It was the year 2209 and the Earth was at peace in the Milky Way Galaxy.

    In Tokyo, the Space Battleship Omega was being prepared to launch on a mission to the outer reaches of the solar system. The purpose of the routine mission would be to test newly installed propulsion and weapons systems. On the bridge of the Omega, Deputy Captain Reemer was busy preparing the crew for take off.
    "Captain, we are being urged to speed up our launch time."
    Reemer, the young First Officer of the Space Battleship Omega, was an orphan. His parents were killed in an invasion of the Earth by the Dark Nebula Empire. He hated space travel but was a great soldier. He could be a wise-ass on occasion but was smart enough to become one of the highest ranking cadets at the Earth Defence Forces Academy.
    "Reemer, where is Venture?" Taylor asked.
    Hudson Taylor, the Captain of the Omega, was a tall and well built man. He was a respected leader and the senior Captain in the Earth Defense Fleet.
    "Sir, he's still not back from General Wildstar's wedding," Reemer said.
    Jordy Venture was the ship's Chief Navigator and the younger brother of Mark Venture of the famed Space Cruiser Yamato. General Derek Wildstar was getting married and Jordy had been invited to the ceremony.
    "When he arrives, tell him to report to his station immediately," Taylor said. "I want this ship in the air as soon as possible."
    The Omega was designed by Shiro Sandor of the Yamato as a dedication to his late friend Alex Wildstar. Its deck had four huge gun turrets, two on the aft and stern. Each consisted of two massive laser cannon barrels. The guns had a range of ten thousand mega-meters and were accurate to the meter. The turrets were separated by the main bridge.
    The main bridge was surrounded by ten smaller turrets. Each turret, five on the port and starboard sides, consisted of two small laser cannon barrels. These weapons had a range of about one thousand mega-meters. The bridge had a long rectangular radar dish on top which swiveled thirty degrees to the port and starboard sides when it was in use.
    On the port and starboard sides of the battleship near the aft were two large wings. Each wing had a medium-sized gun turret with a maximum range of twenty-five hundred mega-meters. Toward the bow of the ship on either side were the Takion Wave Cannon ports. Each cannon could fire simultaneously or separately. The destructive power of these guns used simultaneously could destroy a small moon. The range on these guns differed on how they were fired. It fired separately, they had a range of about twenty-five thousand mega-meters. If fired together, the range doubled.
    On the keel of the boat was another main gun turret similar to the ones on the deck. There was also the main hatch for the ship's fighter planes. The Omega's hanger stored seventy-five small attack planes. These fighters were used mostly for combat situations but they could also be used for reconnaissance.
    The might of the Omega was her powerful Takion Engine. This engine captured Takion particles and compressed them to give the ship its energy and the ability to move faster than the speed of light. Another feature it had was a Takion duplicator/compressor. This machine would allow the engine to take natural Takion particles and duplicate them into synthetic Takion particles. This allowed the ship to use less energy but travel twice the velocity of a standard Wave Engine.
    The bridge of the Omega had five stations. The main Captain's chair was on a platform raised to the level of the top of the other station's chairs and was located in the back of the bridge. The First Officer sat directly in front of the Captain only his chair was level with the rest of the other officers on the bridge. The bridge sloped ever so slightly down toward the main view port.
    To the right of the First Officer's chair sat the Communications Officer Ollie Osgood. To the left of the First Officer's chair sat the head Radar Technician Pudi Abdul Fazi. Fazi was a new recruit replacing the former technician who had died during the Omega's maiden voyage.
    In front of the First Officer sat the main Weapon's Officer and former Cook's Assistant Comet Steel. To his right was the Chief Navigator's chair. Above these stations was a huge display screen which ran the whole width of the bridge. Here the crew could receive video messages, see star maps, chart and plot courses and develop battle plans.
    "Captain, we're getting a priority one message from Earth Defense Headquarters," Ollie Osgood said.
    "Put it on the main panel Mister Osgood," Taylor ordered.
    Ollie pressed a few buttons on his control panel and General Stone appeared on the huge screen. The cold-hearted General Stone had always been known as a devout military man who wanted things done by the book. He sought respect and dedication from his troops but was ridiculed throughout the Organization for being a hard-ass and narrow-minded. He wanted to someday be the Commander of the Earth Defense Organization but deep down he knew that would never happen.
    Captain Taylor rose from his chair and saluted the General.
    "What is the hold up Captain?" Stone asked.
    Taylor lowered his arm. "Our Chief Navigator was at General Wildstar's wedding General Stone. We cannot leave without him."
    General Stone did not like being told that his orders would not be followed, especially by a man who someday would be promoted over him as the new Commanding General.
    "I want that vessel in space within the next half hour, Captain." Stone answered coldly. "I do not want excuses."
    Captain Taylor was a man who had seen it all. He had witnessed first hand the destruction of each city on Earth. He had seen families totally wiped off the face of the planet. He had been on the front lines of some great space battles. He had seen the Earth's beauty restored and the planet invaded by a horrible alien race. He had also been a Captain for many years and knew how to work the chain of command in order to get things done.
    "General Stone, I would like to speak with Commander Todo please," Taylor responded. "I am sure he can settle this issue."
    Commander Todo was General Stone's superior officer. He was a world hero who had been the backbone of the Earth Defense Organization for more than a decade.
    "The Commander is also at Wildstar's wedding," General Stone replied.
    The Captain smiled to himself. He now had the upper hand in their little game.
    "Well then General, it looks as though we both have excuses. We will take off when our Chief Navigator arrives."
    The Captain terminated the connection and Stone's face disappeared from the immense view screen. There was only one other man in the Earth Defense Organization who could have gotten away with what Taylor had done: Derek Wildstar.
    "Okay you heard the General, let's be ready to go when Venture arrives," Taylor ordered.
    The elevator door in the back of the bridge opened and Jordy Venture, in ceremonial garb, emerged from the opening. He rushed to his navigator's chair and began final preparations for take off.
    "Glad you could join us, Venture," Reemer quipped. "Now that you've had your fun, do you think you could get us in the air?"
    Venture, who had done everything possible to be on time, could only give the Deputy Captain a dirty look.
    "The Omega's engine efficiency is at ninety-four percent," Jordy reported. "Trying to boost to ninety-five for take off. Engineering, are final preparations complete?"
    "Just waiting for you Venture!" A voice from the engine room replied.
    Jordy and the rest of the bridge crew fastened their seat belts. Jordy pressed the ship's intercom button.
    "Attention, all hands! Attention! Final preparations complete for launch. Assume launch positions immediately! Two minutes to launch and counting. Repeat, two minutes to launch."
    The Omega sat on a huge platform in the center of Tokyo. If not for land all around it, the launch pad could have been mistaken for an aircraft carrier. The platform was one hundred football fields long and half as wide. There was a large control tower at the southeast end of the runway where the controllers planned and coordinated all launches and landings.
    The Omega was in the middle of the platform and was suspended by six huge magnetic docking clamps. Jordy ignited the Omega's auxiliary engines and the force of the engines provided a magnetic field around the vessel.
    "The magnetic field integrity is stable," Jordy said. "We're beginning to float above the clamps."
    The Omega swayed slightly but Jordy got her under control.
    "Ten seconds to main engine ignition 9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1-0 Here we go!"
    The huge engines of the Space Battleship Omega roared to life and the vessel was sent cruising through the clouds toward space.

    On the distant home world of the Galman Empire, Emperor Desslok met with his key advisors in the main Assembly of the Capital. The Assembly was forty meters long and twenty meters wide and had a huge ceiling. In the middle of the room was a large oblong table. Desslok's chair was at the head of the table and it was much larger than the other twenty-one seats. Seated at the table with Desslok were elected politicians and military leaders.
    The meeting was an economic overview of the Empire and the group had been in gridlock all day over deep space operations.
    "Emperor Desslok, we are being attacked nearly every day from the remnants of the Bollar Federation. We are not financially prepared to continue deep space exploration," General Forca said.
    The gentleman who sat opposite Desslok was General Talan Masterson. He was the Emperor's second in command and had been a long time friend and ally of Desslok. Talan was a strong and devoted military man but he was also a shrewd politician.
    "Galman has been in economic prosperity for some time now. To end deep space exploration would be a morale killer for both the military and the people of Galman," Talan replied.
    The stern, overweight and opposing General continued his pressure on the Assembly.
    "Oh come on Talan, we all know where your loyalties lie! We must cancel all unnecessary programs and put all of the budget into the military campaign to crush the remnants of the Bollar Federation!"
    A rumbling stirred throughout the Assembly. The parties began to talk and argue amongst themselves. Desslok had heard enough. He could handle open discussions in committee but to go after a political ally so close to the Emperor in Assembly was stepping over the line.
    The blue skinned, yellow haired Emperor gave General Forca a stern look.
    "General Forca," Desslok said calmly.
    The room became deadly silent.
    "You above all people owe your life to deep space exploration," Desslok said. "If I remember correctly General, you were infected with the Bollar virus. That same virus killed thousands of Galmans daily until the cure was found on a planet on the outer reaches of our star system."
    The Bollar Federation was taking heavy losses in their war with the Galman Empire. As a way to even the odds, the Bollar Government decided to attack the Planet Galman with germ warfare. A virus was loaded into thousands of missiles and they were launched at the Galman home world. Most were destroyed before they entered the atmosphere but a few were able to release the deadly bacteria. The Bollar Virus quickly spread throughout the planet killing millions of people.
    Galman doctors worked tirelessly trying to find a cure for the mysterious virus. One day they discovered that a portion of the virus was created from a mineral called Ombrodium. This mineral was only found on a planet in the outer edge of the Galman star system. An antidote could be created but they needed a substantial amount of the mineral.
    Leaving their planet virtually defenseless during the outbreak, Desslok ordered his entire fleet to the planet Ombro to retrieve the precious commodity. After a tremendous struggle and many violent encounters with the Bollar Federation, the Galmans were able to get enough of the mineral to fight the virus and end the suffering on their home world.
    Desslok noticed the General squirm in his chair. It was a sign of weakness.
    "General, despite setbacks by the Bollar Federation, Planet Galman is economically thriving. Our people are working again General. Our people are eating again General. That in and of itself is priceless. We cannot stop deep space exploration. We will size it down to better suit our military needs, but we will not put an end to the program altogether."
    The General stood up and slammed his fists down on the table in clear defiance of the more than popular Emperor.
    "Then Emperor, I move that we put the matter to a vote!" Forca said forcibly.
    Desslok pushed his chair away from the table and stood up.
    "Here is my vote General," Desslok said as he reached down and drew his pistol. He aimed and fired at General Forca. The Assembly sat in stunned silence as Forca's lifeless body slammed against its chair and fell backwards with a resounding thud.
    The Emperor sat back down. "Now, let us get back to business."

    But General Forca was not the only one who did not agree with Emperor Desslok's politics. A small group known as The Circle believed that Desslok's time as Emperor was at an end. They were actively financing radical political movements and were engaged in terrorist activities designed to plunge the Galman home world into chaos.
    At the far edge of the Galman Capital, a worker in a small power plant continued to study technical readouts of one of the plant's generators. He was surprised to see that the efficiency of the generator was up over thirty percent. He had suggested to his boss that some modifications needed to be made to help boost the plant's power output. It looked like his ideas had paid off. But instead of being promoted to foreman, he would be lucky to live through the day.
    It was the night shift and as the worker was about to sit down to have a bite to eat, a team of four individuals were running away from the plant. Just as the young man was about to bite into his nightly snack, the power plant exploded into a huge fireball.
    The Circle had stuck again.