Blades

Arghhhh! So many plot lines, so many points of view! You guys are a refs nightmare, given physical form. But I gotta tell you, I LOVE IT! Keep it comming guys, and make sure you casual observers sign up and pick yourself a role. Oh, and just so you dont think whats currently goin on is the main event, think again. This isnt even worthy of being called a prologue yet. Think of it as a chance to get to know your characters, the NPC's and the style of writing. And I guess I had better start catching up on the other RP threads, or I may end up confusing matters big time with my own thread. Wouldnt wanna do that. keep it up guys, you makin me proud. ------------------ Commander Blades GCV - TSUNAMI Ôäó PRIME Fleet 'For Queen and country' ICQ#31927230

[Narrative On] Mission + 0 days 19 hours 27 minutes Commissioner LoganÔÇÖs Personal Log Remarkably, the commander of this vessel has seen fit to bring us into close proximity with a potentially hostile region in this system. Even more remarkably, he neglected to inform either myself or my daughter Jennifer of this fact until a few moments ago. What really got my back up was the way in which the message was delivered. He had the ships CMO stop by our quarters and politely inform us of the situation. Of all the nerve! Not even a bridge officer. The CMO, I forget his name right now, explained to me about the patrol orders, and the commanders suspicions regarding the raider build up, but he could at least have arranged for myself and Jennifer to be dropped off at a Starstation somewhere en route. This Stone obviously has no idea who he is dealing with. When I was welcomed on board ship a week ago, he graciously declined to dine with us and discuss politics. He postponed several agreed tours of this contraption, and even refused to stop by at Starpath on our way through Sol so I could briefly attend to business. He had an officer ÔÇÿexplainÔÇÖ to me that the ship was under very strict instructions to be here in Alpha Centauri as soon as possible. Well, I wont stand for this at all, not after the mockery of the ÔÇÿtourÔÇÖ I was subjected to last evening. Hrumph. That bridge officer, what was her name? Russian woman, all chest and no brain. Ah, Polovoski, Neena Polovoski. Well, she arrived at our quarters a full ten minutes late, babbled on about having an important briefing she had to attend to then rushed us through the tour without so much as a look at the bridge. I explained to her I had full clearance, but she fobbed me off with excuses, telling me the commander was running some sensitive experiments or what not during the late hours. Now what? Oh, the ship must be under attack. Typical. And where is Jennifer? I told her to stay put after the CMO stopped by. She wouldnÔÇÖt have left now, not with all this going on. I think I had better try and find someone to look for her. Perhaps one of those meat head marines will be able to assist me . . End Personal Log Mission + 0 days 19 hours 29 minutes [Narrative Off] ------------------ Commander Blades GCV - TSUNAMI Ôäó PRIME Fleet 'For Queen and country' ICQ#31927230

[Narrative On] Mission + 0 days 19 hours 28 minutes McKendrick Sys Engineer #11 EMERGENCY TRANSMISSION MAYDAY! MADAY! THIS IS MCKENDRICK ON BAORD SHUTTLE 2 REQUESTING EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE FROM ANY ALLIED VESSELS IN THE AREA. THERE IS A SIZEABLE RAIDER FLEET IN THE VARAN REGION. APPROACHING RAPIDLY. I COUNT TWELVE ATTACK CRAFT. FOUR SUPPORT VESSELS OF INDETERMINATE TYPE. REPEAT MAYDAY! MAYDAY! FIGHTER ESCORT RETREATING THROUGH JUMP GATE. ENGINES HIT, VELOCITY DROPPING, LOSING POWER bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.. [Narrative Off] [Narrative On] Mission + 0 days 19 hours 29 minutes Commander! Somthings coming through the jump gate! What is it Graves? Its IC1 and 4 sir. They burning back in an awful hurry! Commander! shouted Reynolds from his communications station. IC1 reports hostiles advancing through the jump gate. How many? demanded Comamnder Stone. Reynolds pulled the earpiece from his head as is screeched painfully into his ear. He glanced up at the bridge viewscreen, and watched in genuine horror as massed raider ships began pouring from the jump gate. A lot sir. A helluva lot . .  Stone also watched the eruption of raider ships blink through the jump gate, persuing the two Interceptors and the damaged shuttle. Immediately, the crab turrets began firing on the lead vessels, sending several of them to fiery deaths in a matter of seconds. Still more poured through, including the first of the support vessels. Thats a lot of ships. Commented Stone. Aye sir! shouted Graves as the Chikumas laser turrets began to fire at the closets raider fighters. Thats a few more than we had anticipated. Mister Polovoski, scramble remaining fighters! Aye sir! Helm, get us the hell out of here! Way ahead of you commander, coming about, maximum burn. Lead fighters just overtook us sir! shouted Graves as the first enemy hits began to drain the Battle Cruisers charged shields. Mister graves, it looks like your going to get that chance to impress me after all. Graves turned and almost grinned at him. Aye, sir. Looks like it. Mission + 0 days 19 hours 49 minutes [Narrative Off] ------------------ Commander Blades GCV - TSUNAMI  PRIME Fleet 'For Queen and country' ICQ#31927230

[Narrative On] Mission + 0 days 19 hours 04 minutes Throughout the early morning hours, the GCV Chikuma silently traversed the vastness of deep space. Following the pre programmed flight path, it passed beyond the jump gate to Sol and popped into existence at the Jupiter transfer point. Realigning itÔÇÖs navigational systems, the mighty Battle Cruiser turned to face itÔÇÖs next way point at Pluto. By the time the first of the senior officers took the bridge from the night watch, the Chikuma had passed into the Alpha Centauri system, and were mere minutes away from the jump gate leading to Varan. ÔÇ£Have ICÔÇÖs 1 and 4 launch and assume point, Mister Polovoski.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Aye, commander.ÔÇØ Responded the combat officer, quickly issuing launch orders to the pilots on standby. ÔÇ£Flight engineers Ginty and Norris report IC 1 and 4 are prepped and ready to go.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Helm?ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Aye, commander?ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Take her off auto pilot and decelerate to one third normal.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Yes, sir.ÔÇØ Tamara Jensen followed her orders precisely. She disabled the ships auto pilot system, then powered down the engines to one third. ÔÇ£Engines at one third commander. Helm control at manual.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Very good mister Jensen. Mister Polovoski?ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Sir. IC1 and 4 report they are stowed and ready to burn.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Excellent. Give them the green light.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Aye, sir.ÔÇØ The combat officer again tapped into her command console, then opened an audio link to the flight deck. ÔÇ£Launch control, you are go for launch on my mark . . . . . . . thee, two, one . . . launch!ÔÇØ Launch vibrations from the two speeding Interceptors briefly shook deck plates throughout the ship. The violence of the launch always stirred up excitement throughout the crew, since it was rare that the experienced Interceptor pilots ever left the ship without good reason. Off duty personel began making way to their emergency stations, anticipating trouble. ÔÇ£ICÔÇÖs 1 and 4 clear and accelerating to take point, sir.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£And the shuttle?ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Shuttle 2 on standby sir. Just waiting for the last of the cargo to be loaded.ÔÇØ Commander Stone leant forward in his command chair and once again attempted to rationalize the nagging unease that had been plaguing him since last night. ÔÇ£Commander?ÔÇØ started Reynolds, the communications officer. Stone glanced over at him. ÔÇ£You got something for me?ÔÇØ ÔÇ£I believe so sir. Looks like your theory was correct. There has been a distinct lack of raider activity in this region over the last few weeks.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£And GalCom fleet movements?ÔÇØ ÔÇ£The Tsunami, Venture and Lexington have all been pulled off the normal patrol routes in the last twelve days for re-supply and reinforcement our forces at Wraith Starstation. That just leaves the GCV Kitty Hawk in the area.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Which means, there has been a significant gap in our coverage for the last week at least.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Yes, sir. According to the logs, the Tsunami was the last ship to pull out, and that was eight days ago.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£If you ask me,ÔÇØ said Graves from his tactical station, ÔÇ£itÔÇÖs very reckless of Command to withdraw so many ships from this system.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Care to explain yourself, mister Graves? Graves stepped down from his tactical post and took a few confident strides towards Commander Stone. The other bridge officers knew he was getting ready to launch into one of his speeches. ÔÇ£Well sir, despite the recent losses against the Gams, theres nothing to suggest that another offensive is on the cards. Both sides took a hammering, and neither one of us are prepared for any kind of offensive action.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Agreed Mister Graves, however, fleet command seem to think that the best way to deter any further aggression would be a show of force on our borders. What better way to ensure peace than to demonstrate that we are still capable of waging war if neccesary?ÔÇØ Graves nodded in agreement. ÔÇ£Yes sir, I understand that. However, a build up of ships on the border will probably be interpreted as an aggressive move by the nations in that area. The Gammulans will be responding in kind, building up there own fleets to match our own. Sooner or later, border skirmishes will begin to erupt, and open hostilities will surley follow.ÔÇØ Stone completely understood what his officer was telling him, but failed to understand the reason why his Tactical Officer was giving him a lesson in rudimentary cold war philosophy. ÔÇ£IÔÇÖm sure you have a point to make, mister Graves.ÔÇØ Graves nodded in agreement. ÔÇ£Yes sir. The point IÔÇÖm trying to make is this. The fewer forces we have in readiness in Alpha Centauri, the more likely it is that a Gammulan force could sneak in the long way round and attack us from the rear.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£But we have forces in the Syrion quadrant that would be able to quickly alert the fleet to the threat. We could have our forces mobilized at Wraith in no time at all, and thatÔÇÖs providing we donÔÇÖt redeploy the forces already stationed at Barnards Star and at Sol.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Yes, sir. But without a reaction force close to Centris, we could lose a lot of ground before we had a chance to halt them. Not to mention the devestation to the Empirians planet side installations. That wouldnÔÇÖt go down too well within the community.ÔÇØ The commander knew this wasnÔÇÖt getting anywhere fast. He decided to settle for a draw on this issue. ÔÇ£Mister Graves, you worry too much. If such an invasion occurred, IÔÇÖm sure the fleet would have adequate time to mobalize and come rushing to CentrisÔÇÖs defense. Of course, thatÔÇÖs providing the Gammulans had the spare ships for such an endevour, which is highly unlikely, and in any event, the Gammulans may be smart, but they not imaginative. They would come straight at us, not take a back door.ÔÇØ Graves was by no means convinced, and he still had one more card to play. ÔÇ£ThatÔÇÖs not the main point though, sir.ÔÇØ Stone was beginning to lose patience with his subordinate. ÔÇ£Make it quickly mister Graves, we still got a mission to complete.ÔÇØ Graves decided to summarise his next point. ÔÇ£Well sir, taking our ships away from this system also leaves the Empirians open to raiders, hackers and any number of criminal sorts. They have always been plagued by such things, and without a sufficient deterant in the area, itÔÇÖs only a matter of time before they go for a major strike.ÔÇØ Stone spun round in his command chair and snapped his fingers at Graves. ÔÇ£My thoughts, exactly. And thatÔÇÖs exactly why weÔÇÖre here.ÔÇØ Graves frowned at him. ÔÇ£Sir?ÔÇØ Stone stood and walked towards the fore of the bridge, looking out into the viewscreen as he explained. ÔÇ£It makes perfect sense. The fleet withdraws to reinforce our defenses at Wraith. A single ship stays put in Treas to make sure nothing out of the ordinary comes through looking to cause us trouble. Raider activity in the last week has completely ceased, despite the lack of military presence in the area. Why?ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Ah, ÔÇ£ began Reynolds, who had become almost as engrossed in the discussion as Graves had. ÔÇ£they got worried something was up when our forces pulled out and ran back to Tulon?ÔÇØ Graves rounded on the communication officer and grimaced at him ÔÇ£No, raiders are opportunists. The last thing the would do would be to run away when theres an opportunity like this just sitting there for them to take.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Then what, Mister Graves?ÔÇØ enquired Stone. Graves turned back to face his commander. ÔÇ£Well, sir, It would seem most likely that the raiders are massing for some sort of major attack. Probably against Centauri station in Cronus.ÔÇØ The commander nodded, then turned away from the bridge viewscreen and made his way over towards the combat officer. ÔÇ£Your reasoning is sound, mister Graves, but I would be extremely surprised if the raiders have managed to assemble that kind of fleet in this little time. No, I think you will find it isnÔÇÖt so much of a fleet at the moment, but a growing rabble awaiting more recruits.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£We could send a probe through to investigate, sir?ÔÇØ suggested Graves. Stone shook his head. ÔÇ£No, IÔÇÖve got a better idea. If we send a probe through, by the time we start getting telemetary data and ship numbers, chances are they would be bolting for the nearest anomaly to hide behind. WeÔÇÖd never get a good idea of their numbers, and we would loose the opportunity to strike at them. However, if we send a shuttle laiden with iridium through with only a scant escort, we may just be able to tempt enough of them to take the bait and go after it.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£And then,ÔÇØ interupted Graves, ÔÇ£lure them back to this side of the jump gate and right into our awaiting turrets.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£And therefore put a major crimp into any plans they may have for raiding this system in force.ÔÇØ Graves smiled. It sounded like a workable plan. There was just one thing . . . ÔÇ£What if we have, ah miscalculated?ÔÇØ Stone slumped down over the combat officers station. ÔÇ£Well mister Graves, theres one of two possabilities. If the bait goes through, and theres nothing there to greet them, I guess we all get to take the afternoon off and go shoot some pool.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£And if there is s sizeable fleet there, and it decides to take out the nosey Battle Cruiser and itÔÇÖs support craft?ÔÇØ Stone smirked. ÔÇ£Well, in that case mister Graves, we get to find out exactly how much of a hot shot Tactical officer you really are.ÔÇØ Graves nodded grimly. ÔÇ£Aye sir. Understood.ÔÇØ The tactical officer returned to his post, then cast his eyes back to the commander. ÔÇ£Just one more thing, sir.ÔÇØ Stone again seated himself in the command chair. ÔÇ£Yes, mister Graves?ÔÇØ ÔÇ£WouldnÔÇÖt it have been simpler just to inform us of your plan rather than have us dig it piece by piece out of you for the last few minutes?ÔÇØ Stone cast a stern look at him. ÔÇ£Simpler, yes, but IÔÇÖve always preferred to have a thinking crew than one that just blindly obeys orders without the opportunity to voice their own opinions.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Ah, so it was an exercise in creative theorizing, sir?ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Just keeping you on your toes, Graves. Lets try to keep perspective, shall we?ÔÇØ Graves went back to his console. ÔÇ£Aye, aye, sir.ÔÇØ For the next few minutes, the Chikuma and her crew hurtled towards the awating Varan jump gate. Ahead of them, the two Interceptors scanned the immediate area, finding nothing of consequence. ÔÇ£Shuttle 2 locked and loaded, sir.ÔÇØ Announced Polovoski. ÔÇ£TheyÔÇÖre ready and happy to play.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Launch Shuttle 2 and alert ICÔÇÖs 1 and 4 to escort it through the jump gate. Make sure they know whats going on, and have them make it look good.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Aye, sir. Uploading nav specs and details to them now.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Mister Jensen?ÔÇØ Tamara turned in her seat. ÔÇ£Yes, commander?ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Take us to port, 20 degrees off our current profile and then stop at a range of 4 clicks from the gates mouth.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Aye sir.ÔÇØ replied Jensen, working the console. ÔÇ£Coming up on new heading. Range, twelve klicks.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Shuttle 2 away sir, ICÔÇÖs 1 and 4 are moving to escort.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Excellent mister Polovoski. Helm, steady as she goes.ÔÇØ For the next few moments, murmered status reports were communicated back and forth across the bridge. Each officer worked with ruthless efficiency in preperation to snare the suspected raiders in the trap. ÔÇ£Commander, Shuttle 2 and escorts are at the ingress point. They are holding, awaiting final instructions.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Confirmed mister Polovoski, have them standby.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Aye sir, but IC1 is getting impatient.ÔÇØ Stone frowned at his combat officer. ÔÇ£Impatient?ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Yes sir, Commander Stone, Banish is complaining that heÔÇÖs been airbourn for nearly ten minutes and hasnÔÇÖt killed anything yet.ÔÇØ Stone leant forward and rubbed the nagging throb that was emerging within his forehead. ÔÇ£Have I ever told you how much I hate pilots mister Polovoski?ÔÇØ ÔÇ£No sir.ÔÇØ Replied the combat officer. ÔÇ£But IÔÇÖll be sure to mention it to him, just as soon as he gets back.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Very good mister Polovoski, you do that.ÔÇØ Stone took a moment to pause, read the TacOps VDU at the side of his command chair and then looked up at the main bridge viewscreen. ÔÇ£Helm, we in position yet?ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Aye, sir.ÔÇØ Said Jensen. ÔÇ£Now at destination coordinates.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Good. Bring us about to starboard, parallel with the gate and accelerate to 150 kph.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Aye, sir. Coming about.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Mister Graves?ÔÇØ Graves craned his neck to the side to view the commander. ÔÇ£Sir?ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Begin deploying the crabs at 400 meter intervals until we cover the entire exit cone of the jump gate.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Aye, sir. Deploying crab mines.ÔÇØ The Chikuma began deploying itÔÇÖs deadly cargo along the perimeter of the Varan jump gate. Within a few short moments, it had covered the entire exit route from the gate with bristling laser turrets. Anything coming through without an a recognized IFF signature would be in serious trouble. ÔÇ£Helm, pull us back to eight klicks from the perimeter. Angle the ship so that all turrets have maximum fire coverage.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Aye sir, pulling us back.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Tactical, raise shields to maximum. Arm the PTA systems.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Shields to maximum, PTA coming online. Main gun decoupled and at you command, sir.ÔÇØ In the last few seconds, as the trap was laid and the tension mounted, the bridge crews professionalism really began to shine. Each worked tirelessly at their terminals, bringing all vital ships systems to the ready, issuing damage control commands to the various engineering teams throughout the ship. Everything was set. Everyone was ready. All that was needed was the commanders final word. ÔÇ£Mister Polovoski?ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Aye, sir?ÔÇØ Stone stooped forward in his chair, hoping that his gamble would pay off and not backfire in his face. It was a big gamble, but a worthy one. If it went well, it would guarantee success in part one of the operation. If it failed, everything could be set back by weeks. This had to go well, failure wasnÔÇÖt an option. ÔÇ£Mister Polovoski, send them into the fire.ÔÇØ Mission + 0 days 19 hours 27 minutes [Narrative Off] ------------------ Commander Blades GCV - TSUNAMI Ôäó PRIME Fleet 'For Queen and country' ICQ#31927230

[Narrative On] July 17 3004 Mission + 0 days 11 hrs 32 minutes Commanders Personal Log ItÔÇÖs late, the day has been long and IÔÇÖm looking forward to getting some real sleep tonight. I left the bridge about an hour ago, leaving the duty officer to hold down the fort while I returned to my cabin and continued pouring over the new assignment details. I spent an age there, reading the decoded text from top to bottom, looking for something between the lines that might explain the sense of trepidation thatÔÇÖs wracked my brain with doubt. However, four hours later and a headache thatÔÇÖs driving me to distraction and still nothing different. Just another hot patrol in Varan. No clues to be found here, at least not tonight. IÔÇÖll pick this up in the morning . . . . On a lighter note, the crew seem to have taken to my command fairly easily. I wasnÔÇÖt expecting the usual transition difficulties as on a normal reassignment, since the crew is about as experienced as they come and have had their fair share of new commanders. Still, in the three weeks IÔÇÖve been assigned here, IÔÇÖve managed to suss out the general mood of the ship. Somewhat more casual than you may expect on a military vessel, but thatÔÇÖs more to do with the sense of community and fellowship that resonates throughout the ranks. The bridge crew especially seem to have a well rehearsed rapport. I find myself looking forward to every new shift, just to experience round after round of their casual banter. IÔÇÖve even found myself joining in with them, taking a few moments out of the day to antagonize Chief Spencer in engineering. Sigh . . . This is a good ship, a fine crew. I almost feel at home here. I just wish I had been assigned to the GCV Mayfair instead. It would have been better, and easier for everyone concerned. Especially for this ship and her crew. IÔÇÖm almost praying for an abort. Almost . . . . End log. Mission + 0 days 11 hours 35 minutes [Narrative Off] ------------------ Commander Blades GCV - TSUNAMI Ôäó PRIME Fleet 'For Queen and country' ICQ#31927230

Signed you up as Sgt. Diamond, Ron. Go bust some num nutts heads. ------------------ Commander Blades GCV - TSUNAMI Ôäó PRIME Fleet 'For Queen and country' ICQ#31927230

[Narrative On] July 16 3004 Mission + 0 days 0 hrs 0 minutes The bridge of the GCV Chikuma was alive with the hum of disciplined activity. Each bleep from a terminal, every softly spoken acknowledgement, even the low vibrations of drive assisted movement felt through the deck plates depicted a Starship bristling with experience and authority. ItÔÇÖs crew, from the recently assigned Commander Stone down through the ranks to crewman Jones in recycling, were of a breed high in demand, but short in supply anywhere in the known galaxy. The Chikuma herself was a decorated ship, having seen combat in both the Credian and Gammulan sectors. Many times she had survived against all but impossible odds, defeating Gammulan Warmongers in the most recent hostilities, defending Grazer-1 during massed Insurgent aggression, even going behind enemy lines to assist the Falkerie underground in their war of liberation. Damaged, but not destroyed, beaten, but not defeated, the Chikuma was a symbol to all in the fleet that despite overwhelming adversity, the ideals that Galactic Command were founded on were as prominent now, as they were during itÔÇÖs inception a decade ago. ÔÇ£Status report, Mr. Jensen.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Aye sir,ÔÇØ acknowledged the Flight Officer. ÔÇ£WeÔÇÖre coming up on the final patrol beacon. ETA twelve minutes, twenty four seconds at current velocity.ÔÇØ Commander Stone nodded his approval. ÔÇ£Tactical update Mr. Graves.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Sir. TacOpÔÇÖs still registering negative on hostile contacts. Shields at 25%, PTA systems still disabled but engineering reports they will be fully operation by the time we finish our circuit.ÔÇØ Stone frowned, and tapped impatiently on the command chairs armrest. ÔÇ£Mr. Reynolds, get Spencer back on the comm.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Aye sir,ÔÇØ replied Reynolds, turning away from his commander before an amused smile broke onto his boyish features. He dared a quick look up to Ailsa Strang, the navigation officer who occupied the terminal to the left of him. She beamed back the same amused smile he had become accustomed, before averting his eyes to prevent the smile breaking into a stifled laugh. ÔÇ£Chief Spencer on the link for you, sir.ÔÇØ Commander Stone quickly cleared his throat, before opening the channel through to engineering. ÔÇ£Mr. Spencer,ÔÇØ he began. ÔÇ£did you, or did you not promise to have the PTA systems back online within the hour?ÔÇØ Before Chief Spencer had a chance to respond, Commander Stone thumbed the speaker button on his communication panel, and glanced down at his amused bridge officers. ÔÇ£We, ah, that is I, Commander, have uh, well . . . . ÔÇ£ ÔÇ£Did you, or did you not promise to have the systems back online within the hour, Chief?ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Ah, yes sir. I did make you that promise.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Then explain to me,ÔÇØ started Stone, pushing himself up from his command chair and striding casually towards the flight officer. ÔÇ£why you havenÔÇÖt delivered on your promise?ÔÇØ ÔÇ£This happens all the time.ÔÇØ Said Jensen to the commander as he approached. Stone shot her a mildly annoyed look, and brought a finger up to his lips in a silencing gesture. Jensen cringed at her unintentional fo par, and mouthed a silent apology back at him. ÔÇ£Ah . . . ?ÔÇØ The tone of Chief Spencers voice was questioning. ÔÇ£Is there someone else there with you Commander?ÔÇØ Stone turned on the spot and began striding back towards his command chair. ÔÇ£Explanations Mr. Spencer, not speculation.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Ah, yes sir.ÔÇØ The sound of Chief Spencer clearing his throat audibly echoed through the bridge as Stone retook his place in the command chair. ÔÇ£There have been some issues with one of the repair droids, sir.ÔÇØ Stones face gave way to a smirk. ÔÇ£Issues, chief?ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Ah, yes sir. Issues.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£What kind of issues are we referring to, chief?ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Ah, technical issues, sir. It seems that one of the remotes manipulator arms has been, ah, disabled, sir.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Disabled, how?ÔÇØ enquired the Commander. Silence from engineering. ÔÇ£Chief?ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Ah, seems as if something has become lodged in the mechanism, sir.ÔÇØ Stone snuggled back deeper into his command chair, and despite a breach in protocol, allowed his legs to stretch out outwards and cross at the heels in an undignified, yet comfortable position. ÔÇ£Describe to me, in the simplest form possible, exactly what this blockage in the mechanism is, chief.ÔÇØ More silence from engineering. ÔÇ£I wont ask you a second time, chief.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Ah, yes sir. Just verifying, sir.ÔÇØ More clearing of throat from Spencer in engineering. Stones smirk broke into a full on grin. This was going to be good. ÔÇ£ItÔÇÖs a poker chip, sir.ÔÇØ Reynolds, who had so far been able to keep his amusement to a low giggle, spluttered into his hand and turned himself as far away from commander Stones view as possible. To the right of him at the navigation console, Ailsa too almost lost control of her sensibilities. ÔÇ£A poker chip, chief?ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Aye sir, a poker chip.ÔÇØ Chief Spencer sounded almost sullen. At the very least, humiliated. ÔÇ£How exactly did a poker chip end up clogging one of the repair drones, Chief Spencer?ÔÇØ The Chief sighed into the communications microphone. ÔÇ£Seems that some of the lads on team three needed a new table in their bunkroom.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£New table, Chief?ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Yes sir. Seems there old table was, um, damaged during some sort of disagreement with one the marines.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£I see. Continue . . .ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Well sir, seems as if team three decided to requisition one of the droids, and, ah . .ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Chief?ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Well, use it as a base for the table. Sir.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Very creative, chief.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£They thought so, sir.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£I bet.ÔÇØ The commander sighed, allowed himself one more stretch and then forced himself back into his normal sitting position. ÔÇ£Ah, we almost got it free from the mechanism sir, and we should have the droid fully functional again shortly.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Very good chief. And why not assign team three to assist on the PTA systems?ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Team three, sir? I wouldnÔÇÖt trust them to open a can of beans. Besides, IÔÇÖve already got them working a double shift in waste extraction. Seems that systems has been backing up again recently.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Ah, perfect chief. Once they finished there, get them down to Sgt. Diamonds office. IÔÇÖm sure heÔÇÖd be more than happy to give them a lecture in the evils of misappropriation.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Aye, aye sir. IÔÇÖll see to it personally.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Very good chief, bridge out.ÔÇØ Despite the briefly entertaining interlude from normal operations, the ChikumaÔÇÖs primary mission continued without any further interruptions. The patrol circuit in the Sirius system was concluded, and Navigation officer Ailsa Strang competently inputted new coordinates into the navitron computer. ÔÇ£Coordinates set for our next patrol, Commander.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Flight control confirms, sir.ÔÇØ Stone looked over at his communications officer. ÔÇ£Mr. Reynolds?ÔÇØ Reynolds turned to face his commander, and listening intently on his earpiece receiver, nodded to him. ÔÇ£Engineering reports propulsion systems at optimal efficiency.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Excellent.ÔÇØ Said Stone. ÔÇ£Helm, put the ship on auto pilot. Mr. Graves?ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Aye, sir?ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Continue to monitor TacOps until we reach the jump gate.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Aye, sir.ÔÇØ Jensen swung round in her seat and looked up at the commander. ÔÇ£Autopilot on standby, sir. Ready to engage at your discretion.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Very good helm. Engage.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Aye, sir.ÔÇØ Jensen surrendered manual helm control of the immense starship to the automated systems. Within moments, the ChikumaÔÇÖs engines fired up and brought the ship about to her pre programmed heading. Soon, the vessel would accelerate to remarkable speeds, await the charge of the hyperdrive engines and then lurch into an artificially created anomaly that would send ship and crew hurtling towards the outbound jump gate. Marking the end of her current duty shift, she entered a brief log the ships flight activities, and then locked out access to her terminal. Like Jensen, AilsaÔÇÖs duties were now also concluded, and she looked forward spending some time in her quarters, catching up on some reading and then hurrying down to the galley for her dinner date with crewman Samuels from engineering. Unfortunately, combat officer Neena PolovoskiÔÇÖs duties were far from concluded. She had the dubious pleasure of escorting the terran diplomat and his daughter on a full tour of the ship. It occurred to her that she should probably change into dress uniform, or at the very least stop by her quarters for a quick shower. However, her shift wasnÔÇÖt due to end for another hour yet, and she had to brief Sgt. Diamond on the weeks duty roster before stopping by the diplomats quarters for the inspection tour. The diplomat was a stickler for promptness, and would probably be most displeased if she turned up late. She could complete the briefing with Sgt. Diamond quickly, and still have time to grab a quick shower and get to the diplomats quarters in time, or skip the shower completely, or risk upsetting the diplomat for being a few minutes late. Maybe she could sneak off the bridge a few minutes early . . . Stone sat back in his chair and observed as his flight and navigation officers rose from their stations and prepared to exit the bridge. ÔÇ£Have a good evening ladies.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Thank you, sirÔÇØ replied Jensen quickly. ÔÇ£WeÔÇÖre having a couple of drinks in the galley to celebrate marine Brocks birthday.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Very good Jensen, have a quick drink for me.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Ah, sir?ÔÇØ started Ailsa. ÔÇ£Are you remaining on station? Because if your not, IÔÇÖm sure youÔÇÖd be more than welcome.ÔÇØ Stone smirked. ÔÇ£IÔÇÖm sure I would be, but IÔÇÖve got our next assignment to worry about right now. I think IÔÇÖll be here for a good while yet.ÔÇØ Curiosity got the better of Jensen. ÔÇ£What exactly is our next assignment, commander?ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Just another patrol duty in Varan.ÔÇØ Jensen wasnÔÇÖt completely convinced by the tone of his voice. ÔÇ£Just, sir?ÔÇØ Stone smiled at her. ÔÇ£Well, itÔÇÖs meant to be just a patrol mission, but I got a feeling this assignment might be more interesting that the orders would have us believe.ÔÇØ Jensen smiled back at her C.O. ÔÇ£Really sir? Care to elaborate.ÔÇØ The tip of AilsaÔÇÖs boot connected roughly at the base of her heel, informing her painfully of the breach of protocol. Stone shook his head. ÔÇ£Nothing to elaborate on. Just a feeling Jensen, nothing more than that.ÔÇØ Jensen nodded an acknowledgement at him. ÔÇ£Understood sir. Have a good evening.ÔÇØ Stone smiled nodded back at them. ÔÇ£You too.ÔÇØ With that, the two bridge officers briefly exchanged farewells with those that remained, then marched towards, and then through the bridge turbo life door. ÔÇ£SheÔÇÖs got quite a mouth on her, doesnÔÇÖt she Mr. Reynolds?ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Jensen, sir? Aye sir, quite a mouth.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£How did commander Soanes put up with that before his transfer?ÔÇØ Reynolds beamed a smile back at the commander. ÔÇ£He, ah, had his ways, sir.ÔÇØ Stone raised and eyebrow. ÔÇ£Really? Care to give me a hint?ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Well,ÔÇØ began Reynolds, ÔÇ£you might want to try dating her.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Dating her?ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Yes sir. Commander Soanes found that . . ÔÇ£ Stone shuffled uncomfortably in his chair. ÔÇ£Ahem, as you were Reynolds.ÔÇØ The junior officer couldnÔÇÖt resist. ÔÇ£And itÔÇÖs obvious that sheÔÇÖs interested in you si-ÔÇ£ ÔÇ£As you were, Reynolds!ÔÇØ interrupted the commander, feigning annoyance. Reynolds snapped to attendance. ÔÇ£Aye sir. Very sorry sir.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Glad to hear it. Now, donÔÇÖt you have a duty log to attend to?ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Yes sir. Very good sir.ÔÇØ Reynolds turned back to his station, and hastily began correlating the communications logs for his duty report. Commander Stone just turned in his seat and smirked. The GCV Chikuma, following the flight path inputted into the navitron computer, glided like a silent shark through the vast depths of deep space. ItÔÇÖs advanced monitoring systems watched with complete indifference at the passage of other stella objects, from neutral transports to beautifully luminescent meteorites, arching there way towards their destinations. The off duty crew settled into the pleasant evening hours, relaxing in the galley with friends or reading personal correspondence, all the while completely oblivious to the challenges the next few days would bring them. Right now, they were a relaxed and happy crew, confident in their abilities, and happy with their new Commander. How the events of the next few days would shape them, few would dare to predict, and if things continued on the anticipated course, fewer still would survive. Mission + 0 days 6 hrs 0 minutes [Narrative Off] *** Off you go gang. Try too keep it tidy.*** ------------------ Commander Blades GCV - TSUNAMI Ôäó PRIME Fleet 'For Queen and country' ICQ#31927230

ÔÇ£Preemptive StrikeÔÇØ, the new [RP] thread will begin this evening at approx 1900 EST. The start of this scenario has been brought forward a few days to accommodate all Those eager beavers who have been, um, ÔÇÿExperimentingÔÇÖ these last few days. IÔÇÖve taken heed of warnings that if it donÔÇÖt get it rolling now, the momentum may slip away and it never gets a chance to really shine. So, expect the opening narrative this evening. The following is a breakdown of the characters involved in play, and who will be playing them. Check back here often to see updates on who is who and who has been killed off. All RP elements are to be written in the main RP thread, and in the style that I have previously described in the opening post. TRY not to get carried away with what your character is doing, and please, donÔÇÖt make any rash postings that will threaten to invalidate the main plot. If in doubt, mail me with details first. I will reply as swiftly as possible. I donÔÇÖt want to dictate how your characters interact in the plot, but I donÔÇÖt want the plot taken too far off course by individual characters postings. If youÔÇÖre not clear on this point, check out some of the previous examples, espech in the opening and follow up posts in this thread. As time and experience go by, this may change, so again, check back here often for updates. All comments regarding the RP thread, but not actually RP entries, please post here. Speculation as to where the plot is going can be dangerous, as any RPGÔÇÖer knows, the Ref is always listening and just itching to bollock up your best-laid plans. So, for your own good, try to be discreet. FLIGHT OFFICER TAMARA JENSEN = NAVIGATION OFFICER AILSA STRANG = COMBAT OFFICER NEENA POLOVOSKI = Angel of Light MEDICAL OFFICER MARTIN SUMMERS = Ben Zwycky CHIEF ENGINEER THOMAS SPENCER = Badgerius IC1 PILOT BANISH = Ben Somerset IC1 CO PILOT BIGTONE = IC2 PILOT SHODAN = David Foss IC2 CO PILOT GAMBIT = IC3 PILOT SHADOW = Nicholai Chasseur IC3 CO PILOT PANCAKE = IC4 PILOT DIESEL = SpacePhish IC4 CO PILOT BLACKJACK = MARINE COMPANY SGT DIAMOND = Ron Wallin The above are the main characters that have been assigned to various players. Those wanting to play any of the vast number of non coms on ship can do so, but try to stick with whatever character you select until such a time as you are shot, blown up, incinerated, exposed to vacuum, stabbed, melted, torn in half, nerve stapled or thrown in the brig. That way, we donÔÇÖt get one player posting a dozen or so logs and makin my life even more of a nightmare than it already is. An, um . . how come nobody wants to play any of the co-pilots, or company sgt Diamond? HeÔÇÖs cool. Just think ÔÇ£Full Metal JacketÔÇØ, minus the shooting incident. There you go . . Just one more thing . . . . When posting, PLEASE keep within the time confines laid out in the narrative. If your character is attempting to do something that may take several hours, or even days, please donÔÇÖt try and cram it into a 25 minute in game segment. And another thing, consider the actions of your fellow players. Read each log entry as it is posted, but remember, these are personal log entries, and other players are not privy to their content. Act only when there is clear evidence of something goin on. Try not to be influenced too much by another characters casual thoughts. For realism sake, donÔÇÖt let your characters become too smart, too soon. Just sit back, interact in a consistent and realistic form, and enjoy the ride. Good luck to you gang, youÔÇÖre gonna need it. ------------------ Commander Blades GCV - TSUNAMI Ôäó PRIME Fleet 'For Queen and country' ICQ#31927230 [This message has been edited by Blades (edited 08-20-99).]

Ok, this is getting insane (And who says it was an inapropriately named thread) with all the RP stuff goin on, even before the real story gets goin. To business. Since everyone nice n eager to get this monster goin, I've decided to unleash the first narrative on you tomoz evening, about 7pm EST. Those people who have selected characters are more than welcome to use them, and if you want to use a lesser personality over the course of the story, then I spose you can. Anyone wishing to join in should first mention an interest in the thread, then select a character and await approval before jumping in. Anyhow, thats it. I'll post the roster of who's playin who as I get updates, and as long as everything goes as planned, we be in business by this time tomoz night. Until then, keep those creative juices a flowin. This gonna be so cool. ------------------ Commander Blades GCV - TSUNAMI Ôäó PRIME Fleet 'For Queen and country' ICQ#31927230

Hmmmmm. Looks like the bunch from the lower decks are gettin to have all the fun. Maybe I'll just kill off the command staff, and let the non coms fly the damned thing. Anyhow, need more participants, so dont be tardy. ------------------ Commander Blades GCV - TSUNAMI Ôäó PRIME Fleet 'For Queen and country' ICQ#31927230

Thats the spirit guys! Just dont blow all the good material on practice, the main event gonna be a hoot. Oh, Ailsa Strang is a female crewmember. I dont know if Ailsa dutch or nothing, but the Ailsa I'm thinking off was def a chick. At least, I hope so. Hmmm, lets not make this an issue. ------------------ Commander Blades GCV - TSUNAMI Ôäó PRIME Fleet 'For Queen and country' ICQ#31927230

Ok gang, here is the list of principle characters involved in the scenario. As the principle players, these guys get to have the most direct influence on the Narrative, but as those that have posted before have illustrated, even a lowly engineer Or marine can make an impression. Heres a break down of the ship, her crew, and her mission. Battle Cruiser GCV Chikuma Mission : Extended patrol of Sirius system Crew Compliment : 117 enlisted men and officers 3 guests (Terran Diplomat w/ daughter and Terran Scientist) Commander : Ted Stone (Non Player Character) Flight Officer : Tamara Jensen Navigation Officer : Ailsa Strang Comms Officer : Paul Reynolds (Non Player Character) Combat Officer : Neena Polovoski Medical Officer : Martin Summers Chief Engineer : Thomas Spencer Research Engineer : James Tarrant (Non Player Character) IC1 Pilot : Banish IC1 CO Pilot : BigTone IC2 Pilot : Shodan IC2 Co Pilot : Gambit IC3 Pilot : Shadow IC3 CO Pilot : Pancake IC4 Pilot : Diesel IC4 Co Pilot : Blackjack Marine Company Sgt : Phil Diamond These characters are the principle players in the scenario. If you want to play one of them, post on this thread immediately to avoid dissapointment. (Cheap commercial, anyone?) There are, of course about a hundred other crewmembers on ship, so there are lots to choose from. Characters that find themselves killed off for one reason or another Can quite easily take control of any other pleb they feel like. Players should avoid flitting Between random crewmembers if it can be helped at all. The best way to advance the scenario is to play it out with the chosen characters, and see what happens. Anyhow, make you claim. Providing everything goes as planned, we should begin within the next few days. Oh, and I have avoided selecting a mission date this far because I want to get some input from the other RP authors as to a suggested time frame for the scenario. If you got suggestions, let me know ASAP. This is going to be very interesting . . . Oh, Gallion. Your a monster. ------------------ Commander Blades GCV - TSUNAMI Ôäó PRIME Fleet 'For Queen and country' ICQ#31927230 [This message has been edited by Blades (edited 08-17-99).]

Welcome aboard Phish. You and anyone else are welcome to participate, so long as everyone understands the basic guidelines outlined in the above posts. Also, I shall be putting up the names of the principle characters later on. To claim a character, you need just regester it in a post here, and drop me a mail for confirmation. More to follow. ------------------ Commander Blades GCV - TSUNAMI Ôäó PRIME Fleet 'For Queen and country' ICQ#31927230

Badgerius, thats well on track as to the general style of how I want this to go. However, since It will be my job to interpret 'How' the character fits within the scenario, I would prefer to see players exploits written not from a narrative standpoint, but from a personal standpoint. For example, I've taken your excellent insight and modified it to suit the format I am persuing. Hold on . . Crewman Jones Emergency Log Entry Mission + 2 hours 34 minutes [RP ON] The klaxon and red flashing lights woke me [Jones] from a sound sleep, and I had just sat up when an explosion knocked me to the deck. My wristcom was ordering me to fix damage in missile bay 2. I found myself shouting "What the h#&@ is going on out there? Those S#$% for brain officers are off their rockers again!" Just then gravity cut out, and I found myself floating and heard the computer calmly state that life support was offline. Kicking off the ceiling, I noticed a form standing in the hall. My muddled brain calmly catalogued the sight: Gammulan, marine markings, a really big gun. Unwisely, I found myself speaking out loud again. "Oh man, if I ever get out of this, I'm going to kill that Commander." [RP OFF] Hope this is to your liking, but if you have any additional comments or suggestions as to how this is going to go (This is open to everyone, so everyone should have a say) then please post here, or mail me directly. *** I'd love to be able to allow everyone complete RP freedom in the main thread, but with so many tallented writers out there each submitting good work, the main plot would suffer continuity paradoxes (I had to work that word in there, just love it ) and would fall apart very easily. At this stage, I believe the core narrative should be set, although influenced by fine examples, like Badgerius's, and worked into the main narrative. But please, if you have better ideas, let me know.*** ------------------ Commander Blades GCV - TSUNAMI Ôäó PRIME Fleet 'For Queen and country' ICQ#31927230

Greetings crew. This is an announcement is for the benefit of anyone and everyone who has an interest in the RP aspect of ÔÇÿThe GameÔÇÖ. Shortly, I shall be starting a new RP thread based around the exploits of a fictional Battle Cruiser and crew. There will be several principle players involved in the scenario, as well as a variety of lesser participants in the primary story. Of course, I cant allow this to be run as a complete free for all scenario, therefore the RP element of the tale will be told as part of crewmanÔÇÖs Personal, or official log entries. The idea is for players to digest the main plot narrative, and write their characters own views and opinions of whatever event occurred in the plot. Later, I shall give an example. The scenario that is planned is fairly rigid as far as the main plot goes, but there are several sub plots that an individual player can influence through their reports that will be taken into consideration whenever main plot narrative is updated. This isnÔÇÖt limited to main character intervention, although the principle players are more than likely to have an overall influence on the scenario. (If you have ever participated in a Live Role Playing event, this might make some sense to you.) However, anyone can make a difference in the grand scheme of things. Even a lowly crewman cleaning the goop out of a battle damaged plasma manifold can make a difference. Heroes are everywhere in BC fiction. As before, each RP entry is to be headed with an [RP ON} and concluded with an [RP OFF]. Any additional comments to be made after the RP segment of the post has been concluded. Each narrative segment will be started with an in game time segment. Each narrative segment will be concluded with a separate in game time segment. Mission +3 hours 27 minutes / narrative Start Mission +5 hours 54 minutes / narrative finish Types of acceptable (And realistic) log entries can consist of status reports, personal log entries (Suitable for long in game narrative segments), scuttlebutt (Gossip amongst the lower ranks) and anything else that fits within the scenario. Everything in the RP is to be posted as that particular crewmans point of view, and should be carefully considered before going to print. Actions that are commited against fellow crewmembers will have serious repercussions for everyone involved in the RP one way or another. Should anyone be considering taking any particular action that will influence the main plot of the scenario and might invalidate game continuity, please get in touch with me directly for a quick conference to sort it out. Players should avoid writing decisive statements in their RP entries. It would be more realistic, and helpful to me if a player ÔÇÿhintedÔÇÖ at a possible action rather than a decisive one. That way, I can incorporate elements that I feel are in line with the theme of the plot without having to commit to a plot line that may not sit well with the scenario. Example RP Mission + 4 hours 17 minutes / [RP On] Crewman Heresun Exampleofski Duty Log I got down to engineering seconds after the chiefs order to assist the damage control team in the launch bays was cut short by a huge explosion. Engineering was a mess. The damage inflicted by the Insurgent Warmonger was more severe than the bridge systems had indicated. ThereÔÇÖs ÔÇ£probablyÔÇØ a breakdown in the damage control and analysis part of the main computer. IÔÇÖll ÔÇ£attemptÔÇØ to manually route analysis functions directly from down here, rather than go by what the bridge systems are telling me. First, IÔÇÖll ÔÇ£tryÔÇØ to get an accurate sensor reading to see if there is anyone left alive in here, buried under the debris. I just hope one of the other work teams manages to shut down the coolant leak before it becomes a hemorrhage. [RP OFF] The following is an example of how the narrative would involve this particular entry into the plot. Mission + 4 hours 18 minutes / [Narrative On] Bridge damage was minimal, although a blown relay behind the TacOps station had flooded the area with thick, grey smoke. ÔÇÿCommander!ÔÇÖ shouted Stanway from the logistics terminal. ÔÇÿMain computer has been hit, IÔÇÖm registering massive damage to the launch and medbay. Engineering isnÔÇÖt responding sir, but IÔÇÖm not detecting significant damage.ÔÇÖ ÔÇÿOpinionÔÇÖs Mr. Stanway?ÔÇÖ asked the Commander. ÔÇÿEither the comms systems to engineering is down, or the damage control and alalysis computer has taken a beating. It would be consistent with the reports IÔÇÖm getting from here.ÔÇÖ ÔÇÿGet a crew down there immediately Stanway.ÔÇÖ ÔÇÿAye sir, but what about our people in the launch bays?ÔÇÖ ÔÇÿWe cant depend on the damage control computers analysis of engineering right now Mr. Stanway, we need to get a team down there. The launch bays will have to wait.ÔÇÖ ÔÇÿBut sir, if we pull teams off the launch bay, McAllister migh-ÔÇÖ ÔÇÿI understand what might happen Mr. Stanway. Now carry out your orders!ÔÇÖ ÔÇÿAye aye, sir!ÔÇÖ Crewman Exampleofski, with the assistance of bypassed the shot security door override and manually cranked the emergency access door to engineering open. Plumes of smoke greeted him as the oxygen starved enviroment of engineering reached out like a suffocating man to grasp at the corridor behind them. A sudden flash of yellow beyond the smoke barrier alerted Exampleofski to the fact that the fire surpression systems had been knocked out. ÔÇÿDamage must be a lot worse than the bridge indicated.ÔÇÖ Coughed Exampleofski. He backed away from the door and quickly fastened a breathing mask over his head. Quickly, he took a portable scanner from his utility pouch and made hasty scans of the immediate area. The results were disturbing. Briefly, he removed the breather and shouted over the roar of flames to his companion. ÔÇÿGet across the deck and try to access the comms system. Inform the bridge we have a major problem down here.ÔÇÖ ÔÇÿWhat kind of a problem?ÔÇÖ shouted . Exampleofski ducked as something behind him in engineering exploded, sending fragments ricocheting off the nearby walls. ÔÇÿWe lost the damage control computer and IÔÇÖm picking up a leak in the coolant system.ÔÇÖ ÔÇÿHow bad is the leak?ÔÇÖ Exampleofski looked grimly at him. ÔÇÿItÔÇÖs bad. If we donÔÇÖt get the fire suppression systems back online quickly, and get a team in there to seal it, we could lose the entire ship in a matter of minutes.ÔÇÖ ÔÇÿDid you detect any survivors in there?ÔÇÖ ÔÇÿIÔÇÖm not picking up any life signs, but theres an awful lot of interference. If I know Chief Spencer, heÔÇÖs managed to find something convenient to hide behind.ÔÇÖ With that, ExampleofskiÔÇÖs companion took of down the corridor, looking for a functional comms panel to pass on the report to the bridge. [Narrative Off] Of course, this is just a quick example. Theres no way every RP segment could be incorporated into each new narrative, but all efforts will be made to accommodate everyone sooner or later. And yes, I know this is going to be extremely difficult and complicated to oversee and write consistently with, but it should be worth it IF people remember to keep within the constraints I have briefly touched upon here. I have no idea if this is going to work in reality, since everyone has their own ideas as to how they may want things to progress. Bottom line is, the plot is there as a guide for participating players. You all have creative freedom, but be careful not to commit to anything that may force a massive plot contradiction that could pull it all down around out heels. I will shortly post a selection of principle scenario characters, and I expect people to claim them quickly. First come, first served basis. Other characters (Those not principally named) can be brought into the fold at any time, in any place. Just remember that whoever you write for has to be either a marine, flight engineer, medic etc . . Guests and prisoners may be permitted, but you should approach me first before committing to anything. Having said all that, if anyone has any suggestions, helpful ideas or criticisms, please post it here so I can help to bring some sense of order to this proposal. With any luck, we should be able to start within the week . . ------------------ Commander Blades GCV - TSUNAMI Ôäó PRIME Fleet 'For Queen and country' ICQ#31927230

Gallion, you have NO IDEA But thanks to Tac, I got a number of leads to follow up on. ------------------ Commander Blades GCV - TSUNAMI Ôäó PRIME Fleet 'For Queen and country' ICQ#31927230

Most people can break down their life experiences into a succession of moments that served to define who they are, what they have accomplished and how they will be remembered once they have passed. Most people, if being truly honest can account for between eight and ten such moments during the course of their life. Most of these accountable moments happen fairly early on, and more often or not, not recognized at the time, but looked back on in later years where the grand scheme of things is acknowledged, if not completely understood. I, on the other hand, laying sprawled out on the operating table within moments of having a significant portion of my body ÔÇÿliberatedÔÇÖ for the benefit of Captain Oliver Haseanu, could only account for three such defining moments. The first, at the tender age of 15 was the loss of my virginity at the hands of my sisters older, and somewhat ugly, fat friend. The second was the morning after I had enlisted in Galcom to escape the ugly, fat Genevan bird. The third defining moment in my life was, of course, during the attack on GalCom HQ when I decided to free myself of the shackles Of the depressingly hum drum life of a file clerk and pursue a career as a starship commander. Had I the merest inkling of the horrors I was about to have myself subjected to in the days and weeks that were to follow, I would have probably gone back to my small office with itÔÇÖs two loaned grunts to order about, and not thought twice about chasing the impossible dream. But no, I had thrown caution to the wind and decided that by fair means or foul, I would become a starship commander and live the ultimate adventure. And it was that kind of stupid thinking that had landed me in this sort of trouble. So, there I was. Looking down at my bare naked self, screaming until my throat was dry and my brain had shriveled to half itÔÇÖs original size with shock and horror. The surgeon, behind his green mask and green gown was smiling, or frowning, I couldnÔÇÖt really tell. Whatever the case, he had this awful, awful looking device in his hands, and was slowly approaching me, taking obvious delight in the intimidating sounds that came from the barbaric tool he was aiming at my groin. And then suddenly, with complete surprise, the fourth defining moment of my life exploded into the operating room, guns blazing, manically laughing and single handedly exterminated each and every person standing over my cleanly shaven body before blasting away at the camera in the corner of the theater and shooting out several lights. Probably just for effect. Once the sound of weapons fire had stopped ringing so violently in my ears, I again lolled my head to the left and tried to make out the figure who stood so dashingly in the doorway, one hand on his hip and another clutching a carbine in an action hero style pose. The background illumination from the adjoining corridor nicely silhouetted him in the now gloomy light of the operating theater. I swear to you, there was smoke drifting in from the outside. To be fair, at the time it was the finest thing I had ever seen in my life. Looking back though, it seemed just a little bit over dramatic, not to mention egotistical and utterly pointless. But hey, thatÔÇÖs the way defining moments work out. You donÔÇÖt have control over them, they just happen. Sometimes good, sometimes bad. Right then, I wasnÔÇÖt sure which one it was likely to be. ÔÇÿWho . . . who are you mysterious stranger?ÔÇÖ I couldnÔÇÖt believe IÔÇÖd said that. Must have been the drugs and terror. Maybe my perception was all screwed up, and I wasnÔÇÖt seeing things as they really were. I really hoped this was the case, since the man who approached looked more like a pirate than my Insurgent captors. ÔÇÿArhh, the names Gallion, matey. Commander Gallion. IÔÇÖm here to rescue you.ÔÇÖ I blinked in surprise at the sound of his voice and use of language. Surley I was hallucinating. ÔÇÿYouÔÇÖre who?ÔÇÖ ÔÇÿWe donÔÇÖt have time for this matey.ÔÇÖ He began to tap upon a control terminal at the far side of the operating room. Within seconds, the restraining field that had been holding most of my body in place had released me, and I was free to move. ÔÇÿWhat are you doing here, ah, Captain Gallion?ÔÇÖ Gallion rushed back to the doorway and quickly glanced through the observation portal. ÔÇÿActually itÔÇÖs Commander, and IÔÇÖve been undercover on this bucket for the last eight weeks.ÔÇÖ ÔÇÿI see . . . . ÔÇÿ I got off the table, regretted the movement as another bout of agony zipped through my body and collapsed on the cold floor and decided to whimper for a bit. ÔÇÿGet a hold of yourself man, we have to get out of here before Haseanu and his cronies get down here and bugger us all to death.ÔÇÖ ÔÇÿWhat?ÔÇÖ ÔÇÿGet a move on dammit!ÔÇÖ I forced myself to my feet, and took a moment to grab a surgical gown and fasten it around my body. Ok, so it wasnÔÇÖt the most desirable garment in the universe, and my ass did hang out the back in a way my previous cellmate would have really appreciated, but at least most of my modesty was covered. I could have opted for one of the surgeons coveralls, but they were all perforated beyond recognition and smelt vaguely of pork. I was fine the way I was. At least for now. ÔÇÿSo, who are you then? A diplomat? starship commander? Important scientist?ÔÇÖ I had a sudden feeling I was about to get shouted at. ÔÇÿErm . . actually IÔÇÖm a file clerk.ÔÇÖ Gallion rounded on me, his carbine loosely aimed at my midsection. He did not look pleased. ÔÇÿYouÔÇÖre what?ÔÇÖ I struggled for words. ÔÇÿMy names Savage, Karl Savage from Galcom HQ.ÔÇÖ ÔÇÿAnd your what? A file clerk?ÔÇÖ I coughed. ÔÇÿUh . . yes sir.ÔÇÖ Gallions cheeks flushed an unhealthy shade of red. It kinda reminded me of the way Haseanu looked moments before beating me senseless in the interrogation room. ÔÇÿAh, but IÔÇÖm a damned fine file clerk sir! GalCom couldnÔÇÖt get along without me.ÔÇÖ This didnÔÇÖt seem to help. Gallion still looked a tad miffed. ÔÇÿYou mean I blew my cover for some pencil pushing freak nobody?ÔÇÖ Now that hurt. Ok, itÔÇÖs one thing to be insulted by your enemies, but a fellow officer in the fleet? This Gallion, this Commander Gallion was asking for a thrashing. But it could wait. ÔÇÿIf you a nobody then, what the hell are you doing on board this ship?ÔÇÖ I explained myself to Gallion. Well, I explained the part of getting blown up during the Vengenances attack on the transport, the part where I heroically fought off the advances of my cellmate, and indeed, how I helped to give Haseanu an inferiority complex. I guess I didnÔÇÖt tell it quite as well as I recalled it, since Gallion didnÔÇÖt look too interested and when I had finished he looked vacantly at me for a moment and said, ÔÇÿThatÔÇÖs niceÔÇÖ. Hell, it could have been worse. I promised myself then, should I ever get out of this alive, I would put this all down on paper. Unfortunately, Commander Oliver Haseanu had other ideas . . . . ------------------ Commander Blades GCV - TSUNAMI Ôäó PRIME Fleet 'For Queen and country' ICQ#31927230

Apologies about the spelling. Once it's completed, a revised version will be available direct from the Stiletto website in HTML and Word format. And yes, I read your own RP background Ollie, and you are even more brutal than I have 'Lampooned' you to be. More in store shortly . . . ------------------ Commander Blades GCV - TSUNAMI Ôäó PRIME Fleet 'For Queen and country' ICQ#31927230

What followed was nothing short of soul destroying.. I had expected to be soundly sliced n diced by the maniac behind the mask, but instead he backed away and put the instrument back down on the tray. Relieved enough to set panic aside for a few more moments, I barked out a few petty pleas in an effort to convince the surgeon I wasnÔÇÖt worth operating on. This, of course, failed miserably. Instead of being swayed by my emotional plea, he motioned over a nurse and instructed her to ÔÇÿPrepÔÇÖ me for surgery. I didnÔÇÖt really understand what prepping was all about, since IÔÇÖd never had any surgery of any sort before, but it didnÔÇÖt sound too traumatic. If anything, it would probably delay whatever the hell the surgeon was going to do to me, and that was a good thing. Time enough for Captain Haseanu to reconsider what it was he intended to do to me. I know, I was reaching, but at that point, I had little other hope to grasp onto. Besides, my heroic, yet insanely stupid desire to be as offensive and insulting as possible had gone along with my muscle control, and it probably wouldnÔÇÖt have been a good idea to start abusing the surgeon right now anyway. Perhaps later, while he was dissecting me I could stun him with an ego destroying quip. If I was really lucky, and hadnÔÇÖt already lost complete control of my lower abdomen, I could maneuver myself into position to give him a damn good hosing down. At the very least, I would go down in history as the only file clerk in the fleet to piss on an Insurgent Officer. Ok, maybe not Wraith fleet . . . . . It was while I was considering these options that the nurse approached me with four things. The first was a bowl, itÔÇÖs contents unknown. The second was a wash towel, white. The third thing was instantly recognizable as a rather barbaric looking shaving device. The fourth was, of course, shaving foam. Curious thought went through my mind. Why were they going to shave me? Ok, so I had been on board this ship for a good day or so, but I couldnÔÇÖt be so disheveled that I needed a shave. Besides, I was being cut open and exposed for their ammusment and would be in a poor state to attend dinner parties afterwards. What were they thinking? It was only when the nurse began squirting the foam around my nether regions that I caught on to the humiliating truth. She was going to shave me . . . down there. My mind protested the reality of the situation, and tried in vain to formulate words for my mouth to utter. At least part of this procedure was successful. I had words in my head, which my brain transferred down to my mouth. However, when I instructed my mouth to utter these words, the only thing that came out was ÔÇÿGafffhnauhhhhh!ÔÇÖ for a good few seconds. The nurse was momentarily stunned by my unintelligible mumblings, something I could almost take pride in, but snapped back to the job at hand and continued with the lathering. ÔÇÿExcuse me?ÔÇÖ I said to the surgeon after regaining control of my mouth. ÔÇÿYes?ÔÇÖ ÔÇÿJust what is it youÔÇÖre doing to me?ÔÇÖ The surgeon took a moment to answer, and when he did so, he first removed his surgical mask and smirked at me. ÔÇÿYou are being prepped for surgery.ÔÇÖ He said. Inwardly, I groaned as something pinched me further down my body. Apparently, I was getting some sensation, other than intense pain back in my body. Normally, this would have been a good thing, since pain is something I am not accustomed to. Sadly for me, the sensation that replaced the agony I had been experiencing for some time now was still pain related, although a lot sharper and lingering that it had been before. I tried to recall where I recognized that pain from. ÔÇÿWhat kind of surgery?ÔÇÖ I asked the surgeon, trying to ignore another twanging pain. The surgeon smiled once more. I knew I wasnÔÇÖt going to enjoy hearing his response. ÔÇÿIt seems that your remarks to Captain Haseanu were taken a bit more personally than anyone would have anticipated.ÔÇÖ I was right. I wasnÔÇÖt enjoying hearing this. I had a feeling hearing more would be even less pleasant. ÔÇÿYou mean when I told him about the small . . ÔÇÿ ÔÇÿYes.ÔÇÖ Interrupted the surgeon, looking briefly up at a monitor and back again. This was getting worse. I began to get an inkling of what was going on. ÔÇÿBut of course, that wasnÔÇÖt serious . . . . It wasnÔÇÖt at all true you understan-ÔÇÿ ÔÇÿIt doesnÔÇÖt matter whether itÔÇÖs true or not. The Captain has, how shall I put this?ÔÇÖ Again, he looked up briefly at the monitor. He leant down close to my head. ÔÇÿThe Captain has developed something of a complex regarding his, ah, prowess.ÔÇÖ ÔÇÿReally?ÔÇÖ I asked. ÔÇÿI had no idea.ÔÇÖ ÔÇÿNo, of course you didnÔÇÖt. And why should you? Your just a file clerk.ÔÇÖ That stung. I wasnÔÇÖt just a file clerk, I was a damned fine file clerk. Decorated for my fantastic filing system on many occasions. In fact, the Supreme Commander himself had only recently stopped by to . . . . . no, already covered this. Anyhow, I protested his cutting remark and briefly began to formulate a nice comeback to destroy him with. However, another sudden twang brought me back to the reality of the situation . . . . . and also reminded me of where I had felt that pain before. The mens room in the D deck rec facility back at Galcom HQ. A fellow officers stag night. Far too many Empirian ales and a bottle of something so horrid It made my nostril hairs fall out. The urinal. The tall admiral that stood next to me. The effort of trying to relieve myself with a superior (In many respects) at my side. The humiliation of defeat. The sheer agony of forgetting to tuck oneself fully back in place and catching a few strayÔÇÖs in the zipper. Now I knew. Now I understood. That bitch was plucking me to death. I screamed at the nurse to stop it, and this caused a mad flaying of her arms that almost nicked me in a vital area. The surgeon noticed this, and barked his dissaproval at the nurse, saying something about not damaging the merchandise before getting back to me. ÔÇÿNow, Captain Haseanu had originally decided to just execute you and be done with it. Probably jettison your body into space and allow the galactic winds to carry your wretched carcass from here to Gammula. However, after he calmed down a bit, he decided to further humiliate you by having you stripped, painted red and run through the ship while the marines chased you with bath loofers.ÔÇÖ I decided it would be best if I didnÔÇÖt ask. ÔÇÿDuring the stripping process, the Captain noticed that you were, uh, better equipped than he previously imagined and requested that prepare for a transference procedure.ÔÇÖ This was really, really bad. ÔÇÿ Uh . . a transference procedure?ÔÇÖ The surgeon nodded. ÔÇÿActually, the medical term is Scrotemoctomy. The removal, and transference of the targets scrotum.ÔÇÖ This time, I couldnÔÇÖt even begin to form words in my mind. I was utterly, completely and 100% speechless. ÔÇÿThe procedure shouldnÔÇÖt last too long. Just a few cuts, a snip here or there . . . . nothing to worry about.ÔÇÖ I didnÔÇÖt believe him. My brain didnÔÇÖt even really understand the words. All I knew was that everything I had endured these last however many days had been leading up to this one, singlemost horrifying experience of my life. ÔÇÿWhu whu whats to become of me?ÔÇÖ I somehow mumbled. ÔÇÿHmmm? Oh, nothing much.ÔÇÖ He chuckled. ÔÇÿWeÔÇÖll patch you up, give you a pair of underpants with Ôäó stamped on the front and call you Action Man.ÔÇÖ That didnÔÇÖt sound like fun. ÔÇÿThen the Captain has instructed that you be dropped off in a cargo pod and allowed to return to Galcom space to serve as an example to everyone. Quite lenient really. Prividing, of course, you survive the procedure.ÔÇÖ It didnÔÇÖt sound too lenient to me. Better to kill me now rather than extract the old crowd pleaser and send me packing. ÔÇÿOh, and one more thing . . ÔÇÿ That had a deadly ring to it. This was probably going to be even more horrible than everything else the surgeon had already said. ÔÇÿ. . . the Captain wants you to be conscious during the procedure. He wants you to watch while we, ah, liberate the package.ÔÇÖ So there it was. The full horror of the situation, laid out as bare as I was in front of me. Not only was I going to have my vitals removed and grafted onto another mans body, but I was to be allowed to live with the shame and humiliation for the rest of my life. As if that wasnÔÇÖt enough, I was to be conscious during the procedure. Could It get any worse? ÔÇÿOh, and to make sure that you stay conscious during the operation, weÔÇÖre going to pump you full of drugs to keep you upright and chipper.ÔÇÖ Perfect. There was a final tug, and I briefly looked on in horror as the nurse whipped the last of the foam away with the towel and realized that I had been in such a state with the surgeons description, I hadnÔÇÖt even noticed how quickly the nurse had shaved me. Even worse, I was about to lose my manhood forever and I hadnÔÇÖt even been aware enough to enjoy it. I considered asking for a final request, you know, sponge bath or something, but the moment passed when the surgeon replaced his mask and gestured to the others that he was ready to begin. There was nothing left to do . . . except scream. ------------------ Commander Blades GCV - TSUNAMI Ôäó PRIME Fleet 'For Queen and country' ICQ#31927230 [This message has been edited by Blades (edited 08-09-99).]

It could have been hours, maybe even days before I was aware enough of my surroundings to work out that I was neither dead n roasting in hell or strung up by my ankles with small children poking me with sharp sticks. I was, in fact, quite alive, yet in an astonishingly awful amount of pain. Everything was hurting. Right from my eyelids to my poorly clipped toenails. Even my naval was an inferno of agony, with itÔÇÖs constant throbbing and occasional raking sensations. For the life of me, I couldnÔÇÖt understand why I was feeling this way. Nor could I recall who It was that I must have so utterly pissed off to cause me this discomfort. About then, I discovered I had partial control over my head and neck area, and craned my throbbing skull forwards enough to discover that I was strapped down on some sort table. Oh yeah, I also realized at that point that I was naked, and by all visual accounts, very cold. Then I understood. I knew where I was, why I was in such pain, and who had subjected me to this kind of treatment. Oh, and of course what I had said to warrant such punishment. Damn my stupid, stupid mouth. Utilising my new found abilty to move my head, I found the energy to lull my head to the left and take a quick gander at my immediate surroundings. By all accounts, things looked pretty bleak. I surmised that I was in some sort of operating theater. What gave it away more than anything was all the blinking lights, the vast array of surgical equipment and the dozen or so green masked individuals with datapads and pens standing at my side. Had I not been to physically weak to even break wind, I probably would have whimpered. Fortunately, I saved that particular exercise in vocal control for the moment when the tell tale sound of surgical gloves springing into place alerted me to the presence of the attending surgeon. It took a bit more effort than before, but with a series of powerful neck movements, I managed to roll my head to my right, and looked up into the face of the slightly built man. ÔÇÿComfortable?ÔÇÖ he asked me. I tried to speak, but ended up just drooling down my cheek. ÔÇÿDrugs not worn off completely then? Never mind, this should help you.ÔÇÖ The surgeon then proceded to jab something sharp into some part of my body, (I couldnÔÇÖt tell which part, since everything was ablaze in agony already, nor could I see from where I was propped.) and within moments I regained some control over my mouth. ÔÇÿWhurm I?ÔÇÖ I asked. Well, kinda. I could just make out the surgeon smiling from behind his mask. ÔÇÿYouÔÇÖre in the medical bay of the Vengeance.ÔÇÖ He stopped, then peered down very close to me. ÔÇÿYouÔÇÖre very ill . . .ÔÇÖ he whispered. That didnÔÇÖt sound too good. Nor entirely likely, since my most recent physical had only been a month or so ago, and had stated that with the exception of minor liver damage through excessive alcohol abuse over the last few months, I was in peak physical condition. ÔÇÿUm . . . hoow ill awwm I?ÔÇÖ I muttered through dribble at him. The surgeons eyes screwed up in a gesture I had come to recognize as extreme amusement. This did not look good. To make matters worse, he turned his back to me, picked up a clanging instrument, and flicked a switch. The noise that came from this instrument was groin twistingly reminiscent of a powerdrill being vooshed into life. However, it wasnÔÇÖt until he turned around, presented me with the nasty looking surgical instrument and bent down at me once more that I lost all sense of perspective and began to blubber. ÔÇÿHow ill are you?ÔÇÖ Again, he seemed to be smiling. ÔÇÿTerminal.ÔÇÖ He said. *** Ok, so It's not a lot, but I been real busy as usual and had little time to do anything much. But . . . . more shall follow, as long as there is interest of course. *** ------------------ Commander Blades GCV - TSUNAMI Ôäó PRIME Fleet 'For Queen and country' ICQ#31927230

Well, I dunno if you think my ships name is unusual or not, but the origins of the GCV Tsunami actually come from my ST:TNG RPG days. Ok, so the name wasnt in the normal vein of ye old Galaxy class ships, but It was my campaign, so I could name it whatever I want. So there you go. ------------------ Commander Blades GCV - TSUNAMI Ôäó PRIME Fleet 'For Queen and country' ICQ#31927230

Has this been discussed before? I dont recall, but thats not surprising how abscent my mind is these days. Anyhow, what kind of future would there be without the might of the British at it's heart and soul? A poor one I would wager. Anyhow, my ships moto is simple patriotism. 'For Queen and country' Must remember to keep my colonial instincts in check . . . ------------------ Commander Blades GCV - TSUNAMI Ôäó PRIME Fleet 'For Queen and country' ICQ#31927230

Good news gang. I resat my 70-073 NT Workstation exam today and passed. Woohoo! I am a mere rollout no more. I am Blades, MCP. This has two benefits. I can now mock my lowly friends who are not MCP's and impress the girls with my OS prowess. It also allows me to take a few days off from grueling study and get on with the story. So, expect more very soon. Yay for me! ------------------ Commander Blades GCV - TSUNAMI Ôäó PRIME Fleet 'For Queen and country' ICQ#31927230

Well, after bein away for some time to do a nice spot of revision for those pesky damned MCSE exams, I am delighted to inform you that I flunked by a single question. Delighted I say because it means I get to live the life of a bum for a little while longer and do some more creative writting. Only problem is I'm gonna have to sell another few pints of blood to offored the ┬ú76 re-examination fee, and that means I'm gonna have to put Mr. Plonky on the sidelines since I now cant offored to visit my girlfriend for a few days. And she's been away a fortnight too! Perhaps more than was needed to know? I dont care, I've missed you guys. Even you Derek . . . . . btw . . . had the strangest dream t'other night . . . ------------------ Commander Blades GCV - TSUNAMI Ôäó PRIME Fleet 'For Queen and country' ICQ#31927230

The first thing I recalled from waking from unconsciouness was a blinding white light filling the entirity of my vision. I instinctivly tried avert my eyes from the glare, only to find my head restrained and my eyelids held open. It was only after a few seconds of utter confusion and mumbled pleads that the light dissipated, and murky figures apeared in front of me. The pressure holding my eyelids open had also gone, and I allowed myself a few moments of rapid blinking to block out the remaining vivid pattens in my vision. As the light faded, a stange voice and an equally strange looking man spoke my name. ÔÇÿSavage, Karl. Galcom Leutenant Junior Grade. ID number 4186991. Current assignment, Appropriations office GalCom HQ. Staff of two. Awarded GalCom long service medal, Meritous conduct in appropriations medal. Promoted to full Leutenant, demoted to Ensign for streaking offences. Promoted again to Leutenant Junior grade, demoted to crewman for conduct unbecoming an officer. Served on GTV ÔÇÿAbandon All HopeÔÇÖ for two year tour. Promoted to Ensign and reasigned to Appropriations. Promoted once more to Leutenant Junior Grade. Currently on leave, whereabouts unknown.ÔÇÖ There was the sound of someone chuckling from behind me. ÔÇÿQuite a colorfull career youÔÇÖve had Leutenant.ÔÇÖ I tried to speak, but squeaked instead. ÔÇÿWhat was that Leutenant?ÔÇÖ I cleared my throat and began again. ÔÇÿItÔÇÖs been, ah, interesting, sir.ÔÇÖ ÔÇÿHa! ThatÔÇÖs an understatement Leutenant. Back in my day, an officer like you would have been hung, drawn and quatered for only a tenth of the offences youÔÇÖve commited. I cant imagine why the hell Galcom would keep you on staff.ÔÇÖ ÔÇÿI guess itÔÇÖs because IÔÇÖm so good at my job, sir.ÔÇÖ More laughing from behind. Who was that? ÔÇÿYou tryin to be funny mister?ÔÇÖ The voice didnÔÇÖt sound impressed. I decided to try and sound a little more respectful of my situation. ÔÇÿErm . . no, sir. Just stating the obvious.ÔÇÖ It took my brain a few seconds to realise what my stupid, stupid mouth had just said. I decided that thinking obviously wasnÔÇÖt my strong point, and that my mind (Such as it is) was working independantly from my mouth. ÔÇÿYou pulling my chain son?ÔÇÖ ÔÇÿNo sir, but I know a man in my cell block who would happily oblige you . . .ÔÇÖ WHACK. Pain flooded my abused nervous system, and flashes of bright light filled my vision once again. What the hell was I doing? What possessed me to say such a thing? Oddly, it didnÔÇÖt really matter. I was glad to have gotten one over him, despite the painful reminder that I was the lowly prisoner and he the man with the big stick. Savage, One. Insurgent scumbag, nil. ÔÇÿLets start again, shall we Leutenant?ÔÇÖ ÔÇÿBy all means, sir.ÔÇÖ Over the next twenty minutes, my interogator asked me the standard POW question set, such as name, rank, assignment . . . you know the sort. Why he was askin me this I didnÔÇÖt really know, since he allready knew pretty much everything about me. Just to reinforce the fact that he was in charge, he beat me about from time to time with his pointy thing. It could have been a riding crop, actually, but I never got a real good look at it to be certain. Anyhow, like I said, this went on for about twenty minutes. Every now and then he would ask me something stupid, and I would answer with an equally stupid answer. He would beat me, I would squirm in pain then curse myself for being such an idiot. Thing is, I never really considered myself the uncooporative sort, and I always imagined that if I was taken hostage or prisoner for whatever reason I would cave immediately and spill everything I knew to avoid getting hurt. Yet, for some strange reason I cant quite wrap my head around, I was deliberetely being as uncooporative as possible, inviting all sorts of harm to be done to my bodily person. And for what? I didnÔÇÖt know anything interesting. I had no tactical knowledge to speak of. All I knew was a bunch of statistics to do with Vacc Pac consumption and who needs to authorise in triplicate appropriations form 22/6b. It wouldnÔÇÖt have been so bad if they actually asked me something important, but they didnÔÇÖt. They never asked me a damn thing to do with my job for the whole time. It seemed like they were interogating me just for the fun of it. So, this was how it was goin on for, like I keep saying, about 20 minutes. Finally, the chuckling guy behind me strolled into my vision., tut tutting as he did so and shaking his head at me. Obviously, this was the ships captain. ÔÇÿYouÔÇÖre a funny man, Leutenant.ÔÇÖ ÔÇÿNot trying to be funny, sir. Just answering a variety of stupid questions in a way your monkey can understand.ÔÇÖ That brought more whacking from the interogator. No surprises there. I still couldnÔÇÖt understand why I was provoking him like this. ÔÇÿWell, my ÔÇÿMonkeyÔÇÖ has a short temper and absolutely no respect for prisoners with an attitude.ÔÇÖ He stepped forward and bent down to me. ÔÇÿBetween you and me, I donÔÇÖt think he has a sense of humor.ÔÇÖ ÔÇÿThat doesnÔÇÖt surprise me.ÔÇÖ I said. ÔÇÿIÔÇÖd noticed his lack of opposable didgits. I imagine a sense of humor is still a good three million years up the evolution ladder for him.ÔÇÖ The catain snorted and was almost knocked aside by the approaching interogator. I guess he had good ears. Surprisingly, the captain restrained him with a sharp glare, and he sulked away without another word. ÔÇÿThatÔÇÖll be all Major, I think heÔÇÖs sufficiently softened for a sensible discussion.ÔÇÖ The Major protested, but the captain waved him away. Just to make a point, he slammed the door on the way out. ÔÇÿNow then Leutenant, you can tell me what you were doing on a transport ship headed for WRAITH station.ÔÇÖ I thought about this for a minute. I could tell him the truth, or I could engineer a story for him. When it comes to it, I do have a fairly fertile imagination, and It probably wouldnÔÇÖt take too much to spin him an interesting yarn about intelligence movements, secret space fleets, alliances with hostile aliens and other such nonesense. However, it seemed more likely that he would discount this instantly and let the major back in for another round of ÔÇÿBeat the BladesÔÇÖ. I decided upon telling him the truth. I explained everything that had happened since my encounter with the Supreme Commander at GHQ through my adventures in the Academy and all the way up until this exact point in time. I told him of Barney, Rotundo and even of my recent problems with the beefcake in the cell. It seemed to entertain the captain for the most part, although I doubted it would serve in my favor. At least he didnÔÇÖt look bored. ÔÇÿThatÔÇÖs a good story.ÔÇÖ He told me. ÔÇÿThank you, sir. Like I said, ItÔÇÖs been interesting.ÔÇÖ ÔÇÿSo it would seem.ÔÇÖ I decided at that point to do some fishing. ÔÇÿSo . . . Captain Haseanu, isnt it?ÔÇÖ The captain glared at me. ÔÇÿHow do you know that?ÔÇÖ Swallowing hard, I thought that perhaps I had overstepped the boundries of friendly conversation and instead into the realms of immediate spacing. I guess Insurgents werent too comfortable with outsiders knowing their identities. ÔÇÿAh, my cellmate thought I was a present from you to him. He mentioned you name.ÔÇÖ ÔÇÿI see. And what does that mean to you?ÔÇÖ Here was my dilema. Play ignorant and maybe I wouldnÔÇÖt be killed. Then again, maybe the captain would assume that I did know something about him (Since I was into the buerocratic side of GalCom and routinely made aware of starships and captains identities) and kill me for not saying anything. Perhaps though, he was originally going to let me live (Being as IÔÇÖm a nobody really) but since I was aware of his existance, he couldnÔÇÖt allow that anyway. Or maybe in an even more unlikely scenario he would assume that I am no threat and drop me off at the nearest neutral station. Ok, so I was reaching. In all likelihood, I was dead whatever I said, so I decided to be straight about it and perhaps get off a few cutting remarks before my execution. ÔÇÿCaptain Oliver Haseanu, formerly of the GCV Saratoga. Defected last september while evading a GalCom arrest party for smuggling offences, and suspected of the mass murder of Fleet Commander Stone and the crew of the SDF Mongoose. Now in command of the ICV Vengeance. Command has classified you as being quite, quite mad.ÔÇÖ ÔÇÿIs that so?ÔÇÖ The captain sounded ammused. ÔÇÿIndeed sir. And that you have a small penis.ÔÇÖ ÔÇÿWHAT?!?ÔÇÖ Perhaps that was a bit more info than needed to be disclosed. I really should have saved that little bit for last. ÔÇÿWell, thatÔÇÖs what the propoganda vids say about you. You know, on the Infimy channel?ÔÇÖ The captain shook his head and leaned back against the interogation rooms door. He looked pissed. Although I knew I had probably blown any chance of getting off that ship in one piece, I thought it might be prudent to find out for sure. ÔÇÿAh . . since IÔÇÖm still here captain, would you mind telling me exactly whats to become of me now?ÔÇÖ ÔÇÿNot at all.ÔÇÖ Haseanu responded, his anger barley contained. ÔÇÿWeÔÇÖre going to execute you for crimes against humanity.ÔÇÖ This didnÔÇÖt sound promising. ÔÇÿUh, crimes against humanity?ÔÇÖ ÔÇÿThatÔÇÖs correct, commie.ÔÇÖ ÔÇÿErm . . . this hasnÔÇÖt got anything to do with the small penis crack, has it sir?ÔÇÖ ÔÇÿI DO NOT HAVE A SMALL PENIS!ÔÇÖ he shouted at me. I tried to repair the damage I had inadvertantly done. ÔÇÿItÔÇÖs no big deal, sir. Many of the galaxyÔÇÖs best soldiers are gynacologically challenged . . . ÔÇÖ Captain HaseanuÔÇÖs face had changed from a a slightly pasty white to a festive red. His eyes were fixed in an intense glare. Yep, IÔÇÖd blown it. No doubt about that. I was going to die. Probably very painfully. I didnÔÇÖt have anything else to lose, so I decided to go out in style. Maybe heÔÇÖd get so angry heÔÇÖd kill me outright instead of torturing me to death. That would be better. The twin .45 calibur slug throwers he wore around his waist looked like theyÔÇÖd do the job nice n quick. ÔÇÿ. . . . . and IÔÇÖm sure the impotence is only tempoary.ÔÇÖ ÔÇÿIMPOTENCE?!?ÔÇÖ The captainÔÇÖs face was moving from the red to a deep purple. A vein on his forehead pulsated meanicingly. ÔÇÿWell, itÔÇÖs not surprising when you consider your drug and alcahol problem . . . . . ÔÇÖ His hands had clawed and his eyes started twitching. He tried to say something, but it came out as a stammer. ÔÇÿI mean, however small it may be, you still need a lot of blood to fly the flag at more than half mast. Difficult to do when your systems flooded with narcotics and Empirian Ale.ÔÇÖ Haseanu was visibly trembling. His eyes were manic, he teeth barred at me like an rabid animal. He looked angry enough to tear me apart with his bare hands. ÔÇÿAre you ok captain? You donÔÇÖt look at all well. That vein on your forehead looks about ready to burst.ÔÇÖ What followed was the soundest beating of my life. No shooting, no death, just enough cuts and bruises to last for an entire childhood. I guess I needed to work on my social skills . . . . . * Thats it for a few days. I got two NT exams to get ready for. Wish me luck! * ------------------ Commander Blades GCV - TSUNAMI Ôäó PRIME Fleet 'For Queen and country' ICQ#31927230