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Tsavu Irika
Duty.
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Posted - 2008.03.17 05:35:00 -
[1]
Cold Watch
With a thin hiss, the oxygen slowly bled from the chamber. This bothered young pilot Tsavu Irika little as her fingers silently tapped over a dozen keys in specific sequence, feeling the illusion of gravity vanish as the docking clasps released her small ship. The chamber went dark for a moment, before the thick hangar doors slid open, scattering ice crystals like snowfall across her viewscreen. She stared down at the planet far below, pristine oceanic surface unbroken, a distant sun glimmering off of its azure seas. The ship crawled forward, slowly gaining speed as itÆs maneuvering thrusters angled it away from the geosynchronous station, her hull sparking gently as it passed through the shields.
She takes one last look around the semi-spacious command deck, totally empty but a raised pedestal in the center. She slowly walks to the top of the step-sided pyramid, and glances down into the amorphous turquoise of her pod. Taking one slow, final glance at the serene planet beneath, she steps down into the liquid, becoming encased in itÆs warm embrace.
Her senses were suddenly flooded by a surge of data, feeling the little maneuvering thrusters angling the nose of her ship toward a small formation of five vessels, each gold and crimson, bearing the marks of the Blood Raiders. She felt energy course through her like icy blood as her weapons charged, and her targeting systems resolved the input from the targets.
She closed her eyes in her mind, and gave the order to fire, blocking out every noise as the unsuspecting ships were destroyed in a hail of concentrated fire. The only thing she saw was the blue oceans of the planet far below, shimmering and rippling, undisturbed by the slaughter taking place in her skies.
Flaming wreckage vanished to ashes in the atmosphere, some of the larger components only adding to the thousands of wreckages so far below.
Tsavu took a slow breath, and gave the order to warp, her lips forming a silent prayer for those she had just banished to the cold embrace of the Void.
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Tsavu Irika
Duty.
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Posted - 2008.03.17 05:35:00 -
[2]
Cold Watch
With a thin hiss, the oxygen slowly bled from the chamber. This bothered young pilot Tsavu Irika little as her fingers silently tapped over a dozen keys in specific sequence, feeling the illusion of gravity vanish as the docking clasps released her small ship. The chamber went dark for a moment, before the thick hangar doors slid open, scattering ice crystals like snowfall across her viewscreen. She stared down at the planet far below, pristine oceanic surface unbroken, a distant sun glimmering off of its azure seas. The ship crawled forward, slowly gaining speed as itÆs maneuvering thrusters angled it away from the geosynchronous station, her hull sparking gently as it passed through the shields.
She takes one last look around the semi-spacious command deck, totally empty but a raised pedestal in the center. She slowly walks to the top of the step-sided pyramid, and glances down into the amorphous turquoise of her pod. Taking one slow, final glance at the serene planet beneath, she steps down into the liquid, becoming encased in itÆs warm embrace.
Her senses were suddenly flooded by a surge of data, feeling the little maneuvering thrusters angling the nose of her ship toward a small formation of five vessels, each gold and crimson, bearing the marks of the Blood Raiders. She felt energy course through her like icy blood as her weapons charged, and her targeting systems resolved the input from the targets.
She closed her eyes in her mind, and gave the order to fire, blocking out every noise as the unsuspecting ships were destroyed in a hail of concentrated fire. The only thing she saw was the blue oceans of the planet far below, shimmering and rippling, undisturbed by the slaughter taking place in her skies.
Flaming wreckage vanished to ashes in the atmosphere, some of the larger components only adding to the thousands of wreckages so far below.
Tsavu took a slow breath, and gave the order to warp, her lips forming a silent prayer for those she had just banished to the cold embrace of the Void.
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Aiden Xiomara
State War Academy
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Posted - 2008.03.17 21:22:00 -
[3]
A nice beginning. I hope you have plans to continue writing about Tsavu Irika.
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Daerdeae
Aliastra
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Posted - 2008.03.17 23:51:00 -
[4]
ôAlright, Tsa. WeÆve got you on long-range scannersà IFF confirmed. Welcome to your new home, Captain. Enjoy your stay.ö Tsavu mentally shrugged off his over-worded response with a curt, ôThank you.ö Her Pod interface slowly opened, and she pulled herself free of the liquid, slowly toweling off her face, hands, and feet, the only parts of her not covered by her Ishukone Watch flightsuit. She spared the Ishukone insignia a full half-second of attention before striding toward the airlock. It slid open with a pressurized hiss of air as she neared, revealing the circular airlock chamber. She stood in the center a moment, then a surge of frigid air burst in, pressurizing the ship to Station levels. The second door opened before her, and she stepped through, eyeing the sparse contents of her private Hangar in the stationÆs bowels. She took a slow breath as a tall, lithe man, clad simply in the same Watch uniform, stalked toward her across the broad expanse from the door to her ship. She stood at crisp attention, eyes forward, feet shoulder-width apart.
ôI understand youÆre our new pilot, here to replace Thek.ö She nodded simply, thin lips in a tight frown. ôHe was a good manà I only hope you can be half as good a woman. You will be taking over his quarters, Miss Tsavuàö He paused, and looked over her with a sneer, ôYouÆre the first woman to be added to my detachment, Tsavu. With any luck, youÆll be the last. I donÆt know what I did to get on CommandÆs **** list, but IÆm gonna put you through the steps, put you through the motions, and hopefully youÆll get lost in the paperwork, and IÆll never have to hear your name again. Is that clear?ö ôSir, yes, sir.ö Tsavu replied shortly, and inclined her head respectfully. The man shook his head in disgust, and turned to walk away. As his pace carried him across the bare expanse, he muttered audibly, ôDamn wench.ö
Tsavu mentally took note of this, and walked through a different door nearby, almost running into a young man in MechanicÆs overalls, ôOh. Helloà Are you new here?ö She nodded slightly, ôOhàö He pointed past her, at her Condor, painted with the Watch symbol, ôThat yours?ö She nodded once again, and his eyes went wide, ôSir! I mean, maÆam! Captain! Oh, Void, donÆt get me fired! IÆm sorryà IÆm supposed to work on that ship. That is, your ship, I mean. Not that it needs work or anythingà And, I mean, nothing you probably canÆt handle yourself, butàö At this point, he seems to run out of words, and his mouth half-closes, as though ready to make some half-hearted attempt at his own defense. She merely shakes her head slightly, and speaks softly, ôWell, get to work, then. The CapacitorÆs been a bit touchy as of late.ö She, without a further word, walks past the stunned mechanic, and down the hall, toward an area marked ôOffices of Ishukone Corporationö.
After another half an hour of searching, she finally comes across an office marked æWatch OfficesÆ. She steps inside, and is immediately welcomed by a keen-eyed secretary, clad simply in Ishukone colors, ôHello. How may I help you?ö Tsavu speaks quietly, ôI would like to see the Assignments officer, please.ö The Secretary nods, but doesnÆt move. After a moment, she responds, ôCaptain Ramirez will see you now.ö The young Capsuleer nods, and walks through a now-open nearby door. Out of the corner of her eye, she notes a cable running from the back of the secretaryÆs neck, to the floor, and then under the desk, ôAn implant-modified secretaryà This obviously isnÆt any field office.ö She notes to herself quietly, her words swept away in a torrent of yells, queries, and conversations swelling around her. She walks straight down the center pathway of the two-tiered Watch Command Center, curiously looking around the broad expanse of the room, her gaze searching over countless computers, tables, and files sprawled over them.
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Tsavu Irika
Duty.
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Posted - 2008.03.17 23:52:00 -
[5]
The doorway at the other end of the catwalk concealed a small three-door atrium. Each door had a large plaque above it, signifying whose office was where. She located the one with the name ôCaptain Ramirezö, and stepped inside. Immediately, she was greeted by a boisterous and over-sized middle-aged man, whose semi-tanned face held deep laugh lines, and a full mustache concealed his lips from view as he hollered a greeting, ôGood eveninÆ to you, Miss Tsavu. IÆve received word youÆre here to replace Thekà A good enough man, one might say, but a little slow, and a little more of an arse thenÆd be helpful. IÆm Captain Ramirez of Ishukone Watch, and IÆm gonna be giving you your assignments from now on.ö Tsavu nodded slightly, taken aback by his demeanor, ôAlright, well, your first assignment awaits you onboard your ship. Make the State proud, Pilot.ö He stood a bit straighter, and saluted, ôFly safe, fly far, and fly hard!ö She couldnÆt hold back a trace of a smile as she responded, ôAs to you.ö She inclines her head, and steps backward, out of the office, back into the circular, silent atrium.
She walked around for another hour to acquaint herself with the station, then returned to the hangar bay, where her Condor awaited. Just below the Ishukone symbol was painted a white circle, with a red dot in the center of it. She took little note of it, however, already mulling over the missionÆs details as they were beamed to her implants. Her gaze swept quietly over the Navy Blue of the walls, and, once again, she was reminded of the glassy azure oceans, whose serene surface lay unbroken by the faults of mankind. A place where peace was the only truth that mattered, and always the endless seas glittered with distant sunlight.
(( Sorry about that last one. Forgot to set it to Tsavu. ))
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Tsavu Irika
Duty.
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Posted - 2008.03.20 18:34:00 -
[6]
Captain Rampirez, for months from that point, continued to give her the choice missions, which she completed with ease and skill. After a few months, she finally asked him, ôWith all due respect, sirà Why am I being given the easier missions? I am still newer here, and there are others who would deserve special treatment before I.ö She looked him square in the eyes, her blue-grey eyes narrowing against his deep blue eyes. At this query, his lips split into his usual grin, but a roiling flicker in his eyes turned their cool oceanic mist into a thrashing tempest, threatening to spill over into the room, and drown her in their unspeakable vile. ôYes, I believe I should tell you, thenàö He began slowly, methodically, his lips forming each word with a disgusting clarity, ôYou owe me, Tsavu. You. Owe. Me. And I know just how I want you to make that up to meàö Each and every syllable was drenched in bile, their acidic flavor flooding her senses with a burning, sickening sensation. She staggered back from the intensity of his gaze, ôYou disgust me.ö He grins as he pulls himself standing, his fleshy, bloated form sickly twisted by a sadistic grin. ôDonÆt even try to leave. The doorÆs locked. And I have the only keyà DonÆt bother calling for help. Soundproof walls, tooà Just hold still, and donÆt struggle, and I promise itÆll be over sooner or lateràö He lumbers forward, his thick, flabby arms crested by thick-knuckled fists. ôItÆs been so longàö
He slowly draws closer, the overwhelming disgust of his presence causing her to nearly retch, the taste of bile staining the back of her throat as she steps forward quickly, kicking toward his thick ankle. A sharp ***** and a howl of pain erupt from the massive man, and he falls toward her, swinging his arms out for her. She frantically sidesteps, but he grabs her foot, and yanks her toward him. Tsavu cries out in pain, and kicks out at his bulky form, striking the side of his neck forcefully. He merely grunts in response, and hammers his fist on the side of her leg, pinned by the weight of his form. She kicks twice more, and the second kick connects with a solid crunch. She looks down at his limp form, and slowly pulls her leg from under his body. She crawls around to the other side of his desk, and begins pressing buttons randomly on the small keypad set there. With a hiss, the door slides open. She limps her way out, and right as she reaches the doorway, his hand reaches out once again, and momentarily grasps her ankle, before the door closes solidly on his wrist, tearing through the flesh and bone with ease.
For a few months afterward, Tsavu was shuffled from task to task, kept far from the Headquarters. She had questioners calling at all hours of day and night, querying insistently as to what, exactly, occurred. Tsavu was content with this. To be left out in space, far from other people.
Between assignments, she would set a path to that planet, with the ceaseless blue oceans, and the all-consuming calm. It was there, in that tiny, abandoned outpost she left so long ago, that she met the person who would change her life.
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Tsavu Irika
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Posted - 2008.05.12 01:58:00 -
[7]
Cold Watch - The Thaw
Tsavu watched in silence as droplets of water strung themselves across the air. The lights of the ship, dim and intermittent, played a rainbow of colors across the crystalline tears. Her ship's autopilot spoke softly, "Autopilot jumping." She closed her eyes, and batted a hand at the string of droplets that had chased her across the compartment. She looked back, also, at a few ruby droplets that hung in the air, perfect Christmas bulbs of crimson, immobile in the air. Her eyes slowly follow the droplets, ending at her hand. Another perfect droplet slips off as she lifts her hand, eyeing yet again the gash along the side of it. She knew exactly where to look, even though it only just happened. The bulkhead on the opposite wall. The spot of red where she had slammed her fist down, and cut it along a coupling.
She quietly cursed herself. How did it come to this?
The ship's computer softly whispered, "Autopilot jumping."
She glances back to the displays, and her HUD tells her she is in another numbered solar system, far from State space. But still a dozen or more jumps to go. She closed her eyes briefly, and in her mind flashed that perfect azure orb, floating just outside of her display. Every single teardrop seemed to carry gentle tides across its' surface, the flickers of light like lazy clouds, wandering endlessly and aimlessly.
With a long, slow breath, she closes her eyes, and thinks back on the events of not an hour before.
"This is Ishukone Patrol six-oh, reporting at station oh-oh-nine-two. No hostiles sighted along route."
A solid female voice responded, "Alright, Watch. Double-oh ninety-two reports. You're a few minutes ahead of schedule. Units Five-four through five-nine are about five out. Came across some trouble. Lost five lead."
THe Achuran glanced down at her displays, and specifically to one transmission log. Damn, She said to herself, They should've done more then that. "Sorry to hear, Station Oh-oh-nine-two. I'll hold post one system over."
The voice responded quickly, officiously, "Roger, Watch. Fly safe out there. Station double-oh ninety-two out."
Ishukone Watch Officer Davian Taras piloted his nimble craft between two asteroids, the sound of a resounding whump signalling the end of one of his pursuers. His ship shivered as a round passed through his weakening shields, and nicked off the left side of his Condor. The wing shook, and split, and the Condor bucked to the right, nearly slamming into another massive asteroid as the small cargo hold depressurized. The near-incident, however, saved his life, as another railgun shell slammed into the surface of another asteroid, the antimatter charge gouging a crater in the side.
Taking a quick glance at his tactical display, he yanked the yoke back, and slipped over a smaller Omber asteroid. He dove once behind it, and yanked back on the throttle.
He hardly even saw the form of the Guristas' modified Merlin as it sped beneath him. His twin railguns were pointed straight down, however, and what his eyes missed, the computer didn't. And nor did the shells.
Two 125mm Antimatter shells detonated against the*****pit of the Guristas frigate, causing it to shake, and spin wildly, before slamming into another asteroid. The slowly spinning bulk hid the lights and sounds of the detonation. He didn't spare a glance back as his guns swiftly targeted and dspatched two other roaming Guristas frigates, who were milling around, with their leader gone. Three kestrels and two Merlins were buzzing between a large handful of wrecks that had been the rest of the Guristas ambush force a few moments before. With a quick glance at the Tactical display, he said over the comms, "Check, check. Area is clear. Five lead is dead. Five-three taking command." A few moments later, his display backlit with the Squad information, "We're a bit late to the rendesvouz. Hopefully they'll be waiting for us."
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Tsavu Irika
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Posted - 2008.05.12 02:00:00 -
[8]
A moment later, a hesitant response came, "Ah, sir... One vessel. It appears to be Officer Tsavu." The Squadron leader managed to cut comms just before he released a string of oaths with regards to Tsavu and her whole lineage, before returning the statement, "We'll deal with that as it comes."
--Two hours later.--
"Try not to hit the eject button while you're fighting, Tsavu. I hear it shortens your life expectancy considerably." Her hand strayed to the Comms button, but she bit her lip and took it, "What was that, Tsavu? We just got some static. Thought you were about to man up, but it looks like we'll have to be disappointed." Her ship's computer read her neural impulses, and began to locking sequence for his ship.
"The Hell are you doing, girl? You gonna take a shot at me?" She did not reply, but her ship locked onto the other ships swiftly, "Well, little girl? You gonna take a shot at me? I'll have your court-martialed the moment we get back to State space--" His next words were cut off as a pair of 125mm Antimatter shells leapt from her ship in opposite directions. One of them struck the cargo bay of one Kestrel, causing the missiles inside to detonate, and consume the other two. One of the Merlins caught the other shell straight through its' weakened shields, and the blast vented the command deck. Both gun mounts swiftly acquired the other Merlin, and punched a hole through its' reactor. The twin turrets moved quickly, and acquired the Condor but it ducked behind a wreck. The twin shells tore apart the fragments of the Guristas ship, but did not harm the fleeing Condor. The debris began to clear, and a pair of rounds knifed through the cloud, one glancing off of her shields, and the other missing entirely. Her sensors acquired the target, and both guns fired off a quick salvo, but the Condor was already vanishing into Warp. Her scanners quickly began tracing his position, and her tiny frigate leapt into warp behind him. The two ships engaged repeatedly, trading shots, each evading, and returning fire time after time. Finally, as Tsavu gains a clear shot on the retreating form, she fires both guns. The rails coil back, but no rounds emerge. Her ammunition counter read 00 - Empty. With a curse, she began the reloading cycle. As she looked back up, two rounds slammed into her front shields, one knifing through, and detonating just behind one of her fins. The antimatter blast sliced it clean off, and one of her turrets slipped off. The antimatter rounds scattered into space, and a few ruptured rounds consumed themselves in a horrendous crush of energy and light. She sped past another wreck, which vanished as two more shells disappeared within it, devouring it in a burst of plasma.
She nimbly ducked between wrecks, around cargo containers, and various space-borne flotsam. The enemy Condor kept with her, taking shots at every chance, scoring the occasional glancing blow. Tsavu ducked her damaged Condor behind an Asteroid, and he followed closely. With a spin, his ship slid past her gunfire unscathed. Her comms *****led, "You're nailed now, little wench... I'll have your head for this!" His ship pulled into a tight circle, straight past the severed fin of her ship. Suddenly, dozens upon dozens of explosions tore his shields asunder, and antimatter imploded, consuming the entirety of his vessel in one giant surge. She shook slightly, staring at the Railgun projectile which had halted a bare few centimeters from her viewscreen. Her shields had overloaded and failed, but held just long enough to slow the antimatter shell. The round floated close enough that she could read the name of the Maker, and read the scorched serial numbers from the side. She gently puffed her thrusters in reverse, and drifted back from the glimmering silvery case, before she sent off a message to a prearranged contact - "Bane Bane Bane. Red rabbit in the hole."
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Tsavu Irika
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Posted - 2008.05.12 02:01:00 -
[9]
She took a deep breath, and shook badly, slipping from her chair, and falling to the floor. She curled into a ball, shaking, as the Autopilot took over, and led her off her patrol route. Two Guristas frigates slipped into formation with her, and a familiar voice came across, "Tsa? This is Akiri... We're gonna be your honor guard the whole way back. We have some very important things we need to tell you... A lot's happened since you left State space."
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Tsavu Irika
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Posted - 2008.05.13 04:34:00 -
[10]
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Tsavu Irika
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Posted - 2008.05.13 05:02:00 -
[11]
By the time she arrived on the command deck, a message had arrived. Her Lieutenant saluted smartly, and spoke quietly, "A message has arrived, ma'am, from Nest." She gave him a sharp glance at the mention of 'Nest'. Her curt nod assured him that it was a mistake he should not make again as she silently slipped into her chair. The Command chair closed in around her, it's latticework frame sealing up, the datascreens connecting, displaying her pulsing Message beacon. She mentally selected it, and the message itself appeared:
FLASH
PRIORITY - CRYO
TO: Red Rabbit
FROM: Nest
RE: Assignment
Message is as follows
Welcome to the Rabbits, kid. Your first orders are to move to C8-CHY, go to a moon of C8-CHY VII, and report in. We will respond with your new orders.
Signed,
Thumper
--MESSAGE ENDS--
Taking a slow, deep breath, Tsavu took the knife she had defiantly thrust into the State's back, and gave it a rueful twist.
The betrayal was done, and it was too late to turn back, now.
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Tsavu Irika
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Posted - 2008.05.27 20:33:00 -
[12]
COLD WATCH - Eyes on Angels
Tsavu glanced through the viewport of her Caracal. The bridge lights were a dim red, and the acrid taste of smoke clung to the air. A quick glance around confirmed that most of her bridge crew was alive, but hurt. She glanced back at her pod interface, wreathed in thin tendrils of smoke. She closed her eyes, and her neural implants superimposed a visual of her ship. There were several blackened streaks from near misses, and a few black scorchmarks from an Omen that she had destroyed a few moments before.
Thirty six kilometers ahead, a few tiny sparks flickered in and out of existence, tiny chunks of debris pushed aside by an odd ripple. The ripple crawled forward, invisible to the Caracal's powerful sensor suite at this range. Inside of that ripple, the pilot smiled down at the console. His eyes wandered over the passive rangefinder, which labeled the Caracal as 36km away and closing at a combined rate of 130 meters per second. He smiled as he spoke, "Weapons officer, power up all weapons. Drone officer, prepare Drone Bay for rapid cycling. Sensors, get preliminary targeting data for the Caracal. Damage Control, prepare for combat stresses..." He took a deep breath of the recycled air, which stank of sweat and stale cigarette smoke, before finally ending with, "Sensors... Disengage cloak, and begin locking sequence."
Thirty kilometers straight ahead, a ripple appeared, fluctuating wildly, before suddenly the space erupted with a burst of light, launching the Cynabal into existence. "Lock target! Weapons officer, get me a targeting solution!" Before the Caracal could get a firm lock on the sleek, black hull of the Cynabal, a volley of four 650mm rounds slammed into the frontal shields. A second volley was only a few seconds behind, and the impacts severely weakened the shields. The Caracal fired a return volley of Thunderbolt Heavy Missiles, which struck the Cynabal's shields, rapidly dropping them. The second volley, shortly behind, was a swarm of Scourge missiles. The Cynabal fired one more volley, then nosed over, and flew beneath an asteroid. The sudden interference caused the Caracal to lose lock, though the missiles kept to their targeting, and ducked under the asteroid. A couple seconds later, they emerged from the other side, and sped off into the darkness, searching for targets. A more intensive sensor sweep revealed that the ship was gone. Tsavu slammed her fist down on the console, and glared out at the distant asteroids, pockmarked from the fighting. She closed her eyes, and guided the Caracal clear of a small debris field left in the wake of her two Frigate escorts. "Launch two missiles in a 45 degree spread, give me manual control." A quick, "Yes, ma'am," then the ship shivered slightly as two missiles emerged from the launcher ports. She watched the two missiles silently glide away in her ships' eye, and the nose cameras appeared before her eyes. She guided them silently along toward a small cluster of debris, where something had caught her eye. She kept maneuvering the missiles around through the asteroids, before finally popping up and over a larger Veldspar asteroid. The first missile, some distance ahead of the second, passed within a few meters of the Cynabal's cloaked hull. The cloaking device deactivated, and the missile detonated directly behind the command deck. The second missile turned straight for the ship, and slammed into one of the Artillery cannons.
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Tsavu Irika
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Posted - 2008.05.27 20:34:00 -
[13]
"Damage Control, damage report! Sensors, what the frag just happened?" The Sensors officer clutched the side of his head, where blood streamed down his cheek, "I'm not sure, sir... Looks like twin missile impacts. Judging by the impact points, and final approach vectors, I think they were guided manually... Detecting target lock! The Caracal's got us!" Damage Control called out, "Sir! Cloak is offline, secondary and auxiliary sensor suites are offline. Capacitor is damaged or partially unresponsive." The Cynabal's captain muttered a curse, and ordered, "Come under the 'roid and get a lock on this thing. We're taking it out. Now."
"Fire all launchers. Set to autocycle. Engineering, I want shields at full power. Shunt power from Thrusters to shields. Siphon power from cargo hold life support to Launchers. Override Launcher safety protocols." The weapons officer and Engineering officer each repeated their commands back, and she nodded, quickly calling out, "Execute." Red lights blared for a moment, along with a shrill siren. The siren was quickly silenced, though the red lights continued to strobe, etching hard shadows along the walls and floor. The ship shuddered, "Missiles launched. Approaching on direct-path flight." "Target Oh-Three is emerging from the Asteroid. Confirmed that he has reciprocal lock." "Shields at full power. Thrusters still capable of forty meters per second." Tsavu took in all the voices, and returned each quickly and concisely, her eyes scanning the void for any signs of their enemy. A distant flicker of light as the artillery fired. Four dots of light homed in on the shadow-on-shadow bulk behind the artillery. One of the three rounds struck an asteroid, blasting chunks off of it. A second slightly overshot, but the shields flared, taking a minor hit. The third shot, however, struck the shield dead on. The surge of light and energy caused the whole shield to glow brilliantly for a moment or two. "Shields at eighty percent, ma'am, and holding." A second volley of fire erupted from the distant ship, and a fusillade of missiles emerged from her Caracal. One of the projectiles passed too close to her missile, and the proximity fuses detonated both, consuming two more missiles, and one of the projectiles. The last projectile slammed into the weakened shields, and passed through, narrowly missing the hunched 'wing' of the Caracal. The missile struck just behind the center, and tore loose one of the massive engines. The detonation set off the fuel lines, taking a chunk of the hull with it. The Cynabal bounced to the side, and slammed into an asteroid. The unprotected impact sheared off the artillery cannons on the other side, and the barbed tips of the Crokite asteroid shredded the hull, ripping apart the engines on that side. There were no more artillery shells flying her way, but still she sent along one last wave of missiles.
"Damn you, Rabbit." The Angel captain slid down a ladder, and ran for the emergency ejection capsule. He leapt into it, and sealed the hatch behind him, taking a seat at the Control board. He wheezed from the taste of acrid smoke that held to his lungs, and coughed a few times, spitting a mouthful of ashy saliva as he began the Start-up sequence. The ejection tube opened in front of him, and he was staring straight down the razor-like edge of a spur of Crokite. His eyes, wide with fury, glared at the display, boring holes in the screen as the words, "Engines firing" appeared.
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Tsavu Irika
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Posted - 2008.05.27 20:34:00 -
[14]
Tsavu slowly cruised her battered Caracal through the Angel ship's debris field. Two shipboard Salvaging arrays went to work on the shattered remnants of the broken Cynabal. She smiled as the mini-Tractors picked out fragments of the wreckage, and the screen slowly filled up with Salvage reports. Electronic components, a cloaking device, two intact cannons, a number of shells, and various other fragments. She glanced over at another display, on which a simple message was displayed:
FROM: Red Rabbit
TO: Nest-Actual
RE: Cartel Intrusions
Rupture, Stabber, two Slashers, Cynabal engaged and destroyed. Lost both Merlin escorts.
She looked over the message for another moment, pondering what else to add, before hitting the 'Send' button. She sighs softly as the message is sent off, and her Sensor's officer quietly says, "Ma'am... I've found something interesting. I think I found our Cartel captain." She turns, and glances at the large display, a thin smile comes to her pale lips.
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Tsavu Irika
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Posted - 2008.05.29 23:31:00 -
[15]
COLD WATCH - Blood of the Dawn
Tsavu closed her eyes, encapsulated with her sleek silver pod. The viscous goo slowly flooded the pod, and she felt it crawl along her skin. The neurosynaptic connections slowly joined, one by one, and she shivered involuntarily as the last connection was made. She felt the seperation, like a steel cable snapping under the stress of an immense load, and she was cut free from her body. The stars and the blank depths of the Void greeted her closed eyes, flicking in the distance. A blazing red sun in the center of the system lent the space itself a crimson glow. The dust belt she slowly glided through glimmered with bloody malevolence.
In the distance, the hollowed husk of a planet floated lifelessly, its' atmosphere long since burned out. A few tiny meteorites slammed into the planet, scattering a fine dust of ashes and debris. Whole sections of the planet had been turned to dark, scorched plains of glass. Deep canyons lined the surface, where their pristine oceans had boiled away. Gigantic ice crystals glimmered within the debris belt, each carrying the blackened sheen of ash trapped within. Even the very core of the planet had frozen, the icy embrace of the Void draining every last ounce of life from the gutted planet.
Half-melted husks of ships, everything from dozens of tiny drones, to the blackened, charred hull of a Dreadnaught. The last message to escape the planet detailed six of these monstrosities. The warped, shredded, and nearly unrecognizable back half of the Revelation-class Amarrian Dreadnaught floated lazily along, ribbons of flayed armor glimmering uselessly, peeled back from the exposed superstructure. Patches of the bright golden hull, now dulled with age and damage, still shone their faint presence through the clouds of flotsam.
Tsavu felt her shields flicker intermittently, brushing aside dust and debris, ash and metal. The microparticles of dust brushed gently against the hull, and felt like a soft breeze across bare skin. With a slow, shivering breath, she guided her ship toward the planet. The planet, though gutted, was still much larger then it had appeared from so far away. The exposed core was a frozen, amorphous mass of stone and metal, contorted madly in the death throes of the planet. The sides of the gouged crater were solid glass, with changes in the rocky soil denoted by melted outcroppings of razor-edged glass, tinted various shades and colors. The distant glow of the sun gave the sleek, mirrored surface a haunted appearance, with hard shadows etched next to brilliantly glowing reflections, like fire on ice. The frozen shards of debris reflected back images of her blue-and-crimson painted Caracal.
Her gaze drifted over deep holes which branched out deep into the thick upper mantle of the planet. Magma floes long since emptied of their blazing rivers. Veins of crystallized magma split their insides, oddly untouched by the blast. A faint glimmer from inside one of the tubes caught her eye. She moved in a few small Camera drones to inspect, and found the glimmer to be that of a long hallway, built into one of the magma tubes.
The outside appeared totally normal - Just another magma floe, long since emptied. The only difference, the one which grabbed her attention, was the machined precision of the cut. Perfectly circular, and just wide enough for a large Frigate to pass through.
Tsavu keyed the Ship comm, and spoke softly, "Sergeant Prian, take three men, EVA-cleared, and bring them to the Armory. We're going for a walk." A few moments later, a reponse, "Yes, ma'am. We going light or heavy?" She chewed her lip a second, and spoke, "Heavy." The silence that emerged from the comms circuit was question enough, a question she silently dismissed.
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Tsavu Irika
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Posted - 2008.05.29 23:32:00 -
[16]
The pod goo drained from around her, and the capsule slid open. She stood up, and coughed heavily, spitting out a mouthful of the viscous liquid as she climbed out. With a hurried step, she moved through the barren hallways toward the armory. She spoke softly, directly to the Command deck, via her neural implants, "Duck the ship behind one of those glass formations. They disrupt sensors fairly well. Keep hidden until we return." A brisk, "Aye, cap'n," came back without hesitation.
She emerged into the Armory, and slipped quickly out of her flight suit. The marines all tried to sneak an eyeful of her smooth, pale skin. She ignored their looks, and gathered up her EVA Suit components, directing each to their EVA-Marine suits. Each of the bulky black EVA-Marine suits had two stubby gun barrels on the back of each forearm. Each suit had a reinforced front, which also acted as a small tool and ammunition compartment. She selected for herself a lithe, black-and-gray suit, with a energy projector on the back of each hand, in addition to the two projectile weapons. Prian selected the EVA-Marine Leader suit, a bit bulkier then the others, with a lump on the back which hosted the Communications equipment, and a few short antennae. It had a single four-barreled autocannon on the back of each hand, and a somewhat more robust thruster pack. The other three Marines each grabbed a solid black, standard issue suit. She looked over at one marined, and spoke, "Private Tariyn, grab yourself a Scout suit." He glanced up, and nodded, moving toward a slimmer, sleeker suit, which had only one light autocannon on the left arm, and a short-barreled sniper rifle with a telescoping barrel, and a smaller thruster pack with several more, but smaller jets. The suit was a camouflaged black-gray-dark blue, with a slight bulge on the back that held an advanced sensor suite.
Tsavu's breath created a slight mist as she glanced down at her EVA suit helmet. She double-checked the seals on the suit, and then lifted the helmet up over her head, inhaling just before it closed over her mouth. She held her breath, and activated the atmospheric seals. The suit thrummed quietly to life as it began cycling oxygen. She exhaled slowly, then spoke, her voice emerging from each of the Suit radios in the other four EVA-Marine suits, "Buddy up and check your seals. I don't want any mistakes." The marines paired off, and Tsavu ran a quick self-check. A black-and-red suit, a bit larger then the others, moved toward her in the reduced-gravity environment. She heard Sergeant Prian's voice over the comms, "You're next, ma'am." She sighed softly, and turned around, allowing him to quickly check the various connections between pieces of the suit. He patted her shoulder twice, the sign that she was fitted. No more words from now on.
Inhale. Push off. Exhale. Land. Inhale. Push off. Exhale. Land. Tsavu had her eyes closed, guiding by the suit's connection to her neural implants. The suit quickly plotted her movements for her, which she executed with machine precision, moving from cover to cover, ducking around fragments of metal and rock, applying little bursts of her jets as necessary. Fifty meters ahead, Tariyn, in his Scout suit, did much the same. Every time he landed, he paused a moment, and relayed updated debris drift scans. As they neared the cave's wide entrance, she noted a few tiny red lights hidden in small niches in the cave surface. An oddly solid shape, though nearly invisible, shadow on shadow, glared down at her. In the midst of the contorted rock, the very precise shape of the object was impossible to miss.
Then it moved. Stopped. Moved. Stopped. After a moment, she realized that it was moving at the same time as Tariyn. Tracking him. Following him. Watching him. Seconds later, it's purpose became clear. "Tariyn! Stay behind cover!"
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Tsavu Irika
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Posted - 2008.05.29 23:34:00 -
[17]
Private Tariyn clutched the rocky piece of debris, waited for it to spin at just the right angle, and kicked off of it, heading toward another piece of metal, which would show it's flat side to him any moment. There.
[Whump. The silent shots briefly illuminated the area as two 125mm slugs lanced from the barrels of the concealed defensive cannon, and slammed straight through the piece of metal, a bare few feet in front of Tariyn. The second volley, not a second behind, cut through the void on both sides of him. He activated his thrusters, and began to jink back and forth, moving for whatever cover he could find.
Tsavu muttered a curse, and puffed her thrusters, launching her suit straight at the turret. As she came within reach of it, she grabbed one of the two barrels, and held onto it. Pressing one hand to the back of the turret, the energy projector pulsed brightly, thrusting a six-inch blade of pure energy into the thin metal, causing the turret to jerk to the side suddenly, and fire into the rocky walls a few yards away. She flared the blade again, and jerked it across, slicing open the mounting. The turret ceased firing, but it's last shots did more then enough damage. Razor-like slivers of stone arced outward from the impact, a handful barely missing her, several striking into the turret's body. The impact of the shards broke the turret loose, and launched it back against the ceiling, slamming Tsavu and her suit between.
A voice pierced the fog of her thoughts, "Tsavu! Incoming!" She felt a massive weight lift off of her chest, and two strong hands take hold of her. She felt herself pulled forward, and voices faintly tickled the edge of her consciousness. A sharp voice intruded on her thoughts like a blade, slicing through the haze, "Don't move, little one, or you will die much sooner." The rasping hiss of his voice was like a knife drawing across cloth, cutting deeply. She opened her eyes, and saw before her three suits silently moving along the ridges of the cave walls. Occasionally, a beam of light would lance out from them, out toward space. Several shots would be returned, but none seemed to strike. Oddly, she seemed to be getting farther away from the entrance. The hazy red glow was getting dimmer.
She saw a black suit, striped with red, leap off of a chunk of metal, thrusters blazing. Three beams of light leapt upward, two striking. The suit tumbled, and slammed into the cave wall. A voice seemed to whisper within her skull, "Prian..." A sleek, black suit vanished under a hail of razor-sharp beams of light. One of the black suits inside the cave crumpled, red liquid spewing from it's shattered body. Two more lasers struck another solid black suit outside the cave, and it released it's hold on it's cover, floating lifelessly.
Whispers seemed to emerge from everywhere at once, surrounding her, engulfing her in their medley of screams and moans, groans and whimpers. She closed her eyes tightly, but still she could see the battle raging back and forth, the two suits in the cave taking shots at a single solid black suit, which clung to a fragment of rock desperately. An occasional burst of autocannon fire would erupt from one hand, and stitch across the stone near one of the suits. But both suits would continue moving, unafraid of the hasty fire. Finally, one of them got a lucky shot, and removed him from the rock. Two lasers began strobing on and off, pounding the suit into oblivion.
For some reason, her eyes were drawn again and again to Prian's suit, floating aimlessly. Something seemed wrong about it. The two black suits back near the cave entrance, so far away, released their hold on the walls, and came floating up toward her. She tried to look down, but couldn't. Her head was blocked by something. An arm. Holding her. She tried to move, but her limbs barely responded. The whispers grew stronger. Echoing. Screaming. Begging for mercy. One voice cut through them all. "Tsavu. Hold still."
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Tsavu Irika
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Posted - 2008.05.29 23:35:00 -
[18]
Prian's suit suddenly roared to life, thruster packs spinning him around. One hand pointed at each of the helpless suits as they crawled through the void. Twin tongues of flame leapt from the barrels, throwing him backward. A hail of firey projectiles slammed into the two black suits, ripping into them, tossing a fine red mist into the air, shimmering in the distant light. The suit slammed into her, and she felt the arm let go. Another burst of light, this one much closer, ripped through the inky blackness of the void. The rapid flashes, and the powerful whispers struck her like a hammer, and everything went black.
"...Tsa? Tsavu, you alive? Tsavu, wake up, wake up. Please respond. We're safe here."
Her eyes slowly opened, and she felt a dull throbbing in her temples. She closed her eyes again. The light hurt. Light. She opened her eyes again, and saw that the light had been redirected. Prian's face was visible through his EVA helmet. His helmet light was facing to the side of her head, giving light, without blinding. "Come on. We have to keep moving. The cave closed up behind us." With a groan, she pulls herself forward from the wall she was lying against. Looking forward down at the floor of the cave momentarily threw her off, and her head spun with the absence of gravity.
She glanced about, slowly taking notice of a square of lights some ways ahead of herself. Prian was already moving toward them, his thruster pack flaring intermittently. The square slowly resolved itself into a door, set into the curvature of the wall. Prian reached it, and pressed his hand against the switch next to the door. Silently, it slid open, revealing a long hallway with moved away to the left, parallel to the cave, but only led deeper. Dark, blood-red lights glimmered along the passage, giving just enough light for one to move down the hallway without running into a wall. The whispers were quieter, but still present. A droning, toneless, inarticulate groan, pierced by staccato shrieks. The two of them moved down the hallway, and finally reached an area were the hallway expanded. An instant later, it opened wide.
Before them, on both sides of the narrow walkway, were thousands of droning scribes, a medusa-like tangle of wires emerging from the backs of their bare-shaven heads. Thousands of red candles lit the walls, the floor, the ceiling. Their chanting rose and fell in unison, though it seemed every single person was speaking different words to the exact same, rhythmless tune. It seemed as though their voices had been recorded, and slowed considerably, to a thousandth of their actual speed. An involuntary shiver siezed her body for a moment as she realized exactly where they were. Looking straight up was a massive window of stained glass, depictions of rivers, tinted red with sunlight, like streams of blood. Skulls stared down at them from the walls, each placed on a small pedestal, spiraling down the edges of the cave. Within each skull was a candle, glowing softly, smoke curling up from holes cut into the top.
The unmistakable Blood Raider Covenant architecture glared down. Twisting, contorted stone. Skulls, candles, and, in the very center, lying on a pedestal, was a body. The blood had been drained from the husk of the corpse. The skin was stretched taut over the skeletal frame, and the sunken pits held shriveled eyes. The face was a grotesque masque of terror, of a heart beating depeserately, pouring blood down the altar through thousands of runic incisions.
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Tsavu Irika
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Posted - 2008.05.29 23:36:00 -
[19]
A door hissed shut behind them, and her breath caught in her throat as she restrained a scream. At the base of the altar was a skeleton of a man, sipping a chalice, dripping with blood. His body was smothered in crimson liquid. His voice broke through the droning, and his whispers drilled into her skull, "Welcome to my Cathedral, young ones... Close your eyes, and rest. Your strength will be needed, later."
Tsavu felt her legs shaking, growing weak. She looked over, and saw Prian crumple forward, kneeling, shaking badly, before hs finally crumpled to the ground. Her vision swam with spots of red, and all went black.
"Sleep, sleep... Good, younglings... Yes, you will need your strength very soon."
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Tsavu Irika
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Posted - 2008.06.14 18:35:00 -
[20]
COLD WATCH - Chapter 8 - Memoirs of an Endless Ocean
Tsavu opens her eyes quickly, and sits up, eyes wide. Her breaths come fast and shallow, and her head spins in the darkness. She nearly jumps as she feels a hand brush over her bare back, the touch warm in the cold air. She turns, and looks, and Lyrelle brushes a strand of hair from her eyes, a look of concern shadowing her features. Tsavu reaches back, and places a hand gently on top of Lyrelle's, "Bad dreams... That's all." She squeezes the hand lightly, and stands. Her smooth, bare skin glows softly in the faint light, a slight shiver passing over her as the cool air caresses her form. She quietly walks from the bedroom, and through the halls of the massive, empty house. Her eyes wander over the paintings which hang along the left-side wall, the right-side lined with evenly spaced wooden doors, a couple of which carry signs with names upon them.
With slow, measured breath, Tsavu walks to a door at the end of the hallway. She knocks twice, and enters, staring at the hunched form of the tall Intaki, Daerdeae. He is sitting at his desk, an overly ornamented and decidedly alien design, which he claimed he found in a ruin, somewhere in space. She didn't doubt it for a moment - his spacious room was cluttered with such things. He turns in his chair, "Yes, Tsavu?" His features, sharp, and yet gentle, playful cerulean eyes, and nearly golden skin, looked her over, "Dreams, again?" She nods without saying anything. He sighs softly, and stares her straight in the eyes, causing her to sit up a little straighter. He only seems to note in passing her unclothed form, memories of his Civire girlfriend bringing a touch of a brief smile to his lips. "What was it, this time?"
Lyrelle opened the door slightly, and saw Daerdeae, sitting back within his chair, some odd device sitting on the desk behind him. Tsavu is hunched over, head in her hands, whispering something unintelligeble. Daerdeae looks up, and Tsavu turns a glance, "I'll be out in a few minutes, babe... Could you get some coffee started? Maybe some breakfast?" Lyrelle pauses a long moment, and nods, "Love you." Tsavu smiles briefly, wearily, "Love you, too." The door clicks shut quietly, and both wait a moment before continuing, "...And he said something to us... I felt tired... I couldn't stand... When I awoke, I felt like I was back there... Trapped, again. I don't know how to explain this all away... I keep waking up in the middle of the night. She's getting really concerned about me..."
Daerdeae gave his usual enigmatic smile, which said nothing, and yet many things. He lightly placed his hand on hers, "Perhaps she has a right to be concerned, Tsavu... She is your fiance, after all." Tsavu looks up sharply, "That's not what I meant... I just... I don't want her worried about me. I'm fine... Really." She bites her lip, and takes a slow, deep breath. Daerdeae raises an eyebrow silently, "...These dreams... I only hope they will stop soon." He looks at the door, as though to indicate Lyrelle was outside, and nods toward it, "For both your sakes."
*-*-*
The winds whipped around her, the thick jacket she held close to her lithe form barely keeping a hold on what meager warmth remained. Her eyes steadily stared at the distant city, as the winds constantly scoured the thick snowfall from her veiled promontery. The howling winds stole any attempt at speech, and her thoughts themselves seemed plucked from her mind, and cast into the maelstrom. The biting cold tore at her, and ripped into her deepest thoughts. Finally, some wandered through the blizzard, wrapped tightly within the embrace of her own anguish.
Perhaps this wind might be taking a little of the bad, with the rest of it... One can only hope.
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