False Peace

March 28 14,998 ATS(After the Strife)

In a planet somewhere at the edge of the Andromeda Galaxy, a fortress built upon a mountain side overlooks a great sea. Huge energy cannons sitting quietly on top of the fortress walls. Footsteps echo within its chambers as a middle-aged man walks in to a large room.

Opening the large doors he walks into the center right in front a throne. The room dimly lit by torches, the inner parts of the room completely dark. He kneels a few steps away from the throne. A woman in black sitting on the throne.

"The pieces has been set, what shall be our next move?" The man asks. His voice echoing in the empty room.

"Then it shall begin, our destiny is nigh." The woman's voice answer with a sinister smile.

•••

Calhoun Star system, the Agri world of Calhoun Alpha amidst the cool morning breeze, tall grassy hills and corn fields of Greenhills village an alarm clock rings loudly. A hand reaches for it, it misses the switch, it attempts to press the switch again but smacks the alarm clock instead, shutting off the alarm. A young girl then rises as she yawns, her brown eyes tired. Her black hair messy and curled.

The bedroom she is sleeeping in looks clean at first glance but look further. Its clearly a room of a nerd. Math charts and blue prints on the study stable beside the window. A poster of a cartoon astronaught named spaceman. And an unfinished kind of computer or machine with tools scattered at another table.

"Im still sleepy." the girl says , laying back down to sleep again until her phone on top of her bed begins to ring loudly. Groaning she drowsily reaches for her phone, sliding the green button on the screen.

"Uhhhh..... Hello?"

"EMILY WHERE ARE YOU!!!" Startled she rises up her bed quickly. It was her friend calling.

"IT'S 6:30 IN THE MORNING AND PROFESSOR NOD IS ABOUT TO START CLASS IN AN HOUR!!".

"Class?, but its satday."

Emily drowsily replies, scratching her head why would there be classes in the weekend?

"Emily, its Monday. How much did you drink last night?"

Sluggishly standing up, she walks towards her calendar beside her bed. Putting her fingers in the calendar's smooth surface she slides her finger following the check marks she would always do in the morning and sees monday has no check mark. Staring at the calendar her eyes slowly transitioned from lethargic to shock.

And then screams loud like the devil.

Her parents downstairs looks at each other and laughs. Her mother standing up to prepare her breakfast. Her father on the other hand opening the door to the stairs. Emily already rushing down

As she gets ready her neighbors nearby giggles at the fact she is late for class. Again. Every monday.

"She really needs to stop drinking with her friends every weekend."

"Ya kiddin me? She's more effective waking up my kids than my lazy rooster every monday."

After she showers and dries herself quickly to wear her clothes and fix her hair in a ponytail, she grabs her school bag and heads downstairs.

While Emily rush to dress and fix her things for the day her mother has already prepared a sandwhich for her.

The smell of fried burger patty and the lingering scent of local herbs gives the small dining room a sweet atmosphere.

"Late for class again are you?" her mother teases her as she snatches her sandwhich from the table.

"No time gotta go!!!!"

"Okay, just dont hurt yourself like the last time" her mother reminds her.

"I will mom love you!"

She rushes for the door, grabs her emergency hoverboard heads for the nearby rail station. Greeting her father in the garden along the way

"Morning dad! Bye dad see you later!"

"just be careful alright!". As her father reminds her she activates the hoverboard and heads quickly to the rail station. Wearing her usual outfit, a pink sweater and white undershirt, a checkered skirt, stockings and brown boots.

"Why am I always late in modays?" She asks herself while eating her sandwhich.

Reaching the station a railer arrives just in time and boards immediately. As the railer departs it passes by highways, endless fields of crops and forrests full of life. Retired warmachines such as mechs like titans and tanks, converted and repurposed for use in cultivating the land can be seen everywhere.

Sitting on the left side of the car looking at the time on her phone, Emily worries that she'll arrive late. It takes half an hour for the train to arrive to her destination.

Passing through the mountain range and into a tunnel her destination appears. Calhoun City, Calhoun Alpha's Capital. The city skies fill with airships and aircraft flying to deliver goods and transport people from one place to another. The buildings full of lush green hydrophonic farms and parks. Digital screens and holograms advertising companies and broadcasting news reports.

Arriving at Calhoun Central Station, its doors opened and Emily began to rushes again with her hoverboard. Nearly bumbing people in the already crowded station.

"7:00? That was faster than usual, should be able to get there in fifteen minutes if I hurry". As rushes for her class, the city were busy listening to the news reports being broadcast for the day. It was a shocking news report.

The topic is about the Confederacy of Man, A nation located just at the edge of the galaxy, invading multiple small nations for merely harboring two certain species of humans. The Faunasians and Enhanced.

Faunasians are humans with animal features while the enhanced are humans with very strong immune systems and have more strength, and better senses hemce the name, but feature unnatural hair and eye colors.

They have been part of the federation for a long time. And they were the confederates targets.

A confederate leader is shown speaking with a angry and hateful tone. Saying how they are a threat to their nation and are taking action by conducting preemptive strikes and that they have the right to defend their nation.

The newscaster speaks again and federation forces are shown mobilizing. Infantry, air ships, gunships and tanks being loaded into transports, while navy ships depart from shipyards.

•••

Arriving at the university. Dunkirk Engineering and Aerospace Institute. Emily Deactivates her hoverboard, and runs to her classroom just in time to see her proffesor entering.

"Proffesor Nod!"

"Ahh Miss Rose." Proffesor Nod see's Emily. "your just in time, I was expecting you to be late but here you are".

"Im not late. Thank the Gods." Emily replies while panting, tired from her rush to class.

"Justs be sure to take it easy next time now head inside we still have 12 minutes to spare" Professor Nod tells Emily and both proceeds to enter. Her professor walking straight to his desk at the center of the classroom.

"Emily! Your just in time!" A green haired girl calls out to her. It was her friend that called her earlier.

"Yeah railer must be faster than usual today Paxy".

Paxy wears a turqoise dress, a jean jacket along with a green crytal necklace and a pair of black sneakers. Her hair in two pigtails.

"Thanks for calling me earlier this morning" Emily said.

"Of course I would call you. Its our finals tomorrow. Did you forget?" Paxy replied

"Kinda, but still, thanks".Emily says.

"You forgot to tell her to control her drinks." a boy's voice was heard, it was their friends Arthur and Link

Arthur wore a plain white shirt and black pants. Walking beside him is Link, an Elmoran Human Hybrid wearing a sky blue jacket, blue pants and white t-shirt and a pair of sneakers.

"Yeah, Arthur was really worried." Link said. "He was panicking earlier when you werent coming early."

"Oooooh worried about your lover again Arthur?"

"Pax, I just arrrived." Emily asks in annoyance.

"Aleast he's worried."

Proffesor Nod then stands up from the desk.

"Alright everyone, I hope you are prepared for our class today, we will be starting in a moment, but before we do start. What lesson did we discuss last week?".

•••

"During the 3rd Galian War three hundred years ago, multiple ships were destroyed in orbit due to bad timing and poor handling of the situation and the fact that the Galians jammed communications throughout the planet."

Half an hour passed since Professor Nod began his lecture for the day. A projector showing his todays lecture various scenes and pictures of battles, warships, maps, and battle tactics used.

"But thanks to a few million soldiers that landed in the planet they were able to regain communications and end the war a week later. Who were these soldiers exactly? Anyone?"

Link raises his hand. To everyones chagrin.

"Link?"

"The soldiers on the planet were enhanced and faunasian auxilary forces. It was the first battle where they proved their worth as a crucial military asset for the Federation forces"

"Thats right link, but why were they the first to be sent in?" Proffesor Nod asks again. Emily raising her hand next.

"Yes Emily?"

"They were sent in because they were supposed to be used as a distraction for the Galians since enhanced and faunasians werent really recognized a fully human since their introduction and were seen as mutants."

"Thats right, the enhanced and faunasians were considered mutants during this time but as time progressed they were accepted into our society as fully fledged humans". Proffesor Nod continues to discuss their topic of the day. Arthur and Link keep writing their notes as Proffesor Nod continues his lecture.

"You got plans today?" Paxy asks out of the blue while Emily browses her book.

"No, why?"said Emily.

"Were going to Carter Town for a party at Jenna's place. You wanna come?" Paxy asks again.

"Jenna? We havent seen each other for a while."

"So you coming?"

Staring at the ceiling with her hand in her chin Emily thinks about it for a moment before smiling.

"Yeah sure."

Paxy smiles and gives her a thumbs up and proceeds to listen to Proffesor Nod's discussion. Until the bells ring.

An hour later after their first class, the students head for their next class. Emily and her friends walking for their lockers to grab their books.

"So how is Jenna?" Emily curious about their friend.

"She just graduated medical school in the inner colonies." Link answers.

"Its been four years since weve last seen her."

"She's doing great, she even got a job offer from the Capital Medical University and she's going there next week." Arthur adds.

"Really? Thats like the most difficult hospital to apply for a job!"

While chatting a group of freshmen are listening to the news reports while sitting in a staircase.

Emily overhears the news report the group freshmen watching the news behind her. It seems the confederates are getting more and more agressive by the day.

One of the freshmen, a young faunasian girl has her cat ears drooping down. She wasnt the only one however. Other students walking talk about how some left Calhoun Alpha and moved to the inner worlds, fearing a war will happen.

"Hey Emily you done there?" Paxy asks startling Emily.

"Huh?" Looking at her locker. She hasnt finished picking up the things she needs.

"Uh no, not yet I kinda spaced out a bit."

"Well hurry up girl, the next class is about to start!"

•••

In orbit around Calhoun Alpha. A hospital ship burns its engines changing its orbital velocity to low orbit. Its rectangular shape glowing brightly from the sun thanks to its hull painted in white.

Nurses and other medical staff going on about their routines and the crew checking the status of the ship. One nurse with silver hair in a light blue nurse uniform enters its bridge. The bridge is small and most of the controls in analog. And on the screen, the surface of Calhoun Alpha.

"Thats alot of green". The ship's helmsman comments on the planets appearance.

"Never seen a green planet before?" The captain at the center asks.

"I lived in a space habitat in Kyrios. All planets there are cold and barren. I read books about lush green worlds but this." He gestures his hand to the screen. "This is different from the books."

"Well lucky you." The nurse says to him. "Were here for a supply run so you should have enough time to explore.

"Ahh Jenna, you seem quite lively today." The captain says to her.

"This is my home after all."

"You live here?" The helmsman curiously asks.

"Yeah, left home four years ago to attend university at the capital. Its been a long time." Jenna holds a shiny blue necklace on her neck. Smiling."By the way captain. Thanks for letting me use the communicator. My digi tab hasnt been upgraded yet. Any way I can repay you?"

"A cup of coffee and a doughnut will do."

The helmsman thinking about what the surface will look like gets a notification in his console. Jump signatures being detected by the ships sensors.

"What is it?" The captain asks.

"Detecting jump signatures outside the star's gravitational influence. Looks like a fleet. Could be the navy passing by." The helmsman says. "Probably using the star for a slingshot maneuver to boost to another system."

•••

Oustide the Calhoun System, portals materialize as mysterious objects tear through space time. One by one, warships pour out of each portal. All varying in size and class.

Infantry and tanks sit patiently in their transports, the crew of every ship conduct systems checks and maintenance. The fleet is a battlegroup consisting of one hundred warships. Each ship bearing the banner of the Confederate Military Forces. A skull with a rose on its mouth with swords criss crossing behind it. Some ships flipping and burning to a gas planet blocking their way.

•••

Emily busies herself tinkering her hoverboard in the university workshop while she and her friends are talking, waiting for their professor to arrive. The workshop is large, looking more like a warehouse. Some freshmen even mistook it for an aircraft hangar. They werent wrong though.

"You guys dont think the confededates will start a war right?" Arthur asks.

"They wont. Who would want to start a war with a galactic superpower? They'll be crushed" Link replies.

"I just hope so, I dont want to leave this place when that happens." Paxy says. "Calhoun Alpha is the only home I know"

"And why would you leave?" Emily asks disturbed by what Paxy said.

"Havent you seen the news? The Confederates are attacking worlds not part of the Confederacy outside their territory one by one, killing off those that dont follow their rule, they're slaughtering the faunasians and enhanced. My family are all enhanced, my father wants relocate to the capital worlds, its well defended and safer there."

"As if that will happen." Link blankly comments while reading a book.

"You do know we are a few lightyears from Confederate territory right?" Emily asks Link clearly annoyed.

"She's not the only one leaving. My parents are afraid too and wamt to reloctae to the inner sectors because of the invasions. Once were done with college, Im enlisting for the Marine Corps. Im not abandoning my home." Link boasts which uneases Arthur.

"But isnt it dangerous? Marines are meant to fight aliens not humans. Not to mention the augmentations." Arthur remebering the old recruitment videos that would be played in the streets.

"Im planning to enlist in the Marines too, but in the exploration unit. They dont augment explorer units so might as well enlist there". Emily cites.

"But its still dangerous right? Your just an engineer once we graduate."

"It's just the exploration unit. No fighting or war shenanigans involved just exploring the galaxy and all that." Emily replies. "And i'll be very far away from the fighting if it happens."

"Off course you'd pick that part of the military. You've always dreamed of exploring the galaxy one day." Arthur says to Emily.

"My parents were explorers before retiring and my grandparents were explorers, so might as well follow their footsteps."

"Count me in on your adventure then." Link comments. Making Emily smile.

"If I ever get one off course."

A moment later, Professor Zen, enters the workshop wearing a jumpsuit and safety gear.

"Alright everyone, before we begin i would like to say good luck on your final tests tomorrow, I hope you all pass. Now, our final topic for today will be necronian circuitry".

Proffesor Zen notices Emily's hoverboard and smiles.

•••

Gremo station 8, an army defense station in orbit of the gas planet Gremo is in red alert. They have been receiving multiple distress calls coming from the nearby gas harvesting colonies for the past hour. Radio chatter filling the station's Command and Information Center

"MAYDAY MAYDAY, THIS IS THE CALCIUM 4 WE ARE UNDER ATTACK! I REPEAT WE ARE~ TZzt~"

"Calcium 4? Calcium 4!?! General Mika! Contact lost with calcium 4!" A CIC Officer reports from his console.

"Damn it we need to know who's attacking us, radar did you find anything!?!" General Mika asks.

"Im detecting unknown ships around the colonies maam, warships!" A radar officer reports.

"Has our scouts arrived yet!?!"

"Their still a few minutes away from visual contact maam". Another CIC officer reports to General Mika.

This was an odd situation, how could a bunch of pirates take over all the colonies at once and have advanced warships?

"General a scout ship has a visual of one the cololnies". General Mika bolts her way to the CIC officer, finally able to see what is going on.

"Put it on screen!"

General Mika orders and the screens show a large fleet of warships firing laser and plasma lances at civillian hab-stations and mining vessels. Security shuttles fire back but are destroyed by plasma fire. Shocking her the most is the banner of the Confederacy of Man on the warship.

"By the Gods, contact Calhoun Command! Condederate forces are present in the Calhoun system!!" General Mika orders.

"Maam our communications array are being jammed, we cant-"

Before the communications officer can finish the whole station is set ablaze by broadside guns and laser fire from the Confederate Ships.

Generak Mika and the stations crew of about three million men and women vaporizing in an instant. Their screams unheard in the silent vaccuum of the void. Unknown to the confederates, a scout craft witnesses Gremo 5's destruction from afar as he continues to call for them hoping for any survivors.

"Gremo 5 what happened!?! Gremo 5 this is Allado-22 come in! Its the fucking confederate military! Theyre heading straight for Calhoun Alpha please RESPOND!!"