Fisrt journey chapter 33

Chapter: 33 Trouble in Paradise If Hel be pleasure The Nogoll was one of the original mammalian life form and intelligent species of the Upward Core Sector of the Milky Way Galaxy. The Nogoll developed from a mountain-dwelling four-legged mammalian life form on The Nog. Having no outside contacts ascended on their own, and established a small but well designed seven-star system sphere of influence with seven Colonies. Approximately 7500 years ago, the Kermac made the first contact with the Nogoll. The Kermac used their Psionic powers to secure the Nogoll into one of their Thrall civilizations. Unlike most Thrall species, the Nogoll did not harbor resentment of the Kermac and welcomed the technological advances and also the Tasks the Kermac asked the Nogoll to perform. The Nogoll quickly became the premier Enforcers for the Second Galactic Council. The Nogoll a highly trusted Thrall species suppressed a part of their species (the white Nogoll), and also occupied several other species home planets. The first significant battle using Nogoll Forces against Union assets during the 4th galactic war. The Kermac's premier War thrall species invaded and occupied the world of Guayas, as resupply depot for a direct attack on Sol and Terra. Union Marines engaged Nogoll forces on the ground and ended the occupation in a bloody surface battle. Ever since relations, especially with the Nogoll, were frosty to say it mildly. The 4th Intergalactic War ended with an armistice and the stipulations that made the Star systems: Arsenal, Lighthouse, Alaska and Factory (all deep in Galactic Council territory) Union systems and for Union ships to reach them the Corridor was established and right through Nogoll space. The famous Nogoll Trespass incident during the summer of 5015, where Nogoll forces trespassed across Freespace to assist a large Dai-Than fleet in attacking Union assets in Union Space. (The Battle is known as the Prometheus Nebula Battle of 5015.) To prevent a Union attack them, the Kermac declared that the Nogoll acted without their authority and disavowed them. The Union responded to an aide call of the Elly and assisted the Yokuta. Ealy Sluper, the commandant of the 28th superb battle group, was certain he was witnessing the extinction of his species and he wondered what he could do to prevent that. He once commanded over a thousand of the finest Nogoll Battleships, shiny eight hundred meter giants, the very pinnacle of Nogoll technology along with the finest equipment of other Galactic Council civilizations. Now he retreated with eighty units from the Arlicherb system, barely escaping the terrible onslaught of Union power. Arlicherb Colony had been the pride of the Nogoll kingdom. It was once a beautiful world. The natives gladly served the Nogoll, as had the Nogoll served the Kermac. The Nogoll did not need to be controlled by Kermac Psionics. They were pleased they had a powerful master with a plan for galactic domination. It was a shock to the Nogoll to be suddenly expelled from the Galactic Council, just because of a small mistake of the Commandant of the 56th. He would not be held accountable, being one of the casualties of the Union during the battle of the retreating Dai Than. The Kermac had abandoned the Nogoll, and unlike the Union, the Nogoll did not have instantaneous communication, it took weeks for the news to reach every Nogoll world and ship. It was not Captain Erberbs fault as he questioned and then attacked a convoy of Union Freighters approaching the Inos System, previously within GC controlled space. Captain Erberbs did not realize that things had changed. The Elly always had an eye on the entire Inos System a source of dispute between the Nogoll and Elly for many centuries. The System almost equidistant to both the Elly and Nogoll homeworlds sported not one but four rich garden worlds in addition to three rock worlds especially rich in boron and rare earth. While both the Elly and the Nogoll were Galactic Council it was no problem, the Kermac decided rightly in favor of the Nogoll and gave the Nogoll 4 planets, and the Elly got three. The Elly under Psionic control were allowed to mine the rare earth for the Nogoll. The Union, however, took this as a welcomed excuse to retaliate with such excessive harshness by attacking all Nogoll forces in the system and orbital bombing two of the colony worlds that the Nogoll First Billie had no choice but to declare war against the Union. It would be a short war, Ealy was sure of that. Even with the combined might of all GC allies, it would have been difficult, but standing alone against the Union was nothing short of self-inflicted genocide. One of his aides had handed him the latest intelligence report. While the Nogoll were fighting for survival, this conflict barely made the Union News! Of course, they could do the same as some of the White Nogoll did many years ago and join the Union, but that was not his decision to make and as long as the First Billie and his government told him to fight he would do so to the very end. He was certain that Syeal of the Itsna Dynasty, the current first Billie would never consider Union Membership or offer surrender for he was an Itsna through and through, proud, stubborn and narrow-sighted. Earlier, he wondered how his four Nannies on Arlicherb fared. Would they try to fight, commit suicide, or be slaughtered by Orbital Assault Marines? His heart cramped, and he wished he could stay and fight to the last ship, but he had to be a commander and warrior first. Regroup in the Ontbe-system which was the rally point of the Nogoll fleets. Ontbe was the last of two systems before The Nog, their home system, and place of the holy mountain. The plan was to make the battle a costly one for the Union and then perhaps negotiate a truce, and not accept an outright defeat. Sluper had no delusions, for he knew his enemy well. They would attack The Nog soonest. He knew the immortal warrior was a man of action and if not attacking The Nog presently, would be there shortly. The warrior was methodical, and he would attack Ontbe and Erba before taking The Nog last. Once more, he glanced at the Intelligence report. It was merely a Union Fleet News report, printed out over Trans Light Fax intercepted from the Elly, who still used the same communication technology as the Nogoll. Sluper always thought the TLFAX was an enormous technological achievement, able to send reports and messages over 20 light-year distance in only eight hours until he heard that every Union citizen could talk to anyone else in the Union, post pictures and data over any range instantaneous. He found the first mention of the Nogoll war on page eight of the report. It read: After the Nogoll attack on Union assets, ships and civilians in the Inos System the Nogoll declared war upon the United Stars of the Galaxies and battle against the Elly. Fleet Command decided to let the newly appointed Rear Admiral Flegel deal with the Nogoll. Even though there are voices in Union Fleet command were criticizing the decision to commit almost two percent of sector assets to the fray. From his vacation on Para-Para, the Immortal Admiral Stahl however expressed complete confidence in Admiral Flegel's abilities to deal with the Nogoll and welcomed the conflict as an opportunity to test new equipment in battle conditions. Fleet Command agrees this to be a perfect opportunity to test the new Gazelle Long range fighters and the new Cerberus XI robots. First reports on the new Orbit to Surface cluster bombs are very satisfactory. Commandant Sluper crushed the pages between his fingers. They did not even take this war serious! The Nogoll would disappear forever, wiped off the galactic stage by a giant and sold out by another. Sluper turned to his Helm Officer, "Set course to Kermac Prime! Signal the course change to all remaining ships and go to full speed." Then he said to his tactical officer."Prepare the planetary bombers for launch as soon as we reach Kermac Prime. The Nogoll will die and vanish, but not without making those pay who sold us out!" Ealy did not make it to Kermac Prime he had received an order from the First Billie to head for the Tilbahr dust cloud and await orders. The Tilbahr cloud was fourteen light-years from The Nog and within TLFAX range. His reconnaissance units reported that the Kermac primary system was swarming with Kekall and Hythagh Battle Ships. The Kermac obviously had prepared for such an eventuality. His orders had him miss out on the big battle in the Ontbe System. Only a handful of small courier ships had made it out and joined them here at this secret Nogoll rally point. The survivors told him that the new Rear Admiral had the Ontbe System surrounded by destroyers, frigates, and Thor Gun Boats used long-range sniper Translocator fire and fast Fighter attacks without committing his capital units. Instead, the battleships attacked Erba and 'The Nog' simultaneously. There were no news of Erba or 'The Nog,' Erba was just one planet and a handful of ships. The Nog was the Nogoll homeworld. It was where the Holy Mountain was. The reconnaissance ships he had sent to reconnoiter around 'The Nog,' had not returned. He was close enough for TLFAX, but his coded messages went unanswered. Then four hours ago an order arrived: "All remaining independent Nogoll forces, 'The Nog' has fallen. Foreign troops desecrated The Holy Mountain and the bones of the Ancestors grounded into dust under the boots of Union Marines.  I am Syeal the 2nd of the Itsna Dynasty, and I am the last. Hear my final order, the sacred wishes of the first Billie: Fight! Seed terror and death among our enemies. Make them whisper the name Nogoll with fear and remember it for generations!" Shortly after a second TLFAX message came: "This is Asril, chosen of the White Nogoll, I am the temporary military governor of 'The Nog.' The Nogoll rebels of Erba confirm the end of the Itsna dictatorship. Hagurr, the poet and dissident, was successfully freed from state prison. He agreed to lead our kind until free elections can be held to choose a Billie for all Nogoll, black, brown, or white. We know that there are still Nogoll forces out there, you have no supply bases, and your old government no longer exists. Come home, lay down your weapons and help in the process of building a new free Nogoll society and a free 'Nog.' You will be treated fair and face no harm or shame. However, all Units and Nogoll troops that do not surrender and continue to fight will be considered criminals and  enemies and will face a military tribunal upon capture." Ealy opened ship to ship. "Traitors! White Nogoll in charge of the Nog, traitors! Hagurr that pacifistic weakling who could not attract a single nanny now wants to be first Billie, traitors! Syeal the second has not surrendered and gave us an order! We will fight and carry out his will to the last ship and Billie!" His scanner operators confirmed the approach of Union ships. They needed to hide, wait for the moment and strike at soft targets, not slug it out with a space fleet in open combat. Only two ships made it out of the Dust cloud. All that remained was hate and revenge. He planned to go back to Arlicherb. Sneak in with a dozen small boats, hideout in the old mountain base and make the Union and the traitors pay with acts of terror."