name = Derek Weese email = nolan@tdi.net title = The time of sorrow warnings = some language, lots of violence. Centauri Prime: The halls of the Imperial Palace of the Centauri Republic echoed with the footfalls of gaurdsmen, admirals, generals and royal propieters. Lucco Geraldin was one of the many who walked through the halls of the palace that night. Like so many of the others his mind was concentrated on only one thing. A week ago a Narn listening post on the edge of Centauri space was destroyed by, at least this is what Lucco was told, a renegade Narn captain who wanted to spark a war with the Centauri. After the outposts destruction a task force of several Vor'Chan war cruisers and a wing of fighters responded to the distress signal and were attacked by a wing of Narn fighters. In self defense the Centauri task force defended itself and destroyed the Narn attackers. Lucco had been shocked by the news, he was a member of the royal family by marriage but was criticised for his peacefull politics by his in laws. This morning he had received a letter from the Prime Minister requesting his presence. Lucco had just arrived from the shuttle trip, he was with his family on his home world of Centaur-Triani 5, and was fairly tired. He hoped that he wasn't beign assigned another one of those damned jobs to Babylon 5. Lucco enjoyed the Humans and was sociable with Londo Mollari but would much rather be home with his wife and young son Dillad. He approached the offices of the prime Minister and gave the gaurd his appointment card. The gaurd opened the door and Lucco stepped in. The Prime Minister stood and smiled. "Come in Lucco and have a seat. Would you like a drink?" Lucco nodded. "Yes your eminence, indeed I would." Lucco graciously took the drink handed him and drinked it slowly, savoring the warmth it gave him. The Prime Minister watched him for a brief moment and then downed his in one gulp. He smacked his lips in appreciation and sat back down. "So Lucco, do oyu have any idea why you were ordered here?" Lucco shook his head. "No your eminence, but I'm positive you'll tell me." The Prime Minister nodded his head. "You're being assigned to the fleet which will assault the Narn fleet base at Frionia 9. Your job will be to gain experience as a fleet officer. You won't neccesarily make any key decisons but you wil learn by watching. The Royal Regent wishes his wifes nephew to have something more out of his Royal life then just the running of a piddly colony on the edge of our border. It is effective immedeiately. We've formally declared war on the Narn Regime just two hours ago, and the fleets are already on their ways. You are to report to Admiral Trillia in one hour. No possesions will be required. The fleet will take care of you." And with less ceremony then a wave of a hand Lucco was cast directly into the center of a war he did not wish to take part in. * * * * The Narn picket scouts on the edge of the jump points for Frionia 9 formed a 300 kilometer long line around the possible jump points the Centauri fleet could choose. 500 kilometers behind them was a second line of ships, barges from the outside appearences, but inside they each held a squadron of fighters. There was fifty of them and they were, together with the 400 picket vessels, the first line of defense for the Narn base at Frionia 9. Lucco watched as the long range scanners on the heavy battle cruiser the "CEANTAUR" picked up the readings of the Narn picket line even through hyperspace. he looked up as Admiral Trillia stood next to him and pointed at the holo tactical projector. "From there you can see the fighting represented by holographic images. They consist of wire frame renderings of our fleet in blue and those of the Narn in red. Or you may wish to look out the port viewers. Although I suggest the Holo projector. The amazing distances in space combat deny one the close up view that the Holo Projectors provide us." Lucco despised the way that the Admiral treated him like a child. For three days they had traveled in hyperspace towards the Narn base, Lucco was at first amazed by the rolling red and orange of hyperspace, but lost interest by the sheer monotony it offered. Trillia didn't include him in any of the tactical discussions of the fleet officers and so Lucco was left to explore the insides of the battle cruiser. But there he found it more often then not that he was simply in the way and so retired to his quarters and wrote letters to his wife which could not be sent until there was a resting period, and the way Trillia and the other officers described the progress of the war and their aspirations, that could very well be a long way off indeed. As Lucco looked out the viewers at the rolling redness of hyperspace he could hear a disscussion of two officers behind him. He strained his ears so he could listen. He entered at midsentence. "...those Narn barbaric bastards couldn't hope to defeat our fleet. This fleet has over 1,000 ships. And don't forget the fact that we're only one of three fleets wiping out those damned Narns. I figure its about time the Imperials decided to end their nonsense once and for all." "Yes tell me about it! My father was a Colonel of gaurdsmen on the Narn homeworld and he told me terrible stories of how those barbarians tortured and killed our captured men. The slaves we had were no better. To me they're disgusting primates only fit for..." Lucco got disgusted and blocked the conversation from his mind. * * * * The Narn commodore in control of the fleet at Frionia 9 was so ocncerned with the possible approaches in front of the base that he never stopped to consider the fact that the Centauri admiral might try a flanking maneuver and hit him from the rear. Unfortunately for the Narn's, Admiral Trillia was a much more thourough thinker. As the Narn's expected the Centauri fleet exited hyperspace only 250 kilometers from the first picket line and deployed in a massive globe type formation. What they didn't know was that Trillia had sent a full half of his fleet on a course to come out behind the Narn base. Lucco watched as the fleet approached the Narn picket destroyers at .5 The Narn pickets were only about the size of a shuttle and were made solely to slow a fleet so as the main body of their fleet oculd deploy and smash the enemy in a giant wedge formation. Exactly like the Narn textbooks at their fleet academys described it. Trillia couldn't have been more unconcerned then if he ws at home beign attacked by a fly. The outer ring of Vor'Chan cruisers began firing their homing missiles at 100 kilometers. Well beyond the range of the Narn pickets energy weapons. Lucco's eyes were dazzled by the far off flashes of light which signified a dying Narn ship. It took him several seconds to realize that at the distance they were it took two seconds for the light to reach his eyes since the main body of the fleet was 200 kilometers behind the Vor'Chan perimeter. In desperation the Narn commodore sent his makeshift carriers charging towards the Cenaturi battle lines. Most of the carriers were destroyed beofre they had the chance to launch fighters but enough made it to launch over 200 fighters at the Centauri battle lines. Trillia knew that the Vor'Chan was basically vulnerable to a heavy fighter attack and so quickly ordered his carriers to launch thier own fighters and intercep the incoming Narns. * * * * The Narn commodore swore mightily as the Centauri simply blasted through his picket line with only a few fighters lost. He glanced out the bridge viewer on his heavy cruiser and keyed in the order to send in the fleet. * * * * The Narns couldn't have played into Trillia's hands any easier then if they did it on Trillia's own bidding. The VOr'Chan and carrier globes simply "peeled" backwards and around to expose the heavy battle cruisers in the rear. The oncoming Narn fleet would run right into the massive firepower of his main line. Already over 1,000 fighters were savaging the Narn fleet and Trillia was watching smugly, already assured of his success. Lucco glanced at him and realized the admiral was watching him. "Your first time seeing a battle Lucco?" Lucco nodded. "Not mine of course. Maybe one day you'll be in my shoes. You may think the process of what I do to be indescribaby cruel, but remember Lucco, in a battle you survive by killing. And the quicker you kill the enemy, the less time he has to think up ways to kill you. Remember that the next time you have thoughts of mercy for the Narn. They do not hesitate to think up ways to kill us, so one must never hesitate in thinking on their own demise." * * * * As planned, the second arm of Trillia's fleet exited hyperspace just as the narn main body began engaging the heavy battle cruisers of the Centauri. The Narn commodre panicked and tryed to retreat, but the speed of the Vor'Chan's and of the carriers was simply too great. The Narn fleet was enveloped. Trillia watched as Lucco gazed at the destruction for several minutes before turning and leaving the bridge. Trillia shook his head, the young were always squeemish around death. End of chapter one. More will follow. -----------------------------------------------