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#Post#: 280--------------------------------------------------
Re: Roundup at the Borderlands
DIR By: MichaelH23
Date: June 5, 2016, 7:44 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
10 Minutes Later, Sickbay
Doctor Benzeen and Commodore Rhess entered the Sickbay. Rhess
found herself amazed by the spacious quality of the room, with
its various subsections designed to address the myriad
circulatory, respiratory, reproductive and locomotive issues a
typical starship crew experiences, as well as a more generalized
main area for first-aid treatments and examinations. As they
approached the Venzetti patient, Rhess got a look at the Chief
Nurse, Imelia Chaplin. Standing a squat 4 foot 5 inches tall,
from an unaligned planet where gravity was nearly three times
that of Earth or Gaia, her diminuitive form, long yellow hair
and slightly tanned complexion made her hard to miss even in a
busy Sickbay.
Benzeen - "Nurse Chaplin, allow me to introduce our new XO,
Commodore Carlia Rhess. She transferred from Warhammer at the
same time our guest arrived."
Rhess had to bend down to accept her handshake. Rising to her
full height again, she turned her attention to the Venzetti.
Rhess - "You must be the guest I've heard so much about. I'm
Carlia Rhess."
Raan'Ta - "Carliaress."
Rhess was about to correct him, but Chaplin stopped her.
Chaplin - "He's still learning our language. The pronunciation
of your name is the closest approximation of English he can
speak right now. He speaks little other English."
Rhess - "I understand."
She turned her focus back to Raan'Ta.
Rhess - "I understand you and your people have been enslaved by
the Great Houses of Xie for several centuries. You can rest
assured that you and your fellow Venzetti in the Xie fleet have
been liberated. We have imprisoned the Xie who have oppressed
you."
Raan'Ta - "So you wish to nslav us yourselfs by posing as
freemakers and captiving the Xie who oppress."
Rhess - "No. Trekylon does not enslave other races. We
incorporate them peacefully into our empire and share all our
benefits, triumphs and tragedies with them as equals. Have you
never been treated as an equal before?"
Raan'Ta - "We do not know what this eqall means. We have never
been nslaved before the Xie conkured us."
Benzeen - "Raan'Ta. Nurse Chaplin would like to conduct a
medical exam, to insure you have not been tampered by the Great
Houses in an attempt to hurt us. She will also treat any
injuries you may have. She will not do so without your consent,
however."
Raan'Ta - "You ask permission. So unlike Xie conkurers."
Chaplin - "Because we want to show you that we are nothing like
the Xie."
Raan'Ta - "You can look me over, Imeliachaplin."
Chaplin - "Thank you."
Rhess - "Once you've been examined, there will be guest quarters
for you on Deck 15. An escort will show you the way. I will want
to talk to you later, if that is okay."
Raan'Ta - "You wish to learn more about my people and history."
Rhess - "Yes."
Raan'Ta - "Very well."
Rhess turned to both Benzeen and Chaplin.
Rhess - "I'll want a full report on his condition once you're
finished."
Benzeen - "Understood."
Rhess smiled at Raan'Ta, a way of making him feel more welcome.
Raan'Ta didn't return the smile, but neither did he any longer
seem scared of her or the crew. Rhess took that as a positive
first step and resolved to make the Venzetti feel welcome within
the Trekylonian fleet. She also resolved to send Raan'Ta, once
he was more willing to be open about his people, back to Gaia to
meet with the Intelligence, Foreign, and War Ministers, and
quite possibly, Emperor Drake I himself.
#Post#: 281--------------------------------------------------
Re: Roundup at the Borderlands
DIR By: MichaelH23
Date: June 5, 2016, 7:51 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Imperial Palace, Imperiopolis, Gaia. One Hour Later
Drake I made his way down to the Situation Room in the
subterranean level of the Imperial Palace. He had been informed
only minutes before that a preliminary report of the battle two
hours previously had been received. He had called both Flag
Admiral William Adama and Fleet Admirals Han Solo (R Adm.),
Benjamin Sisko (V Adm.) and John Sheridan (R Adm.) to join him.
Staff running the SitRoom were already preparing for their
arrival, running the computers and correlating the data
incoming. Drake I walked briskly down the stairs, his red cape
flowing behind him and his various medals jingling on his
uniform coat. He stepped through the door which hissed open to
admit him and found the others already gathered around the
holographic display table.
Adama - "Salute the Emperor"
He and the other admirals, as well as the staff rose and saluted
Drake I. Not accustomed to receiving such shows of respect,
Drake I bowed his head, acknowledging their salutes. He made his
way to the situation table and took his place at the head, with
Admiral Sheridan to his right and Flag Admiral Adama to his
left.
Drake I - "What's the situation?"
Adama - "We've been victorious in our first engagement with the
Great Houses, close to the Imperial borderlands. We lost three
ships, they lose two. The rest are occupied by Imperial
Marines."
Drake I - "Very good work. Send my compliments to the commander
of 1st Fleet when you issue new orders."
Adama - "That was what I was about to inquire, Majesty. What are
their new orders?"
Drake I - "Admiral Sisko, status of your Fleet Group?"
Sisko - "10th thru 15th fleets are already entering the sector.
We'll need to leave a detachment of fighters to guard the Bode
terminus of the Galaxy Gate while the rest of the Group,
alongside Fleet Group A and the IGF StarNavy, proceed into the
Milky Way."
Drake I - "I've contacted the IGF Diet. They're sending an
advisor from the Chief of State's office to coordinate with our
fleets. He should arrive tomorrow afternoon. Admiral Sheridan,
what about Fleet Group C?"
Sheridan - "Fleet Group C will be on standby until the other
fleets have traversed the Galaxy Gate into the Milky Way.
They'll proceed to rendezvous with the other fleets near
Galaxy-1."
Adama - "That's assuming Galaxy-1 still exists. Considering the
USOA's campaign to eliminate all traces of Trekylon from the
Milky Way, I would not put it past them to have either claimed
the station as their own, or destroyed it."
Solo - "Its very unlikely they destroyed it."
Drake I - "What makes you say that, Admiral?"
Solo walked around the table, to an empty console built into the
furniture. Pressing a control, Solo called up a map of the
Gateway Sector and highlighted the station.
Solo - "Before we left the Milky Way, orders were given to shut
down the city-station. Everyone was evacuated and the power shut
off fully. Unless a Laptev or Barlat ship stumbled upon it
during their movements, then the station would remain intact."
Sisko - "That's a big assumption, Han. Its also likely that
smugglers or pirates have taken over the station for their own
use."
Solo - "Then they'll be in for a big surprise when the hitherto
powerless Galaxy Gate suddenly bursts with new life and deposits
several fleets close to them."
Drake I - "Assuming there is someone on the station, Barlat or
otherwise, how do you plan on retaking it once the fleets
arrive?"
Solo - "Assuming its Laptev in control, we could request
permission to rally our fleets there as a prelude to our major
thrust into Barlat-controlled space. Given the animosity that
remains between the Axis and Concordiat, its very likely they
will grant us access. If its Barlat, then we storm the station,
drive them out deck by deck if necessary. If its pirates, then a
nice little demonstration of our resolve to reclaim what is ours
should be enough to scare them off. If not, we'll board the
station and take them prisoner."
Sheridan - "Majesty, Intelligence has provided us with the
movements of the enemy fleets. That reinforcement fleet the
Great Houses hoped to rendezvous with did fall back, but only to
the Atlantica star system, close enough to the Gate to pick up
our fleets when they arrive. Plus, now that Jovepenia and Rhamos
have committed militarily, their fleets have begun moving toward
the Atlantica system as well."
Drake I - "How much a head start do they have on us?"
Sheridan - "Actually, we have a 9 day head start on them. It
takes about 24 hours to traverse intergalactic space via the
Gate, so we'd still have 8 days on them. Enough time to either
reduce or destroy the Xie fleet and secure the sector."
Drake I - "Then we need to take full advantage of the
opportunity. Have the drones unleashed and scout the target
systems in Xie territory. I need to know military assets,
vulnerabilities, and commercial traffic routes."
Solo - "Do you intend to wage a scorched-earth offensive against
the Great Houses, Majesty?"
Drake I - "I'm looking to cripple their economic and military
ability to conduct the war. Possibly even gain a major advantage
at the peace talks once the war ends. Adama, I want you to
contact Vice-Admiral Sinclair and inform him that he will be put
in charge of Fleet Group D. Once his fleet is assembled, he is
to stand by and await orders."
Adama - "Yes, Majesty."
Drake I - "Gentlemen, let's be clear. I didn't want to get into
a new war while we're still trying to heal the wounds from the
Civil War, but the Great Houses interfered with a neighboring
nation, supplied weapons and funds to the rebels, and have
turned Verulon Prime into a prison planet. I cannot let such
injustices go unchallenged, so I intend to make an example of
the Great Houses and send a message to Barlat and every other
faction..that Trekylon wants peace, but is prepared for war if
threatened."
Adama - "So say we all."
Drake I - "Gentlemen, your attaches will be busy the next
several days, so I hope you have arranged VIP quarters at the
Palace for yourselves. Until this war is over, you will be
residing here. Godspeed."
An usher came through the doors with a padd in hand. Rushing
past Sisko and Solo, the usher stopped in front of the emperor
and handed the padd to him before turning and rushing back out.
Drake I read the data on the padd, then lowered the padd to the
table.
Drake I - "Gentlemen. It seems we not only have a potential
ally, but we have our first POW as well. A race called Venzetti
has been found among the crew of the Xie fleet we just captured.
They're a slave race. Their representative is within our fleet
now undergoing medical treatment. As for our first POW, he's
none other than Lord Tokashiro of House Meiji."
Gasps could be heard all around the table as the news sunk in.
Solo was the first to speak.
Solo - "House Meiji is reported to be the most militaristic and
imperialistic of the Great Houses, with a major voice in their
council as well. They practically bully and dominate the other
Great Houses. They are the most anti-Trekylon of the Great
Houses."
Drake I - "I gathered that from the information I recently
acquired. They almost succeeded in a coup against the coalition
government that makes up the Great Houses' council and they
wield the most military power, with roughly 90% of the Xie
fleets owing allegiance to that House."
Sheridan - "The fact we have one of their commanders as our
first POW could prove useful."
Drake I - "Indeed. I will supervise his questioning once he
arrives. Thank you gentlemen."
#Post#: 282--------------------------------------------------
Re: Roundup at the Borderlands
DIR By: Vulcandude
Date: June 7, 2016, 3:34 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Captain Joren of the New Vulcan Confederation Starfleet was sent
to outskirts of an unknown system in the Gamma Quadrant. There
inspected of a camp that seemed recently deserted. Looking at
the camp it appeared a slaughter took place here but reports
coming in that some may have escaped and fled to a new hideout.
Captain Joren turned to his Number One, "Commander Layton please
inform Deep Space Nine we have found what we are looking for.
This confirms our theories that the Dominion has risen again.
Vice Admiral Sisko must know since he has dealt with them
before."
#Post#: 283--------------------------------------------------
Re: Roundup at the Borderlands
DIR By: MichaelH23
Date: June 8, 2016, 11:01 am
---------------------------------------------------------
After two hours of organizing the garrisons for the captured Xie
fleet and awaiting the arrival of the 15 fleets from the empire
and the five fleetgroups of the IGF StarNavy, the advance could
at last begin. Commodore Rhess watched as the Galaxy Gate, which
linked Bode's Galaxy with the Milky Way and hence had been
dormant since the Exodus, came to life once again. She watched
as a blue field of energy appeared within the ring of the
device, then spiraled in on itself like a whirlpool in a
bathtub. It suddenly blasted forward, reaching out almost to the
gathered fleets before collapsing again into a placid water-like
pool of energy. With one command, Rhess sent her command
flagship and the fleets into that placid energy pool. The
viewscreen shifted as the ship entered the vortex and soon
filled the bridge with an eerie blue light as the displayed
showed a field of deep blue, shifting and rippling like waves in
the ocean. Rhess ordered the magnification factor to be
decreased to maximum out of concern the crew could suffer
space-sickness. Though the majority of them continued to work at
their various computer stations with little or no concern for
the effects of the hypnotic scene, two junior crewmen did suffer
from a bout of space-sickness. Both crewmen had been excused to
go to Sickbay, but not before one of them had a violent purge
all over his console. Techs had arrived and were now busy
cleaning the remnants of that crewman's breakfast which he had
heaved uncontrollably. Rhess couldn't fault the two crewmen for
their bout of space-sickness, for the Galaxy Gate had not been
used in four years and it was easy enough to forget the
deleterious effects of hyperdimensional passage. She knew that
in 24 hours, they would set foot (figuratively speaking) on
starscape they haven't seen in four years and over many
light-years.
Orbit of Verulon Prime
Captain Jack smiled a toothy smile as he stared at the
viewscreen of his little freighter-turned-frigate Jolly Roger.
On the display, a small convoy of Xie transport ships had just
entered orbit after lifting off from the planet surface 35
minutes ago. Jack was proud of his fellow freedom fighters for
seizing the transport ship and spending thousands of credits on
the black market purchasing phasers, disruptors, micro-torpedos,
railgun emplacements, and a Romulan cloaking device. Only two
days ago, they also purchased ablative armor and spent those
last two days retrofitting the little craft. It was Jack himself
who christened the now frigate Jolly Roger evoking the name of
that famous pirate ship of old Earth legend. But even while they
were upgrading and changing the freighter into a frigate, they
remained busy on the surface, launching hit-and-run raids on
hospitals, armories, subspace communication stations, and
barracks. Three days before he launched his frigate into orbit
under cloak, they engaged Xie security forces in their first
pitched battle, using their swamp hideout to inhibit the
movement of the enemy vehicles and leaving them vulnerable. Many
Xie officers surrendered rather than drown in their
heavily-damaged tanks and transport vehicles. Their battle had
become an inspiration to other groups of freedom fighters, who
had begun rallying around him as never before. Now, Jack was
about to take the fight into space.
Jack - "Allie, do you see what I see?"
Allie Granger, a recent addition to his growing cadre of freedom
fighters, brushed back her blonde hair from her face and focused
on the convoy. She smiled slightly.
Allie - "Yep. I see three birds ready for plucking."
Jack - "Glad we see the same thing. Waddya say we give them the
handshake?"
Allie - "Railguns are powered up and locked on. Just give the
nod and I'll have their feathers plucked."
Jack - "Jules, drop the cloak. Let them see who's about to cook
their goose."
Jules Havrin, young 28-year-old man from one of the outer
villages with a close crop of reddish-brown hair, flipped the
switch tied in to the cloaking system. On the screen, the three
ships suddenly came to a stop, likely taken by surprise by the
literal out-of-nowhere appearance of Jolly Roger. This made Jack
smile more as he leaned forward, as though projecting his force
outward to the doomed ships.
Jack - "Alright, Allie. Make it rain."
From the corner of his eye, he saw Granger lean into her
console, manipulating its controls. On the screen, several
rounds from the forward railguns streaked to their targets.
Seconds later, small blossoms erupted at the aft of the closest
freighter, followed afterwards by another blossom at the aft of
the second ship. The third was already in the process of turning
about, attempting to flee.
Allie - "Picking up a transmission from the third ship, they're
attempting to call for military support."
Jack - "Jules, jam them."
Jules - "Got them. But they may have already gotten a small
fragment of the message out."
Allie - "Targeting their transmission arrays."
Several more blooms appeared on the hulls of the three
freighters. With that, the third ship was disabled, though it
continued to drift forward due to momentum. Jack smiled again.
Jack - "Have Alpha Team transport up to the ships. We're adding
them to our little renegade fleet."
Jules - "Personnel beaming up."
Allie - "Lucky thing the Xie forces haven't located our
makeshift transporter pad."
The transporter pad was a holdover from the time when the Old
Republic had been closely aligned with Trekylon. Though the
Great Houses had destroyed nearly all the operational pads in
their effort to purge the planet of 'Trekkie trash', Jack and a
group of transporter techs managed to locate three pads,
disassemble them, and carry them into their swamp hideaway. They
now put the stolen transporter pads to effective use as groups
of techs, fighters, and ordinary civilians with technical and
military experience now boarded the ships. It took several
minutes, during which Jack began to feel a tickle of worry enter
his mind. If the teams didn't get the ships running soon, he may
have no choice but to destroy them with the teams onboard before
a Xie patrol fleet entered range.
Allie - "Teams report ships now seaworthy."
Jack smiled. After what felt like an eternity, they had finally
restored most of the ships' systems as well as imprisoned the
crews of the ships. Jack couldn't wait to walk through one of
them, as he had walked through Jolly Roger just before its
retrograde.
Allie - "Jack, I got four bogeys coming up from the other side
of the planet. Xie warships."
Jack - "Have they seen us?"
Allie - "Negative. No indication they've seen us. But they'll be
in range in 11 minutes. If we don't leave by then, any attempt
to break orbit will be like shooting up a flare."
Jack - "Jules, tie the nav-systems of our three new prizes to
our computer, then set course for Base Haven."
Jules - "You got it, Jack."
Allie - "Nav-systems tied in."
Jules - "Going to warp.......now."
The screen shifted as Jolly Roger came about, the three captive
freighters following suit. Seconds later, the ship leaped into
warp. Jack spun in his chair to face Allie.
Jack - "Status of our prize ships?"
Allie - "They're on our aft, link confirmed."
Jack - "Status of Xie patrol ships?"
Jules - "They never seen us. They're still in orbit."
Jack - "To be on the safe side, plot a zig-zag course to our
destination. Don't bring us in at first, just circle it as
though we're looking for a place to hide, then take us a few
kliks from the base. After a few minutes, we'll come about and
return directly to base."
Jules - "Got it, Jack."
Jack - "Good work, everyone."
#Post#: 284--------------------------------------------------
Re: Roundup at the Borderlands
DIR By: Vulcandude
Date: June 8, 2016, 11:44 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Deep Space Nine
Administrator K'Les arrived at Deep Space Nine five days before
a expedition was sent into the Gamma Quadrant. What was found
was sort of gate which required more extensive scanning. It
seemed to be another gate similar to gate found linking Galaxy
23-A (Bode's Galaxy) to the Milky Way.
"Who is Commander of this Space Station?", he responded to
Quark.
Quark was his usual self as normal. "Kira was placed in charged
for awhile but since then something happened when she went to
find Odo in the Gamma Quadrant. Then the Trekylonians came in.
It is some new guy that is due to arrive soon. As far the
Borderland situation it will be resolved soon I hope."
"Then I will just wait till his arrival. Verulon seems to be in
peril currently. If the Xie decides to strike this station we
need to be ready whether the new guy is here or not.", K'Les
replied.
#Post#: 285--------------------------------------------------
Re: Roundup at the Borderlands
DIR By: MichaelH23
Date: June 9, 2016, 4:34 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Milky Way. Gateway Sector, near the abandoned Galaxy-1
city-station
The fleets arrived at Gateway sector, and all eyes were on the
viewscreen. On it the band of the Milky Way galaxy stretched out
before them. In the distance, the tiny speck of bluish light
stood out in stark contrast, the world of Atlantica. Commodore
Rhess pressed a control on the armrest of her chair and called
up an image of their first Milky Way objective: Galaxy-1. The
sliver-gray station, much larger than the more distant
Atlantica, looked powerless and dark against the starband.
Rhess - "Lieutenant Thrik. I need a communications tie-in with
the rest of the fleet."
Thrik - "I can set up your tie-in on our holo-generator."
On cue, a ring emerged from the floor just a few steps from the
command chair. A specialized feature lately installed on all
starship bridges, the holo-imager ring could allow for fleetwide
communication on a large scale. The technology also included a
scramble-com designed to prevent enemy infiltration of the
subspace channel. Just like regular comms, however, the
holo-imager was susceptible to jamming.
Rhess walked forward, stepping into the center of the ring.
Nodding, she prepared to face the various ship captains in
holo-form. For an instant, orange light surrounded her like a
curtain. She found herself in a holographic representation of a
situation room, complete with a round table. Surrounding the
table, the other captains waited patiently for her to step up to
the table.
Rhess - "I know many of you probably have some moving words for
us all, and there will be time to share them among your crews,
but for the moment, we have our first objective. We need to
ascertain the status of Galaxy-1 and restore her functions
before that Barlat fleet enters the area."
To her left, the holo-image of Captain Robert Forrest of the
Galaxy-class ISS Tulsa shifted uneasily.
Forrest - "Its likely pirates may have taken control of the
station. After all, its the perfect location along the
trans-galactic spacelanes. They could use the station as their
gathering place and launch raids against convoys."
Rhess - "That's why I will be asking for seven ships to do a
flyby of the station, conducting internal scans, assessing hull
status, weapons, and core status. Once we can verify that the
station is still intact and determined if anyone has boarded
her, we can send techs and security teams to power the station
up."
Down two places from Rhess, Captain Georgi Rasmanov nodded in
agreement. She had to take a moment to compare and contrast the
two captains. Forrest, at age 55, already showed his advanced
years in the service of the Imperial Starfleet. In contrast,
Rasmanov at age 33 still had the glow of adventure about him, a
glint in his eyes that belied his maturity.
Rasmanov - "We can do two flybys of the station and have an
assessment for you in no time, Commodore."
Next to Rasmanov, the half-Klingon captain of ISS Schwarzenburg,
Ila T'Gath, balled her hand into a fist and drove it into her
open palm.
T'Gath - "We'll need to keep monitoring the advance of those
Barlat dogs. We should form a perimeter around the station while
rallying the rest of the fleets and organizing them into
fleet-groups."
Rhess - "Agreed. The IGF fleets will be arriving in three hours.
We can form a defensive perimeter around the station, organize
our fleets, and make final preparations for our coming offensive
before they arrive. I've been informed that the Intelligence
Ministry will be authorizing the use of drone-ships to carry out
espionage and precision hit-and-run strikes across Barlat space,
targeting specifically Xie, Rhamosian and Jovepenian assets."
On Rhess' right, Captain Morgan Rogers, the sixty-year old whom
Rhess knew had the nickname 'Captain Morgan', took in all the
other captains before looking squarely at Rhess.
Rogers - "I will volunteer my ship and crew to begin the flyby,
if you accept, Commodore."
Rhess - "Captain Rasmanov, Captain Forrest..Captains Ferriman,
Montoya, Aubriet, and Bjork, I'm assigning you to join Rogers in
the flyby. I want a full assessment within two hours. I hope to
have the station operational by the time the IGF fleets arrive.
Thank you ladies and gentlemen. Let's get to it."
With that, the holo-conference table dispersed and the orange
curtain disappeared. Rhess, back on the bridge of Orpheus
stepped out of the ring, which returned beneath the carpeted
floor to its compartment. Rhess turned to face Thrik.
Rhess - "Open a channel to the rest of the ship and make sure
the fleets can hear it as well."
Thrik - "You're on, Commodore."
Rhess - "Ladies and gentlemen. I can only imagine how you must
be feeling on this day. Two months ago, we marked five years
since we last seen the stars of our home galaxy. We were forced
to flee the Milky Way because of threats to our very way of
life. We were forced to settle in a new and alien galaxy, only
40% of which we have explored. We were forced to abandon lost
loved ones buried on the various battlefields across the Milky
Way. We were forced to adapt to our new situation in deep
intergalactic space. If you have a moment, I want you to turn on
your monitors or go to the nearest viewport and take a look.
That is no illusion, that is no holographic projection. That is
indeed the Milky Way galaxy. Almost a month after the day, five
years ago when we left Milky Way with no way of knowing if we
would ever return....we have. I want you to bear in mind that we
cannot rest....we will not rest...until the injustices done to
the Veruloni people, to our own people, to all peoples oppressed
by the Great Houses and their allies in the Concordiat is
corrected. For the Veruloni, for the people of Trekylon, for all
the oppressed longing to be free......we have returned."
The bridge erupted into cheers. Rhess stood, surrounded by
smiling, crying faces, letting the moment sink in and wash over
all like a wave washing over rocks on a shore.
Rhess - "In the coming days, our fleets...our ships...our
crews...and ourselves...will be tested like we have never been
tested before. We're not fighting just one nation, but four. I
expect that each man and woman will know their duty...to their
nation....to their emperor....to their family. I hereby announce
the commencement of Operation Resurrection. End of speech, let's
get to it people."
Rhess took her seat in the command chair as the last of the
shouts and applause die down. She was beginning to like her new
crew and she hoped together they would achieve great things.
#Post#: 289--------------------------------------------------
Re: Roundup at the Borderlands
DIR By: MichaelH23
Date: June 22, 2016, 1:08 am
---------------------------------------------------------
ISS Ivan The Terrible, leading the scout group approaching
Galaxy-1
Georgi Rasmanov stroked his dark brown goatee as he watched the
image of the city-station grow larger on the viewscreen. At age
33, he was already a veteran of two previous wars, the Breen War
and the more recent Civil War. He was well on his way to
becoming veteran of a third war, though he didn't expect to live
through it. Then again, he didn't expect to live through the
other wars, either, having lost the Centaur-class ISS Diebitsch
in a battle with Breen raiders in the former, and lost ISS Baron
Wrangel in the latter. His crew was mostly Russian, five
generations removed from Earth, though his First Officer was a
Vulcan-Romulan and his Chief Medical Officer was a living tree
of a race he knew little about.
Rasmanov - "Status?"
Tactical Officer - "Ve're 200 kliks from the station, keptin. No
lifesigns so far."
Rasmanov had to smile. His Tactical Officer had the strongest
Russian accent of all his crew, despite his knowledge of
English. He never talked about his home, nor did he reveal
details about his family. Rasmanov wondered if he even had a
girlfriend. His First Officer, Valik, rose from his seat to the
left of the captain's chair and came up beside the CO.
Valik - "This looks too easy, sir. The station shouldn't still
be empty after four years. It really shouldn't be here at all."
Rasmanov - "You suggest it might be a lure by Xie, get us close
enough so they can launch an attack and reduce the fleet by
seven ships?"
Valik - "Classic Romulan tactic for defeating their foes often
included leaving abandoned outposts to serve as a draw,
especially in crucial sectors. This certainly qualifies as a
crucial sector, given the presence of the Galaxy Gate."
Rasmanov - "Certainly true. We'll know more when we get closer."
The minutes ticked by as they drew closer. Rasmanov hated the
inactivity of waiting, knowing that just a few parsecs away, the
enemy was gathering its strength.
Valik - "We're beginning our first recon sweep, Captain."
Rasmanov - "Stay alert. There could be pirates or even Xie
cruisers lurking about and I don't wish to meet my end before
going into battle."
The viewer image shifted as the ship made its first pass of the
station. As Rasmanov hoped, there were no signs of docked ships
or lifesigns aboard the abandoned station.
Tactical Officer - "Message from Captain Aubriet. She wants to
know if we'll be doing another pass around the station?"
Rasmanov - "Inform Captain Aubriet that we'll do the second
recon flyby as planned, but have her tech teams stand by."
Valik - "Captain, if I may suggest, upon completion of our
second flyby, we take the ship further out and continue recon on
our own while the techs from the other ships begin powering the
station back up. Until the station sensors are fully
operational, we'll be vulnerable otherwise."
Rasmanov - "Normally I would disagree. But in this case, it may
be more prudent. Do so."
Helm Officer - "We've completed 90% of the second flyby.
Breaking off in seven minutes."
Rasmanov - "Ops, message to Commodore Rhess. Tell her simply
that the watchtower is empty and we're gonna flip the switch."
Ops Officer - "Message sent via Scramble Code 9-7-A."
Helm Officer - "Expanding recon perimeter, Captain."
Rasmanov - "What of the enemy ships?"
Tactical Officer - "They've moved past the Atlantica system.
Located at the triangle where Atlantica, New Alabama and New
Georgia are located. Looks like additional enemy ships are
moving to join them. Once we move on Atlantica, we're gonna have
one hell of a fight."
CONN Officer - "Unless they decide to advance on us before we're
ready for them. In which case we could lose a lot of ships."
Valik - "Approximately 70-85% of our total force, not counting
the IGF fleets. Add them into the equation and the loss
percentage goes up to between 90-100%."
Rasmanov - Glad I never took up poker. With losses like that,
I'd be broke in the streets after one game."
Tactical Officer - "Still no sign of enemy ships within the
system."
Rasmanov - "Alright. Helm, set course back to the station. Let's
lend them a hand in getting the lights on."
Valik - "I will lead the tech team mission to the station, with
your permission, Captain."
Rasmanov - "Very well, Commander. Good luck. No telling what
shape the inside of the station is in since we evacuated it five
years ago."
#Post#: 292--------------------------------------------------
Re: Roundup at the Borderlands
DIR By: MichaelH23
Date: June 22, 2016, 4:26 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Airlock. Galaxy-1 city-station
Tech Chief Damond Ilunga was the first to set foot in the
abandoned station. Taking a deep breath, he made note of the
lack of musty air inside the side-corridor. Ahead, where the
side-corridor tied in to the larger corridor, darkness greeted
his eyes. Behind him, the other techs waited for his command to
begin accessing the computers. With a wave, he started into the
corridor with his searchlight flashing its light ahead to
illuminate the path. They entered the section corridor and made
their way deep into the heart of the station's computer core. As
they entered the Core Room, the large computer databank greeted
them with a quiet that Ilunga found unnerving. He had served as
computer technician aboard the station just before the Exodus
from the Milky Way. He had not been responsible for shutting
down the computer, but unfortunately the man who was died at
Nihal in the opening stages of the Civil War.
Ilunga - "Alright, before we begin a powerup of the systems,
let's be certain there hasn't been any sabotage by pirates or
enemy raiders."
Tech #2 - "Yes sir."
The techs spread out, going to various terminals which formed a
ring around the column-like databank. Inputting codes they had
been able to retrieve from the Fleet Files, they began a series
of diagnostics on the computers. Ilunga read the results on his
padd, feeling a sense of relief that there had been no sabotage
committed or breaches in the file.
Ilunga - "Record and transmit message on Scramble Frequency
9-7-A. Message reads, 'Our flag is on the battlements. The Alamo
is ours again.'"
The padd beeped confirmation of the transmission and receipt of
message. Ilunga smiled, hoping the commodore would understand
the Old Earth reference to the historic mission near San Antonio
which served as the last bastion of a group of freedom fighters
seeking independence from Mexico.
Tech #5 - "Ready to begin powerup sequence at your command,
Chief."
Ilunga - "Begin. Start with sensors and life-support. We'll be
able to deactivate these lifebelts once we recycle the air."
Lifebelts were a new addition to the arsenal of the empire,
enabling users to walk in vacuum without the need for EVA suits.
It would not remove the need for EVA suits in poisonous
environments but would be just as effective. Lifebelts worked by
containing a pocket of atmosphere inside a forcefield generated
around the user in such a way that they could still interact
with their surroundings. The main and serious drawback of the
lifebelt was the limited oxygen supply that could be contained
in the forcefield. In an hour, the user would either need to
return to a rich source of atmosphere in order to maintain
life-function, or slowly asphyxiate from lack of oxygen and die.
They still had over 40 minutes of air contained, but Ilunga
wanted to get the life-support systems functioning and the air
recycled as soon as possible.
Tech #7 - "Life-support online and functioning. Recycling air
now. Estimate six minutes to completion, Chief."
Tech #8 - "Sensors are halfway, Chief. Short-range and combat
sensors fully operational. Expect another four minutes til we
have long-range."
Tech #3 - "Ablative armor systems and weapons charging up now,
Chief. ETA at ten minutes."
Tech #1 - "I've got the lights on, Chief. We can shut off our
torches. The fleet should see this place light up like a
Christmas tree."
Ilunga - "Good job everyone. Next task will be to ascertain the
functionality of the food replicators, transporters, shuttlebay
controls and medical equipment."
He brought up his wristcomm and touched the activation control.
Ilunga - "Beta Team, Alpha Team has reactivated the core. Your
mission is to go to CommLev and check all systems there."
Voice - "Understood. On our way, Chief."
CommLev was simply a shortened form of 'Command Level' though he
remembered it had other nicknames as well, such as 'City Hall',
'the Dome' and 'the Pit' due to the fact it was located in a
domed facility at the top of the structure and the main stations
were located in a low-lying ring surrounding a central platform.
Tech #7 - "Air recycling complete, Chief. We can disengage our
lifebelts."
Ilunga did so, taking his first deep breath and noting the
distinctive flow to the quality of the air he breathed. No
longer static, it was as if a gentle breeze had been turned on.
He released his breath, satisfied.
Ilunga - "Alpha Team, remain here and complete your work on the
databank, then spread out and check the subsystems throughout
the station. I'll join Beta Team at CommLev."
As a chorus of "ayes" echoed in the chamber, Ilunga headed for
the closest ladder. He would need to climb it to the unseen
second level in order to access the turbolifts.
#Post#: 295--------------------------------------------------
Re: Roundup at the Borderlands
DIR By: MichaelH23
Date: June 22, 2016, 11:49 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Intergalactic Federacy command flagship IGFS Undaunted, leading
the 300,000 ship fleet
Fleet-Commander Gilbert Ghimones sat at his desk in the Ready
Room, looking over the reports on the disposition of the Xie
fleets guarding Verulon Prime. The veteran 59-year-old had not
expected to be given command of three large fleets, after his
failure as command officer of the task force which fought at
Panthera during the USOA War in the service of the Trekylonian
Imperial Starfleet. Though he was never cashiered for his
failure to hold Panthera, he received a commendation for
successfully evacuating the entire population from the planet
just before Kesrith unleashed a planet-buster WMD on it. He
retired from the Imperial Starfleet at the age of 55 and spent
the last four years lecturing cadets at the various satellite
campuses of Starfleet Academy, managing to stay out of the
recent Civil War. He remained staunchly loyal to the new
emperor, Drake I and even offered to return to the service but
was politely turned away by the emperor himself. When the IGF
Secretary of Defense, Elton Aldrich, contacted him with the
offer to serve in the IGF StarNavy, he accepted the position,
hating the fact that when he wasn't giving lectures, he was
idle. He learned just a short time later of the situation at
Verulon as well as the Trekylonian declaration of war against
the Great Houses. He became a vocal supporter for the IGF entry
into the war, not so much for Trekylon's sake as for Verulon
Prime, whose people were being arrested for the flimsiest of
charges, starved, and plundered daily by their Xie taskmasters.
When the call came to nominate a fleet-commander to lead the IGF
effort in the coming conflict, his name came to the top of the
list and he accepted the task with gusto.
Voice - "Fleet-Commander, we have arrived at Gateway Sector in
the Milky Way galaxy. ETA to Galaxy-1 station ten minutes. We
already have the Trekylonians fleets in visual range now."
Ghimones - "Thank you commander, I'm on my way."
He put away the sitrep padds and rose from behind his desk. As
he walked toward the door, he paused at a picture on a
three-tier shelf near the door. In the picture, he, his little
brother, and older sister were smiling. The spires of New Athens
formed a glistening background to the three. His brother was
barely into adulthood at the time while his older sister was
approaching thirty. He sighed, remembering the day only four
months after the Roman Wars when New Athens had been rebuilt
following the battle that ended that terrible conflict. His
uncle had died leading a charge into the city despite the orders
of General Van Doorn that day, and though he and 200 others
perished, the way was cleared for the Imperial Army to march
into the city. Putting that memory aside and straightening his
jacket, he walked through the door and into the enormous command
center of the starship. The Zeus-class was the largest ship in
the StarNavy and as such served many purposes, not the least of
which was fighter carrier, heavily armed battleship and command
flagship. Using a linear design schematic, the bridge included a
conference table just behind the command chair, enclosed in
plexiglass which allowed computer data to scroll across its face
for easy access. The chair itself looked more like a throne and
rose above a semicircular pit where the other ship functions
such as tactical, operations, navigation and security were
located. Behind and between the command chair and the enclosed
conference table, a free-standing T-shaped console was where the
commander stood. Beretta Berentine brushed back a lock of golden
blonde hair from her face as she read over fleet status reports.
She looked up to see Ghimones step onto the deck.
Berentine - "Fleet-Commander on deck!"
Activity paused as the crew turned from their stations to face
Ghimones and salute him. Ghimones smiled slightly as he made his
way to Berentine.
Ghimones - "At ease."
He stepped up to the T-console as the crew went back to their
various duties. He could see that Berentine was staring at the
image of the galactic band of Milky Way reverently.
Ghimones - "I know, Commander. Its been too long since I last
saw those stars too. Bode's may be our new home, but there will
never be a connection like we have with Milky Way."
Berentine - "I was also looking at how large the Imperial Armada
is. 125,000 ships total. Rumor has it Trekylon has an additional
200,000 ships in reserve."
Ghimones - "They couldn't muster that many ships unless the
Founder Races have contributed. So far it looks like Humans
majority here. Of course there are plenty of Humans eager to get
revenge on the Great Houses for the whole Exodus, so it would
not surprise me if the rumors are true."
To Ghimones' right, at the opposite wall from where he had
emerged from the Ready Room, Communications Officer Raisa
Korolevna spoke up, having received a transmission.
Korolevna - "Fleet-Commander, I have a message from Commodore
Carlia Rhess of the Trekylonian Armada. She's requesting
permission to transport over for a council of war. She also adds
that Galaxy-1 is fully operational again."
Ghimones - "Send back to Commodore Rhess that I'll contact the
other ship commanders and have them meet on my ship. Fifteen
minutes."
Korolevna - "Acknowledged."
Berentine - "Will we meet in the conference area?"
Ghimones - "Best place to meet. Its large enough to accomodate
actual beings and we have holoemitters for the remainder."
Berentine - "Think we should lend some of our fighters for the
defense of Galaxy-1? I'd hate for us to lose the station after
we just powered it back up.
Ghimones - "Good idea. Have Jupiter and Juno squadrons sent to
form a screen of the station. Make sure Korolevna informs
Commodore Rhess of our actions as well."
Korolevna - "Fleet-Commander. Message from IGFS Titan. They're
requesting permission to come under and latch on. Their sensor
grid is experiencing a minor fluctuation and they need
assistance in repairs."
Ghimones sighed. This was one of the many perils of commanding
so large an armada. He wondered silently if Commodore Rhess had
the same problems in the Trekylonian Armada.
Ghimones - "Tell Captain Bacardi that I want him here once his
ship latches on, for the meeting with Commodore Rhess."
Korolevna - "Affirmative."
He glanced at Berentine, who shrugged.
Berentine - "That's one down and about 29 to go, sir."
#Post#: 298--------------------------------------------------
Re: Roundup at the Borderlands
DIR By: MichaelH23
Date: July 14, 2016, 11:26 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Fifteen Minutes Later, IGFS Undaunted Conference Room
Fleet-Commander Ghimones had expected at least a brief greeting
from Commodore Rhess as she strolled onto the Command Deck,
escorted by a security officer who towered over her by at least
two inches. Instead, and briefly acknowledging the greeting from
Commander Berentine in passing, Rhess went straight into the
Conference Room. Ghimones set the plexiglass to 'opaque' for
privacy while maintaining the constant flow of data from various
monitors tuned in to IGF, Trekylonian, and enemy fleet
movements. Minutes later, an exasperated balding man of about 45
years of age fast-walked to the Conference Room. Unlike Rhess,
who at least acknowledged the greeting from Berentine, Paolo
Bacardi didn't so much as glance in her direction. He entered
the Conference Room looking somewhat frantic. Ghimones came in,
shaking his head.
Ghimones - "Captain, relax. Your ship is moored to us and our
techs are already boarding to repair the sensor grid."
Bacardi - "How long will it take? I feel as if I'm operating
blind near a den full of angry wolves with only the bloodhounds
keeping me safe."
Ghimones - "We won't know until the techs can determine the
cause of the fluctuation. This is Commodore Carlia Rhess of the
Trekylonian Armada under the authority of Flag Admiral William
Adama of the Imperial Starfleet. She's here to initiate a
council of war."
Bacardi looked over at Rhess, barely acknowledging her rank and
authority, and hardly aware of her gender. It was as though he
looked at her, then promptly forgot she was present in the room.
Rhess decided not to press the matter and instead took up
position at the end of the conference table. The table was
designed to resemble a mahogany wood table, slightly oval in
shape and polished to a sheen. At the center a round
holo-emitter could be called on to display anything from
tactical battle maps to planetary survey maps. Ghimones took his
place at the opposite end of the table, and Bacardi took his
place to his right.
Ghimones - "Raisa, do we have subspace linkage with the other
ships?"
Korolevna - "Affirmative, Fleet-Commander. The other captains
are tuned in on our frequency, only awaiting your word."
Ghimones - "Activate holo-emitters."
An amber glow suffused the room as twenty-nine columns of light
appeared. Bacardi flinched as a column appeared next to him,
which gave Ghimones some amusement. Looking at Rhess, however,
Ghimones could see he was the only one who found it amusing. She
maintained her stoic look. The columns resolved into patterns
that materialized into the holo-images of the other ship
captains in the IGF fleet. Korolevna also made certain the
council of war was transmitted to the other two IGF fleets
already crossing the hyperdimensional bridge from Galaxy 23-A.
Ghimones gestured to Rhess.
Ghimones - "Its your council of war, Commodore."
Rhess took a deep breath, looked about at the faces surrounding
her, and began.
Rhess - "As of this moment, Galaxy-1 is operational, albeit with
a skeleton crew manning the manual weapons batteries, operating
tactical stations and on standby as damage-control teams. Our
first objective has been met. The next objective is staring us
in the face..the enemy fleet."
Captain Willem Poalard, veteran of the Barlat-Laptev War and a
healthy 34-year-old, shifted in place.
Poalard - "If I may be so bold, how are you the best choice to
lead the Imperial Armada in this battle. I think someone with
more experience should be in charge. Someone older and with
more...seasoning, if you like."
Ghimones - "Whether you like it or not, Willem, Commodore Rhess
IS the person leading the Armada. While we're here for somewhat
separate reasons than what she's here for, we have been ordered
to render support so long as it is concurrent with the shared
objectives of both Trekylon and the IGF."
Poalard - "You'd think the emperor would've sent someone like
Admiral Solo or Admiral Sisko to lead the Armada."
Rhess - "I'm not here to seek your approval, Captain. And keep
in mind that the emperor himself gave me his full confidence.
Now, if I may continue the briefing?"
Poalard wisely chose to stifle any replies he had remaining as
the other captains gave her their full attention.
Rhess - "The reinforcement fleet the Great Houses hoped to send
to the Borderlands turned back when they learned of the capture
of their fleet and fleet commander, but because they're still
fresh in the field, they're still a challenge. Add to that the
arrival of Jovepenian and Rhamosian auxiliaries and we have a
formidable enemy presence in the region. Luckily they don't know
about our old colony on Atlantica."
Another captain, just past Poalard, spoke up.
Wendelsson - "Captain Oliver Wendelsson. I apologize for
interrupting, Commodore, but what does Atlantica have to do with
the enemy forces regrouping not far from the station?"
Rhess - "I was coming to that, Captain, and please do not
interrupt me again. Just because I am a woman does not give you
or anyone else gathered here leeway to interrupt me when it
suits you. It would be too risky to send a task-force to
Atlantica. They would have to run the gauntlet against that
enemy fleet and they would be destroyed before they got within
visual range of the planet. What we need is a small,
cloak-capable ship and a team of 12 people to go to the planet
and reactivate the surface-to-orbit batteries."
Ghimones - "The plan being to put the enemy in a bad tactical
position. The Trekylonians would engage them head-on, but the
IGF fleet would cover the rear and flanks while also protecting
the station. The station would serve as a weapon platform and
repair-base, and the planet would be an additional weapon
platform."
Rhess *nodding* - "Boxing the enemy in and forcing them to
either commit fully to breaking out of the box, taking on my
fleet head-on, or surrendering."
Poalard - "We all know the Great Houses will sooner commit
suicide than surrender, and they're not ones to run from battle.
Neither are Rhamos or Jovepenia. You will lose substantial
numbers of ships and personnel in your engagement and we'd lose
nearly as much keeping them boxed in."
The half-Klingon captain, Mayer T'Goth spoke up then, shaming
Poalard.
T'Goth - "If you lack the stomach or the....testicles for this
battle, then by all means return home and hide under your bed.
We each of us know what we'll lose, but we all also know what is
at stake if we do not commit to this battle. The people of
Verulon Prime will remain slaves to the Great Houses, and most
unwelcome for us, they will return to Bode's Galaxy and storm
the frontiers of the empire. If the empire falls, then the IGF
is weakened. Even Inuyashia and Vulcan will not be sufficient to
stop Barlat from turning the galaxy into either their property
or a charnel house."
Rhess waited for Poalard's reaction. She didn't have long to
wait.
Poalard - "So by calling me a coward, you hope to inspire the
other captains here as well as those on their way to throw all
caution to the wind and take our lumps so long as Trekylon
prevails in this battle. For a half-Klingon, you act so much
like a full-blood, T'Goth."
Ghimones - "You heard him, Captain Poalard. Nobody will think
less of you if you wish to retreat."
Poalard - "I will remain and fight, but I will note in my log
that I do so with the utmost reluctance."
cont'd>
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