Part III

Erin leaned back in her chair, and tried contacting Doyle, to no evail. She sent a coded message about the girl to him, hoping he recieved it before entering Umbra's Inferno.. She stood up, and walked around her office, pacing, and sighed. Haven was still out there, and the people she needed most were quite scattered.

Escape ships launched from the Scarlet Fire and jumped to FTL. Haven was upon the Scarlet Fire as Doyle watched out a porthole. The Scarlet Fire began burning up as it entered the sun, Haven beginning to tear the ship apart. The ship collided into the sun causing a flare to lash out into space. Haven was gone as was the ship.

"Let's go" Doyle said dully. The escape ship jumped to FTL, leaving the system behind.

A spout of what looked like dust careened away from the star. It drifted as tiny particles at first, before coming together. A piece had survived.

I steered the Evil Deed out of the way of another pocket of gas, then breathed a sigh of relief. I was finally out of that mess.

Then an asteroid exploded out my left window. And it wasn't a natural explosion, which meant only one thing....

("Pirates,") I thought smugly as I placed the top autocannon turret on manual control and plotted a path for the ship to follow through the debris.

I was laying in my bed... But, for the first time in my life, I had a company... I was watching her slow breathing while she was sleeping... She was cuddled with me... As she was sleeping, I remembered again: "There are far more beautiful things in life to cherish for... And you're one of those..." I whispered in her hear... She smiled... And whispered back... "True... and I'm not the only one, my thing..."

I got surprised because she was awake after all... She kissed me again and we fell into each other arms one more time...

(Oh dear lord... This has GOT to stop xD so much mushy stuff)

Erin smiled softly as she time came for the message. She had been waiting for it all day, and was glad to finally receive comfirmation that the Light and Spirit had indeed escaped and she was perfectly fine. Erin spun around in her chair, waiting for her little spy to get the Light and Spirit back to Vertis II. She sent a message to Destral, hoping to get him back safely.. and activated one of her drones in the Umbra's Inferno.. hoping it was able to save him.

I was called back to the bridge... She was still sleeping... After what happened to her, she needed to rest...

"Supreme Commander is on the horn, sir!" Said the comm officer...

"Put it through..."

"Aye, sir..."

The image of the Supreme Commander appeared on the screen...

Two fighters fired their weapons behind me, but the Evil Deed swerved about, and I fired the autocannon as many times as needed before I destroyed one of the fighters. Then the scanners beeped. A swarm of 15 fighters was now hot on my tail. 14 were pirates. Another one was unrecognizable...but it had similar markings.

Another flashback crept up on me as I fired at the Pirates.

("No! Not now! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!")

But it was too late, and I blanked out.

("What is that thing?"
"It's a drone. I've been building it out of spare parts."
"You're using MY parts to experiment?"
"I got nothing else to use."
I sighed. "Fine." Then I turned back to the pilots seat and continued course for Albator.
"I want to own a company someday."
I turned to her. "What kind of company?"
"I dont know yet. A big one. A huge one. Back on my home planet."
"Vertis 2?"
"That's the one."
"Well, you certainly have the leadership skills for it. I think if you did run a company someday, you'd do just fine."
"Really?"
"That's actually a very ambitious dream. But I'll tell you what. I won't upgrade the Evil Deed anymore, and instead focus on making a small fundraiser for you. How's that sound?"
"You're sweet." She kissed me.
"This is only so you dont have to use my parts for your experiments anymore..." I said that, but I had a feeling she knew the real reason why I was doing this...)

I snapped back to reality, and saw nothing but a lone, familiar drone in my crosshairs. ("How in the universe did...") I returned to the letter she sent me.

From: Enigma Corps
Subject: (none)
Message:
I know where you're headed, and I know what you're looking for. I have Bloodcutter. I'm sorry I didn't tell you about it before. I came back for it after we were separated. I wanted to tell you...but with Haven and everything, I forgot. I'm sorry. I have a drone in the sector that will help you escape. Remember him? He was my first experiment. He'll help you get out. Please be careful. Umbra's Inferno is filled with volatile gas and debris...and I think pirates are in the area to. Come back to me safely. I pray for you. ~Jaquelyn

("Dammit Jaq...you had the worst timing...but thanks for getting me out of there...") I prepared to set a course out of the debris field, and the drone followed me like it was my guardian angel.

Doyle's escape ship exited FTL, back at Vertis III (it was 3 right?).

"Well, that's a sight I hoped not to see again" Doyle muttered to himself as he looked out at the starport that orbited the planet. The escape ship came up and landed in a hanger bay inside one of the primary reception sections. The platform lowered, releasing steam. Doyle walked out and looked about the busy starport. Doyle walked up to a reception drone.

"Query, has any of the escape ships from the Scarlet Fire docked at the starport?" Doyle asked the drone. There was a slight pause and some humming as the drone searched the databanks. The word negative appeared on the screen.
"That's odd" Doyle muttered. "The crew were to report back here, run query again". Again a pause and again the word negative appeared. Doyle walked away, either they had somehow gotten their coords mixed up, or something got to them first. Doyle tried not to think about it as he walked in and disappeared amongst the crowds.

I (addar) walked by Doyle, he caught a brief veiw of my face, but i did not notice him. I kept walking twords a very small fighter. Painted red. I grabbed a bag out of the fighter and went to the enlistment office for my officers assessment and my new ship post.

Doyle's lip curled as he caught a glimpse of Addar in the distance. Doyle turned his head, hoping not to be noticed. He had enough on his plate to deal with, let alone Addar. Doyle kept walking, heading for the HQ.

I received a message from Inteligence Command....

"An hostile spy is onboard your ship.... Don't trust anyone outside the command crew... That includes your little friend... Especially she..."

I got surprised with this message.... I really couldn0t believe what they were saying to me...

Erin smiled ever so softly. The plan was slowly coming together. Doyle was spotted heading in this direction, Destral was on his way, and a "leak" had been reported to Borrego's commander. Everything was slowly coming together, and well in front of schedule too.

I looked back to her beautifull body, laying on the bed... She was sleeping...

"And I thinking I could fully trust her..." Thought I... "How hard I tried to get her back and now this news..."

I got up, headed for the bridge, and told them:

"Everyone, briefing room..." Said I... "And everyone will do a full body scan before... Including me..."

My ship silently listed out of Umbra's Inferno...but something told me I wasn't done in there yet. And just when the thought came to me, another wave of Pirate Fighters came at me. The drone attacked as I steered my ship clear of the blazing gunfire. The drone made quick work of some of the fighters, but more of them suddenly came. The drone and I were surrounded.

Then a blue energy orb came out of nowhere and destroyed one of the pirate ships. I looked up to see something that I knew well, yet never expected to be real. It was a Draaki, one of the mythical guardian angels of space. It looked almost like an almost transparent stingray with a strange blue energy aura surrounding it. It fired strange blue orbs from its tail to destroy the pirate ships. Soon, all of them were destroyed.

Then it turned to me, and its black eyes suddenly started glowing.

("In your tounge...I am Draaki. In your mind...I am all that is right. In your soul...I am the light lost inside the dark.")

The voice whispered about in my mind...it was so familiar to me...

It struck me. It was my father's voice!

The command crew was all in the briefing room...

"Well... I've received an encrypted message of the Rebel Inteligence Center, claiming that we had a spy on board..." Said I... "This is just to make sure you are with me..."

I looked through the serious face of my command crew... They all seemed to be on my side...

"Great... You, Marks, as a Security Officer you're charged with the investigation... Debrief your most thrustworthy mans and try not to show much of it..."

"Aye, sir..."

Suddlenly, we exit Quantum FTL...

"We haven't arrived our destiny yet, right?" Asked I to the navigator...

"No, sir..."

"Place the ship in battlestations, and confine Rachel to my quarters..."

"Aye, sir..."

(imma join in)
a small 1 man transport drifts torwards toa's ship , life sopport minimal, power down. and i get a message out
" im a pirate prisoner, requesting permission to board life support failing many hull breaches. may i plea-" message cuts out and all lights and life support go out.

Erin stood at the door as she spotted Doyle heading her way. He seemed viably angry, and she couldn't help but grin. She walked back into her office, waiting for the fireworks.

"Five light frigates are attacking us!" Said the tactical officer, after we enter on the bridge...

"How're the odds?" Asked I...

"If they're alone, we can pull the plug out of them, but with heavy damage..." Replyed him... "I mean... a rebel heavy frigate can easily pull the plug out of 5 light ships like those..."

"Concentrate fire on the nearest ship..." Said I... "Now!"

"Aye, sir..."

Missiles and Ship-to-Ship railguns fired against the first ship, disabling him, and ruining most of it's hull...

"One ship down, sir!"

"Keep Going!"

Suddenly, a light carrier jumps in, freeing dozens of fighters and several dropships...

I barely heard the message crackling on my computer, for I was too creeped out by hearing my father's voice coming from the alien hovering outside of my ship. The Draaki's eyes glowed hot white, and in a flash of light appeared two men. One was alive and well...the other was in critical condition. The man in critical condition wore the name "Icarius."

"What is this?..." I asked in confusion.

("These two men will guide you on your mission.")

"What mission? How do you know--"

("I know the creature you are trying to stop. I know you have faced it before. And I know that you know the location of the Sword of the Fifth Legend. You would refer to it as Bloodcutter.")

The alien sounded distressed.

"...The sword...it's not enough to stop Haven is it?" I asked.

("You must use the weapon's past, and the technology of this future combined to stop Haven. That is all I can tell you. The rest...is up to you.")

The alien then disappeared into Umbra's Inferno. I then turned to the men.

"Who are you two?"

The ship was dead in the water... All the others were down... Except the carrier...

"Did you managed to identify them?" Asked I to the Sensors Officer...

"My best bet is that those ships belong to Enigma Corps..." Said Him... "But why would they attack us?"

I looked right at him...

"Right, revenge..." he said...

We were all waiting the hostile marines with weapons on the fist... Rachel was locked at my bedroom, not knowing that she was relaying informations to Enigma...

"My name is Addar" I said, "this is Icarus. We come from a plane of existence higher than this one. Our society, before we ascended, built Heaven and 'Blood Cutter'as you call it. Heaven was a accident a severe one. We imprisoned him and since then , he has escaped. 'Blood cutter was the only weapon we built capable of stopping it, but it can never be killed. Since its first use blood cutter has lost all of its power. It is still a strong weapon but it needs charging. Icarus is here by choice, I am not."

after resting a few moments i get up and explain my situation "i was coming to assist you in your hunt for Blood Cutter, and these pirates attacked my ship and captured me, while i was being interrogated, i noticed a severe design flaw with the pirates' ships. one shot, concentrated and medium yield, possibly a missile, could.. permanently disable the ship." pulls out a schematic and points out the spots in the different designs " i hope this could be useful, and that it could earn me a spot in your crew."

Doyle was almost to the door, hand raised to ring the bell, when suddenly a dark, cloaked figure walked in front of him, grabbed his arm and pulled him away. Doyle was disoriented momentarily, but kicked into action. With his free arm, he grabbed the other person's and twisted it around. The person retaliated and grabbed Doyle around the neck and spun him out in front of him, while grabbing both his arms and twisting them behind his back. Doyle grunted as he was pushed forward by the mysterious person who said nothing.

(PS, nobody knows who this is, so there will be no "Everything was falling into place with regards to this new character)

I was shooting my rifle at the boarders... They were always coming in... Suddenly, the guy next to me gets a shot in his head...

"Retreat to the last outposts!" Yelled I through the intercomm... The remaining crew returned to the bridge and to the engeneering... We restarted our defense of the ship...

"Mike! Engadge the emergency beacon!" Yelled I...

"Already did, sir! Since we were ambushed!"

"Nice boy!"

After I said that, a stun granade blowed right to my next side, distorting my sight and my hearing... I could only see shadows and hear whispers, but I noticed one of my crew members was trying to help me, before being shot...

And everything went into dark, as my eyes slowly closed...

(Ok, i am gonna just guess and jump in)

James just stood there watching.

I looked at the two men with a small bit of concern, then sighed.

"Fine. You two can have the right wing quarters while I set course to return to Vertis 2; that's where Bloodcutter is."

The two nodded and went into the right wing sleeping quarters.

I spun up the FTL drives and auto-plotted a course out of the debris field again. Then I sat back as the Evil Deed auto-piloted itself out. For a piece of junk ship, it certainly could hold in a firefight.

The ship cleared the debris after a few minutes, without another pirate in sight. ("That Draaki must have had some small part in that...") I thought as the ship lurched into FTL.

Doyle was shoved around until they came into a small hallway that was dimly lit. Doyle hadn't seen a face in five minutes, they were quite alone. The mysterious figure released Doyle's arms and Doyle swung them out a bit, getting the tingling to go away. Doyle turned to the figure

"All right, what's this about anyways?" Doyle demanded. The figure just raised a finger to his mouth, silencing Doyle. He then pointed to a small door. Doyle grit his teeth and moved forward, opening the door. Inside was a small set of narrow stairs. Doyle began climbing up them, hunched over as the ceiling was too small. He came to another door at the end of the stairs, which opened when it sensed his presence. Doyle entered a small capsule, the figure close behind. Doyle looked around as the door closed behind them. The figure sat down at a single chair at the front of the capsule and began activating some controls. Suddenly, there was a small lurch and the capsule started moving forward into space. Blending in with the other exiting ships from the space port, the capsule then pulled away, undetected. There was the distinctive lurch as the ship went to FTL.
The figure then turned to Doyle, his face still covered in shadows from his hood and the dim lighting of the capsule.

"Now what is this all about?!" Doyle asked, annoyed

After a day or two of quiet, the Evil Deed exited FTL. I steered her into a docking port somewhere near Jaq's headquarters. Then I called the two passengers out.

"Come on, we're at our destination. We need to get to Enigma Corps."

Erin sighed. Doyle hadn't shown up. Oh well, all the more better for herself. She stared at Bloodcutter leaning against the wall... It still looked like the same old rusted red-bladed sword she remembered. She picked it up, examining the old edges and stuff, and gasped as the blade itself started to glow. She could feel the shape of the sword start to shift in her hands as it got more lightweight, but the rust seemed to fall off. The light faded, and Bloodcutter looked more like one of the prototype laser rifles that she was working on, only a deep blood-ruby red instead of slick black.

The dark figure removed the hood. Doyle squinted, trying to get a better look, but somehow, the face was still too dark to be seen.

"I have gone to great trouble to return" the man said, "there is a grave danger to the whole of creation, a danger that is almost unstoppable."

Doyle rubbed his temples, "please, spare me the riddles, Haven is out there I know"

"Haven is only the beginning. Their are far worse things to fear than Haven"

"Like what?" Doyle retorted.

"That which Haven was created to stop"

Doyle did a double take, a look of concern coming across his face, "wait, what did you say? That which Haven was created to stop? What does that mean?"

The figure suddenly hunched over, grabbing his stomach in deep pain

"I haven't much time" he gasped. A ray of light came across the man's face. Doyle reeled back, in shock. The face was mutilated almost to the point of no recognition, it was twisted, distorted, thick veins running through it, but to Doyle, the face was unmistakable.

"Wh..what? You came, back? from where, why?!" Doyle asked, stuttering.

"The future is bleak, hopeless, almost all of humanity is dead, the universe is collapsing..." he hunched over again, another wave of pain hitting him. "Quick, we haven't much time" he held out his hand to Doyle. Doyle raised an eyebrow. He slowly and hesitantly reached out, touching the man's hand. The man grabbed Doyle's hand with a fierce strength Doyle had not expected. Doyle gasped in pain. Suddenly, a wave of heat wen through Doyle's body, getting stronger and stronger. Doyle yelled in agony. His body felt like it was burning from the inside and like all of his bones were shattering. Doyle tried to break the grip of the man, but it was impossible. Doyle closed his eyes, screaming in deep pain. Suddenly, it stopped and Doyle was thrown against the back of the capsule. He opened his eyes, gasping, his body aching everywhere. He looked around. The figre was gone, except for his cloak, which lay crumpled on the floor. Doyle reached out, his bones still in pain and fumble d the cloak. He picked it up. A small object fell out from it. It was a stone or something similar attached with a chain. Doyle reached out towards it. The stone began glowing and shifting. Doyle looked at it. The glowing got stronger the closer his arm got to it. He then picked it up. It felt both solid and empty at the same time. Doyle opened his hand. The stone was no longer a stone, but a crystal. Doyle looked at it. Something looked like it was in the crystal. An image or something.
Suddenly, the capsule rocked and an alarm started blaring. Doyle put the chain around his neck and hobbled to his feet. He stumbled to the front. He sat in the chair and looked before him. There was no console. No buttons, controls or anything. Doyle looked up. Out the small viewscreen, Doyle saw a planet breaking up, enveloped in a dark cloud. Haven was back. The planet looked like Vertis 1.

Erin sat up as soon as she got the message Vertis I was gone. Most of the people that escaped had come here, and now they would possibly have to evacuate. She hd recon drones watching Haven's progress, and was steadily growing colder. She watched it's progression from the screen in her office, and shuddered... Bloodcutter was warm in her hands, and glowing ever so slightly at the sight of Haven. She tapped at her console, activation the station's announcement system. "I welcome the survivor's to Vertis II's space station. The planet below is full of only wild life, and Haven might be on it's way. Panic if you must, but it will only slow the evacuation procedures if Haven starts to make it's way here. We have another base of operations in a mostly uncharted quadrant of space, and will head there if neccesary." She closed the communications, and listened for the sounds of panic, riot, or otherwise... There was none.. just the silent gloom on the station.

Doyle watched as the planet was turned to dust and absorbed into Haven. Doyle frantically looked all around for a console or any sort of controls. There weren't even any panels for hotwiring or anythng. In fact, there was nothing except solid walls and the chair.

"I must get out of here and back to Vertis 2!" Doyle thought. Suddenly, the capsule lurched and Doyle watched space spin as the ship turned around. There was the sudden jolt as the ship went to FTL.

"What the hell?!?" Doyle said out loud to himseld

I was dreaming... The deep space... Planets, Stars, Galaxies, Life... Black Holes, Supernovas, Death, Haven, and... The empty... something worser than Haven...

I then returned to myself... And I saw a vult... I could recognize it... It was Rachel... With her was a guy... on it's 30's... Probably a medic... it was wearing an uniform with what looked to be the logo of Enigma Corportations... But, there were no words that could help me identify it...

"I will leave you two alone..." Said the medic...

"Thank you..." Said she...

"What happened?" Asked I...

"Enigma Corporations have retaliated your attempt of rescue on me..." Said Rachel...

"I already know that... I was talking about me..."

"You got stunned by a flashbang that blowed 50 inches from your head..."

"Ouch... that's why it hurts so much..."

She was then going to kiss me... But I stoped her:

"I know what you've done..."

A surprised face grew on her...

The capsule exited FTL almost exactly on top of the space port. Doyle looked around.

"Hold on..." Doyle muttered. He straightened himself in the chair and looked out the viewscreen. He saw a small airlock.

"There" Doyle said. The ship started forward heading for the docking port. Doyle smiled to himself. A thought controlled ship, most interesting. The capsule came and gently docked with the star port. Doyle got out of the chair and the door opened. He exited the capsule and entered the starport. He looked around, people were filing in carrying personal belongings.
"Refugees" Doyle thought. The door closed behind Doyle as he headed into the crowd, going for Jacquelyn.

(Ok, i am going to pretend i am on this refugee ship, and yeah)

James grabbed his pistol and targeted Doyle's head, as soon as he got cloase enough to shoot, his pistol got bumped out of ihs hand by a refugee by misake

"SH*T" James said, then Doyle turned around and saw me.

No, you are not on that ship. No one except for Doyle knows it exists. Learn How To Read

"What're you talking about?" She asked...

"Rebel Inteligence has kept an eye on you since we rescued you..." started I... "I know you're the one who was constantly supplying them with informations about our location... And our destiny..."

"That's not true!" She said... "Those guys must have comited a mistake!"

"You will have to prove me that..." Said I...

(Well sorry, i dont have time to read all of it)

(To make this post not worthliss)

James was in an Escape pod (dont ask how he got there) floating in space....

Doyle came up to the HQ door and hit the door chime. He waited a moment, there was no answer. He hit it again, this time the door opened almost immediately after hitting the button

As we were walking, I noticed a small shop. One that shouldn't be there, A shop that couldn't be there. "I need to go, I will meet up with you later. I will know when its time to go, no need to call." I began walking towards the shop.

Erin turned around, a serious businesslike expression on her face, as Doyle was escorted into her office. "Welcome to Enigma Headquarters Mr. Doyle, how may we assist you?" She wanted to what Doyle knew, and if he could help the evacuation process. Haven was seen headed this way by a passing merchant.

Doyle stepped forward impulsively, but suddenly found he couldn't anymore. He could step back, but not get closer. Doyle looked around.

"What are you doing?!" Doyle asked confused. Erin looked at him with a strange look on her face. Then Doyle saw it, bloodcutter, sitting behind Erin's desk. Doyle tilted his head.

"Interesting" Doyle muttered as he eyed bloodcutter. He had seen it before, in the video, of Destral attacking Haven.

"So it's not Destral...it's that..." Doyle trailed off. Doyle spun around leaving Erin's office. He headed back into the crowd. He needed to find Destral now more than ever, the whole of creation depended on it!

Doyle grabbed Destral by the shoulders.

"I implore you, never see Jacquelyn again, ever! You have no idea what it means, I don't know yet, please, come with me, we need to talk, privately!"

I pushed Doyle off.

"Calm down! What the hell's going on?! Jaq has Bloodcutter! I need that damned thing! That's why I left to go find it!"

Erin nodded to her two guards who raced after Doyle. The guards took some time to catch up with him, but did so nonetheless. The guards raised their weapons and pointed them directly at his head, the little laser sighting never wavering. "The Boss wants to speak with you. You better come with us, or we take you by force."

"And that's exactly why you can't!" Doyle started

"Look, something just happened and I'm processing it all, but all I know is this, Haven isn't the threat!"

Destral looked at Doyle oddly

"Bloodcutter is the threat. Remember, you must remember, when you were fighting Haven all those years ago, you used bloodcutter, but something happened, correct? Something evil. It changed you... killed you"

(oop, guess I'll have to add more)

Doyle turned around and looked the guns down the barrel.

"GO" Doyle said to Destral, "GO now!"

Erin came up behind the two, Bloodcutter in a plexiglass box armed with explosives. "That's one of the reasons I've been trying to get to you two. The other is I need to get these people off this station, before Haven kills the millions of people, mostly refugees, when it gets here! You are so obsessed about your own skin, Doyle, that you have yet to realize Haven has been tracking YOU!" She glared at Doyle, dropping Bloodcutter on the ground. "It has no hold over me since it's what almost killed me. Most of my body is being kept alive only by nanites, and Bloodcutter can't control machines."

Doyle turned to Erin angrily

"You want to play this game, well your problem, is you are so blinded by a lie that you believe it! Bloodcutter has no control over nanites? You are wrong, so very wrong! Bloodcutter has control over anything and everything that uses it! That's why Haven was built, to stop bloodcutter, but Haven failed! Haven hasn't been following me, it's been following Bloodcutter!"