Terran Wars, Reunions and Dinners

[Chaser617]

This chapters a little longer than the others, mainly because I couldn't finda good break piont. Hope you still enjoy reading these!

“Skipper! Thank goodness you and the Bosun are alive!” Ensign Sally Conleen exclaimed as Michael and the Bosun walked into the office complex that his crew had been ‘held' in. The tall, beautiful Lewstowner collie had not been what Michael had expected when he first read over the crew assignments for the Daniel Boone. Granted, Michael’s thoughts on Lewstowners had been colored very deeply with his mother’s annoyances with their Representative to the Allied Assembly. Sally was nothing like the annoying and self centered egotist Michael knew Harlman to be, she was actually rather shy, and he often wondered if she realized how beautiful she was to other furs. She was also, while very, very new to the UAWN uniform, one of the best com-tech officers he knew of. At the moment though she was not wearing a UAWN uniform, instead she was wearing what Edoan females liked to call a ‘kimono-dress.’ The classic kimono had been abandoned a few centuries before, but its lines and styles were duplicated, if not the sheer annoyance of putting one on, in current Edoan styles. His other crew, save for Lieutenant (j.g.) Kevin Yancy a fellow Hardinite, his gunnery control officer, where still in their shipboard jumpsuits, Kevin wore the slate gray of the Edoan Naval Forces, though with no rank or insignia.

“We got a little… Over-zealous when we were ripping Miss Conleen’s stripes and Ensign’s cicle off skipper,” Petty Officer First Class Leon Burnite, Sally’s watch helmsfur announced with a bit of a shrug. “By the time the Edoans announced that we were not being turned over to the League like we were afraid they’d do, well, her uniform wasn’t in the best of shapes, and she got a whole new wardrobe out of it. Personally I think she got the better of the deal seeing the stuff they gave her,” that got a bright blush out of the Ensign

“I got knocked about a bit Skipper when Kayleen,” Kevin waved to the powerful looking lioness that was his second in command for the Boone’s gunner crews. She towered over the short, slim shiba-inu. “Well, she threw me into the escape pod. They took me to a hospital facility checked me out; apparently they ‘lost’ my jumpsuit with all my proper rank and everything. They were rather apologetic, and well, gave me an ENF uniform till they could sew up a good one for me.

“I know about getting knocked around a bit Kevin,” Michael returned sheepishly as he looked at the Bosun, who only shrugged, then looked around at his crew, he, Kevin and Sally where the only officers. He couldn’t find Lieutenant (j.g.) Alfrado Hanson, the aristocratic looking, but very down to earth Cobiner that was his navigation officer, was no where to be seen, most of his engineering ratings, and he couldn’t find anyone from Gunner Three position. He hoped that meant they were somewhere else…

Petty Officer Burnite shook his head. “If they’re not here skipper,” he said softly, “they didn’t make it off her.”

Michael tried to hide the wince but knew he wasn’t successful. Out of a crew of four officers and one hundred ratings, he only counted sixty. He knew he should be grateful. Sixty furs getting out in that little time was nothing short of miraculous, but still, he couldn’t help thinking of the forty-four that didn’t make it out. They had been as much his responsibility as these lucky ones, and it hurt badly in his heart that he had let them all die.

“Skipper,” the Bosun said softly but with a firm tone. The voice was pitched for his ears alone. “I know it hurts but we didn’t have time to get them out. They knew the risk. Lousy I know but you gotta remember that. I told your father the same thing one time.”

Michael blinked looking at the Bosun. The bear had never mentioned serving with his father… “I’ll tell you about it sometime over a beer, but now, we have a job to do sir,” he said respectfully but firmly. “You are the skipper.”

Micahel nodded after getting over his shock, yes, he was the skipper. He took a deep breath and began taking stock. “All right, what’s our situation here?” He turned about the complex they were being held in. “We were told that we shouldn’t leave this area and their Edoan Armed Forces guards on the door.”

“I think that’s more for our protection than anything else,” Chief Petty Officer Kayleen Reynaurd responded from beside Kevin. “There is a buzzer if we need anything, the galley’s fully stocked, if strictly self-serve…” she smirked, that was not something that was too unusual for them, the Boone’s galley had been self serve as well. She had been too small for Stewards and Mess Mates. “Everyone we speak to keeps quoting the Kilsigie Treaty on POW and Neutral Detainee Treatment when we ask, but nothing in Kilsigie says they have to treat us this good. It’s making me nervous Skipper.”

“Kevin and I have received an invitation to dinner tonight,” Sally responded quizzically. “They won’t say who with, and only added that the invitation was also open to our commanding officer if he survived and was found. The way they talked, and their body-language, seemed like they were really hoping that you did survive sir.”

“Body language?” Kevin asked quizzically. “All I got was a formal request.”

“I’m a communications officer sir,” Sally said with a bright blush. “The technical side of things is only half our job, the other half is reading people. Petty Officer Higgens, my watch com-tech agrees with me when I asked her what she thought about it too.”

Micahel nodded slowly, he knew Sally was very good at her job for that reason. Not everyone so new to their commissions would have turned nearly as readily to the enlisted ratings for second opinions as Sally did. Probably one of the reason the shy Lewstowner had become the darling girl of the Boone’s crew. “All right, they want to meet the officers,” he decided not to tell them that he had been brought into custody by the Edoan Crown Princess, that would have caused way too many rumors among the ratings. It was bad enough that the female Hardinite petty officers had started odds on fixing him or Kevin up with Sally. Those thoughts were for a different time he told himself.

“All right, we need to get ourselves organized, find out what we know, see if there is any way we can get into contact with Fleet Command. I doubt it. Seems like the Edoans are trying to keep us under wraps for some reason…”

His orders were interrupted as the door to the complex opened and a very stately fox in a well cut business suit walked in, followed by two other todds dressed just like him and he blinked, two young vixens dressed much like Sally was. “Lieutenant Michael McLoude?” the leader asked. The stewards were carrying vac-seal garment bags like the one he had kept his dress uniforms in.

Micheal nodded. The Japanese accent was heavy but it could not hide the dignity in the Chief Steward, in fact, it seemed to enhance it. “Yes?”

“I am Nogimori Hichi, I am to serve as your steward for this evening, this is Wazki Rizo, who shall serve as Mr. Yancy’s and this is Kirowsa Tiki, Ingse Yina and Ingse Ria, who will be assisting Miss Conleen as you prepare for your dinner with Lord Yukiinu.”

“Assisting….” Sally blinked in confusion

“Wait,” Michael blinked inconfusion. “Lord Yukiinu is the one that extended the invitation. The Lord of the Kingdom of Edo?”

“Yes Mir. Mcloude, he very much wants to meet you, and yes Miss Conleen,” the todd responded in a dignified voice. “Since you will be dining with Lord Yukiinu, it was decided that you should have the proper attire. Miss Conleen of course, has the choice; however, I took the liberty of readying a Union of Allied Worlds Navy Mess Dress for both you and Mr. Yancy.” He un-sealed the bag and Michael blinked seeing the mess dress uniform inside. “I trust I was able to arrange the awards and rank correctly for you Lieutenant.”

Arrange it correctly Michael thought in a bit of shock, it was perfect, more immaculate than he had ever been able to get his mess dress to look, no matter how he tried. He winced though when he saw the laurel wreath about his twin Lieutenant’s diamonds. “I’m… not a starship commander anymore…” Remembering those forty-four furs again that had died when the Boone was destroyed.

“Lord Yukiinu said you might have that comment to make,” the todd responded and nodded. “He asked me to respond with his own observation that, you command the crew still of the Daniel Boone, which means until your Fleet Command says otherwise, you have the right to wear that particular adornment to your uniform.”

The Bosun nodded and Michael took the uniform, Sally looking confused as well. “I don’t understand it, why do I need…”

“The proper term is attendants Miss Conleen,” the todd returned gently without a hint of sarcasm or scorn. “Also, from what I have been informed, according to your Manual of Conduct Becoming an Officer and a Gentleman/Lady: ‘At formal attire such as dinners of state, balls or other formal functions requiring the use of Mess Dress, a Lady Officer in the service to the Allied Worlds may choose either her Mess Dress, or that of appropriate attire for the given function.’ I hope I have correctly paraphrased the passage?”

Paraphrased? Michael thought with a shocked look that he realized he was sharing with all three officers, the todd had bloody well exactly quoted the passage, in fact he was sure he had quoted the passage to the version of the handbook given to Midshipwomen their first day at the Allied Academy. The one he had been given (and admit was still in his stored personal effects locker at West Point Naval Base on Hardin) had a different passage but the look on Sally’s muzzle as both an exquisitely turned out Mess Dress, or, as the two vixens stepped forward, a choice of two extremely expensive, elegant and height of fashion Edoan formal gowns were revealed. Each dress came with a sash that displayed her rank discreetly as well as being the blue and gold of the UAWN to show that while she might choose a dress she was still an officer.

“I say go for the Dresses Sal… er Ensign,” Chief Reynaud said softly. “Not every day you get offered a dress like that and considering how the Mess Dress fits…”

Sally nodded and Michael could have sworn he saw a soft quirk of a smile from Nogimori. “Very well then Miss Conleen, your attendants will help you,” he turned to Michael as the todd carrying Kevin’s uniform ushered him off as well. “Now Lieutenant, he must have you properly dressed out, if you would come with me please…”

***

Michael had attended quite a few state dinners over the years, it was something all the McLoude family had had to put up with, mother positively hated the things a times since it often meant she had no escape route from certain members of the Allied Assembly. Either way, he had worn a Mess Dress since he had been simply Mr. Midshipman Michael McLoude, and now he remembered why he hated the uniform so much.

The uniform itself was rather sharp looking, a deep royal blue with gold trim, he had heard many comment that his tall slim frame cut a rather dashing presence it, but the bloody neckline was always too tight! No matter how many tailors he had taken his uniform to that specialized in fitting navy uniforms, no matter how many times Patricia, the youngest of the four McLoude Children had had her paw at it, it was still blasted tight! The saber he was entitled, and demanded to wear at his left hip also could be a problem at times. Sometimes it kept getting in the way of his tail and it was murder if you didn’t position it right to sit down, a slight flush coming to his cheeks remembering the first time Mr. Midshipman Michael McLoude had nearly impaled himself on the thing because he had moved it wrong before sitting.

He turned to Kevin, who had a frown on his handsome face and Michael unknowingly gave him one of his boyish smiles, the Lieutenant (j.g.) still hadn’t figured out how with that sort of reflexive boyish charm, the Skipper had never been snatched up before he had even gone to the Academy but it did make him feel more at ease, he had never had to wear the Mess Dress often, his mother was a executive and drive engineering specialist of Robinson Interstellar, not Dame McLoude after all. “How in the bloody world do you stand this thing Skipper,” he whispered softly. “The neckline…”

“Oh thank goodness I thought I was the only one who ever had that problem,” Michael breathed and that got a smile out of his gunnery officer and the two smiled though Kevin did a double take as their youngest member appeared.

Sally Conleen had been beautiful in simply just ship-board jumpsuits, but apparently putting her into a dress had not been the only thing her ‘attendants’ had done for her. Her hair had been styled and primed in the fasion that was popular with Edoan ladies, and cosmetics, something Kevin and Michael had never seen the shy almost constantly blushing com officer where adorned her fur now. Micheal was hard pressed to keep from chuckling as she walked up blushing like mad even under her fur and those cosmetics, Kevin was all but stammering. Michael was rather glad Chief Reynaurd was not here to see this, if she had been, she, and five other female Hardinite Petty Officers would have found some way to access a com unit and inform Kevin’s mother that they found the perfect girl to take care of him, weather Kevin thought about it or not. Micheal was just glad they had never fully turned that attention on him, he got enough of it from his sisters when they tried to get him interested in their friends. When females found a girl they thought perfect for their brothers or sons, or superior officers for that matter, the male in question often found it hard pressed to refuse.

“Skipper, Lietueant Yancy,” Sally greeted in that shy voice of hers and Michael smiled another boyish smile as he and Kevin, with all their cultural baggage gave small courteous bows to her that were nothing to do with the Manual of Conduct. It was ingrained in them Michael thought absently, the proper conduct between a male and female for Hardinites, probably one of the reason they were seen as stubborn and backward by some.

He shoved those thoughts aside as Nogimori nodded to him, the todd had been he admitted, a life saver in the short drill he had given him and Kevin on the procedures for tonight. Luckily they were procedures Michael was use to after a fashion. And he smiled at Kevin. “Lieutenant, I do believe the Ensign needs a proper escort in,” he said in his most serious of voice. This was something not from Edo but Hardin again, any lady that appeared at a social gathering had to be properly escorted in. It should have been Michael’s job as senior, but he hoped Kevin wouldn’t mind too much if he pulled rank this way.

Kevin blinked giving him a look, clearly he had expected his senior to do the proper duty and fumbled a bit. “Sally, if I may?”

Sally blinked looking between the two then gave a small shy smile. “It’s a Hardinite thing isn’t it?”

Both males nodded and Sally blushed more letting Kevin take her arm as Michael, without anything for his left arm to do, let his rest on the saber at his hip, mostly to keep it from tangling with his tail like it always had a want to do as Nogimori gave him a small sly smile and opened the two large doors. Nogimori then strode wit a elegant, dignified air into the dining room, and announced their presence.

“Lord Yukiinu,” the todd announce in Japanese, luckily one of four languages Michael was fluent in, with his hobby from high school and the Academy paying off. “Lieutenant Michael Colin McLoude, Commanding officer, UNS Daniel Boone and his officers, Lieutenant Junior Grade Kevin Yancy, and Ensign Salina Conleen,” Sally bearly hid the wince at her real first name, Kevin blinked, no one other than her mother had ever called her that.

The todd turned as he heard Michael and Kevin’s driss shooes click together. “Lieutenant, Lord Yukiinu Rizo, Lord of Edo Prefecture and Monarch by Constitution of the Kingdom of Edo, Lady Yukiinu Daniella,” Micheal knew that Lord Yukiinu’s wife was actually from Auberdine, unfortunately one of the worlds the League had gobbled up. “Lady Yukiinu Mika, Lady of Tekashiri Prefecture, Shareholder of Kirishimi Electronics and Member of the Engineering Board and Crown Princess,” Michael did blink at the presence of Princess Mika. Her blue eyes twinkled and he found himself loosing himself in them again. They had not said more than three words to each other on the sub-orb from Tekashiri Prefecture to Edo City, mostly because of Miss Isumi he admitted, but still, for some reason she sent him off balance. “And Admiral Koga Kimura, Commanding officer, Edo Space Forces.”

That really got a start out of the akita-inu as he saw the dignified snow leopard in full regalia of the Edo Space Forces styled after the ancient Japanese Navy uniform was actually more ornate than Michael and Kevin’s own Mess Dress though not nearly so opulent as some Hegemony uniforms he had seen. Michael had not expected Princess Mika, and sure as the harvest he had never expected Admiral Koga at this dinner. He still was not sure exactly what this dinner was about, but he had his guard up with the presence of the Crown Princess and the Admiral.

Lord Yukiinu for his part smiled genteelly at the officer hiding his own thoughts as his mind went through the dossier Kimura’s people had compiled on him. He was from a family of naval officer on his father’s side, his mother of course he knew who she was. From the way the security guards had reported the reaction of the crew when he’d turned up alive, meant he was at least a good enough officer to engender loyalty of a corvette crew.

He also knew he was playing a bit dirty, Isumi had reported that she had sensed the young fur was off balance around Mika, most likely because of his Hardinite upbringing, was peaking through his naval training. He wanted the young fur off balance till he could ambush him properly so he could not get away.

And he laid his trap slowly through the dinner, smiling and treating the young officer as he would have as any objective he would have wanted to take as an Edo Armed Forces officer. His first move had to been to seat him across from his daughter, and Mika while she probably didn’t know the true reason he had done it, fulfilled her purpose of a diversion quite eloquently. While Kimura ‘talked shop’ with Lieutenant Yancy (who was obviously nervous about having the attention of an admiral, any admiral) and Daniella kept Ensign Conleen busy with talk of how she looked in her dress, and other things that might intrest the girl, Mika held McLoude attention by being there. The two had struck up a conversation of something to do with a project Mika had been involved with, while the young fur was a gunnery officer by trade, his education had been one of engineering and while he might be rusty on it, he certainly understood what Mika was talking about, unlike her own father Yukiinu thought wrly without any facial expressions. I'm just a ground pounder with a degree in polotics.

As the evening progressed Yukiinu did smile, he had the officer where he wanted, and the time was right to spring the trap as he guided the conversation at the moment. “I wish to welcome you and your crew to my world Lieutenant,” he said in his most genteel of voice. “I apologize for the circumstances for which it was initiated however.”

Michael looked up, and blushed a bit. “My Lord, you had nothing to do with what happened to…” his swallowed a bit pushing back memories of the forty-four. “What happened to my command.”

Yukiinu nodded slowly. “Yes, I have seen Union Byrd-class corvettes, she must have been a wonderful ship for you.”

Michael nodded and he saw Princess Mika frown softly wondering what her father was getting at. It had been rather nice to talk about engineering, even though he admitted he was out of practice since his graduation from the Academy. However he assumed that this was the beginning of the ‘business’ part of the meeting which meant unfortunately he had to give up the conversatiosns with the Princess, and he felt strangely unhappy about that. “The Daniel Boone was a wonderful ship, but, unfortunately my nation is at war…”

Yukiinu nodded slowly. “Yes, and as a Terran World neutral in this affair, I suspect you think we are simply ‘waiting on the sidelines’?”

Michael blinked at that statement. “Lord Yukiinu, the Kingdom of Edo has been independent and a neutral party since its inception. What right does the Union have in trying to force you into a conflict you want no part of?” That was, idiotic in the extreme Michael thought. It would go against everything the Union stood for.

“Oh if it where only that simple Lieutenant,” the Lord of the Kingdom said with a heavy sigh the young fur was a true believer in his star nation’s stance, he should have expected nothing less but he had to make sure first. No League officer would have thought the way a he did, most likely if this had been someone like Captain Mansrat the wolf would have berated him for not joining in the war sooner. “The Kingdom of Edo has been able to remain neutral in this war because we were too valuable to let us be taken, by everyone, League, Union, Principalities or the Imperium. Unfortunately we have become so important that the League has come to think of us as a conquest that must be made.”

“Sir how can they? After all, with the neutrality treaties you have with the Principalities and the Imperium, well they would be foolish to try to attack you.”

“The League has always been one for finding ways around its treaties. Normally they are quite sincere about anything that has to do with alien powers, but what they are doing to your officers is a smack in the face of the Kilsigie Treaty. They have played up that the officers being shot are not armed combatants but terrorist, and the aliens don’t know enough about this war to call them on their bluff.”

Mika blinked looking up, she didn’t like this sort of talk out of her father but knew where it was going. “Father…”

Yukiinu held paw up smiling gently at his daughter then turned back to the Union officer. “I fully expect that the League will do something anything they can to manufacture an incident that they can show the Principalities and the Imperium that in the aliens minds will make it seem we broke the treaties. When that is done there will be a steamroller to descend upon our world.

“The Lord is right, though we have begun steps to expand our Navy, I do not think it will be enough,” Admiral Koga said and Yukiinu hid the smile, his friend had not been prompted but spoke up at the perfect time.

Michael bit his muzzle, looking at the Lord of Edo. “Does that mean, you are considering asking admittance to the Union?”

Yukiinu shook his head. “No, no admittance to the Union would take too long, far, far too long knowing certain worlds refusal to admit new members that petition,” he saw Michael wince, and Ensign Conleen flushed, after all, she was a Lewstowner. “What we wish is, something different.”

He nodded and suddenly a holo-field appeared over the dinner table displaying a scrolling text in Kanji. “This is a draft that I and the government of Edo have been compiling for quite some time Lieutenant. It outlines our desire not to enter the Union, but join into an alliance with it against the Hegemony League.”

Michael blinked hard looking from the Kanji script to the Lord. A treaty of Alliance? He knew many wished Edo would enter the war but most thought they never would. “Lord Yukiinu?”

He nodded. “We might not have much yet, in the way of naval assets to contribute, and our navy is rather inexperienced when compared to the UAWN, but, we have port facilities, and other resources we will make available. And this is where you come in Lieutenant.”

He blinked. “me, Lord, my mother is the representative of Hardin, but means very little where I am concerned, I’m just a naval officer.”

Yukiinu smiled. “And a naval officer is what I need. One that is experienced in this war, you see, the treaty and my daughter to sign it,” that got Mika’s attention very quickly he noted. “Need to be delivered safely. I have just the ship for that to be done with,” he smiled again and nodded the holo-proj changing from the treaty to a schematic of a warship. “Our major building effort has been our Ise-class heavy cruisers, however this, is a project I think you especially would enjoy Lieutenant.”

Micheal blinked looking at the deadly shape displayed, saw the mass and armament figures scrolling and did a double take. “That…. That’s a Hermes-class Heavy Destroyer,” Kevin nodded his own eyes wide. No one but the Union deployed heavy destroyers, most thought the Union was being foolish for packing the sort of weapons and shields they did onto a destroyer hull.

Yukiinu smiled. “Not exactly. However, we have seen what your Hermes-class can do. This is the Edoan Warship Mutsu. We have used your Hermes-class as a basis for Mutsu, but she is very much an Edoan vessel. We intend her to be the lead ship of our own class of heavy destroyers. However since no one other than the Union has experience building this class type we have decided to produce Mutsu in a prototype form first, when she is ready, and her crew assembled she will be the ship I entrust my daughter and the Alliance treaty to,” he gave a smile as he sprung the last part of his trap, nodding to have the holo-proj change from the schematic, to a image of the actual ship, sitting in her slip. “And she is yours Lieutenant. I am offering her to you, and a commission into the Edoan Naval Forces as a commander.”

Lieutenant Michael Colin McLoude, Union of Allied Worlds Navy went wide eyed. “M…m…mine?” he looked at the ship, then Lord Yukiinu. “Sir… I… I can’t I’m an… Officer of the…”

Yukiinu smiled nodding to his old friend and Admiral Koga took up the argument. “Regulation 193.4 of your Office of Ships and Personnel: ‘Officers and Enlisted Ratings of the UAWN may be detached to Allied Powers in the form of exchange, to serve under the command of said allies till the duration of the exchange has expired, or the Union Feels Compelled to return its officers to service.” The regulation was read exactly and Yukiinu smiled as all three Union officers looked at each other. “We intend to send a few officers of our own and some ratings to make the exchange viable to fit the regulation, and the legal responsibility.”

“Sir, I cannot just… I need permission, we need permission,” Michael had a feeling that Yukiinu wanted the entirety of the Boone’s remaining crew, not just her officers. “We can just up and say ‘oh hey, we’re going to serve in an Allied power’s navy.”

Yukiinu chuckled at that, it was probably the most flippant thing the young fur had said, and to be honest, he still said it with more respect than some of the Prefecture Lords he knew, or some members of the Common’s Council for that matter. “Admiral?”

With that, Koga, who had been manipulating the holo-proj nodded and touched another hidden control. This time the Mutsu was replaced by massive ursine form known to anyone in Union uniform as General Alistor Kenton, Allied Marines, and Chief of the General Staff. “Lord Yukiinu,” he said in his deep reverberating voice. “I have received your communiqué on the subject of the officers and crew of the UNS Daniel Boone. They’re families shall be informed as soon as you have a full list of the survivors. As to your question concerning their disposition, I have, signed an order allowing the release of all officers and crew of the Boone to serve as exchange officers within the Edoan Naval Forces.”

Michael muzzle worked and he thought he heard a giggle from the Crown Princess but he was too stund to look at her as Yukiinu smiled. “So you see, I have neatly wrapped you up, do you accept Mr. McLoude?”

“S…sir I…” he gulped and looked at Sally and Kevin, Kevin was simply wide eyed, Sally slowly nodded then Michael turned back. “Sir, I… we, we accept the commissions."

[BrockthePaine]

Heehee... I like it.

[StrangeWulf13]

Sneaky old man. I like him.

Methinks the League will regret any military action against Edo quite soon...

[Chaser617]

Edo isn't the week little planet the League thinks it is, it has its own navy a REAL navy, not a 'gurrilla' or 'brush' navy that consists of mostly corvettes. In fact, even though the Ise-class is its first class of heavy cruisers, its had the ability to build this ship type for quite some time, and light cruisers and destroyers make up the core of the Edo Naval Forces. That along with the the advanced electronics the Edoans use make them a lot more dangerous than what the League thinks they are.

Its just smaller than either the League or the Union.

[BrockthePaine]

Out of interest, what are the general dimensions and "looks" of your starships?

[Chaser617]

I wish I could draw you the basic hull form. Hopefully this will give you an idea.

Looking at the side, it will seem like a Rectangle with portion of the lower aft cut away from it for the maneuver drives. Most ships usually have a 'prow' that looks like a right angle triangle, with the long base against the rest of the hull, and the tip at the fartest forward cut to a blunt feture. On Hegemony League ships the prow is often where one will find a set of missile launchers. Ships have a 'Command Tower' that is usually centrally located on the hull and has both a ventral and a dorsal portion. In actuallity this means there are really two command towers, one ventral, and one dorsal,but the arrangement is usually refered to in the singular. Ships have their gun-turrets arranged for and aft of the command tower.

A feture of Hermes-class and the new Edoan Mutsu is that they have blisters amidship. The reason for this is that they are built on destroyer hulls, and destroyers do not normally have launch-cells for missile, they are generally considered too small for them. What the Union has done (followed by the Edoans) is mount the missile lanchers externally in these armored blisters.

[BrockthePaine]

Kinda like a boxer-nosed version of my EAS Reprisal?

My other main capital ship is CNS Excalibur, but she doesn't fit your description very well. I have a hatful of other vessels but most of them are based off gimbled centrifuge-type artificial gravity sections like Excalibur (I do SO love the Babylon-5 style rotating sections, they add a particularly savory flare...)

[Chaser617]

Think of them as having a deeper draght than the first ship, most their 'antenne farms' are on their command towars, and the gunnery turrets are large, like dreadnaught style turrets. where that ship has a semetrical pionted prow, only dorsal side slopes upwards.

[Nikas_Zekeval]

Better electronics? Hmm, decoys, ECM, ten ships out there and your firecontrol is on a eight day bender cause it sees sixty? Improved seeker warheads, maybe an Honor Harrington 'Dragon's Teeth' style jammer missile? The last you slip into a volley and it projects false electronic images of the swarm, to confuse point defense.

Edo is gonna need Union help to arrive post haste, or some good surprises to hold off the Leauge steamroller.

OTOH there is something Tuetonic about the League, that get into their planning? Wonderfully detailed, just the right allocation of forces, no room for Murphy or shifting on the fly when things go wrong? If this is the case if Edo can stop the first wave Union help might arrive (if certain members of the government don't try and level treason charges against Capt. McLoude ) before a Leauge second wave can hit.

[Chaser617]

First the League has to manufacture their excuse, then they can move....

[BrockthePaine]

Seems to me that if the Leggies learned there were any survivors off the Boone, and the Edoans took them in... Incident. Harboring terrorists!

[Earl McClaw]

...(if certain members of the government don't try and level treason charges against Capt. McLoude )...

Well, his situation seems pretty well covered by standard military orders - something political types are discouraged from doing. IMHO I don't think it will happen (but kind of hope the twit will try just so he can be slapped down).

Chaser, the only "complaint" I have about your writing is the need for a proofreader. There are only occasional misspellings, mispunctuations, or other issues that a good proofreader or editor would catch, but they're a minor distraction to your storytelling.

[Chaser617]

And thus you see my main problem, I usually post before my wife gets her paws on this. She's the english teacher in the family.