Only then did he glance out the cockpit transparisteel viewports. Despite his Jedi training and experience, what he saw caused his heart rate to increase, and he swallowed quickly.
“At least we’re alive, still.”
Without taking his gaze from the scene outside, Kr-Ant replied, “Glad you’re back up and running, too. Strap in and help me with the diagnostics.”
Floating forward, Orrell pulled himself down into his seat beside Kr-Ant. Activating his own consoles, the most urgent alert flashed at the top of the damage readout. “Considering that asteroid field out there, I’d say we were pretty lucky. Aft hull armor is indicating a puncture, aft of the hyperdrive initiator, and the coolant lines have been pinched. The back-up hyperdrive appears okay, but the nav comp is still running its orientation computations. Which is odd. We must really be out in the boonies.”
Kr-Ant let Orrell ramble on, while he slowly steadied the heavy fighter’s multi-axis wobble. Gently easing in the maneuvering thrusters, the spinning slowed, and then stopped. Out of the right side, the Jedi suddenly spotted something that he had not noticed before, despite his force attenuation. “Okay, so where are we? I’ve got no threats on the sensors, but I’m bringing the combat systems online.”
“Nav comp still can’t make up its mind. That’s definitely not Gamorr; according to the calculations, we are further out towards the rim.”
“Well, let’s check it out. There’s something a little…..off, with this place.” And grabbing the throttle and control stick, Kr-Ant eased the throttle up slowly, and began picking his way through the massive asteroid field, to the planet floating beyond.
As they finally cleared the field, and passed near to a cluster of larger asteroids, four small fighters suddenly surrounded them. At the same time, a stern voice came over the common frequency, “Unidentified craft, you will power down your weapons, and follow us. Do you copy?”
Activating their comms, Kr-Ant replied, “Affirmative. Mind answering a few questions though?” While waiting for a response, Kr-Ant dumped all canon weapon energy into the shield secondary capacitors, effectively boosting them to two hundred percent of normal.
“We are Soma III security, and you will follow us down to the planet for processing,” was the terse reply.
Orrell commented quietly to Kr-Ant, “Processing, eh. I’m not sure I like the sound of that. At least we have a nav reference point now. I’m plotting an emergency hyperspace route out.”
“Wait,” the Jedi replied. “Just…..wait. There is some sort of force static around this planet. I can’t sense anything specific, either people or other biologicals. It’s definitely there, just that I can’t focus.” Glancing over at his companion, he grinned, “It would make a great place for Jedi to hide.”
*****
Processing merely entailed a brief and polite questioning period by the Dure-Lite port authorities, and then the two newcomers were free to leave. Returning to the small quarantine space dock, and their damaged prototype, Orrell began compiling a list of parts and things to do.
Grunting every once in a while against the heavier gravity, “I’m not sure what we can find here, but I’ll repair what I can. I can’t repair the main hyperdrive though; it’s melted beyond repair. I’ll need you to track down a replacement. Here’s a list of the minimum and maximum specifications that you’ll have to watch.”
Kr-Ant nodded, “Watch your back. I need to observe more of the locals to refocus my force senses, I think. I should only be gone a couple hours. Keep your commlink handy, in case either of us gets into trouble. Though, it looks like we have this spaceport pretty much to ourselves.”
“Good luck. Or should I say, ‘May the force be with you’?”
“It always is, even here.” And with that, Kr-Ant force-flipped over the permacrete security wall, and was gone. Orrell turned back to the heavy fighter, and began opening access panel after access panel, and reaching into his secret creation, making what repairs he could.
*****
As he wandered the streets, Kr-Ant passed another small building, when he unexpectedly detected a brief flash in the force. Careful to control his reaction, Kr-Ant stopped near a shop window, and scanned the area behind him both visually in the window’s reflection, and with the force. Gently at first, until he narrowed his search area. It was definitely coming from that building; it appeared to be a simple bar. And then, as quickly as it had appeared, the sensation was gone. Not just damped down or smothered, but completely gone.
Attempting to dampen his own force presence was difficult in this strange force static area, but he felt confident he was mostly successful. Only then did he turn around and slowly make his way towards the bar. Casually letting his left hand hang loosely near his hidden light saber, Kr-Ant stepped up to the door, and entered the darkened interior.
Glancing around causally before settling on a seat in the middle of the bar, Kr-Ant observed that most of the patrons were more concerned with their respective drinks than any newcomers, be they familiar or stranger. Requesting a simple water to start off with, Kr-Ant asked the bar tender if he might know of any reputable local starship parts dealers, or mechanics, and then specified he was looking for a hyperdrive replacement for a small ship.
After a moment’s silence, the bar tender grunted, “Maybe, but……..”
Kr-Ant silently slid several credits and the hyperdrive specs as provided by Orrell, over the counter casually. As the bar tender just as casually glanced down, Kr-Ant noticed his right eyebrow rise up just a little bit. Good, it was obviously a sufficient amount, but not too much to raise suspicions.
“Come back in a few hours, and I’ll see what I can come up with.”
Kr-Ant then ordered a mild local brew, and a short while later, left the darkened interior of the bar.
Returning to the small partitioned section of the spaceport the same way he left, he informed Orrell of the bartender’s comment.
“Well, I might as well come along with you, just in case there’s nothing exactly matching my specs.”
“Sounds fine. We still have about two hours, so we might as well get some more work done. What’s the ship’s status?”
*****
Monday, February 8, 2010
Gambit Inc.
GAMBIT INC.
This story is a sequel to "Tenric's Gambit" and takes place about 1 year afterwards.
I want to thank Jedi Ranger for his suggestion that we work together on a story. His storyline and characters fit nicely into Tenric's and I think the result is great.
As always I/we both look forward to and appreciate your comments and feedback.....
================================================================
Setting: The Somantus Asteroid Belt, Soma III & The Shaft / about 1 year after the events in “Tenric’s Gambit”
Part I: A Chance Encounter
“Get us out of here!”
“I’m trying but that last ion blast scrambled our hyperspace nav-comp in the middle of its calculations. It’ll take at least four minutes to reset! I guess we won’t be coming back to Bothawui any time soon; the Imps are everywhere!”
“We don’t have four minutes! And I seriously doubt we have one!”
The heavy fighter suddenly banked sharply to starboard, and even more suddenly, reversed course. The new heading took them straight at the pursuing Carrack-class cruiser.
“Are you crazy? They’ll get a tractor lock on us in no time!”
“Not if I have anything to say about it. Give me seventy percent of the shields forward, twenty aft, and throw the rest to the engines. I need more speed!”
The heads up display quickly indicated the instructions and been completed, and their relative speed indicator scrolled upwards another fifteen percent, clearly redlining the six brand new sub light engines. Suddenly four golden flares sprouted from the sides of the cockpit, and screamed forward towards the onrushing cruiser. And just as suddenly, the Z-100 prototype was surrounded by stretching star lines, and then the swirling blue and white vortex of hyperspace encompassed it completely.
*****
Orrell Varsin glanced up at his Jedi companion, and the prototype’s pilot, Kr-Ant Jooraw. “So, where are we going?”
The only immediate response was a simple shrug. Then, “What’s the status of our systems?” Only then did Kr-Ant return the engineer’s gaze.
Shaking his head, Orrell replied, “Tough to tell without actually putting down for a physical inspection, but the computers read most systems at one hundred percent. The nav computer is back on line, but could really use a proper tuning at a verified nav buoy. The sub light engines appear fine; shields and weapons are okay, though we are down four missiles.” It looked like the engineer was about to say something else, when his data pad beeped, and he held it up to read the display.
“I don’t need to force to know that expression, nobody would. What’s wrong?”
Still not looking back up, Orrell replied, “It appears that our primary hyperdrive sustained some damage in the battle, and is beginning to overheat. There is a short somewhere, and the hyperdrive coils have been overcharged. Wherever we are headed, we’re going to get there in a real hurry. If we don’t explode first.”
“Well, our last heading puts us on a rough course for Gamorr. Should we shut down the hyperdrive? This is the longest blind jump I’ve ever made.”
“That’s what’s really got me worried. I can’t, I’ve tried. All the safeties and overrides are scrambled or fused. Only a gravity well can stop us now. Unless……….” The engineer trailed off and began furiously entering calculations into his console.
Before Kr-Ant could inquire, their tiny world suddenly became total chaos. Both were thrown forward to the cockpit access hatch and were pinned there. At the same time, sparks began arcing from the hyperdrive computer at the aft of the compartment, and acrid smoke filled the air. What first started as a high-pitched squeal rapidly increased to a howling scream. Both men were unable to cover their ears or noses, as they were still pinned by a high gravity field. Had Orrell wanted to cover his face from the smoke, it would have been a pointless gesture, as he couldn’t breathe yet from the impact on his back.
As quickly as it started, it was all over. When they could breathe again, nearly every light and computer was not operational. Thankfully, it appeared that the basic systems still functioned, as they still had atmosphere, and the scent of incinerated electronics and hardware was quickly dissipating. But the artificial gravity had failed, too.
Grabbing a nearby rail, Kr-Ant steadied himself, and activated a ceiling emergency light. Spotting Orrell floating near the aft bulkhead, the Jedi gently reached out with the force, and pulled the motionless engineer to him. There was a small gash on Orrell’s forehead, and some slight swelling and bruising. Half closing his eyes, Kr-Ant released his grip and placed both hands on Orrell’s head. Gently nudging a tiny current in the force, Kr-Ant encouraged the engineer’s cells into a rapid healing state. Opening his eyes, Kr-Ant released Orrell to floating about the interior again, and turned to the cockpit hatch.
Hitting the release pad, the hatch slowly opened - a sure indication that main power was indeed offline, but at least the power cells were functioning as designed. Leaving the hatch open, Kr-Ant seated himself into the pilot’s seat, and began resetting the systems. The remote breaker resets operated normally, and the main reactor slowly returned to full power. Overriding the artificial gravity, Kr-Ant brought the rest of the primary systems online, and began an automatic diagnostic scan.
This story is a sequel to "Tenric's Gambit" and takes place about 1 year afterwards.
I want to thank Jedi Ranger for his suggestion that we work together on a story. His storyline and characters fit nicely into Tenric's and I think the result is great.
As always I/we both look forward to and appreciate your comments and feedback.....
================================================================
Setting: The Somantus Asteroid Belt, Soma III & The Shaft / about 1 year after the events in “Tenric’s Gambit”
Part I: A Chance Encounter
“Get us out of here!”
“I’m trying but that last ion blast scrambled our hyperspace nav-comp in the middle of its calculations. It’ll take at least four minutes to reset! I guess we won’t be coming back to Bothawui any time soon; the Imps are everywhere!”
“We don’t have four minutes! And I seriously doubt we have one!”
The heavy fighter suddenly banked sharply to starboard, and even more suddenly, reversed course. The new heading took them straight at the pursuing Carrack-class cruiser.
“Are you crazy? They’ll get a tractor lock on us in no time!”
“Not if I have anything to say about it. Give me seventy percent of the shields forward, twenty aft, and throw the rest to the engines. I need more speed!”
The heads up display quickly indicated the instructions and been completed, and their relative speed indicator scrolled upwards another fifteen percent, clearly redlining the six brand new sub light engines. Suddenly four golden flares sprouted from the sides of the cockpit, and screamed forward towards the onrushing cruiser. And just as suddenly, the Z-100 prototype was surrounded by stretching star lines, and then the swirling blue and white vortex of hyperspace encompassed it completely.
*****
Orrell Varsin glanced up at his Jedi companion, and the prototype’s pilot, Kr-Ant Jooraw. “So, where are we going?”
The only immediate response was a simple shrug. Then, “What’s the status of our systems?” Only then did Kr-Ant return the engineer’s gaze.
Shaking his head, Orrell replied, “Tough to tell without actually putting down for a physical inspection, but the computers read most systems at one hundred percent. The nav computer is back on line, but could really use a proper tuning at a verified nav buoy. The sub light engines appear fine; shields and weapons are okay, though we are down four missiles.” It looked like the engineer was about to say something else, when his data pad beeped, and he held it up to read the display.
“I don’t need to force to know that expression, nobody would. What’s wrong?”
Still not looking back up, Orrell replied, “It appears that our primary hyperdrive sustained some damage in the battle, and is beginning to overheat. There is a short somewhere, and the hyperdrive coils have been overcharged. Wherever we are headed, we’re going to get there in a real hurry. If we don’t explode first.”
“Well, our last heading puts us on a rough course for Gamorr. Should we shut down the hyperdrive? This is the longest blind jump I’ve ever made.”
“That’s what’s really got me worried. I can’t, I’ve tried. All the safeties and overrides are scrambled or fused. Only a gravity well can stop us now. Unless……….” The engineer trailed off and began furiously entering calculations into his console.
Before Kr-Ant could inquire, their tiny world suddenly became total chaos. Both were thrown forward to the cockpit access hatch and were pinned there. At the same time, sparks began arcing from the hyperdrive computer at the aft of the compartment, and acrid smoke filled the air. What first started as a high-pitched squeal rapidly increased to a howling scream. Both men were unable to cover their ears or noses, as they were still pinned by a high gravity field. Had Orrell wanted to cover his face from the smoke, it would have been a pointless gesture, as he couldn’t breathe yet from the impact on his back.
As quickly as it started, it was all over. When they could breathe again, nearly every light and computer was not operational. Thankfully, it appeared that the basic systems still functioned, as they still had atmosphere, and the scent of incinerated electronics and hardware was quickly dissipating. But the artificial gravity had failed, too.
Grabbing a nearby rail, Kr-Ant steadied himself, and activated a ceiling emergency light. Spotting Orrell floating near the aft bulkhead, the Jedi gently reached out with the force, and pulled the motionless engineer to him. There was a small gash on Orrell’s forehead, and some slight swelling and bruising. Half closing his eyes, Kr-Ant released his grip and placed both hands on Orrell’s head. Gently nudging a tiny current in the force, Kr-Ant encouraged the engineer’s cells into a rapid healing state. Opening his eyes, Kr-Ant released Orrell to floating about the interior again, and turned to the cockpit hatch.
Hitting the release pad, the hatch slowly opened - a sure indication that main power was indeed offline, but at least the power cells were functioning as designed. Leaving the hatch open, Kr-Ant seated himself into the pilot’s seat, and began resetting the systems. The remote breaker resets operated normally, and the main reactor slowly returned to full power. Overriding the artificial gravity, Kr-Ant brought the rest of the primary systems online, and began an automatic diagnostic scan.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Real Life can be SOOOoooo inconvenient !!
It seems I am fated to apologize for not continuing these stories instead of actually finishing them. I have so many ideas and had hopes for an RPG area on another site as well. So far no progress on any of it.
If you have been reading....or are reading....please let me know if you like the stories so far. The encouragement may help me win the battle to continue....
Thanks for reading !!!
If you have been reading....or are reading....please let me know if you like the stories so far. The encouragement may help me win the battle to continue....
Thanks for reading !!!
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Interesting new venture
For those interested I am working on beginning an RPG forum at my writer's forum:
http://www.wordcraftcafe.com/
based on the SomaIII and the Shaft as depicted on this blog.
want to play?
SIgn up at my forum and drop me a PM inquiring.
here is a link to a post with more info:
http://randomsabers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6155
hope to see you there.........
http://www.wordcraftcafe.com/
based on the SomaIII and the Shaft as depicted on this blog.
want to play?
SIgn up at my forum and drop me a PM inquiring.
here is a link to a post with more info:
http://randomsabers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6155
hope to see you there.........
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Apologies !!!
Darth Real has thwarted my best efforts and intentions to add more to this blog.
The current story is still just under half complete and is a first person account of Tenric's involvement in another story called "A Shadow in the Force". That story is a multi-author fan-fic hosted over at the TJA (The Jedi Assembly) for any interested in a fun read just stop on by:
LINK: "A Shadow in the Force"
and enjoy the ride. The story was never finished but was left with the main issues resolved and only a wrap up chapter intended. Tenric's part WAS resolved and the story underway begins with his return to SomaIII and relating the events to Ragun.
All comments welcomed of course....
The current story is still just under half complete and is a first person account of Tenric's involvement in another story called "A Shadow in the Force". That story is a multi-author fan-fic hosted over at the TJA (The Jedi Assembly) for any interested in a fun read just stop on by:
LINK: "A Shadow in the Force"
and enjoy the ride. The story was never finished but was left with the main issues resolved and only a wrap up chapter intended. Tenric's part WAS resolved and the story underway begins with his return to SomaIII and relating the events to Ragun.
All comments welcomed of course....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
