NationStates Jolt Archive


Favour the Bold [FT, open with conditions]

Gurguvungunit
18-12-2007, 06:55
OOC: Not to be a jerk, but I prefer not to RP with shields, cloaks, star trek/wars style "go anywhere (almost) instantly" FTL, or plasma guns. I'm perfectly willing to bend on the plasma gun thing, (they don't work, but if you really want them...) but I'm most adamant about the cloak. Cloaks don't work. Not by any amount of fooling about with physics or the like. FTL just breaks a few laws, and it's necessary for most FT. Cloaks aren't necessary, and they throw optics, thermodynamics, and a host of other things out the window.

A note. While I use NBSG ship designs in some cases (because the Battlestar looks soooo cooool) I generally use missiles rather than guns, and nukes instead of... whatever they use. So don't be surprised when I don't RP like Bill Adama might.

Again, it's more about the quality of RP than the tech you use, but some things I just don't like. Speaking of RP, feel free to attack me, form relations with me, whatever. It'll be fun! Personal preference, really. Anyway, to the RP:

Battlestar Clio

"Officer of the Deck," Commander William Erickson's voice carried throughout the big warship's CIC, ringing off his command rostrum and the amphitheatre-style layout of the stations surrounding it. "Rig for FTL. Secure all hatches, land the birds. Contact the fleet for co-ordinates and sound the Jump Bell." Generally speaking, Erickson wouldn't have had to go through the litany he just had, but he was feeling a bit theatrical. A dozen years of rebuilding after the Colonial Wars, months of scouting the nearby systems, it all came down to this. Battlestar Squadron Three (Clio) was about to leave the New Britain system for parts unknown.

The smallest of the nine BatRons, 3 was made up of Clio, the strikestars Aeolus and Danae, and a trio of the small Hyperion class Frigates. Its supply train included a gas refinery, a number of fleet tenders, and a pair of titanic bulk freighters that outsized the Clio herself. They were airless, cylindrical hulks with engines slaved to the fleet tender Asclepius' bridge, their sole purpose being to supply the expedition on its year-long exploration mission. BatRon 3 represented the combined investments of the entire Gurguvii Star Union. If it disappeared, the Union might never financially recover.

Commander Erickson paced behind the situation table, watching the blue glyphs of his fleet, and the dots of the small tenders and supply barges that even now stuffed T-1 and T-2, the supply hulks, with food and water. "Set condition three throughout the ship, all hands prepare for departure. Lieutenant Rose, contact Orbital Control and request the departure lane. Set course for jump point Two Coreward. Notify the fleet and prepare for a timed burn."

"Condition three, aye. Notify all hands, prepare for departure, aye." The officer of the deck, a lieutenant in operations grey, passed the order on to the systems officer.

"OrbCont grants us the lane," Lieutenant Rose said. His voice was high, cracking with excitement. "They're wishing us good luck." Erickson smiled.

"Render honours to starboard, all pennants." Starboard currently faced Orbital Control, the massive space station-cum-dockyard-cum-naval base that served the Gurguvii Star Union as a command post for their space navy. Rose acknowledged the orders again, and laid in a series of commands to his keypad. On the skin of the Clio, the running lights flashed four times in succession and the landing lights for starboard flight pod blinked in the night. The signal gun, a somewhat ceremonial mount on the battlestar's spine, fired a marker charge that exploded a safe three klicks distant in a vivid ball of fire. No radiation or dangerous heat, just a chemical burn that left a bright red smear against the visual sensors. Pretty, in its way.

"Commander, we are cleared for departure." Erickson couldn't hold back his grin this time.

"Right. Engage FTL." The world exploded.