Sun Jul 04, 2004 3:12 pm
Best Freelancer Fanfic''s???
Which & where can you find the best Freelancer Fanfics?
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Best Freelancer Fanfic''s???
Read, add and comment on excellent written stories by fans, set within the Freelancer universe
14 posts
• Page 1 of 1
Mon Jul 05, 2004 7:28 am
Do a search on this site and in this forum. Theree are several that have be written. Here is part of one I started...
5 Years in the future.....
Planet Pittsburgh, landing area. On the deck is King and Orillion. An unknown ship is coming in for a landing.
As the figure climbs out of the craft, he still has his helmet on and walks up to the other two figures. Orillion turns to face the figure. “I was beginning to wonder if you got my message”. The figure removed his helmet. Trent!
“Yea I got it” Trent replied, shaking hands with both of them.” But Juni didn’t appreciate me having to take off just after the honeymoon” he replied.
I’m sorry, but it couldn’t be helped” Orillion continued, “I needed the best for this problem”.
“And just exactly what is this problem” King asked. A look of perplex on his face. He had to leave Sinclair as well.
A node has reactivated itself in the Omega 11 system, and the signal was traced back to the unknown system, so you know what that means, don’t you” Orillion answered.
“It means they are back?” Trent ventured. Orillion nodded. “Damn” Trent swore.
“So what is your plan, and how can I help” Trent asked, a wisp of a smile on his face. He looked forward to the combat.
Three days later, Trent and Juni were flying back to Leeds to meet with Tobias. At the same time, Orillion and King were headed to the Battleship Hood to recruit Hovis and few of his friends. Trent knew Tobias was itching to get into action after having been kicked out of the Bretonian Military. This mission would be right up his ally.
Leeds Planetary Gate cleared Trent and Juni for landing and they preceded to the space port for the meeting.
After setting down and climbing out of their crafts, Tobias walked up. “Trent, its so good to see you again, and you brought the Mrs. This time I see” Tobias said, grinning ear to ear.
After two hours, they had a game plan. Tobias would head for Omega 5 to await the arrival of the others. He was flying a Crusader fully armed and ready for battle. But even he had to admit, he did not know all of the plan, but was going to enjoy the trip.
Half way to the jump hole to Cambridge, Trent got a com call. “Trent, there is a problem and I need you to divert to Cambridge and meet me,” Quintain sent. Damn, Trent thought, and signaled Juni, that they needed to divert.
The Hood gave permission to King and Orillion to land. They found Hovis in the bar as usual, betting on the races. “Dang Outcast, always chicken out on the last curve” Hovis said out loud. He picked up the com Mic. “Boys, teach that cowered a lesson”. In the distance a small mushroom cloud grew. Hovis chuckled as he turned to face the strangers. “What can I do for you two fellas” he asked.
They sat at a table watching two or three other races while talking. “Now let me get this straight” Hovis started, “You want me to leave all this to what?, Go hunt some more Nomad types?”
“That’s exactly what we’re asking Mr. Hovis” Orillion answered. “You are an excellent pilot and you were recommended by Trent, And that he thought you would welcome the challenge.”
“That tenderfoot said that?” Hovis asked, disbelieving he heard right. “I don’t know, you tell me why I should get involved.”
“Look Hovis, they’ll get further this time if we don’t stop them, here and now.” King jumped in. His impatience showing. “Beside, there’s money involved if we succeed”.
“How much we talking about here” Hovis replied, a grin beginning to form.
“I believe, the offer is one million credits from Liberty and one tax free year” Orillion continued.
“All right”, Hovis said, getting out of his chair, “Count me in, where do we meet.”
5 Years in the future.....
Planet Pittsburgh, landing area. On the deck is King and Orillion. An unknown ship is coming in for a landing.
As the figure climbs out of the craft, he still has his helmet on and walks up to the other two figures. Orillion turns to face the figure. “I was beginning to wonder if you got my message”. The figure removed his helmet. Trent!
“Yea I got it” Trent replied, shaking hands with both of them.” But Juni didn’t appreciate me having to take off just after the honeymoon” he replied.
I’m sorry, but it couldn’t be helped” Orillion continued, “I needed the best for this problem”.
“And just exactly what is this problem” King asked. A look of perplex on his face. He had to leave Sinclair as well.
A node has reactivated itself in the Omega 11 system, and the signal was traced back to the unknown system, so you know what that means, don’t you” Orillion answered.
“It means they are back?” Trent ventured. Orillion nodded. “Damn” Trent swore.
“So what is your plan, and how can I help” Trent asked, a wisp of a smile on his face. He looked forward to the combat.
Three days later, Trent and Juni were flying back to Leeds to meet with Tobias. At the same time, Orillion and King were headed to the Battleship Hood to recruit Hovis and few of his friends. Trent knew Tobias was itching to get into action after having been kicked out of the Bretonian Military. This mission would be right up his ally.
Leeds Planetary Gate cleared Trent and Juni for landing and they preceded to the space port for the meeting.
After setting down and climbing out of their crafts, Tobias walked up. “Trent, its so good to see you again, and you brought the Mrs. This time I see” Tobias said, grinning ear to ear.
After two hours, they had a game plan. Tobias would head for Omega 5 to await the arrival of the others. He was flying a Crusader fully armed and ready for battle. But even he had to admit, he did not know all of the plan, but was going to enjoy the trip.
Half way to the jump hole to Cambridge, Trent got a com call. “Trent, there is a problem and I need you to divert to Cambridge and meet me,” Quintain sent. Damn, Trent thought, and signaled Juni, that they needed to divert.
The Hood gave permission to King and Orillion to land. They found Hovis in the bar as usual, betting on the races. “Dang Outcast, always chicken out on the last curve” Hovis said out loud. He picked up the com Mic. “Boys, teach that cowered a lesson”. In the distance a small mushroom cloud grew. Hovis chuckled as he turned to face the strangers. “What can I do for you two fellas” he asked.
They sat at a table watching two or three other races while talking. “Now let me get this straight” Hovis started, “You want me to leave all this to what?, Go hunt some more Nomad types?”
“That’s exactly what we’re asking Mr. Hovis” Orillion answered. “You are an excellent pilot and you were recommended by Trent, And that he thought you would welcome the challenge.”
“That tenderfoot said that?” Hovis asked, disbelieving he heard right. “I don’t know, you tell me why I should get involved.”
“Look Hovis, they’ll get further this time if we don’t stop them, here and now.” King jumped in. His impatience showing. “Beside, there’s money involved if we succeed”.
“How much we talking about here” Hovis replied, a grin beginning to form.
“I believe, the offer is one million credits from Liberty and one tax free year” Orillion continued.
“All right”, Hovis said, getting out of his chair, “Count me in, where do we meet.”
Mon Jul 05, 2004 7:58 am
Try the Official Lancers Reactor Webstory, somewhere way down the list on the Off Topic section of the forums. I know I know, it's not finished and it probably will never get finished, but it's a good read as far as it goes. Especially when you realise most of it was last minute improvisation, because when one guy was wrtiting the other had already posted something which changed the entire story.
It's quite entertaining at some times and I think it's a good plot even. Just gotta finish it, that's all.
It's quite entertaining at some times and I think it's a good plot even. Just gotta finish it, that's all.
Wed Jul 07, 2004 1:31 pm
Ok, i'm posting my FF here because I jusc CANT SEEM TO POST TOPICS ON THE FORUM (!!!!!!!!!), and i'm too lazy to send mail and then wait a whole 24 h to get an answer...and i'm going on vacation in 2 days too....
So here:
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Nigel Fyarr--Part 1--Ambush in the Badlands
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My name is Nigel Fyarr.
Right now I am looking through a porthole in a Rhino bound for planet Houston. My eyes are concentrated to one of the radioactive dark matter clouds here in Texas.The other one is behind the sun......it is simular, you know.....to the Badlands.....to the first place where I experianced real fear--fear for my life....and it hapened only 10 hours ago....
I have been a Navy pilot for 5 months up to this point...but i aint any more....I have to get out of Liberty space or I'll get cort martialed when they get me...the Navy.....
Five and a half years ago I was an ordinary Bretonian citizen living in New London with my grandfather. He was taking care of me for 11 years, ever since my parents gone missing in Tau 23. They were transporting suplies for Java station. On their way back they simply vanished. It is almost certain the Outcasts got them on their way back. "They should have hired a fighter escort" everyone said, but the trooth was they bearly had the money to maintain their Clydesdale....
Since then I had an outstanding hate for the Outcasts and said to myself that I would one day come to Tau-23 seeking revange.
Grandpa on the other hand, tried to raise me as good as he can, always telling me about the dangers of the border worlds and any unexplored space, and that the advanture just isn't worth geting your self choked in vacuum.
Yes...those were turbulent times between us two. Everlasting fights about our perception of space...I was always saying that life aint worth living if you dont see the world you live in...feel the advanture, while grandpa always reminded me not to make the same mistake as my parents did.
Then, on my 17th birthday--I simply left. I put a notepad by the holovision explaining that I left to seek advanture blah blah blah…….boy was I stupid.
And so I left my 72 year old grandfather.That was a mistake I will regret for the rest of my life.
It was the last time i saw him.
Geting started was harder then expected. Since I was 17, I was still forbidden by the law to fly a ship (not that I had the credits anyway), so I traveled on a freighter to Freeport 4. It was all so new to me…I have never been in a nebula before, yet I wasn't realy impressed by the barrier from the inside. But when we came out in open space……I thought to myself "Yes, that's why I left". I was simply astonished! I was for the 1st time in a sunless system, looking at Freeport 4…ice asteroids behind it, and when I looked back………..I don't see the polluted Bretonia red space…oh no, I was looking at THE barrier. Countless asteroids and nebulas streaching for thousands of light years in every direction! A sight that could surely be seen in cold New London nights if it were not for the pollution. I steared at it for hours when we docked at Freeport 4 cursing myself that i hadn't seen it from Manchester, but hey…a man's gotta sleep, right? The only place i have been beside NL was planet Leeds which we visited on regular ocasions, once I've been to Waterloo station…..and thats it! I still remember the thrill when my parents took me to Leeds the first time. I started crying when the jump gate opened up like it was going to swallow us, only to be calm and almost hipnotised when traveling through stunned by the look. Once my parents actualy agreed to take me with them to Omega 3, but changed their mind before we even leaved NL system. Father thought it would be ok if they deviate from the trade lane into the nearby asteroid field so I see what it from the inside. It was all fun and games untill we ran into a Gaian patrol. The only thing that saved us was the fact there was a child on bord--me. They told us to get far away before they change their mind, my parents paniced, turned around and in fear flew right in an uncharted explosive gas pocket that heavily damaged our ship. They returned to NL for repairs and left for Omega 3 without me.
From Freeport 4 I came along with a supply ship to Los Angeles, and then to Manhattan where I later celebrated my 18th birthday.
The day after I joined the Navy West point academy where I studied and trained for the last 4 years.
The reason I picked Liberty was simply because it was the closest to Bretonia. And I didn't stay in Bretonia because I knew my garndfather would come looking for me.
And so, at the age of 22 i graduated and celebrated my 22nd birthday. I was now a fully trained Liberty Navy pilot. Little did I know there was more to it than flight and combat engagement studies and shooting stationary targets. Actualy, the last orders before graduation are to fly with your wing into a well known part the Badlands and kill some Rogues, with out an instructor. If by any (small) chance we would encounter Outcasts, orders were: fly like hell. Even the elite pilots have a hard time with the outcasts and their agile Daggers…
When we stumbled upon a rogue patrol it was easier than I expected…I didn't even fire my guns! It was 5 Defenders against 3 Bloodhounds. It was over before you know it, Andrews got two and Rico one…and us three none, with part of Dawson's right wing destroyed…..
The Navy job for rookie pilots like me was simply patroling the trade lanes throughout Liberty, which i came to know very well since we traveled from one end of it to another, only a year after graduation would the pilots be sent on firefight missions. And so you wouldn't belive it, in 5 months my wing hasn't seen any action whatsoever. With statistics saying that every two weeks a trade lane is distrupted in New York, and convoys flying on cruise are atacked even more, we asked ourselfs if we were cursed.
So time was passing, Defenders were flying, friegters were docking and credits were falling on my account, but I wasnt satisfied………it was there….looking at me through my cabin's window….dark and thretening……seducing me, taunting me….yes, it was the big dark-purple cloud in which I've been only once, on its outer perimiter….it was stearing at me….every day…..the most dangerous place in Liberty….the New York Badlands.
One day……today in the West Point mess hall Seargent Fisher aproached me and Rico, who were the only ones left inside.He handed us a notepad and said "I understand that you're bored…that you've been striving for some real action…we don't realy do this with green pilots like you, but rumour says you're pretty unsatisfied with rutine patrols, so here's something for you". It was a mission briefing….about patroling the part of the Badlands east of the abandoned station to which the trade lane leads. We looked at him in disbelief …"Take this to yout wing leader…uum..Sanchez, is it? You leave at 0600 hours"
We were so teribly excited, because chances were about 50% that we would encounter Rogues in that location….at one point I nearly exploded in anger when I thought it would be canceled after hearind the argument that Sanchez started with Fisher….
"They are not ready!"
"They'll be alright"
"Some of them never even took shot on a Rogue ship"
"How is that if they graduated?"
"Andrews and Rico destroyed three Rogue light fighters, the others bearly fired, one even came back heavily damaged , and their pilots were greenies theirselfs! You can't send them there!"
"They'll be allright! Its just Rogue light fighters reported again, and maybe they don't even encounter them…"
"If you could just…"
"This discussion is over! Prep your ships, time's changed, you leave at 0500 hours, now move it and make real pilots out of these boys, they'll be wing comenders themselfs some day!"
With the last H-fuel pod placed, preperation of my ship was compleeted.
"Patrol 27, you are cleared for takeoff"
Hangar doors opened, and for the first time, i turned left after taking off from dock 4.
We entered formation and headed for the old trade lane…it seamed like hours, those 2 minutes
"Lane jump initiated" said Sanchez as he went through. Andrews followed, then me and Rico, and then Maxwell and Dawson.
Moments passed, and then we entered the REAL Badlands. The thing is, on our graduation mission, we were only in the outer perimiter, and didnt even see what we were seeing now….i didn't even have the time to think, when we came to the end of the lane. We turned to the left for 80 degrees.
"That what you saw to your right is the old Ithaca research station, now it is abandoned, not even lifesupport functions anymore…"
"Why was it abandoned?" asked Maxwell while we were going deeper and deeper in to the Badlands.
Sanchez started talking about classefied research, an accident…whatever, I didn't listen……
This place overwhelmed me…..It was surely the darkest place in space I've ever been to…scanners were not functioning farther than 3K from the ship, and those…asteroids if thats what they are…..no one knows what they actualy are….it looked…like a space forrest…a haunted one.
Eventualy here and there a lightning would flash and extend the view for a dozen K……
We were all talking about this place, about hidden stations, failed projects, dangers….
"Shut up!" Sanchez ordered, "maintaun radio silence, this aint a playground, be alert at all tim…"
He cut his engines…we all did….
"What…?"
Sanchez set a waypoint 5 K from us…
"Look towards it" he whispered, "and wait for the lightning"
………….
"when it flashed, we could clearly see for a few seconds 8 mooving shiluettes…..5 small ships that allmost looked like lines, two bigger ones, similar to the small ones, but had an extension under the "line", and one big ship which was probably a freighter….we waited for a few more flashes…
They were facing us sideways, unable to see us (if they were looking at front) and unable to scan us as we couldn't scan them either because of the electrical effects on our scanners……
Finaly, Andrews broke the silence-"Should we eng…?"
"Outcasts" said Sanchez quietly and almost in a trans.
Something dark fell over my eyes……………yes….my instincts served me well…..they were telling me …..hate was growing inside me…..yes…..it was payback time!
This is the reason I have to leave Liberty. If i get caught now I'll be dooing time for 40 or so years….disobaying a direct order, putting other people's lives in danger, hell two people died because of me.
"Hold your fire…hold your fire…we don't stand a chance….I'm calling for bac…FYARR WHAT ARE YOU DOOING!!?? STOP!!! YOU ARE IN VIOLATION OF A DIRECT ORDER!!! WHAT ARE YO…..!!!!"
I turned off my radio….
Afterburners were on full, all weapons armed…I didn't even think….all I wanted to do is butcher them one by one
"Picking up host…AAAAAaaa!!"
The Dagger split in two.
For a moment my brain went offline….did I just kill a man? Am I the same as the men that killed my parents….then I learned a new lesson in space combat, one thay don't teach you at the Academy: don't think!
As I came out of my moral dilema, I found that my left wing was missing, and around me…all hell broke loose…
I was under heavy fire from the remaining 4 Daggers and two Stilettos
"More Outcast ships coming from the rear"
Dawson took time to scan the freighter as it was fleeing.
"Man there must be atleast 60 tons of Cardamine on that ship!! We discovered a key smuggling route"
As 10 ships approached from the back, we tried to escape deaper in the Badlands in hope of loosing them….we actualy lost them for a couple of minutes…
"Fyarr you'll get cort martial you have my word!!What were you thinking??!......DAMN OUTCASTS!!! They weren't supposed to be in this part! It is known they are cooperating with the Rogues, but they mainly stick to the eastern part of the Badlands! Damn Fyarr, you screwed us all."
"THEY KILLED MY PARENTS!!!"
"You can't get your personal fe…!"
And then, 5 Daggers and a Stiletto ambushed us….we engaged….killein criminals was our job….as my ship was heavily damaged, I had a hard time manuvering and eaven a harder time hitting the flat Daggers.
Andrews, who was thought to be the most experianced after killing the two Rogues, fell first.
All he said was "I'm hit"…and imploded….it must have been a direct reactor hit…
And then I realised that I had a good chance of dying within seconds. And fear crawled in my bones.
And if I ever wanted to have my chances raised for living raised, the time was now, as the Stiletto that was pounding Sanchez got right in my face…I fired the guns I had left and took his shields, he disengaged from Sanchez and tried to shake me, I fired a little more knowing I wouldn't be able to keep up with him due to the damage and I torn apart his lower engine, then Dawson came in and put two missles in his tail pipe and he blew.
"I got him I g…………."
Dawson's unshielded ship took a photon round right in the cockpit. I only hoped the photon round killed him, otherwise he would suffer a pretty painful death.
When I pulled myself togeather I found myself surrounded by 7-8 Outcasts, while Rico, Maxwell and Sanchez's crippled ship flew out of their scanner range, destroying the Dagger that followed them…they escaped.
I couldn't even see 2 meters in front as I was beeing shot at from some 30 guns. I felt my engine blew up. I ejected.
"Should I kill the bastard?" I heard the angry voice on my pod comm.
"NO!! Wait…."
And a Sabre came out of the darkness…It was probably an ace pilot.
"He killed my brother"
I was tractored.
I tried to speak to them via comm but never got an answer. I was imaganing what was awaiting me when we reach our destination. After two hours or so of looking at the darkness of a ship's cargo bay, light blinded me. They unloaded me, opened up the pod, hit me a few times with a rifle in the head and took me to the brigg. No one said anything to me the whole time……
Finaly, a tall man entered my cell.
"Congradulations, you're the first one of our enemies to see Buffalo in almost 10 years."
I was putting the pieces of information togeather.
"Do you know who you killed?...who was the first one that died?...that didn't have a chance to strike back?...who was killed practicly from the back…..
"……..no"
"My brother!"
A nanosecond later i was spitting blood from the boot that hit me.
I attacked him, but got a nother kick in the head, and a guard entered the cell and beat me with an electric baton. I was half-unconcious.
I lay there, not beeing able to move…and I thought to myself how I was at the famous Buffalo base, a base which the Navy has been searching for decades. It is actualy a Rogue base, but the Outcasts are allowed to use it in exchange for Cardamine.
Then I heard the conversation between my Nemisis and another man.
"How shall we execute him?"
"I don't know, but it must be veeeeeery painful…"
"Hmmmmm…..Texas hole is nearby….we could do it the Corsair style."
"Yes.Make it so. That will be fun. Get the spacesuit, we'll do it in two hours, after my ship is repaired…..I want to do it myself."
I knew there was something terrible instored for me.
The Outcast ace returned later and dropped something tiny on the floor next to me.
"Enjoy your last hours"
When I could move again, i noticed the small capsule on the floor.
I studied it some minutes and decided to open it. Orange dust poured on the flor. Cardamine.
Those last minutes of my life, as I thought atleast, I was thinking about my life. My parents got killed when I was 11, I lived a boring life in a poluted system from which you can bearly see stars at night, then left the only person that cared for me. Joined another colony's Navy, desperatly seaking for advanture, and then in 3 hours on a death row.
I was thinking how granpa will never see me or I see him.
*Clang*
Cell doors opened.
A guard was coming in.
I thought its now or never. As I attacked him he shocked me again and I found myself on the floor…again.
"Comeon, get up! Do you wanna live or not"
I stood up, but was very dizzy. However, I did notice that he wasn't wearing an Outcast uniform. Maybe he was a Rogue, maybe something else, I didn't care.
"Why are you helping me?"
"I heard what they were saying, about taking you through a jumphole in a spacesuit, I just can't let that happen. Il pretend you overpowered me and stunned me with this baton. Here, take this gun and go. Once you get out of the cell block, turn right and you'll see the Hangar signs, follow them"
"What…what about….the ship"
"Oscar's ship is in the hangar for repairs, now go!"
I didn't have to be told twice.
I was still very dizzy, but getting better.
"Stop! Drop..aaaah!!"
The guard at the end of the cell block fell.
The halls were empty as I reached the hanger. There was a magnificent Sabre in the hangar.
So, Oscar was the name of my executioner.
"What the…?" Yelled the maintenance guy as he reached for the alarm.
I started shooting like hell, 5 or 6 shots hit him, and with his dying breath he screamed for help and pushed the alarm.
I got in the ship and prepared for takeoff when I noticed the repair guy was not quite finished with her. In other words, it had no radar, no scanners and only two guns of possible six, but it did have a torp launcher with 2 torps.
Then 6 guards came in and started shooting at the ship.
With a single shot from the class 8 weapon, a guard split in two.
I killed another two guards, turned around to the airlock and released a torpedo.
The effect was devestating. The whole hangar lit up in flames, the shock wave pushed my ship backwards in to the wall damaging my upper engine.
The fires were instantly extinguished by the vacuum, and my ship was sucked out of the hangar along with loads of ship parts and 3 guards.
Now I didn't have much of a choice….run anywhere, all I knew was that I was somewhere in the southern or eastern Badlands. Attacking their ships was out of the question. My cruise was distrupted in a second so I was flying on afterburner. I didn't even know how many fighters were in pursuit because the ship had no sensors. As I left the badly damaged station behind, I was flying blind, with lasers shooting behind me….i knew, when my afterburner would run out I was doomed.
And again, hope hit me in the head. A JUMP HOLE!!! I flied right in it not even checking if it was fazealined or not….it was not.
Death came at the reach of a hand again, as the hole started shrinking while I was in it. The outer parts of my ship started to get dematerialized….I thought I could make it, when I noticed the un-functioning turret over my head dissapearing too, and that was way too close to the cockpit. Yet again, my only chance was ejecting, and so I did. The cockpit detached from the ship, and its nose detached from the pod. I hoped its small size would be enough to get out of the hole safely. All that happened in under 30 seconds.
Suddenly I found myself in a debries field, my ship followed…or what was left of it. The only recodnisable part was the "pillar" that was connecting the main Dagger-like part of the ship with the lower engine. The other parts--gray cloud of dust that came out of the hole.
Instantly I recodnised the two radioactive clouds in the system…I was in Texas.
So I floated there…for four and a half hours I floated watching gravety play with the old weapons, hull parts, reactor cores….untill a Rhino convoy showed up.
"Ho-ho, a Sabre pod, you sure lost a nice ship…you an Outcast?"
"I've just got away from them, beam be and I'll explain"
That was 15 minutes ago. I told them my story, they only regreted I couldn't get Buffalo's location, and then gave me this cabin.
Now I must figure out what to do next. I'm not dooing time, so it's imperative I leave Liberty. I'm going to try and get back home, but I have to take the longer way, through the Omegas.
"To Rhino convoy, we are sending you this file, do you know anything about the man on the picture, we have reason to belive he is alive and on the run, or captured bythe Outcasts. We found his damaged ship without an escape pod.Over"
"To Liberty Navy fighter wing, yes he is on bord, we found him in the north Dallas debries field 20 minutes ago"
I have to get out of here quick!
*more to come if my inspiration serves me*
*sorry if there are wrong spelled words*
By ROX
Edited by - ROX on 7/7/2004 2:32:23 PM
So here:
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.
.
.
Nigel Fyarr--Part 1--Ambush in the Badlands
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.
My name is Nigel Fyarr.
Right now I am looking through a porthole in a Rhino bound for planet Houston. My eyes are concentrated to one of the radioactive dark matter clouds here in Texas.The other one is behind the sun......it is simular, you know.....to the Badlands.....to the first place where I experianced real fear--fear for my life....and it hapened only 10 hours ago....
I have been a Navy pilot for 5 months up to this point...but i aint any more....I have to get out of Liberty space or I'll get cort martialed when they get me...the Navy.....
Five and a half years ago I was an ordinary Bretonian citizen living in New London with my grandfather. He was taking care of me for 11 years, ever since my parents gone missing in Tau 23. They were transporting suplies for Java station. On their way back they simply vanished. It is almost certain the Outcasts got them on their way back. "They should have hired a fighter escort" everyone said, but the trooth was they bearly had the money to maintain their Clydesdale....
Since then I had an outstanding hate for the Outcasts and said to myself that I would one day come to Tau-23 seeking revange.
Grandpa on the other hand, tried to raise me as good as he can, always telling me about the dangers of the border worlds and any unexplored space, and that the advanture just isn't worth geting your self choked in vacuum.
Yes...those were turbulent times between us two. Everlasting fights about our perception of space...I was always saying that life aint worth living if you dont see the world you live in...feel the advanture, while grandpa always reminded me not to make the same mistake as my parents did.
Then, on my 17th birthday--I simply left. I put a notepad by the holovision explaining that I left to seek advanture blah blah blah…….boy was I stupid.
And so I left my 72 year old grandfather.That was a mistake I will regret for the rest of my life.
It was the last time i saw him.
Geting started was harder then expected. Since I was 17, I was still forbidden by the law to fly a ship (not that I had the credits anyway), so I traveled on a freighter to Freeport 4. It was all so new to me…I have never been in a nebula before, yet I wasn't realy impressed by the barrier from the inside. But when we came out in open space……I thought to myself "Yes, that's why I left". I was simply astonished! I was for the 1st time in a sunless system, looking at Freeport 4…ice asteroids behind it, and when I looked back………..I don't see the polluted Bretonia red space…oh no, I was looking at THE barrier. Countless asteroids and nebulas streaching for thousands of light years in every direction! A sight that could surely be seen in cold New London nights if it were not for the pollution. I steared at it for hours when we docked at Freeport 4 cursing myself that i hadn't seen it from Manchester, but hey…a man's gotta sleep, right? The only place i have been beside NL was planet Leeds which we visited on regular ocasions, once I've been to Waterloo station…..and thats it! I still remember the thrill when my parents took me to Leeds the first time. I started crying when the jump gate opened up like it was going to swallow us, only to be calm and almost hipnotised when traveling through stunned by the look. Once my parents actualy agreed to take me with them to Omega 3, but changed their mind before we even leaved NL system. Father thought it would be ok if they deviate from the trade lane into the nearby asteroid field so I see what it from the inside. It was all fun and games untill we ran into a Gaian patrol. The only thing that saved us was the fact there was a child on bord--me. They told us to get far away before they change their mind, my parents paniced, turned around and in fear flew right in an uncharted explosive gas pocket that heavily damaged our ship. They returned to NL for repairs and left for Omega 3 without me.
From Freeport 4 I came along with a supply ship to Los Angeles, and then to Manhattan where I later celebrated my 18th birthday.
The day after I joined the Navy West point academy where I studied and trained for the last 4 years.
The reason I picked Liberty was simply because it was the closest to Bretonia. And I didn't stay in Bretonia because I knew my garndfather would come looking for me.
And so, at the age of 22 i graduated and celebrated my 22nd birthday. I was now a fully trained Liberty Navy pilot. Little did I know there was more to it than flight and combat engagement studies and shooting stationary targets. Actualy, the last orders before graduation are to fly with your wing into a well known part the Badlands and kill some Rogues, with out an instructor. If by any (small) chance we would encounter Outcasts, orders were: fly like hell. Even the elite pilots have a hard time with the outcasts and their agile Daggers…
When we stumbled upon a rogue patrol it was easier than I expected…I didn't even fire my guns! It was 5 Defenders against 3 Bloodhounds. It was over before you know it, Andrews got two and Rico one…and us three none, with part of Dawson's right wing destroyed…..
The Navy job for rookie pilots like me was simply patroling the trade lanes throughout Liberty, which i came to know very well since we traveled from one end of it to another, only a year after graduation would the pilots be sent on firefight missions. And so you wouldn't belive it, in 5 months my wing hasn't seen any action whatsoever. With statistics saying that every two weeks a trade lane is distrupted in New York, and convoys flying on cruise are atacked even more, we asked ourselfs if we were cursed.
So time was passing, Defenders were flying, friegters were docking and credits were falling on my account, but I wasnt satisfied………it was there….looking at me through my cabin's window….dark and thretening……seducing me, taunting me….yes, it was the big dark-purple cloud in which I've been only once, on its outer perimiter….it was stearing at me….every day…..the most dangerous place in Liberty….the New York Badlands.
One day……today in the West Point mess hall Seargent Fisher aproached me and Rico, who were the only ones left inside.He handed us a notepad and said "I understand that you're bored…that you've been striving for some real action…we don't realy do this with green pilots like you, but rumour says you're pretty unsatisfied with rutine patrols, so here's something for you". It was a mission briefing….about patroling the part of the Badlands east of the abandoned station to which the trade lane leads. We looked at him in disbelief …"Take this to yout wing leader…uum..Sanchez, is it? You leave at 0600 hours"
We were so teribly excited, because chances were about 50% that we would encounter Rogues in that location….at one point I nearly exploded in anger when I thought it would be canceled after hearind the argument that Sanchez started with Fisher….
"They are not ready!"
"They'll be alright"
"Some of them never even took shot on a Rogue ship"
"How is that if they graduated?"
"Andrews and Rico destroyed three Rogue light fighters, the others bearly fired, one even came back heavily damaged , and their pilots were greenies theirselfs! You can't send them there!"
"They'll be allright! Its just Rogue light fighters reported again, and maybe they don't even encounter them…"
"If you could just…"
"This discussion is over! Prep your ships, time's changed, you leave at 0500 hours, now move it and make real pilots out of these boys, they'll be wing comenders themselfs some day!"
With the last H-fuel pod placed, preperation of my ship was compleeted.
"Patrol 27, you are cleared for takeoff"
Hangar doors opened, and for the first time, i turned left after taking off from dock 4.
We entered formation and headed for the old trade lane…it seamed like hours, those 2 minutes
"Lane jump initiated" said Sanchez as he went through. Andrews followed, then me and Rico, and then Maxwell and Dawson.
Moments passed, and then we entered the REAL Badlands. The thing is, on our graduation mission, we were only in the outer perimiter, and didnt even see what we were seeing now….i didn't even have the time to think, when we came to the end of the lane. We turned to the left for 80 degrees.
"That what you saw to your right is the old Ithaca research station, now it is abandoned, not even lifesupport functions anymore…"
"Why was it abandoned?" asked Maxwell while we were going deeper and deeper in to the Badlands.
Sanchez started talking about classefied research, an accident…whatever, I didn't listen……
This place overwhelmed me…..It was surely the darkest place in space I've ever been to…scanners were not functioning farther than 3K from the ship, and those…asteroids if thats what they are…..no one knows what they actualy are….it looked…like a space forrest…a haunted one.
Eventualy here and there a lightning would flash and extend the view for a dozen K……
We were all talking about this place, about hidden stations, failed projects, dangers….
"Shut up!" Sanchez ordered, "maintaun radio silence, this aint a playground, be alert at all tim…"
He cut his engines…we all did….
"What…?"
Sanchez set a waypoint 5 K from us…
"Look towards it" he whispered, "and wait for the lightning"
………….
"when it flashed, we could clearly see for a few seconds 8 mooving shiluettes…..5 small ships that allmost looked like lines, two bigger ones, similar to the small ones, but had an extension under the "line", and one big ship which was probably a freighter….we waited for a few more flashes…
They were facing us sideways, unable to see us (if they were looking at front) and unable to scan us as we couldn't scan them either because of the electrical effects on our scanners……
Finaly, Andrews broke the silence-"Should we eng…?"
"Outcasts" said Sanchez quietly and almost in a trans.
Something dark fell over my eyes……………yes….my instincts served me well…..they were telling me …..hate was growing inside me…..yes…..it was payback time!
This is the reason I have to leave Liberty. If i get caught now I'll be dooing time for 40 or so years….disobaying a direct order, putting other people's lives in danger, hell two people died because of me.
"Hold your fire…hold your fire…we don't stand a chance….I'm calling for bac…FYARR WHAT ARE YOU DOOING!!?? STOP!!! YOU ARE IN VIOLATION OF A DIRECT ORDER!!! WHAT ARE YO…..!!!!"
I turned off my radio….
Afterburners were on full, all weapons armed…I didn't even think….all I wanted to do is butcher them one by one
"Picking up host…AAAAAaaa!!"
The Dagger split in two.
For a moment my brain went offline….did I just kill a man? Am I the same as the men that killed my parents….then I learned a new lesson in space combat, one thay don't teach you at the Academy: don't think!
As I came out of my moral dilema, I found that my left wing was missing, and around me…all hell broke loose…
I was under heavy fire from the remaining 4 Daggers and two Stilettos
"More Outcast ships coming from the rear"
Dawson took time to scan the freighter as it was fleeing.
"Man there must be atleast 60 tons of Cardamine on that ship!! We discovered a key smuggling route"
As 10 ships approached from the back, we tried to escape deaper in the Badlands in hope of loosing them….we actualy lost them for a couple of minutes…
"Fyarr you'll get cort martial you have my word!!What were you thinking??!......DAMN OUTCASTS!!! They weren't supposed to be in this part! It is known they are cooperating with the Rogues, but they mainly stick to the eastern part of the Badlands! Damn Fyarr, you screwed us all."
"THEY KILLED MY PARENTS!!!"
"You can't get your personal fe…!"
And then, 5 Daggers and a Stiletto ambushed us….we engaged….killein criminals was our job….as my ship was heavily damaged, I had a hard time manuvering and eaven a harder time hitting the flat Daggers.
Andrews, who was thought to be the most experianced after killing the two Rogues, fell first.
All he said was "I'm hit"…and imploded….it must have been a direct reactor hit…
And then I realised that I had a good chance of dying within seconds. And fear crawled in my bones.
And if I ever wanted to have my chances raised for living raised, the time was now, as the Stiletto that was pounding Sanchez got right in my face…I fired the guns I had left and took his shields, he disengaged from Sanchez and tried to shake me, I fired a little more knowing I wouldn't be able to keep up with him due to the damage and I torn apart his lower engine, then Dawson came in and put two missles in his tail pipe and he blew.
"I got him I g…………."
Dawson's unshielded ship took a photon round right in the cockpit. I only hoped the photon round killed him, otherwise he would suffer a pretty painful death.
When I pulled myself togeather I found myself surrounded by 7-8 Outcasts, while Rico, Maxwell and Sanchez's crippled ship flew out of their scanner range, destroying the Dagger that followed them…they escaped.
I couldn't even see 2 meters in front as I was beeing shot at from some 30 guns. I felt my engine blew up. I ejected.
"Should I kill the bastard?" I heard the angry voice on my pod comm.
"NO!! Wait…."
And a Sabre came out of the darkness…It was probably an ace pilot.
"He killed my brother"
I was tractored.
I tried to speak to them via comm but never got an answer. I was imaganing what was awaiting me when we reach our destination. After two hours or so of looking at the darkness of a ship's cargo bay, light blinded me. They unloaded me, opened up the pod, hit me a few times with a rifle in the head and took me to the brigg. No one said anything to me the whole time……
Finaly, a tall man entered my cell.
"Congradulations, you're the first one of our enemies to see Buffalo in almost 10 years."
I was putting the pieces of information togeather.
"Do you know who you killed?...who was the first one that died?...that didn't have a chance to strike back?...who was killed practicly from the back…..
"……..no"
"My brother!"
A nanosecond later i was spitting blood from the boot that hit me.
I attacked him, but got a nother kick in the head, and a guard entered the cell and beat me with an electric baton. I was half-unconcious.
I lay there, not beeing able to move…and I thought to myself how I was at the famous Buffalo base, a base which the Navy has been searching for decades. It is actualy a Rogue base, but the Outcasts are allowed to use it in exchange for Cardamine.
Then I heard the conversation between my Nemisis and another man.
"How shall we execute him?"
"I don't know, but it must be veeeeeery painful…"
"Hmmmmm…..Texas hole is nearby….we could do it the Corsair style."
"Yes.Make it so. That will be fun. Get the spacesuit, we'll do it in two hours, after my ship is repaired…..I want to do it myself."
I knew there was something terrible instored for me.
The Outcast ace returned later and dropped something tiny on the floor next to me.
"Enjoy your last hours"
When I could move again, i noticed the small capsule on the floor.
I studied it some minutes and decided to open it. Orange dust poured on the flor. Cardamine.
Those last minutes of my life, as I thought atleast, I was thinking about my life. My parents got killed when I was 11, I lived a boring life in a poluted system from which you can bearly see stars at night, then left the only person that cared for me. Joined another colony's Navy, desperatly seaking for advanture, and then in 3 hours on a death row.
I was thinking how granpa will never see me or I see him.
*Clang*
Cell doors opened.
A guard was coming in.
I thought its now or never. As I attacked him he shocked me again and I found myself on the floor…again.
"Comeon, get up! Do you wanna live or not"
I stood up, but was very dizzy. However, I did notice that he wasn't wearing an Outcast uniform. Maybe he was a Rogue, maybe something else, I didn't care.
"Why are you helping me?"
"I heard what they were saying, about taking you through a jumphole in a spacesuit, I just can't let that happen. Il pretend you overpowered me and stunned me with this baton. Here, take this gun and go. Once you get out of the cell block, turn right and you'll see the Hangar signs, follow them"
"What…what about….the ship"
"Oscar's ship is in the hangar for repairs, now go!"
I didn't have to be told twice.
I was still very dizzy, but getting better.
"Stop! Drop..aaaah!!"
The guard at the end of the cell block fell.
The halls were empty as I reached the hanger. There was a magnificent Sabre in the hangar.
So, Oscar was the name of my executioner.
"What the…?" Yelled the maintenance guy as he reached for the alarm.
I started shooting like hell, 5 or 6 shots hit him, and with his dying breath he screamed for help and pushed the alarm.
I got in the ship and prepared for takeoff when I noticed the repair guy was not quite finished with her. In other words, it had no radar, no scanners and only two guns of possible six, but it did have a torp launcher with 2 torps.
Then 6 guards came in and started shooting at the ship.
With a single shot from the class 8 weapon, a guard split in two.
I killed another two guards, turned around to the airlock and released a torpedo.
The effect was devestating. The whole hangar lit up in flames, the shock wave pushed my ship backwards in to the wall damaging my upper engine.
The fires were instantly extinguished by the vacuum, and my ship was sucked out of the hangar along with loads of ship parts and 3 guards.
Now I didn't have much of a choice….run anywhere, all I knew was that I was somewhere in the southern or eastern Badlands. Attacking their ships was out of the question. My cruise was distrupted in a second so I was flying on afterburner. I didn't even know how many fighters were in pursuit because the ship had no sensors. As I left the badly damaged station behind, I was flying blind, with lasers shooting behind me….i knew, when my afterburner would run out I was doomed.
And again, hope hit me in the head. A JUMP HOLE!!! I flied right in it not even checking if it was fazealined or not….it was not.
Death came at the reach of a hand again, as the hole started shrinking while I was in it. The outer parts of my ship started to get dematerialized….I thought I could make it, when I noticed the un-functioning turret over my head dissapearing too, and that was way too close to the cockpit. Yet again, my only chance was ejecting, and so I did. The cockpit detached from the ship, and its nose detached from the pod. I hoped its small size would be enough to get out of the hole safely. All that happened in under 30 seconds.
Suddenly I found myself in a debries field, my ship followed…or what was left of it. The only recodnisable part was the "pillar" that was connecting the main Dagger-like part of the ship with the lower engine. The other parts--gray cloud of dust that came out of the hole.
Instantly I recodnised the two radioactive clouds in the system…I was in Texas.
So I floated there…for four and a half hours I floated watching gravety play with the old weapons, hull parts, reactor cores….untill a Rhino convoy showed up.
"Ho-ho, a Sabre pod, you sure lost a nice ship…you an Outcast?"
"I've just got away from them, beam be and I'll explain"
That was 15 minutes ago. I told them my story, they only regreted I couldn't get Buffalo's location, and then gave me this cabin.
Now I must figure out what to do next. I'm not dooing time, so it's imperative I leave Liberty. I'm going to try and get back home, but I have to take the longer way, through the Omegas.
"To Rhino convoy, we are sending you this file, do you know anything about the man on the picture, we have reason to belive he is alive and on the run, or captured bythe Outcasts. We found his damaged ship without an escape pod.Over"
"To Liberty Navy fighter wing, yes he is on bord, we found him in the north Dallas debries field 20 minutes ago"
I have to get out of here quick!
*more to come if my inspiration serves me*
*sorry if there are wrong spelled words*
By ROX
Edited by - ROX on 7/7/2004 2:32:23 PM
Wed Sep 08, 2004 3:44 am
Thanks to Daredevil2000 for recommending war. I'll have a new chapter up before the end of the week hopefully.
- Richard the pedantic
I keep pestering ff.net for a freelancer category but they won't make one. Soon they shall tire of my pestering and give us one. Or just ban me.
When i next got blood on my hands, the blood wasn't mine. Neither were the hands
- Richard the pedantic
I keep pestering ff.net for a freelancer category but they won't make one. Soon they shall tire of my pestering and give us one. Or just ban me.
When i next got blood on my hands, the blood wasn't mine. Neither were the hands
Fri Sep 10, 2004 3:49 pm
My thought.?
ALL OF THEM! They are all good in their own way, creators devoting their time to make something out of just sheer love of the game, and maybe a bit of waiting for fl 2
. You cannot judge them cause there is always one point in it that is better than another. But in my opinion much respect to all the authors who took the time to write them
_____________________________________________________________
Giggity
Giggity
Gi-Gi-Ty
Oh Yeah!
(I love that family guy shirt
ALL OF THEM! They are all good in their own way, creators devoting their time to make something out of just sheer love of the game, and maybe a bit of waiting for fl 2
. You cannot judge them cause there is always one point in it that is better than another. But in my opinion much respect to all the authors who took the time to write them
_____________________________________________________________
Giggity
Giggity
Gi-Gi-Ty
Oh Yeah!
(I love that family guy shirt
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