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((Carrying on from the thread in the Officer's Club Bar...))
Suddenly, as Verad moves towards Jane's hiding-place, gunfire echoes out across the ship, causing him to spin. A group of hunters is firing wildly in the next corridor.
------------------ Sundered Angel , The One and Only
Ares Webboard Moderator, and all-around Nice Guy
Verad strides over to the Hunters, who by now have stopped firing.
What is the meaning of this? Verad seems annoyed.
"Sir- We saw an intruder moving there-" Points to the blackened corridor. "We opened fire, and whoever it was returned it. We think the demon has woken!"
Verad snarls For the last time, fool, there is no demon. Sundered Angel may be a superb fighter pilot and a skilled manipulator of people's views, but I assure you he is just as mortal as you or I. He checks a visual display on his wrist. Your 'demon' is sleeping like a baby. Whoever that was, it wasn't him. Keep searching. And whatever you do, watch your weapons fire. Those guns could put a hole in a shield generator or other vital spot.
He turns and strides back to the bridge, muttering to himself. This trip is turning out far more trouble than it's worth.
------------------ Verad Ex-Taeskor and Salrilian Auspex
Verad takes his seat on the bridge, puling over the recent incompetence of the hunters. 'They are cyborgs.' He thought. 'They're supposed to be smarter than this.' His thoughts then turned to the intruder he sensed. Whoever it was, they had moved on.
Jane darted with uncanny stealth through the twisting corridors of the Absolution , avoiding the sight of all personnel. 'For a ship this large, it sure has a small crew.' She thought. 'At least in this section anyway.' She had to find a computer teminal. It was the only way to find a map of this thing. The map wouldn't be necessary though, if the forward fighter bay hadn't been prematurely depressurized.
It took some time and quite a bit of skill, but Jane finally found a terminal. And by the looks of it, it was probably the security check point for an armory. This presented a problem. A computer like this would most likely be subject to a frequent security scan by the primary computer, more frequent now that security was on blue alert. And if it detected her hacking into it, she'd be swimming in hunters and shock troops within seconds. Although, she may be able to monitor the sweeps to see how far apart they are. She pulled out her palm computer, and suqeezed a few wires into an interface port. The screen flashed a security scan, and she wasn;t detected. The next scan didn't occur for about two minutes. Either the main computer was very busy, or not too powerful. Either way, it provided an advantage. Going through a series of commands, she managed to hack the clearence system. the first thing to come up on the screen was a ship diagnostic, complete with a map. Unfortunately, it was in Salrilian. And if she used a translator, it would most definately give her away. Her only option was to download the file and translate it later. The diagnostic was large, and her connection was slow. The estimated download time was 1 minute and 25 seconds. That was around when the next security sweep would be. She would have to disconnect quick after the file was fully downloaded.
The seconds lasted an eternity a peice as they ticked down.
Twenty remaining, and she could hear footsteps in the distance and drawing nearer. It had to be hunters, since they were the only bipedal beings on the ship aside from Jane, SA, and Verad.
Download complete.
Jane disconnected quickly, just before the security sweep. She stashed her computer into a pocket and quickly stood up and turned around, only to stare right into the faceless, diamond shaped head of a Salrilian Hunter.
The Salrilian beemed his half chewed teeth at Jane in glee. Jane hesitated for a moment while looking at the much larger alien only to take a quick breath (she was going to need it). In the next three seconds, Jane let out a round of quick punches to the stomach, slammed her elbow in his chest, and spun around to give a deadly blow to the head with her leg. Down went the hunter, and up popped an army cap. She snuggly fit her hair under it, and proceeded with covering her uniform with the fallen hunter's. Surely some other hunters were still around sweeping the place and would have heard her. Jane heard pounding footsteps coming from the adjacent corridoor. She slammed a door open with her shoulder and dragged the hunter in. Quickly locking it, she spun around to find the rest of the hunters just arriving.
"What happened here? What was that noise? Where is the intruder?" The lead hunter questioned her in salrilian. Jane, of course, couldn't understand a word of it and only gave a clueless shrug. The hunter, glared at her for a moment with suspicion -she wasn't a normal recruit- He thought. Jane held her breath. The hunter threw it from his mind, not wanting to be bothered with it -these times are getting odder and weirder every day- The leader signaled that they move on. Jane let out her breath wondering how in the world she manage to pull that off.
Verad began searching through docking requests the Absolution had managed to download from the starbase's main computer. Several unnoteworthy civilian ships came up. Refining his search, he came up with several human ships, a couple Bazidian frieghters, and a unidentifiable ship. Anonymous too?! What was this... he opened up it's file, which was just as suspicously, empty. No scans, no crew compliment known... just second hand knowledge. It had been in countless Gatori battles. One caught his attention. The Gatori had arrived with a fleet just a couple parsecs outside of Earth Border Patrol. The entire fleet lost to this ship, with the help of Cicion, and Sargatanus at the tail end of it. It had only happened a couple months ago at the beginning of his leige's enlightenment. If I recall, Sargatanus picked up the weapon at earth. He had mentioned at one time that it couldn't have been for without the help of a tallented friend. He said... he would have helped her... or something to the effect. Verad connected the dots, and found small medditerainian reports of a battle between Sundered Angel and Sargatanus. The unidentifiable ship was there again, along with a large pure human male brute, a male phyliodion, and a female human/duploi hybrid. Duploi?! They're telepaths... this would explain it. Then it struck him. Who was that talking with Sundered Angel just before I entered? Verad checked the docking dates, and realized that the craft had deported a couple minutes before they did. "Well, I don't know whether to welcome our geust or crush our mystery."
Rawc woke up to Sundered Angel's concerened red eyes. "How are you doing, guy." "I feel like'a hangover... where are we?"
------------------ No Guts, No Glory.
"She had nice legs. Well of course she had nice legs! She had nice Everything! " Titan AE - Cale Tucker
(This message has been edited by Jane (edited 07-27-2000).)
Sundered Angel smiles at Rawc, who feels distinctly uncomfortable. "We're on the Salrilian flagship, the Absolution. I'm afraid currently we're being held prisoner. But don't worry. Jane is aboard, and she is a most resourceful young lady."
Rawc looks around at the darkness, lit only by Sundered Angel's glowing red eyes. The Salrilians aren't treating their prisoners well. "What's- Your eyes?"
Sundered Angel shakes his head slowly. "We can traverse light years in seconds and obliterate asteroids in a single blast, and still people wonder about a little light in my eyes."
Rawc's mind realises what Sundered Angel said before. "Jane's out there? Alone? In a Salrilian vessel?"
"Yes. I gather that currently she is having a meeting with Verad..."
Suddenly a Salrilian officer on the bridge gives a hiss of shock, and recoils from its display.
"Verad! I think you should see this!"
Words float in the holographic projection, overlaying a fading astronavigation map. They read...
The Demon is here. This ship is cursed. Flee for your lives, for death stalks this vessel, and your very souls lie in jeopardy. Beware the wrath of the fallen angel!
Verad snarled at the sight. Not so much the message as the crews reaction to it. Typically sceptical and articulate Salrilians behaving with the gullibility of a human, and the cowardice of an Ishiman. He quickly hit the 'image reload' command, but the message still redrew itself. Now he was getting pissed. He ran a level four search for security interrupts and authoring abnormalities. And as he expected, one was found. In addition, files had also been downloaded. The intruder had been confirmed. Verad posted the data on the mainscreen.
"You see," He exclaimed. "your preminition is no more than the work of a hacker. And you consider yourselves fit to serve the prophets."
Verad remedied the image, and set about trying to figure out how to stop the intruder. That oaf that was captured with the demon He thought. I wonder if he is the same one that has been reported with the duploi woman. He stood up and stormed out toward the holding quarters where Sundered Angel and Rawc were.
"So why'r ya here? What do they want with ya?" Rawc asked.
Sundered Angel shook his head. "To 'enlighten' me, I guess."
Rawc looked confused. "What in the bloody hell is that supposed to mean?"
"Long story. And not a particularly entertaining one at that."
"Well right now I'll settle for anything to pass the-" Rawc was stopped in midsentence as the room was flooded with light spilling in from the opening door. Sundered Angel faigned unconsciousness as an extremely tall siloihette filled the archway. The figure stepped in and lifted Rawc by the neck with a single hand.
"Your commander is the Duploi woman, correct?" Verad asked, his three blue eyes seeming to pierce through Rawcs skull.
Rawc had never felt a grip anywhere near this strong. He struggled to get the air to speak. "Ergh What's it to ya?"
Verad was not one to be taken lightly. "Answer the question you two tonne sack of flesh, or I guarentee you will experiance hitherto unexplored realms of pain." Verad's grip tightened and Rawc could feel something pierce the skin on his neck and worms its way under his skin. "Understand?"
"Argh! Go gasp Go f*** yourself." Having said that, Rawc could feel that whatever it was that was burrowing under his skin was starting to burn.
Verad's tone had dropped. "Is she, or is she not your superior?"
Rawc couldn't stand much more "Emf Yes!!" The burning was begining to die down.
"Good. What is her name?"
"What do- AGH!!" The burning came back and the grip tightened.
"Her NAME!" Verad insisted.
"gasp J gasp Jane!" The burning stopped, and he was released from the steel grip. Rawc knelt, gasping for well needed air.
"Take him and follow me." Verad motioned his arm and two of the appendaged Salrilians grabbed Rawc from both sides and dragged him away.
Jane lay in a dormant hallway, decoding the freshly downloaded map of the Absolution as an urgent message lit up on all the screen of the ship, one of which only a few feet from her face.
Verad's image spoke from the screen. "Attention Jane: I know you are aboard my ship and I know it is you that has downloaded and altered computer files, as well as harassed members of my crew. I am ordering you to surrender, and proceed directly to the bridge. You will eventually do this one of two ways. The first is through being captured. The second is by voluntary surrender. And since you will most likely be reluctant towards the latter, I have an incentive." Verad pulled the battered Rawc into view. Jane could tell that he'd taken a lot of punishment. "If you do not appear before me within five minutes, I will not hesitate to very slowly turn your comrade inside-out." The image disappeared.
Rawc felt like a bowl of egg batter. He could barely feel his legs. A couple soilders quickly yanked him up to his feet. "So, what's next?" Verad lightly shrugged his shoulders. "It's up to your friends at the moment." Verad sat down, setting a watch for five minutes. "So, tell me. What's it like, knowing you'll be dead soon?" Rawc forced his eyes open for this one "Excuse me?" Rawc stared straight at Verad who was pulling out a Elejeetian cigar "You don't intend on break'n ya word? Do ya?" Verad lit his cigar and happily puffed out a couple breaths. He leaned back into his cammand chair with the presence of a knowing smile "What makes you think I would do that? You should know that Taeskors never break their word." Verad looked back at his watch... 4 minutes left. "I suppose you would expect me to free you upon her arrival?" Rawc forced his legs to stand himself up on their own. He yanked his arms from the soilder's, which verad chuckled to. "Defiant? You can drop your fears; I won't do anything to you for the next..." Verad looked back at his watch "three and a half minutes." Verad pulled out another cigar from a metal case. "Here, a testament to my honor..." Rawc looked at either guard on his side with caution, and proceeded to limp his way next to the cammand chair. He took the cigar with his cuffed hands and placed it in his mouth. "It sounds more like'a dy'n wish. 'May I have a cigarrett?'" Rawc quoted in a sarcastic tone. Verad quizickly looked at Rawc "These are the rarest cigars in this galaxy. Cost me over two mil decints and you-" Rawc cut him off "No, no. It's just an old earth custom. Forget it." Rawc breathed in deaply of his cigar. He held it, meditating on the taste, and slowly let it out. A cloud of red smoke came out. -that was odd- Rawc thought. He looked at Verad's which abnormally was a light blue color. "Do these come in any other colors?" Verad shot a look at Rawc, who quickly noticed his smoke was red. "Oh. No... they only change colors with the genetics of the person smoking it. Eleejetians call it the black cloud. If you were one, you would call it that too. My gaurds gossip about it as the green mirk. You're human, and obviously it's" Verad looked back at his watch "... almost time for you."
(that should smooth things over for now)..
The final minute ticked further and further down. Verad had a look of sullen disappointment on his face. "Prepare to broadcast on all the ship's monitors." He ordered one of the guards as he pulled a cloth off a tray that held tools to cause all manner of nastiness. Rawc found it reminiscant of a dental appointment, only much more sadistic. He weighed his options. If he was in normal condition, he could maybe take the guards, at the very least knock them down. But Verad it didn't look like he had much of a chance, especially with the shape he was in now.
Verad produced something that looked like a small hacksaw with no blade. A thin beam of light sprang to life where the blade would have been. "This device is designed to systematically dismantle your face and expose some of the more sensative nerve endings. It is one of my species' interrogation devices. One of my specializations was physical interrogation. I've been known to keep someone alive for days on end and in the maximum amount of pain during that time until I get my information. With you however, I intend to keep you alive until you are as scattered across this room as possible." Rawc gritted his teeth in preperation as Verad leaned in. Rawc could feel the heat eminating from the laser millimeters away from his face as a communication broke in.
"Verad, the intruder has surrendered. What are your orders?" Asked the Salrilian on the screen. In Salrilian of course.
Verad sat up with a look of reluctant satisfaction. "Send her in after you have secured her weapons." He said as he set the tool back on the tray. His attention turned back to Rawc. "It seems you may have a few more minutes after all."
Jane was led in by four Hunters a few seconds later, her weapons held by her escorts. Verad motioned the Hunters to leave. Jane looked confused. "Okay, now what?" She asked.
Verad looked amused. "Well with an intruder as skilled as you, I'm supposed to chop you down and serve you with thirteen cerimonial herbs and spices with the main course in the mess hall. Or so the custom goes. But that would be a waste of talent. You see his Eminance-" Verad was interrupted by another communication.
"We are approaching the Simlab. We will have the equipment in seven minutes."
Verad paused. "Perhaps we should discuss this later. As for now, your 'angelic' friend is about to become a potent addition to his Eminance's cabinet. And all right here in front of you. Until then, help yourself to the beverages at the bar. but don't try anything heroic; the guards have orders to kill at their discretion."
Sundered Angel lies, bored in his holding cell. Eventually, he begins talking to no one, one of his quirks.
"I am afraid that Jane and Rawc are in considerable trouble. Poor Jane. Rawc is a liability to her, she really should get leave him on a planet somewhere. I wonder what Verad has planned for him, other than death?"
He stretches, and marvels at the stupidity of the so-called 'intelligent Salrilians'. A simple jamming device and the technicians are claiming 'devilry' and 'witchcraft'.
"I might have to rescue Rawc when I leave. Jane would not leave without him. Oh well. Minor complications. Minor complications..."
Cicion climbs along the pipes above a corridor. He spots a crouching humanoid that appears to him as a shadow. He cannot see clearly because of some sort of interference that fogs all of his senses, even his sensing tendrils. #Probably a guard of an allied race.# He coils himself up, draws his blade and hurls himself silently at the shadow. Just as he reaches it, it turns around and grabs his arms, slinging him to the ground. He springs up, and it isn't until he has his knife to the shadow's throat and the shadow has its pistol to his head that he gets a good look at it and vice-versa. Lieutenant Jralla! Good to see you! (I'm back!)
------------------ -Traek Cicion of the Taeskor
"Never tell me the odds!" -Han Solo
(This message has been edited by Taeskor Cicion (edited 08-05-2000).)
Soft tones chime from the ship's speakers as the ship arrives at its destination. There is a soft thud of impact, and the ship's motion through space ceases.
Verad smiles at Jane. "Well, it seems that we have arrived. Once our equipment is onboard you will be able to experience first-hand the wonders of enlightenment." He turns to one of the Hunters "Bring the equipment here. And fetch the 'Fallen One'". He says it with a chuckle.
The guards arrive for Sundered Angel, and find him lying asleep on the floor of the cell, exactly as he is meant to be. They lift him and carry him to where Jane and Verad await, Jane silently, Verad with barely contained pleasure.
((Sorry all, but Jane ain't posting right now and this needs to move on.))
The UNS Rouge jumps in, and a message appears on the view screen:
"Absolution, this is Mag Steelglass, of the UNS Rouge. Stop now, and I wont open fire."
"I hope they fall for this," Mag muttered to himself. He'd had to eject all of the Rouge's secondary systems (including shields and weapons) to land one time when the Rouge had gotten particularly beaten up. (Refer to the Budget Bar). He was hoping the Rouge's reputation would see him through.
Suddenly, a Tritonic Space Bolt Rod fired at the UNS Rouge, and the Rouge drifted away gracefully, completely disabled.
------------------ "I can ail what cures you."
((Sorry Jane- Eight days and no sign. Obviously you're busy.))
Verad looks up as a limp Sundered Angel is carried in. He smiles, and carefully removes several long, thin metal bars from a crate, arraying them over a table, onto which SA is placed. Green energy begins to crackle along the almost cage-like cronstruction, forming an apex over Sundered Angel's chest. Verad nods, and turns to a horrified Jane. "Perhaps you are wondering what that is? Some kind of evil death ray that will blast your friend into radioactive dust? Well, it isn't. It is merely a link, which will allow the process to happen." He then pulls out a small triangle of pale, silvery metal. He holds it up for Jane to see, still smiling. He holds it out to her, but she refuses it. "This, Jane, is the pinnacle of Salrilian technology. It may not be as great as the Toriserra that the great Sargantanus has taken upon himself, but it can act as a funnel for its energies, and so its bearer transcends, brought to fufillment by our mighty leader. And so it shall be with Sundered Angel- demon, or not." He chuckles at this, and walks over to where his target lies limp on the table. Reaching out, Verad places the triangle on Sundered Angel's chest. There is a sizzle, and it burns through his clothes and into his skin. Verad watches, as the green energy arcs wildly, creating brief glimpses of far-away stars as it flows into the triangle. Sundered Angel jerks, and begins to spasm. "What? This shouldn't be happening- something is wrong!" Verad exclaims, and moves forward only to be clipped by a random swing and knocked back a pace. Sundered Angel flails wildly, as Jane stands in turmoil, trying to think of a way to help.
And then a sound cuts through the crackle of energy- laughter. Sundered Angel is laughing, as he stops his act and sits up slowly, looking at a now-pale Verad. A slow, terrible smile spreads across his face, and he sweeps the rods out of the way, energy dissapating as he does so. His feet touch the ground, and he advances on Verad, who glares at with a mixture of fear and anger.
"What did you do? No one can resist en-"
Sundered Angel cuts him off with a wave of his hand. "Know this, Verad. I knew of your Verasi before the Sargantanus even guessed at them. I know of technologies even the Salrilians cannot comprehend- why do you think that all of your latest designs are copied closely from my Angel fighter? You were foolish to ever think of trying to assimilate me."
"Assimilate? I offered you enlightenment. It is a great honour!"
Sundered Angel pulls out the slim, sharp triangle, and flicks it into a wall, where it shatters. "I am already enlightened, you ignorant fool. Now stand aside. I am leaving, and so is Jane. Oh, and her companion, wherever you have put him."
"Leaving?" Suddenly a cold, hard gun is in Verad's hand. "I doubt that very much. I am captain of this vessel, and I command the hunters. Two of which you have kindly ignored up until now."
"Hunters? I do not see these hunters."
"They are-" Verad stops, and looks in disbelief. The two hunters at the door are gone, without him even noticing. When he looks back, Sundered Angel is also holding a gun. His blue eyes fix Verad with a cool gaze.
"Verad, it is possible that you could shoot me as I leave, and best me in a gunfight. But you would have to be very sure that you could kill me in that one shot, because you will not get a second shot." He smiles again, and motions to Jane. "Come along dear. We're leaving. I trust, since Cicion and Jralla have slipped aboard, there will be a shuttle waiting for us."
He turns, and without looking back at Verad, walks out.
Verad stands frozen with rage as his captives casually walk out. He had never been so humiliated in his entire life. What's worse, there may have been some validity to the claims of the "Demon's" power.As soon as he managed to stragle enough baerings, he lunged for the ship's intercom and pounded the intruder red alert on the wall. "Attention all personnel," he yelled. "We have th-" He thought a little carefully about SA's words; Cicion and Jralla? "We have five class A intruders, all homonid. They are proceeding aft from the bridge. Terminate with extreme prejiduce."
"Charming." Jane said as the group sprinted through a hall that was begining to fill with Salrilians and Cantharans.
"He's always been a sore loser." Cicion added matter-of-factly.
"When did you know him?"
"Way back. It's kind of a long story." He finished his sentence just as he jumped in a bicycle kick style to remove a ceiling pannel. The pannel broke away and left the sound of fast moving air. Cicion jumped in, and the others instincively followed, carying the ailing Rawc. The shaft was surprisingly large. And it was pure luck that it was, since it was just large enough to fit Rawc. The air inside was moving at a tremendous speed, accelerating the entire party.
Cicion was shouting over the gusting. "This is the primary forward air shaft. It-" "It should take us to the main hanger and docking port." Jane interrupted and grinned. "I got the readout too."
------------------ Throughout their history these "unenlightened" beings have continually opposed and fought abuses of power wrought by their own bretheren. We, as the prophets would do well to learn from these Humans. -Final statement of the Salrilian reformist Sirthis shortly before his execution.
Deep within the large pagoda-like five-sided pyrimid on the Ring, Calsev couldn't stop laughing at what he was seeing. Verad takes a flagship for a job a criuser could accopmlish, and now has it on red alert. He may be good at commanding a fleet, but damned if he can get anything right outside of one. Calsev never did like Verad, or any homonid (except for Sargatanus) for that matter. Why the Haruspex faroured him so much was beyond him.
Without warning, alerts and whistles go off. This could only mean one thing, and Calsev beamed with anticipation.
The room had been dark and dormant for nearly a year. The only light was a faint green hue eminating from the chest of a barely outlined figure lying on a table. But for the first time since the room was closed, the lighting changed. The green hue had changed to a blinding red blaze for an instant, and then faded. The ceiling lights came up, and the figure began to stir.
(This message has been edited by Sargatanus (edited 08-17-2000).)
Verad, still extremely upset, orders a fighter to be dispatched out to the Rouge, to kill Mag Steelglass and take control of it. He could at least show people that legends did not exist. The Rouge under Salrillian control would be a blow to the overall morale of the Ishiman Protectorate and the United Nations of Sol.
As the fighter drew nearer, Mag tried to come up with a plan. He couldn't think of anything. There was nothing he could do to stop the fighter from blowing the Rouge into ever so many pieces of shrapnel. But, unexpectedly, the fighter slowed, swung its back around and stopped, with the two airlocks lined up. Then, it settled down on top of the much larger ship. "Oh, no you don't!" though Mag. "This ship is the UNS Rouge, and as long as I'm around, will never, become the PSS Rouge." He drew his pk rifle out of its holster on his back. He'd have to fight this pilot.
He felt confident, becausehe knew the insides of this ship, and the Salrillian pilot didn't. He ventured out into the hallway, and heard the airlock open...
(This message has been edited by Mag Steelglass (edited 08-17-2000).)