B
Blizzard
The Jax Mobile
Like, Noon-ish
Outskirts of the System...
Freedom.
Pure, unadulterated, freedom.
After the mission on the artificial planet, Jax had immediately transferred to a small, planet-side posting. It wasn't as exciting, but he'd had a lot more free-time to focus on his business. It was only a matter counting down the weeks, then days until his contract expired.
No more Star Army. No more Kuvexians. No more anything he didn't want to deal with!
As he woke up in his king-sized bed, on his own schedule, on his own yacht, which was on its way to his own space station, he couldn't help but feel like a bird who'd just left the nest. The feeling was exhilarating! He could take this yacht anywhere! Do anything! He was the boss here! He'd almost been tempted to stick around Yamatai for the candy festival, but the chance to see the fruits of his labor was too much to bear.
With a small mewl, Jax sat up and stretched, pushing the luxurious covers off of his half-naked body. No alarm clocks. No surprise attacks by Kuvexians or Rixx or murder-bots. No obligation to move quickly and report to any duty station. However, Jax caught himself slipping up when he immediately began to make the bed once his feet touched the soft carpet. No, he told himself, forcibly dropping the comforter back on the mattress, it would be left unmade! He didn't even have to make his bed anymore! Heading for his closet, feeling triumphant at his small rebellion against militaristic routine, he began dressing in a casual navy button-up. A pair of jeans followed, then with his favorite gray canvas sneakers. Then, it was to the bathroom to clean up. A little splash of water to his long-blonde hair, some deodorant and cologne, and a quick brushing of the teeth, and he was ready for his day. That's when his communicator dinged.
It was one of his employees, informing him that they'd arrived in-system. He felt his heart pounding in his chest. He'd payed a good lump of cash for this space station. Named after him, of course. But he'd never actually laid eyes on it until today. Until now, it had sort of been a far-off daydream he'd had while he was stationed on the Eucharis.
As he entered the elevator to the bridge, he couldn't help but feel a pang of home-sickness for the old girl. Briefly, he wondered what everyone else was doing. Did they miss him? Was there anyone to repair the armors?
No. No! Don't worry. They could handle themselves. They were the best.
Stepping out onto the bridge, he was greeted by the smiling faces of his small crew of employees. Good people, all of them, and handpicked by him, not some faceless military officer. They were loyal, hard-working, and most importantly, just a little bit crazy. He needed crazy. No normal person would willingly hop aboard a yacht for the frontier to spend time on a space station next to a desert planet.
"Alright, team, what's the situation?" asked the nekojin aloud, moving to a side table, which was laden with mimosas. He grabbed a glass, took a sip, savored the flavor, then swiveled to face the massive glass shield.
"We're approaching Howard Station on schedule, sir." announced a small neko from the pilot's chair. "It should be visible now."
Smiling, Jax looked. The planet itself was the color of dust, and about the size of a marble from this distance. But there, off to the right, was a small white speck. His heart felt like it would explode out of his chest by this point. He could feel his limbs trembling. Then, a small lump formed in his throat.
No! Don't cry! That wouldn't look cool!
But none the less, a single tear of joy escaped one of his eyes. He'd been kicked out of his home, penniless and uneducated, then joined the Star Army and clawed his way up the ranks. He'd fought alien squids and roaches, and survived. He'd fought his way to the top, all the while being told he couldn't and wouldn't ever make anything of himself. And here it was, the sum of his efforts. His vision, and not the vision of someone else, becoming a reality.
His crew began to snicker at his show of emotion, and he responded with a weak grin and an obscene hand gesture.
"You're all fired." he choked out, taking a big gulp of his drink, the bite of the champagne bringing him back to his senses. Beaming, he pointed to the dot. "Full speed ahead. Let's make some moves, people!"
All present cheered and ran off to perform their duties, leaving Jax, mimosa in hand, to simply stand at the view-port and stare.
The Jax Mobile
Eh, who needs clocks? We're running off Havok Standard Time!
Howard Station
They were soon upon the station. It was growing more massive as the seconds rolled by. At this point, it barely took up a quarter of the view, with the massive sphere of 188604 as a backdrop. Jax knew it was massive, but boy, was he in for a surprise. His reverie was interrupted by a hail from the station itself.
"Uh, starship Jax Mobile, this is Howard Station control. At this time the station is not fully operational and only open to benefactors, Origin, or FSC employees. Please state your business."
For a moment, Jax was irritated by the interruption, but then calmed himself with a grin. It was good to see he wasn't leaving the construction of the station in the hands of fools. He smiled and opened the channel.
"Station Control, this is Jackson Howard. Just coming to see how my station is coming along!" replied Jax cheerily. There were several moments of silence as no doubt his name was being looked up on the list of authorized persons. Jax himself imagined the guy on the other end of the line spitting out his coffee.
"Roger that, Mr. Howard," came the voice again, sounding a lot friendlier. "Please, enjoy your station."
Jax thanked the man and shut off the comm. Yes, he thought, he would enjoy his station! Hitting a button on his datapad, music began blaring from the speaker systems. Time to make an entrance!
They came over the top of the station, and that's when Jax finally realized its scale. About two miles below them, it looked like a small moon, with a metallic landscape stretching out as far as the eye could see. Below, several work ships scurried to and fro, trying to keep their construction deadlines. It was his! It was all his!
Okay, Candon was co-owner, but Jax had been the one to pay for it! It was his!
He couldn't hold it in any longer. He threw his head back and laughed in defiance to his father, the assholes who'd tormented him as he'd grown up, all those who'd doubted him, and the asshole gods of this universe who seemed intent on putting him through hell for their amusement!
They came upon an arm that was fully completed. Sector 1. A massive shipyard that was also serving as living quarters for the workers. A navigation beacon set by the control tower guided them into an open hangar. The Jax Mobile lined up with the massive doors, and slid into the space. Below, Origin employees were scrambling to receive the vessel. Downing the rest of his drink, Jax called together the gang and headed for the ramp.
Howard Station
Sector 1
Penthouse
After a quick tour of what sections he was allowed to access, Jax stood before the door of... his penthouse.
In all his life, he never thought he'd get to say that. His. freaking. penthouse.
He entered the code, and the door hissed open, revealing a luxurious living room furnished with brown, leather couches and maroon carpets, and sand-colored tiles. There was a massive television on the wall, and a fully stocked bar. Beyond that was a full kitchen furnished with black marble and the newest appliances. There was an office with the same dark woods and maroon walls. Some potted tropical plants gave it the whole "plantation vibe". It even featured a large window which gave an excellent view into the yet-incomplete sector ten.
Last was the bedroom. Luxurious, silk sheets which kept up the darkly-beautiful motif of the rest of the penthouse. Another tv, and a desk in the corner. A couch, wardrobe, and full walk-in closet. Attached was a master bathroom with full sized, separate shower and tub.
Laughing, Jax dove onto his king-sized bed and placed his hands behind his head, starring up through the window which gave him a wondrous view of the planet spinning below, and the glimmering stars beyond. As he lay there, the only light coming from the sun's reflection off the surface of 188604, Jax thought:
'I am home.'
Nothing could ruin this...
The silence was interrupted by a chirp on his datapad. It was Flynn!
The message was simple. A message from his old friend, explaining the current situation on the planet. As he read, he felt his previous euphoria slowly wearing off with each word, until eventually his eyebrows furrowed with worry.
Okay, so, it looked like it wouldn't affect him that much-
Then, he saw that Candon was involved. Which meant, by extension, his space station was involved, and if they didn't play ball in some crazy scheme, some Elysian would send a fleet after them.
To this day, Jax wouldn't be able to tell you the exact moment when his gut began to boil and he began seeing red and his thoughts became preoccupied with mass murder. But he will tell you that he threw his datapad against a wall, stormed back to his ship, and began shouting things along the lines of: "Oh hell naw! Bitch thinks she can just fuck with my shit?!" and "I'm going to kill them! Then, I'll burn their homes! Then-" and "I've come too far to lose everything now!" and "Someone bring me my god-damned rocket launcher...!"
Like, Noon-ish
Outskirts of the System...
Freedom.
Pure, unadulterated, freedom.
After the mission on the artificial planet, Jax had immediately transferred to a small, planet-side posting. It wasn't as exciting, but he'd had a lot more free-time to focus on his business. It was only a matter counting down the weeks, then days until his contract expired.
No more Star Army. No more Kuvexians. No more anything he didn't want to deal with!
As he woke up in his king-sized bed, on his own schedule, on his own yacht, which was on its way to his own space station, he couldn't help but feel like a bird who'd just left the nest. The feeling was exhilarating! He could take this yacht anywhere! Do anything! He was the boss here! He'd almost been tempted to stick around Yamatai for the candy festival, but the chance to see the fruits of his labor was too much to bear.
With a small mewl, Jax sat up and stretched, pushing the luxurious covers off of his half-naked body. No alarm clocks. No surprise attacks by Kuvexians or Rixx or murder-bots. No obligation to move quickly and report to any duty station. However, Jax caught himself slipping up when he immediately began to make the bed once his feet touched the soft carpet. No, he told himself, forcibly dropping the comforter back on the mattress, it would be left unmade! He didn't even have to make his bed anymore! Heading for his closet, feeling triumphant at his small rebellion against militaristic routine, he began dressing in a casual navy button-up. A pair of jeans followed, then with his favorite gray canvas sneakers. Then, it was to the bathroom to clean up. A little splash of water to his long-blonde hair, some deodorant and cologne, and a quick brushing of the teeth, and he was ready for his day. That's when his communicator dinged.
It was one of his employees, informing him that they'd arrived in-system. He felt his heart pounding in his chest. He'd payed a good lump of cash for this space station. Named after him, of course. But he'd never actually laid eyes on it until today. Until now, it had sort of been a far-off daydream he'd had while he was stationed on the Eucharis.
As he entered the elevator to the bridge, he couldn't help but feel a pang of home-sickness for the old girl. Briefly, he wondered what everyone else was doing. Did they miss him? Was there anyone to repair the armors?
No. No! Don't worry. They could handle themselves. They were the best.
Stepping out onto the bridge, he was greeted by the smiling faces of his small crew of employees. Good people, all of them, and handpicked by him, not some faceless military officer. They were loyal, hard-working, and most importantly, just a little bit crazy. He needed crazy. No normal person would willingly hop aboard a yacht for the frontier to spend time on a space station next to a desert planet.
"Alright, team, what's the situation?" asked the nekojin aloud, moving to a side table, which was laden with mimosas. He grabbed a glass, took a sip, savored the flavor, then swiveled to face the massive glass shield.
"We're approaching Howard Station on schedule, sir." announced a small neko from the pilot's chair. "It should be visible now."
Smiling, Jax looked. The planet itself was the color of dust, and about the size of a marble from this distance. But there, off to the right, was a small white speck. His heart felt like it would explode out of his chest by this point. He could feel his limbs trembling. Then, a small lump formed in his throat.
No! Don't cry! That wouldn't look cool!
But none the less, a single tear of joy escaped one of his eyes. He'd been kicked out of his home, penniless and uneducated, then joined the Star Army and clawed his way up the ranks. He'd fought alien squids and roaches, and survived. He'd fought his way to the top, all the while being told he couldn't and wouldn't ever make anything of himself. And here it was, the sum of his efforts. His vision, and not the vision of someone else, becoming a reality.
His crew began to snicker at his show of emotion, and he responded with a weak grin and an obscene hand gesture.
"You're all fired." he choked out, taking a big gulp of his drink, the bite of the champagne bringing him back to his senses. Beaming, he pointed to the dot. "Full speed ahead. Let's make some moves, people!"
All present cheered and ran off to perform their duties, leaving Jax, mimosa in hand, to simply stand at the view-port and stare.
The Jax Mobile
Eh, who needs clocks? We're running off Havok Standard Time!
Howard Station
They were soon upon the station. It was growing more massive as the seconds rolled by. At this point, it barely took up a quarter of the view, with the massive sphere of 188604 as a backdrop. Jax knew it was massive, but boy, was he in for a surprise. His reverie was interrupted by a hail from the station itself.
"Uh, starship Jax Mobile, this is Howard Station control. At this time the station is not fully operational and only open to benefactors, Origin, or FSC employees. Please state your business."
For a moment, Jax was irritated by the interruption, but then calmed himself with a grin. It was good to see he wasn't leaving the construction of the station in the hands of fools. He smiled and opened the channel.
"Station Control, this is Jackson Howard. Just coming to see how my station is coming along!" replied Jax cheerily. There were several moments of silence as no doubt his name was being looked up on the list of authorized persons. Jax himself imagined the guy on the other end of the line spitting out his coffee.
"Roger that, Mr. Howard," came the voice again, sounding a lot friendlier. "Please, enjoy your station."
Jax thanked the man and shut off the comm. Yes, he thought, he would enjoy his station! Hitting a button on his datapad, music began blaring from the speaker systems. Time to make an entrance!
They came over the top of the station, and that's when Jax finally realized its scale. About two miles below them, it looked like a small moon, with a metallic landscape stretching out as far as the eye could see. Below, several work ships scurried to and fro, trying to keep their construction deadlines. It was his! It was all his!
Okay, Candon was co-owner, but Jax had been the one to pay for it! It was his!
He couldn't hold it in any longer. He threw his head back and laughed in defiance to his father, the assholes who'd tormented him as he'd grown up, all those who'd doubted him, and the asshole gods of this universe who seemed intent on putting him through hell for their amusement!
They came upon an arm that was fully completed. Sector 1. A massive shipyard that was also serving as living quarters for the workers. A navigation beacon set by the control tower guided them into an open hangar. The Jax Mobile lined up with the massive doors, and slid into the space. Below, Origin employees were scrambling to receive the vessel. Downing the rest of his drink, Jax called together the gang and headed for the ramp.
Howard Station
Sector 1
Penthouse
After a quick tour of what sections he was allowed to access, Jax stood before the door of... his penthouse.
In all his life, he never thought he'd get to say that. His. freaking. penthouse.
He entered the code, and the door hissed open, revealing a luxurious living room furnished with brown, leather couches and maroon carpets, and sand-colored tiles. There was a massive television on the wall, and a fully stocked bar. Beyond that was a full kitchen furnished with black marble and the newest appliances. There was an office with the same dark woods and maroon walls. Some potted tropical plants gave it the whole "plantation vibe". It even featured a large window which gave an excellent view into the yet-incomplete sector ten.
Last was the bedroom. Luxurious, silk sheets which kept up the darkly-beautiful motif of the rest of the penthouse. Another tv, and a desk in the corner. A couch, wardrobe, and full walk-in closet. Attached was a master bathroom with full sized, separate shower and tub.
Laughing, Jax dove onto his king-sized bed and placed his hands behind his head, starring up through the window which gave him a wondrous view of the planet spinning below, and the glimmering stars beyond. As he lay there, the only light coming from the sun's reflection off the surface of 188604, Jax thought:
'I am home.'
Nothing could ruin this...
The silence was interrupted by a chirp on his datapad. It was Flynn!
The message was simple. A message from his old friend, explaining the current situation on the planet. As he read, he felt his previous euphoria slowly wearing off with each word, until eventually his eyebrows furrowed with worry.
Okay, so, it looked like it wouldn't affect him that much-
Then, he saw that Candon was involved. Which meant, by extension, his space station was involved, and if they didn't play ball in some crazy scheme, some Elysian would send a fleet after them.
To this day, Jax wouldn't be able to tell you the exact moment when his gut began to boil and he began seeing red and his thoughts became preoccupied with mass murder. But he will tell you that he threw his datapad against a wall, stormed back to his ship, and began shouting things along the lines of: "Oh hell naw! Bitch thinks she can just fuck with my shit?!" and "I'm going to kill them! Then, I'll burn their homes! Then-" and "I've come too far to lose everything now!" and "Someone bring me my god-damned rocket launcher...!"
