SISTERS REQUIEM
By Kynight and Talon
"Come on! Come on!"
"Shill, Glacterra. The pre-flight checks are underway.. give it a minicyel." Compass glanced calmly at a display. "It takes time. You can't rush a pre-flight.... jumping dimensions isn't as simple as crossing a transitway you know. Even a simple miscalculation-- however slight-- could have cataclysmic consequences."
"I know all that," Compass shook her head in resignation. "Anyone would think this was a matter of life-or-death," she joked, but her companion didn't reply. "Anyway, I--" she broke off as a chime sounded. "Oh, final checks completed.. I'll request clearance for launch."
"No need."
"No need?" Compass repeated, with a raised eyebrow. "But procedures--- "
"Kynight knows all about my mission. If I had not already asked her for the necessary permission, then would I be here?"
"No, I suppose not." With a small frown, compass tapped a switch and the neural-control net dropped from the ceiling and attached itself to her head, linking her directly into the helm controls. "Brace yourself, engines are hot."
"Glacterra did what?" Kynight demanded in shock.
"Too the RealmScout and left Paix." Quartz shrugged nervously. "I only just learned about this myself. I didn't know you'd given anyone permission to jump dimensions. After some of our recent experiences--"
"Glacterra did tell me about wanting to visit another dimension to locate some new weapon to better protect Paix, or so she claimed." Kynight was fuming, pacing across the room and ignoring looks from a puzzled Raggletag. "I refused.. no need to make Paix vulnerable to detection by making unnecessary dimensional transits."
"Too bad no one told Compass."
"I didn't think Glacterra knew how to pilot a ship through a dimensional jump and to knowingly involve an innocent!" Kynight frowned again. "We'll have to go after her."
"Not anytime soon though."
Kynight watched Quartz shiver as she stared at him. "Oh?"
"Yeah, well there's a disturbance in the dimensional barriers," Quarts explained, holding a comp-pad in front of him like a shield. "Some kind of energy storm is generating staggering radiation levels and temporal distortion waves. The Stellar Observatory has issued a request for all space travel and most especially any dimensional transits to be grounded."
"I'd heard rumors about the storm earlier," Raggletag said, "but I didn't think it's be quite this bad." He handed the pad to Kynight.
;Even the astro-physicists are surprised. I was getting some scans of it when the Observatory contacted me to learn why the Explorer, RealmScout, was lifting off without clearance or a filed flight plan."
"Well, when Glacterra sets out to violate the rules, she doesn't go about the job half-heartedly." Kynight shook her head tiredly. "Have the Explorer I-- no, it's still being overhauled isn't it? Better prep the Wildstar, and also the Orchestra, for immediate launch. As soon as the storm lets up, we're going after Glacterra and her misguided pilot."
Quartz nodded, thinking how much he would hate to be in Glacterra'a place when Kynight finally caught up with her. He shared a knowing glance with Raggletag.
"We're going to die." Compass heard the grim certainty in her too calm voice, "We are both going to die."
"Nonsense," Glacterra replied with unfeigned calm. Another bout of shuddering rocked the RealmScout, rattling bulkheads and making the light panels flicker.
"I've never seen a dimensional transit like this before," Compass complained, trying to calm her nerves but giving up. "The very fabric of between space is being compressed and wrinkled.. I don't know how much longer RealmScout can survive the distortions."
"RealmScout is a good ship.. she will survive."
"Even if we survive transit, then the Sisterhood will scrap us." Compass glared when her companion didn't reply. "You heard Control: all space flight- especially dimensional flights- was grounded! They almost opened fire on us when we launched."
"What's done is done, Compass. The Sisterhood will understand that we did only what we must." Compass muttered nervously under her breath. This had to be the longest transit in history.. and she feared that things could get worse.
* * *
"Dark Fist Station," Glacterra said as the spiky, torus-shaped station filled the main monitor. "A veritable hive for the scum of a hundred worlds." Squat towers rose at odd angles from the ring-like main hull. "A place where law enforcement is a dirty word." The red dwarf start gave the station's hull the color of dried blood.
"And THIS is the reason we came to this dimension?" Compass took note of the carbo streaks and patched-over scars of weapon's fire. "This is why we risked though distortion waves?" She was still surprised that they had survived.
"The black market is very active her, Compass. It's got samples of almost everyone known fuel source, weapon, technological innovation, and scientific discover in the inhabited space. We've come here for a special weapon." She paused. "Last time I was in this dimension, I picked up some rumors about this place. There's a military dealer on the Station.. with access to all the weapons we could ever need to defend Paix from attack."
"But why do we need defending? We're not at war with anyone. For the love of Primus, we're not even in the same dimension as any potential enemies!"
"The weapons are more of a bluff.. with them in our possession, who would dare to attack us?"
Compass opened her mouth to question that theory, but was cut off by a beep from the com-system. "This is Dark Fist Station to approaching vessel. Identify yourself at once or be destroyed."
"This is the RealmScout," Compass replied over the channel. "We request docking clearance."
"Lifeform types? Number of passengers? Purpose of visit? Failure to respond, or lying in your destruction." The locals were too fond of that threat, Compass thought. A monitor pinpointed weaponry emplacements on the station's battered hull.
Glacterra replied: "We're two Transformers visiting the station to acquire some much needed supplies."
There was long moment of silence. "Clearance granted.. follow docking beacon nine one seven four point three six with no deviation or you will be destroyed. Dark Fist out."
"See, no problem." Compass did not share her companion's assurances.
The corridors of Dark Fist were dimly-lit, humid, and littered with trash and unidentifiable debris, and not a few drunken vagrants.
"What a dreadful hold." Compass shuddered as she stepped past two small organic fighting one another over a scrap of cloth. "This place is awful... there's nothing
By Kynight and Talon
"Come on! Come on!"
"Shill, Glacterra. The pre-flight checks are underway.. give it a minicyel." Compass glanced calmly at a display. "It takes time. You can't rush a pre-flight.... jumping dimensions isn't as simple as crossing a transitway you know. Even a simple miscalculation-- however slight-- could have cataclysmic consequences."
"I know all that," Compass shook her head in resignation. "Anyone would think this was a matter of life-or-death," she joked, but her companion didn't reply. "Anyway, I--" she broke off as a chime sounded. "Oh, final checks completed.. I'll request clearance for launch."
"No need."
"No need?" Compass repeated, with a raised eyebrow. "But procedures--- "
"Kynight knows all about my mission. If I had not already asked her for the necessary permission, then would I be here?"
"No, I suppose not." With a small frown, compass tapped a switch and the neural-control net dropped from the ceiling and attached itself to her head, linking her directly into the helm controls. "Brace yourself, engines are hot."
"Glacterra did what?" Kynight demanded in shock.
"Too the RealmScout and left Paix." Quartz shrugged nervously. "I only just learned about this myself. I didn't know you'd given anyone permission to jump dimensions. After some of our recent experiences--"
"Glacterra did tell me about wanting to visit another dimension to locate some new weapon to better protect Paix, or so she claimed." Kynight was fuming, pacing across the room and ignoring looks from a puzzled Raggletag. "I refused.. no need to make Paix vulnerable to detection by making unnecessary dimensional transits."
"Too bad no one told Compass."
"I didn't think Glacterra knew how to pilot a ship through a dimensional jump and to knowingly involve an innocent!" Kynight frowned again. "We'll have to go after her."
"Not anytime soon though."
Kynight watched Quartz shiver as she stared at him. "Oh?"
"Yeah, well there's a disturbance in the dimensional barriers," Quarts explained, holding a comp-pad in front of him like a shield. "Some kind of energy storm is generating staggering radiation levels and temporal distortion waves. The Stellar Observatory has issued a request for all space travel and most especially any dimensional transits to be grounded."
"I'd heard rumors about the storm earlier," Raggletag said, "but I didn't think it's be quite this bad." He handed the pad to Kynight.
;Even the astro-physicists are surprised. I was getting some scans of it when the Observatory contacted me to learn why the Explorer, RealmScout, was lifting off without clearance or a filed flight plan."
"Well, when Glacterra sets out to violate the rules, she doesn't go about the job half-heartedly." Kynight shook her head tiredly. "Have the Explorer I-- no, it's still being overhauled isn't it? Better prep the Wildstar, and also the Orchestra, for immediate launch. As soon as the storm lets up, we're going after Glacterra and her misguided pilot."
Quartz nodded, thinking how much he would hate to be in Glacterra'a place when Kynight finally caught up with her. He shared a knowing glance with Raggletag.
"We're going to die." Compass heard the grim certainty in her too calm voice, "We are both going to die."
"Nonsense," Glacterra replied with unfeigned calm. Another bout of shuddering rocked the RealmScout, rattling bulkheads and making the light panels flicker.
"I've never seen a dimensional transit like this before," Compass complained, trying to calm her nerves but giving up. "The very fabric of between space is being compressed and wrinkled.. I don't know how much longer RealmScout can survive the distortions."
"RealmScout is a good ship.. she will survive."
"Even if we survive transit, then the Sisterhood will scrap us." Compass glared when her companion didn't reply. "You heard Control: all space flight- especially dimensional flights- was grounded! They almost opened fire on us when we launched."
"What's done is done, Compass. The Sisterhood will understand that we did only what we must." Compass muttered nervously under her breath. This had to be the longest transit in history.. and she feared that things could get worse.
* * *
"Dark Fist Station," Glacterra said as the spiky, torus-shaped station filled the main monitor. "A veritable hive for the scum of a hundred worlds." Squat towers rose at odd angles from the ring-like main hull. "A place where law enforcement is a dirty word." The red dwarf start gave the station's hull the color of dried blood.
"And THIS is the reason we came to this dimension?" Compass took note of the carbo streaks and patched-over scars of weapon's fire. "This is why we risked though distortion waves?" She was still surprised that they had survived.
"The black market is very active her, Compass. It's got samples of almost everyone known fuel source, weapon, technological innovation, and scientific discover in the inhabited space. We've come here for a special weapon." She paused. "Last time I was in this dimension, I picked up some rumors about this place. There's a military dealer on the Station.. with access to all the weapons we could ever need to defend Paix from attack."
"But why do we need defending? We're not at war with anyone. For the love of Primus, we're not even in the same dimension as any potential enemies!"
"The weapons are more of a bluff.. with them in our possession, who would dare to attack us?"
Compass opened her mouth to question that theory, but was cut off by a beep from the com-system. "This is Dark Fist Station to approaching vessel. Identify yourself at once or be destroyed."
"This is the RealmScout," Compass replied over the channel. "We request docking clearance."
"Lifeform types? Number of passengers? Purpose of visit? Failure to respond, or lying in your destruction." The locals were too fond of that threat, Compass thought. A monitor pinpointed weaponry emplacements on the station's battered hull.
Glacterra replied: "We're two Transformers visiting the station to acquire some much needed supplies."
There was long moment of silence. "Clearance granted.. follow docking beacon nine one seven four point three six with no deviation or you will be destroyed. Dark Fist out."
"See, no problem." Compass did not share her companion's assurances.
The corridors of Dark Fist were dimly-lit, humid, and littered with trash and unidentifiable debris, and not a few drunken vagrants.
"What a dreadful hold." Compass shuddered as she stepped past two small organic fighting one another over a scrap of cloth. "This place is awful... there's nothing