Part III

I stumbled back, trying to take all this in. The weapon that was in my family for millenia, I just found out, was controlling them.

("Bloodcutter...was controlling my father?...was controlling...me...")

I remained silent as Jaq and Doyle continued to argue. I didnt know what to say. I usually did...but not this time.

Then the words came to me.

"How do you know of this, Doyle?"

Doyle stopped and turned to Destral.

"Because I am you" Doyle turned back to Jaqcuelyn

"Let's go" Doyle said to Jacquelyn

Erin continued to glare at Doyle. "Oh really? You think Bloodcutter is controlling me? You seriously think that? If Haven has been trying to destroy it, why hit planets where it's never been? Why cause all the senseless destruction that it has to just stop this?! I've been trying to get rid of Bloodcutter ever since I found it on Vestris I! I do believe it has a mind of it's own, because I shot the thing into deep space a few years ago, only to have come back home to find it in my office! No one knew how or why it got there. So, you going to help me rid myself of this, or die here when haven reaches, because all ships are now under Enigma Corp control and are being used for evacuation purposes." She dropped the box, the sound of the explosives a hollow thud ringing through the empyting room.

Doyle looked up at Jaqcuelyn gravely

"Bloodcutter was at Vertis 1, years ago, nearly thirty to be exact. Bloodcutter has been to every planet, that is why Haven appears as some cannibalistic monster that destroys planets at random, it's not, it's trying to find and destroy bloodcutter the only way it was programed too!"

Erin looked at Destral, and sighed. "Then let's end this... How to we get Bloodcutter destroyed before Haven gets here. If it is the monster you claim it to be, then it won't let us readily shoot it directly into Haven."

"That's the problem. Haven isn't powerful enough. Haven failed originally and bloodcutter, at the hands of Destral here, destroyed Haven. Somehow, a fragment of Haven survived and it mutated into this, bent solely on revenge if it can even feel that. Haven is still very much a threat to us all, because Haven cannot defeat bloodcutter."

Erin started to smile. "I have the perfect place to try and recreate Haven, but we need to drag this fragment into the facility I had built solely on capturing it. It'll hold Haven there, but only for a little while. We'll need to lure it using bloodcutter. This box here should hold it, because it's never escaped it before.. But we'll use Bloodcutter as bait to lure Haven into the holding facility and then try to fix it, and hopefully make it stronger."

"So my trip to Umbra's Inferno nearly got me killed and manipulated by those damned Draaki..." I said under my breath. Then it hit me.

"Oh s**t! The Draaki!"

Erin smiled softly. "I know the Draaki.. They helped me build the facility... and it's what's "causing" Umbra's Inferno... it's a defense mechanism they built to mask the facility's presence."

"I agree about capturing Haven using Bloodcutter, but the problem is that Haven is bent on complete destruction. Don't let what I just said fool you into thinking it's a nice creature at heart. If we make Haven more powerful, it will be almost as bad maybe even worse than bloodcutter...."

Doyle stopped, a thought occuring. He fumbled out the necklace with the crystal. He held the crystal in his hand. He looked at it. An image seeming to still be in the crystal. Doyle turned to Destral.

"You gave this to me before you died. You held my hand and something happened. This crystal...changes, especially the closer it gets to Bloodcutter, you told me you came back, that we were the only ones. The key is in this I think"

"So let's recap. We lure Haven into Umbra's Inferno to get him more powerful with this (I held up the crystal) using Bloodcutter as bait, then we give him the damned weapon to destroy and just hope to God he just kills it and not us too?"

"Sounds about right. I'd say at best we got half an hour, 45 minutes if we're lucky!" Doyle took the crystal and put the necklace back around his neck.

"The important thing is that no one uses Bloodcutter, at all!"

("I do so love your plans, Doyle...") I thought sarcastically.

"In that case, we need to get everyone out of here. Like, now."

I put a hand on Jaq's shoulder.

"Jaq, do your absolute best to get everyone out alive. Yourself included. I don't think we'll be able to save everyone, but we have to try. And try to stay away from Bloodcutter at all costs."

She nodded, and against her better judgement, she hugged Destral. "I missed you.. you know that right?" She kicked at the box that contained Bloodcutter. She looked over all that she was about to leave, then tapped a button on her jacket, and activated the evacuation system, letting everyone know it was time to go. She looked at Doyle and Destral. "We'll save atleast 70% of everyone here... the rest.. who chose to stay, will use all they can to weaken Haven. This station will go out with a bang."

I hugged Jaq as she hugged me.

"I hope you're right about this." I gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, then turned to Doyle.

"Perhaps we all should get to the Evil Deed. She's still ready to go."

Doyle turned to Destral and smiled

"I have something much better, I think you will quite like it" Doyle said as he headed for the docked capsule

Erin looked around, as the ships left, leaving only the defenders that wanted revenge. She tapped one of the workers on the shoulder. "Arm the explosives and activate the defense system, and bring out Shadow Runner." She smiled at the confused look on Destral's and Doyle's faces. "I have something much better... much bigger and faster too. You thought I'd a few thousand people stay behind and sacrifice themselves when I'm the owner of a high-tech corporation? I always have a back-up plan."

Doyle and Destral entered the small capsule. Doyle glanced over his shoulder.

"Yeah I know what you're thinking, I thought the same thing when I entered. It's small, but I think you'll find this cool" Doyle pointed at the front of the capsule.
"No consoles, no wires, no electricity, power or anything. Purely thought controlled. I imagine this thing probably has no physical dimension and could be made larger if I wanted, still have a lot to figure out though"

Erin sat in the Shadow Runner's main chair on the bridge, and smiled. It wasn't like the ship Doyle had owned, and was a lot smaller, like a elongated fighter. It was quick and agile, and only had enough guns to make sure it wouldn't go down without a fight. It housed a crew of 3,000, but could hold a lot more, and it's main purpose was for stealthy scout missions. She flew it in front of Doyle's capsule and smiled, opening a comm channel with it, hoping he could hear. "Just follow me, and we'll get there in no time."

"So, we're off to Umbra's Inferno" Doyle sat in the chair.

"Watch this" Doyle said with a small smirk on his eye. He relaxed.

"Umbra's Inferno" Doyle said. There was a sudden lurch and the ship exited FTL.

"There we are, no calculations or anything needed to jump, you just think and then you're there!" Doyle said. "Now, let's wait for Erin, you know this system better than anyone, you drive" Doyle said as he got out of the chair.

"Impressive," I remarked as I took something out of my cape. It was a small keypad controller for the Evil Deed. Doyle looked at it in question, and I replied, "I'm not leaving a 500,000 credit investment on this doomed hunk of rock!"

I typed in several instructions for the Evil Deed to fetch Addar and Icarius. Then I took the pilot's seat of this small thingamajig.

("Might as well give it a whirl...") I thought.

"There she is!" Doyle said pointing at the small viewscreen as Erin's ship came out of FTL. Doyle looked around, hunched over due to the small ceiling.

"Honestly, why make such an impressive ship so small?" Doyle wondered out loud.

(After a rise up against the Carrier crew members, who are now arrested)

Rachel was sitting on the floor... with her hand tied up... I was looking at her from outside the cell... In the other cells, the remaining crew members of that Carrier were under arrest...

"Please..." Said she with a begging sad face...

"I loved you... I still do, but... You've to prove again that I can trust you before I give you that trust..." Said I... "You are the thing I care the most about... But, something must have changed you in these couple of months..."

I noticed she had a reply ready to say, but hold it to herself... I looked at her blue-fish eyes, and then left...

"Sir, you've an incoming message from Rebel Fleet Command..." Said an officer...

"Thank you..." Said I... "How's our ship?"

"They almost got it repaired... We are still lacking FTL capacity and we're canabilizing the long range FTL on this carrier for it..."

"Transport Rachel to the 'Light and Fire' Brig... Warn me when ready to leave..."

"Aye, sir..."

Doyle looked to Destral

"Any sign of Haven yet?" Doyle asked. Destral shook his head.

"You know, Haven can be a little slow, I mean, it might go to Vertis II before here" Doyle said

-At Vertis II- Haven slowly approached the station, completely ignoring the planet. Bloodcutter had been here, and it's presence was like the worst stench ever created. It ate the entire station whole, and shortly after, the station exploded in a neutron based explosion.

-Umbra's Inferno-

"Alright everyone, stay behind me, and don't stray." Erin flew Shadow Runner into the densest part of the nebula storm, the effects of it seeming to want to tear the ship apart, but no damage was seen inside or outside the ship. The Draaki flew just out of viewing range, watching it all.

"You heard the lady" Doyle said. Doyle stood back as Destral attempted to fly the ship. The stormy nebula looked menacing outside the viewport, but no effects were felt inside the small ship. Doyle found his gaze wandering around until it landed on an old plate of metal bolted to the wall next to the door. Doyle stepped towards it and using his arm, wiped some dust off. Weathered and worn, but still readable, the text said: Evil Deed. Doyle looked up to Destral and then back at the metal plate.

"Destral, I think this is your...our ship." Doyle said.

I looked at the plate, and I couldn't believe it. But I hid my surprise from that and tried concealing it in an even bigger surprise.

"OK...so how the hell am I you?"

"Long story, I'm not even entirely sure, all I know is that I'm me and you at the same time, but there's something different. I think...I think you transferred your essence into me, I have your knowledge, memories, memories of things that haven't happened yet...and something else...your power" At this, Doyle and Destral were staring each other in the eye. Doyle broke the gaze.

"Creepy, I know, but it's the...look!" Doyle pointed as a shadow slithered past the Evil Deed.

"Erin, it's here!" Doyle said

A ship with a skeleton crew exited FTL nearby an huge ring, with a cluster of 7 massive black holes eating their matter clouds a few light-years from there...

"Has the 'Wilkinson' arrived?" Asked I...

"Not yet, sir..."

"C'mon..." Said I with anxiety...

A huge carrier apeared from nothing... One of the biggest Carriers in the Rebel fleet... More than 17 squadrons were inside that thing... And it carried the new crew for the 'Light and Spirit'...

"This is the 'Light and Spirit' CO, please acknowledge docking permission..." Said I...

"Roger that you're clear to dock, 'Light and Spirit'..."

Erin nodded and flew into the station, Haven following her a bit quicker. She smiled. "The Bomb worked.." The station closed after Haven entered, and a hanger uncloaked near the Evil Deed. Erin rushed into her office in the station, and began to tap rapidly at a console, a few Draaki in a humanoid form helping her.

we're still at umbra's inferno right?

Yeah. The exact center of it.]

i thought it was all nebula? What is this station you speak of?

exits the Evil deed and helps the Drakki. "so what now?"

Darkwing wrote:i thought it was all nebula? What is this station you speak of?

NVM, I understand now

------------------

Doyle watched as Destral piloted the ship into the hanger bay and set the ship down.

"You're good at this whole mental control thing" Doyle commented as the two exited the Evil Deed.

"I wish I was as good as I was before I found out I had Eralt's Syndrome," I muttered as I prepared to exit the capsule ship and head for the Evil Deed that contained my vials of medicine. I needed whatever was causing these damned flashbacks out of my head so I could focus on Haven, Bloodcutter, and any other problems that were at hand.

Doyle looked around. It was much quieter than the starport back at Vertis II. Outside of the windows, the raging nebula could be seen as it encompassed the station. Doyle turned and looked at the small ship, being the first time he could see the exterior. It was odd looking. It was completely smooth, with no markings on it at all. In fact, it looked like a beveled cube with two cylindrical objects on the side.

"Destral, this doesn't look anything like the Evil Deed, at least what I've seen of the ship. There's no hull plating or anything" Doyle said. The hatch to the ship was still open.
"Close hatch" Doyle thought. The hatch then closed up behind him and he gave a quick smile of satisfaction before turning away and following Erin.
Doyle entered the office with Destral and Erin. Suddenly Doyle hunched over, gagging, his torso in intense pain. His eyes watered up. He coughed and the pain started to go away.

"Haven's on this station! I can feel it somehow!" Doyle said, gasping for air. He slumped down against the wall clutching his stomach. Doyle looked up and saw Erin and Destral looking at him oddly.

"What?" Doyle said, coughing some more. Destral simply pointed. Doyle looked down to his stomach to see his torso glowing underneath his close.

"What the hell?!?!" Doyle stammered in shock. "What is happening?!"

Everyone looked up as there was a sudden and short scream and this horrifying tearing and ripping sound as Haven tore one of the few officers of the station to pieces.

Erin sighed. "2nd one so far... I have Bloodcutter just out of reach of Haven right now. The plating in that room is strong enough to withstand Haven at this current level, and it's quite mad that it can't get out and get to Bloodcutter.. We have made some communications with it, but most of it's language is 'Kill Bloodcutter'... we are trying to repair the damage done to it by Bloodcutter those many years ago.. and the bomb we had planted for it had helped clean up some of the mess... A special neutron bomb that had pieces of the original haven before it was corrupted."

Doyle looked around, still skeptical

"I just hope it doesn't take us holding it as an act of aggression. It is a fairly primitive creature, that you got the words kill bloodcutter is nothing short of amazing" Doyle said, the pain residing

"Yes it may be primitve in the lack of capable speech, but look into the room" She pointed with one gloved hand at the holding cell for Haven. The sides of the container shimmered in an assortment of colors, the room suddenly turning into various environments and such. "We are seeing if after we can help it destroy Bloodcutter, if it can live peacefully on some uninhabited planet. It also seems to be able to change it's shape, but refuses to do so... Do you still have the medallion?"

Doyle reached up to his neck and grasped the crystal in his hand. He held it out and opened his hand, but the crystal was no longer there, just the chain.

"That's odd, I was just touching it, it's like it disappeared in my hand...." Doyle looked at his hand and on the palm of his hand, all of the lines in his skin were glowing, the shape of the crystal burned into his palm. "OK, I've had enough freaky stuff for one day!" Doyle said frusterated

"So, do you both understand your mission captains?" Said Fleet Command...

"Yes, sir..." Said I...

"Retrieve the planet killet, and use it against Haven..." Said the Carrier CO...

"Good luck, fellows..." Said Fleet command, before shutting down...

"Thank you..." whispered I to myself...

I arived at the shop.

"Bobosa, why are you here?"

"To see You, old friend. How have you been?" He replied

"Ive been better, I finished my original sentience"

"Oh really, then why are you here now?"

"I spoke out against the government, again... This time i was sentenced to forever as a human"

"Huh, What did you sy this time?"

"Ok, enough with the crap, I'm here for something and you know what it is otherwise you wouldn't be here."

"I knew you would ask. What did you need??? Oh that right... You cant know. But i do. I could give you what ever i want and it could be the wrong item..."

"If you give the the wrong item, we would have to meat again."

"Your right." Bobosa said, he handed me a small ball. Very shinny.

"They are supposed to be a set." I said

"No, there's just the one."

"Liar!" I proceded to fight with him. It was like this every time we met. He Finily pulled out a weapon. "I have nothing to lose, and every thing to die for. But not today" I said

"We shale meet again."

I suddenly found my self in the middle of the star port. He was gone. "Damn you bobosa." I said to my self.

Then i was off to find Doyle.

My Frigate and the Carrier were travelling in an odd FTL tunnel... They had been in there for almost one hour and travelled more than Quantum FTL could ever do... Far more... I... Was more interested in knowing why did she betrayed me...

"Money..." She replied...

"C'mon, you're the daughter of an ex-New Order Senator and now a well known rebel Senator..." Said I... "Money was not the problem..."

"Well..." She said, starting to flush... "I don't know! I don't know what happened to me in these two months I was made prisioner..."

I got thoughtfull... I just didn't wanted to reply to that... But she restarted:

"I didn't expected that you would put me behind bars after you rescued me..."

"I didn't expected you would be a spy for them..."

"I'm sorry..." Said she...

"It's a little bit late for that..." Replied I...

Suddenly, I got a comm...

"Sir, we're arriving..." Said the officer...

"Ok... I'm coming..." Said I...

She turned to me and said: "Good Luck..."

"Lets see if after this I can trust you again..."

OOC:
I think some clarification is needed here. Doyle, Destral and Erin are not on the Starport, the starport was destroyed by Haven I believe. We are at a secret station in the middle of Umbra's Inferno.

A large flash in our eyes predicted what we were looking for... Right after we exited through the exit ring, a large, 3 dimentional star-shapped object was right in front of us... It reflected a light blue glow...

"Signal the Carrier that we're closing in for scanner analyses..." Said I... "And tell them to have their fighter squadrons ready..."

"Aye, sir..." Replied the Comm Officer...

"Helm... Bring us into 500 meters from the target..."

"Aye, sir..."

OOC:

So like, leach should say he is on a different starport... because the one Erin, Doyle, and Destral were are exploded...

anyways, back to roleplay....

Doyle held out his arm watching his veins pulsate with glowing energy.

"Destral, what have you done to me?!" Doyle said

Erin was busy watching Haven react.... fondly of the current environment.. Lush forests with animals of all kinds roaming around freely. She tapped Destral and Doyle on the shoulders, and pointed. "Look... is that... a caring Haven I see?"

Doyle brought his gaze up from his hand and looked

"Interesting. Haven has been on other planets similar to that environment, hell, it was one of the early taming tests the New Order tried that failed. Doyle went over to the glass. He put his hand to the glass. Haven turned around and looked Doyle in the eye, then down to his arms. Doyle looked down too. His arms were now essentially orbs of light. Haven came close to the window. Everyone stood there...watching. Then...Haven formed into a bipedal like creature and rasied an "arm" and touched the glass too. Doyle looked back at Erin and Destral.

"I think...it has to do with this crystal" Doyle said quietly