I know I should give this a day or two to settle but ... dammit, Jim, I'm a writer not a ... oh, forget it.
Thanks to the chrons for their invalueable assistance (especially Boneman). This is hopefully a little closer to the mark. Note the word 'hopefully.'
As always any and all comments are appreciated. Gnaw away my friendly woodland friends.
UNCOMMON PURPOSE
The four grueling years at the Athenian Space Naval Academy, have transformed Nathan Telford into one of the most outstanding senior midshipman in the academy’s history. Together with three other midshipmen he is selected for a prestigious special cruise aboard the attack boat Truculent. He has reason to celebrate, as the ship will patrol the frontier with the Northern Quarantine Zone, the border with the Pruessen Empire. Nathan's long-awaited opportunity to extract revenge for the enslavement and death of his family is at hand. His carefully hidden hatred fuels his desire for combat against his despised enemy.
Nathan’s confidence is high for Truculent is a lucky boat, captained by a living legend who has written the book for sorties on the frontier.
But unknown to any of Truculent’s crew, the enemy has developed new weapon technology, which they wish to test against the best the Athenian navy has. A plan is set in motion to bring the Athenian attack boat Truculent and the Pruessen headhunter Picaroon into a testing conflict.
When Truculent’s deployment draws to an end she is summoned by a distress signal from the Francorum freighter Genevieve under attack by a headhunter privateer. The Pruessen ship, Picaroon, is little more than an armed freighter, and flees for the frontier when Truculent arrives. The urge to destroy her surges through Nathan. However, the enemy has abducted twenty-three civilians from Genevieve and under regulations Truculent cannot destroy the Pruessen ship before recovering the civilians.
After Picaroon's defenses are neutralized, a small marine boarding party attempts to rescue the civilians. But the new Pruessen energy-dampening technology renders the marines' weapons and combat ‘droids useless. Vicious hand-to-hand combat costs the marines a bloody price as they fight their way to an ignominious withdrawal.
Nathan and other midshipmen are exponents of Kendo and he jumps at the chance to volunteer his experience in the ancient art of two handed sword-craft. In a bizarre scenario where swords now replace their useless modern weapons the young officers prepare for battle.
When they return to Picaroon, an elite enemy force who had remained hidden ambushes Nathan and Truculent’s crew. Outnumbered and trapped, death seems the only outcome. With coldblooded ruthlessness Nathan harnesses his hatred and swordsmanship skills for a bloody clash against an enemy trained in the use of huge broadswords. Swords, axes, knives and even bows and arrows are the new benchmarks for success.
A massive final battle ensues and thanks to Nathan’s use of hastily improvised incendiaries they annihilate larger enemy force. Behind sealed hatches and double-ply internal shielding Picaroons remaining crewmen push their ship to the protection of the frontier. They know their safety is assured while five civilians remain aboard.
Although Truculent’s crew recovers eighteen of the twenty-three abducted civilians, five children are still missing. A naive young rating, having seen the male prisoner’s shattered ankles and the horrific sight of the pack-raped women, now understands why someone like Mister Telford hates the Pruessens so passionately. But their time aboard Picaroon has come to an end and Nathan’s team must prepare to depart. The most sacrosanct rule of the Athenian Navy is that no vessel may cross the border into the Quarantine Zone and risk returning with the dreaded Derwent Plague.
Having been a child slave of the Pruessen Empire, Nathan refuses to leave Picaroon without the children. Compelled by conscience Nathan disobeys orders and without hesitation his midshipman team joins him on his quest. In a frantic race against time, they find and rescue the missing children. They would bring a high price on the auction block and so remain unmolested. Nathan is buoyed by saving the children but is stunned to discover they have missed their rendezvous with the last departing landing boat. Picaroon has crossed the frontier and Truculent cannot follow to aid Nathan’s team.
Avoiding the remaining enemy patrols Nathan commandeers a headhunter landing boat and they flee toward the frontier. Safe in the knowledge that they cannot be attacked Picaroon pursues them. Truculent’s crafty skipper, detecting an enemy landing boat being pursued by the headhunter ship, deduces that no civilians remain aboard Picaroon, fires torpedoes across the frontier and destroys her.
In the process Nathan's landing boat is severely damaged. With vital air leaking from the flight deck, Nathan locks the main hatch sealing his team and the children into the safety of the cabin and pilots the craft back to Truculent. Only seconds from coming aboard Truculent the forward view-plate implodes. Nathan fights against freezing eyeballs and imminent unconsciousness to crash land the stolen craft into the narrow boat bay.
When he recovers, he finds the children and his team are safe. In an oddly cathartic sense the brutality aboard Picaroon has had a calming effect on him. I did not feel as he expected and as a close friend says: ‘Very often what you want is not what you need.’ The demons remain but Nathan senses an empowerment over them he has not experienced since he was a child.
Graduating from the academy at the top of his class, Ensign Nathan Telford looks forward to the challenges that await him in Fighter Training School.
Thanks to the chrons for their invalueable assistance (especially Boneman). This is hopefully a little closer to the mark. Note the word 'hopefully.'
As always any and all comments are appreciated. Gnaw away my friendly woodland friends.
UNCOMMON PURPOSE
The four grueling years at the Athenian Space Naval Academy, have transformed Nathan Telford into one of the most outstanding senior midshipman in the academy’s history. Together with three other midshipmen he is selected for a prestigious special cruise aboard the attack boat Truculent. He has reason to celebrate, as the ship will patrol the frontier with the Northern Quarantine Zone, the border with the Pruessen Empire. Nathan's long-awaited opportunity to extract revenge for the enslavement and death of his family is at hand. His carefully hidden hatred fuels his desire for combat against his despised enemy.
Nathan’s confidence is high for Truculent is a lucky boat, captained by a living legend who has written the book for sorties on the frontier.
But unknown to any of Truculent’s crew, the enemy has developed new weapon technology, which they wish to test against the best the Athenian navy has. A plan is set in motion to bring the Athenian attack boat Truculent and the Pruessen headhunter Picaroon into a testing conflict.
When Truculent’s deployment draws to an end she is summoned by a distress signal from the Francorum freighter Genevieve under attack by a headhunter privateer. The Pruessen ship, Picaroon, is little more than an armed freighter, and flees for the frontier when Truculent arrives. The urge to destroy her surges through Nathan. However, the enemy has abducted twenty-three civilians from Genevieve and under regulations Truculent cannot destroy the Pruessen ship before recovering the civilians.
After Picaroon's defenses are neutralized, a small marine boarding party attempts to rescue the civilians. But the new Pruessen energy-dampening technology renders the marines' weapons and combat ‘droids useless. Vicious hand-to-hand combat costs the marines a bloody price as they fight their way to an ignominious withdrawal.
Nathan and other midshipmen are exponents of Kendo and he jumps at the chance to volunteer his experience in the ancient art of two handed sword-craft. In a bizarre scenario where swords now replace their useless modern weapons the young officers prepare for battle.
When they return to Picaroon, an elite enemy force who had remained hidden ambushes Nathan and Truculent’s crew. Outnumbered and trapped, death seems the only outcome. With coldblooded ruthlessness Nathan harnesses his hatred and swordsmanship skills for a bloody clash against an enemy trained in the use of huge broadswords. Swords, axes, knives and even bows and arrows are the new benchmarks for success.
A massive final battle ensues and thanks to Nathan’s use of hastily improvised incendiaries they annihilate larger enemy force. Behind sealed hatches and double-ply internal shielding Picaroons remaining crewmen push their ship to the protection of the frontier. They know their safety is assured while five civilians remain aboard.
Although Truculent’s crew recovers eighteen of the twenty-three abducted civilians, five children are still missing. A naive young rating, having seen the male prisoner’s shattered ankles and the horrific sight of the pack-raped women, now understands why someone like Mister Telford hates the Pruessens so passionately. But their time aboard Picaroon has come to an end and Nathan’s team must prepare to depart. The most sacrosanct rule of the Athenian Navy is that no vessel may cross the border into the Quarantine Zone and risk returning with the dreaded Derwent Plague.
Having been a child slave of the Pruessen Empire, Nathan refuses to leave Picaroon without the children. Compelled by conscience Nathan disobeys orders and without hesitation his midshipman team joins him on his quest. In a frantic race against time, they find and rescue the missing children. They would bring a high price on the auction block and so remain unmolested. Nathan is buoyed by saving the children but is stunned to discover they have missed their rendezvous with the last departing landing boat. Picaroon has crossed the frontier and Truculent cannot follow to aid Nathan’s team.
Avoiding the remaining enemy patrols Nathan commandeers a headhunter landing boat and they flee toward the frontier. Safe in the knowledge that they cannot be attacked Picaroon pursues them. Truculent’s crafty skipper, detecting an enemy landing boat being pursued by the headhunter ship, deduces that no civilians remain aboard Picaroon, fires torpedoes across the frontier and destroys her.
In the process Nathan's landing boat is severely damaged. With vital air leaking from the flight deck, Nathan locks the main hatch sealing his team and the children into the safety of the cabin and pilots the craft back to Truculent. Only seconds from coming aboard Truculent the forward view-plate implodes. Nathan fights against freezing eyeballs and imminent unconsciousness to crash land the stolen craft into the narrow boat bay.
When he recovers, he finds the children and his team are safe. In an oddly cathartic sense the brutality aboard Picaroon has had a calming effect on him. I did not feel as he expected and as a close friend says: ‘Very often what you want is not what you need.’ The demons remain but Nathan senses an empowerment over them he has not experienced since he was a child.
Graduating from the academy at the top of his class, Ensign Nathan Telford looks forward to the challenges that await him in Fighter Training School.
