Tempest's Maw

Chapter Three

Mid-orbit of Silas, Second Planet of the Gala Star System

10, 165 C.E

The plan was audacious. The plan was risky. The plan was brilliant. And better yet, when the formation of four ships was not shot down due to their new stealth drive, the plan was beginning to look like it would work.

At least, Formation Commander Alina Prospero felt that the plan was that. The Admiralty back on Ragusa had other opinions but they still agreed to approve the mission. Her mission.

No matter how many times she ran it through her head, she still had trouble believing that she was finally in charge of an operation. And it was not just any operation. It was a Special Task Force operation—the elite of the elite of the Ragusan military forces. The honour this brought her family was immense and put her in the running for the next position above her: Fleet Commander. Alina murmured a small pray to the gods of war Ragusa still venerated.

When she finished, she spun around on the command dais—an elevated circular platform she stood on in the middle of her ship's bridge—her double row of medals jingling lightly, and faced her gunnery and operations officers.

"Mister Grimes, you may begin the bombardment. Target the Imperial capital," she ordered to the gunnery officer. "Mister Ryes, begin the countdown. Have the STF ships prepare to launch in half an hour. Send word to the three other ships to begin their bombardment as well."

"Yes ma'am," replied the two junior officers. They then began typing furiously on their terminals.

A few seconds later, a low rumbled rippled across the sides of the ship as the forward guns began to open fire. Deep with the ship, gun crews quickly loaded railgun shells into the gun batteries. Fire orders gave them clearance to fire one shell every fifteen seconds until they received the order to stop. The barrage that left the ship within the first minute would have been devastating on its own. However, as Alina watched from the command deck the wave of ships headed down to the surface, she passed it down that the barrage would last for an hour.

***

Wall guard duty was considered one of the most boring tasking within the Silesian Armed Forces. It was long hours of looking out into the area surrounding the Imperial city—which translated to doing absolutely nothing. The last threat the city faced from beyond its walls was over fifteen years ago, and that had been a minor threat if anything. The last time the city had been besieged properly had been over a century. Many saw it as a waste of time. Corporal Griffin was inclined to believe it.

This was the third time he had drawn being 2 I/C—second-in-command—of a guard section for a two month rotation. This was fine, in his mind, as he needed the experience and worked rather well with Sergeant Rayden, but it was still glorified watch duty and it still pissed him off that the Company Sergeant-Major kept giving it to him. And as he climbed down from one of the many watchtowers he was inspecting, he was really feeling that today was going to be one of those days where he felt every hour he would be on duty.

Griffin reached into one of his sandy brown, black and green camouflage uniform's chest pockets and pulled out a plastic wrapped passion fruit. It was one of his comforts during the days he was on tasking. He took off the plastic wrap, drove both his thumbs through the skin and ripped it in half. He slurped up the juice, pulp and seeds of the one half as he continued his rounds.

He had finished both pieces before reaching the next tower, and he felt much better. Pausing to quickly wipe away some leftover juice from his face—must set an example, cannot be having the CSM giving him another two months of this duty again—Griffin climbed up the tower. At the top were a lance-corporal and a private, one of the newer guys.