IMPERIUM

Prologue

"Drake!" A Commander called from the deck of the Faro.
"Yes Commander, I see it!" Drake called over the rushing waves that enveloped the deck which stood not two feet from the ocean's surface.
"We need to fire now Sir!" He yelled back, "Or we'll be seen and fired on for sure!"
"Commander, have faith!" Drake called from the Bridge as another wave reached the bridge of the Faro, narrowly missing Drake.
The twelve frontward double gun turrets were all but in use, tucked under the bunkers that protected them from the wet. And yet the Faro approached the Axis fleet, little to their knowledge or so he hoped. The night provided its own kind of cover for the Faro was built sleek and dark, able of entering enemy convoys in the cover of night.
The New Axis United Front, NAUF, was a few kilometres away yet and if we raise the guns too soon the trajectory mechanics of the guns may miss.
"Okay. Now!" Drake called to his Commander and the legion of Officers and Centurions who made up his crew.
The trajectory of each gun had already been set, the only thing necessary was for the right angle and distant the Faro needs to travel at to make the shot. And with one mistake it could spell disaster for the lone ship.
Four turrets slid out of their bunkers and rose to the elevation they needed, fired, rotated to a new target and fired again. The first two hits landed and a corvette was sliced in half. When the second two hit a Destroyer it was disarmed and missing its hull. The last four missed their targets as the large Battleship was clipped by a shell, not breaking the thick armour of its stern.
Soon all attention was diverted to the opposing fleet as they began to turn their cannons on the Faro.
Although she was only a few feet above the ocean and the darkness of night was with her, it was not impossible to see the Faro.
The Battleship fired its first shot, and was soon lost in a wave that enveloped the Faro.
"Thank you," Drake said into the ocean.
The large Battleship turned her secondary, much larger turrets onto the Faro. This time, against those cannons, their was no stopping the inevitable destruction of the Faro.
"Abandon ship, Sir!" The Commander called from the frontward deck of the Faro.
"No." Drake yelled back at him, not taking his eyes away from the moving cannon towards their location. "Open fire upon that Battleship!" He yelled to his crew. If the ship went down, the Centurion armour would weigh many of his crew mates down. "We will not go down without a fight."
"Yessir." An officer next to Drake muttered.
The remaining eight turrets unfolded from their bunkers, each programmed to remove the threat of that cannon.
The guns unfolded and fired in one fluid movement. One at a time they fired, and once the last had finished firing the first had already fired its second round.
The large cannon, almost level with the Faro now, began to rapidly take fire. The large belly of the cannon was absorbing all the hits.
"We need more fire power!" Drake shouted at two of his officers.
At last the large cannon had started to tilt side ways, although not stopping its course to target the Faro.
Looking through binoculars Drake could see the men onboard the battleship were constantly moving about the front deck while the rear, which held the large cannon, was empty. Our turrets had taken a toll on the Axis crew, and yet our doom was still certain.
"Launch the torpedoes!" Drake yelled at his crew in a terrified anger.
Within seconds of his order being given, four torpedoes had been launched towards the battleship in hopes of sinking her before the cannon could be fired.
The battleships cannon was now in line with the Faro.
"We are doomed," Drake muttered to his crew as they watched in horror. The cannon created a noise loud enough for the enter coast of North-West Africa to hear.
And they waited, until the hit had ripped through the rear deck of the ship. The Centurion Silos located there had perished. Drake stared in horror at the battleships work, and, lucky to be alive, him and his crew had narrowly missed the projectile. But the thousands of Centurions asleep in their silos had perished, along with parts of the ship.
"Fire again," he told his crew, quieter this time.
The cannons aimed and fired thrice more each, this time the gun was destroyed, and as it fell from its turret it took much of the ship with it.
But the New Axis Forces don't give up, the few remaining turrets on the frontward decks turn towards the Faro.
"Are there any missiles at the ready?" Drake asked his Commander, who had joined him on the bridge.
"Some, Sir. Not enough to get past the Phalanx though. Sir." He replied easily as the battleship, almost sinking, fired upon us again.
This time our bow was placed under fire, shredding through our unguarded cannons.
"Damage report," Drake queried.
"Three cannons remaining, Sir." An officer called from the crows nest.
"Target the battleship's weaponry," Drake order, the battleship had already lost its engines so it was not moving, the only threat was the remaining turrets. "Give me a run down on our engines, are they ready to dive?"
"No, Sir. The rear of the ship is missing, and we are not moving until the Centurions have fixed the port side engine." The Commander said.
"Ok, fire when ready Sir." Drake said after studying the enemy ship.
It was burning bright in the dark night, easily distinguishable compared to the dark silhouette that is the Faro.
The turrets fired once more towards the Axis ship, and the final cannons on her decks were obliterated.
Silently, the Faro passed by the battleship and as she did so, Drake noticed the name on her hull.
Stärke. Strength.