Forums » Role Playing
Lost In Serco Space: The Sterling Story
“Everyone,” announced Colonel Stry’this, “welcome our newest recruit, Lt. Max Sterling.”
The murmurs spread through the room.
“Who’s that guy?”
“...naturalized from UIT.”
“Didn’t his parents...”
“They say every other cadet won’t fly with him...”
“He’s got high marks...never retreats....”
“Never retreats...”
“...never retreats...”
The blue haired pilot walked in and saluted crisply to the commander. Colonel Stry’this returned his salute and motioned for him to take a seat.
“Until we have an opening or a new formation for him to join, Sterling will fly my wing,” the commander continued. “I want you all to welcome him in. Now let’s go over the next...”
Suddenly the sirens sounded.
“Nemesis under attack by Itani forces,” announced comm. “All gunners to stations. Flight wings One and Two report to launch bay immediately. Three and Four stand by...”
“Let’s go, fighters!” barked Stry’this. “We can’t be killed with our feet on the deck plates! Move! Move! Move! Sterling, let’s see what you’ve got! Stick to my wing!”
A bewildered Max Sterling, slightly shorter than the rest, ran as best he could with the rest as they ran down the corridor to the launch bay. Jumping towards a vulture, he heard a sharp whistle.
“Sterling!” yelled Stry’this, “take the Rag! We’re hunting their capital ship and I want you well armed to protect my ass!”
“Aye, commander!” he yelled back, running to the ragnorok being equipped with gatling turrets and rockets. Waving them away he called up to the mechanic running the munitions loader. “Hey! Swarms and Neutrons!”
“But sir, Stry’this wants...”
“Swarms and Neuts, Sergeant! Hurry!”
“You’re the boss, Lieutenant,” the man shrugged. “Just don’t take me down with you when the Colonel starts fuming.”
Max jumped in and ran checks as the new equipment was loaded.
“Sterling!” came a call over his comm. “Where the hell are you?”
“Munitions mistake, commander,” he responded. “Launching now.”
“What kind of mistake?”
“They tried loading the wrong guns and rockets for a cap ship hunt.”
“You’re a wingman, Lieutenant,” growled the Colonel. “I expect you to protect my ass, not go for glory.”
“Aye, commander,” Max responded, not paying attention as he launched the ragnorok. He banked quickly out of the way of a barrage of missiles as they impacted the launch bay shields and then ran up the engines to full, getting his ship into the battle. Finding the commander’s force heading towards the Itani frigate, Max made his way through the dog fights to join the group. Two Itani vultures flew in front of him, going for the formation.
A storm of energy flew from his ragnorok as Max opened fire on the two Itani. One broke left only to fly straight into his strafe, disintegrating in the barrage. The other began a dance with Stry’this. The three other ragnoroks with Stry’this had already been disabled. How? Stry’this continued his dance, dodging fire as he made his way to the frigate.
“Sterling!” Stry’this called. “Where the hell is my cover fire?”
Max fired one volley and then another, trying to cripple or slow the vulture, but the Itani pilot was fast. Nothing hit him.
“Commander,” Max growled, “Don’t launch. Get in close and pull away from the frigate.”
“What? Just get blue boy off my...”
“Trust me, commander.”
He watched as Stry’this’ smoking ship got closer and closer to the frigate, taking fire from the vulture as Max continued to try to knock the smaller craft out of the way. The colonel’s ship skimmed the shield and pulled away. Max launched it all, every missile he had on board, sending streams of smoke through space until he could no longer see the frigate, the vulture, or the colonel.
His radar pinged. One hit. Another. Vulture down. Shields on the frigate down.
“Yes!” he yelled. “Commander! I did it! Shields are down! Repeat shields are down! Take that frigate!”
Nothing.
“Commander, do you read?”
Static.
“Com...”
“Sterling, Nemesis, return with wing,” the comm officer ordered. “Commander down. Repeat, commander down.”
His mouth went dry.
“Wh...”
“Sterling, Nemesis, return to bay. Do you copy?”
“But I...”
“Sterling, Nemesis, respond.”
Max clicked his mike.
“Nemesis, Sterling... returning to nest.”
---
The tribunal looked down on Lt. Sterling. One rather old General leaned over the railing.
"Lt. Sterling," his deep voice seemed to boom in the small chamber, "this tribunal finds you not-guilty of the murder of Colonel Jhand Stry'this. Further, your actions do not warrant any further legal proceedings." He glared down at Max. "However, your actions and the reports from your training indicate that you are reckless and needlessly unforgiving in combat.
"You're hereby ordered to leave Serco space for a period of 2 Solar years. Where you go and what you do is up to you, but you are not to return to Serco space for that 2 years. Whatever it is that you think you have, we don't want..."
"Sir," Max nodded, "I know I've done wrong by the military and I will accept this punishment, however I would like my explanation put into record."
"You have an explanation for being an arrogant ass, Lt. Sterling?"
"Not exactly, sir," Max began. "I feel I have to draw Itani blood for vengeance. My parents were not Serco, sir. They were traders in gray space. To keep everyone from firing at them, they traded with anyone and everyone. Itani, Serco, corporate, pirate, they didn't care.
"Their final mission was enough pay to let them settle down for a while. We were sent by Serco to a convoy stuck in gray space in need of repair parts. Our ship was attacked when we tried to leave. A small Itani contingent wanted whatever was on the convoy. We tried the regular channels to wave them off, but they must have thought we had whatever they wanted. They chased us clear to Serco space, first killing my mother who was blown out of the hold then my father as he tried to guide the crippled ship to the Serco station for help.
"I was the only one left. And they attacked us, friends of theirs, for nothing."
The tribunal talked with each other a moment, then the General came forward again.
"Lt. Sterling, your story is touching, but has no bearing with this hearing or with your responsibilities in this military. The orders stand. But on a side note, we highly recommend that you look into your parents' old trading runs and see if you cannot gain support for Serco forces within UIT and gray space.
"This hearing is adjourned. Good luck, Lt. Sterling."
The murmurs spread through the room.
“Who’s that guy?”
“...naturalized from UIT.”
“Didn’t his parents...”
“They say every other cadet won’t fly with him...”
“He’s got high marks...never retreats....”
“Never retreats...”
“...never retreats...”
The blue haired pilot walked in and saluted crisply to the commander. Colonel Stry’this returned his salute and motioned for him to take a seat.
“Until we have an opening or a new formation for him to join, Sterling will fly my wing,” the commander continued. “I want you all to welcome him in. Now let’s go over the next...”
Suddenly the sirens sounded.
“Nemesis under attack by Itani forces,” announced comm. “All gunners to stations. Flight wings One and Two report to launch bay immediately. Three and Four stand by...”
“Let’s go, fighters!” barked Stry’this. “We can’t be killed with our feet on the deck plates! Move! Move! Move! Sterling, let’s see what you’ve got! Stick to my wing!”
A bewildered Max Sterling, slightly shorter than the rest, ran as best he could with the rest as they ran down the corridor to the launch bay. Jumping towards a vulture, he heard a sharp whistle.
“Sterling!” yelled Stry’this, “take the Rag! We’re hunting their capital ship and I want you well armed to protect my ass!”
“Aye, commander!” he yelled back, running to the ragnorok being equipped with gatling turrets and rockets. Waving them away he called up to the mechanic running the munitions loader. “Hey! Swarms and Neutrons!”
“But sir, Stry’this wants...”
“Swarms and Neuts, Sergeant! Hurry!”
“You’re the boss, Lieutenant,” the man shrugged. “Just don’t take me down with you when the Colonel starts fuming.”
Max jumped in and ran checks as the new equipment was loaded.
“Sterling!” came a call over his comm. “Where the hell are you?”
“Munitions mistake, commander,” he responded. “Launching now.”
“What kind of mistake?”
“They tried loading the wrong guns and rockets for a cap ship hunt.”
“You’re a wingman, Lieutenant,” growled the Colonel. “I expect you to protect my ass, not go for glory.”
“Aye, commander,” Max responded, not paying attention as he launched the ragnorok. He banked quickly out of the way of a barrage of missiles as they impacted the launch bay shields and then ran up the engines to full, getting his ship into the battle. Finding the commander’s force heading towards the Itani frigate, Max made his way through the dog fights to join the group. Two Itani vultures flew in front of him, going for the formation.
A storm of energy flew from his ragnorok as Max opened fire on the two Itani. One broke left only to fly straight into his strafe, disintegrating in the barrage. The other began a dance with Stry’this. The three other ragnoroks with Stry’this had already been disabled. How? Stry’this continued his dance, dodging fire as he made his way to the frigate.
“Sterling!” Stry’this called. “Where the hell is my cover fire?”
Max fired one volley and then another, trying to cripple or slow the vulture, but the Itani pilot was fast. Nothing hit him.
“Commander,” Max growled, “Don’t launch. Get in close and pull away from the frigate.”
“What? Just get blue boy off my...”
“Trust me, commander.”
He watched as Stry’this’ smoking ship got closer and closer to the frigate, taking fire from the vulture as Max continued to try to knock the smaller craft out of the way. The colonel’s ship skimmed the shield and pulled away. Max launched it all, every missile he had on board, sending streams of smoke through space until he could no longer see the frigate, the vulture, or the colonel.
His radar pinged. One hit. Another. Vulture down. Shields on the frigate down.
“Yes!” he yelled. “Commander! I did it! Shields are down! Repeat shields are down! Take that frigate!”
Nothing.
“Commander, do you read?”
Static.
“Com...”
“Sterling, Nemesis, return with wing,” the comm officer ordered. “Commander down. Repeat, commander down.”
His mouth went dry.
“Wh...”
“Sterling, Nemesis, return to bay. Do you copy?”
“But I...”
“Sterling, Nemesis, respond.”
Max clicked his mike.
“Nemesis, Sterling... returning to nest.”
---
The tribunal looked down on Lt. Sterling. One rather old General leaned over the railing.
"Lt. Sterling," his deep voice seemed to boom in the small chamber, "this tribunal finds you not-guilty of the murder of Colonel Jhand Stry'this. Further, your actions do not warrant any further legal proceedings." He glared down at Max. "However, your actions and the reports from your training indicate that you are reckless and needlessly unforgiving in combat.
"You're hereby ordered to leave Serco space for a period of 2 Solar years. Where you go and what you do is up to you, but you are not to return to Serco space for that 2 years. Whatever it is that you think you have, we don't want..."
"Sir," Max nodded, "I know I've done wrong by the military and I will accept this punishment, however I would like my explanation put into record."
"You have an explanation for being an arrogant ass, Lt. Sterling?"
"Not exactly, sir," Max began. "I feel I have to draw Itani blood for vengeance. My parents were not Serco, sir. They were traders in gray space. To keep everyone from firing at them, they traded with anyone and everyone. Itani, Serco, corporate, pirate, they didn't care.
"Their final mission was enough pay to let them settle down for a while. We were sent by Serco to a convoy stuck in gray space in need of repair parts. Our ship was attacked when we tried to leave. A small Itani contingent wanted whatever was on the convoy. We tried the regular channels to wave them off, but they must have thought we had whatever they wanted. They chased us clear to Serco space, first killing my mother who was blown out of the hold then my father as he tried to guide the crippled ship to the Serco station for help.
"I was the only one left. And they attacked us, friends of theirs, for nothing."
The tribunal talked with each other a moment, then the General came forward again.
"Lt. Sterling, your story is touching, but has no bearing with this hearing or with your responsibilities in this military. The orders stand. But on a side note, we highly recommend that you look into your parents' old trading runs and see if you cannot gain support for Serco forces within UIT and gray space.
"This hearing is adjourned. Good luck, Lt. Sterling."
Neato:)
Hort
Hort
ooo!
/me listens to the Serco side of war
/me listens to the Serco side of war