Bigger Fish - Fragment

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Bigger Fish

'''The gray Ult wearing Union black, was late to the meeting called at the CSDB main office on Ross Thorus. '''

A sizeable grou of high ranking Union Fleet officers and a number of civilians representing those Giga Corporations designing and manufacturing Union ships.

A purple Nul also wearing uniform turned and rose immideatly, “Your majesty!”

“Here I am Commander Xon, Admiral Yuxe, Sir.”

A small Holdian rushed direct into the path of the lumbering giant, many already saw the furry rodent accidentally stomped to a bloody smear, but the Nul prince scooped the little being up with one fluid move and placed it next to his dome shaped head.”I missed you, Estree.”

“I missed you too,Xon. I thought you left the fleet?”

“I did, but I could not stay away. I asked to be reinstated. After two years of Command school and a stint as XO under Har-Hi. I mean Captain Hi, I was ordered to come here, by the Highlander himself.”

A Saran Admiral hushed the Nul. “Commander keep the chit chat for after. We have already started.”

Xon gave the purple Nul a warning gesture and sat down after the chair had recognized his species and adjusted its shape accordingly.

Despite him being late,  four minutes and the hush of the Saran Admiral nothing really happened. The room was arranged almost like the Academy auditorium at Arsenal II. Concentric ascending tiers of desks and seats focused on a stage with an until now empty row of three seats behind a simiar empty desk.

A huge field screen displayed images of battleships, Union and non Union alike.

Estree Warner, former engineering specialist aboard the Tigershark displaying the rank of a  Lieutenant Commander  was still sitting on Xon's sloped shoulders and whispered.”Do you know who else is here?”

Xon unable to whisper or shake his head used his hand to signal that he had no idea.

“Ship, Circuit and Tyron.”

Xon coudn't stop his rumbling groan, to express his feelings of delight.

It earned him a stern look from the Saran.

But now the Admiral of the Fleet stepped onto the stage, followed by two beings, none of which Xon recognized. Even though one of them was a X101, he was certain it wasn't his friend Circuit.”

The other being was a Karthanian.

McElligott motioned all present to remain seated and begun.”Thank you for coming and taking part in this final stage of what started as the Big Fish initiative.”

The stylized logo of a fish appeared on the screen. Xon knew it was an artists impression of a Tyranno Fin. A big predator fish of a world called Nilfeheim and the birth place of Erica. A wave of fond memories caused a bitter sweet feeling. As different and alien the Holdian was to him, he knew Estree was similar touched.

McElligott had not stopped talking.”

Based on the success of this project Fleet Command commenced

The discovery of more Seenian technology and the integration of the Lyrec ships, and the USS Dominator taught us a lot about Seenian approaches and technological solutions.

Some of you know about the Seenian relic, Nul patrols discovered, it became the Marantz project. It is clearly of Seenian origin but differs drastically to other Seenian design.

But it too gave us a lot of ideas.

The Capital Ship Development Bureau tasked by Fleet Command to outline the next generation of ships split into three camps. One was convinced that we should continue with the well developed Uniform design that served us well. The second group advocated to follow the Seenian route, less smaller ships, instead built our own Lyrec and Karmat type ships. After 1500 years servicing the Devi and after refitting the others we have a fair understanding. The third group proposed to start from scratch. Take all we learned from the past, all we know about Seenian tech and take the best of our combined technology to make something new. A design philosophy reflected in the Tigershark. Ten years ago we asked you to come up with three design prototypes reflecting these three approaches. Today I invited you the finest engineers, designers and ship building experts to

The success of the Tigershark prototype convinced the Fleet command to explore and develop the next generation of battle ship. The CSDB initiated the Big Fish Initiative.