NationStates Jolt Archive

Interesting that this should end on the same day...

She started as he asked his quesiton.

"Actually, now that you mention it, yes."
"Maybe it means something. In any case, I know where we can get something to eat. There's always someone willing to cook... in this case, me."

~snip~
That was the nature of the Snake Eater. Be ruthless in battle, be among the greatest party animals when they could be, but always be ready for the next day bright and early, ready to continue the fight if it was needed.

The man at the comm post grinned, sipping at his beer,"I'll see what I can pull up."

He turned back to the control panel ((IN case you didn't realise, I use the same system as Federation starships with regard to this)) and slid his hands across it. After a moment, he spoke again,"Two survivours... the lead pilot of the crashed ship, as well as one of the gunners. I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but the others were all dead. The gunship was destroyed by melta-charges in order to destroy evidence you were ever there."

"Maybe it means something. In any case, I know where we can get something to eat. There's always someone willing to cook... in this case, me."
"Oh...you don't have to."

He shrugged,"Not having to and not wanting to are very different things. Cooking is a joy to me... it's creative, but also limited at the same time. I like that aspect, and it draws me in."

"I see." She smiles. "Well, I won't tell you not to if you want to."

He nodded,"Alright then, it's settled. Come on."

She follows him, most likely back to his place. She'd been there a number of times...even stayed the night occasionally.

She wondered if it would still be intact, after all that had happened.

He did indeed lead her back to his apartment. The building was scorched slightly, the windows cracked and blackened, the door swinging gently on it's hinges. The lock hadn't been forced... it was an explosion outside that had damaged it enough for it to release. He scouted out the inside, and smiled,"Everything is basically how I left it, astonishingly enough."

He moved into the kitchen, flicking the light switch on his way past. The kitchen looked pretty good, except the far window had shattered when a nearby bomb had taken it out. He sighed, and closed the curtains across to keep out the cold,"Now, what do you want to eat?"

She repaired the door as she stepped in.

"Well...what is there that would still be good after six months?"

She stepped into the kitchen. It was smaller than the one at home, by far...but normally it was only needed to feed one person...two when someone visited. That wasn't often...she would come sometimes, or Mantis...but she could rarely get away to just pester him.

"Need help?"

"Thanks to the miracle of fridges that have their own supplies, everything is still fresh."

He had already opened the doors, and was making sure that he was telling the truth,"Yep... given that everything is vaccum packed, it can last for years. How does... hmm... let's see... ah, yes. How does Spanish omelette with Focaccia sound to you, followed by Tiramisu... you've got to try that."

"That sounds good."

"Spanish" meant very little to Tari...she'd never heard of the place before. But she'd had it before, once, and it was pretty good.

It was also something that wouldn't be rough on the Drow system.

He smiled, cracking the eggs into a frying pan and turning on the gas. The blue flame burned merrily beneath the pan, causing the whites to begin to yellow. He chopped up the onions, peppers, and various other things into the mix, all the time keeping an eye on the focaccia bread in the oven,"Tari, would you set the table, please?"

She'd have levitated the things, but she was tired, so she risked dropping them if she did that.

She remembered where everything was, and grabbed a couple of plates and glasses, along with a couple of forks. It was odd, doing this by hand...but you couldn't use magick all the time. She set the table and waited to see if he needed her to do anything else.

Soon enough,"Dinner is served."

He brought out two plates of steaming omelette and still-warm focaccia. It smelled wonderful, the spices mingling in their nostrils to give them a unique scent. He laid one at each place, and then had found a bottle of something to drink... well, more than one. He may have been an assasin, but he was allowed to splash out sometimes,"You don't drink wine, so I went for water."

"I'm about twenty years too young to drink wine...but the food smells good."

"Sorry, I'm so used to people drinking... after all, we're allowed when we're eighteen. In any case, tuck in and enjoy."

He poured her a glass of water, and then drew himself up a chair at the battered wooden table. He began to eat, savouring the flavour he'd managed to trap in the food.

"We age just a little bit differently." She started eating, and managed to not swallow everything whole. It was good food, so she took the time to taste it, despite having only stopped for small meals maybe once every two days.

He watched her eat, smiling as she took the time to savour it. She was obviously hungry, but maintained manners well enough... he enjoyed her company. Not willing to risk her seeing him looking, he finsihed what he was eating, and took his plate into the kitchen, beginning to serve the tiramisu.

She was only halfway finished with her omlet and bread at this point. They'd probably have finished at about the same time if she'd eaten as quickly as she'd been wanting to.

He looked into the room,"No need to stand on ceremony, Tari. You know that."

"I can't because I don't know what 'ceremony' goes like in your nation."

She grinned. She knew what he meant well enough.

He stuck his tongue out, and brought in the two bowls,"Once you're done with that, dig into this. It's gorgeous, if I do say so myself."

She stuck her tongue back out at him and finished up the meal. She set her bowl of tiramisu on the plate (she could take both to the kitchen when she finished), and tasted it.

Something one should know about any resident of Rendelmar, and most Kaymirilians: They didn't often eat anything sweet other than fruit.

She took some time to consider the flavor of it. "It's good," she said at length, before moving on to eat the rest of her serving.

He noticed how she had taken the time, and smiled,"You can be honest with me, you know."

"We don't eat stuff like this. So I took the time to consider it. After all...had I not, I wouldn't have liked it. Sugar tastes kinda odd."

"True, I guess," he said, pushing his bowl away from him, and waiting for her to finish.

She finished a few minutes later, and stood with her dishes, taking his bowl as well.

"You cooked, so I'll clean up."

He smiled,"You don't have to, you know. It's not needed."

"They don't clean themselves."

She went into the kitchen, washing the dishes that were dirty and putting them away after drying them off.

He had cleaned up the table whilst she washed,"I never knew you were so domesticated."

He put the washcloth into the bin, and then looked out over the city,"Look over at the airport... thousands of people, all of them celebrating."

"Everyone knows how to do everything, where I live."

SHe looked over the city. "THey have reason to celebrate."

"We all have reason to celebrate... in some form or another. I guess for you, it's being able to go home."

-snip-
"Thank Gods that at least two made it out, only Tyler and Kelly could've made a landing like that..." James Lewis mumbled the words 'crazy bitch' and downed the last of his drink, wiping some foam on his sleeve.

"Good job to whoever charged that bird, would've been bad form for the other side to know we were in here. You said the main pilot? Guess that means that Kelly... could ya tell me where to find 'em?"

"Thank Gods that at least two made it out, only Tyler and Kelly could've made a landing like that..." James Lewis mumbled the words 'crazy bitch' and downed the last of his drink, wiping some foam on his sleeve.

"Good job to whoever charged that bird, would've been bad form for the other side to know we were in here. You said the main pilot? Guess that means that Kelly... could ya tell me where to find 'em?"
"Sure, why not?"

He tapped a few more keys,"Turns out they were brought here as well. A shuttle brought them down not ten minutes ago... they wanted to join the party."

"We all have reason to celebrate... in some form or another. I guess for you, it's being able to go home."
"Go home..." She shrugged.

"I'll likely be sent straight back out. Used to living in these conditions, or something like that."

She sighed. She really wanted rest, after all of that. Six months on the battlefield...it was harsh, especially at her age. But that's the way it went, sometimes...

"If I had a reason to celebrate, it would be that my mission is accomplished, and Kaymiril's closest ally is no longer in the hands of that monster."

"Go home..." She shrugged.

"I'll likely be sent straight back out. Used to living in these conditions, or something like that."

She sighed. She really wanted rest, after all of that. Six months on the battlefield...it was harsh, especially at her age. But that's the way it went, sometimes...

"If I had a reason to celebrate, it would be that my mission is accomplished, and Kaymiril's closest ally is no longer in the hands of that monster."

"Don't they give you any rest at all? Look, if you want, you can crash here until they call you back. It ain't big... but it serves two people well enough. You can have the bed, I'll sleep on the sofa."

There was genuine concern, and also a tone in his voice that suggested he was serious.

"It's your bed, and you haven't been home in longer than I haven't been home in."

She finished up the dishes and hung the towel to dry.

"Besides, I can sleep anywhere." She laughed softly. "People hate me for it."

He put his hand on her shoulder,"I insist."

There was a pause, and then he seemed to realise something, and pulled away from her, moving back into the living area. He sat himself down on the sofa, poured himself another glass of water, and sipped at it.
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Meanwhile, with the celebrations going on all over the city, there was one man not celebrating. He sat, overlooking the party, staring into the night sky, at one star in particular... the one Kaymiril orbited around. He sighed, and rubbed his hand across his cheek, feeling the blond stubble there. He laughed mirthlessly, and went back to the readouts he laid his hands on. They were littered around, about twenty of them, and he was studying them intently. Somewhere, he knew Constantine was still out there... now, to find out where.

"Where are you, you son of a bitch..."

He glanced at one, and was moving onto the next one when something caught his eye. He looked closer, his eyes widening as he saw the clear and present danger... the danger he had known about for almost two weeks now,"Oh my god..."

Tari watched him go back to the living area and let a spell run over her. It was a quick way to clean off...to purify. It took some time to work, as layers of grime had worked their way into her skin and clothes

Her shoulder still felt warm from where he had touched it, and she sighed again, before going to Raven's room to sleep.
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Iliyakim sought out James, and had found him just as he uttered "oh my god...."

"What's happened?"

He heard her go to bed, and sighed as well. Garth flew over from his perch on the window,Why don't you just tell her?

"Not that simple."

Oh really?

"Yes, really."

Garth chirped slightly at him, and settled onto Raven's shoulder,Well... your loss buddy boy

Raven looked towards the closed door of his bedroom,"I know that all too well..."
------------------------------------------
"We have a problem. You remember what I told you about Constantine's plans for the Gatekeeper?"

Cougar had made a point of informing Iliyakim of this threat as soon as he knew himself... well, as close as he could get anyway.

Keris didn't bother Tari with such matters...after all, what happened happened. But the Drow's sleep was uneasy...fragmented.
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The Drow nodded.

"Is he using it?"

Raven didn't sleep well that night. He pulled the sofa-bed out, and lay down, going through the motions of going to sleep... but he found himself struggling to do so. It was more difficult than it first seemed, being in love.
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"These sensor ghosts... five different ships, all showing the same thing, same time... it's too great for a coincidence. Now, look at it's heading. When they reset their scanners, it was gone... this thing was designed to be stealth-like, and also, he's moving towards Osea. Even at maximum warp in that thing, he'll be a week... and he won't risk open warp travel. No, too high a risk... we've got to go after him."

Tari eventually gave up on sleep long before the sun rose, but as she didn't hear Raven moving around, she decided to stay in the room so as to not disturb him.
__________________________________________________________________________
The Drow nodded.

"How many are advisable?"

"Sure, why not?"

He tapped a few more keys,"Turns out they were brought here as well. A shuttle brought them down not ten minutes ago... they wanted to join the party."
James hummed as he moved towards the shuttle. So, two had made it out? A third of the crew... that was good for a crash like that.

James found the pair in the middle of a heated game of three-dimensional chess. The Flight Leader, Kelly, had a bandage around her head and some sort of cast on her arm, a neck brace barely visable beneath her hair and collar. Joey Forrester, the gunner, was reclining in his chair, a huge scar on his visible on his leg and a power cable leading to his foot... Where in blazes he had found shorts like that was a complete mystery.

"So you two made it out? Crazy fools! Leaving us to do all that work while you relaxed with some hot medics."

Kelly looked up, making puppy-eyes at James. "I have no idea what you mean. We've been here waiting for you for ages! How can you accuse us?"

Joey smirked at this. "Meh. All the medics we encountered were male, cept for that one. They were pretty hot though... If I were a girl..." The three had a good laugh over this. "So James... how'd you guys get along?"

"You were the first bird we lost. Two other hulls have gone down, both back there. We have been decently lucky, less than twenty-five percent loss of life. I wish those morons at high-command had sent a full wing of our craft! Seventy two gunships would have been a fearsome sight!"

"It would also have needed fearsome ammounts of logistics that these people don't really have." Noted Kelly, making another move. "Do you know how hard it was for them to find stuff compatable with us? Especially since these are new birds and use a ton of propriatary. By the way, I was looking up the kill count you guys racked up. You're going to need some paint it seems. CHECK-MATE FOOL!"

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I demand a recount!"

James almost fell over laughing. "Let's rejoin the others." The group left the chess-table, allowing some people who had been waiting a chance. It was a grand party, and the return was well-celebrated.

He may not have been moving, but he was awake alright. Couldn't sleep.
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"Not many... this thing is a bomb of epic proportions. I don't want to risk any more lives than I have to."

Keris contacted Garth on her own...they could communicate amongst themselves.

Is your master sleeping? Because mine isn't.
__________________________________________________________________________
"I'll volunteer to go."

You must be joking, right? He's barely slept all night... hopeless, both of them
------------------
"Well... that's two. Constantine is alone... his men all thought he was dead... but we'll need something to get us onto that ship. It's built like a Dreadnaught, with weapons everywhere for it's own defence."

Really. It'd help if they weren't afraid to talk...but what happens happens. She's not leaving the room so she doesn't risk waking him...but she'll leave if you annoy him into making some sort of noise.
____________________________________________________________________________
"H'mm...a few more will be required, then."

That, I can do

Garth started flying round Raven's head, chirping annoyingly, trying to get his master to move,"Alright, alright, I'm up... bloody hell, what's got you in a twist this morning?"
---------------------------------
"We can't ask people from the fleet to do it... the Dauntless can take us. She's small enough to avoid being tracked... mostly. Anyway, there's got to be a blindside... things this size always do have them. Who else do you suggest we take?"

Tari looked at Keris. "Sounds like he's awake. What's got into Garth, though?"

I don't know.

"..."

Tari opened the door to the room -- she'd fixed the bed when she'd given up on sleep -- and stepped out. "Good morning."
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"The Eversor assassin is a resourceful young man...he would prove useful...as would, I suspect, the Velkyn you've been denying."

Raven was shirtless... this was because Garth had infact stolen his shirt and was now flying round the room, in an effort to get him to move. His body was well-toned, as one would expect from an Eversor assassin. As Garth flew over the sofa, he jumped over it, snatching the shirt and throwing it about his shoulders. It was only now that he saw Tari in the doorway,"AH... I guess I woke you, hmm?"
--------------------------
Cougar raised an eyebrow,"Raven, no qualms... and you're sharp to pick up on the Velkyn."

Tari had stifled laughter at the chase going on between Garth and Raven...it was so funny, watching a little velxun'yrr carry around something that would have created so much drag.

"No...I was awake. Little sleep over long periods of time creates habits." She picked up Garth. "And you...do you always act like this?"
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"Hard not to. So many things unexplained but happening both here and in Kaymiril...one can only surmise that the legends are true."

Not always... just, sometimes.

"Yeah... this is the second time you've done that. Little sod."

Raven buttoned up his shirt, and smoothed it down,"Well, looks like neither of us got much sleep."
-------------------------
Cougar shook his head,"AH well... just make sure never to mention it again, understand? It's top-secret... like us. We don't exist, neither do they"

He looks better than I remember...

"Yeah...looks it. Ah well. You'd probably have slept better in your own bed."

She hopped over the back of the couch, landing to sit on the back of it. "So...what is there to do today?"
__________________________________________________________________________
"Naturally."

"Very little, from what I hear. The party will still be going, no doubt."
-----------------------
"Good. Right, we need Raven, the Velkyn God, that feels weird saying that word...... anyone else?"

"How can anyone party that long?" She flopped back, lying along the back of the couch. "I mean...there's a reason for it...but I'd think they'd all want to curl up and sleep for three days."
_______________________________________________________________________
Iliyakim shook his head. "Among the four of us, we should be able to do about everything. To risk more lives is folly."

Cougar nodded,"I'll get right on it."

He made Duck contact Garth, who chirped at Raven,"What? Cougar? Alright, put him through."

"Raven, you and the Velkyn get yourselves down to the airport right away."

"Why? What's wrong?"

"WE've got a situation... we're leaving Snake Eater Prime for a little while."

"How long?"

"Not sure. Just get yourselves down here now! That's an order."

Raven cutoff the connection,"In answer to your question...humans are odd creatures. Now, come on, we've got to get going. From the way he called you 'Velkyn', I'm guessing he's got Iliyakim with him. Best put your mask on."

"Stupid mask."

She conjured it, slipping it onto her face. "Right..." She sat up. "Airport...Keris, locate Duck..."

The Aeagle, of an older design than Cougar's, went to work, and located Cougar's glider swiftly enough. She teleported herself and Raven to within five feet of the two lifesigns in the area.

"That immediate enough for you, Cougar?" She was sitting on the air exactly the way she'd been sitting on the couch, but dropped down within seconds.

"Close enough, yeah," he said, noticing the mask. It was a good thing she'd put it on,"Right, get onboard the Dauntless, I'll brief on the way."

"Oh, fun, space travel."

She stepped into the Dauntless.

Iliyakim looked at Cougar. "She's just a child..."

"If you've heard the legends, you'll recall how deadly the Velkyn are said to be? Trust me, Iliyakim, you couldn't ask for much better support. Now, come on, we've got work to do."

He settled into the pilots seat, and tapped the controls, taking them away from the planet and into the warp. AS they streaked towards the rogue missile, he briefed Raven and Tari on the situation at hand, finishing with the words,"Are there any questions?"

"Yeah, I got one."

"Which is?"

"You do know this is insane, right?"

COugar grinned,"Insane is my job."

Iliyakim had taken the co-pilot's seat...why, he didn't know...just seemed about right.

Tari looked over at Raven.

"How is this more insane than some of the crazy stunts I've watched you pull? It's the same...we screw up, we all die. No pressure...lots of fun."

Raven looked at her,"I take it back. She's insane, James... you're slightly less so."

"You've met Shan. I have a reason to be insane."

Cougar laughed,"Ah, that's so true, it's scary. In any case, we're coming up on the missile."

Up ahead, they could see the weapon, coasting languidly through the malestrom of the warp. Five hundred metres long, it looked more like a capital ship of a smaller nation than a weapon... but it was a weapon. Raven stared out at it,"How could he build something like that, and we didn't notice it?!"

"He put the dock over the magnetic poles of the planet. It masked them from the sensors of the ships when we entered the system. In addition to that, it's coated with a substance similar to that found in XV15 Tau stealth suits, making it that much harder to detect."

"I see weapons..."

"Yes, it's bristling. Phaser, pulse cannons, torpedoes... this thing could take on a huge number of ships. Combine that with multi-regenerative shielding, it makes it almost immpentrable."

"Why isn't it firing? He must be aware of our approach."

"Wrong. This little baby is equipped with a cloaking device that eliminates the adverse baron and tetryon particles that are inherrent to co-axial warp drives, so he can't see us. It's brilliant... and it's a concept being tested on Shadow-classes."

Raven whistled softly,"Sweet. How do we get inside?"

COugar pointed out the front window,"Docking port... I just hope it works at faster-than-light speeds. I'm sending the standard codes."

"Why risk it? I could probably figure out a way to pull it back down to normal speeds. But barring that, if both ships are experiencing roughly the same constant velocity, and you dock us perfectly...yeah, it should work."

"Well, the tractor beam on this thing is capable of hauling an Akira-class warship... I could slow it down... and it would make our job a lot easier. Just... stand by on those weapons. If he starts shooting, then we need all the skill we can muster."

He tapped a few keys, and a brilliant blue cone shot out from the front of the craft, latching onto the weapon. COugar throttled back, bringing them back to sublight speeds. There was an ominious creaking sound as the engines of the tiny craft struggled not only to slow down themselves, but also slow the much larger craft down with them. Straining, they hauled both of them back into real space. As they translated between the two, the weapons emplacements seemed to activate, searching for the origin of the beam. Finding it, the pulse cannons fired. Cougar pulled up, still keeping the beam latched onto the target, the first blasts splattering on his shields,"Iliyakim, I'm going to pray you can target as well in space as you can on the ground right about now. Just keep them occupied for another ten seconds."

The craft rocked as another blast hit them, the lights flickering,"Now I think I understand why some people dislike space travel," mused Raven under his breath, gripping to the wall and the seat.

Iliyakim manned the weapons, firing back at the craft, focusing on disabling its weapons and sheilds.

Tari, meanwhile, sought out the engines and found something to freeze up. It probably wouldn't last long...but maybe enough for them to dock.

ONboard the weapon, Constantine pounded at the control panel in front of him. The craft had been designed for complete automation, but could be controlled from a single control station at the front of the tapered end. Everything from tactical to engines could be controlled through here. He swore as the engines seemed to falter,"Damn impulse drive... sometimes this thing is the worst bucket of bolts I've been in... no matter."

The craft slowed to a halt, but the weapons were still firing. That was until a stray shot of Iliyakim's damaged the main power grid, sending it offline. It was a lucky shot, but no-one was complaining. Cougar brought them into the docking port close to the rear 'exhaust' of the engines, and clamped them firmly into place,"He could got to warp and this thing wouldn't budge now."

He opened the door, and stepped into the hallway,"Well... this is interesting."

Tari released her concentration on the spell. Iliyakim helped her up from where she had landed when a sudden few turns had sent her flying. She seemed unhurt, so he joined Cougar to find out what was so interesting.

He pointed out the metallic blue tanks above them,"Anti-matter storage tanks. We can't use weapons in here... pierce those, and this whole thing goes bang."

Tari looked at them. "That's odd...oh well. Let's find Constantine and end this mess."

Cougar sighed,"I would use weapons, but I don't want to risk it. Come on then, all of you."

He led them along the narrow corridor. It gave him a sense of claustrophobia... good thing he didn't suffer from being claustrophobic,"The main control centre should be at the other end of the craft... I would have got us closer, but none of the other hatches responded.... I'm not even sure this thing has any other hatches."

The Drow could move through the corridor more easily than the humans, being of slighter build.

Iliyakim nodded. "Probably not...failsafe. Gives the pilot time to deal if he gets boarded."

"That's what I thought... from what I found, they assumed that this weapon would never be boarded. The internal defences leave plenty to be desired."

They'd been walking for about five minutes when there was a door ahead. The weapon had been produced to do it's job, so there was minimal lighting, life support, and no automated doors. Instead, it was a regular swinging door, mounted on hinges. He drew his pistol,"We should be clear of the storage tanks... weapons out now."

He pushed the door, and it swung noiselessly open. INside, the main power core hummed gently, the pulsing blue energy swirling around. The rest of the room was lit by blood-red emergency lighting,"Odd... he should have been in here. Raven, TAri, go and check the upper level. He might be up there... Iliyakim, come with me. Let's see if we can't crack this system and stop this thing."

Iliyakim stepped forward to take a look at the controls, plugging in Inthuul and his single remaining velxun'yrr to help him crack the code.

Tari, meanwhile, found the way up, and clambered to the upper level to begin the search.

Raven clambered up after her, and began to search as well. It was strange that Constantine was nowhere to be found...

COugar laid his pistol on the control panel,"Impressive.. I haven't seen anything like this in a long time. It's rare to make everything go through a single panel like this."

That could only mean he was up to no good, as far as Tari was concerned. After a few minutes of fruitless searching, she sat on the floor, closed her eyes, and searched out any life signs in the missle and shuttle. It would make it quicker.

"That's all that would be necessary," the Drow officer commented. "Especially if you have delusions of invincibility."

She would pick up four, which was them... and one other. The last one's position was erratic... it seemed to be jumping at random intervals, all around the ship.

"Very true. Hows that code coming along?"

"Oh...crap. This is going to be a problem."

"It's coming. There are some logarithms that they're having trouble with. Is your aeagle programmed to crack codes like this?"

Raven looked over at her, seeing how she was cross-legged on the floor,"What's wrong?"

"Duck, go help Iliyakim, see if we can't crack this code quickly."

Duck disconnected himself from Cougar's wrist, and swooped over to the control panel, plugging himself in to try and crack this code... it was tough, but doable.

"He's bouncing around everywhere...I can't get a solid lock on him."

Inthuul and the velux fed data to Duck to work with him on this thing.

"DAmnit. James, looks he's got a personal transporter."

COugar swore,"Great. That makes it more interesting. TAri, can you force him to come here?"

"I can try."

She had seen the man, once or twice...and she could discern the energy signature of the transporter device. She called the device to her, but the creature with the device to Cougar.

Teleportation and Snake Eaters transporter units were very different things.

Constantine would find it painful...especially since it was his first time, and he had no guide to take the pain for him.

Constantine felt a sharp jerk of pain as Tari managed to yank him from his set route, and was pulled sharply into the command room. He fell to the floor behind Cougar, gasping in pain. James continued to work, until the pathetic man spoke,"cougar..."

"Yes, Satan?"

He spun round on his heel, and smiled slightly,"Oh, I'm sorry Damien, I mistook you for someone else."

Constantine spat onto the ground,"How did you do that?"

Tari held the transporter device in her hands. "This is a weird thing. Anyway, let's head back to the command room."

She went back to the ladder and slid down.

"He's close enough to Satan, Cougar. After all...have you seen his handwriting?"

Iliyakim kept working, not allowing the unfolding scene to distract him from his work.

James nodded, picking up the pistol,"I'm not one to shoot a man in cold-blood... but sometimes everyone has to make an exception."

He levelled the pistol at Constantine's head, and his finger tightened on the trigger... Raven's hand was there, knocking the weapon aside,"No, James."

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

Tari teleported the transporter into about a thousand different places.

"He's right. By the standards you were going to shoot him under, it would have been murder. I doubt the Snake Eater legal system would go terribly much easier on him...and it would expose him for what he is to the few that still believe."

She was keeping an eye on Constantine. If he moved, she'd bind him.

Cougar was fraught with indecision. His brain told him that what he had intended to do was completely wrong... but his heart told him that he had to kill the man. It was the only way. After a moment, he put the weapon into a holster,"They're right. You're coming back to stand trial for what you've done... for all the pain and the suffering you've caused these people. You will pay for your crimes."

"Fuck you."

"I'm not sure the High Court will take that well. Tari, bind him. Make sure he doesn't move from that spot... actually, you and Raven take him back to the shuttle. Me and Iliyakim will finish up here."

Tari bound him magickally, and telekinetically dragged him back toward the shuttle.

After all...she couldn't kill the man...but it didn't mean she had to be gentle with him.

Iliyakim, meanwhile, was getting close to cracking the code, and his fingers flew over the controls, the motion starting to blur as he worked ever harder and faster.

Cougar was working on finding the right code for detonation... breaking the code to gain access was one thing... but shutting this weapon down or setting the right course was another completlety,"Thank god we caught him here... another hour or so, and we wouldn't have been able to."

Iliyakim made a vague sound of agreement.

Tari stowed Constantine in the shuttle, then lounged in one of the seats to make sure he couldn't go anywhere.

"So...you like writing with the star of Kaelis Ra? Probably all those mind-altering substances that did it to you."

Finally, the code cracked, and they were inside. Now, this was Cougar territory. He'd been thinking about how to do this for some time, and had decided in the past five minutes. He sifted through reams of date, finding exactly what he wanted... the onboard star charts. He brought them up, and found their position,"Perfect. We're in the Pancel system... it's not under anyone's control. Not even Snake Eaters. We'll drop the weapon into the blue giant... it's the only way we can be assured it will never be used again."

He plugged in the coordinates, and felt the vessel shift underneath his feet,"Iliyakim, time to go."

IN front of him, on the panel, the countdown had started. It read 5:00...4:59...4:58,"We've got less than five minutes to get off this bucket."
-------------
Onboard the Dauntless, Raven sighed as he got himself a drink, and one for Tari as well.

Constantine, bound as he was, refused to answer her questions, instead spitting again.

"All right. Let's go."

He gathered Inthuul and his velux, and turned to leave.

________________________________________________________________
Tari accepted the drink from Raven, sipping at it.

"Well, you'll have no fun at all on this ride if you're not going to talk with the other passengers. But it's your choice, you know."

Cougar led him back to the Dauntless, the pull of gravity already making the hull plates buckle beneath his feet, the ominious groans of a ship in it's death throes. James had been on a ship that had suffered explosive decompression once... it had been terrible. The blue giant was clawing at the weapon that would never be used. As they reached the door into the ship, Cougar stopped,"Yet another weapon of destruction that should never be used... destroyed at my hand... do you ever get the feeling the universe is trying to tell you something?"

He shook himself,"I'm just being foolish. Come on, let's get off this thing before it explodes and takes us with it."

He opened the door, hearing Tari talking to Constantine. The ex-President was being stubborn... well, that was no surprise really. Raven was also sat at the table, a steaming cup of cocoa in his hands. Cougar smiled, and flung himself into the pilots chair, sealing the door behind Iliyakim, and undoing the magnetic clamps,"Ok... we're free. I'm backing off to a million klicks and we can watch this thing disintigrate."

Tari turned to watch. Explosions were more fun than stupid people.

The weapon plunged down into the upper layers of the star, the sheer heat and radiation warping it's primary structure. Whilst it was still within range, the antimatter-storage tanks ruptured, and the anti-matter spilled out, reacting with the matter in the star... the explosion lit up the entire sky, the windows had to darken in order to allow them to see properly. When it cleared, there was a solar flare reaching out into space, it's whispy tendrils the only visible effects. Cougar sighed, and leant his head against the control panel,"It's finally over..."

Iliyakim nodded. "At last."

"Let's get this scumbag back to Snake Eater Prime, and turn him in. Then... finally... we can celebrate."

After a two hour trip back to the central planet, COugar landed smoothly outside his house, in the back garden, and he asked Iliyakim to help him with taking Constantine to Barbarossa, who had already moved into the Adminstrium, and was prepping a speech for the next day. This left Raven and Tari alone, and it was mid-afternoon. The first seeds of winter were beginning to creep in, the chill in the air familar to anyone who had lived on the planet any lenght of time.

Iliyakim was more than glad to get Constantine to Barbarossa.

That was it. The war was over. They could get back to their jobs and the populace could return to their lives, free of this tyrant for all time.
_______________________________________________________________________
Tari could feel the awkwardness returning.

"So...it's over. Kind of an odd feeling."

"You're telling me... six months... I can't believe we spent six months fighting like that... every day."

"Longest I've ever been out. And just like that, it's over...although there's a lot of rebuilding to be done. I should probably help with that, until I get called home."

She slid down to sit on the grass. It was growing cold, but she didn't mind it. She'd trained in harsher scenarios.

He seemed to hesitate, and then sat down next to her, noting the coldness of the ground beneath his fingertips,"Barbarossa is making a public address tomorrow... it's being broadcast across the galaxy... everyone will know that we are, once more, a free people. I think he's planning to invite diplomats from all over to come to Snake Eaters, see how we're doing, and use this as a chance to build ties to other nations."

"The Valsharess will not be able to come herself for another few months...but she will at least send a representative."

"I think he's holding it off a few months... let the country get back on it's feet, let rebuilding get well underway."

"Probably a good idea."

He nodded, and seemed to look elsewhere, as if trying to avoid her gaze.

He's broody again...

She moved behind him, resting her head against his back.

She'd done it sometimes at the Academy...she thought there were times he was wanting to stab her for doing it, but he'd refrained.

Back then, it had irritated him a lot...still irritated him somewhat when she'd come to visit or work with him. But it made him do something other than brood.

He smiled,"It's been a long time since you've done that."

"It's been a while since you've been broody or angry. And the last time I saw you broody, I couldn't sit up."

Odd...that normally irritates him.

He laughed,"A reminder of times more innocent, eh?"

"Innocent? Hardly. You were already an assassin, and I was still being trained. Still am being trained. However, I have failed. You normally get annoyed by this."

He laughed, and tried to get her off,"It is annoying me now. Now, come on."

She started poking him in the ribs.

"You're lying. It isn't irritating you...you're laughing."

"It's beginning to."

He rolled sideways, trying to dislodge her.

She didn't let go, so she was crushed, stuck between a man that weighed at least twice as much as she did (and probably more), and the ground.

She pushed at him. "Get off!"

He nodded,"Alright, sorry, that was mean."

She sat up and scooted away, able to breathe again. "Yeah it was."

"Are you alright? I didn't mean to hurt you."

"I'm fine." She still looked and sounded irritated.

He mused for a moment. It was an uncomfortable silence. Then Garth, being the little sparrow that he was, chirped up,Tell her now, or forget it. There was another pause, before Raven started to talk,"Tari..."

She looked at him, waiting for him to complete what he has to say.

"... there's something I've been meaning to say to you... but... I'm afriad of what it could mean if I do."

"What is it?"

He paused, as if unwilling to say what he had to say, but then his face cleared,"Tari... over these past months... something has changed. I no longer look upon you as a friend... I see you as something more. I think... hell, I know... Tari, I've fallen in love with you."

"It means trouble. I was hoping that you didn't feel for me as I'd started to feel for you. If you didn't love me, then that was it, life could be normal...but it looks like we have to figure this out...whether we ignore this, or act on it."

"Well... I guess we've got no choice. After all, we're assassins... we live in different nations... hell, you're not here that often..."

"Actually, so long as I'm to class on time, they don't really care where I am, unless I'm off doing something stupid or getting myself killed by interfering in someone else's mission or breaking some law."

Shan learned that the hard way.

He sighed,"I wasn't planning on telling you. I thought it would get wierd between us."

"That was my plan...ignore it and hope it goes away. But now that it's been said, kind of hard to go back and not say."

"So, we come back to the question... what do we do?"

She'd been three feet away from him, but she closed the distance and crouched down by him, reaching out and turning his head.

She paused for a moment...if she did this, it was another thing that couldn't be taken back.

But her hesitation was only momentary, and she leaned forward to place a feather-soft kiss on his lips.

Raven was startled, to be sure. As her lips brushed his, he didn't quite know what to do. To not react would be insulting... to react... he's have to be careful. His instinctive response was to pull her closer, and he did so, his hands moving gingerly onto her back, pulling her closer towards him.

I can't believe this is actually happening...

She looks at him when it ends.

"Looks lke that answers that question."

He smiled at her,"I think it does, somewhat."

His hands were still clasped behind her back, supporting her were she was. If she wanted him to let go, all she had to do was ask him. Still, he doubted she would.

She laughs and embraces him.

"Well...this isn't what I was expecting when I woke up this morning...not disagreeable, though."

He smiled, and embraced her as well,"I have to say, it's a rapid turn of events... now, we can stop the weirdness around each other."

"True."

He smiled, and squeezed her gently,"I can't say I'm not glad though."
--------------------------
*The next day*
Reinstated Lord-President Jacius Barbarossa stood on the steps of the Adminstrium, flanked by his Assembly. In front of him stood a plinth, with the Snake Eater flag drapped over the front. He stepped forward, and cleared his throat. Instantly, all eyes were on him, cameras straining his way,"My fellow Snake Eaters. Citizens of other nations. I stand before you now, to tell you what many of you already know. The war is over... Damien Constantine is in custody... we have retaken our nation from the grip of a facist dictator."

He paused, letting the effect of these words sink in,"This time has been one of immense struggle, and pain. Some of you may blame myself for this... others, might blame Constantine. Some of you even blame the White Devil himself for this war. He asked me to say a few words for him. His name has been changed to protect him:

When I go home, some people ask me,'Hey Richard, why do you do it man? You some kind of war junkie?' I won't say a word. Why? Because they won't understand... they don't understand why we did it. It's about doing what's right... because once that first bullet goes past your head, politics and all that shit, just goes right out the window. And that's it. That's all there is.

Having been reinstated as Lord President of Snake Eaters, I am officially, as of this moment, reopening the borders between Snake Eaters and her friends abroad. We have weathered the storm, and we will come out stronger than before. I promise each and everyone of you that Snake Eaters will rise from her ashes. I also wish to announce that the High Court will re-open on Sunday, 4th December of this year, in order to address the case of Damien Constantine. The charges are as follows:

Conspiracy to commit murder.
Grevious Bodily Harm
Homicide.
Election Rigging.
Provoking armed conflict in order to further personal interests.
Threatening to use a weapon on mass destruction on a planet with SNake Eater territory.

Ladies and Gentlemen of the galaxy, I bid you welcome... to a new age!"

Valsharess Kaymiril VII listened to the broadcast intently.

"Well done, Jacius."

She penned a note to send to him.

To: Lord President Jacius Barbarossa of Snake Eaters
Regarding: Recent Victory.

Congratulations, my friend. It is good to see you back in office, and to see that that pig has been removed from the political stage.

Contact me sometime regarding the exchange of ambassadors.

Valsharess Kaymiril VII
___________________________________________________________________
***Elsewhere***

The entire present population of Rendelmar was watching the broadcast as well.

What Shan was wondering was...when the hell had a WMD come into the picture?

Cougar left Snake Eater Prime straight after the broadcast. The Navy had already dispersed, but a few ships, soon to be reinforced, were already clearing out the space lanes of the hullks of destroyed ships. He was happy not to have to sneak around anymore... it felt good, liberating. The Hydra flashed it's running lights at him as he passed under it's saucer section. It was dragging a wrecked Akira class away. All the hulls would be be reused, where possible, to help rebuild the navy.

He set a course for Kaymiril, and was there soon enough. He walked into the town, Che'el, and knocked on the door he knew his wife and children were behind.

The door opened, and Akor ran over and about jumped on him, grabbing him in a hug.

"Hello there little one. How are you today?"

She started talking in an odd mix of Common and Drow, just happy to see him again. Barrus had been in the other room, while Rhenna was in the small kitchen, talking with Vedt via D'anthe.

As soon as Barrus recognised his father, he followed suit to his sister.

He picked both of them up, and noticed Rhenna was in the kitchen. He decided it best to leave her alone for the time being... she was no doubt fixing to head straight back down to Rendelmar as soon as he left with the children. He sat down on the air with his kids,"Have you both been good for ma?"

Arianna caught the Broadcast on one if Cid's television things. Appearently, he promised it could catch broadcasts from distant corners of Creation. She knew its message to be true though. So she told the Queen, and together, the sent a Note.

"To: Lord President Barbarossa, of Snake Eaters.
From: Lady Arianna, Queen of Warhaven, and her Majesty the Queen Sliver.

We heartily congratulate you on your victory. We also wish to help you Rebuild your nation. Please, let us know what we can do to help you.

Yours,
The Queens of Warhaven."

He got a "yes" and a "no" at the same time.

Rhenna wrapped up her conversation and headed out. She smiled when she saw him.

"Good to see you made it out alive."

He touched the back of his hand,"Mostly. Can't feel this though. I'm going to Mithdelmar before I leave... get it checked out."

She nodded. "Probably a good idea."

He smiled,"I'm guessing you head home after I leave."

She nods. "And this house disappears and everyone forgets that I was ever here."

"How did I know that would come about. Oh well... it's for the best, I suppose."

He shrugged nonchantly... he seemed remarkably calm and level about the whole thing. The light was still out in his eyes... but there was still hope, still that shimmer that showed he was still human.

"Hey, kids, why don't you go start packing your toys in the box. Daddy's going to take you home."

They jumped off the low couch and ran into their room. Rhenna sat a small distance away from her husband. "It's been so hard on you..."

He watched them go,"Hard on me... yeah. Hard on them... even more so."

She shook her head. "They missed you...but they didn't know what was going on. They've been okay."

She reached out and touched his cheek. There was an expression of sorrow on her face.

He leant into her soft touch, noticing her sorrow,"What's wrong?"

"It was harder on you than I'd hoped it would be."

He smiled,"War is like that. Give me a week or two, and I'll be fine. Anyway, so long as the kids are happy, I'm happy"

But is that really true?

She leaned over and kissed him. "I love you, James."

He kissed her back,"I love you too. Never forget that."

"How can I?"

She looked at the door the twins had gone into. "I'd better help them pack. Why don't you go to Mithdelmar, and get that hand looked at? They'll be ready to go back home by the time you get back here."

He nodded, and got up to go,"I'll be back soon enough."

With that, he teleported out the house and into Mithdelmar. It wasn't hard, the area having been etched on his memory over the years. He walked inside the temple, looking for someone to treat his hand.

Mith was walking the halls, and saw Cougar.

"Well, Cougar, welcome back."

"I'm only getting this hand seen to before I go home... I've had to come pick up the kids."

"Ah. Well, let me see the hand. If it isn't serious, I can patch you up here and now."

Mith took Cougar's hand and cast a diagnostic spell on it.

"I can fix this up easily enough."

Cougar's nerve endings had been crushed, so the healer merely manipulated the hand so that everything was back in the place it was intended to be.

"Take it easy with that hand for a few days, but you'll be fine."

"No worries. I've got leave... I think it'll do me good."

"It will...take time to relax. Play with your children...it'll wear you out, but do you good."

He smiled,"Yeah, good advice. See the speech earlier?"

"I did. I'm glad that mess is over. I'm sending teams back into Snake Eaters to deal with the wounded, and the Valsharess is planning on sending several ships to help with the rebuilding."
____________________________________________________________________________

Iliyakim was looking over various reports, trying to figure out where to go. All of SHADOW had leave, and he thought to use his time off helping with reconstruction. It was the least he could do after all the destruction he'd had a hand in causing.

Cougar nodded,"All will be welcome. I might not see you again, so... take care of yourself."

He left Mithdelmar, and went back to Che'el to pick up his children... and leave his wife for the second time.
---------------
Elliot gave him a call,"Man, are you going to relax? Come on already."

Mith nodded. "You as well."

Akor and Barrus were packed and ready to go by the time Cougar got there.
_________________________________________________________________________
"I do plan on catching up on sleep...but I feel responsible for this."

"I'm sorry about this, you two. Come on... let's go home."

He took them both by the hand, and let them say goodbye to their mother for what was to be the last time.
--------------------------
"So does everyone. You keep blaming yourself, you'll wallow in self-loathing until you die. Now, get out of there and come join us."

Rhenna held them both, finally releasing them.

Akor grabbed onto Rhenna's hand as Cougar started leading them away.

"Come on!"

Rhenna smiled, fighting the tears that were threatening to spill. "I can't, baby."
_________________________________________________________________________
Iliyakim looked at Inthuul.

Best to humor them.

"All right. Give me fifteen minutes. Where are you, Soldier's Arms?"

James felt himself on the verge of tears as well,"Ma can't come, Akor... I wish she could, but she can't."
-----------
"Where else would we be?"

They cried as he led them away, and as the house started to disappear, she did as well.

But they had to go home with the father that loved them...and she had to go home to the family she'd known all her life.
_________________________________________________________________________

"You'd be surprised."

He closes his files, keeping his notes intact, before throwing on his jacket and heading down to the bar.

He led them, still crying, to the Dauntless. He put them inside, made sure their luggage was stowed away, and then made sure they were secure before he took them 'home'... or, as close to home as he could provide. Once everything was ready, he moved languidly across the board, powering the engines. He looked at both of them, their tear-stained faces looking back at him,"Come on kids... let's go home."

He lifted the craft off the ground, the engines kicking it into orbit. Once he reached open space, he switched over to warp drive, and sent them spiralling into it's depths. As they left normal space, he muttered under his breath,"Goodbye, Rhenna Cougar."
----------------------
When Iliyakim got to the Arms, he found a SHADOW party going on. ONly two people were not present... and one had just turned up. As he entered, a drink was thrust into his hand, and a small, delicate hand squeezed his arm, followed by a soft voice saying,"I'm glad you're safe, Iliyakim."

Rhenna watched the Dauntless take off.

"Good bye, James." She went back underground...back home.
________________________________________________________________________
Tari had to go home shortly after the speech. She kissed Raven good bye So odd...in a romantic relationship with him after all this time... and headed home.
_________________________________________________________________________
Iliyakim turned to see Emily there.

"Hello again. Looks like you got back safe, as well." He smiled at her.

Inside, though, he was not as settled as he appeared. What the hell was he doing, and what the hell was he going to do?

And so it was that James, Akor and Barrus Cougar all returned back to their home... as far as a family without a mother could be classed a home. He sighed as he unloaded their things, placing them back into their room that night... for the first time in six months, he had his children in the same house... and not for the first time in eighteen months did he wish that Rhenna was lying beside him as he slept. He sat on the edge of the bed, his thumb running down the cool metal of the gun she had no doubt crafted herself... the Glock. He looked over at the magickal pistol, sitting in it's cradle... he kept it near him... only he could use it effectively, after all. He'd used it so much at times. He found his mind wandering around the house, finding little things that reminded him of Rhenna. For the first time in his life, James Cougar cried himself to sleep... joy and sorrow intermingled on his face as he cried until he could do no more...
-------------------------------
Raven kissed her, and smiled as she left. He felt on top of the world... he was in love. Some say that love can bloom, even on a battlefield. But, if you love someone, you have to be able to protect them. That's what he had done... as best he could at least. He leant on the railing outside his living room window, looking at the stars, and smiled. It truly was a great time to be alive...
------------------------------
"Listen... I can understand if you don't want a relationship. I'm sorry if I've been pressuring you or anything... it wasn't my intention. What I'm trying to say is... it's your choice. I'll understand if you choose not to."

With that, she let go of his arm, and moved into the crowd... it was up to Iliyakim now. She'd given him a get-out clause, as it were, before it even started...
------------------------------
All across Snake Eaters, families were reunited, the bonds reforged. The snake stirred in the void, raising it's head, and making sure everyone knew it was there. Across the war-stricken worlds, repairs had already begun in earnest, particulary on Snake Eater Prime. The light may have faded, consumed by the darkness... but night was coming to pass, the day was dawning... and Snake Eaters would be born anew once more.

Sitting in the Presidential office, Jacius Barbarossa cradled a glass of whiskey in his trembling hand. He stood, and limped over to the window frame, the limp a result of a pulse wound that was healing slowly. He would be fine within the next two weeks, said the doctors. He leaned on the frame, looking out over his nation, his people... his family. He raised the glass, and threw the drink down his throat,"Well done, everyone... well done indeed."

Iliyakim spent the remainder of the time catching up with the rest of the unit, exchanging war stories. He didn't consider his to be of too much interest, but he was keenly interested in hearing what everyone else had done.

At the end of the night, when people were leaving, he caught up with Emily.

"I would like to get to know you better. Perhaps we could go down to the river sometime?"
_________________________________________________________________________

The day after the speech had been given, medics and construction crews began flooding across the Snake Eater border from Kaymiril.

Each planet got several crews, and there were almost enough Gray Class Mages to go around to treat the injured.

TO: Lord-President Jacius Barbarossa, Snake Eaters
FROM: Prime Minister James Talon, No Endorse

Congradulations on overcoming Constantine and the civil war. I deeply regret the fact that No Endorse was unable to contribute more military, but I understand what we sent was used quite well. Regardless of their distinct lack of tack, they are indeed an elite special operations team. That squadron is one of only fifteen that exist currently, and was only one of three at the time they were sent.

I have heard that they were used well in fact, that it will be some time before those craft are fully space-worthy again. As such, I am sending an unarmed cruiser to Snake Eater Prime to pick them up. The craft is under no circumstance to raise shields, except low level shields if atmospheric entry is necessary. I would go myself, but my doctor has said that my health is too poor for a hyperjump.

We can also send aid if you wish, our fleet has been almost completly freed up after a bloody struggle against some unsavory pirating groups.

---------------------

An unarmed cruiser moved along standard space lanes to the Snake Eater border. "This is cruiser Hyron requesting permission to jump to Snake Eater Prime."

"Crusier Hyron, this is Snake Border Control, you are clear all the way to Snake Eater Prime"


To: Prime Minister James Talon, No Endorse
From: Lord President Jacius Barbarossa, Snake Eaters.

Sir, you and your squadron have our gratitude in this matter. Without these ships, it might not have been possible to win the war in the air. They are, without a doubt, heroes all. My thanks once again. I hope your health recovers soon.

As for your offer of military resistance, your ships would be welcome to ferry supplies and other such thing. The SEN is currently engaged in clearing the space lanes and also defeating rogue elements, and is stretched thin due to the recent conflict.


~snip~
"Why not now? Everyone else is going home... and a walk in the night air could do me good."
---------------------------
They were well recieved by all... help rebuilding homes, buisnesses, lives, was always welcome in the aftermath of any war, and especially after this one.

"All right...now. I am interested in hearing how the rest of the war went for you."

The Hyron jumped to Snake Eater Prime, and sunk slightly into the atmosphere. The nine remaining gunships limped their way up into the huge craft, assisted greatly by its large tractor beam arrays. Finally they heaved their way into the hangar, smoke already beginning to pour out of one again.

It had dispatched a shuttle to pick up the two survivors of the crash, and it was now returning. The only thing that had been done that was not per standard was the leaving of a package, addressed to Razgriz squadron. Some good alcohol and the nameplate from one of the Gunships. A gift for holding their backs so well over the planet. They may not have been the most polite in person, but they gave more than enough credit where it was due.

The cruiser lifted back up out of the atmosphere, and, sending its last farewell to the system's flight control, screamed back home.


In deep space, an entire task force of No Endorse ships moved into Snake Eater territory. They carried supplies and equipment for rebuilding, as well as a small force to aid in security. It was headed by a pair of Aardvark cruisers, able war machines, and followed by a dozen heavy cargo cruisers. Flanking this formation was a pair of Home One class cruisers, one each side, and another Aardvark bringing up the rear. A fearsome force in war, a welcome sight in need.

Their shuttled descended like a cloud of locusts over the planets they visited. But instead of destruction, these craft were dropping many of the raw materials necessary to build everything back. A long supply chain was formed, ships ferrying between Snake Eaters and No Endorse as much as possible.

"All right...now. I am interested in hearing how the rest of the war went for you."

She seemed to shrug,"It went well enough. Once Snake Eater Prime was assaulted, the war on Tiravano wound down. We weren't fighting that much over the past few weeks."

~snip~
The sight of a task force of this size, many of the ships built vastly bigger than the standard Snake Eater vessel, made many in the military and commercial sectors nervous. Whilst they helped, if things turned sour, Snake Eaters would have trouble defending itself. Although, to be fair, it had defeated bigger vessels in it's time... the reason they had smaller ships was greater tactical flexibility, along with more ships for the same cost.

After a small time, however, they adjusted, and the ships were welcomed warmly wherever they visted.

OOC: And that is why I have 2000 ships in total, because I have few ships that are bigger than 1km, and as such I can build more ships.

-snip-
This opinion went unnoticed by the No Endorse military personel. They were far too engrosed in the task of helping to notice much outside their metal cages and mission profiles.

They did notice the lack of extremely large craft in the vicinity, but it was assumed that they were occupied with holding down more rebelious sectors. Aardvarks patrolled around the supply ships, making sure nothing tried anything too fancy. Every now and then, a new group of transports would arrive, escourted by a small frigate picket. In a few short hours, the frigates would escourt the already present craft home again.

ooc: yeah. I cap at about 2 km though. I may have an eclipse somewhere, but I'm planning on shifting entirely to <3 km soon. Those frigates are 100m.

This opinion went unnoticed by the No Endorse military personel. They were far too engrosed in the task of helping to notice much outside their metal cages and mission profiles.

They did notice the lack of extremely large craft in the vicinity, but it was assumed that they were occupied with holding down more rebelious sectors. Aardvarks patrolled around the supply ships, making sure nothing tried anything too fancy. Every now and then, a new group of transports would arrive, escourted by a small frigate picket. In a few short hours, the frigates would escourt the already present craft home again.

ooc: yeah. I cap at about 2 km though. I may have an eclipse somewhere, but I'm planning on shifting entirely to <3 km soon. Those frigates are 100m.

The Snake Eater Navy ships that were present were up to several hundred metres in length, the longest being the Sovereign-classes. However, there was a time when a Leviathan (http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a6/SnakeEaters/Naval%20Flagships/gothicomp08.jpg)-class ship passed through the vicinity of a number of the ships, coming into the Tiravano shipyards for repairs. It's hull was blackened with scorch marks picked up in the recent conflict, radiation leaking from one of the sublight engines, the weapons batteries damaged. They were actually based on the Star Destroyers, but had been refined, and brought more into line with Snake Eater technology. They had also been shortened to make them more managable, and, in line with Snake Eater philosphy, they had been automated in order to reduce strain on the crew. This automation, based upon the Borg technology (from which the intravenous nanomachines were also refined) was fuelled by bio-neural gel packs which allowed the ship to react with almost no lag-times between command and action. The Wings of the Valkyries was one of the lesser known ships, but was still perfectly servicable and capable of destroying the enemy.

OOChttp://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=9237420&postcount=7 Stats for the Leviathan-class.

She seemed to shrug,"It went well enough. Once Snake Eater Prime was assaulted, the war on Tiravano wound down. We weren't fighting that much over the past few weeks."
"I had a feeling that that would go well...unlike Yuktobania, which was a waste of time and lives."

She looked at him sorrowfully, her arms crossed over her chest to try and keep her hands warm. They were even now jamed under her armpits,"I heard... it wasn't a waste to begin with... just a misjudgement. Everyone makes mistakes."

"We accomplished nothing but needless death. But it is not my place to question...merely to accept the facts of the matter."

He had a pair of gloves in his belt, and he offered them to her. He'd grown up in Kaymiril's far north, so he didn't even need a jacket yet.

She smiled,"Thanks. I'm not used to chills... no such thing as real winter on Tiravano."

"I've spent a month in true winter conditions, so this is pleasantly warm." He let a slight smile touch his mouth for a moment.

"Wow, a smile. That's a rarity, from what I gather from your team."

"We're percieved as harsher than we are...but who am I to disillusion well over a hundred people?"

She nodded,"Tough guy image is important to you, I guess."

There was a wry smile curling up the corners of her mouth, and she looked out over the now black water. It wasn't actually black, it was just the fact that it was night. The light of the stars twinkled on the softly flowing water as it whispered past the human and the Drow.

"Actually, I care very little what people think of me, so long as I can do my job unhindered. The 'red tape,' as your society puts it, annoys me no end."

"Which is why we can cut through most of it without question. It makes our job that much easier."

She paused, and then said,"Did you really mean what you said earlier?"

"About getting to know you better?" He nodded. "I will not say something I do not mean...it causes trouble and pain best not created."

"That's really sweet... for any man to say."

She stopped in her tracks, and put her hand on his cheek,"Thanks."

"There are wise men in every culture that extoll the virtues of honesty and courage. I tend to believe them."

She smiled, and began to walk again,"Well... I can't say much more than that, really. I know people in Snake Eaters say it every so often."

He nodded. "I've heard it the most often here...but I've heard it quite powerfully in Kaymiril."

"I'm sure you have... so many years... I can't imagine living that long."

"And I cannot imagine living a life as short as seventy years."

"The average age of a human being in Snake Eaters is actually one hundred and twenty years... but given that by about ninety, you loose most of your abilities, so I guess ninety is a good boundry."

-snip-
ooc: I am now very afraid of your Leviathan class... My navy isn't very well fleshed out. Right now it's a mess of SW units, and stuff in the following two linkys. I'm trying to move more towards custom though.
linky1 (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=449905)
linky2 (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=448868)

IC: Crew gaped out the windows at the huge ship moving in the void. It could easily shred the Home One class ships. This ship was massive on the scale of an Adjudicator class dreadnought (as yet not announced, 2 km), and filled the crews with awe.

This, however, did not distract them from their duties for long. They had to keep moving and helping, dropping what supplies they could to help and keeping peace as best as possible. Snub fighters skimmed around the perimeter, and Phoenix Gunships hugged near the fleets. These natural loners detested needing to hang in such proximity, but orders are orders.

"The average age of a human being in Snake Eaters is actually one hundred and twenty years... but given that by about ninety, you loose most of your abilities, so I guess ninety is a good boundry."
"So little time in which you must accomplish so much. Sometimes I think that the human life must be such a hurried affair that no one human can experience the full range that life has to offer...because I know that Drow and Elves miss much...so how much more so for a human?"

"So little time in which you must accomplish so much. Sometimes I think that the human life must be such a hurried affair that no one human can experience the full range that life has to offer...because I know that Drow and Elves miss much...so how much more so for a human?"
"When you consider the limited timespan, I would say we endevour to expierence more, as we do not have the same amount of time as other races."

"But those who hasten through the vastness and richness of experiences life has to offer may be able to experience the vastness...but not quite appreciate the depth."

She shrugged,"Different races, different views on life."

"All too true."

She sat down on a wooden bench, and stretched her long legs out in front of her,"It's a nice night, overall."

He looked around. It was the first time he'd actually looked at the environment around him for its beauty in six months. Somehow, unintentionally, he'd ceased to look at the world as a place of beauty, and had been seeing it as a place where enemies might come out of wherever they could.

He nodded.

"It is a nice night. Thank you for pointing it out."

"Won't you sit down? It's more comfortable than simply standing up."

Sitting, standing...it was all one to him, but as it was, he sat.

"I haven't been down here in almost a year."

"I don't come down here very often at all, actually... I don't frequent the city. I'm not a city girl."

He nods. "I don't frequent the city...but I enjoy how peaceful the river is."

"In some places, it's too peaceful. Like up in the mountains... they say that Cougar walked that place, and came back alive... but here, it's just right."

"In the mountains, you can feel the presence of some of the spirits of the dead...those that cannot move on, for one reason or other. But yes...here is right...it will be a pity if it should become more urbanized while I am here."

"It won't. The protection laws won't allow it... plus, it's a historical site... and we value our history... for the most part, anyway."

"Good. There are places that should never be encroached upon. This is one of them."

He was looking out over the river...for the first time in months, his eyes didn't have that slight, eerie green glow.

"What did you mean by ,'While I am here.'? Are you leaving?"

"I am here until I am no longer needed...whether that should come with my death or for some other reason. I have no ties left anywhere, anymore. The people I call friends are more mortal than I, save for one, and the only ones I can call family are my wife's brother and sister, and their children."

"People will always need a solider, Iliykaim."

"Yes...but in time, I, too, will become obsolete. Such is the way of life."

She looked at him,"You really believe that, don't you."

He nodded.

"With time, the old and weak must make way for the new and strong. I may have centuries...but I am as mortal as you are."

"You may have to make way, but you will not be obsolete. Centuries of expierence make you ever the more valuable."

"Lessons learned from experience can be passed on to others...what do you think we do with the new recruits? They will know what I know...and I will be glad of it."

"Then you will be far from obsolete. You play down your own importance far too much."

"I go out and do my job to the best of my abilities. This makes me no more important than the bar tender down at the Soldier's Arms, or the man that oversees the waste disposal in Snake City."

She sighed,"Men... you're all so hopeless."

Iliyakim chuckled. "I've heard that before."

"Yeah, and you just heard it again. You have so much to give, so much to teach people. Even if you cannot go out on operations anymore, think how the new recruits would percieve you? They'd look up to you, as a pillar of expierence, and hope that one day, somehow, they could achieve what you have achieved."

"If people say I have ever accomplished anything, it is only because I had others there with me...brave men and women without whom all my experience would have been useless. They accomplished this war...and not even I will ever know all of their names...faces...who died and where and how. Things worth knowing."

"No-one will ever know every name of every person who was lost in this war. They made the ultimate sacrifice for their country... and it was their choice to make. Sometimes, you have to realise that, whilst others were important, that it was you. You made yourself do what you did, no one else could force you. And that, above all else, will make you respected."

He could hear her annoyance, and was trying to come up with something to say.

His first impulse was to say a man is not important for doing that which is right, but that wouldn't help any. So he merely nodded, conceding the point.

"That is true."

Ah, the truth hits him. Women are always right.

She smiled,"Glad to hear you agree."

Iliyakim stood.

"It has been pleasant talking with you...but I intended on going and visiting Justin before I returned home."

She smiled,"Understandable. I'm staying at a hotel in town... I'll see you around. I hope he's alright."

He nodded, and left. He was going to see if his place was still habitable when he finished visiting Justin.

A few bullet marks, a few broken objects, but other than that, it was still in fairly good order.

But he went to visit his injured team mate first.

He got through all right, and found him awake, so he went into the room, taking a chair and sitting on it backwards.

"How are you feeling?"

Justin looked at him, his eyes tired,"I've felt better in my life, I'll ssay that much."

"You've looked better, too. If new Gray Class get here soon enough, you should be out of here and back to normal within a week or so."

"Yeah, I know. At leasst the war is over... we can only hope that it sstayss that way."

"Constantine's in custody, and his trial opens soon. Aside from that, Kaymirilian construction and medical crews have been making their way across the border since Barbarossa made his speech...I don't forsee any further trouble from forces loyal to Constantine...and should any other nation decide to attack with our military in the shape it's in now...well, I have it on good authority that there have been many renovations made in Kaymirilian space craft in these past few years."

"We'll rebuild. It won't take too long... Barbarossa has a knack for making things happen at a pace far in excess of what you would expect from anyone else. Within a year, maybe two, we'll be back on form."

"I know you'll rebuild."

He stood.

"I'm going to go and let you get back to sleep."

Justin nodded,"Ssee you ssoon, Iliyakim."

Iliyakim nodded, and left.

It was odd to be walking in the open again, apparently unarmed. Six months...for six months, he'd been constantly at war on a level he'd never operated on before.

And he had triumphed. The battles he'd won were won because he, with his strategies and experience, had been able to rout and break forces that were numerically superior and had better equipment.

They'd have still found a way, he thought opening the door to his small apartment. His eyes scanned for threats...explosives, or traps.

There weren't any traps nor bombs. They hadn't thought about this sort of thing.