'Of Future Heroism' - Pt.7 - Broken Sword...

[silentWitness]

'Of Future Heroism' - Pt.7 - Broken Sword...

I stood in the huge Paranid bridge, the ceiling was encrusted with majiglit, that shone like starlight... I felt comforted by the extravagant design, it felt like home... A sudden blue fizz caught my eye... the Mamba's were outside, blasting futilely at the powerful shields. "These friends of yours Tikirin???" I turned to the captains chair... "Thallamminus!!!" I wanted him to hold me close... to kiss me... but as I moved towards him I remembered the Paranid distaste for touching... My hand stopped short... it felt like my heart was about to break... a tear slipped from my eye and down my cheek... Then something happened... my eyes seemed to close... I felt my legs giving way... The last thing I felt was his strong arms holding me tightly..

Perhaps I was dead... I lay looking at the ornately carved roof... The lines seemed to shift as if like smoke... Was I breathing??? I wasn't breathing... I'm sure I'm not breathing!!! I struggled to breath but I couldn't feel anything let alone begin to work out how to breath... What had happened to me??? I lay there... again the lines shifted. My eyes closed on their own and I was plunged into darkness... I lay there fear spreading across my mind... what could be happening... I wanted to scream or atleast so something but it was no use... I lay there... Finally my eyes opened again... the familiar shifting lines came back into my vision... It seemed like Mizura had passed...

A thought struck my mind... isn't the roof awfully purple... of all the childish thoughts I didn't expect that this would be the one to make itself known... perhaps I was being boiled alive in my own blood... I listened for any noise... there was nothing... total silence... I lay there... My thoughts and I... We didn't agree about much... as the time wore on I began to feel myself becoming tired... I lay there hoping to fall to sleep... after much aggravation I finally managed it...

I awoke to the noise of running water... it was loud as if right next to my head... my eyes were infuriatingly closed... I listened to the noise getting louder... suddenly my eyes open... I look up in horror as I see the ceiling shifting in... collapsing on top of me... Maybe I was going crazy!!! the shifting roof was definitely getting closer... So this was the end... Life was to taunt me with being crushed by a roof maybe for eternity... I MUST be dead!!! Only someone like death could think up such a diabolical punishment... the roof was very close now... It was about to crush my nose... the water noise was getting louder now... The trickle had become a torrent, threatening to suck my ears off... If I still had ears... the world went blurry... Was the sky opening up... It was... The sky split into three shards... Light began to stream onto me... there was movement in the light... I tried to focus but nothing was clear... I heard a voice loud and booming from above... It spoke in Paranid... After all my scepticism they had been right all along... "She's awake" a shadow appeared in the light "Good... move her to intensive care..." I felt my heart leap as I hear the words intensive care... I was alive... I had cheated death... I was going to get my Cahoona burger and eat it!!!

I fidgeted in my bed... My whole body ached... for once in my life I was glad of it... Thallamminus had brought in every Paranid healer within a three sectors radius... they had brought with them the most advanced medical technology in the universe... Known only as the 'Aura Chamber' it allows Paranid healers to completely reconstruct even the most damaged tissue... I rubbed my shoulder... the Aura Chamber made my skin hypersensitive to touch... in a few Stazura I would recover but until then breathing felt exquisite... I wrapped the soft green rime around my body taking in the sensation...

I awoke... I was sticky with sweat... The night had been long... any woman in my position would have done the same... I felt quite self conscious as Thallamminus walked into my room... the rime sensation felt disappointingly normal... he looked at me sternly but I could see relief in his eyes... I motioned him over... he hesitated as he dismissed the healer, who bowed respectfully before leaving the room... He moved slowly slowly towards me... a smile on his face... "I hear that your vital signs were highly erratic last night... the healers aren't sure if it's a normal occurrence" I smiled rather embarrassed "It's normal"... He smiled, sensing my embarrassment... For a Paranid, Thallamminus had always been slightly out of his mind... the 'Soy Bath' I had given him all those years ago had made him sensitive... not like other Paranid... He leaned in... I felt his leathery skin... his mouth covered mine.. I felt his teeth digging into my cheeks... he pulled back.... "I'm sorry" he rushed off before I could say anything... He'd kissed me!!! It was an absolute shock... I wouldn't have known what to say anyway!!! I wiped his drool from my face and rushed after him...

"Thallamminus!!! Thallamminus" He moved fast... He was almost out of sight... I saw him slipping into a lift... The doors closed before I could reach them... I slammed my hand against the door in frustration... I looked around... Everyone in the corridor had stopped what they were doing and were staring at me with shock... their mouths wide open... I knew it was because I had wrapped the Rime around me instead of putting on proper clothes... but I didn't care... The lift doors opened and I stepped in... I pressed the button for the captains quarters... the computer informed me that "Your presence is not appreciated"... Thallamminus refused to speak to me... I didn't even get to see him for several Tazura... I would never mention the kiss... It didn't seem right...

The Zeus had completely destroyed the Mambas... Thallamminus had filed their destruction as "On A Whim" the Paranid Navy praised his "whimsical attitude" I still do not understand Paranid administration... perhaps they just didn't feel like dealing out a punishment... perhaps they didn't like the new regime... I also received a communication stating how sorry they were for my fathers death and that they would hold a memorial service in his honour at my convenience... My step mother... Ghinn t'Whht was the cause of my father's death... I didn't really want to know how or why... I had known my father for less than a Jazura... The news of my fathers death had left me feeling a little numb... I cried throughout the ceremony... I don't know how... They had retrieved the bent, twisted rubble of the Jaguar... A Paranid technician solemnly hands me the communications grid the data disk still jammed inside... the last piece of my father I had left... If Thallamminus hadn't beamed me off the ship it would have been my tomb...

A small chime called me into Thallamminus's cambers... I could feel the nerves tightening the tendons in my back... It was someone very important... I wasn't sure who... and I certainly didn't think I was important... the lights were dimmed... I could make out the outline of a large being... she reached out and switched on a little lamp... I looked at her... In all her glory... "Who are you?" My voice sounded almost frightened... I had never met a female Paranid... I didn't even knew one existed!!! She smiled at me... "My name is not important... all you need to know is that I am your friend..." she shifted her weight forward and drew me closer... "We were displeased with the outcome of... your father's death was unfortunate... we wished that his life had been spared..." "Are you Xaar???" she smiled at me... "No I am not Xaar... although she has taken great interest in this endeavour" I felt a great weight being lifted off my shoulders... "It was our intention to see a Matriarch in the seat of power in the Split Dynasty... You father welcomed our proposal... It was our hope that your reign would bring stability to the Split and thus the Profit Guild..." "I see... So Ronkar has spoilt all of your plans"... She smiled again, this time broadly.. "The Paranid Empire cannot act directly... yet I believe that you have been classed as a renegade... thus under the Teladi clause of the profit guild... we wish to give you a letter of Marque" my mouth hit the floor!!! Me a terrorist the whole idea was insane "What is it that you want me to do?" seeing my anxiety she moved to comfort me... "We have discovered that a several members of Chin bloodline are being held somewhere in split territory... Ronkar plans a public execution... We do not wish for this to happen..." captured Chin... My memory went back to my capture "Do you know who they are?" her soft had caressed my cheek "I'm afraid we do not, but we do know that they are all direct heirs to the Chin dynasty" Chi'zaia was a direct heir... Could she be alive??? I hoped that she was... "But what am I supposed to do I don't have a ship" she smiled at me... "Oh we have that sorted..."

There was a flash from the window... a huge craft darted past the window and off out into space... "the Nemesis... our newest addition to the fleet... now the first ship of the Chin Uprising" the ship pulled up next to the window... it was a truly huge fightercraft... "What's it's name" "Broken Sword" my eyes widened as she said it... One of the greatest myths in Paranid folk law... It tells the story of a great flying creature that terrorised the Paranid many thousand Jazura ago... A great warrior went to slay the beast... but he fell to the mighty strength of the beast shattering his sword into three shards... these shards magically come to life and slays the beast... a wonderful children's story... not a single of truth in it... "It's part of our heritage truth or not" I jumped... "did I say that out loud???" She smiled "No"... It took me several moments to realise the inevitable... "So how long have you been reading my mind???" she laughed... "oh... over a Tazura now..." I thought to myself... she laughed... "Yes... I guess I am a sort of Queen..." A few eggs spew out of her... "it does have a downside though..." I laugh... sort of glad that I would never endure continuous childbirth and a huge weight...

Once again the Paranid had been so kind towards me... so accommodating... yet I could give them nothing... Thallamminus and the Queen waved me goodbye as the shuttle left the docking bay on route to my new ship... my own battleship... the Nemesis... the broken sword..."

[raliel]

WE WANT MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
this is really easy to read and a great story so far......
keep up the excellent writing!

[KiwiNZ]

Very nice read. It is getting more substance and is a lot less rushed! Very good development!

Looking forward to the next installment.

[silentWitness]

Just for interest what do you think is different from the others???

I haven't changed how I write the story...

[KiwiNZ]

To me it reads more coherent (?), more substantial (?). Not sure how to put it but it is a lot smoother to read. But perhaps that is just my perception TODAY

[silentWitness]

You just like it that Tikirin likes to masturbate...

more coherent... I was actually begining to wonder if anyone would understand this one... this one jumps about quite a bit...

[KiwiNZ]

You just like it that Tikirin likes to masturbate...

ah what? I must admit I totally missed that one

more coherent... I was actually begining to wonder if anyone would understand this one... this one jumps about quite a bit...

but it is all more in a defined space, I'd say. But then again, I missed the above so I better shut up

[silentWitness]

Now you know why she's always sweaty when she wakes up...

[GoateeCat]

I love your use of machinations. I love how all the threads are coming together. Still not 100% used to the style though.

[Mercenary]

more coherent... I was actually begining to wonder if anyone would understand this one... this one jumps about quite a bit...

No problems with following the story line here.

Couple of typo thingies...

"discovered that a several members of Chin bloodline" - doesn't need the "a"

"not a single of truth in it." - maybe needs the word "shred" added?

[FourFingers]

Its going really well!

They seem to be easier to follow now like KiwiNZ said thou i think that maybe because i've gotten used to the style.. and probably even thinking like ya..

I awoke... I was sticky with sweat... The night had been long... any woman in my position would have done the same... I felt quite self conscious as Thallamminus walked into my room...

I read that bit and i thought.. Hold on a bit, that sounds rather like.. na, it couldn't be.. gotta get my mind out of the gutter..

Then i read this bit..

"I hear that your vital signs were highly erratic last night... the healers aren't sure if it's a normal occurrence" I smiled rather embarrassed "It's normal"... He smiled, sensing my embarrassment

waiting for the next part!

[silentWitness]

Still not 100% used to the style though.

I'm only writing in first person... Anyone would think I was starting a literary revolution the way some of you guys portray it!!!

[GoateeCat]

I've never seen this clipped writing style before, even when written from the first person. You seem to trim the lead in and lead out of sentences and just state the core of the observation.

Just takes some getting used to.

[argon dragon]

ok been waiting awhile when's 8 due out or have you finished????

[GoateeCat]

Oh, that reminds me, I have something to write for her.

*whacks self*

Idiot!

[Thalass]

Sheez! I didn't know you were writing! This is pretty damn good. Gonna have to find the other chapters.

[silentWitness]

Part 8 will be out soon...

I'm still upset about what was said... I do this for fun...

[GoateeCat]

**** them in their stupid assholes Al, you da shitznatz!!

[Mercenary]

Part 8 will be out soon...

I'm still upset about what was said...

Good to see you haven't given up.

I do this for fun...

Best reason to write

[argon dragon]

so your style is different and a few have passed comment, but, people are reading it. evidently more talented than those of us who haven't produced a story yet or are likely to