Chapter Five of my Endless Fan Fiction... This ones going to be a doozie



Ch 1 https://www.games2gether.com/endless-space/forum/38-creations/thread/16426-fan-fiction-the-duke

Ch 2 https://www.games2gether.com/endless-space/forum/38-creations/thread/16382-fan-fict-the-missionary

Ch 3 https://www.games2gether.com/endless-space/forum/38-creations/thread/16383-fan-fict-the-vain-god

Ch 4 https://www.games2gether.com/endless-space/forum/38-creations/thread/16386-fan-fict-the-chained-chancellor





The Silver Paladin

Part 1



Therna Ubantri was lying on a sofa in her quarters. Her fleet had set out a month ago from Xenophros. Although she wanted to stay and continue to search for Gero, she had more pressing concerns. Gero was still alive. She could feel it, and Therna always trusted her intuition.



She had been praying in the Esthetes temple found in the ruins on Xenophros when Ziecheal came to her. Her eyes had burned with tears when he had told her that he was calling off the search for Gero Kartal. He handed her a dossier containing a new cache from her informant. The Empire was nearing completion of a Dreadnought battleship. Ziecheal charged her with leading a fleet to destroy it before it could be finished.

She found herself feeling sad for Duke Aarold Au Brian, her contact within the Empire. She had never met the man, nor had she ever spoke to him, other than brief curt messages. Yet she felt as if she knew him well. His daughter was captured in a slave revolt, and rather than negotiate her release, the Empire bombed the colony to rubble. Publicly they announced that the colony was destroyed in a Hyperium explosion due to incompetent slaves. A horrible accident which was used as a pretext for increased police powers in outer rim colonies in the interest of ’safety’. Jeanie Au Brian’s death was paraded all over the wire as a PR campaign to push the new bill through the Imperial Court. All Pilgrims had similar stories. Horrible atrocities that led them to revolt against the Empire.



Therna reached for a tablet on the table in front of the sofa. Pushing a few commands, a holo projects over the tablet. The schematics of the dreadnought she was sent to destroy. She cannot fail. The Errant Fleet is still in the process of settling Xenophros. It will be another year before they can begin constructing new ships of there own.



A tone signals over her intercom. “We are approaching the asteroid field now, Ma’am. ETA ten minutes,” said a voice.



Therna put down the tablet and made for the Combat Information Center. The CIC was busy with officers prepping for the battle ahead, ensuring all their systems were ready for the task that lay before them.



“All systems green, admiral,” said Paladin Rickards, her second in command. A bright young man and former captain of the Imperial Ministry of Security.

Therna stood around the tactical map with her officers, surveying the asteroid field. A strange place to build a ship but it was the last place one would look. A holo whirred over the tactical map, displaying the ship and a small security fleet forming up between them and the dreadnought.



“They know we’re here,” announced Rickards.



Her fleet consisted of eight destroyers, three cruisers, and her flagship, The Objective Monk, a battleship. Five enemy destroyers blocked their path.



“Comms open to the fleet, Admiral. Awaiting your orders.” said Rickards



“Captains, commence a barrage of Positron Torpedos,” she ordered.



Therna’s fleet was in a standard V formation. Her small destroyers in front, their strong frontal lepton shielding and deflectors able to protect her larger ships as they delivered their payloads. As they took damage they would fall back and her larger ships would take the lead, turning to a reverse V formation. The Objective Monk took up its position in the rear, the cruisers in front.



Torpedo tubes opened and the fleet fired its missles in unison. Two tubes to each destoyer, four to each cruiser and eight for her battleship. As the barrage neared the enemy fleet an alarm sounded.



“We have enemy signatures hidden in the asteroids!” Exclaimed Rickards.



Two fleets emerged on either side of them. She recognized these ships. “The Hissho,” she said in loathing. "So the proud birds have allied with the proud men." As the decimated Imperial Fleet burned, the two Hissho fleets closed in. Each enemy fleet had eight destroyers and a cruiser.



Therna’s eyes began to glow. Her officers took heart as they watched the dust in her eyes emit its comforting glow. Her mouth opened, the light shining past her lips. “The Endless are with us” she announced to her fleet, in a deep resonate voice, the voice of the gods her crewman had dubbed it. The voice that came over her when the dust took over.

Part 2



In her blood stream, golden particles started to ignite with electricity. Dust, under the influence of the powerful few who could wield it, gave unto its users a god-like quality. They became stronger, faster and capable of manipulating matter around them in powerful ways. They are know as the Influent.



Above her fleets position, more ships materialized. A mirror image of her own fleet, but the Hissho could not see past the illusion. To the enemy, it seemed that a second Pilgrim fleet deactivated camouflage to join the battle. The fire from the Hissho were diverted to the mirror fleet. Therna used the opportunity to split her forces. Three destroyers and the three cruisers would take the left flank, the senior captain of the cruiser, The Repentance, taking control of the fleet. The Objective Monk and the other five destroyers took the right.



Her fleets divided in two, they engaged the war-birds. The Hissho, realizing the deception, reset their targets. The fleets clashed in hellfire. A Hissho destroyer, its power failed, crashed listlessly into another of their cruisers. They both exploded in a flashing burst.



One of her cruisers took heavy damage, nano-bots unable to repair the damage. The captains panicked cries rang in her ears. She ordered her fleet to form a protective ring around the ship as they commenced rescue operations. The ship blew, its drive core gave way to a powerful blue shockwave as they gathered the remaining life pods.



Therna’s eyes still glowed with a magnificent gold light. Every crewman in the fleet could feel the dusts powerful influence. Their reactions were quicker, their instincts sharper. Another Hissho destroyer blew in a great fireball.

The second Pilgrim fleet was faring well. They had destroyed two destroyers and were concentrating efforts on the enemy cruiser. A torpedo smashed into the Hissho cruiser’s drive core. A brilliant flash and the ship was careening out of control. Surprisingly, the ship regained control and steered toward The Repentance. The crash was devastating and the two ships were obliterated. The remaining ships of the second fleet volleyed torpedoes on the enemy that three of the Hissho ships succumbed to.

Meanwhile, in Therna's fleet, The Objective Monk claimed another destroyer to the cheers of the crew on the bridge.



“Fried chicken!” exclaimed one excited junior officer.



Rickards sighed with relief over the tactical map. “The enemy is in full retreat.” The holo of the battle area corroborated his statement. The remaining Hissho ships were making full tilt away from the asteroid field. “Shall we give chase, Admiral?”

The glow receded. Her voice returned. “No, all ships form up. Eagle formation. Concentrate all fire on the Dreadnought on my command.” The two fleets converged into two semi circles around the front of the Dreadnought with The Objective Monk in the middle.



An alarm sounded.



“Admiral,” said Rickards, “enemy reinforcments have warped in. Imperial ships. Ten destroyers, five cruisers. They….. They are holding position at the edge of the asteroid field with the remaining Hissho.”



Therna watched the holo. “They are forming a wall, keeping us from escaping. But why would they not move in? Unless…”



There was a flash of light. The main cannon on the supposed derelict Dreadnought discharged a blinding beam of energy into the Eagle formed fleet. A cruiser erupted into fire, a wreckage of debris and death exploded out from the shockwave.

Therna now had three options. Firstly, she could order a retreat through the asteroid field, which would mean certain death. Secondly, she could force a retreat through the blockade, which would mean certain death. Lastly, she could stay and concentrate fire on the Dreadnought and if the Endless will it, she finishes what she set out to do…. And certainly come to a horrible death. The choice seemed clear.



“All ships, concentrate fire on that Dreadnought. Move in close, try and get behind it. With any luck its motor functions are not online.”



The guns on the Imperial dreadnought lit up the Pilgrim fleet. Deflectors and shields failed against it’s awesome firepower. One by one her ships blew apart to the lament of screams roaring over the comm’s. Therna closed the channel. Only The Objective Monk remained. She was right beside the dreadnought, five seconds away from lining up a shot on the drive core… three seconds. Just a little further.



A blinding flash of light pulsed from the monstrous ship. Their systems went dead. The bridge was dark. Emergency lighting went online. Electro magnetic pulse. The panicked reports of her officers said it all. They were defeated. Engines unresponsive, weapon systems offline, comms dead.



“Can I still get a cup of coffee?” Asked Therna. No one laughed.

Part 3



For an excruciating long minute, their systems had been without power. The CIC was deathly silent. The backup batteries, seperate from the main power grid, should have kicked on by now.



"What's the status on the backup systems?" Asked Therna.



"The EMP knocked out our batteries Ma'am" said a junior officer. "It will be another minute for them to recharge"



This was a new kind of weapon of the like that Therna had never seen before. Nothing on the schematics indicated advanced EMP technology. This was all a set up. A trap within a trap. Therna feared for the fate of Aaorld Au Brian.



Finally the back up batteries came online. The the tactical map whirred to life.



"Report!" Shouted Therna



"Weapons still offline, Admiral," said an officer



"Engines are dead, ma'am," said another



"Ship Comms are back up," said one "...Ma'am, you should hear this." The officer patched the ship channel to the intercom.



A panicked voice sounded throughout the CIC.

"..Repeat, we are under attack! Bording parties have landed in the main cargo bay! We need help! Somebody please respond!"



"Paladin Rickards the ship is yours," said Therna, trying her best to conceal the worry from her face. "Have a combat team prepped and ready in the armory. I shall meet them there and move in to repel borders."



Rickards protested. "But we need you here, ma'am."



"No, my command of the dust will be needed to repel borders. Do what you can here, try and reroute power to weapons and give that dreadnought hell."



"Yes Admiral... its... its been an honour, Ma'am"



"Save your goodbyes, Paladin, for we shall meet again, when all is dust."



Therna ran for the armory, gathering up scattered crewman from their prayers. "The time is now for death and glory, not prayer" she told them, her eyes afire.



Over the ship comms, Rickard gave his orders. "All hands, enemy troops have landed in the cargo hold. Combat teams prepare to repel borders!"



At the armory a combat team was waiting for her. They wore dark blue helmets, their visors glowing dimly with their HUD displays, their mouths and chins exposed, grim set and determined. Kinetic rifles were strapped across their backs, blue flack vests covered their chests. When Therna and the others were all suited up they made for the cargo deck.



The caro hold was a vast room with high ceilings. Crates of supplies were stacked here and there. The enemy had taken the hold and were in the process of taking the adjoining shuttle bay. Pilgrim fire teams were already inside, pockets of them offering resistance, dug in behind crates. The floors of the bay were littered with dead and dying among fire and choas.



As therna and her team entered there was an explosion. Two men who had previously been firing behind a crate were thrown in the air, crashing down lifelessly.



Immediatly Therna seen the problem. On the far side of the room, a large enemy officer clad all in black and red armour, his helm fashioned in the shape of a skull, barked commands to his troops. On his shoulder was a smoking missle launcher, he tossed it to a solider beside him for reloding. The Imperial shock troops advanced fearlessly. The pilgrim kinetic rifles having almost no effect on their shields. They seemed to had an armor upgrade since she last faced them in battle.



Therna's eyes glowed, she waved her hand with a resonate scream and the shields on the enemy's armor failed. Her fire team picked them off, and now it was their turn to advance.



With a curse, the enemy commander fell back into the cargo bay to join with reinforcments. Under the cover of smoke grenades, Therna's forces took up fire positions against the enemy company. They could feel the influence of dust on their actions. Their aim was tighter, they were able to anticipate enemy movements, and evade from danger faster. They were still taking casuaties though. At the far end of the fire line the yells of anguish could be heard as a trooper took a beam through his chest. The solider beside Therna took a shell through his eye, and others where rolling on the floor wounded and in agony.

After pressing their fire the enemy began to retreat, until the commander boomed "Hold your ground, cowards!"



Therna sprang from the fire line, dodged enemy fire and rolled behind a crate. She peeked over the top and could see the commander, with a fresh missle tube in his arms pointed directly at her. She felt him smile under his helmet.



The missle exploded out of the tube, bearing down on her. Dust shot from her fingertips like a golden lightning bolt. Dust particles infiltrated the rocket, frying its electrical and trigger systems. It fell harmlessly from the air at her feet. She could almost see the look of dismay on the commanders face before his chest exploded into red mist courtesy of her companions on the fire line.



The remaining enemy troops fled back through the caro bay doors to the bording shuttle from which they came. Therna moved to an electrical box by the doors to route power to the blast doors and seal them out for good. Out of the corner of her eye she could see tentacles sliding through the bay doorway. Her ears popped, the floor went out from under her. The world seemed to be upside down. The floor found her again in a sickly crunch of broken bones.



The last thing she saw was a single red eye looming over her.



Her mother had once said that monsters were not real. She was wrong.

Where is the sex? Oh that's right. Your a virgin and still live in your parents basement.

Masterobey92 wrote:
Where is the sex? Oh that's right. Your a virgin and still live in your parents basement.

Dude if you want sex go somewhere else! And if you're looking for written sex. Mabye you need a girlfriend? Yeah?

WOW WOW WOW! This is fantastic! You're inspiring me to write fanfiction again! I'm loving every word of this!

Thank you very much Skyranger!