The Decent of Man
Title: The Decent of Man
Author: Rodglas
Rating: PG
Summary: The Nietzschean fleet prepares to destroy the Systems Commonwealth.
Series: The Fall Of Night (2/?)
Disclaimer: Andromeda is property of Tribune.
"We are the fittest, It is for everyone else to survive us"
Drago Museveni
CY 8427
"The first ship has arrived Captian," Commander Hadrian reported, "It appears to be a Deep Stand-off Attack ship."
"Good, our first catch," the newly promoted Captian Hannibal Dusan responded, "Prepare all weapon systems, and send out a distress signal."
The Nietzschean plan was so simple, inform the High Guard of impending doom one ship at a time, as each ship arrives, blow it out of the stars.
And it was working.
High Guard ships began arriving one or two at a time, never suspecting the trap that awaited them.
It had taken years to put all the pieces into place. Ten thousand ships had been built under the very nose of the High Guard, passenger liners were now battleships, freighters were now cruisers, patrol craft now heavy fighters. All of these ships stood ready with many more in hiding preparing to destroy Argosy bases across the stars.
Retribution, the Leviathan Roused class cruiser Dusan commanded had not yet had opportunity to join the battle. Most of the doomed High Guard ships had arrived outside of his proscribed battle zone, deep within the Nietzschean lines.
Not that he minded terribly, it did ensure his survival.
"That makes thirty-seven ships so far sir," Hadrian reported, "It seems to be going well."
"Yes," Dusan responded, "Very well."
With little else to do in a battle that was nearly impossible to loose Dusan decided to take to focus his thoughts on the bait for this trap.
With the visual enhancements Dusan was able to make out the titan form of the Black Hole. Not a natural Black Hole but one made by some device procured by the Drago-Kazov Pride, his own Pride.
It had taken some doing to learn that bit of information, he had to dig through vast amounts of classified files, call in at least a dozen old favours and use every small bit of influence he had just to find discover that the Drago-Kazov had acquired the weapon and that it was a one shot deal. Never again would the Nietzscheans be able to use this device.
Time passed very quickly aboard the Retribution as ship after ship roared out of slipstream and into the very jaws of death. In the past few hours nearly two hundred High Guard vessels unsuspectingly answered the call to their own destruction.
"Another ship is exiting slipstream," Hadrian reported, "It has come out fairly close to our position Captian, shall we intercept?"
"Why not," Dusan replied arrogantly, "What ship is it?"
Hadrian looked to one of his Lieutenants who proved the answer.
"The Andromeda Ascendant sir,"
"The Pride of the High Guard," Dusan beamed as he spoke, "Move to intercept. All ahead full."
It seemed to her captain that the very ship itself was eager for this fight.
"Sir, it seems like half the fleet is moving to overtake the Andromeda," the sensor officer reported. Dusan looked at his monitor and discovered that there was much truth in the statement. "I want to get there first Commander," Dusan demanded, "This will be our prise."
Brief moments passed as the Retribution entered firing range. Andromeda was already reeling from the attacks of several dozen Garuda-Class fighters as many more massive warships began trying to surround the High Guard Cruiser.
"We are in range sir," Hadrian reported.
"Open Fire," Dusan ordered.
To his surprise at that moment Andromeda began dumping escape pods and small craft, the crew was abandoning ship. If they managed to escape the system they would warn the High Guard, it would ruin months, even years of carefully laid plans.
Torn between his desire to be the Captain who destroyed the Andromeda Ascendant and his duty to the Nietzschean alliance, Dusan froze for a moment. The Andromeda was the ultimate prize, the pride of the Commonwealth, but its crew made it that way.
It was at that moment that Dusan noticed the course Andromeda was leading them on.
"What is Andromeda doing?"
"Sir, it appears she is heading straight for the black hole," Hadrian replied.
"Break off Commander," Dusan ordered, "Concentrate on the escape pods, we must not allow them escape to warn the High Guard."
The Retribution slowed in its pursuit of the Andromeda but the black holes gravity made it difficult to change course to intercept the now fleeing escape pods. Other ships were having the same problem the Retribution was having, by following Andromeda to close into the black holes gravity well they had essentially allowed most of her crew to escape.
Plans would have to be accelerated again, Dusan realized. A simple task considering thousands of ship were lying in wait for their chance to destroy Argosy bases across the galaxy.
They would have to strike now decisively or all would be lost.
Across the known worlds thousands of warships were quietly waiting. Waiting for some word from the Neitzschean fleets in the Hephestos system. Hundreds of courier ships began appearing to those thousands of warships to bring tidings of the battle and orders take their place in the glorious 'tactical offensive' of the Nietzschean people.
More than five hundred worlds had been targeted by the Nietzschean command, most of those worlds were bases for the High Guard Argosy Fleet.
With orders in hand the leaders of the Neitzschean task forces entered the slipstream and prepared to destroy the Systems Commonwealth.
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