Chapter 56: The Third Chain

After multiple checkpoints and enormous traffic, Jake and his crew finally arrived at the Carter System.

The Carter system was quite different compared to systems outside the chain. It was developed extensively, be it the planets, asteroids and even its star.

The intention was a system capable of supporting and defending itself independently, a plan of sorts developed in the decades following humanity's widespread colonisation of systems.

Project Autarky, though not compatible with the current government and its systems, due to its complexity could be developed if one were to separate each system.

Thus the Chains were established, enabling humanity to possess a system-wide complete border which could be defended for a long time, and if each system could function independently, it would mean a chain within a chain, a layer of defence that very few empires or species would want to confront.

This was true as soon after the creation of the first chain, information had reached many empires within the Galactic Council of the GOE's chain strategy.

Most were unimpressed, remarking the strategy as a way for the humans to cope with their inferior technological abilities.

The smaller and weaker species in the Galactic Council dared not to praise the humans lest the others start viewing them differently, after all, Humanity was not distinctly liked by the elites of most Empires though their populations held indifference.

Only the Thraxian Empire and its allies held deep hatred and hostility towards the humans for its devastating and embarrassing loss to their hands.

The Kreedian Empire, a large empire in its sector were the only ones to personally test the chain system at the invitation of the GOE.

The first chain, although nothing compared to now, was used as the primary objective in a top-secret Military operation between the GOE's Navy and Army and the Kreedian Defense Force.

From initial analytics, the chain system and its defences looked simple and easy, with multiple flaws and weak points.

The Kreedian Command was assured of rapid victory and minimal casualties, something which is often stated yet never achieved however still it seemed highly likely due to the massive technological and societal gap.

The first reports received by the Kreedian High Command shocked them. The initial invasion which focused on a multiple-system invasion had been bogged down, with invasion forces unable to capture the initial objectives.

Losses were not inherently high to be considered dangerous yet the invasion was tremendously slow.

Another unexpected fact was that Human losses were tiny, something unfamiliar to the type of warfare humanity was waging. High Tech Guerilla warfare waged by humanity was extremely effective in stopping the invaders.

It took a long time for the Kreedians to capture the initial systems, yet when they moved onto the neighbouring ones, the process repeated itself albeit even more difficult to crack.

As this process continued for several decades in terms of simulations, humanity seemed to be carrying on, its civilian population largely unaffected, and its military largely unstressed as its loss rate was well under the effective replenishment rate.

Even the Kreedian Empire was unbothered with its economic situation going steady.

The Kreedian military although a little winded looked fine from the outside, yet tiny micro fractures in its ranks which unless personally witnessed would never be spotted appeared, something which was the main goal of the Chain strategy from the start.

A century more had passed and the Kreedians continued their invasion. Although weary, the Kreedian high command and its military continued its invasion which seemed to grow slower every engagement.

A few decades later, the moment that the GOE waited for, occurred. A complete failure of attacks on all fronts over an entire year led to an uprising among several field commanders.

These commanders and their troops, tired and weary immediately retreated back to Kreedian borders. The number however was small and although a little worried, the high command easily replaced the retreating troops.

Yet this is where the tables turned.

The GOE-N immediately launched a counter invasion shocking the frontline troops who were used to the guerilla warfare they had been fighting for almost 150 years.

Massive retreats collapses and defeats were inflicted by the GOE-N and for the first time the Kreedian military had felt pressure.

Immediately the Kreedian economy was shifted into overdrive and a war economy was instilled. Calculations had shown that Kreed would remain relatively unaffected for quite some time and a little hiccup would not be a bother.

The results were a terror to every Kreedian general participating in the simulation with humanity.

Not even a year after the Kreedian economy shifted to a war economy...

The empire had collapsed.

The military which appeared in perfect health was unmasked as a worn-out suffering mad beast which destroyed itself and took out a large chunk of Kreed as it turned its attacks backwards.

This event led to an extremely radical societal thinking as 70% of Kreedian citizens had turned into radicals opposing the government.

The war, although long and slow with minimal effects had snowballed into a pit which when realised by the Kreedian high command, became a shadow of death which gorged on the empire and wilted in front of their eyes.

The end of the simulation after 250 years was a complete human victory and a complete erasure of the Kreedian Empire and its people reduced to an extinct state.

It was then the Kreedian Empire realised humanity's dominance and threat to the system as a whole. From then they tried instilling even deeper relations with the GOE, terrified to become an enemy of it.

The Simulation although a massive source of pride and value to the GOE was locked away and hidden by both species as its advantage in the future was essentially a weapon of mass destruction on the galactic stage.

Kreed had predicted human dominance in the future and decided it would rather not stand in front of the unstoppable force which seemed to possess no equal.

"Jake...Jake...wake up!" Jake groggily opened his eyes as he looked at Lyra who was trying to get him out of bed.

*Yawn* "Lyra...what is it?" Jake asked as he lay in bed.

"We just passed through the Hyperlane, we're here!" Lyra excitedly spoke.

Before reaching their destination, Jake decided it would be best if they got a full rest so that they could spend as much time in the Carter system.

Jake looked over to see Aria in a deep sleep next to him. Although there were more than enough rooms, Aria felt most comfortable sleeping next to her brother, a habit she had gotten used to since leaving Naru.

Aria was initially hesitant to ask to sleep with Jake, not wanting to embarrass herself for acting like a child. Jake didn't mind as the Captain's quarters featured a large bed.

Not wanting to be left out, Lyra would also join them, especially after Jake's confession to her, Lyra became more bolder and got even closer to Jake, much to the irritation of Aria.

"Aria, wake up. Lyra said we are here." Jake slowly shook Aria's shoulders as he also woke up.

"Hmm, wha-what?" Aria woke up with a sleepy expression as she looked around, seeing Jake and Lyra getting up.

"What's going on Jake?" Aria asked calmly as she rubbed her eyes.

"We're through the Hyperlane sis, we are in the Carter System." Jake gave an excited expression.

"Wash up and meet me at the deck. Have to plan our next destination." Jake said from the bathroom after quickly changing clothes.

He casually walked over to his sister and gave her a peck on her lips, something their mother did with all her children.

"Love you, sis." Jake smiled at her before following Lyra to the commander's deck.

Aria meanwhile struggled to control herself, the last few months and Lyra's change in behaviour had her emotions rising and her youth in full swing.

'You can do this Aria, just a little longer.' Aria calmed her rapidly beating heart.

She woke up heading to the bathroom to fix herself up.

20 minutes later, the trio had plotted their route to the Mir Station, a GOE habitat that was initially sent with the Colony ship by the GOE centuries prior.

The station looked upon as a piece of living history, has had many upgrades to its systems and size as it was expanded to accompany the rapidly increasing population.

The Mir Station occupied the orbit of Carter 2, the official administrative world of the Carter system.

Jake followed the system lanes toward the large station. The station, which looked like a large cylinder for its main body, was accompanied by large rotating rings at the bottom and top of the station.

Multiple vessels left and entered the station, the rate of traffic far greater than what the trio had ever seen.

Hours went past as the celestial Mariner stood in the waiting queue for entry into Mir station.

"I can't believe they're making us wait." Lyra shouted angrily as her frustration built up.

Jake and Aria tried contacting the Mir station explaining their job, but were still told to wait.

Finally, after another few hours, they were given access to land at the Station.

(This was quite odd from the station, there must be a reason for their behaviour.) The Atlas spoke.

'You think?' Jake asked as he was frustrated as well.

(Let's ask them ourselves when we land.)