Whats Hot!

The Purifiers

September 05, 2015


Most Useful

Reference Scrolls

May 05, 2015


Need Help?

Checkout the Sitemap

September 05, 2015


Intruder: Segment Five

The control deck was in shambles. Fried circuits flashed everywhere. Between the attacks of the creature and the spread of laser fire from the canister, there was almost no one left alive on the command deck. Lokkash got up from behind his hiding spot. Somehow, even though he was the closest to the attack, he survived. He did not come out of it unscathed though. His wounds were severe, the most serious of which was the loss of his left arm causing his black blood to soak through his uniform.

Despite his injuries, he was thankful to be alive. Had it not been for the fact his hiding spot was a few inches lower than where he placed the canister he probably wouldn't have survived at all. He looked for any sign of the creature, but saw none other than the pile of dull brown ashes. With a sigh of relief, he slithered over to the console to deactivate the Nova Device. He moved slowly, but it was difficult for him to move any faster at the moment.

When he finally got there he suddenly dropped to the floor, tears streaking down his face. One of the laser blasts that went through the specialized alloy penetrated the console to deactivate the Nova Device. There was no way to stop it now. He slammed his fist into the ground. After everything they had been through, after all the pain and sacrifices, none of it mattered. Everyone on the ship was going to of all their effort regardless. And now, it was all for nothing.

Lokkash screamed out, "Why?! Why is this happening?" For the first time in his life, he felt truly powerless. If they had more time perhaps they could rig a new control panel to cancel the countdown, but there was only seconds left before the Nova Device activated. Soon, it would all come to an abrupt end. It was pointless for him to try and even resist any longer.

He leaned against the broken control panel and prepared to accept death. Without conscious thought, he started to laugh out loud. He didn't want to, but he couldn't help it. It was the morbid sense of humor that seemed inherent in al their leaders. Whether it was some odd coincidence or something genetic, it didn't really matter at that moment. After all the effort of trying to find a weakness in the creature, soldier after soldier dying futilely to stop it, and finally after defeating it they were all going to die because of a broken console. It was truly hilarious. His laughter filled the command deck.

The sensors officer stared at him. He understood what the captain was going through. It was an odd defeat to say the least. However, he managed to stay poised and dignified as he prepared to meet his end. Despite the end result, he regretted nothing. Their sacrifice would still allow their people to live on. That made his death worth it, even if it wasn't completely necessary any longer. That fact didn't matter. He was proud of all that they had accomplished.




Down on the planet, Speaker Ish Lani and Ambassador Tuubarz stand in one of the science stations in Patarus. The objective of this particular science station was to typically monitor planetary disturbances such as the occasional groundshaker or other potential problem. Once it was discovered, measures were either taken to prevent the disturbance or to at least prepare as best as possible. However, on this day its purpose was something rather different.

After receiving the report of the intruder on the Koororant, Ish Lani and Tuubarz decided to head there for the sake of trying to view the situation below. Their resources were limited under the circumstances, but no science stations dealing with the observation of space were in the immediate vicinity. Due to time restraints, they had to make due with what they could get.

There had been no further message from the Koororant since the last message of Lokkash. Little did they know that not long after Lokkash sent the other message, the intruder and ruined off ship communications making it impossible for contact to the planet. The situation was looking rather grim from the surface. However, with the help of Tuubarz the Ashralli science station was able to scan the Koororant for signs of power build ups. He had informed them of the particular signatures or two, the first being the main cannon and the second being the Nova Device.

Neither the speaker nor the ambassador had spoken in some time. Their lingering silent presence was making some of the scientist uneasy. Ont Kian was one in particular that found their silence unsettling. First there was the strange alien ambassador who scared him just by his menacing appearance. Perhaps even more nerve racking was the man standing with the alien, Speaker Ish. Kian had heard stories about the speaker, none of which he liked the thought of.

He only wished something would happen to break the awkward moment. In the moments to come, he regretted ever wishing it. Though he knew he didn't have the power of the gods to make it come true, he felt as if his wish had brought the bad omen. "Sirs," spoke Kian, "We're getting a power reading. It's ..." He paused in grief. Shortly thereafter though he regained his composure and finished the report, "It's the Nova Device. It's powering up and it looks to be in its final phases already."

There was a great sadness upon the heart of Ish Lani. He turned to the ambassador to offer a few words, but the ambassador was already slithering away. Ish Lani decided that perhaps it was best to give the ambassador some time alone to grieve the loss of his people. However, Tuubarz did not travel far before stopping and turning to Ish Lani. The ambassador asked, "Where is the nearest terminal for interstellar communications? I need to send a message."

Ish Lani responded, "There is one in the Royal Temple. I'll take you there."

Tuubarz nodded in agreement and then the two left. As they exit the room, Kian noticed a sudden change in the power reading. He looked up to inform the ambassador or the speaker. By the time he looked though, both were already gone. Quickly he motioned over one of the techs there on standby duty only. "I need you to hurry up and locate the Entkari ambassador and Speaker Ish. When you find them, tell them that ..."




The laughter of Lokkash finally began to settle down as he regained a bit of composure. His morbid sense of humor began to change into curiosity. He was still in one piece. After so much time had passed it could only mean one thing, for some reason the Nova Device didn't go off. It seemed as if perhaps there was still some luck left for him and his people. Lokkash turned to his sensors officer whose silver eyes appeared to twinkle at the moment. "Well, looks like the powers that be were watching out for us today."

The sensors officer smiled, "That they did."

There moment of relief was short lived though. The entire ship began to lurch as it felt as if something was pulling on it. Then a small fragment of the gel-like creature sprung out of one of the computer consoles. It was a miniature version of its old self, now only about the size of a large marble used in children's games. Quickly it maneuvered along the floor of the command deck as it made its way towards its next intended victim, Lokkash.

The creature did not move in a straight line, but darted from side to side as it continued forward. This made it difficult to take close aim at the still fast creature. Lokkash fired at it rapidly with the laser pistol he usually wore at his side. However the creature was too fast, agile, and unpredictable to hit. As it was almost on top of him, it leaped into the air at him. It was too late for Lokkash to react. He was at its mercy, which it clearly did not have.

As it was about to make contact with Lokkash for its attack, the creature suddenly dispersed into small dust. The dust landed on the face of Lokkash, but he seemed unhurt. It was the sensors officer which had saved Lokkash. He had managed to pick up one of the weapons from one of his dead crewmates and fired it at the last moment before it hit his captain. It was this single shot which seemed to finally have defeated the intruder. Due to its small size, it wasn't able to reshape its body like before to avoid the blast.

Lokkash coughed as some of the dust had gotten into his mouth. It was unsettling that the remains of this creature were on him, but he did not have time to think about it. More importantly, he had to try and discover what the creature did to make the ship lurch like it did. He slithered over to the navigations console. Apparently, the creature had reprogrammed the course of the Koororant for a collision with Elarri.

As quickly as he could, Lokkash entered in new coordinates for the Koororant. However the console refused to accept them. It seemed that the creature somehow managed to lock out access to the navigation system while it had remained hidden within the console. If he had to guess, it was the intruder which deactivated the Nova Device for the sake of crashing the entire ship into the planet instead.

He tried to repeatedly to override the coordinates, but his attempts were futile. At a best estimate he could make, there was only five more minutes before the Koororant would collide with the surface. Long before that though, the ship's proximity would start to cause massive disturbances on the planet. Given more time, he could get a specialist to remove the system lockout. However with the limited time available, he was reliant upon his abilities and those of the sensors officer.




Lokkash knew things looked grim at the moment, but he was not prepared to give up yet. One of the many reasons he was made captain was his ability to think well under pressure. It wasn't the easiest under the circumstances, he had little sleep and he had spent a lot of energy trying to finish the weapon on time. Right now his head was pounding and it was difficult for him to think clearly.

The sensors officer watched Lokkash act, but stood quiet as not to disturb his captain's concentration. He didn't want to give up either, but he sadly knew that he was not as good under pressure, and even given more time the situation was not in his area of training. In order to be captain though, one had to be well versed in all the positions of the ship. This allowed the captain to understand what everyone else could do and make better judgments who was best prepared for what.

Finally Lokkash began to move. It looked as if he was forming a plan of some sort. He made his way over to the weapons console. The sensors officer stared on trying to figure out the captain's plan. There was an admiration in his eyes as he watched the captain continue to struggle to overcome the odds. His admiration soon turned to worry though as he saw the captain start to charge up the main cannon.

The sensors officer pushed a few keys on a nearby console which allowed him to take a closer view of what the captain was doing. However, the computer console he was at had no power over the weapons systems and he could do little more than observe for the moment. What he saw next troubled him even greater. The coordinates the captain was entering was in the direction of the planet. Though the complete coordinates had not yet been entered in, it was not looking good.

With the last shot, the sensors officer thought he had destroyed the creature. Now he began to wonder though. The creature had turned into dust after its last hit. Perhaps it was possible though that the creature still managed to survive even in such a small form that appeared as little more than ashes. Earlier it had taken control of the computer console by entering into it. He wondered if it might be possible it could have done the same to the captain.

The sensors officer readied his weapon again. If it was controlling the captain, he would have to do his best to still stop it. He tried his best to hold back and wait to make sure he was right. Not until he knew for sure the captain was targeting the planet would he fire. It was only seconds more until the main cannon would be fully charged. Those few seconds though felt as if it took an eternity for the sensors officer. In those seconds, possibilities turned in his mind and the fact that he may be forced to kill his captain weighed heavily upon him.

Lokkash mumbled as he worked at the weapons console. He was trying hard to figure something out, but his mind was clouded making it difficult for him to concentrate. If he could only focus, it would be much easier. However, things were rarely easy and this moment was no exception. "Come on! Think!" The comment was shouted out loud to himself. Then, in a moment of clarity, the rest of it came together in his mind. He entered in the final coordinates.

As the main cannon became fully charged, the coordinates appeared on the console of the sensors officer. It was close to the planet, very close, but it was actually aimed into empty space. The captain's motivations didn't seem clear, but the sensors officer decided not to interfere as he appeared to be no threat to the planet yet. Then, the main cannon fired.

The blast from the main cannon streaked through the outer atmosphere of Elarri as it continued on into the vastness of space. The Koororant lurched again from the blast. In order to be fully effective, the ship cannot be moving under its power. This is because the force of the main cannon will have a counter effect on the ship if not properly balanced. While stationary, or moving under inertia, the ship's power systems can be used to offset this effect.

With the ship being pushed back by its main cannon, it helped to alter the course. It wasn't much, but helped the Koororant to fall into a decaying orbit over the planet. Some spots may still be cast in darkness and there could still be some planetary disasters due to its proximity, but it gave them time. Now they could probably get someone to regain control of the navigation system.

Lokkash collapsed against the console. He was still semiconscious, but his body was giving out on him. His injuries were taking their toll on him and the massive blood loss was making it difficult to keep his eyes open. It didn't seem like he was going to make it, but he had given everyone else time. Though he may have sacrificed his life for it, he has given his son and his grandson a chance for a new life. That was all that mattered to him at that moment.




As Lokkash lay hunched over the console half dead, the sensors officer slithered over to him. He had no medical treatment to offer, but the least he could do is be at his captain's side as he passed on. He had proven a worthy leader. No, a great leader would have been more accurate, and he deserved to have someone at his side as he prepared to exit this life. It was the custom of his people.

Lokkash gave way to the fatigue and pain, no longer trying to hold on now that he had accomplished his goal. He looked up at the sensors officer. The sensors officer looked down at him with pride and smiled. Then the sensors officer suddenly fell back and went limp. There was a laser blast between his eyes which killed him instantly. He floated off the ground and into the air.

Lokkash then released his grip of the weapon he had in his hands as he laughed. The laugh was not the usual morbid laugh of the captain, but this one had more of the element of insanity to it. That was his final act in this life. His laughter still echoed through the command deck as the Koororant detonated. The Nova Device had not been deactivated by the intruder, merely delayed.

As the Koororant was destroyed, a beautiful green dust twinkled as it floated down in the atmosphere along with several pieces of debris. Fragments of the once great ship soared across the sky of Elarri. Had it not been for the fact that it was such a tragic loss, it may have been a beautiful sight.

Many of the fragments flew further into space, others burned up in the atmosphere, however many still slammed into the surface of the planet below. Large craters formed from some of the impacts and large tidal waves were created by some of the fragments landing in its waters. The planet would still suffer the horrible effects of the day for a long to come, but the planet itself did survive.




The blast from the main cannon of the Koororant shook the enemy vessel. It was a near miss, but the shockwave of the blast still caused some minor malfunctions. The most notable was that the holo-masking system had been damaged. Tech crews were fast at trying to repair it so they could go back to disguising their ship as part of the asteroid and debris belt they were hiding in.

Onboard, the one in charge watched as the situation unfolded. His clawed hand scratches along the panel he was tapping only moments ago. "Doctor," he says in a frustrated tone. "That was too close for comfort. Your experiment almost destroyed the entire planet."

The doctor replied, "I am sorry, my --" He never finished the line as he was put to death on the spot for his failure.

The one in charge turned to another of the crew, "And what of you? Will you share his fate?"

The female he turned to responded, "His failure was his own. That experiment died with the Entkari vessel and that disgrace on the floor. According to our readings, his experiment did at least manage to implement the next phase of our plan. We should see results soon."

"For your sake, let us hope you are right." That was the only response the leader gave.


[end segment five]