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"The Endgame: Part III (Final Part)" (Story #7)
Capain Allende reached the preset coordiantes in Verasi. But the monk was nowhere to be found. Only asteroids and a few collector bots. Ske began to survey the field. Well, radar's not gonna help with all this junk around, she thought as she saw pieces of destroyed bots float by. As she slowly cruised along, she looked for anything unusual.
Eventually, after a half hour of arduos searching, she saw what appeared to be a drone unlike the others around her. She zoomed in on the object and recognized it immediately. It was a messenger drone. Definitely something the Hive wouldn't use. After quickly uplinking with it and downloading the info, she saw two files pop up on her viewscreen. One was labeled "Debriefing" and the other "To Samantha".
She opened the Debriefing file and hastily read it. Now that protocol was out of the way, she opened the file labeled for her. It read:
To Samantha,
There are many things I want to say. Maybe I should start with the mission....
During my assignment, I had to work closely with the Serco in the group. You would think that this would be the worst part of the mission, but it was not. Over time, I slowly bgan to see the Serco as what they are and not what I had been taught they were: Human. Albeit, overly aggressive and combative humans, but flesh and blood, like you or I.
I have experienced the comraderie that accompanies fighting closely with each other. I have begun to seperate my feelings for the Serco into two categories: Serco people and a Serco individual. An Old Earth quote pops to mind: "A person is smart, people are stupid". I believe that the same thinking could be used to seperate a person's value and a stereotype of their background. Ming, Mar Ani, the deceased LT..... they have opened my eyes to the truth.
This leads me to my second bit of news. I officially resign from the Order of Akan. The discoveries I have made make me doubt the teachings of Akan. They are incorrect and one-sided. Our very teachings are not so far off from Serco doctrines. I know from first hand knowledge. Both have a proud and honorable, if not somewhat twisted, tradition and believe that they are in the right. Thus if I stereotype the Serco for their teachings as evil and cruel, I must do the same for our very own teachings.
Finally, I talk to you not as a subordinate, nor as a fellow Akanese, but as a person and a friend. For quite some time now, I have watched you through a different view. I have admired your pirit and your intelligence. How wonderful you look... I guess I'm trying to say that I love you. This is probably the worst time to say that but I felt that it needed to be said. I hope our paths cross again.
Love, Erik
She just stared at the Verasi sun in confusion, surprise, anger and relief.
An somewhere else, I stared at the same sun and cried. All my bridges burned behind me and nowhere to go ahead of me. And I may have alienated my closest friend...
Capain Allende reached the preset coordiantes in Verasi. But the monk was nowhere to be found. Only asteroids and a few collector bots. Ske began to survey the field. Well, radar's not gonna help with all this junk around, she thought as she saw pieces of destroyed bots float by. As she slowly cruised along, she looked for anything unusual.
Eventually, after a half hour of arduos searching, she saw what appeared to be a drone unlike the others around her. She zoomed in on the object and recognized it immediately. It was a messenger drone. Definitely something the Hive wouldn't use. After quickly uplinking with it and downloading the info, she saw two files pop up on her viewscreen. One was labeled "Debriefing" and the other "To Samantha".
She opened the Debriefing file and hastily read it. Now that protocol was out of the way, she opened the file labeled for her. It read:
To Samantha,
There are many things I want to say. Maybe I should start with the mission....
During my assignment, I had to work closely with the Serco in the group. You would think that this would be the worst part of the mission, but it was not. Over time, I slowly bgan to see the Serco as what they are and not what I had been taught they were: Human. Albeit, overly aggressive and combative humans, but flesh and blood, like you or I.
I have experienced the comraderie that accompanies fighting closely with each other. I have begun to seperate my feelings for the Serco into two categories: Serco people and a Serco individual. An Old Earth quote pops to mind: "A person is smart, people are stupid". I believe that the same thinking could be used to seperate a person's value and a stereotype of their background. Ming, Mar Ani, the deceased LT..... they have opened my eyes to the truth.
This leads me to my second bit of news. I officially resign from the Order of Akan. The discoveries I have made make me doubt the teachings of Akan. They are incorrect and one-sided. Our very teachings are not so far off from Serco doctrines. I know from first hand knowledge. Both have a proud and honorable, if not somewhat twisted, tradition and believe that they are in the right. Thus if I stereotype the Serco for their teachings as evil and cruel, I must do the same for our very own teachings.
Finally, I talk to you not as a subordinate, nor as a fellow Akanese, but as a person and a friend. For quite some time now, I have watched you through a different view. I have admired your pirit and your intelligence. How wonderful you look... I guess I'm trying to say that I love you. This is probably the worst time to say that but I felt that it needed to be said. I hope our paths cross again.
Love, Erik
She just stared at the Verasi sun in confusion, surprise, anger and relief.
An somewhere else, I stared at the same sun and cried. All my bridges burned behind me and nowhere to go ahead of me. And I may have alienated my closest friend...
Info on the Akanese Homeworld
Hey Mac, I have some info for ya. Quick download it and read it as soon as you can. It's important.
The Akanese homesystem is named Querkos. It has five planets orbiting a white dwarf star. It also has three asteroid belts where planets may have been. All three asteroid belts are closer to the star than any of the planets. The system sits in a blue-white nebula known as the Claw Cloud.
The second planet from the star is named Cerberus, and is the only inhabitable planet in the system (besides the moon of the first planet). It is approximately 8,050km in diameter (approximately 2/3rds the size of Old Earth) and has only a 4.5 degree inclination to the solar plane (meaning the seasons dont change during the time of year). Thus the planet is seperated into permanent tropic, temperate and polar zones. It also has 1.2 Gs of gravity.
It sits 1.3 AUs from the star, right smack in the middle of the habitable zone for life to form. Birds, mammals and other species of animals have formed but no intelligent or dominant life has as of yet. The orbit of the planet takes 1.45 standard Old Earth years. The roation of the planet takes 18 hours 36 minutes to make one complete turn.
Now some history
Beyond Divinia, explorers continued to discover new planets and new phenomena. Jalilk was found soon after and was seen to have many hidden secrets within it's many asteroid fields. In one particular obscure asteroid field at the edge of the system, there was a wormhole waiting to be discovered.
Many years later, an explorer named Ostello-Ona reached saw an obscure field and began to map it. He noticed slight, unusual gravitmetric disturbances, however. He came closer to the disturbance and parked rght in the middle of their origin.
This explorer was a local of Jalilk. Born on an Itani Research station, he never left the system and thus, never used the Wormhole Iniator. It was a habit of his to lean his elbows on it with his head in his hands whenever he thought, since it did absolutely nothing as far as he was concerned. And that's exactly what he did...
Before he knew it, a wormhole had opened up to him. A seasoned trader would've noticed that this wormhole was smaller and more violent, but Ona was not seasoned nor a trader. He exited out the other side and began to take readings. Hours later, he came to the other side of the wormhole and opened it again.
However, the violence of this unusual phenomena showed this time. Tendrils of enrgy lashed at his ship, weird fields of electromagnetic energy bombarded the ship and he had no control as the ship began to tumble.
He came out the other end, bady damaged. Luckily, the wormhole took a few seconds to close, as his ship had had time to tumble far enough away. A bright white flash was seen and the wormhole was gone.
Ostello hurried back to the station to repair. He talked of the wormhole, but when asked for proof, his computer came up empty. Apparently, all the memory had been wiped. So, he went back to the site and tried to reopen the wormhole, but alas, it was gone for good. Not until many years later did someone figure out how to reopen.......*ZZZzzzzzttttTTT*
*Classified Data in Transmission. Connection cut. Reciever and sender have been traced*
Hey Mac, I have some info for ya. Quick download it and read it as soon as you can. It's important.
The Akanese homesystem is named Querkos. It has five planets orbiting a white dwarf star. It also has three asteroid belts where planets may have been. All three asteroid belts are closer to the star than any of the planets. The system sits in a blue-white nebula known as the Claw Cloud.
The second planet from the star is named Cerberus, and is the only inhabitable planet in the system (besides the moon of the first planet). It is approximately 8,050km in diameter (approximately 2/3rds the size of Old Earth) and has only a 4.5 degree inclination to the solar plane (meaning the seasons dont change during the time of year). Thus the planet is seperated into permanent tropic, temperate and polar zones. It also has 1.2 Gs of gravity.
It sits 1.3 AUs from the star, right smack in the middle of the habitable zone for life to form. Birds, mammals and other species of animals have formed but no intelligent or dominant life has as of yet. The orbit of the planet takes 1.45 standard Old Earth years. The roation of the planet takes 18 hours 36 minutes to make one complete turn.
Now some history
Beyond Divinia, explorers continued to discover new planets and new phenomena. Jalilk was found soon after and was seen to have many hidden secrets within it's many asteroid fields. In one particular obscure asteroid field at the edge of the system, there was a wormhole waiting to be discovered.
Many years later, an explorer named Ostello-Ona reached saw an obscure field and began to map it. He noticed slight, unusual gravitmetric disturbances, however. He came closer to the disturbance and parked rght in the middle of their origin.
This explorer was a local of Jalilk. Born on an Itani Research station, he never left the system and thus, never used the Wormhole Iniator. It was a habit of his to lean his elbows on it with his head in his hands whenever he thought, since it did absolutely nothing as far as he was concerned. And that's exactly what he did...
Before he knew it, a wormhole had opened up to him. A seasoned trader would've noticed that this wormhole was smaller and more violent, but Ona was not seasoned nor a trader. He exited out the other side and began to take readings. Hours later, he came to the other side of the wormhole and opened it again.
However, the violence of this unusual phenomena showed this time. Tendrils of enrgy lashed at his ship, weird fields of electromagnetic energy bombarded the ship and he had no control as the ship began to tumble.
He came out the other end, bady damaged. Luckily, the wormhole took a few seconds to close, as his ship had had time to tumble far enough away. A bright white flash was seen and the wormhole was gone.
Ostello hurried back to the station to repair. He talked of the wormhole, but when asked for proof, his computer came up empty. Apparently, all the memory had been wiped. So, he went back to the site and tried to reopen the wormhole, but alas, it was gone for good. Not until many years later did someone figure out how to reopen.......*ZZZzzzzzttttTTT*
*Classified Data in Transmission. Connection cut. Reciever and sender have been traced*
"Technical Difficulties (A Captain Allende Story)" (Story #8)
She shivered. Not in fear or in anxiety; it was just plain cold. She stood in the middle of a small room, about 10' by 10'. The room was barren and very dim. The walls and floors were made of Vismetal, only making the room seem colder.
The room was illuminated by a spotlight right above her head. She could see her breath mist everytime she exhaled. Standard debriefing procedure for the Akanese.
"ATTENTION!". The voice seemed to boom from all directions at once. She snapped to.
"State your name, rank and serial number for the record", the omnipotent voice ordered.
"Samantha Allende, Captain, Serial Number is classified" she stated.
"This debriefing has Alpha level clearance. State your serial number, captain"
"I'm afraid I cannot do that, sir"
"Alpha level clearance is the highest classification. Why can you not state your number?"
"With all due respect, you are wrong, sir. If you check the Supreme Rules of Akan, Section seventeen, subsection four alpha, you will see what I mean, sir."
If one would check the Supreme Rules for that clause, as the person behind the ominous voice did, one would see that the good captain was right. Level 3 clearance is higher; it is named such because only the top three officials in the Akanese government could authorize, or even know of, anything cleared as level 3.
"Very well, Captain., let us move on. This debriefing is of the events that occured two days ago in Verasi"
The floating voice paused, and the room suddenly got much colder.
"Please begin with the debriefing of the monk that went by the callsign 'moldyman'"
"He stated that the mission was a success and tha..that it was..ss done. The le..lead..leader of the group was elminated". Her shivering became more violent as the cold began to grip her. She tried to stomp her feet and rub her arms to warm up.
"Stand at attention, soldier" the voice ordered coldly.
"Yess..ss..s ssss..ssir"
"Continue. How was the mission's objective accomplished?"
"He sabotaged the ca..ka..cooling system of the....the IntraSyste...system Jump Drive. It ruptured and..a severed the connec...connecshon to da..the engines from the ka..cockpit."
"And he proceeded to...?"
"He then diss...destroyed..ed..ed it wif...with", she sneezed. "With Gemini Missiles"
"And what of the AutoEject Pod?"
"New..neutron blasts destroyed ittt and the liu...lieutenant inside"
"Did he confirm this?"
"Yes", she lied.
"And where are his whereabouts....."the voice trailed off. It had suddenly transformed from a synthesized neutral voice to that of a familiar female voice.
"Ma...ma...Major, is dat...that you?"
"This debriefing has been compromised. A new one will be scheduled. You are dismissed, Captain"
That error on the machine's part saved her from answering. How would she answer? Would that letter affect her judgement? Or would she tell the truth, as she was honorbound to do? Thanks to the technical difficulties, those questions could wait...
Maybe there's a way to tell the truth AND save his ass, she thought as she rushed out of the room to the hallway....
And somewhere on the surface of Copacati, I sat in a rented room and stared at the overcast sky, still deep in thought. An old friend, a Union combat pilot who lived nearby, visited me everyday. I greeted him as I greeted the sky: with blank eyes and no words. Same blank eyes the color of the cloudy sky. God, this city sucks....
She shivered. Not in fear or in anxiety; it was just plain cold. She stood in the middle of a small room, about 10' by 10'. The room was barren and very dim. The walls and floors were made of Vismetal, only making the room seem colder.
The room was illuminated by a spotlight right above her head. She could see her breath mist everytime she exhaled. Standard debriefing procedure for the Akanese.
"ATTENTION!". The voice seemed to boom from all directions at once. She snapped to.
"State your name, rank and serial number for the record", the omnipotent voice ordered.
"Samantha Allende, Captain, Serial Number is classified" she stated.
"This debriefing has Alpha level clearance. State your serial number, captain"
"I'm afraid I cannot do that, sir"
"Alpha level clearance is the highest classification. Why can you not state your number?"
"With all due respect, you are wrong, sir. If you check the Supreme Rules of Akan, Section seventeen, subsection four alpha, you will see what I mean, sir."
If one would check the Supreme Rules for that clause, as the person behind the ominous voice did, one would see that the good captain was right. Level 3 clearance is higher; it is named such because only the top three officials in the Akanese government could authorize, or even know of, anything cleared as level 3.
"Very well, Captain., let us move on. This debriefing is of the events that occured two days ago in Verasi"
The floating voice paused, and the room suddenly got much colder.
"Please begin with the debriefing of the monk that went by the callsign 'moldyman'"
"He stated that the mission was a success and tha..that it was..ss done. The le..lead..leader of the group was elminated". Her shivering became more violent as the cold began to grip her. She tried to stomp her feet and rub her arms to warm up.
"Stand at attention, soldier" the voice ordered coldly.
"Yess..ss..s ssss..ssir"
"Continue. How was the mission's objective accomplished?"
"He sabotaged the ca..ka..cooling system of the....the IntraSyste...system Jump Drive. It ruptured and..a severed the connec...connecshon to da..the engines from the ka..cockpit."
"And he proceeded to...?"
"He then diss...destroyed..ed..ed it wif...with", she sneezed. "With Gemini Missiles"
"And what of the AutoEject Pod?"
"New..neutron blasts destroyed ittt and the liu...lieutenant inside"
"Did he confirm this?"
"Yes", she lied.
"And where are his whereabouts....."the voice trailed off. It had suddenly transformed from a synthesized neutral voice to that of a familiar female voice.
"Ma...ma...Major, is dat...that you?"
"This debriefing has been compromised. A new one will be scheduled. You are dismissed, Captain"
That error on the machine's part saved her from answering. How would she answer? Would that letter affect her judgement? Or would she tell the truth, as she was honorbound to do? Thanks to the technical difficulties, those questions could wait...
Maybe there's a way to tell the truth AND save his ass, she thought as she rushed out of the room to the hallway....
And somewhere on the surface of Copacati, I sat in a rented room and stared at the overcast sky, still deep in thought. An old friend, a Union combat pilot who lived nearby, visited me everyday. I greeted him as I greeted the sky: with blank eyes and no words. Same blank eyes the color of the cloudy sky. God, this city sucks....
More Info on the Akanese military
Hey Mac, here's some more info. I stopped using the UIT CommDrone since last time. I hope it helps you and the IA.
*file opens*
A Study of the Akanese Military's Hierarchy
The Order of Akan is divided into two branches. One branch of the military is comprised almost entirely of women, while the other is comprised only of men. However, these two branches are only seperated out of necessity. And even then, they're not truly seperated.
The male branch is comprised of the Monks of Akan. In order to be a monk, one must be male and thus the seperation. The monks are the fighting wing of the Order of Akan. They are trained in both ground and space combat, although most monks specialize in one or the other. Monks are required to shoot within 2" or 2' of a target, ground combat for the former and space combat for the latter.
The predominantly female branch is comprised of the Officers of Akan. They are the command structure. Save for a squad leader in combat (which is given to a monk), which is the highest non-commisioned officer position, the females fill all the chain of command.
One notable exception is the Regent-Abbot of Akan, but it could be argued that he is also a spiritual and governmental lead......*ZZZzzzztttTTTT*
*This exchange has been monitored by the Xang-Xi Internal Concerns Council. It has violated transmission policy and will terminate in 5....4...*
#@^#!&(!#(!!! How do they find me? I'll send the rest real....*ZZzzztttTT*
*Transmission terminated. That will be a 15,000 credit fee for violating Xang-Xi Comm Protocol*
Hey Mac, here's some more info. I stopped using the UIT CommDrone since last time. I hope it helps you and the IA.
*file opens*
A Study of the Akanese Military's Hierarchy
The Order of Akan is divided into two branches. One branch of the military is comprised almost entirely of women, while the other is comprised only of men. However, these two branches are only seperated out of necessity. And even then, they're not truly seperated.
The male branch is comprised of the Monks of Akan. In order to be a monk, one must be male and thus the seperation. The monks are the fighting wing of the Order of Akan. They are trained in both ground and space combat, although most monks specialize in one or the other. Monks are required to shoot within 2" or 2' of a target, ground combat for the former and space combat for the latter.
The predominantly female branch is comprised of the Officers of Akan. They are the command structure. Save for a squad leader in combat (which is given to a monk), which is the highest non-commisioned officer position, the females fill all the chain of command.
One notable exception is the Regent-Abbot of Akan, but it could be argued that he is also a spiritual and governmental lead......*ZZZzzzztttTTTT*
*This exchange has been monitored by the Xang-Xi Internal Concerns Council. It has violated transmission policy and will terminate in 5....4...*
#@^#!&(!#(!!! How do they find me? I'll send the rest real....*ZZzzztttTT*
*Transmission terminated. That will be a 15,000 credit fee for violating Xang-Xi Comm Protocol*
"A Headless Chicken" (Story #9)
An empty sector in Dau
The beetle-ilike ship was spewing flames from several cracks. Many gaping holes were left from when quintets of rockets broke through it's thick, chitinous armor. Oil and hyrdaulic fluid slicked it's underbelly and sparks flew from severed legs.
But it would not die without a fight, and neither would the full complement of robots let it. Overseers, Guardians and Assaults of all makes stacked against me. But my goal was their leader, their home base, their Queen.
I deftly turned the Ragnarok(as deftly as one can anyway) around to meet my target. I thumbed off the safeties. of my rockets and glided closer to it. Soon, the same feelings that accompanied the completion of my last mission for Akan began to resurface. The rage, despair, agony and confusion overwhelmed me. No longer was it a robot in front of me, but my teachers, my friends, my home, my former love.
It was a big target, making it hard to miss. So my Rag spouted explosives and strafed like a deamon posessed. My ship took heavy fire, but flew with a purpose. My mind was longer in control of the ship, otherwise I would've broken off and repaired. No, my heart, filled with the emotional tsunami, drove the ship. The emotions flowed through me and out my ship, as they have been alot recently.
So it was no surprise when a shockwave passed through my ship as it turboed through the debris of what had been my target. With the Queen gone, my instincts flipped on the IntraSystem jump and I got out of there.
I arrived in the sector of the Dau Senate station and slowed to five m/s, so I could regain my senses. Slowly, I began to feel my body again and not just a ball of emotional energy. Sweat was pouring off my face. My hand was stiff from holding the joystick too hard. The scabs on my knees reopened and blood trickled down my leg.
I had done this many times before and everytime I came back the same. No new clarity, no relief from this pressure on my chest, no escape from my impending sense of doom; what was I going to do? I screamed in agony and despair as I had after every Queen I killed that week... and still no improvement from when I first left the Order.
Dau System, Sector L-10, Dau Senate Station
Not much of a bar, I thought as I walked in. After visiting the infirmary and getting patched up (again), I walked to the bar (again) and ordered a large Orion Rum (again). Alcohol seemed to make the pain easier. So did talking about it, but not in this bar. Everything was so automated. Robotic vending machine, android bartender and a few regular drunkards, probably debtors. And this only made the anguish worse. So I chugged the rum and left to kill another Queen and hope for clarity that would not come.
Man, I thought, I at least need to find a new bar....
An empty sector in Dau
The beetle-ilike ship was spewing flames from several cracks. Many gaping holes were left from when quintets of rockets broke through it's thick, chitinous armor. Oil and hyrdaulic fluid slicked it's underbelly and sparks flew from severed legs.
But it would not die without a fight, and neither would the full complement of robots let it. Overseers, Guardians and Assaults of all makes stacked against me. But my goal was their leader, their home base, their Queen.
I deftly turned the Ragnarok(as deftly as one can anyway) around to meet my target. I thumbed off the safeties. of my rockets and glided closer to it. Soon, the same feelings that accompanied the completion of my last mission for Akan began to resurface. The rage, despair, agony and confusion overwhelmed me. No longer was it a robot in front of me, but my teachers, my friends, my home, my former love.
It was a big target, making it hard to miss. So my Rag spouted explosives and strafed like a deamon posessed. My ship took heavy fire, but flew with a purpose. My mind was longer in control of the ship, otherwise I would've broken off and repaired. No, my heart, filled with the emotional tsunami, drove the ship. The emotions flowed through me and out my ship, as they have been alot recently.
So it was no surprise when a shockwave passed through my ship as it turboed through the debris of what had been my target. With the Queen gone, my instincts flipped on the IntraSystem jump and I got out of there.
I arrived in the sector of the Dau Senate station and slowed to five m/s, so I could regain my senses. Slowly, I began to feel my body again and not just a ball of emotional energy. Sweat was pouring off my face. My hand was stiff from holding the joystick too hard. The scabs on my knees reopened and blood trickled down my leg.
I had done this many times before and everytime I came back the same. No new clarity, no relief from this pressure on my chest, no escape from my impending sense of doom; what was I going to do? I screamed in agony and despair as I had after every Queen I killed that week... and still no improvement from when I first left the Order.
Dau System, Sector L-10, Dau Senate Station
Not much of a bar, I thought as I walked in. After visiting the infirmary and getting patched up (again), I walked to the bar (again) and ordered a large Orion Rum (again). Alcohol seemed to make the pain easier. So did talking about it, but not in this bar. Everything was so automated. Robotic vending machine, android bartender and a few regular drunkards, probably debtors. And this only made the anguish worse. So I chugged the rum and left to kill another Queen and hope for clarity that would not come.
Man, I thought, I at least need to find a new bar....
Hmmm... did you know that with the right "cheat codes" *nod nod, wink wink* you can get other stuff than drinks and snacks at an UIT autobar?
Like what stuff? >.>;
I'm not about to incriminate myself in criminal activities, so you can go find out yerself. I'm just sayin'...
"I regret to inform you..." (Story #10)
As I sat in the same bar a few days later, drinking my rum, I was unaware to the arrival of something that would profoundly change my life, for the better it seems now.
But for the moment, I was oblivious. I sipped my rum and closed my eyes. Without warning, a memory came to me. It was my first flight into space. I was twelve at the time. Our class was taken aboard a SpaceLiner jet and we circled our little planet many times. Our faces were pressed against the glass and everyone jockeyed for a position to look outside the viewports. It was beautiful. Verdent green land, a deep blue ocean and swirling white clouds. I even saw the beginnings of the tropical storm that had been in the news.
I held back my tears of homesicknees and walked out towards the dock. No, Cerberus was not my home any longer. Nor could any planet replace it as my home without bringing up memories and anguish. No, only the cold, dark embrace of space space was. My home was in the cockpit of a ship, joystick and throttle in hand. There I was in control of what I could do, and where I could go.
On the way to the dock, I stopped by a terminal and checked the news, possibly for a new escape. Many new bounties on pirates had been claimed and Dau was in need of Phase Arrays. Oh, look what we have here, I hought. There was a report about increased Serco activity on the Itani border.. It read:
Increased Serco activit along the system of Deneb has many Itani officials worried. This has prompted them to recruit combat pilots to aid in the defense of their homes. They are offering ten thousand credits for every confirmed Serco kill. They are accepting all Itani and Itani-friendly Union combat pilots with some experience. The UIT Senate encourages all eligible pilots to takethis opportunity as it is easy money for seasoned...
It went on to talk about profit margins, risk ratios and other business jargon that the Union is so fond of.
This was an opportunity I could not miss. As an Akanese, I was an outlaw for the Itani. And then I was an outlaw to the Akanese when I left the Order. Besides clearing my name to the Itani people, I also had a chance to make up for the atrocities I, directly or not, participated in. This would not be the new direction for my life, but, rather, a way to make ammends for my past. And wth forgiveness, from myself and those i have hurt, I may be able to let go of the past and move on to the future.
With that decision, I sold my Ragnarok and purchased a Warthog Mark2 (known for it's speed) and a Fast Charge Battery (also known for it's speed). Going through the Nation was longer than going through the Domnion and probably as dangerous for me too. The Order has operatives everywhere from Deneb to Jalilk.
Before I sold the Rag, though, I cleared out all my persnal effects and files. As I was doing this, I saw that I had a new message. It was from Samantha...
"I regret to inform you, but I cannot sacrifice my career nor betray our people by lying for your sake. I have come to this decision througn careful thinking and extensive discussions with your peers, especially Monk Eo-Tol. He has convinced me of your true nature, one I cannot deign to defend. How could you show your face after abandoning him to finish a mission in hostile territory? I do not know. All I know is that I have warned you and only because of that letter...."
I did not read anymore. The mesage had come across. Her love for the Akanese people and teachings had blinded her. Whatever affection she might've had for me was crushed by that sniveling little liar of a monk. I left HIM!? The nerve of him to not only lie about being there, but to claim I was the one who abandoned HIM! No matter. It seems the Order was encouraging that more and more in their newer pupils.
But for once, I did not feel sadness or anger. I had no despair or anguish. In fact, for the first time since leaving the Order, it was all clearer to me. The Captain was not who I thought she was. What I saw was not her true self, mentally and emotionally, but the way she portrayed herself to others. I had only seen the shell of a very rotten egg...
And suddenly, the love I had felt, the feeling that ached my heart since I revealeed it's true emotions, only felt a faint echo of what it had before, as the light wind is after a major storm. It made sense now... For the first time since the day i left the Order, I was content. Ad I sported a big grin as I hopped into my Hog and flew out of the station, destination : Deneb.
As I sat in the same bar a few days later, drinking my rum, I was unaware to the arrival of something that would profoundly change my life, for the better it seems now.
But for the moment, I was oblivious. I sipped my rum and closed my eyes. Without warning, a memory came to me. It was my first flight into space. I was twelve at the time. Our class was taken aboard a SpaceLiner jet and we circled our little planet many times. Our faces were pressed against the glass and everyone jockeyed for a position to look outside the viewports. It was beautiful. Verdent green land, a deep blue ocean and swirling white clouds. I even saw the beginnings of the tropical storm that had been in the news.
I held back my tears of homesicknees and walked out towards the dock. No, Cerberus was not my home any longer. Nor could any planet replace it as my home without bringing up memories and anguish. No, only the cold, dark embrace of space space was. My home was in the cockpit of a ship, joystick and throttle in hand. There I was in control of what I could do, and where I could go.
On the way to the dock, I stopped by a terminal and checked the news, possibly for a new escape. Many new bounties on pirates had been claimed and Dau was in need of Phase Arrays. Oh, look what we have here, I hought. There was a report about increased Serco activity on the Itani border.. It read:
Increased Serco activit along the system of Deneb has many Itani officials worried. This has prompted them to recruit combat pilots to aid in the defense of their homes. They are offering ten thousand credits for every confirmed Serco kill. They are accepting all Itani and Itani-friendly Union combat pilots with some experience. The UIT Senate encourages all eligible pilots to takethis opportunity as it is easy money for seasoned...
It went on to talk about profit margins, risk ratios and other business jargon that the Union is so fond of.
This was an opportunity I could not miss. As an Akanese, I was an outlaw for the Itani. And then I was an outlaw to the Akanese when I left the Order. Besides clearing my name to the Itani people, I also had a chance to make up for the atrocities I, directly or not, participated in. This would not be the new direction for my life, but, rather, a way to make ammends for my past. And wth forgiveness, from myself and those i have hurt, I may be able to let go of the past and move on to the future.
With that decision, I sold my Ragnarok and purchased a Warthog Mark2 (known for it's speed) and a Fast Charge Battery (also known for it's speed). Going through the Nation was longer than going through the Domnion and probably as dangerous for me too. The Order has operatives everywhere from Deneb to Jalilk.
Before I sold the Rag, though, I cleared out all my persnal effects and files. As I was doing this, I saw that I had a new message. It was from Samantha...
"I regret to inform you, but I cannot sacrifice my career nor betray our people by lying for your sake. I have come to this decision througn careful thinking and extensive discussions with your peers, especially Monk Eo-Tol. He has convinced me of your true nature, one I cannot deign to defend. How could you show your face after abandoning him to finish a mission in hostile territory? I do not know. All I know is that I have warned you and only because of that letter...."
I did not read anymore. The mesage had come across. Her love for the Akanese people and teachings had blinded her. Whatever affection she might've had for me was crushed by that sniveling little liar of a monk. I left HIM!? The nerve of him to not only lie about being there, but to claim I was the one who abandoned HIM! No matter. It seems the Order was encouraging that more and more in their newer pupils.
But for once, I did not feel sadness or anger. I had no despair or anguish. In fact, for the first time since leaving the Order, it was all clearer to me. The Captain was not who I thought she was. What I saw was not her true self, mentally and emotionally, but the way she portrayed herself to others. I had only seen the shell of a very rotten egg...
And suddenly, the love I had felt, the feeling that ached my heart since I revealeed it's true emotions, only felt a faint echo of what it had before, as the light wind is after a major storm. It made sense now... For the first time since the day i left the Order, I was content. Ad I sported a big grin as I hopped into my Hog and flew out of the station, destination : Deneb.
Great work Monk. Keep it up.
"An Old Progress Report" (Story #11)
The view from this spot had always been good. One could see pedestrians stroll by as they took in the breeze and the smell of firs that lined the way. The houses were simple and artistic, very humble. Even the quiet sound of automobiles passing by was comforting. And there I sat, contemplating two events that befuddled me.
I had my hands in my pockets, as it was a bit chilly from the breeze. Surprisingly, I felt a piece of paper. I pulled it out and immediately thought back to a time...
* I sat there in a daze as I stared at the incrminating piece of paper. I have always dreaded these days. The days when your self-worth was put in cold, calculating terms and even colder side remarks. It was the day in which I recieved my progress report.
These things followed me for the rest of my life, from home to home, guardian to guardian. Despite best faith efforts and commands from the Order, every new guardian could be prejudiced to you one way or another by your grades.
Later that day, I went to meet my guardians for that week. I walked up to a simple, one story house painted in a nice shade of green. At the door, a tall man greeted me. He was about 5' 8", had short black hair and black eyes. One could tell that he placed an emphasis on strength by the strong build of his body.
"Hello, Erik. My name is Johan. Me and my wife, Elisa", he gestured to the woman behind him, "will help you in your training this week. Now, before we get you settled in, could we see your most recent progress report?" It was a meaningless gesture. All the guardians recieved the progress reports of those to be under their care ahead of time. Perhaps, they were the type of people who didn't read it beforehand.
Either way, I dug in my bag and produced the papers to the giant in front of me (I was only twelve at the time). He accepted it and gestured for me to follow him inside. It was a simple. but nice looking, home. No unecessary ornaments or doodads, but there were pictures and flowers in every room.
He led me to the main room, where all three of us sat down at a table while my guardian-father continued to look over the report. His face seemed to droop more and more with every line he read. Finally, with a look of disappointment, he handed the paper to my guardian-mother. Oh, I forgot to describe her. She was caucasian (as most residents of New Anchorage are), had long chestnut colored hair and bright green eyes. She came to just above her husband's shoulder.
As she read the report, he began to speak. "Erik, I can not lie. I find many of these grades depressing. A 75 on your Zero-Gravity Endurance test, a 65 on your last evaluation of the Serco history of atrocities, a 35 on your covert operational tactics test."
"Now, now, honey, he has some excellent grades," Elisa piped up. "It seems that he recieved a 98 on his Basic Combat Piloting test and is in the top one thousand of the city's student pilots. And his scores in the history of our people are very high."
"That only means that he is a capable pilot. To be a monk in the Order, one must be more well-rounded and be able to do different things besides fly."
"But you are being so negative about things"
"I'm saying there is much room for improvement"
"Don't go on about..." they continued their peaceful squabble. Besides the roles being reversed in this family (the guardian-mothers usually were the negative ones to me), this is how I was usually recieved. After the first day, it got better, but then by the end of the week, I was off to another guardian-family or a formal training institute.
God, I hated progress reports. -.-
The view from this spot had always been good. One could see pedestrians stroll by as they took in the breeze and the smell of firs that lined the way. The houses were simple and artistic, very humble. Even the quiet sound of automobiles passing by was comforting. And there I sat, contemplating two events that befuddled me.
I had my hands in my pockets, as it was a bit chilly from the breeze. Surprisingly, I felt a piece of paper. I pulled it out and immediately thought back to a time...
* I sat there in a daze as I stared at the incrminating piece of paper. I have always dreaded these days. The days when your self-worth was put in cold, calculating terms and even colder side remarks. It was the day in which I recieved my progress report.
These things followed me for the rest of my life, from home to home, guardian to guardian. Despite best faith efforts and commands from the Order, every new guardian could be prejudiced to you one way or another by your grades.
Later that day, I went to meet my guardians for that week. I walked up to a simple, one story house painted in a nice shade of green. At the door, a tall man greeted me. He was about 5' 8", had short black hair and black eyes. One could tell that he placed an emphasis on strength by the strong build of his body.
"Hello, Erik. My name is Johan. Me and my wife, Elisa", he gestured to the woman behind him, "will help you in your training this week. Now, before we get you settled in, could we see your most recent progress report?" It was a meaningless gesture. All the guardians recieved the progress reports of those to be under their care ahead of time. Perhaps, they were the type of people who didn't read it beforehand.
Either way, I dug in my bag and produced the papers to the giant in front of me (I was only twelve at the time). He accepted it and gestured for me to follow him inside. It was a simple. but nice looking, home. No unecessary ornaments or doodads, but there were pictures and flowers in every room.
He led me to the main room, where all three of us sat down at a table while my guardian-father continued to look over the report. His face seemed to droop more and more with every line he read. Finally, with a look of disappointment, he handed the paper to my guardian-mother. Oh, I forgot to describe her. She was caucasian (as most residents of New Anchorage are), had long chestnut colored hair and bright green eyes. She came to just above her husband's shoulder.
As she read the report, he began to speak. "Erik, I can not lie. I find many of these grades depressing. A 75 on your Zero-Gravity Endurance test, a 65 on your last evaluation of the Serco history of atrocities, a 35 on your covert operational tactics test."
"Now, now, honey, he has some excellent grades," Elisa piped up. "It seems that he recieved a 98 on his Basic Combat Piloting test and is in the top one thousand of the city's student pilots. And his scores in the history of our people are very high."
"That only means that he is a capable pilot. To be a monk in the Order, one must be more well-rounded and be able to do different things besides fly."
"But you are being so negative about things"
"I'm saying there is much room for improvement"
"Don't go on about..." they continued their peaceful squabble. Besides the roles being reversed in this family (the guardian-mothers usually were the negative ones to me), this is how I was usually recieved. After the first day, it got better, but then by the end of the week, I was off to another guardian-family or a formal training institute.
God, I hated progress reports. -.-
Wow what a harsh way to grow up. Didn't know Itani was like that. I'm glad all I had to deal with was how to turn a profit.
Proof positive them Akanese are as stupid as the Serco. Down here in the Union a little cash and those foster guardians would be singing your praise and letting the World know you're the Next Big Thing since Sliced Bread. Now if you'll excuse me...
*goes eat Sliced Bread*
*goes eat Sliced Bread*
The System of Education in the Order of Akan
Hey, Mac, it's me again. I have yet more info for ya. This time we shouldn't be interrupted (Pay Corvus enough and they'd do anything for ya -.-)
*file opens*
A study of the Akanese Method of Instruction
The Akanese culture is not organized in the way of the Itani or UIT. The bilogical ties one has with a man and a woman mean nothing to the development of said child. Thus, the children are taken at birth and reared by the Order (or Officers, if female) until the age of eight. It is at this point that their formal training begins.
This is not to say that there are no families. There is still marraige, love, procreation, etc, but the caretaking of any child is done and/or organized by the Order/Officers. After the age of eight, a child will be sent to a different place every week. Sometimes, the child will be sent to a formal training facility and others to an Order-run teaching facility. But most of the time, the child would move from guardian-family to guardian-family.
This accomplishes several things for the Order. First, it ensures that the child would not get attached to any one person or family. Such attachments may effect the child's judgement during a mision. Second, By preventing attachment to any particular person or family, the child becomes attached to the Order as a whole, and all the people in it. Thus loyalty for the Order, and what it wanted, was ensured. And third, and probably most important, the child gains knowledge, teachings and experience from almost every person in his/her education district.
As the child grows, they spend less and less time in formal classes and more and more time with families. This is so that the families can build on the basic teachingss of the Order. This also.....
*Bandwidth limit exceeded, please deposit ten thousand credits to continue transmission*
-.- I can't catch a break.
*Transmission ended*
Hey, Mac, it's me again. I have yet more info for ya. This time we shouldn't be interrupted (Pay Corvus enough and they'd do anything for ya -.-)
*file opens*
A study of the Akanese Method of Instruction
The Akanese culture is not organized in the way of the Itani or UIT. The bilogical ties one has with a man and a woman mean nothing to the development of said child. Thus, the children are taken at birth and reared by the Order (or Officers, if female) until the age of eight. It is at this point that their formal training begins.
This is not to say that there are no families. There is still marraige, love, procreation, etc, but the caretaking of any child is done and/or organized by the Order/Officers. After the age of eight, a child will be sent to a different place every week. Sometimes, the child will be sent to a formal training facility and others to an Order-run teaching facility. But most of the time, the child would move from guardian-family to guardian-family.
This accomplishes several things for the Order. First, it ensures that the child would not get attached to any one person or family. Such attachments may effect the child's judgement during a mision. Second, By preventing attachment to any particular person or family, the child becomes attached to the Order as a whole, and all the people in it. Thus loyalty for the Order, and what it wanted, was ensured. And third, and probably most important, the child gains knowledge, teachings and experience from almost every person in his/her education district.
As the child grows, they spend less and less time in formal classes and more and more time with families. This is so that the families can build on the basic teachingss of the Order. This also.....
*Bandwidth limit exceeded, please deposit ten thousand credits to continue transmission*
-.- I can't catch a break.
*Transmission ended*
"The past is the past..." (Story #12)
*Things hadn't improved much in the past few months. I had done many things, most good, some bad, some I'm not proud of. But nothing really sticks out in my mind.
Well, I could start where I left off. I had been patroling Deneb during "The Surge" as it became to be known. The Serco tried a minor push into Itani space with no capital ship support. In my opinion, it was more of a test than an invasion attempt.
Anyway, I had racked up over twenty three hundred confirmed Serco kills in Deneb. We even pushed into Geira Rutilus aand controlled the area for a short time, until the Nemesis showed up. Eventually, my identity was discovered (again, I'm not good at this covert crap). Oddly enough, though, the Itani Nation pardoned me for "Exemplary Combat Skills and Loyalty in the Nation's time of need". Thus, any harm I may have done to the Itani people was forgiven, which lifted a weight off my shoulders. But, still, members of a certain Itani shadow group disliked me....
Afterwards, I returned to grey space and began to train myself in combat against some of the most elite fighters in any nation or corporation. Through hard work and plenty of wrecked ships (The local scrap station loved me for that ^^;), I became a decent fighter and continued to improve.
Eventually, my Flare Hornet and I came to best some of fighters around: Martin, tumblemonster, UPN.... Of course, for every win I got, I died an avergae of five to twenty five times, depending on the person. I felt confident in my abilities, which had led me to create a guild...
Unfortunately, the CDC didn't turn out the way I had expected. What began as a mercenary guild soon found out that there wasn't much mercenary work to be done. That, heaped on top of the Spike Incident *grumble*, the Cloner problem and many complaints of "spamming, ganking and running", I felt I had failed the guild. And so, I removed myself before I could drive the guild further into the ground (or be on when it hit the ground, either way).
It was at this point that I began to frequent the Makchuga Bar. The company of alcohol, friends, and the credits I won from the Denb Run almost every week helped my woes...*
I stopped writing the story. I put the pad down and stared out the window at the ice cluster beyond all the stray asteroids. >.< Crap, writer's block.
"Love...."
"Hmmm?" I responded as I looked up at her. She bent down and gave me a kiss.
"I'll see you tomorrow morning."
"Bye Honey..." I smiled as she walked out of the bar. And suddenly, I could write again...
*Scratch that, the past few months haven't been bad at all. I met this nice girl here at the Makchuga.....*
*Things hadn't improved much in the past few months. I had done many things, most good, some bad, some I'm not proud of. But nothing really sticks out in my mind.
Well, I could start where I left off. I had been patroling Deneb during "The Surge" as it became to be known. The Serco tried a minor push into Itani space with no capital ship support. In my opinion, it was more of a test than an invasion attempt.
Anyway, I had racked up over twenty three hundred confirmed Serco kills in Deneb. We even pushed into Geira Rutilus aand controlled the area for a short time, until the Nemesis showed up. Eventually, my identity was discovered (again, I'm not good at this covert crap). Oddly enough, though, the Itani Nation pardoned me for "Exemplary Combat Skills and Loyalty in the Nation's time of need". Thus, any harm I may have done to the Itani people was forgiven, which lifted a weight off my shoulders. But, still, members of a certain Itani shadow group disliked me....
Afterwards, I returned to grey space and began to train myself in combat against some of the most elite fighters in any nation or corporation. Through hard work and plenty of wrecked ships (The local scrap station loved me for that ^^;), I became a decent fighter and continued to improve.
Eventually, my Flare Hornet and I came to best some of fighters around: Martin, tumblemonster, UPN.... Of course, for every win I got, I died an avergae of five to twenty five times, depending on the person. I felt confident in my abilities, which had led me to create a guild...
Unfortunately, the CDC didn't turn out the way I had expected. What began as a mercenary guild soon found out that there wasn't much mercenary work to be done. That, heaped on top of the Spike Incident *grumble*, the Cloner problem and many complaints of "spamming, ganking and running", I felt I had failed the guild. And so, I removed myself before I could drive the guild further into the ground (or be on when it hit the ground, either way).
It was at this point that I began to frequent the Makchuga Bar. The company of alcohol, friends, and the credits I won from the Denb Run almost every week helped my woes...*
I stopped writing the story. I put the pad down and stared out the window at the ice cluster beyond all the stray asteroids. >.< Crap, writer's block.
"Love...."
"Hmmm?" I responded as I looked up at her. She bent down and gave me a kiss.
"I'll see you tomorrow morning."
"Bye Honey..." I smiled as she walked out of the bar. And suddenly, I could write again...
*Scratch that, the past few months haven't been bad at all. I met this nice girl here at the Makchuga.....*
Centaur anyone?
hehe... I think Monk and I are about even for kills of each other... even though he is getting better with those accursed flares.
:P
hehe... I think Monk and I are about even for kills of each other... even though he is getting better with those accursed flares.
:P
Oh noes! The thread hijacker! Here he comes! He loo--ARGH!
Story #1337, or How UIT "Economic Motivation" Pwned Moldy
Moldyman entered Deneb, ending the first leg of the famed Deneb Run race. Now it was just a matter of looping through Itani space and making it back to Odia M-14, like he'd done countless times. He brought up his navigation menu and opened his list of pre-set routes. Let's see... That one's going to lead straight through an ion storm, that one's had a load of pirate activity, and that one-- A jolt rocked the ship. Alarms went off all over the cockpit, and the name "Dr. Lecter" flashed across hs HUD.
Moldyman sprung into action, slapping the button to turn the alarms off. He regained manual control of the Orion Convoy Guardian and put it into a dive, activating his afterburners as he went.
After his sensors told him that the Doc was a good 1000m away, Moldyman turned and began spraying the surrounding space with blazing electric death (All hail EV!). The Doc countered with a Sunflare, knocking Moldyman into a spin, following up with a blistering barrage of AGT fire. Moldy watched in horror as his status displays showed his hull integrity drop to 15%.
Moldy had only one option left; Fleeing. He put his ship into a barrel roll and headed for open space. Lecter tried to hit him with another flare, but Moldy was too quick. He jumped to the nearest station, grimacing as the comm crackled to life with Screwball announcing that Speed Racer had taken the lead. Idiotic UIT newbie. You really think you can beat me?" he thought to himself. "Now that I've gotten away from Luck-ter, it's only a matter of time before I catch up to you and leave you in my thruster wash..."
* * * * * * *
Moldyman flew out of the hangar at a breakneck speed, violating about fifty traffic laws. He made it to the edge of the system in record time, and jumped as quick as he could toward Eo. According to the latest announcement, Speed Racer was only a system ahead, a gap which Moldy could easily close.
* * * * * * *
After a series of short jumps to avoid a few ion storms, Moldy found himself in the sector that Speed Racer had last reported in from. His scanners showed a single blip to his starboard, heading stright for the wormhole. He brought up his IFF decoder, and sure enough, it was Speed Racer, flying a Warthog Mk II at 220 m/s.
Moldyman flipped his comm unit over to sector chat, and transmitted a short message. "You know you can't beat me, so why try?"
"We'll see about that." There was a small click as Speed Racer changed his comm frequency to Galactic Channel 100, then a chuckle as he said, "People, now's the time."
With those four words, the starscape in front of Moldyman turned bright blue and orange. His sensor board lit up like a Christmas tree, and his Missile-Warning System beeped rapidly, then gave off a solid tone as over a dozen vessels locked onto him.
"Round Two, Moldy!" came a familiar and much-hated voice.
The space in front of him, now back to black, abrupty was streaked with lines of super-bright light as the ships fired their missiles. Moldy instictively closed his eyes and waited for the end.
There was a tremendous jolt, then silence.
Moldy squinted with one eye, first looking at his HUD. His armor was at 3%. He then focused on the rapidly growing grey shape in front of his ship.
Dr. Lecter stopped his ship less than a meter from Moldyman's canopy. He waved jauntily, then cranked his thrust up to maximum. Moldy's cockpit window shattered, triggering the escape pod's launch.
As Moldy zoomed back towards Odia M-14, he shuddered. Next time, if there was a next time, he would have to remember not to talk too much smack to his competitors.
Story #1337, or How UIT "Economic Motivation" Pwned Moldy
Moldyman entered Deneb, ending the first leg of the famed Deneb Run race. Now it was just a matter of looping through Itani space and making it back to Odia M-14, like he'd done countless times. He brought up his navigation menu and opened his list of pre-set routes. Let's see... That one's going to lead straight through an ion storm, that one's had a load of pirate activity, and that one-- A jolt rocked the ship. Alarms went off all over the cockpit, and the name "Dr. Lecter" flashed across hs HUD.
Moldyman sprung into action, slapping the button to turn the alarms off. He regained manual control of the Orion Convoy Guardian and put it into a dive, activating his afterburners as he went.
After his sensors told him that the Doc was a good 1000m away, Moldyman turned and began spraying the surrounding space with blazing electric death (All hail EV!). The Doc countered with a Sunflare, knocking Moldyman into a spin, following up with a blistering barrage of AGT fire. Moldy watched in horror as his status displays showed his hull integrity drop to 15%.
Moldy had only one option left; Fleeing. He put his ship into a barrel roll and headed for open space. Lecter tried to hit him with another flare, but Moldy was too quick. He jumped to the nearest station, grimacing as the comm crackled to life with Screwball announcing that Speed Racer had taken the lead. Idiotic UIT newbie. You really think you can beat me?" he thought to himself. "Now that I've gotten away from Luck-ter, it's only a matter of time before I catch up to you and leave you in my thruster wash..."
* * * * * * *
Moldyman flew out of the hangar at a breakneck speed, violating about fifty traffic laws. He made it to the edge of the system in record time, and jumped as quick as he could toward Eo. According to the latest announcement, Speed Racer was only a system ahead, a gap which Moldy could easily close.
* * * * * * *
After a series of short jumps to avoid a few ion storms, Moldy found himself in the sector that Speed Racer had last reported in from. His scanners showed a single blip to his starboard, heading stright for the wormhole. He brought up his IFF decoder, and sure enough, it was Speed Racer, flying a Warthog Mk II at 220 m/s.
Moldyman flipped his comm unit over to sector chat, and transmitted a short message. "You know you can't beat me, so why try?"
"We'll see about that." There was a small click as Speed Racer changed his comm frequency to Galactic Channel 100, then a chuckle as he said, "People, now's the time."
With those four words, the starscape in front of Moldyman turned bright blue and orange. His sensor board lit up like a Christmas tree, and his Missile-Warning System beeped rapidly, then gave off a solid tone as over a dozen vessels locked onto him.
"Round Two, Moldy!" came a familiar and much-hated voice.
The space in front of him, now back to black, abrupty was streaked with lines of super-bright light as the ships fired their missiles. Moldy instictively closed his eyes and waited for the end.
There was a tremendous jolt, then silence.
Moldy squinted with one eye, first looking at his HUD. His armor was at 3%. He then focused on the rapidly growing grey shape in front of his ship.
Dr. Lecter stopped his ship less than a meter from Moldyman's canopy. He waved jauntily, then cranked his thrust up to maximum. Moldy's cockpit window shattered, triggering the escape pod's launch.
As Moldy zoomed back towards Odia M-14, he shuddered. Next time, if there was a next time, he would have to remember not to talk too much smack to his competitors.
*Ahem* I belive the term is thread "hijacker".
Nice story, tho. "Luck-ter", he he he...
Nice story, tho. "Luck-ter", he he he...
Hehe. Keep thinking that DK. It's not gonna happen.
*sigh* Someone didn't understand that last sentence of the story...