[font=Agency FB]Ship Name:[color=#33FFFF] RNS Ile de Re
Ship Class:Vigilant
Ship Type:Experimental Cruiser
Weaponry:
10x Experimental Turbolaser Batteries
1x Long Range Missile System / Probe Launcher
1x Light Antimatter Cannon
Escort:
3x Lynx - XJ-3 Gallic Very Heavy Fighter
2x Cougar - BXJ-5 Gallic Royal Navy Bomber
Crew:
2 Senior Officers
20 Junior Officers
25 Engineers
40 Crewmen
10 Pilots
[font=Microsoft Sans Serif]The RNS Ile de Re is an experimental ship based on the design of the popular Obstinate-class cruiser. The Gallic Royal Navy engineered the Vigilant-class warship in order to provide the fleets with a faster, more maneuverable alternative to its heavier cousin.
While the outside appearance of the Vigilant is nearly identical to that of the Obstinate, the inside has been heavily modified, sporting banks of computers, brand-new scanners, a more energy-efficient engine reactor, and a larger hangar. This, of course, comes at the price of armor. Not wanting the new cruiser to be too lightly protected, a new alloy was employed, capable of partially deflecting incoming energy bombardment, thus reducing the effect on the hull.
Thanks to the new engine reactor, the Vigilant is faster and more maneuverable than the Obstinate. Therefore, the few Vigilant cruisers that have been produced so far are often used for heavy reconnaissance into hostile territory, supported by the wing of fighters and bombers it is capable of carrying in its hangar.
The Ile de Re is the third out of five Vigilant-class cruisers to leave the dry docks of Dijon Station. Its captain, Capitaine Pierre Laurent, is determined to prove the new ships' worthiness for prolonged use in the Gallic Royal Navy. The cruiser is currently on its maiden voyage through the Gallic border systems and has orders to slip through to the Orkney system to perform basic reconnaissance on Council, IMG, Colonial, and Outcast activities in the Tau region.
"Attention!" One of the junior officers on the bridge shouted as Capitaine Pierre Laurent strode out of the elevator and onto the deck. From the entrance balcony he looked down upon his bridge-crew, which was looking back at him with straight backs and their right hands lifted up to their brows in a salute. Laurent allowed a faint smile to flicker across his usually hard, stern face.
"Ã l'aise," he said and the fifteen men below him resumed their work at the consoles that filled the medium-sized room.
A young man, also wearing a Capitaine's uniform briskly climbed the short flight of stairs to the balcony and stood beside Laurent.
"What do you think?" The man asked in a warm, playful manner.
Laurent crossed his hands behind the small of his back and glanced at the other. "I think we got the best we could wish for, Monsieur. A good ship, a good crew, a good mission."
The other man nodded slowly, smiling. "Oui, c'est vrai. Congratulations on your promotion, by the way."
At this, Laurent winced. He kept on forgetting that he was now of the same rank as the man beside him and had yet to get used to not needing the formalities anymore. "Merci, Tristan."
Tristan turned to fully face him with a great grin and patted him on the back. "You're welcome, old friend. I'll go check on the hangar." And with that, he left the bridge.
"Lieutenant Marbonne!" Laurent called out at one of the officers below. "What is the status of the engines?"
The lieutenant quickly consulted with the console of another crewman and then replied, "Monsieur, pre-flight tests are almost complete. We'll be ready to leave the docks in about five minutes."
"Bon, merci."
Laurent turned around and started for the elevators when a sous-lieutenant walked up to him, saying, "Capitaine. Dijon Control has relayed new orders. You can read them on your datatab."
Laurent nodded, accepted the tab the sous-lieutenant offered him and entered the lift.
Your current standing orders of absolving a test course around Burgundy with the experimental Vigilant-class cruiser Ile de Re are hereby scratched.
Your new orders are to take the Ile de Re to the Orkney system as fast as possible and collect data on Council, Independent Miners Guild, Colonial, and Outcast activity in the Tau-region.
You are to keep as low a profile as possible; if you are detected, run for it.
Further instructions will be given to you on your way to the Orkney system.
Capitaine Laurent closed the file on his datatab and clipped it to his uniform's belt. For a moment, he just stared at the far wall of the elevator cabin as it sped down toward the engineering decks. This was tremendous news to him.
He had planned on taking the Ile de Re for a ride around the Burgundy system for a few days, perhaps intercepting a few Council or Maquis patrols, then returning to Dijon to take command of his old gunboat again. He gave a moment's thought to what the Saint Brieuc was doing just then. Suddenly, Laurent realized something. He had just been given a high-risk mission. Exploring the Tau-systems would take weeks, maybe months. When he returned - and he was fairly sure he would - he would surely be promoted, maybe even given command of an Obstinate . . . or perhaps even a Valor!
This was almost too much for the young man to grasp. After serving for only five years, he could be the youngest captain of a Valor-class battleship in the younger history of the Navy!
The elevator slowed to a halt and the doors slid open silently. The three crewmen that stood outside waiting snapped to attention as the captain walked out of the cabin. He curtly nodded and strode past.
Turning a corner, he nearly bumped into Tristan who was on his way back to the bridge.
"Pierre!" He called out with a laugh. "Watch out, mon ami!"
Laurent didn't return the gayness.
"Tristan, I just received new orders."
"Ah oui? What are they?"
Laurent looked around carefully, then said, "A recon mission into the Tau-region of Sirius. That's all I've been told so far."
Tristan's smile faded.
"Well... I guess that's good." He placed his large hands on his friend's shoulders and squeezed them lightly. "Now you can prove yourself to be worthy of your rank."
This made Laurent chuckle.
"Did you ever doubt that I was?"
The other man laughed loudly and said, "Of course not! But who knows what the eggheads in High Command are thinking?"
"Capitaine Cabbard," an engineer called from further down the hallway. "A shuttle just arrived. The pilot wants to speak with you."
Laurent and Tristan looked at each other and shrugged.
"See you on the bridge," Capitaine Tristan Cabbard said and walked down the hall towards the Ile de Re's small hangar bay. Laurent looked after him for a moment before turning on his heels and heading back to the elevators. Inside the cabin, he was rereading his new orders when his comm-link chimed quietly.
"Oui?" He spoke into the little devices microphone.
"Capitaine, pre-flight tests are complete," Lieutenant Marbonne's voice emitted from the speaker. "Dijon Control has given us green light to proceed; we can leave the dry-docks on your command."
"Très bien," the captain replied. "I'll be on the bridge shortly. Capitaine Cabbard is still busy in the hangar, we will wait for him to join us."
"Understood, Capitaine."
The comm-link clicked as the channel was cut.
A moment later, the elevator halted and Laurent stepped out of the cubical and onto the entrance balcony of the bridge once more. This time he quickly waved the lieutenant who was about shout Attention off and climbed down the short stairs onto the actual deck. Slowly, he walked from one workstation to the next, looking over the officers' shoulders as they finished the last checks before the ship could get on its way. One of them, a sous-lieutenant, stood up from his console and briskly walked up to the captain.
"Monsieur, the shuttle that had arrived for Capitaine Cabbard has left the hangar and is on its way to Dijon."
Laurent smiled at the young man and said, "Bon, then -"
"Capitaine, Cabbard is on the shuttle," the sous-lieutenant interrupted him rudely.
For a moment, Laurent just stared at him, blinking. Finally he said, "Quoi?"
"Look for yourself, Monsieur," the junior officer said and pointed at his console nearby. The captain did so, and indeed the shuttle was sending a written message that Tristan was onboard.
"Sous-lieutenant, hail that ship," Laurent spoke slowly. "I want to know why my second-in-command left the ship without notifying me."
"Oui, Capitaine."
After a moment of typing a few commands into his console, the sous-lieutenant said, "Capitaine, connection established."
"Merci," Laurent responded. He then walked over to the captain's seat in the center of the bridge, sat down and signaled the junior officer to open the channel.
"Bonjour, this is Capitaine Pierre Laurent of the RNS Ile de Re to Shuttle... Un-Trois-Quatre," he spoke with measured calm and authority.
After a second of a silence, the shuttle pilot replied, "Bonjour, Capitaine. How can I be of assistance?"
"I would like to know why my second-in-command just left my ship without notifying me," Laurent immediately answered, not falling for the pilot's politeness. He leaned back and waited for an answer.
"Pardon, Capitaine, but the last transmission was garbled. Could you repeat?"
Laurent's blushed with anger.
"Of course. Why has Captain Cabbard left my ship?" He said, pronouncing every word slowly and clearly.
Another pause.
Then, "I have my orders, Capitaine."
The connection was cut.
The Ile de Re's bridge was silent as the junior officers stared at the captain. Laurent looked ahead as his mind tried to comprehend what the pilot had just said. Finally, a lieutenant at the sensor-controls cleared and quietly said, "Monsieur. The shuttle has taken the trade lane to Nevers."
Laurent kept staring ahead.
"Capitaine?"
"Oui?" The captain shook his head as if awakening from a daydream and looked at the sensor officer. "Ah, oui, oui. Euh, contact Dijon Control and inquire what the hell is going on here."
The sous-lieutenant who had managed the communications got to work.
With renewed vigor, Laurent barked, "And hurry up!"
Your inquiry about the reason for Capitaine Tristan Cabbard's sudden extraction has been processed.
We must sadly inform you that Capitaine Tristan Cabbard has been arrested by the Gallic Royal Navy for high treason against the Crown, his Majesty King Charles.
A replacement senior officer is being sent by High Command as we speak.
Laurent reread the message that his datatab displayed again, muttering quietly to himself.
Tristan a traitor? He couldn't believe that. They had served together since they had joined the Navy and Tristan had always been the more patriotic of the two. It had to be a mistake. High Command had surely arrested the wrong man.
"Capitaine," Lieutenant Marbonne said from behind him.
Laurent didn't reply.
"Capitaine," the lieutenant repeated with a calm, friendly voice.
The captain shook his head as if he had been daydreaming.
"Euh, oui?"
"The ship is ready to leave the dry-docks. But if we should wait for the new senior officer," Marbonne continued, "we will be sitting here for another week."
Laurent looked at him. He looked at his datatab. He looked back at the lieutenant.
"Merde."
The lieutenant turned without another word and walked back to his workstation. The captain looked around the bridge and eyed each of the officers as they lazily pretended to work, waiting for further commands. Screw HighCom, he thought.
"Marbonne, bring us out of here," Laurent said allowed. "Nice and easy."
For a moment, the lieutenant looked at him with raised eyebrows. Then he grinned and said, "Understood, Capitaine. Igniting maneuvering thrusters." Let's get the hell on our way, Laurent thought to himself.