Ben Somerset

[RP] Location: Kruger, Omega Centauri Date: March 14, 3008. 1510hrs. For the first time since before her commissioning, the only sound that could be heard aboard the Swiftsure were those of ships systems, whining, whirring, and thrumming away. None of the usual chatter was present in the corridors, the mess hall, the rec deck, not even over the comms network. The whole ship was in stunned silence. Commander Somerset, had issued the Omega Directive and declared that a state of war existed between GalCom, and the Gammulan Alliance. It was not something to be taken lightly, and not one of the members of the crew did. Somerset decided to officially inform the crew, although the tightly knit group had gotten the word around all ready. He pressed a button, and sounded the allcall. [Attention, all hands. This is the Commander. As of 1500 hours Galactic Standard Time, on March 14, 3008, there exists a state of war between GalCom, and the Gammulan Alliance. We have intercepted a message from Gammulan Fleet Command to the Commanders of the Fourth and Second Orders. Those orders inform them to execute Backlash at 1500, and not report until Rinaal is theirs. That, compounded by the destruction of every listening outpost we have passed since Artemis Base, leads me to believe that the Gammulans have attacked Wraith HQ without formal declaration of war. I know that we were all looking forward to shore leave, but it doesn't look like we're going to get it. I wish all of us good luck in the day's ahead. I believe that the Wing's motto is most appropriate at this moment: Angel's and Minister's of Grace, defend us. I hope they defend us in the difficult days ahead. May God go with us all. Somerset out.} He cut the link, knowing he had said enough. There was little else that could be said. A few minutes later, they heard, "Commander! We're receiving a Priority 1 transmission from the Usagi, requesting a situation report." Melanie reported from Communications. "Very well." Somerset said. Picking up his datapad, he wrote a reply. -----Begin Transmission----- To: Flt. Cmdr. Londono, Wraith HQ, GalCom HQ, All GCN Bases Fm: Cmdr. Benjamin Somerset Sb: Gamma Omega Dt: March 14, 3008. 1515 hrs. Gamma Omega was declared by this vessel to Wraith HQ at 1455 hours, GST. While enroute to resupply Artemis Base, Artemis was assaulted by nuclear weapons by what we assume to be elements of the Gammulan First Order. Rescue of all Artemis personnel was possible, and recovery of their computer data was successful. There was an important communications intercept in the data. Intercept follows: -------Begin Intercept----- To: Li'Shai Gasun, Second Order Command; Y'Jak Lerut, Fourth Order Command Fm: Jarius Disregard all prior orders. Blackout commences at 1440 GST of this galactic date. At 1500 GST, initiate Backlash. Do not attempt contact until Rinaal is ours. --------End Intercept------- This message was located after traveling to Tyrinis, and finding Spartacus Base destroyed in the same fashion as Artemis. We were unable to locate survivors from Spartacus. After reading the message, this officer felt compelled to initiate Omega Protocols. This was deemed necessary because of the dire circumstances involved. Wraith has relayed the message, and it is this officer's belief that the Protocol is being carried out. Swiftsure is currently enroute to Wraith HQ, to oversee evacuation of the station. Current location of Commander Gallion is unknown. If no other Command Officer is present, this officer intends to assume command of forces at Wraith HQ, and defend the station as long as possible. Immediate reinforcement requested. Wish us luck. Respectfully yours, Commander Benjamin Somerset ------End Transmission------- When he completed the message, he transferred it to Melanie's terminal, and was sent. At least this way, Londono would know that he hadn't just gone mad and made some sort of false alarm. "How long to Wraith?" he asked. "We're still 28 minutes away at maximum speed, sir." McAllister responded. He hoped that Wraith could hold out, until the GCN ships stationed in Gammulan space got there to assist. Another 20 or so ships would help greatly in the defense. Inwardly, Somerset hoped that Gallion and the Graf Spee were one of them. If not, a great warrior and friend would be lost. But the time for mourning would have to wait. First, they had a war to fight. [/RP] ------------------ Cmdr. Benjamin Somerset GCV Swiftsure Prime Fleet Commander, SIN Wing =TDY Wraith Fleet= "I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast, for I intend to go into harm's way." - John Paul Jones [This message has been edited by Ben Somerset (edited 09-23-1999).] [This message has been edited by Ben Somerset (edited 09-23-1999).]

Things are about to get really dicey. Here's where the fun begins. [RP] Location: Near Artemis Base, Gamma-1, Gammulan System Scene: Bridge, GCV Swiftsure Date: March 14, 3008. 1435 hrs. The GCV Swiftsure moved through the blackness of space at a slow 750 kps. She moved silently, the only note of passage being the stars that winked out and then reappeared as the space black ship passed by them. On the bridge, the crew sat quietly, attending to their duties. It was slow going, but here in the heart of Gammulan territory, there was no room for error. Benjamin Somerset sat quietly in the command chair, sipping at his ever present cup of Earl Grey tea. He looked around the bridge, and saw that nothing was amiss. At the moment they were heading to Artemis Base, one of the most secret facilities in GalCom. Located in the Oort cloud of the Gammula system, near the Gamma-1 region, Artemis was not only one of the GCN's best kept secrets, but also one of it's most strategically important outposts. It was used primarily to monitor messages from Gammulan Fleet Command to ships located all throughout the quadrant, and resupply ships conducting intelligence gathering operations in the Gammulan Quadrant. They had even managed to take some detailed readings of the massive Starstation Gammula on occasion. The Swiftsure was not on the way to pick up supplies, but to drop them off. They had picked up supplies at Argos Base in Gammulan space to replenish Artemis 2 days ago. Once that was complete, they were going to perform a reconnaissance sweep of Regis IV before heading back to Wraith HQ after a two month operational deployment in Gammulan territory. Somerset knew the crew was tired, and they all looked forward to getting out of this dangerous part of space. He was ready as much as anyone else aboard. Somerset wanted to be able to at least able to talk to his wife, if not get some leave, and see her. It had been 6 months since the Swiftsure had rotated out of the Terran Quadrant, and would be at least 2 more before they rotated back. The Swiftsure was due for a retrofit anyway, and the crew could use the time off. That was something he would discuss with the Fleet Commander when they got to Wraith, Somerset decided. From the helm, Lt. McAllister's voice broke the Commander's train of thought by announcing "ETA to Artemis, 12 minutes." Looking toward his first officer, Somerset asked "Number One, how long should the resupply take?" "Approximately 1.1 hours, Commander," Soran said as he turned to face Somerset. At tactical, Ian Kamarov stated sarcastically, "Dat's if de transporter's work, and ve don't have to use de shuttles again." The bridge crew chuckled as Soran simply replied "Mr. O'Malley has made certain that the transporter's are within normal operating parameters." "That's also what he said last time," Hikaru Ishikawa noted from the navigation console. Soran appeared determined not to let it go. "After thorough repair and examination of the transporter, Mr. O'Malley and I have determined it to be..." he drifted off as alarms sounded at his, Kamarov's, and Ishikawa's stations. He immediately turned to his post, and studied the readings. "Commander," he announced "passive sensors have detected 2 FTL drive signatures, bearing 027, mark 335. Initial readings indicate them to be enemy vessels, undetermined configuration." After studying the scans for a few moments, he continued, "Their course is 183, mark 210. On that trajectory, they will come within 30 km of Artemis Base. There is a 75.4% chance they are indeed seeking out Artemis." "Damn..." Somerset uttered. Ishikawa pondered his console for a moment and then reported, "Commander, the computer's analysis of the drive signatures indicates a Stormcarrier, and a Megaron." Kamarov made a report from tactical. "If they continue on their present course and speed, they'll be in veapons range of Artemis in 1.8 minutes." "Bloody hell...engage cloaking device. Increase to maximum thrust, Lt. Melanie, attempt to contact Artemis," Somerset said quickly, adding "Condition Red, all hands to battle stations." [Condition Red, Condition Red. All hands man battle stations.] the computer said as the lights dimmed, and the alarm chimed throughout the ship. "Cloaking device activated, sir." Kamarov reported quickly. After pressing a few buttons on her console McAllister said, "Engaging automated piloting system. Accelerating to 56,000 kps, maximum thrust, aye sir." Melanie touched some buttons on her console, and then punched the same combination in again, reporting, "Sir, the Gammulan ships are jamming communications. I'm attempting to use the comm laser to contact Artemis." "New ETA to Artemis, 1.6 minutes." McAllister told Somerset. "Commander, the Gammulan's shields are going up. They are activating targeting scanners." Soran said, adding, "They appear to be preparing to assault Artemis Base." "Sir, I've gotten through to Artemis. But they didn't even talk to me. They just started sending a core dump of their entire computer database. I just don't get it..." Melanie Winforth thought aloud. She didn't know why, but Somerset did. That forced him to his next decision. "Raise shields, and charge weapons. Don't activate targeting scanners yet." If they began a core dump, they must have sensitive information that had to be sent to GCN Fleet Command. "Aye, sir." Kamarov responded. Suddenly, he sucked in a breath. "Sir, the Stormcarrier is launching weapons at Artemis!" "Commander," Soran said in a somber tone, even for Soran, "the weapons appear to be nuclear. I estimate their yield to be approximately 20 megatons apiece. Impact in 1.2 minutes." "Give us all she's got, Lt. We need to get into weapons range, and knock out those missiles." Somerset said. "I'll try, sir. We're pressing it as it is, but I think I can coax some more out of her." McAllister responded. "Vill those missiles destroy Artemis?" Kamarov asked, his voice quiet. "One warhead would only knock out the stations shields. But both warheads will destroy the station, and anything within 15 km of the station. Impact now in 60 seconds." Soran said from his station. "Ve von't be able to get there in time. Time to veapons range is still 64 seconds." Kamarov said sadly. "Give me more." Somerset ordered of McAllister. "I can't, sir. I'm already pushing us past the red line, and I can't get a higher acceleration curve. This is the best I can do." McAllister said, defeat evident in her voice. [Engineering to bridge. We cannae take much more of this. You're puttin' too much strain on the engines.] O'Malley called from his post below. "We have to, Shawn. Artemis and her crew depends on it." Somerset replied. "Commander, we will not be able to get into weapons range in time." Soran reiterated. Ishikawa turned and said with realization "That may be true, but why can't we just beam them out?" "Beam them out..." Somerset trailed off. "Get on it! Time to impact?" "Initiating emergency evacuation procedures," Kamarov stated, as he began transporting Artemis personnel aboard. "God, please let de transporters work," he prayed. "Time to impact, 50 seconds." "Evacuation in progress, sir!" Kamarov said excitedly, now that he was sure the transporters were functioning properly. "Time to impact, 35 seconds." "Evacuation nearly complete, sir!" Kamarov said happily. "Data download complete, Commander." Winforth reported from communications. "Time to impact, 20 seconds." "The last transport failed, sir! I'm reinitializing the pattern buffer." Kamarov said. They didn't have much time. As the buffer reinitialized, PTA fire began streaming from Artemis at the 2 incoming missiles. The missiles tried to weave in and out through the small balls of flame passing to the left and right of the racing machines of destruction. Finally, one PTA blast intersected with a missile, causing a premature detonation. A blazing shockwave flew through space as the missile detonated, it's nuclear ordnance wasted. The other missile flew on, toward it's target, narrowly escaping the PTA fire meant to destroy it. "Time to impact, 8 seconds." "Reinitialization complete! Initiating transport." Kamarov said. This was their last chance to get them aboard, alive. "Time to impact, 3 seconds." "Transport successful!" Kamarov shouted. "Reverse course. Get us out of here. Set course for Spartacus Base, maximum speed." Somerset ordered. "Aye, sir." Ishikawa and McAllister said nearly simultaneously, performing their duties in synch with the other. The ship came swiftly about, and began on it's way to Spartacus Base in the Tyrinis region. "Impact." Soran said, as the missile made contact with Artemis Base. The missile detonated, sending a shockwave pounding against the shields. The shields rippled and strained, attempting to absorb the energy of the nuclear blast. Eventually, they failed, falling against the massive shock of the weapon. Though the shields fell, the base itself appeared to be nearly intact. Two seconds later, the rest of the base was annihilated in a massive explosion, sending fragments flying in all directions. "Secondary explosion?" McAllister wondered aloud. "No," Soran said simply, continuing, "there was a feedback surge in the base's main reactor. The explosion was deliberate." Melanie looked back from her station, "Commander, the Doctor reports that aside from a few minor injuries, all of the Artemis personnel are alive and well, and that they are being taken to guest quarters." "Very well," was all he said. --------- Location: Approaching Spartacus Base, Tyrinis, Gammula System Scene: Bridge, GCV Swiftsure Date: March 14, 3008. 1455 hrs. "Now approaching the coordinates for Spartacus Base, sir." Ishikawa said. Though they were closing in on the base, nothing of it could be seen. They were within 15 km of it, and still didn't even see a speck. "Number One?" Somerset asked of the first officer. "I'm detecting residual traces of a massive radiation burst. The signature indicates multiple nuclear detonations. My calculations indicate an 88.3% change that Spartacus was destroyed in the same fashion as Artemis was." "Any signs of survivors?" the Commander asked. "Nothing, sir. No communications, escape pods, record markers, nothing. It's possible the Gammulans caught them by surprise." Ishikawa said. "Commander!" Melanie yelled from her post, "I think you'll want to see this." she said, activating the viewscreen. One of Artemis' communications specialists appeared, and began giving a report. "Cryptography Log, March 14, 3008. We finally finished cracking the GFC-147 code, and can now accurately decode messages. This particular message was flagged by the computer for immediate analysis. It's a good thing the Swiftsure will be here soon, because Fleet Command needs to see this transmission. The text of which follows: -------Begin Transmission----- To: Li'Shai Gasun, Second Order Command; Y'Jak Lerut, Fourth Order Command Fm: Jarius Disregard all prior orders. Blackout commences at 1440 GST of this galactic date. At 1500 GST, initiate Backlash. Do not attempt contact until Rinaal is ours. --------End Transmission------- Taking Rinaal...Blackout...Backlash...they could only mean one thing. Somerset swallowed hard before uttering his next words. "Melanie, break radio silence. Send this to Wraith HQ, secure frequency 1066. Gamma Omega. Nothing else...just Gamma Omega. Plot a new course for Rinaal, as fast as we can get there. We have no time to lose." The whole bridge crew gasped. They knew the word Omega...knew of what it signified. Disaster, of the worst possible kind. And when attached to the other Greek letter Gamma...Gamma Omega. It could only mean one thing. McAllister uttered the one word that they feared would become all too true. "War..." [/RP] ------------------ Cmdr. Benjamin Somerset GCV Swiftsure Prime Fleet Commander, SIN Wing =TDY Wraith Fleet= "I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast, for I intend to go into harm's way." - John Paul Jones

Way too much catchup to do... [RP] Personal Log: Robert "Banish" Anderson MD: +21 days 18 hours 14 minutes Something really strange has been going on here...just got sent to escort the shuttles while they picked something up. Turns out we've got some sort of troops aboard, with a really hard@ss commanding officer. Already heard about a couple of fights breaking out between them and the marines. Wish I could say what's going on here, but nobody knows. No one except the Commander. ------ Inflight recording: IC1 MD: +22 days 12 hours 50 minutes The world blurred for the two men in the fighter as they were launched out of the Chikuma, and out into battle once again. Once all the fighters were out in space, the comm came to life. "All IC's, this is Skyhook. Escort formation, and await further instructions," the Flight Controller aboard the ship ordered. "You heard the man," Banish said. 2, you and I will take the point. 3,4 fall in behind the ship. 2, line astern formation." He watched in his mirror as he saw IC2 fall in right behind his fighter, as 3 and 4 peeled off, taking up position behind the Chikuma. In the backseat, Bigtone called "Berlin is launching their fighters!" "2, cover me, combat spread, fingertip formation. 3, 4, take targets of opportunity." Banish said. He waited...and no one responded. "Skyhook, this is IC1, respond." Still nothing. Bigtone called from the back, "Banish, the ship must've cut comms!" "S**t!" Banish yelled. He kicked in the rudder, and wagged the tail of his fighter. Luckily, the IC pilots had practiced "comms out" combat before. It was about to come in handy. Motioning with his tail, 2 slid into fingertip formation with him, and moved out to combat spread. This way, 2 could watch his tail, and keep him clear of anyone on his 6. With a hand motion, and Bigtone using his TacOps uplink, they told 2 to fire missiles at one of the fighters coming toward them. Banish himself locked up a Questor on another fighter, and shot at maximum range. The other pilot valiantly attempted to evade, but failed in the end. The missile detonated underneath his fighter, breaking it in two. 2 managed to destroy his fighter as well, leaving only two left to tangle with. Into the pass, all 4 fighters went through one another, turning around to engage. One of the Berlin's fighters came about to get behind Banish. 2 must've seen it, and broke off to engage the bandit behind him. Banish managed to line up the other fighter, and 3 laser blasts took him down. From behind him, Bigtone hollered "Bandit on our 6, break right!" Jamming the stick to the right, and throwing the throttle into full afterburn, Banish looked behind him. The computer identified it as IC1 from the Tsunami. He saw something coming towards him, like bolts of light. Moving the stick back to the left, he twisted and turned to avoid the laser fire. He chopped the throttle, trying to suck the guy in. He had found that this tactic worked well against anyone, even his own. And it did this time as well. The other fighter shot right in front of his own, and managed to get a couple of shots into him. Bigtone said "He's disabled. Not going to hurt anyone else now." "Right," was all Banish said. He didn't like killing his own, even if they were renegades. Pulling up the detents, he shot away from the poor fighter, and wished the pilot luck. Although on opposite sides, they were still human, and aerial warriors besides. Pilots respected one another, friend or foe. And Banish wouldn't kill this defenseless pilot. Soon after, he saw the Chikuma pull away from the Berlin. She was headed right for the fighter he had disabled. Hopefully she would tractor the fighter, and save her crew. What is she doing?!? Banish wondered. He saw two beams lance out, and destroy the fighter. Both of the pilots cursed the Chikuma, and her Commander. How dare Stone, blowing him out of the sky! He couldn't even hurt anyone! They both thought. They both agreed they were going to have a word with that excuse for an XO when they got back. What Stone did was uncalled for, and everyone aboard that ship would agree. Banish remembered a line from Hamlet, that seemed rather appropriate. Something is rotten in the state of Denmark. And something was rotten aboard the GCV Chikuma. [/RP] ------------ Robert "Banish" Anderson Pilot, IC-1 GCV Chikuma

With all the secrecy and things about, you can't tell. But...the way I see it, it's possible that the Chikuma is actually the renegade ship. Especially with Blade's log entry. Of course, I could be totally wrong, but that's the way I see it. ------------------ Cmdr. Benjamin Somerset GCV Swiftsure Prime Fleet Commander, SIN Wing =TDY Wraith Fleet= "I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast, for I intend to go into harm's way." - John Paul Jones

Time to get into the foray myself. The fun is only beginning... [RP] Location: Argos Base, LV-184, Omega Centauri System Scene: Corridor ---> Transporter Room, GCV Swiftsure Date: March 12, 3008. 1410 GST Benjamin Somerset strode into the transporter room, with a questioning look aimed at Transporter Chief Johnson. "Mr. Johnson, how long until the supplies are all aboard?" The Chief looked over at the Commander, and quickly replied "It shouldn't be much longer, sir. We have 2 more cargo pallets to beam aboard, and transfer to the cargo bays. Not more than 20 or 30 minutes." He turned his head back toward the console, pressed a few buttons, and activated the transporter. A cargo pallet shimmered into existence in front of them, encompassing the whole transporter pad. "Very well, Chief." Somerset said, as he left the transporter room, and headed for the bridge. ----- Scene: Bridge, GCV Swiftsure Date: March 12, 3008. 1428 GST The bridge crew was assembled at their stations, awaiting the word from the Commander. But before he could give the word, he had to have a word from the Chief Engineer. So they sat, and waited. A few minutes later, the intercom chimed. {O'Malley to Bridge. All the supplies are loaded aboard. We can depart at your discretion.} The Irishman had gotten the job done, right on time. Somerset silently thanked the man, who kept the ship running, by some miracle. His title of "Miracle Worker" was well earned. "Understood, Shawn. We're getting underway now. Somerset out," he said, closing the connection. "Mr. Ishikawa, plot a course for Artemis Base. Kamarov, engage silent running mode. Karen, when the course is laid in, engage at 750kps." With the orders given, the bridge crew responded quickly. Ishikawa had the course to the small base deep in Gammulan space plotted quickly. He was extremely good at his job, and kept Operations running at top efficiency for far longer than it should. "Course plotted and laid in, Commander." "Engaging engines, ahead 750kps." McAllister reported soon after. They would be going relatively slow, due to the restrictions of silent running. The speed reduced engine emissions to a level which was virtually undetectable. The reactor output was maintained at a mere fraction of it's full potential. That would make it much harder for anyone to detect the radiation signature of the reactor, since it equaled that of the background radiation that was always present in space. However, there was one down side to silent running. They had an extremely limited speed, and it took a long time to reach that speed. It would take almost 2 hours to get to cruise speed under silent running. "Silent running system engaged, sir." Kamarov said from tactical. Under this, the ship went to passive sensors only, making them virtually blind. But they couldn't be detected if they didn't use active scanning, which meant passive scanning only. Their job was stealth, and they did it well. "Very well. Set the standard sailing watch. ETA to Artemis?" he asked of McAllister. "We should arrive at Artemis in 48 hours, Commander," she immediately replied. "Actually, 48 hours, 4.8 minutes, sir." Soran said from his station. He had a penchant for being overly accurate. It was then that the computer announced, {Set standard sailing watch. Beta shift on duty in 10 minutes. Beta shift on duty in 10 minutes.} "Mr. Ishikawa, since you're the Beta shift commanding officer, the bridge is yours. I'll be in my ready room." Somerset said as he rose from his chair, and he walked through the doors to the ready room as they slid open and shut behind him. ------ Scene: Ready Room, GCV Swiftsure Date: March 12, 3008. 1440 GST Somerset made his first stop upon entering the ready room at the servitor. "Tea, Earl Grey, hot," he requested. The computer whirred in response, and a few moments later, the tea appeared in the receiving window. He grabbed the steaming cup and walked over to his chair as he sipped the tea gently. He sat down, and placed the cup onto a coaster on the desk, and reached into his pockets. Somerset extracted a small case with a GCN logo, and a lighter. Slowly, he lit a cigarette, and inhaled deeply. Blowing out the smoke, he reached over, and activated the log recorder. "Commander's Log, March 12, 3008. We've finished minor repairs and onload of supplies at Argos Base. Mr. O'Malley reports that he has managed to finally isolate and repair the pattern enhancer after the last mishap with the transporter that occured when we were resupplying Artemis Base with the transporter about 4 weeks ago. Our orders are to proceed to Artemis, and resupply them. When the resupply is complete we are going to head for home, after a 2 month operational cruise here in Gammulan space. I'm looking forward to getting out of here, and seeing something other than the bulkheads of this ship for a change. With 48 hours to Artemis, 2 hours to resupply the Base, and another 3 days to get back to Rinaal, we'll be back in friendly territory in less than a week. The crew needs a break, and it won't be long until we get it." Somerset flicked the button, and ended the log as he crushed out the cigarette in his ashtray. Only 50 hours, and they would be on their way home. He, and everyone else aboard, welcomed the thought with open arms. [/RP] Just some more of 'setting the scene.' Gallion: check ye mail ------------------ Cmdr. Benjamin Somerset GCV Swiftsure Prime Fleet Commander, SIN Wing =TDY Wraith Fleet= "I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast, for I intend to go into harm's way." - John Paul Jones [This message has been edited by Ben Somerset (edited 09-21-1999).]

It's no problem at all, Robert. As for the RTFM...it's all in good fun. I've seen it said so many times, that just this once, I couldn't resist saying it. If you don't find anything to write about the history, Blades could use some more people for the Premptive Strike story, and I doubt that Badgerius would mind another ship getting involved in Eternal Diligence. It'll give you a chance to get involved, and we'd all enjoy seeing a new face around here. ------------------ Cmdr. Benjamin Somerset GCV Swiftsure Prime Fleet Commander, SIN Wing =TDY Wraith Fleet= "I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast, for I intend to go into harm's way." - John Paul Jones

Most of what you're looking for (History of GalCom, and the Insurgents) is located in the manual, close to the beginning. It gives a lot of detail, but I'm sure there are some holes which someone might want to fill sometime. And since I've seen it here so many times, and just can't resist: RTFM!!! ------------------ Cmdr. Benjamin Somerset GCV Swiftsure Prime Fleet Commander, SIN Wing =TDY Wraith Fleet= "I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast, for I intend to go into harm's way." - John Paul Jones

[RP] Personal Log: Robert 'Banish' Anderson Mission +19days 09hrs 22mins Well...looks like we're at war. And with the Gamms no less. I sure could think of other people I'd rather fight. From what I've seen and heard, those Gamms are some pretty Sierra Hotel pilots. From what the Commander said, they're going to be looking for a whole new group of brass to take over for the ones who got killed by the Gamms. I'm going to look forward to taking some of the Gamms out, as payback. At least we got a chance to get some leave before we left port again. More over, I got to spend some time with my girlfriend before we both had to ship out again. I love her to death, but this being on separate ships can be a bit annoying at times. But, it also means that I can't be lovestruck 24-7, lowering my efficency ratings like Shadow. He's got the hots for some crewman, pretty bad, if Big is right. And poor Shodan seems to have that Commissioners daughter falling into his lap. You could see a court-martial coming a hundred klicks away on that one. Oh, well. I'm just glad I got a message out to Jess before the Commander cut off communications. Something about 'top secret' operations. Just as long as I blow some Gamms out of the sky, I don't care. ----- Mission +20days 17hrs 45mins We're stuck in the ready room, all 8 of us. They want us ready for combat operations. How in hell are we supposed to be ready for combat, if we don't know where we are? I'm about to go to the galley with Big, and grab something to eat. Then, it's back to the ready room, to wait. ----- Mission +20days 18hrs 5mins Good lord...can't believe what Big and I just saw in the galley. Something I never expected to see, that's for sure. Didn't realize that some of the crew were into making their own X-rated holovids. To each his own...I suppose. ----- Mission +20days 18hrs 45mins A murder aboard ship! What a strange month this has been. New Commander, attacked, shore leave, war with the Gamms, dead brass, and now a murder. Poor girl, stuck into one of IC3's exhaust ports. I have the feeling that Shadow's not going to like that very much. And neither will the Flight Engineers that have to fix it. Not to mention the Marines...strange times these are. Strange indeed. [/RP] --------------- Robert 'Banish' Anderson Pilot, IC-1 GCV Chikuma [This message has been edited by Ben Somerset (edited 08-31-99).]

The timeline is also posted here, on the forum. There are some alterations to allow for some character driven info, (i.e. birthdates, academy entrance, etc.) but it is here. The timeline thread is here: http://www.bc3000ad.com/ubb/Forum6/HTML/000035.html Whether it is official or not, is up to interpretation by the SC. However, I have based most of my own characters major RP events on DeSylva's timeline. In fact, I was coming up with possible future character development for 3020, basing them off of DeSylva's new timeline in the "Farewell" thread. And as Dennis Miller has said: "Of course, that's just my opinion. I may be wrong." ------------------ Cmdr. Benjamin Somerset GCV Swiftsure Prime Fleet Commander, SIN Wing =TDY Wraith Fleet= "I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast, for I intend to go into harm's way." - John Paul Jones

Personally speaking, I believe that we should adopt DeSylva's timeline in full. It is well thought out, and goes into detail, while leaving a lot of places open for multiple RP threads. And since the reason for Blades war (SC killed by Gamms) is different from DeSylva's (Wraith Massacre), I agree with Gallion that this thread should be April-May, 3001. Gallion: check ye mail. ------------------ Cmdr. Benjamin Somerset GCV Swiftsure Prime Fleet Commander, SIN Wing =TDY Wraith Fleet= "I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast, for I intend to go into harm's way." - John Paul Jones

[RP] Banish Pilot, IC-1 In flight recorder: Active Banish snapped the stick about, as he heard the warbling of another fighter trying to get a missile lock on him. "Big, where are they?!?" Big swung his whole mass around, looking for where the offending fighter was. "I can't see him! He must be somewhere below us!" "We'll fix that." Banish said, sending the fighter spiraling 'down'. Though this was the 31st century, Banish still had old fashioned mirrors so he could easily 'check six' for and bandits. In the mirror, he saw a small fighter appear. "Got him. He's right on our six." Suddenly, the warbling tone went steady, indicating that the bandit had a lock on them. "He's got a lock. Activating EMD." Bigtone announced, trying to jam the missile lock. Through the rearview mirror, Banish noticed the exhaust plume of a launching missile. "Breaking left" was all he said as he snapped the controls to the left, attempting to evade the missile. Deciding to try and run, he lifted the detents, and kicked the little fighter into burner. Distance would give them more chance to evade. Bigtone kept a close eye on the missile behind them. "It's still with us" he said, "reverse the turn, it should throw the missile off." Banish obeyed, reversing the turn. It worked and the missile lost it's lock on the fighter. However, when it lost the lock, it activated the proximity detonator, hitting the fighter with shrapnel, debris, and burning fuel. "Sheilds are down to 50%!" Bigtone told Banish. "That b******'s gonna get it," was all Banish said. He swung the fighter around, and went after the man who had dared to damage his beautiful machine. Finally, he got into a good position. Selecting a Questor, Banish waited for the tone telling him they had a lock. The tone finally came...and Banish shot. His enemy tried desperately to get away...and he failed. The fighter was consumed in flame and fire, and emerged nothing but debris. Seeing that there wasn't any new fighters around them, Banish glanced at his display. He found a nice Garid that was slightly damaged. A sitting duck for the rest of the fighters. "Listen up, everybody. Form up into elements, and let's take out that Garid to try and draw some fire. 2, you're with me. 3, and 4 will attack from port, and we'll go from starboard." *********** IC1 wasn't looking too good. The 'Jolly Jessica' as she was called, looked pretty beat up. Even her nose art was scarred from all the fire the little fighter had been taking. But Banish wouldn't break off. He never did want to run away from a fight. Over the commlink he heard Flight Control from the ship. "This is Skyhook," codename for the Chikuma, "IC1, RTB. IC3, and 4, continue attack. IC2, cover 3 and 4." "Skyhook, say again," Banish requested, thinking he hadn't heard correctly. "IC1, RTB. IC3, and 4, continue attack. IC2, cover 3 and 4. Skyhook clear." The Flight Controller repeated, sounding rather agitated having to say orders twice. "Skyhook, this is 1, requesting to stay aloft." Banish said. He didn't care how bad the fighter looked, she could still fly, so she could still fight. There was silence for a moment. The FC probably had to consult with 'higher authority' on that decision. "Denied. 1, RTB immediately. Skyhook, clear." "Damn." Banish said. Over the open comm, he merely clicked twice. He had acknowledged his orders, but had made somewhat clear he didn't like them. Moving the stick, he started the fighter back toward the ship. He opened the throttles wide, blazing them to the ship. "This is IC1, requesting landing clearance." Bigtone called as they approached the landing bays. "Acknowledged, IC1. Begin final approach, vector 230." Banish moved to 230, heading toward the ship. Suddenly over the commlink he heard, "IC1, this is landing control. Landing clearance denied. Go missed approach, vector now 070. Stand by for new orders from Skyhook." "What the hell?" Bigtone asked. "Don't ask me. I just work here." Banish replied, deadpan. "IC1, this is Skyhook. Vector 017 for intercept of 12 bandits." "It never rains, but it pours." Bigtone told Banish. "Yup. Let's get this show on the road." he told Bigtone, kicking in the burners. As he approached the enemy fighters, he noticed 4 break off and head toward them. "Got 4 incoming." Bigtone told him. Banish chuckled. These guys weren't very smart. He chopped the throttles and kicked in the retrothrusters, almost immediately decelerating the fighter to 0 kps. Right afterward, Bigtone got lock on the 4 bandits in turn, and Banish took a missile shot at each. As soon as he was done firing, he turned the fighter about, and raced away from the oncoming bandits. In his mirror, he saw 3 of them burst into flames as the missiles found their mark. Only one of the 4 had survived the frontal attack. "These are my kinda odds!" Bigtone hollered at Banish. "They'll only get better." Banish replied as he headed for the remaining bandit. He was almost out of missiles, and decided to go for guns instead. Apparently, the bandit was out as well, because he would have taken a shot or two already. As they went into the break, they passed within 15 meters of each other and broke off in opposite directions. Banish ended up breaking right, twisting his head, trying to see his enemy. "He's at 9 o'clock, turning..." Bigtone grunted as he pressed against the high-g turn. Though fighters were equipped with inertial dampers, Banish kept them low so he could 'feel' the maneuvers. Banish could finally see him. At the moment, he was behind the other fighter. "I'm going for separation," he announced, kicking in a small amount of retro. The minor slowdown put the bandit a little further ahead, but also brought him to Banish's 11 o'clock, low. Pushing the nose down, he put in the burner, shooting him toward his enemy. He went below him, getting in the 'blind spot'. Keeping a little to one side, Banish could see the pilot twisting his head from one side to the other, looking for Banish. He grinned maniacally, pushed back the throttle slightly, and pulled the trigger on the laser. The small fighter disappeared. "99 craft, this is Skyhook," the call indicated all craft currently aloft. "Move to heading 125, and enter debris field." Banish obeyed, while Bigtone wondered aloud "What's going on now? Crazy squids..." "Don't ask me, Big. We only get paid to fly." Banish said. Looking behind them, Big noted "Hey, Banish, there're still 4 bandits. And their behind us." Banish smiled. "They don't stand a chance." [/RP] I think that was long enough. Any inconsistancies are my fault alone. Respectfully submitted, Robert 'Banish' Anderson Pilot, IC-1 GCV Chikuma

Foss: The dates you're looking for are in here: http://www.bc3000ad.com/ubb/Forum6/HTML/000035.html {neglected to put in the UBB code} ------------------ Cmdr. Benjamin Somerset GCV Swiftsure Prime Fleet Commander, SIN Wing =TDY Wraith Fleet= "I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast, for I intend to go into harm's way." - John Paul Jones [This message has been edited by Ben Somerset (edited 08-20-99).]

[Narrative On] Mission + 0days 19hrs 25mins Banish Pilot-IC1 In flight log entry *heavy breathing* This sucks. We just got sent into the fires of eternal hell. Commander thought we'd be facing a minor raiding force. Boy, was he ever wrong! "How many are back there, Bigtone?" Bigtone: "Too damn many, Banish! I can't even count the number of fighters!" I snapped the control stick, moving the fighter around to an attack position. "Let's protect SC2 as long as we can. Lock me up some bandits, Bigtone." Bigtone: "You got it. Bandits, comin' up." The HUD flared to life as target symbology appeared, directing me to the nearest fighter. Bigtone: "Bandit, 3 o'clock high." I moved the control stick to intercept. I went for missles this time out, since we were too far away for lasers. Not much later, I heard a distinct tone in my ears, signifying the missle was locked on. "Fox One!" I called over the com. The missle streaked to it's target, and the Raider disappeared in a fiery explosion. "Bandit on our six!" Bigtone yelled at me. "Break left!" Instinctively, I moved the stick as far to the left as I could. 'Always trust your wizzo', they said. I trusted Bigtone. That burly guy's saved our necks more than once. I turned my head, trying to get a bead on the bandit. I finally found him at four o'clock, low. To have ridden on our tail through that maneuver must have meant he was fairly good. I was still going to the left, so I decided to suck the poor fool in. With my left hand, I chopped the throttle to idle, and kicked in the Retrothrusters to slow us down. My right snapped the stick over to the right, bringing our nose to face the bandit. He didn't even see it coming. He shot out in front of us as my nose came right around to face him. "So long, sucker." I uttered as I fired 4 laser bursts at full power, obliterating the other fighter. From behind me, Bigtone said "Don't look now, but we just got more company." "How much?" I asked him. "At least 8 cap ships, and 30 more fighters, all on our six." He replied calmly. "Damn." was all I could say for a moment. Then, "All right everybody, Commander wanted 'em sucked in, well, they're gonna be sucked in. 4, you and I will escort SC2 back to the ship, fingertip formation. 2, 3, you're going to have to cover us until we get back through the gate." I looked for 4, and saw him coming in at my 5 o'clock. He was coming in fast, and moved right into fingertip with me. I moved the throttles to the stops, lifted the detents, and threw the little fighter into burner. We needed to catch up to that shuttle, and get it back to the ship. I just wonder how the Commander will feel about his plan working so well. [Narrative off] Respectfully submitted, Robert Anderson, 'Banish' Pilot, IC-1 GCV Chikuma [This message has been edited by Ben Somerset (edited 08-19-99).]

If IC1 Pilot Banish's position is open, I would be glad to fill it. I'm looking forward to the 'actual' beginning of this RP. Regards, ------------------ Cmdr. Benjamin Somerset GCV Swiftsure Prime Fleet Commander, SIN Wing =TDY Wraith Fleet= "I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast, for I intend to go into harm's way." - John Paul Jones

Something else is that before you apply to Prime, check out the other Fleet websites and see if one of them is more to your liking. I registered in Prime Fleet, and later found Wraith to suit my style more. So instead, I'm on TDY (Temporary Duty) assignment to Wraith. As the Knight said in "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade"...'Choose, but choose wisely.' It's good advice for anyone who hasn't already registered on the Commander's Roster should remember. Respectfully yours, ------------------ Cmdr. Benjamin Somerset GCV Swiftsure Commander, SIN Wing =TDY Wraith Fleet= "I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast, for I intend to go into harm's way." - John Paul Jones [This message has been edited by Ben Somerset (edited 08-11-99).]

I went through alot of names before I finally got around to the one I have now, which is the Swiftsure. Being an avid Trek fan, I first chose an obvious name, Enterprise. I grew out of that name and into others, including, Illustrious, Vindicator, and Dreadnaught. One day, I was reading a Trek book entitled Spock's World, and saw the name Swiftsure. It seemed perfect for me, and I adopted it as the name of my ship in BC3k, and registered it. I'm also rather fond of the fact that out of all the ships in the Commanders Roster, mine is unique. I haven't seen another Swiftsure, though I have seen alot of Enterprise's. By the way, Gallion, I always did like the name you chose for your ship. The name of a valiant German pocket battleship, that should have gone out in a blaze of glory against a superior British force. It's a real shame that she was scuttled instead. ------------------ Cmdr. Benjamin Somerset GCV Swiftsure SIN Wing Commander =TDY Wraith Fleet= "I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast, for I intend to go into harm's way." - John Paul Jones

I must agree with Gallion. Moving into that kind of territory moves into realms of theoretical physics that we could only 'technobabble' our way through. I think we should stick to known territory for this RP. ------------------ Cmdr. Benjamin Somerset GCV Swiftsure SIN Wing Commander =TDY Wraith Fleet= "I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast, for I intend to go into harm's way." - John Paul Jones

Welcome aboard, Bandus. Nice to see that all of the Wing Commander slots are all filled now. Under new leadership, I doubt that Delta Wing will befall the unfortunate fate it did last time. ------------------ Cmdr. Benjamin Somerset GCV Swiftsure SIN Wing =TDY Wraith Fleet= "I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast, for I intend to go into harm's way." - John Paul Jones

I've actually had a few quote's for my ship...but I finally found one that fits the name of my ship well. GCV Swiftsure "I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast, for I intend to go into harm's way." -John Paul Jones ------------------ Cmdr. Benjamin Somerset GCV Swiftsure Prime Flt. TDY Wraith Flt., SIN Wing ICQ 32545391 "I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast, for I intend to go into harm's way." - John Paul Jones

December 3003 sounds fine to me. By that time, whatever occurs in the e-mail RP should be done, and all of the ships that may get banged up will be back in working order. Two questions though. 1) Will the War still be going on then? 2) When do we start? ------------------ Cmdr. Benjamin Somerset GCV Swiftsure Prime Flt. TDY Wraith Flt., SIN Wing ICQ 32545391 "I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast, for I intend to go into harm's way." - John Paul Jones

I doubt that the RP will be over anytime soon, Foss. 450ish messages might seem like alot to read, but some of them are extremely short. You'll probably be able to breeze through about half to two-thirds of it easily. I think we'll all enjoy the extra company in our motley. ------------------ Cmdr. Benjamin Somerset GCV Swiftsure Prime Flt. TDY Wraith Flt., SIN Wing ICQ 32545391 "I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast, for I intend to go into harm's way." - John Paul Jones

I'm glad you've decided to come back so soon, Sebastian. Looking forward to see what you and Foss come up with next. ------------------ Cmdr. Benjamin Somerset GCV Swiftsure Prime Flt. TDY Wraith Flt., SIN Wing ICQ 32545391 "I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast, for I intend to go into harm's way." - John Paul Jones

Foss: If you'd like to see what's been going on in the e-mail RP without overloading your mail account, you can go to http://www.egroups.com/groups/bcrp and read all of the posts. DeSylva will probably read this thread, so if you'd like to get in on the action, mention it here, or send him a mail, and I bet he would be glad to add you to the mailing list. ------------------ Cmdr. Benjamin Somerset GCV Swiftsure Prime Flt. TDY Wraith Flt., SIN Wing ICQ 32545391 "Angels and Ministers of Grace, defend us." -Hamlet, Act I, Scene IV

I think what he meant was that we should wait until the e-mail RP was done, so we know what state our ships/characters are in when it's over. Wouldn't be good to start writing like everything's fine in the forum RPG, when it ends up that in the e-mail one, your ship gets plastered. Foss: Personally, I wouldn't mind seeing you join up in the e-mail RP. We could always use another ship, and good Commander. ------------------ Cmdr. Benjamin Somerset GCV Swiftsure Prime Flt. TDY Wraith Flt., SIN Wing ICQ 32545391 "Angels and Ministers of Grace, defend us." -Hamlet, Act I, Scene IV

My vote is for Polaris as well. That gives us from September 3000-January 3001. Alot of RP time and opportunities for all involved. A side remark to Gallions last post. Who says that an attack force to Gamma-1 has to be large? Surgical strikes are always more interesting than brute force. ------------------ Cmdr. Benjamin Somerset GCV Swiftsure Prime Flt. TDY Wraith Flt., SIN Wing ICQ 32545391 "Angels and Ministers of Grace, defend us." -Hamlet, Act I, Scene IV