Series 1.11 - Overflown Overflow
The planet shook from somewhere deep inside itself. A piece of the jungle came apart far, far away. And with that new opening came a flood of anger and rage unlike most had ever seen. It was a blind hate that could only grow from an unwavering belief and an intense dedication to duty and ideology. A flotilla of Sunder ships erupted from a fissure created by their own warships from a hidden underground facility located on the other side of Kerworn XI. Little to nothing was known of their technology beyond what the few unlucky souls who have witnessed them thus far in the galaxy had experienced. The question of how they knew the other facility was being attacked is not one that anyone would soon find out, but it was too late to wonder now regardless. The bevy of ships blasting across the sky were heading towards the strike team and their lone craft. A recon imager witnessed it all in action and sent it directly to Alere’s flight assistant display. She could handle a few small defense drones, but the impending battle would be too much even for a pilot of her skill; and that was nothing to be said of the rescue attempt she was in the middle of. Her long-range sensors knew that the enemy were coming and in force, but she had no clue the class of ships she would have to take on or their true number until they arrived. Her feathers ruffled around her neck at the anticipation and at the unknown; a feeling she had grown accustomed to.
Just breathe. Focus. You know…all that stuff you’re meant to do. But you know what else is pretty important in a time like this? A plan.
“Jules, it’s looking like we have a bit of a problem. Well, another problem to add to the growing stack.” she said into her comm-set.
“I am aware, Alere. Whoever, whatever, they are didn’t seem too concerned about us knowing they were on the way here; perhaps some kind of purposeful show of force in order to get us to retreat.” Jules Vanvorn’s voice was as steady as it always was as it echoed in her ears.
“Or…and hear me out…maybe they’re just scads mad at us blowing this place up?”
“Perhaps you are correct. But does it not seem illogical to you that they’d go to the effort of tearing a hole in the side of the planet just to get a bit of revenge for us demolishing a single temple…a temple that wasn’t even built by them to begin with?”
“I’m going to make a bold assumption that these things don’t value subtlety. And the pile of dead foot soldiers down below kind of makes me think I’m right.”
She was often right. It was kind of her thing.
“Whatever the truth of the matter, the important thing right now is to get the ground team back on board before we end up getting shot down and joining them.” said Jules.
“I beg your pardon? Might I remind you that I’ve never lost a starship battle and I don’t intend on today being the first?” Her words came out with feign of being hurt by his remarks.
“Oh, I do apologize, ma’am. I was unaware that you were also a fortune teller in addition to being a pilot.” he said. She could never tell when he was being sarcastic.
”Ace pilot.” she said, all too serious, as she maneuvered the strike craft behind the last of the defense drone-like ships that she had been playing with while the others tended to the inside of the temple. She let off a volley of fire, striking the drone with every shot until it was transformed into a twisted tangle of destruction veering towards the jungle below.
See.
Before she had the time to gloat outside of her own mind, a panicked and broken voice rippled through her comm-set. It was the Commandant’s, but she could only make out a few words through the static.
“Attention…we are…still…zzzttt…man down…I…down…zzzttt…”
“I’m unable to make out what you’re saying, boss lady. Too much interference on the line.” All of the usual softness and seduction in Alere's voice was gone now.
“I…we…trapped…zzzttt…Kel is…enemy forces still…retreating….”
“Attention Commandant Rowe, I’m unable to make out what you’re saying. Please find a clear area and repeat. Over.” Jules said over the line, taking over for Alere, much to her pleasure. She knew something wasn’t right and was not the best person to handle things like this.
They both waited in silence for a reply. But none came. The deep hum and slight vibration of the now hovering ship’s engines had none of the usual comforting quality it normally did to Alere. And to make the situation even more challenging, she could make out the small shapes of an ever-approaching enemy force on the horizon atop the jungle.
“Was that what it sounded like?” a voice broke the silence, this one of Tae Rowe, who had been waiting for Alere to finish up with the drones so that she could pick him and Yigit up. He had also heard the broken message from his sister.
“We won’t know until they get back out in the open, but it didn’t sound good. And I’m not sure if you’re aware or not Vice Commandant, but the enemy has sent a flotilla of ships our way from the other side of the planet.” Jules said in reply.
“A flotilla? You mean actual fighters? I thought everything pointed towards this place being mostly just freighters. You’re telling me that our recon was no good?” Tae said, very clearly annoyed and perhaps frustrated. He had that way about him most of the time lately.
“I’m dropping down to get you and the Yigit. We’ll see if we can’t hold them off with duo-blasters and my aerial ability long enough for your sister and the others to make it out of there, which, if I’m being honest, needs to happen sooner than later for a variety of reasons, Tae.” Her trademark sultry tone had returned a bit at the self-promotion. If she was good at one thing, other than flying of course, it was talking herself up.
“Works for me; if anything, we’ll go out in a blaze of glory and be washed out of the codex on Namrast by the Assemblage historians to hide the embarrassment this whole ordeal.” said Tae.
“I should note, sir, that I take offense to that.” Jules replied, having been a historian from Namrast as a child before becoming an Order member.
“That was the idea, yes, sir.” Tae said, with an extra click of his comm-set.
Alere wasted no further time in making a dangerous and hasty landing in the opening near where Tae and the others had initially entered the soon to be ruins of a temple. Yigit boarded the ship first the moment the landing door dropped, with Tae following closely behind. He paused for a moment before shutting the door back and looked to the opening in hopes that he’d see his sister, Aida, and Kel running out just in time. Instead, he continued to see sections of the temple crumbling under the weight of itself through a cloud of dust and smoke. With a heavy sigh, he hit the control for the door, which caused it to slam shut in front of his face. Yigit had already found his place in the rear duo-blaster compartment, firing the weapons system up in anticipation of the impending battle.
Tae couldn’t help but feel a sense of doom as he too found his own compartment to man. He truly felt as though the arrogance of the Order, the arrogance of the Assemblage, the arrogance of his family, was finally going to catch up to them.
To us.
Just breathe. Focus. You know…all that stuff you’re meant to do. But you know what else is pretty important in a time like this? A plan.
“Jules, it’s looking like we have a bit of a problem. Well, another problem to add to the growing stack.” she said into her comm-set.
“I am aware, Alere. Whoever, whatever, they are didn’t seem too concerned about us knowing they were on the way here; perhaps some kind of purposeful show of force in order to get us to retreat.” Jules Vanvorn’s voice was as steady as it always was as it echoed in her ears.
“Or…and hear me out…maybe they’re just scads mad at us blowing this place up?”
“Perhaps you are correct. But does it not seem illogical to you that they’d go to the effort of tearing a hole in the side of the planet just to get a bit of revenge for us demolishing a single temple…a temple that wasn’t even built by them to begin with?”
“I’m going to make a bold assumption that these things don’t value subtlety. And the pile of dead foot soldiers down below kind of makes me think I’m right.”
She was often right. It was kind of her thing.
“Whatever the truth of the matter, the important thing right now is to get the ground team back on board before we end up getting shot down and joining them.” said Jules.
“I beg your pardon? Might I remind you that I’ve never lost a starship battle and I don’t intend on today being the first?” Her words came out with feign of being hurt by his remarks.
“Oh, I do apologize, ma’am. I was unaware that you were also a fortune teller in addition to being a pilot.” he said. She could never tell when he was being sarcastic.
”Ace pilot.” she said, all too serious, as she maneuvered the strike craft behind the last of the defense drone-like ships that she had been playing with while the others tended to the inside of the temple. She let off a volley of fire, striking the drone with every shot until it was transformed into a twisted tangle of destruction veering towards the jungle below.
See.
Before she had the time to gloat outside of her own mind, a panicked and broken voice rippled through her comm-set. It was the Commandant’s, but she could only make out a few words through the static.
“Attention…we are…still…zzzttt…man down…I…down…zzzttt…”
“I’m unable to make out what you’re saying, boss lady. Too much interference on the line.” All of the usual softness and seduction in Alere's voice was gone now.
“I…we…trapped…zzzttt…Kel is…enemy forces still…retreating….”
“Attention Commandant Rowe, I’m unable to make out what you’re saying. Please find a clear area and repeat. Over.” Jules said over the line, taking over for Alere, much to her pleasure. She knew something wasn’t right and was not the best person to handle things like this.
They both waited in silence for a reply. But none came. The deep hum and slight vibration of the now hovering ship’s engines had none of the usual comforting quality it normally did to Alere. And to make the situation even more challenging, she could make out the small shapes of an ever-approaching enemy force on the horizon atop the jungle.
“Was that what it sounded like?” a voice broke the silence, this one of Tae Rowe, who had been waiting for Alere to finish up with the drones so that she could pick him and Yigit up. He had also heard the broken message from his sister.
“We won’t know until they get back out in the open, but it didn’t sound good. And I’m not sure if you’re aware or not Vice Commandant, but the enemy has sent a flotilla of ships our way from the other side of the planet.” Jules said in reply.
“A flotilla? You mean actual fighters? I thought everything pointed towards this place being mostly just freighters. You’re telling me that our recon was no good?” Tae said, very clearly annoyed and perhaps frustrated. He had that way about him most of the time lately.
“I’m dropping down to get you and the Yigit. We’ll see if we can’t hold them off with duo-blasters and my aerial ability long enough for your sister and the others to make it out of there, which, if I’m being honest, needs to happen sooner than later for a variety of reasons, Tae.” Her trademark sultry tone had returned a bit at the self-promotion. If she was good at one thing, other than flying of course, it was talking herself up.
“Works for me; if anything, we’ll go out in a blaze of glory and be washed out of the codex on Namrast by the Assemblage historians to hide the embarrassment this whole ordeal.” said Tae.
“I should note, sir, that I take offense to that.” Jules replied, having been a historian from Namrast as a child before becoming an Order member.
“That was the idea, yes, sir.” Tae said, with an extra click of his comm-set.
Alere wasted no further time in making a dangerous and hasty landing in the opening near where Tae and the others had initially entered the soon to be ruins of a temple. Yigit boarded the ship first the moment the landing door dropped, with Tae following closely behind. He paused for a moment before shutting the door back and looked to the opening in hopes that he’d see his sister, Aida, and Kel running out just in time. Instead, he continued to see sections of the temple crumbling under the weight of itself through a cloud of dust and smoke. With a heavy sigh, he hit the control for the door, which caused it to slam shut in front of his face. Yigit had already found his place in the rear duo-blaster compartment, firing the weapons system up in anticipation of the impending battle.
Tae couldn’t help but feel a sense of doom as he too found his own compartment to man. He truly felt as though the arrogance of the Order, the arrogance of the Assemblage, the arrogance of his family, was finally going to catch up to them.
To us.
*****
The world shook from somewhere very close. A brilliant light broke through the darkness from very, very nearby. It was the first of anything he had seen since being saved from the prison of agony and brightness. But the light terrified him to his inner being as it was a beacon of torment and loss of hope that he knew all too well. Would it be pulling him back into the void of emptiness and pain? Was this all just a dream? Was this rescue a lost cause? Were her words as hollow as the place he most feared?
But this light…this pain…did not live somewhere inside of his mind like the other place. It was a different sort of pain; one that he had not felt for a long time. It was a physical pain. His face was burning…his arm was burning.
Pain is the reverence all must seek. The bright is the way to immortality. If you are in pain, nothing else can truly matter.
No. These are not my words. Not my voice. I am in pain, but not your pain.
All pain is our pain!
His eyes opened.
And before him was a world that had become a fable an eon ago. It was a living, breathing, dying world in which he was not alone. There was light but also darkness and shadow. There was pain, but also hope. And fear. And love. And everything in between.
The torrent flood of emotions rippled through his reawakened senses as he watched a man…yes, a living man…be torn apart by a burning light before him. The pain he felt was the weapon of his enemy as it killed one of his rescuers near his own flesh. He felt a hand grasp his wrist and pull as hard as they could to get him to move away from the dangerous aura. Through the deafening sizzle of demise, crumbling of walls around him, and roar of victory from his enemy, a voice could be heard, a softer tone than before. The one he recognized when he was much further away. But he could make no sense of the words she spoke now. He only knew that he had to go with her.
And he did. They ran into the darkness once more, away from the collapsing hall and the death of her ally. He knew not of who she was or why he trusted her, but it did not matter anymore. She broke him free from the pain and the light and offered him the comfort of the shadows.
And for a moment, he understood her once again.
Please hurry. I fear that my friend and I won’t be able to bring you along if you fade away again.
Don't worry. I won’t. I promise.
But this light…this pain…did not live somewhere inside of his mind like the other place. It was a different sort of pain; one that he had not felt for a long time. It was a physical pain. His face was burning…his arm was burning.
Pain is the reverence all must seek. The bright is the way to immortality. If you are in pain, nothing else can truly matter.
No. These are not my words. Not my voice. I am in pain, but not your pain.
All pain is our pain!
His eyes opened.
And before him was a world that had become a fable an eon ago. It was a living, breathing, dying world in which he was not alone. There was light but also darkness and shadow. There was pain, but also hope. And fear. And love. And everything in between.
The torrent flood of emotions rippled through his reawakened senses as he watched a man…yes, a living man…be torn apart by a burning light before him. The pain he felt was the weapon of his enemy as it killed one of his rescuers near his own flesh. He felt a hand grasp his wrist and pull as hard as they could to get him to move away from the dangerous aura. Through the deafening sizzle of demise, crumbling of walls around him, and roar of victory from his enemy, a voice could be heard, a softer tone than before. The one he recognized when he was much further away. But he could make no sense of the words she spoke now. He only knew that he had to go with her.
And he did. They ran into the darkness once more, away from the collapsing hall and the death of her ally. He knew not of who she was or why he trusted her, but it did not matter anymore. She broke him free from the pain and the light and offered him the comfort of the shadows.
And for a moment, he understood her once again.
Please hurry. I fear that my friend and I won’t be able to bring you along if you fade away again.
Don't worry. I won’t. I promise.
