Skarro 2
15-09-2007, 13:02
Out in the edge of the Western Spiral Arm, two planets orbited a red supergiant. Neither of these planets was anything particularly special. Few species had ever taken notice of them, or bothered to contact the intelligent races who lived there. If anyone intended to, they had 231 years to do so, because that was when their sun was going to go supernova and destroy both Klekkl and Vasresh.
Perhaps if the Vasreshi had known this, they would have put more energy into finding a suitable planet outside the supernova's blast zone, and less into exterminating the Klekklans. Who knows? As it was, the Vasreshi capital ship Destruction was floating directly above the largest city of Klekkl, its super laser charged and ready for genocide.
***
"Fire!" the order oozed forth from the mouth of Supreme Warlord Nargl. His toothless mouth grinned triumphantly, his independantly-focusing eyes both trained on the screen which showed the life readings in the city below.
As soon as the beam of energy hit the planet's surface, five million Klekklans would be killed and he would be a war hero.
The super laser spewed forth from the belly of Destruction. Five kilotonnes of energy powered towards the planet and...
...disappeared.
"Lieutenant!" Nargl shouted, because he liked to shout "Why are the life readings exactly the same?!"
"I- I don't know, sir." the lieutenant stammered "But an object seems to have appeared out of nowhere. It's metallic, spheroid in shape, about half a kiolmetre in diameter..."
"Where did it come from?"
"I don't know, sir. It gnerated a lot of energy in coming, though. More than the full output of the Destruction's generator. And just when it appeared, the energy from our super laser vanished."
Nargl growled. He didn't like this.
The spheroid object suddenly dropped into the Klekklan atmosphere, leaving the Destruction behind in orbit.
"Hey! It's leaving!" Nargl cried in indignation "Hail it. See if it will respond."
"There is no need," said a high-pitched mechanical voice "We may converse here."
An object had materialized just behind Supreme Warlord Nargl. It superficially resembled a salt shaker made of golden metal. Two light bulbs sat on top of it, and three long protrusions stuck out from its body. One, like the gun of a tank, was attached to a moveable hemisphere on top. The other two, set halfway down, bore an odd resemblance to a plunger and an egg beater.
"Intruder on the bridge!" Nargl screamed.
Six Vasreshi grunts drew their weapons. Before they could open fire, an energy beam shot from the limb resembling an egg beater and blew the gun out of the hands of one soldier. The bullets of the other five bounced harmlessly off the machine's force field until their guns, too, were shot out of their hands.
"I am NeoDarlek Netz," the machine said calmly "Before alerting you to my presence, I took the liberty of sealing the doors. No one can get in or out."
"W- why?!" spluttered Nargl.
"I have been designated to inform you that you have been designated a genocidal maniac according to the Principles of Dalek Zek."
"What?"
If a machine was capable of looking smug, Netz was pulling it off. "When you fired that weapon at Klekkl, you attmpted to exterminate five million, three hundred and forty-two thousand and twelve sapient life forms. Worse even than revenge, this is murder without a reason. In addition, your governmnt has been neglecting its citizens in order to prolong a pointless war."
"What right have you to judge me?!" Nargl growled.
"Judging by your own actions, you believe that might makes right," NeoDalek Netz said calmly "The Empire of Skarro 2 is giving the Vasreshi government a choice: cease the war on Klekkl and work on eliminating poverty in Vasresh or face extermination. We will give any help that is required if they choose option number one. We will also provide the necessary resources to evacuate Vasresh's population that they may survive the supernova."
"I WAS TO BE A HERO!!" Nargl thundered, slamming the arms of his chair impotently.
"Relay the message to your superiors, Nargl, if you value your continued existence. Peace is coming to Vasresh. Temporal shift."
"Wait a minute, what supernova?" one of the smarter officers inquired. But Netz was already gone.
Perhaps if the Vasreshi had known this, they would have put more energy into finding a suitable planet outside the supernova's blast zone, and less into exterminating the Klekklans. Who knows? As it was, the Vasreshi capital ship Destruction was floating directly above the largest city of Klekkl, its super laser charged and ready for genocide.
***
"Fire!" the order oozed forth from the mouth of Supreme Warlord Nargl. His toothless mouth grinned triumphantly, his independantly-focusing eyes both trained on the screen which showed the life readings in the city below.
As soon as the beam of energy hit the planet's surface, five million Klekklans would be killed and he would be a war hero.
The super laser spewed forth from the belly of Destruction. Five kilotonnes of energy powered towards the planet and...
...disappeared.
"Lieutenant!" Nargl shouted, because he liked to shout "Why are the life readings exactly the same?!"
"I- I don't know, sir." the lieutenant stammered "But an object seems to have appeared out of nowhere. It's metallic, spheroid in shape, about half a kiolmetre in diameter..."
"Where did it come from?"
"I don't know, sir. It gnerated a lot of energy in coming, though. More than the full output of the Destruction's generator. And just when it appeared, the energy from our super laser vanished."
Nargl growled. He didn't like this.
The spheroid object suddenly dropped into the Klekklan atmosphere, leaving the Destruction behind in orbit.
"Hey! It's leaving!" Nargl cried in indignation "Hail it. See if it will respond."
"There is no need," said a high-pitched mechanical voice "We may converse here."
An object had materialized just behind Supreme Warlord Nargl. It superficially resembled a salt shaker made of golden metal. Two light bulbs sat on top of it, and three long protrusions stuck out from its body. One, like the gun of a tank, was attached to a moveable hemisphere on top. The other two, set halfway down, bore an odd resemblance to a plunger and an egg beater.
"Intruder on the bridge!" Nargl screamed.
Six Vasreshi grunts drew their weapons. Before they could open fire, an energy beam shot from the limb resembling an egg beater and blew the gun out of the hands of one soldier. The bullets of the other five bounced harmlessly off the machine's force field until their guns, too, were shot out of their hands.
"I am NeoDarlek Netz," the machine said calmly "Before alerting you to my presence, I took the liberty of sealing the doors. No one can get in or out."
"W- why?!" spluttered Nargl.
"I have been designated to inform you that you have been designated a genocidal maniac according to the Principles of Dalek Zek."
"What?"
If a machine was capable of looking smug, Netz was pulling it off. "When you fired that weapon at Klekkl, you attmpted to exterminate five million, three hundred and forty-two thousand and twelve sapient life forms. Worse even than revenge, this is murder without a reason. In addition, your governmnt has been neglecting its citizens in order to prolong a pointless war."
"What right have you to judge me?!" Nargl growled.
"Judging by your own actions, you believe that might makes right," NeoDalek Netz said calmly "The Empire of Skarro 2 is giving the Vasreshi government a choice: cease the war on Klekkl and work on eliminating poverty in Vasresh or face extermination. We will give any help that is required if they choose option number one. We will also provide the necessary resources to evacuate Vasresh's population that they may survive the supernova."
"I WAS TO BE A HERO!!" Nargl thundered, slamming the arms of his chair impotently.
"Relay the message to your superiors, Nargl, if you value your continued existence. Peace is coming to Vasresh. Temporal shift."
"Wait a minute, what supernova?" one of the smarter officers inquired. But Netz was already gone.