Episode 8

(OK, I'm going to autoplay some characters here to reintoduce people like mallor)

*Mallor stood on one of the platforms looking around at the sky. The time continuum was distorting, flashes of lightning would streak across the sky. The wind had picked up considerably. This was very unusual for the continuum, and Mallor suspected one thing - destruction. Somehow the continuum was destroying itself, and if it went, he went. Mallor scrambled around looking for a way out. It was difficult, the whole place was in ruins. he doubted if he could find a temporal transporter anywhere, but it was better than standing around....*


*The Darkwing flashed out of temporal warp, close behind the admiral's ship. The Admiral's ship was heavily damaged.*

Admiral, this is Rivers, this is your last chance, you know you cannot escape us, your ship is severely damaged. Surrender.

*Their was only the cackle of static. Rivers looked around the brightly lit bridge. The Admiral had put up a good chase, but was no match for the Darkwing. Now, the jig was up, this was the make or break point. Rivers didn't exactly have a plan for if the Admiral surrendered, but Rivers didn't suspect that he would surrender. An alarm started bleeping. Terra looked up from a console*
Terra: He's changing his course, he's heading for us, I think he plans to ram us!

Me: Divert full power to forward shields

ALex: His core's going into critical! If it goes and he rams us, it'll put a whole in the forward sections!

Rivers: Weapons to full, destroy him before he nova's the core!

Suddenly, a ship appears from nothing...

"Scan the area" Ordered I
"Two ships, one heavily damaged..."
"Wait... wait until someone hail us..."

Terra tapped fiercely on her console, having to race the time. The Darkwing's weapons charged up, and began firing at the Admiral's engines. Kaliandra stood at sensors, relaying the information on his shields and systems.

Kaliandra: Rivers, his shields are down, and his ship is picking up speed.
Terra: All weapons are firing at his engines, some hitting the hull. We can either blow him up, or shut down his engines. Your choice.

*Rivers pondered the decision for a split second*

Fire everything. I don't want to see the Admiral ever again. Alex Status report

Alex: Everything still at optimal levels. This is one impressive ship!

Terra grinned at Rivers decision. She tapped away for a few seconds and the the smiled. The Darkwing opened fire with everything it had. The explosion after was amazing. The Admiral's ship spark and started to explode, the engines going first. Terra looked at her screen and paused.
"Rivers, picking up a lifesign outside the ship, and it's not the admiral. I.. think it's Mallor!!" She tapped a little faster, hoping she was right.

*Terra shook here head*

What is it Terra?

Terra: He was there, but now he's not...hold on, he's back again

*Rivers went to Terra's console and looked at the read-out. There was a life form there, but it was sparatic, phasing in and out*

"What the hell are they doing?" Asked I?
"I dunno... Wait... there's something fasing in and out, sir..."
"What it is?" Asked I
"I dunno"
"Hail that one" Said I, while pointing to the Darkwing...
"Aye, sir..."

(The Shadow is not there. The Shadow is at Vixeria for repairs and upgrades.)

Terra Nova wrote:(The Shadow is not there. The Shadow is at Vixeria for repairs and upgrades.)

Edit! Thanks! (Just for not to be a Z post)

and the darkwing's not damaged either

Darkwing wrote:and the darkwing's not damaged either

oops... corrected...

*Rivers paced around the bridge*

Have you confirmed it yet? Is it him or isn't it?

Alex: SIR! Incoming!

*Rivers looked at the viewscreen. A large platform appeared from nowhere, colliding into the Darkwing's shields*

What the blazes was that?!?!?

*loud thud comes from turbo lift*

*walks out of turbo lift rubbing head*

"hello sir I was just coming up to tell you that the sensors are slightly out of sync. I am guessing you noticed that they dont work that well in here. I shall make the adjustments now if you like."

*walks over to the ops console and taps away for a couple of seconds*

"there they should work alot better now."

"sir as you can tell something just crashed into us. It was the continuum's stabilizer. The continuum is gone... Wait, There is a life sign. Beam it direct to storage cell 13A. Sorry sir i couldn't let it die."

Rivers: "Understood, I want security team 5B to go see who it is"

*They Leave. I walk over to a console and upload all of the remaining information of the continuum to an alternate location*

-V- Sir, Its Mallor! -V-

-V- Bring him to the bridge. Do not let him free i have a feeling Terra has something to say -V-

A picture of the screen appeared... it was the bridge of the new Darkwing...
"Captain Rivers?! Is that your new ship?" Asked I...
"Yes, it is, Commander..."
"Captain! Captain Borrego, sir!" Said I

Terra walked to the cell, and got Mallor out.
"To the bridge, and please try to keep up."
Terra ran to the bridge and sat at her console, and began to tap furiously.
"Rivers, continuum is about to experience a spacial-time collapse if we don't get out of here. Starting the temporal warp drive."
The Darkwing sped up, and went into temporal warp, as Mallor walked on to the bridge, as the entire Vixen crew watched him.

(sorry for the autoplay of your character M.)

*Rivers looked at Mallor*

Well, we could always beam you back into space if that makes you happier. It's good to see you too.

*Suddenly the Darkwing lurched. Rivers looked around quickly then down at the command console*

Um Terra, I think the WHOLE continuum is collapsing. If it does, it'll rip normal space to pieces! Time and anti time would mix, it could possibly be the end of all life as we know it! We need a contingency plan stat! Mallor, you're with me. You and I have the best understanding of the continuum, we have to find a way of stopping it from doing whatever it's doing, and then maybe find out who's doing it!

*Rivers and Mallor exited the bridge in a bit of a rush.

The doors to stellar cartography whooshed open, and Rivers and Mallor strode in*

Computer, holo-display, comparisons of the continuum and normal space.

*The computer beeped, acknowledging the command. Suddenly, a large display appeared, comparing the two realms.*

This doesn't make any sense. When did this start happening, this shouldn't be happening. Something that doesn't technically exist shouldn't be crumbling in on itself!

*I walked in*

"I tried to save the data that was still on the platform. I think it worked. In the data there may be a map or something of use. All that remain is how to stop that "pillar" from falling."

*the ship lurched again*

"I'll try to help that problem"

*I leave the room and quickly go to the temporal console. I begin writing a program. It states that when a lurch may happen the temporal drive will send out a temporal wave that could slow the hole in time. (like a band-aid. not forever but a little help)*

*Rivers looked closely at the holo-display curiously.*

Mallor...what's that?

*Rivers pointed to a flickering dot on the map.*

Computer, magnify

*The display zoomed in on the blinking dot. The dot then took form.*

Mallor, I don't remember that star. Is it me, or is that "new" star next to one of the four pulsars that form the continuum?

Terra strode in the room with Rivers and Mallor.
"Er, I think we may have a problem. I think something is causing this, not just a random collapse. I can try to get the Darkwing in closer, if you would like."
Terra looked at the holo-map, and thought.

*Rivers pondered this*

Even this ships long range sensors won't be able to detect it in full clarity. We may have to get closer. Somebody is causing this.

Terra, jump to warp speed, get us within the maximum safety distance of this pulsar.

*Terra exited the room to carry out the orders. Rivers then turned to mallor*

There's only one race that I know of that could possibly cripple the continuum....one race.....

*Rivers had that look on his face, it was fearful and knowing at the same time. Rivers exited the stellar cartography briskly *

The Freedom followed them... they advanced shields were nothing compared to the ones on the Darkwing, but they could handle that easily...
"Rivers... I think that our shields can old for a few minutes the Pulsar effects... Maybe we could try to reach them... Ping the area and jump back?" Asked I

All I need is a detailed sensor readout. between the two ships we should get one. i want our position kept under secrecy, full stealth mode for both ships. We'll be in for no more then five minutes, then we'll warp out of the system

*walks in*

"umm hello sir I recommend you send a cloaked probe into it. class X probe would work for this. also if I may sir can I get control of the sensors from my lab?"

*Rivers looked at the newcomer*

It's Harkwell isn't it? Perhaps you should farmiliarize yourself with the alien tech a little more. I suppose that probe would work well for the Freedom, but we'll use the Darking itself as a probe, the heat shields are much better on this sucker!

Yes sir. dr James Harkswell. *walks over to the science station and studys the phenomena* I would recommend you take this route. it would maximize the sensor readings.

Very, good, Terra, plot in a course fed from the Dr's computer, feed the data to the Freedom as well. Engage at warp 8 when ready.

(Sorry, have to put this on hold for a few days, I won't be able to post much due to moving into a new house, and other things that have come up. On a unrelated note: SUMMER IS FINALLY HERE FOR ME!!!)

Terra nodded and went to the doctor's computer and began to tap into the console, sending the coordinates and the route to take to the Freedom. She then went to her chair, and put the ship into Warp 8 on Auto-pilot to the desired area.l

Terra I would also recommend that you rotate the warp field by 0.8 degrees.

*puts on glasses and looks at readings*

oh thats brilliant.

"The Freedom followed them... they where using the Darkwing to filter a large part of the nocive radiation... The Freedom would withstand that with ease, but the Darkwing was still much more resistent than the Freedom...

"Sir, we're picking new readings..."
"Clarify..." Said I
"Another ship is stranded in the middle of the pulsars..."
"What? What's their status?" Said I
"Shield integrity seems to be at 20% and hull integrity seems to be at 30%"
"Rivers, are you catching this?"

Yes, this is extraordinary. Mallor, do you recognize those markings? Borrego, your sensor readings are wrong, it may appear that integrity on that ship is low, but that species only partially exist in a real world as you would. Part of them is that pulsar, but we can only read it as a damaged ship. What brings them out here though? Why are they destroying the continuum? They are a peaceful race...at least they were. Mallor, I think you and I should discuss this in private. No need arousing everybody's suspicions and fears unless we need to

*Rivers turned and entered the ready room*

The Freedom continued to follow the Darkwing... In the Bridge:
"Ping it again..." Ssid I "This time make a ping type B-3"
"Aye, sir... Sir, we've not detected anything..."
"You mean, no nuclear fusion or antimater consuption?"
"No sir... it may be a pulsar star, but not even residual fusion does appear to be happening... nor the generation of antimater... However, there are lots of qwarks being emited... and Dark energy..."
"Is that normal Rivers?" Asked I...

*Rivers tapped the comm in the ready room.*

yes, that is unfortunately normal

*Rivers closed the comm channel*

we should leave, before they detect us. Hopefully the energy that they're emitting has blocked us from their detection sensors

*Rivers clenched his teeth. It had been centuries since Rivers had any connections with them. They had always minded their own business, they were peaceful, at least were...unless provoked. They were destroying the continuum, if they succeeded, then normal space could collapse as a result. It was too risky to confront them now, while they were at their prime. Rivers made a decision and re-entered the bridge*

Ok, we have enough, warp us out of here, silently.

*The Darkwing slid into warp.*

"Who was that?"

*the ship lurches... very bad*

"DAMN I thought I fixed that!"

*Pulls rivers aside*

"Rivers I need to know whats going on."

"Follow the Darkwing..." Said I...
"Aye, sir..." Said the ensign...
The Freedom jumped to warp, following the Darkwing...
"Rivers, were is our target?"

*Rivers whispered a word into Leach's ear*

Solari

"I've heard the name..."

*then something came to me. not very clearly but it came. Like a distant memory*

"They are dead. They don't exist. they can't be here not now"

Well they are, I had thought they had gone into hiding after the war, they were peaceful, but now they are collapsing the continuum, and collapsing space as we know it. We need to determine their motive. Keep this between you and me though, Mallor is the only otyher person that knows anything about the Solari, and for now, we'll keep it that way

*Rivers walked back over to his chair, ignoring the curious eyes of others looking at him, wondering what he had just whispered to Leach*

[DW, can you auto-play my character until friday? I'll be done getting settled by then. it's like 10:30 off to bed.. got an interview tomorrow]

sure thing... suddenly terra exploded in her chair!! ok, i'm kidding, i won't blow you up in your chair, but maybe, spontaneous combustion hmmm.....?

That's what I'm afraid of. The only way we'll know is if we make contact with them, though I don't know how well they'll take to you and me, you remember that last time we ran into them, we were under orders too, but I've heard they can keep a grudge for a few hundred years...

*Terra spoke up over the whisperings*
Rivers, the star is collapsing!

*Rivers ran to the console*
Da**, let's just hope that isn't the whole foundation!

Terra: Brace for impact!

*The two ships were pushed forward as a massive ripple tore through space. Rivers felt sick inside for a moment, and regained his balance and looked around*

Well, we're still here...

Try and make contact with him then, you have full disposal of this ship's resources, you should be able to easily communicate between the dimensions

*Rivers turned to the ops station*

Hail the Freedom