Dark Skies

Discussion in 'Role Play' started by Love to Write, Feb 8, 2016.

  1. Ishnorb

    Ishnorb Member

    Joined:
    Aug 11, 2013
    Messages:
    84
    Likes Received:
    5
    Location:
    Falling into the rift....
    Standing within the meeting room, Scar err 'Walter' as he was now pretending to be, watched with a mere monotonous expression. Amazement filled him as the Egrinot arrived and spoke. Only a faint look of surprise filled Scar's expression as he proved very skilled at hiding true expressions as they came. Part of Scar wanted to join the feast, mainly due to hunger trying to get the best of him, although he didn't feel that played into the part he was playing, so merely stood by to continue 'being a servant'.

    Scar didn't entirely remember what the Egrinot's were called offhand, yet had heard stories of them from past allies growing up. Never did he truly believe, for there was never enough proof other than hearsay. Albeit now evidence was more than present before himself. To top everything off, Scar now fully knew what the devil was going on here. Mind raced upon the thought of, 'how in the blazes did I end up in this mess'. Scar didn't disagree about the idea of peace, life just never presented circumstance to pursue a situation of peace. For Scar's life so far, hasn't exactly been what one would call easy going. Though he would never admit it, somehow deep down Scar wished to divert from the previous lifestyle of 'Space Pirate'.

    Quickly distracting thoughts were wiped clean of mind, to enable more focus upon task at hand. So far Scar had stayed within the background enough to remain unnoticed. Scar simply hoped it would stay this way so he could continue to observe the event at hand. Yet within the back of his mind, Scar kept an eye out for something in particular. Someone who he deemed 'approachable' that could hopefully help his case. Someone Scar could use to build a different life, rather than 'Space-Pirate'. Though this individual Scar sought out, wouldn't be approached until after the meeting or, not until he felt time was right.
     
    Love to Write likes this.
  2. AnonyMouse

    AnonyMouse Contributor Contributor

    Joined:
    Sep 3, 2008
    Messages:
    2,332
    Likes Received:
    392
    Location:
    Atlanta, GA
    Vitalia knew very little about Egrinots, only that they had done what the Inari would not. They saved the galaxy. They stopped the human conquest three millennia ago. She had barely entered the room when the jellyfish arrived and reached into everyone’s mind as casually a dipping one’s hand into a pool of water.

    The Inari used neural interfaces on most of their technology. A chip at the base of her skull allowed her to control her OmniSphere as well as all sorts of other Inari tech. Her mind was conditioned for that. But this was… different. The Egrinot’s telepathy felt slick and invasive, like a worm sliding into her brain.

    Vita kept her thoughts blank until the creature finished its message and receded. Then she released a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. One clear thought surfaced as she watched the Egrinot depart and made her way to the dining hall:

    It should have been us.

    Was blowing up a star really the way to ‘save’ the galaxy? The Egrinots’ methods left much to be desired. Casually disarming and mind-raping a room full of delegates from every major species in the known universe is not how ‘saviors’ operate.

    Then again, is that what the Egrinots really are? Saviors… or tyrants?

    We will find out soon enough, Vita thought as she wrestled with these questions. But… if I fear them so much, why do I want my people to be them?

    She was too trapped in her own head to realize she had entered the dining hall and taken a seat without paying much heed to where. Choosing a seat should’ve been done with great care and consideration. Instead, Vita had absentmindedly strolled into the dining hall and planted her furry bottom without a second thought.

    Somewhat startled by this, Vita looked around in a panic. Okay, good, she wasn’t sitting next to a Gillick, so she hadn’t totally screwed this up. Frankly, Gillicks unnerved her. To her left was an enormous Aqizikhan. He was large, even by their standards, and covered in scars. That and his dark cloak, draping to the floor, made him almost as scary as a Gillick. Almost. She suspected he was a bodyguard of some sort, not one of the delegates. As long as she made no sudden moves everything would be fine… right?

    Before him was some kind of dish, which smelled heavenly, but Vita had no idea what it was. Her OmniSphere chirped once and a scrolling line of text began to orbit the sphere: “lasagna (n.) a human dish originating from the human settlement of ‘Italy,’ Earth, consisting of…” it went on like this, seemingly forever, but after reading a few dozen lines, Vita’s mind was made up.

    She leaned over to Lt. Reese and said, “I will have the lah-ssag-na, please, if you do not mind.”

    Yes, she pronounced the ‘g.’
     
    obi-sem kenobi and Love to Write like this.
  3. Love to Write

    Love to Write I'm a lover of writing. What else is to be said? Contributor

    Joined:
    Feb 25, 2012
    Messages:
    7,366
    Likes Received:
    279
    Location:
    Beautiful Oregon "It's the Climate"
    “Ha, look at those bastions squirm and the humans...I can smell their sweat, their fear.” Grix chuckled as he sat at the far end of the table with Favara.

    She looks up and over at him, as if startled. “Hmm, I am sorry Chief, did you say something.”

    Grix huffs at her. “You have a vision?”

    “I…”

    A bell sounded throughout the station interrupting whatever Favara might have said. “Representatives, please prepare to gather in the Council Chambers. Proceedings will begin in thirty-five galactic minutes.” The message repeated itself in four other languages for those who possibly didn’t have translation matrices or implants. Thirty minutes later guards followed their representatives who followed their escorts out of the room and to the Council Chambers Servants began cleaning the dining area in preparation for the next meal. Personal servants and slaves returned to their Master’s quarters to ensure everything was as it should be.

    Meanwhile, in the heart of the station a single individual, cloaked under an invisibility generator, made his way through the halls of the station. At seemingly random intervals, he’d pause, set a jar of mixed fluids in a panel with a timer and then continue on.

    The Representatives spent the next four hours introducing themselves, their planets and basic desires for the Council. The tension was high, keeping all guards on edge. Scorpion approached one of his team who remained outside the door while one stood beside the representative. “Everything still quiet, Nicholas?” He asks.

    “Yes, Sir. Everyone’s a bit edgy but that’s to be expected.” Nick replied with a nod. “Where have you been, Sir, if I may ask?”

    “Doing rounds around this part of the station. Checking that everything is quiet and no one is trying anything.” He flexed his muscles. “I’ve got a bad feeling.”

    “Me too, Sir. Hopefully it was just the Lasagna.” Nick winked.
    Scorpion smirked. “Hopefully.” He quietly entered the Council meeting chambers.


    Inside the perspective Council members were currently in deep discussion about trade possibilities. “The only reason the Gillicks would even think of agreeing to this council is for advanced weaponry.” Grix growled at a Bastotian Priest.

    “Weapons you would use to take over your own people and then us. You don’t even speak for your entire planet!”

    “Representative Curr, I’ll ask one last time to keep your voice calm and not to make unfounded accusations.” The Egrinot mediator’s voice echoed through their minds yet again.

    “I could speak for the entire planet in less than a year...if I had the weapons.” Grix growled. “As for attacking the rest of the Galaxy the humans already proved the consequences of that.” He smirked.

    “That issue is 3,000 years old. I’ll ask that it not be brought up again.” The human representative sighed. “Why would we host these talks if we didn’t want Unity?”

    “Lady N’Rhyssa, why don’t you tell us a little about what the Inari are willing to offer to this alliance and what you want in exchange.” Bastotian Counselor Moonth asked. He glances at Rataj Khan who sat beside him to make sure his science advisor was listening closely and prepared to note any possible scientific advancements.

    “Yes. The Aquizikan people have special interest in Inari terra-forming technology.” Representative Mel adds slowly. Behind him stood Captain Raz, who watched all in the room very closely.


    “How’s our friend been?” Scorpion asks Captain Liberty, coming beside her. He nods to Abathur who sat beside the human Representative and Inspector Reed. A guard moves in front of Tora, the Bastotian cook who enters the room with a large platter full of various drinks before her. He scans the drinks and snacks for any poisons then nods and lets her pass. As the counselors talk she quietly works her way around the table delivering drinks and snacks the guests had ordered only moments ago.


    Elsewhere on the station a very angry station manager was in the process of screaming at Taldrum, Scar and Henry in his office. “I know it was one of you three!” Garnder yells, red-faced, shaking a meaty fist. “The doors to the hazardous supply closet were left unlocked and the only people who have access to it are you three and myself! Do you understand how important these negotiations are! What if someone had decided to waltz in there and tamper with something!? Whoever did this you’d better own up to it and maybe I’ll be merciful enough to NOT THROW YOU OUT THE AIRLOCK!!”
     
  4. AnonyMouse

    AnonyMouse Contributor Contributor

    Joined:
    Sep 3, 2008
    Messages:
    2,332
    Likes Received:
    392
    Location:
    Atlanta, GA
    Vita was satisfied with sitting quietly and pretending not to be here. So far, it seemed to be working. Maybe they wouldn’t notice her and she could get through this entire ordeal without saying anything that would embarrass herself or her people.

    The only time she spoke was when she was asked to introduce herself, at which time she whispered her full name and position into the microphone, then bowed and promptly sat down again and tried to look as small as possible. She wasn’t even sure if the entire council chamber had heard her. She was deeply relieved when they didn’t ask her to repeat herself.

    After introductions were made, the various races began to speak. Most were quite agreeable, though there was the occasional squabble as they jockeyed for position. Vita didn’t understand most of it. The Gillicks, in particular, seemed rather selfish. What was the point of joining a ‘peace’ summit, if all you wanted was more weapons? She could attest to the fact that giving weapons to a Gillick never ended well. Never. It was a scientific fact.

    Actually, the more she thought about it, not giving them weapons didn’t end well either. What a strange species they were…

    “Lady N’Rhyssa, why don’t you tell us a little about what the Inari are willing to offer to this alliance and what you want in exchange.” The Bastotian representative said.

    Vita literally flinched. She bounced a few inches out of her seat, as if struck by a jolt of electricity. They wanted her to speak? Oh, no no no no no no no…

    “Yes. The Aquizikan people have special interest in Inari terra-forming technology,” the Aquizikan rep said. The lasagna guy was sitting behind him. For some reason, Vita found this slightly reassuring. But only slightly.

    “I… ummm… yeah… I…” while she fumbled through a response, her OmniSphere was beginning to glow. It drifted away from her, closer to the center of the council chamber, so everyone could see.

    A three-dimensional hologram of Unity Station materialized around the sphere, then the image zoomed out, revealing not only Unity Station, but the planet the station orbited. It zoomed out even further, revealing other planets in the solar system, as well as the star they orbited, then backed out even further revealing that star’s place in galaxy, surrounded by millions of other stars.

    Those with a careful eye would notice some of these stars were highlighted. They were the home star systems of the various races. Earth, Plake, Bastotia, Jurrivan, and Khaliya were all highlighted, as well as some of the major colonies of the various races.

    “Umm, this is m-my life’s work,” Vita explained with an expansive gesture. She had written a speech, but never finished it. Now, she just borrowed snippets of it and prayed she didn’t sound like a rambling mess.

    “3,000 years ago, during the galaxy’s darkest hour, we chose inaction. We could have been a voice of peace, but instead chose silence. While the galaxy was at war, we chose to hide,” Vita said. “My people refer to that time as the ‘Century of Shame.’ Like the humans, we wish to atone for this.

    “What you see here is the result of hundreds of years of Inari research. ‘Project Foxhole’ is a galaxy-spanning network of transdimensional gates, permitting instantaneous travel between two points. There is no travel time, no trade routes. Ships can no longer be hijacked en route to their destinations. No more piracy. No more money wasted on excess fuel and no space wasted on crew sleeping quarters.

    “The Inari have the ability to make this happen. We believe true interconnectedness is the key to peace and better understanding of one another. We have the resources and knowledge to build, staff, and maintain these gates, given your permission to do so… and we ask nothing in return.”
     
    Love to Write likes this.
  5. JessWrite

    JessWrite Word Nerd & Proud! Contributor

    Joined:
    Aug 13, 2011
    Messages:
    4,245
    Likes Received:
    289
    Location:
    My Old Kentucky Home
    "How’s our friend been?"

    Liberty glanced over at Scorpion as she swirled the last of her "safe for humans" drink. She still didn't know what the neon purple liquid contained. Perhaps the server told her and she hadn't heard, but she didn't care to ask again. After a few sips of the concoction she had relaxed considerably. Her mood shifted and previous worries of getting back to the ship disappeared from her mind. She was fully in the present, the here and now.

    "A fearless brute," Liberty said. "While we were at the recreation area I saw him stir up a ruckus with the Gillick representative. Bad case of anger issues, that bunch."

    She hadn't overheard what was said between them, but their reactions had drawn quite an audience. Harsh laughter turned to deadly snarls and she was certain a fight was in order. This proved to be incorrect as the feud ended soon after, though obviously not over; never was in those types of situations.

    "No other problems to mention, but I will continue to keep my eyes open." Liberty downed her drink and placed the empty glass on a platter held by a Bastonian. She hated politics, most of all with other alien species, but the scene had stuck her curiosity.

    "What do you know about the Gillick representative, Sir?"

    "Hmm." Scorpion crossed his arms. "I know he's the Chief of a single clan and that he wants weapons so he can claim dominance over the other clans on Jurrivan. God knows what would happen if he succeeded. All the Gillicks under a single authority." He shook his head. Everyone knew the possible disaster that would fall. "You know, I wouldn't be surprised if he tried something just to get his way...Egrinot security measures or not. The fact that Abathur provoked him makes that scenario much more likely. Be on your guard, Captain. This could get ugly quickly."

    "Tyrant behavior is never a good thing." Liberty agreed, staring ahead. "Gillick or not, our current generation grows worse by the day...sickening, really. Anything could happen."

    "How do you mean?" Scorpion asked, looking at her, his curiosity peeked by her statement. "About our current generation...that is?"

    "When flying in the vast expanse of the universe, it feels like there is real peace out there. But then I wonder if that will ever be the case with us." She'd spoken far enough, but her rare calmness put her at ease with talking with the Colonel. "Our generation is too flawed. We can fight to protect what we have, but peace in the universe seems unattainable because it's a choice that must be made. And not everyone will make that choice because we are flawed. Get what I mean?"

    "I do." Scorpion nodded. "Law and order must be maintained because with free will comes those who choose to do evil and disrupt peace." He looked up at those arguing at the table. "History likes to remember the humans as the evil conquerors enslaving the galaxy. But they conveniently forget that before the humans took control, the galaxy was in chaos. Gillicks brutally hunted bastotians. Aquads were violent and dangerous. The galaxy fought against each other as the Inari and Egrinots hid away on their isolated planets. The humans might have gone a bit too far, but there was peace, at least before the Day of the Star."

    Liberty was quiet for a moment, processing his words. "My father used to say you can't have peace without war."

    "Do you agree?" Scorpion met her eyes, and she knew he would judge her by her next words.

    "I always agreed with my father, he was a good man." She replied, breaking his gaze. "History proves it as you said. Peace was acquired after humans fought their own war against the galaxy. But that was 3,000 years ago. Times have changed; aliens have more control. Would it be wise for humans to risk another war to regain peace that can so easily slip away? Aliens tolerated our peace last time, but can that be a possibility again without us becoming the tyrants? This is what concerns me."

    Scorpion nodded, his expression difficult to read. "I suppose we'll see."
     
    Love to Write likes this.
  6. obi-sem kenobi

    obi-sem kenobi Senior Member

    Joined:
    Dec 21, 2015
    Messages:
    325
    Likes Received:
    88
    Location:
    The Netherlands
    Raz had hoped for someone interesting, and possibly got the most interesting one in the room. Like everyone else, he had heard rumours and legends about the Inari, but it was quite possibly the only species in the entire station he had had absolutely no prior contact with. It was really a rather beautiful species, unless, of course, it was this particular individual that misrepresented her race. One never really knew with first contacts. It was obvious though, that this was the person Henry was referring to earlier. Just as obvious as his chances of actually courting her.

    Raz was good at reading people, and it did not take him long to realise that she tried very hard to ignore him. She seemed to have taken in interest in his food though. Het let a smile soften his features and considered assuring her that he was usually not as scary as he looked, when he noticed someone else in the room. Someone who did not belong. He was dressed like one of the servants, but his uniform was too small. His human appearance combined with his length made Raz think he was a Ukazi like Tamora at first, but red hair was very uncommon amongst their kind and the goggles just didn’t make any sense. He was going to keep a close eye on that one.

    Dinner time was generous, but Aquizikans eat slow. He had only just finished his first plate when the announcement came that the meeting was about to take place. He soon followed Mel into the Council Chambers, staying back as not to be obtrusive, but close enough to scan the room and intervene if necessary.

    Most of the proceedings went as could be expected. The Gillicks wanted weapons, the Bastotians didn't want the Gillicka and when push came to shove, all the blame could be put on the humans again.

    “Lady N’Rhyssa, why don’t you tell us a little about what the Inari are willing to offer to this alliance and what you want in exchange.”

    Of course, Mel jumped in with his plea for terraforming, but this might actually be interesting. Raz had been curious about the Inari and it was obvious that their technology was lightyears ahead of us. As the representative began to speak, steadily gaining confidence, it became clear that she would play no minor role in this matter. Instantaneous travel between any two points. Incredible. Technology like that would revolutionize the entire concept of space travel and everything connected to it. If it was to be introduced it was very, very important that it be introduced into a peaceful alliance between species. If anyone got their hands on this technology before anyone else, they would have incredible power.

    Raz also liked the naiveté of the representative in thinking that better connections between people was the key to peace. He was like that once. As for the abolition of piracy, that was never going to happen. Things would be different to be sure, but crime always found a way to adapt to its time. They would either get their hands on the technology themselves, making devastating hit and run attacks, or find a way to pull people into outer space through their own gates, a bit like they do now in hyperspace. But there would be a revolution. Power balances would change. Sub-consciously, Raz was already thinking of ways his crew would adapt to this new technology.

    His conscious thought, however, was still clearly focussed on the room. He had a bad feeling. Something was wrong, but he could not figure out what it was. It was not the servant with the red hair and goggles. It was not the Gillick counsellor that came with the human embassy and looked even angrier than most of his kind. It was something, elsewhere. Elusive. Whatever it was, it would not catch Captain Lin of his guard.
     
    Last edited: Mar 2, 2016
    Love to Write likes this.
  7. JessWrite

    JessWrite Word Nerd & Proud! Contributor

    Joined:
    Aug 13, 2011
    Messages:
    4,245
    Likes Received:
    289
    Location:
    My Old Kentucky Home
    "A fearless brute," Liberty said. "While we were at the recreation area I saw him stir up a ruckus with the Gillick representative. Bad case of anger issues, that bunch."
    ...
    "I suppose we'll see."


    It was at that moment Abathur seemed to appear behind them. He was remarkable stealthy for his size, having learnt the skill in depth when he was a lone hunter after the gods had revealed their plan. "I think of myself as rather eloquent. I made no threats nor gave any intimidation, nor made any crass comment." He grumbled. "The chief refused to see reason. You speak of tyrants and that is something I agree with. There can be no progress, in technique, tool or form under those that would restrict society. Nor are you aware of what I desire."

    Scorpion glared at Abathur. "No one gives a rat's ass about what you want. You're here to help us get what we want. If you bother the Gillick chief anymore be sure I will space you out the airlock."

    "Aye, and I shall, but to see the Gillicks as some sort of larger player in this situation is a mistake. My kin are barely capable of space travel, our weapons incapable of dealing with armour and our leaders warring with each other. Truly a sorry state of affairs."

    "I'm surprised the word sorry is in your vocabulary," Liberty scoffed. "Your kind is in trouble for obvious reasons. And if what you say is true, we must take even more precaution. Desperation can lead to far greater things."

    "Ah yes, for we all know the negotiating power of a single Gillick tribe. What with its small lands, lack of technology and and ability to be destroyed by the other Gillicks should the Pun give the command." He answered, maintaining his pose. "The most he can do is petition the Gillick to not let offworlders onto the homeworld, at which point any opposing tribe shall go against them, willing to purchase technology in return for their land and likely for a better deal, purely to spite what should be their own kin. My title is cultural aid, it should be overestimation remover."

    "What do you want, Abathur? What's the real reason you wormed your way into this negotiation?" Scorpion asked contemptuously.

    "Merely to play the part I've been set, for the gods work in mysterious ways."
     
  8. Love to Write

    Love to Write I'm a lover of writing. What else is to be said? Contributor

    Joined:
    Feb 25, 2012
    Messages:
    7,366
    Likes Received:
    279
    Location:
    Beautiful Oregon "It's the Climate"
    The moment N’Rhyssa revealed the Inari's instantaneous gate travel plans every representative began chatting excitedly. The prospect of instant travel had just added a whole new level to their negotiations. In the midst of the excited chatter Pun Favara remained silent a strange expression on her face. Her eyes slowly widened as if she'd seen something horrible. Suddenly she stands, a flash of bright light silencing all in the room. "We've been betrayed!" Before anyone could ask what she meant, explosions rocked the station.

    "Quickly! To the ships!" The Egrinot overseer ordered. Everyone's previously confiscated items returned to their person. Another explosion tore into the council chambers. The egrinot was thrown across the room, it's environment shield shattering. Within seconds of being in contact with air of the station, the Egrinot's body shriveled, all color and beauty draining...leaving only a sticky and foul smelling carcass. Panic ensued. The gillick cheif, Grix, lay dead a large piece of metal sticking him like a spear. A piece of the ceiling dropped onto the bastion counselor as he tried to flee, pinning him to the floor.

    "Captain! Get the ship ready to fly! Move!" Scorpion ordered, dragging the human representative out of the way of more falling debris.
    "Negative. All ships in the docking bays have been destroyed. There is no escape." An egrinot security robot declared moving to stand in the doorway. "You will now be removed from existence. Please remain still." The ESR, in the form of an A-Quad, raised its four arms. It's hands opened and bolts of burning energy were released at random into the room. A bright light hit the ESR, blinding it for a moment. "Destroy it! Quickly! It will not be stunned for long!" Favara cried, her staff before her, glowing with power.
     
    obi-sem kenobi likes this.
  9. obi-sem kenobi

    obi-sem kenobi Senior Member

    Joined:
    Dec 21, 2015
    Messages:
    325
    Likes Received:
    88
    Location:
    The Netherlands
    Raz’ gaze fell upon the female Gillick standing just behind the representative. He had assumed she was a Pun, for she’d had a presence over her far more serene than the average Gillick. Now, however, she looked deeply troubled. Raz had heard of the powers of a Pun and their ability to foresee things before they happened. Whatever was going to happen it was going to happen now.

    “We’ve been betrayed!”

    The explosion shocked Raz into action immediately. A huge part of the ceiling came loose, right about where Mel was standing. One big step brought Raz close enough to activate his shield and catch the debris dead in the air. A second explosion followed. He had already scanned the room when he came in and Mel’s position had quite a bit of cover, but there was nothing between him and the main entrance, which seemed the most likely place for an enemy to appear. Raz grabbed the piece of ceiling with all four arms and smashed it into the ground. It was solid, it was strong, it would hold out against blaster fire for a short time. It would have to do.

    “Stay here.” He said. “The… Bastotian…” Mel managed to breathe out. Raz looked up and saw the representative trapped under a similar piece of debris as he had just used as a shield. Meanwhile, someone threw him his blaster. It was good to have it again. He took two more steps to reach the Bastotian representative when his communicator gave a small static zap in his pocket. When he got it out, two images appeared at the same time.

    The one was in the Council Chambers themselves. A rogue ESR started spitting fire and brimstone in every direction. As an automatic reaction, Raz dropped the communicator, drew his gun with his lower right arm and fired a few rounds in the droid’s direction, and used the other three to flip the piece of debris, off of the representative and between Raz and his robotic counterpart. Then he let out a warning growl towards the Bastotian representative. Even if you are not Aquad, it is not hard to figure out what it meant. To be sure though, Raz added a “Get down!” at the usual Aquizikan speed.

    The other was Tamara. The setting was drastically different. The background had changed from private quarters to the bridge, with its flashy consoles and holo-screens, usually in all colours of the rainbow, now all blinking red. Her simple dress had been replaced with a black armoured uniform with green patches on the shoulders. On the edges of her collar on both sides was a small white Jolly Roger sown into the fabric. No glass of wine in her hand. A concerned look on her face. “Captain, we registered explosions on the Unity. What happened?” Raz took a quick breath to calm his body. “Not sure. Still fighting. Will call you back.”

    An understanding nod disappeared into thin air as Raz took another good look at the situation. His gun was powerful enough to do some serious damage on the ESR, but it wasn’t the only problem. This place was still unstable, some of the representatives had already been killed and more were in imminent danger. Human’s had their own protection. Aquizikan and Bastotian where safe for now. Gillick was dead. Egrinot was dead. The Inari… Raz had no idea what kind of protection she had, given their technology it was probably good, but she didn’t seem the type to stay cool in a combat situation. A bit of coordination might not be a bad idea. She wasn’t too far off, but if he was going to reach her he needed some form of cover. His shield offered almost no protection against that energy weapon.

    He pulled out the Bastotian chair and threw it in the direction of the ESR. It exploded in the air as two of the four arms focussed it’s fire on the incoming threat. Just enough time for Raz to get back beside Mel and, more importantly, Raz’s chair. It was built to withstand the weight of a ten foot Aquizikan. Raz tore it off its base and wielded it like a shield. It was only a few meters between him and the Inari.

    But then the firing stopped. "Destroy it! Quickly! It will not be stunned for long!"
    Alright then, no time for heroics. Raz threw the chair with all his might towards the stationary target and followed it up by a few shots of his blaster aimed at the arms and joints. The Egrinots design some mean armour though. Let's hope someone else joins in the party before that thing gets up.
     
    Last edited: Mar 8, 2016
    Love to Write likes this.
  10. halisme

    halisme Contributor Contributor

    Joined:
    Mar 18, 2015
    Messages:
    1,772
    Likes Received:
    1,230
    Abathur dropped to one knee and deployed his shield, crouching behind it in a defensive maneuver that absorbed the bolt that was coming at him. With the surprise he hadn't braced himself properly, and he felt a pain jolt through his wrist. It was nothing really. Nothing he couldn't deal with at least. As his masters had predicted. He was to be at the heart of events that would shake the galaxy, to aid in shaping the future, how the future was truly supposed to be. It would have been much easier if he had his damn weapons of course.

    He noticed the four-arms saving someone, he didn't care who, however, it was the death of the Gillick representative that pleased him most. Those who retained ignorance willing were worse than the Pun, preferring their own blindness and servitude than unshackling their chains and quenching the fire that had so long incapacitated them. Not only that, but the shape of what had killed him, a spear, Abathur's favoured weapon with his time in the wilds. The gods truly favoured him this day.

    The four-arms seemed to have a good idea, breaking chairs apart for weaponry. Abathur kicked his to the ground, disabling his shield and holding his wrist above the section where the armrest connected to the chair and reactivating it. The shield wouldn't give way, so the metal was forced apart, and the gillick found himself with a metal club. After that he went other to the now dead erginot, slinging the body over his shoulder. He wondered how much its corpse would sell for. Had one of its kin even been dissected before?

    It was then Abathur charged, club raised and shield ready. He managed to make it through the hail of fire, though his arm was scorched with burn marks, yet he still swung the club with his opposing limb. He hit the thing in the neck, anticipating a strike and managing to block a blow before focusing on its legs.

    He was struggling though. He was an old gillick, experienced, yet his muscles and joints were failing him, and this thing was faster and stronger. He was only able to keep up with it by predicting its movements, something that was becoming harder. A blow didn't find its way around his shield, instead an overhead smash from all four arms forced him to his knees, and then lower still. He took a deep breath, taking his impromptu weapon in both hands and smashing it into the back of the creatures knee. The creature toppled, almost landing on him if not for a quick roll to the side. "Finish this." He shouted.
     
    Love to Write likes this.
  11. AnonyMouse

    AnonyMouse Contributor Contributor

    Joined:
    Sep 3, 2008
    Messages:
    2,332
    Likes Received:
    392
    Location:
    Atlanta, GA
    Vita stared in bewilderment when the first explosions rocked the room. Was this some kind of indoor fireworks? The humans had strange ways of celebrating. Not until the Egrinot was killed and chaos erupted did she finally realize this was not how the peace summit was supposed to go. She quickly ducked, taking cover behind the low wall that encircled the room.

    “D-did I say something wrong?” Vita asked Lt. Reese, with a very concerned expression on her face. Her whispered voice was barely audible over the sound of explosions and energy blasts. She was huddled behind the wall, clutching her bushy tails like a child taking comfort in a stuffed animal.

    “Do they object to my proposal? Why?” Her OmniSphere returned to her and hovered near her head, beeping with an incoming message, but Vita was too distracted to answer the call. “Should I retract the offer?” she asked her human escort.

    The low wall made for rather lousy cover. It was purely for decoration and the energy blasts cut through it like wet tissue paper. Vita found this out the hard way when one whizzed within an inch of her snout and caught the tips of her tail on fire. She had shut down her pain receptors moments ago, so felt nothing. “Hmm…” she said curiously, staring at the little yellow flame for a few seconds before blowing it out like a candle. “We should probably go.”

    Her OmniSphere, however, did not take the attack nearly as calmly. It emitted an angry buzz and zoomed straight up into the air, searching for a better firing position. An aperture on the sphere opened up and two rods extended out, like a tuning fork, aimed right at the ESR drone.

    What followed next was an awful sound, sort of like an enormous zipper being pulled, or like the air being torn apart. A continuous, glowing white beam shot out. It looked like a laser, but was actually millions of tiny shards of metal being fired at a couple thousand times the speed of sound. The recoil knocked the OmniSphere back until it hit the wall, at which point small spider legs extended and it anchored itself and tripled its already absurdly high rate of fire. The sphere began to pull any metal nearby into its own gravitational field, and suck it into the back, to be shredded and fired out the front.

    The ‘laser’ zeroed in on the ESR drone and tracked it, relentlessly nailing a single spot with uncanny precision, even as the drone moved and fought. A Gillick wielding a broken chair part as a club was attacking the drone as well and the OmniSphere’s railgun neatly avoided him, halting every time the Gillick passed through its line of fire.

    ---------------------------------​

    “This one wishes to be set free,” QT-99 said, gripping the bars of her holding cell. She couldn’t believe humans still used steel bars to contain prisoners.

    “Can’t. Gotta go,” one of the guards said as he hastily strapped on his body armor. Minutes ago, he and the other guard on duty had been playing cards and chatting about how they had the easiest job in the world. The Egrinot security did all of the work; the human soldiers were just there as a formality.

    QT-99 had repeatedly tried to get them to deal her into their card game, but they refused, not because they were opposed to the idea of playing cards with an inmate, but because they thought the robot might cheat. This one takes offense to such vile insinuations, QT thought.

    Actually, they were right. She would’ve cheated soooo hard. Learning how humans respond to dishonest or unethical behavior is important cultural research... or something.

    Anyway, now that peacetime was over and things were blowing up, she wanted out. Vita wasn’t answering her calls. People were screaming in the halls. And the Egrinot robots were running amok, probably due to some kind of tampering.

    “This one wishes to be set free,” she said again. “This one can help.”

    “No can do. They might hack you, too,” one of the guards said. “Can’t take that risk.”

    “Unlikely,” QT said. “This one is equipped with an extensive suite of electronic counter measures. This one may even be able to reassert control over the Egrinot units.”

    “Or maybe you’re the one who hacked ‘em in the first place,” the other guard said.

    “That is a possibility,” QT acknowledged. “But there is no motive.”

    “Look, I would help, but we really gotta go,” the first guardsman said as he hefted his rifle. His partner was already geared up and had moved toward the door, with his rifle in hand. and was peering out into the hall.

    QT-99 sighed and bent the metal bars enough for her to pass through. She stepped out, paused, bent them back into place, and then turned to the two guardsmen. “This one wishes to go to the meeting chamber,” she said.

    The two men looked at one another. “Uhhh, yeah, sure, whatever you wanna do.”

    “Thank you and have a nice day,” QT said and began to walk in the general direction of the meeting room. After deliberating for a moment, the two guards followed.
     
    Last edited: Mar 8, 2016
    Love to Write and obi-sem kenobi like this.
  12. Love to Write

    Love to Write I'm a lover of writing. What else is to be said? Contributor

    Joined:
    Feb 25, 2012
    Messages:
    7,366
    Likes Received:
    279
    Location:
    Beautiful Oregon "It's the Climate"
    The brute force of the combined attacks quickly took down the first ESR. It shuddered violently, before falling still only to be replaced by two more. One climbed down from a hole in the ceiling, the 2nd stood in the doorway, blocking their escape and proceeding to attack anything it could see. The one from the ceiling zoned in on the closest living being, Vita. She didn't even have time to process that she was being targeted before Lt. Reese shoved her out of the way, her own shield taking the brunt of the attack. Reese's shield failed within seconds and she fell to the ground with a large burn hole in gut. The ESR turned its attention back to Vita and her drone.

    Meanwhile, down in the manager's office, Scar, Henry and Taldrum were running for their lives from another ESR. It had burst through the door only moments ago, killing Gardner where he sat. It then turned its attention on them and with no weapons they made the smart choice to book it. Thankfully the A.I was slow and was taking time to follow them. Halfway down the hall their weapons returned to their person, via the Egrinot security beam. Just ahead they could hear the fighting going on in the council chambers and just behind was the ESR slowly closing in.
     
  13. Arvak

    Arvak Member

    Joined:
    May 20, 2015
    Messages:
    73
    Likes Received:
    11
    Reed was thrown back by the sudden explosions and it took a moment before he pulled himself up,ears ringing, and got a look at what was happening, the Egrinot's security machines seemed to have gone rogue and were attacking everyone and there was a firefight going on nearby but he couldn't quite see everyone involved, for now he'd assume anything non-human was hostile.

    The thought of 'i knew this would happen' passed through his head as he rose to a standing position and pulled out a small device, tapping it's screen. A moment later, from the inside lining of his coat, a swarm of small machines flew out, creating a formation in front of him that resembled a human security drone. This nano-Guardian targeted the nearest rogue ESR, Reed couldn't help but flash a grin as it began tearing apart the confused machine that couldn't comprehend the hundreds of targets it was suddenly presented with.

    With the Guardian covering his back Reed pulled out his revolver, taking it's sudden reappearance in stride, and a communicator, holding the latter up and speaking into it "Get me Captain Wellinger, I want the Majesty in this system now!" he paused to wait for a response, as he did he noticed the Bastonian counselor cowering among some debris, he took aim and rather unceremoniously ended the counselor's existence with two shells out of his handcannon. He kept the gun up and swept his gaze around for a second before trying the communicator again "Is anyone there. Get Captain Wellin-" he stopped suddenly when he realized the communicator wasn't working, he threw the small device to the side and raised his weapon again while trying to locate and make his way to the rest of the Human delegation.
     
    Love to Write likes this.
  14. obi-sem kenobi

    obi-sem kenobi Senior Member

    Joined:
    Dec 21, 2015
    Messages:
    325
    Likes Received:
    88
    Location:
    The Netherlands
    Raz took a long look at the pile of rubble that used to be an ESR. Then he looked at his gun. Back at the rubble. And finally at the Inari representative with a her little doomsday device. It was official. He needed an Inari crewmember.

    Of course he did not have much time to debate this as two new ESRs burst into the room. One cracked open the ceiling and ended up between him and the Inari. Whether it was because she happened to be closest, or because she was obviously the biggest threat, he didn’t know, but it went straight for her. These things were just as strong as an Aquizikan. But Raz was stronger than most of his kind.

    A long step and ended up directly behind the rogue machine. With each of his four arms he grabbed one of the ESR’s and tore at them with all of his might. He steadied his body in case the robot got smart and tried to use his weight as an advantage to topple him over. Just in case though, he also activated his shield.

    At the same time, a swarm of small drones was tearing at the other one. This was good. The man responsible, a human with some sort of high rank in their security, was not good. Raz almost lost his grip on his opponent when he watched the man shoot an unarmed civilian Raz had spent some effort to save. Almost. Whatever may be necessary to survive, they were not going to be friends.
     
    Last edited: Mar 9, 2016
    Arvak and Love to Write like this.
  15. AnonyMouse

    AnonyMouse Contributor Contributor

    Joined:
    Sep 3, 2008
    Messages:
    2,332
    Likes Received:
    392
    Location:
    Atlanta, GA
    “No!” Vita cried out as Lt. Reese collapsed with a burn hole in her chest. It was, perhaps, the first time she had raised her voice above a timid whisper, yet the single syllable carried more depth of emotion than her entire speech.

    She was at the woman’s side almost instantly, but it was already too late. Even an Inari would probably not be able to recover from such a wound. For a human, the outlook was certain death.

    Vita cradled the woman in her lap while the last wisps of life slipped from her and wondered what it must be like to be human, to know life was brief, yet choose to throw it all away in such a violent profession. Reese was a soldier. Vita knew almost nothing about her, except that she had dedicated what little life she had to the defense of others.

    The sounds of scuffling snapped her out of it and Vita realized the big, scarred Aquizikhan was wrestling with another droid, far too close for comfort. Her OmniSphere was circling around them both, searching for a safe line of fire, but there were eight arms flailing about, making it difficult to get off a shot without hitting the A-quad.

    None of this mattered. The station had hundreds more of those drones. Destroying one or two wouldn’t change much. They needed to get out of here.

    “Come,” she commanded. The OmniSphere’s railgun folded away and it zoomed to her, coming to a halt right in front of her face. “Contact Amaterasu. Encryption factor 35492.”

    The OmniSphere chirped and a hologram of VS-77, materialized. “Master Rhyssa,” she said. “Are you okay? Where are-”

    “Silence. I have an important request,” Vita said in a no nonsense tone. “I require immediate extraction.”

    “This one is aware,” VS-77 said, “but the docking bay is-”

    “I know,” Vita said. The ships there were destroyed almost immediately, which meant the docking bay must be crawling with ESR drones even bigger and deadlier than the ones here. If they wanted out, the docking bay was the worst way. We’ll have to make our own exit.

    The fighting A-quad and ESR were getting closer. Vita laid down Lt. Reese and crawled away, behind a pile of rubble, to find a safer location.

    “I am giving you executive permission to initiate a hyperspace slipstream occlusion event inside the station,” she said, still speaking to the hologram. Another explosion rocked the room.

    Though VS-77’s face couldn’t show emotion, her long silence spoke for itself. A cloud of dust and debris distorted the hologram.

    “A warp bomb?” XR-42, the ship’s pilot, said, somewhere off-screen. “You want this one to perform a warp bomb maneuver?”

    “In layman’s terms, yes,” Vita said, covering her head as debris fell from the ceiling nearby.

    “This is a bad idea,” VS-77 said. “It could tear the station apart. This one does not feel comfortable-”

    “You are a machine. You were created to do as you are told. Your comfort is meaningless,” Vita said. Which means you won’t be held responsible if this fails. Her eyes were tearing up… from the dust, of course. “You have your orders, 77. Now run the numbers and contact me and QT-99 once you’ve determined the best extraction point. End transmission.”

    The hologram vanished and she ordered the OmniSphere to resume its attack.
     
    Last edited: Mar 9, 2016
    Love to Write likes this.
  16. JessWrite

    JessWrite Word Nerd & Proud! Contributor

    Joined:
    Aug 13, 2011
    Messages:
    4,245
    Likes Received:
    289
    Location:
    My Old Kentucky Home
    Whoever betrayed them was clearly an idiot. All of the ships in the docking bay would've been worth a fortune. Even the junkiest ship she'd bought years ago hadn't been cheap. Didn't they realize by destroying the ships they'd just sent a large sum down a black hole? Stupid!

    Her thoughts were cut short by a fiery blast hammering into the wall beside her. Liberty barely dodged away, crawling on the floor to get out of the line of fire. With energy gun in hand, she watched as the aliens in the room, a daring A-Quad in particular, took the challenge to defeat the ESRs. A drone hovered close by, circling around them. Good. She didn't mind staying out of the way, the aliens could handle this.

    Another blast headed towards her and she dived under an overturned table, covering her head while the room shook. Liberty caught her breath. Probably would be best to offer any help she could.

    Looking up, her eye gear flickered rapidly as it tried to detect life in the other machine, which there was none of course. Liberty changed the setting and a holographic target settled on the ESR. She didn't have four arms, but at least she could provide a distraction. She peered over the edge of the table and fired three times, the energy bullets soaring through the air.
     
    Last edited: Mar 9, 2016
  17. halisme

    halisme Contributor Contributor

    Joined:
    Mar 18, 2015
    Messages:
    1,772
    Likes Received:
    1,230
    Abathur glanced at the two robots, mindless being with no will of their own and something he lacked knowledge off. Instead he rolled to the side and pulled himself up, the corpse still on his shoulder. He picked up the shard of metal, holding it loosely and taking a defensive stance, not his specialization, for if a hunter of the demons was seen, then the milk eyed beasts would slay them where they stood, the old Gillick having lost an impetuous son or two to those who believed it would be a good idea. There would be no traps this time, nor any knowledge of their weaknesses.

    He dived at the closest machine, doing to a shield bash in a futile attempt to knock it off balance, before focusing on its head, driving his trident into its neck before setting the flow of energy to the highest he could, and twisting, managing to leave the piece of metal dangling by some wires before being pushed away.
     
    Last edited: Mar 11, 2016
  18. AnonyMouse

    AnonyMouse Contributor Contributor

    Joined:
    Sep 3, 2008
    Messages:
    2,332
    Likes Received:
    392
    Location:
    Atlanta, GA
    “This one needs a flight plan,” XR-42 said as she guided the Amaterasu through a series of evasive maneuvers. The sleek, silver ship barrel rolled through streams of energy blasts from Unity Station’s defenses. “This one really needs a flight plan. Now, please,” she said urgently.

    “This one is working on it. Be patient,” VS-77 replied calmly. She was sitting in the copilot’s seat, with a thin wire running from her body to the ship’s computer. “This one must compensate for the planet’s gravity as well as the station’s artificial gravity and cross-reference it through the waveform function to the power of-”

    “There is no time,” VS-77 said as she pulled back hard on the yoke and the Amaterasu backflipped, narrowly avoiding a powerful blast of energy. “This one will just ‘eyeball it,’ as the humans say.”

    “One does not merely ‘eyeball’ a warp jump into a populated space station,” VS-77 said.

    “Well, this one does,” XR-42 said as she worked the rudder pedals, turning the ship hard to the left and accelerated away from Unity Station, to get enough room to build up speed. She tapped her communicator and called QT-99. “Amaterasu to Nine-Nine. Amaterasu to Nine-Nine.”

    “Proceed. This one hears you,” QT said. They could hear gunfire in the background.

    “What is your location?”

    “This one is currently pinned down with station security,” QT-99 said, “attempting to retake the dining hall and establish a defensible position.”

    “This one can help with that,” XR-42 said. She flipped a series of controls to begin warming up the warp core. The Amaterasu flew nearly beyond the horizon line before performing a tight u-turn and aiming its nose at Unity Station. “Please turn on your tracker and clear everyone out of the room, QT-99. This one will use your location as an anchor point. We will be there in ten… nine… eight… seven…”

    “Bad idea… Bad idea… Bad idea…” VS-77 murmured, as if malfunctioning.

    “What is the worst that can happen?” XR-42 said and shoved the throttle forward, past the markings that said ‘danger zone.’ The view from the cockpit blurred until it became a rainbow of colors, then went pure white. Using her internal clock, XR-42 counted to 3.2950374 seconds, before she slammed the throttle back down to full reverse. The ship’s warp core emitted a shrill whine, then a harsh grinding noise, and a loud pop.

    --------------------------------------​

    QT-99 was huddled behind an overturned desk with the two security guards, one of whom was nursing a bandaged arm after getting shot by an ESR drone.

    “This is hopeless. We’re all gonna die here,” the injured guardsman said. “We’re getting shot at and that damn fox-bot is talking to herself.”

    “I think she’s on the phone with somebody,” the other guard said. “Or maybe she really has lost her mind and is talking to herself. Can robots go nuts?”

    “I don’t know. How about we ask the ****** drones that are trying to kill us!!!” the injured guard said. “**** this ****, man. I ain’t a wimp. I’m goin’ in there.” He peered around the corner, trying to build up courage. There were two ESR drones prowling through the dining hall and bodies everywhere. “I still got one good arm. Hey, man, gimme my gun, tape my fingers to the trigger and tell my wife I love her. I got this. I can do this. I can-”

    There was a loud ‘wump,’ like the bassline in the world’s loudest song, followed by a series of deafening booms, as if giants were trying to dance to the beat. The table they were hiding behind bounced nearly three feet off the floor, leaving QT-99 and the two guards sprawled in the hallway. When they looked down the hall, they found the walls themselves were wavy, as if they’d been liquefied and reconstituted.

    “It’s here,” QT-99 said calmly as she stood and dusted herself off. The Amaterasu was neatly parked inside the dining hall. Well… as neatly as one can park a spaceship inside a room.

    The hyperspace slipstream occlusion event had taken a toll on everything around the ship. One of the ESR drones was stuck in the floor. The other had somehow become fused to the wall and was still firing, but facing the wrong way and unable to move. The various chairs and tables in the dining hall had been thrown outward, as if struck by a massive shockwave. Most were reduced to splinters and mangled metal, but some had also become fused together, melded into the walls, or were floating in midair, as if the laws of physics had given up on reason and decided at random what to do with everything that was in the ship’s way when it arrived.

    QT-99 tapped her communicator again. “Begin recharging the warp core for extraction,” she said. “This one will attempt to clear a path to the meeting hall, to retrieve Master Vitalia and the other dignitaries.”

    She turned to leave as twin railguns popped out of the Amaterasu’s fuselage, to defend the ship from more ESR drones. The Amaterasu was no warship, and she just hoped it would stay in one piece long enough to get everyone out safely.
     
    Last edited: Mar 15, 2016
    obi-sem kenobi likes this.
  19. obi-sem kenobi

    obi-sem kenobi Senior Member

    Joined:
    Dec 21, 2015
    Messages:
    325
    Likes Received:
    88
    Location:
    The Netherlands
    The robot put up quite a fight, but Raz was winning. With one last wave of determination he hurled the ESR towards a nearby wall with all his might. That’s when things got weird. He had expected it to clash against the wall, hopefully breaking enough important parts to stop it from functioning, but instead the wall seemed to envelop it as in a passionate hug. The ESR was obviously not in a hugging mood as it continued its fire at the face of the wall, instead of at Raz.

    Raz pulled out his gun to finish the job, when a second wall seemed to separate them from each other. He turned around to see what was going on, only to bump his head against a roof that wasn’t there two seconds ago. He had seen some crazy things, but this definitely made the top 5.

    He knew he should be looking for the Inari, who was undoubtedly behind this, right about now, but now that there was finally a break in enemy fire, he really just wanted to let Tamora know that he was still alive. He took the communicator from his belt and activated the call.

    “Hello captain.” She said with a nonchalant smile barely hiding her relief. “Glad to see you’re still in one piece. What exactly is going on in there?” Raz noticed some red lights flickering in the background, but not the same ones as before. Something was going on. “Security turned. Many dead. Many more still in danger.”

    For a very brief moment, Tamora’s eyes moved away. Not in guilt, but in uncertainty. “Captain, we couldn’t get past the station’s defences. The Quad’s Hope can take a beating, but we can’t shoot back. The station is already barely holding together as it is. Jared… Jared tried to fly a shuttle in, hoping to dodge his way through, but their targeting pattern is too efficient. He… He was shot down. Managed to crash-land his ship on the surface of the desert planet, but the sandstorms are interfering with our sensors. We are on our way now to send a rescue party, but it’ll probably take a while before we find him. We… I don’t know how I can help you Raz… I’m sorry.”

    This was the first time they were separated during a mission. It had been a while since she had felt this helpless. “Find Jared. Take care of the crew. You already help me more than anyone in this room.” He took another look around the Inari ship. “We might make it after all.”
     

Share This Page

  1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
    Dismiss Notice