The Voinian Purge
After the first assault by the combined forces of the United Earth and the Elmagha into Voinian space the empire was on a steady decline. Ten years after the first assault the UE attacked and pushed deep into the empire taking system after system, the Voinians threw all they had to stop the advancing forces and left their empire open to the smaller but no less dangerous force of the Elmagha. The Elmagha pushed the small forces left to defend the north of the empire back to the Voinia system while on the west the UE was doing the same. The Voinians were pushed back to their homeworld. Seeing their fall, the Voinians drew back all available forces for a last stand against the enemy preparing to crush them. Two years after the first assault the UE forces invaded the Voinia system. Battles of unseen proportion since the Battle of Sol raged above Voinia as thousand upon thousand of ships fought for control or survival.
The Voinians fell.
Their fleet was reduced to burnt out hulks or had fled from the system. Borb station had been destroyed, its huge structure smashed into Voinia's atmosphere killing millions. Now Voinia was at the mercy of the UE. The hatred for the Voinains unprovoked attack on Sol led to the ‘cleansing' of Voinia. Hundreds of thermonuclear missiles fell through the sky smashing the once proud cities and devastating all life left on the surface as it was reduced to a radioactive wasteland. The atmosphere was virus bombed so nothing could ever survive on the planet again. Voinia was dead.
But the Voinians were not dead. Many had attempted to run the blockade of UE ships in orbit of Voinia. Most were destroyed but some were not, some made it through. These few are the last Voinians, they are the last hope for the Voinian species. Hunted across the Galaxy by specialized kill teams their heads carry huge bounties.
This is the story of one such group of Voinians a group on the run from the Voinian Purge.
Chapter one: First Encounters
The space port bar was alive with the hum of different species as they stopped from the life of space travel and had a drink. The metal walls were tinted brown with decades of half cleaned rust and blood from many fights. The metal tables were fastened to the floor which clanked as people walked across it.
Sitting by a table in a corner three Voinians seated on the metal stools eyed the crowds nervously. One slightly younger than the rest leaned back on the wall as he produced a halo-map.
"We need to find a place to hide, we can't stay here. I saw a UE Hunter docking earlier," he said to the other two as he tapped the halo map.
"They might not be after us, they could just be docking," the older of the three talked low and quiet.
"But what if they are after us?" the younger urged.
"Shut up Borb!" the female with them raised her voice slightly "Just because you were named after a great hero doesn't mean your always right." She snatched the halo map and looked at it. The older Voinian looked at the bar and then to Borb.
"Make yourself useful and get us another drink." He nudged him as he got up.
"I'll have a Miranu Sunset," the female said looking up from the map.
"Get it yourself, Dorn," Borb said as he walked towards the bar. Borb passed between the many tables as the different species stared at him from their drinks and meals. Standing at the bar Borb asked for the drinks as he looked around the at the different aliens.
"That'll be 50 creds" the barman placed the drinks down as Borb turned to him.
"A Voinian. Haven't seen your kind for a while. Heard you all got killed." The barman asked as he excepted the cash and placed it in safe.
"Not all of us." Borb said as he picked up the drinks which spilled slightly on the bar as he lifted them up. The bar door slid open as a group of five humans walked in and halted looking around the bar. Their dark red and black leather uniforms shinned slightly under the light and blasters hung around their waists. The lead human looked straight at Borb and signaled the others who all stared at him. Drawing their blasters they pointed them at Borb.
"Voinian, step out of the bar peacefully so no-one gets hurt." The bar had fallen silent and all were looking between Borb and the UE Hunters. Borb dived behind a table as he drew his blaster. Red bolts of energy slashed through the table and the unlucky occupants as Borb rolled and fired a bolt which smashed on the wall above the hunters, sending sparks flying. Red bolts flew through the bar as Dorn and the old Voinian joined the fight.
The UE hunters took cover behind the tables as they were caught in the cross fire from Dorn. Borb looked across at Dorn, who was firing into the UE hunters. Her slim figure was exposed from the cover as a red bolt caught her in the thigh. Screaming in pain, she rolled back behind the table and clutched her wound as the older Voinian fired two shots into the Hunters, catching one in the chest sending him crashing into the wall behind. Borb rose from his hiding place and ran for the bar. He leapt over as energy bolts smashed into liquor bottles sending shards of glass flaying across the room.
Looking around the open bar kitchen he saw the barman laying on the floor a hole burnt through his chest. Running into the work area he looked around desperately for a way of escape, seeing the oxygen shaft in the wall. Kicking the grill it buckled as he ripped it loose and looked inside. On the far side a ladder extended in both directions along the seemingly endless pipe. Borb jumped as an energy bolt dug into the floor beside him and Dorn, helped by the old Voinian, jumped over the bar under heavy amounts of fire.
"Quick!" Borb shouted over the noise. "In here!" He pointed down the shaft as he ran for Dorn.
"Where did you run to, Elmagha scum?" Dorn shouted as he helped her along
"Saving your butt," he replied, ignoring the insult.
"Come on, Brorb!" he called to the old Voinian who was keeping back the Hunters.
"Go on, I'll catch up," he replied as another bolt smashed against the bar.
Borb helped Dorn into the shaft and then ran to Brorb firing blindly into the bar as he grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pulled him back.
"Come on," he said, dragging him across the floor.
"Let go of me!" Brorb said as he regained his footing and stood up pushing Borb away as he ran for the air shaft. Borb lowered himself into the shaft and started climbing down as Brorb came down after him, the stale air stuck in his lungs.
The UE hunters leapt over the bar and ran towards the air shaft firing as they went.
"We have company!" Brorb said as he fired up the shaft.
"Whoa!" Borb yelled as an energy bolt smashed against the wall next to him, sending sparks showing over him and Dorn.
The UE hunters fired down the shaft as one of them clambered in and descended down the ladder.
"Quick, out that vent." Borb pointed down past Dorn to an air vent at her feet.
Dorn pulled out her blaster and fired into the vent, disintegrating it.
Many different species walked along the stations main corridor as suddenly an air vent blasted open. The smoke lingered thinly in the air as a Voinian trailing blood crawled out, her face smeared with sweat and dirt followed closely by two others. Helping Dorn up, they made their way down the corridor.
"We've got to make it to our ship," Borb said as he looked back at the vent.
"It's just around this bend," Brorb said as he looked back. "Get down!" he shouted as he drew his blaster and fired at the UE hunter emerging through the vent. The shot glanced off the wall and caught the hunter in the arm as he fell clutching his wrist.
"Go! Go!" Borb pushed them forward as more hunters clambered out the vent, firing at the fleeing Voinians.
Crowds of people panicked as the fire fight started through them. Energy bolts scythed through the crowds seeking a target as the Voinians fled. Taking cover behind a support pillar, Brorb returned fire into the advancing hunters. The UE Hunters with military precision advanced down the corridor keeping Brorb pinned as they went.
Borb looked back for Brorb as he and Dorn were pushed along by the fleeing crowds towards the docking bays.
"Stay here" Borb shouted over the screaming as he left Dorn by a door way.
"Do I have a choice?" she said looking down at her leg
"No, not really," Borb said as he turned drawing his pistol.
Brorb was pinned behind the pillar as energy beams smashed against the support, sending shards of plastisteel showering over the corridor. Borb ran towards the advancing UE hunters and laid down covering fire as Brorb ran towards him grabbing his arm as he ran past.
"What are you doing, you young fool, you could have gotten killed!" he said as they ran down the corridor. Energy bolts rushed past their heads smashing into the walls. Borb spun and fired two shots down the corridor hitting one Hunter in the head, the shot smashing through his skull.
Borb was pulled across the corridor as he saw Brorb helping Dorn towards a door.
Brorb pointed at the human numerals. "This way, kid. Docking ring 453." Borb ran through the door that hissed, closing behind them. He stopped and shot the door mechanism that erupted into flames and sparks.
"That should keep them busy for a while," he said as he turned from the heavy blast door and made his way down the corridor.
The interior of the scoutship was dark but surprisingly spacious as Borb ran through the cargo hold towards the cockpit, his boots thudding against the plastisteel floor. The small cockpit was big enough for two people and Borb sat down in the pilot seat flipping on the controls. The displays flickered as they hummed to life, showing system stats and holographic images of the ship. He tapped a key pad and the ship shook as the engines whinned, starting up. Looking at the scanner he surveyed for the UE hunter craft, it's distinctive shape was recognizable immediately. Long wings extended from a rounded fuselage, their entire length jammed with weapons from blaze cannons to hunter-killer missiles. Borb jumped as the door behind him slid shut as Brorb sat down next to him.
"Start up the engines and set co-ordinates for hyperspace jump," he said looking at Borb tapping at the controls.
"Already done." Borb said turning on the com-link. An image of an alien appeared staring at them.
"Requesting permission to break docking clamps." Borb said returning the stare.
"Permission granted. Set course 5462." the hologram replied. The image distorted and the light faded.
The docking clamps released the scoutship with a load creaking as the ship drifted into space.
Brorb looked over the instruments as Borb set in the course.
"Incoming, Vector 290. Its the Hunters!" Brorb screamed as the scanner showed the large ship powering towards them.
"Their powering up weapons! Brace! Brace!" the scoutship rocked as the weapons smashed against the shields. The UE Hunter thundered towards them, weapons blazing. Borb pushed forward on the throttle, the scoutship lurched forward as the docking clamps exploded into a giant fireball ripping a giant gash in the stations walls. The UE Hunter turned flying straight for them its blaze cannons firing round after round of red energy beams at them.
"Go into the docking area," Brorb shouted as the ship rocked again. Borb piloted the ship round the station towards the docking area through the debris and bodies floating from the station interior. The halo projector hummed to life as the image of a human appeared.
"Surrender peacefully Voinians. There need not be any more civilian casualties."
"Not a chance!" Borb shouted.
"Very well Voinian. Now you die!" The image faded as Borb steered the ship in between the docking vessels.
The scoutship weaved under a Cargo hauler as hunter-killer missiles rocketed past them smashing into the unshielded hull of the hauler.
"Head for the jump point, see if we can out run them!" Brorb shouted his hands racing across the controls.
"We don't stand a chance against that warship!" Borb shouted back as he piloted the ship through the docked ships.
"Head for the planet!" Brorb said as the scoutship rocked again. Warning lights flashed as the shields collapsed.
"Incoming!" Borb shouted as the ship shock sparks spraying over them.
The scoutship surged for the planet, its engines glowing bright against space as fuel poured from the damaged fuel tanks. The wings of the scoutship were smashed off as two more shots smashed through them.
"We've lost both wings! Entering the atmosphere now!" Brorb shouted as the ship shock and the orange flames of the re-entry into the atmosphere.
The scoutship thundered through the atmosphere like a missile as blasts smashed into it and metal fell from its hull.
"We're breaking up! The ship can't hold the pressure. Damned Human ships, what I wouldn't do for a Voinian ship." Borb said.
"Brace! Six missiles incoming! Get Dorn to the escape pod. The ship is going down!" Brorb yelled as Borb jumped up and ran for the door. The small corridor was cramped as Borb ran down towards the small cabin at the end. Running in he helped Dorn off the chair.
"We have got to get to the escape pod!"
The small craft shuddered as the missiles impacted on the back smashing the hull to pieces as it erupted into flames the sides buckling as the fuel tanks exploded into bright white flames.
Brorb sat holding the controls as the flames consumed the cockpit its bright claws advancing on him. He screamed.
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Chapter two: Revenge for a Friend.
Coming soon.
(This message has been edited by moderator (edited 11-26-2001).)