Splintered Taka
21-12-2005, 02:40
“Behold, yea righteous, I am your shield, and you my sword”
Copper, the greasy stench of burning plastic, the tinge of Ozone and the crackle of electricity. . . somehow, the shield was still active. Not much time, each second counting down till it finally fell. And then? Space leered at him through the gaping hole in the wall, stars that seemed so peaceful looked at him hungrily, the twisted, still glowing steel shards around the edges resembled nothing so much as teeth. Chid reached for the door, to the scraping on the other edge. . . if he could reach the airlock. . .
Silently the ship shook, and then groaned loudly, screams filled the room, a rush of air from the vents before the shields kicked on to block the rush of air. The screams stopped. . . the scraping stopped. . . In the silence, he closed his eyes tightly and prayed for death.
“For thou hath died in my name, so shall thee live forever in heaven”
He opened his eyes again, sunlight shown through the palace windows, birds chirps were subdued, but present. He held the girl by the hand, her cries muffled by the gag he jury rigged. Somewhere, gunfire raged. Somewhere, artillery was landing. Somewhere, an air battle raged. He felt it, being both ni the boy dragging the girl and above it all. The thoughts raced chaotically through him, prayers and curses to the Prince above, the silent ship that directed the loyalists, the thousands of entrenched bunkers directing the opposition. . . the Prince. . . the Prince was silent, though his mouthpiece was not.
Chid closed his eyes again and focused his thoughts, forcing himself to fall back to just the one body, just the one mind. He opened them again, his head cleared and the eerily silent palace the only thing that seemed real, the rest of the world just a dream.
“Behold, an angel shall fall from the sky”
He broke through the window in the upper hall, pulling the girl out with him as he scrambled onto the narrow walk way. So high above it all, the firefights looked like the holo displays aboard the flagship, little more than specks of movement, flanks opened and closed, thrusts pushed and pushed back. The men faded away to red triangles, the buildings to wireframe models, the ledge expanded to the cold metal floor. He floated above it all, watching silently through cold, dead eyes.
The mouthpiece walked across the floor, speaking with the Prince's will. . . or would if the Prince had not been fully dead for generations. He should know, within him burned the Prince's soul and the last true strain of Mizunian blood.
“And low, flames shall descend from above, and cleanse the wicked world”
Later. . . It had to be. . . so many of the ships were gone and the Opposition flags flew over the capital. So many deaths, so much pain and destruction. . . for what?
The light vanished, the entire planet plunged from midday to deepest night. Silence. . . accursed silence. . . and then, nothing. The world froze and simply vanished, as if it had never existed. A globe expanded, swallowing the entirety of the Epsilon Pegasi system. . . till nothing was left but emptiness.
Chid awoke quietly, feeling empty inside after witnessing the memories. Soft feet on the cold ship floor, he padded into the control room, the captain and crew turning to salute.
“Your majesty, we have received final confirmation on the rest of the fleet. . . “
“it's all gone” the little boy said, looking up at the captain, and thrusting a glass at him. “Can I get a glass of water, please?”
The captain looked startled for a moment, before taking the glass and handing it to an ensign to run to the galley.
“Yes, your Holiness, as you know, our fleets have been scattered, the Arbiter, Nemmis, and Archangel systems have either fallen or been destroyed, our home world was destroyed when the Princess Ami self destructed, and the rebel fleets are still in hiding”
“So what do we do now?” Chid asked, looking up at the captain questioningly.
“Now. . . I suppose we make ends meet till we can retake our fleet and regain our former glory.”
“Then make it so. . .”
Copper, the greasy stench of burning plastic, the tinge of Ozone and the crackle of electricity. . . somehow, the shield was still active. Not much time, each second counting down till it finally fell. And then? Space leered at him through the gaping hole in the wall, stars that seemed so peaceful looked at him hungrily, the twisted, still glowing steel shards around the edges resembled nothing so much as teeth. Chid reached for the door, to the scraping on the other edge. . . if he could reach the airlock. . .
Silently the ship shook, and then groaned loudly, screams filled the room, a rush of air from the vents before the shields kicked on to block the rush of air. The screams stopped. . . the scraping stopped. . . In the silence, he closed his eyes tightly and prayed for death.
“For thou hath died in my name, so shall thee live forever in heaven”
He opened his eyes again, sunlight shown through the palace windows, birds chirps were subdued, but present. He held the girl by the hand, her cries muffled by the gag he jury rigged. Somewhere, gunfire raged. Somewhere, artillery was landing. Somewhere, an air battle raged. He felt it, being both ni the boy dragging the girl and above it all. The thoughts raced chaotically through him, prayers and curses to the Prince above, the silent ship that directed the loyalists, the thousands of entrenched bunkers directing the opposition. . . the Prince. . . the Prince was silent, though his mouthpiece was not.
Chid closed his eyes again and focused his thoughts, forcing himself to fall back to just the one body, just the one mind. He opened them again, his head cleared and the eerily silent palace the only thing that seemed real, the rest of the world just a dream.
“Behold, an angel shall fall from the sky”
He broke through the window in the upper hall, pulling the girl out with him as he scrambled onto the narrow walk way. So high above it all, the firefights looked like the holo displays aboard the flagship, little more than specks of movement, flanks opened and closed, thrusts pushed and pushed back. The men faded away to red triangles, the buildings to wireframe models, the ledge expanded to the cold metal floor. He floated above it all, watching silently through cold, dead eyes.
The mouthpiece walked across the floor, speaking with the Prince's will. . . or would if the Prince had not been fully dead for generations. He should know, within him burned the Prince's soul and the last true strain of Mizunian blood.
“And low, flames shall descend from above, and cleanse the wicked world”
Later. . . It had to be. . . so many of the ships were gone and the Opposition flags flew over the capital. So many deaths, so much pain and destruction. . . for what?
The light vanished, the entire planet plunged from midday to deepest night. Silence. . . accursed silence. . . and then, nothing. The world froze and simply vanished, as if it had never existed. A globe expanded, swallowing the entirety of the Epsilon Pegasi system. . . till nothing was left but emptiness.
Chid awoke quietly, feeling empty inside after witnessing the memories. Soft feet on the cold ship floor, he padded into the control room, the captain and crew turning to salute.
“Your majesty, we have received final confirmation on the rest of the fleet. . . “
“it's all gone” the little boy said, looking up at the captain, and thrusting a glass at him. “Can I get a glass of water, please?”
The captain looked startled for a moment, before taking the glass and handing it to an ensign to run to the galley.
“Yes, your Holiness, as you know, our fleets have been scattered, the Arbiter, Nemmis, and Archangel systems have either fallen or been destroyed, our home world was destroyed when the Princess Ami self destructed, and the rebel fleets are still in hiding”
“So what do we do now?” Chid asked, looking up at the captain questioningly.
“Now. . . I suppose we make ends meet till we can retake our fleet and regain our former glory.”
“Then make it so. . .”