Univaria

[Trailers]

UH OH

[Univaria]

Darkness is a terrible thing to become trapped in. A Merkantan tentacle can (arguably) be severed, a Zerstorendarian fist can be bitten (if you have good teeth) and a Xenonian plot can be avoided (if only for the sake of sanity), but darkness was a different beast altogether. It robbed men of their spirit, their sense. It robbed them of their security. But mostly, it robbed them of the ability to see the fuck where they were going.
Awx gained his footing after a few minutes and quite quickly decided that abandoning his post would be a wise move, considering that it had been completely disabled. One problem - the door wasn't functional. Eventually, it had to be slowly shifted in increments until Awx could squeeze out into the thankfully functional passage beyond. In consideration of the fact that his entire purpose in this godless endeavor had been removed, he established new objectives for himself, until a higher-up could contradict the fuck out of him and ruin his re-established sense of purpose. As follows:

1. Reach a communications array

2. Receive wingmen status report

3. Locate an unmanned fighter craft and join them

Now... the nearest communications array. That should be a left, left, right, left, left. Before Awx could turn even a single corner, however, the passage turned red and the emergency siren wailed. Some ludicrously fast assault carrier had docked and was forcing an infantry attack. Being a naval officer, he was equipped only with a pistol - no contest against assault infantry. Running, Awx resolved to replaced his third objective, as there was no way he could secure a vehicle with an enemy docked. In addition, it was imperative that he establish communications with the bridge.

Left. Clear.

Left. Clear.

Right. Clear

Left. Clear.

Left. Shit.

An assault team of five black-clad humanoid soldiers greeted him with all the warmth they could muster from their backs. Unseen, Awx used the only thing he could - the element of surprise. Shooting one square in the neck and another in the back, he desperately sprinted by while the remaining three took cover, locking the door to the communications array behind him.
No time to reconcile with the adrenaline. Getting straight to his work, Awx Jive Thunderfist entered his credentials and password into the interface and initiated communications.

"This is Lt. Awx Jive Thunderfist, do you read me? Jace? Fucklaw? Lance?"
"This is Lance Corporal Lance McVance reading you loud and clear"
"What's the status report?"
"Both Fuklaw and Jace have been shot down. Some kind of interceptor craft, I think. But I got the fuckers that got them. I was thinking now would be a good time to regroup. Uh, approved?"
"Negative. A boarding action has been initiated via the main docking area"
"Ugh, shit. Okay, okay, reading you. I don't know how long I can survive on my own. Fuck."
"Find a way, Lance, we've pulled through worse shit than this"
"I'm pretty fucking sure our luck's supposed to be out by now"
"Stow that shit, Lance, and stay alive. Out"

One out of three surviving wingmen. Not good. Not fucking good. He could mourn later, though. If he couldn't communicate with the bridge, then he was effectively sitting in a tomb with at least three enemy soldiers outside. Awx felt that he didn't have much time. He probably didn't, so he established communications as quickly as possible.

"Coming in. This is Lt. Awx Jive Thunderfist, over"
"This is Defiled Nazarene Command, reading you loud and clear. We thought you were dead, over"
"So did I. I'm holed up in Communications Room B5 with hostiles at the door. Unable to render further assistance, over"
"Affirmative, Lieutenant. Floors A, C, D and E are clear of hostiles, so expect support shortly, over"
"Understood, Command. Over and out"

So now it was a matter of waiting. Quite difficult, all things considered. Awx had his own fantasies, reveries of a better officer. Taking out three well-armed enemy assault specialists, head-on, with only a pistol. Wouldn't that be fucking badass? Thankfully, his sense of self-preservation overcame his daydreams and he drifted into other thoughts. He hoped that Lance was alive. He wished that Jace and Fuklaw were alive. He lusted for a cold drink.
A commotion at the door interrupted his self-pity.

"Lt. Thunderfist, the hostiles have been eliminated"

Awx unlocked the door without hesitation. Standing before him was Sergeant Zerker and his squad. Zerker had a reputation for being confrontingly resolute and diplomatic, as well as being a huge hard-ass. Immediately, Sergeant Zerker resumed speaking:

"You have new orders, sir. You are to accompany us to the docking bay, where we will clear the area of hostiles. Once we have secured the area, you are to take an unmanned fighter spacecraft and eliminate enemy landing vessels. Is all clear, Lieutenant?"
"Affirmative. Although, Sarge, I'm unsure how much of a help I can be in securing the area"
"You may leave that to us, Lieutenant Thunderfist"

To be continued again, lol

[The Mindset]

I think at this stage it's fairly obvious that you're going to pass, so, unless there's any objections from the tester I'll just move you to the members group so you can post on the rest of the forums.

You won't be an "official" member until you've finished, but at the rate you like to write cliff hangers and "to be continued" that might be a long way off.

[Univaria]

Thank you.

[Zerstorendar]

[Trailers]

Univaria you can finish this if you want, and believe me I really want you to for the sake of my health and suspense, but I don't think anyone here would disagree with me when I say

Test 1: 100%
Pass!
Exquisite. Character. Development.
Pass!
Test 2: 100%
I raged at the ending, but I can't fault you for using a time-honored writing technique that I also employ.
Pass!
Test 3: 100%
(Can't technically call this one till after your last post, but what the hell..)
lol green ranger


I think it's safe to say that you, Solar Communes and Zerst have effectively raised the bar for admittance into the ESUS, at least as far as my tests go. You guys are going to be the examples I hold new recruits to when they request tests.

[Zerstorendar]

Good work Univaria.

[Univaria]

There weren't any hostiles on the way to the docking bay - no living ones. It seemed that the crew of the Defiled Nazarene had put up an effective defense, suppressing them from the entry points. That did not mean victory, however, as the enemy were quite firmly entrenched in the bay itself and had a superior position in case of assault. Sergeant Zerker was unfazed. Lieutenant Awks wasn't.

"What do you want me to do?"

"With the kind of position the enemy have, we cannot afford to spend the time clearing all of them out. However, if you make a mad dash to the spacecraft on the right, we can cover you long enough for you to begin your primary mission"

"Sergeant, this is madness!"

"Madness, Lieutenant? This is standard military procedure! We will keep their heads down, and you will not be exposed to enemy fire"

"I'm putting my trust in you, Sergeant"

"Thank you, Lieutenant. First, however, we must take a basic position in the actual docking bay. That can be left to my squad, as promised. Specialist Weatherby, please attach an entry charge to that door"

As Weatherby complied, the remaining seven members of the squad took firing positions. One readied a grenade.

Blammo.

As Awx stood back from the door, the rhythm of gunfire ensconced itself upon the area. Squad Zerker stopped firing just long enough for the grenade-soldier to announce "Flashbang!" and toss his canister into the docking bay. Moving now, the squad advanced into the bay and took position behind a convenient formation of supply crates, with Zerker himself signaling Awx to advance with them. Awx imitated their crouched stance and followed.

Zerker eyed the exit cell about two dozen meters to their right. It still contained a docked fighter craft.

"That's one one, Lieutenant", he said, pointing, "Ready?"

"Uh. No. Maybe. Give me a moment"

"My soldiers will be laying down a wall of fire over their heads, they won't dare shoot while we're trained on them. How fast do you think you can cover about twenty meters?"

"Not much of an idea. Thirty seconds, give or take a couple?"

"Alright, boys, you heard him. We need covering fire, non-stop, for thirty seconds. I want four two-man teams, I'll be with Weatherby. One of you will fire at a time, and when you're out of ammo, the other member of the team will take over while you reload. Simple. Questions?"

There were none.

The squad organised itself into teams. All that was left to organise was Awx's nerves.

"Right. Right. I think I'm ready. Fuck it, I'm ready. Now or never! Nice knowing you, Sergeant"

"Shut up, Lieutenant", said Zerker, but he smiled. "One, two, three, go!"

Gunfire once again tore the atmosphere asunder as Awx sprinted through a collapsing world. He could hear the subtle pattern of reloading and the shouts of the enemy. An impact shattered a crate next to him as he ran.

Wait.

I'm being fired at!?

Awx ran faster than he had ever run before, tearing free of his usual limitations. As soon as he reached the exit cell, he began the sealing process from outside and entered before the door closed. Calming somewhat and placing himself in the fighter craft before him, he confirmed the exit procedure but paused before the final step. He opened the intercom module and selected the Docking Bay Channel.

"Sergeant Zerker, your mission is a success. You are clear to exit the docking bay at will. Work well done, Sergeant"

"Right", Awx Jive Thunderfist thought to himself, "this I can do"

He opened the exit cell door opposite of his entry point and thrust his craft into space.

TO BE CONTINUED

Also, thank you for the kind words

[Metallinauts]

Zerst, I lulled twice

[Univaria]

OOC: I'm going to sum this up quite quickly. I must apologise, but after a few attempts, I can't find a way to make a whole post interesting if it's just a space battle. That kind of thing is best left to movies and video games, so I'm going to do a post-battle, semi-political summary.

Subject: Lieutenant Awx Jive Thunderfist
Age: 26
Awards: Aircraft Battle Honour Medal
Notes: Lt. Awx Jive Thunderfist did, at first, man the experimental Pulse Cannon and destroyed the enemy flagship. This, in itself, bought enough time for the response fleet to reach our position and secure the future of Univaria, but Thunderfist took further action. Manning a single fighter craft, he and his remaining squadron member destroyed 100% of enemy landing craft, preventing ground-based fighting from occurring and preventing the loss of civilian lives. Highly recommended.

Subject: Lance Corporal Lance McVance
Age: 24
Awards: Aircraft Battle Honour Medal
Notes: Originally a part of Thunderfist's deployment, McVance lost contact and his squadron members were killed in action. Despite this, McVance fought on as an individual unit, going so far as to preliminarily destroy a number of enemy landing craft before the order was given. In addition, he took a heavy toll on enemy interceptor craft as a form of revenge for his fallen comrades. A highly competent pilot and a cool head in a hot situation. Highly recommended.

_________________

The Military Wing was reeling. How could it not? It had almost suffered complete defeat until that final battle, being pushed back further and further. Now, it demanded more funding to rebuild the shattered forces of Univaria. The Politic wing nodded and smiled pleasantly, hoping for the Military Wing to stop speaking for half a minute while the Medical Wing desperately tried to give a reading of the casualty rates and medical costs. Ever so subtly, the Psychology Wing goaded the Military Wing into an ethical debate with the Politic Wing and cackled to itself.
The Art Wing painted a pretty, pretty picture. :3

_________________

In the Dark Archives of Univaria, a decision was reached. Two scholars sat facing one-another by the warm glow of a genuine fire, speaking softly without whispering.

"So... the Pulse Cannon. The Dreamchildren might finally get their hands on it"

"That's true. Considering the friendliness that has taken root in the past one hundred years, however, there may be no reason for concern"

"No reason for concern? There always is. Always will be. I'm simply worried about the thing being used. Even we never dared to fully utilise the technology"

"Perhaps we should? It doesn't matter. We all know what happened last time someone attempted to change ownership of the Pulse Cannon"

"That's right, but..."

"Let's not worry, at least yet. The threat that has now passed brought our little warring tribes closer together. There's no reason to fear retribution"

"If you say so"

"Ha."

Fin.