Historical Backpost: Enalia Artan's Demise

Posted on Thu Jul 20th, 2017 @ 5:06am by Captain Enalia Telvan & Staff Warrant Officer Nexi

Mission: When Iconians Deserve to Die
Location: Solar Sloop
Timeline: Various

2168
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Enalia Artan was out patrolling her family’s holdings with her personal solar sloop accompanied by the frigate Akamatsu commanded by Captain Gilroy. Normally, this was perfectly safe and usually if they found anyone they’d just fire a few shots and they’d run off like scared pups. This was the day that was different.

As they looped around the outer asteroid belt something unusual popped up on sensors.

“Captain, I’m picking up unusual energy readings near the asteroid cluster near point four one nine.” Reported the first mate, one Mister Neru.

“Probably scavengers trying to hide. Let’s go scare them off,” Enalia replied, checking her navigational sensors and adjusting their course.

It didn’t take long until they had zoned in on the power signatures and found the ships - Enalia had gotten good at that after salvaging so much of Selen VI.

Enalia found three of them - a corvette and two freighters. While her escort ship came around to flank the corvette, the first freighter blew open its doors to reveal a fully charged starbase class disruptor cannon.

Sweat beaded on her brow as a cold chill ran down her spine all the way down into her black boots. “It’s a trap! Signal for backup!” she called out to her first mate as she spun the rather archaic looking sloop’s wheel so that it turned sharply starboard, the green disruptor beam slicing through the rear shields and melting the outer hull plating off of the tail end of the beautiful ship.

“Shields are down! Life support on batteries! Engines two, three, and four are gone! Solar sail deployment system welded shut!” Called the first mate just before his console exploded in his face, killing him instantly.

Enalia steeled herself and reached up to the helm controls above her and redirected power to the remaining engine, steering her ship towards the recharging cannon. “Roberts, target that freighter and put that cannon out of our misery. Gunderson, what’s the status of the Akamatsu?”

“Captain… The other freighter had a cannon as well. Captain Gilroy was able to steer into the corvette at least.” Gunderson reported, checking sensor logs.

Enalia counted her blessings, small as hey were. That was about when she finally got the nose of her solar sloop pointed back at the first freighter. “Fire at will, Roberts.”

Roberts pulled the triggers.

Nothing happened.

“I can fix this… I can fix this!” Roberts called out as he leaped into action, realizing too late that when the first mate’s console blew, his console lost primary power.

In the meantime, the barrels of both cannons were taking aim and starting to glow bright green.

Enalia was starting to get a little nervous. “Roberts…”

“Got it!” With that Roberts sat back up and pulled the first set of triggers, firing the ship’s starboard plasma cannons, sending a stream of supercharged gasses into the first cannon and turning the freighter into fireworks.

Retargeting, he pulled the second set of triggers just as the second canon began its firing sequence.

The second freighter turned into equally impressive fireworks.

But not before the first traces of disruptor energy leaked out of the cannon, melting the port side docking hatches and venting the atmosphere of the solar sloop instantly.

2394
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Enalia Telvan stood on the bridge of the old solar sloop right where Enalia Artan once stood and died, a morose expression on her face as she thought about both her family's history and her own. This ship had been here in a semi-stasis field since her great grandmother had been killed and though she'd visited the old vessel a few times before, this was the first time it truly held meaning to her. Gently placing her left hand on the wheel, she looked up at the helm controls and readouts above her. "Nexi... If she were here now, what do you think she would do about the Master?"

For a long while, Nexi remained silent, instead taking in the sight of the sloop that only a few days ago (at least from her perspective) was beautifully refurbished and functional, and she regretted not bringing her camera because the sight of her Enalia standing at the wheel looked just like when Enalia Artan stood there.

"What would she do?" Nexi echoed as she thought about what she knew about both women who bore the name Enalia. Nexi hadn't been around Enalia Artan for long, but she didn't really need to, the woman was who she was and she made no apologies for that, just as Enalia Telvan was now. "I think she was a force to be reckoned with," Nexi finally said as she came to stand beside Enalia. "I think she would give him hell, leave no stone unturned searching for him. People like her, like us... ain't afraid of death; life is the ultimate goal, but when death comes, people like us don't shy away, we greet it like an old friend. But the Master, he's afraid, a coward, so he... he does some scientific magic-stuff to himself to cheat death; it's knowing that life is not permanent that gives life its value, and without death life has no meaning to him, and so he'll keep going on perverting life the way he does. I ain't afraid to die if it means taking him with me, and I think your grandmother would feel the same; she wouldn't let this monster roam free, and neither will you."

With a lopsided grin, Enalia nodded and pulled the massive hand cannon from the holster hanging from the bridge railing, hefting the massive 'pistol'. "You know, I think you're right. That's probably why she carried this thing everywhere she went." Slipping the eighteen inch weapon back into the holster and flashed a shit eating grin at Nexi. "You know, I think I hear hell calling his name. How about you?"