Akaton
08-02-2005, 06:30
Lord Artisan Osiris Amun stared out an armored porthole of his cruiser’s bridge. Outside, the stars burned bright against the icy darkness of space. He knew that behind him, should he wish to look, was the familiar blue globe that was Earth. But his thoughts were not on what lay behind him; the man rarely spent time with thoughts of home. At the present, his thoughts were upon a speck out in space that he had been watching through the porthole for some time now. This speck, which five minutes earlier was indiscernible from the stars, could now be easily identified as a space station.
It was Imperial Shipyard Alpha, Akaton's first station dedicated solely to the production of space vessels. For decades, the Imperial Navy had spoken of constructing such a facility, but it was only in the past six years that this dream was realized. It was amazing what could be done with proper motivation and funding, Osiris thought, still staring at the massive orbital construct.
The shipyard itself was over ten kilometers in length, containing three vast construction bays. In one bay, the skeletal frame of a half-finished star cruiser was surrounded by a swarm of assembly craft. Sparks flew from automated arc welders, casting ghostly a light upon the shipyards hull plating. The shipyard, like most Akatoni structures was dark and gothic in appearance, with dramatic arches dotting its hull. Towering command spires rose around the construction bays, their gray exteriors and stained glass adorned with the symbol of the Deus Mechanicus.
The Lord Artisan's cruiser slowly maneuvered itself to dock on one of the great towers, navigational lights reflecting off the station to illuminate the cruiser’s dark armor. The cruiser was not meant for space travel. Instead, it was a heavily modified Imperial Sky Cruiser, its hull sealed against the vacuum of space. It shared a bit of the gothic style that influenced all design within Akaton, particularly the gilded bow armor and vaulted gun decks along its sides. In an atmosphere, it would have a certain grace to its movements, but in space, it was simply a slow, outdated vessel. This very problem was what brought Osiris to the shipyards. A new Imperial Fleet was to be constructed, a fleet for the heavens.
It was Imperial Shipyard Alpha, Akaton's first station dedicated solely to the production of space vessels. For decades, the Imperial Navy had spoken of constructing such a facility, but it was only in the past six years that this dream was realized. It was amazing what could be done with proper motivation and funding, Osiris thought, still staring at the massive orbital construct.
The shipyard itself was over ten kilometers in length, containing three vast construction bays. In one bay, the skeletal frame of a half-finished star cruiser was surrounded by a swarm of assembly craft. Sparks flew from automated arc welders, casting ghostly a light upon the shipyards hull plating. The shipyard, like most Akatoni structures was dark and gothic in appearance, with dramatic arches dotting its hull. Towering command spires rose around the construction bays, their gray exteriors and stained glass adorned with the symbol of the Deus Mechanicus.
The Lord Artisan's cruiser slowly maneuvered itself to dock on one of the great towers, navigational lights reflecting off the station to illuminate the cruiser’s dark armor. The cruiser was not meant for space travel. Instead, it was a heavily modified Imperial Sky Cruiser, its hull sealed against the vacuum of space. It shared a bit of the gothic style that influenced all design within Akaton, particularly the gilded bow armor and vaulted gun decks along its sides. In an atmosphere, it would have a certain grace to its movements, but in space, it was simply a slow, outdated vessel. This very problem was what brought Osiris to the shipyards. A new Imperial Fleet was to be constructed, a fleet for the heavens.