Campaign: Damos Crusade
- Personal Journal of Nicole Zachary, Void Mistress.
Quote of the Day[]
"It's not about how bad you crashed, it's about how many enemies you took out in the crash."
- Nathan Zachary
Journal Entry[]
Today brought back memories from my childhood as well as the words of advice that came along with it. The most prominent memory being the advice that uncle Grok gave me whenever I was practicing combat, “Remember Nicki, if you hit someone and they don’t fall down hit harder! If you shoot someone and they don’t fall down, get a bigger gun with more Dakka!” Well earlier today I was able to act on uncle Grok’s advice and shot a man trying to burn me and the bar I was in as well with several other patrons to ground. However Uncle Grok forgot to mention that the harder I hit the harder other people are going to hit back, seems obvious in hindsight. The fight at the bar took a lot out of me, both emotionally and physically. I could still feel the pain from the flamers even though the wounds were gone, yeah I’ve been shot at before but this was the first time I’ve ever nearly been set on fire, if it weren’t for that tech priest helping me activate the sprinkler system I might actually have been worse off than I was when we got help.
After the fiasco at the bar I was poked prodded, and just all around had my privacy invaded by doctors claiming that there was an outbreak or something. It was annoying and uncalled for but whatever got me off that station the better. Eventually I found myself on a shuttle down to Jikah along with a tech-priest with a weird looking respirator. There was also a cute looking young girl only capable of saying one strange word “desu”. Joining us was a man who was making a pass at me at the bar, and wouldn’t leave me alone. I sat as far away from the man as possible taking my seat next to the young girl and the tech priest. As we landed on Jikah, we were approached by an officer and told that we were going to be taken to the officer academy for some kind of test. The four of us got onto a chimera and drove off to the academy. It took about three or four hours to get there, in that time we all introduced ourselves. The tech priest was Millien, according to him a young upcoming rap star from Mars. The man was named Leo apparently he was raised by Crowvus, a Kroot that was part of the original Tarron Damos crew and a friend of my father. I wonder if Crowvus knows his son is a womanizing ass who doesn't know what the words "no" and "I’m not interested" mean. Finally there was the young woman, we weren't able to understand her but there was some name on her armor “Moll”.
After the journey the four of us found ourselves in the nearby vicinity of the officer’s academy, according to the driver the test would be tomorrow morning and that we might want to enjoy ourselves for tomorrow’s test. Three of us followed some of the other recruits to a local restaurant, while Leo ran off to the academy armory for some reason. As we got in me and Moll took a seat at one of the booths and I ordered us some drinks nothing alcoholic just some water. Millen apparently ran up to the stage and was trying to As I put my order in for some Grax Steak the house lights dimmed and the spotlights on the stage lit up revealing a cloaked figure on the stage. The cloaked figure began to sing; the voice was a female one. The melody was smooth and graceful and just a delight to the ears. However the melody held some sorrow with each lyric, and brought a few tears to my eye. The house roared in applause as she finished and walked up the stage. A few minutes later my steak arrived, and at just about the same time Millen had managed to attach speaker to the stage and what he called his “set” was playing out of the speakers. I continued to eat my steak watching Millen’s show the music wasn’t really my taste, but I have to admit the kid had style and it might actually make it one day.
After I finished my meal Moll had gotten up and walked over with Millen and Leo who seemed to be talking to the owner about the cloaked figure. I rolled my eyes and got out of the booth and walked out front taking a deep breath and just enjoying the cool night air. It felt good against my face as I walked out from up under the canopy of the building. Suddenly the unmistakable sound of a power field activating rang through my ears. My training from my mother immediately kicked in and I rolled as I heard a loud clang right behind me. In my roll I had managed to pull out my pistol and once I got to my feet immediately made a blind shot behind me, hitting the wall right next to the figure’s body just grazing her cloak. It was the cloaked person from before, and it had managed to pull its sword back out. Suddenly the sound of jetpack pierced the quit air, and it took off, the flames from the jetpack burned the cloak away as it figure flew up to the top of a nearby building. The figure floated about the building giant angelic like wings keeping it in the air. It slowly descended into the light revealing it to be young woman in her late 20s to early 30s. She was a brunette with cropped hair, and a blue naval uniform with black knee high boots. Her face was cold, and her eyes stern that would make lesser men quiver in fear. It was a look I had gotten many times, but didn’t bother me.
I twirled my pistol back into my holster and raised my arms as I addressed the young woman, a personal and family friend of mine, Erika Damos. She floated down and landed gracefully, and shook my hand as I shook hers. When I questioned about the fact I was nearly lobotomized with the sharp end of a power sword, she gave me some excuse that she was just seeing if I was still as quick as I had been before she went off to the navy for her training. Truth be told I think it was just because the last time we met, I had managed to best her in a foot race. We exchanged a few words about how life had been for the both of us since the last time we had met when suddenly I heard a few footsteps and then the discharge of an energy weapon. I turned to the source of the shot and saw Moll holding a Hotshot lasgun, I wanted to rush moll and throw the weapon out of her hand but immediately disregarded the thought as I tried to make sure that Erika was alright. She was holding her side, the blast hadn’t done much damage but did manage to break through her armor, and give her side some first degree burns and some bleeding. Erika’s eyes turned what I can only describe as demonic as turned around she pointed a plasma pistol and some other energy weapon at Moll. By some miracle Moll was able to roll out of the way, the blasts from the two weapons had left a large crater.
Suddenly we were surrounded by platoon of guard and the guns they had pointed as us. The leader of the guard and some of the other took Erika to get medical attention while the rest of us were escorted back to our temporary apartment. On the way back Leo attempted to break away from the group and make his way back to the armory. Suddenly every gun within 20ft was pointed at him including Mine, Molls, and Millen’s. Leo was forced to step down as the four of us walked back to the apartment, and were put in our separate rooms, Moll was bunking with me as Leo and Millen bunked in their room. After a quick shower and change of clothes and brushing my teeth I collapsed on my bed and drifted off to much needed rest. However my sleep was restless as I dreams were filled with threats by someone, and I could’ve sworn that I had punched someone in the face and I’m pretty sure it wasn’t Moll’s.
The next morning after completing my morning ritual; Moll and I had met Millen and Leo (who for some reason had a black eye) outside where a transport vehicle had come to pick us up. We entered the transport and were greeted by Erika and one of her uncles. I took my seat across from Erika as Millen and Erika’s uncle began some conversation, I didn’t really pay attention. The next thing I knew there was a live grenade on the floor and Erika’s uncle was flipping the pin her just took off. I always thought I would die this way; trapped in a metal box with a live explosive at my feet. Suddenly a bright light came out of Millen’s eye as he disarmed the grenade with a laser. I sighed in relief, he’s got the making to be the fliest tech priest this side of the imperium.
Not much longer after the grenade incident we arrived at the Officer academy where we were all split up. I was taking to the landing strip, the surrounding area of the strip was covered in holes and craters and loose parts from downed ships. I was told to get into a flyer as an instructor was already sitting down in the passanger seat. The man said nothing to me and just nodded, at the pilots seat then back to his data slate. I took my place in the seat and put my hands on the controls, it was like as I was 12 again. I felt my father’s hands on top of mine and could even hear his voice whispering in my ear “Remember Nicole, a ship isn’t just a vehicle it’s an extension of you. Treat it like you would yourself and it will never fail you.” A smile came across my face as I lifted off and felt the forces of gravity push me back into my seat, and the instructor as we flew into the sky. I did a few loops, a couple of corkscrews, and even managed to perform a stalling maneuver and break out of it before it hit the ground. After a while as I set back to the landing strip I noticed the flight instructor reach over for something. I immediately grabbed his hand and shook my head. Son of a bitch was reaching for the wiring that controlled the landing gear. I landed on the strip and unbuckled getting out and nodded toward the instructor as I reached the front of the academy I met back up with Erika, Moll, Millen, and Leo.
Not long after the five of us were herded back into the chimera and set off for another unknown location. Suddenly we found ourselves outside of Tarron Damos’ personal tower, I had been here many times before but there was something about the tower grandeur that always made me feel somewhat inferior. We entered the tower and rode the lift up to the top floor and arrived in Tarron’s office. We walked along the foyer and approached a large desk in the middle of an office. Behind the desk was the king of Jikah himself Tarron Damos. Tarron stood from his desk as the five of us walked a little closer when he raised his hand and yelled. “WHICH ONE OF YOU INGRATES SHOT MY DAUGHTER?!” I was well aware of Tarron’s legendary anger and I’d seen it first hand on many occasions. None of us hesitated to point Moll out. Tarron Walked over to Moll and spoke a few words to her that actually sounded like her was pleased with what had occurred. After that Tarron walked up to a pedestal near his desk and called Erika over. Tarron in front of all of us as handed the paper on the pedestal to his daughter and embraced her in a proud hug. The Warrant of trade had been passed on.
Not long after words we found ourselves at the space port ready to take off, my things on my back when suddenly I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked up and saw a bearded man in his late 40s early 50s looking down at me his brown hair a little grey on the sides. He was wearing a decorated military uniform with medals, and insignias on it. “You just going to leave without saying goodbye?” he asked me with a smile. I felt a sad smile crawl up on my lips as I embraced the man and hugged him tight and told him “Of course not dad, I just didn’t think I’d be leaving so soon.” I told him as I looked up at him. His gentle smile comforted me as he kissed my cheek, “I’m very proud of you Nicole, you’ve grown up into a fine young woman, and you’ll do well on your own. Besides I’m sure we’ll see each other very soon.” I looked up at his face as a single tear formed in his eye as it dripped down to his face. “Actually before I forget someone else wants to…”
Before he could finish the sentence a large figure about 15ft tall began approaching along with several guards. People were rushing to get out of the way of what looked like a large bulldozer as it approached me and my father. “Nicki!” The large creature yelled out! As I felt a power claw gently grab my shoulder. “Uncle Grok!” I yelled out and hugged his metallic body tight, I felt his real arm wrap around my much smaller body in a hug, when I was younger this warboss found a way to hug me without snapping my back in half. “I just wanted to come down here and tell you good luck and to kick some teef in for me!” I nodded “I will uncle Grok and I’ll save you some teef, spoils of a good fight”. Atta gir!” My uncle responded and gave me a tap with his power claw. I smiled giving both my father and my uncle one last hug as I waved goodbye before boarding the vessel. As we departed from the port I looked out the window and saw a woman about 30 with snow white hair standing with my father and uncle she smiled as she saw me and waved me off.
I felt a small tear drop down my cheek as we left port and went into orbit. The planet slowly beomming smaller as my thoughts drifted to the memories of my home, my family, my friends, and everything else that was important to me. I wiped it away and went along my way to my quarters; I decided that wouldn’t despair this is a new opportunity for me. It was high time that this eagle spread her wings and flew.