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

Chapter 4 - Onslaught

Lumopolis, Capital City Lumopol, a a few days after the expedition

In the capital city of Lumopolis was a bustling network of commerce and residential areas where technology and humans interact, skyscrapers and sky bridges connects gigantic towers that pierced the sky. On the main Central building was the Palace of Governance for the Planetary Governer, Duke Luciel Wynhold

Luciel was chatting with his wife and the senators on the table. Politicians, Planetary Defense Corps Generals and Admirals were present on the scene. Sitting idly by as Luciel and his wife, Uriah, were reading reports

A politician whispered to his seat mate. "I bet the two are worried for Iris. Their daughter is the leader of the Expedition after all". The man besides him nods his head in agreement before Luciel places the papers down and clears his throat to assert his authority

Duke Luciel assumed the mantle of leadership in the chamber, his voice carrying authority as he addressed the gathered senators. "Esteemed colleagues, we must urgently discuss the status of our expeditionary forces. Our daughter, Rear Admiral Iris, leads this vital mission, yet we have received no communication from her or the expedition in recent cycles"

The Admiral of the PDC speaks up. "My Lord, it is indeed factual that none of our vessels traversing the void have intercepted any transmissions pertaining to the expedition, nor have our Communications Towers. This predicament is exceedingly disconcerting". The PDC officers nods their head, offering their voice of concerns

Duchess Uriah interjected, her tone betraying her deep seated concern. "Luciel, my heart trembles for our daughter's safety. The lack of correspondence from Lumopolis and its communications tower is deeply disquieting. We must take decisive action to ensure the welfare of our daughter and her crew."

A roar of chatter erupted amongst the senators in the room. People were indeed concerned for the life of a nobility, cut off from contact and lightyears away. Some of them were against the idea, stating that a million men and half a dozen warships were enough but others fear that Iris's is caught in battle

Due to the nature of the Milkyway, the latter was likely that a Alien Empire may be contending and fighting was likely. Luciel maintained his poise, though his apprehension for Iris was unmistakable. "Indeed, Uriah, the circumstances are undeniably grave. However, we must adopt a measured strategy in addressing this predicament. I propose a secondary deployment of a grander scale, bolstered by an array of Heavy Cruisers, Battlecruisers, Aircraft Carriers, and additional assets. And to top it off, an extra 3 million PDC soldiers from our reserves"

A hush fell over the entire chamber at Luciel's proposition. The magnitude of assembling such a formidable armada hinted not at a mere secondary wave of expedition, but rather, an imposing invasion force. To Luciel, however, it represented a necessary measure to effect the rescue of his daughter, a sentiment shared wholeheartedly by his wife

To end the silence, a PDC General spoke up. "Do you wish to bring a Monarchy Class too, My Lord?". Luciel leans forward and with a quick and single reply. "Yes"

Politicians looks at Luciel, they knew they could not allow to feign silence. "My Lord, I have some concerns regarding about such... A move". Luciel turns his eye to the politician, his face serious. "What is it?"

There was a moment of silence before the politician spoke again, wiping off some cold sweat. "The allocation of naval vessels in the Star System could leave us a bit exposed. It's bound to stir up a bit of fuss among the public, with safety concerns running high and all. After all, the Windsor Delta Sector's just a stone's throw from the Dominion of Xyloth's territory. Lumopolis could well be sitting ducks for potential attacks, if we're not careful"