In over his head (OOCS Fan Fic) 8

First

“This was it.” Kuoka thought.

The entire Special Strike Team and all the support that could be called in were going to die here.

All because they could not kill one person. Lasers bounced off the suite of power armor, and plasma barely left a scratch. The entire force of a warehouse detonating before collapsing did even less.

She looked on in horror as the figure in front of them dispatched the last of the fools who thought to try stopping her in melee.

None had lasted more than a couple of seconds.

The flames of the ruined warehouse served as harsh stage lighting for what happened next.

The imposing figure threw the last living woman to the ground.

Lisa. She had always had the strongest will, dedicated to the mission no matter what. Now she desperately crawled away with her one still working arm,  the rest of her limbs bent at wrong angles, blood and tears streaking down her face. Even now she pushed on, through the pain and the quiet sobs racking her broken body.

The figure slowly walked up to her before planting a foot on her back, pinning her in place. Lisa cried out in pain. The incomplete bodies of her comrades laying scattered about a testament of what was to come.

Kuoka didn’t want to watch, but she felt the team she had come to know and love over the last year deserved at least that much.

The massive figure bent down casually, as if inspecting a shiny rock. Gripping the back of Lisa’s head, they pulled.

A scream rang out before dying with its owner. What came after was a wet ripping sound as the head and much of the woman’s spine came out in one go.

Tears threatened to well up in her eyes. She blinked them back.

The power armored figure turned to look at her. And just as they did, a fresh salvo of high-powered plasma cannons found their mark.

Hope welled in her chest. Then the flash dimmed and the dust cleared.

And the figure started walking.

The cannons in the back began firing out of sync, their crews frantically attempting to bring the target down. What was left of the SST joined in a heartbeat later, plasma and lasers saturating the area.

Through the plasma and lasers, the figure walked. Not ran, walked. The lasers that hit deflected, while the plasma detonations not even staggering the figure when they connected.

She stared in disbelief at the scene in front of her.

A chime from her console brought her back to reality. Irritably she muted the screen, turning her attention to the source of the sound.

“Kuoka here.” She said, trying not to let her irritation bleed into her voice.

“Heya! Just a heads up, we have an inbound ship. Transponder says it’s the Rapacity, looks like they are a day early. Can you check in on that? Send them to dock 4, slot B, Please and thank you.” The voice on the other end came, cheery and without concern.

Kuoka grimaced internally “Where is Turosa? She’s in charge of the I and O’s.”

“Oh, don’t worry she’s definitely fine, the I and O’s platform is in the middle of a regular maintenance cycle and won’t be back online until the next caravan is due to leave. That means you are in charge of I and O’s for the next, oh, twelve hours, eleven minutes and forty-three seconds.”

She groaned internally “Can’t we put them on a holding orbit, until the I and O comes back online? I’m kinda busy right now.” She almost whined. That said busy was because she wanted to finish her show went unsaid.

“Well, I suppose we could… But that would be like, irresponsible you know? And besides I wouldn’t want to make one of the only ships making the trip out here from the main lanes upset, you know? And what if they decide to take a, I don’t know, more profitable trade route? We would like, run out of like, soooo much stuff we need, ya’ know?” the voice took a breath. “And who would the Station master pin that on? Us, right? So, no. No, we can’t put them in orbit. dock 4 slot B please and thank you.” The voice practically sang at her. The woman was incessantly annoying at the best of times. A click signaled the end of the conversation.

With a sigh she turned and paused her show just as another woman was getting impaled by their power armored foe. “Later.” she promised herself with a sigh.

Kicking off the console she was at her chair rolled to the one on the far side of the room, and conveniently, in front of a window overlooking down into the absolutely massive ‘loading bay 4.’

Meanwhile, on the bridge of the Rapacity:

Despite being located in the heart of the ship the bridge still had the benefit of window simulating view-screens giving a comfortable 270 degree view out into the void, and more importantly, what lay in it.

 Currently just a speck in the distance Nest was a medium-sized station by galactic standards. It sat comfortably in the orbit of a large gas giant, the mining of it and its moons being what kept most of the local economy afloat. Built from the remains of a long hollowed out ‘micro moon’, it housed close to half a billion permanent residents, spread out among a few hundred city sized levels. Each with enough headroom to accommodate high altitude flights. Despite being far from a main axiom lane, it held its place as the bleeding edge of civilization separating explored space from unexplored. Though properly known as Nest Station traders who were willing to make the trip to the edge of wild space tended to refer to it as “The Big One”.

Due mainly to its isolation, and the dangers of sailing so far out into the void, most who visited did so in ‘caravans’ merchant and civilian fleets, the number of ships involved being a safeguard against pirates and void beasts.

From the bridge of the Rapacity Jenna Sersher sat in the captain’s chair looking out the front window at the growing speck of light that was Nest. Any minute now they should be contacted and routed to the proper dock where they would unload their cargo and load pre-prepared goods for the return trip. And somewhere in the middle of that the crew would be given shore leave to stretch their legs and chase anything man-shaped they could find. Pretty standard sailor stuff.

Unfortunately for her, this stop was decidedly not standard. While the crew unloaded the cargo and got to spending their credits, she would get to escort someone’s lost son, father, or husband, to station security and hopefully get him home. In the best-case scenario, she would lose out on most of the time she would otherwise spend unwinding after a long haul.

‘Not great, not terrible’, she thought with a sigh.

“Everything alright captain?” Kyrie asked, from her post in front of the security station.

Rubbing the bridge of her snout she replied. “Not really, no. This missing boy business is going to send me in for a healing coma before long.”

Kyrie sighed as well “Not just you I’m afraid.”

Before the conversation could go any further the comms pinged once.

“Nest is hailing us captain.” Called Sasha.

Jenna fixed her hair a little before Nodding; “Put them on.”

With the press of a button the face of a Lutrin woman appeared on the screen projector.

“This is Nest station calling vessel ID showing as Rapacity, Confirm.”

“Jenna Sercher captain of Rapacity confirmed. Good to see you again.” Jenna replied.

Rather rudely the woman on the other end went straight to business. “I am sending you your approach vectors now. You are expected in dock 4 slot B, confirm receipt.”

Ignoring the woman’s attitude Jenna glanced at her station screen seeing an incoming transmission. “Got it. Dock 4 slot B, see you in“ -she glanced at the ETA displayed- “Thirty minutes.”

“Alright, when you get to the port opening a tug will escort you to your designated landing pad.” The woman droned on in that overworked employee reciting company slogans way. Her bit said the call disconnected abruptly.

“Looks like someone else is also having a rough day.” Sasha said, mirth coloring her words.

Jenna leaned back in her chair covering her eyes with one arm. “Just thirty more minutes.” She whispered to herself.

“C’mon! You HAVE to come with us. Tina already checked out the best spots for blowing off steam.”

Vexa was doing her best to convince Amina to join their group for their collective “vacation on station.”

Amina was in the middle of rolling her eyes. “It can’t be that great, it’s just a station, see one you’ve seen them all, besides, I have to study.”

Not deterred the shorter woman continued. “Elisya is coming, and so is Nixis and, well everyone but you actually.” She pulled on Amina’s sleeve in a pleading manner “There’s an ocean section, a nice park sure to be packed with dudes, and a battle mech arena.”

At the last part Amina’s ears perked up.

“A battle mech arena?”

“Uh huh. I hear guys like a woman who can kick ass, and the park just happens to be nearby...”

Amina thought for a moment: a battle mech arena was a tempting lure. And besides going with her classmates should be safer than wandering around a continent sized station by herself…

“Sold. On one condition” she held up a finger “We need to watch one extinction match at the arena.”

 “Deal.” Vexa responded instantly.

The two clasped hands aggressively grinning at each other maniacally at the prospect of witnessing a serious gladiatorial match in their shared future.

 Thirty minutes later and the Rapacity was half an orbit short of entering dock 4 having approached from the opposite direction. Sailing a several kilometers away the station still took up the whole of the windows facing it. Though the Rapacity was a large ship, Nest still made it look embarrassingly small.

The station was a motley mismatch of many expansions and renovations. So great were the additions in fact that the original station was no longer visible having long since been covered by the addition of newer constructions. one part was made primarily of old ships that had over time been connected to form larger structures. Some sections even appeared to be made of rock. This being the result of the sizable mining waste generated by the refining industry on the station.

Completing their half orbit of Nest dock 4 came into view nestled comfortably in a rocky section of the station’s outer layer, giving it the look of a mountain sized cave entrance. The look of which was only broken by the sleek metal and bright lights of a modern dock full of ships just inside.

Slowing, the Rapacity’s engines became audible as the trade hauler crossed from the void and into atmosphere, a low hum emanating from the ship. Once inside the massive dock the promised guide tug approached. Once contact was made it led the Rapacity towards Loading Bay 4.

Quietly humming, the trade hauler slowly made its way deeper into the station, passing several more ships already anchored and in the process of loading or unloading.

Eventually Loading Bay 4 came into view. An enormous platform sat half attached to the larger structure of Nest, and the other half held up by equally massive support beams sticking out perpendicularly from the skyscraper sized wall. On the station side of the platform there were several dozen gigantic (by person standards) hangar doors, a few already open with crews loitering in the entrances.

Lowering its landing gear the Rapacity gently set down with an echoing thud, its pilot making another happy landing.

Then all at once the madness of unloading the formidable vessel began, crews rushing forward, Grav-Carts closely behind those on foot. The masses separating into several streams each heading for one of Rapacity’s giant cargo doors as they opened.

On the bridge the Lutrin woman was back on the projector.

“Your current ETA for complete Discharge of cargo is 24 hours, any of your crew who wish to venture into Nest will be issued a tracking pass at the security station inside Sub-Bay 4 dash 3.” She took a breath. “Welcome to Nest.”

Previous Next