Young Writers Society

NO ONE HAS GONE ON ANY OF THE SB'S IM IN FOR, LIKE, A MONTH!

Anog Ramshaft.


As I passed the large quarter deck of the great ship called the Hero, my thoughts were abruptly jerked out of my mind as the ship jerked, then went back on its steady progressive way I was wondering what had caused the shudder that had raked through the entire metal frame. my questions were answered by a small battle ship coming up from beneath the bow of The Hero and a massive amount of fire power was poured out into the side of the small battle ship, men were running to the side decks of the Hero with their weapons at hand.


And a great cry was raised on the enemy ships decks as they came jumping and howling down towards us, just as they were jumping off of their ship is was hit by a giant fire ball that was hurled from The Hero and smashed the ugly little thing to peace’s and part of its desperate crew fell into the dark and gloomy mist far below.


A howl of triumph ran through the ranks of The Hero, still few of the enemy crew had made it to the ships side and were fighting in the direction of the escape pods that were in the middle decks.


But they were cut off by a small number of men that had re rooted out of the battle and seeing what they were trying to do ran to intercept them and which we did although it was not the easiest job.


After the small and fierce fight I went down to the lower decks to check if we had severe damage or not, when I got there I saw troops of repair men working on a gaping hole in the bow, as a young volunteer walked by I turned and asked him if he knew how severe the damage was but he said “We only got a bit of a puncture from one the ships rams against our bow, we can repair the damage without landing.” And after a few minutes more he said “I was wondering why should a tiny little ship like that dare to attack a ship this size?”.


“I have a question too, did anyone see their flag?” I answered, one of the watchmen who had accompanied me down said that he had and said that it was “two swords crossed in front of a shield on a fiery background.”


“That is not good is it?” said the volunteer guessing from the strange excretion on a captains face who stood behind me.


“It could be, but only maybe” I answered “It may mean that there is a new side to this war but I doubt it sound like just one of those foolish little boats that go round hoping to take down a larger ship and so to get a bigger crew” as I finished this sentence an old friend of mine named “Anrages Hamar” came running in and said that another one of the small ships had boarded and were still being repulsed this news sent me and my men back the way we had come but by the time we got to the small fight it was already over and we had wiped the smelly little boat and we had got a few of their crew as prisoners.


When we came to one of the prisoners he had already died and that the only survivors of that short and bloody fight were still living, a number of men were crowded around them asking questions about who they were? and what they were doing attacking a giant ship like The Hero.


But only one of them answered these questions he was a very young boy only about 15 although he looked like he had fought hard, his answer was that he was Guardian and that his friends in misfortune were Paladins and that they had captured him in a fight with a trading vessel that they had turned into a small battle ship.


And he also said that the Paladins were trying to scare the Redeemers with new flags to make them think that there was a new side that wanted to kill them.


After he had confessed all this although I still resented the boy no matter what side he was on I ordered my men to release him but to keep an eye on him which they did dutifully, then I told them to follow me with our prisoner which they did, when we got to the control deck and came to the commanding officer in a garbed uniform with a captains hat which denounced his rank, we sold the captain what the prisoner had said to us and asked him what we should do with the young boy the captain who was a kind man and a just one too, he told me to give him a suitable room and to keep a man to guard at the door.

I assume we have agreed on a POV? First person, past tense? Also, jordin, yours has a lot of run-ons in it.

Arianniss, Goddess of the Redeemers:

I woke abruptly. Of course, I did not open my eyes immediately. I kept my breathing slow and even, feigning sleep. Though my face remained tranquil and my eyes closed, the muscles of my body slowly coiled up like springs in preparation for action. My sixth sense, the one that I had so carefully cultivated and that the God pill had enhanced, had woken me. The air was heavy not only with humidity, coming in through the slightly open window, but also with impending danger. Something was wrong. I listened and smelled and felt the air, probing with the senses for anything out of the ordinary. Any displacement of air from someone moving, or body heat from someone in the room? No, just the night breeze. And I could tell the difference. An infrared sensor could be tricked, but my flesh and blood can sense it. The smell of sweat or someone's breath? No, neither could I hear anyone breathing. My silent investigations revealed nothing. I slitted my eyes so I could see about a bit. The darkness was not an obstacle. I had always had good night vision, and the God pill multiplied that effect. But, turned on my side as I was, I could only see half the room, though the bed curtains were drawn back as usual.

In one lightning movement, I rolled over, drawing my knife from its sheath at my thigh, and assumed a fighting crouch at the opposite side of the bed. No one rushed to meet me. The bedroom, at least, was empty. I picked up the standard issue police handgun. All the rooms that had important people in them were allowed one, though the setting was locked on stun. I'd already tricked mine, as soon as I'd arrived at the hotel. Though it was not my favored weapon, my acquaintance the FGIBP (Federal Galaxy Investigation Bureau and Police) had taught me how to use it. I felt better with a weapon in my hand. I set it to kill and advanced on the bathroom doorway with footsteps lighter than a cat's on the fine carpet. In proper cautious fashion, rounding each corner with the gun coming first and every muscle tensed, I cleared the bathroom, closets, sitting room, and foyer. I was alone.

So what had woken me up? My sixth sense was still nagging me, a stone that my gut was coiled around tightly. What was wrong? What was wrong? I searched myself. Taking a deep breath and closing my eyes, I cleared my mind and relaxed my body. One of my special talents was that I could search my body with my mind and control every aspect of it and its instincts. It was not one that was widely spread, for it was one of the keys to the aura of mystery and prowess that I maintained. My face was the face of the Redeemers, along with Genesis'. How I cursed her absence. Several times I had tried to focus my talent on her, trying to find her somehow, and always I had failed. She was now the person who I held most dear in my life, and I hadn't been there. Was something else that I held dear being taken?

I shook my head in frustration and opened my eyes again. What time was it, anyway? I glanced at the clock. It was 3:30 in the morning. I wasn't up all that much earlier than normal. I'd only be missing an hour of sleep if I got up now. I doubted that I would be able to fall asleep again anyway, with the stone in my gut still nagging me. I lingered in the shower, letting the perfectly heated water and scented steam wash over me. Maybe this sense was nothing, a result of Genesis' absence and the stress of the investigation and the meetings. Grr, why did the Council have to detain the Redeemers here while the war raged on? We were behind! If we left our conquests unguarded long enough, the Paladins would attack them, treaty on the planet or no treaty on the planet.

I came out of the shower no less relaxed, but smelling pleasantly of summer rain. I'd set the shower's scent function on something random, too distracted to remember that I didn't normally wear a scent on normal days. Once, during the happier times of my life, a lover had told me that my clothes and hair smelled richly and aromatically of leather and exotic spices. He hadn't believed me when I'd told him that I didn't wear perfume. Tears fought their way to the surface when I though of those times, and I quickly pushed the memories away before the tears spilled. I finished dressing in a rush. I didn't wear my day clothes, instead wriggling into an exercise suit. When the electro-nylon had booted up, I flicked my wrist. A holographic screen popped into the air. My pulse, blood pressure, and lung function popped up. I could've turned on some music, but I preferred to keep my attention wide and my ears open. I put the earphones in anyway, feeling them stick loosely to the skin to stop them from falling out. That way, no one would think I'd be listening.

I waited impatiently while the guards at the door searched me. They allowed my to keep up to five knives on my person at a time while the Redeemers were under investigation and I detained in the hotel. The one on the right, Boris was his name, I think, cocked an eyebrow as he discovered the extra knife hidden in the side of my sneaker. He was used to checking in the two large ones at either hip, the one strapped to my thigh, and the tiny throwing knife under my arm. Another throwing knife in my shoe was new. I cocked an eyebrow right back at him and he shrugged. The check completed, he waved me on. I began to walk away, then turned and snatched the wrist of the younger guard on the left side of the door, who had been about to pinch my butt. I didn't know his name yet; he had replaced the first one a few days ago. Lingering hands during the body search, now this. Danger flashed in my dark eyes. The younger man's face showed surprise then guilt then fear. He had no clue I was so fast. A smile touched the corners of my lips. Not a friendly smile, but the smile a wolf would give to the rabbit struggling under its claws. His eyes widened and his mouth opened. But before he could say anything, I released his wrist and stalked off. I heard Boris laugh as I rounded the corner. I allowed a real smile of satisfaction to come out before I masked my face again upon entering the lobby.

Another weapons check and body search greeted me before I left the building for outside. The guards were used to me by now. They were so surprised the first time I'd tried to go out that they almost hadn't let me out. They were so used to everyone taking the beam-pads around the complex. No one ever went outside and used the yard because they didn't have to.

The Hotel was the center of London, England. London was the political city to be, like the capitol of the galaxy. It housed the Council's headquarters in The Hotel. The Hotel, as it was referred to, was at the center of the city. It was a ritzy place, and so well-known of that it hardly needed a name. If someone said just "the hotel" without naming the sector or planet or city, then you knew they were talking about this one. Right now, the thirty members of the Council who represented the thirty sectors of the Galaxy were housed here with their delegations. Technically, the faction leaders were not member of the Council, but we had to be there to speak for our factions at meeting. I was currently stationed here at The Hotel, not allowed past the walls, and my crew and army were bound to our ship, The Hero. None were allowed out, though units of the army were still being brought in from the far corners of the Universe. In light of the recent attacks on the other two factions, the Redeemers were under investigation. I resented my captivity. Screw Techklid, the Redeemers were going to beat all their asses and reform the universe. The Council, though they had created the God pill and created the Gods, had let us get out of control. Now we were our own people and they couldn't do anything about it. They had no right to bring us back and investigate us. Given the time and the freedom, we could prove our own innocence. But none of the factions were strong enough alone to overthrow the Council's government. They were like a fourth faction.

Though The Hotel was comfortable, I would much rather be with my crew. The buildings themselves were arranged in a huge pattern, with a few little courtyards and allies in between. Outside there was a huge stretch of completely open ground, a perfectly manicured lawn with paths leading along it. Next came a belt of trees with a pleasure garden, then the wall, which was manned twenty-four seven and with a live wire fence. There were enough beam-pads throughout the buildings that no one needed to go outside to get to another part of the complex. But I jogged around the building, outside, every morning on my way to the recreation center, the only place I was allowed to use my bow and practice my weapons.

Stationed above Earth was the Universe's biggest spaceport. The Hero was docked there, trapped in an artificial gravitational field on the edge of the spaceport, for none of the fields near the center were big enough. I thought fondly of my ship. OUR ship, I reminded myself, thinking of Genesis. I checked the clock on the exercise suit. I still had an hour and a half before I was due to check in with Captain Raines on The Hero for a progress report. If I couldn't be there myself, I could trust Raines to run things in my absence. Genesis was normally the one topside while I was at the Council meetings, but Captain Raines was alright. He was the only one Genesis and I allowed to have such authority. A scarred veteran with lots of experience, he had a level head and was brilliant when it came to military situations. The only Redeemers who were better than him were Genesis and I.

My jog to the recreation center was uneventful. My pulse, blood pressure, and lung function did not decline, nor did they improve. I did not think they ever would. Getting used to the new body that the God pill had given me did not take long. I was already in perfect shape when I'd gotten it, and I had now reached the full potential of its effects. My body hummed with power and clarity of the senses, with speed and strength and vitality. There was no room for improvement. They thought that I needed the God suit to be invincible. Hah! That was just a fancy piece of armor. It had motors that allowed me to fly at low altitudes, admittedly, but they had no clue of what the Redeemers had done with it. I didn’t need to wear the suit because it was a part of me. The Redeemers had not been idle with their technology. No, we had innovated. The suit and the God pill were no exceptions.

Another weapons check and body search at the door of the recreation center. The guards there were also used to me. One of them jokingly commented that he could set his watch by me. I frostily ignored him. Making a beeline for the boxing ring, I checked in before heading for the punching bag that they had rigged for me. The normal ones couldn't stand the beatings I gave them.

I was wrapping my hands when the woman at the counter beckoned me. I quickly finished wrapping the one hand and strode towards the window.

"A call for you on the vidphone, Ma'am. Behind the counter," She opened the door and let me pass into the office. In the back corner was a screen, a number pad and microphone under it, mounted into the wall. The stone in my stomach, my sixth sense, rolled over. I felt sick. The screen displayed the "holding" icon on it. I seated myself on the stool in front of it and pressed the receive button. Before showing me the caller, the screen flashed the name and location of the console. I frowned. That was Captain Raines' console, the one in his office in the bridge. We had our conferences on it, but that was supposed to be an hour and fifteen minutes away. Something must be wrong, or he wouldn't have called me ahead of time. In fact, he wouldn't have called me at all. I was supposed to call him.

But when the vidphone flashed the caller's face up on the screen, it was not Captain Raines' solemn face that greeted me, but Anog Ramshaft's. I remembered him. He was one of Captain Raines' favorites. Raines had offered him a position several time, but Ramshaft had frostily turned them down, choosing to remain one of the rank-and-file. I liked him, in a detached way. He was as inscrutable as I was, even if he was talented and smart. We both clung to the old ways, he to his metal saber and I to my wooden bow and arrows.

After recovering from the surprise and apprehension of his presence rather that Raines', I spoke, letting an edge into my voice,
"Anog Ramshaft, report! Why do you presume to call me ahead of schedule in Captain Raines' office on his vidphone? Explain yourself, soldier!" His solemn face, framed by that long blond hair and shadowed by that strange hat of his, remained frosty and aloof as he delivered the news in his deep, silky voice:

"Captain Raines is dead (...)" (Take it from here, jordin. He's your character, I wouldn't presume to make up the whole conversation)

I know it's long, like, really long, but I had a lot of description to do. No one invented any cities or planets, so I had to create a setting, you know? If you want to create another planet or setting, go ahead. Maybe, like, thirty or so large planets that host sentient races who participate in the Council, thus thirty members of the Council. I kinda took over describing Earth, so go ahead make other planets and settings for your characters and events. But let's not let the factions take over the large planets. If a faction conquests a planet, let's make it a small planet. Maybe, like, have a different "sector" of the galaxy for each large planet and its jurisdiction, with smaller planets in each sector that look to the government of the larger planet. When the factions fight over a planet, they only do so over the small ones in each sector. The large planets don't put up much defense beside what's already there from themselves or another faction, and they keep their armies at home base with the weapons aiming outwards, leaving the small planets to fend for themselves. Then, the factions have something to fight over as well as fighting at each other. How does that sound?

John "Racer" Moore--Location: London, England, Earth

I woke up with a start, a cold sweat forming across my forehead. With a look around, I saw that I was in a dimly light room, with a lamp on a nightstand on my right, and another bed to my left. I was just in The Hotel. I was fine. I only had another vision.

Since I'd taken the God pill, I'd gotten many prophesied sights in my dreams. I could see what was to come in the future, and they were extremely accurate. However, I could only see a single day ahead of time, and nothing leading up to that point. Today, I saw a death. The death of some soldier in some ship. But that wasn't the horrible part. It was an assassination. An assassination by one of our own Guardians.

I kicked the covers from my body and sat up, letting out a worried sigh. I stood up and crouched along the side of the bed, reaching underneath. I pulled out my XLD-20 rifle, and slung it over my back. Surprisingly, it was still in good shape, despite its active use. I walked to the wall, picking up a remote. After pressing the red button at the center, a wall panel slid open, revealing a holographic map. There were large, blue blips, representing large frigates. The largest, being the capital ship, was at the center of all the frigates. They were right over a planet, and deploying fighters.

I picked up a vidphone and dialed a frequency code. Zero zero nine four. Otherwise known as Frequency Alpha. After a few seconds of waiting, a face popped up on the screen. A face belonging to a man with lightly toned skin, and a trimmed beard. The captain of our capital ship. As I saw his face, the vision fleeted from my mind. He opened his mouth to speak, but I caught him before he did.

"Why the hell is a quarter of our main fleet over Retrial-One?" I asked him. Retrial-One was directly in the center of a shipping route. A shipping route that belonged to the Redeemers. "Oh! And an even better question. Why is it in that shipping route?"

He responded without any expression across his stern face. "Well, sir... We saw an opening and we took it. Taking this planet will bring us closer to victory."

"There's a peace treaty on that planet!"

"Treaties are meant to be broken." As he said that, an explosion could be heard in the background of the call. "I have to go now."

"Wait-!"

The screen flickered off. I stood there for a moment, unsure of what to do. I kicked the wall. The wall responded by bringing pain to my foot. I disregarded the throbbing pain. The vidphone rang again. I answered. This time, it was the face of a tanned man, with no facial hair. It was someone from the council.

"John. We need to talk." That was all he said, and the screen flickered off again.

"Damn," I said to myself. "Just damn."

Arianniss, God of the Redeemers

I glared at Ramshaft, waiting for him to gather his thoughts. The death of Captain Raines had shaken me. As he was opening is mouth to speak, an icon popped up at the bottom corner of the screen. Another call was coming in, from the station of ours that was currently manning Retrial-One. We were not allowed many troops there, but the weapons systems and the current staff were allowed to stay while we were under investigation, to monitor trade on the route. I looked away from Ramshaft to put up the "hold, please" icon. Whatever it was, it could wait, I was sure.

Genesis "Goddess of Hell" Murilo - Unknown Location

"I am going to tear out your spines and beat you with them!" I yell angrily at them.

"Man this chick never shuts up!" one masked man said.

"Yeah, lucky the boss wants her alive, take the bag off her head." the other said.

The bag they were talking about, was removed from my head, my arms and legs were tied to a chair, my blood red eyes piercing the men eyes. Angry and read to kill, As the men were quickly backing off from me.

"Shit, she's as scary as they say," the first guy says.

"Wuss, let's go and tell the boss she's awake," the second guy says.

"Your boss will suffer a painful death unlike any other!" I yell at them.

One of them jumped the other didn't even move, the second guy grabs the first by his shoulder and force the first out of the room. The door slids open, and then closed, no hint to who could have abducted me in my sleep, no symbol to tell me if this was the Guardians or the Paladins. Either way, I will have the head of whoever did this. It was close to a half hour later, when a new guy walks into the room, Pirate Captain, definitely, no alligence but his own. I was on a Pirate Ship, my weapons were somewhere on board and I will have them to tear his body to shreds.

"Do you know why you are here, Lady Goddess?" the Captain said.

"I don't care why I am here, I will have your head," I threaten.

"No, you are the finest and most beautiful goddess out of all of them, I wish you to bear my children, and be my wife." he said.

"I will gauge out your eyes and cut off your genitals," I threaten again.

"Ah yes, the angrier you get, the more beautiful you become," he said.

His hand clamps on my leg and I struggle to remove it, but without freedom I can not resist him. His hand travails up my leg, to my stomach, then to my chest, and then to my face. He puts his thumb in my mouth and I immediately bite down, causing a wound and pain, drawing blood. He draws his hand back quickly away from my face.

"Yes, that is just like you, but by the end of this, you will be my wife, you will bear my children, and you will wipe out your own faction!" he says with an edge of anger in his voice.

"My comrades will come and destroy your petty ship and free me and will hoist your head as an example to the other factions that the Redeemers are not to be toyed with!" I continue to threaten.

"They'll never find you, this ship is clocked and there is a field not a single human being or machine could track this ship." he said.

"You'll slip up sometime buddy, it's just a matter of when," I said.

"We'll see." I said.

Nice, Dante. Too bad I can't say anything to that without spoiling the story. I have to wait for jordin to get his lazy butt on the computer and do something with Anog Ramshaft. Arianniss is still sitting there waiting for an explanation, and it's been awhile. Arianniss might have to tear off his head.

John "Racer" Moore--Location: London, England, Earth

As I walked out of the room, my head began to throb in pain. I touched the side of my head lightly, but continued along the hallway. The guards at the security checkpoint in front of the staircase stood at attention, when they saw me approaching.

"At ease," I told them, as I continued past the checkpoint. I walked down the stairs, which were leading down to a large conference room. At either side of of me were chairs behind long desks. Each successive desk from the front was higher than the last. In the front of the room was a stage with a podium atop. Behind the podium, was the Councilman that asked me to come down.

The Councilman walked up to me and gazed me in the eye. "Why is the fleet invading Retrial-One? And why is a captain dead because of us?" he asked me.

"Correction; it's a fourth of the fleet. And I don't know. I saw his death in one of my visions."

"John, you know how I believe your visions. I really do. But now is not the time for that talk. I need you on Retrial-One to resolve any issues that're taking place."

"Of course." I turned around and walked out. Walking up the stairs, I heard the soft footsteps of a soldier coming my way. He bumped into my shoulder and walked past. I disregarded his rude walking and made my way to the staircase that would take me to the roof.

The Councilman came running up the stairs. "John! Don't take your rifle. The treaty!"

I looked back at him and grunted. "Treaties are meant to be broken. Besides, it's for self-defense."

I ran to the stairs, so he couldn't say another word to me.

Anog was unable to explain, for just as he went to tell me, an explosion rocked the ship and a scream was heard down the corridor.
"Dammit, they're back!" He cursed, deserting his end of the vid phone. He dashed out of the bridge, saber unsheathed, shouting orders as he went.
"Come back here and report, Anog Ramshaft, before I fly up there myself and demote your ass to private no-class! If someone doesn't tell me what the hell is going on up there I swear I'm gonna..." I stopped raving at the screen as it shattered into static. Then it went black and popped up with the "connection broken" icon. I cursed inventively for a minute or two before I once more noticed the call from Retrial-one at the bottom left of the screen. Without bothering to round up my temper, I tapped "accept" and glared at the screen. A second passed before the other end picked up. It was the sergeant who commanded the security team there. A lazer rifle, the barrel hot and smoking, dangled from one hand. His hair was wild and his uniform bloody and scorched. "What the frick is it NOW?" A hysterical edge crept into my voice.
"We're being attacked by Guardians, sir! I mean, Ma'am. They disguised themselves in barges but purposely deviated off the route. We took the bait and stopped them, and that was when they attacked. We just managed to get back and lock ourselves in the guardhouse. We are in desperate need of assistance, ma'am."

My eyes nearly popped out of my head, so furious was I. "God Dammit, what is it? Attack-the-Redeemers day, and missed the memo?" I shouted. Then, in snother lighting change of mood, I was all military again. "Quick, status report. We cannot offer assistance at the moment, as the Hero is also compromised. What can we do?" I asked.

"Out of a full compliment of fifty, we have thirty-two casualties, thirteen dead and nineteen wounded beyond fighting. Most of the engineers and personnel have been taken hostage, and we can't do more than defend without risking their lives. Most supplies and heavy guns have already been seized. We have all fifty standard-issue lazer rifles and our pistols. Most are only halfway charged and we cannot use solar to charge them as the windows have been barricaded. Oxygen levels are stable and will remain so. Battery packs are limited. Food and water are enought for two days, with careful rationing. Troops are severly demoralized and several of the injured are showing signs of shock. We are in desperate need of assistance, ma'am," he finished. I cursed softly under my breath before replying, my mind racing as I considered the situation.
"Maintain current status as long as possible. I can't grantee that help is on the way, but I will do my best to send you something as soon as possile. But if you see an owning to get the hostages out and seize Retrial-one back, or even one of the two, take it," I diected him. He nodded, saluting as he replied:
"Over and out!"
"Over and out." I nodded back solemnly. The screen darkened. I sighed and shook my head, suddenly feeling very tired. Then the moment passed and I was up again, throwing orders left and right as I strode towards the beam-pads. Choosing the Council Room as my destination, I organized in my head what I would say to the Council. I had to get to The Hero ASAP!

Anog Ramshaft.

The smelly pirates had attacked again and I ran up to check how it was going when I got there there was a pile of dead people on the deck a much larger pirate ship was hovering above the deck and the pirates were still coming down.

A large number of men came after me I ordered them to form up a line and charge at my signal the fight was prolonged but we drove them off and captured the ship, there were no survivors.


We had suffered the death of seventy nine men at arms and 27 sailors I sent a small crew of men up to man the largish ship and to keep it along side with The Hero the captain came up with a smudge of blood on his forehead which had been caused by the jerk that had gone through the ship.

He asked what was going on and a few other things and then I remembered the angry sounds of the goddesses cursing that had followed me out of the room when I had been talking to her and I hurried back down but as I had expected she had cut the line.

After going around a bit I went back on deck to see about the repairs when I got to the hole that was still being fixed I was told by the man in charge that the ship was not bad off but the men that had fought were in rather bad case.

I was sorry for Anrages Hamar who had been killed he lay with a ugly sword stuck through him I swore to kill a hundred enemy men for this life taken.

He was rightfully taken care of he was put in a small capsule that we aimed at the sun it was one of the ways that the redeemers got rid of there dead that is if they were important enough.

I had nothing to do for a good while but a small ship prom the Paladins side came in I got up and when the crew of the small ship came off onto the Hero I walked slowly towards them I pulled out my sword and went into a jog and then my men came running out of open hatches I was the first in the enemy ranks I was spinning and slashing and dogging and blocking all at the same time I got a few cuts but by the time my men got to me I was surrounded and they were darting in around me.

The fight was ended when my man had had at them for about ten minutes while I was killing them left and right, I decided that we needed a better watch and I looked up to see them man the was on watch He was dead I told my men to get him down and to put ten men on watch after this was done I went down to my bed and slept long.

John "Racer" Moore--Location: London, England, Earth. Heading to Command Central Outpost, Retrial-One.

I reached the rooftop after a few minutes of stepping up stairs, avoiding those that were going the opposite direction. The roof was very large, mainly due to the fact that the area of the building was so large, but also because of the importance of the roof. Much like the Hotel, the Roof could be identifiable from any location on Earth. It functioned as an opened hangar with small runways and heli-pads, barely large enough to fit the spacecraft. However, there were also many platforms, about the size of the Roof itself, supported atop the roof with support pillars, and secondary suspension cables held by craft hovering above the Roof.

I walked past a soldier I knew very well; Sgt. Trion. We served together once in Peru, when I was a soldier. He saved my life on too many occasions for me not to praise him everyday.

"Goin' somewhere, John?" Trion asked.

"Retrial-One. Official business." I said.

"It's always 'official business' with the Council, i'n't it?" The sergeant was always judgmental about the Council and their affairs. One many accounts, he just didn't agree with the choices they made, or the actions they took. "Say, isn't Retrial-One being attacked by, like, a fourth of the fleet?"

"That's why I'm going."

"I'll take you. I assume we'll be taking your ship." I'd bought that ship from a spacecraft merchant, while on leave in America. It was a Class-One Diplomatic Ship. Nothing too special, but I had a group of trusted engineers make some modifications. They altered the engine and added armor. Not to mention many installments of technology. Overall, it was a good ship.

"Of course," I replied. I walked up to my ship, which was docked on a helipad. The entry platform was already opened, at a sloped angle. I walked up and sat down in the co-pilot's seat, tossing my rifle onto a chair at the edge of the ship. Trion plopped himself into the pilot's seat and activated the ignition sequence, closing the door in the process.

Soon, the engine roared to life, but soon quieted down to a nearly silent engine. The ship hovered above the ground for a moment or two, until the Sergeant pushed forward with the steering wheel. It wasn't really a wheel, but something you may have seen from an early twenty first century airplane. The ship accelerated forward quickly and we lifted into the air.

Soon, we broke through Earth's atmosphere in a rush of air, and the smell of slightly charred metal.

"Next stop, Retrial-One!" said the sergeant, excitedly.

Arianniss

I suppressed my anxiety and anger in favor for a more controlled approach. I stopped at my room to change before going to the Council chamber at the center of The Hotel. If I arrived in a huff wearing an exercise suit, they would never take me seriously. Instead I put on my battle togs. They were like my normal clothing, sturdy and made of dumb cloth. The layer underneath was nylon that conformed to my body and absorbed sweat, while the layer on top was a sturdier material that was like imitation leather. but these were different from normal because the God suit was built into it. Most of it was underneath, but some of the metal plating and the emergency weapons systems were on the outside, built into the outer layer. All of the cloth was dyed grey and black, and I hardly ever needed to change the color. It was made for stealth and blended into almost anything. But the God suit had a camouflage setting that, when set on high, transferred to the cloth around it. During stealth attacks I would use the camouflage setting to dull the shine of the metal. But during open battle I would set it on high and turn it to something fearsome, like red or gold, and make sure the metal shone as brightly as possible. This technique was meant to inspire bravery and confidence in out troops and fear in the enemy.

But though the God suit had some useful settings like the camouflage, the rocket boosters for low-altitude flying, and the plasma guns that were built into the gloves, (which used so much energy that they were only for emergencies) I didn't really need the God suit. I myself was the weapon. I had the strength, the speed, the senses of the God suit built into me. The Redeemers had not been idle with the technology given to us. No, the God suit was just for show now.

The guards outside my door protested my use of the God suit, but they didn't bother with a weapons check. They saw that I meant business. Only protocol prompted them to speak out. I studiously ignored them and made straight for the beam-pad. The Council room was my next destination.

The guards at the huge double doors of the Council Chamber tried to bar my way as I strode towards the doors. I walked right through them. Not only was I taller than the average height of a man, but I had the God suit on and in display. I threw the doors wide and stormed in without an introduction. I had no use for their silly protocols right now. I found that most were already present. They sat in their semi-circle on the raised dais, all but eight of the seats empty. Six of the eight empty seats belonged to the Gods, while the other two were absent Council members. I noted with annoyance that Damien Threndon was one of the two absent Council members. I liked him, and I knew that he would root for me. I had been hoping that he would be there because he was a reasonable guy and he was great at reaching agreements with the Redeemers. Everyone usually came away happy from an compromise of Threndon's. Oh well, I would have to do without his subtle supports.

I did not take my place in the ring but instead stepped up to the podium that faced the semi-circle of Council members. If someone was presenting an idea or a petition to the Council, or just speaking in general, they were to take the podium. They faced me in an expectant silence, probably because they had been spying on my transmissions and knew what I was about to ask. I had expected no less.

"Members of the Council, the Redeemers have a request to ask of you." I began without preamble. "We are, as you most likely know, under attack from two points. Our trading route, Retrail-one, is under an illegal siege by the Guardians, on territory that is under protection of a treaty. This is a gross breach of peace and needs to be dealt with. Also, my ship The Hero is under attack from an unknown group that flies a foreign flag. I need to be back on my ship with my men. This investigation of yours has gone nowhere. Now that we, too, are irrefutably under attack by this unknown party, we cannot possibly still be under investigation. If you still doubt our innocence, allow us to provide you the proof you seek. Allow us to leave Earth." I finished with that question, though it sounded more like a command considering the force I delivered it with. I allowed no anger or frustration to show in my voice, to make sure they had no illusions of weakness from me. Their petty protocols and quibbling got to me, to be sure, but they didn't know that. I would not let them find out, lest they use it to their advantage.

A long silence followed my short speech, until the Chair spoke up. No one knew his name, and he did not show up on records. That was why he was allowed to be Chair. his face was hidden by a silver mask that covered his whole face. To the outside his face presented a smooth, unbroken sheet of silver, though I was sure he could see out. He probably had sensors to monitor heartbeats and to heighten his senses. His voice was a smooth and slippery baritone, but I had heard it before. It was the most life-like voice generation technology we had. It used the emotion and tones of the person's original voice, but the voice itself was computer-animated and was used in other places.

"Well, Miss Arianniss, that is a tall demand. Quite a bit to ask of us, in such a short amount of time. Maybe we can reach an agreement for a little more of your freedom of movement, but I think I speak for the majority when I say that the Council would like to continue to hold you here. You yourself seem to have breached the protocol, in coming to these sacred Chambers wearing such a weapon as this," He intoned. I suppressed anger at his use of that small excuse. My breach of protocol was nothing compared to the scandal being committed by the Guardians right now.

"My good Chairman, I feel obliged to remind you that my trivial breach is nothing compared to the crimes being committed by the Guardians right at this moment. Lives have been lost and are being lost, the lives of loyal and good soldiers and the lives of civilians at Retrial-One," I spoke through clenched teeth. In softer and more threatening tones, I added to just loud enough for him to hear: "And if I so desired, all twenty-eight of you could be dead right now. I have it within my power to kill you all right now and fight my way up to The Hero, should you make that necessary. For I do intend to get to my ship if I have to fight the whole Council fleet on my own,"

He seemed to smile, though I could not see his lips curl. He replied smoothly: "Well, Arianniss, you courage is admirable. But I believe that your threat is empty," He paused, tilting his head like a bird, then seemed to undergo a small shift of opinion. "All the same," he continued, "I believe that you hold a few valid points. I think that we can reach an agreement," He was still a moment, seeming to wait for my answer. I nodded. Some of the angry tension in my throat was loosened. Hope welled up that I would be able to get what I wanted without fighting. The Chair folded his gloved hands and leaned forward in his high-backed chair. "Well, since you have made the request, I believe it is within my rights to state my terms first. Am I correct?" he looked from side to side. His colleagues nodded, and he continued. "How does this sound: you are allowed to fly up to The Hero, the flight piloted by the a Council pilot. Once there, you must remain there, under probation by the Council. You will be assigned a probation officer. Failure to check in with them will result in an investigation of your whereabouts and, possibly, your return to this Hotel. Also, any ranking officer who holds the position of First Lieutenant and above must remain ship-bound. They, too, will be assigned probation officers by the Council. No more than 500,000 troops of yours may be absent from The Hero at any point. Daily inspections shall be made to ensure your continued compliance of the terms. While deployed, those 500,000 troops may exercise their rights as normal. Is the Council in agreement of those terms?" He finished.

I clenched my jaw as the majority nodded their acquiescence. 500,000 troops was hardly a quarter of my available forces! And my best battalions were led by officers of far more importance than Fist Lieutenant! I took a deep breath and leaned on the podium, my expression and voice carefully neutral. I began my argument.

"500,000 troops is hardly representative. And I would protest the continued probation of The Hero. But I do understand your reluctance to rush such terms, so I will comply with some of these terms. Here are my terms: I and The Hero will remain in Earth's Spaceport. Officers of the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and above shall comply with probation. 700,000 troops will be allowed to deploy. There will be no specifications as to what weapons they may use, beside the limitations of Redeemer technology and the Fifth Geneva convention. These are my terms." I stated stubbornly. The Chair shook his silver-clad head.

"I will allow you whatever weapons you may, but I think 700,000 is a bit much. If concession must be made, I will allow you 550,000 troops. And your Captains, at the very least, must stay." His computerized voice intoned.

"600,00o troops and my Majors' freedom," I countered.

"575,000 troops and your Captians' probation," The Chair shot back.

"575,000 troops and my Majors' freedom," I said pounding the podium to emphasize my finality. I glared him stubbornly in the eye, or where I though his eyes would be. He tilted his head and seemed to be considering my request. The Council members on either side of him began to nod a little. I tried to count the number in my favor, but they seemed rather even and I couldn't get an accurate count. The majority was twenty out of thirty, but in the absence of two Council members, the majority would be eighteen out of twenty-eight, not counting the Chair. Speaking of him, he seemed to come to an agreement with himself. His gaze leveled on me and I could feel his gaze from behind the mask. When he spoke, his voice was cold and neutral.

"Your terms have been accepted. It is up to the Council to reach a verdict now, by a vote. The majority in you favor must be eighteen out of twenty-eight. Jury, please raise your ballots on your screens and cast your vote. It is up to you now," I tensely waited for the Council members to finish tapping their screens. A breathless minute passed before the screen on the podium under my hands lit up. I looked, my heart in my throat. The vote was...

Nineteen in my favor!

I resisted the urge to cheer.

It was almost a half an hour before we had checked and re-checked the database, assigned probation officers for each of my ranking officers, arranged a flight, and given the Council access to some of our databases so that they could monitor troop deportation and activity on The Hero. I made a mental note to warn our anti-hacking team and to change some of our passwords as soon as I was on board. I took my leave as soon as the meeting closed.

It took me little time to pack my few bags and get to The Roof, where a small space jet was waiting for me. The flight was tense and silent, for I was planning my return and what I would have to do when I got there. I had a mess to clean up.