With Donald's luck, anything is possible.
UT: TFV - Operation Vanguard
- Thread starter Gibraltar
- Start date
TFV - Operation Vanguard (Chapter 2)
Chapter 2
Sandhurst’s wait in Admiral Brandies’ anteroom was a brief one. He'd barely had time to take a seat and contemplate replicating himself a cup of coffee when the admiral’s adjutant ushered him into Brandies’ office.
Saban Brandies had been named the command officer for Operation Vanguard, and all ancillary operations regarding the mission, to include logistics for Starbase Bastion and resupply efforts for the task force itself.
He was a stout man, whose barrel-chest had probably once been his most noticeable attribute. The expansion of his waistline, however, now left him largely torpedo-shaped. His jutting chin and expressive face were still discernible even under his substantial bulk, and the presence of evident laugh-lines spoke to the man’s ability to maintain his sense of humor at the worst of times.
His handshake was as forceful as Sandhurst had imagined. “Captain, welcome! Please, take a seat.”
Sandhurst sat as instructed, containing his obvious curiosity as to the reason for his presence in the man’s office.
“Can I get you something, Captain? Coffee? Tea?”
“No, thank you, sir. I’m fine.”
Brandies nodded amiably, lowering himself into his chair with practiced delicacy. “I’m curious as to what you thought about this operation? I know all this must be a shock coming out of left-field, as it were. I’ve known about it for months and I’m still trying to wrap my head around the implications.” He stabbed a finger in Sandhurst’s direction. “And I’m led to understand that you’ve taken part in a number of similarly high-profile missions since you took command of Gibraltar.”
“That’s true, sir,” Sandhurst agreed. “And though some of those assignments might have been important, none were as critical as this operation in maintaining the Federation’s security. In answer to your question, I’d say it’s an ambitious plan, something of a gamble for the crews involved, but absolutely necessary. They’ll be out there on their own, weeks away from Starfleet Command via subspace, with very little backup available should things take a bad turn.”
Brandies appeared to accept Sandhurst ’s assessment. “As such, we’ll certainly need substantial logistics support to ensure that our ships in the field are properly supplied, as well as stockpiling resources for the possibility of settling some of these species on available uninhabited worlds.”
Sandhurst smiled easily. “Of course, sir. I’d rather thought that’s why Gibraltar was summoned here.”
Brandies returned the smile. “It is, in a manner of speaking. In order to minimize the already significant impact to regular Fleet assets, the Border Service will be taking point on handling security for our supply escorts.”
Sandhurst’s eyes widened. “I see. We’re being transferred to the Border Service, then?”
The admiral canted his head slightly, appearing to observe Sandhurt’s reaction carefully. “More specifically, Captain, Gibraltar is being transferred to the Border Service. You and your crew are being reassigned to another vessel more in keeping with the mission requirements of this assignment.”
Sandhurst looked dumbfounded. “Beg pardon, sir?”
“Captain,” Brandies began, sitting forward to rest his elbows on his desk top as he steepled his fingers. “You and your crew have been tapped by our mission’s selection board, to include a number of influential persons in the admiralty. Your actions in the line of duty are recognized as being daring, innovative and decisive. You and your people have proven capable of rising to meet challenges far exceeding the expectations of a… if you’ll forgive the expression, ‘mere’ escort ship.”
In response to this praise, Sandhurst merely sate mute.
“Those traits are exactly what are needed in the personnel selected to undertake Operation Vanguard.”
“A different ship,” Sandhurst repeated slowly.
Brandies fought back a laugh. “Well, perhaps we’ll have to revisit that ‘decisive’ descriptive again, eh?” He touched an interface in his desk top.
A hologram popped into existence in the center of the office, a wire-frame diagram of a starship that turned slowly on its axis as its internal structure and hull took shape in successive layers.
“Allow me to introduce you to the Luna-class explorer, Europa.”
Sandhurst finally fought through the waves of confusion and disbelief to find his voice. “That’s Ra-Havreii’s design.”
Brandies held up what he hoped would be a mollifying hand. “Now, Captain, I’m aware of your object—“
“Admiral, you can’t be serious,” Sandhurst exclaimed, inadvertently drowning out his superior. “That design was supposed to have been shelved. Ra-Havreii’s a fraud and that ship isn’t spaceworthy.”
“At ease, Captain,” Brandies said insistently as he rose from his chair. “There’s no need to shout, I’m right here.”
Sandhurst blanched and stopped himself in mid-sentence.
“As I was saying, Captain,” Brandies continued in his previous jovial tone, “I’m aware of your… passionate objections to Commander Ra-Havreii’s Luna design.” The Admiral moved toward the replicator station.
“I would point out, sir,” Sandhurst said more calmly this time, “that the Luna blew up during speed trials.”
Brandies gave Sandhurst a skeptical look as he plugged his beverage order into the replicator by hand. “That’s a bit hyperbolic, isn’t it? Yes, there was an explosion in engineering, but the majority of the ship and crew survived the event.”
“I hadn’t heard anything about the Luna-class project being revived by S.C.E., Admiral,” Sandhurst side-stepped the observation. “Can I assume that Europa has successfully completed all pre-operational trials?”
As he reached into the replicator slot to retrieve his glass of Altair water, Brandies paused to formulate a response. “The spaceframe and all operational systems aside from its warp drive have fully checked out. Luna herself is being repaired as we speak, and her sisters Titan and Ganymede will finish primary construction within the year.”
To this Sandhurst offered an unenthusiastic, “Right.”
“We’re hurting for operational deep-space explorers, Captain,” Brandies said with an undertone of defensiveness. “Most especially ones specifically designed for just this sort of mission profile. The Luna-class fits the bill perfectly.”
“Aside from the unconventional warp-drive design that has an annoying tendency to explode,” Sandhurst added wryly.
“Just so,” Brandies said, raising his glass in a mock salute. “You’re name was on the short list of engineers who could troubleshoot the problem en route to intercept these potential invaders. And the fact that once in position you also have the command chops to execute First Contact, and should it prove necessary, engage in an innovative defense, well… that’s just gravy, as they say.”
Sandhurst sat forward, placing his elbows on his knees as he rubbed his face tiredly. “So, what you’re saying is that you’re sending my crew and I into uncharted space, headlong into the jaws of assorted groups of nomadic aliens whose intentions are unclear, in a ship with an inoperative warp drive in the hopes I’ll be able to cobble something together by the time we get there?”
“Well summarized,” lauded Brandies, “and yes.”
“Sir, with respect, that’s… well, Admiral, it’s insane.”
Brandies bobbed his head agreeably. “Under normal circumstances, I’d concur with your assessment. However, as you’ve just seen, this situation falls far outside the boundaries of ‘normal operations.’” He settled back into his chair, careful not to upset the drink in his hand. “The Luna-class is uniquely equipped for this kind of mission. Her state-of-the-art sensor suite is a generation ahead of anything else out there, even the Sovereigns. And disparage Xin Ra-Havreii all you want, we both know the man’s a genius when it comes to starship design, most especially warp-field theory.”
“I respectfully disagree, sir,” Sandhurst voiced stubbornly.
“The Executive Design Committee of the S.C.E. and three years of computer simulations are stacked against that opinion, Captain. Xin’s on to something here, and if he’s right, Europa could end up being one of our fastest assets in the task force. Coupled with the ship’s advanced sensors and defensive systems, she could be a difference maker out there.”
Sandhurst was still for a long moment before asking, “What do you want from me, Admiral?”
“Simple, Captain. You and your engineering personnel will remain awake while the rest of your crew is in stasis. You’ll have four and a half months to make Ra-Havreii’s engine design work.”
“And if we can’t?”
“In that unfortunate eventuality, we’re sending along the necessary components for you to fashion a working design from the drive systems of an Akira-class.”
Sandhurst crunched the numbers in his head. “That’d give us a fair amount of power, but we’d have to tailor the intermix ratio to—“
“As I said, you were on the short list.” Brandies beamed happily, waving away the particulars of Sandhurst’s musings. “Come now, Captain. You can’t tell me that trudging back and forth on escort duty in Cardassian territory has been all that rewarding personally or professionally for you?”
Sandhurst expression soured, as if the admission was being pulled from him by force. “It has grown a bit… stale, lately.”
“I’m giving you the chance to be an explorer, to participate in what may be the most important series of First Contacts in the Federation’s history. And the big old cherry on top of this marvelous sundae is that as part of the deal you get to roll up your sleeves and be an engineer again.” Brandies’ teeth fairly sparkled with saccharine sincerity.
Sandhurst stared him down incredulously. “Really, Admiral? I may have been born at night, but it wasn’t last night.”
Brandies spread his arms expansively. “Too jaded to buy the rah-rah pep-talk anymore? Fine, how about chasing that sugary sundae with a shot of the ugly, bitter truth?” He gestured out the viewport in the general direction of the Delta Quadrant. “We aren’t ready for this, not by a long shot. If we can’t open a dialogue with those alien fleets, and at the very least slow some of them down, they’re liable to finish what the Dominion War started. I’ve got a dozen reports from the doomsayers at Fleet Tactical talking about the Federation fracturing beyond repair as a result of these incursions. You remember what happened on Earth after the barbarian hordes sacked Rome? The Dark Ages, Captain, that’s what we could be looking at here.”
The captain crossed his arms as he tried to remove his ego from the equation and consider Brandies’ arguments on their own merit. Yes, the stability of the Alpha Quadrant was in jeopardy. Yes, he was uniquely qualified to oversee Europa’s hasty completion. And most damnably, yes, he could make more of a difference commanding a ship of Europa’s capabilities out there in the thick of it than he ever could leading an outdated and overworked escort back here at home.
Sandhurst stood, his face fixed with a dark resolve that made Brandies vaguely uncomfortable, as if somebody had suddenly replaced the captain with someone else entirely. “If I agree to this mission, I’m going to need some things from you, sir.”
Brandies gave him a disbelieving look. “You want to haggle with me, Captain?”
“No, sir. You’ll want to strike a deal with me, Admiral. If I’m the lynchpin in making this plan of yours work, as you’ve suggested, then you’ll need my full cooperation. To have my full cooperation, I’m going to need some additional personnel assigned to my command.”
Brandies set his glass down and activated his computer terminal. “Name them.”
*****
Chapter 2
Sandhurst’s wait in Admiral Brandies’ anteroom was a brief one. He'd barely had time to take a seat and contemplate replicating himself a cup of coffee when the admiral’s adjutant ushered him into Brandies’ office.
Saban Brandies had been named the command officer for Operation Vanguard, and all ancillary operations regarding the mission, to include logistics for Starbase Bastion and resupply efforts for the task force itself.
He was a stout man, whose barrel-chest had probably once been his most noticeable attribute. The expansion of his waistline, however, now left him largely torpedo-shaped. His jutting chin and expressive face were still discernible even under his substantial bulk, and the presence of evident laugh-lines spoke to the man’s ability to maintain his sense of humor at the worst of times.
His handshake was as forceful as Sandhurst had imagined. “Captain, welcome! Please, take a seat.”
Sandhurst sat as instructed, containing his obvious curiosity as to the reason for his presence in the man’s office.
“Can I get you something, Captain? Coffee? Tea?”
“No, thank you, sir. I’m fine.”
Brandies nodded amiably, lowering himself into his chair with practiced delicacy. “I’m curious as to what you thought about this operation? I know all this must be a shock coming out of left-field, as it were. I’ve known about it for months and I’m still trying to wrap my head around the implications.” He stabbed a finger in Sandhurst’s direction. “And I’m led to understand that you’ve taken part in a number of similarly high-profile missions since you took command of Gibraltar.”
“That’s true, sir,” Sandhurst agreed. “And though some of those assignments might have been important, none were as critical as this operation in maintaining the Federation’s security. In answer to your question, I’d say it’s an ambitious plan, something of a gamble for the crews involved, but absolutely necessary. They’ll be out there on their own, weeks away from Starfleet Command via subspace, with very little backup available should things take a bad turn.”
Brandies appeared to accept Sandhurst ’s assessment. “As such, we’ll certainly need substantial logistics support to ensure that our ships in the field are properly supplied, as well as stockpiling resources for the possibility of settling some of these species on available uninhabited worlds.”
Sandhurst smiled easily. “Of course, sir. I’d rather thought that’s why Gibraltar was summoned here.”
Brandies returned the smile. “It is, in a manner of speaking. In order to minimize the already significant impact to regular Fleet assets, the Border Service will be taking point on handling security for our supply escorts.”
Sandhurst’s eyes widened. “I see. We’re being transferred to the Border Service, then?”
The admiral canted his head slightly, appearing to observe Sandhurt’s reaction carefully. “More specifically, Captain, Gibraltar is being transferred to the Border Service. You and your crew are being reassigned to another vessel more in keeping with the mission requirements of this assignment.”
Sandhurst looked dumbfounded. “Beg pardon, sir?”
“Captain,” Brandies began, sitting forward to rest his elbows on his desk top as he steepled his fingers. “You and your crew have been tapped by our mission’s selection board, to include a number of influential persons in the admiralty. Your actions in the line of duty are recognized as being daring, innovative and decisive. You and your people have proven capable of rising to meet challenges far exceeding the expectations of a… if you’ll forgive the expression, ‘mere’ escort ship.”
In response to this praise, Sandhurst merely sate mute.
“Those traits are exactly what are needed in the personnel selected to undertake Operation Vanguard.”
“A different ship,” Sandhurst repeated slowly.
Brandies fought back a laugh. “Well, perhaps we’ll have to revisit that ‘decisive’ descriptive again, eh?” He touched an interface in his desk top.
A hologram popped into existence in the center of the office, a wire-frame diagram of a starship that turned slowly on its axis as its internal structure and hull took shape in successive layers.
“Allow me to introduce you to the Luna-class explorer, Europa.”
Sandhurst finally fought through the waves of confusion and disbelief to find his voice. “That’s Ra-Havreii’s design.”
Brandies held up what he hoped would be a mollifying hand. “Now, Captain, I’m aware of your object—“
“Admiral, you can’t be serious,” Sandhurst exclaimed, inadvertently drowning out his superior. “That design was supposed to have been shelved. Ra-Havreii’s a fraud and that ship isn’t spaceworthy.”
“At ease, Captain,” Brandies said insistently as he rose from his chair. “There’s no need to shout, I’m right here.”
Sandhurst blanched and stopped himself in mid-sentence.
“As I was saying, Captain,” Brandies continued in his previous jovial tone, “I’m aware of your… passionate objections to Commander Ra-Havreii’s Luna design.” The Admiral moved toward the replicator station.
“I would point out, sir,” Sandhurst said more calmly this time, “that the Luna blew up during speed trials.”
Brandies gave Sandhurst a skeptical look as he plugged his beverage order into the replicator by hand. “That’s a bit hyperbolic, isn’t it? Yes, there was an explosion in engineering, but the majority of the ship and crew survived the event.”
“I hadn’t heard anything about the Luna-class project being revived by S.C.E., Admiral,” Sandhurst side-stepped the observation. “Can I assume that Europa has successfully completed all pre-operational trials?”
As he reached into the replicator slot to retrieve his glass of Altair water, Brandies paused to formulate a response. “The spaceframe and all operational systems aside from its warp drive have fully checked out. Luna herself is being repaired as we speak, and her sisters Titan and Ganymede will finish primary construction within the year.”
To this Sandhurst offered an unenthusiastic, “Right.”
“We’re hurting for operational deep-space explorers, Captain,” Brandies said with an undertone of defensiveness. “Most especially ones specifically designed for just this sort of mission profile. The Luna-class fits the bill perfectly.”
“Aside from the unconventional warp-drive design that has an annoying tendency to explode,” Sandhurst added wryly.
“Just so,” Brandies said, raising his glass in a mock salute. “You’re name was on the short list of engineers who could troubleshoot the problem en route to intercept these potential invaders. And the fact that once in position you also have the command chops to execute First Contact, and should it prove necessary, engage in an innovative defense, well… that’s just gravy, as they say.”
Sandhurst sat forward, placing his elbows on his knees as he rubbed his face tiredly. “So, what you’re saying is that you’re sending my crew and I into uncharted space, headlong into the jaws of assorted groups of nomadic aliens whose intentions are unclear, in a ship with an inoperative warp drive in the hopes I’ll be able to cobble something together by the time we get there?”
“Well summarized,” lauded Brandies, “and yes.”
“Sir, with respect, that’s… well, Admiral, it’s insane.”
Brandies bobbed his head agreeably. “Under normal circumstances, I’d concur with your assessment. However, as you’ve just seen, this situation falls far outside the boundaries of ‘normal operations.’” He settled back into his chair, careful not to upset the drink in his hand. “The Luna-class is uniquely equipped for this kind of mission. Her state-of-the-art sensor suite is a generation ahead of anything else out there, even the Sovereigns. And disparage Xin Ra-Havreii all you want, we both know the man’s a genius when it comes to starship design, most especially warp-field theory.”
“I respectfully disagree, sir,” Sandhurst voiced stubbornly.
“The Executive Design Committee of the S.C.E. and three years of computer simulations are stacked against that opinion, Captain. Xin’s on to something here, and if he’s right, Europa could end up being one of our fastest assets in the task force. Coupled with the ship’s advanced sensors and defensive systems, she could be a difference maker out there.”
Sandhurst was still for a long moment before asking, “What do you want from me, Admiral?”
“Simple, Captain. You and your engineering personnel will remain awake while the rest of your crew is in stasis. You’ll have four and a half months to make Ra-Havreii’s engine design work.”
“And if we can’t?”
“In that unfortunate eventuality, we’re sending along the necessary components for you to fashion a working design from the drive systems of an Akira-class.”
Sandhurst crunched the numbers in his head. “That’d give us a fair amount of power, but we’d have to tailor the intermix ratio to—“
“As I said, you were on the short list.” Brandies beamed happily, waving away the particulars of Sandhurst’s musings. “Come now, Captain. You can’t tell me that trudging back and forth on escort duty in Cardassian territory has been all that rewarding personally or professionally for you?”
Sandhurst expression soured, as if the admission was being pulled from him by force. “It has grown a bit… stale, lately.”
“I’m giving you the chance to be an explorer, to participate in what may be the most important series of First Contacts in the Federation’s history. And the big old cherry on top of this marvelous sundae is that as part of the deal you get to roll up your sleeves and be an engineer again.” Brandies’ teeth fairly sparkled with saccharine sincerity.
Sandhurst stared him down incredulously. “Really, Admiral? I may have been born at night, but it wasn’t last night.”
Brandies spread his arms expansively. “Too jaded to buy the rah-rah pep-talk anymore? Fine, how about chasing that sugary sundae with a shot of the ugly, bitter truth?” He gestured out the viewport in the general direction of the Delta Quadrant. “We aren’t ready for this, not by a long shot. If we can’t open a dialogue with those alien fleets, and at the very least slow some of them down, they’re liable to finish what the Dominion War started. I’ve got a dozen reports from the doomsayers at Fleet Tactical talking about the Federation fracturing beyond repair as a result of these incursions. You remember what happened on Earth after the barbarian hordes sacked Rome? The Dark Ages, Captain, that’s what we could be looking at here.”
The captain crossed his arms as he tried to remove his ego from the equation and consider Brandies’ arguments on their own merit. Yes, the stability of the Alpha Quadrant was in jeopardy. Yes, he was uniquely qualified to oversee Europa’s hasty completion. And most damnably, yes, he could make more of a difference commanding a ship of Europa’s capabilities out there in the thick of it than he ever could leading an outdated and overworked escort back here at home.
Sandhurst stood, his face fixed with a dark resolve that made Brandies vaguely uncomfortable, as if somebody had suddenly replaced the captain with someone else entirely. “If I agree to this mission, I’m going to need some things from you, sir.”
Brandies gave him a disbelieving look. “You want to haggle with me, Captain?”
“No, sir. You’ll want to strike a deal with me, Admiral. If I’m the lynchpin in making this plan of yours work, as you’ve suggested, then you’ll need my full cooperation. To have my full cooperation, I’m going to need some additional personnel assigned to my command.”
Brandies set his glass down and activated his computer terminal. “Name them.”
*****
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Okay, to begin, everyone in the Fanfic forum knows I'm blunt and don't give out unnecessary praise.
With that in mind, believe me when I with say that this is as good as any official Star Trek literature people pay money for in the shops. I genuinely see little or no difference in quality between the two, and would go so far as to say this and Gibraltar's other work is actually better than a lot of available Star Trek books.
Aside from obviously being extremely well-written in virtually every regard, the story itself is a foreboding, wide-reaching concept that drives home the immensity of the galaxy, and the imagery of these interstellar barbarian hoards slowly advancing upon the Alpha Quadrant in such immense numbers that they threaten to overwhelm the Federation and everyone else is captivating.
Once again, how you're not doing this for a living is beyond me, and I wonder if asking you to write fanfic is the akin to asking Picasso to emulsion a bedroom wall.
With that in mind, believe me when I with say that this is as good as any official Star Trek literature people pay money for in the shops. I genuinely see little or no difference in quality between the two, and would go so far as to say this and Gibraltar's other work is actually better than a lot of available Star Trek books.
Aside from obviously being extremely well-written in virtually every regard, the story itself is a foreboding, wide-reaching concept that drives home the immensity of the galaxy, and the imagery of these interstellar barbarian hoards slowly advancing upon the Alpha Quadrant in such immense numbers that they threaten to overwhelm the Federation and everyone else is captivating.
Once again, how you're not doing this for a living is beyond me, and I wonder if asking you to write fanfic is the akin to asking Picasso to emulsion a bedroom wall.
This story just keeps getting better! I agree wholeheartedly with Sandoval; I'd pay to read Trek of this caliber and definitely appreciate your sharing it with us.
^ I must agree with everything you have said there Sandoval. This is excellent work Gibraltar. Write faster dammit! 
Also Sandhurst is getting a Luna-Class? Very cool and well deserved.
Also Sandhurst is getting a Luna-Class? Very cool and well deserved.
Wow, did Sandoval compare Gibraltar to Picasso? Not sure if I'm ready to put your works into a museum but I've long since held the belief that your stuff is true professional grade.
And I love this story as well. The epic scope is awesome. This is going to have an impact on the entire Federation and beyond, that's for sure. The story-telling potential alone is seemingly endless.
I also like the small stuff; the crew's banter during the meeting, Sandhurst mistaking Glover's aloofness for arrogance and of course the humdinger, the new ship that may very well blow up under their collective butts. All delicious, all awesome. Looking forward to more.
And I love this story as well. The epic scope is awesome. This is going to have an impact on the entire Federation and beyond, that's for sure. The story-telling potential alone is seemingly endless.
I also like the small stuff; the crew's banter during the meeting, Sandhurst mistaking Glover's aloofness for arrogance and of course the humdinger, the new ship that may very well blow up under their collective butts. All delicious, all awesome. Looking forward to more.
This is certainly true of the Titan books...and speaking of them...a Luna-class? Really? Donald has to give up his pretty Constitution for one of the ugliest TNG era starship designs ever?
Oh, well. I guess I should be happy it's not a Defiant.
I think calling the luna-class 'vile' is a bit of a stretch - I don't think it's far enough removed from existing designs to be considered 'vile'.
It certainly isn't the best-looking Starfleet ship I've ever seen, granted, but then it also isn't anywhere near the worst.
It's magnolia or vanilla to my mind - neither beautiful nor ugly.
It certainly isn't the best-looking Starfleet ship I've ever seen, granted, but then it also isn't anywhere near the worst.
It's magnolia or vanilla to my mind - neither beautiful nor ugly.
I tend to think of all TNG-era designs as overblown flying Christmas trees. Luna is a mutated nebula flying Christmas tree.
I'm very 'meh' when it comes to the Luna-Class. She isn't especially good looking, but the idea of a dedicated explorer after so many tactical ships makes sense. I've always seen the look of the Luna being reminiscent to that of the Miranda (the Miranda was a smaller, cheaper alternative to the Constitution, and they look to be trying to do the same thing with the Luna and the Sovereign).
But that's just me.
Totally agree on the first two Titan books, they were gods awful!
But that's just me.
Totally agree on the first two Titan books, they were gods awful!
Like Bry, I'm ambivalent about the Luna-class. And personally, I thought the Galaxy-class Enterprise was the ugliest rendition of that hallowed name.
But I think Gibraltar made a masterful move in assigning Sandhurst and his crew to the Europa. Think about it - Donald and his people have become accustomed to the Gibraltar. They know her limitations and her strengths. More importantly, they have confidence in the old ship.
Now they are not only being sent off against an unknown invasion(?) force, they must do so in a ship that Sandhurst considers to be a death-trap (aesthetics of design, aside). Hell, the damn ship is in kit-form no less.
That just makes the whole trip more fun from a reader's perspective.
But I think Gibraltar made a masterful move in assigning Sandhurst and his crew to the Europa. Think about it - Donald and his people have become accustomed to the Gibraltar. They know her limitations and her strengths. More importantly, they have confidence in the old ship.
Now they are not only being sent off against an unknown invasion(?) force, they must do so in a ship that Sandhurst considers to be a death-trap (aesthetics of design, aside). Hell, the damn ship is in kit-form no less.
That just makes the whole trip more fun from a reader's perspective.
Thank you for the high praise, Sandoval. I hope to maintain that level of expectation as the series continues to progress. As for the epic scope of the storyline, I hope that other UT-Universe writers will also show how their ships and crews are coping with this latest crisis.
Many thanks, Cobalt Frost! Glad to have you along for the ride.
Thanks, Bry!^ I must agree with everything you have said there Sandoval. This is excellent work Gibraltar. Write faster dammit!
Also Sandhurst is getting a Luna-Class? Very cool and well deserved.
As for Sandhurst, I'm not too sure how 'cool' and 'deserved' he feels being assigned Europa is quite yet. Much obliged, CeJay! Yes, the potential stories that can be mined from this crisis are limitless, and I'm hoping to see Eagle or Agamemnon out there someplace, fighting the good fight.
I think from Sandhurst's perspective, a ship is a ship, though he'll always have a place in his heart for his first command.Like Bry, I'm ambivalent about the Luna-class. And personally, I thought the Galaxy-class Enterprise was the ugliest rendition of that hallowed name.
But I think Gibraltar made a masterful move in assigning Sandhurst and his crew to the Europa. Think about it - Donald and his people have become accustomed to the Gibraltar. They know her limitations and her strengths. More importantly, they have confidence in the old ship.
Now they are not only being sent off against an unknown invasion(?) force, they must do so in a ship that Sandhurst considers to be a death-trap (aesthetics of design, aside). Hell, the damn ship is in kit-form no less.
That just makes the whole trip more fun from a reader's perspective.
I had a couple of years to mull whether to reassign Gibraltar's crew, and if so onto what kind of vessel. I think the Luna-class is relatively unused in Trek fanfic by-and-large, and it's potentially dangerous 'unknown' factor will doubtless be a complicating factor in the crew's mission to meet the oncoming 'storm.'
This seems like it could be the worst torture yet for Sandhurst: stuck with Glover on an unreliable ship away from home for what I gather will be years. It's painful to even consider.
Well, this isn't Glover's permanent assignment, he's just lending a hand to make sure TFV gets sent off on schedule. He's not going along for the ride.
I think you did the right job with bringing in a Luna class starship. Plus the mention of the Akira class's spare parts was a nice touch too. Can't wait to see what happens next.
