YaY! THat's me alright, correcting Kaz giving introductions. Hurhur©...

Page is MINE!

*Gives page to CT*

`N0

Hoo-ha! PAGE SIX ISH TEH MIEN! >)

*also gives it to CT... and then bows flamboyantly*

>_>;;;;

You guys are funny.
I'd post more but I'm actually on a school computer

Quit the flamboyantness. It's not as stylish the next few times round.

...

OhhhKAY...

I kinda left off from reading this around page 3, so...

Whoops...

EDIT: Aaaaand, finished. Jeez, spammers! *thwacks 4I and Kaz and Rad*

There were only 3 chapters in pages 3, 4 and 5 because of all your spamming!

And one more thing, does anyone else see a weird symmetry between the beginnings of page 5 and page 6? Or am I just crazy?

EDIT AGAIN!!!>): Never mind about a resemblence between page 5 and 6, I must have just seen a glimpse of page 5 previously.

It's not spam... it's unjustified breakfast.

I wondered where you were.

A short chappie, but it introduces da bad guy. I love these descriptive beginnings ...
[offtopic]
I just drew this rux0r pic of CT, Claw and Shinyso. YaY! If only I could find a way to post it, now ...
[/offtopic]

The small, dark building was, at first glance, naught but a shadow nestled against one of the huge hills on Carrotus' surface. It was crumbling, blasted, half destroyed, nothing but a curiousity, and a relic of a bygone age. The stonework was decaying slowly, blocks of grey granite lying scattered through the pass, long overgrown with ivy and shrubs. Tall trees could not grow in such a place, and so the ruin lay abandoned to the elements, deprived of even that scant protection a forest would provide, barren and windswept for years. Nothing moved except for the vegetation, as it was stirred by the wind.
But under the ruin was a different story ...
The spiralling, half-caved in staircase, hidden in a relatively intact corner, led below the pass, winding down through the silent, still darkness. If illuminated, the walls would be rough and raw, towering banks of hard-packed earth, with no protective stones to hold them at bay. The roots of dessicated plants would shine whitely, dried and twisted into tortured, contorted shapes.
Soft footfalls broke the silence. Something moved without lights, following the old, twisted stair down through the soft, concealing blackness.
A corridor lay benearth the surface, at the end of the stairs. This was navigated flawlessly, and at the end a door hissed open softly, the technology odd in this ancient place.
Light flooded the raw earthen corridor for an instant and then the creature had slipped inside, fleeing the darkness that waited, ever patient, without.
The figure shielded his eyes from the sudden illumination. The unsteady light of the wall-lamps revealed him to be a small, golden-red lizard, dressed in a simple grey uniform.
"Justiar ... you were unseen, I trust." A dark figure moved from the far end of the room, as Justiar navigated the shallow steps that led down to the circular depression in the middle of the room.
"Of course, General."
"Excellent. The message was delivered." It was not a question.
"No. The contact did not show up."
"Pity. Oh, well, nothing is flawless. Tepal's devision will have no part in the glory to come."
"That goes without saying," Justiar agreed. "Did the Cambion contact you?"
"No, I have been maintaining comm silence."
"Well, they contacted me. They're just outside of the Carrotus system, where defense scanners can't pick them up. They're ready to begin landing, on your command. Plus, Rambarath stands ready."
"Ah, yes, Jheran. Do you think he arranged the very convenient closing of space traffic?"
"No. He wouldn't do that, not for us." Justiar hesitated. "Irinn, you can't trust him."
"I don't." Irinn paused, the flickering lights playing over his lithe form. He, too, was a lizard, larger than usual, black as the corridor outside. His scarlet pants brought out crimson highlights in his coloring. His muddy green eyes were intelligent and piercing, and unnervingly enough, fixed on Justiar. The smaller reptile looked away nervously.
"Well, they're waiting. You'd better give the command. The Cambion has already picked a landing zone close to the target."
"Perfect."
"Almost. They have to wake the troops out of coldsleep."
"Estimated time delay?"
"Two or three days; a week, max."
"Delays, delays ..." Irinn paced. "Still, not so great a setback after all. This time, we will finish the great work started by Devan Shell!"

Another great chapter, CT. *claps*
Don't libraries have scanners? I think I heard that somewhere...

... *spontaneously hugs Copper*

*also spontaneously hugs Copper*

Whee, chappie. I'll read it again when I'm less sleep baked, as I'm sure there's a lot of wunnerful detail that my stupid half-awake mind missed.

EDIT: AAgh! I missed an entire chapter! *smashes his face against his desk*

Well, that one was mexcellent too. Heehee, the humour and wit you come out with is amazing, Copper... just one of your many authoral traits I wish I had. ><;

CT cared ... >'D

Anyways, introduction introduction... and outside of Carrotus scanners? Pfft~! A Devan plot though? Hmm.


Yes, post your art into the art forum! Then I won't feel so bad if I draw a group picture and completely get your character wrong XD.

This is a REALLY SMALL library and it has a photocopier but no scanner. Unfortunately for me ...

A few more introductions, Kaz, and we can get to the action part. Really.

I think these are the last new chars.

Jheran Rambarath grinned as Sorenn Uthemi maneuvered his ship into position for a head-to-head run against his fellow Bloodflame, Cirille. Tephro Charne stood beside Jheran, shaking his head slowly.
"It won't work, Sorenn. He won't flinch."
"He'll flinch," Jheran assured his second in command. Jheran's tall frame was relaxed against the wall, as he watched the holo display.
Sorenn and Cirille were the two best pilots in the mercenary band known as the Bloodflames. The Bloodflames were actually foot warriors, not fighter pilots, but Jheran encouraged his fighters to keep their individual skills honed. Thus, this simulator run.
Sorenn throttled up, sending his fighter directly at Cirille, shields strong. Tephro shook his head again.
"He won't fall for it."
"He will," Jheran said again. Energy beams lanced between the closing fighters, splashing against and dropping their shields. Cirille couldn't hear what Jheran and Tephro were saying, but Sorenn could.
"He won't fall for it," Tephro insisted. Jheran grinned again.
"He'll fall for it. He always does."
Sure enough, Cirille twisted his ship away seconds before collision, and Sorenn dropped neatly in behind his opponent, blasting away merrily. Cirille's shields dropped rapidly, and then his fighter exploded in a cloud of illusory flame.
Tephro sat back, shaking his head in disbelief. "I wouldn't have fallen for it."
"That's because you're completely fearless," Cirille said, climbing out of the simulator. "Everyone knows that."
"Jher, there's a message from the General," Tama stuck her head around the corner. "Hey, Sorenn, Cirille. Who won?"
"I did," Sorenn said, following Cirille's example and leaving his simulator. His tone was only slightly smug. "Cirille flinched."
"You were counting on it," Cirille accused. Sorenn grinned.
"Sure I was. If you hadn't flinched, I would've had to, and I'd've lost."
"Everyone loses a fight at least once," Jheran said. "It wasn't your day, Cirille. It happens."
"I don't understand how your shields were so high when you started that last run," Cirille told Sorenn. Sorenn shrugged.
"I rerouted power from my engines and weapons to my shields. Then, once you flinched, I drained my shields and started firing. It only works with energy weapons, though."
"I'll leave you pair to figure it out," Jheran said. He pushed himself away from the wall. Tephro rose and followed the Bloodflame leader from the room.
The message from the General was waiting. Jheran came in quickly.
"Rambarath. What's the message, Tama?"
The communications "officer" shrugged. "Short and cryptic." She hit a button. General Irinn's voice spoke hurridly.
"Rambarath, Hariam. Now."
Jheran stared at nothing as he heard the message he'd been both dreading and anticipating. Tephro glanced at his commander and best friend.
"Shall I tell them?"
"Yeah, you'd better. You know what this means, right?"
"Yeah."

Ah, I don't think I ever describe Jheran or Tephro, mostly because I have their profiles around somewhere. I'll post Teph's sometime. Here's Jheran's if you're interested.

Yay=chapter

Indeed!

Maybe you could sneak it in with a school project? Then delete all evidence of it ever being there.

I'm lost.

New chapter = whee!

...Nope, still lost.

*hugs CT again*

I think I follow. Great chapter.

*hugs CT*

These guys are the bad guys, CT needed something to balance.

YaY!

Nevermind about the bad guy part -v-. Seems only temporary if somebody on the crew has deep pants.

Eh? You're not making any sense, guys. Me=confused here ...

A cameo AND a battle for N0B0DY.

Nobody glowered expressively at his younger sister Kristy.
"C'mon, N0, please?"
"No. You're too young for this, Kristy. You should go home."
"But -"
"For the last time, Kristy -"
"All right, all right! It's just that I have a really bad feeling about this."
"I can take care of myself, Kris, besides, it's not like it's just me."
"I know! It's just -"
"You can't stay."
"Oh, fine! Mom says be careful."
N0 grimaced as his sister glared at him. He glanced at Tiger. "Send her home, will ya?"
"Sure."
Kristy squawked with surprise as she vanished. N0 shook his head.
"Thanks, Tiger. I don't even know how she got here."
"Don't worry about it. What'd she say? I wasn't listening."
"She has a bad feeling about this."
"She came all the way from Mechaius to tell you that?"
"No, you don't get it. Kristy gets premonitions. Her bad feeling means this is worse than it looks."
"Oh."
"Yeah."
The pair of them stood outside the Outpost. Tiger glanced up as a speeder approached. A rabbit with bronze fur was driving. As he drew closer, the vehicle slowed.
"Hey, N0, Tiger. Anyone know where I can find Copper?"
"Sorry, Shonar," Tiger said. "She left yesterday. Might still be groundside, though."
"Hope so. Hey, you guys know there's a coupla capitals coming this way, right?"
"Capital ships? No," Tiger said, suddenly nervous. "Space lanes have been closed."
"I know. That's why I told you."
"Thanks, Shonar."
"No problem. Hey, I've gotta run. I'll see you around."
"Hope so."
Shonar throttled up and sped away. Nobody glanced up at the sky, noticing a pair of shapes flying closer. "Wow, we're popular today," N0 said, recognizing them as Kaz and Sasha.
Sasha didn't even land. "Tiger, Nobody, you're needed at the Castle."
"What's going on?" Nobody spread his wings.
"The Castle is under attack. Let's go!"
"By whom?" Tiger demanded. Kaz shrugged expressively and dropped three feet before he caught himself.
"I don't - oh, Flames of Gyron - they followed us, Kaz -" Sasha spun as he landed, to face the way he had come. Nobody blinked, confused.
"What?"
A pair of sleek, ovoid shapes hurtled from behind a building, and N0 recognized them as Shockflyers. He was already forming a bar of energy, and as one shot towards him he took a swing. It spun to the side, but he clipped it anyway, scorching it and making it back off.
Sasha was in the air again, dodging the static charges and kaz's pepperspray. He flipped his wing to one side as a bolt of energy lanced by, then slashed with his scimitar, cracking the tough plastic alloy casing. The small automated ship spiralled away.
Then N0 and Tiger were being menaced again. The Shockflyer came in close, and N0 lashed out with his mechanical leg, sending it wheeling into the building behind it. The force cent N0 back as well, but he caught himself and turned just in time to see the scorched, damaged robot rise out of the hole it had created, lights malevolent red. It swivelled, focusing on him, and rose up. It came slower this time, circling.
Abruptly it was smashed back into the ground again as Sasha landed forcefully upon it, driving it down, before flipping up and literally bouncing off the wall. The Shockflyer vanished just as suddenly, courtesy of Tiger, and N0 glanced up just in time to see Sasha impale his on his sword, while Kaz blindly fired at nothing. The Shockflyer fell lifelessly to the ground, sparking and shorting. Kaz finally stopped, breathless.
"Did I get it?"
"Yeah, you got it," Sasha said. He sheathed his sword. "So. Shall we go?"

Next chappie introduces the last bad guy. YaY!

YAy.





...


*hugs Copper*

*hugz Radium*
I could probably type it now if you want.

If it's not too much trouble.

YaY! N0 shoots ANE at bots and Kristy has a bad feeling about things! Tiger and N0 are still sticking together! Well done, CT! You are good at portraying charcters.

`N0

OMG hi!

Yay... hit nothing... so proud.

Mmm... should shut up about the commenting, confuses some and those who do get it, it's sort of a spoiler.

Whoops, sorry, had to get off early.
Last bad guy. Rad should be happy.

Jheran strode into Irinn's command center, Tephro on his heels. The pair of rabbits made Justiar visibly nervous, and it wasn't hard to see why. Jheran dwarfed even Irinn, being tall and strongly-built, and the smaller Tephro wore a maniacal (sp?) grin on his face that made Justiar look even more uncomfortable.
"Jeez, Irinn, you need to get some lighting on those stairs," Jheran announced. "Someone could trip and commit accidental suicide in the dark."
Irinn swung around, letting his hand fall from his swordhilt, where it had automatically gone as Jheran had entered. "Aannd ... you're saying this would be bad?"
"Possibly," Jheran considered. "Depends on the person, I guess. So, what did you want?"
"I want to know if your Bloodflames have agreed."
"Agreed." Jheran eyed Irinn dubiously. Behind him, Tephro shifted, hand on sword. "To your offer?"
"The very thing."
"I already said they have, Irinn, didn't Tama tell you that?"
"She said you were considering it."
"Tama, Tama." Jheran laughed softly. "Always diplomatic. Yeah, we'll take your offer, right, Teph?" Tephro grinned in a sardonic way. Irinn nodded, expressionless.
"Perfect. I'd introduce you to the third member of our party, if I could but find him ..."
"That's not necessary, Hariam," a new voice said from behind Justiar. The red-orange lizard jumped as though stung, and turned around to face the white-haired mage who had come silently in. Irinn favored his fellow reptile with a quizzical look.
"A bit nervous, Justiar? Rambarath, Charne, this is Chaos Hydra."
"A pleasure, I'm sure," Jheran said warily, eyeing the mage, who looked back impassively. Chaos Hydra's blank yellow eyes unnerved Justiar even more. The small lizard retreated to behind Irinn, who shook his head resignedly.
"Well, I'll leave you to it. Justiar - come on." The tall black lizard and the smaller red-gold one left quietly, leaving Jheran and Tephro facing Chaos Hydra.
"So," Jheran said finally. "I guess I don't need to tell you who I am."
Chaos Hydra caught Jheran's gaze for an instant before raking his own across the room. Finally he glanced at Jheran again.
"Irinn is well gone," he said softly. "Whatever you wish to say, speak it now."
"Okay," Jheran said slowly. "What's your part in this? Any idiot can see you're a mage, obviously a good one. So ... why?"
"You're not stupid, Jheran. Figure it out." Chaos Hydra eyed Tephro for a moment. "Irinn is a visionary who can make his ideals come true. You know what his goals are."
"Yeah."
"Why did you agree to help Irinn? It gives you a certain measure of security."
"I know that." Not that I - or you - need it ...
"You don't trust me."
"Of course not. Should I?"
"Probably not," Chaos Hydra admitted. "Very well. What if I told you that Carrotus' greatest hero is currently mine?"
"Yours."
"My ... guest ..."
"You captured Jazz Jackrabbit."
"... in essence, yes."
"So ... why are you telling me this?"
"I'd like a bit of assistance."
"From me."
"From you. There is an item I intend to use Jazz to get."
"Ransom. How undignified." Jheran shook his head.
"Isn't it, though?"
"So what's this item?"
"You don't really need to know that ..."
"Okay. What's in it for me?"
"I will support your bid for power, Jheran, when you make it. All you need to do is keep Irinn's attention off of me."
"What bid for power," Jheran said slowly. "What are you talking about?"
"You will know when the time comes," Chaos Hydra said softly. "You will know."
Then he disappeared.

Rad is happy.

*hugs*

Good. *hugs too*

Err .. another part I just found folded up in my pocket. Here goes ...

Jack scowled and fired, taking out a lizard who had been getting too close for comfort. Firefox was crouching at the top of the stairs leading up to the Castle's main doors, casually eliminating every lizard, Shellion, shockbot, and other miscellaneous hostile he saw.
Seconds later a blue streak flew overhead, as Defalcon Phoenix launched himself through the Castle doors. Then he was barrelling through the assembled forces, twin swords flashing in the midday sun.
Tiger shimmered into existance, nodded vaguely at Jack and Firefox, and drew Khiern. N0 and Kaz dropped like thunderbolts from the sky, followed by a baleful Sasha. Elexei, Kira and Tira, and the Elite Task Force followed.
"And the cavalry arrives," Firefox whooped, and began firing again with renewed vigor.
Later Jack realized there weren't as many as it had looked - fivescore, tops. They went down easily beneath blade and blaster, but gave as good as they got. But the battle was definitely in Jack's favor. He was startled to see Radium lashing out with a translucent green spear (he hadn't considered the Mage as a fighter) but then Acid appeared between him and Firefox, rocket launcher ready, gleeful grin in place, and totally ignoring a frantic Electrik who was trying to drag him back into the Castle.
The resulting explosion definitely took out the few remaining forces, and maybe a few allies too, though Jack hoped not.
"Acid!" a singed Defalcon yelled, bounding up the stairs, brandishing his blades. Acid ducked his head and grinned sheepishly.
Firefox rose. "Anybody hurt?"
"Stupid question, Captain, stupid question," Elexei said, shaking his head. Firefox winced.
"Right. Well, you know what I mean."
N0 looked around as he landed. "Kaz and I were thrown free. Where's Sasha?"

Gah. I'd type more but my wrists hurt.

Eeyay!

I get the feeling I should be around the 'Tavern more often. I'm missing vital chapters and stuff.

*huggles teh CT*

Whee. Looking forward to more, CT.

Copperrrr, why'd you have to make me so stupid?!?

Ah well, I guess I'm just there if anyone needs some nuclear slapstick. ¬_¬

Great chappies. And don't overwork yourself, if you need to take a break, do so. But more chappies is better^_^

*randomly huggles Copper*

... Acid, the "Idiot Test" link in your sig isn't working...

Point proven.

Harsh XD.

Waiting for your next post CT.

Originally Posted by Radium

... Acid, the "Idiot Test" link in your sig isn't working...

Thats the point...

Oh and great chapter and a half. I would hug, but that's not like me. Uh...

Wow, that was really sweet! *High fives*

There. Thats more like me.