The Loper:- Exploratory

For talking about images, videos, and all that other bandwidth-killing stuff. Put ALL your media-related stuff that is not similarly Housepets-related here: Stories etc.

Moderator: ArcWolf

User avatar
Amazee Dayzee
Posts: 25880
Joined: Tue Aug 12, 2014 6:24 pm

Re: The Loper:- Exploratory

Post by Amazee Dayzee »

Always love when Hawle has to get into hero mode in a moments notice when things might end up going from bad to worse! It makes him even more dashing! Awesome work!
User avatar
Welsh Halfwit
Posts: 14121
Joined: Sun Mar 17, 2013 3:09 am
Location: Wales, a luverrly land with noisy neighbours.

Re: The Loper:- Exploratory

Post by Welsh Halfwit »

And then he just keeps things light.

Part 39

Control

Hawle waited as Winsome sought to gather all the information he could from the computer after Zowaix practically begged him to. Hawle understood it was the anthropologist in the Scientist looking to glean all the information he could on the Varkonians and their exploits here. Hav, on hearing there were some of them here, had taken a watching brief, his gun ready and the shield emitter primed for use. Groal was examining what he assumed to be the electricity supply unit on the consideration that studying a working setup might help him work out what was wrong with a broken one. It was just Hawle at a bit of a loss right now. The Command scanners in his armour weren’t quite as good as Groals due to their need to have other software installed so he wasn’t quite able to ‘see’ what Groal had on the floor below. He was able to tell that the room outside was clear though. Probably. Hawle’s suit had the communication booster in it, meaning he could cleanly connect to Goole’s party if he needed to, without using an emergency beacon. He also had the same shield generating capability as Hav but a less powerful inbuilt weapon, an ablative coating and the ability to patch in to the shuttle to aid in piloting. He could also access the shuttle’s communications array if need be and contact the Loper. “Are you there yet,” he asked Winsome irritably. “We’re supposed to be in a hurry.”
“<Very nearly, Cap,”> Winsome replied. <“I’m downloading the last of their internet… now.”>
<“You just downloaded all of the Varkonian internet,”> Zowaix asked.
Winsome turned in his direction. <”No. You do realise the local internet is, like, three computers, right?”>
“Stop teasing the scientist, Harvey. Let’s go. How far down is the control room, Groal?”
The Chief Engineer grunted as his attention was brought back from whatever engineering wonderland it had been in and he stood up. <”Thirty feet down,”> he said.
“Well,” Hawle said, opening the door, “everyone look for some stairs.”
<”Oooor, maybe,>” Hav said, stepping through into the hall, <”we could look for a great big hole in the floor?>”

He stood on the lip of a hole ten foot across and fifteen wide that had a single ladder for Varkonian use next to his feet. <”Right,”> he asked, <”How do we use this? It’s not easy to crawl or walk backwards in these things.”>
Zowaix pulled the link from his suit again and attached it to Winsome. <”step out,”> he said. Harvey looked at him. Then he looked at the hole. Then he looked back at Zowaix. <”Right,”> he said unsurely. He dangled a foot over the edge and felt the gravity pull him forward and over. He fell forward… about five foot. Then Zowaix’s life-line stopped him and he swung around until he could get a hand hold on the ladder and, once he had a good grip, released the line so Zowaix could use it for the next descendant.
<”You do realise I stopped it so I could lower you to the ground safely, don’t you,”> Zowaix asked. Harvey swore silently as Hawle star jumped past him and got lowered down.
“Stay there, Winsome,” Hawle ordered. “Someone’s going to need to be tethered to the Lieutenant when he comes down. And remind me to advise the makers about the problems backing onto ladders. They pay fifty credits for every tip,” he added as Groal came down on Hav’s line.
<”Then why can’t I claim it,>” Winsome protested as Hav started down, head first and gripping the line like a Spider. <”It was my complaint,”>
“But my idea to point it out. Twenty-Five credits each?”
<”Are you two finished,”> Zowaix asked, dangling the line for Winsome to take. The guard did so and held tight to the ladder, which almost pulled free as the heavy set Brockian raced past the little Wolfmouse before stopping himself and lowering himself to the ground. <”Come on, Winsome,”> he goaded humorously, <”We’re all waiting for you.”>
Harvey muttered something about laxative tablets that the others almost heard as he came down the ladder. Hav insisted on taking point. They came to the door they figured they’d been looking for, what with the yellow glow around it’s edges and they wondered what to do next. There were, after all, Varkonians in there and they were, probably armed. Several of the group had ideas but it was Hawle who ignored them all, approached the door, and knocked three times. He engaged the speaker on his suit. “You in there, open up! We need to come in and we’d rather do it peacefully!”

Hesitantly, the door opened and Hawle found himself looking at… a space suit. The figure pointed to his speaker as Hawle guessed why they had the helmets on. It wasn’t to do with lack of atmosphere, it was to do with the blinding yellow light that was being emitted by what he took to be the central power column. Hawle switched his filter on and it became bearable. He looked at the coral control panels around the base of the thrumming column and figured he was out of his depth. Engineering extension courses only went so far.
<”Ah,”> Groal said, pushing past, <”If that doesn’t look like something that’s overloading, I don’t know what does.”> He turned his speaker on. <”I’m an engineer,”> he said, <”I should be able to help. Winsome, Zowaix, with me,”> he said, pulling Hav with him as he headed across to the console. The locals kept weapons trained on them. Hav kept his on them.
“Hav,” Hawle said over the comms, “please try not to start a fight in the nuclear reactor room.” He re-engaged his speaker and turned to the ‘local’. “I don’t know if your speaker is broken, you don’t have one or you just don’t want to talk to me. Frankly, I don’t much care so long as you can hear me. We’re not here to hurt you. We’ll even rescue you after, just to prove it. But, for now, we have to shut that thing off.”
The spacesuit gestured angrily, ending by pointing a finger directly at Hawle.
“Yes, yes. I know it’s only probably playing up because we shot it,” Hawle admitted, “but you have something that’s capable of reaching out, grabbing spaceships from galaxies away and teleporting them here against their will. Sooner or later, someone was bound to shoot it!” He made his way inside. “Commander Hawle, by the way. You can tell me your name later. We have a truce with your Commandrex,” he added. “Provided the Vice Commandrex hasn’t defeated him in battle. Then we had a deal with the old Commandrex.”
<”Sir,”> Groal said over the comms.
“Yes, Karla?”
<”Shut up.”>
“Fair enough. How’s the main column?”
<”Oh, building to overload. Zowaix’s going to help me with translating the controls. Winsome’s going to try and interface with the control computer and see if they can understand each other. Hav can keep pointing his gun.”>
<”Yay!”> Hav enthused.

It took ten minutes before Groal managed to do something right and dialled down the light several degrees. <”Should be safe to lift the visors now, so long as you don’t look directly at the light.
Hawle led the way, turning away from the main beam and lifting his visor. “Time for a proper…”
<”Hav,”> Harvey cut in, <”do you have any of those explosives left?”>
<”Er, yes. Why?>”
<”Well, according to the computer, this place is still building to a bang. We need to cut the feed and we’ll have to blow something up, I think.”>
Hawle wondered how he’d explain that.
Commander Hawle. U.S.C. Loper. By the talented DDeer.
Kilo - 2-8-3-9-10-2-5
Kilo
Leslie – 4-6-4-5-6-9-7
Leslie
David Campbell - 7 – 8 – 9 – 5 – 4 – 4 – 6
Corp Davidstow 6 - 6 - 7 - 3 - 6 - 6 - 5 (reactions 7 Combat 9)
User avatar
Amazee Dayzee
Posts: 25880
Joined: Tue Aug 12, 2014 6:24 pm

Re: The Loper:- Exploratory

Post by Amazee Dayzee »

One of the many things I like about him. As well as this story! He can also keep things light by having somebody smush a pie in his face. :lol:
User avatar
Welsh Halfwit
Posts: 14121
Joined: Sun Mar 17, 2013 3:09 am
Location: Wales, a luverrly land with noisy neighbours.

Re: The Loper:- Exploratory

Post by Welsh Halfwit »

Part 40

Meanwhile.

The conduit opened up onto elemental fire. Rows and rows of circuits ran along the sides of the walls inside, stretching from as far as they could see below to as far as they could see above and Hav wasn’t trusting his brain as he looked up. They weren’t that far below the surface, were they? They were in a room off the main console room and they’d worked out the power needed to be diverted. <”How exactly did you come to this decision again,”> he asked Harvey. who was standing next to him.
<”Oh, it was quite simple,”> Harvey replied. <”when I plugged in, the computers linked up. There’s records of this language in the lexicon computer. Osirian researchers have seen it before. They’ve been studying it in some ruins for almost a hundred years. They took time but they’ve largely cracked the language.”> The Squirrel looked down, then turned around and looked up, making sure not to get his head in the energy stream. <”Raven shot out one of the breakers and the damage control mechanism, according to Groal. We need to get the system to divert the flow to a stable capacitor and that means blowing up… That junction box there,”> he finished, pointing to a box twenty foot below them.
<”And I’m the smallest so I can fit in…”>
<”And you have the explosives. Groal and I can divert the flow temporarily but you’ll only have a little time to get it all done.>”
<”Wonderful…”>

Aboard the Loper, Raven watched the moon with great intent. Via the shuttle link she could tell that Hawle’s transponder was still on-line, but that was the absolute limit of connection between the groups. She knew one of them was alive. The war on the ground was, apparently, going fairly well for the Commandrex against his former deputy and the rescue was still underway, with Pangal co-ordinating. Things were going well. Raven was bored. Very bored. “Sarah,” she said, referring to Chapston.
Sarah Chapston turned in her seat and looked at the Burman. “Yes, Commander?”
“I don’t think I’ve apologised yet, have I,” she asked, cringing slightly at the words she was saying. “I mean for the antics at your party.”
“Oh, that,” Sarah breezed. “Don’t worry about it, Commander. It kinda spiced the evenin’, yeah? You really follow the footy?”
“Passing interest,” Raven said, looking away and using a claw to scratch an itch on her neck. “Chose City coz’ a Hume I didn’t much like at Command College followed Villa.”
“Loathin’s as good a reas’n t’ pick a club as any,” Chapston agreed. “Were it enough t’ banjax yer promotion this time, yeah?”
Raven looked around. The other officers on the bridge were, conveniently, all deciding to visit the break room right now. “Pretty much. Can’t promote someone who did that sorta thing, eh?”
Chapston chuckled. “He’s going to figure it out sooner or later, y’know? Why y’don’t wanna leave?”
“I reckon he already knows,” Raven mused. “But I ain’t telling him and he’s not going to ask. He’s got deniability. Speaking of ‘deniability’, are you going to deny you got a boyfriend back on Talvary?”
Now it was Chapston’s turn to look abashed. “Is it that transparent?”
Raven sat back in Hawle’s chair. “Only to those who saw you. You spent nearly all your off duty hours with him in the last few days at the station.”
“Well, he’s smart, looking for promotion, funny and gentle and…”
"...Looking for a job on the ship,” Raven concluded. “Seen the request on the Captain’s desk. How’d you feel on that?”

The Feline groaned his way to a think head of consciousness and felt… numbed somehow. His eye fought his requests to open it but eventually succumbed and he looked up into a blazing blue light and a Brown fur fuzz-ball that settled down into a Raitchian. “Back with us, Lieutenant Tastan,” it asked.
“Wh...where am… I?”
“Sickbay,” the boy announced, “aboard the U.S.C. Frigate Loper. I’m Doctor Fuze. We met yesterday.”
“U.S..C…” He tried to sit up and just about managed it. “Did… Did I do it?” He looked worried and anxious towards this new face in front of him. “Did… Did I get him?”
Fuze took a seat. “I don’t know,” he said, having no clue what Tastan was talking about. “But take a look around you.” He smiled slightly as Tastan looked around the bay, where Barleycorn and her nurses were carrying out treatment on officers and children.
Tastan looked back to him in awe. “How..?”
“From what I hear the Commander came to some sort of agreement with the boss down there?” He saw the anger rise in the Lieutenant’s eyes and the clenching of the jaw. “We deal with that thing abducting ships and he lets everyone go. And plus apparently the deputy’s trying to kill him too.”
“He deserves it,” Tastan growled, “you can’t know what they did to me down there! What they did to all of us! And why am I strapped to this bed?”
“Because you’re angry,” Fuze said honestly. “We have no councillors or anything available on this ship.” He sighed. “We weren’t exactly designed for any of this, y’know? Bit of exploration, bit of diplomacy, investigation and getting into trouble. Then we apparently picked up a faint distress call and ended up here. We’re kinda out of our depth and doggy paddling to a solution.”
“Who… who’s in charge?”
“Commander Aldair Hawle’s the Captain. He’s on the moon. Lieutenant Commander Raven’s on the bridge. Now,” he added, “you’re safe and things are still precarious. I can have some foods brought in if you’d like,” he said, checking the I.V. as he stood up, “but I do need to help out my Senior. Any preferences for food?”
Tastan thought for a moment and the hostility never left his face. “Steak,” he said simply. “Well done.”
“I’ll tell the machines to make a small one. With or without vegetables?”
Again Tastan looked angry. He’d never given any real thought to the disgusting side… things to the meat but, after the last two years? Where he’d been lucky to get anything at all most days? “A little Verkeen,” he said, repeating ‘a little’ to stress it as he pulled to test the restraint Pangal had insisted on. He glowered at it as Fuze wandered away, tapping on his padd.

The flow slowed and ceased in the tube as Hav looked on. A ‘bulkhead’ seal had slapped into place down by the junction box after Groal re-routed the flow and Winsome was busy trying to fool the computer, which insisted nothing was wrong with the junction box and the flow should open up again. Winsome was sure he could keep it at bay but not for long so Hav had to go NOW. He pulled himself through the opened panel on the line provided by Zowaix and did his best to descend quickly to the box.
Commander Hawle. U.S.C. Loper. By the talented DDeer.
Kilo - 2-8-3-9-10-2-5
Kilo
Leslie – 4-6-4-5-6-9-7
Leslie
David Campbell - 7 – 8 – 9 – 5 – 4 – 4 – 6
Corp Davidstow 6 - 6 - 7 - 3 - 6 - 6 - 5 (reactions 7 Combat 9)
User avatar
Amazee Dayzee
Posts: 25880
Joined: Tue Aug 12, 2014 6:24 pm

Re: The Loper:- Exploratory

Post by Amazee Dayzee »

This story just keeps on getting better and better! Really great work!
User avatar
Welsh Halfwit
Posts: 14121
Joined: Sun Mar 17, 2013 3:09 am
Location: Wales, a luverrly land with noisy neighbours.

Re: The Loper:- Exploratory

Post by Welsh Halfwit »

Part 41.

Against time

Hav wasn’t a fan of where he was right now, dangling upside down in a conduit, fixing an explosive device to a junction box in the dark whilst his imagination filled in the sound of the power running underneath the sealed area just a few feet below him. Or was it above him? He wasn’t really sure he cared right now. He had to concentrate right now. He wondered how these bombs were always installed right way up when people were hanging upside down. What sane person turned the clamp through a hundred and eighty degrees before attaching it to a surface? And should he put more than a two minute timer on the thing? And how long had he wasted thinking these thoughts?

Aboard the Loper, Barleycorn finished checking over one of the young escapees, a sullen Celican with Varkonian elements, before starting treatment on an adult Mican. “About time,” he grumbled.
“Pardon,” Barleycorn replied, shining her light into his eyes to test their reactions.
“Just saying I seemed to wait a long time whilst you treated her.” he nodded across to the youth, now being taken care of by one of the nurses.
“She had worse injuries showing,” Barleycorn said simply, “and she was in before you. Now,” she added, “what’s your name and do you have any ailments you know of?”
“Just a distaste for the locals,” he said bitterly, “and those who procreated with them. Near as I can see, they should all die horribly. Ensign Cultun, by the way.”
He didn’t offer a hand, which would have been good as Barleycorn would have ignored it anyhow. Instead she used a hand to push him flat onto the bed and hold him there. “From talking with her,” she said, “I realise that I have two things in common with her. One,” Barleycorn growled, “neither of us had any choice in who our parents were. Two.” She bared her teeth to the Ensign, who was suddenly paying attention. “Two,” Barleycorn repeated, “neither did our mothers. If I hear you even breathe in her direction – or any of their directions – I’m going to administer several very painful injections. Got it?” She let him nod but didn’t let him see her press the button on the padd that advised security was needed as she started up the main scanning machine. “This won’t hurt,” she said darkly as it began to move over the ensign.
“And now I get why you don’t like Raitchians,” Doctor Fuze said from behind her, not looking as he treated his current patient.
“Keep your mind on your work,” she warned, “and it’s just that you have a harder time to burrow ‘under my fur’. YOU, however, are getting there.”
“Thanks.” Now he looked over at the girl in the medical gown. “Would you say she’s about my size?”
“Yes. Which says something about her. Or you. Why?”
“I could get her some of my spare clothes?”
“Might be an idea,” she grudgingly acknowledged before lifting her head up. “You’re offering just because you want to get around me, aren’t you?”
“No,” Fuze insisted, raising his patient’s arm and dropping it. “BECAUSE of you, yes. Good,” he said as the patient kept the arm aloft. “Hold it there can you?” He attached sensors to check the Canine’s blood pressure. “I’d have been too busy to note her if you’d not brought her up, Doctor Barleycorn. Blood pressure’s low but that seems to be the norm today… So should I nip down when a get a chance and get some?”
“Sure,” Night replied as a security guard arrived through the door.. “Bring ‘em up. Where there’s one of him, there’ll be others better hidden. She’s an orphan. Better keep her here… Oh,” she added, turning to the guard. “This one’s implied he could be violent against that girl and others like her. I’m not having that so I need a strong person around.” She didn’t turn back to thank Fuze. She figured he wasn’t listening anyhow.

Hav gave a tug on his line, the stated signal for Zowaix to begin pulling him back up. He felt the soft pull as the retrieval began and he started getting further and further away from the bomb he’d just planted. He always hated these moments. There was a desperate feeling he’d forgotten something but, then, he got that whenever he left his room on the ship. Always thinking he’d left his gun behind on the bed or something.

“So,” the Varkonian said, poking at Hawle, “it was your people who damaged the Basson – that’s it’s name, by the way. Not ‘beacon’ or ‘monolith’ or whatever else you were calling it – and now you intend to fix the trouble by blowing it up again? I do not see the sense in this! It’s idiotic and something only an off-worlder could come up with!”
“A succinct observation,” Hawle replied. “I don’t blame you either. I probably wouldn’t let me do it either. Which is why Groal’s still got a gun out. I don’t have time to explain the idea to you but I’m told it will help them fix the damage so we can then shut this thing off!” He prodded the Varanian back. “And you DO want it shut off, don’t you? So no more off-worlder’s show up to be prodded, imprisoned and tortured by you lot?”
“We have no idea if you’re going to make it worse…”
“According to my Engineer and Scientist it’ll probably blow up in a few days if we don’t. I’m not sure it’d be able to get much worse than a smoking rupture of a moon. Your lot haven’t had much luck in… what… fifty years?”
The Varkanian crossed his arms and glared. “Yes,” he said, “how IS it that you can crack their language in almost no time at all? How is it you know the language? Are these your people?”
“No,” Hawle said, keeping his temper, “but these symbols have been seen on outer planets over the last hundred or so years. All the work people have done on translating the language is available to my computer tech…”
“Who really wishes the pair of you would shut up so he can concentrate,” Winsome put in, getting both of them to look at him. “This isn’t easy, you know,” he stated, pushing buttons on his keypad, “if that conduit isn’t closed before the flow breaks through, the temperature in here’s going to hit planetary core levels in about twenty seconds. So please, keep me distracted from stopping it.”
“It didn’t do that earlier,” Hawle pointed out.
Winsome winced. He’d hoped the Commander hadn’t noticed that. “Yeah, well,” he began to explain…
<”I need help in here,”> Zowaix called over the comms.
<”YOU need help,”> Hav shrieked.
Hawle ordered the others to stay where they were and ran to the other room where Zowaix was pulling on the life line. Hawle switched to comms and sealed the visor. “What’s the trouble?”
<”The recall mechanism’s jammed,”> Zowaix remarked as Hawle added his strength to the scientists and began the tug of war.
“Salads… for you, Hav,” Hawle joked, knowing it was probably just the strange angle of the cable that was causing the problem as it led up to the conduit opening, then down to the dangling trooper.
<”Feed me to the plasma,”> Hav joked back. At least Hawle assumed it was a joke. Some Wolves had used to say that they preferred their salads ‘second hand’.
“I will… Not!” Hawle pulled with Zowaix until he could just see the feet of his security officer and he hurried over onto a chair to help him out of the conduit. He hauled him out and dropped him the few feet to the ground to pick up the cover.
<”Gonna lose it in ten seconds or so,”> Winsome called as Hawle began fixing the cover back in place.
“Why,” Hawle spat, “do these things always go down to the last second? Blow it, Hav!” He jumped down from the chair as Hav detonated the explosives with a thump that knocked dust off the roof. Hawle opened his eyes. “Are we still alive?”
<”Think so,”> Groal replied. <”Coz I’m not taking your voice for one of the 75 angels.”>
“Close it down and let’s get out of here. Groal, Zowaix needs you to fix his skipping rope.”
Commander Hawle. U.S.C. Loper. By the talented DDeer.
Kilo - 2-8-3-9-10-2-5
Kilo
Leslie – 4-6-4-5-6-9-7
Leslie
David Campbell - 7 – 8 – 9 – 5 – 4 – 4 – 6
Corp Davidstow 6 - 6 - 7 - 3 - 6 - 6 - 5 (reactions 7 Combat 9)
User avatar
Amazee Dayzee
Posts: 25880
Joined: Tue Aug 12, 2014 6:24 pm

Re: The Loper:- Exploratory

Post by Amazee Dayzee »

Really great work with this chapter as well. I love the little joke at the end about Groal and his skipping rope. ;)
User avatar
Welsh Halfwit
Posts: 14121
Joined: Sun Mar 17, 2013 3:09 am
Location: Wales, a luverrly land with noisy neighbours.

Re: The Loper:- Exploratory

Post by Welsh Halfwit »

Part 42

Out, out, out!

Goole looked up in surprise as Hawle pulled up in the buggy and deposited three occupants into his group. Officially Guard Krinn was in charge of his group but it was him that had led the investigations into the files here so he was quite happy to imagine he was in charge. He blinked under the helmet. Two of the three weren’t wearing the same space suits as the others.
“Can’t stop,” Hawle explained, “operation ‘skedaddle’ is now in play and we’re taking some Varkonians with us. Keep an eye on this pair, I’ve got to go back for the others.” He headed back out.
<”It’s a great system,”> Winsome admitted, <”Shame we’re leaving so quickly.”>
<”Did someone blow something up?”> Goole asked.
<”Only what I was told to,”> Hav cut in defensively. <”It’s not my fault we’re running away!”>
Winsome gestured for people to keep their voices down, then remembered he was on the comms so opened the visor. “It’s all fine,” he said, “as best we know anyhow. We’ve powered the thing down but it’s turned off the circulation at the same time. We’re going to run out of air if we stay here. We found a trio of locals so the Commander’s having to do a Chicken/grain/Fox thing with the buggy.”
Goole opened his visor. “A WHAT?”
<”Oh,”> said Krinn, <”I know. Chapston once told me. It’s a Human logic puzzle involving a river…”>

Hawle listened to that part of the conversation over the comms as he pulled up at the far side and collected Zowaix, Hav, the remaining Varonian and Groal.
<”Take it I’m holding on the back again,”> Hav asked resignedly.
“Well, you did it so well last time, Hav,” Hawle replied after the crossbreed had mounted the rear anyhow. Emboldened by prior success, Hawle opened up the throttle on the buggy. “Ap, ap,” he said, slapping away the Varkonian hand that was straying towards the brake control. “I know what I’m doing.”
“I doubt it,” the Varkonian snarked.
“Well, making it up as I go along has worked so far.”

Ten minutes later, Goole watched as the group approached slowly, on foot, across the floor. <”What happened,”> he asked.
<”Someone blew the engine,”> Zowaix replied as Hawle protested with the Varkonian that decent maintenance would have eliminated that result.

The group worked together to clear enough of the debris from the hallway to enable passage and, after a half hour where they had to have their helmets on for the last five minutes, they made it back to the outer ‘reception’ area where Hawle took the time to put in a call to the Loper via the shuttle to tell them they were coming back. Hav waved a Varkonian away from something that could, potentially, be a weapon and the group walked back towards the shuttle, stopping only by the body of the fallen local to gesture if they wanted him brought with them. Hawle was a little thankful that they declined the offer with a nod (that almost had him picking the body up) as the shuttle was already going to be quite cramped with the living and their spacesuits.

Indeed it was and Groal stuffed himself into the co-pilot’s seat as Hawle powered things up. He lifted his visor after the shuttle filled with air. “Now that we’ve saved the world and it’s all dark again, are we going to a theme park?”
“Still a lot to do, Karla,” Hawle replied. “Getting everyone up to the Bellaphron and the Fallir, ensuring they don’t attack the planet as retaliation, making sure the Council sends a few more ships to help the others get released…” He sighed. “The duration’s going to be a lot longer than the war. And we do have to head back for resupply.”
“Why?”
“I have the feeling our food supplies are going to be rather reduced. I had to order Kirkwall to keep back enough for…” He paused. “You’re only having a snack when we get back.”
Groal looked at him in amusement. “Why?”
“Because I have to entertain a Councillor this evening,” Hawle muttered as he lifted the ship off the surface, “and I probably need a chaperone.”
Groal grinned inside the helmet. “Don’t you mean she needs a chaperone?”
“Nn-nope.”
“I’ll do it,” Groal agreed – as though it wasn’t an order. “Can I bring someone?”
The shuttle left the moon behind and they could see the sea of ships they were aiming for in the glow of the sun. “You know someone,” Hawle said, almost incredulous. “YOU know someone?” He chuckled as they closed in on the Loper. “And here I thought I had the only celibate Celican in the fleet.”
Groal laughed. “Hey! I’m hardly that! I’m just quieter about it than Sarah is!”
“Her beau might be joining us soon,” Hawle declared as they approached the shuttle bay. “Sarah’s open to it…” He held up a finger. “Not a word. My ears are too innocent for that comment. And I think… yeah,” he added, looking at the cargo bay. “We need another grade two technician right now. General maintenance… Floor mopping…”
“I’ll need to go get her,” Groal announced.
“Fine. Drop these three off and pick her up on your way back.” He opened up the back. “Hav! Don’t get off! You’re Groal’s escort.”
Hav groaned. He shouldn’t have had that taco before the mission.

A half hour later, Groal brought the shuttle in on the Bellaphron and dropped the final few feet to the deck with a ‘clang’ as he turned the engine off. “You coming,” he asked Hav as he started taking the space suit off.
“You were wearing your normal clothes under the suit,” Hav replied in surprise as the new shirt the Celican had put on was revealed above his shorts.
“You didn’t,” Groal asked curiously as he pulled his boots out from the storage cupboard.
“No,” Hav protested as he compromised by taking the outer parts of the top off and removing the helmet.

Fifteen minutes passed before they found Groal’s target and walked up behind her as she faced a gang of kids. He shushed the Feline/Mican cross – who was a little stunned by Hav anyhow – that he’d met earlier as he approached the old Greyfur Rabbit who was still wearing his shirt.
“I heard you two minutes ago, Karla,” she said, turning to him as the girl ran across to Hav and said ‘hello’. He knelt down and she ran her fingers over his ears as Groal stepped closer to her. She smiled up at him. “Come for your shirt back?”
“Not quite.” He gave her a gentle kiss as the other children giggled. “Came to invite you to dinner at the Captain’s table, Salla.”
Commander Hawle. U.S.C. Loper. By the talented DDeer.
Kilo - 2-8-3-9-10-2-5
Kilo
Leslie – 4-6-4-5-6-9-7
Leslie
David Campbell - 7 – 8 – 9 – 5 – 4 – 4 – 6
Corp Davidstow 6 - 6 - 7 - 3 - 6 - 6 - 5 (reactions 7 Combat 9)
User avatar
Amazee Dayzee
Posts: 25880
Joined: Tue Aug 12, 2014 6:24 pm

Re: The Loper:- Exploratory

Post by Amazee Dayzee »

Looks like Hawle isn't the only one who might end up with a new partner. Looks like Karlavan might also end up in a romance! Wonderful work!
User avatar
Welsh Halfwit
Posts: 14121
Joined: Sun Mar 17, 2013 3:09 am
Location: Wales, a luverrly land with noisy neighbours.

Re: The Loper:- Exploratory

Post by Welsh Halfwit »

Well, I'm aiming for friendship. Mmmostly... It kinda struck me that I've often intimated (particularly in the Postain story) that both these races are kinda promiscuous. And yet all the ones in this story are single. Also, don't forget Hav is a Wolf/Mouse crossbreed...

(And I'm not putting up 2 parts in one day very often)

Part 43

Friend talk.

She led him into a small living room and bade him sit on the still stiff sofa that was a moulded part of the floor. It was how they’d built them for a few years back then, with furniture that couldn’t move as part of the rooms. It hadn’t lasted long as they’d discovered it had two major drawbacks. The first was that people generally hated it and preferred the idea of personalising their own rooms and the second was the fact that, if you DID get knocked sideways, it helped prevent damage if what you hit moved with you. So Groal sat on cushions on a hard base and did his best to get comfortable.
Salla took a similarly constructed chair and rotated it slightly to look at him as, outside the door, Hav did his best to entertain the children as the door shut slowly. “OK, Karla,” she said pleasantly, “convince me.”
He shifted forward in the seat and had the dignity to look confused. “Convince you of what?”
“Why I should go to dinner with you tonight, of course. It’s not like we’re dating, is it?”
He smiled wanly and scritched his neck as he did so. “Yeah, well,” he said hesitantly. “The Captain’s hosting a Councillor from the Fallir to a dinner tonight and he asked me to chaperone…”
“HE asked,” Salla replied, amused by the idea of a Lappinean asking for back up with a lady. “Well, I suppose Elena is rather definitive in her actions, isn’t she?” The whisper of a smile crossed her face. “Still doesn’t explain why you’re asking me though, Karla.”
“Well,” Groal said, rocking slightly on the chair, his hands between his knees, “I figured that, if the Fallir was being represented then someone who knows the problems on the Bellaphron would be…”
“Karla,” Salla warned, “Commander Halriss would be a much better choice than me and you know it. Now, try the truth.”
“Well, I am,” Groal persisted, “I don’t know Halriss so, when he said to…”
“Karla,” the old Lappinean said sternly, pointing a finger, “it’s true but it’s not the whole truth, is it? Now, we said that the earlier kiss meant nothing, yes? That it was needing to feel again? I saw it in your eyes then that it meant nothing. But, in your eye NOW I see that it has begun to mean something. Now, if there’s ever to be trust between us, I want to know what changed.”
Groal sighed. He closed his eyes and gathered his thoughts and words. “I…” He sighed. “A couple of hours ago I was part of the team that shut down that damnable beacon thing on the moon. During… during the mission we had to climb through a roomful of rubble that made crossing it any other way impossible. As the biggest, I… went last. And the thing collapsed on me.”
“Ah,” Salla said, putting her hands on her knees and waiting for him to continue.
“Well, just, uh, for a few moments, I thought I wasn’t going to get out of there,” Groal said.
“Yeah,” she agreed, “I’ve had that feeling once or twice. Several times a week at one stage. It’s not easy. Go on?”
He gave her a polite smile. “No. When I was under there I, uh, ended up thinking about everyone in my life. Everyone important to me is on that ship over there,” he continued, nodding towards the Loper. “They’re all either under my command or in command of me. I just… I just want someone who’s there as a friend, y’know?”
She looked at him askew. “And you choose a half traumatised Rabbitoid who’s old enough to be your mother?”
“Older sister, perhaps,” Groal corrected. “And we tend to use the word ‘Lappineans’ now.”
“Ah,” Salla said, waving it aside, “too many new terms for an old Rabbitoid to learn. And I’ve never been to Lapas in my life. Don’t think I didn’t catch the sloppy compliment, though. So, you’re just after a ‘friend’ to go with you?”
He snorted a laugh. “Well, uh, I suppose so.”
She crossed and sat beside him, putting a bony hand on his leg. “I can cope with that,” she said, before gently kissing him. “Well, I am a Rabbitoid,” she said, standing up. “I WILL need more clothes than this shirt, mind,” she continued, lifting the lapels on his shirt that she was wearing.” She pressed the door panel to open it. “I’ll go see if that guy you sent has got the tailor operational if you can…”
She stopped as the door opened to reveal Hav on hands and knees, rearing up like a Tiger whilst Cally, the Mican/Feline cross, sat on his back, held one hand to the top of his suit’s undershirt and rotated the other with a laugh that had Salla shocked. She spoke again as Groal joined her by the door. “I have never heard her laugh properly,” she breathed, “I don’t think she’s going to let your friend leave.”
“Give him half an hour,” Groal said, “and he won’t want to. Two brothers and a sister, he told me. All three either one or the other.”
“Perhaps he can look into taking her on,” Salla said. “Apart from her ‘aunt’ – me, she doesn’t have family.”
“Hmm,” Groal said, “Way too fast for that but I get the feeling they’ll be good together.

Hawle looked through his own outfits and wondered what to choose. He’d been in the shower and used the water setting so he was currently replete in a towelling bathrobe and had his ears down to the sides after towelling them. He was just making sure no drips got onto his face. There was no way he was going formal to this dinner but he couldn’t really go as informal as he usually did in his off-duty hours either. Perhaps the white, slightly frilled, shirt that Match had bought him last year, with the light blue ‘command’ jacket and some pale grey trousers? Oh, and underwear. There had to be underwear. He laid out the outfit as the door chimed. “Come on in,” he called and Night Barleycorn stepped in. “What do you think,” he asked, nodding to the outfit.
“Are you asking me to judge your underwear,” Night asked.
“What, uh..” Hawle shook his head. “Oh, no. It’s a sort of officially unofficial thing later. What’s the trouble, Night? And I’m not transferring Fuze.”
“I… wasn’t going to ask you to, sir,” Night said defensively. “I can handle him, sir. I just… I want one of the youngsters to stay with me for the few days before we get back. I… err, have reason to believe she’ll get hurt if we send her back to the Bellaphron. She’s, um…”
Hawle sat on the bed, crumpling his shirt underneath him. “Partly Varkonian?”
“Yeah.”
“Do you trust her not to be a problem?”
“I… think she should be given a chance, sir.”
Hawle nodded. “Notify Jaqui and we’ll take her back with us but,” he warned, “they’ll look to find if she has any family when we get back so no getting attached.”
“Thank you, sir,” Night said before hugging him. “Uh, sorry.”
“Good job I’m off-duty.”
“I, um, thought you were never off-duty?”
“That would have been unprofessional if I’d been on duty. There’s actually regulations that state you can’t shower when on duty and you need to be in uniform. I’m not in uniform – or dressed – so I’m off duty.”
“Lucky me,” Night said, making to leave.

The door opened and hadn’t quite closed when a hand appeared in the gap, followed by the rest of a white furred Pekan. She looked him up and down. “You didn’t need to get dressed for me,” Elena said, smiling seductively.
Commander Hawle. U.S.C. Loper. By the talented DDeer.
Kilo - 2-8-3-9-10-2-5
Kilo
Leslie – 4-6-4-5-6-9-7
Leslie
David Campbell - 7 – 8 – 9 – 5 – 4 – 4 – 6
Corp Davidstow 6 - 6 - 7 - 3 - 6 - 6 - 5 (reactions 7 Combat 9)
User avatar
Amazee Dayzee
Posts: 25880
Joined: Tue Aug 12, 2014 6:24 pm

Re: The Loper:- Exploratory

Post by Amazee Dayzee »

She probably would have been happier if he went in his underwear. Also I didn't know he usually doesn't wear underwear either. I now need to go and Google his clothes that he is wearing for the dinner. :D
User avatar
Welsh Halfwit
Posts: 14121
Joined: Sun Mar 17, 2013 3:09 am
Location: Wales, a luverrly land with noisy neighbours.

Re: The Loper:- Exploratory

Post by Welsh Halfwit »

Oh, he usually wears underwear. He just doesn't usually think about what underwear goes with his clothes.
Commander Hawle. U.S.C. Loper. By the talented DDeer.
Kilo - 2-8-3-9-10-2-5
Kilo
Leslie – 4-6-4-5-6-9-7
Leslie
David Campbell - 7 – 8 – 9 – 5 – 4 – 4 – 6
Corp Davidstow 6 - 6 - 7 - 3 - 6 - 6 - 5 (reactions 7 Combat 9)
User avatar
Welsh Halfwit
Posts: 14121
Joined: Sun Mar 17, 2013 3:09 am
Location: Wales, a luverrly land with noisy neighbours.

Re: The Loper:- Exploratory

Post by Welsh Halfwit »

Part 44
Dinner party.

Cedar Kirkwall was insulted. Not annoyed or anything approaching furious but he was insulted. He was a trained chef to the extent that he was the under-chef to Ambassadors and Generals and he was used to concocting the most elaborate and intricate of dishes and here he was, preparing the blandest of foods that he could make. Low fat cream cheese on crackers for a starter – with mock Cheese for the Lappineans and minus the salad for the Celican. Karvn Salads for the main course – one with Kevo Tender meat for the Canine and one with Porak Spiced meat for the Celican (which was a challenge he quite liked) and low fat Chocolate mousse for dessert. It almost wasn’t worth getting up for and he’d had a small nightmare when he’d noticed almost three quarters of his supplies had been sequestered for famine relief. He’d made a note to tell Commander Hawle that they had to head back to the patch so he could pick up new supplies. That thought had surprised him, in fact. It meant he was starting to think of himself as part of this crew. This maddening lot that ate him out of house and home. He’d read somewhere that you were not supposed to be insulted by friends and family. Which was probably why he felt extra insulted.

The door opened and Colleen Una came in. He rolled his eyes. “You’re after the rest of the Egg Banjo’s aren’t you? Honestly, one Human finds something that lays like a Chicken and they get addicted…” He pointed a spatula at Colleen as he headed for the storage fridge. “And I don’t wanna know what they used for bread!”
Colleen chuckled an exhausted laugh. “Tell me about it, Cedar,” she said. “But it’s fine to use as an opening tactic to gain their trust. And it does explain why so many chests are stained yellow.” She watched as her friend pulled out the final trolley of the Egg sandwiches. “And you’re sure you don’t want help up here,” she asked coyly. “As I told you, some of them are chefs.”
Now he tapped her on the nose with the spatula. “And, as I told YOU,” he said with a grin, “only accredited chef’s in my kitchen! I’ve let them raid my store-room for all the breads and cold stuff. That’s as far as I go, ma’am.”
Una wiped the spot of oil off her nose. “Understood, maestro.” She gave him a mock salute, poking her tongue out of the side of her muzzle as she stood straight, then headed away with the trolley.

It was another twenty minutes before the main guests arrived and entered the room. Cedar had acknowledged the orders he’d received on lighting and thrown them out. One from the Councillor – who was now the leading political figure in the ‘fleet’ – had been to have the lights down low. The other, from Hawle – the leading military figure in the fleet – had been to keep all the lights up to full and ignore all requests to turn them down. So he’d chosen something in the middle range, a moderate strength, hint of orange glow to welcome the delegates. He watched them enter and wondered if the Commander thought he was at a ball or something. He’d never seen a frilly, crumpled, shirt like that before. The look stood out against the light, two colour, dress of the Pekan as he invited her in to take a seat. Behind them came the engineer who’d set up this entire room which, to Cedars’ surprise, hadn’t exploded on him when he first turned the oven on. He was escorted by a thin, brown-furred, female Lappinean in a light green dress. He noted that the Engineer kept remembering not to take her hand and they were just friends. He shrugged. His duty was to the pots, pans and stomachs. Everything else was their own business. He headed off to get the starters.

“So,” Hawle asked Salla, after the introductions were made and the water was poured, “how do you know my Chief Engineer?”
Salla looked back politely as Groal looked as though he’d just swallowed a carrot. “We met when he was helping out on the Bellaphron, as I’m sure you guessed. I had to deal with a few of the Children and we made friends around them. Karla thought the ship should be represented here tonight and I didn’t mind.”
“Oh,” Elena said gently, “I didn’t think we were going to be discussing affairs of state at the table.”
Cedar, returning, decided to give them a moment or so more as the Councillor had accentuated ‘affairs of state’ with a foot rub on Hawle’s leg under the table and the Commander had responded with a double gulp of his water. He noted she wasn’t wearing any shoes right now either and approached as she stopped. “Your starters, sirs and ladies.” He laid the items out on the table for them. “The Doctor’s requested I keep the food light for tonight,” he said, implying that it wasn’t his fault.
“It’s a good job, probably,” Elena replied. “Thank you. Of course,” she continued as Cedar headed back, “I befriended the Commander on the surface. We agreed to try and talk through what was going to happen next so I can assist in whatever way I could.”
Salla could see Groal struggling not to laugh at how confused his Captain looked and, under the table, gave his leg a small punch to distract him. “So,” she countered, examining a Rye Cracker curiously, “you are talking affairs of state, just not today?” She smirked as Hawle coughed on his cracker.
Groal leaned over to whisper in his ‘not a date’s ear. “Are you two competing to see who gets the best reaction,” he asked.
“No,” she whispered back, “but it’s an idea. He’s a ‘ship is his lady’ type?” She nodded slightly to answer her own question as Hawle took another sip of his drink to ‘wash down’ the bit of cracker.. “I’ve known Rabbitoids like that.”
Kirkwall watched as the group gradually talked of relocation events and political upheavals, recent events and why there were no Osirans on the ship. That question, of course, had come from the old Lappinean and she’d had follow up questions about it which Hawle and Miss Elena had explained.
“It was discussions about their penal system which expanded to encompass other divisions in society,” Elena declared.
“Basically, they didn’t like the fact that we thought more prisoners should live,” Hawle translated. “That got blown up out of all proportion in the presses and they walked off about ten years back. The one’s serving had to choose if they wanted to renounce their service or their citizenship. We’re still on friendly terms though.”
“That’s good,” Salla admitted, finishing off her salad. “At least it’s not all wars and destruction. From the stories off the Fallir, we were beginning to wonder. Good Karva, by the way,” she told Kirkwall.
“Would you like more,” Kirkwall said, accepting the praise.
“Best I keep room for dessert,” she remarked.
“I hear you had some trouble with desserts, Aldair,” Elena asked politely, trying not to grin. “Something about ‘face first’ into a cake?”
“Someone’s going to be on latrine duty,” Hawle muttered, his tone belying the threat. “I’m not going into the mousse, Elena,” he replied, not noting he’d used her first name instead of calling her Councillor. “Be right back.” He stood up, went over to Kirkwall and whispered to him. The Mican moved off and returned with a Coffee and a nervous look.

A moment later, Cedar brought out the dessert, placed the ladies first, then Groal’s, then ‘tripped’ over Groal’s foot and ‘splotted’ Hawle’s shirt. “I...I...I…” he stammered, before going for a towel.
Hawle dipped a finger in the mess on his shirt and put it to his mouth. “I will take seconds,” he told Kirkwall pleasantly as the ladies snickered. “Karlavan,” he said sweetly.
“Yes, sir,” Groal said, moving his foot back under the table.
“After today, the latrine systems need recalibration,” he said drily. “See to it, would you? Tomorrow?”
“Aye, sir.” Worth it, he thought.

The door booped and Raven entered. “Sorry to disturb you, sir,” she said, “but Commander Halriss says seven of his people are still missing. He thinks they were taken to isolation cells under security last week.
“The other shoe drops,” Hawle said, standing up and allowing some pudding to drop from his chest to the floor. “If you’ll pardon us, ladies? Raven, with me. Karla, take the bridge.”
Now Groal sputtered. “Wh...what?”
“Grovan’s staying on the Fallir, Jaqui’s on the surface and the night shift doesn’t come on for two hours. I need a senior Officer in charge on the bridge and you’re it. Don’t worry,” he smiled, “Match’ll keep you grounded. I have to change my shirt.”
Commander Hawle. U.S.C. Loper. By the talented DDeer.
Kilo - 2-8-3-9-10-2-5
Kilo
Leslie – 4-6-4-5-6-9-7
Leslie
David Campbell - 7 – 8 – 9 – 5 – 4 – 4 – 6
Corp Davidstow 6 - 6 - 7 - 3 - 6 - 6 - 5 (reactions 7 Combat 9)
User avatar
Amazee Dayzee
Posts: 25880
Joined: Tue Aug 12, 2014 6:24 pm

Re: The Loper:- Exploratory

Post by Amazee Dayzee »

Well that happened and I am really glad it did but I still think the mousse should have hit him in the face. Oh well. Have fun with the toilets Karlavan! Awesome work!
User avatar
Welsh Halfwit
Posts: 14121
Joined: Sun Mar 17, 2013 3:09 am
Location: Wales, a luverrly land with noisy neighbours.

Re: The Loper:- Exploratory

Post by Welsh Halfwit »

Part 45

Downward Rabbit

The door to a slightly oily smelling room opened and Salla stepped inside, sniffing as she did so. “Definitely your place, Karla,” she acknowledged as Groal turned the lights on a small room with modular furniture in the front room. To the rear was a food and replication system and there was a bathroom just off, hidden behind a door. “But why am I here?”
“Well,” Groal replied awkwardly, “I have to go to the bridge and can’t take you back home in the shuttle. We got Elena back via teleporter but Doctor Barleycorn doesn’t want anyone from the Bellaphron teleporting yet on medical grounds so you have to remain on ship for a bit, Salla. I thought you could stop here and watch a few things? Start getting back up to date? Oh,” he added, tapping some buttons next to the vidscreen, “can you say two thousand and an apple?” He pressed the final button.
“Two thousand and an apple,” Salla repeated, looking confused. Groal released the button. “Why would I say something that silly?”
“Override code for the door,” Groal told her. “It means you can get back in if you want to wander the ship. The computer needed a code and a voiceprint.” He smiled lightly. “Didn’t want you to feel trapped.”
“Thanks for that,” she replied honestly. “I think I’d need more than a couple of hours though.”
“Well,” Groal shrugged, “it’ll be a start, yeah? We’ve got… got some Lappinean – or Rabbitoid – dramas in the database if you’d like to see them? Just press the button on the remote and ask for Lappinean dramas,” he said, taking the small control and passing it to her. “You can choose from there.”
“Ah, the frivolities of the future,” Salla said politely. She shook her head. “Doesn’t make the suffering worth it.”
“I...I’m sorry. I didn’t, um…”
She gave him a peck on the cheek. “Go. Save the world Karla. I’ll be here when you get back. Promise.”

Hawle worked to put the security armour on as Raven did her amateur best at piloting the shuttle. He looked down at himself and realised he’d been trying to put someone else’s suit on. Someone larger than him, judging by how it was halfway down his upper legs and the shoulders were drooping. “Medium, my eye,” he complained, taking the top back off and putting it on the ‘extra large’ pile where it should have been whilst a security guard tried not to smirk at him. He took one off the ‘medium’ pile and, checking the label first, put it on. He’d felt there hadn’t been time to put the fully secured speciality armour he’d worn most of the day and had only stopped into his room to change a shirt. Now, with the ceramic style armour on he headed to take the ‘stick’ from Raven before she tried to land on the planet. He trusted Raven with his life but often felt she’d fly a shuttle into a mountain if she got the chance. He figured most qualified pilots felt like that. Chapston certainly felt like that every time he took the helm. He’d noted her biting her nails. “I’ll take over, Raven,” he said, noting the planet was coming to fill the screen. “Go get suited up, yeah?”
“No helmet,” Raven asked, getting out of the seat.
“You can take one if you want,” he allowed, knowing full well she meant him. He sat, put the headset on, and called up Maze. “How’s things going down there,” he asked.
<”Uh, the enemy doesn’t seem to want to play,”> the flight leader reported. <”I think they got fed up of them sending things to be slapped around.”>
Hawle tutted. “Have fun being the bully in the playground, I’ve got to go find solitary confinement. I’ll call if I need escort. How’s the fuel?”
<”I still have enough, sir. Still flying by. Any news on the revolt?”>
“Nope,” Hawle said, “the natives are revolting but there’s noting new about that.”

He circled and landed close to Pangal’s shuttle in a ‘plaza’ that had thinned out of people slightly, although it was still busy. It was mainly of non Council people now and from their eyes, Hawle could see they knew they weren’t leaving quite yet. He had no way of knowing how to help them power up their ships. The Council would need to dispatch an engineering division vessel with the group they’d send to do that. They knew it was ending soon though. Well, he hoped they did.

Hawle noted his fellow Lappinean was escorting more officers and elderly onto her shuttle now and chose not to distract her as Halriss approached. “How is it you didn’t tell me of this earlier,” he asked.
Halriss looked at him with hostility. “We often don’tt know they’ve gone for weekss,” he hissed. “We learned not to assk when it wassn’t uss.”
All this time, Hawle thought to himself, and the translation microbes still couldn’t fix the sibilance problem with the Osiran language. He wondered what he sounded like to them? “Right,” he actually said, “Where is this place?”
Halriss swallowed and, from the look in his eye, Hawle knew what was coming next. “I’ll have to sshow you,”
“Hmm.” He glanced to Raven. “How’d you reckon this’ll go,” he asked rhetorically. “I think that, if I say ‘that’s not a good idea’, he’ll say ‘I’m not going without my people’ and I’ll reluctantly agree?”
“Now wait…” Halriss began to interject.
“Probably the way, sir,” Raven commented.
Hawle shrugged. “Might as well skip it, then. Get him some armour.” He gave a slightly confused Osiran a pat on the elbow. “Always knew you were coming,” he said as Raven invited him onto the shuttle.

He followed Halriss into the interior. “Tell me about this place,” he instructed, rejoining the guard inside.
“It’ss about three miless outsside the prisson,” Halriss said from inside an armour undershirt as he pulled it over his head. “It hass many guardss.”
“Oh, good.”
“What’ss good about itt,” Halriss demanded as Hawle began to lift off. “Many guardss meanss many gunss!”
“True,” Hawle allowed, “but my Doctor doesn’t want you lot going through the teleporter yet so many guards means a car park for this thing!”
Commander Hawle. U.S.C. Loper. By the talented DDeer.
Kilo - 2-8-3-9-10-2-5
Kilo
Leslie – 4-6-4-5-6-9-7
Leslie
David Campbell - 7 – 8 – 9 – 5 – 4 – 4 – 6
Corp Davidstow 6 - 6 - 7 - 3 - 6 - 6 - 5 (reactions 7 Combat 9)
User avatar
Amazee Dayzee
Posts: 25880
Joined: Tue Aug 12, 2014 6:24 pm

Re: The Loper:- Exploratory

Post by Amazee Dayzee »

Really delightful chapter that you put up once again Welshy! Though I would be lying if I didn't say I wanted to see Karlavan go and fix the latrines. LOL
User avatar
Welsh Halfwit
Posts: 14121
Joined: Sun Mar 17, 2013 3:09 am
Location: Wales, a luverrly land with noisy neighbours.

Re: The Loper:- Exploratory

Post by Welsh Halfwit »

Part 46

Entryway

The shuttle sped the relatively short journey towards what looked like a small settlement, maybe a half hour by car from the prison. Raven, sat in the back of the vessel, commented on the distance involved.
“It’ss not officcially a prisson,” Halriss growled, letting his tongue flick out in annoyance. “It’ss a ‘ressettlement area! Sso, by their lawss, they can’tt have a high ssecurity insstallation there or near there!”
“Right,” Hawle remarked, keeping the ship low over the ground on the approach, some fifty feet above the surface. “What’s the security situation here?”
“I know of three turretss and thirty guardss,” the Osiran replied as they entered the village the secure area was in. He could see the people below gaping open mouthed at them. Some were pointing, some younger ones were applauding. One or two were beginning to point weapons at them that the shields could deal with and most were running from them.
“They’re not going to want us to speak at the school,” Hawle advised, “so I don’t want to land in their car park. Which way?”
Halriss seethed slightly. “It’ss not bubblegum though they let uss out into the community, Commander!”
Hawle looked at him non-committally. “Oh,” he said calmly, “I knew that.” He pointed to his ear. “I was asking my Science Officer. He’s looking at satellite data.”
Halriss deflated slightly as Hawle turned to starboard. “You kneww I wass lying about knowwing the way?”
“Not really,” Hawle shrugged, “but I knew that I would have.” A bolt of energy fizzed past the ship. “They’re firing at us?” The smile vanished and a growl replaced it on the Lappinean’s face. “They’re firing at their own citizens? Dunno about you,” he added, flicking a switch as they approached one of the turrets Halriss had mentioned, “but I’m not having that!” He pressed the firing stud and a bolt of energy shot out from the shuttle’s main gun and arrowed through the sky towards the turret and the wall it stood on. He turned on the shuttle comms. “Hawle to Harty,” he said, “these people are shooting at us from energy turrets. Please come over and stop them? We’d like to land in a moment or so. Over.”
<”On my way.”>
“I’d heard sstarlancerss could operate in the atmossphere now,” Halriss enthused.
“That’s nothing,” Hawle replied. “Maze Harty is flying a prototype that can operate underwater.”
“Havve you sseen it,” Halriss enthused, reminding Hawle that the Commander had followed a career plan rather like his, including fighter piloting.”
“Nope,” Hawle said, “Monta weapontech and the Raitchian government have confirmed it but I’ve never felt like drowning her.”
“Monta,” Halriss grunted. “Sserved with him. Loathssome Celican.”
Hawle shrugged as Harty sped past, her weaponry taking down the two remaining energy turrets that could have prevented landing. “So you do know him.”

Further conversation was cut short by landing as the shuttle parked next to several road vehicles. The armours were made ready, except for Halriss’s and Hawle decided to flatten his ears and put a helmet on. “I’ve not keyed up your weapons systems,” he told Halriss, “as you might have trouble controlling them.” He reached into the weapons cabinet and pulled out a stun blaster. “This’ll work,” he added, passing the relatively simple weapon to the Osiran.
“Sstun only,” he replied, raising an eye-ridge.
“Seemed like a good idea,” Hawle replied, before one of the guards opened the door and the five fighters stepped out into the daylight. “We make for that door,” he called, indicating an entryway set into the wall. The group ran towards the entrance, Hawle making sure he kept with Halriss as they reached it and Raven tried to guess the code. “Raven,” he said.
“Yes, sir?”
“Just shoot it.”
“Right.” She aimed her weapon and fired, blowing a hole three inches wide in the door, just above the lock. Then she gripped the handle and pulled the door open. Alarms blared and Hawle thought they were rather late about it as several guards appeared and started firing. Raven fell backwards and landed on her back before the others covered Hawle whilst he dragged her to a safe point. “Someone’s got a heavy energy weapon,” she remarked. “It’s quite powerful,” she added, scrambling to her feet by the wall.
“Right-ho,” Hawle said, taking a flash grenade from his armour and lobbing it into the passageway. “Eyes down for a flash drive,” he said, before the flash went off. He led the way in to secure the area, Firing stun blast after blast as he went in. Four fell, their nervous systems as overloaded as their senses by the assault. “Looks like some of them aren’t shy about using alien tech,” he advised uselessly as he examined the smooth lines of a cannon. He kept the weapon where Halriss couldn’t see it. “Commander, can I trust you to use the stun setting?”
“Probably,” Halriss replied honestly. “What iss it?”
Hawle handed him the weapon. “One of ourss,” Halriss asked, before slightly cracking his scaled face with a smile as he took the H/K.467 Energy shotgun. He showed Hawle as he changed the setting and ‘locked’ it in. Hawle knew that it would only take the Officer ten seconds to switch back but it seemed appropriate. He didn’t have much time to truly appreciate it, though, as others were arriving, barring their way.

Groal watched the situation from high above as the complex looked exactly the same as it had done three minutes ago. Nothing had changed at all since they’d gone in. Nothing at all. Well, there was someone heading towards the shuttle, ready to fire at it or try to take it over but the appearance of Hardy’s Starlancer in hover mode made the locals scarper as she landed and got out, standing guard over the ships with her firearm. “I’ll have to tell the Commander about that,” he muttered. “Send down a couple of guards to back her up, Dawton.”
The Human sent the order down to security as Chapston moved the ship into teleport range.

Inside, the team moved towards the cells.
Commander Hawle. U.S.C. Loper. By the talented DDeer.
Kilo - 2-8-3-9-10-2-5
Kilo
Leslie – 4-6-4-5-6-9-7
Leslie
David Campbell - 7 – 8 – 9 – 5 – 4 – 4 – 6
Corp Davidstow 6 - 6 - 7 - 3 - 6 - 6 - 5 (reactions 7 Combat 9)
User avatar
Amazee Dayzee
Posts: 25880
Joined: Tue Aug 12, 2014 6:24 pm

Re: The Loper:- Exploratory

Post by Amazee Dayzee »

I'll take the time to read this chapter in a bit. In the meantime you need to reply to my PMs.

Nooooootice me seeeeeempaiiiiii!
User avatar
Welsh Halfwit
Posts: 14121
Joined: Sun Mar 17, 2013 3:09 am
Location: Wales, a luverrly land with noisy neighbours.

Re: The Loper:- Exploratory

Post by Welsh Halfwit »

Amazee Dayzee wrote: Fri Nov 20, 2020 12:03 pm I'll take the time to read this chapter in a bit. In the meantime you need to reply to my PMs.

Nooooootice me seeeeeempaiiiiii!
Tickles Amazee.

Part 47

Nearly non-lethal force.

The group moved carefully through the station, scanning every room visually before entering. The scale of fire they’d been encountering had stepped up a gear since the entryway and they were all feeling the bangs and scrapes from the encounters. Hawle also had a broken shok-prod from where he’d belted a Varkonian quite hard over the head, only to find the scales were extra hard there to reduce the chance of cranial injuries – according to Halriss. So he’d gone back to the stun blaster. Halriss, for his part, had taken some pleasure in the use of the energy shotgun and had only looked slightly upset when he blasted a guard off a high walkway. “We were trying not to kill anybody,” Hawle chastised.
“He overbalancced,” the Osirian declared. “I didn’t mean itt.”
Hawle was pretty sure he was lying. But there was no time to argue.

Now they approached the interrogation rooms, as they were so called. With chains and hooks, they looked more like torture rooms. “They would hang uss againsst the wall,” Halriss said quietly. “They employed variouss whipss and bludgeonss to encourage uss to tell of plotss and planss being built up in the camp. Ssome of them took real enjoymment in their actionss.” He fingered one of the chains. “They sstopped trying with me,” he added. “Ossiranss are harder to break. They otherss were eassier.”
“And we’re trying to go easy on them,” Raven grumbled.
“The Counccil iss better than them,” Halriss mentioned. Hawle wondered if he meant it as he watched him run his armoured fingers across the table in the middle of the room. “I’vve been in thiss room more than oncce.”
“I can’t imagine,” Hawle admitted drily, kneeling to touch something that looked rather like blood on the floor. He looked up to the lesser Officer. “You sure you’re up to this?”
Even through the armour, Hawle could see Halriss set his jaw straight and bring the gun up. “I havve to be,” he stated.
“Wanna drag that guy in here, Karra,” Hawle asked the guard, nodding to the last local they’d stunned. “I think you should ask him some questions about where everyone is, Commander.”
“What limitss?”
Hawle thought on that. “His imagination. I’ll leave a guard here with you and scout out the next area.”

Maze wondered how long she’d have to wait until the guards got here. She’d only been on the ground a few minutes but it was already driving her a little batty, what with her preference to being on things she could feel were moving. Things with engines and soft hums that made sounds, not this… quiet thing. She could hear the wind, sure, but you could hear that when you were in a vehicle, Same for feeling it, especially if you had a window down – or weren’t wearing a helmet. But this was beyond. Just… standing here, guarding a ship against locals. She aimed her pistol at someone who poked their noses through the gate and the nose vanished rather quickly as two energy signatures fizzled into existence. She tapped her suit speaker. “About time! I’ve been waiting here ages! Guard that, would you?” She turned the speaker off again and headed back to her fighter as the two shrugged and kept their weapons ready. She lifted off again.

Hawle threw himself sideways as a volley of fire scorched the doorway to the next wing of the centre. “Think we’ve found them,” he told Raven redundantly.
“Yup,” she replied, throwing a grenade into the area.
A voice cut through from the other side of the room. “If you surr…” It was cut off by the sound of an explosion that rocked the room.
“I wonder what he was going to say,” Hawle asked rhetorically as he heard moaning. “And that wasn’t a stun grenade, Raven.”
“Sorry, boss,” the Burman said, taking the lead into the slightly smashed room. Desks lay in pieces and smoked as the locals writhed towards the back of the room. “Wouldn’t say any are dead,” she finished, shooting one with a stun bolt.
“Check your equipment next time, Raven,” Hawle advised, leading the other guard in. He waved the guard forward. “Actually, take the other explosive grenades off her, would you?” He shot another local who was beginning to stir. He knew she’d thrown the grenade where it wouldn’t be likely to kill anyone. She could easily have reached their position with her throwing arm. This was ‘shock and awe’ tactics. He couldn’t disagree as Halriss rejoined them. “Did he know anything?”
“They’re near here,” he said simply, before kicking out at a guard that had tried to rise. “What happened here?”
“Raven showed restraint,” Hawle claimed., stunning the guard. “If you know the way, lead on.”
He followed the Osirian through the next door into a small yard. Shots rang out from the far side, cracking into the lizard’s shoulder armour and deflecting off into the wall. Raven and the guards fired back as Hawle pulled Halriss back. “Looks like the armour’s taken enough shots for today,” he said. “The shield generator’s off. You’ll be taking impacts direct from now.” He looked the Osirian in the eye. “That means you stay behind us, got it?”
“Like I’d do otherwisse?”
Hawle shrugged. He probably would. He took Karra’s place as blood squitted from the guard’s left leg, just above his knee. He dropped and fired back as Raven vanished from the front line. He kept up his fire rate, keeping the opponents heads down to give Raven time for whatever she was planning to do… which was, apparently, throw the opponents off the balcony. The first she merely tipped so he twisted over and fell, ungainly, onto his back. The second she kicked first, before he could fire at her. Hawle didn’t call out as she held the other above the gap. He knew she’d make the right choice here. She simply punched him in the face, took the cuff from his belt and handcuffed him to the railing, leaving him dangling by his arm over the gap. Hawle checked on the fallen. “Just stunned,” he said, before making sure with another shot. “Head back,” he told Karra as Raven rejoined them. “You accompany him” he told the other guard. “Restun any you feel need it and catch us up.” The guard nodded and helped Karra back.

The door opened to the next room and they stepped through to find a room set up as a firing range with seven targets set standing up and, beyond them, a group of guards. But this was no normal range as the targets were the hostages. One of the Varkonians spoke up. “You surrender now or we kill the hostages.” He growled. “You have ten seconds!”
Hawle replied. “You surrender now,” he said, “or we kill you. People?” He raised his weapon arm. “You have FIVE seconds.”
Commander Hawle. U.S.C. Loper. By the talented DDeer.
Kilo - 2-8-3-9-10-2-5
Kilo
Leslie – 4-6-4-5-6-9-7
Leslie
David Campbell - 7 – 8 – 9 – 5 – 4 – 4 – 6
Corp Davidstow 6 - 6 - 7 - 3 - 6 - 6 - 5 (reactions 7 Combat 9)
User avatar
Amazee Dayzee
Posts: 25880
Joined: Tue Aug 12, 2014 6:24 pm

Re: The Loper:- Exploratory

Post by Amazee Dayzee »

Have just finished reading both chapters and I really like where this is going! Awesome job!
User avatar
Welsh Halfwit
Posts: 14121
Joined: Sun Mar 17, 2013 3:09 am
Location: Wales, a luverrly land with noisy neighbours.

Re: The Loper:- Exploratory

Post by Welsh Halfwit »

Part 48

A lack of negotiation.

Raven smirked as Hawle stepped forward. She knew what was coming next. She was pretty sure everyone here – bar Halriss – knew what they were supposed to do. So, as soon as Hawle finished talking, she nodded, stepped forward and joined the Commander in shooting the hostages before turning their weapons on those attacking. A quick spray of fire had the hostages dropping to their knees and out of the line of fire.
Halriss, shocked, had begun to turn his weapon on Hawle before he reasoned what had just happened and joined in firing on their opponents. “Iss it current policcy to sshoot the hosstagess,” he asked Hawle.
“Only if you have a stun setting,” Hawle replied, taking a direct shot to his armour as he pushed the Osirian out of the way. “Ow,” he said bitterly. “Looks like the shielding’s gone…”
“I really never like the physical stuff,” Hawle admitted, firing and stunning one of the four remaining guards. He glanced over as Raven roared and charged the remaining trio. “...that’s what I have Raven for,” he finished as she collided with the opponents. “Up for close quarters,” he asked Halriss, before running to back up his officer as she kept them from firing at the others.
Halriss pulled himself upwards and joined the struggle as Hawle double kicked an opponent in the groin.

“I had them,” Raven insisted as she carried three of the hostages out over her shoulders. Halriss had two and Hawle had the final, lighter, pair as they chugged after the Burman, wheezing more than talking under the weight.
“I was… sure,” Hawle heaved in response. “Are you sure these are the lighter ones,” he asked Halriss.
The Osirian looked almost amused. “Want to sswap,” he asked, before standing still.
Hawle turned to look. There was a Varkonian standing there with a hateful look in his eyes and a large gun in his hands. “You invade MY prison…”
“Interrogation centre,” Hawle corrected.
“SHUT UP! You invade MY prison, you shoot MY guards, you steal MY prisoners and you think you’re just going to walk away?”
“I was planning on flying,” Hawle goaded.
“SHUT. UP!” The Warden raised his weapon. It looked like it could hurt. “I am going to enjoy this you…”
He fell silent as he fell forward, the impact effect of a blast circling out from his back as the still active guard shot him. “Nice going, Lovall,” Hawle said happily, “but could you have arrived before the nick of time? Distracting him was hard.”
“Sorry, sir,” he said, “it takes time to re-stun everyone.”
“When it comess time to choosse,” Halriss said, carrying his friends across the room, “I’m going to havve a hard time choossing.”
“Choosing what,” Hawle asked.
“I wouldn’t ssee me wanting to be part of any forcce that gave you control of a sship,” Halriss replied honestly, “but you’re a maverick I’d be honoured to sserve with!”
Hawle laughed as he passed one of his ‘passengers’ to Lowall. “Oh, yeah,” he enthused, “this is much easier! I could take two of these!”
“You had two,” Halriss replied. “You were complaining.”

Groal had a thought and diverted himself towards the I.T. department after the night shift officer relieved him of duty. He pressed the button by Winsome’s door and waited until he was allowed entry.
Stepping into the darkened room, Groal sniffed. “Above me as usual, Harve,” he asked the gloom and the Jondahl appeared from the ceiling ledge, hanging upside down to disorient the Engineer.
“Well, I was in bed,” the young Computer specialist said, rubbing his eyes.
“I just had a sudden thought,” Groal told him, craning up to look at his little friend. “You know Ensign Pulver got wounded?”
Winsome nodded, down and up. “Paralysed, yeah?” He yawned. “You said we don’t have the spare equipment to make her a walking rig...”
“Yeah?” Golta gestured for Harvey to think on.
“Because we didn’t have the materials and…” He groaned, closing his eyes and slapping his forehead. “The Bellaphron’s got industrial replication capabilities. That can make a rig out of about a third the stuff it would take you.”
“Reckon you can work out a construction program if I get the details from Night?”
“Pretty much easier done than said,” Harvey replied, looping himself back up to his bed area and jumping down. “Just got to load up a twenty year old computer language on my system and work out the formula. It’ll take about four to five hours. Probably.”
“You want to get dressed first,” Groal asked.
“Why? Am I leaving my room,” Winsome asked. “Go away.” He waved the engineer away.

Groal made his way to the medical centre just as Doctor Barleycorn was closing up for the night, leaving a couple of nurses for triage. He asked her to get the details and specs to Winsome as soon as she could and added that she’d probably better E-Mail the lad. Once she was in line with the new plan, she agreed and set to work. For his part, Groal headed back to his own apartment and opened the door. He stepped in to the noise of the vid playing a Lappinean history program from a few years ago. The room was dark but he could see Salla sat with her back to him. He stepped forward. “Sorry I’m a bit late,” he said quietly. “I had an…”
He stopped as he heard her patient breathing. She was asleep. He sighed at the sight, then stepped to his sleeping area and pulled back the covers.
She woke slightly as he picked her up and murmured, “huh, whussut..?”
“It’s all right, Salla,” he said quietly, carrying her across, “you’re quite safe. It’s just Groal.”
“Sm’lly C’lic’n, Smellican” she drowsed as he put her down and put the covers over her. He’d noted the slight smile that had played across her face as she’d spoken of him and gave her cheek a small stroke. “Sleep well, Salla,” he said, before going back into the seating area and turning the vid off so he could doze in a chair.
Commander Hawle. U.S.C. Loper. By the talented DDeer.
Kilo - 2-8-3-9-10-2-5
Kilo
Leslie – 4-6-4-5-6-9-7
Leslie
David Campbell - 7 – 8 – 9 – 5 – 4 – 4 – 6
Corp Davidstow 6 - 6 - 7 - 3 - 6 - 6 - 5 (reactions 7 Combat 9)
User avatar
Amazee Dayzee
Posts: 25880
Joined: Tue Aug 12, 2014 6:24 pm

Re: The Loper:- Exploratory

Post by Amazee Dayzee »

Even though Hawle isn't that physical I still would like to see him in more fights. I'm sure Elena would also~

Anyway, good job as always! I'm gonna be sad when this ends.
User avatar
Welsh Halfwit
Posts: 14121
Joined: Sun Mar 17, 2013 3:09 am
Location: Wales, a luverrly land with noisy neighbours.

Re: The Loper:- Exploratory

Post by Welsh Halfwit »

Hawle doesn't often get physical. As he says, that's what Raven's for.

The next part's a simple two hander. Salla and Groal talk about the camp.
Commander Hawle. U.S.C. Loper. By the talented DDeer.
Kilo - 2-8-3-9-10-2-5
Kilo
Leslie – 4-6-4-5-6-9-7
Leslie
David Campbell - 7 – 8 – 9 – 5 – 4 – 4 – 6
Corp Davidstow 6 - 6 - 7 - 3 - 6 - 6 - 5 (reactions 7 Combat 9)
User avatar
Amazee Dayzee
Posts: 25880
Joined: Tue Aug 12, 2014 6:24 pm

Re: The Loper:- Exploratory

Post by Amazee Dayzee »

I know I was just saying maybe it would help. Anyway I know he at least has some fight experience.
User avatar
Welsh Halfwit
Posts: 14121
Joined: Sun Mar 17, 2013 3:09 am
Location: Wales, a luverrly land with noisy neighbours.

Re: The Loper:- Exploratory

Post by Welsh Halfwit »

Part 49

Late night chat show.

Groal sat, lightly snoring, in his living room as the night ticked over. He had the lights on absolute minimum to provide a little orange glow, just in case he needed to get up quickly and, at around half past night, the reason came with a loud cry and a panicked thud from his bedroom. He called for lights and the illumination rose to normal as Salla charged into the room, wide eyed and tensed to run. She looked at him as he stood up. “Where am I,” she demanded harshly. “Who are you?” She looked around quickly. “This isn’t the normal cells!”
“It’s not a cell, Salla,” Grola said hopefully, holding his hands up. “You’re safe, Salla,” he said. “You’re on the Loper, remember?”
She clenched her fists. “Never heard of it,” she snapped. “Take me back to the others! Now!”
“We’re a Council frigate, Salla. We rescued you a couple of days ago, remember? I’m Groal, remember?”
“I don’t know any Groal,” she replied. “My grand-daughters would have told me if I knew a smelly…” She frowned, as though a little unsure. “Smellican? Where are my granddaughters?” She frowned again. “With… with their father aboard the Bellaphron.” She held her head for a moment before sighing and looking over at him with growing comprehension and tears. “K...Karla..?” she asked. “I..I’m sorry… I… You…” She swallowed. “You want me to go?”
“I want you to sit, Salla,” he said, gesturing to the sofa. “I want you to tell me about your family. I have some Lappinean Carrot Liquor I borrowed from the Starwheel – don’t tell the Captain – if you like?”
She smiled through the facial drizzle of emotions and took a seat on the edge of the sofa. “It’s, um, a bit early to be drinking, Karla,” she admonished. “But it has been fifteen years. I’ll try one. With a lot of tonic.”
He poured two singles, added tonic and handed Salla hers as he sat next to her. “You’re not going to chop my neck and escape are you?” He put an expression of worry on his face.
She sniffed. “I don’t think so,” she said. “It’s all fresh,” she complained, looking at him as she sipped her drink. “As strong as I remember it,” she remarked.
“Careful with that,” Groal warned, “there’s a vid sneaking around of our first Officer after a few of those.”
“Oh, the ‘Carrot Cake’ incident? I heard about that.” She shook her head. “It was hard, Karla,” she said, “life down there. Never enough food to go around, no medical care…” She sighed. “People took hope wherever they could. With me it was a Canine scientist.” She chuckled slightly against the memory as she looked up to the ceiling. “Oh, he was a love,” she sighed. “Kind and generous. A Lieutenant from the Palaeontology department on the Bellaphron. He was one who helped the children before himself even before it was established. I adored him. It was easy to do. We had two children together and it would have been more except…” She looked down again and stayed silent. Groal reached forward and put a hand on Salla’s shoulder. She shrugged it off. “It doesn’t matter,” she told him. “We called the first one ‘Hope’. So we could say we always had Hope. His idea.” She half smiled. “Daft, I know.”
Groal shook his head. “It’s never silly, Salla.” He put his face in front of hers. “It’s never silly to have Hope. Sometimes that’s all we have.”
She put a hand to the side of his muzzle and gave it a little stroke. “Bless you, Karla, for thinking so. You don’t know. You CAN’T know and shouldn’t. Hope is painful to hold, handsome. It can stop you taking your own action. When you’re being battered, bruised, beaten down, half starved… You can’t fight back but you still have the hope someone will intercede…” She sniffed again. “And… no-one d...does…” She swallowed. “We… we lost Hope in a fight when she was ten. That… that left us with ‘Mercy’, a year younger than Hope. Bright as a button, she is. Brown and gold fur and something of a looker.” She chuckled, “she gave us Marin and Rodin when she was just twelve.” She looked serious. “I did NOT approve of her mating with the Mican. Not because he’s a Mican,” she specified, “but because he’s ten years her senior. But,” she shrugged, “that’s the Rabbitoid age of consent so…”
“It’s fifteen now,” Groal told her.
She nodded. “We were told when the Fallir was brought down. But,” she said softly, “by then the girls were three.” She looked down. “I could learn about growing old in there, Karla, but I couldn’t conceive what it would be to grow up there. What are they going to think of us?”
“Going from you, Salla,” Groal said, “they’re going to see someone who exemplifies strength and courage.”
“Hardly, sweetie,” she said. “I just cover it better than some. Anyhow, they’re a mix, those two. Marin’s a Whitefur Rabbit...Lappinean and Rodin’s a grey Mican… with long ears.”
“I don’t think I mind you saying Rabbitoid,” Groal finally stated. “I’m not the PC police.”
Salla took a final sip of her drink. “Think I need to get used to it, Karla. Like a lot of other things. Anyhow,” she added, “he loves them. They’re as safe as they can be. Mercy’s getting people resettled. I checked in with them before I came over on our evening out. It’s…” She sighed again. “I saw the worst days as I slept. The days I couldn’t escape. The days that hurt… Am I ever going to escape them,” she asked, suddenly needing his reassurance. He enveloped her in a hug on the sofa, letting her cry next to his chest. “I found… your shampoo by the… way,” she said, trying not to joke. “Hint of Oil? Really?”
Groal managed to laugh back his own reciprocal sympathy tears. “Well, someone once told me that real engineers smell of grease.”
She choked a laugh into his chest fur. “Hu...human,” she asked.
“As a matter of fact,” he replied, rubbing her back gently, “it was. He was a tutor at the Engineering academy for the USC.”
“Good for… him. Don’t stop doing that, by the way.”
“What?”
“The rubbing. It’s nice.”
“As long as you want, Salla.
She chuckled, then let him continue for five minutes. “I think I should try that bed again,” she said. “And I want you there with me. We’re both clothed, Karla.” She huffed. “The smell of you is something of the here and now. I think it might ground me?”
Groal shrugged. “First time I’ll have been to bed with a beautiful female with my clothes on.”
She grimaced. “Oh, ditto.” She tapped him on the nose. “But I’m still old enough to be your mother, Karla.” She stood up, the fur under her eyes still glistening. “Now come on. Bed.” She offered a hand. He took it to rise and followed her into the bedroom. “Lights down” he said, dropping the illumination to near off again as they looked for a few more hours of sleep. Well, after light kissing and cuddling.
Commander Hawle. U.S.C. Loper. By the talented DDeer.
Kilo - 2-8-3-9-10-2-5
Kilo
Leslie – 4-6-4-5-6-9-7
Leslie
David Campbell - 7 – 8 – 9 – 5 – 4 – 4 – 6
Corp Davidstow 6 - 6 - 7 - 3 - 6 - 6 - 5 (reactions 7 Combat 9)
User avatar
Amazee Dayzee
Posts: 25880
Joined: Tue Aug 12, 2014 6:24 pm

Re: The Loper:- Exploratory

Post by Amazee Dayzee »

Really great work on this chapter! Love that the carrot cake incident is still being brought up!
User avatar
Welsh Halfwit
Posts: 14121
Joined: Sun Mar 17, 2013 3:09 am
Location: Wales, a luverrly land with noisy neighbours.

Re: The Loper:- Exploratory

Post by Welsh Halfwit »

Part 50

Diplomatic gestures

“I wonder what the reaction will be when we get back,” Raven pondered aloud as she sat in her chair and watched the growing signs of life in the ‘graveyard’ outside. The Fallir was moving as her officers re-acquainted themselves with the systems and procedures. There was a shuttle headed towards the Bellaphron carrying who knew whom and what from the Loper. More materials for the replication machine, she supposed. She had to admit a little envy towards a ship that had an industrial replication machine but, as even the new ones were the height of the Fallir, she wondered where they’d put it. It wouldn’t, for example, fit in her quarters.
“Oh, they’ll probably award us medals and try to promote us,” Hawle replied matter-of-factly. “They can’t exactly carpet us for the political fuss we’re about to cause when we’ve been instrumental in the rescue of almost a thousand Council Officers and their families.” He looked serious. “They’ll probably try and promote us but don’t worry. I’ll tell them you slipped when we were on approach, smacked your head on a cupboard and spent two weeks in sickbay.” He waved a hand in her direction. “I’ll take all the credit for you.”
She grinned evilly at him. “You do and I’ll get your shower changed to toffee sauce!” She leaned in, looking fierce but sounding happy. “It’ll go with the cake!”
“Everyone keeps threatening me with cake,” Hawle replied, gently tapping her nose. “Make it bakkaberry next time?”
“Will do,” Raven said, sitting back, “and I’ll take some of that credit, thanks. Need to build it up before my next review.”
“Absolutely.” He stood up. “You have the bridge, by the way. Gotta check in on Una.”
After she acknowledged the order, Hawle headed for the meeting room.

Colleen Una was negotiating by radio and was beginning to get a little bit frustrated by the endeavour. She hadn’t realised how much she’d been relying on visual cues in these things. The Commandrex had, she figured, agreed that the reduction of almost a thousand from the ‘holding area’ was going to help with the food shortages and, although they weren’t exactly looking forward to a ‘rescue armada’ coming to steal the ‘guests’ but he could sell it as a ‘trade delegation’ if, say, they brought a few thousand of those ‘egg’ things and the mechanics for making them. Colleen figured they were talking about Chickens rather than replication machines. She hoped she wasn’t wrong about that. “I can’t tell you when they’ll get here, mind,”
<”I am sure we’ll be ready, Ambassador.”>
“Well done sorting out that other situation too,” she added as the door opened to reveal the Commander.
<”Thank you,”> the Commandrex replied. <”No help from you, of course.”>
“Of course.” Una closed the link and made sure the recording had been saved for writing up and storage later. “He’s in a good mood,” she told Hawle.
“I’m not,” he returned, spinning a chair to sit in it. “They held those people for decades with no trial, no discussions, no money, no hope… They were brutal and we had to cut a deal with them. It leaves a sour taste.”
Una contemplated that for a moment. “You of all should know that there’s two ways to deal with predators. Run from them or confront them.”
“Three ways,” Hawle interrupted. “Sneak up behind them and bludgeon them with a two by four.”
“Three,” Una conceded. “These guys? They didn’t go into it meaning to be barbaric. This just became an acceptable way to deal with the problem. They were nowhere near ready for first contact and, by accident, they activated a device that brought ship after ship to them. So a race that’s paranoid about Aliens puts them as far away as they can and tried self delusion to deny they were there.”
Hawle looked surprised. “That’s a lot of self delusion!”
Una shrugged. “Part of their charm. But they want it sorted and, now, we’re the best way.”
“The best way,” Hawle stormed, “would have been to talk with them, not just wall them up!”
Una put her hands on the table. “You can’t talk sense to paranoia and expect it to take you at face value. Fear speaks louder than hope.”
“I hear that.” he sat up. “You got an arrangement in place?”
“Provided they stick to it.”
He glanced askew at her, one ear droopin to ‘half mast’. “And do we win this one,” he asked mischievously.
She took a deep breath and breathed out. “Yes,” she said, “this was a deal they wanted. They’ll agree to the Council helping to remove the ‘inmates’ to their own ships and sending them home. They’ll help with increased food supplies and medicine and, provided a trade delegation comes as part of the cover, they’ll open trade negotiations.”
“Trade..?”
Una stood up. “It seems the Commandrex likes eggs, sir,” she said. “I’m going for Coffee. You, sir?”
“Might as well,”

He followed Una past the break room and pulled up with a ‘hold on’ as he looked in on the room where Hav was taking a break with two plates and two glasses despite seemingly being on his own. “Um, Hav,” he asked as Una looked in to wonder what the hold up was.
“Yes, sir,” Hav asked, with far too much innocence.
Hawle nodded slightly. “What is that,” he asked.
“Vanilla pudding,” Hav said innocently.
“I meant what is hiding behind the bin?”
Una stepped in before the guard could reply and knelt by the bin. She looked the slightly scared child straight in the eye as the girl sucked her thumb. “I’m not sure, Captain,” she said quietly. “I don’t see anyone here and I’m sure Hav would introduce you later if there was anyone here, yes? I’ll be with you in the cafeteria in a few minutes. I just have to… empty my pockets.”
“Right,” Hawle said uncertainly, heading on.

“Hello,” Una said gently, “I’m Colleen. Do you have a name?”
The girl pulled her thumb out and said “I’m Cally” quietly, before putting it back in again.
“Want to go back to your pudding,” Una asked, holding her arms out.
Cally nodded mutely, then dropped herself into Una’s arms and the Collian carried the Feline/Mican cross back to the table. “You’re a cutie,” she said, putting the girl on the chair and talking just as much to Hav, “but you don’t need to be afraid of Commander Hawle. He’s a nice guy, really.” She stroked the girls head gently. “He’s not scary,” she added, thinking on how fast the girl’s heart had been beating. “Also, it’s a small ship.” She smiled gently. “He’ll see you sooner or later.” She stepped back as Cally returned to her pudding with an enthusiasm that played at eating the spoon. “If you change your mind and want to talk,” she told Hav, “we’ll be in the canteen for about twenty minutes.”
“I’m not sure what I’m doing with her,” Hav confessed.
“Yes, you are,” Una counselled before leaving, “you just can’t believe you’re doing it. See you later.”

She headed off to Cedar’s place.
Commander Hawle. U.S.C. Loper. By the talented DDeer.
Kilo - 2-8-3-9-10-2-5
Kilo
Leslie – 4-6-4-5-6-9-7
Leslie
David Campbell - 7 – 8 – 9 – 5 – 4 – 4 – 6
Corp Davidstow 6 - 6 - 7 - 3 - 6 - 6 - 5 (reactions 7 Combat 9)
User avatar
Amazee Dayzee
Posts: 25880
Joined: Tue Aug 12, 2014 6:24 pm

Re: The Loper:- Exploratory

Post by Amazee Dayzee »

Once again I love the way this chapter has been written! You really are a strong writer!
User avatar
Welsh Halfwit
Posts: 14121
Joined: Sun Mar 17, 2013 3:09 am
Location: Wales, a luverrly land with noisy neighbours.

Re: The Loper:- Exploratory

Post by Welsh Halfwit »

I try not to forget characters...

Part 51

Lieutenant Tastan.

The Feline came around again and pulled at the cuff that held him to the rail in the room he’d not been in before. It was as white as the sickbay but had none of the almost threatening machines above him, just a white light that lit the enclave without being overpowering. It still made his eyes water, though, so he glanced away from it and looked at the rest of the room. That he could see anyhow. He had a push button pop out toilet against the one wall and something that looked like a replication machine without an interface on the other wall. On the ceiling, there was a small vid screen. Further away, in the main room, were a group of similar alcoves with forcefields and little else. It came to his mind that he was in a holding cell somewhere and he pulled at the cuff again. To his surprise it came free and he stood up to look out. “Is anyone here,” he demanded angrily. “I want to speak to the person in charge!”
The response came from the next room. “I think you’re meaning me,” it sighed and he heard the sound of boots on the floor before a brown female Lappinean with a white ear wandered in. “Security Chief Jaqui Pangal,” she reminded him, “we met on the shuttle, Lieutenant Tastan.”
He looked at her with hostility but noted the clicker she’d obviously used to open the cuff. “I remember,” he said, the words like daggers off his tongue. “Why am I in a holding cell?”
Jaqui stood there, in the middle of the room, and put her hands behind her back. This wasn’t quite an interrogation but she did need to make things clear for the Lieutenant. “Because I’m not sure about you, Lieutenant.”
“About WHAT?”
“Well, she said carefully, “there was that whole ‘assassinate the president thing you had going on. I do need to know more about that.”
Tastan recoiled slightly. “If you’ve been there, you KNOW about that, ‘Chief’! The way we were treated! The way we…”
Pangal held up a hand. “I know about all that,” she interrupted. “But it doesn’t make sense. You manage to escape the ‘holding centre’, you get a weapon and directions to where the President… Commandrex is going to be. You don’t think there’s anything strange about that?”
“Not all of them were scum,” Tastan admitted. “Some of them were on our side. Some of them brought in supplies and friendships. One of them helped me. And I’m not going to tell you who they are.”
“You don’t have to,” Pangal allowed, before looking down. “But I doubt they were helping you.” She shook her head slightly. “Before we grabbed the Commandrex – grief, that makes him sound like toilet tissue – we noted how many guards he had with him. Two.”
“Guess I was lucky then,” Tastan spat. “He normally travels with a whole host.”
Pangal walked around a few steps, keeping her hands behind her back before turning to face the Lieutenant again. “Of all the people in that camp, this ‘stranger’ befriends you. Helps you keep fit. Gets you out. Gives you a gun. Points you at the President?”
“What of it?”
“According to Elena Davees, the person she was negotiating with was sent by Commandrex Eevek to try and improve conditions at the camp. Slow going but, apparently, funding was increasing.”
Tastan looked up, hostility clear in the savage glint of teeth. “We had NOTHING down there! You imagine extra SCRAPS makes up for the conditions down there? You know nothing, ‘Chief’! They have to pay for what they did!”
“Probably what the vice-Commandrx thought too. Do you know his response when we told him we had his Boss?”
“I don’t…”
“He said ‘kill him’, Tastan. He’d been preparing to remove the final obstacle to power for quite some time, I think. His people in certain vital places. All he needed was an excuse. The one he got was us. The one he WANTED was you.” Now Pangal stood still. “Think on it. He needed someone to blame for it. ‘Oh, no, I didn’t do it.’ ‘I’m just carrying on how he would have wanted’ and all that as he blames you for the killing and not just you but there must have been others in that camp who organised it. Who aided you and watched out for you. You almost made the situation for the entire camp worse by your actions, Lieutenant.”
Tastan leapt to his feet and almost charged into the force barrier. “You have NO right to judge me! They had to pay!”
“I’m not going to judge you, Lieutenant,” Pangal replied. “That’s not within my remit. I simply have to hold you until much smarter people than me run the rule. It means you have to stay in there.”
“I am NOT insane!”
“Then say that quieter. And it’s your anger more than your sanity that worries me. There are some of the Varkonians aboard ship; those who wanted to leave with their families and who the Captains deemed unthreatening. There are unaccompanied hybrids as well…”
He looked horrified now. “I’m not looking to harm them,” he exclaimed, his neck seemingly thinner as he stretched slightly higher. “It’s not them I blame!”
“If you were me, Tastan,” Jaqui asked politely, “would you take that chance?”
“I…” He swallowed and sat down. “I don’t suppose I would, no,” he agreed, sitting down again. “Did… did many of my crew survive?”
Jaqui had been wondering if he’d ask about the Fallir at any point and was pleasantly surprised to see she’d figured wrong. “Eleven of them are back on board,” she said, “Lieutenant Keele’s commanding a crew of twenty.”
Tastan frowned. “Eleven with a crew of..? Oh,” he added, suddenly understanding, “new families? Yeah, I remember. You told them about me?”
“Some will probably speak at any hearing.” She shrugged. “If there is one, of course. Anyhow, that’s done for now, Lieutenant. I’m told we’ll be ‘setting sail’ within the day and it’ll take a week to get to Talvary station. Every now and again I’ll pop in and ask if you want any food or drink, it’ll appear there,” she said, nodding to the replication terminal. “Put it back in the receptacle when you finish and the duty officer will disintegrate it when they know you’re not sticking your head in. The vid is set to vocal control but security has an over-ride.” She pointed to him now, finally taking her hands from behind her back. “So watch it or I’ll set it to non-stop Celican Children’s programs!”
“You wouldn’t dare…”
“Try me,” Jaqui said, walking back out of the room.
Commander Hawle. U.S.C. Loper. By the talented DDeer.
Kilo - 2-8-3-9-10-2-5
Kilo
Leslie – 4-6-4-5-6-9-7
Leslie
David Campbell - 7 – 8 – 9 – 5 – 4 – 4 – 6
Corp Davidstow 6 - 6 - 7 - 3 - 6 - 6 - 5 (reactions 7 Combat 9)
User avatar
Amazee Dayzee
Posts: 25880
Joined: Tue Aug 12, 2014 6:24 pm

Re: The Loper:- Exploratory

Post by Amazee Dayzee »

You do a better job at that then me. But you still are great at writing this!
User avatar
Welsh Halfwit
Posts: 14121
Joined: Sun Mar 17, 2013 3:09 am
Location: Wales, a luverrly land with noisy neighbours.

Re: The Loper:- Exploratory

Post by Welsh Halfwit »

A captain's job is never done...

Part 52

Mr Morale.

Hawle sat back in his chair and thought to himself of how things had changed over the last few days. But now he had to look for the future and chase after his own distress buoy before it alerted the Council to a problem that had, hopefully, been dealt with. It made little sense for them to send in a battle fleet with a single diplomat now. It needed a fleet of diplomats and a battleship. Groal had reported in from the Bellaphron, where he’d based himself temporarily to make sure the engines didn’t fall apart as they had very few qualified engineers who could remember how to operate a laser spanner. Grovan was still on the Fallir, standing in as the Commander for the ship, with the actual Officer in charge being his second, just for now. They were giving Lieutenant Keele as much actual command responsibility as they could but he still needed to get back into the swing of things. Plus it gave Grovan a taste of command. Hawle had no wish to lose the Canine but he understood that, unless something happened to him or Raven, Grovan had no chance of promotion aboard the Loper. He was waiting for the Collian to approach him about it. At some point. In the next few years.

Sarah Chapston slid back into her seat after a couple of Ham sandwiches and urped up an aftertaste of coffee. She’d tried a different blend during the break and she was certain it would double as treacle flavoured toffee in it’s condensed state. It hadn’t been unpleasant but it had given her a sense of gas. In a way she was happy to head back to Talvary station as it gave her a chance to see Polva again but, as a navigator, she was never happy to retread familiar routes and she HATED going back the same way she’d come but, for now, it was a necessary evil. Groal had requested the direct route back as he didn’t rate testing the old explorer class ship’s engines over velocity 2 warp and there were fewer things to hit on this course. She supposed it made practical sense.
“Chappers,” said a voice from behind her.
It hauled her out of her reverie and she turned in the chair to face Hawle. He looked like he was still half-asleep to her. But yesterday had, apparently, been a long one for him. “Yes, sir,” she replied.
“Have you charted a course back to the Warren?”
She knew from previous occasions that ‘the warren’ referred to Talvary and she nodded. “Aye, sir. Ready to hop on command.”
“And,” he asked, “does it closely match the course I suggested?”
She pulled up a screen for him to see the plotted course. “Oh, absolutely, sir. Just one diversion to avoid a small asteroid field sir.”
Hawle sighed. “I suppose we should avoid them,” he agreed. “Even if they’re potentially interesting…”
Chapston got the impression he was pleading with her without actually saying anything. “I… suppose we could pick up some material for the replication machines on the Bellaphron if we stopped by,” she mused.
“Excellent! Just what I had in mind!” Hawle grinned at her.
Knowing full well he was… probably… lying, Chapston grinned back and flipped the map screen to where his original plot was. Once a pilot, always a pilot, she supposed.
“Dawton,” Hawle asked, “get me a line to the Bellaphron, would you?”

A few moments later, Hawle saw streaked lines across the screen that had Commander Halriss half hidden behind them. Even with the distortion, he could see the expansive bridge of the goliath vessel spreading out behind the Officer and he wondered how his bridge looked from their point of view. Cramped, possibly. “Can you hear me, Commander,” he asked.
<”You are coming through, ssir,”> Halriss replied, through the static.
“We’re going to send you the course in a moment, Commander. We’re going to stop by a small asteroid field on the way to pick up some supplies for your industrial machines.”
<”That’ss hardly needed, ssir,”>
“Every ship has a budget these days, Commander. We’re supposed to be exploring. If there’s anything interesting, we’ll keep it. Plus it’ll give you a little more time to run things in and get back up to scratch. We’ll be setting off in about an hour if your engines are up to it.”
<”I’m told we’re at sseventy five percent charge, ssir.”>
“I was hoping for more like eighty by now but I suppose you’ve had to get a lot of lights on. You might as well start the countdown in five minutes. Set it for an hour. We’ll do so here and contact the Fallir. Loper out.” He instructed Dawton to contact the clipper with the message and headed off the bridge as Raven stepped in.

Hawle caught up with Maze near the fighter bay and called the Raitchian to a stop. “Flight leader,” he said, “I need a word.”
She snapped to attention. “Yes, sir?”
“Stop doing that, Maze. You’ll put your back out.” He waited until she’d relaxed. “I understand you’re looking for a morale boost for your pilots?”
“No, sir,” Maze said, wondering where he’d got that idea from. “They’re all content right now.”
“Good, good,” Hawle said, “I thought they’d need cheering up.” He held out a box containing something he’d just had replicated. “This ought to do it,”
Maze looked at it, clearly confused. Then some of the confusion lifted as she saw the name. “Oh…” She smiled. “That might be something, yes, sir.”

The pair of them entered the flight deck and Hawle made his way over to the old Mk iv fighter. “Been a long time since I saw one of these fly, Maze,” he told her, seemingly ignoring the pilots and deck crew. “Still looks good as new, doesn’t she?”
“Well, almost,” Maze ventured, “there’s a spot of rust under here.” She pointed to a tiny area under the left wing.
Hawle bent down and looked at the spot. “Why so there is.” He stood upright and called the Chief over, loudly enough to gain everyone’s attention.
The Older Feline sauntered across, wiping his hands on a rag that he thrust into a back pocket. “Sir,” he asked carefully.
“Well,” Hawle said crossly, “I WAS going to ask what you were doing going out in a rusty ship but now,” he added, tapping his foot until Maze got into place with the box, “I want to know why you’re improperly dressed!”
“I..I…”
“He’s looked over the records from the shuttle battle, Chief,” Maze said, holding out the box whilst Hawle positively shrunk a few centimetres and dropped the scowl into a grin. “And he totted up the numbers.”
“Four in your case, Chief,” Hawle added. “Four enemy craft downed. Added to the seventeen you got before you retired that’s..?”
“Twenty-one,” Maze finished, opening the box to reveal a small brooch with two Starlancer Wings against a blue circle background. “Qualifies you to wear the ‘Space Ace’ pin.” She must admit, she enjoyed watching his jaw drop at the sight of the award and the applause ringing around the bay before Hawle stepped forward to offer a handshake.
Jarra still couldn’t think of anything to say but mutely accepted the handshake before Maze pinned the pin to his overalls. “Th..th...thank you, s...si...sirs…” he stammered.
“Take him for a cup of tea, Maze,” Hawle advised. “The rest of you get back to whatever you were doing,” he added, heading towards the door but giving a flamboyant bow as he did so. “I have to go spread joy to the rest of the ship.” He sighed and turned. “It’s a Captain’s job, after all.”
Commander Hawle. U.S.C. Loper. By the talented DDeer.
Kilo - 2-8-3-9-10-2-5
Kilo
Leslie – 4-6-4-5-6-9-7
Leslie
David Campbell - 7 – 8 – 9 – 5 – 4 – 4 – 6
Corp Davidstow 6 - 6 - 7 - 3 - 6 - 6 - 5 (reactions 7 Combat 9)
User avatar
Welsh Halfwit
Posts: 14121
Joined: Sun Mar 17, 2013 3:09 am
Location: Wales, a luverrly land with noisy neighbours.

Re: The Loper:- Exploratory

Post by Welsh Halfwit »

Part 53

Reverse course

“Everything near ready, Sarina,” Hawle asked the intercom, picking himself up of his sofa. He’d dropped in to pick up one of the few real books he owned. It was an old tome from Sallac about a Warren’s never ending attempts to garner financial stability and power. It was a tale of endeavour, profit, challenge, loss, revenge and retribution that he’d never managed to get past page 100 of. It was the sort of thing debated endlessly by critics and academics and, to some, it increased their level just being seen with it. Hawle didn’t quite believe that, of course. But he’d never quite let the thing go to the charity shop.
<”Of course,”> Raven replied, having relayed the question to Chapston <”We’re ready to go. The last shuttle from the Fallir just arrived so they’re locking it down.”>
“Right. I’ll be up now,” Hawle added. He figured he’d take the book with him. He might actually make page 120 this time. He opened the door…

...and found Elena Davees waiting for him, a small bag by her feet. “Sorry, Aldair,” she said, her thumb still a second away from pressing his door’s buzzer. “I came over to speak with Una and someone told me you were in your quarters so…”
Hawle looked the Pekan over to judge how much of that was true and how much absolute flannel. Being a politician, she had some natural resistance to his mental glare and he had to accept that some of what she’d said was true. “You do know it’ll be a few days before we can send you back to the Fallir,” he asked.
“Yes, but there were things that couldn’t be discussed over the intercom so I needed to be here. I was hoping you could, er, put me up?”
Hawle considered. “Well,” he mused, “there’s a ‘c’ class cabin going spare, I suppose. I can get that assigned to you temporarily.”
She smiled. “Thank you.”
He led the way towards the bridge. “I’m not great at being hunted, Elena,” he warned as she followed him, having picked up the bag.
“And I’m not hunting,” she replied. “Now I’m just settling in somewhere near you.”
“I suppose I can take that,” he told her, giving her an optimistic smile. “What did you need to talk to Colleen about anyhow?”
“Back pay,” Elena said automatically. “The crew would rather like some and to be allowed to stay on the Fallir. No repostings. I know Colleen can’t guarantee things but she could help. And,” she admitted sheepishly, “the room I have is very small…”
Hawle chuckled. “Sneaky,” he admitted. “Very sneaky. You get to do the business and get a bigger place.” He shook his head. “I suppose I should have offered but I assumed you’d be needed more over there than here. I’ll have Match take you to your temporary room after you’ve spoken with Una.” He gave her a last look just before entering the bridge. “Dinner at the canteen this evening?”
Elena gave a slight skip on the way into the bridge. “Nineteen Hundred?”
“Hmm,” Raven said, looking over her shoulder at the pair.
“Uh… steps for today,” Elena fibbed, holding up her wrist. “Found my fitness tracker where I’d left it.” She stood to, close by the junior ambassador, as Hawle sat in his command seat. “Dawton, give me comms with the Fallir and the Bellaphron, would you?”
His communications officer complied and they soon had radio contact with the others.

Elena looked almost sanguinely at the scene on screen. Dozens, if not hundreds of ships that she’d been told about by scattered inhabitants of the complex over the last year and a half of hard times. She could pick out a few that had been described in such detail that, looking at them for the first time, she could tell who they belonged to. The angular craft of the Vinocci, the squat, ugly, boulder of the Yasseran. The sleek spike of the Unora. And, behind than, the Varkonian world. A grey/yellow sphere with patches of watery blue. She wondered how she could have such hostile feelings towards such a beautiful thing. Then she recalled all the events that had unfolded on it and her feelings became clearer.
“OK,” Hawle said, dragging her back to the here and now, “is anyone else sick of looking at this place?”
<”Affirmative, sir,”>
<”Abssolutely!”>
Hawle clapped his hands together. “Then let’s put it in our rear view mirrors and go. Bellaphron, you have the lead. Fallir, fall in port side of her, we’ll take starboard. Take us up to warp capacity one at your leisure, Bellaphron. Out.” Dawton cut the line. “Chappers, I can’t be bothered to change the view on screen so turn us about, would you?”
“Aye, sir,” Sarah replied happily, having got quite bored of looking at the same view for several days now. She engaged the port side forward thrusters and the starboard ‘reversing’ ones to turn the ship away.
Elena felt her spirits rise as the ship pointed towards the stars of home. Cana was out there somewhere. She stepped forward and, without really thinking about it, leaned on the back of Hawles’ chair. “I look to these stars every night,” she said. “I’d just about given up hope of ever seeing them up close again.”
“You’ll be travelling them in a few days, Elena,” Hawle replied as the Bellaphron began to edge into sight on the screen. “Keep us out of their way for the moment, Chappers. Start us up to matching speed when she’s halfway through.”
“Aye, sir.”
“Elena, I think you needed to chat with Colleen? The conference room’s available to you for as long as you need.”
The Collian looked over at the Pekan. “Shall we,” she said patiently, leading Elena towards the designated room.
After they’d gone and Chapston had ‘started the engines’, Raven leaned over to Hawle. “She’s totally after you, boss.”
Hawle nodded, the curl of a smile on his lips. “I’d noted,” he said. “But, for all I know it could be just because I was the first helmetless Officer she saw. If I’d sent you down, for all I know, you might have gotten the welcome.”
“So you’re not interested?”
“Never said that,” Hawle replied, “but I’ll not be hunted. And she is a looker, even after 18 months down there.”

Over on the Bellaphron, Groal kept his ears open as the engines groaned. He’d given himself a crash course on the old computer systems (with help from Winsome) and detailed Officers to do what they could remember how to do and helped those new to the job learn what they could do. Even now the power situation wasn’t completely restored but, as some of the power systems included a fairground for the children, there were items they didn’t need back up to normal just now. And there weren’t enough people who knew how to safely run the fairground either so that was out. Although they had raided it for all the soft toys that were still available for the children. Now the power was humming and he had to remember that the Cobalt Mark IV’s weren’t the Mark XIV’s that the Loper had. They were slower and, probably, noisier than he was used to. But he couldn’t react. Some of the others looked scared by the level of noise and he reasoned that it was all new to them for the second time. The old Celican he’d begun to think of as his ‘second’ reported in. “We’s up to ninety percent, sir,” the Lieutenant said.
“Don’t call me ‘sir’, Corvis,” Groal replied, “I work the same engine you do.” He twigged to what he’d just said. “And it’s YOUR engine. I’m just helping until you’re up to it, yeah?”
“So yer gonna be here a few months,” Corvis chuckled, interrupting it with a string of coughs. “Lungs ain’t what they were,”
“Take your time. We need a team to secure the bulkheads in section 17, deck 12. Who’d you suggest?”
His ‘second’ thought on the problem. “Best repair crew we had was Baker. Hitchen was in Baker. Suggest him, Raws, Waldun and Pok. He’s got the brains and can pitch in. He’s still koff young enough and the others are still young and strong.”
“Sounds fine,” Groal said, “I’ll leave that to you, Chief.” he emphasised the last word as he pulled himself up to check on the engine again.

“I take it you’re Karlavan,” said a voice from the door. Groal looked over to where a Brown Lappinean with gold touches was leaning against the door with a Youngling in her arms, fidgeting in his new clothing.
Groal hopped down carefully and approached her. “You must be Mercy,” he said, holding out a hand.
She flinched away from it for a second, then took it in her thin but strong arm. “Good to meet you.”
“Well,” Groal said, “I’ve only been here a day or so. I was going to meet you at some point, I promise.”
She put on a wry grin. “Even though you’re ‘just friends’ with my mother, hmm?” She winked.
Groal looked innocent. “Hey, it was her idea. And this,” he asked, carefully pointing to the long eared Mican on her arm, “has to be Rodan?”
“Rodin,” Mercy corrected. “Not bad on remembering though. Mum says you’re a charmer and, watching you for a few minutes, I’d imagine you could be.. But a certain threat needs to be made, right?” She lowered her tone and peered at him.
“And understood. I never want to. I like her a lot.”
“Figured that,” she said as Rodin leaned over and sniffed Groal experimentally. “Smellican,” he said.
Commander Hawle. U.S.C. Loper. By the talented DDeer.
Kilo - 2-8-3-9-10-2-5
Kilo
Leslie – 4-6-4-5-6-9-7
Leslie
David Campbell - 7 – 8 – 9 – 5 – 4 – 4 – 6
Corp Davidstow 6 - 6 - 7 - 3 - 6 - 6 - 5 (reactions 7 Combat 9)
User avatar
Amazee Dayzee
Posts: 25880
Joined: Tue Aug 12, 2014 6:24 pm

Re: The Loper:- Exploratory

Post by Amazee Dayzee »

Really have enjoyed the way this chapter was written! Wonderful work!
User avatar
Welsh Halfwit
Posts: 14121
Joined: Sun Mar 17, 2013 3:09 am
Location: Wales, a luverrly land with noisy neighbours.

Re: The Loper:- Exploratory

Post by Welsh Halfwit »

Time for some introspection.

Part 54

Random thoughts.

The better part of forty-eight hours passed quietly as the three ships slid towards the small asteroid belt that Hawle wanted to examine and loot, having only had to stop twice to get the Bellaphron going again. The first time was a computer glitch they needed to sort out and the second was an engineering necessity. Commander Hawle had authorised Groal to start directing power to the weapons systems but just enough to deal with any stray rocks that might head their way and he’d needed to slow power to the main drives until he could realign the power. It had taken the best part of three hours but now the huge ship could protect itself against small asteroids if it’s shielding failed – and Groal wasn’t rushing to test those either. He’d taken a room a little way down from Salla and her family and had spent some of his downtime in the lady’s company – often fixing things that malfunctioned in her quarters and her daughter, who lived a little ‘upship’ with her mate. Groal was hopeful he could be offship before the remaining ship’s cleric got the chapel up and running as he was beginning to think she was looking towards him as the one to stand in and ‘give her away’ at any ceremony. He’d do it but it wasn’t something he was exactly looking forward to. It was up there on his fears list, just under ‘run into a moon’. He’d relaxed with them on a couple of occasions, just passing time and watching films he’d seen thirteen years ago on public vidscreens that had been ‘next in line’ for Salla to watch. He’d passed the old Lappinean a muzzle before they started the first and she’d looked at him with surprise. Ten minutes in, she’d directed Mercy to strap it on him to stop him spoiling the action on-screen. He’d relaxed as Salla had, putting his arm around her shoulders as she rested against him on the uncomfortable sofa. Mercy had glanced at them but said nothing. Perhaps she was just glad one of her friends had taken the two ‘little monsters’ on for the evening.

Elena had spent most of the last twenty four hours putting the case of the Fallir and backpay to Colleen Una and, not for the first time in the last eighteen months, felt like she was gaining traction with negotiations. She’d managed to get the Collian to agree to support the crew staying together if they wanted after an entire quarter of leave and evaluations, both physical and mental. She’d checked on Lieutenant Tastan in the brig and made sure they were treating him well, down to the lower portion of the security forcefield ‘fuzzing over’ slightly when the toilet was out of the wall. She’d chatted with the Captain over a moderate dinner served up by the Mican who, if her old finances still existed, she might try to buy out of contract when they got back. For herself, she wasn’t sure where the future lay. She might try to get back to her old colony and try to represent them again or she might, as Una had said, get into one of the colonies in the patch. They were always looking for good talent to join their ruling councils and she probably still knew a few people. And, of course, she had that other reason for staying. He wasn’t quite like any other Lappinean she’d met, especially down there in the complex. Sure, they’d treated her well, especially after finding out she had negotiating skills – and Halriss had ordered them to treat her well anyhow – but she’d thought that none of them looked beneath her smoking hotness to the woman she was underneath. They’d all thought of her as something to have; at least the better looking ones had. Hawle didn’t seem like that. She’d practically kissed his brain out on their first meeting and he was still looking to take it slowly. She liked that. He was trying to see the woman, not the conquest. Of course, she decided as she looked in the mirror and brushed down her dress, it didn’t hurt that the outside was smoking hot too. She checked the time on her wrist device and headed from her room.

On the bridge, Sarah checked her course again. Yup, she was on course. They all were. On a course for the asteroid field, that they’d be pulling up by in about ten minutes and, then, onward to Talvary station and the handsome, gorgeous, Polva. She fancied she was in love with him in a way she’d not been since the first time in Bristol. That time had ended badly and the divorce had gone worse, leading her to leave the galaxy to rebuild her life. Now she had extreme feelings for the Russellian and he quite clearly had feelings for her but what if it went the same way as last time? Did she want to do that to him? Would it affect her friends and relationships here on the Loper? She knew how friends took sides and thought it was strange the places brains went to when they were just waiting for the next thing to happen. A half hour back it had her seeing a dot on the extreme long range sensors, just for a few seconds, then it was gone. She’d checked the sensors for a half hour after that, just to be sure, but there had been nothing. So she’d gotten back to thinking about her travels. She’d gone far and wide over the last nine years, Felis and Cana and even Osira aboard the ‘Acherona’ and the ‘Kaslakin’ and then she’d gotten the job out here, with this unusual Commander. She quite liked the patch, with it’s mesh of high tech worlds and wild west frontiers. Worlds with expansive plains of grass and others with ice cliffs ten miles high and tundra deserts. She wondered if her renewed ability to slip back into something like love had anything to do with her renewed desire to actually stop running? Life was strange like that. She’d come to the understanding that she WAS, indeed, ready to make the step if he was. She had people here who could help her not make a total fool of it.

Hawle was thinking of bath bombs. The worst personal trouble of being shipbound was the fact that you could never exactly have a bath in your quarters. There just wasn’t room or time for them. There wasn’t time to fill them – nor, really, the water to do it anyway. There was never the time to just slip into one and relax for a half hour. There was no way to just play with the toy boats that he absolutely, definitively, didn’t have. He sometimes let his mind drift to these sorts of things when he’d just had little meetings in his office and he’d just had a little meeting with Hav. The Mican/Wolf guard had been to see him with his little friend, Cally. He’d asked for permission to try and adopt her. He’d laid it out. She had no family on the Bellaphron or the Fallir, he’d look after her and make sure she was educated. He knew the problems she’d face from her crossbreed nature, she liked him and she wanted to stay. The girl had nodded as he’d said that. She was still almost pulling away from Hawle, though, and he reckoned she’d be hiding again if she hadn’t been holding his hand. He’d had to explain that, even though she didn’t have family THERE, that didn’t mean she didn’t actually have family. When they got back to Talvary they’d have to start looking for any family members she still actually had and they’d have priority on taking her in. He’d seen the worried look on her face and added that he had no trouble with Hav being made her guardian if Halriss and Jaqui didn’t mind. As it was Hav needed to pull a cot from storage, he supposed, and he could cross over to the Bellaphron to get some replicated clothes for her as the blue shirt and green shorts were quite dazzling. Then he’d made the girl finally grin by finding an eye wrap he had in his desk and popping it on to ‘protect his eyes’. Halriss had said ‘Fine, whatevver’ and Pangal had complained that she’d need to assign him desk duty for a bit. So there were going to be two kids on board. That brought added stresses. That brought him to the subject of relaxing soaks.

<”Raven to Hawle,”> the bridge said. <”We’re here.”>
Commander Hawle. U.S.C. Loper. By the talented DDeer.
Kilo - 2-8-3-9-10-2-5
Kilo
Leslie – 4-6-4-5-6-9-7
Leslie
David Campbell - 7 – 8 – 9 – 5 – 4 – 4 – 6
Corp Davidstow 6 - 6 - 7 - 3 - 6 - 6 - 5 (reactions 7 Combat 9)
User avatar
Amazee Dayzee
Posts: 25880
Joined: Tue Aug 12, 2014 6:24 pm

Re: The Loper:- Exploratory

Post by Amazee Dayzee »

Glad that we are seeing Elena's thoughts again and how she is falling in love with Hawle! Of course I already knew what her thoughts were and I read it before you posted it but it is still marvelous to get a look at it again!
User avatar
Welsh Halfwit
Posts: 14121
Joined: Sun Mar 17, 2013 3:09 am
Location: Wales, a luverrly land with noisy neighbours.

Re: The Loper:- Exploratory

Post by Welsh Halfwit »

Musical chairs...

Part 55

Rocks

Hawle sat in his chair again as the trio of ships came to rest in the middle of no-where. Distant stars gave little light but enough to pick out the edges of the asteroids that lay five thousand kilometres to starboard. “Someone enhance the brightness on that picture so I can see things,” he asked and Match adjusted the levels to increase the effect of illumination in the computer’s rendering on screen.
“Thousands of them,” Una breathed.
“Never believe the vids, Colleen,” Hawle advised lightly. “There’s always thousands and they’re rarely moving at any great speed.”
“I’ve seen asteroid fields before, sir,” she replied, lacking snark, “if they were moving at great speed they’d likely be rotating in the same direction or would have smashed each other to dust eons ago.”
“That and the fact they can’t orbit without something generating a gravitational field,” Raven contributed.
“Good point. Which is why we don’t like sending ships into them. Old ships used to generate such a force with rotational sections. Then they found that, within 100yards of small asteroids, they attracted them.” He leaned forward. “That’s why we’re scanning from here initially. Match,”
“Yes, sir?”
“Why aren’t you scanning?”
“I started whilst you were talking, sir,” the science station officer replied. He checked his readings. “According to this we have heavy traces of Gold, Nickel, Yarrelium and… Rhenium .” He breathed again. “Sir, there’s high Rhenium metals in there. A whole lot.”
Hawle turned around. “Talk to me like I were Captain Postain, Match. What’s Rhenium?”
Match thought on how to phrase this. “It’s one of the rarer metals, sir, and the apex metal in making efficient engines. They’ve got substitutes, yes, but they don’t come as easy as using the original. A lining a millimetre thick would supercharge the engines as much as the current centimetre thick linings do. It’s also a major catalyst for chemical reactions. Sir,” he said, “we need to get samples for the Council.”
“We also need it for the budget,” Hawle replied. “Back pay for the Bellaphron’s going to be ludicrous. Check the Engineering files, Match. See who’s best on the core drill other than Groal. Chappers, go get into a space suit and pilot a shuttle with Match and his chosen red shirt onto one of those smaller asteroids.”
“Me, sir?”
“They’re slow moving but I still need a good pilot to take the shuttle in and I have three. You, myself and Flight Leader Hardy. I need her in case of rescue ops and I’m not doing it. You’re up, Chappers. Time to stretch your legs a bit.”
She grinned wryly. “On an asteroid?”
“Well, I don’t want you wandering too far,” Hawle replied gamely, “you might forget where you parked.”

A few more sentences and Sarah was off and grimacing as Hawle himself took her seat at the helm. He was a decent pilot but that was her chair and her station and she knew she’d have to adjust the seat later. Still, she didn’t mind working with Match. The Raitchian was quite pleasant company at times, efficient and fond of Coffee so she was pretty sure the shuttle would smell of replicated Calderan Roast within a minute of starting out. There were worse smells in the universe. The Equinna Unus joined them on their way to the shuttle bay where the Chief would be loading the core drill mechanism onto the craft. What they’d essentially be doing was making sure of things. The ship cannons could easily be set to break the rocks apart but, without knowing if there was anything explosive in the core of the rock, careful drilling was, far and away, safer for the ship. Unus and the drill would cut into the surface whilst Match kept an eye on the scanners for build up of anything dangerous then Match would analyse the things brought up. If needed, she could then tow the rock out and either have it shot carefully into pieces or just take the lot over to the Bellaphron and her bays.

“She never sets this chair right for me,” Hawle complained as, behind his back, Raven eyed his Captain’s chair. Before she could move for it, Una had appeared in it, looking prim and as though she’d been there five minutes. She glanced graciously at the Burman, who glowered at her as Hawle spoke again. “Speaking of,” Hawle continued, “no fighting over my chair please. Whoever’s in it stays. Dawton, call Zowaix up to the bridge to stand in for Match, would you?”
“Aye, sir,” Dawton complied as Hawle set to watching the field and the sensors.
“Then shout to the other ships and tell them what we detected. Give them a rundown on what we found. Without Match’s unbridled enthusiasm.”
“Aye, sir,” the Human replied, as soon as he could get a word in.

The shuttle had picked one of the smaller asteroids to land on and Chapston came in on minimal power to avoid shifting the ground underneath them. Unus and Match would also buckle in to the rails in the shuttle’s main body so that the only thing that actually attached to the rock surface was the drill itself. That way there was, hopefully, minimal chance of disturbing the rock. “Tied in back there,” she asked.
<”We are,”> Match replied after Chapston donned her helmet. She engaged the system that started draining the atmosphere from the small craft and opened the door once it had all gone so Unus could move the drill into place and start the extraction.

Hawle watched them setting up from the bridge and wondered if he should have gone out there instead of Chapston. He was pretty sure that, if the team got into trouble, he’d rather have Chapston hauling him out than him doing it. But that was only because he remembered Chappers dexterity throwing the ship around in the asteroid field before the mission began. “Hello,” he muttered, flipping his attention back to the sensors.
“What’s the problem,” Raven said, before recalling who was at the helm, “uh, sir?”
“Something Chapston mentioned on the way out,” Hawle replied, switching the viewscreen to long range behind them. “She mentioned a sensor ghost that popped up a couple of times on the screen. A few times too many for me.” He peered at the screen. “Something’s out there. This time it’s not running, either. I think we need to go take a look...”
Commander Hawle. U.S.C. Loper. By the talented DDeer.
Kilo - 2-8-3-9-10-2-5
Kilo
Leslie – 4-6-4-5-6-9-7
Leslie
David Campbell - 7 – 8 – 9 – 5 – 4 – 4 – 6
Corp Davidstow 6 - 6 - 7 - 3 - 6 - 6 - 5 (reactions 7 Combat 9)
User avatar
Amazee Dayzee
Posts: 25880
Joined: Tue Aug 12, 2014 6:24 pm

Re: The Loper:- Exploratory

Post by Amazee Dayzee »

Awesome work on this as always! I'm gonna be really sad when it ends.
User avatar
Welsh Halfwit
Posts: 14121
Joined: Sun Mar 17, 2013 3:09 am
Location: Wales, a luverrly land with noisy neighbours.

Re: The Loper:- Exploratory

Post by Welsh Halfwit »

What, you thought getting home would be simple?

Part 56

The Ship

The Loper moved towards the interloper at full thrust after advising the Fallir to stay where she was, protecting the Bellaphron, as they investigated. The ship put her shields up, the electromagnetic effect flashing briefly in the faint light. Hawle ordered Dawton to start trying to hail the interloper and open a dialogue as the sciences officer sent out probes and scans. He also transferred immediate command over to Raven as she sat in command so he could concentrate on driving the bus. The small vessel still stood out against a sea of nothing on the scanner and Raven had made her first command. She sat in Hawle’s command chair as Una ‘pouted’ and moved aside.
“Five degrees astern, Mr Hawle,” Raven jibed, making Hawle grumble as he slightly adjusted their heading. “Any response to our hails, Dawton,” she asked.
“No, ma’am,” he replied. “I’m sending it out on all known frequencies.”
“All you can do bar sending it out on unknown frequencies. As we got into trouble for not checking those a couple of weeks back, try sending on those. Unless you already have.”
“Have indeed, Ma’am,” the Human replied. “The unknown is now known.”
“Commander is preferred to ma’am when I’m on the bridge, Dawton. Or Raven.”
“Of course, Ma...Commander.”

The ship was angular, pointed even. A black stripe across the metal of it’s nose spoke too much of a bridge to be where the bridge was for Hawle’s liking. It had three notable weapons generation points, two nodules either side of the black stripe and a multi directional bar on top, set into a semi circle. It tapered off to either side and the usual Captain of the Loper guessed that the engines were stored behind these tapered sections where, unless his guess was wrong, the ship had more armour. That could indicate the engines put out radiation that needed to be restrained by thicker armour or it might just be another misdirection. “What do you suggest, Captain,” Raven asked behind him.
Without turning, he offered his advice. “I think it’s curious, Raven,” he said. “”It’s not sure about us. Transmit the Galactic Standard language pack then ask it a simple question. ‘What do you want’?”
“Can we ask them who they are,” Una queried.
“That’s a second question type of thing,” Hawle replied. “Never ask a name on a first question. You should know that.”
“Right,” she nodded, “right. Closed questions always bring terse answers. Leave things open and others say more.”
“There’s more connecting the worlds of command and diplomacy than it seems,” Hawle stated. “Is that thing moving?” He checked the scanners. “It is indeed,” he added as the ship glided towards them and over the port bow.
“After her, uh, sir. Zowaix,” Raven asked as Hawle laid in a pursuit course and engaged, “did you get any good scans on her?”
“She’s putting out theta radiation,” the Brockian replied, watching the screen even as he tapped away on the keys. “It’s preventing us getting much information from inside the ship but I can tell their hull is Duranium Ore, like the Osirian use. It doesn’t match their engine output though.”
“Fine, fine.” Raven thought on what Hawle would do next. She could almost see Aldair glaring at her out of the back of his own head. She’d forgotten something… OH! “Dawton,” she said, “get the Fallir to come about and intercept.”
Hawle smiled to himself. He’d been almost about to remind her… Just a second more and he would have. Probably.
“Put us between them and the Bellaphron, Helm,”
“On it, ‘boss’.” Hawle pushed the Frigate to a higher velocity, from half to three quarters and brought the Loper in around the unknown vessel in a wide arc to be facing her by the time they were in position. Reverse thrusters were then engaged to enact a ‘holding position’ in front of the Bellaphron. The ship shifted it’s position and Hawle did likewise with the Loper. “You know,” he said, “I’m betting they can hear us. They’re just not talkative. Mind if I speak with them, Raven?”
The Burman raised a futile hand. “At least you’re asking. On you go, sir.” She glanced at Dawton, who nodded that he had things ready.
“Attention, unknown ship,” Hawle announced, “we are on a peaceful mission. We have no intent to engage in combat but, to be quite frank, your current actions are skeeving us out and, if you don’t stop, we will have to defend ourselves. Out.”
Dawton cut the line before Una could ask her question. “Excuse me,” she said, “but what does ‘skeeved’ mean?”
“Haven’t a clue,” Hawle replied. “It’s something Sarah says from time to time. I think it means ‘creepy’ or something. One day I might ask her.”
“Sir,” Dawton said, “we’re being hailed…”
Hawle clapped his hands together. “And now they’re calling to ask as skeeved isn’t in the pack we sent. Right on cue.” An ear dipped. “It IS the alien hailing, yes?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Put them on,” Raven ordered.

An artificial voice came through the speakers. Cold and emotionless. <”These stones. Ours. We claim now. You. Leave.”>
Claim jumpers, Hawle thought. Ruddy ‘eck, they were dealing with a pirate. “We’re not taking much,” he assured them. “We merely need some of the ore to make vital things. We should be able to get enough from the one asteroid.”
“<You leave.”>
Raven muted the connection. “Why are we negotiating with this thing, sir? We outmatch it, especially if the Fallir helps us.”
“We’re looking to avoid combat, Raven,” Hawle reminded her. “Plus,” he added, turning back to look at the ship on the screen, “what’s that saying Chappers says sometimes? ‘A sprat to catch a Mackerel’?”
Raven sighed and sat back. “You think it’s a scout ship?”
“Could be. Pop us back on?” Dawton nodded. “We are not interested in staking a claim here. We will not contest a claim but we will finish the work with the one asteroid. If you attempt to stop us, we will attempt to stop you. When we have the needed materials, we will go. That is our standpoint. We would be interested in opening discussions on formal relations between…”
<”No,”> the signal said, before cutting out.
“Sirs,” Zowaix said, “I think they’re charging weapons...”
Commander Hawle. U.S.C. Loper. By the talented DDeer.
Kilo - 2-8-3-9-10-2-5
Kilo
Leslie – 4-6-4-5-6-9-7
Leslie
David Campbell - 7 – 8 – 9 – 5 – 4 – 4 – 6
Corp Davidstow 6 - 6 - 7 - 3 - 6 - 6 - 5 (reactions 7 Combat 9)
User avatar
Amazee Dayzee
Posts: 25880
Joined: Tue Aug 12, 2014 6:24 pm

Re: The Loper:- Exploratory

Post by Amazee Dayzee »

This all escalated a bit quickly now didn't it but that seems to be par the course! Hopefully Hawle has a plan up his sleeve!
User avatar
Welsh Halfwit
Posts: 14121
Joined: Sun Mar 17, 2013 3:09 am
Location: Wales, a luverrly land with noisy neighbours.

Re: The Loper:- Exploratory

Post by Welsh Halfwit »

Part 57

Holding actions.

“Charge ours,” was all Raven said in response. On her display she could see that the Fllir was turning to face the opposition and the Bellaphron was moving to try and counter, putting her rear shields up and circling slowly away. She figured the interloper was watching the Loper and friend rather than the bigger ship as they were the prevalent threat. The lights lit to ‘yellow alert’, bringing weapons up to full power in a split second and bumping the shields up to maximum. “Fighters to launch stations.”
“Hold on the launch, though, Raven,” Hawle remarked. “We made a move, let them make the next one.”
“Fair enough,” Raven said, just about agreeing with the Commander. She glanced at the scanner again and noted with some surprise that the Bellaphron had stopped side on to the incident. She wondered why, then it dawned. They’d stationed themselves directly between the unknown ship and the team on the asteroid, raising their shields on the threatened side with extra, transferred, power from the far side. Her anti-fighter weaponry was coming on-line too. There was no sign of the starboard main cannons though. She remembered that Hawle had told Groal not to charge those up but she’d had her suspicions that Groal would have ignored that request in some clever way since they’d left the Varkonian planet. But it seemed she’d been wrong.

“Something’s going on out there,” Sarah said as the Bellaphron cut the light from the distant sun by her movement. “I’m picking up signs of another ship. Can you hurry it up, guys?”
<”Doing our best,”> Match replied, checking the readings. <”It does look like this is a good one, Chapston. I’d need to make more examinations to be sure though.”>
“Can we take the asteroid in tow,” Sarah asked.
<”Conceivably,”> Unus said before Match could offer an opinion, <”but I’m not sure where we could land it. It’s too large for our bays.”>
“I’ve scanned the size,” Chapston advised. “We can get it in the Bellaphron’s bay with about twenty foot spare. I’m up for it if you are.”
<”I’d rather do it here,”> Match said, before seeing a flash of blue lightning strike the Fallir’s shields. <”But somewhere with shields is a fair idea.”> He hit the ‘fast release’ on the drill, jettisoning it from the assembly so Unus could just pull the apparatus in and close the door. As more flashes spotted space for bare seconds the cabin started repressurising as Chapston lifted off and took the asteroid in tow with a traction beam. She headed slowly for the Bellaphron. “Chapston to Bellaphron, come in.”
<”Halriss here, Chapsston,”>
“We’re coming in, sir. Starboard bay. We’re bringing the asteroid with us.”
<”You’re sseriouss?”>
“It’ll fit. But clear out the breakables?”
<”Will do.”>

The shot had hit the Fallir on her fore shields and dropped them to seventy percent. Both ships had started moving and firing on the opponent, looking to split their fire and stay out of the way of the forward cannons whilst bringing theirs to bear. Their fire impacted the hull of the ship and it sparked insistently for several seconds whilst the ship fired again. The shot skidded through the gap between the two ships and struck the Bellaphron’s shielded side, taking the power down to sixty percent. “She hit’s like a bulldozer,” Hawle remarked, shifting the Loper back in front of the ship. “But so do we.”
“Fire at will,” Raven remarked and the weapons officer fired. The ship in front of them shook under the impact of continual hits and Hawle wondered what the next move was.

It didn’t take long. The ship powered forward and upwards, twisting over the combat and towards the shuttle on the other side of the ship, dragging the asteroid towards…
Even Hawle jumped slightly as the unknown vessel was knocked for six by a blast from the Bellaphron’s topside weapons, sending it spiralling and sparking away from the combat and making it miss the shuttle and asteroid completely. In fact it’s own momentum was stopped by another asteroid when it crashed down onto it. Raven, for her part whooped. “Ha, ha! I knew it!”
Hawle decided he’d have words with Groal later but he’d also thought the Engineer would have had something up his sleeves. Not that he wore shirts with sleeves. “Permission to get us on the other side and closer to the asteroids, Raven,” Hawle asked.
“Go to it, Mr Hawle,” Raven advised and the ship wheeled to cross the top of the Explorer ship.
“Call from the Bellaphron,” Dawton called. “Commander Halriss wants us to know the guns didn’t like being fired much. Groal’s having to reroute power.”
“Tell him not to bother,” Hawle advised. “Get the engines and shields working best he can. Soon as the shuttle gets the rock aboard, leg it! We won’t be far behind!”
“Right, uh, ho… sir,” Dawton said, not totally certain he was taking the order from the right person.

The ship was struggling to free itself despite it’s damage as the Loper and the Fallir closed in from two different directions, the Clipper coming in under the Bellaphron in a move that Hawle knew was emblematic of Grovan’s tactics, indicating he’d been put in temporary command again. Part of Hawle’s feelings didn’t want Grovan to want more command opportunities after this, even though he knew the Collian was completely capable. “Come on,” he urged the opposition craft, “any time you want to give this up and sod off is fine with me…” The two Council vessels fired again as the ship forced it’s way clear of the asteroid and began to angle away through the field of floating rocks.

Sarah pulled the shuttle around as she neared the Bellaphron’s starboard shuttle bay and lined up, matching the big ship’s speed. The width of the aperture wasn’t the problem here as it stood a full thirty metres across and the asteroid was twenty metres. The problem was that the asteroid was almost as tall as it was wide and the height of the landing bay door was just twenty metres. The doors were fully open and the force fields down but Chapston was having to pull the rock through the gap into the voided atmosphere. It wasn’t something she wanted to rush. It wasn’t a repair bill she wanted. So she watched as the Asteroid got into position before she pushed the small ship forward. She watched, biting her lip, as the mighty rock crossed the threshold into the Explorer ship and she grimaced as she imagined it scraping the floor and walls behind her. She reasoned she must have succeeded as the doors began to close behind her and she pushed the thing over to one side slightly for the simple reason she needed the gap to get the shuttle back out later. She kept the gravity beam on until atmosphere was restored to the bay and she could lower it to the ground carefully. Then she lowered the shuttle to the deck, some way away from their ‘prey’. “Think we’re here for a bit, guys,” she said.
<”Why so,”> Unus asked, before being pushed sideways as the ship engaged her main engines.
“That,” she said.
Last edited by Welsh Halfwit on Tue Dec 01, 2020 4:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Commander Hawle. U.S.C. Loper. By the talented DDeer.
Kilo - 2-8-3-9-10-2-5
Kilo
Leslie – 4-6-4-5-6-9-7
Leslie
David Campbell - 7 – 8 – 9 – 5 – 4 – 4 – 6
Corp Davidstow 6 - 6 - 7 - 3 - 6 - 6 - 5 (reactions 7 Combat 9)
Post Reply