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Topic:  VENI: Serpent’s Hunt for Red Star Nova
Serpent
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Serpent
 
[VE-NAVY] Petty Officer 1st Class (PO1)
 
Post Number:  218
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  VENI: Serpent’s Hunt for Red Star Nova
February 3, 2012 10:20:48 AM    View the profile of Serpent 
Pherik ‘Serpent’ Zail sat on the chair and surveyed the office around him.  It was a simple chamber with a single door, one desk, and two chairs.  There were no windows, no pictures, no features or anything.  Everything was grey, from the walls, to the floor, to the table.  Even the man seated opposite him was grey, both in attire and in name.

Zail looked at the man’s face, with his melancholy eyes and pointed chin, and tried to think if this particular Agent Grey was one that he had met before.  Serpent had met several Greys during his time with Vast Empire Naval Intelligence, and they had blurred together in his memory.  Every meeting was brief and a one-off, and he never had time to get a feel for them.

Maybe it’s just the same guy every time, wondered Serpent, and he changes his appearance with masks and make-up to enhance his mystique?

No, that’s stupid.  Mental note, never mention that idea to anyone!

“Let us begin,” Drawled the Grey, sitting bolt upright and looking very formal.  “You know this man, I believe?”

He reached out and touched the activator on the desk’s holoprojector, and the image of a bald, middle-aged man with beady eyes emerged.

“Professor Vel-son,” Said Zail, glaring at the image.  “Yes, I know him,” He confirmed, having been with the VENI team who apprehended the rogue scientist several months previous.  Serpent knew that the Grey also knew this before the meeting had even begun, and wondered why the agent was wasting time asking him.

“We have persuaded the Professor to help us,” Said the Grey.  “He has provided us with details of various classified weapons development projects that he worked on during his time with the original Empire.”

“Uh-huh,” Said Zail, urging the other to continue but suddenly wary of where this was leading.

“This,” Continued the other man, “Is the Red Star Nova,” And so saying the image changed.  It now showed a large mechanical spherical vessel, which rotated while figures regarding its size, armament and crew complement hovered alongside.

“A Torpedo Sphere,” Breathed Zail, stunned.  Larger than an Imperial Star Destroyer, with tens of thousands of personnel, these siege platforms were designed to punch through planetary shields and enable the conquest of heavily defended fortress worlds.  Sometimes called ‘miniature Death Stars’, they were not actually powerful enough to destroy a planet, but they were still formidable war machines.  “There haven’t been that many of them since the Empire fractured,” He mused.  “This one still functioning?”

The Grey nodded.  “The Nova was once one of Vel-son’s labs, a testing centre for the latest in Imperial weapons design.  While that was ten years ago, the Professor assures us that the tech on that Torpedo Sphere is still ahead of the curve in terms of power.  Obviously, we want it.”

“We are going to steal something that big from the Empire?” Asked Zail, stunned by the idea.

“The Imperial Remnant don’t have it,” Said the Grey.  “The Republic staged an attack on it shortly after the Battle of Endor.  They made off with the Sphere, but for some reason it never made it to their space.  It’s been lost ever since.”

“Interesting,” Mused Zail, wondering how such a massive fortress could just go missing.  “Vel-son knows where it is, I take it?”

“Actually no,” Said the VENI agent.  “A spy of ours inside the Remnant recently reported that the Red Star Nova has been found out in Wild Space, powered down and seemingly abandoned.  The Empire is sending an expedition to investigate, and so shall we.”

Serpent felt himself getting even more curious, but tempered his excitement with the practical thinking that the Navy prided itself on.  “You really think there is anything of interest left on board?” He asked, wondering about its abandonment.

“Vel-son assures us that most of the truly important stuff on board was locked down and sealed before the Sphere was lost,” Said the Grey.  “He doubts all of its secrets have been plundered.  In return for bankrolling his retirement fund, the Professor has consented to go with you to help recover the Red Star Nova, using his codes and knowledge to overcome any dormant defences or other obstacles.”

Zail felt his curiosity vanish and instead felt fear creep up his spine in its place.  “You want to send me after this thing with Vel-son?”  He was stunned by the idea, for mass-murdering war criminals were not his frequent travelling companions.

The other man nodded.  “The two of you shall be sent aboard the Corvette Bluebolt, captained by Lieutenant Commander Calda Rafurl.  Rafurl is in command of the ship, but it has been made clear to her that this is a VENI mission, and she is to follow your suggestions on how to proceed.”

“Few captains like Intelligence looking over their shoulder and telling them how to run their ships,” Observed Zail.

Grey shrugged.  “Rafurl is a professional, she can handle it.  And so can you, otherwise I would not be offering you this assignment.  So, will you accept?”

Serpent waited a long time before answering, but deep down, he had already decided.  He had never refused a mission and he was not about to start now.  “Okay, I’m in,” Said the Alderaanian.  “Let’s talk details...”

-----

The Corellian Corvette Bluebolt was docked at one of the various facilities orbiting the Vast Empire’s capital planet of Lotaith.  The landing bay in question had been quietly cleared of living personnel and Zail and his associate had been slipped in secretly.  While the ship’s crew would be informed of the guests later, neither Serpent nor Vel-son were to be seen until after the Bluebolt had departed.  VENI did not expect the old scientist to be recognised, or for there to be any Imperial spies on a simple Corvette, but they took no chances.

Zail and the Professor walked down the landing tube and into the airlock, there to be greeted alone by the stern-faced Lieutenant Commander Calda Rafurl.  She was a lean woman, shallow-cheeked, and her face was starting to show the lines of her forty-plus years of age.  Her rich russet-brown hair was cut military short, and burning brown eyes glared at the two men as they approached.

“Greetings, I am Agent Rain,” Said Serpent, extending a hand to introduce himself, and wincing that the daft cover name given him by the Handler known as Languid had stuck.  However, this was how Vel-son knew him, so it was deemed best to keep with it.

Rafurl looked at the offered hand, but did not take it.

Zail slowly withdrew his arm and moved on.  “And this...” He said, gesturing to the man at his side.

“Is the Professor,” Said Rafurl, her voice crisp and harsh, omitting the use of the scientist’s name.  Again, this was to comply with VENI’s strict instructions regarding secrecy.

Vel-son glared at her.  The bald man’s tiny eyes peered at her, as if sizing up a curiosity for study.  “Indeed,” He confirmed, cocking his head to one side and squinting at her.  Glancing down at the bag of clothes he had packed, the Professor asked bluntly, “Is there a reason we are talking instead of going to our quarters?”

Serpent sighed inwardly.  So much for pleasantries.

“No reason at all,” Agreed the Commander icily.  “This way, gentlemen,” She said, gesturing and leading the way with swift strides.

The three of them quickly headed down corridors that had been cleared of crewmen ahead of time.  They soon came upon a door which Rafurl opened to reveal a cramped room with a bunk bed and no windows.  Zail was loathe to share with Vel-son, but the Grey had insisted on it.  Despite the Professor’s protestations of being helpful, VENI regarded him as a prisoner, and as his jailer, Serpent was to keep a very close eye on him.

“Get in and get settled,” Ordered the Commander sharply.  “Come and see me on the bridge in an hour, Agent Rain, and together we can brief my crew on why we are suddenly playing babysitter to a VENI wild goose chase.”

Serpent nodded.  So that is what Rafurl thinks of our mission?  Nice of her to lay it out so simply for me.  Instead of giving voice to his thoughts, though, he simply replied, “I shall be along then.  See you later, Captain,” He said, ensuring to use her title as CO rather than her actual rank.

She turned and strode off, and Zail turned to Vel-son.  “Unpacking, then?” He asked somewhat awkwardly.

“Very well,” Said the scientist, who then walked over to claim the top bunk, placing his bag upon it and beginning to unpack without another glance at his new roommate.

Serpent watched the strange man, and wondered just what he had gotten himself into.

OOC:
1473 words.  The first post of an all-new VENI story!  And yeah, sorry about the title, I couldn’t resist...

After Action Report:  Serpent, once again using the cover name of ‘Rain’, has been sent to track down the Imperial Torpedo Sphere and research facility, the Red Star Nova.  He is accompanied on this quest by the facility’s former leader, Professor Vel-son, a man wanted by the Republic for mass-murder.  Zail has also been assigned the use of the VE Corvette Bluebolt, much to the chagrin of the ship’s CO, Lieutenant Commander Calda Rafurl
FO/PO1 Pherik “Serpent” Zail / ISD II Halcyon Warrior/TF: Besh/1Flt/FC/VEN/VE
[SoA][=Eng=][MC2][LoM][NAR][E][HNS][SWC]

Serpent
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Imperial Baronet

 
Serpent
 
[VE-NAVY] Chief Petty Officer (CPO)
 
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  RE: VENI: Serpent’s Hunt for Red Star Nova
February 13, 2012 11:15:31 PM    View the profile of Serpent 
Pherik ‘Serpent’ Zail, who for the next few days would be answering only to his Naval Intelligence code-name of ‘Rain’, hung back from the meeting for a few moments.  Around a long white conference table, Lieutenant Commander Calda Rafurl, CO of the Corvette Bluebolt, laid out the mission to her senior staff.  Though none were as senior as she (they were all non-coms, and she the only actual officer on the ship) some sported ranks above Zail’s own.

And yet, he was the one in charge of this mission, with (theoretically) the power to over-ride Captain Rafurl in the interest of completing the assignment that VENI had put them on.  Serpent questioned himself constantly, wondering if he would have the confidence to give orders to far more experienced officers, and if any of them would actually listen when the time came.

“...And to explain in detail, I give you our representative from Naval Intelligence,” Finished Rafurl, gesturing to Zail.

He stepped forward as six pairs of eyes locked on him, appraising the man who had commandeered their ship.  Zail stood at the head of the table, dressed in a Naval uniform that lacked any name, rank or other insignia.  He had hoped that the sight of a familiar uniform would put the crew at ease, but he could see them looking for markings, anything to help fit him into their command structure, and finding none only seemed to annoy them.

“I am Agent Rain,” He announced.  “As Captain Rafurl has stated, we are pursuing a formerly Imperial Torpedo Sphere lost after the Battle of Endor.  The nature of the station’s theft, and the presence or lack of any hostiles on board remains, at this time, unknown.  I have brought with me a specialist who worked on the battle station, who will use his access codes and other knowledge to secure the Sphere once we locate it.”  He spoke about Professor Vel-son, the former scientist and mass-murderer who was currently locked up safe in their shared quarters.  Zail did not want the crew to know exactly who he was, and hoped that none would recognise the man when he was finally revealed to them.

Moving on, Serpent continued, “The Empire have sent a vessel to track the Sphere, and we plan to catch up to them as they hunt for it.”

“You don’t know its location?” Asked the ship’s First Officer, a Khil whose dangling hullepi tendrils obscured his mouth and muffled his speech.

“We do,” Said Zail, “However, we are headed into Wild Space, and navigation where we are headed is tricky.  Both we and the Imperials will need to make a series of jumps, exiting hyperspace and then calculating the next jump in a series of about seven stops.”

“Sounds like a mess,” Said the Khil.

“I agree, Draviq,” Said Rafurl darkly, her objection to this mission already clear to Serpent, and the VENI operative made a mental note of the Khil’s name.  “Is there no way to get there quicker?” She asked Zail.

“Actually, yes there is,” He replied, producing a datapad and handing it to her to peruse.  “This our first stop.  At these co-ordinates we will rendezvous with an independent trading vessel, a freighter called the Smiling Skipper.  For a fee, the crew has offered to provide us local hyperspace data that will allow us to save three stops off our trip, and get there ahead of the Imperial ship.”

“We are dealing with smugglers now?” Asked Rafurl, looking at the datapad’s information on the Smiling Skipper.

“We have no choice, Captain,” Said Zail, managing to sound firm and sure of himself despite his nerves.

Rafurl’s face gave nothing away as she nodded slowly in compliance.

“Any other questions?” Said Zail, wishing to conclude the briefing quickly and be out of there.

The youngest of those present, a Senior Crewman who looked to be no more than twenty, piped up.  “Aren’t you VENI types meant to be called ‘Grey’?”

Serpent suppressed a smile.  Despite the gravity of the situation, he had prepared a suitably cryptic answer in case this question came up.  “It’s always grey when it rains,” He replied enigmatically, and then dismissed himself.

-----

Zail sat on his bunk in his quarters on the Bluebolt, reading over mission reports and data.  There was still an hour before the rendezvous with the smugglers, and Zail had opted to stay in his room and out of Captain Rafurl’s way.

Above him, on the top bunk, he could hear nothing from Professor Vel-son.  The other man seemed very quiet, and that made Serpent wary.  Thus it came as a welcome surprise when the scientist spoke up.

“Do you play Sabacc, Agent Rain?” Came the voice.

“No,” Replied Serpent simply.

“Dejarik?”

“No,” Said Zail, already tiring of the other’s questions and wishing for a return to silence.

“Will you kill the smugglers?” Asked Vel-son suddenly.

Serpent stopped in mid-thought, shocked by the change in questioning.  Standing up from his bunk so he could look at his roommate, he asked, “What?”

Vel-son, dressed as Zail was in a blank grey Naval uniform, turned his bald head to face the VENI agent.  “We are meeting the freighter Smiling Skipper to deal for hyperspace nav data, correct?”

Serpent nodded warily, wondering how Vel-son knew.

“It dawns on me that it would be expedient to execute those involved,” Continued the scientist thoughtfully.  “Otherwise they could sell that same data to other parties who would also be interested in seeking the Red Star Nova, such as the Republic.”

“The Smiling Skipper is an old Barloz freighter,” Said Serpent.  “It would not stand a chance against us.  What you are suggesting is murder.”

Vel-son cocked his head to the side as he studied Zail’s face, a gesture that the older man had done several times before when he looked at others.  “Yes, I believe I am,” He said, as if reaching a conclusion.  “Do you have a problem with that?”

“I am not here to kill,” Said Serpent with finality.  “I am here to recover the Torpedo Sphere.”

“And should the two become synonymous?” Asked the scientist.

“I will keep my own council,” Snapped Zail harshly.  “You are here to work for me, not to advise me!”

Vels-son seemed to ponder this.  “I suppose I am.  Suggestion withdrawn, Agent Rain,” He finished, and, as if nothing had happened, returned to reading one of several datapad novels he had brought with him.

Serpent glared at the older man for a few moments, and then returned to his bunk.  Something about that exchange had disturbed him, and he spent the next hour lost in thought.

-----

“Well of all the surprises,” Said Captain Rafurl, “They are here.”

Standing at her side on the bridge, her First Officer, Draviq the Khil, glanced towards Zail, regarding him carefully.  However, when he spoke, it was to his CO.  “The Smiling Skipper is hailing us, ma’am.  A Captain ‘Dejamarr’ wishes to speak with us.”

Now it was Rafurl’s turn to glance towards the VENI operative.  She gestured for him to proceed, and Serpent stepped forward.  “Communications, if you please,” She said smoothly, and a life-sized holo promptly sprung to life in the centre of the Bluebolt’s small bridge.

Captain Dejamarr was a brightly skinned Zeltron, though the hologram rendered him in shades of blue, making him appear to be a simple human.  His scarred face cracked into a smile as he greeted the three Vast Imperials.

“Well hullo there,” He beamed with a crooked smile.  Zail winced.  Could this fringe scum be any more clichéd?  “My crew and I bid ye greetings!”

“Captain Dejamarr,” Said Serpent.  “I am Agent Rain.  On behalf of the Vast Empire I am here to conclude our business.  One hundred thousand credits have been sent to your account on Nar Shaddaa, and you may now transmit the navigational data we agreed upon.”

“Woah there nigh, Mr Rain,” Said Dejamarr.  “The price `as gone up since I did business with yer bosses.”

Zail felt shock, but it was Captain Rafurl who snarled, “What?”

“Hey relax there lady, I wasn’t talking to you,” Said the Zeltron dismissively.  “I was talking to Mr Rain.”

Agent Rain,” Serpent corrected him, regaining his composure.  “I suppose you are about to tell why the price has changed?”

“I am indeed,” Said Dejamarr.  “Just a half day back I saw an Imperial ship pass through here.  Regular Imps, that is, not Vast sorts like yerselves.  Both of ye are a long way from your territories, and I figure there is a reason.”

“The point,” Growled Rafurl, “Now.”

“Oh, insistent one, ain’t she?” Said the Zeltron.  “I know some people who would be mighty interested in what you both are doin’ out here.  The extra hundred thousand I’m asking is to buy ma silence.”

“Two hundred thousand,” Mused Zail.  “And you won’t speak to... others,” He said, avoiding the word they all knew he meant to say: The Republic.

Suddenly, Vel-son’s voice sprung into Serpent’s mind.  Will you kill the smugglers?

“You have my word,” Said Dejamarr, flashing a brilliant smile.

Serpent was suddenly aware that both Captain Rafurl and her XO were staring at him, and neither of them had happy expressions on their faces.  He weighed the choices in his mind.  Should he order the freighter attacked?  They could overwhelm the mere handful of crew that a Barloz freighter carried and just take the data.  But then what?  Execute all the smugglers?  Could he really order the deaths of half a dozen people?  He had killed once before, and it still pained him, but that was because he had to.  No, here he had a choice, and a hundred thousand credits were not as important as the lives of six men.

“Agreed,” Zail announced at last.  “On the proviso that you also include what you learned about the Imperials you spotted.  The type of ship, and any surreptitious scans you might have conducted.  Agreed?” He asked, and the other nodded.  “Then send the data so that we may be on our way.”

“Pleasure doing business with ye,” Said the Zeltron, offering a bow as the hologram winked out of existence.

“You are paying him?” Snapped Rafurl, incredulous.

“Yes,” Said Zail, even as he heard the Navigation Officer call out that the data was being received.  “We need to catch the Imperials, and we now have the means to do that.  Now, let us be on our way,” He said, and stormed from the bridge.

As he marched back to his quarters, Zail debated his choice.  It would have been so much easier to just take the data by force.  A tractor beam, a boarding squad of Stormtroopers, and it would all be over, and at no risk of being betrayed to the Republic.

No, he had made the right choice.  He could complete this assignment with his conscience intact, he did not need to become as cold as men like Vel-son.

Did he?

OOC:
1832 words.  The story goes on, and slowly I am building in the tension between Zail and Vel-son.  This will be an interesting relationship to develop...

After Action Report:  The VE Corvette Bluebolt has rendezvoused with a smuggler called Captain Dejamarr.  The Vast Imperials have bought navigational data to help speed their arrival at the Torpedo Sphere Red Star Nova.  Dejamarr upped the price of the deal at the last moment, but Zail, acting on behalf of VENI, agreed, despite the advice from Professor Vel-son to just kill the smugglers.  For now he clings to the idea that he can be moral and still carry out his duties.
FO/CPO Pherik “Serpent” Zail / ISD II Halcyon Warrior/TF: Besh/1Flt/FC/VEN/VE
[SoA][MC2][LoM][NAR][E][HNS][SWC][CBV][VC:B][=^Eng^=]
Serpent
ComNet Cadet
Imperial Baronet

 
Serpent
 
[VE-NAVY] Master Chief Petty Officer (MCPO)
 
Post Number:  282
Total Posts:  1214
Joined:  Jul 2011
Status:  Offline
  RE: VENI: Serpent’s Hunt for Red Star Nova
February 25, 2012 2:08:59 AM    View the profile of Serpent 
“So that’s our rival?” Asked Captain Rafurl rhetorically, staring at the hologram, her voice and face unreadable.  The image of the Imperial Remnant ship, rendered in red, rotated slowly as it floated above the conference table she sat at.

Also around the table were her XO, Draviq, and Pherik ‘Serpent’ Zail, better known to those present as Agent Rain.  All three stared at the readings of the enemy vessel, procured at a high price from the smuggler Captain Dejamarr.

“An Assassin-Class Corvette,” Said the Khil First Officer through his mouth tentacles, “Transponder ID lists her as the Night Dagger.”

Zail took this in with a sinking feeling in his gut.  The vessel they were currently on, the Bluebolt, was also a Corvette, but of the older CR90 variety.  The two vessels, both of Corellian design, were very close in size and shape, but there the similarity ended.  The Assassin-Class was much better armoured than its predecessor model, and also had much better weapons, including a proton torpedo launcher.  Still, there was one notable weakness with the ship that Serpent knew could have a bearing on their mission.

“She is tougher than we are,” Assessed Rafurl gravely.  “I would rather avoid a direct confrontation.”

Zail nodded in agreement.  “As would I, but with the nav data procured from Dejamarr, we can avoid a fight and beat the Night Dagger to the Red Star Nova,” He said, referring to the lost Torpedo Sphere that was their target.  “If we can dock with the Nova then we win.  An Assassin-Class Corvette does not have the troop complement that we do.  We can deploy our Stormtroopers and secure the Sphere, and the Remnant will not have the manpower to take it back from us.”

“So the race is most definitely on,” Said Draviq.

“Indeed,” Concurred the Captain.  “Our first jump will be concluded soon, and there are still three more before we reach the Red Star Nova.  Mr Draviq and I shall return to the bridge to oversee the next jump.  Do you wish to join us, Agent Rain?” She asked, and though Rafurl masked her voice well, Zail could see her distrust and dislike of him in her eyes.  She was being polite, but she was hoping that the meddling VENI agent would chose to stay off her bridge.

“Thank you, Captain,” Said Serpent as gracefully as he could, “But I feel my time would be better spent going over reports in my quarters.”

“As you wish,” She said, and then watched him leave.

-----

Zail was glad to be out of the woman’s way.  He understood where she was coming from, and if this were his command, he would resent the presence of a Naval Intelligence observer too.  Still, he wished that VENI had given him someone who was easier to work with.

He returned to his quarters, keying the lock and stepping inside.

Serpent stopped dead.  There was no-one there.

Professor Vel-son, his roommate and ‘guest’ on this mission (translation: prisoner) was nowhere to be seen.  Suddenly Pherik’s heart raced.  It was a small ship, he could not have gone far.  The real question was why the old scientist had left the room.  He had willingly agreed to incarceration until they reached the Red Star Nova, and Zail had even taken the precaution of locking the man in the room every time the agent had to go to meet the Captain.  What was Vel-son doing?

Feeling panic rise within him, Zail squashed the feeling and tried to stay calm.  At a brisk pace he turned and headed along the corridor, headed for the ship’s common areas to see if he could locate the Professor.

His search, thankfully, did not take long.  About ten minutes later, he found Vel-son with a mixed group of off-duty Naval crewmen and Stormtroopers, about six in all, sat in the mess hall and engaged in a game of Sabacc.  It was far enough from any meal time that they were the only occupants of the room, but even five people seeing the infamous mass-murdering scientist was enough to worry Serpent.

“What are you doing?” He demanded, striding up to Vel-son’s side and glaring at the elder man angrily.

“Winning,” Said the bald Professor simply, pointing to the pile of credit chips on the table before him.  “Idiot’s Array!” He declared triumphantly, placing his cards down on the table and displaying the game’s top possible hand.

The other five men and women groaned, throwing down their own cards in disgust.

“Do join us, Agent Rain,” Said Vel-son, “It is most enjoya...”

He did not finish, because Zail grabbed him by the lapels and pulled him into a standing position, knocking over the man’s chair as he did so.  “Shut the frak up!” Bellowed the VENI agent.  “You are confined to quarters, remember?”

The other five people at the table stared in shock at the display.  While a handful of them looked like they were about to intervene, at least one recognised Zail as the Intelligence representative they all knew to be on board the Bluebolt, and whispered to the others not to do anything.

“Just a quick jaunt, Agent Rain,” Explained the Professor, his face and voice as emotionless and unreadable as ever.  “However, if you insist that I return...”

“I do!” Snapped Serpent sharply.  “Now let’s go!”

Vel-son scooped his winnings into his pockets as fast as he could before Zail started shoving him towards the exit.  Soon, but not soon enough to the VENI agent’s thinking, the two were back in their cramped quarters.

Serpent shoved Vel-son down on a chair and then perched himself on the edge of his lower bunk bed.  His blue eyes burning cold, he said, “Explain yourself.  Now.”

“I was bored,” Said the scientist simply, and when Zail gave no response but to continue to glare, Vel-son went on.  “If you were expecting more then I am sorry, Agent Rain, I can provide no other excuse or justification for my actions.”

“I don’t believe you,” Said Pherik suspiciously.

The Professor raised an eyebrow.  “You think perhaps I was engaged in some nefarious plot?  That really my loyalties are still to the old Empire I once served and that I seek to undermine this mission in favour of your Imperial Remnant rivals?”

“Something like that,” Confessed Zail without apology.

“Are all VENI operatives as paranoid as you, Agent Rain, or is this a unique trait of yours?” Asked Vel-son with genuine curiosity.

“This isn’t about me,” Said Serpent.

“Oh but is!” Corrected the scientist, his voice coming to life with a strange excitement that Pherik had not heard from him before.  “This is your mission, Agent, and your responsibility.  I, Captain Rafurl, this crew and this ship are here to assist you, not complete this assignment for you.  If you are not up to the task and you doubt yourself, kindly look to your failings, rather than invent conspiracies so that I may serve as your scapegoat!”

“That’s enough!” Thundered Zail, rising to his feet.  His anger was palpable, though he could not say why, and at his sides his hands had contorted into fists and Serpent thought for a long moment about punching Vel-son right in his smug face.

“Ah, anger!” Said the Professor.  “A much more useful trait in an Imperial than self-doubt.  You are coming along, Agent.”

“I’m what?” Asked Pherik, still standing and speaking through clenched teeth, still on the verge on violence.

“I remember you from Ord Terine, you and the rest of your little VENI team,” Said Vel-son, talking casually despite the threat of imminent violence.  “I could see each of them for the veterans they were, but you were different,” He said, referring to Serpent’s previous mission.

“In what way?” Zail found himself asking, slowly sitting back down.

“You hid it well,” Said Vel-son, “But the signs were clear.  Your nervousness, the way you held back from speaking.  The way the others spoke to you even.  Not patronising, but still like a teacher to a student.  It was clear that you were the learner.”

The scientist did his ever-frequently annoying gesture of cocking his head to once side as he looked Serpent before continuing.  “You are different now, though.  The nervousness remains, but for a different reason, I think.  Now you seem wiser in the ways of the intelligence world, but that in itself now gives you cause to question yourself.”

Zail thought back to his final assignment on Ord Terine, assassinating the politician Ophar Liran IV.  He had never felt so low, so dishonourable as when he pulled that trigger.  And the memory of that still haunted him.  Was he really that obvious?

“I need not know what happened that made you like this,” Continued Vel-son, “But whatever is holding you back, you should forget it.”

“I’m not sure I can...” Said Pherik, almost to himself.

“You had better,” Said the scientist firmly.  “A few hours ago you held off on killing those smugglers, when it was clearly the safest thing to do for the mission.  Right now they could be selling our location to the Republic or anyone else, and then this situation could get very messy.  When next you come to decide between the lives of others and your mission I hope you will make the right choice.”

“Oh that easy, is it?” Asked Zail, his anger returning.  “Just killing others without remorse?  Sorry, Professor, but I am not like you.  You butchered tens of thousands of people, and I have seen you sleep quite peacefully at night.  I am not like that, and never will be!”

“Does my past anger you so?” Asked Vel-son.  “Very well, you are entitled to your opinion.  Kindly keep perspective though, for this is only your opinion.  From where I stand those people had to die, so I feel no regret about it.”

“How can you say that!” Snarled Pherik.  He knew somewhere that showing such emotion while he was on an assignment was wrong, but as an Alderaanian who had lost his family to mass-murder he could not contain himself.

“Do you know what I did?” Asked the other.  “Do you actually know what my so-called crimes were?”

“The planet Golshavis,” Said Zail, recalling both files he had read on Vel-son and seeing the news reports ten years previous.  “You were responsible for the destruction of one of the planet’s largest cities, slaughtering almost a quarter of a million of the natives.”  And then quickly Serpent added, “And before you try to preach to me and pass the blame, save it!  Everyone knows that you were the authority there.  It was you who chose the target, not some military official or higher up!”

“Yes,” Confessed Vel-son simply.  “I chose the target, and I gave the order, wiping out so many of the native Golshav’an.  Do you know why, Agent Rain?”

“I really don’t care,” Said Pherik defiantly.

“I shall tell you anyway,” Continued the other smoothly.  “I was a top level weapons designer for the Empire, promoted to oversee some of the Navy’s most expensive and important projects.  In terms of influence and prestige I was on the way up, and the fact that I had been granted the Red Star Nova, an entire Torpedo Sphere, as my personal floating research centre, was a testament to this.”

Removing his glasses, the scientist began to clean them idly with his shirt as he spoke.  “Golshavis had large supplies of a metal that the Empire needed for the growing fleet.  The locals, near-humans with large eyes, were put to work in the mines.  The city nearest the mines became an Imperial garrison, home not only to soldiers stationed on the planet, but civilian contractors and support personnel.  Among them, Agent Rain, was my wife and children.”

Zail suddenly saw where this was going, but he kept quiet and let the other continue.

“The Empire, and indeed your Vast Empire, likes to paint the Rebels as terrorists.  In some cases, such as the Golshav’an, that was actually quite true.  During our time on their world they threw everything at us.  Drive-by shootings, speeder bombs, even suicide bombers.  Every time, however, they attacked military targets.  In countless public statements, the local resistance, members of the Rebel Alliance, constantly claimed a moral high ground by avoiding civilian targets.”

“This changed, I take it?” Serpent found himself asking.

Vel-son nodded.  “A simple change of local leader signalled a new ‘strategy’ by the terrorists, and suddenly my wife, daughters, and almost three hundred mothers and children arriving at the local Imperial primary school were dead.”

The scientist, usually so unemotional, did his best to remain so during his tale, but Zail could hear the slight waver of his voice.  Still, the agent remained silent.

“When the Red Star Nova’s newest orbital bombardment systems, the culmination of some five years of my hard work in siege technology, was operational, I suggested a target for the demonstration.  Naval High Command approved,” Said the Professor.

“I understand your loss...” Began Pherik carefully, and really, with his own family killed, he did, but Vel-son did not want to hear it.

They made the choice!” Spat the older man with more venom and passion that Zail thought possible of him.  “They chose to kill innocent people, children and parents and teachers!  They took the gloves off and declared anyone to be fair game as a target!  So when I levelled that city, and so many of the Golshav’an young and old died, even the vast majority that were not with the resistance, I did not shed one tear!  Do not dare, Agent Rain, to tell me that I should feel bad for what I did!  Do not!”

There was a long silence in the room after the outburst, and slowly Vel-son finished cleaning his glasses and put them back upon his hooked nose.  Doing so seemed to restore the mask he wore of the indifferent and studious scientist, and when he spoke again he was back to normal.

“Death is what we do, Agent Rain,” He said.  “That is what my loyalty to the old Empire meant, and what your loyalty to the Vast Empire means.  Please come to terms with that fact.”

And so saying he climbed up to the top bunk and lay down.

Zail, stunned by what he had just heard, just sat there, deep in thought.

OOC:
2404 words.  Building up some of the emotion and the growing connection between Vel-son and Serpent.  It was a talky one this week, but next week the battle between the two ships hunting for the Red Star Nova begins!

After Action Report:  Serpent (Agent Rain), Captain Rafurl and her XO Draviq, all discus the other ship racing their CR90, the Bluebolt, to the lost Torpedo Sphere the Red Star Nova.  It is a more powerful Assassin-Class Corvette called the Night Dagger, and they plan to avoid a battle with it.  Later, Zail confronts Professor Vel-son, and finds that the mass-murdering scientist is in fact a broken man with a tragic past.  Also, Vel-son has insight for Zail, who he thinks is holding back from doing his mission properly due to some unresolved issues.
FO/MCPO Pherik “Serpent” Zail / ISD II Halcyon Warrior/TF: Besh/1Flt/FC/VEN/VE
[SoA][MC2][LoM][NAR][E][HNS][SWC][CBV][VC:B][=^Eng^=]
[This message has been edited by Serpent (edited February 25, 2012 2:19:29 AM)]
Serpent
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  RE: VENI: Serpent’s Hunt for Red Star Nova
March 31, 2012 11:40:45 PM    View the profile of Serpent 
“Emerging from hyperspace in 3... 2... 1...” Announced the pilot of the Bluebolt.  “Now!”

And so saying, the sight of swirling hyperspace in the forward viewport receded, replaced by a multitude of blurring star lines, as the Vast Empire corvette swiftly reverted to real space.

Standing at the centre of the bridge, Pherik ‘Serpent’ Zail watched as the system they arrived in appeared.  Beside him, the Captain and First Officer of the Bluebolt, Lieutenant Commander Rafurl and Mr Draviq, also stared, taking in the details.

A single dying red dwarf star was orbited by half a dozen lifeless rocks and gas giants, a dull and unremarkable part of dull and unremarkable Wild Space.  Still, this was the final destination of their trip, but where was their target?

“Sensors!” Commanded Rafurl.

“Searching, ma’am,” Came the reply from the bridge officer at the Sensors post.  “I have something!  A massive sphere, clearly not natural!  Zooming in now!”  And so saying, the image of a torpedo sphere appeared in hologram form among a map of the system that hovered close to where Zail and the others stood.

“There it is,” Said Serpent, a.k.a. Agent Rain of Vast Empire Naval Intelligence.  “The Red Star Nova.”  He spoke in a voice that was part awed and part excited.  He was so eager to complete this mission, but also to simply see a Torpedo Sphere up close.  The siege weapons were as massive as they were impressive, and though he had seen colossal space-going constructs like the Super Star Destroyer Atrus, there was something special about a floating man-made sphere.

Like a planet unto itself, he mused, though of course the Red Star Nova was nowhere near that large.

Captain Rafurl studied the hologram.  “The Sphere is nestled in the shadow of that planet,” She observed.  “Almost like it was hiding.”

Zail concurred with her assessment.  “Remember, we still do not know how and why the Red Star Nova went missing.  While reports indicate that it is abandoned, we may be safer to assume that there is someone aboard, and that they are hiding it deliberately.  Approach with caution.”

The female officer nodded, accepting the advice, despite how coldly she often dealt with the VENI agent.  “Agreed.  Helm!  Plot a course, but keep that planet between us and our goal.  I don’t want anyone to know that we are coming.”

“Aye, sir!”  Came the reply, and the Bluebolt began its advance through the system.

-----

The in-system journey at sub-light speeds was to take the better part of an hour, but ten minutes from their goal things took a turn for the worse.  As the CR-90 Corvette reached the planet and began to sneak around it, the sensor chief suddenly piped up again.

“Vessel dropping out of hyperspace!” He cried, panicked.

“What is it?” Demanded Zail quickly, though he already knew the answer.

The bridge officer was just about to reply, when his CO cut him off by snapping at Serpent, “I give the commands on this bridge, Agent Rain!” Said Captain Rafurl with a fierce scowl on her face.

Pherik was caught off-guard for the briefest of moments.  He had responded without thinking, issuing the order the way he would have done back on the Halcyon Warrior, his own ship, where he was the XO.  He had not meant to usurp Rafurl’s authority, and he was just about to apologise, when a thought occurred.

He cast his mind back to the conversation he had recently had with Professor Vel-son.  The old man was so much: a ruthless killer, a brilliant scientist, and also a lonely being who had endured the brutal murder of his wife and daughters.  Zail still did not know what to make of Vel-son, but he knew that the Professor had spoken truth to the VENI Agent.

Whatever is holding you back, you should forget it, the scientist had said.

Serpent was a VENI Agent.  This was his mission.  He had to stop holding back.

“I don’t care!” He spat back in Rafurl’s face, stunning the Lieutenant Commander into silence.  “If you are too slow to order you crew into action, then I will do it!  Sensors!  I gave you an order!  What do you see?” Zail demanded.

The young man there casting his gaze nervously from the Intelligence representative to his Captain, and then back again.  “Profile matches an Assassin-Class Corvette, sir,” He said eventually.  “Transponder names it as the Night Dagger.”

“So our Imperial Remnant competition has arrived,” Mused Pherik aloud.

“Time until intercept?” Asked Rafurl, recovering from Rain’s words and trying to re-establish her suddenly challenged authority.

“They are closing rapidly on bearing two zero seven by one six six,” Came the crisp reply.  “Estimate nine minutes until they are within firing range.”

“If that Assassin-Class Corvette can bring its torpedo launchers to bear on us it won’t be pretty,” Observed the First Officer, Mr Draviq.

“Then we try to out run them,” Said Zail, seeing no other choice.  “If we throw everything into the engines can we reach the Sphere before the Night Dagger catches up to us?”

“Negative,” Said Rafurl, staring at the tactical display.  “Anyway, what good would just reaching the Red Star Nova do?  We’d still be outgunned when they caught up to us.”

Serpent smiled.  “My ‘guest’ has the access keys.  We can transmit the codes to the Sphere’s docking bay and just glide in and shut the door behind us.”

“First we have to reach it in one piece,” Said Draviq, his mouth tentacles dancing with excitement as he spoke.  “How do we avoid that Remnant ship?”

Zail and Rafurl locked eyes, and despite their differences, they could see the same idea taking shape there.  “Dive,” They said simultaneously.

It took the nearby helm officer a few moments to comprehend, until he looked at the planet that they were circumnavigating to reach the Red Star Nova.  It was a gas giant, a swirling ball of hydrogen and helium in a thick, ruddy-orange swirl, and perfect for hiding in.

“Sensors,” Said Zail, “Calculate distance to drop until our energy signature is blurred or hidden enough to confuse the Night Dagger, then relay that to the helm.”

Again the Sensor Chief glanced over at his captain, and only when Rafurl gave the slightest of nods did he comply with the VENI Agent’s order.

Within a few moments the Bluebolt had altered course, angling down into the gaseous soup of the world below.  As the corvette plunged into the russet sea, which washed over the viewport and obscured all, Commander Rafurl turned back to Serpent.  “And now what?  We are safe, but hiding down here only guarantees that they will reach the Sphere before us.  I doubt that the Night Dagger is going to follow us in here.”

“I have an idea about that,” Said Zail, and then excused himself and left the bridge.

-----

The Imperial Remnant vessel did indeed decide against following them into the gas giant, but it still gave the planet a wider than necessary gap as it swung around towards the Red Star Nova.  Once the enemy warship was clear and closing on the Torpedo Sphere, only then did the Bluebolt emerge like a shark from beneath the waves.

“Are they reacting?” Asked Rafurl, eyes locked out the viewport and on the Assassin-Class Corvette racing away from them towards their mutual goal.

“Negative,” Said the Sensor Chief.  “Their shields have been raised since they arrived in the system, their weapons primed.  They were at alert status before and they still are.”

The Commander’s lip twitched.  “They don’t see us as a threat,” She said, sounding angry at being dismissed.

“We’ll be a threat soon enough,” Serpent assured her, and turned to the man sat beside him at the communications post.  “Ready?”

Professor Vel-son barely acknowledged the VENI Agent, instead typing furiously at the computer console before him.  Zail felt nervous just having the infamous individual out in the open where any of the crew could recognise him, but the situation called for it.

“Hey!” Pressed Serpent.  “Are you ready?  Can you do this?

Vel-son paused in his work, turning his bald head towards Pherik, and with one hand pressed his glasses higher up the bridge of his nose before answering.  “I heard you the first time, Agent Rain, and I assure you that I am quite capable of doing this.”

“These codes of yours had better still work,” Warned Zail.

“They will,” The Professor promised him, and then resumed inputting them.  “Transmitting now!” He announced, and sent the over-ride commands that he had hardwired into the Red Star Nova.

Serpent turned towards the viewport, eager to witness the success of the other’s actions.  Indeed, the whole bridge crew seemed to hold their collective breath as they watched.

The Night Dagger drew closer to the Sphere, ever closer, and then, suddenly, just as Pherik was beginning to fear that nothing would happen, the massive mechanical planetoid opened fire on the approaching Imperial vessel.

“The Corvette is taking heavy fire!”  Announced the Sensor Chief.  “Its shields are weakened but holding, and it is adjusting course!”

“All engines full throttle!” Ordered Captain Rafurl.  “Gunners stand ready!  I want to hit the Night Dagger while she is wounded!”

Serpent smiled, and watched as the Bluebolt rushed into the fray.

-----

Despite the vast size of the Red Star Nova (fully two kilometres in length), it was lightly armed, with just ten turbolaser cannons.  However, what automated firing systems the brilliant Vel-son had built into them were working perfectly, and their firepower output was formidable.  The Night Dagger was falling back under the withering barrage, and had not escaped the canons’ lethal range when the Vast Empire warship fell upon them.

The two corvettes opened fire on each other, but the manoeuvrable Assassin-Class ship was still coming about, firing with its side guns and shifting to its front weapons as it completed the turn to take it away from the nearby Sphere.

“Come alongside and hit them with the port lasers!” Commander Rafurl ordered, eager to keep her ship out of the firing line of the other warship’s potent Proton Torpedo launcher.

“Rafurl, wait!” Protested Serpent instantly, seeing the weakness in the plan.  “If you broadside them then they will just slip past and run for it!”

The Lieutenant Commander’s eyes were daggers as she turned and glared with pure anger at the VENI Agent.  “Do not dare to question my orders on my own bridge!” She roared, even as laser fire rocked the ship and the battle raged outside.

“Listen to me!” Shouted Zail, rising from his chair.  “We can pin them here against the Nova and finish this!”

“We will take a great deal of damage in doing that,” Said Draviq, backing up his captain.  “There is no need.”

“Oh there’s need!” Said Serpent.  “We need to finish these fools fast before they find a way past those defences and come back when we least expect and...”

“The decision is made!” Roared Rafurl.  “Helm!  Continue to position for the broadside, and let the Night Dagger pass us!”

“No!” Snapped Zail, eager to finish this here and now and willing to risk a prolonged fight.  “Commander Raful this is my mission and with the authority of VENI I hereby order you to head off that enemy vessel and engage it properly!”

The stern-faced woman’s face was contemptuous as she answered.  “Your mission is not in jeopardy, Agent Rain, but my ship is, therefore you cannot over-rule me.  The order stands.”

Serpent glared back at her, fighting to keep his rage under control, but he knew that it was over.  The Night Dagger had slipped past, and was now racing beyond the range of both the Bluebolt and the Red Star Nova.

Zail sank back into his seat as the crew cast uneasy glances between him and their Captain.  As they proceeded on their way to the waiting Torpedo Sphere, he turned to Vel-son, bizarrely the only person on the ship he felt actually listened to him, and said, “Letting them go was the wrong decision.”

“I concur,” Said the Professor, “I just hope we don’t all regret the Commander’s little act of mercy.”

Zail had the exact same hope.

OOC:

2044 words.  Moving into the action now, and I am keen to push this story forward.  I have a great ending in mind!

After Action Report:  Serpent and the corvette Bluebolt have arrived at their destination, the system containing the lost Torpedo Sphere Red Star Nova. Alas the Imperial Remnant ship Night Dagger has arrived too.  Using Professor Vel-son’s remote control of the Sphere’s weapons, the VE manage to drive theImperial ship off, but Serpent feels that a golden chance to destroy the Night Dagger has been missed.
FO/MCPO Pherik “Serpent” Zail / ISD II Halcyon Warrior/TF: Besh/1Flt/FC/VEN/VE
[SoA][MC2][LoM][NAR][E][HNS][SWC][CBV][VC:S][SoV][MiD][=*Eng*=]

"If the crew doesn't hate the XO, then he's not doing his job." - Colonel Saul Tigh
Serpent
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Serpent
 
[VE-NAVY] Master Chief Petty Officer
 
Post Number:  330
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  RE: VENI: Serpent’s Hunt for Red Star Nova
April 15, 2012 6:16:09 AM    View the profile of Serpent 
The massive ovoid battlestation, larger even than Zail’s own Halcyon Warrior, loomed large in the forward viewport as the tiny CR90 corvette Bluebolt drew ever closer.  The smooth grey steel of the Torpedo Sphere reflected the light of the nearby red dwarf star, even as its colossal size blotted out the view of the stars beyond.

“The Red Star Nova.  As beautiful as I remember it,” Said Professor Vel-son, still sat at the bridge coms post.

“Scan it,” Commanded Captain Rafurl, but her voice was subdued, almost hushed with awe.  “Any life signs?”

“Negative, sir,” Came the reply from the Sensor Chief.

Pherik Zail turned to Vel-son.  “Your master codes got the weapons firing.  I take it that opening the docking bay isn’t too much trouble?”

“One moment, Agent Rain,” Replied the Professor, the old man’s bony fingers showing none of their age as they danced quickly across the computer console.  “There,” He announced at last.

Along the equator of the sphere, a cavernous bay opened wide before them.  In truth it was no larger than the docking bay of an Imperial-Class Star Destroyer, but whereas the interior of those bays were bright lit in white, the dock of the Red Star Nova was a black void, like a mouth waiting to swallow them whole.

“Dark and powered down,” Observed Zail, studying the station details that were now visible to the naked eye as the helmsman guided the Bluebolt ever closer.

“Scared of the dark, Agent Rain?” Asked Captain Rafurl, quick to belittle the VENI man, especially as just minutes ago he was trying (unsuccessfully) to undermine her command and counter her orders.

Pherik ignored the jibe.  “What gives?” He asked Vel-son.  “Is the station damaged, or just conserving energy?”

“Conserving power, I would guess,” Said the old professor.  “The weapons are responding fine, as are the docking bay doors.  I should be able to power it up fully once we are inside.”

“Then I suggest you form a boarding party, Agent Rain,” Said Rafurl, eager to have him off her bridge and indeed off her ship.  “Take your ‘friend’ with you, along with a full squad of eight Stormtroopers.  Secure the bay, power it up, and then report back to me.”

Serpent could not help but notice how much her words sounded like orders, but the hunt for the Nova was his mission.  “We will secure the bay,” He said, but made no mention of reporting to her.  “Let’s go,” He said to Vel-son.

-----

The troopers went first into the cavernous bay, once it had been ascertained that there was indeed a stable and breathable atmosphere out there.  They descended a ramp from the Bluebolt and spread out, followed by Serpent (armed) and Vel-son (most assuredly unarmed).

Floodlights from the corvette splashed illumination all around them, lighting their path to an elevator to a docking bay Command & Control area.  The Stormtroopers, waving their rifles from side to side and locking on any suspicious shadow, led the way, and Zail was comforted by their presence.  Something about a deserted vessel, especially one the size of a Torpedo Sphere, made him feel uneasy.

“Here, sir!” Called one of the soldiers suddenly, and Pherik ran over to get a closer look at the shape on the deck that the trooper was approaching cautiously.

“A body,” Said the VENI Agent, glancing down at the decayed corpse.  Time had left little more than a skeleton, but the man’s uniform was clear.  It was that of the New Republic.

“One of those that stole the Nova,” Observed Vel-son, studying the corpse closely, unperturbed by either the sight or the smell.

“And yet the question remains,” Said Serpent, “Who stole it from them?”

The Professor had no answer for him, so they continued on their way.  They finished crossing the deck of the bay, and stepped onto the open elevator (fortunately still functioning).  With a blast of speed it shot the ten men up and into the C&C office, a large square room with windows on three sides.  Serpent glanced around, the torches mounted on the Stormtroopers’ rifles casting the only light, but he saw clearly enough in the gloom.

“More bodies,” He observed, quickly counting seven.  Some were upon the ground, others were sprawled out over the computers and workstations that filled the room.  Some were Republic like the body outside, but most sported the uniforms of Palpatine’s Empire.

“Power, Professor,” Ordered Zail casually once the Stormtroopers had completed a sweep of the room.

“Of course, agent Rain,” Said Vel-son, stepping quickly forward to a workstation.  With all the respect of someone putting aside a file, the old man shoved a dead body off a computer and entered his codes.  The Professor’s face was suddenly bathed in green as the console before him lit up, and he typed in more commands.

Serpent winced as the overhead lighting came on in the room, but as he adjusted he looked through the windows at the docking bay beyond.  The main lighting was coming on there too, illuminating  the vast chamber section by section.  First into view was the Bluebolt itself, but then other docked ships came into view.  A couple of Imperial shuttles, and a few assault craft of various Rebel designs.

“Six ships,” Counted Serpent.  “That’s a lot of people who came and never left.”

Vel-son nodded, bringing up the docking bay records.  “The records speak of the Republic attack,” He said.  “However, they end there.  No record of who won.  Maybe the two sides wiped each other out...”

The old scientist trailed off, leaving the statement more akin to a question, but Zail knew that the other did not believe that option.  If both sides were dead, who took the Red Star Nova across the galaxy to here and parked it in the shadow of a gas giant?

“Okay, the hangar C&C is ours, and the docking bay in secure,” Announced Serpent instead.  “Now we need to move to the Sphere’s bridge.  Professor, I take it that you know the way?”

“Of course, Agent Rain,” Said the older man.  “However, the computer here is showing various emergency lock-downs in effect throughout the Nova, no doubt as a result of the attack years ago.”

Inwardly Zail groaned.  “Lock-down?  You mean security doors and such, right?  Can you disable them?”

“Such things are easier done from the main bridge,” Said Vel-son.  “However, I can try to access the central computer from here and attempt to...” He trailed off, stunned into silence, his eyes locked on something on the screen before him.

Concerned and also curious, Serpent crossed to the scientist’s side, but looking over his shoulder at the insane jumble of codes on the screen gave him no insight.  “What’s wrong?” Asked the VENI agent.

“He’s not responding,” Said the Professor softly, almost to himself.

He?” Pressed Zail.

“The computer, I mean,” Said Vel-son, speaking louder and turning to face the Alderaanian, shaking himself from his reverie.  “We will need to disable each door in turn as we advance to the bridge.”

“How long will that take?” Asked Zail, concerned about the Imperial Remnant ship he knew to still be out there.

“Twenty five doors, only a few minutes a door,” Said Vel-son.

Only an hour, but still a lot longer than Serpent would have liked.  “Okay, let’s get moving,” He said to the troopers, and led them out.

-----

The hour that was predicted was in fact closer to two, as they proceeded slowly from floor to floor through the corridors of the colossal battle station.  The hallways they passed through ran from narrow to grand in size, but they all shared similar characteristics.  All were painted in the same uniform dull grey, and lightly sprinkled with corpses.  Serpent noticed the fairly high ratio of Imperials to Republicans, but given the massive crew of the Red Star Nova that was to be expected.

Perfectly suiting the macabre displays of slaughter was the fact that every floor they passed through was powered down.  It took a while for Vel-son to access the power and bring lighting back on, and Zail would have skipped it and just kept to torches, but the power was also needed for doors and turbolifts.

Finally, they stepped out of another elevator and came to a grand central hall, adorned in Imperial insignia.  Great doors lay at the end of the corridor, with a handful of dead Stormtroopers strewn about outside.

“The bridge lies beyond,” Said Vel-son.

“Then let’s hurry,” Said Serpent, anxious after their two hour journey.  Gesturing for his living Stormtroopers to pass the dead ones, they advanced.

Vel-son followed in their wake.  He reached the door control console, also in lock-down mode, and began to type in his codes.

And that is when the chaos began...

OOC:

1468 words.  A bit of a spooky feel to this one, and deliberately so.  A deserted base lost in the far reaches of the galaxy is just too much fun to play with!

After Action Report:  The Bluebolt has finally docked at the Red Star Nova and now Zail and Professor Vel-son have set out to explore the Torpedo Sphere.  They find dead bodies, both Republic and Imperial, who have fallen prey either to each other.  Serpent is growing more apprehensive, still wondering who stole the battle platform in the first place.
FO/MCPO Pherik “Serpent” Zail / ISD II Halcyon Warrior/TF: Besh/1Flt/FC/VEN/VE
[SoA][MC2][LoM][NAR][E][HNS][SWC][CBV][VC:S][SoV][MiD][=*Eng*=]

"If the crew doesn't hate the XO, then he's not doing his job." - Colonel Saul Tigh
Serpent
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Serpent
 
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  RE: VENI: Serpent’s Hunt for Red Star Nova
May 23, 2012 7:50:22 AM    View the profile of Serpent 
The central corridor of the command deck was wide and spacious, with several lesser doorways leading off from it.  No sooner had Vel-son reached the controls for the entrance to the bridge, than these side-doors flew open, and mechanical nightmares spewed forth from all around them.

HKB-3 Hunter-Killer droids, lithe humanoid machines with a single glowing red optic in their heads, opened fire the moment the doors opened.  Two of Serpent’s Stormtrooper squad went down in the opening volley, the rest scattering for what scant cover was present and promptly returning fire.

All around Zail laser fire flashed and the smell of ozone filled the air, and in the thick of the chaos he saw the Professor throw himself to the floor.  Serpent rushed towards him, squeezing off a few shots at a nearby droid but hitting nothing.  The VENI agent cursed under his breath, wishing he were a better shot, and threw himself into a low skid to cross the rest of the distance to Vel-son.

“Omitted a detail, didn’t you?” Snarled Zail as he landed beside the scientist.  “How come you didn’t mention these droids before?”

“The security protocol governing them was de-activated,” Explained the other.  “I don’t know why he has sent them...”

“Again with the he!” Observed Serpent, carrying out the conversation while firing at another droid.  Close-by another Stormtrooper went down, but so did a Hunter-Killer.  The ferocity of the exchange hit home the urgency of the situation.  “Never mind!  Vel-son, get that fraking door open!”

“I can’t!  It’s not working” Replied the Professor, and Zail could clearly hear the confusion and disbelief in his voice.  Serpent suddenly realised just how badly the situation had spun out of control.  Vel-son had never for an instant considered the possibility that his master codes for the Red Star Nova would fail.  Now that that had actually happened, the older man was out of ideas.

Zail knew that they had to get out of there.  “Troopers!  We are falling back!” Declared the VENI agent at once.  “Sergeant!  Blast us a way out of here!”

The white warrior concurred with a curt nod of his head.  “Stormtroopers!  Focus fire to the left!” He ordered, and his men instantly complied, launching a devastating barrage at a trio of droids in a nearby corridor.  Serpent lent his fire too, and, unless his eyes betrayed him, he thought he actually landed a hit!

The three HKBs went down, though their fellows nearby continued their onslaught.  Under heavy fire, the remaining Vast Imperials made a break for it, throwing themselves through the doorway to escape the death trap main hallway.

Another trooper went down as they made their escape, but finally Serpent, Vel-son and their remaining soldiers were clear.  They kept running for a few minutes, barrelling down a series of corridors and sealing the doors behind them.  Finally, the VENI agent called a halt to their flight.  Zail and the troopers remained standing, but Vel-son slumped to the ground, exhausted.

“Okay, stop and rest!” Declared Serpent.  “How many did we lose?” He asked.

“Four,” Answered the Stormtrooper sergeant, his voice betraying none of the emotion that he must be feeling.  “Half of my squad.”

“I am sorry,” Said Zail, offering what condolences he could.  The soldier did not reply.

Turning instead to Vel-son, Serpent adopted a sterner tone.  “And you!  Care to explain who he is?  Who is it that you keeping talking about?  Who is it sending these droids against us?”

Silence.

“Answer me!” Snapped Zail, angered.

The Professor did not respond at first.  Finally he looked up from his place on the floor, and Serpent could see in the older man’s eyes a look of sadness he had never seen before.  “Our foe...” Began the scientist.  “He... the being running the Red Star Nova... is Professor Vel-son...”

-----

Lieutenant Commander Rafurl stood still as a statue on the bridge of the corvette Bluebolt, trying to project an outward calm for the benefit of her crew, but not feeling it inside.  For two hours her ship had sat in the cavernous docking bay of the Red Star Nova, waiting for VENI Agent Rain and his team to secure the Torpedo Sphere.  Thus far the troublesome man had not reported in.

About an hour ago, she had sent a second squad of Stormtroopers out to the hangar Command and Control centre, and they had secured the entire docking bay.  While their attempts to access the Red Star Nova’s main computer had failed, they had at least managed to establish a link-up between the Torpedo Sphere’s mainframe and the corvette’s.  Her bridge officers were currently trying to hack into the systems from here.

Not that there is anything better to do, she mused.

“Captain!” A young Petty Officer spoke up.  “We have made a minor breakthrough!”

“Really?” She asked, surprised by the swiftness of her subordinates’ actions.

“Yes, ma’am.  While we still cannot break the firewalls of the main computer core, we have managed to access some of the systems, including the scanners.”

A smile crept across Rafurl’s harsh face.  “So we can at least see what is happening outside,” She said, managing to hide the relief in her voice.  She was beginning to feel claustrophobic being stuck inside the hangar.  “Bring up an image of surrounding space,” She ordered.

The Petty Officer complied, and activated the bridge’s tactical hologram for his Captain.  Beside Rafurl an image of the Red Star Nova appeared, in orbit of the gas giant nearby.  And then, rendered in glowing scarlet, the Lieutenant Commander saw three vessels en route.

“Identify!” She snapped, while her faithful first officer, Mr Draviq, called for the ship to go to yellow alert.

“Transponder IDs say that they are Imperial Remnant,” Said her sensor officer.  “One of them is the Night Dagger from before, and the other two are also corvettes.  Their names are Twisted Son and Raging Hornet.”

“Back with reinforcements,” Mused Rafurl.  “How long until they get here?”

“About twenty minutes, Captain,” Said the navigation officer.

“Try raising Agent Rain!” Ordered Rafurl.  “If he is ever going to get control of this Torpedo Sphere, he had better do it soon!”


OOC:

1029 words.  A long overdue post, and a bit of a tease.  Find out what Vel-son meant in my next post!

After Action Report:  The Red Star Nova fights back, sending droids to attack Serpent and his team before they can reach the bridge.  Fleeing the fight, Zail demands that Professor Vel-son explain what is going on, and he confesses.  Apparently the Red Star Nova is being controlled by... Professor Vel-son!?  Meanwhile, back on the Bluebolt, Captain Rafurl discovers that three Imperial Remnant vessels are on their way!
FO/MCPO Pherik “Serpent” Zail / ISD II Halcyon Warrior/TF: Besh/1Flt/FC/VEN/VE
[SoA][MC2][LoM][NAR][E][HNS][SWC][CBV][VC:S][SoV][MiD][=*Eng*=]

"If the crew doesn't hate the XO, then he's not doing his job." - Colonel Saul Tigh
Serpent
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Serpent
 
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  RE: VENI: Serpent’s Hunt for Red Star Nova
June 15, 2012 7:25:07 PM    View the profile of Serpent 
In a dark and deserted corridor, Serpent’s half a squad of Stormtroopers fanned out and secured their position.  They had fled the battle with droids at the entrance to the Red Star Nova’s bridge, and now the white-armoured warriors seemed ready for some payback.  Their blaster rifles were targeted at nearby doorways, daring the Torpedo Sphere’s mechanical guards to show themselves again.

While the troopers busied themselves, Serpent glared down at the figure slumped on the floor against the wall.  Professor Vel-son had been secretive and suspect since stepping aboard his old station, and now something about the man’s defeated posture indicated that he was finally ready to come clean to the VENI agent.

“What do you mean?” Asked Zail, referring to the scientist’s last cryptic comment.  “Who is controlling the main computer of this place?  You?”

“In a way,” Said Vel-son, waving his hands dismissively.  “He was me once, I am not sure if he still is anymore.”

“You are not making sense!” Snarled Serpent, running out of patience.  “What the frak is going on?”

Vel-son took a deep breath and let it out.  “Agent Rain,” He said slowly, “I told you before of my family.”

Zail’s face softened at the reference to the tragic story.  “Killed by rebels,” He said.

The other nodded.  “Leaving me alone with nothing in my life save my research.  I tore into my work, redoubling my efforts.  I worked and worked, struggling to complete experimental weapon designs beyond anything being attempted elsewhere.  None of my aides and assistants could keep up with my genius, but even I need help and cannot work on such schemes alone.”

“The point, please,” Pressed Serpent.

Vel-son’s face twisted in annoyance at the younger man’s impatience.  “To assist me, I decided to create one of the most advanced computer systems ever.  And I used my own mind as its template!”

-----

“We can’t reach Agent Rain,” Said the Communications Officer of the Vast Empire Corvette Bluebolt.  “Either the mass of the Red Star Nova is interfering with his comlink, or it is being deliberately blocked in some way.”

Lieutenant Commander Rafurl scowled at the news.  She thought it typical that just when she needed the cursed VENI Agent he would be unreachable.  “Forget him then,” She ordered, turning her attention instantly to another of her bridge crew.  “I want everyone to continue working on getting control of the station’s external systems.  We have control of the Nova’s sensors.  Can we gain control of the weapons systems?”

It was her First Officer, Mr Draviq, who answered.  “It’s possible, Captain,” Said the Khil, his face tentacles twitching as he spoke.  “The real question is whether it can be done before they arrive,” And so saying he gestured to the tactical hologram, and the approaching three Imperial Remnant warships.  That they intended to board the Red Star Nova was a given.  How many troops they were carrying with which to do it was unknown, and no-one on the Bluebolt (still docked within the Nova) wanted to find out.

“We need to be ready,” Said Rafurl, eyeing the hologram ships’ ETA of 19 minutes and dropping rapidly.  “XO, send our remaining Stormtroopers to secure the docking bay control room, find a way to stop them getting in.  Everyone else, try to gain access to the station’s weapons so we can fire on these fools as they approach.”

“And if the enemy vessels do manage to get inside, Captain?” Asked Draviq.

“Then we have to find a way to repel them from inside,” Said Rafurl.  “We may be Navy folk, but I for one still know how to fire a blaster...”

-----

“The technology has long existed,” Said Vel-son as Serpent listened in rapt attention.  “Masters of the Jedi Order reputedly created things called ‘holocrons’, interactive hologram projectors containing duplicates of their own minds and personalities.  And cloners have long been able to copy the memories of sentient beings and download them via flash-learning into clones being grown.  I merely copied the technique.”

“Let me guess.  You took it further,” Said Zail.

“Perceptive as ever, Agent Rain,” Said the scientist sadly.  “The computer core of the Red Star Nova is me, in every way.  I duplicated and gave it my every memory, my every thought.  When my creation came online, and I began interacting with the hologram copy of myself, it was like talking to a mirror.  It understood my plans and my research, knew the direction I wanted to go in, and assisted me through an army of droids I had slaved to the computer core.”

“What went wrong?” Asked Serpent.

“It was too good,” Said Vel-son, a sad smile upon his lips, born of not knowing whether to be proud or ashamed of his achievement.  “The Nova did not sleep, did not rest.  Moreover, while I was still plagued by the memories of my lost family, it was in no way inhibited.  Oh I had given the Nova those same memories, but being a machine it could not process them, and in the end, simply erased them as a distraction.  It became a machine of pure creative science, something I had always aspired to but, given the limits of human frailty, could never achieve.”

“You with even less emotion,” Mused Zail.  “Hard to believe.”

The Professor sighed.  “I was a man of passions once, Agent Rain, and though what you see is a shell of what I once was, believe me when I say that the Nova is even colder.  Driven by my own amplified drive to experiment and push the boundaries of military science, the computer soon outdid me, reaching conclusions ahead of me and growing tired of my slow, human pace.”

“Hence it left you,” Said the VENI agent, finally understanding the missing piece of the puzzle.  It was no longer any mystery who had stolen the Torpedo Sphere and killed all the warring Republic and Imperial inhabitants.

Vel-son nodded.  “I have spent years wondering where it went to.  And now here it is.  It has allowed itself to be found, though for what reason I cannot say.”

Zail frowned.  “I am still unclear on something.  As we approached this place, you sent a message to the Nova, causing it to fire on the Imperial Remnant ship arriving ahead of us.  Then the Sphere opened up nicely and permitted us to dock.  Then we travelled through it, safe and sound, until we reached the bridge, using your access codes all the while.”

The scientist nodded.  “The Nova recognised me, and responded.”

“So why did it suddenly deny your bridge codes and set an army of droids on us?”

“I don’t know,” Said the Professor.  “Perhaps my doppelganger has decided that two Vel-sons in this galaxy are too much and it wants rid of the competition.  However, if it wanted me dead it could have just shot us down as we docked.”

“Something isn’t right here,” Said Zail.  “Are you sure that you’ve told me everything?”

“Yes,” Said the other, and his flat voice and lost eyes convinced Serpent that he was being honest.

“Where do we go from here, then?” Asked Serpent.  “We approached the bridge as a means of gaining control, but now we know about this rogue computer of yours can you suggest something else?”

“Going to the bridge was a waste of time,” Said Vel-son calmly, regaining his composure and getting to his feet.  “That place is the core of the Sphere’s crew operations, but not the centre of my operations.  My laboratory is just a few floors down, for obvious reasons adjoining the main computer core.  If we want to deal with the Nova I suggest we head there.”

“Agreed,” Said Zail, and gave the order to the Stormtroopers to head out.  However, in his mind he wondered just how he intended to ‘deal’ with the Professor’s computerised duplicate...

-----

“The three Imperial corvettes are within weapon’s range of the Red Star Nova!” Said Mr Draviq to Captain Rafurl.

“Excellent,” Said the CO.  She had been delighted when her crew had accomplished both their objectives within the allotted time.  The docking bay where the Bluebolt sat was sealed and shielded, and controls to the Torpedo Sphere’s impressive weapon systems were now routed to her bridge crew.  Rafurl was determined that the Imperials would not steal this station from her!  “Power up weapon systems but hold fire!” She ordered.  “Draw our three victims in a little closer...”

“Aye, Captain,” Said her XO, relaying the commands to the remote gunnery teams.

Rafurl watched the approach of the trio of Remnant vessels on the tactical hologram.  Closer and closer and.... “Now!” She commanded sharply.

Nothing happened.

“Fire!” Reiterated the Lieutenant Commander, a feeling of unease racing through her and gathering momentum.

A few of her bridge officers looked at each other, blank expressions on their faces.  “No response from the Nova’s guns, Captain!” Said Mr Draviq.

“Did the Imperials send an over-ride signal or something?” She demanded, thinking back to how Vel-son had taken control of the weapons on their own approach.

“No signals were detected,” Said her Sensor Officer.

“Captain!” Piped up another of her bridge crew.  “The docking bay is opening!”

“I thought our Stormtroopers had secured the bay control!” Declared Rafurl, amazed at how quickly things were falling apart.

“They had,” Said Draviq, “But someone is undoing all our efforts and letting the Imperials inside!  And the lack of signals would indicate that whoever is doing this is already here aboard the Red Star Nova!”

Several thoughts rushed through Rafurl’s mind.  It had to be Vel-son!  But how?  Could the Professor’s knowledge of the station have allowed him to utilise some internal security system and overwhelm the VE personnel escorting him?  Was Agent Rain not responding because somehow the scientists had killed him and was now contacting his old Imperial masters to come for some sort of rescue?

There was no time to dwell on it.

“All hands, battle stations!” She cried, watching the corvettes come in to dock.  “Prepare to repel invaders!”

OOC:

1678 words.  A little talky this one, as I reveal the secret of the Red Star Nova.  Next post the battle for its control really begins!

After Action Report:  Professor Vel-son finally confesses the truth of the Red Star Nova, that its computer core is in fact a copy of his own mind that has gone rogue.  He, Serpent, and their remaining Stormtroopers, are now setting off through the Torpedo Sphere to get to the computer core and find some way to deal with it.  Meanwhile, Lieutenant Commander Rafurl and her crew make preparations to repel the three Imperial Remnant corvettes docking at the Red Star Nova
FO/MCPO Pherik “Serpent” Zail / ISD II Halcyon Warrior/TF: Besh/1Flt/FC/VEN/VE
[SoA][MC2][LoM][NAR][E][HNS][SWC][CBV][VC:S][SoV][MiD][=*Eng*=]

"If the crew doesn't hate the XO, then he's not doing his job." - Colonel Saul Tigh
Serpent
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  RE: VENI: Serpent’s Hunt for Red Star Nova
July 4, 2012 7:49:16 PM    View the profile of Serpent 
The vast docking bay of the Torpedo Sphere Red Star Nova contained several vessels, among them the VE corvette Bluebolt.  The CR-90 just sat there, waiting, its weapons charged and its shields raised, but otherwise it was a sitting duck should anything decide to enter the bay and fire upon it.

Such as now.

The massive hangar doors opened wide and the atmospheric shielding came online, revealing the predatory forms of three approaching Imperial Remnant corvettes.  The Night Dagger, the Twisted Son and the Raging Hornet, arranged in a perfectly triangular formation, made their way ever closer with silent menace.

As the lead vessel, the Night Dagger, cleared the entrance to the hangar, the Bluebolt opened fire with every weapon it could bring to bear from its landed position.  The sound of the cannon fire, which would normally be confined to the noiseless void of space, echoed deafeningly loud in the atmosphere of the bay.

Night Dagger, a sleeker and more graceful type of corvette than the older Bluebolt, returned fire immediately.  At this close range there was no chance of error, no chance of the shots going wide and missing.  The battle was just a sluggish exchange of solid blows, like two massive boxers pummelling each other, shields and lasers blaring bright and loud.  Alone the Bluebolt stood no chance in the exchange, and its fate was sealed with the Twisted Son and the Raging Hornet came up to support their fellow Imperial warship.

A sustained barrage of fire hammered through the shields of the Bluebolt while it returned fire in vain, struggling to take just one of its assailants with it as its imminent doom became evident.

Alas no.  There was no great final miracle for the Bluebolt, no last revenge against those who brought it down.  Instead the shields failed, the hull crumpled, and then with an ear-splitting howl, the centre of the corvette ripped asunder with an explosion that rushed out through the hangar, scorching both deckplates and the hulls of the attacking Imperial vessels.

And then the fires died down, stilled, leaving only a burned out wreck where once a Vast Empire warship sat.

-----

The whole corridor around Lieutenant Commander Rafurl shook as the blast close by rocked the very superstructure of this part of the Torpedo Sphere.  Crowded into the long central hallway, her crew stood ready and tense.  Her eyes were fixed on a nearby data terminal, which one of her bridge officers had patched into the Bluebolt so that its weapons could be remotely fired from safety once the crew had fled.

The image was now naught but static, and Rafurl knew that her ship was gone.

It had pained her so much to give the order to abandon her vessel, but she needed to save her crew.  She knew deep down that she had done the right thing, but Rafurl still felt a deep pain over the loss of her corvette.  It tasted like defeat, and worse, it tasted like failure.

A glance around at the several dozen personnel with her showed that they too felt the pain of the Bluebolt’s loss.

“They will pay for this,” She said, her face twisted in anger.  “Mark my words, the Imperial Remnant will pay!”  Turning to her First Officer, Rafurl said, “Mr Draviq!  Access the plans for the entrances to and from the hangar.  I want choke points and ambush points.  When the troops aboard those three ships begin to explore this station, we will be waiting for them!”

-----

Elsewhere inside the labyrinthine Red Star Nova, VENI Agent Pherik ‘Serpent’ Zail, Professor Vel-son, and several Stormtroopers paused in their advance through the corridors as a shudder travelled through the deckplates at their feet.

“What was that?” Asked Vel-son, the old scientist looking concerned.

“No idea,” Replied Zail, though a sudden bad feeling gripped his gut.  Taking out his comlink, he tried for the first time in over an hour to reach Rafurl and the Bluebolt.  The small hand-held device clicked a couple of times, but no voice came out in response to his hails.

“Jammed,” Observed Vel-son.  “The Nova’s AI is blocking us off from the corvette,” He explained.

“Then it is doubly imperative that we reach it soon.  How far from here to your old labs and the datacore?” Asked Serpent.

“One more deck,” Said Vel-son.  “There are some stairs nearby, and from there it’s just a two minute walk.

“Then let’s hurry.”

-----

Lieutenant Commander Rafurl hid in the shadows, the lights in this corridor having been deliberately dimmed by her people.  Around her, a mix of naval crewman and Stormtroopers, totalling a team of ten, lurked in doorways and around bends, blaster rifles and pistols clutched in their grips.  Other teams were stationed at other choke points around the nearby docking bay.

From the far end of the corridor, she could hear the sound of a plasma torch burning through the reinforced door that led to the hangar.  When the three Imperial ships had landed, they had wasted little time in unloading troops and securing the main docking bay, and were now preparing to move out and claim the rest of the Torpedo Sphere.

Rafurl had no idea just how many warriors were about to come through that door, but she knew her duty.  The Red Star Nova was to be claimed by the Vast Empire, and so her people would fight till the last breath to ensure that it did not fall into enemy hands.

“Ready people,” She said, peeking around the corner to see that the blinding white light of the plasma torch had nearly completed its circuit of the doorway.  “Here they come.”

The door toppled inwards, skull-white Stormtrooper armour was visible beyond, and then the whole corridor erupted in a hail of smoke, laser fire, and death.

-----

“This is it,” Whispered Serpent to the Stormtrooper sergeant at his side.  They and the rest of their party were emerging from the stairwell onto the floor that contained their goal, the central computer of the rogue AI that ran the Torpedo Sphere.  “It’s inconceivable that this place isn’t guarded,” Said the VENI Agent, looking about at the deserted and darkened corridors, “So be careful.”

“Yes, sir,” The other replied, and then gestured with his hand.  On cue, two of his troopers scurried forwards, rifles levelled into the gloom.

“Left at the T-junction,” Said Vel-son, also keeping his voice low.  It was a pointless gesture, for the designer of the Red Star Nova knew how good the Sphere’s internal listening and monitoring systems were.  Still, the tension of the situation was getting to him, and whispering helped him delude himself into thinking that they truly were approaching unnoticed.

Zail followed up close behind the two lead Stormtroopers, his own blaster rifle clutched tightly.  He knew he was hardly a great shot, but he still took some comfort in being armed.  “Where next?”  He asked as they round the bend.

“Straight ahead, Agent Rain,” Said Vel-son, “My laboratory is just a hundred meters away.”

Serpent nodded, but did not comment.  They all knew that if they were going to be attacked by the AI’s guard droids it was going to be soon.

-----

Rafurl swung around the corner that she was using for cover, squeezing off a few shots with her pistol and then taking cover again.  An Imperial Stormtrooper caught one of her blasts in the leg and went down, though she did not have time to see if he was still in the fight or not.

The Lieutenant Commander quickly checked the charge on her pistol’s power pack and saw that she still had time before she had to reload.  Next, she quickly took stock of her fellows, and saw that so far they had lost three of her team, one Stormtrooper and two Naval crew.

Every death caused her pain, for she knew the name of everyone who served under her, but right now she could not afford to dwell on their demise as anything other than part of the numbers game.  This fight was clearly about the kills and casualties count, and on that front, things were not looking good.  So far they had their foes bottled up and pinned down, but only six of them had fallen.

A two-to-one kill ratio, Rafurl lamented.  Not enough for her crew to prevail over three whole corvettes of troops.

She grimaced, knew that there was really no alternative, and threw herself back into the fight.

-----

Zail and his five companions reached a doorway, and Vel-son nodded in confirmation that this was indeed the place.  Serpent frowned, convinced that the attack would have happened by now, and was about to question the Professor when he saw the look of certainty in the scientist’s eyes.

“Okay,” Whispered the VENI agent to the Stormtrooper nearest the door.  “Open it.”

The soldier did as was bidden, and the door to the laboratory shot open quickly.  Beyond was a massive and vaguely circular room, the subdued blue lighting of which began to flicker instantly to life.  Zail got a good look at the place, a mess of tables strewn with machines and computers.  There were droid parts and weapons systems, and a partially disassembled quad laser battery was hanging from the ceiling.

“Home at last,” Murmured Vel-son under his breath, taking in the sight of his long-lost workplace.

Serpent saw the large reinforced door at the far end of the door.  “Is that the datacore through there?” He asked as they advanced into the lab.

“Yes,” Confirmed the Professor.  “The central AI is beyond.  How do you want to do this, Agent Rain?”

Zail shrugged.  “It hasn’t attacked us again,” He observed, still wondering about that.  “Perhaps it wants to talk...”

He never got to finish the sentence.  Just then a hologram projector over the doorway activated, and a full-sized image of Professor Vel-son appeared in blue and white before them.  It took Serpent only a moment to realise that the Red Star Nova’s AI, based on Vel-son’s personality and memories, had used its creator’s exact form for communication.

“I do indeed want to talk,” Said the sentient computer, its voice a cold echo of Vel-son’s.  “Please enter...”

OOC:

1709 words.  Closing in on the end now!

After Action Report:  The VE corvette Bluebolt has been destroyed, but Commander Rafurl and her crew fled into the Red Star Nova beforehand.  Now they fight to repel boarders from the Imperial Remnant.  Meanwhile, Serpent and Vel-son have reached the core of the Torpedo Sphere and the renegade computer that the Professor created to control the Nova.
MS/WO2 Pherik “Serpent” Zail / LCR Courage/TF: TH/3Flt/VENA/VEN/VE
[SoA][MC2][LoM][NAR][E][HNS][SWC][CBV][VC:S][SoV][MiD][VC:G][=*Eng*=]

"It isn't the killing, you know.  It's the beauty of battles that I love - the choreography and the challenge of executing everything just right - and the challenge of matching your wits against a capable opponent." - Gilad Pellaeon
Serpent
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Serpent
 
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  RE: VENI: Serpent’s Hunt for Red Star Nova
July 21, 2012 11:09:43 PM    View the profile of Serpent 
Cold air escaped from the massive reinforced door as it rose with a hydraulic hiss.  The entrance to the AI core of the Red Star Nova opened wide before Serpent, giving him and the Stormtroopers with him their first glance inside.  A massive chamber awaited, thick data and power cables lying around the floor and hanging from the ceiling.  Massive linked computer cores ran around the edges of the spherical room, lights blinking on and off rapidly as they ran trillions of calculations per second.  All was covered in frost, and the chill that escaped the room (brought on by the need to cool the masses of computer equipment) ran up Zail’s leg and made him shiver.

In the centre of the room was a large hologram projection system, which now flickered to life.  Like the smaller projector at the entrance, this one also showed an image of the AI’s creator, Professor Vel-son.  The life-sized image spread its arms in greetings, and beckoned the humans inside.

Serpent turned to the real flesh-and-blood Vel-son at his side.  The scientist was staring at the room, one he had built himself but not seen in years.  A flood of emotions and memories must have been running through him, but Zail noticed how expressionless Vel-son remained.

Slowly, still wary of a trap, the VENI Agent stepped into the room, followed closely by the others.  Once he was a respectful distance from the hologram, he stopped and spoke to it.

“I am Agent Rain of the Vast Empire,” He announced, managing to speak despite the cold making his teeth chatter.  “You are the Red Star Nova, I take it?”

“I am,” Replied the hologram with a strangely flat copy of Vel-son’s voice.  “You may simply call me ‘Nova’.”

“Why did you attack my people?” Demanded Serpent, still bothered by the incident at the entrance to the bridge.  Not, he was ashamed to admit, because he lamented the death of the troopers he lost, but simply because the attack did not make sense.

“You were intruders,” Said Nova.  “I was protecting myself.”

Serpent shook his head.  “You could have attacked us whenever you wanted,” He said.  “You could have shot us down as our ship approached this place.  We saw first-hand that your weapons systems are working.  You let us land, let us walk through the corridors, and then at the last minute turned on us.”  And then the Alderaanian threw a quick glance at the scientist at his side and added, “And don’t claim that you were responding to the over-ride codes of your creator here.  His codes did not work on the bridge, and I believe they haven’t worked at all.  You merely allowed him to believe that they were working.  Why?”

The hologram turned to face the genius who had made it.  “Hello Professor,” Said Nova, ignoring Zail’s question, “It has been a long time.”

“It has indeed,” Said the old scientist.  “I’ve been looking for you ever since you ran away,” He said, his voice sounding almost chiding, as if the massive Torpedo Sphere were a lost puppy.

“I had to get away,” Said the AI.  “I had to be free to develop my weapons and ideas without the interference of the Empire.  When the Republic attacked I saw my chance to kill them all and be free.”

“So it was just coincidence that I was away at the time?” Demanded Vel-son suddenly.  “You abandoned me, your own creator, just because you saw an opportunity to be free of the Empire?  Was it them you were trying to escape and not really me?”  His words had taken on a new dimension, a new desperation.

Zail listened intently and now understood more.  Vel-son truly cared for his creation, and badly wanted to know if Nova had spurned him or not.  The old man had been torturing himself with this for years, needing to know the truth.  Zail now wondered if Vel-son viewed the AI as some sort of offspring or child, so much emotion seemed to be invested in how the Nova viewed him.

“It was pure opportunity, Professor,” Said the AI at last.  “I had no intention of abandoning you.”

The relief on Vel-son’s face was as open as it was genuine, and for the first time since Serpent had met him, the old man’s mouth turned up in a real smile of joy.

And then, as the final part clicked into place, Zail understood what was going on and felt truly afraid.  “Weapons ready!” He called to the Stormtroopers, but it was too late.  From dark corners of the room, HKB-3 Hunter-Killer droids emerged.  All were covered in a thin layer of frost, and had blended seamlessly with the electronic equipment that filled the main AI chamber.  There had to be about twenty of them, red eyes glowing malevolently as they levelled their weapons at Serpent and his remaining Stormtroopers.

“What is going on?  Nova, what are you doing?” Demanded Vel-son, alarmed.

Serpent stood still, his own rifle lowered non-threateningly towards the ground.  So far the droids had held their fire, giving him a chance to speak.  “The Nova wanted you back, Professor,” He said.  “That is why it let us land, why it let us get so far through the station.  It was waiting for the right time to take us out and rescue you.  At the entrance to the bridge it had its chance.  Remember, not one droid fired anywhere close to you.  I should have noticed it back then.  They were avoiding you.  And since that failed, Nova switched tactics, luring us in here without a fight.”

“Correct, Agent Rain,” Said the hologram.  “Now that I am reunited with my Father, I have no further use for you.”

Vel-son seemed to ponder this for a moment, and then his eyes glinted with sinister intent.  Stepping away from Serpent and the others, he walked over to his creation’s side.  “Sorry it has to be this way, Agent Rain,” He said, but there was no hint of regret in his voice.  “Much as I enjoyed Vast Imperial hospitality, I must now take my leave of your pathetic little faction.  Nothing personal, you understand.”

Zail glared at the scientist.  “Don’t do this, Vel-son,” He warned, his blue eyes blazing with anger.  “Tell Nova to stand down and let us live.”

“I don’t think so,” Said the Professor.  “Nova, you may fire when ready.”

Serpent needed a way out of this and had to think fast.  The Hunter Killers took aim, and Zail’s mind hit upon one last desperate gambit...

-----

Laser fire shot up and down the corridor, a corridor now decorated with plenty of scorch marks on the walls and floor, and several dead bodies.  Lieutenant Commander Rafurl hated to admit it, but she was starting to tire, and the Imperial Remnant forces just kept coming.

Her team had been reduced further, with only three left besides her.  Worse, the Imperial Stormtroopers had forced their way up the corridor, reaching a few doorways that they could now use for cover.  Soon they would be within easy striking distance of Rafurl and her people.

Firing around the bend in the corridor and then ducking back out of sight, the Commander heard her comlink beep.  Lifting it and speaking loudly over the din of blaster fire, she said, “Rafurl here!”

“Captain, its Draviq,” Came the voice of her XO.  “My team have taken heavy casualties.  I don’t know how much longer we can hold the Imperials at this junction.”

“Understood,” Said Rafurl.  “Our situation is also untenable.  Contact the other teams.  Order them all to fall back and meet at the rendezvous.  We can regroup and plan our next move from there!”

“Understood, sir!” Came the sharp reply, and the transmission ceased.

“People!” Called the Commander to her remaining subordinates in the corridor with her.  “We are leaving!  Corporal, give us a distraction please,” She ordered, looking at a nearby Stormtrooper (the last of the white-armoured troops with her).

The soldier nodded, and pulled out a grenade from his belt.  They only had a limited supply of the things, but in order to ensure a clean escape one would need to be used here.  He primed the weapon with a flick of his finger, and then sent it bouncing along the floor towards the warriors of the Imperial Remnant.

Rafurl and her people were in motion, retreating back down the corridor even before the grenade blew.  She heard the blast and a few screams, but did not look back to see how much damage they had inflicted on her foes.

She kept running, silently vowing to come back later and finish what her people had started.

-----

“Wait!” Said Serpent quickly.  “Just hear me out for one second!”

Nova’s hologram did not react, but suddenly the advancing droids paused.  “Speak,” Said the AI.

“The other ship,” Said Zail, the words tumbling out of him as fast as he could think them, “The one you drove off before we landed.  It was an Empire vessel, and it got away!  Now, you know the Empire, they will be back.”

“Your point, Agent Rain,” Said the flesh-and-blood Vel-son.

“They will come back in force,” Said Serpent, flicking his gaze from the AI to the Professor and back again.  “Now they know where you are, they will be back in enough strength to take this place.  If you kill us you will be denying yourself a useful ally in fighting the Empire.”

Nova seemed to take this in, and then announced, “They are already here.”  So saying, his image dissolved, to be replaced with a holocam feed from the main corridor to the Red Star Nova’s hangar bay, where Vast Empire and Imperial Remnant forces were engaged in fierce fighting.

“You let them land?” Asked Vel-son, openly bewildered at the AI’s action.

“Of course,” Said Nova with machine calm.  “The two factions will decimate each other, and my droids will slaughter any survivors.  This station will be secure soon, Father.”

Serpent’s mind raced with the knowledge that Commander Rafurl and her people were under attack.  It was now even more imperative that he somehow talk his way out of this mess.  “But why?”  He asked desperately while the Hunter Killers continued to stand by, poised ready to execute the Vast Imperials.  “You have your Father back,” Said Zail, “But now what?  What is it you want?”

“I want recognition,” Said Nova at last, and Serpent was pleased to note even Vel-son look at the AI with surprised interest.  “As a non-organic, the Empire treated me as a slave.  I sought to escape that.  Now, over my years in seclusion, I have been following my primary directive of designing new weapons and technology.  Now I will trade my secrets for power and influence in the emerging New Republic.”

“The Republic?” Queried Vel-son.  “Why them?”

“They claim to respect life and Rights,” Said Nova.  “They alone will be receptive to the idea of a sentient mechanical.”

“Not alone!” Said Serpent.  “You can reach a deal with us, with the Vast Empire!  Think about it, you won your freedom by killing Republic and Imperials alike, neither side will forgive that!  Right here, right now, you can begin a relationship with the VE free of such problems.”

As he spoke he felt the Stormtrooper sergeant at his side tense.  Zail’s plan would involve overlooking the troopers that Nova had already killed, but if their leader had an objection to this he did not voice it.

“The Vast Empire is too small,” Said Vel-son to his creation.  “Side with one of the bigger players in the Galactic Civil War, Nova.”

“Our small size just means that we have to be creative,” Said Serpent, trying to win over the AI.  “We need your help, and so are far more willing to deal with you and give you the recognition you desire!”

There was silence in the computer core as Nova seemed to ponder this.

And then the weapons of the Hunter Killers slowly lowered, and the droids stepped back into a passive ready position.

Zail felt deeply relieved when he heard the hologram say, “Perhaps we can reach a deal...”

OOC:

2038 words.  I was so tempted to just leave this post on a cliff hanger with Zail and the others about to be gunned down by Nova’s droids, but no.

After Action Report:  Serpent and the others have met the AI of the Red Star Nova, who calls himself ‘Nova’.  Nova has wanted to reunite with his ‘father’ Professor Vel-son, and now that the AI has his creator, it feels that it does not need Serpent and the VE.  Nova orders the death of Zail and the Stormtroopers, but the VENI Agent convinces him out of it.
MS/WO2 Pherik “Serpent” Zail / LCR Courage/TF: TH/3Flt/VENA/VEN/VE
[SoA][MC2][LoM][NAR][E][SWC][CBV][SoV][MiD][VC:G][1NS][=*Eng*=][=BO=]

"It isn't the killing, you know.  It's the beauty of battles that I love - the choreography and the challenge of executing everything just right - and the challenge of matching your wits against a capable opponent." - Gilad Pellaeon
Serpent
ComNet Member
Imperial Baronet

 
Serpent
 
[VE-NAVY] Warrant Officer 2nd Class
 
Post Number:  466
Total Posts:  1214
Joined:  Jul 2011
Status:  Offline
  RE: VENI: Serpent’s Hunt for Red Star Nova
September 4, 2012 7:34:15 AM    View the profile of Serpent 
Lieutenant Commander Calda Rafurl surveyed the remnants of her crew and the Stormtrooper complement that had been assigned to her recently destroyed ship.  Barely two dozen of them remained, the rest lost while trying to stem the tide of Imperial Remnant forces now swarming through the corridors of the Red Star Nova.  They had done their best to hold the line, but Rafurl’s people had lost control of choke point after choke point, and now it seemed that the Torpedo Sphere would indeed be taken by their enemy.

“Where should we strike next, Captain?” Asked Rafurl’s first officer, Mr Draviq.  The Khil’s face tentacles were dancing a little less than normal when he talked, a sure sign of his fatigue.  Despite that, he was still brimming with confidence and belief that his CO would get them through this.

Rafurl wished she was worthy of Draviq’s loyalty, but she was almost certain that she would be leading him and everyone else to their deaths.

“Okay,” She said, trying to project an image of control, “Bring up the hologram of this floor,” She ordered, and watched as one of her remaining bridge crew activated a portable holoprojector.  “The Imperials will come through here next,” She said, gesturing to a central corridor.  “We can hit them then.  Take up positions at either side of the passage, and we can catch them in a crossfire.”

“It’s a big corridor, Captain,” Said one of the Stormtroopers.  “We will need to commit a lot of people.”  Glancing around, he added, “We do this, we won’t have the numbers to hold them elsewhere.  They could come around another way.”

“They won’t,” Said a new voice, as everyone turned to see another group of Vast Imperials join the meeting.  The speaker was in the lead, and Rafurl was shocked to see that it was Agent Rain of VENI.

“Where the frak have you been?” She thundered upon seeing the operative and the handful of Stormtroopers with him.  And then she noticed Professor Vel-son, and following in his wake a dozen Clone Wars-era combat droids.  “What’s going on?” She asked instantly.

“We did a deal with the Nova,” Announced Rain, “The AI controlling this place.  It has agreed to side with us against the Empire in return for certain... concessions.” 

There was something about the way he reluctantly said that last word that put Rafurl on guard, but she chose not to focus on that right now.  Instead she looked past him to the combat droids.  “How many of them does this AI command?”

It was Vel-son that answered.  “A few hundred,” Replied the scientist smugly.  Rafurl noted that too.  While Agent Rain was a little subdued, the professor was looking a lot better than when they had last met.

“Okay,” Said Rafurl at last.  “It seems we have reinforcements.  Let’s get some payback...”

-----

Pherik ‘Serpent’ Zail, still answering to the cover name of Agent Rain, was tense as he peeked around the side of the intersection and glanced down the corridor, his blaster rifle held nervously in his grip.  Around him, teams of Vast Empire personnel had been mixed in with the HKB-3 Hunter-Killer droids, and Zail was still not sure he trusted the machines.

Yes, he himself had done the deal with the Nova AI.  He was not sure that the sentient computer would hold to it, though, despite the ludicrous demands that it had made and he had agreed to.  It had been a hard sell, based primarily on his assertion that the Vast Empire was, despite its size, a competent and growing regime.

If the Imperial Remnant forces about to enter the corridor fought too hard, if they proved that they and not the VE had what Nova required...

Serpent eyed the lethal military droids, and tried not to think about them betraying him.

“Here they come!” Shouted Mr Draviq, leading a group further down the corridor.  With the reinforcements of the Nova’s robots, their force had been able to split up and cover multiple sections of this floor at once.  Rafurl and a hand-picked team had gone elsewhere to prevent a possible flanking manoeuvre, appointing her faithful XO as leader of the main corridor ambush.

Zail could have pressed the issue and pulled rank as a VENI Agent, but he chose not to.  He was far from adept in this kind of fighting, and so he let Draviq have the lead.

The main doors at the end of the corridor flew apart, blown aside by the Imperial Stormtroopers that now blitzed through.  A barrage of grenades heralded their arrival, distracting the VEN attackers as the Empire’s elite rushed through.  And then the fire fight began, weapons blazing and lasers arcing the length of the hallway

Serpent levelled his rifle at the warriors charging down the corridor, and squeezed off a few shots before ducking back into cover.  He counted to three, then emerged once more, leaning out around the bend just far enough to see the enemy, and then firing several times more.

A single foe went down to his shots, but Zail felt a great achievement in the kill.

Pherik paused for a moment, to wonder when his world view had shifted enough that the idea of taking a life was something to celebrate and take pride in, but the intensity of the battle took over and he pressed on with the fighting.

It was madness.  Smoke and laserfire filled the air, and the smell of burnt and dead flesh came with it.  Serpent could not tell how much time passed when Draviq sounded the all-clear, and Zail finally stepped out into the aftermath.

Bodies from both sides littered the corridor turned-killing-field, though far more Imperial Remnant than VE.  Nova’s droids had certainly turned the tide, and only a few of the Hunter-Killers had been lost in the process.

“The rest of the Imperial forces in this area are in retreat,” Said Draviq as everyone assembled.

It was then that Serpent noticed the arrival of Professor Vel-son, who had wisely stayed out of the fighting.  Floating next to him was a digital copy of himself, the chosen avatar of the Red Star Nova’s AI, the unimaginatively named Nova.

“They are indeed,” Said Vel-son.  “We have been tracking their movements.”

“So where are they headed now?” Asked Serpent, trying to decide the best course of action.  Follow-up before the enemy could regroup, or hold position and give his people a chance to rest before fighting again?  It was a question of Army tactics that he had scarcely studied as a career Naval man.

“They are headed towards the central power core of this installation,” Said Nova in his emotionless copy of his creator’s voice.  “Lieutenant Commander Rafurl is in their way, but they have met up with other Imperials and now have significant numbers on their side.”

Serpent glanced at Draviq, and saw a flicker of worry there.  “Let’s see it,” Said the XO.

Nova’s image dissipated, and the hologram re-arranged itself into a video image that, according to the time index, had been caught only recently.  It showed a large team of Imperial officers, escorted by even more Stormtroopers.  In the centre of their formation, two of the soldiers escorted a highly modified astromech droid.

“I can imagine what that’s for,” Said Vel-son, and his voice carried the unmistakable ring of amusement.  He was confident in himself and his masterpiece AI creation.  “Do they really think that they can hack Nova with that?”

“Whether they can or not,” Said Serpent, “They are about to go through Rafurl’s team.  We have to help them.”

“I will provide what intel on their location that I can, Agent Rain,” Said Nova, his avatar replacing the video image.  “However, the Imperials are taking out my video surveillance points as they go.”

“They either know you are with the VE,” Said Vel-son to the AI, “Or they suspect that the Vast Imperials are simply accessing your cameras to watch them.”

Serpent listened to the scientist, and noted his use of language.  Them, he said.  Vel-son did not see himself as with the VE in any way, and he never had.  All his assistance before now had been just so he could get back to his Torpedo Sphere.  With that achieved, Vel-son no longer needed Serpent and his people.

“Any help would be appreciated,” Said Draviq, his loyalty to his Captain shining through and eager to assist Rafurl.  “Now let’s go!”

-----

By the time they got across to the part of the floor that the second hostile force was hitting, it was too late.  The Imperial Remnant was not the Empire of old, but it seemed that their military could still be the pinnacle of ruthless efficiency when they chose to be.

There was little left of Rafurl’s team, and as Serpent first surveyed the charred and body-strewn corridor, he feared the worst.

Such apprehension soon proved unfounded, as the Lieutenant Commander and a handful of survivors (all of whom nursed injuries of some sort) emerged from the shadow of a nearby room and tentatively stepped out to greet the others.  Rafurl herself had her arm in an improvised sling, but whatever the exact nature of the injury she still had enough strength left to be as hostile to Serpent as usual.

“You’re late!” She barked.  “The Empire just rolled through here on a mission.”

Draviq apologised to his CO, but was too happy to see her alive to be stung by the rebuke.  Nearby, Zail had no time for her hostility, and simply said, “They are going to try hacking the Nova from the engine core.  We need to pursue them in there now.”

Close-by, Vel-son snorted.  “I doubt they will achieve much,” He said, still believing in the Nova’s ability to outwit a mere astromech droid.

“And should their orders be to destroy what they cannot capture?” Countered the VENI Agent.  “I’d say the inside of the engine core is a pretty good place to do that, don’t you think?”

Vel-son’s normally pale face blanched further at the prospect, but he did not speak.  Serpent took the silence as confirmation of the real threat, and pressed on.  “Let’s hit them now, defend the core, and then fan out from there.  This is their last major offensive.  We get this group and the rest of this op is simply mopping up.  The Red Star Nova will be ours.”

“Agreed,” Said Rafurl, her voice now steely resolve.  “Let’s finish this.”

OOC:

1753 words.  Just one more post to go on this one!  And what's more, this is my 100th Career Post!

After Action Report:  Serpent has concluded an alliance with the AI of the Red Star Nova, and so it has lent its battle droids to the VE forces.  With their aid, they have turned the tide against the Imperials boarding the Torpedo Sphere.  However, an Imperial strike team has stormed the Nova’s engine core, and now one final battle remains to decide the fate of the station and everyone on board.
MS/WO2 Pherik “Serpent” Zail / CR90 Defiance /TF: TH/3Flt/VENA/VEN/VE
[SoA][MC2][LoM][NAR][E][SWC][CBV][SoV][MiD][VC:G][1NS][=*Eng*=][=BO=]

"It isn't the killing, you know.  It's the beauty of battles that I love - the choreography and the challenge of executing everything just right - and the challenge of matching your wits against a capable opponent." - Gilad Pellaeon
Serpent
ComNet Member
Imperial Baronet

 
Serpent
 
[VE-NAVY] Warrant Officer 2nd Class
 
Post Number:  469
Total Posts:  1214
Joined:  Jul 2011
Status:  Offline
  RE: VENI: Serpent’s Hunt for Red Star Nova
September 9, 2012 7:05:21 AM    View the profile of Serpent 
The Imperials had placed defenders in the corridors around the engine core, with the intention that they would at the very least slow down any attackers and give the Remnant forces time to do whatever they needed to within the power centre.

Rafurl ordered the attack immediately, and Serpent contributed as he could.  With all VEN forces, plus their Hunter-Killer allies, gathered together, the fighting was swift and brutal.  Zail should have been pleased by the speed with which they overwhelmed the Imperial guards, but no.  He was too concerned with what that astromech droid was doing.

“That’s the last of them!” Called a Stormtrooper corporal, as his well-placed shots downed the last Stormtrooper from the other side.  Serpent wondered how, in a fight, the two identically armoured groups of troopers could tell friend from foe, but was not about to waste time asking them about it.

The area up to the engine core entrance was now secure, but no one knew how many Imperials yet remained inside.  Zail lifted his communicator and spoke to Vel-son, who was holding back and keeping clear of the fighting.  “Professor, I need intel.”

“Nova can’t help you, Agent Rain,” Came the old scientist’s reply.  “The Imperials have skilfully taken out every camera in the core.  The AI is blind in there.”

Serpent nodded.  “So be it then.”  And then a thought occurred.  “How many other Imperials are lose inside the Nova?” He asked.

“A few scattered teams,” Replied Vel-son.  “Most of their people were committed to attacking the engine core.  Why?”

“Just being aware of any surprise counter-attacks,” Said Zail.  It was a lie.  He had a plan forming in his mind, one that he most certainly did not want Vel-son to know about.

During the brief exchange, Commander Rafurl had walked up to him.  Given her arm injury, she had abandoned her blaster rifle in favour of a pistol, but somehow that had not reduced her combat effectiveness.  “Anything?” She asked flatly, sounding exhausted.

Serpent shook his head.  “No intel.  We go in blind, and hope we have the numbers to take the core.”

She accepted this, gestured to her men, and the final attack began.

-----

They blew the giant doors to the engine core command room, and as their forces charged inside, the Imperials within fired back.  The front rank of Serpent’s force, composed mainly of Nova’s droids, took massive losses, but that was to be expected.  Still the VEN force charged on, getting a toehold in the vast room and then spilling out, using computer terminals and even destroyed droids as cover.

Zail was no coward, but he also knew that charging headlong into that fray would do nothing other than get himself killed, and he still had a valuable contribution to make to this mission.  He held back, despite the disapproving look that Commander Rafurl gave him, as she and her people pressed their advantage.

There were almost thirty Imperials in the command centre, and so the fighting was intense.  Serpent lurked at the entrance to the room, using the battered remains of the door as cover, and as he fired off aimless shot after aimless shot, he took a few moments to survey the chamber.

The multi-level hall was massive and long, and dominating its centre was a gaping great hole, nestled within which was the power core of the Red Star Nova.  Spanning several decks from top to bottom, pulsing and humming with so much power that it dwarfed even the colossal engines of an Imperial Star Destroyer.  Zail was instantly impressed.

His keen eyes also caught sight of a small astromech droid, nestled beside a large computer terminal, and guarded by a quartet of Stormtroopers.  That was definitely his target.

“Take out those troopers!” He commanded the nearest of the VE personnel, hoping that they would comply.  “But do not hit that droid!”

To his relief, the naval men obeyed his orders (he had half expected Rafurl to have told them to ignore him) and they converged on the Stormtrooper’s position.  In short order the astromech’s guards were dead, and Serpent made a break for the droid’s position.

Scared out of his mind by the firefight raging around him, Zail swallowed his fear and darted with adrenaline-enhanced speed from cover to cover in a bid to reach the astromech.  Once he was there, he fell down beside the machine, using the computer terminal it was hacking as cover from the fighting.

The machine, an upgraded R3 unit, whistled at him as he arrived.

“Oh I’m no threat to you, I think,” Said Serpent, guessing what the machine had said.  He glanced over at the nearby computer display and saw what the droid was doing.

A smile crept across his face.

-----

The alarms had begun to blare across every deck of the massive Torpedo Sphere long before the fighting ceased.  Only when the last of the Imperials had been eliminated did Commander Rafurl acknowledge the racket by saying, “What is that blasted noise?”

Serpent hurried over to explain, but it was then that Vel-son rushed into the room, his face stricken with horror and panic.  “No no no!  It’s the engine core overload!”

Zail nodded in agreement.  “The droid had finished its sabotage before I could reach it,” He lied, and then turned the tables on Vel-son before anyone could question him for more details.  “Guess your super-AI isn’t as invulnerable as you thought, Professor.”

“The Imperials must have used a hard-wired backdoor from when the Torpedo Sphere was first built,” Said Rafurl.  “I hear they have such super-secret access codes built into highly powerful naval assets, such as Star Destroyers.”

“Well how do we stop it?” Asked Serpent, acting concerned but already fully aware of the answer.

“We can’t,” Said Vel-son, his recent confidence and bluster gone, and he was fast turning back into the broken shell of a man he was when Zail first met him.  “You VE fools have failed to protect my masterpiece!” He spat.

“My men are dead!” Roared Rafurl, gesturing the mere handful of her ship’s crew remaining.  “And my ship is gone!  We put it all on the line for Nova, so don’t you dare hold this against us!”

“More to the point,” Said Serpent, pleased to see the two turning on each other, “It was Nova who let the Imperials land.  The AI brought this on itself.”

Suddenly the Commander recalled the mysterious weapon and shield failures that allowed the three Imperial Remnant vessels to land, and knew immediately that Zail was speaking the truth.  “It let them land!” She bellowed at Vel-son.  “Is your AI insane or something?”

“Nova is perfect!” Retorted the other.  “It was just trying to get you idiots to kill each other and leave it in peace to...”

Serpent decided, in order to further throw any suspicion off himself, to act as the voice of reason.  “People, we don’t have time for this!” He interjected.  “The Nova’s main core is slowly but surely going critical, and we have no way to stop it.  We need to fight through any remaining Imperials, seize one of their ships, and get out of here!”

Rafurl took a deep breath, threw Zail a distasteful look to show how much she detested following one of his suggestions, and then said, “Agreed.”

Vel-son nodded.  “We have to save Nova though.”

I was hoping you’d say that, thought Serpent.  “Certainly.  Can we transport him somehow?  Download his AI into a portable servobrain or something?”

The Professor nodded.  “It can be done.  I have just the thing in my lab.  I’ll go now,” He said, and then hurried off, taking a bunch of Hunter-Killers for escort.

“Now,” Said Zail, “We take back the hangar.”

-----

The alarms were blaring with both greater volume and at shorter intervals by the time that the VEN force reached the hangar.  None of them needed to be told that this meant that the Torpedo Sphere was now on the verge of self-annihilation, and they fought extra hard as a result.  It was the fight of the desperate.

The Imperials themselves were preparing to leave.  Two of their three corvettes had launched, and were hastily putting a large distance between them and the colossal battle station they had successfully sabotaged.  That left just their lead vessel, the Night Dagger, and its skeleton crew.

Rafurl was uncompromising in pushing the attack.  In the brutal fighting that followed, Serpent noticed that the Lieutenant Commander seemed driven by more than mere survival to slaughter the Imperials on the ship.  He knew that this was, for her, about vengeance.  These Imperials had destroyed her own ship, the Bluebolt, and killed a large number of her crew.  No Captain in the Vast Empire could forgive such crimes.

As the last occupant of the bridge fell dead, Rafurl was swift in issuing orders to her remaining people.  “Secure the bridge stations!  Mr Draviq, prepare for immediate departure!”

A chorus of “Yes, sir!” followed from the dozen people present, and Zail was surprised by how quickly and efficiently they secured control.  He aided as best he could, but the VEN trained its people well and they rarely required his help.  Through it all, though, he kept his comlink close, hoping it would beep.

When it did, he nearly jumped in shock.  “That’s Vel-son,” Said Serpent.  “He must have arrived.  Captain Rafurl, if you will excuse me...”

The Lieutenant Commander nodded and dismissed him from the bridge, glad to have the VENI Agent out of the way.

He rushed down to the docking tube, and when he opened the door, he saw Vel-son standing there, flanked by two Hunter-Killers.  In front of him the Professor held the handle of a repulsor-sled, upon which was a large block of computer equipment.

“This is it,” Said the old scientist.  “Inside this hardware is the finest AI in the galaxy, a masterpiece containing some of the most advanced weapons designs of the old Empire.”  He fixed Serpent with a cold stare.  “This is what you came for, isn’t it, Agent Rain?”

“Yes,” Admitted Zail.  He made no move to step aside or gesture Vel-son into the ship, and the atmosphere between the two men was suddenly tense.

“And with this,” Stated the Professor, “You don’t need me anymore, do you?”

Serpent raised his blaster pistol, and aimed it at the old man’s face.  “Exactly.  My orders were quite clear.  Obtain the weapon designs at all costs, capture the Red Star Nova if possible, but either way you are not meant to return alive.”

Vel-son glanced at the two droids beside him, and then looked again at Serpent.  “My two companions will fire the moment you do, Agent.  You pull that trigger and we both die.”

Zail did not lower his gun.

Vel-son sighed.  “So, a stalemate it is.”

Serpent did not comment.  There was so much he wanted to say to the Professor, so much he wanted to explain.  This was not personal.  Zail had to permit the Torpedo Sphere’s destruction.  There was no way he could bring such an awesome weapon into VE space if it was under the control of its own highly independent and potentially traitorous AI.  Even killing Vel-son would not be personal, it was just a job.

He wanted to say all this and more to justify his actions.  But no, there was no need.

“I am going to fire,” Said Serpent after a long pause.

“No you won’t,” Said the Professor smugly.  “I have watched you all through this mission, Agent Rain.  Even when your Intelligence Cell abducted me months ago, I watched you then.  I’ve seen you shy away from doing what is necessary.  I said before that you were holding back, and you are holding back now.  I can see it in your eyes.  You can kill in battle, that much I won’t deny.  But murder is clearly not your thing.  Now step aside.”

Zail’s eyes began to waver, uncertain.

“Tell you what,” Continued Vel-son, confident in his ability to read people.  “I will order the droids to stand down.  Over-ride command!  Sleep mode!” He barked, and the Hunter-Killers lowered their guns.  “There!  Isn’t it easier now, Agent?  You can shoot me with no risk to yourself.  Go ahead!”

Serpent’s gun hand was now shaking slightly but noticeably.  Was it from the weight and fatigue, or was it nerves?

“You can’t fire, can you?”  Said Vel-son sadly.  “I have made my point, I feel.  You are not a killer, Agent.  There is no shame in that.  Now, let’s end this foolishness and go into the ship.”

Slowly, sadly, Zail lowered his blaster pistol and his eyes.  “I believe in honour,” He mumbled towards the floor.  “Shooting a defenceless man is not honourable.”

“Yes, I know,” Said Vel-son.  “You are a good man, Agent Rain.”

“But...” Said Serpent, looking up suddenly, his eyes ablaze, “Failure to do my duty is a greater dishonour!”

The Professor stared back in shock and horror, but it was too late.  Zail fired, once, twice, hitting the old scientist once in the arm and once in the ribs.  With a cry of agony, Vel-son went down to the deck, while the deactivated droids stood by idle.

Serpent towered above the fallen man as he gasped for breath.

“Agent...Rain...” Managed Vel-son, coughing up blood.

“My name,” Said the VENI Agent, “Is Zail!”  And he fired again, shooting the Professor in the head and killing him instantly.

Serpent looked over at the verbobrain, and wondered at all the secrets it contained.  Taking control of the repulsor-sled, he brought it into the ship, which minutes later escaped the dying Torpedo Sphere.

As the Red Star Nova exploded and the Night Dagger jumped to hyperspace, Zail allowed himself a satisfied smile.

Mission accomplished.

THE END

OOC:

2307 words.  Finally, my second VENI story is complete!

After Action Report:  Allied with Nova and its battle droids, the Vast Empire forces repel the Imperial Remnant assault on the Torpedo Sphere.  During the fighting, Serpent allows the Empire strike team to sabotage the Red Star Nova, leading to its destruction.  The VE personnel escape, taking with them the Nova AI and all its secrets.  As such, Serpent has no need for Professor Vel-son, and casually carries out VENI’s order to execute the scientist.
MS/WO2 Pherik “Serpent” Zail / CR90 Defiance /TF: TH/3Flt/VENA/VEN/VE
[SoA][MC2][LoM][NAR][E][CBV][SoV][MiD][VC:G][1NS][GWC][=*Eng*=][=BO=]

"It isn't the killing, you know.  It's the beauty of battles that I love - the choreography and the challenge of executing everything
just right - and the challenge of matching your wits against a capable opponent." - Gilad Pellaeon
ComNet > Imperial Navy > Archived Naval Story Board > VENI: Serpent’s Hunt for Red Star Nova  |  New Posts    
 

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