[Starhawk]

2404.6-8
The citizens of Icaran worlds finally began to feel safe, their navy had thus far defeated all attempts of the Phong to encroach on Icaran territory. To ensure this peace remained however the Royal Navy set down a “tribute” that any company dispatching a colony ship would have to pay in order to purchase the rights to a world. 28 worlds already fell under the sway of the Icaran Empire and still more would soon follow as the massive “arc ships” launched from Icara, Brandenburg and Sparta.

2404.9
HMS Claw had been on patrol for nearly six months in the 6-11 system, blockading the warp point to unknown space when suddenly her detector grids began triggering multiple proximity and energy signature alerts.
“Sir unknown frigate baring three nine two point five, she’s jumped through the warp point and if her speed and course remain constant she’ll arrive in colony orbit in three days.” Tactical officer Malokov said hastily as Captain Wykok began tapping keys to bring up his own displays, the ship had an odd silhouette that was for sure but whether it was hostile or not was anybody’s guess.
“Comns, hail them, order them to stand down and identify themselves.”
“Aye sir transmitting now.” The young comn officer said stiffly as the unknown frigate continued heading out at full speed.
“Sir, I think it’s a human ship sir.” Chief weapons officer, Ensign Galler’ she began tabbing controls to send her data straight to the captain’s command repeater as she continued speaking. “Those are definitely human designed GFGs and her engine signature is similar to our own in too many ways for her to have been designed by xenos.” the young Ensign finished sounding rather sure of herself.
Wykok grudgingly agreed with the young Ensign, it was a human ship and that meant another Human Star Nation. Icara had not even seen another human nation in centuries and now suddenly one of their warships was on a vector that would take it straight to an Icaran colony, and worse then that she wasn’t responding to hails.

“Sir they are still not replying to hails, it’s possible that they are not on our frequency or that they don’t understand basic sir.” Com officer Griffon sounded almost wishful as he turned to his captain.
Wykok scowled as he thought, frantically trying to find any reasonable excuse for that ship to be ignoring him, but if it had been as simple as not being on his frequency any decent starship would at least have the proper detection nets to realize that a constant stream of information was being sent on another frequency, and any decent captain would have tried to send back SOME form of acknowledgement.
“We can’t risk that Ensign.” Wykok said bitterly as he shifted position uncomfortably in his chair and then looked over at his weapons officer.
“Guns, plot a missile intercept and fire.” He looked grim as he gave that order and made sure he ignored the look of shock on his crew’s faces.

“Missiles away sir.” The weapons officer said crisply as the familiar sound of a launch was heard throughout the ship.
Three objects sped away from the Icaran destroyer’s prow at huge velocities and seconds later the sprint missile impacted brilliantly on the engine housing of the unknown ship. A stream of point defense fire from the enemy frigate tore one of the larger ship killers right out of the stars unfortunately for her though the second one slammed into one of her cannons.

“Sir she’s returning fire with cannon!” The tactical officer said just as the holotank showed two shots pass the destroyer by meters.
“Let’s finish this before they get a second shot guns.” Wykok said gruffly as he watched the third enemy shell tear past his destroyer.

The cannon crews input their targeting data into the ship’s computers at amazing speed and within a second the gunnery officer’s panel showed all four cannons lit, signifying their target acquisition data. The gunnery officer pressed the data and four cannon shells burst forth from his ship at .2c.
“We have three hits sir!” The tactical officer announced as a massive hole was torn out of the enemy frigate.
A second broadside with the cannons soon broke the enemy ship to pieces sending wreckage and bodies into the void of space.
Little did the crew of HMS Claw know it but they had made the first contact with the Neo Star Empire the first of many Human Nations Icara would likely encounter on her way to supremacy of the galaxy.