This is my story, how would become a nomad, if I have a chance.
Part I
The Job
James Oritum, a man, who was born on planet Toledo.
All of his family had tight bonds with the Order.
His father, was an engineer in an Order shipyard. His specialty was the engines.
His big brother, was an Order pilot, who was assigned to daily patrol duty in the Omicron Minor system.
Even his mother worked for the Order. She was a cook in the recruit barracks.
As all of the men who came from Toledo, young James father was proud the be an engineer, and wanted his son, to follow his footsteps, and it was exactly the thing, that James did.
When he was 17 years old, he started his studys, to become an Engine and Communications Engineer.
He graduated the school 4 years later, with average grades. His father didn't like that, he was not proud if his son.
James applied to the Order right after he finished school, and he was accepted. They weren't happy with the grades that James had, but they did not have any other choice. The nomad numbers had increased recently, and they were in a big need for engineers. Nomads had a bad habit, to destroy the ships engines first, and then finish of the pilot.
James was assigned to a Battleship, named Devon. In his 21, he was the youngest engineer in the lines of the Order, to be assigned to a ship, of that Class.
Devon, was an Osiris class reconnaissance ship. Its duty was to scan the wast space, of the Omicron Delta system.
James started duty 3 months after finishing the studys. At first, all other engineers looked at him with grins on their faces. They thought, the he was green, not ready for a job like this. But James didn't care, he wanted to prove himself, to prove that he is a good engineer, he wanted to prove this to his father.
In the first month of the duty, it was quiet. Battleship Devon didn't encounter any Nomad vessels.
When the second month came, the Battleship was assigned to scan the upper part of the system, because of the number of Nomad bombers regularly coming from that direction.
As always, it was an easy and calm job for the Devon, the ship didn't encounter any Nomad vessels, and the crew thought, that this was just another easy job. They were wrong, they were not ready for that, what was going to be thrown at them.
It was a quiet night, the night of February the 9th. If you are an Order pilot, you may know what this date means, this is the date, when 73 brave men died, and 1 man, was never found. This is the date, when Battleship Devon was destroyed.
It all started, when the ships scanners just went offline, and nobody knew what was going on.
James was resting in his bed, when he heard a message.
James, James Oritum, Report to the bridge ASAP, we have a problem with the scanners.
James jumped up, grabbed his jacket and tool box, and ran up the metal stairs.
[font=Comic Sans Ms]-James Oritum reporting for duty sir.
Very well rookie, we have a problem. Our scanners just went "poof", if you know what I am saying.
-No sir, no, i don`t understand.
Come here, you see? It shows the system, the nebula and the meteoroid fields, but it doesn't show any other objects, the stars, the Freeport, nothing. Can you explain what is going on here?
-Well sir, let me check.
[font=Courier New]James ducked down, opened the panel of the console, pushed some buttons, stood up, and sad :
[font=Comic Sans Ms]-I think I found the problem, you may try it now.
[font=Courier New]The officer looked at the monitor, and kicked the console.
[font=Comic Sans Ms]Ahh, now it works. But now, tell me this. What are those blue, blur points in the scanner?
-Well sir, I have never seen anything like that. Maybe there is still some problems with the scanner.
[font=Courier New]The officer kicked the console again, but nothing changed.
[font=Comic Sans Ms]Well, then, thats settled. Boys, you know the drill, everyone to your places.
-Sir, i do.... i don't understand. what is going on here?
You see these blue points around the one big blue point in the scanners monitor right?
-y..yes i do.
Well, you see, they are moving, right?
-Now that you mention it, yes, they are moving, and fast.
Now, I know, that you are a rookie and all, but what could be blue, fast, and coming straight at an Order battleship?
-Sir, i don't understand you.
A NOMAD YOU ROOKIE.
-A n...n....nomad sir?
Well, actually not one nomad, but a nomad fleet. If we are lucky, the big blue thing is a cruiser, and the small ones around it, are fighters.
-If we are lucky? How can we be lucky if a cruiser is coming right at us.
If we are not lucky, it is a Battleship, with bomber escorts. Now, stop standing here, and press that button.
[font=Courier New]The officer pointed at a red big button.
As James pushed the button, an alarm went off. All officers had to prepare for a hostile situation.
