This is the first part of the first installment of the Rigadaz Trilogy. Look foward to the end of this story plus Abyss and Redemption fairly soon. I hope you enjoy. On a side note, the story was written for chapter by chapter submission, explaining the dramatic endings.
Three
Prologue
We were born on First Centuari, on February 12, 2120. Zach was born first, followed by Adam, and then, finally, me. We were triplets, the first set in the Rigadaz family. Zach was possibly the most normal of the three of us, but he was subject to violent mood swings. Adam was a very eccentric person, often very reckless. I was normally very silent and solitary, relishing time by myself, but slightly paranoid. Today, February 12, 2162 would have been our forty-second birthday. I will now detail all the events that led up to the destruction of my family. Our family members were important farmers, but our parents dreamed of roaming the stars. Little did they know that their dreams would come true very soon. The Voinian War started when we were nineteen. The United Earth government quickly recruited anyone they could, including my parents, brothers, and I. My parents signed on for the command crew of the U.E.S. Incontrovertible, flagship of the UE fleet. Zach was recruited into the Marines, and Adam became the pilot of one of the new UE Fighters. I, however, was a different case altogether. I became an elite member of United Earth Intelligence. Coincidentally, we all became vital members in the UE War effort.
Just a few months after the war started, I was attending the Academy for the the UEI. It was there that I learned that the Incontrovertible had been destroyed by a group of Voinian Warships while escorting an important freighter convoy. All aboard were killed in the explosion. Now I had a personal reason to fight the Voinians. But the loss of my parents was soon pushed to the back of my mind as I met the love of my life in the Academy. Her name was Voldess Sefor, my significant other, but she was a few years older than me. By the time we finished the Academy, we had fallen in love with each other. Before heading off to the Verril System to investigate the recent Voinian attack that had wiped out the colony of Verril Prime, I proposed to her. She accepted, and we were engaged. That was the last time I saw her. She was murdered by the Voinian scum while scanning the Dogovor system for a UE marine raid on Pax station. I was engulfed in hatred of the vile Voinians and was filled with an anger and resentment at the death of my fiance. I decided to get revenge on the Voinians, for both my parents and Voldess.
I participated in several covert operations over the years, learning how to decrypt Battle codes, until finally, the UE decided to perform another information raid on Pax station. I was the chief information officer of the team. During the mission briefing, I saw Zach, and was surprised to find that in almost eleven years he had risen to the rank of General and that he was commanding the operation. We set out for Pax station the next day in a captured Voinian Frigate. When we arrived, we were able to evade the small Voinian fleet in orbit above the station and land undetected. The Marines quickly stormed the station command center and killed the crew. At last, a decade later, my sweet Voldess had been avenged. After the room was cleared, I quickly downloaded the Voinian battle plans. That turned out to be the simple part. We sprinted back to the spaceport, dodging neutron gun fire. The team boarded the Frigate and we took off. Thanks to a few space mines, we made it back to Earth virtually unscathed. Upon analyzing the stolen data, we discovered the Voinians were planning a major offensive against Earth. This Information was given to UE High Command immediately.
The whole Sol system became a hive of activity in preparation for the coming attack. Days before the attack, I visited Luna, the fighter base, and found Adam. He had been promoted to commander and he was in charge of all fighters during the battle. General Zach Rigadaz was commanding the powerful ground based defensive weapons on Earth. I soon learned that my technical expertise would be used to decrypt the Voinian battle fleet codes. As preparations were finished, the air around the Sol system had become very nervous. Soon our nervousness would be expended on a Huge Voinian War Fleet.
The attack began two days early. Twenty Voinian Borb-class cruisers and fifty Frigates Jumped into the Sol system. The fight to save Humanity had begun. All UE fighters were launched from Luna while the UE Destroyers and Carriers warmed up their Blaze cannons. The battle was fast and furious. The ground based weapons tore through the Voinian Frigates. The fighters easily outmaneuvered their Voinian counterparts and destroyed them. UE Destroyers and Carriers devastated many Voinian Cruisers. Within the first day, I had already decrypted the Battle codes. At Zach's direction, the Ground based blaze cannons destroyed the Voinian Flagship. Adam took out one Cruiser and two frigates by himself. After five grueling days, the pitiful remains of the Voinian fleet retreated. Humanity had won! The three of us were awarded for our outstanding service to the Human race.
After the Battle of Sol, things in the UE military slowed down. Within a year Zach, Adam, and I had all resigned from our Positions. We started a trading enterprise, Sefor Trading Co., named after my beloved Voldess. We had become highly successful, making millions in our fist year. It was about this time, a little more than five years after the battle of Sol had ended when I believe all our problems really started.
Chapter 1
Adam and I were sitting on the bridge of the Eye of Sefor, A heavily modified freight-courier and the the flagship of our business, holding another one of our frequent arguments. "We can't just sit here on some stupid merchant ship for the rest of our lives. We were important members of the UE military, and now we have been reduced to lowly traders. I don't know about you, but I want some action," Adam was complaining again.
"It is not my fault you chose to resign. We are a very successful company. In one year we make more money than most people will ever see in their lifetimes. I think I've seen my share of death and destruction anyway; I don't feel up to participating in any more," I tried to explain to him.
"There is nothing wrong with trading goods, but we need to do something else. Just two months ago Saki Gremstinn, a merchant captain and smuggler went exploring and discovered four new civilizations. Why can't we do anything other than brainless trading," said an annoyed Adam.
"I'm sure were all familiar with the Miranu and the strands, we have several of their technologies incorporated into this ship, but..." Just at that moment, Lieutenant Jason Marsh, the commanding bridge officer, stepped in.
"I'm sorry to bother you, but we have just gotten word that the Voinians have been pushed back. A group of former Voinian slaves and your old friend, the newly promoted Vice Admiral d'Erlon, are responsible for this great accomplishment. d'Erlon has requested that you all join him on the newly captured Outpost Sigma," said the lieutenant.
"Thank you Lieutenant. Please inform Zach we will be departing from this crummy planet. I want us to be in the air in one hour. Set course for the Obron system now. I'll be in my quarters," I explained.
Zach arrived soon and we were in the air. I returned to the bridge of the Eye to monitor the jump. Just before we made it out of Huron's gravity field, a large renegade fleet jumped out of hyperspace right on top of us. I knew the Huron militia could not do much in this situation, after all, they had just gained their independence from the United Earth Government. Zach took control of the situation quickly though. "Put the engines into emergency mode. Fire all Phase cannons at the nearest Turncoat. Launch the crescent fighters immediately," Zach barked at the crew.
The battle turned out to be rather short. Only a few Kraits and one Helian were destroyed before the whole fleet retreated. This was rather suspicious activity. Usually, renegades tried to plunder weaker ships before jumping out. I didn't know it then, but I now believe that the renegades were paid by the Voinians to determine if the Eye was going to the former Outpost Obron or not. However, the rest of our journey to the supposed safety of Outpost Sigma was event less. As we initiated the Hyperspace engines, I was drawn into yet another endless debate with Adam. At least this time, Zach was there to back me up.
Despite the pointless bickering between the three of us, the journey to Outpost Sigma went quickly. In no time we had landed on the second docking ring of the station. Vice Admiral d'Erlon was waiting for us on the platform. "N'est ce pas? I have an interesting proposition for you, one which I'm sure you will accept. We will..." Just then, a siren split the air.
"Not again," d'Erlon muttered under his breath.
It was a Voinian reprisal attack. The three of us headed back towards the Eye while the rest of the crew headed for their UE Destroyers and Carriers. The Vice Admiral boarded his new UE Cruiser, the U.E.S. Sigma, and we prepared for battle.
It was an impressive fleet, made up of one Cruiser and six frigates. But with the Sigma on our side, the battle went quickly. The Eye took on the Cruiser, her fighters systematically attacking their Voinian counterparts. The Sigma destroyed four of the Voinian Frigates, while the other UE ships destroyed the two remaining frigates. As the Sigma's fighters finished off the rest of the Voinian Heavy fighters the rest of our ships landed back on Outpost Sigma.
It was Vice Admiral d'Erlon who greeted us again. "Now where was I, oh yes," d'Erlon continued as if nothing had happened. "We will be performing an attack on the Capital system of Voinia. We hope to utterly annihilate the Voinians and capture all of their territory as a fait accompli with your help. I know you have previously resigned from your service to the UE, but this is a vital mission. One thing I'm sure we don't want is a repeat of Major Richard Amerstad's expensive private war against the serial killer Josh Kelfriar. Adam, my old friend, you can pilot an advanced UE fighter. General Rigadaz, I would like you to lead a force of marines to take over Borb station, and eventually destroy it. Igor, you are to be the chief strategist. I will get you anything that will help make your mission a success for the United Earth Fleet."
"I think that after a few weeks I should Have a perfect strategy to divert the Voinians from our mission," I mused.
"That is as much as I can ask of you. As long as this mission is successful, we will Triumph over the Voinians." Said d'Erlon.
Now that I look back on it, I think that the Vice Admiral was wrong. This mission did not start the decline of the Voinian's, It started the end of the Rigadaz family.
Chapter 2
We were in the briefing room of Outpost Sigma one month later. I had finally decided on a new strategy to use against the Voinians, and I was preparing to inform d'Erlon of it. However, my plan would have to wait a few hours. As the Vice Admiral stepped into the room, he was almost immediately called away. When he came back less than three hours latter, he was ready to hear my ultimate plan. "The idea behind it is simple. Designate one UE fighter, piloted by none other than Adam, to jump into the system and launch missiles at the nearest Cruiser, and then use his fighter's superior speed to reach the other end of the system. As most Voinian ships are chasing the fighter, A UE destroyer, and a Cruiser will jump in. The destroyer will be cloaked. I will command the cruiser to destroy all Voinian vessels near Borb station, and provide cover while the destroyer docks with the station, and it's marines, under the command of Zach, will quickly destroy the station. Hopefully, the wreckage of the station will devastate the world below." I explained simply.
"That is good, now, what will you need to accomplish this strategy?" asked d'Erlon.
"Well, I need a UE cruiser with Voinian technology to begin with. That includes turrets, guns, and armor. It should also be equipped with crescent shielding and sensors, but leave the fighters. The enhanced UE fighter needs all crescent technology, pursuit missiles and phase cannons. All three ships need cloaking devices, especially the destroyer. I'll assume the marines have already been supplied," I stated.
"That's all well and good. A brilliant plan. I wish I could see the look on the Voinian's faces. It will probably take a few extra weeks for me to acquire some of those items, but anything to destroy the Voinians will be made available to you. I hope for your sake that this idea works well enough that none of the three of you will lose your lives. I will submit a request for your items immediately," exclaimed the Vice Admiral. After that d'Erlon soon left. It was at that moment that I started to wonder why he had been called away before our meeting. This one mystery would soon be solved.
After a period of approximately two weeks, The Vice Admiral had all of our tools ready for us. The cruiser, the U.E.S. Dominant, was the first United Earth warship to be equipped with Voinian and Crescent technologies. Under the command of captain Mykal Forse, a newly trained cadet from the UE naval Academy and a brilliant officer. He was the brightest in his class and had achieved the highest score possible in the simulator. He also looked strangely familiar to me, though I was sure I had never seen him before. I would later learn why he looked so similar to someone I knew. But as we prepared to leave the outpost, similarities were pushed out of my head as I readied myself for war. As the Dominant was about to take off, d'Erlon gave me a comm call. He wanted to inform me about why he had been called away before our briefing. "The Voinians have issued a new directive against all alien species. They claim to have a new secret weapon to use against the Humans and Emalgha. Bon chance, Igor," Vice Admiral d'Erlon said before hanging up.
This was something new to think about. What could be the Voinian super weapon? The UE government had already destroyed the Voinian dreadnought, that single ship had practically bankrupted the Voinian empire. I couldn't really think of anything that would be worse than the dreadnought. In a few days I would find out. However, in the meantime I would be talking with my new bridge officer, Mykal Forse. "Sir, this strategy will not work on the Voinians. Paranoid as they are, I'm sure that they will expect more than one UE fighter to jump in..." Mykal started to say.
"Yes, I understand that. But the fact that I modified the fighter to fire crescent weapons should convince them that this is an independent pilot. I used to work for United Earth intelligence, I learned these things in my service," I explained.
"Really," exclaimed the young captain. "I had a sister that used to work for UEI too, but she was killed during the Voinian war. I don't really remember her too well though because I was very young at the time. Her name was Voldess, I think. After her death, my family changed our name to protect us."
"Voldess Sefor!? We were engaged before she died. I thought you looked familiar. I've been looking for her family for years now." I smiled fondly in remembrance of my deceased fiance, Voldess.
We were traveling through hyperspace to the Svass system. When we arrived, Adam launched his fighter and we waited for Zach's destroyer to show up. After a few minutes the UE vessel appeared, and we jumped out quickly. We were about to take the war back to the Voinians.
After spending a day in hyperspace, we finally arrived in the capital system of Voinia. When I scanned the system, I found that my plan had succeeded, and most of the Voinian vessels were pursuing Adam. There was a Frigate guarding the planet, but Captain Forse directed our neutron turrets to destroy it. We waited for the cloaked destroyer to dock with the station. While we waited, Adam's fighter jumped out of the system, diverting the Voinians back to us. Just then Borb station blew up, and an uncloaked UE destroyer retreated. As we were about to leave, a huge Voinian fleet arrived in the system. It was a trap.
(This message has been edited by moderator (edited 10-31-2001).)