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It took them two days to iron out a plan.
All that time, they questioned Samir and ascertained further details. Several times during the process, they would return from another grueling interview session, look at the notes they had scribbled in their last planning meeting, and start from scratch again.
As far as they could determine, Samir and his people had been removed from Terra during a nearly two century period, prior to humanity’s contact with the Committee. They had established a transplant colony, on a world called Iunthor, for the purpose of expanding and training their population of abducted humans. What these men and women had initially been told about their abduction none could say, however it was now the narrative that they had been saved from the Committee's destruction of Terra. Samir estimated that there were some two-hundred thousand ‘survivors’ living on Iunthor, guests of the Conclave, who used the world as a military staging post.
This part of the problem was relatively simple, it was the political component that had given them headaches.
If the committee had hidden the nature of their arrival on Terra from humanity, then it was fair to say that little could be trusted about any other information they had provided. That distrust had led Caecilius and Justinius to one immutable conclusion: whatever they decided to do, they couldn’t let the committee find out.Justinius had suggested that they could inform Terra, and confront the Committee. This action posed considerable risk. The Committee may turn on the humans, or attempt to subjugate them. Both Justinius and Caecilius wagered that while a war between The Committee and humanity could conceivably be won, the victor of that war would not then be able to face the Conclave.
So they had decided on a different course.
Justinius would take command of a fleet of ships, and attempt to bring as many of the ‘survivors’ to humanity’s side as possible. Ships and material too. Caecilius would inform the Terran central government, to allow them time to prepare for any eventual fallout with the committee.
The hope was simple. Primarily, they would free their people from the prison of the Conclave’s deception. Secondarily, they would weaken the Conclave for a future conflict. Lastly, the strength stolen would dissuade the Committee from attacking Humanity. It was the longest of long shots, and fraught with risk, but to allow fellow humans to languish under subjugation was unacceptable, as was allowing the Committee to deceive Humanity any further.
Justinius farewelled Caecilius, and moved to rendezvous with his fleet elements in orbit above Jupiter. As they emerged from FTL, Justinius beheld the fleet he had been endowed with. Seven frigates, nimble and swift. Three blocky cruisers, their interdiction hangars busy with swarms of interceptors and bombers on training runs. Above them all, hung the super-heavy battleship, The Gauntlet.
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The Gauntlet nearly took Justinius’ breath away. Newly-forged, it was the largest ship ever created by humanity. In tonnage, it even eclipsed The Fury, which was an exceptional vessel in it’s own right. The Gauntlet was long and sleek, resembling a winged sewing needle. It had been rumored during its development that it was a vessel built to test a prototype weapon system. Pulling up its spec-sheet Justinius saw how correct that rumor had been.
The Gauntlet was a prototype vessel, built to extend its long central axis to a ridiculous degree. Along this central axis, and through the core of the vessel, was one, single, large-bore railgun. This technology was not new to humanity, and had been utilized for centuries. Railguns were traditionally used as shortrange, high-firepower weapons. Human vessels had quickly realized that in the realm of space combat, missiles and torpedoes were far more effective as long range weapons, being able to accelerate and maneuver in flight. Railguns had been relegated for use in close-quarters battle and fighter interdiction.
No-one had ever made a railgun like this, though.
The Gauntlet was a standoff weapon of immense proportions. A slug fired by this railgun could annihilate ships at an immense distance, with its projectiles crossing the void before a torpedo had even made it halfway to its target. The General had clearly decided it was not the time to be pulling punches, and had given him the best he could muster.
Aboard the bridge of The Fury Justinius signaled the comms officer.
On the central command plinth, the eleven shipmasters appeared before him. He also noted the presence of seven commanders of the Terran companies. They represented the companies aboard each of the seven cruisers in his fleet. He knew them all well, and they saluted in acknowledgement.
“Gentlemen, thank you for joining us.” Justinius began, “I’m about to impart to you sensitive information. Please engage a communications lockdown aboard your vessels. Communication is to be restricted to intra-fleet only. If you need to send a message out, please forward it to The Fury for review, and we’ll pass it on.”
The hololithic men all gestured off-screen, and The Fury’s comm officer called out.
“Fleet blackout confirmed, Sir.”
Justinius nodded to the man, and turned back to the plinth.
“Thank you all. The mission brief is simple, we’re jumping to Iunthor in the Inkas system. There we will engage any Conclave elements and execute a surface rescue mission.” Justinius paused, seeing the raised eyebrows and confused looks.
Twelve vessels for a rescue mission? he could hear them thinking, Rescuing who?
“I’m transmitting you the battle-plan and tactical data now,” He continued.
Shipmaster Librin was the first to interject. She spoke with a delicate civility.
“Sir, Iunthor is deep within Conclave territory, and hardly a soft target. I have to ask, what exactly are we going to rescue?”
“Two-hundred thousand human souls,” Justinius stated matter of factly, relishing the looks of surprise, “and as many bloody ships as we can take.”