The TriStars: The Gathering Storm

Six gigantic warships of the Memphis Royal Navy enter the Tani star system. The fleet sails from the Kingdom of Memphis in response to rumor that Tanis is rebuilding the powerful star fortresses which guard the system in violation of Treaty.

It is twenty years since the two space powers vied for control of the galaxy. The inhabitants of Memphis are the human descendants of old Earth, lost long ago to the alien Chanur. The Tani are the half-breed offspring of humans and Chanur; the bizarre product of weird science. Though the Chanur vanished centuries ago, their belligerent children wish to inherit their once great empire.

Memphis and Tanis fought each other to a stand still in the last war, until a great human warrior, Admiral Petr Martel, ran his fleet of star cruisers pass the enemy fortresses to end the struggle. In the subsequent Treaty of the Tri-Stars, negotiated by then neutral Littoria, Tanis agreed to dismantle her forts and in exchange Memphis agreed not to occupy their wayward cousins.

Now the Memphens return, and with a much smaller fleet than Martel possessed at the 1st battle of Fortresses. On the plus side, these are not the cruisers of the admiral’s day, but large battleships, more heavily armed and armored. One vessel in particular is more powerful than the rest. While the other 5 ships in the fleet: Guardian, Defender, Protector, Vigilance, and Resolution are evolutionary in design, Titan is a revolutionary warship. She is the ultimate product of human engineering in the 3rd Millennium: some say she is based on the stolen plans of an old Earth starcruiser. Her sisters are sleek and graceful, armed with a dozen disrupter cannons each. Titan is squat and unattractive, with a turtle shaped hull and equipped with a single plasma cannon in her bow.

Titan’s captain is equally eccentric. Twenty-eight year old Steven Olar is the son of the Duke of Saboa, and childhood companion of King Samuel II, the head of state. In the Admiralty he has few friends, who consider his rise in rank due to royal privilege. Olar in fact is a maverick, a former gunship and frigate commander, who helped in the creation of the Titan.

Before reaching Tanis space, the Fleet commander orders a last video conference. During the meeting, Captain Olar expresses his concern that the Tani forts may be fully operational, and perhaps the entire 15 battleships of the Navy should be present, just in case. His unease is shrugged off to youth and inexperience. The commander expresses more faith than Olar in his "wonder weapon", the Titan.

The conference ends and the decision is final. Tanis will be called on to surrender her forts to royal inspection.

The 6 starships cross the threshold of enemy space, beaming their demands to the government. An eerie silence greets them. Perhaps the rumors are just rumors and the royals’ mission for naught. All questions are answered as a symphony of light casts death and destruction on the fleet. The Tani fortresses are fully operational!

The enemy fire takes a toll on the surprised Memphens. Protector suddenly explodes, her armor pierced as a hot knife through butter. It’s obvious the battleship technology fails to keep in step with fortress technology, save for the Titan. Olar’s ship is shrugging off the fire from the forts and manages to launch salvoes of her own. The plasma cannon causes major destruction in the thick shielding of the forts.

"Think what we can do with a fleet of Titans!" exclaims Olar prophetically.

Soon every ship in the squadron is disabled save Titan. For a short time Olar and his gallant crew fight a one-man war against the might of Tanis. Unexpectedly the plasma cannon jams and all enemy fire concentrates on Titan. From the mortally wounded flagship Guardian comes an order from the commander: "Olar, you must get out of this! Don’t let your ship fall into enemy hands! You must save her for the counteroffensive!" With this final plea, Guardian dies in the brilliant flash of a super nova.

Olar glares for a moment where the valiant warship and her crew once sailed. Shaking himself from lethargy and stifling a sob, he orders the withdrawal. No time is spent searching for survivors; there are no survivors. Titan is only slightly wounded, while the fleet is dead around her, yet he obeys orders. Whatever his peers think of his flight from the fortresses, he will live to fight another day, and someday he knows he will return here.

Next: The Storm Breaks

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