A Novel of the Solar Expansion War
PROLOGUE
The first missile launched from Deimos Base wasn't supposed to hit anything. It was a warning—a final diplomatic gesture before diplomacy ended. The Martian Confederacy had transmitted their ultimatum to the Earth Alliance thirty-six hours earlier: withdraw your mining platforms from the Asteroid Belt's Kirkwood Gaps or face military response.
Earth hadn't responded. So Deimos fired.
Lieutenant Commander Eliza Chen watched the projectile's signature on her tactical display as it crossed the void between Mars and Earth at nearly half the speed of light. The kinetic impactor would splash harmlessly into the Atlantic Ocean, far from population centers but close enough to Earth's orbital defense grid to make the point.
"Impact in seventeen minutes," her XO announced.
Seventeen minutes for Earth to acknowledge receipt of the message. Seventeen minutes forcooler heads to prevail.
"Commander," her communications officer called, voice tight. "I'm tracking multiple launches from Earth's Lunar Defense Platforms."
And just like that, the centuries-old dream of a unified, peaceful solar system died.
PART I: ESCALATION
CHAPTER 1
Admiral Kai Yamato, Earth Alliance Command, (Luna 48 hours after first strikes)
Kai Yamato had not slept in two days. The luminescent tactical display in Earth Alliance Command headquarters beneath Lunar Farside cast his weathered face in ghostly blue light. Red warning markers proliferated across the inner system like a viral infection.
"Confirmed casualties on Ceres Station now at twenty-seven thousand," reported his
intelligence officer. "The Martian bombardment targeted water reclamation systems specifically."
Yamato closed his eyes. Twenty-seven thousand civilians. Not soldiers. Families. Children.
"Their strategy is clear," he said finally. "They're trying to force our garrisons to surrender by threatening civilian infrastructure. What's the status of our counteroffensive?
The Third Fleet has secured orbital positions around Phobos. We've neutralized their
primary shipyards, but the Martian defense grid remains operational. They've withdrawn theirremaining ships to defensive positions around Olympus City."
Yamato studied the tactical display. The Martian Confederacy had spent decades building their defenses. Everyone knew Mars would eventually challenge Earth's dominance—the economic tensions between the resource-rich outer system and the politically powerful inner worlds had been building for generations. But no one expected Mars to strike first.
"What about Jupiter Command? Have they committed?"
His XO, Commander Diana Okafor, hesitated. "That's... complicated, sir. The Jovian Republics are officially neutral, but we're detecting increased activity around Europa. They're mobilizing."
"For us or against us?"
"Unknown. But Governor Takahashi is scheduled to address the Congress of Republics in three hours."
Yamato nodded grimly. The four major settlements on Jupiter's moons—Callisto, Ganymede, Europa, and Io—controlled nearly 70% of the system's helium-3 reserves. Without Jovian fuel, Earth's fusion reactors would run dry within months.
"And what of Venus?" he asked.
"Still silent. Their orbital platforms have gone dark. We're not sure if they're preparing to enter the conflict or just protecting themselves."
The admiral turned to the view screen showing Earth—blue and distant, vulnerable yet still beautiful. Three hundred years of human expansion into space had changed everything except human nature.
"Send the order to Admiral Washington. The Phobos garrison has twenty-four hours to
surrender. After that, we deploy Nova platforms."
His staff fell silent. Nova platforms were city-killers—orbital bombardment systems designed to penetrate deep into a planet's crust before detonation.
"Sir," Commander Okafor said quietly, "that would violate the Armstrong Accords."
"The Martians violated the Accords when they targeted civilian infrastructure on Ceres," Yamato replied. "This ends now, before more innocent people die."
He didn't mention what everyone in the room already knew: once Nova platforms were deployed, there would be no going back. The war would consume the entire system.