Whispers of Chaos

 

CES Crimson Eclipse - Chaos Destroyer Class

Part 1

2184.11.29 – Severin Sector

It didn't take long for the newly acquired vessel, a former Super Earth Super Destroyer to be transformed into something brutal and outlandish. On the outside menacing black and crimson, jagged makeshift antennae jutting out like spikes, giving the entire ship a rugged, predatory silhouette.

Inside, every navigation and targeting system had been ripped out and replaced. Countless hours were spent recalibrating stratagems to function without Super Earth’s orbital oversight—especially for squads deployed planetside. If necessary, the rebels would fall back on tactics more than two centuries old: manually transmitting coordinates for orbital strikes, drone reconnaissance runs, even coloured smoke to mark targets for air support.

The fighting doctrine remained familiar, but stripped of rigid dogma. After all, if a soldier doesn’t believe in the cause, why should a superior force him to die for it?

The standard-issue rifle was rechristened from “Liberator” to “Dissident,” with new prototypes already in development. Armours were redyed to match rebel the colours, and new ranks and titles were contemplated—reserved for those who had taken part in the mutiny.

Pelican-1 and Eagle-1 were repainted in the new scheme and renamed Vulture-1 and Hawk-1, to deliberately mock Super Earth’s naming conventions.

In every way, a new nation was being born in secret, hidden deep inside the abandoned Moray Listening Post. Whilst there was no sign of Automaton or Super Earth activity.

Former Master Sergeant Kael—now Commander Kael—strode onto the bridge and watched Master Diver Malek relentlessly interviewing Divers freshly awakened from cryo, ensuring every mind followed the new Anarchy playbook while they were still vulnerable from the disorienting after-effects of Red Echo-9.

Malek grinned. “Sometimes I have to slap a couple of them until they see clearly. Then I hug them, and suddenly I’m their favourite ‘True Democracy Officer’.”

Kael clapped him on the shoulder. “Time you carried a proper title, my friend.”

Malek shrugged. “You know I turned down every commission Super Earth ever offered.”

“This isn’t a commission,” Kael replied. “This is recognition. Congratulations, Anarchy Officer Malek—first in the fleet, maybe the first in human history.”

Malek’s eyes widened. “That doesn’t sound too bad.”

Commander Kael: "Indeed. You are our vanguard."

Anarchy Officer Malek: "I promise not to be a Super Earthian tyrant, everyone believe whatever you want, just don't hurt yourselves and the cause."

Kael turned to the steady figure at the navigation station. “Navigation Bridge Officer Hugo—congratulations, you’re now the Shipmaster. You report directly to me and to Anarchy Officer Malek.”

Next, Kael turned to the steady presence at the nav station. “Bridge Commander Hugo you are next to receive a senior rank, the conn is yours. You answer to me and to Officer Malek.”

Shipmaster Hugo: "At your service commander!"

Kael glanced down the corridor where Thorne was already moving with purpose. “Primary Lieutenant Thorne—you’re second-in-command. If I go down, the wheel’s yours.”

“Roger,” Thorne called back without breaking stride.

Finally, Kael walked towards the comms section. “Chief Communications Warrant Officer Lirael—your old title was absurdly long. Find something shorter and punchier. Until then, the chair’s yours.”

Communications Officer Lirael flashing a wicked grin: "Sir yes sir!"

Kael leaning in: "Cryo awakening status?"

Lirael: "Smooth overall. Only a handful of die-hard 'Loyalists' who were unwilling to cooperate, those were put back to cryo... Then some radicals, some on our but more extreme. Specifically the ones who auto-ejected during the mutiny, along with a few more concerning cases."

Kael: "Great, carry on. I say keep those, they might come in handy for when things get tough. We keep almost anyone right now."

Lirael: "Even those who saw the Automaton Red vision in cryo? Ie the full-on socialist conversions?”"

Kael: "No, not those ones, can't let any authoritarians of any stripe here. We didn’t break one set of chains to forge another. Bring these to the bridge."

Minutes later, six figures were escorted in under Thorne’s watch.

The so-called “Red Squadron”:

• Star Marshall Karlsen
• Death Captain Yurco
• Chief Khaled
• Sergeant Kai
• Sergeant Andreu
• Space Cadet Torin

Anarchy Officer Malek folded his arms: “So, ‘comrades,’ tell us about yourselves.”

Death Captain Yurco spoke first: “We’re just like you—only we serve the collective.”

Chief Khaled added: “We despise Super Earth as much as you do. But we are socialist ideologues.”

Malek raised an eyebrow: “So you’re happy turning the endless cog?”

“If you want to phrase it negatively,” Yurco replied calmly, “yes. And we are ready to die for it, should you decide to execute us.”

Commander Kael: "Relax, nobody has to die."

Star Marshall Karlsen: "What happens to us then?"

Commander Kael: "Obvisouly you cannot stay here, do you want to go to Super Earth or your safe haven, wherever that is?"

Star Marshal Karlsen didn’t hesitate. “Cyberstan.”

The bridge went dead silent.

Commander Kael, stone-cold: "Very well then. We can only provide you with a small shuttle, capable of this journey. The nearest Automaton Outpost is two sectors away."

Star Marshall Karlsen: "Thank you Commander, much appreciated."

Communications Deputy Lirael: "You are absolute madmen—just don't utter a word about us to the bots"

"You have my word." Karlsen replied.

Thorne handed over their old Liberator rifles and sidearms. “In case the bots don’t feel like talking.”

Commander Kael: "Good luck."

The "Red Squadron" departed hours later on their final FTL jump toward the Andromeda sector. Nothing was ever heard from them again, they became an afterthought.

Cyberstan flag (unofficial)

Part 2

December 2184. Alarms ripple across the galaxy: an old enemy has returned. The mind-controlling Illuminate have come for retribution.

On the one hand this worries the rebels, on the other hand it might be golden oportunity for them to snatch territory while Super Earth is busy.

Communications Officer Lirael burst onto the bridge. “Neighboring sectors are under attack. The Illuminate are literally two sectors away.”

Kael nodded. “Inform Admiral Hugo—we need contingency bases mapped yesterday. And Red Echo-9? Any progress on controlling the visions it induces?”

“With current resources? No,” Lirael said. “But we can build more amplifier boxes and smuggle them onto Super Earth outposts and garrison planets. It won’t be as fast as while in deep cryo-sleep exposure, but thousands of Helldivers will be cryo-sleeping in those garrisons when we flip the switch. Unrest—over time—is guaranteed.”

Kael’s eyes gleamed. “Perfect. We let the amplifiers sow chaos. When Super Earth cracks down on its own, we arrive as liberators. Full rebellion. Collapse of the regime. Then Super Earth is reborn—under direct democracy, under our rule.”

Lieutenant Thorne frowned. “We only have one Destroyer and a few starfighter squadrons. We need capital ships before we can hold a planet.”

Chief Parthuridax, one of the more radical officers, stepped forward. “Then let us board their Super Destroyers while they’re bleeding against the Illuminate. Depleted cryo reserves, exhausted crews—easy pickings.”

“Reckless,” Thorne muttered.

“Reckless is our speciality!” Parthuridax said with a grin

Comander Kael: "That's the spirit, we’ll keep that plan in the drawer for now. Currently we need stealth—operatives who can plant the amplifiers on key worlds.”

Intelligence Officer Lyra raised her hand. “My team can do it. Boots on the ground, inside Super Earth's cities blending in like ghosts—no problem.”

Kael surveyed the bridge. “Then we have our operation. Gather intelligence, watch the map, aim Red Echo-9 where it is most vulnerable.”

In the months that followed, the rebels remained untedected inside Moray Listening Post, observing the Illuminate war from afar. Eventually they relocated to stay outside Red Echo-9’s emission radius.

The return of the Illuminate might just be the glitch in the system they had prayed for—the kingmaker that would bring Super Earth to its knees.

Media: 1. Unknown—artist's signature bottom right, 2. "Flag of the Automaton Collective of Cyberstan" by Anastasia Dungeeva