Golanski sat in his chair, isolated from noise and troubles of the world in his command center deep inside The Order space. Carefully reviewing tactical and strategic readouts, advises of his R&D scientists and each message in detail. His consternation about recent events could only be overshadowed by his dedication to win war against Nomads once and for all. He took a long while to stare across his private quarters towards pictures of the little of his family he has left, his former and current close comrades in The Order. After a deep sigh, he begun analyzing what could have lead towards current state of affairs.
His mind went back to the beginning.
Some time before Toledo disaster, he took over command from late Fleet Admiral Julia Benford following more of a peaceful protest from V.Adm. Caja Collister. Leaving him to pick up the remains, he took whole new perspective once acquiring the Omega code. Quickly rising in ranks, he never truly grasped the true scale of the conflict. What his predecessors were hiding from the general public and even those closest to them. "No crap most of them could not take the heat..." he said to himself remembering all the good men he served under as an officer in the fleet.
...Malacos... I never knew him... better he stay erased from living memory.
...Kelt, may he died with hope it will all turn out for the better.
...Brandon, solid and reliable... but in the end not up to the task
...Osborne, wherever he is now.
...D'Souza, wandering Sirius possibly half-mad by now.
TAZ, OSI, Zoner Trade Consortium, Benitez, The Brotherhood Sirius Coalition Revolutionary Army - those were their allies. By time he achieved seat in High Command, Corsairs have broke off - "damn them" - Golanski never truly understood what demons have pushed Orillion to such desperate manners. He will never know anymore.
Zoner Trade Consortium has collapsed, clinging to remnants of their assets as Omicroners and currently the Phoenix. Admiral trusts them. They were stalwart supporters no matter what the hardships. Even now, their trading fleets bring prosperity to their own shared corner of space.
"Focus!" Where are the signs? Were there any warnings? In months ahead of Toledo, they faced logistic crisis. Support of Zoners Sirius-wide thwarted by unknown to him force. There was no support Doc Holliday has promised him... that everyone promised him. "Empty words!" he exclaimed. "Actions are what defines a human being." His thought processeses wandered away to time after that when they had to re-organise their supply system. The Order built, stole and bought additional transports to ensure next time Nomads came, they will leave no one behind.
"Doc Holliday..." He learned to hate this name in recent days. Admiral started to solve the puzzle. He commanded his computer to project holographic map of Sirius. Zooming into Liberty-Bretonian border, he nervously found what he was looking for. On his second screen, he started noting down incoming words as he was close to unveiling the mystery.
Tau 117 / Drake - "Slomon K'Hara stronghold, two jumps away from Baffin. Coincidence?"
Newcastle - "Ancient Daam K'Vosh ruins, two jumps away"
Chester - "Slomon K'Hara lair hidden deep into nebula... three jumps away"
Kansas - "Alien jumpgate. 3 jumps away"
Cardamine - "Doc Holliday was bent on curing cardamine addiction. Nomads knowledge upon the subject... unfathomable."
Malta - "Not that far away. Reports say Outcasts feel like in home within Baffin."
Contradiction - "What they think about Holliday's work? Do they even know about it? Or is it just a public face of his research?"
819 A.S. Toledo crisis - "TAZ support non-existent. Many envoys sent to restart supply runs... no effect."
820 A.S. TAZ ship found outbound from Omicron Iota. "Poor SOB didn't made it in the end."
820 A.S. Order announcement to curb on Xeno-research. "JIVA notoriously resisted. Their link to TAZ... more than likely.
Persephone warship - "For all intends and purposes it was Terran ship to the bone when it left shipyard."
Hyperion warship - "Lacked any device of this kind."
Doc Holliday himself - "Admitted researching Nomads for medical purposes... hybrids?"
Khaostone cover up - "Blatant lie, captain's noted it was of JIVA's making."
JIVA - "Possible Nomad link, in union with TAZ?"
Refusal - "Denial in submission to non-invasive incubi tests... no contact in months"
Zoner summit - "Attempt to infest half of Zoner community thwarted. They will not do so on our watch."
Nomad sightings in independent worlds - "Nomads operate freely and without TAZ interference."
The cult - "Is TAZ worshipping relicts of alien civilizations?"
Colonials - "We continue to assist them against threat coming from the Coronado gate... is this a smokescreen?"
TAZ death tolls - "TAZ ships lost to Nomads decreased to null, pre-818 A.S. TAZ suffered heavy losses to Nomads"
Admiral had enough.
"Open the comm channel"
Comm ID: The Order Overwatch
Admiral Golanski speaking.
Doc Holliday, I remembered you as man of honor. Whether Nomads have blinded you, it is still not too late to hand over the Singularity Drive. I am not being unreasonable - you know very well The Order needs to recover all alien artifacts if not for using those against their creators - then to deny its power to both Nomads and those humans who would misuse it. Do I have to tell you all over again that this strategy was crucial in stopping complete Nomad onslaught in 800 A.S.?
How many lives have been ruined, allowing this cardamine plight to corrupt civilization in the houses. How many will never see their families after being taken on vast liners hauling slaves to Malta. We ignored it until now, as long you and TAZ were counterbalancing this barbarism by supplying The Order with everything we needed. That, John, was before Toledo. Your support dwindled, you offer us nothing but powerless speech.
Baffin passage was not sold to innocent Freelance traders and corporate shippers. How many more millions have to die, how many planets have to be destroyed? To re-iterate, we have no need for Persephone warship as the hull and warship that serves your sect. If you think your withdrawal changes anything... For 3 difficult years we ran on support of our own logistics, Phoenix and Solar Runners. You cannot harm us more than you have done already.
Make no mistake here, John. I want this to be over no less than you and your people. Your pride hurt, work of your life threatened. So is mine: you are aware of those who have already turned their backs on their own species - maybe you know some by the name, who knows? For them, there is no escape. Sooner or later, those shells of what we used to call human will face music of a trial.
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