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Prologue: Flashpoint

Stardate 5674.23/ Month January

Bridge of the ADV Frej

A brilliant flash of light appeared off of the starboard bridge as one of the trader vessels was torn apart by a nuclear explosion. Fleet Admiral Jackson, a lion of slender build and tall- scanned for any rebel or terrorist ships fleeing the scene, but saw only the wreckage of the torn-apart commercial ship. As he looked out the portside view-screen, another larger ship was turned to slag by a bolt of flame launched from one of the Rhodean vessels serving to defend the planet, like the crew of the Frej was.

"Call up the comms station to connect us to that vessel!" roared Jackson.

As the comms link was being established, the Rhodean vessel brought itself above the wreckage of the melted freighter, and positioned itself so that it was parallel to the Frej. Jackson felt a growing uneasiness, and feared something was going horribly wrong on the Rhodean frigate.

Thankfully, they finally got through to the Rhodean ship, the 'Sword of Damocles'.

"What is your request, Aridanian?" stated the Rhodean captain.

"On the behalf of the crew of the Frej, we are inquiring as to why you just turned two super-freighters into slag, and why you just moved yourself into broadside position against us." responded Jackson.

The link suddenly phased out, with the crew reverently-impatiently- silent, waiting for Jackson's move. Picking up his transceiver, he selected the link to comms and pressed call

"What the hell just happened?"

"The Sword of Damocles just closed their link to us, sir." replied the Lieutenant, a jaguar of stocky build in charge of the communications relay.

As he ended the call, red warning lights began flashing along the defense console on the ride side of the captain's post. They indicated numerous, comparatively surgically small breaches in the hull along the port side of the ship, and it was in this moment that Jackson realized that this Rhodean vessel just sent in a boarding party.

'So, this is war', thought Jackson as he ordered the ship to be brought around so that the Mass Driver could have an open shot at the Damocles.

Pointing to a gray wolf of the lowly rank of ensign, "I need you to arm yourself, and your comrades. This has escalated into a battle, and I need you to seal off the bridge access. NOW!"

As the ensign scrambled to lock down the numerous entries into the bridge, klaxons sounded throughout the Frej. Jackson stood still on the bridge, and watched as the crew ran to their respective positions. Pointing to one of the crewmembers with dark-green stripes on his Fleet Jacket, Jackson began to give his first battle orders of this tour of duty.

"Divert power to the Port-side shields! All excess power needs to be directed to the missile bays and lasers! On the double!" he finished, and watched tensely as more flashes of light shot across the bridge's viewport, and inhaled sharply once he saw a small red dot appear on one of the numerous holographic screens infront of him that showed a layout of the Frej. As he ordered a DamCon team to patch the hole up, he saw even more blips appear across the portside. Jackson checked another screen, and saw that the shields were at full strength. He knew there was no way any laser could have gotten through, so this could mean only one thing-a Rhodean boarding party had entered the Frej!

Reaching down to his command console, he turned on the intercom.

"Crew, there are Rhodean intruders on this vessel. They are no longer friends. Begin to secure the mess hall, and fortify it to repel these invaders." Announcement finished, he looked to his Weapons officer-a hyena with gray fur- and ordered him to load the "Odin".

"If their intent is to capture this ship, they should be willing to lose theirs." Jackson finished, hoping his justification was enough to convince the Weapons officer to follow through with the order. He felt the engines come into operation once more, and the Frej began to shift ever so slowly-and with it the ship's plasma shield altered it's location to defend the bow of the ship.

The engines finally shut off, and the Frej was now in position to fire its precise and devastating main armament: The 'Horn of Odin' Mass Driver Cannon, which fires a one-thousand ton bullet of tungsten steel and depleted uranium, which is capable of piercing any known shield or hull in the galaxy. It roared, and shook the ship as the devastating round hurtled through the vacuum between the two foes. It crashed into the midsection of the 'Damocles', and tore through the other side, cutting the frigate in half, depressurizing the cabins that were not sealed off in time, and making the two halves of the Rhodean vessel spin wildly like a toy-top spun by a toddler.

The Weapons officer looked to Jackson, and help up his thumbs to signify the obvious direct hit. "Admiral, sir. Permission to finish off the enemy vessel?" asked the hyena.

"Not necessary. They'll die shortly." Jackson finished, slumping down into his command chair-relieved at their survival of that brief battle. But even as he sighed deeply at their first success, another battle was about to take place on this ship. As he stared out the viewport, the first beetle-like scavenger ships began to inspect the hull of the "Sword of Damocles", in an attempt to make a quick buck.