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Royal Member of BonBon Joined: 28 Oct 2009 Posts: 4247

Angel sat at the head of the flagship fleet when the security alarms started to go off.
Angel: “what’s going on?”
Crewmen “we’ve been spotted legion is targeting us”
Angel: good Fire on that damned ship with everything we’ve got.”
Angel sat forward only to be pushed back in her chair with a wet cloth over her face the wet cloth was full of an inhaled tranquilizer. Angel soon passed out.
Scorpion walked in front of the captain’s chair and picked her up.
Scorpion: Im sorry Angel I can’t let you go on this suicide mission whose going to take of your kids if you get yourself killed you leave this to me and the fleet. Scorpion placed Angel in a escape pod and set it to go to back to the guardians colony
Scorpion left her a message that had everything he had told her plus a request to get the Guardians President to completely mobilize and prepare for a hard fight.

Scorpion Returned to the head of the flagship hope. The crewmen all stood up and saluted him he opened a broadcast to the rest of his and angels surviving fleet.
“Men and Women you are the finest bunch of pilots I have had the pleasure to serve with it’s a honor to call each and every one of you my friend and to know that we will fight and die for the sake of freedom brings me joy. Now this Ship Legion caught us off guard we even lost a good friend and Leader in Gaz but fear not for we will see him again in the after life with Legion as our trophy ship. I hereby authorize the use of type S3 Class weapons and ammo all shields and Mac cannons to full power this Legion caught us off guard before now lets show it true guardian might.!!!”
With those words every Fighter from all the ships stormed the legion and the rest of its fleet each ship including the Carriers fired in unison there mightiest grade weapons the S3 Hammer head rounds.

Rank: Super Veteran Joined: 18 Dec 2008 Posts: 3307

((Pass for now...))

Rank: Super Veteran Joined: 18 Dec 2009 Posts: 7678

Aboard Nameless

Wolf had dozed off to sleep. He still found it hard to believe that he was somehow talked into a drink, much less couldn't help but stare at the beautiful wolfette Sandra. Slowly limping his body unto the room, he turned off the heater, making a bone freezing cold enter the room. Wolf didn't mind in the slightest. Not bothering to take off his general clothing/armor, he only took out his Five-SeveN and 8 inch knife and placed them on the neraby table. Looking at the dream machine, he set it to the recording feature and laid back on its strange, yet softly accomodating bed. His eyes fell down soon after as his visage was filled with darkness, the one thing he has always melded with.

Wolf's dream

A draft made his body shiver. It was strange as his sense always enjoyed the cold. His body felt the ground to be rather shifty, as he couldn't feel a stable footing beneath him. He was underwater. Opening his eyes, they met a number of wonders, to the blueness and expanse water, from exotic fishes, to beautiful corrals, to a few large whales and sharks passing by. It seemed like a peacefull dream at first, but suddenly, a hardness began to well up on Wolf's throat. He ws running out of oxygen. Grasping his throat from discomfort, he began swimming upwards at full speed. The water turned red, the beautiful sceenery no more. The fish and animals attacked each other, creating an untol number of corpses and blood on the water. The corrals dissapeared, the sharks went aggresive and something snagged on his leg. Seaweed seemed to had been trapped on it as he wriggled madly to get free. That was when the sharks noticed him.

As the two approached, he reached for his knife and cut the seaweed loose, knowing that with low oxygen, he couldn't bother to kill them. It was then that he was just a few inches away from the surface, when a red hand slowly reached down, grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and with little to no effort at all, pulled his head out of the water. Taking a deep gasp of air, he found it hard as whoever had grabbed him, tightened their grip on his windpipe. A familiar voice, but a twisted ring to it fluttered into his mind.

"Oh little Wolfy boy. Are you afraid of losing that precious to you? Oh my! I forgot YOU DID!!!!".

With the words, the hand plunged the head down again, making his nuzzle inhale water and wriggle madly, his hands trying to pull away at the grip, to no avail. The hand pulled him up again and another loud gsp for air ensued.

"Are you afraid of losing people? Are you fraid that they will die because of YOUR fault!?!?"

The hand eased the grip, letting Wolf take in so much needed oxygen. Upto that point, he didn't bother to look up at his assailant but now, his eyes trailed up. What he saw made his eyes bulge in they're sockets. It was Sandra!!

"Well, well wolfy boy!? You like my looks huh!? You want to RAVAGE me like that Thomas one wants to, no!? Well go ahead!!"

Again, she sunk his head deep within. This time she held it in and chocked off his windpipe. In a matter of seconds, he was unconscious. When his eyes flickered to life again, he was in a sort of limbo. White room all around, nothing exept himself and his dark clothing, making him stick out like a sore thumb. Suddenly, an explosion rocked from behind him and shook the whole place. Suddenly a weeping figure clinged unto his back. The red fur and gentle touch made him spin around to see Sandra's face, crying as a few tears slowly rolled down her face.

"Y-you couldn't save us.....save me.....Why Wolf? WHY!?"

His face was struck with fear and pain. The image that clunged to him then kneeled down as it aimed at the site where the explosion came from, a black mushroom of smoke, pouring out. Up ahead, 4 bodies lay unconscious. One was Dante, the other was Thomas, the third was Kyle and the last was White. All of them, covered in bruises, cuts, blood and dead, on the white floor. Wolf took a step back, watching at the bodies that lay on the floor, dead.

"You.....you killed them Wolf.....You let them die, by not hearing me out....and now....you get me as a prize."

A strong force spun him around, when Sandra threw himslef unto his arms, with an alluring look in her eye as she pressed her breast up his chest. Wolf's eyes turned into frowns of anger as he pushed her off, yet, she clunnged unto his suit and ripped part of it. His chest barely seen, Sandra kept her lustful stare into his crimson red eyes.

"Come on wolfie boy, claim your prize. You know you want me and with Thomas out of the way, who is going to stop you?"

She slowly began taking her steps towards him. Wolf stepped back out of reaction, when his leg was suddenly grabbed by a hand. Looking down, Thomas was the one who had grabbed it, his face covered in scrasm cuts, bones and pieces of flesh jutting out here and there.

"Why Wolf? Why did you let us die? You knew this and you still went with us! WHY!?"

The bodies of the others slowly began crawling on the floor towards Wolf, they'r hands, rotting, decaying, bloodied and wothout flesh. All of them asking the same question. Sandr then threw her arms around his neck and hnaged on his back.

"You did it because you wanted to be with me....You know you want me, now claim me as your queen..."
"NOOOOOO!!!!!!!"

Wolf shoved Sandra down the floor and kicked the bodies away. With a simple push alone, they turned into dust, dissapearing from view. Sandra weept some more, then she chuckled.

"Is that you think that while tht Thoms boy is around, I won't be yours?"

In a split second, her body seemed to glow, as Wolf's eyesight was blinded by light. He rose up an arm to block from the light as the body had turned to that of White. No surgical marks, no cuts, bruises or any other kind. Only a beautufil wolverine stood before him, naked as well. No instinct of the Yuki Onna was felt as she trailed after him.

"How about me? You like my looks, don't you wolfie boy? I am no ones to claim, making me a prize all your own."

The same alluring voice was heard as she kept nearing Wolf. Wolf finally reacted and pulled out his Five-SeveN from his holster. Taking aim at White, he steeled his face.

"Do you believe you can kill your desires? Your subconsciousness? You know what you are, you sniveling dog. You know they will die by your hand and you will be to blame. Then, this prize will be yours to keep and be held in high honor.....But, if you think you can do it.....shoot me...."

Wolf's eyes widened again. His hand wavered, his face sweated bullets, his aim was off. Some force was controlling his body now. White made her way towards him again and caressed his face.

"Don't be afraid wolfie boy. Why do you refuse, what you know is fate? You cannot resist it, yet you try poorly, knowing that you will succumb all along, just like all of those years before. They died because of you. You killed them. You left them to die! Now....be a good dear and.........."

White never finished those words. A gunshot whizzed past his ears, creating a loud ringing noise in them. White now lay on the floor, weeping as drops of blood fell down. An unholy voice spoke behind him.

'Wolf! You know it wasn't your fault! That ws an incident and you know that! You are trapped by hatred and pain! This is now conflicting with hwat goes on, now leave! I have this one!!'

Wolf tried to turn but couldn't, as his eyes stood trained solely on the new rising wolverine. Turning her head towards him, her face ws horrendously scarred, a gunshot had torn through her left cheek, making a large wound and gushing blood out. Her eyes were filled with rage and sadness at the same time as she looked at Wolf and stretched her hand out.

"Help me Wolf! He is hurting me!!"
'Run Wolf! Run while you still can!!!'
"Get back here you coward!! You cannot outrun your past!!!"

Wolf didn't think. He acted on instinct and instinct alone. He spun around and fled as a maniacall laughter was heard from a distance.

'Run all you like, my dear, you KNOW you will be MINE, NYAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!'

Wolf closed his eyes. He didn't think, he didn't look, he only ran. His eyes let out a few tears as horrible memories resurfaced in the back of his mind. The laughter kept going, followed by gunshots and a demonic shriek, when suddenly....it was over.

Nameless Crew Quarters

Wolf rose up with a shoc, breathing heavily. The dream recorder was beeping slightly, showing ared blinking light. This ment that the dream had an effect on the physical body, along with the mental psyche. Catching both his breath and his chest, he looked at the machine's plating. It's polished surfce reflected Wolf's image, like a mirror.Not only was he sweating, but his face had a slight cut, right where White caressed his face in the dream. Finally regaining his composure, he sat on the machine and gripped his forehead, from the terrible hangover of having been drunk.

Shaking his head a little, he took both his weapons and placed them in they're positions, when a very low noise made a slight *PING* sound, over by the halls. Normally, it would be the sounds of boots and chatter, but this sound was peculiar, not to mention that his insticncts could tell there wasn't anyone there. Wolf rose his guard. Unsheathing his knife and unholstering his Five-SeveN, he slid the door opened and looked over at where the noise was heard. No matter how he strained his eyes, he couldn't see a thing. It was then that the sound was heard from behind, along with the sound of air whizzing. The sound of a bladed weapon going his way. Wolf rolled off to the side as the Sun Tzu blade pierced the ships floor plating and into deep within. A Royal Guardsman, wearing optic cmouflage armor quickly pulled it out in an attempt for a killing blow, but by the time he looked to where his opponent had dodged too, he was nowhere to be seen. The air whizzed again. The Guardsman felt nothing as his head slowly rolled off the body and a misty shower of blood erupted from the slumping body. The optics wore off, showing the dog's body as it slumped foward and began pooling up the blood. Somehow, somewhere, Royal Guardsmen had infiltrated his ship. He had no choice but to alert the others and hope he could keep them safe.

Strolling past the body, his ears twitched when the same *PING* noise was heard again, this time from above. Out of pure instinct, he raised his knife upwards and a loud *CLANG*ing sound was heard as another Sun Tzu blade struk down on the knife. The unseen assailant leaped over him and attempted the same strike from behind, only, he hadn't noticed that Wolfs' knife mowed him down also. By the time he looked down, he was missing half his body down and fell to the floor as well in another pool of blood and organs, spilling out. That made two attackers now. This meant that other crew members were in danger. Wolf then found the Emergency button on a nearby wall. Not bothering with the pexi glass case, he only smashed his fist though it, pressing the butto alltogether. The alarms ringed out, the doors opened and the Nameless went into alert.

Nameless Cargo Hold

The sudden alarm system triggered the auto shutdown for the continment systems, opening every crate and box in the cargo hold, including that of the project.

Unknown Space

Dante had fallen into a state of comatose. The last bits of oxygen were almost gone as his body didn't even shudder at this point. If the cold didn't kill him, the asphyxia will. I was then that a miracle happened. His drifting wreck of the Falken he used to pilot was spotted by an Eridani Prime scout ship and dragged it inside for possible scrap use. The tractor beam was engaged, and th ship slowly moved towards the hangar, as engineers stood by to investigate. The instant the Falken remains landed, they were surprised to find an Imperium Major trapped inside, much mire, he was still alive. Dante ws quickly taken to the medical ward as the crew men investigated the wreckage.

Secluded room within the Imperium HQ

The room was dark, in and of itself completely. Multiple pressences made the room feel cold and restless. The silence alone was unnerving.
Suddenly, the silence ws broken by a shrill voice.

"We have yet to get our little pet to our vet."

The voice that spoked was childish, yet malignant in its own way

"Quiet down Fragmal, you will get your turn again, soon. For now, go get that Thomas boy. He should be easier to manipulate."

The second voice to be heard was deep and full of harshness.

"Don't think this to be so easy Wansun. Even if you can pick at his past, you cannot break his mind with petty games, unless we confront these two to breaking points."

This third voice was that of a gentleman, but the tone it carried held the stentch of death itself. There was forth pressence in the room, but it remained quiet. It was then that a statue that was at the end of the room, made its eyes glow green. A hollowed, tempting voice fluttered through all of they're minds.

"I have you brought you demigods here to stop them from interrupting. They must not live to see the unholy might of Frejayah. Fragmal, the desire of end. Wansun, the terror of beyond, Icklakul, the gentle death and Grantz, the embodiment of chaos. Each of you have been summoned here by myself and will kill them before the time hs come. Should you suceed, your bodies shall be made permanent, allowing you to wreak havoc all across what come your path. Should you fail, you shall face the wrath of Frejayah."

The statue's green glow died down and so did the voices along with them.

"Fragmal had her turn. I take mine next with him."

"Think I have to fail yet, when I barely caught our wolfie in our net?"

"Wansun, go ahead to your hearts content. That Yuki Onna is of interest to me."

"Then the one with her shall be my new meal, make his pains and emotions all too real!!"

"Grantz, who shall you take?"

"......The Son of Tallos......"

The foruth voice, known as Grantz, was one so grave, so shallow, that it was meant as the embodiment of fear itself.

"Then I guess the Yuki Onna is mine then. There are others you know."

"More fun to play with, let's show them we are not myth!"

"Just be careful Fragmal. You already go wounded with that Wolf character. I want to see what his past holds so deep within."

And with that, silence reigned supreme. The pressences scattered, the room vanished in utter darkness.

Rank: Super Veteran Joined: 20 Jan 2010 Posts: 1661

[Katmir's TOF Record #7]

=Imperium Flagship, The Balseraph=

Lieutenant Hisk ran full-tilt down the corridors towards the hangar. The squirrel had hastily donned his flight suit when the ship went into red alert. He left his boots behind when his roomate puked a black ichor and assaulted him with his own chair.

Considering the chaotic predicament onboard the ship, he figured he'd have to borrow his fellow conscripts' gear to make do. Usually Hisk would be graceful, if not quirky in his movements, but he slammed into the walls when making corners now. Something horrible was after him.

Approaching a turbolift he saw a fellow pilot on the floor. This one was headless, the rib cage pushed out, entrails exposed. Hisk quickened his pace, eyeing the turbolift intersection he sought. A body was hurled accross the entry, causing the motion sensor to open the door. His senses caused him to sprint in a low crouch and dive into the turbolift when a lash of opaque blackness grabbed at him. The door closed quickly enough for temporary safety. But would he be any safer in the hangar to escape alive?

The turbolift door opens to even more red lights and the cacophony of a skirmish on this hangar level. Lt. Hisk edges his way along the left side of the tarmac, his extremities reflecting overwhelmed senses. The squirrel was better at being a fighter pilot than infantry, after all. His fellow Imperium conscripts were engaged in mortal combat - with each other! Fur and blood flew; bullets and lasers made contact, but Lt. Hisk kept his wits. He was able to strap a fallen comrade's boots on.

Further along the wall, he found another squirrel's helmet and thanked providence for it. Unfortunately, a pitch-eyed pachyderm he recognized as one of the crew chiefs charged at Hisk the moment he noticed an intact starfighter. Hisk took two steps off the wall and somersaulted over the berserker, landing in a run for the fighter. He didn't want to shoot his way out of The Balseraph hangar and kill everyfur with space vacuum. But, that is exactly what he did next.

The flight computer showed it was combat ready. The lieutenant launched a salvo of mini-rockets at the main doors and went full-throttle towards the remains of the Praxian star docks. His flagship, comrades and commanders were lost to an indescribable evil, and he functioned on survival instinct alone. Despite the guilt, Lt. Hisk had known for years that even the survivors would be casualties of war.

=Praxis, DMZ orbit=

Katmir kept his cool and held his breath as if he were under the waves of the oceanic planetoid Ballena. He tried to spot his helmet and the black thing that dragged him out of his giant biomech, but he couldn't. Katmir's biomech had been circling around with its star-shaped lifeline stretched out, and it now caught him. Back inside the control cell, he was afforded oxygen and a slightly crude heads-up display grid. Cmdr Fuertespalda's transmission came in on the lower left screen.

"My Captain! Are you alright?", the pink armadillo exclaimed, though she knew from the readouts of his suit's interface that he was just fine.

Dr. Gallo's image displayed next to her's. "Captain, we detected an incredibly high concentration of what we can only define as darkmatter that phased through the hull. We'll need time to make sense of just how you were taken out of your biomech. The darkmatter anomaly has fortunately disappeared. There is a distinct set of measures and signals recorded for it, so this is good. I advise a tactful contact with the entity should it reappear."

The sudden near-death experience did not scare the green fox as other deadly encounters had in the past. With so many resources at his disposal, he only feared oblivion. Katmir scratched behind his ears with both paws, causing the giant robot fox he piloted to do likewise. The large vibro blades that served as its claws retracted safely beforehand for such an occasion. "Noted. You know what, furs? I couldn't do that or scratch my nose if I had that scary helmet on. We'll have to reinvent it so I don't have to hold my breath again in space vacuum. Hold on now... Who the fuck is this?"

Katmir's biomech showed that a single fully-armed Imperium fighter had begun a top speed trajectory towards the Praxian stardock area they were rebuilding. A frantic, country-twanged distress message was being transmitted:

"This is Imperium Conscript Fighter Pilot Lieutenant Hisk! Our flagship, the Balseraph, has been sabotaged! Somethin's taken over General Nybbas and just about everyone else there has gone berserk! They unleashed the monster-pods ahead of our fleet as soon as I left. And they will deeestroy ya'll but good! Just please don't shoot th' messenger!"

The female giraffe Colonel Jirafa of the 9th Legion was now the fourth transmission on his lower left screen. "Captain Mahal, Admiral Aeva of the Rim Concordant has dispatched forces to assist us in deterring or eliminating the Balseraph's fleet. You are not to engage the enemy in the DMZ, but you are authorized to defend the stardocks as per contract protocols. Also, the Hephaestus is ordered to continue rebuilding the second stardock along with our allied forces' ships as needed."

"I understand, Colonel. Am deploying my Kommandos to initiate Operation: Praxis Shield."

"Godspeed, Captain Mahal."

"Yiffy-ki-yay, Kommandos! Go! Go! Go!"

= The Hephaestus =

<HEPH> Special defense equipment attached to cargo hitches. Kommandos cleared for launch.

Four of the new Praxian fighters were given to Katmir's Kommandos as part of the overall contract deal. These were then recombined with four of the Hephaestus' industrial mechs specifically for Operation: Praxis Shield.

The white stag HexPoint climbs into one of the modified Praxian fighters. Strapped in, he fires up the engines. "Sound off! HexPoint, K1!"

A lavender pelted vixen with advanced archery weapons climbs into her cockpit, "Rainbow, K2!"

A hulking mottled warthog in highlander gear placed his great club into the storage compartment behind the seat and squeezed in. "Tuscan, K3!"

A pepper-colored rat leaped up into his fighter seat and slid goggles over his glowing red eyes. "Nimhrod, K4!"

=Katmir's BioMech=

"And Katmir is K5! Don't let them unnatural bastiches burn our profit margin! Heph, get me in touch with that Imperium yahoo."

<HEPH> Creating link. Imperium conscripts have severly limited tech on their fighters. Commlink established, Captain.>

Katmir saw the combined forces of the Rim Concordant and the 9th Legion move quickly in battle formations beyond the orbit of Praxis. It was a pretty good sight. Hopefully this meant making more money for his crew. And yet he was entrusted with spearheading a special operation to ensure the defense of Praxis. Multimedia blurbs on his biomech's HUD showed news reports from across known space about incredible shifts of governmental power. The rapid incoming blip that was Lt. Hisk of the Imperium stopped Katmir from pondering these events further. "Lieutenant Hisk, this is Captain Katmir Mahal of the starship Hephaestus. I offer you sanctuary aboard our ship."

"Uhh, sir, with all due respect there's two thing's you need ta know. One - ya'll have no idea what those monsters can and will do to ya'll. And two: I swore my allegiance to the Imperium, and if today's a nice day fer a funeral - I'm goin' down in my ship."

"Do they attack larger energy-ouput systems, Lieutenant?"

"Sir, things far worse than mutations have taken over the Balseraph. It's like they're made of that darkness between the stars. Like shadows of shadows... Like... Like what I dream death must be like..."

"Lieutenant? Lieutenant Hisk! Heph, what's up? That nutcase cut me off or what?"

<HEPH> I could set a tractor beam on his fighter, Captain. Though for all his allegiance to the Imperium, his trajectory is for Praxis. Should I atomize him?>

"Disable the fighter's systems, bring his tail in, and stick him wherever Dr. Gallo sees fit. I'm finishing our Special Ops mission. We can discuss darkmatter and mental breakdowns later."

<HEPH> As you command, Captain. 9th Legion and Concordant forces have engaged General Nybbas' fleet.>

"Captain. This is Kommander HexPoint. We're almost done setting up the equipment. On your word."

Katmir called up an image of Kommando 2, Rainbow, whose fighter was in a pseudo robotic mode calibrating a large yellow pyramidal shape in her mission sector. The other kommandos did the same in other areas of Praxis' orbit. Katmir is responsible for the last four pieces of equipment.

He maneuvered his biomech towards Hephaestus, that launched a crate in his direction. Catching it in bipedal mode, Katmir flew the biomech towards his designated sectors. The pyramid-shaped machines were part of a 9th Legion project that, should it prove successful on Praxis, could revolutionize galactic warfare. Katmir, along with Cmdr Fu and Dr. Gallo preferred to think of its success as redefining galactic defense. Hence the name, Operation: Praxis Shield. The virtual tests and mathematics seemed to prove success, but actual application still held a danger factor. Today, with the strange attacks by dark... things, the green fox couldn't help but replace hope with doubt.

"Now there's a first..."
<HEPH> Captain?>
<Dr.G> Daaamn, you set those up quick!>

Katmir used his bioware to communicate privately with Commander Fuertespalda.
<Cpt.KM> *=% Commander.
<Cmdr.Fu> *=? Yes, my Captain?
<Cpt.KM> *=! Fu... I need your intuition here. What are you feeling?
<Cmdr.Fu> *=<3? Concerning what, sir? The Operation?
<Cpt.KM> ... Yes.
<Cmdr.Fu> All systems are go, sir.
<Cpt.KM> Thank you, Fu. Commander. I needed to hear that.
<Cmdr.Fu> *=? Yes, sir. Anytime. On your word.

Katmir looked at the data on all systems via his biomech and allowed himself a minute to weigh the situation. The military forces were doing their thing. The politicians were doing their thing. His multitalented crew and the Praxian community were doing their thing together. His Kommandos are ready for anything. And he is missing something. Something's amiss, he thought.

"Fu?"
"My Captain?"
He made up something stupid. "I... I'm sorry I lost the helmet. That was one nasty bad-ass helmet. My favorite color, too. "Oil-slick"."
"Don't worry about it. I have a replacement ready for you when you come back."
He listened to Commander Fu's small, breathy voice and took in every detail of her facial features on the HUD. Her shiny black hair, the pink parts of her flesh that became tougher on the armadillo. He had a tendency to avoid her eyes and now of all times he admitted to himself, why. I'm embarrassed, he thought.
"Embarassed of what, sir?"
"Uhh, did ah say that out loud?"
"No, my Captain. What do you mean?"

Katmir allowed himself to look into her eyes, and he was partly glad that it was a live transmission and not face-to-face. Her eyes were large and piercing, with a gleam to them that also betrayed her stoic demeanor. They softened now, noticing that he was finally taking a good long look into her eyes. Into the feelings inside her. He thought about how long he had avoided them. He wondered what his own eyes must have said about him all these years. Shit, he could write an epic country song about this moment. Consuelo has beautiful eyes. And he'd rejected them over a woman who only reciprocated self-loathing. He turned away from the screen, shamed. "And to think... I hesitated."

"Captain... Captain. Katmir, please look at me."
He lifted his snout towards the screen with his eyes closed, tears welling up in a frown.
"Listen to me. Believe me, I know how you feel. But you are my Captain, and I need you... We need you, Captain."
"You... You need me?"
"Listen, Captain. The battle is getting closer to us. I need you to be the best fur out there and come back safely."
He wiped the tears into his paws, causing the fur under his eyes to matt pathetically. The HUD showed that the Imperium fleet had advanced into the battlespace. The Hephaestus and the two stardocks were in danger.
<"How..? Kommandos, ready shields!">

Using their new mechs, Katmir's Kommandos activated the pyramids, causing them to change from the yellow color to entirely light up green.

The warthog kommando snorted into the commlink, "Och! You and yer green fetish, Captain!"

<HEPH> Sir! The mutations have penetrated the battlespace! Activating defenses..!>

<Dr.G> Captain! The darkness factor! It's coming from one of the mutation pods. Use all photon-based systems to combat it.>

"Thanks, Dr. Gallo. I'm gonna.. Whoah!"

The HUD focused on the Imperium pod carrying the mutation in question. It had tentacles like the others, except this one had a familiar snout. The biomech's a.i. computer adjusted its cameras to define the enemy. Katmir then recognized the face.

It was Warewolph. And he was now larger than a battle cruiser. Katmir recalled his martial arts training, and clenched his giant biomechanical fists.

[End Katmir's TOF Record #7]

Royal Member of BonBon Joined: 05 Apr 2009 Posts: 1023

On approach to Vordoon Shadow’s scanners picked up the signature of Larawassa’s cruiser as it exited a warp gate.

Thanks to the information Shadow got from Captain Reid he now new that Larwassa’s cruiser was an Omega class. The Captain was very willing to trade information with him he almost seemed desperate.

“These things must be pretty hard to take down,” Shadow says aloud to himself as he brings up an extensive scan that his fighter made of Larwassa’s cruiser while the two were docked “these readouts will be most useful for them.”

Shadow was just about to change his course when his equipment picked up a much larger signature. “That damn thing is massive!!!!” Just then Larwassa’s cruiser entered one of its docking bays.

“I’m going to need help if I’m going to take that think on. Hopefully this R1 is up for the task.” Shadow thought aloud and continued his approach to the planet.

Shadow landed outside of the maintenance hanger that he was informed that R1 was currently working in. He completely suited up before he lowered the ramp to exit his fighter. In an attempt to show he meant business he didn’t hold back when arming himself. He had his RA-MS3 “Panther” across his back, MOR-94 ‘Hammer” on his hip, and his trusted AR-548 in his hands. As Shadow climbed out of the fighter he noticed someone step out of the hanger.

“You must be Morris.” Shadow yelled out to him as he approached the hanger. Once Shadow got to the hanger he stopped in front of Morris and extended his hand, “Pleased to meet you. You can call me Shadow, just Shadow.”

Morris looked up at the fox, his armor made him appear a little larger than he really was, slightly confused and accepted the his handshake.

Cutting straight to the chase Shadow looked him straight in the eyes, “I’m here to speak with R1. I think we can help each other.” Seeing the look on Morris’s face Shadow started to doubt his decision to seek R1’s help. “Is he here?”

Morris cleared his throat, “Yes he is here but do you know what you’re getting into?”

Shadow looked past him to the hanger, “I’ve read the reports and I’m aware what he is capable of.” He answered Morris as he started to walk to the door into the hanger.

Shadow had an idea of what R1 was but he had no real plan because he truly didn’t know what to expect.

Right before walking into the hanger Shadow takes a deep breath, All right no matter what I need to stand my ground and keep my wits. He sighs as a female’s voice whispers in his head For Krystal. Shadow stops for a second “Who was that?” he asked himself.

He walks into the hanger and the first thing to catch his eyes is R1 in his modified armor suit. Shadow does his best to hide his shock, thankfully his helmet hid his facial expression. They wanted me to hunt THIS!

Shadow keeps a strong yet neutral stance as he addressed R1, “Greetings, I’ve heard a lot about you R1 and I think we may be able to help each other. I’m Shadow.” Shadow waited for R1’s response before continuing. “I’ve been told that you wish to help in the fight against the Imperium. And I need someone to fight with me because I plan on going straight into their main flagship.” A suicide mission if there ever was one. “So what do you say will you help me?” Shadow asks him hoping that he accepts.

Morris overhearing his plan looks at Shadow like he was nuts, and maybe he was but it was worth a shot, “That plan is madness! How do you even plan on getting to “Legion” let alone landing on it?”

Shadow turns to face him, “The thrusters on my fighter are powerful enough to transport us both to their current location.” But I just don’t know how R1 is going to fit into it. “And you don’t survive in my profession without learning a few tricks. My fighter has complete stealth capabilities,” Shadow smiles to himself, “not to mention my transponder is still seen as friendly on their scanners. One of the perks of working for them.”

Morris still didn’t think it was a good idea, “But then you’ll have to fight through their entire garrison.”

This guy just doesn’t get it “That’s why I came to ask for R1’s help and besides I have enough munitions to supply a small army.”

Accepting defeat Morris stepped aside, “Godspeed then sir.” And he saluted Shadow.

Shadow returned Morris’s salute then faced R1…..

Royal Member of BonBon Joined: 22 Dec 2008 Posts: 2173

**Planet Yagmoth, HKM Field Research Site: MALCOPS**

Yagmoth was an industrial planet. Years of heavy industry had turned the planet into an odd mix of pristine property, penultimate prosperity, a penchant for production, and pox-ridden pollution. Decades of smoke had begun to choke out the planet, leaving it ringed with rain clouds and thunderheads. It always rained on Yagmoth. This time fetid, bitter, cold water cried from the sky above. Torrential downpours of polluted rain showered down from the heavens. Rain that faintly glowed, from the phosphorescent toxins it carried.

The ground had turned into a soupy mess, swallowing several of the dig vehicles, and generally disrupting the excavation operation. So dangerous was the foul acridity of the rain all operations had ceased until further notice. Only Fleishjaeger's Techno-magi still worked, seemingly unaffected by the industrial deluge. Dr. Eisenhorn did not want to have them get any further ahead of his team in understanding the ship. He had lost too many men to simply give the techno-magi free reign. So, while everyone else at the dig site huddled in tents to avoid fat, heavy, caustic, drops of rain, the rhino had followed the techno-magi into the underground ship's tomb.

The hanger of the ships tomb was cyclopean. Light sets barely illuminated the room. Portable heaters glowed fiercely, yet could not keep back the chill. He watched them from the spider web of catwalk above. Below him, the four techno-magi stood in a circle chanting. He couldn't tell if they knew he was watching them or not. They seemed heedless of his spying on them. They had crafted some sort of... mystic design. It burned and glowed against the steel of the tomb floor. Each of the techno-magi stood at an apex of the design, with some sort of white fog swirling around their ankles.

"Found her, found her we have. Found her," they chanted in their echo-talk.

"She is the one... the one... she is the one..."

"We must wake her, wake her, wake her..."

"She is the one, the one, the one..."

"We must wake her... we must wake her..."

It was difficult to determine who was saying what, but Dr. Eisenhorn noted that this was the second time these oddities of flesh and machine talked with any sort of emotion. They were excited about something. "General Moonbrook will want to know about this," Eisenhorn whispered to himself. The rhino stood up on the catwalk, and began to sneak out of the hanger.

"There is one who brings discourse to the harmony..." said the techno-magi as they looked up at Eisenhorn.

"Discourse to the harmony..."

"The discourse must be silenced..."

Eisenhorn froze in his spot. His entire body seemed to tense up, and would not move no matter how he strained to do so. Sweat glistened off his brow, as the exertion of trying to move built up in him. Panic began to race through his mind, as he watched the techno-magi levitate up to his position. With a scientist's penchant to understate the impossible, he idly noted that streamers of light from the mystic design trailed around the feet of the techno-magi.

"Your flesh betrays you. We must silence the discourse..."

***** Chateau Carms *****

Ginger woke with a start, half jumping up in her bed. It was cold in her room. She could hear the leaves rusting in the wind outside. It would be fall soon. Shivering, she pulled the blankets and sheets back on top of her, as she snuggled back into her bed. Rolling over onto her side, the little fruit-bat saw her reflection in the mirror on her desk. Seeing herself always made her feel hollow. She knew she was a machine. She knew that she wasn't cold, and could never really feel cold. It was all programming. She was a well made puppet. As she looked at the mirror she whimpered to herself, "But mama treats me like I'm a real girl. I'm just a doll. I wanna be a real girl, mama... I wanna be a real girl."

Forcing her eyes to close, in an effort to make herself sleep, Ginger heard shouting coming from downstairs. Not sure what was going on, the fruit bat pushed the covers back off her bed. Grabbing her bathrobe and kicking on her slippers, she quietly made her way down the stairs. Ginger heard her mother say something, but she couldn't tell what. Crouching low, she watched from behind the railing. Her mother was standing in the doorway. Behind her, standing on the porch, were... techno-magi. She knew what they were. She knew why they had come.

"Get off my property," ordered Valerie, as pointed her hand cannon at the techno-magi.

Getting up from her crouch, Ginger said timidly, "It's okay mama. This'll let me meet that blue girl and that green spaceman."

Turning around, the husky dame looked at her daughter and said, "Get back to bed, young lady. This has nothing to do with you." Turning back to face the techo-magi, Valerie again ordered, "Get off my property. I'm not asking."

"You must let us see her... see her..."

"She is the one... the one..."

"You must let us awaken her... awaken her. We must awaken her..."

Meekly, Ginger placed her hand on her mother's paw. "It's okay mama. They're here for me. Please. This'll let me be a real girl."

Keeping her pistol trained on the techno-magi, Valerie crouched down to her daughter's level. "You are a real girl, Ginger. You're my daughter."

Ginger shook her head no. "I'm not mama. You're real daughter passed away. I've seen the photo-books, and the memorial." Ginger smiled at her mother, "I was to be a replacement for her. You've always been a good mother to me, mama. And I love you. I'm coming back. And when I do, I'll be your daughter. I won't be Wendy. But, I'll be Ginger for you, mama."

All the strength fell out of Valerie's arm, and her pistol dropped to the floor. "Please... I can't do this again."

Ginger went and hugged her mother. "Don't cry, mama. I'll come back. I promise."

Weakly, Valerie smiled and let her daughter go. "That's a promise you're going to keep, young lady."

"Thank you, mama." Ginger turned to face the techno-magi. The four blends dropped their heads as she looked at them. "You are the one's in my dreams. You're the one's working on the Kami no Cieli? You have come to take me?"

"We have come to take you, yes... yes, we have come to take you..."

"We have come to awaken you... to awaken you..."

"You are the melody of the harmony..."

"The harmony sweetens with you..."

Walking out the door, Ginger instructed, "Then let's go. I have a promise to keep."

***** ***** ***** *****

The Leviathan was as massive, as it was soul-less. A giant maw of the abyss, able to swallow everything in its hunger for destruction. The behemoth was built for nothing other than total war. If it were an angel, it would have been a angel of ruthless, brutal, barbaric carnage. Leviathan was a perfect tool for war. As the wolf and the wolverine-girl crouched in the hanger of Leviathan, Caroline glowered at the one named Kyle. Her captors had not removed her Yuki Onna suit; however, White decided it was better not to question why. Kyle, after they had entered the hangar looking for his space-craft, had handed her one of his pistols in order to shoot their way out of Leviathan . Then the wolf had moved slightly in front of her, as if the wolverine-girl were some defenseless waif.

"Cocky, arrogant bastard," she mumbled to herself, grinding her teeth in contempt. She was not keen on accepting help from others. More importantly, she was not going to leave without Eustice. It was one of the few gifts she had ever been given, and it meant a lot to her. Vectin was one of the only people who talked to her as if she were still normal. She lowered the visor on her helm. "So, we have one clip each, and we'll have to make it count? Then I suppose we'll need a distraction too. You'll do fine. I hope you're a good shot." Without hesitation White shoved Kyle from behind, making him stumble out of his hiding spot. As he turned to see what she was up too, the wolverine girl smiled, waved her hand good-bye, and shut the airlock to the hangar.

White paused a moment, letting her suit phase in such a way that it would be invisible to the electronic security measures of the ship. She adjusted the acoustic-sapper into the Leviathan's communications frequency. Turning on the tracker on her visor, White sub-audibled the command, "Find Eustice." An infra-red line shot out from the visor. She loped down the path the line traced along the floor. Being a massive ship, much of it was as empty as a graveyard. Its miles of corridors lay unused, letting White run around the ship unhindered. Listening into the ship's communications also made her smirk. "Well, apparently the wolf has some idea of what he's doing."

At last she reached her destination. The guards outside the armory door didn't even realize she was there before she had crushed their lungs. While the ship's dampening field kept her from stepping, she could still phase herself. Melding through the door to the armory, it didn't take long to see Eustice. Her rifle was completely different from the rest of the Imperium weapons. She smiled as she inspected Eustice. The Imps hadn't even bothered to unload the Malinkov either. Content with rescuing the Malinkov, White again sub-audibled, "Find Kyle". Again, an infra-red line shot out from the visor, leading her back to the hangar. She paused outside the hangar door, and listened. Whatever Kyle had done, had greatly upset the hanger crew. Muffled bangs and explosions came from the other side of the hangar door. "Well... I guess I shouldn't keep him waiting any longer." She adjusted the acoustic-sapper into Kyle's communication frequency. "Get down, and hold onto something."

Phasing through the door White drew the Malinkov from behind her back. She let the magnetic feet-pads of the Yuki Onna suit clamp onto the steel of the hangar floor. "This is what a lady's rifle can do," she taunted Kyle. Not caring to check to see if Kyle had listened to her warning, she leveled Eustice at the outer hangar doors of the ship, and fired. The sound was defining. Plexiglas cracked and shattered from the shockwave of the round being fired. Several of the Imperial marines were tossed like dry leaves. And then the bullet hit the hangar doors, blowing them completely off their rails. Within seconds, the room began to depressurize, blowing everything out into the vacuum of space. Sounds took on an otherworldly echo to them. Warning sirens blared at the decompression event, yet seemed to be coming from a different dimension. The room itself spun dizzyingly with red and yellow hazard strobe lights flashing.

"Well, I've opened the door the garage. Where is this car of yours?"

Royal Member of BonBon Joined: 28 Oct 2009 Posts: 4247

Kyle was peeking around the corner of the hanger when white shoved him. He quickly turned around and looked at her ‘ What was that for?” white simply smiled and waved before she shot the airlock and disappeared. The Explosion caused the whole hanger to notice him, and set off the alarms “ grrr ill remember this white” The whole crew went after him firing there weapons. Kyle quickly dived behind a crate and returned two shots each hitting fuel barrels causing a huge explosion that took out several of the crew. “that’s two shots 18 more to go” Kyle quickly dived behind another crate for a better vantage point and saw one of the imperioum pilots try to flank him. Kyle grabbed the imperioum solder and used him as a body shield firing at every fuel barrel he saw. The imperioum solders fired on Kyle but the captured pilot served as a great meat shield and took all the hits. Kyle grabbed one of the grenades from the solders belt cooked then threw it. The explosion caused one of the omega fighters to explode taking out the remainder of the imperioum forces in the hanger. He tossed down the pilot and picked up the SMG it had on its side and stripped him of his grenades. Kyle was exploring the hanger destroying any fuel source and straggling solders and pilots he saw before he heard white on his private radio.
White: “ get down and hold on to something. “
Kyle looked down and saw one of the large clips that the omega fighters were hooked on to when not in use he reached down and grabbed at. “all right white now wha…” there was a large explosion as a bay door was destroyed leaving a huge gaping whole.
White : “ "Well, I've opened the door the garage. Where is this car of yours?"
Kyle found his ship white was looking right at it. He walked up behind her “hey sexy you miss me” white quickly turned around and slapped him. Kyle helmet was on but he still felt the slap and noticed a large crack straight through his visor. “hey I was talking to my ship not you. But now that I think about it your pretty cute yourself” Kyle couldn’t help but chuckle a little at the come on “now lets get out of here.” white just quietly fallowed Kyle onto his ship. Not sure what to do weather to be pissed, offended or other . They went through the small storage hanger at the back of his ship Kyle closed the entrance and went into his room which was made up like a single room apartment. There was a cage in the corner. Kyle ignored it and entered the door to his cockpit. And started to power it up. “ I don’t know about you white but I have enough of this damn legion today. The redking levitated and soot out the busted bay door. The legion didn’t even attempt to fallow the exiting ship. Kyle saw on the monitor it was engaged in a battle. “who would be fighting legion. Kyle zoomed in on the other ship fighting legion they were guardian ships. He recognized hope and its fleet but the other guardian ships were new to him. He opened the channel “ Flagship hope this is Guardian Kyle stingray what’s going on do you need my assistance.”

Scorpion heard the communication and responded. “Kyle Stingray this is General Scorpion what’s your status.”
Kyle” Scorpion I am fine I have the yoki onna white onboard were both fine do you need assistance.”
Scorpion “ Bo we can handle this you need to go rendezvous with the other forces who are gathering on vordoon that’s a order Kyle now get out of here while we distract this beast.”
Kyle “ roger that good luck scorpion.”
Scorpion: “ you to Kyle”
With that Kyle set his coordinates to voordon but set a scan to locate ginger. He exited the cockpit and saw white was examining the cage in the corner for the room.
Kyle: “ that cage was meant for you I as ordered to capture you and Fleshjaeger in the beginning. The dampening fields you probably encountered was stolen guardian tech and envelopes this whole ship to prevent any attempted escape.“
White laughed historically at the statement” you capture me what a joke if I recall the last time me and you actually fought I knocked you out before you could move a finger. Your luck I don’t do it again for that comment earlier. Now can you Disable the dampening field” Kyle just stood there and took off his helmet and set it down on his desk
Kyle:” If I could I would disable it so you could jump freely but I cant only my PM Ginger can do that. So for now as much as you probably hate it your stuck on this ship till we reach the vordoon or find ginger which ever one comes first.”

Back at the battle legion engaged the remnant guardian armada the s3 hammerhead rounds caught the omega fighters and legion by surprise and evened the odds as all omega fighters engaged in a Ariel dance of aces while main fleet cannons flashed past them.
General scorpion sat and commanded his assault masterfully. A fox walked behind him a and placed his hand on scorpions shoulders. “good job scorpion just keep doing what your doing. I trained you for this my protégée. Scorpion turned and couldn’t believe his eyes Commander Gaz was standing behind him smiling. “Gaz you’re your”
Gaz” dead yes but that doesn’t mean I cant visit you from beyond and thank you for making sue my wife stays safe.”
Scorpion: “ thank you sir ill try my best.”
Gaz: “ ill be hear to guide you and my wife Angel till the very end.”

Lt Victoria looked at her commander talking to himself. “sir who are you talking to ?”
Scorpion” oh nobody just keep are troops up to date.” scorpion turned back around and gaze was gone. “it was nobody”.

Rank: Super Veteran Joined: 18 Dec 2008 Posts: 3307

"Show me all you hold inside you, for I've not a thing within... Wrap your loving arms around me, show me what it's like to feel alive."

Imperial Science Labs

Time Stamp: Unconfirmed/During Initial Project 21

Embryonic fluid.

So warm, so comforting.

Arms of a mother never known, all around and over and encompassing.

Floating within was something so small.

So precious.

All of our origins, that which knows no sin or shame or hate.

It's little eyes fluttered open, seeing a world as though for the first time. Blurry colors and shapes, light that seems uncomfortable at first.

A dark figure appears over the tank, it's body swathed in the symbols of Imperial order. A face hidden behind the mask of all physicians peered down with a sense of morbid fascination.

The tiny one, so unsure of this new world, does what we all eventually do.

A question. A very heavy question. One that nearly all our kind ask at one time or another.

"Are you God?"

In but a moment, everything can change. Life, in that instance, slows down and holds it's breath. Fate. Destiny. Chance.

One answer to affect them all.

The worst of intentions wrapped in a single word.

"Yes."

What have we done?

What in God's name have we done?

----------------------------------------------------------

Vordoon

The beast looked upon the newcomer, a war boiling within. To state anything other than the longing that burned within would be a personal heresy.

A wrong on one's self.

"To fight, to kill, to ruin..." The beast pondered. "It is my only purpose, my only reason to live... to exist."

The thing that should have never been reflected on it's empty, hollow presence. What other direction could one such as itself go?

"I will help you." It answered, flatly. "Perhaps death is, in and of itself, a purpose."

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Nameless Hangar

To be so small, in comparison to the world. This building. The Universe.

It is often easy to overlook something, that in our minds eye, has little meaning in the broad scope of our busy lives.

Such a belief, however, is akin to suicide.

"You shouldn't be here." The lone soldier spoke. "Where's your mommy?"

"I... don't know." The child spoke slowly.

"Did you get lost?" He continued. "How did you get here?"

"I don't know..." It answered.

"We should get you to the Commander." The soldier murmured. "He'll know what to do."

The perplexed fellow looked about a bit, trying to sum up the situation.

"Well, little boy..." He stopped suddenly when his eyes caught sight of an over turned crate. "My Gawd... is that?!"

"I'm...

not...

A BOY!!!!"

The man's head imploded, answering his question.

21-21-7 snatched her little bear from it's hiding place, holding it tightly.

"My brother...

... I'm gonna find you..."

A shrill, malignant laugh echoed all around.

Evil.

What have we done.

What in God's name have we done?

Rank: Super Veteran Joined: 18 Dec 2009 Posts: 7678

Imperial Capital, Throne Room.

Jacob watched as many of his new Generals slowly reported the damage assessment on his new campaign. For him, it truly didn’t matter much as he slouched in his chair and eventually switched to sideways position, his head resting on the arms rest and his legs on the other side, signaling a bored king, devoid of any care for that which remains.

“Leave me be.”

With these words, the Generals that stood before him stood up and left without uttering another word, all in an orderly fashion. Once left alone, he began his trek down a number of corridors and passages, eventually reaching the secluded room with the statue once again. In his mind, an alluring, yet menacing voice gently wafted within, as he kneeled before the statue.

‘What news do you bring me now, Jacob?’

“Those mongrels are putting up a decent fight, but they will not last long under our strength and never ending wave of forces.”

‘Do not underestimate them. Even the average grunt can be deadly, should he follow the right man’s words.’

“Please explain.”

‘I feel….Multiple presences. These aren’t any ordinary grunts of war and may pose a threat to us.’

“Just give the word. I will send the very best of the Imperium might to snuff out those little hopeless lives.”

‘Jacob, you seem to underestimate these forces. Nonetheless, until the time is nigh, I cannot do naught but warn you. I leave them in your capable hands. Do not fail me.’

“I will not fail you Freyajah. I shall prepare my spies to inform me of any outstanding enemies.”

‘I feel compelled to tell you that some of them worked under your own banner.’

“Deserters? Maybe with a little coaxing we can get them on our side long enough to kill them.”

‘Also know that I have sent 4 Demigods to scout them out. Know that they will report to me and only me.’

“I do not need any help, especially from weaker deitities than yourself. I shall even kill them myself if necessary, so rest assured.”

With these last words, the voice seemed to disappear, along with any other notable presence in the room. Jacob stood from the floor and smirked, wallowing in his own thoughts.

-So those pitiful creatures have hopes on each other? Bah! I shall show them how meaningless their hope truly is.-

Aboard the Nameless, Thomas Aaron’s Temporary Crew quarters.

Drunk out of his mind, he made it to his room with the help of Wolf. It was surprising that he met someone so cold, yet so trustworthy. Normally, he wouldn’t have spilled his guts out to a man, especially Imperium right after the near death experience he passed through, yet he seemed to be one to see past the cover. It may have been instinct or something from one wolf to another, but Thomas trusted Wolf. After he collapsed on the bed, it didn’t take long for him to fall asleep, snoring lightly.

Thomas’s dream.

Were it the all the drinks he had, or all the thoughts that raced in his mind from Sandra, he was drifting across nothingness. A harp gently played out, letting a strange, yet painful tone to those that heard it. Drifting in nothingness, all he could see was blanketed darkness, until a figure slowly made itself visible further up ahead. It was hard alone to identify the silhouette, but slowly and slowly, he drifted towards it. It was then that Sandra’s face was made clear. Wearing the same set of clothes as from the night before, she slowly drifted towards Thomas. He didn’t even bother to look at himself as his mind only fixated itself on the beautiful countenance of Sandra, but he knew something was wrong. The music that played out, the vast void of emptiness they wallowed in and finally, why hadn’t he bothered to look at himself.

‘………….Son of Tallos, I have come here to see if you are worthy of your heritance…………’

The strange voice billowed out from the vastness of the darkness, not truly sounding as a threat. Out of merely instinct, Thomas looked down. All he saw was naught but the stretching darkness, but he also managed to get a good look at himself. His body, his suit and all he could see of himself was covered in cuts, bruises and blood. Bits of flesh slowly seemed to stretch out of his body, disappearing into the void and leaving large gashes that exposed muscle, bone and many other parts. His fur seemed, scorched, his skin, cutted up, his body bleeding. Something was completely out of place. Looking back up, he could still see Sandra’s body slowly floating towards him, but on further inspection, he spotted that it was dead. From upclose, he could notice the paraffin pale skin, the lifeless look in her eyes, the fact that she was unmoving. Without a single wound on her, he looked down upon his hands. They were also covered in blood.

‘…………………..Show me if you are worthy……………..’

With those last words, Sandra’s body quickly sprang back to life, as she gasped for oxygen. Thomas reached out for her as she placed her gentle hands on her neck, as if something didn’t let he breathe properly. Thomas began swimming towards her, pushing out any possible force between them to come closer and closer. Sandra gasped madly as finally Thomas reached her elbow and used it as leverage to pull himself closer to her. The harps played malevolently as a Piano was heard following the tune, pained and saddening to all who heard it. Thomas pressed his hands against her neck and chest in an attempt to see what was wrong. Sandra didn’t even acknowledge his presence, no matter all that he tried. It seemed as she was on the verge of death, yet Thomas couldn’t do a thing. One last thing fluttered into his mind. Taking in a deep breath, he closed his face together with hers and pressed his lips together, blasting all the air he stored up. Even though it looked like a passionate kiss, Sandra breathed in the air. She broke the kiss slowly and took in a deep breath, closing her eyes. Thomas couldn’t help but smile, watching Sandra’s face. It was then that the piano and harp slowly reached the pinnacle of their sad song, just as she opened her eyes. Devoid of life, love, hate, sorrow, any emotion whatsoever, they were filled with Malevolence. Staring down into Thomas’s eyes, he felt fear, fear like none other. Sandra clutched unto his body tightly, not easing up. Not uttering a single word, she kept clamped unto him. The Harp and piano seized completely, letting the feeling of dread blanket him completely. Sandra pushed his neck down unto her shoulder, and didn’t let go.

‘……………..I am ashamed that we cower before you, Son of Tallos…………Know that your end will be swift and painless……………’

Sandra then let go of Thomas, her body quickly disappearing in the black emptiness. Something buffeted Thomas from below, almost as if dragging him upwards. In truth, it was gravity. He was falling upside down, droplets of blood falling with him and his body feeling limp, not being able to completely control his actions. Thomas looked down. It seemed that he fell down a long ways, but he was completely unharmed. Using his hands to raise himself up, he looked around him. He was in a completely white room, making himself stand out easily. Looking down on himself again, he saw his suit and body were back to normal, his skin feeling fine and no
blood or bruises whatsoever.

“Let us make this quick………..”

A familiar voice spoke from behind him. Turning around in amazement, he saw a figure clad in black, with his back turned on him. A familiar red fur was with him as well, the very same as the one from before. Sandra hung her arm around his waist and wagged her tail alluringly, keeping naught but a slight smile of pity for Thomas and not saying a word. A cold miasma buffeted his entire body, making him feel cold to the bone itself, which made Thomas shiver.

“W-Wolf? Sandra!? What are you two doing here!?”
“…To kill you…….”
“Isn’t it obvious now?”
“Now, now Dear……Let us men deal with this business……..”

These last words they uttered out made Thomas tremble in fear. He reached for where his Sun Tzu blade would normally be, but there was nothing there this time. Wolf turned towards him, to face his opponent as Thomas only took a position of Fisticuffs.

“Looking for this?.......”
“I took it from you, while you were asleep.”

Wolf tossed his chin over to his side, where a scabbard lay there, wrapped in black cloth. Thomas’s blade only layed there, covered in the black cloth. Looking back at Wolf, his crimson red eye seemed to pierce through him, like a man waiting death, as Sandra’s delicate form befitted such a deadly figure, a childish giggle escaping her lips. Thomas felt the chilling sensation creeping towards him from all sides.

“Why are you doing this? Why are you going to kill me?”

There was no reply. Thomas didn’t sound afraid, rather confused. Sandra trailed off from Wolf, away from Thomas’s line of sight, when the air whizzed forward. Feeling a sharp sting in his chest, Thomas was a loss of words, having lost Wolf from his field of vision. Placing his hand on his chest, he touched a large cut Wolf had made in a split second, tearing open his rib cage and had sent a large amount of blood, flesh, fur and bits of bone alike into the white floor, drenching it in its crimson liquid. Thomas turned around to see Wolf for a mere second when another slash crossed his lower abdomen. This time, the strength sent Thomas backwards, leaving him unable to move. He tried to drag himself forward, using the strength that was being drained from his bleeding wounds, smearing a large trail of blood under him. Heavy boot plods were heard from behind, each step sounding like death was nearing itself. It was then that Thomas’s hand found something that wasn’t the white floor. He felt the hilt guard of his Sun Tzu blade. A surge of courage and strength coursed his body and he unsheathed it in less time needed to blink, moving his arm across his back, just in time to hold back Wolf’s knife, which seemed to glide on the air on its own. Thomas felt the incredibly heavy weight of the small object, pushing against the incredibly dense alloy of the blade, feeling the strength of the man behind the knife and his deadly stare.

“I thought you changed! I thought you would fight alongside us!”
“A mission is still a mission……”

Slowly and slowly, Thomas was losing what was left of his strength. The black knife kept pushing down the blade, to the point that his nuzzle could touch the side of it. In a desperate move, Thomas kicked off the floor and planted a quick on Wolf’s side, staggering him for a second, giving Thomas the time necessary to get on his own two feet. Wolf retaliated by kicking off the floor with the knife in hand, ready to attack, whereas Thomas only threw a slice. It was hard to tell which one hit first, but was noticeable that both hits landed on their marks. Wolf grunted, grasping his right eye madly, the black bandana on the floor. Thomas kneeled down from yet another deep gash within his chest, letting copious amounts of blood leaking from his suit, along with a few chunks of flesh and fur. Still, Thomas grinned. When he looked behind him, he saw Wolf’s face, minus the bandana. Everything was made to look like an exact replica of him, but the spot where the Bandana covered was black, devoid of fur, flesh or anything resembling a wolf. The doppelganger masquerading as Wolf no longer kept up the act. With a sinister laugh, he looked back at Thomas.

“So you saw through my trick, eh?”

Thomas didn’t have time to answer. With a smile, darkness enveloped him from all sides, dragging him down below. The coldness of the doppelganger kept with him as he barely stretched out his hands to cover where the blood seeped through. It was then that a laughter in a voice he can easily recognize was heard. White stepped forward, through the blanketing darkness. Her suit was barely noticeable as a wind slowly drafted forward.

“My my…You survived Wolf. You won’t get lucky twice, Son of Tallos!”

By now, Thomas knew this wasn’t reality, but a dream, yet it was all too real. In the time it took him to draw breath, he managed to get a sight of her blurring from his field of vision.

She pierced her hand through his skin, yet again, much like the first time. Her fingers wriggled within him this time, having had cut past Wolf’s first wounds. Thomas twitched and wriggled, feeling the horrible experience from before.

“Think you can escape my grasp this time?”
“….Yes.”

The doppelganger looked at Thomas, who was smiling. Finding the strength within, he swung the Sun Tzu blade he still clutched in his hand and jabbed it right across her stomach. The Doppelganger left a gasp of astonishment and pain escape its lips as the frail body clutched unto Thomas’s innards. From up ahead, Sandra walked forward as well with a figure in black. Due to his black clothing, it was quite hard to tell who it was for any ordinary person, but Thomas could tell. He could tell it was Wolf. Nothing continued making sense. The Doppelganger of White kept its grip firmly on whatever it could find, as Thomas’s realization took away all of the pain he felt from any physical wounds. An eerie silence befell them all, until the supposed Sandra opened her lips. Then, everything went into a blur, everything Thomas saw, held and felt being taken away.

‘……………You got lucky this time. Next time, you won’t be as lucky………..’

Grantz voice was made perfectly clear this time, as the threat was felt disappearing ever so slowly.

Nameless, Crew Quarters Thomas’s emergency Quarters.

It was then that a loud noise blared through Thomas’s ears, waking him up from his nightmare. An alarm had been raised, snapping Thomas back to Nameless. Pressing his arms on his chest, he felt nothing where the wounds had been made, only a strange feeling of what they felt like. Staggering to his feet, a headache quickly reared his head in, making it all the much harder to concentrate on what really was going on.
“Gah….Never go for drinks that hard again….”
By instinct alone, he unsheathed his blade. To him, an alarm meant warning, but this wasn’t a ship he had been in before, meaning that this alarm could have meant anything. Opening his door, he heard a slight *Ping* sound to his right. There wasn’t anything there. Then, his eyesight adjusted itself, glowing slightly gray, revealing a life source further down the hall, slowly and silently stalking. It seemed that it hadn’t noticed his presence. Then, the figure sprang forward, boot plods sounding out as they ran forward at full speed. It wasn’t made certain that it had noticed Thomas, but then a second life source came into view, almost as a blur on how fast it made it’s way there. This life source was familiar as it cut down the other source in a matter of seconds, letting a shower of sparks and blood to rain down on the plating, when a body in a plastic suit was made visible, the Sun Tzu blade in its hands cluttering loudly on the floor. Thomas was still trying to make something out of this situation. Looking over at the victor, he stepped forward.

“Don’t move…….”

Thomas froze in place. Whether he took heed of his words by having noticed the assailant on the roof, or this was fear from the dream before, he didn’t move an inch. The supposed assassin had dropped down, cleaving a large chunk of metal from the floor plating as his blade cut through easily, he was met with 5 gunshots to his back, 4 hitting vital spots. The body leaned forward before falling down, letting a pool of blood slowly amass at Thomas’s feet.

“What the hell is going on!?”
“Assailants. Many of them by the looks of it. Keep you’re eyes peeled and make sure nothing befalls on the crew……You can see them, just like I do……”
“Understood. How many have you killed so far?”
“That makes 4…..”

Thomas nodded, placing his blade into a fighting stance and walking past the bleeding corpse on the floor. The sickly sweet stench of blood was beginning to permeate the corners as the alarm kept blaring out, Wolf and Thomas with their backs to each other, watching each corner of the hallway.

“Split off……”

With these words, Wolf disappeared entirely,, his chilling wind taken with him on one end of the hallway.

“Guess that leaves me with this side.”

Running forward, while keeping his footsteps silent, his eyes glowed gray again, watching around for any movement. Something caught the corner of his eye. Someone was crouching down in a nearby corner, his life essence visible to Thomas. The instant the figure spotted Thomas, it went into action, moving his hands around as it clutched something, something Thomas could not see. Running forward, Thomas swung his blade on the figure, another shower of sparks flying from two of the same materials clashing each other with tremendous strength. The assailant pulled back and was ready to swing again, but Thomas’s training served him purpose. Jumping up from the floor, he narrowly avoided a slice to his feet. Now in the air, he kicked at the assailants face, sending it staggering forward, followed by a quick thrust down, cutting clean through the heart. The sounds of a machine short circuiting out was heard as the body fell to its side. Pulling back on his blade, a small trail of blood followed out as the assailants transparent suit was made visible.

“Stealth suits and Sun Tzu blades? These must be Royal Guard.”

Without much time to take a breather, something else moved through the corner of his eye. Another one of those assailants ran through one of the corridors. Thomas began following, until he heard 2 of the *Ping*ing noises. They were waiting in an ambush for him. Thomas planned to bait them out. Running back to the first assailant, he grabbed his corpse and slightly dragged it across the floor. Once within range, he threw it at the intersection of the corridors, where both Plasma rounds and slice’s cut through the dead ally. Before his enemies could realize this, Thomas ran forward and swung heavily, just when the decoy body fell to the floor. The other two weren’t as lucky, as the blade cleaved them both easily apart. 5 sets of bodies were at the floor, pooling the blood together while intestines, liver and multiple other organs spilled forth, letting disgusting smell cover each inch of the halls. Suddenly, a scream was heard from afar. The scream was familiar, especially to Thomas, who without a doubt, ran forward in direction of the scream.

“Sandra!!”

Crew’s Quarter’s. Northeast section.

Wolf dashed forward, splitting away from Thomas. The halls were fairly quiet this time, devoid of any sound whatsoever. Knowing that they may lay in wait, Wolf walked over to the middle of the hallway and placed his hand on the floor. He used even the tiniest of all vibrations as a sonar of sorts, to pinpoint locations. Closing his eyes, he imagined the layer of the ship, from where he split off with Thomas and where the first four bodies were located. At first, nothing. There wasn’t the slightest trace of life, up ahead. Then, he noticed a vibration. 2 halls down, one of the assailants moved his arm around, causing pressure on the metal and sending an extremely small vibration on the wall. Then, he felt another, up ahead. 1 hallway up ahead and to the left, another guard slowly patrolled the hallway, pressing his feet properly, until he stepped on a piece of debris of sorts, making a slight tapping sound.

2 assailants up ahead, meant two kills. Moving as quickly and as quietly as a ghost through the halls, the cold aura began cutting across the halls, the stillness of death following wherever he went. Pressing his back firmly on the wall before the hallways where the guard patrolled, he took out his knife and kept quiet, listening to near silent footsteps of the boots, the slight clanking of his rifle and the *Ping* sound from his suit. The guard moved up to the hall doorway that led further down, but didn’t bother to look outside, where the suit didn’t let him feel the chilling sensation all around him. The very instant he turned around, Wolf went into action, grabbing the guard by the forehead, kicking his right leg forward while holding his left arm back. The guard grunted and shivered, as Wolf’s suit passed the freezing miasma through his, when Wolf raised his knife and placed it at the Guard’s throat. Without any hesitation whatsoever, he jammed in, slicing the windpipe, veins and any other piece of flesh, bone or blood in between, severing them completely. As he took out his knife, a light stream of blood began raining down, making a slight puddle on the floor. The guard gurgled blood and squirmed his arms around, before he went stiff and Wolf let his dead corpse to rot on the floor. It spazzed for a few more seconds before it finally died out, letting a deathly sigh escape its gas mask. Just as silently as he came, he shook his knife and went forward down the hallway, unto the next guard.

The guard kept an eye on the hall from above, making his presence hard to pinpoint. Wolf only walked forward, ignoring the guard completely as he eyed his movements. The instant Wolf walked past, the assailant slowly descended unto the floor and followed the man in black, keeping his weapon preference in hand. The instant Wolf went by a corner, he quickly followed with the blade in hand when Wolf grappled his invisible form, making the guard yelp in a tinge of fear and amazement. With his amazing strength, he snapped the bone of his wrist and used the same blade in hand to cut off his arm altogether, showering one wall in blood and bone marrow. The suit fizzled out altogether when Wolf took a quick swipe with his weapon and cutted his head cleanly off, making the gory scene even more terrifying as blood flew everywhere, a few drops falling on Wolf’s black suit. It seemed that Wolf was wrong on how many enemies there were.

They were at a distance, but boot plods quickly made themselves heard a hallway up ahead, as the enemy heard their friends yelp and sending them into alert. Leaving the corpse down, he holstered his knife and kept the Sun Tzu blade clutched in hand. With a single jump, he latched himself unto the roof and kept watching down below. A group of 5 came running, Plasma Rifles in hand, with the front one wielding a blade. Approaching the body, they eyed it conspicuously before walking past it and watching every corner they saw. They walked slowly, keeping their guard up and training their sights on anything they thought their target would hide in. The rear guard kept his rifle looking forward, a mistake that costed him dearly. As the rear guard passed below, Wolf jumped down and jabbed the Sun Tzu blade he acquired through the stomach and pressed it forward, up to the hilt. The guard in turn screamed in pain as Wolf held him like a fur shield. Grabbing the guards Rifle, he opened fire at his fellow men as they desperately shot back, their Plasma Rounds blowing holes into their ally’s suit and body. His uncanny aim didn’t take long to waste the other 3 with rifles, the glowing rounds ripping apart flesh and sending arms and fingers alike flying, but the front guard began deflecting the rounds with his blade masterfully. Hearing the empty sound of the rifle mechanism whirring, meaning an empty cartridge, he kicked the body at the oncoming guard, pulling back the blade as the guard cleaved his ally in two and took a swing at Wolf, sending more sparks everywhere as the blade met the same resistance of ore and proper craftsmanship. The guard pulled back, anticipating Wolf’s next lightning flash swing as it tore through the neighboring wall. The guard only stood with his weapon ready, eyeing his opponent. Wolf didn’t want to waste time on this, so he pulled out his Five-SeveN and opened fire with its large clip. His enemy wasn’t accustomed to dodging bits of lead towards him, only blocking the first three shots, but the others pierced his suit and deeply into his skin, sending the fur backwards with a groan of pain. That now made 11 kills for Wolf. Shaking the new Sun Tzu blade, he heard a shriek from the Female Quarters at a distance. That scream made him think on his crew, but he knew that they voice wasn’t from any of his crew.

“Sandra!?...”

Female Quarters, Northeastern Section.

Thomas and Wolf both heard the scream, from the same direction. This meant that more Guards must have infiltrated the ship. They both ran at the same speed as the hallways nd corridors slowly connected through the same path, with them both running side by side. The instant Thomas felt a chilling sensation in the air, he knew Wolf was nearby. With a smile on his face, the hallways connected again and Wolf appeared next to Thomas.

“You heard it too?”
“Yes….”
“Sandra’s in danger, lets move!”

Keeping the same speed, they quickly reached the door for the Female Quarters section. That was when Thomas noted that Wolf held a Sun Tzu blade in hand.

“I see you got a new trinket.”
“Courtesy of the Imperial Royal Guard……”

The door slid open, when thumps, sounds of hitting and crashing where heard. The hallways up ahead was drowned out in those sounds as Wolf pulled out his Five-SeveN with his right hand and clutched the sword with his left. Running over to Sandra’s temporary quarters, Thomas went ahead and kicked the door down, Wolf aiming his gun inside. A battle cry along with the sound of a firearm unloading were heard as an enemy Guard was sent flying, him being covered in what seemed to be laser pellets, bleeding everywhere. Thomas and Wolf gave each other a surprised look and quickly entered inside when they saw Sandra, holding another Guard in a chokehold with a lingerie holding his neck. Gasping for air and pulling as hard he could, he wasted his energy and quickly tumbled down, unconscious. Thomas was amazed while Wolf only tilted his head as they both looked at Sandra. The instant the guard fell down, they noticed she had a Standard Flight shotgun, mainly used as a sidearm for pilots. Holding this in hand, she sighed and sat back on the bed as she noticed the two males staring at her, which in turn made her blush. She still wore the same clothing as the night before. Looking at them both with their funny looking faces, she shot back.

“What? Never seen a woman kick some ass?”

Thomas stammered and blushed a bit, while Wolf only chuckled to himself. Sandra hanged the shotgun to her shoulder and smiled, looking at them both. Thomas only glared at Wolf.

“Not funny.”
“Hahahaha……..”

Sandra only looked at them and blushed again, smiling and laughing a little herself until she looked at the guard she just left unconscious.

“What shall we do with him?”
“Interrogate him…..”

Nameless Hangar.

The enemy assault let Project 21-21-7 out on the loose. The camera’s managed to get a glimpse of them as the remaining soldiers in the quarters only remained where they were. Setting up a defensive line about, they activated the electric fences, not sure of what they were up against. Lt Junior Grade Hector led the lockdown.

“I want the Cargo hold locked until we get Wolf in here. That thing has killed two of my men and I know that it scares the shit out of me.”

The soldiers shivered in fear, but nodded to the Lt.’s orders.

Nameless Holding/Interrogation Cells. 15 minutes after the attack.

Sandra seemed to be the only one who kept an enemy alive, as Wolf took this as a chance to get some information out him. Dragging the unconscious guard to the cell by the scruff of his neck, Thomas and Sandra followed quietly behind. The room was dark, barely lit by an energy lamp on the side, no windows, just a camera on the corner of the roof that monitored everything. Straping the guard to a chair and locking him with chains, he leaned back on a wall, waiting for the guard to wake up.

With a groan, the prisoner now shook his head and raised his gas masked face to meet his Interrogator. The sight of blood, seriousness and a crimson red stare that seemed to pierce him, even in this darkness was enough to get him to stammer.

“How did you get in Nameless…..”
“I ain’t talking. I was trained not to break.”
“You’ve obviously never met me……”

In a split second, he unholstered his knife and threw it at the prisoner. The man yelped in reaction, but he was unharmed. The only thing that wasn’t as lucky was his gas mask as it slowly fell down in pieces and unto the floor. What came out from behind the mask was a scared cheetah, his eyes shut closely together as he tried to hold in the urge to cry out of fear.

“Next time, I won’t miss. Now talk…….”

All the cheetah did was let a few tears fall down, until he looked down at his chest and spotted that it began bleeding, due to some unseen wound as the pain quickly began coursing through his body.

“I-I said I won’t….talk…”

Wolf sighed and turned his back on the prisoner. Crossing his arms, he turned back to face him and glared down upon him as the cold air quickly surrounded the poor soul, feeling it penetrate deep into his skin and deeper within. It slowly began driving the soldier with pain and horror, expecting the worse to come as Wolf got out the Sun Tzu blade and held it in front of his face. Slowly, he inched the blade closer to his chest and just when the tip touched the slender, transparent suit, it cut inside, making the guard scream out in pain as he cried from it.

“I’ll talk, I’ll talk!! W-we c-came in through the fighters…..Those that were blown up were replaced with ours and we entered the hangar to kill the enemy CO…. We spotted you and the famed Son of Tallos with a female wolfette. Our orders were to kill you both on site. When we didn’t hear Alpha, Bravo or Charlie teams report in, we sent in Delta along with Jim…..Seeing as they didn’t radio in, we thought it would be best to get some leverage.”
“Which is why you went in after her?...”
“Yes….”
“I see……What else……”
“There is also….the attack on Voordon.”
“?....”
“Legion….Legion is coming and they want to test out its full power on Voordon, instead of using the Black Sun Generators…”

This information was vital to them all as the cheetah slowly began explaining how Legion, a massive ship that is unrivaled by any yet, will attack Voordon after the first assault. It is supposed to be a show of power to make Jacob’s enemies cower in fear of his new toy. Then, he began explaining about the Black Sun Generators, a weapon that could wipe out an entire planet without much effort as its inhabitants watched the impending doom. As the cheetah explained, Wolf got a worried look on his face, almost as if he has seen this before.

“So….are you going to kill me?”

Wolf only shook his head and turned for the door. The guard was left speechless as the snot trailed down with his tears and blood from a small cut that was formed when he threw his knife at him. Wolf went over to Sandra and Thomas who watched from another room.

“You’re going to let him live?”
“He has no further purpose in the battlefield. There is no reason to kill him……”
“You are one very frightening man, yet you honor those who are your enemies even.”
“Still, these are dire news. We must get to Voordon and plan on how to derail that beast…..”
“And those Generators. You looked as if you knew something about them.”
“………….”

Sandra only watched the two wolves speak, not clearly understanding why Wolf let him alive. Still, they got what they wanted from him, so this was fortunate for all of them.

Warp Space near Voordon

A good number of Omega ships slowly amassed in the compressed space they hid in. At the least, the numbers were in the good 50’s, meaning that this was a forward assault unit who’s duty was to weaken the enemy defenses for the main ship to make way. They jammed any signals that passed nearby, staying in the same spot. This was hard enough for any ship out there, but these new Omega’s could do it at the press of a button as they only hovered in place. They kept a good distance of Voordon’s radar systems and other defense mechanisms.
A black boar sat in the front ship as he waved his hands and sent orders to neighboring ships.

“This is Major Bergman. The attack shall begin in an hour. Remember that our priority is to disrupt their main bases and infiltrate their barracks to cause as much havoc as possible. Ground units, are preparations complete?”

A holographic screen appeared before him as Spec Ops soldiers appeared in transparent suits and wearing gas masks. These suits and masks were slightly different to the ones the Royal Guard wore, but their purpose held true as it kept them from view and protected them from any harmful
toxins in the air.

“This is Captain Henry G. All units in place. The EMP emitters have been prepared for 3 hours and the Poison Gas launchers are at the ready. All map locations have been tagged and are under surveillance of any
changes.”

The voice was muffled due to the mask as heavy breathing was heard by the speakers.

“That is good to hear Capt. Now, any news of importance?”
“Nothing so far. The only things noted that are of any importance are that there is a large Bio-sign within one of the bases, nothing our fur database has detected.”
“They must have captured one of our mutations.”
“We suspected as much sir, the other was a ship that is logged in as a friendly in our scanners. We suspect he may have been sent by our superiors.”
“Last I heard, we cut off any connections with mercs or any of them damm cutthroats. That ship will be tagged as enemy until further notice.”
“Yes sir. The attack is ready to be sent on your word.”
“Good. Rest up for now and keep your men on standby.”

With that last order, the screen disappeared and the Major sighed and crossed one leg over the other.

“Damm that incompetent Jacob. The old Czar wouldn’t have done something so underhanded like this. I still can’t believe I have to lead this fucked up assault…..It’s a suicide mission and he knows it.”

He wiped his face with his hand and looked back down at his men as they worked diligently on any data that came in from the outside.

Meldovian Campaign

Their defense kept the Imperium forces at bay, making their attack a living hell. Most of the troops retreated while those still left at the frontlines were suffering heavy losses. Their lighter equipment could not withstand any of the Meldovian assaults, much less their incredibly dangerous fauna and flora. It was then that the other to retreat was heard. The Imperium units on the Meldovian soil were to retreat on the remaining ship pods. Everywhere, native troops began celebrating and tossing they’re weapons on the floor. They had fought hard and lost a few of their friends, but they held on strong and repelled the invasion.

“If that is what we are to expect from the Imperial’s then I have no clue with them politicians in Atlus are pissing their pants about! We should go
teach em how we……what in Diva’s name is that!?”

The Imperial retreat came with much graver news. As the attacking Omega ships slowly drifted away from the Meldovian atmosphere, a black orb began forming in the sky. The orb in question slowly motioned its way in front of the sun, forming an eclipse. Many people watched in fear while others thought it to be another form of Imperium attack. The orb slowly grew larger and larger, enveloping all rays of the sun and creating a large dark spot above the planet as furs ran in fear from the unknown orb. Then, the orb slowly approached the planet. It’s darkness slowly enveloped all it came into contact with. People ran as others tried escaping in vehicles. It was all futile as the gunk slowly covered about half of the planet. An interplanetary radio station was on the still protected side of the planet as it desperately tried to get a warning
message to one of its planetary neighbors

“*Static* is the Meldovian General Tri*static*, we are under Imp*static* ck and something dark is*static* the planet!”

It took a few seconds, but Tala eventually reached the signal and read the message. They sent a reply to see what they could make out of the situation.

“Meldovian General Tristan, do you read us, over? What is your current situation? What is this dark you speak of?”
“It covered our su*static* ring our lands! We don’t kn*static*ong before we *static*much longer!”
“We cannot understand your transmission, please try fixing your transmitters.”

The Meldovians were now desperate. Time was running short as at a distance they could see the black gunk was being spotted at a distance from their position. Changing their transmitter for a new one, they resent their message.

“This is Meldovian General Tristan! Some dark substance is covering our planet! We need help!!”
“Dark substance? General you must be more specific.”
“I DON’T KNOW WHAT IT IS!!!OH GOD!!”

Those were the last words that the Talan station heard, before static wracked the signal. The station was enveloped as some of the looked at some satellites to see the entire planet being covered in darkness. Whatever it was, it filled the world completely, blanketing out any noticeable features akin to Meldovia. On Meldovias interior, the light was cut off. People were in a state of panic as the air grew hot, making people grow agitated and fearful. Animals raged, the public rioted but none within knew what ws truly to happen. In the blink of an eye, it was all over. The planet imploded, sending powerful shockwaves across the space. The shockwave was strong enough to shake the leaving Omega Ships. Still, the black gunk remained where Meldovia once was. It was barely noticeable, but what remained were small bits of the planet, smaller than a rock.

Talan Station

The soldiers outside the base watched out with horror in their faces as they saw they’re neighboring planet be destroyed before their eyes. Many of them threw down their weapons as many others tried to take protection in escaping ships. Politicians and Generals were quick to decided their choices as the frontline troops pulled back. They feared that the Black Sun Generator will have been activated on their planet, so they agreed to metting with the invading force to work a treaty. The most powerful figure heads in the Talan government met with the General in charge of the Talan Campaign, a tall greyhound by the name of Oyslig. They agreed to meet inside the Omega ship that led the assault by an armed escort. As they were taken aboard the ship, they couldn’t help but shiver at their opponents might, no matter how strong their allies were. They were taken to a meeting room, were the male Greyhound awaited. The instant they entered, they were meet with sneers and chuckles of what can be described as madness. They knew they had no choice and were intending on having fun with their minds. The politicians made their way inside, when the Greyhound took notice of something from them. All of the Talan Politicians were female, while the Generals were men. A total of 6 representatives entered the room, all of them them worried. The politicians were composed of two Foxes and a Cat, while the Generals were made of a Lion, an Owl and finally a Grizzly Bear. Taking their respective seats, Oyslig pulled out a box of Cigars and took one to his mouth.

“Cigars? I have the very best from the Imperium itself now.”

He spoke with an insulting voice, signaling that he knew what was on their minds. The silence from the room only spoke out their fear for the General. It was then that the Lion of the Talan Generals spoke.

“We don’t s-smoke….We are here to negotiate our complete surrender.”
“Ahh, so you saw our set of fireworks?”

His choice of words made them all quiet down again.

“What? Was it something I said?”

Oyslig only began laughing at their silence when one of the Fox politicians spoke out, her female voice echoing through the halls.

“I can’t believe we are being treated like this, even at the hands of you!! You are no more than a heartless bastard, paid to kill innocent furs for a dirty contract!”

This in turn sparked Oyslig to laugh evily.

“A dirty contract you say?Hahaha….HahaHAHAHAHA!!!!”

As he laughed, the Talan representatives felt fearful again as though they were dealing with a deranged madman. Oyslig indeed went mad as he pulled out his sidearm and blew holes into the Lion and Grizzly Generals. The Owl stood up, pulling out his own sidearm but he was met with a tossed knife at the forehead, streaming a thick line of blood down to his coat. All of them died quickly as three of Oyslig’s guards came in the room with evil smiles, watching the females. They whimpered in fear as they looked at the men, Oyslig and themselves.

“What are you going to do to us?”
“You wanted to negotiate your surrender? These men are the negotiating party. They will say wether your planet will live or not, buuut….That will be up to you them and you. Hehehehe.”

With an evil laugh he walked out of the room and locked the security door. A few seconds later, their screams of pain and pleasure began echoing out in the halls as the men outside and Oyslig himself laughed out.

“Those bastards better have left some for us, eh?”
“Hahahaha, I don’t give a fuck wether we blow up this planet or not.”
“Of course, General. Should I prepare the Generator?”
“No shit. It wouldn’t do that we can’t keep em on the verge of pissing their pants. Besides, the new Czar ordered no survivors.”

Venerious Underground Capital.

Their military received word of what was going on. Meldovia was wiped out from the Universe and Tala was beginning to surrender. It didn’t matter what they would do, they would be wiped out as well so they began preparing their representatives to go to the surface to negotiate their own surrender, when one of the Venerian Rookies spoke out at the meeting.

“Noo! We can’t give up! We have been fighting these bastard idiots and we have kept them at bay, so we will just give up like that!?”

The entire room sighed, looking at the rookie when one of his superiors addressed him.

“Son, we’ve lost. We must think of our people and our planet whole. I for one share your disgust of the Imperium, but we cannot win. We must give in and save as many as we can…”
“So that means giving in? If we keep them a bay for a while longer, we can get reinforcements! We can fight them back, even with their Doomsday weaponry! They took their time to start it up, so maybe if we figure out how they activate them, we can stall them long enough to get help!”

The room was quiet again, until another soldier spoke up.

“Hey, he has a point. Meldova was clearly beating them to a pulp and they kept fighting them, which means that their Doomsday weapon takes considerable time to activate. We can hold them back until we get more troops!”

One after another, they rose up at the table, filled with hope from the Rookie’s words. The Rookie in question was promoted as the Venerian army began ready for their space assaults.

Guardian Assault on Legion

Scorpion tried to keep his forces morale up. They knew it was suicide, but they had to stall Legion and keep it at bay for as long as possible so that Kyle could make his escape with the Yuki Onna. Their S3 weapons were plugging large holes in their defense, but they weren’t enough for the small armada. They were dealing with a monster of a ship as it pulled out many cannons and slowly began wiping out their adversary.

“Hold on Guardians! We must deal a fatal blow to this Behemoth!”

It was until Legion began pulling on its side. Something was obviously wrong as the cannons stopped firing and began returning inside. The side plating moved aside and began showing a large cannon barrel. Should they have received the report on the fight that took Reno’s life, they would have known that it was the same type of Cannon.

“Quick, unload everything we have at that barrel!”

Scorpion’s last order was a full assault as the cannon began charging. The Gripen’s fired their entire salvos within as others tried for a more tactful assault at the hangar. They all ended the same, as the instant that large cannon shot out its energy wave, it leveled all in its way. The entire Guardian force that remained was evaporated and those fighters that remained were easy pickings for the AA guns that quickly came back out, shooting up the Gripens in all their might. The fight wasn’t even fair as what was left of the Guardian force that attacked, was Kyle and his ship, the Redking.

It was then that Legion began making damage assessment. Finally, they began their Auto Repairs and began planning their course for their original destination once more, Voordon.

Aboard the Redking

Moonberg barreled out into space, along with the number of men that were nearby. The Malinkov was a weapon to truly fear as it tore open the gate without much effort. Thanks to his new Grendaal body, he managed to retain plenty of oxygen as his Grendaal arms held to the Redking’s plating. Climbing his way over to an airlock, he knocked on the door a few times. White was the first to pick up on the noise and look it’s way.

“What was that?”
“What was what?”

Moonberg knocked harder this time, feeling that his oxygen was dwindling rapidly. Kyle noticed it this time as White was ready to aim his Malinkov.

“Don’t you dare shoot that thing in here. It will tear off the entire wall of my ride.”
“Hmmpf. You take care of it then.”

Kyle approached with the Apocalypse in hand at the airlock. Moonberg then began growing desperate, thinking that he would have to crack the airlock in total. Peeking his head within, Kyle got spooked and jumped back a bit.

“What the hell is that!?”

Moonberg knew he was startling, but he tried his best to prove that he was truly of no harm. Shaking his head and blowing what little oxygen was left on the pexi-glass, he fogged it enough and used one of his fingers to write in the glass backwards.

‘I am Moonberg.’

Kyle only looked at the glass and tilted his head while White aimed her Malinkov at the airlock again.

“How can that thing be Moonberg?”
“My questions exactly, but I don’t think we should let him in without something to keep him held in.”
“Well what do you know. You get to use that cage afterall.”

White only dropped the aim of the Malinkov as Kyle began opening the airlock, letting Moonberg inside. He gasped for air as he looked down on the plating and then switched over to laying on his back.

“Thank…..god…..for that….”
“Don’t thank us just yet. Now to get you in the cage.”
“Get me in the what?”

Rank: Super Veteran Joined: 20 Jan 2010 Posts: 1661

=TOF: Katmir’s Record #8=

=Warzone: Praxian space=

The Imperium fleet, led by the Balseraph, clashed with the combined forces of Colonel Jirafa’s 9th Legion and Admiral Aeva’s Praxian fleets. It should have been a typically ‘quick’ sortie since this Imperium force was severely outnumbered in its proximity to Praxis. They should have remained outside the system. But driven by a dark power, this Imperium fleet maneuvered through the Praxis’ forces with their primary weapons: the mutations. What could only be described as armored octopi dispensing strange energy bolts in eight directions was the primary cause of the breach in defenses. The fighters in both commands failed to deter the first wave as they were followed by Imperium fighters and support ships. Admiral Aeva noted that it took far too many of her soldiers to terminate a single mutation. One outstanding threat used a mini-jump gate to position itself in trajectory towards the one and a half stardocks The Hephaestus was rebuilding.

This mutation was as large as an Imperium destroyer, but its dark purple limbs increased its size. Video from engaged Praxian fighters showed its outward nonsensical tactical form: The hull operated with typical automated ordnance, providing a proper offence and defense to the Praxian flight squadron. The giant mutation boasted four massive tentacles on each side of its bow and stern as tough as its metal chassis and faster than starships could avoid. It seemed to punch and kick at her pilots, mostly because this machine had an expressive wolf’s head at the bow. The female golden cobra Aeva stared into her screen and wondered what creatures she had dined with days before that could change from a normal sized fur soldier into a gigantic death machine? That was his face, wasn’t it? The Imperium gridrunner, Warewolph..?

“Peleg, send a destroyer after that monster.”

<PELEG> Two destroyers have been rendered derelict by the mutation, Admiral. It has sustained visible damage, but is currently unstoppable. Also, the battlespace does not allow for a safe use of our Polaris weapon.

“Then move it so we can use it! I will not suffer another death at our stardocks! And what the frak is that?”

<PELEG> That’s Captain Mahal’s personal fighter droid. You authorized his testing of it in our DMZ earlier. Ah, he hails us now, Admiral.

=Katmir’s biodroid=

“Admiral Aeva, Operation: Praxis Shield is ready. Now I’ve got one ugly sunnuva bastich coming in hot, so gimme the green light!”

“Negative, Captain. Praxis is not under clear and present danger. The Hephaestus must defend our stardocks. Reinforcements are en route.”

“Aw, biscuits and gravy… Watch my six, Kommandos! I’m about ta enter - mortal combaaat!”

Speeding towards Katmir, the giant mutation Warewolph bites a Praxian fighter into oblivion along the way and spits it aside showing no damage whatsoever to his gaping maw. Katmir’s feral green biodroid kicks out with his legs and tail to meet the monster halfway in the battlespace. Katmir blocks a lashing right tentacle with his left forearm, and slashes along the left tentacle with his right-side vibro-blade claws. Katmir grins at the oozing gashes, but is put into a choke hold by the right tentacle he thought he blocked and kicked Warewolph’s face with an impact that caused sparks to fly at the neck joint. He made contact to the monster’s hull with his other leg, causing a huge dent.

The monster swung the fox around to hold him with his other tentacles over his back. Inside his biomechanical cockpit, Katmir struggles to get free. The Imperium destroyer chassis of Warewolph aims its multiple weapons array at the captive, and fires. Katmir’s HUD showed the biodroid’s shields dropping.

“Rrrgh! Deploying sails!” exclaimed the fur as he watched his Kommandos’ signals approach him from their posts around Praxis' orbit. The solar sails sprang out again from his biodroid's shoulders and tail, striking into the monster's limbs and freeing him. The force of Warewolph's destroyer weapons gave Katmir's sails an added boost to his getaway. Warewolph craned his massive head around to follow his prey when a flicker caught all his sensors.

"[Zooo-wieee!!]" One of the new Paraxian fighters from the stardocks had managed to dodge his automatic missiles and fly to his face. The fighter looked like it was coming apart at first. But the pieces came back together into a bipedal form with a warthog's style head, and it held a large piece of steel that crackled with energy. The robot dodged rapid-fire guns as it stepped up Warewolph's snout. Then, using its leg-engines, it swung the electrified rod around hard enough to permanently destroy Warewolph's right eye and its mechanisms. "Think on it, you fuck!" was the transmission the fighter gave as it changed back into its fighter form and continued to avoid his guns.

Three similar fighters danced around the giant mutation encased in the Imperium destroyer shell.

One had a large crossbow weapon beneath it that fired a large crossbolt. This in turn became dozens of multicolored laser bolts that countered Warewolph's rockets and caused heavy damage to the lower forward weapons array. The starfighter kept its distance strafing with each salvo of crossbolts.

Two more of the special fighters made critical damage to the monster's armored chassis. One flew in from behind, changing into a robot with small round ears, a long tail, and explosives bandoliers along the arms and legs. It survived a couple of hits before it made and impossible landing on the rear upper deck. Then it disappeared to the point that the automatic guns stopped firing. A succession of small explosions rocked the deck, taking out many of the gun and rocket launcher emplacements from aft to stern, where the robot fighter reappeared and took off, barely kicking off of a swinging tentacle.

The fourth fighter had attacked in a curious manner. It flew towards a lower tentacle and morphed, revealing a robotic head that flipped and extended out spiked antlers. When the antlers struck, a small EMP charge was fired there which seemed to do nothing at first. The robot used its arms to disengage itself from the huge limb. Large heated vibro-blades jutted out from each arm and the robot fighter used its engines to force itself into the strikepoint as it viciously tore and slashed its way through to the other side. Warewolph's head showed savage frustration. "Captain, it’s HexPoint. Field test is positive. I'm gonna castrate this motherfucker now."

"Stand clear, K1. Jimmy Beam is charged and locked. Three... two... fuck you!" bellows Katmir. Floating in his biomechanical cockpit, he inhales deep into his diaphragm and lets out a long, almost gruttural breath. The reverse-engineered mutation, coupled with technology developed on the Hephaestus did the same, except it used the energy gathered from the solar sails and channeled it through a tube in its tongue. Warewolph used all four tentacles to block the focused green laser beam shooting out of Katmir's biodroid's mouth. However, it burned the target areas a hot red before it ceased. The wolf monster's face winced in pain and just floated in space.

Katmir maneuvered his biodroid near his Kommandos' robot fighters. HexPoint turned his stag-themed robot to him. "You named your laser cannon... Jimmy Beam? That's funny?"

"And you had Cmdr Fu install a red headlight on your nosecone. 'Nuff said?"

"Full-spectrum cameras are standard recon issue equipment, sir." said HexPoint, a bright red lamp turning on at the tip of his robot fighter's nose.

Katmir's green fox biodroid pointed a finger at his antlered bro. "Don't argue with your superior officer, Rodolfo. I know the games you play."

"What? I like it. And stop calling me Rodolfo. My mother called me Rodolfo, once. ... Once..!"

The vixen Rainbow suddenly levels her robot fighter's huge crossbow rifle at the monster, and charges it. "Snap out of it, boys! It's still functional!"

Warewolph bared his large metal teeth as the destroyer part of his body separated, upper level from the lower, to reveal his true form. The giant purple wolf had been crouched inside the ship’s hull, and the tentacles were extra appendages to his feral body. The Kommandos opened fire as he stood on his haunches and transmitted a bone-chilling howl. He held his hands in front of him as if holding a basketball and the tentacles pointed toward that space… His eyes widened and he snarled, bearing his teeth.

In his cockpit, Katmir held his paws out like pistols and flexed his thumbs. Outwardly, his biodroid's paws looked similar, but fired green bolts of energy. "Don't let up! Don't give him a chance!" His Kommandos fired away together in robot fighter mode.

Tuscan the warthog used his club weapon like a bazooka. "Use your Jimmy Beam, boss! Looks like he's gonna go for a special attack!"

Data from the Hephaestus was relayed into Katmir’s heads-up display. Dr. Gallo and Cmdr Fu showed that Warewolph was building up darkmatter, aimed directly at the Hephaestus’ industrial complex, and therefore, the second Praxis stardock. "No time to recharge! I'm gonna take down that bastard before he pulls the trigger!"

Katmir sprang forward, shifting all shields to the fore. He thought of Commander Fuertespalda’s sweet pink face and the way she looks at him. He hoped he could at least be revived if this move failed. “One night of fire - One shot at glory!”

He was focused on aiming his snout into the orb of darkness, but a ring of fire exploded around Warewolph’s neck rather violently. His extremities shuddered out of place, and the orb hung there as the giant wolf’s head floated off the rest of his giant mutant body. Katmir hit the brakes, not wanting to get near the strange orb if the danger was abated. There was a shimmer on the mutation’s chest. It was Nimhrod’s robot fighter coming out of stealth. “Boo-yah, bee-yotch.”, said Nimhrod.

“Nice fuckin’ work you sneaky pyromaniac rat! I’m gonna make you a medal out of his head when we get back.”

Nimhrod flew towards his Captain's side when a black tendril lashed out of the orb and pulled him in. He disappeared from all sensors.

“Shit!!” Katmir fired away at the orb, joined by the others who did the same. It seemed to swallow the laser bolts, showing no change in readouts.

Rainbow was frantic. “Nimh! Baby!” HexPoint and Tuscan’s robots held hers back. “No! Get him out of there!”

“I’ll try!” said Katmir, daring to dive into the orb again. But it recessed into Warewolph’s giant corpse, and this started tucking into itself as if going to sleep. “What! The! Fuck! Nimhrod..?!”

A massive beam of energy hit the remains. It was the Rim Concordant’s flagship, the Peleg. Admiral Aeva had turned her ship around and now destroyed what was still considered a threat. There were several small explosions as the beam flashed through the monster. A nuclear explosion hurled Katmir and his commandos back.

“Nooo! Whyy?!” cried Rainbow.

Katmir had no answer for his grieving vixen friend. He did have a few choice words for Admiral Aeva.

“Hey, cobra! Too much too soon, or too little – too late? That thing took my bro inside!”

Back in her control room, Admiral Aeva’s crown hung sad. In war, the sacrifice of one seemed to justify the survival of many. But he wasn’t her soldier… she'd figure it out.

“Captain Mahal. I am truly sorry for your loss. Colonel Jirafa of the 9th has also perished in the battle. But your services are still required here. You will continue with your orders to finish rebuilding the second stardock. The Praxian government will provide you with whatever you may need, Captain. Thank you for your service to us all.”

And with that, the Peleg moved to a new orbit along with the returning ships. The Imperium’s Balseraph had self-destructed and its fleet defeated. The 9th Legion ship Perseus was heavily damaged. A mutation had breached the command center. Katmir also learned that the Imperium conscript Lt. Hisk had aided in the defense of the stardocks, and was considered somewhat of a hero for that part of the battle. He had changed his mind about taking sanctuary with the Hephaestus.

Nimhrod’s fighter and body were never found.

[End Katmir’s TOF Record #8]

Royal Member of BonBon Joined: 31 Dec 2007 Posts: 3215

=Atlus=

“This is Eos Broadband News bringing you up to date information twenty four seven, I’m Jack Hughes. Well things have gone from bad to worse it seems on the front. Meldovia destroyed and Tala on the verge of surrender. The only good news it seems is that Venerious has not given up and continues to fight. Sadly with both Meldovia and Tala now defeated the only world left to defend us is Vordoon. We go live to Vordoon where General Price is holding a press conference.”

=Vordoon, Press Conference=

General Price stands on the podium and looks over the reporters. With a sigh he starts speaking.

“Ladies and Gentleman I know with the loss of Meldovia and Tala there has been some consideration in surrendering, better to live then try and fight an enemy that can destroy entire planets. But let me assure you, it takes a lot of power and time to use a Black Sun Generator. If we had a strong fleet presence at Meldovia then the Generator could have be destroyed... sadly we did not as our forces are stretched thin right now. But we can not give up and be enslaved by a madman like Jacob. We must continue on and fight. The enemy has surprised us, I’ll admit it, but there is one place standing in his way. That is this world, Vordoon. Combined with the original Imperium Loyalists, 9th Legion and other ground forces throughout the Rim, plus the full might of the Alliance Fleet, this world will become a death trap to any and all enemies that dare to attack. We will hold Vordoon and send Jacob’s Omegas forces packing...”

=Reckoning=

General Young sighed and turned the vid screen off. He turned around and looked at the assembled officers, a cabined group from all members of the Alliance. They were discussing how best to use their recourses to defend Vordoon. He turned to one officer and called him over. Young still shuddered when he looked into the scared face of Admiral Forbes. Even with the best medical technology around, nothing could hide the hedious scars that covered the left side of his face. The eye patch he wore made him look more like a pirate then an Admiral in the 3rd Fleet.

“Well Admiral, what do you think?”

Admiral Toby Forbes just shrugged.

“Don’t know really, if we were dealing with regular Imperium ships and troops I say we have a good chance... but these aren’t regular Imperium ships or troops and there is Legion to worry about. That beast is near indestructible. We need something to take it out, but I don’t know what.”

Young nodded and sighed.

“Agreed, every ship has a weakness. We just have to find it... or deal with it with a ship with the same strength if not more so. Still with our defenses here we have a chance. Vordoon is a major hub into the Rim. Sure he could go around through the Neo Star League and maybe even attack the Confederate dry docks and deprive us of any new destroyer class warships. But...”

“It would leave his supply line open to attack. No General, he has no choice but to come here. He has to take us out first before moving on.”

Young nodded in agreement. He reached over and picked up a data pad and turned it on, looking over the defense figures.

‘Lets see here, as of now there are the original Imperium forces that maned Vordoon, over seventy thousand ground troops, fifty solar sun cannons that can cut a ship in half in less then a minute, the ten battle platforms holding over three hundred star fighters plus enough firepower to take on five war ships each and finally one hundred and six war ships and ten thousand star fighters. Not a bad force, glad we didn’t have to fight them.

‘Now there is the twenty five thousand troops of the 9th Legion, the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Praxis Legions, over thirty thousand there, 2nd Durase Legion had just arrived, adding another ten thousand. On top of that there is the 3rd Fleet with twenty ships plus the 1st and 2nd Praxis Fleet and the 2nd Durase Fleet with a total of seventy eight ships. So in all the Triumvirate force has brought sixty five thousand ground troops and ninety-eight warships with a total of five thousand star fighters.

‘Finally there is the Rim forces. I really wish they would divide their units up a little better. The 4th Combined Rim Army with a total of thirty thousand ground troops and the 1st and 4th Combined Rim Fleet with one hundred war ships and eight thousand star fighters.

‘Hmm so if I’m seeing this right we’re looking at around one hundred and sixty five thousand ground troops, three hundred and four war ships and twenty six thousand star fighters. This doesn’t included that large number of ground viechals at our disposal, included over one thousand Heavy Battle Tanks. That is a pretty good size force to contend with... still, I’m not going to underestimate Jacob.’

He looked at the gather officers, scanning the different ranks and planetary insignias. Then then cleared his throat and everyone looked his way.

“Alright Gentleman and Ladies I think its time we got down to business. I just looked over the numbers and what I see is good but I want to double our forces by the end of the week.”

An Imperium officer stood up with shock.

“Double by the end of the week? But sir, that’ll only give us three days and where are we going to get those numbers?”

“Simple Colonel Rease, I know for a fact that there are at least thirty thousand Imperium troops at Yogmoth. I want at least ten thousand of that number here. We’ll also pull a number Triumvirate Legions and Rim troops from the most secured areas, if Vordoon falls those areas won’t last long anyway. At the same time the Confederacy has just shipped us a large number of new frigates and destroyers to aid us. Once maned they’ll be deployed around Vordoon. The only problem we’re going to have is finding more star fighters. We may have a lot now but the Omegas forces can pull even more out. I want to have a good size reserve force at all times, we’re going to need it. Also, we’re going to receive ten more Solar Sun Cannons in a few hours, make sure they’re deployed properly. I wish we could get a couple more battle platforms but we’ll work with what we got. Now if there is no more questions lets get to work.”

Before sitting down Young just remember something.

"Also, find out the disposition of the Guardians. I know they've been hit pretty bad but see if we can't get some support from them as well."

=Pirate Space, Planet Darkon=

Jemseen had finished watching the news and turned to his officers and smiled. These where some of the best commanders to be ever assembled. All had been cast out for various reasons and now they were his. Even the famous General Jurgen was now working for him. Chuckling he stood up and addressed them.

“Well my friends it seems that the game is afoot. Everyone is so preoccupied with each other that they have forgotten about us. NOW, is the time to strike. To that end I give you...”

Suddenly an image of a system pops up.

“... the Tarken system. It is an outer system within Imperium space. It may not look like much but there are a lot of recourses in this system that will help us. It is also close to some other populated systems. So here is what we’re going to do. Once Tarken is ours we’ll take one system at a time as quickly as possible. Now, some of you are wandering why not take some Rim worlds. Because that’ll put us to close to all the fighting and I really don’t want to get caught in a cross fire m’k. So, when Tarken falls we’ll build up our forces. I have a large number of ships already near the system, just waiting to go and have fun. Lets not keep them waiting any longer.”

Hours later Jemseen is leading a large fleet into hyperspace on board his command ship. The Battle Star Venus. Once they get to Tarken they would link up with the others and the Galaxy would not know what hit them.

Royal Member of BonBon Joined: 22 Dec 2008 Posts: 2173

Let me tell you a story. A story of mighty Lenneth Valkyrie, and how she obtained Einheirjar, Spear of Damnation.

It is said that Goblins, creatures of the earth like the Eridani, also wished for the divine Lenneth's protection. They knew they were not favored, like the Eridani were. So, their king proffered to Lenneth an offering they hoped She would find worthy of Her skill with sword, bow, and spear.

And Lady Lenneth looked down upon the Goblin Tinker-King Yagmoth, and the spear he offered Her. In all Her eons of existence, She had never seen such a weapon. Forged from the purest of metals. Given divine rights and providence. Crafted by superior weaponsmiths. She had never seen its equal. She could hardly believe that such a spear could be made by people of the earth.

The Tinker-King, his head still bowed in reverence to the Lady Lenneth, his humpback frame still kneeling in front of her spoke, "Great Lenneth, I know my people and I are not Eridani, and the weapon we offer you is crafted by mortal hands poorly able to mimic the divine, not worthy of one as great and noble as you. But, if you will accept our humble weapon, if you will protect us and treat us as your own, we... I will be forever in your debt. And, for as long as we can, we will craft arms and armaments to protect your people."

***** ***** *****

Kyle's Star Fighter

The bitter smell of dried sweat and blood percolated from the mutant hitchhiker calling itself Moonberg. The thing fell to its hands and knees with a crash. Nails jabbed out uncontrolled, stabbing into the steel deck. The thing began coughing and gagging, as it gulped in air. Spittle foamed around the corners of its mouth. With each breath, it seemed to regain a little more of its composure and complexion. The hacking stopped, replaced with deep breathing. The nails retracted back into their fingers. The things eyes began to flutter open. Kyle and White watched as dilated pupils began to adjust to the lighting of the ship. Whatever it was, would soon be back on its feet again.

The Yuki Onna moved to the hatch, bashing the emergency closure button. The airlock hissed closed sealing the ship. The Yuki Onna then turned to the Guardian and ordered, "Get that thing into your box."

The Guardian looked at her, and was about to say something, when she interrupted him. She raised her Malinkov, and trained it on the mutant monstrosity. "I've got him covered. Get him into the box."

For a second, Kyle paused, wondering what the wolverine-girl was up to. But she was right. Until they were certain that the mutant was Moonberg, it was best to keep it in captivity. While the mutant continued to recover, Kyle grabbed it from behind. The wolf twisted the thing's arm around to his back. He then began forcing the mutant forward, towards the metal box designed to hold White.

"I just escaped from one cage! I will not be put back into another!" shouted the mutant, as Kyle struggled with him. Weakened from its exposure to the vacuum of space, Kyle was able to keep on top of the thing, despite its massive bulk.

White looked at the backside of Kyle, as the white wolf pushed the mutant into the cage. "Kyle, yes?"

"Yeah, that's my name."

"I feel I must tell you something."

Still struggling with the mutant, he didn't turn around. Kyle calmly retorted, "Oh, and what is that? That you're going to kill me while my back is turned? I kinda expected that. My armor is a lot stronger than those other Soldier's you've killed."

"No. The pronoun 'you' is very interesting."

"...how?"

"Because it is both singular... and plural," and with that, White kicked Kyle into the cage with the mutant, locking the cage-door behind them.

Jammed into the box with the mutant, Kyle barely had room to breathe, let alone move. As best he could, he kicked, banged, and bucked at the walls of the cage to try to bust the door back open. He screamed at the wolverine-girl, "Why you rotten bitch!"

Smirking at him, White replied, "Actually, I'm a 'jill'. A 'bitch' is a canus... a wolf, like yourself. I'm a wolverine. So I'm a 'jill'. Now, I have places to go. You won't mind if I borrow your ship, will you?"

"Just try it. I'm the only one here who can interface with Guardian tech."

White crouched down to be eye-level with the cage. She pulled the glove off her paw, and twitched her fingers a bit. She reached a finger into the cage, and tauntingly began to trace her fingertip along Kyle's foot. The sensation was equal parts ticklish and arousing. As she teased his foot she commented, "That's not quite true. You've already said that your PM is the only one who can interface with the box and with the disruption field you have on your ship. Therefore, you're not the only one who can interface with this ship. You're a decent soldiers, I'll grant you that. Much better than I am. However," she continued as she stood up again. "I'm a Yuki Onna. We can do more than be cold."

Deliberately, she pulled the glove back onto her paw. White flipped her paws out, letting cables of tracer-plugs fling out from the fingertips. The tracer-plugs moved sinuously, making an odd clicking noise as they did. Each contact tip glowed a soft white-blue. "I will grant you this one display of an ability of mine. In particular, my suit is equipped with Black-Ice lances that Field Marshall Fleishjaeger's techno-magi developed. The same one's that tapped into Ginger, yes? Now, being as that you're a bit... pre-occupied with our mutant guest, I have a ride to hijack."

"You won't get away with this!"

"You're probably right. However, I will get away with it long enough to escape your pleasant company." White closed the airlock door behind her, locking it shut.

***** ***** *****

White didn't waste any time. Knowing that Kyle would eventually be able to muscle his way out of the cage if she waited too long, she ran to the bridge. Flipping her fingers forward, the Black-Ice lances darted forward, plugging themselves into the system. Immediately the onboard computer squealed at the cyber attack. An audible alarm blared, red lights beaconed, and the crew screens flashed, "Hacking Attempt In Progress". White watched on her HUD as the Black-Ice lances did their work. The ships computer was not as well protected as the PM. It only took a matter of moments for the Black-Ice to grant White access.

Once she was online, she began to sub-vocalize commands to the ships computer. "Ship, query. Find Thomas Aaron."

Query file out of bounds. Four million possible matches found.

Rolling her eyes, she sub-vocalized again, "Ship, focus query. Find Thomas Aaron sub Clan Talos."

Query running. Fourteen seconds till data return. Data return. Query complete. Three matches.

"Three?" White said aloud, puzzled at the return. Quickly recovering from the shock, she instructed, "Ship, focus query. Find Thomas Aaron sub Clan Talos sub Ninth Imperial Legion."

Query running. Query complete. One match.

"Download location of match, real time. New query. Find Field Marshall Vectin Fleishjaeger."

Query complete. One match.

"Download location of match, real time. New instruction. Deactivate main reactor. Reboot main ships power according to standard maintenance protocol."

Warning, command instruction will cause the ship to reboot, leaving any crew onboard without life support for thirty-eight seconds. Ship is also not docked. Ship will drift for thirty-eight seconds. Continue with command?

"Yes. Set timer for deactivation at one minute twelve seconds."

Command verified. Timer will activate upon audible instruction from crew.

"Activate timer."

Timer activated. Main power will deactivate in seventy-two seconds.

White tugged her fingers in, and the Black-Ice lances zipped back into the gloves of her Yuki Onna suit. As quickly as she ran to the bridge, she made her way back to the hanger where the cage was. She could hear Kyle relentlessly pounding on the walls of the cage. Opening the airlock into the hanger, she stepped inside.

"Well, I didn't want to be accused of being a poor guest, so I'm here to say goodbye."

"And how are you going to blink away? The dampening field is still active."

"Oh, about that. You might want to take a deep breath. You know something funny about your ship? While yes, it is true that the PM controls the dampening field, your entire ship is powered by that reactor core... which includes the field. Unfortunately, in order for me to blink, I have to turn it off." Pausing, White turned her wrist over, and looked at the clock display counting down. "And that is going to occur in ten... nine... eight... seven... six... five... I really would take that deep breath if I were you..."

All power in the ship winked out, bathing the occupants in utter darkness. Mockingly, White waved at Kyle and the mutant before she blinked.

***** ***** *****

Vordoon, Office of Admiral Vectin Young

"Admiral Young," reported the Imperial Officer, as he knocked on the door to his superior, "I have some... odd news."

Looking up from the star charts on his desk Young replied, "And what would that be?"

"Sir... the fleet, and the soldiers that were reporting to Field Marshall Fleishjaeger. They've... reneged on the accord."

"What... what do you mean?"

"I mean, they refuse to take orders from anyone other than Field Marshall Fleishjaeger. In fact, many of them have pulled back to previous, pre-war deployment areas. They aren't attacking or raiding or anything, but they refuse to join in a general defense, or follow orders from Princess Mary or anyone who works with or for the Rim. Worse, the fleet he had at his disposal has... disappeared, sir."

"Now I see why Moonberg pulled his hair out when dealing with that... Badger. How does that leave our defenses?"

"Decent, sir. They only numbered about ten to fifteen percent of our mustered soldiery. We should still be able to hold the Deacon Line without them."

"Where is Fleishjaeger now?"

"On trial still, sir. At Eridani Prime."

Admiral Young shook his head and rolled his eyes. "What are you up to now, Vectin."

Royal Member of BonBon Joined: 28 Oct 2009 Posts: 4247

White “you may want to take a deep breath now”
The ship powered off disabling the cage the doors electronic lock had come open from the lack of power.
Kyle floated out of the cage. Towards white. Everything seemed like it was moving in slow motion his lungs were burning and his fur was starting to freeze. He didn’t know how long white ha stood there smiling and waving at him. The sub generator roared to life but Kyle knew it wasn’t a good thing. White looked shocked and scared at the same time her plan had backfired or so she thought. Neither Gravity nor air was restored. One message was heard over the intercom.”SELF DESTRUCT SEQUENCE INTIALIXED IN 10 9 8 7… White smile and complexion returned and she looked at Kyle who was floating towards her she Blinked.
Kyle made a desperate lunge towards her and grabbed a leg right when she blinked. White was taken by surprise and scolded herself for waiting too long even if it was only a few seconds after the ship shut off. She could feel her body start to bend from taking a second passenger but that quickly stopped. She looked at Kyle whose left arm grasped her leg. She noticed the tattoo. It was glowing a Bright Light Blue and looked to be draining like watching a energy Unit power Supply readout get depleted “His Blast badge” she quickly remembered him telling her that it was a power source that was charged by getting injured. “She was absorbing that power into her to fuel the jump. Enough to prevent any harm to come to her or Kyle.
Kyle was feeling like he was being sapped his Blast badge was being absorbed by White. He slowly tried to crawl up her body he managed to get to her stomach but it was too much for him he passed out. From the crushing feeling that her jump caused.
(Back on the ship)
“SELF DESTRUCT IN 6 5… Moonberg was panicking he was about to die. 4 3 2 he had quickly ready himself for it. He closed his eyes a wave of warmth engulfed moonberg it felt like he was being sucked through a tube. It stopped he opened his eyes and looked around there were forests and a beach he saw water. “Am I Dead is this heaven” a starship shoot over head. It bore him Imperioum Symbol. “I can’t be dead the imperioum is here.” He looked at his hands “did I just teleport. I wonder if I can do it again.” Moonberg focused on the beach and he imagined himself there. “The feeling returned and he instantly felt drenched and he opened his eyes and saw he was under water he struggled to gasp for air and. He teleported again 20 feet above the ground over the beach he fell and landed hard on his head he screamed in pain and held his head. “aargggggggghhhh” he looked at his hands and wasn’t bleeding “damn I’m going to have to practice this more. He slowly made his way towards the forest. In the direction he saw the starship go. He occasionally teleported only a few feet ahead of him still wary of the big j umps.

Kyle and Caroline returned to the solid plan for their jump. Caroline stood on her 2 feet fine. She looked around d she was exactly where she wanted to be. She checked herself and she was fine. No injuries no pain a first in fact she felt better stronger. “Hmm I guess I took all the power his blast badge offered. She looked over at Kyle who was breathing heavily and uncouncis his tattoo was solid last time she saw it now it looked like an outline on his fur. She knelt down beside him. “Well I guess you do have other uses then being a good soldier. Now what am I Going to do with you Wolfe?”

Rank: Super Veteran Joined: 18 Dec 2008 Posts: 3307

Imperial Vessel: <redacted>

Time Stamp: <redacted>

"Doctor Soth, on orders from Imperial High Command, you are to be jettisoned into deep space as was determined during your trial." A stuffy officer spoke with a condescending tone. "Your treason and crimes against the Emperor have brought you to this..."

A haggard, hoary creature of unknown specie sat contained within an escape pod, altered to function as a drifting tomb. Wild gray hair framed a vicious countenance shrouded in shadow. A single eye seemed to glow from within a withered face. The tattered remains of a high-ranking member of the Imperial Bio-Weapons Division clung to it's frame.

"The sad, embittered members of this dying collective have lost sight of anything other than their political games..." The creature spoke, it's voice grating like stone. "They lack the vision to see what I have started, to see the wheels I have set in motion..."

"You're fortunate that the project was able to be salvaged, despite your actions." The officer snorted. "When, exactly, did you lose your mind?"

The mad man leaned forward, allowing the light to display his face, forcing the assembled to gasp collectively.

"When I peeled back the flesh and found truth..."

"May God have mercy on your soul." The officer gave the order and the pod was jettisoned, sent hurtling into the cold, blackness of space.

"I want Project 21 rescheduled and reenacted as soon as possible."

"Sir..." A timid scientist interjected. "What about the incident? What should we do..."

"Starting now, #7 and #3 will be kept AWAY from each other at ALL TIMES!" The officer's face took a gravely serious tone. "Under NO circumstances will those two be kept in the same room, LET ALONE the same FACILITY!"

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They call her Devil Child... as gentle as a shotgun suicide...

Nameless Hangar

"I want clean, tight grouping! No fuck ups, you hear me?" The security officer ordered. "When you make contact, engage with the Bio-Paralytic, it's too valuable to kill."

The four man team silently slid past storage crates and ammo canisters, each one in full riot gear and armed to the teeth. Their infra-red optics displayed the massive chamber in blood colored clarity.

"Any movement yet on the sensor?" The leader whispered into his comm.

"No sir... something weird though..." The man stopped.

"What, is it the freak?"

"I... I think it's Johannson, sir!" The Comm Officer choked.

"What?" The leader retorted. "Stay close, no heroics!"

The squad approached an odd clearing arranged from hundreds of storage receptacles. Within the clearing sat a low-lying table covered with cups and saucers. A large, decorative tea service sat on the table, wisps of steam rising from the pot.

All around the table sat the mangled corpses of Imperial personnel, each of them wearing a bib.

"What the FUCK?!" The leader spat. "Is this some kind of sick JOKE?!?!"

"There my dollies..." A tiny voice spoke.

All four men trained their weapons on a corner of the wall, only to see nothing.

"The emergency reports never mentioned this SHIT!!" The medic groaned.

"Steady..."

"Do you want to play with me?" The tiny voice giggled.

They whirled around, yet again, only this time their lights caught sight of a tiny girl in a red dress... clinging to the wall like a spider.

"Everyone loves tea..."

The sound of several guns being cocked redirected the teams attention back to the table. All of the corpses had risen, drawn weapons and aimed them at the officers.

"Sweet mother of..."

The sound of screams and gun fire echoed throughout the hangar.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rank: Super Veteran Joined: 20 Jan 2010 Posts: 1661

Rank: Super Veteran Joined: 20 Jan 2010 Posts: 1661

[Katmir's TOF Record #9]

=The Hephaestus, Captain’s Quarters=

<Cpt.KM> Captain’s Log, local stardate: 13-777-0. What a fuckin' lousy weekend. I really do care about every crewfur under my employ and command. I make sure that everyone’s needs are taken care of to the best of my ability. One on-the-job accident not only means financial drawbacks, but a drop in morale no one can afford. With Dr. Gallo’s intelligence, my crew is healthy. With Consuelo’s wisdom, we are all safe within the armor of Hephaestus. I do my damndest to ensure our survival in this godforsaken War. The money is important, but it’s not our primary motivator. I know – I’ve asked. We call each other family because our unity is essential. I have presided over several marriages onboard, and it only adds greatness to the meaning of “family” in this starship. And despite the terrible things that happen in the War, it pains me to say this. Yesterday, we lost one member of our family, my Nimhrod. He and my sister Rainbow were to be married next month… I am so damn angry because I’m not going to enjoy that. I can only imagine the suffering Rainbow and so many others in the galaxy are going through this moment because of death.

According to the galactic journalists, what happened during the Meldovian Campaign is merely the beginning of true darkness engulfing the known universe. Entire planets, with millennia of history, millennia of families growing up – falling in love – creating life – all gone like eyes shutting slowly into an endless sleep. “Black Sun Generators”, indeed… What horror. They’re starting to call this twisted fate of the universe the New Dark Age. Rumors are spreading again about… demons and the… gods. They say things greater and far worse than zealous furs are looking for an end that’s yet to happen.

I used to think that there was no good or evil beyond that which furs do. But after being witness to what we’ve accomplished scientifically, unnaturally, the impossible brutality of it all… Who’s to say that we haven’t come full circle? I mean, look at my mecha fer cryin’ out loud?! I believe that we have all somehow reached back beyond our feral ancestry… beyond the spark of innocent imagination… and finally clutched the thing that existed before the light… We have embraced the void.”

“No, Katmir. My Captain, we’ve done no such thing.” said the pink armadillo at his door.

Katmir spun in his orange command chair with his jumpsuit hanging down to his waist and a bottle of liquor in hand. “Cmdr Fu? Would you please freakin’ make your presence known first before you come in? I ain’t decent.”

Commander Fuertespalda casually reached down and took off her work shoes, then let down her black hair. “I’ve seen you worse, sir. Besides, we’re all family here, right?” She removed her orange overcoat with the Hephaestus and 9th Legion insignias and dropped it over her shoes and his boots at the doorway. Katmir adjusted his Stetson and looked around for something to offer her, but she was already in front of him with her arms crossed.

Dang this tiny cockpit, he thought. He looked into her sweet eyes and wondered what was going on behind them.
“What’s in that bottle?” she asked.
“White Rhino’s Pussy Liquor. Care for a swig, Fu?”
“Please...” As he handed the bottle to her their hands made contact, partly because it was fragile and hard to come by. But they allowed the contact to linger mostly because they had silently agreed they wanted it badly. “… And please call me by my name.”
“Consuelo? Since when do you drink anything other than water and fresh-squeezed juice?”
She took a long sip and coughed a bit, wiping her snout. “I drink when I’m frustrated. That tastes… weird.”
“The makers tried to make it taste like its label. You’re brave. I’ll find something else for us. Aw, hell. Here, please sit.” He caused a smaller version of his chair to slide out of a side panel. A small storage drawer ejected near Consuelo’s seat containing four more bottles of different color liquor. “You’ll probably like the blue glowy one there.”

“How would you know it’s not the green glowy one?”

“The blue one’s fruity, and it won’t assault your tongue. The green one is actually somethin’ I home-brewed, and its lackin’ something… Here’s a shotglass, Consuelo my dear.” He poured out two shots and clinked her glass. “To the moment.” he toasted, and let it flow down his gullet.

“To our moment.” she said, and followed suit. She looked to the side and shook her head in agreement. “That was good. Very good.”

Katmir poured out two more. “Your turn to toast my dear. Oh, wait a sec…” He carefully took his finger and brushed a strand of hair that trailed along her cheek to the rest by her ear. As he did that, Consuelo blushed and tilted her head a bit in that direction. “Sorry. Buggin’ me. Your toast.”
“Okay. To what’s bugging us.”
“Yiffy-ki-yay! To the goddamn bugs.”

“What’s the matter, Katmir? I’ve never heard you speak like that before. Your journal.”

“You’ve gotta admit that if War is Hell, sooner or later we’ll come face to face with a Devil. And as much as I hate it, I’m startin’ t’lean in the direction of bonafide religiosity. ‘Seems more complicated than biotech. That bugs the hell outta me, point blank.”

“Well, look at the stardate. There is no end in sight. Not scientifically proven, anyway.”

“I can’t argue with that. So! What’s buggin’ you, my dear?”

Her usual voice went into a serious tone. “Well, I’m tired. My feet hurt and they stink. But mostly…? You.”
He put down the bottle before he dropped it. “Uhm, ex-squeeze me?”
“Do you mean that?”
“What..?”

“Damn it, Katmir...” Consuelo clenched her toes and rubbed her ankles, trying to change the subject of squeezing him. “First, did you mean what you said about all furries in the universe embracing the void?”

“Uhh, yeah. Generally speaking, of course. I mean, who really wants to be pissed off and killing people? I think the universe has gone to pot because they forgot… Fu-dearie? Here. Gimme.” Katmir was quite aware of how all-over-the-place he got when he was tipsy, but he still reached down and then placed Consuelo’s bare feet onto his lap.
“Hey! Katmir! No, no, no! I haven’t showered!”
“I’m dirty, too my dear. What’re you afraid of?”
“That you’re not being serious.” He poured some of the blue liquor over her feet and started massaging them. “Oh, you’re crazy.”
“Yeah, but I’m serious about bein’ crazy. I’ve survived this long bein’ like that. This okay?”
“Well...? I’m at your mercy.”

“Uh-huh. Back to it, just taking stock of our encounters and current interstellar eyewitness events, I have never in my life seen or heard of such killing machines as the ones used in Meldova, for example. I mean it is gone! They're using pure darkness now. What sick fucks packaged black holes into bullets they can shoot at anything!? I-I-I can’t even fathom oblivion! I just hope that we can come up with something to take down them motherfuckers, cuz honestly? I am gettin’ tired of the political shit mass-murdering the galaxy.”

Consuelo bit her lip a little as he labored his hands softly into her small feet. “So then you don’t believe we’ve embraced the void. You think we can stop the Black Sun Generators and prevent another planetary destruction.”

“No! I think that we’re gonna somehow out-gun the bad guys and be done with it. But it’ll only make us tougher, meaner… colder than they are. What I hope is that we’ll be able to let go of the darkness… and return to ourselves. What is that design painted on your toes?”

“Nothing.” she said, putting her feet back on the floor. Katmir followed them down, and turned his head this way and that to get a better look at them.
“You painted my name on your toenails? Wassupwifdat?”
“Katmir. You know what’s up.”
“No, I don’t. You let me talk my tail off, but it’s still your turn to tell me why I’m the thing that’s bugging you.”
“I thought you’d forget.”
“I’m tipsy, but I ain’t drunk yet, Consuelo. If I bug you so much, then why’s my name tattooed on your -?”

“Because even though I know what you’ve done, and what you’re afraid of, I see you for whom you are, and I am still in love with you!”

A surge coursed through his chest when she said that. “Katmir,I love you.”
He gulped and noticed his tail shaking. “I love you so much, and I was worried about you fighting that giant thing…” Her eyes were getting watery.
He tipped his white hat back. “Wasn’t much of a fight.”
“It was going to kill you in one move and I saw how fast your shields were dropping, and I love you so much…”
It was like magnetism. "My back's well watched over."
He ran his fingers over her head and held her cheek. Tears ran down his paw, and she furrowed her brow as if that hurt. But he could never hurt her...
“I love you too, Consuelo.”

She opened her eyes wide for just a second, and seemed to put her own shields up. “Why? How can you say that?”

“Because I’ve risked my life before. Many times. And I have never been so scared to do that than I was the other day. Not that I was going to die, but that I was going to miss you so bad… I thought of you. The way you treat me. I thought that if I took the bullet for everyone else, everything would be fine. But even my mantra left me… inconsolable. Like Rainbow and Nimhrod. I just don’t want to believe that death takes away memory and relationships. I don’t want death to take us apart… I would be miserable without your fussin’. I love you! I love you, and I don’t know…”

Consuelo pressed her lips to Katmir’s, and he of course, kissed her back.

Meanwhile, the Hephaestus a.i. computer received a multimedia message from its original contractor, the 9th Legion. Since the crew was presently engaged in completing the second stardock for Praxis, it held the message for Captain Mahal. Video screens showed a suggested flight path to Vordoon, a spy satellite replay of Meldova’s destruction, and piecemailed information on another weapon called… Legion.

[End Katmir's TOF Record #9]

Royal Member of BonBon Joined: 05 Apr 2009 Posts: 1023

"I will help you." R1 answered, flatly. "Perhaps death is, in and of itself, a purpose."

“I have a feeling that this may be alien to you but,” Shadow took a deep breath and thought to himself What am I doing? as he reached his hand out to his new ally and placed it on him as if they’ve been brothers in arms for years, “thank you.”

Shadow turned to Morris, “Do you have a personal communication unit?”

“Yes my military supplied com-link. Why?”

Shadow gave him another com device, “This one is encrypted and synced to my equipment, just in case we may need to communicate with each ot…” A small message flashed on his HUD. “Morris do you have any scouts in the area?”

Confused he answered, “N-no we didn’t want to upset R1 so we had them withdraw. Why?”

“Because someone just got way too close to my fighter and they were wearing specialized Spec Ops gear.”

Shadow readied his ”Scimitar” and walked towards the door. Morris tried to follow but Shadow stopped him, “We don’t need to alert them that we know they’re here. Leave this to me.” He slightly lowered his rifle and casually walked out to his fighter, as if he just finished a mission. Damn it! Scanners aren’t picking up anything.

He stopped for a second at the end of the loading ramp and activated his com with Morris, “I’m not finding anything but I know that someone, something, was here. Give me a moment to perform a tighter scan.”

Shadow went into the cockpit and set the autopilot to takeoff and do a wide loop at a low altitude before landing back at the same spot. Once the flight-plan was completed he went to the landing gear’s interior maintenance access and prepared to drop back to the ground. Once over thick enough brush to hide in Shadow dropped down and set his scanners to thermal detection. Instantly he found a mark that showed up white-hot.

“You know they say that smoking kills,” he squeezed off a round in the direction of the heat flare and it dropped, “too bad I want you alive.”

Morris voice came alive in Shadow’s earpiece, “What’s going on? I heard a gunshot.”

“I think I just hit an Imperium scout and if it isn’t well then you’re down a soldier” Shadow changed his HUD back to normal view and sprinted in the direction of the heat flare.

“Morris I think you should have a look at this!” Shadow stood over the body of a Spec Ops soldier wearing a transparent suit with a gas mask and freshly lit cigarette on the ground next to him. “This can’t be good.”

Morris hurried to Shadow’s position. “I’ll alert all units that an attack is imminent and for them to prepare all NBC (Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical precautionary) units. Are you sure you won’t rethink your plan and stay to help us. Your intel could turn out to be a priceless asset for us.”

You can hear Shadow’s fighter landing back in front of the hanger. “I’m sorry Morris but there is something I must do.” With that he went back to R1, “It’s going to be a tight fit but my fighter’s limited cargo area should ‘fit’ you. Unless you can survive in the vacuum of space that is, then you could just hold on real tight.”

**(Chaos I’m leaving you to decide what R1 does, says and ect.)**

Shadow took off from the planet but he was hesitant to leave its orbit.

Shadow was deep in thought, Something just doesn’t feel right anymore. I just haven’t felt like myself since, since…

That’s when he heard that same unknown female voice from earlier, “..since the death of your beloved. It’s only natural to want revenge for her death”

“Who are you?”

“That is irrelevant. What matters right now is Larwassa. Why do you hesitate?”

“They need my help here, I have useful information about the Imperium that could save many lives if there is an attack.”

“So you care more about that ragtag group of soldiers than you do about Krystal?”

Shadow felt like he was being torn in multiple directions at once and wanted to scream.

“If you truly care about her you’ll bring her murder to justice.”

Just then Shadow remembered being with Krystal very clearly:
She leans over the top of his seat to look him in the eyes. Her long blue hair draped down and blocked the rest of his view like a curtain. “I know you’re not that heartless Shadow even if you do get paid to kill.” Then she gives him a long passionate kiss.

He was shaken out of his memory by the warning alarms of an incoming missile just in time for him to avoid it.

Warp Space near Voordon

Major Bergman was yelling at everyone and anyone, “Who the Hell fired that?!?! I gave no authorization to attack!”

One of the radio operators spoke up, “We’re not sure who it was Sir but in their defense didn’t you say to tag that ship as hostile?”

Shadow’s cockpit

“What the… There’s nothing here. But that was a mid range missile so there has to be something” Shadow was working feverishly on his scanners and other defensive tech trying to find where it came from.

He traced the missile’s path back to where he hoped it came from and started heavily pinging that area. “Ah-ha!” his computer found a familiar signature with one of the pings. It resembled that of an Omega cruiser but it was incredibly weak. He fine tuned the search and tried again, this time looking for stealth. He still got the same results so it couldn’t have been a stealth attack…

Warp Space

“Sir! He appears to be pinging for a source of the attack.” A private monitoring one of the sensors called from his station. “He can’t locate us while we’re in warp space can he sir?”

“If he knows what he’s doing and has the right equipment then yes he can find out that we are here but it’s impossible for him to know exactly how many or even find an exact location. We’re still safe.” Bergman assured the private.

Then another spoke up, “But sir, even though he can’t tell how many ships we have he still knows that we’re here and our surprise attack is ruined.”

In his heart Bergman was mildly pleased by that because it gave the attack back some of its honor. “But they still don’t know when we’ll attack…”

“Sir incoming transmission from the target!!!”

Bergman was impressed, “patch it through.”

It was too weak to support visual communication and the audio had a lot of white noise interference.

“This is Major Bergman, I must say that I’m very impressed. You’re the first to successfully break through our communication encryptions. Might I ask who you are?” Bergman muted his microphone and told one of the soldiers near him, “once he states his name I want to know everything there is to know about him.”

“My name is…” static, “And I’m just wanted to know who was cowardice enough to,” static, “attack a lone fighter from warp space with a cruiser.”

“Excuse me but I missed your name could you repeat it?”

“That’s because I never said it.” And with that the connection closed.

A corporal asked Bergman, “Sir should we attack?”

He just replied, “no we can’t risk compromising the entire offensive just because of one fighter. All ships hold position.”

Shadow’s cockpit

The voice returned, “That’s right he’s not the one you want now go avenge her.”

Shadow started to enter Legion’s coordinates into his navigational computer but stopped when he remembered the feel of Krystal’s kiss, “No! I haven’t been the same since I started listening to you. You don’t want me to do what she would want you want me to do the opposite. I’m going to help them here on Voordon and you can’t influence me to do otherwise.”

The voice started again but it was no longer soft and seductive, it was vengeful and harsh, “You can not stop the corruption. You were already tainted before she tried to ‘change’ you. And you will be mine again!”

“We’ll see.” Is all Shadow said before landing back where he did the first time he landed on the planet.

Once they landed Shadow looked at R1, “I’m sorry but attacking Legion is going to have to wait. The soldiers here are going to need our help a little more.”

Shadow opened his private connection with Morris, “I need to speak with whoever is in charge of your planetary space defenses. We have a situation.”

Voordon War Room

“Morris, Where is everyone?” Shadow asked.

“Well, high command doesn’t think that one paranoid merc is enough to distract them from their busy lives.” Morris answered and before Shadow could say some rather colorful words Morris continued, “However there is one that thought your information could prove useful Lt Col. Howe and he thinks it’s also a good idea to record this briefing as well.”

Just then a well-decorated husky officer walked into the room and greeted both Morris and Shadow, “Well now Shadow I’ve heard about you from Captain Reid. Now what is so urgent that you need to inform us?”

“Recently I’ve just found out that there is a fleet of Omega Ships hiding in warp space just beyond the planetary scanners’ range…”

“How many of them are there, Mr. Shadow?”

“Well I don’t know but…”

“Did you make any type visual confirmation?”

“I have found a weak signature that resembles that of an Omega cruiser…”

“Resembles? So you’re not 100% sure if it’s even an Omega ship?”

“Yes resembles, this class of ship hasn’t been around long enough to…”

“And you expect us…” Shadow stopped him mid sentence.

Shadow has just about had enough of this officer’s lack of manners, “With all do respect sir but if you cut me off one more time I won’t even think twice about slitting your throat so you can’t do it again.”

“Well then Mr. Shadow please continue.” Howe said very sarcastically and obviously offended.

Much calmer Shadow continued, “I may not know exactly how many of them there are but I know that they don’t travel in small numbers so I recommend preparing a counteroffensive before they strike.”

“And how do you plan on accomplishing that without knowing how many ships they have. What if they have more than enough ships to overwhelm and crush our offensive? If they do that then of defenses would be greatly compromised.”

“Cause it only uses fighters.” Shadow answers plainly.

“WHAT!?!? Are you trying to get our pilots killed?”

“If they’re good you shouldn’t loose that many if any.”

“Are you insane? Using just fighters against a fleet of Omegas.”

“You see sir there is something I’ve learned since I started working in the private sector. There is no such thing as a perfect piece of equipment. No matter what it is there is always going to be a weakness or deficiency. The trick is either finding a way to work around it or cover it. The Omegas are no different.” Shadow plugged something into the War Room’s main display. “While my fighter was docked with an Omega cruiser it took these compressive scans of the entire cruiser and one of the fighters that it had docked in it’s hanger. Now in combining these scans with what we’ve been able to gather from combat logs involving the Omegas and we can easily find a successful way to combat them.”

Shadow brought up the scan of the cruiser, “now these cruisers are well armed and have good defensive properties. However their fatal flaw falls in their scanners and sensors. Their sensors have an incredible mid-long range capacity.”

“I thought you said that their scanners were their flaw?”

“I’m getting to that. Now the designers decided to use a cone style sensor because you can overlap them and they are more accurate at longer ranges. But the closer you get to the actual sensor units on the cruiser those cones get smaller actually making it possible to fly along the cruiser and be virtually invisible if you stay out of the cones. And if they can’t see you their automated defenses can’t target you. Meaning that, at close range, they are pretty much defenseless targets.

Shadow changed the display to the Omega fighter. “Now good piloting is the key to taking these ones down. They are inexpensive and easy to make, relatively speaking. So the Imperium has lots of them and that’s where they’re most effective. They have very good speed and impressive forward firepower. But their defensive capabilities are almost nonexistent. Thanks to their speed and vast numbers they travel in groups and swarm individual targets. Now it has been proven time and time again that put enough pressure on a pilot and they’ll panic causing them to loose sight of what’s going on around them and more times then not lead to their death. And that tactic is what the Omega fighters capitalize on. But if your pilots work together and keep calm the Omega’s weak defenses will make them easy pickings.”

Howe was amazed that Shadow had so much detailed information about the Omegas. “If this information is correct then you may have saved a lot of lives in battles to come. If we survive this coming attack I’m going to send the recording of this briefing to everyone willing to take up arms against the Imperium.”

Hating to completely deflate the Col’s balloon Shadow brought the grim truth to light, “Don’t count your eggs before they hatch Col. I’ve only told you their weakness and how to exploit it. I didn’t shoot them down for you. Your pilots will still need to actually use this information properly. And there will still be looses.”

Grounded the Col looked back at the display, “yes but the results will still be better than if we didn’t have this information.” He paused for a moment, “Not to sound greedy but you don’t happen to have any information on Legion do you?”

Shadow looked at him slightly confused, “Not specifically but isn’t Legion just an Omega Flagship, pretty much just a larger cruiser?”

“No it’s much much worse than that.”

“Oh,” good thing I didn’t go after it then, “Well sir R1 and I need to prepare for the coming battle.” With that Shadow left the room...

Royal Member of BonBon Joined: 31 Dec 2007 Posts: 3215

=Vordoon=

General Price looked at the information that Colonel Howe sent him. Realizing that there was Imperium close by and not wanting to take any chances he ordered a high alert. All over the planet the defenses were quickly being readied. Shadow’s information about the Omegas ships was being relayed throughout the defense. In a matter of hours Vordoon was ready. Now all the defenders had to do is wait.

=Vordoon Jungles, four hours before Price ordered the alert=

With a splash Phil Moonberg jumped in and landed in a lake. Sputtering he swam to the shore and sighed. It took him a bit to figure out but he was getting the hang of his new teleporting ability. He looked around his surroundings and hoped that this was Vordoon. As he was about to stand up his heightened senses caught something. He ducked just as a plasma bolt fried. He peered into the jungle and could see several soldiers were quickly moving into positions.

‘Crap, this isn’t good. If this is Vordoon then these guys must think I’m one of Jacob’s Grendal’s.’

Another shot was fired, this one barely missing him.

‘Well, the good news is neither of these guys are Imperium or 9th, otherwise I would be dead by now. Bad news is there getting close.’

Another shot was fired and he couldn’t take it any longer.

“WILL YOU FRAKING IDEOTS STOP FIRING AT ME!!!”

That caught the soldiers off guard. They’ve seen the images of the Grendal’s and knew none could talk. Slowly they came out, weapons ready.

‘Huh, well at least they stopped firing.’

Five hours later...

It was good to be back in uniform again. He was lucky that he was able to convince General’s Price and Young who he was. In that time he was cleaned, given a fresh uniform and given a special task. Moonberg looked back at the assembled troops behind him. Over one thousand Vanguard were standing by, waiting for his command. His orders were simple. If and when the Grendal’s landed he was to lead the attack against them. His battalion was equipped with extremely strong armer and powerful weapons. Weapons that are capable of penetrating the Grendal’s tough hide.

Moonberg couldn’t wait. Soon he it would be payback for what Jacob had done to him. He would wipe our every Grendal that he came across and he would not stop until there was none left in the Galaxy.

=Vordoon Military Space Port=

Morris was looking over his equipment, every now and then looking over at R1 and Shadow. The two were studying a holomap of Vordoon, trying to figure out where they Omegas troops might land and how they were going to take them on. By now word had come that both the Nameless and Vengeance had just jumped in and that Captain Thomas Aaron was safe. That brought a lot of relief to everyone.

Morris gave his gear one last check and then headed over to talk with the Shadow and R1 to see how he could help.

=Reckoning=

General Young looked over the data that Shadow had given them. There was Omegas ships out there somewhere and he was determined to be ready for them. Thomas’s arrival greatly boosted moral and Moonbergs info also helped. He was also grateful that the Imperium troops on Vordoon didn’t follow their comrades and joined the other Imperium troops loyal to Fleishjaeger. The defenses of Vordoon were as ready as they were going to be. Now all there is to do is wait and pray.

Royal Member of BonBon Joined: 22 Dec 2008 Posts: 2173

Everyone at the boarding school watched in uncertain silence. Some of them whispered too each other, but no one made a action to stop what was going on at the playground. Genovese was teaching the new girl yet another lesson. No one moved to tell the nurse or faculty. Instead they watched as the school princess tormented the new girl. No one stood against the long-eared rabbit. And none of the students moved to help the wolverine-girl. They watched in silence, relieved that they weren't the one being taught such a violent lesson.

Caroline was face down. The hot sun beat down upon her. She could feel her skin blister under its intensity. Her limbs, spread eagle, had been tied to the supports of the swing-set. Her face was buried so deeply in the sawdust of the playground she could barely breathe. A polluted scent of dirt filled her nostrils. Tears streamed down her face, making the sawdust become mushy.

"Didn't I tell you I'm the only one allowed to wear yellow?" asked Genovese.

The long-eared rabbit swung back and forth on the swing-set. Each time she passed over Caroline, she made sure powerful heels dug into the back of the wolverine girl. She enjoyed the muffled whimpers the wolverine-girl made. She made sure each kick of her heels ruined the once-pretty, yellow dress, Caroline wore. Being princess of the boarding school she did so enjoy tormenting this new upstart.

"And now look at the extremes you make me take to teach you a lesson. Why do you resist and fight? I tried to take the high road with you, but you're such a base girl that you've forced me to use such barbaric methods to teach you a lesson."

The school bells chimed, signaling that the lunch recess was ending, and that afternoon classes would begin soon. Students began to shuffle back towards the boarding school. Deliberately, Genovese stopped. One last time she dug her heels into Caroline's back as she stepped away from the swing. With her attendants in tow, the school princess glided back to class leaving Caroline still tied to the swing-set.

***** ***** *****

The wolverine-girl knew it was going to be one of those days. The lunch hall was packed with students, making it excessively warm. The decorative ceiling fans did little to stir the air. The sounds of one conversation blended into the next making it difficult to even hear someone across the table. Caroline arrived last, as usual. She had to wait for a spot to sit down to eat, standing alone, as usual. And when she did finally sit, the other chairs skootched away from her, as usual. The shoulders of the wolverine-girl slumped. No one wanted to sit any closer than they had too with Genovese's new friend.

Caroline looked down and a tiny smile formed across her muzzle. Baked apple cobbler. She loved baked apple cobbler. She loved how the cook made the cobbler with extra cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger spice. Her smile grew a bit more as she saw that she was given a corner scoop, the best part of the cobbler. Picking up her spoon, she tasted a bite of it. The cobber was still very hot, just a bit too hot to eat. It would need a minute or two to cool down. It was then when she saw Genovese out of the corner of her eye.

Caroline hunched down towards the table, hoping the long-eared rabbit didn't see her. Finally something nice had happened to her. For weeks it had been nothing but one miserable humiliation or beating after another. All at the hands of that long-eared rabbit. Ruefully, the wolverine-girl wished she were as beautiful as Genovese was. Maybe then, someone would stick up for her. Her ears shivered, as she heard the other chairs scrape away from the table, leaving her alone. She knew Genovese was coming her way. Eyes watering, Caroline looked up, and nervously smiled at the school princess.

Genovese stopped, and crooked her head. She smiled pleasantly at the wolverine-girl. Looking down her nose at the wolverine girl, the beautiful, long-eared rabbit greeted, "Good day, Caroline. I hope your lunch is going well." She paused here, and one of her attendants offered a sealed envelope to the wolverine-girl. "I'd like to invite you to a Mother's-Daughter's picnic I'm hosting this weekend. Make sure you wear something appropriate."

Uncertain what was going on, Caroline accepted the invitation said, "But... I... I don't have a mother."

Genovese's smiled turned deliciously evil. "Oh, that's right, you don't have a mother. How forgetful of me. I suppose you won't be needing this after all. Besides, how could such a nasty little girl like you even have a mother." Snatching away the invitation she mockingly laughed at Caroline.

Drawing her paw back to herself, the wolverine-girl quietly mumbled, "At least my mother loved me."

"What did you say?"

All noise in the lunchroom silenced itself. Everyone froze in place, horrified. Even the clock stopped moving. Genovese only took that tone-of-voice when she was greatly angered.

"I... I said at least my mother loved me."

"Your mother, loved you?" Genovese backhanded Caroline, causing the wolverine-girl to fall out of her chair onto the floor. "How many times must you be taught? No one loves you. No one even likes you! Especially not your mother! You exist because my generosity protects you."

Caroline began chewing her lower lip. But, instead of saying nothing, she again mumbled, "My mother loved me. Yours is the one who hates you."

Grabbing the Formica lunch-tray, Genovese clubbed Caroline across the face with it. Each time she screamed a word, she hit Caroline with the tray. "How dare you say that, you filthy, putrid, degenerate of a girl!" Catching her breath, Genovese threw the lunch-tray down. Her attendants moved to further punish Caroline. Genovese waived her hand, and they halted. Tucking a ringlet of hair behind her long ears, Genovese crouched down to where her eyes were level with Caroline's.

"Well, I didn't want to be the one who told you this, as I do hate being the bearer of bad news, but your mother hated you. How could she love you after what you did to her."

"Wha...what do you mean?"

"I mean, your mother is dead because of you."

"That... that's not true. Momma died when I was little. She was sick."

Standing up, Genovese twirled so everyone in the lunch hall could see her. She continued to explain, "Why it most certainly is. Your mother was never sick. Your mother died giving birth to you. You were such a nasty, ugly child that even giving birth to you caused your mother to die." Genovese turned and scowled at Caroline. Pointing her finger, Genovese finished, "Let it be known that this beast of a child is so horrid that she killed her mother!"

***** ***** *****

Caroline held the oversized letter in her hands. She wadded the paper into a ball between her paws. She ground her teeth as tears streamed down her face. While she might not have been the most athletic growing up, she wasn't a lazy-body either. She had spent years training with the small, hunting rifle her father had left her. She thought for certain that when the Star League Militia called up volunteers, she would be accepted. Finally she would find a place where she would be accepted. She would find a home where people would like her, and maybe even talk with her.

Again she un-wadded the letter. Again she re-read its contents. Maybe she had just misinterpreted something. Maybe they would accept her.

Recruit Candidate Caroline Wellwater,

Thank you for your application to join the Star League Militia under Operation: Lane Defense. We regret to inform you at this time you are found medically unqualified to serve in the Star League Militia. Due to the private nature of your medical condition, The Department of Records will not keep your file in the achieves for five years as normal. Your application will be purged, and your privacy maintained.

Should another volunteer call-up be made, SLM encourages you to apply again.

"Why such a long face?"

The question disturbed her from her bout of self-loathing. Caroline looked up from the letter puzzled. The faintest hint of sincerity had come from the question. An old badger, dressed in some sort of military, red, dress-uniform stood in front of her. She looked around, realizing the badger must have been asking someone else. When his gaze did not leave her, Caroline pointed at herself and mumbled, "Me?"

"Yes. Why such a long face?"

"Who... are you?"

A smirk formed on the old badger's face. "Ah, playing questions are we? I haven't played that in a long time. You must be Eridani. Yagmothian myself. I watched as you entered the SLM recruitment office. And watched again just now as you left. Therefore, if we're playing questions, the better question would be for me to ask you, 'do you want to learn how to fight?'"

Caroline nervously twisted the letter in her hands. She wasn't sure what to do. No one had ever just talked to her. Her heart beat at a thousand times a minute. Her face flushed. She could feel the palms of her hands getting sweaty. She mumbled an answer, "Yes..."

"Then come with me."

"Who are you?"

"My name isn't important. What is important is you learning how to fight."

Caroline didn't move. With a bit more force, she asked again, "What is your name?"

The old badger again smirked and answered, "My name is Vectin.

***** ***** *****

White shrugged off Kyle's heavy body. The Guardian was definitely making a nuisance of himself. "I shouldn't have even bothered to warn you. You're lucky I'm Eridani and hospitality is important to us." She realized that most of his bulk had to be that green power-armor he wore. "Probably self-propelled... or maybe has some muscle-interface to augment his strength so he can use it," she mused to herself. White looked down upon the unconscious body of the Guardian named Kyle. "You're either very persistent, or very stupid. My dice are on stupid. Boy do seem to like playing with dangerous toys."

A smirk formed across her muzzle, and she crouched next to Kyle. "I don't normally take hitch-hikers on my ride; however, since you made yourself useful and I'm feeling a bit like a sportswoman, I'll give you a fighting chance. Besides, we need to recharge that tattoo of yours."

Smirking White moved behind Kyle, and threaded her legs through his. With a snap-jerk twist of her hips her legs sandwiched closed on Kyle's right leg. She heard the pleasing sound of bone shattering, and heard him scream in pain. Unthreading her legs, she looked at his tattoo and saw that it was just faintly blue again. "Ah, we're awake now, are we? You're lucky I just decided to break your leg. I don't take kindly to hitch-hikers."

She backed away from him and instructed, "Quit whining. It doesn't hurt that much. I purposely didn't give you compound fracture. Now, stand-up, and proceed on a 187-azimuth. I'm assuming that combat armor of yours has a compass feature. If you're going to stick around, you're going to make yourself useful to me. Try anything stupid, and I'll phase-kill you where you stand. Oh... and no talking. I can't stand your voice."

***** ***** *****

New Philadelphia System Status: Under Siege

"Postman to Momma Bird, package is away."

"Momma Bird to Postman eta of super-nova thirty-six seconds. Proceed to minimum safe distance and rendezvous with the Collegiate."

"Roger that Momma Bird. Stupid rebels won't know what hit 'em."

"Momma Bird to Hunter Six, do you have visual on event?"

"Hunter Six to Mike Bravo, we have visual on event. The yellow star is undergoing supernova. Proceeding to rendezvous with the Collegiate."

"That's a good copy Hunter Six. Status of New Philadelphia fleet and defense?"

"Hunter Six to Mike Bravo, the New Philly fleet has been caught at Philadelphia Four. No survivors. There has been enough time for the hypercom-broadcast on Philly Six to potentially send out a distress signal."

"That's a good copy, Hunter Six. Advise when you are at the Collegiate."

The insurrection was in full swing, and had stalled the 6th Fleet and its Operation: Burnout. That was till Czar Jacob gave the approval to use the Black Sun Generators. When the devices were used against planets, they caused a planetary implosion leaving little more than a new asteroid field. But, when launched into yellow stars or older, it caused the old suns to undergo supernova wiping out entire systems. Such was the data discovered by the 6th Fleet. Using the weapon in such a way, they had rekindled the fire of war, and was rapidly driving the rebel defenders back.

"Momma Bird to Hive Actual, the New Philadelphia system package has been delivered."

"Hive Romeo to Momma Bird, proceed to the Port Helen system. Be advised Port Helen Planetary Defense has deployed in a defensive screen around their system. Expect resistance."

"Momma Bird to Hive Romeo, are the rebels deploying to defend Port Helen?"

"That's a negative, Momma Bird. Intel still has them all sitting at the Vordoon system."

"Understood, Hive Romeo. Has our primary target changed?"

"That's a negative, Momma Bird. Primary Target of the Hollosfeld Power-Grid is still a priority of Fleet-Six-Actual. Removal of that power-grid will significantly weaken the satellite defensive networks and planetary defensive networks of Vordoon."

"Understood, Hive Romeo. Proceeding to Port Helen. Momma Bird out."

Royal Member of BonBon Joined: 28 Oct 2009 Posts: 4247

*Kyle’s Dream*
Planet parum Green Green Farm (10 years earlier)

Kyle was breathing hard he was on his first real mission as a guardians apprentice. His Mentor Wade Otunga had told him to stay put. I pour mistake on his mentors part a De Ragon had appeared and blocked all entrances to the clearance it stared the young apprentice its cold Eyes Stared into the apprentice as if to taunt him and tell him the end was near. Kyle Training had taught him how to deal with a de ragon but that book didn’t include the fear that Kyle was feeling. The De Ragon Charged and stopped and turned extremely fast to whip its tail at Kyle. Kyle rolled to dodge but the tail had caught his arm knocking it from its socket. And tearing off the sleeves. His Blast badge he had gotten had turned bright blue. Then turned into a very dark purple from the hit. The de ragon turned to face the young guardian its eyes blazed green from missing it wasn’t going to play anymore. It took a breath and Kyle took it to his advantage he rushed the De Ragon and took his durandle sword deep into the beast’s throat. The De ragon screamed in pain the fire shot from his mouth and it took flight. It looked at the ground at Kyle and dived at him with all his might. Kyle knew he couldn’t dodge an Arial dive from this range he knew it was over. He closed his eyes “it can’t end like this” Something snapped and Kyle felt warm power surged threw his body he could feel his muscles get harder and more defined he felt smarted he felt faster he looked up at the de ragon but it wasn’t in color it was more like a focused vision the de ragon was clear as day but everything else was blurred he swung at the Best and everything went dark.

Kyle awoke screaming felling his leg break from carlines leg lock. When she unraveled her legs from his he immidiatly tended to it. His voice trembled with rage and fear. He opened a small compartment from is belt and took out a small glowing bottle. He pushed the top of the bottle and a syringe seemed to just appear. He positioned the now glowing blue syringe and injected it at the breaking point. And let out a loud yell of pain. His tattoo began to glow brighter and a black outline disappeared symbolizing it was near being charged enough for a possible use. Kyle knew once the blue turned purple it would be fully charged. He got up testing his leg it seemed fine now. He tossed white another bottle of the same stuff. Not saying a word he just looked at her his eyes were all he need to tell her to lead the way. I’ll let you lead
Caroline nodded to Kyle “Good now that you know who’s in charge let’s getting going stay close and don’t do anything stupid” She motioned Kyle to lead and he did. He kept his battlestopper on its holster but unbuckled in case of trouble. Caroline fallowed behind she always loved to fallow it was easier to catch someone in front of you then it behind you.

Angel awoke in a strange bed she looked around it was like a private hospital ward. Her head hurt and she couldn’t remeber much she saw a canine her eyes were hazy and couldn’t identify the particular species one thought came to her head “G Gaz”
The image chuckled softly at the attempted identification “no no angel I’m not Gaz don’t you remeber me its Jacob….Jacob Blue. Your commanding officers you must have token quite the hit if you confused me for your late husband.”
Angel shiverd”Jacob blue but you’re the imperioum leader and I’m a guardian were enemies why are you keeping me alive.”
Jacob laughed harder “You must have really been hit in the head hard. We are not enemies you are my Best Commander after Gaz passed and what’s this about being a guardian those are our enemies.

Angel was confused this information was hard to comprehend did she really dream that up...

Jacob looked down at the clue vixen “you need your rest get some sleep ill come see you again in the morning angel.” Jacob turned and left he had put up an incredible act and soon he would have the perfect commander ready to lead his army. And maybe he would take her as his queen. “What better ways to beat the guardians then to have one of their best Generals lead my armies to fight them? Jacob laughed and turned to the doctor “Make Sure she receives the vest medical care we have and make sure her real memories stay a dream a figment of her imagination. Or there will be hell to pay.”
The doctor nodded “yes heir Jacob right away.” The doctor rain to his medical pc to pull up her status reports
Jacob left the hospital wing and returned to his thrown “Now we take vordoon.” He said in a cold heartless tone

Rank: Super Veteran Joined: 18 Dec 2008 Posts: 3307

((Used and altered song lyrics are property of their respective owners.))

'All this waiting, so much patience...
It does not favor me.

There is nothing that brings me more pleasure than being what I was meant to be...
Decency is the construction of a mind lacking direction...'

The suit, still sitting where Shadow had docked... was empty.

What makes a man? The same thing that makes him weak. It is not a measure of superiority, that is a fabrication of weakness. It is the very substance that makes him man.

Dreams, desires, fears, anxieties, wants, needs, a hundred other places he would rather be...

The beast had NONE of these things.

The Jungle

A lone guard sat near a smoldering fire.

'Come out, come out... no use in hiding.'

"Winston, you believe that shit about a monster out here?" He spat a piece of rind into the brush.

'There's no peace here, what were you expecting?'

"Yeah, well..." The one called Winston replied. "Crazy bullshit..."

'No room for both of us, just room for me...'

"Just as I said, ya can't bring CHILDREN to a man's war!"

I will make you all lay down...'

The fire tender rose to his feet and stretched. Waltzing over to a nearby tree, he extended his hand, reaching for his rifle. He paused.

"Hey, who fucked up my rig?!"

What's that you say, you feel a right to remain and stay? Then I will bury you.'

"What?" Winston approached. "They took and messed mine up too!"

'What's that you say, your fighting spirit still lives in this place? I will silence you.'

A sound like a whip crack tore the still air, as Winston was snatched from his feet and dragged into the heavy foliage. A multitude of screams and howls assailed the clearing, freezing the lone soldier in his tracks.

"WINSTON?!" He looked around helplessly, his gun useless. "What the HELL?!?!"

Here's your ticket, your ship is leaving. Here's your bag, your body is falling.'

The horrid shadow that rose from the jungle cast itself across the little man, sapping his courage. He cowered in it's presence.

"... no..." He turned and ran.

'Now as I rest my feet by this fire, those hands once warmed here; I have retired them. I can breath my own air and feed silently, upon these poor souls.'

The whip sound followed a wickedly barbed tail soaring from the shadows, driving itself through the man's leg, tripping him.

"NO... NO!!!" He screamed.

'I'll live with no justice, I'll live with my greedy need, I'll live with no mercy, I'll live with my frenzied feed...'

The soldier's last moments were of a beast who was once a man, twin mouths of saw-like teeth and eyes that were no different than his.

'I am not good
I am not good
I am not good
I am not good...

What in God's name have YOU done?'

Rank: Super Veteran Joined: 20 Jan 2010 Posts: 1661

Katmir's TOF Record #10

=The Hephaestus, Warp Space=

<Cpt.KM> Captain's Log - Supplemental: Upon completion of the second stardock at Praxis, and the permanent commissioning of certain machinery for continued construction of stardocks, we are now en route to our second official battlespace... the near-betelgeusian Vordoon.

The 9th Legion's sources have determined that Czar Jacob Blue has sent his collossal weapon Legion to destroy Vordoon. It is unfathomable that he would dare make such a move as a display of power, but nevertheless my crew and I will do everything in our power to make sure that bastard don't even bark in our direction. Damn straight we will.

More importantly, though... I am... so... happy! It sounds ridiculous in the face of war machines, but by the stars I'm in love! I'm in love with Consuelo. My Fu. Mmm, she's been with me since I hired her during the initial stages of the Hephaestus' major reconstruction. We've been coworkers, furiends for years now. Damn my thick skull for thinkin' I couldn't do better than Artemis. That I didn't deserve someone so right like Consuelo. Yiffy-ki-yay, she's wonderful! She programmed the software...

Wh...? Fu-dear? Are you scanning my bioware journal entry?

<Cmdr.Fu> Oh, yes.

<Cpt.KM> Hacker.

<Cmdr.Fu> I love you.

<Cpt.KM> I love you.

<Cmdr.Fu> I love you holding me like this, baby.

<Cpt.KM> This is the best morning I've ever had, Fu.

<Cmdr.Fu> Are you going to fight that thing?

<Cpt.KM> If I have to. To protect you, my love.

<Cmdr.Fu> I've never felt this way before, but I don't want you to let me go. Oh, hold me tighter, baby. Tighter.

<Cpt.KM> ... robots...

<Cmdr.Fu> No! Please. Please. Just a little longer...

<Cpt.KM> Tell me.

<Cmdr.Fu> Make love to me..!

<Cpt.KM> Talk nerdy to me.

<Cmdr.Fu> LOL! Interface with Motherboard, Captain.

<Cpt.KM> pwnge

<Cmdr.Fu> * = <3

=The Hephaestus, Kommando Hangar=

The lavender vixen called Rainbow looks up at her robot-mode mecha from a small six-wheeled transport vehicle. Using the gridcaster on her wristband, she calls up a transparent display screen and stretches it so her field of view lays over the upper half of her mecha. She begins tracing her finger over it on one side, then the other. Another tap on the holographic screen shuts it down, and several service droids hover towards the upper torso of Rainbow's mecha.

In a few seconds, the robot's upper breastplates read: "For Nimhrod", "For Love!"

The vixen stifles a cry in her paws as crewfurs continue about their business before her. She rubs her eyes and arches her head back, inhaling deeply. Rainbow exhales slowly and opens her eyes. They are filled with rage.

[End Katmir's TOF Record #10]

[/b]

Rank: Super Veteran Joined: 18 Dec 2009 Posts: 7678

Nameless Bridge

Wolf, Thomas and Sandra had made their way to the bridge in order to plan their next move. Ordinarily, Wolf and Thomas would have went alone, but Sandra decided to tag along and neither of the two wolves objected against it. Their different set of clothes and serious expressions were nothing more than custom looks in the Nameless, seeing as they were more than used to seeing such a face, especially from their CO Wolf. As they made their way to the middle of the bridge, a table began coming up on in front of the Capitan's chair and from it, a detailed Hologram with different map parts began detailing all data in Real Time, making it one of the most adavnce pieces of technology to be used in order to plan and effectively receive data on positionment.

Wolf's right hand entered the hologram and began dragging a holo panel to the middle, slowly making a large scale model of the immeadiate area they were in and quickly making an estimate of how long and much was left in order to reach Voordon, in both normal space flight and Warp Space flight. The full scaled model showed three planets nearby and multiple other view points as a female officer from the bridge came upto the three with a set of papers in hand.

"Sir, these papers contain details of both the Voordon defense."
".........."

Wolf remained as quiet as ever as he quietly grabbed the papers and opened the top cover of the folder, quickly scanning it's contents. Thomas only continued eyeing the model, looking around at it's many variables and factors in data.

"Seems like it will take us 2 hours to reach Voordon via Warp Space. It should also help us coordinate planning with the CO's on-site."

Sandra seemed to speak out as she continued looking out at Thomas, her eyes looking him as more than just the Tallos Commander.

"Yes, it should also give us time to do the necessary repairs on the Nameless."
"Good point. I hadn't taken into factor how long repairs for our fighters will take."
"We didn' receive enough damage and let us not forget that we have a few extra ones from our Imperial friends. It should take about half an hour with the Nameless crew and their high grade equipment. What I am not sure of, is if we have enough supplies."
"Supplies? Supplies for what?"
"For our fighters of course. We spent a good number of rounds and missiles on that assault, nlt to mention we are borrowing some of these from our good buddy Wolf here, no?"
"Ahh, how could I forget? We owe him a plenty good now. But, this is his ship. We should let him decide on what to do."

Just as they finished their conversation, Wolf had finished reading the folder. The information was assesed as reliable and it seemed as if Voordon was more than ready to hold against the Legion. Of course, it dawned on him that most of those troops on Voordon weren't trained for an armed assault, especially if the Emprie decided to use more than just the Legion in an assault against Voordon. No matter how well they were prepared, they would never be able to withstand such an attack. Handing the female oficer the papers once more, Wolf turned to face the holo-model and dragged another panel to the middle, changing the whole hologram into one of Voordon. It was up and close, showing bis of their main planetary defenses and part of the surrounding space. All of the eyes near the table continued eyeing the defenses and anyone who wasn't trained in Imperium tactics would normally see it as air tight. Nonetheless, Thomas was the first to speak.

"They have a few opened spots."
"You spotted it too?......."
"It's quite noticeable. Look at sectors surrounding their Solar Cannons. They amass their cannons in one spot and place the troops in another. They are either assured of how the Imperium will assault them or are oblivious to it. My bets are on the former."
"They have left their defenses too open........."
"Yes. Strategic attacks will more than destroy them. Even with our help, Voordon's defenses would never stand a chance, even more so if they do a Pincer Attack."

It was true. Sandra remained quiet throughtout the conversation, but as they spoke out, she could see the truth in their words. Upon further inspection of the hologram, one could see that cannons were placed throughout the most open areas of the Jungles and the Main Troops were scattered about in tight areas. A simple bombing run full of C.L.U.S.T.E.R. (Compacted Lithium Uranium Stratosphere Target Energy Radiator) bombs would more than decimate them. It even made Legion's appearance look like Overkill. Finally, Sandra decided to speak up.

"What if they concentrate more on building a spacial defense network while leaving the areas more open to concentrate their fire towards the enemy units?"

The two wolves couldn't say a word. Her insight from their conversation made sense and in turn, made Wolf focus the Holo-model to look around the planet. She was right. Voordon's defense was made simple. It was to destroy the enemy ships before they came in close enough to even drop in any ground units. They even had units of Fighters piloting around the orbit and keeping a watchful eye above the ground. Thomas spoke out once more.

"Good eye Sandra. Then again, don't forget how those Imp's got inside Nameless. They could pull the same stunt, or worse."

Once again, a flaw was pointed out. The Imperium was now known for their cunning tactics and tricks upon their enemies and this was sure to be no exception. This time, Wolf had a say in the matter.

"They use Multi-Pods (Small carrier ships that contain a standard number of troops that can range from 30 to 50.) with stealth capabilities that can easily pass through the defense network without being spotted........"

It wasn't very surprising as Thomas and Sandra both looked at Wolf with dumbfounded expression, unaware of such technology. Wolf picked up on this and in turn, brought up a smaller holo-panel to show what these were. Indeed, these were small carriers, three times the size of a fighter. Their shape and technology were detailed to exquisite amount, all the way down to their signal outburts.

"Wait, so if they use these, Voordon wouldn't stand a chance. Their Jungle terrain would more than easily accomodate for that carrier, keep them hidden from view and even more so if they use their Stealth suits and it would be devastating if they were to permit the use of Biosmoke (Poisonous gas that forms polyps on contact with skin and tends to cause Pulmonary Edema). But this is a speculation. We must assume they plan to use an overkill tactic to lower the morale of the campaign and so, this information comes in to be quite valuable."

Thomas was more than right and their conversation only continued revealing more horrible truths on what may the Empire be upto. Another Female Officer stepped up to Wolf as the one from before left bak to her post.

"Sir, we are now nearing an Experimental Planet."
"Experimentala Planet?"

Sandra and Thomas both asked in unison, but Wolf had disssapeared from view, by the time they asked. The female officer let out a sigh and decided to explain.

"An Experimental Planet is one that was used for Imperium secret Testing. I am sure you have heard the rumors in the past, concerning illegal weapons testing and Biological experimentation with the planet's populace, correct? Well, some of those rumors were true and this planet was no exception."
"Wait, but for what time of experimentation was that planet used?"

Sandra spoke out, out of curiosity more than anything.

"That one was used for Grendal Deployment, operations and atacks. It was mainly used as the Grendal Training Facility."

A tinge of fear tainted Sandra's eyes. She had only heard of the Grendals, but never had seen one up close. In truth, their deranged forms only made her feel fearful of them.

"Yes, well the planet wasn't disinfected and well, Grendal's still prowl it's surface. The Imperial Testing Facility should still be down there and was lost to a small Grendal malfunction that made them turn against their controllers. Those Grendal down there are now feral and are highly dangerous."

Nonetheless, a sigh of relief escaped Sandra's lips. At the least, they didn't need to go down there to face such a fearful creature and for now, only had to worry about Voordon. Thomas, was too busy still concentrated on the Holo-Model, completely ignoring the conversation between the two female furs. Finally, the speakers within the bridge began speaking forth.

"Requesting for Sandra and Thomas to make their way to the Hangar under orders from Wolf."

Thomas snapped back to reality at the mention of his name as Sandra only pondered.

"Damm, he's fast. Better check what he has in store for us. Let's go Sandra."

With a quick nod, the two wolves then began walking down towards the elevator in direction of the Hangar.

Nameless Hangar

Part of the Hangar had been sealed off due to the creature's release. The good news were that it only had sealed off the storage portion and left the airport portion free for use. Men were still prepared, planning on how to take care of the creature.

Wolf was working on his Falken, adjusting it's cockpit's sensors and rearranging other systems. Once done, he turned to the passanger seat and began cleaning off more traces of the Yuki Onna that once sat there, hoping to maintain the DNA Traces for future referencem should he need arise to trace her via Biometrics. Thomas and Sandra finally began making their way within the Hangar and were quickly led in direction of Wolf.

"You called us here?"
"Yes....."
"What for?"
"So your fighters can get refitted....."

Sandra did the talking this time as a smile crossed her face, Their fighters were already at their peak, but getting refitted with High Grade equipment from a Spec Ops unit would more than increase their fighters performance ten fold.

"That's certainly good news and all."

Thomas wasn't much of a figher pilot, but he had more than proven his worth in space flight and thus, made him smile as well. But in simpler terms, he was still a rookie compared to Sandra or Wolf. All he could do is stare at the Falken's frame in awe, much like a kid looking at the next toy in the shipping lines. It's sleek design, it's black paint job and it's barely visible weapon systems. It was truly a fighter to behold. Wolf then got off the cockpit and jumped down to check underneath it's ship and outfit it with a radar transmitor, made to send Real Time Data to the current Radar Systems. Sandra kneeled down to watch Wolf get underneath the large fighter and begin taking apart pieces and placing plates back together.

"Need a hand?"

No answer was received, which was to be expected from him, but instead, he pointed his right finger towards a screwdriver that was at a distance unreachable by arm lentgh. Sandra happily reached out and pl;aced the screwdrive in his hand as it quickly dissapeared underneath the fighter's belly and began working once more.

Suddenly, the unthinkable happened. An explosion rocked the Nameless hangar doors and blasted a hole within them. The red alarms blared on and off throughout the hanger as the vacuum of space began suctioning small bits and parts of planes out into space. The problem of them all, was that the hole quickly began widening and further making the intense suctioning even more powerful. Crew members were quick to make an escape from the area, heading for the nearest area with airlocked shutters. Wolf, Thomas and Sandra weren't so lucky, as Wolf's Falken was too close to the hangar doors and the ship itself began being suctioned out. The Falken wasn't secured down like the others fighters, as it was being under repairs by Wolf himself and was quickly sent up flying towards the epmtyness of space. Sandra and Thomas tried to hang on to the metallic surface of the floor, but it was no use.

"Ahh! I can't hold on for much longer!"
"Sandra, grab on to my leg!!"

As these two tried to hold their breaths and hang on for dear life, the Falken continued barreling towards the hole, with Wolf held tightly to it. The red alarms continued blaring as the hole widened even more and sucked the Falken right out. Thomas and Sandra were unlucky enough as well as they lost their grips and were sent flying out as well, both screaming at the top of theuir lungs. Once their second of terror passed, they managed to take one last, huge breath and hold onto it for all the oxygen they could before being barreled out into space.

Wolf had done a much similar thing as he continued hanging on to the Falken. A sudden dryness began covering his eyes but he couldn't let that stop him. His body had more than enough strentgh and quickly began climbing unto the Falken's frame, climbing through the insanely thin crevices between the plates and incredibly small dents from enemy gunfire. His oxygen dwindled rapidly, but it didn't matter, for he was almost at the top. Thomas and Sandra continued to hold unto each other as one of them looked up. To them it was nothing short of a miracle as they managed to get a glimpse of Wolf climbing aboard his Falken and seal the cockpit. Sandra was quickly alerted of it as well as Thomas pointed it out. Out of the heroic feeling within, Thomas pushed Sandra towards the Falken in order to save her, but she refused. She held on tightly to Thomas as the both continued to gently float in the vast emptyness. Wolf quickly sealed the airtight cockpit and began mashing in combinations of keys and levers, activating the emergency Oxygen reserves and ripping out the oxygen mask. The cockpit was quickly flooded with the pressurized oxygen and permitted Wolf to take another deep breath as he opened the cockpit once more and jumped out with the oxygen mask in hand. It's long cable that maintained the steady flow of oxygen continued to disperse quickly into nothingness, making this move quite dangerous for Wolf, but he just couldn't leave them behind. With one last jump, he pushed off the Falken with the oxygen mask and began heading towards Thomas and Sandra. The two were quickly dwindling on their oxygen as their eyes began closing up out of reaction. Their chests puffed as they resisted the urge to open their mouths to breath in deep, but if they did, death would have been certain. What happened next was no shorter than a miracle. Wolf managed to reach them in time and jammed the Oxygen mask in Thomas's face, blasting his mouth and nose with pressurized oxygen. The sheer strentgh that crashed unto his face was nothing shorter than a brute welcome, but it was gladly appreciated as he managed to take in a deep ammount of air. The mask quickly departed his own face and was just as forcefully jammed into Sandra's own face, allowing her to do the same and receive nearly the same reaction. Wolf's little heroics had just saved their lives once more. Thomas and Sandra then began pulling themselves on the Oxygen Mask's cord and began reaching the Falken's frame. Wolf only turned around to see Nameless begin sealing the hangar doors with the airtight shutters. In his mind remained the same question.

'What the hell was that?'

Once content with what he had seen, Wolf turned back to face the Falken frame and see that those two were quickly entering the cockpit. The Experimental Planet forementioned before was in the sights of the Falken's front. But that wasn't what caught Wolf's attention. What did catch his attention, was that the Falken was barreling straight to it! No matter how strong his body was, he could never survive Atmospheric entry and so, began pulling himself with all the strentgh he could. Of course, it was too late. The Falken began entering the planetary orbit and was being pulled in by it's gravity. Wolf's was halfway down the cord when this happened. Sandra and Thomas quickly took their seats on the back, awaiting for the Falken's own pilot to enter within while the air rapidly pushed out, but he was nowhere in sight. If the cockpit wasn't closed, the air would run out and the cockpit would be torn to shreds under the gravitational pull. Sandra had no choice but to jump to the main pilot's seat and began pushing in commands.

"What are you doing!? Shouldn't we wait for Wolf!?"
"I'm sure he is resorcefull enough! If I don't turn on the engines and close the cockpit, we will all die!"

Thomas couldn't object. From what he has seen from Wolf, he wouldn't be surprised if there was some secret compartment within the Falken or the sort that would permit him to slip in as they began breaking through the Atmosphere. And this was infact the same thing that was happening. As the cockpit began closing, the oxygen mask was being retracted on it's own, helping Wolf getting to his fighter all the more quicker. The Falken was now steering itself on a descending course through the Atmosphere and the frontal hull and such was beginning to reach superheated levels, making a return to the inside of the cockpit, all but possible. Instead, he pulled his body upto the belly of the frame and slowly held on to the area he was working on in the hangar. The area where he was putting on the Radar Transmiter. The plating was still barely open, with the screws unattached. Pulling the plating out, Wolf began crawling within, with all the strentgh and speed of the Gravitational pull, pushing against his body. He had to move fast. Once inside, he pulled the plating up from the inside and then somehow fit it through the hole he entered to seal it up from the inside. A reckless and dangerous move, yet he pulled it off. The hull was now superheated in all directions. Sandra and Thomas were quickly looking about, nervous for Wolf's safety. The Oxygen Mask quickly retracted inside as the cockpit sealed with the airtight platings and made the usual air sealing noises. A red alarm blared within the cockpit, meaning that the engines were off and they were entering within the Atmospheric pull. Sandra had not only never piloted a Falken before, but it's equipment on the inside was of the very latest Technology, showing a 360-degree view all around her and letting her view her surroundings.

"C'mon, you shouldn't be too hard to pilot!"

Sandra grit her teeth as she began looking for the thruster mechanisms and pulled at the stabilizers from within, hoping to steady the nose of the plane for a steady nose dive. This was easier said than done of course as she finally managed to get the engines online with a roar. By now, they were breaking through the Stratosphere and were reaching speeds of Mach 2 by now. The hull was still superheated by then, but now Sandra had more of a grasp on the situation. The Falken roared at full speed, it's wings switching direction and the nose of the ship steadily rising. The Falken continued it's downwards descent, breaking past the cloud cover to see a snow covered wasteland with jungles and the such about. That didn't matter to Sandra as she quickly pulled with all her strentgh and the wings finally began turning in her favor. The nose rose up and the speed began decreasing as they blew past small trees and houses below, blowing their snow covers off. But the horror of this little flight wasn't over. The instant Sandra let out a sigh of relief as she finally had gotten to fly the Falken properly and save their skins, the radar began blaring a red alarm. Some one had shot an AA Missile towards them and it was very close. Thankfully, the Falken was fast enough to keep the missile at bay and permit Sandra to think quickly. They were fast, but it was faster, making this another mere seconds reaction choice. The Falken continued it's now linear descent above the planetary surface, trying to evade the missile under the snow cover. Physically, neither Thomas nor Sandra could see it, but the radar knew it was there.

"C'mon baby, don't let me down........"

Sandra grit her teeth once more. 700 meters, 600 meters, the gap between them and the missile was being quickly sealed. It didn't seem like they would evade it, when suddenly an explosion rocked the Falken. The missile hadn't excatly hit, but it exploded close to them, due to the heat of the engine. The explosion actually damaged the engine and quickly made it lose altitude.

"Crap, we've taken damage!"

At such a speed, height and gravity, it was impossible to recover. The Falken quickly nose dived again as it lost even more speed. Sandra then scrambled to look for an airstrip or road suitable for landing, but it no use. The snow had roughly covered all the ground and visibility was poor. Even if they did find one, at the speed they were going, landing would have been impossible. Finally, the Falken touched ground. By now, the hull had more than cooled enough and began tearing through the snow nd eventually hitting land, tearing across it and slowly deepening itself within it's own rut. It seemed as if the nightmare was barely over when it finally stopped. The interior of the Falken continued to remain on as the outside of the ship quickly began freezing up. This planet was cold and in turn, made the Falken's heater turn on. The adrenaline within these two wolves was so great, they didn't even feel the heat nor cold. Gasps continued to emanate from the two, barely belieiving they had survived such an ordeal.

Warp Space near Vordoon

Major Bergman was happy that at the least, such an under handed tactic was not to happen. Of course, he wasn't fully happy that they were discovered either, but at the least if he was to die, it would be honorably.

"Connect me to Henry G."

Without so much as an answer from his underlings, the screen lowered once more and a familiar mask appeared.

"This is Henry G. What is it Bergman?"
"You have a green light to commence the attack. 50 Omegas are not enough, but if you begin the attack at Sector- E46Z51, you should be able to get a drop on them. You are cleaed for the deployment of Grendal Units as well."
"Glad to hear. We shall begin the Stealth attack and the instant you see explosions on those cannons, begin the attack on the Planetary defenses on the outside."

With a groan, the screen flickered off once more. The experienced veteran surely didn't like it, but war was a business. It was now or never, as their pressence was now known to them.

Sector E6Z51

This sector was populated by densely thick folliage in all directions, yet was the same place where the ship that was tagged as enemy was last spotted in. A good number of Imperial Soldiers lay in wait with their Stealth suits, sticking close to the underbrush and it's low temperatures to avoid detection by thermal sensors.

"This is Henry G. Open fire with your Plasma Rounds and engage any heavy ground units on my go. I'll take point."

The Vordoon assault was now taking place. Imperium Guard had infiltrated their defenses via Stealth Entry and were armed to the teeth. This was only the beginning.

Secluded Room within the Imperium Capital

Grantz was annoyed. He was pulled out of Thomas and forced here, but he was more than annoyed. He was terrified. Not even he would dare imagine what would happen next.

“.....Why did you not let me finish.....”

Frejayah’s eyes glowed menacing.

'The Son of Tallos is mine Grantz. His mind, body, and soul and yes even his dreams belong to me. I thought you knew that by now. I heard you might be going after him but never thought you would do so. I am not pleased. He is mine to corrupt, mine to control and you dare take what is mine!!?'

Grantz was the lord of fear but even he knew that Frejayah was not to be argued with.

“.....Forgive me Lady Frejayah.....It will not happen again.....”
'Oh I know it wont. I have a gift for you Grantz or a punishment.'

There was a green flash and Grantz felt something he never felt before, pain. The instant he looked down made his eyes almost pop out from what he saw. He was flesh and blood but in the body of a female Coyote! She looked at her hands and felt her body, her blue eyes filled with rage and regret. Turning to the statue, she began to speak. Even his voice had also changed.

“You cannot do this! I’m Grantz, lord of chaos, not some female whore! You can’t do this to...”
'SILENCE!!!'

Grantz quickly knelt down in front of the statue. Fear, pain and grief coursed through his new female body. Never had he experienced something like this and in truth, felt ashamed and pained for it.

'You will stay this way till I see fit to change you back. Be lucky I didn’t strip you of your powers. Now listen carefully for I have a task for you.'

Grantz listened and when Frejayah was done she nodded. This was something that rattled Grantz to the very core, something that was not only befitting of his new body, but also made to humiliate him in the worst of ways. He was to fufill his duty in punishment still.

“I understand, I’ll do as you ask.”

'Good, there are clothes waiting for you outside this chamber. Put them on and be on your way. As for the rest of you, I know you’ve been watching. I did this to show you what will happen if you defy me or make me angry. Be lucky I didn’t do worse to Grantz... or in this case Glena. The others are yours to do with as you see fit. But Thomas is mine, remember that.'

Royal Member of BonBon Joined: 22 Dec 2008 Posts: 2173

The mutant-Moonberg sat at the table, grumbling to himself. He really hated this conference room. It was crowded, garishly lit, and always seemed to smell of half-dead flowers. Again, another set of planetary politicians from yet another set of planets allied to the cause wanted to debrief him on what had happened. Again, they asked the same questions the previous group of politicians did. Moonberg wondered if anyone had bothered to actually read the report he had submitted to the alliance. Again, he answered them the same way. The whole cycle was really beginning to irritate the old general. Worse, he didn't even have any water to drink or food to pick at while he painstakingly explained the obvious.

Moonberg rested his cheek on his hand, as he half-listened to the same questions. As if by instinct, he recounted the same story in reply. It was all he could do not to interrupt the politicians. He knew the alliance needed every bit of support it could get, if Vordoon was to be the lynchpin in stopping Czar Jacob's armada. He needed to tolerate every question, to keep on the good side of the locals. If one system backed out, not only would he lose ships and soldiers, but more important supplies such as foodstuffs, vaccines, and intelligence networks. So, he kept at the grueling task of not becoming frustrated at the inane questions and half-baked interrogation methods the politicians used.

The double-doors to the room opened, perking Moonberg's curiosity. This had never happened before. Then, his eyes went wide with surprise and confusion. General Moonberg stormed into the room, flanked by a two squads of Guardian soldiers. "Seize the imposter!"

**** **** **** **** ****

Every last ship in Port Helen had joined in the defense of their system. The Homesteaders were proud of the life they had eked out of the barren worlds. They would sooner die, then let the Imperial Navy advance uncontested. But the navy of Port Helen was no match for the Imperial 6th Fleet. Courage and grim determination were a poor shield against the modern weaponry of the Imperial battle cruisers. Within minutes the homesteaders had been swept aside by the modern fleet, leaving the Chase-Newman InterSolar Powerstation defenseless.

Alarm klaxons blared. Warning lights flashed. Emergency vents poured radioactive plasma into the void of space. The holoshield that protected the powerstation was failing. It wouldn't last another rocket barrage. Sensing the inevitable, the powerstation had been evacuated. Only three of the solar-engineers remained.

The commo-engineer slammed his fists down on his console. "Why aren't they sending help? Are we being jammed or something?"

"Keep trying," said the Chief Engineer. "Computer divert all power to the comms tower."

"Sir, I must advise you that with the current safety protocols off, diverting all power includes life support and environmental controls."

"Computer confirm last command. We're already suited up."

"Command confirmed. All power diverted to the comms tower."

"Alright, you've got one last chance to send the distress call." Turning to face the their engineer Chief asked, "Chambers, you ready?"

"Got my key right here," answered Chambers. "Let's do this."

Chambers and the Chief Engineer inserted their keys. Looking at each other, they turned them simultaneously.

"Sir, I must advise you that you have deactivated fail-safe protocols. In addition, your current action will set the main fusion power-core to overload. I must advised you reconsider your actions."

"Override," ordered Chief. "Computer, set the main core to uncontrolled fission reaction."

"Confirmed. Be advised, removal of safety protocol will cause a super-nova event destroying the facility. I must recommend reinitiating safety protocol."

"Computer, confirm last order."

"Confirmed. Again, I must advise that doing so will cause an irreversible cascade effect. It will leave the area radioactively contaminated for decades."

"That's what I'm hoping for."

"If I may... why?"

"If we're going to lose our homeworld, those Imp bastards are going to get nothing but a glowing mess."

**** **** **** ****

Being in charge was beginning to take its toll on Admiral Young. It seemed like every little detail always was put on his desk for a decision to be made on it. While an alliance of the periphery states had been an impressive accomplishment, so many different planetary defense armies worked in completely different ways. Getting anything done seemed to move at a snails pace. Even simple things like getting troops fed, or issuing out arms and ammunition seemed to take forever. Every planetary army and navy seemed to use different hardware and measurements, so nothing was compatible. Each army had its own nuances in the beuracracy that had to be navigated. The whole endeavor was making Young age quickly. Today was no different. Taking a day to observe his battle staff in action had turned into a mess. Oddly, he wondered how Fleishjaeger completed such tasks.

A newly promoted hyena approached the young admiral. Admiral Young noticed that the officer must be from the Thenmador system. Without saluting, the hyena reported, "Admiral Young, sir, I've received a distress call from New Philadelphia and Port Helen. They're reporting being swept aside by the 6th Imperial Fleet."

"Port Helen? Why is the 6th Fleet heading that way? That's no where near us. Why aren't they rendezvousing with the rest of the Imperial fleet heading our way?"

"Sir, Port Helen has the Chase-Newman InterSolar Powerstation and the Hollsfeld Power-Grid," answered the hyena.

"I'm not following, Lieutenant."

"Sir, that powerstation provides most of the power to this quadrant of space... and the systems themselves were assumed to be safe and fully under our influance."

"I'm still not tracking, Lieutenant."

"Well... with the loss of New Philidelphia, and Port Helen, and the powerstation, our underbelly has been exposed, sir."

"When did you receive those distress messages?"

"Just now sir... but... upon decoding them, they were sent over ten days ago."

"CRAP! Why didn't anyone tell me we had that huge an assumption in our defense plans? First Fleishjaeger's fleet retreats, and now this."

**** **** **** ****

Fleishjaeger rested on the cot in his cell. He had been on trial for four days now, and the prosecution was still delivering their opening comments. He chuckled at the thought. "Well, at least they haven't reached the kitchen sink yet."

A clatter-bang sounded off the cell door, as the jailor shouted, "Criminal, you've got a visitor."

The cell door opened, and Thomas Aaron stepped inside. Fleishjaeger closed his eyes, and didn't even bother to acknowledge the visitor.

"Good day, Field Marshall," began Aaron as he saluted the superior officer. "I came to talk."

"I'm afraid that my lawyer isn't here, Son of Tallos."

"I'm not here to interrogate you. Just chat."

Fleishjaeger rolled over, so that he was facing the wall. "Well, in that case, my lawyer still isn't here, Son of Tallos."

Pulling a stool out from under the chess table Aaron asked, "You never make anything easy, do you?" Not getting a reply, Aaron continued, "Well, then I'll talk, and you can listen. Field Marshall, we need your help. I don't have the time to organize these defenses, train these volunteers, and get over thirty different commands to listen to the same time. I'm not a statesmen. You're the only one out here that has that ability. You've worked and lived here for decades. You're in possession of the single, largest, personal fleet in this entire region of space. A fleet that we can't locate, and who isn't helping in the defense. And I know you found something on Yagmoth. Please, we need your help to stop Czar Jacob."

Aaron paused, to see if the old badger would say or do anything. Nothing. "Field Marshall, you're a knight."

"Was a knight," interrupted the old badger.

"I don't understand."

Rolling over, the badger sat up on his cot and looked at the wolf. "Little more than a cub, aren't you? I suppose that's why you don't understand."

"Mock me all you want, I'm being noble here and offering you a hand in friendship."

"Sounds more like a shackles of bondage to me. So far I've been given nothing that interests me. I'm a prisoner. In fact, I'm Convict six-four-alpha. I'm not even Vectin Fleishjaeger anymore."

"I'm offering you a chance to do something to redeem yourself."

Vectin smiled, "Really? Sounds more like you're trying to get my secrets. Tell you what, find out what I believe in, and maybe we'll chat then." Rolling back onto his cot, the badger closed his eyes again.

Tugging his jacket straight, Aaron stood up. "You know she'll come for me," mocked Vectin.

"I'm counting on it."

"Well... maybe you have learned something, Son of Tallos. Maybe I'll even gamble a bit against the odds and hope that it's enough to keep you alive."

"I'll be fine. You won't last once the trial starts."

Rolling back off his cot, Vectin stood up, and walked over to Aaron. The wolf was clearly taller than the badger, but... something about the old badger made the wolf hunch his shoulders down involuntarily. "Then let me ask you this. Why do you care so much about your enemy?"

"Because I'd follow you to Black Hole 8, if you'd ask. I've always been told stories of heroes and legends, but I've never been one myself. You're a living hero. I've seen you command. People listen to you. I came here to ask you to join us. We're soldiers and citizens. You're a living legend."

Vectin smirked and shook his head, "Follow me and you're sure to fail. Sounds like I over-judged your potential, Son of Tallos."

"Then why do you call me that?"

Shrugging the old badger replied, "Because you're so proud of your heritage. I'll tell you one thing. I'm not Eridani. I'm Yagmothian. The Eridani are descendants of Lady Lenneth,"

"Yes, I know," interrupted Aaron.

"No... you don't. You have no idea what the Giants are... who Lenneth is... who the Eridani are... you have no idea about anything. I'm not Eridani. I'm Yagmothian. I'm a goblin."

"And why does that matter than? Explain it to me, since you're so much more enlightened than I am."

"Maybe next time, Son of Tallos. Maybe next time."

"There won't be a next time."

"Well, I guess that's true. She's coming for me."

"And how are you so sure of this?"

With his sharp, wolves eyes, Aaron noticed Vectin's demeanor change. The old badger looked down at his hands and twitched his fingers in a meticulous pattern. "If I have to explain that to you, then you really are a Son of Tallos. Jailor!" shouted Vectin. "My guest is leaving now."

Vectin looked Aaron in the eyes. "Good luck, Son of Tallos. You'll need it more than I will."

Royal Member of BonBon Joined: 28 Oct 2009 Posts: 4247

Kyle led himself and Caroline. Something was following them. It was a shadow there were footsteps like it was stalking them. But nothing came up on Kyle sensors. He knew Caroline threatened him if he talked but he decided to anyway ‘Caroline you here that' Caroline looked at Kyle 'Yes were being followed but I can’t pick it up on my sensors. You" Kyle nodded "same I hear it but nothings coming up. Where did you take us anyway? Caroline just continued to follow Kyle "You will find out soon enough." Kyle sighed she was so confusing to him first she was a enemy then a friend and now this wolverine that full of riddles he continued to lead shining his light down hoping for a way out of the darkness."

Rank: Super Veteran Joined: 20 Jan 2010 Posts: 1661

Katmir's TOF Record #11

=The Hephaestus, Captain’s Den=

Katmir was going through his Yang-Style Wu-Tang combat Ta-Chi forms in his biomech suit. Commander Fu and Dr. Gallo had vastly improved on his new helmet using data from his last outer-space encounter. It looked like a simple wireframe around his head, but it comprised of electrochemical gel and nanobots that once needed, would immediately form a protective sheath around Katmir’s head that provides all the basics of a typical space helmet. Around him in the room, several screens showed the preparations being made by his kommandos and his crew. In actuality, they were triple-checking according to their stations. The Hephaestus would arrive at the 9th’s specified location at Vordoon’s orbit shortly. Katmir kept the data flow current by peripheral vision and bioware implants as he stepped lightly through his kata, forming the Yin-Yan symbol with his feet.

Katmir briefly thought about the beaches of the planet Ballena, where he met the goat that taught him this martial arts technique. If he were there, he would have drawn a perfect Yin-Yan symbol on the sand. “I hope we survive this battle… this War… so I can take Consuelo to that beach and –“

<HEPH> Captain Mahal.

<Cpt.KM> Yes, Heph.

<HEPH> Former Imperium Conscript, Lieutenant Hisk, has volunteered for the biodroid armor mission, sir. Although Cmdr Fu’s tests prove he is one hundred percent qualified for it, Dr. Gallo believes that he is psychologically incompatible with our software. He would require bioware surgery to remove the Imperial implants blocking his receptors. Cmdr Fu would use gridrunners for this. They await your authorization, sir.

<Cpt.KM> And mister squirrel’s response to all this is what?

<HEPH> He has already accepted that risk.

Katmir completed his regimen and centered his energy. “Okay, patch Lt. Hisk through to me.”

<Lt.H1> Lieutenant Hisk at your command, Captain Mahal.

<Cpt.KM> Howdy. Okay, first: How the hell did you find out about my biodroid armor mission? And second: Why do you want brain surgery?

<Lt.H1> Sir, I was told by Kommando Rainbow that you needed somefur to help you with it, requiring a good starfighter pilot willing to die in your defense. I had already sworn to do that for the Imperium as their slave. Now, I am more than willing to do that for the one who gave me sanctuary. It would be symbolic for me to remove the Imperium implants that have kept me under their thumb since they took me from my homeworld years ago. I see this as my redemption, sir.

<Cpt.KM>Lieutenant, you were exceptional defending my engineers and assets over Praxis, and I thank you for that. I know you’re capable and enthusiastic about this, but you have to keep my trust. Don’t give me a reason to leave you marooned in hyperspace.

<Lt.H1> Sir, if I were to fail you, it would be because I was dead. Awaiting further instructions, Captain.

<Cpt.KM> Go to Heal Bay and do as my crew asks.

<Lt.H1> On my way, sir!

<Cpt.KM> Watch him, Heph. I don’t want another “Hambo” in my ranks, okay?

Katmir looked at the screens. The biodroid armor consists of five starfighter mods, one of which is piloted by a fur, that transform into an outer shell for his feral mutant cyborg mecha. It was the last resort for defense or retreat if the enemy wasn’t defeated at Vordoon. It would serve as a distraction, should he need for his crew to escape in the Hephaestus. Katmir will not go down with his ship; they would live to fight another day in their interstellar home, if it came to that.

Three screens were tuned to 9th Legion COMSAT, the RNN Channel, and Station XRNR so Katmir could match up events data and plan accordingly. He turned the volume up on his favorite reporter, Red Gale the Whale:

“Ladies and gentlefurs, these are the last few minutes of my show for today, and I am going to rant and rave about the latest reports of the legendary Son of Tallos having returned to restore the Aros Clan and lead the known galaxy to freedom by first defeating the Imperium. Furs, if you remember your own history, it was the Imperium that overpowered your relatively peaceful worlds and twisted them into the abysmal crapholes you live in today. And for those of you who for whatever stroke of luck, or genius, are now listening to my voice – I need you to know something. The very idea of the Son of Tallos, and the rise of the Aros Clan, (from the faraway and not-so-green-lately planet Tallos) has more impact on your disappearing cultures and the extinction of your species than you’d normally care to know.

Who? What? DUUUH?? Furs, put down your imperial issue mutant e.coli poop flavored foodstuffs and LISTEN to this incredibly experienced red whale.

The Imperium came to real power when they annihilated Tallos from orbit. Why did they destroy it? Because the locals DIDN’T keep their snouts shut and their tails between their legs! Because they wouldn’t submit to a sadomasochistic regime! Because the Imperium wanted their swords made out of a material only found on that planet, and if THEY couldn’t mine the ore to skewer the locals with, then NOBODY would! It was GREED! It is textbook and gridvid evil..! And then Karma, being the ultimate bitch of the cosmos, unleashed the Plague on everyfur. Has anyone who’s bothered with intergalactic history ever wondered how the Imperium was followed by the Plague, which was followed by the logistical nightmare of micromanagement when all major organizations broke down into groups, who seceded from those groups, that defected to another group, that divorced that group and formed another, and another, and another… ad nauseum. It would’ve been fine to say that this was all about independence, empowering the self, to live and let live. But no, the Imperium, like demonic creatures, spawned another empire. They’re vying for control of the universe like college frat brats having a ‘whose penis is bigger, harder, and longer-lasting than the rest’ contest. It’s all about what stud’s got the biggest gun nowadays. Well guess what, foolios? The IMPERIUM has the biggest GUN ever created in the history of colonial encroachment and territorial pissings: THE LEGION..! ”

<HEPH> Rainbow is just outside, sir.

“Please come on in, Rainbow my friend. Don’t sit down, though. Listen…”

“What, you bought a new heavy metal album, K-Boss?”

“No, listen to this guy on the radio. He’s my favorite.”

“It is called THE Legion because singly it has the power of many Omegas ships and can blast your little garbage-pile planet like a solar flare going off in your face! And what will you do about it? Nothing, that’s what! Nothing because you’ve been drugged into submission. Nothing because you honestly believe that there are more of them than us when it’s the other way around. And you will DO nothing until someone comes along to snap you out of your toxic stupor. You won’t lift a furry paw in the defense of your life and loved ones until someone comes along and pulls on your cojones and gets you to move it before you completely lose it! I am talking about that someone who has been untainted by imperial apathy. Someone whom by the virtue of virtue has been standing up to tyrants like Czar Jacob Blue all their life like no one else dares anymore! (Well, the Eridani are pretty damn daring, but they seek to preserve their culture, not your politics. But I digress.) TALLOS is a living, breathing example of a society that to this very moment strives to rise above and against the tyranny of all empires great and greater. I believe we should be united in this cause.

We have the footage of the Black Sun Generators being used to murder millennia of lives and history. Nightmares have become palpable. We’ve seen monsters the size of mountains come out of nowhere and destroy armies good and evil alike. Have any of you come back to your senses and realized that someone has to unite us and lead us towards the victory of freedom? The freedom to turn swords into plowshares; you know, to create instead of destroy. Freedom means being happy and living in peace. The freedom to raise your own family and be friends with whoever will be your friend, be they from another clan on your planet to an absolute alien species?

Among the stars, from all the space cowboys, rogue warriors, knights, and samurai you can think of, only the legend of the Son of Tallos has been effective in keeping the Imperium at bay. That’s where it started, and that’s how it must end. But make no mistake about it, furs… If Czar Jacob Blue’s impending attack on Vordoon is successful, we are all doomed because Vordoon is the last bastion of strength and defiance we have left. But if the reports are true and the Son of Tallos has indeed been found; and he is in Vordoon waiting to meet Czar Jacob Blue’s Legion head-on… then there is hope for us after all. And that means getting off your individual and collective hind quarters and rising up WITH the Son of Tallos to finally put an end to the tyranny we’ve suffered for far too long. This is the big one! If you’ve lost your faith then wish upon a star that the good furs win.

Son of Tallos, if you receive this transmission I, Red Gale the Whale, support your fight with all of my talent and resources, meager as they are. I hope you crush the empire state into atoms! And you! You, eating that petri-dish grown sugar-shit! Move it or lose it! Don’t be a ghost! Be a fighting spirit, dammit! Fight for your life! Go team, go! Fight! Fight! Fiiighhht..!”

Katmir noticed Rainbow making fists as she stood there. “Good show, huh?"

The vixen cracked her knuckles and her neck. "Hell, yeah. I like his take on current events."

"Yep. Too bad it’s over and we may not hear from him for awhile, depending on how things go at Vordoon.”

“Well don’t go being all namby-pamby religulous on me, K-Boss. You’ve been softening up lately. What’s happened to you? Do you miss Artemis that badly? Because that’s not how a real woman behaves, you know.”

Katmir had to think for a second about who Artemis was. “Actually, I’m worried about you, sis. And you know why.”

Rainbow seethed on that one. “I’m not going on a suicide run. What I am going to do is kill more of them than they can murder us. Comprende?”

“I’ll know when you start seein’ red, y’got me? Admiral Aeva already destroyed the monster that killed Nimhrod. And we’re not going to engage the enemy unless for some reason they break through General Moonberg’s lines…” He was visibly distracted.

“I will have my vengeance. What?”

“Onscreen, Heph!”

<HEPH> We detected a small contingency of Imperium ships traveling away from the system within hyperspace, sir. They are not part of the Vordoon battle, already initiated by Omegas ships. Chatter on the Grid suggests that The Legion is cloaked, and near Vordoon space. Adjusting jump-gate coordinates for re-entry. Shields at maximum. Now exiting on the dark side of Vordoon in three… two…”

*

[End Katmir's TOF Record #11]

Royal Member of BonBon Joined: 22 Dec 2008 Posts: 2173

((Yeah, I know, thread-o-mancy.

Sorry, I just never liked how this story... just... ended. So, here's a half-baked idea I've been working on for a while. Maybe it can give some of the rest of you ideas for your other RPs.))

Aaron staggered, stunned from the concussive effects of the explosion. Burning smoke and sulfur choked his nose. He could barely breathe. His chest felt thick and heavy. He couldn't hear anything, but a dull, ringing. He felt blood ooze from a dozen places. Bits of jagged metal dug at his flanks and back. His vision blurred. All he could see was a tunnel directly in-front of him. He barely maintained his balance. He felt like he was wading through a clear jell. The wolf blinked several times to try to focus his vision. Time seemed to slow, as his vision returned to normal. All around him was chaos and war. A war his alliance soldiers were rapidly losing. Vectin's all-or-nothing gamble to ram the Kami no Caeli into the Leviathan had failed.

Militia from Neo-Star League were attempting to pull back the limp body of the redeemed Fleishjaeger. They had reached the fallen knight, yet were being overpowered by Czar Jacobs, purple-armored, elite marines. Czar Jacob's Huntsmen had cornered the one-winged Caroline. He watched, his vision clouded with sweat and blood. He could see her blink and meld into the Huntsmen. Caroline was cornered, yet she was making them pay dearly. Kyle and his green-armored Guardians were playing a deadly game of chicken with the combat-nano-droids. The heavy fire-power the Guardians possessed was tearing massive chunks into the swarm of combat-nano-droids. Still, the bots scurried across the floor towards the Guardians, devouring several of them. Survivors from Philadelphia were being incinerated by grenade explosions while sailors from Vectin's personal army were being gunned down. The soldiers from Minnesota Prime had managed to phalanx behind a wall of their electro-pike; however, it would only be a matter to time till they were overwhelmed. The wolf could sense that Ginger was struggling with the AI of Leviathin, trying to wrestle control of the ship from the computer. Wobbling, the wolf watched as Czar Jacob picked up Einheirjar. Aaron realized his soldier's were being slaughtered. He was a wolf who lead his lambs to the butcher's block. Aaron's knees gave out, and he slammed to the ground.

"Tell me, Son of Tallos, what do you see?" asked an all-to-familiar voice.

His vision focused. Aaron looked up, and saw Knight Gallant Vectin Fleishjaeger standing next to him. The badger looked every inch a story-book hero. His wounds must have gotten the best of him. He knew the badger was dead, but there he stood next to him. His uniform was clean, crisp, martial. The cape fluttered in an invisible breeze. The light shone off the medals and ribbons on the badger's sash. His plumed helm seemed impossibly tall. The wolf's keen sense of smell could even faintly detect the scent of soap from Vectin. The badger did enjoy his baths. Aaron had to squint his eyes, as badger himself faintly glowed like a ghost. The badger turned his head, and looked down at Aaron. Again he asked, "Tell me, Son of Tallos, what do you see?"

"I see failure. I see desperation. I have failed them. I gave them false hope, and lead them to their death. Czar Jacob will cut through us like wheat, and then descend upon the periphery like a swarm of locusts."

The old badger smirked and chuckled as only he could. He offered his hand to the wolf. "All this time, and yet you still do not listen to what an old, badger has had to say."

Standing up, Aaron replied, "I do not understand."

"When you look at me, what do you see?"

"A story-book hero."

"And when you look at yourself, what do you see?"

"I see a failure. I promised them victory, and brought them defeat. I told them we would hold, and instead we've broke. I'm no hero. I'm no Son of Tallos. A Son of Tallos would have defeated this villany... this monster that goes by the name of Jacob. Instead... instead I have been deceived by my own hubris."

"Then let an old badger tell you a story. A story of mighty Lenneth, and of her people."

Aaron stood up, his ears could only hear the badger's words. "Lenneth was never successful against the giants. Did you know, she was a giant herself. A cast-off. A failure. Even in the beginning, the giants had broken her spear, shattered her helm, and snapped her shield. She wanded the lands for years, trying to find her place. It was then, that the Eridani saw her. To them, she was a Goddess, and they worshiped Her. And Her vanity fed off their worship. She began to believe Her rightful place with the giants had been stolen from Her. So, She gathered the Four Travelers, and took them with Her, as She went to do battle with the giants. Without mercy, the giants tore her into a million pieces, scattering her across the heavens, so everyone could see her, and bear witness to the terrible power of the giants. It's why the Eridani star is a red star, Aaron. Whe Platina was the only survivor of the Four Travelers when Lenneth went to fight the giants. Platina bore witness to that which Muwajie did to Lenneth. Platina, and my father, the king of the Goblins. That is the truth the Goblins knew. That is the great burden the Diva carried with her. The truth that Lenneth had failed. The truth that the Eridani and the Goblins were still slaves to the giants."

Aaron's face sagged, and his shoulder's slumped. A hand clamped onto his shoulder, and the wolf looked into the eyes of the badger. "But, my dear Son of Tallos, the story does not end there. Platina knew the power of story, of the power of words. She was a story-teller. She knew the magic such simple words possessed. So, she crafted a great story. An epic tale of adventure, of courage, of determination, of hope. There is a great power in words, Son of Tallos."

The badger moved in front of Aaron. The wolf could only see the Knight Gallant. His voice caught in his throat as he watched the badger draw his blade, and take knee in front of him. Offering his sword, the badger said, "Give them a story, Son of Tallos. Tell them an epic tale, of Aaron Thomas, and his people."

Aaron took the handle of the blade that Vectin offered him. Immediate the ghost disappeared. The cacophony of war filled his ears. Battle flooded his vision. But he could feel the handle of the sword in his hands. In a voice that he didn't know he had, the Son of Tallos spoke, "Let me tell you a story. A story of Lenneth… a story of Princess Mary and her people, the Alliance."