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Description
Arrival at Vulcan. The ISS STAR EMPIRE the ship that could have become a nightmare for the Senatorial Forces, ISS CALLISTO, the flagship of the most successful battle commander of this Terran Civil War, and seven other vessels including ISS MARAUDER, the most successful Terran commerce raider of all time, slowly approach the planet. A scene from my storyline rendered by www.deviantart.com/jetfreak-7 .

Planet Vulcan is serving as the headquarters of the Terran Imperial Military currently under the command of Grand Admiral Robert April as well as the home of the 40 Eridani Shipyards stands as a beacon of Imperial power and defiance of the insurrectionist forces under the command of Grand Admiral Vitaly Timochenko. Other Terran warships orbit the planet as does dozens of defensive platforms along with patrol ships and heavy platforms further out have transformed the once peaceful planet and solar system into a fortress. All ships are stopped at the outer limits of the solar system and checked before being allowed to proceed past the barrier into the system proper. Along the way, A.I. controlled defense satellites train their weapons on anything that approaches the inner planets and shipyards.

The flotilla travels forward at full impulse power, each ship has their shields down and weapons systems turned off. The defensive systems of the area constantly scan each ship, watching for any furtive sign of aggression or threat. The disrupter batteries, heavy phaser banks, and photon torpedo launchers that protect the planet and shipyards are powered up and locked onto the approaching ships as they near the planet. In dozens of tactical control rooms and A.I. systems, eyes, living and computer, carefully watch the ships, marking their progress as they traverse the distance.

On Vulcan, inside of the Terran Imperial Governor's Headquarters, Grand Admiral April, Imperial Governor Solomon Cooper, and their staffs along with the on duty defensive systems staff watch on the gigantic main view screen in amazement as the ships approach. The scene is broadcasted to every view screen, large or small withing the Terran headquarters complex and repeated throughout the Terran Empire, showing this momentous occasion. Timochenko's prized dreadnought and his best battlefield commander have changed sides and are now arriving at the headquarters of his enemies. This is a once in a lifetime happening.

"There they are.." April says while he watches the screen as the ships approach.

The busy noise of the control room continues in the background as the minute by minute movement of the ships are reported in real time. Reports coming in from each and every monitoring warship, defense satellite and defensive platforms. Every Terran soldier watches intensely as something that was considered impossible a month ago comes to pass now.. before their eyes.as some sit at their stations or stand nearby watching in amazement. Supervising officers having to tear their own eyes away from the screens in order to nudge their subordinates back into doing their jobs. This is undoubtedly one of those occurrences that, in the future, every Terran will remember what they were doing when these ships came in.

April and Cooper, standing next to each other and themselves flanked by staff members and close family marvel at what they are witnessing. Commander Morgan April, the Grand Admiral's chief of staff, stands next to her father opposite Governor Cooper, next to her stands Commander Nanette Fabian, the Grand Admiral's headquarters spokesperson. Next to Governor Cooper stands his 'daughter' Nevis the Orion who has only recently returned from her first mission, next to her stands T'Var, Cooper's paramour and personal assistant. A dozen high ranking officers, Colonels, Generals, Admirals stand around behind or on the flanks of the two men, military commanders and advisors from both men's staffs. They to watch intensely as the former enemy ships get closer.

The giant ship.. the dreadnought ISS STAR EMPIRE looks far bigger in person than it did in the intelligence reports. The huge ship nearly takes up a quarter of the viewscreen as it approaches. It dwarfs the other ships with it, it's primary hull showing signs of light damage, mostly scorch marks and scratches that were made when the MARAUDERS stole the ship from its berth at Starbase 234. Everything about the ship exudes power and destructive capabilities unimaginable... except in the mind of a megalomaniac.

"Grand Admiral.. we are receiving a request from Captain Laura Black from aboard the dreadnought.." the young lieutenant who mans the communications console says loudly as he gently holds his earpiece closer to his ear with his right index finger... not wanting to miss a single vowel from the message.

"She requests permission to assume orbit along with the ships she is escorting.." the lieutenants finishes.

"Tell Captain Black that permission is granted.." April says calmly, with the ease reminiscent of a man telling his barber to 'take a little off the top'.

"Tell the captain congratulations for successfully completing her mission.. and welcome back."

April's brown eyes narrow as he turns his gaze to the ships accompanying the dreadnought and the Shepherd Class warship ISS MARAUDER who have taken up 'overwatch' positions behind the former enemy ships as they assume standard orbit around the planet. Those ships show signs of months of battle damage from the dozens of engagements they took part in. Black scorch marks from phaser fire, signs of hastily repaired hull breaches and pilon fractures, large dents, long scars and scrapes criss cross the hulls of every ship. But the lead ship... ISS CALLISTO.. sports the most damage and makeshift repairs on her skin. The flagship apparently leading from the front during those violent encounters.. her story written in the blood of her crew.

These ships have traveled for a year in deep space as they circumnavigated the entire Terran Empire, attacking, disappearing, then reappearing again dozens of light-years away from their last reported coordinates. Hitting... running... hitting again.. then moving away at high speeds, that was the lives of these ships and their crews.. all repairs being made in space and while on the move. Pausing only to make the more serious repairs, often hiding in a nebula or asteroid belt, usually having to mine raw ores from those space rocks and refining them in order to patch up their damaged hulls.

Those ships cosmetically look battered and worn out. But they maneuver into orbit around Vulcan with an unusual grace and ease, in contrast to their haggard appearance.

"Send a message to Rear-Admiral Maxwell-Woods.." Grand Admiral April says, his admiration for the apparent courage of the commander and crews of those ships evident in his tone..

"Tell her that she and her captains are to report to my ready room as soon as they lock into orbit. The rest of the crews will standby on their ships."

April turns his gaze to his daughter Commander April with a serious expression on his face.

"Have those security teams, engineers and medics beam aboard those ships immediately and secure them." April orders. "I want all ship's logs, reports, scans and personal logs seized and transferred to our computers for analysis. If there are any signs of tampering of eraser, I want to know about it immediately. Have the medics examine the crew and I want engineering evaluations done on the ships themselves."

Morgan nods her head then salutes her father as she hears his orders.

"Yes Grand Admiral... immediately!" Morgan says. Then she motions to a few of the other officers and security guards to follow her.

Cooper walks over to April as does the other senior officers. T'Var and Nevis exit from the control room at that cue, knowing instinctively that it is time for them to leave as the officers discuss what's next.

"Well Grand Admiral.. this has been one hell of a development.." Cooper says. "We've got Timochenko's dreadnought and his best soldier here and now! And if I'm right... this news, the installation of a new Emperor, the victory at XARANTINE and the foiling of the plot at Andoria, not to mention the Emperor's edict.. are going to drive Timochenko insane! He's running out of options and I believe that he'll lash out very soon."

Grand Admiral April nods in agreement with Cooper's words. Timochenko has been humiliated on a grand scale... and you do not humiliate a Terran like that and don't plan for repercussions.

"Yes.. I'm counting on it.." April says. "That's why I have allowed so many broadcasts over open channels be made. I know that Vitaly Timochenko will be raging for vengeance. But first he's got problems among his ranks because of the Emperor's edict. Timochenko is going to start purging anyone he deems disloyal and his troops are going to start attempting to defect now that they've seen Maxwell-Woods do so. That'll buy us some time to prepare for him."

April, Cooper, and the senior officers start walking towards the Grand Admiral's ready room.

"He is going to tear out of his areas and hit us with everything he's got left.." April says confidently. "All we have to do is find out where he's going to strike first. I imagine that he will strike in several places all at once... in order to stretch our defenses. Be on the lookout for a ruse of some sort beforehand.."

April has made studying Timochenko the man a priority, and he has done so ever since taking command.

"When the Murmansk Madman attacks... we shall end him.. once and for all.." April says solemnly.

"And I shall present his head to the Emperor.."

Terran Civil War.. Fight Or Parlay? Terran Civil War.. A Point Of Honor! Terran Civil War..Surprise And Skepticism!

Description
Arrival at Vulcan. The ISS STAR EMPIRE the ship that could have become a nightmare for the Senatorial Forces, ISS CALLISTO, the flagship of the most successful battle commander of this Terran Civil War, and seven other vessels including ISS MARAUDER, the most successful Terran commerce raider of all time, slowly approach the planet. A scene from my storyline rendered by www.deviantart.com/jetfreak-7 .

Planet Vulcan is serving as the headquarters of the Terran Imperial Military currently under the command of Grand Admiral Robert April as well as the home of the 40 Eridani Shipyards stands as a beacon of Imperial power and defiance of the insurrectionist forces under the command of Grand Admiral Vitaly Timochenko. Other Terran warships orbit the planet as does dozens of defensive platforms along with patrol ships and heavy platforms further out have transformed the once peaceful planet and solar system into a fortress. All ships are stopped at the outer limits of the solar system and checked before being allowed to proceed past the barrier into the system proper. Along the way, A.I. controlled defense satellites train their weapons on anything that approaches the inner planets and shipyards.

The flotilla travels forward at full impulse power, each ship has their shields down and weapons systems turned off. The defensive systems of the area constantly scan each ship, watching for any furtive sign of aggression or threat. The disrupter batteries, heavy phaser banks, and photon torpedo launchers that protect the planet and shipyards are powered up and locked onto the approaching ships as they near the planet. In dozens of tactical control rooms and A.I. systems, eyes, living and computer, carefully watch the ships, marking their progress as they traverse the distance.

On Vulcan, inside of the Terran Imperial Governor's Headquarters, Grand Admiral April, Imperial Governor Solomon Cooper, and their staffs along with the on duty defensive systems staff watch on the gigantic main view screen in amazement as the ships approach. The scene is broadcasted to every view screen, large or small withing the Terran headquarters complex and repeated throughout the Terran Empire, showing this momentous occasion. Timochenko's prized dreadnought and his best battlefield commander have changed sides and are now arriving at the headquarters of his enemies. This is a once in a lifetime happening.

"There they are.." April says while he watches the screen as the ships approach.

The busy noise of the control room continues in the background as the minute by minute movement of the ships are reported in real time. Reports coming in from each and every monitoring warship, defense satellite and defensive platforms. Every Terran soldier watches intensely as something that was considered impossible a month ago comes to pass now.. before their eyes.as some sit at their stations or stand nearby watching in amazement. Supervising officers having to tear their own eyes away from the screens in order to nudge their subordinates back into doing their jobs. This is undoubtedly one of those occurrences that, in the future, every Terran will remember what they were doing when these ships came in.

April and Cooper, standing next to each other and themselves flanked by staff members and close family marvel at what they are witnessing. Commander Morgan April, the Grand Admiral's chief of staff, stands next to her father opposite Governor Cooper, next to her stands Commander Nanette Fabian, the Grand Admiral's headquarters spokesperson. Next to Governor Cooper stands his 'daughter' Nevis the Orion who has only recently returned from her first mission, next to her stands T'Var, Cooper's paramour and personal assistant. A dozen high ranking officers, Colonels, Generals, Admirals stand around behind or on the flanks of the two men, military commanders and advisors from both men's staffs. They to watch intensely as the former enemy ships get closer.

The giant ship.. the dreadnought ISS STAR EMPIRE looks far bigger in person than it did in the intelligence reports. The huge ship nearly takes up a quarter of the viewscreen as it approaches. It dwarfs the other ships with it, it's primary hull showing signs of light damage, mostly scorch marks and scratches that were made when the MARAUDERS stole the ship from its berth at Starbase 234. Everything about the ship exudes power and destructive capabilities unimaginable... except in the mind of a megalomaniac.

"Grand Admiral.. we are receiving a request from Captain Laura Black from aboard the dreadnought.." the young lieutenant who mans the communications console says loudly as he gently holds his earpiece closer to his ear with his right index finger... not wanting to miss a single vowel from the message.

"She requests permission to assume orbit along with the ships she is escorting.." the lieutenants finishes.

"Tell Captain Black that permission is granted.." April says calmly, with the ease reminiscent of a man telling his barber to 'take a little off the top'.

"Tell the captain congratulations for successfully completing her mission.. and welcome back."

April's brown eyes narrow as he turns his gaze to the ships accompanying the dreadnought and the Shepherd Class warship ISS MARAUDER who have taken up 'overwatch' positions behind the former enemy ships as they assume standard orbit around the planet. Those ships show signs of months of battle damage from the dozens of engagements they took part in. Black scorch marks from phaser fire, signs of hastily repaired hull breaches and pilon fractures, large dents, long scars and scrapes criss cross the hulls of every ship. But the lead ship... ISS CALLISTO.. sports the most damage and makeshift repairs on her skin. The flagship apparently leading from the front during those violent encounters.. her story written in the blood of her crew.

These ships have traveled for a year in deep space as they circumnavigated the entire Terran Empire, attacking, disappearing, then reappearing again dozens of light-years away from their last reported coordinates. Hitting... running... hitting again.. then moving away at high speeds, that was the lives of these ships and their crews.. all repairs being made in space and while on the move. Pausing only to make the more serious repairs, often hiding in a nebula or asteroid belt, usually having to mine raw ores from those space rocks and refining them in order to patch up their damaged hulls.

Those ships cosmetically look battered and worn out. But they maneuver into orbit around Vulcan with an unusual grace and ease, in contrast to their haggard appearance.

"Send a message to Rear-Admiral Maxwell-Woods.." Grand Admiral April says, his admiration for the apparent courage of the commander and crews of those ships evident in his tone..

"Tell her that she and her captains are to report to my ready room as soon as they lock into orbit. The rest of the crews will standby on their ships."

April turns his gaze to his daughter Commander April with a serious expression on his face.

"Have those security teams, engineers and medics beam aboard those ships immediately and secure them." April orders. "I want all ship's logs, reports, scans and personal logs seized and transferred to our computers for analysis. If there are any signs of tampering of eraser, I want to know about it immediately. Have the medics examine the crew and I want engineering evaluations done on the ships themselves."

Morgan nods her head then salutes her father as she hears his orders.

"Yes Grand Admiral... immediately!" Morgan says. Then she motions to a few of the other officers and security guards to follow her.

Cooper walks over to April as does the other senior officers. T'Var and Nevis exit from the control room at that cue, knowing instinctively that it is time for them to leave as the officers discuss what's next.

"Well Grand Admiral.. this has been one hell of a development.." Cooper says. "We've got Timochenko's dreadnought and his best soldier here and now! And if I'm right... this news, the installation of a new Emperor, the victory at XARANTINE and the foiling of the plot at Andoria, not to mention the Emperor's edict.. are going to drive Timochenko insane! He's running out of options and I believe that he'll lash out very soon."

Grand Admiral April nods in agreement with Cooper's words. Timochenko has been humiliated on a grand scale... and you do not humiliate a Terran like that and don't plan for repercussions.

"Yes.. I'm counting on it.." April says. "That's why I have allowed so many broadcasts over open channels be made. I know that Vitaly Timochenko will be raging for vengeance. But first he's got problems among his ranks because of the Emperor's edict. Timochenko is going to start purging anyone he deems disloyal and his troops are going to start attempting to defect now that they've seen Maxwell-Woods do so. That'll buy us some time to prepare for him."

April, Cooper, and the senior officers start walking towards the Grand Admiral's ready room.

"He is going to tear out of his areas and hit us with everything he's got left.." April says confidently. "All we have to do is find out where he's going to strike first. I imagine that he will strike in several places all at once... in order to stretch our defenses. Be on the lookout for a ruse of some sort beforehand.."

April has made studying Timochenko the man a priority, and he has done so ever since taking command.

"When the Murmansk Madman attacks... we shall end him.. once and for all.." April says solemnly.

"And I shall present his head to the Emperor.."

Terran Civil War.. Fight Or Parlay? Terran Civil War.. A Point Of Honor! Terran Civil War..Surprise And Skepticism!