Blades

Im sad to say spacemite, but with that limitation on your access it doesnt seem likely that you would be able to participate much anyway. Being a fleet member (And being registered on the commanders database) pretty much assumes that you will have very frequent access to the net to sign in, attend meetings etc. Therefore, at this time it wont be possible to register you with the Orion fleet. Should you get better access in the future, we will gladly welcome you to our growing family, but for now, you dont have the resources at your disposal to be an active commander.

Yip, this is encouraging. However, a lot of players that signed up for Preemptive Strike only posted once or twice and were written out of the plot because of it. This time around, I've got a few ideas as how to keep control over it. For one, there will be several 'Acts' in the scenario, which will only involve a few characters at a time. Characters not mentioned in the initial line up for the act wont be interacting in it. Period. References may be made to those external characters, but they wont be written in, or about. Also, as before, there will be a strong Narrative element to the story. Written by me, it serves to set the scene, drop some subtle hints and let everyone know who is who and whats going on. I will post further scenario details this evening. ------------------ Flt. Cmdr. KARL SAVAGE COMMANDING OFFICER, ORION FLEET GCV-TSUNAMI www.orion-hq.fsnet.co.uk 'For Queen And Country'

Tsk, they all call me names behind my back, and when I tell 'em we gonna play a game, they all come running. Tsk! ..... but seriously, good to have you all up for it. Details are a comming .....

As Rattler said, get yourself s proper email address. Vanity addresses are not acceptable here, or on the database (Unless the commanders are well known or can be vouched for). Get yourself a proper email address for use, and you can sign up. Dont, and you cant. Thats all there is to it.

Although it was short notice, we held our first fleet chat session in quite a while over ICQ this evening. Turnout was poor, but it was expected considering the short notice. Thanks to those that were able to attend. In future, two briefings will occure. One held by me for the UK and approximate commanders, and one by Greg Miller for US commanders. Details will be in your inbox shortly. Be under no illusion, registered commanders that miss these required meetings will be booted from the fleet. Miss one meeting, and you get a warning. Miss two and you walkin on very thin ice. Miss a third, or be a repeat offender, and I dont care who you are, or who you have been in this fleet, but you are history. If you have a valid reason for missing a briefing, fair enough, but I dont want to hear excuses. Registration on the fleet database is for serious commanders only. If you cant cut it, dont be here. This isnt open for discussion. ------------------ Flt. Cmdr. KARL SAVAGE COMMANDING OFFICER, ORION FLEET GCV-TSUNAMI www.orion-hq.fsnet.co.uk 'For Queen And Country'

Hamblin, it's not going to be called the Galatea 2, it's the second vessel commisioned as Galatea. Much like in game where you lose your first ship (Never happened to me, I might add ) you get a replacement with the same name. Rattler, glad you onboard. We couldnt do it without you. Gallion, how could we have an epic like this without your own special brand of anarchy? Hamblin, so long as you dont screw it up you welcome. Hidama, Greg and anyone else, you are all invited to participate, but it will be within the confines I impose. Scenario details will be posted shortly, so please pay close attention to the updates. Registration will begin shortly. ------------------ Flt. Cmdr. KARL SAVAGE COMMANDING OFFICER, ORION FLEET GCV-TSUNAMI www.orion-hq.fsnet.co.uk 'For Queen And Country'

Greg, dont comlicate things. Wherever Orion is located, it will have very little bearing on the scenario itself. It's not really an issue, but for arguments sake, we will say it's in Centris, and has been under construction there for a good while. Earthcom are due to take over the old Orion station at the outbreak of Gam war 2. Thats my line on it, anyway. If anyone knows better (Such as the SC, who knows the where/when/why Orion moved to Centris) then please speak up just so we can get this minor point out of the way. ------------------ Flt. Cmdr. KARL SAVAGE COMMANDING OFFICER, ORION FLEET GCV-TSUNAMI www.orion-hq.fsnet.co.uk 'For Queen And Country'

Gallion, In the previous thread, I was making a few base assumptions. Firstly, that the action occured several weeks into the Gammulan conflict. This allows everything to be resolved in your thread and gives a little additional breathing room for tidying up loose ends. Basically, everything from Joy Ride onwards is taking place with the Gammulan war in the background, with humanity curently holding the advance. Hope that makes sense to you. ------------------ Flt. Cmdr. KARL SAVAGE COMMANDING OFFICER, ORION FLEET GCV-TSUNAMI www.orion-hq.fsnet.co.uk 'For Queen And Country'

Within the next few days, I shall be starting a new RP adventure, following on from the recent Joy Ride thread in much the same way as last years epic Preemptive Strike! story. As in the PS scenario, I am inviting the role players amongst you to openly participate with this new story, but will insist (As I did before) that those participants observe the rules and scenario regulations I will impose on them. Freeform RP has always been good fun, but a story like Preemptive Strike! and the upcoming scenario would suffer badly from everyone pitching in without a clear guidelines as to how it should be done. As such, I shall be posting detailed instructions as to how you can participate, and what capacity you can participate in. It might sound limiting, but it serves a story like this very well. For those of you unfamiliar with the Preemptive Strike! saga, I suggest you search back through the forum for it. Not only is it a good read, but it will better prepare you for how you will be participating. Also, elements in that previous story will come into play in the new scenario, so it makes sense that you follow it. There will be a limit on the number of players able to be involved in this scenario, so when registration opens, everyone with a serious interest in participating (And seeing it through to itÔÇÖs conclusion) should do so quickly. As before, certain ÔÇÿcharactersÔÇÖ will be run by exclusively by myself. These characters will be designated as NPCÔÇÖs. A full list of principle characters will be posted within the next day or two. Without giving too much about the scenario away, itÔÇÖs a direct follow up from the Joy Ride thread. Set against the backdrop of the early weeks of the second Gammulan war, the scenarios main focus is the retrieval of Insurgent Commander Akira from his captors. Involving known personalities from both GalCom and the Insurgency, itÔÇÖs a race against time to prevent a catastrophe that could very well spell the end of the human race. Epic enough for you? More details to follow. ------------------ Flt. Cmdr. KARL SAVAGE COMMANDING OFFICER, ORION FLEET GCV-TSUNAMI www.orion-hq.fsnet.co.uk 'For Queen And Country' [This message has been edited by Blades (edited 08-31-2000).]

And now, a few explanations. [RP] Back at the Orion Starstation, Fleet Commander Savage sat beside the recovering Akuma Minako in the stations extensive infirmary. Occasionally, an attendant would approach him, offer encouraging words and check Akumas status. Although her wounds were healed, she had yet to regain consciouness from her self inflicted ordeal. There was speculation amongst the medics that despite her being medically sound, there may have been severe mental trauma that now accounted for her coma like state. ÔÇ£SheÔÇÖll wake up when sheÔÇÖs ready to.ÔÇØ Offered David Foss, Commander of the Deterrence. Savage hadnÔÇÖt seen him come in. ÔÇ£ItÔÇÖs good to see you, Dave.ÔÇØ Said the Fleet Commander, standing briefly and accepting the Deterrence Battle GroupÔÇÖs wing leaderÔÇÖs hand. ÔÇ£Things got kinda screwed up out there for a while.ÔÇØ Foss nodded, and seated himself in a chair beside the Fleet Commander. ÔÇ£We picked up the remainder of the GaleteaÔÇÖs survivors ÔÇô Hamblin included ÔÇô from a neutral transport a few hours ago. All but three of the crew survived.ÔÇØ Savage nodded. ÔÇ£And those that didnÔÇÖt?ÔÇØ Foss sighed. ÔÇ£The wreck was tractored back to GalCom HQ and the bodies recovered. There will be a small service for them at headquarters the day after tommorow.ÔÇØ Savage shook his head. ÔÇ£Hows Hamblin baring up?ÔÇØ ÔÇ£HeÔÇÖs doin ok,ÔÇØ started Foss, ÔÇ£although heÔÇÖs pissed with HQ for deciding to decommission whats left of his cruiser.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Replacement?ÔÇØ Foss nodded. ÔÇ£The Galatea 2 will be christened by the end of the month. Hamblin will be able to take his exploration wing back out on patrol soon enough.ÔÇØ Savage offered his old friend a smile. ÔÇ£ThatÔÇÖs a relief. I didnÔÇÖt want to have to reassign him back here if I could help it.ÔÇØ Foss couldnÔÇÖt help but laugh. He allowed himself a few moments to chuckle along with the fleet commander, before the sour mood took him again. ÔÇ£Just what happened out there, sir?ÔÇØ Savage swallowed, and allowed his head to fall into his outstretched hands. Without moving, he replied. ÔÇ£Im not really at liberty to say, Dave. Im not even really at liberty to know about it.ÔÇØ Foss didnÔÇÖt want to hear that. ÔÇ£Oh, come on Karl. We all saw what went on out there. I just want to know how Akuma fits into all this. WeÔÇÖre ÔǪ. close, you know? I need to know this.ÔÇØ Savage looked up. ÔÇ£You know what youÔÇÖre askin me? This isnÔÇÖt a sneak peak at up and coming events. This is beyond classified.ÔÇØ Foss just stared at him, unmoved by Savages words. Eventually, Savage relented. ÔÇ£Ok.ÔÇØ Savage stood up and gestured Foss to follow him to a secured office in the infirmary. He dismissed the medical staff within, and sealed the room, disabled all incoming and outgoing communications. When he was done, he faced Foss and slowly explained. ÔÇ£I donÔÇÖt know all the details, you understand, but what I do know I got from an encoded transmission from Akuma she sent while the Tsunami was breaching the Pluto region. It was so heavily masked, it took a while for my comms chief to recognise it as a signal and run it through the scrambler. By my guess, she sent it a good ten minutes before I even arrived in Pluto. Anyway, I was burning towards the Tenchi, intent on destroying her and the ÔÇÿTurncoatÔÇÖ crew when it finally decoded and sent itself directly to my console.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£What did It say?ÔÇØ asked Foss, folding his arms and looking directly at the Fleet Commander. ÔÇ£Basically, and I mean basically, she explained that she has some sort of unauthorised relationship with Rattler.ÔÇØ Foss looked stunned. ÔÇ£Rattler? As in Insurgent One?ÔÇØ Savage nodded. ÔÇ£Yeah. Seems he was on earth during some massacre of some sort, and pulled Akuma to safety. Apparantly, Akuma lost her family in it, including a brother she was very close to. Rattler, it seems, took her under his wing and sponsored her from afar. It was years before Akuma saw him again, and when she realised exactly who he was, she was torn.ÔÇØ Foss sighed. ÔÇ£She never said this to me, not ever.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Not the sort of thing you talk about when youÔÇÖre a newly graduated battlecruiser Commander serving in the fleet.ÔÇØ Foss snorted. ÔÇ£I guess not.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Anyway,ÔÇØ continued Savage, ÔÇ£despite him being an Insurgent, and her serving with Galcom, she considered him the closest thing she still had to family. Someone, somewhere found out about this special relationship, and decided to take advantage of it.ÔÇØ Foss frowned, sensing something sinister in the way Savage said that. ÔÇ£Earthcom, you mean?ÔÇØ Savage shrugged. ÔÇ£Again, Im not sure. Whatever the case, Akuma was approached by an agent, probably Earthcom, and told her something that frightened the hell out of her.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£What?ÔÇØ asked Foss. ÔÇ£The agent explained that he was aware of her relationship with Rattler, knew everything about her past, his involvement etc. He also told her that he had a man positioned close to Rattler who would kill him without hesitation is she didnÔÇÖt cooperate.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Oh god.ÔÇØ Said Foss. ÔÇ£She must have been devastated by that.ÔÇØ Savage agreed. ÔÇ£Faced with doing what the agent wanted, or having what she considers the last of her family murdered, she agreed to do what was asked.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£And by that, you mean stage her defection to the Insurgency?ÔÇØ Savage nodded. ÔÇ£The plan was to have Akuma contact Rattler and announce her intention to defect. Rattler, trusting of her would probably send one of his most trusted collegues to handle the ÔÇÿCaptureÔÇÖ of the Tenchi and crew. Seeing as how Akira is a senior officer in the Insurgency, not to mention a close friend and confidant of Rattlers, it was logical to assume he would be given the job of bringing her in. At least, thatÔÇÖs what the agent thought.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£And guessed correctly.ÔÇØ Said Foss. ÔÇ£Son of a bitch, they set it all up just to get to Akira. But why him? Surley they must have known Rattler was in Pluto when they came through. Why not grab him instead?ÔÇØ Savage offered him a possible explanation. ÔÇ£First off, taking Rattler from his ship isnÔÇÖt going to be easy, not with the vast escort he usually travels with. Second, once the operation was in effect, they couldnÔÇÖt offered to second guess themselves and go for a bigger target. Third, even if they were able to capture Rattler himself, itÔÇÖs unlikely that they would be able to get anything damaging to the Insurgency from him. His psyche profile reads like a masochists guide book. Torture, mental or physical doesnÔÇÖt seem to get to him. He would die before giving up his secrets, and if he died it would make him a martyr ÔÇô Something Earthcom doesnÔÇÖt want.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£It makes sense.ÔÇØ Said Foss. ÔÇ£But why Akira? Why goto all that trouble to get to him?ÔÇØ Savage shook his head. ÔÇ£Im not sure. Perhaps they know something about him that we donÔÇÖt. Apart from being the InsurgencyÔÇÖs no.2, heÔÇÖs also the head of R&D for the fleet. And itÔÇÖs fair to assume that of all the people in the Insurgency, heÔÇÖs the one most likely to know as much as, if not more than Rattler himself. Perhaps his psyche profile reads a little more optormistically than Rattlers. Perhaps they think they can break him.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£IÔÇÖll be damned.ÔÇØ Said Foss. ÔÇ£Those underhand earthcom *******s. They used Akuma, put us all at risk and took off when we could have used them the most. We could have all died out there, and they wouldnÔÇÖt have lifted a finger to help us.ÔÇØ Savage stepped up to Foss. ÔÇ£Forget everything IÔÇÖve told you, Dave. This goes no further, ever. For good or bad, what went on today was both illegal and criminal. And if thatÔÇÖs not bad enough, weÔÇÖve been told to sit on it and forget we were ever out in Pluto. All records of the encounter are being purged. The destruction of the Galatea has been put down to an ÔÇÿEngineeringÔÇÖ accident. In short, it never happened. Reluctantly, Foss nodded to his commander. It wasnÔÇÖt right, and it wasnÔÇÖt ok, but it was the way things were and had to be. ÔÇ£I hate this, sir.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Me too Dave, me too.ÔÇØ [/RP] So there you have it. ------------------ Flt. Cmdr. KARL SAVAGE COMMANDING OFFICER, ORION FLEET GCV-TSUNAMI www.orion-hq.fsnet.co.uk 'For Queen And Country'

[RP] Savage watched as his small fleet of friendly vessels fell in line behind the Tsunami. Likewise, he observed the Insurgent task force forming up in front of him. Outnumbered and outgunned, he pondered calling in on his wildcard, but held off for the moment. He didnÔÇÖt want to give the Insurgents any more of a reason to re-ignite the fire that moments before would have burnt them all to ashes. Between the two fleets, the four unidentifiable (but known to his bridge crew as Earthcom) Warmongers passed by, unmolested by the Galcom ships on his strict order, and unhindered by the Insurgents simply because they were out of range. Whatever had transpired aboard AkiraÔÇÖs ship, it had been done quickly. The target of the malevolent ploy had been aquired, and it was now being hurried out of the engagement area to location unknown. ÔÇ£Sir!ÔÇØ shouted the TsunamiÔÇÖs tactical officer. ÔÇ£The Warmongers, they are breaking formation and cloaking.ÔÇØ Savage blew out an annoyed snort. ÔÇ£What a surprise.ÔÇØ He said. ÔÇ£Tactical, status of the Insurgent fleet?ÔÇØ The tactical officer quickly pulled up the requested information. ÔÇ£Sir, the Insurgents are holding tight, although I read a brief wide area special disruption ÔÇô probably a cloaking effect - originating close to Rattlers location.ÔÇØ That would be his escort, thought Savage. probably under orders to intercept the Warmongers. Looks like Rattler cottened on, at last. ÔÇ£Try and maintain a sensor lock on those Shadows if you can.ÔÇØ The tactical officer nodded, knowing full well it would be next to impossible to track a cloaked vessel. Moments later, the TsunamiÔÇÖs communications officer interrupted the silence on the bridge. ÔÇ£Sir, Insurgent shuttles on approach to the GCV- Sark. They are requesting permission to dock and transfer survivors from the Galatea to the infirmary.ÔÇØ Savage nodded. ÔÇ£Same as before. Let them come. Keep sharp, but donÔÇÖt instigate anything ÔÇô we are still on very thin ice here, people.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Aye sir.ÔÇØ Said the comms officer. ÔÇ£Relaying that to the fleet.ÔÇØ Savage sat back in his chair and watched the viewscreen intently, waiting for some sort of movement from his adversaries. Will they retaliate? Hold us responsible for what has happened here today? Unlikely. The return of the Galatea crew to the Sark didnÔÇÖt seem like a typical ruse used by the Insurgents. If they wanted swift and brutal vengence, they had the firepower in system to do it without resorting to skulduggery. True, the element of surprise would help minimise their casualties, but it just didnÔÇÖt seem right that Rattler would do so. As if answering his own private thoughts, the assembled Insurgent vessels all suddenly began to execute turning maneuvers, and pulled away from where they had grouped in the stand off. ÔÇ£Sir!ÔÇØ it was the communications officer, again. ÔÇ£Receiving a message from Rattler. He sends his regards, sir, and compliments on keeping the fleet in line.ÔÇØ Savage grinned. ÔÇ£Heh, that will be the day. Anything else?ÔÇØ The comms officer pressed his earpiece tightly to his ear, and replayed the last portion of the message again, as if confirming what he had heard. ÔÇ£Uh, yes sir. HeÔÇÖs extending a personal invite to you and Commander Miller to ÔÇÿdiscussÔÇÖ something of vital importance. He assures your safety, sir.ÔÇØ Savage was surprised. This was more serious than he thought. Perhaps Akira was even more important that he had been led to believe. So important, in fact, that Rattler, the Insurgencies number one himself ÔÇÿrequestedÔÇÖ his presence. Not today, I think. ÔÇ£No reply, comms.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Aye, sir.ÔÇØ Moments later, the entire Insurgent fleet that bare minutes before threatened to end his life vanished without trace under cloak. Their course was unknown, but would probably have them regrouping and ascertaining the severity of their damage after losing Fleet Commander to the invaders. Savage wondered if Rattler knew who the assailants were, and wondered further how long it would take for him to find out. He knows it wasnÔÇÖt us, thatÔÇÖs for sure,[/] thought Savage. If he suspected that, he would have attacked without hesitation. ÔÇ£Signal coming in from the Sark, sir. All surviving crewmembers from the Galatea, save for six personel are on board and receiving medical attention. Commander Hamblin and his XO are not accounted for. Commander Miller reports he has been in communication with Commander Wold of the ICV ÔÇô Drakr, and the remaining missing personnel are in critical condition and will be returned as soon as they have been stabalised.ÔÇØ Critical condition? Prisoners worthy of questioning? ÔÇ£Acknowledged.ÔÇØ Said Savage, thumping the side of his chair. ÔÇ£At least Hamblins alive.ÔÇØ For a moment, the Fleet Commander paused in thought. ÔÇ£Comms, signal our wildcard, have them decloak and fall in.ÔÇØ Seconds later, the transmission sent, the hulk of the Orion Fleets most famous Battlecruiser faded into visibility, positioned directly behind the area of space where Insurgent One had previously been. ÔÇ£Incoming communication from the McKendrick, sir.ÔÇØ Savage smiled. ÔÇ£Put her on.ÔÇØ The viewscreen chanced to the bridge of the McKendrick, and a frowning Commander Neena Polovoski greeted him. ÔÇ£About time you decided to make the call, sir.ÔÇØ She said, not for a moment hiding her anger. ÔÇ£Sorry, commander.ÔÇØ Said Savage. ÔÇ£But we couldnÔÇÖt risk pulling you out under cloak until we knew their intentions. Regards to your tactical and flight officers. They did one hell of a job sneaking through Rattlers escorts undetected.ÔÇØ Neena snorted. ÔÇ£Just as well our intel on his escorts movements were accurate, or we could have very well bounced off one of them and alerted the entire Insurgent fleet to our presence. Looks like that luck of yours is starting to rub off on some of us.ÔÇØ Savage grinned. ÔÇ£You say the sweetest things.ÔÇØ Neena mock smiled at her fleet commander, and stepped back from the viewscreen. ÔÇ£Is there anything else we can do for you now, sir? Only we have to be back at Legacy before the PR folks start to miss us.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Make yourselves scarce, commander. WeÔÇÖll take it from here. And thanks for being there. Im just glad we didnÔÇÖt need you, after all.ÔÇØ This time, Neena Polovoski gave him a genuine smile. ÔÇ£You and me both, sir. Say hi to Reynolds for me when you get back.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£IÔÇÖll do that commander.ÔÇØ Neena nodded. ÔÇ£Seeya round, Blades. McKendrick out.ÔÇØ With that, the communication was severed. The McKendrick reversed itÔÇÖs course and began speeding back towards home. Savage sighed one more time, and looked around his bridge and thanked all that was holy that this day had passed without too much bloodshed. Yet, there were still so many unanswered questions, so many loose ends. Questions needed to be asked, and answers needed to be given. Somehow though, the Fleet Commander knew that they wouldnÔÇÖt come. At least, not today. ÔÇ£Comms, signal the fleet. Make way for the Orion Station. Helm, take us home ÔǪ..ÔÇØ [/RP] The ORION Fleet has left the engagement area, the same as the Insurgents have. This pretty much ends this RP as it is, but there are still many unanswered questions (Much will be resolved in an epilogue post I shall make shortly) and this story, although over, is just the beginning of something much, much bigger. I have been in discussions with Rattler, Akira and a few others about itÔÇÖs content, and within the next few days, I shall be starting a follow up RP that will resolve this story properly. So, those commanders who have unfinished business with this thread, fear not, it shall be continued. As for the Merc BC angle, we can work with that, but it needs to be done in the follow up thread. Anyway, I shall be posting scenario details shortly. In much the same way as the Pre-emptive Strike RP was played out last year, there will be rules and guidelines as to how this story goes. If you are not familiar with the Preemptive Strike scenario, I suggest you search back in the forum for it, and read it ALL. Not only is it a good read, but it will better prepare anyone wanting to participate in the upcoming adventure (And yes, it shall be EPIC, and quite unlike anything done before). Expect my epilogue (From Orions point of view, anyway) soon. ------------------ Flt. Cmdr. KARL SAVAGE COMMANDING OFFICER, ORION FLEET GCV-TSUNAMI www.orion-hq.fsnet.co.uk 'For Queen And Country'

James, you are ill. As for Gamm players turning up .... I dunno. Perhaps thats somthing best left for GCO. In my opinion, that is. ------------------ Flt. Cmdr. KARL SAVAGE COMMANDING OFFICER, ORION FLEET GCV-TSUNAMI www.orion-hq.fsnet.co.uk 'For Queen And Country'

Everyone at war with the Gams. Thats why there is so little in the way of support for the good guys atm. The follow up to this is gonna be epic, even by our usual standards. I will post details (Much like I did with Preemptive Strike a year ago) as soon as we got this little affair sorted out. And yes, it's gonna be in a similar vein as PS, although much more sinister.

Once again, it's back ! And this week, we wont be all wasted. Listen in if you can, and dont forget to get there early for the preshow. Those of you that know me, feel free to ICQ messages to me, and I'll be sure to give you a warm Basement hello. Heh ..

Darkhorizon, there was a very good reason why your post was removed. It wasnt that we didnt like what you did, it was that a very important plot device that needed to be left alone by all concerned until the right time. Although this RP is freeform, certain events needed to be kept under control, and the inclusion of the four cloaked vessels were vital to the integrity of the story and are the spawning point for another epic adventure, in the same vein as last years Pre-emptive Strike. Dont be disheartened, and please dont say you wont involve yourself in RP any more. We need all the good Rpers we can get our hands on to tell our stories, and it would be a sad loss to the community if you didnt participate. Im sorry if what happened seemed harsh, but its happened to us all in the past. Hope to see you back here shortly. Anyway  all is about to become apparent. Hold onto your hats folks! [RP] Sluggishly, the GCV-Sark began to withdraw from its assault on the ICV-Nevermore. Afterburners at maximum, and all available reserve power shunted into the fore shield grid, she turned her nose away from Akiras ship as a volley of missiles dumbfired towards her hull. PTA fire caught the Sark on the broadside, further weakening the already drained shields and puncturing through in several places, exposing the beaten ships hull to vacume. Internal blast doors sealed instantly, preventing further explosive decompression as the first of the dumbfires detonated to the Sarks aft, sending shards of debris scattering into the ship and out into open space. The Sark herself was retaliating with PTA fire, targeting the incoming dumbfires and lancing at the aggressors vessel. Despite the emergency recall order, Miller would be damned if he was going to let his ship be pecked to death without reminding the Insurgent Fleet commander that sharks have teeth. The fire from the Sark further battered the Nevermore. Already damaged, with shields drained from Millers missile onslaught, the added PTA fire began to trouble the insurgent commander. However, it was just minor trouble. The Sark wouldnt be able to maintain the stream of fire for more than another moment, and once out of weapons range, its aft section exposed to the Nevermore, Akira intended to give chase and finish commander Greg Miller, once and for all. Invisible to all, the hidden wing of Warmongers decloaked below the ICV Nevermore and initiated transporters. At the same time as the first of the heavily armed boarding parties from these ships materialized on the Insurgent vessel, four tractor beams reached out and held the Nevermore tightly. The unexpected development took all the combating commanders by surprise, save one. Most were momentarily surprised by what they saw, by what their sensors told them. Rattler himself, manoeuvring out of the engagement area looked on in horror as his worst fears came to pass. Barking orders till his throat was sore, he amassed the Insurgents on station and ordered them to intercept the new arrivals. Deep down, despite what he did, he knew he would be too late. By contrast, Fleet Commander Savage ordered the GalCom ships in the region to peel away from the Insurgent vessels and regroup around the hulk of the Galatea. As they did so, rescue shuttles from the Insurgent vessels withdrew from Hamlins ship, returning at maximum thrust towards the Insurgent rally point. Savage ordered all friendly ships to hold their fire, allowing the rescue/capture operation of the Insurgents to pass by unmolested. Akira barked orders to his bridge crew as the first reports of intruders came through to the bridge. All decks had been compromised, and the mass of troops were systematically exterminating any and all they came across. The Nevermores defenders, elite by anyones standards put up a spirited resistance. They held the advance of the invaders despite being outnumbered 4 to one. As more and more of the warmongers troop compliment entered the crowded ship, the tide of battle turned from bad to worse. Unexpectedly, a squad of eight of the invaders marines materialised on the bridge of the Nevermore. The moment they rematerialised, Akira and his combat officer began firing at them with their issue wrist lasers. The heavily armoured invaders bore the brunt of the assault, and laid down a barrage of automatic weapons fire across the bridge, cutting down several crewmembers and sending Akira diving for cover. Those that were not brought down by the invaders weapons launched themselves at their attackers, engaging them with fists, feet and anything they could securely swing or stab at them. Coordinated fire from Akira and the combat officer brought down two of the invaders, accurate laser fire penetrating the weak points in their combat armour and sending them reeling. However, despite a spirited fight, the battle for the bridge of the Nevermore was already lost. Concussion grenades exploded to Akiras right side, sending him reeling to the floor, consciousness desperately retreating from him as he scrambled to activate the ships autodestruct. Amidst the destruction on the bridge, bodies everywhere, smoke choking him, Akira somehow reached the autodestruct console and began initiating a countdown over ride. Blood pouring down into his eyes, he blinked away the urge to allow darkness to embrace him, and overid the autodestruct timer and initiated a ten second delay. Today, he would die, but his secrets would be his, forever. The console in front of him exploded a fraction of a second before he was able to mash his palm on the execute button. Blown back by the concussion, in the seconds before he gave up his battle to remain conscious, a lone marine stepped up to him, pulled the helmet from his head and grinned down at the beaten Insurgent. Akira tried to make sense of what he saw, tried to rationalise the expression on his face. It wasnt until the marine dropped a single crafted piece of metal onto Akiras chest, laughing as he did so that everything was understood. The Tenchi .. Akuma . defection .. a ruse .. a trap. How could I have been so stupid? Akira took these troubled thoughts with him into unconsciousness. In the days to come, they would be his only companion. The entire operation to capture Fleet Commander Akira of the Insurgency had taken months to plan and coordinate. The execution of this operation had taken but three minutes. As the last of the boarding parties withdrew back to their parent vessels, the Nevermore was released to drift. The Warmongers, unidentifiable without relevant markings and masked transponders burned away from the area, passing between where the Galcom and Insurgents fleets were grouping together in a stand off and cloaked. Who? was the only question uttered on the bridges of all the assembled vessels, Galcom and Insurgent alike. Eventually, everyone would have an answer, although at this time only Fleet Commander Savage knew for sure. He answered his bridgecrew with a single word, and finally, the insanity made sense. Earthcom. [/RP] What happens now Im going to leave for the Insurgents. Rattler, you make the call.

If you were rejected (Not by me, I might add) it was probably because you didnt use a valid email address. Go get one, then reapply. Simple. If you want to join the best fleet in GalCom, you in the right place. If you not bothered where you go, you are NOT Orion material. Think about it. Hard.

[RP] ÔÇ£Sir, incoming communication from the Tenchi.ÔÇØ Savage frowned. Obviously, the Tenchi's current commander was getting nervous. As well you might, thought Savage. ÔÇ£Patch it through.ÔÇØ He ordered, and faced the viewscreen. Moments later, the TenchiÔÇÖs executive officer, Kirin, if he remembered correctly came into view. ÔÇ£Commander, we are only doing whats best for the fleet. If your weapons are trained on us, I suggest you power them down immediately.ÔÇØ You suggest? Who the hell are you to suggest anything to me? ÔÇ£Rattler called for a cease fire, we're doing just that. Hasn't there been enough blood shed?ÔÇØ Ceasefire? HasnÔÇÖt he been keeping up with current events? ÔÇ£The ships out there, insurgent or otherwise are pulling us out of harms way, no doubt they'll help the other vessels as well. No offence sir, but would you mind telling me why you'd even care if we did defect? I'm sure you didn't act this way when others did.ÔÇØ That did it. ÔÇ£Who the hell are you to ask me these questions? What the hell do you know about fleet defections? At no time since IÔÇÖve been in command of this fleet has one of my officers turned traitor and joined the Insurgency. And I donÔÇÖt know who you think I am, Kirin, but I will be damned if IÔÇÖm going to let one of my people ÔÇÿdefectÔÇÖ. You will signal your Insurgent ÔÇÿsavioursÔÇÖ and tell them to get clear from the worthless hulk of the Tenchi, or I will personally burn them and you to the ground. You have two minutes to surrender. End communication ÔǪ.. traitor.ÔÇØ With that, Savage severed to comlink, grabbed a conveniently close by datapad and threw it with incredible force and anger across the bridge. Arrogant little *******! Who the hell does he think he is? It didnÔÇÖt matter. Not any longer. The course was set, the pieces were all in place. The day would end in blood. It was just a question as to how much blood, and whoÔÇÖs was spilled. ÔÇ£Time to the Tenchi?ÔÇØ barked Savage. ÔÇ£Sir! Two minutes thirty and counting. We will be within missile lock range in fifty seconds. Tenchi EOD reads cold. We got a clear firing solution.ÔÇØ Savage sneered. ÔÇ£Load up the asswhuppers. Hold our course steady. If anything gets in our way, I want it dead. Bring our shields to maximum, and get the damage control crews ready to patch any leaks.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Aye sir.ÔÇØ Came the reply from his bridge officers. Savage sat back, and watched the ETA digital readout diminish. ÔÇ£Sir!ÔÇØ it was the comms officer. ÔÇ£WeÔÇÖre being hailed by the Deterrence. Foss wants a word.ÔÇØ Savage shook his head. He knew this was coming. He didnÔÇÖt want to have this conversation. All he required of Foss was obedience. Compassion would have to come at a later date. Today was not the day to be compassionate. ÔÇ£Signal the Deterrence Im busy. Tell Foss to follow his orders.ÔÇØ At that moment, two unexpected things happened. The first was a sudden, and highly unexpected datapacket burrowing itÔÇÖs way through normal communications channels and directly into the Fleet Commanders private unit. The second, was an alert from his tactical officer that several unidentified ÔÇÿblipsÔÇÖ had just entered the system under cloak, and vanished from active scanners. More Insurgents IÔÇÖd wager, thought Savage. Why the hell not? Most of Spectre seems to be here already, why not bring in a few bunnies to overkill the overkill? As the datapacket began to decode itself, Savage paid close attention to the unscrambled text. Line by line, he read it as it came through. Piece by piece, the puzzle began to unravel before his eyes. From Commander Minako, marked for my eyes only. Sinceer apologies ÔǪ.. misunderstanding ÔǪ.. wasnÔÇÖt meant to be this way? What? ÔǪ.. SheÔÇÖs been a fool ÔǪ.. followed her heart ÔǪ.. ÔÇ£Oh my god.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Helm! Reverse course, maximum thrust! Comms! Pull Miller back. Abort, abort!ÔÇØ Not all of it made sense to Savage at that time. In fact, it would be days later before everything made sense to him. But by that time, events would have transpired that threatened to plunge Humanity into an even bigger conflict than the one currently being waged on them by the Gammulans. It seemed that arrogance and oppurtunism were not exclusively used by the Gammulans, or the Insurgents. However, this day was not over yet. Not by a long shot. And one big surprise was still waiting to rear it ugly, oppurtunist head. ÔÇ£Signal the Tenchi. Get Kirin down to MinakoÔÇÖs quarters immediately. Tell him to bring a trauma team with him.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Aye sir, relaying now. Foss is hailing us again.ÔÇØ No time, no time! Seconds later, the Tactical officer on the Tsnuami announced, and confirmed, Savages suspiscions. Savage sat back and watched chaos explode before his eyes. [/RP] Ron, Im handing off to you now. I think we know where this is going. [This message has been edited by Akira (edited 08-29-2000).]

Urghhh Boss, please! Dont encourage him!

As always, I am here. My chaps are comin in a bit at a time, and all but those with working (And up to date) emails have been notified by either myself or Greg. Just for the record, can someone remind me exactly which mail servers are off limits for registration purposes, so I can go n crack a few heads? Im aware of hotmail, but Im sure there are a couple more that were addressed before.

All I can think of is that the DB is still being tweeked. Keep trying once in a while. Have no fear, you shall be registered.

Hmmm. Well, I've been usin Blades (And varients thereof) for nigh on ten years now. It all began during my first venture into PC gaming. There was this game, you see, that would run on a 286 (With a little of persuasion) that involved the adventures of a young pilot fighting in a futuristic war against an alien race of mean big cats. Anyway, we all know what that is, and where this could lead, so I'll stop now. Basically, I needed a name for my alter ego, and since I was already a gifted sim pilot, I figured Blades would be kinda cool. So, I used it. And it stuck. Many years later I ventured onto the internet, and into IRC, and have been Blades or Mr Blades ever since. As for my real name, well, thats a horror story. Born 17th May, 1973, mt parents saw fit to name me Stacy Francis Brain. *shrug* I guess they was expecting a girl. Anyhoo, I went through enough years of taunting at school to be damaged for life by it, but I guess you get used to havin an unusual name. Off to therapy now. Dont wait up.

Ok boys and girls, the SC's registration database is now up and running. I expect each and every one of you to get your gear wired and report there this instant. Log yourselves in, sign up for the Wing OR Battle Group of choice (Some of you are preassigned to either the TBG or the DBT - You should know) while any newbies that wanna join this motley crew should feel free to go where they please. Unless you have previously been assigned a position within one of the ELITE Battle Groups, you may well find yourselves reasigned to other wings. Dont feel bad. Battle Group Commanders ARE follow the Commanders career. Anyone found arsin about as a jar head or figher jock will get a stern email from Greg Miller. That said n done, it's time we all woke up again and got the juices flowing. The day is nearly upon us. We NEED to be ready. ------------------ F.C KARL 'BLADES' SAVAGE ORION FLEET COMMANDING OFFICER, ORION FLEET COMMANDER, ORION STATION T.B.G DAYWATCH COMMANDER TSUNAMI BATTLE GROUP GCV-TSUNAMI Ôäó www.orion-hq.fsnet.co.uk 'For Queen And Country'

Great news. Once again, The Basement is back. This time, the stream is near perfect so you shouldnt have any troubles connecting and staying connected. However, if you do, its probably because you are skanking somthing from Napster. Heres my advice. Dont. Listen to the show, get in touch via AOL:IM or email. Share with me your views and comments. Go on, you know you want to. [email protected] is our email address. TBCREW365 is our AOL screen name. Any more whining from Gallion and I'm gonna stick a vagrant up that corsairs tail pipe.

Are you guys actually taunting me here? Can not a single week go by without a reference to how bad you think the Wing Commander movie was. *sigh*

[RP] 23:07, March 15, 3008 Orion Starstation Sol Sector Office Of Fleet Commander Savage  recall is almost complete. Elements from the Deterrence Battle Group and the Galetea Exploration Wing are en-route to the rally point. ETA is three point five hours. Thank you, Lieutenant Commander. said Savage from the large oak desk where he sat, skim reading through several datapads strewn over his desk. Whats the status of the Tsunami Battle group? Reynolds, the Orion Starstations chief of Communications took a step closer to his senior officer and handed him another datapad for review. Savage looked up from the logistics report in his hand, and exchanged it with the one from Reynolds. As the Orion Fleet Commander reviewed the new pad, Reynolds summarised. The last of the nightwatch commanders are docking for emergency resupply at the station now, sir. Commander Miller should already be on his way up here to be briefed by you. All but two of the daywatch commanders are spacebourn, and awaiting your orders to disembark. Savage nodded and he listened, and thumbed through several digital pages on the pad. Any word from Foss? Reynolds shook his head. No, sir. Apparantly the Deterrence has been suffering from a communications system malfunction. They have been able to receive, but not transmit for the last three hours. He is aware of the situation, and is moving to the rally point with the rest of his daywatch group. Savage snorted. So much for that subspace staff briefing. Not to worry, sir. Hell be at the rally point with the rest of the fleet, right on time. Times the issue here, Reynolds. We cant offered to waste any preperation time because one of my senior officers cant get his transmitter working. Reynolds shrugged. Its just one of those things, sir. Savage looked up at his communications officer. Oh, isnt it just? Despite the bleak mood, both men exchanged brief smiles. The irony was in the three and a half years since Savage had taken command of the Orion Fleet, not a day had gone by when he wasnt in communication with all of his staff officers. And now, today of all days, a minor technological glitch threatened to throw a spanner in the works that could seriously undermine the fleets reaction time. If it comes to it, sir, we could always have Foss take command of another cruiser and coordinate from their? Savage nodded, and dropped the TBG readiness report datapad amongst the other on the table. Yeah, thats always an option. Still, well give him another hour to get his comms back up before draggin his sorry ass off his ship. So long as he rendevous with the rest of the fleet at the rally point in the next three hours, we should be ok. Reynolds nodded in apparent agreement, and turned to make his way out of the Fleet Commanders office. Pete! called out Savage as his comms officer paused to open the door leading into the command center. Yes, sir? he said, turning. Savage stood from his desk and walked up close to Reynolds. Softly, he said Any word on the McKendrick? Reynolds took in a breath, and slowly shook his head. Im sorry sir, theres been no further word. I see. Moments passed while Savage was left in deep contemplation. Reynolds, of course, knew perfectly well what was going through his COs head. Savages relationship with the commander of the GCV  McKendrick was one of the lesser well kept secrets in the fleet, and althought the Fleet Commander had never spoken of it directly, he knew he was missing her badly and concerned about her well being since he sent her on deep recon into the Syrion quadrent. That had been three weeks ago. Awkwardly, Reynolds rested a hand on Savages shoulder. You know shes fine, dont you sir? I mean, this is Commander Polovoski were talking about. Shes the finest officer Ive ever served with. Savage shot him a wry look. Ah, present company excluded, sir. Savage grinned, then snorted at his communications chief. Get out there and have the Tsunami readied for departure. And have yourself transferred there to take control of communications. Reynolds frowned. Sir? You have a problem with that, Leutenant Commander? said Savage as he walked back to his desk and began tidying the datapads. Ah, no sir. Its just that, well, Im not considered space worthy anymore. You know, since the Chikuma incident? Savage sighed. Cant an entire day go by without someone reminding me of the Chikuma incident? Talk about ancient history. Ah, I was referring to my spinal injury, sir, and the fact that it keeps me from serving on a starship. Savage finished collecting up the all of the datapads and strode over to Reynolds. Here, he said, bundling them into Reynolds arms. take these on board ship with you. Ill review them some more en-route. Reynolds began to say something, but fumbled with the mass of datapads and desperately tried to keep them to his chest. As if reading Reynolds mind, Savage spoke up one final time. Look, I dont have time to argue about this, Pete. Youre the finest comms officer Ive ever had, and Ill be damned if Im walkin into this nightmare without you there. Now, get your ass on the Tsunami and relieve Jenkins of duty. We leave in thirty minutes. 23:33, March 15, 3008 Bridge of the GCV - Tsunami Sol Sector Commander on deck! shouted the ships navigator as Savage strode onto the bridge of the Orion Fleets flagship. As you were people. he said, taking his command seat quickly. Status? Immediately, the bridge crew of the Tsunami began sounding off each of the ships major systems. Tactical reported a full weapons payload with shield and PTA systems energized and ready to be fired up. Navigation reported that the course to the rally point had been calculated and was ready to be engaged. Like his collegue at navigation, helm reported the ships readiness to engage. Engineering piped through, confirming maximum reactor output and fuel stores at peak levels. Signal from the station. said Reynolds, at his old, yet familiar position in command of starship communications. They report all available ships are present and accounted for. Savage sighed, and leant forward in his chair. Show me. he said. Acknowledging the fleet commanders order, Reynolds displayed the Orion Fleets massed armada on the viewscreen. The sight was remarkable. For the first time ever, Savage was able to see the entire Tsunami Battle Group in one place at one time. Eighteen Battlecruisers in total made up GalComs ELITE Tsunami Battle Group. Commisioned with one purpose in mind, and one only, the TBG was every enemy commanders worst nightmare. Spearheading every major engagement since its commission, the TBG had been responsible for brutalising more enemy fleet formations, starstations and blockades than the rest of the fleet combined. Simply put, it was the hardest hitting, most ruthlessly effective Battle Group in known space. Even the Gammulans, despite their arrogance, had to respect and fear them. And the rest? said Savage. Reynolds flicked another button, and the view extended further outwards.From behind the Tsunami BattleGroup, a further thirty Orion Fleet reservists took position behind them. That all we got? said Savage, glancing over to Reynolds. Aye, sir. We have the Deterrence Battle Group and the Galetea Exploration Wing en-route to the rally point, ETA three hours. The rest of the reservists will be resupplied and launched from the Orion starstation and Vanguard starbase within three hours. Gonna be late for the fireworks. thought Savage. No matter, sure there will be pleanty to do when they did get there. Whats the status of the battle group? he asked. Efficiently, Reynolds began to query the rest of the fleet. Within moments, he had his answer. Sir, Commanders Miller, Bosch and Lockjaw all report they are ready to disembark. The rest of the group is awaiting our lead. Were ready, sir. Breath, [i/]though Savage, closing his eyes and drawing a deep breath through his nose. One thing at a time. Get to the rally point, then worry about what lies ahead. Savage blew out, opened his eyes and realised that the entire bridge crew was silent, and looking to him for instructions. It was time to get going. Reynolds, signal the fleet. Tell them to follow our lead, and not to lag too far behind. Were on a timetable, and I for one dont intend to be late for this dance. Aye, sir! said Reynolds. One more moment of peace. Helm, ahead one quarter impulse. Keep us steady until the fleet falls into formation. Then take us to the jump gate, maximum thrust. Here we go. [/RP] One major assumption Im having here is that the Orion station is still in itsoriginal location and not in Centris. If this isnt the case by this time, someone let me know or have the post edited accordingly. Other than that, glad to be aboard at last. Been itching to get into this, but havent had the opportunity until now. Tally ho, chaps! Orion is comin to kick some ass! [This message has been edited by Blades (edited 08-17-2000).]