1. The Messer Era: “The Iron Dog” (2757–2801)

Laid down in 2757 at the height of the Xi’an Cold War, the K557 was built as part of the “Iron Wall” defensive line. As an early Perseus model, she lacked the advanced avionics of modern ships but compensated with exceptionally thick physical armor plating. She spent forty years patrolling the Perry Line, earning the nickname “The Iron Dog” for her aggressive posturing against Xi’an patrols. She was decommissioned in 2801 and placed in deep cryogenic storage as the UEE downsized.

1. The Bishop Reactivation (2946)

Following the Vanduul devastation of Vega II in late 2945, Admiral Ernst Bishop initiated the emergency reactivation of older heavy gunships to bolster the fleet. The Johnston, having sat in the dry vacuum of storage for over 150 years, was found to have a pristine keel structure. She was gutted, fitted with modern power plants, coolers, and shield generators, and rushed back into service in early 2946 to meet the Vanduul threat.

III. The Defense of Oya III (2950)

The event that ended her Navy career occurred five years ago. On patrol near the Oya system, the Johnston intercepted a Vanduul raiding party targeting a civilian convoy.

Commanded to hold the line, the aging gunship engaged two Vanduul destroyers at point-blank range. Her modern shields failed quickly, but her ancient, over-engineered hull plating absorbed punishment that would have vaporized a newer ship. She successfully destroyed one destroyer and rammed the other, forcing a retreat.

The battle saved the convoy, but the Johnston was a wreck. Her main spine was fractured, and her reactor housing was compromised. The Navy deemed the ancient hull “beyond economical repair” and struck her from the active register in 2951, sending her to the scrap yards of the Kilian System.

1. Acquisition by Carrier Strike Group 3 (2953)

Retired Rear Admiral Glenn “Pappy” Wade located the hull in 2953, just weeks before she was scheduled for recycling. Recognizing the tactical value of her “Iron Dog” armor and her historical significance, Wade purchased the hull for a fraction of the cost of a new ship.

The “Frankenstein” Refit (2953–2954) Because the Navy had stripped the military-grade railguns, Pappy Wade had to improvise.

• Weaponry: He utilized CSG-3’s logistics network to source experimental Size 7 kinetic cannons from the civilian industrial sector—weapons originally designed for asteroid mining but repurposed for lethality.
• Hull: Instead of standard repairs, Wade ordered the stress fractures welded with high-density salvage plating, giving the ship a scarred, patchwork aesthetic that matches her brawler reputation.

1. Current Status: December 17, 2955

As of today, the UEES Johnston is fully operational and serves as the heavy enforcement arm of Carrier Strike Group 3.

• Location: She is currently docked at CSG-3’s staging area (likely in a system like Stanton or Pyro), undergoing final ordnance loading for upcoming operations.
• Reputation: She is widely recognized by her unique transponder signal and the visual “scars” on her hull. Pirate clans in the sector have reportedly ordered their pilots to “avoid the Old Dog” if detected on radar.
• Condition: While mechanically sound, the ship requires constant maintenance due to the mix of 28th-century structure and 30th-century components. She runs hot, loud, and hits harder than anything in her weight class.