Back Home

Imperial Wars: Part 9

Hark! Sparrow enters the Imperial Wars!

written by Damien Roc



The music blasted through the headphones into Sparrow Adams' ears. Sun
shown
down on the town of CAPOW, illuminating the streets with a warm glow. A
gentle breeze flowed past him, it's gentle caress bringing a smile to
his
face.

"It's awesome... if you let it/ And don't you forget it!" he sang out
loud as
he pushed open the door to the Lurker's Retreat.

"Hey, Maddie! What's up?" he called out as he entered. A few patrons
turned
towards him in surprise. Mads looked up from her computer and glowered.

She said something, but Sparrow couldn't hear her over the music. He
reached
down and pressed the stop button, then pulled the headphones off his
ears.

"What was that?" he asked.

"Turn that thing down before you hurt yourself," she said tersly.

Sparrow looked at her quizically. "This," He gestured to the CD player,
"Can
hurt me?"

"It'll make you go deaf, fer crissakes!"

(In the back of the room, a certain RL CAPOWer objected to his sake
being
regarded to.)

"You've got a message, Sparrow."

"Really?"

"From Strauss." Mads nodded. "They want to hire you."

"Strauss?" Sparrow hadn't heard of him.

"Y'know. Jerry."

There was a pause. "And that would be...?"

A sweatdrop appeared on Madoka's head. "Jerry. Duke of Strauss. Some guy
came
in and told me to pass the message on to you."

"What's it about?" Sparrow slid onto a barstool. Mads reached down and
pulled
up a bottle of Echrine, a drink that Sparrow had convinced her to
concoct for
him, to help him remember home.

"Dunno. The guy didn't say." She paused and looked up, a thoughtful look
crossing her face. "Said 'Jerry's got a job for Sparrow Adams."

Sparrow sipped the drink. "So who's Strauss?"

Mads facefaulted. She pulled herself off the floor to meet Sparrow's
glinting
eyes.

"Where... is Strauss?" he corrected.

Mads pointed up. "In space."

"Oh, that would be good, then," Sparrow said sarcastically. "I guess
I'll
just fly on up there." He took another sip. Echrine (pronounce Eh-kreen)
was
something like a srewdriver, except it had (since Mads was making it)
sake
and grapefruit juice... And tabasco. "He drops off a message, and then
leaves."

Mads nodded. "That's about it. But you can call Strauss if you want. Use
the
phone, I'll add it to your bill."

"And I'll get there just how?"

"Hop a ride. We've only got a spaceport out the back door, you know."
[My
memory of CAPOW geography supports this, so BIIIIIDA!!!! if you don't
agree.
^_^]

The door to the Retreat burst open. "Yo, Maddie-two! Long time!"

Madoka smiled. "Hi, Kevin. Hey, everyone!" She waved at the people
entering.

An older woman jumped onto the stool next to Sparrow and slapped him
hard on
the back. "Hey, there!" Surprised, Sparrow spit out a bit of his drink.
Mads
glowered at him, but didn't add anything to his bill.

"'Doka! Gimme a glass of what this guy's having!" The woman pointed to
the
half empty tumbler of Echrine in front of Sparrow.

"One Sparrow Screwdriver with a Tabasco Twist coming up." Maddie pulled
out a
German beer mug (20 oz. as opposed to 16) and filled it up with the
Echrine
bottle.

"Hey!" Sparrow protested. "That's mine!"

"Only if you pay for it, Adams. Go make your phone call."

Sparrow got up and went around to the side of the bar with the phone.
There
were a number of buttons with various names. One of them, thankfully,
said
"Strauss." He picked up the reciever and pressed the button. After a
pause,
there were a couple of rings.

"Kircheis," a monotonous, yet female, voice said when it picked up. "How
can
I help you?"

"Um... This is..." Sparrow frowned at the din growing in the bar. He put
a
finger in his other hear to block it out.

"This is Sparrow Adams. I was told that Jerry wanted to hire me."

There was a gasp, and then "Please hold." Elevator Music.

A few moments later. "Sparrow Adams?" This voice was male... and a
little
sinister.

"Yes."

"The Duke of Strauss wishes to hire you."

"I know. I want to find out why."

"He wishes for you to travel throughout the Old Empire, and try and gain
support for Strauss there."

"Why?"

A surprised grunt. "Mr. Adams, we are fighting a war here. Your help
would be
appreciated."

"War? What war?"

"A with the Empire."

Sparrow thought about that. "What Empire."

"Wha... Uh. Um..." The man stammered on for a bit before, "_The_ Empire,
Mr.
Adams. Will you accept."

"Diplomatic work, right?"

"That is all. You must get your own tranportation, however."

"But I don't know where to go."

"That is up to you, as well. Your mission will be, for now, autonomous."

"I see." Sparrow wondered if he should. He didn't really have much else
to
do. After they'd beaten (at least temporarily) Thickett, his skills were
largely unnecessarry.
Also, CAPOW was too closely related to the events of the Ascension Wars,
and
Sparrow wanted to forget. He still didn't know what had happened to Nik.

He started to choke up at the memories. "I'll do it." He said quickly."

"Very good. Do well, Mr. Adams." And a click.

Sparrow stood there with the phone for a moment.

"So? What'd they want?" Mads asked.

"I've got to go to the old empire and try and find support for Strauss."

"Strauss?" The older woman asked loudly. "A complete shit-hole, right
now.
Damn, but is that family feuding."

"I hope that Jerry comes out on top. Who knows what those people will
have to
live through if Jay gets on the throne." That was from the Kevin person.
He
seemed to be in charge of the ragtag bunch.

Sparrow sat down on his stool again. "What's happening there?"

A man sitting on the other side of Sparrow shrugged. "Dunno. Haven't
been
there in a while. You couldn't pay me to fight in that fucking war."

"Michael, you're religious. We couldn't pay you to fight in any war,"
Someone
else called out.

"Maybe, Anson. But I'm thinking of changing."

Anson laughed. "Sheee-yeah, right."

"Supposed to get support from the Old Empire?" Kevin asked. "That's one
tough
job. They may hate Durg [sp?] but Strauss isn't too well liked either.
Jay
isn't all that popular."

"But isn't Jerry in charge?" Sparrow asked.

"Well, yeah..." the older woman answered. "_Now._"

Kevin said, "Jay used to be the Duke of Strauss. Rumor was that he died
a
while back while fighting with Jerry, but he showed up again a few
months
back at the side of Durg."

"Didn't die, then," Sparrow surmised.

"Guess not," Michael said, "It might just be a very good double."

"No double would be as bad as the original... And this one's worse,"
another
woman chimed in.

"So, how you going?" Kevin asked.

"Going?" Sparrow wondered.

"To the Old Empire?"

"Oh." Sparrow shrugged. "I dunno."

"When're you heading out, Kevin?" Mads asked.

"Not long. Just here for a bit of R."

"Ar? What's that?" asked Sparrow.

"R for 'rest'," Michael answered.

"They don't believe in refit or repair." Mads said.

"Now, now, Maddie-two. You know the Razors are too good to need repair,"
Anson shouted."

"Sure," Mads muttered, "The ones who live." It was so quiet, and there
was no
reaction, that Sparrow thought no one else heard her.

"Can you take an extra passenger?" Sparrow asked.

Kevin crossed his arms. "I dunno. What's in it for us... Old Empire's a
little out of the way.

"BS, Kevin. If you're dodging the fighting in Strauss, I KNOW you'll be
searching out some other small rebellion in the Empire."

Kevin grinned sheepishly. "Fine, fine. In deference to my good friend
Maddie-two...

"Madoka," Mads corrected.

"In deference to her, I will help you. But it's gonna cost you."

"Make the Empire pay," Sparrow said.

"You've been hired by Strauss, right... Not the Empire." Michael
grunted.
"Making the Empire pay would be a little difficult... Unless you can
figure
that out, smart boy."

"Hire an accountant," Sparrow countered, "I'm a diplomat."

"I think it's safe to assume that the Razors will be paid at some
point," the
younger woman said, "Right Kevin?"

"We hope so, Kerri." Kevin looked at Sparrow. "We're leaving in 2 hours.
Be
on the blacktop by then or you find another way."

Sparrow nodded. Mads motioned for his attention, and he excused himself
and
followed her.

"Sparrow, can you take someone with you?" She asked as she led him down
the
hallway to the rear of the building.

"Who?" Sparrow asked.

Madoka pushed open the back door and led him to the shed on the edge of
the
spaceport. "John." She unlocked and opened the shed door. A musty smell
and
dust flew out of the open door in eddies.

Sparrow sneezed. "Who's John?" he asked as he peered into the shed.
There was
a dark shape off in the corner.

"That." Mads pointed at the dark shape. Sparrow walked into the shed,
and
stopped almost immediately. It was menacing and painted all black.
Multiple
weapons ports dotted its exterior, and the machine-ness of it frightened
him.

"Wh... what is it?" he stammered.




John?"





was free.


Next | Last

Return to Top
Report problems to webmaster
© 2000 CAPOW