The Angel's Wings

Prologue1

A spec of white, lit up against the darkness of space by this systems bright sun. Growing bigger, forming into a shape. Looking like a pebble from this distance, getting closer. Definitions of its true shape develop as it comes closer. A smooth, elongated craft with two curving lines coming from what is presumed to be the front of the craft, stopping near the rear of the craft and splitting into 4 pods each. The craft grows larger, its surface details easily visible; A large bulbous section near the front of the craft; two lines proceeding down the length of the central hull parallel to those of the curving arms.  The pods revile an opening at the end of each one – engines, or the exhausts from one.2

Then windows become obvious, a human ship then, as only they would fit such weaknesses into a large space faring craft. The human craft’s rotation is obvious now, and brings into clarity more details of itself; A large crater in one side of it, surrounded by smaller pot marks. One of the wings appears to be hanging onto the main bulk of the craft with its inner super-structure. The communication arrays seem to have eroded off in an un-natural fashion.  A symbol on the ship hull becomes noticeable, A winged human holding in its hands a star and sword. Some human symbols beside it draw attention: ‘The Angel’s Wings’.3

Part 14

The sixth rebellion decelerated on a lateral plane with The Angel’s Wings and used its docking thrusters to manoeuvre itself just above the stricken craft’s top hull docking collar. There were currently three men in the sixth rebellion’s bridge, one at the flight ops. console who was young, tall and slim; one halfway through the bridge hatch was slightly older and had more muscle on him then your average meatball player, which wasn’t much. The oldest of all three sat in the command chair staring at the banks of monitors linked to CCTV cameras on the hull. 5

“Hanner, get down to the docking ring and extend the corridor into that docking collar” 6

“Was that a question?” asked Hanner who was sat the flight ops. console. 7

“No it wasn’t” exclaimed the oldest of the three.8

“Ghost ships scare the shit out of me sir”9

“I don’t care; you can clean your pants out when you get back”10

And with that, Hanner disappeared through the hatchway barging past Jason with all the gracefulness of a charging rhino in zero Gees. 11

“Jason, go with him, I don’t want any fuck ups here, and if we can salvage that ship we’ll get a huge pay-off from the looks of it.”12

“On my way” Jason then proceeded after the complaining form of Hanner.13

“Captain to Steve, report over”14

“Steve, are you there?”15

“I’m here, and Chandra’s fine too, but he’s a little shaken, that last jump really tore into him…and the torpedoes, half of them have armed”16

“Disarm them then and then check on the engines, bloody damage control isn’t working again, we really need to get this bucket fixed up” 17

“Sir!"18

Cooperman sat in his chair, studying the banks of video screens and absent-mindedly stroking his aged grey hair. 19

“How’s it looking down there Jason?”20

“Fine, the corridor is attached. Linking system with The Angel’s Wings.  The atmosphere is cycling now. Pressure reads ok and so does gravity. We are good to go!”21

“Alright, get your butt back up here then; I’m crossing over with Hanner. You get into the Ship Interface chair and keep a comm. link open with me; we don’t want any one else stealing our prize.”22

“What? Why the hell do I have to use that? And who the hell would come way out here?”23

“You have to do that because I told you too, and other privateers would come out here just like we did”24

”And fuck you too sir” muttered Jason.25

“What was that?” shouted Cooperman, Jason hearing this echoing down the corridors rather then his comm. quickly recounted.26

“Just static sir, my suits on the fritz”27

“Better be static or I’m keeping your cut of the profits!”28

Cooperman then proceeded to the arduous task of getting into his space suit. Questioning himself at picking such a crew. I’m getting old he mused to himself.29

Cooperman had just crossed into the other craft with the shaking Hanner when Steve’s indicator flashed up on his visor. 30

“What is it Steve?”31

“Sir, the Real-Space SL reactors are fine, but the FTL drives completely fried, it looks like a fault with the tachyon generation matrix and AT fields. It will take months to repair this.” 32

“Thanks for the update; I would have preferred not knowing that piece of information. We’ll have to see what we can find on this wreck then.”33

“Hanner go find the bridge, I’m going to check the engines”34

“Do I have to go alone?”35

“Scared of the dark Hanner?” teased Jason over the comm.36

“Did you ever see alien? I don’t want no face-fucking alien shit on my face”37

“what, you think it’s pretty?”38

“CANIT YOU TWO! Hanner go find that bridge now! And Jason, concentrate on what you’re meant to be doing!”39

Part 240

Meanwhile, some 50,000gu’s away from The Angel’s Wings…41

“Pilot matriarch, target the human crafts.” thought the Celebrate. 42

“Command received Celebrate, Transcribing with subordinates and the One now,” went the thought. “The One has accepted, subordinates contacted. Data has been relayed. Hive permission granted. Code’s approved.” This went through the Celebrate’s head a lot slower then it would have liked; perhaps it thought to itself, the pilot matriarch needs another neuroconditioning treatment in the Shells. But that can wait.43

Silently The ships Focused light cannons came online and powered up. Their activation approved by the One, the Hive and the celebrate. Their targeting systems, which were for the lack of a better term biotechnologically improved eyes focused onto the human ships in the all the spectrums available to it. From X-ray to Ultraviolet. The systems were focused on only two things; The Angel’s Wings and sixth rebellion.44

“Celebrate; firing data node online, Targeting systems aligned. Awaiting command” thought the Matriarch 45

“ Fire when the sun strikes first light upon there hulls, their cameras will be blinded for a moment” Replied the Celebrate before withdrawing into itself to consolidated what had happened in the last 2 yarns.46

Part 347

“Holy shits, Steve get over here ASAP! This ship’s got functioning SL2 reactors and what looks like a hyperspace projection core!” beamed Cooperman.48

“Best news I’ve had all day sir, I’m on my way”49

“Hey Hanner, you found anything yet?”50

“Nah, just a load of regulation logs, and some classics”51

“Classics?”52

Hanner, copied the files from the log data system into his suits on board computer, opened his comm. onto all channels, and began playing them. The entire comm. network then became awash with drums, guitars and systemised sounds that was the hallmark of 21st century rock,53

“Turn that shit off at once, I need the comm. clear.”54

Hanner did so. 55

“Aw, C’mon sir, I’m just trying to have a little fun.”56

“Well stop having fun and get down here and give us a hand.”57

“After I’ve cracked the data core, whoa sir! You better check this out. This ship’s got some amazing armament; The latest particle cannons, Archer missile pods, ASTRO-class torpedoes, MiRV tactical nuclear devices and even something called a NOVA cannon. Very high-end shit sir!”58

“I’ll finish up here then I’ll meet you up there, see if we can salvage any of that.”59

Jason sat in the Ship Interface chair, its wires dangling from its headset into the console above it. He was completely plugged into the ship, into all its sensors, all its systems, all its data. He hated it, gave him bad headaches. He ‘saw’ a blinding flash of light as the sun shone upon the craft; he then re-calibrated the systems to reduce the blinding effects on the sensors and CCTV system. With that task done, he ran a full sensor sweep and detected a large energy spike heading his way. He felt it boiling through the ships hull as if it was his own skin, which in five seconds it would be. 60

“Sir! We’re under attack, I repeat, we’re unde…” He was cut off suddenly as the beam of super focused light had gone straight through the S.I. chairs systems above him and passed right through his head, quick frying his neurons.61

“BUG OUT! I want everyone back on the sixth ASAP”62

“Chandra leave the torps and see what happened to Jason”63

“Sir”64

The assault of Light continued against the sixth rebellion until it cut through the SL reactors containment device. Which vaporised the most of the sixth rebellion as its matter-to-energy reaction went critical, converting most of the ships matter into pure energy in a few picoseconds. 65

“Shit!” cried Steve as he was thrown through The Angel’s Wings airlock and into the bulkhead beyond. The force and heat of the explosion fused the airlock shut and melted most of the surface metal on his side of the ship. 66

“What the hell was that?” demanded Cooperman.67

“Sir, the sixth, she’s gone!”68

“what do you mean gone?”69

“She just blew up, vaporised, disintegrated, and reduced into nothing.”70

“Oh crap, Oh crap, we’re all going to die” whimpered Hanner. 71

“Shut it, we’re not going to!”72

“Hanner power up whatever systems you can! Steve come down here we need to reattach these SL2 drives.”73

“SIR!” Hanner and Steve said in unison. 74

Part 475

“Sensors confirmed, Systems confirmed, the one has confirmed. The smaller human craft has been eradicated.  Targeting second craft; Lock approved, Calibrating with the one,” Thought the Matriarch. 76

“Awaiting approval from the Celebrate,”77

“Awaiting approval from the Celebrate,”78

“Awaiting approval fro.”79

“APPROVED!” thought the Celebrate, allowing his bother and irritation to follow that thought to the others.  80

A large thing started entering the Celebrates mind, it had a form yet it did not. 81

“Hive,” thought The Celebrate. “What is it that you wish off me?” 82

The regulators would have it neuro-jacked for this, Consolidation between the Hive and Celebrates can only be done through the Templar Nodes, even if it were the Hive’s request for contact, the Celebrate would still be purified. 83

“We,” Thought the Hive, A million voices resonating inside its brain all at once. “We have detected another one.”84

“Another what?” inquired the Celebrate.85

The Celebrate then felt a huge inertia, as he lost touch with his body. Falling, floating drifting, Sense of force, a pull, voices, many voices, then data, a void, colours, sounds, lights, if a void can such things, then forms, the others the Hive.86

“Celebrate, NeuroData transfer to hive complete, Wave patterns synchronised, Flesh-body neutralized and whipped.” Thought the Hive, and the Celebrate itself, who was no longer a Celebrate, but part of the hive.87

Part 588

“Sir, I have something to report!” Hanner stumbled out his words.89

“Out with it then” 90

“Another ship has just jumped in-system, its decelerating to something this ships sensors can’t pick up.”91

“Ignore it; just find a way of making this heap move!”92

Cooperman and Steve were having serious problems trying to fit the reactors back in, the blast had knocked both reactors off the cargo dolly, whilst one was intact; the other was smashed beyond repair. 93

“Heh, lucky these things were offline when the sixth blew” sighed Steve.94

“Yes, lucky indeed.” replied Cooperman. Trying to hide his sadness at loosing the sixth rebellion. It was his ship, his life long legacy, he was born and raised on it, had done countless missions and sorties of both legal and illegal kinds. A tough ship, which was blown out of the void by something. 95

Hanner sat fidgeting at the pilot’s seat, pressing every button, flicking every switch, of which there was not many. In his frenzy of randomly attacking the buttons, he pressed an unmarked switch, unmarked, as the LED behind it was not powered, as the SL2 reactors were not active yet, so he continued his random frenzy.96

Even when the SL2 drive was reinstalled and Steve and Cooperman and come up to the bridge, Hanner had not activated anything at all. He still did not realize what the black coloured, red flashing button meant until Steve punched it. 97

“Hanner, move over let Steve take the chair, he obviously knows what he is doing. You can go and activate the weapon systems.”98

“Yes sir” responded Hanner, in a joyous tone, beaming with glee that he gets to use the weapons. 99

“Okay then guys, let’s get this bucket moving! I want out of hear ASAP, that other craft is having a fire fight with something over there, lets not get involved.”100

“Err… sir; what ever that other craft is attacking it’s shooting at.” 101

“What the hell do you mean Hanner?” 102

“I mean that other ship out there is only firing at something else and that something else is shooting at us.”103

“SHIT! Steve gets this ship moving, Hanner target where that fire is coming from and shoot get me a weapons solution!”104

“Sir!”105

“Reading 95% power from the SL2 reactor, The Hyperspace projection core is at 64% capacity, I’ve only got feedback from the engine pods at the end of the Starboard wing, Sir.” 106

“Engage whatever this thing has got for evasive manoeuvres then till the hyperspace projection core is at peak capacity Steve, Hanner? Where is my weapon solution?”107

“Coming up sir!” yelled Steve108

“Evasive procedures engaged! Hold on!”109

The Angel’s Wings lurched forward as it main engines fired, its manoeuvring thrusters fired up and pushed the craft around in space as if it was bouncing off invisible objects. Its erratic movements proved more then adequate to avoid incoming fire from the other craft. The third craft, which had only recently jumped in system, continued its barrage against the other craft, missile after missile, frag shell after frag shell, torpedo after torpedo and AM laser’s which never ran out. 110

“Sir! I’ve got our firing solution!” shouted Hanner, trying to be louder then the groans of the hull.111

“What do we have son?” 112

“Archer missile pods are 50% full, torpedoes are offline, all particle cannons are not responding, the MiRVs are working but no way of firing them. That leaves the NOVA cannon, which is fully charged. This ships Targeting AI is super slick, we’ve already got a firing order to follow which will only use 43% of the archer pods, the NOVA cannon and will take 45 seconds to complete.”113

“What’s the strategy?”114

“Continue at present speed towards the other craft, fire the NOVA, and then roll port and pass around the port, rear and then starboard side of that ship whilst launching the Archer missiles at it. Also, the Hyperspace projection core should be fully charged then.” 115

“Use it then, let’s give these bastards some payback!”116

The Angel’s Wings stopped bouncing about and headed straight for the other craft. The Nova cannon glowing brightly as it charged up. Then everything went dark. The light from the nova cannon was so intense that even this systems star looked dim. The beam sped out in front of The Angel’s Wings and ripped straight through the other craft, then died out. 117

The other craft suddenly became visible. It seemed like a living creature, made up of reds, browns and oranges. The side that had been cut off was dimming into a dull brown, invisible against the blackness of space.118

The Angel’s Wings then proceeded to roll and turn sweeping round the other craft in a wide arc. Inside the ship you could hear the clunks of the Archer missile pods opening up and the Whoosh of there launch. 119

“Fuck me, this ship has some shit-hot fire power!” shouted Hanner.120

“Thank you for that observation Hanner, now concentrate on what you are supposed to be doing,” replied the Cooperman. “Hanner what are you doing?”121

“Getting a beverage sir, this ship can do everything by itself” With that, Hanner ran out of the command bridge. 122

Back outside in space was a scene of total carnage. The archer missiles from the top of The Angel’s Wings keep coming and coming slamming into all sides of the other craft, penetrating it then exploding, sending shards and clumps of organic matter spinning off into space. Then it started to vent atmosphere and the superstructure started to collapse, or rather expand. 123

The third ship, which has stopped firing when The Angel’s Wings had started slowly banked off and with a blue white flash of light shot off into the galactic centre of the Milky Way. 124

The decimation against the other craft continued until the glare from its partially ruptured core was visible, at which point The Angel’s Wings broke off and jumped into hyperspace. The other craft then proceeded to brake up before its core finally exploded, vaporising what was still holding together. 125

“Yeah! Were Outa here!” shouted Hanner in an obnoxious way. 126