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[sub][ Prev ]  [color=#00bfff]“[b]PASSING THROUGH GETHSEMANE[/b], Part I”[/color]  [ [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/4985262]Next[/url] ][/sub][/center][COLOR=1E90FF][INDENT][B][SUP][SUB][H3]P L A N E T   G O R A N G K A A[/H3][/SUB][/SUP][/B][/INDENT][hr][/COLOR][INDENT][INDENT][sup][color=gold]Kymellian Agricultural Colony | The Milky Way Galaxy[/color][/sup][/INDENT]
[color=silver]If Billy were here, he would likely comment that they’d had [i]worse[/i] days.

A power transfer conduit exploded overhead, prompting the young Kymellian to duck his head as blinding sparks and hot shrapnel rained down.  At the same time, space had become a roller coaster.  This close to a gravity well, the force exerted on the smartship as it weaved through evasive maneuvers created g-forces that shoved the horse-faced youth from side to side -- and several times nearly catapulted him from the chair.

[color=#ff9900]“Our shields are down.”[/color]

Off to Kofi’s right, the large Okaraan warlord was crammed into the tactical station.  Of late, he had not been the bearer of good news. Glancing over at the large alien, the boy gave a nod before he looked back out through the forward window.  He was looking over the top of Alora’s head, the Majesdanian teen occupying the forward astrogation terminal.  

Raising a three-fingered hand, a flickering hologram of the surrounding space suddenly appeared at Kofi’s large, blunt fingertips.   Rotating his wrist, the horse-like being examined what seemed to be a rather deteriorating situation. [color=#00ffff]“The Galadorians are in retreat and the Light Brigade appears to have been destroyed,”[/color] the boy noted flatly.

Whatever good that they had tried to do here had failed spectacularly.

And at the cost of lives. [i]Many, irreplaceable lives.[/i]  

It was a situation that was not going to be improved by struggling against the inevitability of their defeat. [color=#00ffff]“Alora, can you get us out of here?”[/color] the boy asked, wistfully.

The rainbow-haired waif was soot marked, with half her terminal scorched from the damage that they’d been taking.  Ordinarily, manual flight of the smartship was not necessary -- except Friday’s artificial intelligence had been knocked off-line when the computer core had taken damage. [color=#f4cccc] “Jump drive’s off-line,”[/color] the Majesdanian quipped tersely.  [color=#f4cccc]“We’re barely maintaining sub-light.”[/color]

The flight of the smartship Friday came to a sudden halt. Lurching forward, Kofi clung to the side of the captain’s chair as it seemed as though their ship had been snapped backward.

[color=#ff9900]“Tractor beam.” [/color]

As Kofi turned his head, he watched as the Okaraan rose from his station. Reaching over to the wall, the warlord pulled a Galadorian short sword from the wall.  Then, taking two steps forward, planting himself like a living wall in front of the aft airlock. [color=#ff9900]“Prepare for boarding,”[/color] the man uttered gravely.

Overhead, the speakers crackled as a transmission cut in. [i]“People of Gorangkaa, you are all now [b]slaves[/b] of the immaculate Shi’ar Imperium.  Rejoice in your elevation.”[/i]

Arcane circles formed at the fingers of the young Kymellian sorcerer as he rose from out of the command chair.  Down forward, Alora was priming the charging bolt on a Kree pistol, when something flashed over the top of her console. [color=#f4cccc]“There’s a jump point forming behind us,”[/color] the teen announced.

Kofi and G’Kar shared a brief look, before the Kymellian stated, [color=#00ffff]“I thought Lord Aelfyre's final word was that no reinforcements would be forthcoming.”[/color]

Setting her pistol aside, the Majesdanian teen was trying to get the damaged console to work with her. [color=#f4cccc]“I’m getting a transmission. It’s...”[/color] the girl began, before trailing off.  [color=#f4cccc]“It’s...”[/color] she uttered, now clearly confused.  After another minute, she turned her head and stated, [color=#f4cccc]“It’s [b][url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbD_kBJc_gI]David Bowie[/url][/b]?”[/color]

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Whoever had invented [i]air pods[/i] was [b]seriously[/b] the best genius of all time.

Forty years, he’d been flying in space.  One thing that he’d been missing was a way to listen to music or the radio, or anything.  Now, the lyrical stylings of [i]Let’s Dance[/i] filled the airways, as Billy had figured a way to pair music from his iPod to the Kymellian communicator that was clipped to his ear. 

The small human exited the jump point in a fiery explosion. A stream of photons sailed forward, cutting a swath through the large, insectile alien ship that was descending upon Friday.  The Shi’ar assault ship was already reeling in a series of explosions, even before Billy punched straight through it on a path toward the middle of the battlefield.

He cut through the Shi’ar line like a stick into water.  Plumes of light accompanying the explosions that ripped through the Shi’ar ships as they were literally torn apart by the sixty-pound human bullet that zig-zagged through the widowing field amid pulsating bursts of radiation and energy.

Rising up above the line of broken and retreating warships, Billy shone like a miniature star.  Plasma rolled from off his body, his eyes aflame as he peered out and declared, [i][color=#00bfff]“Shi’ar fleet, this is Captain Batson. I hope the first round didn’t wear you out, because round two just started.”[/color][/i][/color][/indent]