In the decades following the turn of the 21st century, humanity found itself at a crossroads. Expand into the final frontier, and conquer the stars, or be wiped out by the cruel hand of fate. War, famine and disease all took their toll on the human home planet in the first half of the 21st century, reducing them to a mere shell of their former selves, only five hundred million strong. However, from the ashes of destruction shined a glimmer of hope. Trans-Newtonian elements, a collection of new materials with the ability to defy physics as we had previously known them, were discovered deep below the crust of the Earth. These new resources, whose properties transcend Newtonian physics, allowed humanity to further their grasp on the stars like never before, removing the troublesome effects of inertia, and allowing faster than light communication. Humanity was now able to leave behind their petty squabbles of yesteryear and expand into the great unknown.
The year is 2088, and the Commonwealth of Sol has begun their expedition to the furthest reaches of the galaxy. Having already explored and conquered their own solar system, finding it less than abundant with the resources that they required to build their stellar empire, the Commonwealth has expanded into nearby systems such as Barnard's Star and Proxima Centauri in an attempt to secure a stable future. As luck would have it, the system of Barnard's Star proved to be a boon for their efforts, containing massive amounts of Trans-Newtonian elements with relative accessibility. As efforts were made to begin to terraform the most habital of its planets, named "Novus" by the brave crew of the Ophelia, who discovered the system, trouble began to brew back in humanity's home system. Luna, a colony established quickly after the Commonwealth's journey to the stars, began to voice concerns over the newly established interstellar empire's lack of protection by a formal Navy. Things quickly turned violent, as protests became riots and riots became bombings, the brave National Guard were sent to quell the riots and bring peace back to Sol. They succeeded, however, the rioter's pleas did not go unheard.
As terraforming efforts continued on Novus, Barnard's Star, the plans for a number of combat worthy ships were drafted. First, there was the Omega class corvette, which proved to be far too weak to be any assistance to the navy of the Commonwealth. Then, the Eclipse class missile frigate was drafted, a powerful warship capable of deploying missiles in large numbers to overwhelm enemy defenses. This design made it into the development stages, until it was deemed too resource intensive, and the project was scrapped. However, from the Eclipse class's failures, the Lambda class Cruiser was born. A moderately sized warship, to be equipped with the finest laser technology the commonwealth has to offer, the Lambda class passed both theoretical planning and development with no issue. It was not ready to be produced, the first combat vessel of the Commonwealth. To be produced as a pair, the ships will be christened "Cain" and "Abel", and if all goes right, it will mark a large milestone for the newly formed empire.
Sol, Stardate 2088

Barnard's Star, Stardate 2088

Known Galaxy, Stardate 2088
