http://www.csgnetwork.com/machonecalc.html
At room temperature (I used 18 deg. celsius), Mach one = 1123 feet / second.
I wasn't far off!
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A Freelancer Story - Complete..
Read, add and comment on excellent written stories by fans, set within the Freelancer universe
Mon Nov 15, 2004 1:44 am
I'm working on the next few chapters and should have something up for you all soon.
To the previous poster, whilst I would like to engage in a lengthy debate about 'here', 'there' and discuss potential room temperature in a fictional Kusari brothel sometime in the very far future - I *do* have other things to do!
I also think the topic of bullet velocity speeds to be thoroughly exhausted? Anyone really passionate about this subject is free to e-mail me or start another thread...
ttfn
Ps: Only six weeks to Christmas!
To the previous poster, whilst I would like to engage in a lengthy debate about 'here', 'there' and discuss potential room temperature in a fictional Kusari brothel sometime in the very far future - I *do* have other things to do!
I also think the topic of bullet velocity speeds to be thoroughly exhausted? Anyone really passionate about this subject is free to e-mail me or start another thread...
ttfn
Ps: Only six weeks to Christmas!
Thu Nov 18, 2004 3:14 am
"So. Who are you and what happened here?" asked Lord Kenji Akamoto.
His replacement cybernetic eye eerily swivelled to match the movement of his one real eye as he gazed upon Tanya, then Travis in turn. With a slight motion of his hand, the squad of Kusari Police officers fanned out in a semi-circle and trained their weapons on the pair. The young Kusari girl that Tanya suspected was a cyborg, stood a little behind Kenji smiling and wearing arrogance like a cloak.
Both Tanya and Travis stood still, hands hanging loosely at their sides. The music pumping from the speakers ceased, creating an unnatural silence in the lounge.
"Well? Answer me damn you! Your situation does not look good, two 'gaijin' in a brothel and at the scene of a mass murder. Your story should be a good one!" shouted Kenji.
Tanya merely held his gaze, wondering at what point Kenji would recognise her. Her appearence had hardly changed since the day of Kenji's disappearance. She had slightly more well-developed muscles and her hair was now blonde but there were no changes otherwise. Facial reconstruction surgery hadn't seemed necessary as she had assumed no-one else knew she was still alive.
"It was self-defence," said Travis. He took a step forwards with his hands out glancing around occasionally. "I came to Kusari to pay off a debt and was attacked."
Kenji leant his head slightly towards the girl at his side, who whispered quickly in response, never taking her eyes off Tanya and Travis.
"Hideko here, says you lie. She says you attacked the man and his friends sat over there, to avoid paying your debt!" hissed Kenji.
"I am a bounty hunter. I would not lie to you," replied Travis. "I'm telling you the truth, I swear it. I only came here to pay a debt."
"A fellow hunter, hmm? Tell me, who do you work for?" demanded Kenji.
"No-one. I'm a freelancer."
"Ronin," spat the Kusari. "You answer to no-one, you kill for money and you have no honour."
"I have honour," replied Travis. Tanya noticed the edge of anger creeping into his voice. "But you're right, I kill for money and I answer to no-one."
"Good. I like your spirit. You will do well in our gladiatorial games," said Kenji without emotion. "Take him away and put him on the next shuttle to Sigma-19."
At his command, two officers slung their rifles and came forwards, and grabbing Travis by the arms pinning them to his sides.
"You can't do this! It was self-defence!" he yelled while struggling futilely against his captors. He looked back at Tanya who stood silently watching the scene unfold. Tanya looked ready to take a step in his aid but Travis shook his head ever so slightly. This was not the right time or place. The guards led Travis out of the brothel and out into the night, leaving Kenji, Hideko and four other officers remaining with Tanya.
She had never heard of any kind of gladiatorial contest in Sirius, or at least a legal blood sport. Was this the twisted result of Kenji's coming to power? Or something else? Tanya quelled her curiosity quickly as Kenji focused his attention on her. She would need to think quickly to avoid further complications. Her only leverage, was that the cyborg named Hideko was not present in the room when Tanya killed Antoine and his guards.
"How are you involved in this?" asked Kenji. He took several steps forward, closely watched by his guards that moved in parallel with him.
Tanya coughed and spoke in her best Bretonian accent.
"I only met him today, at the spaceport," she ventured. "He offered to buy me a drink and said he'd show me the sights. I've never been to this planet before."
Kenji raised an eyebrow as she spoke.
"You're from Bretonia?" he asked.
"Yes," she replied. "Cambridge."
"Cambridge," repeated Kenji. "I knew someone from Cambridge a long time ago."
Tanya said nothing and merely bit her lip looking downwards. Kenji watched her with incredible intensity.
"Men, take her away for further questioning."
Another pair of guards came forwards to take Tanya by the arms and firmly, but more gently than how Travis was treated, led her outside too. Hideko watched her as she left though Tanya didn't return the gaze, keeping her eyes averted downwards.
Moments after Tanya left the brothel, Hideko looked at Kenji with slitted eyes, the beautiful olive face framed by dark bob of hair that shimmered in the neon lights of the lounge.
"What's the matter, my love?" she asked.
Kenji stood in the doorway watching the Bretonian girl being bundled into a waiting car. He caught a glance from her that could have meant anything, then the door was closed and the vehicle moved away.
"She looks very familiar. I am sure I have seen her somewhere before."
Hideko's glare in response was chilling.
***
Tanya was lost in thought in the back of the police car. It was a standard hover vehicle, similar in design to a skycab, but possessing an armoured skin, extra sensor equipment and probably a more powerful engine. She heard the door mechanism locking into place and couldn't see any means of opening it from the inside. Besides, she had no inclination of opening the doors at this height and de-pressurising her compartment would be suicide.
They were definitely moving upwards and had been doing so for at least twenty minutes, Tanya strained to see past the opaque windows but only caught glimpses of light. She was concerned about the increasing altitude, only spaceports and planetary defence systems were ever built at this level.
'Spaceports!' thought Tanya. If she could acquire a ship, she could escape the police and track down Travis.
She laughed to herself.
Kenji said the gladiatorial games were in Sigma-19. Strange how things can be, coming almost full circle. The day her new life began was when her wing of Orbital Spa & Cruise ships left Luxury Liner Hawaii and the secret of her past began to unravel. It seemed like a lifetime ago. Tanya's eyes closed and the weight of her experiences came flooding to the fore almost taking her to the brink of despair.
The police vehicle began to level out and decelerate, soon landing with a soft bump. The left door opened and a uniformed Kusari officer peered inside, frowning when he saw the red-rimmed eyes of the woman inside.
"Come, miss. You will not be hurt. Lord Akamoto has orders that you are to be treated with care, as a guest. Not a prisoner," said the man in heavily accented Common.
Tanya glanced up and nodded. She gingerly stepped out of the vehicle and followed the uniformed man across the enclosed launch pad. A huge screen of transparent material had been erected over the huge square spaceport launch pad, protecting the crews and passengers from the strong, cold, biting winds coursing around them.
The officer led her along the causeway to a single, large building at the centre. Tanya presumed it was some kind of docking terminal and control station. She sniffed back her tears and resolutely held her head high. If there was a way out, it would be here.
***
Tanya waited inside a windowless, dark grey room for over an hour. No-one came to see her, apart from one junior officer who brought in some water in a plastic cup and some sweet bread on a plastic plate. Clearly, they didn't trust her.
She had been studying her surroundings for some time and realised this room was very secure indeed. There was only one way in and out, several tiny cameras hidden in each corner between ceiling and wall. The table was bolted into the floor and the chairs were made of light plastic and quite flexible. No wonder she hadn't been handcuffed, there was simply no need. Tanya closed her eyes and thought of her situation, hoping the forged ID she had bought weeks before would satisfy whatever background checks Kenji would perform.
Suddenly voices were outside her door and she took a deep breath.
The door opened and Kenji stood in the frame. Her Kusari friend looked very different from their time on the Hawaii. Half of his face was covered with a metal plate, some scar tissue probably from the result of a serious burn injury remained uncovered on the rest of his face. His jet black raven hair now had a single white streak down through the centre, starting at his forehead and ending at the back of his skull. Tanya gasped when she noticed Kenji's right hand, it was completely cybernetic and the metal shone brightly under the room lights.
He walked inside slowly and behind came two guards. Hideko was nowhere to be seen, though Tanya assumed she was monitoring via the cameras somewhere.
Kenji unbuttoned his dark jacket and sat in the chair opposite Tanya, never taking his eyes off hers for an instant.
"Guards. Leave us," he ordered. The two men still standing hesitated and looked at each other questioningly. "Well? What are you still doing here?"
They left quickly and marched out closing the door behind them. Tanya could see their shadows in the gap between the door and ground, they hadn't gone too far. She was surprised at Kenji's next command though.
"Hideko. Sign off all communications to this room."
A pause.
"Yes. I do. Now sign off. I will be very angry if I have to walk over to the control room and do it myself!" Kenji hissed.
There was another pause, then Kenji nodded and removed a tiny comm link from his ear connected to a transmitter somewhere in his clothing. He leaned forwards watching Tanya's green eyes closely.
"It has been a long time, Tanya" he said evenly.
Tanya did her best not to register any shock, though her mind reeled from his opening statement. When she replied, she was surprised at herself for keeping her voice steady too.
"I don't know who you're talking about. My name is Evelyn. Evelyn O'Callaghan from Cambridge, Bretonia. I'm a trader for BMM, though I sometimes work for IMG. I have not spoken to anyone for an hour and have been held captive here without permission. I demand to be released immediately!"
Kenji said nothing and just stared. Suddenly he laughed, a terrible, deafening sound that seemed to reverberate around the room and clapped his hands theatrically. Kenji leant back in his chair.
"Wonderful! Wonderful. A great performance. You always were the kidder. The one who 'understood' people," he said through narrowed eyes.
Tanya suddenly felt a little afraid, but merely shrugged her shoulders and stared straight back at him.
"I do not know what you're talking about. My name is-"
"Yes, yes. Whatever. Evelyn. Tanya. I don't care. I remember your face. I remember your eyes. Orbital Spa? Corsairs? Remember?"
Kenji's voice rose in pitch to a feverish height. His metallic hand clamped down on the edge of the table and Tanya saw an indentation in the metal surface as Kenji squeezed. She decided enough was enough, when she spoke her voice was resolute and clear, though anguished.
"Yes, I remember. You were in the vanguard," she began. "You were ambushed. You disappeared. I tried to come back and find you but I was kidnapped too. I am sorry, Kenji. I missed you so much," said Tanya choking back her tears. Her words came out as one long stream.
"So. You are her. I thought so. Your eyes are too beautiful and betray you, Tanya," said Kenji in a way Tanya remembered him from before. The moment passed as soon as it came. "But that time is gone. I am the leader of my clan. I am responsible for policing certain systems and today, Travis Carter committed a terrible crime, murder of a Kusari citizen!"
Tanya shook her head swiftly.
"No, it's not like that," she urged.
"Silence!" shouted Kenji. "He was not authorised to execute Antoine and his men. He had not registered for a bounty. In fact, our checks conclude Travis has rescinded his bounty hunter tag a month ago."
A month ago, thought Tanya. That would mean shortly after leaving Tau.
"And the penalty for such terrible acts is a lifetime fighting in the arenas of Sigma-19!" Kenji looked triumphant.
"That's a death sentence," whispered Tanya.
"Yes, it is," he hissed in reply. "But you. What do I do with you? You should have come back for me, Tanya. Why didn't you come back? The Corsairs came, they took me." Kenji trembled, his metal hand now dug deeper into the table. "They did..things to me. For months."
"What happened?" asked Tanya, almost too scared to know herself. Kenji closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, as though remembering some awful pain he'd since forgotten.
"They tortured me. But my father paid a ransom. A huge ransom. He virtually halved our family fortune and sold off several assets. So the Corsairs let me go. After they had taken a souvenir." He glanced down at his right arm that hummed and clicked in response as he moved each finger in turn.
"You said you're leading the clan, is your father alright?" asked Tanya.
"Yes. I lead. And my father is in heaven, foolish old man. He should have negotiated a better deal for me. I put him out of his misery. He would be no use to the clan with his pathetic attempts at trying to ally with the Rheinlanders. They hate us. We hate them. It is the way of things. He was senile to think that would change. With me as leader, we can rebuild our strength and be more powerful than before! Then we can put Rheinland of their misery too"
Tanya said nothing but her eyes widened as she considered Kenji's words. Patricide? Power? Hate and death on a regional scale? What had Kenji become?
"I see you do not approve of my methods. Well, woman. I do not care. You are nothing to me now. But do not fear. I will not hurt you, as you were a friend to me at least in the early days. I will never forgive you for not coming to help me, but that is for your own conscience to live with. Leave."
Kenji stood up. Tanya only sat, tears forming at the corners of her eyes.
"Kenji, I came for you. I did. I truly did-"
"Silence! I've heard enough. Just go. I never want to see or hear from you again."
Tanya blinked. She slowly stood up, using her hands as support on the table. Kenji replaced his ear comm and barked several orders. He watched her with cold, emotionless eyes but turned away when she came towards him, hands outstretched trying to touch his face. The door opened and after minutes of walking down winding corridors, Tanya was led to a comm-terminal in the reception of the building. The guards walked back inside the main corridor and sealed the door shut, leaving her alone.
For a few moments, Tanya did nothing but take deep gulps of air and attempt to clear her head.
Life is better when it's simple, she told herself. So keep it simple.
***
Several systems away in Dresden, an armoured transport with it's escorts of Falcons and Hawks was cruising through space approaching its next waypoint. On the bridge of the transport, a white and blue uniformed officer strode up to address a man sat in a large chair who was looking at reports on a screen. His light, hazel hair reflected off the many dozens of lights emanating from dashboards and control panels.
"Sir. A message for you," said the officer curtly and handed the small comm-pad to his superior.
The young man read it, closed his eyes leaning his head back, then opened them and read it again. Suddenly, he stood up from his chair, the men on the bridge surprised by this activity.
"Men, turn our ships around! Set a course for Honshu, immediately!" he ordered.
"But sir, your father has ordered we make best time for Freital, we're only-"
"Do I need to repeat my orders, Commander?" said the young man. The officer shook his head. "Good. Set course and let's get there yesterday!"
He felt the ship move in response as his men raced to plot their new co-ordinates, then grinned from ear-to-ear when he read the message again.
"Rutger. It's Eve. I need you. Come to Honshu."
***
(cont'd)
Edited by - Athena on 11/18/2004 8:00:19 AM
Edited by - Athena on 11/18/2004 8:02:10 AM
His replacement cybernetic eye eerily swivelled to match the movement of his one real eye as he gazed upon Tanya, then Travis in turn. With a slight motion of his hand, the squad of Kusari Police officers fanned out in a semi-circle and trained their weapons on the pair. The young Kusari girl that Tanya suspected was a cyborg, stood a little behind Kenji smiling and wearing arrogance like a cloak.
Both Tanya and Travis stood still, hands hanging loosely at their sides. The music pumping from the speakers ceased, creating an unnatural silence in the lounge.
"Well? Answer me damn you! Your situation does not look good, two 'gaijin' in a brothel and at the scene of a mass murder. Your story should be a good one!" shouted Kenji.
Tanya merely held his gaze, wondering at what point Kenji would recognise her. Her appearence had hardly changed since the day of Kenji's disappearance. She had slightly more well-developed muscles and her hair was now blonde but there were no changes otherwise. Facial reconstruction surgery hadn't seemed necessary as she had assumed no-one else knew she was still alive.
"It was self-defence," said Travis. He took a step forwards with his hands out glancing around occasionally. "I came to Kusari to pay off a debt and was attacked."
Kenji leant his head slightly towards the girl at his side, who whispered quickly in response, never taking her eyes off Tanya and Travis.
"Hideko here, says you lie. She says you attacked the man and his friends sat over there, to avoid paying your debt!" hissed Kenji.
"I am a bounty hunter. I would not lie to you," replied Travis. "I'm telling you the truth, I swear it. I only came here to pay a debt."
"A fellow hunter, hmm? Tell me, who do you work for?" demanded Kenji.
"No-one. I'm a freelancer."
"Ronin," spat the Kusari. "You answer to no-one, you kill for money and you have no honour."
"I have honour," replied Travis. Tanya noticed the edge of anger creeping into his voice. "But you're right, I kill for money and I answer to no-one."
"Good. I like your spirit. You will do well in our gladiatorial games," said Kenji without emotion. "Take him away and put him on the next shuttle to Sigma-19."
At his command, two officers slung their rifles and came forwards, and grabbing Travis by the arms pinning them to his sides.
"You can't do this! It was self-defence!" he yelled while struggling futilely against his captors. He looked back at Tanya who stood silently watching the scene unfold. Tanya looked ready to take a step in his aid but Travis shook his head ever so slightly. This was not the right time or place. The guards led Travis out of the brothel and out into the night, leaving Kenji, Hideko and four other officers remaining with Tanya.
She had never heard of any kind of gladiatorial contest in Sirius, or at least a legal blood sport. Was this the twisted result of Kenji's coming to power? Or something else? Tanya quelled her curiosity quickly as Kenji focused his attention on her. She would need to think quickly to avoid further complications. Her only leverage, was that the cyborg named Hideko was not present in the room when Tanya killed Antoine and his guards.
"How are you involved in this?" asked Kenji. He took several steps forward, closely watched by his guards that moved in parallel with him.
Tanya coughed and spoke in her best Bretonian accent.
"I only met him today, at the spaceport," she ventured. "He offered to buy me a drink and said he'd show me the sights. I've never been to this planet before."
Kenji raised an eyebrow as she spoke.
"You're from Bretonia?" he asked.
"Yes," she replied. "Cambridge."
"Cambridge," repeated Kenji. "I knew someone from Cambridge a long time ago."
Tanya said nothing and merely bit her lip looking downwards. Kenji watched her with incredible intensity.
"Men, take her away for further questioning."
Another pair of guards came forwards to take Tanya by the arms and firmly, but more gently than how Travis was treated, led her outside too. Hideko watched her as she left though Tanya didn't return the gaze, keeping her eyes averted downwards.
Moments after Tanya left the brothel, Hideko looked at Kenji with slitted eyes, the beautiful olive face framed by dark bob of hair that shimmered in the neon lights of the lounge.
"What's the matter, my love?" she asked.
Kenji stood in the doorway watching the Bretonian girl being bundled into a waiting car. He caught a glance from her that could have meant anything, then the door was closed and the vehicle moved away.
"She looks very familiar. I am sure I have seen her somewhere before."
Hideko's glare in response was chilling.
***
Tanya was lost in thought in the back of the police car. It was a standard hover vehicle, similar in design to a skycab, but possessing an armoured skin, extra sensor equipment and probably a more powerful engine. She heard the door mechanism locking into place and couldn't see any means of opening it from the inside. Besides, she had no inclination of opening the doors at this height and de-pressurising her compartment would be suicide.
They were definitely moving upwards and had been doing so for at least twenty minutes, Tanya strained to see past the opaque windows but only caught glimpses of light. She was concerned about the increasing altitude, only spaceports and planetary defence systems were ever built at this level.
'Spaceports!' thought Tanya. If she could acquire a ship, she could escape the police and track down Travis.
She laughed to herself.
Kenji said the gladiatorial games were in Sigma-19. Strange how things can be, coming almost full circle. The day her new life began was when her wing of Orbital Spa & Cruise ships left Luxury Liner Hawaii and the secret of her past began to unravel. It seemed like a lifetime ago. Tanya's eyes closed and the weight of her experiences came flooding to the fore almost taking her to the brink of despair.
The police vehicle began to level out and decelerate, soon landing with a soft bump. The left door opened and a uniformed Kusari officer peered inside, frowning when he saw the red-rimmed eyes of the woman inside.
"Come, miss. You will not be hurt. Lord Akamoto has orders that you are to be treated with care, as a guest. Not a prisoner," said the man in heavily accented Common.
Tanya glanced up and nodded. She gingerly stepped out of the vehicle and followed the uniformed man across the enclosed launch pad. A huge screen of transparent material had been erected over the huge square spaceport launch pad, protecting the crews and passengers from the strong, cold, biting winds coursing around them.
The officer led her along the causeway to a single, large building at the centre. Tanya presumed it was some kind of docking terminal and control station. She sniffed back her tears and resolutely held her head high. If there was a way out, it would be here.
***
Tanya waited inside a windowless, dark grey room for over an hour. No-one came to see her, apart from one junior officer who brought in some water in a plastic cup and some sweet bread on a plastic plate. Clearly, they didn't trust her.
She had been studying her surroundings for some time and realised this room was very secure indeed. There was only one way in and out, several tiny cameras hidden in each corner between ceiling and wall. The table was bolted into the floor and the chairs were made of light plastic and quite flexible. No wonder she hadn't been handcuffed, there was simply no need. Tanya closed her eyes and thought of her situation, hoping the forged ID she had bought weeks before would satisfy whatever background checks Kenji would perform.
Suddenly voices were outside her door and she took a deep breath.
The door opened and Kenji stood in the frame. Her Kusari friend looked very different from their time on the Hawaii. Half of his face was covered with a metal plate, some scar tissue probably from the result of a serious burn injury remained uncovered on the rest of his face. His jet black raven hair now had a single white streak down through the centre, starting at his forehead and ending at the back of his skull. Tanya gasped when she noticed Kenji's right hand, it was completely cybernetic and the metal shone brightly under the room lights.
He walked inside slowly and behind came two guards. Hideko was nowhere to be seen, though Tanya assumed she was monitoring via the cameras somewhere.
Kenji unbuttoned his dark jacket and sat in the chair opposite Tanya, never taking his eyes off hers for an instant.
"Guards. Leave us," he ordered. The two men still standing hesitated and looked at each other questioningly. "Well? What are you still doing here?"
They left quickly and marched out closing the door behind them. Tanya could see their shadows in the gap between the door and ground, they hadn't gone too far. She was surprised at Kenji's next command though.
"Hideko. Sign off all communications to this room."
A pause.
"Yes. I do. Now sign off. I will be very angry if I have to walk over to the control room and do it myself!" Kenji hissed.
There was another pause, then Kenji nodded and removed a tiny comm link from his ear connected to a transmitter somewhere in his clothing. He leaned forwards watching Tanya's green eyes closely.
"It has been a long time, Tanya" he said evenly.
Tanya did her best not to register any shock, though her mind reeled from his opening statement. When she replied, she was surprised at herself for keeping her voice steady too.
"I don't know who you're talking about. My name is Evelyn. Evelyn O'Callaghan from Cambridge, Bretonia. I'm a trader for BMM, though I sometimes work for IMG. I have not spoken to anyone for an hour and have been held captive here without permission. I demand to be released immediately!"
Kenji said nothing and just stared. Suddenly he laughed, a terrible, deafening sound that seemed to reverberate around the room and clapped his hands theatrically. Kenji leant back in his chair.
"Wonderful! Wonderful. A great performance. You always were the kidder. The one who 'understood' people," he said through narrowed eyes.
Tanya suddenly felt a little afraid, but merely shrugged her shoulders and stared straight back at him.
"I do not know what you're talking about. My name is-"
"Yes, yes. Whatever. Evelyn. Tanya. I don't care. I remember your face. I remember your eyes. Orbital Spa? Corsairs? Remember?"
Kenji's voice rose in pitch to a feverish height. His metallic hand clamped down on the edge of the table and Tanya saw an indentation in the metal surface as Kenji squeezed. She decided enough was enough, when she spoke her voice was resolute and clear, though anguished.
"Yes, I remember. You were in the vanguard," she began. "You were ambushed. You disappeared. I tried to come back and find you but I was kidnapped too. I am sorry, Kenji. I missed you so much," said Tanya choking back her tears. Her words came out as one long stream.
"So. You are her. I thought so. Your eyes are too beautiful and betray you, Tanya," said Kenji in a way Tanya remembered him from before. The moment passed as soon as it came. "But that time is gone. I am the leader of my clan. I am responsible for policing certain systems and today, Travis Carter committed a terrible crime, murder of a Kusari citizen!"
Tanya shook her head swiftly.
"No, it's not like that," she urged.
"Silence!" shouted Kenji. "He was not authorised to execute Antoine and his men. He had not registered for a bounty. In fact, our checks conclude Travis has rescinded his bounty hunter tag a month ago."
A month ago, thought Tanya. That would mean shortly after leaving Tau.
"And the penalty for such terrible acts is a lifetime fighting in the arenas of Sigma-19!" Kenji looked triumphant.
"That's a death sentence," whispered Tanya.
"Yes, it is," he hissed in reply. "But you. What do I do with you? You should have come back for me, Tanya. Why didn't you come back? The Corsairs came, they took me." Kenji trembled, his metal hand now dug deeper into the table. "They did..things to me. For months."
"What happened?" asked Tanya, almost too scared to know herself. Kenji closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, as though remembering some awful pain he'd since forgotten.
"They tortured me. But my father paid a ransom. A huge ransom. He virtually halved our family fortune and sold off several assets. So the Corsairs let me go. After they had taken a souvenir." He glanced down at his right arm that hummed and clicked in response as he moved each finger in turn.
"You said you're leading the clan, is your father alright?" asked Tanya.
"Yes. I lead. And my father is in heaven, foolish old man. He should have negotiated a better deal for me. I put him out of his misery. He would be no use to the clan with his pathetic attempts at trying to ally with the Rheinlanders. They hate us. We hate them. It is the way of things. He was senile to think that would change. With me as leader, we can rebuild our strength and be more powerful than before! Then we can put Rheinland of their misery too"
Tanya said nothing but her eyes widened as she considered Kenji's words. Patricide? Power? Hate and death on a regional scale? What had Kenji become?
"I see you do not approve of my methods. Well, woman. I do not care. You are nothing to me now. But do not fear. I will not hurt you, as you were a friend to me at least in the early days. I will never forgive you for not coming to help me, but that is for your own conscience to live with. Leave."
Kenji stood up. Tanya only sat, tears forming at the corners of her eyes.
"Kenji, I came for you. I did. I truly did-"
"Silence! I've heard enough. Just go. I never want to see or hear from you again."
Tanya blinked. She slowly stood up, using her hands as support on the table. Kenji replaced his ear comm and barked several orders. He watched her with cold, emotionless eyes but turned away when she came towards him, hands outstretched trying to touch his face. The door opened and after minutes of walking down winding corridors, Tanya was led to a comm-terminal in the reception of the building. The guards walked back inside the main corridor and sealed the door shut, leaving her alone.
For a few moments, Tanya did nothing but take deep gulps of air and attempt to clear her head.
Life is better when it's simple, she told herself. So keep it simple.
***
Several systems away in Dresden, an armoured transport with it's escorts of Falcons and Hawks was cruising through space approaching its next waypoint. On the bridge of the transport, a white and blue uniformed officer strode up to address a man sat in a large chair who was looking at reports on a screen. His light, hazel hair reflected off the many dozens of lights emanating from dashboards and control panels.
"Sir. A message for you," said the officer curtly and handed the small comm-pad to his superior.
The young man read it, closed his eyes leaning his head back, then opened them and read it again. Suddenly, he stood up from his chair, the men on the bridge surprised by this activity.
"Men, turn our ships around! Set a course for Honshu, immediately!" he ordered.
"But sir, your father has ordered we make best time for Freital, we're only-"
"Do I need to repeat my orders, Commander?" said the young man. The officer shook his head. "Good. Set course and let's get there yesterday!"
He felt the ship move in response as his men raced to plot their new co-ordinates, then grinned from ear-to-ear when he read the message again.
"Rutger. It's Eve. I need you. Come to Honshu."
***
(cont'd)
Edited by - Athena on 11/18/2004 8:00:19 AM
Edited by - Athena on 11/18/2004 8:02:10 AM
Thu Nov 18, 2004 7:52 am
Whew. That was long. In a very, very good way.
I've two small issues, though:
Oops.
Stirctly speaking there's nothing wrong with this sentence, it just goes on a bit too long. Also, I'd express the change differently; instead of saying that she "had changed somewhat" I'd say that she had barely changed at all. Given your description I think it would be a more accurate reflection of Tanya's current physical state.
I've two small issues, though:
... Orbital Air & Spa ...
Oops.
Her appearance had changed somewhat, she had put on a little weight though it was mostly toned muscle and her hair was now blonde, she hadn't opted for facial reconstruction surgery because she had assumed no-one else knew she was still alive.
Stirctly speaking there's nothing wrong with this sentence, it just goes on a bit too long. Also, I'd express the change differently; instead of saying that she "had changed somewhat" I'd say that she had barely changed at all. Given your description I think it would be a more accurate reflection of Tanya's current physical state.
Her appearence had hardly changed since the day of Kenji's disappearance. She had slightly more well-developed muscles and her hair was now blonde but there were no changes otherwise. Facial reconstruction surgery hadn't seemed necessary as she had assumed no-one else knew she was still alive.
Thu Nov 18, 2004 9:28 am
I highly doubt people are getting bored. If you're really that worried try wrapping up the Tanya storyline and weave a new tale of deception and intrigue. If you really like the characters already created then, by all means, include them but only in secondary roles. Let me stress that this is simply what you could do, not necessarily what you should do.
Mom? Is that you?
Okay, Mr Eagle Eyes.
Mom? Is that you?
Thu Nov 18, 2004 11:11 am
Err, sorry about my off topic post earlier.
I'm not bored. I like everything I have seen about this story so far, so please continue. Your writing is excellent, though I'm not really the person to ask. I'm sure a lot of people here are dying to read more of the story. I am, anyway.
Keep up the great work... please.
I'm not bored. I like everything I have seen about this story so far, so please continue. Your writing is excellent, though I'm not really the person to ask. I'm sure a lot of people here are dying to read more of the story. I am, anyway.
Keep up the great work... please.
Thu Nov 18, 2004 2:30 pm
As to your question of your story being boring...... It is not the least bit boring.
I have put your story on my favorites list so I can, with a single clik, check to see if you have put in a new chapter. As to the size of the posts I think I can say that everyone thinks that the posts are TOO SMALL . We want more !!! :0
Blessed Be to all those that still dream of the flight to the stars.
I have put your story on my favorites list so I can, with a single clik, check to see if you have put in a new chapter. As to the size of the posts I think I can say that everyone thinks that the posts are TOO SMALL
. We want more !!! :0
Blessed Be to all those that still dream of the flight to the stars.
*tugs at Athena's skirt* More posts, please? Thu Nov 25, 2004 2:58 am
"Wait, let me try and understand," began the young nobleman.
His shoulders were sagging slightly as he spoke and he seemed to be quite bewildered as he spoke, gathering his thoughts whilst voicing them.
"Your real name is not Evelyn, it is Tanya. You are a freelance trader now, but you used to be a house government assassin. When we met on Hamburg you were meeting an old contact to arrange for false identities. And now, you ask my help to track down a friend of yours in Sigma-19? At a gladiatorial arena?"
The young man's voice rose slightly in pitch as he finished and his eyes widened incredulous. The sandy hair usually combed so immaculately looked unkempt and untidy, dark rings had formed around his eyes indicating signs of tiredness. The young man's uniform too was crumpled in places, it took a huge effort from his crew to make best speed from the Omega systems this far galactic north in the colonies and sleep escaped him since he received her message.
"Rutger, please. Listen to me carefully," Tanya replied. She was torn between telling him of her harsh reality or maintain her alter ego, but decided the Daumann heir deserved to know the truth. "I could not deceive you any longer. I trust you which is why I'm telling you all this. You're the only one I can turn to for help now."
The young man shook his head confused. They were both sat in his private cabin, a plush multi-roomed area of an equally luxurious Daumann armoured transport. Screens and monitors filled the room, as well as expensive and rare antiques and furniture.
"I don't know if I can trust you, though..Tanya," he hesitated before saying her name, it felt so alien to him. Evelyn had vanished as part of an even more incredible tale.
"You can, nothing has changed. I still think you're wonderful," continued the girl. Surprise took her when she realised she genuinely meant what she said. "But I must do this, Travis is my, friend. He's almost a relative. I would say he's the closest thing I have to family now," she admitted, recalling their shared origins.
"So this Travis, he's not your..partner?" asked Rutger, a glimmer of hope returning.
"No, Rutger. He's more like a brother, I realise that now. But he's in great danger. And not just him. If what my instincts tell me are true, a great many people in Sirius are in danger too. Did you hear of the bombings?" she asked.
"Yes," he replied gravely. "Almost every senior representative of the Rheinland military or government had their life threatened in some way. Even my father was severely injured, had it not been for the bravery of his bodyguards who had sacrificed themselves for the sake of our house," Rutger said sadly, he cut his tale short then looked away out of a porthole gazing at the white line of stars as they sped along a trade lane.
"Tell me," said Tanya softly. "What happened?"
"The details are unclear, but my father's armoured transport was ambushed near Freital Station. He was doing a routine inspection of some mining machinery when a group of heavy fighters accompanied by other ships mounting torpedoes few straight out of a nearby dust cloud. They had little time to react and within moments, most of the escort ships were destroyed or crippled and my fathers transport had taken heavy fire," Rutger sighed. "Fighting in space is terrible, Tanya. Death is a certainty."
Tanya nodded in response but said nothing, waiting for the Daumann heir to continue.
"In the end, the bombers launched a volley of torpedoes to finish off my father's vessel, just as her cruise engines were powering up. The remaining two escort ships fired on the torpedoes and ultimately, activated the self-destructs on their ships - the blast radius detonating the last of the torpedoes. It was very brave. And allowed my father to escape, although during the battle some equipment detached and struck him. He will not live much longer, the physicians have told me his lung was pierced by a shard of metal, the wound deep and internal."
Rutger's eyes filled but he was determined not lose face before the striking woman sat opposite him, his brown eyes fixed on her own of deep green.
"Rutger, I'm so sorry," said Tanya comfortingly, she leaned in closer and embraced the Daumann heir, who for a few moments did not respond and merely sat there, but soon returned the embrace, his back heaving as he sobbed uncontrollably. She felt a thousand times worse. This young man travelled the length of the colonies to help Evelyn, not her. An illusion she had created for her own needs. He had forsaken the last few moments with his dying father for her. And she felt rotten for it.
He looked up almost reading her thoughts.
"Tanya, do not concern yourself for me," he began with more resolve. "The doctors tell me they have prescribed my father many painkillers, he will live out his remaining days in peace and remains unconscious most of the time. Clearly a conspiracy of some sort is being directed here. But the important issue now is to learn who is behind the bombings, and stop them!"
The young woman was slightly taken aback by the feral intensity of his gaze. Perhaps this way Rutger's way of dealing with his grief and emotions.
"Yes. Whoever it is has a system-wide reach, or at least a network capable of co-ordinating such a massive and deliberate strike. It would take a huge amount of planning, resources and patience. I thought initially it might be the Corsairs, but they tend to use pure aggression and mass battles to win their prizes. This is something more sinister, careful and ruthless."
For a while, the pair merely looked at each other and as one, they chorused their realisation together.
"Outcasts!"
***
Sigma-19, low orbit above Planet Hiran, Orbital Spa & Cruise Luxury Liner Hawaii.
"Tanya, are you sure about this? From what you tell me, there's a strong chance you will be recognised and that would put everything we discussed in jeopardy," said Rutger.
The young woman shrugged.
"It's been over a year since I was last here. Most ships like this have a high turnover of passengers and crew alike. I should know, I used to be one of them," she replied smiling.
"Well, I'm still not sure. It could be dangerous," Rutger said, immediately feeling foolish and over-protective. Who was the highly-trained house assassin that has survived so well on her own for her recent years?
Tanya laughed. It was a beautiful sound, Rutger decided.
"Rutger, I will be fine. I can take care of myself. But say I heed your advice. What do you propose instead?" her head leant slightly to one side and the accompanying pout and grin gave her an impish look of mischief. Rutger coughed and looked upwards in thought.
"I will go," he said finally. Tanya's assured look gave way to an expression of horror.
"No way!"
"Now who's being protective, hmm?" chided the Daumann heir.
"I'm serious. Say the gladiatorial fights are being held on the Hawaii. Then a lot of influential and wealthy people will be present also, probably the ones least likely you would invite home for supper, given their penchant for blood sports." She let her words sink into the young man. "And these people will have bodyguards. Probably a small army of some kind. Probably the best ships too. And pilots."
Rutger stared at her, then stood up and paced around his cabin. He walked over to his desk where he saw a portrait of his family and picked up a trophy of some kind, Tanya noticed it had wings on it. Rutger placed the trophy back on his desk and returned to the couch where she sat.
"Then that is what we will do. We must act like these people. Become these people," suggested Rutger.
Tanya grinned.
"You're a genius!" she remarked, taking his head in both hands and kissing his forehead. "It would be the only way to penetrate their inner circle and learn more of the Outcasts and their plans. You could do this. The one fact remains, if we suspect the Outcasts are responsible for the bombings they would need assistance from key members in each of the Houses. That's the only way they could attack so deep at the heart of the colonies, jump gate controls, schedules, travel itineraies, loadout and escort information. I would say this would be the ideal meeting place for all parties concerned, wouldn't you?"
Rutger nodded.
"Yes. The Hawaii would be a great location for such a meeting, it is out of the way in the Border Worlds, close to known pirate routes and neatly positioned close to trade lanes and Honshu for more 'legitimate' guests," he said. "I could pretend to be-"
Tanya interrupted him.
"Pretend nothing. You 'are' the heir of Baron Daumann, of Daumann Heavy Construction. You have every right to be on the Hawaii. You are powerful, influential and wealthy. The perfect sort of clientele for such an event. A young heir, curiosity aroused at hearing rumours of a once outlawed sport resurrected? Just the sort of place you 'should' be seen at!" whispered Tanya.
Rutger leaned in slightly closer, until his face was inches away from hers.
"You said wealthy men had bodyguards?" he asked. Tanya nodded, then moved herself even closer to him, noting the handsome face lined by recent worries, now bearing a stoic resolution not present when they first met before.
"I would say you're a one-woman army," he continued. "There is a vacancy in this area. Would you like the job?" whispered Rutger with longing.
"Whatever you wish, my Baron," responded Tanya, closing her eyes and kissing the young heir on the lips. His hand came up and stroked her now auburn hair away from her face, before reaching around her neck. They kissed for a while enjoying the contact, before Rutger broke away and smiled at Tanya.
"You just want me for my money," he said. She returned his smile, lips glistening.
"No, I have plenty of money," she replied. "I just want you, for you."
He pulled her to him in a tight embrace, and they loved, like the suns of Sigma-17.
An immortal dance that would last for eternity in their hearts.
***
(cont'd)
Edited by - Athena on 11/26/2004 1:04:46 AM
His shoulders were sagging slightly as he spoke and he seemed to be quite bewildered as he spoke, gathering his thoughts whilst voicing them.
"Your real name is not Evelyn, it is Tanya. You are a freelance trader now, but you used to be a house government assassin. When we met on Hamburg you were meeting an old contact to arrange for false identities. And now, you ask my help to track down a friend of yours in Sigma-19? At a gladiatorial arena?"
The young man's voice rose slightly in pitch as he finished and his eyes widened incredulous. The sandy hair usually combed so immaculately looked unkempt and untidy, dark rings had formed around his eyes indicating signs of tiredness. The young man's uniform too was crumpled in places, it took a huge effort from his crew to make best speed from the Omega systems this far galactic north in the colonies and sleep escaped him since he received her message.
"Rutger, please. Listen to me carefully," Tanya replied. She was torn between telling him of her harsh reality or maintain her alter ego, but decided the Daumann heir deserved to know the truth. "I could not deceive you any longer. I trust you which is why I'm telling you all this. You're the only one I can turn to for help now."
The young man shook his head confused. They were both sat in his private cabin, a plush multi-roomed area of an equally luxurious Daumann armoured transport. Screens and monitors filled the room, as well as expensive and rare antiques and furniture.
"I don't know if I can trust you, though..Tanya," he hesitated before saying her name, it felt so alien to him. Evelyn had vanished as part of an even more incredible tale.
"You can, nothing has changed. I still think you're wonderful," continued the girl. Surprise took her when she realised she genuinely meant what she said. "But I must do this, Travis is my, friend. He's almost a relative. I would say he's the closest thing I have to family now," she admitted, recalling their shared origins.
"So this Travis, he's not your..partner?" asked Rutger, a glimmer of hope returning.
"No, Rutger. He's more like a brother, I realise that now. But he's in great danger. And not just him. If what my instincts tell me are true, a great many people in Sirius are in danger too. Did you hear of the bombings?" she asked.
"Yes," he replied gravely. "Almost every senior representative of the Rheinland military or government had their life threatened in some way. Even my father was severely injured, had it not been for the bravery of his bodyguards who had sacrificed themselves for the sake of our house," Rutger said sadly, he cut his tale short then looked away out of a porthole gazing at the white line of stars as they sped along a trade lane.
"Tell me," said Tanya softly. "What happened?"
"The details are unclear, but my father's armoured transport was ambushed near Freital Station. He was doing a routine inspection of some mining machinery when a group of heavy fighters accompanied by other ships mounting torpedoes few straight out of a nearby dust cloud. They had little time to react and within moments, most of the escort ships were destroyed or crippled and my fathers transport had taken heavy fire," Rutger sighed. "Fighting in space is terrible, Tanya. Death is a certainty."
Tanya nodded in response but said nothing, waiting for the Daumann heir to continue.
"In the end, the bombers launched a volley of torpedoes to finish off my father's vessel, just as her cruise engines were powering up. The remaining two escort ships fired on the torpedoes and ultimately, activated the self-destructs on their ships - the blast radius detonating the last of the torpedoes. It was very brave. And allowed my father to escape, although during the battle some equipment detached and struck him. He will not live much longer, the physicians have told me his lung was pierced by a shard of metal, the wound deep and internal."
Rutger's eyes filled but he was determined not lose face before the striking woman sat opposite him, his brown eyes fixed on her own of deep green.
"Rutger, I'm so sorry," said Tanya comfortingly, she leaned in closer and embraced the Daumann heir, who for a few moments did not respond and merely sat there, but soon returned the embrace, his back heaving as he sobbed uncontrollably. She felt a thousand times worse. This young man travelled the length of the colonies to help Evelyn, not her. An illusion she had created for her own needs. He had forsaken the last few moments with his dying father for her. And she felt rotten for it.
He looked up almost reading her thoughts.
"Tanya, do not concern yourself for me," he began with more resolve. "The doctors tell me they have prescribed my father many painkillers, he will live out his remaining days in peace and remains unconscious most of the time. Clearly a conspiracy of some sort is being directed here. But the important issue now is to learn who is behind the bombings, and stop them!"
The young woman was slightly taken aback by the feral intensity of his gaze. Perhaps this way Rutger's way of dealing with his grief and emotions.
"Yes. Whoever it is has a system-wide reach, or at least a network capable of co-ordinating such a massive and deliberate strike. It would take a huge amount of planning, resources and patience. I thought initially it might be the Corsairs, but they tend to use pure aggression and mass battles to win their prizes. This is something more sinister, careful and ruthless."
For a while, the pair merely looked at each other and as one, they chorused their realisation together.
"Outcasts!"
***
Sigma-19, low orbit above Planet Hiran, Orbital Spa & Cruise Luxury Liner Hawaii.
"Tanya, are you sure about this? From what you tell me, there's a strong chance you will be recognised and that would put everything we discussed in jeopardy," said Rutger.
The young woman shrugged.
"It's been over a year since I was last here. Most ships like this have a high turnover of passengers and crew alike. I should know, I used to be one of them," she replied smiling.
"Well, I'm still not sure. It could be dangerous," Rutger said, immediately feeling foolish and over-protective. Who was the highly-trained house assassin that has survived so well on her own for her recent years?
Tanya laughed. It was a beautiful sound, Rutger decided.
"Rutger, I will be fine. I can take care of myself. But say I heed your advice. What do you propose instead?" her head leant slightly to one side and the accompanying pout and grin gave her an impish look of mischief. Rutger coughed and looked upwards in thought.
"I will go," he said finally. Tanya's assured look gave way to an expression of horror.
"No way!"
"Now who's being protective, hmm?" chided the Daumann heir.
"I'm serious. Say the gladiatorial fights are being held on the Hawaii. Then a lot of influential and wealthy people will be present also, probably the ones least likely you would invite home for supper, given their penchant for blood sports." She let her words sink into the young man. "And these people will have bodyguards. Probably a small army of some kind. Probably the best ships too. And pilots."
Rutger stared at her, then stood up and paced around his cabin. He walked over to his desk where he saw a portrait of his family and picked up a trophy of some kind, Tanya noticed it had wings on it. Rutger placed the trophy back on his desk and returned to the couch where she sat.
"Then that is what we will do. We must act like these people. Become these people," suggested Rutger.
Tanya grinned.
"You're a genius!" she remarked, taking his head in both hands and kissing his forehead. "It would be the only way to penetrate their inner circle and learn more of the Outcasts and their plans. You could do this. The one fact remains, if we suspect the Outcasts are responsible for the bombings they would need assistance from key members in each of the Houses. That's the only way they could attack so deep at the heart of the colonies, jump gate controls, schedules, travel itineraies, loadout and escort information. I would say this would be the ideal meeting place for all parties concerned, wouldn't you?"
Rutger nodded.
"Yes. The Hawaii would be a great location for such a meeting, it is out of the way in the Border Worlds, close to known pirate routes and neatly positioned close to trade lanes and Honshu for more 'legitimate' guests," he said. "I could pretend to be-"
Tanya interrupted him.
"Pretend nothing. You 'are' the heir of Baron Daumann, of Daumann Heavy Construction. You have every right to be on the Hawaii. You are powerful, influential and wealthy. The perfect sort of clientele for such an event. A young heir, curiosity aroused at hearing rumours of a once outlawed sport resurrected? Just the sort of place you 'should' be seen at!" whispered Tanya.
Rutger leaned in slightly closer, until his face was inches away from hers.
"You said wealthy men had bodyguards?" he asked. Tanya nodded, then moved herself even closer to him, noting the handsome face lined by recent worries, now bearing a stoic resolution not present when they first met before.
"I would say you're a one-woman army," he continued. "There is a vacancy in this area. Would you like the job?" whispered Rutger with longing.
"Whatever you wish, my Baron," responded Tanya, closing her eyes and kissing the young heir on the lips. His hand came up and stroked her now auburn hair away from her face, before reaching around her neck. They kissed for a while enjoying the contact, before Rutger broke away and smiled at Tanya.
"You just want me for my money," he said. She returned his smile, lips glistening.
"No, I have plenty of money," she replied. "I just want you, for you."
He pulled her to him in a tight embrace, and they loved, like the suns of Sigma-17.
An immortal dance that would last for eternity in their hearts.
***
(cont'd)
Edited by - Athena on 11/26/2004 1:04:46 AM
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