Hangar Bay Alpha was quite possibly the greatest scene that mankind has ever created. A massive superstructure that stretched 3,500 feet long and 1,800 feet wide, it was an area of space constructed to hold the Vigilance in its entirety. Certainly one of the largest ships that had ever been constructed. The 2,600 foot battlecruiser was three times longer than any battleship to ever sail the seas of planet Earth, and probably weighed almost ten times as much as well. It truly was a sight to behold, a scene of technological marvel that humanity would remember for the rest of its days.
Inside the Hangar Bay, large congregations of service personnel socialized with one another, each clumped up like highschool students in their respective social circles. The Landers were in their own, with the fighter squadrons in another, and the ship personnel in many more small groups. They were all cogs in what needed to be a well-oiled killing machine. The space on the frontier was dangerous and unrelenting, and despite the size of the Vigilance, would need to have an ace crew if it ever desired to return home to Federation Space.
"ATTENTION ON HANGAR! ADMIRAL ON DECK!" An officer shrilled. The sound of eight thousand personnel snapping out of their social interaction and into formation caused the room to rumble for an extended moment. Everyone's eyes searched for their Captain when a younger woman revealed herself from the West Entrance, flanked on both ends by an entourage of her officer staff. The eyes of officers darted about, inspecting the personnel before they were to board the Vigilance. Miranda however, had her eyes only set on the Vigilance.
"It's beautiful." She cooed under her breath as she stepped up to the bow of the ship. Standing on the edge of her toes, she reached up and placed her hand onto its protruding armor, running her fingers along the side, almost as if the ship was a great beast that she was calming. Of course, she had been on the Vigilance before, but this was after the final touches had been placed onto the ship. It was finally ready to be commissioned and sent into war.
Rear Admiral Miranda Chevalier stepped away from the ship and towards one of the many docking ramps which led inside the Vigilance. Before she entered the ship, she turned towards the servicemen and woman that were standing at attention for her.
"Men and woman of the Federation! I expect each and every one of you to serve your stations with the greatest capacity you can muster. I will accept no less than one-hundred and ten percent. We are the forefront of mankind, both it's spear and shield. We are the vanguard of nearly twenty-five hundred years of human evolution. We are not here for show, to fulfill some political doctrine or impress some old men sitting at their desks. We are here to protect and serve humanity with pride, honor and superior firepower!"
With that, the Admiral stepped inside the ship, the first of many Federation personnel that would enter the ship for the Vigilance's first combat operations. "Alright! At ease everyone! All personnel are to board from the East and West docking bays. Report to your combat stations immediately and prepare for combat inspection!"
Snowdrops
