An acrid odor, accompanied the smoky haze-filled bridge. Lieutenant Commander Nisi Hurit lay slumped over her console, a slow stream of blood oozed from her temple, forming a pool on her display screen before dripping onto the floor at her feet. Her eyes gazed blankly into nowhere. In the direction of Petty Officer Jolon.<br/><br/>"I want a damage assessment report right now!" Captain Bodaway yelled. His ship, the Drakones Battle Cruiser,<span style="font-style: italic">Dortmund, the Chosen One</span>had just escaped an ambush from three ships of unknown origin. The Drakones Cruiser dropped out of light speed as she slowly approached a green planet, neither of the bridge crew had ever seen before.<br/><br/>"Captain, Number one and number three turrets are out, number two turret remains operational. We have sustained a hull breach on the port side of deck five, crew quarters; a second hull breach on the starboard side at deck twelve and sustained heavy damage to the bridge." Commander Nokosi, First Officer responded in a calm, slightly monotone voice. The Battle Cruiser is equipped with three 3-gun 150mm railgun turrets numbered in sequence. Apparently, the ship retained the use of its smaller Close In Weapon Systems (CIWS) and the thirty 150mm Laser cannons. The result of the engagement cost the<span style="font-style: italic">Dortmund</span>its powerful kinetic energy weapons. "Losses include twenty-three crewmen, twenty thousand gallons of fresh water and connectivity between the bridge and decks one, seven and eight, sir."<br/><br/>"How the hell did this happen?" The Captain muttered almost rhetorically breathing in the smell of burnt plastic and the encroaching smell of death. Captain Bodaway slumped in his chair, face in hands staring at the floor as if the answer to his question lay amidst the debris.<br/><br/>"Captain, planet Tyros has come into view, on main screen," Helmsman Petty Officer Jolon announced. All attention focused on the large viewer screen. A large green ball of life splayed out in front of them. The Science Officer detected a large debris field in orbit around the planet. It appeared to be remnants from a long lost ship, possibly destroyed more than two years prior. He made no mention of this discovery to the Bridge, assuming everyone could see it on the screen.<br/><br/>"Appears to be a class M planet. Should we begin scanning the surface, sir?" science officer, Lieutenant Commander Waki asked.<br/><br/>Captain Ajagara Bodway nodded his head, "Yes Commander. Topographical, biological and geological. Make it happen now."<br/><br/>"Aye aye, sir." The helmsman placed the ship in orbit around the planet, the Drakones empire referred to as<span style="font-style: italic">Tyros</span>.<br/><br/>"Launch a probe to orbit this planet as a satellite the captain ordered." Ajagara stood and paced the floor looking at the green planet, Tyros. "This may be our salvation," he smiled. "We need to repair before returning to Dracolexi." The Captain looked at the science officer, "have the probe announce the usual greeting.<span style="font-style: italic">Welcome to Planet Tyros. This planet is a protected by the Drakones Empire. Anyone claiming this world for their own will be henceforth declaring war on the most feared empire in this galaxy. You are welcome to petition the emperor for commercial rights to the planet through the Supreme Council on Planet Dracolexi. Anyone caught on the surface without authority will be put to death. Have a nice day.</span>."<br/><br/>"Captain the planet may have sufficient resources to make repairs to our ship," Commander Nokosi inserted.<br/><br/>"Aye XO, she does pose a respite for us, aye. Put together a science team, geologist and two biologists to seek out resources on the surface. Have a platoon of Marine Jumpers join them for security." The<span style="font-style: italic">Dortmund</span>maintained a complement of a reinforced Company, four platoons of Marines and four platoons of Low Altitude Amphibious Transport (LAAT) craft to carry the marines from the ship to surface.<br/><br/>"Roger that, Sir." The Ship's executive officer or first officer set about getting the personnel ready for insertion into the planet's atmosphere.<br/><br/>"Sir, the planet has an orbital cycle of 30 hours. It will take that time before all scans are complete. When would you like to launch your science team?"<br/><br/>Captain Bodaway looked at the Science officer, "when the scans are complete should be fine." He began to calm down some then looked at the corpse of his second officer and yelled, "Could someone please take care of Lieutenant Commander Hurit!? She is stinking up my bridge!" The Captain stepped towards his office just off the bridge. "I will be in my office if you need me."<br/><br/>Five hours later...<br/><br/>Captain Bodaway lay on a cot against the wall with his eyes closed. A crewman hesitated, not wanting to wake the Captain, but wanting to tell him what they found. The Captain sensed his presence. He was not asleep, merely resting his eyes, "yes? What do you want!?" annoyed by the intrusion.<br/><br/>"Sir, the XO thought you would like to know. We have detected two life signs on the surface."<br/><br/>Captain Bodaway bolted upright on the cot taking in the sailor. "It could be survivors from one of those villainous ships that attacked us coming into this sector."<br/><br/>"Unlikely sir, those ships...." The sailor didn't get a chance to finish.<br/><br/>"No, sailor! I say they are survivors of one of the ships who attacked us! Would you doubt my word?!" The Captain was in no mood to play games.<br/><br/>The sailor did not want to get on the Captain's bad side. He'd seen the Draco kill someone for less. "Yes sir, that is probably who they are. My apologies sir. You are naturally correct, sir."<br/><br/>The Captain returned to the bridge, "report on the life signs, Commander Waki."<br/><br/>"Sir, there are two humanoid life signs detected at 53 degrees, 27 minutes, 15 seconds North Latitude; 10 degrees, 13 minutes 51 degrees west longitude. There appears to be a vast pool of fresh water nearby and even a significant deposit of metallic ores we may be able to use in our repairs."<br/><br/>"Splendid!" the Captain smiled. "Maybe we can question these interlopers into why they attacked our ship." The Captain was beside himself with excitement. He was on the hunt and ready for the kill. "Commander Nokosi how long before your detachment is ready to head for the surface?"<br/><br/>"They were alerted to depart in twenty-five hours, sir."<br/><br/>"Let's push up their time line. I want them on the surface ASAP," the Captain was anxious to investigate whom he believed to be survivors from one of the damaged ships that attacked his own.<br/><br/>Bridge crewmembers exchanged glances in silence when the Captain spoke about survivors from a crashed ship, one he believed had participated in the earlier ambush on the<span style="font-style: italic">Dortmund</span>. They all knew the debris was more than two years old, but not a one of them had the moral courage to speak up to the Captain. Personal preservation of life was much more important at this juncture. The Draco Knight Captain was upset. They knew better than to make matters worse for him.<br/><br/>Twenty hours after arriving in orbit around planet Tyros...<br/><br/>"Three minutes until touch down!" called the crew chief aboard the first LAAT. The LAAT was a light vessel shaped like a triangle when viewed from the front, wider at the base and narrow at the top. The cockpit was angled with the pilot and co-pilot sitting one behind the other with the rear weapons' systems officer elevated slightly. Below the port and starboard wing roots were two gunners manning 20mm laser cannons scanning for targets below on the surface.<br/><br/>The Draco Marines were burly looking with bulging eyes and fear invoking expressions on their scaled faces. Several had allowed their brown colored dragon hide to manifest itself providing them with an extra layer of armor. No one would say the marines were afraid, but often fear causes the Draco's armor to generate just before a tense or dangerous moment.<br/><br/>As the three LAATs from the Drakones Empire Battle Cruiser,<span style="font-style: italic">Dortmund</span>descended toward the surface, Knight Captain Ajagara Keme Bodaway sat restless, overcome with nerves eagerly awaiting a response from the Lieutenant leading the contact team on the surface. What would they find? Who were these creatures? Why did they attack us? What are their intentions? Questions ran through his head rapidly. The nervous Captain could not sit still, pacing the floor in the bridge, returning to his seat to relax and then back on his feet again. What next?