Asrabhal Interstellar Exploration Command, Ravan City, Asrabhalanda
It was clear, morning. The sun was peaking over the horizon as it cast its warm rays across the city skyline. A distant ways off was a massive, sprawling complex, many hectares in size. While Ravan City did contain its own spaceport, much like many other large cities on the planet, none had a specific launch complex. Both for large military starships and for any experimental vessels. Making this definition worthwhile, a Rastan-Class Battlecruiser, NPAS Kastakor, over a kilometer in length, was docked on the ground, preparing for launch.
Looking towards the large ship was a tall office building, serving as a control center; the brain of the entire operation. Standing and looking through the tinted glass was an Asrabi leader in formal dress, a pristine white jacket and trousers, with a taut back to keep his long spines down, and polished black boots that uniformly--although uncomfortably--pressed his two toes together neatly and triangularly. He rubbed his chin quizzically, looking at maintenance being conducted on the spacefaring vessel.
Not much later, a door in the back of the room hissed open, and through it stepped a man of similar height and in a similar uniform, although this one more of a dark gray, and on his chest rather than adornments were the emblematic colors of the United Indigenous People of Asrabhalanda and Its Protectorates. Everyone in the room, no matter rank or occupation, stood up from their desks and their computer terminals and faced the man. The commandant about-faced and looked stalwartly towards the Asrabi, crisply saluting him.
As this gray-suited dignitary stepped forward, he was accompanied by a small security detail of three soldiers. They were in advanced black armor, with armored plates around a gray bodysuit, helmets removed revealing the faces of the squad, the eyes on their foreheads glaring forward, the rifles they carried relaxed in their grips and pointed towards the air. The man nodded the white-suited soldier, who lowered the salute, and cleared his throat.
"Emperor Ly'tee, I trust this is about my call." the solider nervously choked. Even though they were equally matched (at least physically in appearance), the Emperor carried an air around him that was both reverent and intimidating.
"Marshal, I do trust that this is worth having me stop what I was doing to hear your word." he replied a bit gruffly. "I have a nation to lead, Parliament can't handle all of this by themselves."
"Yes sir, of course. What you see here, the Kastakor, is implementing a new SlipDrive that will be capable of launching it distances farther than ever before, and is capable of including a small fleet. It will help us for exploring, and for discovering what else is out there based on Doctor Ven'ma's report a few decades back. This goal will finally be realized!"
Emperor Ly'tee chuckled, smiling a bit. The soldier wasn't sure if it was in agreement and equal glee, or ridiculing such an incredulous notion.
"Marshal Shaki'dan, it is great that you do this for our people. A new opportunity arises us, but I have two questions to ask of you-"
"Of course sir, what are they?" he interrupted, his eyes widening a bit. The dictator scoffed slightly at the act.
"Well, Marshal, first I want to know what prompted you to mount such a powerful, volatile contraption onto such a large, cumbersome starship, and not in orbit?"
Marshal Shaki'dan puttered nervously, before snapping up and returning. "This device is too large to easily mount in an orbital shipyard for how much the ship needs to be taken apart and reassembled, and getting it into orbit in the first place would be extremely cumbersome. Plus I feel this is something that will make history of our people, and should be witnessed by all as a powerful launch from the surface as it coasts the stars."
"You remind me of my niece with the drama, Marshal." Ty'lee chortled. "But, regardless, that's reasonable. My second question is what is the risk this puts Asrabhal, both economically and at the expense of the lives of these men, to take such a large project?"
"Well, sir, while this did cost us billions upon billions of Dasra to construct and to ride on numbers alone, but our calculations have given us a mostly confident 53.2% chance of safe travel and return. While that seems like relatively low odds it's quite excellent given the nature of the operation. Kastakor and the small fleet joining her are also well-armed to combat any major opposition."
"I see...very well! I'm not very fond of those odds but this is indeed a historic day to record in the annals of the Asrabi. I will have Parliament take control to view this spectacle."
"Of course, sir. Launch will be in a few hours."
Launch Platform V01A, Asrabi Cruiser NPAS Kastakor, Ravan City, Asrabhalanda
High Commander Yarr Banan'um looked forward through the bridge viewscreens as the angled platform pointed her massive cruiser pointed towards the sky. They all sat buckled in at their stations, all personnel on the ship were required to as preparations for launch. Head Engineer, Junior Officer Gurka'me, confirmed that all systems were go and the ship was prepared to launch. Commander Banan'um reviewed the command order delivered to her computer.
Y. BANAN'UM, HIGH COMMANDER, NAVY OF THE PEOPLE OF ASRABHALANDA
MILITARY DESIGNATION: A591591
SHIP: NPAS KASTAKOR
ADDITIONAL SHIPS IN FLEET:
NPAS RAVAN, HEAVY FRIGATE
NPAS VEROKA RUNI'YU, HEAVY FRIGATE
NPAS ASDARAN, DESTROYER
NPAS PEACEFUL ACCORD, DIPLOMATIC VESSEL
[3 CORVETTES, CLICK TO SHOW NAMES AND DESIGNATIONS]
PURPOSE: ASRABHAL INTERSTELLAR EXPLORATION INITIATIVE
TRANSMITTING....................
By order of Emperor Baswok Ly'tee, your fleet is to use the ZAS-1 Slipstream Space Drive to travel to Point [REDACTED, REPORTED TO ASTRONAV OFFICER] at [REDACTED, REPORTED TO ASTRONAV OFFICER] light years away. Your fleet is then to begin broadcasting a signal to look for signs of new life and new intelligences, and report findings to NPA Authority for further analysis.
More details have been included in DataPak No. 1-3, specifically detailing navigation information. Most is to be sent to your ship's Astronomic Navigations Officer to process.
Are these orders clear?
Y [X]
N [ ]
Commander Banan'um relayed this information to her Navigations Officer, and then loudly declared into the ship PA system. "All personnel, prepare for launch."
Outside, many kilometers away, thousands watched and cameras panned to view the massive spaceship began its final preparations for launch. A countdown began as the engines of the craft began to fire up, the Rastan-Class's four nuclear reactors beginning to increase reaction output and providing great thrust to the engines. Once the countdown hit zero, flame erupted from the rear of the craft, and it slowly separated itself from its mooring. Slowly rising into the air, it turned as it began to fix its course, being tangential to the curve of the planet as it planned to meet up with the fleet.
After the influence of gravity began to dim, artificial gravity was switched on and the crew got to work as it organized with the small fleet. After some preparations, they began for jump. The drive began to increase in intensity, to the point where its rumbling could be hard through the bowels of the vessel. After some time two tubes in the bow of the ship fired two lines into the bleak emptiness of space. Once they connected there was a brief shine and soon the workings of time and space tore apart as a portal to SlipStream space was torn open. The ships cautiously entered, soon feeling the pull as the rip began to seal itself again. As the last ship entered, the portal closed.
Most of the crew went into stasis while a group of technicians continued to monitor them, preparing for the destination.
After some time the fleet emerged from Slipstream Space and were now in another star system. Following commanded guidelines, all ships began broadcasting a signal in all known languages to the Asrabi (There were few others besides Azri). Playing a message containing the anthem and warranting their arrival in peace. They remained in the bleak, hostile depths of the universe, hoping for some kind of return or contact.