Post by David on Oct 13, 2012 9:13:13 GMT -6
WIP.
Sitting back on his command chair, William took a moment to reflect on the past couple of weeks. Certainly they had been a hell to endure, He had lost about 13 crewmen when the plasma torpedo gutted his ship. How William was still alive, He wasn't sure.
Grabbing a pad, William starting typing out a letter to his brother, Whom he hadn't spoken to since the war had broken out with the Covenant. He paused, pondering how he should open the letter and decided to keep it simple.
>>UNSC Communication, Low Priority Message<<
>>Sender: Fisher, William Admiral. SN: 05678-89564 WF<<
>>Receiver: Fisher, Fredrick. Civilian<<
**BEGIN MESSAGE**
Hello Fred,
It's been a while since our last communication. I feel guilty for it but things have been… busy. Between putting down insurrectionist attacks and shooting down Covenant destroyers, It's been hell.
Maybe I'm getting old, but it seems the more death I see, the harder it is to feel for them… I… god I feel like I'm loosing my humanity with each and every space battle. Every engagement, I loose someone. Whether it be a crewman, or a bridge officer… It's just so damned hard to keep up and mourn. It feels like I've become callous to the death and destruction around me.
Now, That's the bad parts though. Some days are good, Cruising through space, watching the stars go by, Looking at other worlds. There is indescribable beauty here as well. Other things, Like my bridge officers, watching them do their jobs, sharing in triumphs and mourning in disasters. I am blessed with an extraordinary crew.
But enough about me I suppose, I'm sure you don't want to listen to an old man wheeze and rattle at you. Hows that lovely wife of yours? Hows the kids? I haven't seen them in a long time. Hopefully they are doing well, Saw your last data stream of pictures, my have they gotten big.
At some point Fred, we should get together the next time I have shore leave. Until then however, my duty continues.
Stay well, Brother.
WIlliam.
**END MESSAGE**
>>MESSAGE SENT, CONFIRMED RECIEPT BY "FRED'S PAD"<<
Musing on the words he had just sent, William leaned back into his chair and closed his eyes. It had been a long day, Perhaps what he needed was a good nights sleep. Looking at his XO, William shrugged and grinned sheepishly.
"Im heading to bed. My thoughts are weary and frankly, so am I."
Nodding, his XO understood. "No worries sir, you've been on the bridge for 18 solid hours. I've got this. Go and eat something while your at it. Hear the galley's been cooking up something good."
Nodding, William stood up, stretching as he did so, wincing as his spine popped in 3 different places. Turning to his left, William headed towards the bridge exit and stopped. Looking around, William had to admit one thing. He was damned proud of his ship and his crew. If he died today, it would end the long line of service he gave and he would have no regrets.
Smiling, William headed off the bridge into the corridor. As if to punctuate his thoughts, He saw the pride reflected in the crewmen that ran around, effecting repairs and doing general maintenance. They all worked efficiently and lightly. No one was grumbling and everyone he saw had some trace of a smile on their face. Pride indeed.
William kept going, waving to the crewmen as he passed. He never put himself above them. He had been a crewmen once, remembering the long hours, low pay and difficult officers above him, but he wouldn't trade that life in for anything else.
Stopping by the cafeteria, William decided to treat himself to some of his own premium blend coffee. Tea was nice, but sometimes, even before bed, a coffee was in order. It helped to organize his thoughts.
As William poured in his creamer and sugar, He noticed that the marines stationed on the vessel were watching him. Raising an eyebrow, he walked over to them.
"Gentlemen. Ladies. Whats up?" asked William.
Standing at attention, the marines all saluted. William then waved them down with a dismissive gesture.
"At ease, no need to be super formal." said William.
"Thank you sir. Just wanted to let you know… that was a good fight you put up today. We're proud to have you at the helm." replied the sergeant.
Smiling, William felt a trickle of warmth spread to his cheeks. "Your welcome marine. but the credit isn't all mine. I have a fantastic crew and a great marine attachment." Willam replied.
Smiling, the marines stood again and saluted and in unison replied "THANK YOU SIR!"
Grinning, The admiral turned on his heel and spun in the opposite direction. Marines were a special breed of human. Highly loyal and just plain great people.
Heading back to his quarters, William went and sat at his desk. Sipping his coffee, he grabbed the discarded Data pad he had left there when he had been called to duty. On it was a letter from an Admiral Klix.
>>UNSC Communication,High Priority Message<<
>>Sender: Klix, Eric Admiral SN: 781265-321439-EK<<
>>Receiver: Fisher, William Admiral SN: 05678-89564 WF<<
**BEGIN TRANSMISSION**
Admiral.
My name is Eric Klix.
I understand that you are currently serving aboard the UNSCS Home Run. I am sad to announce that the ship you are on is going to be decommissioned until upgrades to it are complete.
Instead of giving you a desk job however, I am going to give you a new ship. Bigger. Better. Even has an AI that you can use.
I'll let you know the details when you come back to the barn. ONI will want to debrief you anyways.
Send me a reply. I know a good little restaurant on 5th street in the city of Dermstrang. I'll give you co-ordinates when you get here.
Perhaps Cigars and Brandy afterwards.
Until then, stay safe Admiral.
Klix.
**END TRANSMISSION**
Smiling, William put down the pad and drained the rest of his coffee. He then performed his nightly routine, and then went and laid down.
His last conscious thought before he drifted to sleep was Hope this Admiral likes Sweet Williams.
However, The smile that the Admiral went to bed with, quickly turned into a frown as his dream soon turned into a nightmare.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Flashback: Battle for New TerraFirma.
"REPORT!" bellowed William, the deck rattling beneath him.
"DAMAGE TO K DECK, MAC IS OFFLINE!" shouted Kim.
The situation had gone from bad to worse. William had received a distress call that the colony on TerraFirma was under attack from privateer forces. William had entered the system to find a captured UNSC vessel - The UNSCS PigglyWiggly, and that it was launching missiles at civilian craft attempting to leave the system, Most were civilian craft, some were pelicans, that were never designed for long-range space missions.
He had hailed the UNSC vessel and demanded that they stand down. Their response was a barrage of missiles launched at his ship, causing damage along his port side, breaching two sections where his armor was light.
William had then responded with a barrage of missiles aimed at the Engineering section, but the UNSC vessel had anticipated the move and had move to deflect most of the damage to its more armored sections, which told William that he was dealing with an experienced, possibly defected UNSC officer.
The PigglyWiggly then responded in kind with a mac round aimed at his ships Engineering section. Unfortunatly, William did not anticipate the same tactic, and he took a full mac round. Luckily the ship had drifted far enough that the MAC round missed the engineering hull but it did a lot of damage to the K Deck.
"MR. KIM, STATUS OF ENEMY SHIP!" William yelled over the whine of the hull stress.
"Engines intact, Their armor is down to 67%." Kim replied, the din finally winding down.
Steepling his fingers, William gave a quick thought to his next maneuver. It was a risky maneuver, and if he failed, it would destroy his ship.
"Helm" William said in an oddly calm voice. "Set course for 045 by 170. Declination 00.01. Maximum Speed."
Swivling around in his chair, the helmsman looked him wide eyed and said "Sir… that will bring us on a collision course…"
Glaring at the helmsman, William growled "You want to live boy? You follow my orders."
Gulping, the helmsman turned around and stammered "C..C..Course set. Aye"
Nodding, William felt a pang of regret for being short with his officer, If he had the time, he would explain the issue but as it stood, He needed to act, and act fast.
"Sound Collision Warning, evacuate forward decks!" said William, his voice straining to maintain control.
Nodding their comprehension, William then looked out the front view port at the enemy ship. The Captain may be able to anticipate MAC rounds, but he surely didn't think the Admiral would run them down.
Watching as the ship came closer and closer, William then looked at his Weapons officer. "Arm Missle Pods A through F. As soon as I give the order to nudge under, Fire at the Reactor area."
Nodding, The weapons officers fingers danced over her console. "Locked and ready."
"20 SECONDS TO IMPACT!" yelled his Helm Officer.
"Declination 45 Degrees, get us under that ship!" Yelled William.
Punching in the corrections, The Helm Officer shouted "Gonna be close!"
As the ship hurtled towards the enemy frigate, He saw the ship attempt to veer off. Too slow.
Suddenly, A horrendous shrieking noise resounded through the hull as the ship scraped the bottom of the UNSC ship, followed by resounding explosions caused by the Archer Missles Detonating.
"STATUS REPORT!" shouted William over the sound of shrieking metal.
"DIRECT HIT! ENEMY REACTOR GOING CRITICAL!" shouted the weapons officer.
"EMERGENCY STOP, FULL ABOUT!" replied William.
Suddenly the ship lurched as the emergency thrusters strained to reverse the ship. William was pushed further into his chair and then flung out when the ship lurched to a stop.
Picking himself up, William dusted himself off and sat back down.
"Open a channel to the enemy." commanded William, drawing himself up to his full height. "Holo Tank 2."
Soon the image of a bloodied face appeared, grimacing in pain. "So. It seems you have won this round…. Admiral."
"Damn right. Open your Comm Ports and prepare to surrender." William said, his voice full of authority and flair.
"No. I don't think so." replied the Captain, spitting out blood and grinning, making his already ugly face very gormless and inhuman.
Cutting the channel, The UNSC ship then exploded, rocking Williams ship, blowing out multiple systems.
The explosion was so intense it rocked the Admiral off his feet and sailed head first onto the floor. Then everything went black.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bolting upright, William awoke, sweating and breathing heavy. Stumbling over to his sink, He grabbed a drink of water and drained the glass, His hands shaking as he did so.
Taking a deep steadying breath, William calmed himself down and looked at the clock. He had been asleep for 6 hours. That was good enough for him.
Getting dressed, William then ventured out into the hall, the debris still on the floor. It was a sobering reminder of how close he had come to death.
Sitting back on his command chair, William took a moment to reflect on the past couple of weeks. Certainly they had been a hell to endure, He had lost about 13 crewmen when the plasma torpedo gutted his ship. How William was still alive, He wasn't sure.
Grabbing a pad, William starting typing out a letter to his brother, Whom he hadn't spoken to since the war had broken out with the Covenant. He paused, pondering how he should open the letter and decided to keep it simple.
>>UNSC Communication, Low Priority Message<<
>>Sender: Fisher, William Admiral. SN: 05678-89564 WF<<
>>Receiver: Fisher, Fredrick. Civilian<<
**BEGIN MESSAGE**
Hello Fred,
It's been a while since our last communication. I feel guilty for it but things have been… busy. Between putting down insurrectionist attacks and shooting down Covenant destroyers, It's been hell.
Maybe I'm getting old, but it seems the more death I see, the harder it is to feel for them… I… god I feel like I'm loosing my humanity with each and every space battle. Every engagement, I loose someone. Whether it be a crewman, or a bridge officer… It's just so damned hard to keep up and mourn. It feels like I've become callous to the death and destruction around me.
Now, That's the bad parts though. Some days are good, Cruising through space, watching the stars go by, Looking at other worlds. There is indescribable beauty here as well. Other things, Like my bridge officers, watching them do their jobs, sharing in triumphs and mourning in disasters. I am blessed with an extraordinary crew.
But enough about me I suppose, I'm sure you don't want to listen to an old man wheeze and rattle at you. Hows that lovely wife of yours? Hows the kids? I haven't seen them in a long time. Hopefully they are doing well, Saw your last data stream of pictures, my have they gotten big.
At some point Fred, we should get together the next time I have shore leave. Until then however, my duty continues.
Stay well, Brother.
WIlliam.
**END MESSAGE**
>>MESSAGE SENT, CONFIRMED RECIEPT BY "FRED'S PAD"<<
Musing on the words he had just sent, William leaned back into his chair and closed his eyes. It had been a long day, Perhaps what he needed was a good nights sleep. Looking at his XO, William shrugged and grinned sheepishly.
"Im heading to bed. My thoughts are weary and frankly, so am I."
Nodding, his XO understood. "No worries sir, you've been on the bridge for 18 solid hours. I've got this. Go and eat something while your at it. Hear the galley's been cooking up something good."
Nodding, William stood up, stretching as he did so, wincing as his spine popped in 3 different places. Turning to his left, William headed towards the bridge exit and stopped. Looking around, William had to admit one thing. He was damned proud of his ship and his crew. If he died today, it would end the long line of service he gave and he would have no regrets.
Smiling, William headed off the bridge into the corridor. As if to punctuate his thoughts, He saw the pride reflected in the crewmen that ran around, effecting repairs and doing general maintenance. They all worked efficiently and lightly. No one was grumbling and everyone he saw had some trace of a smile on their face. Pride indeed.
William kept going, waving to the crewmen as he passed. He never put himself above them. He had been a crewmen once, remembering the long hours, low pay and difficult officers above him, but he wouldn't trade that life in for anything else.
Stopping by the cafeteria, William decided to treat himself to some of his own premium blend coffee. Tea was nice, but sometimes, even before bed, a coffee was in order. It helped to organize his thoughts.
As William poured in his creamer and sugar, He noticed that the marines stationed on the vessel were watching him. Raising an eyebrow, he walked over to them.
"Gentlemen. Ladies. Whats up?" asked William.
Standing at attention, the marines all saluted. William then waved them down with a dismissive gesture.
"At ease, no need to be super formal." said William.
"Thank you sir. Just wanted to let you know… that was a good fight you put up today. We're proud to have you at the helm." replied the sergeant.
Smiling, William felt a trickle of warmth spread to his cheeks. "Your welcome marine. but the credit isn't all mine. I have a fantastic crew and a great marine attachment." Willam replied.
Smiling, the marines stood again and saluted and in unison replied "THANK YOU SIR!"
Grinning, The admiral turned on his heel and spun in the opposite direction. Marines were a special breed of human. Highly loyal and just plain great people.
Heading back to his quarters, William went and sat at his desk. Sipping his coffee, he grabbed the discarded Data pad he had left there when he had been called to duty. On it was a letter from an Admiral Klix.
>>UNSC Communication,High Priority Message<<
>>Sender: Klix, Eric Admiral SN: 781265-321439-EK<<
>>Receiver: Fisher, William Admiral SN: 05678-89564 WF<<
**BEGIN TRANSMISSION**
Admiral.
My name is Eric Klix.
I understand that you are currently serving aboard the UNSCS Home Run. I am sad to announce that the ship you are on is going to be decommissioned until upgrades to it are complete.
Instead of giving you a desk job however, I am going to give you a new ship. Bigger. Better. Even has an AI that you can use.
I'll let you know the details when you come back to the barn. ONI will want to debrief you anyways.
Send me a reply. I know a good little restaurant on 5th street in the city of Dermstrang. I'll give you co-ordinates when you get here.
Perhaps Cigars and Brandy afterwards.
Until then, stay safe Admiral.
Klix.
**END TRANSMISSION**
Smiling, William put down the pad and drained the rest of his coffee. He then performed his nightly routine, and then went and laid down.
His last conscious thought before he drifted to sleep was Hope this Admiral likes Sweet Williams.
However, The smile that the Admiral went to bed with, quickly turned into a frown as his dream soon turned into a nightmare.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Flashback: Battle for New TerraFirma.
"REPORT!" bellowed William, the deck rattling beneath him.
"DAMAGE TO K DECK, MAC IS OFFLINE!" shouted Kim.
The situation had gone from bad to worse. William had received a distress call that the colony on TerraFirma was under attack from privateer forces. William had entered the system to find a captured UNSC vessel - The UNSCS PigglyWiggly, and that it was launching missiles at civilian craft attempting to leave the system, Most were civilian craft, some were pelicans, that were never designed for long-range space missions.
He had hailed the UNSC vessel and demanded that they stand down. Their response was a barrage of missiles launched at his ship, causing damage along his port side, breaching two sections where his armor was light.
William had then responded with a barrage of missiles aimed at the Engineering section, but the UNSC vessel had anticipated the move and had move to deflect most of the damage to its more armored sections, which told William that he was dealing with an experienced, possibly defected UNSC officer.
The PigglyWiggly then responded in kind with a mac round aimed at his ships Engineering section. Unfortunatly, William did not anticipate the same tactic, and he took a full mac round. Luckily the ship had drifted far enough that the MAC round missed the engineering hull but it did a lot of damage to the K Deck.
"MR. KIM, STATUS OF ENEMY SHIP!" William yelled over the whine of the hull stress.
"Engines intact, Their armor is down to 67%." Kim replied, the din finally winding down.
Steepling his fingers, William gave a quick thought to his next maneuver. It was a risky maneuver, and if he failed, it would destroy his ship.
"Helm" William said in an oddly calm voice. "Set course for 045 by 170. Declination 00.01. Maximum Speed."
Swivling around in his chair, the helmsman looked him wide eyed and said "Sir… that will bring us on a collision course…"
Glaring at the helmsman, William growled "You want to live boy? You follow my orders."
Gulping, the helmsman turned around and stammered "C..C..Course set. Aye"
Nodding, William felt a pang of regret for being short with his officer, If he had the time, he would explain the issue but as it stood, He needed to act, and act fast.
"Sound Collision Warning, evacuate forward decks!" said William, his voice straining to maintain control.
Nodding their comprehension, William then looked out the front view port at the enemy ship. The Captain may be able to anticipate MAC rounds, but he surely didn't think the Admiral would run them down.
Watching as the ship came closer and closer, William then looked at his Weapons officer. "Arm Missle Pods A through F. As soon as I give the order to nudge under, Fire at the Reactor area."
Nodding, The weapons officers fingers danced over her console. "Locked and ready."
"20 SECONDS TO IMPACT!" yelled his Helm Officer.
"Declination 45 Degrees, get us under that ship!" Yelled William.
Punching in the corrections, The Helm Officer shouted "Gonna be close!"
As the ship hurtled towards the enemy frigate, He saw the ship attempt to veer off. Too slow.
Suddenly, A horrendous shrieking noise resounded through the hull as the ship scraped the bottom of the UNSC ship, followed by resounding explosions caused by the Archer Missles Detonating.
"STATUS REPORT!" shouted William over the sound of shrieking metal.
"DIRECT HIT! ENEMY REACTOR GOING CRITICAL!" shouted the weapons officer.
"EMERGENCY STOP, FULL ABOUT!" replied William.
Suddenly the ship lurched as the emergency thrusters strained to reverse the ship. William was pushed further into his chair and then flung out when the ship lurched to a stop.
Picking himself up, William dusted himself off and sat back down.
"Open a channel to the enemy." commanded William, drawing himself up to his full height. "Holo Tank 2."
Soon the image of a bloodied face appeared, grimacing in pain. "So. It seems you have won this round…. Admiral."
"Damn right. Open your Comm Ports and prepare to surrender." William said, his voice full of authority and flair.
"No. I don't think so." replied the Captain, spitting out blood and grinning, making his already ugly face very gormless and inhuman.
Cutting the channel, The UNSC ship then exploded, rocking Williams ship, blowing out multiple systems.
The explosion was so intense it rocked the Admiral off his feet and sailed head first onto the floor. Then everything went black.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bolting upright, William awoke, sweating and breathing heavy. Stumbling over to his sink, He grabbed a drink of water and drained the glass, His hands shaking as he did so.
Taking a deep steadying breath, William calmed himself down and looked at the clock. He had been asleep for 6 hours. That was good enough for him.
Getting dressed, William then ventured out into the hall, the debris still on the floor. It was a sobering reminder of how close he had come to death.
