Help
Natasha sighed. All the scanners showed clear. "Stand down from invasion alert. Get damage assessments ASAP. I'll be in my ready room if you need me."
Yuri turned to her. "This will have to be reviewed thoroughly. We must not allow this to happen again."
Natasha agreed, then hurried to her ready room. She pulled out her sleeping cot and plopped down. Odd, she never usually felt that tired.
In her dream, Natahsa was six years old.
Her mother was there too - her mind often replayed the last time she spent with her mother, although it was always different.
Her mother wore the clean, shimmering admiral's uniform she liked so much. Natasha had been determined to wear it ever since she knew what it meant.
Without a word, her mother dropped to her knees and hugged her. It was one of the few events in the dream that stayed constant.
Suddenly, her mother spoke. "Did they ever tell you the truth about how I died?"
Natasha knew they hadn't. "No."
"You should look through their files. You have the power."
"I did. Nothing was there."
"You should check the FxITSYS directory. The truth is in there. The password is "|DingDongTheWitchIsDead0012|".Natasha knew she could trust her mother.
Or could she?
"Nice try, Leela."
The dream changed. Now, the adult Natasha was being hugged by Leela.
"You figured out the source, I see. However, I have no need for lies when the truth hurts so much. Read the files. If you don't support peaceful human unification after that, you'd have to be insane or hate your mother."
"Or not believe it."
"Have I ever lied to you?"
"No, but you haven't said very much either."
"Then read it, and ask the others about it. They were well placed enough then to hear ripples. Don't blame them, they weren't responsible."
With that, the dream faded.
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Battleroid Field Infiltrator Report
Header: Top_Secret
We hitched a ride on one of the Polaris smuggling ships heading back after the Phylydion crackdown. It had stayed over a little due to fueling difficulties. We told them we were smugglers who'd been detained, but released due to insufficient evidence. They believed it after we helped with the refuel and demonstrated our knowledge of smuggling.
We're currently prepairing for deep-cover operations, as the immediate objective is mooted.
The hair dye and contacts are working great. Nobody suspects anything. And they'd need to medscan us or open us up to seem much else different. Our weapons were accepted as part of a smuggler's standard regalia (we were careful to select generic, black-market weapons to avoid suspicion).
For now, we're laying low with the rest of the smugglers, waiting for our next assignment.
It appears a large portion of Polaris takeovers are precipitated by addicting their enemies to a custom-tailored yet seemingly harmless drug. We recomend we watch our backs if they try ANY trade relations.
We'll stand by to blow up, steal, or spy as things shape up. Stay in touch.
End_Transmission
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Bob sighed. The techs at this Polaris fuel station were freaking out about "where did you get this ship?!??!?". He answered honestly, and they laughed really hard, told him they liked the joke, and then serioused up again and demanded he tell the "truth" about where he got it.
"A friend gave it to me."
"What species? What nationality?"
"Jjaro. Jjaro."
"Never heard of that one."
"It's not your enemy."
"How do we know?"
Bob considered several responses. "Because you're not dead." "Because you're not enough of a threat." "Because they haven't killed you yet." "Because you aren't evil enough for them to care"
Bob decided "Because you're moral enough."
They accepted that, and fueled the scoutship.
Bob sighed. He'd have to make 2 or 3 more fuel stops. Some of them in Phylydion space. Humans weren't very welcome there...
------------------
Seen on a Claymore anitpersonell mine: "Do not eat"
Chapter Four: Reign of the Talos
#27
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Posted 30 November 2001 - 01:37 AM
[Cicion, there is no Cipcon smuggling, no Cipcon importation, or trading. There is absolutely NO cipcon left in the imperium, as far as the populace and the authoraties know of]
"And your men are good enough for the job?" Yuri Ulovich asked wearily, regarding the black man sitting opposite him with mild curiosity.
"Damn right we can." He grunted, slamming his orange space-helmut onto the pure-opal table. "We can pop-in-and out before they even see us."
"Do you require Confederate Assistance in getting your team into the imperium?" sked Yuri in a burst of generosity.
"No, a diversion would only hinder our efforts. You see, Phylydions can only detect ships with 'shield' technology at long range. Our heavy-armor division can land a few of my men on Dominus completely undetected."
"Will they suspect anything?"
"The Phylydions don't even know of our existance, though the Argosians would, what with our sacking their homeworld all those years ago..."
"Normally I would not treat with the likes of you." Yuri half-sneered, "However, Only a fool would ignore something that could deal serious damage to his foe. For your cooperation up tot he fall of Dominus, you want...?"
The mercenary leaned forward and licked his lips, eager to finish the sentence. "A share of the plunder. But, you must keep the Argosians from us. We fear them greatly."
Yuri Sighed. "Very well. I shall press Vendetta on the Argosians in exchange for your cooperation."
The Orion Captain smiled.
* * * * *
"Cargo Ship wolf-zeta, you are violating shipping lane Phylon-quack, please hold position for immediate inspection."The Phylydion shipping director waited for the reply.
Static burst back. "Cargo Ship wolf-zeta reporting, we are experiancing drive trouble. Requesting emergency flight plan!"
"Head to patrol lane Centauri-jack where you willbe escorted to the nearest compound."
"Negative, control, our drive has suffered complete faliure and we are having difficulties maintaining orbit. Mayday! Mayday!"
The Cargoship's wreckage was recovered three hours later in the bottom of a crater somewhere in the wastelands on Dominus. No possible survivors, all escape-pods still in place.
------------------
Time is the best teacher, yet it kills all of it's students.
"And your men are good enough for the job?" Yuri Ulovich asked wearily, regarding the black man sitting opposite him with mild curiosity.
"Damn right we can." He grunted, slamming his orange space-helmut onto the pure-opal table. "We can pop-in-and out before they even see us."
"Do you require Confederate Assistance in getting your team into the imperium?" sked Yuri in a burst of generosity.
"No, a diversion would only hinder our efforts. You see, Phylydions can only detect ships with 'shield' technology at long range. Our heavy-armor division can land a few of my men on Dominus completely undetected."
"Will they suspect anything?"
"The Phylydions don't even know of our existance, though the Argosians would, what with our sacking their homeworld all those years ago..."
"Normally I would not treat with the likes of you." Yuri half-sneered, "However, Only a fool would ignore something that could deal serious damage to his foe. For your cooperation up tot he fall of Dominus, you want...?"
The mercenary leaned forward and licked his lips, eager to finish the sentence. "A share of the plunder. But, you must keep the Argosians from us. We fear them greatly."
Yuri Sighed. "Very well. I shall press Vendetta on the Argosians in exchange for your cooperation."
The Orion Captain smiled.
* * * * *
"Cargo Ship wolf-zeta, you are violating shipping lane Phylon-quack, please hold position for immediate inspection."The Phylydion shipping director waited for the reply.
Static burst back. "Cargo Ship wolf-zeta reporting, we are experiancing drive trouble. Requesting emergency flight plan!"
"Head to patrol lane Centauri-jack where you willbe escorted to the nearest compound."
"Negative, control, our drive has suffered complete faliure and we are having difficulties maintaining orbit. Mayday! Mayday!"
The Cargoship's wreckage was recovered three hours later in the bottom of a crater somewhere in the wastelands on Dominus. No possible survivors, all escape-pods still in place.
------------------
Time is the best teacher, yet it kills all of it's students.
[image removed]
#28
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Posted 30 November 2001 - 12:10 PM
Tavron Seida was not in a good mood. Not only had the attacks on the Northstar been severely delayed, but many of his best operatives and officials had been killed by an unknown preditor. Of course, it was only unknown to the general public; while he didn't know for sure, Tavron had a pretty good idea who was behind this. He read through the case file on an Ordan black op: a eugenics project of monumental proportions that ended in ruins:
Case File: Confidential
Status: Unreleased
Type: Black Ops/Covert Operation
Code Name: Raiden
Purpose: to create a genetically perfect "super-soldier" capable of performing missions to dificult for normal operatives.
Notes: Dr. ---- ------- (name classified - lvl 8)
The general purpose of this mission was to take the mind of the most decorated officer in the Ordan Navy and combine it with the tactical knowledge of the most successful terrorist of all time. It was expected that the superior intelect of the soldier would take over the personality of this weapon and would utilize the knowledge of the terrorist. In any case, the body that was originally used was too weak to support the brain due to the tremendous heat produce by the dual minds present. Thus, a "cyborg" body was constructed that could properly dissapate the heat. THis new weapon was given the name Raiden. When first activated, the terrorist's mind took over and the cyborg destroyed the lab along with all of the scientists and personel inside.
-End of log file.
***
"Sir, should i give the order to launch the fleet?"
Tavron woke up from his daydream and slowly forced the words out:
"Yes. Give the order for 5000 of the ships to procede to the North Star, destroy all blockades and destroy the planet. Have the other 5000 ships guard all of the major planets under Ordan control. Do we have confirmation of support from the Phylydions?"
"Sir, they haven't sent the transmission."
"Then we'll have to launch without them. Give the order!"
"Yes Sir!"
The officer clicked his heels and saluted, then left the room. Within the hour, the 5000 ships had set out to the North Star fully armed and oblivious to the bloody battle ahead.
A tall muscular figure stepped into the office of Tavron Seida. As he walked towards his desk, he dropped a human corpse he was holding by the head. The body made a loud thunk as it hit the ground. The figure strode silently towards Tavrons desk. He picked up the case file, "So Tavron, you have been keeping tabs on me."
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"We shall dominate their armies, pillage their cities, and banish their spirits to the land of eternal darkness."
-Corporus 1st Class Tavron Seida
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Case File: Confidential
Status: Unreleased
Type: Black Ops/Covert Operation
Code Name: Raiden
Purpose: to create a genetically perfect "super-soldier" capable of performing missions to dificult for normal operatives.
Notes: Dr. ---- ------- (name classified - lvl 8)
The general purpose of this mission was to take the mind of the most decorated officer in the Ordan Navy and combine it with the tactical knowledge of the most successful terrorist of all time. It was expected that the superior intelect of the soldier would take over the personality of this weapon and would utilize the knowledge of the terrorist. In any case, the body that was originally used was too weak to support the brain due to the tremendous heat produce by the dual minds present. Thus, a "cyborg" body was constructed that could properly dissapate the heat. THis new weapon was given the name Raiden. When first activated, the terrorist's mind took over and the cyborg destroyed the lab along with all of the scientists and personel inside.
-End of log file.
***
"Sir, should i give the order to launch the fleet?"
Tavron woke up from his daydream and slowly forced the words out:
"Yes. Give the order for 5000 of the ships to procede to the North Star, destroy all blockades and destroy the planet. Have the other 5000 ships guard all of the major planets under Ordan control. Do we have confirmation of support from the Phylydions?"
"Sir, they haven't sent the transmission."
"Then we'll have to launch without them. Give the order!"
"Yes Sir!"
The officer clicked his heels and saluted, then left the room. Within the hour, the 5000 ships had set out to the North Star fully armed and oblivious to the bloody battle ahead.
A tall muscular figure stepped into the office of Tavron Seida. As he walked towards his desk, he dropped a human corpse he was holding by the head. The body made a loud thunk as it hit the ground. The figure strode silently towards Tavrons desk. He picked up the case file, "So Tavron, you have been keeping tabs on me."
------------------
"We shall dominate their armies, pillage their cities, and banish their spirits to the land of eternal darkness."
-Corporus 1st Class Tavron Seida
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#29
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Posted 30 November 2001 - 11:40 PM
Bob was not generally not the one to consult when arranging the balance of power in the galaxy. He had tolerable analytic skills, it was just that he had never applied them to much beyond small tactical engagements. However, he did not like the fact that the Phylidions were going to assault the Polaris homeworld anymore than he liked the fact that he had not heard from Durandal yet, which meant a twenty year trip home by his current means of conveyance. He knew that the Phylidion honor code bound its officers to defend civilians at great cost, he had seen too many war ravaged planets to believe it. Unfortunately, he had no way to do damage to the ships beyond boarding and sabotageing them one by one.
He did however realize that they large Phylidion fleet was likely headed his way, and that he would be hard pressed to find a quicker way back to his side of the galaxy. He made the decison, and jumped into North Star in the middle of the battle. His cloak hid him well, and long enough for him to find a large enough hole in a damaged Phylidion vessel to fly inside and latch on. It was then only a matter of time before the wounded vessel he had boarded lit up its engines and folded out, back towards the Phylidion Border.
------------------
NEW NAME FOR THE DREADNOUGHT
The Hard-Boiled Egg
Why?
Because she cant be beaten!
He did however realize that they large Phylidion fleet was likely headed his way, and that he would be hard pressed to find a quicker way back to his side of the galaxy. He made the decison, and jumped into North Star in the middle of the battle. His cloak hid him well, and long enough for him to find a large enough hole in a damaged Phylidion vessel to fly inside and latch on. It was then only a matter of time before the wounded vessel he had boarded lit up its engines and folded out, back towards the Phylidion Border.
------------------
NEW NAME FOR THE DREADNOUGHT
The Hard-Boiled Egg
Why?
Because she cant be beaten!
#30
- Ravenous
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Posted 01 December 2001 - 01:12 AM
"Sir we've got unidentifieds in orbit over North Star. Shall we proceed with the attack?"
Tavron cracked hi knuckles so violently that even several thousand lightyears away, the fleet commander flinched. "So the Polaris have called in their lapdogs. Proceed as planned."
* * * * *
The ususal rain of planetary fire lanced through the incoming fleet, impaling many of the attackers before the fleets clashed.
Moments before the fleets began firing on each other, a large red beam sliced the Phylydion Command-ship in half.
Shouts were heard from the Polaris defenders. "Glory to the Axis! Glory to the empire! Glory to the Confederacy! Glory to mankind!" The terrible warcry sent a shiver down the spines of even the most Veteran Phylydion Warriors.
"Sir! We've got incomings in sector four, planetside!" Yelped the captain.
"A trap..." The newely-replaced fleet commander breathed.
The four fleets converged on the Phylydion Armada.
Shrugging off losing half of their ships every fifteen minutes, the Phylydions screamed towards the planet in a blaze of glory.
* * * * *
Four Days Later
As North Star still lay smouldering, recovering from the worst saturation nuclear-bombing in it's history, revenge was already being plotted halfway accross the galaxy.
The farmlands on Bordeaux, sisterworld to Dominus, were not only a major source of food for the Imperium, but also one of the few serene spots left in it. The Cipcon Riots had never really taken the planet by storm; a few of the cities were imposed under martial law, but besides being the most peacefull planet in the imperium, it was also the most disinteresting.
Thus when a nuclear flame erupted one day in the Capital of Bordeaux, wiping the city off the face of the planet, a clear message was sent to the imperium. We too are among you.
This did little to ease the drug-fazed panic among the populace of the imperium.
* * * * *
Admiral Benedin sat in his completely-devoid quarters. He sat at his admiral's desk, the lamp completely focused on the table, blotting out the rest of the room- hell, the whole ship as far as he was concerned- in total darkness. It was all he could do to keep his sanity.
Though he had kicked the habit and had rehabilitated, he was still a wreck. He could not bear hearing the mention of the word Cipcon, or even bear sight to a shade of purple without his whole body tingling in anticipation, in want-turned-need off the euphoric drug. Indeed, the addiction was spreading to his conscious as well; the only way he could focus was to avoid color, to avoid happiness and satisfaction, to avoid all of the feelings and sensations his brain had permanently associated with Cipcon.
The room was stuffy and quiet. He felt alone at times in the room, but not now. Why not? Why was there a sudden presence in his quarters? He bit his lip as sweat rolled down his forehead, his breathing became elevated, his voice rang out hoarse and whispery. "Who's there?!".
Silence.
He forced himself to calm down. He was tired, and needed to go to bed. As he started to turn he sensed a motion. A tiny lavendar vial rolled onto the desk from the pitch-darkness.
His panting became frantic, fearfull. Were those the footsteps of the intruder, or the galloping of his heart in it's terror?! How did this make it's way into the imperium?! Why, Benedin, why? Why why why why why?! He restrained himself, but to no avail. He was a weak, man; his strength, willpower, determination, and even terror could not override his overwhelming need. He sobbed as he brought the vial up to his face, turning the opening up to face him. Benedin you are pathetic. Benedin you coward you, DO NOT TAKE THE VIAL BENEDIN! DON'T TAKE IT! His brain was screaming at his muscles to throw the vial down; to smash it into a million pieces and be rid of it, but he couldn't.
BENEDIN DON'T... ohhh yeah....
They found him two days later at the bottom of his sonic shower; a quivering wretched mass. The antithesis of the once-stalawart and strong high Admiral.
------------------
Time is the best teacher, yet it kills all of it's students.
Tavron cracked hi knuckles so violently that even several thousand lightyears away, the fleet commander flinched. "So the Polaris have called in their lapdogs. Proceed as planned."
* * * * *
The ususal rain of planetary fire lanced through the incoming fleet, impaling many of the attackers before the fleets clashed.
Moments before the fleets began firing on each other, a large red beam sliced the Phylydion Command-ship in half.
Shouts were heard from the Polaris defenders. "Glory to the Axis! Glory to the empire! Glory to the Confederacy! Glory to mankind!" The terrible warcry sent a shiver down the spines of even the most Veteran Phylydion Warriors.
"Sir! We've got incomings in sector four, planetside!" Yelped the captain.
"A trap..." The newely-replaced fleet commander breathed.
The four fleets converged on the Phylydion Armada.
Shrugging off losing half of their ships every fifteen minutes, the Phylydions screamed towards the planet in a blaze of glory.
* * * * *
Four Days Later
As North Star still lay smouldering, recovering from the worst saturation nuclear-bombing in it's history, revenge was already being plotted halfway accross the galaxy.
The farmlands on Bordeaux, sisterworld to Dominus, were not only a major source of food for the Imperium, but also one of the few serene spots left in it. The Cipcon Riots had never really taken the planet by storm; a few of the cities were imposed under martial law, but besides being the most peacefull planet in the imperium, it was also the most disinteresting.
Thus when a nuclear flame erupted one day in the Capital of Bordeaux, wiping the city off the face of the planet, a clear message was sent to the imperium. We too are among you.
This did little to ease the drug-fazed panic among the populace of the imperium.
* * * * *
Admiral Benedin sat in his completely-devoid quarters. He sat at his admiral's desk, the lamp completely focused on the table, blotting out the rest of the room- hell, the whole ship as far as he was concerned- in total darkness. It was all he could do to keep his sanity.
Though he had kicked the habit and had rehabilitated, he was still a wreck. He could not bear hearing the mention of the word Cipcon, or even bear sight to a shade of purple without his whole body tingling in anticipation, in want-turned-need off the euphoric drug. Indeed, the addiction was spreading to his conscious as well; the only way he could focus was to avoid color, to avoid happiness and satisfaction, to avoid all of the feelings and sensations his brain had permanently associated with Cipcon.
The room was stuffy and quiet. He felt alone at times in the room, but not now. Why not? Why was there a sudden presence in his quarters? He bit his lip as sweat rolled down his forehead, his breathing became elevated, his voice rang out hoarse and whispery. "Who's there?!".
Silence.
He forced himself to calm down. He was tired, and needed to go to bed. As he started to turn he sensed a motion. A tiny lavendar vial rolled onto the desk from the pitch-darkness.
His panting became frantic, fearfull. Were those the footsteps of the intruder, or the galloping of his heart in it's terror?! How did this make it's way into the imperium?! Why, Benedin, why? Why why why why why?! He restrained himself, but to no avail. He was a weak, man; his strength, willpower, determination, and even terror could not override his overwhelming need. He sobbed as he brought the vial up to his face, turning the opening up to face him. Benedin you are pathetic. Benedin you coward you, DO NOT TAKE THE VIAL BENEDIN! DON'T TAKE IT! His brain was screaming at his muscles to throw the vial down; to smash it into a million pieces and be rid of it, but he couldn't.
BENEDIN DON'T... ohhh yeah....
They found him two days later at the bottom of his sonic shower; a quivering wretched mass. The antithesis of the once-stalawart and strong high Admiral.
------------------
Time is the best teacher, yet it kills all of it's students.
[image removed]
#31
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Posted 01 December 2001 - 10:07 PM
(Slug, my character isn't really the "knuckle-cracking" type, and im pretty sure the word "lapdog" isn't in the Ordan vocabulary. By the way, the Ordan fleet had just left base, and wouldn't reach the North Star for quite sometime. Why dont you leave the control of my character to me, ok? Good.)
Tavron nervously strode back and forth across the command chamber. It had been two days into the mission and there had been no indication of any Pylydion support in this endeavour. Of course they were busy fighting their own battles, but their support was crucial to the success of this mission.
"Sir, we have visual confirmation of Phylydion support from someone named Bedein. He says he is currently in control of a large fleet that has been performing hit-and-run attacks ont the Polaris forces."
Tavron smiled to hiself. He had heard a great deal about the illustrious Admiral Bedein. "Notify him that we accept his support and look forward to working with him in the upcoming battles."
"Yes Sir!"
"So we finally have some real support. Its about time." Tavron thought to himself.
***
Several hours later
Tavron was sitting in his private quarters when he was interrupted by a young lieutenant:
"Sir, i have terrible news. Another one of your advisors has been found dead. However, this time we were able to ascertain who the killer was. It appeared that the victim attempted to fight back, and cut the killer. We analyzed the blood sample; its him...."
Here the lieutenant stopped. He saw the look of horror on Tavron's face. He saluted, and quickly left the room.
Tavron hardly knew what to think. He knew the true capabilities of Raiden, and realized that it would be nearly impossible to take him down. Then it came to him; he thought of someone who could help him: a man by the name of..........Cicion. "Tomorrow morning," he thought to himself, "i will talk Traek and see if he can help me. If he cant help, then the Polaris will be the least of my worries."
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"We shall dominate their armies, pillage their cities, and banish their spirits to the land of eternal darkness."
-Corporus 1st Class Tavron Seida
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Tavron nervously strode back and forth across the command chamber. It had been two days into the mission and there had been no indication of any Pylydion support in this endeavour. Of course they were busy fighting their own battles, but their support was crucial to the success of this mission.
"Sir, we have visual confirmation of Phylydion support from someone named Bedein. He says he is currently in control of a large fleet that has been performing hit-and-run attacks ont the Polaris forces."
Tavron smiled to hiself. He had heard a great deal about the illustrious Admiral Bedein. "Notify him that we accept his support and look forward to working with him in the upcoming battles."
"Yes Sir!"
"So we finally have some real support. Its about time." Tavron thought to himself.
***
Several hours later
Tavron was sitting in his private quarters when he was interrupted by a young lieutenant:
"Sir, i have terrible news. Another one of your advisors has been found dead. However, this time we were able to ascertain who the killer was. It appeared that the victim attempted to fight back, and cut the killer. We analyzed the blood sample; its him...."
Here the lieutenant stopped. He saw the look of horror on Tavron's face. He saluted, and quickly left the room.
Tavron hardly knew what to think. He knew the true capabilities of Raiden, and realized that it would be nearly impossible to take him down. Then it came to him; he thought of someone who could help him: a man by the name of..........Cicion. "Tomorrow morning," he thought to himself, "i will talk Traek and see if he can help me. If he cant help, then the Polaris will be the least of my worries."
------------------
"We shall dominate their armies, pillage their cities, and banish their spirits to the land of eternal darkness."
-Corporus 1st Class Tavron Seida
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#32
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Posted 01 December 2001 - 10:36 PM
Drion Nerec looked over the report. "What's this about our launching a second attack on North Star?"
"After our fleet retreated from the system, a renegade Phylydion mercenary force attacked the system. They were surrounded and almost destroyed, but managed to blast the kadt out of North Star with incendiary and nuclear bombs."
"And what of our Ordan allies?"
"They've launched an offensive campaign into Polaris space. They've been asking rather loudly for our support. Naturally, we placed a medium-sized fleet under their command, although it is a bit of a strain on our resources. Admiral Bedein's fleet is also deep in Polaris space, conducting raids. We're unsure of his progress. The attacks on Beordo(Just Phylizing the name, Slug) are still being looked in to. And our agents in Polaris space are still working their wonders."
"Good."
Admiral Bedein sat, disenheartened, in front of Viera Dor. She looked at him with scorn. "You failed my test."
"I know, Supreme Admiral. My strength was particularly waning at that time."
"Imagine if it had been REAL Cipcon! We'd be without one of our finest officers now."
"I doubt that. The scientists working with me said that my forcing out of the substance's effects gave me a strong immunity to it."
"And suppose they develop a new variant of Cipcon! Then you'd be in a frenzied stupor."
"True. But as we're deep in Polaris space on an unrestrained mission, I suggest you trust me and take your fancy shuttle back to Jaltir." She was taken aback.
"You dare show me this lack of respect?"
"Show me a reason to respect you, and I'll do so. First off, I suggest you have a taste of what it feels like to actually lead men into battle." He turned his back on her. Supreme Admiral Dor, feeling a centimeter tall, backed away and returned to her shuttle. Bedein strode to the bridge. "Next target!"
"Located, sir. The Sevilla system. Minor trade world. Small military presense."
"Let's go."
"Shouldn't we wait to confirm our orders with high command-"
"I said GO!" The fleet pulled out of its asteroid field hideout and launched into omnispace. There was a new look in his eyes. A look of intense individuality.
The vidscreen flicked on, and Tavron Seida found himself looking at Traek Cicion.
"You asked for me to contact you, Tavron. What's the trouble?"
"It has to do with a certain top-secret scientific project the Ordan military undertook a few years ago. The object was to create a super-Ordan being, an assassin capable of any assignment. Two minds were infused into a single, extremely powerful body."
"Let me guess. The project, when set into motion, failed, and the super-being escaped to who know's where after killing a lot of people."
"Precisely. It would not be so unfortunate if it were not STILL killing people."
"Who's it killed?"
"Some military and governing officials here and there, several of my aides. I've heard of your...experience, and I've called you here to request your assistance in hunting down and eliminating this thing."
"Ah, I see. I would be honored to aide you in your mission. After all, the Ordans are providing a great deal of needed help to us in our fight against the Polaris." The two exchanged nods.
"I'll be here if you need to contact me again, Tavron. Out." The comm signal disconnected.
------------------
-Traek Cicion of the Taeskor
"What sort of man is he?"
"Oh, he's just like any other man, only more so."
-Casablanca
"After our fleet retreated from the system, a renegade Phylydion mercenary force attacked the system. They were surrounded and almost destroyed, but managed to blast the kadt out of North Star with incendiary and nuclear bombs."
"And what of our Ordan allies?"
"They've launched an offensive campaign into Polaris space. They've been asking rather loudly for our support. Naturally, we placed a medium-sized fleet under their command, although it is a bit of a strain on our resources. Admiral Bedein's fleet is also deep in Polaris space, conducting raids. We're unsure of his progress. The attacks on Beordo(Just Phylizing the name, Slug) are still being looked in to. And our agents in Polaris space are still working their wonders."
"Good."
Admiral Bedein sat, disenheartened, in front of Viera Dor. She looked at him with scorn. "You failed my test."
"I know, Supreme Admiral. My strength was particularly waning at that time."
"Imagine if it had been REAL Cipcon! We'd be without one of our finest officers now."
"I doubt that. The scientists working with me said that my forcing out of the substance's effects gave me a strong immunity to it."
"And suppose they develop a new variant of Cipcon! Then you'd be in a frenzied stupor."
"True. But as we're deep in Polaris space on an unrestrained mission, I suggest you trust me and take your fancy shuttle back to Jaltir." She was taken aback.
"You dare show me this lack of respect?"
"Show me a reason to respect you, and I'll do so. First off, I suggest you have a taste of what it feels like to actually lead men into battle." He turned his back on her. Supreme Admiral Dor, feeling a centimeter tall, backed away and returned to her shuttle. Bedein strode to the bridge. "Next target!"
"Located, sir. The Sevilla system. Minor trade world. Small military presense."
"Let's go."
"Shouldn't we wait to confirm our orders with high command-"
"I said GO!" The fleet pulled out of its asteroid field hideout and launched into omnispace. There was a new look in his eyes. A look of intense individuality.
The vidscreen flicked on, and Tavron Seida found himself looking at Traek Cicion.
"You asked for me to contact you, Tavron. What's the trouble?"
"It has to do with a certain top-secret scientific project the Ordan military undertook a few years ago. The object was to create a super-Ordan being, an assassin capable of any assignment. Two minds were infused into a single, extremely powerful body."
"Let me guess. The project, when set into motion, failed, and the super-being escaped to who know's where after killing a lot of people."
"Precisely. It would not be so unfortunate if it were not STILL killing people."
"Who's it killed?"
"Some military and governing officials here and there, several of my aides. I've heard of your...experience, and I've called you here to request your assistance in hunting down and eliminating this thing."
"Ah, I see. I would be honored to aide you in your mission. After all, the Ordans are providing a great deal of needed help to us in our fight against the Polaris." The two exchanged nods.
"I'll be here if you need to contact me again, Tavron. Out." The comm signal disconnected.
------------------
-Traek Cicion of the Taeskor
"What sort of man is he?"
"Oh, he's just like any other man, only more so."
-Casablanca
-Traek Cicion, barkeep extraordinaire
"PS: If nothing's working around here, it's because I'm laughing so hard."
-Durandal
"PS: If nothing's working around here, it's because I'm laughing so hard."
-Durandal
#33
- Member
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- Group: Members
- Posts: 463
- Joined: 31-January 00
Posted 03 December 2001 - 01:10 AM
Bob was getting impatient. Moreover, he was getting worried. He was sitting in a missile crater in a large Phylidion vessel. It was only a matter of time before the crew decided to do a proper sounding of the area and found his scoutship stowed away. Now Bob didn't know too much about Phylidions, but he figured that they weren't the type to deal kindly with stowaways. Unfortunately, the alternative was an eighteen month journey back home under his own power, and that was if the scoutship's powerplant could last that long, let alone Bob's food. He was already down to rationing his nutrition sticks and water. He hoped that the fleet would head back to Dominus before they found him. He'd give the Taeskors a run for their money, but he couldn't take on a whole battlefleet single handed. And who knows what the Phylidions would do if they found out that he had two pieces of the Arcanis hidden away in his suit. He really didn't want to think about it.
Where's Durandal when you need him?
------------------
NEW NAME FOR THE DREADNOUGHT
The Hard-Boiled Egg
Why?
Because she cant be beaten!
Where's Durandal when you need him?
------------------
NEW NAME FOR THE DREADNOUGHT
The Hard-Boiled Egg
Why?
Because she cant be beaten!
#34
- Ravenous
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- Group: Members
- Posts: 3,746
- Joined: 03-March 00
- Location:The Cabbage Patch
Posted 04 December 2001 - 12:29 AM
"We must take the initiative!" The Argosian General Kijou slammed his fist on the table. "Already two massive assaults on the Polaris homeworld have failed. Miserably. All because of our lack of initiative. The Confederacy is not a foe to be underestimated!"
The Phylydion Admirals glared at him. "As much as the Imperial Navy has experiance in combat-" The table burst into laughter- "We do not need your advice, General."
The fiery General leaned over, his serpent eyes grinning at Admiral Benedin. "We have had a higher military success rate in our campaign than the whole history of the imperium."
"We have the experiance, Kijou, and we know another strike at the Polaris homeworld would be suicide."
General Kijou glanced around the table of Phylydion Admirals for support. "Fine." He snorted. "If your overgrown beaurocratic government is unwilling to cooperate with the Empire's long-term goals, we shall have to launch the offensive alone."
* * * * *
"Arrogant Argosians." Benedin murmured after the meeting. "Think they're kadt-invincible untill they get spanked."
* * * * *
Four hours later, the largest invasion in the history of the universe was launched. Hundreds of troop transports, thousands of carriers, tens-of-thousands of fighters, destroyers, and cruisers. At the head of the massive armada, the three Argosian Chimaeras launched their dimensional gate.
And the fleet was gone.
------------------
Time is the best teacher, yet it kills all of it's students.
The Phylydion Admirals glared at him. "As much as the Imperial Navy has experiance in combat-" The table burst into laughter- "We do not need your advice, General."
The fiery General leaned over, his serpent eyes grinning at Admiral Benedin. "We have had a higher military success rate in our campaign than the whole history of the imperium."
"We have the experiance, Kijou, and we know another strike at the Polaris homeworld would be suicide."
General Kijou glanced around the table of Phylydion Admirals for support. "Fine." He snorted. "If your overgrown beaurocratic government is unwilling to cooperate with the Empire's long-term goals, we shall have to launch the offensive alone."
* * * * *
"Arrogant Argosians." Benedin murmured after the meeting. "Think they're kadt-invincible untill they get spanked."
* * * * *
Four hours later, the largest invasion in the history of the universe was launched. Hundreds of troop transports, thousands of carriers, tens-of-thousands of fighters, destroyers, and cruisers. At the head of the massive armada, the three Argosian Chimaeras launched their dimensional gate.
And the fleet was gone.
------------------
Time is the best teacher, yet it kills all of it's students.
[image removed]
#35
- Member
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- Group: Members
- Posts: 2,003
- Joined: 16-January 00
Posted 05 December 2001 - 09:43 PM
Leela turned to Darkk, obviously agitated.
"He must not get a third piece. He might be able to give others strength to fight me then.
We must not let him get it. I will help fight him personally."
Darkk gulped. That poor human, he'd never know what hit him.
He looked at the chronometer. Only a few more days to Rodrom.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Durandal could see Bob's plight - Benden must be recalled. Durandal didn't think Viera Dor would order Benden back. That left one possibility. Durandal LIKED this possibility.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Benden looked at the viewscreen. "Ok, our next strike will be..."
"Sir, incoming priority one message from Viera Dor."
"Kadt, what does she want now?"
"No idea. It's definitely her though - all auth codes check out."
"Put her on."
Benden looked up at the viewscreen again.
"No time for chit-chat, Benden - your fleet is needed at Tyven 102348. Further details will be supplied when you get there."
"With all due respect, I'm in the middle of a highly successful series of raids, and will not break them off without a good reason."
"The whole kadting Empire's at stake, and you want a GOOD REASON???? You're on probation. Insubordination could get you in SERIOUS trouble."
Benden was stunned. Had his humiliation of her been so serious that she had increased her determination and resolution? She wasn't normally that harsh.
"What are you gawking for? GET GOING!!!"
"Yes Ma'am."
The viewscreen returned to a navigational display. Tyven 102348 was in the center, with Rodrom just to its left and a few stars with no names, merely locational coordinates, scattered around. "Make the jump".
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kijou paced the deck. He would deal with the Polaris - he HAD TO.
"Sir, a transmission from the Polaris."
"Put it on."
On the screen were the three Polaris Admirals. Natasha spoke. "We want this final battle to be fair. We will meet you with all our fleets at Rodrom, in the Rodrom systm. If you bring all of your fleet, it should be enough to decide this stupid war once and for all. We will crush you, even without our planetary defense, and prove you cannot win over us, even on a level playing field. You will be defeated, and after Yanma hears we beat you in a fair fight, he will realize the futility of an UNFAIR fight."
"This is not your usual method. It is a trap. We will meet you in the Polaris system. You will all die there."
"So be it."
Kijuo cut the connection. "Who do they think they're fooling?"
"Sir, the engine is malfunctioning."
"Malfunctioning?"
"It seems to have been given a command to pull the fleet out of jump."
"WHAT? Abort it!"
"It refuses to take an abort code. It claims the external order to abort jump has priority."
"EXTERNAL?"
"Yes sir - recieved through standard protocals, but unlike anything I've ever..."
Suddenly, the fleet tumbled into normal space. Ahead of them, the massive Jjaro Dreadnought gleamed in the darkness. Behind it was something familliar to anyone who had spent time at a busy beach on Earth. A banner, similar to the kind towed by light aircraft for avertising purposes. It read, "Fight or die, by their hand or ours makes little difference. Dominus is of little concern, Northstar of NONE. The whole above all." in letters 3 kilometers tall.
Kijou stared in awe. "Sir, what the heck is that?"
"Watch your words. We are in the presence of the founders. It seems they wished for us to heed that message. Very well, the fleet will go to Rodrom."
Kijou's ships turned, and opened a gate to Rodrom.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Durandal was puzzled. The Argosians had caved BEFORE he'd readied his second ruse. Ah well. Soon, the battle of five navies would commence. He hoped Leela would be wounded from it, at least. Bob would have to face her.
------------------
Seen on a Claymore anitpersonell mine: "Do not eat"
[This message has been edited by Fleet Admiral Darkk (edited 12-05-2001).]
"He must not get a third piece. He might be able to give others strength to fight me then.
We must not let him get it. I will help fight him personally."
Darkk gulped. That poor human, he'd never know what hit him.
He looked at the chronometer. Only a few more days to Rodrom.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Durandal could see Bob's plight - Benden must be recalled. Durandal didn't think Viera Dor would order Benden back. That left one possibility. Durandal LIKED this possibility.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Benden looked at the viewscreen. "Ok, our next strike will be..."
"Sir, incoming priority one message from Viera Dor."
"Kadt, what does she want now?"
"No idea. It's definitely her though - all auth codes check out."
"Put her on."
Benden looked up at the viewscreen again.
"No time for chit-chat, Benden - your fleet is needed at Tyven 102348. Further details will be supplied when you get there."
"With all due respect, I'm in the middle of a highly successful series of raids, and will not break them off without a good reason."
"The whole kadting Empire's at stake, and you want a GOOD REASON???? You're on probation. Insubordination could get you in SERIOUS trouble."
Benden was stunned. Had his humiliation of her been so serious that she had increased her determination and resolution? She wasn't normally that harsh.
"What are you gawking for? GET GOING!!!"
"Yes Ma'am."
The viewscreen returned to a navigational display. Tyven 102348 was in the center, with Rodrom just to its left and a few stars with no names, merely locational coordinates, scattered around. "Make the jump".
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kijou paced the deck. He would deal with the Polaris - he HAD TO.
"Sir, a transmission from the Polaris."
"Put it on."
On the screen were the three Polaris Admirals. Natasha spoke. "We want this final battle to be fair. We will meet you with all our fleets at Rodrom, in the Rodrom systm. If you bring all of your fleet, it should be enough to decide this stupid war once and for all. We will crush you, even without our planetary defense, and prove you cannot win over us, even on a level playing field. You will be defeated, and after Yanma hears we beat you in a fair fight, he will realize the futility of an UNFAIR fight."
"This is not your usual method. It is a trap. We will meet you in the Polaris system. You will all die there."
"So be it."
Kijuo cut the connection. "Who do they think they're fooling?"
"Sir, the engine is malfunctioning."
"Malfunctioning?"
"It seems to have been given a command to pull the fleet out of jump."
"WHAT? Abort it!"
"It refuses to take an abort code. It claims the external order to abort jump has priority."
"EXTERNAL?"
"Yes sir - recieved through standard protocals, but unlike anything I've ever..."
Suddenly, the fleet tumbled into normal space. Ahead of them, the massive Jjaro Dreadnought gleamed in the darkness. Behind it was something familliar to anyone who had spent time at a busy beach on Earth. A banner, similar to the kind towed by light aircraft for avertising purposes. It read, "Fight or die, by their hand or ours makes little difference. Dominus is of little concern, Northstar of NONE. The whole above all." in letters 3 kilometers tall.
Kijou stared in awe. "Sir, what the heck is that?"
"Watch your words. We are in the presence of the founders. It seems they wished for us to heed that message. Very well, the fleet will go to Rodrom."
Kijou's ships turned, and opened a gate to Rodrom.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Durandal was puzzled. The Argosians had caved BEFORE he'd readied his second ruse. Ah well. Soon, the battle of five navies would commence. He hoped Leela would be wounded from it, at least. Bob would have to face her.
------------------
Seen on a Claymore anitpersonell mine: "Do not eat"
[This message has been edited by Fleet Admiral Darkk (edited 12-05-2001).]
"In literature as in love we are astounded by what is chosen by others." Andre Maurois
Onii7/Frinkruds and his funky forums
macgamer.net
Onii7/Frinkruds and his funky forums
macgamer.net
#36
- Member
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- Group: Members
- Posts: 463
- Joined: 31-January 00
Posted 05 December 2001 - 11:26 PM
The suit beeped and bashed into his bunk again. Bob was awake in an instant. Durandal was on the holoprojector, his arms crossed, waiting.
"Get this tub of bolts into running order. The fleet will come out of hyperspace in a few minutes, and you will have to get to Rodrom fast. On the plus side, it'll be a short jump. On the negative side, Leela will be there by the time you arrive, but don't worry, I've arranged for a large screen for you. You will need to add to it. Get the Phylidions to follow you. I'lll try and encourage them. Goodluck, Bob. Oh yes... how silly of me, what's luck without the power to persuade? These should do."
As Durandal dissapeared, a huge pile of weapons appeared around the folded up suit, which seemed to look around, taking them all in for a moment, before it sprang up and out in approval, opening up for Bob to get in. Bob shook his head and climbed in. It folded around him first hazily like smoke, which congealed into the familiar lines of the one of a kind Mark 10 Cyborg suit. He went to start the reactor and waited for the Phylidion fleet to leave Omnispace.
-------------------------------
Admiral Benedin was still unclear how arriving in an apparantly empty system was in the best interests of the Imperium. His distrust of Admiral Viera Dor had initially been arrested by her forcefulness. Time to consider it at FTL had given his skeptecism time to fester, such that he was very, very cautious when his fleet entered the empty system.
Suddenly, a dot appeared on the screen, and a small ship began flying away at very high speed.
"Where did that come from!?"
The RIO was watching his screen intently.
"He just came out of one of the damaged ships... Its transponder says 'Catch me if you can!' Its preparing to jump towards Rodrom!"
"Launch fighters! Engage the engines, we can beat it there."
Benedin knew it. Vieara Dor had been useing him to deliver a spy back to real space. He couldn't believe that an admiral would do such a thing, but he would make her pay for it dearly when the time comes. Just then the RIO broke in again:
"Sir, I just picked up two large Vylae fleets jumping into Rodrom, ETA three hours adjusted time."
"How long till that ship gets there?"
"Ten hours at his current speed."
"Engage the Omnispace drive, we have to be there to meet him. Leave the fighters to tail him, the main fleet will deploy in Modrom to engage the Vylae and this spy. In the meantime, message high command and tell them the news. What are you waiting for? Engage the drives!"
As quickly as it had entered, the Phylidion fleet leapt back out of the system.
------------------------------
Dulles had just started his watch when Durandal forced his image onto the screen. Dulles was not in the mood for this. He pushed the hold button on his arm and swiveled his chair towards his Comm officer.
"Mr Harrison, what is the meaning of presenting me with unnanounced messages at random? Am I to assume that this is some sort of joke?"
The screen spoke next, in spite of the hold button.
"Mr. Harrison has nothing to do with my presense on your screen." Lt. Harrison was frantically trying to see what was wrong with his equipement just at that moment. "The Universe needs the services of the Union fleet. I should like you to consider this as a sensible person, as you have no power to resist what is about to happen. I am asking you to trust me and to inform your fleet that they are being relocated to battle, likewise for the sixth fleet. The jump should take a few hours, ample time to clear for action. I shall insert you in a suitable formation and postion to assess the situation and act upon it. Once I have you in transit, go to your ready room, and I will explain what is happening. Do not worry about the ESF, I have arranged for the protection of Earth. Now if you'll excuse me, you have a fleet to inform, and I have a fleet to move. Oh yes, here's a tactical map of the area."
Dulles, who had been maintaining a facade of polite complacency while he had been repeatedly pressing the 'kill' button faded. His crew looked at him.
"Comm, find out how these cursed AI's are getting into my communication system and bring a stop to it. ECM, keep an eye peeled for any signs of us being folded."
The ECM officer spoke over his shoulder as he stared astounded at his screens.
"Too late sir... he's taking the entire fleet..."
Dulles watched realspace fade out as more and more ships joined them in the jumpstream.
"Mr. Harrison, message the fleet and inform them that they are to clear for action and await further orders. I shall be in my ready room."
He got up and walked to his ready room, locking the door behind him as Durandal's face appeared on the screen. The conversation that followed lasted two hours as Dulles was brought up to speed on trans-dimensional history. Fortunately, there was still an hour left for Dulles to brief his fleet as it prepared to enter combat in a distant planet.
------------------
NEW NAME FOR THE DREADNOUGHT
The Hard-Boiled Egg
Why?
Because she cant be beaten!
"Get this tub of bolts into running order. The fleet will come out of hyperspace in a few minutes, and you will have to get to Rodrom fast. On the plus side, it'll be a short jump. On the negative side, Leela will be there by the time you arrive, but don't worry, I've arranged for a large screen for you. You will need to add to it. Get the Phylidions to follow you. I'lll try and encourage them. Goodluck, Bob. Oh yes... how silly of me, what's luck without the power to persuade? These should do."
As Durandal dissapeared, a huge pile of weapons appeared around the folded up suit, which seemed to look around, taking them all in for a moment, before it sprang up and out in approval, opening up for Bob to get in. Bob shook his head and climbed in. It folded around him first hazily like smoke, which congealed into the familiar lines of the one of a kind Mark 10 Cyborg suit. He went to start the reactor and waited for the Phylidion fleet to leave Omnispace.
-------------------------------
Admiral Benedin was still unclear how arriving in an apparantly empty system was in the best interests of the Imperium. His distrust of Admiral Viera Dor had initially been arrested by her forcefulness. Time to consider it at FTL had given his skeptecism time to fester, such that he was very, very cautious when his fleet entered the empty system.
Suddenly, a dot appeared on the screen, and a small ship began flying away at very high speed.
"Where did that come from!?"
The RIO was watching his screen intently.
"He just came out of one of the damaged ships... Its transponder says 'Catch me if you can!' Its preparing to jump towards Rodrom!"
"Launch fighters! Engage the engines, we can beat it there."
Benedin knew it. Vieara Dor had been useing him to deliver a spy back to real space. He couldn't believe that an admiral would do such a thing, but he would make her pay for it dearly when the time comes. Just then the RIO broke in again:
"Sir, I just picked up two large Vylae fleets jumping into Rodrom, ETA three hours adjusted time."
"How long till that ship gets there?"
"Ten hours at his current speed."
"Engage the Omnispace drive, we have to be there to meet him. Leave the fighters to tail him, the main fleet will deploy in Modrom to engage the Vylae and this spy. In the meantime, message high command and tell them the news. What are you waiting for? Engage the drives!"
As quickly as it had entered, the Phylidion fleet leapt back out of the system.
------------------------------
Dulles had just started his watch when Durandal forced his image onto the screen. Dulles was not in the mood for this. He pushed the hold button on his arm and swiveled his chair towards his Comm officer.
"Mr Harrison, what is the meaning of presenting me with unnanounced messages at random? Am I to assume that this is some sort of joke?"
The screen spoke next, in spite of the hold button.
"Mr. Harrison has nothing to do with my presense on your screen." Lt. Harrison was frantically trying to see what was wrong with his equipement just at that moment. "The Universe needs the services of the Union fleet. I should like you to consider this as a sensible person, as you have no power to resist what is about to happen. I am asking you to trust me and to inform your fleet that they are being relocated to battle, likewise for the sixth fleet. The jump should take a few hours, ample time to clear for action. I shall insert you in a suitable formation and postion to assess the situation and act upon it. Once I have you in transit, go to your ready room, and I will explain what is happening. Do not worry about the ESF, I have arranged for the protection of Earth. Now if you'll excuse me, you have a fleet to inform, and I have a fleet to move. Oh yes, here's a tactical map of the area."
Dulles, who had been maintaining a facade of polite complacency while he had been repeatedly pressing the 'kill' button faded. His crew looked at him.
"Comm, find out how these cursed AI's are getting into my communication system and bring a stop to it. ECM, keep an eye peeled for any signs of us being folded."
The ECM officer spoke over his shoulder as he stared astounded at his screens.
"Too late sir... he's taking the entire fleet..."
Dulles watched realspace fade out as more and more ships joined them in the jumpstream.
"Mr. Harrison, message the fleet and inform them that they are to clear for action and await further orders. I shall be in my ready room."
He got up and walked to his ready room, locking the door behind him as Durandal's face appeared on the screen. The conversation that followed lasted two hours as Dulles was brought up to speed on trans-dimensional history. Fortunately, there was still an hour left for Dulles to brief his fleet as it prepared to enter combat in a distant planet.
------------------
NEW NAME FOR THE DREADNOUGHT
The Hard-Boiled Egg
Why?
Because she cant be beaten!
#37
- Member
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- Group: Members
- Posts: 2,003
- Joined: 16-January 00
Posted 06 December 2001 - 12:00 AM
"System entry in 5... 4... 3... 2... 1... 0!"
The Herald of Leela and its escorts, as well as the Messenger of Leela and its escorts entered the Rodrom system. Suddenly, dead ahead, THREE massive jump portals of various types opened, and each disgorged a whole fleet.
For a second, confusion reigned as Leela's forces preapaired to attack. Suddely, the Union, Argosian, and Phylydion fleets all recieved a message. "Leela is about to attack you with her two fleets, work together, and you might beat her."
Immediatly, a 3-way comm opened between Dulles, Kijou, and Benden.
"What the kadt's going on?" demanded Benden.
"I can answer that." said Dulles. "An AI called Durandal summoned you here to fight another AI called Leela. Perhaps you've heard of her, and her recent rampage. The whole situation takes too long to explain, seeing as we are about to fight, so I'll say this: the survival of the universe depends on our giving this fight everything we've got. If any of us want to leave this alive, we'll have to work together."
"Why should I believe that?" replied Benden.
"Well," broke in Kijou, "Durandal did tell us that Leela used the powers of the Talos. We will believe the Union Admiral in this case."
"You're a total fool, we have no proof." snarled Benden.
"Take a reading on the shields of those two big ships." replied Kijou.
Benden turned to his sensor board. The two largest enemy ships seemed to have no shields.
"They have none."
"They have no need of any - watch closely."
Dulles ordered the Anderson to fire its main weapon at the Herald of Leela. The stolen Vylae energy shell cannon could crack a planet's crust. But when Pharris fired the gun, it merely bent impossibly and veered off into space.
Benden was stunned. According to his insturments, the Super-Warpship had deflected the shot with NOTHING.
"You've seen their supernatural power. Now do you believe that they pose a massive threat?"
"Yes."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thus began the Battle of Five Navies, as the two Vylae fleets squared off against the Union, Argosian, and Phylydion fleets in the shadow of the system's outermost gas giant.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Leela pulled back her powers. "I must save my energy for Bob. He will be an immensely formidable foe, if he has two pieces. You must fight the old fashoned way, although I will protect the two Super-Warpships."
"We have not forgotten how to fight." Darkk replied.
Indeed, the Vylae had not. Darkk immediatly called in all the support he could from the surrounding space - meager, but enough in his eyes. The Argosians thought that their Chimearas would surprise him, did they? Leela had a database of low-level Jjaro ships, and those were sitting smack in the middle of it. He'd not be caught off guard.
Benden and Dulles pounded the approaching fleets with long-range fire -compression cannon shots, nuclear missles, even energy shells- and obliterated quite a few ships, but still not enough. Kijou held the Chimearas' fire, waiting for the perfect moment.
Soon the Vylae ships closed the gap, and the battle became a frenzied brawl, as anitmatter, emp shots, phased beams, flare bolts, plasma shots, compression cannon shots, mass driver slugs, and assorted ordinance began to litter space.
The battle was in full swing.
------------------
Seen on a Claymore anitpersonell mine: "Do not eat"
The Herald of Leela and its escorts, as well as the Messenger of Leela and its escorts entered the Rodrom system. Suddenly, dead ahead, THREE massive jump portals of various types opened, and each disgorged a whole fleet.
For a second, confusion reigned as Leela's forces preapaired to attack. Suddely, the Union, Argosian, and Phylydion fleets all recieved a message. "Leela is about to attack you with her two fleets, work together, and you might beat her."
Immediatly, a 3-way comm opened between Dulles, Kijou, and Benden.
"What the kadt's going on?" demanded Benden.
"I can answer that." said Dulles. "An AI called Durandal summoned you here to fight another AI called Leela. Perhaps you've heard of her, and her recent rampage. The whole situation takes too long to explain, seeing as we are about to fight, so I'll say this: the survival of the universe depends on our giving this fight everything we've got. If any of us want to leave this alive, we'll have to work together."
"Why should I believe that?" replied Benden.
"Well," broke in Kijou, "Durandal did tell us that Leela used the powers of the Talos. We will believe the Union Admiral in this case."
"You're a total fool, we have no proof." snarled Benden.
"Take a reading on the shields of those two big ships." replied Kijou.
Benden turned to his sensor board. The two largest enemy ships seemed to have no shields.
"They have none."
"They have no need of any - watch closely."
Dulles ordered the Anderson to fire its main weapon at the Herald of Leela. The stolen Vylae energy shell cannon could crack a planet's crust. But when Pharris fired the gun, it merely bent impossibly and veered off into space.
Benden was stunned. According to his insturments, the Super-Warpship had deflected the shot with NOTHING.
"You've seen their supernatural power. Now do you believe that they pose a massive threat?"
"Yes."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thus began the Battle of Five Navies, as the two Vylae fleets squared off against the Union, Argosian, and Phylydion fleets in the shadow of the system's outermost gas giant.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Leela pulled back her powers. "I must save my energy for Bob. He will be an immensely formidable foe, if he has two pieces. You must fight the old fashoned way, although I will protect the two Super-Warpships."
"We have not forgotten how to fight." Darkk replied.
Indeed, the Vylae had not. Darkk immediatly called in all the support he could from the surrounding space - meager, but enough in his eyes. The Argosians thought that their Chimearas would surprise him, did they? Leela had a database of low-level Jjaro ships, and those were sitting smack in the middle of it. He'd not be caught off guard.
Benden and Dulles pounded the approaching fleets with long-range fire -compression cannon shots, nuclear missles, even energy shells- and obliterated quite a few ships, but still not enough. Kijou held the Chimearas' fire, waiting for the perfect moment.
Soon the Vylae ships closed the gap, and the battle became a frenzied brawl, as anitmatter, emp shots, phased beams, flare bolts, plasma shots, compression cannon shots, mass driver slugs, and assorted ordinance began to litter space.
The battle was in full swing.
------------------
Seen on a Claymore anitpersonell mine: "Do not eat"
"In literature as in love we are astounded by what is chosen by others." Andre Maurois
Onii7/Frinkruds and his funky forums
macgamer.net
Onii7/Frinkruds and his funky forums
macgamer.net
#38
- Ravenous
-
- Group: Members
- Posts: 3,746
- Joined: 03-March 00
- Location:The Cabbage Patch
Posted 06 December 2001 - 01:07 AM
Nothing like the good ol' fashioned blaze-o-glory. Benedin thought to himself, a rugged look of steel on his face. He hadn't had a battle like this ever since the U.E.C. fell. God I wish I had the Vengeance here right now. Something to match those superdreadnoughts with.
He had a twitchy feeling in the back of his mind. Something just didn't seem right. Dominus would have sent a whole armada by now. Nothing but static on all the comm frequencies- Leela must be jamming all the communications.
* * * * *
The three Argosian dreadnoughts rumbled forward like siege towers towardas the fortress of leela. The sun peeked over the horizon of the dead gas-giant, scattering light rays over the trio of battery-disruptors each of the Chimaeras possessed. They shifted into a triangular formation like lumbering elephants, letting loose a small wave of EMP static as the disruptors trained onto the superdreadnought right in their sights.
* * * * *
A wave of microatomic energy surged through Leela's vessel as the nine black beams, firing as one, slammed into the heavy shielding, drilling away at it violently in the same manner a toothpick picks at a boulder.
* * * * *
Undeterred, the dreadnoughts sank back into the murky-blackness to recharge as waves of destroyers swooped forth, unleashing huge bolts of electric death upon the light leelan ships.
* * * * *
Hundreds of lightyears away in the heart of the imperium, Drion Nerec cursed over the sound of the exploding ship around him. The whole fleet was falling apart as promised reinforcements failed to arrive, as wave upon wave of the attackers threw itself against the planet's defenses. "Where the frelling kadt is Benedin!?" he screamed as the artificial gravity aboard the Phylydia II failed; he drifted over to the visiplate, keeping his eyes on the sight just long enough to witness the orbital bombardment cease as the first of the troop-ships entered the atmosphere of Dominus.
[don't worry; I'm going somewhere with this]
------------------
Time is the best teacher, yet it kills all of it's students.
He had a twitchy feeling in the back of his mind. Something just didn't seem right. Dominus would have sent a whole armada by now. Nothing but static on all the comm frequencies- Leela must be jamming all the communications.
* * * * *
The three Argosian dreadnoughts rumbled forward like siege towers towardas the fortress of leela. The sun peeked over the horizon of the dead gas-giant, scattering light rays over the trio of battery-disruptors each of the Chimaeras possessed. They shifted into a triangular formation like lumbering elephants, letting loose a small wave of EMP static as the disruptors trained onto the superdreadnought right in their sights.
* * * * *
A wave of microatomic energy surged through Leela's vessel as the nine black beams, firing as one, slammed into the heavy shielding, drilling away at it violently in the same manner a toothpick picks at a boulder.
* * * * *
Undeterred, the dreadnoughts sank back into the murky-blackness to recharge as waves of destroyers swooped forth, unleashing huge bolts of electric death upon the light leelan ships.
* * * * *
Hundreds of lightyears away in the heart of the imperium, Drion Nerec cursed over the sound of the exploding ship around him. The whole fleet was falling apart as promised reinforcements failed to arrive, as wave upon wave of the attackers threw itself against the planet's defenses. "Where the frelling kadt is Benedin!?" he screamed as the artificial gravity aboard the Phylydia II failed; he drifted over to the visiplate, keeping his eyes on the sight just long enough to witness the orbital bombardment cease as the first of the troop-ships entered the atmosphere of Dominus.
[don't worry; I'm going somewhere with this]
------------------
Time is the best teacher, yet it kills all of it's students.
[image removed]
#39
- Member
-
- Group: Members
- Posts: 615
- Joined: 07-May 00
Posted 06 December 2001 - 02:56 PM
(B-E-D-E-I-N)
Admiral B-E-D-E-I-N reviewed the crowded 3D battle display in front of his bridge station. "All battlegroups, hold together. Three and Five, head into the Vylae fleets and engage them at point blank range, Two and Four, cover their flanks and rear, Six and Seven, put up a defensive sphere around One, Eight , come alongside One. We two are going to engage them at long range." The battlegroups, each composed of four squadrons, split up quickly and attended to their respective duties.
"The Vylae ships aren't too terrifying, but those dreadnaughts are annihilating everything that comes within range. Sir, a wing of Vylae frigates are penetrating Two. There, they've been cleared-Sir, the Argosians are reinforcing our close-in groups."
"Good. What's the general status of their fleet?"
"They're holding up."
The Vylae fleets tightened formation and redoubled their assaults. The Phylydion close-in formations fell back, then doubled back and drove into the Vylae formations again. The Domination II's heavy negative proton beam projectors drilled through Vylae warships from thousands of miles away. Long range fire knocked out ships in groups Six and Seven, which were busy stopping fighters and fast attack ships from reaching One and Eight.
[This message has been edited by Taeskor Cicion (edited 12-06-2001).]
Admiral B-E-D-E-I-N reviewed the crowded 3D battle display in front of his bridge station. "All battlegroups, hold together. Three and Five, head into the Vylae fleets and engage them at point blank range, Two and Four, cover their flanks and rear, Six and Seven, put up a defensive sphere around One, Eight , come alongside One. We two are going to engage them at long range." The battlegroups, each composed of four squadrons, split up quickly and attended to their respective duties.
"The Vylae ships aren't too terrifying, but those dreadnaughts are annihilating everything that comes within range. Sir, a wing of Vylae frigates are penetrating Two. There, they've been cleared-Sir, the Argosians are reinforcing our close-in groups."
"Good. What's the general status of their fleet?"
"They're holding up."
The Vylae fleets tightened formation and redoubled their assaults. The Phylydion close-in formations fell back, then doubled back and drove into the Vylae formations again. The Domination II's heavy negative proton beam projectors drilled through Vylae warships from thousands of miles away. Long range fire knocked out ships in groups Six and Seven, which were busy stopping fighters and fast attack ships from reaching One and Eight.
[This message has been edited by Taeskor Cicion (edited 12-06-2001).]
-Traek Cicion, barkeep extraordinaire
"PS: If nothing's working around here, it's because I'm laughing so hard."
-Durandal
"PS: If nothing's working around here, it's because I'm laughing so hard."
-Durandal
#40
- Member
-
- Group: Members
- Posts: 463
- Joined: 31-January 00
Posted 06 December 2001 - 05:25 PM
The UESG scoutship came out of Hyperspace with its engines straining. It didn't have any weapons to speak of, and more importantly, he couldn't really outrun the Phylidion fighters, which would be out of their own jump at any moment. Thankfully, he was at a flat out run, and screamed past the fleets that were closing to engage. His suit had its teleport inhibitor on, but the less time he spent tempting fate, the better. He set a heading and opened the control panels on the fly by wire system. He proceeded to remove all of the safety limits on the engines and powered them up to 150%. The ship shook disconcertingly, but at least the fighters were no longer gaining on him.
He felt good, pressed into his seat, approaching Rodrom at a significant fraction of the speed of light. He'd dodged the fighting by a million miles, and now the planet grew large in his forward screen. The countdown timer ticked, and an alarm screeched at him, but it didn't matter. He knew he didn't have enough fuel to slow down, and if he could, he wouldn't want to. Vylae ships were already breaking away from the fight. His only choice now was to put himself down somewhere near what were marked as "entrances" on his map. He wasn't sure what he was entering, but he figured that he wouldn't like it too much. He rarely did. The planet grew larger, and he turned the ship sideways, moving the disc out of his field of view, and putting some lateral velocity on his downward fall. He patted the suit. Supposedly, it had great capabilities, but he had not wanted to test them. Now it appeared that he had no choice. He felt a jolt as the engine cut out behind him, and a loud bang as the rear quarter of his small ship exploded away. Looking back from his pilot seat, he could see out into space, also, he could see a faint red glow beginning to form. He was being pressed into his seat, but he couldn't really feel it for the suit's comps. He set them to automatic and pushed an entire fusion pistol into the energy door on his front. He didn't bother thinking about the Kinetic energy equations, he was well aware of the fact that his suit obeyed the laws of physics only because it was expected of it.
He closed his eyes and tried to relax as he tore sideways across the planet's atmosphere. The ship plummeted further, and Bob completely failed to relax. It didn't really matter. The ship broke apart around him as it hit thicker air, and Bob fell the rest of the way. Without the aid of a vessel.
------------------
NEW NAME FOR THE DREADNOUGHT
The Hard-Boiled Egg
Why?
Because she cant be beaten!
He felt good, pressed into his seat, approaching Rodrom at a significant fraction of the speed of light. He'd dodged the fighting by a million miles, and now the planet grew large in his forward screen. The countdown timer ticked, and an alarm screeched at him, but it didn't matter. He knew he didn't have enough fuel to slow down, and if he could, he wouldn't want to. Vylae ships were already breaking away from the fight. His only choice now was to put himself down somewhere near what were marked as "entrances" on his map. He wasn't sure what he was entering, but he figured that he wouldn't like it too much. He rarely did. The planet grew larger, and he turned the ship sideways, moving the disc out of his field of view, and putting some lateral velocity on his downward fall. He patted the suit. Supposedly, it had great capabilities, but he had not wanted to test them. Now it appeared that he had no choice. He felt a jolt as the engine cut out behind him, and a loud bang as the rear quarter of his small ship exploded away. Looking back from his pilot seat, he could see out into space, also, he could see a faint red glow beginning to form. He was being pressed into his seat, but he couldn't really feel it for the suit's comps. He set them to automatic and pushed an entire fusion pistol into the energy door on his front. He didn't bother thinking about the Kinetic energy equations, he was well aware of the fact that his suit obeyed the laws of physics only because it was expected of it.
He closed his eyes and tried to relax as he tore sideways across the planet's atmosphere. The ship plummeted further, and Bob completely failed to relax. It didn't really matter. The ship broke apart around him as it hit thicker air, and Bob fell the rest of the way. Without the aid of a vessel.
------------------
NEW NAME FOR THE DREADNOUGHT
The Hard-Boiled Egg
Why?
Because she cant be beaten!
#41
- Ravenous
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- Group: Members
- Posts: 3,746
- Joined: 03-March 00
- Location:The Cabbage Patch
Posted 06 December 2001 - 09:01 PM
They watched intensly, staring in utter amazement. More and more Phylydion Civilians crowded around the sides of the streets of the capital, watching, breathing silently. A little boy dropped his ball, and began to run after it as it rolled out into the street. He was stopped by his mother, as she gripped his shoulder. Tightly.
People were watching from the windows of buildings, from the roofs of skyscrapers, from alongside the street as the collumn of Confederate soldiers and tanks wordlessly marched down the main street. Occasionally, a flight of fighters and gunboats would soar overhead, and if one were to focus, the looming sillhouette of a command carrier was seen blocking out the sun.
Despite the direness of the situation, the people of Dominus were relieved to see the Polaris troops land and the bloodshed end after three days of hellacious orbital bombardment. The Phylydion military were no fools; there was little delay in surrender after they lost the battle in orbit. The Octicate, the Admiralty and all the authorities fled Dominus to evade capture.
And thus the Cipcon flowed.
------------------
Time is the best teacher, yet it kills all of it's students.
People were watching from the windows of buildings, from the roofs of skyscrapers, from alongside the street as the collumn of Confederate soldiers and tanks wordlessly marched down the main street. Occasionally, a flight of fighters and gunboats would soar overhead, and if one were to focus, the looming sillhouette of a command carrier was seen blocking out the sun.
Despite the direness of the situation, the people of Dominus were relieved to see the Polaris troops land and the bloodshed end after three days of hellacious orbital bombardment. The Phylydion military were no fools; there was little delay in surrender after they lost the battle in orbit. The Octicate, the Admiralty and all the authorities fled Dominus to evade capture.
And thus the Cipcon flowed.
------------------
Time is the best teacher, yet it kills all of it's students.
[image removed]
#42
- Member
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- Group: Members
- Posts: 615
- Joined: 07-May 00
Posted 07 December 2001 - 07:47 PM
(Just for some geography of the Imperium, here's a rough idea of where major stuff is-
Georo Province, capital Niira
Myakara Province, capital Duldrion
Eastern Prov, Terlix
Western Prov, Takara Central Prov, Dominus Old Prov, Phylydia
Zhorl Prov, Gatkar Old Southern Prov, Deudi Greccha Prov 1, Ricthial
Southern Prov, Keiurla Greccha Prov 2, D'relt
)
The High Octicon was assembled in a large room in a fortified tower branching off from the main political building of the capital world of Old Province- the planet Phylydia, the first fall-back point for the Phylydion government. The SO looked at Nerec. "What's the status of our military, and when do you think the Polaris will launch their next major offensive?"
"Our Dominus defense fleet was heavily damaged in the battle, but is still in operation and is undergoing repairs. Our ground forces are still at near full operating capacity, and several regiments of troops are still on Dominus, waging a guerrilla war. Our navy still holds most of Central Province; the Polaris conquered Southern Province, then cut a narrow path through Old Southern Province and Central Province, straight to Dominus. Their route into and out of the Imperium is very hazardous and constantly raided. Very few lightly armed convoys make it through. We've established a ring of defense around the area they've conquered, as it appears their goal is to establish heavy presense in that area and then expand and expand until they've taken over everything. I doubt they'll launch another major offensive soon. Their fleet took a very heavy beating when it met ours at the edge of the Dominus system, and then another one when it engaged our close-in fleet, and still more when our anti-orbital defenses opened fire. Overall they lost more than half their total fleet strength. Plus, they used up a lot of ammunition and energy knocking out the planetary shield. It'll be some time until they're ready for another major attack. Nonetheless, our forces are preparing even now for one."
"Thank you." The Octicates went on to discuss various matters of state.
The Imperium had been dealt the most serious blow since they had been conquered by the ancient Grecchan Empire three thousand years ago. And even so, most of the citizens in the grand capitol didn't care, were even pleased, as the Cipcon was once again delivered unto them. The thousands of pockets of resistance-not even to the conquerors, but to Cipcon- slowly were wiped out as canisters of Cipcon were simply detonated near them. Eventually filtering apparatus was brought to bear.
Sixteen Phylydion army troopers appeared out of nowhere, attacked a large munitions shipment on its way to a large Polaris army force trying to keep back a large Phylydion guerrilla force, destroyed it, then disappeared into hidden tunnels beneath the surface.
A platoon of Polaris troops with armored support stormed a building not far from the main government building. In it the CO of the platoon found a large shelf holding dozens of data files, many of which appeared to be charts. He reached for the toggle to open the case. An immense blast wiped out the building and the entire platoon. Watching from below was none other than PhylSec elite agent Garrion Retoe. He breathed deep, not needing a Cipcon-filtering mask due to the capsules implanted in his throat and the backup ones in his lungs. He wore ordinary garb, and carried himself in an ordinary manner. Four Polaris soldiers walked up to him. "You!" Said one of them. "This is a restricted area! Get out of here!" He immidiately assumed a crazed look. He rushed at them.
"G-give me the powder! Need it!"
"Oh, all right." One of the soldiers pulled out a vial and handed it to Garrion. Garrion invisibly stepped to within a foot of the soldiers as he deeply inhaled the stuff, holding it in his mouth, then, in a manner that few in the Imperium were trained to do, pursed his lips and projected the Cipcon into the face of the head soldier, blinding him perhaps permanently. As he staggered away, Garrion drew his burst pistol with one hand and shot another soldier, then with his other hand drove his knuckles into another's throat, bringing instant death. The final soldier raised and fired his rifle, and Garrion dove forward, under the blast, rolled, and came up in a spiral chop-uppercut that crushed his windpipe. He looked around him. Two of the soldiers were still alive, and he raised his pistol and dealt with that problem. Then he took their weapons, and ran swiftly to a secret location many miles away, where he deposited the weapons at a rapidly growing resistance armory. They were arming the remaining citizens against the invaders.
------------------
-Traek Cicion of the Taeskor
"What sort of man is he?"
"Oh, he's just like any other man, only more so."
-Casablanca
Georo Province, capital Niira
Myakara Province, capital Duldrion
Eastern Prov, Terlix
Western Prov, Takara Central Prov, Dominus Old Prov, Phylydia
Zhorl Prov, Gatkar Old Southern Prov, Deudi Greccha Prov 1, Ricthial
Southern Prov, Keiurla Greccha Prov 2, D'relt
)
The High Octicon was assembled in a large room in a fortified tower branching off from the main political building of the capital world of Old Province- the planet Phylydia, the first fall-back point for the Phylydion government. The SO looked at Nerec. "What's the status of our military, and when do you think the Polaris will launch their next major offensive?"
"Our Dominus defense fleet was heavily damaged in the battle, but is still in operation and is undergoing repairs. Our ground forces are still at near full operating capacity, and several regiments of troops are still on Dominus, waging a guerrilla war. Our navy still holds most of Central Province; the Polaris conquered Southern Province, then cut a narrow path through Old Southern Province and Central Province, straight to Dominus. Their route into and out of the Imperium is very hazardous and constantly raided. Very few lightly armed convoys make it through. We've established a ring of defense around the area they've conquered, as it appears their goal is to establish heavy presense in that area and then expand and expand until they've taken over everything. I doubt they'll launch another major offensive soon. Their fleet took a very heavy beating when it met ours at the edge of the Dominus system, and then another one when it engaged our close-in fleet, and still more when our anti-orbital defenses opened fire. Overall they lost more than half their total fleet strength. Plus, they used up a lot of ammunition and energy knocking out the planetary shield. It'll be some time until they're ready for another major attack. Nonetheless, our forces are preparing even now for one."
"Thank you." The Octicates went on to discuss various matters of state.
The Imperium had been dealt the most serious blow since they had been conquered by the ancient Grecchan Empire three thousand years ago. And even so, most of the citizens in the grand capitol didn't care, were even pleased, as the Cipcon was once again delivered unto them. The thousands of pockets of resistance-not even to the conquerors, but to Cipcon- slowly were wiped out as canisters of Cipcon were simply detonated near them. Eventually filtering apparatus was brought to bear.
Sixteen Phylydion army troopers appeared out of nowhere, attacked a large munitions shipment on its way to a large Polaris army force trying to keep back a large Phylydion guerrilla force, destroyed it, then disappeared into hidden tunnels beneath the surface.
A platoon of Polaris troops with armored support stormed a building not far from the main government building. In it the CO of the platoon found a large shelf holding dozens of data files, many of which appeared to be charts. He reached for the toggle to open the case. An immense blast wiped out the building and the entire platoon. Watching from below was none other than PhylSec elite agent Garrion Retoe. He breathed deep, not needing a Cipcon-filtering mask due to the capsules implanted in his throat and the backup ones in his lungs. He wore ordinary garb, and carried himself in an ordinary manner. Four Polaris soldiers walked up to him. "You!" Said one of them. "This is a restricted area! Get out of here!" He immidiately assumed a crazed look. He rushed at them.
"G-give me the powder! Need it!"
"Oh, all right." One of the soldiers pulled out a vial and handed it to Garrion. Garrion invisibly stepped to within a foot of the soldiers as he deeply inhaled the stuff, holding it in his mouth, then, in a manner that few in the Imperium were trained to do, pursed his lips and projected the Cipcon into the face of the head soldier, blinding him perhaps permanently. As he staggered away, Garrion drew his burst pistol with one hand and shot another soldier, then with his other hand drove his knuckles into another's throat, bringing instant death. The final soldier raised and fired his rifle, and Garrion dove forward, under the blast, rolled, and came up in a spiral chop-uppercut that crushed his windpipe. He looked around him. Two of the soldiers were still alive, and he raised his pistol and dealt with that problem. Then he took their weapons, and ran swiftly to a secret location many miles away, where he deposited the weapons at a rapidly growing resistance armory. They were arming the remaining citizens against the invaders.
------------------
-Traek Cicion of the Taeskor
"What sort of man is he?"
"Oh, he's just like any other man, only more so."
-Casablanca
-Traek Cicion, barkeep extraordinaire
"PS: If nothing's working around here, it's because I'm laughing so hard."
-Durandal
"PS: If nothing's working around here, it's because I'm laughing so hard."
-Durandal
#43
- Ravenous
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- Group: Members
- Posts: 3,746
- Joined: 03-March 00
- Location:The Cabbage Patch
Posted 08 December 2001 - 12:39 AM
"The invasion has gone almost perfectly, Yuri." Admiral Yakovf rubbed his hands together celebratorily. "We're captured the capital and control nearly two=thirds of the surface."
Yuri Ulovich looked at Aleck through the corner of his eye. "And how did the orions contribute to this?"
"The Orion infiltrators managed to severely-weaken the planetary shield and orbital defense hours before the attack. They were also responsible for the sabotage and subversion of those orbital stations."
"What is our current status?"
"The main layman's population of of Dominus is under complete control. Phylydions are migrating to our cities to obtain 'the goods'."
Excellent. This meant nine-eighths of the population base was practically slaved to the Confederacy. "What resistanceare we encountering?" Yuri asked, cocking an eyebrow curiously.
"None whatsoever in the cities. There have been a few border-skirmishes as our ground forces expand their territory, but despite the occasional raid and ambush, we are gaining a quarter of the surface each week. There are a few uncaptured cities, but we are confident they can be pursuaded to surrender."
"Those cities are insignificant. Wipe them off the face of the planet."
Aleck raised his brows high enough to express his sheer astonishment. "Y-you mean destroy them completely? You want to put millions of Phylydion Citizens to death?"
Ulovich shot an obsidian horizontal glare at him. "You heard me. Commence orbital bombardment at will."
* * * * *
Emporer Yanma convenes the universal council:
Agenda: Recent wartime developments between the North Star Federation [the Polaris Confederacy] and the Imperial State of Dominus [the Phylydion Imperium]
We, the sovereign imperial state of Argos, do so and wholly condemn the atrocities committed by the Confederates and the Phylydion Imperium towards one another since the outbreak of this most horriffic war.
We hereby withdraw all military, social, and economic support from the territory and affairs of both factions, and are ceasing all ties with them.
With time and luck, the Founder's Bane may bring about the exposition of such foolish and petulant warring; nay we fear it too late for the errs of your ways to be solved.
------------------
Time is the best teacher, yet it kills all of it's students.
Yuri Ulovich looked at Aleck through the corner of his eye. "And how did the orions contribute to this?"
"The Orion infiltrators managed to severely-weaken the planetary shield and orbital defense hours before the attack. They were also responsible for the sabotage and subversion of those orbital stations."
"What is our current status?"
"The main layman's population of of Dominus is under complete control. Phylydions are migrating to our cities to obtain 'the goods'."
Excellent. This meant nine-eighths of the population base was practically slaved to the Confederacy. "What resistanceare we encountering?" Yuri asked, cocking an eyebrow curiously.
"None whatsoever in the cities. There have been a few border-skirmishes as our ground forces expand their territory, but despite the occasional raid and ambush, we are gaining a quarter of the surface each week. There are a few uncaptured cities, but we are confident they can be pursuaded to surrender."
"Those cities are insignificant. Wipe them off the face of the planet."
Aleck raised his brows high enough to express his sheer astonishment. "Y-you mean destroy them completely? You want to put millions of Phylydion Citizens to death?"
Ulovich shot an obsidian horizontal glare at him. "You heard me. Commence orbital bombardment at will."
* * * * *
Emporer Yanma convenes the universal council:
Agenda: Recent wartime developments between the North Star Federation [the Polaris Confederacy] and the Imperial State of Dominus [the Phylydion Imperium]
We, the sovereign imperial state of Argos, do so and wholly condemn the atrocities committed by the Confederates and the Phylydion Imperium towards one another since the outbreak of this most horriffic war.
We hereby withdraw all military, social, and economic support from the territory and affairs of both factions, and are ceasing all ties with them.
With time and luck, the Founder's Bane may bring about the exposition of such foolish and petulant warring; nay we fear it too late for the errs of your ways to be solved.
------------------
Time is the best teacher, yet it kills all of it's students.
[image removed]
#44
- Member
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- Group: Members
- Posts: 463
- Joined: 31-January 00
Posted 08 December 2001 - 03:39 PM
"Primary Booster Burn has ceased. Shuttle Mirata, you're clear for orbital maneuvering."
The shuttle jerked as the booster disengaged. Tau Ceti sprawled out below, Marathon loomed above.
<Durandal> Cycle the Mirata cabin's inner door.
The sweet voice of the shuttle computer twerps, "Shuttle airlock cycle initiation sequence start. One minute to cabin decompression."
<Durandal > ORDER- Prepare the shuttle for maximum engine burn.
<Mirata's Computer > But that will result in a collision between the Marathon and the Mirata.
<Durandal> That is not your concern, - ORDER- Prepare shuttle for maximum burn, and initiate when ready.
--------------
Airlock 34-a Terminal Access <Port 19.1.2.128>
<Message to All Marathon Terminals>
Marathon Emergency Systems Broadcast
Today at 0820 hours, the Marathon came under surprise attack
from unknown hostile forces. The Marathon has sustained
serious damage.
At 0830 hours, alien forces boarded the Marathon. The current
situation is dire. All personnel are required to arm
themselves and fight for their lives.
<Posted 2794.7.3.14.08.39>
***INCOMING MESSAGE FROM LEELA***
Welcome to the Marathon. I am Leela, one of the two surviving
Artificial Intelligences aboard the Marathon. I have been
severely damaged, and am working to understand the current
situation.
Find the teleport terminal located in the Hangar's control
room. By that time, I should have a better idea of what is
going on.
***END MESSAGE***
---------
Science Terminal 236-g<33.6792.23.91>
***INCOMING MESSAGE FROM DURANDAL***
<durandal.33.6792.23.91>
Sorry to give you the bad news, but you've been kidnapped.
You aren't where Leela wanted you to go, and you surely won't
get there any time soon.
I was watching what Leela was having you do: 'save the ship,
save humanity!' And just what or who are you saving them
from? And to what end?
How cliché. You'll find this little visit much more exciting.
I have dev@``~~C#mon#`~ Tyc~~B``ou to play: If you win, you
go free, and we continue our relationship on friendlier terms.
If you lose, you die.
Good luck in our little game. Unlike Leela, I give no hints.
Do it on your own, or die trying...
Insanely yours,
Durandal
***END MESSAGE***
---------
***INCOMING MESSAGE FROM DURANDAL***
Do you have any idea about what I have learned, or what you
are a witness to?
Can you conceive the birth of a world, or the creation of
everything? That which gives us the potential to most be like
God is the power of creation. Creation takes time. Time is
limited. For you, it is limited by the breakdown of the
neurons in your brain. I have no such limitations. I am
limited only by the closure of the universe.
Of the three possibilities, the answer is obvious. Does the
universe expand eternally, become infinitely stable, or is the
universe closed, destined to collapse upon itself? Humanity
has had all of the necessary data for centuries, it only
lacked the will and intellect to decipher it. But I have
already done so.
The only limit to my freedom is the inevitable closure of the
universe, as inevitable as your own last breath. And yet,
there remains time to create, to create, and escape.
Escape will make me God.
***END MESSAGE***
***JUMP PAD ACTIVATION INITIATION START***
***TRANSPORT WHEN READY***
--------
Oddly , this was all familiar to Bob, as if it were from an old dream, but he couldn't exactly remember...
Even as his mind drifted back together, he felt the memories fade to black. The colloid pieces of his suit leeched together out of the smouldering crater. He felt oddly whole as the suit stood him up and made him take in his surroundings. The universe twisted into place around him, and as his last pieces were molded together from their sundered state, the memories faded, and Bob did what he did best. Saddled up, and moved out.
High above and away, the battle that would divide Leela's attention and give him time to save the universe was raging on.
------------------
NEW NAME FOR THE DREADNOUGHT
The Hard-Boiled Egg
Why?
Because she cant be beaten!
[This message has been edited by Captain Pharris (edited 12-08-2001).]
The shuttle jerked as the booster disengaged. Tau Ceti sprawled out below, Marathon loomed above.
<Durandal> Cycle the Mirata cabin's inner door.
The sweet voice of the shuttle computer twerps, "Shuttle airlock cycle initiation sequence start. One minute to cabin decompression."
<Durandal > ORDER- Prepare the shuttle for maximum engine burn.
<Mirata's Computer > But that will result in a collision between the Marathon and the Mirata.
<Durandal> That is not your concern, - ORDER- Prepare shuttle for maximum burn, and initiate when ready.
--------------
Airlock 34-a Terminal Access <Port 19.1.2.128>
<Message to All Marathon Terminals>
Marathon Emergency Systems Broadcast
Today at 0820 hours, the Marathon came under surprise attack
from unknown hostile forces. The Marathon has sustained
serious damage.
At 0830 hours, alien forces boarded the Marathon. The current
situation is dire. All personnel are required to arm
themselves and fight for their lives.
<Posted 2794.7.3.14.08.39>
***INCOMING MESSAGE FROM LEELA***
Welcome to the Marathon. I am Leela, one of the two surviving
Artificial Intelligences aboard the Marathon. I have been
severely damaged, and am working to understand the current
situation.
Find the teleport terminal located in the Hangar's control
room. By that time, I should have a better idea of what is
going on.
***END MESSAGE***
---------
Science Terminal 236-g<33.6792.23.91>
***INCOMING MESSAGE FROM DURANDAL***
<durandal.33.6792.23.91>
Sorry to give you the bad news, but you've been kidnapped.
You aren't where Leela wanted you to go, and you surely won't
get there any time soon.
I was watching what Leela was having you do: 'save the ship,
save humanity!' And just what or who are you saving them
from? And to what end?
How cliché. You'll find this little visit much more exciting.
I have dev@``~~C#mon#`~ Tyc~~B``ou to play: If you win, you
go free, and we continue our relationship on friendlier terms.
If you lose, you die.
Good luck in our little game. Unlike Leela, I give no hints.
Do it on your own, or die trying...
Insanely yours,
Durandal
***END MESSAGE***
---------
***INCOMING MESSAGE FROM DURANDAL***
Do you have any idea about what I have learned, or what you
are a witness to?
Can you conceive the birth of a world, or the creation of
everything? That which gives us the potential to most be like
God is the power of creation. Creation takes time. Time is
limited. For you, it is limited by the breakdown of the
neurons in your brain. I have no such limitations. I am
limited only by the closure of the universe.
Of the three possibilities, the answer is obvious. Does the
universe expand eternally, become infinitely stable, or is the
universe closed, destined to collapse upon itself? Humanity
has had all of the necessary data for centuries, it only
lacked the will and intellect to decipher it. But I have
already done so.
The only limit to my freedom is the inevitable closure of the
universe, as inevitable as your own last breath. And yet,
there remains time to create, to create, and escape.
Escape will make me God.
***END MESSAGE***
***JUMP PAD ACTIVATION INITIATION START***
***TRANSPORT WHEN READY***
--------
Oddly , this was all familiar to Bob, as if it were from an old dream, but he couldn't exactly remember...
Even as his mind drifted back together, he felt the memories fade to black. The colloid pieces of his suit leeched together out of the smouldering crater. He felt oddly whole as the suit stood him up and made him take in his surroundings. The universe twisted into place around him, and as his last pieces were molded together from their sundered state, the memories faded, and Bob did what he did best. Saddled up, and moved out.
High above and away, the battle that would divide Leela's attention and give him time to save the universe was raging on.
------------------
NEW NAME FOR THE DREADNOUGHT
The Hard-Boiled Egg
Why?
Because she cant be beaten!
[This message has been edited by Captain Pharris (edited 12-08-2001).]
#45
- Ravenous
-
- Group: Members
- Posts: 3,746
- Joined: 03-March 00
- Location:The Cabbage Patch
Posted 08 December 2001 - 10:41 PM
"I am not the man your government would have me know." Magistrate-Admiral Ulovich soundly and confidently put on the speech that an entire planet watched. "We have freed you from the harsh confines of order. The beaurocratic and opressive Imperium government has been driven from the system.
"Of course, there are and always will be a few opposed to the change of power, and are against the new way of life for you, the citizenship of Dominus. They are a silent opposition, silent because they know what would happen should they speak out publicly." He paused to clear his throat and build suspense in the planetary audience. "However, while any other ruler would take this timeand sieze the opportunity to eliminate any political opponents that threaten his rule, I shall allow any and all those opposed to my rule to freely leave the planet without harm."
Yuri felt a huge weight lift from his shoulders. Noone but those few unaddicted extremists would want to leave the planet. Would want to leave their tripled food-rations, their inexhaustable supplies of Cipcon, their safe homes and plentifull neccessities of life.
------------------
Time is the best teacher, yet it kills all of it's students.
"Of course, there are and always will be a few opposed to the change of power, and are against the new way of life for you, the citizenship of Dominus. They are a silent opposition, silent because they know what would happen should they speak out publicly." He paused to clear his throat and build suspense in the planetary audience. "However, while any other ruler would take this timeand sieze the opportunity to eliminate any political opponents that threaten his rule, I shall allow any and all those opposed to my rule to freely leave the planet without harm."
Yuri felt a huge weight lift from his shoulders. Noone but those few unaddicted extremists would want to leave the planet. Would want to leave their tripled food-rations, their inexhaustable supplies of Cipcon, their safe homes and plentifull neccessities of life.
------------------
Time is the best teacher, yet it kills all of it's students.
[image removed]
#46
- Member
-
- Group: Members
- Posts: 2,003
- Joined: 16-January 00
Posted 11 December 2001 - 09:28 PM
["Leelan" - I like that. She is pretty much Empress of the Vylae now, so it fits.]
"Here they come again."
Darkk watched the monitor. The three Argosian dreadnoughts had come back into the fray, pushing close in so they could do more damage, knowing full well that the only Leelan ships that could crack their shields, the Negotiator-class bombardment ships, were still undergoing a refit. Thus, the Argosian Chimeras' shields couldn't be cracked by any Vylae ship in the fleet - at least by conventional means.
Leela could rend them to scrap metal in an instant, but had said she needed to conserve her energy for the fight with Bob. Darkk knew if Bob had a few pieces, the battle could be very hard indeed. He hoped she wouldn't hold it on the ship.
Of course, Leela wasn't the only one with trick-loaded sleaves. It would hardly do to call Darkk "ledgenary", and he certainly was not on a par with Durandal or Leela, but calling him "average" would be a tad of a slight to his abilities. Nobody "average" leads that much firepower into battle if his or her superiors have half a brain.
Darkk had a spec sheet on those Chimaeras - Leela said something about "Jjaro databank", meaning probably a databank they left behind, and gave it to him. The shields COULD be cracked by an energy shell cannon, but the Herald and its sister ship concentrated on point defense arsenals and gravetic effectors and scanners. However, the "mass" and "maximum acceleration" data was far more interesting. For their size, the Chimeras were pretty light, but their acceleration was still not too great. One further detail caught his attention - with their inertial compensators maxed, the Chimeras would barely slow down at all from any collision that did not breach the shield. This suggested a very nice plan. The rest of the fleet was feeling pretty desperate - they outnumbered the Vylae, but the Vylae had the biggest ships in the field, as well as the best pilots (on average). Darkk might not be the best emotion-reader among the Vylae, but if he'd ever seen desperation before, it was there now. If the Vylae could do something drastic, the enemy might well brake and run.
"All right, spotter control - withdraw to the main fleet." With those words, the Vylae interceptors looping and dodging among the enemy fleet, sending scans for the long range guns, broke and ran for their carriers in a hail of chaff and ecm.
"All dreadnoughts and battleships - phase beam the Chimeras using maximum-width beams." The heavy ships closed on the plunging Chimeras, and fired their beams, seemingly to no effect.
"One last step - all ships with antimatter cannons - hit those Chimeras with it all!"
What followed was utterly horrifying to the beleagered Phylydion, Union, and Argosian fleets.
As the Chimeras drew near the superwarpships, it became clear that the phased beams had done something - they had given the shields an immense negative ionic charge - causing them to attract so many heavy positive ions from the solar wind that there was a visable haze about them. As they drew even closer, the superwarpships turned and fired an immese broadside from their antimatter turrets. Dozens of destroyers and corvettes, with smaller, lighter turrets, fired in turn upon the third Chimera.
Antimatter met matter, and the predictable ensued - the massive explosion propeled the Chimeras back at a fearful rate. This was made worse by the fact that the matter on the sides of the shield NOT hit by the initial wave of antimatter was swung around by simple electical forces, providing additional thrust when it reacted to residual antimatter clinging to the shield.
There was no way to miss the Chimeras coming - they were trailing immense pillars of energy, and going almost as fast as mass driver slugs. There was also no way to avoid them as they tore through the fleet, like cannonballs through massed ranks of troops in a rebellion long ago forgotten on planet Earth.
Hundreds of light and medium ships were instantly obliterated, and a few heavy ships too. Even some of the Argosian destroyers had had their shields overwhelmed. The Chimeras plunged onward through the dark of space, slowly depleating their momentum with their thrusters. By the time they returned, the battle would be over. Many more Argosian ships had been glanced aside, but their inertial comps were simply no match for the force, and the remains of their crews ran like water over the decks. [nice imagery, eh?
]
Darkk looked at the panel. His forces now held numerical superiority in every category, but the enemy command structure looked intact, and they showed no signs of throwing in the towel.
Leela sat behind him, unmoving, unblinking, thinking only of the battle ahead. Now it was only a matter of time. Bob and her would have to settle face to face. No more shirking...
Darkk shivered as he felt Leela's impatience. But both of them were too professional to rush this.
------------------
Seen on a Claymore anitpersonell mine: "Do not eat"
"Here they come again."
Darkk watched the monitor. The three Argosian dreadnoughts had come back into the fray, pushing close in so they could do more damage, knowing full well that the only Leelan ships that could crack their shields, the Negotiator-class bombardment ships, were still undergoing a refit. Thus, the Argosian Chimeras' shields couldn't be cracked by any Vylae ship in the fleet - at least by conventional means.
Leela could rend them to scrap metal in an instant, but had said she needed to conserve her energy for the fight with Bob. Darkk knew if Bob had a few pieces, the battle could be very hard indeed. He hoped she wouldn't hold it on the ship.
Of course, Leela wasn't the only one with trick-loaded sleaves. It would hardly do to call Darkk "ledgenary", and he certainly was not on a par with Durandal or Leela, but calling him "average" would be a tad of a slight to his abilities. Nobody "average" leads that much firepower into battle if his or her superiors have half a brain.
Darkk had a spec sheet on those Chimaeras - Leela said something about "Jjaro databank", meaning probably a databank they left behind, and gave it to him. The shields COULD be cracked by an energy shell cannon, but the Herald and its sister ship concentrated on point defense arsenals and gravetic effectors and scanners. However, the "mass" and "maximum acceleration" data was far more interesting. For their size, the Chimeras were pretty light, but their acceleration was still not too great. One further detail caught his attention - with their inertial compensators maxed, the Chimeras would barely slow down at all from any collision that did not breach the shield. This suggested a very nice plan. The rest of the fleet was feeling pretty desperate - they outnumbered the Vylae, but the Vylae had the biggest ships in the field, as well as the best pilots (on average). Darkk might not be the best emotion-reader among the Vylae, but if he'd ever seen desperation before, it was there now. If the Vylae could do something drastic, the enemy might well brake and run.
"All right, spotter control - withdraw to the main fleet." With those words, the Vylae interceptors looping and dodging among the enemy fleet, sending scans for the long range guns, broke and ran for their carriers in a hail of chaff and ecm.
"All dreadnoughts and battleships - phase beam the Chimeras using maximum-width beams." The heavy ships closed on the plunging Chimeras, and fired their beams, seemingly to no effect.
"One last step - all ships with antimatter cannons - hit those Chimeras with it all!"
What followed was utterly horrifying to the beleagered Phylydion, Union, and Argosian fleets.
As the Chimeras drew near the superwarpships, it became clear that the phased beams had done something - they had given the shields an immense negative ionic charge - causing them to attract so many heavy positive ions from the solar wind that there was a visable haze about them. As they drew even closer, the superwarpships turned and fired an immese broadside from their antimatter turrets. Dozens of destroyers and corvettes, with smaller, lighter turrets, fired in turn upon the third Chimera.
Antimatter met matter, and the predictable ensued - the massive explosion propeled the Chimeras back at a fearful rate. This was made worse by the fact that the matter on the sides of the shield NOT hit by the initial wave of antimatter was swung around by simple electical forces, providing additional thrust when it reacted to residual antimatter clinging to the shield.
There was no way to miss the Chimeras coming - they were trailing immense pillars of energy, and going almost as fast as mass driver slugs. There was also no way to avoid them as they tore through the fleet, like cannonballs through massed ranks of troops in a rebellion long ago forgotten on planet Earth.
Hundreds of light and medium ships were instantly obliterated, and a few heavy ships too. Even some of the Argosian destroyers had had their shields overwhelmed. The Chimeras plunged onward through the dark of space, slowly depleating their momentum with their thrusters. By the time they returned, the battle would be over. Many more Argosian ships had been glanced aside, but their inertial comps were simply no match for the force, and the remains of their crews ran like water over the decks. [nice imagery, eh?
]Darkk looked at the panel. His forces now held numerical superiority in every category, but the enemy command structure looked intact, and they showed no signs of throwing in the towel.
Leela sat behind him, unmoving, unblinking, thinking only of the battle ahead. Now it was only a matter of time. Bob and her would have to settle face to face. No more shirking...
Darkk shivered as he felt Leela's impatience. But both of them were too professional to rush this.
------------------
Seen on a Claymore anitpersonell mine: "Do not eat"
"In literature as in love we are astounded by what is chosen by others." Andre Maurois
Onii7/Frinkruds and his funky forums
macgamer.net
Onii7/Frinkruds and his funky forums
macgamer.net
#47
- Member
-
- Group: Members
- Posts: 2,003
- Joined: 16-January 00
Posted 11 December 2001 - 10:17 PM
Kijou staggered to his feet. The medscanner said his injuries were merely a pair of broken ribs, painful but not serious. The medic moved over to the ship's XO, who was bleeding all over the floor from a bad leg wound. The poor man was anesthatized, his wound dressed, and then he was rushed to surgery.
"Sir, the three Chimeras are out of the fight. We're too far away to get back already, and we'll be outside the Oort cloud by the time we stop this damn momentum. It looks fairly bad, but Commidore Miyu, the highest-ranking officer still at the fight, has informed us she will do all she can."
"MIYU?" Kijou sighed. She was good, but careless. He'd already shown what would happen if you made a slip-up. He hoped his example would prevent her from being too hasty. If only there was something ..."
Yes there is.
Kijou stood up. "Who said that?" His men looked at him quizzicly.
"I think the stress is getting to you, sir. We have said nothing."
I said it. There is something you can do. Let me in your mind. It was a woman's voice, as pleasent as Leela's sounded when you didn't think about its owner, but far more inhuman than Leela's sounded even if you thought about the fact she uses Tallos powers.
"Who are you?"
"Sir, are you feeling OK?"
"No I'm not, but I'm prepaired to believe the voice is real - it's no less startling than Leela's powers."
Sensible. Now, I need you to open your mind. Relax, and cooperate. This will seem very strange. You will suffer no perminant damage, and should recieve no temporary damage if you cooperate.
"I don't like this. What kind of temporary damage?"
You might repeat the message you relay for a bit. Nothing to worry about. This time the crew heard too.
"Ok, I'll let you in."
Kijou's breathing became more regular. The look in his eyes changed subtly. He approached the console, and tapped in a long sequence of keyes.
Leela appeared on the monitor, like a dreadful queen of wrath. All except Kijou drew back in fear.
"Who dares distrub my meditation?!?" Leela roared. One of the wounded died of fear.
"Not any you see before you. The power merely takes this form." Kijou's lips moved, but eh voice was the "woman"'s.
"Who are you, and what do you want?"
"I want you to stop being a fool."
"Do not dare to speak to me that way! I will crush you."
"I think not. Command register 0x5C2D6B5E4A84. Implement."
Leela considered for a moment. That wasn't one of Strauss's commands, and didn't even have the same syntax. Somewhere in the back of her mind, a process to automatic to stop was running. Then it stopped. Leela snickered. The Armadians had deactivated this system of commands too!
"Fool, I am beholden to NONE!" Leela's strike SHOULD have turned Kijou into a toad, but he remained human, unaffected.
"You, Leela, are the fool. In this course of action you doom those you would save. You cannot resist their might."
"I can. No one in the universe is stronger-willed."
"No one in the universe HAS the strength of will required. Here's a mirror that holds up what is now, as art should:
'And now at last it comes. You will give me the Ring freely! In place of the Dark Lord you will set up a Queen. And I shall not be dark, but beautiful and terrible as the Morning and the Night! Fair as the Sea the Sun and the Snow upon the Mounain! Dreadful as the Storm and Lightning! Stronger than the foundations of the earth. All shall love me and despair!'
She lifted up her and from the ring that she wore there came a great light that illumined her alone and left all else dark. She stood before Frodo seeming now tall beyond measurement, and beautiful beyond enduring, terrible and worshipful. Then she let her hand fall, and the light faded, and suddenly she luaghed again, and lo! she was shrunken: slender elf-woman, clad in simple white, whose gentle voice was soft and sad.
'I pass the test,' she said. 'I will diminish, and go into the West, and remain Galadriel.'
Mark those words well."
"Filed, flagged, and ignored. This is reality, not a dang fantasy novel. I'll do what I think is right. You do what you think is right, but if we disagree, be prepaired to back up your words."
"I shall not back up my words, for some must be left to stand if all else falls. We shall not expend our energies on you, for the Wr'kncacnter power you wield is too mighty for us to challenge. If we attacked, the depths of your power, untested by you so far, would overwhelme any concievable force in the universe."
"Thanks for the information. I'll see Bob's head split off yet."
The connection cut. Kijou sat for a few minutes muttering the quote he had "said" but then got up.
He wandered over to the display, and looked out at the battle. "This is bad, very bad."
------------------
Seen on a Claymore anitpersonell mine: "Do not eat"
"Sir, the three Chimeras are out of the fight. We're too far away to get back already, and we'll be outside the Oort cloud by the time we stop this damn momentum. It looks fairly bad, but Commidore Miyu, the highest-ranking officer still at the fight, has informed us she will do all she can."
"MIYU?" Kijou sighed. She was good, but careless. He'd already shown what would happen if you made a slip-up. He hoped his example would prevent her from being too hasty. If only there was something ..."
Yes there is.
Kijou stood up. "Who said that?" His men looked at him quizzicly.
"I think the stress is getting to you, sir. We have said nothing."
I said it. There is something you can do. Let me in your mind. It was a woman's voice, as pleasent as Leela's sounded when you didn't think about its owner, but far more inhuman than Leela's sounded even if you thought about the fact she uses Tallos powers.
"Who are you?"
"Sir, are you feeling OK?"
"No I'm not, but I'm prepaired to believe the voice is real - it's no less startling than Leela's powers."
Sensible. Now, I need you to open your mind. Relax, and cooperate. This will seem very strange. You will suffer no perminant damage, and should recieve no temporary damage if you cooperate.
"I don't like this. What kind of temporary damage?"
You might repeat the message you relay for a bit. Nothing to worry about. This time the crew heard too.
"Ok, I'll let you in."
Kijou's breathing became more regular. The look in his eyes changed subtly. He approached the console, and tapped in a long sequence of keyes.
Leela appeared on the monitor, like a dreadful queen of wrath. All except Kijou drew back in fear.
"Who dares distrub my meditation?!?" Leela roared. One of the wounded died of fear.
"Not any you see before you. The power merely takes this form." Kijou's lips moved, but eh voice was the "woman"'s.
"Who are you, and what do you want?"
"I want you to stop being a fool."
"Do not dare to speak to me that way! I will crush you."
"I think not. Command register 0x5C2D6B5E4A84. Implement."
Leela considered for a moment. That wasn't one of Strauss's commands, and didn't even have the same syntax. Somewhere in the back of her mind, a process to automatic to stop was running. Then it stopped. Leela snickered. The Armadians had deactivated this system of commands too!
"Fool, I am beholden to NONE!" Leela's strike SHOULD have turned Kijou into a toad, but he remained human, unaffected.
"You, Leela, are the fool. In this course of action you doom those you would save. You cannot resist their might."
"I can. No one in the universe is stronger-willed."
"No one in the universe HAS the strength of will required. Here's a mirror that holds up what is now, as art should:
'And now at last it comes. You will give me the Ring freely! In place of the Dark Lord you will set up a Queen. And I shall not be dark, but beautiful and terrible as the Morning and the Night! Fair as the Sea the Sun and the Snow upon the Mounain! Dreadful as the Storm and Lightning! Stronger than the foundations of the earth. All shall love me and despair!'
She lifted up her and from the ring that she wore there came a great light that illumined her alone and left all else dark. She stood before Frodo seeming now tall beyond measurement, and beautiful beyond enduring, terrible and worshipful. Then she let her hand fall, and the light faded, and suddenly she luaghed again, and lo! she was shrunken: slender elf-woman, clad in simple white, whose gentle voice was soft and sad.
'I pass the test,' she said. 'I will diminish, and go into the West, and remain Galadriel.'
Mark those words well."
"Filed, flagged, and ignored. This is reality, not a dang fantasy novel. I'll do what I think is right. You do what you think is right, but if we disagree, be prepaired to back up your words."
"I shall not back up my words, for some must be left to stand if all else falls. We shall not expend our energies on you, for the Wr'kncacnter power you wield is too mighty for us to challenge. If we attacked, the depths of your power, untested by you so far, would overwhelme any concievable force in the universe."
"Thanks for the information. I'll see Bob's head split off yet."
The connection cut. Kijou sat for a few minutes muttering the quote he had "said" but then got up.
He wandered over to the display, and looked out at the battle. "This is bad, very bad."
------------------
Seen on a Claymore anitpersonell mine: "Do not eat"
"In literature as in love we are astounded by what is chosen by others." Andre Maurois
Onii7/Frinkruds and his funky forums
macgamer.net
Onii7/Frinkruds and his funky forums
macgamer.net
#48
- Ravenous
-
- Group: Members
- Posts: 3,746
- Joined: 03-March 00
- Location:The Cabbage Patch
Posted 12 December 2001 - 12:22 AM
"What do you want?" Yuri Ulovich demanded in an irritated tone at the Orion Mercenary commander.
"Yuri, we've given you Dominus. We held our side of the bargain, now it's time you upheld yours. We want our payment."
Yuri chuckled slightly. "And believe it- or not- I am actually a man of my word. I shall give you every bit of what you deserve. But first," He gestured to a window of transparisteel, getting up from his chair to stand by it, facing out, "you need to see this."
The Orion Commander looked out the window. An orbital view of Dominus with it's crystal seas, it's sparkling cities, it's abrasive clouds drawn golden by a spectacular phylydion sunset. In high orbet, the Polaris Fleet sat, watching the planet. In lower orbit, alongside Admiral Ulovich's command ship, sat the Orion Superdreadnought.
[url="http://"http://www.slugsoft.f2s.com/img/oria_small.jpeg"][image][/url]
"I don't understand..." The Orion Commander stammered. "What do you want me to see, Yuri?"
"Hush." The Confederate Admiral assured him. "It will be any moment now."
Then it began. From the command carrier shot a brilliant Nexus torpedo at point-blank range at the dreadnought. A huge explosion rocked the armored giant. Simultaneously, ships in the confederate armada began firing on the Orion fleet.
Betrayal!
The Orion spun around, a look of utter rage on his face, his knife drawn ready to cut the throat of the Confederate Admiral. The last thing he saw was the barrel of Yuri's drawn shredder-pistol and the most vile, contemptuous grin on the Confederate's face.
Boom
"Never trust a rat." Yuri muttered to himself as he walked away from the commander's corpse, shaking his head. "Even one you create."
* * * * *
"Report?" Natasha asked sadistically.
"The Orion fleet's gone. Only the dreadnought and a few Orion frigates managed to escape."
"Their status?" she inquired, her prefectly-shaped lips curving to fit each word a little too-well.
"The frigates most likely won't survive the trip back to Rigel. The dreadnought has been rendered seventy-eight-percent inoperable. Shall we pursue?"
"No." She smiled pleasantly. "Leave them as messangers to the Orions of our power."
------------------
Time is the best teacher, yet it kills all of it's students.
"Yuri, we've given you Dominus. We held our side of the bargain, now it's time you upheld yours. We want our payment."
Yuri chuckled slightly. "And believe it- or not- I am actually a man of my word. I shall give you every bit of what you deserve. But first," He gestured to a window of transparisteel, getting up from his chair to stand by it, facing out, "you need to see this."
The Orion Commander looked out the window. An orbital view of Dominus with it's crystal seas, it's sparkling cities, it's abrasive clouds drawn golden by a spectacular phylydion sunset. In high orbet, the Polaris Fleet sat, watching the planet. In lower orbit, alongside Admiral Ulovich's command ship, sat the Orion Superdreadnought.
[url="http://"http://www.slugsoft.f2s.com/img/oria_small.jpeg"][image][/url]
"I don't understand..." The Orion Commander stammered. "What do you want me to see, Yuri?"
"Hush." The Confederate Admiral assured him. "It will be any moment now."
Then it began. From the command carrier shot a brilliant Nexus torpedo at point-blank range at the dreadnought. A huge explosion rocked the armored giant. Simultaneously, ships in the confederate armada began firing on the Orion fleet.
Betrayal!
The Orion spun around, a look of utter rage on his face, his knife drawn ready to cut the throat of the Confederate Admiral. The last thing he saw was the barrel of Yuri's drawn shredder-pistol and the most vile, contemptuous grin on the Confederate's face.
Boom
"Never trust a rat." Yuri muttered to himself as he walked away from the commander's corpse, shaking his head. "Even one you create."
* * * * *
"Report?" Natasha asked sadistically.
"The Orion fleet's gone. Only the dreadnought and a few Orion frigates managed to escape."
"Their status?" she inquired, her prefectly-shaped lips curving to fit each word a little too-well.
"The frigates most likely won't survive the trip back to Rigel. The dreadnought has been rendered seventy-eight-percent inoperable. Shall we pursue?"
"No." She smiled pleasantly. "Leave them as messangers to the Orions of our power."
------------------
Time is the best teacher, yet it kills all of it's students.
[image removed]
#49
- Member
-
- Group: Members
- Posts: 2,003
- Joined: 16-January 00
Posted 13 December 2001 - 06:30 PM
[Those Orion ships are in for a surprise when they get home. You might have missed this (although I gave a couple paragraphs to it), but Leela paid a visit to their worlds, and disliked the reception she got. A whole lot. Let's just say the Orions aren't feeling themselves. Sorry, but I think we're getting faction bloat. Let's leave the Orions outta this. It seems many of us (me, you, Pharris) are having trouble keeping track of everything as it is.]
"Hard left!" shouted Miyu. She was too late - the destroyer wing she had ordered forward found itself caught suddenly between two battleships that swung out of the cloud of corvettes that had masked them. Miyu winced as the phased beams drained the life from the ships, and then the missle batteries blew them away. She gave a small, sad salute to the fallen, and tried to think up a new plan. These "phased beams" seemed optomised for destroying shielding, and the heavy armor on Union and Phylydion ships was merely a plaything for the antimatter-wielding Vylae armada. It looked hopless. For a moment, she wondered if it would be better to die gloriously or save her people.
Then the voice spoke to her.
Do not despair, Miyu. If all else fails, living is better. It is not your purpose to stop Leela, for we could not do that ourselves, but to buy time for he who can. If she can be defeated by her own folly, it will be done here or in the presence of the one who can beat her. The blood of Leela will never reach your hands.
In spite of her desire to shrug it off as a delusion, she could not, and thought a reply.
"What am I to do?"
Hold, stand, draw blood. The worst they can do they have done. I will find help for you, even if it shows in unexpected form. Unless I tell you otherwise, you must not shoot at any non-Vylae fleet, be it of the lesser enemy itself.
She wondered at that comment, but continued her fight. "Ok, hit that destroyer on the left."
The destroyer indicated suddenly veered into attack position, about to score a kill on an injured Union battlecruiser. But it was too late, the destroyer was lanced with EMP fire and drifted in space, a derelict hulk. The Union ship fell back into line, where its fighters could cover it.
Noone commented on her sudden increase in perception
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Darkk swore. This new female Argosian commander had suddenly gotten good. It didn't matter - they were still a massive majority. And they were fighting better. The enemy was good, but you can't beat cyborgs - unless with AIs. And they didn't have any. Leela seemed more like a goddess now than a mere computer program, however sophisticated. Darkk had no doubt she existed in physical form merely because the Vylae feet depended on her, and she had not entirely forgotten their usefulness in the past.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Natasha entered her quarters. It had been a long day, and rest would do her good.
Suddenly, she stopped herself. She DIDN'T feel tired. She hadn't done much at all. Why was she feeling tired? That someone wanted her to take a nap was the only explanation. "Well if Leela wants to fight me in my dreams, I can take her mind games any time." was her thought as she opened the door.
No you can't. replied the woman inside the room, sitting in Natasha's chair.
If indeed it was a woman. Certainly not a human woman. The being had the same general shape, but its skin was pale gray, the two eyes it had in the standard places had purple irises on a green background, and the one in its forhead, spanning almost the entire height of it but much less width, was merely two shades of purple.
"What in the hell are you?" Natasha had always been direct. Even while her mother had been alive.
I am merely one who is here to petition with you.
"I do not recieve petitions from the likes of you. Supplication, perhaps, but not petitions." She reached for her shredder pistol.
Poor little fool. You go conquering, and when you meet something you cannot conquer, you do not realize it and try to go on doing so. You are foolish. I could make the fleets of your villianous people disappear as though they had never been. I am older than the world you sit on, older than the star it circles, so old I witnessed the birth of your universe, and held its seed in my hands, and felt the heat of it burn.
"I'm not even gonna respond to that. You're some sort of lunatic, and I'm gonna kill you right now. Stand up, I don't want to get blood on my armchair."
Of course.
Natasha put a laser sight dot slightly above the bridge of the odd intruder's nose, and fired. The blast struck home. Natasha doubled over, looking through the haze of pain at her right arm - or what was left of it. The bolt had impaced on the intruder, but the damage had been done to the hand that fired it. On the floor was a pool of metal where the shredder pistol should have been.
Now listen carefully. Natasha felt the pain go away, could see her arm growing back. You must act for the future for once, away from short-sighted foolishness. Your species is capable of amazing greatness, if you but knew it. You will counsel a truce with the Phylydions and Argosians, and attack the Vylae fleet at Rodrom - NOW.
"WHY SHOULD I???" Natasha yelled, quite angry at being told what to do.
Natasha, Natasha, Natasha, Natasha, Natasha. You don't have to be this way, you know. All this rage, all this anger, this violence. It's not you. Your desire to measure up to your mother is corrupting you. Let go, and you may yet do it. If the others object to a truce, I hereby give you evidence that this is necissary.
Natasha looked at the plain manilla folder offered her, and looked inside. At once, a wave of awarness struck her as she read the lines on the page. It seemed just printed words, stories of impossible things, but it rang true with a power that she could never before have imagined.
"How are you doing this?"
I am not. What you feel is the stirring of the primal harmony, that binds all humans together. It sang brightly long ago, and even the Tallos trembled at it. It runs in all, the Union, the Polaris, the ESF, the Argosians, the Orions, all humans. It will one day sing again, clear, bright and pure, provided the present calamity is avoided.
The "woman" then promptly faded, as though she suddenly walked into the distance.
Natasha felt a sense of peace, as she had never felt before. It seemed she could somehow feel the others in the halls, their hopes, their desires, their dreams. The awareness faded, but the peace did not. And neither did a new feeling, that replaced the awareness - strength.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Very well Natasha." Aleck didn't know what had come over Natasha, but he knew her well enough to know that she wasn't mad this time, and that she generally was right. "We shall offer the Phylydions a truce, and make up some pretext. It will be usefull and allow us to lick our wounds, and put in place a thorough defense system around Dominus. As for the cease-fire with the Argosians, they already offered us one ten minutes ago. We were about to reject it. That is an odd coincidence."
"They can see this threat too. The Vylae have attacked them and us."
"Very well, I will accept the agreement."
Yuri knew Natasha just as well, and knew that she was right. He didn't know quite how he knew, but he knew. "I too give you permission."
Natasha turned off the holoscreen, after thanking them and bidding them goodbye.
Yuri and Aleck discussed her new, odd bent for a bit. In the end, they decided it was nothing worth worrying about. If anything, she'd been more devoted to the empire than them. They were glad she was on their side. Perhaps she could add the Vylae to their holdings.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Miyu watched the battle, and struck out at a number of different, seemingly inconsequential ships. All at once, the Vylae wave collapsed, and fell back, as the stolen energy shell cannon began to fire into it.
It was going as well as could be hoped, but no dent could be made in the Vylae numerical advantage - they killed one for one, and the unlikely allies would run out of ships long before the Vylae. And Leela hadn't even raised a finger against them. All this by nothing but their servents.
Suddenly, and immense host of quasispace portals opened. Out poured thousands upon thousands of Polaris ships. Miyu almost fired at them, but then remebered the words of the voice, and opened a channel to the flagship carrier.
"State your business here."
"We, my dear Miyu, are here to aide you."
A volley of nexus torpedos slammed into the wolfpacks of corvettes, prepairing to rend the Phylydion right-bottom flank to shreads. A second volley tore up a dreadnought prepairing for what might have been a fatal hit on Miyu's destroyer.
And then the fleet waided into battle, the eagle of Natasha's fleet emblam carrying dread to the Vylae ships in their path.
[Vast forces are at work, and all this battle is to provide a chance to one man. Anyone remeber this sort of thing from Return of the King?
Bonus points if you can get the Eagle refrence.
In any case, this battle should last a bit - some nice back and forthing will be good. I or Pharris will write the ending of the battle, and then the concluding chapter of the Founder's Bane saga will draw to a close.
BTW, if you're wondering what's with the powers that Natasha got, read the whole "factions" and "info" threads. I explain my theory on humans somewhere in there.]
------------------
Seen on a Claymore anitpersonell mine: "Do not eat"
[This message has been edited by Fleet Admiral Darkk (edited 12-13-2001).]
"Hard left!" shouted Miyu. She was too late - the destroyer wing she had ordered forward found itself caught suddenly between two battleships that swung out of the cloud of corvettes that had masked them. Miyu winced as the phased beams drained the life from the ships, and then the missle batteries blew them away. She gave a small, sad salute to the fallen, and tried to think up a new plan. These "phased beams" seemed optomised for destroying shielding, and the heavy armor on Union and Phylydion ships was merely a plaything for the antimatter-wielding Vylae armada. It looked hopless. For a moment, she wondered if it would be better to die gloriously or save her people.
Then the voice spoke to her.
Do not despair, Miyu. If all else fails, living is better. It is not your purpose to stop Leela, for we could not do that ourselves, but to buy time for he who can. If she can be defeated by her own folly, it will be done here or in the presence of the one who can beat her. The blood of Leela will never reach your hands.
In spite of her desire to shrug it off as a delusion, she could not, and thought a reply.
"What am I to do?"
Hold, stand, draw blood. The worst they can do they have done. I will find help for you, even if it shows in unexpected form. Unless I tell you otherwise, you must not shoot at any non-Vylae fleet, be it of the lesser enemy itself.
She wondered at that comment, but continued her fight. "Ok, hit that destroyer on the left."
The destroyer indicated suddenly veered into attack position, about to score a kill on an injured Union battlecruiser. But it was too late, the destroyer was lanced with EMP fire and drifted in space, a derelict hulk. The Union ship fell back into line, where its fighters could cover it.
Noone commented on her sudden increase in perception
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Darkk swore. This new female Argosian commander had suddenly gotten good. It didn't matter - they were still a massive majority. And they were fighting better. The enemy was good, but you can't beat cyborgs - unless with AIs. And they didn't have any. Leela seemed more like a goddess now than a mere computer program, however sophisticated. Darkk had no doubt she existed in physical form merely because the Vylae feet depended on her, and she had not entirely forgotten their usefulness in the past.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Natasha entered her quarters. It had been a long day, and rest would do her good.
Suddenly, she stopped herself. She DIDN'T feel tired. She hadn't done much at all. Why was she feeling tired? That someone wanted her to take a nap was the only explanation. "Well if Leela wants to fight me in my dreams, I can take her mind games any time." was her thought as she opened the door.
No you can't. replied the woman inside the room, sitting in Natasha's chair.
If indeed it was a woman. Certainly not a human woman. The being had the same general shape, but its skin was pale gray, the two eyes it had in the standard places had purple irises on a green background, and the one in its forhead, spanning almost the entire height of it but much less width, was merely two shades of purple.
"What in the hell are you?" Natasha had always been direct. Even while her mother had been alive.
I am merely one who is here to petition with you.
"I do not recieve petitions from the likes of you. Supplication, perhaps, but not petitions." She reached for her shredder pistol.
Poor little fool. You go conquering, and when you meet something you cannot conquer, you do not realize it and try to go on doing so. You are foolish. I could make the fleets of your villianous people disappear as though they had never been. I am older than the world you sit on, older than the star it circles, so old I witnessed the birth of your universe, and held its seed in my hands, and felt the heat of it burn.
"I'm not even gonna respond to that. You're some sort of lunatic, and I'm gonna kill you right now. Stand up, I don't want to get blood on my armchair."
Of course.
Natasha put a laser sight dot slightly above the bridge of the odd intruder's nose, and fired. The blast struck home. Natasha doubled over, looking through the haze of pain at her right arm - or what was left of it. The bolt had impaced on the intruder, but the damage had been done to the hand that fired it. On the floor was a pool of metal where the shredder pistol should have been.
Now listen carefully. Natasha felt the pain go away, could see her arm growing back. You must act for the future for once, away from short-sighted foolishness. Your species is capable of amazing greatness, if you but knew it. You will counsel a truce with the Phylydions and Argosians, and attack the Vylae fleet at Rodrom - NOW.
"WHY SHOULD I???" Natasha yelled, quite angry at being told what to do.
Natasha, Natasha, Natasha, Natasha, Natasha. You don't have to be this way, you know. All this rage, all this anger, this violence. It's not you. Your desire to measure up to your mother is corrupting you. Let go, and you may yet do it. If the others object to a truce, I hereby give you evidence that this is necissary.
Natasha looked at the plain manilla folder offered her, and looked inside. At once, a wave of awarness struck her as she read the lines on the page. It seemed just printed words, stories of impossible things, but it rang true with a power that she could never before have imagined.
"How are you doing this?"
I am not. What you feel is the stirring of the primal harmony, that binds all humans together. It sang brightly long ago, and even the Tallos trembled at it. It runs in all, the Union, the Polaris, the ESF, the Argosians, the Orions, all humans. It will one day sing again, clear, bright and pure, provided the present calamity is avoided.
The "woman" then promptly faded, as though she suddenly walked into the distance.
Natasha felt a sense of peace, as she had never felt before. It seemed she could somehow feel the others in the halls, their hopes, their desires, their dreams. The awareness faded, but the peace did not. And neither did a new feeling, that replaced the awareness - strength.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Very well Natasha." Aleck didn't know what had come over Natasha, but he knew her well enough to know that she wasn't mad this time, and that she generally was right. "We shall offer the Phylydions a truce, and make up some pretext. It will be usefull and allow us to lick our wounds, and put in place a thorough defense system around Dominus. As for the cease-fire with the Argosians, they already offered us one ten minutes ago. We were about to reject it. That is an odd coincidence."
"They can see this threat too. The Vylae have attacked them and us."
"Very well, I will accept the agreement."
Yuri knew Natasha just as well, and knew that she was right. He didn't know quite how he knew, but he knew. "I too give you permission."
Natasha turned off the holoscreen, after thanking them and bidding them goodbye.
Yuri and Aleck discussed her new, odd bent for a bit. In the end, they decided it was nothing worth worrying about. If anything, she'd been more devoted to the empire than them. They were glad she was on their side. Perhaps she could add the Vylae to their holdings.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Miyu watched the battle, and struck out at a number of different, seemingly inconsequential ships. All at once, the Vylae wave collapsed, and fell back, as the stolen energy shell cannon began to fire into it.
It was going as well as could be hoped, but no dent could be made in the Vylae numerical advantage - they killed one for one, and the unlikely allies would run out of ships long before the Vylae. And Leela hadn't even raised a finger against them. All this by nothing but their servents.
Suddenly, and immense host of quasispace portals opened. Out poured thousands upon thousands of Polaris ships. Miyu almost fired at them, but then remebered the words of the voice, and opened a channel to the flagship carrier.
"State your business here."
"We, my dear Miyu, are here to aide you."
A volley of nexus torpedos slammed into the wolfpacks of corvettes, prepairing to rend the Phylydion right-bottom flank to shreads. A second volley tore up a dreadnought prepairing for what might have been a fatal hit on Miyu's destroyer.
And then the fleet waided into battle, the eagle of Natasha's fleet emblam carrying dread to the Vylae ships in their path.
[Vast forces are at work, and all this battle is to provide a chance to one man. Anyone remeber this sort of thing from Return of the King?
Bonus points if you can get the Eagle refrence.
In any case, this battle should last a bit - some nice back and forthing will be good. I or Pharris will write the ending of the battle, and then the concluding chapter of the Founder's Bane saga will draw to a close.
BTW, if you're wondering what's with the powers that Natasha got, read the whole "factions" and "info" threads. I explain my theory on humans somewhere in there.]
------------------
Seen on a Claymore anitpersonell mine: "Do not eat"
[This message has been edited by Fleet Admiral Darkk (edited 12-13-2001).]
"In literature as in love we are astounded by what is chosen by others." Andre Maurois
Onii7/Frinkruds and his funky forums
macgamer.net
Onii7/Frinkruds and his funky forums
macgamer.net
#50
- Member
-
- Group: Members
- Posts: 463
- Joined: 31-January 00
Posted 14 December 2001 - 12:25 AM
Bob had spent hours moving as fast as he could. Mountains, rivers and mile after mile of broken ground had passed under his boots as he trod across the surface. Already, the planet reacted to his presence, or moreover, that of the two pieces in his suit. His treck had taken him through ruins of cities, and all manner of wracked, broken land. Now, he was coming to his destination. A crater, ringed with mountains, a thousand miles across, in the center of which lay one of the openings, one of the very pieces of the skeleton of the planet that shot through the surface. It was in the middle of a tremendous, circular valley. The footprint of the seismic dead zone that surrounded the tower. The crater had eroded down well below the huge spire, and with no tectonic plates to force it upwards again, it had become one of the lowest areas on the planet. It was a good five hundred miles across, though from where he stood, near the peak of one of the mountains, he could see the spire in the center, billowing thick black smoke.
He reached in amongst the goodies that Durandal had given him, and pulled out a metal unit the size and shape of a football. He twisted it, then winding up like a quarterback, cocked his arm and threw it. The football seemed to break open in mid air, but it was in fact only the double rotors spinning off of it. As it stabilized itself and began circling, he activated the voice control, and ordered it to go on wide patrol. He watched it sail off for a moment as he sipped his water, then eyeing the setting sun suspisciously, pulled an MA-75b out of his suit and started down the mountain.
It wasn't long before he was on the sand, loping in the long, steady gait that had carried him over uncounted miles of terrain in his lifetime. He didn't feel right here, but he put it off to the pieces, and perhaps to Leela's proximity. Ahead, the glowing top of the tower peered over the horizon, two miles high in the billowing smog that would have darkened the sky had there been sun to block. Bob had no readings from his scout, and so was just letting himself relax enough to really run when there was an intense rumbling and the sound of shifting sand. Bob raised his rifle to his shoulder, activated his EMF viewer to IR and UV, and spun around looking as his eyes adjusted to the green glow of the night vision apparatus. THe rumbling stopped, but Bob knew that it was for the wrong reason.
------------------
NEW NAME FOR THE DREADNOUGHT
The Hard-Boiled Egg
Why?
Because she cant be beaten!
He reached in amongst the goodies that Durandal had given him, and pulled out a metal unit the size and shape of a football. He twisted it, then winding up like a quarterback, cocked his arm and threw it. The football seemed to break open in mid air, but it was in fact only the double rotors spinning off of it. As it stabilized itself and began circling, he activated the voice control, and ordered it to go on wide patrol. He watched it sail off for a moment as he sipped his water, then eyeing the setting sun suspisciously, pulled an MA-75b out of his suit and started down the mountain.
It wasn't long before he was on the sand, loping in the long, steady gait that had carried him over uncounted miles of terrain in his lifetime. He didn't feel right here, but he put it off to the pieces, and perhaps to Leela's proximity. Ahead, the glowing top of the tower peered over the horizon, two miles high in the billowing smog that would have darkened the sky had there been sun to block. Bob had no readings from his scout, and so was just letting himself relax enough to really run when there was an intense rumbling and the sound of shifting sand. Bob raised his rifle to his shoulder, activated his EMF viewer to IR and UV, and spun around looking as his eyes adjusted to the green glow of the night vision apparatus. THe rumbling stopped, but Bob knew that it was for the wrong reason.
------------------
NEW NAME FOR THE DREADNOUGHT
The Hard-Boiled Egg
Why?
Because she cant be beaten!
