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Hello everyone, this is something I've been contemplating on doing for a while now. I have no idea how long I will keep this going, but I hope I can get at least a good short story out of it. Ideally, I'd like to continue expanding on the story as long as I'm here in the forums until I feel like it is has a wholesome plot and a decent ending.
So here's a little information on what will be happening. You will all be free to post in this thread as the story unfolds. Whenever I come out with a new chapter I will edit the first post and hide it in a spoiler. That way it's all on the front page for people to read, and chatter related to the story can continue unabated. While I don't mind idle chit-chat in the thread, I do hope that most conversation stays in close relation to the topic of Sotiris.
Critiques are welcome, and very appreciated. I don't mind helpful tips and pointers on my writing skills. I'm far from extremely literate, and although this will not be the most professional piece of work I will do my best to make it look neat, and stay coherent. Although, I must emphasize that I do not want negative attitudes floating around my thread. Everyone is entitled to their opinions, but if you do not like my story, please refrain from spewing indecencies and just leave. I want helpful criticism, this is something I'm doing for fun and to grow as a writer. There is a fine line between what's helpful and what's hurtful that I feel some people on the Docks fail to see. Saying that, I hope that the thread remains a friendly place while it remains active.
Alongside the story I will eventually open up a thread in the shipyard with builds from the story! I'm working on the main characters ship as we speak, but it may be a while still before I finish, since the story and the build must coincide. I want everything to be accurate.
Ships of Sotiris
I want to make this clear that every character, place, and the entire plot is going to be original. If you see any similarities to something else it is either because I took direct inspiration, or it's a coincidence. I'm actually not very versed in the Sci-Fi genre so it will mostly be the latter. Also, I do hope that no one steals anything from me. If you want to use something that I came up with, please message me asking for permission. I won't mind if you ask or cite me for whatever it is you used.
Archives~
Here will be a sort of encyclopedia for everything you see in the story. Including pronunciations and bits and pieces of lore that won't ruin the story. Enjoy!
Sotiris Archives
[DOUBLEPOST=1454648389,1454648311][/DOUBLEPOST]
Art by: Exozen
Overview:
Sotiris, a small spiral galaxy drifting among the endless expanses of space. For millennia the inhabitants of this small portion of the cosmos have lived in relative seclusion, civilization has come and gone and there are ancient secrets among these stars that have yet to be rediscovered. This is a time of exploration, of colonization and expansion. Corporations and fledgling Empires rise among the drifting solar systems that for the past decade only pirates and pioneers have roamed. This is also the time of a certain young captain, and his eager crew, who are setting out into this vast universe of unknowns. What awaits them is a mystery, but in galaxy where adventure and riches call to everyone it is almost assured that it will not be an ordinary journey in the slightest.
Welcome to Sotiris,
Where there is something new beyond every star.
Chapter I: Edited by~ LunaIsBestPony
Chapter II:
Chapter III:
Chapter IV:
So here's a little information on what will be happening. You will all be free to post in this thread as the story unfolds. Whenever I come out with a new chapter I will edit the first post and hide it in a spoiler. That way it's all on the front page for people to read, and chatter related to the story can continue unabated. While I don't mind idle chit-chat in the thread, I do hope that most conversation stays in close relation to the topic of Sotiris.
Critiques are welcome, and very appreciated. I don't mind helpful tips and pointers on my writing skills. I'm far from extremely literate, and although this will not be the most professional piece of work I will do my best to make it look neat, and stay coherent. Although, I must emphasize that I do not want negative attitudes floating around my thread. Everyone is entitled to their opinions, but if you do not like my story, please refrain from spewing indecencies and just leave. I want helpful criticism, this is something I'm doing for fun and to grow as a writer. There is a fine line between what's helpful and what's hurtful that I feel some people on the Docks fail to see. Saying that, I hope that the thread remains a friendly place while it remains active.
Alongside the story I will eventually open up a thread in the shipyard with builds from the story! I'm working on the main characters ship as we speak, but it may be a while still before I finish, since the story and the build must coincide. I want everything to be accurate.
Ships of Sotiris
I want to make this clear that every character, place, and the entire plot is going to be original. If you see any similarities to something else it is either because I took direct inspiration, or it's a coincidence. I'm actually not very versed in the Sci-Fi genre so it will mostly be the latter. Also, I do hope that no one steals anything from me. If you want to use something that I came up with, please message me asking for permission. I won't mind if you ask or cite me for whatever it is you used.
~ Blood Born Angel
Archives~
Here will be a sort of encyclopedia for everything you see in the story. Including pronunciations and bits and pieces of lore that won't ruin the story. Enjoy!
Sotiris Archives
[DOUBLEPOST=1454648389,1454648311][/DOUBLEPOST]
Overview:
Sotiris, a small spiral galaxy drifting among the endless expanses of space. For millennia the inhabitants of this small portion of the cosmos have lived in relative seclusion, civilization has come and gone and there are ancient secrets among these stars that have yet to be rediscovered. This is a time of exploration, of colonization and expansion. Corporations and fledgling Empires rise among the drifting solar systems that for the past decade only pirates and pioneers have roamed. This is also the time of a certain young captain, and his eager crew, who are setting out into this vast universe of unknowns. What awaits them is a mystery, but in galaxy where adventure and riches call to everyone it is almost assured that it will not be an ordinary journey in the slightest.
Welcome to Sotiris,
Where there is something new beyond every star.
Chapter I: Edited by~ LunaIsBestPony
Clang! Clang! Click!
"Are you after fy-rats up there?" A voice called. More creaks and groans rang out. Looking up, the speaker saw they came from the battered hull of a- where the hell did he get this? Oei.
The ungodly sound of metal striking metal continued.
"Seriously, Feo, what's going on? What’s all this?" This time the speaker was graced with the man in question slipping down a long strip of low-grade metal, only to get caught halfway down on a loose-ish nail and end up hanging helplessly by his ankle in the scaffolds.
"Oh, hey, Risi! I was just… uh, fixing up a hole”, he said, waving his arms to the right, “in the quarters over here." He frowned up at his foot and to grunted as he tried to pry it off and not fall on his head as a result. His interrogator exhaled impatiently, her arms crossed and a justified scowl settling onto her sharp features.
"You don’t understand. What's with the ship, Feo?" He struggled for a moment longer with his foot before flopping back with a sigh of defeat. His light brown hair blew in the gentle breeze, and his dark eyebrows scrunched quizzically.
"Oh, I, um, bought it from that one guy that works the late shift at the recycling plant. Ya know, Gorsh? Grort? Groot? G-something." The look on Risi's face turned from serious to something along the lines of 'an electromagnetic storm brewing in the middle of a meteor shower with more anger added' to put it poetically. He stuttered fearfully, "U-uh, I swear it was a good deal! I-I still have plenty of creds left for this m-month’s rent too!"
Her glare didn't abate. One quick stride had her nearly face-to-face with the helpless floating man in the scaffolds. "You had better make this months rent. You still owe me credits for the one before! Nah, you’ll just sit here buying spaceships instead! I mean look at this thing! There are holes bigger then-then engines! What were you thinking Feochadan!?" His ice blue eyes stared back into her irradiated green orbs for a moment as he felt the sting of her words. It wasn't like it was his first stupid purchase, but when it came to ships… damn.
"Don’t worry, Risi,” he pleaded fearfully, “I've started putting in overtime at the workshop. I have enough for this month and by the second term I'll have last month’s credits for you. I thought this one through hard and I couldn't pass up the opportunity. You know what this kind of thing means to me." She held his gaze for a moment longer before her anger disintegrated before his mild mannered passion.
"Yeah, yeah... bloody hell, I'll never understand you humans and your fascination with ships and space." Her gaze focused on the floor as a slight blush colored her pale cheeks. She always got like that when he spoke poetically or passionately. It was cute, and Feochadan enjoyed teasing her about it even if she could beat him to a pulp if she desired. A previous arm-wrestling contest had proved that.
A grin spread over Feo's face before he gave a sharp grunt and lifted himself back up into the scaffolds. Once he had a firm grip above the point his foot was stuck in it was easy to dislodge himself and he hopped down to ground level with his companion. "It may not look like much, but I can make it soar again. I'm positive. It just needs some patching up. You know I can fix anything." Rolling her eyes, she turned away and waved her hand dismissively.
"Sure, like you fixed that hydrogen pump last summer."
Feo’s mouth hung open a little. “Hey, I only burnt off one of your eyebrows!” He protested.
"There”, she said, beginning to walk away, “was a crater in the middle of the shop. Not to mention my face looked lopsided for weeks."
He glared at her receding figure, mildly annoyed at her quick retorts. It was often like this. One moment he had her in his palm, the next she had him under her thumb. It was why they were such good friends.
"I'm heading back now to start supper. You better be there when it's ready."
"You got it. Just need to put my tools away." Feochadan leaned against the tarnished hull of his ship as she flashed him a wry smile and left the warehouse containing his “projects”. That woman could scare a man’s teeth out one minute, and charm him irrevocably the next. He really wondered if all the females of her species were like that. He certainly hoped so.
Feochadan packed away his battered welding and soldering tools into a duffel bag and cast a critical eye at his not-necessarily-new ship before he left. Ugly would not be an inaccurate description. The pile of scrap was a relic from the Old Empire, apparently. The base model was used as a heavy bomber back in its prime, but this version underwent heavy modification courtesy of it’s smuggler captains. Now it looked like nothing more than badly corroded scrap metal, but Feo saw much more. In it he saw his future, and he would make this bucket o’ bolts fly if it was the last thing he did. Leaving with a smile and a spring in his step, Feochadan stepped outside into the fading sunlight. Tomorrow was waiting.
"Are you after fy-rats up there?" A voice called. More creaks and groans rang out. Looking up, the speaker saw they came from the battered hull of a- where the hell did he get this? Oei.
The ungodly sound of metal striking metal continued.
"Seriously, Feo, what's going on? What’s all this?" This time the speaker was graced with the man in question slipping down a long strip of low-grade metal, only to get caught halfway down on a loose-ish nail and end up hanging helplessly by his ankle in the scaffolds.
"Oh, hey, Risi! I was just… uh, fixing up a hole”, he said, waving his arms to the right, “in the quarters over here." He frowned up at his foot and to grunted as he tried to pry it off and not fall on his head as a result. His interrogator exhaled impatiently, her arms crossed and a justified scowl settling onto her sharp features.
"You don’t understand. What's with the ship, Feo?" He struggled for a moment longer with his foot before flopping back with a sigh of defeat. His light brown hair blew in the gentle breeze, and his dark eyebrows scrunched quizzically.
"Oh, I, um, bought it from that one guy that works the late shift at the recycling plant. Ya know, Gorsh? Grort? Groot? G-something." The look on Risi's face turned from serious to something along the lines of 'an electromagnetic storm brewing in the middle of a meteor shower with more anger added' to put it poetically. He stuttered fearfully, "U-uh, I swear it was a good deal! I-I still have plenty of creds left for this m-month’s rent too!"
Her glare didn't abate. One quick stride had her nearly face-to-face with the helpless floating man in the scaffolds. "You had better make this months rent. You still owe me credits for the one before! Nah, you’ll just sit here buying spaceships instead! I mean look at this thing! There are holes bigger then-then engines! What were you thinking Feochadan!?" His ice blue eyes stared back into her irradiated green orbs for a moment as he felt the sting of her words. It wasn't like it was his first stupid purchase, but when it came to ships… damn.
"Don’t worry, Risi,” he pleaded fearfully, “I've started putting in overtime at the workshop. I have enough for this month and by the second term I'll have last month’s credits for you. I thought this one through hard and I couldn't pass up the opportunity. You know what this kind of thing means to me." She held his gaze for a moment longer before her anger disintegrated before his mild mannered passion.
"Yeah, yeah... bloody hell, I'll never understand you humans and your fascination with ships and space." Her gaze focused on the floor as a slight blush colored her pale cheeks. She always got like that when he spoke poetically or passionately. It was cute, and Feochadan enjoyed teasing her about it even if she could beat him to a pulp if she desired. A previous arm-wrestling contest had proved that.
A grin spread over Feo's face before he gave a sharp grunt and lifted himself back up into the scaffolds. Once he had a firm grip above the point his foot was stuck in it was easy to dislodge himself and he hopped down to ground level with his companion. "It may not look like much, but I can make it soar again. I'm positive. It just needs some patching up. You know I can fix anything." Rolling her eyes, she turned away and waved her hand dismissively.
"Sure, like you fixed that hydrogen pump last summer."
Feo’s mouth hung open a little. “Hey, I only burnt off one of your eyebrows!” He protested.
"There”, she said, beginning to walk away, “was a crater in the middle of the shop. Not to mention my face looked lopsided for weeks."
He glared at her receding figure, mildly annoyed at her quick retorts. It was often like this. One moment he had her in his palm, the next she had him under her thumb. It was why they were such good friends.
"I'm heading back now to start supper. You better be there when it's ready."
"You got it. Just need to put my tools away." Feochadan leaned against the tarnished hull of his ship as she flashed him a wry smile and left the warehouse containing his “projects”. That woman could scare a man’s teeth out one minute, and charm him irrevocably the next. He really wondered if all the females of her species were like that. He certainly hoped so.
Feochadan packed away his battered welding and soldering tools into a duffel bag and cast a critical eye at his not-necessarily-new ship before he left. Ugly would not be an inaccurate description. The pile of scrap was a relic from the Old Empire, apparently. The base model was used as a heavy bomber back in its prime, but this version underwent heavy modification courtesy of it’s smuggler captains. Now it looked like nothing more than badly corroded scrap metal, but Feo saw much more. In it he saw his future, and he would make this bucket o’ bolts fly if it was the last thing he did. Leaving with a smile and a spring in his step, Feochadan stepped outside into the fading sunlight. Tomorrow was waiting.
The desert canyon was shrouded in an early morning shadow. The unforgiving sun not yet peering over its edges, leaving the rocks Risi perched upon cool against her skin. The metal trigger under her finger was chilling to the touch. Her shoulder ached mildly under the pressure of a firm stock, and her eyes burned staring down the crystalline scope. Her left arm trembled ever so slightly under the weight of the two meter long device she held with absolute professionalism. Risi's palms were clammy. A bead of sweat dripped down into her eyelash, and her heart drowned out all other sounds in her ears.
Bah-dump, bah-dump, bah-dump...
Seconds became minutes in her concentration.
Bahdump, bahdump, bahdump...
Her breath came in shallow rasps, her breast hardly rising or falling.
Bahdumpbahdumpbahdumpbahdump...
The world froze. Her finger pulled back. The mechanism pulling a magnetic spring-lock that in return spun the weapon core. Energy sparked in the chamber as the core spun at incredible speeds, the material generating a vast amount of power instantaneously. The energy produced charged the projectile loaded in the chamber, and Risi grit her teeth as the stock dug deeper into her shoulder from the kinetic force being created.
One second; that's all it took. The world sped back up as the crack of the rifle thundered through the canyon. Super-heated gas in the form of plasma blasted out from the holes along the heat shield, its proximity making the hair on her arms singe lightly. The shockwave left a ring of dust in the air around the barrels exit, and she watched as the sand parted on the ground while her bullet sailed through the canyon.
500 meters... 900 meters...
Her eyes stayed glued to her target in the distance. Her body a statue even as the sun finally rested its rays upon her raven black hair.
1200 meters... 1800 meters...
She was getting near the optimal range, but her target was still farther. Practically outside of the canyon entirely. She wouldn't move until she had confirmed the hit.
2200 meters... Closer.
2500... Almost.
3000... This was it.
A cloud of stone and debris erupted from the impact of the bullet. The kinetic discharge blasting through 10 meters of solid stone and metal. A plume of dust and smoke rose slowly in the wind, and Risi let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. The sheet of metal she painted her target on was hit. Now all that was left was to go see her accuracy.
With a smile Risi hopped off her perch and took a stroll out of the canyon. She had fired from 3324 meters away. 324 meters outside the optimal range of the railgun. It was a known fact that these rifles were extremely powerful, but after three kilometers their kinetic force started to severely diminish, causing irregularities in their trajectory. Every morning Risi would come out and increase the range by a dozen meters and see if she could hit the mark exactly. If not, she wouldn't increase the range until she could.
Once she had reached the decimated stone she crouched and picked up the 1x1 square sheet of metal alloy, examining the gaping hole in it. Her lips pursed as she ran a finger over a corner of red paint that was still showing. Her bullet must of been a few centimeters off, the whole bullseye should have been missing. Oh well. Tomorrow she'd just have to hit it dead on. With a sigh she unloaded the rifle and folded it up for travel. Then she made her way back to her sand-skiff and started it up for her trip home.
Although the need to carry a weapon like her railgun wasn't needed on this side of the galaxy, Risi made it a point to polish her skills ritually. She might have a peaceful life here on Valen 9, but she was a soldier through and through. Her specific skills may have been undervalued on this planet, but she was sure the residents appreciated a veteran among them. Her trip through the desert was calming one. The feeling of the young sun warming the endless sands on her back. The dust and wind whipping through her dark mane. She enjoyed the rural feeling of this system, even if it was still a part of the core. Once she had arrived back in the city she parked the craft just behind the workshop Feo and herself were employed too. It was quite early still, but she could already hear her human companion bumbling about in the garage.
"Feo! You better not be breaking anything!" She called while she put on her overalls and tied her hair up in a bun.
"And you better not be blowing up more innocent rocks out there in the desert, Risi!" He retorted. A smirk spread on her lips as she pushed open the back door of the shop. She wove her way into the mess of mechanical parts and industrial tools finding Feochadan replacing some solar panels on another skiff. "Hey.. hand me that thing.." He vaguely pointed down at a box stuffed full of tools of all sizes and shapes. His eyes not leaving the panel he was attaching. Risi gave him an exasperated look before taking a look in the box.
"You'll have to be a bit more specific than that." He waved his hand animatedly as he tried to split his focus between the work and explaining the tool to her.
"Gah! The thing! You know? With the.. the crook in it... Makes it easier to reach in at an angle." She pulled out a set of unorganized allen wrenches that vaguely matched his description.
"One of these?" She offered. Oei
"Yes! Umm.. This one.." He tapped one of the many wrenches and Risi put it in his waiting palm. Immediately he went back to tightening some of the bolts under the panel, and she watched with a bit of fascination at his attention toward the machine. Feochadan had been good at fixing things as long as anyone in this settlement could remember. He was apprenticed to this workshop at the age of eight, and had begun growing his skills without any signs of stopping. At first, many residents weren't too keen on having a human around. Human's were a rare sight in this part of the galaxy. So rare in fact, that you probably couldn't find another one for several systems in any direction other than Feo.
Her eyes grazed over his defining features. His body was thin compared to most other humans, but still a lot larger than hers. She could see the muscles in his arm working as he made sure the panel was secure in it's place. His shoulders were broad and his jawline quite defined. A light patch of stubble on his chin showing he had recently shaved. His face had a youth to it as well that she wasn't familiar with in most humans his age. All the ones she had seen were gruff. Hardened and cold. Yet his was alive, warm and cheerful. Especially his eyes. That bright blue that positively sparkled when he was doing something he loved was an inspiring sight. This was probably why he was so accepted now among the residents on Valen 9. There was no one more outgoing and cheerful than their helpful human mechanic.
"Hey, Risi. You're staring at me again." His sly grin as he stared back down at her from up on the skiff made her cheeks sting, and her eyed darted back down at the box of tools. By the Maker, I'm going to kill this man if he spouts one more word... "Admiring my dashing features again were you? I know when I'm really into my work you get all hot and bothered just watchin-" He was cut off as a large pipe wrench flew past his head, just barely grazing his ear and clanging on the other side of the garage.
"I swear on Solaris, Feo. Say anymore and I'll put you six-feet under." He raised his hands in surrender with a mock look of shock. Miming a motion of zipping his mouth shut.
"Alrighty, I won't dwell on the subject. Don't want my brains all over these freshly polished panels." She could tell he was still amused, but there was no helping that. Nothing seemed to be able to foul his mood. Unlike her. Where half of the words that came out his mouth made her want to bash his skull in. How come humans were so chaotic? One moment he was sweet enough to make any woman swoon, the next he could be starting a bar brawl with only a couple words.
"Just watch your tongue boy, I still have my rifle out back." That at least, made him grimace a little.
Bah-dump, bah-dump, bah-dump...
Seconds became minutes in her concentration.
Bahdump, bahdump, bahdump...
Her breath came in shallow rasps, her breast hardly rising or falling.
Bahdumpbahdumpbahdumpbahdump...
The world froze. Her finger pulled back. The mechanism pulling a magnetic spring-lock that in return spun the weapon core. Energy sparked in the chamber as the core spun at incredible speeds, the material generating a vast amount of power instantaneously. The energy produced charged the projectile loaded in the chamber, and Risi grit her teeth as the stock dug deeper into her shoulder from the kinetic force being created.
One second; that's all it took. The world sped back up as the crack of the rifle thundered through the canyon. Super-heated gas in the form of plasma blasted out from the holes along the heat shield, its proximity making the hair on her arms singe lightly. The shockwave left a ring of dust in the air around the barrels exit, and she watched as the sand parted on the ground while her bullet sailed through the canyon.
500 meters... 900 meters...
Her eyes stayed glued to her target in the distance. Her body a statue even as the sun finally rested its rays upon her raven black hair.
1200 meters... 1800 meters...
She was getting near the optimal range, but her target was still farther. Practically outside of the canyon entirely. She wouldn't move until she had confirmed the hit.
2200 meters... Closer.
2500... Almost.
3000... This was it.
A cloud of stone and debris erupted from the impact of the bullet. The kinetic discharge blasting through 10 meters of solid stone and metal. A plume of dust and smoke rose slowly in the wind, and Risi let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. The sheet of metal she painted her target on was hit. Now all that was left was to go see her accuracy.
With a smile Risi hopped off her perch and took a stroll out of the canyon. She had fired from 3324 meters away. 324 meters outside the optimal range of the railgun. It was a known fact that these rifles were extremely powerful, but after three kilometers their kinetic force started to severely diminish, causing irregularities in their trajectory. Every morning Risi would come out and increase the range by a dozen meters and see if she could hit the mark exactly. If not, she wouldn't increase the range until she could.
Once she had reached the decimated stone she crouched and picked up the 1x1 square sheet of metal alloy, examining the gaping hole in it. Her lips pursed as she ran a finger over a corner of red paint that was still showing. Her bullet must of been a few centimeters off, the whole bullseye should have been missing. Oh well. Tomorrow she'd just have to hit it dead on. With a sigh she unloaded the rifle and folded it up for travel. Then she made her way back to her sand-skiff and started it up for her trip home.
Although the need to carry a weapon like her railgun wasn't needed on this side of the galaxy, Risi made it a point to polish her skills ritually. She might have a peaceful life here on Valen 9, but she was a soldier through and through. Her specific skills may have been undervalued on this planet, but she was sure the residents appreciated a veteran among them. Her trip through the desert was calming one. The feeling of the young sun warming the endless sands on her back. The dust and wind whipping through her dark mane. She enjoyed the rural feeling of this system, even if it was still a part of the core. Once she had arrived back in the city she parked the craft just behind the workshop Feo and herself were employed too. It was quite early still, but she could already hear her human companion bumbling about in the garage.
"Feo! You better not be breaking anything!" She called while she put on her overalls and tied her hair up in a bun.
"And you better not be blowing up more innocent rocks out there in the desert, Risi!" He retorted. A smirk spread on her lips as she pushed open the back door of the shop. She wove her way into the mess of mechanical parts and industrial tools finding Feochadan replacing some solar panels on another skiff. "Hey.. hand me that thing.." He vaguely pointed down at a box stuffed full of tools of all sizes and shapes. His eyes not leaving the panel he was attaching. Risi gave him an exasperated look before taking a look in the box.
"You'll have to be a bit more specific than that." He waved his hand animatedly as he tried to split his focus between the work and explaining the tool to her.
"Gah! The thing! You know? With the.. the crook in it... Makes it easier to reach in at an angle." She pulled out a set of unorganized allen wrenches that vaguely matched his description.
"One of these?" She offered. Oei
"Yes! Umm.. This one.." He tapped one of the many wrenches and Risi put it in his waiting palm. Immediately he went back to tightening some of the bolts under the panel, and she watched with a bit of fascination at his attention toward the machine. Feochadan had been good at fixing things as long as anyone in this settlement could remember. He was apprenticed to this workshop at the age of eight, and had begun growing his skills without any signs of stopping. At first, many residents weren't too keen on having a human around. Human's were a rare sight in this part of the galaxy. So rare in fact, that you probably couldn't find another one for several systems in any direction other than Feo.
Her eyes grazed over his defining features. His body was thin compared to most other humans, but still a lot larger than hers. She could see the muscles in his arm working as he made sure the panel was secure in it's place. His shoulders were broad and his jawline quite defined. A light patch of stubble on his chin showing he had recently shaved. His face had a youth to it as well that she wasn't familiar with in most humans his age. All the ones she had seen were gruff. Hardened and cold. Yet his was alive, warm and cheerful. Especially his eyes. That bright blue that positively sparkled when he was doing something he loved was an inspiring sight. This was probably why he was so accepted now among the residents on Valen 9. There was no one more outgoing and cheerful than their helpful human mechanic.
"Hey, Risi. You're staring at me again." His sly grin as he stared back down at her from up on the skiff made her cheeks sting, and her eyed darted back down at the box of tools. By the Maker, I'm going to kill this man if he spouts one more word... "Admiring my dashing features again were you? I know when I'm really into my work you get all hot and bothered just watchin-" He was cut off as a large pipe wrench flew past his head, just barely grazing his ear and clanging on the other side of the garage.
"I swear on Solaris, Feo. Say anymore and I'll put you six-feet under." He raised his hands in surrender with a mock look of shock. Miming a motion of zipping his mouth shut.
"Alrighty, I won't dwell on the subject. Don't want my brains all over these freshly polished panels." She could tell he was still amused, but there was no helping that. Nothing seemed to be able to foul his mood. Unlike her. Where half of the words that came out his mouth made her want to bash his skull in. How come humans were so chaotic? One moment he was sweet enough to make any woman swoon, the next he could be starting a bar brawl with only a couple words.
"Just watch your tongue boy, I still have my rifle out back." That at least, made him grimace a little.
“Feo! Feeeoooo!” The man in question looked up from behind an assortment of scraps, a quizzical look upon his face.
“Was that the sound of a young female calling out to me? I knew one day they’d come.” The front door burst open as scaly creature lugged in what appeared to be a- “Holy shit, is that an AMC turret?” His jokes forgotten, he stared in amazement as his reptilian guest dropped it on a table with a resounding thud.
“Isssn’t it great! I thought you could put it on your ssship!” Feo took in the large double barreled cannon half fascinated and half mortified. All the while the young woman beamed at him; slit-shaped pupils wide with excitement.
“That isn’t… working is it?” He knew a little about automated weaponry tech, but this was a full fledged anti-ordnance point-defense turret. The thing could shoot down missiles and tear through anything short of standard armor plating. If it was active right now…
“Of courssse it isss! Here, let me ssshow you!” Before Feo could leap out from behind the junk to stop her she had already activated the AI and the turret whizzed to life. From its joints came an awful grinding sound and sparks flew off around some of exposed circuitry. It spun to the left and began scanning up and down the room for hostile signatures that wouldn’t actually be there, but Feo knew better than to take any chances.
“Ohohoho, no. Nonono.” His hand slapped down on the console of the machine powering it down for the moment. “Do you know what Risi would do if we accidently blew holes in the garage?”
“I think you know very well what I would do, Feochadan.” Her voice sent chills down Feo’s spine as he miserably failed at hiding the giant turret behind his back.
“Heeeyyy! I thought you were cooking up some dinner Risi.” Their lizard-like guest eeped and hid behind Feo as well, peering out at the glowering older woman fearfully. “H-hey, Risssi…”
She may have been slight of frame, but to the two cowering by the AMC turret there was no one who held a more imposing figure. “Well? If you haven’t pissed your pants yet then get inside. Foods done. You can join us if you wish Andre.” She made her way back into the building attached to the workshop. Feo and Andre let out a sigh together feeling as if they dodged a bullet and gave eachother a wide grin.
“Your timing is terrible,” Feo stated covering the weapon up with a grease-stained sheet.
“You jussst have bad luck. It’sss got nothing to do with me,” she replied sticking her muzzle in the air haughtily. Feochadan’s only response was to roll his eyes and wave dismissively as he opened the door to the adjoining complex.
“Just get your scaly ass inside and join us for dinner.” Her smile was brighter than a supernova as she skipped past him into the household with barely contained energy. Making their way inside Feo watched as Andre pulled up a seat at the small kitchen table where Risi had laid out a modest meal of baked bread and some sort of broth made from vegetables and fowl. As they got settled Feochadan took a moment to wash his hands and clean off some of the grime he had collected throughout the day.
“So Andre, why are you giving Feochadan military grade defense technology?” If it wasn’t for her permanently green complexion Andre may have blushed as a first response to Risi.
“It’sss for hisss ssship… It may not be a military vesssel.. but defenssse turretsss are perfectly legal, and actually encouraged to be inssstalled on anything bigger then a ssshuttle.” Risi still looked dubious, probably hung up on giving him any sort of weaponized tech. Feo took his seat between the two women and scooted up toward his plate eagerly.
“If I install It I’ll make sure there are all the appropriate failsafes Risi, no need to get your panties in a knot.” Her glare could have bored holes through an asteroid, but Feo was already lost in the bliss of her delicious cooking, so it went mostly unnoticed.
As the three ate it became apparent that it was a very odd trio sharing a meal. Feochadan, the only human to ever reside on Valen 9 as far as anyone knew. Possibly the only one on this side of the galaxy. Then there was Andresaryx. A Sgiathatch, or “Dragon-kin” as most said in common. A reptilian race with enormous strength and resilience. Lastly was Risi. Although very similar in appearance to Feochadan, Risi was not a human but a Duine Sidhe. Probably the most widespread race in the galaxy, and most powerful. They were mostly distinguishable by their abnormally vibrant eye colors and slanted ears that pointed back at a steep angle. They were also bred to survive in low-gravity areas with an almost supernatural sense of direction and equilibrium.
Both women bore the same facial structure as Feochadan, but could not be any more different in their physiology. To them Feo’s natural evolution seemed child-like in comparison. Having not the strength and fortitude of a Dragon-kin, or the grace and agility of a Duine Sidhe. What he did have though, was a very open and optimistic personality that seemed to draw others to him easily. He was sharp, and could learn quite quickly. A lot of the time it also seemed like he was blind to the features that dividing his species from all the others, making him instantaneously easier to open up to. Yes, they were an odd trio sharing bread and jokes around the small kitchen table, but none of them truly saw the other as an “alien” or an outsider. The professional Risi, bubbly and energetic Andre, and optimistic dreamer Feochadan. A perfect example of what the galaxy was meant to be like.
It was much later in the evening on the desert planet now. The sands shrouded in the darkness of a moonless night. Only a few streets remained lit at this hour, mostly gambling halls and taverns. A stranger prowled these dusty streets, his boots crunching ominously in the sand as he made his way toward a lively tavern. As he entered only a few patrons paused to stare at the hooded newcomer, only vaguely curious to who he could be or what his business was.
When he sat at the bar and impatiently drummed his fingers on the counter the barkeep hesitantly addressed his customer. “Is there anything I can get you, sir?”
The man stayed silent for a minute, only pausing the drumming of his fingers in response. The barkeep sat in painful patience waiting for an answer, and was graced with a deep and chilling voice as a reward. The stranger’s voice came out muffled and distorted through a black mask that covered the entirety of his face, but his sentence was still very clear.
“I’m looking… for a girl.”
“Was that the sound of a young female calling out to me? I knew one day they’d come.” The front door burst open as scaly creature lugged in what appeared to be a- “Holy shit, is that an AMC turret?” His jokes forgotten, he stared in amazement as his reptilian guest dropped it on a table with a resounding thud.
“Isssn’t it great! I thought you could put it on your ssship!” Feo took in the large double barreled cannon half fascinated and half mortified. All the while the young woman beamed at him; slit-shaped pupils wide with excitement.
“That isn’t… working is it?” He knew a little about automated weaponry tech, but this was a full fledged anti-ordnance point-defense turret. The thing could shoot down missiles and tear through anything short of standard armor plating. If it was active right now…
“Of courssse it isss! Here, let me ssshow you!” Before Feo could leap out from behind the junk to stop her she had already activated the AI and the turret whizzed to life. From its joints came an awful grinding sound and sparks flew off around some of exposed circuitry. It spun to the left and began scanning up and down the room for hostile signatures that wouldn’t actually be there, but Feo knew better than to take any chances.
“Ohohoho, no. Nonono.” His hand slapped down on the console of the machine powering it down for the moment. “Do you know what Risi would do if we accidently blew holes in the garage?”
“I think you know very well what I would do, Feochadan.” Her voice sent chills down Feo’s spine as he miserably failed at hiding the giant turret behind his back.
“Heeeyyy! I thought you were cooking up some dinner Risi.” Their lizard-like guest eeped and hid behind Feo as well, peering out at the glowering older woman fearfully. “H-hey, Risssi…”
She may have been slight of frame, but to the two cowering by the AMC turret there was no one who held a more imposing figure. “Well? If you haven’t pissed your pants yet then get inside. Foods done. You can join us if you wish Andre.” She made her way back into the building attached to the workshop. Feo and Andre let out a sigh together feeling as if they dodged a bullet and gave eachother a wide grin.
“Your timing is terrible,” Feo stated covering the weapon up with a grease-stained sheet.
“You jussst have bad luck. It’sss got nothing to do with me,” she replied sticking her muzzle in the air haughtily. Feochadan’s only response was to roll his eyes and wave dismissively as he opened the door to the adjoining complex.
“Just get your scaly ass inside and join us for dinner.” Her smile was brighter than a supernova as she skipped past him into the household with barely contained energy. Making their way inside Feo watched as Andre pulled up a seat at the small kitchen table where Risi had laid out a modest meal of baked bread and some sort of broth made from vegetables and fowl. As they got settled Feochadan took a moment to wash his hands and clean off some of the grime he had collected throughout the day.
“So Andre, why are you giving Feochadan military grade defense technology?” If it wasn’t for her permanently green complexion Andre may have blushed as a first response to Risi.
“It’sss for hisss ssship… It may not be a military vesssel.. but defenssse turretsss are perfectly legal, and actually encouraged to be inssstalled on anything bigger then a ssshuttle.” Risi still looked dubious, probably hung up on giving him any sort of weaponized tech. Feo took his seat between the two women and scooted up toward his plate eagerly.
“If I install It I’ll make sure there are all the appropriate failsafes Risi, no need to get your panties in a knot.” Her glare could have bored holes through an asteroid, but Feo was already lost in the bliss of her delicious cooking, so it went mostly unnoticed.
As the three ate it became apparent that it was a very odd trio sharing a meal. Feochadan, the only human to ever reside on Valen 9 as far as anyone knew. Possibly the only one on this side of the galaxy. Then there was Andresaryx. A Sgiathatch, or “Dragon-kin” as most said in common. A reptilian race with enormous strength and resilience. Lastly was Risi. Although very similar in appearance to Feochadan, Risi was not a human but a Duine Sidhe. Probably the most widespread race in the galaxy, and most powerful. They were mostly distinguishable by their abnormally vibrant eye colors and slanted ears that pointed back at a steep angle. They were also bred to survive in low-gravity areas with an almost supernatural sense of direction and equilibrium.
Both women bore the same facial structure as Feochadan, but could not be any more different in their physiology. To them Feo’s natural evolution seemed child-like in comparison. Having not the strength and fortitude of a Dragon-kin, or the grace and agility of a Duine Sidhe. What he did have though, was a very open and optimistic personality that seemed to draw others to him easily. He was sharp, and could learn quite quickly. A lot of the time it also seemed like he was blind to the features that dividing his species from all the others, making him instantaneously easier to open up to. Yes, they were an odd trio sharing bread and jokes around the small kitchen table, but none of them truly saw the other as an “alien” or an outsider. The professional Risi, bubbly and energetic Andre, and optimistic dreamer Feochadan. A perfect example of what the galaxy was meant to be like.
*****
It was much later in the evening on the desert planet now. The sands shrouded in the darkness of a moonless night. Only a few streets remained lit at this hour, mostly gambling halls and taverns. A stranger prowled these dusty streets, his boots crunching ominously in the sand as he made his way toward a lively tavern. As he entered only a few patrons paused to stare at the hooded newcomer, only vaguely curious to who he could be or what his business was.
When he sat at the bar and impatiently drummed his fingers on the counter the barkeep hesitantly addressed his customer. “Is there anything I can get you, sir?”
The man stayed silent for a minute, only pausing the drumming of his fingers in response. The barkeep sat in painful patience waiting for an answer, and was graced with a deep and chilling voice as a reward. The stranger’s voice came out muffled and distorted through a black mask that covered the entirety of his face, but his sentence was still very clear.
“I’m looking… for a girl.”
"How about The Exterminator?"
"Exterminator? This thing can't even break orbit right now, let alone 'exterminate' anything." Andre shot Feo a sour look at his response, but both their gazes went back to the ship that Feo purchased several days ago. It was still pretty much a heap of scraps, but at least all the holes were patched up. Currently they were trying to get the elevator on the belly of the ship as well as the rear hanger door to operate correctly, and then it was on to some of the more worn and damaged systems.
"Well, we need to come up with a proper name! How about Venator?"
"Too pretentious."
"Reclaimer?"
"Too... ambiguous."
Andre let out a frustrated puff of air, the spines on her head folding back similar to the way a cat would pull back their ears. "Nightingale, then?"
"Mmm, nah. Too macabre," Feo gave the ship a critical look. More often then not it was hard to tell what was going on inside that human skull of his, but when it came to his work it was as if there were a supercomputer calculating every little detail inside. Andre just glared at the thinking man, muttering something under her breath getting a tad salty from his responses. "Something more... modest, yet still pronounced. Something that will really befit her and what she's meant to be."
"Ssshe'sss meant to be in a ssscrap yard," Andre pointed out. Feochadan only waved off the comment and made his way up the makeshift latter they put in the elevator shaft. He lifted his way up through recently cut metal sheets and soldered wires and circuitry, eventually emerging just behind the ships bridge. Inside the ship was surprisingly empty. When repairing the outside Feo had removed a lot of plating on the interior to make his patches. The bridge itself was completely bare besides the ships core and some loose wiring where computers once would have sat. Andre soon popped her head over the edge after him, and he helped her into the small empty room. "It'sss really bare in here ssstill. How isss the wiring?" Feo grimaced showing her into the next room where a mess of logic and circuitry started and spread throughout the rest of the ship.
"I did my best, but this thing is ancient. It's power capacity can still be increased without much of a problem, but the regen? It's not going so well... Transferring power to anything other then the engines has been a pain." She understood the dilemma and began poking around the makeshift breaker box he had recently installed. For the ships original purposes it's system load seemed appropriate, but whoever had modified it in the past had not really done the greatest job. The entire back half of the ship was pretty much stitched on, and it now made up for over half the ships volume. The ship was simply too big for it's own good but Feo and Andre had to make it work somehow. Just then Andre must have been graced by the gods because power suddenly sparked throughout the logic system. Gears clanked and energy fizzed throughout the interior as lights and the basic life support system came to life. "Aha! Seems like you salvaged it! Hell yeah!"
She turned toward him with a smug look on her scaly face. "My clawsss are sssimply magic," she grinned. Feo shook his head and patted her spiky head, which her spines flattened upon to prevent poking little holes in his delicate flesh.
"If that's the case then you can fix this damn elevator. I'll just go work on the docking bay." Her lips parted in protest but he was already waving goodbye with a stupid grin on his face, leaping down onto the cargo platform and heading to the very back of his vessel. While he wove his way through the crates full of supplies he had acquired, and Andre grudgingly began to fiddle with the elevator controls he kept a small portion of his thoughts fixated on a good name for the ship.
Survivor? Nope, that was kinda lame. How 'bout, Argos? He mulled it over while looking at the computer controlling the docking rail. It was instantly clear that all the wires below that controlled the direction were mostly corroded or completely torn out. The previous owners really gutted this thing shoddily. Argos is too masculine. How about Venture? That made him pause. There was a nice ring to it, but not quite what he wanted.
"Hey! Andre! can you hear me?" he called out while taking some fresh copper wires over to the computer.
"Yesss! What isss it?" She replied, hisses echoing off the hollow walls behind him.
"How about, The Sojourn?"
The was a long pause before she poked her head over the main decks railing nodding as she let the name roll off her tongue. "Sssojourn? Not bad. Quite articulate for a human, at that." She winked grinning toothily and Feo gave her a rude hand sign in return.
"Sojourn it is!" A smile spread across his face as he worked, a kind of joy that he had never known filling him as he thought about the magnitude of all they were doing. It wasn't just a ship they were fixing up, it was a whole new step in life they were preparing.
Before she could make her presence known there was a sound that emanated from beyond her skiff. It wasn't much unlike that of an animal scuffling through the sand, faint, but to a trained ear easily audible against the deserts ambiance. Normally she would ignore such sounds. Fy-rats and rhine-worms were a common pest throughout the dunes, but for some reason this sound made her pause. Her breath turning shallow and her mind focused intently on where the sound was coming from. It came again, just on the other side of the skiff. Her heartbeat pounded in her chest, pulse quickening as she felt a predatorily presence honing in on her. There was no way it was some common pest.
Risi forced herself to remain calm; taking slow, deliberate steps back toward her skiff. Her gun was sitting just beside the drivers seat, if she could reach that then everything would be fine. The sense of foreboding and danger did not diminish as she got closer to her hovercraft, but the exact direction became harder to track. It sounded as if something had scurried behind the rock face over on her left, or was it that rustle against the sheet metal a few meters beyond the skiff? Agonizing concentration filled every second as she reached the side of her sand skiff, and she hoisted herself up onto the deck and crouched ready for something to make its move.
The desert was deathly quite.
She waited, hand poised ready to snatch her gun up, but the only sound was that of the sands gentle whispers over the moonlit desert. Had she been being paranoid? Maybe her gloomy thoughts were making her imagine scary things out to get her? Risi waited a minute longer. Her spine still tingling from the dreadful sense of bloodlust she felt earlier. Yet there was nothing now. Her body couldn't take the stress any longer and she let out a heavy sigh as her muscles relaxed. Shoulders and back aching a little from how tense she was.
I really need to calm down, makin' myself go bonkers with all these dreary thoughts, she thought chastising herself. Just to be safe, she lifted her gun onto her shoulder and turned to head back in Feo's workshop. Only she was met with a cloaked figure mere inches from her, a black mask in the semblance of a skull glowering down at her small frame. She nearly pissed herself staring into the dark, soulless pits where his eyes should have been. The hood he wore making it too dark to see anything through the eyeholes. Risi was a trained soldier, but this was much different then anything she had faced in the military. This was like staring down Death himself.
"Risi.. I presume?" He spoke in a dialect she hadn't heard in many years, and it only added to her shock; limbs already petrified with the fear he had induced in her. How had he even approached? She hadn't heard a thing. She couldn't even tell if he was breathing! She kept her gaze locked on that horrifying mask. Deep scars and grooves crisscrossed the black metal, a bit of shiny silver poking through here and there from the dark coat of paint wearing away. It was then, seeing this silver that her mind snapped out of the spell of terror he had somehow cast over her, and instead turned to that of ordinary shock.
"Dulbhachan..." she breathed out before unslinging her gun and jumping back to take aim at the cloaked intruder. In the blink of an eye he was gone; a gentle hand being placed on her shoulder as she stared down the sight of her rifle looking at empty space, her heartbeat pounding in her ears.
"There is no need for violence, I've only come with a message." She stood still, finger on the trigger of her gun ready to twist around at a moments notice, and blast a hole clean through this man. When she didn't immediately attack, the stranger proceeded with this message of his. "The council of Rhima wishes you return to your duties. Your escapade has gone on far too long. It is time to come home." Risi remained dead silent while his words filled her head. Him speaking the language of Rhima, and the message he brought said everything plain as day. She was being called back to duty. He waited patiently, an eerily silent figure with a firm hand resting on her right shoulder. She knew his patience was just a facade though, she could feel his deadly gaze just waiting for her to make an aggressive mood. All Risi could do was grit her teeth and reply.
"I do not work for Rhima any longer," she spoke in the common dialect, to further assert her distance from the nation. "Tell them I will remain where I am." The Dulbhachan took a moment to respond in turn. His grip tightening ever so slightly as his masked face came within inches of the back of her head.
"Unacceptable." Risi's hands held the rail gun in a death grip, every muscle in her body tense and ready to spring into action. Returning to the language of Rá'rhima he continued, "I will return in nine days. Then you will return to the capital with me. There is no other choice." With his intentions made clear he released her shoulder and stepped back. "Nine days. Be prepared to leave peacefully, or if you wish, by force." She could almost feel him grin behind that mask as she turned to see him hop off her skiff, and seemingly melt into the shadows of the desert. For a few minutes all she could do was stand there watching the sand. She couldn't tell if she was just having a bad dream or if this was really happening anymore, but the cold sweat that plastered her shirt to her back and breasts, along with the uncontrollable shaking in her hands and legs told her the truth.
Risi collapsed onto the deck of her skiff as her legs turned to jelly. Her eyes burning with frustration and anger as they began to fill with tears. There was no hiding this time. They had come to take her back.
"Exterminator? This thing can't even break orbit right now, let alone 'exterminate' anything." Andre shot Feo a sour look at his response, but both their gazes went back to the ship that Feo purchased several days ago. It was still pretty much a heap of scraps, but at least all the holes were patched up. Currently they were trying to get the elevator on the belly of the ship as well as the rear hanger door to operate correctly, and then it was on to some of the more worn and damaged systems.
"Well, we need to come up with a proper name! How about Venator?"
"Too pretentious."
"Reclaimer?"
"Too... ambiguous."
Andre let out a frustrated puff of air, the spines on her head folding back similar to the way a cat would pull back their ears. "Nightingale, then?"
"Mmm, nah. Too macabre," Feo gave the ship a critical look. More often then not it was hard to tell what was going on inside that human skull of his, but when it came to his work it was as if there were a supercomputer calculating every little detail inside. Andre just glared at the thinking man, muttering something under her breath getting a tad salty from his responses. "Something more... modest, yet still pronounced. Something that will really befit her and what she's meant to be."
"Ssshe'sss meant to be in a ssscrap yard," Andre pointed out. Feochadan only waved off the comment and made his way up the makeshift latter they put in the elevator shaft. He lifted his way up through recently cut metal sheets and soldered wires and circuitry, eventually emerging just behind the ships bridge. Inside the ship was surprisingly empty. When repairing the outside Feo had removed a lot of plating on the interior to make his patches. The bridge itself was completely bare besides the ships core and some loose wiring where computers once would have sat. Andre soon popped her head over the edge after him, and he helped her into the small empty room. "It'sss really bare in here ssstill. How isss the wiring?" Feo grimaced showing her into the next room where a mess of logic and circuitry started and spread throughout the rest of the ship.
"I did my best, but this thing is ancient. It's power capacity can still be increased without much of a problem, but the regen? It's not going so well... Transferring power to anything other then the engines has been a pain." She understood the dilemma and began poking around the makeshift breaker box he had recently installed. For the ships original purposes it's system load seemed appropriate, but whoever had modified it in the past had not really done the greatest job. The entire back half of the ship was pretty much stitched on, and it now made up for over half the ships volume. The ship was simply too big for it's own good but Feo and Andre had to make it work somehow. Just then Andre must have been graced by the gods because power suddenly sparked throughout the logic system. Gears clanked and energy fizzed throughout the interior as lights and the basic life support system came to life. "Aha! Seems like you salvaged it! Hell yeah!"
She turned toward him with a smug look on her scaly face. "My clawsss are sssimply magic," she grinned. Feo shook his head and patted her spiky head, which her spines flattened upon to prevent poking little holes in his delicate flesh.
"If that's the case then you can fix this damn elevator. I'll just go work on the docking bay." Her lips parted in protest but he was already waving goodbye with a stupid grin on his face, leaping down onto the cargo platform and heading to the very back of his vessel. While he wove his way through the crates full of supplies he had acquired, and Andre grudgingly began to fiddle with the elevator controls he kept a small portion of his thoughts fixated on a good name for the ship.
Survivor? Nope, that was kinda lame. How 'bout, Argos? He mulled it over while looking at the computer controlling the docking rail. It was instantly clear that all the wires below that controlled the direction were mostly corroded or completely torn out. The previous owners really gutted this thing shoddily. Argos is too masculine. How about Venture? That made him pause. There was a nice ring to it, but not quite what he wanted.
"Hey! Andre! can you hear me?" he called out while taking some fresh copper wires over to the computer.
"Yesss! What isss it?" She replied, hisses echoing off the hollow walls behind him.
"How about, The Sojourn?"
The was a long pause before she poked her head over the main decks railing nodding as she let the name roll off her tongue. "Sssojourn? Not bad. Quite articulate for a human, at that." She winked grinning toothily and Feo gave her a rude hand sign in return.
"Sojourn it is!" A smile spread across his face as he worked, a kind of joy that he had never known filling him as he thought about the magnitude of all they were doing. It wasn't just a ship they were fixing up, it was a whole new step in life they were preparing.
*****
As she listened to her two companions bicker and work Risi looked on they're daunting project with a bit of apprehension. She fully supported both of them, but when she thought of what this ship meant, it unnerved her. Risi didn't like space, at all, but those two would never shut up about seeing the stars and other solar systems. She was stuck with two people who wanted to go where she did her best to avoid. The endless, dark, and dangerous regions of nothingness something that haunted her in every nightmare. That was where this ship would take her dear friends.
Before she could make her presence known there was a sound that emanated from beyond her skiff. It wasn't much unlike that of an animal scuffling through the sand, faint, but to a trained ear easily audible against the deserts ambiance. Normally she would ignore such sounds. Fy-rats and rhine-worms were a common pest throughout the dunes, but for some reason this sound made her pause. Her breath turning shallow and her mind focused intently on where the sound was coming from. It came again, just on the other side of the skiff. Her heartbeat pounded in her chest, pulse quickening as she felt a predatorily presence honing in on her. There was no way it was some common pest.
Risi forced herself to remain calm; taking slow, deliberate steps back toward her skiff. Her gun was sitting just beside the drivers seat, if she could reach that then everything would be fine. The sense of foreboding and danger did not diminish as she got closer to her hovercraft, but the exact direction became harder to track. It sounded as if something had scurried behind the rock face over on her left, or was it that rustle against the sheet metal a few meters beyond the skiff? Agonizing concentration filled every second as she reached the side of her sand skiff, and she hoisted herself up onto the deck and crouched ready for something to make its move.
The desert was deathly quite.
She waited, hand poised ready to snatch her gun up, but the only sound was that of the sands gentle whispers over the moonlit desert. Had she been being paranoid? Maybe her gloomy thoughts were making her imagine scary things out to get her? Risi waited a minute longer. Her spine still tingling from the dreadful sense of bloodlust she felt earlier. Yet there was nothing now. Her body couldn't take the stress any longer and she let out a heavy sigh as her muscles relaxed. Shoulders and back aching a little from how tense she was.
I really need to calm down, makin' myself go bonkers with all these dreary thoughts, she thought chastising herself. Just to be safe, she lifted her gun onto her shoulder and turned to head back in Feo's workshop. Only she was met with a cloaked figure mere inches from her, a black mask in the semblance of a skull glowering down at her small frame. She nearly pissed herself staring into the dark, soulless pits where his eyes should have been. The hood he wore making it too dark to see anything through the eyeholes. Risi was a trained soldier, but this was much different then anything she had faced in the military. This was like staring down Death himself.
"Risi.. I presume?" He spoke in a dialect she hadn't heard in many years, and it only added to her shock; limbs already petrified with the fear he had induced in her. How had he even approached? She hadn't heard a thing. She couldn't even tell if he was breathing! She kept her gaze locked on that horrifying mask. Deep scars and grooves crisscrossed the black metal, a bit of shiny silver poking through here and there from the dark coat of paint wearing away. It was then, seeing this silver that her mind snapped out of the spell of terror he had somehow cast over her, and instead turned to that of ordinary shock.
"Dulbhachan..." she breathed out before unslinging her gun and jumping back to take aim at the cloaked intruder. In the blink of an eye he was gone; a gentle hand being placed on her shoulder as she stared down the sight of her rifle looking at empty space, her heartbeat pounding in her ears.
"There is no need for violence, I've only come with a message." She stood still, finger on the trigger of her gun ready to twist around at a moments notice, and blast a hole clean through this man. When she didn't immediately attack, the stranger proceeded with this message of his. "The council of Rhima wishes you return to your duties. Your escapade has gone on far too long. It is time to come home." Risi remained dead silent while his words filled her head. Him speaking the language of Rhima, and the message he brought said everything plain as day. She was being called back to duty. He waited patiently, an eerily silent figure with a firm hand resting on her right shoulder. She knew his patience was just a facade though, she could feel his deadly gaze just waiting for her to make an aggressive mood. All Risi could do was grit her teeth and reply.
"I do not work for Rhima any longer," she spoke in the common dialect, to further assert her distance from the nation. "Tell them I will remain where I am." The Dulbhachan took a moment to respond in turn. His grip tightening ever so slightly as his masked face came within inches of the back of her head.
"Unacceptable." Risi's hands held the rail gun in a death grip, every muscle in her body tense and ready to spring into action. Returning to the language of Rá'rhima he continued, "I will return in nine days. Then you will return to the capital with me. There is no other choice." With his intentions made clear he released her shoulder and stepped back. "Nine days. Be prepared to leave peacefully, or if you wish, by force." She could almost feel him grin behind that mask as she turned to see him hop off her skiff, and seemingly melt into the shadows of the desert. For a few minutes all she could do was stand there watching the sand. She couldn't tell if she was just having a bad dream or if this was really happening anymore, but the cold sweat that plastered her shirt to her back and breasts, along with the uncontrollable shaking in her hands and legs told her the truth.
Risi collapsed onto the deck of her skiff as her legs turned to jelly. Her eyes burning with frustration and anger as they began to fill with tears. There was no hiding this time. They had come to take her back.
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