Gallic Battleship Berry - Ship Information and Captain's Log

[Spectre]

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CLASS: "Triomphant"-class Battleship
CREW: 1,750 Total; 1,350 Enlisted, 400 Officers
ARMAMENT: CLASSIFIED
HOME PORT: Avallon Fortress, Burgundy System
CAPTAIN: Captaine Charles Maret

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HISTORY

Gallic Naval Warship Berry is an aged battleship of the "Triomphant"-class, dating back to the era of vast Royal military expansion. While fashioned as a front-line warship in her early days, she was ultimately mothballed in favor of the newer, more powerful "Normandie"-class and "Valour"-class battleships that ultimately succeeded the "Triomphant". She later returned to service, though not before the Gallic Invasion and subsequent end of the war forced her to abandon her position at Planet Nevers, and relink with the Enclave to coordinate further. She later returned to her post at Nevers, and serves among the planet guard.

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Berry was christened and completed in 638 A.G.S. as the to-be flagship of the Burgundian Duchy's Royal Defense Flotilla. Occasionally visited by the Duke of Burgundy during its construction at Avallon Station and frequently after her commissioning into the Royal Navy, Berry found herself at the will of many high-ranking fleet officers, and despite her being fashioned the 'pride of the class', she found very little use outside of being an object the Burgundian Duke could flaunt around during gatherings and occasionally being tested in the field against the like of the Gallic Brigands who frequented the Gallic Border Worlds at the time.

Over the course of the next few decades, Berry was relegated further and further into the uncomfortable position of obsolescence. Newer, more powerful warships of the further "Normandie", "Ney", and "Charlemagne"-classes removed the need for her outdated systems, and despite very vocal outcry from the Burgundian Nobility, Berry was decommissioned and sent to the mothball yards in Orleanais. Despite the ship's age, however, authorization for deconstruction was not given, as it was suspected that the outcry from Nevers would reach uncomfortable proportions should the 'pride' of their defense fleet be reduced to parts and scrap. In addition to this deep sentimentality, the ship's near pristine condition, much like her sister ship Saumur, gave belief that the ship would eventually be turned into a floating academy for training Royal officers and marines.

This proved true at the turn of the century A.G.S., as Royal Naval Command signed into order the recommissioning of Berry as an officer training school, with minimal security added in the event of conflict with local pirates or smugglers. This not only pleased the Burgundian Nobility, but also added a level of ease to the vital route that was the Burgundy highway into Lorraine. Civilian traffic noted a heightened sense of security, despite the ship's cohort being a mere fraction of the newer Rocroi's garrison. This, however, stressed the ship a decade later as she was pulled into a more supportive role as the Council gained headwind and began creating a situation for the Royal Navy.

Over the next couple decades of infighting as the Second Gallic Civil War raged throughout the border worlds, Berry was brought into a more direct role as the soldiers of Rocroi found themselves devoted more to the security of the system. Berry was soon refitted into a more modern warship, though her condition was still very much obsolete to the rest of the ships fielded by the Council and the Royal Navy. At the express request of the Duchy of Burgundy, the ship remained in orbit of Planet Nevers, and even saw considerable levels of combat against Maquis, Brigand, and Council forces. Despite these upgrades and the field experience, the ship was always considered a token tacked onto the Rocroi's fleet at the behest of the Duchy.

With the eventual collapse of the Royal front in Bretonia at the peak and end of the invasion into Sirius, Berry found herself as the sole defense of Planet Nevers during the climactic Battle of New Paris, where Rocroi was advanced into Ile-de-France to match the Council advance. Despite the presence of numerous battlegroups, the battle was a decisive defeat for the Royal Navy, and under advance order from Rear Admiral Savatier Berry was forced to abandon her position to the Council, despite being host to dozens of nobles from Nevers who rightly feared the climax at New Paris would mark the end of the pride of their local garrison.

Under order from her captain, the widely unknown Commandant Charles Maret, Berry relinked with Rocroi, and coordinated as a primarily scout-focused warship for Rear Admiral Savatier. With the Rocroi's joint capture of Quillan with Montmorency, Berry was able to finally be serviced, and after a short refit session at Issoudon, she later returned to hold the garrison at Quillan during the Second Battle of Languedoc. After the final climactic fight, she was readmitted into the Gallic Navy, and returned to her posting at Planet Nevers, taking up her mantle as the system's premier fighter training station.

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NAME: Charles Maret
RANK: Captaine (Captain)
AGE: 34 (Born 7th Juillet, 709 A.G.S.)
AWARDS:
- Order of Academic Palms
- National Defense Medal
- National Upholder Award

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BIOGRAPHY

Born on Planet Orleans to Francois Maret, an officer of the Royal Navy, and Karine Allemand, a financier for EFL, Charles Maret was raised the typical Gallic upbringing, though with heavy emphasis on enlistment by both his father and the environment around him. The outbreak of war brought with it a need for many able bodied men and women, and after many years in primary schooling, Charles found himself following in his father's footsteps at age 21. First assigned as a fight pilot with the Royal Orleanais Fighter Corps, Charles began a considerably lengthy career with the Royal Navy making a name for himself among his peers.

After five long years, and several friends in marginally high places, Charles was transferred to the Burgundy Front under then-Commodore Bastien Savatier, where he further served as a flight instructor aboard R.N.S. Berry, as well as commander of the local patrol wing. Charles remained aboard Berry, rising from flight instructor to eventually vice head of the Berry Training Center, and soon after attained executive command aboard the ship itself. The final days of the war, however, had taken its toll on both Charles and the ship, and despite overwhelming support from the crew in the wake of the Battle of New Paris to support the Monarchy, as well as orders from Rear Admiral Savatier himself, Captaine Gaël Millet elected to turn the ship over to the Confederalists.

Sparking a short by violent ousting of command, Captaine Millet was left aboard Avallon, while Charles assumed the role of acting captain and gave the order for the ship to begin its escape from Nevers, soon regrouping with Rear Admiral Savatier and his remaining personnel with Rocroi. Charles today remains a Commandant, though has not been removed from his position as commanding officer, and serves the Enclave in a more silent role as the commander of the ship during its scouting routes, as well as a not-incapable fighter pilot in the event of enemy detection.