Jay Allan - The First Imperium

Garret nodded, his expression grim. “So we are dealing with one of the Superpowers that has developed the capability to weaponize antimatter?”

Sparks’ started to shake his head, but he decided that wasn’t the way to disagree with a five star admiral. “Well sir, that would seem to be the case, but…” He paused, not sure if he should continue.

“Please go on, colonel.” Garret’s voice was friendly and informal. “We’re all here to work on this together. Speak your mind.”

Sparks still looked uncomfortable, but he nodded and continued. “Well, sir…ah…as General Cain noted just before you arrived, we have been producing antimatter for 200 years.” He shifted his gaze around the room as he spoke. “However, the energy requirement for creating even small quantities is prohibitive. Early 21 st century methods were able to generate only nanograms, and the storage methods were crude and insufficient to preserve even such minuscule quantities for more than a few minutes.” He took a breath and continued. “Two centuries of ongoing research have brought us to the point where we can generate a few hundred grams at a time and store them for a period ranging from hours to days.” He paused for a few seconds, panning his eyes across the table. “A six gigaton detonation would require almost 100 kilograms of antimatter.” He let that sink in before continuing. “If one of the Powers has developed the ability to produce and store that quantity, they have made a quantum leap…probably a thousand years ahead of where we are today.”

“I see your point, colonel. It seems unlikely that one of the Powers could have achieved such an extraordinary breakthrough in total secrecy.” Garret was looking at Holm, though he was speaking to everyone in the room. “Surely Alliance Intelligence…” Garret stopped abruptly, and his eyes shifted toward Cain. “Is it possible Gavin Stark is behind this?”

Cain returned Garret’s stare. “I don’t think so, admiral.” Erik’s reply was straightforward, matter-of-fact. “No one mistrusts Alliance Intelligence more than I do, but it just doesn’t make sense. If Stark was so close to something so powerful, why did he take such risks during the rebellions? For that matter, why push the colonies so hard and precipitate the revolts when you were a couple years away from overwhelming superiority?”

Garret was about to say something, but Sparks spoke first. “I believe General Cain is correct.” He noticed that Garret had been ready to speak, and he paused.

“Continue, Colonel Sparks.” Garret nodded at the Marine scientist. “Please.”

“Yes sir.” Sparks glanced at Garret then turned to look out over the table. “In the first place, the Alliance lags badly in this type of research, making it highly unlikely that any branch of Alliance Gov is behind it.” He paused for a moment, considering. “The Central European League is the leader by a large margin in antimatter research. In the almost inconceivable circumstance that one of the Powers developed this technology, it would be the CEL.” The German-dominated League was a middling power measured by size or military strength, but its scientific community, and particularly its physicists, were without equal.

“Why would the CEL attack us?” Cain’s voice was deeply skeptical. “And why out in the middle of nowhere? Even if they found a new warp gate leading to our frontier. Wouldn’t they hit Europa Federalis first?” The CEL and Europa Federalis were bitter enemies, and no one doubted that a League newly armed with superweapons would settle that score before attacking anyone else.

“To be clear, General Cain, I consider it extremely unlikely that any of the powers has developed the technology we are discussing.” Sparks was becoming a little surer of himself, more willing to interject his opinions forcefully. “I simply cannot offer any alternative scenario.” He looked over at General Holm. “Sir, is it possible that the data is inaccurate or compromised in some way? Perhaps we are misreading the situation. All we truly know is that a small colony fleet was ambushed and destroyed.” His eyes moved to Garret. “Perhaps these acceleration rates and warhead yields are the result of a scanning failure.”

“Or a deliberate attempt to misinform.” Cain’s statement came out louder than he’d intended. “Perhaps this is more of Gavin Stark’s trickery.” He lowered his voice, his tone calmer, though there was considerable hostility just beneath the surface. “Maybe the whole thing is a setup.”

Garret looked down at the table for a few seconds then up at Cain. “You might have something there, Erik.” Since he’d been kidnapped and held hostage by Gavin Stark, Garret had become as paranoid as Cain. “It would explain a lot of things more plausibly than anything else I can think of.”

“For all we know, the entire colony fleet was controlled by Alliance Intelligence.” Cain was starting to convince himself he was right.

“But what’s he trying to accomplish?” Jax spoke up for the first time. “I hate the SOB as much as you, Erik, but what does Alliance Intelligence have to gain by a stunt like this?” He looked around the room. “Why now? They can’t be ready to make some kind of bold move…not yet. Even if he had something like this up his sleeve, wouldn’t he wait until he was prepared to capitalize on it?”

“It might be some type of trap.” Garret looked deep in thought as he spoke. “Maybe Stark’s working with one of the other Powers.” He looked like he’d bitten into something sour. “Do any of you think there’s anything that piece of shit wouldn’t do it if it served his purpose?”

“No.” Cain answered first, with considerable gusto, though it was obvious everyone in the room agreed. “Which makes it even more important for us to respond. We need to know if this is more Alliance Intelligence bullshit.” He paused, an uncertain look briefly flashing across his face. “And if it’s not, we need to know what we’re really up against. Whether Stark’s involved or not, any enemy would benefit from convincing us they had achieved a major breakthrough.”

“Put 1 st Division on alert, Erik.” Holm was leaning back in his chair, his right hand partially cradling his face, an instinctive response to the headache sawing through his skull. “We need to be ready for whatever we have to do.”

“Already done.” Cain flashed Holm a self-satisfied grin, a luxury he’d never have allowed himself before the upheavals of the rebellion. He and Holm had always been close, but it had been the two of them that had rallied the shattered Corps. Since then the last shreds of formality between them had fallen away, replaced by deep mutual trust and friendship. Holm was Commandant, and Cain would follow any orders his superior chose to issue. But the banter between them tended toward the casual, at least when there were no junior officers or troops around. “Colonel Teller has been prepping them since before I got here.”

Holm smiled. “I should have known.” He turned toward Garret, his grin fading as he did. “What are you thinking, Augustus?” His eyes darted back to Cain for an instant then to the admiral again.

Garret sighed. He’d spent the past year trying to stretch his available fleet units to cover the bare minimums. Now he was faced with putting together a new task force to counter a threat coming from the least expected direction. “I’m going to have the 18th Squadron at Farpoint scout toward Newton. They’re the closest formation I’ve got.” Garret paused for a few seconds and exhaled softly. He didn’t like it, not one bit. The 18 th Squadron was 3 fast attack ships and nothing else…if they found anything hostile it was probably going to be a suicide mission. “At least we’ll get some reliable intel.” He paused again. The young Augustus Garret had pursued glory with a relentlessness few people could comprehend. Now that longing was gone, and nothing but fatigue and duty had filled the void. He was tired of sending his people to die. “Meanwhile, I’ll transfer what units I can from 1 st Fleet to bring 3 rd Fleet up to strength. The base at Farpoint can support a large formation, so once the transfers are in place I’ll send 3 rd Fleet there. If we’re looking at a fight, we’ll have a substantial force in place.”