Snippet #1752043

Captain Ashton Macduff was just pouring himself a particularly tall glass of scotch when Ranida radioed into the 'Diomedes'. Belkans...? That was impossible, wasn't it? The Belkans were a UCON problem... an enemy so distant and unmentioned in Terran life that they were as legendary as the boogey-man. Never in a million years did Captain Macduff anticipate seeing Belkan ships on his monitoring screen.

"It is my professional suggestion to disengage this blockade and prepare for combat."

Point taken.

"Battle stations, EVERYONE!" Macduff patched into the comm-link for every Terran Trireme and Seraphim in orbit, "unidentified warships, seven hundred million miles and closing fast off sector K6. I want every Trireme pulled into stand-by. I want our FIM's at full 54, our Capacitors operating at maximum. Have the Fiddle and Ride break blockade and prepare Railguns and DECs seperately. Bradley, how soon can 'Xerxes' Bane' pull into our sector?"

"ETA two minutes."

"Have that pike at full magnetosphere and ready for ramming. I want the full output of that fusion reactor put towards its ion stabilizers. Have the 'Redemption' start charging its EMS Compressor."

"Right away sir."

The admiral groped at his glass, taking several gulps of the mirky liquor before patching back into the Aschen hail. "Listen Commander, in case you didn't notice, the situation has just escalated far beyond a petty quarrel between our worlds. Whoever this new threat it, it gives indications of hostile intentions. The firepower of your Reverence could be of great help to us if things come to violence." Where the hell were those Council ships?