Christmas at the Admiral's Table [Terracide]

[Xavier Onassiss]

Not the best thing I ever wrote, but this is what happened Christmas two years ago in my Terracide campaign. I'm referring to both real time and game time: the game session ran just after Christmas 2011, and the events in game took place on Christmas day, 2311.

 

 

Dinner at the Admiral's Table: 359-2311 (Christmas Day at Winter Palace, LP-656 38 system)

 

Ekaterina Petrova, newly appointed Admiral of the Defense Squadron for Omicron Free Station, stood at the head the long table, regarding the odd assortment of guests seated before her. Never one to be easily impressed, she nevertheless had to pause for a moment. Her days as an outlaw were over thanks to these people, who had come here from at least a dozen star systems. They came from Omicron; they came from Glass House. There were Captains from 61 Cygni and Epsilon Eridani, colonists from Tau Ceti and Epsilon Indi. Talitha Borealis came from the system of the same name, almost 50 light years away. A few of her guests acknowledged no home at all. And finally, there were survivors of the Terracide, whose continued perserverance after the death of their world slightly unnerved most of the others. The time had come to take back Omicron, and Ekaterina Petrova was going to help them do it. Or just get a lot of people killed in the attempt. But we will not receive another opportunity like this.

Petrova realized everyone was looking at her, expecting her to say something. She needed a moment to gather her thoughts. "I want to thank you all for coming here, and I should begin by reminding everyone why we are here; for every human being still alive in these dark times, the light of Sol once shone on a hundred. I'd like to ask for a moment of silence now, for all of them." Petrova found she could barely speak as the words caught in her throat. A brief glance around the room told her the others felt the same; the Terracide was best not contemplated for too long. There were no words, no feelings, no actions... no meaningful way to respond to such absolute atrocity. Silence only made it worse. "Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat eis."

The spell broke, and Petrova realized that once again, all eyes were on her. "For many years I dreamed of returning to civilization, to wage a war of revenge on those who sent me and my crew into exile. But we waited. Wars are not begun out of spite, or hatred. For a civilized society, war is the last resort of defense, and we had no right to defend anyone... until now.

All of you, gathered here tonight, represent the last people still free from the military government which has taken power in the core of Terran Space over the last four months. Freedom... that was only a word to most of us when we took our oaths and joined the Colonial Reserves. The people we protected did not know the meaning of the word, and neither did we. The Ridpath Junta, which rules in the name of safety and security but provides neither, still does not know its meaning... but they soon will.

By calling on the Constantine's crew to defend Omicron, you have given us hope... of serving proudly as soldiers once again, rather than dying in obscurity as outlaws. For us, there is no honor greater than this... to return to active duty once again, and fight in the defense of a proud, civilized people who value our service, who will remember what we do in their name. I say again, there is no honor greater than this.

And so tonight, we honor you. She raised her immense stein. Omicron Free Station!"

 

...and thus began the Omicron Station Rebellion. It was doomed from the beginning, but it wasn't futile; the rebels of Omicron set the Ridpath Junta back long enough to insure their eventual defeat in the Kruger 60 cluster.

[Lawnmower Boy]

Dinner at the Admiral's table sucks. The soup dish was brought in cold!

[Xavier Onassiss]

Having an Arnold Rimmer moment, there, Lawnmower Boy?

[L. Marcus]

"... Gazpacho ... !"