Fri Mar 10, 2006 5:11 am
Cardamine (Short Story)
Scout29 presents...
Cardamine, Cardamine, everyone wants Cardamine!
This story is that of a freelance pilot. His name is Altaka, and he is the proud owner of a Hawk light fighter. His greatest allies are the outcasts and the blood dragons, and his worst enemies are the four houses. But this is not a story about how he got bad with the houses, this is the story where he is already bad with the houses.
Altaka was on Freeport 6 when it all started. An outcast, one of his regular contacts, was beckoning to him from one of the tables in the bar. Poor Altaka didn’t what was coming for him, so he went over to the table and sat down.
“Mister Altaka,” the outcast said as Altaka was sitting, “we have a very important assignment for you.” Altaka nodded.
“I’m ready for anything,” he said confidently. The outcast grinned.
“Good. The Kusari police has gotten their hands on some important data disks that show some very important… information, about the outcasts. You must capture the subject and give him to us. We’ll get the disks after that,” the outcast explained. “The target’s name is Robert Isiko.”
“Just one thing,” Altaka said. “What am I getting paid?”
“Of course you would want to know your payment. Fifty-thousand credits upon return,” the outcast said. Altaka whistled.
“Woah, you guys must want those data disks pretty badly,” he said.
“Of course we do. Now launch to space.” Altaka didn’t argue.
In his Hawk, Altaka found three of his buddies outside. The first was Santiago, also an outcast. He was a nice guy, but devastating in a fight. The second was George, a Liberty rogue. It was odd for one to be this far out, but then again, George was adventurous. The last was Sarah, a golden chrysanthemum. Altaka secretly liked her, but she would just as soon take him down as go out with him.
“Hey! Get to the jump gate, we’ve got work to do,” Santiago said. He sounded less unnaturally calm and more “I’m the boss so do what I say”. That wasn’t normal. Something was definitely going on with the outcasts and the Kusari police. Altaka activated his cruise engines and headed for the trade lane.
“So, exactly what is in those data disks?” he asked.
“Stuff ‘bout Cardamine, probably,” George said in his quasi-Texan accent.
“Not just about Cardamine. These data disks show a lot about the outcast bases, smuggling routes, even the location of Planet Malta. The damned fed got into Cali Base and downloaded it all. We NEED those data disks back!” Santiago said. The four came out of the trade lane at the Jump Gate.
“Men first,” Sarah said in a commanding tone. The three men went first, with the lady covering the rear.
The four popped out of the jump gate at the opposite end, in the Kyushu system. Immediately, all the naval forces in the area, including the battleship that regularly patrolled in the area started attacking them.
“Bravely run away!” George yelled, entering cruise speed. He was shortly followed by the other three.
“Let’s hope they didn’t tag us or follow us,” Sarah said. They entered the nearby dust field. For a long time, as they traveled through space, not a word was said. Then, nothing continued to be said when they left the dust field. Nada was said as the used the nearby gas giant to catapult them towards Planet Kyushu. Then, finally, someone broke the silence.
“I see him!” The work of George. Heretic… But indeed, Robert Isiko was visible in his drake, a couple of kilometers away. Sarah fired a cruise disruptor, which hit its mark and disabled Robert’s cruise engines.
“Shoot to kill!” Santiago charged in, dragoons blazing. Altaka’s own flashpoints were actually getting quite a work-out. As soon as the battle had started, it was over. Four against one is an unfair fight. Altaka tractored Robert’s escape pod into his cargo bay.
“Let’s get out of here and back to Freeport 6.” Altaka said. The four turned on their cruise engines and headed back to the jump gate, to go back to Tau-29.
“Did you get him?” Altaka’s contact asked. Altaka nodded.
“He’s in my cargo bay.” They headed back to Altaka’s ship. When they were inside the cargo bay, the outcast frowned.
“This doesn’t look like the person who raided our databanks… Tell me,” he said, grabbing the man, “do your friends call you ‘Bob’?”
“No, they don’t. That’s my name!” Altaka and the outcast turned to see a different person, obviously related to the interogatee. “He’s my brother, Rob!” And with that, Bob stabbed Altaka, then the outcast, with a stun baton.
--Mission Failed--
It's meant to be anti-climatic.
Edited by - Scout29 on 3/11/2006 9:48:17 AM
Cardamine, Cardamine, everyone wants Cardamine!
This story is that of a freelance pilot. His name is Altaka, and he is the proud owner of a Hawk light fighter. His greatest allies are the outcasts and the blood dragons, and his worst enemies are the four houses. But this is not a story about how he got bad with the houses, this is the story where he is already bad with the houses.
Altaka was on Freeport 6 when it all started. An outcast, one of his regular contacts, was beckoning to him from one of the tables in the bar. Poor Altaka didn’t what was coming for him, so he went over to the table and sat down.
“Mister Altaka,” the outcast said as Altaka was sitting, “we have a very important assignment for you.” Altaka nodded.
“I’m ready for anything,” he said confidently. The outcast grinned.
“Good. The Kusari police has gotten their hands on some important data disks that show some very important… information, about the outcasts. You must capture the subject and give him to us. We’ll get the disks after that,” the outcast explained. “The target’s name is Robert Isiko.”
“Just one thing,” Altaka said. “What am I getting paid?”
“Of course you would want to know your payment. Fifty-thousand credits upon return,” the outcast said. Altaka whistled.
“Woah, you guys must want those data disks pretty badly,” he said.
“Of course we do. Now launch to space.” Altaka didn’t argue.
In his Hawk, Altaka found three of his buddies outside. The first was Santiago, also an outcast. He was a nice guy, but devastating in a fight. The second was George, a Liberty rogue. It was odd for one to be this far out, but then again, George was adventurous. The last was Sarah, a golden chrysanthemum. Altaka secretly liked her, but she would just as soon take him down as go out with him.
“Hey! Get to the jump gate, we’ve got work to do,” Santiago said. He sounded less unnaturally calm and more “I’m the boss so do what I say”. That wasn’t normal. Something was definitely going on with the outcasts and the Kusari police. Altaka activated his cruise engines and headed for the trade lane.
“So, exactly what is in those data disks?” he asked.
“Stuff ‘bout Cardamine, probably,” George said in his quasi-Texan accent.
“Not just about Cardamine. These data disks show a lot about the outcast bases, smuggling routes, even the location of Planet Malta. The damned fed got into Cali Base and downloaded it all. We NEED those data disks back!” Santiago said. The four came out of the trade lane at the Jump Gate.
“Men first,” Sarah said in a commanding tone. The three men went first, with the lady covering the rear.
The four popped out of the jump gate at the opposite end, in the Kyushu system. Immediately, all the naval forces in the area, including the battleship that regularly patrolled in the area started attacking them.
“Bravely run away!” George yelled, entering cruise speed. He was shortly followed by the other three.
“Let’s hope they didn’t tag us or follow us,” Sarah said. They entered the nearby dust field. For a long time, as they traveled through space, not a word was said. Then, nothing continued to be said when they left the dust field. Nada was said as the used the nearby gas giant to catapult them towards Planet Kyushu. Then, finally, someone broke the silence.
“I see him!” The work of George. Heretic… But indeed, Robert Isiko was visible in his drake, a couple of kilometers away. Sarah fired a cruise disruptor, which hit its mark and disabled Robert’s cruise engines.
“Shoot to kill!” Santiago charged in, dragoons blazing. Altaka’s own flashpoints were actually getting quite a work-out. As soon as the battle had started, it was over. Four against one is an unfair fight. Altaka tractored Robert’s escape pod into his cargo bay.
“Let’s get out of here and back to Freeport 6.” Altaka said. The four turned on their cruise engines and headed back to the jump gate, to go back to Tau-29.
“Did you get him?” Altaka’s contact asked. Altaka nodded.
“He’s in my cargo bay.” They headed back to Altaka’s ship. When they were inside the cargo bay, the outcast frowned.
“This doesn’t look like the person who raided our databanks… Tell me,” he said, grabbing the man, “do your friends call you ‘Bob’?”
“No, they don’t. That’s my name!” Altaka and the outcast turned to see a different person, obviously related to the interogatee. “He’s my brother, Rob!” And with that, Bob stabbed Altaka, then the outcast, with a stun baton.
--Mission Failed--
It's meant to be anti-climatic.
Edited by - Scout29 on 3/11/2006 9:48:17 AM