Sylvester
Vice Admiral
Here's a revised prologue that I think has better quality.
Legends Never Die
A Wing Commander Story
Prologue:
0823, 2669.113, TCS Concordia
“All hands abandon ship, repeat all hands abandon ship!” rang the voice of Colonel Edmond over the comm system. Major Dirk Wright and his longtime friend Captain Entienne Montclair hurried down the corridor as the Concordia began to break apart around them. Stingray and Doomsday were running at breakneck speed towards the last of the carriers life boats. As he ran, Stingray was thinking. He thought it would never come to this. Just a year earlier, the Concordia was the pride of the Confederation, the battles won by Maverick, Angel and the other brave pilots of the ship were legend throughout the navy. After the false truce was signed, Stingray thought he was going home, to see his family. But after the Kilrathi sneak attack, the Concordia and its pilots were recalled to fight a desperate battle to save the Confederation.
This particular battle had started well enough for the Concordia, even with Blair in the hospital and Angel on some black op for Tolwyn. Stingray’s flight of Sabre’s had managed to destroy an incoming Ralatha class destroyer and the CAP’s were keeping the incoming fighters off. But then things went wrong. Bravo wing, consisting of 4 Broadswords and 4 Rapiers was ambushed by 7 of the new Grikath class heavy fighters. The Concordia’s acting CAG, Lt. Colonel Parres Shaeton and 6 other pilots were killed forcing Stingray to assume command of the fighter squadron. Returning to the Concordia, Stingray was preparing a strike on a Kilrathi Light Carrier that was shadowing the battle group. As the briefing was just concluding, the alarm klaxon sounded, the bridge had spotted an incoming Kilrathi Destroyer. The pilots rushed to their ships but before they could launch a torpedo launched from the destroyer ripped into the flight deck killing most of the pilots and ground crew instantly. Stingray and Doomsday only survived because they were outside the bulkhead when the torpedo hit. As they hurried away from the flight deck to avoid subsequent explosions, Doomsday commented, “I don’t think we’ll survive this”
Stingray replied “You know Entienne, I think you’re right about this one” They were proceeding down corridor 26 Alpha, the one that leads to officers country. Stingray’s plan was for them to go to the bridge and coordinate the attack with the remaining fighters. The two pilots ran towards the lift as another torpedo rocked the ship. They scrambled in and Stingray hit the toggle for the Bridge. The lift climbed at an emergency speed and arrived at the bridge at record time.
As Stingray stepped of the lift, he was taken aback at the bridge’s damage. Most of the consoles were black and many dead and wounded crew lie on the floor. He notices an arm outstretched from underneath a fallen console.
“Doomsday, help me!” Montclair hurried over and helped Stingray lift the heavy object. He was thoroughly appalled at the sight of the body under it. Captain Max Poelma, recently transferred and made Concordia’s acting CO was lying spread eagle on his back. He was dead. Then a voice called out to him.
“Major Wright” It was Lieutenant Colonel Kathryn Edmond, the ships operation’s officer. “I’m the senior officer left so I’m assuming command, we’re going to abandon ship! Get to a lifepod! I’m ging to program her to crash on the planet and then I’ll join you! Go now!” They didn’t stop to question this order, they hurried back down the lift to the escape pods.
They hurried along now after hearing the official order to abandon ship. They scrambled into an already packed lifepod and promptly launched. As the pod shot away from Concordia, Dirk looked out the window at the dying ship. It was heading towards the surface of Vespus, all the meantime barrages of AMG’s were striking the hull.
Then he noticed a flash and the Captains escape pod flew from the bridge just narrowly missing a blast from the Ralatha. Edmond he thought. As he looked back at the once proud ship, he saw it begin to enter the atmosphere and as the ship was engulfed in flame, he wondered, Will they build another one?
Concordia flew through the atmosphere, shards of the carrier flying of. It seemed to level out for a moment but then it dived again. It slammed into one of Vespus’ many islands. The ship survived an impact of this magnitude surprisingly well, although here keel had been cracked and her fame badly warped. So ends the once grand carrier Concordia. Or does it. Dirk Wright never knew at the time, but he would be revisiting his old ship for another grand adventure.
0650, 2682.135 Vespus. Concordia Crash Site
Salvage crews were braces on the old hulk and were strengthening the old ship. Left to rot for 13 years, the Concordia finally had a new purpose, to assist the Border Worlds in defense of the Nephilim. It would once again become a proud battle carrier but the repairs would take time. As the crew worked on, Dirk Wright sat in his office at Jupiter station, having no idea that he would soon again cross paths with the TCS Concordia.
Legends Never Die
A Wing Commander Story
Prologue:
0823, 2669.113, TCS Concordia
“All hands abandon ship, repeat all hands abandon ship!” rang the voice of Colonel Edmond over the comm system. Major Dirk Wright and his longtime friend Captain Entienne Montclair hurried down the corridor as the Concordia began to break apart around them. Stingray and Doomsday were running at breakneck speed towards the last of the carriers life boats. As he ran, Stingray was thinking. He thought it would never come to this. Just a year earlier, the Concordia was the pride of the Confederation, the battles won by Maverick, Angel and the other brave pilots of the ship were legend throughout the navy. After the false truce was signed, Stingray thought he was going home, to see his family. But after the Kilrathi sneak attack, the Concordia and its pilots were recalled to fight a desperate battle to save the Confederation.
This particular battle had started well enough for the Concordia, even with Blair in the hospital and Angel on some black op for Tolwyn. Stingray’s flight of Sabre’s had managed to destroy an incoming Ralatha class destroyer and the CAP’s were keeping the incoming fighters off. But then things went wrong. Bravo wing, consisting of 4 Broadswords and 4 Rapiers was ambushed by 7 of the new Grikath class heavy fighters. The Concordia’s acting CAG, Lt. Colonel Parres Shaeton and 6 other pilots were killed forcing Stingray to assume command of the fighter squadron. Returning to the Concordia, Stingray was preparing a strike on a Kilrathi Light Carrier that was shadowing the battle group. As the briefing was just concluding, the alarm klaxon sounded, the bridge had spotted an incoming Kilrathi Destroyer. The pilots rushed to their ships but before they could launch a torpedo launched from the destroyer ripped into the flight deck killing most of the pilots and ground crew instantly. Stingray and Doomsday only survived because they were outside the bulkhead when the torpedo hit. As they hurried away from the flight deck to avoid subsequent explosions, Doomsday commented, “I don’t think we’ll survive this”
Stingray replied “You know Entienne, I think you’re right about this one” They were proceeding down corridor 26 Alpha, the one that leads to officers country. Stingray’s plan was for them to go to the bridge and coordinate the attack with the remaining fighters. The two pilots ran towards the lift as another torpedo rocked the ship. They scrambled in and Stingray hit the toggle for the Bridge. The lift climbed at an emergency speed and arrived at the bridge at record time.
As Stingray stepped of the lift, he was taken aback at the bridge’s damage. Most of the consoles were black and many dead and wounded crew lie on the floor. He notices an arm outstretched from underneath a fallen console.
“Doomsday, help me!” Montclair hurried over and helped Stingray lift the heavy object. He was thoroughly appalled at the sight of the body under it. Captain Max Poelma, recently transferred and made Concordia’s acting CO was lying spread eagle on his back. He was dead. Then a voice called out to him.
“Major Wright” It was Lieutenant Colonel Kathryn Edmond, the ships operation’s officer. “I’m the senior officer left so I’m assuming command, we’re going to abandon ship! Get to a lifepod! I’m ging to program her to crash on the planet and then I’ll join you! Go now!” They didn’t stop to question this order, they hurried back down the lift to the escape pods.
They hurried along now after hearing the official order to abandon ship. They scrambled into an already packed lifepod and promptly launched. As the pod shot away from Concordia, Dirk looked out the window at the dying ship. It was heading towards the surface of Vespus, all the meantime barrages of AMG’s were striking the hull.
Then he noticed a flash and the Captains escape pod flew from the bridge just narrowly missing a blast from the Ralatha. Edmond he thought. As he looked back at the once proud ship, he saw it begin to enter the atmosphere and as the ship was engulfed in flame, he wondered, Will they build another one?
Concordia flew through the atmosphere, shards of the carrier flying of. It seemed to level out for a moment but then it dived again. It slammed into one of Vespus’ many islands. The ship survived an impact of this magnitude surprisingly well, although here keel had been cracked and her fame badly warped. So ends the once grand carrier Concordia. Or does it. Dirk Wright never knew at the time, but he would be revisiting his old ship for another grand adventure.
0650, 2682.135 Vespus. Concordia Crash Site
Salvage crews were braces on the old hulk and were strengthening the old ship. Left to rot for 13 years, the Concordia finally had a new purpose, to assist the Border Worlds in defense of the Nephilim. It would once again become a proud battle carrier but the repairs would take time. As the crew worked on, Dirk Wright sat in his office at Jupiter station, having no idea that he would soon again cross paths with the TCS Concordia.
