City of IF

[LordoftheNight]

Anything then? How about Captain Jves tries to have Pax arrested - it's obvious he still doesn't trust him, regardless of what Kevel says - and he'll most likely be affronted at Pax's arrogance.

Wouldn't surprise me if he tried to have Pax taken/shot and framed, claiming he was breaking into something/stealing something/killing someone. Afterall, no-one trusts an alien.

[Kalanna Rai]

New poll, finally up!

[Kalanna Rai]

And it's a new Pax chappy for all three of you avid fans out there...Enjoy!
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Chapter Seven: Past and Present

Pax had only grown jumpier during their voyage. Jves never actually tried anything but that sense of impending doom Pax had wasn't going away. It was just tying his gut into tight knots and making his fingers itch. He couldn't even get a decent workout on Interceptor since she lacked high strength equipment suitable for Pax's use. He'd have destroyed the standard grade equipment they had.

Now, finally, the redevouz with Liart and Gaia was coming about as planned. Pax had gotten satisfaction out of the look on Jves face when he relayed to Kevel that they were going to transfer to the flagship. He'd looked sick and crestfallen, and had glared particularly hard at Pax even though Pax knew the man couldn't have guessed he'd had anything to do with it.

Things had progressed well back on Terra Prime as well with, as Pax had hoped, William taking credit for the idea of making Pax the contact agent for the Stellaris Conven. Everything was going according to plan...and yet he still felt nervous. When the hatch dilated open he barely managed to not gut the young ensign that bowed low and offered to lead them to the docking bay.

On the trip through the ship his unease continued to grow...something was wrong, desperately wrong. Yet he couldn't place it, it wasn't a tangible danger yet and not even he could fight something with no substance. That didn't stop his back muscles from winding tighter than steel cable and his eyes from flicking back and forth. "Surely you don't think he'll try something here, infront of everyone."

Pax glanced at Kevel and shrugged. "I'm prepared for anything. Men like Jves are not always the most rational...especially when they see their quarry escaping." He switched his duffel to his other shoulder and checked his acess to that one certain pocket. Confidant he was ready for nearly anything he relaxed slightly as they entered the docking bay.

There was the usual formality of saluting and marching and showing off. Then they were ushured into the transport pod Gaia had sent for them. In moments Pax was sitting in a float-chair in front of Liart's desk, Kevel having been ushered off by a couple of young Guardians that usually protected Liart. Pax shook his head as they left. "Things must be bad if you've got Guardians on board."

Liart shrugged, settling into his own chair. "Dogma's been quiet but when Kevel disappeared and word about the Stellaris Conven got out security shot up to high alert." He took two cups from a recess in the wall and grabbed a decanter of some clear liquid from another before returning to his seat. Pouring generous amounts into both he offered one to Pax who took the proffered drink with a smile.

Sipping it lightly the grin deepened when he tasted the Vodka. "Got you hooked on it didn't I?" Liart laughed.

"You did indeed old friend." For a moment the men sat in silence sipping their spirits. Then Liart slid a pillow-like black rectangle across the desk to Pax. "It's all in there."

Pax gently stroked the surface and watched the surface shimmer and change. A commands list appeared, written in Dementia ship-code and Pax tapped it back into sleep mode. "You do realized I'm going to transfer over to it asap?"

Liart nodded. "I guessed as much. You never were one for our ships with all their failings. Not when you had that little gem to work with. I've made sure that none of the crew have any reason to be in hangar C at ten past."

Lifting his drink to Liart, Pax downed the last of it and got to his feet. "Well I'd best be on my way if I want to get her wings spread again. I'll contact you when I've got all systems up. We've got quite a bit talking to do."

Liart sighed and finished his own drink, reaching across the table to clasp hands with Pax. Shaking his head he favored Pax with one of his rare smiles. "It seems we never get more than a minute away from pressing business for old friends."

Pax laughed, reversing the grip so that it was the strong hold of brothers' in arms. "Men like us should be lucky we've got old friends. We're damn lucky we're old at all..." Releasing his former pupil Pax nodded to him. "Goodnight Admiral."

"Goodnight Admiral," Liart replied as the door contracted shut behind Pax.
-------------------------------

An hour or so later Pax looked around hanger C one last time to reassure himself nobody was there. Then he stroaked the surface of the black shape again, selecting commands as fast as they appeared. With a final selection he hurled the rectangle at the center of the hanger and stepped back as it unfolded itself to several times it's former size. The black shape now stretched across the hanger in a wide oval, larger by half than the Regaliance fighters stored along the hanger's walls.

Touching a button on his wrist unit Pax stared intently at the blackness, waiting for the first sign of it to appear. Slowly, after a few moments, a rippling was discernable in the center of the dark. That ripple quickly materialized into the nose of a ship, the rest of which quickly followed. But oh what a ship! She was like nothing known to man-kind, nothing built by Phalt, the Regaliance, Dogma, or the Rim Worlds.

She was a Dementia fighter, the prototype Hellion-class his father had been working on for several years before his death. Like Pax she was the only one of her kind and, like Pax, she still looked like new. Pax smiled, knowing just how badly humanity would pay to have the technology that ran her...and how unsuitable for their use it was. The Hellion played to the strengths of the Star-Children with her open grav feild and flux drives that doled out high radiation levels.

Yet for all that she was sleekly deadly, as black as empty space and as dangerous as a black hole. With a smile Pax walked past her to where the zero-space crate loomed across the hanger bay. Finding the left bottom corner Pax began to touch it again and more commands appeared. When he finished this time the crate shrank back in on itself, the rest of it's contents locked away for now. Pax stuffed the crate in his duffle and turned to face his ship once more.

Tapping several commands on his wrist unit it took him a few minutes to work his way inside. Once there he settled down behind the controls and started her up, each new systems go green-light relaxing him further until his earlier worries were all but forgotten. Signalling the hanger doors to open via remote, Pax started his baby up and urged her out into open space. This was where he belonged, at the controls of his own ship, alone in the vastness of space to persue his own agenda.

But he dutifully stopped when he was just at the edge of sight lock with Gaia, setting his ship into a trailing course with the big flagship and turning her sheilds on. He recessed the control panel, making it fuse into a flat work-surface instead, and reaching into his duffel for his computer. A few minutes later he was staring at the screen in blank horror, his fears roaring in his ears.

A message blinked on his screen in poisonus green type...

Hello my friend, we meet again.
It's been awhile Pax but I've finally managed
to crack your system again. So I'm giving you
fair warning. Stay away from the Conven.
You Chose your side long ago, traitor, and we
are not about to forget it. Though we're
loath to forget Dementia and all those
who died with her, we must cut off this
rotting limb if our body is to survive. So Pax,
enjoy your freedom while you can for
I've no doubt you'll try to contact us and
when you do...I'll kill you.

Mara

Pax stared in shock at the screen for a long time. Mara...he could almost feel her again. He missed Mara like a person might miss a vital part of them. All these years later he'd never stopped loving her, his Bloodshead maid. But she'd never forgiven him for staying with the Vectel's, she'd even tried to kill him three or four times, coming closer each time.

Now she'd hacked his computer just to tell him warn him how deeply the hatred had spread. Traitor was he? That hurt, bit real deep into what was left of the pre-destruction Pax. There wasn't much of that young man left in the Upgraded body bathed in the computer's glowing light. But what was left cried out to the man he'd become, asking him why he continued to follow this path to destruction.

Reaching into the screen, past the message, Pax pulled out the golden locket housed in the zero space. He stared at it for a few moments before he gently pulled the chain over his head. He stared at the locket itself for a few more moments before pressing the trigger that opened it again.

Instantly the recorded images of his mother and father smiled out at him, their smiles pinched by the look of some nameless fear and stress. "Son, if you're getting this no doubt we're dead." His father's voice boomed out at him, filling the small cabin as it might have in life. "And that means that the Dementia herself may well be under attack, or even destroyed."

"Pax. In this locket I've contained the plans and specifications for not only Dementia herself but the Hellion-class fighters and the personal War-suits. If things come to pass as we foresee then you must use these things to defend our people. I've got to go now son, your mother has things she wants said. Remember...I'm proud of you. Stand true for what you believe in and never yeild your throat to an opponant."

Then his father was gone and his mother's silvery voice filled the cabin. "Pax, honey, I know you're probably hurting but you've got to listen to us. You're the only person in a position to help now. I've put the standard Upgrade files this locket as well as those for Hyper state. I'm not sure Hyper will work but if there's no other choice, use it." She paused for a moment, blinking back tears.

"Honey I wish it didn't have to be this way. But your Father says they'll move on us any day, the rest of the ships too. I took the liberty of stealing their files through the main data net and sending them in a direct download to The Hellion's banks. If you ever need access that information, just put the locket into the key slot and follow the protocol prompts." She bit her lip again. "Remember honey that I love you and that I'll never stop loving you, no matter where I am and that, someday, we might be together again."

As the wavering images faded only a last message, the message that kept him going, remained. "You will hold the Children together my son. You are Captain in my stead. You will rebuild our losses and you will show them why we were best left alone. Goodbye Pax. Good luck."

"Goodbye Sweetie."

Closing his fist around the locket, he bowed his head. A single tear coursed down his face to splash against his white knuckles. "I won't let you down. I'll find them and all those responsible shall pay. I promise...I promise..."

Letting the locket fall Pax glanced at space beyond Hellion's windows, at Mara's message, and back at the windows. "The day is coming when the sword will fall and retribution will be swift. Those I loved did no die in vain...and I am no Traitor..."
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What's Pax's next move?
-------------------------

Hope you liked.

[Crunchyfrog]

Good chapter! The main character is rounding out nicely now. Hmm, what to do next...

Try something on the computer to fool Mara. (not sure quite what, though) She can get into his system, so she can do all sorts of things, potentially. Her reaction could have some interesting consequences.

Alternatively, follow the instructions given by his parents recordings in the locket.

[LordoftheNight]

I think I'm going to F5 Crunchy here.

If you need another idea though, then he could simply ignore Mara. Try and plant a false lead perhaps, and then disappear with the Fleet.

[Kalanna Rai]

No...if you're both agreeing on one thing I don't need to put up a poll...

[Crunchyfrog]

I dunno there 's 3 options there - Fool Mara, Follow instructions in locket, or ignore Mara... :D

[Kalanna Rai]

Alright, you convinced me. Poll is up.

[Lilith]

Sorry Rai! I kinda .... um.... er... forgot about this one... but I'm caught up now!

Oh and I voted! So there! Nyah!

[Kalanna Rai]

Long overdue but worth waiting for. Enjoy!
-----------------------

Chapter Eight: Royal Return

The scene earlier that day had been one of opulence and splendour. The whole of the upper eschelon of the Regaliance had turned out to watch as Kevlen Richardson Vectel was returned home safe and sound. And many of that same crowd and all the masses watching via live holofeed noted the young bodyguard that moved with such assurance just behind him. Only a very few of all those watching made the connection between the young bodygaurd now shadowing Kevel, and the legendary Pax Dementia the 'chef' of Gallum Vectel.

Now, Pax stood in a room he'd stood in a million times before. The carpet had been changed, the walls painted, the furnature switched all to suit a different man's tastes. It was no longer Gallum sitting behind that desk, the desk of the King of the Regaliance...it was William. And Pax was no longer standing behind that chair behind that desk, he was standing infront of it occasionally locking eyes with the new grim-faced bodyguard.

William made a great show of shuffling papers and ignoring Pax. But a sane person could only ignore Pax so long before that little voice in the back of their brains piped up. It was like ignoring a solar flair or a sudden grave feild flux. Potentally fatal. Finally, William looked up. "Ah Pax, sorry about the wait. Have a seat." A hover chair sprang into place where his hand indicated. Pax settled into it in the manner of a man totally at ease with his surroundings.

The bodyguard, a man Pax didn't recognize and he found that strange, stiffened at the implied insult. Pax took his eyes off the man and lazily studied William's face. He was ready for an Upgrade since wrinkles were appearing at the corners of his eyes and mouth and William never could stand looking even the slightest bit old. William put away his papers and steepled his fingers infront of him, smiling grimly at Pax.

"Well the cat's out of the bag now I'm afraid. I don't think anyone will believe the old 'I'm a chef' lie anymore."

"Naturally they won't sar. However, they'll believe that your son treked across the stars to find me because I am, simply put, the only Star-Child loyal to the Regaliance...and by extension Humanity as you know it." William flinched at that last bit, his face having gone stoney.

"Ah yes, there is that. Still, seeing you in your prime very few people could doubt you're a warrior. A seasoned veteran of many campaigns."

Pax chuckled. William was grasping at straws. "And well they shouldn't. I was Home Fleet Admiral for that one breif period of time. I didn't earn that just by being friends with your brother William. Anybody willing to dig through my past will find nothing to suggest I was ever the Royal bodyguard. They find my carrer history as a soldier in the Fleet, my carrer history as his majesty's personal chef, and a note that I was His Majesty's advisor in Star-Children Affairs...a position I inhabit once again."

William leaned back in his chair. "It seems that, once again, you've got it covered Pax. I should have trusted you. However, some changes have been made in the time you've been gone. Your security clearance is no longer what it once was. You'll just have to get used to not discussing my every move with me. You're not MY private guard, please do not attempt to act as such."

Pax's eyes flashed dangerously. "I hate to admit it William but while I'll die to keep you alive, I'd rather not have to. Get my meaning." And just like that an old hatred was brought out of the dark corners of both men's souls and laid bare in the light. Pax stood, slowly, and gave a cool nod. "I'd salute you but technically since I'm no longer militarily employed nor am I an actual citizen of the Regaliance any longer...I don't have to."

William had stood on his side, his bodyguard half drawing his weapon. He smiled frostily at Pax. "Dementia, your citizenship is being reactivated due to your new rank in the government. I suggest you get used to showing me fealty since it's now expected of you. You're my subject, not my friend. Let's be clear about that."

For a moment they both stared at each other, then Pax inclined his head breifly. That was all the deference William would get from him. "Yes sar." Without asking for dismissal, Pax walked out...daring the guard to shoot him in the back.

The bodyguard groweled but subsided once Pax had left the room. "Sire, you can't allow him to treat you like that! It'll only weaken your position with the Council and the Outcouncil deligates. You need to show them that this...thing...can be brought to heel."

William sighed and shook his head. "I don't understand how my brother did it. They were so close...Was it just from being comrades? Was it just being friends? Or were they lovers as some have suggested? What made Pax so special to him? What made Pax respect him?" William stopped short, loosening his collar and taking several calming breaths. "It doesn't matter. Pax won't bend and Pax won't break, just like the other freaks of his kind. So I've got a way to deal with them and him at the same time. I'll send them a message both frightening and yet with overtones of goodwill."

The bodyguard looked at his charge with puzzlement. "How sire?" William didn't comment, only smiled nastily.
----------------------------

Pax looked around and tapped his foot. He hated waiting for auto shuttles, the damn things always made him nervous. Without a pilot or even controls, how was one supposed to make sure they went exactly where you told them too? Any fool with half a brain could override their programming and send you hurtling into deep space. Yet he wasn't about to let someone attempt to shuttle him to Hellion. It was safer to let the robot do it.

Finally the doors infront of him dialated and he passed through the tiny iris into the shuttle itself. He could have avoided this by landing Hellion in the secure facilities at the Palace but something in his gut told him he, and his ship, were better staying offworld and out of sight. They had his commlink, they could call if they needed him. There was a jolt as the shuttle disengaged from the station. <Destination?>

Pax handed out the coordinates of Hellion's location. <There is no ship currently at coordinates.>

"There will be when we get there." A ding signalled the computer's acceptance of his answer and the shuttle thrusters engaged. For a few moments everything was going smoothly and Pax couldn't figure out why every gut instinct he had was screaming this was a bad idea. He accessed Hellion via his wrist unit and was in the process of beaming commands when the shuttle suddenly went haywire.

<Programming change. Course correction. Airlocks open in three minutes.>

"Shit." Pax muttered. He gazed at his wrist and noted the little red symbol that told him jammers were being employed on the shuttle. Somebody didn't want him sending any distress messages or calls for course correction. Somebody didn't realize they needed far more jamming power too isolate Pax. Indeed even had they succeeded, Hellion was programmed to proceed to last known spot of transmission and sweep for either vital signs or craft in the immediate vacinity.

A few minutes later the shuttle came to a halt. <Airlock opening in 5...4...3...2...1...Airlock open.> The door diliated open and for a moment Pax idley wondered if his ship had attached in time. Luckily for him it had or that would have been a swift end of him. He transferred quickly and, once in the cockpit, targeted the shuttle with one of his 'discreet' weapons.

Squeezing the trigger he watched with a satisfied smile as the shuttle seemed to impload...much the way it would have had the airlock opened to a vaccume. He backed Hellion away from Terra Prime and Luna..."That bastard." He had a sneaking suspicion he knew exactly who was behind this quaint little send off because there were only three people who knew about his shuttle fears...and one of them was dead. "William..."
-----------------------------

How will Pax deal with this new development?
---------------------------

Sorry for the wait, hope you enjoyed....

[Lilith]

Hmm...

So, William wants Pax dead, does he? But does Pax have connections that can send a message right back to William and shove it in William's face that he failed in his attempt to kill Pax?

[Kalanna Rai]

I think Pax's continued survival will stick in William's craw whether he sends a message or not...but I like the suggestion! :D

[Crunchyfrog]

I say ignore it. I think it was done purely to get at a weakness of his. Rather an elaborate attempt to try and put the willies up someone, especially when the ship he's docking with is more than capable of dealing with little hiccups, and it would probably take a lot more to rattle Pax.

So, yeah, ignore it. It might lead to even more elaborate and spectacular attempts in the future though, which is all for a good read!

[Kalanna Rai]

Okay...go for the poll!

[Kalanna Rai]

Aww...one vote...just one? All I need.

[Lilith]

Oh shit... I tied it... *hides* sorry Rai

[Kalanna Rai]

I know it's been a long time coming but doing something flamboyant was 410% out of character for Pax. So it took me some time to figure out just how to write this chappy. Still, I have figured it out. Enjoy!
-------------------------

Chapter Nine: Long Buried Secrets

Grimly staring at his control consol Pax contimplated his response to this ill advised attempt on his life. Normally he wouldn't have let such a thing ruffle him, he wouldn't have dignified it with a response. But for some reason, maybe the replayed messages of his parents, maybe the threat letter from his former love, all the years of cool he'd collected failed him. He knew what he was going to do. It was time to show William that one could be king and still not have absolute power.

He took the time to send out a few messages to a few people, ignoring the frantic responses that came zinging back almost instantly. Instead he made Hellion acess the main Regaliance database, hard linking it via direct ground cable satallite. His fingers hovered over the keyboard for a moment, mind thinking of the billions that were going to be affected by this. Then he entered the keystroke command known only to him and one other...and that other was now dead.

Gallum had foreseen a need for a password only he and Pax knew, a password that could be used only in time of emergency...or a coup. For all his faults, Gallum had never been blind to William's ambitions. "This is for you old friend." Pax said solomnly as he entered the last key command.

Instantly options appeared on his screen and he ordered Hellion to scan quickly, picking out anything pertaining to 'Star Children' or 'Pax Dementia' or 'Omega Blade' the code name he'd often worked under when Gallum had something 'covert' for him to do. To spare himself the gossip collumns for the past 150 years he also had it scan only documents marked 'Highly Secret', 'Most Secret', 'Top Secret', and 'Code Royale'.

As soon as these, and the entire contents of William's personal files, were copied onto Hellion's aux databank, Pax entered a keystroke he never thought he'd have to use. A blinking prompt appeared on the screen.

<Initiate System Purge y/n?>

"Yes." Another prompt followed.

<Initiate Memory Wipe y/n?>

For a moment Pax paused. It was one thing to purge the system leaving it open and unprotected for anyone to steal all the information the Regalaiance possessed. It was another to erase that data perminantly. His fingers trembled then gave the command. "No." He quickly typed something else.

<Initiating Memory Lock....please enter priority code.>

"Code Omega. Lockdown Black."

<Verified. Memory Files Locked. Access terminating in 1 second.>

Just like that Pax had brought the most powerful power in human space to it's knees. Without access to the memory of the main databank, no other databank anywhere in the Regaliance was worth spit. He'd just cut them off from everything, from simple holophone contact lists to Galactic Defense secrets. And he was willing to be his ship-mark that Phault, Dogma, and even the Rim Worlds had just downloaded everything they could in that instant the main datastream was unprotected.

Almost instantly his comm screen began to blip. Pax took a moment to have Hellion initiate a search for anything concerning the Five then turned his attention to the com. Hitting a button he saw Liart's sweat sheened face staring at him. "Pax...I've never questioned you before but...WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO?"

"A better question is, why does William want me dead?"

Liart gestured about him. "You just shut us down Pax! The only reason I'm even able to talk to you right now is because I've got your direct comm number memorized. Who doesn't want you dead?"

"Myself for one. You for two or you'd be figuring out a way to jerry-rig a nuke and blow me out of space. I know...I trained you." For a moment they stared at one another until Liart nodded.

"You realize once he gets it up and running William is going to but a bounty the like of which has never been seen on your head Pax?"

"Then they can pick a number Liart. Now, if you don't mind, I've got some search results to read. You know where to contact me and be assured I'll be around." With that he terminated the connection on a spluttering Liart. Enlarging the holoscreen he pulled up the scan results, a massive listing.

He chewed his lip abscently. "Eliminate all results not entered during a period no greater than three months prior to disctruction of the Five, no less than three months after." The listing shrank considerably and Pax's sharp eyes noted a pattern. "Eliminate all results not marked with the personal seal of William Richardson Vectel."

The results shrank to a page worth and Pax had a cold feeling all over. There were corrispondence messages to Dogma, Phault, and the Rim Worlds. There were military duty rosters, transfer approvals, and engagment instructions. There was tactical coordination and even a few execution orders just to spice up the mix. With fingers that trembled from dread and rage long pent up Pax opened the files and began to read.

What unfolded before his eyes was a plot of such tenacity and complexity Pax was shocked that someone like William could have come up with it. Yet as he searched Williams files further there was no doubt that the xenophobic royal had hatched the brilliantly deadly plan that had nearly erased the Star Children from existance. He'd started planning it when his Father had opened negotiations, the first monarch in history to treat the Star Children as equals.

He'd been extremely motivated when Gallum had been sent to Dementia and, Pax was chilled to find, he'd become cemented in his course of action when Pax himself had returned with Gallum. He'd hoped that when the Five were destroyed, Pax would blame Gallum and assassinate him, thus giving William the excuse to hunt every last Star Child down. The bitterness William expressed in his notes when this senario had not gone as planned was evident in his further notes.

Pax sat in stunned horror for a long time, tears coursing down his face as he thought of all those destroyed by one human's hatred. Even many of the officers and Fleet personelle involved in the incident had been terminated at Williams express orders...killed in this or that battle. This murder made look like an accident. Horrible things done to cover up a secret that could destory him if it got out. "And get out it will."

Pax's fists clenched as he pulled up Mara's letter and reverse traced it. He had to hop several computers to get a current signal on her, she wasn't stupid after all. But find her he did, she couldn't hide from him. Quickly he composed a small note to her and waited for a reply. It wasn't long coming.

Traitor, you've some balls talking to me.

And you're a fool Mara Bloodshead for thinking I could ever betray my Neighbors for the Ground Pounders.

A fool am I? I'm not the one who sleeps with my enemies! With those who nearly erased us from existance!

Sometimes you must sleep with the serpent to crush it's head.

Are you suggesting that you've decapitated the Regalaiance? Have you killed the Vectels?

Now why would I do that when they're so busy doing it themselves? No I've not killed anyone...yet. Merely paralyzed them.

YOU? You're the one that opened the Database to access? You're the one that's shut them down? You've got my attention.

That's good Mara. You're starting to sound intelligent. Now listen carefully, I've got some information every Star Child will be willing to trade their lives for. I know who's responsible for the loss of the Five...
------------------------------

What response does Pax get?
---------------------------

Sorry if it's short but hopefully you liked.

[Lilith]

Whoot! It's moving again!

I am going to say he gets an eagerly awaiting response...and a bit of shock as well.

[Kalanna Rai]

PUBLIC NOTICE: This storygame has been discontinued.

Z, will you please move this to the Archives?