Post by D'Kali Hegemony on Feb 5, 2014 22:52:07 GMT
Xurk was bored, of that there was no question. Back on Kalisa, there had been great celebrations and feasts before he had taken command of his ship, but that elation and joy had long past. The Preyseeker barely had the room to store enough preserved meat for the scout ship's small crew, let alone to hunt and kill it themselves. Xurk had done his best to keep active on the small, cramped ship but the restlessness was setting in for every D'Kali aboard. There seemed to be a fight almost daily, and the last brawl had almost resulted in an emergency vent of the airlocks when the loser had been tosed against a control panel. The small crew of a dozen was feeling far from honoured to be scouting for the new hunting ground the Archon had promised the Hegemony.
Pacing impatiently at the centre of the bridge, Xurk had to shield his eyes from the bright blue glow of the stellar rift in front of them, these gate-stars that the Gods had shown his people and allowed them to seek new hunting grounds among the stars. "Get on with it, I'm going blind!" He snarled at his pilot, the subordinate quickly coaxing the ship into the event horizon. As the sleak red hull of the Preyseeker began to distord and stretch in the warp point, Xurk curled his claws against the deck plating and growled. It was the second time he'd traveled through one of the anomolies and he hated the experience no less the second time. Feeling like his snout was at one end of his ship and his tail at the other, he gripped a support railing and stood tall as he could bear. As the sensation passed and the Preyseeker emerged back into realspace, he turned to retire to his quarters and snarled "Wake me if there is anywhere we can land!" to his second.
The green-scaled D'Kali had almost exited the bridge when the slave manning the science console squeaked "M'Lord! Sir!" Xurk rolled his eyes and almost pretended he hadn't heard the runtish D'Kali's voice. He hated the little blue patterned coward that had been given as his science expert, always trying to impress his betters in that little voice of his, barely worth holding a spear. Xurk had to endue him though, as educated slaves were in high demand in this new age of space exploration. Or so he was told.
"What is it? And if this is another very interesting comet..." Xurk growled, but then the slave did something very unexpected. He interupted his captain.
"It's a ship, m'Lord, not ours. It's another ship."
The bridge was utterly silent. Every D'Kali turned to stare at the science-slave as Xurk leaned in close enough to fog the consoles with his breath. "Are you certain?"
"Confirmed, m'Lord, there." the slave replied, pointing an ebony claw at the readouts of the alien ship. "Definite power signature, regular contruction, non-natural alloys...and it seems to be emitting radio wav-"
Xurk cut him off with a clap to the shoulder, grinning and exposing his teeth. "Very good..." he rumbled, standing tall and looking out the viewport. Pacing the bridge for a few moments, the D'Kali captain considered his options. "Pray to Roxal and make the ship ready here!" he snarled, the crew suddenly snapping into a rush of activity. "This is the gate to our own hunting grounds, and whatever manner of beast is beyond, they will not encroach on our lands! You!" He pointed at the slave at the science console once more. "Find some reasonable way to warn those wreches...we are D'Kali, and this is our territory behind us! They will stay away...or they will be our prey"
Pacing impatiently at the centre of the bridge, Xurk had to shield his eyes from the bright blue glow of the stellar rift in front of them, these gate-stars that the Gods had shown his people and allowed them to seek new hunting grounds among the stars. "Get on with it, I'm going blind!" He snarled at his pilot, the subordinate quickly coaxing the ship into the event horizon. As the sleak red hull of the Preyseeker began to distord and stretch in the warp point, Xurk curled his claws against the deck plating and growled. It was the second time he'd traveled through one of the anomolies and he hated the experience no less the second time. Feeling like his snout was at one end of his ship and his tail at the other, he gripped a support railing and stood tall as he could bear. As the sensation passed and the Preyseeker emerged back into realspace, he turned to retire to his quarters and snarled "Wake me if there is anywhere we can land!" to his second.
The green-scaled D'Kali had almost exited the bridge when the slave manning the science console squeaked "M'Lord! Sir!" Xurk rolled his eyes and almost pretended he hadn't heard the runtish D'Kali's voice. He hated the little blue patterned coward that had been given as his science expert, always trying to impress his betters in that little voice of his, barely worth holding a spear. Xurk had to endue him though, as educated slaves were in high demand in this new age of space exploration. Or so he was told.
"What is it? And if this is another very interesting comet..." Xurk growled, but then the slave did something very unexpected. He interupted his captain.
"It's a ship, m'Lord, not ours. It's another ship."
The bridge was utterly silent. Every D'Kali turned to stare at the science-slave as Xurk leaned in close enough to fog the consoles with his breath. "Are you certain?"
"Confirmed, m'Lord, there." the slave replied, pointing an ebony claw at the readouts of the alien ship. "Definite power signature, regular contruction, non-natural alloys...and it seems to be emitting radio wav-"
Xurk cut him off with a clap to the shoulder, grinning and exposing his teeth. "Very good..." he rumbled, standing tall and looking out the viewport. Pacing the bridge for a few moments, the D'Kali captain considered his options. "Pray to Roxal and make the ship ready here!" he snarled, the crew suddenly snapping into a rush of activity. "This is the gate to our own hunting grounds, and whatever manner of beast is beyond, they will not encroach on our lands! You!" He pointed at the slave at the science console once more. "Find some reasonable way to warn those wreches...we are D'Kali, and this is our territory behind us! They will stay away...or they will be our prey"