Here is the first and second chapter. Enjoy and look forward to your oppionon, sorry it took so long. (Got to love the chaos of the holidays, huh!)
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Chapter One
The door slid to a close and made a hissing sound as it closed shut behind the man who just stepped in. It was Petty Officer Collins and put the recording device on the desk next to his quarters personal computer. Collins pulled the chair back and logged onto his PC and brought up the program to change what the holo sign on his quarters' door said.
-------------- SYSTEM IDETIFICATION RE-CHECK COMPLETE.
Welcome PETTY OFFICER COLLINS. What would you like to change to your holo sign for you quarters; QUARTERS A-509, AFT SECTION,?
Input the new information below.
P.O.C----------------- P.etty
O.fficer
C.ollins
DO NOT DISTURBE, CRUCIAL ASSIGNMENT BEING WORKED ON. AND ITS NOT TAKING A DUMP OR "WORKING OUT" WITH MY HAND, AS YOU CALL IT, YOU JACKASS STEVENSON!
-------------- SYSTEM VERIFIES NEW INFORMATION. DISPLAYING... NOW. Thank you for your time and cooperation, PETTY OFFICER COLLINS, and have a nice day. We hope you like the new display.
-------------- PROGRAM END.
"Hopefully now I won't be bothered by his friends, and those other jackasses", he said quietly to himself.
Collins picked up the recording device and hooked it up to his computer. He began to load up the first recording and prepared to relax and watch.
P.O.C-------------- System, begin playing recording upon pressing of the ENTER key. Verified?
--------------------- SYSTEM VERIFIES WAITING FOR THE "SIGNAL TO GO".
Collins looked at his dark black computer keyboard and pressed the ENTER key. As the recording began to play, he leaned back and little bit and got ready to "enjoy the show".
*** ***
"Captain! Captain! Fleet Command sent us some new orders!" the voice yelled out.
The man who was being shouted at let out a sigh. He thought to himself; great, we get some leave here on planet only a week ago and already FleetCom is trying to ship us off back to the frontlines. I guess it's expected, everyone who is able is need for active military duty. We need to keep making this war looked winnable for the masses. Oh well, leave was fun while it lasted.
"What is it Ensign Yokumarau? Has the Fun Choppers already decided to call our number while we are busy having leave on this beautiful colony world of Taoseca?" the Captain replied to the man who was yelling at him, now identified as his navigational officer.
"You know it Captain Mickelson! They said that we are to begin the fleet wide patrol of this system." Yokumarau replied.
"Figured as much. But why are you telling me this? Shouldn't your friend Ensign Garcia should be bringing me this new bit of information? Are you two that best of friends? Or are you just running errands for him because you lost another game of cards to him and were out of M.F.Cs?" Captain Mickelson said.
"Yeah, I lost to him, again! I swear that bastard cheats every time we play so he doesn't have to get off his ass! Any who, FleetCom says we should begin the patrol tomorrow night by 1900 hours."
"Alright then. At least we have one more day of relaxation before head back to the ass end of space. See you on the ship?"
"You know it sir! You should join us for a game of cards sometime soon! See ya Captain!" Yokumarau said as he ran off back to their ship; Nalfander's Pride. The jewel of this particular T.E.C fleet, a powerful Akkan Class Battlecrusier that has served in over fifty major confrontations with the enemies of the T.E.C.
The Captain eased a smile onto his middle aged face and started walking down the boulevard once again. He headed towards the main market in the capital of Taoseca; Taoseca City, (really original of those first colonists to this world, eh?).
Since it was their last night on leave, he decided to get a nice treat for the brave men of his ship. He entered a large bakery and dairy store that was located at the entrance of the huge market. Before he walked in, he took a good look around the market and thought to himself that it wasn't such a shock to the size of the marketplace. After all, the T.E.C used to be run by the old Trade Order. A society that saw humanity through its golden age; a time when life was driven by trading and economy.
Mickelson walked up a small young man on the dairy side of the shop and who promptly asked him what he would like.
"Hmm... what's your best flavor of ice cream here son?" Mickelson asked the young man.
"Well sir, that's a hard choice. But I would have to say it would be our galaxy famous Rocky Road ice cream sir. Would like to buy some?" the young man replied.
"Do you have a discount for people that are in the T.E.C Navy?" Mickelson asked, stressing every word he was saying to get across to the young man that it could be a deal breaker.
"Why of course sir! We give current T.E.C military servicemen a twenty-five percent discount!" the young man eagerly chipped in as his reply.
"Alright then, you see I'm the Captain for the Capital Ship in port right now here; Nalfander's Pride. And I would like to get a tub of Rocky Road ice cream for each crew member of my ship. So I would like to purchase four thousand tubs of rocky road ice cream. Now then how much will that be with the discount?" Mickelson asked calmly.
The young man standing behind the ice cream counter was shaking and was probably about to faint. Four Thousand Tubs of Ice Cream! That is almost unbelievable! However, he recovered quickly knowing that this could make his business skyrocket and put the store on the map!
"Not a problem sir! I guess our customers will have to deal with our other amazing flavors. We will have your order delivered to your ship by ten o'clock P.M tonight, sir. That will be a final total of twenty-eight thousand credits. " the young man said.
"Alright then! Charge that to this card. The Fun Choppers won't have a problem paying for the bill since they cut our leave short. Thank you young man. Good bye." Mickelson said as he swiped his card and walked out of the store.
The young man behind the counter nearly leaped for joy afterwards. He is going to be rich, he thought to himself! Oh how he loved the T.E.C at this moment.
The young man went to the back room and got as many employees as he could to start loading up freezer hover trucks with the ice cream. Yes indeed! He was going to be rich!
*** ***
It was 2200 hours, and Captain Mickelson got up on his senior CO table and banged his fork against his glass.
"Men, tomorrow night we will be shipping out with the rest of the fleet for a fleet wide patrol of this star system. This change in plans is curtsey of our friends; the Fun Choppers." the Captain yelled so that the whole crew would hear him.
This drew a series of groans, boos, and complaints from various members of the crew as they learned that FleetCom, or the Fun Choppers as the Captain and some others call them as, shortened their leave and already got them orders to go out on what is sure to be another boring patrol.
"However, I have a special treat for all of you. A tub of ice cream for each and every one of you! This too is curtsey of our friends; the Fun Choppers!" the Captain yelled as men from the bakery and dairy store started bringing in cart after cart filled with tubs of the purchased tubs of Rocky Road ice cream.
The men shouted in joy and began rushing their way to the ice cream. Many of them laughing at what their beloved Captain did. Purchasing all of this ice cream and also have FleetCom pay for it! This is the funniest thing he's done yet many of them thought!
"Enjoy the ice cream! But make sure to get your fat asses ready to move out tomorrow! See you then and good night!" the Captain yelled as he took his tub of ice cream and spoon and headed for his private quarters.
Hopefully we will all come back from patrol and be able to do this again. Hell, if he does, FleetCom might have him stringed up for he did. Twenty-eight thousand credits spent on ice cream, and right out of their pockets too! Oh well, it's worth it; he thought to himself as he opened his tub of ice cream and started to dig in.
Hopefully they will. A couple hours later, he and the rest of the crew was asleep. They didn't know they were going out on their final patrol. If only they knew what was to happen.
*** ***
Well, that was an "interesting" start for the recordings Petty Officer Collins thought. Ice cream. That's how they start, I should have left the bridge once I talked to and handed the Vice Admiral this thing. Instead of having to be forced to watch and listen to this boring garbage; Collins thought.
Oh well, time to get some rest; Collins thought as he turned off his computer and prepared to go to bed. As he climbed into his bed he thought, a great assignment I got; not for the first time and nor for the last time either. Then he slipped into the realm of sleep and would worry about his assignment later, however it wouldn't be long before his tone about the recordings would change.
Chapter Two
While Petty Officer Collins was on board Vice Admiral Froelar's flagship, the Kol Battleship Trader's Vengeance, doing the task that Froelar gave him; a Vasari fleet moved through and docked at an asteroid field that they had captured.
This particular group of Vasari had taken these asteroids from a local, and hostile, human cartel. However, the humans had no idea about what kind of Vasari fleet this was. The Vasari fleet was massive, nearly five times the size of the T.E.C fleet that left from Taoseca. The human cartel was quickly and mercilessly annihilated. If only the humans knew who they were, they might have had a chance to flee and live another day. If only.
This was the New Vasari Empire's Dark Fleet, and not the one that those cowardly refugees call theirs; but the real deal. The refugees thought that an ancient enemy or some god-like being that was seeking unholy vengeance upon the Vasari Empire. Those fools!
The cause for the so called "disturbance" was the Vasari being standing on the bridge on his capital ship of the Dark Fleet; the Kortul Devastator Revenge of Notharava. He was Dark Fleet Vice Commander Varjuda Valkanas, the so called traitor to the old Vasari Empire. He led a great many of the Dark Fleet in a coup de tat to overthrow the old Empire and become the new Emperor of the Vasari Empire.
It turned out not to be as challenging as one would thought. It was downright easy after he and his original rebel allies took over the secret Vasari super weapon that was under development. It now was towed with them, it was great device that looked like a giant laser rifle that floated through space. The weapon generated an extremely powerful EMP pulse that charge up inside of the weapon, it then fired at the target planet; disabling all ships, weapons, communication systems, and all other electrical systems on planet and in the surrounding gravity well.
He had used this device to slowly conquer the old empire's worlds while still slowly building up supporters within the Dark Fleet. He used this strategy until he could finally launch a full out assault on the last refuge of the old empire's government, solidifying his control on the Empire.
However, he then learned about the population and local Dark Fleet located at a planet on the edge of the empire. He also learned that the remnants of the Dark Fleet that was still loyal to the old government arrived at that planet in complete terror of the devastation they saw at the battle.
So, now knowing that they fled to this new galaxy; he personally led a part of the Dark Fleet to conquer them and bring them back into the fold of the new Vasari Empire. He encountered some of the local sentient population and quickly destroyed them. He wasn't going to let anything or anyone stop him and his goals. Nothing at all would.
He looked out of the view in his bridge and looked to the future. Oh how great things turned out! His victory is inevitable he thought. Nothing can stop him, Varjuda Valkanas; Emperor of the New Vasari Empire and unchallenged ruler of the known universe!