Relative Liberty
28-06-2005, 18:26
Two-Claw rose from his seat and headed for the small compartement on the portside, the bathroom. He was an average lion, around three metres tall, handsome and with a large mane. He was born on Station #323, orbiting Liberty Two, some twenty years ago. His father had been a miner, obviously, and worked in the Bauxite mines on the surface for ten hours every day.
His mother had been Chief Engineer onboard a frigate stationed there and usually came home early to take care of the children, for there were more than one. He had two sisters, Fire-Eye and Sneak-Foot, and a brother, Fast-Paw. Fire-Eye had left home early and got a career as sniper in the army, their mother had disagreed to it but really couldn't do much about it, Sneak-Foot had joined one of the Intel branches, probably SODOF, and he hadn't heard of her in ten years. He and his brother on the other hand, had stayed home and became miners just like their father, Two-Claw had been promoted to Shuttler and ferried the raw material to Liberty Three, where they were refined. His brother worked as a Loader in the docks and handled the dock were Two-Claw's ship would land.
Two hours ago:
''It is good to see you again brother.'' said Fast-Paw, while loading the ore.
''It has been quite some time since we saw each other.
Have you heard anything about our sisters?'' asked Two-Claw, whilst drinking some coffee. It wasn't good coffee, it never was, but it contained enough caffeine to keep him and his collegues awake during their shifts.
''I heard Fire-Eye was promoted to sergeant this week, apparently she performed outstanding in a manouvre. She'll lead her own squad now.''
''She always performed outstanding. Mother would be proud.''
''In the end she finally accepted that Fire-Eye wanted be a soldier and not join the navy. I haven't heard anything from Sneak-Foot, but it was only to be expected considering she joined Intel.''
''Well, the loading's done so I should probably get going.''
''Farewell brother.''
''Farewell.''
The loading hatch closed, the workers left the docking bay and the magnetic shield was lowered. The mighty engines of the shuttle roared and the craft lifted, shot out into space like a bullet and continued on its way towards the small planet of Liberty Three.
Present time:
He returned from the bathroom and sat down behind the controls, to the right of the flight computer.
He was outside of the Security area now and raised his hand to switch the hyperspace generator on. A small blip demanded his attention, like a lonely scream in the empty void that was space. It was a perfectly normal blip, the kind of sound every captain heard when a ship came within the range of his sensors. It was perfectly normal except for one thing, it shouldn't be there. Two-Claws ship was the last one to leave the dock, it was the last one for this shift and the next one didn't begin in at least half an hour.
Another blip.
Whatever it was, it came closer.
Blip
He activated the HailSys and the small machine began buzzing, searching through frequencies, eventually finding the one reserved for civilian ships.
''Unidentified ship, this is shuttle #564. You are entering governement controlled space, please turn around.''
Blip
He switched to freighter frequencies.
''Unidentified ship, this is shuttle #564. You are entering governement controlled space, please turn around.''
Blip,blip
There was still no reply, and the craft came closer. He told the computer to broadcast on all frequencies.
''Unidentified ship, this is shuttle #564. You are entering governement controlled space, please turn around.''
Blip, blip, blip
''It should be within visual range soon, at least if its bgger than a fighter.'' he thought.
He readied the weapon systems, consisting a small turret and a torpedo launcher. The escort frigate had stayed at the home base, Two-Claw had convinced the captain that he was not needed. He didn't want one of those boring soldiers around when he met his brother for the frist time in a month.
Blip, blip, blip, blip
The craft was close now, the sensors indicated less than a kilometre.
Blip, blip, blip, blip, blip
Less than five hundred metres.
Two hundred.
One fifty.
One hundred.
Fifty.
Twenty.
Kadumk
Whatever it was it had crashed with the freighter. Two-Claw jolted up and sealed the cargo hold and the cabin.
As he turned back to the flight controls he saw a large part of debris flying outside the windows in the cockpit.
''The other ship must be badly hurt.'' he thought as the computer hadn't alerted him of hull compromizing. He unlocked the door and ran towards the depressurized chamber, donning the space suit and preparing to make contact with the unidentified ship.
Had he stayed any longer in the cabin, he might have recognized he debris as the remains of the turret.
He floated in space, beheld the beauty of the stars before he propelled himslef upwards.
On top of the ship was ten to fifteen hawkmen, tearing his ship apart with their claws.
That was the last thing he ever saw.
In orbit around Liberty Two:
The Hawkmen zoomed across the empty void in a low scythe formation, their right wing flew past Station #972 and up behind the weaponry.
A frigate tried to lift but was attacked by the hawkmen, who clawed their way through the cockpit and engines. The ship came crashing down into the hangar floor, the fusion drive detonated and a large part of the station was destroyed.
The scene was repeated across the empire, small unimportant planets and large industrial ginats were attacked indifferently.
His mother had been Chief Engineer onboard a frigate stationed there and usually came home early to take care of the children, for there were more than one. He had two sisters, Fire-Eye and Sneak-Foot, and a brother, Fast-Paw. Fire-Eye had left home early and got a career as sniper in the army, their mother had disagreed to it but really couldn't do much about it, Sneak-Foot had joined one of the Intel branches, probably SODOF, and he hadn't heard of her in ten years. He and his brother on the other hand, had stayed home and became miners just like their father, Two-Claw had been promoted to Shuttler and ferried the raw material to Liberty Three, where they were refined. His brother worked as a Loader in the docks and handled the dock were Two-Claw's ship would land.
Two hours ago:
''It is good to see you again brother.'' said Fast-Paw, while loading the ore.
''It has been quite some time since we saw each other.
Have you heard anything about our sisters?'' asked Two-Claw, whilst drinking some coffee. It wasn't good coffee, it never was, but it contained enough caffeine to keep him and his collegues awake during their shifts.
''I heard Fire-Eye was promoted to sergeant this week, apparently she performed outstanding in a manouvre. She'll lead her own squad now.''
''She always performed outstanding. Mother would be proud.''
''In the end she finally accepted that Fire-Eye wanted be a soldier and not join the navy. I haven't heard anything from Sneak-Foot, but it was only to be expected considering she joined Intel.''
''Well, the loading's done so I should probably get going.''
''Farewell brother.''
''Farewell.''
The loading hatch closed, the workers left the docking bay and the magnetic shield was lowered. The mighty engines of the shuttle roared and the craft lifted, shot out into space like a bullet and continued on its way towards the small planet of Liberty Three.
Present time:
He returned from the bathroom and sat down behind the controls, to the right of the flight computer.
He was outside of the Security area now and raised his hand to switch the hyperspace generator on. A small blip demanded his attention, like a lonely scream in the empty void that was space. It was a perfectly normal blip, the kind of sound every captain heard when a ship came within the range of his sensors. It was perfectly normal except for one thing, it shouldn't be there. Two-Claws ship was the last one to leave the dock, it was the last one for this shift and the next one didn't begin in at least half an hour.
Another blip.
Whatever it was, it came closer.
Blip
He activated the HailSys and the small machine began buzzing, searching through frequencies, eventually finding the one reserved for civilian ships.
''Unidentified ship, this is shuttle #564. You are entering governement controlled space, please turn around.''
Blip
He switched to freighter frequencies.
''Unidentified ship, this is shuttle #564. You are entering governement controlled space, please turn around.''
Blip,blip
There was still no reply, and the craft came closer. He told the computer to broadcast on all frequencies.
''Unidentified ship, this is shuttle #564. You are entering governement controlled space, please turn around.''
Blip, blip, blip
''It should be within visual range soon, at least if its bgger than a fighter.'' he thought.
He readied the weapon systems, consisting a small turret and a torpedo launcher. The escort frigate had stayed at the home base, Two-Claw had convinced the captain that he was not needed. He didn't want one of those boring soldiers around when he met his brother for the frist time in a month.
Blip, blip, blip, blip
The craft was close now, the sensors indicated less than a kilometre.
Blip, blip, blip, blip, blip
Less than five hundred metres.
Two hundred.
One fifty.
One hundred.
Fifty.
Twenty.
Kadumk
Whatever it was it had crashed with the freighter. Two-Claw jolted up and sealed the cargo hold and the cabin.
As he turned back to the flight controls he saw a large part of debris flying outside the windows in the cockpit.
''The other ship must be badly hurt.'' he thought as the computer hadn't alerted him of hull compromizing. He unlocked the door and ran towards the depressurized chamber, donning the space suit and preparing to make contact with the unidentified ship.
Had he stayed any longer in the cabin, he might have recognized he debris as the remains of the turret.
He floated in space, beheld the beauty of the stars before he propelled himslef upwards.
On top of the ship was ten to fifteen hawkmen, tearing his ship apart with their claws.
That was the last thing he ever saw.
In orbit around Liberty Two:
The Hawkmen zoomed across the empty void in a low scythe formation, their right wing flew past Station #972 and up behind the weaponry.
A frigate tried to lift but was attacked by the hawkmen, who clawed their way through the cockpit and engines. The ship came crashing down into the hangar floor, the fusion drive detonated and a large part of the station was destroyed.
The scene was repeated across the empire, small unimportant planets and large industrial ginats were attacked indifferently.