The Evon Experience
by Alex Poff

Chapter 5 The Liberation of Draconis

Tovam followed orders and proceeded directly to the “dark” system at maximum warp. Before leaving the Draconis system, he was able to relay a message to the Alkari on Draconis I that freedom and liberation would soon be at hand. The “Red Alert – Proximity Warning” signal rang once more upon entering the system, but Tovam expected what he found. Charging headlong at his nine TF fleet was, indeed, a Guardian vessel. While it was extremely powerful, it was simply no match for his fleet of IF and CF warships, comprised of predominantly Superdreadnought 1st generation warships. While Tovams’ own TF took direct weapons fire, no major damage was inflicted and no casualties were taken. The Guardian was eliminated and a beautiful paradise planet was his reward. All he had to do now was wait for the colony ships to arrive along with the second fleet and army Transports, which were due in the Draconis system in two days.

When the second fleet arrived in Draconis, one day ahead of the Transport TF’s, Labon’s assumptions proved to be correct. The “fish” had fortified the system with over four hundred war ships. Keetal, the commander of the second fleet, was up to the challenge. This fleet was comprised completely of 3rd generation IF and CF warships, the only thing lacking being the Very Heavy Armor now available on our newest 4th generation ships. It was, simply put, a massacre. The heavens were filled with fish hulls and entrails as Keetal relentlessly smashed wave after wave of the opposing forces. All who opposed him perished, this young commander showing the bravado and hutzpah that had earned him a distinguished reputation as a fearless leader of men at the Academy. In three cycles, the system was clear and the planets were invaded. Kaytapas’ Battleoids were equally as brutal to the ground forces that fought to stave off our liberation. Not a single mechanized warrior was destroyed and the Alkari and the Eolodi citizens on Draconis I and II celebrated long into the night, reveling in their newfound freedom. Keetal reported his success to Tovam and informed him that a colony ship should be soon entering his system, with orders to colonize Hodak V, the paradise world awaiting them.

The colony ship arrived as scheduled and colonization began immediately. We had another minor irritant to deal with now, however. Because we had “lit up” the path to these new planets in this sector of space, the Eolodi, as per our alliance agreements, were fast taking advantage of the reconnaissance done and were colonizing multiple planets around Reann, Hodak and Draconis. Labon was informed and he immediately converted production of one or our many shipbuilding facilities to Colony ships. Tovam marked all planets in our three systems for colonization and hoped that we could beat the Eolodi to all of them. In addition, while we could not declare war on the Eolodi, Lebak decided to insert another wave of spies, this time into the halls of the Eolodi council, in an effort to disturb their shipbuilding facilities and to give us more time. It was with almost fanatical delight that Lebak was able to provide Labon and the scientific community with immediate success. Our spies were able to steal the Titan ship and Orbital Assembly Module advances, as well as a new, deadlier weapon called a Disintegration Beam. Labon was delighted with the news and immediately put his shipbuilding facilities on notice that new plans for Titan class war ships would soon be coming down the pipe and to prepare for a new wave of building. It seemed that our power in the galaxy was only going to increase. With any luck we would have a new, large sector of space to call our own in a very short time and our war ships would be practically undefeatable! Now only if those damned New Orions would go away.