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A dim light flickers in the distance. Far over the land of the Arlicarians, in the distance, a figure flits across the surface. The night watch keeps a steady stare, gazing into a hidden face. Slowly, he relaxes his tight grip on his weapon and sighs relief. He recognizes the figure.
A budding hopeful excitement stirs in the men at the post and the commanding officer is quick to give the order. "Tell the magistrate she's on her way." The leutenant grips his binoculars and takes a closer look. Soon. Maybe three days... not sure, but it's coming.
---- Words of the wise know no lies. Lies I know not, for these are the words of which I speak. So say I, "Monday".
INCOMING MESSAGE
TO-JALTIR SEVEN, PHYLYDION NAVY H.Q.-DIRECT CHANNEL
FROM-PHYLYDION IMPERIUM TASKFORCE 148
SCRAMBLING ENABLED
(Carrier Avenger to base. Carrier Avenger to base. Explosion in engine room. Other ships of the fleet report the same. Unexpected explosion and fire. Repeat, explosion and fire. Damage crews report situation under control. Damage crews report: Sabotage, repeat, sabotage.)
------------------ -Traek Cicion of the Taeskor "Never tell me the odds!" -Han Solo "Then we'll do it real quiet-like."
Ahdriadd fired at the ground near the cops, causing them to cover their eyes and stop shooting until the dust stopped flying.
On the way up Ahdriadd said, "We should head for my ship, it's faster and better shielded than a stock shuttle, and has a few tricks. Pharris, in no position to argue - fighters had scrambled from the station - agreed.
Once in its hanger, Ahdriadd activated the stealth field and superlighted out.
"I heard the Nijayias didn't use stealth fields," Pharris said.
"That's only the main military. Couriors can use anything they're cleared for." Ahdriadd replied.
"But what about that ship you offered me?"
"Glad you asked. It's a new Nijayias Protectorate Militia (NPM) patrol destroyer, equal to our last data on the Barbarossa in speed, firepower, shields, and holds. All we ask in return is you don't tell anyone it's from us, and that you use it to good effect."
(I'll wait for your answer on this Pharris. I'm not hiding much, BTW)
------------------ Me: You ******* IDIOTS!! That planet was INHABITED!!! Them: Ooops Me: Let's resume this disscussion near airlock 13. (immediatly following the first disrupter missle test)
The 3 ships exited the jumpstream right in front of Starlance, Darkk's flagship StormBreaker and 2 gunships. Darkk opened a channel.
Darvonsol was surprised by the ship hailing him, and wondered if it was human. Darkk's appearance gave that impression. But Darvonsol was never trusting, especially now that he was insane.
"Are you human?" he asked bluntly.
"Sort of," Darkk replied. "I am 99.998% genetically identical. We're a different branch of humanity, or they are a branch of us, as we see it."
"Chimpanzees are about as close. Since you're related, I'll... (his readout indicates the NPM ships have no weapondry capable of harming Starlance) let you have a free volley."
"Thank you for your generous offer. Hold real still."
Darvonsol waited for the enemy to offer a insignificant attack, and watch their horror as the attack was totally ineffective. Instead a huge bulk freighter superlights out of nowhere and slams into Starlance at maximum superlight - 3.2c. The 12 tons of antimatter react with the hull vaporized by Starlance's shield, and a huge explosion enveloups Starlance.
To Darkk's horror, when the scanners clear, the Starlance is still hanging on at 13% shields. Darvonsol's visage, somewhat redder through scuffing and minor cuts as well as anger, appears on the screen.
"YOU ALIEN SCUM!! NOW I WILL HAVE YOUR SHIP BOARDED SO I CAN TORTURE YOU TO DEATH MYSELF!!!!!!!!"
Darkk cut the transmission and fired a disruptor missle.
Only 6% shield loss " He's way down, but we're running low on energy. Next shot 2.4 minutes
StormBreaker superlighted sideways out of the way of a disruptor blast that tore through the 2 gunships.
That is increadable weapondry. Shields are somewhat effective, but 2 hits and we're gone. " Time to leave.
"I've got more for you yet, Darvonsol," Darkk shouted as a parting shot.
StormBreaker jumpstreamed out, leaving Starlance behind.
"Uhh, captain..," a nervious ensign said to Darvonsol.
"YES?"
"That hit will require a pause in our mission to check for cracked systems. Our hyperdrive is already confirmed as being out of alignment..."
"When will the hyperdrive be ready?"
"5 hours"
"You have that long, ensign."
"Yes, sir."
"We have incoming sir."
Darkk was startled. "But we destabilised space all around the StarLance! A ship that big shouldn't be able to hyper out of the system for at least an hour!"
"It's not the StarLance.... we're reading approximately twelve (relatively) smaller objects approaching at superlight.... ETA 20 minutes"
"Send out a general distress call. We're in no shape to fight."
"Aye sir."
----------
Eighteen minutes later, a trio of carriers accompanied by a destroyer and thirteen cruisers entered the system alongside the Stormbreaker. "This is the Vatican to Stormbreaker. We have arrived to escort you back to Starbase 9."
"We, ah, have a little problem approaching us."
"Sir?"
"Twelve, to be exact. We need you to fend them off."
A comm officer interjected. "Here they are!"
Darkk's eyes narrowed to tiny slits. "On screen."
Twelve large cylinders could be made out. "Sir, they have the resonance mark. They're from the StarLance's universe."
"It sent them at us..... what are they?"
"Scanning... there is heavy generated interference.... sir! They are large thermonuclear devices... nearly a hundred detatchable warheads each!"
"These things were built for killing planets....." Darkk trailed off. "Take evasive action!"
The twelve cylinders released their spherical pods, unleashing a swarm of incoming death on the small fleet. "Oh my god sir! They've locked on!"
"Increase forward firepower! I don't want anything to slip through!"
The cylinders bobbed back and forth between the heavy firepower. Several flew apart in a cloud of hydrogen as they were hit. "Guidance system: unknown. Propulsion system: unknown." Stated the ensign unhelpfully.
BOOM!
One of the spheres detonated right on top of the carrier, knocking it out with the ElectroMagnetic Pulse and sending it spinning with the, er, Earth-shattering exploson. The Carrier was helpless as several more warhead drones approached it. Soon it was a radioactive cloud.
"Do we have dirsuptor misisles yet??!!" Darkk was scared.
"15 seconds sir! Give me 15 seconds!"
KA BOOM!
The second carrier disappeared in a chain of very large explosions.
Several warheads detonated simultaniously in a gigantic explosion. The wing of cruisers boiled away into space
Sweat was on Darkk's brow as the 57 remaining warheads approached his crippled ship. Then the lights on the bridge came back on, the computer started humming again and the air began to move. "Engineering here, sir. Disruptor missiles back online! Hyperdrives back online!"
"Fire!!"
The ship lurched as a single sliver of a missile flew out into the cloud and disappeared. For a moment, nothing happenned, then with a blinding flash, the missile released it's souped-up fury. The entire swarm lit up as the 57 drones were caught in a massive, out-of-control chain reaction. The screen lit up further, causing pain to Darkk's eyes.
"Helm, get us the hell out of here!" Darkk barked as he watched the rapidly approaching shockwave. Wow! That thing would knock an asteroid off it's orbit......
A hair's bredth from the approaching shockwave, the StormBreaker engaged it's hyperdrives and escaped. Just in time too.
------------------ Good laws are produced by extremely bad manners. -Alduran Pirate Captain Macrobius StarLance
Quote
Originally posted by Slug: **"We have incoming sir."
A hair's bredth from the approaching shockwave, the StormBreaker engaged it's hyperdrives and escaped. Just in time too. **
(Uhh, Slug, StormBreaker is fully automated - no crew except me and my AI. And my ship wasn't crippled. Starlance had its hyperdrive out of alignment for a few hours. Or are you refering to StormBreaker being crippled by the nuke pods?)
My mistake. Just continue the plot. You escaped.
"You Have my attention. what's this mission?"
"I'm not even entirely sure, but it is certainly well within your capabilities."
"We'll see. Take me to Darkk, and then I'll decide."
"All right. If we can catch a jumpgate from Proxima Centauri, we could be back in Nijayais space in just a few hours, assuming they havn't shut them down because of your escape."
Pharris smiled "I don't think that they're going to bring interstellar trade to a standstill over one pirate."
"Hope you're right, but we'll find out in a few minutes."
Ahdriadd engaged the hyperspace engines, crossing the four lightyears in a few minutes. The ship came out of hyperspace, and made its way towards the Jump Terminal, A gigantic formation of nine Jumpgates, Each capable of sending the largest dreadnoughts billions of lightyears in a matter of seconds. Most of them were dedicated gates, serviceing a jumpgate in some distant corner of the galaxy. The huge UNS military machine was based on several hundred stardocks and countless construction facilities that dotted the system. Most of the jumpgates were bringing in freighters from Industrialised UNS systems, though a few were sending military ships out to the frontiers. Ahdriadd picked one relatively near to Nijayais space and snuck into the rift. He emerged at a border post near obish space. He entered a jumplink, and made his way through Obain Space towards Darkk's Flagship.
------------------
Captain's Log T.I.S.N. StarLance Darvonsal reporting
News of or presence and intent has spread throughout the galaxy like wildfire. Alien attacks have increased in frequency the past two weeks by ninety percent, the most recent was a suicide strike by a humanoid species who call themselves the Nijayias They are an... interesting species, if inefficient attackers. They attempted to destroy us with over eighty tonnes of antimatter, a whole empire's worth. Naturally, partical weapons are ineffective against ablative shielding and we managed to devastate both Nijayias attack forces.
This brings my attention to another matter. We have discovered a critical weakness in one of our primary enemies: The Phylydions. Their primary weaponry operates on the simple concept of explosive kinetic matter-decompression. We can eliminate them with near impunity. One of their primary flagships, the Phylydia II is the best equivalent of the StarLance they could build.
We shall knock the Phylydia II out of comission, opening this entire sector for an orbital nuclear strike.
(This message has been edited by Slug (edited 10-26-2000).)
Darkk met with Pharris. "I'm afraid Ahdriadd was mistaken about it being a 'mission,'" Darkk explained. "For now, I can tell you about this on the way back to Nijayias Prime."
"This is, if you pardon me, a little odd," Pharris remarked, "you giving me a ship just to do what I would do on my own with it."
"Simple, really. I want you to continue doing what you would on your own - robbing Sal ships blind. It helps me quite a bit."
"Why pay extra for what you'd get for free?"
"If you built a ship, it would probably be not nearly as good, with the current parts shortage, and for the same reason it would come considerably later."
"Don't get me started about the parts shortage. By the way, why's the hull a little darker than I remembered it?"
"I did a little 3 on one with Darvonsol."
"You're lucky to be alive."
"So far, I guess I can claim the greatest victory against him: I knocked him around the bridge enough to bruse him and make him completely lose it."
"How'd you do that?"
"12 tons antimatter, applied via bulk frieghter at superlight slamming into him."
"That's insane!! How could anything survive that?"
"Then he used 1,200 nuclear warheads to try to kill me."
"This is just crazy! Someone has to stop this."
"Ahdriadd volunteered for another attack, but I still need a new plan. Back to the discussion of my proposal..."
"I want to know what you're getting out of this. Generosity is not a trait the Nijayias are known for."
"I'm getting a message across to some people about this ship class. You will make them respect its capabilities, and they will be demoralized."
"That's worth a heavy gunship to you?"
"Worth an HVD, if you want it."
"Too big for my tastes. Ming vases with machine guns, to boot."
"That's why the only admirals I know that fly them are Sals. They have no regard for personal safety."
"I know some more who do. But that's not the point."
"I'm sure you know a lot more about things like that than our whole intelegence service. Take it as a testimate of my respect for you and your abilites that we aren't having this conversation ... elsewhere."
"I've been in too many cells for my tastes recently."
"But we aren't, so that's not the point. Your choice on the ship please, Pharris. All you have to do for it is use it and not say where you got it - what you would do with any new ship."
Spamo was sitting in his command chair scowling. That damned Darvonsal was so paranoid that he wouldn't take perfectly good bait. Sonafabitch. Hopefully, an opportunity would present itself to harrass the Starlance. What he really NEEDED was some heavy-duty fleet power. The Mariposa was a good ship, fast and strong, but going up against the Starlance was another matter entirely. From the various reports that he's collected, Spamo knows a few more things about the Starlance.
The shields were nearly impervious to energy weapons, but a bit more vulnerable to particle weapons. That's a relative weakness. It didn't make cracking the shell any easier. Maybe an asteroid or two rammed up its arse might do it in.
The sheer size of that ship was a advantage in itself. It was remarkably nimble for a ship of its size. 11 kilometers is a lot of ship to move.
The weapons were terrifying. More than plenty anti-fighter turrents could defend from just about any fighter attack. And the disruptor cannons, though fixed, were more than powerful enough to take out any ship in one or two shots.
The Starlance was alone. As far as Spamo could tell, there weren't any real fighter craft on the starlance. A few supply shuttles, and short range craft. Nothing battle-ready.
Perhaps this can be used against it. Perhaps...
"Sir we've lost our probe on the Starlance."
"What? Why?" replied Spamo.
"The last bit of data sent out was that a huge freighter full of anti-matter was colliding with the Starlance. Maybe it's been destroyed"
Spamo let out a harsh laugh. "Destroyed? I'll believe it when I see the ship's floating corpse. Until then, send a probe to the last location of the Starlance. I want details. And put a message on the probe as well. I want to shake Darvonsal's nerves a bit."
Aboard the Starlance, the crew working on the captured probe brought a message addressed to Darvonsal to him. "Darvonsal: Did you really think that I'd be so stupid as to leave a shuttle full of munitions just lying there? You're more foolish than I thought. I thought you'd be a more difficult enemy to outfox, but I suppose I was wrong. Good riddance sir Darvonsal, I wish you a happy afterlife. Start counting down your days left to exist, and enjoy them to their fullest. There won't be many left.
-El Spamo "
Darvonsal stared at the message for a long time...
The Mariposa pulled into the Ishiman spaceport over Ishima. Spamo quickly went and visited the ambassador. "Thank you for hearing me. I assume you've heard of the rouge ship Starlance? And you're probably thinking, what can a single human pilot do? What I do know, is that it will take total racial cooperation. I've already gotten the Obish and Gaitori to set aside their differences to help, and the Cantharans are practically drooling at the prospect of destroying the biggest threat to them in a long time. The Salrillians aren't responding, and I haven't contacted the other races, Nijiyas and Phylydians. The auds... well, they're as enigmatic as ever. The only reply I got from them was 'We shall watch. We may come.'"
"Very well done captain. I've already talked to the military council, and they've nearly reached a consensus. So far, nearly all are in favor of combating this horde. I will safely say that you'll have your fleet. Where is the staging area?"
Spamo grinned. "Send as many ships as you can to the Beta-230 system. From there, we shall strike back."
(Whew! Long post.)
------------------ Ne Cede Malis Sed Contra Audientor Ito
Originally posted by El Spamo: The shields were nearly impervious to energy weapons, but a bit more vulnerable to particle weapons. That's a relative weakness. It didn't make cracking the shell any easier. Maybe an asteroid or two rammed up its arse might do it in.
Actually -- it's the other way around
Captain's Log T.I.S.N. StarLance Captain Darvonsal reporting
It is amazing the things people will say when facing their annihilation down the throat. 'Mad' they called me for using a good thing, the StarLance, for 'evil purposes'. Perhaps it was the war that nearly wiped out humanity that bred my hatred for all alien life. In this whole new universe, with whole new opportunities, Humanity has the unfulfilled potential to dominate. To be the iron fist of the galaxy.
We have delved deeper and deeper into foreign space, taking what we wanted and destroying what we couldn't. We found a new alien race today. Apparently they were once the dominant species in the galaxy, they are so... human. Perhaps in the cowardly hope that they would be spared when their number came up, these aliens... these... 'Gaitori' have agreed to surrender all their fleets to our cause.
So it is to Sol we trek.
After nearly a day of limping through hyperspace, Slug's destroyer finally arrived in the Hatares sector. "There it is." Slug said proudly as he saw his armada, which had grown considerably ever since the first general defected to his side.
"This is Admiral's Flagship, Destroyer S.N.S. 100473, to General Gath's Carrier, S.N.S. Vengance, requesting permission to dock."
"Permission granted, Admiral. So Slug, how's the weather on Salril?"
"There are more pressing matters at hand, General."
"By the way, where are those three carriers Golomus sent us? Shouldn't they be with you?"
"It's a long story, Gath, and I would rather tell you on the bridge."
"Fine with me. Airlock 419 is cleared. You are granted permission to dock."
"Good."
"Oh and Admiral?"
"Yes?" Slug said wearily
"Welcome back."
Slug's Destroyer sped through space, it's afterburners leaving a purple trail, to rejoin the rest of his armada. (url="http://"http://www.geocities.com/slug1337/RejoinArmada.jpeg")(image)(/url)
"I am still shorthanded. Almost half of my crew wasn't human. Darvonsal killed many good men when we were captured, and this ship needs more hands than the Barbarossa did. I will understand if you don't want to part with your military officers, but at the very least, I need a few droids to help me run it back to the bar, where I'll meet up with what's left of my crew."
"I'm sorry, but that would be unnacceptable. The problem is that technically I am breaking several interstellar treaties by not having you arrested and deported, In fact, I'm sure that the Nijayais security forces would love to get their hands on you too, but don't worry. I'll get you some droids for the trip back to your rendezvous.
"Thank you very much Admiral, I will not forget this soon."
"My pleasure, Captain."
Captain Pharris hated flying alone. It was so lonely and empty aboard. At least it was quiet. Even the dumb droids could manage the jumplinks to the Bar. And it gave time for Pharris to examine his new ship. He had already searched out every nook and cranny, Crawling through air vents and acesee tunnels with a flashlight, studying the schematics. He already had several pages of hastily scribbled notes, problems, ideas and modifications. The ship would need some work before he would let it pass as any sort of replacement for his Barbarossa. He continued studying the plans, looking for any nooks or crannies he may have missed. he still wondered about Darkk's motivations. Did he owe Darkk any favors? what would happen if sometime in the future he was offered a job against the Nijaiyas? Worst case, he could always use this ship as a temporary replacement while he found a shipyard that would construct his custom ship at a reasonable price. But those were concerns for later.
His biggest problem was his crew. He hadn't actually lost that many men. Only a third of his crew had been aboard the shuttle that Spamo had picked up. The rest of his men had made it back to the bar in relative safety. For now, he had to find some good crewmembers to press into service. There were always dozens of absolute lowlifes and young stick jockeys hoping to get a job under a legendary mercenary like Pharris, and the stories of his latest exploits near Salril Prime, and against certain Obish Generals will have no doubt only added to the numbers of eager souls. He could rely on his crew to weed out the talented applicants from the idiots. One more thing to deal with when he reached the bar. He lay down on his bed and tried to relax, but it wasn't happening. Not on an empty ship with a robot crew. He stretched, and went back up to the bridge, slumping down in the Captain's chair. He twisted and turned for a few moments, trying to get comfortable in his seat, then exasperated, grabbed his pen and added another item to his modification list.
(Sorry, Slug, but compression cannons are only the newest type of weapon. The Phylydions have several different energy weapons and missle types. The Captain will have to rethink his plan.)
Darkk watched Pharris fly away and smiled. He would do very nicely. It would work - as long as he never told anyone how he got it. Darkk didn't worry about that though. Nijayias Prime's sun going nova was a more likely threat, and that wasn't for at least 8 billion years.
Darkk had another plan for Darvonsol.
Starlance entered orbit around a large red giant star.
"Give me a scan of the system, sensors." Darvonsol grumbled.
"No life forms anywhere. A long deserted station in heliosychronous orbit, minimal solar power sources running, no computers, no shields, weapons, or sensors," the sensors chief reported.
"Scan it. It might have some material we could use."
Suddenly Darkk's hail signal registered on the comm chief's screen.
"Sir, that Nijayias is calling again," comm reported.
"That psycho is still alive?" Darvonsol grumbled.
"Why yes I am," said Darkk, now on the screen. "And I told you I had more for you."
"What, more anitmatter? That didn't work. It won't work."
"Silly. I don't make the same mistake twice. I'm copying your attack - a nuclear inferno. The devices are already in the system."
"There aren't any nukes here!" shouted the sensors chief.
"Oh, it's the big glowing thing on your left. Have a nice afterlife, Darvonsol," Darkk exclaimed.
The station immediatly came to life, shooting waves of magnetic energy into the star with all the energy it had collected since the Nijayias had set it in standby 20 years ago. The star went supernova in five minutes.
Darvonsol had not been idle during that time, however. Knowing he couldn't get in position to shoot the station, which would only delay the blast a little, he retreated out on maximum afterburner.
When the blast came, Darvonsol fired all disrupters simaltaniously into the onrushing wavefront. The beams phased, and their synergistic strength was enough to blunt the initial shockwave, and Starlance was clear away before the secondary wave hit. Darkk, back on Nijayias Prime, watched with horror and frustration. What the blazes could stop that madman?
(Ok, Slug. Objectional material deleted.)
(This message has been edited by Fleet Admiral Darkk (edited 10-27-2000).)
(Darkk, the StarLance was initially equipped with over 300 interplanetary nuclear missiles. While it has used about 30 or 40 of them so far, it's still not going to run out for a long time. Also, the StarLance was humanity's last hope. They threw everything they had into building it, all the resources, all the knowledge, all the skill, all the priorities. It won't need supplies or any of that, especially from an alien)
Grsh set his padd down on the table and held his head in grief. The once inpregnable Obish frontier was rapidly decaying from the repeated cooperative attacks from the Gaitori Fleets and the StarLance.
Already, eleven planets had been thoroughly decimated beyond recolonization, and the Second and Third Primary Armadas (commanded by Generals Swtz and Slg'Wrsh) had been thoroughly vanquished. He walked over to the window in the council room and watched the sunset. Obain was dying.
FROM: Stellar Vehicle Repair, Inc. TO: Mag Steelglass SUBJECT: Repairs Complete
The repairs to your ship are finished. You can pick it up within the next three days. We will discuss prices when you arrive.
Good. The Rogue was fixed. All he had to do was get to Sol, pick it up, and think of some way to pay for the repairs. He was in the Ishima system, and hailed the nearest gateship devoted to civilian use.
"ISN 2859265 here."
"I need a jumpgate to Sol."
"Identify yourself."
"Mag Steelglass."
"Very well. Initiate gatecourse."
"Initiating."
The gunship made a slow turn at a specific velocity as the gateship's ring began glowing green. The gunship was almost in the ring when a tube of green light shot away from the jumpgate, and towards the Sol system. Mag entered the jumpgate.
-----------
Five minutes later, he arrived in the Sol system. He set a course for the stardocks. He docked on one of the landing pads, and made his way to Stellar Vehicle Repair, Inc. The droids were following him, as people had been known to steal droids out of parked ships, and Mag didn't know whether or not he'd be able to take the Rogue out.
"Hello. Which ship are you here to pick up?"
"The UNS Rogue."
"Mag Steelglass?"
"Yeah."
"It's over here."
They walked between several ships, and came to the Rogue. It appeared to be like new.
"So, how much do I owe you?"
"None. The government cleared it up."
"What?!?"
"They said they'll pay it if you go to 'the bar', they called it. So, you accepting their offer?"
"Yeah!"
"Okay. Have fun."
"Sir, sir!" said the little Audemedon droid.
"What?"
"What about us?" said the droid, guesturing towards the rest.
"Go off and do whatever you like. I don't need you anymore."
"Very well, sir."
Mag fired up the Rogue's engines, and left the station. He was setting in a course for the bar when a Salrillian gunship unstealthed behind him. He dodged, and it hailed him. It was the Audemedon droid acting as captain, with the rest of the droids as the crew.
"Sir, we wish to follow and assist you."
"Fine, I guess. Just don't get in the way."
"Thank you, sir."
Mag set in a course for the bar and entered hyperspace...
------------------ "You can get much further with kind words and a loaded gun than you can with kind words alone." - Al Capone