The Continuing Story of Deep Space 2: Page 115
As Ernie nestled close to Sarah, trying to bury himself as much
as possible in the fur surrounding Sarah's neck, as if to become
invisible because he felt sick from being mentally in the presence of
the Red Stain as he thought of Scarlett.
He whispered telephatically to Sarah, that sometimes the bat
community had to destroy one of its members for the good of the
community-like if an individual was very sick with rabies. It was
sick so not responsible for its actions and out of its mind from the
pain. It was honorable to relieve endless suffering and not to spread
rabies.
He thought would be a good idea for Sarah to tell Admiral
Frances that they should wipe out the Red Stain. It would be
honorable and a good thing for the universe, to be rid of such evil.
Sarah wondered if this would mean they would be Holy Crusaders
or assasins. But she knew Admiral Frances would want to know the
feelings of her crew members, even one so small as the normally silly
Ernie. Sarah personally agreed that the universe with the
dishonorable and evil Red Stain gone would be an improved universe.
If the Celestial was worried, why shouldn't a small Ewok be worried!
She waited until she could have a private moment to speak to Admiral
Frances.
Admiral Arthur had welcomed Vice President Scarlett and Captain d'Rabbitt aboard the USS Alice Cooper-B, not knowing who exactly he had let in. For the Admiral This was not really an honor as he still found it strange that the Vice President of the United Federation of Planets would come all the way out here to pay the USS Alice Cooper-B a visit. But whatever the reason was, Arthur had no real interest in the matter. When he turned around to let Captain Kalee welcome the Vice President aboard his ship, he had the impression that the group of Admiral Straker was very disturbed. Arthur could only think that this was because they had lost a good friend in the ship that brought them here and now with the coming of Vice President Scarlett everything around them just continued in what seemed daily routine and nobody cared about their loss. For a moment Arthur felt a very little bit of sadness, but that was the way it always was after battle. A celebration was held to celebrate the victory and it seemed that nobody cared about the fallen...
But it also had been clear to Admiral Arthur that Captain Raz Kalee had not been to happy about the precense of the Vice President. He looked at Colonel Theys who apparently had seen the same thing. Both officers communicated with their hand signals as fast as they could.
"Seems VP is not welcome."
"Apparently. I have checked. Nothing unusual yet."
Deep down abaord Deep Space 2 Droids were working on a logical conclusion to solve the time rupture. The time interuptions with the Denoradons, Katsimari and especially the Erogarndi were not only fascinating for the droids, but although they were artificial, they realised the seriousness of the situation. The search for anomalies in the time line was time consuming. There was some irony in that and humans might have a laugh about it, but the droids did not. They just executed the orders. But the results had to found. More changes could lead to a catastrophy beyond anyones control.
It was inevitable that the droids found a lead to the sollution and maybe even the cause of the time interuptions. Apparently the group of Admiral Straker who came aboard Deep Space 2 from another alternate universe was not the only group who crossed that line. Another had come over much earlier. Now all the droids had to do is follow the track and find that person or people. It would not come easy...
The swarms of fighters became evident on the view screen. Karn could
imagine the sound of their propulsion drives pushing them through
space. The attack pattern looked similar to somehting he might have
seen before. In a course of several months, back in his galaxy, Karn
had helped the empire squash numerous resistances all over the
galaxy. He had saved many of there stratgies and attack plans
personally and had become quite the tactician as he lead the spear
head of assaults with his company of stormcommandos. Before he
dropped out of service and went AWOL he could easly have crushed
this assualt with their fleet. But times were differnt and he was
now enlightend to the slaughter of the inncent he had caused. Every
life a burden he could FEEL lost from this galaxy.
But none the less the thrill of combat still throbbed through his
veins. Luckly for him he fouhgt now for justice and democracy and
self defense of firends and family. The combat now seemed much more
meaniful then his life imbetween the service and his events with
Starchild. He had fought for himself, fending off pirates and and
other summgleers trying to cut in on his action. When he had been
enlittlened to himself and the galaxy by that little old man on
tatooine he realised the true meaning of the life around him and
justice. Everything deep inside him screamed to join the rebellion
and fight the empire, but there was no way theyd except him into
their ranks. He had done so much wrong and been the cataylist for
some much evil, thats why he had signed up with him self, working to
make sure he survived from day day, thinking that was the only
person who would accept him.
Karn hadnt realized as he reministed about his past life, that he
had already boarded his ship and began take off manevuers. Karn got
hte checks from Elayna on the turrets and set the WarBird on an
attack vector. The sleek and small blue and white frieghter, amller
then the captial ships he was with, dashed throught the lines of
drones to the head of the spearhead. Tactical information streamed
in from Alice - B along with order. Bashing through the front lines,
Elayna layss on the preassure, fighters bursting into balls of flame
as the high powererd beams of energy slice through hulls. The war
bird screeching towards the target platform as ordered, leaving
behind two photon mines to keep them confused. The mines proximity
sensors tripping the weapons to detonate, incinderating more
fighters in the blue haze of photon heat.
Karn could see the platform now both him and maccs coming into
range. Likewise the federation fleet moving into position to protect
the alice b and fend off the swarm. Karn Cut across the axis.
Allowing Elayna to pumlle critcal systems will Karn made another
quick move to drop the depth charge like photon bombs into a docking
facilty, with the support of MAccs heavier weaponry. Karn was not
impressd with this stations design. The golan fortress' back home
were more difficult to even scratch. Another barrage from maccs
would end it quick. Setting up another attck run , the expected fire
support just stopped. Karn wathced in horror as MACCs almost
appeared to crumble then be vaporised in some kind of internal
explosion.
Karn had seen much more massive capital ships be destroyed. Some had
just fallen apart others just comletly annahileted. Once he had
actually seen one of the emperors precious Star Destroyers be eaten
alive form the inside as its internal miniture sun of a power
generator slowly overloaded. None of which hurt like this. Karn had
joined the Empiral with such fervor at the news of his parents
death. Since then he had not returned to his home planet of
Corellia, and was asort of nomad. But this ship had been his home
since he was sent to the "Eternal Hub" in the accident while on the
Kessel Run. (Thats what he got though for trying to break his
sumggling buddies record, even if the Millenium Falcon looked like a
peice of junk compared to his ship.) Karn could almost feel the ship
dissappear and almost feel MACCs come to grip with his death.
Strange though this was not like other deaths of living oraganisms
he had felt. When the old man on tatooine had talked with him and
touched him, and awaken that hidden spark with in him KArn could
feel deaths, and life and everthing that connected it. Somefeelings
were differnt then others but none like this. Karn had never really
thought much about his FEELINGS, he just assumed it was his
conscience.
Karn took the ship back to the small fleet where they were now
waiting for some vice president. Karn followed everyone to the
teleporter room. Karn really didnt care who he was now. He just
pondered his and the rest of MACCs crew fate now that there
transdimesnional transport and friend were gone. A cold wet blanket
threw it self over Karn, or atleast it felt this way. Karn didnt
like this at all. Only once in his life had he felt this way and
that was at a banqeut on courascant, the galatic seat of power for
an Emperor Day celebration. There he had stood among the ranks as
the Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Vader passed before him. At the
time he was the only one who seemed effcted. He hadnt known what had
struck him. AS soon as he was out of eye sight Karn immediatly ad to
step out. His presence and vaccume and emptiness seemd to choke him.
The differnce here, being this man weas not a vacumm that could be
filled with good or evil. He was a vessel filled with darkness. Some
kind of similar effect or dark memory must have filled his friends
minds as they cringed and uttered dark qoutes. The venom that rasped
off there lips said enough. The only thing like that in Karns memory
were several ancient sith texts accounting the deeds of Exar Kun and
several other real sith lords of ancient days, before the old
republic.
Could this man be the one in search of the Star Slayers ultimate
power that Dr Vergal had spoke of, could he be the one behind the
time changes in order to serve his evil purpose. What ever it was he
was going to find out know, even if that means blasters blazing...