Writing Firespark: An OB Fanfic [PG-VL]

[Ikillion]

[COLOR=DarkSlateGray][SIZE=1][FONT=Comic Sans MS]Hurrah! I get a part, { Insert boring award winning speech here } What can I say though? Mystery and Sci-Fi are my favorite kinds of books. It would almost be a crime if I DIDN'T post in this. Yes but anywho I appreciate you adding me to the whole crew and such. Just the job I would have wanted if I couldnt have all the guns...all the stuff that goes boom in the night..

Yes and yet you played my character perfectly, espically with the grenade. Me likes the things that go boom. Yet now.. You only leave me with the though of what a cool explosion that would actually be ;_ ;

Yet I still really hate cliffhangers...so I will have to sit and wait..for now..[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]

[Blayze]

[center][size=1][u][b]Chapter VIII: The Pit[/b][/u][/size]
[/center]
[size=1]
The ship's landing jets cooled as they touched down on a run-down space-station. This was a place Blayze would rather not be, but he felt he couldn't help it.

The Pit was a market of sorts. Primarily it was a slave market, trading slaves from across the universe in a single place, far from any government control. It was far from legal, but it was...overlooked...due to generous donations from the owners.

But the crew of the Firespark were not here for slaves. They were here for something much more valuable, that only operated in a specialised portion of the market. Because the second major source of income for the owners of The Pit was a reliable trade in mercenaries.

Bounty hunters, rogues, and all others from the criminal hall of fame congregated here on this single space-station, to challenge each other for the most profitable ventures. It was a cut-throat trade, with many of the winners being cut down in their quarters moments before they were supposed to depart on their latest mission.

[b]"Avoid the slave pits,"[/b] murmured Blayze as he got off the ship, [b]"We need to head straight for the mercenaries. But tread carefully, and stick with your partners."[/b] He received nodded replies from the rest of the crew, [b]"Ikillion, you're with me."[/b]

As the captain and the mechanic split off from the rest of the group, and headed swiftly towards the mercenaries.

[b]"I'm sorry, kid, The Pit isn't exactly the most glamourous first mission you could ask for. But we have something to do that needs to be done."[/b]

[b]"And what exactly is that?"[/b][/size][size=1] replied the young man, cleverly avoiding a strange, fish-shaped object that was pushed at him by a vendor.

[b]"We need a mercenary. They're good fighters, which we'll need after destroying the Grandice, and they're expendable, to a certain extent. If we need to, we can leave them to the government and get the hell out of there. We used to have a couple aboard, but they both got arrested."

"And you just let them?"

"Yeah, pretty much. The police generally can't get them for much, other than maybe possession of arms, but that's a pretty minor crime in this day and age."

"So they just end up back here?"

"No, most of them can't work as mercs any more. The police keep them on record, and its pretty much a case of them never being able to find work again."

"Oh."

"Here we are,"[/b] said Blayze, gesturing grandly to a large, stadium-style arena that stood in front of them. Like everything here, it was covered in mould, and looked as though it was about to fall apart. There was a crudely-made sign hanging above the entrance that read: [b]"Mercenaries."[/b]

The captain strode in, with the mechanic tagging along behind. The arena was packed with people, easily over a thousand in one place. The main auction was occuring down below where the captain stood, in a central pit.

[b]"Ladies and gentlemen,"[/b] boomed an amplified voice, [b]"The auction begins! The first up is a mighty bounty hunter...the wonderfully high-priced...Sakura!"[/b]

A young woman strode out onto the platform, her short brown hair shimmering slightly in the breeze.
[b]
"A spirited young fighter, armed with many forms of bladed throwing weapon, a must for anyone needing protection! Shall we start the bidding at one thousand credits?"[/b] said the auctioneer. Hands went up all over the arena.

Soon enough, Sakura had been bought by a wealthy business magnate looking for protection. The next few went past without Blayze even bidding.

[b]"Oh come on, Captain, Kitty wasn't that bad,"[/b] groaned Ikillion.

[b]"She was too much of a little girl, and besides, you need to put your eyes back in. A girl like that could break you in two before you even realise she's got you,"[/b] replied the captain.

"Well, some of the others would have done fine."
[b]
"Well we don't need fine, we need exceptional. Extraordinary. We don't need any normal mercs. We need the main attraction. Look, here we go."[/b]

Another auction began, and the auctioneer announced:

[b]"This mercenary is our main attraction. The best bounty hunter this side of the Milky Way. Allow me to present...Ms Ozymandius Jones!"

"Ozymandius Jones? You're bidding for her?"

"What? You heard of her?"

"She was the second most wanted person in the galaxy, after you of course. She's committed so many crimes its almost impossible to count them all."

"But she still hasn't been caught, and that's why she's the best."

"Let bidding start at fourteen thousand credits! I see fourteen thousand! I see fifteen thousand! Eighteen...nineteen thousand...twenty!"[/b]

Blayze did not put his hand up.

[b]"Um...I thought you wanted to bid for this woman. Aren't you going to?"[/b] asked Ikillion nervously.
[b]
"Just wait..."[/b] replied the captain.

Ozy stood, looking rather smug as the bids went higher and higher.

[b]"I see thirty-two thousand! Anyone higher than thirty-two thousand? Anyone at all? Going once, going twice..."

"Thirty-five thousand!"[/b] shouted Blayze, sticking his hand high into the air.

[b]"I have thirty-five thousand. Going once...going twice...sold to the man with the expensive taste!"

"You just spent thirty-five thousand credits on a bounty hunter? That's insane!"[/b] exclaimed Ikillion.
[b]
"That's nothing. I have over 12 million from the bullion ship raid. That's the life of a space pirate. It's barely scratched the surface of my savings."
[/b]
Blayze paid for Ozy's services, and then the three of them walked back to the ship. Ozy was silent, not wanting to say anything to her new clients. Blayze and Ikillion chatted lazily.

------

A dark, silent figure stole from one stall to another, dark cloak flapping out behind. It saw the three people walking from the Mercenary Arena back to the docking bay, and drew a weapon.

A sight equipped with night-vision honed in on them, and a long, pale finger squeezed the trigger...

------

WHOOSH! THUD!

Ozy was down, a long crossbow bolt through her chest. She slumped to her knees, blood pouring from the wound, and another bolt struck her in almost the same place. She gasped, a trickle of blood leaking from her mouth.

Blayze drew his pistol, and Ikillion whipped out a grenade, both of them looking for the shooter. They saw nothing but a shadow flitting away behind the stalls.
[b]
"What the hell happened?"[/b] exclaimed Ikillion, rushing over to Ozy. She was lying in a crumpled heap, barely alive, in a pool of her own blood.

[b]"Bolts..."[/b] she gasped, [b]"Look...bolts...X!"[/b]

[b]"What is it?"

"I know...who did this...X...government...agent..."

"A government agent? Was he trying to hit Blayze?"[/b] asked Ikillion frantically, trying desperately to stem the flow of blood that was pouring from the bounty hunter's wounds.

[b]"Find...government...X...killer..."[/b] and a third bolt struck her in the neck, with a crunching thud. She was dead.

[b]"Who the hell is doing this?"[/b] shouted Blayze, to no-one but the open air,[b] "Come out and show me, you coward!"[/b]

Suddenly, a knife flew from nowhere and lodged itself between Blayze's shoulderblades. He breathed heavily, and then fell to the floor, the pain becoming just too much for him. Ikillion rushed over, dropping to his knees to help the captain. He was passing slowly, the blood escaping from him too rapidly...

-----

Oooh, thrilling!

Cameos:

Ozymandius Jones-bounty hunter
Sakura-bounty hunter
Kitty-bounty hunter
???-government agent

Keep your eyes peeled for the next thrilling instalment of Firespark![/size]

[Ezekiel]

[SIZE=1]I know I haven't replied to this in a while, but I have been reading eagerly.

I'm intrigued as to who this could be, seriously. When you mentioned Ozy I thought she was going to be the next member of the crew, but you just killed her so quickly. I was rather surprised, to tell you the truth.

Shorter than I would have liked, but very good writing as usual. The only thing I didn?t like was the mention of mould and a crudely made sign. Those two things seemed out of place, and I think something like 'The whole place was grungy' would have fitted better. And crudely made sign just makes me think of kiddies writing with a back-to-front 'S'. I don't really think that's the image you were going for, however, it may just be me.

Looking forward to the next part ^_^[/SIZE]

[Sinistra]

[COLOR=Navy][SIZE=1]I actually have time to comment!

Well, as I told you before, I really do like the concept you've developed, it's much different than other stories I've read. I'm not typically one to fall in love with the sci-fi genre, but you've made an exception for yourself with [B]Firespark[/B].

This chapter seemed to go by rather...fast compared to the others. It seemed like you were hurried, especially with Ozy's death. But it was still good nonetheless. I can't wait to find out who the Government Agent is. I'll be avidly reading...[/SIZE][/COLOR]

[Revelation]

[size=1][color=#B2566B]I agree with Sinistra, this chapter did go by a bit quick, but nonetheless; it?s quite the exquisite piece you?ve got here. Although, feeling a bit rushed with many things, mainly at the end, it didn?t really capture me like most of the other chapters did, but still I liked it. It?s beginning to become quite the interesting plot and who could this mysterious government agent be?

Awaiting the next chapter, as always. Bring on the blood, bring on the guns, bring ?em out! *cough* I guess that?s my cue to leave.[/size][/color]

[Disenchanted]

This story just keeps geting better. The ending to this chapter was especially "edge of seat" like.
I do agree it was a bit rushed but very good none the less. You did kill Oz rather quickly but at least she gave info to the plot before she went completly. Cant wait for the next part.
*bites nails in anticipation* :animesmil

[Ikillion]

[COLOR=DarkSlateGray][SIZE=1][FONT=Comic Sans MS]Well I know I can say OUCH! to the way that Ozy died. While I was reading it I began to think " Yay! we get a slightly new member then?" ....now then when I finally got the the last part I felt like " Aww.. nevermind..she died before hand ; _ ; "

However yes, all this chapter seems to be is a giant tease for what is to come next. I mean who would try and kill Captin Blayze? -giga gasps- What kind of a horrible and treachorous person would do such a thing!..execpt for the government..They can just be evil at times. Yet I look foward to the next chapter![/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]

[Blayze]

[center][b][u][size=1]Chapter IX: Truth[/size][/u][/b]
[/center]
[size=1]
Blayze opened his eyes, and saw only blurry shapes gathering in his vision. There was no sound, no voices, but the sense of hearing came back to him gradually.

[b]"Is he alright?"[/b] came one voice, possibly male.

[b]"I think so. He's going to be a little groggy for a while, I gave him a fairly hefty dose of anaesthetic jelly, but after that he should be fine. The knife didn't hit any major arteries, luckily. He's gonna pull through,"[/b] said another, this one female.
[b]
"That's more than we can say for the famous Ozymandius Jones,"

"She was the best, you know that. She was hit by someone from a hiding place, with a powerful weapon. No-one could have defended themselves against that," [/b] came a third voice, this one female as well, though this one harsher, almost gruff, [b]"Fat lot of good buying her did. She copped it as soon as she made it out of the door. Bloody brilliant bounty hunter, that one."came the first voice again, "Not even you."

"She was taken out by a government agent,"[/b] slurred Blayze, testing whether the sense of speech had returned to him, [b]"And I almost was as well. That means someone is angry about James."[/b]

His sudden return to consciousness shocked some of the other members of the crew, who turned to him.

[b]"Captain,"[/b] said Citrus, [b]"We weren't expecting you to be awake so soon. You took a heavy hit from that knife."

"How did we get away from the attacker?"[/b] asked Blayze, sitting up but quickly regretting it, [b]"He had us pinned down."
[/b]
[b]"Luckily, just after they hit you, Ezekiel turned up and sorted the whole thing out. A few shots into the crowd and the attacker must have been scared off. For now,"[/b] replied Ikillion.

[b]"That was lucky,"[/b] groaned Blayze, examining the bandages that had been wrapped around his chest.

[b]"Well it was lucky we showed up when we did, captain. There was someone trying to finish you and Ikillion off, but they ran off before we reached you,"[/b] said Ezekiel.

[b]"Did you get a look at them?"

"Well, from the body shape, it's fairly certain its a man. There were two things that stood out from the glimpse we got of him. Yellow eyes, captain, but not like his bile duct had been burst, not sickly yellow, but they were almost glowing."

"And the other thing?"

"Silver hair. We've looked through a portfolio of government agents we've encountered before, and there's no-one with silver hair. We have no idea who this is."

"Well that makes sense. The government clearly want us bad enough to send this highly skilled assassin, so my guess is they're not going to send someone we know. I think we're dealing with something different here. Maybe it's not even the government at all."

"Captain?" [/b]asked Citrus.

[b]"Not many people know this, but the government doesn't truly rule the Theocracy. They are puppet leaders, shadows, faces of authority. The true rulers of this universe are the major Corporations. The weapons manufacturers, the oil industries, the nuclear fuel authorities, they truly rule the Theocracy. They have superior finances than any government. It's always been the way, ever since the Theocracy began."

"So...corporations control the government? That means they control the Armed Forces as well!" [/b]exclaimed Ikillion.

[b]"Yes. And my bet is that they want us out of the picture. Robbing that bullion ship wiped out a hefty chunk of their money for recent months. They want to get rid of us before we cause any more damage. So that's why they've sent this guy after us."

"And with that amount of skill, the amount of skill needed to kill Ozymandius Jones that easily, my bet is he's one of these "super-soldiers" the weapons corporations have been developing."

"Can you expand on that, Ezekiel?"

"When we were in the Theocracy Guard, there were...rumours. People heard tell of the government putting in a big order for a new army. Genetic modification meant that they soldiers weren't technically human, so there were no human rights violations, so any number of different tests could be done upon them, without the legal battle. These genetic modifications were then treated with chemical, biological and cybernetic enhancements, increasing strength, speed, agility, thought power, everything. They were going to be the ultimate soldiers. But their tests all went wrong, and the soldiers ended up horribly mutated, and had to be put down."

"So you think that this assassin is one of these super-soldiers?"

"Yes. I bet that they've managed to master the process, and they've used it to create this...ultimate killer."

"So we're facing a super-soldier? Then we're going to have to be extra prepared for the fight. Because we're going after this guy, and then we're going to take down the corporations that have done this. This kind of thing won't stand."

"But we need to set down for a while. There's a few things we need to sort out on the ship, and we need to re-fuel. We're going to have to venture back into the Central system,"[/b] said Ezekiel.

[b]"No. We're not going into the Central systems again. There's too great a risk of us getting sighted, and my bet is this assassin is following us wherever we go. Best not to take him into a heavily-populated area. There's no telling what kind of destruction he could cause."

"So where are we going? There's nowhere else we can go to re-fuel."

"There's one place. Hades."

"You can't go to Hades!"[/b] exclaimed Ezekiel, [b]"We're never going to Hades!"

"Why? What's Hades?"[/b] asked Ikillion, getting slightly confused.
[b]
"Hades is a small planet, but heavily populated. But it's out of Theocracy control. It's technically a Separatist planet."

"But there are other things on planets like Hades,"[/b] said Ezekiel nervously.

[b]"Like what?"

"Marauders..."

"What are Marauders?"

"You mean you've never heard of Marauders?"[/b] asked Ezekiel, not really believing what she'd just heard.

[b]"No, well, I've heard the name mentioned on the Grandice a few times, but no-one would ever tell me anything about them."

"I'm not surprised. There are things about the Marauders that would curl your toes."

"Tell me what they are!"

"Marauders were once something like men,"[/b] offered the captain, [b]"They were once civilised. But years of being alone, without order, guidance, on the Outer Planets, changed them. It turned them...barbaric, monstrous. They are not men any more. They are monsters, who do anything to satisfy the lust for a kill."

"So what do they do to humans?"[/b] asked Ikillion, with a kind of morbid curiousity.

[b]"If they don't catch you, they'll just shoot your ship down, blow it up, kill you that way, and then strip the wreckage of anything they find valuable. That's if you're lucky. If they catch you, they'll board your ship, hunt you down even if you're hiding in the deepest, darkest corner of your ship, and kill you, eat your flesh, rape you, wear your skin as their own clothes. And if you're extremely lucky, they'll do it in that order,"[/b] replied Ezekiel, and, seeing the mechanic turn slightly green, ended her story there.

[b]"So we're actually going to a planet inhabited by these things?"[/b] asked Ikillion, feeling very nauseous.

[b]"Yes. But we're going to a more heavily populated area of the planet. Marauders shouldn't attack there, they're not known to do that kind of thing too often. And we're only docking for a few hours, then we'll be gone."

"But..."

"I'm not hearing anything else, Ezekiel. We're going to Hades, and that's that. Joko!"[/b] he shouted through the intercom, [b]"Take her down to Hades!"[/b]

-------

A little informative chapter about a few things. They will become important very soon, and you will see why.

A nice surprise for you next chapter...be prepared.[/size]

[Disenchanted]

Cant get enough of this story. ^_^ Well written as allways.. These Marauders sound interesting and quite brutal, to put it mildly. So many questions without answers! cant wait to find out who the super solider is. Bring on Hades!

[Blayze]

[center][b][u][size=1]Chapter X: Marauders[/size][/u][/b]
[/center]
[size=1]
The ship touched down gently on Hades, in Styx, the main spaceport and town in the area. It was a grimy, grungy place, seedy in its way, full of criminals, brothels, drug dens and other such illegal establishments. But here, outside Theocracy control, there was nothing anybody could do about it.

Blayze and the crew stepped off the ship, the captain buttoning a clean black shirt up.

[b]"Ok, we only want to be here as long as necessary. Do everything as quickly and efficiently as possible. We don't want to be here too long,"[/b] said the captain, striding swiftly towards the nearest general store to pick up supplies.

The owner seemed to be packing his stuff away, all of it, every single item in the shop. He was doing it hurriedly as well, stuffing objects into cardboard boxes, over-filling them almost to the point of bursting.

[b]"What's the hurry, stranger?"[/b] asked Blayze, [b]"You'd think the Marauders are comin'!"[/b] The shop owner looked at him, then asked aggressively:
[b]
"What do you want?!"

"I just need a few general supplies. I just need food and water for my crew. I can pay good money."

"Just take what you want,"[/b] said the store owner, still shoving things into packages,[b] "I don't need money. I just need to get out of here as soon as possible."[/b]

Blayze gave an odd look at this remark, but then took advantage of the generosity, and began gathering food and water for the crew, enough to keep them going for a few weeks. He packed it all into a single box and carried it back to the ship.

Looking over his shoulder, he saw all the stores seemed to be acting in the same way, packing up their wares, trying to get away from this place.

[b]"What's going on?"[/b] asked Blayze, looking from his crew to the townspeople.[b]

"I don't know, but we got the fuel for free, so I'm not complaining,"[/b] said Joko, disconnecting the fuel line and closing the hatch.

[b]"Well, I got the supplies, so let's get out of here ASAP,"[/b] said Blayze.

[b]"Wait,"[/b] said Citrus, [b]"I need to head into town quickly to get a couple of canisters of anaesthetic jelly. We're almost out."[/b]

[b]"Ok, but be quick. And take Ezekiel with you. You may need protection,"[/b] replied the captain with a sigh, and the medic headed off with the soldier into town.

[b]"Do you really think that's wise?"[/b] asked White, rolling up to Blayze, [b]"Sending them off into town, just the two of them?"

"I don't see a problem. Ezekiel can take care of them both, as long as she's armed,"[/b] replied Blayze.

-------

[b]"Well this is nice,"[/b] said Citrus, wandering into the deserted medical centre, [b]"I guess this means that the supplies are free as well."

"I guess it does. We may as well take as much as we can while we're here," [/b]said Ezekiel, filling her arms with bottles of pills and medicines, and indicating for Citrus to do the same.

There was a sudden snarling, shuffling noise outside. Ezekiel dropped her bottles into the crate they had found, and drew her pistol, creeping to the door, gesturing for Citrus to stay quiet.

The female soldier looked out of the door, and saw something she wished she hadn't. She turned back to the medic and told her quietly:

[b]"Forget the supplies. We can get them somewhere else. Grab your weapon and follow me."[/b] The medic nodded, and drew her own pistol, following Ezekiel down a dark corridor. Ezekiel drew a flashlight from her pocket, and lit up the hallway, to find they were staring directly into a knarled, ragged, only partly-human face, which snarled at them.

[b]"Marauder!"[/b] screamed Citrus, firing her pistol wildly in the direction of the Marauder, who drew a particularly wicked-looking blade and lurched towards the two women.

A flash of steel, and the Marauder fell to the floor, a gleaming piece of metal shining from it's chest. There was a figure behind it, dressed all in black, but with...

[b]"Oh my God!"[/b] shouted Ezekiel, [b]"It's you!"[/b] The man stood and faced them. He had glowing yellow eyes, and silver hair. It was the mystery assassin.

[b]"Yes,"[/b] he replied in a deep, hoarse voice, that sounded as though it had not been used in a long time. He cleaned his blade on the Marauder's rags, and then faced the two women.

[b]"Who are you? Why did you save us?"[/b] asked Ezekiel.
[b]
"I have a special interest in you, Ezekiel,"[/b] the figure replied, [b]"I do not care about the rest of your crew, but you...you I have wish to save."

"Why me?"

"Because you know me, Ezekiel, and I know you. Look deep into your memory, and you will remember me..."
[/b]
Ezekiel listened to the voice, and did as he asked, looking deep into her memory. Then the thought arose...

[b]"You! It's you...I never thought..."[/b] the words were caught in her throat.
[b]
"That's right, Ezekiel,"[/b] said the man, stepping from the darkness into a thin shaft of sunlight, [b]"It is I."[/b] This man was pale, scarred, with silver hair, although his eyes did not seem to glow in the light. You could tell, though, that he had once been extremely handsome.

[b]"Who is it, Ezekiel?"[/b] asked Citrus, revealing her presence to the assassin, who had otherwise neglected to notice her. His eyes immediately snapped to the young medic, and his hand dropped to his sword once more.

[b]"He is someone I once knew...his name is..."[/b] she struggled, [b]"His name is...Xion."[/b]
[b]
"Xion? I've heard you say that name before..."

"Yes, Citrus,"[/b] hissed Xion, drawing his blade once more, and walking towards her, [b]"I am Xion. Once Ezekiel here and I were lovers, once long ago, when we were both part of the Theocracy."

"But I thought you died...that explosion on Prometheus..."

"It almost killed me, yes, but I was found by the rest of the Theocracy Guard, those that you had left behind, and they took me and I was given new life by the Theocracy."

"They experimented on you, didn't they? They did things to you, improved you...and now they send you after Blayze. It doesn't surprise me much..."

"Well, my duty is clear here. I need to kill Blayze and his crew. But I asked my employers not to make me eliminate you, Ezekiel. I have special interest in you."[/b]

He lifted his blade, ready to bring it down on Citrus, when something blasted into his chest, sending him flying backwards to the ground.

[b]"You may be good, but you're not good enough,"[/b] said Blayze, lowering his smoking pistol.
[b]
"Captain...you heard all that..?"[/b] asked Ezekiel, thoroughly shaken by this whole experience.
[b]
"I heard. Come on, Zeke. Come back to the ship. We need to get out of here, the Marauders are coming,"[/b] said the captain.
[b]
"Oh, no you don't,"[/b] snarled Xion, leaping to his feet and checking the damage to the armour plate he wore under his cloak. He dashed towards Blayze, moving faster than any human was supposed to, his sword flashing.

[b]"No!"[/b] shouted Ikillion, diving towards the assassin, his knife drawn. It clashed with the assassin's blade, and stopped it before it reached the captain.

[b]"Silly little boy,"[/b] said Xion, pushing the mechanic down, lifting his sword from the knife-blade, and slashing downwards. The boy screamed, and Blayze looked down, fearing the worst.

[b]"You...bastard..."[/b] gasped Ikillion, blood gushing from his wounds, [b]"You took them..."[/b]

[b]"You took his hands, you asshole!"[/b] shouted Blayze, seeing the mechanic's hands lying on the grimy floor underneath them. There would be no chance of re-attaching them without causing an infection.
[b]
"Be glad that's all I took,"[/b] said Xion, before leaping into the darkness between the crew and the ceiling, escaping from them.
[b]
"Get them back to the ship,"[/b] Blayze ordered White, laying Ikillion down over White's lap, the boy slowly passing out from the loss of blood. The priest took Ikillion and Citrus back to the ship, and Blayze walked over to Ezekiel, who was kneeling on the floor, tears dripping from her face.
[b]
"He...he was the only one I've ever...loved..."[/b] she gasped between sobs, [b]"I loved him...and I thought he was dead...but now he wants to take my friends away..."
[/b]
[b]"Come on, Ezekiel,"[/b] said the captain, [b]"You need to get back to the ship."[/b] He stood her up and began walking her back to the ship...

-----

From the darkness, Xion laughed.

[i]Soon,[/i] he thought, [i]Soon enough will come the day when I will take you back, Ezekiel. But for now...
[/i]
He drew his sword and leapt into the oncoming hordes of Marauders.

A little practice...

-----

Shock horror! Xion is the one trying to kill the crew! So only one cameo this time, then:

Unborn Lord Xion-Xion, government assassin

Stay tuned...[/size]

[Ezekiel]

[SIZE=1]!!!!

When you mentioned silver hair, I had my suspicions, but it was aweosme the way you introduced Trevor to us in the end. You have no idea how chuffed he'll be about this >_>

Wonderful writing again, I especially liked this chapter because of the character interraction. And those Marauders sound awesome, like the Muties from the Dark Tower series.

Looking forward to the next bit, Phil, you amaze me by how quickly you churn these things out but still manage to keep them very well written.[/SIZE]

[Ozymandius Jones]

[COLOR=DarkOrange][SIZE=1]First thought: YAY I'M IN THIS

Next thought? OH BOO I'M DEAD ALREADY.

Next thought after that? Owwwwwwch.

And last? Wait...that was two chapters ago....x_X

Can I haunt you guys now?

This chapter was pretty good. Nice flow, nice plotting...a little bit hurried, but all around good.

In a confession, I haven't been reading as closely as I should. But I will be now!

(Just you guys wait. Jusssst you wait.)[/SIZE][/COLOR]

[Ikillion]

[COLOR=DarkSlateGray][SIZE=1][FONT=Comic Sans MS]Awww I lost my hands, ; _ ; I had better get cool robotic like hands or something like that so I can punch through walls, and crush people's necks, and -mumbles- I was hopeful that I could get my hands back on through some kind of futureistic stuff till you said they couldn't be put on without infection... Well atleast I am not dead >.>

I loved the story as it was building up till you cut off my hands... Then It went through the roof! That part was so exciting and so thrilling that I almost exploded with excitment..I want the next chapter by tommorow or I will do something..drastic..[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]

[Blayze]

[center][b][u][size=1]Chapter XI: Return[/size][/u][/b]
[/center]
[size=1]
[b]"Hand me those gauze pads. I think if I can stop the bleeding we may be able to do something about his hands. I don't know what, but we can manage something,"[/b] said Citrus, and Blayze handed her the gauze pads that lay slightly out of her reach. She packed Ikillion's wounds, trying to stem the flow of blood that was issuing from the broken flesh. The mechanic himself had been heavily sedated, and he was out like a light.

[b]"Joko!"[/b] yelled Ezekiel into the intercom, [b]"Take off! Marauders are coming!"[/b]

The pilot didn't even bother to waste time with a reply, and the ship began to take off. As soon as they were in the air, Blayze ran from the medical bay to the cockpit, where Joko was navigating a small asteroid belt.

[b]"Where are we going, captain? What's happened?"[/b] asked the pilot, whilst still concentrating on flying the ship.

[b]"It seems that Ezekiel knows our little assassin, but that didn't stop him cutting Ikillion's hands off. We need to go back to Fyria, I know of someone who can help us there,"[/b] said the captain.

[b]"Ok, that shouldn't be too hard. Fyria isn't too far away, we should be able to get there in less than an hour,"[/b] replied the pilot, pushing the controller inwards, switching the ship to autopilot, and plotting a course on the ship's computer.

Blayze picked up the intercom mic and flicked a switch, turning it on so the whole ship could hear his message.

[b]"We need to get ourselves together. A lot of things have happened, but we can't let it get to us. We need to plan what our next move is, and we need to be prepared. So I'm calling a meeting in the cargo hold in ten. I expect all of you, except Ikillion, to be there. Blayze out."[/b]

He hung up the microphone and headed down to the cargo bay, where he sat himself on a crate, waiting for the others to arrive, composing his thoughts.

As soon as the rest of them had arrived, Blayze began speaking.

[b]"Our situation has changed somewhat. The Theocracy is coming down on us in a big way. We have Theocracy-controlled space on one side, and Marauder space on the other. We can either stand and fight, and be destroyed, or we can run, and be hunted down endlessly by Marauders, Theocracy and any bounty hunters after the price on our heads. I don't know this assassin, but from what I've seen, my bet is that he's not going to leave us alone any time soon. So that's another problem."

"I say we fight the Theocracy. Take as many of 'em down with us as possible,"[/b] suggested Ezekiel, [b]"We're gonna die either way, so we may as well do it for a cause."

"But there are other ways of hurting the Theocracy. We don't need to hurt them physically in order to disable them, stop them coming after us. We can hurt them with secrets. We need to find something that the Theocracy don't want anyone to find out, and then they'll leave us alone,"[/b] said White.

[b]"I'm feelin' you have an idea, White,"[/b] replied Blayze, a grin beginning to creep onto his face. White's plans were always fun.

[b]"We need to find someone with records of every broadcast made by the Theocracy. Someone who would be willing to give this information up for the right price. Someone who hates the Theocracy as much as we do. And more importantly, someone close by."[/b]

Blayze thought for a moment, and then the penny dropped.
[b]
"You can't be serious...we need that guy?"[/b] he asked, laughing.

[b]"Oh yes. We need TechHead."[/b]

------

Fyria

Touchdown. The ship landed, and Blayze hurried out to the town centre. He knew someone who could help them, or help Ikillion at least. He needed to find the mayor. He burst into city hall, but no-one was there. However, he saw what he needed straight away. The mayor's hands.

The mayor of Fyria had been involved in an accident a long time ago, and he had lost both his hands, as well as one leg. He had since had mechanical replacements for all the limbs built specially, and there, just behind the desk, lay his spare pair of hands. Blayze picked them up, shoved them in his bag, using them to replace a large wad of money that he dropped on the mayor's desk. He hurriedly scribbled a note explaining what he had done, but the mayor should be alright. He owed Blayze a favour anyway.

Sprinting back to the ship, Blayze noticed that there was no-one around at all. No townspeople, nothing. The place was deserted. But there was time to worry about that later. Now he had a mechanic who needed two new hands.

He dashed into the medical bay, and threw the pair of hands to Citrus.

[b]"Will these do?"[/b] he asked breathlessly.
[b]
"That's an amazing find, captain. Ikillion needed a miracle, and I think you just handed it to him. No pun intended,"[/b] replied the medic,[b] "It'll only take a few minutes to implant these."
[/b]
Blayze nodded and walked over to where Ezekiel stood. Her head was hung, and she seemed to be attempting to concentrate on polishing her gun, but failing.
[b]
"It's not your fault, Zeke,"[/b] said Blayze comfortingly, [b]"You couldn't have known this was going to happen."

"I'm not worrying about that," [/b]she replied, [b]"I'm worrying about them." [/b] She pointed out of the viewscreen to a horde of dark figures that were speeding towards the town.
[b]
"What the hell?!"[/b] exclaimed Blayze, [b]"Marauders? Here? But we're close to the Central system here! How did they get into Theocracy space?"

"That's not important right now. We need to evacuate the town."

"It's been done. There's nobody around. But how did Marauders get here? And where are the townspeople?"

"They're probably in the bunker,"[/b] said Joko, jogging down the steps.

[b]"What bunker?"

"The one that's pretty much a replica of the entire town, just built underground, with three sheets of half-metre thick steel separating them and the real world, with enough oxygen re-cyc to last them half a century."

"Why the hell didn't I know this?"

"You haven't been living in the town as long as me. You get to learn these things after a while."

"Well, what are we going to do?"[/b] asked Ezekiel, [b]"I mean, we can't get off the ship and fight them. But can we really leave the rest of the town here, at the mercy of the Marauders?"

"They're not exactly at their mercy. There is a hell of a lot of security between the Marauders and the townspeople."

"Then I say we get the hell out of here, make sure people are alright when we're done with TechHead."

"No can do, captain,"[/b] said White, appearing from around a corner, [b]"There are Marauder ships in orbit around the planet. We're pretty much stuck here, unless we travel round to the other side of the planet in atmo, then break out over there. We'd be pointing in the wrong direction, but at least we'd be clear of Marauders."

"Good plan. Do that, and we'll be straight back here after we...destroy the government. Joko, set a course for the Tech Satellite. We need to pay TechHead a visit."

"Wait a second, captain, I think I see someone out of the bunker,"
[/b] said Joko, straining to get a better look, [b]"Holy Shit! It's Alpha!"[/b]

[b]"Who?"[/b]
[b]
"One of my kids! I have to save him!"[/b] shouted the pilot, grabbing a rifle from the rack and leaping out of the back doors of the ship, running towards his child. As he did, a door opened, painted exactly the same colour as the earth surrounding it, and Joko's wife emerged from the bunker.

[b]"Vicky! Get back inside, and take Alpha,"[/b] urged Joko, handing his wife their child. She took the child and ran to the bunker, but something stopped her, and she fell to the ground.

[b]"Go, Vicky!"[/b] shouted Joko, running back towards the ship, but there came no reply. He stopped in his tracks and ran back to his wife, who lay face-down on the ground. He rolled her over, and tears welled up in his eyes.

[b]"No, Vicky..."[/b] he sobbed as he saw his wife's dead eyes. A Marauder arrow had pierced her side, and must have hit some vital organ, killing her instantly. Blood seeped slowly from the wound, mixing with the dust into a fine paste.

[b]"Joko, come on,"[/b] urged the captain from the ship, [b]"I'm sorry, but you can mourn later. Right now, we have to get away from the Marauders! They're coming in!"[/b] The captain saw that the pilot wasn't going to move, and leapt off the ship, grabbing him and his wife's body, seeing that Alpha was dragged into the bunker by a mass of hands, and hauled them back to the ship.

[b]"Joko,"[/b] he said, as they boarded, closing the cargo bay doors, [b]"We need you to be strong right now. There's time for mourning once we break atmo, but right now we need to get away. Can you do that for us?"[/b] Joko wiped away the tears, and stumbled up to the cockpit.

[b]"Zeke, make sure he's alright,"[/b] ordered Blayze. He took Vicky's body into the medical bay, making sure that she could be laid in a more dignified position, and finally, as he sat down between Vicky's lifeless body and Ikillion's sleeping form, now with two new mechanical hands, he felt the tears come on himself...

-----

Well, not much to say at this point except this: Firespark is coming to a close. There are four more chapters, and then that is it.

For now...

No new cameos this time, so there'll be a few next time.

Stay tuned...[/size]

[Sinistra]

[COLOR=Navy][SIZE=1]Wow...things got really bad really quick. Poor Joko...and Ikillion, and Ezekiel for that matter. And there's only four chapters left? Really? Either way, I agree with Ezekiel on what she said on your rather surprisingly fast timing and quality. It's good to see a writer that can do that, so nice job Blayze.

Can't wait until the next chapter![/SIZE][/COLOR]

[Blayze]

[center][b][u][size=1]Chapter XII: TechHead[/size][/u][/b]
[/center]
[size=1]
The ship broke atmosphere, on the other side of the planet to originally planned, but away from the Marauders. Joko flicked a switch, turning on autopilot, and sat back in his seat, the tears streaming down his face. He couldn't believe it. His wife was dead.

He went, silently, with no-one wanting to make eye contact with him, down to the medical bay, where Ezekiel had told him that Vicky was. He found her, pale now but just as beautiful as she had been in life. He had asked Citrus to remove the arrow, and she had, and now a clean white sheet lay draped over her body. Joko took the seat that had previously been occupied by the captain, and his head slumped over his wife's body, his whole body shaking with tears.

Ikillion had been woken and informed of the situation, and he now stood by, watching the scene, tears beginning to well up in his eyes, his new mechanical hands covered by black leather gloves. The whole crew had mourned, but Blayze had forced Joko to allow them to break atmosphere before he could break down.

But now the ship was piloting itself towards a man-made satellite, in orbit above Nova, a planet that the Theocracy broadcast all its communications from. The occupant of the satellite illegally intercepted all Theocracy broadcasts, and recorded each and every one of them, apparently because he had nothing better to do. His real name was known to a few close friends, Blayze included, but most knew him as TechHead. He was a whiz with technology, and had supposedly built the entire satellite himself, making sure that it was invisible to radar, and completely undetectable.

This was where the crew would pick up its ammunition against the Theocracy, and where they would bring down the empire. If TechHead could be persuaded, that is. Soon enough, the ship docked with the satellite, and Blayze boarded alone, and unarmed. He pressed a red button at the door, and an intercom buzzed.

[b]"Who is it?"[/b] came a wildly cheerful voice.

[b]"It's an old friend,"[/b] replied Blayze.
[b]
"Theocracy or otherwise?"[/b]

[b]"Otherwise."[/b]

[b]"Come on in!"[/b] The door buzzed, and Blayze pushed it open. A huge room filled with acres of technology, wires, circuit boards, cables and all sorts littered the floor, but in the centre of it all lay a circular set-up of plasma screens, over one thousand of them, in the middle of which was a small leather swivel chair, with a single occupant.

[b]"Blayze!"[/b] exclaimed the occupant, revealing himself to be a small, tousle-haired man, with thick-rimmed glasses and a scruffy black suit on, [b]"What a pleasant surprise!"[/b]
[b]
"Isn't it just, Manic?"[/b] replied the captain, addressing TechHead by his real name.

[b]"Please, Blayze, call me TechHead,"[/b] hissed Manic, [b]"You never know who's listening! So, what do you want?"

"Is that it? No small talk?"

"I'm a busy man, Blayze, you know that."

"So I've heard. I need a recording from you. A single recording that can harm the Theocracy more than any weapon. I need a Theocracy secret, one that was never supposed to get out."

"Oh, you need a secret, do you?"[/b] asked Manic, [b]"Well, I've got a lot of them."[/b] He bustled over to a drawer, marked "Theocracy Secrets," and pulled it open. It was full of laser discs, each of which could store over 24 hours of footage. He fumbled around, looking, apparently, for a particular disc. Finally, he produced it.

[b]"The biggest, best-kept secret in Theocracy history,"[/b] he whispered, [b]"A secret so powerful it could destroy the government as we know it."

"That sounds like what I need. How much?"[/b] asked the captain.
[b]
"Four million credits, and even then you're robbing me blind,"[/b] replied TechHead, [b]"I could sell this on the black market, and easily fetch over ten million. But, as you're an old friend."[/b] He held out his hand, waiting for Blayze's money transfer chip.

The captain drew the chip from his pocket and handed it to Manic, who placed it in a disc drive. The computer started up, and a bank account appeared on-screen. Manic used this computer for his own personal accounts, and nothing else. He programmed in a transfer from the chip of four million credits, and, once the transfer was done, he handed Blayze his chip back, as well as the disc.

[b]"Pleasure doing business with you,"[/b] said Manic cheerfully.

[b]"I'm sure you won't find it so pleasurable in a moment,"[/b] said a cold voice, and something gleaming silver forced its way through Manic's stomach, accompanied by a torrent of crimson. The computer genius gurgled, and then dropped to the floor. Xion stood behind him, his sword newly bloodied.

[b]"I thought I might see you again soon,"[/b] snarled Blayze, his hand dropping to his pistol, his other stuffing the disc into a pouch on his belt.

[b]"Hand me the disc and I can make your passing as swift and bearable as possible,"[/b] growled Xion, holding his hand out.

[b]"You're not getting this disc while I'm still alive to protect it,"[/b] replied Blayze.

[b]"Very well,"[/b] grinned Xion, leaping towards the captain, his sword flashing. Blayze drew his pistol and fired, but he was too slow. The place he had aimed at had been vacated by Xion seconds before, and now the assassin stood behind Blayze, the sword ready to run the captain through. But he ducked, and the sword was thrust over his head. He grabbed the arm that followed it, and hurled the assassin over his head into the far corner of the room. The sword clattered across the floor.

Xion leapt to his feet and drew a curved, wicked-looking knife, and lunged at Blayze. Suddenly, a shot fired, and Xion was thrown to the floor, his chest armour smoking.

[b]"Oh no you don't,"[/b] said a familiar voice from behind Blayze, [b]"He's mine."[/b] Blayze turned around and saw someone he wasn't expecting to see.

[b]"Oh, hi,"[/b] he said to his brother, who had now dropped his rifle. Raiyuu had a mass of scars lining his face now, and his Theocracy tunic was replaced by an all-black jumpsuit. He looked angry.

[b]"How the hell did you get off that ship?"[/b] asked Blayze.

[b]"Personal shuttle pods are a nice thing. It's always a pity if you have to kill a few people to get on one, but you get by,"[/b] snarled the former Theocracy Lieutenant, drawing a new weapon. It seemed to be a large fan, but instead of paper, it was formed of steel blades. It looked pretty lethal.
[b]
"Now this is just unfair!"[/b] cried Blayze, [b]"Everyone has fancy weapons except me!" [/b] But then his brother lunged, the razor-fan slicing through the air towards his head, clashing against the assassin's steel blade.

[b]"You will not kill him while I am here,"[/b] snarled Xion, throwing Raiyuu backwards. He lunged at the Lieutenant, his sword getting caught in the blades of the fan. Raiyuu grabbed Xion's throat and began to squeeze his fingers around it, slowly but surely choking the life out of Xion.
[b]
"My brother, my kill,"[/b] taunted Raiyuu, raising his fan for one final strike, but then he felt something slide between his ribs. Xion's blade had slipped from between the fan-blades, and he had pushed it into the Lieutenant's chest. The blade searched through major organs, piercing the lungs, and finally reaching the Lieutenant's heart, which it sliced clean through. Raiyuu fell to the ground, his face frozen in an expression of shock and pain, his last breath rattling harshly from his lungs. Xion gasped as he struggled to get air back into his lungs, and Blayze took this moment to run over to Manic's body.

[b]"Manic,"[/b] he said, [b]"Can I broadcast the recording from here?" [/b] TechHead gasped as he pressed his hands down on his stomach wound, temporarily stopping the blood flow.

[b]"No...you can't broadcast from here...you'll have to reach the main...broadcast tower down on...Nova...but...risky...need whole crew..."[/b] and then Manic passed as well. Blayze got to his feet and walked over to Xion, who still lay gasping on the floor.
[b]
"You're not going anywhere, friend,"[/b] he said coldly, drawing a grenade from his belt, taking out the pin and dropping it next to the assassin, before walking calmly over to the airlock and letting himself back onto his ship. The grenade exploded, and Xion was obscured in a cloud of smoke and flame.

As Blayze boarded the ship, he dropped to the floor, exhausted.

[b]"Did you get it?"[/b] asked White, rolling over to where Blayze lay. The captain nodded, and took the disc from his pouch, handing it to the priest, before passing out...

-------

A nice little set-piece there involving the return (and demise) of Sergeant Raiyuu, as well as an extra cameo:

Manic Webb-Manic/TechHead

Only three left...

And, the thing about me churning these out quickly is that I have had the whole series written for about a week now, so I just need to post one whenever I get the chance.

Stay tuned...
[/size]

[Disenchanted]

can't wait to find out find out what this Theocracy secret is! well written blaze as allways. I fell so sorry for Joko, :( .Love the action in this chapter.
only 3 left :( cant wait for the other chapters!!.

[Ikillion]

[COLOR=DarkSlateGray][SIZE=1][FONT=Comic Sans MS]Ha thats what I though you were doing with this already Phil, yet I don't have to be on eye ripping cliffhangers anymore. Thank you oh so much just for that,

Now this chapter was very intresting, Yet Vicky died... Now I think after you are done I will do a toll to see how many characters you have introduced..and how many of those same characters are dead. Its intresting though just to be alive for almost five paragraphs and die just six paragraphs later. Heh oh well then its still fun to read them.[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]

[Revelation]

[size=1][color=#B2566B]Wow, it took me long enough to get myself to get back to reading, XD. Anyways, this chapter seemed a bit, I don't know. Maybe it's just me, considering I'm tired and I just got back from school in this damned 60 MPH wind.

Let's review, shall we? Good: Action, action, action. I love it. I love that you have psychotically deranged once-was-humans-but-now-are-monsters Marauders. They actually liven it up, not that it needs livening up. Okey, so I'm an idiot, yes. Anyways, the Not-So-Good: I rushed. I'm an idiot and I didn't have enough time to process what I read, which will probably make what I'm writing sound extremely stupid. I think it was rushed and people just died quickly.

Overall, it was good but the deaths seemed hurried. On with the show then.[/size][/color]

[Blayze]

[center][b][u][size=1]Chapter XIII: Secrets and Goodbyes[/size][/u][/b]
[/center]
[size=1]
The captain woke up in his bed, his temples pounding. In the last four hours he had witnessed the death of a close friend, and a very dear friend's wife, followed by the death of his brother, and then the death of another good friend.

Death was becoming a repeated pattern in his life. Death and pain, they both seemed to be a constant in Blayze's life, as well as loneliness. He had been alone for so many years now, he had immersed himself in taking care of his ship and crew, not caring about his own wellbeing. He had almost died trying to protect a bounty hunter he didn't even know. There must have been something wrong with him.

He got to his feet slowly, and walked down to the cargo bay, where the rest of the crew had congregated. They had gathered around a crudely-built coffin, which contained the body of Joko's wife, Vicky. Joko and Ezekiel were suiting up, ready to release the coffin into space.

[b]"Wait!"[/b] shouted Blazye, [b]"Ezekiel, let me go in your place. I knew Vicky better than you. I want a chance to say goodbye before we get on with this."[/b] The soldier nodded, and took the suit off, handing it to Blayze as he walked down the stairs. The captain suited up, and followed Joko and the coffin into the airlock. The door behind them closed, and the door in front of them opened. They took the coffin out into space, and let it go. The others watched through the viewscreen, tears coming to the eyes of a few.

[b]"Goodbye..."[/b] whispered Joko, a tear dropping from his eye. The pair headed back into the ship, and they took their suits off as soon as they were re-pressurized.

[b]"We need to watch the disc. We need to find out what's on it before we broadcast it,"[/b] said White, holding out the disc, [b]"Fetch the projector."
[/b]
Soon enough, Blayze had set up the projector, and White slotted the disc in, pressing the play button. An image, shaky at first, but then becoming clearer and more solid, projected onto the air. A man stood, arms folded behind his back, apparently giving an official report.

[b]"James,"[/b] hissed White, recognising the figure.
[b]
"Sirs, we have a situation,"[/b] the figure said, addressing some unseen superior, [b]"The Ares Corporation has told me to inform you of the situation with their testing for super-soldiers. They have informed me that the experiments...have not gone entirely as planned. There have been drawbacks with the serums they have been using. Some of the super-soldiers have been exhibiting signs of insanity, as well as reverting to less evolved forms. They have been turning feral, to put it simply. Ares has tried many different approaches to this, the most obvious being to simply put these failed experiments down, to put them to death, but this is not cost-effective. As you can see, the only way to destroy these...things...is to shoot them directly through the head."[/b]

At this, the image changed to a recording of a group of these "feral" super-soldiers, each in turn being thrown to the ground and shot through the head, in graphic detail. Ikillion looked as though he was going to be sick.

[b]"The only way to eliminate them effectively is a bullet directly fired into the brain. But this means we have to use a new bullet for each super-soldier. This is highly expensive, and requires us to buy huge amounts of ammunition, something which is, as you know, not cheap to do. The large numbers of people being experimented on requires us to purchase something like four hundred thousand new rounds of ammunition every month."[/b]

The focus of the recording changed to a ghastly image of hundreds of thousands of these "feral" super-soldiers, men, women and children, all cramped together in a single small warehouse, killing each other for food.

[b]"So the Ares Corporation have come up with a new way round. They are not eliminating the super-soldiers, but instead they are dumping them on the Outer Planets, near the Separatists. This means that hopefully, the Separatists and the ferals will wipe each other out, killing two birds with one stone. We are awaiting a progress report on this new development as we speak."[/b]

[b]"Also, there was one other problem. We were running out of slaves from the Pit to use as guinea-pigs. We had bought them in their thousands, but we had used almost all of them up reasonably quickly."
[/b]
The image changed once again to a recording of thousands of slaves from The Pit being experimented on as a group, needles and gases being used to allow dangerous chemicals to enter their bloodstreams.

[b]"So we have developed a new plan. It once again involves the Separatist planets. This time, we take the gases, the chemicals, the genetic modifiers, and implant them in the food and water sources of many of the Outer Planets. The enhancers will seep into the bloodstreams of the Separatists, and it will turn them into a whole army of super-soldiers. We will have millions of these super-soldiers just waiting to be used. End report."[/b]

The disc stopped, and the image disappeared. Blayze turned to the crew, feeling sick at what he had just watched.

[b]"The government has done terrible things to their own people. With this information, we can bring down the entire Theocracy. No-one in the galaxy could stand for this kind of behaviour from their leaders. We just broadcast this information, and enough of the universe will see it to allow the rest to rise up and bring down the Theocracy themselves. That is all we are required to do,"[/b] he said.
[b]
"So all we need to do is board the Satellite and then we can broadcast the information to the whole universe,"[/b] said White.
[b]
"Actually, it's not as simple as that,"[/b] said Blayze. The crew turned back to him, and he continued:

[b]"The Satellite only holds the functions to record broadcasts, it can't make it's own. To broadcast this information, we're going to have to hijack a Theocracy communications tower, and the only way to do that is go down onto Nova."[/b]

[b]"And get to a Communications Tower surrounded by Theocracy Guard? There's going to be almost an entire army of Theocracy Guards down on Nova, you realise that? We're going to have to fight our way through thousands of Theocracy Guards to get to the Communications Tower,"[/b] said Ezekiel, putting a damper on everyone's good spirits.

[b]"Well, we're gonna have to fight through an army of Theocracy Guard. You saw the recording, Zeke, and you know we can't let this stand. We can't allow the government to get away with this. We have to at least try to get it out to the rest of the universe, or what are we going to do? The Theocracy created Marauders, don't you see, Ezekiel? They created the very thing that is threatening to destroy this universe! We can't stand by and let all this happen!"[/b] cried Blayze.

[b]"Then let's get kitted out and head down to Nova,"[/b] said Ezekiel, a devilish glint appearing in her eye.

[b]"Um, guys,"[/b] said Joko nervously, [b]"We may have a problem."

"What? What's showing up on the sensor...oh..."[/b] said Blayze, his face falling.

[b]"What is it?"[/b] asked Ikillion.

[b]"Marauders."[/b]

[b]"How many?"[/b]

[b]"Lots."[/b]

Blayze opened the viewscreen, to reveal an armada of Marauders, their ships flying steadily towards Nova. There easily a thousand ships, each probably with a thousand Marauders on board. That was a big number of Marauders.

[b]"Well, this should just make things a little more interesting..."[/b]

------

AAAAAHHHH! Things seem to only get worse for the crew of Firespark as we head towards the climax. The next two parts are going to be essentially the same chapter, but I just wanted to break it up a little, because otherwise it would be one hell of an epic chapter.

Stay tuned...[/size]

[Raiyuu]

[font=Trebuchet MS]Like I've said before, this is really quite good. But I agree with Revelation that it does seem rushed in places. We don't feel sorry for people when they die because we've only known them for two paragraphs. Don't get me wrong, the [i]pace [/i]is great, and stories like this one need to move along at breakneck speed. But it's possible to have pace without the writing seeming hasty. Take a bit more time and you won't get inconsistencies like this one:
[quote name='Firespark][/font][size=1]Soon enough, the ship docked with the satellite, and Blayze boarded alone, and **unarmed.**[/size][font=Trebuchet MS][/quote] [quote=Later that same chapter...][/font][size=1][b]"I thought I might see you again soon,"[/b] snarled Blayze, his hand **dropping to his pistol,** his other stuffing the disc into a pouch on his belt.[/size'][font=Trebuchet MS][/quote] However, massive kudos for being probably the first OB fanfic writer I've ever seen to finish their story!
[/font]

[Ezekiel]

[SIZE=1][QUOTE=Raiyuu][font=Trebuchet MS]
However, massive kudos for being probably the first OB fanfic writer I've ever seen to finish their story!
[/font][/QUOTE]

And I shall finish, too...it's just taking longer because I enjoy killing people. >___>
....Don't look at me like that.

Anyway.

This was another chapter where I didn't want the story to end. I really, really want to know how the heck the crew is going to get out of this situation and what new revelations will become apparant as the story closes. Because, you know, something amazing always has to happen at the end of these kinds of things. ^_~

Keep on going, Phil, this'll be something I'll read over again.[/SIZE]

[Blayze]

[center][b][u][size=1]Chapter XIV: Nova (part I)[/size][/u][/b]
[/center]
[size=1]
[b]"Take her down, Joko,"[/b] said the captain, and Joko pushed the Firespark into a deep dive, sending her into the atmosphere.

[b]"We're not fast enough, captain,"[/b] said Joko, beginning to panic, [b]"The Marauders are catching up!"[/b]

[b]"Then you get to pull the lever!"[/b]
[b]
"You mean the lever you told me on my first day that I was never allowed to pull? That lever?"

"Yes, that lever! Pull it now!"[/b]

Joko grabbed the bright red lever, and pulled it, sliding it down with a satisfying clunk.

Something happened to the outside of the ship. Parts of the ship, certain plates and pieces of engine began to fall off. The ship was shedding layers, firing thrusters off into the atmosphere. The ship turned from a bulky Lugger-class ship to a sleek rocket as more and more sections of it were shedded.

The Firespark began to increase its speed, the nose turning red-hot as it forced itself through the atmosphere.

Inside, Joko was grabbing onto the controls, forcing them forward, his face locked into a grimace. The ship kept speeding up, the ground coming up quicker and quicker. The rest of the crew were grabbing hold of various parts of the cockpit. Nails bit into rubber and fingers clenched around steel as they struggled to keep their grip.

[b]"Does this mean we're not getting back on the ship?"[/b] asked Ikillion through clenched teeth.

Blayze ignored him, not out of spite, but out of concentration and a sense of loss. This ship had been with him for a long time, and she had seen him through many hard times. And now he was about to kill her, to watch her die as he had so many others in the past few days.

[b]"We're almost there!"[/b] shouted Joko, forcing the controls back upwards, sending the Firespark into a clumsy but effective crash-landing. The ship bucked and skidded across desert, through the heavy wire fence that surrounded the Communications centre, which shredded more parts off the ship. Eventually it came to a stop, just on the outskirts of the Communications complex.

Blayze got to his feet and walked over to the pilot's chair.
[b]
"Good work, Joko,"[/b] he said, [b]"I knew I hired you for a reason...Joko?!"[/b] He saw his pilot.

He was slumped over the controls, his body shaking with tears.

[b]"Are you ok?"[/b]

[b]"I think everything's just catching up with me at the moment, captain,"[/b] he said breathlessly, [b]"I'm just gonna..."[/b] But he didn't finish his sentence. Blayze looked around for the reason he stopped, and saw something red under the control desk. He shoved his hand under, and his fingers closed around a metal pole. He took them away, and they came away red, and sticky.

[b]"I guess I'm gonna see Vicky sooner than I thought...captain...take care of my kids for me...make sure they get good homes..." [/b] Joko whispered, [b]"Captain...it's been an honour..." [/b]

The metal pole Blayze had felt had come directly from the steering column. As they had crashed, it must have dislodged and broken through the metal panels. It had now impaled Joko, pinning him to his chair. Shards of glass from the viewscreen had also been flung into the pilot's body, and they had cut him up pretty bad. He wasn't long for this world.
[b]
"The honour was all mine, Joko,"[/b] said the captain, forcing a smile as his old friend looked to the rest of the crew, smiling, and then he stopped moving. A trickle of blood leaked from the corner of his mouth, and Blayze closed his friend's eyes. He knew that all he
could do for him now was make sure his last wish was fulfilled. He had to make sure Joko's kids were alright.

But first he had to get this job done. He surpressed his need to mourn, at least for a little while, and checked around, making sure everyone else was alright. There were some bruises and a little bleeding, but nothing more serious than that. He took them to the
cargo hold, and leant against the wall.

[b]"This is it. We have Marauders on one side, Theocracy Guard on the other. We're caught in the middle of a war, and both sides are out to get us. We've gotta get in, do the job, and get out quick. And we're gonna need to be well equipped. So this is the only time we get
to use my own personal store."[/b] He flicked a switch on the wall, and the entire wall rotated, revealing a massive stash of weapons of all shapes and sizes. Rifles, pistols, revolvers, knives, automatic weapons, there were all sorts on this wall. Blayze himself took an automatic rifle, and slung it onto his back, as well as one more pistol to go with his usual, and strapped two knives to either hip. He also grabbed a pack and filled it with ammo. The rest of the crew followed his lead, grabbing any weapons they could, taking Blayze's along with their own.

Soon, the entire crew were kitted out ready to do what they needed to do. Blayze checked that he had the disc in his back pocket, and opened the carog bay door. Everyone knew what they were supposed to do.

The crew ran out into the warzone. The orange-coloured earth was littered with bodies of Marauders and Theocracy Guard alike. The crew split, Ezekiel and Citrus heading towards one communications tower, Blayze, White and Ikillion heading towards the other. They fought their way through the tangled mass of Theocracy and Marauders towards their respective destinations.

Blayze reached the bottom of the tower. It was easily 70 metres high, with thin metal staircases leading up to the top. They were only wide enough for one to go up.

[b]"Get ready for any kind of trouble, and make sure you don't let them up here,"[/b] Blayze ordered White and Ikillion, and he began to climb the tower.
[b]
"You seen combat before, boy?"[/b] asked White, loading the weapons on his wheelchair up.

Ikillion looked nervously around, loading his rifle. He shook his head.

[b]"I've never been in this kind of situation before. I've trained on simulators, though,"[/b] he said.

[b]"Simulators are no good. You gotta be prepared for real life. Aim for headshots only. Anything below the neck is no good. You've got to try and conserve your ammo, so try and kill with every shot. Make sure you reload quickly, and that you're never reloading at the same time as me. That way we can keep a pretty much constant rate of fire between the two of us. Got it?"[/b] asked White. Ikillion nodded, and White saw the first wave of Theocracy Guards coming round the corner, armed with automatic weapons, and heavily armoured.

[b]"Here we go..."[/b] whispered the mechanic, squeezing the trigger...

------

Ezekiel climbed the tower, Citrus right behind her. This way, if anyone attacked, they could both defend each other.
[b]
"Here come the Marauders!"[/b] shouted Citrus, arming her weapon and aiming down towards the ground, where Marauders began to climb up the tower after the pair. She squeezed the trigger, and let off a volley of fire which threw the first Marauder down, sending him flying into the rest, who fell after him. Then the pair continued climbing.

They reached the top fairly quickly, and without too much trouble from the Marauders. Ezekiel slung her pack off, kneeling next to the communications spike. She took a disc from her pack, and set about trying to insert the disc into the communications feed.

[b]"Not so fast,"[/b] came a voice, and Ezekiel looked up. Xion stood above her, his sword at her throat. Citrus was standing behind him, helpless to stop him.
[b]
"I don't think I can let you do that, love,"[/b] he said smugly, [b]"You'd be destroying something I've worked hard for."

"But it's not right, what they've done!"[/b] she exclaimed, [b]"They've tortured thousands of people, just to try and make new soldiers! They created the Marauders! You can't possibly support them!"[/b]

[b]"But they're all I have left. You don't understand what it's like to lose everything!"[/b] shouted Xion, and with this temporary lapse in concentration, Citrus lunged at him with her knife. He twisted out of the way, and punched her in the chest. The force of the blow cracked a rib, and forced the air out of Citrus' lungs. She gasped to get it back.

[b]"You are just a stupid child, Citrus, nothing more,"[/b] snarled Xion, twisting her hand in his, feeling her fingers snap under the pressure. The medic screamed, and dropped to the floor.

[b]"Get up, Citrus,"[/b] whispered Xion coldly. The medic did as she was told, and then lunged again with the knife.

[b]"You never learn, do you?"[/b] he shouted, dodging once more and landing a powerful uppercut squarely on her chin. She groaned, and the power of the punch threw her into the air. Her back arched in the air, and Ezekiel saw the whole thing as if it was in slow motion. Citrus
flew into the air, and the force of the blow sent her hurtling backwards, and she was sent flying over the edge of the platform. An ear-piercing scream cut through the air, and Citrus fell out of sight, down towards the frenzied battle between the Theocracy and the Marauders. She wouldn't stand a chance. She would be ripped apart, if the fall hadn't killed her.

[b]"No!"[/b] shouted Ezekiel, [b]"She was just a child! You killed her! You're a monster!"[/b] She lunged at Xion, and he slammed her to the floor. The disc fell out of her hands and skittered across the platform, before tipping over the edge, and falling after Citrus, straight into the hands of the Marauders.
[b]
"It looks like your little plan has failed, Ezekiel,"[/b] sneered Xion, raising his sword, [b]"And there's only one thing left to do!"[/b] He brought the sword down towards Ezekiel's throat, but she rolled out of the way, and slammed her boot into Xion's leg. He fell to the floor, and Ezekiel jumped to her feet.

She picked up her shotgun, and aimed it at her former lover. She looked down through the middle of the spiral staircase, and saw hundreds of Marauders all the way up the tower. She had two choices. She could take out Xion and be overwhelmed by Marauders. Or she could take out the bigger threat.

She lowered the shotgun, and drew something from her pocket. A detonator. She flicked the cap open, and placed her thumb on the red button.

[b]"This ends here, Xion,"[/b] she said, perfectly calm, [b]"You can decide how. Do you want to be rippedapart by the Marauder hordes, or do you want to take them with us?"[/b]
[b]
"What are you going to do, Ezekiel? Blow yourself up?"[/b] the assassin snarled.

[b]"Goodbye, Xion,"[/b] she said with a grin, and pressed her thumb down onto the red button.

Explosives they had planted all the way up the tower detonated, a thunderous explosion blasting through the air, engulfing the tower in an orange mushroom cloud of smoke and flame, toppling the Comms tower, killing hundreds of Marauders, as well as Ezekiel.

She laughed as she was immolated, dying exactly as she would have wanted to...

--------

Wow, the deaths of no less than THREE principal characters! How mental do you think I am?

Find out exactly how mental I actually am next time, in THE FINALE![/size]

[Ezekiel]

[SIZE=1]D: I'm dead.

You know, this is the second fic that I've killed myself and Trevor. Wow, I'm a psycho. ^_~

The only thing I had wrong with this was the way Xion was going to cut Ezekiel's head off. Not because of the fact he wouldn't do that, but because when he was introuced you made a big thing about him wanting to spare Ezekiel and kill the others, like he still wanted her. It seemed as if you were going to make a thing out of that, but in the end, didn't.

Apart from that-great stuff. Look forward to ze finale. [/SIZE]

[Ikillion]

[COLOR=DarkSlateGray][SIZE=1][FONT=Comic Sans MS]Yay I am not dead....yet >.>

Well from this chapter I am guessing that the ending everyone is going to end up dying and taking the entire planet with them or something like that, or just Blayze will stay alive because he is Blayze. Yet the constant deaths only wet my wanting of the final chapter..Do it soon or else..[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]