Gunslinger

Commadore Lord Brian William Kesington XIII, Royal New Tasmanian Navy,
on loan to the Free Cal-Tex after completing the briefing of the
senate panel investigating the threat that the 'Forge Worlds'
presented to humanity, stopped and looked.   Around the bridge of
the FCT SDN 'Trial by Combat', recently launched and undergoing trials, the
crew was intent on the exercise that lay before them. The exercise was simple,
seek and 'destroy' the Mimic class
frigate that was acting as an enemy capital ship.   This was a new
ship and things were not going well, The crew were using standard sensors to
search as the superiors and phased array imaging radar were being repaired due
to malfunctions in both systems. The Commadore thought that the infant
mortality in the systems was higher than it should have been, but the array
system was new technology, it would work out given time.

"Commadore we have a contact!" shouted Ensign Jones (sensor officer) "No need
to shout Ensign, we are on intercom. Make report." said the Commadore.

Ensign Jones: "Oh, aye aye Sir.   Green 15, range 100 mu, mass 220,
speed 8." BWK13 says: "Commander Butt, Battle stations, drill only."
Cmdr Butt responds: "Aye aye Sir.   Lieutenant Turner, sound
'battle stations, drill only." Lt Turner: "Aye, aye Sir." Claxtons sound in
background. Cmdr Butt says: "Lt. Fox has changed the scenario format, he
should only be simulating a mass 150 ship." BWK13 says: "Starboard 15,
increase speed to 8. Eyes, is the array repaired, I have a bogey at 12 o'clock
and want some data." 'Eyes' (Short form for Duty Sensor Officer) responds:
'Ready for a trial Sir, scanning, recording, WE ARE BURNING! Powerdown! Hit
the extinguisher!.....It's out. Sir, the array is fried. We did get a couple
good scans prior to the burnout. Give me a minute to get to the Eng console
and I'll process them. BWK13 says: "Well Butt, we have probably just witnessed
the most interesting part of this cruise." Cmdr Butt: "Chuckle, Aye Sir."
....
Eyes says: "Eyes to bridge, I am just about ready to bring the data up on the
main bridge holotank, on your command." Ensign jones to Captain: "Sir, the
bogey just put up force 2 screens."
BWK13 to Eyes: "Bring it up, Eyes.   Commander Butt, things have just
	    gotten much more interesting.   Sound battle station, this
	    is no drill.   Screens up, dump the simulation, load the
combat programs."

In a backwater system near a planet called 'harmony', a new ship, and a new
crew were going to have a "Trial by Combat".

Bye for now,