Sun May 03, 2009 2:19 pm by Major
[quote="Dragus":3kqo3q4u][action:3kqo3q4u]They came in the night.[/action:3kqo3q4u]
[narration:3kqo3q4u]Darkness was soon approaching the city of N'Croth as night cast its black shadow over the quiet and cold land. Reports of civilian disappearances were made public in the local holo-news reports, causing wide spread fear and panic. It seemed that many of the farmers and workers who used the terrain just outside the city were vanishing, with no trace left of them save for the shoe prints they left in the snow and dirt. But due to neglectful care by the Dark Lord of Famine and those who served him here on M'haeli, nothing was done in response to the disappearances. For in truth there was a darker hand at work, one that cared little for the lives lost and all for the testing of new and terrifying technology. The city was quiet as night rolled over, and the curfew instating by the local militant government that was a small branch of the New Order of the Eye meant that the streets were all but barren. Save for those foolish beings that chose to lead an uprising against the cruel dictators of M'haeli. There were those amongst the populace that had not taken to the NOE occupation of their world so kindly. Some sort to fight against the oppressive dictatorship and rise up against the cruel and sadistic General James T. Howell, the most vile of men known to the world of M'haeli. It was during one of these empty nights that a group of a dozen or so young rebels tempted fate and ventured out past the curfew. Rebels who had no idea what awaited them in the darkness of the night[/narration:3kqo3q4u]
[color=#BFFF00:3kqo3q4u][b:3kqo3q4u]=Kaiden Serano=[/b:3kqo3q4u][/color:3kqo3q4u]
[action:3kqo3q4u]muttering[/action:3kqo3q4u] Blasted winters...
[color=#00FF80:3kqo3q4u][b:3kqo3q4u]=Jace Freestone=[/b:3kqo3q4u][/color:3kqo3q4u]
Hush Kai, we're almost there.
[color=#BFFF00:3kqo3q4u][b:3kqo3q4u]=Kaiden Serano=[/b:3kqo3q4u][/color:3kqo3q4u]
What are we even doing out here this late? The guards almost caught us last time, this is getting to risky.
[color=#00FF80:3kqo3q4u][b:3kqo3q4u]=Jace Freestone=[/b:3kqo3q4u][/color:3kqo3q4u]
A little risk is necessary for the freedom of our people Kai, don't let fear hold you back from doing what you know is right.
[color=#BFFF00:3kqo3q4u][b:3kqo3q4u]=Kaiden Serano=[/b:3kqo3q4u][/color:3kqo3q4u]
...Yeah well, alright. Sorry Jace, I guess I'm just a little afraid. I remember what they did to Sarah.
[color=#00FF80:3kqo3q4u][b:3kqo3q4u]=Jace Freestone=[/b:3kqo3q4u][/color:3kqo3q4u]
So do I. That's why we have to do this.
[narration:3kqo3q4u]The group moved through the city streets, using houses as cover as they made their way past NOE patrols. The Stormtrooper divisions set up where getting more frequent in their searches of homes. Most of the weapons the rebels had gathered up were taken in such searches, but not everything. They still had a single thermal detonator, one they planned to set off at the Governor's mansion. A single blast and the terrible and vile General Howell would be gone. All they needed to do was make it across the city to the central square where the mansion was located. Occasional DarkTrooper patrols would pass by and the group was forced to split up, six going in one direction while the other six went opposite. Luckily after each incident they were able to regroup, and now all twelve of the rebels were within a half klick of their intended target. Just a little closer now and they'd be able to complete their risky mission. That was of course until something caught Kaiden's eye. He hesitated and the group halted, causing Jace to become irritated. The younger man, Kaiden, was a bit of a paranoid coward, but he was honest and trustworthy, which was why Jace had decided to bring him along. But still, if he was holding up the rebels from their mission of no reason, Jace was going to be pissed. He was about to smack Kaiden across the back of the head when from the corner of his eye he saw something as well.[/narration:3kqo3q4u]
[color=#00FF80:3kqo3q4u][b:3kqo3q4u]=Jace Freestone=[/b:3kqo3q4u][/color:3kqo3q4u]
What the hell?
[narration:3kqo3q4u]Situated at the top of the Governor's mansion was a pair of glowing red eyes, staring back at the assembly of a dozen rebels. From that distance it looked like some sort of black demonic crow was watching them, piercing through their very souls with those blazing red and ominous eyes. Two wings painted as black as night could bee seen coming out of either side of the creature, and a silver beak seemed to shimmer in the night air. Two deadly looking sets of talons held the creature in place, clinging to the rooftop as though it had a tight enough grip to tear the shingling from the top of the building clear off. The rebels froze, unsure if what they saw was some sort of animal or something far worse. Jace was about to order the rebels to stand off but then something completely unexpected and obviously unfortunate for the rebels occurred. The red eyed demonic bird let out a terrifying shriek that cut through the night. "KAW!" shrieked the bird loud enough for the dozen rebels to seek the protection of their hands over the sides of their heads. It was then that two more sets of eyes blinked to life and another two of those demonic looking creatures could be seen on either side of the first. They just stood there, staring at the group of rebels as thought they weren't quite sure what to make of them. That was until the first of the birds leaped free of the mansions roof and began to glide towards the assembly of men and women.[/narration:3kqo3q4u]
[color=#BFFF00:3kqo3q4u][b:3kqo3q4u]=Kaiden Serano=[/b:3kqo3q4u][/color:3kqo3q4u]
[action:3kqo3q4u]Screaming[/action:3kqo3q4u] RUN!!!!
[narration:3kqo3q4u]Kaiden shouted and the group followed suit as their feet began to pound on the pavement, taking them as far away from the flying creature as their legs could carry them. But as fast as they were, the creature seemed to be that much fast. A young woman at the end of the rebels line could be heard screaming as the demon bird flew in close and dug into her shoulders with those two sets of talons, digging hard enough to penetrate right through the flesh and bone and out the other side. She shrieked as she was lifted off her feet and carried off into the night. The 11 remaining kept running, heading out into the open streets as they tore across the terrace, as terrified as they had ever been in their lives. One looked back and saw four burning red eyes looking down at them from the sky, making it clear that the other two demon birds had taken to the air and were now flying high above them. A shrill and shriek sounded and the ground seemed to shake beneath their feet. Jace looked back and saw three of the rebels sprawled out on the ground, bleeding from gaping wounds and appearing to have been flattened by a hover truck, though none was in site. The remaining eight continued to run when from the distance in front of them, another dark bird flew through the sky and seemed to swoop down towards them. Jace and Kaiden ducked as the bird flew over top, turning their heads around to see two more rebels taken into the air, each gripped in a singe talon of the swooping demon bird.
There were but six of them left, the other half of the group was presumably dead after the birds seemed to take them away into the blackest depths of the night. A concussive blast sent Jace sprawling forwards, his eyes seeing nothing but green light and then nothing. The group of six was flattened on the ground, save for Kaiden who seemed to have been knocked in a similar fashion as Jace. The older rebel grabbed the man he affectionately referred to as Kai off the ground and pulled him to his feet. The others were dead, crushed by whatever had knocked the two men forwards. They looked at each other, fear evident on both their faces, and took off forwards as they tried to get away from these creature of the night. As they reached an alley way, Jace guided Kaiden inside and began to run down the side alley, seven meters across. The sound of shrieking still rang through the air but the two men couldn't care. Their only desire was to get away, to gain as much ground on these things as they could. At the end of the alley way was an open terrace, the closest path to freedom that they could see. Yet there behind them, swooped the original terror that had spotted them from the roof of the governors building. Those two menacing eyes spread a red haze across the alleyway, and both men trembled as they soiled themselves, knowing full well that the end was nearly at hand.
A shriek sounded and Jace let out a scream as he felt a sharp pain in his shoulders. A similar cry could be heard from Kaiden who as Jace could see it, was pierced through the shoulder by a wicked looking set of talons. Staring at his own right shoulder in disbelief, he could see it was much the same. Both men let out cries of pain as they were lifted off their feet and dragged helplessly into the night sky. It was at this point that Jace could here the sound of repulsors, causing his pained vision to look at the creature that was now holding them. Repulsors? This thing was no bird of prey, it was a machine! All the disappearances, the vanishing farmers, it all made sense now. These mechanical birds were responsible for the deaths of all of their fellow country men. Underneath the metal birds belly, the elder rebel could see an all too familiar symbol...the Eye. Those blazing red eyes that seemed to pierce through the night, they had really been photo-receptors. That green light that seemed to crush men where they stood, it was some sort of weapon. They weren't being fed upon and attacked by demons of the night, but by mechanical terrors of the NOE. As they were carried off, Jace couldn't help but think that his world was doomed. If the New Order of the Eye could build weapons as vastly dangerous and as terrifying as these, then there was no telling what else they were capable of.[/narration:3kqo3q4u]
[action:3kqo3q4u]The bodies of the rebels were found early the next morning. Torn to gory pieces as their blood was spread across the duracrete pavement. No one dared travel out the next night.[/action:3kqo3q4u][/quote:3kqo3q4u]
[color=#80FFFF:3kqo3q4u]This is cool.[/color:3kqo3q4u]
