09:40 February 17, 2298 (military calendar)

AXANAR B298A BINARY STAR SYSTEM, TICONDEROGA COLONY

CITY OF NEW ALEXANDRIA, NORTHERN CONTINENET

Admiral Forest sat in the chair in front of the grave of Barnes. After nearly a week of no contact, their probe picked up a section of their hull, along with massive debris. They declared the ship officially lost with all hands. He watched as the honor guard took the flag of the UEC with Earth in the corner, folded it, and handed it to his son Drake, he was tearing up, any person would. He probably was, if he was a kid, but he was a hardened veteran. Years of training and experience made him not afraid of death, or to be affected by a fallen comrade, it's what is taught to those who enter the military, people die. Admiral Forest stood up as Barnes empty casket was placed in the ground and walked over to his son.

"Hello Drake." He looked up at him, trying to be strong, like his father. "When your older – "

"I'm going to join the military and get revenge for my father."

02:45 February 28, 2298 (military calender)

DELTA OMEGA, G-TYPE STAR SYSTEM, UNINHABITED PLANETS

UEC HEAVY BATTLE CARRIER – 798 "SPIRIT OF ENDURANCE

Barnes sat up from bed, he looked over at the photo of his wife and kids. He was doing this for them. For one thing, they need to stop the insurrectionists from going after other helpless planets, and other fleets. To many have died in the war – the said the war was officially over 22 years ago, but it was a armistice agreement, but the Insurrectionists never abided by it. Many believed if the UEC let them go they would stop, but they wouldn't, they only wanted what they wanted, they didn't just want freedom. They wanted to take over all the inhabited worlds under their name. That's one thing they couldn't do. Barnes looked up from his bed when he heard the knocking on the door. He stood up and opened it. Specialist Kellen was standing there.

"Evening?"

"More like Morning. I didn't want to wake you through the intercoms." Barnes nodded and she walked in and took a seat on his couch.

"What is it?"

"Well, I've been pouring over the information of that weapon we came across at Drekicon, and I think I know how it works."

"Let me see." She slid the holographic projector and turned it on. The footage of the weapon appeared in front of him.

"The weapon is a molecular disruptor. The way it works is that it cancels out the electron field around the atoms, essentially its disrupting the molecular bonds between atoms, as well as the protons and neutrons. When it is activated that massive energy field is enough to do it. The energy it requires is enormous."

"So how the hell are they doing it?"

"I think they harvested a rare element not on the periodic table for a reason. It's called Atomicanium. It's the most stable element ever discovered, and the energy it produces is astronomical. The reason it's not known, is because when it gets destabilized it can theoretically cause a sun to go super nova."

"So, what the hell do we do? If they have that weapon, everyone is at risk, not just us, but all people."

"I think we can trace the resonance trail from the weapons fuel."

"Do it." Specialist Kellen stood up and nodded. "Hopefully if we destroy this they will think twice."

"If we do it, we're going to need a big-ass bomb." Barnes nodded and she started walking down the hallway.

"We already have one." She said back. What eve she meant he wasn't going to like it. "But first, you might want to tell Admiral Forest out plan, and what type of bomb we're going to want to use."

"What type of bomb are you talking about Lieutenant?"

"When I finished the examination of the weapon-ship's structure, it's at least 2 times the size of the ship, and the ship's hull plating is anti-plasma, it would take at least 14 nukes to be able to cripple it. Our ship can only take one. The only option I see, is that we use our FTL as a makeshift bomb."

"Then we'll be stuck."

"But we'll be saving thousands, if not millions of people, Sir."

"If we do this, I want the crew to help make the decision. It must be unanimous. We all have families."

"I know sir. Even I don't like the sound of it."

"I'll consider it, but – first I need to contact Admiral Forest, tell them if we do this, we'll be home late by a couple hundred years."

"Aye Sir. The closet available stations in ESU Ragnar Anchorage Ammunition Depot. It's still considered active. Last time I checked the handbook, it still carries ammunition, plenty of shells, 9 nukes, and the old subspace array is still active, but I'll need to scrub up on it." Barnes nodded and looked at the XO, Jarvin he was shaking his head.

"Sir, anchoring a ship there is a super-bitch. It's a rogue planet. It's a gas giant, surrounded by a dense EM storm. The Radiation will fry the sensors, the only way we will be navigating is by DRADIS."

"I'm aware of that Colonel. It might be a super-bitch, but it's the only way that we can contact the fleet, refuel, and rearm."

"Aye, Sir."

"Specialist, plot a hyper light jump to there. Outside of the radiation storm."

"Got it sir."

09:23 45 February 28, 2298 (military calender)

EPSILON DELTA, UNITED EARTH COALITION CONTROLLED SPACE

MERIDIAN II, NON-AGGRESSIVE TREATY IN EFFECT

The day was worm, calm, and bustling as always. Like every day, there were children playing, adults working and getting food from the local market, and teens at school. They were a non-aggressive planet, they only worked for themselves, not the UEC or the ESU, they didn't want to get involved, so they remained neutral, no ships can visit but their own, and civilian. A young boy, only around six, was staring up at the sky watching cargo vessels take off to supply the nearby colonies, both UEC and ESU. He marveled at the large machines as they entered the atmosphere. What he like the most was the large ship that was coming into a low orbit. In that moment, there was a large flash as something appeared out of the ship. It struck the ground, in front of him he saw buildings topple, and the ground shift. There was a long break in it, and he felt suddenly light. He looked down at his hands and they started to blow away like all the people around him, there was no pain, but he didn't feel right. It started to speed up, and in seconds that boy was no longer.

On board the ESU "Dreadnaught" the crew watched as the planet began to destabilize, instead of imploding it slowly blew away from the cosmic rays of the sun. Captain Archer looked at the result of the weapon.

"Sir, we had a 90% of the planets molecular structure came apart. 10% better than the last time. I believe we have efficacy to get the UEC to surrender."

"No, not yet. We need to know whether the Supreme Commander will allow us to. He wants to try negotiations first."

16:50 February 31, 2298 (military calendar)

RAGNAR ANCHORAGE AMMUNITION DEPOT AND REFULING STATION

UEC HEAVY BATTLE CARRIER – 798 "SPIRIT OF ENDURANCE"

Commander Barnes walked into the Ragnar Anchorage station. It has been a deactivated station since the late 2100's. The war had just begun and the station has since served as emergency supplies only, and they had communications with others like it. They walked to the old command station. He looked at the old antiquated technology, the stations communication array had just been taken back online, and the system was last upgraded in 2234. The communication is a mark I sub-wave its 10 times slower, and the condition of communication is only text to text. Barnes looked around the entire command station, there were all old analog computers. It wasn't until 2243 that they created the new version of computing replacing the silicon based processors. Essentially the computers are not compatible with the Spirit.

"Powering up the array." After several seconds on the computer screen a simple script appeared.

"It requires a code sir." Said Kellen. She typed in several lines of code. The want your command codes, and the emergency code line

"Command Code, 69987243-Alpha-JB, emergency – 19874AJ230948 It's transmitting?"

"Yes Sir." Barnes looked over his shoulder at the computer console, looking at the command line. After several minutes the computer showed up with the words: MESSAGE RECEIVED. "It doesn't have a voice carrier, but it uses old tone and word. Barnes nodded.

"Tell them, that our ship is intact. We are going after the ESU Weapon. And that we are going to either try and destroy it with either every nuke we have. Or we will detonate our FTL drive"

"Transmitting. Doesn't that mean we're going dark?"

"Without a communication array? Yes."

"Sir, we have a response."

"What does it say?" Barnes was looking over her shoulder anyway, but she could read it as it went.

"Receipt of Message. Understood, hope to see home eventually. We will tell your families you are alive, but going on a risky mission. Good luck – Admiral Forest" Barnes knew that they would do that, the UEC knows that when a ship is missing, either they have turned, or dead.

"Tell them. Tell them, we hope to see you when we get back."