NationStates Jolt Archive

Stacy gratefully took the arm and held it tight as if her entire life was dependent on the owner of the arm and she supposed it was. She looked into his eyes and gave a small smile as Nexus answered her own question in Alumina, then Samuel filled the whole situation in for the Captain.

The Captain seemed to be remarkably interested in Samuel and was still staring at him, looking him directly in the eyes, as if he could see something beyond the eyes, something baffling, something wonderful. He jumped slightly as something occurred that no one else could see, then he straightened himself and nodded,

"Head down to our Infirmary. I trust that Pantheria-Commander Nexus is still aware of the way?" He asked, raising his eyebrows at Nexus who nodded, "And you have permission Colonel. I will find someone to escort you" He nodded, indicating that they were dismissed.

As they left the bridge, Stacy clutched the arm even tighter, placing her cheek against it
"I know you won't" She whispered back, "I won't either. Thank you"

Samuel noticed that the Captain was interested in something far beyond what Samuel could see himself. He shrugged that off too, and after they were dismissed, he held tight to Stacy as he escorted her to the Infirmary. He knew Nexus was leading the way, but his concentration was on Stacy. Samuel had been debating whether he would stay here or not, stay here with her. There was so many options on his table at this point. First, being attacked, then captured, then released, then almost everything in the book. It had been, needless to say, and interesting adventure so far.

But most of all Samuel believed what made it worthwhile was Stacy by his side. He couldn't for the life of himself go as far as to request a transport back to his home space. That would leave her alone, and his own self alone. He couldn't bare the though, especially after all the mental and emotional recovery he had gone through. Ever since he had met Stacy, things had started to change. For better or ill he didn't know, but considering she did make everything seem better than it actually was, Samuel was content to go along with this path of destiny that was unfolding before him.

Samuels sighed happily, holding Stacy. He kissed her forehead again when no one was looking, and smiled back at her. "This will be over soon," he promised. "And hopefully everything will make sense."

Stacy gave a little nod as she looked up into Samuel's eyes and felt him kiss her forehead again. Even thought it had been less than a few days since she had met him, she couldn't imagine life without him, a strange feeling for one so young to feel so strong. All she knew was that she didn't want to return to the Castiron when this was over. She didn't want to be separated from him at all. Not any more. Before him, she was the young, weak and inexperienced Captain, bottom of the food-chain. With Samuel, she felt strong, confident, invincible. She had been tortured to an inch of her life and survived.

She knew it was Samuel who had saved her,
She gave a gentle nod as she clambered onto one of the beds within the small, cramped Infirmary,
Nexus herself began to scan Stacy,
"You must sit still Captain. I cannot scan you if you continued to move"

Stacy rolled her eyes and smiled at Samuel.

Samuel chuckled, standing beside Stacy as she lay on the medical table. He patted her shoulder and stood back a few paces. So young, so restless, and too much energy. He remembered back in the day when he himself had been in this position, then gotten slapped by a pain stick. Ouch. He chuckled inwardly at the thought, the Marines were a tough bunch. He looked back at Stacy from his memory dozing and shook his head, and wondered if she would ever survive.

"Stay still for the nice doctor," He chuckled and looked at Nexus. "You have a com-link anywhere?"

Stacy giggled as she gave a salute,
"Yes, Ma'am" She joked as she laid down flat on the table and allowed Nexus to scan him, the Alumina was rolling her eyes in disbelief at her Captain's lack of maturity,
"The scanner is down the corridor, Colonel" She said pointing at the door, "Three doors down. Ask one of the Crew if you happened to get loss" she sighed and continued to scan the Alversian,
Stacy giggled again and blew Samuel a kiss.

Samuel shrugged helplessly to Nexus. Obviously Stacy had a lot of maturity to catch up to. He looked back at Stacy, sternly, like a sergeant to a trainee. "Try to maintain command," he said with a nod to both her and Nexus, then proceeded down the hall. It didn't take much navigation, only a few questions to a few Alumina as to where it was. When he found it, someone had explained to him how to use it, and he keyed in the right numbers.

He had transfered the link to Sub-Space, the fastest known mode of communication. The console made ringing noises about four times before a face appeared on it. It was an old face, perhaps older than Samuel, and had the appearance of African decent. Samuel smiled instantly, "General Henry Lexington, nice to see you again.."

"Come now Samuel," came a perfectly english response, "Grandpa will do. How have you been? And why don't you have a shirt on?"

Samuel had forgotten, face turning flush for a moment as he cleared his throat. "Long story Gramps. Been dealing with the Marines and a few new friends."

Henry nodded, "Understandable since the Colonial Marines are on the rebellion side now."

Samuel looked shocked, "My Core is rebelling?"

Henry sighed, "Long story short, the Chief General has hidden away in some part of the Federation and started an Imperial Rebellion. The Dark Lord has been dispatched to deal with it, and the conflict is taking up five systems."

Samuel had a sad expression, "Who's winning?"

Henry laughed, "Who else but the Federation? I hear Melkos is in some kind of epic Force battle with the Chief General right now. Should be over soon."

Satisfied to let the subject go, Samuel nodded then gazed down. He had thought about this while walking down to the infirmary. Stacy was still quite young, and she had a life ahead of her. It would be wrong for Samuel, despite advances in Medical technology to allow him to live comfortably for another hundred years, to steal Stacy's life and career away. He looked back at Henry on the screen. "I was wondering about a transfer of command."

General Lexington chuckled, an odd thing to happen. He shook his head in disbelief. "I've got a lot of ships under my command, Samuel. The Grand Army prides itself in that." He tilted his head, amused. "You want to be a traitor to your beloved core?"

"I don't want to be a member of something that rebelled against the constitution and people I swore to protect." Samuel gave a stern look, "After all the events I've been through, I need a vacation anyways."

"I'd agree, from what your Lt. Colonel had to say."

Samuel smiled, "The Titan! How are my old comrades?[/i]"

Henry grinned, "Already reassigned, and not a part of the Rebellion." He gave a wink, "They said you were missing in action, so I can rebuke that statement now." On that thought, Henry gave a questionable look, "Where are you now anyway?"

"Somewhere in Alversian space," Samuel replied.

"Oh yea, the Chief President is discussing relations with Alversia." Samuel looked surprised for a moment, then nodded. It wasn't unusual to have the President fix a mistake for a branch of the military. Henry continued, "But everything aside, you wanted a change of command?"

Samuel nodded, "Yea. I've been thinking, maybe returning to the Army is a good idea."

Henry looked pleased, "I'd be glad to have you again, son. Its been a while since we saw that renegade asshole." Both Henry and Samuel shared a laugh, Henry continuing afterward. "But yes, you've already completed training and the like, and I do have an Acclamator-II available."

Samuel looked over the specifications that appeared on the screen through the link. Powerful, useful for exploration and war, and was quite nice to the eyes. He also noticed something Henry had placed, his own rank, Lieutenant General. Henry was a High General, in command of the entire Grand Army. Being a Lieutenant General was next in rank to being in command of almost anything Samuel wanted, and he grinned. "Whats her name?"

"The North America, named after the old Colony World in the Confederate Territories." He smiled, nodding. "She's a good ship, just needs a good commander."

Samuel considered it for a moment, "I'll think it over. Just tell everyone I'm alive, okay gramps?"

"You do that, and sure thing." Henry gave a salute, and the link went dead. Samuel was left to contemplate his future, and he walked back to the Infirmary. He sighed as he entered, smiling now, his face happier in expression. No matter what happened, he had a way to make his life better. He looked down at Stacy and chuckled. "Sorry, had to call my grandfather."

Stacy nodded and smiled,
"You have a Grandad?" She looked surprised, "I am surprised" She was sitting on a bed nearby while Nexus scanned herself. The Alumina was doing an efficient job of it. As was to be expected from the Alumina themselves.
Stacy was kicking her heels and taking off Samuel's top,
"I believe this was yours?" She asked, handing the jacket back, "I think this ship is warm enough for me to cope" She smiled, "And I have been given some new information" The wide grin suggested that she knew something Samuel didn't, something she had been told while Samuel was away.

Samuel took the Jacket with a appreciating smile, quickly putting it on to at least hide his shirtless upper body. He zipped it up, and now looked as if he had clothes on for once. With a nod, he looked at how Nexus was going about her job, and chuckled. These Alumina were very efficient about everything they did, and presented themselves in a very military fashion. Something Samuel did admire.

He looked to Stacy when she mentioned she had learned something new, and tilted his head questionably. "Oh? What would that be?" He smiled.

She smiled,
"It seems I have been transferred. I have been appointed by the Grand Admiral to be the attachment to the Anagonian Forces. I'm joining a vessel called the North America" She frowned slightly, "Do you know if it? I am to get a feel for your people in the same way you are getting a feel for ours" She laughed, "I get to see your world."

OOC:

Ooooh...thats one helluva plot twist right there.

IC:

Samuel stopped mid-motion while finishing buttoning up his civilian jacket. He stared at her, for the longest moment. For a few seconds, he believed it a joke. He seriously did. Unless she somehow heard his conversation with Lexington, how in the hell did she know about the North America? How did anyone know, out side of the Federation? And what-

Then everything made sense. The not-so-surprised look that Grandpa gave when he discovered Samuel was still among the living. The rush of suggesting joining the Grand Army. And that damn expression! After a few, short seconds Samuel regained his composure, and cursed the High General for somehow getting into contact with a lot of damn higher-brass. This was starting to seem like fate, or destiny. Like someone or something was planning to keep Samuel forever at Stacy's side.

He didn't mind it, of course. He loved her, and he did want to be with her. But he looked at Nexus, and spoke through thoughts. How did she find out?

Samuel smiled down at Stacy, sighing. He nodded, then looked back up at her. "I was being assigned to the North America as its commanding officer, a transfer from the Colonial Marines to the Grand Army." He shrugged, "Seems like your coming with me." He grinned.

OOC: :p

Stacy looked delighted,
"It seems someone is trying to keep us together after all" She laughed, "Looks like you'll be the Captain now" She was giggled happily and rolled back into the bed.

Nexus looked amused by the Captain's reaction,
"It is as she said. Grand Admiral Reyes contacted her and told her that she was to be the Alversian Detachment to the Anagonian Vessel North America" She was still scanning herself while Stacy got back up again and was sitting cross-legged on the bed, chuckling away.

Samuel shook his head slowly, "It would seem were destined for each other."

He sighed, finally submitting to fate, and going to sit beside Stacy on the table. He wasn't much for destiny, but it seemed something had him along the line. This was one helluva shocker, something Samuel would have never predicted. Originally, he just wanted options. He figured Stacy had a few of her own. But now, either way, his options had become his and her only choice. Someone very powerful had to have pulled some heavy strings to get to do this, and Samuel wasn't in the mood to go hunting for heads. After all, he was just settling down from a near-heart attack.

He held his head for a few moments, then rubbed his hand across his hair. It had grown out some, grayish now. He grunted to himself softly, seeing how age and time was catching up. Even modern science couldn't keep your hair a certain color for too long. On second thought, it could. But Samuel wasn't willing to sacrifice everything for nano's and the like. He preferred to live forever, as naturally as possible.

Looking over to Stacy, he grinned. "I suppose I'm in the Grand Army now. My ranks Lieutenant General...and what are you supposed to do on my ship?"

Stacy watched him running his hand through his hair and sighed. She could see the difference in their ages. She could see where it could cause problems, but she did not care. She loved him after all. She didn't care if he was a thousand years old. It would not affect her.
As for her new assignment. She was as uncertain as he was. There were Alversian Attachments in the Xiscapian and Aluminan Navies but they were there as Observers only. She assumed that she must be the same.
She shrugged at his question and smiled
"Congratulations, Lieutenant Colonel" She laughed, "I think I'm only meant to be an Observer, to see how you run from day to day."

Samuel had long ago noted the age difference, and only recently let it rest heavily on his shoulders. Though each and every time he tried to maintain distance, it seemed that despite everything the age difference didn't mean a damn thing. Neither did the fact that despite he could quite well be her grandfather, she loved him all the same. A classic example of old and new. Samuel was just glad she had military training, and a lot of other things to boot.

He looked over at her, smiling again. He shook his head as she explained about her being an observer. "No," he said gently. "You'll be a part of the crew, to get experience. I don't let anyone lay around." He winked.

"Anyone?" She smiled happily, looking up into his eyes. She felt truly happy again. Not since the first time he had admitted he had loved her had she felt so happy. She was going to be with her love for a while anyway and she was going to see the Anagonian Navy for the first time,
"You want me to muck in?" She giggled, "What would my rank be? Sir?" She giggled again

Samuel turned towards her, both hands on one knee, looking like a father to his child, or some other expression. He gave a serious look, and spoke gently. Although he loved her, he wasn't about to have that get in the way of any new duties that would come along. This wasn't something to be kidding around about, especially if they were to be called in to assist in the fight that was going on in the Federation. He looked to Nexus almost as if asking for help, then sighed and looked back to Stacy.

"You've got to be serious about this, Stacy." He gave a small smile, "If your going to be under my command, you've got to know I treat everyone equally. Even if we do have feelings for each other, that can't get in the way of my job." He tilted his head slightly, "Alright?"

Stacy looked serious for a moment and nodded,
"I understand" She sighed, looking like the Captain she had been originally. She seemed to mature a few years suddenly,
"What rank will I take on the North America, Sir?" This time there was no giggling and no teasing. She was deadly serious. Like a new Ensign receiving a new Assignment, which she technically was.

He liked the sudden change, and accepted it. He thought for a moment, "You'll maintain your rank of Captain, for respective purposes only." He went into thought again, remembering the schematics of the Acclamator-II, and how it was mainly designed as a warship. Stacy was good at many things, but lacked in a lot of them. Perhaps placing her in a line of Command dealing with the troop compliment, or perhaps something else. Either way, Samuel would be on the bridge, and Stacy needed to be somewhere where she could learn more about command in a very short time.

The again, he could just be prematurely judging her. She was a very capable person, and Samuel admired her for that. He looked back at Stacy after thinking it over.

"I'll probably have you assigned under the command of the Major General, who is in command of whatever landing forces the North America has." He nodded, as if approving. "It would be a good chance to observe how we do things."

"The Marines?" Stacy asked, comparing their forces to the equivalent section of the Alversian Armed Forces, she nodded slowly, her mind racing,
"I understand."

The Marines. She hadn't been trained to be a Marine but then, if she was to be a well rounded captain, she guessed she would need to learn the various aspects of a space vessel. That would include the brutal, hand to hand aspect of it.

"Oh I'm not in the Marines anymore," Samuel said. "I'm in the Grand Army now, and the Marines are basically not in operation."

Samuel patted Stacy's shoulder, reassuring her. The Grand Army wasn't trained as hard as the Colonial Marines, but they were still one of the best. Although they had better tactics, and better equipment, and despite the fact that they heavily outnumbered the Colonial Marines, Samuel did feel sad when knowing he had switched branches. But a command was a command, and he wasn't about to turn it down.

"Your going to be observing and participating in Grand Army affairs," he smiled. "Don't worry, they're not as bad as you think."

"Oh I'm not in the Marines anymore," Samuel said. "I'm in the Grand Army now, and the Marines are basically not in operation."

Samuel patted Stacy's shoulder, reassuring her. The Grand Army wasn't trained as hard as the Colonial Marines, but they were still one of the best. Although they had better tactics, and better equipment, and despite the fact that they heavily outnumbered the Colonial Marines, Samuel did feel sad when knowing he had switched branches. But a command was a command, and he wasn't about to turn it down.

"Your going to be observing and participating in Grand Army affairs," he smiled. "Don't worry, they're not as bad as you think."

"I meant if I am going to be joining the ship detachment of troops then they are Marines in the Alversian sense of the word" She smiled at the statement, "And I'm not afraid of a ship, people or crew. As long as I know you're nearby, I know I'm safe" She held his hand and gave another small smile.
"Where is the North America?" She asked

Beside the Alumina Ship / Space

At first, sensors would pick up nothing. Just the normal travel between points and space, and the normal readings of radiation and infrared. But a sensor blip would suddenly appear, followed by the streamlined entrance from Hyperspace of a Galactic Navy Light Destroyer (http://hawk.proboards1.com/index.cgi?board=gfmc&action=display&thread=40&page=1#123). It was a modified Recusant-Class Light Destroyer (http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Recusant-class_light_destroyer) from some far-off era, and used by the Galactic Navy to fill the role of search-and-destroy craft.

In this situation, however, it merely acted as transport for the two important passengers on board the Alumina Ship. The North America was still docked a few lightyears past the Federation Border, awaiting the arrival of its command crew. On the spartan bridge of the Light Destroyer, a familiar face appeared on a communications link to the Alumina Ship.

"Were here for the personnel transfer," the now-Captain Ur'Sa said. He now wore a Navy Officers Uniform (http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Starfleet_uniform_%28Earth%29#Standard_duty_uniform). While not entirely accepted through-out the Navy, as changes were still being made, Ur'Sa did seem comfortable. "I hope everything went well with the rescue."

The Alumina ship had detected the Light Star Destroyer long ago, using advanced subspace scanners to scan hyperspace, subspace and any type space. Even anti-space. The Alumina had been travelling space for well over a millenia. It was rumoured they had once been at the centre of a vast empire but they never said anything and no one could prove it so it remained a rumour.

For now, the Captain scowled at the screen in front of him and looked at the Captain in front of him with the characteristic unfriendlyness,
"The rescue was sufficient. Are you here to transport the Colonel and the Captain to the North America?" he demanded.

OOC:

Check your Telegrams.

OOC: Replied

Ur'Sa wore The standard Galactic Navy Command Division (http://hawk.proboards1.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=gfmc&thread=40&page=1) style uniform, the stripes on his blue outfit gold to symbolize his command status. He looked off-screen to someone, and then back. His reptilian features betrayed the sense of humor he felt while looking at the Alumina. The guy tried so hard to be serious, but a Komodren just couldn't take the Alumina seriously. They were so darned cute.

After all, almost every household in the Core Planets had a cat. Ur'Sa had been one, until he had been called on duty. These cat-people reminded him of his pet. But he shoved the thought from his mind, and nodded simply.

"I am here for them," he tilted his head side-ways. "However we are in a hurry, so if you please, the situation has taken a turn for the worse and we need the North America active."

If the Captain recognised the amusement of Ur'Sa, he did not show it but continued to stare impassively and angrily at the screen,
"The Captain and Colonel will be released when they are ready to be released" he snapped back at the Komodren, "If you want them, you will have to wait for them" He was still boring into the Komodren's eyes.

Ur'Sa seemed unamused. Especially at the harsh Rebuke. He then went another route, determined to one and for all break down the barriers that the Alumina Captain seemed determined to put up. He touched the Force with his mind, and stretched his thoughts to the Alumina. He then spoke, with force, yet gentle enough not to bring the Captain onto the brink of insanity.

I hope my kind is not insulting to you, Ur'Sa stated calmly. Perhaps I came off a bit too harsh, and if so, I do apologize.

The Captain was still staring straight ahead,
"You did not offend us. We did not even notice you had done so. However, the Captain and Colonel will not released until we deem them fit for duty. Until then. You will have to wait" Ur'Sa was running into the age-old Alumina hospitality, i.e none at all

Personally I believe they are fit for duty, He seemed to take on the same attitude of "hospitality". In accordance with the state of emergency were in, I need all the battle-worthy individuals I can get.

"When they are on one of our vessels, WE shall decide when they are ready. We do not deem them ready yet for battle. Your 'emergency' can wait" The Alumina Captain was visibly sneering. Her crew did not seem in the slightest annoyed by this behaviour, in fact, they would have done the same thing.

Seeing he was getting no where, he ordered the Link cut. The communications ended, and he pointed over to one of the ensigns. "Get the transporter to lock onto them."

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

Samuel had, by now, grown impatient. He had been sitting in the damn medical bay for over a few hours now. Why were they being held? What was taking so damn long? Samuel sighed inwardly, thinking it would just be better to do something else. He gave Stacy a Hug, and decided to go about wondering the ship. Then, he stopped at the exit to the Medical bay, looking back at Nexus.

"Can we get into contact with your Captain," he asked with a hint of agitation. "I'm seriously getting tired of being in this place."

The Captain saw what was happening and gave a small sigh. With a nod he looked over at one of his crew and gave a small nod. The crewman pressed the button and then went back to his regular task.


In the Medical Bay, both Stacy and Samuel were engulfed in a blinding white light, then they were on the bridge of the Federation vessel, directly behind Ur'Sa.
Stacy looked around in surprise with wide eyes,
"Sorry, Captain" She gave a firm salute, "But we appear to have been dropped onto your bridge"

Without so much as another word, the Alumina vessel turned and jumped to warp, leaving the ship alone.

Ur'Sa was expecting them, but not so soon. One look at the ensign proved that the teleport was by the Alumina ship. He sighed, openly, and gazed behind him to see Stacy saluting.

The Bridge protruded from the forward superstructure, and was technically small by modern standards. Ur'Sa stood on an uprising, similar to one found in submarines of past era's. Forward of him was holographic screens projected through Novarium Glass, to give the ability of a standard viewscreen with all the added information. The Glass panels lined the forward half, one in the center and four on both sides. Ur'Sa stood on the uprising, behind him his Command Chair, and around him stations of various functions. The stations surrounded the command chair, offering a forward and aft walkway. Behind the uprising, where Samuel and Stacy stood, was various panels lining the back of the bridge, of various functions and with readings of ship and space-borne information.

Below the uprising, three stations acted as helm, navigation, and tactical. These were manned by ensigns, who constantly conversed with each other concerning ship affairs. The space on the bridge was tight, as if crushed, and offered only about two individuals at a time to wonder any given path that was constructed for use. Behind Stacy and Samuel, the wall lined with various consoles showing information, to the left was a sliding bulkhead door, which behind was the Captains Quarters, and aft of that other departments important to Light Destroyer Function.

One notable station on the bridge, with an ensign constantly monitoring it, was a station resembling a submarine sonar console. The ensign watched the readings, with like-wise headset, as if hearing space around. Obviously this Destroyer was made for far more than transporting.

Finally, breaking the silence of the bridge, Ur'Sa turned around and returned Stacy's salute. "Welcome to the Trident. She's a tight ship, but manageable." He grinned at Samuel, who walked up disrespecting protocol, and both embraced as if Brothers. After a moment, Samuel patted the larger Ur'Sa's shoulder. "Good job on this one," He grinned, "Guess were both traitors of the Core now."

Ur'Sa gave a chuckle. "The Core betrayed us, not us to them." He gave a similar grin, lining the ends of his muzzle. "We got a situation, so we'd best hurry. Take any stations open," he nodded towards Stacy. "Anything you feel you can help with."

Samuel nodded, going up to the forward and taking the second seat next to Helm. The Helm Officer and Samuel both exchanged words, which could be heard as a greeting, and Ur'Sa looked towards the main holographic panel. "Helm, take us out."

The Trident moved easily in space, turning towards the Galactic Core of the Anagonian Planets, and swiftly made Hyperspace. It was a short journey to the facility holding the North America, but it was near Danaversian territory. Once the hyperspace journey was completed, the Trident exited Hyperspace, flying over an Asteroid belt, nearing the docking facility with Samuels second command.

"Indeed it seems to be" Stacy replied looking over the bridge of the Trident. Even the bridge of a Destroyer was bigger than this and that was saying something.

Stacy looked uncertain as Ur'Sa asked if there was anything she could do. She thought for a few moments, then nodded, slowly,
"I used to be the Tactical Officer in the APN" She said shyly, "But I don't think you'd want be there" She sighed.

Ur'Sa motioned for her to proceed at the secondary seat at the Tactical station, not responding to her unspoken uncertainty of her skills. There was a lot going on in Anagonia at the moment, and Ur'Sa had been ordered into a dangerous game. While he and the rest of the crew of the Marine ship Titan had been wavered of any charges of treachery against the Federation, most had either quit the service or joined another Branch that didn't involve space flight. Ur'Sa had been only a few who had decided to come back and use his skills for the betterment of the Federation, and the Command Crew of the Titan had done the same.

He casually sat back in his command chair, positioning his tail so as not to be uncomfortable. This was the tricky part. He typed in a few commands on his armrest console and looked at the Helm. Samuel, reading over the command, simply nodded as he felt his past-Second-in-Command's gaze. The Trident lurched downward, and started to enter the heavily populated asteroid field, Samuel easily piloting the Destroyer to avoid any collisions.

"Advise Deflector shields," Samuel spoke up from Helm. Ur'Sa shook his head, "As I updated you, General, we cannot be detected." As if remembering something, he typed in a few more commands. "Go to Silent Running."

The Bridge turned instantly to a red hue, only enough light to see where you walked and what was on the stations. Ur'Sa's scales were strangely lit by the light, as if it were a natural phenomenon. He looked back to a officer in the same Naval Uniform, his own color designation that of the Command Division. "Silent Running Acknowledged," responded the Trident's XO, Gary Bulmer. "Sensor range to passive."

Gary looked to be thirty-two, his hair a clean silver, and his features oddly similar to an Elven. Yet his eyes were hazel, an Un-Elven aspect. One would assume an interspecies relationship resulted in those features, in the hard eyebrows, and the firm expression. He simply looked around the bridge, presenting authority, the Red hue not hiding his penetrating gaze. Something more than transporting was going on here, and no one was talking.

Gary looked to the Sensor Officer, at the station devoted to picking up stealth and long-range contacts, where the Ensign was studying the sonar-like read-out screen. The Ensign merely looked back, shook his head, and went back to monitoring. Gary showed no expression, and looked back to the Captain. "We have not found the instigator, Captain."

"Continue to scan," He looked to Samuel. "General, maintain a course straight towards the docking facility. Monitor sensor read-outs and avoid any possible zones of detection."

"Aye Captain," Samuel Responded. Ur'Sa turned his attention to Tactical, "Lt. Commander, keep all sonic charges on stand-by. Advise Captain Stacy on weapons controls and auxiliary maneuvers."

Lt. Commander Saphira, a Raptorian, responded. Samuel looked over instantly, and the two held gazes for what seemed like an eternity. They seemed to recognize each other, and Ur'Sa took note. "Maintain station," he simply commented.

The two went back to doing their duties. Saphira waited patiently for Stacy, the viewports ahead showing holographic targeting data of asteroids and other anomalies detected by sensors.

Stacy nodded and looked over, waiting for the Anagonian Crewman to show her the controls. Some where familiar to her, most were not and she anxiously waited for the instructions,
"I'm sorry" She said shyly, "I've never used these controls before"

She listened to the information passing between Ur'Sa and Samuel, clearly they were looking for a hostile of some sort and she felt nerves in the pit of her stomach as they remained silent.

Saphira chuckled, a clicking sound that sounded girlish. She pointed at the panel display, it was touch-screen, like the ones Starfleet uses, and easy to navigate. Over the course of a few minutes, Saphira pointed out where the commands for the turbolaser batteries, sonic charges, and emergency boosters were located. She also pointed out the controls for auxiliary maneuvers. After the initial rundown, she also instructed Stacy on how to close out command menus, and bring them up again. It was like a portable computer, only concentrating on tactical.

"Also," Saphira said, "it will display damage estimates. So don't be afraid to inform the Captain."

Saphira sat only a few inches away, just enough space for her chair and Stacy's to swivel. Saphira's tail was comfortably positioned out the back of her seat, which was built for multi-species sitting. Saphira took one look back at Samuel, and looked at Stacy. "Do you know who he is?" She didn't mean it as a question.

Ur'Sa gazed at the read-outs on his armchair display, poking a few more commands in to engineering to lower the truster mark. In Silent Running, only the most essential systems were maintained. The Fusion Drives were lowered to not be detectable, and most non-important ship functions were shut down. Everyone was to be at battle stations, or ready to take over for any casualty. The Ensign at the Sensor Stations jumped, finally, and reported.

"Sensor contact bearing five-two-nine!"

Ur'Sa nodded, "On Screen."

In the distance was an Anagonian Aries-Class Heavy Cruiser (http://hawk.proboards1.com/index.cgi?board=Military&action=display&thread=26&page=1#36), without Federation Markings. Ur'Sa seemed satisfied by this, noting that the distance between the Trident and the Heavy Cruiser was considerable. The only way the Sensor Officer was able to detect the Heavy Cruiser was the break in the two large asteroids hiding the ship. The Trident moved easily behind one of the Large Asteroids, still a good thousands miles away from the prey.

Ur'Sa looked to Samuel, "Now do you believe me?"

Samuel looked back, and with a heavy sigh nodded. "It would seem that there is a Civil War." He looked back to the still-image of the Aries Heavy Cruiser, "But why is he here?"

Ur'Sa shook his head, "I don't know. But whatever the reason, we've got to dispose of him. Were at war, and even if they are brothers, we must not show any mercy."

Samuel was silent for a moment, turning his seat towards the rear of his station and standing. He went up to Ur'Sa, leaning down so the two could talk in private for a few moments. No one overheard anything, and Gary Bulmer immedietly took position in front of the Command Chair to monitor the bridge. He gazed about, making sure everyone respected the two commanding officers rights to privacy.

After a few moments, Samuel returned to his seat. Ur'Sa stood, towering over Gary, and motioned to Samuel. The Trident began an arch above the Asteroid, skimming the surface as it started its approach. Ur'Sa looked to the Tactical station. "Ladies, prepare for sonic charges."

Stacy took the information in like a sponge, taking note of all the various commands and instructions and panels so that when the time came she would not let them down. When Saphira asked about Samuel, she nodded,
"He was on my ship, the Castiron," She replied, whispering so as to not disturb the Captain, "We...we...we fell in love" It took a few attempts to get the words out, "I love him. Why do you ask?" She now looked at her questioneer.
Then, however, the vessel appeared on screen and Stacy was so pre-occcupied with what was happening onscreen, then nodded at the command from Ur'Sa.
She ran her fingers over the controls, recalling from memory what she had to do. After a few moments, she gave a satisfied nod and looked to Ur'Sa,
"Charges Ready, Sir" She reported in a clear voice.

Stacy took the information in like a sponge, taking note of all the various commands and instructions and panels so that when the time came she would not let them down. When Saphira asked about Samuel, she nodded,
"He was on my ship, the Castiron," She replied, whispering so as to not disturb the Captain, "We...we...we fell in love" It took a few attempts to get the words out, "I love him. Why do you ask?" She now looked at her questioneer.
Then, however, the vessel appeared on screen and Stacy was so pre-occcupied with what was happening onscreen, then nodded at the command from Ur'Sa.
She ran her fingers over the controls, recalling from memory what she had to do. After a few moments, she gave a satisfied nod and looked to Ur'Sa,
"Charges Ready, Sir" She reported in a clear voice.

The Trident arched over the last large asteroid, and came over the top of the Aries Cruiser. Ur'Sa watched, patently, as Samuel slowed the engines to near nothing. The Aries couldn't detect the Trident even if it wanted to. The main reason why the Galactic Navy chose never again to use Microwave Sensors was because of their flaw in, among lots of other things, fields of debris and the like. This was where the new ships, like the Trident herself, and their sensor technology played a key role in the Civil War.

Ur'Sa finally nodded, "Release charges, set for detonation twenty meters from target." He looked to Samuel, "Start thrusters to get us out of the blast zone once the charges drop." Finally, he looked to everyone. "Prepare for aftershock."

Stacy again began to type rapidly at her console, making sure that she did what Ur'Sa wanted from her. She paused for a second to see if her commands were the right ones. Then she nodded,
"Releasing Charges Sir" She announced as she tapped the button to release the charges. She braced herself in preparation of the strike that would signal that she had done her job correctly.

The Trident shook four times as the charges were released, rocketing to the projected angel and trajectory. The Aries started up its drives, attempting to gain the advantage after being surprised. It was too late, the Trident suddenly thrusting upward out of the belt, tiny micrometeorites flying off her hull as if she rose from the depths of the sea. Behind her, the first charge detonated. At first, no sound, no impact. Just an explosion, with a clearly defined blast radius. As it expanded, however, space shook around the impact zone as three more sonic charges joined in the cataclysm.

The Aries was struck from four sides, unable to move out of the way in time. The sonic blast erupted two nearby asteroids, sending debris into the Aries and outward, impacting the bridge and engines. Slowly, she started to break a part, then her fusion core went critical. The Trident shook violently as the Aries became a sphere of destruction, leaving a gaping hole in the asteroid field as a bluish hell expanded outward. Fire consumed and melted nearby asteroid fragments, and slowly everything dissipated.

Saphira patted Stacy's shoulder, surprised that someone could aim so correctly for the first time at tactical. She gave a grin, then looked back at her console, concentrating on ships weapons and sensors read-outs. Ur'Sa came up, without a sound, and laid a reptilian hand on Stacy's shoulder, patting it. He then went back to the command uprising, and looked about the bridge. Everyone seemed satisfied, and with a silent conversation with the Sensor Officer, he stood straighter.

"Secure from Silent Running," Ur'Sa commanded. Gary Bulmer repeated his words, "Secure the ship from Silent Running, aye Sir." Gary then went about issuing orders to various stations, while Ur'Sa watched as Samuel aimed the Trident towards the location of the Docking Facility, which had been hidden away in this asteroid field.

And Samuel rose in shock, Ur'Sa coming to stand beside Samuel. Both looked on in horror at the sight. The North America, or whatever was left of her, was in fragments. The Docking Station was totally destroyed. A mile-wide radius had been totally cleared of asteroids, as if from a huge explosion.

"What happened to my ship," asked Samuel almost too quietly. His expression was of shock, of the fact that as secure as everything was someone found out where the North America had been. "Who knew?"

Ur'Sa looked to Samuel, "I'm not sure." He looked back, "Someone find out what the hell happened here!"

Stacy felt a grim satisfaction when the Aries was blown apart, however, she could not be truly joyful, for with that ship's destruction, God only knew how may had been killed. She took the praise with a small nod then watched in horror at the destruction of the North America. She looked around at the stunned bridge crew, uncertain of how to act, she tried to imagine if it had been an Alversian ship that had been attacked and destroyed and so she lowered her head and began to mutter a small prayer.

The scene that followed was chaotic. Officers of various rank rushing to the bridge with reports from around the ship. Anything that could be found, would be found. Ur'Sa stood in the middle of what could be loosely called organized chaos, directing and issuing orders to the officers as they came and went. Samuel stood beside him, and both were talking hurriedly at the new reports coming in. The Trident had been on active for some time now, sensors cataloging the data from the remains of the station and Samuels ship. Information about whatever destroyed the station was being theorized and hypothesized at a hurried level. But everyone only had guesses.

Meanwhile, Saphira looked to Stacy after she finished her small prayer. She sighed softly, looking to Samuel, then back at Stacy. Her reptilian eyes fell to her console for a moment, remembering what Stacy had said about falling in love with the General. "Samuel and I," she began, then cleared her throat as she was rushed by many ensigns requesting information. She couldn't finish her explanation, hurriedly typing in her console to retrieve as much information as possible.

When it was over, about five minutes later, Saphira finally sighed in relief and looked at Stacy. Her eyes were a beautiful mixture of greenish-blue, and her reptilian skin, what was revealed from her uniform, was a gentle mesh of dark brown and purple. An Anagonian would realize that a possible interspecies relation resulted in this strange mesh, both eye color and skin texture, but Stacy probably would not have noted. She looked like she could stand to about six-foot eight inches, but right now with her sitting it was hard to tell. Saphira's tail gently tapped her seat as she contemplated her next words.

"Samuel isn't all he makes himself out to be," she said finally after a moments hesitation. "There's a lot of things you might want to know."

Stacy watched Ur'Sa in the centre of all the chaos and remembered with grim amusement that it had once been her in that position. She had been forced to direct ships and crews all with a minimal of experience or training. At least she had always had Ashbourne by her side to help her in the middle of the crisis.
Then she heard Saphira and looked over at her,
"What do you mean?" She asked, suspicious and nervous at the same time.

Saphira sighed, she sensed the emotion in the young human. Although she knew Stacy did love Samuel, she also knew her own history with Samuel. It had been a long one, and probably not what Stacy was thinking. She shrugged silently.

"So how did you two come to like each other," she asked in a polite tone. The chaos around the bridge continued, and they had a lot of time to discuss. "Did he tell you anything about himself?"

"I don't know how we came to like each other" She shrugged, "It just...happened" She watched the choas of the bridge for another while, "He didn't tell me much, but then I didn't tell him much. Why do you ask?" She was still looking at Saphira with a strange stare.

Saphira turned her attention to the chaos for a moment or so, following Stacy's gaze as they looked at each other. Saphira recognized the suspicious look, and smirked, ever so softly. It wasn't anything bad she was about to say, but perhaps it would take Stacy for a trip. It was a very complex story, with something around the lines of horror and justice. She looked back at her console and merely clicked her tongue a few times in contemplation.

"It's a very long story," she said after thinking. "But me and Samuel go way back." She looked at Stacy, "At one time we were...lovers as well. Very close." She seemed to hesitate at admitting that, and sighed. "But something came up and ruined it all. Something both of us couldn't foresee for the life of everything."

"You two were," Stacy trailed off, unable to finish the sentence. She knew thay he must have had other relationships, other women, but she had never really wanted to confront the fact. It made her Samuel seem less hers than he should have been.

Stacy looked around again and sighed,
"What happened?" She asked, both dreading and desiring the answer. Samuel had secrets but then so did she.

"We found out we were brother and sister," she said with a hint of hesitation. She cleared her throat, concentrating on the panel. For a short few moments, she didn't say anything. Something in her eyes told Stacy that Saphira was remembering something close to her heart. She let out a soft sigh, and concentrated on the now. Whatever happened back then, whatever was between the two, had been crashed a part by the revelation.

She scratched her muzzle absentmindedly. "He's supposed to me the head of our Clan on Kromulus, but after we found out the news, we both ventured a part." She shrugged, "Both of us lost our parents, and both of us believed we were the last. We were the perfect match." She seemed saddened, almost yearning once again for the time of innocence the two shared. She shook it away, "But now that were near each other again, I'm not sure what to make of it. Samuel has tried so hard to forget, and so have I."

OOC: TG

Stacy stared in surprise, unsure what to make of the whole story. She seemed to be trying to remember something that happened some time in the past and was now trying to forget it. She could understand it, she felt jealous at the moment more than anything. She wanted to have Samuel to herself but now she saw that, unlike her, Samuel had someone else to lean on for support, even if he didn't like it. Stacy was alone in a wide, harsh universe. Every family she had ever had was destroyed before and now she was afraid of getting close to people in case it happened again,
"What's happpening here?" She asked, changing the subject quickly, "What do we do now?"

The Sensor Officer looked at his screen, concentrating on something. He sat there for several minutes, saying nothing. Finally, he turned to Ur'Sa, and asked for him to come over. They spoke quietly together for a few minutes, Saphira gazing at Stacy as she looked on at the spectacle. Something had been detected, and Saphira looked forward at the main holographic screen to see a zoomed-in view of something in the nearby asteroids, along with a graph of noise...or vibrations.

Ur'Sa finally walked up to Stacy and Saphira, towering over the two, hands behind his back as he gazed at the display. He turned to Samuel.

"Fusion core?"

Samuel nodded, "Mark 4 to be exact, and we both know what ship has that."

They stared at each other for a moment, Samuel turning back to his console as he pressed in a few commands. A display of an Anagonian Battleship (http://hawk.proboards1.com/index.cgi?board=Military&action=display&thread=26&page=1#41) came up. The Type 4 Fusion Reactors on display to the side. The vibration data, whatever byproduct material being detected on the other side. They were a perfect match. Ur'Sa seemed to tense, Samuel stood, walking beside his lifelong friend. They spoke softly, seemingly unaware of Stacy and Saphira.

"I think she's hiding," Ur'Sa suggested. Samuel shook his head, "I don't think so. I think she's waiting for us. Like that Heavy Cruiser." Ur'Sa gazed at Samuel, "You mean how easy it was to kill it? They sacrificing their sensors to wait for an inspecting party?" Samuel shook his head again, "More like waiting to see who was special enough to command that ship." Ur'Sa finally nodded, then started back to his Command Chair to sit down. Samuel followed, and the two started discussing tactics.

Gary Bulmer took initiative, calling for Silent Running again. The bridge turned a red hue once more, and the Sensor Officer began scanning for exact locations. On the holographic panel, the battleship started coming into a more clear view. The ship was moving back into the asteroid field, the Helm Officer taking precautions. They flew bast bodies of Grand Army soldiers, officers, and naval personnel. Everyone keeping a good eye on the objective, trying not to concentrate on their dead brothers.

"Look's like he's moving," commented Samuel as he returned to his post. The Battleship hovering above the asteroids, going to active scanning, unable to detect the Trident. "Keep her steady," Ur'Sa ordered.

Stacy watched as the Battleship appeared and sighed. Although it was no bigger than an Alversian Dreadnought, there was something intimidating about it, just because of it's precense if nothing else. She looked to Ur'Sa,
"Orders, Captain?" She asked, her hands hovering over the console in front of her.

"No," Ur'Sa silently commanded. "Nothing yet."

Samuel guided the Trident underneath the Battleship, unseen and undetected. Everything seemed tense on the Bridge, silence filled what should be open conversation. The forward panels turned to views from above, watching, waiting. Ur'Sa concentrated on the frontal panel, observing some unforeseen tactic. After a few moments, he spoke to break the tense silence.

"Activate Proton Torpedo Tubes one through four, and deploy sonic charges for detonation on my command."

"Sir," Stacy began to type quickly again, running her slender hands over the controls. Although she had been nervous at first, Stacy was gaining confidence and was certain she knew what to do,
"Weapons ready and waiting, Sir" She reported back.

"What the hell is that?!"

The cry of surprise was so sudden, that everyone and their mother turned their heads. Saphira almost twisted her neck as she snapped around to see the Sensor Officer shaking visibly. Ur'Sa immediately went to stand beside him, looking at the screen, his eyes going wide. Samuel jumped up, leaving the controls to the Helm Officer, going beside and gasping. He never gasped, Stacy knew that. Something was wrong.

"Dear God," Samuel said in a low voice. "Were so fucking screwed."

He said it so low that only the three of them could hear it. Ur'Sa put a clawed hand on Samuels shoulder, urging him to return. Samuel nodded, going back to his station, visibly jittering as he set in a new course of the Light Destroyer. The Battleship wasn't their only problem now, and the forward viewpanel and holographic display showed a massive Confederate Fleet of Imperial Warships hyperspacing in. And no one knew why, until a second sensor sweep revealed an unknown second fleet warping in, and the two fleets engaging in a death-match as turbolasers and weapons of various sorts were exchanged.

Samuel couldn't tell what class of ships the unknown fleet had, but he wasn't about the find out. The Trident began making maneuvers to escape the asteroid field. They had to get out of here. The Battleship seemed to turn toward the action, and open fire. It was suddenly consumed by a super-laser, and exploding.

All at once the Trident had a hailstorm of rocks and asteroid fragments flying at it. Samuel started evasive maneuvers, avoiding the larger fragments with ease, hearing the impact of smaller ones on the hull. He cursed himself as he hid the Light Destroyer behind a much larger, more solid asteroid. He looked back at Ur'Sa.

"I don't know about you, but I don't think we can stay here." He looked at Stacy, Saphira, and then the viewpanel. The Unidentified ships were listed. Ur'Sa gazed, silent for a moment. He looked at Stacy, "You know what type of ships they are?"

Stacy stared at the screen and instantly she paled. She recognised the ugly, squat warships, their silver hulls and the yellow beams of fire. She had seen them so many times. Watched so many of her people die to those beams. She shook her head in sheer panic,
"Ur'Sa!" She called in terror, "Get us out of here! Now! Please! Go! Get out of here!" Her face was contorted in terror and she dived under her console, shivering and weeping in fear,
"Please! Please! It can't be! Please! Go!" She sobbed.

Samuel jumped to Stacy's aid, while Saphira got to her first and helped her back to her station. They comforted her as Ur'Sa saw the display, choosing to look away at the unprofessional show. He contemplated, looking back to Samuel, then the Helm Officer who awaited orders.

"What are these ships that make you so scared, human?" Stacy had peaked Ur'Sa interest, "We can't leave until we clear this asteroid field, and that will take time." He stood, walking over to her. "Until then, maintain yourself on my bridge." He looked down at her, stern, commanding. "Now," he said in a gentler voice, "Why are you so afraid as to dishonor yourself by cowering in fear?"

"They're...they're..." Stacy tried to force out of her mouth, before the event she dreaded happened. Suddenly, it was as if all power to the Trident had been cut save for life support.

The room went pitch black, engines, tactical, shields, helm and internal defences were suddenly rendered useless by some strange act that no one could tell of. One of the massive Battleships was looming over the asteroid field, dwarfing the Trident and cutting through the field as if it didn't exist. Then, on the viewscreen, pitch black appeared save for two small glowing red eyes that seemed to peer straight ahead,

"THIS IS THE VOICE OF THE SASM" The cold, echoey mechanical voice called throughout the ship,
"YOU WILL BE DISSECTED. HOSTILE VARIABLES WILL BE ANNILIATED"

"Ur'Sa!" Stacy called again in panic, "We need to get out of here! Now!" She cried.

OOC:

I was busy, sorry about that!

IC:

Ur'Sa looked at the screen, and growled audibly at the declaration from these beings calling themselves the "SASM". He looked to Samuel, who was franticly trying to restore power to the main drive systems. Saphira was attempting to restore power to the Hyperdrive engines, for a quick and risky get-a-away within the asteroid field. None of it payed fruit, however, and Ur'Sa was left standing defiant on the command platform. He gazed at the screen, the being with the red eyes.

"Let us free!" It was the only logical thing that could come out. Ur'Sa was more pissed than anything, and Samuel was beating the console for not responding. Saphira merely sighed, and placed a hand on Stacy's shoulder.

"Calm down," she said softly. "Show courage."

The red eyes did not respond but continued to stare into the bridge through the pitch black. Stacy could only stare in horror at the screen, praying that salvation would come. Anything. Then it hit her,

"Ur'Sa!" She called, "Tap into auxiliary power! The SASM don't shut that off!" She was sweating and shivering, those creatures were responsible for the deaths of millions of Alversians, billions of Vuhifell. She didn't want to think about it, but she was crying where she stood.

OOC:

G2G to work. You can reply them exiting somewhere?

IC:

Ur'Sa nodded, conveying the Orders. Both Saphira and Samuel went about doing the proper procedure, and suddenly the Trident lurched to life. She went forward fastly, passing the great SASM ship, and Saphira looked worriedly at Samuel. For the first time in decades, Samuel returned the look with a smile. Like it used to be, like how it felt the first time. He gave that grin, and Saphira pressed the button on the screen for Hyperspace.

The Trident, at speeds faster than light, passed by asteroids dooming their course with ease. She entered Hyperspace to anywhere but here. Suddenly escaping without a scratch, as if by Miracle. And time stopped, Saphire still looking at Samuel, Ur'Sa concentrating on Stacy in her emotional state, and everyone else starting in disbelief at what they saw as they exited Hyperspace.

OOC: Sure.

Stacy stared at what she saw, mouth open. She felt fresh tears prickling at the corner of her eyes and bile raising in her throat and her stomach turning at the sight. It was like the last war all over again, every memory was coming back to her, the sights, the smells, the surefire knowledge that this would repeat itself thousands of times across the system.

It was a fleet. It was a fleet. It had been a fleet at one point but it had run afoal of an enemy in recent times and she knew which one. They were in the middle of a debris field, a field of burning metal, sparking hull fragments and the large remains of, what looked like, hundreds of ships. It was an Anagonian fleet. No doubt about it. They had been in a battle and they had lost.

"My God" She said softly, wondering how many would have died amongst the many fragments of ships that now floated in space, along.

OOC: Whew, been very busy.

IC:

Ur'Sa slumped back in his chair in disbelief. Such a massive armada of ships, and by the sensor readings they were the remnants of the Anagonian Defense Forces. Obviously the Imperial Rebels were engaging these SASM, and obviously they were loosing. The only benefit was the fact that forces loyal to Drakomis and the Federation weren't seen dead yet, and thankfully all power had been restored to the Trident...so Ur'Sa and his crew wasn't either.

He rubbed his reptilian chin, looking out at the spectacle. Saphira gasped, Samuel looked in disbelief as he shook his head. Everyone returned to their stations, Samuel navigating the Light Destroyer past a few heavy debris and onward. According to Starcharts, they were near the Core Systems of the Federation. If the SASM got this close, then something must have gone terribly wrong.

"I suppose we won't be going home," Ur'Sa said softly, almost sighing a hiss. Samuel looked back as Ur'Sa continued, "Looks as if they're getting near our homeworlds."

Samuel nodded solemnly. "With their kind of firepower, we don't stand a chance." He looked to Stacy then, "I think we all owe the good Captain there our lives."

Everyone on the bridge looked to Stacy, including Ur'Sa, and smiled. They all have a short salute, then went back to their duties, all expect for Saphira, Samuel, and Ur'Sa. They crowded around Stacy, comforting her, and seeking advisement. Ur'Sa sighed, "You seem to know about these 'SASM'. What do you make of all this?"

Stacy watched the devastation for a moment longer and gave a shudder as the bridge crew gave a salute. She glanced down at her control panel then looked up to see Ur'Sa, Samuel and Saphira standing around her, asking about the SASM. She curled away slightly from their gaze. Although she was Alversian, she was small and the others towered over her. Her gaze slipped to the ground.

"We...we...we never found out much about them." She said slowly, "All we now is that they tried to destroy us twice and both times we only just managed to fight them off." She was shivering with fear and small tears were running down her cheeks.

OOC:

Alversia, I've been busy as you can tell. Even though I've been online, I haven't been able to post on NS in a while. Work has me down, and my duties elsewhere are holding me. I ask you to be patient, with knowledge that I shall post.

Sorry!

OOC: No probs, take your time

OOC:

Oh Lord, works killing me again :P

IC:

Ur'Sa looked at Stacy, then at the screen once more. He was thinking of places to hide at this point. If an entire armada was washed clean from existence by these SASM, what chance did he have? He slowly walked back to the Command chair, sitting ever so slowly as he contemplated his options. Samuel looked, but continued to stay near Stacy. Saphira sighed, going back to her post. Ur'Sa placed his scaly claws on his snout, scratching in thought. After a few minutes of silence, he sighed. Everyone looked to him as he spoke.

"I believe its time we escape while we can," he said softly. Samuel looked horrified at the prospect, but one look at Stacy kept him quiet. Ur'Sa continued, "I know a world no one else would venture to, and the SASM could not possibly go near. It's the Avian homeworld."

Samuel shook his head, "They hate outsiders! They only joined the Federation for economic purposes."

Ur'Sa nodded, "I know, but we have no choice now. One Light Destroyer against these odds is suicide."

Samuel sighed, "Well." He looked to Stacy, "It's better than loosing everything I hold dear."

Ur'Sa smiled somewhat, "Set course for Argonus, maximum speed." He looked to Stacy, "Are you going to be alright?"

Stacy listened to the exchange and gave a small sigh, no planet had stood before the SASM except for Alversia and her allies in the last war. Even then, one entire people of over 14 billion were killed in the attempt to do so. 14 Billion killed, for the loss of just 30 light Pathfinders, not even full warships.

She gave another small sigh and looked up into Samuel's eyes fondly before replying,
"If a billion Alversians were willing to give their lives up to defend their homes then I should be able to do the same" Her expression did not match the conviction in her voice.

"Who are the Avians?" She asked quickly.

Ur'Sa looked to Stacy and started to explain, all the while the stars from the forward viewports streaking into nonexistence as the Trident entered Hyperspace once again. Ur'Sa considered his words for a few moments, Samuel returning to his position to leave Stacy and Ur'Sa alone near the command platform. He looked out at the blankness, occasional streaks of light signaling they were near stars or other gravitational bodies to be seen. Ur'Sa gazed back down at Stacy.

"The Avians are a race of bird-like creatures," he started finally. He wasn't sure how to explain them, actually. He sighed, "In earthian terms, they resemble the three species of Raptor's called the Eagle, Falcon, and Hawk." Finally getting something to grasp onto, he continued. "Their society is mostly based on Roman government and style, with more freedoms and a society based on class-based work." He blinked slowly, "However they are very isolationist, and even to their Anagonian brethren they still desire to maintain some privacy, if that was possible. So their military is actually better than ours, and their technological level is way above the Federations." He shook his head, chuckling a bit. "They never shared that technology, and promised never to because of our nature to violence." He shrugged, "But they provide excellent medical technology."

"Sounds like the Alumina" Stacy gave a weak smile, "Sounds like the two may have something in common" SHe was looking out the window and sighed again,
"I have never seen a specied able to stand up to the SASM as equals. Never. We were inferior to them, only able to outsmart them. In direct combat, they have no equals. They have the benefit of a hundred throusand species' knowledge and over three millenia of travelling the universe." She shivered violently as she thought of them an her breath became shallow. She was starting to take a panic attack. Even talking of the SASM brought it on and now she began to black out.

Ur'Sa noted Stacy's reaction, gazing at Samuel who came up and hugged Stacy gently. Samuel tried to comfort her, Saphira taking over navigational controls from her position, everyone seemingly ignoring the situation. Ur'Sa sighed openly, gazing as the ship exited hyperspace to a beautiful tropical world, where from space once could see civilized development of cities. There was more forests and oceans than cities on this planet, and it seemed hidden behind vast nebula and other spacial disturbances from the distance. He looked back at Stacy.

"Trust me, the SASM cannot beat the Avians." He seemed somber, "No one can."

Stacy took Samuel and hugged him fiercely for support, small tears were running down her cheeks. Tears of both panic and fear. She looked at Ur'Sa sombrely as he announced the Avians,

"That," She countered sadly, "Is what we thought of the Alumina. We were wrong. You do not know them if you make that announcement"

OOC: The following is why I don't role play the Avians openly.

IC:

The Trident went smoothly onward, suddenly halting in mid-stride as it seemed to press against some kind of bubble. The bubble vibrated, color shifting from blue to red, and slowly the Trident passed through. Beyond what once was empty space turned into thousands of ships, each moving and roaming about, some obviously military, others could be considered civilian. Three such military ships happened closer to the new arrival. The Trident forced to slow to a stop by some unknown force.

Ur'Sa looked to Samuel as Samuel comforted Stacy, and he returned to his commanders chair, sighing openly at Stacy's rebuke. There had been many centuries of warfare, but no war had come to Avian. One of the reasons was the bubble that surrounded their homeworld, and a long adventure of first contact and near-disaster surrounded it. Ur'Sa wasn't about to explain, and he dearly hoped Stacy was wrong.

The ship seemed to intense in gravitational pull, the crew who understood the situation already strapped in. Within seconds they were above the Avian Homeworld, the three Military ships still in front, and the viewport came to life with a holographic viewscreen display of a Falcon-like head. It gazed around, finding Ur'Sa, then gave a short huff. There were no words, only mind-speak. The Avians, like the Delphinians, and did not evolve proper vocal cords. So, evolution had gifted them with speech from the mind. The words resounded across the bridge.

Argonis is closed to all outside parties, the harsh voice stated. You will be transported twenty lightyears distant.

Obviously expecting this, Ur'Sa stood, and the Falcon Avian regarded him suspiciously. Ur'Sa bowed in respect, "We humbly request permission to stay, as a new enemy to the Federation has risen and threatens all existence."

We know of this enemy, but we desire no wars. A short silence, then he spoke. You will leave.

"I refuse to leave," Ur'Sa stated defiantly. The voice boomed, YOU WILL NOT DEFY THE WILL OF THE UNITED DOMINION, YOU WILL LEAVE.

Ur'Sa, still calm, repeated his defiance, "I refuse to leave."

An audible sigh, Very well, we will welcome you. I swear each and every time I press procedure on you Ur'Sa you seem more stubborn.

Ur'Sa chuckled, "We are at war, why else can I do?"

Ur'Sa gazed down at Stacy, and chuckled silently to her. He shook his head as Samuel held Stacy, looking at the debacle and rolling his eyes. Obviously the two had past history, and according to Avian custom if one refused to leave they had to be welcomed. Of course, if the Trident was allowed through the bubble then whatever occurred here was irrelevant, they had already been welcomed. He rubbed his hand through Stacy's hair calmly, kissing her forehead softly. "We still have hope," Samuel said softly. "If the SASM haven't found this place, then we might be able to fight back somehow."

Stacy watched the exchange and shook her head, still clinging to Samuel,
"You don't understand," She moaned, "They'll find a way, they always find a way"
She, too, was hoping that the Avian would be what they were looking for, the SASM had yet to be stopped by force, it seemed that the Avian could be their hope and it would actually be quite amusing if they were to meet the Alumina at some point.

In a split second Stacy, Samuel, and Ur'Sa were transported via unknown means upon the bridge of the Falcon Avian. He stood tall, wearing what seemed to be armor of roman history, yet fashioned with supports and a robe extending to hide his legs. Behind him was beautiful wings, and his entire figure looking to have evolved into a bipedal formation with figure in the same configuration as a normal human. Expect, of course, his entire body that could be seen was covered in sleek feathers of a bluish tint, which attracted the light and reflected it much more than his armor did. He wore no helmet, at his side what looked like a sword of sorts. He bowed his head towards Ur'Sa.

I see you are here for another reason that shore leave, the Falcon said amusingly. The females would appreciate your return.

"No doubt," said Ur'Sa with a hint of embarresment, "But enough with history." He motioned to Samuel and Stacy, "These are my friends, and now your friends Rikna."

Pleasure to welcome brethren of my brethren, said Rikna in kind. I am Legion Commander Rikna Dorus, proud Avian of the Argonian Dominion.

Stacy gave a small nod, still drying her tears and trying to keep her breath under control. In truth, she was overawed by the appearance of these new people and she could hear the speech although she didn't know if she could reply to the announcement,

"C-C-Captain Stacy Smith," She stuttered, "Alversian P-P-People's Navy" It was partly in fear of the Avian but also in fear of what was happening in the galaxy.

Samuel kept a tight arm around Stacy, nodding towards the Avian. "Lieutenant General Samuel Vong, Galactic Army." He held Stacy as she studderd, and felt her fear, but did nothing to comfort it. There was nothing to do, expect let her let it out. He sighed inwardly as Rikna took in the two.

The bridge itself was fashioned in glorious space and texture, above what seemed like a circular ceiling fashioned in a dome, having holographic displays from various sensor readings and the like. Behind Rikna was the command chair, specially fitted for an Avian and its wings, and there were no bridge crew present. An odd assortment, and it mostly looked like some vacation room, laking in the customary stations and adorned with pillars and artwork from various parts of Argonus. He gave a nod of approval, not seeming to notice Stacy's shuddering.

Well, a true outsider, I am please. He bowed formally, wings stretching for a moment, then retracting comfortably. As for your, Lt. General, I have heard much about you before the outbreak of the civil war. You seem to be popular among assassins.

Samuel shrugged, "I get by."

Indeed, Rikna looked to Ur'Sa, I suppose my ship is open to you. You may wonder the bridge chamber, but please do not bug the Artificial Intelligence.

Stacy watched the Avian as he talked with Samuel and looked from one to the other in surprise, Ur'Sa may have had faith in the Avian people to defeat the SASM but every hour they wasted with these pointless hospitalities was another star system that fell to the relentless Bioroids and another fleet destroyed.
"We need to hurry" She whispered