WrongEndoftheRainbow & Starlance
 
[b]Uncharted system, NC Ira[/b]
A crewman arrived to the bridge, still panting for breath.
“Colonel? The Elbus found another jump point! They can’t say where it leads, but is stable enough for transit.”
“I assume they sent the coordinates?”
The crewman handed him a sheet of paper with basic information regarding the node.
“Send word back home, three ships are not going to cut it. We still have this system to go through, plus that odd signal we picked up earlier. Get two more frigates in here. Tell one of them to prepare for another long jump.”


[b]Seven hours later, NFg Aggeris[/b]
The blue-white tunnel came to an end, enveloping the frigate in white light before throwing it out into normal space. Proximity alerts went off immediately as the crew regained their bearings.
“Asteroid field!” the helmsman cried out, turning the ship away from the largest rocks. CIWS sprung into action, tearing the closest small rocks into dust. After two terrifying minutes, the jump drives cooled down enough to enable a short jump. The subspace window swallowed the frigate and spat it out several hundred kilometers closer to the star, in orbit of a gas giant.
“Well?” the young commander asked. “How’s the hull?”
“It has been better. Although the close-in weapon systems held up quite well, we’ve eaten several of them before they came online. The hangar has a hole in it, we’ve lost port aft water tank and two RCS thrusters. The rest of the hull is just scratched and dented, but it may be a structural weakness in the long run.”
“Have DC crews patch up the hangar and make sure the door works. Check the Scout, if that breaks down, I want to know before we send it out. Now, where are we?”
“We already know there’s an asteroid belt, so there’s potential for a resource operation. Sensor sweep underway. It looks like an old system. The star seems quite cold. Four planets, two big ones, two smaller. Looks like gas giants on the outside, the belt between them.” the sensor officer paused, a puzzled expression appearing on his face. “We… wait. We have something small orbiting the second planet.”
 
The frigate left the giant’s shadow, a view of the system opening before them. A star, two planets, two gas giants and a lethal asteroid belt. The frigate’s crew watched the second planet in astonishment as they made out lights on its dark side. With some difficulty, astrogation deck confirmed an artificial satellite orbiting the planet.
“Approach carefully. Take it slow, no subspace, but have the drive ready in case we found some xenophobes. Although gazing upon another clearly inhabited planet… I can’t say I would be passive if we suddenly found an alien ship in our system.”
The frigate’s engines burned, slowing its speed, sending it towards the inhabited planet.
 
[b]Gais, Narrev, 25 Mile Radio Dish Array[/b]
 
“What do you make of that?” asked Keail, one of the researchers at the radio dish array, to their fellow researchers. They hailed from universities all over the first world. There was a murmur across the room, as they recieved the radio transmissions. They were clearly not intended for the array, but they very well seemed deliberate. 
 
“Are you sure you’re receiving that right? Maybe it’s some kind of prank?” one of the researchers questioned. Keail nodded. “Maybe it’s another Cantor satellite? They don’t exactly tell us about those.”
“I think we’d recognize what they’re trying to say if that was the case. This seems more like structured gibberish,” another researcher commented.
“This has to be some kind of prank,” Keail concluded, “but I’ll keep an eye on it.”
 
[b]Gais high orbit, NFg Aggeris[/b]
“Indeed. That is a satellite, we can see it more clearly now.” The navigator pointed at the screen. “It looks… ancient, by our standards. Pre-unification at best. Are we sure it’s not just one of our probes and the lights aren’t just light refracting in the atmosphere?”
“Definitely not. Well, what can we do now? Send the first contact package.”
“Than what?”
“We wait and hope they can decypher it.”
The communications officer prepared the data package. It contained Narix alphabet and basics of their language, intended to help other species decrypt their language, albeit its simplified form.
“Sure, we found a satellite and some lights on a piece of rock, but of course they’ll learn our language within our lifetime, let alone a few hours.” the officer murmured as he started transmitting the package through all radio frequencies the Narix used.
“Now we wait. In the meantime, start composing a message for the folks back home, but do not send it yet. If we get to talk to aliens today, the first thing command would do is send half the first fleet here and I don’t think our nextdoor neighbours would take too kindly to that.”
 
[b]Gais, Narrev, 25 Mile Radio Dish Array[/b]
“Oh shit, oh shit. That’s definitely deliberate. Were you recording that? Tell me you were recording that. Get the National Defense Committee on the line,” rambled Keail, writing notes frantically. A collective unrest filled the room as the researchers began to get to work. They went to and fro, each doing their own work. Meanwhile, somebody called up the NDC. The researchers, as part of their tenure at the facility, answered to the NDC.
 
It didn’t take long for the government to arrive. NDC representatives and generals soon arrived at the facility. They watched over the researchers, when one of the token language experts on the team spoke up, saying, “I think I know what this is. This is definitely an alphabet. I think this may be a primer on a language, give me a few hours!”
 
The room filled with excitement, as researchers continued their respective duties. Meanwhile, more and more of the National Defense Committee showed up, bringing more and more of the military with them. One of the generals pulled aside the linguistics expert, “Make it snappy, the president is waiting for a report.”
 
More and more people continued to show up at the facility. A forward operating base was set up. Locals were restricted from the area. They brought in a team of linguistics experts, and various other people that were the finest they could find. They worked together with the original researchers, until finally they decoded the basics of the language.
 
A packet of information was prepared. The president of the Federated States approved a return message. It had taken two days, two days of little sleep, most of it on-site, but they had figured it out. The return message was sent.
 
“This is the Federated States of Narrev. We understand you. Meet us at the origin point of this message. Do not land anywhere else or we will be forced to take action.”
 
[b]Gais high orbit, NFg Aggeris[/b]
The Aggeris has been floating in space for days. Some crew members already gave up hope. It was the more infuriating because proof of life was within an arm’s reach, by interstellar standards. And yet, it’s been two days since they stopped transmitting the first contact loop.
 
The CIC was calm. The navigation officer had fallen asleep at his station. The XO sat in his chair, reading a book. Only the commander and communication officer were vigilant, although skeptical. That all changed when a light started blinking on the electronic warfare panel, letting the crew know of an intercepted transmission.
 
The communication officer perked up, staring at the light in disbelief. “Whoa, what?” he muttered sheepishly. He checked several times before he answered the commander’s questions. “They heard it. We have a return message.” he routed it to the PA speaker in the CIC. That woke everyone up.
“They say they understand. Let us see. Ask them for atmospheric density, composition, gravity and weather, if they can. Tell them we will send a shuttle if the conditions are suitable. Of course, I don’t expect to make sense of whatever units they measure it in, but it’s a start. Also, prepare the Scout, a team of marines and update the message to home. Await their response. Second in command, take the ship, I’ll be going down with the shuttle.”
 
It took a few minutes, but a response soon came from planetside. The units were in their native measurements, so of course it didn’t make any sense, but they did come with practical examples as well. While the practical examples weren’t airtight and precise, they gave an idea of a fairly earthlike planet.
 
“Scout pilots say it’s good enough to provide lift. Good, it will save up fuel. IR and radar countermeasures are loaded, radio wave absorbent paint is undamaged. That rock we hugged two days ago was apparently fairly soft and disintegrated on impact. Gravity will take some getting used to, it’s about two thirds of Naris. Pressure is good, but we can’t say if it’s breathable or not, so we’ll most likely stay buttoned up until we get a better idea. The Scout is fueled up and ready to go.”

[b]Gais, Narrev, 25 Mile Radio Dish Array[/b]
The black shuttle plummeted through the atmosphere, heading for the designated position at over four kilometers above ground level. Once they came close, the pilots cut throttles to minimum, slowing the shuttle below the speed of sound and circled the research station, looking for a suitable landing site. The pilot engaged the VTOL thrusters and set the ship down, the rear ramp facing the complex. The marines prepared themselves to be met with large numbers of hostile soldiers and the pilots were ready to close the ramp and lift off at a moment’s notice. One deep breath later, they opened the ramp and two marines, clad in black suits with exoskeletons over them to enhance their strength, carefully exited the shuttle.
 
The military frequency was alight with chatter as the shuttle was spotted. The FOB was set up like a spiderweb around the facility, camo netting, tents, and various other equipment scattered all about. There were plenty of soldiers, Staius carrying rifles that looked positively ancient by the marine’s standards. None of them opened fire, however, and one of the generals, flanked by a column of infantry, began to walk towards the shuttle, with a language attaché by his side.
 
“Contact, dead astern. Lost of them!”
“Not just astern, all around.”
“Trouble?”
“I… I don’t know.”
“Hold fire, whatever you do, do NOT raise your weapons unless something evil is pointing at you.”
The shuttle erupted with quiet chatter. Flanked by four men, visors dimmed, the Captain slowly set out and walked towards the approaching group. Most of them soldiers, he guessed, two looked different. He took time to look around. If things were to take the worst possible course of action, he took comfort in the fact the planet that would be his final resting place was at least a beautiful one.
 
He stopped about fifty meters from the ship and waited for the natives to come closer. If things went wrong, they could get back to the ship quickly, despite the gravity making him unsure in his step.
 
The natives continued to get closer, eventually stopping a fair talking distance away. The general spoke, though his language was indiscernible, and then the language attaché spoke too. This was much more understandable, if a bit rough, “We are the Staius. Who are you? Why are you here?”
 
The captain took a second to compose himself and then spoke, loudly, slowly and avoided complex words. “I am captain Daratar, commanding officer of the Aggeris, the vessel outside your atmosphere. We are members of the Narix Republic. We found your world accidentally while we were exploring the surroundings of our home.” He chose his words carefully, avoiding anything that would mention intersystem travel.
 
The general was about to speak again, when suddenly, behind them, a mobile SAM truck launched a missile far into the air. It was clearly not pointed at the shuttle or the aliens, but at something else instead. Soon, more missiles were launched.
 
It was not enough.
 
The area surrounding the shuttle lit up in a blaze of fire as missiles hit the FOB and the facility, though none explicitly hit the shuttle. All the Staius dived for cover, as gunfire sounded off in the distance. Within moments, the battle itself was met at the edge of the FOB, as a United Dumas attack force stationed within a neighboring country -- the array itself placed right at the edge of the land border -- had moved in.
 
The column of infantry behind the general moved into action, forming a protective wall around the general.
 
Some of the Narix soldiers watched the missile soar through the air. “What? A gun salute?” Soon, it was clear this was not under control. Projectiles, either cruise missiles or long-range artillery, hammered the base, sending dirt and debris flying through the air. The soldiers jumped to the ground and tried to get a general idea what was going on.
“Get away from the shuttle, scatter!” the squad leader shouted at his men who rushed out and sought cover in ditches and wherever provided at least some protection.
“Stay out of this, this is not our fight!” The captain called over short range radio, hoping their communication wasn’t jamming or otherwise interfering with something. As far as he could see, it looked like a different faction attacked those they established contact with. Have they landed in the middle of a war? The only thing that comforted him a little was knowledge the locals were able to contact his ship should they lose the dropship.
 
The battle was met, and the general was moved out of the vicinity. More soldiers flooded in from the rest of the FOB, but it was clearly evident that it wasn’t enough. Confusion ran rampant in the ranks, until a general retreat was called by the Federated States. The United Dumas battleforce continued to push inwards, with mechanized infantry and even minor armor support. They began to move towards the shuttle, United Dumas soldiers sprinting toward the ramp as the rest of the battleforce gave them cover.
 
The Narix saw the situation was getting grim. The other force, now approaching the shuttle, was closer than the Captain expected. His soldiers rose up and formed a semicircle between the shuttle and the unknown attackers. The captain activated his voice amplifier.
“We have no quarrel with you! Do NOT approach the ship or we will fire!” He did not think they would understand, but what more could he do? How to defend their lives and ship with just ten men and two pilots AND remain neutral? He expected a lot of different things, but not facing a small invasion force.
 
As suspected, they did not understand the aliens. They opened fire, as several of the shells seemed to randomly drop to the floor, limp. A tank even took it to themselves to open fire on the shuttle, an APDS round slamming into the side of the shuttle. The machine guns on the armored personnel carriers and top of the tanks also opened fire.
 
The APDS round punched clean through the side and torched the shuttle’s rear bay. The soldiers opened fire, their weapons sending pointed projectiles toward their targets at 1100 meters per second. But with all of their anti tank equipment, three rockets and two launchers, destroyed when the shuttle was hit, all resistance was futile. The only thing the Captain could hope for was the Aggeris. They would know something went wrong when they fail to return. They would bring more backup and the perpetrators of this attack would be dealt with. That was all he could hope for in his rage. With their only way to safety lost, their only option was to take as many as possible with them to their graves. The soldiers couldn’t do much before the machine guns and shrapnels found their way through the suits. One by one they fell. The captain’s last deed was a desperate attempt to link his suit with the shuttle and detonate the ordnance, but he was stopped by a bullet that tore through his suit, taking a chunk of his throat with it. Two minutes later, no Narix stood.
 
A counterattack by the Federated States was still too far away when the Narix fell. The battleforce stormed the shuttle, making quick work of the pilots, as the shells that had previously fallen randomly got back up, their electron brains returning. They attached the shuttle to an APC and loaded the fallen Narix inside, and began to drive away from the battlesite, making sure to leave a token occupation force to destroy the array entirely.
 
The Narrev counterattack made short work of the token occupation force, but by that time the shuttle and the bodies of the Narix were long gone. They soon relayed this to central command, who ordered a retaliation. It rapidly escalated from there, until fronts across the world had been opened up between the two sides. No nuclear ordnance had begun to fly, but open warfare was established.
 
When no contact has been established for a full day, the Narix knew something was wrong. A message detailing the known incident, from arrival to the shuttle’s departure, has been sent to Naris. Beyond that, everyone was in the dark. Unsure of the strength, allegiance of the hostile forces or if there even was a hostile presence, Narix military command dispatched a Retribution-class carrier, aided by two destroyers to the system between naris and the Gais system, and one of the destroyers, equipped with four marauder-class interceptors outfitted for reconnaissance, was sent in advance to learn more about the situation.
 
During that time, the Aggeris continued its attempts to contact both the lost shuttle and the unknown species, hoping to get more information and get a clearer picture of their situation. Eventually they did make contact, in the form of the astronaut returning from the moon. They had shuffled his orbit around until he was slingshotted right to the Narix’s ship’s position, where he pinged them with the radio.
 
“New message, sir! It’s close by, just a few hundred meters from us.”
The acting captain was furious. He stormed over to the console and started with in an angry voice.
“Would someone explain what is going on? We still haven’t made contact with our men. What happened, and think twice before you speak!” He didn’t know if he had been wrong to shout like this. For all he knew, the shuttle crashed on the planet. But why would the other side keep quiet?
 
The astronaut did not respond, but instead acted as a conduit between the ground and the shuttle. “This is Reaul control. The United Dumas attacked the landing site. The status of your men is unknown. We are working towards a recovery, but multiple open fronts have stalled such efforts. We simply can’t afford to plot an incursion to locate your men.”
 
The news struck hard. Not only were their comrades missing, but an attack on them meant something worse. Almost ninety years after the Unification War, the Narix people were once again thrown into war. This time, they did not fight each other. The enemy was unknown. Their strength, tactics, or ethics. It wasn’t the acting captain’s place to decide the next course of action. When he spoke again, fury was still present in his voice, albeit drowned out by sorrow.
“We want a map of this… United Dumas, or whatever is the empire called. Their borders and cities marked and whatever you can tell us about them.” He was overstepping the boundaries of his authority and logic itself, but just couldn’t help himself. “I am also letting you know that this is an act of war, and we will respond accordingly.” Tomorrow, 132 fighters would be present in this system. Predators, ready to pounce those that dared attack a peaceful mission. “Our forces will be able to provide assistance, but we cannot act in cooperation with you unless our assistance is requested. If it is not, we will take action on our own. I would once again caution you not to attack any Narix craft.” His anger was washed away by now, and the soldier within his mind took control again. There was no way they would be able to deploy all of their fighters, not for atmospheric operations, but the number itself could be a weapon too.
 
“Full copy on all, we will transfer maps to your ship. We will also pass along suspected locations of Duma missile silos. If we are to survive this war, they will need to be disabled before they can be used.” Reaul command returned.
 
The Narix Carrier was flanked by the two destroyers and the Aggeris, which was covered in construction scaffolding. Engineers in EVA suits were repairing the damage. One of them looked toward the carrier’s hangar just in time to see two pairs of marauders heading for the planet. The fighters had thick, stubby wings that generated lift in the atmosphere and served as radiators in space. More importantly, they served as hardpoints for the fighter’s primary weapons.These have been stripped, leaving only two rapid fire railguns for self defense. Below the fighter, where missiles were usually stored, was an aerodynamic case containing cameras, additional ladar set and radio jammers. They were going to scout the silo sites the natives have provided. More flights such as these were scheduled to launch soon. Risky to send so few fighters on a first mission. The commanders hoped it’s shape, radar-absorbent materials and shielded exhausts would be enough to fool the defenders. If not, there would be even more missing soldiers. Once targets were positively identified, larger groups of Raider-class heavy fighters equipped for CAS would be sent to strike at their enemy. An enemy unknown, yet already hated. News have been going only on deliberately leaked information. Not lies, merely incomplete information, was enough to get the public support. If the technological advantage proved sufficient, this war could be fought with very few resources expended. If not, they would have to land. And that would be very expensive, especially when it comes to lives.
 
The Carrier’s commander was unaware of any peace talks or planned cooperation with allied parties. If such plans were in the making, he would be told when he needed to know. Sure enough, however, many of the sites provided by the Federated States proved to have silos, though plenty proved to have nothing of interest nearby. However, the scout vehicles were soon pursued by Duma jet fighters, who launched missiles at the Narix ships.
 
“Red leader, spiked, seven o’clock.”
“Red two, break left, missile in the air!”
The pilot reacted quickly, launching flares and strips of aluminium foil to confuse the enemy radars. His number two, although a seasoned pilot, had little experience with atmospheric fighting. The missile struck the fighter, sending it tumbling down in two pieces. The other fighter turned to face their attackers and fired a short burst before he engaged boosters and climbed away from his pursuers. He would have to be picked up by a recovery craft later.
 
“It is clear that the enemy knows how to counter our stealth fighters. Their ordnance is also powerful enough to catch up to, hit and destroy a Marauder interceptor. It looks like both sides just lost their trump card. They showed us they can hit us and we showed ourselves to them.” The grim-faced Carrier commander said, overlooking the squadron leaders. “I have therefore asked for three squadrons of atmospheric bombers. They can carry much heavier ordnance and can be refitted to EW craft. Assuming the enemy is using radar to track us, we will be able to jam them. BUT, they are likely to possess similar technology.”
“Meaning we are stuck in an endless loop. We jam them, they jam our jammers, so we deploy more jammers to-”
“Yes.” the squadron leader was cut off by the commander. “We hope to break them by striking in unexpected places. Throw them off balance so the locals can fight their war. We are here to see what happened to our people and technology and to make sure no similar incidents happen again. The replacement bombers will arrive within the next few hours. We also await more news on the overall progress of the war.”