Episode 1: First Day's are a Bitch

"I understand your concern. Frankly, this is a lot of equipment. I can see what I can do to keep this cargo bay free, but in the event that we have cargo enough to fill our other storage, and we need more space... I'm sure you understand. I'd hate to have to get rid of all of this equipment Might be hard to find more of this stuff once we get out there. Try to find some space to train in as a back up and let me know the smallest amount of space that your equipment can occupy in a pinch, and this bay is all yours."
Comeau glanced at the faces of the crew in line, and looked back at Ventura, gauging expressions.

Ventura snapped to attention and saluted Comeau. Instantly the rest of the team followed suit. "I understand sir. Thank you." Ventura paused for a moment. "Sir, I would also like to discuss the possibility of training the crew in anti-boarding actions. My team is well versed in red cell and opfor training. It might be helpful if things ever get hairy."

Comeau pondered for a moment. Many of the crew would not be up for much action; most were actually scientists, not soldiers. Comeau himself was one of the few who happened to have a history in both fields. On that note, practicing military maneuvers would be excellent exercise to keep his crew on their feet. Zero G could take a toll on a body.
"I think it might definitely be so. None of us know what we could be getting ourselves into out there, and it would be best to have a tactically sound crew. We'll have to discuss it over a brew, sometime."

Ventura paused for a moment his eyes registering the surprise his face did not. After a moment a smile broke on his face. "Aye sir, I would really enjoy that." He paused for a moment. "I'm not expecting your crew to be expert combatants, but maybe we can get them trained enough to support your security teams. I've already spoken to the head of security and we're planning some exercises between my team and hers."

Comeau nodded approval. "Good. I myself wouldn't mind getting in on this training. The alliance has had me running paperwork, for the most part, and it's been a while since the army had me do anything. I wouldn't mind stretching my legs. I won't keep you, though. I'm sure you and your team would like to get back to training."

Ventura rocked slightly, his hands still behind his back at ease. "I hope you don't expect me or my men to take it easy on you, sir. My men aren't known for their niceties." Ventura shrugged, "My time is your time, sir. If ever you want to do a formal examination let me know."

Comeau grinned, "I would expect nothing less. I said that I wanted exercise. If I had said I wanted to go curling, I'd have said so!"
He let out a little chuckle. "And I'll be sure to take you up on that at some point, but I have full confidence. As you were, gentlemen."
He turned his attention back to Ryan, and nodded. "I believe Weapons was our next target?"

Ventura nods and returns to his team seemingly satisfied with his new commander.

As Ryan and Comeau leave the cargo bay turned training bay, Ryan smiles. "I thought you'd like the bunch. Good men....checked up on some of them. Real cream of the crop guys. Took part in some nasty business during the Unification wars." He turns down the corridor, his sudden shift of weight makes him seem clumsy, but that's to be expected in a quasi-zero gee environment. "The weapons bay is pretty impressive. The main cannon is a crazy bit of work. Reminds me of the Death Star."

Comeau followed suit down the corridor, getting used to the zero-g locomotion. "I'll believe it when I see it. What sort of power drain is that going to pull?"

"The main cannon isn't meant to be our mainline attack. The pulse laser turrets and missile tunes are meant to be our mains. The cannons meant for taking out large targets like other ships... If we encounter anything out there. It's your typical slow firing weapon." Ryan smirks. "I've seen these things in action... Pretty impressive. We've got enough power to run all the systems for a sustained encounter, but I wouldn't try and go face to face with anything our own size."

Comeau nodded undertanding. "I wouldn't want to risk putting us in jeopardy until I know the enemy, anyway."
Comeau looked over at Ryan, still moving along the corridor. "We still have to run a test drive, and that includes weapons testing, correct?

Ryan nodded. "The initial run includes a bit of weapon testing. I also hear the admiralty wants a quick little war game before we leave."

Comeau smiled. "I'd like that very much. Any idea when it's supposed to be scheduled for?

Ryan shrugged. "I suppose it would be after our initial tests. The brass probably wants to show us off as much as they want us to be able to make it around without exploding" Ryan stopped at the lift. "And I suppose they want to see how you handle a tough situation... Which I guess means the odds will likely be against us."

Comeau shrugged. "That makes sense to me. We are top priority right now. I feel That if they want to show us off, the Situation won't be too tough. If they want to test me, they might try something else. weapons?"

When they finally reached the weapons Bay a drastic change in the ships decor took place. The padded walls of the regular corridors changed into slightly padded heavily armored walls. The door to the weapons bay itself looked as if they could withstand a directed explosive blast with no issue.

Ryan placed his thumb against the bioreader and the door slowly slid open. What Comeau saw was indeed something out of star wars. When they walked into the room the first thing he saw was the machinery that made up the ships main plasma cannon. It ran along the keel of the ship complete with the pulsing lights of the magnetic accelerator. Truly an astonishing sight.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the Galaxy....

The image of a blue green planet hovered in the center of a large dark room. A small relatively unremarkable moon circled around it.

An alien figure dressed in formal body fitting attire stood observing the image silently in the dark.

"Hard to believe such a small planet will eventually become such a threat." said another figure who had just stepped into the dimly lit room.

"Yes... But the precogs have already seen it. It is sad we will have to ruin such a beautiful planet, but it is for the good of our people."

"The ships will be entering the system soon. This must be done for the good of our people. "

"Yes," the first figure began. "For the good of our people. Send the command to begin the dispersal once they have broken the human fleets main line."

The figure turned and the image disappeared into darkness as the two aliens vanished into the darkness.

(Look up an image of the Fraal, that's what they look like.)

Comeau whistled, impressed.
"Definitely looks like a decent beast of firepower. I'm rather eager to test this out, now."
He moved along the length of the massive weapon, looking at the machinery that made up the weapons room.
"Makes me think of a high-powered spaceborne version of the old Gustav, from European history."

The rest of the tour went uneventfully. The chief's of each department were met and reports passed at light speed through Comeau's desk. Just as he thought the mountain of paperwork had passed it doubled. Luckily, the maiden voyage was upcoming and a surprise war game was planned. The launch went uneventfully and was filled with all the pomp that one would expect. There were no issues and the crew had preformed admirably considering this was the first time they had operated any of the ships systems.

And now was the time for the war game. The Tenacious had been ordered into the Ort cloud, the ring around the solar system, in an effort to locate a crashed ship and rescue it's crew.

The mission sounded simple enough....

Comeau stood on the bridge of the ship, by now used to the magnetic pull of the boots. He had ordered helm to face the cloud and bring them closer.
"Helm, bring us to within sensor range, and slow to a stop. Be ready to move on my command. I want as full a scan as can possibly be done in as little time as possible. I want that ship found."

The com officer glanced over his shoulder at the captain. "Sir, we have a distress call coming in from the SS Ulysses. Should I patch it through to the main viewer?"

As Comeau glanced over at his multifunction display he noticed that this particular patch of the cloud was denser than most. What most people didn't realize was that asteroid clouds weren't always densely packed areas of space, this one was. It would make both maneuvering and sensors quite ineffective.

Comeau nodded at him.
"Absolutely."
He turned his attention to the Sensor officer. "Scan the area, ignoring the cloud for now. Unless you think you can get anything out of it. I want to know the lay of the land, so to speak. Let me know if there any sizable asteroids or other masses of material?"
He turned back to the main viewer to address the distress call.

"The debris is going to reduce the effectiveness of our sensors. I can't guarantee that someone isn't hiding in there." The sensor officer said calmly.

Meanwhile, the comm officer patched the distress signal to the main viewer. The image of a man wearing a emergency rebreather appeared on the screen. The scene around him was one clouded with smoke and the flickering light of electrical fires danced across vvarious consoles on the bridge.

"Help! We need help... Pirates ambushed us... Anyone in the area please respond. Life support is down and we're running on back-up batteries. We don't have much time left. Please... We're running out of air. "

Comeau looked to the sensor station, "I think it's safe to assume that there is still someone in there. I want them found."
He addressed the weapons and defense officers next. "I want us battle ready. I really don't think they're going to want to negotiate."
He turned back to the main screen.
"Helm, take us to within about three hundred kilometers."

The weapons officer signaled general quarters and with that the ship became battle ready. The helm officer piloted the ship into the cloud while the sensor officer studiously analyzed the sensor screen.

As the ship moved closer and closer to the crash site something unexpected happened... Nothing at all.

This made Comeau and everyone else on the ship sure that they were flying into an ambush.