Ben Somerset

[RP] The bleeding from Bigtone's wound had finally stopped, and thankfully for the heavyset man, he was still clearheaded. In the backseat, he was the first to notice something new in the scope. "Hey, Banish, got somethin' new back there. Looks like one of our shuttles." "Let's go take a look, then." Banish said as he eased the throttle back, and turned toward the shuttle. Pulling up alongside the shuttle, he saw a head turn to look at them. Then over the commlink he heard; "Banish? Is that you? Neena has instructed us to go after that probe. You are to provide cover. We've got a probe to find." Banish recognized the voice as McKendrick. When he got on a first name basis with the XO however was a mystery. A mystery that could be solved later on. Activating his own commlink he said, "Right with you, McKendrick. Let's find that *******, and blow it out of the stars." Time grew short. Banish only hoped they had enough of it left to do their job. [/RP] --------------------- Robert "Banish" Anderson Scorpion One GCV Chikuma

Blades: I'll wait until you update, to see if one of the Chikuma crew still aboard can locate the RANDOM. I'm also going on vacation (what wonderful timing ), so some time between now and your update will be helpful. I shall try to post not too long after you update. ------------------ 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

Congrats are in order to you Thomas. Seems like a good X-mas present to add to your list. Good luck in your new posting, command of the largest Fleet in the GCN. ------------------ 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

I think it's a nice thing that you left Banish and Big alive. Hopefully, this'll be able to accomplish some good. [RP] Impact T - 28 minutes Banish no longer had time to mourn over his dead friends. Somewhere out there, a weapon the like of which the Galaxy had never seen was bearing down on a unsuspecting population. And by some twist of fate, the last remaining pilot aboard the Chikuma appeared to be the only one who could stop it. Looking over at Jayce, he ordered, "Help me get Big back to the Launch Bay. We've got to take that damn weapon out." Jayce nodded, and they both began taking Bigtone back to the Launch Bay. When they finally arrived, the two men managed to strap Big into the cockpit. "Ready to rock and roll, Big?" Banish asked as he finished strapping the fighter on. "Everythings warmed up and ready to go, boss. Time to kick some ass." Big replied. Banish looked at Jayce, and said. "Get on out of here, kid. We're going to have to blow the Bay open to get out, and you don't want to be here when that happens. Go help out the XO, and see if you can't get us a bead on the weapon." Jayce looked at the pilots, and noted that these men had the look of men on a suicide mission. Neither one of them really expected to come back. But they were going to do a job that had to be done, and appreciated that. "Good luck, guys." he said as he turned to leave the Launch Bay. "God be with you..." he whispered as the doors shut. Left alone in the Launch Bay, Banish looked back at Bigtone. "One more time, Big?" "Yup, let's go." he replied. Banish looked down, and flipped the Master Arm switch to ON. He turned the fighter toward the Bay doors and slowly depressed the trigger. Laser fire screamed out of the fighter, explosively decompressing the Bay. Banish advanced the throttle, and headed out to destroy the RANDOM, if it was the last thing he ever did. Impact T - 26 minutes [RP] I hope somebody has an idea up there sleeve about how to find this weapon, because a couple of guys are sitting on a lot of missiles with the RANDOM's name on it. --------------- Robert "Banish" Anderson Scorpion One GCV Chikuma

Been pretty busy as of late myself. I'll try and post tonight after work. BTW, has anyone heard from Jon lately? ------------------ 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

Commander Benjamin Somerset, reporting for duty. The Swiftsure is at your command. ------------------ 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] The evil brainwashing of good command material...a sad waste really. It will be a great shame to blow you out of the stars. The pleasure of doing so will be mine. They say, Revenge is a dish that is best served cold. It is very cold, in space. [/RP] Yes, I borrowed from ST:II ------------------ 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] Countdown T - 4 hours 37 minutes "Have any of you guys got an idea? I need options, and I need them yesterday!" Banish yelled. In his opinion, they had run out of time. They needed to take action, and take it quickly, before Mallone managed to do what he came to do. Whatever that was. "Why not use our lasers to cut through the ship?" One of the other pilots asked. "Do we know if that'll stop us?" Banish asked in reply. "No, but it's worth a shot." the pilot replied. "And if we happen to hit quarters where crewmembers are still alive...?" "Um...I see your point, sir." he answered, feeling like an idiot. "What about blow the launch bay doors, and take our chances outside?" a wizzo asked. "Small problem with that. The defense system is still active. If we're interpreted as hostile..." Big reminded him. "But if it doesn't..." Banish said "That sounds like a plan to me. We go in 15 minutes. Check your craft, check it again, and check it again. We've got to make it count this time, guys. No screwups." "Two." "Three." "Four." Banish got a grim look on his face as he said "All right then, Scorpions. We rock and roll in 15 minutes." He hoped that 30 minutes from now, he'd still be alive. Launch T - 41 minutes [/RP] ------------------- Robert 'Banish' Anderson Scorpion One GCV Chikuma [This message has been edited by Ben Somerset (edited 12-03-1999).]

[RP] Countdown T - 4 hours 52 minutes Banish sat in the cockpit, and continued waiting, as he had been for hours now. Over the years he had learned patience, but this was straining that patience to the limit. He decided that since they hadn't heard from the XO, that he would take matters into his own hands. "Big, I'm sick of waiting. What about you?" "Damn sick of it, boss. Let's get this show on the road, and do something." the wizzo replied. "All right." Banish opened the IC commlink. "Scorpion Flight, listen up. We've run out of time waiting around. From the looks of things, the rest of the crew is either locked down, or dead. There's been no contact from the XO for hours, so I'm assuming her group is dead too. Looks to me as if the 7 of us are all that's left to take care of the bad guys. We need some options, so start talking to me." Silently, he prayed that they came up with a good idea. If they didn't, he had a plan that would stop the ship, but would also kill them all. He didn't want to resort to the desperate measure, though. The overload of all the interceptors reactor cores would blow the Chikuma apart from the inside out. But it would also kill everyone aboard, and no one would ever find out the real story. Hell, even Banish himself didn't know that. Banish waited quietly, to see if the other bright souls could come up with a better idea to stop the Chikuma, without killing them all. [/RP] Drastic times call for drastic measures. Unless another one of these numbskulls can come up with better idea. Blades? ---------------- Robert 'Banish' Anderson Scorpion One GCV Chikuma

[RP] One Moment Please glared off of the computer screen until it was suddenly replaced by someone sitting down at a video pickup. As the person sat down, Somerset recognized it as his wife. My wife... he thought. It was hard for him to believe that he was a married man. Ever since his first failed marriage, Somerset had been married to the Navy, to the Swiftsure. Now, he had a real wife, of flesh and blood. Someone who he found slightly more enticing than he did his ship. He wanted to be a good husband, and not make the mistakes that had ruined his marriage with Alyssa. "Hello, my dear." he said to Jessica. "Hi, my darling." she replied with a smile. "How is everything?" "As well as can be expected, I suppose. We finally put in at Orion for repairs." he told her. Jessica's face lit up, and she asked, "Do you think you'll be able to get leave?" Somerset frowned. This was the part he wasn't going to like. "I'm afraid not, dear. The Procyon problem is heating up, and they're sending in the Fleet to deal with it. You know I wish I could come home and see you, but I can't. Why does it seem these things always happen at the wrong time?" he asked, more to himself, than to her. She didn't look happy, but there was at least understanding in her eyes. "I don't know. Just promise that you'll be careful, darling." He nodded, saying, "I promise, dear. I won't even muss a hair on my head. I'll talk to you soon. I love you, my dear." She smiled, and said "I love you too. Take care, Ben." "I will, Jessica. Somerset out." he said, and the image of his wife was replaced by the emblem of the GCN. He stood, and donned his uniform jacket, as he headed for the bridge. "Commander on the Bridge!" a Marine announced as Somerset approaced Soran. As Soran rose, Somerset asked "You needed to see me?" "Yes, Commander." his first officer replied. "We are still 18 hands short, and are about to head into a hostile situation. I am concerned about departing undermanned." "That shall be dealt with promptly. Contact Orion's personnel Department, and tell it's commanding officer that it's time he repaid his debt to Somerset. He'll understand, and we'll get our staff." Somerset said. Soran looked puzzled, but only said, "Understood." ----- "The last of the replacements are aboard, sir." Soran informed him. It had taken less than an hour to fully man the ship, which had been 18 hands short. Quick work, even for a starstation. "Departure stations." Somerset ordered as he keyed the comm to Engineering. "O'Malley here, sir." "How is the Engine Room?" Somerset asked. "Still in shambles, like tha' rest o' the ship, if ye couldna tell you'self." Somerset could tell. Loose wires, broken panels, and the rattling vent that annoyed him were only a few signs that the Swiftsure was not quite combat ready. "Will we be combat ready by the time we get to Procyon?" "We should be, sair. Why else do ye think I train me crews so hard?" "Point taken. Keep us together for awhile longer, Shawn. Somerset out." "All stations report ready for departure, sir." Ishikawa reported from the Nav station. "Melanie, get me the dockmaster." Somerset ordered. "Control reading, Commander." the communications officer replied. "Control, this is Swiftsure, requesting permission to depart." "Acknowledged, Swiftsure.Permission to depart granted. Proceed course 234, mark 128 to rendevous with Fleet. Good luck, and good hunting. Orionout." "Lt. McAllister, course 234, mark 128. Full impulse." McAllister began inputting commands as she said, "Aye-aye, sir. Full impulse." The Swiftsure surged forward, as she headed to join up with the rest of the fleet. Once she was in position, Winforth at communications reported, "Message from the Flagship, sir. We are to proceed to GHQ for resupply and rearming, in cruise formation." "Acknowledge the message. Mr. Ishikawa, plot a course for GHQ, standard cruise velocity. Ms. McAllister, move us into standard cruise formation." The view on the main screen changed as the Swiftsure moved into position. "Course plotted and laid in, sir." Ishikawa reported. "We're in position, Commander. Flagship is sending the count to Jump. Jump in 4, 3, 2, 1...mark." she said, and engaged the hyperdrive. The Fleet quickly traversed the light barrier, and was moving at what decades earlier would be considered an unimaginable speed. Now, it was normal. The complexities of the universe only seemed to grow, and grow. ------------------ 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

IC 1 pilot Banish is still alive, has a full missile loadout, and is ready to kick ass. Let's get this show back on the road. ------------------ 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] At the conclusion of the briefing all of the Commander's stood, and were dismissed. As they left MISCON, Somerset was surprised at the scale of the operation. Instead of merely having one Fleet deal with the situation, all of them were going to be involved. That young Commander was right, it was going to be one big mission. Somerset walked over to the nearest turbolift, and said "Transporter Room." The lift swiftly began moving, taking him to his destination. As he stepped out of the turbolift, he noticed the crowded corridors starting to thin out. Everyone seemed to know that something was going on, and were getting ready for it. He entered the transporter room, and told the technician on duty, "One to beam to the Swiftsure." "Aye-aye, sir." The technician said, as he began manipulating the controls. "Ready to transport, Commander." "Energize." Somerset ordered, as he felt a slight tingling sensation envelop his entire body, and his vision disappear. The next thing he knew, his vision was returning, and the tingling sensation disappeared. He was back aboard the Swiftsure. Williamson, his transporter Chief nodded, saying "Welcome aboard, Commander. Mr. Soran asked you to join him on the bridge as soon as you came aboard." "Very well. Tell him I shall join him presently." Somerset said. What does he want now? Somerset wondered. He exited the transporter room, and headed for his quarters. When he arrived, he removed his uniform jacket, and went to the computer terminal. "Computer, give me a link to GalCom HQ, Communications Research and Development Division. Commander Jessica Somerset." One Moment Please the computer flashed at him. I'm going to hate telling her about this... Somerset thought to himself. [/RP] I was going to finish up, but I don't have time at the moment. Thought I'd get up what I do have, though. ------------------ 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

SC, in the mission, will our ships already be adequately provisioned (i.e. Radine, Plutonium, Iridium, combat kits, medicine, etc.), or will there be some trading required before the mission takes place?

Somerset entered the briefing room, and looked around. Not suprisingly, he didn't personally know any of these people. He recognized a few of them from Navy reports on various and assorted subjects. Most notably the Commander of the Svoboda. That last incident with the Vesperons had made quite a stir throughout the GCN. He noticed an empty seat on the second row, close to the center that was labeled Seat 7. He walked over to it and sat down. As he pulled out his minipad, he noticed someone sitting down next to him. He looked young to be a Commander, and his service stripes indicated as such. The Orion Commander pulled out a large datapad, and began doodling on it. Somerset was unable to tell exactly what he was drawing, but it seemed to amuse him. As he was doodling, he turned over to Somerset, and said quietly "Where's the SC at? Is he not going to be giving the briefing? You know, I've never seen ISS and Orion in one MISCON before...must be a big mission." Somerset agreed with him there. What the unidentified as yet Commander hadn't noticed, was that Somerset wore yet another insignia. That of Wraith Fleet, and the SIN Wing. It made Somerset too curious for words...why would they get Commanders from ISS, Orion, and Wraith Fleet together for? Whatever the reason, it had better be good. he thought to himself. If he was going to be missing out on visiting Jessica, he wouldn't accept much less than a full fledged galactic emergency. ------------------ 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

Somerset had talked with some green Commander for a short time. He hadn't even thought about getting the young officer's name. He wondered if he'd see him again, as he wandered back to Shawn sitting on the stool, slowly sipping his Scotch. "Feeling any better, Shawn?" he asked. "Let's just say that I'm nae feelin' any pain, sair," the ruddy engineer replied. The pair was startled when they heard a large crash behind them. Some poor fool had run right into a waiter carrying a tray loaded with food. What made it even worse was the fact that the officer hadn't gotten all of the food off of him, before walking to the table where a couple was sitting. From what they had heard, the Supreme Commander was seated in that booth. And now that officer who had made such a mess was going to try and make friends with the highest ranking officer in the GCN. Shawn turned back to the table, saying slowly, "Poor Fleet Commander. I doubt he'll hae much of a good talk with the SC in that condition." "Fleet Commander?" Somerset asked, noticing the rank insignia adorning the other man's collar. "Bloody hell..." he said as his voice drifted off. Somerset was certainly glad that he wasn't in that mans shoes. "Shawn, do you know who that is? I've never seen him before." "Nae have I. I've got nae clue who tha' man is. He's a Fleet Commander, that's all I know." Shawn replied. It was then that Somerset's communicator decided to go off. Since he wasn't aboard ship, they couldn't merely page him. And he hadn't been on an away mission in so long that the noise had slightly startled him. As he reached for the device, and flipped it open, he realized that about 2 dozen other communicators were going off as well. I wonder what's going on... he thought to himself. As the communicator came open, it was activated. "Somerset here, go ahead." he said loudly, to get above the din of the crowd. "Soran here, Commander. Fleet Command has just sent us a message that there is a Commanders briefing in MISCON in 30 minutes. Your attendence is required." his First Officer informed him. "Why? We're not even attached to this Fleet!" Somerset practically shouted. "I am aware of that, Commander. However, the orders still remain." Soran replied. Somerset attempted to hide a look of disgust from coming onto his face, succeeding slightly. "Damn...very well. Recall all hands, and cancel all further leaves. I've got the feeling we won't be here much longer. Get the ship prepped and patched together as soon as possible." "Understood. Soran out." he said, closing the communication. "Shawn, get back to the ship, double time!" Somerset ordered. "I need her ready as soon as possible." "But, sair, she's nae had any time! We still need parts, and time to put them in! We cannae be leavin' any time soon!" the Irish engineer protested. "There's nothing I can do. Orders are orders. I don't care how you do it, just get it done." Somerset said forcefully. "Aye aye, sir." O'Malley said as he walked out of the Lounge. Somerset turned and headed towards the door himself, murmuring "Now where is MISCON at, anyway...?" ----- As he turned a corner that led to MISCON, Somerset noticed a small gathering of Commanders in the corridor. Most of them had the Orion insignia on their uniforms, but he noticed the ISS emblem on a few of the Commanders. He appeared to be the only one with the Wraith Fleet insignia on his uniform. His was probably the only Wraith ship within 50 lightyears too. He wondered just what this was about, and why they needed a SIN Wing vessel for this assignment. It looked as though he wasn't going to be able to visit his wife while the ship was in port after all. Probably wouldn't even get the chance to talk with her before they had to pull out again. Somerset wasn't fond of that thought at all, considering he hadn't even seen her in 6 months. But as he approached the throng of Commander's, his frustration and anger were not apparent. Instead, a smile came to his face as he recognized the Fleet Commander from the Lounge, and a few of the other officers present. As he walked up to them, he nodded, and introduced himself. "Commanders," and nodded again at the Fleet Commander "Sir. I'm Commander Benjamin Somerset of the Swiftsure." ------------------ 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 11-10-1999).]

And just to save Parias a little bit of trouble before the SC, Rattler, or Ron sees this, altering your posts might be a good idea. If you refer to this topic, you will notice that Ron specifically says: quote:You are not allowed to create new races, craft, locations, etc. This would also include new technologies. I thought I'd just give fair warning. ------------------ 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 11-08-1999).]

[RP] The doors to the Lounge slid open, and two men strode in slowly, sitting down at the nearest open barstools. Looking over at the bartender, Commander Benjamin Somerset ordered "Double brandy, straight." The man sitting next to him, Lt. Commander Shawn O'Malley ordered "Scotch, neat." While the bartender was getting the drinks, Somerset looked over at O'Malley and asked "How long are those repairs going to take, Shawn?" "Couple o' weeks, sair. They dinna have the parts for me ta get the repairs done in less than a week." the Chief Engineer replied. As the bartender set the drinks down, Somerset said "Damn...", and took a sip of his brandy. It had been his squadrons rotation in the Credian Quadrant, so they were the ones who had to do the intelligence gathering while this new conflict between the Empirians and Vesperons had broken out. And like every other time, the Swiftsure had ended up in the middle. With Insurgent mercs, and everyone shooting, there was no doubt that the ship would get away unscathed. But the 18 dead crew members were what really flamed Somerset. He wished he could get back at the Insurgent b******s that killed his crew. Looking around the bar, Shawn said "I'll be damned...havena seen her in years..." "Who?" Somerset questioned. "Karen Hilliard. We coulda had a good thing, had she not gotten transferred to starship duty. Too bad...cause she's a pretty lass..." He looked down into his drink, and took a slow sip. O'Malley thought to himself Think I may go talk to her in a minute meself... Somerset felt pity for poor Shawn. He hadn't ever had much luck with women. As he turned to look around the rest of the patrons, he noticed another man with Commander's insignia. And from his service stripes, an extremely young one at that. "Shawn, I'll be back," Somerset said as he walked over to the young man. He walked up and introduced himself. "Good evening, Commander. I'm Benjamin Somerset, Commander of the Swiftsure." [/RP] Bosch, tag, you're it! [This message has been edited by Ben Somerset (edited 10-29-1999).]

That's one nice looking website you've got there, Blades. Can't wait to see it when it's done. ------------------ 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

Congratulations on your new posting, Blades. You've earned 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

This one doesn't quite involve Cerberus, but it does involve other sensitive materials. [RP] Location: Cyron VI, Cyron Date: 14 March, 3008. 1530 hrs. GCV Sutherland The Sutherland sat cloaked at the edge of the Cyron region, quietly waiting. Commander Cassandra Newhome had not exactly liked her orders to be out in enemy territory on silent recon. She had made sure that the Sutherland had a clear LOS (Line of Sight) to the Pravis jumpgate. That way, when they detected enemy ships, they could use the comm laser to warn the Rodney without being detected themselves. Rodney would warn Wraith, and prepare them as well. Cassandra did not like her assignment, but as SIN Wing XO, she knew why Somerset had given the job to her. Simply put, next to him, she was most qualified. And since he was needed at Wraith, she was the next logical choice. While giving Cassandra her orders, Somerset had made one thing quite plain. "You will not engage enemy forces. Report their movement through Cyron, and nothing more. Once they're gone, make your way to friendly territory. I want you to make it back alive, Cassandra. We're going to lose a lot of good people today, but you shant be one of them. Is that clear?" It was very clear, at least to her. If something bad were to befall him, she would be the SIN Wing CO. He was telling her that he knew she could do the job, and she found that extremely flattering. But at the same time she didn't like the thought that Somerset knew he might not make it out of Rinaal alive. She was knocked out of her brooding when her own XO, Lt. Cmdr. Johansen reported, "Commander, reading multiple FTL signatures, bearing 313, mark 011. They appear to be headed for the Pravis jumpgate. Tenative ID is enemy ships, Megaron, Nightstar, Garid, and...my God... numerous Stormcarriers." "How many?" Newhome calmly asked. "At least 8, sir. But there's still more ships coming through the gate. The computer's already recorded over 50 transits in the last 6 minutes." Johansen reported. Newhome looked behind her. "Tactical, status?" Lt. Cmdr. Susan Howard looked at her Commander. "Shields up, weapons at the ready, cloaking device active and stable. Marines are all at intruder control stations in full armor. Damage control parties report ready. Shall I prepare for attack, Commander?" The disgust was evident on Newhome's face as she said "Negative. We shall hold position. Communications, send a message via comm laser to the Rodney. Warpath I. Navigation, plot us a course to the fluxfield, and feed it to the helm. Do not engage the course until I give the order. Until then, maintain Condition Red, and all hands are to remain at Battle Stations." "Aye, sir." they all replied. ----- Location: Pravis, Cyrian Date: 14 March, 3008. 1532 hrs. GCV Rodney The comms officer turned away from his station, and faced the command chair. "Commander Conner, message from the Sutherland. It reads Warpath I." "This is it..." Conner said, ordering, "Open a channel to the Group." "Aye, sir." the comms officer said, complying. "All ships, this is Conner. Prepare to engage enemy forces. Fighters, go in first, and concentrate on the smaller escort vessels, then break into elements and run like hell. Alpha Squadron will follow up the fighters attack of smaller escort vessels. Beta and Gamma Squadrons will wait for my signal, then head after the big guns. Go for maximum damage. Target engines, and weapons. We're not out to kill, merely to distract. Let's show the Gamms what a properly trained military force can do. Rodney out." With a blinding flash of light, Gammulan ships began pouring into Pravis. As he watched his TacOps display, Conner saw a flurry of green dots hurl themselves at the enemy ships. He finally gave the order. "Fighters, execute attack plan Theta." Conner then turned to his comms officer. "Send a dispatch to Commander Somerset. We have engaged the enemy. ----- Location: Rinaal, Cyrian Date: 14, March 3008. 1535 hrs. GCV Swiftsure Somerset wished he knew how the battle in Pravis was progressing. But he did know that when Sigma Group began coming into Rinaal, the Gammulans would not be far behind. From the comms station, Winforth posed a question. "Commander, does GHQ know that Artemis managed to break those Gammulan codes?" "No, they don't..." Somerset replied as his voice trailed off. "Melanie!" he shouted, "contact one of the evacuation escort ships on a secure channel. Number One, make an opthalithic datatab of the Artemis' core dump to us. Quickly." "Aye, sir." they both said, working quickly. An image of a Commander appeared on the screen. "This is Commander Tovey of the Indefagitable. How can we be of assistance?" "Listen to me carefully. Your orders have just changed. I need you to move within transporter range of the Swiftsure immediately. Once in position, we are going to beam you an opthalithic datatab. After you have the datatab in your possession, you are to seal it in the safe of your quarters. You will then cloak, and proceed directly to GHQ. It is to be delivered into the hands of the Supreme Commander, and no one else. If asked, you will state that it is concerns Gamma Omega Iota-7. The datatab will carry a copy of these orders, as will your ships log. If you do not obey these orders to the letter, I will personally see to it that your life is a living hell for the rest of your career. Do I make myself clear?" Somerset said. "Perfectly clear, sir. Once the datatab is in my possession, it is to be locked in my safe. We are to cloak, and set course for GHQ. Once we safely arrive, the tab is to be taken directly to the SC, and no one else. What else, sir?" "Nothing. Good luck on your mission, and Godspeed." Somerset replied. "Thank you, Commander. Somehow, though, I think you guys might need it more." "Commander, the Indefagitable is in position." Soran reported. "Begin transport." the Commander ordered. "Transport successful, Swiftsure. The datatab is aboard. May God look after you all. Indefagitable out." The screen changed back to stars, and followed the Indefagitable as she faded into those stars as her cloaking field stabilized. Unseen, she turned toward Sol, unknowingly carrying one of GalCom's greatest advantages in the coming war. Being able to decode enemy transmissions. As numerous transport ships and their escorting vessels left for safer parts of the galaxy, Epsilon, Omicron, and Eta Groups held their stations. They all waited for the beginning of the Battle of Rinaal. In his chair, Somerset thought of a quote that best suited their situation. "Stand your ground, don't fire unless fired upon, but if they mean to have a war, let it begin here." - John Parker And so it would,Somerset thought. [/RP] A wee bit longer than I expected. But that's what happens when creativity strikes you. ------------------ 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 10-16-1999).]

[RP] Location: Pravis, Cyrian Date: 14 March 3008. 1527 hrs. GCV Rodney, Questar Class Commander William Conner sat with the 20 assorted ships deployed from Wraith HQ. These ships would perform hit and run attacks against the Gammulans, and impede their progress to Rinaal for as long as possible. They were only there to slow them down, not try and stop them. When the time came, they would fall back to Rinaal, and fight with the rest of the Fleet there. Conner was in command of the small fleet, designated Sigma Group. It consisted of smaller ships, Questars, Starcruisers, and a few Starcarriers. They were fast, and maneuverable. They needed to be, if they were to be weaving in and out through the Gammulan formations. The bridge of the Rodney was dim, and the Condition Red lights kept up their steady pace. On those 20 ships, nearly 2000 officers and enlisted men sat, and waited for the coming onslaught. There was a flash of light from the Cyron VI jumpgate. Something had come through into Pravis. "Prepare to attack. Alpha Squadron, stand by to begin assault. Bring the minefield online." Conner said from his chair. On the Rodney's TacOps display, green sprouted near all the jumpgates as the mines that surrounded them activated. The one ship that had already come through had passed the mines before they had a chance to blanket the area with fire, exposing it. No matter, Conner thought, we'll take care of it ourselves. On the forward viewscreen, a ship began to emerge from the blackness of space. As it came into view, they could tell that it wasn't Gammulan. The IFF from the ship read, GCV Swiftsure. "Someone made it through..." one of the officer's on the bridge said quietly. No one was expected to come out of Gammulan space alive, but someone had managed to get through, and in one piece. "Commander Conner, we're being hailed by the Swiftsure," the comms officer reported. "Open a channel." Conner ordered. ----- Location: Pravis, Cyrian Date: 14 March 3008. 1528 hrs. GCV Swiftsure The face of Commander Conner appeared on the viewscreen, as the Swiftsure blazed through Pravis toward Rinaal. "Status, Commander?" Benjamin Somerset asked from the command chair. "Sigma Group is ready for combat, sir. Eight Questars, six Starcarriers, and six Starcruisers. We've also got 2 extra squadrons of fighters, in addition to those carried aboard ship. The defensive minefields are online, and are ready to take out incoming enemy ships. We're as ready as we'll ever be." Conner reported. "Very well. You know your orders. When the enemy has overwhelmed your position, fall back to Rinaal. No heroics. I want to see all 20 ships come through that jumpgate. Understood?" Somerset asked. "Understood, sir. We'll hold them off as long as we can. See you back in Rinaal. Rodney out." Conner disappeared from the screen, and returned to the exterior view of the Rodney. The ship got smaller as the Swiftsure sped toward the Rinaal jumpgate. They all wished Sigma Group well. ----- Location: Rinaal, Cyrian Date: 14, March 3008. 1532 hrs. Wraith HQ Ops was a beehive of activity. Within the last 45 minutes, they had gone from a standard duty staff of 10, to nearly 40 people. Most of those were dedicated to traffic control, vectoring ships to new orbits, getting ships out of the dock, and out into space. Quite a bit of it was directing transports and their escorts out of Rinaal, and on their way to friendly space. The rest of them were operating the multitude of weapons that Wraith packed. Any Gammulan force would be given a tough time trying to conquer this heavily armed station. At the center of it all, standing behind a massive TacOps holo, was Commander Yasomura Matasuke. He was an experienced station Commander, but was not that experienced in a combat situation. For the most part, he had gotten all of the unarmed transports out of the area, and cobbled the ships together into some form of defensive perimeter. Matasuke prayed that Swiftsure arrived before the Gammulans did. He didn't know enough to command the whole fleet in battle. "Sir, all ships report that they're in position. What are your orders?" the officer at comms asked. "Launch all fighters. They are to protect the station. Bring all of the stations weapons online. Activate the targeting systems, and prepare for combat. Get all other nonessential personnel out of here." Matasuke ordered. "Aye, sir." "Commander! There's something coming through the jumpgate!" one of the men at tactical reported. "Prepare to enga..." Matasuke said, before he noticed that the IFF read friendly. Once the initial shock wore off, he ordered "Open a channel to the Swiftsure." "Yes, Commander," the comms officer said. ----- Location: Rinaal, Cyrian Date: 14 March 3008. 1533 hrs. GCV Swiftsure Winforth turned toward Somerset from the comms station. "Sir, we're being hailed by Wraith HQ." "Put them onscreen." Somerset ordered. Matasuke appeared on the viewscreen, and said "It's good to see you made it here, Swiftsure. We've received orders from the Usagi that you are to take command of the fleet. I've deployed the ships into a defensive formation, and evacuated all the civilian population. The station should be fully evacuated of all nonessential personnel within the next 20 minutes. The fleet is yours, Commander Somerset." "Very well. Melanie, open a channel to the Fleet," Somerset waited until she turned toward him, and nodded, affirming that the channel was open. "All ships, this is Commander Somerset of the Swiftsure. As per orders, I'm taking command of the Fleet. Eta Group, assume defensive formation Delta around the station at 30 km. Omicron, and Epsilon are to form a defensive perimeter at 150 km distant from the station. Activate the defensive grid, and bring the minefields online. Zeta Group, you will remain uncloaked and act as station defense. All other Groups will report in, and engage cloaks when you are in position. Headquarters, has there been any unaccounted jumpgate activity in the system?" The answer would hopefully be no. That would mean that no Gammulan ships were present in the system already. Matasuke's voice came on the Command TacLink again. "Negative, Commander. All jumpgate activity is accounted for. No enemy ships are present in the system." Pressing a few touchscreen buttons on his console, Somerset opened a direct Link to Matasuke on Wraith HQ, so no one else could hear his next orders. "Prepare to initiate the stations Gamma evac protocols. Set the stations autodestruct for 90 minutes. If you're forced to evacuate before that, overload the stations reactors. The station cannot fall into enemy hands. Is that clear?" "Perfectly, sir. The autodestruct is ready, and in progress. I've also set the stations bobby-traps, in case the autodestruct fails. The computer cores will be destroyed, as well as all sensitive materials and communications equipment. Nothing will be left that can be used against us. Total station evacuation will be complete in 30 minutes. Matasuke out. Another voice came on the C-Tac. "This is Wraith HQ Tactical Director. Defensive grid is online. Minefields are active, and station NetStar defensive platforms are ready." On Somerset's TacOps display, the whole thing lit green around the jumpgates as the minefields became active. Other pockets of green lit up, placed where the Gammulans would have to travel through to reach the station. Another whole line of mines went up in-between the two Battlegroups, and finally, another ring of mines surrounded the station at about 10 km out. As he looked at the display, he ordered "Lt. McAllister, take us into position with Group Omicron. Prepare for battle." A familiar voice came through on the C-Tac, "This is Commander Bush of the Hood. Eta Group, in position at 30 clicks. Awaiting orders." "This is the Repulse. Groups Omicron and Epsilon are in position. Standing by for orders," another voice said over the C-Tac. "This is the Ardent, Commander Lytton. Zeta Group is in position, and awaiting orders." As Omicron, Epsilon, and Eta Groups reported in, they began to fade off of the TacOps display as they engaged their cloaking devices. "Engage cloak, Mr. Kamarov." Somerset ordered. Kamarov pressed the appropriate buttons on his console. "Cloaking device activated, sir." Somerset opened the Fleet TacLink, and addressed the Fleet. This is the Swiftsure. We all know the score. GalCom is now at war with the Gammulan Alliance. It will take all of our strength and determination to prevail against our daunting enemy. But I know in my heart, that in the end, we will emerge victorious. The victory will be hard fought, and hard won. We will succeed. We must succeed. May the Angel's and Minister's of Grace defend us. Swiftsure out. As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Winforth called out from comms, "Commander, we've received a message from the Rodney. They've engaged the enemy." Soran looked grim as he said, "And so it begins." [/RP] Let the games commence. ------------------ 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 10-13-1999).]

[RP] Location: Regis VI, Regulus Date: 14 March, 3008. 1507 hrs GCV Swiftsure The Swiftsure flew at breakneck speed toward Wraith HQ, and battle. The whole crew thought that they weren't going fast enough. Forty minutes ago, they were on a routine mission, about to go home for some well needed shore leave, and repairs. Instead, they found themselves thrusted into a war, and were behind enemy lines. Now the ship was approaching neutral territory, but far from safe. The peace and comfort they should have found in Rinaal had been transformed into a war zone. Fellow warriors were dying, and they could do nothing. At least, not until they reached Rinaal. "Can't we go any faster?" Commander Somerset asked from the command chair, voicing the question of most aboard. McAllister frowned at the helm, saying "Present speed is .53, which is far over our maximum rated speed. Mr. O'Malley reports that he can't do any better than this." "Damn..." Somerset said. We need all the speed we can get, he thought to himself. "Commander! I'm receiving a broadband distress signal." Winforth reported from comms. "It's the Sussex. They report they're under heavy attack by 3 Megarons in LV-103, Alpha Cygni." "Replotting course to intercept, Commander." Ishikawa instantly responded from navigation. Somerset's face twisted with disgust at the order he was about to give. "Belay that, Mr. Ishikawa. Maintain present course and speed." The entire bridge crew turned to him, mouths dropping. "Commander..." the asked in unison. "We don't have the time to turn back. One of two things will happen to the Sussex. She will be captured, or she will be destroyed. Right now, we can't take the time to go and assist her. We need to get to Wraith, and evacuate her, as quickly as possible. Gniesneau and Renown are already in the area. They can assist the Sussex, while we cannot. The fate of not only Wraith, but all of GalCom lies on what happens in these next few hours. I don't like it any more than you do, but Wraith needs us there, now." It was one of those decisions no Commander ever wanted to face. But Somerset had made the decision, and would now have to live with the consequences. The crew turned back to their posts, knowing that the Commander had just made one of the toughest choices of his career. They knew he didn't like it, but he did what was necessary. All of them wanted to go back and get the Sussex, but Wraith needed all the help it could get. ----- Location: Cyron VI, Cyron Date: 14 March, 3008. 1512 hrs GCV Swiftsure The ship continued at blinding speed toward Wraith. This time, the ship wouldn't have a sweet homecoming, with smiles, laughter, and shore leave. There would be no families to greet them, and there would be no fond reunions that take place when a ship comes into port. By this time, those families had been loaded aboard transports and escorted away to friendly territory. Somerset knew that the Wraith evac drills were now paying off. It was a good thing too, as it gave crew members with family at Wraith one less thing to worry about. Personally, he was glad Jessica was at GHQ, far away from the war. "Sir, incoming transmission from the Usagi." Melanie reported from comms. "On screen." the Commander ordered. A message appeared on Somerset's display and read ----Begin Transmission---- To: Cmdr Somerset, GCV Swiftsure Fm: Flt Cmdr Londono, CINCWRTHFLT Usagi ETA to HQ is 2 hours. Take command of HellHound Wing until I arrive, and have SIN Wing on foward silent recon. Observe and count jump gate flashes inbound to Rinaal. Be safe my friend. -----End Transmission----- Somerset brought up a screen, and made a reply. -----Begin Transmission----- To: Flt Cmdr Londono, CINCWRTHFLT Fm: Cmdr Somerset, GCV Swiftsure Sorry you'll miss the party, Tac. SIN Wing will be on recon. I'll try and keep the Gamms warm for you. Once evac is complete, we'll make our stand at Tyrus II. See you there, my friend. -----End Transmission------ "Send that message, Melanie. Also, send the Renown and the Gniesneau a Priority I message. Tell them to discontinue their present mission, and make for the Kappa rendevous point." He couldn't save the Sussex, but he could save these two ships. That would also get them headed toward the Krynon system, where Somerset intended to make a stand against the Gamms, whether the rest of Wraith was there or not. "But, sir, isn't that a violation of standing protocols?" Soran asked. "It is. But if they go to Cerbeus, they won't survive. Masterson and Von Hausen are experienced Commanders, with good crews. We need them at Tyrus, not dead at Cerbeus. You know that if they go there, they're as good as dead." Somerset retorted. "Excellent point, Commander." Soran replied. "Message away, sir." Melanie reported. ----- Location: Approaching LV-104, Alpha Cygni Date: 14 March, 3008. 1519 hrs. GCV Gniesneau "Commander Von Hausen! Incoming Priority I from the Swiftsure. It orders us to discontinue our present mission, and proceed to the Kappa rendevous point. What does that mean?" the comms officer wondered from his post. "It means that this war has gotten off to a rocky start..." Von Hausen said from the command chair. They were supposed to evacuate Cerebus Starbase, which would be near suicide. Somerset must have decided that Corsair would evac well enough on it's own. It was countermanding a SOP, but it was also a directive from his superior officer. Tough choice, but Von Hausen wouldn't have to deal with the consequences. "Replot course for Tyrus II, maximum velocity. Cerebus will just have to do without us." Von Hausen ordered. "Aye, sir." the nav officer said. Though none could see it, the cloaked GCV Gniesneau turned about, and headed away from the already doomed Cerebus Starbase. ----- Location: LV-184, Omega Centauri Date: 14, March 3008. 1519 hrs. GCV Renown Commander Masterson brooded in his chair. They were blazing toward Cerebus Starbase, and certain death. The whole SIN Wing mission at Cerebus would be suicide for those that had to go there. And Renown was one of them. His wife was finally going to get the message he wrote all those years ago, but never wanted her to read. All because those bloody Gamms wanted to start a war. Lt. Howard turned from the comms post to face Masterson. "Commander, we're getting a message from the Swiftsure. We're being ordered to discontinue our present mission, and proceed to the Kappa rendevous point. What does that mean, sir?" "It means that someone just saved our necks. Helm, replot course for Tyrus II, maximum velocity." Masterson ordered. Breathing a sigh of relief, Masterson quitely said, "Thank you, Ben." Somerset might have just sacrificed the rest of his carrer for Masterson. As the Renown turned about, Masterson was glad that fate had intervened, and his wife wouldn't see that message. He also prayed for those poor b******s at Cerebus. He wished them an honorable death. ----- Location: Approaching Rinaal, Cyrian Date: 14 March, 3008. 1523 hrs. GCV Swiftsure At comms, Melanie's face skewed into a look of frustration. "Commander, receiving a wide-band transmission from the Graf Spee. I can't really make it all out. I've only got this: BI-G--N. Any ideas, sir?" "My God..." was all Somerset could say. Not only did they start a war, but they were using biogenic weapons against GalCom. "Those Gamms are going to pay for this. Time to Wraith?" "Engineering somehow managed to get some more speed out of her, Commander. ETA to Wraith is now 10 minutes." Lt. McAllister said from the helm. "Excellent." Somerset said, activating the shipwide annunciator. [All hands, this is the Commander. We are now 10 minutes from Wraith HQ. Man your posts, and prepare for combat. Marines, take up intruder control positions. Damage control parties, report to your stations. This isn't going to be a quick skirmish. This one is going to be a long haul, all the way to friendly territory. May the heavens be with us. Somerset out.] He didn't think that this was quite the time to tell them about the biogenic weapons. They needed to get through the battle first, before worrying about that. In 10 more minutes the Swiftsure would be headed into Rinaal, and right into the heart of a 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 [This message has been edited by Ben Somerset (edited 10-06-1999).]

[RP] Countdown T - 19 hours 59 minutes 32 seconds Banish sat in the cockpit of IC-1, wondering just how in the hell they had gotten into this mess. Renegade Commander...illegal missions...crazy Marines...killing their own... There was going to be some heads rolling when they got back. If they got back. It was a miracle that they even made it to the fighters in the first place. As a group, the entire flight had decided that they were no longer going to stand idley by as Stone took them on a mission that was just...wrong. If it was mutiny, then so be it. But the pilots would not stand by while this went on. With 4 interceptors at their disposal, they could waste the Chikuma, and stop this deadly flight. They were all headed toward the Launch Bay when they ran into some of Mallone's goons. Big had pulled out his knife, gave a yell, and charged them. Banish thought he saw one of the pilots turn and run out of the corner of his eye, but he wasn't sure. He pulled his knife as well, and ran toward the crazed marnies. Big stabbed one of them, and hurt him fairly bad. They only managed to knock out the other one, and decided not to kill them. Stone might have been like that, but they were not. After the marines were down, Shadow grabbed one of their weapons, and ran down the corridor. He shouted, "Go on without me! I'll meet you at the Launch Bay!" They had tried to stop him, but failed. With the other weapon in hand, Banish and the other pilots made their way to the Launch Bay, quietly. When they got there, they found the traitor McKendrick. However, their minds quickly changed when they noticed he had a nice assortment of weapons to load onto their fighters. With the droids assistance, within 10 minutes, the fighters were loaded for bear. They all climbed into their fighters, and sealed them up. Aboard the 4 interceptors, the crews prepared for combat. Against whom...they didn't know. Before he put his helmet on, Banish could smell the blood drying up on Big's flight suit. With the helmet, he was glad he couldn't smell something so disgusting anymore. Banish and Big began the pre-flight check, and completed it quickly. After it was done, Banish said, "Big, start up the reactor." "Roge-o, boss man," he replied. The reactor spun up, filling the fighter with a dull hum. Displays flared to life, giving status readouts for the interceptor. Banish ran the engine pre-start check, and finished it as quickly as possible. After he was done, he touched the button on one of the displays that read Engine start-up sequence. The engine roared to life as Banish advanced the throttle to idle. Big completed his checks and said "Ready to rock and roll, Banish." "Let's get this show on the road," Banish said, opening the fighter comm channel. "Scorpion Flight, check," he said, waiting to hear the rest of the flight check in. "Two." "Four." "Three. Minus one pilot, but ready to kick ass!" Enthusiastic pilot...Banish thought. "One last thing to do," he said. "Scorpion Flight, green 'em up." "Two." "Three." "Four." After he heard them respond, Banish looked at one of the few switches in the fighter. The one that read Master Arm. Flicking it to Off he said, "Now it's time to kick ass." Countdown T - 19 hours 50 minutes 23 seconds [/RP] ------------------ Robert "Banish" Anderson Scorpion Flight Leader GCV Chikuma [This message has been edited by Ben Somerset (edited 10-06-1999).]

Sorry about not posting lately, Blades. RL caught me in a bind. Will post tonight after I get home from work. ------------------ 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] Location: Regis VI, Regulus System Date: 14 March, 3008. 1507 hrs. GCV Renown The bridge of the starship Renown was quiet. Commander James Masterson had just sat down in the command chair to begin his regular duty watch. It was the first day of their two-month deployment in Gammulan Space. Masterson thought that since they were this close to the border, it would be relatively quiet this early into the patrol. As time went on, and they went deeper into Gammulan territory, things would not be as quiet. But out here, there was little military activity to speak of. CPO Yuri Greznov was beginning to rise from the communications station, and hand it over to Lt. Howard, the communications officer. Just as Greznov stood, an alarm went off at the station. Allowing himself to fall right back into the chair, Greznov took the message, and tried to decode it. ÔÇ£Commander, weÔÇÖre receiving somethingÔǪI think itÔÇÖs from Commander Somerset. The transmissions pretty garbled, and extremely short.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Get it sorted out, Chief, and quickly.ÔÇØ Masterson ordered. He didnÔÇÖt like surprises, and it seemed that this could be one. Lt. Howard pulled a chair from another station and began assisting Greznov. ÔÇ£Aye, sir. WeÔÇÖll have it cleaned up shortly.ÔÇØ A puzzled expression came upon his face. ÔÇ£Sir, weÔÇÖre receiving more transmissionsÔǪfrom all over the quadrant. They all seem to be extremely garbled. Normal spatial activity doesnÔÇÖt account for all of it. IÔÇÖm trying to sort it out.ÔÇØ It took a few minutes to sort the messages, and clean them up. When it was done, Howard said quietly, ÔÇ£Commander, I think youÔÇÖre going to want to see this.ÔÇØ Masterson rose, and went to the communications station. What he read there made the color drain from his face. Two words resounded through each message they had picked up. Gamma Omega. ÔÇ£My GodÔǪÔÇØ was all he could say for a moment. Then, he sprung into action, and headed back to his chair. Activating one of the display screens, he input his command codes, and accessed the Omega OPLAN. Glancing over it to confirm what he already knew, Masterson began giving orders. ÔÇ£Condition Red, man battle stations. Helm; plot course for Cerebus starbase, maximum velocity. Engineering, I need max velocity for as long as possible. All departments are to prepare for emergency rescue operations as soon as we get to Cerebus. Tactical, raise shields, charge weapons and engage cloak.ÔÇØ The GCV Renown disappeared into the darkness of space as she cloaked, and flung herself forward to Cerebus starbase. With luck, it would still be there when they arrived. ----- Location: LV-103, Alpha Cygni System Date: 14 March, 3008. 1507 hrs GCV Sussex The GCV Sussex cruised through the area quietly. It had been a relatively uneventful day, with nothing of importance to report. They were presently headed to Spartacus Base, to resupply. Commander Thomas Whitson sat on the bridge, eagerly awaiting the shift change. He wanted to get all of his paperwork done before they arrived at Spartacus. That way, he would be able to go and see how many messages his fianc├®e had sent him. That was something he always looked forward too. At 31, Whitson was a young Commander. Overly young for the SIN Wing. However, after serving as the RenownÔÇÖs first officer for 3 years, Masterson managed to convince SIN Commander Somerset to promote him. He had been in command for over a year, and still hadnÔÇÖt heard any negative comments from any of his fellow Commanders. Suddenly, the ships CAS went off. The computer automatically went to Condition Red, and raised the shields. Three Gammulan Megarons decloaked around the Sussex, and opened fire before her shields were completely up. On the bridge, Whitson tried valiantly to save his ship. Giving orders, the Sussex tried to avoid fire while causing damage and attempting escape. At the communications board, Lt. Cortez said, ÔÇ£Sir! IÔÇÖm getting a lot of message traffic. All the messages appear to have something to do with ÔÇÿGamma OmegaÔÇÖ.ÔÇØ With all of the other noises and preoccupation, Whitson never heard the report. The Megarons shot again, and hit the Sussex. She was severely damaged, and didnÔÇÖt stand a chance against the superior force. The cloaking device wasnÔÇÖt functioning, so Whitson took the only other alternative. He decided to run for it. After giving the order to run, he told Cortez, ÔÇ£Begin broadcasting a distress signal. Keep it going, as long as you can.ÔÇØ The Sussex pivoted away from the Megarons, and attempted their daring escape. One of the enemy ships took a pot shot as the Sussex passed by them. The shot connected, cut through the ships weakened shields, and struck already weakened armor. Part of the armor failed, and the explosion cut into the ship. The internal explosion caused a crack in the ships reactor core. To her credit, the ships computer attempted an auto-ejection when it detected the crack in the core. The Chief Engineer also initiated the ejection a half second after the computer, when his panels in engineering lit up like a Christmas tree. Unfortunately for the Sussex, the ejection system malfunctioned. Through the opening where the core would eject through came a flame of fire, and the core breached. Moments later, the Sussex was engulfed in a fiery explosion that blew the ship into hundreds of pieces. ----- Location: LV-184, Omega Centauri Date: 14 March, 3008. 1507 hrs. GCV Gniesneau Commander Wolfgang Von Hausen sat on the couch in his ready room with a copy of TolstoyÔÇÖs ÔÇÿWar and PeaceÔÇÖ. He was fast asleep. There was no way for the German Commander to stay awake while reading literature like that. It was why he had it. To induce sleep more quickly. The comm beeped, and jolted Von Hausen awake. [Commander to the bridge!] Came the voice of the OOD. Rushing to the bridge, and annoyed at being rudely awoken, Von Hausen hollered ÔÇ£Report!ÔÇØ The OOD looked over at him, and replied, ÔÇ£Commander, weÔÇÖve just gotten a number of transmissions from at least 8 different sources. Some are scrambled, others are in the clear, and go from broadband all the way to Secure Frequency 1066.ÔÇØ 1066ÔǪVon Hausen thought. Frequency 1066 was only used in dire emergency, in the event ofÔǪwar. ÔÇ£Communications, what do those messages say?!?ÔÇØ he asked, running toward the comms post. ÔÇ£We havenÔÇÖt been able to piece it all together, but all of the messages seem to have either the word Gamma, or the word Omega. Some of them have strange combinations of the two. But itÔÇÖs the only characteristic of all the transmissions.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Mein GottÔǪÔÇØ he said aloud. After a moment, he composed himself, and took his command chair. Pulling up the Omega OPLAN, he began giving orders. ÔÇ£Condition Red, man battle stations. Raise shields, charge weapons, and engage cloaking device. Navigator, plot course for Cerebus starbase, max velocity. All departments prepare for evacuation of Cerebus starbase. Convert as much of the launch bays and cargo bays to emergency quarters as possible.ÔÇØ With standard German precision instilled into the crew by Von Hausen, the orders were carried out. As the orders were being acknowledged, the comms officer reported, ÔÇ£Commander Von Hausen, weÔÇÖre getting a distress signal. ItÔÇÖs from the Sussex. They report theyÔÇÖre under attack in LV-103.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Alter course for LV-103. Continue at maximum velocity.ÔÇØ Von Hausen ordered. ÔÇ£SirÔǪthe distress signal has stopped,ÔÇØ the comms officer said a few minutes later. ÔÇ£ItÔÇÖs probably due to jamming,ÔÇØ his first officer retorted. ----- Location: LV-103, Alpha Cygni Date: 14 March, 3008. 1513 hrs. GCV Gniesneau They quickly found out why the distress signal had stopped. Upon entering LV-103, the Gniesneau had detected a great deal of radiation, suggestive of a core breach. A few minutes later, they found the wreckage to confirm it. The GCV Sussex had been the first ship to be destroyed during the war. Von Hausen forced the crew to locate the dedication plaque of the Sussex, not only for the data itÔÇÖs log recorder contained, but so no one would forget the GCV Sussex, lost on 14 March, 3008. The Gamms were going to pay, Von Hausen thought as the Gniesneau turned back toward LV-104, and Cerebus starbase. [/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 ------------------ 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