Ad Magnam Reipublicae Gloriam
Posted: 2006-08-28 02:37pm
This is my first attempt at a fanfic so be understanding. This is based in a Starmada campaign I did with some friends and begins as a crossover between AU Warhammer 40k and NuBSG. Eventually Star Wars and Star Trek will come in as well. I know the firepower and capabilities of all sides will not be in balance with how it "should" be, but that is because this is taken from Starmada and we balanced the sides within their own respective universes. Enjoy!
Ad Magnam Reipublicae Gloriam
In the 41st Century mankind has spread far throughout the galaxy with tens of thousands of worlds looking to Holy Terra for leadership and protections. The center of Imperial leadership is the Emperor himself, located in a fortress roughly the size of Europe. Although the Emperor can never leave his throne, he still guides humanity through his powerful assistants. At the northern edge of Imperial space exists a human empire older than the Imperium. Several millennia have passed since the founders of the Roman Republic left Earth in search of a new home. Once there, they prospered in a way few other colonies did.
The Romans had organized themselves far better than most colony expeditions. They took as many supplies as they could jam into their ships and headed for a region of space that was virtually unexplored. Once the Romans landed on their new home, they set about creating a civilization. They established a democratic government that survived virtually unchanged for thousands of years and spread to the nearby inhabitable planets in their sector of space. The Romans built up the infrastructure of their Republic and in doing so, developed a greater industrial base than most individual Forge Worlds. The four STC computers brought to New Rome were damaged over the years, but a great deal of information was saved onto other recording systems and backed up many times. This allowed the Romans to hold on to knowledge lost to the Imperium and they guarded this information very carefully. Members of the Adeptus Mechanicus have attempted to gain access to these records for centuries but have been turned away by Roman engineers who believe the Imperials do not have the right to view the information. From the knowledge found in the STC computers, discoveries made by Roman scientists, and information stripped out of alien vessels, the Roman fleet has become the most advanced human fleet in the known galaxy. All ships produced by Roman master shipbuilders are perfectly attuned to the peculiarities of travel in the Warp and as a result, no Roman warship has ever fallen into heresy.
Although Rome cannot support a fleet on the scale of the Imperial Navy, the Roman Navy is considered on of the greatest fleets in the known galaxy. Eldar pirates, Chaos warmasters, Tau commanders, and even Ork warleaders fear the Roman navy and generally refuse to operate in Roman territory. During the war for the Gothic Sector, Chaos fleets refused to engage a Roman Heavy Cruiser squadron despite having a six-to-one advantage in raw tonnage. Imperial Fleet Command sent the Roman warships on convoy patrol duty and no convoy they guarded was ever attacked.
When Earth rediscovered the Roman colonies, they controlled sixty-seven worlds and had entire fleets of advanced warships. The Imperium had found an ally and Rome pledged eternal allegiance to the Emperor personally in the great Curia. The Roman Republic joined in the Great Crusade to unite the lost colonies of Earth once again. Then came the darkness of the Horus Rebellion and Rome stood with the Emperor. An attempted invasion of the Roman capital by Traitor ships was repulsed and a Roman fleet arrived at Terra just as the traitors were fleeing. The Emperor recognized that as long as Rome was free it was strong. In fact, Rome could do things the Imperium could never do for that very reason. Even though ever other human world was brought into the Imperium and had no freedom, Rome became an independent entity in the galaxy. Rome was an ally of the Emperor, not a servant. The two Roman consuls were given only three orders from the Emperor before returning to Nova Roma. They had to defend the northern frontier of the Imperium. They had to tithe ships, soldiers, and supplies to the Imperial war machine. And finally, they had to adopt the foreign policy of the Imperium. The enemies of the Emperor would be the enemies of Rome.
With these three orders, the Roman Consuls went to work. They built a chain for forts along the Rhenium Frontier, a natural northern border of Roman and Imperial space. The forts were built into asteroids, around planets, at the edges of nebulas, and in deep space then the situation demanded it. Shipyards, military bases, and eventually cities spread along the frontier to support the stations and the fleets spread out along the Frontier. The defenses along the Rhenium Frontier were among the strongest in the galaxy, surpassed only by those of the Cadian Gate. The Romans soon adopted a policy of forward defense and sent scout ships past the Frontier to explore the vast unknown. Alien civilizations were detected and studied long before they posed a threat. While none were incorporated into the Republic, many became allies of Rome. Civilizations like the Amarr, the Caldari, and the Silesians all became valuable allies of Rome and eventually began supplying auxiliary forces for the Roman war machine. As the scouts pushed farther and farther beyond the Frontier, they discovered things long forgotten by the galaxy. Late in 40998, one scout discovered several different fleets that all warranted a more detailed survey. The 27th Roman Fleet was on maneuvers with the Amarrian fleet and was sent to investigate.
Chapter One: Something is out there
Battleship Divine Right
Solar Admiral Michael Venientes paced across the bridge of his flagship, Divine Right, as it raced through the Warp. He was leading a large Roman and Imperial fleet out beyond the frontier to investigate a series of sightings by a scout cruiser. The cruiser Foresight had observed several different groups of unidentified ships. One group was very large, consisting of almost eighty ships and many small fighters. Most of the larger ships were between two hundred and one thousand meters long, but two ships were over twelve hundred meters long. Scans estimated the total population of the unknown fleet to be roughly 45,000 humans. Another group of unidentified ships had also been sighted. These ships were triangular in shape and painted white. They appeared to be hostile in nature and Admiral Venientes was determined to find them and investigate the level of threat they posed to the Imperium and the Roman Republic.
“Captain, the navigator reports that we are now arriving at the designated coordinates and he asks your permission to leave the warp.” Lieutenant First Grade Gaius Paulo announced to the captain.
“Very good Mr. Paulo. Admiral Venientes, we are ready to leave the warp. What are you orders Sir?” Captain Hector Ferdinand was a 19th generation Imperial Navy officer and on loan to the Roman Navy. As long as his ship was in Roman space and operating under the command of a Roman Admiral, he would follow Roman doctrine.
“Very good Captain Ferdinand. Tell the fleet to leave warp and assume Condition Two. We don’t know what is out there but I don’t want any ships firing blindly. We are outside our own territory and blasting apart any ships we find would not be good for our image out here.” These orders were contrary to Imperial thinking, but Captain Ferdinand had seen the respect and power the Roman Fleet held in these parts, so he remained silent. He watched the forward view port as the magical blue and purple swirls of the Warp dropped away and the stars returned. As the Divine Right tore its way back into normal space a cacophony of alarms and lights went off across the entire bridge. The Sensor chief was the fastest to decipher the information bombarding him and his underlings.
“Captain. Multiple vessels bearing 096 by 034 range one point seven AU! Vessel configurations are consistent with unidentified object 40012. They have not, repeat, not detected us. They are running on course 124 by 060 at a speed of 150 meters per second with shields down. I am detecting 47,000 life signs aboard those ships but that number is very rough. The sensors are having problems locking on.
“Very good Chief. I think we can stand down from Condition Two, don’t you Admiral. These ships are no threat to us.”
“Very well Captain. Set Condition Three on all ships. Then have Scout Squadron Three approach the unknown fleet. Have them come in slow and friendly. These people may be primitive compared to us, but some of these readings are amazing, especially on their FTL system. I want to know who they are and what they have seen. I think they have been out here a very long time.”
“Understood Admiral. Mr. Cicerones, send orders to Scout Squadron Three to approach the unknown fleet and send standard greetings to them. Make sure they are on their guard though, this could be a trap.” Captain Ferdinand looked over at the Admiral to see if this last order would be challenged, but Admiral Venientes made no such signal. “Wish them good luck and may the Emperor protect them.”
Ad Magnam Reipublicae Gloriam
In the 41st Century mankind has spread far throughout the galaxy with tens of thousands of worlds looking to Holy Terra for leadership and protections. The center of Imperial leadership is the Emperor himself, located in a fortress roughly the size of Europe. Although the Emperor can never leave his throne, he still guides humanity through his powerful assistants. At the northern edge of Imperial space exists a human empire older than the Imperium. Several millennia have passed since the founders of the Roman Republic left Earth in search of a new home. Once there, they prospered in a way few other colonies did.
The Romans had organized themselves far better than most colony expeditions. They took as many supplies as they could jam into their ships and headed for a region of space that was virtually unexplored. Once the Romans landed on their new home, they set about creating a civilization. They established a democratic government that survived virtually unchanged for thousands of years and spread to the nearby inhabitable planets in their sector of space. The Romans built up the infrastructure of their Republic and in doing so, developed a greater industrial base than most individual Forge Worlds. The four STC computers brought to New Rome were damaged over the years, but a great deal of information was saved onto other recording systems and backed up many times. This allowed the Romans to hold on to knowledge lost to the Imperium and they guarded this information very carefully. Members of the Adeptus Mechanicus have attempted to gain access to these records for centuries but have been turned away by Roman engineers who believe the Imperials do not have the right to view the information. From the knowledge found in the STC computers, discoveries made by Roman scientists, and information stripped out of alien vessels, the Roman fleet has become the most advanced human fleet in the known galaxy. All ships produced by Roman master shipbuilders are perfectly attuned to the peculiarities of travel in the Warp and as a result, no Roman warship has ever fallen into heresy.
Although Rome cannot support a fleet on the scale of the Imperial Navy, the Roman Navy is considered on of the greatest fleets in the known galaxy. Eldar pirates, Chaos warmasters, Tau commanders, and even Ork warleaders fear the Roman navy and generally refuse to operate in Roman territory. During the war for the Gothic Sector, Chaos fleets refused to engage a Roman Heavy Cruiser squadron despite having a six-to-one advantage in raw tonnage. Imperial Fleet Command sent the Roman warships on convoy patrol duty and no convoy they guarded was ever attacked.
When Earth rediscovered the Roman colonies, they controlled sixty-seven worlds and had entire fleets of advanced warships. The Imperium had found an ally and Rome pledged eternal allegiance to the Emperor personally in the great Curia. The Roman Republic joined in the Great Crusade to unite the lost colonies of Earth once again. Then came the darkness of the Horus Rebellion and Rome stood with the Emperor. An attempted invasion of the Roman capital by Traitor ships was repulsed and a Roman fleet arrived at Terra just as the traitors were fleeing. The Emperor recognized that as long as Rome was free it was strong. In fact, Rome could do things the Imperium could never do for that very reason. Even though ever other human world was brought into the Imperium and had no freedom, Rome became an independent entity in the galaxy. Rome was an ally of the Emperor, not a servant. The two Roman consuls were given only three orders from the Emperor before returning to Nova Roma. They had to defend the northern frontier of the Imperium. They had to tithe ships, soldiers, and supplies to the Imperial war machine. And finally, they had to adopt the foreign policy of the Imperium. The enemies of the Emperor would be the enemies of Rome.
With these three orders, the Roman Consuls went to work. They built a chain for forts along the Rhenium Frontier, a natural northern border of Roman and Imperial space. The forts were built into asteroids, around planets, at the edges of nebulas, and in deep space then the situation demanded it. Shipyards, military bases, and eventually cities spread along the frontier to support the stations and the fleets spread out along the Frontier. The defenses along the Rhenium Frontier were among the strongest in the galaxy, surpassed only by those of the Cadian Gate. The Romans soon adopted a policy of forward defense and sent scout ships past the Frontier to explore the vast unknown. Alien civilizations were detected and studied long before they posed a threat. While none were incorporated into the Republic, many became allies of Rome. Civilizations like the Amarr, the Caldari, and the Silesians all became valuable allies of Rome and eventually began supplying auxiliary forces for the Roman war machine. As the scouts pushed farther and farther beyond the Frontier, they discovered things long forgotten by the galaxy. Late in 40998, one scout discovered several different fleets that all warranted a more detailed survey. The 27th Roman Fleet was on maneuvers with the Amarrian fleet and was sent to investigate.
Chapter One: Something is out there
Battleship Divine Right
Solar Admiral Michael Venientes paced across the bridge of his flagship, Divine Right, as it raced through the Warp. He was leading a large Roman and Imperial fleet out beyond the frontier to investigate a series of sightings by a scout cruiser. The cruiser Foresight had observed several different groups of unidentified ships. One group was very large, consisting of almost eighty ships and many small fighters. Most of the larger ships were between two hundred and one thousand meters long, but two ships were over twelve hundred meters long. Scans estimated the total population of the unknown fleet to be roughly 45,000 humans. Another group of unidentified ships had also been sighted. These ships were triangular in shape and painted white. They appeared to be hostile in nature and Admiral Venientes was determined to find them and investigate the level of threat they posed to the Imperium and the Roman Republic.
“Captain, the navigator reports that we are now arriving at the designated coordinates and he asks your permission to leave the warp.” Lieutenant First Grade Gaius Paulo announced to the captain.
“Very good Mr. Paulo. Admiral Venientes, we are ready to leave the warp. What are you orders Sir?” Captain Hector Ferdinand was a 19th generation Imperial Navy officer and on loan to the Roman Navy. As long as his ship was in Roman space and operating under the command of a Roman Admiral, he would follow Roman doctrine.
“Very good Captain Ferdinand. Tell the fleet to leave warp and assume Condition Two. We don’t know what is out there but I don’t want any ships firing blindly. We are outside our own territory and blasting apart any ships we find would not be good for our image out here.” These orders were contrary to Imperial thinking, but Captain Ferdinand had seen the respect and power the Roman Fleet held in these parts, so he remained silent. He watched the forward view port as the magical blue and purple swirls of the Warp dropped away and the stars returned. As the Divine Right tore its way back into normal space a cacophony of alarms and lights went off across the entire bridge. The Sensor chief was the fastest to decipher the information bombarding him and his underlings.
“Captain. Multiple vessels bearing 096 by 034 range one point seven AU! Vessel configurations are consistent with unidentified object 40012. They have not, repeat, not detected us. They are running on course 124 by 060 at a speed of 150 meters per second with shields down. I am detecting 47,000 life signs aboard those ships but that number is very rough. The sensors are having problems locking on.
“Very good Chief. I think we can stand down from Condition Two, don’t you Admiral. These ships are no threat to us.”
“Very well Captain. Set Condition Three on all ships. Then have Scout Squadron Three approach the unknown fleet. Have them come in slow and friendly. These people may be primitive compared to us, but some of these readings are amazing, especially on their FTL system. I want to know who they are and what they have seen. I think they have been out here a very long time.”
“Understood Admiral. Mr. Cicerones, send orders to Scout Squadron Three to approach the unknown fleet and send standard greetings to them. Make sure they are on their guard though, this could be a trap.” Captain Ferdinand looked over at the Admiral to see if this last order would be challenged, but Admiral Venientes made no such signal. “Wish them good luck and may the Emperor protect them.”