Post
by crunn » Fri, 9. Apr 04, 21:08
DARK HAVEN 2
Chapter 1 (Survivors)
Jubilee
Bridge
"Still no sign of anything coming through.
I think he did it.
I think he actually did it."
"Yes Pierson, you might be right.
But how in a Discoverer?"
"Ah yes Admiral, the Jubilee's entire compliment of Hornets, around fifty, were still on the Disco. He must have rigged them somehow, detonated them manually."
"A brave, brave man, and a hero.
He will be remembered.
Captain, take us towards Omicron Lyrae.
I will need to use your office for a while, some calls to make."
"Of course Admiral.
Set course Pierson."
"Yes sir."
Illandas leaves the bridge and Pierson turns the Jubilee towards the west gate and accelerates away from the asteroid field.
...
Office
The Admiral sits at the Captains desk and brings up the communications screen.
"Admiral Illandas to the Teladi Trading Station, Rurandis Uguras."
"Greetingsss.
How did the battle go?"
"Badly, very badly."
"Thisss isss not good newsss."
"We believe the gate from X8... Dark Haven has been destroyed. The Black ships should not be able to enter Teladi Way.
The Xenon, however..."
"Yess the Xenon worry me greatly."
"I recommend you ask your government to place a permanent patrol in this sector, including at least one Capital ship."
"I will requessst again, but I do not think it will do any good."
"Also, with your permission I would like to temporarily put this Corvette on patrol in this sector.
Probably only a tazura or two at most."
"Yesss, I will be grateful of any ship defending Teladi Way, and thank you."
"Very well.
The Jubilee will return in a few stazuras."
Illandas cuts the comms and brings up another channel.
The face of a young female quickly replaces the Argon Logo.
"Federal Argon Shipyard Omicron Lyrae, how can I help you?"
"Put me through to the Commander please."
"Certainly, just a moment."
Back to the logo.
A few sezuras pass then the Commander appears.
"General Illandas, what can I do for you?"
"Hello Commander. It's Admiral Illandas now... well technically acting Admiral.
I need you to prepare two Discoverers. Maxed out. All the structural and technical upgrades you have. Then send them to meet with the Jubilee. We are currently in Teladi Way, making our way down to you."
"Certainly. They will be ready in under two stazuras."
"Excellent.
One other thing, do you have any navigation satellites? Advanced preferably."
"No. Hold a moment checking sector...
None in this sector at all, sorry."
"Ok, don't worry about it, we'll pick some up on our way.
Illandas out."
The Admiral, for the third time in as many mizuras opens another communications channel, this time Argon Fleet Command.
A familiar face fills the view screen, obviously upset and at a loss for words.
"Commander Reamus, Acting Admiral Illandas here.
I'm sure you are aware of the outcome of the battle."
"... Yes... I...
I was monitoring from here, I... It...
Terrible. Terible."
Reamus looks down from the screen.
"I need you to set up a meeting for me with the President.
At around... seventeen stazuras this afternoon. That should give me time to get back."
"Very well sir."
Illandas leans back in the chair and looks up at the wall where, in his own office, the painting by his grandfather would have hung. Again, the memory stirs some sadness in him.
Then he is hit by the thought of loosing the painting, his office, ship, crew... so many lives...
and his resolve is suddenly hardened.
"No Mercy!"
He stands bolt upright sending the chair backwards to the wall.
Illandas marches out of the office back towards the bridge.
...
Bridge
Even though still several kilometres from the gate, it more than fills the main observation window. The white energy gently turning in its frame.
The gate's nacelle beacons begin to flash red indicating an incoming ship. A few sezuras later a Teladi Vulture emerges from the vortex and slowly accelerates into the sector.
Illandas burst onto the bridge and stops.
"Captain, I have ordered two Discoverers from the Omicron Lyrae Shipyard to meet us. When they reach our scanner range the auto pilot control will be handed over to you.
Have the first dock with us, I will take that and Lieutenant Sina back to Argon Prime.
The second is your replacement.
Until then I'm going to get some rest, do some thinking."
"Yes Admiral, and thankyou.
But may I ask why you are taking Sina?"
"I was impressed.
I want her to complete her fighter pilot training as soon as possible."
The Admiral turns and leaves.
The Captain turns to the nineteen jazura old Lieutenant.
"Well, Sina, you've impressed the Admiral and he wants you to fly him back.
Quite an honour, now I'm impressed.
You'd better go pack."
"Yes, I... I'm..."
"Entering system..."
...
Several Mizuras Earlier
Dark Haven
Pegasus
A ball of blinding fire and light engulfs the gate.
"Uh-oh."
"Monroe blew it up. Stupid Argon and their..."
'Well...
He has stopped the Black ships from getting into our sectors.
But how will I get back.
I have to get back. It is I who will need to convince them to get involved.
The High Priests probably won't listen to the Argon.'
"Ship, begin log entry..."
"Fourth entry, date two, one, one, zero, one, four.
This is Olrasin, Head of Intelligence.
I am now trapped in the newly discovered sector X8, or rather Dark Haven as Illandas has decided to call it.
The Argon Captain Monroe has detonated a huge number of Hornet missiles and destroyed the gate back to Teladi Way.
Nothing remains. Even the debris is negligible.
The remaining Large Black ship has stopped near where the gate was... no, now it is turning and accelerating back towards the Spore.
It can't have seen me.
Good.
This Special Opps. Pegasus is still fully functional, all systems one hundred percent, cloak operating normally.
It seems these aliens can't see through the cloak.
I will now begin to explore this sector. Try to find another way out.
I have the Armadeaus' logs so I don't need to cover the same ground they did.
I will keep the recorders running, try to get as much information on the black ships as possible."
"End log."
'Now... Which direction...
The Spore.
I'd like to take a closer look at that first.'
Olrasin turns the small ship and starts off towards the spore. The huge Black ship is now some distance ahead and still accelerating.
...
One Stazura Earlier
Blood Moon Pirate Headquarters (Location Unknown)
Kailmun's Office
"Any word from the fleet?"
"Not since they jumped in from Teladi Way."
"Damn Argon Fleet!
They had no business there!"
"Sir, I think the fleet must be lost.
As you know their last message said there was an Argon Corvette, Jubilee, coming right for them."
"Yes I know.
And that one of our TS's saw an M6, must be the same one, moving towards the sector a few stazuras before we lost contact with the station."
Kailmun thinks to himself.
'I can understand them taking out the fleet, but why would the Argon military attack or destroy our Solar Power Plant.
It's a legitimate station. Ok, so it's there to supply several Bliss Places we were going to build in the sector.
But why the hell is there an Argon Fleet Corvette thirty two jumps from home attacking a SPP.'
'I hope my sister is alright.
I put her in charge of getting the SPP up and running. I am considering putting her in charge of that whole sector.'
"Send a single fast Mandalay to scout out the sector.
I want to know what happened in there."
'I want to know if she is still alive.'
"Yes sir."
...
Some Time Later
Jubilee
Bridge
"Entering system Hila's Joy."
A bluish hue falls over the ship from the dull sun.
Pierson brings up the sector map again and begins scrolling down the list.
After noticing the Crystal Fab has now run out of energy cells he checks on the two Solar Power Plants.
'Hmm, both charging way above the average.' He thinks.
He watches the movements of all the transports for a moment and quickly picks out a TS moving towards the Crystal Fab.
'There, that's the one...
Scan...
Yes, a full cargo hold of energy cells going to the Crystal Fab.'
Pierson continues down the list. As he nears the bottom he notices two Discoverers.
"Ah, Captain, I believe our M5's have arrived."
"Good.
When they get within ten kilometres bring us to a stop and order one to dock."
Jessica stands and walks forward a few steps. She leans over the Ensign at communications and presses a button.
"Admiral, your Discoverer will be docking in a few mizuras."
"Thankyou Captain." He replies.
"Sina, you had better make your way down too."
Sina says her farewells, the crew wish her good luck and she departs the bridge.
...
Dock
Sina arrives first carrying her bag. She is about to step onto the ramp leading into the Discoverer when she notices the arrival of Illandas.
The Admiral fumbles his way into the dock area, awkwardly carrying several PDP's and his crumpled uniform jacket.
Clearly he has had no rest.
He looks up.
"Ah, Lieutenant, good."
She waits for him on the ramp. They walk in together.
Illandas throws his jacket onto the desk chair and puts the PDP's on the small desk. He then stands in the doorway to the cockpit as Sina sits in the pilots seat.
"When you're ready launch and take us back to Argon Prime.
Top speed.
And thanks Lieutenant."
He steps back into the living quarters.
"Yes sir."
Sina powers up the ship's systems, checking each in turn.
Then she contacts the bridge.
"Request permission to launch."
Illandas, having sat down, jumps back to his feet and steps in behind Sina.
"Granted."
"Captain, before I forget," The Admiral says quickly before the communication is cut.
"I have a mission for you."
"Go ahead." Halls voice comes through this time.
"Go back to Teladi Way, pick up some navigation satellites on the way.
Advanced satellites if you can get them, I'd prefer a live video feed.
Best price you can, we have a fleet to rebuild.
Place one at the gate to Dark Haven. Find the Xenon gate and place one there. Maybe one in the centre of the sector.
Oh, you know, use your own judgement. Maybe three or four total so we get good overlapping coverage.
Once done stay there on patrol. Take care of any Xenon that come through. If they send another fleet get out.
Likewise if you see any Black ships run and contact me immediately."
"Yes sir." The Captain replies.
Illandas motions his hand, Sina cuts the communication and breaks away from the Jubilee.
The M5 drops and accelerates forward towards the south gate.
The second Discoverer snaps back to life as Pierson orders it to dock with the M6. The small ship manoeuvres to the rear underside of the Corvette and comes to a rest as the docking clamps secure it.
...
Pegasus
'The huge Black ship has parked near the spore.
I'm still thirty kilometres from it and about to pass one of their smaller ships as it heads away from the Spore.'
*Chuckle*
'Smaller... They are still bigger than an Odysseus.
There are sixteen of these in the sector, travelling in every direction away from the spore.'
'I'll scan this one as it passes...
Nothing, as usual.'
'It is quite a bit smaller than the huge ships.
Longer, thinner, proportionally similar to a Titan, probably a little bigger.
The hull is the same as all the rest, shinny, smooth, black.
Weapon spikes front and rear, same as the huge ships but less of them.
This one is travelling at a fixed three hundred metres per sezura, no acceleration.'
'It's passed now.'
'There is something quite unsettling about these ships, all of them...
I can't describe it, just a feeling when they are near, disturbing...'
'Around twenty mizuras and I'll be at the spore.
It is truly colossal, it has to be to fit those ships through.'
Last edited by
crunn on Sun, 18. Apr 04, 12:22, edited 1 time in total.
(bit of Morrowind and stuff also)
)
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