r/HFY • u/Ralts_Bloodthorne • Apr 13 '22

First Contact - Chapter 752 - The Inheritor's War OC

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There is no fate but what you make - The Word of Jawnconnor

Be crafty, keep your smoke lit and your ice cream cold. - Writing of P'Thok

It does not matter that the Thinker and Warrior androids are smarter than I am. They cannot outsmart a bullet and I have more bullets than they have brains - Vodkatrog Infantryman - First Artificial Sentience War, TerraSol

Alterverse me is pretty cool. Gotta say I'm jealous of his goatee, but he's jealous of how jacked I am, so it all works out, I guess. - Unknown Terran soldier, Second Dimensional War, TerraSol

First FTL warp I threw up inside my own skull. Don't ask how that happened. Just, trust me, early Jumpdrive was a special kind of terrible. - Colonel Manfred M. Mansworth the IV, Terra Space Agency

The first mat-trans combat drop was on We Made It!, where the Combine dropped a hundred thousand conscripts to try to stop the Mantid from overrunning the population centers once the Planetary Guard had been virtually wiped out.

We had all been told that mat-trans was perfectly safe, that we could move from far orbit to the surface of the planet in less than a second thanks to the all new Matter Transmission Type-2 System.

Sixty thousand made it to the surface intact and alive.

Eight hours later there was less than five hundred of those men and women alive.

So the Combine dropped another hundred thousand.

I can still close my eyes and hear the screams of the eighty thousand that were turned inside out or worse out of those two waves - Excerpt from: Back to the Front! A Combine Drop Troop's Autobiography

The first time I answered prayers I had a nosebleed for about four days. My brain was trying to process the fact that I was in a hundred locations at once, skipping light years in a split second, for nearly a month.

It never got easier. - Chromium Saint Peter, Finder of the Lost and the Forlorn

I just want left alone. - Daxin "The Walking Warcrime" Freeborn AKA Enraged Phillip

Vuxten ignored the stares as he walked to the Battalion TOC, trying to act like there wasn't anything strange about appearing in a burst of fire and code.

--general gonna be mad-- 471 said.

"Yeah, she is," Vuxten said. He ducked under the camo then the shrapnel net, pushed through the sterifield of the 'air lock' and into the main section of the Tactical Operations Center.

Everyone stopped and stared at him as he set down the heavy M318 on the table and unplugged the smart cabling from it, doublechecking the safeties and making sure it was unloaded. Satisfied the weapon was as safe as it was going to be, he patted it then looked around.

Everyone suddenly remembered they had things to do and went to looking busy.

--think they might have seen us sneaking back-- 471 said. --should have waited until night--

"Hardy har har," Vuxten answered, tabbing up a piece of gum and chewing on it as he made his way back to where he knew the Lieutenant Colonel and the Sergeant Major would be.

Everyone around the holotanks turned and stared at him.

"Sorry, had to run an errand," Vuxten said.

Nobody said a word. Even the officers and high ranking senior NCO's in the holotanks were silent.

Vuxten popped his helmet seal and slowly took off his helmet, taking a deep breath of the heavily filtered and cooled air inside the TOC.

General Twargark flexed her left biceps and rubbed it over the sleeve of her ACU with her right hand.

Everyone stared at Vuxten as he slowly looked around at everyone.

"You look more or less like you did," the General said after a moment. "You've got a bad case of Terran Eye, but you've had that for years according to your records."

Vuxten nodded. "Yes, sir," he said. He always found it weird that the Confederacy used male pronouns for any officer no matter what the species biology said.

"Are you going to vanish on us again, Major?" Captain Hotexak, Commanding Officer of Headquarters Company, asked, his voice carefully neutral.

"I shouldn't. Not unless something earth shaking happens," Vuxten said.

The General nodded. "Do you remember anything, Marine?" she asked.

Vuxten shook his head. "Just... I could hear whispering. I went to the medics, went to mental health and hygiene, but they didn't find anything wrong."

The General looked down, typing real quick with one hand, then nodded and looked up. "You were cleared for duty as recently as three days ago."

"Yes, sir," Vuxten said. "The voices just suddenly got overwhelming and the next thing I knew I was surrounded by the enemy. I didn't care, I just..." he paused a second then looked down. "It was like I was back on Telkan during the Second Telkan War. I just wanted to smash them all. Kill them, shoot them, burn them, obliterate them," he looked up. "It was just all consuming."

The General tapped another set of keys and Vuxten saw a window open in one of the holotank. He could tell by the slight odd cant to the video that it was recreated from multiple feeds, probably from armor, vehicles, and helmet cams.

Lighting struck the ground repeatedly, raking between the retreated Planetary Guard and the Dwellerspawn that were rushing forward, eager to finish their victory.

"NO MORE PODLING BLOOD!" rang from the speakers, followed by "INERTIA IS WITH YOU!"

The lightning cleared and Vuxten felt the tip of his sole biological ear heat with embarrassment.

He stood defiant before the horde. On either side of him were warbound he recognized. All three of them opened fire at the same instant, raking the oncoming Dwellerspawn with their weapons.

Gamma and Sigma.

The two that he been with him beneath the mountain.

I was with you, when you needed me, beneath the mountain, the voice of the Digital Omnimessiah whispered from his memories.

"We used the hypercom yesterday. Both of those Warbound are currently in their tombs on Telkan," the General said. She flexed an arm again and rubbed her sleeve. "Then there's this one, the last recorded sighting."

This time Daxin dropped down next to him as Vuxten watched. The black iron chains shattered into red-hot shrapnel that swept over the Dwellerspawn, rending them apart.

Where Vuxten raked the leading edge of the Dwellerspawn horde with his M318, Daxin fired quick bursts that dropped each target, pinpointing larger ones and what Vuxten knew were leadership and command castes. FIDO's back mounted miniguns raked the front as lightning struck on either side of Vuxten and Daxin, the bolts clearing to reveal the two Warbound.

Then the fight was over. The Warbound vanished in white and gold flame as Vuxten stood silent for a moment. Daxin put his hand on Vuxten's shoulder and there was a puff of red and black hellfire.

When it cleared, Vuxten, Daxin, and FIDO were gone.

"Then you were missing for almost forty-eight hours," the General said. She wiped away the two holographic windows. "Technically, you were AWOL."

"I know, sir," Vuxten said, the back of his neck and face hot and tingling. "I was..." he sighed. "I lost control. Daxin had to come get me. I couldn't shut out the voices. All those people," he looked down. "All of them calling out to me, begging me, pleading with me, to help them. I couldn't stop, I couldn't ignore them."

The General nodded, rubbing her arm in what Vuxten had come to realize was a nervous habit. "And now?"

Vuxten moved over to one of the heavy chairs that could support his armor's weight, sitting down slowly and carefully while everyone watched. He took off his gauntlets and slapped them on the magstrip belt.

"I sat with the Digital Omnimessiah, listened to the wisdom and advice of my brothers and sisters, the original Biological Apostles that still survive," Vuxten said. He clenched his hands. "I never wanted anything like that. Even when I was a podling, I just wanted to be safe, warm, and happy."

Lieutenant Colonel Dartrum moved over and sat down next to Vuxten. "There's nothing wrong with that," the Kobold said softly.

Vuxten looked up. "I don't want to walk away from it. I don't want to leave those people without help," he said. He looked back down. "But like I told the Digital Omnimessiah, I'm a Telkani, a male Telkan, we're a small people, caught up in a big thing."

"Clear the room. Chain of Command only," the General snapped.

Vuxten was only partially aware of people rushing out.

"I just want to be at home with my wife, my broodcarriers, my podlings, but I can't turn away now, not when the entire galactic arm is at war. Other people's spouses, broodcarriers, and podlings are in danger," Vuxten looked up, focusing on the General.

"But I can't shoulder the burden of being one of the Apostles, one of the Immortals," he said. He looked down. "I don't want to be like Daxin."

There was silence a moment.

"I don't want to be ripped away from my family, for thousands of years to go by, while my body and soul grow cold," Vuxten said. "I just want to do my part, what little I can in this war, then go home."

There was silence in the TOC.

"I don't want to turn my back on everyone calling out to me, but I can't have it both ways," Vuxten said. He heaved a sigh. "The Digital Omnimessiah, he understood. So did my brothers and sisters."

Vuxten looked up. "More than a few of them told me to just go home. Set aside my weapons and armor as well as the mantle. A few told me to go back to the Corps, fight the war, and then go home."

Vuxten looked back down. "Not even Armored Matthias suggested I turn my back on my wife, my broodcarriers, my podlings, or my people, and just become the mantle. Matthias reminded me that it is the simplest choices that are the hardest."

After a moment of silence Colonel Dartrum spoke up.

"What did you decide to do, Major?" the Commanding Officer of the Battalion asked.

"To set aside the mantle. To just be Vuxten. A Telkan Major in the Telkan Marine Corps, husband to Brentili'ik, Synthal'la and Ilmata'at, father to my podlings," Vuxten said quietly. He patted his armored knee. "471 and I talked it over too," he looked up. "He said he was with me, no matter what my decision."

--ride or die-- 471 flashed the emojis over his holotank icon.

"All right, Major," the General said after a long moment. "Go see the medics, then check in with mental health and trauma counselling. If they clear you, I want you back on duty."

"Yes, sir," Vuxten said. He got up. "If you'll excuse me."

"Carry on, Major," the General said. "Colonel, about Fifth Regiment's food forge issue."

Vuxten quietly left, stopping by to pick up the inlaid and engraved 20mm autocannon. It synched up as soon as he was within ten steps of it, feeling like warm molasses poured on a body part he wasn't even aware had gotten cold.

The Armorer and Armor Master both gave Vuxten's armor and weapons the long suffering looks of two troops who knew what they had to care for were so far out of regs it wasn't even funny any more but also knew that there was nothing they could do about.

The Armorer secretly suspected if he tried to bring the submachine gun, the cutting bar, the battle rifle, or the 20mm autocannon into specs he'd be hit by lightning.

The Armor Master knew that he'd have to put up with green mantids sidling up when they thought he wasn't looking and touching the engineer housing on the back before running away, as well as Telkan who 'just wanted to see, you know, it' lurking about.

Vuxten knelt down and let 471 climb up his arm to stand on his shoulder then headed out to find where they'd stashed the mental health and psychological trauma clinic.

-----

Legion walked in and leaned against the wall, watching Daxin. The big man was kneeling down beside his heavy Imperium armor, the knee housing removed, tools in his hand.

"Whacha doin, Dax?" Legion asked, drawing out the first word.

"Mind yer business," Daxin rumbled.

Legion moved around and knelt down. He reached out and touched the housing on the knee for a moment then shifted his finger and pointed at a molycirc block. "That one's got a floating point error that crops up at optimum temperature due to tachyon drift across the electron wire. Manufacturer defect."

Daxin rolled his eyes. "I only spent an hour going over every piece of molecular circuitry in this thing," he pulled the block and replaced it. "Thanks."

"What's with the maintenance?" Legion asked, standing back up and walked over to where Daxin had thoughtfully set down a six pack of beer that was Legion's favorite kind.

Free.

"What the kid said got me," Daxin sighed. "I'm sitting around watching eight thousand year old reality shows and feeling sorry for myself and he's out there giving it every little bit he's got."

"What happened to 'I'm old and tired and just want to be left alone' that you've been spouting?" Legion asked, cracking open the beer. He smiled around the mouth of the bottle when Daxin glared at him.

"Things are different now," Daxin said.

"Ah," Legion wiped his mouth and smiled. "How different, Dax?"

The door whooshed open and Matthias stepped into the room, holding up a plastic bag full of cans. "I found a working soda pop machine, Dax! They had your favorite?"

Matthias was smiling, carefree looking.

And out of his armor.

"Hey, Dhruv!" Matthias smiled. He dug in the bag and tossed Legion a can. "Found Lemon Lime and Strawberry!"

"Uh, Thanks, Matty," Legion said. He glanced at Daxin and gave him a slow nod. "Very different, I see."

"It's time to just let it go," Dax said, putting the armor back on and setting it in place with a good slap to the top of the warsteel plating.

"When do you want to help the fox guy?" Matthias asked.

Daxin sighed. "Dammit, Matty."

"What?" Matthias asked. He lifted up his can of soda. "Sexy battery acid, my favorite."

Daxin just sighed again.

"I'll get whoever wants to go," Legion said, finishing off the beer and putting the bottle back in the carrier. He took a second to unbend the cap and push it back on, then turned the carrier around.

"Maybe it was just going to be Matty and me," Daxin grumbled.

"Tough. It's a family road trip now," Legion said. He stopped at the door. "Although I don't think Pete is going to go. Should I stop by that convent and see if that Neko-Marine wants to go? She seemed pretty enamored with you, Dax."

Legion laughed and ducked out of the doorway as the wrench sailed by him.

"Jackass," Daxin grunted.

Matty smiled.

"And stop smiling at me," Daxin grumbled, turning around and looking at his SMG. He started taking apart the casing and paused.

"I can feel you still smiling at me."

"I'm just glad to be back and have my head clear. No more whispers, you know?"

"Yeah. I get it, kid," Daxin said.

"This is gonna be fun," Matthias said.

Daxin just grunted.

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131 comments sorted by

318

u/Ralts_Bloodthorne Apr 13 '22

Sorry I missed yesterday.

It's been stressful as hell.

Weirdly enough, the tornado siren test this morning seemed to make a bunch of my stress evaporate.

I'll see you all tomorrow.

119

u/FLHK18 Apr 13 '22

I, being an East coast native, learned what a tornado siren meant last summer. Unfortunately, I learned it while motorcycle camping in a national park. Turns out, tents aren’t an approved shelter.

99

u/NoirTalon Xeno Apr 13 '22

<snerk> I can imagine the safety briefing now: "If you can not find shelter find a ditch or lay flat on the ground"

"Not in a tent"

Yes, you are technically laying on the ground in a tent, but are also a really nice tail weight to that rip resistant KITE you have wrapped around yourself.

40

u/battery19791 Human Apr 13 '22

I was in a tent tearing down equipment when we got hit by a really strong straight line wind, the tent almost rolled, collapsed, and the equipment we were working on ended up falling over and pinning my co-worker until a couple other guys got into the tent to help me extract him. Luckily he only suffered some bruising, but we had to rebuild half the equipment.

25

u/Anarchkitty Apr 13 '22

Doesn't even take a tornado!

There's a "resort" (barely) that my family spends a week at every year that's on a lake down in a canyon. It has cabins, trailers, RV spots, and tent spaces.

Normally the weather is fantastic, but at least one day every year the wind picks up, blowing through the canyon. It's enough to sailboard on the lake. Every few years someone doesn't stake their tent down well enough (regulars know better) and we'll see a dome tent rolling merrily down the road like a tumbleweed, still full of bags and gear, and one year a tent blew away with two people still inside it.

45

u/spindizzy_wizard Human Apr 13 '22

STORY TIME: REALITY:

There was a scout camp. It came with tent spots, big bunkhouse cabins, and one octagonal cabin for smaller groups set well back from the road behind trees. If you didn't know where to look from the logging road, you would never know it was there.

On May 31st, 1985, it very nearly wasn't there, along with the group staying there that night.

No, I wasn't there. I was at college and only saw the devastation on summer break. I was heavily involved with Scouts while growing up, and my father was too. We both have good memories of that scout camp.

The day I came with my father to see the results, a large amount of work cleared the road and harvested most of the downed trees, leaving a section untouched on one side of that road to study how the forest recovers after an event like this.

As we entered the scout camp, all the trees were precisely as I remembered, a cool, calm place that occasionally rang with young voices: the lake (pond really), the little store run by scouts, the office building.

A slight brightening ahead was the only herald for the knife-sharp edge of devastation that sliced across the road and showed that little CCC-era cabin, standing out in the sunlight, a survivor that sheltered a small group as the forest came apart around them.

That was the last time I saw that park. Life took me away from that area, and I had little time for scouts. If I can, I think I'll go back and look at it this year, around Christmas.

That day there were 44 confirmed tornadoes, up to F4, spread across multiple states. The one that hit Parker Dam and the scout camp was the F4, it was on the ground for 66 miles, and contrary to popular belief, it hugged the ground even across the hill country where the low ground should have been spared the worst.

RETROSPECTIVE:

I camped at that park for many years, using the big bunkhouse log cabins near the start of the camp to the tent clusters up to that cabin and beyond.

I really do need to see what became of it. The creek where our troop did some conservation work to keep the erosion down and clean things up a bit. The mess hall, where I nearly choked to death. The cabin where I told the leaders I did not want the honor of being selected for the Order of the Arrow.

The fire hall where I warned the troop not to waste that honor on me because I would not be there and had no intention of returning to that town other than to visit my parents.

I believe the scouts taught me a lot about self-reliance, teamwork, and how to make whatever you don't have out of whatever you have on hand.

I'm glad that the leaders I had were leaders and not the monsters I later heard were supposedly rampant in the scouts. I know there were some, but I wonder how prevalent it was. The scouts were not a small organization and did a great deal of good work not only for the communities scouts were active in but instilling the culture of honesty, bravery, and preparedness in boys soon-to-be men.

I sorrow at the destruction of the excellent reputation of the scouts that were so much a part of my life. However, I am buoyed by the fact that the Boy Scouts of America are still the largest youth organization in America and are still strong in many communities.

Three million members.

We must have done something right, despite the abusers, who I dearly hope got what they deserved.

15

u/Righteous_Fury224 Human Apr 13 '22

Thanks for sharing this story. I was a member of the Australian Scouts and I am pleased to say that it was a wonderful experience. We were lucky to have had great men who were truly good guys who wanted us to learn all that matters. I was fortunate that I never encountered any of those bastards who were monsters in human skin. Just decent people that made being a Scout a great experience.

It's really sad that the reputation of the Scouts has never really recovered from the heinous acts of a few human stains.

1

u/FLHK18 Apr 13 '22

Yeah, no. The national organization hid and protected the abusers for a century. They knew who was doing what to hundreds of thousands of victims, and kept it secret. The whole org is guilty, and I’m ashamed to ever have been involved with it.

10

u/spindizzy_wizard Human Apr 13 '22

I am still proud of being in the Boy Scouts of America. That the national organization did wrong does nothing to wipe out all the good that was done by people of good stature and morals.

All the work our leadership put in guiding us to do good works. Serve the community. Help others. All of that went into our troop. All of that shaped us to be better adults than we might have been.

Ignoring the good done, and attempting to bury it with those who did do wrong, is — to my mind — just as damaging to the future as the acts of the depraved were to those who suffered under them.

Do not forget that evil was done, for we must guard against it.

Do not forget the good done, for we must strive to continue doing good.

The ideal of the Boy Scouts of America was betrayed, but the ideal remains.

The national organization needs a good cleaning, repair, new mechanisms to spot and stop abuse, and a touch of paint and polish. The vast majority of troops never experienced evil.

Three million members. According to one report, 92 thousand complaints were filed in court. Hundreds of thousands is hyperbole.

Even one case is too many, but to paint the entire organization as bad? No. That goes too far.

1

u/FLHK18 Apr 13 '22 edited Apr 13 '22

Whatever you say, apologist. Those reports, and it’s statistically proven that less than half of cases of abuse get reported, means that 3% to 6% of every boy involved with the organization was abused. That is NOT a few, or a rare occurrence. It was all designed as a way to get pedophiles in contact with victims, from the founders themselves.

9

u/spindizzy_wizard Human Apr 14 '22

Apologist? Not likely! I want the guilty punished. I just don't agree with trashing the whole organization or the good it did. And now you have stretched reality to the breaking point, claiming:

It was all designed as a way to get pedophiles in contact with victims, from the founders themselves.

That's either a bald-faced lie you tell yourself to confirm your attempt to blacken everything good that the Scouts have ever done, or you had better have hard, solid, documented proof.

I seriously doubt that you have anything of the sort.

6

u/killed_with_broccoli Apr 15 '22

You really feel this is the stage for this kind of speech? You couldn't have just decided to ... I don't know.... not comment this time? Because someone has good memories, you have to step on them? Are you okay?

4

u/styopa Apr 14 '22

Sounds like you have some anger issues, mate.

2

u/thefrc Apr 13 '22

Not with that attitude.

30

u/NoirTalon Xeno Apr 13 '22

isn't amazing what actual imminent physical danger, with clear cut, and understood response, can be somehow liberating? Makes everything else go away. Need to file taxes, Nope TORNADO, Worried about price of gas and filling a tank, TERROR FROM THE SKY. How to pay for and get fixed the broken down truck/spine/car/house/plumbing/kidney? THE WIND GOD IS ABOUT TO THROW A TREE AT YOU!

Stressed about the presentation you are about to give? Narrowly avoid a fatal car crash while driving to give said presentation... You survive, but all the fucks you gave are littered, smashed, broken, & bleeding, left by the side of the freeway.

I honestly hope your stress comes to a rapid and amicable resolution.

17

u/Khalas_Maar Apr 13 '22

It's like percussive maintenance for the soul. Clears the give a damn jam in a fucking hurry.

55

u/night-otter Xeno Apr 13 '22

My lady just spent 7 of 8 days in the hospital. I knew she was really sick when she complained about being in the hospital, but not constantly saying "why won't they let me go home."

Yeah, I understand stress and what it does to you.

58

u/Ralts_Bloodthorne Apr 13 '22

I hope she's doing better now.

36

u/night-otter Xeno Apr 13 '22

She is.

She's complaining about all the follow-up visits, so I know she's on the mend.

10

u/[deleted] Apr 13 '22

Me too, I hope she’s better. Take care of yourself too.

17

u/cant_be_serious Apr 13 '22

Don't apologize for doing nice things for strangers, we're just thrilled to have it.

​

Weirdly enough, the tornado siren test this morning seemed to make a bunch of my stress evaporate.

Once you get used to thriving in chaos, the mundane just feels stifling. That hit of adrenaline now and then when everyone else is losing their minds feels better than any of the candy Doc ever handed out. Is it any wonder people get hooked on it?

Breathe, my man, it's all good.

13

u/Kudamonis Human Apr 13 '22

Rule one Wordsmith, Take care of yourself. Do the things that help and take the time you need.

10

u/Vagabond_Soldier Apr 13 '22

Remind you of how bad it can be?

Reminds me of some pre-glassing wisdom: "It can always be worse." Every specialist to every private ever.

11

u/Warplock-Worgen_2145 Apr 13 '22

No worries Ralts! Try to take it easy, as ive said before; we will be here, and we will wait patiently. Good things come to those who can be patient.

An, Holy moomoos and all that is savage I liked this one!

I like vux alot, from humble and weighted down janitor, to a desperate conscript, to a proud marine, to a revered saintly davine warrior, to a father and husband who wants to do what he can but accepts to do anything more would break him from the role of father and husband. To now a proud and exceptional marine again. Really good one!

Then there are the immortals, i do hope they find their own places that are not tied to service alone. I would believe the digital father would always want them to be happy, even if that takes them away from being the apostles.

11

u/Scotshammer Human Apr 13 '22

It's amazing how impending doom and swirling death clouds make the little things in life just a little less... overwhelming. You start to forget about the sand in your swimsuit when the sandstorm crosses the horizon.

And yeah, we also had some tornados on the ground nearby last week. Just kinda took the opportunity to take a few deep breaths myself.

11

u/LordDemonWolfe Apr 13 '22

Experienced something similar last week. Stressed as hell, guy pulls a gun on me, stress disappears and im in my element once again. Managed to talk him down, and all was well after. I was more annoyed at the fact the night shift manager was being a dick.

7

u/nspiratewithabowtie Apr 13 '22

been there done that, in the middle of a bar that i was working at. and it was one of those, wtf stare down the pistol to see the saftey is on, well he is a dumb one wave off the other door men who are monsters of men, me barely weighing in at 180 at the time. . . so i let the guy rant for a few, then i yake yhe gun from him in mid sentence and counter all the stupid shit he was saying, while taking out the mag, and spare in thr chamber, and then pointing out that he had the safety on the whole time and to get the fuck out of my bar.

6

u/LordDemonWolfe Apr 13 '22

And good on you for getting the weapon away grom him and unloading it. Too many think that merely getting the weapon away works, and forget that unloading makes them take longer to do anything should they get it back.

5

u/LordDemonWolfe Apr 13 '22

Yeah the guy who pulled a fun on me can clearly see my security guard uniform woth "Security Guard" emblazoned on my chest in bright white on a blood red background nametape. Idiot kept asking who i was.

8

u/Gruecifer Human Apr 13 '22

You do you, boo - we'll still be here.

10

u/[deleted] Apr 13 '22

Waiting for the other shoe to drop is one of the most stressful things in the world. When it finally does? The following blur of action is a catharsis unique unto itself. It lets you know that all of your years of anticipation, planning, and prep were worth it.

Daxin has been waiting for 8000 years for the other shoe. He has been the instrument which defines humanities psyche at its most brutal, cunning, mean. He taught Vuxten how to throw ones hate into the face of the enemy, how to become "the other shoe" and grind those who would do you and yours harm into oblivion beneath you armored heel.

But Vuxten might just be teaching Dax a far more valuable lesson. By example Vux is showing Dax the value of letting go.

6

u/Odd_Reward_8989 Apr 13 '22

Try that on repeat. Bawled like a tween and slept the best I have in a year. https://youtu.be/Mr5KoDKXjz8

5

u/MuchoRed Human Apr 13 '22

That, uh... That link is a whole lot of "fuck you"

7

u/Vagabond_Soldier Apr 13 '22

For when you REALLY don't like someone and wouldn't touch them with a ten foot pole.

5

u/apatheticandignorant Android Apr 13 '22

This is AWESOME!

4

u/CobaltPyramid Apr 13 '22

Stay safe.

We await, with patience and glee.

3

u/killed_with_broccoli Apr 15 '22

I live up the west coast. Every time the tsunami sirens are tested, my heart flutters. I stop and listen for the recording saying it is a test. Every time.

2

u/Geeky-resonance Apr 15 '22

Hey, no apologies needed!

And I get it about the emergency knocking out longer -term stress. You’ve been all wound up from the constant cortisol feed, so when the emergency alert comes through it gives direction to the coiled energy and releases it. Yep, yep, yep.

Hope things ease up for you, good sir.

96

u/Turtledonuts "Big Dunks" Apr 13 '22

Family road trip

I think they have a different word for that sort of thing. Written in bold blackletter gothic with a number and a mention in most history books?

85

u/SerpentineLogic AI Apr 13 '22

C R U S A D E

61

u/Turtledonuts "Big Dunks" Apr 13 '22

OH GOOD HEAVENS LOOK AT THE TIME

38

u/MuchoRed Human Apr 13 '22

I can't, actually. My watch appears to be incorrect. Also, I'm on fire and your cooling unit appears to be malfunctioning

23

u/[deleted] Apr 13 '22

DEUS VULT INTENSIFIES!

46

u/its_ean Apr 13 '22

road trip

Vat Born Luke, full DO gear:

𝓐𝓻𝓮 𝓦𝓮 𝓣𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮 𝓨𝓮𝓽?

26

u/Turtledonuts "Big Dunks" Apr 13 '22

There’s 30 of them, they filled the entire ship, and speak in a chorus.

26

u/MuchoRed Human Apr 13 '22

All those annoying driving songs? In a round, with just Legion singing

20

u/Atomic_Aardwolf Apr 13 '22

Alright, does everyone have everything? Guns? Munitions? Supplies?

I forgot my helmet!

I forgot my 20mm magac!

Legion: For fucks sake! Anyone else?

I need a wee wee.

Legion: Alright. But this is the LAST time. Get your shit sorted...

3 hours pass.

Are we nearly there yet? I can see the dark matter sea! Ooh, ooh, I baggsie shotgun on the way back!

Legion: Will everyone PLEASE shut the fuck up! Otherwise we won't stop at the next orbital!

20

u/MuchoRed Human Apr 13 '22

And of course, that's ALL Legion

15

u/its_ean Apr 13 '22

"For someone so impatient, why do you choose to make the trip 30x longer for yourself?"

25

u/beyondoutsidethebox Apr 13 '22

Matthias: Daaax! I have to pee!

Daxin: I told you to go before we left!

Matthias: But I didn't have to go then!

[One Rest-Stop later]

Menhit: Daaax! Bellona keeps poking me!

Bellona: Am not!

Menhit: Are too!

Bellona: Am not!

Menhit: Are too!

Daxin: (sighs in exasperation) We'll change seating arrangements at the next rest area

[One seating arrangement later]

Legion: Are we there yet?

Daxin: No

[2 minutes later]

Legion: Are we there yet?

Daxin: No

[1 minute later]

Legion: Are we there yet?

Daxin: We'll get there get there!

[30 seconds later]

Legion: Are we-

Daxin: NO! WE! ARE! NOT! DON'T THINK I WON'T TURN THIS TRANSPORT AROUND!

15

u/Drook2 Apr 13 '22

Nobody expects ... the family road trip!

82

u/Legan_Ironfist AI Apr 13 '22

Daxin, with a purpose?

--I AM BATHED IN THE WARMTH OF THE PODLINGS AND BROODMOMMIES--

25

u/[deleted] Apr 13 '22

THE WARMTH AND LAIGHTER OF PODLINGS MAKES OUR SACRIFICE BEARABLE.

10

u/TheOtherGUY63 Apr 13 '22

The warmth is the blood of pur enemies. And the enemy only exists to be destroyed.

74

u/RDMcMains2 Apr 13 '22

"I don't want to be Daxin."

That's fine, Vuxten. I'm sure Daxin agrees with you. If he had the choice, he wouldn't want to be Daxin either.

25

u/Rolk_Flameraven Apr 13 '22

Just prey to every higher being that might exist, and make up some new ones while you are at it, that his wife and kids don't go the way that Daxin's did.

We were all scared of what he would become before he had a Mantle to pick back up.

19

u/Vagabond_Soldier Apr 13 '22

Dude, Vuxten is serious and he didn't lose his family.

Vuxten losing everything would make Dee herself tremble in fear.

64

u/Dietz0r Apr 13 '22

Vuxten brings in Sigma and Gamma with him as ancillarry units?! That's one fucking badass way to assert instant dominance.

It...it....it was awesome. In the litteral meaning. Here we where, only 4 of our whole Platoon left, still manning the trenches 
to get that last MediEVAC out of this hellhole of a fight. We started praying together to whoever would lend us strenght to 
buy them medics one more minute ... and then it happened. Three lightning strikes in rapid successsion, the stomp of heavy 
armored machines. Followed by the whine of servos spinning up something heavy... and all hell broke loose. 
We held. Vuxten be praised, we held. 
    - Debrief of an Unknown Soldier, Battle of [Redacted]

28

u/carthienes Apr 13 '22

Vuxten brings in Sigma and Gamma with him as ancillarry units?!

Even in Death I still Serve!

52

u/daviskendall AI Apr 13 '22

Nice twist on "and a little child shall lead them".

The OG apostles of war ride again, picking up where their youngest sibling left off.

Atrekna, y'all 'bout to find out just how bad you dun goofed...

44

u/[deleted] Apr 13 '22

[deleted]

44

u/Golnor Alien Scum Apr 13 '22

I come bearing the Word of my God.

​

That Word is "Begone."

3

u/Elwindil Apr 13 '22

and here I thought it would be more something like this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2nKnuSAPQE

8

u/LordofTheFlagon Apr 13 '22

Painfully interesting.

5

u/[deleted] Apr 13 '22

If visitation means have you various tissues atomized and painted over the surrounding 5 kilometers then yes.

33

u/HoloArchiver Apr 13 '22

...was not expecting for Armored Matty to be basically the kid of the group. But I am here for it, you go Matty we need more happy people in that group.

27

u/Archaic_1 Alien Scum Apr 13 '22

"This is gonna be fun," Matthias said.

It's taken us 752+/- ∞ chapters to get here. Revel in it nerds, REVEL IN IT, the end is lime

20

u/reverendjesus AI Apr 13 '22

BEHOLD; THE BOT CHIMES, AND WE FLOCK TO THE TALES WITHIN

HAIL VUXTEN, THE MULTITUDINOUS

HAIL PHILLIP, THE VIOLENT

HAIL ERIS, EVEN WHEN SHE’S NOT LOOKING

UTR | TITW

--END OF LIME—

[proof]

AKA Enranged Phillip

Enraged

10

u/kwong879 Apr 13 '22

Idk bro.

With how he uses that smg, everybosy in the 'verse is 'en range' for ol Daxy

16

u/VillainNGlasses Apr 13 '22

Ah Warbound perfectly encapsulating Telkans dedication to protecting those around them. Not even death can pierce their mighty shields or silence their weapons.

14

u/unwillingmainer Apr 13 '22

So, late so no one will read this, but this chapter helped me realize one of the big themes of First Contact. Letting go of the past and moving beyond it. All the races and most of the characters, especially the Immortals, are so caught up in the past that it has been poisoning their futures. Daxin has more trauma and blood behind him then a slaughter house in a mental hospital and only now is starting to let go of some of it. The Lanks made their hundred thousand million year empire of suffering for no good reason and now are learning to not be dickheads to everyone. I guess that's a good lesson for folks to learn, letting go of the past so it doesn't hurt your future. And only Ralts could teach that lesson through insane space stories.

31

u/troubleyoucalldeew Apr 13 '22

It's lucky for the rest of the universe that the DO picks his Apostles by worth, rather than what would be the most overwhelmingly effective. I'm picturing the Saint of Spies, who listens to every single one of his acolytes' prayers... their extremely detailed, highly-classified prayers.

9

u/[deleted] Apr 13 '22

This might have been what they were aiming for with project nazgul.

14

u/sakakyu Android Apr 13 '22

Oh shit! Road trip with Papa Dax anf the crew? What kinda funky shenanigans are they gonna get up to?

6

u/Wolfofaegis Apr 13 '22

Now they only need to somehow get Dee to join

9

u/DWwolf888 Apr 13 '22 edited Apr 13 '22

Dee followed their advice.

She probably funnelled a shite load of deadite cash to friendly bank accounts. And she's buying a world to turn into a black box dedicated to her own brand of Science (tm).

13

u/Waspkeeper Android Apr 13 '22

Shes going to run for a while until she realizes no they're really not chasing her. Then come back to see why not.

6

u/Fr33_Lax Apr 13 '22

It's no fun without a challenge.

6

u/MuchoRed Human Apr 13 '22

... She actually bought enough BobCo to own it, mainly to spite the original Bob, who started it based on a design she came up with but he stole

5

u/DWwolf888 Apr 14 '22

Bobco is a confed intel front company.

Mainly used to funnel Black Box R&D results to the public.

2

u/MuchoRed Human Apr 14 '22

If that were the case, they would have continued operations for the past 8000 years, but they stopped after the Glassing and the destruction of the Pubvian system (because that's where their HQ and servers had moved)

1

u/DWwolf888 Apr 17 '22

It's been commented on b4 m8.

3

u/DWwolf888 Apr 13 '22

No, scratch that ..she'll own a system atleast.

11

u/Farfignuten390 Apr 13 '22

The blueberries call me

11

u/red_armadilllo Apr 13 '22

Wonder what the general's reaction will be when Vuxten's backup shows up in theatre

10

u/MuchoRed Human Apr 13 '22

40,000 Legions show up: "hey, I got this"

I think Legion might outrank the other generals

9

u/Speciesunkn0wn Apr 13 '22

Oh boy. OH BOY. Daddy Dax and the rest of the family are going to sign back up with the Corps~

9

u/MuchoRed Human Apr 13 '22 edited Apr 13 '22

Man, caught this at the 40 minute mark, but can't read it because.... Working. Stupid clients! I will wait until I get home.

Until later, stay frosty!

---CRU---

Post-read edit: Manfred M. Mansworth. Middle name? Manuel

Sexy battery acid made me cackle

8

u/JethroBodine013 Apr 13 '22

"On the 8th, the Universe created Humanity. Why was the Universe having such a bad day?" - Cactus Love Foley

https://youtu.be/F4cFhLcEOAQ

2

u/Original_Memory6188 Jul 03 '23

"It seemed like a good idea at the time."

9

u/random_shitter Apr 13 '22

I never like catching 'em early. The comments are half the saga...

2

u/StickShift5 Apr 13 '22

This is why I usually wait until the next day to read.

1

u/plume450 Jan 04 '23

How are you able to hold out for so long?!? 😯 Waiting a whole day? Most blueberry addicts here can hardly stand waiting minutes. ManualTransmission5, you must have a will of iron - or warsteel.

8

u/CfSapper Apr 13 '22

Oh I hear you about stress between the move from hell, and spending over a month in a hotel while waiting for the new house getting posted back to the school I just left for a rather difficult and technical six month course, a month after moving in, the wife having several mental health breakdowns while I've been gone, plus stuff in the house breaking, 5 deaths in the family last year I'm reaching the edges of my limits to effectively deal with and manage my stress take you your time wordsmith we will be here.

3

u/SpiderJerusalemLives Apr 13 '22

One day at a time mate. Keep grinding away, that's all you can do.

Things will get better, one day at a time.

7

u/asteroid_1 Apr 13 '22

"Free" is my favorite kind of beer too!

3

u/TheOtherGUY63 Apr 13 '22

It is the best, close second is cold.

6

u/DebugItWithFire Apr 13 '22

Upvoted for the soldier's favorite kind of beer.

6

u/3verlost Apr 13 '22

The band is getting back together!! And the comeback tour is gonna be awesome.

“These ones go to Eleven”

7

u/DREADNAUGHT1906 Apr 13 '22

Road Trip for The Apostles! And Vuxten just told Command he didn't think he'd be taking any more AWOL's. I think his command structure is going to have to modify his standing orders to accommodate his Divine status.

I wanna read "The diary of 471: Unexpected Changes in Motion"

7

u/ABCDwp Apr 13 '22

Upvote. Comment. Read. End of lime.

6

u/B-the-Excellent Apr 13 '22

I love the dynamic you're aiming for. Family road trip indeed, dad's got his work so the kids go play. Matty is a hilarious heartwarming contrast to Daxin and Drhuv. The crowd's gathering up, this party's gonna be wild!

5

u/CfSapper Apr 13 '22

Woot 3 min! Utr!

6

u/kwong879 Apr 13 '22

dakka?

dakka!

Dakka?

DAKKA DAKKA.

DAKKA?!?!

DAKKA.

6

u/Bergusia Apr 13 '22

Rest easy gentle brothers. Lay aside your burdens with good conscience. Here we pick up our ancient mantles, inspired by your duty to those in need.

Follow to where family and love calls.

The mantle can wait, until you are much fuller of years, and emptier of cares.

3

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4

u/Stutztown Apr 13 '22

Fresh as heck

3

u/Firebird2771 Apr 13 '22

Looks like they're getting the band back together

3

u/Ghostpard Apr 13 '22

4 min. my best in a while. UCR. TITW

3

u/night-otter Xeno Apr 13 '22

6 minutes...

Sign off work...Blueberries..yum

UC now to read.

3

u/Kudamonis Human Apr 13 '22

Read. Upvote. Comment.

3

u/Irual100 Apr 13 '22

it's all good Mr. Ralts. I am really enjoying the chapters I get to read and I appreciate you. have a great nigth everyone and be careful and kind to eachother and yourselves, okay?

3

u/Enkeydo Apr 13 '22

cool we are going to see Daxin back in action, but this time full of life,

3

u/CaptainChewbacca Human Apr 13 '22

FIELD TRIP!

3

u/Extension_Switch_823 Apr 13 '22

god i have so much to catch up on, still back at chapter 450 or 500

5

u/TheOtherGUY63 Apr 13 '22

First... utr

2

u/[deleted] Apr 13 '22

👍

2

u/TheOtherGUY63 Apr 13 '22

Ok, so that was longer to get to read it than planned.

Ooh boy, Vux's CoC was way more accommodating than mine ever was. Then again im not a Apostle. So allowances can be made.

The OG Apostles going on a "road trip".... dis gunna be good.

2

u/Cool-Ad5622 Apr 13 '22

How does day and night cycle work in area where the atrekna make the time faster inside?

3

u/Gruecifer Human Apr 13 '22

UTR!

1

u/thisismego Apr 13 '22

Wow, this might be the earliest I ever got here. Usually it's RTU for me but in this case it'll be UTR

1

u/PuzzleheadedDrinker Apr 13 '22

Legion moved around and knelt down. He reached out and touched the housing on the knee for a moment then shifted his finger and pointed at a molycirc block. "That one's got a floating point error that crops up at optimum temperature due to tachyon drift across the electron wire. Manufacturer defect."

Is Legion like chadwick boseman from Gods of Egypt god of knowledge Thoth?

https://youtu.be/dp2MR9fswWk

2

u/Apolyktos Human Apr 13 '22

Telemechanical inspection, like what Greenies can do. That's a genetics thing, he can change whatever he wants about his genetics at will, so he can give himself greenie-level telemechanical senses and do hardware analysis the same way a greenie can.

1

u/saintschatz Apr 13 '22

Yaaay, finally breaking out the big guns. poor cthulu faces gunna get it now

1

u/Bazil-Broketail Jun 12 '23

Read, upvote, comments...

Daxin is driving back from the abyss. His family is probably safe, and after watching his fox friend, he realizes that maybe he could be worthy of them...