OOC: Read my link plz
and help a "struggling author" hehe.
2423.1
Sword of Heaven Sword of Hell
The massive bunker that surrounded the Icara shipyard loomed over the surrounding landscape like some small mountain, only four other such bunkers existed throughout the whole of the Empire and all told they were some of the largest structures ever created.
Praetor Leonidas walked up to the massive armored door that it�s self was tiny compared to the structure it was part of, a dozen Praetorian guards surrounded him, for even in the heart of the Empire it was considered too great a risk that an Andoran assassin could slip through the defenses and get a shot off at their beloved Praetor Saint.
As they reached the door one of the Praetorians slipped his ident card into the door security lock, the noise of the massive door unlocking was like that of a massive drum beating repeatedly until finally the armored bLast doors slid open revealing a cavernous chamber beyond.
�Your Highness, Welcome to Project Sword of Heaven! I�m Doctor Andraeavich� a bald older man with a gray close cut beard ran over to the Praetor and his cluster of guards as the armored doors slammed shut behind them.
�Hello doctor, I hear your project has progressed faster then even you first thought, is that so?� Leonidas was smiling politely as he stepped out from between his guards to shake the doctor�s outstretched hand.
�Uh Yes Majesty, in fact this particular piece of the project has been completed fully three months before the second piece, and four months for the three after that.� Andraeavich seemed quite proud of this fact as he led his Praetor to a second security door that opened up into the main chamber of the shipyard.
The security door opened, and as Leonidas stepped through he stopped dead in his tracks and his jaw dropped.
�By all that�s holy I�ve never seen something so large!� he said numbly as he stepped into the main chamber, before his eyes was a massive gray/silver wall, but as he let his eyes wander it was obvious that this was no wall, it was a huge warship, kilometers longer then the largest super dreadnought with gun ports the size of an old earth skyscraper.
�Your Highness, say hello to the
HMS Sword of Icara, she is the largest most powerful warship in the universe at this time, her sister ships will be done soon, she is the first of five such ships by the way.� Andraeavich reminded Leonidas of a dog that had just been patted on the head as he smiled proudly at the ship he took part in designing.
�What are her capabilities Doctor?�
�She is 6 million tons of metal, five kilometers long, two wide, and one point eight high, she carries 10 spinal mount I-Lasers, 22 massive mount I-Lasers and 2 reserve standard mount I-lasers 29 shield generators, 7,000 kt worth of cargo storage and enough armor to take several direct hits even without their shields. Once Project Firehawk is completed the Five Swords will each be powerful enough to take over entire systems by themselves, though at the moment they are formed into a single fleet.� The Man smiled again as the Praetor let the sheer power of this vessel sink in.
�Is she ready for launch?� Leonidas said excitedly.
�Why yes My Liege that is why I invited you here this day, so that you could watch in person, while the whole of Icara watches over the Vid networks.� The doctor�s smile grew even larger as Leonidas grinned and followed him to the �safe room� in the heart of the facility.
The massive ship had a crew of some fourteen thousand, which had already been secretly shuffled aboard during the final days of completion.
An echoing sound made Leonidas look up and see the massive ceiling of the facility slowly open up to reveal the Icaran Night sky in all it�s starry beauty, another noise that was more felt then heard pinged off the walls as the null gravity fields aboard the huge starship activated, slowly �pushing� her off the ground and into the sky.
Throughout Icara city millions stopped whatever they were doing as all eyes turned to face the ship that was visible from miles away, some shrank away in fear at the massive craft, it looked nothing like any other Icaran warship ever built, it�s artistic arch like frame surrounding it�s armored hull, it�s gun ports replacing the traditional gun turrets of an Icaran man of war. Some feared that it was some kind of Xeno conspiracy and that this ship was going to destroy their world.
But as the Icaran Imperial Anthem began to play over every speaker throughout Icara, the people began to relax and many thousands began to cheer as the pride of their empire lifted her considerable bulk off of the surface until finally breaking atmosphere and reaching her new home amongst the stars.
2423.4
Months later the
HMS Achilles on a routine patrol stumbled across a badly damaged super dreadnought belonging to an unknown human star nation, unfortunately this incident swiftly led to a firefight wherein the unknown starship was blown apart. It was discovered later that same month that the ship belonged to the �People�s Republic of Remorhaz� which was a minor power to the extreme galactic west of Icara.