The Empire by John Dizon

Author:John Dizon [Dizon, John]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-01-11T07:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FIVE

A ndromeda Aries graduated from the Cetan Starfleet Academy four years after new recruit Gravas Drachna. It was after the Civil War, and the Emperor had been exiled before Andromeda began her ascent along the ranks. She achieved the rank of Commander after four tours of duty in combat against assorted insurgent groups loyal to Emperor Scorpius. Politics was never a consideration for her. She only sought to do her duty for family, country and Empire. Only when she was assigned to duty as first mate under command of Captain Drachna, her life began to change.

The Invictus was a Class III starship, scheduled to be replaced by the faster and more destructive Class IV ships. Although a Liquidation Order was in place, its crew was greatly loyal to the older ship built to support unparalleled firepower. They resisted the order to abandon ship despite threats and warnings from Starfleet Command. It was at point that Captain Drachna grew increasingly vocal and opinionated about the direction Starfleet was taking. He was becoming a political animal, something Andi had never seen before.

She was entirely fascinated by Grav Drachna, something she would or could not deny. He was a magnificent figure at nearly two meters tall, almost one hundred thirty kilos of titanium steel and sex appeal. His thick black mane and piercing cobalt eyes were captivating, not to mention his sensuous baritone voice. She was overly careful not to betray her feelings, blending in well with his senior officers. The Scorpion Starfleet left barely a crack in the window for personal relationships, and it suited Andi just fine.

The political discourses by the Captain created a ripple effect on board. As it turned out, there were far more crew members in agreement with Drachna's opinions than those who opposed the potentially subversive exchanges. It was nearly a couple of weeks before the Invictus was scheduled for decommissioning that Drachna played his hand. They had completed a search and destroy mission against a rebel outpost manned by troops still loyal to the Emperor. Many of the crew's former comrades had been annihilated and nerves had been rubbed raw. She would never forget the announcement reverberating throughout the starship on that day:

"All hands on deck. This is your Captain speaking. I am sure that we are all recuperating from the effects of our mission on Xylon-B, both physical and emotional. I want you all to know that I share your feelings, and this is the reason for this message.As you know, we have been ordered to return to Scorpion in compliance with the decommissioning order given by Starfleet. You are also aware that the senior officers aboard are greatly opposed to this command. The Invictus is the most accomplished ship in the fleet, with firepower unmatched by any other vessel ever created. The order to disable this ship is not only preposterous but wasteful and unethical.

"I have requested the opportunity to test the prototypes of the new starships in simulated battle conditions against the Invictus.

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