Re: **Action** - \"Monster at the gate\"

<SNIP>
After the longest skid in history, the Blue Dwarf came to a stop right
in front of the surprised looking space monster.
Calvert grabbed the phone.
"Now Jack, this is what you're department is for… TWAT IT!"
"Now that…" said Peter. "is a catchphrase."
</SNIP>
Who: Eric Lustbader
Where: Armoury Dept.
When: After the skid.
Eric picked himself up from the floor, thinking maybe he should
install some seatbelts. He was somewhat annoyed, as his department
seemed to be involved in pretty much everything, now that the Blue
Dwarf was only partially a JMC ship, and now used mainly in battle
situations. Of course the armoury department had work to do whether
the security, navigation or the defense department was fighting. And
he had a lot of work when all three departments were active.
Eric just received a message from the Navigation Department that they
were going to give the new wing of Space Eagles a test run, to give
the Blue Dwarf some cover.
Eric was busy sending one of his staff to take some paperwork to the
navigation office, another one with paperwork to the drive room and
yet another staff member down to the flight deck.
Then there was the task of ensuring that the defense department had
all their ammo banks and laser batteries ready and operative.
Eric received another message that a turret was currently inoperative,
and a couple of technicians were on their way.
Eric checked his scanning computers for any possible weakness in the
space monster. It had a thick scaly hide, and it seemed to show a few
hundred life signs. Either the field was affecting his equipment, o
the monster had many different cario-vascular systems. A third, but
stranger possibility was that the space monster was heavily pregnant
or had parasites living in it. Either way, it would be tough, seeing
as it was as big as the Blue Dwarf, and a bit more agile. Thankfully
with the turrets and the wing of Space Eagles, the Blue Dwarf should
have more teeth than the space monster.
Eric received another message saying the turret was fixed, but they
were short one gunner for the two man turret, as it had exploded in
someones face. Eric replied saying he was on his way, and grabbed his
special generic scifi handheld gizmo and headed to the turret.
A few minutes later he exited the lift and ran to the turret, as the
Space Eagles had left their hangars, and the first shots were about to
be fired and Eric hated to be late.
He turned and was about to enter the turret when he felt a blow to his
head and he collapsed. When he looked up, he saw the last face he
expected to see - one he had almost forgotten about.
<to be continued>