OOC: going off on a limb here.

"Quantum computer eh," Page said sucking down the last of his cigarette.
"I'm pretty sure my ship has one of those, if not it has an AI that can probably figure it out."
"You have a ship?" Ta-vora asked rather skepticly.
"I'm pretty sure it was brought here with me."
"Then lets find it," Larra said enthusiasticly.
Page massaged his cracked arm.
"I have no idea where to look.."

OOC 2: Its scattered throughout 3 systems....

------------------
Valence, Always aiming for the stars...
Then realizing he should have shot the bodyguards first...

OOC: What ship type is it?

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The lie is a truth, too. The truth of the one who believes it.

Quote

Originally posted by Ta-vora:
**OOC: What ship type is it?

**

OOC: Page's ship Orion isnt a standard design. It comes from a dimension far from the Override and Nova Universes.
It's basicly a Battle mech that has very advanced technology to enhance Page's power. It runs off the power of his sword.

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Valence, Always aiming for the stars...
Then realizing he should have shot the bodyguards first...

"Well let's go look!" Larra exclaimed cheerfully. This was turning out to be quite the job.
"Find what?" Demon asked, popping up out of nowhere.
"My ship," Page repeated.
"You have a...."a look of comprehension dawned on the wolf's strangly expressionate face. "Ohh yeah! I remember now!"

Larra shook her head, smiling.
"Since we have two ships, we can split up and search, as long as we keep in contact," Ta-vora decided.
Larra nodded her agreement. "You can take UE space here, since your ship is slower. I'll fly galactic west and explore Voinian space, then move into Miranu and beyond. You can head east when you're done here and we'll meet somewhere in the Crescent." She grinned. "Hopefully we'll find something before then."

"After that last trick, you probably wouldn't be all that welcome in Voinian space," Page pointed out.
Larra smirked. "They'll never catch me. So what do you guys think?"

------------------
Life is a game, and it's to short to sit on the sidelines.

Ta-vora sighs.
“So I'll go back into Igadzra space. For some reason they don't like me, although I never understood why. What about you, Page? You go with Larra or come with me?”

------------------
The lie is a truth, too. The truth of the one who believes it.

Meanwhile, back at the Albatross...

DZ woke up. He felt like he'd been dreaming something about a Miranu conspiracy and slave trading and...

Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he glanced around the nearly deserted bar. He stood, and made his way to the bar. No bartender in sight, he hopped over and poured himself a Mountain Dew.

"Wonder where everybody's gone..." he muttered, then remembered something. Dashing out to the docks, he looked for his ship, the Longbow , or even the Full Circle. It wasn't there. The only ship in sight was a small unidentifiably distorted shuttle, the name Fury emblazoned on the side.

Perplexed, he wandered back inside.

OOC: Been awhile. Anybody still interested in continuing the Muranu/Voinian storyline, or messing about in the bar? I'm up for either, now that I'm going to have some free time available...

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iPod's don't like swimming in green tea. They don't sync after you dry them out, and the lock switch acts funny. Trust me, this is experience speaking.

The figure in the dark cowl looked up away from a small computer, with blank keys. "Are you the one they call DZ?" The returning man turns to the figure, apparently he thought he was alone. "Don't mind me, I'm just preparing to give a lecture for tomorrow, there is so much history to cover back near the end of the Human-Voinian war." The figure languidly moves it's head and a few strands of blond hair fall from the darkness before being shoved back by a scarcely visible hand. "I just finished telling my students about the Confederacies dealing with the Miranu." The figure's voice warms out of it's nearly comatose state when discussing history, but the gender is still impossible to tell. Perhaps it wasn't even human. "I'm sure you know that the confederacy traded with the Miranu, the UE and the Voinians before the final battle. I've heard some rumors of a slave trade going on illegally within the group and I've heard you might know something about it. If you know something could you please show me a veed, I've got other resources that might connect, but I don't know the basics well enough to explain it to my students yet."

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Life, Death. What's the difference?

Page shook his head.
"I dont really want to go at all, besides i have some thinking to do.."
"then how will we know when we've found part of your ship.
"You'll know.." Page produced a cigarette from behind his ear and lit it. He then pulled a disk from his bag and handed it to Ta-vora.
"These are schematics, make sure to download them into each of your ships computers.."
"Okay."
Page took a seat at the bar and waited for the bartender.
"jeez I need a drink...."

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Valence, Always aiming for the stars...
Then realizing he should have shot the bodyguards first...

DZ, still behind the bar, made his way over to Page.

"I think I'll fill in for the curiously absent bartender, what'll it be?"

------------------
iPod's don't like swimming in green tea. They don't sync after you dry them out, and the lock switch acts funny. Trust me, this is experience speaking.

May the demon of double posts die a very painful death.

(This message has been edited by Larra (edited 03-13-2004).)

Larra watched Page walk over to the bar, a slight look of concern visible on her face. The look vanished as she got up and took the disk from Ta-vora. “C’mon. Let’s go download this stuff so we can start our search.”

Demon trotted behind them as they left the bar, wishing for a few seconds that he could stay at the bar and play some of his favorite pranks on the new bartender. Instead he waited until Ta-vora and Larra were downloading the information onto the Azula’s computer, then told the crew that he would be traveling with them again. Shortly afterwards, he catlike alien wondered why his crew seemed so depressed.

They actually had nothing to fear as Demon didn’t live up to his promise, going with Larra when the two ships were ready to begin the search. Before jumping off toward Voinian space, Larra activated the fuel scoops, causing four panels to open in Kamikaze’s streamlined hull. They would keep up her fuel as she flew, but disable her best fighting tactic.

The search was on.

------------------
Life is a game, and it's to short to sit on the sidelines.

"Suprise me," Page replied, "I dont think there's anything here that can kill me and i dont know any of the drink names."
DZ smirked.
"Not from around here are you?"
"Nope."
"From the crescent?" DZ asked smugly.
"A bit farther away than that.."

------------------
Valence, Always aiming for the stars...
Then realizing he should have shot the bodyguards first...

The edge of Voinian space
A modified Helian flew towards a small fleet of vessels. The fleet is made of Crescent ships, Human ships, Voinian ships, Miranu ships and Zidagar vessels, an Azdgari Arada and two Azdaras complement the fleet. If any of the pilots ever went through military training it is long forgotten, no recognizable formation is flown and some ships maneuver around others as if inviting an accident. Some pilots, especially the Azdgari and Zidagar, even play variations of the human game of chicken. As the Helian approaches the fleet a small Arada ventures to meet it. The Helian pilot hastily connects a tube and jumps through into the other ship.

"Matt, the ship you told me to monitor is amazing, you were right to monitor it."

"Your companion is following it?"

"We decided that a Voinian Interceptor might be a little less suspicious then a Helian."

"Good idea, I think I'll follow. What are the jump coordinates?"

"V-8483727."

"I'll be waiting in the system when they arrive. Get back to your ship, I don't have much time to waste." The previously affable Matt Milhelm had obviously changed throughout the year. He still dressed in bright clashing colors but his demeanor had soured, he looked somewhat like death in a Hawaiian t-shirt. After politely sending off the Helian his Arada vanished. The absence of a crew was eery, especially when the ship spun and jumped without anyone touching a control. "It'll be interesting to see who is insane enough to fly into Voinian space. Whoever is jumping is heading through the remains of Vorik, practically treading on sacred ground. Either they'll start a diplomatic incident and escalate the war again, or they'll conveniently disappear."

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Life, Death. What's the difference?

"Right then," DZ concluded, reaching for a random bottle.

As he poured a glass, DZ chuckled. "Farther out than the Crescent, eh?"

Sliding it down the table, he asked, "Where's that?"

Holding up one finger for delay, he left the bar, and made sure the acid pit was still ready for the next unsuspecting patron of the bar.

"Ok, go on... You tell me a story, and I'll tell you a story."

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iPod's don't like swimming in green tea. They don't sync after you dry them out, and the lock switch acts funny. Trust me, this is experience speaking.

OOC: Bringing the rest of my accounts up to date. This is double_zero, I'm just updating so that my AIM, Ambrosia, and other forum nicks all match. Just FYI.

------------------
Proud member of
[The Fifth Column](http://<br />
thefifthcolumn.blogspot.co<br />
m).

Page rolled up his sleeves removing his pale Tattood arms.
"I'm from a place farther away than you or almost everyone here has been. Infact i'm from a different universe all together. A universe with similar species but diferent governments and maps. and even whole systems and nebulae. I come fro a universe, or dimension if you like, of weaves. It is filled with psyhic beings able to control the flow of life and matter. I come from a universe of war and hatred."
"Dont we all?" DZ asked.
"I guess..." Page lit another cigarette and took a deep pull letting out the deep grey shade of smoke.
"Thats an interesting tattoo," DZ said pointing to one of the long black cracks that ran up Page's fore arm.
Page blew back a strand of his long black hair.
"Not a tattoo," He began, "Its a scar.. A reminder that I'm still only human, and even more importantly a reminder that i'm mortal."
DZ shot a questioning glance at Page.
"You wouldnt understand if i told you.."
"I'm sure I would."
Page pulled his blaster from its holster at his side and handed it to DZ.
"Try and hit me..."
"You sure?" DZ asked in confusion.
Page lifted his sword and unwrapped the cloth it was covered with.
He then took a stand about 10 feet away.
"Come on, try it."
DZ pulled the trigger and the small burst of energy riccochetted off Pages sword to the penut bowl at the bar.
"I didnt say stop.."
DZ fired the gun about 15 more times.
Pages blade danced around his body defelecting shots with an eerie ease.
"Your pretty good at that."
"There's more," Page tossed his sword by his stool, "now try.."
DZ pulled the trigger, this time out of curiosity.
The shot flew strait and true untill it was abot 6 inches frm Pages face. The air seemed to twist where the shot had stopped and eventually the small yellow bolt dissipated.
"Want to know any more?"

------------------
Valence, Always aiming for the stars...
Then realizing he should have shot the bodyguards first...

OOC:Paranoid, I wasn't sure if you were tracking my chars or one or yours, so for now, mine are clueless as to any tails they may have.

No traces detected.

The computer somehow sounded happy, considering it currently had much more work scanning systems than it had ever had before. Larra sighed miserably and directed Kamikaze into the next system. Halfway through Voinian space, traveling faster than the residents of her current dimension knew was possible, and she had found nothing yet. At least her fuel scoops regenerated fast enough in hyperspace that she didn't have to spend more than a minute waiting for enough fuel to jump again.

Of course, the sleek black ship and it's inhabitants were wanted criminals for their stunt with the cruiser. To the constant irritation of their attempted captors, Larra and Demon chose to ignore the Voinian ships completely, only dodging or flying away as an attack was launched. Fighting them just wasn't fair, especially since they didn't know what they were attacking.

Equally as bored due to lack of action, Demon jumped up onto Larra's lap in the form of a cat, yelling at her over the sound of her music.

"Let's play the random word game!"

"What's that," Larra asked lazily.

"It's easy. We just take turns saying words. We can't say the same word twice or hesitate in between words. First one to do that loses."

"Fun," she said sarcastically.

"Okay!" Demon exclaimed with extreme enthusiasm. "I'll start. Popcorn."

"Watermelon."

"Salamander."

"Bird."

"What?" Demon cocked his head sideways in confusion.

"Bird."

"Ha! You lost!" Larra groaned and slapped herself on the forehead while Demon bounced around the ship doing some sort of weird victory dance.

"Rematch!"

OOC: C'mon Ta-vora! Post! If my chars find the wreck of Page's mech, you'll have to come in and get it, because there's no way Kamikaze can take it anywhere, unless they tow it one piece at a time.

------------------
Life is a game, and it's to short to sit on the sidelines.

"Now that would a be helpful skill in a barfight..." Commented DZ.

"Ever seen one of these?" DZ pulled a small metal object from his pocket and tossed it to Page. Roughly 5 centimeters in diameter, and circular, a symbol was engraved on it, a complex pattern of thin lines.

Page shook his head.

"It's from an obscure human culture on an almost undetectable planet in the Sol system. The culture is distinctly human, descended from one the first pioneers of space exploration, the Ricker expedition.

"Since you're not from around here, I'll give you a little of the backstory. Shortly before the moon colony on Luna was established, there was an effort to colonize Mars. A fairly large contingent of humans, led by Dr. Nicole Rickers, set out to colonize Mars. Unfortuneately, their craft malfunctioned, and they went out of control toward Mars. With no way to steer, the best they could hope for was to overshoot, and catch the slingshot effect back towards Earth. It didn't work. They shot right past mars, and into its radio shadow, never to be heard from again.

"I've made a small fortune exploring the backwaters of several systems. I stumbled across the Ricker civilization, almost 40,000 strong, on an almost perfect clone of earth. They were in the middle of a positively horrid civil war.

"The Rickers, descendants of the leader, had been second-class citizens for several centuries. The reason for this was that the rest of the crew, the Regulars, held Dr. Ricker responsible for the screwup. The Rickers got tired of being held down due to their genes, and staged a revolt on the Regulars.

"I made an initial landing in my heavily modified freight courier, the Tank. My welcome was... well, not very warm. I happened to land in the middle of a battlefield, and both sides thought the Tank was from the enemy, so I drew tons of fire. Fortunately, the Tank is pretty much impervious to small arms' fire.

"I need a drink. Anybody else?" DZ asked.

OOC: I need sleep. I'll continue this in class tomorrow.

------------------
Proud member of
[The Fifth Column](http://<br />
thefifthcolumn.blogspot.co<br />
m).

OOC: Sorry Larra, I should have mentioned I was talking about you. I've just felt lonely ever since Solel left me and I've been carrying my plot alone. Since Matt hadn't done anything since an early scene with Harbringer I thought I could send him off without the rest of my group. You can spot him or I'll contact you in my next post. To anyone who cares this doesn't mean I'm stopping my monologue, I think I can probably kill another few billion life-forms first.

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Life, Death. What's the difference?

OOC: No problem, Paranoid. I just wasn't sure.

A truce finally was agreed on, when the game was still going on after three days. The occupants of Kamikaze were still debating just how many languages they had exhausted during the game, when the ship jumped into the uninhabited system DSN-8359. Yawning, Demon peered out a window while the computer checked for any signs of Page's ship.

"Hey, Larra, what's an interceptor doing here? I thought they guarded planets."

Said ship has been seen many times before. the computer blipped happily, having finished it's scan without results.

"Shut u- what?" Larra had very little patience with computers, which was why hers usually remained off, but the idea of a tail interested her.

In the last five systems, at least.

"Well why didn't you tell us!"

You didn't ask.

Larra glared at the computer screen. "You're starting to remind me of Mathilda....man i hated that computer!"

I'm sure you have more important things to do than waste your time talking with
me....dearie.

Demon giggled and Larra reached over and turned the computer off. The wolf suddenly looked thoughtful, then asked, "So what are we going to do about our shadow?"

Larra grinned. " The next system we have to visit is the Vorik system. There's an inhabited moon circling Vorik, an uninhabited planet. We'll get there ahead of our little friend and hide from scans in Vorik's atmosphere. Then they'll be nothing left to do but watch what happens next."

OOC: I will be changing my name soon, but I'm not sure what it will be yet. If you have a good suggestion, let me know.

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Life is a game, and it's to short to sit on the sidelines.