Few Nebula Hopper League craft have as storied or vibrant a history as the Maple Leaf. Under the guidance of Star Captain Kyle Dubas and Master Engineer Sheldon Keefe, the legendary vessel speeds through the galaxy searching for new tales of glory…

The Maple Leaf hurtles through the void. Kyle stays focused on the target while Sheldon hard scans the surrounding space. The Blue Jacket was out there, just as hungry as the Maple Leaf, scanning the quadrant just as eagerly. It was nice of the League to inform the ships as to who their opponent would be, at least for this first round, but since all the data they had to work with was from before the Covidian expansion it was essentially useless. The only certainty in this years race was that it would be unlike any that had come before.

A shape pushes into Sheldon’s sensor array. There is no more time to ponder the future, it’s here.

“Bearing 24x15y03z.” Sheldon spares a half second to watch the small monitor he has locked on the ships forward view screen. He can see the Blue Jacket now as the two ships race toward each other.

The Maple Leaf and the Blue Jacket are almost perfectly opposite. While the Maple Leaf works with an unlimited budget and resources beyond counting, the Blue Jacket manages seemingly impossible victories using only what they can cobble together from donations and cast offs. The Maple Leaf is famous for a staggering offense while the Blue Jacket has perfected a stifling defense. The Maple Leaf crew has a deep respect for what the Blue Jacket has endured, and both men know if the Blue Jacket is going down it’s going down bloody.

The opening combat period passes in a blur. The two ships may be feeling each other out but they are certainly not easing into anything. Kyle weaves through the void with reckless abandon while Sheldon picks his shots with infuriating, but deadly, patience. Neither ship can get an edge over the other and eventually, as the tide drifts away from the shore, the Maple Leaf and the Blue Jacket drift apart.

The break in the action gives Sheldon and Kyle a chance to catch their breath and to reflect.

“We are playing into their hands.” Kyle says.

“I know.” Sheldon answers “But we need to learn how they want to beat us.”

“I hope you learn fast.” Kyle says louder than he means to.

“Me too.” Sheldon answers earnestly.

The second period of engagement is largely like the first in the beginning. As the period wears on though, momentum slowly begins to shift. Suddenly it seems as if the speed of the Maple Leaf might be confounding the Blue Jacket’s systems. Still, no shots score a hit and the ships drift apart for a second time tied at zeroes.

As the ships close for the third time things seems to be going the Maple Leafs way. Using a quick reverse thrust to send the Blue Jacket turning in the wrong direction gives Sheldon a perfect shot. A hard salvo from the keel line of torpedoes scatters off the Blue Jacket’s shields. Kyle rolls through the pulsar wake of the torpedoes and Sheldon lets fly with the dorsal line except the Blue Jacket isn’t there. Somehow their opponent had slipped behind the Maple Leaf and, with contemptible ease, a torpedo gets by the Maple Leafs shields to explode against the hull.

The battle is done at that point. Sheldon and Kyle push hard for the victory even dropping the shields all together in the final minutes. It is no use, the Blue Jacket has taken the first of nineteen victories they will need to win the race.

“I think we did a lot of good things.” Kyle says. “I think if we can just keep doing what we did, stick to it and tighten up, I think we can beat them. I know we can.”

Sheldon doesn’t answer. He doesn’t need to. He knows he has to be better. He knows he needs to learn how to get passed the Blue Jackets defenses and, he needs to learn fast. Sheldon smiles at his joke, of course he will learn fast. Speed is what the Maple Leaf is built for.