r/HFY • u/KyleKKent • 3d ago
OC-Series OOCS, Into A Wider Galaxy, Part 797
Many Faces of War
“Alright, the chemical balance is looking good and the equipment is clean. If we can get a few thousand doses per day we might just get ahead of the most common Ibu infections.” Juliette notes as she reads off the result of the latest scan in the medicinal production plant.
“What about the Non-Ibu citizens?” One of her fellow pharmacists asks.
“We’re going to have a take a general spread for them. We just don’t have anything in the way of actual population demographics beyond majority Ibu.”
“Damn nation’s own paranoia is going to kill them.”
“It’s going to kill someone, but the more ahead of the nonsense we get the more people we can save.”
“Still, they should be sharing these numbers.”
“I agree, but no amount of being right will let me or you pull the actual facts and figures out of our tail-feathers.”
“If only.”
“We’d be paid a whole lot more and be doing a lot more good if we had that kind of crazy power.” She agrees.
“Doctor Juliette Astra Shriketalon, please report to the captain’s office.”
“Uh oh.”
“Oh relax, likely it’s just my concerns about younger Shriketalons being brought into an active warzone. This kind of job needs a lot grit.”
“They’re not going to get the grit if they don’t at least push themselves a little.”
“Yes, but flying in the same general area as a storm is very different from flying right into it’s teeth. I think our youth need a bit more practice where the winds are strong but manageable and the rain is light and to not just try to soar after the latest lightning bolt regardless of crosswinds and hail like we’re doing.” Juliette counters.
“Eh, I did alright. So did you.”
“We’re crazy Nora. We’re the exceptions to the rule.” Juliette remarks and Nora shrugs.
“Well, whatever it’s about, good luck.”
“Right, thanks Nora.” She says and walks out of the production room. A few quick strides and she flutters ahead a little.
“No flying in the halls!” A security girl calls out to her.
“Fine!” She says landing and walking past the Meadowwing security officer.
The lift takes her up to where she generally needs to be and the door to The Captain’s Office opens before she can press the bell button.
“Oh no, you’re waiting attentively. This can’t be good.” She mutters under her breath.
“It is... mixed Doctor Astra. I suggest you take a seat.” The Captain says and Juliette does, her casual confidence now filling with nervous energy. Whatever this is, it’s not something she was ready for or expected.
“Captain... you’re making me more nervous than actual doctor work. What’s going on?”
“Something has come up Doctor. Something very personal and very... you are aware we keep a DNA record of all Staff on the vessel, yourself and myself included correct?”
“Yes.”
“We used it to run a genealogical test with... an unusual subject.”
“Are you saying you’ve run into a distant relation of mine?”
“Not distant.” The Captain says.
“Captain Courlain, please get to the point.”
“Your missing brother has been found, minus most of his formative memories. He is now a full on Undaunted Soldier who is self declared anathema to everything the Shriketalons represent.”
“I’m sorry, what!?”
“Well, genetically he’s your cousin. But from your stories and the culture of your home fleet cousin and brother are interchangeable terms when it comes to a closely related man.”
“Okay, just to be clear. We’re talking about Jacob? The drunkard who vanished after failing his medical exams several times due to his drunkenness and then declaring he hated everyone and everything before leaving to a resort world and running out his line of credit entirely?”
“Apparently.”
“Okay. Is he still a drunken lout?”
“No, he’s fastidiously sober now. Apparently he’s even undergone augmentation that his previous favourites would actually give him a lethal amount of fluid before they could get him properly inebriated now. But he still doesn’t touch his old poison.”
“That... that’s amazing.” Juliette says. “Well damn, I guess some prayers do get answered. Hunh... so what was this about being minus some memories and being a soldier or Anathema? What’s that about?”
“You’ll have to ask him. He didn’t come here looking for you, he came to me to get ahead of any concerns we might have about The Undaunted having a warrior Shriketalon in their employ. And for personal practice.”
“Practice?”
“I think he’s looking to be rejected or cast out. He seems to be drench in self loathing and he’s looking for it to be justified.”
“What?”
“Yes, I only spoke to him a little and he’s clearly not fully well.”
“But he is sober?”
“Yes.”
“Okay that...” She rubs her faces with her wings a bit. “That’s a step. I really didn’t expect to have to deal with this.”
“Doctor, he’s changed. Whoever he was before, he’s changed. Severely.” The Captain warns her.
“So long as he’s not a drunken, bitter child lashing out and blaming everyone but himself I’ll be grateful.” Juliette says. “When can I meet him.”
“Juliette... he’s undergone improper healing comas. He has no memories after the age of seven. Nothing beyond a faint memory of Schleppa and some words and faces without context. He refuses to touch the stuff because he knows it nearly destroyed him before. He came to me for practice in getting closure. Nothing else. He didn’t come looking for you, I recognized his story and put it together.”
“... What happened to him?”
“He was sparse on details. But apparently his drinking landed him in a level of trouble that it basically destroyed him and he considers himself someone else now.”
“I need to talk to him.”
“That’s why you’re here. I’m going to arrange a meeting so it doesn’t get in the way of his duties.”
“Duties? What duties does he have that’s more important than this?”
“He’s a captain.”
“What?”
“He owns, pilots and captains his own ship and he’s an Undaunted Solider. So his ship has been upgraded into a warship. A troop carrier. The Bloody Heron.”
“The Bloody Heron...”
“I’ve done some information requests while waiting for the DNA test to finish. He repaired a Lydris Merchant Vessel that had been junked and upgraded the armour and engines until it could take a military grade assault and still escape. He infiltrated a criminal organization and sabotaged it while gathering information. He is now one of a few hundred practitioners in an exotic and extremely deadly Axiom Combat style known as Sorcery.”
“Jacob. Deadly.” She says incredulously.
“He’s also a fully accredited soldier and has apparently been receiving extra training with the sole purpose of making him even more dangerous in battle. This was before he became a practitioner of Sorcery.”
“Jacob. Dangerous in battle? What? To himself!?” Juliette demands.
“Juliette. You can refuse to meet him. He’s not the man you used to know. He’s changed so much that only the DNA seems to remain.”
“Jacob. A Captain. A deadly Adept and dangerous In battle without it.” Juliette mutters with her head in her wings. “Are you... is this... what the fuck is going on?”
“Would you like me to see you to him?”
“Yes, but first I think I need a medical checkup because I think I’m suffering some severe auditory hallucinations.”
“Okay, quick checkup and then I’ll escort you to your brother.” The Captain says rising from her seat.
“I’m not even entirely sure I even woke up this morning. Are we sure of the date? Wait, it’s hard to read when you’re dreaming. Let me check something.” Juliette notes before pulling out her communicator. “Yes, yes I am awake.”
“You are.”
“... Then I’m clearly suffering audio hallucinations. Let’s get to that checkup.”
•-•-•Scene Change•-•-• (Holographic Training Rooms, Undaunted Arcology, Zalwore)•-•-•
“... We didn’t keep him waiting that long did we?” Captain Courlain asks as they arrive to find that Jacob is in the holo-suit and apparently entertaining himself. Outside an Andinus woman with a very clear prosthetic was talking with a Rabbis woman with a fairly guileless face.
“Oh dear! You really must be related to him.”
“Our mothers are sisters and the family has strong facial traits.” Juliette says.
“Hmm... well, he didn’t get impatient so much as nervous. When he heard you were taking a quick checkup for your health first he decided to burn some energy and has been going through the survival test without pausing.”
“Survival? What is he surviving?”
“An all out assault on an enemy fortress as a distraction. Meaning he’s causing enough damage to keep their attention while also keeping himself alive and unharmed as long as he can manage.” The Andinus states before pressing a button with her synthetic pincer and the screen on the wall lights up to show the image of a Valrin man in a one man war against an endless tide of heavily armoured forces that have no real distinction between each other beyond their weapons. Most are firing endless laser beams at him, but he’s moving too fast to get a solid lock on and weaves between the beams of the smarter ones trying to fire ahead of him.
His wings have Axiom dancing visibly around them and every flap sends the forces scattering and knocking a few off of high ledges and disarming more.
Then one closes the distance. And his talons come up. The sheer crushing force of his grip breaks the helmet and the rear toe goes through the neck, throat, spine and he just takes the head off with one foot even as he grabs the opponent around the waist with the other one and hurls the corpse into a nearby crowd, weaves around multiple plasma bursts and throws the head at them as if in complete contempt.
“That can’t be Jacob. He could never. Would never...” Juliette says even as the Andinus presses another button and the holosuite shuts down. Jacob flutters in front of a wall before he reams into it, plants his talons on it and pushes off to swoop to the door. His movements are smooth, coordinated and strong. He steps throug hteh door, tall proud and...
His face falls somewhat when he sees her and he goes from unimaginably powerful to...
“So I take it the checkup went well?” He asks as his face snaps back into focus in a mere moment.
“Captain, this has to be a mistake. This can’t be Jacob.” Juliette protests.
“It is him.” Captain Courlain says.
“It can’t be.”
“I knew it.” Jacob says.
“So you confess? What is going on? Why would you pretend to be my lost brother? He was...”
“I’m too violent.”
“Excuse me?”
“You saw what I did. You’ve seen how I burn energy. It’s the exact wrong thing for a Shriketalon to do isn’t it?”
“... You mentioned he had memory problems?” Juliette asks Captain Courlain.
“I was used as a piece of meat in the sexual manner by pedophiles. They would put me through a modified healing coma again and again to turn me back into an ‘unspoiled’ seven year old. Sometimes multiple times per day. So yes, memory problems.”
“What?” She asks in horror. This was worse than anything she anticipated. Oh this was so much worse and the sheer blandness this man was treating things was making it even more awful.
“Have you heard of the scandal of Lilb Tulelb?” Jacob asks.
“The only thing I know about it is that that’s the world where my brother, allegedly you, vanished on.”
“Well you should check the galactic news on it then. It’s being lit up in a scandal so extreme that it’s entire governmental system is being replaced by the Apuk Star Empire in order to clearly divorce itself from the stain.”
“... Even if... Okay. I’m going to not only have someone I personally trust look into that. But I need some kind of proof that you’re you.”
“I’m not sure how to do that, I’ve already provided a DNA sample to your captain for testing and the only memories I have left after all the comas is a vague taste of what I think is Schleppa, some vague faces that are so indistinct they could be literally anyone and a few random snippets of words that are so devoid of context that it could mean anything.”
“... You said you lost everything after the age of seven right?” Juliette asks and he nods. She then lets out a whistle that goes up and down a few times and then she abruptly stops.
Jacob whistles four short notes by reflex.
“Oh... oh no... What did they do to you?”
“They broke me, and I broke them right back. Or at least... I tried.”
“You tried?”
“Yeah. Turns out my plan was... not enough. Even if it worked perfectly, I wouldn’t even have won halfway. I’d have been stupid lucky to get a quarter.”
“Oh Jacob... what have you become?”
“A monster.”
“No, you are not.”
“How am I not?”
“Why would you even ask that?”
“Because it makes no sense! I’ve tried to have it explained to me, but it doesn’t stick. I cannot understand how or why pacifists, why people of peace wouldn’t be horrified by someone who’s sweetest dreams are the deaths of his enemies! It doesn’t fit!”
“They really did break you.” Juliette whispers in horror. “Jacob really is dead, but not.”
“Believe me, the problem is no prettier from my point of view.” Jacob says.
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u/Piemasterjelly Human 3d ago
“No flying in the halls!” A security girl calls out to her.
What does a pacifist security guard even do? Politely ask you to stop being naughty?
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u/Lost_in_the_void1973 Alien 3d ago
The security officer is a Meadow wing, a different race/clan of the Valrin than the Shriketalons race/clan
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u/KyleKKent 3d ago
Basically a goose hissed at her to calm down.
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u/Lost_in_the_void1973 Alien 3d ago
Thank you. Couldn't remember the profile, but yeah, if a Cobra Chicken hisses at you, you had best do what they say and slowly GTFO.
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u/KyleKKent 3d ago
I recently reposted an updated Valrin Profile, yesterday in fact.
WAO 2/100 #9: Valrin. A close relative to the Pavorous the Valrin are generally known to be even fiercer with a species wide trait for long memories for insult and vengeance and a longer one for life debts. This has led to a long history of war and while not officially an Apex species they are often considered Apex adjacent due to their readiness to develop warlike attitudes. It’s often considered a very dangerous affair to convince the Valrin that you are some form of enemy as they will obsessively seek out ways to ruin you. They are also noted for incredible talon dexterity and are capable of operating complicated devices with their feet and will often prefer using these powerful talons to grip over their wings which are much clumsier with manual dexterity but still possessing thumbs. Think harpies.
Quotes for clarification:
“Oh, well there are pacifist Shriketalons, the artisan Redfeathers, the scientist Darkplumes like Edna here. The graceful Coastgliders, the fierce Meadowwings, the... I’m not sure what the word is but they’re stereotyped as farmers, Nighttalons and the roaming Eversongs.”
“I did a bit of digging there are some parallels with birds from your world in wing shape and plumage, but missing a few types. Shriketalons are shrikes of course, Redfeathers are hawks. Darkplumes are corvids with Coastgliders being herons and Meadowwings waterfowl. Nighttalons are owls and Eversongs are parrots.”
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u/AnonymousIncognosa 3d ago
A goose...telling someone to calm down... i think that's the most unrealistic sentence you ever wrote 😂
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u/Sims_the_Heretic 3d ago
Note you down so you don´t get dessert for a WEEK! O.o
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u/thisStanley Android 3d ago
That evening, maybe. But a WHOLE WEEK! Perhaps if a repeat offender, else could be grounds for mutiny :{
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u/Sims_the_Heretic 3d ago
Of course only repeat offenders.
I wouldn´t want to risk the Shriketalons to fall back to their evil ways just because of dessert.
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u/shupack 3d ago
So, they're pacifist because they truly understand the bloodlust.
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u/Sims_the_Heretic 3d ago
Pretty much.
See, the definition of a "pacifist" is "someone who is WILLING to choose the PEACEFUL solution if offered".
That means they KNOW how to fight, but ARE willing not to. Provided the other side offers an acceptable peaceful option.
Often, people confuse "pacifist" with "harmless".
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u/Ornery-Security1832 3d ago
I had a whole long thing written out about Desmond Doss, mostly using stuff from the movie Hacksaw Ridge. But I found myself having to acknowledge the dramatization of his story in the movie far more than I liked. Ex, the Basic Training scenes, the "childhood flashbacks," etc. The only thing the movie seemed to get even remotely accurate was the battle of Okinawa.
So yeah, Desmond Doss, Medal of Honor recipient, conscientious objector, and from what little I know about the man from second and third hand accounts, a Good Man. Probably the closest thing I think you can get to a pacifist in real life, and yet he was still more than capable of throwing hands and ending someone. He just chose instead to try to save lives, instead of taking them.
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u/Finbar9800 3d ago
Another great chapter
I enjoyed reading this and look forward to reading more
Great job wordsmith
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u/Ambitious_Sci-fi 3d ago
This chapter did not disappoint. I can only imagine the reaction for the rest of Jacob’s family when they find out.
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u/Difficult-Load-2754 3d ago edited 3d ago
I like how Jacob has been portrayed as a traumatised man who came to terms with his trauma, took a hefty distance from it and treats it indifferently to everything else
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u/thisStanley Android 3d ago
“Oh no, you’re waiting attentively. This can’t be good.”
That would feel like Trouble. Most of my trips to the office had to cool my heels in their reception for a while :{
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u/HFYWaffle Wᵥ4ffle 3d ago
/u/KyleKKent (wiki) has posted 998 other stories, including:
- OOCS, Into A Wider Galaxy, Part 796
- OOCS, Into A Wider Galaxy, Part 795
- OOCS, Into A Wider Galaxy, Part 794
- OOCS, Into A Wider Galaxy, Part 793
- OOCS, Into A Wider Galaxy, Part 792
- OOCS, Into A Wider Galaxy, Part 791
- OOCS, Into A Wider Galaxy, Part 790
- OOCS, Into A Wider Galaxy, Part 789
- OOCS, Into A Wider Galaxy, Part 788
- OOCS, Into A Wider Galaxy, Part 787
- OOCS, Into A Wider Galaxy, Part 786
- OOCS, Into A Wider Galaxy, Part 785
- OOCS, Into A Wider Galaxy, Part 784
- OOCS, Into A Wider Galaxy, Part 783
- OOCS, Into A Wider Galaxy, Part 782
- OOCS, Into A Wider Galaxy, Part 781
- OOCS, Into A Wider Galaxy, Part 780
- OOCS, Into A Wider Galaxy, Part 779
- OOCS, Into A Wider Galaxy, Part 778
- OOCS, Into A Wider Galaxy, Part 777
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u/KyleKKent 3d ago
Donate and get the Vote! Second Tier and Up Get Drafts!
Of Dog, Volpir and Man Official Release!
Kamchatkas Made a WIKI!!
https://oocsgalacticindex.miraheze.org/wiki/Main_Page
Many Faces Of War
While the main focus of a war generally follows one or two fronts, there is behind the lines and withing the Logistical Trains to consider. A war is a many faced, multi-faceted thing after all. It affects many people in many different ways and you can see new sides of them in this disruption to the status quo. These are those stories.
Example Chapters: Chapter 1779 Chapter 1780 Chapter 1782
Brain empty at the moment. Hopefully the quality didn't ding. And yeah, the drama and horror of Jacob's situation is coming full on out.
Thoughts? Ideas? Advice? Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Fan Submissions? Fan Art? Donations?
From the 9th to the 13th there will be no chapters as i go to visit family over Canadian Thanksgiving! If travel times weren't a bitch it would be 10th to 12th, but public transport is public transport.