Spring RTS Engine

I wonder who has sex...

lemme guess, Mike and fox (ewww...)

what does that mean?

I'm going use the bathroom..

I did not really need to know that.

Don't worry, I'll keep all my fanfiction in a cannon

Dude, a fan fiction by you, GMN, would really make my day.

Stop trying to guilt me into writing stories for you, you hack!

I'm joking around here, for those who can't tell

Sex? Or...is it?

Also trick! Maybe. Where could that ship be? Its aufully big, so where did it go. I want bets, I want gusses and I want to know where you think that ship could have gone.

A ship...A ship...A shipy OOOOOOH! A ship that went....whereever [img]I[/img] did go.

"Its behind the drawers!"


"Check down his trousers!"




Vale and Keller were half a light year apart, and yet they both leaned over practically the same table. Vale's table was a slight improvement of Keller's tactical computer table, as her ship had been produced a decade and a half later then his ship had.

Vale started up their tactical plans. ├óÔé¼┼ôAt best speeds we could be there in a week├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, the tac-con catching her voice and relaying it to Keller.

Keller nodded, looking over the fleet. The enemy fleet would arrive in two days. Vale would arrive in seven days, and Keller had five places the Hannibal could get to in two days, best speed. He could go to the asteroid belt around Alpha Centauri A. It was a large asteroid field, filled with huge asteroids comprised of nothing more then hydrogen. They would explode rather violently if anything hit them, sending shards of rock and ice flying everywhere. With a large ship like the Prometheus in tow, that would not exactly be a good thing.

The second place they could get to was Alpha Centauri B III, a small gas giant with four rings. That would offer next to no cover.

The third place they could get to was Alpha Centauri B VI, a bit of rock with the barest wisp of atmosphere around it. Nothing to offer them there.

The fourth place had some promise. A rock field about fifty thousand kilometers from Darkside, offering plenty of cover and possibly minerals they could use to manufacture some much needed new parts, rather then just recycling everything.

The fifth place was the most troubling. Darkside was still there. A purple shield roiled around it, just as Lizzy, Eve, and Jason had all said there would be. The shield, the shroud, was one of the most mysteries that troubled Keller. Around the planet a bundle of satellites orbited, each of them derelict. Some of them were missile banks, others laser arrays, some more communication and transfer systems. All of them were completely dead, inoperative and cold. They could only detect them from their radar bounce back and the shadows they cast on the shroud surrounding Darkside.

Keller sighed. ├óÔé¼┼ôI say the planet├óÔé¼┬Ø Vale said, her voice slightly scratchy. The speaker in the bridge was a bit faulty, and Keller had yet to have it repaired.

├óÔé¼┼ôWhich planet?├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller sighed.

├óÔé¼┼ôDarkside...the first colony of man├óÔé¼┬Ø Vale said, ├óÔé¼┼ôThey have to have people down there├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôIf they had people...why are the satellites dead?├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller asked, ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy. Maybe Soots got here first├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Vale sighed, ├óÔé¼┼ôThe asteroid belt could work, but I don't think you can hold out there long enough. An extended bombardment would-├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôshred us├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller said flatly.

├óÔé¼┼ôMake it hard for the Prometheus, at least├óÔé¼┬Ø Vale sighed, ├óÔé¼┼ôYou could send the civvies in a hard burn, whip then around the sun...├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôI don't want to leave them without protection├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller said.

Vale suddenly started, an idea burning through her electronic brain. Then she started to laugh. ├óÔé¼┼ôI...I had a great idea├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, ├óÔé¼┼ôRemember that stealth field you told me about...├óÔé¼┬Ø

Fox looked at the bouquet Mike was handing her. ├óÔé¼┼ôI think├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, looking at the two sets of flowers, ├óÔé¼┼ôWe mixed these up├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike blinked, then saw that she was right.

├óÔé¼┼ôOppse├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said, swapping the flowers with Fox. They both stood there. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Fox said, ├óÔé¼┼ôI...er...want...bar├óÔé¼┬Ø she fumbled, not quite able to finish a coherent thought, let alone a sentence.

├óÔé¼┼ôA..su...fine├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike nodded.

The bar was packed. For a moment Mike wanted to leave, but then he saw that the bar was packed because the Banshee Duo was back, playing a slow song again. They finished a few moments after Mike and Fox sat down at the bar. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø The lead musician said, ├óÔé¼┼ôI'd like to say that we are on alert status...so if you guys have to save our lives, we're going to duck and cover. M'kay?├óÔé¼┬Ø

Then her roving eyes spotted Fox's quite visible head. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd do we have a request for some dance music?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked, grinning. The crowd saw where she was looking and someone laughed. Fox's ears flatted to the side of her head, and Mike bowed his head. ├óÔé¼┼ôCome on├óÔé¼┬Ø The lead singer said, ├óÔé¼┼ôYou danced pretty good last time├óÔé¼┬Ø

Mike looked at Fox. ├óÔé¼┼ôWant to?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. Fox sighed, ├óÔé¼┼ôI...no├óÔé¼┬Ø she said.

├óÔé¼┼ôNo thanks├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said, standing up. They both walked out. The lead singer snorted, ├óÔé¼┼ôWho wants to bet what they are going to do!├óÔé¼┬Ø she shouted to the crowd to a general laugh. She started to play Sing Sing Sing, backed up by her friend and the ship's computer.

├óÔé¼┼ôNow this├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said, leaning over his console, ├óÔé¼┼ôIs dance music├óÔé¼┬Ø

Fox's ears perked up to the sound and grinned. Mike walked to her, offering his hand to her. She took it daintily and they started to waltz slowly. Frank Sinatra's remastered classic, Fly me to the Moon played out of the P.A system, and the two danced. Fox spun around and landed with her back to Mike, pushing into him. Then Mike unspun her and they ended facing each other. Fox smiled. Mike smiled at her.

He leaned in to kiss her. He bumped his lips against her nose, causing her head to jerk backwards. ├óÔé¼┼ôOw├óÔé¼┬Ø Fox felt her tender nose with her finger. ├óÔé¼┼ôSorry├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said, backing up. Fox placed her hand on the side of his head, tilted her head, and kissed him as best she could. Her teeth scratched his cheek, but they were blunt, to facilitate her to chewing the plant matter that she ingested daily. Her tong pushed its way into Mike's mouth, far longer then a human one. For a moment Mike panicked, thinking she was biting his face off. Then he relaxed as best he could and let Fox have her moment.

Fox broke the 'kiss' and smiled. ├óÔé¼┼ôDidn't quite work, did it?├óÔé¼┬Ø She asked.

Mike smiled, ├óÔé¼┼ôWe'll make it work...somehow├óÔé¼┬Ø

Fox smiled, ├óÔé¼┼ôThat sounds kind of preachy├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. Mike leaned in a bit closer, hands running up her back. ├óÔé¼┼ôI like preaching├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said. His hands played with the buttons on Fox's shirt. Then she was pushing him away. ├óÔé¼┼ôN...no├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, a slight quaver in her soft voice, ├óÔé¼┼ôI...not...not yet├óÔé¼┬Ø.

Mike nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôI understand├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, stepping back slightly.

├óÔé¼┼ôSoon├óÔé¼┬Ø Fox said, ├óÔé¼┼ôI...I just...I haven't. My...I├óÔé¼┬Ø she stammered, looking down, ├óÔé¼┼ôMy master...was...was harsh. Memories...├óÔé¼┬Ø she stopped, feeling Mike's hand on her shoulders.

├óÔé¼┼ôYou don't need to worry├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said, ├óÔé¼┼ôI can wait. I've lived over two hundred years. I can wait a bit longer├óÔé¼┬Ø

Fox smiled, ├óÔé¼┼ôThank you, Mike├óÔé¼┬Ø she said.

Mike turned to the computer and turned the music back on, as it had shut off when the computer heard them talking. Sinatra's timeless music started again, Mike and Fox continued their dance. Fox leaned her head against Mike's shoulder. He wasn't Troy. He wouldn't leave her, chained to the floor...bleeding.

Cyanide sighed, sitting in her chair. This entire expedition was getting worse and worse with every turn of events. There were the thirteen mutinies she had had to put down over the last two years. Cyanide thought she might have too high standards, but one mutiny was too many in her book. ├óÔé¼┼ôMam├óÔé¼┬Ø the computer's voiceless voice came up, floating in her mind.

├óÔé¼┼ôYes?├óÔé¼┬Ø Cyanide thought.

├óÔé¼┼ôThe Prometheus├óÔé¼┬Ø the computer said, ├óÔé¼┼ôHas vanished├óÔé¼┬Ø

Cyanide never thought she could hear a computer sound surprised. But if anything, the computer did sound surprised.

Cyanide sat up in her chair, looking around the empty bridge. She sent a message out with her mind, saying, ├óÔé¼┼ôAll bridge crew, report├óÔé¼┬Ø. Then she sat back, wondering what else had gone wrong now.

[/i]

Stealth fields!

Fields of Stealth!

Fields of Stealth!

"Where the frak's my field gone?"

yup!

That is what happened to the ship. But that is not where it IS!

So its a little short, what you want to do...fight about it?





├óÔé¼┼ôThe three enemy ships have been positively identified├óÔé¼┬Ø the sensor officer said, looking over his shoulder at Keller, ├óÔé¼┼ôAs the Ragnar├â┬Âk, the Advent and the Ronin├óÔé¼┬Ø. Keller snorted, ├óÔé¼┼ôLove those names├óÔé¼┬Ø he muttered.

They had managed to get to the asteroid field near Darkside. Something about the place felt...eerie to Keller. He looked around the tactical map, half expecting to see something unexpected jumping out at him. Then, to his surprise, he did.

├óÔé¼┼ôWhat is that?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked, jabbing his finger down on the tactical map.

├óÔé¼┼ôRagnar├â┬Âk opening fire!├óÔé¼┬Ø the sensor officer said.

The Ragnar├â┬Âk let loose with half of its main battery, sending a hail of exploding shells into the asteroids around the Hannibal, sending chunks of rock flying. Most missed the Hannibal, and more were simply deflected by the ram field. A few had to be swatted down the lasers on the hull, but other then that, the Hannibal went through completely unharmed.

├óÔé¼┼ôBring us to this object├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller said, pointing at the anomaly he had picked up on the tactical map.

├óÔé¼┼ôYes sir├óÔé¼┬Ø the gunnery officer started turning dials, ├óÔé¼┼ôShould we fire back?├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller said, ├óÔé¼┼ôWe wait for the Prometheus├óÔé¼┬Ø

The enemy fleet stayed in formation, though the formation splayed out slightly so they could bring more weapons to bear. The asteroid field was getting pounded hard, sending more and more chunks of asteroid flying. The Hannibal's lasers were having a hard time keeping up with it, but for now they would do just fine.

Then, through a computing error, a single chunk of asteroid grazed the upper decks. Air started to belch out the hole, along with two crew members who were in the wrong place at the wrong time. ├óÔé¼┼ôAll right├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller said, gritting his teeth, ├óÔé¼┼ôBring us further into the asteroid field├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôFurther?├óÔé¼┬Ø His sensor officer asked, ├óÔé¼┼ôBut sir that will make it even harder to maneuver├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôJust do it!├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller snapped, ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd remember out plan!├óÔé¼┬Ø

Cain drummed his fingers on his desk. The entire ship seemed dead quiet. Most of the people who had lived in the Prometheus had been evacuated onto the Hannibal, shoved in there like sardines. They were equipped with weapons and told how to fire their guns. They would fight for their homes, but...Cain knew putting civvies in a combat zone was the first way to get a lot of death certificates.

The minimum crew and passenger compliment on the Prometheus all seemed tense. They were wandering the empty city, praying, or, as Cain was doing, waiting. He felt his wife's hands slip about his shoulder, comforting him. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, ├óÔé¼┼ôI just hope the Hannibal can hang on├óÔé¼┬Ø

Helena sighed, ├óÔé¼┼ôThis gives me the creeps├óÔé¼┬Ø she looked out the window on the bridge to what lay in front of them.

├óÔé¼┼ôMe too├óÔé¼┬Ø Cain said, ├óÔé¼┼ôMe too├óÔé¼┬Ø


Civvies, Mike thought, should never be let near a gun. ├óÔé¼┼ôAll right├óÔé¼┬Ø He said, ├óÔé¼┼ôWe don't think we're going to fight any borders today, but just to be sure, have a gun├óÔé¼┬Ø. The three women and five men looked at him as if he was speaking in tongs. Then they looked at Fox as if she was a tong.

Mike sighed, ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is Sergent├óÔé¼┬Ø he smiled faintly at that, ├óÔé¼┼ôFox and she will be commanding you today. If you give her lip, she will shoot you├óÔé¼┬Ø.

Fox nodded, putting on her best 'evil grin'. It was a bit hard because of how her mouth was shaped, but she got the message across. Mike turned to her, ├óÔé¼┼ôI need to get going├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, ├óÔé¼┼ôMore civvies to frighten...are you sure your going to be okay?├óÔé¼┬Ø

She nodded, ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll be fine....not so sure about these guys├óÔé¼┬Ø.

Mike closed his eyes, ├óÔé¼┼ôGood luck, Fox...Godspeed├óÔé¼┬Ø.

Then he was gone, walking down the corridor.


Keller felt the next impact. ├óÔé¼┼ôShit├óÔé¼┬Ø his sensor officer said, ├óÔé¼┼ôChunk bored through some armor...not enough penetration to let the air out, but we've got a big chunk taken out of our rear armor├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôKeep us going├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller said, ├óÔé¼┼ôand do we have a reading on the object yet?├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôY...Yes!├óÔé¼┬Ø The gunnery officer said, ├óÔé¼┼ôSir...its a ship!├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôOn the screen!├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller said, exited. The screen flickered to one of the outside cameras. Keller's heart fell.

He picked out the distinctive conical shape of two lighthugger's from the 2200's. They were mashed together, mangled and ruined. Massive girders were wrapped around each other, and the hull paneling had been blown off when the reactors had exploded. It created a massive wreck that sprawled throughout the asteroid belt, hidden away by the asteroids. Asteroids had smashed into the sides of the wreck, making it appear larger then it was.

├óÔé¼┼ôSir├óÔé¼┬Ø The sensor officer said, ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm picking up life sines on that thing├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôSe...Send a shuttle├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller said, forgetting the enemy fleet for the moment, ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd nudge us into the wreck. It could give us some cover├óÔé¼┬Ø



The shuttle drifted between the struts and girders and broken floors that made up the wreck. Lights, stabbing out from the shuttle, played over what was left of the ships. They picked up a massive white letter, then another, and another. The shuttle darted backwards, egar to identify the ship. ├óÔé¼┼ôSir├óÔé¼┬Ø the shuttle pilot said, his voice hushed in awe, ├óÔé¼┼ôSir...its the Enterprise!├óÔé¼┬Ø

Keller blinked, remembering the story. Elizabeth Montoya had stolen the enterprise and battled two other lighthuggers, destroying them both in open combat. He smiled, thinking that he just might be giving the mute asteroids an encore to the performance they had seen over a hundred years ago.

The shuttle found where the life sines were emanating from. It was a small hab bubble, still filled with air, nestled between the Enterprise and the ship she had crashed into. The shuttle docked, clamping to the ancient airlock with some difficulty.

The marines onboard were lead by Mankowski. ├óÔé¼┼ôAll right men├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, ├óÔé¼┼ôAsk first and shoot later. Don't want to kill anyone we don't have too├óÔé¼┬Ø. A chorus of 'yes sir's floated around the room, and he turned to the airlock, opening it with his hand.

The marines walked slowly into the hab sphere, looking around in faint awe. Shelves adorned the walls, a desk ran in the back with a cash register on top. A single, neon blue sines, was hung from the celling.

├óÔé¼┼ôEnterprise Gift Emporium├óÔé¼┬Ø

Mankowski looked around at the merchandise. There was a plush doll of Elizabeth Montoya, with overly large eyes. He picked the doll up, mouth agape.

Then he heard a gun cock. ├óÔé¼┼ôPut...the...doll...down├óÔé¼┬Ø A voice hissed. Mankowski dropped the doll and turned around. The other marines had their guns at the ready, aiming them at the speaker. Mankowski found himself looking down the barrel of a gun, held by a woman. A woman with black skin and a pink tattoo.

For a moment Mankowski was blindsided, thinking that for some reason Lizzy was alive. Then he saw that the tattoo pattern was completely different, as was the face. ├óÔé¼┼ôWho are you!├óÔé¼┬Ø the woman hissed, ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy are you robbing my shop!├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôWe thought...we thought no one else was left alive in this system├óÔé¼┬Ø Mankowski said.

├óÔé¼┼ôThats about right├óÔé¼┬Ø The woman said, lowering the shotgun slightly, ├óÔé¼┼ôNo one else but for me├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôWhy are you still alive?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mankowski asked, hands still raised.

├óÔé¼┼ôI was running the damn gift shop, thats why├óÔé¼┬Ø the woman said, the fact that she was being rescued suddenly dawning on her. She smiled, dropping the shotgun, ├óÔé¼┼ôYour colonials right...my name is Loraine and this is my Emporium...can I interest you in some of my merchandise?├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Mankowski said, ├óÔé¼┼ôCan you first tell me what the hell happened here?├óÔé¼┬Ø


Loraine's face fell, ├óÔé¼┼ôA...thing showed up. It was big, and black and evolved when we shot at it. But unlike Prime-├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôWho?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mankowski asked.

├óÔé¼┼ôPrime├óÔé¼┬Ø Loraine said, ├óÔé¼┼ôOne of our...folk hero's...like Amberly Wishbourn and Elizabeth Montoya...you know, I envy my mother. She actually KNEW Amberly, worked with her...till the whole suicide thing├óÔé¼┬Ø

Mankowski felt like everything was going a bit to fast. Then he remembered a space battle was going on in space, somewhat too close to this unarmored habitat dome then he would like. ├óÔé¼┼ôTell me on the ride back to the ship├óÔé¼┬Ø Mankowski said, gesturing to the marines, who started to get back on the shuttle. Loraine opened her mouth to object. Mankowski grabbed her and pulled her to the shuttle door. The shuttle disembarked and zipped back to the Hannibal.

A few minutes later a shell, fired from the Advent, smashed into the hab dome and blew it apart, sending bits of plush dolls and model sets showering the interior of the Enterprise.

Whoo!

the poor dolls!
lol

InD_eeD

My little plush dolls! Nooo!

My little vodoo dolls! Frak, now the people they were intended for will now be in several pieces...

And now, because Darkside: Extermination has some annoying technicall difficulties (Its called fatigue. I've been writing Darkside for...two years? More ...I lost count. Its been a long time, thats whats important) and will be delayed for a bit.


So to placate the salivating masses, I've got a little commercial for you. Salivate over that while I work up the energy to write Darkside. Its hard, cause I'd much rather write the other stories, cause they are new and interesting and Darkside is getting stale to write. But I will still finish it...eventually. I hope. Maybe. Mostly. I hope.


The two silverbacks ran along the ridge, panting as they did so. The trees at their backs were spiked with snow, just like everything else, making the night seem all the colder. The first silverback stopped, skidding as he did so. "Daddy" the other said, panting, "I...think...I...need....a....rest".

The taller silverback smiled, turning to his daughter. "Don't worry Alexia" he said, "We're almost home"

"Daddy" Alexia pointed, "What is that?"

Steven turned around, looking at where his daughter pointed. The mountain ranges that were visible over the bay of Pigs that stretched between his home and the distant border between the motherland and the Reich. Steve peered, trying to pick out the sights that his daughter divined far easier then he.

Then he shook himself, feeling a chill that had nothing to do with the night run down his back. He started to run. After a few moments Alex ran after him, not asking why he was in such a hurry.

Joa stirred the pot, warm. And that was enough for her to be happy, seeing as how getting warm during winter in the Southlands was near impossible. It tickled her to think that only two years ago she would have rather charged a minefield with nothing more than a wig and a breast band then stir a pot, swaddle a baby and generally be 'the woman' of the household. Now those actions had become her life. She barely remembered how to swing a sword.

Then the door burst open and her husband and younger daughter burst in. "Joa" Steve gasped. "Mommy!" Alexia shouted, running forward. She hugged Joa around the middle, burying her face in Joa's shirt as she did so. Steve walked over his daughter, who was still only at Steve's waist. He kissed Joa, holding her close. Joa felt his cold, almost freezing, lips warm quick in contact with hers.

"Joa" Steve said, breaking the kiss, "I have some bad news..."

"What?" Joa asked, "Are the inspectors coming around again, or-"

"The Empire...The Reich is moving again" Steve said, "I saw the lights and the men on the mountains, visible even over the bay"

Joa stepped away from her husband. She turned around, hands going to her ears. She slipped the covers off, the ones that made her appear silverback. If anyone in the village noticed her tail almost never moved, they said nothing. She reached under the ------- sink, opening a hidden cabinet door. She slid a sword out, in the broad style of the Reich.

"Aufgabe zum Vaterland " she murmured in her native language, eyes closed. "Joa" Steve said, stepping forward, "You...you don't need to-"

"I have a duty" Joa said, striding to their closet. She pulled out a scabbard and strapped it to her waist. "Where is mommy going?" Alexia asked, looking at the false ears that lay on the floor. Joa slipped under her skirt and slipped her false tail off. "I'm going home...I suppose" she said, holding the cloth thing as if it were a valuable artifact. "I'm going home"

The War of the Rose