Wrack and .............. ruin?

[Agmen of Eladesor]

Two armed guards kept pace behind Stoat and DeVirgo as they proceeded through the station to Chapmans Tavern. At the sideways glance from Stoat, DeVirgo said, "Get used to it, Stoat. Even though you didn't intend to do so, you're now conisdered a threat. Look at the bright side - at least I don't deal with threats like George did."

Stoat snorted. "Yeah, that's for damn sure."

The two men - and the guards entered Chapmans. There was a reserved table off to one side that already had poured drinks ready and waiting for them. "Okay, Max, I'm sure that you have some sneaky and devious plan in mind - I know how you're fond of those."

DeVirgo took a sip of his drink. "It's really quite simple, actually. You know our long term intentions. What you don't know, since it's not been part of your area of responsibility as Bretonian Guildmaster, is that we've been getting reports that the Nomads seem to be willing to work with humans to a certain extent."

"Yeah, they use them as their puppets to get what they want." Stoat had already finished his drink, and waved for another round.

"Not exactly. Oh, they haven't become all altruistic and decided to sit around and sing Kum By Yah while we take over everything. Far from it. But while it looks like they've realized that humanity as a whole is a pest, we're hoping that you can spark some direct contact between us and the Wild."

"Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?"

"Think of it as a new job title. Ambassador Stoat, emissary from the Guild Core and our future realm, to the Nomads."

---

Oh god... The end of days... Agmen agreed with me.

[Stoat]

Stoat choked on his drink at that.

"Ambassador? Emissary? Are you serious? I'm not exactly going to be donning official robes of state here, Max!" As Max started to speak, Stoat help up his hand. "No! Not another word. I don't want to hear it Max. I'm not in the mood for your kind of levity right now. You keep on planning your path to dominion, or whatever the hell it is you're looking for. I'm heading for my quarters."

Stoat stood, knocking back what was left of his drink. Casting a scathing glance DeVirgo's way, he strode purposefully past his babysitters and out the door. The two guards followed him, but at least they kept an almost respectful distance. Faces passed by him in a blur, and he bumped into several people, muttering apologies as he went. So this was what his life had come to. Simply a pawn to be sacrificed because that might prove more useful than actually fighting to keep him alive and safe.

Reaching his quarters, the guards took up position on either side of the door. Stoat activated the DNA scan which should unlock the entrance to his quarters. The system beeped, but the doors failed to open. The closest guard leant across and tapped in a code on the number pad, and this time the locks clicked open. Stoat stared balefully at the guard, who merely shrugged apologetically, and moved aside, allowing Stoat access to his quarters.

With the doors closed behind him Stoat started to tremble. How long would it be before the Wilde got to him? A day, a week, a month maybe? He was scared, and now that he was alone all the stress and terror and confusion and anger broke through his barriers and overwhelmed him. He collapsed to the floor and wept.

---

My Stories

[Stoat]

As he regained control of his emotions, Stoat rose and looked around his quarters. There would be bugs everywhere, of that he was sure, monitoring his every move and sound. He went to the kitchen and made himself a coffee, which he sipped as he moved from room to room, picking up favourite trinkets and photographs. Memories of better days flooded back. The scale model of the Sea Serpent reminded him of old hunts with the Strontium Dogs, chasing corsairs through the Omegas. The tangled piece of hull, a trinket from a fight with the Joker. The photograph of Esther Carson. And his most prized possession, taking up almost an entire wall, the battered remains of a Corsair pulse turret, ripped from the hull of the Mentira, the Omega Pirates Guild's most feared Pirate Transpost.

He slumped onto his favourite easy chair, flicked on some music, and lost himself to his memories. He was no longer sure if they would last.

---

My Stories

[Dashiell]

Stoat was sitting in his chair and lost track of time. Suddenly, his attention snapped back as he heard a sound outside the doors of his quarters. A surprised gasp, followed by quiet moaning. Then silence.

Stoat got up and approached the doors. They suddenly slid open and revealed a man standing in the hallway, in front of the doors looking at Stoat. The man was wearing a cloak-like outfit and his face was obscured by a shawl like mask. At his feet lay 2 unconscious guards.

He looked at Stoat for a second, then took something out from underneath his cloak and threw it at Stoat.

Stoat reacted to the object being tossed at him and caught it. When he looked up, the man was gone and the doors quietly closed.

In Stoat's hands was a small wad of paper.

Stoat unfolded it and read its message:

We need to talk. In private. When you head back to Leeds, I'll accompany you. - Damian

---

[Stoat]

Damian? thought Stoat. I don't know any Damian, do I?

He turned the paper over, in case there was anything on the other side. It was, as he suspected, blank. He held the note up to the light, but could see nothing else. Moving to the kitchen, he heated the paper over the open flame from the hob. Despite the paper singing nicely, no other message appeared. He thought of letting the note burn, but no doubt DeVirgo was already learning of it's delivery.

He thought back to the figure that had thrown to note to him, and grinned. He must surely have read too many bad pulp fiction novels to have made such a melodramatic appearance. Still, it didn't help him any in figuring out who this Damian was.

He opened the doors, and looked down at the two comatose guards. He kicked one hard. As his foot connected with the unfortunate guard's ribs, it occurred to him.

Damoclass! It would be just like the megalomaniacal Core guildmaster to arrange such a ridiculous method of delivering a message. Stoat could imagine what Damoclass planned to say to him. Some pointless speech extolling the Core's ideology, and how he was now integral to the achievement of their goals, yada yada yada. DeVirgo had probably sanctioned the whole bloody affair.

He kicked the guard again for good measure, before re-entering his apartment. Moving straight to his comms unit, he keyed in a brief message to DeVirgo:

Okay Max. You've had your fun, you and Damoclass both. I've had enough of this now. I'm heading back to Leeds, with or without your blessing. Get me a Bottlenose fitted out, and an escort worthy of my position as Bretonian guildmaster, and I'll get out of your hair. And yes is the answer to your proposal. Just give me the time to set things straight before you tie me to the sacrificial rock. I'm heading for Rostock. Get the escorts assembled there.

Gathering a few posessions, Stoat took a look around his quarters, and wondered if he'd see them again. Shaking such melancholia off, he strode through the doors, the two guards still insensate on the floor, and headed for the shuttlebays. The fact that he made it that far told him all he needed to kow.

---

My Stories

[Stoat]

The trip from Omega-56 to Rostock was short and simple. Stoat was able to pass through all the checks and barriers uncontested, and his access to areas such as the hangar bays appeared intact. He made his way quickly towards the bays holding the AP-200039 gunships. As he entered, he was approached by the chief engineer.

"Ah, guildmaster. We've been expecting you. Your new bottlenose is ready to fly, and an escort group awaits your launch. Head for bay seven, level four, sir. Safe flight." He turned and headed back the way he'd come.

"Thanks, Chief!" Stoat called, as he headed for the lifts. A short trip downwards got him to level 4, and he headed for his bay. There, in number seven, was the Bottlenose. Stoat approached the access doors, and pressed his palm onto the reader. Lights flashed as the power systems engaged, and a low hum rumbled through him. He pulled his hand off the pad, and the doors slid open. As Stoat looked up, he saw a figure stepping out towards him.

"Damoclass! What the bloody hell are you doing on my ship?"

Damian Damoclass stepped slowly off the gunship, smiling slightly. As he approached, he spread his palms to show himself as no threat. Stoat took a step or two backwards, regardless.

"Hello Stoat. You got my message I see. I'm glad you decided to comply. I have some very important matters I wish to discuss with you, and only with you. In private. So I will be taggling along to Leeds if you don't mind. And if you do mind, I'll still tag along."

Stoat raised an eye at the threat, but didn't comment upon it.

"You've got matters you want to discuss, have you? Why should I care one little bit what you want to discuss? Besides, DeVirgo has already 'discussed' more than enough for my tastes. I'm very well aware what's expected of me, so the last thing I need is you 'tagging along' trying to fill my head with more of your Core gobbledigook. I get the idea already. Getting hunted by the Wilde tends to enlighten you somewhat!"

Damoclass nodded as Stoat spoke

"You seem to misunderstand. I know that you and old man DeVirgo are no longer buddy buddy. And I feel ever so bad for your current situation. That's why I asked my... delivery man to contact you without old DeVirgo knowing. Make no mistake. I am on your side. And I'd like to... help you."

"Help me? Now that's something I've not heard someone say for a good few weeks. You want to help me. Great, sounds good. Offering to take my place as the next ambassador to the Wilde are you? I kind of doubt that. So, help me how?"

"Well, your little encounter with the Wilde made me very interested in you. You seem to be undergoing some changes, I have read all the data. As you know, we of the Core are very interested in nomad and nomad related technology. DeVirgo wants to send you to your grave for his own selfish purposes. I, however, would hate to waste such a magnificant physique. Let's be honest; how often does a man get a chance to have a Wilde infested at his side? I'm willing to help you escape from DeVirgo's clutches. But in return, you will work for me. As I have plans of my own. I'm sure we can find some way to let you keep control over yourself. I too, have some projects going with facinating results thus far."

"Okay, I'll hear you out. Get back on board. We've got to depart, before DeVirgo knows you're coming along."

Damoclass smiled obsequiously as be bowed to wave Stoat past.

"Oh no, you scheming bastard! After you."

---

My Stories

[Stoat]

Stoat followed as Damoclass climbed into the Bottlenose and made his way to the bridge. He sat himself in the co-pilots seat, as Stoat settled into the captains chair. Stoat looked across at Damoclass.

"We'll continue this later. For the time being we've an escort to meet up with. I trust you remember how to fly one of these?" he asked, sarcasticly. Damoclass rolled his eyes and simply nodded. "Good. You take us out, while I align our systems with our escort."

The Bottlenose exited Rostock station smoothly. There, in close proximity of the station, they joined up with their escort - the cruiser Mary Poppins, The Orca's Vulcan and Grampus, and the Wasupu of Gilgamesh. Stoat opened a comms line to the ships.

"Okay, from here we're heading for Leeds, but we'll not be heading through house space. The previous attacks by the Wilde force us to take a far riskier route through Omega-41, Omega-5 and Omega-3 before we get to Bretonian space. Hence the presence of the Mary Poppins, which will leave us when we get to Cambridge. Remember, keep your eyes open for anything unusual. We'll be running through some of the most hostile territory there is. Captains, if you are ready, let's move out."

"Grampus ready, guildmaster."

"Mary Poppins ready, sir."

"Vulcan ready, sir."

"Gilgamesh acknowledged."

Stoat took control back from Damoclass, and pointed the Bottlenose towards the jumphole from Omega-15 to Omega-41. Cruise engines engaged, as the five vessels powered away from Rostock, and took a parabolic vector, avoiding the coronas of the double star system. Several wings of first Hessians and the Corsairs appeared on the scanners, but they soon veered away from the firepower that faced them. The trip to the jump hole was uneventful, and Stoat breathed easier as Gilgamesh jumped ahead and reported Omega-41 as free of hostile activity.

The rest of the ships jumped through, and re-engaged their cruise drives, angling for the hole to Omega-5.



Stoat reopened the comms link

"Gilgamesh, take the lead. The Mary Poppins will follow you approximately three clicks behind. The rest of us will be formed on her."

"Gilgamesh acknowledged." came the same clipped response. The ships fanned out as they headed towards Omega-5, and Stoat activated the autopilot, before turning back to Damoclass. He studied his fellow guildmaster intently before speaking.

"So, Damoclass, time to get back to what we were discussing earlier. I've been thinking on what you said. I've always thought of you as a paranoid megalomaniac, as I'm sure you are aware. I get the feeling I have misjudged you in that respect. You're far more dangerous than that. What, exactly, are these projects you spoke of?"

Damoclass coughed lightly, gathering himself on his seat.

"I beg to differ. I'm not that dangerous. I'm just ambitious." He leaned forward, as if about to divulge some weighty secret. "The current heading of the Core, under DeVirgo and Kyras is no good to anyone. They are so wrapped up in their self righteousness that they fail to see the bigger picture. You of all people must know, mankind is at stake."

He leaned back into his seat again. Stoat easily recognised the practised art of a man used to drawing people into his rhetoric, and smiled slightly.

"The misguided Order are not nearly capable of dealing with it. I have seen with my own eyes what is waiting for man in the future. Either we stand ready, or we all die when the time is there. I merely wish to force my own people to be ready." Damoclass started to jesture effusively as he infused more emotion into his voice. "If everyone around us is killed, so be it. It's their own fault for being ignorant. But we, of the Core, we will survive and surpass the Nomads and Wilde. And for that, I need your help. My projects are being done onboard the Eden. And only me and my trusty crew know of them. And they are none of your damn business until I know for sure you are on my side. So, are you? Or do you want to try and betray me to DeVirgo, only to get executed on the spot?"

Stoat laughed loudly.

"Am I on your side? No, of course not. Right now you're just another powerhungry nutter looking to use me for their own ends! But, given my recent experiences with DeVirgo, I am certainly not on his side. That's as good as you're going to get, for now. You want something for nothing, Damoclass, and you're not going to get it from me. I'll consider your proposal on the condition you share some infomation with me. As for betraying you to DeVirgo, no, I have nothing to gain from doing so. You're safe in that respect."

"Fine, as you wish. Here's what you need to know, and this is all I will disclose for now." Damoclass took a breath as he collected his thoughts, and selected what information he was prepared to divulge.

"Onboard the Eden, I have set up research projects. These span from genetic engineering like Kyras has undergone, to our own weapons research. We are doing quite well onboard the Eden. But the problem is that I have to keep it secret and I have a lack of workspace and nessecities. Plus, my life's work is onboard a ship meant to wage war. You understand the risk of the Eden being destroyed and me losing all my work. So I have been looking for alternatives, away from prying eyes. That's where you come in." Again he leaned forward towards Stoat, eager to draw him in. "I'll make sure DeVirgo doesn't get his way with you, if you help me. I'm fairly certain that the Wilde will not try to kill you from this point on. They want to take you alive. And that suits me just fine. I can make sure the Wilde can't fully control you. You will be able to remain yourself, more or less anyway. All I ask in return is that you spy on them for me. Steal technology from them. Make my research that much easier by helping me from the inside. I am not naive enough to try and have talks with them. I want to destroy them from the inside out, with your help, after you get me all the data I need."

Stoat shook his head at what he heard. He'd known what was coming, deep down, in spite of the hope he'd held for something different. Something that might actually be in his interests. He took a few moments, allowing Damoclass to think he was actually considering what he proposed. Finally he straightened in his seat, and looked Damoclass directly in the eye.

"And there we have it. You want to save me from the machinations of DeVirgo, and his plans for me being some kind of link to the Wilde by sacrificing me to the Wilde yourself." Stoat started to lower his voice gradually, causing Damoclass to lean forward ever so slightly. "Yeah, thanks for that Damoclass. You're really doing a good job selling this to me. And you can make sure the Wilde can't fully control me can you? How do you propose to do that? All the research gathered shows that as soon as an infested host is in a position that puts the nomad in danger you have one dead host and one dead nomad." Stoat suddenly raised his hand and slammed it onto the control panel, shouting "BANG!! That fast!"

The suddeness of the action, and the slap of Stoat's hand onto the panel made Damoclass jump. Stoat used that momentary distraction to reach for his side arm, which he quickly raised, and pointed right between Damoclass's eyes. Damoclass's eyebrow shot up as he stared, unexpectedly, down the barrel of the gun.

"So, that leaves me in a somewhat delicate situation, I fear. Hence the hardware. Thank you for your oh so generous offer, Damoclass, but I am forced to decline. I have no interest in becoming anyone elses pawn. I fancy the idea of becoming just another nomad's shell even less, so sod the Guild, sod DeVirgo and sod you too."

He took a deep breath as he came to a decision.

"I'll be going back to Leeds, packing my stuff and disappearing. As for you, well you can clamber into one of the escape pods, should you so wish, and have your goon Gilgamesh pick you up, or you can choose to retire to the hold and wait for us to reach Leeds. Either way, you'll be standing up, nice and slowly, with your hands in plain view and backing up out of that door just there."

Damoclass rose slowly from his seat, eyes glued to the muzzle pointed at him. He backed away from Stoat, until he reached the door that led off the bridge. Stoat waved the gun absently as Damoclass opened the door, and stood, framed.

"I should just shoot you right now I suppose, but I'm no murderer, and you may just be right about your research on the Eden. So you get to live. Do anything foolish though, and I won't hesitate to change that."

Damoclass stood tall in the doorway, puffing out his chest in what appeared to be pride.

"As you wish. Your loss... Guildmaster. But you will regret this. Trust me."

Stoat waved the gun again and Damoclass retreated through the door. As they slid smoothly closed, Stoat rose and moved to the door, locking the access panel. Feeling slightly safer, he returned to his seat, and proceeded to bring up internal surveillance, watching carefully as Damoclass made his way to the hold.

---

My Stories

[Stoat]

The remainder of the trip through Omega-41 was uneventful, and soon they were close to the jump to Omega-5. The Wasupu of Gilgamesh vanished from the scanners as it jumped through the hole. A short time later came the distorted report.

"Omega-5 clear. Come on through."

The ships jumped, emerging on the other side in visual range of the huge Corsair enclave of Cadiz. Cruise engines kicked in, and the ships surged away from the rock. All the crews watched Cadiz suspiciously, expecting the appearance of Corsairs intent on taking their lives, but the rock stayed silent. Stoat breated a sigh of relief once Cadiz finally fell out of scanning range. The mass of asteroids flashed past, large ones carefully avoided, smaller one bouncing harmlessly of the shields. Stoat glanced at the surveillance monitors to see Damoclass sat up against a bulkhead in the hold.

"Contact! Contact!" came the shout from Gilgamesh. Stoat jumped. "Incoming ships, configuration unknown. Sector delta six alpha"

The vessels suddenly appeared on Stoat's scanners. Six contacts, fourteen clicks out and closing fast. He checked the distance to the jump hole to Omega-3. Fourteen clicks. He looked back at the contacts. Warning lights flashed across the consoles. They could read the signatures now. Everyone went deathly quiet. Scorpions. Six of them, bearing down upon the hunters.

"Mother of God!" breathed the captain of the Mary Poppins across the comms. The sound of a human voice kicked Stoat out of his shock.

"Jump! Get to Omega-3 NOW! We've got to get out of these asteroids or we're finished!"

The two groups hit the jump hole at exactly the same moment. Gilgamesh's vessel vanished first, then as his Bottlenose was about to jump, Stoat looked out into the asteroids of Omega-5, as the Scorpions closed to what felt like touching distance.



Then he jumped. Light spiralled around him, then suddenly resolved itself into another asteroid field. He engaged his cruise engines as Wilde and hunters materialised about him, but a disruptor slammed into him, and the Wilde closed for the kill.

"Engage! Engage!" he screamed across the comms, as laser, pulse and antimatter fire streaked through the rocks that surrounded them.



The sheer power and bulk of the Mary Poppins protected the ship at first. Gilgamesh's Wasupu allowed him to mostly avoid little fire that came his way, and the Bottlenose held up well, dodging through the asteroids as two Scorpions pursued. The two Orcas did not fare as well. Heavily targetted as the most vulnerable vessels, and hindered by the mass of asteroids, the Scorpions tore them to pieces.



The Scorpions targetted the Mary Poppins then, four of them pouring fire down upon her, as the remaining two unleashed their fury upon Stoat's Bottlenose. The shields held briefly, before failing. The Bottlenose shook heavily as some salvoes ripped directly into the hull. Stoat risked a glance at the surveillance monitors, to see that Damoclass had vanished from the hold.

Oh bollocks! he thought. What now?

Warning lights suddenly flared across the control panels. His hull had been breached and internal sensors we're picking up non-human life signatures. At that moment, all power to the engines, and his controls, died.



"No!" screamed Stoat, slamming his fists into the defunct panels. He looked up to see the burning remnants of the Mary Poppins scatter through the asteroid field as she finally fell.



A small explosion sounded behind him , and Stoat whirled as the door to the bridge fell open. Standing framed in the doorway, a wry smile on his face, was Damian Damoclass.




Stoat roared, and launched himself across the bridge at Damoclass. Feinting to throw his entire body at Damoclass in a rugby tackle, Stoat twisted his body at the last moment, as Damoclass tried to brace for the expected impact. As Stoat passed, his arm shot out and his forearm took Damoclass full across the throat, sending him crashing to the floor. His balance recovered, Stoat turned, expecting to see Damoclass stil protrate on the floor, but the guildmaster had already arisen, and was smiling delightedly.

"Nice move, guildmaster. If it wasn't for these structural implants I had fitted," he rubbed his neck softly, "the last time someone attempted to garotte me, you might very well have won this little contest."

He coughed once, clearing his throat.

"It would seem, however, that it is my turn now."

Damoclass surged forward, his speed appauling. Blows rained into Stoat, fists, elbows, knees, all designed to weaken and tire. Stoat was reduced to pure defence, but even then he couldn't avoid many of the blows hitting home. As his heels backed up against a wall, he thrust his head forward as Damoclass momentarily got to close. Foreheads collided, and Damoclass fell backwards, as Stoat saw stars. As his eyes uncrossed, Stoat saw Damoclass apparently stunned, and let fly a roundhouse punch, hoping to end things quickly. Just before the blow landed, Damoclass moved, eerily fast. His arm snapped across Stoats', blocking the blow and locking the arm, while his body twisted. Stoat felt himself weightless as his momentum catapulted him up and across Damoclass's back, before slamming into the floor. Stunned, he was unable to stop the arm that locked across his throat, and as the blood to his brain was cut off, Stoat slumped into unconciousness. Damoclass stood then, and moved to open a local comms channel.



As Damoclass busied himself at the control panel, Stoat felt himself start to come round. Blurred vision cleared slowly, and he deepened his breathing in an attempt to recover faster. As soon as he could see well enough to make out that Damoclass had his back to him, he rose, silently. Damoclass was using the comms, but Stoat paid no heed to what he was saying. As soon as he was close enough, he launched himself, grabbing Damoclass's head and slamming it into the control panel. As Damoclass reeled, Stoat grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and at the waist of his trousers, and with all his strength hurled the Core guildmaster headfirst, up and into the display screens at the front of the bridge. Damoclass body collapsed to the floor as Stoat scurried off the bridge, heading for the escape pods.



Stoat fell several times as he attempted to get the escape pods. His vision swimming, he could barely focus, and lancing pains shot across his temples as he exerted himself. Finally he got to the escape pods, and scrabbled desperately at the controls, attempting to activate one. He didn't hear the footsteps approaching. A cold hand caught him at the nape of his neck. As he tried to fight, his arm was gripped tight and pulled tight behind his back, forcing him up onto his tip-toes. He was slammed face first into the bulkhead, knocking the wind from him, and as the grip released he collapsed to the floor. Through his swimming vision he caught sight of a man. Tall, unkempt, with softly glowing lavender eyes. As he opened his mouth to scream, tendrils gripped his lips, teeth and tongue, stifling the sounds. He felt something starting to slide down his troat, then his vision exploded with light.



Something was there, with him, within his own head. He was terrified. Had he had control of his vocal chords he would have mewled in fear. As it was his conciousness tried to flee the invading sentience. Without success. As he felt hook-like threads pierce the very substance of his psyche, he felt himself drawn inexorably towards the light. He wanted to fight, but had no fists. He wanted to run, but had no legs. He wanted to cry, but had neither eyes nor voice. Then the light enveloped him. His conciousness shattered, flying apart. He felt himself spread across space, perceiving everything while touching nothing. Stars, planets, moons zipped past as he flew to what seemed the very edges of the universe. Then the expansion stopped. The same threads that had caught him now held him together, stopping his dispersal. Slowly, surely, they tightened, recalling him to his place. Faster he rushed, now eager to return. The universe passed by in a blur that suddenly turned black as he arrived.

He opened his eyes to a new world. He could feel beings around him and within him. He belonged. He rose then, and returned to his bridge. Power had returned, and he re-engaged the systems. His head snapped up as warnings coursed through him.

***Beware......attack(darkbeings)-arrive......power-threat-intent.......(we)defend***



As the first Scorpion fell, remorse and rage tore through him. He turned his guns upon the offenders, and along with the Scorpions, ripped them to shreds.





Nothing was left but the smoking wreckage of human arrogance.

---

My Stories