FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

(Author's Note)

=Radio Contact=

"Speech"

-Computer Writing/ On Screen Text-

{Luna Talking}

|| * * * | | | * * * || = End Chapter

* * * = Scene Change

// // = Major Scene/Time Change

Call to War:

The vast void of space, broken only by those specks of lights called stars. An ancient Balina stood in his personal quarters, gazing over the mighty fleet at his command. His left leg, from the knee down, had been replaced by an artificial leg. His face was scared, the dorsal ridge on his head shredded and the left of his face scared, a glass orb where his eye should have been.

His hands were clasped behind his back, his stance off-kilter due to the artificial appendage. His left hand was missing one of the three fingers that are unique to the Balina race. The only sound in the dimly-lit room was his breathing, his head lightly moving as he inspected the armada before him.

The doors behind him opened with a hiss, and he turned ever-so-slightly to gaze upon the source of the intrusion. A Balina officer came in with a deep bow. "Admiral Krakan, the last of the ships have arrived."

The scared Blaina turned around fully, his leg clinking against the metal floor. "Very good. Open a channel to the High Command." He turned back to the window, gazing out to the stars again.

The officer bowed deeply as he started out. "Of course, sir." The doors quietly hissed shut behind him.

A few moments later the monitor on his desk beeped. Taking several off-gait steps, the Blaina Admiral stood before the desk. He straightened his shirt, making himself presentable. Reaching down, he clicked a button on the desk.

A small light came on as the beeping stopped. "Admiral Krakan. I assume that your fleets are ready?" A female Balina said over the direct contact image.

The Admiral bowed his head. "Yes Kris Savelia, my fleets are ready."

The Balina Queen gave a knowing smile. "Excellent. You may begin your assault on the Federation's Starbase Silver." A hand came into view as she clenched it, "Victory for the Dominion! Crush all before you like an unstoppable wave, my Admiral!"

The Admiral stood tall as he slammed his right fist into his left shoulder. "For honor and Victory my Queen!"

The Balina Queen smiled, as she leaned back. "Indeed my loyal warrior. Indeed." The image flickered and disappeared, leaving the room in darkness again.

The scared Admiral walked to a stand that stood in the dark of the room. As he neared, a low-level light came on to reveal it. Taking ahold of the waist-piece, he strapped it on so that it draped over his bad leg, hiding it. The chest-piece he took, slipping it over his head, and shook himself to settle it.

He picked up the final item to complete his armor. A blade, which he clicked to his waist so it hung by his left leg. Looking at the reflection of himself in the window, the Admiral took several deep breaths. Turning on his good leg, he strode out of his quarters.

"Admiral on deck!" A Edjharra warrior called out, his wings flapping out slightly. The whole of the bridge stood up, either bowing or thumping their fists to their shoulder.

"At ease crew." The Admiral said, walking towards the middle of the bridge. There were only low-level lights active, as per wartime protocols. The bridge resumed what they were doing as they awaited the Admiral's orders. "Comms, open a channel to the rest of the fleet."

The Edjharra officer sitting at the comms station nodded, "Aye sir." He pressed several buttons before saying "comms are open Admiral."

The rest of the fleet had the same message play as the Admiral was about to speak. "All crews at attention. Admiral Krakan,"

The Admiral stood tall, and cleared his throat before he started speaking. "Our long months of preparation have not been for naught," he started walking around the bridge, directly addressing each of his crew members, despite the fact he was speaking to the fleet as a whole. "The last ships are here. Now," he clenched his fist, his tone becoming aggressive, "we can show the Federation the extent of our power! Show them that we are not to be dismissed!" He stopped, resting his hand on the hilt of his blade, "Today! Today is a day that will be forever remembered by the Federation!"

His crew looked on with pride as they listened to his words. Continuing his moral speech, "A day that shall live in infamy! Now, my brothers and sisters, let us raise our voices!" Growls and cheers were starting to break out over the fleet, the blood of the warriors starting to run hot. "Raise your voice! Today we shake the very stars with our might!" Open cheers were now sounding on the bridge, and many were stamping their approval.

"Warriors of the Dominion!" The Admiral shouted, drawing his blade, the sound being heard over the comms, "For honor!" His speech had done much to rile the fleet, "For glory!" Many were already in full battle mode, "For the Dominion!!"

The roar of thousands of souls sounded over the entire fleet. Admiral Krakan smiled, and turning to his engineer while sheathing his blade "Set coordinates, Starbase Silver, maximum drive."

"Aye, Admiral!" The Balina officer said, hitting the coordinates into the console. "Engines ready to enter slip-space."

Sitting in his command chair, the Admiral pointed forward. "Engage."

That one word.

One word, and the fate of millions was now thrown to the wind of chance,

With that one word a mighty wave rushed out, freed from the confines and restrictions of peace,

Once again the warriors of nations were to clash,

Once again ideologies would meet on the field of battle,

Once again the destruction of Chaos would devour thousands,

Once again the galaxy would burn......

// //

I threw done my cards, shouting "Read 'em and weep! Straight, 3 through 7!" Laughing, I reached forward to take the pile of poker chips in the center of the of the table.

"Oh well," Karan said, "I guess my four-of-a-kind is useless." I watched in shock as she turned her two cards over, sitting back. A small whine left me before I could stop it.

The other three guys at the table all groaned as well. Eclipse was the first to say "Damn, girl. How do you get so lucky all the time?" The Tilki shook his head as he gathered the cards, starting to shuffle them for another round.

A grey furred Susuv spoke up as well. "Yeah Karan, I'd think you let newbie here," he gave me a punch to the arm, "at least win the first couple of nights."

The Washai laughed at the thought. "Yeah right Jaeger, like I'd let him," she hit my other arm, "win after doing so well in those courses."

The jaguar-Neko across from me started laughing as well. "I've learned that only luck can beat our girl here," he picked up a cigarette and lit it, "and that no one has more luck than her."

Well isn't that just great. I can't even win at a simple game of Texas Hold 'em. {Listen, just let me control for a round or two. I'll get you winning again.} No Luna, I'm gonna win myself. {Allright, have it your way.}

I gave a small start, looking up at someone calling me. "Yeah?"

Eclipse shook his head, sighing. "I asked if you want in?" He was holding the deck in his hand, ready to deal out the next hand.

"Hell yeah, I want in! I'm gonna win this time." The others all chuckled at that, Po still smoking his cigarette, Eclipse dealing the cards, Jaeger taking a swig from his glass, and Karan rolling her neck.

The five of us started the next round. I lost again.

And again.

And again.

By the end of the last hand, I just threw down my cards. Po and Jaeger had left the last hand, leaving only myself and Eclipse against Karan.

Pushing my chair back, I stood up and stretched my back. Rolling my neck to the side, I could hear it as it cracked and I gave a sigh at the release of pressure.

Karan was laughing as she stood up, and walked around the table to clap me on the back. "Better luck next time," she gave me another pat, and was laughing as she walked away.

Eclipse came to stand by me, lightly patting my shoulder. "Girls. I'll never understand 'em." He gave a deep yawn, his grip tightening for a second. "Well I don't know 'bout you, but gonna hit the sack."

I nodded, also letting out a deep yawn. "That doesn't sound like a bad idea." With his arm draped over my shoulders, we walked out of the rec-room and back into the men's quarters. The other men in the DG program were already asleep, with the exception of one. "Drougar," I said with a nod.

The Edjharra looked at me, lifting his gaze from the paper-back book he was reading. With two slow blinks, he nodded back to me, before looking back down at his book again.

Turning to Eclipse, I gave him a brief man-hug. "Night man."

He gave a quiet chuckle. "You too."

We both climbed into our bunks, curling under the blankets. Closing my eyes, I soon felt the comforting grasp of sleep slowly take me. Breathing regularly, I heard the soft click of a light being turned off as Drougar also readied for sleep. Than I knew no more as sleep took its hold on me.

* * *

The sounds of alarms blaring made me jump out of bed, and throw on my clothing purely on instinct. Their loud, obnoxious sound was the only thing I was aware of for several seconds as I forced the last vestiges of sleep from my eyes.

The doors to our quarters opened, and Colonel John Mason, a Tasef, strode in. "Get yourselves ready, and meet up in the C-and-C. You have seven minutes." Without another word, he pivoted on his left foot and strode out into the halls which were abustle with activity.

Only myself, Eclipse, and Drougar were still in the room. I looked around for a moment, wondering out loud where they had gone to. "They awoke at 0510, as they always do," the Edjharra said, making me start a little. "We should not delay. The Colonel has given us an order."

I nodded, seeing out of the corner of my eye Eclipse nod as well. We didn't take anymore time, heading out into the corridor and down to the Command-and-Control Center. Beings of all races were moving in a way that could only be described as 'organized-chaos.' Very few gave the three of us a second glance as we moved down the corridor. We paused for a moment outside the double blast-doors, which had the seal of the Federation imprinted on it, as we waited for Eclipse to punch in the code.

We stepped in, and I paused for a half-second as I gazed upon the room. It was a fairly circular room that was rimmed with computer monitors and information centers. In the center of the room there was a table, over which leaned the Colonel with a young, brown Susuv standing next to him. Normally this map simply showed the galaxy with its boarder lines and primary space routes. Right now though, I saw that it was enhanced on a single quadrant, no, a single system.

The Susuv typed in some information on the data-pad in her hands, her light-green eyes dashing over the screen. Suddenly a series of holographic ships appeared, a few blue ones, many more that were red. I recognized the starbase as a Federation design, and since it was represented in its blue color, that meant all the red were enemy ships.

The Colonel leaned back in shock. "May the Holy One protect us," he whispered. Stepping back to the table, he pointed to several ships. "Is there any way to get a message to Command?"

The Susuv shook her head sadly. "None sir. All communications are routed through Starbase Silver, and currently all communications, save encrypted sub-space fleet transmissions are being jammed." She sighed, pressing several things on the pad in her hands. "There's nothing I can do."

The Tasef sighed, rubbing a hand over his shaved horns. "Keep looking Lily, we have to find a way to contact command without sending a ship." The Susuv nodded, and walked away as the Colonel looked back at the monitor. Even I could see that the battle was not going well for our forces.

The Colonel finally looked up at me, giving another deep sigh. "Well," he stood up straight, "looks you'll be getting a trail by fire. The others have been briefed, and they'll fill you in." He turned around, pointing to somewhere on one of the monitors, "Get a message to the Enterprise, another dozen ships jumping out just outside the third planet. You three," he turned on heels to look at us, "get moving. Now."

I nodded, walking through the Command-and-Control room, and out the far side, Drougar and Eclipse right behind me. All through the hallways people of all races were running, moving equipment, or getting somewhere where they were needed.

The three of us soon came to a large bunker door with the inscription -Hanger Bay- on it. As we neared, the double doors opened, and I paused to gape, even as Eclipse walked past me. The massive hanger had four ships within, all of them capable of carrying dozens of souls. Their sleek, smooth designs made them a beauty to look at, even if two of them had their hulls opened for repairs.

Drougar tapped me on the shoulder as he walked by me, braking the trance I was in. With a start, I lightly jogged over to where I saw Karen and Po working on the underside of one of the ship. As we got closer, Po looked over his shoulder at us, calling out "Hey Scales! Get over here and help!" I saw a glimmer of distaste flash through the Edjharra's eyes, but he did not say anything as he went to help lift the metal hull piece back into place.

With a final, low thud, the piece locked into place, and all three stepped back. Karen glanced at me, then gestured her head to the ship. "Get in, we've been called to support Starbase Diamond, in case they come under attack."

I looked at her in shock. "What about Silver? Are we just leaving them?" Karen glared at me, before giving a grim nod. My shoulders fell in defeat, and she walked over to give me a couple of pats on the shoulder. With a last pat, she walked away, leaving me to stare around the hangerbay.

{We don't have time to dally.} Now really isn't the time, Luna. {I saw the monitor, most of the ships were already on the retreat. They'll regroup at Starbase Diamond, and ready a counterattack.} I gave another sigh, and felt my legs moving without my accord. Drearily, I got into the ship, waiting for final take-off procedures.

Eclipse came over to the booth I was sitting at, taking a chair across from me. I looked up at him, then hung my head again to stare at the metal table. He didn't try to comfort me, or say anything. Just sitting there, acting like an anchor in the madness that had been unleashed.

// //

"Evasive maneuvers!" An aged-grey Susuv shouted before another blast rocked the bridge. Regaining his balance, he grunted as he said "Damage report!"

A lion-Neko, sitting at a console, rubbed his head before hitting a handful of commands in. "Decks four, six, and seven have sustained a direct hit," he hands flew over the dashboard, "shields at 12% sir." He shook his head, "There's just to many of them sir, our shields just can't take the volume of fire they're putting out."

"Damnit," the Susuv growled, looking out the viewport, surveying the chaos taking place in the vacuum of space. "All batteries, FIRE!!" he shouted, and two seconds later the ship was rocked from the force of the cannons firing. The Admiral of the Federation Fleets watched with grim pleasure as the shots traced through space, striking three different Dominion ships. Brief fireballs erupted out of the hulls, before they cracked in half and drifted apart.

To the horror of all though, the brown Susuv at the subspace monitor shouted "Another dozen contacts coming through slip-space sir! No! Two dozen!" His hands were flying over the console in front of him as he eyes flew back and forth. "Currently reading another...." he paused in shock, "that can't be right...." he re-calibrated it, speechless at what he was seeing. "Sir, there are another fifty or more slip-space signatures headed in this direction, all originating from within Dominion space."

The bridge went silent, a quiet broken by the sounds of the cannon rocking the ship. The Admiral looked around the bridge, before closing his eyes. "Alert all ships, full retreat." Everything went silent again, and the Admiral looked around. "Now! We must pull back, regroup. We have no chance against them as we are now."

The shocked stares turned into action at that, the buzz of the coms running over the entire fleet. The coms officer clicked the radio, opening the channel, "All ships, full retreat. I repeat, all ships disengage and retreat to Starebase Diamond. We are regrouping at Starbase Diamond, this position is lost. I repeat...." He kept repeating this, every few seconds.

Out in the void of space, Starbase Silver, one of the great symbols of Federation military might was burning. Dozens of troop transports swarmed it, and shot after shot from the enemy capital ships ripped through it. Still, it slowly turned as it orbited the light-blue planet below. The wreckage of dozens of Dominion and Federation ships slowly drifted, some starting to glow as they entered the planet's atmosphere.

The Admiral looked back out the viewport, rage burning in the depths of his eyes. "Damn you, I swear we'll be back. And when we do, your fleets will burn." His gaze was fixed on a massive ship at the heart of the Dominion Armada. Then the viewport started to shake, and the image of Starbase Silver vanished in a flash of white.

Turning around, hands clasped behind him, he walked to one of the officers on deck. Putting a hand on the Washai's shoulder, "How many of the fleet escaped?"

The Washai officer's hands quivered, and in a shaky voice she said. "Only five ships sir. Including us." The deck was quiet, and the Admiral gave two soft pats to the eagle's shoulder, standing up straight.

He silently walked through the bridge, and pressed a door that led to his private quarters. Walking in, he left the silent deck.

Not even a moment after the door closed, one of the officers started to cry. He soon mastered himself, and stood up. The black jaguar-Neko balled his hands into a fist "We'll give 'em hell when we come back. The Admiral warned Command, and they didn't listen." He started to walk around, "We'll burn those bastards to the ground for this! Am I right?" All of the officers on the bridge nodded.

The gates of war were open now.

Peace was a word no one was thinking of, now that this brutal surprise attack had happened.

Vengeance has become the byword of the Federation Fleet. The watchword of the army.

Once more the vastness of space would be rattled by the wars of mortals, her eternal quiet shattered with the flame of battle.....

|| * * * | | | * * * ||