The Motivation- The Calvin Tayor Shipuuden

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MikeAngora
Militia Lieutenant
Militia Lieutenant
Posts: 121
Joined: Thu Apr 28, 2011 9:19 am

A Few Good Men

It took us a few minutes to return to the Korolov station from the destroyed Charon Fortress. Our trip to the Fortress had seemed like a few hours to us but due to the warping and the ripples caused in the Space-time fabric, we actually had expended almost 5 full days. The station was taking shape very quickly and many of the ports had even begun their business as usual. We all docked at Korolov and immediately headed for the large conference hall. There the station commander was waiting for us along with some Commonwealth officers. They saluted us as we entered and refreshments were served quickly to my ragtag squadron. I had already ordered a clean-up team to be sent to the Fortress to recover any survivors and more importantly to the Korolov people, loot the hell out of it.
Everyone ate quietly expect for Nova, Jenna, Tychus and myself. Chuck, Sally and their father were also reluctant to eat but I insisted it for them.

One of the Commonwealth officers was the Second-in-Command of the Point Juno supply base- he was on a family holiday in Starlton but I had him warped in on an urgent basis.
He was a tall dark skinned and bald man in royal navy blue uniform. "I am Commodore Edison Phillips." he announced in a dark baritone voice.
I didn't waste time with the introductions and immediately got to the issue of the Europa.
"I need information as to where that ship is headed. She docked with you before coming down here to Charon." I asked impatiently.
"Ah you mean the one commanded by Real Admiral Fredrick Watson and my brother Matthew? I am sorry, they are on a classified mission." he replied in jest- something that got me very, very pissed.
"THE C.S.C EUROPA COMMODORE! WHERE IS SHE HEADED!!?" I stood up and screamed- everyone stopped eating and began to stare at me.
The Commodore didn't blink and politely reiterated his earlier statement. "I am sorry Lieutenant, I cannot tell you anything- it is beyond my jurisdiction."
I regained my composure and apologized to the Commodore and to my squadron however everyone stopped eating and continued to look at me intently.
"The C.S.C Europa is in grave danger. We have confirmation that a Phobos dreadnought is out hunting for her. There are almost five thousand people on board that ship. I'm certain that that Phobos would probably be flying with Deimos class destroyers and swarms of smaller Ares gunships which a lone Commonwealth Star-ship Carrier cannot handle. I need to know about that ship Commodore- please for the sake of your brother, for the sake of those men and women." I began again.
Chuck and Sally's father also stood up from his seat and re-confirmed my information.
"I am the Communications officer of the Pirate Ship Kronosaur. After the Europa attacked us some Ares Sandstorms had flown over our destroyed fortress." he said.

The commodore took deep breaths and stared at me in silence along with everyone else. He looked at my squadron women and then turned to me.
"So you know about the fusion triggers. The Europa is carrying a crack team of scientists- they have probably assembled the weapon already." he sighed.
"The weapon!!" my entire squadron of 65 pilots jumped up from their seats and screamed as did I.
Jenna stood up from her seat and walked over to the Commodore. "Commodore, if the Europa is carrying that weapon then it's not just the Europa that's in danger- Point Juno itself could be attacked!!" she screamed and the entire hall broke into tumult. Nova hushed everyone down quickly and stared at the Commodore.
"Oh my God! Commander Anderson, the Europa is headed towards some Ares Communes to test the weapon. The Ares must have waited this long because they wanted the weapon in working condition." the Commodore said hastily.
"Damn straight! We gotta get our asses to Point Juno right now! That ship is walking into a hornet's nest with honey smudged all over it " Tychus hadn't finished speaking that every single pilot in the room began to rush towards their ships.

I also ran- it was probably the fastest I've ever had run since my days in the C.M.C Sniper School. We didn't ring any alarm bells this time because we wanted to avoid creating a ruckus in the station.
The Commodore also hurried into his Aurochs VIP transport and formed on our wing- his escorts of Centurions with him.
Thankfully, our ships were already being prepped by the diligent Korolov staff before we got to them so we wasted no time.
My squadron cleared the Korolov station and once clear of the station's magnetic field we warped towards the star-gate- now this was where things got interesting.
As we all gathered in front of the enormous star-gate Tychus' Advanced Jump drive began to encircle our entire squadron with waves of flashing colorful lights- everyone except Sally knew full well what was going on so I instructed Nova to put her to sleep.
"Gentlemen and gentlewomen, get ready to enter the Elysium System." Tychus declared and our ships entered into a tunnel of bright flashing lights of all sizes and colors. It lasted for around five minutes and we appeared in a large solar system dominated by one large blue star. There were no lights from the stars, no planets or anything a human eye could recognize. Ancient star-gates orbited the star.
This was the mythical Elysium system- a large system made by the ancient alien races to travel between different star systems.

We quickly warped into the Point Juno System and landed almost a few thousand miles away from it.
"Attention all flights. I'm going to find the Europa and possibly retrieve that weapon. I need everyone else to follow Commodore Phillips and head straight for Point Juno. If I don't return with a few days consider me dead. Tychus you'll assume command of the squadron along with November. Am I clear?" I announced.
"Negative War-wolf. I'm going with you." Nova replied.
"Damn straight! You ain't getting your hands on that weapon without me." Tychus also said and with that every single pilot in the squadron also began to insist going with me including Commodore Phillips.
"I cannot risk my entire squadron to a single Phobos. At the most I'll take Tychus and Nova with me because their ships are heavily armed. I need you all to report to Point Juno and upgrade your ships- get better deflectors and weapons- especially the Ronins. Chuck and Sally you're both experienced Viking Pilots, I think Point Juno will have a couple of Ronins or I.A.Vs for you to fight in. I need you all alive long enough to fight for Point Juno. Commodore, can I please take your word for it? " I said solemnly.
After a short silence everyone accepted my orders. "I'll take care of this band of misfits Michael. I'll make sure every single ship is battle ready in no time." The Commodore replied. "And Michael, please bring my brother back safely, can I take YOUR word for it?"
"Yes Commodore, I will bring Matthew back. I swear" I said.
"What about me? I won't go anywhere without Nova!" Jenna yelled.
Nova then docked with Jenna's Ronin and sent Sally and her father over. "I won't leave you alone in Point Juno my dear. I'll be back before you know it." she said and bid an emotional goodbye to her loyal apprentice.
Tychus also bid his goodbye to his squadron of Molotok pilots and Centurions.
"See ya later alligators!" he exclaimed.
"Hey Tychus, you make sure you bring back somma dose pretty chicks from the Europa yeh?" his pilots laughed back.
As we prepared to warp towards the last known coordinates of the Europa, Tychus offered a sincere apology to Sally, Chuck and their father. They willingly accepted and we warped away.
All three of us knew that the Europa would have probably been under attack already and that the chances of any of us returning were bleak at best.

--- Approach to Europa---

We were done warping but continued to travel at just below light speed. Our ships were vibrating violently and we knew full well why this was happening.
"Guys, I'm detecting heavy electronic activity ahead. Looks like she's taking fire." Nova reported.
"Copy that- particle residues detected. That's a Tev-9- we gotta get to her fast." I replied.
"We're still a few light minutes away... I'm activating the jump-drives, it should land us close enough. Standby." Tychus said and engaged the jump-drives a second time.

As the warp finished, we saw what could only be described as a beehive. Swarms of Sandstorms were pounding the large Star-ship Carrier.
The C.S.C Europa was indeed a very beautiful ship. Her four flat spanning landing bays were something of a wonder in themselves.
Her fleet of Britannia and Centurion squadrons were fighting hard but she was struggling to defend herself- one of her four Tev-9s had been disabled.

"ATTENTION C.S.C Europa; this is War-wolf flight, we're inbound to assist. How do you copy?" Nova announced.
"Affirmative War-wolf squadron! We're under heavy fire from Tundras and Chasms. We could use all the support you can give!" the ship responded.
"Damn Straight! You're not going down so fast Admiral Watson! I need cover fire- I'm coming in." Tychus also blared.
"War-wolf flight affirmative! Providing cover-fire!" the response came.
"C.S.C Europa, this is War-wolf lead. Heard you folks are having a party without us! Gimme something to shoot." I exclaimed.
"Copy that War-wolf, you couldn't have come a moment too soon! Threats due Victor East- fully loaded Chasms. Strip and engage!" The joyful comm officer replied.
The Europa directed her fire at groups on Sandstorms that were coming flying in to intercept us and obliterated them instantly.

"Lets jump in folks! Engage at will!" Nova ordered and we charged into the battlefield.
Tychus and I immediately let loose our barrage of thermonuclear 98R high-flux MAG rounds and Mark V howitzers.
Although Nova's heavily modified Wolfen was a tad less powerful than us, it was astonishingly more maneuverable. She tore through the Sandstorms like a fly squatting racket with her quiver full of Lucifer missiles.
"Attention all flights this is War-wolf 2, focus your fire on the Tundras and Chasms. Let the ship handle the small fry." Tychus announced as the squadrons of Tundras unleashed their deadly micro-nukes.
"This is Panther flight; we're engaged with groups of Sandstorms- requesting immediate support!" cried a Centurion pilot in the melee.
"Copy that Panther I'm right on em. Firing Fox 2!" Nova responded and literally nose dived into the squadron of Sandstorms and blasted her way through.
As I engaged the waves of Ares ships, I noticed a large group of around thirty Tundras gathering together below the ship. They were planning a saturated attack on the engines- essentially a kill shot.
"Those Tundras are going in for a saturated attack on the ship!! Get your asses on them now! Move! Move! Move!" I said and dove towards them. Everyone else followed.
"Roger that War-wolf. We'll cover your sixes while you attack. Attention all units of Gorilla and Panther squadrons; break right and cover the teams attacking those Tundras. Gorilla out."
"They're launching their warheads! Hit those warheads- they'll kill the Tundras too!" Nova declared.
Every single gunship surrounding the carrier disengaged their targets and swooped in towards the Tundras- that had already launched their warheads. Our weapons impacted the warheads and immediately tore through the very ships that launched them.
"Nailed em! Yeah!!!" the jubilant pilots screamed.
"Damn it, I'm hit! I don't think I can take it anymore. Hull breach is imminent. May-Day, May-Day, May-day- This is Gorilla 4; I'm going down."
"Roger that Gorilla 4, I've got your ejection pod covered. Get outta there."
"Thank you War-wolf 2. I've landed on the ship."


Our own ships also began to take damage but we kept up the dogfight and eventually began to clear up the space around the ship.
The last squadron of the Ares fighters warped away in retreat - signaling the end of the fighting. All allied ships rushed back to the ship while also checking for any survivors in their ejection pods.
We landed on the Europa to roaring cheers. We still had our armors on and trampled into the large hall where Rear Admiral Fredrick Watson was waiting and personally greeting every pilot with an embrace.
Admiral Fredrick 'The Stinger' Watson, a tall man with a sprawling white beard and bright blue eyes, was not your ordinary C.S.C commander. He was a Commonwealth Marine commander too.
Tychus and I knew this man all too well. He had trained us to fight and shoot at the Commonwealth Marine Academy and served as our mentor and father for countless missions.
Standing next to him was a tall dusky man- Lieutenant Commander Matthew Phillips, the older brother of Commodore Edison Phillips. I recognized him instantly due to his remarkably similar appearance to his brother.
As the Admiral saluted us the lieutenant whispered something into the Admiral's ear. The Admiral gave a mock laugh and introduced us to his crew.

""My fellow brethren, family of the Europa, I introduce to you Lieutenant commander of the Commonwealth fleet, Michael Anderson, son of Supreme Commander Anderson" he announced proudly- pointing towards me. "And of course my own apprentice Tychus Edward Findley!" The admiral announced in his typical Scottish accent.
None of us smiled or cheered however, we knew full well that the attack was far from over.

Nova walked over to the Admiral and stared up into his eyes.
"Admiral Watson I am Major November Caesar. I'd like to ask you and your crew some questions." she said firmly, not bothering about the rank difference.
"Questions?" the Admiral asked curiously as he looked towards me and then towards Tychus.
"Yes Admiral, questions." I began morbidly. "I'd like to know about who gave you information about the Charon Pirate Fortress?" I finished and looked at his assembled crew.
"You don't know? We were given instructions from the Supreme Commander himself. Your father Michael." the Admiral replied. This answer shook me to my bones and I felt the surge of nasty feelings burning through my veins but this was no time introspect.
"The Boss? Mikey?" Tychus exclaimed in amazement but I ignored him.

"The battle is not over sir. Rather, it has just begun. We captured a comm officer from the Pirate ship Kronosaur. He reported an Ares Phobos dreadnought and possibly some Deimos Destroyers tracking them to the Charon Fortress. We need to get this ship to safety or..." I began to speak but I was abruptly interrupted by a transmission on the ship's large comm screen- which was essentially a bloated cinema screen. Everyone turned their attention to the man on it. He was a grey haired man with a full beard and a glowing robotic right eye behind him was a bridge of what appeared to be a large ship.

"Young Michael speaks correctly Admiral Watson." he began in a heavy Russian accent. "We have been tracking your special cargo for quiet sometime. However I would like to inform you that my intentions are by no means malevolent. The weapon you are carrying will destroy my people and possibly your own if Decker and Anderson have their way." he finished. Everyone looked on in astonishment.
I had seen this man before- his image was nailed into our minds during our training- this was Admiral Vasily Gorbachev- commander of the Ares Fleet.
Despite the many questions that were racing in my head, I looked into the comm screen and responded.
"This weapon is to bring peace into human space. It is to unite all humans so we can open the quarantine that the aliens have imposed on human space!" I said firmly but Gorbachev laughed.
"Is that what 'The Boss' told you Michael? Is that what Decker told you too? Michael I'm offering you a wager- just to prove I mean no harm. You can destroy that weapon on board that ship and I'll let little Europa fly way to fight me another day. Otherwise, my fleet stands ready to sterilize the Point Juno System- first your pitiful carrier, then the Point Juno supply base. You're the Boss's son- your call. I'll give you time to decide." the old man replied and the screen went black. The mention of Point Juno sent waves of fear through the entire crew. Point Juno was the largest and the only supply base that catered to the Commonwealth Stars-ship Carriers- the mainstay of the Commonwealth Fleet. If Point Juno were to fall it would effectively cripple the fleet fighting on the front lines.

Everyone on the ship, including the Admiral gave me dumbfounded stare and after not more than a good five minutes of silent contemplation, I finally made a decision.
I knew my decision would haunt me for the rest of my life but I had predicted this exact situation the moment I realized the Europa's true mission.
I instructed Admiral Watson to have his entire crew shifted to their escape pods within immediate effect. The crew was in uproar and demanded to stay with their ship and their 'father'.
I knew exactly how much the crew of the Europa loved their ship and their commander but I could not risk the lives of five thousand able-bodied men and women.
The Admiral looked at his family and assured them that he would join up with them later but there was tumult in the large hall.
The Admiral eventually had to pull rank and firmly ordered everyone except Lieutenant Phillips to head for the escape pods.

Nova turned to the lieutenant and patted his shoulder.
"Program all escape pods and gunships to head directly for the Rigel Aurelius system. Commander Kate Morgental is waiting in the Battle Arena for them there- and disable any manual override systems." she said as the Admiral looked on proudly. "And you lieutenant, are coming with us to Point Juno. We have made a promise to your brother." she finished. The young man saluted and immediately ran off to the bridge.
"Admiral, we'll need to keep that Phobos busy enough for your crew to escape. My squadron is waiting for me at Point Juno. I also need a report on the weapon." I asked the Admiral solemnly.
I knew I had to leave the weapon on the Europa. That Phobos would have been well within firing range of the escape pods and last thing I wanted was for the weapon to be blackmailed out of me.
"I understand Mikey. I'll keep her busy until you're all gone. The weapon is in the vault and Matty has set passwords to it. The Vault is secure and surrounded by five thousand tonnes of Enriched- weaponized Americium. If anyone enters the password wrong three times the outer shell will disintegrate everything within a ten light minute radius. I know the Ares won't take that risk in this system so you can come back with the fleet to recover it." The Admiral instructed- leaving me more than satisfied.

Admiral Watson was going to sacrifice his life and the Europa for his crew, for us, for Point Juno and for the entire human space. This request would haunt me for the rest of my life however I knew there was no other way.
Tychus, who was quiet until now suddenly jumped out of his suit and embraced the Admiral- the impact flung the Admiral's hat off his head. He wept loudly and the Admiral allowed him into his arms.
"My father! My father! The Chariots and Horsemen of Starlton Eridanus!" he cried loudly. I had never known Tychus for being an emotional man- actually he was the opposite but I understood what he was going through. Admiral Watson was the closest thing he had to a father.
"Ah! You take care of these kids Tychus. After all things left unsaid, I am very proud to have trained you." the Admiral beamed proudly as Tychus quietly stepped back into his suit.
I slipped on my suit's heavy helmet so that I could hide my own tears. This was the first time I had cried in many years and I was not liking it. My Adam's apple hurt as tears streamed down my eyes.
"I'll need that Phobos distracted long enough for your crew to warp out. Try and stay alive for as long as possible sir. It's been an honor Admiral Watson." I said as I gained my composure.
"The honor has been all mine laddy! Thank you for saving my children. I'd like to speak to them once before they warp out." the Admiral replied proudly.
"Certainly Admiral. You owe it to them." November replied on my behalf.

Some red lights began to blink on the communications console and I went over to check it out.
"Point Juno is broadcasting a distress signal. They're detecting a large fleet of Ares ships including Comet-falls. We need to leave right now. We need to conserve our munitions to assist Point Juno. I won't risk taking on a Phobos here. Admiral, please make it look convincing." I announced.
After around five minutes lieutenant Phillips returned and reported all surviving crew members had been shifted to the escape pods. I then instructed lieutenant Phillips, Tychus and November to report to their waiting gunships. The lieutenant did not bid farewell to his Admiral and hurried off towards the ships- Tychus and November followed. The Admiral looked somewhat surprised at his behavior but breathed a final sigh of relief.
I turned on the Comm unit and the Phobos commander appeared on it.
"The honor of the Ares is known throughout the galaxy. Will you keep your honor Admiral Gorbachev?"I asked as professionally as I could.
"Michael, you are ignorant of your father's wickedness. On the day you find find out you will want to kill him with your own hands but fate will not let you. I will not fire at the escape pods. I will not kill innocents. Admiral Watson my name is Admiral Vasily Gorbachev. You have shown nothing less than the greatest honor by sacrificing yourself for your crew. Do-Svidaniya Admiral- it shall be but the greatest of victories to bring down a great man such as yourself." the Phobos commander said and signed off before the admiral or I could respond.

I shook hands with the Admiral for a last time and walked out towards my ship. Tychus and Nova were already space-borne by the time I got to the Manticore, I assumed that Phillips must have gone up with them and launched away.
As we cleared the ship we noticed the eighty five or so sleek escape pods warping towards the star-gate. Tychus pulled back and floated his Molotok directly in front of the bridge. He was using his private frequency and I assumed he was saying his last goodbyes.
"Common Tychus! That ship's gonna be attacked any second!" I ordered and we warped away.
"Hey Nova, is Matthew with you? He's the only one who has those codes to the Vault." I asked Nova.
"Negative Mike. He gave me the mnemonic cube and the codes to unlock the vault. For reasons best known to him, he has stayed back with his ship, with his father. I'm sure the Commodore will understand." she said solemnly.
I was a little annoyed but I didn't argue- I was in no mood to aggravate an already tense atmosphere.
"We'll get em Tychus. The Ares will pay with blood for what happened this day. I swear." I said to Tychus but I received no response.
Last edited by MikeAngora on Fri Mar 11, 2016 11:55 am, edited 1 time in total.
"Umm, I'm sorry I just killed your officer Akira, but he was getting on my nerves''
"Can I take his ship now?"

Calvin E. Taylor to Akira Gorbachev, the daughter of Ares Chief Admiral Vasily Gorbachev, after brutally killing one of her Tundra pilots.
MikeAngora
Militia Lieutenant
Militia Lieutenant
Posts: 121
Joined: Thu Apr 28, 2011 9:19 am

Mike's Marauders - Calvin Taylor


We reached the Point Juno supply base as quickly as possible. This base was a very- very large super structure with large disk like appendages connected to it. It was very different to what I had seen just a few weeks back. There were humongous external armor plates being fitted around the station's reactor sections and It was encircled by swarms of Britannia and Centurion gunships. We were cleared into the station's tight No-Fly zone and docked near where Tychus' Molotok Bounty Hunters were. I could imagine the headlines in the media already- Commonwealth Fleet associating with the Mafia!
We entered into the large docking area and headed directly to the station commander's office where Second-in-Command Commodore Phillips and his boss, the Station Commander, were waiting for us.
We all saluted as we entered into the large office. The station Commander was a lady in her early forties. She wasn't wearing a naval uniform however- she was in a Specter Armor that resembled that of Nova's.

The Commodore looked at us but to my surprise didn't ask for his brother- something that I was fearing he would. On the contrary he smiled upon not seeing him.
"Commodore I..." I began but he stopped me.
"Had you brought him back, I would have shot him myself. I knew he would not abandon his ship or his father." he smiled.
"We have been updated about the situation by the escaping crew members of the Europa Commander Anderson." the station commander said in a serious tone. "I'm not impressed by your actions but I can justify them. Your so called squadron is currently in the officer's mess. Any chance of my men surviving?"
"Susan I have no words to justify my actions but there was no other way. Admiral Watson and Lieutenant commander Phillips have given the supreme sacrifice in the true traditions and honor of the Commonwealth Fleet. I can only assure you that I will not let their sacrifice go in vain. I will fight and die for Point Juno and get the Lamplighter back at all costs." I said and looked down at the floor.
"I have bad news for you too Mike- your Centurions pilots have been willing drafted back into Point Juno defense. Only ten of the forty decided to stay back." she said. I was pissed but didn't reply.
"Commander Susan. I am..." Nova began but the Commander interjected her before she could finish.
"Major November Caesar. Your young apprentice has been worrying sick since she's arrived November. Jenna? Am I right? She's been sitting alone and hasn't had a bite to eat since she's got here. I think you better go to her first." she said and Nova hurried out of the room. "Tychus, I need you and Mike on station in the No-Fly Zone. My men are repairing your ships and rearming them as I speak. I'll send your squaddies in an hour or so. My maintenance crew is turning their Molotoks, Ronins and Centurions into real war-fighters." she said and we both left the room. I looked at Commodore Phillips one last time before leaving but he didn't look back.

I was getting desperate to meet my remaining men- I was down to thirty from sixty-five. If there was one thing that I had learned from Admiral Watson it was to turn your squadron into your family members- so they can die for you and you for them.
Tychus and I were still in our armors and hadn't had any food since we left Charon but neither of us were concerned. We took a lift down to the third floor and walked into a large meeting hall. It was filled with Sofas, bars, entertainment systems and other luxuries. My pilots were scattered all over the place, some were drinking, others watching news but most waiting anxiously for me. As we entered every single pilot stopped whatever they were doing and gathered around us and unleashed their salvos of bear-hugs. They were wearing the Navy-blue Commonwealth Fleet uniforms- even Tychus' Molotok pilots.
They all began their banter and began to ask all sorts of questions but I had them sit down before speaking. Nova also came in along with Jenna, Sally and Chuck.
Chuck was looking visibly different. He had cleaned up his beard and also sported a Commonwealth Militia uniform. Sally and Jenna were both in their Fleet outfits.
Jenna ran in and embraced first me and then Tychus who playfully patted her cheeks.

"Boy am I glad to see you lot." I started. "The Europa has fallen gentlemen-and women. Admiral Watson and Commodore Edison's brother Matthew have gone down with their ship but we managed to save the crew. They're probably in Rigel Aurelius by now." I finished.
"Wot about the weapon Ca'pain? Did'ya manage to get it out?" one of the pilots asked.
"No but it's secure. The Europa was outfitted with an explosive vault just for this kind of a scenario. We have the codes to it but the problem is there's a Phobos lurking in this system now. We cannot recover the weapon until we have a full fleet ready. For now, we'll be fighting along side the Commonwealth Fleet and defending Point Juno- this time you're all coming with me. Oorah?" I said and every single person in the room exploded into 'Oorah!'
"Everyone except Sally and Jenna. They're cooking dinner for those for that make it back alive." I said and everyone laughed at the frowning girls.
"I'll make dinner for ya Jenna. I'll make you into dinner!" cried Jeremy- one of Tychus' men.
"I'll rip your ass out Jer!" Sally blasted defensively- it seemed the group had developed quiet a bond while in Point Juno.
"Damn straight! I'll take care of both of these ladies. I'll have big things under this suit." Tychus laughed- for the first time since returning. Nova stared at him furiously.
"You even think about touching my girls and I'll burst those big things like walnuts and split them into two" she blasted.
"Ouch! Tychus don't mess with the girls' mom! She's jealous you ain't giving her those big things!" snickered someone from the crowd. Nova fumed but Tychus fell to the floor laughing.
"Are you kidding me? Mike? You'll tolerate this stuff?" Nova fumed as I tried desperately to control my laughter.

The Station Commander walked in with Commodore Phillips and some other high ranking Fleet officers. Everyone abruptly stopped their laughter and stood up.
"At ease, gentlemen and women." she began. "As most of you already know, I am Commander Susan Brown and with me are Rear Admirals Edward Jameson, Noon Singh and Maria Vidovic." we all saluted as the Commander motioned towards three officers. They were all approximately in their fifties and Admiral Singh sported a very pointy Sikh turban.
"While we're grateful to you for coming to assist, there's still no record of your 'squadron' if that's what you call it. We'll need to register your squadron under the Commonwealth Privatized Fleet Act since not all of you are 'regular' Commonwealth fleet officers." she said hinting at Tychus, his men, Chuck and Sally and also the Ronin pilots from Korolov- essentially my whole squadron.
"Well? What should we do Commander? Wait to be registered?" Tychus asked.
"We're going to register your squadron right now Lieutenant Findley. Just as long as you have a Gazetted Commonwealth Fleet Commander leading your motley crew, we're fine." she replied.
Everyone looked at me and I knew why. With Tychus serving as a Black Market Syndicate Commander and Nova being a Major in the militia, I was the only senior fleet officer left.

Admiral Singh stepped forward with a holographic iPad. It scanned the electronic ID cards (attached to their uniforms) of all present except for Chuck and Sally since they were former pirates. He proceeded to enter their names manually and asked of their family. Sally looked down at the floor -her father was still at the Korolov station and as per the Commonwealth mandate, probably in jail.
Nova looked at Sally and raised her hand. "I'm their family Admiral Singh. They're both mine, as is Jenna." she said firmly as the three young-lings stared at her in awe.
"Hold up just a second! We're their family too! We're adopting them. Damn kids!" Tychus said as everyone else nodded in approval.
The Admiral smiled proudly and entered their names in.
"So? What do I call this ragtag squadron of yours?" he asked.
"Mike's Marauders sir." Nova beamed proudly. "We're all here because of him and he's lead us this far." she bore her blue eyes into mine but I stayed quiet.
"And we'll all be dead because of him too! Wait just a god damn second, pilgrim! Whats wrong with Tychus' Typhoons?!" Tychus thundered- signalling everyone to break into chaos.
"What about Jeremy's Geronimos?"
"Hey wait... Jenna's J-Stars!"
"Um Pirates of Point Juno?"
"Shut up Chuck!"
"David's Goliath squadron! Boo Yeah!"

The commander shook her head and laughed before hushing everyone down.
"It'll take Mike's Marauders. You are now an officially registered Commonwealth Fleet Squadron! Oh and yeah, we've issued an upgraded Centurion for Chuck. " she said and Admiral Singh remotely programmed everyone's ID chips. They glowed blue for five seconds and then went green. 'Commonwealth Fleet Identification Confirmed.' the cards' electronic voice confirmed.
"Mike's Marauders! Damn shame, I'm still a Tychus' Typhoon if you ask me but... Marauder doesn't sound so bad" Tychus relented and chuckled loudly.
As we all began to applaud when a young Corporal ran into the room -huffing furiously.
"Commander! Commander! Recon 1 has detected a large gathering of Sandstorm and Tundras gathering due Bravo-South West! They're preparing for attack!" he screamed.
"What? They're early! Ring the alarms! All units to battle stations now!" she screamed and turned towards me and my newly authorized squadron before leaving.
"Marauders huh? Let's see how your asses perform in battle! Move to stations!" she screamed and everyone immediately scrambled towards their ships.

Alarm bells resonated throughout the stations and all remaining pilots rushed towards their ships.
In the docking bays I was shocked to see my squadron's Ronins, Centurions and Molotok Bounty Hunters. The maintenance crews had armored up the Ronins to almost twice their size and armed them with Tev-9s and XM900 Lucifer missiles. The Molotoks were also looking more bulky and sported heavier engines- the type Tychus already had on his. The Centurions were given new deflectors and armed with N.A.M.I launchers.
My pilots cheered joyfully as they entered their upgraded ships. We immediately took to space and into the No-Fly zone- there were 34 ships in all including ten Ronins, Centurions and Molotoks along with my Manticore, Nova's Wolfen, Chuck's blue Centurion and Jenna and Sally's new Heavy Ronin II.

"Attention Point Juno; this is Marauder 2- we are space-borne and standing by." Nova declared proudly.
"Affirmative Marauder squadron. Proceed due Bravo-South West. Good hunting!" the station replied.
"Hey Marauders! I have a plan if you're up to it." declared Gordon, one of the Centurion pilots.
"Spray it Gordy. We don't have enough time." Nova replied.
"Let's flank em. We'll split up into three ten-ship formations and hit em from the sides, top and bottom. I'll bet they'll be placing their strongest ships up front." he elucidated.
"It does make sense chief. We'll MAG em at the weak points. The rest of the fleet can handle any rogues that make it to the No-Fly zone." a Molotok pilot suggested.
I thought about it for a few seconds. The Ares fleet would probably be expecting a frontal defense so a warped side attack would definitely catch them off guard.

"Okay Gordon- I'm up. You're leading the attack. Everyone else are we Oorah?" I asked.
'Oorah!' everyone replied.
"Alright Marauders. We're gonna deploy some stealth autons to survey the exact coverage area of the fleet. We then warp a couple of thousand miles away from them at different locations. Then? Kaboom! Only don't shoot each other by mistake. We happy?"
"Damn straight! Two or three Molotoks, Centurions and Ronins per squadron. We'll mix it up. Nova and Mike, you'll fly behind the main attack wave. It's a hit and run. DO NOT ENTER THE WAVE" Tychus ordered.
"Mike and I will enter the wave from behind and give em a surprise. Stay away from us." Nova instructed.
"Roger that. Let's get this party started. Stay alive everyone- this is not a suicide mission. MARAUDERS! Oorah! Oorah!"
"Oorah! Oorah!"
"Uhh boss? What about orders from Point Juno?" Gordon requested.
"We'll explain it to them later Gordy! Lets ride!" Jenna said and we broke formation.

We dispatched around eighteen stealth-recon autons towards the general direction of the Ares attack fleet. Sure enough we had visual of the attack wave- a single Chasm leading swarms of Sandstorms- probably in their fifties. There were also Tundras lurking in the middle of the fleet. I knew this would be tough and more importantly I knew this would be just one wave of many.
We monitored the incoming wave of ships and warped away before we could get within range of their radars.
I knew we had to get it right. This first wave was probably just a decoy but it was also a good way to test our squadron's attack plans.
The others assumed their positions and stealthily monitored the armada of ships. Gordon, Tychus and Chuck's teams were to lead the attack in a hit and run while Nova and I slipped beneath them and came up from behind.
Everyone maintained complete radio silence so as to avoid detection. The Ares fleet would have been expecting only Commonwealth ships to defend the station so a small element of surprise still remained.

Nova and I positioned our ships close to each other and lined ourselves up behind the large storm of red blips. The first phase was complete- no one noticed us. After about five minutes I noticed numerous yellow blips coming in from all directions and moving towards the single grid on the radar- the attack had begun. The source of the blips also changed with every shot- they were firing blindly into the wave and scrambled to avoid getting detected.
I put Nova on the monitor and looked into her eyes. "Hey Nova, for what it's worth- I really do think we make a great team."
"We sure do Mikey- I just need you to trust me on something." she said and we engaged our thrusters and charged head on towards the rear of the wave.
"What do I need to trust you for Nova?" I said as my ship trembled violently.
"Just do what I say."

"Everyone stay hidden and keep firing, Mike and I are going in. DO NOT COME WITHIN VISUAL RANGE YET!" Nova screamed.
The Sandstorms and Tundras were already flying all over the place as the non-guided star-cannon, Tev-9 beams and thermonuclear MAGS slammed blindly into everything.
Nova and I were now fully visible on their radars and naturally most of the Ares ships broke off from the wave and lunged towards us.
"Uh Nova? Was this part of the plan?" I asked nervously as the Sandstorms approached us at full speed. I prepared to unleash hell from my Manticore but Nova looked very relaxed.
"Mike remember when I told you that I felt Domina's essence in you?"
"Uh yea? Sort of-actually I don't but what has that got to do with the tidal wave of Sandstorms heading our way?" I said sheepishly while clinging on the joy-stick's weapon's controls.
I began to notice white lights in Nova's cockpit. The first thought that came into my mind was that she's been attacked but her ship was in tact.
Then I began to hear her voice in my mind- in my thoughts! Her voice sounded like that of a ghost. I also began to see white flashing lights and fell into a semi trance.
"Michael... let your spirit free... feel my essence... Just believe in me..." she thought into my mind. I was getting goosebumps of epic proportions- not just at what was happening but also because the Sandstorms had started firing.
Suddenly everything went completely white as if I was on clouds. I saw a five year old me on Incandescence. I was playing on the swings in our garden and my mother was pushing me gently. There was laughter, I also saw my sister but no dad. The scene suddenly changed to that of a large corridor- it was the planet Hubble back in Charon. I knew where this scene was going and as expected, I saw Scarlett tied to a hospital stretcher... she smiled at me and her voice tingled into my mind 'Hey Mikey... I'm sorry I couldn't join up with you in St. Kat's . Just take care of yourself and don't join me anytime soon.' I then saw the titanium dagger enter into her navel and blood coming out of her mouth. "SCARLET!!! SCARLET!!" I screamed and stretched out my hands towards her.
Then I heard Nova's voice again- "Let it out Mike! Let it out! I need you to let it out now." she whispered. "Nova! What's happening?" I cried back.
"Nothing Mike, just let yourself loose... Let go of everything." she whispered back and suddenly I saw myself on the Europa. I saw Admiral Gorbachev of the Ares Phobos.
"Michael, you are ignorant of your father's wickedness. On the day you find find out you will want to kill him with your own hands but fate will not let you." his voice echoed the same lines over and over again.
"No! Stop! Stop! Stop this! now! Aahhh!!!" I screamed and suddenly my eyes opened and I came back into my Manticore- we were surrounded by Ares gunships but a green spherical-shield like structure was preventing even a single shot from hitting us.
That very moment, Nova screamed to the top of her lungs. "Domina! With the purity of our souls, I shatter my enemies!!!" she screamed and a flash of what appeared to be dark steel like matter exploded outwards from both of our ships. I felt the thud on my body and my heart paced furiously in my chest.

Every single Ares ship surrounding us had vanished into the thin of space. There was not a single shipwreck. I was perplexed but somehow I wasn't feeling anything of what I was seeing. My cheeks were wet from tears which would not cease from flowing. I looked around my cockpit for something but didn't know what I was looking for. My head was spinning wildly and slumped my head into my hands. My squadron formed up within seconds. They were as dumbfounded as I was but were still cheering.
"Holy cow guys! The entire wave just vanished! What kind of weapons are you carrying?!" rejoiced the enchanted pilots. Everyone except Tychus.
"Not all red blips vanished Mikey. The blue Chasm leading the wave manged to warp away. Mike I think we may have a problem. It could be Ca..." Tychus said morbidly but Nova cut him.
"It's alright Tychus, lets report back to Point Juno first." Nova said firmly and the entire squadron headed back. I also barely managed to handle my ship.
"Nova..."
"It's alright Mike... Just relax. I'll explain everything but for now, we still have more fighting to do."

The alarm bells were already ringing as we got back to Point Juno. As expected, the wave we had obliterated was just one of many. The station was being swarmed by Sandstorms and Tundras.
"Time to kick butt Marauders! Oorah!!!" Jenna screamed and we all charged into action.
I pulled up my stick and immediately began to single out the Tundras.
"Gordon, Chuck, and Sally-Jenna cover the Molotoks and Centurions and engage any Sandstorms that attack them. Mike and Tychus, we're hitting the micro-nukers! Nova out."
"Understood ma'am. Engaging Tundras. Threat sighted at grid One-Niner-Bravo-South up high. Moving to intercept!" I responded.
"Roger that Marauder 2, we've got your asses covered. Lets take out those Sandy Candies!" Chuck yelled back.
My squadron flew in like a plasma storm and immediately began to pick off high value targets while the Britannias focused on keeping them away from the station.
"Flash one! Don't mess with the Marauders asshole!" one of Jenna's Ronin pilots cried.
The upgraded Ronins were performing very well in this fight; they were totally unlike the paper-ships they had been back in Korolov.
"Marauder lead, this is Quebec squadron; we've got inbound due grid- Charlie-Zulu-One-Alpha. We detect Comet-fall Class missile-ships. Proceed and engage inbound targets. We've got it covered here" The lead of the Britannia squadrons radioed.
"Roger Quebec; we are engaging the targets." I responded. "Marauders- tally bandits at Charlie-Zulu- strip and engage!" I said and all 34 ships immediately fought their way out of the station's periphery and formed on me.
"Tally 20!" Tychus screamed.
"I count 25!" Chuck yelled.
"We're gonna get screwed. Those Comet-falls can wipe out our entire squadron in a few shots Commander." said of my Centurions.
"I hear you Marauder 7. Attention Quebec flight; we've got up to twenty five or more bandits inbound. We'll keep em busy but we'll need additional support." Nova signaled to the Britannia leader. She was right too, those Comet-falls and their escorts were more than a match for my ragtag team.
"Understood Marauder. Dark-horse lead this is Quebec; Marauder's in a fur-ball due Charlie-Zulu-One-Alpha. Break formation and assist."
"Aye Hotel. We're forming up on Marauder. Marauder this is Dark-horse, I've got Anti-Missile weapons on me -I'll keep you guys safe. The Comet-falls are weak at the rear as their engines are exposed- focus fire on them."
"Glad to have you on our wing Dark-horse. Let's party!"

My squadron immediately broke up into 7 five-ship formations and two of Dark-horse's Britannias accompanied each team. We sighted the twenty-five Ares ships flying directly perpendicular to us. There were five Comet-falls and the rest were Sandstorms being lead by one single Chasm flying the middle.
"This is it! Lets give em hell! Marauders! Oorah!!!" I screamed and we flew into the attacking ships. They had already sighted us and commenced their firing.
It was utter chaos- ships were flying in all directions trying to out maneuver each other to get shots.
"Gordy here, we're going for the first Comet-fall! Cover us!!" Gordon screamed and his team dove down at the lead Comet's engines. My team and I followed him and picked off the Sandstorms that were following. Gordon's seven ships pounded the Comet with a barrage of XM-900s and Mags destroying the first engine and crippling the ship. My team was already in a dive behind Gordon and we also unleashed our MAGS and missiles at the second engine- the ship began to slow down but continued to move.
"Gordon! we've detected a heavy radiation signature! There are fuel tanks at the aft section- go for a long range shot, open this tin can!" Sally and Jenna yelled even as they engaged the Sandstorms.
"Right! I'm going in! Marauders focus fire on the aft section of the Comets"
"Nova here- Thanks for the heads up girls. I'm going in for the third Comet." she said and two Comet-falls exploded violently and stopped dead in their tracks.

Violent explosions rocked the remaining Comet-falls and eventually only one remained. Most of the Sandstorms had also been eliminated. Two teams swooped in began to fire at the last Comet and destroyed it.
It was over. We commenced our short trip back to Point Juno and along the way they radioed us.
"Attention all flights this is Point Juno Command; the last of the Ares ships have been destroyed. I'm afraid we've lost fifteen pilots but we've managed to save Point Juno- good job! All flights return to base immediately." The Station broadcasted.
"Hey Mikey, you've done it. Your Marauders have proved themselves. I'm waiting for you. Susan out!" the joyful station commander also radioed.
"Good job everyone. You've done it! Thanks for your support Dark-horse. We've couldn't have done it without you." I declared triumphantly.
"Thank you Commander. Whether blind luck or fool's courage, you and your boys have it pulled off. Honored to be fighting alongside such valiant men- SIR!." the Dark-horse replied.
"Damn straight! Marauders!! Oorah! Oorah! Oorah!" Tychus laughed!
Everyone replied in unison but to my utter horror I noticed one ship didn't respond.
"Guys?? Where the @#$! is Chuck? His ship radio beacon is not active!" I yelled in horror.
Everyone checked their monitors but there was no sign of him or his Centurion.
"Commander Anderson, Sally has fainted! We need to dock right now!" Jenna shrieked.
"Jenna! Dock with the station now!! Everyone fan out! Look for wrecks!" Nova cried. Jenna frantically flew down towards the station to dock.
"Marauder lead, this is Dark-horse. We're detecting a video transmission from an unknown source. I think this is your guy. I'm beaming it through."

An image of a large warehouse like room appeared on our monitors. Chuck was tied loosely to a chair hanging from the ceiling. Underneath the chair was a hot cauldron boiling with a greenish liquid. Chuck remained seated quietly and didn't say a word.
"CHUCK! WHERE ARE YOU?! SAY SOMETHING!!" everyone screamed frantically but Chuck didn't respond.
"Charles!! Charles!! Where the @#$! are you??" Say something man! For God's sake!" I cried desperately.

Then a dark silhouette in what I recognized to be Marine Armor appeared from behind the cauldron.
"You see, Charles here will not say anything 'Little Boss'- because if he speaks he fries in this goo. I'll make you a deal, hand over the codes to the Europa's Vault or your boyfriend boils." he said grimly.
"No! No Sir!! Don't give him any codes!" Chuck suddenly screamed but the figure gave him an electric shock from behind and he shook violently.
"I'll boil your balls alive Taylor! Let the kid go!" Tychus thundered furiously.
"Well, well, well if it isn't Tychus the Candy Cane! I'm gonna settle it up close and personal with you!" he laughed back fiendishly.
"Wait, Mike? Tychus? What's going on here?!" Nova yelled.
"Taylor! You're siding with the Ares?? You god damn freak! What the damn @#$!'s wrong with you!!" I stood up and barked into the monitor.
"Ares? Ha! ha! ha! ha! ha! Well, you're partially correct. A splinter group of the Ares actually. They're paying an extraordinarily large sum of Rins for the weapon. I'm a mercenary Mike, its what I do. No hard feelings or anything. The Ares will unleash the weapon on the Commonwealth. I get my revenge and tons of money to go with it- life is good no?" he laughed back.
There was complete silence.

"Tell him the codes boss. We'll fight him and the weapon later, but for now we need our man back!" yelled Carlos- a Molotok pilot. This cued the entire squadron to chant the same tone however Nova and Tychus and I remained silent.
"No!!! Carlos you god damn son of a bitch! Naaaah! Aaaah!!!" Chuck's screams became more and more horrific as Taylor increased the voltage with each shot- plunging the rod into Chuck's thigh.
I couldn't bear it anymore- I was not willing to risk another life for this weapon. I picked up the Comm set and replied.
"Okay Calvin! You win! I'll give you the codes to the Vault. Let the kid go!" I said.
"You really are the emotional fool aren't you Michael. Quiet unlike your father." he laughed.

Chuck struggled violently and begged for me to change my mind. Then suddenly our worst fears unfolded before our eyes.
Chuck smiled widely and tears streamed like a waterfall from his eyes.
"Tell my sister I love her! Tell her I'm going back to mom and that I died fighting! It's a pirate's life for me!! " he laughed and wriggled out of the chair- throwing himself into the fuming cauldron.
There were no screams or any noise- he died instantly. Taylor shrieked furiously and cursed before cutting off the transmission.
Everyone in the squadron cursed and cried but Tychus and I stayed quiet.
"Return to base everyone. There is nothing we can do" I said heavily and flew down to dock with Point Juno.
"Wait! Michael stop. Who the damn @#$! is Calvin Taylor!" Nova demanded angrily but I didn't respond and continued down to the docking area.
As we docked with Point Juno the entire team frantically assembled in front of my Manticore.






"Calvin Edward Taylor... is our worst nightmare.
Last edited by MikeAngora on Fri Mar 11, 2016 11:54 am, edited 1 time in total.
"Umm, I'm sorry I just killed your officer Akira, but he was getting on my nerves''
"Can I take his ship now?"

Calvin E. Taylor to Akira Gorbachev, the daughter of Ares Chief Admiral Vasily Gorbachev, after brutally killing one of her Tundra pilots.
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TheLoneWolf
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I read that
and I was like

"WOAH!"
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MikeAngora
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"Step by step, heart to heart, left right left
We all fall down like toy soldiers
Bit by bit, torn apart, we never win
But the battle wages on for toy soldiers"
(C) 1988 'Toy Soldiers' by Martika


Our disheartened squadron flew into the large docking bays of Point Juno where Jenna and the station commander were waiting for us. The docking bays were essentially just massive open body-shops where ships flew in and parked. Teams of blue uniformed maintenance staff were running about clamping the ships firmly to their parking bays, repairing and rearming them with fever pace.
After docking, my entire squadron gathered around my Manticore. We held each others' hands and stood in a solitary circle, our faces fixed to the ground. The other pilots and staff were waiting to congratulate us but seeing our faces they also sobered down. Jenna hurried in and stood between me and Tychus. The station commander also came but didn't try to enter our circle.
"Jenna how is Selena doing?" Tychus asked, breaking our silence.
"She's woken up and asking for Charles. I didn't reply and came down." she replied as her eyes began to water up.
"Good girl Jenna." Tychus replied but he wasn't in a mood to cry- his eyes were burning with anger, as were mine.
I tried my best to keep silent but I couldn't hold it.
"THAT GOD DAMN FREAK IS WORKING FOR THE ARES!!! I WILL NOT GRANT HIM DEATH TYCHUS! I WILL MAKE HIS VERY EXISTENCE HIS BIGGEST MISTAKE! I WILL RIP OUT HIS INTESTINES FROM HIS BODY AND HANG..." I began angrily by then I felt Nova's soft hands on my shoulder.
"Stop Mike. Please." she whispered. "We will handle it. We're a family, we'll do it together but now we need to break the news to his sister."
A crowd gathered around us while Commander Susan looked on at us and waited for us to finish before speaking.
"We're having a meeting to honor the lost pilots in five minutes. Please report there." she said after a short pause.
"We need some time with Selena." Nova replied.
"I understand, we'll start late. Oh, and for what it's worth, you guys did good." she said and walked off with her armored bodyguards.
We also walked out of the bay and towards the infirmaries where Sally was lodged. We waited patiently in the corridor for the doctor to come out.
"She's okay, just stress. You can go in but please go in four at a time at max." the old man in green doctor's clothing said.
"Senor ha-wait. He-er bro-zer iz no mowra. Khan we tell he-er orr no?" Carlos asked the doctor.
"I leave that decision to your wisdom Captain Mendez." he said and walked away.
Nova and Jenna who were the closest to Sally went in first. Tychus and I followed in after them.

Sally was laid down neatly in a bed. She had an oxygen mask on her mouth but she was breathing hard sweating profusely.
Nova wasted no time pulled Sally into her embrace. Jenna also embraced her from the other side of the bed as Tychus and I looked on.
"I wanna see my brother! Please just take me back to my brother!" Sally began to weep loudly pulling Nova close to her. Nova gave a 'sad doggy' look to me that made me very uncomfortable.
"Sally, I'm afraid Chuck has sacrificed himself for a greater cause. He's gone to a better place." I said solemnly. Jenna and
" I swear by everything that I believe in; I will not let Chuck die in vain. I will not let those who did this die with grey hair. I owe this much to you." Tychus thundered and stormed out of the room before Sally could say a word.
Jenna and Sally continued to weep quietly but Nova comforted both of her apprentices.
"I want to meet the rest of my family." Sally whispered. Her eyes had gone blood red from the crying.
I motioned to the ward-boy to send everyone in and they did- against the vehement protests of the nurse. Everyone gathered around her but I walked out- my armor was taking up too much space in the room.
"Guys, make sure you reach the conference hall in a few minutes- and bring Sally along." I said and walked away towards Tychus who was waiting for me at the end of the corridor.

He pulled me to the side- he was sweating more than Sally.
"Mikey, hell Mikey, we've got a big, BIG, MEGA BIG problem." he sighed heavily.
"Taylor is not doing this for money- that's for sure. He's doing it for bloody revenge and the Calvin Taylor I know will not stop until he has it." I whispered back.
"Of course you know well Mikey, that we cannot reveal the 'intricate' details of Mr. Taylor to anyone."
"Susan knows it- Susan knows HIM. The Britannia lead was obviously patching the signal to Point Juno too. That Chasm he was flying..."
"It wasn't a Chasm." Tychus cut me off. " We've both fought Ares long enough to know a Chasm's signature. It was a holographic projection."
"Holograph? Normandy, but they don't make those in this part of the galaxy."
"Rightly said sir but..."

I was about to ask a barrage of questions but then we both noticed our squadron mates coming in our direction and hushed up. We all then entered a large hall where the hordes of Point Juno staff were neatly assembled. We were late, most of the awards and medals had already been given out. We walked into rousing applaud and everyone stood up as the Commander called my entire squadron directly to the podium. She then went on to name every single pilot and pin medals to their uniforms. Tychus and I jumped out of our armors to receive our awards but quickly got back in. I was then asked to give a short speech in which I mentioned the names of all the pilots again and congratulated the brave men and women of Point Juno. I also gave an elaborate account of what happened at the Europa and told of Admiral Watson and Lieutenant Phillip's great sacrifice.
The ceremony continued on for another painstakingly boring hour and dinner was finally served to the pilots and their crews. Tychus and I also ate since it had been almost two full days since we did so. Our powered suits didn't allow us to feel the energy drain but internally we were feeling it.
As night dawned on the station, I instructed my squadron to get some sleep. The sleeping quarters were segregated according to rank but I requested Susan to provide my squadron the same officer quarters as I had- a request she willingly obliged to.

I sat alone on my bed with my head in my hands. I was in my boxers and T-shirt- a first since the last two days.
I thought over everything and wept when suddenly my door slipped open- it was Nova. She was also in her night outfit.
Am I an evil man November?" I looked up and asked- referring to her full name for the first time since we had met.
"No, Michael you're not." she said as she sat down next to me.
"I killed Admiral Watson and Matthew and I let Chuck die, I let Scarlet die. I made her a promise." I sighed.
"You've got it all wrong Michael. There are many things in this universe that you cannot change, that you cannot stop. We are merely pawns of fate and of God." she said and stroked my hair.
"God Nova? In human space, my father is god- and god it seems, is more wicked than the devil. Anyways forget that, tell me about Jenna and Sally- are you really planning on keeping them under your wings?" I asked. Nova understood my deliberate change of the topic so didn't attempt to pull me back to it.
" Yes, I am. Sally is a former pirate and with her brother dead and father in prison, she has no where to go. Jenna? She's the closest thing I felt I've had to a family. " she said while untying her robe- it fell to the floor.
She now sat half naked next to me and wrapped her arms around my chest. I hesitated at first but then allowed it.
"Mike ever since we met I've felt something about you." she whispered.
"Then stop feeling it Major. Girls that feel 'something' for me have a tendency of getting killed time to time." I laughed back.
"Oh? Well, I actually feel safe, I feel strong. Mike, it was not me who unleashed the Shatter attack on the Ares- it was us." she said and stood up.




She then turned her back to me and I hesitatingly unplugged the pins on her sports bra.
Last edited by MikeAngora on Sat Mar 12, 2016 7:54 am, edited 2 times in total.
"Umm, I'm sorry I just killed your officer Akira, but he was getting on my nerves''
"Can I take his ship now?"

Calvin E. Taylor to Akira Gorbachev, the daughter of Ares Chief Admiral Vasily Gorbachev, after brutally killing one of her Tundra pilots.
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TheLoneWolf
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Damn this story is getting better by the day! I better hurry to Pirate Gaiden! Cheers Mikey! Have the "time of your life" ;)

And yeah
53x can solve any everyday problem, even if it involves
1. Broken hearts.
2. A dead crewmember.
3. AND TAYLOR!

Maybe you like to read when you have time. Maybe you relax in the sun. Maybe you like 53x.

OR YOU LIKE TO BLOW EVERYTHING IN SIGHT INTO A MILLION F*ING PIECES! Well, thats what Taylor likes to do anyway, when he has revenge in mind!

Enjoy till you can Nova...

WINTER IS COMING!
MikeAngora
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TheLoneWolf wrote:Damn this story is getting better by the day! I better hurry to Pirate Gaiden! Cheers Mikey! Have the "time of your life" ;)

And yeah
53x can solve any everyday problem, even if it involves
1. Broken hearts.
2. A dead crewmember.
3. AND TAYLOR!

Maybe you like to read when you have time. Maybe you relax in the sun. Maybe you like 53x.

OR YOU LIKE TO BLOW EVERYTHING IN SIGHT INTO A MILLION F*ING PIECES! Well, thats what Taylor likes to do anyway, when he has revenge in mind!

Enjoy till you can Nova...

WINTER IS COMING!
Did some minor editing.

Experience speaks brother-man. I've found 53X to me a solution to most of life's problems. Like when my girl friend broke up with me once and we ended up doing it with each other again just to get over the 'depression' of breaking up. :twisted: :twisted: (The only side effect of this activity is that it has a tendency to turn girlfriends into wives and that's what happened with me.)

I wasn't planning on bedding Nova- actually I was planning for Mike to go in with Sally (like a hot pirate chick geting bumped by a rich kid) but then Mike and Nova are the maturest of the lot so why not them. The whole 53X thing adds a level of maturity to the story- like 'this is not a children's book' type thing.
At the same time I didn't want to go overboard with it either (so don't expect to read cut scenes from Fifty Shades of Grey) because this is essentially a space adventure and not a love story.
The last line is enough for the kids to know where babies come from but not enough for them to be having wet dreams while reading. :D

BTW I'm still waiting for Wade and Raul. I've been checking every hour since I've read the second chapter.
"Umm, I'm sorry I just killed your officer Akira, but he was getting on my nerves''
"Can I take his ship now?"

Calvin E. Taylor to Akira Gorbachev, the daughter of Ares Chief Admiral Vasily Gorbachev, after brutally killing one of her Tundra pilots.
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TheLoneWolf
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Why not use a spoiler tag and put Fifty Shades of Grey into it? :D joke! Raul and Wade enroute. Wait 45min or so. I'm writing 2 chapters today!
MikeAngora
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Looming Fear

The comm buzzer woke me up at 2 am in the morning with an agonizing shriek. Nova was still laid down naked next to me but I didn't wake her up. I got up and ordered the house keeping droid for coffee.
Then to my utter horror and abhorrence, Sally and Jenna began to knock wildly on the door of my suite. I quickly threw the sheet over Nova and walked outside the bed room. The suite's main entrance door was in the living hall.
"Whaaaat?!" I demanded furiously- poking my head out.
"Jenna's had a nightmare sir." Sally said sheepishly.
"And I can help you with that how?" I thundered back.
"Not you sir, we want to meet Nova." she replied in that same horrid sheepish voice.
"No! @#$! off!!" I yelled.
"Let the girls in Mike!!" Nova bellowed from behind. I turned around and noticed she was still in commando mode.
"No! And put on your god damn..." I screamed back.
"Please sir?" Jenna drilled me that horrendous sad doggy look.
"No! No! Buzz off or I'll call Tychus!"
"Mike! Let the girls in god damn it!" Nova bellowed again- she was in her robes now.
"Damn it Nova! Fine, get the hell in but if you so much as make a single peep I'll make sure you spend the night giving Tychus a back massage!" I said and hesitantly let the girls in.
"Commander Anderson? Sir?" Sally said as they both jumped on the bed.
"Whaaat!!? Frigging whaat?!!"
"You're still your boxers!" they laughed. With my bed conveniently hijacked, I laid myself down on the large sofa facing the bed.

I tried to ignore the girls' banter after this until Jenna began to elucidate her dream. My eyes suddenly opened wide and I got up.
"I saw a large ship. It was like a large vacuum cleaner with wings near the rear engines. It was white with blue stripes in the middle. It was attacking a station of some type with a very bright blue beam." she finished. I cringed as I listened not only because I knew of the ship in question, but also at how Jenna could end up seeing it in a frigging dream.
Sally was cuddled tightly to Nova who listened attentively while occasionally stroking Sally's hair.
I got up and sat down on the bed next to the girls and stared curiously first at Jenna, and then at Nova and Sally.
"Mike? What's wrong?" Nova asked concernedly.
"Uh, nothing. I'll be right back. I'm going over to Tychus to get a drink. Get some sleep girls, it was just a dream." I patted Sally and Jenna on their cheeks and walked out of the suite.

Night in Point Juno, like in all stations, occurred mainly due to full solar eclipses caused when nearby planets completely blocked the light from the resident sun. The night in Point Juno lasted approximately fifteen hours, however the station still remained very much active. The entire staff was divided up into shifts so supply and defense operations never really stopped. People saluted me as I walked towards Tychus' suite and many asked me about Sally.
It was about a five minutes' hover-board ride to Tychus' suite but I choose to walk instead.
The large white door unlocked as I got on the comm and requested entry.
My eyes nearly popped out of my head when I entered- the scene inside the suite was something from an Arab dance bar. Around ten fully naked girls gyrated to Arabic music in the center of the suite and smoke from Martian Nori choked up the large suite. Around the girls Tychus, along with my entire squadron, lay seated on the large spherical sofas drinking liquor and puffing on the martian seaweed from the large hookah pipes snaking around them.
As I stepped in, the girls immediately stopped dancing and the music also stopped. The startled men hurriedly got up and saluted- some were half naked and others were barely able to stand. The girls also saluted. 'Military staff' I deduced.
I gave an angry stare at Tychus.
"Seriously guys? After watching one of our men boil alive? Seriously?" I yelled.
"Hell Mikey! You were bumping the nice pilgrim so we thought we'd, uh, overcome the depression, you know..."
"Sir! Hick! Terribly Hick! sorry sir! Hick! Hick! Hick!" Henry, one of the pilots managed.
"Grr! Shut up and sit down! The lot of you!" I yelled furiously. "And you girls? Aren't you from the Beta 45 maintenance team? Does your supervisor even know you're here?" I said as they struggled to cover their shame as quickly as they could.
"Sir, please we're..."
"Skip it!" I said and turned to Tychus.
"Oi You! You and I need to have talk mate. Come with me into your office." I yelled as Tychus walked over while smiling sheepishly. He slapped at one of the girl's chest along the way.
"I'll be right back honey buns- just need tah have a chat with granddad here." he smirked.

I took a deep breath and finally gave my fear stricken men a much needed surprise.
"We'll be right back." I began "Why has the music stopped? And you girls, keep dancing!" I ordered in a faux serious tone before slapping one's bottom.
The men laughed and continued with the entertainment.

Tychus and I walked into his large office just next to the living room area. Inside the office, was a single table with a large chair hovering behind it and two smaller chairs facing the table. Facing the table, was a semi-circular row of sofas facing each other and a circular table in the the middle with an assortment of drinks and snacks. I poured us a drink - a one hundred and fifty year old Jack Daniel's Bourbon.
"Tell me Mikey... why the sudden surprise check?" Tychus grunted in his usual, heavy baritone.
"Nova's girl Jenna has had a dream." I declared pompously.
"Hurrah! The little fish egg can have dreams! Is that what this is all about?" he laughed sarcastically.
"In the dream she saw a large vacuum cleaner with wings at the rear and blue stripes running along the length of it- THAT'S what this is about." I articulated firmly.
Tychus chocked on his drink and coughed repeatedly. "She saw whaaaat??!!" he struggled to put words out of his mouth.
"Exactly, not so funny now is it?" I laughed back.
"A Normandy SR-2! How the damn f**k could that tadpole see it in her dream? Only two such ships were ever made and not one has ventured into this part of human space except Calvin's. Hell, even he had his disguised as a Chasm!" he screamed.
"I have no clue. She saw it destroying a station but didn't describe it. I'm not a believer in these things Tychus but Nova did something when we attacked that first wave of Ares ships. There is certainly some unknown force that's in play." I articulated.
"What? She humped you in zero gravity?"
"Huh! I wish. She connected to me 'spiritually' or something. I saw Scarlet, Gorbachev and Watson and then suddenly a flash of light destroyed all of the Ares ships." I shook my head.
"Damn Mikey, I think the Nori smoke is getting to your mind. Commander Susan has invited us to her office tomorrow to discuss Taylor. We better sing the same song brother-man. " he mumbled lazily.
"Yeah, you're right."
"You can stay and play with the girls from Beta 45 if you want. Top class material they are."
"Nah, I'll pass. Nova and the girls are probably waiting for me. It's still three hours before morning." I said and downed my last sip.
I walked out into the hall; the music was still in full volume and now, most the men were also dancing with the girls. They mock saluted me as I walked out.
"Get some shut eye men. Pack this up before Commander Susan comes calling!" I said and went back to my suite.

There was no noise coming from my suite so I guessed Nova and the girls were asleep. I crept in slowly into the suite so as not to waken them. I walked towards the master bedroom and I saw Sally and Jenna snug in my bed, both embracing Nova from either side. I stood at the doorway and continued to stare at them.
Nova was barely a few years older than the two girls but she had them both as if they were her own daughters. I gave a weak smile and stepped back out of the room.
"There's plenty of room here if you wanna come." Nova gave an inviting smile but I continued out towards my bar. She struggled out of the bed and joined me, taking care not to waken the girls.
She gently closed the bedroom door and sat down next to me on the bar stool.

"You've become quiet attached to these girls then haven't you? They're almost like your daughters." I chuckled.
"Well, it's sort of a penance. I've robbed people of their parents during my early pilgrim days." She whispered and snuggled close to me.
"Nova you do understand that we're a quasi mercenary squadron and we're taking on very dangerous missions. Sally and Jenna are just as human as Chuck,"
"I'm fully aware of that Lieutenant, but I know full well how to take care of my novitiates. I will not let them become a liability, I'll take care of them." she shifted back, visibly disturbed by my somewhat truculent revelation.
"Negative on that madam. we'll take care of them." I said and pulled her close.
We shared a kiss and then spent the rest of the night drinking and talking about all things under the sun.

It was going to be a long day ahead.
"Umm, I'm sorry I just killed your officer Akira, but he was getting on my nerves''
"Can I take his ship now?"

Calvin E. Taylor to Akira Gorbachev, the daughter of Ares Chief Admiral Vasily Gorbachev, after brutally killing one of her Tundra pilots.
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TheLoneWolf
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Correction time! Normandy SR-2 is a unique ship! Only one was ever made, by the Cerebrus! The SR-2 is a 100x upgraded version of the Earth Alliance SR frame. SR stands for STEALTH-RECON. The SR-2 is a badass! It has the same SR abilities, and 1000x more! When the Normandy was damaged in battle, the Cerberus people took it, upgraded it 100x, and the SR-2 was born. Their are a number of ships made using the SR frame, but the SR-2 is a unique ship!

I envy Mike. The quality time he had. :P
MikeAngora
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Joined: Thu Apr 28, 2011 9:19 am

*** My dear readers. For this next chapter in the Motivation you'll need to go back to the Fan-fiction area and read "The rise of Calvin Taylor" story. That story is a backdrop for an important character here.
Have fun reading!

The Outlaw Michael Wales

Point Juno Supply Base
500hrs Morning
"The Outlaw Mikey Wales"

A watery voice flew across the deep dark universe at the speed of light. Distant stars shone their light on me, I was floating in the middle of space and then the voice reached me in a whisper.
It echoed in my mind.

"MIKE?... MIKe?...MIke?...ike?... ke?... Buddy?.. udee... dee... ee... Are you coming? uming... uming... uming...ming... ing... ng....
We're still five men left Mike... ike... ike... ike... We're worth saving! Mike don't leave us! eave us... ave us... ve us ...us..."

"I'm sorry... orry... orry... I cannot die a traitor or let you be remembered as one. You fought well, you are a hero... ero... ero... ero... Good luck my friend... end... end... end..."
"We've seen enough Commodore Watson...atson..atson...tson.. son..on... Get us out of here!" Decker yelled.

"Especially you Michael! You god damn traitor... ator...ator... ator... You left me and my brothers to die!.. i... i... i... We're Marines! We're brothers god damn it! I'll make your children pay for it! I'll make sure you don't go to the grave with grey hair! You'll live with this for f***king ever! ever! ever!"

I listened to the voices repeating themselves again and again and begged them to stop but they wouldn't.
"I'm sorry Cal! Wolf!! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I didn't want to leave you there! You know I wouldn't have! Calvin!!" I yelled but the voice just repeated itself again and again and again.
"I'll get you Mike!! I'll take away everything you love! I will rip out everything you hold dear! You will beg for death but I will not give it to you!" the voice replied.

"No! No! No! My brother! Calvin!!!!!!" I woke up with a jerk and fell down from the sofa. I began to cough intensely and struggled to breathe. I flapped my hands around and gripped the armrest of sofa as my chest burned in agonizing pain. My eyes tried to close and I began to see bright lights. Nova and the girls came running in from the bedroom.
"Mike? Oh my God! Michael! Sally go get the medic! Jenna call Tychus here now!!" Nova yelled and splashed water on my face and poured some into my mouth. The girls disappeared quickly.
"Nova! Calvin! No! I will not abandon my brother! No! Damn it! I'm sorry! No!" I screamed randomly and began to suffocate.
"Mike! Control yourself! Mike! Please! Calm down!" Nova screamed desperately.

I looked into Nova's eyes, tears were bursting out as she tried her best to help.
"Nova wait, don't call anyone, I'm fine." I said while gasping for breath.
"It's Taylor isn't it? You were saying sorry to... Wait a minute! Now I understand everything!" Nova said while she lifted me up on to the sofa.
"What do you understand darling?" I asked.
"When I began my journey from Starlton Eridani, the sisters at the St. Josephine's Mission base told me of an infamous mission that had happened many years ago. It was about the capture of many key Ares scientists. Several Commonwealth Marines were abandoned in that mission. The Terra had attacked an Ares shipyard and when it encountered a Phobos lead by Ares Admiral Gorbachev, she warped. The same Gorbachev that attacked the Europa and he knew yo... You were there weren't you Mike?! You were in that mission!" Nova spoke enlighteningly as if she had figured out the secret to life itself.

Before I could respond Tychus walked in with a doctor.
"Yes Major November Caesar, we were there. There weren't just several Marines that were abandoned that day; they were the fifty men of the Hammerhead Alpha team. Only five remained by the time I managed to capture the scientists. There was only a 10% chance of saving those men without getting ourselves killed and Decker didn't take it. One of those five men was Major Calvin 'The Lone Wolf' Taylor- leader of the Alpha team." Tychus declared morbidly.
"Calvin was crying to me for help. He begged for his men to be rescued but I left them to die as heroes. I had lost most of my Britannias and my own was heavily damaged. Decker was mortified at the possibility of me being captured alive - for no small reason. Being the only son of Supreme Commander Roland Anderson meant the Ares could use me as leverage against the Commonwealth. He threatened to declare both me and Taylor as deserters effectively loosening my father's hold on the Commonwealth. I had no choice... Nova. I left my brothers to die." as I spoke my other squadron mates had also came in to the suite- as did Station Commander Susan.

Everyone remained silent and stared blankly at us.
"Lieutenant Anderson if you're finished, I must speak to you and your team. It's urgent." Susan finally spoke- breaking the deathly silence.
I motioned to her and she came forward. Everyone sat down as Susan took a center position near a wall.
"Michael, I'm really sorry. Please forgive me for this but I have orders from none other than your father." she said and everyone gave a puzzled look at her.
"Whats wrong Susan? Is everything okay?" I asked.
"No Mikey, nothing is okay." she said and took a deep breath.


"Lieutenant Michael Anderson, Major November Caesar and Lieutenant Tychus Edward Findley, you are under arrest for abandoning the C.S.C Europa to the Ares and compromising the Lamplighter Arc Cannon by orders of Supreme Commander Roland Anderson." she said and armored soldiers immediately entered the suite.
"What? Are you kidding me? You f**king bitch!!" Nova screamed. The entire squadron immediately pulled out their weapons.
"Damn it Commander we saved your f**king station! I lost my brother for it! How can you do this?!" Sally and Jenna got up and tried to punch Susan but were stopped by the armored men.
Tychus, who was also fuming, already had his gun out pointing straight to Susan's head. I stood up and looked at Susan.
"Put your god damn weapons down! Marauders! Now!" I yelled.
"No! We will not let our mother be taken to jail! Susan tell your men to put their weapons down or I'll put a laser through your head!" Sally shrieked.
Susan didn't respond and stared directly into my eyes.
"Sally put the god damn gun down now!! These men are black panthers they will shoot to kill!" I screamed.
"Then we'll die together!" she replied and my whole squadron pinched their triggers to the dead limit.
"Michael please. Your father has ordered this. Tell your team to disarm or I have orders to shoot your entire squadron now." Susan said calmly.
"For god's sake please! Put your god damn weapons down!" I yelled one final time.

Everyone lowered their weapons except for Susan's soldiers.
"What about my squadron? What about these girls? Susan?!" I yelled as the soldiers handcuffed Tychus, Nova and myself.
"They are hereby ordered to leave the Point Juno station within the next five minutes or they'll also join you." she replied.
"We're not going anywhere without Mike, Nova and Tychus!" my team yelled.
"Think about it Nova." Susan repeated.
"Guys! Get the hell out of here. Go to Rigel Aurelius and contact Kate Morgental. She'll be able to help but for now please leave." Nova said after finally surrendering to the situation.
"No Nova, we're not leaving you!" Sally and Jenna pleaded.
"My dear girls, please. Do it for me. I promise I'll be with you soon but for now, please don't burden me by getting imprisoned. Leave!" Nova ordered firmly.
The soldiers then handcuffed my team and forcefully lead them down towards the hangars to their waiting ships.
Jenna and Sally screamed in violent protest but the soldiers paid no attention.

"Damn straight! I'm gonna shove my laser up your cocky butt Susan. Then I'll rip it out!" Tychus smirked as the soldiers lead us out.
"Umm, I'm sorry I just killed your officer Akira, but he was getting on my nerves''
"Can I take his ship now?"

Calvin E. Taylor to Akira Gorbachev, the daughter of Ares Chief Admiral Vasily Gorbachev, after brutally killing one of her Tundra pilots.
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TheLoneWolf
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"Evil is evil. Greater, lesser, middling, it makes no difference."
-The Witcher 3
MikeAngora
Militia Lieutenant
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Joined: Thu Apr 28, 2011 9:19 am

1500hrs Afternoon
Point Juno Prison Quarters
Point Juno
Point Juno System
"The Outlaw Mike Wales- When the going gets tough.

The soldiers in their heavy Marine armors, lead us calmly to the large prison compound at the Delta 5 Hemisphere of the Point Juno station.
Neither of us spoke a single word to each other or to Susan who was accompanying us.
The compound itself was your typical Commonwealth prison with plasma force-field gates and cameras everywhere.
"Surrender your weapons and badges officers." Susan ordered as we reached the first force-field. We quietly followed the instructions and placed our particle handguns and sabers on the table.
The soldiers began to pat mine and Tychus' bodies to check for any concealed items.
We we reached the second barrier and into a large metaled room with no windows. As we entered Susan called us a final time and we turned around.

"Mike, Nova and Tychus I am very sorry. If it was up to me, I'd surrender my whole station to you for what you did but I am, I'm... under orders. Please do find it in you to forgive me and if there's anything at all that I can do..."
Nova and Tychus waited for me to respond.
"My squadron! Susan, don't..."
"Mike, you and your entire team have been charged with treason and declared as outlaws. Your squadron will be arrested if they dock at any Commonwealth station. I have strict instructions to imprison your men and kill them if they try to escape- but I have something else in mind."
"WHAT ARE YOU INTENDING TO DO WITH MY GIRLS COMMANDER BROWN!!" Nova screamed and a rush of tears splashed out of her eyes.
"I'm going to destroy their ships as they leave Point Juno and declare them dead." As Susan was about speak her next sentence an enraged Tychus and Nova charged at her but I quickly got in the way.
"Wait Nova, wait!" I said and turned to Susan. "Spit it Susan, what will happen to my men and my girls!"
"A flight of Britannias is escorting an Aurochs to the Rigel Aurelius system on a routine mission. Tychus, aren't the Black Market Stations in the lower systems under your control and aren't ten of your men Mafioso themselves?" Susan finished and our faces lit up.
"Damn straight Suzy! Here take my Black Market ID card and give it to Selena. They'll understand everything when they see it." Tychus handed over his green ID card.
Nova finally breathed a sign of relief.
"Susan, I'm very..."
"Nova, it's the least I could do." Susan said and began to walk away. She turned around for one last time and smiled. "I was there Michael! I will not forget it either... I am with you even it costs me my life!"
Nova looked at me and Tychus curiously.
"Commander Susan Brown was the Weapon's Control Officer of the C.S.C Terra in operation 'Lone Wolf Walking'." Tychus clarified and sat down in a corner.

That next few hours were the longest of my life.
Nova and Tychus both fell asleep on the bunks without saying a word. I only hoped that Nova was not going through what I was...
Wicked thoughts raced through my mind and I contemplated the fate of my team. I didn't have a doubt as to what Susan said but an eerie feeling that she might 'follow orders' and actually kill my girls drove me mad. I was also very puzzled as to why my father would have us arrested after we saved Point Juno.
Admiral Vasily Gorbachev's words began to haunt my thoughts.
"Michael, you are ignorant of your father's wickedness. On the day you find find out you will want to kill him with your own hands but fate will not let you."
'Could it be true?' I thought to myself. 'Will father actually use the Lamplighter to tighten his grip on the Commonwealth? Will he kill innocents?'
The image of Scarlet also drifted into my mind. The sounds echoed across my mind like a rubber ball that wouldn't run out of energy.
"
"Hey Mikey... I'm sorry I couldn't join up with you in St. Kat's . Just take care of yourself and don't join me anytime soon."
"She knew too much about our little arrangement. We can't risk critical information with a mafia hooker. Minor sacrifices are required for the greater good. You'll understand Michael."
"Minor sacrifices Michael. Do you understand?"
"
I thought of Calvin and Chuck... No matter how pissed off he was at the Commonwealth, he would never have killed an innocent young boy. Chuck slid out from the chair himself, Calvin was just scaring us or was he? Did he really mean to kill Charles? After another wicked hour I finally fell asleep.

-------------- When The Going Gets Tough!--------------

We were woken up in the late afternoon by some guards. We quickly got up and freshened off before following them to prison's reception office. I assumed that were being freed.
"You're going to the planet Beta-D-58, Commander Anderson. Please cooperate with the escort party." he said in the most uneducated English accent.
"Wait just a kind moment Warrant Officer, we need to meet Susan. I want to know about my squadron." Tychus grumbled.
"The Commander will not be able to see you at the moment. We're not allowed to disclose anything to prisoners " he snapped harshly and I barely managed to stop Tychus from punching his eyes out.
"Mike? I'm worried about Sally and Jenna. I'm worried sick Mike." Nova whispered to me as we walked down the hall.
"Don't worry baby, I know Susan well enough. She won't let anything happen."
"Damn straight! I wouldn't trust that bitch with my cupcake. If anything happens to our girls..."
"Shut up Tychus!"

We were lead into a small emergency dispatch hangar where a T-31 Class armed transport was waiting for us. The sight of the T-31 sent alarm bells ringing in our minds- the T-31 was a not a Commonwealth military ship.
"Mikey, this ship is not a regular mafia boat, her COM number is different. She's a 'declared dead' ship." Tychus whispered anxiously.
"I know, and these aren't regular Commonwealth soldiers - they're mercies." I whispered back referring to the irregular patterns on the soldiers' camos.
"This can only mean one thing Mikey boy, the Boss wants to see us."
"Tychus, do you still have that blade hidden in your fat ass?"
"Oh, you bet brother... it's warmed up nice and tight. Ha ha ha ha ha"

Nova stared curiously at us as we continued to whisper. I was looking forward to meeting father - and possibly punching him in the face if given a chance.
The T-31 was a simple military type transport with around fifty folding seats attached to the sidewalls and specialized cargo bays at the back. The walls were lined with round port-windows to see into space.
We sat down on the chairs and the mercenary soldiers sat directly in front of us- guns pointed. None of us felt intimidated and we stared right back into the soldiers' eyes.
The T-31 took off and we saw Point Juno becoming smaller and smaller.
"Oi? Wot you stare-in at you lic-ul @#$!?" one of them snapped.
"Nothing? Just wondering how that face would look with my saber stuck in it." I replied in the spur of the moment.
"Yea? I wonda ow your ah-ass would look wit me gun up it." he snapped back.
I didn't respond- the last thing we wanted was those weapons discharging in the middle of space- that was until one solider came and sat next to Nova.

"Hey, look who we have here. This one's pretty. Mind if I touch them puppies mada..." the man begun but before he could finish, he found himself on the floor screaming in horrific agony- even Tychus and I cringed.
The other soldiers laughed loudly at their comrade's busted nuts.
"Damn straight, don't mess with the nice lady there brother." Tychus laughed.
The soldiers didn't speak to us for the rest of the journey nor did we speak to each other.

After almost five hours of complete silence, we finally reached planet Beta-D-58, a desert planet with just enough oxygen to breath without masks. There were green shrubs similar to those on Incandescence and a couple of small nitrogenous streams that could only be seen from the sky.
We landed in a large crater in the desert with a few human settlements in the outer edges. There was a single white cabin in the desert- typical of the Boss's meeting places.
The T-31's heavy backdoor opened outwards and we walked out clumsily, shielding our eyes from the Point Juno sun. The soldiers lead us down to the cabin which, as I had already expected, was an elevator.
We slowly descended into the large white hall with a single table in the center. The boss sat on a large chair at the other end- his beard had grown longer and he was sporting a wig this time.
The three of us walked in and stood in front of Commander Roland Anderson, the supreme commander of the Commonwealth.

"Sit down you two! Not you, my dear November, you can wait in the next room." he ordered. I knew very well where this was going but this time I was prepared.
"Kind greetings to you sir" Tychus began.
"I'm disappointed Tychus and Michael! You were given a simple task to recover the weapon from a bunch of loony pirates but you've failed me- and you know how much I abhor failure." the Boss began in his arch-typical baritone.
"Sir the Europa had already..."
"Spare it Tychus! I was expecting you to reach the Pirate fortress before the Europa! The Commonwealth leaders were furious at the destruction of the Korolov station and there was no other option but to send the Europa to get the Lamplighter before the Ares got their hands on it! You then had another chance to recover the weapon from Watson and Phillips but you blew that too!" The boss fumed angrily.
"Gorbachev was there father! Had he got even the slightest hint that the weapon is leaving the Europa, he would have destroyed the damn ship and five thousand innocent crewmen!" I thundered.
Both Tychus and the Boss looked at me in utter amazement, this was the first time anyone in the history of mankind had spoken to the Boss like that.
The soldiers standing behind us also stepped back in fear.
"You dare speak to me like that you insolent fool?! I should've killed you the day you were born, just like I killed your sister!" the Boss thundered back.
The Boss began to breathe heavily and stood up from his chair. Tychus also stepped back, now expecting an instant death.
"I f***ked that slut so she could give birth to a strong heir to my throne, but unfortunately I've spawned an emotional little girl instead!" The Boss continued.
"Calm down sir! Please! Forgive him! I fall down at your feet, Commander Anderson, spare him!" Tychus grovelled before the only person he did to in the world.
"Now the Commonwealth will demand I give them record of the weapon, I have no personal use for it anymore! Get this mammoth out of the room right now!" The Boss ordered his soldiers- referring to Tychus.

Tychus immediately left the room with the armored soldiers, leaving me alone with my father.
"You have become weak Michael! Just like your mother, and I know the source of this weakness! Come with me!" he ordered and I stood up. I knew exactly where we were going but again, I was prepared this time.
I followed my father and sure enough, I was led into a room very similar to the one I had entered back in the Charon system.
I saw Nova tied down to a vertical board, she was in her undergarments. I noticed some bruises to her face, abdomen and legs- she was being tortured.

"Mike! Mike! Get the hell out of here Mike!" she squealed upon seeing me.
A soldier standing with a sparking wire, rammed it into her stomach causing her to shriek in agony.
I stared blankly at her, just as I had done with Scarlet.
"Watson only told the codes to you. Give me the codes to the Europa's Vault or else I will rip open her stomach and pull out her intestines- right in front of your eyes." The Boss said calmly and smiled.
"He wants to use it to control all of human space! He's going to test it on Incandescence! Mike! Don't do it! Mike! Don't worry about me baby, I'm going back to Domina! This is my destiny! I love you Mikey, to have met you was all I ever wanted. Please don't tell him anything if you love me!" The soldier increased the voltage and gave her another more sustained shot. Nova squealed again with terrifying intensity and fainted. I was burning from within but I knew I could do nothing yet.

"So Vasily Gorbachev WAS right. You are indeed a wicked old man aren't you father? So was Calvin, you ordered for him to be left behind didn't you?" I replied and stared anxiously at the door.
"Stop wasting my time you pathetic runt! Give me the codes or those armored fingers enter her belly button!" The Boss yelled back.
"I am not giving you any codes daddy. I'm not as weak as you think." I replied.
"So be it Michael! Watch your beloved November being dismembered- scream by scream! Do it soldier, rip her out!" The boss ordered.

The soldier smiled and reached for Nova but at that very moment, Tychus burst through the door and planted five C-14 Gauss rounds into the soldier's head and one each into the five others in our room.
"Not this time Boss!" Tychus declared triumphantly.
He was in his own Marine armor- my Manticore had successfully followed us.
"Oh thank God! You took for f***king ever!" I said and quickly took off my jacket and threw it on Nova before untying her.
"Better late than never eh Mikey? ha! ha! ha! Oh, terribly sorry Mikey, should I cover my eyes?" Tychus laughed as he grabbed the Boss by his collar and planted his weapon firm on his head.

"Tychus! Do you have any idea what you're doing?!" The boss yelled even as Tychus let loose a punch with his armor's heavy metal hands. The Boss squirmed in pain and coughed a ball of blood.
"Yes I do your Majesty. I'm protecting my future sister-in-law. Oh and Boss? I always wanted to do that!" Tychus laughed back at the hapless man.
I walked over to the Boss as he struggled wildly in Tychus' heavy grip.
"Nova is not my weakness, she is my strength! See dad? Do you see it? All because of Nova, I'm about to pull the nuts off of the most powerful man in the galaxy. Now how's that for strength?" I said angrily.
"Michael! You have no idea who your father is boy! If I die, a signal goes to the Commonwealth to bomb this planet to the ice age!" the boss said and spat on my face.
"Shut up!" I said and threw a punch at this nose.
"Tychus, get him out and clear the coast. I'll need to carry Nova, she's too weak to walk." I said to Tychus hurriedly.
"What if your daddy acts bad on me?"
"Shove a grenade up his butt and run."
"With pleasure Mikey boy!"
As Tychus left the room, the boss squirmed violently and screamed random threats that I no longer cared for anymore.

I immediately turned to Nova who was now gasping from the pain. I quickly pulled her down and she fell into my arms.
"Mikey?" she whispered and reached her hands for my face. I couldn't control myself anymore and finally released the pent up tears from my eyes in a facial flood of sorts.
"Nova, God, my dear Nova. What have they done to you?!" I completely let loose my emotions and my tears sprinkled onto her face.
"Nothing I couldn't suffer for you baby. Mike, you, your father, Mike..." She tried to speak but I put my finger on her lips.
"I'd sacrifice my whole world for you November... you know that. There is nothing more to fear, nothing more to worry about." I said and pulled her to my chest.
"Sal, Sally and Jenna. My girls, Mike..."
"They'll be fine... I won't let anything happen to them. We need to go right now."

I grabbed Nova and lifted her up to my chest and walked out into the desert. On the way I had noticed bodies of dead soldiers littered in the hall- Tychus had done his job.
My Manticore was parked in the distance as was Tychus' Bounty Hunter. Tychus stood next to it with my father who was still struggling.
I walked slowly towards the ship, looking down at Nova with every step. My anger burned greater with every painful cry she let off.

"Look at what he's done to my Nova Tychus! LOOK AT WHAT HE'S DONE!! LOOK AT HER!!" I roared and rammed my foot into the Boss's groins. He fell to the floor and screamed in agony.
Tychus looked on in amazement, this was probably the angriest I've ever been in my whole life.
"I'll take Nova into the Manticore and let the Med-droids get to work." Tychus said calmly and grabbed Nova into his armor's heavy metallic arms.

I was now alone with the man who killed my mother, my sister, my brother Calvin and me...
"You were never born to rule! You are a pathetic mistake! Do you think you'll get away with this? I have already signaled the Decker! You'll be hunted for the rest of your life- you and your pathetic friends!" The Boss got up and spat on my face for a second time.
"You're right. I am no longer Michael Roland Anderson. I am Michael Wales- the outlaw. I will forever be one, but you will not live to see it." I said referring to my mother's surname. "Neither you nor Decker." I finished and took out a high explosive fragmentation grenade.
"What?! You're going to kill me?! Your father?!!" The horrified Boss screamed. I ripped off his wig and flung it to the ground.
"This is for mom; for my sister Grace; for Scarlet; for Rear Admiral Fredrick Watson; for Lieutenant Matthew Phillips; for Chuck; for Nova; for all the millions of people you killed to get your power... and for me" I said and gripped my father's bald skull in my hands.
I rammed the grenade into his mouth and threw him away from the ship into the burning desert sand. I then stepped into my ship as it lifted off from the ground. I heard the small popping sound after around five seconds. A small red blot covered the sand where he fell, I had killed my father... Supreme Commander Roland Anderson, Emperor of the Commonwealth.
Inside the ship my med-droids worked hard to help Nova recover. I came close to her and looked into her deep teary eyes.
"It's over honey. We're going home now." I said and kissed before she could say a word.

The fight was not over...Decker would probably have sent Aquila Cruisers here by now. I had to meet Calvin Taylor, I had to meet with my squadron. I had to recover the Lamplighter, I had to get to the Antarctica.

I was no longer the son of Roland Anderson, I was no longer an officer in the Commonwealth Fleet. I was an outlaw but I was proud of it...

The Outlaw Michael Wales...

*** DEAR READERS THE NEXT CHAPTERS WILL BE STARTED IN A NEW THREAD.
"Umm, I'm sorry I just killed your officer Akira, but he was getting on my nerves''
"Can I take his ship now?"

Calvin E. Taylor to Akira Gorbachev, the daughter of Ares Chief Admiral Vasily Gorbachev, after brutally killing one of her Tundra pilots.
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TheLoneWolf
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Requiscant in Pace.

BTW leaving Taylor behind was Mike's own decision. Taylor, personally, would have forgiven. But what about those men who died with him? Nah bro! Mike's gonna fight for his life. And fight hard.
MikeAngora
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TheLoneWolf wrote:Requiscant in Pace.

BTW leaving Taylor behind was Mike's own decision. Taylor, personally, would have forgiven. But what about those men who died with him? Nah bro! Mike's gonna fight for his life. And fight hard.
That's exactly what I'm gonna be focusing on now. Although Mike and his team have officially become banned outlaws they have not necessarily gained Taylor's favor- yet.
So essentially, the Marauders will now be fighting a war on two fronts- Taylor and his Rogue Ares splinter group and also Decker- for now anyway.
"Umm, I'm sorry I just killed your officer Akira, but he was getting on my nerves''
"Can I take his ship now?"

Calvin E. Taylor to Akira Gorbachev, the daughter of Ares Chief Admiral Vasily Gorbachev, after brutally killing one of her Tundra pilots.
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TheLoneWolf
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Location: Aboard the CSS Radiant

Yay!
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