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Feyd Alsam
Gallente
Avenging United
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Posted - 2008.08.20 00:47:00 -
[1]
ZOMG itz mah furst EVAR GMAE FNAFCITIEN!!!! I HOPE U LIEK IT ^______________________^ actually it's just the first one I've written in a long time, hope this is the place for it.
I'm writing it cause I'm bored. It's prettymuch cliche as hell (so far), but it at least deals with part of EVE that players probably don't think about too much. Comments, criticisms of every sort welcome.
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The commander gazed sullenly at the spheric hollo-display that took up the center of the bridge, giving all that was detectable within sensor range the scrutiny only someone of many years in the service could give. He looked bored and he was. The others at their posts gave their displays seemingly the same attention, but he could tell they were lazing. Contempt for them drifted in and out of his thoughts, but he had learned long ago that if he kept his crew too tightly wound all the time, they would wear out quickly. Longevity was the key to their purpose. The aging warship had been conducting in-system patrols for twelve hours Imperial Standard Time. The Cleansing Flame as she was semi-officially known was due to put in for crew changeout and supply restocking after three hundred and forty eight more. It was a bad sign, he thought, if the men were already getting weary. At the same time he couldn't blame them. The system they patrolled was hardly a prime asset to the sprawling Empire. Approximately 160 years ago it has been surveyed, cataloged, inducted, linked to its neighbors by jumpgates, had its asteroid belts mined to dust, had its planets explored, and had outposts of various kinds built in orbit to facilitate further exploration. For a brief moment of cosmic time it had been the center of effort for thousands of men and women. Thousands had toiled endlessly here, hopes and dreams of discovery had been pinned here. For what? After all the gates had been built, and surveys of the system completed, all the planets and belts had been explored, marked, and cataloged, very little of value was discovered. Veldspar ore was found in limited quantity in a few asteroids, it was nothing worthy of large-scale mining. Although one of its two planets was terrestrial, it was deemed too inhospitable and resource-deficient to justify colonization or terraforming operations. In the end the system became nothing but another link in a very, very long chain. No one had bothered building major stations here, and travel through it was rare. It was also a place for he and his men, and their third rate warship to rot. The thoughts left his mind quickly, but caused ache nonetheless. He told himself his empire would need him again. The glory of conquest would come again to the Amarr, be it through the Matari, Gallente, or any other that would dare stand against them, and he would be there to witness it. This sentiment had kept him through long years on the Customs Force, through dealings with piddling bureaucrats, incompetent crews, and corrupt old officers who had let their exile soften and break them. Determination poured back into him in a rush as he watched the lines of the display cross eachother in endless rotation. He would be ready. He turned his head to one of the many windows on the bridge. Flashes of light met his eyes, the dark side of the second planet obscured the view of the stars. It seemed a storm was brewing.
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Feyd Alsam
Gallente
Avenging United
|
Posted - 2008.08.20 00:48:00 -
[2]
The small screen hissed softly and flickered. The nervous young Amarran it displayed was obviously quite nervous, though his face could barely be seen through the unnatural glare the screen emitted. It was the only light source in the dark room.
ôI know you're offering more than usual... But this equipment, it has to come from the MOA, not the Navy, and I don't even know anyone the Ministry. This isn't the sort of thing that's usually... commandeered either.ö
ôIrrelevant.ö The sole occupant of the room was obscured totally by a black robe, making him seem a part of the darkness that permeated the room. His voice had an almost metallic ring to it, and belied the speaker's great age.
ôCan you serve your purpose or not?ö
ôI'll... see what I can come up with. I can't make promises.ö
ôVery well. I will contact you again in one week.ö
ôUnderstood.ö
The screen went blank. Almost immediately candles lit themselves around the room. Though they numbered in the dozens, and the office was not large, the light was barely enough to make every corner visible. The figure sitting at the desk seemed at first to be a pitch black abyss against the sandy beige of traditional Amarr decorum. After a moment he stirred, not removing his hood, he grasped an extremely ancient tome that took up a considerable portion of the left side of the desk. Moving it toward him, he opened and turned its yellow pages to a place marked by a piece of blue silk. Embroidered on the silk was a tugurra, a signature in old Amarran calligraphy. One well-read in history would recognize it as that of the late Ocilan Ardishapur. Gently placing it aside, his pale, wrinkled hand rested on the corner of the exposed page. Among text in a long disused script was a single illustration. It was a reddish planet set against black stars, visible on its surface was a massive storm that took up nearly the entire northern hemisphere. The priest regarded the pages for a very long time in silence. Eventually he placed the silk marker back in its place, closed the tome, and placed it back in the safe-cabinet built into the desk. Arising from his seat slowly, he began to remove the robe. Though his faith in the Will was total, there were niggling doubts of the means he had chosen. The boy was young, bright, with just enough ambition. His weakness was money, but he wasn't too greedy. He should find a way. If there was one thing that was more endemic to Amarran society than pretensions to Faith, it was corruption. The robe off, the priest quickly folded it and placed it in the decorative chest near the back wall. He wore the simple brown robe of a lecturer at the Royal Institute. This followed reason, since that's who most thought he was. But he knew he was something far greater. He had waited here, in the labyrinthine halls of the orbital school, lecturing in xenoarchaeology, and quietly conducting research of a nature few questioned. He was left alone, more than he had ever expected to be, and it had worked out marvelously. Every day he could feel himself coming closer, becoming more complete. He knew the meaning of his life, and he knew where he would die. A calm smile came upon his ancient features, partially marred by the old model cyber implants that left portions of his head obscured by metal plates. God's hand was moving through him, they could not be separated or distinguished now. Before he took his place next to the Throne, he would watch all the corruption, sloth, and ignorance of man swept aside in a flood of holy darkness.
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Feyd Alsam
Gallente
Avenging United
|
Posted - 2008.08.20 00:49:00 -
[3]
The commander strode with weariness but dignity down the hall to his office at the orbital naval base. There was a great deal of paperwork to be filed, all of it spelling out that he and his crew had encountered nothing out of the ordinary on their last patrol on the Flame. He arrived at the door of the remarkably cramped workspace. Its back wall was dominated by a window with a view out into the station's massive external foyer into which all incoming ships were received, and transferred to docking bays. He always kept his eyes away from the view that most would find overwhelmingly majestic. It always reminded him of his days as a young officer, he would spend his spare moments looking at the same spectacle. Only in those days, things were different. The characteristic golden hulls of mighty Amarran warships filled the view of any who saw the interior of the naval base. Mighty Apocalypse and Armageddon class battleships arrived by the dozens from manufacturing centers to receive their crews of eager young officers, just like him. Lesser ships flew alongside them, and gave a sense of scale, Mallers, Coercers, Omens, all their gleaming hulls, like so many golden stars. But after they had been driven from Minmatar space, things began to change. The resolve of the Holders, and likewise their underlings, began to fail. The military was the hardest hit. The rhetoric of the great ôReclaimingö evaporated slowly, but surely. ôTerritorial preservationö rose to become the greatest credo of the mighty Imperial Navy. He had been assigned to a Maller class cruiser as first mate, and was due to be sent to the front, but the orders were canceled at the last minute when it was decided that the Ammatar would fare well enough on their own. He spent the next ten years being shuffled from post to post, as combat ships were decommissioned. He had a few engagements with rogue Minmatar, and various pirate groups under his belt, but the establishment to which he had given his life and loyalty was shrinking too fast to pay any mind. He was lucky to secure command of a customs patrol ship in the end. He would have dreamed to serve aboard a great Armageddon when he was first out of the academy, his present situation was thus perversely humorous. He snapped awake from the memories that had momentarily consumed him. Staring out the window, he watched foreign merchant ships,mercenaries, and the odd customs vessel drift slowly past. He turned away and sat down at his terminal. A chime denoting that a single personal message had been received while he was away. The sender was Rear Admiral Chokma, one of the region's overseers. He had met the man twice before, genial, but lazy, and probably on the take from someone.
Karak,
Alright, I admit it, you won the bet. Come on up to my office once you're off duty, and you can have a nice long gloat, and a drink or two.
-Refin
Karak had no idea that the man's first name was Refin, and had certainly never offered him the familiarity of his own first name. He had also never placed a bet in his life. He thought he must have gotten him confused with someone else, but the message was addressed to him specifically, despite that he surely had had to look up his name. It must have just been a misunderstanding, he thought, but it nagged him nonetheless. He resigned himself to visit the admiral after his work was complete, cutting into his own relaxation time, just in case the empire was at stake. |
Feyd Alsam
Gallente
Avenging United
|
Posted - 2008.08.20 00:50:00 -
[4]
An hour later Commander Karak Abed stood at attention in the office of Rear Admiral Chokma. The admiral leaned causally against the edge of his desk, regarding Abed with bemusement.
ôAt ease, commander, neither of us are on duty.ö
ôSir.ö
He stood rigid with his hands at his back.
ôI figured the bit about the bet would get you riled up. I'm glad I've got you down so far.ö
ôWhat do you mean, sir?ö
ôDo you want something to drink?ö
ôNo, sir.ö
ôGood, me neither.ö
ôI've read into your history, quite a great deal into it. It's a fine art, you know, figuring a man out from records, reports, citations. I admit I'm probably none too good at it, but I've got a hunch I've figured you out.ö
Karak was beginning to have serious doubts that the Admiral was sober.
ôI've called you here because I have a proposition for you.ö
The commander was for a moment dumbstruck. What else could it be but bribes? He had never accepted one, and had twice reported crewmen who did. The admiral's expression had become very grave.
ôThis is something that won't be easy for either of us, commander. That is because I am trusting you to keep secrets from the rest of the chain of command, from your own men, from everyone. And I'm expecting you to realize that it's for a good greater than yourself, the Navy, this empire, and every other.ö
This was unexpected. The admiral had begun to pace, occasionally checking for the commander's reaction.
ôYou are doubtless aware that there are certain groups in New Eden that transcend politics, and strive for the good of the human race as a whole. The Sisters, CONCORD, a few others, those are the high-profile ones. I am a member of one of the low-profile groups, or rather... let's just say I'm part of their support network. We have friends everywhere, every race, almost every major corporate and government entity, and many of the high-ups in CONCORD collaborate with us. I was put in this post for a purpose, Abed. We need people here.öôWhy, what is your... charity planning?ö
ôIt's not what we're planning, but I'll get to that later, maybe. Right now I need to know if you're willing to take up the mantle. Oh, and don't worry, the room's clean. You won't have to worry about the Chamberlain's goons dragging you off in the night.ö
ôIs this some kind of test of loyalty?ö
ôYou better believe it. I need to know if I can trust you, if your devotion is to the ideal, or the material. I can tell you now that every single thing we do is for the good of everyone, and you'll never be able to question it. I should tell you the stories some time, some of the bullets heading for the head of civilization that we deflected. But there's no time for it now. Look, the reason I picked you for this is because I know you're angry. You're a good officer that was left by the wayside. You joined up for the glory of mortal combat, and got left with popping the occasional smuggler too stupid to use the hidden gates. And despite that, you're too honorbound to go soft. You never gave up on your ideals. I'm giving you the chance right here, right now, to fight. Fight for all of humanity, instead of just one petty empire.ö |
Feyd Alsam
Gallente
Avenging United
|
Posted - 2008.08.20 00:51:00 -
[5]
ôAnd what if I say no.ö The admiral seemed to predict the response.
ôYou leave here, go home. If you ever come forward to someone about this meeting, I'll deny it ever took place, and the records will back me up. It is completely your decision though. I swear we'll never bother you again if you refuse.ö
Karak sighed.
ôSince you're a Ni Kunni, I figured you'd have more sense than a native Amarr, not as consumed with pomp and ritual. We have a few of them as members, but mostly they're too arrogant to see past the ends of their own noses.ö
He poured some red liquid from a chalice on his desk, and handed him the glass.
ôYou look like you need it.ö
He knew little about Khanid beverages, as he assumed that's what the substance was. He'd only imbibed alcohol when he was very young and still going to the temple. He downed it quickly.
ôYou are a traitor, aren't you. This is just some Minmatar sympathizer ring, isn't it?ö
ôNo, I told you, it isn't political. We do what has to be done. We don't move very often, hell there have been times I've forgotten I was in.ö
The admiral chuckled wearily. He then turned to Karak and looked very intense.
ôWe have to keep it a secret because we keep secrets. There are things here in New Eden that simply shouldn't be known by the populace, and especially governments. One of those things is under my jurisdiction.ö
Though the alcohol was beginning to affect him, Karak became very attentive.
ôI need help because someone is on the move. We know they're going to strike soon, and we're the only ones who can defend. I know this is a lot to take in, but I need your decision as soon as possible.ö
ôAnd just what in the hells is out here that's so important, huh? What's in the forsaken pit of a system that I patrol? Not even the damn pirates go there anymore.ö
Karak couldn't restrain the outburst, but the admiral looked at him sharply.
ôThat's how you know we're doing our job. There is something there, something no one suspects.ö
Chokma had poured himself a drink of his own and was nursing it.
ôHow about you head home, think it over, and come back here tomorrow at noon with your decision. I've had your next patrol rescheduled, so don't worry.ö
Karak left the glass on the admiral's desk and stepped out without a word, his senses were getting fuzzy. He'd never been able to tolerate alcohol. |
Feyd Alsam
Gallente
Avenging United
|
Posted - 2008.08.20 00:51:00 -
[6]
The chant was beautiful. It was bound to be when the participants put everything they had into it. Men and women together raised their voices into a melody that was lilting, strong, and mournful at once. The domed room carried the sound perfectly. It was sparse, and dark, only a few low blue-tinted lights illuminated the black walls. Figures in black robes sat cross-legged in a circular pattern around a slightly raised place in the center on which the priest sat, also chairless. He was ecstatic. The ultimate expression of the human soul surrounded him, carried to presence of God by their devotion. There was no more fear or doubt for these people. No more pain, only joy. It would not be long now. He had joined his enclave on route out of Stain where they had taken possession of their vessel. Perhaps some of the mindless Sansha drones would be saved from damnation for building it. The Hydra was designed by their former brothers in the Covenant. It was modeled after one of the loathsome Blood Raider ships, but because it in turn was based on an old Amarr design, it was deemed worthy of sanctification. The price they had paid to get them built by the pirate groups was something that still disturbed the priest's sleep, but that wasn't important now. They would all be judged in due time. There was much to be done as soon as the ritual was complete. The Book of The Holy Portent was vague in its language, but a way would be found to accomplish their task. God demanded it. The priest arose at the proper time and adjourned his followers to their rest. Preparing them for what lay ahead as they took turns manning the ship was daunting, but his vigor was boundless. Many had never set foot on the surface of a planet before, but were eager to learn. He would also have to check on the status of the required materials. He'd had to procure more in Amarr space than he'd liked, and as far as he knew, the Ministry of Assessment wasn't used to being stolen from. But nothing had gone wrong yet. Entering his own chamber, he turned on his cognitive processor and began computing the flight paths his shuttles would take to avoid the worst of the atmospheric turbulence on Angelfell.
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Feyd Alsam
Gallente
Avenging United
|
Posted - 2008.08.20 22:47:00 -
[7]
Karak awoke with a gasp. A quick glance at the clock read 0400. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had a nightmare. A rush of memories of the day's events filled his head, and those of the dream faded very quickly. But he caught an image of the storm. It had been monstrous, terrible, greater than any he had ever witnessed, and something was inside it, watching him as he fell endlessly through black clouds. The storms on the second planet lasted for months, covered vast swathes of it. A few token probes had been dropped, but were destroyed within weeks. Likewise, the place was deemed too dangerous to explore any further. His mind turned quickly to the admiral and his bizarre offer. Had he gone off his head, or was there really some galaxy-spanning conspiracy? Was it some ridiculous joke? He finally figured it was his duty to investigate further, find out if Chokma was serious, and what it was he thought he was guarding. He also realized he had no hope of getting another minute of sleep. He arose, perspiring. He might as well get some more exercise.
On the way to the admiral's office he noticed the halls were curiously empty. Normally the crews would be shuffling to their early briefings, and the admiral himself would have duties to attend to. He had done some looking into Chokma's records. He was from a fairly well-off family of loyalist Khanid, partially supporting the claim that he had chosen his position for a reason. He could undoubtedly take one that paid better. He had no history of psychological defects, but then again doctors had always been the worst enemies of duty officers, and he undoubtedly had enough pull to get rubberstamped on the evals. He arrived at the office door finally. It opened for him. The admiral sat at his desk about to drop some reports into an auto sorter.
ôRight on time. Come on in, at ease, speak freely.ö
The commander came in and walked to the left side of the sizable desk, he took a relaxed stance with his hands at his back, looking down at his CO.
ôYou know you weren't very persuasive.ö
ôYeah... yeah, I know. They said the only way to get good was to practice. Looking back it seems like the setup to some practical joke, doesn't it?ö
The admiral chuckled uncomfortably. Karak had always had a hard time telling the ages of Khanid, the women always looked young, and the men always looked old to him. The admiral must have been no older than 35, he figured.
ôBut I got you back here at least. What do you want to do?ö
ôI want to know how 'they' got to you.ö
ôMy father had ties to them. I think my family has since the time the Kingdom split from the rest of the empire.ö
ôThey've been around that long?ö
ôIn some form or another, yes. I don't know the whole history, but there have always been groups from different governments working together by secret channels, in hopes of fending off real disasters.ö
ôAnd you never mentioned any sort of compensation for these... duties.ö
ôWe will make sure you are never punished for doing the right thing. Apart from that, no. You have to want to do it.ö
ôAnd you still haven't told me just what the hell could possibly be in this empty system that's a threat to humanity. I went over its history again and again last night and there's nothing that suggests it. Do you expect me to believe all this on faith?ô
ôActually, faith comes into it, but not in the way you expect. I'll show you everything, but first I need to know if you will keep everything you hear absolutely secret.ö
The commander had never broken a promise before. Even if the admiral was unhinged, it made him uncomfortable that he might go back on his word. But then again, it might all be true.
ô...I will.ö
ôDo you swear it?ö
ôI do.ö
ôAlright, let's get to work.ö |
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