TO Episode 1.5

1.5

The Command Base of the Enforcers was an imposing structure with it five towers; one in the center and the other four forming a square on the center tower. The center tower was shaded in white while the other four were in dark shades. The structures were built sixty years ago when the Dark Order was in influence. It rumored that the design was to symbolize the greatness of the Dark Order which had besieged the White Order. Each tower was shaped in a hexagon facet design and held sixty levels each with enough space to housed three landing pads on its roof.

The Galileo Five landed on the Northern Tower where I disembarked. I rode the bike to the transporter unit which resembled a rectangle cubicle that could fit in twenty five persons at any one time. Each tower held four of these units to move the personnel over the various levels. I took my descent to the forty fifth level while the bike was commanded to park itself with Daniel at the open ground outside the tower.

“Daniel, I want the bike charged for another run.” I instructed Daniel through the communicator. “I want the side cannon mounted.”

It was my add-on to the bike for the heavy battle situations. The cannon will be fitted on the right side of the wheel with the ammo feed belt to the rear where it will housed two hundred shots. When I had finished communicating my instruction, the cubicle had arrived at the desired level. I stepped out and saw the guard battle construct there standing at the entrance to Enforcers D9 Unit. The battle constructs designer had the impression of a canine species then. The unit stood on four legs with retractable claws and a rectangle body frame connected to a snarling designed turret head piece with the twin mounted cannons. The turret was attached to the body frame by the flexible housing that allowed it to swivel in a 180 degree direction. On the side of the construct were the mounted mini cannons in the sponson there. The construct stood at nine feet in height of which the legs were of three feet in length and four feet across. They were named the Bull Dog Construct.

“Hello, Tom.” I walked past the construct towards the main entrance to the Command Base of the Enforcers D9. Inside the unit were our support and intelligence units that assist the nine officers like myself in our cases. The design of the Command Base was like the Bridge of the Space Cruisers. It was split into two platforms with the upper level that resembled a floating square mezzanine level in the middle connected by three walkways. On the mezzanine level was the seating for the nine enforcers alongside with the three commanding officers led by one Chief Enforcer. The side of the chamber was the array of equipments that were manned by the support staff. The lower level of the chamber was the Intelligence section that held over fifty officers with their head gears linked to the equipments for their works.

I saw the other eight enforcers were there seated on their assigned seat. I took mine and strapped in. Once I was strapped in the seat will reclined to a sleeping position. All our focus will be on the overhead orb in the center of the floor. It was then the seat will take over my body awareness. Next I will find myself in a virtual chamber with the other eight officers. We were all standing there in the void when a voice spoke to me.

“Welcome, No. 9.” The voice belonged to the Chief Enforcer. “I trust you had a good outing with the Mitoushi House. And of course your reckless riding on Galileo Five.” 

“I have better days, Chief.” I smiled and then greeted by the appearance of the presence of a high ranking officer from the Federation of Planets.

“General Hex will address you now.” With that the Chief’s voice faded off. The General stepped forth as if he was walking on the flooring. He was dressed in the hard pressed gray uniform with the single black shaded epaulette on the left shoulder and the small strap from there to the middle of the waist level coat. His matching pants were tucked into the knee high leather boots. The boots held the hook and fastener on the outside near the knee. The General’s headgear was the dark side cap with the single red stripe across it. His rank was prominently displayed on the right side of the chest with the Federation emblem crisscrossed with the double swords. The officer displayed a fine physical form at his height of six feet and the wide shoulders lent weight to his image.

“Enforcers, I will be brief.” General Hex spoke up. His facial expression was grim with the thin moustache coupled with the deep set sunken eyes. “The Federation had declared war on the Houses here in the Mistral Stars.” 

We are the third planet among the five which rotated inside the Mistral Stars System. It was a hospitable planet with good air and flush with green growths although we have leveled most of it for the emergence of cities and also for mineral extraction. The Mistral Stars are abundant with many minerals hence the inhabitants have prospered well with it.

“Mistral is generally supportive of the Federation of Planets with its fair trades of the minerals. The trades have also prospered the noble Houses which in return have been of assist to the Federation.” General Hex was clearly not entertained when he praised us then. He was after all a Moncrats. “Lately the noble Houses have not been adhering to the needs of the Federation. With that lack of assistance, the Federation of Planets had requested the Federation Military to take remedial actions.”

I felt the shiver down my spine on those last words. I have heard on the vibes that Federation of Planets military have taken over the Corvus traders in a similar operation. The remedial action coveted by the Military was total annihilation with the total control on the trader goods. I wanted to question the move when the whole chamber burst into a fest of shades.

“As of this moment, the Federation Ninth Fleet is entering the Mistral System.” I found myself standing in a virtual scene in the void of space. That void was soon interrupted by the appearance of twelve battle cruisers, twenty five frigates and fourteen troopships. The cruiser battle ships were designed line the double scimitars with the sharp blades end to the fore and the engines were at the rear. The two structures were interconnected with a series of nine bridges in the middle. The cruisers measured five miles in length and a quarter mile across to a height of a quarter mile. As in its namesake, the cruisers were named the Scimitars. Each Scimitar cruiser held a crew of five thousand with a complement of eight thousand troopers and two hundred Stringers in its ten hangers. The cruiser deadly weapon was its double phaser cannons which could pierce a planet from its surface to the core with its energy blasts. It also housed over two hundred double cannon turrets on the sides of the ship which protect it from enemy fighters.

The frigates called the Shields were of a different design. It was a double saucer shaped with it forward movement in a vertical position with the six interconnecting bridges. It was also one third the dimension of the cruiser but it was without the deadly double cannons. Instead it held a set of ten slots for mass deployment of the explosive mines. The mines could be deployed in a blanket formation of a hundred miles per launch that may cover over a hundred miles across with each mine an effective range of one mile. The frigates held a squadron of twenty five Stingers with a complement of five hundred crews and a thousand troopers.

The troopships were called the Armor were half the size of the frigate and held a smaller squadron of twelve Stingers. Each troopship was designed to carry five thousand troops and other supplies. The Armor design was oblong shape with three fins on the rear.

The Ninth Fleet was the smallest in size among the twelve fleets in service with the Federation of Planets.