Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Star Wars

I have been a star wars geek since the first movie came out so long ago, I have seen every Star Wars movie released @theContinentalTheater in Denver Co. I dressed as Han Solo for the Revenge of the Sith and was upset when Han was frozen in carbonite. In that vein, i have written some fan Fiction that i thought was pretty good.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =



Floating... Ptolemy looked around smiling he has always enjoyed the feeling of Zero Gravity. the fact that this rarely happens is irrelevant. Normally it would be a bad thing to have the gravity mesh fail in flight but Ptolemy regularly turns it off so it is easier for him to get around. This means his leg doesn't hurt as much and floating is easier than walking. Ptolemy looked to his right and saw his staff slowly spinning end over end in place which was weird, his staff should have been secured next to the pilot seat. then Ptolemy focuses beyond the staff at the canyon wall. He was not floating he was falling! a guttural scream ripped from his throat! In a panic Ptolemy reaches out to grab his staff, he missed and sends his staff spinning toward the canyon wall creating sparks as the wood and Cortosis weaved staff impacted the wall. Ptolemy thrashed as if trying to fly waving his arms as his legs took off in a dead run. involuntarily he turned from his back to front as he caught a glimpse of the rough ground rushing up to meet him...

*BEEP*BEEP*BEEP*BEEP*BEEP*BEEP*BEEP*BEEP*BEEP*BEEP*BEEP*BEEP*

Ptolemy jerked awake and sent his staff flying across the cockpit of the yacht he had 'liberated' on Narr Shada. He was not sure who the vessel belonged to but it sat for 3 months with no activity and all he had to pay for it was the docking fees. That's what happens when you watch what is going on around you. Ptolemy Shrugged, probably some clueless elites wanting to get a look at how the other side lived... and saw how they died first hand.

Ptolemy glances at the nav computer and silenced the alarm. What a dream! he sighs as he leans back in the command couch wiping the sweat from his forehead, at least it was not as bad as the real thing. 'I must have hit the wrong button' Ptolemy mused as The Dawn Treader transitioned into normal space.

'Well' Ptolemy said to no one in particular, 'I have been on this ship long enough'. Ptolemy looked at the nav charts and saw a planet marked simply Yavin 4. 'Not much there seems to be an out post of some type on that moon, should be my kind of place.' Ptolemy began to hum as he set course for the planet.

there was a bit to do from that point, Ptolemy had accepted long ago that FTL travel was to complex for humans to figure out and so, left it to computers, but piloting in system was something he always enjoyed. Setting a course for the small world Ptolemy wondered what there was to be gained there and why the force decided to drop him here.

His mind began to wonder back 20 years or so ago to the events that changed his life forever, wedding Kerinn, the woman that he would have died for and almost did and the birth of his son. He could hear the cries of his son when he was born and how proud he was. Feeling that familiar stirring knowing he had passed his gift on to his son as Ptolemy's father had to him. Ptolemy was hoping to be able to train his son in how to control the gift or curse depending on your point of view. But Ptolemy had grown careless and his family had been killed by the sand people on Tatooine. The first shots killed Kerinn and wounded Ptolemy. The raiding party came down to the speeder they had been riding and Ptolemy fought with what ever he had. Killing 4 and driving the 5th Raider off. With no transport he gathered his son up and started the long trek back to Anchorhead. He did not remember getting there only waking up in an infirmary with no sign of his son. The damage to his right leg were such that he would always have a limp and so he fashioned a staff of the hardwoods of Kashikk and Cortosis the element that not even a light saber can cut through.

Ptolemy had been searching for his son for years, traveling the galaxy searching for any sign of an untrained force sensitive boy, man now, had it really been 20 years? The trail had gone cold on Narr Shadaa there was little information on the boy he sought beyond the fights the boy had gotten into. That was over 3 years ago and from the descriptions of the cruelty this man was capable of it was clear that he was not the man Ptolemy hoped to shape but, hope is never lost.

‘JvS control to ship designated Dawn Treader,’ Ptolemy almost jumped as the comlink crackled to life.
‘JvS control this is the Dawn Treader requesting vector to land.’ Ptolemy said into the comlink.
‘Dawn Treader permission granted to land and occupy pad 3west coordinates transmitting now’

The Navputer set a string of beeps indicating coordinates received. ‘ I have the coordinates, initiating landing cycle’

Ptolemy looked at the control panel as he easily guided the Dawn Treader to landing pad 3 west. The ship rocked gently as it hits a patch of turbulence the Initial Dampeners could not completely compensate for. Watching the various gauges and indicators Ptolemy fires the breaking thrusters and comes to a hover, extends the landing gear and sets down on the pad with bearly a bump. Pleased with the landing, Ptolemy goes through the post flight almost mechanically making makes notes on issues he needs to look into or get fixed. He leans back for a moment and thinks about what it is going to be like not to eat his own cooking for a few days. Chuckles to him self and gets out of the command couch, grabs his staff and limps down the boarding ramp.

While Ptolemy had never been a big fan of Tropical planets Yavin’s moon seemed nice enough. You could see the scars the jungle leaves on everything as it tries to absorb and erase all traces of progress from its domain and then there were the signs of some pretty nasty fights damage that is patched, noticeable because of the subtle shade difference in the patch and the surrounding wall. There were signs of cuts and massive holes in the walls scorch marks you can never really scrub off or paint over.

There was an under current of something dark like an oil slick on top of a puddle of water. Something you may not be able to see but taints everything it comes in contact with. It is there in the oily film on what you touch or as that flavor you cannot quite place. Ptolemy had felt that taint before on Nar Shadaa, A place in which he was able to blend in and hide his gift. Stealth was one of the first things that he was taught by his Father. There was a palpable tension in the air as if there were two sides of an issue that could not be agreed on or two factions diametrically opposed never being able to come to an agreement. Tension so thick it seemed to be on the edge of a violent conflict, held in check by force of will and tight control. Such forced peace never lasts, in Ptolemy’s experience; there is always something that ignites the passions on one side or the other.

‘Well’ Ptolemy said looking for a data access station ‘that just means I will not be staying long.’ Spotting what he was looking for, Ptolemy made his way to a data pad and accessed the repair listings, picked a service randomly and placed orders for several repairs that were needed for his ship. Then searched for a hotel or inn that he could stay at for the 2 weeks that that he would have to stay here while his ship was undergoing maintenance and repairs. With the mundane tasks out of the may, He accessed the map and found the closest bar a joint called the Darth Bar… sounded ominous but the local pub is usually the best place to get a handle on the local happenings. Looking at the map there was an area that caught his attention, apparently there was an academy for force sensitive’s in town… actually looked like it took up most of the town. Ptolemy chuckled to himself thinking ‘isn’t that just the arrogance of the Jedi and Sith. This port and settlement was probably created to serve the needs of the enclave.’ He accessed information on the Enclave and found the reason for the underlying tension. Jedi and Sith not only on the same planet but under the same roof… that’s gotta be a good time.

Ptolemy shook his head.

This information gave Ptolemy pause, not sure if he wanted to venture out of the star port with sith on planet but the lure of human contact was to strong. So, he gathered his cloak around him and erected the barriers to hide his gift and so the stealth that had served him so well on Nar Shadaa and made his way to Prancing Pony.

Out of habit he exaggerated his limp and leaned heavily on his staff down several streets. As he turned a corner he ran head long into a young man who seemed… distracted. The man was solid and as they collided, the young man had to take a step back to keep his balance. Ptolemy was not so lucky. He tried to absorb the impact but his right leg failed him once more and he fell. He arched his back to try and cushion his fall and only succeeded in rolling end over on to his stomach, didn’t hurt as bad but was a little embarrassing. Irritation flashed on the man’s face as he glanced down at the old man on the street. Then his visage softened a bit and put out his hand to help Ptolemy up. The way the man moved he was a warrior but the slump of his shoulders and the weight of his step showed him to be carrying something far heavier that even he realized.

‘I am sorry’ He said as he helped Ptolemy up ‘I am a bit… preoccupied’

‘No worries, I was in a hurry as well and my old leg does not work as well as it used to’ Ptolemy laughed and looked at the young man. There was something there that looked familiar but there was no flicker of recognition on his face ‘tell you what, I am knew on planet and in need of someone to show me to a pub. I was trying to find a place called ‘the Prancing Pony’ if you know where it is, could you show me the way?’

 

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

I have been thinking about the use of this blog site and my own love of writing, so i think i will publish here some small pieces that are parts of larger stories so some may not make complete sense but i will try not to put incomplete or pieces that are too open ended. The stories will be in a fantasy world called Pangea and the star wars universe. So, believing that brevity is the soul of wit, here is the first installment.

In this installment, Our heroes have entered a cave to get out of the weather, once in the cave, they stumble across and get drug into a fight with a creature.

Enjoy!

Frik and Frack eased down the passage and came up short when they saw a human staring at a HUGE wolf looking thing.

Frak looked at the man ‘his sheath is upside down’ he said a bit surprised. How does he keep his sword in there?’

‘Look’ said Frick ‘I am not sure that we should… hey what is that?’ pointing at the stone in the middle of the room.

’I dunno’ said Frack

There was a roar as the Human ran up to the beast and hit him with his sword. Frick and Frack winced as the deego knocked the man across the cave. ‘Hey I want to get a look at that rock.’ Frick said.

‘The human is keeping the thing busy’ Frack said as he drew his swords. And smacked them together ‘you go see and I will cover.’ The man ran past and jumped over a jet of flame that the deego spit at him. Frack ducked behind a rock as the flames licked at his cloak. The creature roared in pain and Frick looked as the creature bounced the man off the floor and then knocked him across the cavern. ‘That guy didn’t seem to smart’ Frack said as he smacked his swords together. That got the beasts attention and it turned its head toward the kinder. Frick let loose with a stone from his staff that bounced harmlessly off the creatures hide.

"So two more fools have come to join the first," it tilted it's head, "aren't you two a little young to be fighting?"

‘I'll show you little!’ Frack said running toward the hound leaping and striking with both blades producing twin gashes in the arm of the beast. He smiled and bounced back and forth between legs with both swords held loosely, ‘Who's the small fry now?’

The Deego roared in pain and tried again and again to smash the kinder. Frick Ran up behind the creature and thrust the sharp end of his staffing to the creatures back, then caught the things arm with his sling and was thrown clear. Frick flipped in the air and came down on his feet sliding toward the cavern entrance. He bounded up and ran back into the fray seeing his brother leap and bury his swords in to the fleshy part of the thing’s backside.

‘That’s one way to be a pain in the ass’ thought Frick as he loaded his sling for another toss. From the corner of his eye the kinder saw the human trot toward the pedestal with the stone on it. The deego grabbed a rock and threw it at the human which made him stop. The creature took a breath as Frick let the rock go, the stone sailed true and hit the thing in its eye which made it turn again toward the pint sized antagonists.

‘I don't know what you plan to do,’ Frick said spinning the sling, ‘but you best do it now.’
The human nodded and ran and grabbed the stone and time slowed down. There was a flash of red light and the body of the human was suspended above where the pedestal had been the stone in his left hand. His hair floating around his head like a sweat soaked halo and both arms spread wide as if waiting to embrace a long lost son. The beast howled and looked toward the human. Frick grabbed Frack and pulled him toward the cavern entrance but neither could look away. The silence in the cavern was deafening. Even the bats dared not make a sound. Then the humans arms came down to his side and fiery wings seemed to grow from his back. He drew his sword which was also wreathed in flame.

The brothers looked at each other wide eyed.

"People need me," The human replied in a calm voice, "and they need the power I wield." He raised his sword and pointed at the Dego, "I cannot let you take it from me, now move aside."

There was a moment of silence and the man said ‘then I am truly sorry’ The wings flexed and in a moment the head of the beast lay next to its body. The man landed a bit beyond the remains of the beast then sank to his knees and passed out.

‘you see that?’ Frack asked

‘NO’ said Frick sharply ‘I was just standing right here. Hang on’

Frick ran toward the place where the pedestal had been and looked around for a moment. He reached down and picked up an item that had survived the destruction of the pedestal. ‘Hey!’ He said as he looked over at Frack ‘what are you doing?!’
Frack was looking at and, more to the point, messing with the scabbard on the back of the human.

‘I was just looking to see how he did this.’ Frack said quickly. He strained to pick up the sword and carefully put it back in the scabbard watching how it went in seeing the latch almost immediately. ‘There’ he said as though he had just figured out how to create a pick proof lock. it latches on there.’

The kinder strained for a moment to turn the human over. He winced with pain as he rolled across his injured left side. Frick started looking through the many pockets of his cloak and the myriad of pouches attached to his belt.

‘Do you still have that potion that we found in the alchemist shop last week?’ Frick asked as he continued that search.

‘No I didn’t handle it’ Frack replied taking off his swords and trying to fashion a rig similar to the humans. ‘we need to get a fire going’

‘we have one going at the mouth of the cave remember?’ Frick reminded him. ‘Aha! Here it is.’ He announced as he took the stopper out of a small vial.

‘You know what that does?’ Frack asked

‘No but it cannot be much worse than how he is now’ Frick said with a grin.

‘Unless you kill him with it’ Frack pointed out.

Frick hesitated, torn between the desire to see what the potion did and the unwillingness to kill a human. ‘If Shendali made nothing but poisons he would not be a good alchemist now would he?’ Frick asked pouring the potion into the human’s mouth. The effect was almost immediate there were several cracks and pops as ribs righted them selves and popped back into place the man’s arm straightened and he opened his eyes and screamed as the badly broken arm was set and began to heal. The human thrashed around a bit and then was still. His breathing was ragged but evening out. Soon the man had a serene look on his face as though he was asleep.

‘See you killed him!’ Frack said backing toward the mouth of the cavern.

‘No I Did NOT!’ retorted Frick ‘Look he is breathing… and turning blue…’

As the watched the man the pallor of his skin went from a healthy tan to a nice shade of blue.

‘Hope that not permanent’ Frick and Frack said at the same time.

The brothers watched the man for a moment and decided they needed to make sure the man was awake before they took their leave. While Frack once again built a bed for a fire Frick went to the mouth of the cave and retrieved a burning stick and the skillet with their meal in it. Once they had a good fire going and had eaten their meal the both drifted off to sleep.