The Baron and Jazz Jackrabbit Stories!

[Ninja 101]

Ok, I'll be putting up my first story, Book 4 (yea, I'm doing the installations like Star Wars (4,5,6,1,2,3)) up here real soon, I'll have finished Chapter one: Reflection, in the weekend, and I'll put up more chapters when I can. I'll be doing a schedule like microsoft :p, and it reads real good now, even when it's not finished.

[Radium]

While I don't entirely agree with posting a giant, scaled up Lori face (really DrMoo, what the heck?), I notice you have, in the past, posted threads where you advertised something you were producing and yet never released it.

The reaction might be better if you start off with giving us an actual product rather than telling us you will.

Also, I think that should be "reads real well", but I'm not entirely sure what function "good" serves in that context. Anyone else have any idea?

[Dermo]

While I don't entirely agree with posting a giant, scaled up Lori face (really DrMoo, what the heck?)

Eh, he announces something like this, what kind of reply is he expecting?

An OH NOES! I CAN'T WAIT!!!

Well we're not going to judge something we haven't seen yet.

[Doubble Dutch]

Here's hoping for the best huh? A toast to bread!

[Coppertop]

Ok, no more off-topic posts please, back on topic :) I am in full agreement with Radium here Ninja, it would be a more exciting announcement if you gave us at least a sample of your writing first.

[Dermo]

My thoughts exactly on the matter

[Ninja 101]

By popular... nagging...
here is book 4 chapt. 1.


Book 4: The Great Beyond<O:p</O:p

Chapter 1: Reflection<O:p</O:p

<O:p</O:p

Jazz was thinking. He thought a lot more now, than before he joined the ranks of the Apocalypse. He gazed out of the small round window in the side of the spacecraft’s hull and watched the sparks of small dust particles burning up on the shield, and at the occasional H-Fighter passing by on a patrol. A question had been on his mind, turning over and over; “Was this really worth it?”
He remembered the bad times; the battle of Badel Run, where Lori lost her forearm in an energy mortar attack, and the Kazaar massacre, despite an overwhelming victory, Spaz had been hospitalized for weeks by stray fire, not to mention the fact that he would probably never see his home planet again; the war chieftains had been chosen before the, let’s face it, impeccable invasion.
But at least he was quite happy here. Besides, the forearm was replaced by a much quicker, stronger, mechanized one, Spaz was a mech commander now, and they had all got places on the table of honour, and had become well decorated soldiers. The Baron had personally referred to them as “an invaluable asset, captain”, in a personal discussion.
Yes, he was a captain. He slowly gazed down at his long jacket, at all the coloured bands, and the medals, fashioned from rare Ellvyn gemstones. Lori was particularly pleased with the faceted lilac stone that made up the brooch she was rewarded for preventing the destruction of a troopship supply depot. She wore it all the time, and kept it in a black, velvet lined box on the shelf above her bed when she slept. They were nice, too, the beds, the most comfortable ones he’d ever rest on, with gold trimmed paisley covers and numerous elaborate pillows were all silken, woven by the finest Metisson silk weavers the universe had ever seen…
The Baron got up, after getting bored of an antiquated arcane text and strolled over to the large viewing window in the front of his quarters. He sat down in a large Muukijal leather chair and tapped a button, which brought up a bluish holographic panel and checked his course. He peered over the panel, which wasn’t hard for someone as tall as himself, and stared at subspace. For a tinted visor on his helmet the image wasn’t half bad. There were no gaudy effects in subspace; there were no warps or streaking lines, just a reddish black void. There was not a great deal of danger when travelling in subspace, since you were below the actual fabric of space and time, so going from one place to another took virtually no time at all in conventional space terms, but at least a couple of hours in subspace terms.
The clock on the desk made a few small beeps, and flashed green, indicating it was mealtime, which was always good, especially the foods on offer, but throughout mealtimes the Magmavores stayed on guard duty, being made completely out of living molten rock, studded with crystals, as well as the two energy creature species, the Forci and the Halcidites, barely needed anything to eat, but the rest did, and there were a lot of them. From the backbone of The Baron’s forces, the Vekeis, who had sworn to serve him until their last breath, because he had rallied them after the crushing defeats of Fragonhal and Ramenlyn, and overcame their age-old enemies, the Sarbyd, to the desert dwelling Anudons, who had exceptional mêlée fighting skills developed over 7 ages on their planet, Egajipi, all had different tastes which had been specially mixed into a nutritious and extremely appetizing meal, with such delights as Sky whale milk, Caramelized Waamuic fruit, which was sort of like a cross between an apple, a melon, a strawberry and a pineapple, and a wide variety of meat in an array of flavoursome sauces, not to mention the fruit of the synthesized plants, which included chocolate coconuts, candy floss cotton plants, and nuts which contained many astounding things, like praline.
The Baron’s brother Vhudlex, which is a Vekei name for ‘Destroyer of All’, came up the central elevator into The Baron’s quarters; he didn’t have to go far, because his room was the floor below. ‘Are you coming’ he asked in a steely synthesized voice, from his helmet which was mostly visor.
‘In a minute, there is time.’
‘Fine. No-one will start without you. I will see to it.’
In the great hall, an area 10 times the size of a Viking fort’s interior and decorated in the same way, the massed army crowded around the tables decoratively carved from the heartwood of ancient adamant trees with Celtic knots, and inlaid with such hardwoods as stone wood and mahogany. The table of honour was about 3 feet higher up that the rest with chairs with much higher backs, and upholstered in elegant furs. The body of the table was slightly curved. From the giant blue-gray metal doors Vhudlex emerged, with at least 60 medals, including the coveted black diamond oval; only awarded to those who show incredible supernatural forces. He said
‘Do not begin. The Baron will be with us shortly, and has given me specific orders not to allow the beginning of this meal without his presence.’
Numerous crewmembers put down their cutlery, and in some cases withdrew their mandibles. It took a few minutes for The Baron to arrive, but when he did he simply said ‘you may begin’. No-one complained about the habits of The Baron, because most of the time it was him who had saved their species and taught them to fight. Vhudlex sat down at the Baron’s right, and the rest of those on the table of honour sat down afterwards. The food, still piping hot was served and the army dug in.
Lori leant over, wearing her assassin’s gear and looked at The Baron’s gauntlets, at the strange glowing carved crystals which seemed to change colour from purple to green to orange to yellow to red and back to purple. ‘What’re they?’ she asked, which drew Jazz’s attention, but not Spaz’s, as he was preoccupied with a large amount of mashed potato. ‘They look weird, are they some kind of rock?’ asked Jazz, who was peering at them, too.
‘These are no mineral.’ Said The Baron, ‘remember when I invaded? Hmm?’
Jazz and Lori nodded.
‘And when I burned the arcane library?’
They nodded again.
‘Then you’ll recognise the term “raw magic”?’
‘That’s magic in its purest form, isn’t it? Kinda treacly?’
‘Yes, at high temperatures, but this is crystalline magic, when it cools.’
‘What’s it for?’
‘It gives my magic a place to manifest, looks good, too’
‘Hm’
‘Now, be quiet and eat, you lot will need your strength.’

[Doubble Dutch]

Interesting, a nice shock to the mind.

[Ninja 101]

I should have pt. 2 up, but I havn't been well recently.

[Ninja 101]

Chapter 2: Commence!<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
The Apocalypse slid to a halt. It didn’t decelerate out of subspace, but stayed put. All of the major experiments occurred in subspace, not just because of the fact that it was incredibly hard to find anything there, also the cloaking devices made it practically impossible to find The Baron’s Starfleet, but also because of the high thaumic field. The experiment this time, however, was quite medical.
The Baron had told Jazz, Spaz and Lori to report to the medical facility (floor 8) for “performance enhancing”. They didn’t quite know what that entailed but under The Baron’s command you didn’t tend to ask questions. There was something distinctly wrong about him, like something had happened to him that shouldn’t have.
As they arrived they were told to lie down on some hover stretchers and the meds would do the rest. It came as a surprise, though, when the sleep gas administration masks came down.
It all went dark…
Lori was the first to come to. She ached all over, and when she attempted to sit up a sharp spur of pain shot up her body. She winced and lay down again.
‘You impress me’ said a familiar deep voice. ‘You know, a lesser person would have passed out back then’
‘Ugh… Baron?’
‘Mmm-Hmm?’
‘What do you mean…? Lesser?’
Some groans came from the other beds.
‘Ah, you’re all here then. I can begin filling you in with the events, then?’
‘Ow…’ said Jazz ‘I feel like I was hit by a wrecking-ball’
‘Don’t try to move’ said a doctor robot ‘not until the painkillers are given’
‘Basically’ began The Baron ‘these “enhancers” are muscle and bone growth accelerators, brain superconductor strips and Stratium* bone plating.’
Needles came up out of the medi-beds and injected painkillers.
‘You can get up now’ said the robot that hovered back into its hatch. The trio got up, all stiff, like when you have a really long car journey and you get out at the end.
‘You’ll be quite sore for a few days, but it’s like having a brace or something; it’ll pass’
Jazz mused if my muscles are better, why do I feel so limp?
The problem with accelerated muscle growth is that they’ve not had a day’s work, so they don’t have much strength in them, but that would come to them after the daily workouts to follow.
A very nice smell came down the corridor, which caused them all to look around for a table; they were very, very hungry. The Baron pressed a button on a wall panel and used the holopanel to make a table and round stools to come up out of the floor. A Calliopid (which resembles a very large praying mantis, but all bronze coloured) rolled in a tray with large bundles of newspaper that were steaming a bit. It placed them on the table and walked out again, without saying anything. Also, on the tray were 3 pills, and 3 pewter tankards of milk, but 4 bundles of newspaper. The Baron sat first, and placed the 3 other bundles, the milk tankards and pills around the other places around the table. The Jackrabbits looked a little surprised, but sat down and unwrapped the newspaper bundles.
‘Fish and chips’ said The Baron. ‘You like cod?’
‘Erm… I don’t know’ said Jazz, and Lori was sniffing it suspiciously.
‘Salt and vinegar?’ she asked
The Baron laughed a little, which was always unnerving, it was like ‘he he heh ha ha haa.’ It was quite chilling, if led could laugh, that would be the noise it would make.
‘It goes very well together; I can’t believe that you’ve not had fish and chips before.’
‘We’ve had chips’ said Spaz
‘But not fish like this’ said Lori, inspecting the crispy yellow stuff on the outside with a fork ‘what is this anyway?’
‘Batter, it’s very nice.’ Replied The Baron, whose faceplate slid inwards slightly and folded inside, exposing his mouth. He then ate 5 chips at once. ‘Eat.’ He said ‘and don’t forget the pills, you need to replenish lost nutrients’
<o:p> </o:p>
A long discussion later, (not about food) the three was walking down the corridor, which are about 15 meters wide and very high, on account of the superconducting transfer rings and carrier sled tracks overhead, and from time to time a humming and loud shoomshoomshoomshoomshoom, as energy is diverted from the main core to systems where it’s needed, and The Baron had disappeared to where he needed to go, which is normally level 13 in the main tower, which included the bridge, on level 30 and The Baron’s quarters, on level 70. Level 13 is an enigma. You can get to it normally, in the elevator, it’s not removed from the panels, but only a few people have access to the level, on account of the strong viral code#.
The Baron had met with General Valkyr, the leader of the Vekeis, on level 13. And unlocked the door. They walked inside and the door closed and locked automatically. The structure of the level was different, as the floor emitted a blue light, and the corridor was rounded in the walls, as opposed to at perfect right angles, and is studded with display cases (shielded) full of strange artefacts, from The Dark Times, the first era after the creation of the universe, many strange things occurred then, and many of them had survived in subspace. Including the Halcidites, in a stricken energy craft.
‘So… what have our men discovered?’ asked The Baron
‘Sir… I don’t quite know how to say this…we think it may be alive’
<o:p> </o:p>
‘So, Lori, what do you think of the place?’ asked Jazz
‘It’s all right; I suppose, the Arboretum’s nice, food’s good, too.’
‘Yeah, but don’t you feel sort of… out of place here?’
‘I wouldn’t know, we’ve never been in one place too long, you see’
‘It’s great.’ Spaz piped up ‘there’s a load to do’
‘You miss her, don’t you’ said Lori to Jazz.
He hung his head.
<o:p> </o:p>
*Stratium is the blue-gray metal that makes up the vast portion of the superstructure on The Baron’s Starfleet ships, and is 40% stronger than Titanium-Carbon alloy
#Viral Codes- certain security lockdown codes which ‘mutate’, so they cannot be cracked. They figure strongly in ship security, so people can’t pilfer the technology.

[Coppertop]

I like it so far, there's only one part that I found rather nonsensical:
The Baron laughed a little, which was always unnerving, it was like ‘he he heh ha ha haa.’ It was quite chilling, if led could laugh, that would be the noise it would make.

I'm not sure why you used lead as your example, but ah well.

Also, on the second chapter, a little cleanup would make it easier to read, but overall I like the progress you've made.

[FreeFull]

Maybe lead should be replaced with ice?

[Doubble Dutch]

I don't know, both are valid, we use adjectives like chilly, icy and cold, but also leaden, dull and toneless. I know exactly what sound lead makes when it laughs, to imitate it, get two diver's weights (The fist sized ones.) and rapidly tap them together.

[Ninja 101]

Intermission<O:p</O:p

<O:p</O:p
Fragment 00523614<O:p</O:p
---
---
---
Superluminal microwave pylon α aft 25:39 Ship's time Thüll 23<SUP>rd</SUP>
---
---
000BAR: Brother, when this message reaches your cruiser I will have made landfall.
However, I still need a response. Your ship has dropped out of transmission for too long now. The commanders fear you lost. When the siege of Carrotus is complete you must take the [Cargo] back personally. I wish for no harm to come to it. The Bias must return additionally. It is imperative the [Caskets] come to no harm whatsoever. The antigrav mineral must not be processed onboard the Bias. The Siberian shall take care of it. A SitRep must be issued.
Message Ends.
---
---
---
Received. Superluminal microwave pylon β aft 19:12 Ship's time Thüll 31<SUP>st</SUP>
---
---
---
Re: 000VHU: I wish the best for the siege of [The Shell]. The [Caskets] are secure. The antigrav mineral has been problematic. Static discharges have been thick and fast. It has been sealed in the depolarized chamber. SitRep: Green. The superluminal engines are warming as I write. The Hypercannon array was not lit. Taking it with us.
The Bias is undamaged. Augmentation not commenced. [Cargo] undamaged. It will be put to good use in the [Capital Fleet].
Message Ends.
---
---
---
Fragment Ends.




An intermission as I perfect the chapter. [] means coded/codenamed.

[Doubble Dutch]

*Gets cracking*

[Ninja 101]

Cracking?
Writing?
Well I enjoyed that fragment, mysterious, no?

[Ninja 101]

Chapter 3: Silver Bullet
<O:p</O:p

It was a bright morning on the port side of the Apocalypse, and all its associated star ships, as they were flying near to a sun at 6:30 ship’s time. The Baron had been awake for hours, in fact he hadn’t slept. He was observing the interesting subspace find that was in the hanger of level 13.
‘What are you?’ he said quietly to himself, as he was checking panels and looking back up to the curious object.
Jazz was in the great hall. He had been awake since 4, when he found he couldn’t sleep, he had had his nightmares again. as he skewered a sausage with a silver fork Lori leant over to him and said softly (so as not to hurt his head (if he had a headache, that is))
‘Are you sure you’re ok? You look shattered’
‘Mmm…’ he (answered?) with a tankard of coffee to his muzzle.
‘Yeah, Bro, you look bad’ said Spaz.
He didn’t reply, and merely poked at a runny egg.
‘Hey, there’s always next time.’ Said Lori.
She was referring to the supply shuttles that come from Carrotus, containing the rare mineral ‘Hovostone’ which, when electricity is passed through it, it becomes less dense than air, which is what powered the hover boards on Carrotus, but The Baron had found a way of strengthening it to form a very light composite, useful in all of the battle machines, from hover bikes to tanks to allowing star ships to fly over land. That wasn’t the only cargo; however, sometimes prisoners had been taken to the Gaol ships, or enlisted into the army, navy or air force, mainly because their powerful build could see them reach areas that couldn’t be reached without some sort of Jump Pack, or Grav Pack, so they could make excellent Drop Commandos, or Guerrilla fighters. There were special Elite divisions, such as the 405<SUP>th</SUP> Airborne, or the 312<SUP>th</SUP> Hazardous Terrain Corps, with their own special armour type.
Jazz, though, was not part of those divisions, as he was a Battle Commander, and was in charge of Battle Group 2808α, from the bridge of a ‘Librarian’ Walker; Spaz was the Commander of Mech Division 12, or the ‘Silencers’ as they preferred to call themselves; and Lori was a ‘ShadowKin’ in the Assassin’s league, a very prestigious rank to reach, and the promotions were issued on the grounds of casualties inflicted.
The Royal family, however, were not taken to Gaol, or recruited, merely for the purpose of preventing uprisings, which are always brutally crushed; what’s the point of reducing your workforce anyway? The Royals were confined to the castle, in a shield sealed area, and most of the rest of the castle had become an unnoticed nexus for the occupation of Carrotus. Raw materials were used to create more battle machines, shipped off world in the shuttles.
She offered him a sweet, from their communal bag, but there were only the nasty little ones no one likes left. He selected a horrid little chewy thing. He held it in front of his face, and it burst into flames.
‘Sorry’ said Lori, smiling, ‘I’m not quite used to the whole magic thing’
Spaz snapped his fingers, and a ukulele smashed on the table.
‘Not me either’ he said.
Then, very unexpectedly, the sweet stopped burning, and re materialized, and a slice of bacon un-ate itself. Yes, The Baron was standing in the doorway. He threw a bag of sweets on the table, and said
‘You’d better be careful with that magic, sister’ (The Baron always insisted on people calling each other ‘brother’ or ‘sister’, for stability reasons)
‘You could have ruined my good teak’
‘Yes, Brother, I’ll try’
‘And you, Brother’ he said, turning to face Spaz
‘Yes?’ Spaz said, with a hint of unease in his words
‘You should refrain from that. If we were in subspace that uke would have been a complete set of steel drums. And you would have been certainly killed’
The Baron turned to face Jazz
‘And you, Brother Jazz’
‘Hmm?’
‘The Silver Bullet will be docking in precisely 28 hours from now. You are to oversee the docking as Standing Dock Commander’
He slumped. ‘But that’s dock crew work’
‘Something you prize will be onboard. It would make a world of difference if you are there for the… reception’
Later that day Jazz returned to his quarters and looked at all of his pencil sketches on the desk. He then lay down for a fitful night’s sleep.
The day came and at 18:00 hours he was on the deck, doing his ‘crew work’, muttering to himself how he could be planning the destruction of the remnants of Devan’s fleet, and how it must be a really good reason for him to-
The siren went off; meaning something really bad had gone down. Two hatches opened up in the ceiling of the docking bay and two H-Fighters dropped out, flared their engines full rear and sped out of the hangar, Jazz noticed them charging their Magnetic containment field emitters (MCFEs) as they sped off towards the subspace rupture about 120 miles from the side of the Apocalypse. It was not hard to spot a Subspace rupture. It was a large rippling in the fabric of space, tinted with blue.
H-Fighters make up the main body of the Baron’s air forces; they are basically blunt, curved ended cigar shapes, with two fixed engines at the rear, and 4 rotation-mounted high power cold fusion engines, which allow them to be steered with much greater efficiency than a conventional design, making them unstoppable in dogfights and extremely useful in recovery missions.
The intercom flickered and crackled on the bridge, the voice of a slightly panicky Vekei said:
‘S-r --sup--er-‘s----sh---t to h--ll’
‘Say again!’ shouted the Baron, to allow himself to be heard
‘Re-p-eat superstructure’s shot to hell, we’re burning up’
‘Stand by, hold it together! H will be with you in 5. Tractor beam is up and charging. On in 10.’
‘Thank you sir’
‘The cargo’
‘Sir?’
‘The cargo! Is it intact, man!’
‘Slight power loss in hold. Caskets intact.’
The Baron sat heavily in his chair.
‘That was too close. We almost lost it.’
In the hangar the charred wreck of the Silver Bullet was dropped in by the tractor beam, and the docking pylon attached itself to the hull. The pilot and cargo crew took the wounded, on stretchers to the carrier depot, where a small clawed limb attached to the back of the stretcher, and placed them into waiting life support sarcophagi carted them away to the medi-bay. The antigrav mineral was taken away to the cargo depot where it was contained and taken away to the processing area. Then came the caskets. 10 of them in all, and as dock commander it was his job to check them, which involves checking the life signs and, the relevant data. He had got through 7 but he froze at number 8. The data read
‘Birth name: E. Earlong---permit no. 005237---sent for: ---purpose classified---’<O:p</O:p

[Doubble Dutch]

Not too shabby. Nice to see progress.

[Ninja 101]

Yes, I should be able to make faster progress, now that i've dropped a subject in college.