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"Hi": Speaking
'Hi': Thinking
"Hi": Yelling/Intro
"Hi": Flashback
Author's Note: Hello everybody sorry for the delay. I just wanted to let you all know that I intend to publish at least one chapter every month, and trust me the chapters will soon be getting longer. I hope that by doing this I can prevent the story line of the fic from getting all messed up due to rushed updates.
Thank you for electing to read this newest chapter and I hope you all enjoy.
Sincerely,
JackieRobinson
Prologue
There's an old saying "the more things change, the more they stay the same" and ultimately, that saying best fits the realities of space. For there are few things that change about space. It's harshness. Its overall, rather than its known, vastness and the total, rather than known, number of planets that lay within it. The harshness of its vacuum and the likelihood that a human could survive within it without any protective gear. Or, finally, that in the end the chances are rather low that we will be able to truly known all of its secrets. However, one thing that hadn't ever, and looked to never, change about it was the fact that for the foreseeable near and distant future it would contain a small, blue planet called Earth. Especially in terms of its inhabitants relationship with space travel.
Yet much had changed in the many decades since Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin had become the first man to orbit the earth in 1961. In that time man had made it to the moon, to Mars, and to Jupiter in its quest to explore as much of the cosmos, the space explorers occasionally setting up colonies on newly discovered planets as they went. The result of an accidental encounter between a Galaxy Garrison star ship known as the Drake and an unknown alien space craft the encounter had marked the confirmed encounter between humans and extraterrestrial life. This ship, later revealed to be the Starhammer, was a military grade expeditionary ship sent by an interplanetary organization known as the Galactic Republic.
This discovery had brought many things, both good and ill, to their planet in the terms of their interplanetary knowledge and, unexpectedly, had allowed for the blossoming of a new form of trade. Interplanetary trade. It was this trade and the financial profit, and later, scientific information that could be gathered from it that prompted many more of the human interplanetary ships to be sent from the various space ports around Earth. Each bent of completing the arduous journeys to the central hub of the galaxy where the most of the trade was centered, and it was this reason that the current situation was unfolding.
The scene in question was one which, in this current age of discovery, had become quite common in its nature as it saw a group of individuals gathered together in the name of scientific advancement. However, the one thing that made the current experiment as unique as it was lay not in the type of activity that was about to take place but rather in the scale it was to take place on.
The usual small science vessels awarded to similar scientific tests such a these this time being wholly replaced in this instance by a Venator-class Star Destroyer designated under the name of the Garrison Service Ship, or GSS, Kerberos. The Venator being one of the few left in existence, and a legacy of the role Earth had played in the Clone Wars that had taken place decades earlier.
Aboard the ship was the usual cast of at most a dozen scientists being supercided by one of at least a few hundred, fact that Admiral Ellen Sanda and the crew that she had the honor of commanding knew more than anyone else. The reality of it laying before her as she silently watched the large and fully staffed bridge humming about with activity. It's occupants making a beauttiful sight as they proceeded to speedily move about in an almost machine like manner as though their complex duties were nothing more than clockwork.
"Admiral, we're nearing our preplanned location" a voice called, prompting Senada to turn and focus in on one specific part of the massive ship's bridge where most of the upper level navigation computers were located.
"Good, set the navigational computers to the final position" she ordered, causing the man to turn around and began typing in the necessary commands to get the computer to take on its next segmented leg to their destination.
"At what time do you believe that we will be arriving at the destination above the planet Arus?" she asked, causing a seperate officer to turn around and answer with.
"It's expected that we'll arrive sometime around 0800hrs." a response that caused Senada to nodd before turning to her left and telling one of the two men next to her.
"Commander Iverson, have the security and defense crews placed on stand by before we enter the Javeeno System" causing the man to salute before turning and departing the bridge. Officially there was no need for the measure as the Javeeno System was a militarized zone of sorts, officially marking the boundary lines for the borders of the Galactic Republic. Which, officially, were respected by all of the external powers that surrounded it. Unofficially, however the Galaxy, especially the Javeeno System, was a far more complicated place than one could imagine.
Regardless, however, the current mission was important enough that the Naval and Scientific branches of the Galaxy Garrison had deemed the risks more than acceptable. Because if the experiment was able to return the desired results it would change everything about the geopolitical climate of the Galaxy, especially Earth's place in it.
"Admiral, I think it might be best if we also add the ship's flight crews to the standby as well," she heard a hushed voice suggest, causing her to tip her head backwards and to the right as though she was relieving tension in her neck.
"It's a known fact that the First Order prefers to lead with its scout drones whenever possible".
"Thank you Captain Datlov, but I think it would be best for us to keep them as well rested as possible should the attack occur" she answered causing the man to nodd before she returned her gaze back towards the main deck.
"Of course ma'am" the man answered before piping up and asking.
"Will you be retiring soon ma'am, it's about time for the late watch to come on" Dyatlov stated causing Senada to glance down at her watch and see that it was indeed rather late.
"Don't worry, Admiral, I can brief the watch for you when they arrive".
"Thank you Captain, I hope you don't tire yourself with the briefing" she replied before turning in an almost parade like manner to the right and walking off the bridge, leaving Dyatlov to make good on his promise.
The actions aboard the Keberos could not have further contradicted the action, or specifically lack of action, that was going on nearly half a galaxy away in the New Republic Senate building on Corusant. Located in one of the building's newer rooms sat a single man in his 30s by the rather uninspiring name of Eustace Breckenridge.
A name that sounded about as old fashioned as the people who'd given it to the man. In this case being his grandparents who'd managed to convince his parents to continue the old family tradition of passing on names from ancestors to keep every generation informed of their own history. It was a great idea, or at least it was until it landed the unfortunate man in question with the name Eustace.
However, it was not the incovenience of his name, or the interest it brough him from the other species he met in the Senate that had caused Senator Breckeridge to retire from his morning committee meeting early. But rather a single piece of news that he was scheduled to receive some time in the next 9 to 10 hours. News that, assuming that it along with what was desired, would cause a fundamental shift in everything about the current political situation of the New Galactic Republic. Specifically, Earth's position in it. A position which, while greatly superior to that of Ryloth or Tatooine, was an insult to the current and untapped industrial capacities of Earth.
'But all that must change, will change when this is over,' he thought as he looked up from his appointment book and down to his holocommunicator before adding.
'At least it should, if the capabilites of the Garrison are as grand as they say they are and not empty words used to blow smoke'.
"Senator Breckeridge, you're 10 O'clock patient is here" an automated voice called as he proceeded to look at his appointment book, making note that said client was a few minutes early before returning back to the comminicator.
"Good, send her in" he answered, before watching the doors to the room open. Entirely unaware of the events which were transpiring around him, and the ones that would occur because of the decisions made by the security ministers around him. As well as the effect they'd have on not only the New Republic, but the Galaxy as a whole.