Fall of Gemini.
We weren’t ready for them. We were never ready for them. No matter what preparations we made, no matter what countermeasures we took, we were never ready. They came like the pestilence, swarming over our ships and decimating our armies. Within two weeks following first contact, we had lost over 80% of our navy against them. Unstoppable and inexorable, the Mantis Empire swept away our armada like sand in the wind.
When it became clear the terran empire was powerless to stop their advance, the emperor of sol himself, Kaligulia, sent a request for negotiations to the mantis high command. And so began the worst betrayal of the human race ever commited by its ruling power. In days, a treaty was drawn up, a truce called. The mantis fleets descended on sol, meeting no resistance from imperial warships of any kind, enjoying the treatment of honoured guests by the emperor. They soon settled with an iron grip on the planets and the people, a harsh regime now enforced by the terran empire. Billions were soon forced to mine cryonite every day until their deaths mercifully took them away, and almost the entire race of man was enslaved by both the terran and the mantis empire.
But even in this darkest of hours, the tiniest spark of hope remained…
Chapter one
Sayaron Sanctuary Rebel Base, outer sol system.
The deathly silence that usually befell space was torn apart by the thunder of ship engines. An enormous vessel was manoeuvring into the docking bay of the sanctuary, its hold heaving with ill-gotten mantis technology. The ship entered the base and settled on the landing pad surprisingly quietly. Though perhaps not so surprising when the man piloting the ship is considered. Though his face betrayed little emotion, underneath, Captain Erik Spiro of the 45th Sayaron fleet was surging with adrenaline. His latest mission a success, Erik drew out a cigar from his breast pocket and lit it, repeating his celebration ritual for the umpteenth time. After a short wait for the cockpit to depressurise, Erik swiftly opened the hatch and clambered out, flushed with excitement.
‘ So, I assume the raid was a success, captain?’
I know that voice, thought Erik wryly. Turning around, he found himself face to face with major Ivanova, a legend amongst the Sayaronian pilots.
‘ Ivanova’, said Erik, ‘ I swear you look lovelier every time I see you. How are you?’ the cheesy attempt at conversation was exactly what Erik knew pushed her buttons, and he loved doing it, despite the risk it carried.
‘hat’s MAJOR ivanova to you, captain’ she testily replied, eyebrows arched. Her slight Russian lilt always intensified when her voice became stern. It was a warning sign that shouldn’t be ignored. Major ivanova could be deadlier than a mantis death squad when she was pushed.
‘Er-hem. Sorry ma’am. Yes, the raid was a success. I acquired 8 different weapon systems blueprints. I also discovered one very unusual blueprint…I’ve never seen anything like it before’. Erik delivered the news in a textbook manner, all levity disappeared.
‘unusual?’ the major crossed her arms, a clear sign of intrigue. ‘in what way was it unusual?
‘well…for a start its power source is dark matter, so that would suggest technology from the draconis system’ Erik decided to wait for the majors reaction before revealing any more information.
‘You mean…this is draconian technology?’ Ivanova sounded unnerved for the first time. She, like all Sayaronians, knew the draconis system was the hub of all mantis activity, being their home system. The most advanced technology the mantis engineers produced was standard in draconis, and used dark matter as its power source. It made antimatter technology look archaic and inefficient.
‘if draconian technology is being deployed in a place as remote as commerce central, then that means…’
‘Yes,’ said Erik, ‘the mantis attack on Gemini is coming, just as we knew it would.’
There had been rumors of a mantis assaut being planned on the gemini system. It made perfect sense to try to take it. The planet prosperous happened to be the richest cryonite reserve in the beta quadrant of the galaxy, and a bustling hive of business and commerce for the rebels, who had managed to capture gemini from the terran empire four years ago, after a ferocious battle was fought.
It was thanks to a revolutionary invention, the planetary radiation shield, that enabled humans to live on the surface without fear. The fierce amount of radiation produced by the gemini binary star system meant any living creature would be vaporised without any sufficient protection. It was a vital strategic and economic stronghold to the rebel cause, and Ivanova, Erik, and every human being alive, knew it must not be lost…
i cant get on my lappy much so dont expect part two for quite some time! but i hope you like it ^^
We weren’t ready for them. We were never ready for them. No matter what preparations we made, no matter what countermeasures we took, we were never ready. They came like the pestilence, swarming over our ships and decimating our armies. Within two weeks following first contact, we had lost over 80% of our navy against them. Unstoppable and inexorable, the Mantis Empire swept away our armada like sand in the wind.
When it became clear the terran empire was powerless to stop their advance, the emperor of sol himself, Kaligulia, sent a request for negotiations to the mantis high command. And so began the worst betrayal of the human race ever commited by its ruling power. In days, a treaty was drawn up, a truce called. The mantis fleets descended on sol, meeting no resistance from imperial warships of any kind, enjoying the treatment of honoured guests by the emperor. They soon settled with an iron grip on the planets and the people, a harsh regime now enforced by the terran empire. Billions were soon forced to mine cryonite every day until their deaths mercifully took them away, and almost the entire race of man was enslaved by both the terran and the mantis empire.
But even in this darkest of hours, the tiniest spark of hope remained…
Chapter one
Sayaron Sanctuary Rebel Base, outer sol system.
The deathly silence that usually befell space was torn apart by the thunder of ship engines. An enormous vessel was manoeuvring into the docking bay of the sanctuary, its hold heaving with ill-gotten mantis technology. The ship entered the base and settled on the landing pad surprisingly quietly. Though perhaps not so surprising when the man piloting the ship is considered. Though his face betrayed little emotion, underneath, Captain Erik Spiro of the 45th Sayaron fleet was surging with adrenaline. His latest mission a success, Erik drew out a cigar from his breast pocket and lit it, repeating his celebration ritual for the umpteenth time. After a short wait for the cockpit to depressurise, Erik swiftly opened the hatch and clambered out, flushed with excitement.
‘ So, I assume the raid was a success, captain?’
I know that voice, thought Erik wryly. Turning around, he found himself face to face with major Ivanova, a legend amongst the Sayaronian pilots.
‘ Ivanova’, said Erik, ‘ I swear you look lovelier every time I see you. How are you?’ the cheesy attempt at conversation was exactly what Erik knew pushed her buttons, and he loved doing it, despite the risk it carried.
‘hat’s MAJOR ivanova to you, captain’ she testily replied, eyebrows arched. Her slight Russian lilt always intensified when her voice became stern. It was a warning sign that shouldn’t be ignored. Major ivanova could be deadlier than a mantis death squad when she was pushed.
‘Er-hem. Sorry ma’am. Yes, the raid was a success. I acquired 8 different weapon systems blueprints. I also discovered one very unusual blueprint…I’ve never seen anything like it before’. Erik delivered the news in a textbook manner, all levity disappeared.
‘unusual?’ the major crossed her arms, a clear sign of intrigue. ‘in what way was it unusual?
‘well…for a start its power source is dark matter, so that would suggest technology from the draconis system’ Erik decided to wait for the majors reaction before revealing any more information.
‘You mean…this is draconian technology?’ Ivanova sounded unnerved for the first time. She, like all Sayaronians, knew the draconis system was the hub of all mantis activity, being their home system. The most advanced technology the mantis engineers produced was standard in draconis, and used dark matter as its power source. It made antimatter technology look archaic and inefficient.
‘if draconian technology is being deployed in a place as remote as commerce central, then that means…’
‘Yes,’ said Erik, ‘the mantis attack on Gemini is coming, just as we knew it would.’
There had been rumors of a mantis assaut being planned on the gemini system. It made perfect sense to try to take it. The planet prosperous happened to be the richest cryonite reserve in the beta quadrant of the galaxy, and a bustling hive of business and commerce for the rebels, who had managed to capture gemini from the terran empire four years ago, after a ferocious battle was fought.
It was thanks to a revolutionary invention, the planetary radiation shield, that enabled humans to live on the surface without fear. The fierce amount of radiation produced by the gemini binary star system meant any living creature would be vaporised without any sufficient protection. It was a vital strategic and economic stronghold to the rebel cause, and Ivanova, Erik, and every human being alive, knew it must not be lost…
i cant get on my lappy much so dont expect part two for quite some time! but i hope you like it ^^
