The Kestrel soared into the system, turrets swivelling to face in all directions protectively. Light from the nearby sun glinted on the hull, and the name Starburst was momentarily readable on the plating.

The large red Alien ship, the last of many, sped towards the sun rapidly. The three smaller fighters made quick spinning maneuvers and made to intercept the Kestrel.

The cruiser dropped to a halt, a strange, bright light beginning to form at its nose. It grew slowly in intensity until it was brighter than the sun itself. Finally it exploded into a beam connecting the ship with the sun itself.

Small objects on its surface began to swivel around to face to the ship's right. Something blue began to form where these objects' lines of sight converged.

Meanwhile the fighters weapons seemed to grow in power. The shields on the Kestrel began to flare less violently, and soon the hull began to show signs of stress.

The cruiser finished its job, the blue field growing into a large portal. The ship flew directly into it and disappeared. The fighters broke off their attack on the Kestrel and followed.

It was too late for the Kestrel. Its hull began to buckle, and the Captain, one Delta Farron, gave the order to abandon. Three escape pods broke away, followed by each of the Lightning-class fighters. Delta commandeered one of them himself.

One of the escape pods, carrying some of Delta's loyal crew, disappeared through the portal. Delta panicked. He couldn't let all of them die! He approached one of them and activated the docking clamps. Then he fired his engines at full power away from the portal. But it was to no avail. The gravitational pull of the portal pulled in the other pod, then Delta, his Lightning and this pod, and finally each of the other Lightnings.

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

Okay, the only real rule here, is that I would like to keep this RPG mainly oriented around smaller groups rather than huge governments, and primarily based in the Ares universe. I don't mind Nijayias/Phylydions, but I would prefer that the main characters were leaders of smaller groups therein. By a small group I mean maybe 20 ships and up to about 300 people. These aren't absolute limits, just guidelines.

------------------
High Commander 8 Lightnings of Tetrik V
Also known as Captain Delta Farron.

(This message has been edited by 8 Lightnings (edited 06-15-2001).)

The three escape pods, followed by the eight Lightnings, tumbled out of the portal. With a bright flash it vanished, leaving nothing to indicate that it had ever been there.
Captain Farron triggered his comm unit.
"Come in, all units."
Static.
"All units, this is Captain Farron, aboard Lightning I. Do you read?"
Static. And then...
"This...Mark...rien...on...Light...II..."
Farron smiled. "I read you, Lightning II. Faintly though. I suggest we carry these pods to the nearest habitable planet."
"Sounds good...me, Cap..."
With that, the two Lightnings began the process of attaching themselves to the pods. As Delta finished, he heard another faint signal.
"....Lightning IV...Do...read?"
"I read you, Lightning IV."
"I've just...comm system working...the others...all damaged...I scanned each one...pilots...still alive."
"That's nice to know. Give us a hand with these pods."
"...copy..."
The other Lightnings followed them, and shortly they reached a small planetoid. Delta sent the special coded signal to each of the pods, which automatically began setting down on the surface.
Delta smiled. Wherever they were, they were alive, and about ready to begin business.
Whatever that business may be...

------------------
High Commander 8 Lightnings of Tetrik V
Also known as Captain Delta Farron.

(What, noone game to play two RPGs at once? )

Delta looked over the pieces of Lightning engine. It was no good. Something had happened to them coming through that portal, and they weren't going to be the same again.

His technicians said they had about a month, and then they would have eight motionless Lightnings...

------------------
High Commander 8 Lightnings of Tetrik V
Also known as Captain Delta Farron.

(Just a little worried about confuseing two characters with the same name.)

"I'm recieveing a distress signal from a moon of Emmerson seven. Looks like several escape pods. Shall we respond?"

Pharris considered this for a moment. "Don't be so hasty. We're the only escort this convoy has, and our bonus is riding on whether or not they get any hassle. They could just be trying to lure us away so that the convoy can be attacked. Can we get a look at them, ECM?"

The ECM officer turned his chair away from his console, pulling off one ear of his headphones.

"I'll see what I can do. I'll also take a good look around the sector for an ambushing party. Though I'll admit, there's very little cover around here, this is not the best place to hide in wait."

"Any risk is too much of a risk. This is our first job in months, and I'm not risking a half million bonus over a rescue. Get us a good scan, then we'll make the call. We're still ten hours out anyway."

"Aye aye, sir."

Pharris st back in his chair, pondering the huge freighters that he was leading through pirate controlled space, and what exactly he planned to do if this turned out to be a trap.

------------------
NEW NAME FOR THE DREADNOUGHT
The Hard-Boiled Egg
Why?
Because she cant be beaten!

(Is that supposed to be me, Pharris? Well, either way...)

As a pair of Lightnings flew overhead on patrol, Delta sat in Lightning I, staring at a star chart. There was something oddly familiar about it. Then it struck him. If the portal had taken them away from where they were...

He called up his data files. According to them, he'd been to this world before. In his reality.

Only then, it had been a civilised planet with a population of over four billion.

Now, it was unsettled, and empty.

The captain sat back, put his hands behind his head, and wondered where in the universe it was that he and his men had come to...

------------------
High Commander 8 Lightnings of Tetrik V
Also known as Captain Delta Farron.

While the space ships had been entering the planet, a small figure had noticed the glows entering the atmosphere. Captain Athena, which was her title, thought to herself, trying to remember what those glows symbolized. Athena grabbed a few personal items and a couple primitive weapons and began to trace where the glows would have landed. Once she finally made it to the site, she saw several men walking around three ships. Her curiosity began to peak. She decieded that to learn any more about this group she must advance to a closer position. Although she was skilled in combat training, she advanced with very little cuation, which might have been caused from being alone for so many years. A soldier came up behind her and pointed his phaser at her and said, "Please stand up very slowly, and put your hands on your head." As Athena rose she threw a back thrust in his stomach, jabbed her foot around his leg, twisted around him and within 2 seconds had a knife up to his neck. By know all of the crew, that was outside, had there attention cought on her. Athena yelled, demanding to see the captain of there crew. A leutenant, had a different idea in his head, thought, and shot her with a stung gun.
Immediatly Athena fell on the sand and the next thing she noticed was waking up in a brig with captain Farron staring at her.

------------------
No one gets what they wish for,
They get what they work for.

(I'm having trouble with my account right now :frown:)

Mike, piloting his Ishman Heavy Cruiser, noticed some abnormal activities on the planet surface. He took his cruiser down to the planet surface and set down by the small group of ships and a small makeshift control center. Mike brandished his small high-powered pistol and quickly disabled one of the guards. After entering the small encampment he decided to keep a low profile and activated his personal cloaking device. He walked around and noticed a few engineers working on a small looking attack fighter and recongnized that the words written on the fighter were in english. Surprised to see his original language after reading Ishman so long, Mike decided to investigate the people and saw they were human like himself. Putting this off Mike continued into the control center. He saw a few men working on a computer and another man interigating a women in a commanding uniform. Mike saw his cloak field generator was running out of power and decided to run back to his ship. Just then he rematerialized and the gaurds turned around and shot Mike.

Humm, what setting is this/What time period? It starts out with EV Classic, at the end of the Great War it seems, but I don't know where it went

--Never mind, I read the top again. But it seems a little hypocritical to start it out with a Kestrel and Alien Cruisers and say you want it mostly in the Ares universe

(This message has been edited by Pallas Athene (edited 06-19-2001).)

(Yes, it is. Unless you have objections.)

The SS Barbarrossa hit the Atmosphere like a stone. With her shields curved into an airfoil, Helm had decent control as the ship plummeted towards the ocean. He forced the ship to glide into a long arc towards the surface, thickening the airfoil as he did to slow down their descent. As the ship passed ninety thousand feet, the atmosphere began to provide sufficient braking power that the ship dropped from mach 10 to a slightly more manageable mach 5. With her descent flattening out, the Barbarrossa was beginning to act less like a falling rock and more like a flying machine. Helm dropped the ship to fifeteen thousand feet, still applying the airbrakes until her speed dropped below mach 2. He then entered a large, gentle spiral that would bring the Gunship gently down on top of the marooned spacetravellers.

With the bumpiest part of the ride behind them, Pharris walked down to the EVAT changeing room and started suiting up. Not in the full, 1000 pound powered body suit, but in body armor and thick woven polymer jumpsuits to protect against energy weapons. He checked his webgear, cramming magazines and grenades in wherever he could, then looked at the rest of his landing party.

"Are we ready to go?"

there was a resounding "Yes Sir!"

"Excellent. Now, men, we may be armed to the teeth, but that is just a precaution, we are here on search and rescue. Now, these guys have fighters on the ground, but they also have several escape pods, and I can see the landing craters, these guys are probably pirates, but they could be for real. Don't shoot until shot at, or until I give the word. Maintain unit cohesion and stick with your fireteam. I'll be on the channel at all times, so tell me if you see anything really unusual. Remember, speed and intimidation. That's it. Now get on the lines!"

The belly of the ship once again resounded with a "Hoo-ah!" as the boarding crews lined up near the airlock doors on either side of the ship. The dropmaster on each side had rigged the fastropes, and all that was needed was to kick the coil out of the door when it opened and jump. Pharris pushed the talk switch that connected him with the bridge and asked for info on the drop. The XO picked up.

"I'm putting you guys in five hundred yards north of their position. We've got a pretty good survey of the area on the sensors, and there is no IR movement near the LZ, you should be clear. ECM will have the surveymap done in sixty seconds, and will wire it down to your HUDs when he has it. Two minutes to drop. Goodluck sir."

The doors opened and the Barbarrossa circled an opening in the trees. The ship settled into a hover and the drop masters kicked out the fast ropes. Pharris was the second out on his side. He dove out of the window and his thick gloves wrapped around the line he gripped hard to slow his descent, and in two seconds he was on the ground. His boots hit and he took off running to clear out of the way of the next man on the rope. The entire troop was on the ground in under thirty seconds, and the Barbarrossa was gone, its turrets sweeping the ground for movement.

As his HUD pinged, indicating that the map had been downloaded. Pharris could keep track of his whole unit from his HUD visor.

"Form up. Prepare to move out to the south."

The marines formed up into three four man fire teams and moved quietly to the south.

------------------
NEW NAME FOR THE DREADNOUGHT
The Hard-Boiled Egg
Why?
Because she cant be beaten!

(It's set a little after the end of the game, I think. And as for the Kestrel/etc., I just wanted my 8 LightningForce back :))
(Hmm, my crew are more aggressive than I thought. I'll have to reprimand them.)

Delta faced the woman Lieutenant M'dain had shot. He'd asked her several questions by now, but he was unsure as to whether she knew his language. He wandered over to look at the other prisoner. One of the techs was knealing(sp?) beside him. He was busily examining a small device.

"No doubt about it, Cap'n. This is some form of cloaking shield. I can't fathom how it works yet, but I'll keep working on it.

Delta studied the, still unconscious, human male lying on the ground, and wondered once more where they really were.

Lightning VI sped through the sky on patrol. After they had caught two people coming in, Delta had decided it was a good idea to keep an eye around the area. Up ahead was some form of gunship. The Lightning headed towards it, slowed, and finally hovered. The pilot slowly read the name on the hull: SS Barbarossa.

Lightnings II and III towed the blue ship into the ring of escape pods. While Delta watched it land, he climbed into Lightning I, still listening to his comlink.

"A gunship, hmm? So we have an unconscious technological prisoner with a funny blue ship, a tactically skilled prisoner who may or may not speak English, and a great big gunship called Barbarossa."

He fired the engines and went to meet Lightning VI.

------------------
High Commander 8 Lightnings of Tetrik V
Also known as Captain Delta Farron.

(This message has been edited by 8 Lightnings (edited 06-20-2001).)

"Those ssshipsss they are mossst unexpected"
"They must have come from the blue flare."
"Sssome kind of dimensssional portal, you think?"
"Undoubtedly. We mussst contact the Net to sssee what we may do with thisss. It may prove most ussseful in our purification."

------------------
"Once, just once, I'd like to be able to land somewhere and say, 'Behold, I am the Archangel Gabriel.'"
"I fail to see the humor in that situation, Doctor."
"Naturally. You could hardly claim to be an angel with those pointed ears, Mister Spock. But say you landed someplace with a pitchfork "

Captain Farron continued saying, "Listen Lady! If you don't start answering some of my questions, I have no choice but to lable you a spy. The Court Marshalls can deal with you." He paused for a moment, and raised his fingers waiting for a reply from her, "No answer? Alright. Suit yourself Lady!" Farron rose and as he began to leave, Athena said under a whisper, "I swear your gonna die here if you don't leave." Farron turned towards her and said, "Excuse me? Is that a threat?" Athena raised her head. She look at him for a while, examining his face, "No. I'm just saying, that if you don't leave soon, and I mean soon, their gonna kill you." Farron turned to her with great curiosity, "Who? Any race we know?" Athena continued staring at him, wondering if she should waist her time explaning to him. She replied, "No. I've never seen them before. There small, agile, fast, razor like teeth, they come at night, and there just so many of them......" Farron looked at her with great interest in her story. ".....I didn't even want to be here, but my ship crash landed right into the center of hell." Farron replied, "Do you know what happened here? I remember this place being so full of people." Athena looked into his eyes and said, "I crashed here about 3 years ago. The second I crashed all that I heard were screams, they continued through out the night. And then they left. I thought I was alone, but they seem to be like some sort of locus species. A am asuming that the things left some sort of offspring here. And every year they come out, ready to feast." Farron had a stunned look on his face. He then shook his head and asked, "How long has it been since they last came?"
" Lets just say that you have until sunset. And at that point I can garruntee you that half your crew will be dead."

------------------
No one gets what they wish for,
They get what they work for.

The light slowly faded back to Mike's eyes and noticed an engineer kneeling over his PCD (Personal Cloaking Device) and charting it's specifications on a pad. One of the gaurds noticed Mike awakening and unholstered his weapon. Capitan Farron signaled him to lower the blaster and came in to ask Mike a few questions.

"English?" asked the captain.
"Yes" came the groggy reply.
"What are you doing here?"
"I...I was on a s...search and retrieval m..mission."
"What is this device here?"
"It's a-"

Suddenly yelling and gunfire could be heard outside. The gaurd Delta and the other officers ran outside after grabbing their weapons. Mike stood up to leave but the engineer grabbed Mike's blaster and aimed it at him. Mike sat back down and quickly though up a plan. Mike stood up and asked the engineer for some water.

"Real funny, but I aint that stupid. Now let me finish my wo-"

Just then my right hooked him in the face and quickly redered him unconscience. Mike pulled the blaster from the engineers fingers. He then grabbed his PCD and slapped it on his left arm then typed in a few commands and vanished. Mike walked outside and saw they were fighting a few of those small locust beings the outher prisoner was talking about. Mike fired a few rounds at them and they quickly vaporized them but knew there would be more.

"Those blasts came from over there. It could be our prisoner." called Captain Farron.
Mike rematerialized himself and told the captain he wanted to be allies.
"Fine. But you'll be under close supervision while your here. Now, let's see that device you've got there."

(It doesn't all have to be centred around 8 LightningForce, you know. The beginning was just meant to introduce my character. But here we all are... :))

Delta looked at Mike, then at the ship his Lightnings had brought in.

"That your ship?" he asked.

"Sure is." replied Mike. "Ishiman Heavy Cruiser."

"Well," Delta said, "I don't suppose it would have files on other ship classes around here, governmental organisations, and so on?"

"Certainly."

"Well then, may I have a look?"

"Ok, but the info's all public domain. Why not look at it on one of your ships?" Mike asked with some curiousity.

"Long story." He pointed at one of his pilots, Commander Dreyf. "Ask him about it. He'll tell you about our situation, while I check up on yours."

As he wandered over to the Heavy Cruiser, Delta triggered his comm device. "Lightning VI?"

"Yes, sir?

"Open communications with that gunship. I wanna know who they are, why they're here, and so on. Oh, and they're a big ship, so make sure you make it clear that we're friendly."

"Copy."

Then he sat down, and began to view the galactic situation...

------------------
High Commander 8 Lightnings of Tetrik V
Also known as Captain Delta Farron.

(This message has been edited by 8 Lightnings (edited 06-21-2001).)

Once everyone left the brig, Athena sat there motionless with a pudgy guard. Athena tried to look in any direction other
than the guard, which might be due to the fact the this guard was quite taken by her. The guard staired at her for a while longer
with a dimwitted look drawn upon his face, until he said, "So......um.....My name is Bill." Bill grinned with a haughty look, until he
realized it wasn't impressing Athena. He continued, "But.... You can call me Billy." He grinned with a face almost begging for
acceptance until Athena smiled slightly. Bill looked around the room trying to think of things to say to his new 'crush'. His eyes wondered until he said, "Oh guess what? The other day (gassss)...." Bill's face immedialty turned red, "....Pardon me."
Only seconds later Captain Farron and two body guards entered the brig. Farron kneeled to Athena's hight and studied her
state of threat towards him. He began scratching his cheek and then said, "I'm willing to let you out of here,but only on one
condidtion..." Athena raised one eyebrow. "...I don't want you to run away right when I let you go. You seem to know quite
a bit about this area of space, and if necesary your piloting skills could be of some use to us." Athena studied him, trying to see
if he was belivable, "Fine. You've got yourself a deal." The guard unlocked the door, and Athena and Farron shaked on it.

------------------
No one gets what they wish for,
They get what they work for.

"CEASE FIRE! CEASE FIRE GODDAMMIT!"
Pharris screamed into his mike over the roar of automatic and energy weapons fire.

Slowly the shooting from his squads died down, and all that was left was the trickle of fire from the crashed pilots. Pharris knew how to deal with this.

"X? you there?"

The XO's voice crackled back "Yes sir?"

"Park the ship right on top of their escape pods and hover right there until I say so. Whatever you do, don't fire, got it?"

"Aye aye sir, scare the hell out of them. You should know sir, there are a couple of fighters circling around here. What should we do?"

"Don't start anything, X. If they try and hit you, then you can show no mercy. Monitor the radio, I bet they're wondering what the heck we're doing here."

"Roger that, This is the Barbarrossa out."

Pharris clicked on his megaphone and started speaking.

"Attention downed crew! Hold your fire! We are marines from the Gunship SS Barbarrossa. We are here to administer medical aid and provide a rescue..."

The fire trickled off, as if each soldier was considering the implications of the voice from the trees.

"As a gesture of good faith, I am going to stand up and come forward VERY slowly. I will be unarmed."

Pharris took his pulse rifle off of his shoulder loop and gave it to his seargent. He then spoke to his team over the radio;
"If they so much as poke at me, let them have it. I hope you sharpshooters are in good positions. I'll still be on the radio, so listen for me. Be right back."

And with that, Pharris stood up, put his hands in the air and strode purposefully out of the woods.

------------------
NEW NAME FOR THE DREADNOUGHT
The Hard-Boiled Egg
Why?
Because she cant be beaten!

Delta broke into a run towards where he had heard the weapons fire. Seeing Pharris coming out from the trees, he called to everyone: "Hold your fire! I repeat, hold your fire!"

Then he approached Pharris and said, "Now what on this useless world has been happening here?"

------------------
High Commander 8 Lightnings of Tetrik V
Also known as Captain Delta Farron.

A trio of Salrillian Interceptors sped through space on a routine border patrol mission. With a flash, a single, large, red ship appears only a few kilometers ahead of them.
All three ships slowed to consider this vehicle.
A communication came through to the interceptors: "We are the Valnorian Republic. You will stand down and surrender."
Salrillians did not like to surrender. They opened fire.

The exchange was brief, the Valnorian ship not even being hit.

The wreckage of the three Salrillian interceptors was seen by two ships: The Valnorian warship, and a single, stealth-shielded Obish Escort. The Escort fell in and followed the warship out of the system...

"What?" Pharris answered in a most annoyed voice to the radio plug in his ear linking him to his ship, now in high orbit.

"Um, sir, we're picking up two unidentified mass readings heading towards us."

Pharris peaked his eyebrow. "What kind of mass readings?"

"They seem to be some kind of ship, but they're tiny and... sir we've just lost them."

"Check the instruments."

"Sir, it's like they just disappeared."

"Cloaked?"

"No ships that small could have a cloaking device. Even so, we would still be able to pick up some kind of mass reading."

"Keep in touch." Pharris was in the process of closing the comm link when he heard an explosion on the other side. He hurriedly flipped it open again.

"Captain, we're under attack! Two ships just decloaked and fired, I've never seen something move so fast! Man battl... sir they've just disappeared again."

"Did you get a look?"

"Yeah, I'm linking you up. They're impervious to scanners, and radar just passes right through them. They seem to have some kind of...interphasic cloaking device. Jesus they're fast..."

"I want you to get the hell outta there commander!"

"We can't sir! They knew right where to hit us... our orbit is decaying! I'm gonna have to force a crash-landing on the eastern edge of the continent."

Pharris swore....

A setup... It had been a setup after all.

He couldn't believe he'd fallen for it. The pirates were up there right now, pillageing the convoy while he was standing in a clearing surrounded without his weapon. He looked at Delta, the liar who was still acting as though he had no idea what Pharris had just heard on the radio. He would fix that.

Delta spoke
"What was that? What's happened?"

"Oh nothing... Just your friends shot down my ship!"

And with one swift motion, Pharris swung a small stun gun from his belt and hit Delta with it. He swung his spasming body between him and the pilots, who were all staring at him, some with their guns ready. The marines from the Barbarrossa looked just as surprised, but they quickly had their guns up, along with He pressed the small weapon to Delta's head. He yelled to his men around him.

"It's a ****ing setup! They just shot down the Barbarrossa! Get their guns and get them in a group! If anyone fights, kill them and kill this one too!"

Pharris dropped Delta to the ground and shrugged his pulse rifle off its shoulder strap into his hands. He looked at the fighters sitting on the ground in the clearing. The Pilots had been shocked by the sudden switch in the demeanor of their apparant savior, and at this point were rather grudgeingly allowing themselves to be herded into a large group By the sixteen heavily armed marines.

Get them all sitting down. If anyone tries anything stun them. If they move again, restrain them. Six men guard these guys, I want two groups of four to sweep the camp, find any stragglers, collect weapons and regroup here. Harrison and Malar, help me preflight these fighters! Jimmy, you're in charge.

Pharris took the two marines(who were usually engineers on the Barbarrossa) and started examining one of the fighters to figure out the preflight checklist. Just then he heard Pharron argueing with his marines at the collection point. He grabbed his rifle and jogged over. Farron was being gently eased back into conciousness by some of his crew when Pharris walked up, grabbed him by the back of his collar and dragged him into one of the escape pods, tossing him harshly against the deflated airbags inside. He took his pistol and levelled it at his head.

"Give me one good reason not to kill you right now."

"What the hell are you talking about?"
Farron was still groggy from the stun blast, and was still unclear of what had just happened.

"Your friends shot down my ship, and are probably up there gutting my convoy, and wrecking my bonus pay, so I am going to take your fighters and send them to hell."

"What friends, what convoy!? I have no idea what you're talking about!"

Pharris looked at Farron's eyes for a moment, then took out his flex cuffs. He bound his hands and feet then pushed a gag into Delta's mouth.

"You're lucky that I don't know what's going on, or you'd be in a far worse position. I'm taking your fighters and I'm going to save my convoy. Then I'll deal with you."

He fired his pistol into a chair then walked out, feeling the eyes of every member of Lightning force following his every move.

"Men! I want any of you who are section 3 pilots or above to come with me. That means Bernsie, Franklin, Harrison, Malar, Jimmy and Gordo. We're going to save our convoy. The rest of you, guard these prisoners. Jackson, you're in charge."

Pharris noticed the sweep crews pushing two new prisoners into the group, a young woman and a man, what was odd was that neither of them were wearing a lightning force uniform. Pharris shook it off as he removed his combat gear and climbed into the lightning.

The eight remaining men began setting up their perimiter with lights and motion sensors as the last hours of daylight slowly wasted away.

------------------
NEW NAME FOR THE DREADNOUGHT
The Hard-Boiled Egg
Why?
Because she cant be beaten!