Sat Jul 10, 2004 12:33 pm by neuromancer
Here, for your reading pleasure, is Chapter 12.
Chapter 12
BATTLESHIP OSIRIS, SIGMA-13 SYSTEM
"Colonel Kress, it's good to see you alive," Orillion said as he shook Kress's hand. "We thought you were long dead."
"Thank you, Orillion. I must say it is good to be surrounded by my own species again."
"Looks like you're compiling quite a list of people you owe greatly, Trent," Orillion said with a smile. "Are you all right?"
"Fine, except for the damn cardamine crash."
"At leasty it kept you alive. You can thank Mr. Chavez for hiding the injector in your ship. He felt that eventually it would be of great use to you. Colonel Kress, I believe it is time to debrief you. Let's go. Oh, and Trent, you might want to go to Medical. Someone would like to see you." Orillion and Kress left Trent alone in the hangar. He turned around and made his way into the Osiris' medical quarters.
King was there, and lying on a recovery bed, alive and well, was Juni.
"Trent! Good to see you back in one piece. We were worried. You are still human, aren't you?"
"I'm fine. How are you feeling, Juni?"
"Human, and that's saying a lot. Other than that, I feel like hell."
"Well," King said, "I'll leave you two alone. I got some business to attend to. See you later." King left the room, leaving Trent and Juni. An uncomfortable silence settled between them.
"Edison," Juni finally said, "I just want you to know that I'm sorry."
"Sorry for what?"
"I'm sorry for not believing you. I'm sorry for leaving. And I'm sorry I nearly turned you into one of those bastards."
"That wasn't your fault."
"If I wouldn't have been so careless it never would have happened."
"Juni, what happened to you?"
Juni was silent for a moment. "After I left Liberty I went to work for the Kusari Police. One day I was on a patrol when we were ambushed by a wing of Blood Dragons. Our former friends, Trent. Extremely skilled pilots as you already know, and they had very powerful weapons. Nomad weapons."
"What?" Trent was surprised to hear that. "How did they get Nomad weapons?"
"Somehow the Nomads infiltrated them and began taking them over. Anyway, they destroyed my wing and took me captive. After they...turned me, they sent me out to find you."
"Well, they found me. More than once."
"Trent, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for any of this to happen."
"Juni, it's not your fault. Really."
Silence came between them again as they looked at each other. Finally Trent broke it.
"Maybe it's better if you get some rest now. I'll come back and see you later."
Juni nodded. "All right. See you later."
Trent turned around and left Medical. He needed a drink badly.
-----
"I thought I might find you here," King said as he approached Trent. "Come on, we got a briefing to attend. Cardamine worn off yet?"
"For the most part. What's the briefing about?"
"Armageddon."
"Excuse me?"
"This could be the big one. The big battle. Come on."
------
"All right, people, settle down," Orillion said. "We have a lot of ground to cover and precious little time.
"As you know, Colonel Kress has returned with information that is extremely alarming. Apparently the few remaining Nomads that survived the Hyper gate incident took up residence in a previously unknown system called Omicron Zeta. Depleted of most of their ships and manpower..." Orillion stopped and smiled at what he had just said, "...they sat and waited for another opportunity. And now, ladies and gentlemen, that time may have arrived. If the reports we have heard are true, they have already begun to prepare for their next move. Lights, please."
The lights in the briefing room dimmed and a holographic projector came on.
"These pictures come courtesy of Kress. Apparently deep in Omicron Zeta is an inactive Nomad jump gate. According to Kress, it is currently not in operation because of heavy damage to the structure, but the Nomads have begun a project to repair the gate and activate it. They are nearing completion of this project.
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is what awaits us on the other side of that gate."
The holographic image changed to reveal a sight that made everyone in the room gasp. A gigantic Nomad shipyard appeared, full of Nomad battleships nearing completion.
"There are nearly one hundred Nomad battleships in this shipyard, ready to deploy. Once that gate is completed, they will come through en masse and lay waste to the Sirius system." Orillion let that thought permeate through the room.
"Excuse me, sir," asked King, "but how did we get these images if they're on the other side of the gate?"
"There is a small jump hole near the gate. It is too small for large capital ships and is only suitable for smaller craft. The Nomads have been using it to travel back and forth.
"People, our mission is twofold: First, we will attempt to take out the Nomad jump gate to prevent the Nomad incursion. Secondly, we will send a strike team through the jump hole to sabotage as many of the battleships as we can."
"That should be fun," King whispered to Trent.
"We will be using the new cardamine warheads we have developed in the assault on the shipyard. Since we have few of these warheads available, they must be used sparingly, and every shot has to count.
"Our intelligence tells us that even now, there are Nomads in Sirius preparing for this invasion. We have reports that they have infiltrated Kusari space, and we can only assume that they may be in the other houses as well. I cannot emphasize enough, ladies and gentlemen, the importance of destroying these structures. The fate of Sirius, and that of humankind hangs in the balance."
------
When life gives you lemons, add alcohol.
Edited by - neuromancer on 7/10/2004 1:38:59 PM
poor juni... the story written by XIMIAN is good but the other guys MESSED IT UP.. but the story is totally different .. i only liked the part of battle of pittsburge.. and juggernaut idea.. only>> THATS ALL i like in the story. one more part the patriotism of BATTLE SHIP CHICAGO AND MISSISIPI & SACRAMANTO> The fight was awsom but the story had lots of BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM... & WHERE THE HELL COALITION CAME FROM.. ..
*gives two thumbs up!*