Rise of the Kirin (Chapters 16 - 18)

[Cmdr Wyvern]

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Chapter 16 (Wolf)
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Mima had grown accustomed to the taste of acid in her mouth. At first bitter, it now mingled inexorably with the sweet taste of potential freedom. Her body had put the extra rations and supplements supplied by her captors to good use. Repairing damaged tissues, mending broken bone, improving her senses and slowly granting her some quite extraordinary physical abilities.

It had started quite slowly at first. Answering some distant call buried deep in her quadruple helix DNA, her body began growing (what would have appeared, to the untrained eye as) pea sized cancerous buboes around her spleen. This was admittedly quite painful until dutifully, Mimas Hypothalamus released just the right amount of endorphins into her bloodstream. Within a week these growths had started producing their first crude nanites. This initial wave bolstered her immune and regenerative systems, increasing muscle, bone density and most importantly rebuilding and augmenting the buboes, so they could create better nanites. That's when the real pain started.

The next few nights were hell, as these new improved nanites began re-engineering her from the ground up. During this time she started noticing small lumps growing in her mouth. Long channels along the sides of her upper gum line slowly expanded and hardened. She soon discovered to her cost, that pulling her mouth up in a wry smile would propel a fine channel of virulent acid from the front end of these glands. She burned herself really rather badly, the first time she realized this and spent an uncomfortable few hours nursing second degree burns before the nanites could start repairing the damage.

With some practice Mima became quite proficient at producing and aerosolizing a burst of acid once, sometimes twice a day. It was then she began to work on the door hinges and lock. Since hurting the doctor, the guards and especially that fat bastard Cheem had tried to avoid being anywhere near her. So there she sat, slowly but happily eating her way out of confinement.

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Chapter 17 (The Gathering Storm)
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Near one of the outer gas giants in the Arzaso system, the nearly 500 combat ships of the Red Storm Bug hunter militia gathered from around the chart. Seven Griff Boa battlecruisers, surrounded by a swarm of small and medium sized ships - Dragon M torpedo boats, Excalibur fighters, Xariks, Asps, Ferdys, Imperial Couriers, Vampires, Eels, Sabers, Cobra Rapiers, Rattle Cutters, and Iquanas to name a few, all armed to the teeth, many illegally modified, some with cloaking devices. Even the local Black Monks had added some of their deadly gunships to the armada, saying they desired to collect on the debts the Bugs owed to society.

A message spread across GalNet forums and whispered in bars brought them to this staging area, a message that a massive Thargoid invasion fleet was spotted building in deep space near Tibecea. The commander, whoever he or she was that spotted the Beetles had apparently died to get the warning out, and apparently the Navy was unaware of the Tharg invasion fleet and not moving to intercept. Military Intelligence proves once again to be an oxymoron... Well, if the Navy wasn't going to do anything until too late, then certain iron assed citizens militias of GalCop were up to the challenge. The Red Storm was only one such militia unit gathering to engage the Bug threat, and many more were on the way. One way or another, the damned Beetles would be stopped here.

With a signal agreed upon earlier, the ships spooled up their witch drives, and by ones and twos began jumping into Atage, enroute to Tibecea.

Several kilometers away and hidden by cloak and the magnetic belts of the gas giant, the commander of a caduceus class cruiser watched the Red Storm armada jumping out via telescopic cameras.

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Chapter 18 (Eve of war)
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Orborn Zorr approached the captain of the Hammer of Sorrow. Udian's stooped form was silhouetted against the large main tactical view screen, blue witch tunnels flashed into existence as the Red Storm Armada jumped, rippling across space like spring rain on a lake.

"Well that's subtle," He commented dryly "how do you intent to keep that little lot a secret?"

Udian turned, "I don't, I intend to bring this to a head as soon as possible, the key is speed." He replied. "This force although strongly driven by revenge, bragging rights or loot, is so diverse if it don't get their battle soon after arriving in system they'll start tearing into each other. I have to present the General with his target. My presence will instigate the invasion, so that's exactly what I intend to do."

Zorr smiled "and then all hell breaks loose I suppose, just like last time. Starting wars, its been a while and not without cost, we've already had to pay off 7 members of crew. They've been blanked, It must be quite odd waking up with 3 year amnesia but with a quarter of a million credits in the bank. We're a little short mind you, but seeing this ship practically flies itself, it's going to be good to see the rest actually have to work for a change."

Thinking for a second Udian mused "They didn't sign up for a war, always the truth Orborn, you know that."

Zorr shrugged "If your not prepared to die then you have no place in space. Still, after Gardon, I'm glad to see your keeping the rest of the family out of this." The last of the armada was witching out, the Hammer would have to move out too or risk not being able to keep ahead of the pack.

"Gardon was a foolish boy, he rushed in, always playing the hero and paid dearly for it. I compounded his mistake by letting anger cloud my judgement. This is the ultimate price for that anger. Time to pay the bill, did you bring it?"

Orborn handed the old man the three hundred year old explorer issue commanders long coat. "I wouldn't be much of a first mate if I didn't follow the commanders orders now would I? It's as good as the day it was last worn. Stasis cupboards got to love them."

Shulth took stock of Zorr's pause he clearly wasn't finished and they both knew it. "Something on your mind Orborn?"

"Yeah, about Gardon he did rush in, saving lives, kicking ass just like someone I used to know, seems to me a lot of people can try to be a lot of things in life. Doesn't change what they are, or what they're good at Udian. I just hope your right, if not your going to look like a right prat. Flying a force this size into dead space. I'll get the coils prepped, either way we're going to need em." Zorr left, leaving the Commander dutifully standing at the view screen as the last of the worm holes collapsed leaving no hint of ever having been there.

Udian slipped on the old flight coat. It reminded him of a time when fighting was simple, life risked everyday. There were, after all a billion and one bad ways to die in space. There where no shortage of things to fight back then either. His father and his bastard creations the shard, pirates, the odd bounty hunter. The youth of today enjoyed their petty intrigues, games and counter plays but it all came down to the fight in the end. Somethings never change. He touched the old tarnished gold wings on the lapel badge, wings earned a long time ago when the idea of honoring bringers of death had been new and exciting. Wings given for piling murder on top of murder on top of murder. Something he appeared to have (like most of the rest of his family) a natural talent for. "By fortune an eve of war. By honor the fight, By conflict an end, through action a victory." It was an old prayer, a tradition nothing more, but one worth remembering. It was high time to pick a fight.

[_ds_]

the Red Storm armada jumping out via telescopic cameras.

Really? Not witch-space wormholes? Are you sure about that?

Anyway, the usual update is in place, along with the usual little fix-ups.

[ClymAngus]

the Red Storm armada jumping out via telescopic cameras.

Really? Not witch-space wormholes? Are you sure about that?

They are remarkably useful things having several surprising if unorthadox uses.