quartzedge
Synopsis
In the far-flung future, humanity has reached beyond its own solar system into the galaxy beyond. Flying a banner of exploration, the Earth and many other human-colonized planets are united under the law of the Sol Republic, seeking further colonize-able planets within the galaxy. Until they met those who were ALSO seeking planets to colonize.
Caught between a war and a careful trade agreement, the Sol Republic has one mission: to survive at all cost...even if it requires the sacrifice of their own humanity. However, one thing is for certain: The truth Jacob Collins sees is merely a facade in the grand scheme of things. And even those who are aware of this facade, like Michael Riverson, have no idea what lies behind. For now it remains...
The Theory of Truth
Excerpt
"Copy, Six. Well, here goes nothing." Timms slowly moved his way toward the engines of the ship, staring intently at the soft white glow that was barely visible along its stern. He double-checked his shields and guns, confirming that both were functioning just fine, and leaned forward in his seat again, watching for anything out of the ordinary. He laid his hand softly against the throttle, ready to turn away at the first sign of trouble. As an afterthought, he turned the tint on his windows, anticipating the glare of the engine light as he rounded the corner.
His eyes quickly scanned the engines of the ship, three gigantic thrusters used to propel the cruiser through space, and saw nothing out of the ordinary. The energy signal on the engines were at nearly 150% of what they had initially observed from the Silvance, however, so he kept his eyes on the stern, watching carefully for movement.
"Five, I don't see anything," he heard Six say. "Maybe the readings are being affected by--"
"Pull back, pull back!" he yelled as he hit his throttle as hard as possible. As his fighter turned from the engines, dozens of lights began to glow between the engines and the adrenaline-pumping sound of a near-miss from a Dekarian laser cannon caught his ear. Several more shots were fired, but fortunately the couple that hit were absorbed by the Comet's shields.
"One, it's confirmed!" he yelled into his comm. "I counted at least two dozen fighters! Get the others over here!"
"Copy, Five. Delta Squadron on me! Changing frequencies. Over."
"Seven, get back to the squadron! There are too many to take head-on!"
"Oh, bloody hell. Copy that, Five."
"Six, you still doing alright?"
"A little scratched, but shields are holding. Over."
Timms glanced at his display and saw the energy signatures had separated from the engine. "They're following, Six. Looks like we're gonna get dirty."
"It's been awhile since we got dirty."
He chuckled. "Yeah, I was kinda hopin' it would stay that way. On me, Six. We're taking 'em back to the rest of the squadron. Give 'em some target practice."
"Ten-Four."
