neobear

597 - A New Adventure Awaits

The antlered beast came to a crashing halt as inertial carried its weight sliding across the forest foliage. The giant wolf deer with a pair of impressive looking antlers let out a last grunt before the light went out of its eyes. Blood seeped out from its side and soaked into the forest floor as heavy footsteps approached the hunted beast.

"Nice shot!" A happy cry came from the female toting a long rifle over her shoulder. Dressed in a set of 'tiger stripe' blue woodland camouflaged ho...

596 - Tales of Myth

The Old World, UN Expeditionary Force, Forward Operating Base, UNS Vengeance

"There are a total of twenty two micro villages scattered along the coastline within a hundred kilometer radius of the cove," Dr. Sharon addressed the meeting room. "Majority of them are sustaining themselves from fishing while the rest which has more access to forest regions survive more on hunting and small scale farming."

"I call them micro villages there are only several families to the most a dozen, ...

595 - A New Home

"Git outta ma God Machine!" The goblin helicopter crew hissed at the Marines who hurried off the rear ramp of the hovering Griffin. The cargo helicopter was hovering at the edge of a jagged shard of rock, its pilot expertly hovered the Griffin's tail end just a foot off the edge. The Marines quickly disembarked and fanned out to cover their sectors.

The Marines had ridden the helicopter up the coastal cliffs and was deployed to recce and secure the surrounding areas of the hidden cove. ...

594 - The Cove

Raucous laughter echoed out from the ship that was slightly listed on one side. The lights from the party that was ongoing on the ship were enough to highlight the other five similar sized sailing ships that were anchored next to each other bobbing gently to the waves in the dark.

Several dark shapes slowly drifted into the cliff cove where the walls of the cliff formed a 'U' shape. The lead Marine onboard the dinghy raised a hand up and the rest stopped paddling as he scanned the area ...

593 - Banished

Steel crunched against white sand as the Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel with UNMC in white bold letters emblazoned on its side ran up the beach. The forward steel ramp dropped with clang and Marines double time out and quickly held the beach around the sleepy fishing village.

Villagers do their daily chores around the village paused in their work and stared in fright at the sudden intrusion of strange soldiers that had demi people in their ranks. Mothers grabbed their children into the...

592 - Landfall

The Old World, ???

A head burst out of the ocean's surface and the boy shook the water from his head sending drops of water glittering under the scorching sun. He heaved a small woven net made out of grass onboard the tiny catamaran canoe that was filled with his harvest of the day's shellfish and seaweed.

The boy climbed onboard his body lean and tan from the constant toil under the hot sun and paddled his way back to shore towards several huts made out of straw and wood at the b...

591 - Leviathan

Artificial thunder rumbled out from the patch of calm in the middle of the field of endless storm clouds. The port side of the UNS Vengeance was in a hive of activity as her crew manning the guns sent shell after shell towards the giant wiggling sea monster that was forced to the surface by a barrage of depth charges.

The open mounted 3.5 inch guns barked as the firing lanyard was jerked. The breech popped open and a smoking shell casing was ejected out by the recoil and landed right in...

590 - Rough Seas

"Attention all hands! Attention all hands! Entering the End Zone in five minutes!" The public announcement system blared out. "All hands to secure themselves in their designated locations! Repeat! Secure yourselves for rough weather! Entering the End Zone in four minutes and... forty five seconds counting now!"

The excited and nervous crew and passages had long prepared themselves for this moment. For the past few hours, division heads and leaders had ensured all loose items and every b...

589 - A Long Boring Trip

The entire area around the naval docks was jam packed with people. Banners and flags fluttered in the sea breeze while sounds of a concert could be heard over the din of the crowd. Stalls lined the streets of the naval docks and merchants hock their wares to the crowd. Colourful balloons drifted into the skies were a dozen VF - 2 Vipers buzzed overhead with streams of coloured smoke trailing behind.

The UNS Vengeance sat next to the docks decked out in festive banners and flags while it...

588 - Working Hard

It was pitch black in the streets after an uneasy peace that had settled over the First City of the Fleet after a chaotic day of rioting. The streets were sewn with litter and even a couple of naked bodies that had turned blue in the cold. None of the city workers dared to come out and light the glow lamps and even the rows of buildings along the streets did not even leak a sliver of light as they were all closed and shuttered up as the frightened inhabitants shut themselves in and hopefully ...

587 - War Machine

Four more cockatrice appeared bobbing their heads like terran chickens as they walked out of the mist. The lead cockatrice had a spiny comb on its head, indicating that it was a male and the alpha of this pack of cockatrice. Their appearance stunned the UN troops and Mills whispered to the Major, "Sir, I think we should fall back into the building..."

"The doors and walls won't be able to hold them off for long!" Major Stephan whispered back. "But, good call!"

"All units..." Major...

586 - The Mist

UN Army Major Stephan was a veteran of the Empire War and also took part in the reclaiming of the New Kingdom of Mecca from the Protectorate. He and his battalion of the 1st Rifles had been shipped off from the NKM and dropped here to the Isles to perform peacekeeping operations. Upon arrival, his first important mission was to secure and provide security for the House of Law, where an important closed door hearing of two former Fleet Masters were to be held.

He had worked out the assig...

585 - Inciters

United Nations, The Isles, First City of the Fleet, House of Law

Disposed Fleet Master Akron was standing next to a shaken Tediore in the middle of the arena like chamber. A row of seven magistrates sat on a raised platform that looked down at Akron and Tediore who had their arms and legs in heavy chains. The entire House of Law was dark and only Akron and Tediore were lit by a beam of sun ray that was reflected by mirrors and left the magistrates in the shadows.

This arrangement ...

584 - Unrest

United Nations, Hope Naval Station, UNS Vengeance

Dozens and dozens of large cargo containers occupied both the flight decks of the Vengeance, so much so that they prevent the decks from launching and recovering aircraft. The stacks of cargo containers were further strapped down and secured with steel cables to prevent them from slipping or falling overboard in bad weather.

The Vengeance with both its flight decks covered with cargo containers looked more like a cargo ship rather ...

583 - Travels

United Nations, Sawtooth Mountain Air Base

Air Force Commander Tommy held on to pair of binoculars as he tracked the airship drifting across the runway of the airbase. Spectators lined the hangars at the side as ground crew and servicemen paused at their work and stared in wonder at the massive ship made out of metal doing its aerial trials. Fire and rescue teams in their black and yellow uniforms were also on standby on the side just in case of any accidents.

The hundred and fift...

582 - Invite to Party

The City of Hope was the second largest populated city of the UN. The majority of the inhabitants were refugees from the surrounding kingdoms that flooded into the UN for safety. Those same homeless refugees were also the ones that built up an entire city from the ground up and now living in high rise apartments or houses.

The refugees who were mostly farmers was once unskilled and uneducated, had under a forced program of teaching and learning, became literate and skilled in various in...

581 - This Is An Order!

"Wait!" Saphia cried out as she ignored Blue Thunder and instead she came up close to Rastraz who backed away from her. "You have two eggs?"

Rastraz nodded, her eyes narrowed in suspicion at Saphia's sudden excitement. "Yes! With that... thing!"

"Really?" Saphia suddenly reached out and grabbed both Rastraz hands making the red dragon rear back in surprise. "That's wonderful!"

Rastraz tried to back away from Saphia but Saphia seemed determined to stick with her. Saphia's eye...

580 - Anarchy

The Isles, First City of the Fleet, City Guard Barracks

The parade square was lined up neatly with hundreds of Isles Guardsmen, each wearing a light blue armband over their left biceps. A raised platform was setup in front of the waiting soldiers and not long, a Un An soldier wearing a mottled uniform climbed up the steps of the platform and addressed the crowd.

"Good morning, gentlemen!" Mills greeted the Isles' Guardsmen. "I am Captain Mills of the UN Marine Corps."

"All o...

579 - My Part

United Nations, New Kingdom of Mecca, Sky Mountains Valley

The sun has dipped behind the mountains and the valley was cast into darkness as night came. A shepherd retreated back into his hut after securing his flock of cloud deer, and a warm glow came from within the hut as a fire was made. All around, light could be seen from the few scattered huts around the village.

Many of the houses in the village had been abandoned as the new government soldiers came to evacuate the surround...

578 - Prisoners

"And you must be the Dragon Princess, Sophia?" Blake said after he was finished with Blue Thunder who was trembling together with Plee. His sudden focus on Sophia made her turned pale with fear and it clearly shown on black scales.

Blake and Ford were both surprised by the colouration as the timid dragon seemed to shrink into herself as she replied in a very small voice, "Y- yes"

"Who he?" Plee whispered behind Blue Thunder. "He feel... scary!"

"Erm..." Blue Thunder leaned h...

577 - New Member

Blake sat silently in his seat as he half listened to the members of the Council argue their points and views. Some were against becoming a member of the UN, while others pushed for it. Finally, the time to cast their votes came, several officials, wearing some fancy red yellow coat carried in a large wooden box together with a tray filled with wood tokens and Lady Gloria announced the voting to begin.

One by one, the Council members came up to the box placed on the table in the middle ...

Power Armour, Cybernetic

Rough sketch of Dijon seated on the steps of the Council Chamber undergoing some recharging with an UN tech crew for comparison.

576 - Merger

The throaty cough of the engines died down as the flying boat was laid next to the pier. Waiting deckhands quickly secured the lines and stood at attention as the side hatch cracked out and a soldier in a black military trench coat stepped out. He gave a quick scan of the area before he moved aside for a tall gaunt looking hooman to exit.

The newcomer walked with a slight limp and the deckhands saluted as one as soon as he appeared. Captain Blake returned the salutes and stared at the t...

575 - The Business of War

Task Force Flag, UNS Vengeance, Command Bridge

Commander Ford watched the command staff move tiny figurines representing different squadrons of the Vengeance's 1st Attack Wing on the tactical map against the cluster of figurines representing the ships of Megan.

"1st Attack Wing coming into attack range of the enemy fleet," A command staff recited from the side as information was past on from flight ops. "1st Attack Wing beginning their attack runs."

As the minutes ticked by,...

574 - Sea Devils

Task Force Flag, 3rd Flotilla, UNS Braveheart

The small corvette bobbed up and down among the wreckage spewed all over the ocean together with its motor launches. A shimmering layer of oil covered the water's surface as the crew of the UNS Braveheart dredged the waters for survivors and anything that could provide a clue to what they had just blown up underwater.

"Attention all ships! This is the Flagship Vengeance! All Flotilla except the 3rd and the 5th are to form up with the T...

573 - Project Icarus

The New World, United Nations, Haven, Fortress Singapore

"So until now, Megan still can't be found nor does anyone know of her whereabouts?" Blake seated behind the conference table together with the other senior officers, asked the image of Commander Ford on the display. "Not even one person in the entire Isles has any clue?"

"No, Sir," Commander Ford replied. "We are currently tracking the ships of her loyalists. But so far, we have not spotted her yet."

"How big is the fo...

572 - Making Waves

Task Force Flag, 3rd Flotilla, UNS Braveheart

The 3rd Flotilla of the Task Force had been assigned to SAR duty and the UNS Braveheart, a goblin class corvette was combing the waters for any signs of survivors on the flotsam that covered the greater part of the ocean around the ship.

All available hands onboard the ship was lined up along the railings and were trying to spot any survivors while the ship cruised along slowly. Pieces of wreckage bumped gently along the hull and once ...

571 - Defeat

The battered airship came drifting down from the skies to the beach and for a moment, the airship appeared to hover just off the crashing waves before dropping down with a mighty splash on the water. The airship's forward momentum ploughed its hull through the wet sand before coming to a halt. Smoke and steam hissed out from cracked piping and armour plates while hatches sprung open on all sides.

The weary and injured crew of the airship stumbled out from the wreckage and they joined a ...

570 - Irony

"What is the meaning of this?" Akron snarled as he glared at the Un An soldier. "Are you attacking your own allies?"

"No..." A disembowelled voice came from the crimson War Jack. "It is... I... Dijon... Here to... claim my... dues!"

"What?" Everyone present in the Chamber was dumbstruck as they stared at the huge metal golem. "But Lord Dijon had disappeared for over a year already!"

"Don't worry, we rescued him from the Protectorate who taken him and our Princess as prisoner...

569 - PAC Man

Fleet Master Akron, Tediore and the rest of the Council sucked in a collective breath as they witnessed the side of the Un An giant ship belched flames and smoke. Several heartbeats later, the boom of the explosion rolled over and a shocked outburst of conversation erupted from the Council members as they discussed what just happened.

"What happened to the Un An ship?"

"Did they blew up?"

"The Cartel won?"

Akron ignored the snippets of debates around him as he frowned ...