Sira Sun Rise: ESC '07
Rain fell lightly from the cyan sky, the red horizon to the east making a show of the planet's single setting sun. Mountains soaring high above the horizon to the west climbed to the edges of the sky, breaking through portions of the storm clouds, leaking light onto the rest of the world and setting the boarder for the inhabited continent known simply as 'Sira.' The planet of Misoo was a beautiful one, it's peaks gleaming jasmine in the distance while vast jungles of emerald, it's canopies highlighted with the tangerine pigment of the Asaldi flowers on top, engulfed the inner regions; long winding rivers passing along the quiet villages bled the planet's life onto the surface with harsh but cool tones. And though the rain pittled down upon the leaves and crept in amongst the lowest levels of the botanical wonder, the accent was not of the natural kind: four temples sat equidistant around a single outcropping, a village larger than the rest but also more ornate and supreme than any other structure on the face of Misoo- the city of Jeeda, home of the civilized population and royal family. The industrial wonder was not as contrasting as one would have thought, the beauty of the planet undaunted by the recreation of it's sentient species. Rather, the gentle morning hush brought new plantlife, winding its way around the city walls and pushing itself further into the core of the metropolitan area. Soon there were Asaldi flowers everywhere, even atop the palace, it's own archaic structures much different than the technological innovations of its lower levels but seemingly unable to resist the rage of the Asaldi and its companions.
Where the palace and it's people sat in perfect harmony at its epicenter, the temples of Yeir, Verdus, Bolai and Nesum covered the four corners of Sira. Each had been there before Jeeda or it's towers, the palace relatively new in comparison to the great temple of the North, Balai, known for it's Peyo flowers, their beauty the greatest of any kind on the planet, as well as the devout ladies of the land. Headed by Madam Laryna, it's focus was that of serenity, careful balance between nature and human life on the planet- protectors of Misoo and teachers to the people. It's sister on the east of Jeeda, Verdus, guided by the young Madam Isell, was a group of practicing healers who's interdispersed medicinal teachings brought health back to the poor villages of Sira. Their brother to the south was a strong clan of warriors, Nesum Temple, whom, under the rule of Master Hyell, wrought heavy hands of fire and flame upon the insurgents, keeping the world free of encroachers. Finally, the peaceful temple of Yeir was of a bold, but quiet group of men, living in the poorest of conditions but never becoming un-clean; their standards of respect for life were among the highest. The planet was alive, exuberant- unyielding. And then the Imperials arrived.
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The Line Captain glanced out the window once more, it's double transparisteel seemingly unnecessary among the plants, the high orchids blossoming just beyond the sill appeared to be growing before his very eyes. High above there was a break in the clouds and the rain lessened, a single streak of indigo lining the highest cloud...
The port hissed open and Shazam turned quickly to meet the base leader, his irritated gaze never seeming to make sense amongst the rest of his staff and crew who were all in high spirits. Then again, a commander who didn't see any action wasn't necessarily a happy one; Shazam could recall a few bad experiences that he wouldn't mind forgetting, but that didn't mean keeping out of the fray was an option. But it didn't seem to stop his move to Wing Commander, a desk job in his case, but demanding none the less...
"Transport's here- I suppose you're all ready to go?" The short, white beard in combination with his sniper eyes seemed to create a package of total annoyance- this was not his job, he was no bellhop and certainly not the limousine attendant. For the past ten years, since the insurrection, he'd been stationed on Misoo and seen about as many enemy fighters as he had fingers- maybe. The Imperials had already been in possession for a solid four years when the village people on the surrounding river banks revolted; many were killed to silence them and this insurance policy seemed to bug the base commander even more.
"Ah- yes. I presume that my attendant is on her way?" Shazam stood up from his cushioned window lounge and stepped back onto the solid ground of the Captain's quarters, something that would have been assigned to Arturus had he decided to leave the
Doashim a little earlier. As the base commander contemplated whether or not he should pretend to have forgotten, Shazam made a mental note to go to sleep early this evening, It was still mid-afternoon, but the commander could tell that it was going to be a long-night and he simply wasn't up for it. Besides- how often did he get a place like this? One would think that Wing Commanders had much better conditions than their squadron commander constituents- if one called extra rations luxury, Shazam was in paradise.
"I'm sure she's already there," he said and waved to the open passage way, the damp, stone interior lining the corridor beyond seemed welcoming in comparison to the presence of this man. Shazam, already in his in his charcoal gray bolero and black pants, belt and knee-high leather boots felt very Imperial. The Line Captain found being overly ornate to be corruptive and self-indulgent, something he kept at an absolute minimal practice. He would wear the Naval dress uniform as his men did; no holster or utility boxes- just a casual but nice with a few medals here and there as well as a bar indicating rank. Shazam took one glance at a mirror on the far side of the room before walking past the Base Commander-
pretty snazzy...
Moments later, after a quick run through the mazes of interconnected corridors and troop barracks, Shazam and the base commander found their way to the pad atop one of the lowest level structures. An abysmal crater just beyond the building where a speeder had exploded after a fatal crash reminded the two of how only civilian death could be achieved here. Indeed, to most, this was kind of a home away from home, for those pilots and officers that had the opportunity to stay here, at least. The notion that not every planet was a strategic target of the enemy was hard to get through some people's heads, but eventually Misoo was accepted as one of the few safe havens for pilots, a place where the action was so limited that all you could do was enjoy the luxury for the short period of time you managed to live there. The Naval High Command must have noticed because they'd begun to send pilots who'd seen hard combat as well as themselves in and out of the area for several years now...
Sitting in the center of the pad was the speeder from the palace, crossing one hundred miles of terrain to reach the perimeter- the only area where Imperial bases had been allowed to set up. Though their leader, Lord Tenett, was more than willing to adjust to the summons and demands of the Imperials, the population as a whole was untrusting, various myths about the Imperials having been cooked up by the four temples. This distrust in outsiders was remarkably mild, though, in comparison to those cases of the past where intruders were immediately executed to prevent future sins against the planet. The very presence of outsiders was bound to float in some kind of evil thought or consciousness that would change the beautiful world of Misoo for the negative- they simply couldn't have that.
"Sir..." Shazam nodded to his latest attendant, the slim and dark woman known as Seyumi. She stood tall, her brunette hair tusselled slightly by the strong winds atop the building, while her black eyes continued to pierce the tough shell surrounding Shazam. She was a native of Jeeda and her tattoo, though hidden, indicated she was a resident of the Soyo sector; one of the rough areas of the city. She looked petite, polite, perhaps even cute, but Shazam knew better. He stepped into the speeder, the world quickly becoming dark again with only a few lamps illuminating the back seat of the vehicle. Seyumi stepped inside next, taking a seat opposite Shazam and noting his presence with an air of incredulity before hitting the com and saying- "We're ready." The Line Captain took one last glance at the base commander before losing site of him in a sudden rush of turbolifts.
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The decor was one of a kind- never had Shazam seen a table this distracting or long. Throughout the great dining room on the third floor of the main pavilion, eleven tables, some hundred feet or more in length, covered the marble floor. The clatter of pilots, dishes and other services being carried out in busy hush reverberated off of the domed ceiling another hundred or so feet above. Indeed, the gothic arches at the exits were reminiscent of some old religion while the throne and it's company at the head table seemed somewhat more up to date. A single orb descended from the center of the ceiling projecting holograms onto the tables and asking for orders of any type; some pilots went to town on the pricey food, but others abstained, even though they knew the food was free. Shazam sat across from Seyumi, preferring to keep in conversation with his neighboring commanders. The table across from him housed Nazgul and Kaph squadron, though they weren't sitting next to eachother as Shazam figured they were probably supposed to. Already he'd run into Trevor Evenson, Tokijin, Darius and Jack Nebulax. Many of the others were new to him, but he was sure that he'd see them in action soon enough.
"Hello- and welcome to the Royal Palace of Jeeda. Lord Tenett and the rest of the Royal Family welcome you to their home and wish to express their great thanks for yours as well as your fellow Imperials service to this planet..." An older woman projected in the center of the heavy steel table between Shazam and Seyumi paced from one to the other, using wide gestures to indicate the utter depths of their gratitude. As of yet, the line captain had yet to do anything of service to this planet, but all officers in the area as well as many of the pilots in nearby barracks had arrived. There was little in terms of army units on the planet since they feared mutiny little after the last insurrection- the village people had been put down hard. Now though, they worried about the threats from beyond- after accepting the Imperials into their society it was only a matter of time until they began to depend on them for safety. If groups such as the Imperials who happened to be very friendly existed, couldn't there be folks just as bad if not worse than them looking to take over a planet?
"Ah- no problem, lady. In fact- why don't you surprise me?" Shazam smiled at the hologram and it seemed to take a moment to process the compliment and the the 'order.'
"It has been done, Line Captain Shazam." The man couldn't help but smile after hearing the new rank, but he quickly rubbed it off after glancing up at Seyumi, her black eyes peering up at him with utter curiosity, but Shazam thought he saw a sneak-peak at something else. He did not know this woman well and wasn't entirely sure if he trusted her- the need for 'assistants' had been an irritating one, usually men that made sure that his reports and other file work was done on time. "And what will you have Seyumi?" She smiled politely and said-
"I will have whatever the Wing Commander is having..." Shazam lifted a brow just in time to see all of the holo-recordings on the tables disintegrate. The room darkened slightly and Shazam felt the hairs stand up on his arms for just a moment. Then, at the very end of the room where the royal family sat, a single man stood in front of his throne with his arms opened wide.
"Welcome!" Lord Tenett's voice was somewhat flat but endearing at the same time- he wore full decor with a series of medals and other interesting awards that were undoubtedly a fashion statement over a sign of honor or praise. Shazam didn't look at it negatively however, smiling at the Lord as the ground and his section of table ascended over the royal family and proceeded toward the other ten tables. "You have no idea how good it feels to have people in this palace again! The last time we had a formal occasion for our warriors was at the defeat of the last insurgents, over three hundred standard years ago... And here we are, celebrating the protection your faction has given us for little in return. On behalf of myself, the royal family, and all of Misoo, I hope you will enjoy your evening with us and accompany us further to the grand theater upon your leave from this feast. Thank you..." Shazam couldn't see the man well despite his floating table and throne, but he could tell that there was a head of long black hair atop the decorative cloak.
"Starting without us? You should be ashamed Line Captain..." Shazam turned to see Arturus, Willtconq at his side and the rest of the latest Sentinal Squadron revision. The wing commander chuckled slightly and sat up to shake hands with the captain of the
Doashim, Seyumi standing and nodding to each of the pilots as they made their way to either side of the table.
"I thought that ship of yours would never make it- last I checked it was under heavy repairs," Shazam replied as Arturus took a seat, shaking hands with Will, the newest captain and commander of the
Tiamut.
"Congrats on the promo, buddy," Jaden said from just beyond Will- Shazam managed to get around Art and Will to give the man a brief embrace and then shake him wildly for a moment. Jaden had taken his place in Nazgul for a short while before dropping back to XO and finally being sent to Sentinal Squadron to help replace some of the squadron's lost members. Sitting back down, it didn't take long for them to erupt back into conversation, Seyumi taking a seat as well and observing quietly, declining to try some of Decembrist's food at every invitation. Shazam nodded to Decembrist, recalling their last meeting, and then caught a glance at the rest of the royal family at the front of the room. The wife of Tenett wore a tremendous dress and looked fairly comfortable being in the spotlight, two guards standing directly behind her and her husband. Further down the table and to the left were two younger daughters that appeared to be uninterested in the hundred of pilot before them and more entertained with their food that seemed to still be alive. To the right was the oldest of the siblings, a single daughter and an even older brother. They were both speaking amongst the counselors around them as well as themselves when the lights began to lower again. Shazam rolled his eyes, no longer quite as content with this 'Lord' Tenett, especially if he insisted on thanking them every few minutes.
I haven't even gotten my food yet...
Shazam waited for the Lord to rise back above his table and make another speech, but there was no rising throne or booming voice. No, instead the lights continued to dim until only the long narrow windows allowed light in.
In fact... Shazam glanced up and noted quickly that the computer orb in the center was no longer glowing- he glanced back down to see that the holo images of the waiters and waitresses could no longer be found amongst the chattering pilots. Shazam glanced back up to see if there had been a problem with the lighting, expecting a few brave maintenance men to be tight roping their way to the orb in the center. What he found nearly made his heart stop...
"Silence!" This was beyond the magnified voice of the Lord- the low resonating boom that came from this man was simply unnerving. The outline was more bat-like than anything, but slowly the helmet of the man could be distinguished with curving horns and eye slits; something a little more primitive than expected. Lining the walls of the building were hundreds of men, though he could not tell if they were armed or not... And then- "The planet lives!" And with a sudden sweep of his arms, the cloak surrounding him spread out in a terrifying gesture that initiated what could only be described as a bloodbath. The room that had been dark only moments before awoke to the bright, beautiful, terrible swift sword of the enemy. The blasters reigned down on the Imperials.
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*Flash Was Here...*
WC|NTO/LCP Shazam/Phoenix 1-1/Phoenix Wing/mSSD Atrus/1VENF/VEN (=A=) (=*SA*=) (=MA=) (=*FOCE*=) [CBV*] [LoM] [LSM] [MC2] [VC:S] [SV*] [DSM] {Platinum Writing Medal}
Phoenix Wing Commander and Training Officer
