The Galactic War: Rogue Element ~The Beginning

[Chad32]

<I do get the feeling that I'm in tune with the ship when I'm piloting my fighter.> He said as she explained how the engine of a small fighter was right beneath him, and he could feel changes more quickly than in a larger ship.

When she spoke of Z-space topography, and he studied the screen, he noticed the lines looked like an ear. <Z-Space is listening to us.> He said quietly to himself. He hadn't really meant for her to hear, and regretted that she might. She was older, and had probably long forgotten passtimes like seeing shapes in clouds and such. He should probably try to seem older and more mature around higher ranking officers.

<Thank you for such a detailed description.> He said when she finished. <You are well versed in ships. How long does it typically take to train to fly larger craft? Personally I have not yet sett;ed into a definite military career, and piloting is something I've been open to exploring.>

[Ember Nickel]

Esarvit takes out his personal computer and begins refreshing it, really more out of force of habit than anything else. Just a short time ago he would have been dutifully awaiting updates from other fronts of the war--the Anati deployment, maybe. Even a posting about Skrit Na trading rights in Kelbrid space would have boosted his morale!

Now--nothing's the same. Sure, for now he can get military updates, but soon enough he'll be either disappeared or officially recognized for the traitor he's become. And with the corrupt careerists apparently working even at the highest levels of the military hierarchy, there's no trust that other "progress reports" really further the interests of Andalites and their fellow free species. It leaves a sour feeling in his hooves.

Thinking of which, he's getting thirsty. He hopes the water filtration systems are able to handle the strain of having who-knows-however-many Yeerks and bipeds crawling around the ship.

[Estelore]

She blinked at his comment. <Listening to us... sometimes I wonder if it is not listening, or somehow aware in its own vast and incomprehensible way. More than once, during a long tour, I have looked out into the void and wondered if it did not look back. Strange and uncanny things happen inside the void, things which seem the product of a nightmare or a child's story. It is enough to make a person... superstitious.> Her voice trailed off as her stalk eyes wandered back toward the image of the ear, and the white void beyond the hull.

She came back to herself with a bit of a start. <Excuse me; I would not have the crew think me odd. If you already have standard fighter training completed, then the completion time for larger craft flight training is quite a bit shorter, even at academy. You could probably have the basics learned in a day or two, if you focus on that and little else, and then assume at least two weeks will be necessary for complete acquaintance with whatever ship you are planning to pilot. The basic principles of any large ship will carry over to other large ships, but individual models each have their own rhythms and variations which must be learned for truly competent piloting.>

Be careful, Vanarx, or they will wonder if you have not been spending far too much time alone on long tours. She found herself craving a stim capsule, but she forced herself to resist the urge, since it would be some time before she had room to spend the restless energy it would give her.

[Chad32]

Claxter got the feeling that Enorryma was a bit strange. Not that he didn't believe in the supernatural to an extent, but he believed Z-Space was not a self aware entity. Right? He looked at the lines, taking recognizable shapes. Just patterns that weren't really there, right? Still, all andalites had something about that that could be considered strange to others. Who was he to judge?

<Perhaps in the future, I could be allowed to fly the Mirage a bit in normal space. Or another ship that's larger than this one. If you don't mind, perhaps you could tell me about some experiences you've had as a pilot.>

[Estelore]

Norry brightened a bit at the request. <What sort of things do you want to hear?> Her mind raced through half a dozen memories which had all been excellent story-fodder in the past.

[Chad32]

<Well, I haven't been in real ship to ship combat yet. Perhaps you could tell me of a good battle, and give me some advice on that. Or maybe just a story of when you needed to patrol and area, and got to see some nice sights.> Claxter was glad she was interested in telling stories. Talking was a good way to pass time, and it would be nice to have a conversation that wasn't as tense as the one he had with Efaen. He wondered if he should talk about Efaen to Enorryma. She was a female too, though they were very different now. It probably wouldn't help.

[Estelore]

<In combat flight, as I mentioned before, your engine is beneath and behind you. Standing here, you can use your stalk eyes to check the environment, but the ****pit and engine naturally impair your view and create some blind spots. One of my first tours, I nearly lost a wingman, Avaliss, that way: a Bug fighter was hiding in his blindspot, and part of his comm array had already been taken out from an earlier Dracon blast. I was out of range to warn him by thought-speech, and I had no clear shot at anything vital on the Bug fighter, so I had to fire across Avaliss' bow to get the Bug fighter to back off. That got Avaliss' attention, and he did a vertical turn-about in no time, spotting the Bug fighter which had been hiding behind his tail.> She chuckled a bit at the memory.

<Another thing to be wary of is radiation, since the hull of a fighter is so much finer and less insulated than it is on a large ship. Once my squadron leader mis-plotted a Z-Space jump, and we emerged in the middle of a star cluster not far from the galaxy's center. We lost a great pilot that day, because he had an allergy to the morphing technology and could not heal the damage. Now, I never go anyplace without one of these.> She lifted a pocket flap on her Shredder belt, revealing an adhesive patch with several pale orange dots on it.

<If the marks turn blue, it means critical radiation or gees, or an atmospheric hazard. If the entire patch turns black, then the exposure is enough to be fatal within three standard minutes. This gives enough time to morph and repair the body, if that is an option.>

[KitsuneMarie]

Tess squeezes Chris's hand in return, emotion threatening to overcome her as she hears the roll call of those who survived--many of whom she counts as her close friends. Even more, she feels the sharp pang of absence of those not called.

She wonders about her fellow pirates, of whom only Aya, Dominic and Lanath are accounted for.

As she stares up at Chris, she thinks of his cousin, who might as well be his brother for all their closeness: James, the leader of their rebellion along with Reven, and the father of the base's first child.

If he is gone, what then? she despairs as she hangs onto Chris's hand. I can only help Chris and Keslin through so much. This isn't just banishment like before. This is... utterly hopeless.


As relieved as he had appeared upon learning that his Yeerk, Illim, had survived, Daniel stiffens as he watches Ossanlin embrace Tara. He does not move forward to intercept the action, however, settling for keeping a sharp, protective eye on the pair. His expression remains troubled, as it has ever since he has learned of his friends' deaths. "This is going to be a trying time," he whispers to no one in particular as he lowers his eyes.


Illim's Yeerkish squeak is unsteady as he responds to Myitt. <<A--alive. Yeah, I'm here--we're both here. And Tara and Daniel...>> He sounds relieved despite his dazed state.

[Chad32]

<How do you usually check your blind spot without relying on another fighter?> He asked.

<I don't suppose I could buy some of those patches anywhere? I have heard that going through Z-Space can be tricky. I forget if I entered Z-Space after taking my ship before meeting Prince Ossanlin. Though like you said, larger ships would be more at risk.>

[Estelore]

Enorryma reached into one of her utility pouches and pulled out a patch identical to the one pasted onto the pocket's flap and offered it to Claxter.

<I generally keep a pack of them at my console on the main ship, along with a few spares on my person whenever possible. You can have this one if you like. Bulk packs of them can usually be found at Skrit Na trading posts. They are Andalite technology which today's military treats as outdated. They are trusting a bit too much in the integrity of newer hull materials, if you ask me. The Skrit Na recognized the usefulness of rad patches immediately, and I think the military could afford to learn a lesson from such practical opportunists.>

She reached into a different pouch and pulled out a small convex disc of a reflective dark grey metallic material. She held it up for Claxter to see, turning it so that the lights of the control consoles danced on its surface. It had several fine scratches in the surface, showing long use and wear.

<As for dealing with the fighters' blind spot when you have no wingman, the solution is as simple and complex as a parabolic mirror attached to the side of the ****pit. They get lost and damaged easily, and more than once a Bug fighter has shot off one of my mirrors to try to exploit the blind spot, so it is no perfect solution; in a multi-craft combat situation, it is generally good policy to turn your craft frequently just to check your blind spot, never leaving your back facing a given direction for more than a few seconds. The mirror just gives an extra second of warning. Sometimes, an extra second is all you need, and all your enemy would need to cut you down.>

She returned the mirror to its pouch and closed the flap.
<That particular mirror saw me through several conflicts. Perhaps it is sentimental of me to keep it, so many years later, but aside from memories, it is the last I have of my days in the ****pit.>

[Chad32]

<Thank you for the patch. Even if the new technology is better than older things, it could still be good to use something that still works. Another layer of security is always welcome.>

<I'll try to keep that in mind when I need it. So have you met any of the rebels before? I've met some, and have mixed feelings for them. Their ideals are noble, though I'm not sure if they always hold onto the ideals as they should.>

[Estelore]

<Beyond the mission today, I have never encountered any of these humans before. I would not know how to approach them, and I expect they would not particularly want my company, regardless. What noble ideals are these, beyond their will to undermine the Yeerk Empire?>

[Chad32]

<They treat hosts equally as their partners, instead of their servants. at least, they are supposed to. There has certainly been at least one case where they let someone in who was unrepentant of the way she treated her involuntary host. Treating hosts as partners is the main thing that sets them apart from imperials, though there could be other things. They aren't always approachable, and it's probably best to just allow the friendlier ones o approach you.>

<There happens to be a bounty hunter controller named Keshin and Joanne here. I'm not sure what they were doing amongst the prisoners, but they're not with the group. One of them is actually an Andalite named Efaen who joined to spy on them, but some things happened after a year spent with them, and now her mind has been wiped and she is affiliated with them instead of us.>

[Estelore]

Bile churned in Norry's hooves at the realization that Claxter was referring to the Yeerk parasites, and not to the humans.  The notion of Yeerks being in any way civilized was patently ridiculous, and she winced internally at the realization that to some extent, Claxter was brainwashed into that idea, just like the poor humans in the main compartment had been brainwashed. Surely, if there were humans rebelling against the Empire, it was on the humans' own initiative, and they only brought their parasites along for information, or due to some kind of self-destructive sentimentality toward their captors. The mention of an Andalite turned over to their side shocked and revolted Enorryma, but she maintained a straight face and kept her voice as level as she could.

<Ah. That is... unfortunate to hear.>

[Chad32]

<Obviously they're not all completely trustworthy. Even Prince Ossanlin only really trusts Myitt and Tara because they saved him from infestation once. I'm not really sure what will happen after we finish returning to the Tyrennian. I suppose it's possible that they may try to start over somewhere. I suppose that will be up to Prince Ossanlin and the rebel leaders to decide.>