Well done, as usual neuro. However, a couple things:
Change the line "Trent dived into the fray" to "Trent dove into the fray." (for proper grammar)
And also change "the flight desk of the Osiris" to "flight deck". I'm sure you meant that in the first place, but it must have slipped during revision. Keep on writing!
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Fan Fiction by Neuromancer---Freelancer: Armageddon Version
Read, add and comment on excellent written stories by fans, set within the Freelancer universe
Fri May 27, 2005 1:38 pm
Great job Neuro. When the defector was using a voice masker, I had a suspision that it was her.
@ Faren: Faren, welcome to TLR, and I hope you enjoy your time here. And if Micro$oft ever does make a sequil or expansion, (I hope they will but I doubt it.) then I just hope Neuro pitches his fanfic to M$ and Digital Anvil.
Keep it up Neuro.
Halajula, finally last day of school.
@ Faren: Faren, welcome to TLR, and I hope you enjoy your time here. And if Micro$oft ever does make a sequil or expansion, (I hope they will but I doubt it.) then I just hope Neuro pitches his fanfic to M$ and Digital Anvil.
Keep it up Neuro.
Halajula, finally last day of school.
Wed Jun 01, 2005 7:09 am
Sorry about the wait, but this chapter is kinda big. Anyway, here is chapter 18.
-----------
Chapter 18: Ambush
Once again, Trent and King found themselves in the Osiris bar, seeking sanctuary in the obscurity of drink. They sat in silence, each lost in his own thoughts.
The sudden reappearance of Juni had startled Trent. Why had she returned, knowing the consequences? She had seemed so adamant about forsaking the Order. None of it made any sense. And what did she know that would cause her to come back?
"Hey, Trent," King finally said, "Orillion's comin' over."
Trent turned and saw Orillion walking over to them. His face was difficult to read.
"Join us for a cold one, Commander?" King asked.
"No, thank you. I've decided to keep Jun'ko in the brig for now. She has asked for amnesty in exchange for the information she claims to have."
"And...?" King pressed.
"I haven't made up my mind," Orillion snapped.
"Sir," Trent said, "I'd like to talk to her."
Orillion considered this. "Very well. However, I want to know everything she tells you. I know you two were close once, but until I'm convinced otherwise she is still the enemy. Is that understood?"
"Yes, sir." Trent got up. "Save my seat, will you King?" King raised his glass.
Trent made his way throught the labyrinth of the ship's corridors toward the brig. He had no idea what he would say to her, but he felt that maybe she would spill the beans to him.
He arrived at the entrance to the brig and stepped inside. Juni sat in her cell behind a force shield. She looked up as Trent walked in. They looked at each other in silence for several moments. It was Juni who finally broke the silence.
"So aren't you going to ask me why I came back?"
"The thought had crossed my mind," Trent replied.
"Are you going to grant me amnesty?"
"Juni, you know I can't promise you that. That's a decision that only Orillion can make. I came down here to talk to you as a friend."
Silence crept between them again. This time it was Trent who spoke first.
"Tell me what you know. Please. As a friend." He realized he had not spoken this way to Juni in a long time.
Juni looked at the floor for several moments, then looked back at Trent.
"It's serious, Edison. So serious, in fact, that this ship is in grave danger."
"From what?"
"Do you remember when Kress told you that the Covenant had considered an alliance with the Nomads?"
"Don't tell me..."
"Yes, he actually did it. A contingent of Nomads in human form arrived to negotiate an alliance, or so we thought. Apparently the're the same xenophobic bastards they've always been. It was only a matter of time before the entire ship was overrun. I managed to steal an Anubis and get away."
"Wait," Trent interrupted. "What happened to Lord Hakkera?"
"I don't know but knowing him I'm sure he found a way off. Don't interrupt me. Anyway, before I left I heard about a plan to take over the Osiris, and then the rest of the Order. They can do it, too. They're coming, and it's only a matter of time before they get here."
"How do I know you're not making this up? That you're not a Nomad?"
She looked into his eyes. "I guess you'll just have to trust me."
"You know I have to tell Orillion this. You may not get your amnesty."
"It doesn't matter now. I've finally figured out what's really important to me." She smiled. "Hurry. Go tell him. You may have a little time."
Trent turned and moved toward the door. He stopped suddenly, turned back and looked at Juni. He saw that she was crying.
-----------------------------
"That is one far-fetched story," King muttered as Trent relayed what he had just heard to him and Orillion.
"I must agree with King on this, Trent," Orillion said. "What makes you think that this information has any merit?"
"She told me this even though she knew she may not get any breaks from us. That's got to count for something."
Orillion thought this over. "I don't know. I still have a hard time trusting her. Just to be safe, though, I will order sidearms worn at all times and we will keep a sharp eye on the scanners. I'm afraid I'll need more proof that her word."
Suddenly the alarm klaxon roared to life.
"Red Alert! Red Alert! Hostile craft just decloaked off the starboard side! Battle stations!"
"That enough proof for you?" Trent asked as the three of them ran for the bridge.
The Osiris turned into a flurry of activity as the crew rushed to their battle stations. Trent, King and Orillion arrived on the bridge and were shocked to see their sister ship, the Horus, floating mere meters from the hull of the Osiris. Trent watched in horror as spacesuited shapes began emerging from the external hatches of the Horus.
"They're going to board us!"
"Orillion ran to the comm system. "Attention, this is Orillion. We are under attack and are being boarded by hostiles. All personnel prepare for boarding action." He paused. "Shoot to kill. Orillion out." He turned off the comm system. "All gun batteries, fire at will. Trent, King, let's go. Main airlock on C deck." He moved over to a weapon storage cabinet and grabbed three blaster rifles, tossing one to Trent and King. The three of them then headed for C deck. They arrived to see a junior officer stationed with a small garrison, ready to strike.
"Situation, Lieutenant?" Orillion asked.
"We're in position." They could hear the sound of something being placed on the door, and a faint voice on the other side shout something.
The hatchway blew inward, temporarily stunning the Osiris crew. Several spacesuited shapes came through the door, weapons drawn, and a vicious firefight erupted.
Trent took down two of the invaders, then watched as another very familiar figure came through with eyes glowing an electric blue.
"Kress!" Trent shouted and pointed his rifle. He was forced to duck back behind the wall as a barrage of blaster fire exploded around him.
"Did I just see that?" King yelled as he crashed down next to Trent. "He's a Nomad?"
"Looks like Juni was right," Trent said. "Now what?"
"Trent!" Orillion called out. "Engineering is getting hit hard! You and King get down there and help them!"
Trent and King bolted for the emergency stairs and reached the engineering deck some seconds later. King took a position alongside the door as Trent took the point. He took a deep breath and reached for the door control.
Acrid smoke burned his eyes as Trent charged through the door, blaster rifle at the ready. He fired several blasts, taking out two Covenant agents. King followed close behind, providing cover fire as Trent moved toward the Osiris crew. They were pinned down behind a bank of controls and it was clear they had taken heavy casualties. Trent heard a yelp behind him and looked back to see King on the ground clutching his leg.
"King! You okay?"
"Just a scratch," King said as Trent grabbed him under his arms and dragged him to cover. At that moment the Covenant agents stopped firing and fell back the way they had come.
"What the..." Trent breathed as he stuck his head up to get a look. Sure enough, the Covenant invaders had retreated. Trent reached for a comm unit.
"Orillion, do you copy?"
"Go ahead, Trent."
"The hostiles in engineering just retreated, and I have no idea why."
"They did the same thing up here. What's your status?"
"Whe've got quite a few casualties down here, but we're okay. Hold on, sir...What is it? Oh, no...Orillion, we've got a big problem. You'd better get down here."
"On my way. Out."
Two minutes later Orillion appeared and the chief engineer of the Osiris broke the news.
"Sir, the plasma coolant condiuts have been breached. It looks like a deliberate sabotage attempt from the Covenant. The reactors are going critical and I can't stop it."
"Can we jettison the cores?"
"No, the hardware's been sabotaged as well. It'd take at least an hour to manually cut it away, and I estimate we have about twenty minutes to evacuate."
Orillion swore to himself and picked up a comm unit. "Attention, this is Orillion. Abandon ship, abandon ship. This is not a drill." He turned to Trent. "Get Jun'ko out of the brig. I'll deal with her later. Come on, people." Orillion and another Order agent helped King out of engineering, and Trent went down to the brig. Jun'ko stood up as Trent came in.
"They came, didn't they?" she inquired.
"Yes," Trent replied as he turned off the force shield. "Come on, we have to abandon ship."
"What?"
"The Covenant overloaded the reactor cores and they're going to blow. Come on."
-------------------------------------------
The remaining ships launched from the Osiris and engaged their cruise engines to put as much distance as possible betweeen the ships before the reactors went critical. Trent looked back to catch a glimpse at the once proud ship just as the reactor cores exploded. The Osiris disappeared in a final flash of blue light.
---We came, we saw, we kicked its ass!
Edited by - neuromancer on 6/1/2005 8:11:50 AM
-----------
Chapter 18: Ambush
Once again, Trent and King found themselves in the Osiris bar, seeking sanctuary in the obscurity of drink. They sat in silence, each lost in his own thoughts.
The sudden reappearance of Juni had startled Trent. Why had she returned, knowing the consequences? She had seemed so adamant about forsaking the Order. None of it made any sense. And what did she know that would cause her to come back?
"Hey, Trent," King finally said, "Orillion's comin' over."
Trent turned and saw Orillion walking over to them. His face was difficult to read.
"Join us for a cold one, Commander?" King asked.
"No, thank you. I've decided to keep Jun'ko in the brig for now. She has asked for amnesty in exchange for the information she claims to have."
"And...?" King pressed.
"I haven't made up my mind," Orillion snapped.
"Sir," Trent said, "I'd like to talk to her."
Orillion considered this. "Very well. However, I want to know everything she tells you. I know you two were close once, but until I'm convinced otherwise she is still the enemy. Is that understood?"
"Yes, sir." Trent got up. "Save my seat, will you King?" King raised his glass.
Trent made his way throught the labyrinth of the ship's corridors toward the brig. He had no idea what he would say to her, but he felt that maybe she would spill the beans to him.
He arrived at the entrance to the brig and stepped inside. Juni sat in her cell behind a force shield. She looked up as Trent walked in. They looked at each other in silence for several moments. It was Juni who finally broke the silence.
"So aren't you going to ask me why I came back?"
"The thought had crossed my mind," Trent replied.
"Are you going to grant me amnesty?"
"Juni, you know I can't promise you that. That's a decision that only Orillion can make. I came down here to talk to you as a friend."
Silence crept between them again. This time it was Trent who spoke first.
"Tell me what you know. Please. As a friend." He realized he had not spoken this way to Juni in a long time.
Juni looked at the floor for several moments, then looked back at Trent.
"It's serious, Edison. So serious, in fact, that this ship is in grave danger."
"From what?"
"Do you remember when Kress told you that the Covenant had considered an alliance with the Nomads?"
"Don't tell me..."
"Yes, he actually did it. A contingent of Nomads in human form arrived to negotiate an alliance, or so we thought. Apparently the're the same xenophobic bastards they've always been. It was only a matter of time before the entire ship was overrun. I managed to steal an Anubis and get away."
"Wait," Trent interrupted. "What happened to Lord Hakkera?"
"I don't know but knowing him I'm sure he found a way off. Don't interrupt me. Anyway, before I left I heard about a plan to take over the Osiris, and then the rest of the Order. They can do it, too. They're coming, and it's only a matter of time before they get here."
"How do I know you're not making this up? That you're not a Nomad?"
She looked into his eyes. "I guess you'll just have to trust me."
"You know I have to tell Orillion this. You may not get your amnesty."
"It doesn't matter now. I've finally figured out what's really important to me." She smiled. "Hurry. Go tell him. You may have a little time."
Trent turned and moved toward the door. He stopped suddenly, turned back and looked at Juni. He saw that she was crying.
-----------------------------
"That is one far-fetched story," King muttered as Trent relayed what he had just heard to him and Orillion.
"I must agree with King on this, Trent," Orillion said. "What makes you think that this information has any merit?"
"She told me this even though she knew she may not get any breaks from us. That's got to count for something."
Orillion thought this over. "I don't know. I still have a hard time trusting her. Just to be safe, though, I will order sidearms worn at all times and we will keep a sharp eye on the scanners. I'm afraid I'll need more proof that her word."
Suddenly the alarm klaxon roared to life.
"Red Alert! Red Alert! Hostile craft just decloaked off the starboard side! Battle stations!"
"That enough proof for you?" Trent asked as the three of them ran for the bridge.
The Osiris turned into a flurry of activity as the crew rushed to their battle stations. Trent, King and Orillion arrived on the bridge and were shocked to see their sister ship, the Horus, floating mere meters from the hull of the Osiris. Trent watched in horror as spacesuited shapes began emerging from the external hatches of the Horus.
"They're going to board us!"
"Orillion ran to the comm system. "Attention, this is Orillion. We are under attack and are being boarded by hostiles. All personnel prepare for boarding action." He paused. "Shoot to kill. Orillion out." He turned off the comm system. "All gun batteries, fire at will. Trent, King, let's go. Main airlock on C deck." He moved over to a weapon storage cabinet and grabbed three blaster rifles, tossing one to Trent and King. The three of them then headed for C deck. They arrived to see a junior officer stationed with a small garrison, ready to strike.
"Situation, Lieutenant?" Orillion asked.
"We're in position." They could hear the sound of something being placed on the door, and a faint voice on the other side shout something.
The hatchway blew inward, temporarily stunning the Osiris crew. Several spacesuited shapes came through the door, weapons drawn, and a vicious firefight erupted.
Trent took down two of the invaders, then watched as another very familiar figure came through with eyes glowing an electric blue.
"Kress!" Trent shouted and pointed his rifle. He was forced to duck back behind the wall as a barrage of blaster fire exploded around him.
"Did I just see that?" King yelled as he crashed down next to Trent. "He's a Nomad?"
"Looks like Juni was right," Trent said. "Now what?"
"Trent!" Orillion called out. "Engineering is getting hit hard! You and King get down there and help them!"
Trent and King bolted for the emergency stairs and reached the engineering deck some seconds later. King took a position alongside the door as Trent took the point. He took a deep breath and reached for the door control.
Acrid smoke burned his eyes as Trent charged through the door, blaster rifle at the ready. He fired several blasts, taking out two Covenant agents. King followed close behind, providing cover fire as Trent moved toward the Osiris crew. They were pinned down behind a bank of controls and it was clear they had taken heavy casualties. Trent heard a yelp behind him and looked back to see King on the ground clutching his leg.
"King! You okay?"
"Just a scratch," King said as Trent grabbed him under his arms and dragged him to cover. At that moment the Covenant agents stopped firing and fell back the way they had come.
"What the..." Trent breathed as he stuck his head up to get a look. Sure enough, the Covenant invaders had retreated. Trent reached for a comm unit.
"Orillion, do you copy?"
"Go ahead, Trent."
"The hostiles in engineering just retreated, and I have no idea why."
"They did the same thing up here. What's your status?"
"Whe've got quite a few casualties down here, but we're okay. Hold on, sir...What is it? Oh, no...Orillion, we've got a big problem. You'd better get down here."
"On my way. Out."
Two minutes later Orillion appeared and the chief engineer of the Osiris broke the news.
"Sir, the plasma coolant condiuts have been breached. It looks like a deliberate sabotage attempt from the Covenant. The reactors are going critical and I can't stop it."
"Can we jettison the cores?"
"No, the hardware's been sabotaged as well. It'd take at least an hour to manually cut it away, and I estimate we have about twenty minutes to evacuate."
Orillion swore to himself and picked up a comm unit. "Attention, this is Orillion. Abandon ship, abandon ship. This is not a drill." He turned to Trent. "Get Jun'ko out of the brig. I'll deal with her later. Come on, people." Orillion and another Order agent helped King out of engineering, and Trent went down to the brig. Jun'ko stood up as Trent came in.
"They came, didn't they?" she inquired.
"Yes," Trent replied as he turned off the force shield. "Come on, we have to abandon ship."
"What?"
"The Covenant overloaded the reactor cores and they're going to blow. Come on."
-------------------------------------------
The remaining ships launched from the Osiris and engaged their cruise engines to put as much distance as possible betweeen the ships before the reactors went critical. Trent looked back to catch a glimpse at the once proud ship just as the reactor cores exploded. The Osiris disappeared in a final flash of blue light.
---We came, we saw, we kicked its ass!
Edited by - neuromancer on 6/1/2005 8:11:50 AM
Wed Jun 01, 2005 7:25 am
Dude, WTF? That was the most horrible chapter I have ever seen. WTF were you thinking?
LOL, I'm jokeing. That was increadible, very nice. This is the first fanfic I have read since my own Chaos Theory were the Osiris was destroyed, very good. Looks like I have some real competition, if you guys still think that mine and bret's stories are up here with his. But Neuro, all I can say is YOU'RE GOIN' DOWN!
Please keep up the good work though.
LOL, I'm jokeing. That was increadible, very nice. This is the first fanfic I have read since my own Chaos Theory were the Osiris was destroyed, very good. Looks like I have some real competition, if you guys still think that mine and bret's stories are up here with his. But Neuro, all I can say is YOU'RE GOIN' DOWN!
Please keep up the good work though.
Thu Jun 02, 2005 6:08 am
Great job neuro. I'm on the edge of my seat here. Onse very minor nitpick though:
I think the transition from straight-up smiling to full-on crying is a bit abrupt. If that's what you intended, fine. Ignore everything that follows. I was thinking though that perhaps Juni should have "smiled wanly". She's still smiling, yes, but the reader is given an indication that there is some sadness behind the facade.
Just my 2 cents, of course.
Edited by - Codename on 6/2/2005 7:08:15 AM
"It doesn't matter now. I've finally figured out what's really important to me." She smiled. "Hurry. Go tell him. You may have a little time."
Trent turned and moved toward the door. He stopped suddenly, turned back and looked at Juni. He saw that she was crying.
I think the transition from straight-up smiling to full-on crying is a bit abrupt. If that's what you intended, fine. Ignore everything that follows. I was thinking though that perhaps Juni should have "smiled wanly". She's still smiling, yes, but the reader is given an indication that there is some sadness behind the facade.
Just my 2 cents, of course.
Edited by - Codename on 6/2/2005 7:08:15 AM
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