmen of the Centauri Alliance Solar System always keep a low profile. This is how they kept dodging the bullets of the wars that swept across the galaxy. The Ares Corps and Germanicus Corps had strong ties with the Antonios Consortium; their chances of drawing swords against Antonios were slim to none, a testament to the tireless diplomacy at play.
Piecing the puzzle together, the Strategic Center figured that the real threat was the NOMA Shipping Group. The group emerged during the later stage of the war from the merger of four entities: Nova Shipping Group (formerly part of the Supernova Shipping Group), Oren Minerals, Thor's Hammer Heavy Industries, and Electric Arc Group. Once these giants joined forces, the NOMA Shipping Group wasn't just a trading and mining colossus. They were shipbuilders and pioneers, a fact that was underscored by their state-of-the-art R&D center. Over the years, NOMA Shipping Group had been expanding and investing, even striking deals on some trade routes cherished by the Antonios Consortium. They grew into a faction that could not be ignored or underestimated. Some experts even thought that NOMA Shipping Group might just be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with giants like the Antonios Consortium and the Centauri Alliance Solar System. As the X Star System incident evolved, NOMA played their cards close to the vest. The intelligence, however, confirmed that NOMA had rallied a massive fleet outside their Stargate, with their eyes set on the Wasteland Star System.
"We have to be on our toes," a top intelligence officer recounted at the meeting. "NOMA Shipping Group has its ear to the ground. If the Terran Sphere Government decides they want to invade the Wasteland Star System, NOMA Shipping Group will pounce at the opportunity. It's no secret that when opportunity knocks, NOMA is always the first one behind the door. It's one of the keys to their success."
"On Earth, they say, 'When two dogs fight for a bone, a third runs away with it.'" Andre remarked with a nod. "NOMA Shipping Group is banking on a standoff between Antonios and the Alliance. With both parties at their wit's end, NOMA can maximize their gains amidst the chaos. However—" Andre smiled, "The Terran Sphere Government must have seen this coming from a mile away. In fact, this works in our favor. The Terran Sphere Government, cautious as always, won't take such a gamble, so they won't set foot in the Wasteland Star System."
"Unless the Terran Sphere Government loses its grip on its subordinates," the intelligence officer said, a shadow of worry crossing his face. "That card is still on the table. Our probes revealed that Jupiter Industries and Pangaea Corporation have been secretly building up their fleets. The Terran Sphere Government has been feeling that heat from within. We believe that their recent announcement was more of a cry of desperation under internal pressure than a strategic move."
"There's another possibility," commented another intelligence officer, "The higher-ups in the Terran Sphere Government might not give a damn about the X Star System. They were so certain that even if Antonios got their hands on the Empire tech from the X Star System, it wouldn't pose a significant threat to them. The Terran Sphere Government didn't want to get involved in this skirmish, but they couldn't just sit on their hands. So, they've been posturing all along, paying lip service. They'd never take the bait thrown by the Star Libertadores, let alone start an invasion."
"That's a tad too optimistic for my taste," a senior strategist voiced out, "The Terran Sphere Government can't be in the dark about the potential treasure trove of Imperial tech in the X Star System. They wouldn't just twiddle their thumbs while Antonios stakes a claim to a whole star system..."
"Their missive and declaration are their answer to this."
"What keeps me up at night is: what if Jupiter Industries and Pangaea Corporation decide to join forces and split from the Alliance? Can the Terran Sphere Government keep them on a tight leash?"
"There's no need to worry about that. If that happened, the Alliance would be knee-deep in a civil war and wouldn't care what we were up to."
.....
The room was awash with fervent debate, but it all seemed to lead down a rabbit hole. The one point of agreement was the pressing need to confirm the X Star System's coordinates. However, the vanguard fleet had been unable to locate the relay beacon up to that point.
After the meeting, the attendees dashed off in different directions. Andre returned to his office, deep in thought at his desk. It felt like he had overlooked something, but for the life of him, he couldn't recall what.
Andre's eyes landed on the eco-sphere. To his surprise, its overhead lamp had been turned off. An unsettling feeling crept up on him. He reached out and turned the lamp back on, only to see the once-clear crystal orb was now awash with murkiness.
Through the glass, Andre spotted the once lively fish floating on top of the water. The algae, which once radiated a lively green, had turned a ghastly gray, and the gleaming white gravel was now black, the very color of death.
This tiny world was no more.
In the middle of the night, Andre was jolted awake by his lieutenant, James.
"Mr. President," the young lieutenant's voice was fraught with disbelief, as if he'd seen a ghost, "The Alliance's fleet has entered the Stargate."
As Andre entered the Strategic Center's meeting room, the air was thick with dismay, an emotion that was clearly visible on the face of every strategist and intelligence officer present.
When the first of the Alliance's Eternal Storm-Class Battlecruisers slipped through the Stargate, Andre was shaken awake by his lieutenant. Without a moment's hesitation, he darted to the Strategic Center. As he made his way there, Andre's computer buzzed with warp signals decoded from the Moore Shipping Group Communication Center, displaying live footage from the Stargate's blockade. At the helm of the vanguard fleet was the battle-hardened General Enzo Derrick. Following Andre's strict commands, they broadcasted relentless warnings to the Alliance fleets but held their fire. The Alliance, however, kept pushing ships through the Stargate. The number of ships that soared through the Wasteland Star System dwarfed any prior estimations. The latest intel revealed that the invading fleet was spearheaded by three Eternal Storm-Class Battlecruisers and accompanied by dozens of cruisers, from both the Callisto and Io classes, and a battalion of destroyers from the Eris, Quaoar, and Ceres classes. This mighty fleet had the muscle to square off against Antonios' vanguard fleet.
Inside the Strategic Center, the crowd watched in desperation as the massive fleet gracefully streamed through the Stargate to the Wasteland Star System. Antonios' encircling blockade fleet sketched a fan-shaped barricade around the Stargate, a trap that, once sprung, would place any encroaching fleets within the Marshal Crux Carrier's attack range. As soon as the Alliance's fleets appeared, General Derrick wasted no time, repeatedly sending communications to the incoming fleet and repeatedly echoing warnings across public channels. However, the Alliance fleet sailed on at a steady pace, undeterred and unperturbed, making way for their comrades in their wake.
More than once, General Derrick had pressured Andre for the green light to launch an attack before all of the enemy fleets entered the Stargate. Several top strategists from the Strategic Center concurred, urging Andre to open fire immediately. Of course, they knew that any fleet navigating through the Stargate would be a sitting duck. Outnumbered and ill-positioned, these fleets were almost defenseless.
"The Terran Sphere Government has officially invaded the Wasteland Star System, despite the consortium's warnings!" shouted a fiery senior strategist. "Mr. President, the clock's ticking! We don't get a second shot at this!"
"Aha! Officially invaded?" another strategist let out a mocking chortle.
"What... What do you mean by that?" The strategist, his face red with fury, stared down the mocking officer.
"Enough!" Clyde yelled and turned to Andre, "Mr. President, it's time to make a decision now. If we let the Alliance fleet anchor down in their position, we'll be playing catch-up."
With a piercing gaze, Andre posed a question: "Are you all aware of the Pandora's box we'll be opening once we pull the trigger?"
The room was thick with tension as glances were exchanged. Of course, everyone knew. Firing on the Alliance fleet was tantamount to nothing less than declaring war on the Centauri Alliance Solar System.
"Gentlemen," Andre said, pointing his finger at the path of the Alliance fleet on the screen, "I fully understand the idea of striking when the iron is hot, but the question is: Are you ready for this? Is Antonios ready for this? Are we truly primed for a showdown with the Alliance?"
A dead silence enveloped the room. The transmission had to traverse the Stargate for warp decoding, so it was a few moments before General Derrick's hologram started talking.
"Mr. President," General Derrick said with an unwavering tone, "We might win this particular battle, but we might end up losing the war, a war we started. However, we do not fear the reaper. The fleet is ready for your commands; we shall serve Antonios!"
"Good," Andre nodded, "I'm glad to see someone here is still willing to speak the truth."
Under Andre's gaze, the strategists in the center hung their heads in shame. This was a serious dereliction of duty and misjudgment. The scenario they had written off as the least probable in their analysis had now unfolded before them. The Strategic Center had failed to gauge the backbone of the Alliance and their territorial hunger for the X Star System. They'd put all their eggs in one basket, completely ruling out the possibility of the Alliance fleet entering the Wasteland Star System head-on.
Had they pulled the trigger, the Antonios Consortium would have found themselves politically and morally compromised. Besides, Antonios' problems wouldn't have been limited to the Centauri Alliance Solar System. They'd probably be facing an onslaught of rage from every corner of the galaxy.
The atmosphere in the Strategic Center's meeting room was tense, and the silence was almost suffocating.
Something... Something didn't add up. Andre's gut told him something was off. He painstakingly retraced the events in his mind, feeling he'd missed a piece of the puzzle.
Previously, the Strategic Center thought that the Centauri Alliance Solar System's hesitance to step into the Wasteland Star System was rooted in the Terran Sphere Government's history of playing it safe. The Galactic War was a case in point. As battles flared, the Antonios Consortium seized the day, investing aggressively and spreading its wings, quickly becoming the big fish among the sea of stars. Painting a different picture, the Terran Sphere Government played the long game, lying low. They slammed their stargates shut not long after the war started, turning a blind eye to enticements and even threats from various Imperial factions and maintaining their neutrality. The territories of the Centauri Alliance Solar System were untouched, standing as a beacon of peace in a war-torn galaxy.
To be fair, the Strategic Center wasn't shooting in the dark with their assessment. Considering the prior messages and announcements from the Terran Sphere Government, it was evident that they were sticking to their guns. The Terran Sphere Government was caught between a rock and a hard place—having to rein in the aggressive Jupiter Industries and Pangaea Corporation from within while avoiding appearing too soft on the global stage. So, that missive they sent was expected.
However, the Alliance fleets' unexpected "invasion" had tossed all of the Strategic Center's predictions out of the window. Antonios was left with no choice but to reassess the Terran Sphere Government's current intentions.
"What's your take on this, Director Ivanovich?" Andre asked.
From the moment Mikhail Ivanovich, the director of Antonios Strategic Intelligence Bureau, entered the Strategic Center, his face had been tense. He was painfully aware that all the assessments made by the strategists were rooted in intel from his bureau. It was obvious they had all been hoodwinked. Earlier reconnaissance suggested that the Terran Sphere Government hadn't marshalled any forces near the two Stargate Hubs held by the Alliance. So, where in the galaxy did this colossal fleet come from?
"The Terran Sphere Government pulled a fast one on us," Mikhail admitted sourly, "From the latest reports I've got, not a single battleship went through the stargates of either the Solar System or the Proxima System. There's only one explanation: they probably possess stargates we're completely unaware of."
Andre responded with a nod, suggesting softly, "It's quite possible. Many stargates were cut off during the war. It's conceivable that, in the chaos, the Terran Sphere Government secretly took control of some stargates. Don't beat yourself up, Mikhail. What's your take on the Terran Sphere Government's next move?"
Mikhail cast a thankful look at Andre and stood tall. "In my view, the Alliance fleet is just flexing its muscles. An attack isn't on their agenda."
"Ha! Is that so?" a voice interjected with a sarcastic tone. "So, they happened to drop by for a little rest and recreation?"
Mikhail's face flushed instantly, ready to counter, but Andre gestured for him to hold back. Andre's eyes met the source of the voice—Colonel Greider Vesta, one of the Strategic Center's senior strategists.
Andre recognized him instantly. Greider stood as a prominent figure among those hardliners. He originally came from the Vesta Clan, and his stance had always been clear: the Antonios Consortium should ride the tide and take control of the entire Lagrange Network.
Andre casually commented, "It appears Colonel Vesta has a different view. Would you kindly enlighten us with your thoughts, colonel?"
"Clearly, we've been thrown a curveball by misleading intelligence," Greider stated, not hesitating to point fingers at Mikhail. "We've all been led up the garden path. Director Ivanovich is spot on about one thing: the Terran Sphere Government did pull the wool over our eyes. I suspect they've shaken hands with the Star Libertadores and what remains of the Empire behind closed doors. They wouldn't have taken such a bold step otherwise! Andre, we must act now before it's too late!"
Andre acknowledged the comment with a nod, too preoccupied to make a fuss about Greider's casual use of his first name. His attention shifted to Mikhail, "Mikhail, give it to me straight."
"I'm still of the mind that the Alliance fleet won't launch an attack," Mikhail started, "They're all bark and no bite—"
"Mind backing that up with some solid proof?" Greider interjected, cutting to the chase.
"Not at all,” Mikhail replied. "We recently intercepted a secret message from the Terran Sphere Government addressed to NOMA Shipping Group. It states that the Centauri Alliance Solar System has struck a deal with Antonios Consortium to jointly develop the Wasteland Star System and X Star System. So, to many outside observers, the Alliance fleet might just be here to 'assist' us."
"Come on, Mikhail, are you really that green?" Greider couldn't help but guffaw, "Out of all the messages you could have possibly intercepted, you got THAT one? Fine, let's say you did stumble upon this baffling message; who's to say it isn't just another smokescreen? The timing seems too perfect, doesn't it?"
"A smokescreen?" Someone questioned.
"Yes!" Greider asserted, "We've been played for fools. We've underestimated the Terran Sphere Government's trickery. I'm certain that Director Ivanovich's team got their hands on that secret message, but the whole thing is just a red herring. They know our vanguard fleet is on pins and needles, waiting for the go-ahead. This message? It's bait, deliberately tossed our way to stall us, to ensure we hold our fire."
"No, looking at the bigger picture, the Terran Sphere Government had no reason to go toe-to-toe with us," Mikhail asserted, shaking his head resolutely. "They're no strangers to the old saying 'When two dogs fight for a bone, a third runs away with it.' In the heat of battle, the Alliance had numerous shots at seizing the vulnerable star systems from the Sacrum Chu Imperium, but they didn't. They never fired that shot. The Terran Sphere Government knows that if we lock horns, groups like NOMA Shipping Group, Ares Corps, Germanicus Corps, Star Libertadores, remanent factions of Sacrum Chu Imperium, Trudecim, Privateer Alliance... they won't just stand on the sidelines. They'll wait, biding their time, and then, when both giants are on their knees, they'll pounce."
"How do you explain this?" Andre pointed at the screen, "What if we do pull the trigger? Why is the Terran Sphere Government so sure that we won't open fire?"
With an unwavering resolve, Mikhail shook his head. "We won't. Because that's exactly what the Terran Sphere Government is counting on."
"What? Screw this!" Greider was getting angry. "Don't tell me you buy into the idea that the Terran Sphere Government truly wants to play ball with Antonios?"
"Why not?" Mikhail countered, throwing his hands up, "They did shoot a message our way. We just turned a blind eye to it, didn't we?"
Greider gave Mikhail the cold shoulder, turning toward Andre. "Mr. President," he pressed firmly, "the vanguard fleet awaits your command."
Andre swept his gaze across the room. All eyes were on him, and in them, he could see a plethora of emotions—anticipation, fear, fervor, and calm.
Andre posed a question solemnly as he pointed at the screen, "At this pace, how long until the Alliance fleet in the Wasteland Star System catches up with our vanguard fleet?"
"Given their speed, you're looking at two hours," Mikhail answered promptly.
Andre mulled over this for a second. "Let General Derrick know the order remains unchanged. Antonios will hold their fire, and all units should stand by for the next move." Standing up, he began to stride out, leaving a ripple of astonishment in his wake. Upon reaching the door, a thought seemed to strike him. Andre then spun around, adding, "Remind General Derrick to keep the vanguard fleet radio silent. Get the comms team to rig up a direct line to the City of Dawn and route it through my device. I need to hash things out with them."
"Yes, sir. I'm on it." Mikhail acknowledged, pausing briefly before asking, "Where might you be off to, Mr. President?"
"I need some fresh air," Andre responded with a smile. He then glanced upon the stern-faced Greider, "Take it easy, colonel. Antonios isn't going to fall apart in one night."
With that, Andre left the Strategic Center.
