Take command of a ship of the Colonly Fleet during the Cylon War in the fifth year of the conflict. High command has been hit hard doing a significant attack on Picon. Admiral Cain has taken overall command of the fleet. You have also been called to duty as a newly promoted Commander. Defend the Colonies of Kobol from the Cylon's!
Battlestar Galactica: Commander
- Thread starter Jax
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Character Creation
- Location
- Kiel; Germany
The Cylon War rages on for five years in the Twelve Colonies of Kobol. The fighting has grown increasingly bloody since the machines rebelled against their creators. The colonies were forced to unite under the Articles of Colonisation to combat the threat of annihilation. An unheard step forward that didn't come too easily to the colonies. And yet, the war against an unrelenting, cold enemy forced them to take it. As part of the agreement, it was decided that a new class of mighty warships should be created and one example be given to each colony.
But under the constant attacks by the Cylons, the construction of these ships is coming along extremely slowly. Until the attack on Picon destroyed the high command of the Colonial Fleet. Now, Admiral Cain has taken the fleet's command and tries to hold back the wave of relentless killer machines coming to destroy humanity.
You aren't Admiral Cain but one of the many officers of the newly formed Colonial Fleet.
Who are you?
[ ] Write-in name
[ ] Sex
-[ ] Male
-[ ] Female
Twelve Worlds make up the colonies of Kobol. All of them are unique from each other. Which of the twelve's is your home?
[ ] Helios Alpha
-[ ] Picon
-[ ] Caprica
-[ ] Gemenon
-[ ] Tauron
[ ] Helios Beta
-[ ] Leonis
-[ ] Virgon
[ ] Helios Gamma
-[ ] Libran
-[ ] Scorpia
-[ ] Sagittaron
[ ] Helios Delta
-[ ] Aerilon
-[ ] Canceron
-[ ] Aquaria
Before you earned your command, you served on other ships under other commanders. Always learning and rising through the ranks. Which two were the ones the Admiralty saw fit to use as reasons for your promotion to the ranks of the commanders?
[ ] Service Record (choose 2)
-[ ] Served as Captain on a civilian freighter.
-[ ] Served as CAG on the Olympus.
-[ ] Served as Boarding Commander on the Olympus.
-[ ] Served as XO on the station Olympus.
-[ ] Served as Adjutant of Admiral Cain.
Rules:
But under the constant attacks by the Cylons, the construction of these ships is coming along extremely slowly. Until the attack on Picon destroyed the high command of the Colonial Fleet. Now, Admiral Cain has taken the fleet's command and tries to hold back the wave of relentless killer machines coming to destroy humanity.
You aren't Admiral Cain but one of the many officers of the newly formed Colonial Fleet.
Who are you?
[ ] Write-in name
[ ] Sex
-[ ] Male
-[ ] Female
Twelve Worlds make up the colonies of Kobol. All of them are unique from each other. Which of the twelve's is your home?
[ ] Helios Alpha
-[ ] Picon
-[ ] Caprica
-[ ] Gemenon
-[ ] Tauron
[ ] Helios Beta
-[ ] Leonis
-[ ] Virgon
[ ] Helios Gamma
-[ ] Libran
-[ ] Scorpia
-[ ] Sagittaron
[ ] Helios Delta
-[ ] Aerilon
-[ ] Canceron
-[ ] Aquaria
Before you earned your command, you served on other ships under other commanders. Always learning and rising through the ranks. Which two were the ones the Admiralty saw fit to use as reasons for your promotion to the ranks of the commanders?
[ ] Service Record (choose 2)
-[ ] Served as Captain on a civilian freighter.
-[ ] Served as CAG on the Olympus.
-[ ] Served as Boarding Commander on the Olympus.
-[ ] Served as XO on the station Olympus.
-[ ] Served as Adjutant of Admiral Cain.
- If you have questions, ask!
- Please use the [ ] Plan name format when voting!
- When choosing the Service Record, put them in the plan in the sequence you wish for them to happen.
Rules:
- The dice used are d20. A 10 or above is a success; a 20 is counted as two successes.
- Doing a roll, a ship's ability gets tested. The number of the ability shows how many dice are rolled.
- Traits and crew experience can modify a roll.
- The character, the ship, or a situation can have a trait. A trait may not ever be beneficial.
- Crew Experience ranges from Green, Experienced to Veteran. The better the crew, the better the ship.
Character & Ship Sheet
- Location
- Kiel; Germany
Name: Hercule Wardson
Rank: Major
Sex: Male
Age: 35
Colony: Caprica; Helios Alpha
Renown: 0
Character Traits:
Born on Caprica, Hercule Wardson joined the Caprican Space Fleet when the Cylon War began. He served among the crew of the Battlestar Olympus and rose quickly through the ranks. When Olympus was destroyed doing the Cylon Exodus in the second year of the war, it was thanks to Wardson's performance as XO that she stayed so long in the fight.
After that, Admiral Cain recruited him for the Jupiter project and served with Distigushin as her adjutant until recently. Major Herluce Wardson has left his position to Helena Agathon and returned to the command deck of the newly built Amazon's Bow to help stem against the machine tide.
Name: Amazon's Bow
Class: Adamant-class heavy escort
Crew Experience: Veteran
Crew Traits:
CIC: 3 / 3
Rank: Major
Sex: Male
Age: 35
Colony: Caprica; Helios Alpha
Renown: 0
Character Traits:
- They trained for this! - Receive +1 on Engineering
- I fought toasters with paper! - Receive +10 more Renown
Born on Caprica, Hercule Wardson joined the Caprican Space Fleet when the Cylon War began. He served among the crew of the Battlestar Olympus and rose quickly through the ranks. When Olympus was destroyed doing the Cylon Exodus in the second year of the war, it was thanks to Wardson's performance as XO that she stayed so long in the fight.
After that, Admiral Cain recruited him for the Jupiter project and served with Distigushin as her adjutant until recently. Major Herluce Wardson has left his position to Helena Agathon and returned to the command deck of the newly built Amazon's Bow to help stem against the machine tide.
Name: Amazon's Bow
Class: Adamant-class heavy escort
Crew Experience: Veteran
Crew Traits:
- I can fix her! - (+1 on Subsystem Repairs)
- I speak Computer - (+1 Firewall Regeneration)
- Smooth Deck - (+1 Squadron Repair)
CIC: 3 / 3
- Posture Effect 4
- Damage Reduction
- Subsystem Repair +1
- Marine Defense
- Marine Offensive
- Maneuvering
- FTL-Calculation
- Turret Accuracy
- Munition Accuracy
- DRADIS Range
- Firewall Regeneration +1
- Squadron Repair +1
- Squadron Performance
- 8x Kopis Mk. I (4 per broadside)
- 2x Munition Launchers (1 per broadside)
- Munition: Slinger Torpedos
- 1x Colonial Shuttle
- 1x Squadron Viper Mk. I (10 Viper per Squadron)
- 4x Viper Mk. I; Reserve
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Ship Choice
- Location
- Kiel; Germany
Now that we know who you are and what experience shaped your career, it is time to look closely at your first command. The Amazon's Bow is one of many escort vessels dominating the Colonial Fleet. Initially, the building program aimed to quickly produce lighter vessels supporting the larger Jupiter-class Battlestars still under construction. But with the slow progress these made, the reality soon changed, and the escort vessels are currently the backbone on the frontlines of the Cylon War. Larger units like the older Artemis-class Battlestar are held back to defend the twelve colonies.
Your new command will be sent into the meatgrinder as soon as the crew, and you are on board. Look at your briefing material and ensure you know what your ship is capable of. If you do so, there is a good chance you survive past the average serving time of half a year escort vessels currently have.
What class does the Amazon's Bow belong to?
[ ] Manticore-class corvette
Developed at Scorpia before the Cylon War, these ships were considered poor warships thanks to their small size and armament. They mostly served with law enforcement, where their large engine blocks allowed them to easily run down smugglers. After the outbreak of the war, they were given a retrofit that added a larger main weapon at the bow and munition throws on both sides. With their lack of armor, they are mostly used as scouts or flanking force, but if used correctly, a Manticore Corvette can turn a defeat into victory.
[ ] Berzerk-class light escort
The Berzerk is a child of this war. Based on the more heavily armored Adamant, it has the same frame but less armor, which makes it quicker and cheaper to produce. The freed space has been used to install modern Kopis Mk. II turrets and an additional engine that allows for higher speeds. The hangar layout was also reworked to allow more efficient maintenance of stationed squadrons. As the Berzerk is more often employed at second-line duties such as civilian ship escort and control missions, it has a large Marine unit stationed on it.
[ ] Adamant-class heavy escort
Designed before the war, the Adamant-class heavy escorts have proven their worth as combat craft more than once. Heavily armored for its size, they can withstand long engagements with the enemy. Combined with its armament of Kopis Mk. I turrets and tubes for munitions they carry enough to punch back. The hangar bay slung under the main body adds the ability to carry support crafts such as Raptors and Vipers.
Your new command will be sent into the meatgrinder as soon as the crew, and you are on board. Look at your briefing material and ensure you know what your ship is capable of. If you do so, there is a good chance you survive past the average serving time of half a year escort vessels currently have.
What class does the Amazon's Bow belong to?
[ ] Manticore-class corvette
Developed at Scorpia before the Cylon War, these ships were considered poor warships thanks to their small size and armament. They mostly served with law enforcement, where their large engine blocks allowed them to easily run down smugglers. After the outbreak of the war, they were given a retrofit that added a larger main weapon at the bow and munition throws on both sides. With their lack of armor, they are mostly used as scouts or flanking force, but if used correctly, a Manticore Corvette can turn a defeat into victory.
[ ] Berzerk-class light escort
The Berzerk is a child of this war. Based on the more heavily armored Adamant, it has the same frame but less armor, which makes it quicker and cheaper to produce. The freed space has been used to install modern Kopis Mk. II turrets and an additional engine that allows for higher speeds. The hangar layout was also reworked to allow more efficient maintenance of stationed squadrons. As the Berzerk is more often employed at second-line duties such as civilian ship escort and control missions, it has a large Marine unit stationed on it.
[ ] Adamant-class heavy escort
Designed before the war, the Adamant-class heavy escorts have proven their worth as combat craft more than once. Heavily armored for its size, they can withstand long engagements with the enemy. Combined with its armament of Kopis Mk. I turrets and tubes for munitions they carry enough to punch back. The hangar bay slung under the main body adds the ability to carry support crafts such as Raptors and Vipers.
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Make the Ship yours
- Location
- Kiel; Germany
One last vote, and then we get into the story of the quest.
Your new command, the Amazon's Bow, is one of the many Adamant-class heavy escorts that make up the current backbone of Colonial Fleet. The class is excellent little warships that have proven irreplaceable in the last years since the Cylons started their rebellion. Armed with eight Kopis Mk. I canons, four on each side, and munition throwers adaptable to several different kinds of munition. They also have a hangar with a whole squadron of Vipers or Raptors.
You have 125 Renown to spend.
Renown represents a mixture of fame and goodwill you have earned with the Twelve Colonies and Colonial Fleet officials. You can spend it on upgrading your ship, get better officers, buy traits, or ask the Admiralty for other things. You will not be punished if you hit zero Renown. This just means that the goodwill has run dry for now. You may also keep it for later use.
Character & Ship Sheet has been Updated.
Please use the [ ] Plan name format.
[ ] Weapons & Squadrons
-[ ] Dumbfire Torpedos. (0 Renown / Default)
-[ ] Proximity Mines. (25 Renown)
-[ ] Guided Missiles. (50 Renown)
-[ ] Squadron of Viper Mk. I (0 Renown / Default)
-[ ] Squadron of Viper Mk. II (100 Renown)
-[ ] Squadron of Raptor (75 Renown)
[ ] Crew Traits (each costs 25 Renown)
-[ ] Experienced Boarders - (+2 on Marines)
-[ ] I can fix her! - (+1 on Subsystem Repairs)
-[ ] I speak Computer - (+1 Firewall Regeneration)
-[ ] Smooth Deck - (+1 Squadron Repair)
-[ ] Viper jockeys - (+2 Squadron Performance)
-[ ] Crew Experience Level +1 (can be taken 2x)
Your new command, the Amazon's Bow, is one of the many Adamant-class heavy escorts that make up the current backbone of Colonial Fleet. The class is excellent little warships that have proven irreplaceable in the last years since the Cylons started their rebellion. Armed with eight Kopis Mk. I canons, four on each side, and munition throwers adaptable to several different kinds of munition. They also have a hangar with a whole squadron of Vipers or Raptors.
You have 125 Renown to spend.
Renown represents a mixture of fame and goodwill you have earned with the Twelve Colonies and Colonial Fleet officials. You can spend it on upgrading your ship, get better officers, buy traits, or ask the Admiralty for other things. You will not be punished if you hit zero Renown. This just means that the goodwill has run dry for now. You may also keep it for later use.
Character & Ship Sheet has been Updated.
Please use the [ ] Plan name format.
[ ] Weapons & Squadrons
-[ ] Dumbfire Torpedos. (0 Renown / Default)
-[ ] Proximity Mines. (25 Renown)
-[ ] Guided Missiles. (50 Renown)
-[ ] Squadron of Viper Mk. I (0 Renown / Default)
-[ ] Squadron of Viper Mk. II (100 Renown)
-[ ] Squadron of Raptor (75 Renown)
[ ] Crew Traits (each costs 25 Renown)
-[ ] Experienced Boarders - (+2 on Marines)
-[ ] I can fix her! - (+1 on Subsystem Repairs)
-[ ] I speak Computer - (+1 Firewall Regeneration)
-[ ] Smooth Deck - (+1 Squadron Repair)
-[ ] Viper jockeys - (+2 Squadron Performance)
-[ ] Crew Experience Level +1 (can be taken 2x)
Briefing for Mission 1
- Location
- Kiel; Germany
The heart of Daidalos station hadn't changed much since Hercule last had been here. The change of guard hadn't taken complete hold by everyone yet. Several crew members looked at him, confused, clearly not expecting him to come here so soon after his promotion. But none of them made a move towards him. All continued their work, and at least that was a good sign.
They don't see me as their superior anymore, good.
The eyes of the thirty-five-year-old, newly promoted Major shifted away from the crew and their stations towards the stressed-looking woman in the heart of it all. Standing next to the plotting table and skimming through reports, Helena Agathon looked just as much on the verge of a small panic attack as Hercule had once. Admiral Cain had the habit of demanding the strangest reports and expected you to have them at hand or to know them at least. And if you didn't, she wasn't pleased. With time, Helena would learn what the head of the Colonial Fleet needed. Until then, she would need everything close by to find it quickly.
"Getting the hang of it," he asked with a chuckle as he came to hold on the other side of the plotting table. His replacement as Cain's adjutant shot him a glare and signed heavily.
"I think so. Was the Admiral always this…"
"Demanding? Commanding? A pain in the ass?" Hercule started to guess as Agathon stopped whatever she wanted to say. When she nodded, the Major just shrugged. "No, that is her way of giving you time to get used to it. It will only get worse. Ask Sinon if you don't believe me. Where is the old bugger anyway?"
"Down on the Athena. Something came up that needed his attention."
"Ah, yes, something came up." Hercule made a clicking sound with his tongue. "How predictable of him."
"One day, you've got to tell me what happened between you and Sinon. I always thought you didn't click, but in the last month… well, it seemed to get worse."
"He is a pompous ass with not the balls for a war. It's as simple as that: he still believes it is just a waste of resources and ignores that we fight for survival. Until he can accept that he and myself will never get along." Hercule said with a shrug. "But I'm not here to talk about Sinon. I'm here for my first mission with the Amazon's Bow. What do you have for me, Helena?"
"Ah," a bit of panic could be heard in the voice of Cain's adjutant as she started to search among the papers that lay all over the plotting table. Her movement was quick and showed how used she was to do this. But it also betrayed that she hadn't found the perfect balance between chaos and order someone working directly for Cain needed to master. "Wait a moment, it's somewhere … ah! There it is!"
Triumphantly, she held up a piece of paper and waved it around as if it was the Cylon's surrender declaration. A wide grin was on her face, and she gave it to you.
"Nothing fancy or great," she said in a happy voice. "But a good start to give your new ship and crew a shakedown."
"Sounds good," Hercule said as he took the summary of the mission expected. As he skimmed it, he had to agree it was an easy assignment. A small group of civilian ships needed an escort from Helios Gamm to Delta. Thanks to the group's small size, an attack was unlikely but not impossible. Major Wardson looked up at Cain's adjutant and lifted an eyebrow. "And the rest? This is just the summary."
"Oh, right, Major, give me a moment! Ah, here!"
Hercule took the offered file, flipped through it, and nodded. "Right, thank you, Helena. I will brief my officers and get the Amazon's Bow underway. Good luck with the Admiral."
"Gods be with you, Major Wardson."
You've been tasked with escorting a small civilian convoy from Helios Gamma to Helios Delta. The convoy forms above Libra and will move via Naucratis to Aquaria. The IDRIS network will do any calculations for the FTL jump.
The convoy is made up of the following ships:
Cylon activity is not expected.
The Amazon's Bow will leave Deidalus within the next eight hours. Hercule Wardson has time to do a few things before his first mission. What does he do? Pick three!
[ ] Meet with your XO, Arachnia O'dill.
[ ] Meet with your CAG, Simon Phillips.
[ ] Meet with Helena Agathon after her shift.
[ ] Walk through the Amazon's Bow and make sure everything is ready.
[ ] Introduce yourself to your Crew.
[ ] Determine the battle readiness of your ship and crew.
[ ] Write-in
Free vote for this one.
Hold any Write-in options short like mine.
There will be a 3-hour moratorium so that I can add any Write-In to the option list.
They don't see me as their superior anymore, good.
The eyes of the thirty-five-year-old, newly promoted Major shifted away from the crew and their stations towards the stressed-looking woman in the heart of it all. Standing next to the plotting table and skimming through reports, Helena Agathon looked just as much on the verge of a small panic attack as Hercule had once. Admiral Cain had the habit of demanding the strangest reports and expected you to have them at hand or to know them at least. And if you didn't, she wasn't pleased. With time, Helena would learn what the head of the Colonial Fleet needed. Until then, she would need everything close by to find it quickly.
"Getting the hang of it," he asked with a chuckle as he came to hold on the other side of the plotting table. His replacement as Cain's adjutant shot him a glare and signed heavily.
"I think so. Was the Admiral always this…"
"Demanding? Commanding? A pain in the ass?" Hercule started to guess as Agathon stopped whatever she wanted to say. When she nodded, the Major just shrugged. "No, that is her way of giving you time to get used to it. It will only get worse. Ask Sinon if you don't believe me. Where is the old bugger anyway?"
"Down on the Athena. Something came up that needed his attention."
"Ah, yes, something came up." Hercule made a clicking sound with his tongue. "How predictable of him."
"One day, you've got to tell me what happened between you and Sinon. I always thought you didn't click, but in the last month… well, it seemed to get worse."
"He is a pompous ass with not the balls for a war. It's as simple as that: he still believes it is just a waste of resources and ignores that we fight for survival. Until he can accept that he and myself will never get along." Hercule said with a shrug. "But I'm not here to talk about Sinon. I'm here for my first mission with the Amazon's Bow. What do you have for me, Helena?"
"Ah," a bit of panic could be heard in the voice of Cain's adjutant as she started to search among the papers that lay all over the plotting table. Her movement was quick and showed how used she was to do this. But it also betrayed that she hadn't found the perfect balance between chaos and order someone working directly for Cain needed to master. "Wait a moment, it's somewhere … ah! There it is!"
Triumphantly, she held up a piece of paper and waved it around as if it was the Cylon's surrender declaration. A wide grin was on her face, and she gave it to you.
"Nothing fancy or great," she said in a happy voice. "But a good start to give your new ship and crew a shakedown."
"Sounds good," Hercule said as he took the summary of the mission expected. As he skimmed it, he had to agree it was an easy assignment. A small group of civilian ships needed an escort from Helios Gamm to Delta. Thanks to the group's small size, an attack was unlikely but not impossible. Major Wardson looked up at Cain's adjutant and lifted an eyebrow. "And the rest? This is just the summary."
"Oh, right, Major, give me a moment! Ah, here!"
Hercule took the offered file, flipped through it, and nodded. "Right, thank you, Helena. I will brief my officers and get the Amazon's Bow underway. Good luck with the Admiral."
"Gods be with you, Major Wardson."
You've been tasked with escorting a small civilian convoy from Helios Gamma to Helios Delta. The convoy forms above Libra and will move via Naucratis to Aquaria. The IDRIS network will do any calculations for the FTL jump.
The convoy is made up of the following ships:
- Arkadia's Dream - A commerce freighter carrying various wares.
- Tashas Ship 2 - A commercial passenger liner.
- Phaser Enterprises - A private yacht.
- CC-24/2 - A container freighter.
Cylon activity is not expected.
The Amazon's Bow will leave Deidalus within the next eight hours. Hercule Wardson has time to do a few things before his first mission. What does he do? Pick three!
[ ] Meet with your XO, Arachnia O'dill.
[ ] Meet with your CAG, Simon Phillips.
[ ] Meet with Helena Agathon after her shift.
[ ] Walk through the Amazon's Bow and make sure everything is ready.
[ ] Introduce yourself to your Crew.
[ ] Determine the battle readiness of your ship and crew.
[ ] Write-in
Free vote for this one.
Hold any Write-in options short like mine.
There will be a 3-hour moratorium so that I can add any Write-In to the option list.
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Start Mission 1
- Location
- Kiel; Germany
Arachnia O'dill was a daur-looking woman. Her mouth formed a never-ending frown, and she almost disapproved of anything the crew did. She was a slave driver, a tyrann - the perfect first officer. When Hercule Wardson stepped through the airlock onto the deck of the Amazon's Bow, he received a sharp salute from her and a clipboard with reports about the ship.
"Sir, welcome on board," she said with a slight nod. "We're almost ready to leave Deidalos. The last crewmembers and equipment get loaded just as we speak."
As if to underline her point, large crates were moved past the two officers, and young crewmembers came on board. Quickly saluting them as they saw the highest ranked officers of the ship. Their large eyes and quick reaction betrayed them as fresh recruits. Hercule quickly returned the salute and started to walk towards the CIC with Arachnia O'dill at his side.
"And the crew?"
"Ready, sir," the woman replied, then pointed with her chin towards one of the open bulkheads they passed. Behind it, a crew dormitory was full of fresh faces lacking the signs of veterans. They were putting away the last of their things in their lockers under the watchful eyes of a crew chief. "Luckily, BuPers gave us an experienced crew; only a few lower ratings are fresh from training. Most have at least two or more ships behind them. They know how it is; give them a few weeks, and they will work like well-oiled toasters."
"Good to hear," Wardson replied as he skimmed through the reports as they walked. "What about the Vipers?"
"No luck. The quartermaster insists that the Mk. II's are held back for, and I quote here, more essential operations. Whatever that means, I haven't heard about any planned offensive operations. Do you, sir?"
"No, XO, nothing I've heard." Major Wardson replied absently as he looked at the following report. "He didn't even give us guided missiles? Just torp's?"
"Also held back," the first officer said as they saluted back to the marine guards of the CIC. Stepping over the bulkhead threshold, they suddenly stood in the small, compact heart of the Amazon's Bow. Hercule Wardson quickly noticed how fresh all consols looked, with no marks of field repairs or scratches left behind from intense usage. Some of them still had the protective foliage on them. The room also lacked the smell of sweat and blood, only the faint odor of computers working.
"What do they expect us to do? Hunt down a Nemesis with torps?" Wardson asked as he moved to the plotting table in the middle of the CIC. He put his clipboard down on it. "I guess we can be glad we got so many veterans assigned."
"Aye, sir, that we can. Better leave port before BuPers realizes that they made an error."
"Better is," Hercule agreed with a chuckle. "When is the official ceremony taking place?"
"In two hours, sir. Admiral Cain will visit us and give a small speech," O'dill said, making a face. "I was told there would be reporters."
"Wonderful," Wardson said sarcastically. The reporters would put Cain in even worse mode than her usual self. If the gods had mercy, she would take it out on the reporters, not the Amazon's Bow or her crew. "Let's get over the readiness reports together, XO. I wish to get underway as fast as possible."
"Yes, sir," Archnia said. "First off, the pilots. We have an entire squadron on board, with the pilots to boot. All of them have combat experience. Additional four reserve machines and a shuttle, standard fleet configuration. Captain Simon Phillips, a double ace, commands the flight group. He says his squadron is ready and can't wait to take the fight to the toasters again."
"I can believe that," Hercule said with a sad smile. "I know him from the Olympus. He was still a fresh pilot doing the Cylon Exodus. But showed promise even then. Before Olympus was destroyed, that is."
"I remember seeing the burning and drifting wrecked of the Olympus before the globe of Caprica in the holobands. It was heartbreaking seeing her among the wrecked of the Exodus aftermath. Made me join the Colonial Fleet when it was founded," the XO said in a lowered voice. "The battle must've been horrible."
Hercule stopped momentarily and looked up from the report about the Marines. He looked into the eyes of Arachnia O'dill without really looking. Images flashed through his mind, and he could smell the odor of a dying ship, hear the cries of the wounded and the screeching of breaking steal. Underlined by the faint sound of distances, small arms fire. Then the moment was over, and he was again in the CIC of the Amazon's Bow.
"It was a hard battle," he said slowly. Carefully flipping through the report of the Marine detachment, he took a moment for a few deep breaths. When he looked up again, he had regained his composure after almost losing it. "I would prefer not to speak about it again, XO."
"Yes, sir."
"Good, the Marines?"
"A whole phalanx, fresh from Gemenon. All part of a warriorhood, sworn to Ares," Arachnia continued. She shrugged. "They have built a boxing ring in their barracks and offer fighting lessons for anyone who wants some. Other than that, they can't wait to get close to the toasters."
"I'm sure that they will get their chance soon enough," Hercule commented, then rolled his shoulders. "Right, I think the rest can wait. Keep up the good work, XO. I'm going to take a walk around my new command. Get a feel for her and the crew."
The walk through the Amazon's Bow quickly revealed what Herulce had already learned from the reports was accurate. It was a new ship with a new crew from several different ships or training facilities all over the Colonies. And yet, the higher number of veterans was evident in all areas. Their uniforms might not look too clean and had been modified to sit more comfortably, but the duty stations were all tip-top. And not just because they came straight from the manufacturer. Fresh out of training, younger ratings were quickly taken under the wing of the more experienced, learning all the tricks that no one wrote into the textbooks. It would take time until a proper esprit could be found in the crew of the Amazon's Bow, but the foundations could be found all over the place.
But Major Wardson also found out that, despite how new and fresh everything was, the Amazon's Bow already had some quirks of its own. For example, the group showers on Deck 13, either having too much pressure or too little. Then there were the speakers on Deck 8, which, for whatever reason, played a chiming sound when the CIC received a long-range communication packet. But luckily, nothing significant was found by the Major. The start of the Amazon's Bow wouldn't be delayed, which was a great relief for Wardson. Just like any other first-time ship commander, he had been anxious that something would come up last time that would prevent a clean start for his first mission.
After he inspected his new command, Hercule Wardson returned to the CIC. With just half an hour left until Admiral Cain and the reporters were scheduled to board, he should introduce himself to the warriors now under his command.
Gripping the intercom handle and pushing the button that triggered the attention-all signal sent through the ship, all work on the Amazon's Bow stopped simultaneously. Eager faces looked up to the speakers, and Major Wardson began his speech.
"Warriors of the Amazon's Bow, I'm Major Wardson, your new commanding officer. In half an hour, the official ceremony will take place. Lovely, encouraging words will be spoken to bolster the morale at home. It will be a field day for the Ministry of Defense. They will milk it. So, I'm going to tell you the truth. Most of you're veterans of this war; you know it anyway. This won't be easy; this won't be light. Chances are high that we die doing our duty. But we will not shrink it. Every warrior on this ship will do the duty lying ahead of us. Because this time, there isn't a single Colony that isn't attacked; this isn't a squabble about some frontier world; this is a war against all of humanity. We will fight, we will bleed, we will die. But we will have victory! So say we all!"
"So say we all!" The answering chorus was loud and clear.
The Crew was ready to take the fight to the Cylons.
The press conference and the official ceremony in which Major Hercule Wardson was given command were just as cut and dry as he had expected. Many platitudes were exchanged, some questions asked that weren't too difficult to answer, and Admiral Cain even attempted to smile. Hercule didn't know what could top that. When the dust finally settled, and the stomped of reporters and Admiral Cain had left the Amazon's Bow, it was time to leave port.
The convoy was already forming above Libra and only waited for the Amazon's Bow to take up its escorting position. With this in mind, Hercule Wardson ordered his ship to leave Deidalos station and move to the jump point. A quick request from the IDRIS network gave the Adamant-class ship the needed jump coordinates, and it vanished with a small explosion of light.
Only to appear in the orbit of Libra a moment later.
What followed was standard protocol as the Libran Space Guard challenged the Amazon's Bow and then cleared them after the right codes were sent. Barley, an hour later, the Bow was united with its convoy of four ships and moving towards the jump zone. According to Libran Space Guard, the planned route was free of any Cylon units.
How fast should the convoy jump?
[ ] Standard Civilian Protocol.
After each jump, the FTL drives are entirely powered down and checked for problems. This takes twelve to eighteen hours. (Renown +20)
[ ] Standard Protection Protocol.
After each jump, the FTL drives are quickly checked over but not powered down. This takes five hours between each jump. (Renown +10)
[ ] Military March Protocol.
The FTL drives have just enough time to cool down between the jumps. This leaves one hour between each jump. This will strain the FTL drives of the civilian ships. (Renown 0)
[ ] Combat Jump.
The jumps are completed as quickly as possible, leaving just half an hour gap between each jump. This will massively strain the FTL drives of the civilian ships. (Renown -10)
What condition is set for the Amazon's Bow?
[ ] Condition 1
All hands are on battle station. The highest possible readiness level a warship has.
[ ] Condition 2
Combat is possible; the essential stations are crewed, and the Vipers are sitting in the tubes, ready to be launched.
[ ] Condition 3
Combat is not expected; standard operation protocols are in effect.
"Sir, welcome on board," she said with a slight nod. "We're almost ready to leave Deidalos. The last crewmembers and equipment get loaded just as we speak."
As if to underline her point, large crates were moved past the two officers, and young crewmembers came on board. Quickly saluting them as they saw the highest ranked officers of the ship. Their large eyes and quick reaction betrayed them as fresh recruits. Hercule quickly returned the salute and started to walk towards the CIC with Arachnia O'dill at his side.
"And the crew?"
"Ready, sir," the woman replied, then pointed with her chin towards one of the open bulkheads they passed. Behind it, a crew dormitory was full of fresh faces lacking the signs of veterans. They were putting away the last of their things in their lockers under the watchful eyes of a crew chief. "Luckily, BuPers gave us an experienced crew; only a few lower ratings are fresh from training. Most have at least two or more ships behind them. They know how it is; give them a few weeks, and they will work like well-oiled toasters."
"Good to hear," Wardson replied as he skimmed through the reports as they walked. "What about the Vipers?"
"No luck. The quartermaster insists that the Mk. II's are held back for, and I quote here, more essential operations. Whatever that means, I haven't heard about any planned offensive operations. Do you, sir?"
"No, XO, nothing I've heard." Major Wardson replied absently as he looked at the following report. "He didn't even give us guided missiles? Just torp's?"
"Also held back," the first officer said as they saluted back to the marine guards of the CIC. Stepping over the bulkhead threshold, they suddenly stood in the small, compact heart of the Amazon's Bow. Hercule Wardson quickly noticed how fresh all consols looked, with no marks of field repairs or scratches left behind from intense usage. Some of them still had the protective foliage on them. The room also lacked the smell of sweat and blood, only the faint odor of computers working.
"What do they expect us to do? Hunt down a Nemesis with torps?" Wardson asked as he moved to the plotting table in the middle of the CIC. He put his clipboard down on it. "I guess we can be glad we got so many veterans assigned."
"Aye, sir, that we can. Better leave port before BuPers realizes that they made an error."
"Better is," Hercule agreed with a chuckle. "When is the official ceremony taking place?"
"In two hours, sir. Admiral Cain will visit us and give a small speech," O'dill said, making a face. "I was told there would be reporters."
"Wonderful," Wardson said sarcastically. The reporters would put Cain in even worse mode than her usual self. If the gods had mercy, she would take it out on the reporters, not the Amazon's Bow or her crew. "Let's get over the readiness reports together, XO. I wish to get underway as fast as possible."
"Yes, sir," Archnia said. "First off, the pilots. We have an entire squadron on board, with the pilots to boot. All of them have combat experience. Additional four reserve machines and a shuttle, standard fleet configuration. Captain Simon Phillips, a double ace, commands the flight group. He says his squadron is ready and can't wait to take the fight to the toasters again."
"I can believe that," Hercule said with a sad smile. "I know him from the Olympus. He was still a fresh pilot doing the Cylon Exodus. But showed promise even then. Before Olympus was destroyed, that is."
"I remember seeing the burning and drifting wrecked of the Olympus before the globe of Caprica in the holobands. It was heartbreaking seeing her among the wrecked of the Exodus aftermath. Made me join the Colonial Fleet when it was founded," the XO said in a lowered voice. "The battle must've been horrible."
Hercule stopped momentarily and looked up from the report about the Marines. He looked into the eyes of Arachnia O'dill without really looking. Images flashed through his mind, and he could smell the odor of a dying ship, hear the cries of the wounded and the screeching of breaking steal. Underlined by the faint sound of distances, small arms fire. Then the moment was over, and he was again in the CIC of the Amazon's Bow.
"It was a hard battle," he said slowly. Carefully flipping through the report of the Marine detachment, he took a moment for a few deep breaths. When he looked up again, he had regained his composure after almost losing it. "I would prefer not to speak about it again, XO."
"Yes, sir."
"Good, the Marines?"
"A whole phalanx, fresh from Gemenon. All part of a warriorhood, sworn to Ares," Arachnia continued. She shrugged. "They have built a boxing ring in their barracks and offer fighting lessons for anyone who wants some. Other than that, they can't wait to get close to the toasters."
"I'm sure that they will get their chance soon enough," Hercule commented, then rolled his shoulders. "Right, I think the rest can wait. Keep up the good work, XO. I'm going to take a walk around my new command. Get a feel for her and the crew."
The walk through the Amazon's Bow quickly revealed what Herulce had already learned from the reports was accurate. It was a new ship with a new crew from several different ships or training facilities all over the Colonies. And yet, the higher number of veterans was evident in all areas. Their uniforms might not look too clean and had been modified to sit more comfortably, but the duty stations were all tip-top. And not just because they came straight from the manufacturer. Fresh out of training, younger ratings were quickly taken under the wing of the more experienced, learning all the tricks that no one wrote into the textbooks. It would take time until a proper esprit could be found in the crew of the Amazon's Bow, but the foundations could be found all over the place.
But Major Wardson also found out that, despite how new and fresh everything was, the Amazon's Bow already had some quirks of its own. For example, the group showers on Deck 13, either having too much pressure or too little. Then there were the speakers on Deck 8, which, for whatever reason, played a chiming sound when the CIC received a long-range communication packet. But luckily, nothing significant was found by the Major. The start of the Amazon's Bow wouldn't be delayed, which was a great relief for Wardson. Just like any other first-time ship commander, he had been anxious that something would come up last time that would prevent a clean start for his first mission.
After he inspected his new command, Hercule Wardson returned to the CIC. With just half an hour left until Admiral Cain and the reporters were scheduled to board, he should introduce himself to the warriors now under his command.
Gripping the intercom handle and pushing the button that triggered the attention-all signal sent through the ship, all work on the Amazon's Bow stopped simultaneously. Eager faces looked up to the speakers, and Major Wardson began his speech.
"Warriors of the Amazon's Bow, I'm Major Wardson, your new commanding officer. In half an hour, the official ceremony will take place. Lovely, encouraging words will be spoken to bolster the morale at home. It will be a field day for the Ministry of Defense. They will milk it. So, I'm going to tell you the truth. Most of you're veterans of this war; you know it anyway. This won't be easy; this won't be light. Chances are high that we die doing our duty. But we will not shrink it. Every warrior on this ship will do the duty lying ahead of us. Because this time, there isn't a single Colony that isn't attacked; this isn't a squabble about some frontier world; this is a war against all of humanity. We will fight, we will bleed, we will die. But we will have victory! So say we all!"
"So say we all!" The answering chorus was loud and clear.
The Crew was ready to take the fight to the Cylons.
The press conference and the official ceremony in which Major Hercule Wardson was given command were just as cut and dry as he had expected. Many platitudes were exchanged, some questions asked that weren't too difficult to answer, and Admiral Cain even attempted to smile. Hercule didn't know what could top that. When the dust finally settled, and the stomped of reporters and Admiral Cain had left the Amazon's Bow, it was time to leave port.
The convoy was already forming above Libra and only waited for the Amazon's Bow to take up its escorting position. With this in mind, Hercule Wardson ordered his ship to leave Deidalos station and move to the jump point. A quick request from the IDRIS network gave the Adamant-class ship the needed jump coordinates, and it vanished with a small explosion of light.
Only to appear in the orbit of Libra a moment later.
What followed was standard protocol as the Libran Space Guard challenged the Amazon's Bow and then cleared them after the right codes were sent. Barley, an hour later, the Bow was united with its convoy of four ships and moving towards the jump zone. According to Libran Space Guard, the planned route was free of any Cylon units.
How fast should the convoy jump?
[ ] Standard Civilian Protocol.
After each jump, the FTL drives are entirely powered down and checked for problems. This takes twelve to eighteen hours. (Renown +20)
[ ] Standard Protection Protocol.
After each jump, the FTL drives are quickly checked over but not powered down. This takes five hours between each jump. (Renown +10)
[ ] Military March Protocol.
The FTL drives have just enough time to cool down between the jumps. This leaves one hour between each jump. This will strain the FTL drives of the civilian ships. (Renown 0)
[ ] Combat Jump.
The jumps are completed as quickly as possible, leaving just half an hour gap between each jump. This will massively strain the FTL drives of the civilian ships. (Renown -10)
What condition is set for the Amazon's Bow?
[ ] Condition 1
All hands are on battle station. The highest possible readiness level a warship has.
[ ] Condition 2
Combat is possible; the essential stations are crewed, and the Vipers are sitting in the tubes, ready to be launched.
[ ] Condition 3
Combat is not expected; standard operation protocols are in effect.
Last edited:
Mission 1 - Before the Storm
- Location
- Kiel; Germany
The convoy formed around the Amazon's Bow above the colony of Libra. As the planet below slowly rotated, the newly formed convoy engaged their drives. Riding on blue flames, the five ships of convoy LA-09-HG started their journey to the jump point away from Libra's orbit. The jump point was a designated area in space, outside of the orbit, reserved for outgoing or incoming travel via FTL. Thanks to the Colony spanning IDRIS network, it was the fastest and safest way to conduct FTL travel. The network comprised many satellites between the four stars of the Cyrannus system. All connected with each other via terminals at all twelve colonies. These terminals took care of the jump calculations for ships with FTL drives who wanted to jump from one colony to another. They also ensured that it didn't come to any accidents when a ship jumped into the jump zones. This made controlling the flow between the colonies easier and made the control over the traffic much more manageable.
Since the network had been established, it had freed much space on spaceships, as the need to carry computers for long-range jump calculations had diminished. These days, only large civilian ships and military ones could still do their own calculations. But even that was mostly only a formality and was mainly used to counter-check the IDRIS data if needed. Even with the outbreak of the Cylon rebellion, the network was still used and considered safe.
Thanks to its decentralized mainframes, each is protected by the space assets of the twelve colonies. There had been only some hiccups in the early days of the war when the Cylons destroyed some of the satellites connecting the network.. But that had been quickly circumvented with the installation of new satellites, done in secret, and others placed as redundancies on standby, ready to replace any sudden disconnects. Allowing the Colonial Fleet to react when the Cylons had tried it - after a few months, the attacks on the IDRIS network had chased. The most noteworthy problem these days was Cylon ships using the network under fake civilian IDs to make their jumps easier. Something that stressed the cybersecurity people on the different Terminals to no end.
All of that was only on the back of Hercule Wardson's mind as he watched the DRADIS screen above the plotting table. The further the convoy left the orbit of Libra behind, the clearer the DRADIS became. He lowered his look and turned it towards his XO. Arachnia Oˋdill was speaking with a crewman at the damage control and engineering station.
"First Officer Oˋdill?" Hercule's tone was formal and curt. Fitting for the moment of the Amazonˋs Bow first jump.
"Yes, Sir?"
"Prepare the ship for a jump in thirteen minutes. Set Condition Two through the ship and convoy. Standard Protection Protocol for the convoy."
"Aye, Sir!" The answer came in a similar formal tone as the order had been given. With all the formality and deliberately controlled moves suiting the parade grounds on Picon, she turned slightly towards the navigation station. "Mr. DeSola, contact the IDRIS network and get us to jump coordinations for Naucratis."
"Aye sir! Sending request!"
"Very good, Mrs. Medusa; inform the convy that Condition Two has been set and that we will follow the Standard Protocol. They will form around us and await jump coordinates as soon as we have them from IDRIS."
"Aye sir!"
Arachnia O'dill finally grabbed one of the intercom handles and pushed the button that sent the Attention-All signal through the ship. "Condition Two for the whole ship! FTL jump in thirty minutes! I Repeat Condition Two for the whole ship! FTL jump in thirty!"
After making her announcement, the whole ship began to work, making the Amazon's Bow ready for an FTL jump. Unfinished projects were secured, tools laying about were secured, and the bulkheads would soon be closed. Even in the CIC, Hercule could hear the pounding of running feet as everyone started to hurry up whatever they were doing or running towards their stations.
Gunner Chief Jason's gaze wandered over his console, checking for the fived time that everything was green. The small DRADIS of his turret, S/02, showed the closest contacts to the Amazonˋs Bow - one of the civilian transporters his ship was escorting. The rest of the convoy was further away in the formation or on the other side of the Bow. He wasnˋt too worried; after all, the small DRADIS part of his turret was only intended to be used when it operated manually and to acquire targets close by in its own field of fire. It usually wasn't active, but the fleet's jump protocol dictated that each turret needed to be ready in case of an ambush. And Gunner Chief Jason had seen enough to know why that protocol existed, even if it forced him to sit in the tight, armored compartment of the gunner and not the battery control room more profound in the bow.
The ammunition display also showed the full readiness and that solid shoots had been loaded into the feeder. Not his personal choice but protocol one. Solid shoots were precisely that: simple mass munition without any warhead. He preferred hull poopers to be loaded, followed by FLAK, but hey - what did he know, right? He wasnˋt an officer, just a Gunner Chief who happened to actually use the weapons instead of thinking about them as they did on Fleet HQ on Picon.
What a bunch of freak heads.
"Jump in one minute," came the call from the CIC right into his ear.
"Everything green on the board, Chief," said his Gunner's Mate. Cheng sat next to him, making the small room even more claustrophobic. The comm off his environment suit distorted his voice slightly, giving it a mechanical touch. He turned slightly to look at his Gunner Chief. "You think we will run into some toasters?"
"Last I heard, the route was somewhat safe. Just some scouts and some harassment on ships going alone. I don't think that we will see something. Or the MoD would've green-lit a convoy this small with just a single escort."
Cheng signed. He sounded almost disappointed but let go of the subject. "Decompression
finished; the gun deck is now under vacuum."
"Understood," Gunner Chief Jason replied calmly and flickered a switch that allowed him to speak to the CIC. "CIC, this is a starboard battery reporting combat readiness for Jump."
"Roger starboard battery."
Deactivating the switch, he returned to the battery net. "Right people, you know the drill. Anything to report before the jump?"
The silence that answered him was reassuring as he began preparing for what was to come. An FTL jump was, at best, irritating and, at worst, a horrible experience. Since the war had started, Jason had grown used to it, but that didn't mean that he liked it. At least he didn't need to puke whenever a jump was executed. Soon enough, the countdown started.
"Jump in 3 … 2 … 1 … jump!"
With the end of the countdown, the world seemed to fall towards Gunnery Chief Jason, only to vanish in a blink and then expand again as if exploding. It all happened so suddenly and fast that it was over before he could even think about it. Over the comm net of his battery, he heard someone puke, one of the newer deckhands. Poor Fraker had to keep it all in his helmet until the battery was again pressured.
He was just about to give the order when Cheng suddenly started to speak. His voice sounded pressed, and it was clear only his training held back yelling on his part. At the same time, Janos saw the single, unknown contact on the screen before him. Adrenaline started shooting through his body, and a weight settled into his bowls.
"DRADIS contact! No IFF, around five clicks, down the barrel."
"Changing to visual!" Jason stated as his hands worked his own duty station. The small screen changed from a display of the turret DRADIS to a camera feed right on top of the barrel. For a moment, there were just the stars, then the camera zoomed in and Jason felt even more adrenaline pump through his veins. He knew the silhouette; he knew it all too well.
Jason had seen it far too often in the last years.
"Nemesis, eyeball it, Cheng!" Jason ordered, then switched the comm channel without waiting for Cheng's acknowledgment to the one reserved for the CIC. "CIC, one contact in the save zone, Nemesis, switching to manuell!"
From one moment to the next, the world of formal military etiquette was shattered after the jump was completed. At the same time, the DRADIS officer called out the unknown contact; close by, the weapon control informed Herucle that the starboard battery was opening fire on manual controls. This was directly followed by the identification of the unknown as a Nemesis-corvette.
Cylons used them primarily as harassers and scouts. Lightly armed with just one turret, they weren't directly a threat to a warship. At least not with their arms, but what they lacked in that aspect, they made up with the ability to hack via a wireless connection. Given enough time, they could break through any firefall.
"Condition 1 through the whole ship! Repeat Condition 1 through the whole ship! We've toasters!" Arachnia O'dill gave Hercule Wardson a nod as she sent the rest of the ship to combat stations. He returned the gesture with a grim smile and looked up at the DRADIS screen above. Boggy 1 had been changed to Nem 1 from Amazon`s Bow own SIGINT department. Further away was another contact, labeled as Boggy 2, who hadn't yet been identified, but the Major felt it in his guts that it was another toaster ship. A quick glance at the mission timer made him wince.
"Thirty seconds, then the first civics come in," he mumbled more to himself than anyone around. That wasn't much time to do anything. Below his feet, he could feel the deck slightly starting to vibrate as the starboard batterie started to fire manually.
"Your orders, sir?"
Prepare for combat, commander! There isn't much time. The first civilian ships will jump in thirty seconds, right into a combat zone. There isn't anything Hercule Wardson can do about it, but he can prepare for the first round of combat.
[ ] Put starboard batterie under computer control
[ ] Fire torpedoes at the Nemesis
[ ] Lunch Vipers
[ ] Move the Amazon`s Bow to
-[ ] get under the Nemesis
-[ ] above the Nemesis
-[ ] turn away from the Nemesis
-[ ] turn towards the Nemesis
[ ] Write-in
Voting Rules:
Since the network had been established, it had freed much space on spaceships, as the need to carry computers for long-range jump calculations had diminished. These days, only large civilian ships and military ones could still do their own calculations. But even that was mostly only a formality and was mainly used to counter-check the IDRIS data if needed. Even with the outbreak of the Cylon rebellion, the network was still used and considered safe.
Thanks to its decentralized mainframes, each is protected by the space assets of the twelve colonies. There had been only some hiccups in the early days of the war when the Cylons destroyed some of the satellites connecting the network.. But that had been quickly circumvented with the installation of new satellites, done in secret, and others placed as redundancies on standby, ready to replace any sudden disconnects. Allowing the Colonial Fleet to react when the Cylons had tried it - after a few months, the attacks on the IDRIS network had chased. The most noteworthy problem these days was Cylon ships using the network under fake civilian IDs to make their jumps easier. Something that stressed the cybersecurity people on the different Terminals to no end.
All of that was only on the back of Hercule Wardson's mind as he watched the DRADIS screen above the plotting table. The further the convoy left the orbit of Libra behind, the clearer the DRADIS became. He lowered his look and turned it towards his XO. Arachnia Oˋdill was speaking with a crewman at the damage control and engineering station.
"First Officer Oˋdill?" Hercule's tone was formal and curt. Fitting for the moment of the Amazonˋs Bow first jump.
"Yes, Sir?"
"Prepare the ship for a jump in thirteen minutes. Set Condition Two through the ship and convoy. Standard Protection Protocol for the convoy."
"Aye, Sir!" The answer came in a similar formal tone as the order had been given. With all the formality and deliberately controlled moves suiting the parade grounds on Picon, she turned slightly towards the navigation station. "Mr. DeSola, contact the IDRIS network and get us to jump coordinations for Naucratis."
"Aye sir! Sending request!"
"Very good, Mrs. Medusa; inform the convy that Condition Two has been set and that we will follow the Standard Protocol. They will form around us and await jump coordinates as soon as we have them from IDRIS."
"Aye sir!"
Arachnia O'dill finally grabbed one of the intercom handles and pushed the button that sent the Attention-All signal through the ship. "Condition Two for the whole ship! FTL jump in thirty minutes! I Repeat Condition Two for the whole ship! FTL jump in thirty!"
After making her announcement, the whole ship began to work, making the Amazon's Bow ready for an FTL jump. Unfinished projects were secured, tools laying about were secured, and the bulkheads would soon be closed. Even in the CIC, Hercule could hear the pounding of running feet as everyone started to hurry up whatever they were doing or running towards their stations.
Gunner Chief Jason's gaze wandered over his console, checking for the fived time that everything was green. The small DRADIS of his turret, S/02, showed the closest contacts to the Amazonˋs Bow - one of the civilian transporters his ship was escorting. The rest of the convoy was further away in the formation or on the other side of the Bow. He wasnˋt too worried; after all, the small DRADIS part of his turret was only intended to be used when it operated manually and to acquire targets close by in its own field of fire. It usually wasn't active, but the fleet's jump protocol dictated that each turret needed to be ready in case of an ambush. And Gunner Chief Jason had seen enough to know why that protocol existed, even if it forced him to sit in the tight, armored compartment of the gunner and not the battery control room more profound in the bow.
The ammunition display also showed the full readiness and that solid shoots had been loaded into the feeder. Not his personal choice but protocol one. Solid shoots were precisely that: simple mass munition without any warhead. He preferred hull poopers to be loaded, followed by FLAK, but hey - what did he know, right? He wasnˋt an officer, just a Gunner Chief who happened to actually use the weapons instead of thinking about them as they did on Fleet HQ on Picon.
What a bunch of freak heads.
"Jump in one minute," came the call from the CIC right into his ear.
"Everything green on the board, Chief," said his Gunner's Mate. Cheng sat next to him, making the small room even more claustrophobic. The comm off his environment suit distorted his voice slightly, giving it a mechanical touch. He turned slightly to look at his Gunner Chief. "You think we will run into some toasters?"
"Last I heard, the route was somewhat safe. Just some scouts and some harassment on ships going alone. I don't think that we will see something. Or the MoD would've green-lit a convoy this small with just a single escort."
Cheng signed. He sounded almost disappointed but let go of the subject. "Decompression
finished; the gun deck is now under vacuum."
"Understood," Gunner Chief Jason replied calmly and flickered a switch that allowed him to speak to the CIC. "CIC, this is a starboard battery reporting combat readiness for Jump."
"Roger starboard battery."
Deactivating the switch, he returned to the battery net. "Right people, you know the drill. Anything to report before the jump?"
The silence that answered him was reassuring as he began preparing for what was to come. An FTL jump was, at best, irritating and, at worst, a horrible experience. Since the war had started, Jason had grown used to it, but that didn't mean that he liked it. At least he didn't need to puke whenever a jump was executed. Soon enough, the countdown started.
"Jump in 3 … 2 … 1 … jump!"
With the end of the countdown, the world seemed to fall towards Gunnery Chief Jason, only to vanish in a blink and then expand again as if exploding. It all happened so suddenly and fast that it was over before he could even think about it. Over the comm net of his battery, he heard someone puke, one of the newer deckhands. Poor Fraker had to keep it all in his helmet until the battery was again pressured.
He was just about to give the order when Cheng suddenly started to speak. His voice sounded pressed, and it was clear only his training held back yelling on his part. At the same time, Janos saw the single, unknown contact on the screen before him. Adrenaline started shooting through his body, and a weight settled into his bowls.
"DRADIS contact! No IFF, around five clicks, down the barrel."
"Changing to visual!" Jason stated as his hands worked his own duty station. The small screen changed from a display of the turret DRADIS to a camera feed right on top of the barrel. For a moment, there were just the stars, then the camera zoomed in and Jason felt even more adrenaline pump through his veins. He knew the silhouette; he knew it all too well.
Jason had seen it far too often in the last years.
"Nemesis, eyeball it, Cheng!" Jason ordered, then switched the comm channel without waiting for Cheng's acknowledgment to the one reserved for the CIC. "CIC, one contact in the save zone, Nemesis, switching to manuell!"
From one moment to the next, the world of formal military etiquette was shattered after the jump was completed. At the same time, the DRADIS officer called out the unknown contact; close by, the weapon control informed Herucle that the starboard battery was opening fire on manual controls. This was directly followed by the identification of the unknown as a Nemesis-corvette.
Cylons used them primarily as harassers and scouts. Lightly armed with just one turret, they weren't directly a threat to a warship. At least not with their arms, but what they lacked in that aspect, they made up with the ability to hack via a wireless connection. Given enough time, they could break through any firefall.
"Condition 1 through the whole ship! Repeat Condition 1 through the whole ship! We've toasters!" Arachnia O'dill gave Hercule Wardson a nod as she sent the rest of the ship to combat stations. He returned the gesture with a grim smile and looked up at the DRADIS screen above. Boggy 1 had been changed to Nem 1 from Amazon`s Bow own SIGINT department. Further away was another contact, labeled as Boggy 2, who hadn't yet been identified, but the Major felt it in his guts that it was another toaster ship. A quick glance at the mission timer made him wince.
"Thirty seconds, then the first civics come in," he mumbled more to himself than anyone around. That wasn't much time to do anything. Below his feet, he could feel the deck slightly starting to vibrate as the starboard batterie started to fire manually.
"Your orders, sir?"
Prepare for combat, commander! There isn't much time. The first civilian ships will jump in thirty seconds, right into a combat zone. There isn't anything Hercule Wardson can do about it, but he can prepare for the first round of combat.
[ ] Put starboard batterie under computer control
[ ] Fire torpedoes at the Nemesis
[ ] Lunch Vipers
[ ] Move the Amazon`s Bow to
-[ ] get under the Nemesis
-[ ] above the Nemesis
-[ ] turn away from the Nemesis
-[ ] turn towards the Nemesis
[ ] Write-in
Voting Rules:
- No Plan voting
- Pick three options
- Write-in options should be short and broad, so I've room to interpret them.
- Two hours moratorium before the vote, so you can ask questions and run Write-in options by me
Mission 1 - The Storm Begins
- Location
- Kiel; Germany
Simon Phillips sat in the cockpit of his Viper fighter, his hands gripping the controls tightly. The hangar elevator hummed as it moved him upwards to the main landing deck of the Amazon's Bow. He wanted to scream angrily at the protocol which granted him the great honor of being launched from up there and not one of the eight launching tubes at the side of the hangar. At times like this he missed being just a simple pilot, at least then he didn't need to wait for the launch of his fighter. But those days lay behind him, now he was a Captain - commanding a squadron, which meant he needed to be an example for his men.
The elevator came to a jarring halt. Over the nose of his cockpit, Captain Phillips could see the open space, framed by the hangar exit. The catapult awaited, its metal arms gleaming in the hangar lights.
"Blue One to LSO, ready for launch."
"Roger Blue One, you've been cleared for launch," came the reply from the LSO. "Launching in three, two, one ... launch!"
Captain Phillips was pushed back into his seat as the catapult fired his Viper out of the hangar and into the dark cold of space. The G-forces pressed him against the harness, his breath coming in short gasps. As soon as he was clear of the Amazon's Bow, he banked to the right and downward to avoid the hail of shells fired on the Nemesis.
Captain Phillips joined the rest of his squadron, who were already forming, awaiting the orders from Commander Wardson. But before he could give them, a sudden explosion rocked the Amazon's Bow. Captain Phillips felt the shockwave through his Viper, and he saw a flash of light out of the corner of his eye.
The explosion was a blinding flash of light, lacking the deafening row it would've produced in an atmosphere. Captain Phillips felt the shockwave of debris wash over his Viper and saw the Amazon's Bow shudder. Larger pieces of debris the size of his Viper were moving fast away from his mothership, and he had to frantically maneuver his little fighter through it.
He turned his head and saw a massive hole torn into the starboard side of the alligator's head. Flames shot out from the wound, illuminating the surrounding space. Smoke billowed into the void, obscuring the view of the ship's interior.
Captain Phillips cursed under his breath. The Amazon's Bow had been hit, and badly.
"Oh, frak," one of his pilots said. Captain Phillips couldn't help but agree.
"Report!" Hercule Wardson's voice boomed over the chaos of the CIC. The ship had just rocked from a massive explosion, and the crew was scrambling to get back to their stations. Arachnia O'dill, Wardson's XO, rushed to the damage control station.
"Explosion in the starboard munition throwers, sir!" Arachnia O'dill reported, her eyes darting across the displays. "Damage is unclear, but we've lost contact with the weapons deck and there's a possible fire spreading. It looks like we were hit by a lucky shot, or maybe one of our own torpedoes detonated prematurely."
Another explosion rocked the ship, less powerful than the first but still worrying. Wardson and O'dill exchanged worried glances.
"Major Wardson, the civilians are jumping in!" Petty Officer Medusa shouted. A glance at the DRADIS showed the transponders of the civilian convoy appearing all around the raging firefight between the Amazon's Bow and the Cylon ship.
Wardson balled his right hand into a fist. "What about Boogy Two?"
"He's... never mind, sir. He just jumped out too!"
Wardson looked to O'dill. "Properly to get some friends," he thought. O'dill returned the look, her eyes filled with suppressed panic. She turned back to the damage control station, where the crew was working frantically. The situation had clearly worsened.
Pick one:
[ ] He focused on the battle; with one Cylon gone to get more, this action needed to end fast.
[ ] He took over damage control; the Nemesis couldn't survive much longer, his gut told him.
The elevator came to a jarring halt. Over the nose of his cockpit, Captain Phillips could see the open space, framed by the hangar exit. The catapult awaited, its metal arms gleaming in the hangar lights.
"Blue One to LSO, ready for launch."
"Roger Blue One, you've been cleared for launch," came the reply from the LSO. "Launching in three, two, one ... launch!"
Captain Phillips was pushed back into his seat as the catapult fired his Viper out of the hangar and into the dark cold of space. The G-forces pressed him against the harness, his breath coming in short gasps. As soon as he was clear of the Amazon's Bow, he banked to the right and downward to avoid the hail of shells fired on the Nemesis.
Captain Phillips joined the rest of his squadron, who were already forming, awaiting the orders from Commander Wardson. But before he could give them, a sudden explosion rocked the Amazon's Bow. Captain Phillips felt the shockwave through his Viper, and he saw a flash of light out of the corner of his eye.
The explosion was a blinding flash of light, lacking the deafening row it would've produced in an atmosphere. Captain Phillips felt the shockwave of debris wash over his Viper and saw the Amazon's Bow shudder. Larger pieces of debris the size of his Viper were moving fast away from his mothership, and he had to frantically maneuver his little fighter through it.
He turned his head and saw a massive hole torn into the starboard side of the alligator's head. Flames shot out from the wound, illuminating the surrounding space. Smoke billowed into the void, obscuring the view of the ship's interior.
Captain Phillips cursed under his breath. The Amazon's Bow had been hit, and badly.
"Oh, frak," one of his pilots said. Captain Phillips couldn't help but agree.
"Report!" Hercule Wardson's voice boomed over the chaos of the CIC. The ship had just rocked from a massive explosion, and the crew was scrambling to get back to their stations. Arachnia O'dill, Wardson's XO, rushed to the damage control station.
"Explosion in the starboard munition throwers, sir!" Arachnia O'dill reported, her eyes darting across the displays. "Damage is unclear, but we've lost contact with the weapons deck and there's a possible fire spreading. It looks like we were hit by a lucky shot, or maybe one of our own torpedoes detonated prematurely."
Another explosion rocked the ship, less powerful than the first but still worrying. Wardson and O'dill exchanged worried glances.
"Major Wardson, the civilians are jumping in!" Petty Officer Medusa shouted. A glance at the DRADIS showed the transponders of the civilian convoy appearing all around the raging firefight between the Amazon's Bow and the Cylon ship.
Wardson balled his right hand into a fist. "What about Boogy Two?"
"He's... never mind, sir. He just jumped out too!"
Wardson looked to O'dill. "Properly to get some friends," he thought. O'dill returned the look, her eyes filled with suppressed panic. She turned back to the damage control station, where the crew was working frantically. The situation had clearly worsened.
Pick one:
[ ] He focused on the battle; with one Cylon gone to get more, this action needed to end fast.
[ ] He took over damage control; the Nemesis couldn't survive much longer, his gut told him.