The King is dead...Long live the Queen

[Bossk]

YEA! After a severe bought of writers block, I have managed to squeeze out part 8. I am now happy with the direction of the story and all my own questions have been sorted. The style of this part is quite different from the others. It is the first time I have played with character dialogue, so please, let me know if there is any "off" bits, or parts that don't flow.

I hope the next part will be quicker to arrive than this one. As always....enjoy.

B

************************************************


The medical bay, like most other parts of the station, had not been used in years. There was a strange mixed smell of stale air and disinfectant. It reminded her of the hospital she found her self in all those years ago. Except it was him in the bed this time, not her. Their roles reversed. She was trying to save him. She had dragged him to the medical bay along the dark, empty corridors and treated his wound as best she could with the tools at hand. It was not a pretty sight, but he would live. For now at least. Taking the needle, she pushed it hard against his arm, puncturing his skin and injected the stimulant.

His eyes started to flicker open. The bright light above his face was the first thing he saw, but the pain of his chest was his first feeling. Hot, burning pain.

“It will pass� Jade said from the other side of the room. “At least you are alive. But if you don’t start giving me some real answers, I can arrange for that to change. I want to know who you are, why are you here, and what do you know about my parents?� He took a deep breath, turned to look at her and started to talk.

“Years ago, I was a gun for hire. I flew for whoever wanted my services, and had the money to pay me. I had no issues with what I was. I was a killer. Pure and simple. I asked no questions about the morals of the client or the target. If the credit was good and the risk worth it, then I would get the job done. It’s what I did and I was very good at it.�

“What changed? You get bored of killing innocent people?� Jade asked. Her contempt for him was clearly audible in her voice.

“A wise man, who always talked too much, once said that “Everything is relative�. You set out to find me and to kill me for vengeance, with only hearsay and rumour to back you up. Does that make you innocent? In the eyes of those who want me dead, who want the empire to collapse? Yes. But to my supporters, and the millions who are alive because of the actions I have taken, well, that’s a different matter.�
He looked at her for long seconds, but she did not respond. Instead she sat still and only stared at him.
“The Vonari were a threat to the whole galaxy. As well paid as hunting small time criminals and apparent “ace� pilots was, hunting and killing Vonari paid far more. Both the Alliance and Federation were willing to turn a blind eye to my past, as long as I put my skills to more, useful, tasks. For them it was simple numbers. They had beaten the Vonari once, long ago, but at a high price. Now they were facing them again, and on more than one front. They needed pilots who could stem the progress, and they did not care who got involved. They even supplied the ships and weapons. I was a state sponsored Mercenary, and so was your father�

Her eyes burned into him. “You lie. My father was no killer� Her teeth gritted together, she almost spat the words at him

“No, he was not a killer, but he was a Mercenary. I knew him before the war. He flew for one of the old clans, and soon became a Legend. He was one of the best pilots I had ever seen. I fought with him, and most of the other Legends at the Battle of Lost Rucker. It was your father that came up with the battle plan. After the war, every thing was different. Hundreds of pilots who had lost so much during the war had nothing to do. No where to go. Nobody to fight. They had known nothing but death and violence for so long that without it, they were empty. And they filled that by turning on each other. The destruction was on a massive scale. Weapons that had been designed for fighting the Vonari were turned against human pilots. Whole Clans were wiped out. Your father helped me bring that all to an end� A smile crept across his face and he let out a small chuckle. “It’s funny, you know. Almost poetic. A hired killer like me and a pilot like him are the only people who managed to bring peace to this place. Hundreds of years of war and all it took were a bounty hunter and a pilot. Who’d have thought it would be so simple�

Jade was sat down in a nearby chair. Riveted by his story. She fought back tears. Leaning forward, she rested her arms on her thighs. Desperate not to miss a word he said.

“Not long after you were born, we gathered here, on this station.� He moved his arms in a sweeping arc across his body. “One final meeting of the old clans. Of the old ways. This place, this station is where the empire started. This is where it all began. Some of the clan leaders helped me, but others were not happy with what I was doing. But they did not attack me. Instead they turned on your father. He was the architect of the defeat of the Vonari. He was the one who helped me unite the clans. He was my strongest supporter when I took control on this station. And when the time came, he was the one who paid the price.�

“So you are alive because he died for you? Is that it?� She was on her feet again, walking slowly towards his bed side, tears rolling down her face. “Are you saying that my life was ruined because of some misplaced sense of loyalty to you? You may not have killed my father yourself, but he IS dead, because of you. And that is just as bad. It should have been you, not him� She stood along side the bed. Fists clenched tight. “It should be YOU, NOT HIM. YOU!� She started to bang the bed with her fists, swinging wildly in despair.

“Stop!� he yelled. “Stop! Listen to me!� Grabbing her wrist he shook her hard. “It should have been me. They missed! Do you understand? They missed� They did not plan on killing him. They wanted him alive. They wanted to lay the blame of my death at his feet. With me dead, and you father accused of the crime, their way was clear.� She stopped struggling against his grip and looked at him.

“When he died, the outcry was loud and clear. They had killed an innocent man, the hero of Lost Rucker. Any support they had was gone. The creation of the Empire was assured. So they planted a seed in the mind of his young and impressionable daughter, and fled to the outer worlds. Waiting for that seed grew into an all consuming desire for revenge, to finish the job they could not do. They used you as a tool in their game� He let her go and she stumble back against the wall, slumping down on the floor. A soft chime though the ceiling speakers announced a message from BASIC.

“My lord. I have detected several jump portals in the surrounding space. From the type and quantity of the ship signatures, I believe that they have arrived. Shall I hail them?�

Breathing heavily, he sat up and struggled out of the bed. Jade got to her feet to help him. He looked at her with surprise. “What ever is happening here� she said “what ever you have been planning is going to involve me. I would rather know what is happening that be taken by surprise. At the moment, you are the only person who knows the whole story. So that means I am not letting you die.�
He searched her eyes and found what he was looking for. “Fair enough�.

Looking towards the mic pick up, he responded to BASIC. “Yes BASIC. Instruct them to dock in the main bay. Inform them of the debris left by our previous guests if you don’t mind. And let me know when the other turn up.�

“Yes my lord�

“Jade? That game I told you about? Well, it ends here, where it all began. I hope you are ready�

[Pyroka]

Finally! Some identities to the characters!!

also:

“A wise man, who always talked too much, once said that “Everything is relative�.

Only once? You may want to check the forums Bossk, pretty sure "Relative" comes up a lot. As in every single post. EVER....

Anyways, great job! Try not to take so long for part 9 please!:D

[SeeJay]

Excellent work as usual Bossk.

You really know how to keep us hanging here screaming for more.

[Scavenger4711]

Usual I'm not the kind of a reading person. But this Story is just mind blowing!!

Keep up your great work!! I can't wait for Part 9!!

[Maarschalk]

Finally! Some identities to the characters!!

also:

“A wise man, who always talked too much, once said that “Everything is relative�.

Only once? You may want to check the forums Bossk, pretty sure "Relative" comes up a lot. As in every single post. EVER....

Anyways, great job! Try not to take so long for part 9 please!:D

ROFL......That is relatively once......a relative figure of speech that is related to all others......:P:P:P:P. Nice catch Pyroka, I was reading this part so fast cause it was getting late and I was getting sleepy that I did not catch this quote and the refference the first time.

Anyways Bossk, great great very great job. Hanging relatively from the cliff again......:D:P

[Bossk]

In the words of a famous book - "Dont Panic"

Due to the Christmas break, I have not been able to get the latest part up yet. But fear not. Now that normality has returned, sort of, it will be here soon.

I am also working on another story as well, but that will be posted when it is finished, part by part, not be written a bit at a time. I think I lost my way mid way through this story, and have learnt my lesson.

Bossk

[Maarschalk]

Looking forward to reading more.....

[Bossk]

Rapidly moving towards it's conclusion. Here is part 9. One more part to go

When I post the final part, do you guys want me to consolidate the whole story into a new post, or is the current format OK. Please let me know.

************************************************

One by one, the ships breached the outer force barrier and entered the cavernous landing bay of Babylon 5. It had been many years since the deck plaiting had resonated with the sound of so many ships, but like a mother welcoming home her children, the station accepted each and every impact. As each ship touched down, automated docking clamps rose from the floor like caring arms and held them in place as they were moved into main hanger. In all, fourteen ships of all sizes and configurations were moved from the harsh vacuum of space into the warm heart of the station. Despite the number of ship, the hanger was still less mostly empty, having been designed and built to house more than four times the number currently docked.

Standing in the port masters office, he and Jade watched the slow procession through the large windows that looked out onto the bay. Now, and not for the first time since he was informed of their arrival, he felt nervous. He knew that some of those men and women now walking along the main passenger access way had tried to kill him. Had killed his friend, and Jades father. And he believed had sent the Vonari to try again. Some of those pilots were traitors to him, the Empire and to Humanity itself. Gathering his thoughts he turned towards Jade.

“Ready?�
“Yes�
“Trust me. Please.�
“Ok�

Together they turned and walked out of the office and followed the long wide corridor to the main conference suite. He paused outside the door and composed himself. Fighting against the pain in his chest, and stood tall, pulled the handle and strode into the room.

They sat, waiting. Why were they here? Why had the Emperor called them to this dead station? Sat at the back of the room, Braveheart looked around. He could see more than one person who would gladly put a knife into the Emperors’ back, and to think of it, his as well. He had been a supporter since the formation of the Empire, and had been very public in his support. When the empire was formed, he had agreed to uphold the peace and support it for the good of all. In doing so he had made enemies of friends and friends of enemies. He sat across the table from one such friend now.
“This is damn strange. Why are we here? And what are they doing here?� He pointed across the room to a group of men sat in the corner. “In the name of Vice, they would kill him in a second if they had a chance�

His friend fixed his eyes on the door at the far end of the room. “I don’t know, but we are going to find out soon enough. He is here. Out side that door.�

Brave strained his eyes to focus on the large metal door “He is? How do you know?�

At that moment the door opened and he walked in. All eyes followed him as he approached the platform. Behind him walked in a woman in an Imperial Pilots uniform. She scanned her eyes around the room, as if searching for something, someone.

“I know her� Gorf whispered to Warsign. “She’s a pilot in his personal squadron. She used to stop off at my old burger joint in Denab. Before they them all down for political reasons�
“Shut up� snapped Warsign in a hushed voice. “Stop moaning about you bloody burger joints. It wasn’t political reasons and you know it. They shut you down because you never cleaned your fryers and Eclipse died of food poisoning. When are you gonna admit it?�
“Moooo� said Gorf and began to sulk.

He held onto the podium, partly for effect, but he needed the support of its firm base. Jade stood behind and to the right of him. He cast his gaze across the faces in front of him and found the one he was looking for. Dengar sat at the front and had seen what most had missed. He was hunched against the podium and was grimacing slightly. He was hurt badly, but hiding it well. Years of being a bounty hunter had taught him to spot the little things. An emotion that could pass as concern crossed his mind, and then was gone.

He looked up and began to address the Legends. “I am your Emperor, and I have asked you all to come and be witness to the end. The end of years of torment and lies. Among you is the person reasonable for the assassination attempt on me. Before today, I had only rumours, clues, hearsay. But now I know. Now I know who is reasonable. This ends now�

Stepping from behind the podium, he drew his weapon in a single fluid motion and pointed it towards his target. “You lose� A single shot.


[Edited on 1-13-2011 by Bossk]

[Pyroka]

Yay! Very nice Bossk, can't wait for the finish.

LOL@ the fate of Eclipse, going to avoid eating at any Gorfburgers now.

[sundalo]

Lol masterful storytelling Bossk, loved it since the very beginning, and I love the Gorfburger portion with the ill fated Eclipse LOL, pure genius bro! Keep up the outstanding storytelling!

[Sidius]

One word:

"BRILLIANT!!!"

[sundalo]

Probably at a loss for words he was included in the storyline at such a pivotal moment LOL:P

[Maarschalk]

ROFL........ROFL........ROFL.......ROFL.........ROFL.......ROFL......ROFL..........Eclipse dying of a Gorf Burger?....Oh...my...................................................................

Awesome...good one Bossk.....I think you should not go online in MultiPlay for a while while Eclipse is on.....I don't think he is Dead.....:P:P:P:P:P:P

[Edited on 1-15-2011 by Maarschalk]

[Bossk]

Drum role please............
This is it. Part 10 of my first "quick story"
I am eternally grateful for all the support and comments I have had. I know now how Vice feels when he gets good feedback. If it was not for you guys I would have stopped at part 1.

This story has been a real learning curve for me, and I am pleased to say that I am working on a new project as I write this,...well, not as I write this, because I am writing this, not working on the project....but you know what I mean. Anyways!

I have one final question though. Well, a few really, but who's counting?

1. Do you want me to post a full, unbroken, re edited for mistakes version of this story, or leave it as is?

2. As a bit of fun, I would like to know who you guys think "The Pilot" at the end is. Just for fun mind you. Call it "market research"

3. Do you want other stories set in my vision of Evochron? Either prequel/sequel. Short story of "normal" guys living in the empire? Please, I really want to know what you guys would like to see next from the Empire.

Once again, thank you. And as always, I hope you enjoy.

**********************************************

Smooth, fast, deadly. The bullet left the pistol in a violent explosion of gas and heat that was gone as soon as it appeared. Spinning through the air, the small projectile sped towards its target. Unstoppable. Hitting the clothing, it slowed, but only slightly. Cutting though the skin and bone, it tore a path through the body and out, finally coming to a halt only when it hit the wall behind.

He stood there. Motionless. He saw the flash, not from in front as he expected, but off to his left. Glancing over, he saw the shooter melt into the crowd. His own weapon was unused, useless. Looking to his right, he could see the entry would in his shoulder. Could feel the heat of it, but strangely, there was no pain. Falling to the side, he stumbled against the podium, and then collapsed. The room span has he fell to the floor. He could hear the muffled shouts; see the rushing bodies around him. Dengar was up on his feet and on the platform before he even hit the floor. Jade had drawn her weapon and went down on one knee, searching, but the confusion in the room destroyed any hope of finding who fired. Turning towards the prone figure on the floor, she quickly assessed his wound. Blood was seeping from under his body, spreading slowly across the floor. She looked at Dengar, who had come to the same conclusion her.

He opened his eyes, and looked up. Spluttering and coughing, he lifted his head.

“This did not go as I intended it� he said with a slight chuckle. “Getting shot was not part of the plan.�

“Don’t move� Jade said, concern in her voice. “Who was it? Who did you see?�

He tried to sit up, but fell back to the floor. Tried again, and managed to lean against the podium. He grabbed Jade by the sleeve. “There are more of them here then I thought. I didn’t see who fired. You have got to stop them, you hear me. There are two!� He placed something in her hand and squeezed her fingers around it. She looked down and saw the photograph of her family, and a small data stick. “Consider this a gift, from me to you. Atonement for your life that was taken, and what should have been.� His breath was coming in short snatches. Life oozing from his body.

“What is this?� She asked.

“It is the keys to the empire. Take this to the Capitol on Sapphire, and give it to the council. Dengar will support you. He is a pain in the arse, but I’ve had never a truer friend� The blood flow was slowing. The heart can’t pump what is not there. He eyes flickered.

“No, you can’t die. You promised me. What about me? What am I to do know?�

“She is a stubborn as her father� he thought. “Jade� he said, the words falling out between gasps. His body trying to keep what was still working alive. “I’m sorry. I can’t help you any more. But I can tell you this. The man who killed your father is in this room. You have never been closer to the truth. And with what you have in your hands, you can do as you wish. The entire resources of the empire are at your disposal.� He smiled “It’s the perks of the job!�

“This was your plan, wasn’t it? You knew you would die on this station.� The tears were running down her cheeks.

“Meeting you was not part of the plan. I wanted to take the easy way out. Dengar was going to deliver this to you after I had done what was needed. But I am glad I did. I always knew you would turn out OK in the end. I did this for you. I did this for the only reason there is…..� the words trailed away. His eyes shut.

Romulan looked on blankly. He had done his job. Done what he was asked. Slowly he turned away from the chaos he had caused and walked towards The Pilot whose life he had just saved. “She knows about you now.� He looked over his shoulder and gestured to the crowd on the platform. “She is going to hunt you and kill you. You can’t hide any more. Can’t hide behind a fiction of death, and you can’t control me any more. Our debt is paid. What ever happens, your life as you know it is over! I hope it was worth it!� He placed the gun in The Pilots hand and left the room.

Epilogue

Beep…beep…beep
The medical alarm woke him. Slowly, he opened his eyes. For a few seconds he was confused. Sluggish. Unsure of his surroundings. Then clarity

“How long has it been?� His voice dry and parched

“The damage was significant. BASIC was able to replace the lost blood, but you did not heal as quickly this time as you have in the past. You have been unconscious for 6 weeks.�

“6 weeks? I didn’t think I would live through this one. I’m getting old my friend.� He took a sip of water from the tube in his mouth “It worked then?�

“Yes� Dengar was sat across the room

“They accepted her?�

“Yes. She has put her new power to good use. The Legends have rallied around her. Condemnation for you assassination has spread across Evochron. The enemy are isolated and desperate. The fleet has mobilised against the new Vonari incursion encouraged by them, and are doing well. It is only a matter of time before they are defeated again, and then she will find him.�

“Vice help him when she does! See to it that she gets all the help she can.�

“Yes�

“I have just one more favour? Can you work on your conversation skills please? If I have got to spend my recovery time with an emotionless man like you, I think I’m going to kill myself all over again.�

Dengar looked at his friend. “Lizards.� He thought “Never happy!�

[Maarschalk]

LOL....Nice Bossk.
To answer your questions:

1. Leave as it is but maybe edit the errors. Because I think the comments in between are some times funny to read. Or leave as is and post the whole edited story as one at the end.

2. Which Pilot at the end? The one who shot you, that Romulan was protecting? or You who got shot?......LOL...:P:P:P:P
I think I know who the Pilot is that shot you.....but I will not spoil it for others and see what they come up with....:P

3. Keep it coming your Evochron visions are a great way of making this game a live.....

Thank you Bossk, I enjoy your stories very much.....not bad for a Lizard....10x better then the Geico Auto Insurance Lizard...and he is already very good.....LOL....:P:P:P:P:P

[SeeJay]

This story is really great work.
You got the gift of creating excellent cliffhangers all the way through the story.

1. Would be nice with a full story, edited for errors (no need) and maybe keep what
reader comments you like in between chapters.

2. The pilot in the end, is of course you, and the hitman. Hmm, I thought Eclipse for a while, but
he died of food poisoning. I do have a suspicion of who it is, but I'll keep it for myself for now.

3. Keep this kind of stuff coming in any way. Short stories of single "normal" guys would be fun.
Also to follow Jade as a Queen would be interesting.

Thanks a lot for this great reading. Looking forward to read your next project, whatever that might be,
as well. Keep up the good work and I'll see you out there!;)

[Pyroka]

Great job Bossk, and nice ending, didn't see the Rommie bit coming at all.


1. If it's not too much trouble, reposting it as one continuous story would be nice.

2. I would have to say that the pilot is Jade's father, just because I don't recall ever giving any hard proof that he is truly dead.

3. I agree with SeeJay, don't stop now.

[Edited on 1-25-2011 by Pyroka]

[warsign]

I finally found a chance to read this great story.
It was really good Bossk, thank you.

Nice feeling to find details about real pilots of Evochron in the story, was so much fun!

Yes, be aware of Gorf Burgers, I agree