Alpha One - Chris Burton [28]
In the event Koenig stood unopposed. He already had the support of the majority of his peers; his coronation was swift and effortless, and at 15.39, Admiral Koenig, the newly elected Commander in Chief, stood up.
“Thank you Admiral Yohoti for standing in as temporary Chairman. Admirals, I am honored to take on the highest of Alpha posts, and on such a momentous day in our history. We must not rest, we must facilitate our funding requirements, and we must renew and extend our abilities. We must specify and develop our strategy towards the Sentinels and to the other warring factors in the region, and we must take our seat at the top table of the AFP.”
He turned towards Admiral Neville.
“James, your undoubted loyalty and ability has stood the test of time, and you have been without doubt one of our great CIC’s. We respect your decision to stand down and wish you all the best in your future endeavors.”
Koenig then turned back towards the bench. “This meeting is closed.”
Chapter Thirteen
The Sentinels Prepare
General Yoshi was in a confident mood. After all, he destroyed the Alpha ship and severely damaged two others. Following his victory, he passed back into neutral space and moved into the Ionian System. He then rejoined his fleet and continued their preparations while hiding in the plasma wave cloud swathing the eastern tip of the system. The waiting was nearly over. His fleet numbered some seven thousand ships, by far the largest number of vessels he ever commanded; and because the majority originated from his Southern fleet, they were a superior fighting fleet.
His intention was clear. He needed to remove the threat from Alpha and seek revenge for the near destruction of the Northern fleet.
He was joined by five hundred vessels from the Eastern fleet and over seven hundred fifty from the Western fleet. This was his fleet and he was given the task of destroying the human threat. This became the Sentinels’ top priority.
Alpha was heading ever closer to the three stars and this was a matter of great concern. The Betanica Sect had even gone so far as to issue a Jombarat decree. This was an ultimatum that the Sentinels were compelled to carry out. Since religion was paramount in Sentinel society, the issue of such a decree was taken seriously. They must remove Alpha’s offensive threat and capability to travel to the Tri-Star system by whatever means necessary.
The Sect sent one hundred of their own fighting vessels to do their bidding. These ships were mostly small and were not part of Yoshi’s command. They were devastatingly effective because they used phased neutron weaponry capability. Such weapons were outlawed in most societies, but there was no jurisdiction over the Betanica Sect. They would use this weapon whenever their commanders deemed it appropriate.
Yoshi’s task force was ready and he planned to give the command to move out and head into Alpha’s territorial space shortly. The fleet was ready, the Sect ships were ready, and this morning he attended a Katana Ceremony where yet another human was sacrificed. Where are they coming from, he asked himself?
Yoshi sat at his Salu, a vast throne-like chair from which he delivered his commands. Here he issued the order to attack and pursue the Alpha vessel, and he issued his own decree earlier this afternoon. The Task Force must destroy the source of the threat to the Tri-Star system. They must destroy Alpha One.
Chapter Fourteen
Roslyn
President Roslyn leaned against the metal balcony and looked out over Lake Lugano. It was a humid night, following several hot days and, despite the thunderstorms of yesterday, the muggy conditions continued.
This was where Roslyn came to relax. His villa sat on the gently-rising slopes of Monte Bre, one of two mountains that looked out over Lake Lugano, both of which stood proudly like sentries guarding the