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Submitted: June 12, 2011
Image Size: 1.3 MB
Resolution: 2000×1081

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Randolph's gambleby ~thefirstfleet

Digital Art / 3-Dimensional Art / Scenes / Futuristic & Sci-Fi

In the early dasy of the Earth-Romulan War, a group of former cargo captains petitioned at Stellar Navy Command to be given battle-worthy ships. In shortage of experienced crews, the request was granted and a series of half-completed Powhatan class crusers were allocated to them: the Mystic Sixteen. The ships were completed in haste and were deemed unfit for frontline duty. Thus, the Mystic Sixteen was re-named the Backbones Fleet and was ordered to split up and guard Earth and her colonies - now far from the frontlines, thanks to the Terran advance.

However, when nobody thought it was possible, the impossible happened: a small fleet of Romulan warships broke through the Terran defence lines and Warped directly to Earth. The Human homeworld was protected only by a cluster of old, obsolete fusion drive ships. Nobody thought an invasion was possible, so why leave any of the main Stellar Navy at the home ports? Protecting Earth was up to some old rust buckets led by two of the Backbones Fleet: the self-titled United Earth First Fleet.

Facing a desperate invasion which could cause critical damage to Earth, the captain of the FFC-08, UES Polaris decided to abandon everything he knew about space warfare. Captain Linus Randolph broke with the traditional long-range battles and ordered the First Fleet to engage in a dogfight with the Romulans.

This strategy of direct engagement shocked the Romulans who suffered major casualties. Although the First Fleet was decimated, no Romulan ships survived the battle. Captain Randolph became a celebrated hero of Earth and his Polaris was finally given permission to sail out to the main battle front. The trusty little FFC-08, with her unusual First Fleet red markings, was present in the Battle of Cheron, putting an end to the Romulan threat for a century. The strategy of direct engagement later became the main strategy of the Federation Starfleet, but it was always the First Fleet who perfected it in all the upcoming battles and wars.

Captain Randolph, probably Earth's biggest hero of the time, later became an anti-Federation activist. His bitter words on Earth essentially llowing herself to be conquered by aliens other than Romulans inspired all future generations of First Fleet officers...

Models by me
Background by NASA

~Phenometron Mar 22, 2012

A very inspirational story. And a beautiful image to accompany said story.

~thefirstfleet Mar 22, 2012

Thank you very much!

*Majestic-MSFC Sep 24, 2011 Hobbyist General Artist

The background story was my favourite part, however it's all fantastic work as always Dave.

~thefirstfleet Sep 25, 2011

Thank you very much!

Here's some more of the story: The Romulans were coming, and they were overwhelming. Back in the days, starships were designed to fight eachother from hundreds of miles. In this case, the Romulans would have been able to bombard Earth through the Terran line of defence. The ships protecting Earth were small in numbers and weren't even mostly top-of-the-line models. Randolph knew it might turn into a suicide run, but he actually did not intend to survive the engagement. He had a pregnant wife ashore, and he wanted to save Earth for her. So when the First Fleet ships asked him what to do, he looked at a picture of his wife in a locket worn around his neck, whispered "I'm sorry, Alice", and ordered: "Let's bring this fight to them. Prepare for direct engagement!"

~sierra223 Jul 17, 2011 Hobbyist Photographer

hey im currently writing a scifi story set in the 2500s, and my space fleet is unified earth space corps or space corps; Since you've already used UES, which is what Ive been starting the names of my ships with, would you be able to make some suggestions?

~thefirstfleet Jul 18, 2011

Ship names? Well, let's see...

You can use the names of famour WWII battleships, they are instant classics.
You can also use obscure names that have a message, like I did on my Palladas: Zasulitch, Meinhof, Beloyannis.
Or make the ships have no ifficial names, just numbers (XYZ-oo1, whatever

) and the crews come up with nicknames, which are slightly over the top, like Death from Above, Blazin' Bison, stuff like that.

~sierra223 Jul 19, 2011 Hobbyist Photographer

thank you that'll start the old imagination moving

~Coresk Jun 14, 2011

YES!.... YEEEES!!

I've been waiting to see some updates on this!

For this, I shalt giveth thee this e-manhug

~thefirstfleet Jun 14, 2011

LOL Thank you

~Launcher2027 Jun 14, 2011

Félelmetes!!!

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