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April 1987
Location: Rotterdam — Imperial Naval Central Dock, Aetherland
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The air rang with metallic echoes.
The sounds of cranes, cables, and the low, distant hum of turbines spinning up for their first breath.
The entire dock trembled.
Not from war.
Not from weather.
But from something new.
Something impossible.
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A ship.
No — a supercarrier.
Larger than any vessel Aetherland had ever built.
Its shadow swallowed entire supply barges.
Its name engraved in gold beneath the Imperial Crest.
HMS Tatiana
A name whispered with reverence.
A name chosen by Emperor Valerian himself.
A name that stirred ghosts in Selene's chest.
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The horns of the ship blared.
Low.
Thunderous.
Final.
Like a dragon awakening.
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The inauguration ceremony began.
Media crews rushed to capture the moment.
Reporters screamed into microphones.
Photographers swarmed the deck and lower walkways.
This was not just a ship.
This was a message.
To the East.
To the world.
Aetherland still ruled the seas.
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Selene von Aetherwald stood at the forward platform.
Brown hair tied.
Red eyes unreadable.
Dressed in her new navy-silver uniform, golden trim glinting beneath the sun.
One rank below Rear Admiral.
But the authority of a hundred.
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A whisper passed through the officers behind her.
"She's just 29..."
"The youngest to ever lead a carrier fleet..."
"And it's her mother's name on the hull..."
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She didn't flinch.
Didn't smile.
She simply walked.
Step by step, across the steel deck of HMS Tatiana.
Every bolt.
Every shadow.
Every hum of power —
Belonged to her now.
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At the stern, the entire 34th Imperial Fleet stood in formation.
Pilots.
Engineers.
Technicians.
Infantry.
Deck crews.
Their uniforms perfect.
Their faces full of pride, and a quiet fear.
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Flash.
Flash.
Flash.
Cameras captured every angle.
The young Captain.
The flagship.
The emblem.
The name.
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Far beyond the camera flashes —
In the cold war rooms of the East —
The Great Russ Federation declared a new order:
"Sink the Supercarrier."
"HMS Tatiana must not see combat."
"End the 34th Fleet before it begins."
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But for now—
Aetherland stood tall.
The Empire's new pride was alive.
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A final photograph was taken.
Selene stood in front.
The entire 34th Fleet behind her.
And the steel nameplate of the carrier above them:
HMS TATIANA
A symbol of might.
A resurrection of memory.
A vessel not of war — but of vengeance waiting patiently.
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The Ones She Chose
6 Months Earlier – Naval Command, Aetherland
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The stack of papers was taller than the kettle boiling quietly in the corner.
Each document bore a name.
A background.
A face.
Some were fresh graduates.
Some had disciplinary notes longer than their service files.
Some volunteered.
Others had to be pulled from classified lists.
All of them applied to the same place.
34th Imperial Fleet.
Commanded by Selene von Aetherwald.
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She sat at her desk — still 28, already mythic —
Her fingers turned every page.
No words.
No hesitation.
She handpicked them all.
The pilot.
The doctor.
The engineer.
The comms team.
Even the custodians and cooks.
If they would set foot on the HMS Tatiana,
they would do so by her choice.
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Present Day — Post-Inauguration
Onboard HMS Tatiana
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The engines hummed.
The deck crew saluted.
The brass had left.
Now — it was hers.
And they began to arrive.
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1. Elias Jerkins – The Sleepy Genius
He stepped onto the deck.
Squinted at the colossal aircraft carrier.
"...Great."
A sigh.
"Another giant floating headache."
He already looked exhausted.
The kind of man who looked like he read a war manual and fell asleep on page one… only to solve the entire conflict in his dream.
First Interaction:
Selene approached, expression unreadable.
Formally greeted him.
Elias handed her a piece of paper without looking.
"Resignation letter. Just being efficient."
She ripped it in half.
Didn't break eye contact.
"Yeah, figured," Elias yawned.
He walked in.
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2. Roxanne "Roxy" Beaumont – The Engineer's Prodigy
She burst into the engine chamber like a child into a candy store.
Her mouth dropped.
"THIS. IS. BEAUTIFUL."
Her hands twitched.
Already scanning the panels, the pipes, the reactor core.
Fantasizing about "improvements" no one asked for.
First Interaction:
Selene met her in the main engine room.
"Don't touch anything unless I tell you to," Selene said flatly.
Roxy grinned.
"You're no fun."
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3. Rocco Volkov – The Walking Explosion
He whistled as he passed the missile bay.
Paused.
Stared.
Whistled again.
Softer.
"...I think I'm in love."
The walking definition of a chaos problem waiting to explode —
And somehow, exactly what they needed.
First Interaction:
Selene watched him on CCTV.
Didn't say a word.
Didn't move.
Rocco leaned toward the nearest camera.
"Test Drive the Jet boss ?"
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4. Dr. Lillian "Lily" Fontaine – The Overworked Medic's and Pianist
She walked through the infirmary doors.
Took one look at the endless rows of bunks.
"...They're all gonna get shot, aren't they."
Her face was made of exhaustion.
Her soul brewed in coffee.
And her temper sharper than her scalpels.
First Interaction:
Selene handed her a small bag.
Lily blinked.
Coffee beans.
She nodded.
Tucked it into her coat.
Selene didn't say anything.
Just stared.
Lily tilted her head.
"...I'll sleep well. Don't worry."
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And thus — the core of the 34th assembled.
Not polished.
Not perfect.
But handpicked.
By her.
The fleet didn't just have a carrier.
It had a crew worthy of war.
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Now, the mighty ship was sail into the Northen Sea