| rdfs:comment | - The movie introduction depicts a summary of the events that led to the Terran-Kilrathi War into 2654: J.F. Kennedy's speech about space exploration, the first Terran Confederation colony, Pilgrim explorers charting 4 pulsars in a year, Dr. Peter Anthony inventing the Navcom A.I., Sparrow encountering the first Kilrathi ship, escalating tension in Vega Sector and sending diplomatic probes, a Terran Ambassador announcing the declaration of the War on 6 AM.
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| abstract | - The movie introduction depicts a summary of the events that led to the Terran-Kilrathi War into 2654: J.F. Kennedy's speech about space exploration, the first Terran Confederation colony, Pilgrim explorers charting 4 pulsars in a year, Dr. Peter Anthony inventing the Navcom A.I., Sparrow encountering the first Kilrathi ship, escalating tension in Vega Sector and sending diplomatic probes, a Terran Ambassador announcing the declaration of the War on 6 AM. The movie begins on 2654.153 9:00 in the Pegasus Station, the headquarters of the Vega Fleet HQ in the Ulysses Corridor. The TCS Vanguard departs the station for the Charybdis Quasar and jump to Earth; Freighter Delta loses elevator-effect thrust; TCS McClellan requests flyby; suddenly a massive number of KF-100 Dralthis overwhelm and bombard the station. CO Admiral Bill Wilson learns that 40 ships are coming to bear. Casualties include TCS Iowa and TCS Kobi and the station is breached in levels 7, 11 and 13 and Kilrathi are heading towards command and control. Wilson realises they are after the Navcom AI and orders to destroy it, but the self-destruct codes have been overwritten. Levels 6 and 2 are breached while Wilson takes a rifle and attempts to break the sealed window guarding the Navcom. Failing to do so, he records a message and launches a drone. Then the Kilrathi break into the command center. The message is received by Admiral Geoffrey Tolwyn and Richard Bellegarde on CS Concordia. Bellegarde reports that the fleet is spread out all over the sector and can't reach Sol Sector earlier than 42 hours. A star chart indicates that using the Charybdis Quasar, the Kilrathi battle group will reach Earth in 40 hours. He orders all ships to make full speed for Earth. The CS Tiger Claw is also in the sector, beyond communications range, 2 days away with a drone. Tolwyn however notices a ship en route to the Claw, the requisitioned merchantmant Diligent Captained by James Taggart. Tolwyn requests to speak with her Captain. 12.5 hours after the attack on the Pegasus. 1st Lt. Christopher Blair is reading the Odyssey holding a Pilgrim Cross. Todd Marshall calls him to the bridge where he awaits a top priority message. Tolwyn orders him to deliver an encrypted communications chip to the captain of the Claw Jason Sansky, since Pegasus is gone. Tolwyn also mentions that he fought with his father in the Pilgrim Wars, and uploads the encrypted message. The Diligent heads for Beacon 147 to jump to the Claw sooner than scheduled but Marshall reports that it is off-limits. Taggart insists, and goes to his quarters, where he is seen studying antique maps. Blair comes to report that the ship has reached the beacon and comments on the maps. Taggart mentions they are Pilgrim relics, like Blair's Cross; after the Pilgrims were defeated, not a single quasar has been charted. Suddenly Taggart runs to the cockpit as the ship's thrust has increased. Taggart explains that the beacon is marking a gravity well with enormous force. It's Scylla, an unstable distortion in space-time, charted by the Pilgrims, but off-limits as too dangerous. He puts the Navcom on-line. Approaching it too fast will suck them in out of control; missing the entry vector means certain destruction of the ship. The ship soon shakes and is affected by the anomaly. The Navcom goes off-line and Taggart tells Blair to take the helm to perform his first jump, and leaves the cockipit to make repairs. He managed to get it back on-line while Blair instinctively punches calculations to the helm. They are sucked by the gravity well as Marshall is screaming, and they jump out to the other side. Blair realises that he plotted a jump in under 10 seconds, something not even a Navcom can do. Marshall's celebration is cut off when Taggart warns him about neglecting his orders next time.
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