NationStates Jolt Archive

ooc: the following OOC text is preceded by this warning: SPOILER. For this reason, the text is invisible. Contents include why I've been gone (ICly) and some new characters. Yes, I've now created griffin characters. No, this is not my entry into fantasy tech, merely a change in the form of some independent parties under my control. Kazecistan doesn't like to admit they use these third parties as mercenaries, but they sometimes do. As to why I've been gone- well, now I've got another line of sentient characters. It's often been hinted that the cats (domestic size) in my population as pets might just be sentient, but never confirmed secretly or publicly. Their revelation lead to civil strife turning the nation inward again. So yes, there are talking domestic felines in Kazecistan now. If any of the above is repulsive to you, replace feline with humanoid in your mind and keep reading. Honestly, it makes no difference, since my technology remains the same (improved with time progression, but unchanged or advantaged) despite the partial character change. As to openness, that's based on whether you have a legitimate reason for entering the story and whether all parties within the thread agree to it. TG before entering ICly.

Ic: There were four of them. At least, no one knew of more than four. Each was rather unique, but all carried the same basic design. By the standards of their owner's counterparts, they were super massive. By Kazeci standards they were enormous. They were not unrivaled, though, fortunately, they never had made contact with vessels of equal size. This particular one inched across space. There were no stars near by, nor planets, nor any other physical bodies. It was utterly alone- as it had always been.

Its loneliness was shattered briefly as it gave birth to another vessel, this one much smaller, 4 decks including cargo at it's greatest height. It was pretty flat too, though not a basic geometric shape as so many 'old school' designs were. From above it may have almost looked like an elongated variation of the frontal silhouette of a feline face, with the ears being the forward 'prongs' and the chin corresponding to the curved rear. The shape had no significance other than functionality. This craft was much faster, much more sleek, and much more deadly. It slowly faded from this phase as it sank into a self-generated rift and was engulfed.

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A single occupant craft exploded into existence at full speed in a far busier area of space. It bore the markings Avarus Polleo along with designation codes. This was not a legally obtained craft. The price tag was above what only a few could afford, so it was a good choice for its thief. The Company* officials were not a real issue, not in the way the people he was running from were. It could outrun and outmaneuver nearly any other craft in the galaxy, including those of the Kazeci government. It was weak in one way, however- it lacked the fuel for anything other than a short race (or desperate flight). It wasn’t designed for atmospheric flight either. The fugitive had only two options- get help from the planet or take help from them. In an instant the vessel was in the atmosphere of the planet, and in the next it had shattered, fallen to bits against the resistance of the gasses and consumed by flames.

ooc:
* Avarus Polleo is the largest privately owned company is Kazecistan, and has a great deal of power, including its own few war ships and many rich investors. The reference is that steeling something very valuable from them (quite likely and able to put out bounties and have opponents vanish in the night or even be publicly destroyed in international space) is nothing with respect to who he’s actually running from.

Yes, the whole thing is rather cryptic right now. Revelation comes with time.

The pod had streaked across the night sky of geki , it filled the sky with an odd glow as both objects fell to the ground, the planet was nearly uninhabited, and used for federal troops for training , it contained on colony in the wester portion of the world, the pod shrieked across the sky braking through clouds approaching a forested area quickly it brushed against the canopy's of trees at first then quickly it started bursting through them setting a trail of hot fire behind as it destroyed tree after tree finally coming to a stop with a trail of dust and mud in the middle of this dark temperate forest dark thick smoke billowed out of the area. Several miles away lay a small city, metal rodes a small mag tube system and several buildings crowded around a small area surrounded by a wall and forest, about half a mile beyond the west tree line a military base could be seen, it had a metal road from the city cutting through the dense green windy brush towards a large metal force fielded gate, it was rather small with only a war factory, barracks, construction yard, command center and a fusion reactor core. the entire area of the city and base were well light they're the only two sources light and noise in the dark green and vastness of the forest and near by plains. several miles in the other direction Platoon omega was formed up, Several black body armored troops stood at attention, futuristic looking assault rifles by there side as they eyes peered out in to the darkness.

L.t Adrian Shepard stood in formation over looking a general who walked back and forth, the general had a sly devilish grin as he placed his hands beside him starting to speak. "All right solders todaaay! is training day! and as such you will be subjected to the toughest hardest, most grueling training in a temperate environment ever known, your squadron leaders will be Sergent brennon, and Sergent kinckade, now the person observing these exercises will be me and L.t Adrian Shepard here. the general pointed towards the burly black haired brown eyed L.t stood in all black body armor with a helmet over his head, his boots were dull and pitch black as he held his rifle to his leg at attention. The General smirked devilishly his eyes patting the platoon He raised his hand and said with a loud commanding voice. "Fall out!" Suddenly the platoon split, sergeants started taking charge of there squads, the L.t and general stood by each other nodding. Suddenly Adrian started to walk over to another platoon that formed up a few steps away taking immediate charge.

"All right troops lets head out towards the forest, that will be our deployment area" he nodded with a serious face his skin black with thermal reducing face paint, He started walking as the sergeants yelled out orders. the area echoed with loud burly voices. "froward harch!" a sergeant had barked out as Adrian walked in to the forest, his black boots kicking up some dust, as he held a long black rial assault rifle in his hand (think M-8), he sighed gently looking around putting his sensor suite over his eyes and odd looking mask over his mouth and nose, the senors had a long range, and Adrian now could see almost any thing.... the night had just begun.

Ryan Morris was in one of those situations where one would think people would be dazed or stunned. Not but a day ago he had been living in relative luxury, unafraid and in the company of friends. In the time between now and then, he had been betrayed, lost a friend, narrowly escaped death several times, stolen one of the most expensive sports racers in Kazecistan from one of it;s most frightening companies, subsequently crashed it into a foreign planet, and was still being followed by unknown parties whom he guessed were commissioned by the xenophobic parties.

He wasn't much phased, though, since he wasn't thinking much at all. That wonderful hormone epinephrine* was coursing through his veins, altering brain chemistry and moving him back to survival mode. The escape pod hadn't but come to a skidding stop several miles behind the ship's wreckage when he leaped out. He ran. Fast and hard and without direction. He was smarter than that- he knew he should get his bearings first, but he didn't. His silvery gray coat shimmered at his back and sides as he tore through the forest. He had to get away. The crash site was far to obvious, and the locals may not be trustable.

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The child ship calmly drifted back into this existence. It's arrival was not spectacular, it emitted no mass amounts of radiation or energy; it was as placid as entry came. On board, Gerome Gerrard acted as he spoke, "We're cloaking to beta level- they won't see us unless we're moving. The craft's trail can be traced directly to that burn up streak- he must have gone in hot- there is considerable debris scatter in a localized section of the surface. Another trace is obvious leading to the surface from just prior to entry. The fool left the emergency beacon on. Phasing to low orbit now."

The ship moved to low orbit in an instant, without breaking cloak or using sub-light engines. Slowly they descended to the planet's surface, leaving little in their wake but disturbed air. They set down under atmospheric cloaking on the plains away from the troops and near the edge of the woods. The tracking team geared up and prepared to set out.

Slowly the lower external door opened, and the four individuals of the tracking unit hurried out. They snuck into the forest as the door closed behind them. Each wore an enhancement pack, essentially a high powered mobile computer for sensory improvement. It was nicer than genetic modification, and allowed them to maintain species purity. It was as good as any genetic modification known, if not better.

Yaz suddenly froze; the hair on the back of his neck stood up. He whispered to the others, "There's a group headed our way."
"They're all over the forest, we know that." Gail responded, taking up movement again. "We just have to avoid them. Not hard, the way they're tromping around."
"Yeah, I just don't like it, that's all. I mean, we're not here to kill them, stop them, or do anything with them, yet we have to evade them. It's just so annoying when we have to deal with third parties."

The group headed for the secondary crash sight, from where they would track their target. It was a race, only they were handicapped. Third parties were quickly spreading throughout the forest and toward the crash site, and they had to beat them there while being stealthy. Each step was quick, but soft. Whether one of the other groups would chance upon them was unsure, but doubtful. Their tracks were more obvious, assuming someone was looking for them, and they had no time to cover those up. The whole operation was time sensitive.