| Author |
Darkspace - Twilight (Now with Alternate Ending!) |
Astral Viper
Cadet
Joined: February 27, 2003
Posts: 343
|  Posted: 2004-09-21 12:19
^_^
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GTN wasnt just a Fleet it was a Family we all were and still are and always will be brothers in our hearts.
From the ashes of Earth we rise like a pheonix spreading our wings
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Coeus {NCX-Charger}
Admiral, I can't read,
Sundered Weimeriners
Joined: February 16, 2004
Posts: 3635
From: South Philly
| Posted: 2004-09-21 21:52
Here we go again! New LINKY!
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Chapter 4
“Admiral, the Avernus is sending a distress call from Alpha Centauri, they’re under attack from an unknown force.” An ensign said. Coeus looked up from the star chart he was hunched over. He reached a hand across the map and tapped a control, and the music playing lowered in volume, though not in power. He glanced at the ensign, then back at his star chart.
“Very well,” he said softly, “order the helm, and alert the Eternal and the Absolut to alter course and intercept.” Coeus tapped the control to raise the volume again, and brought his cup of tea back with his hand. He slowly sipped the warm liquid as he scrutinized a small portion of the chart, which was nothing but a miniscule portion of the galaxy that they knew about and even less than that of the unknown universe.
“Ter’, come here and look at this.” Coeus said to Captain Jameson. “Last report had Lelandra as a passenger doing a tour as a counselor on board an extended range boomer.” Coeus pointed at the projected route of the heavy duty transport. He noted that they were hauling a lot of very expensive metals, including a lot of rare ones.
“Isn’t Dark Matter on the restricted transit list?” Jameson said. He looked over the ships manifest again. “It’s not like a smuggler to either take passengers or publish an accurate manifest.” Something didn’t add up. Jameson frowned as he glanced from the manifest to the star chart and back again. “Wait a second, sir. Where is that new high-resolution subspace eddy map?” His mind raced as he thought back to an article published years before the war.
“Here it is, why? What’s up?” Coeus could sense the distress in Jameson’s voice.
“Because I don’t think these are normal smugglers. They weren’t afraid to publish their manifest because I don’t think they ever intended to reach their destination.” Jameson flipped through the digital pages of the scientific scans until he found one that matched up with the projected route of the boomer. “Here, take a look at this. You see how these subspace eddies flow around this one point in space?”
Coeus began frowning more than Jameson. He saw what his friend was getting at. “Do you think Lelandra knows?” he said.
“I think she is behind it – if she is how you described her.” Jameson said. He punched some numbers into the computer. “At max speed, we could intercept them here,” he pointed to a spot on the map about a day’s jump before the subspace interchange, “if we alter course now. If we delay too long, their lead will be too great and we won’t be able to catch them. The refueling station that they stopped at said they were running with an old Tachyon Mk. II engine, so they can go for a while but can’t make the same speeds that we can.”
Coeus thought a moment. “Bridge, this is Admiral Coeus – belay my last order, resume previous heading and prepare for a new set of coordinates.” He counted, ‘5, 4, 3, 2,”
“But sir, what about the Avernus? We can’t just leave her out there to die.” The comm. officer said. “We need to investigate what is going on.”
“Very well, signal the Eternal and the Absolut to continue on course and find out what’s going on. Save the Avernus if they can, salvage what’s left and rescue any survivors if they can’t. Either way, I want them on their way to regroup with us ASAP, no later than this time tomorrow.” Coeus cut the comm. off before the unknowing Lt. Commander could argue some more. He wondered what a UGTO admiral would do in Coeus’ place to an officer like that.
“Do you think that’s wise?” Jameson said, after being sure no one was around to hear him voice his objection. “To split a group this small up? I’m sure that the Absolut and Eternal are well enough alone, but us?” He looked Coeus right in the eye.
“Lucky for us I don’t intend to be alone. Contact Grand Admiral Hirad of the Coldheart station, and then patch it through to the Captain’s Rest terminal."
*****************
“I wish he would make up his mind.” Backslash said. He didn’t mind changing course and jeopardizing a mission to save a friendly that will probably be dead before they got there, but to split a group like this when Coeus commanded the ship that would be most needed in a battle like this… it wasn’t right. “Very well, whats the last known position of the Avernus?” he said.
“A couple of hours outside of Alpha Centauri space. We already have a course plotted to their probable location based on their last telemetry data.” Backslash’s first officer replied. Marie Galishnov was a good officer, and was a hell of a lot better at dealing with the individual crew members than Backslash was. He would be sad when she got promoted, but she would definitely deserve it. “I recommend we drop out of hyperspace here, and use this small asteroid field to mask our approach.”
“Will our sensors be able to penetrate the field to get a bearing on any friendly or enemy ships?” Backslash said. He knew she was probably right, but that didn’t mean that he had to like the idea.
“Doubtful, but the Eternal’s probably can.” She said.
“Very well, send a message to Viper, and let me know if he has any other ideas. I’ll be in my quarters.” Backslash got up, and made his way to the ladderway. The nice thing about these old Destroyers is that its easy to get around. At least there is a nice thing about them. Backslash thought about what Coeus had said concerning Lelandra. One of the only proven mental clerics left in the known universe, her unique gift to ‘see’ into people’s minds and determine things that no conscious mind could figure out was offset by her extreme hatred for any type of organization. She was an anarchist to the core. Backslash had no idea how Coeus knew her personally, or why she made exceptions to dealing with the ICC when he was involved.
What concerned him mostly however was how she was traveling. He had access to the same information that Coeus did, and had figured out why he had ordered Viper and Backslash to continue on while the Charger went to intercept Lelandra. Backslash did agree that the Eternal and Absolut weren’t needed in the immediate, at least according to the information they had. What he didn’t agree with was having them rush the encounter with the Avernus so that they could rejoin the Charger, when by all probable accounts whatever transpired would be long passed.
There was no way that a simple boomer would be able to either outrun or put up a very long fight against an Assault class cruiser, especially not one outfitted the way the Charger was. Hell, they wouldn’t be able to put up a fight versus the Absolut. Although as a Bomber class, all Backslash had to do is lay a MIRV or two in the sluggish transport’s path and stand back.
Backslash got to his quarters, and went immediately to his bunk and passed out without ever even turning the lights on or off. The computer was automatically set to play music, and it never failed. Outside the singular window, the glow of hyperspace and the rings of light waves blitzed by in a beautiful dance as the laws of physics were bent and broken. Outside the peace of a hyper-jump, the chaos of the world brewed and the forces of darkness mustered to rally against all that was alive. Backslash slept.
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Darkspace: Twilight
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BackSlash
Marshal
Galactic Navy
Joined: March 23, 2003
Posts: 11183
From: Bristol, England
| Posted: 2004-09-21 22:14
zZzZzZzZ
*roll play*
Ace m8, keep up the good work....Bomber Cruiser tho  ? I better be mirving me some trannys .
Love it!
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Jaydawg
Vice Admiral
Joined: October 11, 2003
Posts: 150
From: vermilion AB
| Posted: 2004-09-21 22:24
OO interesting..keep it up man!
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Coeus {NCX-Charger}
Admiral, I can't read,
Sundered Weimeriners
Joined: February 16, 2004
Posts: 3635
From: South Philly
| Posted: 2004-09-21 22:54
Everything has a reason, bro 
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Darkspace: Twilight
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Astral Viper
Cadet
Joined: February 27, 2003
Posts: 343
| Posted: 2004-09-22 00:37
bomber dessie nubin ur in a bomber dessie
i the highest ranking get the luxurious comnd carrioer although id rather have an assault dread at least its a real ship
_________________
GTN wasnt just a Fleet it was a Family we all were and still are and always will be brothers in our hearts.
From the ashes of Earth we rise like a pheonix spreading our wings
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Strategery
Grand Admiral
Sundered Weimeriners
Joined: December 07, 2002
Posts: 522
From: Straight Outta Boston!
| Posted: 2004-09-22 02:28
I dig it dude, keep it up. 1 thing though, please oh please remember it's "Exathra"....
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[S.W] Grand Admiral Strategery
ICC Master Battle Strategist (ret.)
Proud Commander of the C.S.S. Ticonderoga
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Pope
Fleet Admiral
Joined: June 11, 2002
Posts: 2449
From: World of tomorrow
| Posted: 2004-09-22 08:36
Man.. this is awesome.. And it's not often that i'm saying this..
I wub you Coeus
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Coeus {NCX-Charger}
Admiral, I can't read,
Sundered Weimeriners
Joined: February 16, 2004
Posts: 3635
From: South Philly
| Posted: 2004-09-22 08:44
Haha, whoops =P
Thats what I get for writing while the MV is down 
TY - will work on Chapter 5 & maybe 6 today when I have time 
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Darkspace: Twilight
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Coeus {NCX-Charger}
Admiral, I can't read,
Sundered Weimeriners
Joined: February 16, 2004
Posts: 3635
From: South Philly
| Posted: 2004-09-22 09:41
Woot! Chapter 5! New linky 'cause I'm at school & can't FTP in a replacement file
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Chapter 5
Hawk prowled the bridge of the Del Monte, awaiting a status report from the Phantom Knight – yet another captured K’Luth ship. This one was of a similar design to Hawk’s new prize, and configured to suck the life energy from its victims. It would do well.
“My lord, a report from Lord Landaus has arrived – he has encountered the third party in the war, the ones who currently have power over the human home world. They were of little resistance.” A servant said over the comm. system.
“Excellent, inform Lord Armand to make his way here. We will need some degree of assistance to defeat the defenses of this world and its moon.” Hawk let out a slight chuckle. All was proceeding as he had foreseen. Once this planet fell, the humans would be throw into disarray, and they would be able to destroy the other human home world, a planet called Exathra. He would see to it that from that point all worlds touched by any of the three parties would never see life again. Their taint would be wiped from this galaxy forever.
“Yes my lord. Will there be anything else?”
Hawk pondered a moment, and decided, “Yes, bring me another K’Luth prisoner to interrogate. Be sure it is washed this time, the smell of their insides is bad enough – I don’t want to have to smell their outsides as well.” He resumed looking through the portal. The time was growing nearer now.
*****************
“I don’t like it, Backslash.” Viper was not a major supporter of the ICC – but he did approve of how they treated the planets they controlled – and they hadn’t betrayed him as the UGTO had. Still, Viper yearned for the glory days of the Imperial Navy. He wondered how many people really knew that. Backslash knew, and sympathized with him, though he made it clear which side of the battle line he intended to stay on. Viper held no ill-will towards his brethren, but he also made it clear where he stood.
“What’s to like? Coeus says we go, so we go. He says regroup with him ASAP so we regroup with him ASAP. What do you want to do? Mutiny?” Backslash smirked at his friend over the video comm. channel; he knew what Viper was thinking. “Now is not the time to get nostalgic my friend. We have a job to do – so lets do it and be done.” Backslash said. He tried his best to keep Viper on the straight path. Ever since their days covering each other’s wings in their Assault Scouts as fledgling recruits in the mighty Galactic Navy wing of the Imperial star fleet, Viper and Backslash had covered and protected each other both in their ships and in the frequent court marshals.
“I know that, but you know I can’t help but think… Never mind. You want to shuttle over at 19:00 for some dinner? This old dread have a great Officer’s Mess.” Viper smiled at his friend. He could definitely use the non, rebellion company. Most of the ICC were still uncomfortable with some of their former enemies in the captain’s chairs. They dealt with it though, and in time had learned to trust their tactics and judgment.
“I’d love to, I’ll be there at 18:30, you can give me a little tour to remind me what its like to command a real ship.” Backslash let out a laugh. Not that he didn’t like the quaint little ship that he had now – but it was just that, quaint and little. Backslash switched off the comm. He stood up lazily, stretched out and made his way to the door. Dinner was still several hours away, and Backslash had skipped breakfast to relieve Galishnov, and he was famished.
Walking to the tiny mess hall that served the tiny crew on the tiny ship, Backslash’s giant hunger ceased to abate and he quickened his pace. He only realized on his way to the deck that he forgot to duck for that low hanging pipe. Shortly before the world turned black, he felt better now that his hunger was no longer the most gnawing feeling in his body.
*****************
“And you are absolutely sure that this woman’s intentions pose no danger to us?” Wyke said. He was still very uneasy about the whole arrangement, but saw the enormous potential. “If we can’t retake the system, we will have lost our only advantage over the ICC, and not only will our borders fall, but the K’Luth battle lines will as well.” He impressed.
“I am well aware of the tactical situation, sir.” Switchblade said sarcastically. “Just as I am aware that my fleet has enough firepower to get the job done – and the rest of your cute little ships have been holding the ICC at bay in Nicea for months now. This is the time to press our singular advantage to make it a plural one.” Switchblade felt woozy, all that convoluted speech made him thirsty, made him want some more of that stuff that Wyke had given him before. Switchblade made a mental note to check out the pilot’s country later, see what kind of swill the flyboys of the UGTO liked to chug down.
“Oh, and before I forget. Thanks to a few of your boys, all Shadow Pirates are restricted from visiting any of the bars on this planet or any other UGTO planet. You have nowhere else left to go if you fall out of favor with the High Command – so please teach your officers and crew to be mindful of their manners.” Wyke then waved Switchblade out of the room before the pirate had a chance to snap back. The wily old officer knew how to keep these rabble in line. He hoped.
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Darkspace: Twilight
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Astral Viper
Cadet
Joined: February 27, 2003
Posts: 343
| Posted: 2004-09-22 11:58
god i always laugh so hard when i read about me in the story youve known me too long its freaky seeing me in the story
_________________
GTN wasnt just a Fleet it was a Family we all were and still are and always will be brothers in our hearts.
From the ashes of Earth we rise like a pheonix spreading our wings
|
Coeus {NCX-Charger}
Admiral, I can't read,
Sundered Weimeriners
Joined: February 16, 2004
Posts: 3635
From: South Philly
| Posted: 2004-09-22 12:05
Someone said in the chat that "an author isn't supposed to use real people"
Too late to change it now!
I think you can tell what direction your character will be going though... hehe
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Darkspace: Twilight
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Astral Viper
Cadet
Joined: February 27, 2003
Posts: 343
| Posted: 2004-09-22 16:57
insane? like me? plz dont say fat
_________________
GTN wasnt just a Fleet it was a Family we all were and still are and always will be brothers in our hearts.
From the ashes of Earth we rise like a pheonix spreading our wings
|
BackSlash
Marshal
Galactic Navy
Joined: March 23, 2003
Posts: 11183
From: Bristol, England
| Posted: 2004-09-22 17:12
GOOD *bleep*ing GOD....keep it up!!!
I love this!, hopefully il be in an AD or an EAD before the fighting or something starts . I do hate the bomber cruiser
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Fattierob
Vice Admiral
Joined: April 25, 2003
Posts: 4059
| Posted: 2004-09-22 17:38
::gives is the offical "OMFG! This is the best fic ever! It's even better then Fattierob's fic!" award::
I love it. It's excellent. brillant. I can't find adjectives to desceribe it.
NOW MAKE MORE!!! and add me!
and now, you know what it feels like...when people beg you to be in your story....because I just did
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