[Dead Meat]

This is GNN bringing you live coverage of the Captain Blaj court-marshal. The defense attorney, Commander Galati, is now calling Captain Blaj to the stand. Lets listen in.


Commander Galati: "Captain, please tell us about the events leading up to the destruction of the New Hamsphire 0001."


Captain Blaj: "Of course, Wanduk I had been sending reports of a Fazran light cruiser moving through the system at a slow pace. The Tetuan was ordered by Space Command to proceed to the Wanduk system and shadow the Fazran ship. We entered into the Wanduk system on or about the first week 2412.6. We then proceeded to enter orbit of Wanduk I. Our scanners where able to easily locate the Fazran light cruiser and identify it as the New Hamsphire 0001. We then proceeded to tract the ship from Wanduk I and send reports to Space Command."


Commander Galati: "I see, and what did Space Command tell you Captain?"


Captain Blaj: "About two weeks latter they told us to keep tracking the ship. As I said before the New Hamsphire was moving only about one sector a month. We knew from our ship database that this vessel has a normal speed of about 6 sectors per month. Well, a month or so went by and we received a message from Space Command that the Emperor had sent a message to the Fazran Homeworld asking who ever was the leader at the time, why his ships where on the Kartogia-Lezzair warp point, and asked if he would remove them. From what we where able to get from the local new network, the Fazran's response was along the lines of, you have threaten us and they are there for defense incase you attack. A short time after we where told by Space Command that the Emperor would be sending another message, and that we where ordered to shadow the New Hamsphire more closely until it exited the system."


Commander Galati: "Which you did, correct?"


Captain Blaj: "Yes, we closed to within one sector and started taking more active scans of the Fazran ship. The New Hamsphire, however, remained on its slow approach to the warp point. My First Officer informed that that the New Hamsphire-class Light Cruisers have an extra supply bay so we assumed that the ship had plenty of supplies and was therefore gathering Intel on the system. We made attempts of hail the ship but got no response. By this time the New Hamsphire had arrived at the warp point, we assumed that they would jump as soon as they got there."


Commander Galati: "But they didn't?"


Captain Blaj: "No, they just stopped. We made 2 or 3 circles around the proximity of the warp point hailing them again, when they didn't leave or respond to hails I order the Tetuan to move closer to the warp point. The date was 2412.9"


Commander Galati: "What then?"


Captain Blaj: "They started to move towards us in an attack posture. We hailed them again while moving towards the warp point. They still didn't respond to our hails, after a while it became apparent that they where indeed intending to attack us, even though we out massed them by a 100kts. We sent them one Last hail, and then we entered weapons range before they did, at which time we opened fire. Only two of our shots missed we must of destroyed their only Anti-Proton Beam along with doing some other minor damage to their hull. CIC reported that their shields weren't up, but nonetheless they continued to advance. I ordered weapons to try and disable their engines and weapons. We fired again causing damage to their hull. Again they still moved closer to us. By then the range had fallen to 3. I ordered my Tact officer to fire again. We must of hit the fusion reactor because the ship simply vanished. I ordered Wanduk I to send rescue and medical ships, as well as lunched our own. We searched for survivors, but their wasn?t even any wreckage let alone an escape pod. We then retuned to Wanduk I with the rescue and medical ships."


Commander Galati: "Thank you Caption, I have no farther questions."


Admrail Marasesti, Judge: "Very well, we will reconvene tomorrow to hear cross examination. Until then this court is in recess."

[ 30 April 2002: Message edited by: Dead Meat ]