United Empire of Man: The Alien Frontier (Practice Story)

Chapter 2: Swarm Contact

Serene Duchess. Wyvern Class Heavy Cruiser

Iris stood on the bridge of her ship, her anxiety was showing despite her battling the dread of combat away from home. Her Heavy Cruiser was in battle formation surrounded by smaller ships such as the Americana Frigates, Valiant Class Destroyers and City Class Light Cruisers. Her battle formation was reinforced with the Strategic Transports carrying a small number of aircrafts in the triple digits allowing a small bolster of defense

"They're everywhere! Lady Iris, we request an immediate evacuation!". The soldiers under her command screams through the radio causing Iris to falter and hesitate from the extreme pressure, thinking through the sudden chaos of the horrid Swarm that laid dormant on one of the planets. Her Ship's AI and staff were discussing for a plan to counter this sudden strike of misfortune

With no other choice, with a heavy weight on her shoulders, Iris makes a decision and she spoke with authority to bring her words to bear to the crew. "Reinforce the main planet with 2 million men including heavy weapons such as tanks and IFV's. As for the stranded men billions of kilometers away, send in a Lancaster and have it escorted by The Venerable and The Freedom. Evacuate any survivors"

With an instant transmission of orders, the pilots under her command acted swiftly as a Lancaster Strategic Troop Transport scurries away from the battle formation with 2 Vessels escorting it

One of the vesss was a big 650 meter long frigate, an Americana Class Multi-Role Frigate with its serial number on the hull and writing of "Freedom" hinting it's name. On the other side of the Lancaster Transport Vessel was a larger warship, an 850 meter long Valiant Class Multi-Purpose Destroyer known as "The Venerable"

The three ships were on the same speed of 1,670 meters per second to travel and evacuate the soldiers who were on the farthest edge of this star system. The ships had a higher speed than usual in order to catch up and race towards the planet on a hurry to get to the stranded men

Back on the Serene Duchess, Iris looks at the massive wave of the remaining Lancaster Tactical and the larger Vulcan Strategic Transport making planet fall and descending on the planet's atmosphere while her Heavy Cruiser and the rest of the small fleet stays behind to guard the planet

"Tsk. We're 40 light years away from Lumopolis, our Galactic Networking was failed to set up due to the Swarm and we're only 8 million strong and 15 combat ships. We're cut off and lacking in manpower and firepower to deal with this threat". Iris says recounting her disadvantages in an effort to see through any slips to turn it into an advantage

"I really wish I brought a Gorgon and Cerberus Class of Heavy Cruiser with me...". Iris laughs a little to ease the stress, they were unable to make a FTL transmission and Iris wanted to hold the planet and it's star systems hoping that they can get a signal to Lumopolis. Turning to her AI Assistant of the heavy cruiser with a serious expression, Iris states her word that had an impact to the people on the bridge

"AI, disarm the safety of our Thermonuclear Warheads, both Torpedoes and ICBM's". Iris says with a heavy tone while the crew members were a little nervous at the severity of the situation to have a call for a great firepower to be used, it just goes to show how much the original mission has deviated and how dire it immediately went from a simple colonization

"Affirmative, Commander". The AI replies with its feminine automated voice. In a split second, the lights on the weapons bay turned green with the word "Armed" on the Nuclear stockpile

"8 million troops, 12 million non combatants...". Iris sighs once again as she looks at her staff giving out orders to the ground force and on the moon of the main planet

Outer Planet of the Unknown System, Team 3

Team 3 comprises of 6,200 total men and women, 3,700 of which are armed soldiers. Their task was simple and it was to build communication towers and arrays to receive FTL communication within Lumopolis but even before their construction began, a dark path turn of events has gave the people that was meant to have a easy job