Christopher Nuttall - Barbarians at the Gates

“Admiral, Home Fleet is on the move,” the tactical officer said. A new set of icons appeared on the display. “They’re advancing to meet us at Point Alpha.”

Marius nodded as the icon glittered on the display.

“Continue our present course,” he ordered. “We don’t want to be late for our appointment with Home Fleet.”

Admiral Featherstone rubbed his tired eyes and then looked around, hoping that no one had seen the brief moment of weakness. If any of the crew had seen, they kept it to themselves.

Home Fleet was blazing across the system at flank speed, hoping to intercept the Grand Fleet before it reached Earth, yet all he could think of was how slow it was, even on an interplanetary scale. At least the Senate’s demands that he immediately engage the enemy had trailed off, once someone on the planet got the facts of basic space combat through a few thick heads. This deep within the mass limit, no starship could pull more than 0.5C. They had to hope that the enemy would be obliging and not pile on extra speed before Home Fleet reached a position that could be used to block the intruders from Earth.

It made no sense. Admiral Drake could have piled on the speed and reached Earth well before Home Fleet could intercept him. Instead…he was deliberately keeping his speed low, daring Home Fleet to intercept his fleet. Featherstone couldn’t understand it, unless Admiral Drake was supremely confident.

And if Admiral Drake was that confident, Featherstone asked himself, what did Drake know that Featherstone didn’t know?

He rubbed his eyes again, fighting down a yawn. They’d crawled across the Solar System for hours, and he hadn’t dared to leave the bridge. At least they were coming into interception range within the next ten minutes. Once the battle started, he was sure he would feel better…

“Admiral,” Garibaldi said, “you asked to be notified when Home Fleet was ten minutes to engagement range.”

“So I did,” Marius agreed.

He studied the display, allowing himself a brief moment of amusement. Home Fleet hadn’t been drilled properly, and it showed, as their gunners hadn’t even tried to intercept the drones Marius had ordered launched. The Grand Fleet, on the other hand, had been drilling since before launching the operation that had beaten Admiral Justinian and his rebels. Marius had no doubt of the outcome if the two fleets collided, but it might just be avoidable.

“Communications, open a channel,” Drake said. He knew that the officer would understand what he was talking about, as they’d discussed the details during the long voyage to Earth several times already.

“Aye, sir,” the communications officer said. “Channel open.”

Marius keyed his console.

“My name is Marius Drake, Commanding Officer of the Grand Fleet,” he said. His words would be heard all over the Solar System. “You probably have been told that I am a rebel, that I followed in the footsteps of Admiral Justinian, Governor Hartkopf and the many other warlords. You probably have also been told that I have come to take over Earth and the Federation for myself. None of those things are true.

“I swore an oath that I would defend the Federation against all enemies, foreign and domestic. I meant every word of that oath. I come now to remove one of the greatest threats to the Federation, the corrupt and decayed Senate. The Senate issued orders to slaughter—in cold blood—people it deemed to be a threat to their interests, so it could claim their land and property for itself. The Senate, in doing so, triggered an insurgency that will claim the lives of millions of soldiers as well as civilians in the coming months. The Senate even tried to have me killed by one of my own crew.

“We all know the truth. The Senate has become a monstrous entity tearing at the heart of the Federation. We all know that the Senate passes laws intended to allow interstellar corporations to ravish the colonies and exploit them for their own ends. We all know that the Senate’s interference in military affairs has led to stunning defeats. Is there anyone who can deny that the Senate has become the domestic enemy of the entire human race? Is there anyone who doubts that the Senate has been fuelling the tensions that force worlds to consider seceding from the Federation? Is there anyone who feels, as I do, that the Senate has gone too far?

“My fleet and I are here to remove the Senate. We will replace it with a fairer system that cannot be exploited so easily. My government will not last longer than ten years, perhaps less; but that will be long enough for us to push through real and lasting reforms. I swear that upon my name and the honor of the Federation Navy.

“I speak now to the men and women of Home Fleet, and Earth’s defenses,” he concluded. “If you want to join us, please do; we will welcome you. If you are uneasy with removing the government and choose to stand aside, we will not treat you as enemies. But if you choose to fight, consider carefully. You may be fighting on the wrong side. The choice is yours.”

He released the console and took a breath. If they were lucky…

Admiral Featherstone felt every one of Drake’s words slam into his tired mind. He couldn’t deny the truth of what he said, yet Featherstone had gone too far to simply change sides. His patrons had boosted his career and ensured that he reached the very highest levels, yet he’d always known that there would be a price.

He would have been happy to stand aside, but he had no choice. The Senate had to be defended. It was the legitimate government of human space and changing it by force, for whatever reason, was wrong. The population could vote out the Senate if they chose.

“Prepare to engage,” he ordered.

It all happened very quickly. The sensor officer drew a weapon from under his console and opened fire, gunning down the four Internal Security troopers on the bridge. Featherstone froze, feeling hot liquid trickling down his legs, as two other officers opened fire. A stray blast hit one of the consoles, which exploded in a shower of sparks, just before a plasma bolt slammed into his head.

He was dead before he hit the deck.

“Admiral…Home Fleet seems to have gone mad!”

Marius nodded slowly. Home Fleet had fallen right out of formation. A handful of starships were still continuing towards the Grand Fleet, but the remainder seemed to be drifting or had simply come to a stop. Several smaller ships had turned and were accelerating away as hard as they could, while one superdreadnaught had opened fire on its neighbour. Three other superdreadnaughts fired on the offender and blew the ship into flaming plasma.

His gamble had worked, he realized. He’d known that discontent had been spreading through the Federation Navy, but he hadn’t realized just how bad it was, or how many crewmen had been making preparations for mutiny. Part of his mind wondered, grimly, if future historians would claim that this was the moment when the Federation died; the remainder concentrated on the here and now. There would be time to consider the implications later.

“Admiral, a number of ships have surrendered,” the communications officer said. “Several more are gripped by heavy fighting and are urgently requesting help…”

“Send the Marines,” Marius ordered. There was no time to waste. “I want at least a platoon of Marines on each ship, with a scuttling charge. We will establish their bona fides before we trust too much.”

He looked up and, for a moment, his eyes met Garibaldi’s. The younger officer looked stunned, but then he’d never had the displeasure of serving in Home Fleet, where there was no action to trim out the worthless incompetents who infested the fleet. Home Fleet had never been expected to see serious action, at least until Admiral Justinian had reminded the Senate that they could be threatened.