Hi, ya all! From the next thread I will start a new story. It's called 'The Blue Phantom' From time to time I will update the plot, as I have to translate the original text from German into English.

Hope ya like it!

- vincenso -

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HATE!
Like a giant reactor it supplies you with never ending destructive power

THE BLUE PHANTOM

- Prologue –

When the sky colored itself red against evening, and slowly the lights of the city flashed on, a great color- and light spectacle offered itself to one from far. The shining towers of glass and marble reflected each light, that dripped on them – and there were many lights -, and turned Bricera-City into a twinkling pulsing jewel. There was a quantity of opinions over Bricera – good as bad. Yet one could say what one wanted; Bricera-City – the capital of the planet – was a fantastic city.

It lay on the edge of a high steep reef, several hundred meter over the sea. Like on a terrace she was located a piece under the uppermost edge of the reef so that the rock faces surrounded it like a city wall. In billions of years, the wind and the sea had increasingly hollowed out this high plateau and created a fascinating cave system that extended itself over many square kilometers.

A single huge rock jutted out of the sea, directly before the city. On it, the gigantic government palace throned like a like a shimmering giant guarding over the city. The gigantic building was recognizable yet in the distance yet before one got to face the reef itself.

In the increasing twilight, there was an insignificant shape sitting on the rocky reefs. The black hairs blew lightly in the wind, that whistled over the edge the. The sinking sun reflected itself in the blue eyes.

Vince Trageton sat on a little ledge and observed the sea deep down. The roaring waves struck thundering against the rock faces, but the noise became weaker with each meter up. Up here, in five hundred meter heights, it was quiet. A peaceful picture. It was a mild evening in fall. For this time, it was yet extraordinarily warm, even up here and directly at the sea. The sea. A golden cloth that extended itself from horizon to horizon. It blew in the wind.

He took a deep breath and tasted the salty taste on his tongue. It was almost like on Cophuran, long ago. Very often he had gone out in the evenings and had sat down on the beach! Now Vince came here evenings, too, to think, to remember or to escape from the everyday life stress, that waited in for him in the city. Sometime perhaps if he would retire, would build a house here at the edge. But the time hadn’t come yet. Up to the retirement, it was still a long way. Still many things laid before him. He was 33 years old and member of the starfighter corps of Bricera. Even more: as commander of his squadron, he now had additional work to do. Much desk functioning had come to the normal pilot service. He hated desk functioning. He was pilot and no clerk. On the other side it was also pleasant somehow - with thirty-three years he was far older than the rest of his squadron. Perhaps he would apply for the transfer onto a starship sometime. Perhaps. The command over a little star cruiser. So why not? In times of peace like these this was a very comfortable postition.

He looked up and noted that it was already dark and the first stars ignited. The entire sky was a beautiful cloth out of black velvet of full of glittering diamonds. He closed the eyes for a moment and imagined the twinkling metropolis, named Bricera-City, a twinkling jewel itself. Then he looked up to stars again. The city was beautiful and twinkled like no other. Nevertheless it was pale compared with the endless sea of stars above. Vince raised his head and stared into the direction where he assumed Cophuran. Bot he saw nothing. The planet that once had been its home laid much to far away as that one would have been able to see it with bare eye. Maybe it was better like that. A dark shadow lasted on his past. Twelve years ago Vince had left his home planet. Six years ago he had finally turned away from it. Bricera was his new home planet.

He heard steps behind him. “A beautiful evening, isn’t it?” He turned around. A dark skinned man stood behind him.
Though in the darkness the marking face expressions and the wise eyes that showed of years-long experience were well visible. Although the man was civilly dressed Vince recognized admiral Cervis immediately.

„Sir.“ Vince prepared to a salute, but the admiral declined. „Not out here.“

Tarlon Cervis was a lot older than Vince – almost twenty years - and he had already seen many battles. Vince respected him very much. Cervis sat down next to him and observed the stars for a moment. „When I was a child,” Cervis said, “my parents have always told me that each star stood for a fallen hero.“ Vince looked at him. Then again the star sky. There were so many stars - billions of stars.

„So many heroes have already fallen“ Vince said thoughtful. „How many will follow?“

Cervis nodded. „Yes, how many?“ he repeated. „There are so many. There are already enough heroes that have died. In my eyes too many.“ Vince stared for a moment into the void. „And yet more innocents.“

Admiral Cervis looked at him. Then he nodded. They both looked up again and observed the glittering stars. Again Vince thought of Cophuran. Before him, he suddenly saw his father how he stood on their balcony and observed the sea. Like Vince now he also gladly observed the sea and the evening sky. His mother used to lay in the couch chair. He and his little sister Gidra raged around in the sand and played catching. Vince smiled. He had always made a fun of letting her race on him, jumping away in the last moment and letting her run into the void.
She would be would be twenty-seven today.
The picture disappeared. Too many innocent had already died.

A little blue-grey spot shined midst the sea of stars and its vicinity to them was clearly recognizable.



[This message has been edited by General_Trageton (edited September 28, 2001).]

- 1 -

Bridesta 1 was the largest of the thirteen diamond-battle station that served Bricera as a primary defense line against contingent hostile attacks. The huge discus-like steel construction floated leisurely above the blue green surface of planet. Bricera was a middle-sized planet in the Hedrec-sector. It cozily made ist way, while the thirteen tiny spots slowly circled it. Dawn was just breaking. Just a few moments and the warm sunbeams would sneak over the planet edge. But still it was dark. Yet darkness hung over this side of Bricera. And up here, Bridesta 1 was alone.

It was not alone - not completely.

Ty Montarin was standing on the command bridge of Bridesta 1 and watched the dark planet on the screen before him. Though he was first fifty, his hairs were already white, but that didn’t matter to him.

All around officers, technicians and other personnel were doing their normal duties. Everything took its normal gear. The monotone everyday life onboard Bridesta 1. Sometimes he almost desired a heavy technical defect to bring some life into this floating fortress. Stupid manner, Bridesta 1 was such constructed that the main computer noticed and fixed each anomaly immediately. Such an occurrence then was noted in the daily protocol and that was all.

He turned around and for a moment looked at the innumerable consoles and displays in whose hands they put their lifes. He revolved again and looked again at the planet on the screen and the light strip, that announced the new day.

Dark memories turned up into his mind. Ten years ago, Dalor Khisar, the sovereign of planet Torlax had emerged here and had attacked Bricera-City, the planet’s capital. Ty had been commander on a large patrol ship at that time when suddenly Khisar’s giant death ship invaded the system. Yet today this ship was a riddle for him. It was a combination of ancient magic and modern technology. With a dvastating fire ray it had changed Bricera-City into a flame sea.

Since the battle against this ship and Khisar’s death already ten years had passed by now and the at that time entirely destroyed city had astonishingly quickly recovered and had grown up again to its old size and splendor. Jarris Vaylon, the only descendant of the Overlords Sorrin who died within this catastrophe, had especially rebuilt the bricerian military ground forces which - having their headquarters next to the city – had suffered great losses.

This attack by Torlax had called for vengeance. Because this planet had put all its resources into Khisar’s death ship, it controlled no further defense measures. And very soon Torlax was submitted under the domination of Bricera.


[This message has been edited by General_Trageton (edited September 28, 2001).]

By Jarris‘ command then Ty, at that time leading officer for secret military projects, had begun with the construction of a enormous battle station that should protect Bricera against such attacks. The result was the ‘Bricera-Defense-Station’ Mark 1 – Bridesta 1. In Addition to this one took his plans to build twelve further battle stations that were stationed in the Orbit of planet. There would never be such a disaster again. In the last seven years, more and more planets, even entire star systems had joined to the planet. The old planetary empire had changed. Out of some single alliances the ‘United Planets’ had emerged.

Jarris‘ duty as a president of the United Planets was set on five years. And the next elections stood before – still three weeks. There were already several candidates for this position. One of them was a guy called Phlic Aelhoc, the khetarian representative in the UP senate. He was Jarris’ worst competitor, as well. Ty didn’t like him – Aelhoc, be reflected, was rather racist, what didn’t bring in much goodwill for him in the senate. His only endeavoring was it to tear power at him, and to reach this, he accepted every measure. In spite of this fact, Ty doubted that Aelhoc would win this election. Jarris was simply better.

The planet surface grew brighter and he watched the white clouds. Perhaps there would be a storm. A storm, he thought. A fire storm - the storm of the storms! Khisars death ship had destroyed everything with such a fire storm, had destroyed what was destructible - everything, what was actually indestructible. It had turned the mighty government palace into a pile of debris and ash and had cost Sorrin Vaylon the leader of the old empire – Ty’s friend -, his life. The old empire … existed no longer. Since then there had been no more incident, apart from a couple of interplanetary melees. The United Planets were an alliance of at present about thirty planets. All worlds of the community were equal and supported each other against hostile attacks.

Ty had never been able to compensate the loss of Sorrin completely,. Therefore he had had himself transferred onto this station to find some kind of diversion. Yet what he had found here as a commander of Bridesta 1 was everything but diverting. This station served to the defense of contingent attacks on Bricera. Since the station’s construction there had never been such an attack. Only the daily checkups and occasional honor salutes cared about that the powerful weapons and other defense systems didn’t fall into decline. Each day up here had become gradually the sad routine and he knew that also the entire crew thought exactly the same. According to his opinion the construction of that twelve other stations had been totally superfluous. Each single one of them was able to exist against an armada of warships, but until now even pirates had not ventured themselves near to the planet. It was the senseless waste of billions of state finances that referred once more on how rich Bricera was.

And yet Ty today had a strage feeling. Some dark misgiving spooked around in its head since a couple of day and caused him headaches. Something big would happen soon. He leaned against the huge screen wall and stared into the darkness. Yet there was nothing but billion of stars.

That's all for here, folks. I'll continue the story in the showcase forum.