You can thank Nightwish and 104.3 (The Buzz) for this installment.
People, people, reply in the thread! I need more names for the red shirts!
How is the writing on this one, by the way? It's been forever since I've done action writing.
SCENE ONE HUNDRED SEVENTEEN. EXT. FRIENDLY FLEET – DAY.
We open to see the other half of the fleet, still floating listlessly in space. A massive ship, the BABYLON, sits imposingly in the center of the fleet. Fighters zip back and forth between capital ships, rolling and dodging underneath the various girders and oddly shaped hulls. A small squadron strays a little too far from the fleet, and just as it turns around to return to it’s assigned post, a massive subspace portal opens, and the GRANDEUR rockets out in front of the small crafts, sending them reeling. Several more portals open up throughout the fleet, and LIGHTSPEED’s tiny fleet emerges from the netherworlds of subspace, intermingling with the hulking ships of the Hard Light Fleet. We cut to:
SCENE ONE HUNDRED EIGHTEEN. INT. BABYLON BRIDGE – DAY.
MAEGLAMOR sits in his command chair, when suddenly red blips turn up all across the gigantic holographic board hovering in front of the bridge. He stands up in shock.
MAEGLAMOR: What the hell?
He wheels to face BLACKDOVE, who is tapping away furiously at the console in front of him.
MAEGLAMOR: Sensors, report!
BLACKDOVE turns around, and in a Scottish accent,relates his findings.
BLACKDOVE: Cap’n! I dunno whet they are! They just popped outta subspace!
MAEGLAMOR: Hail them!
He turns and faces the screen, the agitation mounting on his face. BLACKDOVE turns back to his keyboard, and taps away. Still looking down, he shouts to MAEGLAMOR.
BLACKDOVE: I cannot dew it cap’n!
MAEGLAMOR turns in surprise.
MAEGLMAOR: Why the hell not?
BLACKDOVE hits a few keys and turns to point in front of the holographic display board, where a new message window has appeared. Inside it is LIGHTSPEED.
BLACKDOVE: Becuz they’re hailun us cap’n!
MAEGLMAOR turns to look in unmasked surprise at his comrade on the screen.
MAEGLAMOR: What the hell is this all about Lightspeed?
LIGHTSPEED: No time Maeglamor – order all your vessels to power up their weapons systems immediately!
MAEGLAMOR: On whose authority?
LIGHTSPEED: Shrike’s – authorization code Alpha Alpha Niner Zero Tango.
MAEGLAMOR pauses, his expression is unintelligible, although it is certainly a derivative of complete shock.
MAEGLAMOR: Very well…
He turns his head to look behind him and barks out his orders.
MAEGLAMOR: Order all fleet vessels to come up to combat power!
He turns a different direction.
MAEGLAMOR: Bring all forward batteries online, and power up engines for maximum strain!
He sits back down in his chair as the bridge comes alive as the crew frantically carries out his orders. LIGHTSPEED and MAEGLMAOR look at each other for a second, and they both nod. LIGHTSPEED’s window disappears, to be replaced with a large table detailing each ship’s status in the fleet. Fade to:
SCENE ONE HUNDRED NINETEEN. INT. MACHINA TERRA FORUM – DAY.
STYXX is sitting in his office, his feet propped up on the desk. He holds a small shot glass of a yellowish liquid up to his face, watching as it refracts the light into different colors. His phone rings. He sits up, setting the glass on the table, and picks up the phone.
STYXX: Yes…?
He nods.
STYXX: Excellent…
He nods again.
STYXX: Proceed at your discretion, Mr. Smart…
He puts the phone down, and looks off into the distance for a second. He then looks at it again, picks it up, and presses a button, holding it up to his ear. We cut to:
SCENE ONE HUNDRED TWENTY. INT. NEO TERRA VICTORIOUS FORUMS – DAY.
The situation is now much more under control – troops are lined up behind hastily constructed barricades, fidgeting nervously. SHRIKE and KALFIRETH are behind a mech, trying vainly to fix a broken hydraulics line. SHRIKE is up to his waist inside the back panel, and a loud banging is heard from inside the mech. KALFIRETH is outside, when suddenly, a small ringing is heard. He quickly glances at SHRIKE, then picks a small phone out of his pocket, lifting it up to his ear, huddling away from his friend.
KALFIRETH: Hello…?
STYXX: Eliminate the objective. I will be listening.
KALFIRETH moves the phone to his other hand. He reaches down from his vest and shakily unclips his pistol. He lowers it to his side, and, his voice level, calls SHRIKE out from inside.
KALFIRETH: Shrike…
SHRIKE gets up, and looks at the gun unfazed.
KALFIRETH: I’m sorry.
KALFIRETH raises the gun to SHRIKE’s chest and fires a single shot, point blank. SHRIKE drops to the deck like a sack of bricks, and KALFIRETH lifts the phone up to his ear.
KALFIRETH: Did you hear…?
STYXX: Yes. Good work…
The phone hangs up, and KALFIRETH replaces it into his pocket. He looks down at SHRIKE solemnly for a moment, then nudges him with his boot. SHRIKE rolls over and groans.
SHRIKE: Ow…I thought you said they were rubber…
KALFIRETH: I said I would try to get rubber – but it’s so hard to find the right ammo these days.
SHRIKE looks up at him, surprised, then looks at his chest. A neat hole is burrowed into the front of his vest, and when he rolls over, a squashed metal pellet falls out.
SHRIKE: Oh…
KALFIRETH laughs and extends a hand.
KALFIRETH: Come on, before people start wondering about that shot.
SHRIKE smiles weakly and grabs KALFIRETH’s hand, and his hoisted up to his feet. The two chuckle and KALFIRETH brushes SHRIKE off, when suddenly a loud banging is heard on one of the doors. It subsides, only to be replaced by an even louder banging on all four of the days. The noise grows stronger and stronger, and dents begin to pop out of the doors, in the shape of hands. Then the noise stops. SHRIKE and KALFIRETH run to one of the barricades and huddle down behind it. Soldiers cock and ready their weapons, and mechs spin their engines up.
Silence…
Suddenly, a loud thumping is heard from outside the door they are in front of. The entire assembly turns to watch, the fear is almost tangible. It seems to be growing louder and louder until finally, with a colossal bang, a massive metallic hand rips through the doorway, sending thousands of sharp metal shards skittering across the room. It rotates and another hand slides through the opening, and begin to peel the door apart like an onion. In steps one giant foot, then another. The machine enters, gradually rearing up to it’s towering height, much larger than that of the measly defense’s mechs. We cut to NICO, huddled behind another barricade on the far side of the room.
NICO: My God…it’s…it’s unbalanced!
The mech turns, it’s bright red visor narrowing sharply. It raises it’s right arm, then slams it down, locking it into place. Taking aim at one of the opposite doors, it lets loose a colossal ion beam, lancing forward and blowing the opposite door to pieces. NICO and his squad cower under a shower of debrees, as chunks of the door fly overhead. The gaping maw that was once a door is quiet and dark for a few seconds…and then a loud skittering sound is heard. It grows louder and louder until finally thousands upon thousands of noobs begin clawing over one another, streaming out of the doorway. NICO sits up and sees the sight. Raising his arm over his head, he brings it down forcefully, his hand facing forward.
NICO: Open fire!
Letting loose a fearsome battle cry, his troops raise their weapons and begin to fire blindly into the oncoming horde. Noobs are cut down left and right, bullets piercing their soft flesh and sending them reeling. NICO takes aim with his grenade launcher and fires a single round, sending it sailing through the first noob’s head and detonating it in the second’s. We cut back to SHRIKE and KALFIRETH, who turn to face their own battle. SHRIKE waves his arm towards the mech detachment, and points them towards the colossal noob mech. The lead Hard Light mech nods it’s head and repeats the gesture to his squadmates. SHRIKE and KALFIRETH, meanwhile turn to their own doorway, which is by now swarming with thousands of screeching noobs.
SHRIKE: All squads, open fire!
The cavernous forum comes alive with gunfire from both sides, as the thousands of enemy troops advance on the already miniscule defense. Chairs and couches are ripped up in the crossfire. One of the noobs gets over the wall and rips into an unlucky member, grabbing his head and ripping it from his body. He manages to chuck it at another forum member before TURNSKY dispatches him with a burst of automatic fire to the head. Another noob leaps the barrier and is about to land on TURNSKY before he is cut out of the sky by MONGOOSE. TURNSKY turns and grins at his savior, who gives him a thumbs up sign in return.
Meanwhile, a few steps away, several HL mechs are engaged in a deadly ten on one battle with the overpowered noob dreadnaught. We cut to:
SCENE ONE HUNDRED TWENTY ONE. INT. REDMENACE’S COCKPIT- DAY.
We are now inside one of the mechs. REDMENACE sits in the cramped nerve center, his face set in grim determination. His mech rocks, and his face lights up as he lets loose with cannon fire. Through his headset we can hear scattered radio messages from his forces.
REDMENACE: Keep it together! HotSnoJ! Get behind it, get behind it!
REDMENACE quickly looks to the left, and his eyes widen.
REDMENACE: Aw ****…
We cut to:
SCENE ONE HUNDRED TWENTY TWO. INT. NEO TERRA VICTORIOUS FORUMS – DAY.
We cut outside just in time to see a massive left arm come flying out from the enemy dreadnaught, smacking straight into the side of REDMENACE’s mech, sending it reeling into the opposite wall. It slumps to the ground, an enormous indent in the steel plating behind it. The red eye fades, and when it goes completely black, we cut to:
SCENE ONE HUNDRED TWENTY THREE. INT. GRANDEUR BRIDGE – DAY.
LIGHTSPEED is sitting in his chair impatiently tapping his finger.
LIGHTSPEED: What’s the status on the Atlantis…?
SENSORS OFFICER: They have just arrived sir.
A green blip on LIGHTSPEED’s holographic display confirms the statement. He nods and speaks to himself.
LIGHTSPEED: (Mumbling) Well…we’re here…where are you…?
As if to answer his prayers, his SENSORS OFFICER turns toward him in near-panic.
SENSORS OFFICER: Sir! Incoming jump signatures detected! Hostile configuration!
LIGHTSPEED: Launch all fighters, and inform the fleet to do so as well.
Suddenly, red blips begin appearing all over the screen, followed by several large green ones. LIGHTSPEED nods.
LIGHTSPEED: Inform all Hard Light vessels to change their IFF coding for all new friendly jump signatures to hostile, and do the same for us.
His SENSORS OFFICER nods, and LIGHTSPEED settles back into his seat, thinking out loud once again.
LIGHTSPEED: (Mumbles) Traitors…
Cut to:
SCENE ONE HUNDRED TWENTY FOUR. EXT. SPACE – DAY.
Masses of vessels are now lined up in a loose quasi-formation, ready to do battle. Hard Light Station hovers in the distance, beckoning to the warriors like an ancient Siren. The massive ships turn towards each other. A single torpedo lances out from one of the smaller vessels in the front. It grows nearer and nearer to the main vessel in the center of the fleet, when suddenly, hundreds of flack bursts explode around it, detonating it in space. As if a flare gun had been shot off, the battle was afoot, the massively outnumbered Hard Light forces engines roaring into life as they rocketed towards the enemy. Torpedoes and flack bursts light up the black sky as the battle begins. We cut to:
SCENE ONE HUNDRED TWENTY FIVE. INT. CORSAIR’s COCKPIT – DAY.
We are greeted by the familiar green glow of the fighter cockpit, except now every system is alert and alive with activity. CORSAIR presses a few buttons and the instruments change slightly. He speaks into his radio.
CORSAIR: Alright everyone…line up, check your targets, and cover each other’s asses, and maybe some of us will get home alive.
CORSAIR flips a switch, and his instruments come alive with new data.
CORSAIR: Alpha One, weapons free and hot. All fighters – weapons are hot.
Suddenly, SINGH lets out a guttural battle cry and blasts forward, his tiny fighter rocketing past CORSAIR. CORSAIR smirks and chuckles, then flips the safety off his throttle lever, slamming it forward and rocketing after his wingman.
CORSAIR: Let’s rock and roll!
Cut to:
