Space E-war Reloaded

[C S]

Clicking and electronic tones ensued. The Seeker dispersed the ball of energy, his hands returning to their normal configuration on his wrists. Tapping the tips of his claws together, Ecliptor said, "This one requires material in order to begin."

[The Kingpin]

"there is nothing expendable inside the vehicle. You will have to salvage something from the wrecks outside" responded Khuurava as he looked at a map of their surroundings, identifying low-radiation zones that wouldn't instantly make the APC uninhabitable. Spotting one on the map, he began directing the vehicle towards it...

[C S]

With the infinite patience of a machine, Ecliptor waited until the APC came to a full stop in the poison barrens several minutes later. Without waiting to be told, he undid his fastenings and swung his legs around, getting out of his seat. He walked down the cockpit of the transport vehicle, opening the door into the body of it at large.

[The Kingpin]

As the Seeker made its way to the back of the vehicle, a low hiss was heard, several audible clunks announcing the parting of the bolts holding the rear hatch shut, said hatch rising upwards with a hydraulic hiss as the hot wind of the world beyond washed against the back of the APC. Across the edges of the hatch, a deep red energy barrier rippled and warped, acting as an incorporeal shield against the radiation beyond...

[C S]

Ecliptor ascended the rungs integrated into the wall of the APC, surrounded by terminals and blinking lights. He climbed into the exit shaft, the glow of the energy shielding turning his plating a shade of purple. He gripped the rim of the hatch with his hands and pulled himself through the open hatch. The barrier hummed and droned, the sounds on the other side of it subdued and muffled. Past it, however, Ecliptor was treated to the untamed wilds. The wind howled across the stillness, passing through the punctured hulls of the wrecks and resonating in some mournful noise that echoed in the vast openness.

The Seeker dropped down from the top of the APC and started to head off into the ruins, panning his triangular head back and forth, scanning the environment. Some of the radiation emitted from the wrecks would be problematic for long range communication, but it would also mean the chances of being detected while in this territory were miniscule. The emissions were like a blanket, under its wide swath Khuurava and the Seeker were invisible to the eyes in the sky.

The drawback being, of course, that residual energy tagging the APC once they left the hotbed would make it light up like a figurative decorative piece from some ancient holiday.

It got darker over the duration of the Seeker's gathering foray. The starlight was bright over Aurora, sprawling seemingly endlessly past the edges of its sky. The only obstruction the stars had in the night were the rings of destruction suspended above the world, the bits and pieces of dysfunctional ships creating a strobing effect every time they tumbled in front of a bright star. In time, that ominous specter drifting far past the rings passed into the section of sky over the graveyard of crashed vessels. Even so far away, it stood out against the backdrop of space, the sole witness to all this carnage.


"Khuurava-Commander," came Ecliptor's gravelly voice from the APC's comm-system. "This one has results. Returning for demonstration purposes. Prepare proper visibility measures as you see fit."