Tales of the Rebel Cry Cannon Fodder

[Calbeck]

And the Monday following Spring Break? That looks like a GREAT day to die!

[Rokas]

"How about make dying an action point, and then come back next meeting with more suggestions?"

[UncleMonty]

Everybody's got to die some time - it's a rare privilage to have some choice in the matter.

[Kerry Skydancer]

Today is a good day to die. And since I'm feeling generous, I'll let my opponent go first.

[Tigermark]

The white tiger slamed a clawed fist down on his thigh as he watched the stars doppler out in the warp jump. They'd not only been unable to penetrate the federation defense screen, but they'd lost Solidus, as well.

"Crap," he muttered as he eased his straps a bit looser. "If we can't figure a way around those kill-sats, this is gonna be a VERY short war."

"What was that, Booker?" came booming in on the comm channel.

"Uh, nothing, Calbeck, sorry. What's the plan now?"

"We're regrouping for a stand at Gamma Two."

"Uh, huh. Any ideas on how to get through that grid?"

"Negative, Booker, but I'm working on it. Just stay sharp when we drop out of warp, Saber says he can't get comm with the folks already there."

"You got it." Booker fell silent, relaxing his mind and preparing for the next round of combat. Flying the outdated little 'Rang fighters took a big mental toll, as they weren't nearly as automated as the newer fighters.

He thought about what had led him to this time and place. He'd always wanted to fly. He'd been a top pilot on his homeworld, and had been in line for a shot at flying fighters for the Federation, but the more he'd seen of their ways, the less he liked it. The last straw came when he went to renew his civil license and found the cost quadrupled by a new "non-professional pilot tax levy." When he couldn't pay it, they'd seized his ship. Then with a sneer they told him the planetary defense force he flew for was now disbanded. It was then that he'd kissed his wife goodbye and left to join the ranks of the rebellion. As he saw it, life on Promethia Minor Two wouldn't be worth much unless someone stopped the Federation from becoming to all-powerful.

"Humpf, seems I was a bit late with that idea." he mused to himself. Just then, the warning chime announced they were about to drop out of warp. Booker sat up straight and pulled his straps back tight again.

"Calbeck to Booker and Deprey, Formation Delta, spiral mode as soon as we drop. Sensors say there's a lot of company waiting."

The tiger shifted his grip on the control slightly and prepared for action. He looked at the picture of his lovely lynx wife taped to the viewport frame.

"Love ya, Hon. be home soon."

With a wink at the image, Booker was ready to get back in the fight.

Tigermark

[StrangeWulf13]

Welcome Tigermark! Quite the entrance there. Make yourself at home in the forums. Just remember a couple things:

1.) Leave your sanity at the door. You won't be needing it.

2.) Don't feed Solidus.

3.) Your regulation abestos suit for flame wars is in the coatrack area, next to the sanity drop bin. We advise picking this up before losing your sanity, as you will likely forget if you do it in the reverse. Last guy who did that.... well, let's just say the vacuum got rather full that day...

4.) Don't feed Solidus.

5.) Don't be scared to say hello now and then. We don't bite. Well, most of us anyway.

6.) Never, under any circumstances feed Solidus!! Trust me, it'll get ugly fast.

So long as you remember these important facts, you'll fit right in! Enjoy your stay!

[Mikhail Dragoslav]

[Redirected from another post]

MORE TALES FROM 'REBEL CRY' BACKGROUND CHARACTERS

***

Mikhail Dragoslav started out his media career with V-27A News with high hopes. That was his first mistake.

His second was accepting the post of on the spot reporter. Especially considering what happened to his predecessor: The unlucky sod died shortly after he made a comment or two on the air about the bravery and tenacity of Major Calbeck's Eridani Flight Group during the skirmish of Artemis III. The investigation ruled it an accident that his hover-cam smashed into his face at full speed.

Did I forget to mention that V-27A News was a subsidiary of Chairwoman Violente's Media & Public Relations Studios?

Despite his misgivings, Mikhail accepted the job. It still beat stalking movie stars any day. At least this was news...

...after a fashion. He soon found himself completely bored after listening to officer after officer of the euphemistically titled "Federation Defense Forces" proclaim themselves heroes and tactical geniuses for overwhelming and slaughtering rebel forces with a fraction of the ships and weapons of the Federation fleet. Indeed these officers somehow managed to proclaim their own heroism while simultaneously degrading the courage and abilities of the Promethians.

One had to wonder how one could be a hero if your enemies with neither brave, clever, nor strong but Mikhail never had the crust to ask. He valued his job--not to mention his life--too much.

His bosses at V-27A News responded to his carefully phrased concerns with a polite bit of hot air that basically boiled down to: "Shut up and smile," which is what he did whenever the cameras came on.

Mikhail forced to himself to smile as he reported on the giving of the Repatriation Oath by the surviving Rebel captains. He could have been seeing things, but he could've sworn that one of the captains was giving some sort of distress signal as he said the oath. Mikhail didn't comment on it or give any outward sign that he noticed it, but he was smiling underneath. At least SOMEONE managed to make their feelings known, even as they were forced under the camera's eye.

So that's how Mikhail Dragoslav found himself on Space Station Roosevilt on that fateful day: Smiling like an idiot for the maiden voyage of what had to be the ugliest ship he had ever seen and announcing the equally grotesque "Victory Tour."

He had no idea of what was going to happen next. But no matter what happened he knew what his bosses would say: Shut up and smile.

And so he would. But in the places where the censors and bosses couldn't see...perhaps he'd be smiling for real too, for reasons they wouldn't approve of.

***

[Calbeck]

Great stuff from both Tigermark and Mikhail! Looks like we got a Movie Bible going...-:>

[Jwrebholz]

The Story of James "Jimbo" Notappearinginthisfilm (I really should've ponied up the cash..oh well, too late now)

A former hauler mechanic turned pilot during the Promethian Rebellion. He was "coerced" into service by his superiors just after the battle at Artemis III. While a stellar mechanic, he was a sub-par pilot. During a supply run his convoy was attacked. Federation escorts responded, but unfortunately one of the Federation pilots got his hauler confused with another enemy hauler, and he was accidentally fired upon and killed. He had no wife, no children and no surviving family members. His last thoughts upon seeing the missile bearing down on his main screen? "I should've listened to Mom and become an accountant."

[Tigermark]

Hey, thanks for the welcome guys. Been loving the strip for a while now, and definitely couldn't resisit a cameo in a sci-fi movie. StrangeWulf, Thanks for the rule rundown.

Welcome Tigermark! Quite the entrance there. Make yourself at home in the forums. Just remember a couple things:

1.) Leave your sanity at the door. You won't be needing it.

2.) Don't feed Solidus.

3.) Your regulation abestos suit for flame wars is in the coatrack area, next to the sanity drop bin. We advise picking this up before losing your sanity, as you will likely forget if you do it in the reverse. Last guy who did that.... well, let's just say the vacuum got rather full that day...

4.) Don't feed Solidus.

5.) Don't be scared to say hello now and then. We don't bite. Well, most of us anyway.

6.) Never, under any circumstances feed Solidus!! Trust me, it'll get ugly fast.

So long as you remember these important facts, you'll fit right in! Enjoy your stay!

Okay in respomse:
!.) Lost my sanity long ago, so no problem there. can't check waht I don't have.
2.) I never feed racoons. if you do, they won't go away, and start annoying you for better fare. However, if it's a group get together, I always enjoy thier clever company.
3.) Never use 'em. I do however keep a spare hide in my closet, just in case my fur gets burned/melted, torn up, etc.
4.) See #2.
5.) Great! hello, everyone. heh, don't let the gleaming fangs fool you. I don't usually bite, either, but I have been known to nibble.
6.) Again, see #2.

Oh, and great stories, Mikhail and jwrebholz. yep, I'd say we have the nakings of a backstory.

Tigermark

[Calbeck]

"I should've listened to Mom and become an accountant."

Hee hee hee...every sci-fi epic needs its Porkinses...-:D

[Madmoonie]

All this talk of the Rebel Cry movie, the characters' background stories, and even Chaser617's 'Terran War' story on a differant thread (not to mention watching Return of the Jedi last night) has inspired me to draw my own space pilot. Please visit and tell me what you think.

[UncleMonty]

What? We're supposed to have a back story?
Hmmm... Okay...

"Karl" (From "Churl", which means a common and unsophisticated person) is the youngest son in a large family, who received adequate food, housing, and clothing from his parents, and was occasionally punished when his parents believed he had done something requiring that, but was otherwise left alone. He was raised by several public school systems, science fiction novels, and mass-media entertainment.
He became interested in electronics, and enrolled in a technical school where for the first time in his life he got excellent grades. He is licensed to repair and operate a wide range of devices, up to and including a limited license for spacecraft.
He knows that once he "locks on" to a job, hobby, or idea it becomes difficult for him to quit before it is done - and done right. This trait has got him into trouble in the past, so he tries to avoid becoming too interested in anything. People sometimes think him lazy until they see the near-fanaticism that can drive him when he allows it.
His hearing is better than it should be for one of his kind, especially at high frequencies. This leads people to think him slightly deaf, when he cannot make out what they are saying due to all the background noise nobody else can hear.
He is dead serious about his religious beliefs, but belongs to no organized Church. He has no skill whatsoever as a liar, and doesn't like those who are good at it.
Otherwise, he is a very ordinary rat technician with a good work record and excellent credit, just getting by as best he can in whatever circumstance life may offer.
And like any rat, given enough time, he can chew through concrete.

[Madmoonie]

Mine was just a pilot?

[Calbeck]

All this talk of the Rebel Cry movie, the characters' background stories, and even Chaser617's 'Terran War' story on a differant thread (not to mention watching Return of the Jedi last night) has inspired me to draw my own space pilot. Please visit and tell me what you think.

Very nicely done! I can't draw tech work to save my life --- yours looks very authentic.

[Madmoonie]

All this talk of the Rebel Cry movie, the characters' background stories, and even Chaser617's 'Terran War' story on a differant thread (not to mention watching Return of the Jedi last night) has inspired me to draw my own space pilot. Please visit and tell me what you think.

Very nicely done! I can't draw tech work to save my life --- yours looks very authentic.

Thank you!

[StrangeWulf13]

I cast Thread Necromancy to raise this one from the dead! Live! LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVE!!

*coughs* Anyhow... I guess it's my turn for a background story, eh? I thought it best to use this one instead of making another. You can accuse me of laziness, but you'd be wrong. I had to dig back a couple pages before I found it! So nyeah.

Anyway, without further ado, Bandit's back story!

------------------------------------------------------------------

Bandit had always wanted to travel amongst the stars. He also had a tendency for playing with things that went boom, which worried his parents despite the precautions he took. Taking advantage of his two most favorite things, they enrolled him in flight school once he was of age, gently hinting that he could become a fighter pilot and make things go boom in space. He jumped at the chance and passed with flying colors, taking high marks in his ability to turn the practice targets into scrap metal. At last, his parents could relax.

Then war broke out.

Despite getting shot up a few times, Bandit always managed to survive his dogfights, though he kept complaining that the kill drones were stealing most of his targets. He didn't join to watch a bunch of robots blow things up before he could! If his finger wasn't on the button, it wasn't his kill. What was the point?

All too soon, the war was over and all he could blow up was the practice dummies. As much as he liked the explosions, it just didn't have the same thrill. The AI was too predictable. He longed for the space battles with the rebels, to feel the thrill of having to deal with an intelligent and crafty opponent and to cheat death once more. First thing he did after getting home was go to Solidus' bar and raise a toast to him. Despite the cold welcome and his fence-sitting on the politics of the war, he felt it only right to honor a fellow fighter pilot who died in battle (even if it was from a shot by one of those gorram ruttin' kill drones). He left before he got into too much trouble, though he knew the other rebel veterans were touched by his tribute. He only wished they hadn't gotten such a bum deal after the war.

Still, duty was duty, and he had to show up for the gaudy spectacle that the Federation decided to put on. He felt it unnecessary, distasteful, and a dishonor to those who'd fallen in battle. Men lived and died by the unforgiving rules of space combat. The Federation might as well have built a latrine over their graves! Of course, he kept quiet about his views, feeling that they might start looking closer at him as a possible "traitor" to the grand Federation. At least he wasn't the only one to think so, as many of his crewmates felt the same, and it was whispered that the Admiral was of the same mind.

Unfortunately, the ones running the show did not agree.

So Bandit showed up for the "Victory Tour" all strapped in and flying in formation, and in a rather foul mood. He had half a mind to defect after all this pomp and circumstance and maybe start another rebellion. Maybe just a small, covert group who'd make things "inconvenient" for the Federation. But no, such thoughts were not proper for a man of his character, and his parents would not approve. They were proud of his service, though also felt that the Federation was being unfair. He did not wish to dishonor them.

However, when the Rebel Cry broke ranks and started making a break for it, Bandit felt his pulse quicken. Someone had seized the ship and no doubt intended to spoil the ceremony. Maybe it was a former rebel. He'd get to face off against a real opponent! As the ship dodged his fellow fighters, heading for the Cygnus (the newest in a soon-to-be long line of Dreadnaught-class Battlecarriers), Bandit began to smile. It was time to battle again, and he looked forward to it. He flew in with the rest of his squadron to intercept, the pilot apparently giving them more trouble than they thought. Just like a rebel would act without any weapons. It was unlikely he'd be able to defend himself at all. Bandit stayed close to the hauler, feeling a thrill at the near-miss by the bridge, knowing this had to be a rebel. Still, chances were good it was just some disgruntled citizen making a protest of the Federations decree, or perhaps an unscruptable character looking to make a quick buck. Who wouldn't love to own a piece of a real rebel hauler? The pilot's seat alone would bring in a good bit of money. He could hear the pitch now: For just a few hundred crit, you can have the pilot's seat of the Rebel Cry! A rebel hauler during the war, this baby fought through several battles and ran plenty of blockades before the Federation caught her red-handed! Yours to own for a negotiably low price! Installation extra.

Whatever the reason, the pilot escaped pursuit. He felt a little disappointed, but knew that was the only real option for their opponent. Besides, they'd pick him up again soon with any luck, and then it would begin!

Sure enough, the Dire Wolf, allowed one more term of service, found her prey and moved in. Bandit's squadron was dispatched in case any unforeseen incidents happened. It was a good thing too. The pilot didn't respond to the Admiral's hails, and just as the Battlecarrier was about to blow the hauler out of the black, he pulled a dirty trick. Bandit felt a surge of adrenaline (and perhaps a little panic) as the order to scramble came over the radio. He felt the best direction to go was opposite the Rebel Cry. It was the right decision. Not only did the Battlecarrier absorb most of the artificial ion storm's rage, it also shielded him and the fighters from it. This guy was good! There was no doubt now. They were facing a rebel, and quite possibly a veteran at that. Orders were given to pursue and Bandit smiled as he found that he was the closest one, revving his engine as he went off to engage the enemy. He shrugged off the warning about debris. He'd flown through plenty of obstacle courses. What could a little debris do?

As it turned out, this time the obstacle wasn't painted in bright colors, and it was a lot bigger than regulation training debris. The last thing to go through Bandit's mind was a curse and one of the Rebel Cry's ramscoop covers.

After the whole thing was over and done with, the Federation wisely decided to revise their standards for the obstacle courses, partly in memory of Bandit's sacrifice, and partly due to his parents grass roots movement for more realistic training courses. After all, his Sly Cooper memorabilia collection fetched quite a price on eWay, so they were never short of funding.

As per his wishes, his funeral was held on his grandparent's land, with the rebel anthem and Amazing Grace played by a nervous band held at gunpoint. Despite his ignoble death, his parents were proud of him. He'd gone out like he always wished he would, right on the six of the enemy, ever ready for the fight.

-----------------------------------------

That's all for now. Hope you enjoyed it! ^_^

[Calbeck]

Hee..."Sly Cooper", eh? Nice. The whole thing came across as very believable...and hey, how was Bandit to know that "debris" meant a whole frickin' SCOOP almost the size of his own fighter? Prolly thought the other guy'd dumped trash, either to confuse drones with poor-man's-chaff or lighten his load a touch...

[Daniel Meyer]

The last thing to go through Bandit's mind was a curse and one of the Rebel Cry's ramscoop covers.

LOL! Very well put!

[RHJunior]

Minor note: the battleship in pursuit is the Dire Wolf, not the Cygnus. Ye olde Cygnus is still sitting back in orbit over the Capital planet, waiting for its victory tour.