A Vision of the Future
CMDR/CPT Da'emon Narshay/Shield/Wing IX/ISD Relentless
(imrunningwithscissors@hotmail.com)

Emptyness.  The impossibly small dot slowly began to expand into its full shape.  In the faint glow of a distant star, the Imperial Star Destroyer Relentless crawled through the blackness of space, it’s immense size seeming to dwarf anything within its path.  Like busy flies around a bright light, it’s TIE Fighter patrols swept around its massive hull.  Inside the command bridge, dozens of officers moved back and forth about hundreds of scopes and monitor screens taking readings.  The organized chaos was a familiar sight on most Imperial capital ships, but the Relentless was not your average Star Destroyer.

  Sitting in his command chair on the bridge, Admiral Val Ricaud slowly stirred his morning tea and gazed out through the huge transparasteel viewports at the endless space ahead of him. It was 0500 standard time, thought in space, time had no meaning since the sun rose and set by the speed you were moving.  Ricaud was always an early riser.  He had learned early in his career that the proverbial “earlybird gets the worm”, and those that got the worm…got ahead.  Shifting slightly, he depressed one of the numerous buttons on his chair and spoke.  “Status report” he said as he sipped his hot drink.  A soft, staticy voice answered him from the speaker.  “All patrol craft report negative contacts sir…”  As the voice continued to detail engine conditions and navigation, the same information was displayed to him on a monitor to his right.  “Very good”, Ricaud returned, “continue on steady course and speed.”  The speaker answered him and went silent.  Carefully keying in his passwords, he brought up his daily schedule of events.

  Almost a kilometer away from where the Admiral was sitting, MAJ Lohr Zadash was pressing out the final creases of his uniform.  A stout man, Zadash was one of the youngest Wing Commanders in the fleet, having taken over command of The Fighting Ninth, Wing IX from the Admiral himself.  A stale digital voice come from out of nowhere to alert the MAJ.  “Major, your Wing meeting is slated to begin in 30 minutes.”  “Thank you”, he replied to no one in particular.  With all that was going on, he had almost forgotten about it.  He finished up his personal things and grabbed his binder and comlink on his way out the door of his suite.  The keycard slid smoothly throught the turbolift lock and Zadash keyed in his personal code to allow him access to the lift.  A light jingle let him know his code had been accepted and a soft voice questioned which deck was his destination. “41” he replied and instantly the shaft began him on his journey.  Opening his binder, he glanced over his notes he had jotted down the week before with the Admiral and the duty roster for the coming month for his officers.  The turbolift came to a halt as the rush of air opening the doors awakened the MAJ from his thoughts.  He stepped out and made his way to the conference room situated near the main accessway to the Squadron Bays.

  He had arrived 30 minutes prior, but was impressed to see all of his Squadron Commanders present.  “Attention on Deck” LC Ted quickly barked out as everyone snapped to.  “As you were gentlemen” Zadash replied and made his way over to the refreshment table.  Chatter again filled the room as the men continued with whatever conversation they had started before he had entered the room.  They were a brilliant bunch of men.  Each brilliant tactitioners in there own right, all working together like a seamless design.  The seat at the head of the table had already had his notes set open for him and Zadash made his way over to them.  Instinctively, each Commander took his designated place and waited for the Wing Commander to take his seat.  “Gentlemen” Zadash began, “we have a lot of ground to cover, and such a short time it seems to do it in, so if we may get started; I think I have some information to pass to you that may be very interesting.”

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