Maiden Voyage

Maiden Voyage is the first story in the Verantirian story arc.

Prologue
Puqortia, the capital of the Democratic Federation of Species in the Norma Arm. Formerly a small, unnoticed world orbiting an ordinary Class M star, it is now a capital sprawling with cities and municipalities. Zoyltieus, Puqortia's parent star, was slowly rising over the horizon as a great day approached. Usually, at this time, most of its citizens would be sound asleep, but today, its largest city, Kokukyō, was already bustling with people trying to get to the shuttleports, which transport people from Puqortia to the planet's moon, Takrionara, or vice versa. But today, it was just to Takrionara, for there, the citizens of Puqortia, and hundreds from the rest of the Federation, will witness the launching of one of the finest ships ever built by a Federation shipyard.

Captain Usari Munoir awoke to his blaring alarm clock, bleeping away the seconds after its preset time to explode with noise. Munoir, shutting up his clock, groggily made his way into the toilet, then the bathroom, on his usual routine. Then, as he was changing, he suddenly remembered to wear his uniform. He then proudly pinned onto his shirt the badge that signified he was a Captain.

A half hour later, Munoir boarded an aerobus to the Starfleet personnel shuttleport. He took all his belongings and valuables with him, for he would be away from home for a very long time indeed.

Chapter 1
Two hours later...

The shuttlecraft was late. Munoir, upon the shuttle's arrival, scrambled to the boarding ramp.

"Sorry I'm late, sir," chimed a voice. Munoir saw that the voice belonged to the shuttle's pilot, a young Tsuinaron lieutenant. A female.

"I thought female Tsuinaron couldn't serve in the military," responded Munoir, a little awkwardly.

"Those who happen to suffer from Iraniora disorder can, though I wouldn't exactly call it 'suffering'" laughed the girl as she took the shuttle into the sky.

"I'm Yuki Kagawa. I will be your first officer," said the blonde-haired Tsuinaron.

"And mine, Captain Usari Munoir," replied Munoir promptly. The two shook hands. Kagawa then proceeded to inform Munoir that they would arrive in the shipyard in around ten minutes.

Munoir, a young Kryat raised on Tsukapokoru, graduated from the Defence Force Royal Academy around five years ago, and since then he had risen through the pecking order of every ship he served - very quickly. Ever since he had been informed that he would soon command his own ship, he had been on leave. Now, he would return to work as a Captain.

"We're here, Captain," said Kagawa suddenly, unintentionally snapping Munoir out of his daydream and startling him. After recomposing himself, Munoir, with Kagawa, briskly walked down the ramp.

Munoir and Kagawa entered a room, where exactly sixty-two of the two-thousand officers that would serve the ship, whose name was currently unknown to most people, stood at attention.

"Akiro mukara shi, Senchō makira to!" cried Kagawa. All the Tsuinaron officers saluted. Those not familiar with Tsuinarese, namely officers who were not Tsuinaron, essentially copied the Tsuinaron. Munoir personally had no idea what the phrase meant, but he was sure its meaning resembled, "Salute, for the captain is here!" Something like that.

"At ease, ladies and gentlemen," replied Munoir. "Today is a great day for us, for the honour of both us as individuals, and as a group. Today is the outset of a journey. A journey that will take us to unknown worlds and systems. Perhaps even unknown civilisations!

"We will also have to defend the fatherland as long as we are a crew together, which will be for several years, maybe even a few decades! There will be many evils to fight and challenges to overcome, but we shall succeed!" At this, the sixty-three other people in the room cheered, but quickly quietened as the royal fanfare outside began.

more to come...