Meloncov
First Post
The following chronicles my D20 future campaign that will start this weekend. More information about the campaighn can be found at g13.schtuff.com. More of my art for this campaign can be found their and at my art thread
Two and a half millenia after the birth of Christ, Humanity has spread out across the galaxy, inhabiting isolated clusters of inhabitable star systems seperated by thousands of lightyears of inhospitable space. Among the oldest of the inhabited sectors is the Gama Cluster, located 400 lightyears from earth. Here, tensions gradually rise between the democratic but corrupt Guymerian Interstellar Republic and the dictatorial but effective Darian Star Empire. All that stands between the present uneasy peace and a war that would cause billions of casualties are a set of century old treaties, the most notable of which forbids the use of space-based weapons against planetary targets.
Among the hundreds of ships patrolling the border between these powers in Sector Gama 13 is the Guymerian warship Valient. Capable of traveling at dozens of times the speed of light and carrying more firepower than most ships twice its size, it is the most technologically advanced ship in the fleet.
On the ninty second day of 2563, the Valient revieved these orders. It's response would change history.
To: Commander Aaron Nielson, Starship Valient
From: Guymere Central Space Command Center
Encrypt Code: 131547
Decrypt Code: 395022
Contents of this message are confidential. Attempting to open this file without proper authorization will result in criminal charges, filed in the Court of the Republic of Guymere.
Top Priority Orders:
Proceed immediately to sector Gama 13, star 1324 “Ban Xing,” third planet, current solar alignment 37 degrees, distance 1.03 AU from star. Planet Name: Jiang, Coordinates: 1345:2144: 2545. Distance from current location: 2.3 light-years.
Territory is enemy controlled, patrolled lightly. Avoid confrontation on approach to planet. Maintain radio silence and attempt to mask gravitational distortions.
Upon arrival, fire upon cities at coordinates 3.4: 7.1 and 2.8: 0.9. Secondary targets: 2.7: 9.4 and 3.9: 8.1. Target cities are to be leveled completely. This action authorized under the authority of the President. Any responsibility for the violation of inter-stellar treaties will fall to him. As such, the right to refuse an unlawful order is temporarily suspended.
To: Guymere Central Space Command Center
From: Starship Valient
Encrypt Code: 23467
Decrypt Code: 90273
Contents of this message are confidential. Attempting to open this file without proper authorization will result in criminal charges, filed in the Court of the Republic of Guymere.
A war ship is power. Its entire purpose is to coerce, or to destroy. Ultimately, it the people on board said ship, not their commanders on remote worlds, who have that power. As such, no one has the authority to order us to do what we believe is unethical.
The orders are refused. Regardless of what punishment you threaten, we will not change our position, nor will we surrender to those who attempt to punish us for saving the lives of millions of innocent civilians.
Two and a half millenia after the birth of Christ, Humanity has spread out across the galaxy, inhabiting isolated clusters of inhabitable star systems seperated by thousands of lightyears of inhospitable space. Among the oldest of the inhabited sectors is the Gama Cluster, located 400 lightyears from earth. Here, tensions gradually rise between the democratic but corrupt Guymerian Interstellar Republic and the dictatorial but effective Darian Star Empire. All that stands between the present uneasy peace and a war that would cause billions of casualties are a set of century old treaties, the most notable of which forbids the use of space-based weapons against planetary targets.
Among the hundreds of ships patrolling the border between these powers in Sector Gama 13 is the Guymerian warship Valient. Capable of traveling at dozens of times the speed of light and carrying more firepower than most ships twice its size, it is the most technologically advanced ship in the fleet.
On the ninty second day of 2563, the Valient revieved these orders. It's response would change history.
To: Commander Aaron Nielson, Starship Valient
From: Guymere Central Space Command Center
Encrypt Code: 131547
Decrypt Code: 395022
Contents of this message are confidential. Attempting to open this file without proper authorization will result in criminal charges, filed in the Court of the Republic of Guymere.
Top Priority Orders:
Proceed immediately to sector Gama 13, star 1324 “Ban Xing,” third planet, current solar alignment 37 degrees, distance 1.03 AU from star. Planet Name: Jiang, Coordinates: 1345:2144: 2545. Distance from current location: 2.3 light-years.
Territory is enemy controlled, patrolled lightly. Avoid confrontation on approach to planet. Maintain radio silence and attempt to mask gravitational distortions.
Upon arrival, fire upon cities at coordinates 3.4: 7.1 and 2.8: 0.9. Secondary targets: 2.7: 9.4 and 3.9: 8.1. Target cities are to be leveled completely. This action authorized under the authority of the President. Any responsibility for the violation of inter-stellar treaties will fall to him. As such, the right to refuse an unlawful order is temporarily suspended.
To: Guymere Central Space Command Center
From: Starship Valient
Encrypt Code: 23467
Decrypt Code: 90273
Contents of this message are confidential. Attempting to open this file without proper authorization will result in criminal charges, filed in the Court of the Republic of Guymere.
A war ship is power. Its entire purpose is to coerce, or to destroy. Ultimately, it the people on board said ship, not their commanders on remote worlds, who have that power. As such, no one has the authority to order us to do what we believe is unethical.
The orders are refused. Regardless of what punishment you threaten, we will not change our position, nor will we surrender to those who attempt to punish us for saving the lives of millions of innocent civilians.
