Rise of Icara

[Starhawk]

This is my first game story so please be forgiving if it lacks the luster that I hope to gain later on.
Well okay here we go!

Pre-History: Once long ago in the year 4,000 BC there rose a great city called Icara in the realm of Greece. Over the Centuries the Icarans became a mighty empire as they conquered Greece and the greater part of the world.
Then in the late twenty-first century the mighty Icaran Commonwealth was challenged by a loose alliance of other nations. After nearly a century of warfare the Icarans were finally defeated in a nuclear attack by these enemies, fleeing the holocust by launching billions of their people into space on massive colony ships the Icarans went through a spacial anomoly that led to a distant star system and their new homeworld.

After three centuries of rebuilding and expansion the Icaran Empire has finally decided to set foot into space once again and to expand their reach beyond their new homeworld to whatever worlds lay beyond the spacial anomolies that led to the warp.

The Decree

2400.1 In the Imperial Palace in Icara city Icara Emepror Leonidas the XVI paced the extravagent tiled floors of his throne room as he calmly listened to his advisors.

Commander Imperial Navy Lord Byron sat calmly in a rare leather chair looking over a flexy pad with a set of schematics on it.
"My lord we can have the first two Hunter class strike vessels in two months with your permission." Lord Byron sounded calm as ever with that same emotionless expression on his face that always irritated the Emperor when he was stressed.

"My lord I suggest we build colony ships first, we have two planets in this system alone that are worth planting mining colonies on, with all respect to my esteemed collegue I doubt our first steps to the stars in over three hundred years should consist of a military mission." the civilian commerce minister stood up as he stressed the word "military" as if it was a curse.

As the Emperor listened to the arguments he finally raised his white gloved hand to silence his two advisors and when it looked as if Minister Plat was about to speak again Leonidas shot him a look that would have made a raging kelecat stop in its tracks. "Plat it is my impression that we would need warships to protect any colonies we planted. I will allow the construction of the first two Hunter class strike ships, then you will have my permission to construct your colony ships." With a spluttering sound from the obviously peeved minister as he sat back down the Emperor walked over to Lord Byron with a slight grin and calmly took the flexy out of the outstreched hand of the Commander of the entire currently non-existent Imperial navy.
"We are currently waiting for an even larger design my Lord, a frigate class ship that can explore further and fight harder should the need arise." For what seemed like the first time in recorded history the gruff old warrior smiled openly as his Emperor looked over a second flexy with the design of a frigate class starship.

2400.2: The first Imperial starship ever built sat in "drydock" above Icara as the personnel shuttles took the 60 man crew to their new home. Among this new crew was the new commanding officer, Brevet Captain Charles Palmer who sat anxiously as his new command came into view.

The INSS Hunter was a small starship about the size of a wet navy frigate and she even loosely resembled the design of water born warship and to the new captain she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.
She had five ion engines which made her faster then any of the low orbit vessels that had previously been built by the Icarans. As his shuttle approached her airlock near the middle of the ship Palmer noticed the ships missile tube and suddenly remembered that although his mission was to explore he might just as easily run into a threat that was beyond his comprehension.

As Palmer stepped onto the bridge of his new ship he realized just how much like a wet navy ship she looked, he saw eight stations on the bridge and a command seat located in the center. As he saw his crew settling in Palmer smiled and took his seat.
"Sir we have a message from the Emperor on comns, should I put him on?" the young comns officer sounded nervious as she announced this odd message.

A little annoyed at the foolish question Palmer snapped an affirmative reply to his comns officer. The ships speakers sounded with the booming voice of the Emperor of all Icara and the crew stopped what they were doing and listened intently.

"To the officers and crew of the INSS Hunter, the first starship of the Imperial Navy I give you my greetings. Today you set forth on an adventure the likes of which our people have never before thought possible and with your first brave steps you pave the way for a bright new future for all your people. On behalf of all Icarans I wish you luck and peace on your long journies and to all of you and your families I say be proud for you are true Icarans and you are true pioneers. Farewell and safe journey Emperor Leonidas the sixteenth signing off."

Less then four hours later the ion engines of the Hunter lit and a shooting star was born in the sky over Icara as the blue startup flare streaked across a brilliant night sky and the Hunter left orbit for a universe unknown. In one month she would have left the system and then she would be out of comns range until she returned home after her planned three month journey of exploration.

More to come: