The Praetorian
Ch. 1: Out there
"What most military enthusiasts right now are wondering is: Is it worth spending the resources to research and build a new class of battleship, especially when history teaches us that big units have a tendency to be both time and cost ineffective?"
"It is a matter of foresight. Many people seem to have forgotten that we are no longer bound to our planet. On one hand, we might consider ourselves lucky. The wars in which we have participated were against enemies over which we had a marked advantage, both numerical and technological. On the other hand, these conflicts allowed for little innovation. The simple truth is that we have fallen into stagnation.
"Admiral, I can hardly say that the Tevarin Conflicts were a 'walk in the park'..."
"No, of course not. But I am afraid you are misunderstanding. I am not saying that these wars were easy to win, I'm saying that the way in which they were fought provided little room for learning."
"I see. But what about the Xi'an conflict?"
"There was no conflict persé. Only a huge build up of war materials that withered our economy. There were few things learnt during the years of tension with the Xi'an. To be honest, if there had been a war, our military would have gotten a crash course on space warfare. Do not forget, the Xi'an have been in conflict with the Kr'thak for a long time. Even when fighting a war on two fronts, their combat experience would have given them a definitive advantage over our forces."
"So, hypothetically speaking, if we went to war with the Xi'an, we would lose?"
"It's impossible to know how a war will unfold. The human race has a good grasp in this galaxy and we would be a tough nut to crack. My hypothesis is that we would have a bad time at first but then we would adapt, as we have always done. Most likely the conflict would end in a peace treaty when both parts have their fill of blood. I high price to pay just so we learn how to kill each other better."
"What about the Vanduul, have we not learnt from our encounters with them?"
"We have, but this knowledge would not help much in a conventional war. The Vanduul, though organized, do not behave like an army. They are more prone to pillage and plunder than to sustained military action. Their seemingly mundane objectives puts them in the same category of most criminals and pirates. Now, if they were to band together and present a solid opposition, then that would be entirely different. As it is now, they are doing the exact opposite, striving to avoid prolonged contact and cut outgoing communications from their targets so as to face the least amount of opposition as possible."
"I must say that is worrisome."
"Indeed, but it is not something to panic over. We know the punches are coming, so we can brace for them. Our men at the western frontier are prepared and receive new equipments and protocols frequently. Fast Response Fleets and Squadrons have been issued. This, together with a slew of new communication protocols, should help protect our colonists from the Vanduul threat."
"That is a relief. But we have drifted from our topic. You mentioned foresight, innovation and stagnation. Care to elaborate on these subjects?"
"Citizens need to understand that our practical knowledge in large scale space combat is very limited. Currently, our focus is on carriers and carrier based squadrons. This formula has proven true for centuries and by no way is our team suggestion we scuttle it. However, the kind of firepower that a battleship class vessel provides to a fleet should not be shrugged off as mere 'bravado'. Also, in the same way we produce smaller ships with specific purposes in mind, we can adjust our battleship designs to serve as more than just floating gun platforms. Cyber warfare, fleet coordination, planetary siege, the possibilities are vast and unexplored."
"Do other races make use of battleships in their fleets?"
"We have identified at least two different Xi'an battleship designs, though, other than what we can infer from looking at them and non-invasive scans, we have no idea what they can do. I would say it is certain most races have battleship class units in their fleets."
"We shared images of these battleships in one of our specials not long ago. Still, why not spend our resources and time in improving our current forces?"
"This is where stagnation comes to play. There's only so much you can do with a hammer, no matter how perfect it's design. Perhaps the hammer is not the tool for the job, and that is when you start regretting not bringing along the sledge."
"This is going to be a hell of an expensive sledge though."
"Certainly. The project's cost is very elevated, which is why, unlike most military projects, the High-Secretary has submitted our budget to the congress for approval."
"What can you tell us about the project itself?"
"The new design, codename "Cataphract", is an amalgamation of our best technologies and an attempt to implement some we acquired from the Xi'an on our last collaboration project. There are also new modules that have already gone through initial testing but await the opportunity to be used at a larger scale. As with most cases, two almost identical ships will be built in a period which we estimate between three and four years. Once the design proves ready for mass production, the build time should decrease notably."
"Can you give us a clue of what this new ship will be able to do?"
"Obviously most of it is currently classified. But I can tell you that the Cataphract will have its own interceptor wings as well as top of the line short-range defense weaponry."
"Thank you Admiral Rosenthal, I think I speak for our audience when I say that we hope your project is cleared as soon as possible. Can't wait to see the Cataphract in action."
"It has been my pleasure."
The omni-directional camera powers down with a low buzz.
"Thank you again Admiral." The journalist offers his hand.
"You can tell Nathan that we are even know." He said, while shaking hands.
"I'm sure the director knows that already sir, to be honest, I was half expecting to be thrown out as soon as I gave you his note." He picks up the camera.
The admiral looked at his trash bin where the ripped remains of said paper laid.
"Well, the idea crossed my mind." He sighed. "I would have had to talk to the press at some moment anyway, at least I got rid of that weight over my shoulder at the same time." He pointed at the paper with his thumb and scoffed.
"I am sorry if some of my questions seemed ill directioned Admiral, sometimes I need to ask more as part of the audience than as a reporter." Apologetically said the journalist.
"You are not my first reporter, kid. Trust me, if I didn't have to punch you in the face, then it means you did decently enough." He answered with a shrug.
"Well, thank you once more Admiral. I'll send you the link once it goes live." Said the journalist as he got up and walked to the door.
The admiral nodded and watched the young man leave his office.
On the hallway, orange light came in through the massive windows. The reporter approached them and fixed his jacket while letting out a deep sigh. R&D Lab 35-E was an oddity in the fact that it was on the ground level and not surrounded by towering buildings. It wasn't often that he could see a sunset like that. The trees and their foliage also looked quite breathtaking, though he couldn't tell if they were nature-born or not. He remembered one of his friends at college said that you could tell them apart by looking at the grooves on the trunk, so he leaned on the railings and tried to get a better look. The sound of someone's steps made him reconsider, perhaps that was not the best place to idle and appreciate nature. He started walking back to the entrance.
"Here's your ID, Mr. da Capri. I'm glad I didn't have to call an ambulance." Said the receptionist as she handed back his identification card.
"Thanks... So he wasn't joking about punching reporters in the face, huh?"
"Well, not just reporters." She chuckles. "I have STAGH on speed call."
"That is kinda worrisome." He clears his throat. "Do you handle Admiral Rosenthal's messages? I'd like to send him a link to the interview once its uploaded."
"I do, but I can't really give you his spec-ad." She taps her fingers on her MobiGlas. "Why don't you give me yours?"
"Just check for 'The Praetorian' on the spectrum, we should be among the first hits for the NYA. Tag my profile there and you'll get any updates I do on my section."
The receptionist tilts her head a bit.
"Ah... sure. I'll keep the Admiral posted."
"Thanks." He nods at her. "See you around!"
He walked towards the parking lot while having the strangest feeling that he had missed something important.
...
"How did it go Axel?"
The reporter shrunk away from the screen with a gasp and veered the hover off course. A warning beep started up on the vehicle's sound system.
"God dammit Nathan!" He steered back, engaged the auto-pilot and looked at the screen. "Are you trying to get me killed!?"
The man on the screen let out a hearty laugh and shook his head.
"Hell Axel, If I'd known you were this talented I would have put you on the drama section right away!"
"Yeah, yeah, funny. How the hell did you activate my screen like that anyway?"
"Company car, man. Insurance requires we have it tapped."
"Company car my ass, we all pitched in to buy this thing. And how the hell does tapping it allow you to just turn on my screen like that?"
"A hauler never gives away his best routes, my friend."
"Right..." Said Axel as he rolled his eyes.
"So? How did it go?"
"Surprisingly well. I'll go home and do the final edits on the video. Unless my Glas finally gives out I should have it uploaded tonight."
"Alright man, but fill the tank and come in early tomorrow, Chel will need the hover."
"Do we still have credit on that station by the office?"
"If by credit you mean a debt bill the length of a jump-point, then yes."
Axel took a quick look at his bank account on his MobiGlas.
"Tell Chel he'll have to pay for my lunch when he returns."
...
"Are you tired of being grounded? Do you find yourself looking at the stars and wondering what is out there? Perhaps it's time for a change. Zeal Operations Multinational: Bold Inter-Planetary Exploration, we are waiting for you... out there."
Axel raised an eye-brow at the ad showing on the elevator's screen. He was about to make a snide comment about it to the person next to him but realized that he was actually watching with a serious face. The man had prominent bags under his eyes and his clothes had seen better days. They probably lived in the same apartment complex judging by the key-card in his hand. He watched the rest of the ad with him. After it ended, they both looked out at the city.
"You think they take Civilians?" Asked the man.
"Most likely. Citizens have better things to do than float around in space." Answered Axel, his tone revealing how he felt about the ad.
The man fell into deep thought. When Axel left the elevator he was still there, looking at his own reflection on the window.
Dreamers had become more common as of late. People kept complaining about how bad things were and the best thing they could think of was getting on a ship and going out to space. In Axel's opinion, that was crazy. What makes these people think that they would be better off sitting in a tiny cockpit for hours either hauling things around or staring at the vacuum, he just didn't know. It sounded romantic, alright, but he knew well enough how hard it truly was to make it 'out there'.
He was in charge of the politics section on 'The Praetorian', so he was used to the type, but one thing was reading their comments on the spectrum, and another was looking at them in real life. His conviction waned for a moment, but then came back with full strength. Nah, it was pure nonsense. Better a paying job down here than a slim chance of breaking it even up there. Still, after entering his apartment and switching on his Glas, he found himself looking out the window at the ships on approaching vector to the nearby landing pad.
"Well, who knows." He shrugged. "Maybe one day we get absorbed by a big company and I get sent up to cover some off-world story or something." He sighed and sat down to work on the interview.