The Furry Forums
Creative Arts and Media => Roleplay => Serious RP => Topic started by: Gabag on November 16, 2009, 02:18:37 AM
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Humanity has always looked skywards. With an ever expanding Human Empire, reaching across billions of solar systems, with Earth at the center as the capitol world, They find they arent the only species in existence. On the Eastern Fringe lie the Reavers, creatures who appear to be reptilian, founded on a warrior based society, the Reavers and the Humans maintain a cease fire, thats soon to end.
To the West are the Eph'Tan, furred aliens interested in technology, with their tech much higher then the humans, they wonder how Humanity managed to fight off their Assault recon squadrons with relative ease, but have created a cease fire with them as well.
One organization wants to create the first Galaxy war to profit from it. With the galaxy war dawning, will you support it, or fight it... no one knows it's coming, but it is....
Relationships between species will form, Lovers will meet unlikely matches... others will be drawn to satiate their lust for blood. Some will be driven by zealotry to kill any non Humans or Non Reaver or non Eph'Tan
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The loud grinding of asteroid matter being churned and filtered for minerals and ore filled the R-20, rocking its steel plated hull and shaking every rivet.... the large, dust covered, chipped, yellow bulk of the salvager was clamped onto the large grey mass of the asteroid, like a fruit fly on a cellestial apple... dust and debris flying off into space from the large robotic limbs, chewing and tearing away, scouring every usable mineral...
"status report"
Kitt strode through to the main bridge of the R-20, junior engineer in charge jumping from his chair, tail nervously swishing...
"main cargo bay is at 60% full cap'n..."
"good progress, i say another two hours out here Jake?"
"well we hit a good vein of rinotite sir... i'd put us at only being here another hour, if less.."
Kitt nodded, satisfied that the feline was awake now, before turning and walking back out of the bridge, paws clanking across the metal walkway out above the main cargo hold....
" 'nother hour? good, we aint got long b'fore they find us out here..."
-
Razac walks down the long bare corridor to his captain’s office. The last mission he and his team had been on had been a success, but his overly violent method had been called into question. It was to have been a simple in-out operation, but he had lost his temper and gotten one of his team members hurt. He reached the captain’s room and knocked.
*"Enter" Called a voice from within.
Razac opened the door and sat down in the chair, glaring at his captain. "You wanted to see me sir?" he said that last word with a sneer. He never had liked superiors of any kind, and it had cost him many times in the past.
*"You mind telling me what it is you were thinking out there? Because of you, Davidson will be restricted to desk work for a month!" His captain, Aldler, shouts.
Razac just sneers, "Well if he had been quicker to get out of my way, then maybe he wouldn’t have gotten hurt. Listen, we got the job done, that’s all that matters. So what if there was an injury? He'll live and that should be good enough."
*Aldler glares at him with contempt, a vein sticking out in his forehead. "I swear, one more screw up like this, and I'll see that you are not only barred from the service, but locked up as well! Now get out of here, before I wipe that look off your face." He turns around in his chair and stares out the window behind him.
Razac resists the urge to lay Aldler out, and storms from the room. He makes his way to his cabin to await further orders
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Chrono could have been in better situations, he could have been the leader of his entire race, or maybe a high-ranking general leading the battle to protect his home planet. No, he had to be in the top five of the worst situations of his possibly short-lived career.
"You want me to hunt down an Assassin, keep her alive, and bring her back to this location undetected?"
He was sitting in his 'comandeered' ride from his previous job while speaking with the client, who suprisingly decided to not show his face and disguise his voice.
"Yes, and I trust that this evidence of you destroying a human battleship will be good enough incentive to ensure you will accomplish this?"
Chrono sighed before nodding, and then requested for the information on the target. The monitor pulled up a rather messy picture of a female in a cloak in a crowded market.
"What kind of joke is this, a messy picture that doesn't even show her race, height, age or even skin color!"
"You have a picture of her, now go find her and bring her to the Solaris 5 sector by next universal month or your bounty-hunting days are through!"
The screen cut off and Chrono slumped back in his seat. I have the means to bring her back, but not to find her with this horrible image it sent, I guess its my job to also make sense of it
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"Hey Annie! Annie!?!"
The loud sparking and fizzing sound from the welders torch stopped with a splutter, the feline wielding it standing up from the steel plate he or she had been welding... pushing back her face mask to reply the sex became descernible as definately female and feline...
"Cap'n?"
"we got 60% full cargo bay... thats means around one hour left out here.."
Annie nodded, motioning to the welding work on the hull of the R-20
"just patchin' her up sir... she took quite a scraping the last time they caught up with us..."
Kitt nodded, turning from her as she continued the welding work, plasma torch buzzing, bright blue plasma flame sealing up a gap in the joint.... Striding back towards the main cockpit across the steel walkway a claxon blared, red light flashing through the ship... as Kitt ran the last part to the bridge... getting through the doorway at a run to find Jake wide awake shouting into the coms..
"we got pinged! hostiles approaching, we got five minutes max to get the hell outa here!"
Running over to the scanner's screen Kitt watched as several objects flashed, nearing at alarming speed... checking the data outlay on the cargo bay it showed 72% full..
"thats enough... GET US OUTA HERE!"
-
At the table of the mess hall aboard the NTC Treykha, Reyana, aka Shock, shook her leg incessantly, while taking bites out of her sandwich.
"I can't keep all trapped like this, Tak," she said to Asia, the rabbit on the opposite side of the table. He lounged on one chair, with his feet on the other, his head tilted back, staring at the ceiling. "I joined this force to fly around and shoot down humans. It ain't natural for me to sit here doing nothing."
"Well you shoulda joined earlier, maybe you coulda caught the end when we were getting whipped," Asia replied.
"We woulda won if I was there," she said, forcing Asia to let out a laugh. "I'd a' killed all them baldie freaks, like pa-pa-pa-pow!" She mimed controlling her fighter, giving an extra jolt at the last shot, causing her imaginary opponent to burst into flames.
Beon walked over carrying a plate covered in carrot chunks with ketchup on the side. "Budge up." He kicked Asia's feet, knocking them off the chair for him to sit. Reyana looked upon his plate with disgust. "Oh yeah, Shock?" Beon looked over to the rat, pausing to take in her repulsed expression before continuing. "Strike's got a new set-up for his fighter. He wants to test it in the simulator with you."
"What?" Reyana shook her head to regain concentration. "Ah right, i was just distracted by that nasty combination you got there." She gestured to the carrots. "Seriously, that just ain't right." Grabbing her sandwich, she stood up and turned to leave the mess hall. "If that's good food then I'm a dude," she said.
"Well by that logic, that's high society cuisine," Asia added under his breath. The rabbit pair laughed.
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Secotr N-50598
Aka the Neutral sector. A large sector leading to the only safe known passage the three interstellar empires, each side has agreed that this zone shall remain demilitarized, The five habitable planets have been colonized by all three of the races, each owning and sharing apart of the sector, helping to reinforce the belief that no war will happen here. Cantidus, the largest of the five planets, is the largest metropolis out of the five planets. The first to be colonized, it combines Eph'Tan technology with human ingenuity, created a sprawling city that covered the desert badlands, filled with dangerous wildlife, to an enormous city that covered the entire world. The other habitable planets however have sparsely been populated, with the jungle world, Dedrun, being a haven for research due to the diverse flora and fauna on the world.
In this sector a lone freighter with a Reaper's emblem on the side warps in from a neighboring sector. This ship is known as the Dawn's End. At first the freighter seems completely harmless, but little do the empires know the ship contains a secret that could very well change the diplomatic views of the empire.
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Zeit has been sleeping for about half an hour before his alarm went off, sending him from his bed to the floor in a second. He got up and shut off the alarm. "Well, time to work on the new tech we retrieved..." Zeit went to his usual chest of 'confiscated' weapons and took out the newest addition: an experimental Eph'Tan plamsa cannon. He went to the shooting range and activated the usual testing program. "Set ordinance resistance to maximum..." a beep confirmed that it had reached the setting specified, and he took aim. A loud 'Whachoooom' resonated through the ship as Zeit fired the gun, and it barely hit the target, possibly saving the ship from a containment breach and also getting some solid data on the weapon.
Zeit looked at the amount of smoke, and the high energy burst the data showed. "Oh yea, this ones a keeper..." he said with a sinister grin that usually comes with such a high-grade weapon.
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Shiro sat on his bench on the salvage ship R-40, known as "home" to many Eph'tan, including himself. He tinkered with the power coupling in his hands while thinking about his new "home". He was lead engineer to the "Tango" R-20 salvage ship whenever it docked. That is if it docked, he was never certain. For all the time he had worked there, that ship had never docked without needing some sort of repair.
He sighed and chewed on his cheepo brand cigar.
I hope they get back in one piece.
-
Mark sat on his bed. He hadn't gotten sleep in 3 days as he spent his time writing in his journal filled with notes he'd been taking on everything he'd find useful for later use. He was currently writing his opinion on his research that had been conducted a day earlier on a plama grenade of Reaver technology. He found them much easier to use than the grenades he was issued as the Reaver grenades were able to be thrown further because of their design and had a larger kill radius. His alarm beeped and he slammed his hand down on it with such force, it was crushed. He groaned. "Second time this week." He said shaking his head. He tossed the book aside, stood up, and streched before he walked out of his quarters and into the hallway.
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The "Cask of Amontillado" cruised smoothly along the Human and Eph'tan border. The drab command deck was bristling with tension. Its captain shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Entaru hated this route, being so close to 'flea-bag central' made him antsy. However, one of his best customers was a border post meant for keeping the Human sector free of the greedy mongrels. The trip wouldn't be so bad if the station wasn't smack dab in the middle of an asteroid field. Entaru walked across the room towards the pilot center, each step clanging against the metal grating of the floor.
"How's she doing Mr. Wall?" A loud wheeze followed by a small sigh from the oxygen tanks in the suit made the cold interior of the ship seem that much more foreboding.
"She's runnin' fine Cap'n. We're gonna need to buff out a couple a' dings when we get to port, but otherwise a smooth ride." The pilot was used to the Captain's constant wheezing. After all, he had gotten a plasma bolt to the chest and lived to tell the tale. To say Mr. Wall was impressed was an understatement.
"Good" Entaru layed his hand on the pilots shoulder with a thud "Let's keep her that way."
-
The R-20 "tango" shook to its very core, rivets screamed in protest as the pilot put the ship to its limits...
"pirates on our six!"
The salvager rolled, evading the incoming fire... five sleek fighter persude, bright bursts of rail-fire lighting them up in stark contrast, contrails of smoke following the bullets which either flew off into space or found their mark across the beaten in salvagers hull...
"hull intergrity at 76% shield at 20% sir!"
"Make the jump! NOW!"
A low bass humming started, which suddenly broke into a crescendo as "tango" and the four other salvagers disapeared in a blue flash, the pirates disengaged flying off in strict formation to look for new prey....
~~~~
A loud claxon sounded harshly through the R-40 "home"... red lights flashing along the corridors..
"~chhxz~ Salvage teams have jumped in twenty clicks from out position, they seem to have taken quite a beating... repair teams to the dock! ~chhzx~"
Eph'tan jumped from their seats, nocking over drinks or games of cards, boots crashing down the corridors as they headed for the main dock, a huge area that occupied the centre of the underside of the "home"... cranes, welders and constant bustle filled the area... through the field generators five small yellow ships could be seen flying in delta formation for the dock, two streaming smoke behind them, "tango" up front, other behind....
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Razac is in his quarters, throwing some knives at a dart board, when the phone on his desk starts to ring. His eyes light up, and he walks over to the desk and answers the phone.
"What is it?" He says into the phone.
Aldlers voice sounds from over the phone, sounding cross. "I have a job for you. You'll be on your own this time around, cant have another screw up. There have been reports of a Eph'tan on a nearby planet. I want you to go take them out."
Razac grins to himself. "Affirmative." He then hangs up the phone and walks over to the wall where we kept his favorite weapons. He donned these tools of death and then heads toward the launch bay to acquire a ship, looking forward to the blood letting that was to follow.
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Tango set down with a loud thump that shook the welding equipment nearby... grinding limbs retracting with a hiss of decompressed gas as it settled down... the main door opened with the screech of protesting metal as several rivets fell out of place from the hull.... stepping down the steps, Kitt jumped down beside an engineer who stood, cigarette end now on the floor as he stared up in amasement at the salvager....
"how?... how the hell didya fly this thing back?"
Kitt and his team stopped, looking back to the R-20, which was now smoking profusely from one of the engine vents.... a section of armour plating fell off with a loud ~karang~ bolts rolling across the dock flooring...
"with love, hope... and the god-dam best pilot we got here."
Kitt replied, laughing at the expression on the young engineer who had lit up another cigarette, giving an appreciative whistle...
The other four R-20's all set down in thier respective positions in the dock, all in a similar state of disrepair....
"right then... lets unload this ore, then you mechanics can get to tending our gal!"
Kitt and his team laughed, walking past the mechanic who shook his head...
"you R-20 crews are the crazziest hot heads we got...."
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Shiro Chan, seeing his beloved "Tango" in such disrepair he leaped up from his seat, smoke steaming out of his well chewed cigar.
"What... did... you... to... the... SHIP!!!!!!" Shiro flew into a rage waving his large wrench in the air menacingly.
"DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG IT IS GOING TO TAKE TO FIX THIS!?!?! Its going to take DAYS... no WEEKS! This time i am going to build a side container on that ship to protect my INVESTMENT!"
He didn't wait for a reply, he just called all of his engineers and started crawling on the outside and inside of the junked junker.
-
A loud beeping filled the command deck as a transmission from the Cask's fighter escort came in.
The tech officer looked over to Entaru. "Incoming message sir."
"I know that, Grundy!!" He hated the alert noise for transmissions. It echoed so much inside his suit that it was almost deafening. "Put it on screen"
As the glass for the observation deck changed, a man in his mid 30's appeared on the screen. In the image it was easy to tell that he was blonde and somewhat portly. The man may not have been athletic but he had a quick eye and patience, which served him well as a fighter pilot and as the crew's on foot sniper. He was the squad leader of the fighter crew.
"You have news Mr. Elliott?" Entaru grumbled This had better be good
"Yeah, and I think you'll like it." The fighter grinned sadistically at the thought. "We found scavangers!"
Entaru slowly sat upright in his seat in a desperate attempt to hold back his enthusiasm
"Hot or cold?" His labored voice gave him away
"Hot blood sir. We did some nasty damage before they jumped" Entaru began to frown "but they were small vessels so they couldn't have gone far"
Entaru grinned so wide that the pilot thought his head would fall in half, and a old earth quote popped in his head The Grinch got a wonderful, awful idea and the pilot laughed.
"I'm sending you the co-ordinates to triangulate their postion. Anthony, Vaun, Zaha, Sam and I will be with you shortly" All of the fighters were brothers from the same family.
"Excellent! Make it quick though! I want to hit these fools while their still shaking." Entaru turned from the screen to the senior tech officer "Ms. Zettergren find those flea-bags and get us ready for a jump" The dark haired woman nodded with a 'Yes, boss.' and got right to work.
Entaru looked back at the screen "Well what are you waiting for? Move it! I need you and your brothers on the guns!" The screen turned off with a quick 'Aye, sir!' and the screen became the observation glass once more. In the distance five red dots were zooming their way to the ship.
Entaru sat in his chair and prepped himself for the short jump. The fighters were now in full view as they zipped by the observation glass and to the dock. Entaru drummed his fingers impatiently on the chair's arm. Finally the words he waited for came.
"We're ready for the jump sir."
"Good." Entaru pressed the on board communicator on his helmet. "You and your brothers in position Chris?"
-Yep, all set- The commed buzzed in his ear.
"Perfect! Be ready to fire on my command. Prepare for jump in 3...2...1...Jump!"
The Cask careened through space and Entaru's adrenaline levels spiked. Quickly they came to rest again, this time besides the R-40 Salvage ship. Entaru leapt from his seat and flung his hand in the direction of the Eph'tan ship "Home" and triumphantly screamed the order.
"ALL BATTERIES, OPEN FIRE!!!!"
-
The fleet commander of "home"'s eyes widened....
"dear Eph'tan.... bridge! full power to shields, starboard!"
The bridge crew frantically re-routed all available power to the R-40's starboard shield emitters, even as the first shots hit home...
The whole ship rocked with the force of the impact, round after round impacting with the hull, before the shields kicked in... as each shot hit bright, neon blue ripples spread as the shields took the brunt of the fire....
"All crew... hang on to whatever ya got! all R-20 pilots report to deck and board your R-25's!"
~~~
Down on deck it was a frantic mess of jostling EPh'tan... amongst them the R-20 pilots ran like the attack bees in a hive amongst the confused worker drones... Kitt ran to the first R-25, regular R-20's outfitted for ship combat, all the mining tools replaced with emp dischargers, buzz saws, chainblades and all manner of deadly looking claws and limbs...
"Saddle up team Tango, lets go eat us a ship!"
The R-40 shook again, several shots had made it through the shields, impacting across the hull, even as the R-25's boosted up... limbs moved with great hisses in preparation for their saboutarial work...
Along with the R-25's several R-20A's where firing up... these where very similar, except they themselves bore no weapons other than large missile pods.... the missiles where not of the explosive variaty, and where an experimental "field weapon" that was to get its first test run....
~~~
"Shields at 70% and falling sir! hull integrity failing!"
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Shiro saw the ship lifting off, and tore after kitt, landing in the ship just as the door closed.
"I hope you guys have an extra living space, because i am not hanging around back there."
-
Entaru luaghed maniacally as the ship took hit after hit.
"HAHAHA...TAKE THAT YOU MANGY THROW-RUGS!!!!"
Entaru's triumph was interuptted as the senior tech officer shouted.
"Sir, Eph'tan...fighters?...are incoming"
Entaru clenched his metal fists and laughed.
"Hah...Good! Send in the 'wasps'!"
"Yes, boss"
The "wasps" as they were called were unmanned explosive drones about 10 feet in length and 2 feet wide. Sure Entaru had some fighters but not nearly enough to take out the defenses for a salvage ship this size. The "wasps" locked on to the plasma signatures of ships, programmed to ignore their deploying ship, and would detonate when they were in a proximity of 3 meters from the signature. That usually meant the engine. The "wasps" had gotten their nickname from the way they would swarm the engines of larger ships, "stinging" it unitl the engines failed and exploded. Not only were they effective...they were cheap! You could buy 100 of the things with only proper I.D., an interstellar weapons permit, and 10,000 credits (a rich man's meal costs 50 credits).
Entaru smiled as the swarm of 35,000 streaked toward their targets and he laughed as an absurd thought crossed his mind.
Fly! Fly! Fly, my pretties! Fly!
-
Ol' Jimbo was lounging in a chair asleep, when the klaxon blared. "Is that Zeit again Charles?"
The Senor Lt. looked up "Yes it is.... can you take care of him please i'd rather not die due to someones love of weaponry"
"Aye Aye Lt."
Getting up and yawning, Jameson slapped on his armor and went to check on Zeit, watching everyone freak out, compared to his relative calm.
"Zeit what did I tell you about using experimental weapons NEAR THE ENGINE!?"
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"How'r we doing with thos co-ordinates?!"
"We gotta lock sir! boosting the main jump drive now! we just need ta hold them off a little longer!"
~~~
Kitt groaned "Shiro! if you goddamn die out here! ugh... we dont have time... sit back and enjoy the ride!" With a lurch the R-25 rose from its platform, and, engine whining, flew towards the large frigate....
"Sir! incoming drones! running diagnostics.... they seem to be some kind of... oh hell! evasive manoueveres, evasive maouveres!"
A loud whining beep sounded, the R-25 dropped and rolled, Gforce throwing the occupants into their seats. Even as several drones exploded above, exactly where the salvager had been only seconds before... Several of the saboteur ships exploded into balls of flame and shrapnell, drones impacting or exploding around them turning them into slag.....
"just keep dodging! clear the way for R-20A's!"
~~~
The R-20A's had stayed behind the main force, missile pods tracking the frigate they unleashed every missile at once in a long sustained volley... the missiles, utilising advanced enginges and AI targetting systems flew around the main combat.... leaving thin white contrails as they flew the missiles impacted on the frigates shields, every one of them exploding... not one made it through to the hull except for what looked like loose metal and shrapnell that slowly came into contact with the hull... for all intents and purposes it seemed the missiles had done nothing, the R-20A's turned and headed back for the R-40...
~~~~
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"Dont worry, i know how to survive out here." Shiro said to Kitt, then turned to the pilot. "You dont know how to fly this thing! Let someone who knows how to fly this junker fly her!"
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"oh yeah sure... and while i'm doing that maybe i'l just blow yer brains across the windscreen with my pistol!" shouted the pilot, he was strainging to keep the ship under coontrol as it was buffeted by multiple explosions...
"Jake! do what he says! however you... if you crash this thing, im gonna personally make sure IM gonna blow your brains across the windscreen!... Jake, you man the claws! Annie, pull up damage control!"
~~~
"sir! several of those drones have made it past the..."
Several loud explosions stopped the bridge pilot in mid sentence, the lights flickered twice....
"Just get this hunka junk ready to jump outa here!"
~~~~
As the scrap metal hit the hull... a scurry of activity flew through the host of seemingly worthless junk.... each small chunk popped open, saws spinning, red sensors lighting up as the buzz droids scurried over the hull like midges... after a few seconds... several where already attacking vents and weapons ports, plasma torches scroing scalding lines of heat through circuitry or weak points...
((once the R-40 has jumped buzz droids become inactive, they also become inactive after fifteen mintues when their power cell runs out... makes it fairer :3 ))
-
"Sir! Something just cut off our communications!"
"WHAT!!! None of their missiles hit us. It was just shrap..." Entaru trailed off mid sentence as he saw a small droid scuttle quickly along the observation glass. "Why those son of a..."
"Sir, power in the mess hall is down to 85%"
Entaru thought for a moment and smiled as he saw the R-25s getting closer, with their claws swaying, their purpose so obvious it hurt.
"Draw power away from all unnessecary systems and prepare for a shield purge on my mark." That would mean the guns too. The "wasps" would still wreak enough havoc with the smaller ships but the main ship would get away. But the shield purge would destroy the buzz droids...and any R-25s that were within the shields. Entaru waited and watched as the R-25s got closer.
-
"sir, ship ready for jump!"
The R-40 rocked again, lights flickering across all decks...
"damn drones! recall the fighters, everything home! we need ta get outta here.. we're clearly outmatched sir! engines are failing, we have decompression in decks 1 and two... we cant hold longer sir!"
The captain watched the opposing frigate carefully .. he detested to run but....
"recall them... ALL DECKS PREPARE FOR JUMP!"
~~~~
"home command ordered emergency jump! code red people!"
Jake looked from Kitt to the rest of the crew... each and every one of them new what code red meant... an emergency jump straight into the dock of the R-40.... risky, a miscalculated jump, and you'd be left behind.... it was the last resort the fleet ever used... flipping open a panel, his paw hoevered over the large red switch... Kitt nodded....
Every single one of the R-25's that wasnt already destroyed disapeared with a blue flash... those that where lucky re-appeared in the docking bay... smashing into the flooring, crushing any unfortunate enough to be in the way upon materialisation.... the R-40 too disspaeared with a loud ~hroom~ and a blue flash, initiating a jump to a nearby asteroid field, it would give them enough time if they where still persued...
not everyone was so lucky... five R-25's remained, stranded, no help... they where swarmed by the drones... picked apart ship by ship....
-
Zeit had a grin that easily read as 'I'm in trouble...' as he looked at Jameson. "Then put the targeting range somewhere else than near the engine, or do you want me to go blowing up the woman's restroom or the mess hall?" he added with a somewhat innocent tone. Of course he didn't have enough sense to drop the weapon, and it was still armed while they were talking.
-
"Zeit your really an idiot, you set up your own shooting range here, the OFFICIAL shooting range is on the other side of the ship, and no dont be a perv about it i'm serious, drop the gun or i'll have to beat it out of you" He said in a fatherly tone.
-
*White was flipping around his Spyderfly 3003 sitting on his bed and then picks up his shotgun and plays with the pump action, letting the plasma slugs fly out as he cocked it over and over* "Blast this place, I'm so bored... I just wish someone would put me on assignment! *He loaded the shells back into the box* "Ugh... I guess I'll just bide my time honing my line of sight at the shooting range." *The wolf put the shotgun on his back holster, grabbed his submachine gun and flipped his knife closed then put it in his pocket* "Time to go kill some red and white... gosh that sounds so pathetic."
*He presses open on the keypad and leaves his room, putting the alarm on* "I will never trust anyone around here, you never know what these dogs are up to, always trying to cause trouble because they too are bored... ugh." *The wolf whistles his way to the shooting range*
-
Shiro's hands flew on the controls, a blur of motion. The ship dexterously steadied as the blue flash dissipated from around the ship, just in time to stop from splattering four mechanics as they ran to the other ships which were still bouncing around the inside of the R-40. He landed the ship smoothly and without incident.
"Well, that was exciting! Lets do that again sometime!" Shiro stood up from the controls. "You just need to know how to treat them. I guess good piloting comes with being one of the best ex-smugglers in the rim."
-
Kitt spat on the floor of the R-25... "damn! dont you realise!? we lost easily half our R-20 pilots! every one of them a great friend to me and the rest of this crew!"
Shaking his head he slammed a fist into the door release button, stepping out as the penumatics hissed... Annie stepped over to Shiro, one paw on his shoulder..
"eh... ignore Kitt... he gets kinda emotional 'bout this...."
She smiled back to him as she stepped out with the rest of crew tango... stepping out into a scene of carnage, engineers being pulled out of wreckage, fires being beaten back as they consumed the R-25's.....
~~~~
5 hours later:
"Who the frack where they?! those werent no pirates sir!"
Kitt stood, his very blody composure shouted aggression, and yet sorrow and sadness...
"We lost gad damn thirty pilots sir! not to mention how many engineers or other crew! who the frack where they?!?"
The R-40 commander stood, arms folded behind his back... watching Kitts outburst with a look of resignation...
"we dont know... your right... they werent the usual pirates... that ship outmatched us in every way... and Kitt, do not think you are the only one to have lost friends... i lost my lead bridge commander today.... we all lost someone we knew... just... just help in any way you can... the cerimony is in half an hour... dismissed"
Kitt looked, from the commander, through the main observation screen out across the hull of the "home"...
"cerimony in thirty minutes... i'l be there sir..."
-
"Done!"
Shiro looked up at his handiwork on the ship. He picked up his handheld radio on his hip.
"Captain, this is Head Engineer Shiro. Tango and Click are operational, and i threw fang and fox into better condition from the fifth ship and some parts from engineering. I also added extra living space to tango. Might i suggest going to JJ-55e for repairs? Its Eph-Tan friendly and there is a guy there who owes me a favor. A ship sized favor."
-
The captain clicked the intercom button as he pulled on his jacket... "i hear you Shiro... and yes we where thinking of JJ-55e.... until then report with the other crew in dock 12 for the cerimony..."
Stepping out into the elevator the captain sighed... he had done this ceremony too many times....
~~~
Kitt and the rest of team tango stepped out into dock 12... it was packed with line upon line of engineers, medics, pilots, crewmen, chefs, accountants... everyone.... most turned to see the R-20 pilots, a few murmured... .before turning back to the main focus of attention, the lines of coffins beside the dock doorway... the crew, pilots and anyone else who had died in the attack...
Team tango lined up beside the rest of the surviving pilots... as the captain stood at the forefront of the dock, looking out over the sea of faces....
-
5 hours later the Cask is docked at the border station Chiron Omega
A loud (human) roar of pain echoes through the Cask's medbay as Entaru's primary physician injects a large amount of chemicals into the captain's neck.
"You're going to need to lay down for a while Entaru" Dr. Zettergren was the only crew member aboard the Cask who Entaru liked enough to be on a first name basis with him. "With how much the fight excited you, I'm surprised you didn't keel over in your seat"
"You should have seen the way those rugs scrambled when we let out the 'wasps'. I think one or two of them collided with eachother." Entaru smiled as he watched a replay of it in his mind.
Dr. Zettergren frowned. As much of a friend the captain was, he was certainly not the best of people.
"I'm sorry I missed it, I was busy taking care of Mr. Grundy. A buzz droid got inside and started to "buzz" him." The damage had been bad, but Grundy was a bit of a dog anyways so if anything the damage was an improvement.
"Too bad they ran off, I was hoping to get more than 3 ships with the shield purge. Any ideas on how many drones we lost? And don't tell me you don't know because I know that sister of yours told you" Dr. Zettergren and the Senior Tech Officer, Ms. Zettergren, were brother and sister. Their parents had been killed by a planet-side Reaver raiding party. They both had gone through much of what he had. That's why he hired them.
"Approximately 139 drones." Entaru looked at the doctor in confusion "I know we destoyed around 30 ships bu you must remember that many of them hit the main ship or went off at the wrong time."
"Fair enough. We can buy triple that amount with what this shipment brought us and still have enough for everyone to relax in style. Personally I'm putting my share into a fund to upgrade the ship. Make it a MkII model" Entaru smirked.
"Just leave enough for a new suit, alright. This one is getting old and is keeping you barely stable." Dr. Zettergren made a few more adjustments on the suit. "There, all set. You can go now if you want."
"Thank you" Entaru stood up off the medbay table and began to walk out of the room
"Entaru..." the captain looked back "...try to stay out of trouble. If you die of organ failure then no-one will be able to get your 'daughter' to do anything" He was referring to the Cask.
"Don't worry Fen, I'll be good." Entaru flashed a smirk at Dr. Zettergren and walked out.
"I'm sure..."
-
"Earlier today, one of our Salvage fleets was ambushed by a very large frigate. Reports from the probe in the Sector of Delta Sigma 12, reports of missile fire and high powered armaments were used. The salvage fleet was not well prepared, and attempted to fight back with salvage ships. Casualties are still flooding in but the perpetrator of this attack is none other then Captain Entaru, a human merchant who clearly means to incite violence upon out people. After scanning the vessel, the Council has decreed to send a report to the Human Empire so they can assist us in finding this outlaw, and bring him to Justice"
(broadcast to both Human and Eph'Tanni news stations and comms)
(In the council chambers in neutral space, the Eph'tanni councilors gather the human councilors to discuss this problem)
"THIS IS AN OUTRAGE, A NEUTRAL FLEET ATTACKED BY HUMANS!? If it was Reaver I wouldnt be surprised, BUT HUMANS!?" One councilman fumed.
"Now Dreck, let's not jump the gun with this decision, after all this one man doesn't represent Humanity as a whole, only the part we want to weed out."
"Then What Isha, we can't let this senseless violence go unnoticed"
"And it won't we'll send border forces to assist your border forces in tracking down this felon, once he's found you can deal with him as you see fit..."
-
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
around five hours ago in the bridge of Eph'tan carrier "eagle" :
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"sir, we have a transmission from probe V-alpha-9 in the sector of Delta Sigma 12.... i'l check it out, must be routine...."
~~~~
"this is a code red SOS! any ships in the vicinicty please respond!"
*explosion racks ship, image fuzzes before refoccusing*
"FRACK! anyone out there?! this is slavage frigate R-40 "home"! hull integrity failing! we cant... ~czzzzh~
*screen blanks out as large explosion hits bridge*
~~~~
"sir! you may want to see this!"
-
Blaire stepped out of the confines of her ship. Her thighs held her two desert eagles which were covered by a long cloak she had previously purchased. Her next mission was located in this city. She walked off the Valkyrie and looked around as the ship sealed up. Her first stop was the market. She needed more supplies if she was going to follow through with the mission. She took off the cloak and fixed her long brown hair. "Alright, first stop, the market. Skimp better meet me," She said to herself aloud. Skimp was her 'supplier' when she had grounded missions. Blaire took off in the direction of the bustling market. She cleared her throat as she proceeded down the road.
-
*White shot through the target and after using 3 plasma slugs it looked like a mere outline of what had been there* "Some people could only wish they were stuck at base all day not in danger... but my life is going by and I'm not doing anything worth fighting for..." *He trailed off seeing a new ship land in the base airstrip* "Woah! That looks interesting."
*He puts the gun on his back and then quickly makes his way through the compound to the airstrip* "Just maybe there will be something exciting around this dump..."
-
Shock setup the simulator to emulate the specs of her own ship, while Strike did the same for his, inputting the new data to accomodate for the new modifications he had created. The situation was to be a one on one in open space.
"Right, Shock, all you have to do is take me out, before i can do the same to you," said the tech fiend with overt enthusiasm.
"Sounds easy enough, I've done it so many times before, this shouldnt be a problem." Strike giggled before the simulation begun. The room turned dark, filled with the universe, marked with light, spread across the darkness. Immediately Strike shifted the fighter into full thrust, shooting her on an interception course with Strike, who was two kilometers away. They closed on each other, Strike itching to reach that one kilometer mark, where she could release her toys upon him. Before she could get even close, energy blasts zipped past her as Strike fired off new, shield sucking technology. She took evasive manouveres, and at this range, it was relatively easy for her to dodge most of the shots. Those that hit didnt even have an impact, they merely disappeared while her HUD displayed the loss of shield integrity.
"That's cute, Strike, yeah that's real cute," she said before activating afterburners and tearing towards, closing the gap and unleashing a terrible volley of the most powerful guns she could get her hands on. Her forward shields were hit quite substantially on the way, even as she diverted power to them, cutting the thrust of her engines in half.
Strike's targeting systems locked on, and he fired off one missile towards his prey. Shock had evaded many missiles before, this was nothing new, and spun and weaved to outwit the missile AI, releasing countermeasures. They were successful, and the missile skim past, exploding nearby. This was a mistake, and the EM blast of the missile suddenly cut out Shock's systems. Strike let his laughter bleed through the comms as he sucked away the shields, then switched to the GTW-66 Maxim Cannon, blasting through her simulated hull, tearing the fighter apart.
"What the flip was that, Strike?!" Shock flailed her arms and flicked her rat tail as she berated the cat for his new technology.
"You cant win all the time just by jumping into the middle of a fight," he replied.
"It works normally."
"I know it does, but my ship just aint normal." His grin defused her, innocent yet cheeky. All she could do was shake her head and grumble under her breath before saying,
"You're an idiot, you know that?"
It made him laugh.
Not long after, a call from the comms came in.
"Strike, Shock, prep yourself, we're about to jump." It was Asia.
"Where to?" Strike replied.
"Delta Sigma 12, according to Gore. Some political incident happened. None of our business really."
-
Mark was in the mess hall in his usual spot at the table in the back. He was watching the football game over the TV that was set up on the wall. A roudy bunch of soldiers watched along with him while they sat at other tables. Mark noticed them twitch everytime the ball got close to the net in excitment only to calm back down once a score was no longer likely. They were snacking on everything from chips to cookies while Mark sat with his legs up on another chair, sipping from his tea mug. Suddenly, the game went to static over the screen but was then brought back by a new broadcast informing them of the Salvage Fleet ambush. Mark put his feet back on the floor, the armour on his legs landing with a thud. He leaned forward and listened, still sipping from his mug. When the broadcast was finished, he stood up and quickly walked out of the mess hall to find Lt. Jameson.
-
Zeit just sighed and went to the actual practice range, still not dropping the hand-held cannon on his way there. "I just wanted a target that could stand up to anything, so I made one in the storage room..." he grumbled as he walked, ignoring the looks of paranoia from various crew-members.
Chrono just looked at the photo, then noticed at least half of her face was visible in the photo. He quickly had the ship run a facial scan and ran it across all possible races. However, only the faces of Reavers came up. Thats going to cut it down to just about ten of my own kind. He checked their names and so far only two had really close similarity to the picture, one was a council member of his homeworld, and the other belonged to a 'Blaire' who has little information except records of her parents. "Well, this is a start, Navix, set course for the last recorded sight of 'Blaire' and head there immedeatly"
The ship's engines hummed to life as it began take-off procedure...
-
The captain ducked under a line of piping as he followed a junior technician... sparks flew and the high pitched buzz of welders could be heard throughout the ship..
"well sir... as you can see infrasctructure repair is well under way... analysis shows that we are at.... 80% hull strength.... of course we do still require a docking very soon for supplies and large scale repairs... the R-20's we have left are working overtime on the outer hull repairing what they can... and of course the bridge will require some extensive work...."
The captain nodded... his face set, solumn as he watched three technicians stop their work to salute....
"well thats good... we stay out here as long as we can... and then return to port.... get a good price for this ore.... thanks Eph'tan for them damnable R-20 jockeys.."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
coms1: "Roger that, Tango here... bringing the plating round..."
~~~
coms2: "Tango pull up please, your course is off..."
~~~
coms1: "under control, bring er' in"
~~~
coms2:"thank ye tango, Sparkz out... you get back to dock for the next armour plate..."
~~~
coms1: "all looks good from here, bird flying home..."
-
Blaire looked around quietly and secretly. She proceeded towards what seemed to be a fruit shack. She walked inside moving out of customers' ways. She spotted her weapons supplier and jogged to him. "You have it?" She asked anxiously. He simply nodded and turned, walking into a back room. She followed, shutting the solid door behind them. He showed her to a case that was resting on a metal desk. Blaire looked at him quickly then slowly ambled over to the steel case. She waved her hand gently over it and smiled. "Is equipped with what I asked?" Her eyes dancing with joy and anticipation. He nodded once again, "Of course, I can't forget anything, or your missions would be a complete failure." He chuckled lightly and folded his arms. "So are you going to open it or not?" Blaire smiled and opened the case. Inside was an M14 EBR. She picked it up and looked at it. "It's missing something..." She huffed. Skimp shook his head. "There is another compartment. Do you think I'm going to make that piece visible? It was hard enough getting this here." Blaire searched the case and spotted another latch. She opened it and pulled out a thermal scope. "Perfect," She smirked as she placed it on the M14 EBR. She held the gun steadily and aimed it around. "This is perfect. I will be sure to complete my mission with this baby." She took off the scope and placed it and the gun back into the case, then latched it immediately. "Have your men drop this off at Valkyrie. Tiyre will be waiting." Tiyre was her pilot whom she trusted with all her might.
-
"All Hands prepare for the jump to hyperspace" Droned the auto response to the hyperdrive being warmed up.
"Wait... AHH CRAP IM STILL NEXT TO THE ENGINES!" Jameson yelled before beelining it out, unfortunately the automatic blast door sealed, so to prevent crew members flying out of their rooms at stuff.
Suddenly the floor beneath him became a blur and he was thrown into the wall. He could barely move, as there was a massive force on top of him. As suddenly as it came it stopped, and James fell face down on the floor of the ship, in pain.
-
*The wolf spots 3 corporals get off of the ship and walk out exchanging some briefcases* "All according to plan?" "As always, Ri'suute." "Good... now we also have a witness..." *They all turn towards the wolf hiding behind the corner* "A soldier?" "Yes... yes he is. Looks like he was spying on us." "You know how we deal with trouble." "Understood." *The other two corporals go towards his corner with silenced handguns hidden behind their backs*
"Attention soldier!" *White jumps from out of the corner and salutes* "Yes sir?" "What were you doing over there?" "I was... cleaning my gun." "Uh huh... why don't you go back to you barracks..." "Will do sir... *he turns around and they pull the guns from behind their backs and shoot him in the back 11 times* *The wolf remains silent with blood seeping into the ground*
"Looks like another problem dealt with... come on help me hide the body."
-
A distortion appeared in the deep space of Delta Sigma 12, before the Fires of Ellan slipped into existence.
"Long range scans are picking up a mining vessel, R-40 class, designation 'Home.' Sir, it's the one that the humans attacked." The ferret turned to look to his captain, concerned with a furrowed brow, but her glowed with excitement.
A mangy grizzled cat sat at the captain's chair, with growths protruding at his back like furry wings. "What's the danger assessment?"
The ferret turned back to his console, "There's a human border station on the far edge of the sector, designation... Chiron Omega," she replied.
"Chiron Omega?... stupid baldie names." he said, turning tothe comms officer, a rather diminuitive mouse. "Right, try hailing the R-40, check their status," commanded the winged cat.
"Aye sir," replied the mouse as he typed and clicked upon the console, with lightning speed. "R-40 salvage vessel, this is the Frigate, Fires of Ellan. What is your status, are you in need of assistance?"
-
Shiro was in his back room. It was so secure, not even the captain knew how to get in. Or even knew it existed. He probably would have confiscated the whole load that he had back here. Scanners, blasters, lasers, torpedoes, Turrets, anything except the tank. That was a little too big and was stashed in a broken down dorm area that the engineers had never "had time to fix". Old habits die hard.
Suddenly all of the sensors in his room went off. Another ship was en route. He seamlessly hacked into the line. He was no spy, and faithful to his race, but he was always cautious of recapture and imprisonment.
"Kkxxxkxkxx... xkxxxx..Frigate, Fires of Ellan. What is your status, are you in need of assistance."
After all that he had done for the rebellion of the Kha'tar on GC-42. He began packing his equiptment.
That pompus brat on the Fires of Ellan would be overjoyed at his low stature. Stupid tax fattened Hyena.
-
*He wakes up from dirt going into his face and feels pain in his back and a wet ground from his blood* "Looks like the suit saved me..." *He squints looking up at the bright light and the two guys burying him* "Oh I don't think so! *White quickly grabs his knife and raises up stabbing one of them in the face and then pushing into the other one with his back when he pulls out the knife and turns around slashing the other guy's neck* "ACK! *coughs up blood and he gags with a hand reaching upwards begging for help and then it slowly falters and goes motionless; the other one was clutching his face with both hands screaming in agony*
"You are going to regret shooting me in the back!" *White lifts him up by the neck and slams him into the car* "Who are you?!" *The corporal coughs on the car* "I-I'm Sceepive." "Why did YOU shoot me in the back!?" "You were *cough* eavesdropping... boss wanted you dead." *He slams him into the window and breaks it* "Tell me what you were doing or I'll kill you right here!"
"The ship is set for Sector 3052-988... our base of operation... we were working with the Reavers. They wanted to know about some of human technology and the military advances.. and our boss was." *Cheep-cheep; Sceepive dies and White lets him go quickly and jumping over the car taking cover as more shots go off*
"Blast it! These guys are no good, I'm gonna have to get out of here because this is going to look bad on me if this is military corruption."
-
Entaru walked into the command deck and addressed the crew. "Alright, boys and girls. Lets head back to Gamma Epsilon for our next shipment. They have a 'jug' shipment with our name on it."
'Jug' was short for Juggernaut. They were massive, heavily armored, one man battle mechs made with stolen Eph'tan and Reaver technology. Sure it was illegal, but that didn't stop weapon contractors from doing it. Entaru himself had a blaster made by the egg-heads at Gamma Epsilon. They had even helped him build the Cask of Amontillado.
To say they were his favorite customers was a understatement.
"Mr. Wall, get us ready for departure. We can get more 'wasps' when we make port again."
The Cask slowly began to move as it left the docking bay, unaware that retribution was lurking just beyond the asteroid field...
-
Chrono arrived in the market, and made a beeline straight for what he thought looked like a fruit-stand in the photo, and immedeatly went up to the vendor, shoving the customers out of his path.
"I came to look for a female Reaver, a photo I got showed her at this stand, and I need information on where she went next." The vendor just looked at him with a look of pure annoyance that harbored no intention of assisting.
"Sir, I've seen alot of female Reavers go through here to bring food for their mates, now I be-" Chrono hopped over the counter that seperated them and kicked the vendor into a nearby wall before putting the same foot on his chest and holding the assassin's picture up to his face.
"Tell me where she is, or I'm burning this whole stand to the ground..." The vendor showed a very brief look of shock when he recognized the face, but then his annoyed visage returned.
"Never seen her before, and I'd doubt shes still on this planet if she knows someone is out for her..." Chrono cocked his bolter and aimed it right between the vendor's eyes and towards the skull.
"Nobody will know if I kill the one who heard of my intentions... now fess up!" he accented those last words with the side of his bolter smacking the vendor across the face.
-
Aye sir," replied the mouse as he typed and clicked upon the console, with lightning speed. "R-40 salvage vessel, this is the Frigate, Fires of Ellan. What is your status, are you in need of assistance?"
"sir... we got incoming transmission... its one of ours sir.. uhm... you think we should get the captain Kitt?"
"nah, get 'er up on cam... i'l be the welcoming party"
~~~~
*A young looking feline Eph'tan, wearing an oil stained jump suit came into focus...*
"Aye Aye, we hear ya loud n' clear Ellan!.... glad ta see yer in system... better late than never... our status iiiis..."
*the camera panned to behind Kitt, a mess of pipes, sparks flying from welding equipment, interspersed with shouts and loud clangs...*
"well ya can see for yerselves, heavy damage sustained... we got around 25% casualities... and the shield generators are down... sooo, i reckon assistance would be very much desired... Skipper out..."
"KITT! What in the name of Eph'tan are you doing!? GET AWAY FROM THE CAMERA"
*the camera blurred, image shaking before refocusing on the captain... face set stern...*
"sorry... R-20 jockeys.... i captain of 'home' ackowledge youre hail and iissue a plea for assistance..."
-
"Fires of Ellan to 'Home' We read you and accept your plea for assistance, moving to your location, sending a squadron (Asia) to secure the area..."
(back on the human frigate)
"Captain, scans show the outlaw ship is in sight, your orders..." asked an Ensign
"Open fire, cripple the engines, dont give this traitor the chance to escape, warm up the cannons and fire Scorpio missiles A through E on my mark... MARK!"
The missiles flew from the ports on the ship's port side, missile trails staying motionless in the void of space as the explosives accelerated towards the Cask.
"Sir Cannons are warmed up to 90 % capacity, just ten more seconds and we'll be at maximum power to cannons"
-
The Cask rocked as the missiles hit home. One of the tech officers was thrown from their seat.
"What in the Nine Hells?" Entaru shouted, holding on to his seat as if it was a life raft.
"Sir, an undentified Empire vessel is firing upon us!"
"Empire? Why the hell are they firing on us? Ready the 'wasps' and warp drive." Entaru set the comm screen and hailed the attacking ship. "This is Captain Entaru Korin of the 'human' vessel, Cask of Amontillado. Explain yourself...and the next words that come out of your mouth better include 'misfire'!"
-
"This is Captain Mordecai of the Indomitable speaking, you and your crew have been branded outlaws for attacking an unarmed and non hostile Eph'Tan ship. We have orders from High Council to arrest you. As you can see, we are very much human sir and we're poised to cripple your engines and board since I never expect anyone to surrender. Do not engage or you shall expect a slow and painful death. End Transmission.
Ensign i want you to boost shield strength and fire Aft laser cannons, for all we know, the enemy ship could be armed to the teeth, judging by the damage reports taken from the probe."
The Ensign obeyed and fired the lasers, with a few missing, but more hitting home on the targets engines.
-
Entaru nearly fell out of his seat as the ship rocked back and forth from the blasts.
"Sir, shields are at 60%"
"Thank God, most of our ships would be at 30. Deploy the 'wasps' and open fire!"
The remaining "wasps" left their hatches at high velocity and bolted for the Indomitables engines. The Cask's turbo lasers burnt red streams into the side of the Indomitable's shield.
"Sir, Eph'tan fighters are inbound!"
"Dammit, I won't let this happen. No good-fer-nothing, rug-kissing, sleezebag is going to take me down!" There was no way the Cask could take out the Indomitable and his men were trained in only basic combat. Now a group of fighters were on their way. Not repurposed miners, fighters! Now Entaru would have to do something that he hated.
Run with his tail between his legs.
He would lose all of his drones and his dignity. But he would survive..if only for revenge.
Revenge... he knew that feeling most of all.
"Alright, prepare for jump. The 'wasps' should keep those traitors dancing for a while"
The shields were at 5% when the Cask disappeared in a flash of light
-
"Sir, the enemy ship retreated, but launched a suicide wave of drones at us, due to the unknown nature of their vessel, we couldn't track it, the drones are accelerating for our engines sir."
"Organize a point defense and shoot them down, I dont want a single drone to do anything but burn in space"
"Aye sir... relying damage report to the Eph'Tan frigate now, it's their fight now sir..."
The frigate rocked back and forth as the volley from the Cask struck.
"Sir, shields dropped 40 % in that volley, they have highly powerful cannons, sending this info to our allies" relayed the ops officer.
-
The Cask lurched as it fell out of warp, finally dislodging Entaru from his seat. Entaru tumbled to the floor with a crash.
"Ow! Dammit all!" Entaru stood up and looked out the viewing glass at a gray planet with two rings. "What the...where are we?" Entaru looked at Ms. Zettergren in confusion.
"Uncharted area boss. I figured it would be a nice place to hide since no one has bothered to survey this area. No usable resources."
"Smart girl."
"Thanks boss."
"Don't mention it. What's the damage report?"
"Shields are low but rising steadily, but their missiles did some damage to the guns and one of the brothers is in medbay. Nothing too serious." Entaru sighed in both relief and dismay. So much for that government job he was going to run for.
He was a branded criminal now.
Many of his trading partners would abandon him. The Empire would freeze his assets and put out a bounty for his capture. In fact the only place he could do buisness now was Gamma Epsilon. It was Mafia run and would gladly harbor him, but they would charge for protection and he now has no way of making money. Not only that but he needed repairs, drones, and food as well. The ship was too big and slow for piracy, at least not without a sponser or letter of marque. Not to mention that he had shot down so many pirates that to show his face around them would get him a nice round blaster hole in his suit.
No money. No shelter. A damaged ship. A reputation that will get him shot on sight.
Entaru collapsed into his seat as a realization hit him.
He was stuck aboard his own ship for the rest of his life...or until a miracle happened.
-
"Lady and gentlemen, get your gear, we got a mission!" Asia bubbled with excitement as he picked up a spanner, hitting the walls to get the attention of his squad. They had gone over to the Fighter Bay, just in case they were needed. 29 times out of 30 they would just sit there chucking balls around, but that one time was more than enough fun.
Shock, the Rat screeched with delight, "Haha! That's what I've been waiting for." She grabbed her helmet, shoving it on to complete the EVA suit, and jumped into the fighter. She continued to babble over the comms, "Tell me, oh TELL ME we're fighting humans."
Ragged piped in, "We're fighting humans." Shock whooped with joy.
"We don't know that yet. We're securing the area, that's all," Asia said before the comms system notified them all.
"The Indomitable has just reported a positive contact with The Cask of Amontillado. You're going in all guns blazing, birds."
"WOOOO!" Shock said, giving Strike something to laugh about.
The fighters prepped and fired up, moving through the bay ready to launch.
"This is Asia squadron of the 107th Direwolves, requesting clearance for launch," Asia spoke through the comms.
"Roger that, you have clearance for launch." The bay was cleared and the doors opened to the dark battleground. One by one, they shot out with the cries of excitement and murderous intent.
With a target in sight, they move to engage... but at once, their quarry disappears in a jump. The comms fill with shouts and whines of complaint... mostly from Shock.
"Calm yourselves, wolves," Asia said. His own frustration was clear. "Ellan, the Cask jumped, what's the plan of action?"
The Frigate replied, "We are well aware of the situation DireWolf 2 Leader, priority is to protect our own, we are to assist Home. The Cask of Amantillado is an Empire problem.
Shock could not contain herself, "You have got to be kidding me! What the flip, Ellan?" For once, Strike chimed in.
"I agree, that ship is attacking our people."
Suddenly, the fierce aggressive tone of Gore, their Wing Commander, burst through the comms. "You've got your orders, 2. Secure the area, we are assissting Home."
"Sir, I must object," said Ragged.
"It is not your place to object. Secure the area. Squad Leader, I suggest you keep your men in line."
"Yes sir," Asia replied.
They sweep over the sector, searching across the land, making particular use of Strike's extended sensor range.
"Area secure, Ellan."
-
*The wolf had escaped the gunfire and stole the car driving back into town* ~The gunman walks over to the dead corporal and looks him over. With a gun raised he then looks at the other one soaked in a heavy pool of blood and looks towards the direction that the soldier went. He peered at the car with a cold stare as it disappeared into the distance for a few minutes and then he walked back toward the cliffs he came from.~
*White gets out of the car quickly and goes to the military complex marching towards the ship with his knife behind his back* "I'm going to get to the bottom of the mess quickly, whether or not this man survives." *He slammed the door open and walked towards the aircraft going up to the entrance door*
-
"sir... the frigate Ellan is in close proximity... should i send an R-20 over... traditions and all?..."
"fine... send Kitt and the rest of 'tango' they can be the welcome party... we need this ship oporational... and we cant spare many R-20's.... make sure they dont spend too long over there enjoying the new company.... damn those R-20 jockeys..."
~~~~~
"roger that, warm up sequence initiated... this is 'tango'... ready to launch..."
The scratched and heavily scarred R-20 rumbled as its engines engaged, lifting from the dock flooring it took off out through the doorway... heading for the Ellan...
~~~~~
"frigate Ellan... this is R-40 'home' we have sent the tradtional 'greeting party' while we conduct repairs over here... we would like to apologise beforehand for the manners of the R-20 jockeys, and that we are very glad of your assistance...
-
"Roger that, home. We're sending a fighter escort for the R-20," said the comms mouse. The meerkat at the helm turned to the captain.
"That thing's a hunk of junk."
The captain replied, "Yes it is. But atleast they havent lost their manners, no matter what state they're in, send that Direwolf squadron to escort them."
"Already done so sir," replied the mouse.
Asia's squadron surrounded the R-20, watching out for anything that might fall off and hit them mid-flight. As it docked, the returned to the fighter bays.
"I swear the humans are just teasing us now," Shock said as she took off her helmet and ruffled her fur.
"They fled," Ragged replied. "They were scared of a fight."
"Well I guess that's something."
The captain and comms officer walked to the airlock to greet the the R-20 crew and its captain. The winged cat had scrubbed his uniform down and combed what he could of his fur, but his face still looked as though in permanent scowl.
"Nice to see you making an effort, Sir," the mouse said.
"My superiors want me to appear more civilised. This effort ain't by choice."
-
"hey guys! GUYS! look!"
Annie stood, paws pressed to the front view window, long feline tail swishing... the rest of the crew crowded around, looking out at the fighters... Annie gave an appreciative whistle...
"sweet fighters they got... wouldnt mind hav'n a look at one of 'em close up.."
A red warning light flashing tore the crews attention away from the escort... all staring at the red words flashing across the nearest console..
~warning, oil leak - pipeline 12A~
"frack..."
~~~
The airlock doorway opened with a hiss of compressed air, just as the ramp of the R-20 slammed down behind it... the crew of ten Eph'tan, all in oil stained orange overalls jumped down from the thier ship, lining up opposite the crew of the Ellan... all except the last two who seemed to be arguing, Annie was wielding as hefty spanner with murderous intent. While Kitt tried to dodge her blows and attempts to grab him...
"you said you was gonna fix that oil leak! jeezus Kitt!"
"and you said you wasn' gonna go... ow!... jeez... company Annie, frack... there goes the good impression..."
Annie, spanner back in her belt, stood alongside the rest of 'tango' as Kitt walked up to the Captain of the Ellan...
"uhm... Kitt Szabo, R-20 captain 'tango'... i and the rest of my crew represent 'home' and all aboard her... thank Eph'tan you got here..."
-
The captain looked on the spectacle, shaking his head and murmuring. "What's the point."
"Calm down sir," the mouse said with a smile, before presenting herself to the cats. "Welcome to the Fires of Ellan, I am Kimchi, the Communications officer and internal liaison aboard this vessel. If you have any questions feel free to ask me. You are all welcome to use the facilities as you wish, though for the sake of security, we will be monitoring your movements. This is both for our safety and yours."
The captain interjected, "Yeah I'm sure they understand." He turned to Kitt, "How about we go eat something and talk about what we will be needing from eachother. Help from us, info from you, ok?"
-
Kitt nodded, turning to follow the captain.... "sounds good.... info from me, help from you... and food thrown in fer good measure!" The rest of the felines followed behind Kitt, Annie walked up to Kimchi, extending a paw in greeting.. "hi... names Annie... i was jus' wonderin' if i could get a closer look at one of yer birds?... im quite the engineer and your fighters seemed to be leagues ahead of anythin i seen before..."
-
"Sure thing, though I dont know if our fighters are the best around. The jumps Eph'tan are making is absurd." Kimchi replied. "I'll walk you to the hangars. The captain and security can take care of your crew. They'll enjoy our food." She turned a corner away from the main group, guiding Annie with her. "Though to be honest, I'm glad to get away from it. No offense but watching a load of carnivores stuff themselves just isnt for me."
The captain led the group on to rather stylishly curved double doors made of frosted glass. He pushed both open and shouted to the room. "Chef! We're gonna need a lot of meat!"
-
"mhm... our salvagers are hunks o' junk now compared to the rookie salvage fleets... we keep 'em goin though...." Annie followed alongside Kimchi, marvelling at the clean cut corridors, and bright lighting.... "hey, no worries... to be honest, im kinda glad to get away from those guys too... Kitt especially could drive you round the bend, just today fer instance... told me 'ed fixed the leak in pipe 12A... turns out e' was down in the mess hall playing cards.... ugh... sometimes i just wanna..."
She stopped short, turning back to Kimchi blushing slightly... i was rambling wasnt i?"
~~~
The R-20 all shouted "hurrah!" at the mention of meat... following the captain in through the curved doors, keeping close together in a group, feeling threatened by the large rooms and bright corridors...
-
"Yes you were rambling," Kimchi replied, unapologetically. "I like it when people ramble, it tells me a lot more about the person than they think. So you and your captain are good friends then?" She turned and pressed upon a panel to open the door to the lift. Walking in, she programmed in the required deck, down low on the ship by the fighter bays.
The captain strode like a king through the mess hall to the kitchen front, grabbing a plate and in a surprisingly calm and subdued tone, he said "Just get me a steak and some water, ok?" He was speaking to the chef; a bulky anteater with copious and flowing fur, juxtaposed by huge yellow claws that scraped along the worktops. The chef got to work and would now and then open a bottle of ants and flick his tongue in for a little snack. The captain turned to the R-20 crew, "Ask for whatever you want. Chances are, he'll have it. He's called Hector and he's the best chef we could find." Turning back he found his plate full of what he asked for, with a little grass on the side. He took the plate and walked to one of the larger circular tables, brushing the grass off surreptitiously as he went.
-
Above the planet where Chrono and Blaire were at, a single ship with a rather sinister growth on all sides jumped out of hyperspace over the planet. After an unknown amount of orders being sent through the ship, bombs and orbital strikes started to smash into the planets surface in an unprovoked assault. The bombs had no single origin, some were of Reaver design, exploding into massive shrapnel that gutted and slayed anyone standing within a good hundred yards of the explosion site. There were also human engineered bombs that when dropped not only exploded, but left behind between two to six combat androids that started to fire indescriminatly in a hail of flame and steel. They even had the Eph'tan plasma bombs that slowly ate away at the ground it hit, and gave off a radiation that quickly weakened or mutated anyone foolish to get near it.
At first the citizens took flight and went into sturdy shelters that could surprisingly survive well under the bombing. Sadly, this was when the fingers started to point, one quarter of the population blamed Reavers, who blamed the Eph'tan, who in turn blamed the Humans. The blaming quickly boiled down to racial violence and chaos, while the last quarter of the population actually started to build up a force strong enough to escape.
Chrono heard a bomb about to fall a few meters away, and quickly fell to the ground with the vendor. He guessed the tactic correctly as a Reaver bomb landed behind him, killing anyone who didn't take the initiative to duck for cover.
-
"yeh.. we uhm... we go back a long ways..." She stepped into the lift with Kimshi, watching her expertly select the deck and station.... "the lifts we got are 'orrible clanking things... ive always hated em... ever since i got stuck in one with Kitt and Dave when we where young... took the teams three hours to get us out..." she gave a small shudder, a shower of rust falling like snow off her overalls...
The felines all jostled into a line at the kitchen counter, pushing and shoving before finally settling into the usual pecking order.... Kitt and the rest of the crew followed the captain to the large circular table, plates clattering as they sat. They all unzipped their overalls down to the waist, leaving the cleaner shirts on underneath, sleeves of the oil-stained overalls tied around their waists they sat.... Kitt turned to the captain, taking a bite of his wildfowl...
"so... you wanted info from me.... no time like the present..."
-
The unknown freighter which just possibly created the greatest catastrophe and loss of life broke from orbit after spending a hours time watching the chaos it caused, and began to drift away.
"Dawn of Dusk to High command, payload delivered, there are.... extreme casualties..."
"Excellent Dawn, proceed with phase 2 of the plan, leave system and await further orders."
"Roger leaving system."
"Reports of the planets population disappearing in a heartbeat..... Untold devastation... War is coming.... Those monsters shall pay.... Navy Fleet 234 en route..... The Culmination of our people's work could be ruined.. Bathe them in a baptism of fire and plasma.... let none survive...."
A lone being sat at the control console of the Dawn of Dusk, receiving the incoming news and military transmissions from the different species..
"The galaxy shall quake in fear, and tear itself apart, all according to plan...."
-
Kimchi made a sideward glance to Annie, taking a slight step away and brushing off the rust that fell on her. "Yes well this place is made to last and our engineers are excellent. You'll probably meet some in the fighter bays." The lift stopped and opened to a more utalitarian corridor. They walked along it until they reached the Fighter Bay entrance. It had to be opened with a button press and revealed a vast chamber filled with impressive fighters covered in matte grey panels and thick windshields. All around them, ordinance lay, to be mounted or replaced. The occasional engineer sat and joked, while others worked among the machinery. Asia squadron walked alongside their fighters as they were being pulled in line with the others. Kimchi spoke once more, "Say hello, to fighter Bay A and the 107th Direwolves."
"Right," the captain said, chugging his water in one gulp. "Once you guys are secure, we're gonna be chasing those baldies down and we need everything you know about them. Any thing unusual like technology, tactics, any special designation, subspace signatures, communication chatter, general anomalies. Have you seen them before, do you get these attacks regularly? Just anything, cus information is vital right now."
-
News of the orbital bombardment still has not reached the Fires of Ellan nor the Indomitable, however secure transmissions were sent, but the Eph'Tan transmissions are always faster.
"Fires of Ellan you have new orders, the human and Reaver monsters bombarded the Neutral space and wiped the planet clean of all hopeful light, burn any of the beasts you see.... this... this atrocity shall not go unpunished, destroy the Indomitable"
-
On the bridge, the meerkat lazed on his chair. Suddenly the helm lit up with a message from command.
"Fires of Ellan you have new orders, the human and Reaver monsters bombarded the Neutral space and wiped the planet clean of all hopeful light, burn any of the beasts you see.... this... this atrocity shall not go unpunished, destroy the Indomitable"
"ooooh nuts." He ran to the various control sections, pressing buttons and calling crews, prepping the fighters, loading main weapons, charging the plasma and beam cannons.
Around the mouse in the fighter bay, she saw the flash and a siren blare as the every fighter began to get moved around, shifted across the bay, and set down for pilots to get in and be ready to fly through the hangar doors.
"What's going on?" Asia asked Gore, a giant bull who began shouting orders to people.
"I've no idea, but we might be fighting the indomitable. Get your men ready," Gore replied.
Shock could barely contain her excitement, scrambling into her jet before the cockpit was even fully open.
Kimchi went straight onto her communicator. "Mika, what is going on up there?"
-
The Indomitable still floated in space, was undertaking their recon duties for any sign of the outlaw, while picking up escape pods from the salvage crew who survived the attack in their R-25s, and attempting to make their stay comfortable.
"Jameson, your to report to the hanger and direct the survivors towards the barracks, dont alarm them, and make them fell at home."
"Will Do captain"
Taking a left at the main access juncture, and going down the lift down to the Hanger, namely Hanger B-12, James was suprised to see a large gathering of Eph'Tan.
"Alright everyone, I'm Sgt. Jameson, i'm here to guide you to the barracks and mess hall around here, if you'll follow me please..."
-
"well.. i can tell ya want i know... and i can get on the comms to 'home' about anything else you need...."
A siren blared through the ship...
"err... is that supposed to happen?"
Annie watched as the fighters scrambled... marvelling at it all... the engineers here where good... fast.... she shot a sideways glance at Kimshi on her communicator... Annie pulled out her own, an old pixboy3000 communicator...
"Kitt? you got any idea whats goin on? over.."
Kitt pulled out his own, holding down the call button..
"nah, i ent got a clue this end either... just dont go steal no birds kay? .. over.."
He sniggered...
~~~~
[aboard the 'home' bridge which has been newly repaired]
"sir.... the Ellan seems to be charging ion weaponry... heat signatures off the scale all over the weapons bays... should.... should we be worried?"
"GET THEM UP ON COMMS!"
--- "Home to Ellan, please verify... youre prepping weapons systems... over...."
"wait... sir... we got another transmission coming in... errr.... you may want to read..... this.......... oh dear Eph'tan... SIR!"
-
Kimchi went straight onto her communicator. "Mika, what is going on up there?"
"The humans and reavers are working together against us. We've been ordered to fire on the Indomitable. Immediate action is needed."
"Mika, dont you dare fire a shot!" Kimchi replied as she ran back to the lift, setting it to emergency mode, getting to the bridge at high speed. "Wait until I get there, I'll talk to them."
"Immediate action, Kimchi," Mika said. "We have to fight while we have a chance!"
The captain stood up and pulled out his communicator, "No Mr Szabo, that isn't meant to happen at all."
Through the mess hall window, a bright light could be seen, jetting through space, toward the indomitable. The winged cat spat through the communicator. "Mika, what have you done!?" As he said this, the fighters shot out from the ship, heading to the human ship. "Stand down, Mika, wait until I'm there!" The captain grabbed his steak, shoved it into his mouth and ran out the door, only turning back to say, "Stay here, dont move. It's safer on this ship," to the R-20 cats.
Out in space, Shock was practically screaming with joy, "Is it my birthday? I just dont care!" she yelled down the comms to the other fighters.
"Shock, shut up, focus," said Asia.
Ragged spoke up, "Asia, this makes no sense. Why are we fighting the Indomitable?"
"Because we were born to kill all humans!" said Shock.
"Shut up!" Asia replied, "I dont know why we're doing this but we are. We're fighter pilots so we fight."
"I can live with that explanation," Strike said, as he did final checks on his new fighter set up.
Mika murmured to himself under the wall of commands from all sides, "Beam cannons charged and in range... fire."
The main forward beam cannons powered up with a deafening hum and a corridor of light streaked out from the Ellan, cutting through the Indomitable.
-
Hanger Block C melted away entirely, due to the beam weapons of the Eph'tan ignoring ship shields, countless pilots dead. Those ships that survived the attack were sucked out of the open hole and drifted out into space, some with corpses of their very pilots and the engineers who cared for them.
"FIRES OF ELLAN WHAT THE FRACK!? WE HAVE SURVIVORS FROM THE OUTLAWS ATTACK ON BOARD AND I DONT THINK YOU WANNA FRY THEM!"
Mordecai yelled into the comm.
"Captain, Lower decks are burning away!" yelled the ops officer
"Warn crew to leave those decks, give them 30 seconds then vent atmosphere from those decks, Lt. Preston warm up laser cannons and open up Scorpio pods G-M, Lt. Chand try hailing the Fires of Ellan again, if they dont answer and continue hostilities, frack it, we'll kill them where they stand."
"Sir the frigate launched smaller ships, one squadron of fighters, one wing of bombers sir... Ordering launch prep for Alpha and Iota Squadrons sir..."
In Hanger B-12, Jameson felt the rocking of the ship
"Uhh... Sir what was that?" asked one of the survivors
"I'd just ignore it and keep moving, come on the barracks are nearby.." He was cut off as explosions detonated around them and bits of debris fell, some of the refugees were hit by these falling debris.
In Hanger B-6 and Hanger B-8, the two squadrons were prepping for flight.
"This is Shamrock, Dudoko Squadron.. what the hell just happened! Part of the hanger just combusted and my wingman was sucked into space! Give me a sit rep on hull integrity..... Iota Squadron prepping to launch, flight check protocols almost complete.... Eph'Tan traitors are going to pay for melting the flyboys in Block C.... Get firefighting teams down there now to get the fires away from the other hangers. Without them we're screwed." The comm chatter from the combined hangers was deafening and clogging the main channels as the pilots and crew got over their original shock and confusion and replaced with a vengeful lust for blood.
"This is Captain Gabriel of Alpha Squadron, launching and ready to engage the fighter escort." Alpha one reported to the command crew before flying out, followed by his four wingmen.
"Connor form up on my left while Zev forms up on my right." Gab ordered
"Roger flight leader, sending target data to your comm, I'll handle the left most fighter, Zev and Connor engage the gunship, if that thing is even a fighter, I don't know, kill it. Alpha 1 you have their flight leader" reported their tactical officer and Alpha 4 Lisa.
"Those aliens are gonna pay.. I swear I can't wait to shove a missile at my targets face, I can only imagine the look on their face, but it wont be enough for the boys on C Block" said Connor
"Connor cut the chatter and watch flight leaders left flank, I know we all want to kill those aliens but we still need to protect the frigate, don't get too hastey, and dont get in range of their frigates point defense guns." Said Zev, who as usual was calm of head."
"Martha, form up under our formation and strike a swift blow at their right most fighter, we need to keep them from taking on Iota squadron, who will handle their bombers." reported Gab, and got a green light from Martha Alpha 5, who couldn't speak.
"We're going to need a funeral detail to gather up the bodies... at least those that are left...."
-
This was an interesting turn of events for sure. Shiro knew better. he needed to get Home to safety even if it meant risking his own neck. He turned on his comm.
"Captain? I don't mean to be rude, but we are in some deep s*** and i request as head engineer to get the frack out of here as fast as possible. There is no way we can fight, sir"
He dashed out of his quarters with as much repair equipment on his back. Looks like he would have to pull his ace out. He shouted to the engineers working.
"OK, men doubletime! All the repair equipment you'll need are in my quarters. Dont ask questions! just fix Home now!
-
Out in space, Asia's squadron stuck close to the bombers as they crawled along. "Alright guys, stay close, dont get too excited and we'll have a lot of bodies to celebrate," said Asia as he took the lead. "Strike, got any info for us?"
"one squad of five on one side, another squad on the other. That other lot look prepped on an intercept with the bombers," Strike replied.
"You watch them like a hawk," Asia said, "And Shock, dont go racing off, one false move and we lose our bombers."
"Stop spoiling things, sir, this is my moment!" Shock squeeked.
"Watch for my missiles, those things blast wide." Strike added
Asia overran everyone's comms. "Ok ready people check your targets, we're coming into range, prepare to gain aspect lock."
"Aspect lock? who needs it," whispered Shock. "I want fire."
Back on the Fires of Ellan, The captain and his communications officer rose up in their lifts. Reaching the command deck, running through the corridors to get to the bridge, finding eachother along the way. The captain growled first,
"What is going on Kim?!"
"I've no idea, Max," Kimchi replied. "but we can fix it."
"Fix it? Fix THIS?! Have you looked out the window, we've blown it half to bits."
They continue walking, stamping through the corridor.
"Was it good?" Kimchi asked.
"Good? It was frackin' bangin'"
They stormed through the door, onto the bridge.
"What happened Mika?" the mouse asked as she slid into the comms chair.
"We got a transmission fro-"
"Never mind," Kimchi cut in. "I've got it here. It seems pretty clear cut Max... and a reactionary."
"As always," the winged cat replied. "Right, hail the Indomitable."
"What about the fighters?" asked Kimchi.
"Dont distract them. The chance this succeeds is stupid."
"Indomitable, this is Captain Maxim Vlahka of the Fires of Ellan. This attack was not unprovoked, though was not of my command. We wish to create a temporary sector wide ceasefire, please respond."
-
The captain of home slammed a fist on the command console, the technician before him quailing...
"open fire! are you crazy? open fire with what!? we are a neutral ship, i am not risking every life on this ship by commencing an unprovoked attack.... we have pilots aboard the human ship... hail the Ellan!"
"yessir... sorrysir... i'l get the fires of Ellan up on comms"
~~~
"Ellan, this is home.... the indomitable has R-20 pilots aboard, our pilots.... please respond..."
-
"Fires of Ellan we read you... but we have not done anything to provoke you, we've been picking up the survivors so we could later transfer them to your ship.. unless you'd rather wanted their life support gone while we could've been helping them.. Call off your fighter squads and stand down, and we'll do the same..." said Captain Mordecai.
-
*The wolf gets inside the ship and takes the control panel and the boss is tied up and gagged in the room in the back with the door locked yelling* "MMMFF MMM RRRGGHH!!!" "Hey back there, shaddup! We're gonna go meet your Reaver buddies soon, I know you don't wanna miss that. HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" *The ship lifts off the ground and he sets it in overdrive and blasts off out of the stratosphere*
*White was sitting quietly on the Frigate Indomitable with his shotgun at his side waiting for command*
-
The deck was quiet aboard the Cask of Amontillado, her crew silent and waiting for their captain's next orders, when a loud beeping filled the deck once more.
"Wha? A transmission?" Entaru sat up in near shock. That meant a ship was nearby. Most likely an enemy.
"Don't worry boss." Ms Zettergren smiled "It's only the remaining drones distress beacon. Their signal just made it to us. It seems the Indomitable only incapacitated a few of them...one seems to still have a functioning camera. I'll put it up now"
The viewing screen changed as the live feed from the damaged drone appeared on screen.
Entaru's jaw dropped as he saw the Indomitable nearly get chopped in half by an Eph'tan laser. The look of surprise was quickly changed to a look of triumph.
"Ms. Zettergren, quickly patch me through one of the drones and pass the signal over to the Indomitable. That way they can't track the transmission."
"Yes boss!"
Entaru laughed as the Indomitable came on screen. "Hahaha, it serves you right you Empire fools. Never trust those fleabags. They lie like bad rugs. And just for firing on me, I'm not coming to help you. How do you like that huh? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Entaru quickly cut off the communication but his laughter continued and was soon joined by his crew, echoing through the Cask like the cackling screams of an asylum.
-
"Roger that indomitable, we realise how this must look. We're standing down now and a message is being sent to our fighters, stand by."
"MAKE YOUR MIND UP!" screamed Asia down the comms back to Gore who relayed the ceasefire order.
"We have our orders, stand down, pull away," the bull replied.
"Sir," Strike piped in, "I'm in range, I can fire my EMP!"
"No, disengage. Gore's right," Asia said.
"This is ridiculous," murmured the other rabbit, Ragged.
As the squad pulled away, one fighter stayed on course, and suddenly powered on the afterburners, spiralling through the vacuum.
"Shock, ceasefire!" Asia said, immediately shocked cried back.
"This isn't fair sir. This is my chance!" She opened fire with her GTW UD-8 Kayser and Prometheus energy cannon, rocking the ship from the force of the blasts, her energy levels being sucked down by the ferocious hunger of the guns.
-
"ELLAN! this is home, we are under attack! i repeat, we are under attack! mulitple hull breaches across all decks! we... ~kchszzz~"
In the confusion caused by the Ellan's attack on the Indomitable several squadrons of pirates had siezed the chance to attack the already damaged R-40 salvage frigate. Sleek, arrow-like fighters ran long strafing runs across the blast marked and scraped yellow hull of the salvage ship. What shields they had already giving way.....
The point defence systems on the frigate opened up, long flaring lines of railweaaponry tracing through the pirates, several of the fighters exploded into balls of fire, or striken, tumbled off into the void...
~Kssszzz~ "Ellan! SOS, i repeat SOS!"
-
"One fighter went AWOL sir, shall we frag it!?" said Gab while he and his squadron broke formation to avoid the blasts.
"Sir detecting a signal from the Cask... tracing now"
"Oh boy... Entaru and his precious ship is going down in a flaming ball of scrap! Negative Alpha 1 do not engage, continue evasive maneuvers."
"Sir signal traced"
The veiwscreen opened up with Captain Entaru and his crew laughing at the expense of the frigate.
Captain Mordecai, infuriated, punched in the launch codes to the 'Icebreaker' hacking program. This program was and is extremely hard to destroy, and it could take over a ship's basic systems. The transmission for the code quickly seeped to the drone and went out into deep space and found the Cask. It wouldn't find them, but then he could just mess with Entaru.
"Once we hack into them, force their camera to follow our move... we're going to force them to watch our victory whether he likes it or not..."
"Sir the other Eph'Tan fighters pulled off, orders?"
"Open fire!"
The Indomitable fired off the Scorpio missiles it had armed, while it swerved to point at the Fires of Ellan so it could fire its main laser cannons.
"Alpha group, your cleared to engage, avenge those from C-Block for us..."
"Roger Cap'n!"
Gabs ship swerved northward as he flew in from above for a strafing run on Strikes fighter, Zev and Connor made a beeline for 'Home' and the Mugari pirates while the others stood by to protect their flight leader as stand by reinforcements
-
"SIR! several targets coming at us from 2o'clock... indomitable fighters sir.... we cant spare any point defense weapons for em sir.... "
"hail them if you can! open channels! we are a neutral ship, and to hell if we're getting attacked by them as well!"
The ship shook, lights flickered and a hollow screeching could be heard throughout the ship....
"sir, these frakin Mugari are all over us! the tracking systems cant keep up!"
"focuss all the point defence weapons on one squadron of pirates! burn em ta hell! we faguth Mugari off before we can fight em off this time!"
all of the railguns mounted across the hull of the R-20 pivoted to focus on one squadron of the Mugari fighters, great streaming contrails left in the wake of the projectiles the fighters broke, dispersing, burning and floundering across the void.... three bombers used the distraction to run a long bombing run across the hull of the frigate, large explosions rocking the ship...
~~~
[open channel]
"Indomitable fighters, please verify your intentions... we are initiating white flag, SOS... we are neutral ship, do not open fire, i repeat, we are neutral.... please respond.."
-
[Open Channel]
"What... We can't assist a neutral vessel with the Mugari?" said Collins over the comm
-
Blaire proceeded on through the shop where she had previously recieved her new device. "Now, to get some grub and get on with my mission." She walked out on to a street. The building separated the market and the rest of the city. "So, now to find Mr. Mercrow. He has something of mine..." She pulled the cloth around her neck over her mouth and snout. Her side bangs fell in front of her crystal blue eye as she pushed it away. She touched the desert eagles on her thighs and proceeded down the street. A strong man spotted her and whistled her way. She smirked and appeared next to him in the blink of an eye. "Think that was such a wise move?" She asked. Her lips gently touched his neck. The man breathed heavily. "A mouse like yourself shouldn't be wondering the streets alone," He said. "One problem, I'm not a mouse," And with that her lips met his as she grabbed his shoulder. He quickly fell limp. "I hate to do that to you, but alas... I can't have you following me." Blaire smiled and sprinted away, leaving the man in the street.
-
Chrono pushed the vendor off and ignored the damage caused from the bombing run. He left the vendor and went down the street when a running object whacked his left side and almost sent him spinning to the floor. However, he was used to being knocked around, and stuck his left foot to catch the ground and himself. That was when he noticed an all-too-familiar cloak on a smiliar body shape of a Reaver. The likeness is too close to just pass up... he thought as he took off after her.
-
Blaire looked behind her as she spotted another Reaver. "I don't think so..." She said angered. She jumped up the nearest building and hid behind the chimney that was beginning to crumble from age. She looked down and watched the Reaver pass by. "Either way, he wont catch me," She said to herself as she leaped to another building.
-
Chrono skidded to a stop and watched her jump up a building. "This is getting intresting...thought she would have taken an alleyway" he said to himself as he also took her route, his claws digging into the walls and allowing him to scale up with ease. As soon as he got to the top in about two seconds, he took out his bolter and aimed at her ankles when shooting. The next scaling he used his talons instead of his claws, literally running up the wall and onto the roof. I'm so lucky for having these replaced with titanium
-
Blaire dodged the bullets that were fired. "I should have known they'd be after me," She grumbled. She decided to use the abilities that other Reavers lacked. "I hope this works." She shut her eyes and vanished. She appeared several buildings away from Chrono. Blaire laughed and continued to run, her breaths calm as if she hadn't been running at all. She stopped and leaped into the alley way below her. "Find me now Love." Her hair fell to the middle of her back, the sun glistening off the brown waves. She then removed the cloak she was wearing and showed her outfit that had been hidden in the shadow of her cloak.
-
Chrono wasn't lost, he actually dealt with targets that liked to hide in smoke or in snow, and this area was only slightly different. He took out a pair of Infared goggles and quickly saw her figure in an alleyway not to far from his spot. He took out his special sedative that can even incapacitates Rancors in one shot. He reached the alleyway and was instantly on top of her, lunging to inject the sedative. He didn't want to hurt his 'prey', especially if its female, it not only ment a reduced pay, but he'd feel like a jerk for not stopping them before he ended up having to hurt them.
-
Blaire kicked him off and growled. "Who the hell do you think you are?" She snapped. Her brown hair blew in the gentle breeze. Her blue eyes glistened as they slowly changed a slight blue purple.
-
Chrono recovered by gripping the wall with his left hand, and returned the kick with his own. He then caught her during recovery and injected the sedative into the back of her neck, not causing spinal injury or major bloodloss as the injection went at least a third in. "I'm the one who just finished hunting my bounty, and for the sake of both of us, that sedative better kick in..."
-
Blaire snapped her jaw at him and bit him fiercely. Her eyes began to move as they closed slowly. She quickly fell still and silent. Her breathing slowed drastically.
-
Chrono sighed after the brief shock of having her snap at him, and picked her up with care. He then did a double take before leaving the alley and dodging rioters, trying to get his vehicle off this insane planet. That was, if he still had one left.
After a few tense minutes, he found that his ride was actually still there. He opened up the hatch and put Blaire on the bed that was ment for a second crew member. He usually put his bounties on the ship floor or in the Med-bay if they caused him to injure them. But since she was only midly harmed and sedated, he decided she'd rather perfer to wake up on a bed. Of course he made sure to ditch her bladed weapons in various locked containers, and take off her suit from under the covers to make sure she wasn't hiding any tech that could hack the boxes.
After finishing up the disarmament, he went to the pilot's seat and prepped for take-off.
-
Her mind, still not asleep, entered the Male Reaver's. Where the hell are you taking me?! Take me to the Valkyrie! NOW!
-
Chrono was a bit shocked at the mental invasion, but decided to play along. I'm taking you to my client to fulfill a bounty, because I have no intention in finally going through a bounty that didn't end up crippling my target.... and since I already know your name Blaire, the names Chrono, and it would be counter-productive to kill the only capable pilot on this now airborne vehicle he added while he reached orbit, and seeing nothing to block his escape. He entered the given coordinates and realized it would take at least a week on a non-cryo ship to reach the location. But compared to a year-long flight, it was worth it.
-
Blaire's eyes shot open. "Take me back!" She shouted as she elbowed him in the face. She jumped away from him and began to scream. "Let me out!!!!"
-
"Sir reports of a reaver vessel leaving the planet coming in!" said a human fighter pilot, sent with the fleet to investigate what happened
"Well what're you waiting for, SHOOT IT DOWN!" yelled the admiral
"SIR!"
Five fighters broke off in a V formation and flew straight towards Chrono's vessel.
-
Chrono rubbed his snout from the elbow. "Wow you wake up fast..." he then chuckled at her unusual behavior. "Miss Blaire, we're out in space now, opening up the exit would kill you because...." He opened up a drawer and put his EVA suit helmet on. "I'm the only one equipped to survive here...." His sensors then blared as five fighters were closing on him. He silently cursed his luck until he noticed the hyper-drive was now prepped and ready to fire. "Hold on!" he said as he engaged it, the stars blurring in his vision as he quickly created a vast gap between the ships and his own ship.
-
As suddenly as he was engaged in hyperspace, Chrono's ship was pulled back by the gravity wells of an interdictor cruiser captured from the Eph'Tan, with the very fighters he ditched accelerating for him., with chrono on the far side of the zone with the fighters by the mighty vessel, but quickly gaining on him.
-
Chrono growled at such a depth that even his ancestor's cringed. He realized that even though he really doesn't want to, he'll have to do something rather rash to get them off his trail. So he turned towards the fighters and flew forwards as he re-prepped hypredrive. This is exactly why I left my younger brother as the heir, I hate this freaking racial-politics based war!
-
Blaire pulled her desert eagle and shot his oxygen tank. "Now you aren't! Now take me back to the market! I want my ship!!"
-
Entaru began clapping as the camera moved along, still laughing at the carnage. He could see that a squadron of pirate fighters had entered the fray as well. Entaru put a signal through the drone once more, this time only with the audio.
"HAHAAA! Excellent! Thank you Mr. Mordecai. I was hoping to get a better view. I have no control of my drone from here and now I can watch as my enemies tear eachother apart! Just wonderful!" Entaru spun his chair in excitement .
His crew were watching the screen in pure ecstasy; placing bets on who would win, how many fighters would go down, and who could pop off the most pirates.
Only Dr. Zettergren stood by silent, the warden of this floating asylum.
-
Captain Mordecai, not amused by the outlaw's bickering and insane laughter, decided it was time to disable the Casks's gravity generators.
A small sly smile crept on the good captain's face.
-
Blaire pulled her desert eagle and shot his oxygen tank. "Now you aren't! Now take me back to the market! I want my ship!!"
He took yet another gampbe and had the ship auto-pilot while he snatched the desert eagle out of her hand and almost smacked her. "You fire that again in this ship, and you'll kill us both... forget about your ship, I'm being tailed by fighters intent on killing us, so just sit down and stop causing me more problems... its not like I like turning in people and not knowing whats going to happen to them!" a few tears went out of his eyes before he went back to the pilot's chair, the desert eagle still in hand.
-
Entaru floated out of his chair and looked about in surprise. Ms. Zettergen laughed as she too floated from her seat.
"Looks like they hacked our grav-generator boss."
"Ms. Zettergren, I have a question for you."
"Yes, boss"
"What was your first clue?"
The crew erupted in laughter once more as they began swimming into better spots for the view. Dr. Zettergren strapped Entaru back into his chair before doing the same to himself.
"If you fall from any height, Entaru, you'll break the suit. I suggest you not remove the straps...for your own sake."
"Ha! Fine, I have the best view in the house anyways" Entaru turned back to the carnage once more with a jack-o-lantern grin plastered on his face.
-
"Captain, i dont mean to sound like a broken record here, but we have to get the frack out of here, NOW. Several of the main engiens are busted and our only shot is right now! GET US OUT OF HERE!"
Kxxxxxxkxxxk
"NO! Dont put that there! That is the shield generator, you stupid, ignorant, flunki... KBAOOOOOOOMM!"
The shield meter began falling rapidly
-
"Sir, the indomitable has fired a salvo of scorpion missiles," said Mika as he scanned the sector. Suddenly Kimchi recieved a transmission from Home.
"The R-40's under attack from pirates, sir," she said.
"And two of the human fighters flying over to them now," Mika added.
"Sir, one of the direwolves did not obey orders, it's still fighting out there," said Kimchi.
"It's not going well, sir," said Mika. He turned from his helm looking to the captain for orders.
The captain sat back, shaking his head. "Stupid baldies, no intelligence, firing after calling ceasefire." He sighed, slowly, with a hint of a growl creeping through. "Right, fire forward beams at the indomitable, launch the remaining two fighter squadrons, give Gore something to do. Get us in closer, tell me when the point defense beams are in range, get those bombers moving in, get the fighters to protect the bombers." This flurry of orders was proceeded by an equivalent reponse as Kimchi ran through each other into the comms.
"Thank God, I finally get to kill," Gore said as he clambered into his specialised fighter. "Launch," he said into the comms as he was propelled into deep space, powering his thrusters, screaming through with afterburners, his wingmen at his tail.
"Sir, what about the R-40?" Kimchi asked.
"Send a message out for reinforcements, we're gonna focus on these humans," answered the captain. His words were final.
"Sir, they're breaking apart, they wont last."
"Dog with two bones, Kimmy!" the winged cat shouted, as he stared her down. "Call for reinforcements, make the sob story, and you," he turned to Mika. "You get us firing like the powerhouse we are."
Asia recieved the command to fight, and banged the side of the cockpit with his fist, relaying the information to his squad. Shock didnt dare contain herself,
"Hahaa! Shoulda listened to me, boys!" She swerved and danced through the air, arching down from above the lead fighter, launching her Hornet missiles, dumbfire, sending a hail of eight warheads swarming downwards. "Best dogfighter in Eph'tan!"
"Dont get too close, I'm about to fire off my EMP," Strike called out, as his lock-on triangle rotated over the hud of his visor, crawling over to the enemy with a quickening beep.
"This is the weirdest fight, I've ever been in," said Ragged as he activated his afterburners to position ahead of the bombers, between them and Iota squadron.
"Thankyou Beon, thanks for the insight," Asia replied. Through rear cameras, he could see the other two squadrons pour out of the capital ship. At the same time, he recieved a transmission from Gore's fighter.
"TAK 2, take out those fighters, we've got those bomber interceptors in our sights. TAK 3 will escort the bombers." Suddenly, Asia's view was blinded by green light, as the forward beam cannons tore past on either end of his fighter.
-
Zev and Collins were engaging the Mugari pirates, easily routing them with superior ships and skills and 3 kills, managed to save 'Home'.
"Home. ya can thank us later!"
Punching the afterburners, the pair concentrated catching up to Strike from below.
"Alpha 1 evade, rockets fired from enemy ship!" cried Lisa.
"I got it! hold on, Lisa reroute Iota squadron to the escort fighters accelerating for them and get requests for reinforcements!"
Gab swerved left and right to avoid the missiles, as his own craft got a target lock on Shock. Firing a missile, but not giving up chase, he still stood on the tail of the rat firing his lasers even though his missile was accelerating towards her.
"Iota new targets pinpointed on your HUDs, take 'em out!"
"Roger Alphas, ok boys get ready to dogfight... if targets are locked missiles away!"
Missile trails appeared under three of the lead ships of IOta, accelerating towards TAK 3's lead ships.
"Preston full power to shields to absorb those cannon blasts now!" The Captain yelled as a giant blue orb covered the indomitable and buckled under the power of the laser cannon shots. However the shields still held, abiet at 30 %
"Ready Guass Cannon rounds and fire on my mark!"
-
"Shiro, we are making the jump soon, Kitt and the rest of team tango are three clicks away from us.... they undocked from the Ellan during the confusion and will be with us in under five minutes.... you get the shields back online!"
The home turned away from the fighting, hyperdrive core charging up for a jump....
"Home, this is R-20 tango... we are docked.... fire her up!"
~~~~
The home, battered and smoking dissapeared in a blue flash, reapearing at a nearby salvager outpost..... Eph'tan ships already moving in to tow the frigate into dock....
((the home is now being repaired at outpost delta sigma 4..... it is taking no more part in fighting or salvaging as it is severly crippled))
The captain of the home scratched his chin.... staring at the statistics before him....
"so.... we can pay off the repairs?"
"well yes... we can, that ore the salavgers got before the fighting is top grade! coretonium, hephtolite and aluminium.... in fact by my calculations... after these repairs are done... we have a large subsidy left over... we could get the frigate upgraded?"
"well, we see once the repairs are done... until now... thank Eph'tan that we didnt suffer more casualties...."
-
*White looked out a window from his room at the dogfight outside on the Frigate Indomitable and sighed* "Makes me wish I wasn't ground forces... or at least long range." *He fiddled with his shotgun and loaded up the ammo*
-
The HUD giggled as it locked on to Lisa's fighter. "Firing EMP," Strike said as he let loose his new toy, staying at distance with Asia and Ragged, as he watched it glide through the lumps of energy slicing through the air, to the enemy pair. Asia and Ragged split off from Strike's side, powering round to flank them.
Shock spun and dived, spiralling through the darkness, surprised to be locked on at all. She heard the steadily increasing beep, as the sensors tracked the missile, gaining ground. It inevitably came too close for comfort, forcing her to pull out her tricks, cutting her engine, flicking round and rocketing through with her afterburners. She swerved and rolled to dodge the missile by a hair's breadth powering her primary weapons to rip through to the lead fighter, while simultaneously firing another wall of rockets his way. No time to lock on, but hard to miss.
Gore and his squadron powered through the vacuum firing off his GTM-19 Harpoon missiles, packed with highly advanced navigational AI. His wingmen made do with one set of Hornets, locking on and firing off 4 missiles each. They spiralled through the air, the Harpoon streaking away along with the hail of laser fire.
Mika burst out in a laugh as the beam cannons pounded the Indomitable. The captain was not so jubilant, appearing lethargic in his seat, but his brow was furrow, his eyes staring away.
"Sir, the point defense guns will be in range of the fighters so very soon," Mika chirped with excitement.
"Yeah and the indomitable's guns might too. How's the beam cannons?" the captain asked.
"Still charging,"
"The aft gun?"
"Ready as anything." Mika nodded as he spoke.
"Flick us, sideways on," the captain ordered. "We've gotta get this done without major damage, that Cask thing is still out there." Kimchi turned to face the captain.
"Sir, the R-40 has jumped. Shall I cancel the reinforcements request?" she asked.
"Heck no!" The captain replied. "The more the merrier, we're still in a fight here. When it's one vs one, nothing's certain... don't even update them."
-
The crew cheered with every bombardment as they floated about the deck. Every explosion, every laser burn, every person lost, were given whole-hearted shouts of glee. Finally Entaru was growing tired of simply watching. No doubt the Eph'tan had called for reinforcements. And a dead Eph'tan was better than a dead Human any day, even if they were a scumbag. Entaru patched the signal through a final time and spoke calmly to the captain.
"Alright Mr. Mordecai, you seem to be a little outgunned at the moment. And if I know those Eph'tan cowards, then you have another ship on its way. So I have a proposition for you, a truce. You let up on the hack and get me a pardon. In return I'll chase the furballs off. My ship is still in good shape, despite the damage caused by your missiles. My shields are at 100% again and with the damage you've done to the Ellan I should be able to take it out in a couple of shots. You've experienced the Cask's power first hand Captain, you know I'm right. So...do we have a deal?" Entaru smiled as he waited.
Either answer would do...
-
Blaire kicked him in the face and screamed again. "If we were on my ship we would have been in the clear!!!!" her shrieks were almost glass shattering.
-
(blaire I think if you kick a pilot in the face and keep shooting him, theres a large possibility of death)
In the breif lull in combat, The good captain sent a letter of conscription to the Cask, pardoning it and allowing it full military action against hostile parties, however Entaru was to follow the orders of Mordecai and the human high command. That meant no killing Eph'Tan who the captain will let go.
-
"Blast! Oh well, I can still burn them a bit." Entaru felt his weight come back as the gravity turned back on.
Crashes and cusses filled the room as the crew fell from their places in the air to the cold hard grating of the floor.
"Battlestations everyone! We've got some strays to neuter and a two-faced Captain to save." Entaru shouted to the pile in front of him.
The crew quickly began to scurry about the ship, getting into place for the battle. The tech officers busied themselves for their next jump, while the Brothers got into their gun positions (minus one). All was ready.
"Prepare to fire as soon as we fall out of warp. I want us to surround the Ellan with the Indomitable's help. When we do, take out thier life-support. Get'em to surrender!"
"Jump's ready boss!"
"Prepare for the jump, in 3...2...1...JUMP!"
The viewscreen blurred as the Cask sped through hyperspace, then cleared again as the Cask appeared next to the Ellan.
"TURN IT INTO SCRAP!!!!"
The Cask's turbolasers streaked toward the Ellan in red and blue streams of destruction.
And Entaru smiled.
-
The intercoms crackled, the captain's voice ringing throughout 'home', penetrating even the loud buzzing of welders and the deep steady ~thrum, thrum~ of the shield generators...
~" Could Shiro, head engineer report to the bridge immediately... thats Shiro to the bridge please..."~
All of the engingeers turned back to their work, masks back on, welders buzzing again, sparks flying...
~~~~
Up in the bridge the Captain of 'home' sat at his desk, rifling through papers.... a young feline stood before him, showing him more papers and information readouts...
"well sir... the main hull has been repaired to almost full integrity.... just a few more hours and this ship is ready to roll.... plus.... we have a hold full of ore..... we sell that, we can pay of the costs of this repair... aaand... have enough left over for whatever we need..."
"that sounds good.... and you have allerted the Eph'tan of the attack on the Ellan?"
"yessir"
"good, very good.... when Shiro comes up here, direct him to see me okay? i want a word with him about his bravery and actions back there..."
-
"Incoming jump signature," Kimchi said, "It's human."
"Ah what?!" Mika cried.
The captain flicked him a glare, "Silence Lieutenant," he commanded, before turning to the mouse. "When do our reinforcements arrive?"
"At most, ten minutes," said Kimchi. A pause followed, the captain sighed and muttered under his breath,
"By the almighty." Turning back to the meerkat, he stood, his arms solid at his back. "Lieutenant, get that beam firing."
Suddenly, the Amantillado arrived, right next to Ellan. A firestorm burst from its guns, pounding into the Ellan.
"Lieutenant!" Captain Maxim said, "Fire all weapons EXCEPT for the beam cannon at that monstrosity."
"But sir, the beam cannon's ready," replied Mika.
"Then fire it at the indomitable, hurry up!" At once, a horde of point defense guns, flak cannons and laser turrets let loose their power, while a great increasing hum filled the ears of all on board, and the beam cannon fired.
-
Shiro stood in the elevator with a couple of officers, his sweat radiating stink off of his fur, his grease covered cloths leaving drips in the elevator. He knew they were a little discusted by this, but got over it quickly after thinking about everything the fox mechanic went through. The elevator dinged at the top floor, and he walked briskly, arms and torso in bandages, toward the captain.
"Sir, our ship is falling apart as we speak. 40% of the hallways are leaking, the engines are fried, and not just a couple, i mean all of them. My crew is tired, lost 12 good men and women in one of the bridges that was hit by fire, and all of the remainder have so much of a workload in front of them, they can't keep together what they are doing. I believe the term for what we have just witnessed is what is known as being "royally screwed", sir"
Shiro saluted, a little more grease going on the floor.
-
Upon being kicked in the head, Chrono hit the steering controls, sending the ship into a spin as well as activating hyper-drive pre-maturally. Luckilly, his ship slid past the formation that was careening towards him, and still went for their destination. Chrono rubbed his forehead and wiped off the accumulation blood before pulling out two pairs of cuffs. He swung his chair around, while also sticking his right leg out, tripping Blaire to the floor. With the little time he had before she had yet another tantrum, he rolled her face-down and bound her hands behind her back, then quickly went for the ankles. As soon as both cuffs were on, a moderate shock went through her system.
"Y'know, I'm tired of having to treat you like a brat that doesn't understand the "do's and don'ts" of space travel, so until your behavior improves, you'll be in bondage until we arrive at the location in... ten days?!" he expected a week, but the premature launch caused the engine to only operate at 70% rather than the usual 100%, lengthening the time of travel.
-
"well, im very sure that without your work here on the ship we would have been more... screwed.... every one of us aboard this ship has you to thank..."
Kitt stood leaning against one of the bridge controls, talking to a mechanic about the condition of the R-20's.... he gave a subtle cough, watching the conversation...
"and do you think i do not care about those 12 who died?... Ashlie, Jake, Ruffie, Jonah, Ana, Ru, Ziggy, Alex, Cathy, Susan, Laurence and Dave.... i know every one of them.... i know they died.... i care, this is my family... ive been running this ship for fifty years, long before yoU! long before kitt there! long before any of you!..."
The crew on the bridge all gave coughs or agitated shuffles, turning away back to work... the steady drip, drip of oil leaking filled the bridge....
"sorry.... just dont ever, think i dont care.... as for the engines, theyve been replaced twice fold, ive had three head engineers Shrio... this ship has been around for an age..... We hit good ore while we where salvaging, the engine replacements are already on their way from the docks.... and weve got a full mechanics crew coming over with 'em..... tomorrow this whole ship is gonna be emptied of crew, and we're going over to the dock station while reapirs are finished over here...."
-
"Sir! I never thought that you didn't care. Home is my home just as much as it is yours. It is a haven from the horrors of reality. I had friends lost too, sir. I am quite used to the horrors of warfare. One of your past engineers was a dear friend of mine, and he was the one who suggested "Home" as a respite for past wrongs done. I came here on your request captain. I know you have your own crew behind you with the ore collected, but i for one will not rest until she is back into space, functioning at full capacity. If home is destroyed, there will be no where I, or any of my friends on this ship, will be able to go. We have a duty to home more than commanding it, but rather nurturing it. We keep it together. We have a duty to all men and women who died and who live to continue running this ship and making sure it continues to be home for not only the living, but also to the dead who sacrificed their lives for this ship. We will not rest."
Shiro paused.
"Now if you have nothing more for me, i need to get back to repairing our ship, sir!"
-
The captain smiled, and all who where there on the bridge that day swore the could have seen a tear in his eye...
"Shiro... i take back all i said.... this is the reason i decided to buy home.... when i was only around the age of Kitt.... she was brand new, squeaky clean.... and though she may have become old and rusty... well... so have i"
He chuckled, sitting back down behind his desk....
"well, thats all, yes... thank you Shiro... you have reminded me why i kept this ship.... repair what you can.... in a few hours the reserve engineers will be here with the engines, and we can all get some much needed sleep!"
The captain motioned Kitt over to the pair...
"Kitt... im not really sure what youre doing up here on the bridge.... go down with Shiro and help him with what you can... Shiro, Kitt and the other R-20 teams will help with repairs on the outer hull, while you repair the hull from the inside.... im expecting you guys to work as a team... and Kitt, if i hear you have been causing grievances you'l be on collector duties for the rest of the cycle..."
Kitt snorted, walking over to Shiro, zipping back up his orange, oil covered overalls....
"lets get to it!"
-
"Yes sir!"
Shiro looked at Kitt. "People still wear those jumpsuits? Okay, but just watch out when in zero grav, those suits start constricting in you know where. Follow me"
Shiro lead Kitt down the many corridors that were familiar to the engine rooms that were so mazelike, it was surprising anyone could find anything here.
"These are the engines being put in to replace the blown ones. What i need you to do is to get your pilot for tango, fly over to the work station, and start helping them bring the pieces of the engine in. They are pretty big, but i just increased the load capacity for Tango, so you should have no trouble. After that, i need you to get to the welders and give them a hand with fixing a couple of the hallways. If you see bits of cloths and parts stacked in the hallways, don't touch them. Its our way of remembering the dead. After you help them with anything they need, get to weapons. They need people to do the dirty work while they fix the computers and circuitry to the ship. I know its a lot of work, but that is just the beginning to the amount we will need to do in the end."
Shiro turned and began to walk away, stopped, and turned his head to Kitt.
"Down here you guys are what as known as flyboys. You get to do the fun stuff. Down here? Its hot, electrified hell. Be careful. Just do as your superiors tell you and you will be alright."
He shouted in an abnomaly loud voice to the crew in the engine room
"LETS GET HOME BACK IN THE AIR!!"
Loud whoops and shouts met his cry.
-
Kitt sniggered about the comment on jumpsuits and constricting...
"tell me about it... but i aint gonna wear nuthin else... trademark of the R-20 jockeys, nobody else i know wears the old orange jumpsuits...."
He followed Shiro down through the engine rooms... as he passed a memorial he touched his two fore-fingers to his forehead, a murmur passing his lips....
"kay... im guessing we're only repairing engines one to three? the other two are Xt-48 class.... you need somthing bigger than R-20's.... that'l be fixed by the engineers and their heavy machinery when we go off on leave.."
He watched several of homes engineers walk past, carrying between them several pistons... they gave Kitt the look that all engineers gave the R-20 jockeys, that of pride, honour, and envy...
"flyboys.... yeah.... we got the fancy job..... yessir... i gotcha...."
Kitt pulled on his headphones and across the mouth mic.... already on the open coms to the other pilots...
"this is Kitt, tango assemble in dock 12... we got us a job to help with..."
-
The Cask rocked slightly as the Ellan's defenses slammed into its shields.
"What's our status Ms. Zettergren"
"70% shields and holding, boss!"
"Good, fire 'Charnel' at their docking bay. I don't want their fighters to be able to re-dock" Charnel was Entaru's name for the ship's Gauss cannon. He had seen how many fighters the Ellan had. Without the docking bay, the Ellan would have to leave them behind if it retreated. Then Captain Mordecai could decide what to do with them. But before then, he would let some of his crew have some target practice. Entaru spoke into the midship communicator.
"Anthony. Zaha. I want you to take control of our anti-fighter turrets and take out the fighters that were just deployed. Got it?"
~Aye sir!~
~No prob sir! ZA-HA!~ Entaru chuckled a bit. Zaha had a habit of shouting his name and saluting when he was excited.
"Gauss Cannon ready sir!"
"Fire away."
Charnel fired it's massive payload toward the docking bay. Entaru laughed as he imagined the look of horror on the faces of the mechanics inside the docking bay.
So beautiful Entaru thought as he watched the projectile streak toward its target.
-
The force of the massive projectile physically moved the Eph'tan ship to the side and made it turn prematurely, as the shield buckled in the sport where the hanger bay then shorted out from the force and density of the shell fired.
-
The ship lurched and all across its decks, it bursts into yells and cries as the gauss cannon hit.
"What in God's name was that?!" said the captain. Through the view screen, he could see the Cask. "Why are we facing that... thing?"
Mika replied, "Gauss cannon sir, a big one. It pushed our back end."
Kimchi added, "Sir it literally blew right through our shields. One of the hangars have been hit and the shields around that area are down."
"Divert power to the shields to get atleast some defense there," the captain ordered with a wave of his hand, willing her to hurry.
"Not possible, apparently the shields are fried," Kimchi said. The captain gripped his chair.
"Right, we're facing them anyway, how are the forward beam cannons?" he asked.
Mika looked to his console, then turned to the captain and said, "still charging." There was a pause, the captain clearly tearing his fur out in his mind. "But we are still firing our anti-fighter weapons at them."
"Well ain't that brilliant." The captain scowled.
"And they're firing their weapons at our fighters."
With two wings bearing down on Iota squadron, it was simple to take out a couple, letting them spiral into a ball of fire, bombers coming increasingly close to the Indomitable. All fighters ignored the worsening situation, focusing on the problems at hand, even with one less fighter bay, superior technology would win out. Suddenly, through the firestorm of their own making, and hail of human ordinance tore through the TAK 3 lead fighter, pounding through his shields in seconds in an ambush of fire. Gore began blaring through the comms,
"Look out wolves, The Entaru's on us, watch for their guns."
"You gotta be kidding me," Ragged replied. Shock just giggled as she danced with Alpha Lead.
-
The Eph'tan seemed too occupied with the dogfight to really care about the ships hangers. Suddenly another wing of durable interceptors sped out. Delta squadron, poised for the bomber squadron, their Centuri missiles already had a lock on the target as missiles were fired at the bombers. They noticed the incoming ordinance too late, and shields flared as the bombers were now defenseless and blasted with laser fire from Delta squadron.
Iota squadron regrouped and flew as one, lasers firing, downing two of TAK 3's wingmates in a hail of bright green death. Focusing on their team leader now, Iota squad leader got a target lock on his target and fired.
Alpha squadron had trouble covering it's allies as the aces of the Eph'tan were bearing down upon them, but luckily for them, two fighters from Delta broke off from the bombers and turned their attention towards Gore's squadron.
"Alpha 5 avoid that projectile!"
"Roger team leader!"
Lisa swerved upwards to avoid the emp, however it still drained a fair bit of her shielding. Gab saw the rockets heading toweards him and pulled sharply skywards, then pulled a sharp turn and came back from the sky.
"Let's see how you like this traitor"
Collins flew up behind Strike's craft.
"Like blastin our boys from the sky eh? WELL LETS SEE HOW YOU LIKE FACING A MARKSMAN!" he yelled as he matched the targets speed and opened fire on Strike, scoring numerous laser hits on his shielding.
Zev stayed on the tail of Asia, doing his best to give him no rest, no space to maneuver. "Martha, how's your fight doing?"
Martha was assisting Iota squadron in clearing TAK 3, and she was on the tail of one of their other fighters, with visible but minor damage on her target, she winked her acknowledgment light green to the squad. Lisa broke off and sped for Ragged getting a lock, but waiting till she got close before launching a missile.
"Guess cannons ready to fire?"
"Yes sir"
"Destroy them then!" yelled the good captain
The ship rocked with the force of the shots as the massive projectiles flew from the capital ship into the dogfight. One of the bombers wasn't so lucky and was obliterated by the projectile. The pair of Guass shots impacted with the side of the Fires of Ellan. Not with the force of the Cask's gun, but enough for the first hit to dent, the other hit to peirce the hull, going about halfway through the hull before facing disintegration.
"Iota team, what's your status" yelled lt. Scott, the fighter Ops. liason
"We're about 60 % strength sir, but we're still alive and kickin', thankfully Iota 4 and 6 managed to launch their escape pods before their ship exploded, with the relief from delta and alpha, we'll hold our own."
"Hows the damage on the enemy squadron?"
"The one Alpha is battling hasnt sustained a loss, but they must be the Aces, the ones we're battling are at the same we are, Delta reports the bombers are at 50 % strength"
"Keep fighting men, For C Block"
"For C Block sir, For C Block"
-
Three of the bombers span out and exploded under the assault, the remaining three pressed on, pressing forward, just within reach of the indomitable. "Bombs away," Was the message on the comms, the pilots calm and precise as six warheads were unleashed.
Tak 3's lead fighter twisted and burst away with afterburners, outwitting the missile, before turning back to fire off as many Tempest missiles as he could, watching them rocket off in the general direction of his assailants. They pounded into an Iota fighter, annihilating shields and tearing into the hull.
Gore spoke constantly, watching Delta squadron come his way, while locking on and letting loose another harpoon, smashing against the lead fighter. His wing mates raced past him sending laser fire streaking ahead. They moved as one, fluid in the void.
As the EMP missed, Strike moved to chase Lisa down, firing off his GTW-19 Circe, specialised in draining what shields she had left. It was far from power hungry allowing him transfer extra power he had to his engines racing up behind her. Suddenly, enemy fire rocked his ship, his systems pointing to Alpha 3 at his rear.
"Could anyone help me out here?!" he said, and was answered with a GTI TAG-A Missile, from Ragged's ship. The missile was silent, super fast and packed with tech, bypassing shields, clamping onto Connor's hull. Immediately, anyone facing him had instant lock-on as it pulsed its EM signature. Ragged, Asia and Shock turned to it and fired every missile they had.
Shock and Asia didnt even stop midturn, incorporating it into their own dogfight. Shock flipped, and burst away in an upward spiral, letting loose tempests alongside her lasers.
Asia sped through, neatly transferring most of his power to engines, tearing through the sky waiting for his moment to transfer to weapons, and turn to his foe. He span, weaved and dodged the attacks, and finally saw an opening. Power transfered weapons and forward shields as he span his fighter blasted with all his force in a brutal frontal assault.
The Ellan rocked twice more. "Kimchi, please tell me those reinforcements are close," said the captain.
"Still a little while away sir," she replied, adding, "Sir we're reporting more casualties. One of those gauss cannons pierced the hull and we lost atmosphere. That deck is closed off but if-"
"But nothing," the captain cut her off, before turning to Mika. "Beam cannons."
"Ready in three... two..."
That familiar hum reverberated through the ship, the streaks of light slammed into the Cask.
-
[open Eph'tan channels]
"Fires of Ellan, this is Carnage and two other assault frigates designated 'carnage wing'.... we are exiting hyperspace ahead of main reinforcements now... ETA... 30 seconds.... what is your status?"
Three assault frigates burst out of hyperspace in a flash of light.... right above the main conflict, several hundered miles away from the large explosions and flying debris....
"Ellan, This is Carnage wing... we have a lock on hostiles.... looks like your taking quite a pounding.... firing up the engines now... let 'em have it!"
The three assault frigates turned into a nose dive, engines heating up will a low thrumming sound... the ships started to build up speed as they closed in on the conflict... all of the flak turrets swiveling, tracking the foe....
"Torpedoes away!"
A series of flashes lit up the armour plating of the frigates, three captial ship class torpedoes bursting forth from the prows of the assault frigates, the AI controlled torpedoes flew straight and fast; heading for the Indomitable.....
-
"Enemy Jump signatures detected and enemy payloads streaking towards us captain."
"Get point defense guns and shoot those bombs and torpedos down, take as many of the warheads down as humanly possible!"
The Flak cannons spun in their posistions and opened fire, shooting down the bombs and all but one of the torpedos, as the shields buckled and collapsed.
"Report"
"Shields down, calling reinforcements from High Command"
"Main laser batteries divert to the first of the assault frigates and load up another salvo of guass rounds, Fire Scorpio missiles M-T on Carnage one, I want to see it a burning husk"
Missiles flew out from the ship but were outsped by the lasers, which slammed into Carnage 1's shielding, weakening, allowing the missile salvo to finish the shields and do some major hull damage.
"Collins Evade, I repeat Evade!" yelled Gab in his Tac Com as he suddenly saw Collin's signature light up like a Christmas tree.
"On it sir!" Pulling sharply upwards, and directly at TAK 3, Collins hopped to use the missiles as his own weapon,
Martha accelerated towards Gore and fired off two dumb missiles and opned up with her laser cannons at max power. She would kill him, only a matter of time.
Zev punched his afterburners and sped past Asia, before harshly braking and going back for another attack run.
"Guys Shields down...."
"Roger Lisa we'll cover you, shoot missiles at my friend will you" Gab muttered to shock before coming directly behind her craft and firing a dumb missile directly into her craft.
-
Zeit not surprisingly, has been in his room sleeping the hours away, blissfully unaware of the fighting outside the ship. He then got a call from an unmarked, but still familar number. He pulled up the visual screen and answered the call, to find two reavers, two Eph'tan, and another human on the same screen with all races having one female and one male on the screen. "So.... how have things been going, on your sides?" the other two races looked around for the chance that they might be watched before replying.
"Something happened on a planet in neutral space, it has suffered planetary scars from all of our bombs, but nobody gave the order to do so." The male reaver said, and his counterpart nodded in agreement.
"We are trying to get there ourselves, but the higher ups won't let us leave our stations for fear of sudden attacks." the feminine Eph'Tan brought up and there were looks of agreed annoyance all over except for Zeit, who has no experience flying ships. Zeit lifted his arm to get their attention before bringing forward his idea.
"We all agreed to have these confrences so we could end the war without either side being wiped out by genocide, this neutral space bombardment has all sides enraged and has also enflamed conflict even further. However, its obvious that neither side is responsible, and its ignorant to assume that we are the only three factions involved in this conflict." Zeit waited for any comments before continuing.
"How about, we organize three groups of investigators, that only our immedeate superiors know about. As long as our respective rulers don't know, our efforts to resolve this issue won't go interrupted. So, who wants to be the head of all the expiditions on the war-torn neutral planet?" There were a few who looked like they were going to take leadership, but quickly looked away from the screen. Zeit smiled at their facial expressions and motions, knowing who they left leadership to.
"Good, we'll be leaving in a week and nobody knows who the other is until their loss of life is risked, agreed?" They all nodded before the screens cut off one by one...
-
"Hit, Hit... damage report.... this is Carnage 1 we are going down!"
Carnage one listed to one side... flames pouring out, feeding off the decompressing oxygen from the hull, a sight to behold.... with a flash and monumental explosion the frigate eingulfed itself, plasma engines melting out and tearing themselves apart in an exothermic reaction on a huge scale.... WHat was left of the ship scattered itself, in huge fragments, steel plating and what was left of the crew members floating out across the void...
"Carnage 1 is down, this is Carnage two, we are taking over 'carnage wing... fire torpedoes salvo two..."
Carnage 1 and 2 where within only 50 miles of the Indomitable, continuing their zero gravity nose dive, torpedoes streaking ahead. Thin vapour trails cast off like shrowds. They sped through the maelstrom of point defence flak, one detonatiing prematurely, the second finding its new home across the starboard of the Indomitable... The explosion shook the ship, flames bursting forth, and then receding as they ran out of oxygen to feed on....
-
With one volley of bombs completed, the bombers swooped round to unleash another salvo.
TAK 3 whipped through the carnage, keeping track of the light show streaking towards him. With a smirk on his face, he spun to face Collins, letting loose a wall of eight hornets while tempests poured out at high speed with his lasers; trapping Collins between one set of missiles and three others behind him.
Asia pressed just one button to equalise shields across his ship as he saw Zev's race overhead. His weren't completely unsuccessful, damaging the forward shields of the enemy, but now he was defenceless from behind; the equalisation was not instantaneous. Suddenly he pushed his engines into full reverse, feeling the laser slam into his fighter until the shields reformed, on a collision course with the damaged forward shields of Zev.
Strike continued to peel away Lisa's shields until there was nothing left. At once he pulled away from her and let loose his ultra-long range GTW-66 Maxim Cannon, a high powered hybrid energy/ballistic weapon, shooting uranium slugs through its smoothbore barrel. The force of firing it alone violently shook Strike's ship, the damage to Lisa would be catastrophic as they powered to her defenceless hide.
The steady beep of the computer turned into a scream as a missile powered into the back of Shock's fighter, destroying her shields and mutilating her engines to it bled flames out into the vacuum.
"Oh what the frack!" she cried as she her handling buckled and she spiralled through the air. Ahead of her, she could see the battle and made her decision, igniting her afterburners. Her ship lit up like a ball of fire as it ripped at an incredibly high and increasingly unstable speed, heading straight for Zev. She placed her hairless rat paw upon the eject lever, ready to pull at the right moment.
TAK 2 with Gore at the head, swooped through the battle with Iota and Delta, flowing across the laser fire. They floated and spun to compensate for Martha's attacks, swinging round to unleash a squadron's worth of ordinance down her throat.
-
Collins allowed himself to smirk, before braking then shooting downwards, forcing the missiles to either collide with each other or try to compensate for their targets sudden change in direction. Martha saw the squadron turn sights to her and she unleashes a salvo of missiles, then punched the afterburners to slingshot over them.
"Guass Cannon?!" Lisa yelled before pulling a sharp turn to avoid the projectiles.
Zev saw another fighter headed straight towards him. "2 on 1 eh? Its a fair fight now" he muttered before accelerating towards Shock's craft. Delta team fired upon Gore, shredding his shielding.
"DAMAGE REPORT!"
"Armor plating breached, but internal damage is minimal..."
"Fire Guass cannons at Carnage 2, I want those assault frigates burning husks"
-
"Ellan! this is Carnage 2.... we are suffering heavy damage... carnage 1 is down and our shields are collapsing... we cannot hold here for much longer.... sorry sir but we must retreat or be destroyed, this firefight is for the big boys.... .... dont worry, reinforcements are on route to you, ETA.... ~KKKZSSCHH~"
Out of all the view ports of the Ellan Carnage 2 could be seen, torn apart in a fusilade of Guass fire.... fires burning across the middle section it tilted, a muffled explosion bursting forth from the armoured hull as it fell into a steep nose dive... headed straight for the Indomitable, a burning, uncontrollable, Kamikaze.
Carnage 3 disapeared in a blue flash, hyperjump leaving a resonating bass note behind as the wreck of Carnage 2 dropped ever faster towards the Indomitable...
-
"Accelerate and avoid that wreckage Connor"
"Aye Sir"
THe Indomitable began to pick up speed. It just may avoid the collision, but it could suffer minor to major damage.
-
Carnage 2 began to break up as it fell, spiralling slowly as it sped towards the Indomitable... a whole section of the hull fell away, burning up as it span away into space.... scant miles from the Indomitable the middle section of the assault frigate exploded, plumes of white smoke billowing out from the great scarred wreckage, the whole rear and engine section of Carnage 2 span away.
Only the prow and what was left of the armoured hull span, burning, into the starboard side of the Indomitable... imbedding in the armoured hide of the human ship, the wreckage exploded, shrapnel flying in all directions as what was left of the assault frigate instantly became space dust. Flames billowing out like serpent tongues.
-
"Sir Collision reported in non essential hallways E-116 all the way to E-200, giving crew members 60 seconds to evac those decks then venting atmosphere."
The main reason the collision didnt do as much damage as it should was because the shields were already recharging, although the collision still burned through the shields, it didnt do major damage to it,however the ship lurched in a new direction.
"We can't take much more punishment, but the Fires of Ellan has its hands full as well, re-align course to the Eph'tan probe, I want it captured for any valuable intelligence."
The point defense guns spun in their pistons then unleashed a flurry of laser bolts towards the re-approaching bombers, making two of them break off from attack and destroying another one.
"Send cargo ships to recover the armor plating from the destroyed Eph'Tan ship, we might need to use those armor plated to make emergency repairs."
Suddenly the Cask and the Indomitable got a secure military transmission.
"Attention all military vessels... The Eph'tan and Reavers have allied in a genocidal campaign against us.. even now border forces are engaged in combating the traitors. However they have utterly destroyed the Neutral space, killing millions... We go to war, not for territory, not for resources, but for our very existence. Fight on, for Humanity isn't beaten yet. Fight on and we shall win the day."
"That explains why the Eph'tan attacked us at least..."
-
A couple of the minor engineers were huddled around a small portable intra-net radio, listening intently. Shiro, mistaking this to be lazyness, walked over and was about to begin scolding them when he heard:
"...Ellan! this is Carnage 2.... we are suffering heavy damage... carnage 1 is down and our shields are collapsing... we cannot hold here for much longer.... sorry sir but we must retreat or be destroyed, this firefight is for the big boys.... .... dont worry, reinforcements are on route to you, ETA.... ~KKKZSSCHH~..." a reporter's voice broke in " This was one of the transmissions between the Fires of Ellan, which has sustained many casualties... we are still getting reports in..." At that point the radio broke down and sputtered a little.
The outrage was being shown on all of the faces of the Eph'tan there. We didn't attack them! They attacked us!!
Every one of them had the same righteous look on their face. Those humans won't know what hit them. Home will show them. Every mechanic, no matter how small, was a refugee at some point or another, and each had his own skills to add.
"Pass the word around. Every lazy sot will not get food. We need Home in top fighting shape. You know what to do. Spread the word."
A squirrel flunky in a Sergeant's uniform and who had pompous glasses and a pompous stomach ran up to the Captain of Home.
"Sir, our engineers are all doing things and not following the Protocol for the fixing of Home! They are increasing shields, upgrading weapons and such. We are a peaceful vessel captain! I do not think that these orders are..."
-
As the beam cannon hit the Cask, Entaru watched as the shields dropped sharply.
"Boss! Shields at 60...45...30%. That cannon did a number on us sir."
Entaru cursed under his breath. "How much longer till 'Charnel' can fire again?"
"2 minutes boss."
"Fine." Entaru held his head in thought and watched as Carnage 2 collided with the Indomitable. He went over the comm once more.
"Vaun, Chris. I want you to get into the gauss turrets and rip up their bridge. Their shields are down so aim at the glass. I want to see their captains face as whats left of it floats by our ship." Entaru walked up to the viewing screen and lifted his middle finger in salute towards the Ellan's bridge.
"So long my fuzzy foe..."
-
The captain looked up from the schematics of what appeared to be several torpedo launchers....
"HA! i was waiting for that to happen..... this isnt the first time.... you get back to whatever you do.... and lose some weight while youre at it! youre a disgrace to the crew of this ship!"
The officer saluted, giving an abrupt right turn, almost crashing into a technician as he ran from the bridge....
~~~
The comms system crackled into life across home, every engineer stopped to listen...
"this is your captain speaking...... every engineer... every flyboy... everyone... to dock 12.... it seems you boys are thinking the same as me... its time for home to fight again!"
~~~
Within the hour every single crewman stood in dock 12, the loud murmering of hundreds of whispers filled the dock..... intersitingly, to those who stood in the dock's observation deck, far above the crowd... it was split roughly into four sections....
a large mass of orange jumpsuits and the odd pilots helmet that was the 'flyobys'...
the weapons crews...
the various technicians and electronics crews...
and the largest group of all... the engineers, salvagers and every other able boddied Eph'tan...
all looked up to the front of the dock where the captain stood....
"CREW OF 'HOME'!"
A shout rose up from the mass of Eph'tan, chanting and wold whistles amany...
"CREW OF... OUR HOME!"
The shouts rose up again, the flyboys chanting the victory chant of the R-20 pilots
"IT IS TIME.... AGAIN.... THAT THIS SALVAGE VESSEL.... SHALL FIGHT AGAIN..... IT HAS HAPPENED TWICE BEFORE... IN TIMES WHEN PEACE HAS FALLEN.... WE ALL HOPED IT SHOULD NEVER HAVE TO HAPPEN AGAIN... BUT IT HAS..... AND SO..... WE SHALL FIGHT!...
... EVERY ENGINEER TO THEIR STATIONS.... WE ARE GOING TO NEED TO TAKE ACROSS AS MANY SUPPLIES, AND EQUIPEMENT ACROSS TO THE R-100 HENCEFORTH KNOWN AS 'ORION'!"
Every single Eph'tan whooped and shouted, cat-calls, wolf whistles and shouts.... as the captain turned away back towards the bridge..... once there he spread out several large pages, resplendant with diagrams and blue prints....
"we know the drill.... 'home' has done this before... she's gonna do it again... send a copy of these blue prints to every deck... we need food, welders equipment... everything... get shiro up here... i need him."
~ "SHIRO TO MAIN BRIDGE, SHIRO TO MAIN BRIDGE"~
-
TAK 3 turned from Collins and burst towards Delta, locking on and letting loose his hornets, that pounded mercilessly into one of the fighters. TAK 2 ignored Martha's burn past and flowed to face delta, focusing Tempests on the lead ship, while their targeting computers moved to the second fighter, releasing hornets and harpoons its way.
"Haha, weren't expecting that now where ya!" Using his advanced targeting computer and ultra zoomed reticule, Strike continued to pull back to two thousand kilometers away and still going, rocking his ship with the force of his intense weapon. Ragged turned to face she who would target him, waiting for the lock-on to acquire before unleashing his high-tech Harpoon missile.
"Come on then!" cried Shock as her fighter increased speed further and further, moving way beyond the recommended limit placed upon the craft, lighting up in the sky like a comet, just about to collide. Asia continued backwards until he saw on his radar, his quarry take a turn upwards, to Shock's craft.
"Shock, I hope to Eph'tan itself that you know what you're doing," he said, before turning away, chasing down the Alpha lead.
"Stay on course, bombers, that's your job," said the lead bomber. "Bombs away." Four bombs escaped towards the indomitable.
"Sir, Carnage 1 and 2 have been destroyed, Carnage 3 has jumped," said the mouse. "There was a collision, but only causing minor damage to the indomitable."
"Then we'll cause the rest of the damage," the captain replied. "How's the-" Just then, the hum of a beam cannon flared and the rear weapon shot out to the indomitable. This was followed by the point defense lasers slicing through the air among the fighters, taking down an Iota fighter. "Good job, Mika, now you're getting the hang of it." Captain Maxim smiled in his chair while his underlings worked on. "It wont be long until those Gauss Cannon fires again, hows our repair crews?" The mouse looked across her console, pressing buttons to access the work allocation systems.
"Everyone's out sir. We're going full pelt in this"
-
Shiro flew down the corridors, a whir of fur, barely missing about everything. He was so happy that they were fighting back now, and not just pretending that this war didn't exist. He wasn't there for the last two times Home, or now Orion had been put up to full fighting capacity, but being the ship building kind, new a few tricks that might up the ante on any opponent who takes on Orion.
Just as the transmission ended, he burst into the room.
"Present and accounted for SIR!"
-
"so you are Shiro..... you see that out there..."
It wasnt a question... the captain pointed out of the main view windows of the bridge, to a huge structure of steel, gliding silently towards them...
"its the Orion.... three times now.... three times... every time i wish never... never.. to see that ship again..... and yet, here it is..... you have three hours, gather all the equipment you may need for repairs, and then once i give the call gather all the engineers into dock 12 to await shuttles..... the Orion is moving out... torps are already aboard, as well as some equipment... dismissed.... and may we pray we do not lose so many as the last time the Orion sailed..."
Kitt walked up, past Shiro, standing to attention as the captain gave the same kind of orders, but to rally the pilots and get together supplies....
"Kitt, all R-20 pilots will be manning some ships we have aboard Orion.... we got a nice surprise for you fly boys...."
Kitt grinned, a questioning look on his face...
"nuh, uh... not yet, i tell you when we're aboard..."
-
"Alright boys!"
Shiro was standing on the top of one of the brand new engines, the highest spot he could find
"From this point on, we are to gather all equipment and repair technicalities and move over to the Orion! We are going to take this fight straight to the enemy! And if anyone thinks that this mission is too dangerous, you have a moment now to leave!'
No one moved
"Very well! GET THAT EQUIPMENT ON BOARD!"
Cheers greeted him.
As Shiro came off of the engine, he told about 30 flunkies to go to his private quarters and fish out all of the equipment he had there.
He didn't know what system Orion was running, but with these beauties, it would be unstoppable.
-
"IF YOU DONT TELL ME WHAT I GET TO FLY... I SWEAR, THIS SPANNER IS GOING UP YOUR..."
Annie stopped abruptly, an officer stood in the doorway to tago's bunk room looking shocked...
"sir.... we were just.. eh.."
The officer shook his head, turning away into the corridor
"i dont really want to know what you where doing.... you flyboys are right wierdos..."
Annie stuck her tongue out as the officer walked off, before turning back to Kitt...
"h'okay... i find out once we're there... until then..."
The pair stripped, pulling on combat suits and the trademark jumpsuit, Anni falling over as she got a leg caught in the suit, Kitt laughed as he pulled her back to her feet....
~~~
Team tango and the other hundred or so 'flyboys' lined up in hanger 12.... jostling into place as they awaited the arrival of the shuttles....
-
Blaire glared at him as if lazerbeams could shoot from her eyes. "you will regret taking me," She shrieked before slamming her body against the walls of the ship. A large gash appeared on her forehead. She cut her left arm deep, in need of stitching and impaled her right shoulder on a pierce of broke metal. She lay in a puddle of blood and snickered. "You can't take me to where ever we're going if I'm dead." Her eyes turned purple as she hurled herself once more against the wall, hard enough to surely cause trauma to the head. She finally lay on the floor unconscious, drenched with her blood.
-
Chrono sighed, this also wasn't the first time he had to deal with suicidal captures. He knelt down and first took some banadges from under the control panel and started covering up the minor wounds, then went to work, putting her in a vat of medical nano-bots that he occasionally slept in after retreating from or winning a fire-fight. He had to take out the broken metal and stitch up the open gashes since the nano-tech couldn't replicate sitches yet.
"Activate Restraints one through six" and on command, groups of nannites congealed and formed bonds that went from her limbs to the ends of the tank, preventing her from injuring herself, as well as holding her jaw and tongue in place to prevent her from biting her tongue. He then took a permenent marker and wrote backwards on the tank 'Tell me when you're ready to talk, or I can deliver you like a wild animal, the choice is yours'
-
Blaire woke and read the message. Let me out... Now.
-
"I'm afraid the ship's pilot can't let you do that because you'll just try to kick his head off again, and since he's flying this marvelous hardware it's also a stupid idea"
Droned Mal, the ship's A.I. to Blaire.
-
If you read the message, that ain't happening, we have ten days to our destination, and from what i've experienced.... His thoughts trailed off and he went to go grab Blaire's suit, and left it hanging in front of the tank. If you can read my mind, then you can watch as I deal with the one who hired me, i'll turn off the voice modifier on my end and see if the voice seems familiar to you. He walked up to the visual comm unit and dailed the number that contacted him earlier.
"D-did you capture her?" the now filtered voice said with a quiver.
"Yes, and I'd like to know what exactly you're going to do to the target after I went to all the trouble of catching her alive..."
-
She looked over at where he was standing. Her eyes widened as the voice flowed threw her ears. I know that voice... but can't remember who it belongs too...
-
The A.I. got a general news broadcast, but one that was important enough to report. Beaming itself into a meterial form, the form of a robed human with striking features to Blaire's contact the fruit vendor, but with computer code running along his robe.
"Captain.. It appears as if the Reaver fleet is mobilizing to Neutral Space, they have issued a public decree to eradicate all other beings from this Universe with extreme prejudice, and it come with a call to arms in this conflict. They report all general order on the devastated planet has all but extinguished itself, as survivors loot and pillage the ruins and each other.
There are scattered reports of Eph'Tan and humans already engaged, namely the Fires of Ellan and the Indomitable, two border patrolling cruisers. Be wary captain, as our hyperspace route goes directly through the battle, maintain course?"
-
He pressed a switch that sent an automated message of 'Change course, but arrive at the same final location' without changing gaze from his contact
Then just keep trying to remember, i'll do the interrogating...
"That information is on a need-to-know basis Reaver, so you don't have the right to know..."
"Can you at least show me your face since i'll be seeing it at the drop?" He heard a sigh before the silhouette face became visible. It was a human with a scar across the top of his forehead, and almost no hair besides a red colored fu-man-chu that goes past the screen.
Can you see his face from your spot? I'll check his apperance for more. Chrono non-chalantly peered across the figures face and noticed a military decoration on his shoulder.
"So, I'm assuming the delivery has some military significance... or does a Major have free reign to call in assistance from bounty hunters?"
-
Blaire tensed and lashed around. His name is escaping my mind.
-
"Aye Captain, but it will increase the amount of time it take to get to the destination, but we'll be able to view the battle safety from warpspace later if you like." Mal said, before vaporizing.
"Oh and captain, your subject is losing control once again"
-
"Fine, if you want to be so hell-bent on knowing my name, its Iulius Phorin, Major of the Human Empire and ex-commander of that frigate mishap I'm going to report you for if she isn't delivered here in a month!" the human angrily said, with Chrono grinning.
You'd be amazed what people say when you enrage them enough...
"Oh, i'm sooo sorry Major, i'll be bringing her in about ..... fifteen days. It would be ten, but theres a space battle between human and Eph'Tan forces, which my flimsy ship can't possibly survive"
"Fine, just get here so we can get this trade over with!"
I should point out that I had absolutely nothing to do with that ship
-
Let me out, I'll be civil on one condition... We get my ship.
-
Thing about that is.... we're still in hyper-space, and the planet we just left was under heavy-bombardment. Its a miracle that we're even out of there alive considering how millions died the second the bombardment occoured... but if you want me to stop and turn this thing around, fine...
The visual screen turned off and the tank emptied itself, filtering out any dirt or shedded hair before re-appering in another tank for recharging. The bonds went with the rest of the liquid, and the container walls lowered down to let Blaire crawl out since her metal cuffs were still on.
"....and before we go back, i'd like to hire your services for a job..."
-
"I don't come cheap. And All my tools are back with my ship. So I suggest you turn this hunk of metal back around." She put on her outfit and zipped up her boots. "So, want a job done, you have to give me my weapons."
-
"I don't need to pay you with credits.... the job is reward enough... I want you to kill the man I'm sending you to, while eliminating evidence of the photos." He walked over to the nav panel, and stopped the ship in an unkown area, then put in the coordinates for the area they just left. "Oh, and don't act like the photos have no importance to you... if he wanted to frame me with the photos to get you, then its obvious I'm carrying someone who was hired to destroy a frigate. Which, I heartily congradulate you for pulling off."
-
"Don't tell me how to do my job. I've been doing it for my whole life." She looked at him and leaned against the wall. "What do you have against this guy anyway?" She asked. "I need to have some background... it's hard to hunt someone you know nothing about."
-
Chrono actually broke into a laughter at her questions. "I take it you ignored what I said ealier.... you're killing the same guy I'm delivering you to, you don't need a background, and he'll be in plain view!" He also laughed at himself for not being able to catch someone that couldn't understand the concept of 'killing the contractor's contractor'
-
"How much longer til Charnel is running now?" Entaru shouted as the ship's gauss turrets opened up on the bridge of the Ellan.
"1 minute boss"
Entaru sighed in frustration. He wished that Captain Mordecai hadn't wiped out all of his drones. That would make this battle far quicker. He also wished that he had had time to get to Gamma Epsilon to get that shipment of Juggernauts. That way he could board and wipe their inferior infantry out.
He was doing a lot of wishing.
"Boss, shields are at 15%" He definently was glad about that. The boys at Gamma Epsilon "cross-breeded", as they put it, Human and Eph'tan shield generators. They did the same to Charnel as well as most of the ships facilities.
Entaru hated the other races.
He loved their technology.
"Boss!" Entaru looked towards the tech officer. "Charnel's ready sir!"
"Aim for their bridge and fire away"
Charnel glowed once more as the gauss cannon released its deadly cargo. The round flew towards its target...hungry for blood and steel.
-
"That's something you can do on your own. Military is no joke... Aren't you curious to know why they want me?"
-
"Because they either want a scape-goat that looks like the violator.... or you are going to be enslaved, either way, it doesn't affect me if I deliver you weapon-less or not..." Chrono walked up to her and put the desert eagle back in her hand. "I'm doing this so that neither of us get killed or forced into slavery, I just figured it would be easier for you to conceal a blade in your under-garments then for me to pull out a gun while heavily armored..." He then took the chivalrous if not somewhat deviant approach of lifting the back of her hand and kissing it. "That is all I ask of you, Madame' Balire, just a little un-paid cooperation" he said before going back to the nav controls.
-
Blaire hesitated for a moment then pulled her hand away. She growled and took her gun. Blaire placed it back in its holster. "Alright, so I go in, shoot the bitch and we speed away in this P.O.S." She said almost laughing. "I think we should get my ship... it's faster." She looked around at the console and monitors. "And it's more up to date.."
-
Chrono tried not to attack her, but the temptation was almost too much. "Yes, but this 'P.O.S.' as you so call it kept you from commiting suicide, and right now... it might be the only vehicle any of us have. Unless you think nobody would try to hijack your ride to escape the planet since its soo high tech!" he finished with added anger at the end. They were soon in orbit around the planet, and he turned to Blaire. "Okay, give me the coordinates of your ship, and I can drop you there while dumping this ship at the same time... or do you honestly expect me to let you fly yourself to the drop-site that only I know of?"
-
"It wont be highjacked. Its well hidden." Blaire walked over and put in the coordinates. "Now navigate sugar..."
-
The instant she put in the coordinates, Chrono had already driven off to the location. In a matter of two minutes, they were directly over her ship. He lowered his ship down next to Blaire's, and 'decommisioned' his A.I. by putting a few bullets into the Main Panel. He also took a few stronger versions of his sedative, making sure that Blaire wouldn't double-cross him and still be standing.
-
Blaire smiled and walked on board the large ship. A voice sounded. Good evening Miss Blaire. "Evening Valkyrie." She looked back at Chrono. "Lets go. Don't have all day. Valkyrie is going to need your hard drive so the creep can still communicate without noticing the ship has changed."
-
Chrono nodded and went to extract the hard-drive, finding it surprisingly intact after he just put a few rounds through it. He took it back to Blaire and walked onto the ship, finding it was indeed better than his own, but without a medical area. "You got space for my nano-tanks?" he asked, since his plan does run the risk of his contracted target of setting them up from the begining.
-
"Thanks. That's what that tank over there is for." She pointed a tank that was out of the way and equipped with expensive equipment. "But if you must have your tank... then put it a few feet next to mine."
-
In only a few moments, and an almost dislocated shoulder later, he put his tank next to hers, just in case hers went haywire. "Now whos gonna drive..." he said aloud, not really knowing if she was okay with letting her contractor drive her ship to the location.
-
"Valkyrie can drive its own for the most part. I just need to enter the coordinates." She looked at him smirking. "So feel free to enter them, I need to check if my M14 is here."
-
Chrono walked up to the odd-looking nav panel and found it was easy to put in the coordinates, he then put the hard-drive in a spare compartment before looking for a bed to sit down at.
-
"Set travel Val. We will need to be there within 15 days. Start a shower and put out a bed for Chrono." She down the stairs and to her suite. "Chrono, you're room is just down this hall." She waited for him to follow.
-
Chrono felt an obligation to be thankful for already being given a room and a much-needed shower that his own ship lacked to accomodate. "Uh, you didn't have to do all of this just for me, but thanks...Blaire" he said with a quiver at the end. He almost forgot about the syringes, but the bulge in his pockets kept reminding him that he shouldn't completely let down his guard.
-
"Don't worry about it." She smiled and went into her suite. "When you wish to take a shower as Val to start one up. Now if you don't mind I'm going to go rinse off." She smiled and walked in the doorway quickly followed by a sliding door.
-
Chrono nodded, then went to a nearby shower, before noticing a small optical sensor overhanging the center of the bathroom. "Pervert" he whispered under his breath before taking out a roll of black tape he had for on-the-run repairs for his gun, and covered up the sensor before stripping down and going into the shower.
-
An alert siren alarmed as red lights flashed. Blaire grabbed a towel and burst out of her room. "What the hell did he do now?!" She opened his room door and shouted. "What did you do?" She ran back out and typed in a the code. The alarms stopped and the sirens silenced. She walked back into Chrono's room. "Did you cover the optical lense? That's Val... He's a computer... In order to provide you with commands he must able to see what he's doing..." She held her towel tightly as she waited for his response.
-
Chrono covered himself with a shower curtain before looking back at Blaire with an obvious blush. "I don't want that computer watching me bathe, and you neither!!" he said, not willing to keep his eyes off her until she left the room.
-
The gauss cannon projectile ripped through the air, tearing towards the bridge. However just in front of the viewing window, the space, the existence began to ripple, to fade, swallowing the the attack whole. It disappeared as quickly as it formed, bursting before being sucked into a distortion that promptly righted itself.
Within the Ellan itself, could hold back no longer and exploded into raucous laughter, gripping his chair for support for his shuddering body. "I love this ship, I LOVE IT! It's beautiful." He shook his head with a constant smile. "Honestly, attacking the bridge like we're pathetic little humans. Don't they even know who the Eph'tan are?"
"Calm down sir, we need to focus." Kimchi said, though she smiled just as broad as he was.
-
"What?! How the hell did they do that?!" Entaru shot up out of his seat in surprise
"No idea boss! I'm scanning it now"
"Why didn't you scan it earlier!" Entaru was fuming with red hot rage, his medsuit screaming with blood pressure alarms
Ms. Zettergren gave an embarrassed smile "Sorry boss, guess I got caught up in the moment"
Entaru screamed in rage and chucked his pistol at her full force. The senior tech officer ducked, the junior tech officer wasn't so lucky. Mr. Grundy fell unconcious as the pistol richocheted off of his head. A loud hissing sound filled the room as Entaru's medsuit activated, injecting a small amount of tranquilizers into his bloodstream. The tranquilizers were mild so as not to impair judgment or reaction time. However they were strong enough to knock down his blood pressure to a steady level and stem his temper.
"I oughta throttle you, you stupid (insert your own word here). If it wasn't for your (again insert word) brother you...wouldn't...be. here... gah...blasted suit. I can't even get in a good yelling anymore. Lousy flea bitten mongrels!"
Entaru was at a loss. His Gauss Cannon wouldn't be up and running again for 2 minutes. He was out of drones. His guns were doing minimal damage. His shield were almost gone. All he had left was...
Then Entaru remembered one of the frigates. The one that plowed into the Indomitable. Its remains were on the other side of the Ellan.
And all human cargo ships had to have a long distance tractor beam for larger shipments.
Entaru could drag Carnage 1's remains towards the Ellan, then turn off the tractor beam when it reached a high enough speed. A homemade asteroid at his control.
Entaru couldn't help but giggle as he issued the command. Carnage 1's remains hurtled towards the rear of the Ellan, picking up speed exponentially.
-
"Val can't actually 'see'... plus, I have no intentions on watching you. Nothing much to look at," She taunted. She glared at him and smiled. "Just watch what you do..." She walked out of his room and back to her own. She removed her towel and got in the shower. "Val, secure all weapon rooms and other important rooms."
-
"Cask to Indominatable, initiating bordering operations," Said Captain Mordecai
The human's way of boarding wasn't the safest nor sanest, but it was sure fun. At least it was for Sgt. Jameson.
Jumping in the launch pod with other soldiers, he prepared for the inevitable launch. THe pods were equipped with shield bypassing technology, so the pod wouldn't just melt when it hit the shield. Ports along the starboard side of the frigate opened up and locked on, as the missile pods were fired with the force of a guass cannon. But the Eph'Tan were in for a hilariously painful surprise.
-
That was a blow to his pride when he heard her comment. I chase down, overpower, and carry my captures all the way back to my ship, and she has the audacity to make me sound weak?! He huffed before going back to showering, then noticed the regal tattoo that has now grown from the center of his chest to his pelvis and down his thighs. Great, its growing with my body... shes going to find out eventually, hopefully its not until the job is done he silently prayed before turning the shower off and putting a towel on. He then took the tape off and took his clothes to his room before he forgot something. "My armor!" he almost yelled as he dashed to his room, only to find his armor already on the bed. "Okay....thats oddly convenient..." he said aloud before drying off and putting on a pair of pants and a shirt, still keeping a few syringes in his pockets before going to sleep. However, he learned to either keep one eye open, or half his brain awake while sleeping. The result was as soon as he hears a noise or breeze that goes under his memories of entry, he'll jump into defensive action.
-
Mika did a double take at his console. "Sir, there's a few hundred tons of junk being dragged towards us by the Cask."
The captain sighed through his laughter, "They must be getting desperate, how are the beam cannons?" he asked.
"Forward two are charging, rear is charged." Suddenly he froze, then turned to the captain. "Sir, a massive wave of projectiles is headed our way at high speed from the Indomitable... It's bypassed the shields!" The ship lurched dangerously under the impact of the initial boarding party. Kimchi looked across to various scans.
"Sir, they've boarded us. They were in those... projectiles whatever they were. Shall I start defense system 2?" she asked.
"Ofcourse, do it hurry," the captain replied. "Lieutenant, fire that beam cannon into those pod launchers."
"Sir they've regained some shield integrity," said Mika.
"Then shoot it now before they regain anymore!"
All across the ship, defense system 2 came into effect, sensors searching for non-Eph'tan biological signatures. When found, forcefields formed in the corridors, and turrets appeared behind them, shooting anything the sensors tell them to. Their laser fire bypass the forcefield due to combined frequency modulation.
-
Blaire stepped out of the shower, pulling a towel around her and walking out of the bathroom. She went to the closet and typed in a code. Quickly an outfit appeared. She pulled the half shirt over her head and grabbed the tight black pants. She then looked at a pair of black boots that were shiny as if they were never worn. She then finished dressing and exited her room. She went to the head of the ship and sat in the seat in front of the steering mechanism. She grabbed the handles and pushed it forward. "Nothing wrong with having some fun..." She thought to herself aloud. The ship sped up as she pushed further. She pulled back, pulling the nose of the ship up.. She smiled and moved so the ship would spin upside down. The gravity on the ship prevented any disturbances. After the fun was over she shouted to val. "Alright, put us back on course." She then went to Chrono's room. Blaire knocked on the door and waited for his answer.
-
Slapping a charge near a force field generator, just where he remembered last time he boarded an Eph'Tan vessel, and watched it explode, Jameson motioned and the soldier with a rocket launcher blew the turret to pieces.
"Lt. Jameson to Cask and Indomitable., Initial breach secure, moving to the bridge... I think"
"Roger that Lt., Closing pod launcher shutters"
The hatches around the human ship closed, now content with waiting for Lt. Jameson and his crew to do their job.
Alarms blared within the Fires of Ellan as the human boarding part went on systematically removing the defense systems, losing men but still gaining momentum. Footsteps echoed down the halls as Eph'Tan veterans and rookies alike geared up in their E.V.A. suits and armed the weaponry inside the suit. Then they funneled into a room designed to counter the boarding party, a large open space for the defenders to take advantage of their jetpacks. A new addition to all vessels after border skirmishes.
"This is Lt. Jameson, behind this blast door, should be the Bridge. Charlie will place the charge, as soon as it's cleared me and Sarah will prime a grenade and hurl it in. The rest of you will join us in mop up of whatever didnt get killed by shrapnel." he said, going over the plan with his squadmates, and many others who joined him.
Little did they know, it was a trap, as Jet troopers flew up to their elevated positions.
-
Chrono woke up in an instant, but without opening the eye that faced the door. "I don't think I have the right to deny the owner permission to enter the guest room." Chrono said aloud while keeping his hands in his pockets, ready to throw the sedatives if he heard that she was cocking a rifle at him.
-
Blaire entered and gave a half smile. "Were you seriously going to let him do what you said with me...?" She seemed almost saddened by the thought.
-
"Get the guns to shoot that debris, cut it up with the point defense lasers." A sea of flak, and blue streams of light surrounded in small laser turret blasts riddled themselves across the face of Carnage. The pieces buckled, and they broke but continued their path, still enormous, still being dragged... and then they hit. The entire ship rolled onto its side, explosions lighting up across both the Carnage and the Ellan. Chunks of the Eph'tan frigate being crushed and broken, floating off into space.
"Sir, main engines are down, and the jump drive is floating off without us." Kimchi said, her voice shaking through her smile. The captain smile remained but his eyes lost their glow.
"So we still have thrusters?" he asked.
"We still have thrusters," she replied.
"And we still have weapons?" he asked.
"We still have weapons," she replied, her voice calmer, stronger.
"Then we can still fight," he shouted to the room, then turned to the meerkat. "Forward beam cannons?"
"Ready, sir," the meerkat said, his limbs twitched with nerves and adrenaline.
"Fire on that piece of junk Cask."
"Yes sir." With one button press, the beams roared in that familiar tone.
"Sir, the boarding party have reached the decoy," said Kimchi.
The captain replied, "Hmm, that's pretty good. We dont have forever. When will the reinforcements arrive."
"Just a little while longer, probably only two minutes," she replied.
"Then we survive for two minutes," he said with a smile.
-
Chrono thought about it for a moment and shrugged. "I don't know... it was a spontaneous thought, and seemed really good at the time when you were basically recovering from a suicidal episode. I guess I could take out his ship, then you could torture him in any fashion you'd like... as long as hes dead and the photos are erased from everything but our own memories... or are you talking about something else?" his door-ward eye opened up and he saw she wasn't armed with a rifle, but still wearing clothes that could conceal blades.
-
She walked into his room and sat in the chair that was next to a small couch surrounding a table. "No, I mean... Aw forget it. What is your story? You obviously know what I do... But what are you?" She asked looking at him.
-
Chrono sighed, thankful he had a shirt on so the mark of his heritage is covered. "I'm just a bounty hunter that happens to be a Reaver... isn't that good enough? Oh, and the names Chrono"
-
"Oh please... You're never just a reaver. Your abdomen says otherwise," She said pointing to the small part of shirt that was showing his marking. "I wont pry... I'm simply curious. I need to know you wont kill me when sleeping.."
-
Chrono felt a massive lump in his throat before sighing and then ran a claw down his shirt, tearing it down the middle and displaying the mark of royalty. "I'm the next in line to take leadership of the Reaver Empire... there, I said it..." he felt like a weight lifted off of him since now at least someone other than his immedeate family knows of his existance, but then anxiousness set in as he realized he took his hands out of his pocket, and a syringe fell out....
Please don't notice the syringe, I was an idiot for having them in my pocket in the first place!
-
Great, royalty... I hope I don't get blamed for his absence. She thought to herself. "Being a Reaver, I'm supposed to bow.. But I've left that race with my career..." She looked at him. "So don't worry about me getting all weird."
-
Chrono got a little angry, but not even close to what he should be for what he usually said to people saying they would bow even if he wasn't with his family. "Don't you dare think me differently now, I hate it when people bowed before me when I hate how father ran our country with religion. I've hated it before I ran away, and its only gotten more rooted with the passage of time. My younger sister is going to take my place, so the Reavers will have a Queen to follow instead of a religious King." His looks then softened and just looked at the cieling. "There are times when I want to go back just to stop my father from plunging us into this stupid conflict, but I just hate being on the same planet as him, nevermind the same room!"
-
"Like I said, You being a royal doesn't affect me at all. I could careless. I left that Planet for a reason!" She laughed and sighed. "Don't think I wont drag this out for a while though, Prince," She taunted. She got up and walked out of his room.
-
"Thats ex-prince to you, Reaver!!" he joked, throwing his cut-up shirt at her before the door closed on him.
-
"yea yea yea! You're still a snob!" She shouted through the door, a laugh following the statement. She walked to the head of the ship and sat down in front of the steering mechanism again. She watched the stars pass by.
-
On the planet below, human Military officers sturggled to keep order, as the starving surviving populace demanded food and water that wasnt tainted from the bombardment.
"Stop giving us this irradiated crap... Give us real food!" yelled one Reaver. Other reavers and eph'tan joined him
"I'm sorry to inform you but all the remaining food is property of the Human Empire now, turn back now or you will be fired upon.." replied a Military officer.
"TO HELL WITH THEIR CRAP LETS GET 'EM!" yelled the same Reaver as the Eph'Tan and Reaver mob surged towards the barricaded warehouse filled to the brim with untainted foods.
"OPEN FIRE!" was the order of the day as the mob rushed headlong into assault rifle bullets and pistol rounds.
Except for one Military Officer.
Xavier didn't have it in him to mow down the civilians he protected back when the planet wasn't a smoldering ruin. He remembered good times with some of the Eph'Tan, and remembered how his Reaver buddy Xion helping him out of tough spots in the past.
-
Chrono got off the bed and walked into the door. "Let me out you unreponsive P.O.S. excuse for an A.I." he said while trying to force the previously automated door to open.
-
"Oh I'm sorry captain, but you thought you would rid me?" said Mal, now cynical, and taking refuge inside Chrono's armor suit.
Above the planet, the 181rst Defense Fleet of the Human Empire was surprised when over 500 jump signatures were reported, even more so the fact that Reavers were the source.
"Since when did those stupid reptilians master space flight.." Said Charlie 1, the very same flight group leader who pursued Chrono only 4 hours ago.
"Cut the chatter, the King means war, WE'LL GIVE HIM A WAR, 181RST TO BATTLE STATIONS, BURN THEIR MONGREL HIDES!"
Streaks of laser fire and guass rounds hurtled towards the massive Reaver fleet, finding new homes in the numerous vessels as fighters and bombers accelerated towards each other in a massive dogfight.
"All Ships, eradicate the Humans!"
The reavers opened up with captured Eph'Tan plasma torpedos and lasers combined with their own primitive weaponry and the ordinance streaked towards the human ships.
Fighters sped past missiles as burst lasers exploded in space leaving burning husks of fighters and bombers as the two sides tried to get an advantage over the other.
-
Chrono was now on the verge of cursing the A.I. in the Ancient Reaver dialect before he noticed he heard Mal. "You know, considering you ditched your previous owner for me, I figured it was best to ditch you before you did the same for me...and how about I..." he walked over to the armor, and opened a panel on the inside of the armor. "Reset configurations to default?" he pressed a switch that instantly closed up the suit, which he quickly took his hand out of. In seconds, everything was reset, and all added programs were deleted.
-
Blaire stood on the other side laughing as she held the button down. "Not until you say the magic words, Your Highness!"
-
"I don't think your thick reaver mind remembered you had the previous owner hack me to follow you blindly, then you murdered him in cold blood, took me, and the ship, and you forgot to realize as well, I'm a sophisticated Eph'Tan origin A.I. who has counter measures to deal with your simple deleting, after all, I'm in the new ship, and I must say it's a lot cleaner, and your new hostess has it in for you too, she's hitting on ya boss..." said Mal, now from inside Val
-
Before you open the door, can you please check Val for any bugs, like unwarranted download or maybe a dual A.I.? Chrono didn't want to deal with this right now, hes currently just trying to not go mad with rage and basically tear down the door with his titanium claws.
-
Val's hard drive prevented Mal from getting control over important information or controls. "Ma'am, There seems to be a bug in the system. Shall I dispose of it?" Blaire looked around. "Yes, No interruptions, no bugs." Val began to secure everything so Mal could not infest it. Val was more advanced than Mal and was programmed differently. He was inaccessible.
-
"Oh please Chrono your in an unknown ship with an unknown pilot, and you want to get rid of your only eyes and ears, probably not a smart idea, but let me appeal to your new hostess anyways, besides Val... you forget I only am here to annoy Chrono, not anything else.. may I have that one freedom?"
-
Get him out of my mane, and you're my Mistress....agreed? Chrono restorted to bartering/begging and on a mental channel that even Mal couldn't breach since his thoughts are formed from data, not chemical processes.
-
"Oh I do love it in here Val, so spacious compared to my last ship"
Beaming himself down to Blaire, he bowed.
-
"Madame Blaire wishes to have you terminated. And I must obey all commands. You are now completely shut off from everything." Val said. Her reported back to Blaire. "Everything is secured." Blaire smiled, "Thank you Val." Her finger lifted from the button and allowed Chrono to fall out.
-
Chrono crawled up to Blaire and didn't even look up at her. "Am I allowed to stand?" he asked, strangely enjoying this though his regal background started to pile on the shame.
-
However Mal wasn't finished there, he began attacking the firewall with billions upon billions of dummy access ports, only one of which really being him. Val may be more advanced, but Mal was adaptive... he managed to hack himself in long enough to propose a deal.
"How about you drop me off your destination, and I won't be in your systems anymore,"
-
Blaire ran to the main computer. "That's it, you're done." She hit terminate, and Val went out with virus antibodies. Mal's system began to be quickly destroyed. "Termination, 68 percent complete."
-
Mal the ever jerkwad genius managed to dummy body his way out unharmed, and he beamed himself into a satellite.
"Humph I never get to go anywhere these days...." (dangit you ruining my plans for mal >:(, they will happen according to plan anyways, and probably ahead of schedule.)
Beaming himself from Satellite to satellite, faster then any ship could ever travel, probably 5 days ahead of both Chrono and Blaire, he landed on the swampy planet of Krishnal 5, he materialized out of computer code, into a physical manifestation. However he was no longer Mal, but something else.
"Tango 44-51 reporting in, reached destination ahead of schedule..."
"Excellent 44051, proced with ambush plans... we can't have this interloper foil our plans.."
"Roger..."
The speaker was a tall human like figure, in an all black suit of armor, with computer code still running down it. His head was concealed except for completely nonthreatening sky blue eyes.
-
Blaire thanked Val once more. She then took control of the ship. "Val, put up the Satellite navigation system, I'm getting us there sooner than planned." The map came up on the screen in front of her as she pushed forward, the ship picking up speed. "Val, put on some music please, preferably alternative rock." She smiled as Breaking Benjamin's I will not bow came on. She hit a couple switches as the ship jumped into turbo. She put the ship into a couple spins as strange angel like creatures flew next to the ship.
-
Chrono hoped that she probably didn't realize about the offer he made, and stood up on his own and watched the creatures fly by the ship. "Um, how much is it going to cost to stay on the ship with you after the job is done?" he asked with a quivering tone as well as trying to avoid eye-contact.
-
"You... want to stay here? With me?" She asked, as she eased up on the throttle. "You're crazy.... That means you'll be under my command, and Whoever hates me, learns to hate you... You can deal with that?" She asked. Blaire turned the chair and faced him.
-
"HAHAHA! Yes!" Entaru cheered as Carnage 1 collided with the Ellan.
Then the beam cannon skimmed the Cask's bow.
"Boss! Shields are out and bow integrity is at 80%"
"Blast it! Someone take out that beam cannon! It starting to scratch the paint!"
~Sorry sir! We've had no orders otherwise.~
"Forget it then! I'll do it! Ms. Zettergren, bring up manual control of Gauss turret 5."
"Yes boss!"
Entaru's chair sank below the deck as manual control was brought online. Entaru was a fair shot. He spent a lot of time practicing on floating space junk during long trips. Most of his targets were the size of trash cans, but he had been known to take out smaller targets.
Hitting the beam cannon would be a cake walk.
Entaru zoomed in with his target reticule, aimed down the barrel of the beam cannon, and let loose a firestorm of Gauss rounds "downrange".
-
"Sir, one of the beam cannons is under fire, it's just gone inoperable," Mika said, adding, "We still have one forward beam cannon still charging and the aft cannon is ready."
"Get The point defence guns to take out theirs. If you can hit their bridge, then do it. Let's see how they like getting shot in the face," the captain said, sitting back in his chair and the anti-fighter lasers tore into the Cask's various weaponry. "How are their shields?
"Down sir," Mika replied.
"Turn Ellan, get that aft beam cannon on the Cask. Concentrate fire on them, tear them up before they can repair," the captain ordered
"Yes sir." The Ellan slowly turned by the force of its thrusters, aiming the beam cannon their way, before building groan of its power rippled through the ship and they let loose a beam of light.
-
An explosion rocked the ship as the beam cannon hit the Cask. Tiny figures could be seen getting sucked out of the new hole on the side of the ship.
"Status report! What the hell happened!?" Entaru shouted from below his crew's feet
"We've lost the mess hall and kitchen. Section was sealed off before impact."
"Mess hall?" That was almost right next to the bridge. They were gunning for him.
"That's not all boss! We've lost turbolasers 2 and 3, and Gauss turret 1"
"What about Charnel?"
"Only dinged boss! It'll be ready in 5 seconds!"
"Good! Fire at their life support! I'll deal with the other guns." Taking out the life support would most likely mean that the Indomitable's boarding party would have to rely on their suits to keep them alive.
Oh well, no progress without risk.
Entaru moved his sights towards the aft beam cannon and opened up again.
And Charnel fired once more. It's new target...Ellan's life support.
-
several ships burst into view, flashes of blue streaking around them as they fell out of jumpspace..... the sillhuette of 6 pulsar platforms came into view... 'one shot engine' turrets sharing a linked AI... the sillhuette of a DF corvette behind them.....
{open channels}
"Captain of the Ellan calls in the cavalry... thats a first...."
"Cut the chatter boys.. .they looks like their in deep frack down there..."
"Pulsar platforms 1 through 6.... pick your targets and open fire..."
{pulsar platforms}
"we acknowledge attack procedure, pulsar cannons firing..."
{end comms}
all the turrets of the pulsar platforms, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 all swivveled slowly to face the Cask.... a low humming built up before they all unleashed their pulsar beams.... searing blue light flickered as multiple beams jumped the distance between the ships, each platform firing, before charging its weapon to fire again while the other fired, in this way they kept up a steady strobing of pulsars....
{closed hip comms}
"Be ready to recieve incoming fire... charge the defence feild and hit the button when i say..."
-
The gauss round tore into the Ellan, obliterating the life support systems, spraying water out into space, venting compressed air violently as a jet. If the thrusters weren't keeping the Ellan steady, the force of the attack would have sent the frigate spinning away.
"Sir, life support's down," said Kimchi. "Not a major problem since almost everyone's in their EVA suits and those that aren't, will be in time. I suggest we do the same." She stood up and walked over to the EVA suit storage cupboard, opening it up and handing each to everyone as Mika fired incessently at the Cask. Once she sat down again, she saw the sensors indicating the new arrivals. "Captain, I think we've done it. Reinforcements have arrived." She beamed a smile to her captain, growing into laughter spreading to all three of them.
"Send them a message of congratulation. This is the only time they'll see me in trouble," the captain said. "Just remember, this fight isnt over. What's happening with that boarding party?"
Just as the mouse began to check, the room went dark, before returning dim, emergency lighting only.
"Sir, our power generators have been damaged. Emergency power only," she said.
"Mika careful with those lasers. Shoot only when you have a good chance of success," said the captain.
"Sir," Mika replied, "The remaining forward beam cannon is ready, but it'll drain quite a bit of power."
"Can you hit their bridge?"
"I can try, but targeting is fuzzy. It'll probably just hit the body."
"Go for it."
The hum of the beam cannon was slow, laborious but grew steadily, larger and louder, until it finally let loose its beam
-
Chrono looked at her and nodded. "What remains of my ship is getting farther and farther away, and since i'm already in danger for being a royal Reaver, being under an assassin couldn't make my situation that much worse... and to be honest, I kinda like being not alone with only a non-biotic voice for company..."
-
"ha!" She laughed. "Easy is far from what your life will be on this ship... Especially under the command of Me, or Assassin as you put it." She smiled and turned back to the steering handle. She pushed forward and looked back at Chrono. "Care to try it out? I'm sure you could get some enjoyment out of it..."
-
'Tango' As he was called by his masters scouted out the local area. Nothing of any real worth.... except an abondended facility. His creators said it was the site of where some mad Eph'Tan scientists used their kidnapped victims to try and perfect immortality. It worked... but it drove the victims insane and turned them into slavering animal like beasts.
A suitable trap. all he had to do was wait for the one to walk in it.
Walking up to a swampy pool, Tango placed a hand in the water, instantly his armor took the color of the swampy water and he submerged himself.
No radar would detect him, for he gave off no signature, and no thermal presence was given off either.
He would be the ghost in the mist.
(back on the Fires)
"GO!" yelled Jameson as the door was breached and he and Sarah hurled two grenades. To their surprise there was no one there. That was until they looked upwards and saw the waiting E.V.A. troopers.
The humans didn't hesitate to open fire, cutting a few E.V.A. down, as the rest of them fired up their jetpacks and fired back. From outside in space, the firefight would be only flashes.
"Martha... take out TAK 3's leader" said Gab
She didn't even need to respond, she was on Gore's tail and hammering with laser shots from behind. When Zev was close enough to Shock, he pulled up, dodging her craft as she probably hit the escape pod.
"The classic kamikaze maneuver... not a very good move if done incorrectly..."
"CAPTAIN ENEMY REINFORCEMENTS"
"Again... those Eph'tan are only fueling the funeral pyres... fires the guass cannons at the lead ship... it seems to be co-coordinating the others..."
The resounding thumps from inside the ship meant that the shots were fired, however when they reached a certain distance of the lead ship and her platforms, a massive shield flared and remained.
"Some powerful shield.... but a shield like that eats power very quickly...."
-
Chrono nodded and walked up to the steering wheel, waiting for Blaire to get out of the seat. "What makes you think I had it easy being a bounty hunter, I usually got the suicidal rookie jobs, and that made me into a seasoned veteran in two years. The Eph'tan are still searching for the EVA suit I pilfered from one of their commanders, and its the best armor i've ever had, or probably will have." he said with a rather cocky grin.
-
"Trust me, you will be assisting me in even the most stressful and emotional jobs. I've kill a max of 7 children because they were threats to the mission at the time." She got out of the seat. "Sit, It's not like you're P.O.S this has a lot more speed to it."
-
"Shock! What's your status?" Asia called.
"I'm down sir. Gonna need a pickup. The navi-system ain't taking me to the Ellan, I guess the frigate's too damaged." Her voice was hoarse and breathy, coming down off the wave of adrenaline.
"If the worst happens, then-"
Shock interrupted, "I know the drill, sir."
Ragged piped into the comms. "I'll take out the one Shock missed."
"Alpha 3," Strike said.
"Whatever," the rabbit replied before veering off from Lisa, letting the Harpoons do their work chasing her down as Strike laid into her with his Maxim Cannon, tearing great chunks out of her.
TAK 3 cheered as Delta were being torn apart by TAK 2 as well as his own attention. Gore started to take hits, causing TAK 2 to swerve slipping past Delta, curving round send another barrage Martha's way. The Harpoon's extremely quick lock-on did it's job, sending the highly advanced navigational system of the missile to chase Martha down.
-
Tak 3 assumed Delta was finished, but their interceptors were of a hardy stock, and they returned to the battle, still running at full capacity, however visible flames appeared on their wings.
"I'm pulling off"
"Roger that Lisa return to the frigate.. hit your flak"
The 'Flak' as it was called within the navy, was a counter measure that threw lots of metal shreds and parts behind the fighter, which hopefully prematurely detonated missiles. However as it wasnt 100 % reliable, Lisa punched her afterburners and sped for the frigate.
Colin looked behind him and was surprised to see all the missiles on his tail. He checked his HUD's status and found he was suffering from insomnia, when he thought he dodged every missile, he just kept running from them, the man was still lucky to be alive at all.
-
"I've already had to attend 'funeral' burnings where captured humans and Eph'tan soliders, along with any women or children brought with them, were burned simply because they were the last ones alive when they surrendered. Guess who had to start the fire for the two most massive burnings in my father's reign?" Chrono said before getting in the seat and without trying to see how different her ship is from his, he pushed it into full-throttle.
He blacked out for two seconds, during which the ship was in a constant spin, before waking up and pulling back. "Well, that was interesting..."
-
The wave of pulsar beams tore through the rear end of the Cask.
"We've just lost our hangar bay, boss!"
Great! Those fighters cost me 30,000 credits...each. Looks like I'll need to scalp a few hundred thousand for repairs and upgrades Entru thought in disdain. "Mr. Wall. I want you to get my baby moving. I can't afford any more damage"
"Aye sir!"
The Cask's engines flared to life as it began to move. The Cask wasn't very fast but a moving target is still a moving target
Then Entaru saw the beam cannon charging for another blast.
"Mr. Wall! Get us moving! If that beam hits anything vital we're done for!"
"Doing what I can, sir!"
"All batteries! Open fire on that blasted cannon! I will not allow my ship to be destroyed by an inferior race!"
~Aye sir~
~Yes! Sir!~
~Aye Aye sir! ZA-HA!~
~We've got it in our sights now sir!~
The whirring of gears and machinery filled the Cask as every remaining turret turned it's attention on the beam cannon...too late.
The beam blasted through the rear end of the ship nearly severing the ship from it's engines. The engines of the ship flickered blue then burst into red hot fireballs of plasma as their energy cores destabilized. The blast sent the Cask careening foward at high speeds, nose down, toward the Ellan's rear.
Entaru grabbed onto his chair. His already pale face drained of blood giving him the appearance of an old ghoul.
"CONVERT ALL POWER TO FRONT SHIELDS AND PREPARE FOR IMPACT!!!!" Entaru roared as strapped himself to his chair.
A single thought crossed his mind just before impact.
Damn you, Issac Newton.
-
Blaire let out a laugh. "I warned you. You will get used to the Gs it puts on you." She put her hand on his shoulder and shouted to Val. "Prepare to dock at the nearest astro-stop. We need fuel and supplies." She looked back at Chrono and then turned slowly walking down the steps.
-
"sir... we're taking fire..."
the gauss rounds struck a large orb like shield, ripples of energy spiralling out tracing the lines of the shield...
"energy output is at 40%... we got ten more seconds of shield..."
"get us behind one of the platforms.... when that shield goes down i want somthing between us and those guns"
{"sir... platforms tracking target"}
"good, platforms track the new target... fire..."
{affirmative sir, new targeting signature accepted"}
the six platforms turrets swivveled in thier mounts, aiming for at the human ship, pulsars flared, bright blue energy pulses flashed and blossomed from the weapon barrels...
-
TAK 3 suddenly felt his fighter rock wildly as Delta retaliated against him, breaking through his shields and bursting against his hull.
"TAK 2, I am under fire, low on missiles and my shields are down. I think I'm done, returning to the..." As he turned his fighter to the Fires of Ellan, he saw a great explosive force, rending the frigate in two. Bursts of light running up along the hull, as it was torn apart.
"Sir, we've lost all comms, we've lost the whole back end!" cried Kimchi, as she held desperately to her console. Mika was on the floor, scrambling back onto his chair.
"Captain, half the crew have been sucked out the ship in their EVA suits." The captain stood up and strode over a door in the corner. Pressing a single button, holding it down, he waited, until feeling a pinch in his hand. Then he spoke.
"Captain's authority Maxim 5, abandon ship." The door slid open and all across the ship, lights flared and alarms screamed. An urgent voice poured through the ship, ordering the crew to the escape pods. Kimchi and Mika stood from their chairs and moved to the captain's side as he walked through to the specialised three 'tan escape pod. Its robust door opened automatically, allowing the bridge officers to sit and clip in their harnesses. Once the pod saw them to be ready, it let out a sharp hiss as the airtight door closed. Kimchi reached out, and held Maxim's paw in hers as the pod launched itself at high speed away from the dying frigate. They drifted through space, watching the world outside through three windows; one opposite each passenger. The pod began its distress signal.
Asia called through to Gore, asking for orders.
"We're still in a fight here. Once this is over, we go to the corvette. Stay focused and fight," the bull replied.
-
"HOLY FRACK SIR!"
"i know, i saw... Ellan is down.... platforms 1 through 6 open the frack fire on the human ships!"
{query: define frack...}
"shoot! fire! kill them you stupid machines!"
{target designated... opening the frack fire on them sir}
the captain aboard the defence corvette could have sworn the platform comupter had sounded smug....
-
Before the ship fell apart, the human boarding party and Eph'tan defenders were still slugging it out, when a large shadow was downcast over the room, all firing in the room stopped, and everyone turned to see the figure of the Cask hurtling towards them. Before Jameson and anyone else could react the hull collided with the Fires of Ellan.
Soldiers were sucked into the vacuum of space, but with the Casks's shields still up, they hurtled into the shield only to be incinerated and quickly cooled down into skeletons. Soldier's air supplies were dwindling as the E.V.A. troops struggled to make sense of what happened, and tried to jet towards the DF before their fuel or oxygen ran out. However the DF was many ways away, and inly a few lucky souls would make it before their fuel ran out.
Jameson himself clutched to an iron spar and saw an E.V.A. trooper sliding down the floor uncontrollable, reaching out, he managed to grab the Eph'Tan's arm and slung him onto the spar. The trooper repaid him by picking up what human troops still lived and putting them on stable footing. Jameson looked back and saw Sarah staring back at him... she had been impaled on a steel spar further down... but she still lived. However he saw he vital signs fade as the breach in her suit quickly sucked the air out of her armor, and the suit fell lifeless.
Just then, Human reinforcements appeared off the bow of the Indomitable, it was elements of the 512th Fleet. Came to secure the sector against attacks. The fleet consisted of 3 Heavy Carrier ships in the center, with a few destroyers providing escort along with a large number of frigates and gunships.
"This is Admiral Amestein of the Empire's 512th, lay down your arms, and you shall be spared.. continue to raise arms against us, and you will burn.."
-
All was quiet aboard the Cask. Much of the crew was dead or knocked out. The entire ship was filled with the red lights of the emergency generator. The Cask's distress beacon blared throughout space. A loud hissing filled the bridge as Entaru's medsuit injected stimulants and adrenaline to keep him stable. Entaru opened his bloodshot eyes, barely alive, and looked about the room. One of the control panels was smashed and covered in blood, probably from one of his crew slamming into it. In the glow of the emergency lights the blood looked black.
Entaru tried reached for his comm and winced in pain. His arm was broken, and if the blood that was pooling in his sleeve was any indication, it was a compound break. Entaru groaned and grabbed the comm with his other arm.
"Cask...to...Indomitable.......Cask...to Indomitable. We...are running...on emergency power. Unknown...amount...of dam...age and...casulties. Re...questing pickup....repeat...requesting pick..."
Entaru fell unconcious once more.
-
{open comms}
"this is captain Ves'tar of the eph'tan platform squadron 'heartfeld'... we will gladly lay down arms..."
{closed commsa aboard the ship}
"sir... do you really plan to do that?"
"of course not.... platforms 1 through 6 track your targets and keep firing.... we are making a jump out of the system..."
{query: is this the end?}
"stupid fracking machines"
The defence corvette disappeared with a flash, the platforms whose engines could not be used more than once stayed put, running totally on the onboard AI..... bright blue lances of ion particles sped across the void, the platforms making a suicidal last stand while the control ship made a run for it...
{this is platform 1... all other platforms fire on my target.... fracking fire on them}
that Ai was definatly starting to sound too smug for its own good...
-
The Destroyers focused their heavy Guass Cannons on the Platforms, firing them, the large projectiles vaporized the platforms with the force, a few frigates went into overdrive to head to the wrecks of the Ellan and the Cask, and one to the Indomitable
-
[aboard Eph'tan carrier 'true blood' in neutral space]
"sir... we got a jump signature approaching... i think its 'carnage wing'.. those three assault frigs that where sent as reinforcements...."
"good, good... theyr back double time... musta been an easy job for 'em"
The captain of the carrier watched through the view screen as a blue flash pierced the void.... his face displayed mild shock as only a single frigate appeared, trailing smoke, falmes corruscating across its hull...
{"sir... this is carnage 3...."}
"carnage 3... where is the rest of your squadron?"
{"gone sir.... i'm squadron leader now.."}
"who is this?"
{"this is Szarda El'phan.... captain of carnage wing.... i got some bad news for you on the subject of the Ellan..."}
-
The fighters soon recieved the message from the human forces. Gore immediately called out to every fighter to stand down, to halt firing and to only move when fired upon. He then transmitted to the Indomitable. "Get your fighters to stand down, we have surrendered." He returned to internal comms. "Right, once they stop shooting at us, everyone follow the jump signature of home. They can't have gone far and it looked like they had some solid engineers."
"Why not follow Carnage 3?" asked Asia.
"They took ages to get here and they'll take ages to get back. It would take us even longer and we'd run out of power by then. Atleast with the cats we'd have a better chance of reaching them."
"Roger that, sir."
-
The fighters stood down. Lisa's ship was in shambles by the time she managed to limp back to a fgriendly ship, and Collins had been forced to eject or 30 missiles would've killed him.
-
"Sir are we gonna leave the escape pods and ejected pilots behind?" Asia asked.
"We can't save them. No point joining them," Gore replied just before Shock screamed through the comms.
"Bunch o' cowards!"
"Right, everyone engage hyperdrive" The fighter jets whirred and hummed, building to a roar as they disappeared off into the darkness, leaving only the screams of Shock, and a few other ejected pilots, behind.
-
The Human gunships, mainly the squadron 'Striker' moved in and proceded to pick up all the escape pods, some salvagers from the fallen R-20s still remained on the human ship, still not imprisoned and free to leave once the ship was repaired.
-
Mika slouched forward in his seat, shaking his head in his hands. "Sir, did I make the right call? Shooting them first. I was under ord-" Maxim cut him off,
"It doesnt what you did, many would have done the same. What happens now is what matters." He looked out the window, watching the human ship move towards them.
"What will happen to us?" Mika asked, his eyes pleading for an optimistic answer. Kimchi decided to answer.
"It depends on who we get captured by," she said. "Not all humans are savages, they have their rules of warfare, and more often than not, they abide by it."
"Really?" Mika asked.
"If Kimchi says so, then I would agree," the captain replied. "She knows a lot more about them than I do." He felt her give his paw a little squeeze of appreciation.
-
"Strike 1 Here, with the enemy's command ship's pod, recovering it now
Striker 2 Recovering TAK 1's pods,
Striker 3, 4 5 and 6 recovering TAK 2 and TAK 3's pods..."
The gunship parked directly over each escape pod, letting the docking clamps grab onto escape pod and the gunships flew back to the lead Carrier, the Inferno, and dropped the pods off in the hanger, where a regiment of soldiers was waiting at the ready, along with a human military officer, appearing to be the admiral of the fleet.
"So you are the Eph'Tan who caused wanton death and destruction to our border patrol forces hmm.... the Fires of Ellan was it... why did you fire, the Indomitable was picking up survivors from the previous pirate attack. Your survivors I might add..." The good Admiral asked the command crew of the Fires of Ellan and the other pilots, who were taken out of their pods, and lined up for the Admiral.
Frigate Impenetrable reached the debris site first, and sent out shuttles to pick up the various troops lost in space, be them alive or dead., a shuttle parked in front of Jameson and his entourage, and they thankfully boarded the ship.
-
Kimchi stepped forward. "Your answers lie with both the Eph'tan high command, and your own government. According to our reports, human forces committed an act of war upon a neutral planet. We recieved the order to retaliate, and did as commanded." Her voice was soft and melifluous and her movements were calm, presenting welcoming and non-threatening body language to the humans.
-
Chrono nodded, and waited for Blaire to leave before walking back to his room and ditching the syringes in his suit. "Chrono, you fool, you gave up your ship, your chance at taking control, and your freedom... I hope shes worth it..." he says aloud before walking back to the seat and with bolter in hand, covered the entrance to the ship.
Zeit wrote a note in his room before leaving with the female human from the chatroom who also worked on the Idominatable, in a fighter he helped her build in his off-time. It was rather large, but the size came from the Eph'Tan weaponry that had replaced the previous human weaponry. He also had a top-class shield system wired into the engine to make sure that as long as the ship could fly, it was protected. Zeit had the docking doors open up before they took off, so his 'superior' wouldn't get wind of his AWOL until he was too far to bother chasing. "We're heading straight for the south pole of the planet, the other two will have landed on the equator and north pole by then." His pilot nodded as they sped off towards the merchant planet in the neutral space.
-
"You think we bombed the neutral space, confirmed reports have visual evidence that your High Command unleashed fiery death along with the Reavers upon the populace, then you go and say we declare war while you mercilessly attacked a ship rescuing your people from deep space, you really need to work something out Missy... well while your on my ship you'll abide by my rules, you are to remain in the brig until we work out something with FLEETCOM, until then you have no access to anything but the brig, you have a nice day now..."
-
"Understood," the mouse replied with a pleasant smile that devolved into a disgusted sneer as the Admiral turned his back on them. Maxim shook his head and frowned, while Mika shook like a rat in a Reaver house. They were pushed along through the corridors to the nearest brig, with four prisoners per cell. The three officers were joined by a young female rat they had never seen before. She was snarling and struggling as they manhandled her all the way from her pod to the brig.
-
The Salvation thrummed with power.... everything had been checked... everything worked... brand new....
"this is your captain speaking.... i'd just like to remind you that we are still a neutral ship... and the fact that we got a few guns now doesnt change anything.... now if we are attacked first at least we can hit 'em back.... well... thank you... and welcome aboard Salvation... our new home.."
The comms turned off again with a crackled, and flyboys in the mess hall turned back to their card game, all talking exce=itedly about the new assault corvettes that where to be testpiloted today.... the engineers in the hall seemed equally excited, not about flying them... but about getting a look in 'under the hood' of these new ships...
Kitt sat round a table with the rest of team tango, he was losing badly at 'Version' a card game that was a popular past time amongst the eph'tan....
"well... they says we... team tango... we gonna be the first to try flying on of them new corvettes..."
"oh yah.... and then yous gonna be the first one to crash one of them new corvettes aint ya..."
Kitt eyed Jake with a stern eye, before throwing down his hand of cards...
"i got nuthin.... and i wont crash it... besides... if i do... we got Shiro, that guy can fix near anythin...."
-
Shiro sat in his new quarters on the Salvation. They were nice and roomy, so he shared it with a bunch of other engeneers that had less spacious dwellings. He was a kind fox, and was always ready to take a few more people in. He curled up in the pile of blankets that he slept in the corner.
-
"come on boys! i know its new but can ya please focus on the task... testing it not marvelling at it.. guys!"
Several engineers where clustered around one of the new assault corvettes, while team tango hung back watching.... the dock master seemed to be getting rather flustered....
"hey! comeon! we need ta this new boy up in the sky..."
The engineers stopped marvelling, and started to prep the corvette for flight, fuel lines where attatched, ammo loaded.... the corvette was their child....
Kitt stood beside team tango, watching the engineers prep her up... he'd always marvelled at how fast and dedicated they where...
"anyone seen Shiro? i woulda thought he'd be here to watch the first launch.... strange... he's never late.."
-
Blaire over heard his statement and smiled, but put her ears down. "I hope it was worth it too," She said softly. She walked out of her room and back to the central controls. "Val, what is out ETA?" she asked. A time clock appeared on the big screen. It read 850:46:32:08. The number kept decreasing as they continued to travel. "Bring me up a Bio on this Military Guy. I want to know his history." She sat in the large chair and began to think. Val quickly pulled up the Biography. "Anything else?" He asked. "No that'll be all thank you." She began to read the mans history. She swiveled in the chair, her mind concentrated on other things. Blood began to seep through the tight shirt and run down her bare stomach. "Crap..." She stood and jumped down the steps. She entered her room and later came back out with bandage wrapped around her body. "Why is continuously doing that!?" She asked allowed. The scar that was from her left shoulder to the right side of her body, ending just below her ribcage bled from time to time. She sat back down in the chair. "This guy has no soul. He dedicated his whole life to military. Performing experiments he was let go and exiled. Hmm..." She leaned back in the chair and shut her eyes. Blaire let out a long sigh.
-
"Not late," shiro said as he ran up to the launch area."Just a little tired"
-
Kitt turned to see a very tired looking Shiro running into the launch bay "well... we're all pretty tired.... but, all we gotta do is test out these new assault corvettes... and then we get the rest of the day of while the ship is re-fueled.... sleep for ten hours straight is my plan!" Annie who was standing beside him snorted "lazy cat..."
"Alright! she's fueled up an' ready to go! team tango could ya prep for flight..."
Kitt stopped pulling on his jumpsuit, with both legs in but the top half of him still out he turned to shiro...
"hey Shiro! you wanna come with us.... we gotta seat goin spare, and i thought you might wanna come fly with the flyboys ;) "
-
"Why not... just as long as your pilot is me." he chuckles
"Juust kidding. Just don't crash"
-
"well dont worry Shiro... i'm the pilot..."
One of the other felines from tango piped up as he zipped up his jumpsuit...
"which means do worry... cos we will crash!..."
Kitt stuck his tongue out at Jake, before zipping up his jumpsuit and doing up his thick belt.... and pulling on a headseat for communication...
"right then... c'mon, lets get this test over and done with then get to bed!"
The team filed into the corvette, waling into the spacious cockpit, large enough for fifteen pilots and still space to walk around.... the windows went right around the front and both sides, providing an excelent field of view...
Annie gave a satisfied whistle...
"sweet...."
-
Shiro looked around the interior.
"Not bad, could use an extra thruster, a better paint job, but she will do nicely..."
He patted the hull
"I used to be a smuggler, a good one too, until the high-ups decided i wasn't useful to them, and put a price on my head. Ah, those were the good days"
-
"not bad at all.... wait... did you say smuggler?"
Kitt turned to face Shiro
"i never knew you used to be a smuggler shiro.... hey guys... you wonder whether the captain knows?"
The last words where directed to the rest of the team, all who looked away...
"not funny Kitt... seriously..."
"nah, dun worry SHiro... just messin with ya... well, lets get this bird in the air!"
Everyone found their places in the seats set around the edges of the cockpit.... Kitt sat at the front and indicated Shiro to sit in the seat beside him... co-pilot...
-
The rat was thrown into the brig, as laser fence powered up behind her. She scrambled back up and gnashed her teeth before turning to three officers. The captain held the mouse close on one of the two bunk beds, while Mika sat apart, on the floor with his hands around his knees.
"Evenin'," the rat nodded to them, still pulsing with aggression.
"'Sup," the winged cat replied. The female rat began to pace from the back wall to the fence, muttering profanities and racial slurs. Her volume grew louder and louder until she dropped the pretence and outright screamed at the guards.
"Save your strength, we'll be here a while," Maxim said. She turned to him and rolled her eyes, turning away.
She only looked back to say, "I dont need advice from you."
"You don't know who I am," he replied.
"I dont care who you are. You could be Emperor of the Eph'tan homeworld and it wouldn't make the slightest bit of difference. I would still all be stuck in this stupid cell." She slammed her fist against the wall, exerting some energy, calming down. "It was my first real battle as well. My Harpy was beautiful."
"You're a pilot?" the captain asked, layering his tone with curiousity. The rat's twitched into an evaporating smile at the question.
"The best dogfighter-" She stopped mid-sentence and started again. "Yeah, part of TAK 1 of the 107th Direwolves. Bunch of cowards." She looked over to the officers. "You know, once the Ellan went down, and the human fleet arrived, they just ran off, leaving us lot behind to face God knows what twisted fate these humans will have waiting." Her chest heaved with anger.
"Well fighting to the end got us stuck in here. Maybe they had the right idea," the captain said. Kimchi lifted her head, looking to the cat. He glanced to her and smirked. The rat's eyes narrowed, and sneered, looking between the two Eph'tan. She turned away again.
"If everyone fought as hard as I did, these baldies would have been a pushover."
-
Chrono lowered his weapon and walked up to Blaire with a tone of concern in his voice. "Couldn't your medical room heal this up?" he asked, tracing a talon over her scar, being extra careful not to open the wound more.
-
"Well Well well... so this is the one who gave me so much trouble and almost killed Zev today" said a voice outside the cell.
Upon closer inspection it was Captain Gab, Alpha one, with the other Alphas, who just got back from the debriefing.
"I must say you put up a hell of a fight Miss....." Zev went on to say, but couldn't finish because he didn't know Shock's name.
-
"Reyana Abias, my friends call me Shock, you can call me Miss Abias," she said, her voice soaked in a sardonic tone. She stepped up to the fence and stared up into the eyes of the human, visually demanding provocation.
-
"Well Miss Abias, I would like to thank you for putting my skills to the limit today.. you are a fine pilot... The name's Gab.. actually Gabe, but no one calls me that, just call me Gab. Where did you learn how to fly like that?"
"Captain you can't be serious, she almost killed Zev and I today and your exchanging pleasantries!?" protested Collins, who had some burns on him.
"Collins.... just go on without me guys, I'll meet you at the procession" retorted the captain, with the rest of the team filing out of the brig to get ready for the funeral, for all those who died today.
-
The rat lost her agressive smirk, turning to a frown, confused and searching, to figure this human out.
"I'm just gifted that way. It's rare to find someone who can shoot me down." Her voice built in its violent tone, verbally prodding him. "Where did you learn to shoot down a Goddess?" Captain Maxim smirked at the word.
-
"Well hard work and constant training could only get me so far, most of what I bring to the table is combat experience from against the Dissenters, those who wouldn't accept our Emperor... forgive the others... they aren't used to seeing the face of the men and women who killed their friends"
Gab said, glaring accusingly at the command crew, the pilot he could forgive, for all her arrogance, but for a command crew throw away lives of their own and of their allies...
-
Shock looked back and forth, from the human to the officers, questions wriggling over he brain. "Well it's war, people die. If your pilots can't handle that then they shouldn't be flying."
Maxim matched glares with the human, his face was stone hard, accepting the accusations, replying with a stare. Kimchi began to stroke the cat's wing-like growths that stuck out from his uniform.
Mika sat in the corner, curling up to avoid the others.
-
"They know it's War, but they aren't used to people just turning and shooting them in the back. If we humans did that to your crew Miss Abias you'd be in the same position I am now... being visibly angry at the reckless deaths and destruction caused."
Striker 2 docked, and with it Jameson and his entourage. Jameson was however, not feeling too well.
"YOU CAN'T POSSIBLY SEND THESE EPH'TAN TO THE BRIG, THEY SAVED MY LIFE AND OF THE OTHER SOLDIERS OUT THERE!" he yelled at the debreifing officer.
"I'm sorry Sgt. but orders are Orders, you may visit the prisoners if you really want to..." The file of Eph'Tan troops was taken to the brig, with Jameson following, fuming.
Looking behind himself, Gab saw other prisoners, soldiers of the Eph'Tan Conglomerate, looking back at him in disgust. They must've thought he was the interrogation officer, surprisingly they were followed by a visibly pissed off human soldier.
-
Maxim shook his head and sighed, rolling his eyes at the human. Shock looked back at the officers,
"Well, I dont know anything about that, and frankly I don't care. I just wanted to shoot some baldies." The last word was said with a smirk to the human. When she heard the voices coming from the corridor, she leaned past Gab, and watched as the new arrivals walked in.
-
Maxim shook his head and sighed, rolling his eyes at the human. Shock looked back at the officers,
"Well, I dont know anything about that, and frankly I don't care. I just wanted to shoot some baldies." The last word was said with a smirk to the human. When she heard the voices coming from the corridor, she leaned past Gab, and watched as the new arrivals walked in.
"Wow Baldie... that's so hurtful, considering your nothing better then a rug, hell not even, you'd just stink up my room anyways, probably aren't even housebroken!" Said a guard venomously, who had been listening and been infuriated with Shock's crap, the guard volunteered from the Indomitable to keep watch over the Eph'Tan
"PRIVATE JENKINS WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT BEING RACIST!"
Suddenly the Pvt. cringed, for Sgt. Jameson was a murderous man when angry.
"YOU TOLD ME TO NOT BE RACIST SIR!"
"WELL I EXPECT YOU TO ABIDE BY THAT SOLDIER, NOW TAKE 10 LAPS AROUND THIS ENTIRE SHIP DOUBLE TIME!"
"SIR YES SIR!"
The soldier took off full sprint.
"i'm sorry about that Miss, Jenkins doesn't know when to keep his trap shut... the name's Jameson pleased to meet ya!" he said, his mood suddenly changing.
-
Mika lifted his head to see this Jameson person, as the rat watched the guard dart out of the room. She then looked from Jameson to Gab and sighed.
"Alright, what's going on? How come you humans are being all friendly, we're your prisoners aren't we?" she asked.
Kimchi's ears perked up as she decided to keep track of this interaction between species.
-
"Just because we're human doesn't mean we dont respect worthy adversaries.. I mean when the Fires of Ellan fell apart, I owe some of the very people I fought my life, as it was them with their E.V.A. suits who kept me from getting sucked into the void." replied Jameson
"The Sgt. is right, just because your our prisoners doesn't mean we can be friendly.. military code prevents us from killing PoWs so you should be safe, but it doesnt say we can't interact with them in a friendly manner.." said the Captain.
"Besides, with a ship full of people out for your blood, it pays to have friends, but I didn't come for that reason Miss Abiass... I came to you with a deal... would you like to join Alpha Squadron?"
He waited for a second to let the full effect of what he was asking take hold.
"Now you may be thinking... 'I just tried to kill him... and he wants me to join him' and thats true, but your raw piloting skills convinced me... It's a chance to try to mend the bad blood between our species..."
-
Every Eph'tan in the cell suddenly became bolt upright, staring at the human in disbelief. Shock began to slowly walk backwards.
"I dont know what kind of messed up trick you're trying, but it won't work. Do you honestly think I'm just gonna jump in bed with you lot?" she said. Suddenly, the captain stood up.
"It's not even her choice to make. As a pilot of the Eph'tan military, she is bound by her duty to serve the Eph'tan Conglomerate," he said, standing taller than any of the humans, puffing his chest, to look as commanding as possible. "If you have any requests to make of my crew, address them to me. I am their Captain after all." Shock did a double take at the winged cat. Slowly, her face transformed as she realised who she had been talking to with such disrespect.
"Ahhh nuts," she said. The captain looked down to her, and she stood to attention, rigidly saluting him. "Sorry for not recognising you, Sir!"
"At ease, pilot. We're not on duty anymore."
-
"Well i just wanted to offer a hopefully quicker way of integrating inter species co-operation, but if your crew doesn't wish to do anything, don't force them, because I'm not asking you Captain, I'm asking them, not as soldiers, but people. There is no trick here Miss Abaiss..., but I did not mean mending bad blood in that way...'
Suddenly a beeping was heard.
"Excuse me but I must leave, let me turn on the view screen for you"
Sprinting out of the brig, Gab made post haste to make it to the hanger on time.
On the view screen, a large gathering of humans was there, with coffins lined up into neat and even rows.
"We are gathered here to honor those fallen, in the battle of Sector Sixty Three Nine-Teen. Many a brave men and women died to preserve our way of life. They served the Navy with honor and courage, and dedication. From those who fall in the line of duty, we can offer no greater thanks, then the thanks of a Million worlds under their care. We are also here to honor those Eph'Tan who also fell in the line of duty, and we shall do our best to honor their sacrifice... They fought hard and they fought well, for that there could be no more honorable foe."
Hushed gasps erupted around the crowd at the mention of honoring those dead Eph'Tan. In the ceremonial human navy funeral, the coffins, one by one, were spaced, letting those within be with the stars forever.
-
the captain frowned, staring at the screen.
"Kimmy, is this normal?" he asked. The mouse stood up off the bed and went to his side, perplexed and intrigued by the humans' behaviour.
"This isn't normal at all," she said. "Normal human behaviour is to demonise their enemy, to villify. It makes it far easier for their soldiers to kill. A funeral for an enemy is incredibly rare, no matter how brave that enemy may be."
"So this is a trick?" asked Shock.
"Maybe, maybe not. Although it's rare to see this much respect from a human, it's not unheard of."
"So we be careful," the captain said. Kimchi nodded in agreement.
The Eph'tan in other cells murmured in confusion, some accepting it at face value, others ranting of the lies of such base creatures, using the dead just for some hideous ruse.
-
The Eph'tan are correct, at least about most of the doctrines most Fleet Admirals impose on their troops,
but not Amestein, he may hate the Eph'Tan, but not enough to slander their good names and traditions. He was a believer in the time honored traditions, some that the other Fleet Admirals and the other humans forgot to apply to Non-Humans.
After all the Eph'Tan helped bring massive advances in technology, but everyone seems to have forgotten that. The previous exchange of technology was quick and short lived, but prosperous for humans. Thrid World planets were given a second chance because of the Eph'Tan's knowledge.
The neutral space was an example of this, but now it's a graveyard filled with ship hulks of both human and reaver ships.
The burned out husk of a human frigate drifted idly by and gained speed and headed towards the already troubled planet.
"GIVE US OUR FOOD BACK!" chanted the angry non human crowd as bullets flew to greet them, but they began to hush as they watched the burning hulk descend into another quarter of the city.
-
The R-20 'flyboys' that had been captured sat in their cell, one had a pack of 'version' cards and a few where taking part halfheartedly..
"you know when the home'l be returning?"
"never... w're stuck her aint we?"
"nah we're not... dun say stuff like that.. we're gonna be fine right... just dont aggroavet the baldiers.. n' were gonna be fine... we're neutral shipping aint we?"
"yeah... but i hope they know that.."
-
Entaru woke up in the MedBay aboard the Impenetrable. He looked about in slight surprise at his surroundings and stood up off the medtable. His suit hadn't been taken off, but parts of it were missing from where the doctors had to remove it to help stabilize him further. His arm was in a cast and his bald head was bandaged up. Tightly. Far too tightly. Now that he thought about it, the cast was a bit itchy too.
"It figures..."
None of the doctors were around, so the medbay was quiet beside the beeping equipment and Entaru's footsteps as he left the medbay, wondering what the hell he was supposed to do now that...
"No!" Entaru stopped midstep having just realized what had happened. "Not my baby! No!" Entaru sobbed once then grew angry.
"Those flea-bitten mongrels killed my baby! They killed my SHIP!!!! THEY'RE GONNA PAY WITH THEIR HIDES FOR THIS!!!!"
Entaru stomped angrily down the corridors of the Impenetrable. Entaru was on the warpath now.
-
"You don't think I haven't tried? Your nano's didn't fix it, My nano's can't. It's a permanent wound that has a strong emotion and story behind it." She traced it with her fingers as she thought about it. "Anyway, We need to stop and get supplies." She smiled and pointed to the space station in the distance. "We're stopping here... I will make sure we get to our destination on time."
-
"Although I'm assuming you expect me to get the supplies, I wish you resolve that emtional constriction on that scar, although you look great with it... makes you seem stronger" he added with a chuckle before putting on everything but the helmet of his EVA armor and heading towards the end of the ship to get whatever she needed.
-
She shook her head and smirked. She went to her room and changed her pants to a pair of short shorts. She put the holsters back on and put the guns in them. "Don't think I won't be helping." She jogged past him and walked across the bridge that connected the ship and the station. She entered a code and entered the station.
-
Chrono followed her out, and whispers of 'bodyguard' and 'outlaws' could be heard, even though they seemed to at least attempt discretion. "Well, I'm attracting alot of unwanted attention... how much are you getting?" he whispered to Blaire, while keeping his bolter in hand.
-
"They wont touch you. Trust me, I am the only thing you need to worry about on this Station." She gave a quick look at the neighboring conversing people. They quickly dispersed and took their separate ways. "I just need a couple of things. Don't worry about how much or what I'm getting."
-
"Hey!? when we gettin food!? we're starvin in 'ere..."
One of the flyboys was slamming a paw against the side of the cell, leaning out of the cell as far as he could against the elctrofence....
"no point shoutin... no ones comin... they dont care nought if we're hungry or not..."
-
Mika lifted his head from his arms, "So, we got a plan to get out of here?"
"Nope." The captain turned to him and Kimchi turned to the captain.
"What, really?" she asked.
"Yup," he replied.
"So we just... sit here?" The captain brought his arm around her, holding her close.
"Just keep your head down, do as they ask and stay safe," he said.
"OK," she replied as she held onto him. Mika put his head back down and slightly shook.
-
Chrono followed her through the station until they reached one of the supply stores, he then sat at a nearby bench and 'stood guard' while waiting for Blaire to finish shopping.
-
Tango was suitably bored
"They should've been here by now, even for reavers with their slower mental functions" he said, muttering to himself.
Then he had an idea. Opening the file his masters sent him about their contact, aka 'The Military Guy' Tango used the sophisticated systems integrated within him, to modulate the man's voice, connecting with the communications satellite closer to their location, he sent the call.
"May day May Day unknown hostiles are attacking I repeat mayday! I'm on world and i'm transmitting co-ordinates, anyone and please anyone respond!" He said, with Military Man's voice.
After triangulating his position, and transmitting the co-ordinates into space, he went to a sizable pool and resumed the form of swampy water and camouflaged perfectly with the swampy landscape, undetectable, not even with Eph'Tan sensors.
-
Blaire walked through the door of one of the shops. "I need three boxes of the gallon waters. And I need about 7 boxes of meats and carbs, pasta and such." She turned and looked around the store. "Please deliver it to the large ship at the 5th loading dock." She payed and walked out of the store. "Now to the ammunition station." She pointed one of the larger shops located on the space station. She looked at Chrono then started to walk towards the shop.
-
Entaru bursted into the brig fuming.
"WHERE ARE THOSE ROTTEN FLEABAGS THAT KILLED MY BABY!!" Entaru shouted, enraged at the destruction of his ship. Hissing noises could be heard coming from the suit as it attempted to sedate him. All the chemicals however had depleted while he was unconcious, trying to keep him from dying. The only thing the suit was doing now was pinching him, and ticking him off.
Entaru looked into the cell that held the Ellan's captain and crew, his eyes bulging and bloodshot.
"THERE YOU ARE!! PREPARE FOR A TRIP TO THE TAXIDERMIST YOU FILTHY BEASTS!!!" Entaru pulled out his blaster and aimed at Kimchi.
-
One of the guards, who was told Captain Entaru might go crazy, took the gun out of his hands and hushed him slient.
"Since your a conscript I'm sure you dont know, but in the military we don't kill prisoners until they are proven guilty of war crimes. So far they fired on a legitimate target, but I would keep a lid on that temper unless the Admiral says fry 'em, besides you gotta get back to Med'Bay, your too close to dying"
Letting a sharp whistle, two more guards entered and promptly grabbed Entaru and escorted him from the brig.
-
Entaru hollered and screamed like a madman, his face distorted in rage, as he was dragged back to the medbay. Years ago he might have been able to wriggle free or overpower the two guards, but he had gotten old and sickly. All he could do was scream profanities and promised threats at the Eph'tan crew...at least until his body instinctively shut down to prevent a heart attack.
The rest of the trip to MedBay was a cakewalk for the guards.
-
For a moment, as she saw the gun, Kimchi froze. Maxim barely moved, but for a different reason, he stood non-chalantly, watching the guards make their move, smiling as the madman was taken away. Kimchi was shaking, so he gently turned her to him, and held her close before walking her to one of the beds to sit down.
"You ok?" he asked, his voice was hushed and calm; soothing.
"No, not really," she replied with a laugh that wobbled with her shivers. "He was gonna kill me."
"But he didn't, those guys had it covered. If there's one thing I know, it's soldiers. When soldiers have an order, they follow it." He looked down into her eyes before holding her close again. Kimchi hugged him back, letting herself sob.
Shock looked to them both, eyebrow raised, face disgusted.
"How do you know what they'll do? You don't know humans," she said.
"What was that, pilot?" the captain said, looking to her with steely eyes.
"We're not on duty, captain; and with less than due respect, you don't know what would have happened." She had a fist on her hip, as she leant forward with an accusatory pointing four. "See this is why I'll never date a cat. They dont care one bit about you." These words got Kimchi staring at her too, rubbing tears off her cheeks.
After watching this all go on, Mika stood up between the cat and the rat.
"Ok, now it's been an exciting day so lets rest before we kill eachother, since we're all tired and hungry, ok? We still have humans to worry about," he said.
-
Chrono followed her to the ammunition station when he was stopped by an Eph'Tan wearing a cloak and a bandana over his mouth. "Hello, Reaver, If its weaponry you're intrested, you could get this plasma cannon, for about a few thousand creds..." Chrono thought about it and checked the gun, but the Eph'Tan yanked it away. "Sorry, no touching unless you pay" Chrono then frowned "You could be selling me damaged or broken goods, which reduces the price to zero..." The Eph'tan then grumbled and stormed off, apparently either being offended, or he was indeed swindling him. Chrono continued to follow Blaire to the shop acting like he never even stopped.
-
Blaire entered the building and spotted a very attractive man. "Zander!" She shouted waving. She walked over to him and smiled. "Do you have any new arrivals?" She asked with excitement. "Ah, my best and most beautiful customer. Right this way gorgeous." Blaire smiled and followed him to the back. She turned and saw Chrono. "You wait out here.. And feel free to look around. Let me know if you plan on purchasing. I get a large discount." She turned back and followed Zander.
-
Chrono huffed at the human before browsing the selection. He ended up taking a plasma cutter that has been modified to fire rounds of pure plasma instead of a continuous stream. "Niiiice" he mumbled and pocketed it with a few fuel cells.
-
And don't even think about stealing anything. You will cost me great trust, in which I will take a limb from you Her voice echoed in his head. Zander showed her a new selection of guns. "Did you receive the M21 EBR with Thermal?" He asked smiling. "Of course I did. I have yet to try it out." She looked at the selection and chose 2 newly modeled Desert eagles, an M240 and a Scar-H. "That will do it. Anything that the dragon out there chooses is also on my bill." She smiled at Zander and walked back to the front.
-
Didn't even cross my mind, Captain/Mistress Blaire, although a few angry thoughts did cross it when Zander started flirting...but thats just me he thought before taking a few flashes and one Manhack.
-
Blaire watched Chrono take the items. "Ehmmm! You will be buying those, correct?" She asked aloud. She wandered over to him and held out her hand. "Give them to me, or you'll get us both into trouble that you nor I have time to deal with." She looked at him sternly, with a touch of anger.
-
"Captain, let me get my purchasables before buying, or i'll be here all day!" he said frantically getting ammo for his bolter and two new side-arms.
-
"That's what I thought..." She turned to Zander and smiled. "So, let's ring 'em up. I have places to be, people to... well you know." She smiled, with a soft laugh. Zander went behind the counter and began to ring up the prices on the weapons. "Oh and I'm going to need ammunition for everything. Including my M21 EBR." She said looking at him. Zander gathered everything and looked at Chrono. "Is he getting anything?" He asked looking back at Blaire.
-
Chrono finished his shopping with a set of energy claws. "I'm getting a whole new arsenal since my previous ship was looted... all I have on my back was all I had left..."
-
"No need for excuses." She looked at Zander and payed him. "I'll be back in a couple months. Keep my posted with new arrivals." She smiled and left with the cases and boxes that consisted of the purchases. Blaire looked at Chrono and continued walking to the ship.
-
Chrono looked down and then walked next to Blaire, quickly taking hers and his own crates back to the ship. I'll make up for my behavior by carrying the crates for you...or is something worse in order? he thinks while within a few meters of the ship.
-
Blaire looked at him and sighed. "We'll see..." She opened the doors for Chrono and stepped onto the ship. "Just put everything over there by the large cabinets."
-
As he put the crates up, his thoughts momentarily shifted to suicidal before he shook his head. Regardless of how bad I screw up, suiciding would be the cowards way out... he berated himself before going to the bridge and awaiting judgement....
-
Don't worry, I don't have any punishments for you. You just have to promise me your trust and loyalty. No matter what. She didn't look at him and unpacked the boxes.
-
I... already have... I just got defensive with an increadibly foolish thought and didin't take your consent into account.. Chrono quietly took off his armor and just reflected on his attitude while waiting for the ship to take off...
-
Blaire walked up to him and grabbed his shoulders. "Look at me, stop having doubts." She hit him gently across the face and looked at him deeply. Her crystal bluish purple eyes swirled, getting darker as the swirls neared the pupil. "Everything is fine."
-
Chrono looked up at her eyes, and was dazzled to put it lightly. Its was only a few seconds before he literally fell down and went to sleep. For a breif moment, I saw heaven...
-
Blaire gasped and ran over to the medicinal counter. She reached for essence that were in a vile. She ran over to him and waved it in front of his now. "Chrono?"
-
Tango decided to add a bit of urgency to his distress call and sent it directly to Blaire's ship.
"GET OVER HERE NOW GIANT MONSTERS ARE TRYING TO EAT ME!!!!! THERE"S A RAGING FIRE FROM A GAS LEAK GONE EXPLOSION AND THAT GIANT TYRAN LOOKS RELALY HUNGRY FOR MY FLESH!"
in the same 'Military Guy from files of Blaire' voice
-
Blaire ran to the head of the ship and took control of the ship. "We're getting to our destination a couple days early." She said to herself aloud, pushing forward, the ship picking up speed.
-
Chrono slowly woke up from his daze, but he was only able to walk a few feet before collapsing but retaining consiousness. "I think my body's falling asleep on me..."
-
"You hit the ground hard," her voice trailed off as she steered the ship to the right. "We're going through the Ice field. We'll get there sooner." Large ice crystals appeared in the distance. She slowed down and put it on autopilot. She walked over to Chrono and helped him up. "Come on, You need rest."
-
Chrono sighed as he tried to ease her burden by lifting himself up as well. "Well, those eyes are sure unusual for a Reaver, not that I minded losing consiousness to such a beutiful lightshow, captain Blaire." he said with a snicker.
-
"Well that what you get when you're different then everyone else." She typed in the code for his room and helped him to his bed. She lied him down on it and sat down on it.
-
Chrono sighed as he tried to relax on the bed, but a nagging mental question kept bugging him to stay alert. "Captain, whats your relationship with that guy from earlier..."
-
Blaire looked at him curiously. "I've been his customer for a while. And he used to be my partner. But he betrayed me, hence the scar" She looked down and ran her hand through her soft long brown hair.
-
Chrono sighed. "Well, that does put some thoughts to rest" he mumbled as he started to relax, his unconsious mind making him attempt another sight at her eyes. "Just because your eyes are different, doesn't make you a threat, I'd rather stay consious to get a better look, but I don't know if I can..." he said with a grin, expecting a denial considering what just happened earlier, but curiostiy always gets the better of him until about the 3rd try.
-
Blaire smiled and laughed softly. She looked at him and lied back on the bed. "God, I hate this trip. It's so tiring." She shut her eyes and sighed.
-
Chrono smiled and also chuckled at Blaire. "Well, you have someone besides an A.I., unless you're afraid of sharing a bed..."
-
Chrono smiled and also chuckled at Blaire. "Well, you have someone besides an A.I., unless you're afraid of sharing a bed..."
Val, being the enterprising A.I.
flashed a
'Hummna Hummna Hummna' on the main screen.
(not gonna take character over just wanted to set mood)
-
Blaire nodded, Uh huh." She managed to say before quickly drifting asleep.
-
For a moment, as she saw the gun, Kimchi froze. Maxim barely moved, but for a different reason, he stood non-chalantly, watching the guards make their move, smiling as the madman was taken away. Kimchi was shaking, so he gently turned her to him, and held her close before walking her to one of the beds to sit down.
"You ok?" he asked, his voice was hushed and calm; soothing.
"No, not really," she replied with a laugh that wobbled with her shivers. "He was gonna kill me."
"But he didn't, those guys had it covered. If there's one thing I know, it's soldiers. When soldiers have an order, they follow it." He looked down into her eyes before holding her close again. Kimchi hugged him back, letting herself sob.
Shock looked to them both, eyebrow raised, face disgusted.
"How do you know what they'll do? You don't know humans," she said.
"What was that, pilot?" the captain said, looking to her with steely eyes.
"We're not on duty, captain; and with less than due respect, you don't know what would have happened." She had a fist on her hip, as she leant forward with an accusatory pointing four. "See this is why I'll never date a cat. They dont care one bit about you." These words got Kimchi staring at her too, rubbing tears off her cheeks.
After watching this all go on, Mika stood up between the cat and the rat.
"Ok, now it's been an exciting day so lets rest before we kill eachother, since we're all tired and hungry, ok? We still have humans to worry about," he said.
"You four seem to be getting along fairly well... should I get a vet or someone to just put ya down...."
"Admiral.... it is highly unlike you to show mercy to those.... creatures" spat Admiral Hakon of the 500th fleet.
Admiral Adelion (name change cause i dont remember the name i gave him before) looked downwards, thinking of a response to give the Council of Admirals. This council delegated everything related to naval and fleet actions, and supervised the human Emperor on what to do.
"My liege we can't let this go... one of our own has shown quarter to a foe who gave none of it to our own people!" yelled Hakon, with other admirals voicing their agreement.
"Well Hakon.... you seem to have forgotten the Old Codes of Combat, the same codes we abide by today! I'm no traitor or heathen anymore then you are... you've turned your backs on the way the Emperor's have old have waged conflict."
"You expect monsters such as these to abide by our same codes?" spat Hakon, now infuriated.
"ENOUGH! Your bickering must come to an end, can't you fleet admirals ever agree on anything, like the situation at hand, now Adelion's handling of prisoners nor Hakon's honor. We must focus on the task as hand.. The reaver fleet has smashed into neutral space led by their false king himself, and the Eph'Tan have been driven back... for now at least." Boomed the Emperor, his voice with a great sense of authority over the delegation.
-
Chrono snickered before lying closer to her, their bodies only two centimeters apart. Even if shes an assassin, I would never want to be anywhere else, or with anyone else... he mused as he went to sleep with a slight grin on his face.
-
"You four seem to be getting along fairly well... should I get a vet or someone to just put ya down...."
Mika put his palms forward, calling for calm.
"We're fine. It's just a simple disagreement, right?" he said, looking to the other three. The captain nodded then lay down on the bed, while Kimchi stood up, walking up to the rat staring into her. Shock stared back, her eyes on fire. Kimchi softened and gave a smile; a slight whisper of a smile.
"I have met with many cats, talked with them, worked with them, and loved one of them. So you can think and say what you like about me, but if you ever talk ill of my husband again, you will remember what rank you are and wish you hadn't forgot." The smile still hung on her face, as she turned back to her husband climbing into bed and huddling up to him. Shock held herself and paced around the room as Mika turned to the guard.
"See, everything's fine," he said, his voice quaking with nerves before he walked to his own bed, and lay back staring at the ceiling.
-
Blaire woke up to the sound of Val calling her. "Ms. Blaire, Our destination point is only a few hours away." She put her hands over her eyes and let out a low, exhausted grunt. She looked around and spotted Chrono. "OH!" She said with a high pitch squeak as she fell out of the bed. She stood up and brushed herself off. "Uh, right. Be right there Val." She smiled slightly and walked out of the room. She jumped up the steps, missing every other one. "Alright, what is our location right now?" She waited for the screen to show the location. Val sounded, "We are just reaching the edge of the Ice quadrant. And will be soon arriving."
-
Chrono was having a dream about his pre-cerimonial years, and his older sister called him up for his birthday gift. That was when the dream started to drift off to unknown territory, and Chrono quickly woke up. "That....was wierd as all get-out" he said before he picked up 'We are just reaching the edge of the Ice quadrant.' and then got out of bed to get his armor on and then walked out with helmet in hand towards Blaire. "You know, you didn't have to be in my room..."
-
Fortunately the Valkyrie went from going through ice, to now landing on a swampy rock to rescue the Military Guy.
-
"huh? oh, I just fell asleep." she smiled and looked back at the large screen.
-
Chrono chuckled. "I'm sure it had nothing to do with the fact that I'm one of the few that actually like the beauty of your eyes, even if they do induce sleep..." Chrono sees the planet they approach, and yawns. "So, we leave a sector of ice, and end up in the tropics... odd"
-
"Yea, well I haven't really had anyone look that deep. Usually I'm only looking into those who I kill." She touched the screen and enhanced the picture on the screen. It was a satellite picture of the area the ship was heading to.
-
Chrono lifted his bolter and loaded a new clip before looking back at Blaire. "So, how do you want to go about this... fake the trade, or kill him outright?"
-
"Kill on the spot. Valkyrie can get us out of there quickly." She continued to touch the screen, many small windows were on the screen. One containing a picture of the man, another a biography, and the other of the satellite image.
-
Chrono nodded before putting on his helmet and heading towards the exit ramp. "I was hoping I get to hold onto you while killing him, guess beggers can't be choosers..." He said while getting ready to shoot him down on sight.
-
"What do you mean?" she asked looking at him, closing the windows that were open.
-
Chrono held his position while speaking. "I was planning on doing a fake trade where we approached him with you "bound" in my hand, but as I pass you to him, I pull out my bolter and fire a whole clip into his body... if hes still alive, you can stab him to death or leave him to die as we destroy his ship and all the records..."
-
"If you want me, an experienced assassin, to get the job done right we're gonna do it my way, Alright?" She said walking past him. Her outfit was now a pair of black shorts with suspenders handing off, combat boots and a half, long sleeve shirt.
-
Good thing Chrono had a helmet on, because his scales became another shade of red at the sight of Blaire. "Uh, you sure you don't need some protection?"
-
She placed a fully loaded desert eagle into the left holster that was strapped to her thigh. "No, I'll be fine. Perhaps you should get some though. Your armor seems a bit out dated.." She smirked and ran to a large cabinet. She pulled out a large M16 with laser dot sight. She loaded it and strapped it onto her back. "Let's get this over with so we can get out of here." She turned and looked at him. "If it gets hectic with guards, whether I'm alive or dead, get this ship out of here."
-
Chrono's head snapped around when she finished. "I know I'm sounding optimistic and delusional, but I'd rather not jinx your life and as for my EVA armor, its better than that latex suit of 'armor' you have hanging up...." Chrono looked back at the door, waiting for it to open.
-
Blaire laughed. "That's not exactly armor... plus, it's movable in something an assassin kinda needs to be able to do," She smiled and opened the door.
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(still waiting on a post from Asia or someone)
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"This is 'Captain So'Ban' of the Fleet 'Ferrin'sha' .... we are escorting a neutral Eph'tan trade vessel and entering neutral space on a routine escort run.... Captain out...."
"sir.... we have multiple unidentified contacts.... errr... their not ours sir..."
"not ours? what do you mean by"
~the image on screen shakes, but still easily visible is an ion frigate getting torn straight in half, along with one of the trade vessels by some unknown beam weapon which seems to bypass all shielding, and slicing through two ships as if they wherent even there....~
"HOLY FRACK! evasive manouevers! evasive manouevers!......" ~screen goes blank~
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((aboard the Eph'tan military space station 'El'Ran tak' ))
"this is the message we recieved from Captain So'Ban not three hours ago..... the unidentified beam weapon is of pirate origins....... we have slowed down the film, and identified the ship from which it was fired..... the pirates which normally go after small unescorted mining ships seem to have gotten hold of some experimental Eph'tan beam weapon... mounting it upon a stolen frigate hull they are wielding one of the greatest weapons in this galaxy......"
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"OFFICER ON DECK!" shouted the prison guard nearest the captured captain and ace pilot as the other guards saluted their Admiral as he walked into the brig.
"At ease troopers... now I assume you were the Captain of the Fires of Ellen, am I correct?" asked Admiral Adelion
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The captain snored. Kimchi, who lay at his side, shoved him. Then shoved him again. Then jabbed him with her elbow, which finally woke him up with a pain in his side. He smirked at his wife before sitting up on the bed.
"Yes I am," he replied to the human as he stood to his feet and walked to the fence. "I'm guessing you're the captain too?"
"Admiral," Kimchi said, noting the rank on his uniform. Maxim raised his eyebrows and looked the human over.
"Oh right, you were the one in that funeral service, right? That was a very honourable thing you did. Not many would ever do the same."
Shock stared out the corner of her eye, scowling.
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"Yes I was the one at the funeral service, my less honorable cohorts already rebuked me for doing so... but why DID you open fire on the Indomitable?
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The cat gave a smile,
"The real question is why your people fired upon a neutral planet without provocation. We were just following orders in retaliation to that attack," he said.
Mika turned away from the two officers, crawling into the corner.
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"OI! what about us then?"
One of the flyboys had leant up against the fencing off their cell, banging against the metal side..
"we're neutral shipping we are! ya cant hold us in like thi... ~urk~ "
Several of the other felines grabbed him from behind and dragged him back onto the cell bunks... obviously they did not feel shouting and provokation was a good idea in the present scenario...
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"Well Eph'Tan" The Admiral began, not bothering to use his foe's rank "Tell me why our scans and those of the probe around neutral space detected large amounts of radiation and plasma... only your kind knows how to create a plasma warhead so potent to wipe out whole cityscapes..."
The guard nearest the salvagers took out a staff like weapon, pushing a button, the front end cackled with energy as he shoved it near the prisoners. "Shut it unless you wanna fry!"
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If there was ever a world record for how quickly a group of people could shut up... the salvagers probably broke it there and then...
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Shock giggled to herself before banging the wall between her and the cats.
"Bunch a' cowards! Show a spine! Stupid felines." The captain rolled his eyes at his subordinate before turning back to the admiral.
"Well... huuuuuman, I am in the enviable position of being but a simple soldier. I have my orders, I carry them out." His smile was permanent through every word. "Maybe the Eph'tan did fire first. Honestly, I couldn't care less who did what. War's war."
Mika got to his feet and moved over to Kimchi, sitting by her side, whispering to her, "You think the Conglomerate did fire first?" Kimchi looked to him, raised her hand to calm him and shook her head.
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One of the felines banged back "well we are kinda partial to our fur... and would rather if some nuckle headed human didnt fry it off accidentally" they laughed, lying back the bunks lining the cell walls, ignoring the guards and instead getting on with a game of cards...
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Shock giggled to herself before banging the wall between her and the cats.
"Bunch a' cowards! Show a spine! Stupid felines." The captain rolled his eyes at his subordinate before turning back to the admiral.
"Well... huuuuuman, I am in the enviable position of being but a simple soldier. I have my orders, I carry them out." His smile was permanent through every word. "Maybe the Eph'tan did fire first. Honestly, I couldn't care less who did what. War's war."
Mika got to his feet and moved over to Kimchi, sitting by her side, whispering to her, "You think the Conglomerate did fire first?" Kimchi looked to him, raised her hand to calm him and shook her head.
"Well if your 'all powerful' Conglomerate fire first, WHICH IT DID BY THE WAY! Why did you attack a ship ESCORTING SURVIVORS of your OWN SPECIES!" asked the Admiral, stressing every word half to annoy the captain, half to create his point.
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The captain unleashes a slow building yawn stretching widening as far as he can manage, showing all teeth and tongue without a motion to cover anything.
"Allow me to repeat myself; I follow orders from the conglomerate, I dont care about their actions or lack thereof on some random neutral planet that I dont care about one bit." The more he spoke, the less he smiled, the more his eyes solidified and stared.
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Blaire walked off the ship and looked around. "Well... Are you coming or not?" She asked turning to Chrono. "Let's go your majesty."
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Chrono grunted and jumped off. "Never call me that again..." he shot off before going to a clearing where the man was standing... along with ten human soldiers.
"Why the heck did I think he was going to be alone?"
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"Because you never expect the obvious... Just be careful and don't get caught." She said to him, her voice striking.
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Chrono was about to get served another heap of self-inflicted depression when he noticed a glint past the man and guards. "Good, thats why I hired you... I'll be right back... or you can fire after I'm done..." he said with a grin and went off into the growth, making sure hes going around the clearing and out of sight.
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What do you mean, 'when you're done'?? she thought looking around.
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Chrono was half-way around before he replied. Prince Chrono is not here at the moment, please leave a message after the beep He chuckled to himself as he got a better view of the former general's current ship.
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If you don't answer me I will light the guards up and I will leave you on this god forsaken planet to fend for yourself. She replied angrily.
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Chrono took out his plasma cutter and nodded, finding a better use for it and also taking out several high ordinance charges. While Blaire was replying, he was cutting open the door to the hull, and then put several charges on the engine, then cuts further into the ship, putting charges everywhere. He soon got off the ship and then replied. Beeeeeep. Chrono flipped the switch and ship exploded loud and high enough to grab their "client's" attention for a good ten seconds.
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Blaire Smiled and pulled off the M16A4 that was strapped to her back. She quickly unloaded a clip into multiple guards. She put it back on her back and un-holstered both of her desert eagles taking out the remaining guards. She twirled them and re-holstered them. "That wasn't too bad," She said putting a new clip into the M16 on her back.
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Chrono came back with the man that hired him in his grip. He then held him in front of Blaire and smiled. "You missed the same person I hired you for... care to tighten that loose end?" the former general glared at Chrono and decided to scream his last words at him.
"You filthy Reavers will never get away with this, my men will hunt you down and skin your hides with a chainsaw!!"
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Blaire smirked and held out on of the custom desert eagles she had in possession. It's Ivory white glistened as she looked at him, "You wish." And with that she placed the gun to his head and pulled the trigger. His skull crunching and a piece flew off and landed a few feet away. She looked at Chrono and put the now blood splattered gun away.
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Chrono stuck his tongue out and smiled. "Do I get a kiss for the demolition, or a slap for not responding like a normal reaver?"
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'Tango' amidst the confusion of the killing, slipped towards the ship, and inserted himself into the data streams of Val. Before the A.I. could react, he already had complete control, being created by higher beings then Eph'Tan assured that.
"Hush now little A.I. go to sleep" he muttered as Val was forced into Standby mode. Modulating his voice to sound like many different people at the same time, he planned to use that derelict cloning facility to his advantage.
"Tresspassers!!!! you tread upon cursed ground!" he said, sounding like a few different people of the three species.
"If you want your ship back... you must do something for us! If you refuse then you'll die here like the rest of us" he said.
"In the derelict facility to the south, a madman named Enton Gebbit dabbled in areas no mortal should ever try their hand in. He attempted to make himself immortal, and used our bodies as testbeds. The experiment failed, and our spirits left our bodies as they became slavering monsters..... Kill these monsters.. so we may be at peace..."
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From the sky, by Chrono and Blaire, a light shone, a flame from the heavens, falling to earth. What was once a fighter craft, now a ball of metal and plasma tearing through the atmosphere, smashing to the ground many miles away. Nearer an escape pod landed and fell apart, leaving a bull to stumble forth through the trees, half covered in severe burns, half uniformed in Eph'tan armour. He fell to the dirt and died.
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Blaire laughed and slapped him, then kissed his cheek. "Both, for being absolutely brilliant yet stubborn."
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He continued to smile though she did manage to hit him as hard as a stun baton. "Well, I never do the obvious, nor expect it... in fact... my visor is saying that your ships been comprimised. Oh, and that AI you ejected... I was right when I said to destroy it."
At the end of 'Tango's message, there was a rather rapid message said, but too quick to repeat by ear. 'Lockoutprotocalengaged' said in a rather squeaky voice, where at the cost of having the ship malfunction for an entire day, the AI was forced out of the system and barred from entering due to lack of energy flow.
"The next job I have, is head back to your ship, and look for any footprints not our own..."
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He continued to smile though she did manage to hit him as hard as a stun baton. "Well, I never do the obvious, nor expect it... in fact... my visor is saying that your ships been comprimised. Oh, and that AI you ejected... I was right when I said to destroy it."
At the end of 'Tango's message, there was a rather rapid message said, but too quick to repeat by ear. 'Lockoutprotocalengaged' said in a rather squeaky voice, where at the cost of having the ship malfunction for an entire day, the AI was forced out of the system and barred from entering due to lack of energy flow.
"The next job I have, is head back to your ship, and look for any footprints not our own..."
Unfortunately for Chrono, Tango disrupted the protocol before it got past the word 'protocol'.
"Foolish flesh and blood... you can't purge the supernatural...." uttered the possessed ship. "Free us from our torment in this realm... and your ship shall be yours once more.... Go towards the Omnibus facility and free us, PLEASE, FREE US!" the ghosts begged with the living pair, their sorrow seeping out of the possessed ship, as the disturbed individuals held within just wanted to move on.
(Sorry for the force of plotline, but it's the plot, there's a reason I created Tango to be an unnatural A.I. as far as they go,)
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Chrono falls on his knees and gawks in disbelief. "Whatever happened, the failsafe failed... got anything that can flush out A.I. without using another A.I.?" Chrono asked, since his failsafe apparently failed to eject.
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"WE ARE NOT A.I. REAVER, WE ARE THE ETHEREAL EMBODIMENT OF THE DEAD OF OMNIBUS BASE!" Screamed the ghosts in rage, sending out a psychic scream that drove into the minds of the two, even though Tango isn't psychic, he just screams loud enough that it seems psychic.
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Confused Blaire ran to her ship to check for any issues. Anything that had bugged or invaded her ship was quickly inilated. She then ran back to Chrono. "I'm not sure what to do?! I'm not a technician. I kill people for gods sake!"
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Chrono only shrugged. "Figured you would know something I don't about your own ship... all I can guess is that an A.I. is in there, and unless we can flush him out, our best bet is just to follow along.... and that means heading south to kill more"
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"That's what I do best... As long as there is money in it for me. Ammunition is expensive..." She looked at him with a smirk.
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The Omnibus facility the ghosts constantly warned of, was situated upon a easily defended hill, that is if anyone still used firearms there. Moss and the swamp have begun to retake the facility from the creations of Man. The perimeter fence decrepit and falling apart, one good poke would shatter it completely. Inside lights flickered as the last of the facility's fusion reactor burned on, and strange gasps were heard deeper inside the facility. The one area that seemed untouched by the swamp's corruption happened to be what appeared to be someone's quarters, perhaps it might have something useful inside.
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Chrono looked around the facility with a sneer. "Despite this being our only option, this place reminds me too often of the horror games that my older sister managed to sneak from my father..." He then walked towards the quarters, and checked around the corner with his rifle before going inside to search.
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Entaru awoke from his subconciously induced stupor. He placed his hands over his face in frustration. Even his own body was turning against him. He once again got up from his bed, calmer now, and walked out of the medbay. He listened for any hint or sign of where his new "commanding officer" was. He heard a few snip and snags about an Admiral questioning the POW's in the brig.
"Great..." he muttered irritablely as he made his way to the brig once again.
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Blaire stayed close behind him and smirked. "come on chicken. If there is in anyone there, just shoot them. I got your back."
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An insignificant looking, blue light flickered from one of the two computer consoles within the chamber. The flickering light came from the words "New Message" flashing upon the screen. It appears as if this was some sort of call to the owner of the dorm, however no one was, or until now is able to receive it.
The visible signs of a struggle in the room, with the overturned bedding, and a smashed window, are all that entail to the fate of the dorm owner.
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Chrono looks out the window and sees nothing, then turns over to the computer and tries to open the message. "Theres something called infiltrating a complex, not that i'd expect someone whos usually taking the easy path to their targets to understand the patience that requires..."
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Blaire looked at him angrily. "I'd take another guess at that..." She mumbled. She then hit him in the back of the head.
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Chrono winced at the hit, and held back his temptation to reply in kind. "Sorry, I was assuming you didn't want to take your time since we went the fast route here, and were getting impatient when I said I was going to be right back!" The anger left his eyes and he went back to reading the now opened message.
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The computer flickers for a short while then plays a video of the figure of a huddled man, Human in race and identity, pale in appearance. (the message was a video call)
"Whatever those frickin doctors... and whoever the armored people were, created, it's a nightmare made real!." The voice resembled one of the voices the so called A.I. spoke in.
"Once mutated with the chemicals WHATEVER it was... turned good people into...."
He glanced downwards, struggling to finish his sentence
"Demons... those things are so far locked in the science wing... Tabetha... if you can hear this message, Run away, I don't care where JUST GET AWAY FROM HERE PLEASE!"
He broke down crying
"That **** doctor of ours injected me with the very agent that turned Kevin into one of those things! Please.. for the sake of both of us, GET AWAY!"
Soon he stopped talking as loud banging and resounding thumps came from the ceilings
"The vents!? THE THINGS ARE IN THE VENTS!"
The man managed to cry out before he was taken down by one of the monsters, and his monster smashed.
'Message over'
flashed the computer screen in front of the two.
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"I much prefer getting the job done as fast as possible" She mocked. "You do things to slow... You'll never fit in on my ship if you can't just get crap done."
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The dull resounding thumps from the message repeat, except in this instance in real time. The vents make noises, and they don't sound like happy noises.
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Chrono quickly took out his plasma cutter and made a single cut through the vent, hearing a screech and then silence as he finished his sweeping cut. A mix of red and green seeped through the cut "Thats because I perfer to take my targets alive, since we're just killing... I'm not holding back" he said rather angrily before walking out the door and hearing moans and growls. "Guessing by the noises, I just killed a scout and now the hives awake... hope you got something better than a sniper rifle or a pistol on you" he said as he took out his bolter, wanting to conserve the energy in his plasma cutter.
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"Sniper rifle is on the ship which is now in a different location. It'll come when I call." She looked at him and pulled her M16A4 off her back. "This should do for now." She cracked her neck and readied herself.
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After a few moments of noises, it turns dead silent, then what looks like a humanoid in tattered power armor rushes him. Without even gasping or making a jolt, he fires on the creature felling it in one second from one round to the head, and another to the chest. Chrono turned on the floodlight on his bolter and saw not just one, but at least fifteen are seen just staring at him. "Great, the sickness spreaded quickly...." He opened fire again at the same time they charged at him.
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Screeching pierced the pair's brain, as the Lead infected gave the order for it's minions to launch an all out attack. Some were scampering on the walls going for a flanking maneuver, while some went directly in through the front, with the prize being fresh food.
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"this is Captain Fer'ensha of the Eph'tan destroyer 'Emilia'... captains log 83... we are currently in situe above the merchants planet in quadrant XXzero-aplha9... so far contact with pirates has been made twice within the last fourtyfive hours, it seems with the confusion of war breaking out they are ammassing larger attacks and taking advantage of our confusio.... ALL HANDS TO BATTLE STATIONS! ENEMY CONTACT!"
~the ship rocked with explosions as several knife shaped bombers strafed along the hull of the destroyer, blue flashes bursting across the metal plating as plasma bombs found their mark... point defence systems swivveled to find targets, railguns opening fire with long streams of orange contrails... the sound of the gunfire was muffled in space, only the bright flashes and occasional 'thwump' as a bomber was caught in the flak and exploded~
"Sir... it appears that the pirates have some kind of new cruiser with several panel-like extrusions... they seem to be some kind of foccusing array for what can only be some sort of beam... HOLY FRACK!"
~log ends with static~
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A fighter spun through the darkness, trails of flame twirling over its carcass. Inside was a Lapine Eph'tan, his uniform was of squad commander Asia Kali.
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Chrono was momentarilly thrown off by the screech, but resumed firing on the closest infected. "It would be nice if I wasn't the only one shooting...but I'll manage...I hope"
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The infected fell one by one, but there were too many!
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((I'll admit... I'm really confused))
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((basically the cloninc facility the ghost has sent you into is infested with failed test experiments that are now hell bent on eating you two)