The engineer with Milhelm practically jumps at the device bringing out a supply of tools from the pouch on her jacket. She begins with scanners to check for traps or bombs in the wiring then spectral analysis. After a few minutes of study, she brings out a small computer with a projector and calls up the schematics of the device. The projector shows the complicated device in a similar amount of space; a cut appears down the center of the object and the workings are shown including parts that are obvious such as a power converter. "The object draws power from the fuel cells in an attempt to bend light, an attempt similar to that of this projector. As you can see the projector is transparent and can not show dark at all. The light bent in this cloaking device forms a shield of sorts using data input from cameras on all sides so that you won't see stars disappear or shadows passing over planets. Overall this is the most sophisticated cloaking technology I've seen in development it leaves Miranu and UE attempts in the dust." For the first time in this excited speech, she breathes deeply. "I could build an exact replicate for you out of scratch but without a few days it wouldn't matter. This device is custom made for the vessel; the input ports specifically made for custom designed sensor systems. I have all the schematics here in detail and I will attempt to reproduce one for your vessel, if you don't mind grounding for a while."

After a few minutes of barter the group leaves the sealed chamber and meets the engineers who had been dealing with the engine. "Sir," she addresses Captain Strauss, "we finished repairs on your engine, you should be able to get an extra five percent to your previous power and fifteen or more to you acceleration. Your hyperspace time should be cut down by a few hours and the time it takes to enter will be cut in half."

Milhelm nods in approval as he exits the ship. "Robert, Anna you both stay to deal with the device. Everyone else with me, we'll patrol the system to the best of our ability while the Endekung II is grounded. Captain Strauss we thank you for your trust and information."

------------------
"What if to reach the highest place you had to fall?"
Peter Mayer

"no problem, I got some business anyway... the wolfhound's crew needs a proper funeral." He slumped slightly, a woman walked up behind himn and put a hand on his shoulder.
He looked back and nodded. She had long brown ish grey hair and wore a grey hooded trenchcoat, she had two silenced high calibur energy pistols holstered at her sides.
"Keep in touch, this has become a matter of vengence."
He tossed milhem a chip containing comunicator data.

------------------
shoot to kill?
shoot to stop?
I say let loose the firepower and let fate decide

A man clad in flowing white robes stepped into the bar unnoticed. He had feathery white wings folded on his back, and a long blonde ponytail.
The man sat down at a table and stretched his arms out wide, while yawning.
He unsheathed a long thin blade, with two shorter blades sticking out the opposite side of the handle, and two others, perfectly straight as a hanguard.
As the Angel set the blade down, he produced an obsidian stone, and ran it up and down his sword.
The blade began glowing a deep blue, and shufted direction on the table, the blade pointing to a relaxed looking Page.
Page was wearing his cloak, and at his usual corner table. a cigarette burned in his mouth, and a glass of brandy, half full, sat on the table. He sat on one chair, sideways, leaning against the wall, with one leg up on the chair next to his, and the other dangling leisurely.
By his dangling leg was the exact same sword, though wrapped in cloth.

The Angel Gasped and stood to his feet. He pulled up one of his long sleeves and checked his watch.
Who the hell is that?
Page placed his cigarette in the ash tray, and shifted slightly.
The Angel strode over to Page, unnoticed by everyone in the bar, and kicked Pages dangling foot.
"Hm?" Page said looking up with his open eye, directly at the Angel.
Who are you?
The angel lifted his sword and placed it by Pages throat.
"Don't do that," Page said dismissivly pushing the blade away. As he reached for his cigarette the angel batted his hand down onto the table.
No one who weilds the Protector, is human, how did you get Antaries?
"Pardon?" Page asked downing the rest of his drink.
You're sword, Antaries
"Piss off, this peice of **** might as well be dull."
The Angel sliced the table in half, making himself visible to all, and pressed his blade against Pages neck.
No one speeks foully of the sacred protector

OOC: Plot thread comin up everybody....

------------------
"WE ARE THE POPES OF THE PYROS!!" "WE ARE THE CRUSADERS OF CAPELLA!!" "THE FRIARS OF FIRE!!" "THE BAPTISTS OF BORAL 1!!!!" "THE CATHOLIC KILLERS OF NEW CALCUTTA!!!!!!" "WE ARE THE GOOD!! no.. no... THE BAD!!! yeah.. thats it.. THE BAD CATHOLICS!!!"

Hatuli

"He said what?"

"They're all dead."

"No injured? No escapes?"

"Nope. No survivors. It was clean. I'd guess that a year's planning went into it."

Shek whistled." So how beat up is our friend. He gestured at the locked door.

Lelos shrugged. "Not much. I just drugged him up with some Darweshi truth serum. He was talking in less than an hour."

"Good. You administered the memory injections?"

"Of course."

"Alright. Let's let him loose."

"You sure?" Lelos dropped his hand to his glaive. "Memory drugs have been known to fail."

"If he remembers this place, we'll be long gone by the time he finds it again."

"Alright. I'll leave him where we found him. And then we'll go and find the facility."

"Right."

-----

Several hours later, the two swordmasters were standing on the edge of an enormous crater. Two security guards were with them.

"This is all that's left?" Shek asked one of them.

"Yes sir." The swordmasters were dressed in the uniforms of UE generals.

"That must have been a large bomb."

"The size of the crater argues for a kiloton munition," explained the other.

Shek and Lelos looked at it for a moment. "Yes, that sounds about right." After silently examining the explosion site again, Shek turned to the higher-ranking security officer.

"Captain, what was the prison for?"

"High-security prisoners, mostly. Smugglers, grand thieves, murderers, rapers, war criminals."

"Any reason why you think they'd be wiped out like this?"

The officer thought for a moment. A long moment.

"I'm not sure. I'm rather confounded myself, sir. Don't know what to say."

"Alright Captain. That'll be all. Thank you."

"Yes sir."

-----

"Shek, he was holding back."

"I know."

They were walking back to their hotel room. Street merchants shouted from their ramshackle booths, hawking their wares. The Dur'achi swordmasters smiled after listening to what was being sold.

"Well, what are you going to do about it?"

"Nothing yet. It's obvious why they were killed. Even a captain would know, if he was UE trained."

"Some prisoners had information."

"Information some people don't want others to have."

"You think it's the Blue Hand again, don't you. I tell you Shek, you're getting paranoid about them."

"Paranoid, or correct?"

"I guess we'll just have to see."

------------------
All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost. From the ashes a fire shall be woken, A light from the shadows shall spring; Renewed shall be blade that was broken, The crownless again shall be king.
—J. R. R. Tolkien
(url="http://"http://www.ambrosiasw.com/cgi-bin/ubb/search.cgi?action=intro&default;=26")The Search Feature(/url)

Planet Huron, Huron System
"So where's the prisoner?"
"Block 3 cell 2" adolphus responded.
the lift halted and the doors parted.
"Let's proceed."
Strauss walked up to a door and keyed in a code, neumerous locks disengauged and the door slid open. A severely shaken captain of the lotus, one of the many laziras crippled or destroyed in the battle over huron who was shackled to the wall.
"Gudentag, we have some questions for you."
After several hours of questioning, Strauss and adolphus walked out from the cell.
"Remove the prisoner send him off in an unarmed shuttle and tell him that if he remains, he will be shot down."

------------------
shoot to kill?
shoot to stop?
I say let loose the firepower and let fate decide

DZ noted a black UE fighter keeping a consistent distance behind him as he flew out to jump distance.

Company? He asked himself.

He twisted the Full Circle into a punishing 7G turn, giving the inertial dampeners something to chew on, as he punched the afterburner. He flew to within several meters of a passing UE Heavy, and stopped dead.

The UE fighter flew in circles, as if looking for something. DZ eased back out of the UE Heavy's shadow.

The ship continued circling, although it could obviously see the Full Circle.

Either this guy's a pro, or I'm being paranoid. Or both...

DZ immediatly powered up his jump engines. Seconds later, the UE Fighter did the same.

Coincidence.

DZ set his jump computer for Miranu space, and hit autopilot.

------------------
"I may disagree with what you have to say, but I shall defend to the death your right to say it." --Voltaire
PARENTAL ADVISORY
SARCASTIC CONTENT
(url="http://"http://thefifthcolumn.blogspot.com")The Fifth Column(/url)

The second the Angel became visible he was noticed by a slightly drunk black wolf, who immediately swore softly and spilled his drink.

Kamikaze had just reached the end of the system, mainly because Larra had taken her time on the station, when the mental message from Demon came to her. The sleek fighter sped back to the station, Larra cursing all the way. Disembarking, she moved at a quick walk to the bar, giving the Angel a few curious looks as she made her way to the table. Before sitting down she caught Page's eye, just to let him know she was there.

------------------
IF U CN RD THS U CNT SPL WRTH A DM

Hatuli

"Alright, so we know that there was something to be had from the dead. What else can we conclude from this?"

"I'm not sure. It's possible that there's a plan in motion designed to repeat this somewhere else. We need to find if there's another likely target and get there before that one's leveled."

"Yes," agreed Shek. "See if you can find something like that."

Lelos nodded and turned back to the Teiresias's computer console. They'd abandoned their hotel room after deciding that Hatuli's cities weren't nearly as safe as a heavily shielded and armored lightspeed ship. After an hour of hacking through UE security protocols and accessing the full records and entry logs of several high security prisons throughout UE space, the swordmaster had an answer.

"What have we got?" asked Shek.

"Well, look." Lelos pointed at the main display. "There's a large penitentiary on Verril Prime. Now, normally that wouldn't be much to catch the eye, as all UE worlds have at least one prison of comparable size. However, if you'll look at the records..." Lelos switched to one of the other display screens.

Shek whistled.

"You see it too?"

"It's filled with political prisoners."

"Almost exclusively, it would seem. And the UE records list the Hatuli prison as having the second largest concentration of them."

"We need to get to Verril then."

"Right. When do you want to leave?"

"Now. We've been here long enough."

Shek and Somm went up to the control room and starting going through their preflight routine. After firing the maneuvering jets beneath the fighter and taking off vertically, Shek retracted the landing claws. Lelos fired the rear engines and angled the maneuvering jets in such a way as to put the Teiresias on a path heading off the planet and out into the system.

"So, to Verril?"

"Yes. Let's see what we can find there."

Shek and Somm guided the ship to the appropriate hyperexit and cut power to the standard drives.

"Engaging hyperdrive."

"Allocating fuel."

"Hyperjump in five..."

"Fuel requirements met."

"...four...three..."

"Navigation locked in."

"...two...one."

"To Verril."

------------------
All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost. From the ashes a fire shall be woken, A light from the shadows shall spring; Renewed shall be blade that was broken, The crownless again shall be king.
—J. R. R. Tolkien
(url="http://"http://www.ambrosiasw.com/cgi-bin/ubb/search.cgi?action=intro&default;=26")The Search Feature(/url)

The Full Circle dropped out of hyperspace and blasted towards Mira. DZ disengaged the throttle and spun the ship in a quick 360ş to check his tail.

What he saw interested him. The black UE Fighter he'd spotted earlier was roughly five thousand meters behind and slightly above him, apparently on the same course. He locked the ship into his targeting computer, without activating his weapons.

Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean you're not being followed.

DZ queried the landing control computer for a free berth.

"Bay 449D is available, Full Circle. You are cleared to land."

He didn't bother to respond, and flew straight towards the "D" docking area. After landing and postflighting his new bird, DZ headed to the spaceport bar.

OOC: Seems to be dragging down... Anybody else still alive?

------------------
"I may disagree with what you have to say, but I shall defend to the death your right to say it." --Voltaire
PARENTAL ADVISORY
SARCASTIC CONTENT
(url="http://"http://thefifthcolumn.blogspot.com")The Fifth Column(/url)

(NSP: I'm not going to be too active for a while, in this as well as in all the webstories I'm writing in. Expect perhaps 1 post per week from me, at the most 2.)

Verril

"So, as you can see, we're here to question them. The government wants to see if they've got any information they don't already have."

Shek and Somm were garbed in the costumes of UE naval generals. The low-ranking officer who ran the Verril prison had easily been fooled into believing the false identities, created on the Teiresias on the way to the Verril system. It was only a formality now to get permission to speak with the political prisoners of Verril Prime Penitentiary.

Captain Hoff, the prison warden, looked over the credentials one last time, and gazed prolongedly at their uniforms.

"Uh, yes, well," he said, "go on in."

"Thank you Captain. I'm sure you'll be rewarded at some point for speeding us along."

After they'd walked a fair distance away, and Shek had activated a field distorter so their conversations couldn't be dropped in on, Somm asked quietly, "So who first?"

"Those listed as rebels should be questioned immediately. They fought against the UE government for a reason other than piracy. I want to know why."

"Right then."

They arrived some time later at a high-security cell. After opening the first door with the key card Captain Hoff had so kindly provided them, the two Darweshi swordmasters entered the observing room of Dmitri Mishashevsky's cell.

The prisoner was a strong looking man, bearded, with coarse black hair and rippling muscles. His eyes were closed, but Shek and Somm could tell that he knew they were there; their Sarpi training enabled them to see the revealing marks of silent observation.

Shek walked over to the interroom microphone system. "Mr. Mishashevsky, we need to talk to you."

Dmitri didn't stir.

"We know you're listening to us. Now, I've got a field distorter on, so whatever you say, and whatever we say, will never leave this room."

"Unless one of us three gets tortured."

Shek smiled. He was willing to talk. "True enough. Except you don't know the kind of training we received. Torture won't break us."

"Torture will break any human," replied Mishashevsky.

"Ah, true. But you see, we're not human."

That got Dmitri's attention. He stood up, and walked over to the two-way window. "What are you then? You certainly look human."

"Something else."

Dmitri thought for a moment. "That's all you're going to tell me about that."

"Correct."

"Alright. Why are you here? If you're not human, then clearly you're not of the UE government, nor are you part of the Navy."

"True enough. But we'll be asking the questions from now on."

"I see." Dmitri looked thoughtful for a moment. "Go ahead. There's no reason why I shouldn't tell you anything. My life's going to finish here one day."

"Thank you for your cooperation. Here's the main question. We want to know why you fought against the UE."

"Ah, the big one first. Good. I love this one." Dmitri paced back and forth as he talked. "The UE government is a corrupt government. Most people know this. What most don't know is that the UE gets a good deal of its operating funds from illegal means. I speak, for instance, of renegade activity."

Shek and Somm looked at each other. "You mean the UE takes money from the Renegades?"

"Yes. Few indeed know this. Even fewer know this and remain alive. Kind of surprised me that I wasn't put to death. But anyway, here's the deal. The Renegades have never been dealt with fully by the UE navy because the government doesn't want them to. They get roughly one tenth of their revenue from the renegade activity that they sponsor."

"Amazing," breathed Shek. "And that's why you were imprisoned? For knowing that?"

"Yes. But I also knew something more. Something no one was ever supposed to find out." Dmitri stopped pacing and looked at them.

"The UE also gets revenue from a slave trade. The renegades they sponsor also operate a secret slave trade, one that brings tremendous wealth to the UE government."

"With who? Who does the UE sell slaves to?"

Dmitri paused for emphasis. "To the Voinians."

------------------
All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost. From the ashes a fire shall be woken, A light from the shadows shall spring; Renewed shall be blade that was broken, The crownless again shall be king.
—J. R. R. Tolkien
(url="http://"http://www.ambrosiasw.com/cgi-bin/ubb/search.cgi?action=intro&default;=26")The Search Feature(/url)

The "room" materializes around the group. Yilta immediately begins questioning Milhelm brutally. "First, when will your device be done? Second, what if any unauthorized vehicles have been sighted in?"

"The device is finished Captain." Milhelm seems slightly off, his normal nonchalant behavior is slightly offbeat. "We have seen several vehicles without any legal registration in any government which will allow us their systems. The vessels jump in then out, and since the primary vessel seems to be a Lazira in each group. I doubt that they are Azdgari or Igazra fleets. They could be North Tip renegades, but I don't know what they would be doing in South Tip territory."

"I believe we should attack, instead of merely monitoring. Our renegade allies have enough of a force, when combined with ours, to defeat the Voinians, a few pirates shouldn't be a threat." John is as composed as always, no doubt he would enjoy massacring thousands of enemies, whoever they may be.

"Yo' a insa'e basta' ya' know. We atta' an de UE know ev'ry bit ou' powe'. We gotta lay lo'." Jenna seems as of balance as Milhelm, as Yilta reflects on the situation, she resolves to look deeper into the faction rivalries.

Yilta cuts of the argument before it can cause extreme tensions. "Matt, I want you to tell Captain Smith that his cloak is ready but if he wants it installed on his escorts we'll need to barter. John continue to observe and pay a few million extra credits to our disreputable allies." John glares over the insult." The Light Wind will be arriving in the territory relatively soon to deal with the issue. Jenna I want you to deal with the influx of Miranu joining our alliance."

"Will do Cap."

"I will call a full meeting in 2000 minutes, alert your subjects."

"Captain Smith, your customized cloaking device is outfitted. We will demand reciprocation if you wish another one installed, in an escort for instance. This should be undetectable by conventional sensors radar or even sonar. However if you fly into a dense asteroid field or nebula matter will still bounce of your ship causing a slight loss in your advantage." Milhelm bows deeply, "We thank you for the information you helped us to acquire and I have enclosed an emergency frequency. Our vessels are in nearly every human inhabited system and would help you against any attack. Farewell and best of luck."

------------------
"What if to reach the highest place you had to fall?"
Peter Mayer

Hmm... Are any of these Bars any good anymore? lol not that im active enough to take part.

------------------
Insanity has its advantages

Quote

Originally posted by U.E. Admiral:
**Hmm... Are any of these Bars any good anymore? lol not that im active enough to take part.

**

No, this one's horrible, don't read it. You'll hate it. lol wtf omg.

------------------
"I may disagree with what you have to say, but I shall defend to the death your right to say it." --Voltaire
PARENTAL ADVISORY
SARCASTIC CONTENT
(url="http://"http://thefifthcolumn.blogspot.com")The Fifth Column(/url)

ooc:@paranoid captain smith... is that me?

------------------
shoot to kill?
shoot to stop?
I say let loose the firepower and let fate decide

OOC:

Quote

ooc:@paranoid captain smith... is that me?

Yep

------------------
"What if to reach the highest place you had to fall?"
Peter Mayer

"Very good Mr. Milhem... glad to see your engineers were up to the job of replicating that device, you have a very capable workforce."
"Would you be interested in inst-"
"yes i would." Strauss anwers seeming to anticipate the question.
Milhem looks at him in confused.
Straus's eastern european accent was getting heavier due to the amounts of shots he had consumed earlier, the death of Emele's sister hit him hard, she was captaining the wolfhound when it lost control and exploded. It was a hard hit to anyone who knew her or any of the crew onboard well...it galvenized agression among the ranks of the endekung II battlegroup.
"heres the credits."
he passed mat a credchip.
Strauss looked around to make sure no one was listening in.
"Would you please inform yitra that I am more than willing to help in anyway possible with this matter, my crew are getting wrestless and want to take action. We are a very capable battlegroup and have many allies, I and a few others have a veritable fleet at our disposal... please consider this when making a descision about my offer. goodbye, give my biddings to yitra plase."

------------------
shoot to kill?
shoot to stop?
I say let loose the firepower and let fate decide

Milhelm looks down at the cred-chip with a slight hint of disgust. "We'll get straight to work. Captain Strauss, and Captain Yilta will be here soon to discuss the strand vessels coming into our territory."

"As registration expands the influx of Miranu to the Free Trade Confederation is unbelievable." Colors swirl as the speaker's emotions gain control. "If we continue to gain a hundred vessels on a daily basis these meetings will be impossible."
Captain Yilta addresses the large speaker and begins her dissertation. "Captain Wallace, the Congress understands your logic but if you must know the veed can handle hundreds of millions of participants. The only limitation is in the human mind. However the problem you address is a valid one. The Miranu are born and raised into a trading society and they see the gains of joining our Confederacy as immense. Previously we have only required a small backround check and a loyalty test. To require anymore would likely be considered insulting. Since we have no bills on the table about this issue we must wait. I will convene a special meeting as soon as several ideas reach me. Assembly dismissed."

------------------
"What if to reach the highest place you had to fall?"
Peter Mayer

Page looked up at the alabaster skin of the Angel, and sidestepped another downward swipe. The Angel reached for Pages sword but something made Page Jerk his hand down and snatch the blade.
"State your business wanderer," the angel said holding hs blade in a neutral position.
"I have none," Page replied cooly, staring at the Angel.
"And why do you hold the Protector?"
"I've had it as long as i can remember."
The angel lowered its blade and reached out to Page.
Page being his normal reckless self Grabbed the Angerls arm with his left hand, and attempted to strike it with his right. The angel blocked.
"And why do you bear the scars of responsibility?"
Page looked to the cracks on his hand, and Shoved the Angel back.
"My name is Dar," the angel said cautiously, "And what is yours?"
Page opened his right eye and glared at Dar,
"I dont know, and as far as i'm concerned my business with you is done.."
"Memory loss?" Dar said.
Page stopped in his tracks, and let oout a sigh.
"Can you help me," He said, embarrassed to show any sign of weakness.
"Come with me."

------------------
"WE ARE THE POPES OF THE PYROS!!" "WE ARE THE CRUSADERS OF CAPELLA!!" "THE FRIARS OF FIRE!!" "THE BAPTISTS OF BORAL 1!!!!" "THE CATHOLIC KILLERS OF NEW CALCUTTA!!!!!!" "WE ARE THE GOOD!! no.. no... THE BAD!!! yeah.. thats it.. THE BAD CATHOLICS!!!"

Ahem.........
Gordontron after his long absence has returned, at least in the present, to survey the scene. Gordontron recognizes few faces and does not bother to study the history of the Albatross before walking over to the only familiar face. "So Paranoid the Vanilla Coke-Cream Soda wars seems to have died. "

ooc:I hope I am not totally disrupting the flow of this topic as I truely was a bad person and did not read the posts after I left (I have enough reading to do for my education).
------------------
"Chaos is our ally, discipline our mortal foe" --Azdgari Commander
Long live the Azdgari!
"Guns don't kill people, ammunition does."-Garison Keeler

(This message has been edited by Gordontron (edited 09-10-2003).)

Paranoid looks up from his writing at Gordontron. "Oh, hello. Somehow while we were both gone this changed to a webstory. I haven't read what happened yet either. Feel free to join in there isn't an organized structure or anything."

The Renegade flashes into view and immediately calls attention. "The meeting of the Confederation of Free Traders is called together to deal with the influx of Miranu traders. We have brought several of the earliest recruits to speak both for and against the imposition of entry requirements proposed by Captain Marshall." A man with a sword belt "stands." The Miranu line up to present their arguments. Soon, very soon.

------------------
"What if to reach the highest place you had to fall?"
Peter Mayer