An old friend now enemy...
14 Sep 2022Fallharbor
Location: Unknown: Hecate's Rest
Date:
Vidal Fallharbor waited for the machine to finish pouring the fresh cup of coffee. They leaned against the wall looking out the window into the void of space lost in the sounds of the carrier's hum. The coffee machine played it's short jingle once done and snapped Vidal out of their trance like state. They grabbed the coffee and walked over to sit on the couch by the window. Vidal took a sip of their coffee and picked up the data tablet off the table. They looked over the news of the last few weeks from around the bubble, news from within the carrier and their TCON allies and finally, all the reports available from commanders and Canonn on the incoming UIA. A lot had happened in the last two months Vidal thought to themselves as they placed down the tablet and looked out the window again. They sunk into the couch and sipped their coffee as the hum of the carrier took their mind to the past...
Location: T Tauri: Hecate's Rest
Date: 15 July 3308
A black mamba striped with red pulsating energy and adorned with spikes, jumped into the carrier's local space and began a slow approach. After various calls to identify, the only call sign received from the ship is “Venganza” as various other ships jumped in to follow. Before the carrier could deploy security, the incoming ships all began to fire and fly straight towards the landing pads.
Vidal stood infront of the large holo deck in the Communications Room with Aurelia, Jenn, and Martin flanking them in the shadows. Their faces all lit up as the crimson lights of the alarms began to flash. Aurelia and Jenn looked to each other and then Vidal who nodded before they left the room. Vidal turned to face callers on the holo deck with a smile. "Forgive us but something has come up. Director, it was a pleasure speaking and unfortunate we could not come to an agreement. Archon Krynesur, we shall see you soon" Vidal said to thecallers before giving a slight bow and ending the call. They started to move towards the door before Martin stopped them. “Mije, algo se siente raro. Cuídate...” Martin says before letting go of Vidal's shoulder. Vidal nodded and ran out the room towards the command center. They stumbled form the carrier taking damage as they walked over to sit in their seat.
"Status!"
"Multipleships firing on us from all sides!" Aurelia reported from the chair below.
"I can't get a team out without them getting instantly obliterated! We're taking heavy damage!" Jenn continued from the seat next to Aurelia.
Suddenly, static came through the comms channel before a familiar voice spoke. "Hello, Aurelia...I hope you've taken good care of my carrier while I've been away. I think it's time I return to its command" the voice said through the comms. Aurelia turned slowly to Vidal with a look of horror. Vidal met Aurelia's eyes and gave her a reassuring nod before responding.
"Amara? Is that you?"
"Commander Almaflayer now, Vidal" the voice responded as the black and red mamba positioned itself right in front of the glass of the command deck, close enough to see each other. "How wonderful it is to see you. I see you're keeping my seat warm. Just stay right there. I'll be right in and we can...catch up," Amara said with a smirk as she fired on the command center and flew out of sight in the flash of the shields.
"Oh no...They're..." Aurelia began before she was interuppted by the carrier taking damage. Jenn jumped out of her seat and ran towards the lifts. "I want all security units at the hangars and the concourse lifts. Lockdown passage to any other areas of the carrier and evacuate all unarmed residents from the hangars, now!" she yelled into her wrist comms as the lift doors closed.
"Aurelia what is it?" Vidal asked turning back to Aurelia who typed and swiped feverishly on her data pad and the carrier's console.
"They're trying to get into the carrier. They're forcing their ways on to the pads!" she yelled.
Vidal sighed and opened a wide band communications channel. "Amara, you don't need to do this. We can talk this out" they said but only received silence in return. "Aurelia, you have the bridge. Lock the lift behind me" Vidal said as they got up and walked into the lift. Aurelia stood to face them with worried eyes and attempted to let out a plea. "It'll be ok..." Vidal said before she could let out a word and the lift doors closed.
The doors opened to the concourse and Vidal ran out towards the hangar lifts passing the heavy security detail. While waiting for another lift a mechanic reported to them that they succeeded in preventing most of the pads from lowering but three ships forced their way in, the black mamba being one. Vidal squeezed the mechanic's shoulder and smiled, thanking them for their work before they entered the lift towards the mamba. The doors opened to a team of ten guards pointing their guns at the mamba as it lowered on a groaning pad. Vidal ran in with tormentor in hand and took cover behind a crate. The pad lowered into place and at the bottom of the Mamba's lift stood Amara, sniper rilfe in hand. Using the low gravity she jumped and backflipped on to the top of Mamba before immediately falling prone. The ship's shields flahsed absorbing the fire from Vidal and the security forces as Amara took out three guards.
"Everyone take cover!" Vidal ordered getting back behind the crate. The sounds of the guns reloading along with plasma burning metal echo'd through the hangar as Amara continued to take shots at the team.
"Vidaaaal," Amara began with a singsony shout, "hiding won't get rid of me you know...I'm sure my people have already taken out your other security. They should be coming through those doors very soon."
Vidal signaled the remaining security near them to stay down and keep an eye on the lifts before taking a deep breathe to look over the crate. Plasma sizzled next to their face as they barely dodged an incoming shot. "You're the only one here, Amara! Most of your people are stuck outside and whoever got in is being taken out by my security chief who's a much better shot than you!" Two shots hit the front of the Vidal's crate before they got up and ran for the Mamba. Vidal shot at Amara hoping to ship's shield would distract her but she gets two out at Vidal before they slide under the ship. "N-nice shot there, Amara. Almost as good as Jenn's..." Vidal yelled, whispering the last part to themselves. As Amara began to reload, the security team opened fire on her while Vidal climbed up the back of the ship. Amara fired on the security team attempting to take out more but stops when she felt a thump on the back of her helmet. "Your anger was always-" Vidal began before Amara swiped Vidal's legs from under them. She brandished a knife and straddled them, her crimson hair swayed slowly in place as her helmet restracted. A smiled crossed both their faces while Vidal struggled to hold the knife back from slitting their throat and the Tormentor pressed against her chest.
"You've gotten better, Vidal...and the beard suits you" Amara said attempting to push the knife against their throat.
"Amara...stop this...let's just...talk-" Vidal struggled to say as the knife drew closer to their neck with no regard to the gun on her chest. "P-please...Amara..."
Amara continued to put whatever weight she could on knife, her suit's magnets pulling her towards the ship. Vidal let go of the Tormentor and used both arms to stop her. With the aid of their cybernetic arm, Vidal began to push her back. Amara's eyes grew wide as she struggled before smiling, "Well, that's no fair."
Vidal's wrist comms suddenly chirped and Aurelia's voice came through, "Vidal...we...most of their ships are stuck outside and.." She sounded distressed and hesitant to speak. "I've been notified that we can bypass some safety and...we can jump the ship to get away! We'll sustain some-"
"Do it!" Vidal interrupted using their nose to engage the wrist comms. The hum of the FSD spooling echo'd throughout the hangar moments later. "You're gonna let all those people out there die?" Vidal said to Amara continuing to push back.
Amara scoffed as she struggled to bring the knife down on Vidal. "They know what they signed up for...and it's not like you would."
"Right now, I only care about the people of this carrier. Back off now and you'll all get out of this alive..."
"I'll kill you before the jump!" Amara exclaimed as she struggled to bury the knife into Vidal. Vidal waited for the right moment to use Amara's strength against her allowing the knife to come down but shifted her hand at the last moment. The knife scraped the ship right next to Vidal's head before they pushed her off to the side and rolled off the Mamba taking the sniper rilfe with them. "Damn you Vidal!" Amara yelled as she turned to fire on them with her pistol.
"Cover me!" Vidal shouted running towards the lifts to take cover. Amara fell prone once more as the shields flashed from incoming fire. "Hold fire!" Vidal ordered slidding into cover. They took deep breathes to calm themselves before standing to face Amara. "You've only two choices! Leave or die in Witch-Space!" Vidal lifted his wrist comms to speak, "All troops fall back. Confirm evac of hangars when done."
Amara stared at Vidal down the barrel of her gun as they looked back towards her. "What's it going to be? You don't have much time left!" they shouted at her. She held her aim as she considered her options. After a few moments the chirp of Vidal's comms snapped her full attention back to her enemies.
"Evac complete, First Archon" a voice echo'd from Vidal's comms. "Fall back to the lifts and leave the hangar," Vidal ordered the forces there with them. The remaining team nodded and slowly fell back never taking their aim off Amara. Eventually only Vidal and Amara were left in the hangar. Amara stood, jumped down infront of the Mamba and began to walk towards Vidal with her pistol steadly aimed at their head. Vidal lifted their wrist once more and shouted, "Open all hangar bays!"
"But Vidal-" Aurelia began to plead before Vidal interuptted, "Just do it!"
Amara narrowed her eyes suspicously before her helmet engaged as the hangar began to decompress and the doors above opened. She looked back to Vidal and grimaced.
"You don't have much time, Amara!" Vidal said through their helmet's comms.
"Shit" Amara cursed under her breathe before shouting orders of retreat to her people. She walked and eventually jumped backwards up the Mamba's lift occassionally shooting towards Vidal's general direction. "I'll find you Vidal! This isn't the end! I'll find you and take back what's mine!" she shouted through the local comms as the Mamba came to life.
Vidal ran towards the lifts and looked back to see the Mamba fly away as the carrier counted down from five. "Keep! Over ride the lift's safety! Get me to the concourse!" Vidal pled to their AI friend. The lift doors closed and the carrier groaned as it entered the void of Witch-Space. Outside, the Mamba and a few other ships manuvered their way to safety while those that didn't were violently pulled into the thunderous void with the carrier.