HMRV-Oxford

[Husher]

Chapter 1.1
820as.

Roughly 35k away from the Newcastle/Leeds gate.
A small drone makes its way through the Northumberland Ice Cloud, a very tiny red strobe light blinks from time to time sending a encoded scan transmission back to its mothership.
It had taken the the Oxford a week to cross the system from Sunderland research station to the jumpgate. Slowly the Oxford made her way through Newcastle. Unnoticed.... Undetected.Total communication blackout.. The crew is on edge, they were flying through dense clouds of massive clumps of ice, the reports of gallian frogs now invading deep in the system made them keep a keen eye on all sensor data. It was imperative they would reach Leeds but radio transmissions suggest that Leeds has fallen and the gate destroyed.. "Is this true?." Buckley thinks while starring out of the bridge window.

Suddenly a flash transmission comes in over an open channel.

Flash…. Flash…. Flash….
>To all remaining Armed Forces ships
> Code Orange. Repeat… Code Orange.
> Contact nearest HQ.
> Line has been broken.
>Derby on fire.
>McDuff and York escaped.
> Gate has been sealed.
> Good luck.
End flash…. End flash…. End flash……

Captain Buckley followed his crews actions with a sharp eye while thinking of ways to keep his ship and crew safe. With the current projects stealth is their main weapon. “Its imperative we stay out of side of the Gallians mr Leigh” he says to his xo. “Lets go to condition two and put up a four hour watch rotation.” Leigh responds with a firm voice. "Aye cap’n. and walks away to make sure the crew follows his orders to the letter.
Buckley thought about the briefing he had earlier this afternoon with his head researcher dr. Janice Fisher.
"Most critical projects would be Project Keystone, Project Arturious and offcourse the Athena Artificial Intelligence system, Project Athena.The AI is now fully integrated into the Oxfords systems." She told him.

Twelve years of research had made Athena capable of improving the ships combat and operational processes by 38%, data gathered by sensors is processed almost instantaneously. Less crew would be needed when on every warship a AI would be integrated.
The injection of purple brain matter in Athena’s liquid core a week ago increased her higher functions by 21% Dr Fisher ordered a class 1 observation which involved a 24h watch to see if Athena would develop any side effects. Most of the crew did no longer see Athena as a program, but began to refer to her as a part of the crew now Athena began actively interact with the crew. Still sometimes she acted as a spoiled child. Time would learn.

Close to the Newcastle/New London gate.
Cruiser patrol P-466/HL, consistent out of three cruisers, two gunboats and various fighter escorts, pass the gate in Newcastle keeping a watchful eye for Gallian intruders. In charge of the parol was commander J.M. Brown of the HMS-Farrington. It was a easy patrol through Newcastle past days, the frogs were awfully quiet, “I bet they are up to something” he murmels to himself..

Brown turned to his Second in command while filling his pipe “Set course for Salisbury mister Taylor, it's time we getting some R&R”. Lt.Commander Taylor nods “Oi can’t agree more skip”. “Activate the fleet command circuit miss Ponce.” Taylor says to the communications officer. "Aye aye sir.." ... Suddenly their talk was interrupted."Capt’n we detect Gallian signatures on the screen.” came a voice from the dark area of the bridge where the sensors were monitored.

From behind of the gate a group of ships, a Gallian cruiser and 2 gunboats appear. The cruiser launches a group of snubs crafts and they lay in a attack course.