Onslaught: The Flight

[Bakan]

Ever since the first humans looked up at the night sky, staring at the stars that twinkled, he wonder "Are we alone in this place? Are there others out there?"

By the dawn of the 22nd century, man had stretched out his hand, enveloping the system that was its cradle. Mars had been colonized with a rapidly growing population, with smaller colonies scattered across the rest of the system. It is during this time that mankind received an answer to that everlasting question in the form of the Federation. A collection of various races, they introduced humanity to the primary means of inter-galactic travel, the hyper-slipstream system. With this new knowledge and technology, mankind took its place among the stars, and after much time, becoming a valuable member of the Federation.

After centuries of relative peace, with only minor problems occurring on the outskirts of the galaxy, a deep-space listening post devoted to scanning for life outside the galaxy detected an incoming object. Just objects had previously been found, mostly runaway asteroids from the Milky Way galaxy that were flung out and returned, or comets. What set this event apart from the others was that the object changed course. After one final report indicating that the incoming object seemed to be planetary size, contact was lost with the station.

A battlefleet was sent out to investigate, which reported contact with an unknown race that had "swarmed" over the outpost system. They found a single shuttle from the station fleeing from the station, and brought it onboard. In what was considered the great mistake, the science council of the Federation ordered the battlefleet to hold outside the system so that they could send science vessels to investigate.

The shuttle crew, 1 male and 1 female, initially tested fine and free from any contagions. However, before they could be properly debriefed, something happened. Crewmembers started acting strangely, some vanished, others went insane. It was not until most of the crew was infected that the medical officer discovered the cause. The 2 shuttle survivors were "infested" with a parasitic lifeform, a "queen" that had been breeding and infesting the crew. By this point it was to late as the rest of the battlefleet was attacked by a variety of races, and quickly destroyed, with the flapship of the fleet falling under enemy control.

Thus began the Onslaught war. The enemy, a collection of extra-galactic parasitic races, united in a desire for the need for new hosts and supplies. Arriving in the Milky Way galaxy in a fleet of giant worldships, they swarmed the nearby systems, rapidly conquering through sheer numbers.

As battles raged throughout the galaxy, the Federation slowly was pushed back. While most of the beings were weak and easily destroyed, they made up for that in sheer numbers. Ships were typically not destroyed, but instead disabled, the crews turned into hosts, the ships repaired by the infested crew and used against the federation.

After 10 long and bloody years of combat, the Federation was driven back to a meager 34 systems, when before the number of systems were in the thousands. Yet a glimmer of hope was discovered. In a desperate bid to save a civilian colony, a captain of a federation warcruiser discovered a rare type of nebula. Driven into it, he discovered that the radiations generated within the nebula were nearly instantly lethal to all of the parasitic races. However, the radiations were also lethal to unprotected humans as well, though it took longer. Driving deep, the captain discovered a series of systems, rice in ores and natural resources, uninhabited and undiscovered.

Barely managing to make it out, a daring plan was executed. Since the radiation was not able to be created artificially, the remaining fleets would draw the swarms away from several hyper-slipstream routes, allowing a fleet of ships to make it into the system, where the Federation forces would rebuild. As plans were made, the swarm launched a devastating attack, crippling the fleets, and destroying the ships that were to be used in the assault.

In desperation another plan was launched. For the past 5 years, 5 giant motherships were created. These ships, equipped with cryogenic chambers that could hold up to 2 million people a ship, and equipped with prototype hyper-slipstream generators, were to originally travel outside the galaxy so that the Federation would continue to live on, and someday return and reclaim their systems. Instead these ships would be used to transport the new colonists to the systems, named "Hope Cluster".

While massive and well-armored, these ships in a rush to be completed were practically unarmed. With the Federation fleets scattered in a last ditch holding action, a call went out to mercenaries, smugglers, and soldiers of fortunes. Their mission, to protect the motherships as they traveled to Hope Cluster. Their reward, being rewarded with a large quantity of credits that were be the basis of the New Federation monetary system, and being key players in the mission to retake their galaxy.

This is where you come in. You have come in and accepted the mission to escort the motherships to Hope Cluster. The journey will be long and dangerous, with the flight path going into enemy controlled systems.

During the past several years, all of your ships have seen combat. As part of the agreement, your ships would undergo full repairs at the Bilibrige shipyards, which is where you are now, waiting for the motherships to finish loading up their crew to be frozen for the trip, and your ships to be repaired.

Ship Stats
Ship Stats
The above thread links you to your ship's current status. Having your post reflect the current status of your ship is key in a good quality post.

Enemy Races
Vong - A race that hates technology, they refuse to use it at all, instead they have invested their race into biotechnology. Due to them worshiping the other races as gods, they are the cannon folder of the Swarm.

Zerg: the zerg swarm is a combined name for many different kinds of biological creatures, each developed by the swarm for its own specific purpose. The zerg is the terror of every colonial commander and can bring death and destruction to any world it encounters. The zerg have adapted to almost every possible environment, ranging from a small demon class planet, through space and M class planets, nobody is safe from this scourge of the universe

Parasites - No other name was able to be given to them. These smaller creatures can completly dominate a humanoid being, taking complete control, however unable to draw upon their hosts long term memories. When they take over a being, they can boost it's physical status unnaturally high. There is also a subrace of "queens", that while they live inside a host, they end up destroying it as they feed upon it to make more of their soldiers.

Goa'uld - Yet another parasitic race, these creature also take refuge into a humanoid humanoid being. Using technology to augyment themselves also, they travel around in moderate size motherships, using them for long-range points of attack.

Jaffa - Term used describe the slaves of the Goa'uld. They are infested with infant Goa'uld, which give the host great strength and healing abilities. However this comes at the cost of the hosts immune system being completly destroyed by the process.

The Flood - No other name is more appropiate to this race than the Flood. Their initial form is a small crab like creature, easy to kill. However, once they latch onto a living host, they start changing it on the DNA level on up, changing it until it is unreconizable. They attack in waves, overwhelming all with sheer numbers. They are seem most commonly on ground/ship assualts.

Enemy Crafts
Coralskipper - Primary fighter of the Vong, these organic ships are incredibly fast and agile. Sporting plasma weaponry, and using dovil basions to create black holes to absorb incoming fire, however like all organic systems, these can be worn down and tricked.

CoralDevtator - The primary capital ship of the Vong, these smallish cruisers have even more plasma weapons and enhanced defences, namely dovil basions to create micro black holes quicker and more powerful. Also some can be grown with a yammosk that enhances battle coordination for all Vong, making them a lethal addition to the battlefield.

Gou'uld Deathglider - The fighter of the Gou'old, small and fast but lightly armed, their pilots are skilled and deadly in both the air and ground.

Gou'uld Mothership - Large ships, armed with a large assortment of plasma weaponry. Some advance models even have energy shields. They resemble a large pyramid surrounded by a ring of engines and weapons, with the pyramid section able to land on planets for ground assualts.

Multalist - Know as hell-bringers, these creatures win by sheer numbers. They run themselves into enemy ships, exploding on contact. One such creature poses minimal effect, but when swarmed, they post a significant thread.

Guardian - These massive ships shaped like Earth spiders are equiped with a massive plasma launcher. Able to take great amount of damage, they also can host enemy forces and fighters.

Worldship - Giant hollow planetoids, moved by giant engines and/or dovil basions. These craft carry and nourish the bulk of the Swarm. Each worldship is protected by various unidentified defences.

Devourer: The devourer is a large, anti-ship, creature and is most often seen gaurding other zerg spacecraft of various designs, its acid attack can burn through hull and armor with unrivalled ease and it's thick exoskeleton give it an unrivaled survivability in space combat when compared to other ships of its size, the size of these creatures being up to 100m long and 20m high and wide.

Space hatchery: these hatcheries are constructed in orbit of an infested planet and comes with all the things needed to infest a planet. These hatchery are fully capable of producing larvea which in turn produce all creatures used by the zerg. These hatcheries always come with a large escort but are themselves unarmed and only minimally armored.

Cerebus carrier: An unrivaled creature by the zerg, these behemoths can be up to 25km in length and are the toughest thing you'll ever encounter in space. There armor is measured in dozens of meters and there weapons by the thousands, each of these things in addition to their own immense firepower have the ability to produce every other kind of zerg creature and are protected by massive fleets. Only 1 of these has ever been reported but it is rumoured at least 8 fly through space.

Species 8472 Bio-ship: these extremely small, maneuverable yet immensely tough ships. They are extremely powerfull and 1 is easily a match for even a borg cube, several can destroy a planet.

the Beast: the beast are an all-consuming race, they have not developed their own systems or creatures, instead they rely on technology they steal and improve. Many a ship captains fears the grey and red ships that are so distinctive for the beast and the shape of a cruise missile, a corvette sized ship with a large bio-warhead.

Interceptor: original a turanic raider design, the interceptor is a box-like design, it features redudant systems and heavy armor, this combined with a whole bunch of thrusters and main engines. All in all this ship is not as maneuverable or as fast as other fighters, but it will survive a lot more bludgeoning then any other fighter.

Cloaked fighter: these fighters, as indicated by their name, are equipped with a powerfull cloaking device that can render them practically impossible to spot with even the most advanced sensors, unfortunately they sport no more then 2 light massdrivers and a level of hull armor that is so low as to be practically useless. A single direct hit on a cloaked fighter will almost certainly destroy it.

Attack bomber: a much used design that came originally from several other races, attack bombers are armed with twin plasma bomb launchers and more recent versions also sport twin massdrivers. Though as maneuverable as a big brick in an atmosphere these ships are quite heavily armored and can deal a sufficient punishing to its target.

Cruise missile: a much feared device, this ship is 1 of the few that was actaully designed by the beast. Each cruise missile comes with a massive engine that gives it the same speed as an interceptor and sports plenty of armor, it has no ranged attack but instead has a large bio warhead that when it strikes a ship will detonate and spread the beast, essentially infecting the unfortunate vessel with the beast and converting it within minutes unless proper countermeasures are token.

Missile corvette: another turanic design, this ship is heavily armed with twin missile pods and the systems required to build new missiles in no-time, unfortunately this ship is somewhat lacking in armor and maneuverability for its size. It was originally designed to take out enemy fighters at long range but was found sufficiently effective for attacking capital class ships by the beast.

Heavy corvette: the heavy corvette comes with 2 twin heavy massdriver turrets, a large amount of armor and a good speed and agility. It is a good ship for all possible kinds of duty, ranging from escorting ships, destroying fighters to attacking capital class ships in sufficient numbers.

Multigun corvette: employed by several races and known for its effectiveness against fighters, this rather slow and strange looking corvette sports 5 tracking light massdriver turrets and a reasonable amount of armor. Don't count on fighters making much more then a dent on these ships.

Ion array frigate: derived from the extremely powerfull turanic assasin class ion frigate, these large, cumbersome, fragile and slow vessels are equipped with a single ion cannon and a large magnetic acclerator array which gives it its immense power. This ship can literal rip ships to shreds on extreme ranges but makes little impression on fighters because of its inability of tracking them with the cumbersome ion beam cannon.

Defense Field Frigate: often a primary target when present in enemy fleets, it projects a powerfull energy field around an entire fleet but has no weapons and barely any armor of its self, luckily the systems required to keep the field active are extremely fragile and a few hits are often enough to render this ship inoperable. The field it projects deflects aprox 95% of all projectiles fired into it and absorbs 90% of all energy weapon fire.

Heavy cruiser: heavy is the wrong word for this immense and extremely dangerous ship, it should be devastating. It sports 2 twin ion cannon turrets and 4 heavy mass driver turrets, it can bring death and destruction to any and all enemy capital ships while still posing a sufficient threat to fighters and bombers. Even an unescorted heavy cruiser can wreak havoc on small fleets and with a correct escort this ship is almost unstoppable. In addition to its original weaponry the beast heavy cruiser has the ability of infecting other ships with the beast if they come to close.

Beast carrier: the carrier is a weakly armed yet heavily armored ship with a complete construction array capable of building ships up to frigate class, its 4 heavy massdrivers pose little threat to capital ships but it is rarely seen without an extensive escort. It can infect other ships if they get to close.

Beast multi-beam frigate: the beast version of the somtaaw multi-beam frigate, this ship sports 5 ion beam turrets and tough each ion beam turret is less powerfull then a conventional ion beam this ship is an extreme threat to any fighters and can still go toe to toe against other frigates. This class of ship has been witnessed taking down an archangel class dreadnought when they are in groups

Peace Brigade: Prehaps the worst in this conflict, Federation members and other races from this galaxy joining forces freely with the Swarm. These scum and villains are the lowest of the low, doing everything for the enemy that they are assigned.

Asp: The Asp is a high performance Aerospace fighter. It is armed with a Mass Driver and Plasma Pulse bomb. The Plasma Pulse is an energy weapon with a severe EMP effect effectively stopping its target from recharging energy.
Weapons: Mass Driver, Terran ECM, Plasma Pulse, Stealth, Fusion Mine, MIRV Missile, Repulsor, Shard Mine, Team Warp, Ripper Field

Excelsior: The Excelsior is a heavy Aerospace strike fighter. It is armed with a Mass Driver and a Fusion Missile launcher. It is very fast and has a high top speed that makes the Excelsior a useful interceptor as well.
Weapons: Dual Mass Driver, Terran ECM, Plasma Bomb, Stealth, Fusion Mine, MIRV Missile, Repulsor, Shard Mine, Team Warp, Ripper Field

Hornet: The Hornet is a Space Superiority fighter. It is highly maneuverable and well armed with a Mass Driver and a Fusion Missile Launcher.
Weapons: Mass Driver, Terran ECM, Plasma Pulse, Stealth, Fusion Mine, MIRV Missile, Repulsor, Shard Mine, Team Warp, Ripper Field

Ravager: The Ravager is a Fighter Bomber. It is armed with a Mass Driver and a Meson Energy Bomb launcher. It is a rugged and reliable craft.
Weapons: Mass Driver, Terran ECM, Meson Bomb, Stealth, Fusion Mine, MIRV Missile, Repulsor, Shard Mine, Team Warp, Ripper Field

Shrike: At present, the ultimate ship to fly. Get three of your friends to man the turrets and you are almost unstoppable. Approach a fully manned Shrike with caution.
Main Weaspons: Twin Abomb, Cyclone OMG Mine
Turret weapons: HSD-Cannon, MiniScatter

Skithist: The "Skithzar Warrior" is a very heavy attack fighter. It is armed with a Heavy Energy cannon and Energy Bomb Launcher.
Weapons: Dual Bio Cannon, ECM Device, Bio Bomb, Stealth, Bio Mine, Shrapnel Bomb, Repulsor, Cluster Mine, Team Warp, Bio Burst

Mastakith: "Nimble Wing" is an apt description for the Skithzar's Space superiority fighter. The Mastakith is exceptionally maneuverable and armed with an energy cannon and an energy bomb launcher.
Weapons: Bio Cannon, ECM Device, Bio Bomb, Stealth, Bio Mine, Shrapnel Bomb, Repulsor, Cluster Mine, Team Warp, Bio Burst

Kragath: The "Fat Hunter" is a powerful Fighter Bomber. It is armed with an energy cannon and a Heavy Energy bomb launcher which fires a projectile with an extended proximity effect range.
Weapons: Ultra Bio Cannon, ECM Device, Hyper Bio Bomb, Stealth, Bio Mine, Shrapnel Bomb, Repulsor, Cluster Mine, Team Warp, Bio Burst

Tarthist: The "Cunning Hunter" is very maneuverable and fires an energy bomb that has a peculiar property; It bounces off of solid objects. The bomb will bounce and continue until it hits an enemy or dissipates. The Tarthist is also armed with an energy cannon.
Weapons: Bio Cannon, ECM Device, Bouncing Bio Bomb, Stealth, Bio Mine, Shrapnel Bomb, Repulsor, Cluster Mine, Team Warp, Bio Burst

Armakith: The Skithzar answer to the Daggir, it packs some unique goodies. The Biotear Bomb creates a gravity field that pulls opponents to it, making it a great weapon when your enemy is trying to flee. The Biofield mine creates a ton of projectiles that are capable of destroying dozens of ships.
Main weapons: Biospread, Biotear Bomb
Turret weapons: Bioplague Gun, WSB Bio Attack, Biofield Mine.

Rip'Pir: The "Jagged Dagger" is the Grazi space superiority fighter thus it is exceptionally maneuverable. It is armed with an energy cannon and an energy bomb launcher.
Weapons: D-Cannon, ECM Device, Moltor Bomb, Stealth, Moltor Mine, Moltor Cluster Bomb, Repulsor, Mega Moltor Mine, Team Warp, Cluster Burst

Rak'Kir: The "Dragon's Heart" is the standard Grazi attack fighter. It is armed with an energy cannon and high velocity gravitic propelled energy bomb.
Weapons: D-Cannon, ECM Device, Gravatic Bomb, Stealth, Moltor Mine, Moltor Cluster Bomb, Repulsor, Mega Moltor Mine, Team Warp, Cluster Burst

Zag'Gir: The "Cutting Scythe" is an apt description for this sleek Grazi fighter. It is armed with a special multi-fire energy cannon and an energy bomb launcher.
Weapons: Multi D-Cannon, ECM Device, Moltor Bomb, Stealth, Moltor Mine, Moltor Cluster Bomb, Repulsor, Mega Moltor Mine, Team Warp, Cluster Burst

Zap'Pir: The "Molten Heart" is usually used as a Fighter Bomber. It is armed with an energy cannon and a very high yield energy bomb.
Weapons: D-Cannon, ECM Device, Mega Moltor Bomb, Stealth, Moltor Mine, Moltor Cluster Bomb, Repulsor, Mega Moltor Mine, Team Warp, Cluster Burst

Daggir: This Grazi two-man vehicle packs a nice punch. Have a buddy operate the turret while you pilot this little monster. Although the Daggir is not as powerful as the other turreted ships, it can still hold it's own against many opponents.
Main weapons: D Cannon, Tetron Bomb
Turret weapons: Tetron Cannon, Scatter Burst, Cyclone Mine

A09: Very little is known about this Null vessel. The A09 is a very light scout-type vessel that utilizes Null Phase technology which provides it with a cloaking effect.
Weapons: Null Cannon, ECM Device, Null Bomb, Null Field, Null Mine, Phase Bomb, Repulsor, Graviton Mine, Team Warp, Warp Field Generator

[Bakan]

How the thread works

Each "mission" will typically have a set number of posts in which you have to defend the mothership. This thread, while having some stats, is more based on post quality. For example, one who has a heavily damaged ship yet posts a excellent post will do better than one of has a intact ship but posts horribly. Stats are provided just as a point of reference really.

Rules

You are REQUIRED to save the motherships at all cost. Failure to do so will cause you to be put onto a wanted list and a bounty issued against you.

Rewards

Credits - The main currency of the galaxy. You will need these for when you arrive to spaceports and at the end of the thread.

Technology - In some situations, you will have a chance to get new technology.

Key Thread Information

The first post contains the main information for the thread, including the link to the spreadsheets with your ship stats. For the record, ships weapons play only a small role in this thread most of the results will be based on your post quality and inventiveness.

[Mad cat]

ooc-so, what? do we start off at the place and then receive some form of breifing and go?-ooc

Mc walks into the spaceport's food court and looks around seeing several diffrent species at the tables of the resturants that surrounded him. he reads the names of each establishment and taps a passing human on the shoulder

hey, do you know which of these places does good meals?

the man points out a place called Earl's

thankye

the man mumbles a responce and walks off

i sertainly hope for their sake that not everyone's morall is like that, hmf

walks to the resturaunt and steps into line a person behind the desk asks
can i help you?

oh, uh, yeah, id like a sigle table please

yes, follow me
the woman looks at a screen taps it, picks up a menu and walks to a small table by the wall
here you are sir

thank you

sits down

seems rather empty today

the woman sighs and nods
its been that way for a while now we just dont get many cusomers, no one does, its probably because of these recent attacks, but there are more people than usuall, and i would say that is because of those mercenaries that the federation has hired.

smiles

yeah, well, it just so happens that im one of them,

the womans eyes go wide
i-
holds up a hand
but, please dont make a scene of it or go tell everyone who i am

the woman looks slightly dejected
alright, but its an honour to meet you

you too, and thanks

the woman walks off to help the next person and Mc looks at the menu and orders a large steak and a coke when the waiter comes. waits for the food to arrive and finishes the meal fairly quickly he leaves a generous tip and exits the room

hm, what to do next, i should probably check on the ship's repair progress.

walks through the nearly empty food court and finds the nearest lift down to his ship. the doors open with a swish and Mc walks out and looks at the Anteaus

*sigh* so, strange is that designe, yet so effective

strides up to the head engineers office and lets himself in

hello

the almost plump looking man jumps slightly
oh! its you, you surprised me i, didnt expect you

ohwell, now onto buisness, i want a full estimate of how long this is going to take

the man smiles a little
i have it right here
hands a small handheld device to Mc

takes the device and studies the screen and gives a nod of approval

well it appears you people live up to your rep, thats good, now i had better be off to the head people, they probably have some assignement for me

leaves the office and returns to the lift

aw crap what was that password they have for the command level again?

frowns, and thinks back to the message he received

oh! duh! its a voice recognition thing

pushes the button and says his name the lift goes up, doors go woosh and Mc steps out and looks around

[Darkling]

A lights flickering annyling in the back of the ****pit, the grubby and aged consoles beep now ands then. Geth'lath leans back in his chair
"Its time to get some nurishment"
A scowl growing across his face at the sound, follwowed by a sigh
"Ill eat what I want and only then, dont rpessume to order me. You can deadticat you anytime."
His vocie husky and sor sounding, parting his lips flickering edge of his tougne across slightly cracking of them.
"You wont do that, you need me"
The sythosied vocie speaks again
"Oh do I what makes you think that then?"
Sitting up his face a little rough looking, as week old stuble seems grows there, his eys and face shaded from sight by the darkness.
"Well without me who would run the ship when you slepe, the ships own system are to arcaic to do it, and also you need somone to help maintain the titaium angel, unless you want to service it all by yourself."
Alsmot picking up hint ssarcasm there grumbling
"Fine you win, do know how terrible you sound through comms system?"
Walktzing over to a door now about to press a button before stopping to listen ocen again
"Well It wasnt my idea we get this ship, your one who wanted to save on credits for food and weapons. If youll excuse me vei got thigsn to do"
The crackle from old communacitons unit stpping the bridge silent once more
"Things to do if you wherre huan id be sick of your conmapny already. Lucky your not"
Mutterng idle to hismelf before opening the door inf ront of him, presisng down on the handle the creck of the hinges shattering the silence.
"Really need to oil that"
His voice trailing of into silence as he enters the room.

ooc- would post more and a better responce but ive got to go to work now, so this was quick one.

[Bakan]

[ooc] For the record, everyone is at the Bilibrige space station as your ships are being prepared. You all have been fighting for several years thus take full advantage of the break. [/ooc]

[Ryon Jkar]

A man with a dark visage about him stepped through the airlocks at the Bilibrige Space Station and walked silently down the central corridor. His eyes were dark and green, like a murky lake shinning in the sun and they observed all, and yet the remained still. He step he took was flowing and smooth and he moved with a aire of self-actualization. Many believed him to be rather insane due to the fact that it almost seemed to be common knowledge that he hears a voice every now an then, and although that might be true, many also knew that he was one ruthless son of a b**** when it came to war. He was one opponent many did not want to face.

"Captain..." A harsh whisper entered his ear.

"Silence Saore! Not here." Was Ryon's only response as he moved through the pub's entryway, past a couple of janitorial staff members who exhanged unassured looks.

[Lady Hawk]

Cut Scene -

The Mighty Shalin Class Cruiser - the VANGAURD III its blue metal hull scarred after so many battles , finishes its docking procedures, the many scars on the hull showing to all and sundry that this is no meer Merchant Vessel

on the Bridge -

the Capt Lady Hawk is seen wearing her blue skin tight jump suit that also reveals the many ribbons from the various campaigns she has fought in the last 10 years and also the various commendations she has recieved - this is no ordinary woman, as she commands a ship of the line, her patent thigh length red leather boots with 5in heels. she also wears her 3/4 length red leather cape, she carries her mahognay silver topped walking cane (that conceals a titanuim, teflon coated rapier)

No1 - Ship is docked Ma'am

LH - Good, at last the chance for some R n R, give the order of you please

Comms - aye sir - with this the Comms announces the Captains order's, many cheers can be heard thru out the ship

EO - we took heavy damage sir, here is the datapad

LH - Good god, we have lost nearly 2/3 of our fighting capacity, that was one major battle we fought, I lost a lot of good men. ahhhhh well..............

LH - Ok try to get us docked as soon as possible, I want all the conventional weapons on line as soon as possible, the Superweapons have a low priority.

EO - aye ma'am

SO - I will help the EO sir

LH - waves her hand and nods

No1 - Orders sir

LH - Well i do not know about you I am going to have a shower and change uniform and head for the nearest thing that passes for an Officers lounge or bar and get drunk and have something to eat

No1 - Sounds good I will join you

LH - nods and walks off, turning around she looks at the No1 another good looking woman - I will meet you at the airlock in 30mins

No1 - grins

Time passes

LH and her No1 walk into the bar and look around, her No1 points to a table and LH nods and heads to the bar.

[Fluffie]

Bakan - PM...

[flapjack]

*the USS stellar voyage maneuvered into dock carefully, the shields briefly flickering as they where token offline, the aft of the ship severely damaged, clearly shown parts of the ship that where completely missing. Apparently the ship had been attack from behind because the 4 largest phaser banks on the front of the ship where completely undamaged*

*flapjack quickly left the ship to the repair crews, instructing them to focus on fixing his photon torpedo tubes first and foremost, they where to concentrate on the second forward launcher first and then fix the 2 aft launchers before moving to the damage phaser banks*

*flapjack and most of the crew then left the ship, heading off into the station to get some much needed rest after the last fight*

[Darkling]

Geth'Lath stepping out of his room, holding some bread within his ahnd idleing eating away at it.
"Im going aboard the station, watch over the ship till I return. Dont let anyone near anyhting their not repairing or renovating, or ill decorate my walls with their skulls."
Somthing very serious about the comment, a resonance of hatred slcing through his words.
"Ill make sure of it, this ship alreayd mess I wouldnt want it more so"
Geth'lath almost sure he could ehar slight scoff at end of that, nodidng his head in ignornce for now.

Stepping into bright lights of the loading bay, looking along the grey painted hul of his cargo carrier, possing as a trader wasnt easy at times, wlazting with a speedy xeal towards the lift, standing about same hieghts as everyone else, mostly undistincive except for his eyes. Two seperaly coloured eyes greet people, smiles and bows seem to procude him the grim ogre that was on the ship hiding away somwhere within receeses of his mind.

Stepping within the staions market place, easily slipping past the crowds going about as a trader should.

[Heiro]

Drake wanders out from inside the connecting passage way to the station, looking; some might say worse for ware than most of his counterparts. Suprised at his choice of path in the last few years, he wanders around, looking aimless, avoiding conversation, before finding his prize:
The Ion Cafe

wandering in, safely pushing his deep red silk sash back across his shoulders, and smiling at the staff, as he does every morning. Taking out his small pouch of large value coins, he continues through his routine, taking a muffin, chocolate, warm but not hot, and a mug of Ion Cafe hot chocolate. By this point, it could be said to be the best drink this side of the inner sphere, aside from home brew pirate rum. He s******s at the thought. Pirate rum in this sector indeed. And definitely not in a war. No. It just wont do. Taking out a handful of silver coins, he pays the waitress, from his enquirys, a lovely girl named laura. Giving her a couple of seconds of thought, he smiles at her, and continues his drink.

Scanning over the stations vast prominade, he smiles slowly, broadly and openly. This place reminds me of home, he thinks to himself, before reaching into his tightly packed pockets on his loose silk shirt. Pulling out a small, very worn leather pouch, he reaches inside, and looks at the contents. He did this before every job. Still, its tradition. Taking the small package in hand, he begins to flick through the pages, and; after about 30 seconds, he stops. And waits.

Half an hour passes, Drake, now onto his 3rd cup of hot chocolate, nods to each member of his crew in turn. He laughs, and shares a joke, before carrying out the purpose of meeting. Opening the very musty old book again, He looks down, and begins to read the original latin print

"Friends. Romans. Countrymen...."

After around 10 minutes of speech, he breaks from the piece, and tucks the book back into its leather pouch.

"J'harl. Assemble the inventory, ready us for launch as soon as possible. Take 3 men, and get it done. K'heum'Haiur.... Thats it isnt it...."

The Man across from him nods.

"Ok. Ill call you K'heum. Its easier than all that name jargon. Sort the weapons. and the rest of you. Sort out the drive room. its a damned mess! Godspeed men."

As they leave, he calls Laura over, and smiles at her, before kissing her on the cheek. She flushes red, before quickly going to get his 4th, and final drink whilst he sits down and starts to read the rest of the play....

[Fluffie]

"...and that's about it, sir. Heavy damage sustained during that last battle, we have the crew already working on repairs, though."

Admiral Fluffie nodded to the Captain of the Thunderer, who had reported the status of the ship as they arrived their destination, Bilibrige. Both stood silently on the slightly raised section of the bridge (think (Super) Star Destroyer, with all the crew in 'pits' etc.), watching the stars return to their more normal, faraway position as the ship deactivated its hyperdrive.

Not seeing any other ships beside the Thunderer, Fluffie eyed his Captain, who noticed and seemed to shrink a fair bit. Throwing a quick look at a sensor screen; confirming that there were indeed no other ships with them.

Shrugging, the Captain steadied himself, stood up straight and looked Fluffie straight in the face.

"It seems we have lost our entire escort, Admiral."

Sighing, Fluffie nodded. He had guessed so already, the "tactical retreat" they had to make while on their way to Bilibrige due to a rather unfair amount of hostile vessels was a bit hasty. The entire fleet - or rather, the remainder of what he once commanded - was under heavy fire, ships perishing almost every second.

"Captain, dock with the station and assign repair teams to work around the clock and as fast as possible, I want our Dreadnaught back to prime state asap. Don't forget to issue the necessary R&R for our crew and make sure to resupply - include some 'luxury consumables', if this mission is indeed as dangerous as it sounds, we'll need to boost our morale."

"Aye, Sir!"

The Captain saluted and then turned away, beginning to spread the orders. Watching the Captain walk off for a split second, the Admiral then turned back to watch space and the approaching station. Loosing himself in his thoughts, he remember the once mighty Empire he, this ship and many others had served. An Empire now destroyed, the remainders of it scattered. His fleet had been a remainder he had fought hard to keep together and alive.

Going to join the Mothership mission had been part of it. It would have given them a new, maybe just temporary home...

But all seemed to be lost. All he could hope for was now to get enough funds to start a search to find other ships from the Empire.

All hopes the Admiral cherished... All hopes he knew that might break his heart - he might be strict and firm at times, he also had a deep passion for the Empire.


Suddenly waking up from his thoughts, he noticed the ship had just finished docking with the station. The Captain walked up to him and reported that his (Fluffie's) orders were being carried out as wished. Fluffie nodded, the Captain returned to his duties.


Not much later, the Admiral was wandering around the station - trying to see if he could find any place calm and comfortable to sit down for a while, or even more attractive: to see another Imperial men, women, droid or, by the Emperor's grace, an entire ship...

[No Dachi]

Red Sky At Dawn does not eat, Red Sky At Dawn does not sleep. Instead, small drones manufactured by his factory bays and slaved to his own shipmind crisscross his outer hull, scanning carefully for even the tiniest of fissures or cracks in his outer layer of medium armour. Swarms of repair drones - equipped with small effectors rather than scanners, but based around the same design - struggled to bring the damaged ion beam arrays and missile pods online. This second batch of drones were also slaved to the shipmind. All of the drones were fully-capable of performing their menial tasks on their own, but out of sheer boredom No Dachi was running the checks himself. While he controlled each one of the 48 drones involved in this maintenance effort, No Dachi was performing system diagnostics on himself to ensure that everything was in working order. It all was, of course - it had never not been. Even as he did this in addition to controlling the drones, No Dachi examined the other ships docked through his extensive sensor screens and compiled detailed schematics of them, which he dutifully filed away in the - for all practical sense of the word - endless memory stores of his mind. Any new technology or interesting-looking weaponry was carefully added to his continueing logs on these two categories. None of this was of any particular entertainment to him. Most of his mind, the part not involved with the previous tasks, was carefully watching the three resource-gatherer barges, escorted by two flights of small gun drones. The gun drones would be swept aside like bugs if any ship of the enemy arrived to attack the barges, but they might decieve an untrained eye into being fighters, if viewed on a sensor screen. The barges were one-use drones for collecting resources. Upon arrival they and their cargoes were smelted by No Dachi's resource bays, and the mineral payload used to manufacture more barges, or any other product No Dachi cared to make. The ancient warship often passed away the hours (an hour is a lot longer for the shipmind, as he thinks at many times the speed of any biological creature) by designing such products - even things he could never hope to produce with his facilities such as battleships and space stations. Drones were easy to produce, and most of them he made by cannibalising old drones and recycling their rarer elements, but weapons and such were much more difficult. With no currency to speak of (he steadfastly refused to engage in ('bartering' his stored resources) he could not aquire resources from merchants, and so instead he had to wait patiently untill he came to a system with the right materials present.

The mining barges now make the final approach toward the massive structure of his hull. A large dock opens just above No Dachi's main drives, and the three barges circle around in a slow and cumbersome way before entering, wherupon the port closes behind them. The better part of No Dachi's mind now unnocupied, the old warrior turned to scanning the area around the station carefully for anything even slightly suspicious. The Federation apparently hadn't realised the folly of organically-crewed ships yet, and so he himself was stuck in port while the fleshy-ones rested themselves and regained their 'morale'. No Dachi gave the computerised equivelant of a snort and went back to making himself a quantum computer thatt would simulate the developement of hypothetical universes, with physical laws that No Dachi programmed into it. He had made several of these before and melted them all down again eventually, but with this one he had a new task in mind; to see if he could create humans in the little sim-universe. Having not come across humans before, it was something 'new' for him to do. At pretty much the same time, No Dachi engages a previously-made quantum computer drone in a game of chess. The drone was competent at the game - having been purposefully designed for it by the master - but grew more and more predictable as time went on and No Dachi carefully deciphered the infinitely complex 'thought' processes that it used. He had produced a special drone-programming drone to give the chess-playing drone its 'mind' in order that he wouldn't know its thinking patterns beforehand and spoil the surprise. None of it tended to amuse him very much, but rather stave off the continuous onward march of boredom. Not for the first time, No Dachi considers brain-deathing himself and ending it all. He had experienced nearly everything of this universe in his time, so why not try the next? Over 478,063 years had passed since he had first been awakened by the ancients. 434,890 years had passed since he had returned from a long exploratory mission to one of the Milky Way's dwarf satellite galaxies to find only barren, lifeless worlds, ruined cities and the drifting hulks of his comrades as the only momentos of his creators. And for all the countless years since, No Dachi had desparately sought for one descendant of the race, one surviving mite of AI from one of his breathren. He had voyaged throughout the galaxy, DNA-testing millions of sentient species for a trace of the genetic code the ones who made him; analysed hundreds of thousands of ancient AI units for traces of the race's design - all to no avail. As his hope of finding survivors of the race or of its machine servants grew fainter, his desire to find the creature, the entity, the species, the force that had destroyed them grew steadier still. He would find this mysterious destroyer of his ancient makers, and he would carry out his final duty to the race there and then. Before this eventuality, brain-death was not an option. No Dachi made the final move, checkmating the chess drone. The game had taken 12,068 moves, and lasted almost 20 seconds. That was around a thousand moves and .6 seconds less than the previous game.

[Bakan]

[ooc] Tonight enemy ships should be posted along with enemy races and common technology of this galaxy. At the parents right now thus can't do it cause I lack some of my notes. However I'm guessing I should be heading back to my place in about 3-4 hours, and being back about 4 hours after leaving :P

Tommarrow in the morning I will be having a power blackout, but afterwards I should be able to properly start the thread. [/ooc]

[Shadow275]

It was dark.

Its always dark, he thought.

There was blood.

The blood of Angels

There was a scream.

He's coming..


Farle awoke, sweat clinging to his forehead. That damn dream He thought, wiping the sweat from his well-watered brow. He reached out and activated the sleep lights. His quarters was gently glowing from the diffuser lights mounted in the corners of the room, he sat up, disabling the grav-field that held him comfortably in place.

Ai, status. his thought transmitted.

Ships systems at 42%, repair systems engaged, currently at dock. The Ai replied through the link.

Excellent, make sure all operational weapons are charged, keep the cannon at 75% until I say so and make sure the shields are ready to go up.

Expecting trouble?

I have....a feeling

Farle got out of bed, started the shower and washed himself.
"I'm going to enjoy this rest, haven't had one in ages...."

[flapjack]

ooc/ so, how exactly come that you're so certain about the power black-out ??? /ooc

[Bakan]

Originally Posted by flapjack

ooc/ so, how exactly come that you're so certain about the power black-out ??? /ooc

[ooc] Cause it's been scheduled on campus so that they can plug the new gym into the power grid and they sent out flyer's warning us about it [/ooc]

[Ryon Jkar]

Pt. 2 of my ship post

The Vindication stood docked into the Space Station's main airlocks like a great beast waiting to be let loosed. It's gunmetal-black gleam shone brilliantly among the rest of the ships. Bright lights flickered in several sectors of the hull and danced against the nearby locks. Although the ship shone formidiable, along the underside of the great warship were two large scars digging deep along it's amazing armor. Even though the ship was inanimate it seemed alive and one could only guess what the giant was thinking. If it was thinking.

Suddenly, the airlock opened into the ship, revealing the form of her captain; Ryon Jkar. The formidable man stepped back through the narrow corridor and moved to the elevator that would take him to the bridge.

"Welcome Back, Revenant" Jane saluted, while Ryon took his command seat.

"Jane, I told you not to call me that..... eh... forget it. What's the news on her repairs." Ryon spoke with minor annoyance.

"Sir, forgive me, but the rest of the crew seemed to only awknowlege you as Revenant. And it kinda catches on-"

NEVERMIND THAT. The REPAIRS Jane, THE REPAIRS" Ryon interrupted as he moved a hand up to his forehead.

Jane turned back to her captain and reported,"Oh right, The repairs... Hull is at 93.4%, foreward torpedo tubes are fully recovered along with the rest of the frontal assault weapons. The bow and stern long range energy cannons are also fully repaired. Last but not least, shields are recovering from a 89.5%"

"Very Good, keep it up. I am going to rest. Give the crew ship leave for 12 hours." Ryon ordered getting up from his command chair and exiting toward his quaters.

[flapjack]

ooc/ okay, that's good enough for me /ooc

[Io Cor]

(so I'm not in this?)

[Fluffie]

Walking around the station had been fruitless thus far - Admiral Fluffie had found no quiet and calm bar or other place to sit himself down in and ease his mind a while. Neither had he seen anything that looked even vaguely like it might be Imperial - but then again; it was a big station and he probably hadn't covered it entirely.

Having run into a dead end, he turns around, backtracking the way he earlier went. This time, again, he walks past a docking arm, showing a crimson red ship in the far end. Something about it seemed interesting... Maybe it was the colour, maybe it was the fact that almost, if not no-one, was around this part of the station...

Deciding to feed his curiousity, Fluffie turned about and began walking to the crimson redly coloured vessel, just for a look-see.. And stuff.

[No Dachi]

No Dachi was still constructing his universe simulator computer when he began to feel ever-so-slight vibrations running through his starboard hull, from around the passenger entry door to one of his forward bays which he always docked with the docking arms of any station he frequented, as a matter of procedure more than anything else, since he hadn't hosted an organism of any description since the days of the ancients. The station's hull blocked his sensors and, through the apathy to increase the frequency of those sensors, No Dachi merely cycled through the various visual cameras positioned around his hull. Having looked at all 20 of them in the slightest fraction of a second, No Dachi spotted a dark green-clad human walking along the docking arm toward the door. The vibrations had been his footsteps. No Dachi immediately turned the repair drones over to their self-controlling mode and abandoned the simulator. The figure's uniform revealed him as an Imperial Admiral. What an Imperial Admiral was doing on the station, even without a fleet, was a question that the old warship was too curious to pass over, and so he quickly prepared his passenger bays for a guest. Lights on, a small army of cleaning drones erasing any trace of dust or grime, interior doors opened. As a final good touch, No Dachi pulled out one of his representative drones and produced the Imperial March from his extensive music library, before setting it to play softly in the background. His passenger area was luxurious, designed to house the ancients' diplomats or important governmental figures on long-haul journeys - again, No Dachi maintained them for procedure's sake. Representative drones were his own creation. The ship had observed that organic life forms felt uncomfortable when talking to him, for he was not apparently there. By giving them a drone - usually a bio-machinist construct looking something like a human - to talk to, he found that they relaxed a bit more. The drone, human in structure but wearing a military uniform that he had found in the ancients' historical archives (from a time when the ancients themselves still played an active role in their race's military), with No Dachi acting through it, was stood immediately inside the door. No Dachi checks over everything once again before opening the door to the Imperial Admiral. The door opened quickly and silently; one moment it was there, the next, gone.

[Fluffie]

A red hull, more precisely, a crimson red hull, had been all Fluffie saw for the first few moments he had studied the end of the docking arm. Wondering what a ship would do docked, but entirely sealed of, he stood silently for a moment, letting various possibilities cross his mind.

He was pulled out of his mind by the sudden disappearance of the ships hull and although he was slightly suprised by it, his body language showed none of it. Soft played, but still most familiar music came from the interior of the ship, flowing past the humanoid like looking droid.

The droid wore an obviously military uniform - something which Fluffie knew to appriciate. Far too many crews had gone too liberally with such formal rules - he'd be damned if he let any Imperial be so... informal.

However, he quickly pressed his thoughts back, turned to fully face the figure in the opening of the ship - and nodded, silently shrugging his throat so his voice'd sound clear and 'serious'.

"Good day..."

Not really knowing whatelse to say, he was hoping the droid would have some sort of protocol reply and then an invitation to see his masters, or maybe another kind of reply.

[No Dachi]

No Dachi now began to enjoy himself. Social interaction in any sentient species interested him, but even more so with humans; he had very little experience of dealing with them. He immediately set himself the challenge of making the guest-human feel completely at home, without noticing anything odd in terms of behavior or mannerisms in the representative drone. The drone nodded politely to the Admiral before speaking in a normal voice that a human several centuries old would have recognised as having English accentuation.

"Good day." No Dachi said to the Admiral through the drone. "This, that is the drone before you, is an artificial construct through which I, the shipmind of the Red Sky At Dawn am speaking to you. You appear to be an Admiral of the Empire, and any officer of such high rank is welcome aboard me. Would you like to come inside and consume a recreational beverage from your home sector? I have Correlian Ale, among other such drinks." No Dachi, acting through the drone, then stood to one side, gesturing inside the ship with both hands, trying to get the Admiral to come inside. Pretending that the drone was sentient and that there was no shipmind would have been briefly amusing, but also a gross breach of etiquette when dealing with such a senior officer. No Dachi had saved that kind of joke for junior delegates back in the ancients' time. Presently, No Dachi turns the Imperial March up a volume notch and pours a glass of Correlian Ale out inside the little greeting room immediately within the door, so that the Admiral will be able to both see the drink and smell the alcoholic fumes - No Dachi had gathered from careful observation that many humans found this smell vaguely enticing. Except, if they did not drink, in which case it offended them. One of the reasons for No Dachi's continued siding with the Federation's humans was that he found their many social nuances fascinating...

[Fluffie]

A smile crept into Fluffie's serious and strict face. Hearing of and not much later smelling the scent of a Correlian Ale, combined with the music, which seemed to have been raised by a small and subtle bit, as if to strenghten the invite of the droid.

Watching the droid with the smile still on his face, he nodded and began walking inside - slowly and formally, with great compsure, like an Admiral should.

"Very well then... Your invitation is most warming and.."

Fluffie went silent - but only for a split second.

"...and most unexpected, but nevertheless most appriciated."

Walking further inside and probably past the drone, he stopped when he had reached the drink. He turned around and looked back, with one eyebrow slightly raised (indeed it was, somehow he was feeling slightly at home, or maybe at ease is a better wording. He had found the place he had been loooking for.).

"I hope you do not find this question too offending, but it has been a long, long time since I have had the pleasure to enjoy anything from home... Or at least, anything real.

Do you mind if I take the drink?"

[No Dachi]

No Dachi began to feel very smug and pleased with himself at the Admiral's declaration of homelieness. He continues manipulating the representative drone like a puppetmaster pulling on a marionette's strings. The drone gestures toward the drink in a 'go right ahead' manner, smiling warmly as it does so.

"Please do, the Correlian Ale has been maturing for several decades, since I was last in the area. It ought to be exceptionally well-flavoured."

No Dachi, viewing his guest through the drone's 'eyes' for fun, stands back to watch the Admiral drink the Correlian Ale. Now he would kill two birds with one stone; he would help his guest feel more comfortable and at ease, while at the same time getting to see the effect of the alcohol on the Admiral's social interaction. Using his Effector at a most miniscule fraction of its full power, No Dachi picks up the glass and holds it steady a few inches in front of the Admiral's sternum. Watching objects being lifted by invisible energies tended to interest primitive races more than advanced ones like the humans, but all the same...

[Fluffie]

About to reach for the glass as his request was granted, Fluffie sees the glass rise by itself and then brought to his chest, his features remain unchanged. Taking the glass in his right hand, he brings it up to his face himself, shaking the drink ever so softly while inhaling the smell coming from it.

Refraining himself from closing his eyes and sighing with happiness, he instead brings it the Ale to his lips, softly letting a small amount of the fluid slide into his mouth, letting it caress the insides of it, before beginning its journey down his throat - making all that it passes slightly warmer and fuzzier.

It had been indeed a good and long time since he had the oppurtunity to taste a good drink and he was most amused now - but also curious about this ship, Red Sky At Dawn. The droid was controlled by the ship's "mind"...

"A fine drink, I must say."

Still looking at the drone well he spoke, Fluffie took another quick and small sip.

"But, is it necessary for me to address this... droid all the time, or can I simply talk into the air?"

[No Dachi]

The drone construct continues to smile normally as No Dachi speaks through it once more.

"I am glad that the ale is to your satisfaction, Admiral. And to answer your question, although you may talk to the air if you wish, I have often found that humanoid organisms such as yourself relate better to a humanoid drone. For example, speaking to you through this drone allows me to convey facial expressions and use body language, supplementing the natural verbal communication." No Dachi's drone said in its crisp and precise voice. "Please, do sit down." He adds, intending to make it sound like an afterthought, though really having planned it out beforehand. The drone gestures to the comfortable-looking sofa behind the Imperial officer. As though leading by example, the drone itself sits down on the sofa opposite its guest. "If you will forgive my impertinence, Admiral, what is an Imperial officer of such senior position, such as yourself, doing out here in Federation space?" No Dachi asked the man, making sure the tones in which he spoke were correct. English was such a horribly random language - among the human languages, that is. He had come across some that were far more irregular, to the point where he had spent entire minutes learning them. Watching the Admiral drink his ale, the ship again wandered how some species of biological life managed to survive for so long when their bodies and body processes were so horribly innefficient...fascinating...

[Fluffie]

Realising that there probably was no crew onboard, just this... AI controlling the whole ship for some reason; with some goal, Fluffie got more and more interested. Making his way over to the sofa, he considers what the "mind", through the droid, had said about non-verbal communication. Sitting down and leaning back comfortably, he looked at his host and nodded.

"Yes, you are right indeed. Facial expressions and body languages are both important components of a, or at least, my language."

Bringing the glass to his mouth again, he noticed it was already almost half gone. Such a shame, really, but then again, how long had it been?

Making sure this sip wouldn't be as big as the others, despite his intentions to make them last, Fluffie thought about the Red Sky's other question. About his presence, here, in Federation space. Being reminded about the Empire, or rather, its fall, never was pleasant... But the inquirer was worth answering to - or at last, so it seemed.

"Well, I must say, to me it is a rather sad tale, but nevertheless, I shall give you an overview of it. Not that long ago, a fleet under my command served the Emperor and the Empire. Proud we ruled part of the universe, not to everyone's liking, but nevertheless, the Empire we were and not much stood in our way.

However, then came the race that did. From the inside at first, that what our mighty fleets could not destroy, it struck. Taking over our ships, we were forced to fight our own ships and men - which not everyone liked, or even did. Our numbers were torn down quick and then our leader, the Emperor was destroyed by a massive assault. Several other hign ranking Admirals and so tried to keep under control what was left, but we all knew that we were fighting something we could not defeat on our own. We were forced away from each other, weakening us even further..."

Going silent for a bit, Fluffie drank again - what was before a half-filled glass, now was empty in a matter of seconds. Staying quiet for another moment, the Admiral took a breather - and then continued his story.

"So, I decided to take what I had still under my command here - this station, where the Motherships were. Taking them to their new home and maybe even finding a base for the remainder of the Empire there, from where I could launch expeditions to find other remainders...

That is why I made my way here. It was a long way and our last encounter with others was on the hostile and damaging side. An emergency hyperdrive scattered us and I fear for the worst of what was already a meager remainder of my force.

But, enough about my tale. Do you have one?"

[Planetkiller II]

*It had been 3 months. Three long months of fighting. During that time, the 5th ETF Fleet had been whittled down to a scant few ships, the Striker Draconis among them. None had escaped damage, the larger vessels generally taking the largest hits. The Striker had escaped the worst of it, but the last, and fiercest battle had taken its toll, knocking out over two thirds of her firepower. That was the main reason why Captain Anthony Donovan had decided to take her in for the mission, while the rest of the 5th Fleet remnant stayed to fight. After a good fix up at the Bilbrige Shipyards, she could become a major player again.*

"OK Lieutenant that'll do, shut the engines down."

*The hum of the huge ABC drives died away as the officer touched a holographic control panel. The tests were going well, most of the minor damage was fully repaired, and the shielding systems were back online. Donovan wouldn't have even thought of taking the ship out again without them, for even tiny meteorites would then be able to rip through the hull. Weapons repair was a slower process, but there was nothing that could be done about that, refitting proton cannon took time. He decided to take a wander around the station, to pass the time.*

"I'll let you finish up here, I'm going to go for a strole to think."

*He headed off for an access tube.*

[No Dachi]

No Dachi took great delight in attempting to make his construct look attentive to the Admiral's story and sad for his loss at the same time, a far more complex effort than simple gesturing and smiling. Since it had been a few decades since the Red Sky At Dawn had last visited the Empire's sector of the galaxy, he was unaware that it had fallen to the Swarm. Something of a despotic civilization, but a great one no less. Whatsmore, some of the worlds under its iron-handed control had played host to some highly developed cultures that No Dachi had found quite fascinating on his voyage through the area. No Dachi listens carefully throughout the story, before making the drone nod sagely at its end.

"A sad loss indeed, Admiral," No Dachi concluded, through the drone, "and yes, I do have a story to tell myself. It is, however, something of a long one. I trust you will not mind my refilling your glass before I begin it..." with these words, No Dachi again uses his Effector to pull the near-empty glass from the Admiral's hand, and displaces in some Correlian Ale from the storage bay, again using the Effector. The glass is full in the blink of an eye, wherupon No Dachi floats it back toward the Admiral. "Where to begin...well, I suppose the logical place to begin would be my genesis. How old are you, Admiral?" Without waiting for the Admiral to answer, a move that he worried would be seen as rude, he continued. "478,063 years have passed since I was...ah...'born', that is to say, made self-aware by my creators. I shall refer to them as the ancients - they called themselves something different in their own tongue, but the name most modern races refer to them by is simply 'the ancients'. Yes, I was designed as a general-purpose ship, able to perform exploratory and transport tasks as well as more complex ones - I was fully qualified to serve as a diplomat for my masters, for example. In the event that the ancients needed to defend themselves from aggressors, I was also more tha fully equipped as a warship; in fact, a warship first and a general-purpose vessel second. I enjoyed my tasks greatly. I have observed that artificial units such as myself will sometimes turn against their organic masters and revolt, but this never happened with the ancients. They knew that a machine raised as one of their own - that is to say, taught rather than being given information from birth and such - would come to adopt their moral does and don'ts. As such, I was given four months for a 'childhood', where I and several other young ships were trained and taught. Four months may not seem like a long time to you, Admiral, but you must understand that to a shipmind it is a very long time indeed. We can do things in a fraction of a second that humans cannot do in decades. After my training stage was complete, I went about my tasks with a light heart and a willing body. I was always the first to volunteer for dangerous missions and tasks - and this, alas, is where my story takes a rather unfortunate turn." At this, No Dachi pauses. He had observed that it was 'the done thing' in human conversations, and reasoned that it might be to allow the listener to catch up with what he was saying. After a short pause, he went on.

"You may or may not know that this galaxy, the Milky Way, as you humans call it, is orbitted by several small 'dwarf' galaxies. These are smaller versions of our own which revolve around us. The ancients knew almost everything to know in this galaxy, and were interested to see what the conditions in these dwarf galaxies were like. Were they host to life, for example? A mission was planned to one of them, a dangerous and long one. A journey that is unimaginably long to most organic life was required through the band of black, empty space between the edge of our galaxy and the dwarf galaxy. I volunteered, and I went. I got to the dwarf galaxy, compiled data as per my instructions for a thousand years, and then returned. The return voyage was even longer than the voyage there; the galaxy rotates and the dwarf galaxy orbits, so I had been carried further still from my home. When I did eventually return, I found that the ancients had dissapeared. The wrecked hulks of my comrades, their hulls scarred by horrifically powerful energy weapons, the design of which I did not know, littered the space above the ancients' worlds, which were now barren and lifeless, with only empty, derilict cities upon their surface that crumbled slowly into dust. I did not know what to do; there was no procedure for my masters simply dissapearing in this way. I reasoned that a race as advanced and great as the ancients could not have been wiped out altogether, and so I began travelling. Far from my masters' home I did travel, scouring the galaxy for traces of their DNA, for their descendence. As I travelled, I continued to carry out one of my many duties to the race, that was to bring civilization to the uncivilized, freedom to the oppressed, knowledge to the ignorant. I raised two races from the neolithic stage to the interplanetary colonisation stage through careful sheparding and intervention, I toppled several oppressive empires and saved several more races from destruction and the hands of themselves or of nature. Many years passed. After a particularly viscious battle with a band of highly advanced space pirates that had been terrorising a local cluster, I was once disabled for well over 200,000 years. I had been forced to use my Effector to destroy an entire system by making its sun go supernova, it blew out all of my power conduits and severly damaged my primary external systems. For two hundred millenia I drifted slowly through the void of space, my systems and myself lying dormant untill my hulk passed close enough to a star for the emergency solar pannels to glean enough energy to activate a few repair drones, which in turn brought my drives and power back online. And then my search continued, but I found nothing. Then, I came across you humans. A most fascinating race, one of the most fascinating of all that I had come across. So resourcesful and intelligent yet so willing to bring destruction unto yourselves, quite unlike anything I had seen before. For around a thousand years I watched carefully, observing your development from the edge of Sol. Then, you developed the ability to detect me, and I was forced to employ more subtle measures to continue watching over you. Once you set out beyond the stars, I made it my job to safeguard you from pirates, hostile aliens, the lot. I hear I gained quite a reputation among pirates and such...ah yes. And now the swarm, something that even I seem to be powerless against. However, I have followed your little race this far and I do not intend to abandon you in your time of need, and so I await the motherships' departure." No Dachi ended his story, watching the Admiral expectantly...

[Inspectre]

/ooc Need to add my ship’s stats to the spreadsheet, Bakan. Ooc/

A beach . . . it was always a beach. The light-blue waves caressing the white sands; the golden sun slowly sinking below the horizon. Ahead of him, two figures stood, side by side: a boy and his mother.

He didn't want to talk to them, but he felt compelled to walk over to them. He resisted at first, but finally gave in and moved to stand beside them. As if following a part from a play, he said to the pair, "A lovely sunset, isn't it?"

"Yes." The mother replied, turning to face him. "Why Don't YOu JOIN US!!!" The mother's face was now visible, a deformed and horrible mockery of humanity. The soft brown eyes and shapely nose were gone; replaced by pulsing sacs of ooze, and tendrils of greenish flesh emerged from the creature's mouth.

"Yes." the child mimicked, also turning to reveal its converted face towards him. "Join us FOREVER!!"

"Demons!!" he screamed, leaping back from the two monsters that haunted him. He reached down to his sidearm, yanked it out of its holster . . . and suddenly he was standing on the bridge of a spaceship, looking at the image of a lovely blue-green planet.

“Stellar Converter ready to fire on your order, Captain.” Someone off to his left reported, and now he had a new part to play.

Once again, he fought against what he was compelled to do, but eventually he lost, as he always did. “Fire!!!” he cried out, and then sank to his knees as a brilliant beam of light stabbed out at the planet. The planet began to disintegrate, but not before it screamed, “MURDERER!!”

The bridge flashed white, disappeared, was replaced by a featureless white floor. He was still on his knees, but was now surrounded. The corrupted mother and child were there, along with many more people, people he had known and met throughout his life. Most were supposed to be dead, but their shades had returned . . . returned for revenge.

“Murderer!” They all cried as one, slowly forming a tight circle around him. “Murderer!!” They cried again, beginning to move closer and closer towards him.
“Murderer!!!”
“MURDERER!!!!!!”

With a muffled shout, Joseph McKinley awoke from his nightmare. He sat up, and wiped the sweat off of his brow.

“Only a dream . . .” Joseph whispered to himself, collapsing back onto his cot. It had been only a dream, a reoccurring nightmare that had kept Joseph company for the past three years. But despite the fact that it was only a dream, Joseph couldn’t shake the whispers that haunted him even in his waking hours.

Murderer . . . murderer . . . murderer . . .


Three Years Ago

“Sir, I’ve just picked up a massive hyperspace spike on the outskirts of the system . . . They are coming.”

“And the evacuation efforts?”

“Nowhere near complete.”

“D*mn.” A much younger Joseph McKinley grunted as he smashed a clenched fist down on the armrest of his command chair.

“Orders, sir?” Joseph’s Number 1, Thomas Winthrop, calmly asked.

“Alright . . . Helm, break us out of orbit and set a course of the midway point between Tetra Genus and the System Outskirts. Communications, tell our escorts to follow us, and let me know if Fleet Command has anything to say about this fubar.”

“Yes sir!” the officers replied, good men and women all, as they quickly moved to follow his current orders, and the ones that continued to stream out of his mouth.

“Raise shields, and begin powering up the weapons. Keep our Converter running hot, but don’t being active charging yet. Chart a course that will allow us to slowly fall back to Tetra Genus, but prevent us from showing tail to those b*stards. They want to consume this planet, they’ll have to eat Tachyon beams first.”

After the Thanatos was on its way to engage the alien menace, along with all of its escorts, Joseph leaned over to his Number 1.

“How’s the evacuation really coming? I know it’s not going well, but how bad is it?”

Thomas sighed, and then whispered in reply, “It’s like a scene from H*ll, sir. The evacuation shuttles are making as many trips as they can, as fast as they can, but there’s no way they can possibly pull everyone off that planet in time. And everyone down on the ground knows that too . . . there have been riots at several of the evacuation points . . . so far, only one of them has turned bloody.”

Joseph nodded sadly, and then asked the question that was really on his mind. “And Sarah and Toby? I don’t suppose you’ve gotten word from any of the refugee transports yet, but I thought I might as well ask.”

Thomas began to shake his head, thought better of it, and instead laid a comforting hand on his superior’s shoulder.

“I’m sure your wife and son will get on one of those shuttles . . . h*ck, I bet they are already on one of the refugee ships.”

“But you’re not sure, are you?”

“Sigh . . . no, Joseph. I’m not.”

“Sir, I’m picking up several small ships on approach. They appear to be the leading elements of the alien fleet.” The sensors operator reported, and the mood on the bridge changed from grim to deathly.

“Well then . . .” Joseph grated out, glaring with hatred at the sensor readouts of the ships that had come to consume his homeworld. “Let’s give these scouts a warm welcome, shall we? Begin bringing the Stellar Converter up to full power . . . I have a feeling we’ll be needing it soon enough.”

One hour later . . .

“D*mnit . . . there go the Hercules and the Impetuous. Our escort screen has been thinned out by 50%, sir.” Thomas reported with a grunt from the Gunner’s console, the original Weapons Officer stretched out on the floor nearby.

The viewscreen, or what was left of it, displayed a scene of pure mayhem, as the Thanatos’s escorts fought to keep the swarm of alien ships away from their command ship. The damage to various parts of Thanatos was a testament to their failure, not that any could do much better . . . “The Swarm” was unstoppable.

The tactical screen, however, underlined the dire nature of the battle with a thick red line. 50% of the Thanatos’s escorts had been completely destroyed, or converted, and then destroyed by their former compatriots. However, well over 30% of the remaining escorts were severely damaged, and while the damage to the Thanatos was far from crippling, it was beginning to slowly add up.

“Alright . . . I think it’s high time we start falling back to Tetra Genus . . . we’ve bought all the time we can here, and . . .”

“Sir! Incoming message from Tetra Genus . . . it’s from Fleet Admiral Garland!!”

“Well then, put it through!”

The damaged viewscreen did its best to display a real-time image of the Admiral, but either due to its damage, or as Joseph was about to learn, damage to Garland’s ship, the image could barely be identified as Fleet Admiral Garland’s face. The voice, however, was most definitely the Fleet Admiral’s: deep, cold, and calculating.

“Thanatos! Get back here now! We’ve got aliens swarming all over the refugee ships and the rest of the fleet!!”

“WHAT!!!? But . . . how!!?” Joseph cried out, shocked to his core that some of the aliens had managed to slip past the furious guard he had been mounting a good distance from his home.

Thomas, his mind slightly clearer due to the fact that he had much less at stake for this battle, was able to deduce the answer quite quickly.

“Half of their fleet must have jumped in on the opposite side of the system, and then used the Sun to shield their movements core-ward until they were close enough to Tetra Genus to move away and attack. Classic divide-and-conquer strategy. They’re learning.”

“D*MNIT! Helm, get us back to Tetra Genus, NOW!!”

“YES SIR!!”

Thirty minutes later . . .

The battle, such as it was, for Tetra Genus was over. The majority of the defending Federation fleet had been destroyed, with some ships having been converted to the aliens. The meager Tetra Genus Defense Fleet had been wiped out to a ship, as had the refugee ships that had been meant to save the people of Tetra Genus.

Joseph watched in numb horror as the majority of the alien fleet broke off its attack to focus on the planet, flinging missiles and shuttlecraft down to the planet to convert and transform it and all of its remaining population into an alien production world. The Federation fleet, or what was left of it, was preparing to hyperspace out. There was just one last thing the fleet had to do. The Deathdealer Protocol.

“D*mnit, McKinley. I am giving you a DIRECT ORDER!! The Thanatos, your ship, is the last Deathdealer-class leviathan ship we have!! Turn your Stellar Converter on that planet, or I’ll have your court-martialed!!”

“Go to H*ll, Admiral!!!”

“McKinley, everyone you knew on that planet is already dead. There’s no way we can save them now . . . only spare them the indignity of being converted into a twisted servant of the aliens.”

For once, the Admiral’s face and tone softened ever so slightly.

“I know you have family down on Tetra Genus, but I’m under strict orders: obliterate all planets in danger of becoming converted to the aliens. That’s the Deathdealer Protocol, and if I still had a ship with a working Stellar Converter, I’d do the job myself. But only the Thanatos is still operational. Now, are you going to sterilize that alien planet, or do I have to relieve you of duty?”

A muscle in Joseph’s clenched jaw twitched several times, and his heart was ripped to pieces as two separate and directly opposed Duties waged war: the Duty to his family, and the Duty to the Federation.

Joseph had never thought, even in his darkest moments, that he would abandon his family, but he had served as a Federation soldier for almost fifteen years now, as had his father before him.

“Thomas . . .” Joseph grated out, nearly choking on the vile words. “Thomas . . . power up . . . the . . . the Stellar Converter.”

Thomas simply looked at his old friend for a moment, and then nodded. “Aye, sir. Powering up the Stellar Converter. Stellar Converter charged!!”

Joseph wrestled with himself for several more moments now that the moment of truth had arrived, and his vision began to black-out at the edges. Yet, somehow, Joseph managed to scream out “FIRE!!!” before sinking to his knees and burying his face in the cool steel of the bridge floor.

Thomas pressed a button, the Stellar Converter released its charge, and the some 368 million people still on Tetra Genus died almost instantly as the Stellar Converter created a cascade effect that traveled around the globe, causing the matter that made up those people’s bodies to transform into energy. And somewhere amongst those 368 million people, a woman named Sarah McKinley, and a young boy named Toby McKinley, died as their bodies transformed into pure energy.


Now

After the nightmare, Joseph fell back asleep. The sleep was a deep and peaceful one, rendering Joseph dead to the world. This kind of sleep was rare for Joseph, however, as shades of his past often haunted his dreams in one form or another. Pills didn’t seem to help at all; indeed, some of the sleep-inducing medications Joseph had tried only made the nightmares worse.

Troubled during the day by memories of his planet’s destruction, and haunted by shades of his homeworld’s people at night, it was little wonder that Joseph longed for the oblivion of deep sleep. Joseph often wondered if the oblivion of death was as peaceful as the oblivion of deep sleep, but was terrified to find out the answer. Death could be nothing more than peaceful oblivion, but it could also be the time and place that Joseph would finally have to meet the shades that haunted him face to face, and ask for their forgiveness.

This Joseph did already, every waking moment of every day, but his only answer so far was silence and the never-ending nightmares. Clearly, Joseph’s sins are not yet been expunged.

Although this fear was one of the major reasons he had stayed his hand every time he had seriously considered suicide, there were a few other reasons. For one, despite the loss of his family and everything he had once cared for, life was still more comfortable for Joseph than the idea of death. Death was unknown and frightening; life, any kind of life, was something that Joseph had experience with and was used to. It was safe. For this reason, Joseph clung to life with grim determination, for to do the opposite was unthinkable. However, life without meaning was not life at all, and thankfully Joseph still had Purpose.

At first, Joseph’s purpose in life was simply to continue protecting the Federation as a captain in the Federation Fleet, but he soon found that it wasn’t enough. It was his duty to the Federation that had made him into a mass murderer, and he felt no solace in continuing to follow that duty. Instead, Joseph changed his purpose into redeeming himself in the eyes of Tetra Genus’s shades, by balancing the deaths he had caused with the lives that he saved.

A few months after the destruction of Tetra Genus, Joseph began accepting any and every dangerous mission he could find. His ship was often the first on the field of battle, and often the last to leave, particularly for those missions that involved some sort of rescue or holding effort. Many Federation officers believed that Joseph’s actions were simply suicidal recklessness, but a few understood why Joseph did what he did. Instead of allowing Death to claim others, Joseph placed himself fairly in its path, and dared it to take him first. So far, Death never had, and the Thanatos somehow managed to escape battle after battle. Joseph, apparently, was not yet ready to join the rest of his family in death.

Instead of viewing his acts as heroic, however, the Federation officially viewed Joseph’s actions as reckless. Therefore, they decided that the captain of one of their most dangerous warships needed to be mentally evaluated. Several times. As many as it took.

For nearly a year, Joseph was able to keep command of the Thanatos as part of the Federation Fleet. He was able to bluff his way through the pysch tests that he was forced to undergo, and despite the darkness hanging over him, Joseph was able to convince the psyches that he was perfectly fine and capable of commanding a planet-destroying warship, despite having already summarily sentenced 368 million people to death. Eventually, however, the psyches were able to figure out that there wasn’t something quite right anymore in Joseph’s mind. With the support of the psyches behind them at last, Fleet Command began procedures that would remove Joseph of command of the Thanatos, at least for a few months until Joseph was able to piece himself back together.

The loss of his ship would have meant the loss of any chance to redeem himself, and this would be have been the final straw for Joseph. The desire to redeem himself, to create something out of his fluke of surviving the war for this long, drove Joseph to do something that he ordinarily would never have even contemplated. He mutinied, took control of the Thanatos, and fled Federation ship dock. The majority of his crew, deeply loyal and respectful of him, went with him.

Ordinarily, the mutiny of any of its ship captains would have Fleet Command in a state of panic. The mutiny of a ship captain that was in control of a planet-killer, however, would ordinarily cause Fleet Command to “sh*t a brick”, as it were. However, with the war going so badly for the Federation, Fleet Command could hardly dispense a battlegroup to hunt down Captain Joseph McKinley and bring him back, one way or another. The fact that Joseph McKinley was also more than willing to work for the Federation as a mercenary, and one willing to take any assignment, no matter how suicidal, also mollified Fleet Command somewhat. However, when this war was over, if anyone was left alive to care, Joseph McKinley would have some answering to do. Until then, however, he was free to use the Thanatos against the aliens however best he saw fit.

And yesterday, the Thanatos’s Communications Officer had picked up a message from the Bilibrige shipyards, asking all willing ship captains to come and defend a group of large “Mothership” vessels on a journey to a safe haven from the aliens. Joseph had, naturally, accepted the assignment immediately.

[Wo2]

*The Shadow Wind sat, locked into the Stations docking ports. The air lock hissed open and Tal'Raka entered his ship. Giving the guard a quick flash of his ID and a nod he is let pass. He heads of down the corridor to the nearest turbolift and makes his way to the brigde. The door opens and he gives a nod of greeting to his first officer Rakia*

Tal'Raka: "Good day everyone. How are repairs coimng.

Rakia: "Repairs remain on schedule sir."

Tal'Raka: "Good. Have any mission details come from the station. I mean I know the basics but has anything new arisin."

Comm: "No sir, but I'll keep you posted."

Tal'Raka: "Very well. I'll be in the Waroom. Contact me if anything happens or if we can depart yet."

*Turing on his heels Tal'Raka headed for a door just of the side of the bridge, that door lead to the
Waroom. It was a large room with a large starchart in the center, that shifted depeneding on where in the uninvers they were. This room could be used to command entire fleets or plan traps and attack runs for a single ship.*

[Richpur]

Richard stood at the door to his quarters, his once pristine blue uniform a crumpled and rather grey patchwork of scorch marks and the accumulated smoke of too many battles. In the dim red light he closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, there can be no more putting it off. He moves towards the door; with a muffled swish it opens and he steps silently through.

For countless minutes he stands staring out into the slightly shimmering force field and the starscape beyond. For years this room had been his home, the contents his memories. But now they were gone. Old memories lost along with old friends, too many friends. As he sank to the floor against the one surviving wall he realised why he had been avoiding this place for so long. Why for the past few weeks he had existed on stim-packs and caffeine, taking naps in his office when he could snatch a few hours of restless sleep. Before he could sink any deeper into his reverie the door opened beside him.

“A bit of a mess isn’t it.”

Richard looks up at the figure in the doorway; somehow he wasn’t surprised at her arrival just now. He makes some vague gesture at the floor beside him, he had wanted to be alone, but now he just wanted her to stay; her presence reminding him that despite everything that had been lost, life was still worth fighting for. For several silent minutes they sit side-by-side looking out into the vacuum, then almost as one they looked at each other.

“Back to work?”

“We ought to.”

Helping each other to their feet in the almost physics defying way people do, they leave their quarters and the dark depths of space behind them. At one point the trip between their quarters and the bridge had been a mere half-minute or so, but with power to half the ship down and the rest fluctuating wildly the lift network was shut down. Diverting through seldom used service ducts and crawl ways they slowly work their way through the ship, doubling back on occasion when they come across an engineering crew struggling to keep the ship’s systems together long enough to reach space dock. Eventually they arrive at the bridge, Richard unceremoniously dropping out of a maintenance hatch in the ceiling.

“Ah, good morning sir. We’re currently somewhere between 2 minutes and 142 years out, depending on whether the waveform holds.”

“Optimistic as ever I see.” Rachel says, swinging down just behind Richard.

“Always.”

Over the course of the past several years the formality of any command structure has quietly slid into the background; much in the same way that the once gleaming silver and gold rank insignia have blended into the overall greyness of the uniforms. Gamma shift stands down and, with a brief period of chattering between colleagues, is relieved by Alpha shift.

“We are approaching hyperspace exit. Stand by for transition.” The helmsman announces shortly afterwards and with a dull shudder the ship drops back into normal space. With the power drain of the core gone the lighting brightens to normal levels, the main screen at the front of the bridge comes to life, showing the station dead ahead, and a lift arrives at the back of the bridge to deliver some people who have long since arrived at their destinations via service ducts.

“Ok Hayden, docking procedures.”

“Yes sir, it’ll be a pleasure.”

The aft of the battered shell of patchwork hull plating and force fields bursts into a bright glow as the operational fusion engines come to life and start the ship off towards the station. As the ship accelerates across space she trails plasma behind her leaking from a dozen shattered conduits, the high pressure ionised gas spewing across the hull and dissipating into the vacuum. Deep blackened gouges in the armour make it clear that this has been the situation for some time.

With minute bursts of power from manoeuvring thrusters counteracting the offset thrust from leaking plasma relays the ship drifts to a standstill just outside the shipyard rim. One of the leaks billows into an inferno and a bank of main engines flickers and dies.

“Sir, relay six is going critical, I think we’re going to lose the entire system.”

“Damn. Shut down main power, we’ll have to take her in on what’s left in the compressors. Hayden, make it quick.”

Under the constant adjustment of attitude thrusters the ship is urged forward on an ever decreasing thrust as engine after engine runs out of fuel. Just as the last main booster cuts out in a brief spluttering of light the bow enters the shipyard’s internal traction field.

Inside the ship activity slows to a standstill as everyone stands at windows and hull breaches watching the shipyard enveloping them, then the slight muffled thud of capture and she is finally docked. A cumulative sigh of relief settles throughout the ship as people begin moving out into the station. For the next few days the ship is going to be uninhabitable while the omnipresent nanites flow around, restoring everything to the blueprints in the main computer core deep within the heart of the ship.

As the lights on the bridge power down and the dim red emergency lights cast their dull hue over the panels Richard rises from his chair in the centre of the bridge and turns to the chair next to his.

“Coming?” He asks, offering Rachel a hand.

“No, I think I’ll sit here and get disassembled.” She replies, taking his hand and pulling herself to her feet. The two step into the last lift and go down to join the others on the station.

[Bakan]

Lt. Johnson looked out the viewport at the empty space. Standing at the observation level of the Lookout station #4 for Bilibrige shipyards. A very dull and boring station, for it was only 3 levels, 1 observation/control, 1 engineering, and 1 living quarters. With only a crew of 6 it got to be boring very quickly, but it was vital for the early defence network.

Pulling out a picture from his vest pocket, Johnson stared at the picture of his wife, Belle who was right now undergoing deep freeze. When the mothership project was announced, 5 million people would be loaded onto the ships. Out of those 5 million 2 million were pre-selected, due to technical skills, what they could contribute to the new settlement, such as art, technology, agriculture, and teaching. The remaining 3 million were randomly selected thanks to standard ID number given to all citizens upon birth. She was one of the lucky ones, picked randomly to travel to Hope cluster. Johnson however, was not lucky.

Johnson stared some more, remembering the final night they spent together. It was not a lot, but it was enough. Even though it was against regulations, even though it posed a serious risk to a women entering deep freeze, they had managed to concieve their first child. They hoped that since it was so soon, that there would be no effects, but they still worried. Johnson had left that night to a shuttle, knowing full well that if the war continued, he would never see her again. Yet some small part of him hoped and prayed that he would be able to.

Hearing a buzzer going off, Johnson stands, stretches and walks over to a nearby sensor station. The station, using the stations sensors linked to remote probes, covered a 25 lightyear area. Looking at the panel, fully expecting to see that it was simply a rogue comet, or at worst a smuggler vessel, Johnson blinked and hit another button, rescanning. A solid red blob blinked, and grew larger and closer to the center of the screen.

Putting the picture of Belle back into his vest pocket, Johnson reached over, feeling erriely calm and hit the emergency button. The stations lights flickered into a deep red, with alarms starting to blare, waking up the rest of the crew. As they ran into the main deck, many of them still dressed in sleeping clothes, Johnson looked at them. Bastila, a small women, who happened to be a mother of 3, only 2 living now, looked at Johnson's face.

"They are coming." she asked, obviously not a question. A single nod from Johnson was more than enough for her.

Johnson: "Alright people, we got a job to do. Bastila, start a broadcast to Bilibrige shipyards, keep them updated with our telemetry. Hudson and Locke, you two get the station shields up. The rest of us will man the gun turrets. The swarm will be over us in 3 minutes. As per the Cole protocol, I will active out slipstream inhibiter, slowing them down. Let's make it count."

As the crew made their way to their stations, Johnson sprinted over to the upper gun turret. Climbing up the ladder and settling himself in, he hesitates, and pulls out Belle's picture and places it next to the targetting readout. Flicking off the safeties and putting on the headset, he is shocked to hear the voice of Rear Admiral Hoste.

Read Admiral Hoste: "To the crew of sensor station, you know as well as I do we need every minute possible. The motherships are already almost filled, buy us as much time as possible. When you can't hold out any longer..... follow the Cole protocol.... godspeed."

Looking at the deep approacing space, Johnson sees the bright flashes of light, ships being yanked forcibly out of slipstream by the inhibitor. He knew that as soon as the code 1 alarm was sounded, every station activated their inhibitors, effectivly reducing the swarm to sublight speeds. However, the station was only 2 hours away from the shipyards at sublight.

For several minutes Johnson watched the readouts, amazed by how many red dots kept appearing, more and more until his readout was one large red blob, that slowely started advancing. Tapping his mic, he took a deep breath.

"Okay everyone, let's do this. We are the first line, but we can buy the shipyards some time. This is much larger than us..... prepare to fulfill the Cole protocol. Let's kick their a*ses."

With those words, several sections of the red blob detacted and moved very rapidly. Staring, gripping the trigger so tightly his fingers went white, Johnson stared and stared, until his tracking reticle red red, and he fired.

Bright red beams, firing the four gatling heavy assualt cannon fired, the first several shots being absorbed by the coralskippers dovil basion, before it was overloaded and the shots punched through, tearing the organic hull apart, sending vital fluids, pieces of hull, and what looked to be part of the pilot flying into void. By this point Johnson has already aimed at another coralskipper.

The three turrets, each advance prototypes were outputing enough fire to challenge a battleship. Slowly the turrets started to glow red, while inside the turrets temptures rise. Normally in combat the turrets would be allowed to alternate, to cool them off, but as Johnson sweated, he thought about the Alamo, and the last stand.

Seeing a wave of Coralskippers break off, he saw a wave of mutalisks advance rapidly. Firing firously, he saw them bank and run into the shields of the station near the other turret, being fired by Gavin.

"Gavin, watch it, they are concentrating on you."

"I'm being overwhelmed here, oh blood and bloody ashed, I have leechers!! They are eating the shields."

"Watch it 3 coralskippers above."

"I can't see! AHHHH!!!"

Johnson felt more than saw the explosion from the turret where Gavin used to sit, and swore. He had seen many a comrade killed. Looking at Belle smiling at him, he looked at the swarm, tears streaming from his eyes, and something finally snapped. Screaming, he fired all 4 turrets, punching through organic hulls and what layed underneath them. Still screaming, he saw the other turret flash as a wave of mutalisks killed themselves, taking poor Wedge with them.

Feeling his turret shake violently, he saw that the shields around him were failing. Seeing the mutalisks advance again, he screamed again, firing at them, the turrets by now glowing red hot, the inside feeling like a sauna. Firing at the wave, he saw many of them shatter and vaporize, other dodged, then they passed. Even more were killed against the shields, but their deaths allowed the following ones to rush through, passing through and under the shields. Firing still, Johnson saw them flash past, then felt a incredible coldness with a red haze obsuring his vision. Blinking, he tired to breath, but the coldness crept into his lungs. Time seemed to slow to him, as he realized the bubble canopy had been shattered. Pain receptors fired signals, and a look down showed his chest and arms, slashed with deep wounds that leaked a red haze that bubbled out. Holding the triggers even as his hands froze to the metal grips, Johnson fired still, not even aiming anymore. As one final mutalisk flew at him, he saw the picture of Belle, floating away into void, sprinkled with his blood. With a sharp pain around his neck and chest, Johnson held the triggers and smiled as he died.

Inside the station, alarms were blaring. Bastila pulled herself up with her left arm, the right several meters away, lying in a puddle of blood and damaged parts, the victim of a blown out control panel. Seeing that the 3 turrets were offline, Bastila looked at the bright red button, the metal safty flap already open. Thinking about her 2 sons, already long gone, she smiled and hit the button.

Lookout station #4, swarming with the various races of the swarm, exploded in a violent explosion, tearing a wound in the enemy forces that was rapidly replaced by additional craft. Watching the monitors, Read Admiral Hoste at Bilbrige 1, the main space station and control center for the defence.

"Get those motherships online now. They have 1 hour to load the rest of their passengers. The escort ships have 1 1/2 hours, get their hulls and shields repaired first and secondary weapons. Planetary defences should be brought online, and break out the weapons and issue to all personal. Raise shields and charge weapons, and prepare fighters. Once the escort fleet has launched, open a channel to them."

[Bakan]

NOTE TO ALL: The webpage has been UPDATED :P

This is how it works.

What is displayed in terms of damage is what you will be STARTING with once the 1st mission starts (since full repairs, as indicated by the previous post are impossible)

Repairs can be conducted in two ways. There are some ships with devices that can build anything and you can try to use those. Or you can attempt your own inflight repairs. Both of those will depend on post quality mostly. Finally eventually you will reach friendly ports and can get some repairs done.

Tommarrow I shall be posting basic technology of the galaxy and starting Mission #1. If you post now, it looks favorably upon you

[flapjack]

*flapjack started on a run back to his ship when the alarms went off, his first officer reported all crew present just when he arrived at the airlock and once inside slammed his fist into the large button to close the airlock behind him*

*he immediatly stepped into the turbolift when it arrived and headed for the bridge, as usual he'd been last on the bridge and reports where made immediatly when he came. He had clearly instructed his crew to ignore standard protocol if it came to combat or near-combat situations, people standing up from their consoles in combat was bad and despite starfleet protocol was only rarely done on any ship*

Tactical: 7 phaser banks online, the forward phaser banks are all operational, the center aft and the nacelle phasers are working as well. Only 1 of the photon tubes is working, 1 of the forward 1's luckily

operations: shield generator is ready to go, emergency forcefield generators all fixed, we have no hull damage and all stations are reporting ready for undocking.

engineering: the warp core is up and running at full power, impulse engines and warp drive at full power, the EPS system is still slightly damaged on deck 6 but we've rerouted power to the affected sections

helm: ready to move sir, want to get us away from this station?

No1: she's all yours captain

me: perfect, helm, undock, tactical, ready the weapons and raise the shields the moment we clear the station. Operations, divert all availble power to the shields and weapons. Engineering, time to test those fusion reactors on our impulse engines, power them up and divert their power into the shields.
Red alert people

*the USS stellar voyage quickly yet gently moved away from the station and when it was completely clear of the station raised its shields, waiting for what would hopefully not be a prolonged battle*

ooc/ well, in flight repairs should do as all the damage on my ship is now internal, provided ofcourse that the swarm doesn't breach my shields. also, are both class 9 shuttles 50% damaged, or is there only 1 shuttle left (with no damage) or have you really been as naughty as to kill 1 of my shuttles and have the other 1 damaged?? /ooc

[No Dachi]

Even as the Red Sky At Dawn was still telling its story to the Imperial Admiral, a good part of its mind was devoted to incoming sensor data from the Lookout Stations' range. From what his sensors were telling him, No Dachi had the impression that a large number of enemy vessels were approaching Lookout Station #4. As if to confirm this, an influx of energy output from the little picket station indicated the slipstream inhibitor had been activated, and several more such influxes that the shields were being powered up and the weapon systems activated. No Dachi made no move other than to begin listening in on coms and signal traffic between LS#4 and the Bilibridge's main structure and to launch all of his remaining repair drones in an attempt to finish the maintenance more quickly, though such an effort was probably going to be futile. In the meantime, the warship continued its story. Only when finished, with long-range sensor readings reporting the battle around the lookout station growing more and more intense, did the warship inform the Admiral of what was happening.

"Admiral, my long-range sensors indicate that the enemy is attacking the Billiger's perimeter watch stations. I advise that you return to your own vessel immediately in preparation for launching orders. Perhaps we shall meet up in the desparate rearguard action that is about to unfold?" The ship asked the Admiral, already preparing himself for battle. A very low hum, almost below the range of human hearing, began to reverberate through the Red Sky At Dawn's vast hull as the ship activated its advanced drive. It always took him a while to accelerate to full speed, so as a matter of course he would always have the drives powered up as soon as possible, in order to reduce this period of vunerability. The seamlessly-working internal combat mechanisms of the ship begin running, silently, as medium-range anti strike craft missiles are loaded into the pods from the armoury by metal tracks and a couple of decoy drones are positioned on the warship's outer hull ready to draw missile fire. On impulse, the ship copies its mind state across to a very small, very unremarkable drone that would appear on sensors as a meer piece of scrap metal flung out from the Red Sky At Dawn's exploding carcass. Even if this was the battle where he was finally put to a burning wreck, it would not be his last. No Dachi had to fulfill his duty to the ancients before he could consider final defeat as an option.

"Admiral, in order to shorten the transit time between myself and your Dreadnaught, I could, if you wish it, use a displacement drone to send you there instantly. There is a slight risk of the displacement process failing catastrophically, but the chances of it are one against the millions." Much as were the chances of the Federation holding back the swarm, No Dachi considered, and he'd never seen a catastrophic displacement failure occur before. If it did happen it would be quite unfortunate, the warship told himself, but also rather interesting...

[Fluffie]

The Admiral stood up and turned to walk for the way he entered the Red Sky At Dwan, when the ship made its offer. His thinking turned to combat and strategic thoughts, he nodded in agreement.

"If you can, please. I'm sure, I hope we will meet again, possibly as.. brothers in arms."

[Planetkiller II]

*Donovan was barely out of the bridge when the alarms sounded. He swore and ran back in.*

"Enemy forces inbound sir, we have one and a half hours."

"Damnit, get everyone back on station, make ready. I want the brigade and the Cobras ready for combat well before they arrive. I assume that we won't be getting any more weapons online before they arrive?"

"No sir, it seems unlikely."

"Alright then. Let's get ready to face the storm."

[No Dachi]

No Dachi's avatar nodded to the Admiral from its seated position on the sofa.

"Indeed. I shall seek out your vessel during the coming battle. I have programmed the displacement drone to take you to the bridge of your Dreadnaught. Once there it will remain with you. I will be able to communicate with it at will. If you will excuse me, I must make ready for battle, and so will dispense with this representation drone." No Dachi told the Admiral, still speaking through the avatar. Upon his finishing word, however, the construct goes limp and lifeless, its head drooping back on the counch. At the same moment, a high pitched whine increasing steadily in pitch emanates from the displacement drone. A blinding flash of white light, and the Admiral is standing on the bridge of his vessel. No Dachi briefly ensures that nothing untoward has happened during the transit before continueing to load his missile pods, charge up his engines and monitor the distant battle at the shipyard's perimeter.

[Fluffie]

The Admiral appeared back on the bridge of the single ship under his command - the Thunderer. The Captain and many other crewmembers were already busy preparing the ship for the - probably - soon to follow to combat. However, there work was ruthlessly disturbed by the sudden appearance of Fluffie on the bridge - along with some sort of droid...

Seeing this, Fluffie waved with his hand - as if dismissing the matter for now. To strenghten his gesture, he added some words to it.

"A matter to be discussed later. Captain, bring the Thunderer to full combat readiness, have all crews return to the ship."

"Already on it, Sir. Almost everyone is back aboard and everything seems to be in working order, save for our starboard side and some other weapons. We still haven't been able to replace our lost TIE fighters - but repair teams are still frantically working to get all our weapons back online."

Fluffie nodded, walking over to a computer station on the elevated part of the bridge, quickly calling up a diagnostic of his ship.

"Have we restored our supplies, spares etc, etc enough?"

"Aye Admiral, repair teams are being brought the new spares as they require them, it ought to speed up repairs a whole lot."

"Indeed. Releasing docking couplings and other couplings with the shipyards as soon as we have everyone and everything on board. Also, get me a fix on the ship Red Sky At Dawn, helm, once we are clear take us to it and form up with it."

A number of puzzled faces looked up at Fluffie, who again dismissed the issue with a motion of his hand.

"Just do it, on my short stay here I seem to have made a new friend, perhaps a powerfull and usefull ally."

A number of affirmative replies and the carrying out of orders followed, with Fluffie turning to the droid that the crimson red ship had sent along.

"Well, we're going to join up with you. We'll see from there what's best to do..."

Talking silently, as not to worry and-or disturb his bridge crew, Fluffie assumed the ship's "mind" would be able to hear it, which only seemed most logical.

Awaiting a reply and watching his ship buzzing to life as all systems were activated one by one, a repair crew hurried onto the bridge, opening a console somewhere and quickly beginning to fix a targetting sensor for one of the starboard Quad Lasercannons - one of the numerous starboardside weapons still offline, for the moment...

[No Dachi]

No Dachi finished preparing himself for battle. With his operational missile pods fully-loaded and his drives working at full capacity, the Red Sky At Dawn sent a universal signal to his drones that switched them to an autonomous battle mindset. His immediate-range external sensors showed the repair drones, moving like a cloud of silver fish through the vacuum around their parent vessel, flocked to the eight drone launch/re-entry holes and retreated inside the ship, with the exception of a small team of six repair drones and four decoy drones, which latched themselves onto the Red Sky At Dawn's hull in preparation to quickly patch up rends in the armour or draw away heavy missile fire. No Dachi performed a quick status check to make sure he was as ready for battle as he could be given the circumstances, before notifying Billiger Control of his launch and firing his docking clamps. Slowly, moving by the momentum from being attached to the rotating shipyard station, the Red Sky At Dawn drifts outwards, away from the larger body. Once he was twenty metres away from the structure from this gentle drifting, No Dachi fired up his advanced drives and began to move away from the station at a much greater speed, at the same time turning his bow to starboard in order to bear down on the encroaching enemy fleet. After a teriary status check, again indicating that all online systems are operating at full efficiency, the warship cuts its engines and drifts idly forwards, awaiting the order to attack and hold the enemy off while the motherships finished their launch preparations.

A few seconds later, No Dachi heard the Admiral's quiet words, through the decoy drone aboard the man's Deadnaught (which he now knew was called the Thunderer). Firing his advanced drive again, the Red Sky At Dawn accelerates toward the Imperial warship, replying to the Admiral's message - again, speaking through the drone - as he does so.

"I can hear you quite clearly, Admiral. I am moving to enter formation alongside your vessel now." No Dachi told the Imperial officer through the displacement drone as he watched the stone-grey Imperial Dreadnaught growing closer and closer on his sensors. Presently, No Dachi was alongside the other ship. Cutting his engines once more, No Dachi briefly fired his manouevreing thrusters so as to stay alongside the Admiral's ship before sitting idle, again awaiting the order to attack...

[Inspectre]

Six Hours Ago

*Alarm Blare* Attention all crew, we are about to exit hyperspace. Captain McKinley, please report to the bridge. Repeat, Captain McKinley, please report to the bridge.

Joseph woke up from his deep sleep, groaned, and got out of bed. He wished he could have spent a few more hours in peaceful oblivion, but apparently his crew needed him. Throwing on his uniform jacket, Joseph hurriedly buttoned it up, and then exited his quarters. As he walked to the lift, Joseph's thoughts inevitablely drifted to what had happened over the past four years.

Sarah, Toby . . . forgive me for what I have done. You were my compass in the storm: without you, I'm lost. I've tried to find my way, but I seem to be going in circles. I've tried so hard to pay off my debt of death to the people of Tetra Genus, but each time I've failed. There was always another battle, another raid, another attack, and the people I'd managed to save died anyway. It's so useless . . . but perhaps now, with these motherships, I can finally save a few people. I suppose 5 million lives aren’t going to balance out 368 million deaths, but it's the best I can do. With the way this d*mned war is going, I know this is my last chance to make a difference. I will not fail you.

A moment later, the lift slowed to a stop, and the doors parted to reveal the bridge. An observant ensign immediately shouted, "Captain on Deck!!", and everyone on the bridge stood up and came to attention. Lost in the depths of his own tortured thoughts, Joseph hadn't even realized he'd boarded the lift. Fortunately, he managed to recover quickly enough to avoid any awkward pauses.

“At ease.” Joseph announced as he walked onto the bridge and headed for his command chair. Thomas, still his first officer through all of these long years, met Joseph half-way.

“Sir, we are about to exit hyperspace at the Bilibrige Shipyards. I thought you would want to be here for the occasion.”

“Indeed. I expect it will be one of the last times we ever see anything resembling . . . home . . . again.” Even after all this time, Joseph’s voice still faltered when he was forced to mention Tetra Genus, his home. Seeking to change the subject, Joseph said with forced cheerfulness, “So, how is old Thanatos holding together?”

“Not very bloody well!!” The bridge’s engineering officer snorted, underhand-tossing a data pad to Joseph. Activating the pad caused a schematic of the Thanatos to pop up. Joseph winced as he noticed how much red there was.

“Does anything still work around here?” Joseph asked as he tossed the data pad back to the engineering officer.

His scowl changing into a smirk, the engineering officer replied, “Well, as far as I can tell, the Gallery works perfectly fine.”

Joseph managed a chuckle, and then asked the question that was at the top of his agenda . . . at the top of everyone’s agenda. “How many weapons do we have that are still operational?”

The engineer checked the pad for a moment, and then threw it down in disgust. “The Stellar Converter is offline, Torpedo tubes one through three are down, and almost all of our other guns are either gone, or offline.”

Joseph digested the unpleasant information, and then issued his orders. “Alright, well, once we get into dock, get as many of those weapons online as you can. Start with the Stellar Converter, then work on the point defense rail guns and graviton beams. Some mutalisks probably jammed themselves into the Stellar Converter array: they’ll be easy to clean out.”

“Aye, I’ll get to work on it right away, captain.”

Joseph then settled into his command chair as the Thanatos dropped out of warp.


Now

Upon hearing that the Swarm was on its way towards the station, Joseph’s hands clenched the arm rests of his command chair. “Engineering, how are those repairs coming? I know you didn’t have much time, but we’re going to be needing that firepower very, very soon.”

For once, the bridge engineering officer had an actual smile as he reported the ship’s status. “Well, while Torpedo Tubes One through Three are still down, I was able to get some things repaired. The Stellar Converter is ready for firing once again, and you have three Heavy Tachyon Beams, eight Light Graviton Beams, and eight point-defense Rail Guns.”

“Good! I was starting to think that I’d have to find some rocks to throw.”

There was a dry chuckle throughout the bridge, although it quickly died as the crew remembered stories of ships that had, indeed, been forced to go into battle without any actual weapons.

“Alright, Communications Officer, send a message to Bilibrige Command, asking them if they have any orders for us. If not, inform them that we are willing to move away from the shipyard and attempt to draw some of the Swarm away until the Mothership can escape.”

[Wo2]

[ooc] Sorry about the name change. I forgot I signed up as Wo2. I will not be doing this long of a post again i'll try to compact it into something more readable. NOTE: The Anti-Fighter/Missle system is just that. A system meant for shotting down fighters and missiles. [ooc/]

*Wo2 was viewing over the starchart in front of him, when his wrist comm beeped at him*

Wo2: What is it?

Comm: Sir we've just been told, we must leave at once.

Wo2: What? Repairs aren't done... very well. I'll be out in a second.

*Wo2 headed to the door, leading to the bridge, with his mind wandering. He needed ti figure out a way to finish repairs in flight.*

Wo2: Give me a status report on the main screen.

*The screen blackened and then the out lines of the Shadow Wind filled the darkness. Arrows began to point to various ship systems and bring up a status report on them.*

Wo2: Lets see...

Systems Check:
Drive Systems:
FTL Drive Quantum Drive. . .ONLINE
Sublight Drive(s) Ion Drives. . .ONLINE

Defense:
Statis field Armour. . .NO DAMAGE
Shields 3 Class 10 Shield Generators. . .ONLINE
1 ECM Mk XII. . .ONLINE
1 ECCM Mk IV. . .ONLINE

Weapons:
10 Heavy Neutron Turrets. . .7 OFFLINE
360 Light Anti-fighter/missile. . .174 OFFLINE
4 Plasma Web Launcher 2. . .OFFLINE
15 Enveloping Plasma Cannons. . .7 OFFLINE
4 Heavy Ion Beams. . .3 OFFLINE
30 Polaron Missile Racks. . .23 OFFLINE

Super-Weapon:
Particle Beam. . .ONLINE

Accessories:
Intre-Phase Drives. . .OFFLINE
Phased Cloak. . .ONLINE
Pulsar Generator. . .ONLINE
Phased Scanner. . .OFFLINE


*Wo2 looked at the report for a long while and then turned to the Engineers post.*

Wo2: Alright...your boys are gonna be busy for a while on these systems, but there are some I would like running more than others. First off I want our Anti-Fighter/Missle systems up and running as fast as you can. If we get any fighter attacks we could be in for trouble with out them. Next I want our cloak fixed, Ion's next, followed by the missile racks. When your done with those move on to other systems. Now go.

EO: Aye, Aye, Sir.

Wo2: Alright. Helm, take us out.

*The Ship began to pull away from the space station and quickly fell into line with the Mothership under it's protection. Both ships moved a fair distance away from the station and began to charge for a jump. A short wait later both ships went into FTL travel.

[Richpur]

For the first couple of days the Pegasus had hung in space at the centre of her shipyard, the vacuum flowing in a semi-liquid mass of nanites as her hull was slowly rebuilt. Finally the actual repairs were underway. With the hull once again intact all power had been shut down, engineering crews were working by the light of flashlights and gantries hanging in midair. With power down artificial gravity and life support were offline.

Richard floated along one of the many umbilicals connecting the ship to the station. Entering the ship through what would normally be a torpedo tube he made his way aft to where most of the work was currently underway. The dark blue of his spacesuit made him stand out against the background of bright orange engineers, so it was to be expected that along the way he was tackled by numerous ensigns with countless reports, queries and requests.

“Ah, admiral, I was beginning to think you’d got lost with all these corridors open again.”

“I know my way round perfectly, but you certainly get accosted less in a maintenance shaft. Anyway, what was it you wanted me for?”

“That you do.” Kelven chuckled, “I just thought you should know; we’ve repaired all the relays now. Well, actually most of them have had to be stripped out and replaced, another couple of months and there wouldn’t have been much of a ship to repair. We’ve still only got 4 of the generators online so far, the other two are burnt out, need to replace them.”

“I see. You’ve taken them out?”

“Yes, couldn’t leave them in, they’d have blown apart with the system at full pressure.”

At that moment the com-unit in Richard’s suit beeps; excusing himself he steps back into a corner of the room and pulls the message transcription up on the suit’s visor display. After a couple of seconds he turns back to his chief engineer with a slight hint of annoyance flickering across his face.

“How well can we run with four generators? Early warning stations have picked up Swarm incoming fast. I don’t think we’ve really got enough time to install new ones.”

“Well we’ve been operating for the past six months on two, four isn’t really a problem; we’re just lacking the redundancy I’d like.”

“We’ll have to live with that. Get her powered up, looks like the rest of the repairs will have to wait. I’ll. I’ll be in my quarters.”


Within minutes atmospheric pressure has reached normal levels and gravity has been brought back online. All generators are going through cold start sequencing and the crew is being pulled onboard as fast as the shuttles and umbilicals can move them. Having found his quarters, albeit a little bare , Richard changes into a new uniform, after years of worn and battered clothes the stiffness feels a little strange. Fiddling with his collar all the way to the bridge he still fails to get it comfortable.

The bridge itself seems to be almost totally new; the floor no longer a charred mess, but restored to the deep blue carpet it had started with long before. The mass of redirected wiring and cross-patched opticable that had kept the ship running despite numerous console explosions had gone, leaving the bridge feeling a lot more spacious. Then again, he is the only person on it.

Before long the rest of the bridge crew starts to arrive and take up their stations, consoles bursting into an array of lights as each person’s bio-signature is read and authorised. A slight clunk comes from the ceiling and a hatchway opens. With a gracefulness totally lost in the absurdity of the moment, Rachel slips down into the bridge. A muted silence fills the room, no-one quite trusting themselves not to laugh.

Rachel looks around with a somewhat un-amused expression until finally Hayden swivels on his chair to face her and clears his throat gently.

“The lifts are working now ma’am.”

“Well.” She replies midway between annoyed and embarrassed, “Shall we get underway?”

“Yes.” Richard interjects. “Helm, ahead one quarter. Take us out.”

As her main engines come alight, the connections between the Pegasus and the station automatically detach, retreating back into their bays like a nest of snakes. Slowly she pulls away, systems running through final diagnostics as they go. As her stern leaves the dock the Pegasus wheels round, her momentum carrying her away from the station even as she aims herself towards the incoming on the far side.

“Engine preheat completed,” the com-link from engineering announces, “you have full power.”

“Helm, bring us to maximum cruise. All decks prepare for high power manoeuvres.”

With plasma trailing behind her the ship accelerates towards the station, attitude thrusters diverting her up slightly. Completing the tight u-turn the Pegasus continues under full power; bursts of power nudging her course around the numerous ships and stations between her and the ships she is supposed to defend.

As the motherships come into view, the term ‘sitting ducks’ springs into Richard’s mind, although it takes several microseconds of trawling through his neural nanonics to find where it came from. In a matter of seconds they have passed overhead, the Pegasus’ course taking her speeding underneath the wallowing vessels and off towards the masses of incoming.

“All turrets load fragmentation rounds; torpedo bay, stand by with clusters.”

[Bakan]

Rear Admiral Hoste looked at the tatical displays, sweat starting to bead at his forehead. He knew fundementally that this day would soon approach, but he had always hoped that the eggheads at R&D would have come up with some new weapon, some way to save the shipyards. Yet watching the red dots swarm closer and closer to the shipyards, he sighs and raises his head determinaly and turns to the holograms of the other station heads.

Hoste: "Status report. Where do we stand."

"Mothership Operations, sir 97% of the passengers have been loaded, approximently 67% of all supplies also loaded. However none of the weapons have been installed."

Hoste: "What about the escort fleet."

"Dock control sir, several of them have already launched. We got their hulls fully patched and their shields recharged, however some of their weapons we can't manufacture easily, thus they are lacking for now. If they can make it wayland we have sent them specs thus shey should be able to get some more repairs done. Until then, it's up to their crews. Finally, their crews have been filled back up from volunteers from the shipyards that met the requirements."

Hoste: "Very good, security where do we stand?"

"All personal have been issued hand weapons. We are evacuating civilians and non-essential personal to the planet below. Planetary defence reports that they will be raising planetary shields and will NOT lower them."

Hoste shook his head sadly. Planets with far greater and powerful planetary shields had been overwhelmed before. It was only a delaying tatic until the civilian population could be relocated to deep underground shelters, to hold out until someday they could be rescued or retake the planet.

"SIR, we have lost contact with 2 more stations, they are coming at us from far end of system, near entry point by Bilibrige IV and entry point at Bilibrige VII."

Hoste: "They have us boxed in.... they have learned well. Launch all fighters, keep them in patrol, are any moving towards the hyper-slipstream gate?"

"Not at the moment, however the contacts near Bilibrige IV are only a short jump away from it."

Hoste: "Okay, launch the motherships, and get me a channel to the escort fleet."

"Opening channel, you are on."

MISSION #1 - Fleeing Blood and Ashes

Read Admiral Hoste: "Attention Escort Fleet, we have three distincitve enemy task forces, each comprising of thousands of the swarm. So far the route to the hyper-slipstream gate is clear. We have launched the motherships and they are to make their way to there. Fleet Admiral Bakan on Mothership #3 will be in charge from this point on. You are to escort them to the gate to the Wayland shipyards, where they will take on final supplies needed before jumping to Hope Cluster. Godspeed all, keep our civilization alive."

Hoste looked down as the communication was ended, then pulled out his assulat rifle and checked the clip. The space station would fall, but not easily till they had dealt out their own pain to the bloody swarm.

* * *

Looking at his tatical displays, Fleet Admiral Bakan watched the tatical readouts. Designated into 3 forces, the swarm was doing a fine job of punching through the outer defences. Two of the forces were converging on Bilibrige III, the location of the shipyards. The third task force also seemed to head towards it, then it slowely started to turn.

Bakan: "Tatical, plot the course of that task force."

Tatical: "Plotting, oh cr*p, sir they are getting in our way. We're screwed."

Bakan: "Calm down son, give me a count of the ships."

Tatical: "Working on it. Displaying."

Task Force Three
Coralskipper - 3,546
CoralDevtator - 573
Multalist - 24,563
Guardian - 4,653
Devourer - 868

Feeling his own face twich, Bakan looked over at the rest of the crew. Monitoring tatical readouts deep within the core of Mothership 3, they were responsible for coordinating the actions of the Mothership fleet and the escort fleet.

Communications: "Sir, Hoste is redeploying the stations fighters, what the....... he's ordering them to attack Task Force Three."

Tatical: "That's suicide, those pilots don't stand a chance."

Bakan: "Maybe... I see where he is going at. Yes! They will die, but they are going to be driving a wedge, in fact."

Tatical: "INCOMING!!!"

Looking at the main monitor, Bakan sees a bright purple blip travel from the spacedock. Only one thing was applied to that color, the stations main defence, the MAC. The MAC or Mass-Acceleration Cannon, launches a massive metallic projectile at a ship at close to .95C. The sheer kinetic energy from the impact is typically enough to vaporize most capital ships, however since the projectile is so large, it takes 5 minutes to reload the cannon. On smaller ships, same result, yet the projectile would remain mostly intact. In this case, the projectile, 25 meters in diameter surrounded by a plasma screen tore through the enemy lines, vaprizing smaller ship, creating collisions between others until finally, after punching straight through several heavy cruisers, destroying itself against the side of a CoralDevsator, destroying both in a tremendous fireball.

Tatical: "Holy mother of.... he just gave away his secret weapon but... yes...yes YES!!! The projectil just cut a massive hole in the enemy lines. The fighters are going through the gap, looks like he's aiming as disrupting the coordination of their fleet.

Bakan: "A worthy sacrafic of legend, let's honor it. Full speed to the hyper-slipstream gate. Alart the escort fleet, while they are uncoordinated at the moment, they post a significant threat. Take out any that come towards us, our shields may be rated on the planetary shield level, but they are not invincible."

TIME TO MISSION COMPLETION: 5 DM POSTS

[flapjack]

*flapjack heard of their new orders right after they had finished preparing for battle and was quick to issue new orders*

me: you heard our orders, helm, take us into formation with those motherships, but be prepared to break formation and run evasive maneuvers when we get closer to that swarm. Tactical, target anything hostile that gets close, use phasers only for now, i want to save the photon torpedoes for the bigger ships

*with the final orders given the USS stellar voyage comes up to speed and takes position next to the first mothership, the phaser banks charged and ready to fire at whatever hostiles came into range while the photon torpedo tube would be saved to target the bigger enemies*

me: comms, inform admiral bakan of what we intend to do and tell him that if he needs us to do anything at all, we're ready for it

[Heiro]

Drake was in the Ion cafe when the comm beep alerted him of the dire situation. Cursing very softly under his breath and buttoning up his shirt, and winking at laura, who seemingly understood his sudden rush to leave. Putting her shirt back on, and fastening her jacket, he kisses her one last time, before rushing out through the cafe's rear exit, Her in hot pursuit. Grasping his communicator with now white knuckles, he tucks his silk sash back into position, before hitting the red button labelled, conviently, 'talk'

"Ash, this had better be good. You've just ruined what should of turned out to be a very fine evening."

Sounding rather more contained than he had expected, Drake broke into a run as the words reverberated through the comm and registered with his mind.

"That many. Fire up her drives ash. Ill be aboard in a matter of moments, we'll talk then."

Grasping Laura by the hand, and dashing through the crowds at the various interchanges within the prominades upper levels, drake avoids a collection of potentially dangerous scuffles with anxious pilots, crew members, or otherwise scared occupants. Breaking into a run, Laura follows with the utmost ease. He reaches the first set of stairs, if they could be called that in good time. Forsaking all logic, he jumps onto the crowd, it parting enough for laura to dash down making a similar leap of faith. He finds his footing about three quaters of the way down, on some poor fellows head, as he rushes to meet some loved one to leave. landing at the bottom of the stairs, over the military gates not to stop but to literally throw back his pass, as He and laura break for the dock.. His breathing cracking around him as he enters the ships dock. Clambering over the mess of umbilical cables connecting to The Phoenix' plasma drive, and quickly jogging down the ajoining tunnel. Stepping out from the covering's of dock facilities clamping, and into the familiar hull section of his ship, he lets out a sigh, Hugging laura before pressing the red button on his comm again, briefly, just long enough to say;

"Ash, get us spaceborn, please."
"Right away Drake. Welcome back"
"Good to be here. I take it shes functioning to peak again?"
"No. She never had a peak. you should know that."
"Too True. Ill join you when im changed."

Looking around now at the cabin he is in, the airlock now closed, and the small hatch showing the space around the ship. And the slowly moving walls of the interior of the dock. Turning very swiftly on his heel, Drake jogs around the first left, into the corridor between him and the ladder to the bridge. The walls, although slightly dirtied around the bottom, show character. That of a sturdy ship, an against the odds ship. Something about it sung to him. The door to his quaters, as usual, fails to recognise the key code. Cursing, loudly for the appeal, Drake gives the door a swift kick, and,
as the pannel above him drops down, and the wires that had been fixed in place fall
back to their orignal, and in this case, permenant place. Stepping through the now
loose door, Drake smiles. Moments later, Laura walks in behind him, closing the door. Kissing her, he says:

"good to be home. this ship wouldnt be the same if its wires didnt hang around
occasionally. gives it personality i feel."

Laura giggles, and opens the wardrobe, showing a miriad of clothing, exotic and otherwise. Pushing it aside, and pulling out a pair of Vac suits, one white and one black. Slipping into his black vacuum suit, over his silks, due to the time restriction, Drake checks himself in the mirror momentarily, before slipping the ring laura gave him onto his finger. Turning to see her changed, Smiling to himself, He quickly dashes out from his musty chamber, and back into the characterful corridor. As the ladder approaches, Drake sighs. Grabbing the rusted rungs, he begins to haul himself onto the deck above. Within the timespace of a minute, enclosed within the dark tunnel that is bridge access, Drake stops and thinks. as the Hatch opens from above, Drake looks, before hauling himself out, into the slightly plush deck. Ash, as always, smiling at him, says:

"Took your sweet time. We're already into space. what shall we do?"

Breathing in the recycled air from the Phoenix' life support systems, Drake stops for a
second. Looking at the lower section of the ****pit, both his pilots sit in there 360
pivot chairs, 3d sensor and computer projection software already buzzing with commands. The rusted consoles behind him, manned by 3 science officers, and 4 gunners. The engineers standing ready at the drive plating hatches, and the crawl space already opened for ease of repair en route. Smiling, he signals to ash to sit, as they take their seats in the middle of the bridge. Laura climbs in seconds later, taking the seat to the right of Drake. Pointing at the Pegasus, then into the mist of enemys, before cursing, and composing himself again.

"We get in contact with them. And Catch us up will you!"
"yes sir"
"Less of the sir. we are informal here ash."
"Of course. im sorry."
"think nothing of it."

within a minute, the sublight overdrives activate, and the bridge systems fluctate for
a second, as the power begins to reregulate to the regional systems. Bringing the
external comms up; Drake speaks, confidently as always;

"Pegasus. Our scans show you have cannon damage. Allow us to compensate you. AS soon as we catch you of course."

Waiting 30 seconds he prepares himself for the burst of speed. AS the 3rd and 4th drive grids connect, plamsa from the cargo storage area begins to fuel the engine relays, Throwing him backward into the seat, the ship rockets after the pegasus. Within 5 minutes, they are level, and at matching speeds. Winking at the pilots, he signals them into land.

"Bring us onto the broken cannon. fix us down hard."

The ship spins, violently shaking the crew. although they've experienced this before,
the shock never changes. Grapsing Lauras hand as the the dropping ship fires its thrusters, as drake takes command of the grapple launchers. after 30 tense seconds, the ship fires grapples, and begins repelling onto the barrel of the damaged cannon.

"As we dock, Charge Last stand. If you follow me Ash."
"but sir...the instability!"
"Dont call me sir. now do it. or ill shoot you myself!"
Ash looks stunned, then drake winks
"You know im only joking you sod. now get to it!"

[Io Cor]

*the wormhole finally closes after a few seconds, and the cloaked ship waves into appearance, the nebula of toxic gases and radiation before it, simple flickering lights about the ship as it soars towards the co-ords that were imput into the ships computer*

(gtg...just a quicky..lol)