Rise of the Remorhaz Society

[sachmo]

First Steps of the Remorhaz Society

Authors note: This is my first attempt at writing a story based on a game, but I do know that I am having a bLast doing it. Please bare with me, and if you have comments/suggestions/praise/criticism I would love to hear them.
EDIT: Moved from "More Stories thread" which I hijacked earlier!

Bright lights shone down from the roof of the cavernous space yard and played across the sleek surface of the craft. Scores of technicians, scientists, and laborers packed the slip, watching and holding their breath as their creation hummed to life. Chairman Sachmo gazed down on the scene from the control blister. This was the culmination of the greatest scientific efforts ever seen on Remorhaz. Sachmo smiled. It was destiny. Sachmo was determined to push Remorhaz into space. The glory of Old Earth would be reborn.

After years of trial and effort, it was now beginning. As the final checks were completed, the throng of spectators filed back into the airlocks. Once all were safely inside, air inside of the space yard was bled out, and the huge airlock began to open. Soon, the RSS Eagle would launch. She was the first spacecraft in what Sachmo hoped would be the most powerful fleet ever created. She would discover new planets for Remorhaz to colonize, and defend these worlds against all comers. She would lead them into the future.

RSS Eagle lifted from her berth, and silently ignited her main engines. Slowly she guided her nose out of the space yard. After her initial 3-week shakedown cruise, she would head for the first of 3 wormholes present in the solar system. Radio telescopes confirmed that there were planets out there, but what (or who) would be on them was a mystery.
Still, there was no time for Chairman Sachmo to rest. He heaped praise on the staff of the space yard, for it was well deserved. They had been working at a feverish pace for the Last 3 years just to get Eagle together. Checks, simulations, and setbacks…they had overcome it all. It wasn’t over for them. Construction continued on the second Eagle Class System Patrol Craft, and soon after that the first Colony Ship would be built. No, their work had only just begun, but the Chairman had every faith in them. The Remorhaz were excellent builders, and they would turn out a fleet to meet whatever needs would arise.

The shakedown cruise was eventful for the crew of the RSS Eagle. On the second day out, at maximum thrust, the main computer core went offline. That gave Captain Jager a bit of a scare, as the ship had to maneuvered manually while the core was brought back up. Of course, the crew survived this, and came thru with flying colors. The test firing of the main gun was a bit nerve-wracking, as they compensators didn’t absorb as much of the recoil as they were theorized to, and the result was a cracked seal around the main gun housing. There were no major problems, however, and all of the decencies were corrected before the start of the mission. Captain Jager requested additional supply storage, and so they techs scrambled to make room for the extra gear.

Before Captain Gina Jager knew it, it was the night before the mission. She couldn’t get rid of the butterflies in her stomach. On thought kept going thru her mind…IN THEORY. IN THEORY the gravity wells should allow the ship to survive passage thru the wormhole. IN THEORY they should be able to return thru the wormhole thru which they had come. IN THEORY there should be no intelligent species within a million light years the solar system. Jager had dealt with theories before. The theory of the inVersion drive had killed her fiancé. The early theory of inertial dampers had cost her the lives of many friends. It was understandable that she was a little nervous. “Nothing to be done”, she muttered to herself. She decided to take a long shower, since she knew that she would not sleep tonight. In fact, she wasn’t sure when she would be able to sleep.

RSS Eagle slipped from the berth the next day, intent on making history with her crew. First thru a wormhole, first to see another solar system, first to spend an extended time in a spacecraft. How many firsts would the Eagle survive?
The crew settled into the routine of space travel. Most of the time, the crew’s main enemy was boredom. Out in open space, there weren’t many obstacles to worry about, so the crew spent most of the time monitoring a screen while Eagle sped them along for their date with destiny. Drills, exercises and simulations filled their days. Jager wanted to be sure that the crew was ready for anything. They were the best that Remorhaz had to offer, but they were green. For that matter, everyone was green!
At the end of the 4th week, the wormhole appeared on the edge of the scanners. The crew began the Last minute preparations for the trip. Jager could feel the sweat beading on her palms. Quickly she threw into any project she could find, to take her mind off the fact that she, her crew, and Eagle could be torn apart by the gravity of the wormhole.
Hours pass, and still the wormhole drew closer. All was ready…they just had to ride it out. Jager glanced at her XO. He was sweating more than she. “Good, I’m not the only one”, she thought. The XO flashed her a weak, but brave smile. 5 minutes to contact. Everything was in the green. The helmsman was calling out readings, as was the sensor station. Everything was as it should be. 30 seconds…Jager’s heart began to beat so hard it felt as if it would fly out of her chest. She took a few deep breaths, and tried to calm down. The wormhole filled the forward window. Before she could call out for a status check, they were in…

First steps

Captain Gina Jager knew she was dead. First, she saw a brilliant white light. Then, she felt herself floating and time seemed to stand still. “Well, I’m glad it didn’t hurt.” Only it did hurt. Suddenly and severly, everything hurt. Her entire body felt as if it had collapsed in on itself, and then just as suddenly felt as if it were going to burst. Just as suddenly as it had come, it was over. Captain Jager suddenly remembered to open her eyes. She could see the bridge, and her crew, and the inky blackness of space.
“Captain, we made it!” Gina heard her XO shout. He was right, they were alive. She struggled to regain her composure. Gina toggled the intercom.
“All sections, report. I want a thorough search of your entire section. Let me know about anything that seems amiss, no matter how small.”
Suddenly the bridge became alive with activity.
“Nav, I want you to be absolutely sure that this is the Koltan system. Helm, take us in on full ion.”
The navagation officer snapped to it. Gina smiled as she sat back in the captain’s chair. She checked her timepiece. The entire trip thru the wormhole took less than a second. “I’ll be a son of a gun”, she thought, “The damn gizmo works.”

Chairman Sachmo leaned back in his chair, gazing out of the window. Two hours since Eagle went into the wormhole. All that the scientists could confirm was that she wasn’t destroyed going into the wormhole. Other than that, they had no answers. He steepled his fingers on his chin, thinking about how much work would be lost if the gravity wells couldn’t withstand the stress of the wormhole.
“Mr. Chairman?” the com console chirped.
“Yes?”
“We received a communication from FSS Eagle, sir. They made it.”
“Thank God.”
“Sir, they found…eh, something in the system.”
“Explain, please?”
“Well, we are trying to confirm, but it seems the entire Koltan system is overrun with some sort of…organic infestation.”
“I don’t understand. How can entire solar system be…infested?”
“Sir, we aren’t sure of that, but it seems that the Koltan system is worthless to anyone but scientists.”
“Thank you, Major. Please let me know what you find.”
This grand step for the Remorhaz Society was off to a very poor start.

One month later, the second Eagle Class System Patrol Ship was launched from the Space Yard. The plans to start a colony ship were put on hold with the discovery of the infestation of the Koltan system. There were no suitable worlds found to colonize, so priorities were shifted to exploration.
Meanwhile, the Remorhaz scientists focused on Ship Construction technology. They felt a breakthrough iminant.
In 2400.2, the RSS Falcon became the second ship to travel thru a wormhole. Aside from the unpleasant physical effects reported by Captain Jager and her crew, there were no ill effects. Upon entering the Nekron System, the Falcon immediately set word back to Remorhaz of the discovery of two suitable worlds:
1. Nekron V, a medium rock planet with an oxygen atmosphere
2. Nekron I, a small rock planet with an oxygen atmosphere.

Neither planet showed any abundance of minerals or radioactives, but Nekron I did appear to possess excellent farmland, and would be used as an organics farming colony as soon as possible.
Also present in system were Nekron II and VIII, both rock world but with unsuitable atmospheres. If they were to be colonized, they would have to be shielded by a protective dome, thus limiting the usefulness of the planet.
Meanwhile, Captain Jager and the Eagle were continuing on to the next system thru another wormhole.

2400.3 saw the launching of the RSS Hawk, the Last of the initial line of Eagle Class System Patrol Ships. Immediately, the Remorhaz space yard began construction of a Colony Ship. The scientists also discovered how to create a larger hull size, and Chairman Sachmo immediately ordered Admiral Urian to design a Frigate to give the fleet some firepower. The result was the Nemesis Class Frigate, and production was queued up for immediate work as soon as the Colony Ship was complete. Chairman Sachmo “suggested” that Admiral Urian hold the command of the initial Nemesis for Captain Jager, in honor of her achievements. The Falcon became the first craft to explore 2 systems. The Yullado System was a poor star, with only one suitable planet for colonizing, Yullado II was a medium rock planet but had a methane atmosphere. On the upside, it appeared that the planet had an above average mineral content.
Meanwhile, Captain Jager finished the “jump” into the Zanthris System, which held nothing more than an asteroid field and 3 stars.

In 2400.4, Captain R.J. Brennan jumped into the Organtrix System. Immediately, the sensors on RSS Hawk screamed in warning.
“Sensors, what have we got?”, R.J. shouted.
“Captain, we have exited the wormhole right in the trail of a gas core. The sensors misread the cloud as a huge mass of foreign objects. I’ve compensated for the density of the cloud, but we might want to report this to the techies back home. It scared me to death.”
“You and me both, Sensors.”
Captain Brennan tried to calm his nerves. What a way to finish your first jump!
By the end of the day, sensors confirmed Organtrix as another useless system.

Back in the capitol, Chairman Sachmo went over the resource figures. Remorhaz possessed a good surplus of minerals, organics, and radioactives, but as the fleet grew, so did the demand for these resources. He considered rushing the production of the colony ship, but then decided to let the work proceed as planned. “We should be fine for the year.”, he thought. Meanwhile, the scouts continued exploring the galaxy, looking for a solid planet to colonize.

2400.5 saw the exploration of two new systems, a scientific breakthrough, and the construction of a colony ship.
Captain Jager and Eagle jumped into the Hollifax system, and beheld a sight which took their breath away. The system was empty of planets, as any matter within the system must have been swept up into the process taking place in the center of the system; the birth of a star. At least this system would yield valuable scientific information for the scientists back home to help them unlock the mysteries of the universe, but in pratical terms, the system was dead. Jager reported her finding back to Remorhaz, and continued on. She started thinking about home. She knew her crew was getting tired and restless, and the supplies wouldn’t hold out forever. With a sigh, she made her decision. A couple of more months, then we head back. She knew the crew would stick with her…at least she hoped the would.
Back on Remorhaz, the entire planet watched as the huge colony ship set out for Nekron V, which would be the first planet colonized by the Remorhaz Society. Also, the scientists had just discovered a more efficient depleted uranium cannon, with increased range and lethality. Admiral Urian wanted to get them on the ships as soon as possible. The scientists next task was to try and create a ship mounted repair bay. Also, the Naval Bureau decided to design a multi-purpose transport which could move people and supplies to the new colony, but could also deploy defense satellites if needed.

2400.6

Two new sytems explored:
Osshod
Lenoltris
Neither system contained planets with breathable atmospheres, but there were some large rock planets rich in resources. Chairman Sachmo decided that they may just have to resort to colonizing these places. It would be hard on the colonists, but they would survive. Possibly the payoff would be worth the trouble and expense. With the added resources, maybe the scientists could concentrate on terraforming. Meanwhile, RSS Eagle, running short of supplies, started for home.

Contact

2400.7
The colony ship brought itself into orbit around Nekron V and began deploying the colony modules. Once deployed, the craft brought itself down in a gentle decent. The entire colony ship was designed to deploy into usable resources for the colonists. The first colonists stepped off of the colony ship, and a Remorhaz flag was planted in light, frosted ground. The first Remorhaz colony was born.
They named the planet Glory.
Chairman Sachmo watched the replay on the com unit. A warmth passed thru his body. “This is our destiny”, he thought. “It’s all coming together.”
On Glory, the colonists set up their living areas and began assembling all of the facilities required to survive on this new world. They began building a Space Port to facilitate transport craft coming and going from the surface of the planet.
Back on Remorhaz, the fleet had a new flagship; the RSS Nemesis. Admiral Urian was extatic. In a grand ceremony, Captain Jager took command. There was much celebrating and eating of fruits, and vegetables, and antelope, and wildebeest, and or…never mind.
Meanwhile, in the newly explored Fezzran System, two small, oxygen atmosphere planets were discovered. Fezzran looked to be particularly rich in both minerals and radioactives. Remorhaz immediately began working on a new Colony Ship.

2400.8
“I have a bad feeling about this.”
“Pardon me, Chairman?” Admiral Urian looked confused.
“Nothing, nothing. I was just thinking about defense.”
“Sir, I have drawn up plans for a new defense satellite design, and General Werman has been tinkering with a weapons platform capable of defending the planet from the surface.”
Chairman Sachmo looked up from his plate. The light from Velocitas Prime shown down on the balcony where the Chairman and the Admiral were taking their lunch.
“Admiral, do you think that we are alone in the galaxy?”
The Admiral thought for a moment, started to speak, then paused again. After a few moments, he spoke.
“Sir, eight months ago, I would have told you yes, and I would have believed it. Since then I have seen entire systems infested with organic infestations, witnessed the birth of a star, and watched an entire gas giant hurl itself thru space. Sir, there is just too much that I don’t understand for me to believe that we are alone here. Who, or what they might be, I have no idea, but I hope they’re friendly.”

Chairman Sachmo laughed. “I feel pretty much the same way. That’s why I have this nagging suspicion that we should be preparing for our defense, in case they aren’t friendly.”
The Admiral straightened. “Then should we proceed with the construction of the weapons platforms and defense satellites, Sir?”
“Yes, but let’s not lose site of the main goal of colonization.”
“Understood, sir.”
The men went back to their lunch, making small talk and trying not to think about the uncertainties that were sure to come up.

Captain Jager smiled as the RSS Nemesis cut smoothly thru the darkness of space. Just a few days ago, Nemesis had accounted well for herself in a simulated hit and run attack by three System Patrol Ships. Nemesis’ missiles took out two of the SPC before they could get into guns range, and while the third got a few licks in, Nemesis was ultimately able to destroy her, too. It made Gina a bit sad, as one of those System Patrol Ships was her old command, RSS Eagle. They hadn’t been together too long, and her former XO, now Captain Hanks was a fine skipper, but she felt a bit out of touch with her new crew. They were promising, but as green as the plains of Glory. Currently, she was taking on a shakedown/routine patrol, and things were going well. She wondered how long that would Last.

2400.9
The scientists created the ship mounted repair bay. They began their next project; ground attack weapons. Chairman Sachmo was serious about preparing for anything. This month also marked the first production shortage of the empire. The reserves were holding, but they would not Last another entire year.

2401.0
Nemesis discovered the Wurtuy System, which was almost entirely filled with asteroid fields.
Glory constructed their Space Port, allowing the import and export of resources. The Society was running at a surplus again. The colonists began the work that they had been trained to do…mining. Who ever said that life in space was glorious?

2401.1
Captain Jager and the RSS Nemesis enter the Xillantha System and collect planet data. Five rock worlds, small, without breathable atmosphere. Captain Jager is discussing the next hop with her XO and Nav officers when she hears her Sensor Officer, in a very weak voice, call her over.
“C-C-Captain? I have an unknown contact just completing the jump into the system.”
The bridge suddenly got very, very quiet.
“Sensor, did you say unknown?”
“Yes Captain. Bearing 120. It’s definitely a ship, Cap’n. I just don’t know who’s.”
“Alright people, let’s get this in gear! XO, sound general quarters! Sensor, you let me know if that contact does anything, copy? Sparks, send a standard hail to that ship. They probably won’t be able to understand us, but it’s worth a shot.”
The bridge got very noisy, very fast.
Contact had been made, but who were they?
Also, as the Admiral and the Chairman had earlier asked, were they friendly?

A short-lived peace

2401.2

“How quickly things can change”, thought Chairman Sachmo.
In just under a month, the Society had been shaken from their ethnocentric view of the universe and been forced to deal with the reality that the Remorhaz were indeed only one of at least two species in the galaxy. The significance of this fact could not be understated. On one hand, contact with another race presented great possibilities for both races. The scope of things that both species could learn from each other was unfathomable. Each species could quite possibly learn things that would change the entire way of thinking of an entire people. On the other hand, this race might present an obstacle to the expansion of the Remorhaz Society. Which would it be? Was there any way to be sure?
Chairman Sachmo was willing to try the peaceful route, but only after ensuring a strong defense. So, from the moment Captain Jager had radioed news of interracial contact, the crews back home had been scrambling to build defense satellites to defend the important warp nodes. It would take time to protect them all, but it could be done. That is, assuming that both cultures didn’t completely misunderstand on another and instantly go to war.
Both sides had started the cultural exchange. While no official governmental contact had yet been established, scientists from both races had already exchanged information on the racial traits, behaviors and history of both races.
(Authors Note: How’s that for getting around the instant contact information the game provides? J )
Chairman Sachmo glanced down at the file containing the information which the scientists had learned of the other race…known as the Norak Continuum

They are Impulsive Zealots.
They prefer Rock worlds with Oxygen atmospheres.

Biology: The Norak are a semi-aquatic species that are amphibious by nature. Though they prefer a very damp climate, they tend to prefer land dwelling over water. The Norak stand approximately 2 meters tall and are tri-pedal. The average life span of a Norak is approximately 120 years. Also of note is their uni-sex nature. Their are no male or female Norak, merely a single neutral sex.
Physical Strength- pathetic
Intelligence- superior
Cunning- average
Environmental Resistance- average
Reproduction- impressive (hubba hubba!)
Happiness- superior
Agressiveness- non-existent
Defensiveness- impressive
Political Savvy- pathetic

Society: Historians believe that the trinary star system which the Norak homeworld resides is that cause of the deeply religious nature of all Norak. Their entire society is patterned after their polytheistic worship. The leader of their society is the current high priest. Their society once contained many different sects, but after a great "religious cleansing", only one sect remains. This has actually proven to be of great benefit, as the society is now coherent enough to devote its resources to space travel.
Mining Aptitude- Average
Farming Aptitude- Pathetic
Refining Aptitude- Weak
Construction Aptitude- Average
Repair Aptitude- Average
Maintenance Aptitude- Impressive

General History: Norak relations in the galaxy have been highly mixed. Their religion allows them to help one species while destroying another. If the Norak's religions finds another race faulting, they will attempt to wipe them out.

Also, the Norak excel at resource and cargo storage techniques, and they are deeply religious.

Chairman Sachmo placed the file on his desk, and rubbed the bridge of his nose. Obviously, negotiations would have to be handled carefully. If the Norak found Remorhaz culture to be compatible with their religious ideals, then they could become a powerful ally. If not, they could quite possibly be the most determined, ruthless enemy in the galaxy.

Over the course of the next few weeks, the Chairman, biologists, religious leaders and the military finally decided on a course of action. The Chairman would present the Norak leader, High Priest Rakul, with a gift of the finest organics which the Remorhaz Society had to offer. Once this gift was made, it would allow the ambassador staff to get settled and report back to the chairman with more information on how the Norak viewed Remorhaz culture. Hopefully, this would give the military enough time to prepare to blunt any attack if things went sour, or give the Council staff more information on what might be required for a trade treaty. Also, Chairman Sachmo decided that they would push for a non-aggression pact as soon as possible. Orders were cut, and everyone went to work, hopeful for the future.
In the meantime, the second colony ship was sent out on course to colonize Fezzran I. The Remorhaz Society was expanding its borders.

2401.3-.4

“Chairman, I have excellent news!”
“Yes Yarboro, what is it?” The Chairman was very tired, and anxious for news from the Norak government.
“Sir, the report from the Norak government is favorable. They deeply appreciate our gift!”
Chairman Sachmo felt as if a weight were lifted from his shoulders. Many plans, possibly the future of the Society, hinged on the response of the Norakians to their diplomatic overtures. This gift would hopefully make future relations with Norak easier. The Chairman paged his diplomatic staff. They had a non-aggression treat to draw up.

2401.5

Remorhaz scientists discover a new, more efficient ion engine. This engine will help reduce the resource requirements of the fleet. Also, the fleet christened the first Multi-Purpose Transport, the RSS Loxias. She would immediately begin seeding the warp points with defense satellites.
On the political front, wonderful news. The Norak government has accepted our non-aggression pact. Thankfully, we won’t have to fight them anytime soon.
Of more concern to the Society, the colony ship bound for Fezzran picked up an unknown contact in the Xillantha System. The sensor signature returned fit no Remorhaz or Norakian design known. Hailing frequencies were met with aggressive maneuvers from the craft. No engagement took place, but the crew of the colony ship were definitely intimidated by the actions of the ship. The Remorhaz Society had made contact with another race, known as The Rage Collective.

The Rage Collective are Violent Warriors.
They prefer Rock worlds with no atmosphere.

Biology: The Rage is a race of organic machines originally designed for war. There is a limited shared intelligence across the race, with stronger ties to those units that are near by. For some reason, the Rage seem to only be able to thrive on planets with no atmosphere. The reason for this is not known. The most surprising aspect of this race is its emotional nature. This may be due to the fact that while their external appearance is mechanical, their processing units are primarily organic.
They are average in all physical characteristics.

Society: The Rage society is a limited collective in which processing (thinking) is distributed across a network comprised of the individual units. The processing is organized into local Groups that are working on the same project. Therefore, while information is theoretically known across the entire network, in practice it is used in a more localized fashion. Overall strategic decision-making is controlled by the Primary Sequencer. This unit is the closest thing to a ruler that this society has.
They are average in all vocational aspects.

General History: There is not a lot of information on the origins of the Rage. Most scholars believe that they were originally created as intelligent war machines. They then out lived (or perhaps destroyed) whatever race created them.

The Rage Collective are experts in propulsion, and also storage techniques.

The Rage could prove to be trouble. The Society immediately went into a crash naval building program. War might come sooner than anyone thought…

2401.6

Happy day! The Remorhaz Society now spans three planets in three different systems. This segment saw the settling of the planet Cirius. This planet was abundant in both minerals and radioactives. Once a Space Port was built, this planet would be a vital contributor to the Society.
The Rage Collective accepted a gift, but with this message:
“Your gift has been accepted. Do not bother us again.”
Not the best hope for future relations with this race. Relations cooled.
On Glory, the first colonial Research Lab was constructed. It is hoped that the colonists might contribute some fresh ideas to the Remorhaz scientific effort.
Admiral Urian dispatched RSS Eagle under Captain Willas Hanks to take up patrol duties in and around Glory, and RSS Falcon to take up station off of Cirius. Glory began construction of defense satellites and Small Weapons Platforms. If time permitted, and a Space Yard was constructed, heavier defenses could be constructed.

2401.7

The com unit blared.
Admiral Urian looked up from his report, and stared hard at the unit. He was hoping to knock off early tonight to spend some time with the family. This was a call from the Chairman, however, and it would not do to pretend he had left for the day.
He tapped the pad to answer the unit.
“Good evening, Sir.”
“Admiral, thank God I caught you. Something has gone dreadfully wrong. Both the Norakians and the Rage Collective have declared war on us. I still don’t have all the details, but I need you to get the fleet rolling.”
The Admiral has to fight to keep from getting sick. How could this have happened? What went wrong? He didn’t have time to find out right now, he had to lead the fleet into battle.
“Sir, I will execute the defense plan. Thanks to your foresight, we are a step ahead of the game. We do need to shift priority to building some additional capital ships, sir. One frigate and 3 system patrol ships severely limits our option. We may hold, but we cannot take the war to the enemy without leaving our people wide open for attack.”
This time it was the Chairman who fought down his fear. There were so many things which needed to be done, and they Society was running low on minerals.
“We will do what we must, Admiral.” He paused, gathered his thoughts, and then spoke. “Admiral, we didn’t start this war, but we will finish it. Is that clear? We will win! It’s our destiny.”
Seeing the Chairman’s display of strength helped the Admiral regain his own.
“Aye, Aye, Sir. We will finish it.”

“Captain Jager, emergency message coming it.”
Gina turned away from the supply officer and looked at the communications bay. What now, she thought. Lately, the exercises had been getting a bit monotonous. Her crew was ready for some shore leave, not another missile drill.
“Right, Sparks. Forward it to my console.”
“On the way, Cap’n.”
Gina settled into the command chair of the RSS Nemesis. When the message came thru, Gina felt her skin crawl. She read the message again, just to be sure.
She looked up at the bridge, and at the faces of her crew. How could this happen? How many of her crew would die?
Gina took a deep breath. “We’re as ready as we’ll ever be”, she thought.
Gina keyed the intercom. Pipes rang thru the ship.
“This is the captain. I have just received an emergency message from Admiral Urian. Both the Norak Continuum and the Rage Collective have declared war on the Remorhaz society. We are to proceed at best speed to Remorhaz, refit, and take up station at Glory. Folks, this is the real thing, but we’ve trained night and day for this. I know we will do our duty, and we will win.”
Gina heard the cheer echo thru the ship. That put her at ease somewhat, until she saw the face of the XO. Never before had she seen fear so plain on his face. She shot him a quick smile, and a nod. They would survive, or die trying.

2401.8

No action as of yet. A Rage Bytreon Class frigate jumped into the Fezzran System, threatening the colony on Cirius. Falcon was a couple of jumps away, and probably would not arrive in time to prevent a bombardment of the colony. The colonists began to dig in, but things were looking pretty bleak.

2401.9

Cirius was now facing 2 Rage frigates, but did manage to get a satellite into orbit, and Falcon was that much closer to jumping in system. Remorhaz launched another frigate, the RSS Furious, and sent her to rendezvous with Eagle and Nemesis. They would form a fleet at Glory and attempt to fly to the relief of Cirius if at all possible. There was still no sign of the Norak fleet. Mineral resources were at an all-time low.

2402.0

The New Year began very harshly. The colony on Cirius was destroyed by the Rage. They were able to launch missiles at the surface, and their superior propulsion allowed them to escape the missile fire of the single defense satellite before it could score a single hit. Falcon arrived in system just in time to answer the final distress call of the planet. Outgunned and outnumbered, she re-entered the wormhole and made for Glory. The fleet would make their stand here.
The scientists made yet another improvement to the Depleted Uranium Cannon. The System Patrol Craft would be refit as the situation permitted. With the frigates on station, Eagle started a patrol into the Wurtuy System. The huge asteroid fields in this system afforded ships good protection, but she spotted a Norak colony ship wallowing toward a jump point. If she came closer, Eagle would pounce.

2402.1

Eagle never got her chance. The colony ship slipped away. Meanwhile, in the Xillantha System, Falcon was following the movement of the three Rage frigates. They seemed to be heading for Glory. The fleet was waiting. Meanwhile, Glory was preparing upgraded Small Weapons Platforms, and the Multi-Purpose Transport was seeding the wormholes with defense satellites. Meanwhile, the RSS Justice was launched at Remorhaz. She would remain in system to protect the home planet. At the same time, the Rage task force drew closer to Glory, and Captain Jager was ready for the showdown.

2402.2

The fleet watched and waited. Glory continued to build Mineral Miners, and Remorhaz was forced to curtail production because of a mineral shortage. All they could do now was wait.

Losses...and Gains

2402.3

Another month, and still the Rage did not come. Admiral Urian flew to Glory with his staff, determined to gain the imitative in this war. After consulting with his staff and his line officers, he finally agreed to release one frigate to make a penetration run into the Fezzran System. The fleet needed to do something instead of waiting for a conflict to come to them. So, he picked Captain Jager and Nemesis to head out the next day.

Captain Jager was very nervous. She had every bulkhead checked, every access panel inspected. There wasn’t much chance that something had broken in the past two months as the only action Nemesis had seen was running simulation while parked in geo-sync orbit over Glory. Now they were heading into battle. Obviously, all the simulations in the world couldn’t prepare Gina or her crew for what they would face, but she knew they would do their best. Hopefully, that would keep them alive.
Gina reviewed her orders again as Nemesis cleared the traffic pattern over Glory.
Proceed at best speed to Fezzran System and engage any forces found there. Inflict maximum damage on targets and return to Glory at best speed. Extreme caution is to be exercised, and all efforts must be taken to return asset RSS Nemesis to Glory Fleet Command.
Gina chuckled. All possible effort to return “asset”. As if she had a choice.
Shaking her head, she went about the business of commanding her ship.

Gina was expecting to find Rage frigates present in the Xillantha system, but a sensor sweep revealed nothing. Cautious, she laid the quickest possible course for the wormhole to Fezzran. If the Rage were laying a trap, they would have to catch her before they could hit her. Reports from Eagle patrolling the Wurtuy System showed no sign of the Rage fleet. Where were they?

2402.4

Eagle came out of the jump into the unknown system. Immediately, sensors picked up a large target right off of their beam. Captain Willis Hanks immediately sounded general quarters, and took the ship into action.
“Sensors, what do we have?”
If the Sensor Officer was excited, he didn’t show it.
“Captain, we have a Norak Colony ship off of our bow. Very close…12.3K miles. She’s unarmed, sir.”
Hanks nodded. “Right. Sparks, send her a message. Come about for towing or be destroyed. Sensor, if they attempt to send a distress call, you let me know. Weps, warm up the DUC. If she tries to run, we open fire.”
A chorus of “aye, aye” echoed from the bridge.
The demand to heave to was met with the Norak colony ship quickly reversing course and firing her main engines. Hanks frowned.
“Ok, we can play that game. Weps, disable that ship.”
Weapons Officer Davis took aim and depressed the firing stud.
Eagle lurched slightly as her depleted uranium cannon fired a wave of shells at the colony ships engines. The DU shells tore thru the colony ship’s engine nacelles like a knife thru hot butter.
“Hit, Cap’n! She’s lost three of five engines.”
Hanks paused. “Hold fire, Weps. Let’s see what she does. Sensor, has she tried to send any Messages?”
“Negative, Captain.”
Hanks nodded, and rubbed his chin. Navy regs allowed officers to grow beards, but Hanks wished that he had taken time to shave before leaving Glory. His face itched like mad.
Suddenly the XO yelled out, “Captain! She’s sending out a distress signal! The signal strength is incredible! Every ship in the system must know she’s in trouble by now!”
And I’m a damn fool, thought Hanks. I should have known she wouldn’t surrender.
“Weps, take aim and fire. We need to take her out and get the hell out of here. In a stand-up fight, we lose.”
It actually took quite a while for Eagle to finish off the colony ship, only because of her sheer mass. Hanks would remember the worst part of the engagement being when the colony ship was in her death throes, hundreds and hundreds of bodies were expelled out into space. As they prepared to head back for Glory, Captain Hanks tried not to think about the fact that he had just killed 4 million Norakinas.

At the same time, Nemesis jumped into Fezzran. Sensors showed only a Rage colony ship, well across the system at the mouth of a jump point. Also observed was a Rage colony, which had been set up on Fezzran IV. Captain Jager did her duty, however, and rained nuclear missiles down upon the helpless colonists until the Rage colony was nothing but a glowing crater capped by a tremendous firestorm. Cirius was avenged, but Gina felt numb. This was war? Somehow, she hadn’t pictured bombarding colonists as an illustration of the honor of far. She didn't feel much like a combat officer.

2402.5

For now, it seemed Glory was safe. Nemesis bombarded a second Rage colony, which had been established while she was still in system. 35 million of the Rage died in nuclear fire. Yes, Cirius had been avenged, but the duty was hard on Nemesis and her crew. Captain Jager didn’t press her luck, and started the journey for Glory.
Meanwhile, in Wurtuy, Eagle spotted a Norak transport and moved in for the kill. Admiral Urian released RSS Justice from garrison and had her move in to assist Eagle. They would interdict this system for as long as possible.
Mineral resources were starting to build back up. Soon, Remorhaz would begin construction of additional ships, and the Remorhaz Society could take the war to the home systems of their enemies.
The scientists reported to the Chairman that research on improved missiles would be completed within the next six months. These missiles would give the fleet a range advantage over the Rage craft, which might help negate their advantage in speed.

2402.6

Glory continued their crash mining program. The results were showing as the mineral shortage lessened.
In the Wurtuy system, Eagle and Justice continued to hunt down the Norak transport.

2402.7-.8

Eagle and Justicepersue the Norak transport into the Turdan System, and spot a Norak colony. There are only two wormholes out of this system, with none leading to either Norak or Rage space. Admiral Urian orders this system to be taken, and for Wurtuy to be garrisoned by a modest force.
Remorhaz began production of a colony ship.

2402.9

Hooray! The scientists have discovered the next phase of the capital ship missile. The fleet would begin refitting all Nemesis Class Frigates as soon as possible. On Remorhaz, a rock colony ship was launched.
In the Tudran System, RSS Justice attacked a seemingly defenseless colony, and was blown to bits. Apparently, Tudran V was going to be a tougher nut to crack then originally suspected. This was a very costly lesson.

2403.0-.1

A Norak fleet was approaching Glory. We sent Nemesis and Furious to meet them, with Eagle backing them up. Opposing them would be 4 Norak Alagoa class frigates. The loss of Justice will be a big factor in the coming battle.
A large planet was colonized in the Neckron System. The colony was named Black Hills. Black Hills had a methane atmosphere, which would limit the colonists ability to utilize the planet, but it was rich in minerals, and another shortage could lose the war for Remorhaz.

2403.2

The Norak fleet decided not to try and fight thru the defense satellites around the wormhole, and instead headed for Rage space. Admiral Urian wondered at this tactic, but did not complain. Every day the enemy avoided attacking was a day for the Remorhaz Society to grow stronger.
Glory concentrated on building another mining facility and one more research lab. Then she would build defenses for the Society. After the resources were sufficiently built up, the fleet would concentrate on taking the Tudran system. In the interim, the cat and mouse game in the Wurtuy System would continue.

Moving Forward

2403.3

A new colony ship is created.
A diplomatic communication to the Rage, requesting an end to the conflict, is flat out refused. Their answer? “Sorry, but we must kill you first.”
The rock colony ship departed Remorhaz to colonize the Last known planet with a breathable atmosphere, in the Neckron system. The planet was very poor in mineral resources.

2403.4

Remorhaz was unable to complete construction of a new frigate because of lack of resources. No enemy attacks.

2403.5

Salvation is colonized in the Neckron system. The colony will concentrate on farming operations and research.
Remorhaz was unable to refit Eagle due to a mineral shortage.

2403.6

RSS Intimidator under Captain Lu takes up station at the Wurtuy-Neckron wormhole. The multi-purpose transport heads for the Wurtuy-Tudran wormhole to lay some of the new defense satellites, hopefully cutting the system off from resupply.

2403.7

The Wurtuy-Tudran wormhole is cut off with defense satellites. Admiral Urian plans to keep a constant patrol of frigates to back the satellites up.

2403.8

Nemesis began a refit at Remorhaz.
Intimidator entered the Tudran system and attacked the Norak colony Tudran VI. The colony was defenseless, and had 39 million colonists. The entire colony was destroyed by nuclear missile barrage. The Tudran Offensive was underway..

2403.9-.10

Intimidator approached Tudran V cautiously. Captain Lu was fully aware that this was where Justice had met her end. Lu had no intension of meeting the same fate.
The Captain scanned his readout. “Helm, take us in until we reach maximum firing range. If intelligence is correct, our missiles have about the same range. Of course, we have the advantage of maneuverability on our side. Let’s get our missiles off before they do. We can fire and move, and hopefully take out some of those bases…soften the place up a bit.”
“Aye, Aye, Captain. We will hold a maximum range.”
Now we earn our pay, he thought.
The XO called out. “Sir, we being hit with active signals. They know we’re here.”
Captain Lu nodded. This was going to be tricky, but he was confident. At least this planet could defend itself.
Minutes passed. Lu ran over the figures in his mind one more time. If their timing were off, they would become a ball of flaming gas, very quickly.
“Sir, we are at maximum missile range.”
“All tubes fire. Helm, as soon as the Last missile leave the tubes, back us out of here full power.”
Moments after all missiles were away, the ship turned on her axis and retreated.
The Sensor Officer, Lieutenant O’Brian, shouted, “Sir, I have multiple bogies coming from the surface of the planet.”
Hopefully their missiles had not been upgraded. “O’Brian, get me an ID on those bogies, please.”
“Aye, Aye, Captain.” His voice sounded a bit calmed. Lu glanced at his XO, and nodded him over to help reassure O’Brian.
“Sir, the bogies are ground based missiles, look like the same signature as the ones that got Justice.”
“Very good, Mr. O’Brian. Helm, continue on course, maximum power.”
Helm acknowledged the order.
O’Brian called out the range of the incoming missiles. “Sir, missiles closing. Estimated impact 1 minute, 30 seconds.”
O’Brian continued to call out the range. Lu watched his own missiles streak toward the surface of the planet. They ran out of fuel in the low atmosphere, doing no damage.
“Sir, estimated time of impact 45 seconds.”
The Captain nodded. “Helm, take us to 10% thrust, and head us back toward the planet.”
O’Brian spun around with a face whiter than a sheet. “Sir, missiles closing! Estimated impact now in 25…oh. Sir, enemy missiles have run out of fuel and are dead.”
“Thank you, Mr. O’Brian. Helm, we have to get closer before launching.”
The Intimidator reversed course, and the helm called out maximum missile range.
“Take us in another 1000 miles, helm. Once our missiles are away, turn us around and get us the heck out of there.”
The order was acknowledged.
“Sir, multiple bogies lunched from the surface!”
“Understood.”
Weapons Officer Hubbart spoke up. “Firing full spread of missiles. Right, missiles away!”
“Get us out of here, helm!”
O’Brian called out the closure. The missiles would not catch them. Unless Captain Lu made a mistake, they would pulverize the planet’s defenses. He didn’t, and the colony on Tudran V was destroyed. The Last Norakian presence in the Tudran system had been wiped out.
Back on Remorhaz, the news was piped thru the ship intercom on board the newly refit, upgraded RSS Nemesis. Cheers could be heard throughout the ship, but Gina Jager was more sober. She knew that the war was far from over. Unless the enemy paid a higher price, this war might never end. She was determined to do her part, whatever that was.
With the victory in the Tudran system, Admiral Urian decided to split the fleet to keep the Norakians from retaking the system. Defense satellites and at least two frigates would garrison the wormhole. Chairman Sachmo instituted an emergency order for 3 new colony ships to colonize the two worlds taken from Norak, and a third, previously uncolonized world.

2404.1

No enemy counter attack. The fleet was building up defenses around the Tudran system. Soon, it would take quite an armada to pry the system back from the Remorhaz Society.
The governor on Glory reported that the Glory Ship Yard should be complete within two months.
Chairman Sachmo decided to offer a non-intercourse treaty to the Norak.

2404.2

The Norak Continuum rejected the treaty proposal.
The RSS Furious finished her refit. Now all frigates were equipped with the latest generation of missiles.

2404.3

The Glory Space Yard is complete! We will now be able to repair, launch and upgrade ships from Glory. Admiral Urian believes that this greatly increases his strategic options in the forward systems.
On Remorhaz, the first colony ship bound for the Tudran System is completed. Her launching is vidcast all across the Remorhaz Society.
Chairman Sachmo gazed out over the city of Turian, capitol of the Remorhaz Society.
Things are starting to go our way. Once we colonize the Tudran System, our resource production will triple. We can then build up a fleet large enough to enable us to either destroy our enemies or at least bring them to the bargaining table.
The Chairman’s diplomatic staff had still not quite figured out why both empires had declared war at the same time. The most plausible theory was that the Rage and the Norak were in an alliance together. The thought froze the Chairman’s heart. If those two races would ally against us, how must they have perceived us? When this was all over, he hoped to find out. His biggest fear was that he would have to destroy both races to find his answers.

2404.4

While laying defense satellites outside the wormhole between Xillantha and Wurtuy, the multi-purpose transport discovered a Norakian colony. In orbit around it was a single Alagoinhaus class frigate. The RSS Furious, on long-range patrol, would jump into the system from a direction the Norak wouldn’t expect our ships to come, and try and take her from behind.
The diplomats felt that the Rage might be willing to discuss a cease-fire. An envoy was dispatched immediately. He was given a tremendous send-off, and was decorated with many medals. He was also given huge tracts of land on the next colony in the Tudran System. He probably wouldn’t live to enjoy his rewards, as all envoys sent to negotiate with the Rage since the war started had been cut up and used for scientific study by the Primary Sequencer. Politics can be a deadly business sometimes.

The Battle of the Rocks

2404.5
The ambassador did not return from the parlay with the Rage.
The Norak were on the move, and it was looking like there would be a showdown in the Wurtuy System.

2404.6

Gina couldn’t help but grin. Nemesis and Hyperion had cornered a lone Norakian Alagoa Class frigate in Wurtuy Asteroid Belt XII. This was what she had been waiting for, and knew it was what her crew wanted, also. Ship on ship combat was what they craved. They understood what was expected of them…if destroying a colony was vital to the war effort, then it would be done. In an engagement against another warship, there were no innocents. One side was trying to kill the other. This is how things should be settled.
Jager touched her command screen and brought up a com link to the bridge of Hyperion. Captain Walt Reed’s thin face appeared on the screen.
“Walt, we have the Alagoa at 500k. What do you think?” Gina was senior to Captain Reed, and had also seen combat (such as it was), but she wanted his input. He was a good tactician, and Gina wanted to use every advantage they had.
“Well, with all of the asteroids, maneuvering is going to be tricky. We might be able to fork him, and get him in a position where he can’t run from us.”
“Alright then, I’ll take the lead, and you try for the flanking maneuver”, Gina said. She looked at her chart. “I’ll hang back as long as I can, and if he goes for you, I’ll have a broadside shot.”
Captain Reed smiled. “Sounds good. Good luck, Captain Jager. I guess this is another first for you, eh? As far as I know, we are the first ships in the Remorhaz Navy to engage another armed capital ship. Let’s hope we live to talk about it!”
Gina laughed. “I guess you’re right, Walt. To be honest, I’ve been looking forward to this my entire career. Luck to you too. Jager out.”
Gina turned off the link. It was time to fight.

The actual battle didn’t turn out exactly like they had planned, but in reality battles never do. The Alagoa got off an early shot at Hyperion, and a bad range calculation sent her scrambling away from a barrage of rapidly closing missiles. The fork would have to wait. Nemesis fired a spread while the Alagoa was rearming. Jager kept the ships spread far apart, so they could be sure about who was being fired at. This way, one ship could close the range while the other retreated from the enemy missile shot. After that, it was simply a matter of time, unless something went wrong.
Something did go wrong. During the third exchange, Hyperion closed range and fired at the Alagoa. The Alagoa fired simultaneously. While Nemesis closed the range to fire, Hyperion again misjudged the range of the incoming missiles. She took the spread amidships. Thankfully, the damage was moderate. She lost an engine and one of her missile tubes, but she still could make way at 2/3 speed. On the next barrage, Nemesis took a spread in the bow, and she was reduced to 1/3 speed. Worse yet, the crew quarters had been hit. Thankfully, most of the crew had been at battle stations, but she lost some people. Now the Alagoa had the advantage in speed, and she had not taken a hit. Missiles flew back and forth, and eventually both sides lost contact with each other. Nemesis and Hyperion made for Glory for repairs, both ships hauling a cargo of very angry, very disappointed captains.

Gina knew that she could have performed much better. She had misjudged the Alagoa, and now twelve of her crew were dead, and [I}Nemesis[/i] would be off the line for at least a month. That Norakian captain had handled his ship beautifully, and used the asteroids to his advantage masterfully. Still, Gina felt she should have beaten him. Two against one…she should have won. She replayed ever step of the battle in her head, recalling her mistakes, and studying them. Next time, she would account better for herself. Next time, she would make Remorhaz proud.

She soon got her chance. Intimidator jumped in system from Glory before the battle started, to cover the wormhole in the absence of Nemesis and Hyperion. When she received word about the results of engagement, she immediately moved into the asteroid field to cover Nemesis and Hyperion in their withdrawal. As Captain Lu moved her into the belt, and was immediately greeted by a barrage of missiles from behind a particularly thick asteroid cluster. Intimidator tried to maneuver, but was caught near the stern with the barrage. She lost two engines and the right side missile tube. Luckily, the Weapons Officer had fired an immediate counter barrage down the bearing, which slammed into the Alagoa, knocking out most of her engines and crippling her. All three Remorhaz ships tracked and then killed the wounded Norakian ship. Captain Jager and Nemesis had the honor of having their missiles actually finish off the Norakian frigate, but it was a hollow victory. For the cost of one frigate, the Remorhaz Navy would have three capital ships off of the line for a month. That could not happen, so one of the three ships would have to take up a defensive position behind the satellites and become what amounted to a slightly mobile space station. The Remorhaz Society was once again on the defensive.

Two System Patrol Ships, 15 defensive satellites, and a crippled capital ship were all that were defending the Wurtuy wormholes. Three out of four frigates were damaged. Furious was almost to Glory, and another Nemesis Class C Frigate would be launched from Remorhaz next month. The Battle Of the Rocks, as this first engagement would be called, was a tactical victory for Remorhaz, but a strategic victory for the Norak Continuum. What momentum Remorhaz had gained in taking Tudran was lost.

To be continued...