NationStates Jolt Archive

Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D Minor emanated from the open door of Sal’s compartment, flooding the craft with the flowing melodies of eons past. As the head of engineering on the recently commissioned NES Viper (http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a161/anomaly149/Ship%20Schematics/JHfrigtop.jpg), she had the nigh impossible job of making sure this machine held together flawlessly on its first tour of duty. She scanned her eyes across the myriad gages next to her bunk, running through a mental checklist.

Manifold pressure check, central power supply check, jump drive within normal limits….[i] The official list ran on for pages, but the precious few gages told her everything she needed to know for now. As she drifted off to sleep, she could feel the vibrations of the vessel preparing to make the Jump, off to the great unknown.

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Sal awoke to the sound of a dozen sirens blaring at once, and a single glance at the smoking control panel near her head quickly showed why. [i]Shit…. She grabbed her hazard suit and rushed down the corridor to the engineering spaces, hobbling into it on the way. As she opened the hatch, she was hit by a blast of radiation, but nothing her suit couldn’t handle…. The more pressing concern was the lack of an atmosphere on the other side of the door. But she pressed on.

Shit this place is a mess… A few crewmembers were slumped over their stations, but by in large the place was gutted. The whole jump drive array had disappeared, a gaping hole in the back of the vessel leading to the swirling nothingness of space. She saw a brilliant trail of reactor fuel, and pressed on to find the main reactor.

“Attention, this is your captain speaking.” Sal glanced up at the suit’s intercom, marveling at how it could still receive after all this exposure. “Remain calm and report to the radiation citadel until further notice. That is all.” Fucking helpless twat.

She moved to the reactor shutoff, and gripped the handle. Hot…. This could be interesting…. She pulled it out and began to rotate it, and everything went white.

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When she came to, the ship was far away, a mere pinpoint in the black. All around her the ejected reactor fuel burned merrily, bathing her in a phosphorescent glow. And, looking down, she saw her hazard suit begin to give way. Forgemaker, I return to thee. And all went black.

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The remains of the vessel continued to spin out of control, leaking its precious reaction mass across the cosmos. It fired off what distress signals it could, but soon they would have nothing left but the air inside the ship. Hopefully someone would come to aid….

ooc: In the name of getting back into FT somewhat properly, and having some fun, I CHRISTEN THIS THREAD!

For all the empires of sentience, for all the grand fleets and armies and machines the 'intelligent species sent hither and fourth through out the universe, the Galaxy could be a very boring place.

And so that is why when the sensors of the Aconite-class cruiser were alerted to the presence of another ship in the area, the crew was understandably surprised, and not a little excited. Months upon months of silence had befallen glorious Kionash Ra-Ithen, the pathetic wars and political triviality no longer deemed worthy expending the effort of the Eldar at the moment.

Instead, they had decided to move silently, expanding their empire. It wasn't much, just a string of systems with a Mon-Keigh population of a little over two billion in all, but it was enough to support the industry of the Craftworld. Enough to raise the moral of it's inhabitants, to encourage them to build and prepare for the day when they would continue their expansion. To restore the shattered glory of their people.

But that would happen another day, thought Telnor with a remorseful sigh. Recently, he and this ship had been on pirate hunting duty. While it was even occasionally interesting, he had guessed he had either killed them all, or so intimidated the local pirate groups that they had departed Eldar space, which suited Telnor just fine.

Filthy Mon-Keigh

He thought to him self. But when there was a foreign ship shooting of distress signals, it was his duty to investigate. It was what had been ordered by the council. The cruisers drew within visual range of the dying ship, and drawing all the polite authority Telnor could into his voice, he spoke over the com system to the dying ship.

"Attention, attention. It is quite obvious you, whoever you maybe, are in of assistance. If any of you let live...do reply."

The distress signal continued for a few moments, then cut off abruptly. For a significant stretch of time, the wreck merely screamed along on its course, until the transmission began again. Haltingly, text began to flow from the battered vessel. Each phrase corresponded with the ship's emergency antenna being pointed at the newcomers, suggesting some minor sensor capacity remaining, but any scan could see that such was all it had.

NES Viper Hailing Unknown----vessels need assist----ance. We have wound----ed and dieing and need----to find lost crewmen----radio failing, future re----ply difficult----Cpn Wind

The signal ceased, and the vessel attempted to use its few remaining maneuvering jets to steady its rotation, to little avail. One of the maneuvering jets didn't turn off, shooting a steady stream of fire that slowly ran down to nothing as its fuel gave out, leaving the vessel drifting aimlessly through the black.

Telnor turned to the crew on the deck of the cruiser. "Assemble a boarding team, have the other cruisers hold the vessel in place. Find the survivors, treat their wounded." The crewman nodded, and sat about their appointed tasks while Telnor once more turned to the viewport, pondering where he would go with this next.

Would he interrogate the survivors for information? Then kill them, perhaps? No...this had been the first encounter the Craftworld had with an external power in months. This had to be brought up with a higher authority then his own. Farseeer Tereah was a mere system away.

Yes...he would bring the survivors that were even now being rescued and treated to her for judgment.

The group of survivors clustered together in a holding area within the far larger Eldar vessel, tending to the dead and dying. Out of a crew of seventy one, a mere thirty nine remained, many severely wounded. A few Eldar moved between the worst, easing the suffering of those too far gone and healing those who could be. The crew members who were conscious enough to notice were astounded, the Eldar were supposed to be horrible, xenophobic creatures! Why were they rescuing a damaged vessel?

Could they be wrong?

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Gary Wind came to with a start, gazing around at his surroundings uncomprehendingly. An Eldar medic was bent over his leg, or what seemed to be left of it, regrowing massive sections with an odd device. Somehow it felt distant, as if it wasn't even part of him, but already the vague prickling of sensation was returning.

"Hello, I'm Captain Wind." He struggled to sit up, only to find himself restrained by several of his crew. "Who is the leader of your vessel? Where are the remains of mine? How many got out? What is going on?" Hands continued to restrain him as the medic finished up wordlessly and moved on. Shortly, however, another came over.

"Hello, I'm Captain Wind. May I speak with your Captain?"

The Eldar who had approached Wind nodded. "If that is your desire, Captain Wind. In my opinion, you are in no condition to even be talking...much less having a conversation with our Shipmaster. But none the less..." With that, she smiled and moved off.

A few moments later, Telnor came into the area he had set aside to treat his "guests". He wrinkled his nose, the smell of antiseptics and burnt flesh made for a rather unpleasant combination. In fact, it made him feel rather lightheaded. He began to breath through his mouth as he made his way over to Wind.

"Captain Wind." He began with a nod. "I am Telnor. Your ship is, essentially, destroyed. We have managed to save thirty-nine of your men. We stumbled upon you drifting dead in space. We elected to help you." He stated these facts without missing a beat.

"And now, if I may ask a question, who are you?"

"Destroyed? Thirty nine?" An odd look came into Wind's eyes as he leaned back against a crate one of his crew carted over for that purpose. He started as if to speak, but instead looked out across the room pensively. After a moment, he began again, wiping sweat from his wrinkled brow.

"Thank you for your generosity.... I am Gary Wind, formerly Captain of the No Endorse Ship NES Viper, No Endorse Deep Space Fleet One. We were on a routine cruise when our faster than light drive or main reactor, no one knows for sure, went critical. The only person who would know what happened is Sarah.... did she make it out?"

He glanced about, the tense faces of the crewmen around him telling him all he needed to know.

"SHIIIT!" He slammed his fist against the deck. He continued tensely, overwhelmed with emotion. "I thank you again for your generosity in coming to our aid. If we can find some way to repay you, we will."

Telnor gave him an off hand wave, dismissing the notion. "Do not worry about such things right now. Rest, and recover your strength. I do have one request though. Our Farseer has long been...intrigued, by human kind. Tell me, could you arrange some sort of meeting between her and one of your leaders? The result would be most beneficent to both parties, I assure you."

Interested in Humans? Gary Wind straightened pensively, mulling this new bit of information. That's a new one from the Eldar.... the ever superior Eldar, always ready to enslave, and they're interested? How can I refuse? I'm at their mercy.... and they seem genuine enough, we've just been rescued from the black in a rather dangerous operation.... though they are Eldar, who knows their motivations? Ah what the hell, we need to get home and bury.... the dead.... He winced slightly, his arm shooting to his mostly reformed leg.

"Of course, I'm more than happy to put you through to anyone you want. Bruce Halsey, John Archer, anyone. You'd probably enjoy that ol witch Elizabeth Firenza, she's got more knowledge of technology than any other human I've seen."

Wonder what they're interested in....