04-23-2016, 03:38 PM
I looked across the room that I had taken to, the square bunk I sat on and grey walls fitted perfectly with the vertical bars across from me. The captain was not kidding when she said she'd throw me in a cell if I tried to upend her and I didn't think that even a suggestion would count. Next thing I knew she snapped her fingers and I found myself immediately under ten guys. Sure, I could have fought them off, but I wanted to be on their good side and I doubted they would have done any real damage. The choke slam was unnecessary, though. Soon enough they threw me in here and I had a bit of time to mull over how exactly I was going to gain "trust" with the captain.
I didn't even know her name. And yes, I understand the irony of that.
The fact that they didn't take my weapons meant they at least didn't expect me to escape. A few shots from the plasmagun and I could have tap-danced my way out the cell. Either a test, or they were sure that I wouldn't shoot up my own side. If they really knew me they would have known I made exceptions, although I could only wonder if my old CO would have told anyone or kept it secret that I had beaten him to an inch of his life. Not exactly a point of pride, that.
Eventually my wait paid off, as I heard a set of foot steps shuffle down the barren hallway. Their quick pace meant this was not some casual visit or food trolley. Good thing too, I'd already cleaned my guns twice and lost the baseball I summoned a few moments ago. I swaggered up to the front of the cell and leaned on the cell bars; where I found two junior officers with a keycard in one of their hands and large frowns on their faces. The card holder nearly fumbled the card as he slot it into the reader, and that feeling of superiority fell through as I realized that something bad had either happened or was about to happen.
"What's going on?" I asked, the list of mocking comments pushed to the side for a moment.
"We are being followed by another ship. The captain wants you on the bridge"
The bridge was much more tense as I was led into it, the casual atmosphere that had been there during my first visit had vanished. Men and women hunched over their post, information flying from station to station with all of it pooled into the chair in the middle where the captain read through the many holographic monitors in front of her. I walked close enough that she knew my presence, but not close enough to make it seem like I was looking over her back (even though I was). Not that I needed to eavesdrop, as the view screen showed the threat itself: a metal hull ship just barely on the horizon which a portion of the screen had zoomed in on.
"How long have they been following us?" I threw a guess to the wind that the ship was the problem, and the lack of funny looks my way meant that I guessed right. The captain's look of surprise was a nice counter to the hard line grimace she had earlier, and I was again very grateful for my helmet as it block the smirk I had.
"Since we left port" she bounced back to stoic immediately, her attention turned to the screens in front of her. "They haven't responded to any attempts to hail, but they've kept themselves out of range of weapons. We're going to fire warning shots if they don't leave in a few minutes" I squinted at the view screen of the other ship as I wondered who it was. BUt I could make a good guess.
"Zoom in," I ordered a helmsman, which got me a very cross look from the captain. I rolled my eyes, since she already proven she had the authority here, but then she wasn't happy until also played the part, "please" And sure enough as the image was magnified closer, I saw the iconic symbol of the Empire on the flag.
"What do you know of the Empire?" I asked, the captain respond by tracing her hand on the holograms, which brought up another window and a long list of information.
"Local main government, totalitarian if their attempts at censorship is any indication, major faction of the universe" And then she look at me with a small frown and scrunched eyebrows "Who also have a bounty on your head"
"Things happen" I chuckled "I wouldn't shoot at them yet. They're probably looking for their own reason to attack, so don't give them one. Anything else on radar?"
"Nothing," Was reported from one of the crew members, "no other ships in sight"
"What if it's not ships?" I asked, and THAT's what got me strange looks. Even without my knowledge into the odd powers and technology the Omniverse liked to throw at me, my mind drifted back to the twin moon of mars, where once I though found a secured room lead to chunks of my body torn as only a transparent pink shape and hungry red eyes revealed my attacker "The enemy rarely reveals it's hand so early. They're probably supporting something. Keep an eye out for anything suspicious and keep in better contact with your patrols" and I gave a sideways glance to the officer in charge "and that's my advise, not an order"
Either her nod meant she agreed with me or she approved that I reeled in my assertiveness. Or both, you can't really tell if someone is intentionally trying to be coy about something.
"Switch sonar to wide band and I want reports from our men ever fifteen minutes. Call off the artillery, but keep them loaded for now" She ordered, and like ants to a queen the crewmen immediately got to work "So now what, marine?" I wasn't sure if that was permission or not, but if she was going to throw me back in the brig for answering a question then I wouldn't care anyway.
"Sunset Isle" I answered as I held up a my PDA which was opened to a file on a merc called the "War Pigs". I didn't exactly like mercs, but it was a lead. I handed the PDA over to her and she was already inputting the coordinates as she looked it over.
"So what's your name?" I asked about as nonchalantly as I could muster. Despite my reputation as a bit of a brick, I can still be social. But it wasn't enough to fly over her head.
"What's yours?" She countered
"Doomguy" I answered instantly by reflex
"Then you can call me Captain. If you're trying this trust thing, 'Doomguy", then you're failing miserably"
I didn't even know her name. And yes, I understand the irony of that.
The fact that they didn't take my weapons meant they at least didn't expect me to escape. A few shots from the plasmagun and I could have tap-danced my way out the cell. Either a test, or they were sure that I wouldn't shoot up my own side. If they really knew me they would have known I made exceptions, although I could only wonder if my old CO would have told anyone or kept it secret that I had beaten him to an inch of his life. Not exactly a point of pride, that.
Eventually my wait paid off, as I heard a set of foot steps shuffle down the barren hallway. Their quick pace meant this was not some casual visit or food trolley. Good thing too, I'd already cleaned my guns twice and lost the baseball I summoned a few moments ago. I swaggered up to the front of the cell and leaned on the cell bars; where I found two junior officers with a keycard in one of their hands and large frowns on their faces. The card holder nearly fumbled the card as he slot it into the reader, and that feeling of superiority fell through as I realized that something bad had either happened or was about to happen.
"What's going on?" I asked, the list of mocking comments pushed to the side for a moment.
"We are being followed by another ship. The captain wants you on the bridge"
Quote:----
The bridge was much more tense as I was led into it, the casual atmosphere that had been there during my first visit had vanished. Men and women hunched over their post, information flying from station to station with all of it pooled into the chair in the middle where the captain read through the many holographic monitors in front of her. I walked close enough that she knew my presence, but not close enough to make it seem like I was looking over her back (even though I was). Not that I needed to eavesdrop, as the view screen showed the threat itself: a metal hull ship just barely on the horizon which a portion of the screen had zoomed in on.
"How long have they been following us?" I threw a guess to the wind that the ship was the problem, and the lack of funny looks my way meant that I guessed right. The captain's look of surprise was a nice counter to the hard line grimace she had earlier, and I was again very grateful for my helmet as it block the smirk I had.
"Since we left port" she bounced back to stoic immediately, her attention turned to the screens in front of her. "They haven't responded to any attempts to hail, but they've kept themselves out of range of weapons. We're going to fire warning shots if they don't leave in a few minutes" I squinted at the view screen of the other ship as I wondered who it was. BUt I could make a good guess.
"Zoom in," I ordered a helmsman, which got me a very cross look from the captain. I rolled my eyes, since she already proven she had the authority here, but then she wasn't happy until also played the part, "please" And sure enough as the image was magnified closer, I saw the iconic symbol of the Empire on the flag.
"What do you know of the Empire?" I asked, the captain respond by tracing her hand on the holograms, which brought up another window and a long list of information.
"Local main government, totalitarian if their attempts at censorship is any indication, major faction of the universe" And then she look at me with a small frown and scrunched eyebrows "Who also have a bounty on your head"
"Things happen" I chuckled "I wouldn't shoot at them yet. They're probably looking for their own reason to attack, so don't give them one. Anything else on radar?"
"Nothing," Was reported from one of the crew members, "no other ships in sight"
"What if it's not ships?" I asked, and THAT's what got me strange looks. Even without my knowledge into the odd powers and technology the Omniverse liked to throw at me, my mind drifted back to the twin moon of mars, where once I though found a secured room lead to chunks of my body torn as only a transparent pink shape and hungry red eyes revealed my attacker "The enemy rarely reveals it's hand so early. They're probably supporting something. Keep an eye out for anything suspicious and keep in better contact with your patrols" and I gave a sideways glance to the officer in charge "and that's my advise, not an order"
Either her nod meant she agreed with me or she approved that I reeled in my assertiveness. Or both, you can't really tell if someone is intentionally trying to be coy about something.
"Switch sonar to wide band and I want reports from our men ever fifteen minutes. Call off the artillery, but keep them loaded for now" She ordered, and like ants to a queen the crewmen immediately got to work "So now what, marine?" I wasn't sure if that was permission or not, but if she was going to throw me back in the brig for answering a question then I wouldn't care anyway.
"Sunset Isle" I answered as I held up a my PDA which was opened to a file on a merc called the "War Pigs". I didn't exactly like mercs, but it was a lead. I handed the PDA over to her and she was already inputting the coordinates as she looked it over.
"So what's your name?" I asked about as nonchalantly as I could muster. Despite my reputation as a bit of a brick, I can still be social. But it wasn't enough to fly over her head.
"What's yours?" She countered
"Doomguy" I answered instantly by reflex
"Then you can call me Captain. If you're trying this trust thing, 'Doomguy", then you're failing miserably"
![[Image: oGzCtPC.png]](http://i.imgur.com/oGzCtPC.png)