A New Way To Pound them--PM for invite

[James Justice]

The Lost Angel made a graceful arc as it soared from the surface of Soceras. Today was a day to begin a new era--or perhaps to continue an old one in the history of his business. As his faithful R2 unit Reed manned the controls James looked at himself in the mirror. His disheveled five o clock shadow had bloomed into a full-fledged beard, his eyes had glazed over in a fireless dull luster. Before they had been zealous with passion and love for life. A love for all things, but now they were just dead. He supposed inside that was the way he was too. He adjusted the white button up shirt under his leather jacket. It was time he started looking the part he was expected to play, not some wild party animal, and certainly no hero, but a man of responsibility. He supposed that was just another lie he would have to live, just like the lie that he was a hero.

He felt the Angel link up with one of the MS-400 muti-purpose vessels in orbit over the planet. The ships were designed to be incredibly versatile, and that would play in great assistance to today's experiment. The spacer sauntered out of his Angel into the vessel. Several of the crew on-board greeted him with smart salutes and hellos. James gave them a pre-occupied half nod. It was a struggle for him to be in public right now, and the underwritten expression of unease on his face showed it.

[member="Stardust"]

 

[Stardust Solus Skirae]

She sat aboard the ms-400 as she awaitedbfor James to arrive.. She had barely talked to him since he returned...was she nervous..maybe this man was like a brother to her...one she has not seen in a whole year since she started rulingbher planet and defeat the opposition on that planet

She watched the angel approach and stood up as she gave a light smile watching people say hello and salute however..she noticed James wasn't himself... He hasn't been since he returned "James" she said and approached waving people off as she looked down at him"good to see you James"she said

[member="James Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

[member="Stardust"]

James watched as Stardust set a vector course for him. He at her for a moment, as if it was taking his mind a few seconds to recognize her, but it was the memories of the past that muted him. His eyes stared past her for a moment, as if she was made of glass. The death he had wrecked with her, for her, and around her haunted him like a putrid scent. He blinked it away for a moment and gave a slim, pained smile, "Good to see you."

His voice was husky, the lifetime of smoking and screaming battle cries was finally catching up to him.

He moved, as if she was invisible to the lower deck of the ship, his mind had jumped tracks to the point of the weapon they were creating.

The massive cannon had been welded into the lower hull of the multi-purpose ship. It was able to be readily adapted to just about anything, and James had taken advantage of that fact with this prototype for testing. The designer, a grunted former Mando woman named Tony sat back towards the end of the room waiting. Watching. When James stepped on deck she flipped him off then moved towards his direction. In that order.

"Is it ready?" James asked, referring to the ten meter long cannon before them.

"You bet your sweet arse," Tony said with a nod. 'The five gunners manning the station are ready when you are."

James looked to Star, "Fire when ready, pick your target," he said referring to the several deserted junk ships they had acquired for the tests so they would have an adaquate measure of its power and ability.

 

[Stardust Solus Skirae]

Shebsaw the look on his face...he looked through her like glass...he had definitely changed from that man she once knew...life in his eyes seemed non existent...

You've changed..a lot.. However...that won't change things between us"she said

She turned as he walked doast and followed him as she saw the massive weapon and whistles before walking down before seeing the weapon closer and the perosn known as Tony.. Who flipped James off and started walking

She listened to them briefly talk before grinning as James said pick your target"ohhhh giving me a toy to play with? Thank yooou"she said as she looked put and aimed"Mark 6,45,102 fire at the nabooian cruiser...now"she said as a loud hum filled the room followed by a loud boom as the projectile flung out and through the ship

[member="James Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

James watched as the men worked in a quick precision. The first watched from the targeting station, dialing in her orders with two joysticks, one for the X-axis, another for the Y. The second rammed the firing lever down, letting the electromagnetic coils along the barrel warm up with a high pitched whine. Then it happened. The lights flickered out for a moment and the slug was sent soaring through space at the searing speed of 2.56 meters per second. The magnetized slug hit the unmanned Nubian vessel with a shattering impact. Through the view port James saw the hull buckle around the round for a second as the atmosphere escaped in a dazzling display. Memories tore through James' mind, ripping him from reality for the moment. He was back in a war zone. Killing. Shattering more ships in piracy, battering his way onto the vessels, hacking the pirates aboard down with a vibrodagger and the butt of his rifle.

"Sir?" a voice interrupted James from his thoughts and were welcome.

"Damage assessment?" James asked.

"Hull was completely compromised. Deck was ravaged, atmos was removed in less than sixty five seconds, sir," the officer reported with a quick succinct reply.

"The particle shields weren't up, you dumb bastards," Tony grumbled.

James nodded at the comment, before looking back to the tech, "And the hull, what was it composed of?"

"Re-enforced durasteel, sir, an inch thick."

"That will do," James said with the closest thing he could give for a smile to the underling. He turned to star, "Target the next vessel when ready. Let's see how it stands up to engines."

"With the goddamn particle shields on, you bastards," Tony muttered.

[member="Stardust"]

 

[Stardust Solus Skirae]

Stardust watched the screen and smiled as she saw the projectile hit and the atmosphere drain out onto space

Ahhh this is a beauty"she said and smiled as she looked for one that had particle shields uo as Tony kept telling to her about

Alright adjust target 6-45-100 tagete the imperial star destroyer

[member="James Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

The barrel whined again as the electromagnet powered up once more. The lights flickered out once more as the ship jolted for a second. Through the view port James saw the glowing projectile make its quest at rapid speed across the void of space towards its target, the star destroyer. A scavenging crew had found the ship for Justice Shipping and got it up and moving for this test.

The bullet hit the particle shield and was instantly vaporized in a magenta display. The particle shield gave a sputter of green as it threatened to fail.

"Shield integrity reduced by 30%," reported one of the officers.

James gave a satisfied nod, he looked to Tony, "I told you to make it able to bypass the particle shields."

She gave him an angry scowl, "There is only so much that a woman can do, I think your missing the fething point that it reduced a star destroyer's particle shield by 30%. The Neutron-enriched core doing that much damage in one shot is some pretty impressive chit."

James nodded, "How does it perform on fighters?"

"The targeting computer can't hit em," Tony shrugged, "besides, a fighter would be able to move the hell out of the way long beforehand. It'd be eyework."

"So what your saying is Frigates and up?"

"You stupid or something?" She snorted, "Corvettes and up."

[member="Stardust"]

 

[Stardust Solus Skirae]

Stardust laughed as she watched the projectile vaporize as she clapped"ohhh bot I'm going to have to much fun with this baby right here

She looked around at the ships and gave a huge grin"alright let's see how the engines hold up to a shot crew...adjust 4-97-107

She said and sat back

[member="James Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

James smiled slightly. Even now he could get a few small comforts in the things of this galaxy. The lights flickered out and the ship rocked once more. The star destroyer's particle shields had a weakness on the tail end. As the round soared through it, it scored a direct hit on the tail end of one of the afterburners.

A glowing blossom of fire erupted along the hull plating. A spurt of fire roared out of the afterburner and soon the entire metallic cylinder that was the afterburner was in flames.

"Direct hit, crippled engine 3," the tech reported.

"Not bad," Tony smiled, proud. "Imagine a whole ship of these bad boys blasting in tandem."

"Can we speed the firing speed up?" James asked, interrupting her moment of joy, "Its tragically slow."

"That is fast," Tony huffed, "you bastard. You have no fething idea how hard it is to get those damn electromagnets to charge, fire on cue, and heat up. We go any faster the damn barrel will fething crumple on itself like a fething tin-can."

"Alright, fair enough," James nodded. "Could we lower the number of the gunners?"

"Only if you want it hard mounted instead of turret based," she huffed, "you dumbarse."

[member="Stardust"]

 

[Stardust Solus Skirae]

Stardust sighed and sat back watching the beautiful explosion outside as she chuckled and stood up walking to the two"she's right to much and you risk back firing or worse

She said and stretched out smiling big as she looked out again plenty to shoot but the point was already across...it worked

[member="James Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

James shook his head at Tony, she was one of the best weapon designers in the field--if not the best. But she had a temper worse than anything he had ever met--and a hair trigger weak ego. "Alright, I was just asking."

"This is as good as it will get," Tony motioned to the gun, "Trust me. If you aint happy I an take the fething prototype back with your damn money."

"It is good," James replied, "And I am happy. I was just curious."

"Good," she grumbled, stalking off.

James ran his hands across his face before his wrist comm chirped. He had somewhere else to be now, most likely another oversight for the newest ship design or a negotiation for a new set of ships. He quietly slipped away, back aboard the Angel, back along his way.