The Rebel Faction

<!--EZCODE BOLD START--> Providence...<!--EZCODE BOLD END-->



The gravitational effects of the gas giant Kendra and Providence's proximity were playing havoc with the <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Blaze of Glory's<!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> instruments.

Scipio let out her breath slowly at the celestial sight, the brightness of Kendra, reflecting off the dense atmosphere of Providence.

Adalric Cronus was going through the motions of locating the colony on the planet and reviewing the shipwide repair reports leaving the Capricians to contemplate their next move.

The gravity fluxuations was hindering any communications from taking place between the SSD and Capricia...but Scipio wondered if Providence might not have word of what was going on.


She hated being blind.


Before the SSD had left Minos, Scipio had received via private communication from the Caprician Cruiser sent to investigate the blockade in the Outmarches.

According to the Captain, it looked like the blockade was over for they came across no enemy vessels.

This also disturbed Scipio for if the invaders were no longer blockading the system, <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> what did that mean?<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->

She had ordered the Captain to relay to Adalric Cronus that the system was indeed still under blockade so even the "idea" of skipping out might not come up.

Adalric seemed to be a formula fleet mathematician. Why throw assets away in a cause already lost?


<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Are we already lost?<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->


Achinta had been silent for most of the way, which seemed to be his way. She was growing used to that and welcomed the chance to get her muddled thoughts in order.

"We women are an emotional bunch aren't we, Achinta?" she said softly to the Vinda Corp. android.

"One moment we are weak and crying, the next we are angry and strong, and even after that we are cold and manipulating."

A sudden curiosity overcame her, "Tell me, In your travels for Mr. Vinda, have you come across many women?"


A slight voice irritatingly popped up in her mind:<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Be careful what you ask for Scipio, the answer may be one you won't like..<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->


She clamped down on that rather irritating thought as women are prone to do and gave Achinta a look of intense interest in what he'd say next.

<!--EZCODE BOLD START--> Capricia<!--EZCODE BOLD END-->

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> The Nostromo...<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->





"...Sir , you'd better come and take a look at this..."


*Vinda, sighing heavily, reached for his commlink...*

"..on my way..."

*After failing to get any rest, he had gone over at least dozens of scientific reports, as well as damage reports, etc, ...he rubbed his temple, wincing slightly as he read through the list of MIA and deceased employees...

Standing up straight, he caught sight of himself in the mirror...*

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> ...not getting sentimental in your old age now are we?...<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->

*A cold harsh stare was thrown back at him...*

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> ...this is not the time to grow a conscience...<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->

*He paused for a moment as if reflecting on this thought, stared back at the man before him, then glanced down quickly at the small lighter he was still holding...
and made his way to the bridge...*



* * * *



*...As the doors slid aside, he stepped through briskly, Omar joined him at his side, and handed him a data-pad...*

"...thats the inventory we have, also, I think you should see this..."

*..and before Vinda had a chance to digest it all, Omar had ushered him over to a console, flicking a couple of switches he bought up a view onscreen of the atrocity happening just outside of the Vinda-Corp vessel...

Vinda's eyes widened as he saw the Victims slain brutally, before him...*

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> ...murdered like animals...this is madness....<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->

*switching it off, he glanced towards Omar, reading his face...*

"..theres more?..."

*Omar nodded...*

"..yes , the suspected command ship appears to have closed in on our position, its currently holding just above...and they sent us this message..."

*Vinda's eyes narrowed , his face turning into a scowel as the message was played back, Omar shifted slightly, as he spoke, a small grin appeared ...*

"..I was about to to give them our response..."

*Vinda shook his head...*

"...not yet, don't say or do anything, keep them guessing, it might buy us some time..."

*Omar looked quizzickly towards Vinda...*

"...time for what?..."

*Vinda's voice seemed to lower, as his eyes scanned the data-pad in front of him ...*

"...I have thought of a second option, since its obvious we can't stay here...what about self-destruct"

*Omar looked at him, considerably alarmed...*

"...er no chance, our power levels have dropped well below what would be needed to reach critical mass....not only that sir, but there are still about five thousand personnel onboard..."

*Vinda snapped back...*

"..I'm well aware of that Captain..."

*His eyes seemed to suddenly stop ,as if focusing in on something in particular on the data-pad...He looked back up to face Omar, his face thoughtful....*

"...we are certain we have this much of this ?..."

*He showed the data-pad towards Omar, and Omar's eyes widened a little as if suddenly following Vinda's trail of thought...*

"...to the last pound...but we've just spent the past hour sealing the ship!"

*Vinda nodded...*

"...yes , and its done the trick, the Vong think we are here to stay, and they have moved in closer..."

*Vinda glanced over to the screen , where the image of the Vong's Command ship could be seen...*

"...which is exactly what I wanted..."


*Turning around he addressed the whole crew once again...*

"..Listen up gentlemen, standby for evacuation procedure , all personnel are to take the life-pods, ready the troops , and open me a channel to the fleet in orbit...briefing in ten minutes time..."

*Omar, shifted slightly, as if sensing things were going to get worse before they got better...Vinda joined Omar once again, and handed Omar back the data-pad he had given to him...*

"...spread this all over the ship, I want every square inch covered,...any more fire-power would be useful, we need as much as can muster, any thoughts?..."

*Omar's face lightened a little ...*

"...well, we still have hundreds of unsed Proton Torpedo's and Concussion missiles..we could remove the warheads..."

*Vinda, nodded in agreement...*

"..yes, very good, gather all the technicians you need ..."

*with a quick nod, Omar relayed the orders...and Vinda gestured for a technician , who sidled up beside him...*

"..what is the range of the escape pods?.."

*The technician paused briefly as he considered the question...*

"in space, pretty much as far as you like, under atmospheric conditions, the initial launch would send them about ....(he paused again, calculating quickly in his head...)...about five hundred metres..."

*Vinda's eyes narrowed...*

"...thats not far enough, I want them as far away as possible....is there anyway we can increase their range..."

*Once again the Technician was silent, as he pondered the possibilities...*

"..well, we <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> could<!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> increase the amount of detonite used in the launch procedure...(his mind raced through more calculations)...we could probably manage about a Kilometre safely, without heavy winds......
(as he spoke he noticed a small smile appear at the corners of Vinda's mouth)...

...however , its risky, <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> very<!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> risky, if we use too much we could end up destroying the pod altogether..."

*Vinda put a hand on the man's shoulder...and spoke...*

"..good...how long to make the adjustments?.."

*The Technician , scratched his chin...*

"...a couple of hours..."

*Vinda, smiled broadly..."

"..you've got <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> one<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->...take as many people as you need..."

*The Technician nodded, his face a little bewildered at the task he'd just been set, and ran off the Bridge...

...Vinda gestured for Omar once more...who obliged..*

"...we need to find a suitable rallying point, any suggestions?..."

*Omar, indicated for Vinda to follow him to the Comms console..*

"...we've been picking up a substantial amount of Comms traffic in this location...
...(he walked over to his station and bought the area up on a holo-feed)...
..It appears to be a town of some description, at the base of the highlands ..."

*Vinda rubbed his top lip with his hand as he considered it...and Omar continued...*

"...it does appear as if some Caprician forces are converging..
also, if this virus is airborne, with the weather patterns it would be the safest place to hideout, and thats not including its strategical importance..."

*Vinda glanced up at Omar..*

"...strategical?..."

*Omar nodded..*

"..if I was a Caprician , thats where I'd be headed..."

*Vinda smirked at this comment...*

"...then that shall be the place, brief everyone..."

*looking back over to the screen and the haunting image of the Vong Command ship hovering close by...Vinda took Omar to one side once more...*

"..have our Science dept , found anything of use to us?.."

*Following Vinda's gaze, Omar's face didn't look too confident..*

"...well, something but not as much as we had hoped..we know their ships are living, and everything they use is organic..."

*an Ensign came beside them and interrupted the two...*

"..Sir the fleet are on comms..."

*Vinda lifted his hand and acknowledged the aide with a nod...*

"..tell them to standby Ensign..."

*The Aide sped off , as instructed..and Vinda turned his attention back to Omar...*

"...I want you to target whatever is or powers that ships engines...and send the Co-ordinates to the fleet..."

*Omar interrupted him..*

"..Sir, at their range, they would have to use missiles, and if they miss, they could hit us!...and with all due respect, I wouldn't know where to start..."

*Vinda raised his hand, his voice reassuring...*

"..best guess, Omar, best guess..."

*walking up to address the crew again, he gestured to be broadcast over comms...*

"...Listen up people, time is of the essence...I want confirmation the moment everyone is ready...and ...

...good luck..."

*..signalling to be cut off , Vinda took a moment to glance around at the blur of activity that had suddenly erupted, and gripped the rail that ran along the front of the Bridge.
His eyes focused on the screen in front of him...The Vong Command ship seemed to be hovering in front of him, almost as if gloating...

..His eyes narrowed in annoyance...*

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> ...surrender...the sheer arrogance!....


...you'll know our reply , soon enough...


....soon enough....<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->

<font color=grey>
The flaming remains of the CSA's armada float in space. Vinda Corp had been successful... destroying all the opposing forces with a calm ruthlessness.

Supreme Commander Isstal stands on the bridge of The Negotiator, surveying the dead ships.

'Have you ever seen anything like it, sir?'

'Like what, Colonel?'

'They never gave up... they fought until the end, even when they knew they stood no chance.'

'They believed in their cause, Colonel. They are of the belief of that what they did was just... and that death was a better alternative than retreat.'

The Colonel nods.

'But still... it's unsettling...'

<!--EZCODE BOLD START--> Roonadan<!--EZCODE BOLD END-->

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Varleen City Spaceport<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->




Andersan had caught most of the conversation between Yana and Miles as the Vessel docked in the Spaceports landing bay...he reached out on a rail to steady himself as the craft shuddered a little.

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> ...second chance!?...<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->

This woman had almost brought disaster to Vinda-Corp, yet Miles was prepared to give her a second chance...

His thoughts slipped back to Vinda-Corp, as he wondered what had happened in the short time they had been away...

was it still there?....or had this Isstal failed?...

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> ...I'll guess we'll find out...<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->

The voice of the Special forces team Commander , <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Torm Gabriel<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->, caught everyone's attention...

"ok..people , before we move out, remember, this is supposed to be an undercover operation, so be discreet, don't all go out at once...in fact I want just ten..., that includes Miles, and Yana...the rest stay here, and secure a parimeter, in case the worst should happen..."

Andersan , face grew concerned...

"..what about me?..."

The commander looked at him , as if noticing him for the first time..glanced over to Miles, who nodded..then replied in kind to Andersan...

"...very well, but keep your head down and follow my lead...don't get in my way"

Andersan Bit his lip ,as the Commander had already moved on before he could reply...a thought flashed through his mind instead...

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> ...how about you don't get in the way of mine...<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->

He pulled a small blaster from out of his uniform pocket, checked it...and slipped it back into his inside pocket, whilst Glancing over to where Miles , and Yana were readying themselves....then back to where the commander had gathered the people he needed...

"...we've pin-pointed the location of what is believed to be the source of the mastermind attack on VC...it appears to be a Government installation of some kind...
despite various recon and intel reports we really don't know what is waiting for us out there , so ....<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> stay frosty<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->..."

Andersan rolled his eyes as he listened to the Commander speak..

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> ...where did they get this guy from!?...<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->

Torm continued...

"..we'll have your Children back in no time, Miss Okani...

(he turned back to his men)...

....MOVE OUT!"

..and the entourage followed his lead...

As Andersan walked past Miles his eyes narrowed slightly, as he cut him a glancing coment over his shoulder...

"...lets hope this Admiral of yours jammed those ships transmissions ,or this is gonna be <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> one<!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> short trip...

...and with that, followed, the men off the ship and into the Spaceport...

<!--EZCODE BOLD START--> Bonadan<!--EZCODE BOLD END-->

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> ..Orbital status...<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->



*Richter and his crew had witnessed the events unfold, in almost disbelief, everything had happened at such a rapid pace...They had watched as Vinda-Corp's Eclipse Star Destroyer had unleashed its superweapon against the flotilla of ships , with devastating conseqeunces...

Although joining the battle relatively late, they had cleared away the remaing fighters, which had seen them as a soft target...

Richter , couldn't help but feel , both shocked, and happy , shocked at the ferocity of the attack, but happy at the Admiral who had Commanded VC's fleet...It had appeared to come almost out of nowhere...

During the course of the battle, he too, had recieved the communicae from Mr Soom.....and one other, from another source altogether...

The CSA had been duped... they had learned about the Star Destroyer, and had sought to annhilate it before it could be built... it had been a good plan, but they hadn't counted on one thing...

..their information was wrong...

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> ...It had already been completed...<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->

Richter imagined what the Commander leading the CSA fleet must have thought seeing the huge vessel suddenly come into life...

...Richter smiled satisfied...

The CSA had their operatives.....but so had Vinda-Corp...

..they had underestimated , and had lost...

This last thought perplexed him slightly though...as when they had left VC had no Admiral, except Vinda himself...

He was curious to see who this <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Isstal<!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> was...

He turned to face Tellum...*

"..dock at Kyoto Station, and send a transmission to Admiral Isstal ...I want to meet our new commander..."

*the Captain obeyed, and the VSD slowly made its way to the orbiting station...*