Re: Rise of the Remorhaz Society
 

Geo and Sachmo, for what it is worth I create my troops in units of 25 each. This is a battalion (if small troop), regiment (if medium troop) or division (large troop) and each block of 25 get's called something unique like

1st battalion, Kings Royal Life Guard
2nd battalion, Vox Geo
1st regiment 'Fighting Furballs'

or whatever, it does make tracking them around a little bit more of a laugh

Re: Rise of the Remorhaz Society
 

Not a bad idea, Tigga. I've always loved the way the British Army gives names to their regiments. Maybe I'll bring it into the story! Thanks!

Re: Rise of the Remorhaz Society
 

Sachmo, see if you can buy Richard Holmes' new book "Redcoat". An interesting history of the British army, the best in the world, and good for tracing through all the unit's histories..

Re: Rise of the Remorhaz Society
 

Breaking the Stalemate in Zekrat

Admiral Sakazawa knew that his fleet could not penetrate the defenses of the Rage homeworld, but he knew that he did have one advantage over the Rage…the mobility of his fleet. To use this to their advantage, Sakazawa had his fleet stage a series of hit and run attacks on the Rage homeworld. In the first attack, they were able to destroy a Rage minelayer, the four defense satellites, and an orbital shipyard. A second attack yielded nothing, as all of the Rage defenses were too concentrated. The third attack resulted in the destruction of the Firestorm defense base, which was the most formidable defense outside of the planet itself. The heavy phased polaron beams it housed could make short work of any ship in the Remorhaz fleet. With that base out of the way, the fleet could now concentrate on neutralizing the defenses of the planet itself.

Sakazawa used the debris field that now surrounded Zekrat VIII to get his ships in very close to the Rage homeworld before they were spotted. Before the ample defenses of the Rage were able to react, RSS Quasar was able to attack the major Rage defense bases with planetary napalm. The attack was a success, and all but three of the defense bases were neutralized. Every other ship in the fleet opened fire with missile, guns, and whatever other weapons were handy.
After riding out the initial attack, the Rage responded with everything they had. Missile warnings sounded throughout the fleet as the surface of Zekrat VIII erupted with capital ship missile fire. Every ship in the fleet was targeted by at least one salvo, and the final orbiting defense base was also still active. Point defense would have to carry the battle now. Tarus again took the brunt of the enemy fire, taking two salvos amidships. However, since the shields had been repaired after the original damage was taken, most of the damage was contained, and while her fighting capability was diminished, the ship remained functional and maneuver capable.
Tarus returned fire again, bLasting a missile complex into atoms before moving back in the line to allow the undamaged ships access to the battle. Finally, Quasar was able to move in and finish off the Last defense base. RSS Badger moved in with the 2nd Space Marine Brigade, and the assault began.

Brigadier General McMasters watched from the combat information center as the troops of 2nd Brigade dropped onto the Rage homeworld. As the first elements entered the atmosphere, they were met with fierce ground fire. The pilots twisted and jinked their craft as much as possible, but twelve Blazers were knocked out of the sky, spilling the hapless Space Marines into the atmosphere when they exploded. The remaining 123 Blazers formed up and moved to neutralize the Primary Sequencer. As they closed, Rage troops fought like demons to try and stop the Remorhaz troops. The fighting was the most intense as they finally located the Sequencer, as he commanded every Rage citizen to attack the Space Marines with whatever weapons they could scrounge. After two weeks of bitter and bloody fighting, Zekrat VIII was in Remorhaz hands, and the Rage homeworld was theirs. The Space Marines lost 71 Blazers and close to 1500 Space Marines. The Rage lost countless citizens and soldiers, but the capture of the planet yielded over two billion Rage citizens. 2nd Brigade was finished as an offensive combat unit until replacements could be mustered in. The Space Marines of Remorhaz had come thru their most challenging test to date, and been victorious. Hopefully, the Rage were just about finished now. Zekrat VIII was renamed Rage, a name that fit in more ways than one.

Re: Rise of the Remorhaz Society
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Hmm, relating to a history figure we know? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif
Good stories.

Re: Rise of the Remorhaz Society
 

An important victory

In every compartment throughout every ship in Providence Fleet, com units chirped to life.
“Now hear this. Now hear this. Stand by for a message from Commodore Brennan.”
There was a momentary pause, and the crew waited for the news.
“Good evening, everyone. I have the latest news from Zekrat VIII. Admiral Sakazawa’s fleet has crushed all resistance by the Rage. Their homeworld has fallen.”
Commodore Brennan smiled as cheers echoed thru the ship. The crew had been on the razor’s edge for over a year now, and was finally watching this phase of the war come to a close. Hopefully, they would all be able to go home soon.
He continued.
“We also have a personal note here from Grand Admiral Urian. It reads; to the men and women of Providence Fleet…by now you have heard of our great victory at Zekrat VIII and the crushing of the Rage stronghold there. While this is indeed a great step forward in the war, it should by no means diminish the feats that you brave soldiers and sailors have accomplished. The capture of Lezzari and your unprecedented advances in Jethanis are just as important to ending this war as is the capture of the Rage homeworld. Without your victories, it is quite possible that the Rage would even now still be resisting our advances into their territory. We are all so very proud of you, and all throughout the Remorhaz Society feel safe knowing that you are fighting for our very existence. We thank you for your excellent work, and take pride in your accomplishments. Stay safe and hurry home to us. Signed, Grand Admiral Marcus Urian.”
Another cheer rolled thru the ship.
“Folks, I cannot tell you how proud of you I am. In one month, we have captured three Rage colonies with a minimal loss of life. In another month, we will have kicked the Rage out of the Jethanis system. If we continue at this pace, the Rage will be finished in a year.”
Thunderous applause and shouts.
“All crewmembers of Providence fleet have been granted forty-eight hours of planet side leave, effective 0600 tomorrow morning. There will be a victory celebration tomorrow evening at 1700 in Peonei City. Once again, thank you everyone for your hard work and dedication. Enjoy your leave. You’ve earned it.”
Brennan switched off the com unit, but could still hear the shouts and laughter of the crew. He only hoped that he would be able to make it planet side tomorrow for the victory party. There were still two Rage worlds to take, and Brennan wanted to get it over and done with. Then he might be able to relax.

2411.4

The strategic display was choked with Ukra-Tal ships. The enemy fleet deployed in a wall formation, twenty-two ships strong. The depleted minefield had taken out one more enemy ship, but it hadn’t done much to slow this vast armada down.
Commodore Hitcher had sent a warning message to Governor Ervay on the surface of Correlia, but Hitcher was sure that his own ground-based radar could see the Ukra-Tal fleet without his help. He watched as the Last of the civilian and commercial flights that were in the area made full speed for the Ultrinox wormhole. Those few that remained or were too slow to escape would surely perish in the battle to come, and so were safer hunkered in a bunker on the surface.
He keyed up the com link to the fleet captains and discussed the battle plan. Protect Correlia at all costs. They all knew the odds were against them, but as long as they drew breath, they would defend the planet. On the surface of Correlia were thirty million Remorhaz colonists, and since the Ukra-Tal brought no transports with them, Hitcher had to assume that they wanted nothing less than the complete extermination of all life in this system. He knew he and his people would do their best to stop them.
Correlia also had an impressive array of weaponry on the surface, also. Three missile complexes, three anti-missile complexes, and three heavy cannon bases would make life difficult for any Ukra-Tal ship that closed range. Meanwhile, Hitcher would use his fleet to press the attack whenever possible and try to destroy any Ukra-Tal ships that he could. He was hoping that the massed firepower of his fleet and the weapons platforms on the surface would allow them to withstand the superior numbers of the enemy fleet, but it would be a close thing. As he watched data roll across the screen with enemy weapons information, his face grew long. The Ukra-Tal brought some nasty toys to the fight. Acid launchers and seeker projectiles were the stuff of nightmares. He had seen their capabilities at Yukra, and was not looking forward to facing them.

The Ukra-Tal fleet was closing at maximum velocity. As they closed range, the sensors gathered more information on the enemy ships. It appeared that the minefield had done more damage to the Ukra-Tal than originally estimated. Several ships were heavily damaged, and some had no weapons at all. The odds slimmed down a bit more in favor of the Remorhaz fleet. His staff continued to send out information to the rest of the fleet, trying to ensure his captains had every piece of info that they could get their hands on. Missing even one piece could turn a battle like this from a rout into a slaughter.

Still the Ukra-Tal came on. At maximum range, they unleashed their seeker parasites. These hell-missiles locked onto their targets and streaked unerringly thru space, determined to rend metal and flesh. Before they could do any damage, the anti-missile defenses of Correlia knocked them out of the sky. RSS Skydancer moved to clear Correlia’s first moon, but was set upon by the Ukra-Tal frigates with acid launchers. The majority missed their mark or struck the shields, but eventually the attacks burned thru her defenses. The acid tore into her hull, destroying both of her DUCs and one of her missile launchers. RSS Narvik closed range and damaged one Ukra-Tal destroyer with DUC fire. They then resorted to evasive maneuvers, trying to escape the guns of the Ukra-Tal ships. The guns on the surface of Correlia opened up on the Ukra-Tal fleet, knocking a destroyer from the sky. Skydancer endured more punishment from the enemy ships, as acid globules slammed into her hull, melting it into a twisted wreck. Her bridge knocked out and all of her weapons gone, she attempted to limp from the fight. Orion pumped a full salvo of heavy depleted uranium shells into an Ukra-Tal destroyer, destroying one of its acid launchers. RSS Milton also took heavy damage, but was able to fire another missile salvo back at the pursuing enemy fleet.

Hitcher moved his ships into range of an enemy light cruiser that had moved into range of the planetary defense cannon and taken a severe pounding from them. Orion and Shining Victory opened fire and damaged the light cruiser badly.
Eventually, Milton was destroyed by overwhelming acid damage. She exploded when the acid penetrated her power core, causing a chain reaction that obliterated the ship. The Ukra-Tal also broke thru the defenses of Orion, pummeling her with acid fire. For what seemed an eternity, Hitcher was directing both the battle and the helm, as the bridge and most of her crew had been killed when an acid globule burned thru the hull and exposed the bridge to the vacuum of space. The ship was a wreck, and what was left of the crew transferred to Shining Victory. Commodore Hitcher and his staff were the Last off of the ship, having ensured that everyone who could escape had.
The ground cannon acquitted well for themselves, destroying three more Ukra-Tal ships in quick order.
The battle raged, and the ground cannon of Correlia smashed ship after ship. The Remrohaz fleet served as tempting bait for the Ukra-Tal, as they concentrated their fire on the ships while the bases on the surface of Correlia kept up a high volume of fire, exacting a horrendous toll from the enemy ships. Narvik was pounded by the Ukra-Tal fleet, and she tried to limp off the battlefield. The Ukra-Tal ships moved into range of Correlia itself, finally realizing the threat the planet itself posed to them. They destroyed a few of the anti-missile bases with acid fire, and killed a few thousand colonists at the same time.
The ground cannon proved to be the difference. Twenty of the twenty-two ships that attacked Correlia were destroyed, with the final two being so badly damaged as to not be a factor. The Remorhaz Society had lost one frigate, three thousand colonists, and close to five hundred sailors. Hopefully, this defeat would put a major crimp in the offensive plans of the Ukra-Tal, but who knew what resources they had? On the planet Shadow, the first Remorhaz agents had been trained to gather just that sort of information.

Re: Rise of the Remorhaz Society
 

Brilliant Sachmo, having fallen foul of planetary defence bases maxed up with DUC V's, I actually sympathise with the Ukra Tel...

Out of interest, what is your current rating vis a vis the rest of the galaxy?

Re: Rise of the Remorhaz Society
 

Tigga, Last time I checked, I was third. That was before I put the smackdown on the Rage, though. I'll check for you, soon!

I really thought that the Ukra-Tal were going to clean my clock, but thankfully they went after the fleet while the heavy DUCs on the surface wasted their ships.

Re: Rise of the Remorhaz Society
 

Ahahh Sachmo, cunning use of the old "chase my flimsy starships whilst the guys on the planet nuke your backside" trick - works every time

Re: Rise of the Remorhaz Society
 

Breathing Room

Grand Admiral Urian pinned the rank insignia onto the uniform collar of the Remorhaz Navy’s newest Rear Admiral.
“Congratulations, Admiral Jager. This has been a long time coming, but very well deserved.”
He clasped her hand and shook it. Gina flushed a bit, but thru it all managed to smile.
“Thank you, sir. I won’t let you down.”
Urian relaxed his grip, and gave her a long look.
“You never have before. Why would I be worried you would start doing it now?”
Gina flushed again. The navy band began to play the Remorhaz anthem. Everyone turned and saluted the ensign flying over the parade ground.
With that, everyone was dismissed and the formal ceremony ended. Now the private parties would begin. For Gina, tonight night was going to be just as long as the day had been. The victory at the Battle of Correlia had given the Remorhaz forces a moment to breathe, and they intended to take full advantage of it. With the pace of the fighting over the past five years, there had not been enough time to award decorations and promotions, and so Grand Admiral Urian himself decided to bring the ceremonies to the fleet instead of waiting for everyone to rotate back to Remorhaz. This action gave a big boost to moral. The fighting men and women of Remorhaz took a few days to stand tall and be proud of their accomplishments. The ceremonies here on Highrock were the first of many to follow, and were being broadcast live throughout the society.
Now that Gina was the second-highest ranking officer in the system, she was expected to attend at least one official party in honor of her new promotion. All she really wanted to do for celebration was to take a very long bath and go to sleep for a week or two, but it would have been rude of her not to attend. At least she had a few hours to freshen up before the party was to begin, and since she was the guest of honor she was expected to be fashionably late.
Gina hopped into the rear of her staff speeder.
“Please take me to my apartment, Ensign” she muttered to her driver.
He turned around and flashed a huge smile.
“Anything you say, Cap…sorry, Admiral, ma’am.”
She gazed out of the window, look out at the granite landscape of Highrock.
“I suppose we will both have to get used to that.”
“Yes ma’am.”
They rode on in silence, and Gina allowed her mind to wander back to the beginning of the war. Back to when her biggest fear was if she could get enough training time in for her crew on board Eagle. Now, here she was in a far away system, at the tip of the spear. She had gotten used to being afraid out here at the front. There were so many ways to die, and any one of them could take you without warning. There weren’t many choices out here on the frontlines, and if you weren’t fighting, you were dead. Gina had to make sure the people under her command kept fighting, until the fight was done.

Rear Admiral Sakazawa continued the offensive against the Rage. After two weeks of rest and reorganization, he loaded what was left of the 2nd Space Marine brigade back into Badger and moved into the Sutran system. The brigade was still at less than half strength, but Sakazawa decided that it should be sufficient strength to take these less strongly defended Rage worlds. After a brief battle Sutran II fell, along with 135 million Rage colonists. Space Marine casualties were light with less than ten killed.
In Jethanis, Commodore Brennan was forced to abandon Peonei when a Rage fleet of nine frigates and destroyers jumped in from Aldan. He planned to fall back to Cetarus and defend the entire system from there, and hoped to lure the Rage fleet into attacking the planet. He communicated his plan to the governor on Cetarus, who immediately began building ground-based defenses to lend firepower to the outnumbered Remorhaz fleet. It was hoped that if this Rage fleet were to be destroyed, that would put an end to the Rage navy, but of course no one could be sure.

On the planet Shadow, two fast shuttles lifted off simultaneously from opposite sides of the planet. On board each were members of the first class of agents of the Remorhaz Security and Intelligence Bureau. The first shuttle laid out a course for Remorhaz, where the agents would begin counter-intelligence operation within the government. The second shuttle set a course for the Xillantha system. Once there, the agents were to board a captured Ukra-Tal spacecraft and infiltrate their frontier. If they succeeded, they were trained to carry out any number of missions, from intelligence gathering to asset destruction. A new front had opened up in the war, and on this front the battles were fought in the shadows.

Re: Rise of the Remorhaz Society
 

Very nice story.

DUC's? I have always found them to be lacking. Even at V, they still seem weak against PPB's of any level. Just my thoughts.

Re: Rise of the Remorhaz Society
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">thanks! We're still pretty early in the story, and I have to devote most of my planets to mineral production to support my 10 year, three front war! Hopefully I will start getting into some of the more devistating weapon technologies.

Re: Rise of the Remorhaz Society
 

"DUC's? I have always found them to be lacking. Even at V, they still seem weak against PPB's of any level. Just my thoughts."

DUCs require no initial research; PPBs require Physics II. Keep that in mind http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Phoenix-D

Re: Rise of the Remorhaz Society
 

when are you going to use fighters in this story or cruisers for that matter.

Re: Rise of the Remorhaz Society
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">When I have time to research them! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif
Right now, much of my planet space is tied up in Mineral Miners, as I have to support a large fleet. A three front war doesn't give an empire much breathing room. I have to go for the most effective tech avaliable, and fighters and cruisers just don't make sense when I can upgrade my shields and point defense weapons. Hopefully, I am coming to a time where the Remorhaz can take a breath...but who knows how many ships the darn Ukra-Tal have, or what the Romulans intend.

Re: Rise of the Remorhaz Society
 

Hey Sachmo, I must have missed something, when did you meet the Romulans?

Re: Rise of the Remorhaz Society
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Oops. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Well, I guess I'll have to develop that plotline a bit more, but here is a quote from the chapter "Probes"
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">

Re: Rise of the Remorhaz Society
 

Aha, cheers Sachmo, wheels within wheels I see

Re: Rise of the Remorhaz Society
 

Hey a quick couple'a questions:

1. How many races are you playing with?
2. How large of galaxy, ie how many systems?

If they have been asked before, forgive me. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

PS, please keep up the great work. It is one of the draws to the forum now. Fan Fic junkies love good sci-fi stories, and yours is one of the best I have read in a good long while.

Re: Rise of the Remorhaz Society
 

I have printed out all the chapters and i am curantly checking you quote...you are right.

Re: Rise of the Remorhaz Society
 

Atrocities,

The game started with a medium galaxy and 10 races. I believe there are five remaining.

Thanks for the support...I hope to get some time in this weekend! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: Rise of the Remorhaz Society
 

love the story...when will we see the next installment? cant wait!

Re: Rise of the Remorhaz Society
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Soon, soon, I promise. I've been very busy at work, and to top all of that off, I've been sick too. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif

Re: Rise of the Remorhaz Society
 

I hope you get to feeling better soon. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: Rise of the Remorhaz Society
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Thanks. I guess the key to that would be for them to figure out what is wrong with me first. I seem to have stumped my doctor. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif

Re: Rise of the Remorhaz Society
 

I hope this doesnt mean that you went to the surgery clutching the stump of a severed arm and squirting blood all over the shop...

That would stump my doctor, he would simply say it was hayfever or stress and prescribe some anti-hystamines or paracetomol

Re: Rise of the Remorhaz Society
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">LOL! Stump my doctor indeed...now that's funny!

Re: Rise of the Remorhaz Society
 

Sachmo, glad you picked up the intentional pun or pay on words..

Conversations with my doctor start off along the lines of "This is my body doctor, it has two legs, two arms, lots of wobbely dangley bits inside it and that it what you are looking to cure, you know, make better? heal? etc"

Re: Rise of the Remorhaz Society
 

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/newup...1036529361.bmp

Nice

Re: Rise of the Remorhaz Society
 

That's cool! In Word, it says that the story is 110 pages or so.

Re: Rise of the Remorhaz Society
 

It may well be. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif I changed the font to New Roman Times. The reduced the pages. Font 10.

You have a major work on your hands, and you've only begun to scratch the surface. Imagine what your whole story will be like once you have completed it.

Your writing is adictive to read to say the least. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: Rise of the Remorhaz Society
 

addictive indeed

Re: Rise of the Remorhaz Society
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Soon, soon, I promise. I've been very busy at work, and to top all of that off, I've been sick too. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I hope it's nothing serious, Sachmo...

Re: Rise of the Remorhaz Society
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Soon, soon, I promise. I've been very busy at work, and to top all of that off, I've been sick too. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I hope it's nothing serious, Sachmo...</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Not serious, at least I don't think so, but debilitating. I've had a low- to mid-grade fever for about 16 days now, but no sign of infection in the blood. Ultrasound showed that all of my major organs looked good, and a sinus CAT scan will hopefully show my doctor whether my deep sinus cavities are infected. If she doesn't see anything, I have to go to a specialist. So basically I've just been feeling crappy for a bit over two weeks now. Hopefully I'll hear something tomorrow...and thanks for the thoughts. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: Rise of the Remorhaz Society
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">You can go to Kinkos, bind it, and have a book. The very first space empires iv story book. You may even be able to sell it. hehe

Re: Rise of the Remorhaz Society
 

Sachmo,

I hope your feeling better.
For what it is worth, a very healthy friend of mine had that symptom caused by kidney stones.

Goodluck and keep writing.

Wardad

Re: Rise of the Remorhaz Society
 

I am feeling better, thanks. I just added a chapter to the History of the Galaxy II thread, and so feel confident that I will be able to get some writing done tonight. It's surprising how much I've missed it.

Re: Rise of the Remorhaz Society
 

pleeaaaase Sachmo, write the next chapter, I cannot wait, pleeeeaaaaasesseeeeee

Re: Rise of the Remorhaz Society
 

Maybe the Urkas wiped them out? It's hard to write the history books if your dead...

Re: Rise of the Remorhaz Society
 

Nope! I'm starting to feel much better (really this time) and will be continuing the story soon.

Re: Rise of the Remorhaz Society
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">YIPPY! Can't wait Sachmo!

Re: Rise of the Remorhaz Society
 

Sachmo, yes I am also glad you are feeling better. Did the DR's ever figure out what was wrong??

mlmbd http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/shock.gif

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">

Re: Rise of the Remorhaz Society
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif"></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Basically they said it is some sort of virus like CSV or the like. There really is no treatment and you just sort of have to ride it out. Unfortunately, they have to run a bunch of tests to ensure that there is nothing major wrong, so I have about $500 in medical bills to show for my little sickness. Can't be helped, I suppose. Thanks for the concern, though! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: Rise of the Remorhaz Society
 

I truly feel for you my friend. I hope that you begin to feel better before your medical bills reach what I am stuck paying. ($40k for 9 days in the hospital, and counting)

Take care, and get well.

Re: Rise of the Remorhaz Society
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">But how'd you get a CSV virus in the first place? Were you working with too many different spreadsheet programs?

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

Re: Rise of the Remorhaz Society
 

sachmo, well atleast it isn't something major. An $500 is cheap, as Atrocities can obviously attest to.

As for the concern, you are welcome. After my Last stay in the hospital I am more concerned with peoples health.

Hotfoot, spread sheet, computer visus. That's sharp!!

mlmbd http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/shock.gif

Re: Rise of the Remorhaz Society
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">40k? Too bad Atrocities you weren't born or live in Canada. Would've saved yourself that 40k.

When I was in the US for a little while, that was my biggest fear - getting into some accident or illness and end up 50k in debt.

Re: Rise of the Remorhaz Society
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Whoa...sorry to hear that. The good news is they can't charge interest, and you are allowed to pay them whatever you can.

Re: Rise of the Remorhaz Society
 

Battle Scars

Sedgwick was a camp town. It had sprung up virtually overnight once the shipyard and spaceport had opened up on Correlia. The naval personnel and civilian ship crews needed a place to spend their pay, and enterprising colonists had quickly moved into the area, opening up shops, restaurants, bar, and hotels. Sedgwick didn’t have much in the way of culture, or education, or much of anything besides establishments for people who had spent a long time in space to spend all of their hard-earned cash. Since the Battle of Correlia, the town had boomed. Before the Ukra-Tal had smashed their fleet against the defenses of the planet and the Remorhaz Navy, many of the locals had worried about the future. Since most of the commercial flights were restricted, business had slowed to a trickle. The navy crews were on high alert, and almost always on duty. The future of Sedgwick had looked bleak for the first few months of 2411. That all changed after the Battle of Correlia. The Remorhaz Navy had won a smashing victory. The system was opened again to commercial traffic, and the freighters came in droves. The bars were full again and the hotels had no vacancies. The local constable was earning his pay again breaking up fights between the roughnecks. Life was good for almost everyone.

For the survivors of the Battle of Correlia, life was not so good. Their lives had been changed forever. They had witnessed destruction on a massive scale. Many had lost friends in the fight. Most were still struggling with the changes that they were undergoing, and the inactivity only made it worse. Of the five surviving ships of the Iolo Defense Fleet, three were undergoing massive repairs and refitting, and that left the crews with a lot of free time. Free time to remember the dead, and to wake up in the night screaming.

Crewman Tim Fisk took a drink from his glass of whisky. He kept the drink at his lips for an extra pull, feeling the alcohol burn a path from his tongue to his stomach. Suddenly he remembered what he had been saying, and he knew he needed to say it quick, before he forgot again.
“BILL!! That was da guys name, Roge! His name wass Bill.”
Tim’s friend, Crewman Roger Yates, turned and looked at his buddy.
“Yeah Tim, I remember him. He was a good guy.”
Tim lifted his glass quickly into the air, spilling whisky and ice on the table in the process.
“To Bill! Best damn gunner’s mate ‘n da fleet”, he smiled and cast his gaze on Roger.
Roger lifted his glass. “To Bill”, he muttered and took a small sip of his own drink.
“Whas’ a matter, Roge? Aren’t ya thirsty”, Tim asked his friend.
Roger swirled his straw around in his drink a bit.
“I guess I’m not, Tim. One of us has to stay sober, or we’ll end up in the stockade, right?”
Tim burst into laughter.
“Good ol’ Roge. Always lookin’ out for everyone else. If you weren’t, I wouldn’t be here, and that’s the truth.”
Tim reached out and grabbed a freighter captain who had the misfortune to be walking by at that moment.
“What do you want”, the freighter captain asked.
Tim pointed at Roger.
“See that guy over there? He saved my life.”
The freighter captain glanced at Roger, then back at Tim.
“He might get to do it again if you don’t take your hands off of me, son!”
Tim started laughing again.
“I don’ want any trouble, mister! Lemme tell ya the story, ok?”
The freighter captain sighed and folded his arms across his chest.
“Fine. It’s probably bull****, but fine. Tell your story.”
Roger flushed. “Tim, please, don’t tell the story. Just finish your drink and let’s go.”
Tim frowned and went to take another drink, not realizing that his glass was empty.
“Roge, I gotta tell it. I gotta let ev’ryone know what ya done for me, buddy!”
Tim looked at the freighter captain again.
“Me and Roge serve on Orion. You heard a’ her?”
The freighter captain nodded.
“Well, we was fightin’ the slugs, and was takin’ a poundin’. I was servin’ in the main battery, firin’ the big cannon, ya know?”
The freighter captain nodded again.
“An’way, the slugs”, which was the local slang for the Ukra-Tal, “were bLasting the crap out of us. We ca’ here the hull breech alarms goin’ off all over da place, but ya know we was firin’ the guns. Cap’n wanted us ta’ keep shootin’ the slugs till we couldn’t shoot no more.”
Tim paused, and stopped smiling before continuing.
“We hit a slug destroy’r, and she goes up. Next thing I know, the ship is buckin’ like crazy. Then we hear a noise like someone fryin’ eggs. Petty Officer Mirra starts yelling at us to strap in and prepare for depressurization, and then all hell breaks loose. We seen the slugs acid spitters on the training vids, and so we’ve seen wha they ca’ do, but we didn’t know. Not till then.”
Tim’s eyes grew huge as he replayed the battle in his mind.
“The acid burned thru ‘da hull and into the battery. Petty Officer Mirra was standin’ there, yellin’ at us to strap in, then he was covered in the acid. He looked sorda s’prised, cuz’ the back half of his body just sorta dissolved. He collapsed to the floor, and I can here screamin’ all around me. The acid is eatin’ thru my console, so I turn to run for da hatch. Ev’ryone still ‘live is runnin’ for the hatch. So I see Bill lyin’ on the floor, his leg looks busted. I pull him up and keep runnin’ for the hatch, but the acid is there, and it’s burnin’ all the guys. They didn’t even scream or nothin’.”
Tim stopped for a second, and reached up to wipe his eyes. Tears ran down his cheeks. Roger reached across the table and touched his friend on the arm.
“Tim, please stop. Ok?”
Tim seemed to come back from a far off place, and smiled at his friend.
“Stop? Roge, dis’ is da best part!”
Tim turned back to the freighter captain, who is watching him with his mouth wide.
“So I figure me and Bill ‘r done for, cuz the way out is gone, ya know? All those guys are dyin’ right in front a’ me, and I think we’re gonna buy the farm. Everywhere I look is dead bodies an’ acid…acid eatin’ everythin. Then I see the battery wall glowin’ white, and it melts, and there is my buddy Roge. He’s standing there with a cutter, waving at me and makin’ like he want’s me to hurry! So I grab hold a’ Bill, and I run as quick as I can for Roge. When I get ta him, he tells me we gotta hurry cuz the ship is gonna go. I try to tell him ta help me with Bill, but he just frowns and he tells me Bills dead. I look down, and sure ‘nuff, Bill ain’t got a lower half no more. I saved Bill’s top half! Roge saved me, and I save half a’ Bill!”
Suddenly Tim began to laugh again, hysterically this time, even as tears stream down his face.
Roger looked at the freighter captain and gave him a slight nod and then moved to collect his quickly fading friend.
The freighter captain stared at Roger and Bill for a few moments, then shook his head.
“Is all of that true, son?”
Roger nodded. “Unfortunately. Thanks for listening to him, by the way. The doc says if he talks about it, he can get over the shock quicker.”
The freighter captain nodded, still staring at the two sailors.
“It was my pleasure son. I’d heard stories about the battle, but…”
Roger nodded. “Yes sir, it was rough for all of us. I’m just glad it’s over.”
Tim began to cry in earnest now, reliving the horror that he had been thru.
The freighter captain looked at Tim. “It looks like it might not be over for quite a long time.”
He shook his head, and hooked one arm around Tim.
“Let me help you get your friend home. And don’t worry about your bill…I’ll get it.”
For the first time that night, Roger smiled.

Re: Rise of the Remorhaz Society
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">CSV = Comma Separated Value
It was all a spreadsheet thing, I'm afraid. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif