NationStates Jolt Archive

Excerpt from Angel Entertainment Network Evening News…

“Welcome back to AEN Evening News, your local news leader. Today, the stock market gained nearly three dozen points as DragonStar Shipbuilding announced a major contract with the Etaran Monarchy, with a contract to build fifty-four ships for their new space navy. The more than one and a half trillion universal standard dollar contract will be served as quickly as possible, and includes training Etaran crews as well as building their ships. And now, a bit of the earlier statement from DragonStar’s public relations officer.”

The scene changes, shifting to a man in a dark blue business suit standing behind a podium. “Well, yes, the Royal Government approached us because they had heard of the excellent quality of our work, and, I believe, the recent publicity we gained in the sale to the Island States government. They’re looking to create a space fleet from scratch, and approached us on how to go about it, as well as looking for the suppliers. We’ve put them in contact with some other companies in the Federation that can help them set up the indigenous industry to support their fleet once it is built, and we agreed to help train them. Their purchases include fifty-four warships from our Omniships line led by four dreadnaughts and six carriers, and of course Mark I and Mark II fighters to outfit their larger vessels. They will be naming the ships themselves, including probably renaming the classes of vessels, but that’s all allowed by the contract.” The man smiles. “We’re looking forward to our relationship with the Royal Government of Etaros, and hope that this is the beginning of a long term relationship, continuing past the end of the contract in a few months.”

The news anchor returns. “And now, for your local weather…”

OOC: Specific information located here (http://ainulindalion.0catch.com/etaranships.html).

Also, DragonStar Shipbuilding is headquartered in the Federation of Sentient Peoples, if you’re wondering why I’m posting this. It was worked out on IRC.

welcome to space

The Erasito was to present an extravagant speech to speak of "the dawning of a new era" for Lietuvs. The United Kindgom of Etaros, sometimes called the Lietuv Republic by more progressive elves, had just announced that it was planning to purchase nearly 50 spacecraft from DragonStar Shipbuilding of Sentient Peoples. DragonStar Shipbuilding was preparing to sell almost $1.6 trillion worth in spacecraft, pushing the Kingdom into a new age. The first task of the Lietuv government was to appoint a new Director, to serve under the Ministry of Defense. The National Etaros Space Command, or NESCOM, would be created for the sole purpose of maintaining a space navy. As of right now, the only purpose of developing a Lietuv space navy is to protect the UKE and allies.

As Ëtaros Eledhwen marched down the halls of his palace, he came closer to the press room, where eager cameras and reporters awaited his arrival. Wearing a pearly white gown that seemed to shine brightly with no light reflecting, Ëtaros walked proudly into the Press Room. He turned to the cameras and smiled. "Today, my brethren, I must announce the greatest event in Lietuv history. It appears that our nation has a habit of receiving much good after being abused for so long, and enduring hardships encountered by few others. I feel the need to expound upon the idea that science is one of the most important factors in allowing nations to grow. Those that do not embrace science eventually fail, and it is because of science that I am standing here in front of you today." He paused, and took a brief sip of water.

"Though we have never launched a human being into space, despite attempts to do so that were never fully embraced by the Lietuv populace, it is time that the Lietuv Republic took a stronger stance upon the idea of putting ourselves in space. I have decided that, rather than going through the long process of putting ourselves in space with our own transports, it would be more efficient to simply buy ships from another. DragonStar Shipbuilding and the Defense Ministry have been engaged in avid negotiations for the past few weeks, and a contract was signed yesterday. The contract states that DragonStar will teach Lietuv specialists how to build, disassemble, and repair parts of the ships, and clearly states that it is up to the UKE to name the ships and their classes. In return for all this, the United Kingdom of Etaros will be making a payment of $1.6 trillion over a period of time. I must personally thank DragonStar for being so helpful to our cause, and I will publicly protect them in instances in which they find themselves in a bout of difficulty." Ëtaros smiled gracefully into the camera. "I must thank all those that have been supportive, and I must encourage all Lietuvs to welcome this new development with open arms and warm hearts. Be assured that the development of the National Etaros Space Command, or NESCOM, and a space navy will only benefit our nation. I will soon announce the Director of NESCOM, as well as order the publication of the basic structure of the typical Lietuv Space Fleet. If I may wrap this up quickly, as I have other matters that need attending, I will take several questions before moving on.." Reporters immediately jumped to the opportunity and began shouting questions, the Erasito answering up to four before exiting the room and addressing other matters of the State.

Royal Space Naval Training Center, Undisclosed Location in Etaros

Tony Scott, of BS (Bob Scott) Construction, smiled as he flicked on the comm to his father, Robert, back in the Federation. "We're all done here, Dad. I've got all the paper work signed by both the DragonStar and Etaran reps."

His father, owner of the company, smiled. "Good job. Your guys must have broken a record on building that place." Tony smiled. "Pack it up and bring it home then. I could use you on supervising one of the airbase projects."

"Alright. We'll be on our way tomorrow, I imagine."

"See you then, son."

Three days later

The DragonStar personnel wore what they had. Many were retired military, and wore the uniform proudly. Others were civilians, and wore approriate clothing, slacks and dress shirts, some in sober colors, other more flamboyent.

They awaited their first classes, where they would teach the new Etaran Space Navy the skills they needed. By the time the first ships began to arrive, the first group of trainees would be ready for ship board training.

Of course, inside the massive complex they stood outside, the few hundred people knew all about the technology they would be teaching, despite it being considerably older than what most of them trained on. But simulators, bunk areas, full ship layouts, fighter bays, and all manner of training equipment waited the new spacemen. That was in addition to the regular parts of teaching, the class rooms and other teaching areas, librarys and lecture halls.

And so they waited. It was up to the Etarans how military this institution was, but the DragonStar people were more likely to approve of higher levels of discipline, all of the being ex-Federal Service, all Federation Citizens.

Of course, now they would wait, and watch, and learn. And then, once enough data was prepared, they would teach. Of course, they would teach before that data was all collected as well.

The RSN Training Center was located in the most unreachable places of the Maiun Mountains in Northern Etaros. Snow fell heavily upon the ground as the facility was comfortably warm on the inside, being snugly fit in the mountainsides underground. Federation citizens had been shipped in the week before and were given ample time to look over the area and discover all the facility had to offer. All of the staff should have been clearly aware of where the closest bathroom was, the registration area for those attending the Training Center, and other miscellaneous locations, such as the enormous cafeteria that could seat over one thousand at a time.

The entrance to the training center was obviously not above the ground. The entire facilitiy was beneath the terrain. If it did not occur to anyone before they arrived, it was clear that the location was to be top secret. What appeared to be an old mine was the entrance to the hi-tech, grand facility. It was, of course, "blocked" by "fallen" rock, but the rocks were situated upon a powerful titanium moving sidewalk. Members of the Etaran Royal Sentinel Force, or ERASE, were serving their acronym very well. Hidden in the snow were at least fifteen ERASE soldiers, trained to kill all who approached the entrance of the RSN Training Center without sufficient clearance. If there was an arrival to be known, it was immediately brought to the attention of the virtually invisble guards. To be fair, they used tranquilizers first, and 12.7 mm armor-piercing shells propelled from an LE-14 Sniper Rifle for armed or particularly stubborn hostile threats.

Upon entrance, holograms were projected along the walls, displaying news reports from around the nation. The Etaran Galactic Communications Corporation had the largest hologram projection along the wall. Naturally, there were Etaran reporters on Mars relaying information to citizens of the UKE. A woman in Santa Barbaran Noachia stood in the middle of a blazing scene as red dust flew about her. She shouted into her microphone to speak over the roars of alien beings and the explosions rocking around her. "..Are unseemingly large. The Tyranid invasion has infested Noachia, and this is one of the last strongholds in the area. Liangite forces in the North say they are prepared for what the Tyranids have coming for them, if they do go North at all. I'm Lisa Moreton, reporting from Mars." As she finished, an immense firefight erupted behind her as she ran to safety.

Turning away from the HoloWall, as it was properly named, the lobby was filled with officers and training personnel from the Federation. Etaran military officials were hard at work, with interns and aides working at the lobby's desk, pointing new recruits to their dormitories and registration stations. The RSN Training Center would be very military-esque, and these first 9,500 students and recruits would be extremely disciplined, well-trained, and above all, able to fix Etaran space vessels. There were four major sectors to the Training Center:

Engineering Sector -- The place were recruits who specialized in engineering were to learn about how to create, disassemble, and use systems to their best performance abilities. RSN engineers would account for 3,000 of the newly trained recruits.

Technician Sector -- The place were recruits who specialized in a vast array of technical careers, ranging from automobiles to electricity. Nearly 2,000 recruits would be trained to become electricians, among a host of other things.

Pilot Sector -- Perhaps one of the most rigorous places was the Pilot Sector. This was the place were recruits would learn how to fly all space vessels being bought by the UKE, and after they demonstrated a general understanding of flying, navigating, and utilizing spacecraft, they would move on to specialize in certain classes or types of vessels. Nearly 1,500 would occupy this sector.

Miscellaneous Sector -- This area was reserved for those who were interested in serving the RSN in smaller ways. Mostly Etaran teachers ran this sector, providing training to cooks, aides, and giving a general education of space vessels so that one could determine what sector he or she wanted to specialize in. Around 2,000 would occupy this sector.

The Training Center would open officially soon. However, until it did, recruits were given plenty of leisure time to chill out in their dorms or go to the many recreation areas. Some toured their future training facilities, including simulation rooms and the such. The Director of the Training Center, Amaya Cortanus, was a very strict woman, and a half-elf. She was keen on getting started, and anticipation was brewing within her. Unlike most Etarans in the Training Center, Amaya was very well-versed on spacecraft. She had spent most of her younger years in space nations, learning at their universities. Amaya had even served upon the ships of Menelmacar for a brief time before returning home. She was excited that her people were starting a space endeavor, and more excited that she was able to assist in its beginnings. The cold, wet snow outside could nothing to dampen Amaya's spirits as she eagerly awaited the milestone in Etaran history.

OOC: While the program itself is public, the location is not. I don't mind if your satellites see activity, but no other nation should know where it is unless they closely monitor the Maiun Mountains. :)

Royal Space Navy Training Facility, Maiun Mountains

Chief Petty Officer (Retired) Arthur Taurus looked out at the group of five hundred recruits standing in lines before him. He smiled, observing them as he had many others in his thirty years in the Federation Military, and in the Dor Lomin Combined Forces, and in the Sentient Peoples Surface Navy before that. He had recently retired to pursue a life as civilian, but it felt good to be back in uniform, even if it was to train someone else. But he loved to train new recruits.

He smiled, considering the input he managed to have into the design of the training regimen for the Etaran recruits. Yes, there would be officers, but hopefully, he and his follow noncommissioned officers had managed to get rid of that silly requirement that all pilots be officers. It certainly made the organization grow top heavy.

But it was no time for recalling the past. It was time to get down to business. His eyes ran up and down the sloppy ranks and crooked columns. They could do better. They would do better. Like a gunshot, the sound of his instructor’s baton snapping against his leg echoed through the room, bringing silence. His voice broke the silence after a long moment. “I am Chief Petty Officer Arthur Taurus of DragonStar Shipbuilding’s Training Division. You may call me ‘Sir.’” His eyes locked on a young woman in the front row. “How do you spell sir?”

Stuttering, she managed to open her mouth, but had to open and close it a few times before she managed a response. “Sir? Ess, eye…”

“No.” He cut her off. “Anyone else know?” At the mass of shaking heads, he smiled tightly. “Sir is spelled Gee, oh, dee. Understood?”

Five hundred heads nodded. Good. There may be some hope for these. Especially since they, for the most part, only got a few hours sleep last night. “Divide into four groups of equal size in each corner of the room. No talking.”

They attempted to comply, and he watched, grinning to himself. Perfect confusion. He nodded to his other training officers. “Fall in!” came the command, echoing in the room, shouted from eleven mouths. The recruits scurried back into place in ranks. “Alright. Count off by threes.” His baton came up. “One!” The count went from there, one, two, three, one, two, three, without any prompting.

Once divided into groups, he addressed the students. “Get to know the people you’re with well. They’re now your watch section, and we’ll be serving six hour watches, twelve on, six off, with two groups on at any given time. I hope you all can do that math. One and Two are on now, while Section Three is dismissed.” From there, he went on to send them to their assignments, section officers picking out their charges easily. Half of Section One was sent to Physical Training, the other half to a class called ‘Military Skills’. The class would consist of unarmed combat training, basic tactics, introduction to military concepts, and all the things that regular soldiers did in Basic Training, including weapons training. After two hours and forty minutes, they would switch. They would have thirty minutes, and then their off watch period would begin. Section Two would be attending specialization classes. The first few weeks, of course, would consist of cross training. Everyone needed the basic skills to survive on a space ship. Then intensive classes would begin. By default, each watch section, like it each training grouping, contained Etarans with each intended specialization, be it techs or engineers or pilots or even cooks.

And so, the most intensive training began, running them until they dropped, kicking them to their feet, and running them some more. Those who could not hack it would be gone.

Jason Orgessa filed out of the room as he went to his dormitory with his roommate, who was also in Section Three. "Jesus, dude, do you think they could be drilling us any harder," he asked as the two undressed and prepared to take a shower. His buddy, Tëo Víranya, an elf of a thousand years or so, shook his head slowly. "My friend, you have much to learn. There is little room for complaint. Though I'm fairly young, I have seen much worse than the treatment we are receiving here. It's only going to get worse," he said as the two walked together to the shower room, wearing only shorts and sandals. Other men and women from Section Three were showering in the large room as hot steam clouded vision. "So, where are you going to go after basic," inquired the young and rowdy Jason. Tëo pondered for a moment. "I personally wish to pilot a vessel, though I've considered Engineering." Jason applied soap to a rag and said, "Yeah? I was thinking about doing Tech, you know. I want to make the ships work, sounds cool to me. I'm excited about this, can't wait til we get to hands-on shit. Books never really were my strongest point." The two finished washing up as Tëo remained silent throughout the rest of their five-minute shower. As they walked back to the dorm, he sighed. "Jason, you have to take this seriously. This isn't some kind of wild adventure -- it's a lifetime dedication to protecting the Etaran Erasitum, your service is to the Erasito and Erasita. The RSN isn't going to accept people who are in it for the fun, you know that right?" Jason was a little silent as he opened a small handbook, and said in a rather discouraged tone, "Yeah, I know."

---

Amaya smiled as she watched the CPO give the recruits a hard time. Her job was to merely observe, nothing more. Her orders came from the brass. "If I find out you interfered with their teaching methods, you'll be known as the shortest-lasting director of the Maiun Training Facility," her boss had threatened. Of course, she had no desire to interfere -- she thought the CPO was doing a splendid job. She watched throughout the day as people were drilled and taught the basics of military protocol. The recruits began receiving their training, however, and she knew it was only the beginning of a long process to establish the space navy she'd been waiting for all her life.

Bridge, E.R.S.N. Frigate EFF-03

The civilian space yard was much less centralized than the massive fortification that was an Anglachel-class Battlestation, where DragonStar built the ships of the Federation’s mighty Space Naval Forces, but it was more than sufficient for building the ships of the New Etaran Royal Space Navy.

As it was, Senior Merchant Captain Rafael Dominguez nodded to his helmsman. “Let’s take her out.” He knew, without feeling, that the ship had begun to move. It was just one of those things. He patted the arm of the command chair with a smile, then looked down at his plot. The numbers there were nice, and he wished the ship had a name.

But it did not, and that was okay. Rafe’s job was to take the ship out of dock, fly it to the asteroid belt, make sure everything worked, and fly it back, before handing it over to the Etarans. This was the second ship he had tested so far, and was referred to as EFF-03. He settled in, watching the crew work in silence. They all knew their jobs. After a few more minutes, as the ship settled on its course, he strode off the bridge, retiring to his cabin for the long journey.

Royal Space Navy Training Facility, Maiun Mountains

CPO Taurus looked out over the trainees, standing in perfectly straight ranks, dressed in black jumpsuits with no insignia on them. They were military now, all standing perfectly at attention, eyes focused dead ahead, unwavering on the wall behind him. There were less of them now, for the last couple weeks had knocked out about five percent of the trainees in his group, and he knew, overall.

The Petty Officers in charge of training expected to lose another five percent or so before they were ready to let these people out into the world. But that was for later, and so far, they appeared to be shaping up well. “Okay, troops, you know what today is, I’m fairly sure, and if scuttlebutt hasn’t told you, I’m sorely disappointed in your ability to gossip.” There was soft murmur from the assembled trainees, and Arthur cracked a slight smile. “That’s right. Today, you’ll be assigned your primary training areas, and…” he paused for dramatic affect, “I’m taking you all off the twelve on, six off schedule you’ve been on. Normal days from now on. I own you for fifteen hours, but the other nine will be yours. You will continue to bunk and eat with your watch sections, and will attend classes with them, but you will start to have more in common with your specialty training groups now. I’m going to start with piloting, navigation, and astrogation specializations.” A large icon flashed up on the wall behind the retired CPO, it was winged star, the pilot’s symbol in the Federation military. “When I read your name, come forward and get your pin from one of the other instructors, then return to ranks.” He began to read a series of names, about fifty, including Tëo Víranya. Each got a pin in silver which went over their left jumpsuit breast pocket, opposite the nametag over the right, which was the only other ornamentation received so far. “Next is Enginneering.” That list was read out, and each recruit received a silver pin with crossed wrenched behind a star. Then the technical list, which included Jason Orgessa. They got a silver star with black circuitry inlaid on its surface. Then came the others, read off. Each received a silver planet to represent that they had not decided on a specialty yet.

Then came the surprise. CPO Taurus looked around the trainees, lined up nice and neat. “You’ve all got the rest of the day free, as long as you remain on base. The new schedule starts tomorrow at 0500. Dismissed.”

The halls seemed a lot more optimistic, hopeful, and happy. A week after they were awarded their pins, more men and women had collapsed under pressure. However, their presence was not largely missed, seeing as 90% of the original recruits remained. They were engaged in classes, studying hard, and engaging in necessary drills in activities. Tëo Víranya was proving to be the most proficient pilot recruit in his class, earning top grades and working tremendously hard to get his job done. He still bunked with Jason Orgessa, who was proving to be more worthy as the days grew on. Jason was very happy with himself, and had made several friends in his classes, and had achieved being in the top twenty of tech recruits. The two were always studying hard in their dorm, saving the fun for last. It seemed that if they continued the hard work, they would get high-ranking positions in the RSN.
______________

Amaya had become overwhelmed with paperwork. With recruits trickling away, the bureacratic nuts in New Itaros were going mad. She had received a vicious call from her superior only two days ago, demanding to know why so many had been dropped. Her temper, usually kept well under control, had flared. "Damnit, Zachary, I know what I'm doing. Would you rather have a few good men and women or a massive number of incoherent morons flying, fixing, and working on ships, threatening the lives of others around the galaxy?" That had basically got her into deeper trouble, but her connections at the top, namely Ilossë Eledhwen, had saved her from any further disciplinary actions. Stress was something Amaya was learning to deal with, but had filed for additional staff last week. She meant to ask Zachary Borster, her superior, before he got pissy. The half-elven woman only sighed, hoping her brash insubordination hadn't ruined her chances of getting more staff. She wanted to hold a meeting with all the trainers to get good feedback - the written reports were too monologous. She sipped her coffee and began typing furiously, struggling to turn in a report that was only half complete, due tomorrow.

There were more vessels now. Indeed, there were about twenty of them. Obviously the recruits were not trained well enough yet for that many ships, but four ships, three frigates and a destroyer, now drifted at the edge of the asteroid belt. That had been enough time for CPO Taraus' training group to get used to being on ship. Everything was shiny and new on the dark blue vessels, which inside had dark blue carpeting and white bulkheads.

The four senior most trainers were acting as captains of the vessels, running their recruits until the dropped. It was entirely possible that they would drop, too, once more back on a watch schedule, though with eight hours on and sixteen off.

Their first activity had been running a tracking exercise on the vessels which were watching them from well out of weapons range, a Federation Space Naval Task Group, kindly running an escort, though no one but the Dragonstar personnel knew that. They would be out at the Belt for nearly three weeks, the end of which would see an exercise against those Federation ships.

Meanwhile, battle drills and emergency drills, tactical drills and simulations, emergency repairs and space walks, all were being done under the watchful eye of the Dragonstar personnel, always ready to step in if things went too far.

But things were progressing along nicely as each training group would rotate through the deployment. It was their first, but hardly the last they would have before training completed.

NESCOM Headquarters
30 miles North of New Itaros

The National Etaran Space Command was bustling with activity. Though not even the first of recruits were ready to fly a ship, word had trickled in that DragonStar had already constructed dozens of ships, and more were on the way. Sitting in the asteroid belt, they were awaiting the day that this first wave of recruits would graduate. NESCOM was becoming more familiar with its job, and after their presence in the Maiun Mountain Training Facility snapped, they began a less interfering policy. Amaya Cortanus was able to get the staff she needed and was no longer badgered about recruits being forced to leave because they failed to meet standards. Her superior, Zachary Borster, had become more irritable, though he kept his mouth shut lest he be demoted. Brass was not happy with his behavior, most likely due to the infectious words fed to them by Ilossë Eledhwen, who took the matter of Amaya's scolding very personally. Her and Amaya had long been close friends, and were distant cousins. After the incident, Ilossë made her presence all the more annoying at NESCOM HQ, constantly popping up when she was least expected and making routine visits around the complex to see that things were getting done. If she was not satisfied with something, she would correct the problem immediately. It was her intentions to get NESCOM out of its bureaucratic attitude, because when an agency began demanding more than it could get, it was working. That was, at least, her opinion.
________________________

Maiun Mountain Training Facility

Several more recruits had left, but for the most part, it appeared the rest would be there to stay. Training was vigorous and Amaya had become more satisfied with the way things were working. She had received a plentiful staff, and was able to walk around at times to observe how the recruits were treated and trained. It was in her best interests to do this, because eventually Etaran men and women would take the place of the current trainers from the FSP. So far, things were going well and were continuing to look up for the future.

In a rather large classroom, a number of recruits were taking an exam. Their pens and pencils were writing furiously, all of them attempting to finish answering questions within the two hour timeframe. One pilot recruit, Marcus D'Alesso, was attempting to write the answer to the demand: The RSN has a descriptive Table of Organization. List and describe the TO.

The RSN's Table of Organization is rather large. The RSN, which will be renamed in the coming months, is built upon a fleet basis. The Navy will have a number of fleets, and approximately three fleets will equal a Naval Corps, should the RSN ever reach such a size. Within each fleet, there will be four battlegroups. Each battlegroup will have a designated task: Swarm (a majority of smaller vessels to swarm the enemy's larger ships), Attack (a majority of carriers in order to carry large numbers of fighter and bomber aircraft to attack an enemy fleet's vessels), Defense (designed to protect the Fleet's flagship, and equipped with a majority of larger-gunned vessels and fighter aircraft), and Multi-Purpose (designed to be placed where needed, filled with a sufficient mixture of fighters, heavy guns, and smaller vessels). Each battlegroup's exact number of vessels will vary upon designation. Two battlegroups currently in construction are Attack and Swarm. The current configuration of Attack BG's are 26 vessels, and the current configuration of Swarm BG's are 28 vessels. Defense and Multi-Purpose battlegroups will be designated with numbers when they are constructed.

The Merchant Marine sector of the RSN will be comprised of small Fleets of 20 ships. Half of the ships will be frigates and destroyers, while the other half would be transport vessels and trade frigates.

The recruit had obviously learned well, and passed this part of the test with ease. He continued writing furiously, however, as there were twenty more questions to answer on the exam.

Against the veteran Federation Naval vessels, which had stepped down their capabilities for the first exercise, the Etaran recruits had gotten their heads handed to them on silver platters. But then, it took a special kind of genius for raw recruits to beat fully trained crews who outnumbered them better than two to one. CPO Taurus was happy though, for his group had done better than any of the others, managing to tear apart one of the Federation destroyers and heavily damage another. Of course, all four of his ships had been ruled destroyed.

But that was acceptable. For then. But this was now, and his training group was exercising against another group, and he was merely along as an observer as he sat back to watch the recruits do what they had been trained. Four on four, two destroyers and two frigates on each team, overstaffed for now. Crew assignments had been drawn at random, though the recruit ‘officers’ were drawn randomly from those with the top standing in the recruit class. Those who performed well in this exercise, and the one tomorrow, which would include the other ‘officers’, would be skimmed off the top and put through further training to help develop an officer corps. In fact, the Federation Space Naval Academy was holding five spaces open for Etaran candidates to try their hand in the big leagues.

The first recruits were nearing the end of their long training. Months upon months had gone by, and nearly all of them had encountered first-hand experience on Etaran space vessels. They were all awaiting eagerly the day coming soon in which some would become Captains, and others would become lower-ranking officers. They had all trained extensively, and at least 80% of the original number was left to complete training. The Erasito was very excited, despite the fact that other international issues were attracting his attention. He was, however, determined to put his new space navy into action soon, escorting small frigates to and from Mars to provide for new shipping opportunities. His plans to recolonize Lietuveska were a large aspect of the space program, because when the whole Haven-Menelmacar Crisis cooled and it was safe to enter Haven waters and actually colonize the former homeland, he would begin massive constructions of spaceports. These spaceports would then transport materials, supplies, and other traded goods to ports along the Haven Straits in Lietuveska, which would then be shipped to Etaros to be traded with allies and consumed domestically.

Yes, his plans would work out well. What was at first a military venture was turning into one that could seriously bolster the Etaran economy, and make it a rival of allies such as Knootoss and the Eternal Noldorin Empire. He ordered Amaya Cortanus to begin preparations to select at least 10% of the current recruits for teaching and staff at the Maiun Mountain Training Facility, to relieve Federation military personnel of their duties. Also, she was instructed to begin releasing pamphlets and start an advertising campaign to attract more recruits to be ready when the next training period started. She was definately more busy than ever, though the woman was enjoying her job thoroughly. The first stage of constructing an Etaran space navy was nearing completion, and the next stage was soon to begin.

The training cycle had ended, and now, quite a number of the Etaran ships were sitting in orbit of the planet Earth. All were fully crewed, and still more officers and enlisted waited on the planet for the last few ships to come from the Dragonstar's massive shipyards. They would be arriving within days.

And so, the instructors were saying goodbye. But four slots would remain open in the next four incoming classes to the Federation's Naval Academy, which would train Etarans for the bigger task ahead. The facility where they had been trained had taught them to fight, and fight well, but they would still fight most effectively in large groups.

For after all, retired enlisted and non commissioned officers were not the people to train future admirals. It took something greater to do that. So the Federation would help the Etarans learn, a group of twenty people from which they could pick flag officers to command their battlegroups, which would be completed within days when the last four ships arrived.

Very soon now, the Etaran Royal Space Navy would be operational, and on its own, though the FSPSN had orders direct from the Imperial President to keep a discreet eye on them for some time until they began to gain the experience they needed on their own.

In the meantime, Dragonstar would be willing to wait on another contract, be it to upgrade current vessels, or build more vessels, or even help the Etarans build their own shipyards. After all, money was money.

The bridge lit up nicely as Captain Tëo Víranya stepped upon the steel floor to observe the space around him. His ship, the EGNV Genesis, was a Giftake-Class Dreadnaught, one of the most powerful defensive ships in the Etaran Galactic Navy. He walked quickly in his navy blue uniform, with only a nameplate ranks, and patches on the shoulder indicating his battlegroup, fleet, and national identity. His lean face was strong and handsome, and his piercingly blue eyes stared into the viewing port of the bridge. His short, shaved auburn hair allowed his pointed and elongated ears to extend rather brutally. Regardless, Captain Víranya was one of the most capable in the Fleet. The only reason that NESCOM hadn't given him a higher position was due to his wish to be the commander of a ship. Therefore, they gave him a very powerful one.

To his left and right, there were dozens of staff working at computers. He peered down, as they were about five feet below his platform, and monitored their work. Promptly, he took a seat behind the Captain's Deck, a large console and desk area that wrapped itself along the wall. His top three staff were seated behind it, as well as himself. The chairs, of course, were drilled into the steel floor, and computer monitors displayed the latest activity. He took his seat, and spoke to his Strategic Operations Commander, Ilanwë Quura. "Commander Quura, what is the situation," he inquired in a professional tone. She kept her eyes on the computer monitor and replied in the same tone, "Sir, FleetCom has requested we remain in position in lunar orbit. Apparently we're getting hails from the Moon requesting us to move due to 'blockage of trade routes.' Admiral Borster has asked them to remain patient, as we're still waiting on a status report from the Boris Kasparov." She smiled wryly at him. "Apparently FSP folks are becoming aggravated with the situation and requesting that we move along without the ship so as to not agitate lunar colonies." She shrugged. He rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Thank you, Commander. And do you know where FleetCom is sending us?" She shook her head. "My guess is as good as yours. They're not disclosing it at this time, which appears odd to me. I would assume, based upon logical calculations, that we'll rest near the asteroid belt." He nodded and thanked her.

This was only a small matter in the larger scheme of things as NESCOM attempted to organize the EGN as effectively as possible. The real reason behind the delay was NESCOM's inability to make a decision. There was a broiling debate ongoing, because some felt that the asteroid belt was too far away from the Earth. When reminded of how fast the ships could travel, they changed their argument. Some wanted the Etaran fleet to rest around Saturn's moons. That was quickly denounced, as several alliances controlled the area and were extremely...hostile to foreign interference in the area. It would be, eventually, decided that the fleet should rest near the asteroid belt in order to mine the area. Shipments would be made to Earth as required so that scientific laboratories could research the uses of asteroid materials.
_______________________

A Message to the Federation of Sentient Peoples and DragonStar Corporation
A Token of Thanks

It is my personal pleasure and wish to generously thank the Federation of Sentient Peoples and DragonStar Corporation for their undeniable cooperation with the Erasat in an attempt to lift us into the realm of galactic affairs. My gratitude is truly unending. Due to the help of the FSP and DragonStar, Etaros is now fully able to begin a quest to build a massive galactic fleet to maintain presence and defend its interests across the vast expanses of space. We are truly grateful for the help, and I personally offer the Federation invitation to a ball that shall be hosted by myself and my government in the Spring. We shall then arrange a gift appropriate for both DragonStar and the Federation, in order to extend our hand as you have extended yours.

With undying thanks and gratitude for your hospitality and selfless work, I extend my hand in a hope that we may be able to continue working closely together in the future. May fortune bless your souls.

Most Sincerely,

Ëtaros Eledhwen
Erasito of the Omnaeus Erasat des Etaros

"Fleet Command, this is the EGNV Genesis requesting permission to approach your location," crackled the message from Lieutenant Warmoth, operator of communications aboard the dreadnaught. He waited patiently for a reply. "This is FleetCom, expecting Genesis entry in five minutes. Please adjust speed accordingly to avoid collision." Warmoth replied promptly, "Affirmative. Rerouting thrusters. Arrival in five minutes confirmed."

Captain Víranya looked over the navigational logs, and found that they were thousands of kilometers from the asteroid belt. He was rather perplexed that Admiral Borster had vouched to be so close to the belt, upon the risk of a stray rock colliding into one of the new vessels. First Lieutenant Anorë Nemonar broke his train of thought.

"Sir, we are approaching the Fleet. Request permission to kill thrusters." "Granted." He felt a little annoyed at this small detail interrupting his thoughts, but it was for the best. "Lieutenant Warmoth, are you sure our thrusters were rerouted properly? I'm seeing readings that we're already approaching the edge of the Fleet. It's only been three minutes since we hailed FleetCom." As if on cue, FleetCom broke in. "Incoming friendly vessel, you are ordered to begin emergency braking procedures. You are not scheduled for entry for another two minutes." "Affirmative, FleetCom," replied 1LT Nemonar , operator of ship controls. She then complied promptly, and a small tug was felt as the ship came to a grinding halt. Moments later, a small cruiser flew several hundred kilometers in front of them, and the Captain glared at Warmoth. "Another blunder like that and you will see yourself digging rocks, is that understood?" Warmoth feebily nodded and said, "Aye, captain."

Two Weeks Later

Several frigates had been remodeled into mining vessels over the course of weeks, and thus the mining of asteroids had begun. Using minerals and material they provided, several ships received upgrades to "soft spots", and approximately six frigates were tasked with transportation of the minerals and materials back to Earth. Three light cruisers would accompany them.

Admiral Borster was having a hell of a time managing the whole fleet, and the first group of "trade frigates" departed from the Fleet in the direction of Earth, to return in several days with supplies, food, water, and other necessities. The mining operation was going well, and only two incidents of illness had been reported throughout the fleet. Support vessels, which were constructed by NESCOM halfway through the first training period with the assistance of DragonStar, were aiding the fleet in any way they could. Borster was even beginning the construction of a platform, using asteroid materials, and at a later date, materials shipped in from Earth. The returning group of frigates would supply more construction workers, engineers, etc. for the fleet as the months went on. The entire project was slated to take two years, and Borster was optimistic about progress. He finished compiling a report that was due in two days, and prepared it for dispatch to NESCOM. He sighed as he took a sip of coffee, and began reviewing the latest reports from mining sectors.