Fan Writing Comps (Prizes from Green Stuff Industries!)

Hey all!

Well, I reckon it's time for the "Unofficial Writing Competition - Part 4"!

Okay, I think this time we pump the word limit up a bit, and start giving ourselves some breathing room to develop the story/characters/w.h.y. a little bit more. Or, this could just be me acknowledging that I really have issues sticking to 750 words. Ahem. Anyway, 3 weeks for the deadline, and then we'll maybe try to squeeze in one more before Xmas.

I've just picked up the Reconquest: Phase 2 book and read through some of the fluff, and I'm pretty keen on exploring what has happened in Atlantia. So for the prompt this time, how about we try to add a little to the canon? (For those who don't know, basically Salakahn - Feral Resistance Warlord - was in cahoots with the PHR for a while to fight the UCM in Atlantia. A large UCM force entered the city to fight off the Scourge, and the PHR were keen to recover something (we don't know what) before the city was lost. Salakahn broke his alliance with the PHR, and set off some nukes, slaughtering the UCM, Scourge and PHR in the process - it's not even known whether he escaped himself...)

Prompt: "The Last Days of Atlantia"
Length: 1000 words
Final Submission Date: 21st October WHOOPS! Forgot to change the date, obviously. Sry - let's make that 2nd December. Thanks all!

Have a play with the above events. Obviously four of the factions are represented in there, but there's no reason a Shaltari force couldn't be knocking about the city for some reason (and actually, there may be mention of them being there in the book - I just don't have it with me right now). Also, Karl Foley - of the Allied Resistance - has been hunting Salakahn for a while, so you've even got grounds for using the "good" Resistance if you wish.

No prize supported expected for this one, so let's just get some words down.

Cheers!

Baz

I'm playing about with something relating to UCMF actually in the fleet rather than aeronautica but time is really tight, so entirely possible with uni I may not get something together...

I think I've ever so slightly broken the word count, but damned if I'm not proud of this one. Hopefully you lot enjoy it. Major Torlen makes an appearance once again. I may include her again, before she begins running missions for naval theory

Atmo-Picket, Eden Prime
Santiago class Corvette UCMS Lyra Belaqua, Lt.Cmdr Hicks commanding
“Captain on the bridge” The familiar call rang out from the bo’sun’s bellowing lungs and the crew stood to a very relaxed attention. Immediately behind Hicks was an unfamiliar face in the cream and navy dress uniform of the air wing. Her lithe and tall figure gave it away: fighter pilot. Her blonde hair cropped close at her neck and out of her piercing blue eyes, leaving no illusions that she was just a pretty face in a staff uniform.
“This is Major Tørlen, she is on secondment from R. Sharpe, the flagship. You can assume she is good at her job. The rumors are she’s descended from the valkyries of legend, far as i’ve seen her fly, I can confirm. She has a few words to say to you.”

A few long strides took her to the side of the captain’s chair and her crystal clear voice rang out with just a twinge of an old nordic accent. “I’m on secondment by Captain Lukas’ orders, you might as well know, you’re the butt of all the fleet’s jokes. You sit skimming the upper atmo, waiting in case any scourge frigates pop up and radio for us big guns on the Sharpe. That changes, now. Rig for silent running, drop to high troposphere and run out the high gain sensors. Radio silence is in effect as of now. All comms gear goes off as of now.”
There was a hesitation. The thought was obvious: who was this fighter jock to order us about, we the mighty mavericks of the UCMF, rebellious as our namesake, Lyra of old Oxford. That was until Tørlen spotted a flicker of dissent in the body language of the voidsman 3rd class standing to her right.
The next thing anyone knew, he had been flipped over the bridge rail and was flat on his back below the captain’s dias.
“These are our orders, they will be followed to the letter or so help me I will end your sorry pathetic existences one by one with an airlock. I won’t repeat this: Action Stations, Condition Black now in effect. I was everything in, nothing out. ”
With that, the bridge, and soon after 200m length of steel bulkheads, missile bays and gun batteries were awash with action.
Antennae no longer necessary for communication and an aerodynamic nightmare were quickly stowed against the superstructure, missile tubes were opened, and the HMH sublight engines flashed a bright white and then blue as the Belaqua descended over Atlantia.

Salakhan’s Stronghold: Atlantia
A booming voice called out through the court hall where Lord Salakhan presided over the most valued of his advisers. A war council was in full session as evidenced by the ever present shouting between factions of Salakhan’s forces.
“Silence! It is today that a new era begins for us, we will forge out a new empire, where we will not fear the interferences of these “United Colonies” The utter contempt he held for the men of Aurum was written across his face, but none bar a chosen few noted a subtle nod to the wickedly dressed swordmaiden at his side.
“In the interest of cooperation against our common foe, let us extend every pleasantry to our allies, the exalted visers of the White Sphere.”
With this most unassuming turn of events, 4 of Salakhan’s chosen brethren raised their weapons, be they plasma rifle, axe, sword or hand cannon and but a moment later, the exalted visers lay bleeding on the ground.
Mere moments after this, as the Belaqua began a controlled descent into the upper atmosphere, a small and unassuming man scurried to Salahkan’s side and murmured but a few words in his ear. His response was as swift and loud as a roaring hurricane.
“With this, we shall be free to forge our empire. Free of the scourge, free of the white sphere, free of the council of Aurum. Detonate the warheads, and you!” Pointing to the small man at his side. “Engage and destroy this newcomer.”

UCMS Belaqua
“Radiological Alarm!” Screamed the sensors officer as his console went haywire with signals. Hicks was first to respond.
“Status update! What the hell is going on on the surface.”
“Atlantia is gone, computer is estimating 30 plus 20kt warheads detonating subsurface. 2 S-A warheads coming our way.”
“Options people? And an ETA on those warheads!”
20 seconds later, in a flurry of point defence fire, superheated reentry plasma and shouted orders, the warheads detonated, the first fell short and shook the bridge of the Belaqua violently. The second resisted the brunt of the defensive fire and struck her aft with a mighty sound of split atoms and melted metal.

“Reactor SCRAMed sir! we’ve lost primary power! It’s not coming back either, structural members aft have redlined, we’ve lost the main drive section”
But Hicks didn’t respond, his temple had been caved in by a piece of flying shrapnel. Major Tørlen assumed command rapidly and fell prey to the many voices flying across the bridge.
“We have to radio the Sharpe, send on the data Major”
“That is not possible ensign, we will be maintaining radio silence. I am not at liberty to disclose our orders further. Back up the sensor logs and evacuate, when we hit the dirt we’ll make for the nearest remaining UCMA position. All bridge officers, load a copy to your personal memory drive.” Her hand scrambled for the tannoy and a few fumbled moments later, she found it. “All hands abandon ship, heads up for bandits, this screams Salakahn. RDV with red flares. Godspeed”

Atlantia
When eventually Major Tørlen and the remaining crew of the Belaqua recovered 10 days later, only half of the survivors of the crash had held out. As Raven-A transports screamed overhead, and shook a salute as they banked for the landing, The normally stoic and stern Major was seen to weep. Men had been lost to both radiation and environmental exposure. Raids by Salakhan had claimed others. In the broken ruins of Atlantia, Tørlen’s stand had become a fleet legend and upon her return to the Sharpe, she was hailed as a hero. Her mission, through the collection of her memory drive as the only remaining bridge officer was a success. A new player had indeed entered the Cradle Worlds theatre.

Nice one, Octavian Lars!! Getting us started once again!

Just to reiterate the change I made above, I forgot to alter the final submission date when I copy/pasted, so it will actually be Friday 2nd December. Cheers!

Cheers, I thought it best to hammer it out before the exams hit...