God that is creepy SoldiersFortune
:fed_lol: Thanks!
"Sins of a solar pirate"
It was a beautiful day in Water Harvest. As is every day. The harvesters were functioning at full speed, trying to provide the essential blue liquid for the whole Federation population. *bleep!* A signal on my 8k range 3D radar. Brilliant, a potential target! My ship is the ideal assassinâs ship: itâs a Sword AE, one of the latest Jericho tacklers. And it would have no problems against the t3 Federation covert ops that had just jumped into the sector⌠Especially since the reckless pilot had seemingly forgotten to activate his station protection.
Start reactors. Engage cruise engine. Coordinates 34X-122Y-89Z from point Alpha. Lock target. Pre-charge gauss cannons. All this was done solely by thought using my specialised combat implants. They were expensive but necessary to fly any Jericho ship. âTarget acquired.â said the calm voice of my on-board AI as the lock-on completed, and details of his ship were sent to my brain.
Perfect. Fast, not much tank, my engine inhibitor will be the death of him. Now was the time to put into practise the well-oiled tactic I had learned at Jeri military schools and polished in my active time as a mercenary for the three factions. Raise shields. Engage cloak. Stop at 1500m from target. My concentration was about to be tested to its limits. Simultaneous actions are harder to coordinate with implants!
Charge gauss cannons. 3⌠2⌠1_âŚ_ âCharged.â With adrenalin pumping through my body, and all my muscles tensed, I made a quick prayer to all the gods of the three factions (you can never be too sure), and simultaneously gave the following commands: Uncloak, a_ctivate target painter, engine inhibitor, sentry drone, launch EM missile, and⌠FIRE!_
*BOOM* âTarget destroyed.â I picked up a couple of loot crates left behind by the explosion, hoping it will be enough to purchase that Mk V target painter Iâve had my eye on. Now time to leave the sector before the Federation police arrive!
1936 characters
IGN: millanbel
Have a slightly historically based thing thatâs exactly 1945 characters (if you count line breaks and spaces at the end of a line, stuff like that.)
And yes, I am very, very sorry for the name drop.
The battle has been going on for a long time.
I still remember the news from ever so many years ago. The Cybers had taken power in Jericho. After the alien invasion, ending the great Faction War, Jericho had been hardest hit. It was no great surprise that their radical ideology had found roots there. They pursued an expansive policy, annexing many neutral territories near their sectors. The Empire found them no great threat â after all, they had promised peace, and had managed to keep it.
Until one day, something happened. Everybody had their own theories, each contradicting the others. There were only two things that most people agreed on â that the Cybers had made an alliance with the aliens, and that we were once again at war.
The war had felt very close, back then. Everybody was the ultimate patriot, doing everything to support the soldiers. Every conversation had to bring it up at least once. It defined our lives. I thought that was about as far Iâd ever get involved.
Until, that is, the Cybers took the Jovian Pass â the only way in to or out of the Sol System.
Theyâve held the system at siege for almost a year, now. They still donât show any signs of leaving. Iâve heard stories of battles where entire battalions run out of ammunition, resorting to using their ships as battering rams in hopes of somehow damaging the enemy.
Since they bombed Venus two months ago, food has been scarce. Thereâs people in the streets, just laying there with their eyes blank. Iâm not sure if theyâre still alive.
This madness must end. Iâve left a few weeks of food with my family and gotten my fatherâs old Phobos back into commission. Iâve convinced some like-minded people to join me, too. I cannot just sit in my quarters and just watch as my loved ones die around me. Even if I cannot help them, I must join the front. Because I donât want to live on my knees any more. Itâs time for me to join this star conflict.
Edit: In-game name: statueoflibroty
Victory in Space
*crackle crackle* Biomorphs attacking station New Eden! theyâre locked on to me! I canât get away! Send help *static*
The police ships warped in out of nowhere firing their gauss cannons in a flurry of death. Biomorphs exploded everywhere filling the area with flaming hot shrapnel. All of a sudden, the defiler warped in sending green projectiles everywhere. Police ships exploded filling the area with more shrapnel.
All that was left of the federation fleet was shrapnel which mingled with the remains of the biomorph ships.
But suddenly, ships started pouring out of New Eden. Corporation CEOs had rallied the remaining forces and flew towards the defiler in an epic attempt to stop the impending doom!
Meanwhile, a lone spark, separated from the rest of the group flew towards the rear of the defiler. The pilot activated overdrive and sped towards the defilerâs engines, firing as he flew. The defilerâs rear turrets started firing upon him. he knew the end was near but he fired one last time, hitting the weapons cooler in a vulnerable area. The defiler continued to fire but then began to shudder, and then explode! The pilot closed his eyes and activated combat reboot in a desperate attempt at survival. The ship shuddered. The pilot was nearly blinded by the bright light. Then, everything went dark.
After the destruction of the defiler, the biomorphs were weakened and could not fight off the attackers at their throats. Soon, the biomorph empire crumbled beyond repair bringing peace to all.
The hero who saved New Eden from the defiler survived and was famous for his heroism.
Though the galaxy was safe from biomorphs, no one knew what dangers the future may holdâŚ
Ingame nickname: ArcTic
1685 characters.
i also like how u do 1945 characters tops. almost didnât notice that it was the same year the germans surrendered. :D
Sorry it was up twice, so I figured Iâd Edit out the first one, since I had a more updated one go through, and I donât know why it was posted twice. I hope the Mods and Admins donât mind that I did this.
"The Second Coming"
An account from an Imperial Guardsman of the second Alien Invasion
At about 0230, it happened. As my wingman and I were doing our final fly-through of the Wastes sector, a rift suddenly opened in front of us. At first we werenât sure what was to be made of it. Perhaps this was some new warp-drive that the Jerichos had developed.
We slowed to half-speed and approached the rift, to look for any signs of Jericho activity. We were about two clicks out, when suddenly; about twenty or thirty Katana-class fighters came out of the rift. We hailed the intruders to warn them that they were trespassing in Imperial space, and that they needed to turn back immediately or they would be fired upon.
As my wingman was attempting to hail them, I sent a signal to Station Guardian-17, asking for reinforcements. As I was sending the message, I noticed that the fighters were severely damaged, and had a strange, greenish aura emitting from them. It was at this moment, I realized we were not dealing with the Jerichos, but that we were dealing with aliens.
I began to tell my wingman that we needed to retreat back within the range of our dreadnoughtâs defenses when suddenly, he was completely blown from existence. Not from any of the infected ships, but from something lurking behind the rift. I turned my ship around and activated my overdrive to get away. I looked back to see a massive Defiler class alien vessel emerging from the rift. I ran as fast as I could to get back to the dreadnought and dock.
As I was running, the Defiler unloaded all of its weapons into the dreadnought. The shields held up to the first few waves of the Defilerâs attack, but they didnât hold up long. As the major calibers fired one last salvo, the dreadnought exploded into thousands of pieces of debris. One of these pieces collided with my ship, crippling my engines, weapons, and life-support. Just before I lost consciousness, I looked back and saw thousands of alien ships, from Scouts to Predators, flooding out of the rift.
1939 characters (with spaces)
IGN: DarthDirk
War canât kill love, but love can kill warâŚ
The galaxy has been at war for as long as most can remember, yet the true conflict was only between the self-righteous Empire and the vengeful Jericho. The Federation is only a balancing factor, an arbiter who keeps things under control, especially when it comes to illegal business.
A group of pirates affiliated with the Mendes family was on their way to the station with illegal weapons, Legion documents, as well as blueprints of prototype imperial ships. The convoy only had a few more kilometers to reach the gate, when Gideon Barran, their leader, yelled through the comms channel: âWeâve got contact!â.
The next thing they heard was the familiar sound of coil mortar explosions, they were being attacked by a Mammoth, alongside a strike team made up of mostly Armada issued ships. The pirates were falling one by one, yet an escape pod was ejected from the leaderâs SSF-15 âPhoenixâ. It wasnât him who escaped the frying pan though, but his son, Kyle.
Gideon used his attack drones as decoys so the strike team wonât target Kyleâs capsule, although the coil mortars were indeed locked onto somethingâŚhis ship. He got hit several times and, before he could use the barrier module, a projectile shredded the cockpitâs glass and exploded inside, ending Barranâs lawless career painlesslyâŚ
As the escape podâs microwarp engine was being triggered, the woeful sight of cockpit chassis floating from the Phoenix faded away.
The escape pod was suddenly stopped by a federal guard which collided with it due to the pilotâs ignorance, as he couldnât care less about another scratch on his visibly damaged hull. The pilot quickly realized what he just hit, so proceeded in taking the capsule aboard the ship.
âSorry about your father, or whoever was in that ship.â The pilot said right as the kid entered the cockpit. âIâll drop you at Mendes-IX, I was going to sign a contract with the jerries anywayâ.
Kyle nodded as tears were welling in his eyesâŚ
Well, according to MS Word this should have exactly 1944 characters, without the quote at the beginning. I think it should be ok for 12+ since thereâs nothing graphic in it.
IGN: SovereignVII
Wild Raven, The Slayer, Shadow, all of these names describe one Jericho pilot. Arriving with the latest contingent of Jericho to arrive in Pallas from the outer reaches of Jericho space. Very few even notice the black wrapped form that trails along the back walls of the bars, lounges, and living quarters. An occasional glance of glowing, piercing green cybernetic eyes can be seen as this individual passes by.
There are some who know this person. Her name is Harashi Naya, a name taken from an ancient language the Jericho discovered on one of their many exploits in space. The language in question was found on a long-dead planet with many ancient objects, texts, and strange.
The contingent of Jericho that discovered this strange world settled there, albeit in a very Spartan fashion, and only for a brief period. Some of the relics they found were taken, studied, and rumored to be integrated into some Jericho Technologies. Claims of this nature, however, have never been substantiated, though some might believe that technology was improving faster than initially expected.
Within this contingent of Jericho is an individual who seemed to have an unbelievable talent for piloting light and medium ships. Some question her actual origin among the Jericho, and some people even think she is an outsider who came from another âplaceâ such as a far-off galaxy or some alternate dimension. Most of these wild theories were generated based on her limited interaction with people outside of her clan.
All the pilots in her contingent seem excessively skilled, still causing some people to think up wild speculations of why they seem to fly so differently from everyone else. Naya, as she likes to be called for a shorthand form of her name, stands out even among these Jericho individuals.
The planet in question, whenever mentioned, the topic often drops in awkward silence. What was found there that must remain so secretive? Who is Harashi?
Word 2013 says 1944 characters.
I finished mine at 11:30pm Hawaii time - HST on the 10th day of the fifth month in this year. Itâs currently on the first page, and I hope Iâm on time.
"Hunted"
They had to be after the Iridium.
Maru breathed heavily into her respirator. Even that muffled noise seemed loud in the otherwise grave-like stillness of her battered old Styxâs cockpit.
All the screens arrayed around her were black, save for one. Her gloved finger hovered anxiously over the main system activation control.
Seconds passed. They were getting closer.
The only system sheâd dared to leave on was her passive scanners; as soon as sheâd made it to the achingly meager refuge of a few clustered asteroids, sheâd shut off everything else. She cursed those âŚthings, watching the four blips draw nearer, the numbers indicating distance beneath their icons ticking steadily lower.
Theyâd appeared out of nowhere, leaving warp some distance behind her frigate with a roar that shook her Styxâs heavily armored hull. After that it had been a panicked blur; the din of warnings across every sensor module blaring in her ears as she raced for cover. They were massive and even at a glance, they definitely werenât human. She felt a shiver run through her, recalling the sickly green glow of their weapons, already powered up. Eager to hunt.
The worst part was that she couldnât even tell if theyâd spotted her. The alien craft hadnât changed bearing since theyâd appeared, but their path drew them nearer with every moment. She gritted her teeth, hoping that her cargo, several bays full of Iridium destined for New Eden, wasnât drawing the beasts directly to her.
Maru held her breath as the pack of ships advanced. In a moment theyâd be close enough to be completely eclipsed by the asteroid until they had passed her.
If they passed her.
The four icons vanished abruptly as they overtook her clump of rocks. She couldnât tell how long it was taking. Maybe a few seconds before they reappeared on the other side? Time seemed to work in slow motion as she stared fixedly at the sensor display.
Then she heard them roar again.
Had fun writing something a little tense. Hope you guys enjoy.
Regardless of who wins, this oneâs my personal favourite. You got me outclassed, HiveStar.
Regardless of who wins, this oneâs my personal favourite. You got me outclassed, HiveStar.
Oh geez, hey thanks a lot! I was pretty shy about posting it originally, so itâs very appreciated!
Well, iâve âpostedâ my story on 10th yet still no post of mine to be seen on this thread even to this dayâŚ
A fun contest iâd say, too bad pointless restrictions ruin it for some of us.
Oh geez, hey thanks a lot! I was pretty shy about posting it originally, so itâs very appreciated!
Oh, definitely. Itâs pretty dang good, especially for such a tight limit.
Now all we need to do is wait for the winner to be announcedâŚ
Oooh!! deep, dark and mysterious!!! Me like 
" Flowers"
Only 1601 characters!
I planted flowers this morning.
Cosmos and poppies and goldenrod. Bartle had forbidden it, but I wanted to show the children something beautiful, something colorful. In the darkness of space, such things are rare.
Excited, I usher them in, and assemble them before my humble garden.
Smiles appear on faces, and excited cries fill the gloom.
âWow!â
âItâs pretty.â
âI like this one.â
They are like flowers themselves, they bloom before my eyes.
And then the question.
âWhat color is this?â asks one, pointing to the goldenrod.
âItâs yellow.â
âLike the sun on Earth? My mother told me that the sun was yellow.â
I hesitate for a moment.
âYes, like the sun.â
âDo you remember?â
The children gather around me now, bright faces full of curiosity.
âRemember what?â I hear my voice, familiar, yet not, echoing off the walls of the prison ship.
âThe sun.â Eager eyes follow me like sunflowers on a clear day.
I remember. Of course I remember. Even though 50 years have passed since our exile, I still remember the light; blinding and brilliant. Even with my eyes shut tight, I still remember the warm glow. Even in the frozen grip of space, I remember. It was like when you put your hands near the stove, that warmth you feel, only it was everywhere, inside and out. In itâs light, everything was beautiful. In itâs embrace, everything would turn out all right.
But⌠they would not understand. They know naught but the arctic grasp of the abyss. And yet they would miss it all the same.
And I hear my voice again, familiar, and unfamiliar, speaking softly to the children.
âNo, I donât.â
I open my eyes.
And the flowers have wilted.
P.S. This was really fun.
O.o 3deep5me
Anyway I suppose itâs too late, (and will be even later by the time I get mod approval) but I wanted to put this here anyway.
They say that when you die, the last thing you see is a tunnel with a light at itâs end. They also said the mission would be easy. How strange it is that humans believe what they hear so often. So gullible. 3 million creds âjust for routine patrols around a personal space stationâ. Lies. Lies and foolishness. These are the thoughts passing through Nelâs head, as his ship is consumed in a swarm of turbophaser fire. Lies. And everything goes black.
I donât think I need to point out that itâs under 1945 characters.
So, who won?
So, who won?
Maybe this contest ended here by mistake, like that spring vic. tourneyâŚ
Maybe this contest ended here by mistake, like that spring vic. tourneyâŚ
I canât get that out of my system :fed014:
Btw, if this was going on in Russian too, who has the advantage? English or Russian is the shorter language?
I asked Akaurl and he said the winners of âCatch the biomorphâ and âBrevity is the soul of witâ would be announced today.
There was no time or reason, just be patient and wait few hours.
I asked Akaurl and he said the winners of âCatch the biomorphâ and âBrevity is the soul of witâ would be announced today.
There was no time or reason, just be patient and wait few hours.
We are still reading the nice stories:)