Launched from a squadron of suborbital Imperial Federation of Enlightened Systems’ attack craft, a brace of ZN35 cruise missiles race across the sky. Soon they will descend to a scant 100 meters for their attack run. The unsuspecting victims are in the main rebel stronghold located in the city of New Sydney. But the payload is death incarnate. Each ZN35 has a fifth generation binary nerve gas warhead, banned by most civilized nations. A single droplet inhaled or landing on the skin of a human dooms them to a painful death. The gas is persistent for approximately eighteen hours. The delivery systems and on-board electronics ensure effective dispersal of the nerve agent over the designated target area. Yet the infrastructure will be undamaged ready for the invaders to walk in unopposed. The interstellar conventions of war expressively forbid the manufacture, use or retention of stocks of such chemical weapons. Those nations who still possess such appalling weapons fervently deny their vile existence. Hence the use of five missiles. One alone would render the rebels incapable of resisting the might of the Imperial Army division now in orbit around the terriformed moon. But there must absolutely be no survivors whatsoever, to bear witness to this inexcusable war crime that could bring the proud empire’s reputation into disrepute. Yes, over 200,000 innocent civilians will die, but that is only collateral damage in the eyes of the generals. Better they die and be forgotten than should the rulers of the Imperial Federation of Enlightened Systems be reviled and despised amongst all civilized worlds forevermore. ……. A bit of a grim story about how I came to produce this image and accompanying prose. In part it is due to what I have been reading in one of my textbooks for one of my uni subjects being Security and Terrorism Concepts. (I am doing as one of my minors for my IT degree, Security, Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism.) The topic I was just reading was state sponsored terrorism in the domestic policy domain, for example Saddam Hussein gassing the Kurds or what Stalin did to his own people and the self-serving justifications given for these crimes. (very depressing reading) Makes you wonder if us humans can ever learn. The cruise missile was created in Wings 3D and textured in Vue 6 Pro Studio. I have placed the VOB and an untextured OBJ in Free Stuff. This model can be used for commercial or non-commercial renders. It can be modified as you see fit. If you use it in a render, all I ask is if you could please send me a link to the image. The foundation of this scene was the free scene, Above The Clouds, supplied on the Vue 6 Pro Studio Extras CD. Thanks to everyone who commented on my last image. Enjoy :)