Low Orbit above Calisto
Missile Frigate TFS Inflexible
Navy weapons test & research
Restricted Area
"Arriving at target destination, holding pattern locked in Captain"
"Bring her about 6 degrees to starboard, make sure the brass get a good look at her." replied the captain.
"Targeting systems are online we're ready for the drones sir." replied the weapons officer.
The captain nodded an affirmation and keyed in the comm system on the arm of his chair "Calisto this is Inflexible, we are ready for targeting tests."
"Inflexible, Calisto, Be advised, first wave of drones are on route to your location. Good luck Captain."
Captain Darryl Renges, veteran of the Drengin War, stood on the bridge of the Navy's newest class of war ships. TFS Inflexible was the newest in frigate design. She was a missile frigate and her offensive capabilities were unmatched, even by the Halifax class.
"Incoming contacts sir...Positive Identification, two hundred fifty-four type six Navy test drones incoming at sixteen hundred kilometers an hour." called out the weapons officer.
"Visual, let's make sure we don't miss a single one."
"Targeting's got them all locked in sir we're ready to fire first salvo."
Renges showed an exemplary outer calm but on the inside he could hardly wait to see the fruit of all the hard labour that had gone into this ship.
Darryl Renges had taken advantage of the retirement program installed after the war, and as part of Carlos Da Souza's plans for the military reform, he had been well compensated for his service and given a small estate on Petroni IV. During the war he had commanded his Tripoli class gunship Tehran as part of the Fivel Action Group and had narrowly escaped death over Marshall IV when Helios had turned against the Terrans. He had watched as Helios destroyed the Harvard and the commanding officer, the excellent Rear-Admiral Latona Vavilov.
After retiring on Petroni IV he had written a number of books on weapons tactics in space combat. His theories on missiles and rockets gained the interests f high ranking officers in the Navy. Simply put, Renges argued that the missile was Mankind's most precious weapon. Unlike a mass driver, high powered anti-ship artillery, the rocket could be guided and armed with a more powerful warhead. As for beam weaponry, Renges argued that Mankind simply did not have enough expertise in that domain to make it their primary weapon platform on Navy ships. Renges argued that the turn toward mass driver weaponry like that seen in the SF-112 thunderhawk was dangerous in these incertain times. Mankind should focus all of its efforts on the weaponry and use the technology it knew best and that was Missile weaponry.
After publication of his book he was contacted by Admiral Scheer of the Terran Galactic Navy. He was asked invited to chair a committee overseeing the production of the next generation of frigates for the Navy. From conceptual design to the hundreds of pages of blueprints Renges worked with the Navy's best to design and build Inflexible. Following the last steps of her construction Admiral Scheer had decided to offer full reinstatement into the Navy to Renges giving him back his full rank and pay of ship captain. As a veteran of the Drengin war his experience would be invaluable to lead the Navy's top warship. Renges readily accepted and now he was about to test his baby.
"Fire!" ordered the captain with a calm assurance.
The missile bays, already opened, shot off a total of twenty large harpoon missiles. These missiles accelerated with surprising ease. They sped forward towards their targets leaving gray white plumes of smoke behind. Renges tracked them on the holo-projector on a lower base in front of his captain's chair. Their were only twenty missiles, and over two hundred fifty incoming enemy targets. At five thousand clicks the missiles went into action.
"Here we go." said Renges as it became increasingly difficult to contain his excitement.
The missiles broke apart symmetrically and revealed its real arsenal underneath as a dozen smaller missiles shot out of the outer casing of the harpoon. There were now a total of two hundred and forty missiles streaking towards the drone targets.
each smaller rocket had a targeting system which enabled it to vector in directly onto the oncoming drones. Renges watched on his flatviewer as two hundred forty perfect explosions eliminated the majority of the drones.
"Every single missile detonated successfully upon impact of its target sir!" exclaimed the weapons officer.Renges could hardly contain his joy. His ship was performing magnificently.
"Let's test point defenses. Allow the remaining sixteen drones to close in"ordered Captain Renges.
"Aye sir, initiating point blank defenses...online" replied the weapons officer.
The drones closed in at high speed and from all angles. To simulate real fire the drones shot target practice laseres which simply marked their target, in this case Inflexible, The resulting "damage" was calculated by computers on Calisto and allowed them to track the "battle" and the efficiency of the weapons on the tested ship.
Renge's orders were to simulate an attack during engine failure onboard Inflexible. This meant he was not allowed to move during the exercise. He didn't really need to.
The flatviewer lit up as Inflexible opened fire with its triple A batteries and restrictor rockets. The remaining drones exploded one after the other while never being able to maneuver into a favourable firing position. The drones fired off a couple of shots but they hit at certain angles whereby the magnetic armour of Inflexible would have deflected it in live fire. Within a very short minute it was all over. Every drone had been destroyed and the missile frigate had sustained minimal damage.
Inside the viewing bunker on Calisto there were a number of flatviewers on the wall where images caught by military satellites of the mock battle were displayed for everyone to see. Other than the lead engineers and scientists who had contributed to the Inflexible project there was also the Oberkommander of the Terran Galactic Navy and Admiral Scheer, the man who had brought Darryl Renges out of retirement. The two were grinning broadly as they turned to one another and shook hands.
Imperial World of Vir'eshk
Fiefdom of House Vire
Estate of Lord Vire
The sun was beginning to set. The red giant shone and set eerie shadows on this still alien planet, home to House Vire. Sebastien Nolan and Lord Vire, patriarch of the noble House, sat at a large wooden table in a grandiose room on the top floor of the estate mansion.
"My son is driven by passion and an unchallengeable will to please. There is no denying that his intentions are in the right place. They have simply been distorted by that megalomaniac Emperor who continues to extort the noble houses out of their holdings. Wealth which took generations to accumulate; taken from the houses piecemeal to satisfy the emperor's unquenchable thirst for power." The old Drengin shook his head sadly, as if pondering the impossibility of changing such a situation.
"Kir'Ith does not see it this way I take it" replied Nolan.
"Those who do not remember their history are condemned to relive it" said Lord Vire softly. Nolan froze. He had heard those words spoken to him already. Before the war with the Drengin, before even becoming a Guild pilot. They had been spoken to him by a certain Alan Bradshaw. Nolan waited to see what else the Baron was going to say.
"My son won great honours during the war becoming one of the most decorated pilots of the entire Drengin Fleet, but defeat brought disillusionment upon him. He became enraged that we were unable to win the war and cursed Emperor Kona as a foolish and incapable leader unworthy of the Drengin name. He became lost and embroiled in thoughts of revenge and his anger blinded him. As Lord Korath rose to power he was easily seduced by the new emperor and his promise of a swift return to power and glory for the Drengin race."
"Why do you follow the emperor?" asked Nolan
"What would you have me do Human? give up all my possessions and give my people up to the corrupt socialist republic. That political entity preaches equality for all but how many of their citizens eat as well as Chairman Kona? How many of them are as lavishly dressed as he and his ruling conclave? I may follow the emperor as you say Human, but at least this way I can still have full control of my assets and insure that my people are well fed and well kept."
At this a Drengin paige opened the door and entered the room. He walked swiftly over the floor and stood before his master waiting to be recognized. Lord Vire waived him on with a movement of his hand.
"Scouts from the fringe worlds report that our space has been trespassed by vessels of an unknown origin. So far they have not demonstrated any hostile behaviour. The Imperial Navy has dispatched ships which should intercept the unknown ships within the month. Emperor Korath has requested an additional three hundred warriors from House Vire to safeguard our borders."
Nolan's heart raced. He knew exactly what was happening.
"Tell the Emperor my warriors are at the disposal of the Imperial Army, and that they will be under orders of House Vire generals on worlds of House Vire. If the Emperor is incapable of safeguarding our borders then I will make sure my worlds are kept safe, and by doing so a large part of the empire."
Nolan was deaf to what was going on. He needed to get off this planet and back to Federation space as quickly as possible.
They were coming.
