Story Noble Sin Chronicles and other Tales from the Stars

Discussion in 'Fan Fiction' started by Zebe, Jan 1, 2016.

  1. Zebe

    Zebe Space Kumquat

    Tales from the Stars
    A thread that will have cool banners. Someday.


    I'm part of the Network of Starbound Fanfiction Writers and I demand that you check it out.
    [​IMG]
    It has awesome writers with awesome stories.
    Support awesome. Read today.



    THIS THREAD HAS BEEN ABANDONED
    No more stories will be added here



    Welcome! This is the place where my Starbound stories reside. A listing and a collection of sorts. My two older stories – Shadows from the Abyss and Night Sky – have their own threads, but as it turns out, nothing is enough for me. Thus this thread was made; to serve as a hub for my fanfictions.

    Here is where my main side story Noble Sin Chronicles resides, and where I plan to dump all my unfinished/potential few-hundred-word one-offs, headcanons, and world universe-building side-materials.

    Because of the nature of this thread, it'll always be somewhat "under construction". Things come and go, descriptions change, and stories are added. Next things to be taken care of:
    • Some banners could be nice.
    • Some content to fill that third post there. never was a thing to solve because I certainly know what I'm doing
    • Get myself together and stop spamming the subforum. no updates in months, I should really start doing things
    And as always, all comments are greatly appreciated.

    List of Stories:

    Night Sky
    http://community.playstarbound.com/threads/81817/

    My primary story. It's the big one. Maybe too big and ambitious, but I can't control myself in that aspect. Whoops.
    The story follows a six-membered crew in their struggle to survive in the galaxy. The past of the crew members keeps catching up in the forms of Miniknog and a shady megacorporation Omninem. After making several deals that should've been left undone, the crew gets into trouble and tangled into conspiracies far larger than they ever could imagine.

    As a sequel to Shadows from the Abyss, it spoils the ending to it early on.


    Noble Sin Chronicles
    http://community.playstarbound.com/threads/104552/#post-2750747/

    My secondary Starbound story at the moment. Will be updated regularly.
    This work mostly consists of short journal entries and occasional first-person narratives. This is a easy-to-read story centered on a single Novakid; a young sparkling that grows up to be a skilled fighter pilot. Through the years the shiny protagonist will meet interesting personalities and embark on adventurous journeys.

    This story is designed to be easy to get into. After reading the first two-three parts it doesn't matter what part you will start reading next; you will know enough to understand what is going on.


    Shadows from the Abyss
    http://community.playstarbound.com/threads/62623/

    The first Starbound fanfiction I ever wrote. Needless to say, it's pretty terrible at parts. However, I've been told it has an enjoyable story, and it's probably the story I had most fun while writing. Try if you dare.
    The story starts before the end of the Earth. A human traverses through a wrecked space station after a violent battle, gathering a group of survivors. Together, they must fight their way out of the dangerous situation – or perish.


    ...More to come, in time!


    That's it for the stories. I don't know what else should I put here. Maybe lemonade. That has always worked.

     
    Last edited: Aug 28, 2016
  2. Zebe

    Zebe Space Kumquat

    Noble Sin Chronicles
    A Novakid tale



    PLEASE USE DARK FORUM BACKGROUND FOR THE BESTEST EXPERINCE


    Author's words & background, skip for instant reading:


    Ever since started writing Night Sky, I've wanted to do something with the Novakid. At the time I imagined the crew of six members, there were only six canon races. Thus, the Novakid never got any representation amongst the main cast. The characters planned to use to remedy this did not turn out to be very likeable.

    Now I'm fixing this through the only logical way which is to make another story where (almost) everyone is a Novakid.

    This story will be following a Novakid from youth to wherever I decide to stop. It's an interesting concept I've wanted to try.
    Like all of my other Starbound stories, this takes place in the same "Universe" of mine. It means that the stories' worlds share the same unified history, although the characters may never meet each other. Same events and locations may be referenced in both Night Sky and Noble Sin Chronicles, possibly even visited in a different age.


    Everything in the fictional journal is written in English. Just to establish that fact, because it doesn't come off as obvious. Originally, I intended that the journal entries would've been written in Novakid language and the other texts would've been in English, but I decided to change that fact.


    Without futher ado, the story begins here:

    Note: Part 1 is about halfway done. The rest of it is written but will be posted later.




    The saloon was just as gloomy as I remembered it being. I saw the worn-down furnishings, two poor chandeliers, scratched bar counter and the wrinkly bartender behind it; everything was exactly the same as it had been over half a decade ago. Well, not exactly, to be exact – the bartender had a few more wrinkles on his old gentle face. I could crack a snappy joke about that when we sit down for drinks later tonight, but I already know he’d be expecting that. Oh, how I’ve missed this place.


    It was a lonely little boozer in a small mining town located on the Radiant Ring, a mostly desolate sector at the far rim of the galaxy. The place had been abandoned decades ago after the mines had run dry, and now it was nothing but a ghost town with a space port for travelers. Still, the place has its charm. The people were friendly and easygoing. On this distant planet there wasn’t much to stress about. Wars and conflicts of the mightier powers were lightyears away. This was the forgotten wasteland of space, where the time was frozen.

    As I had walked down the streets a strange feeling of nostalgia had filled me. Seeing the rust that had spread its embracing arms over the town reminded me of the fact it indeed had been seven long years since I last traversed those empty streets. While I saw no difference in the town, I knew everything was different. I had changed. No longer was I the young trembling child that feared the townsfolk, nor the naïve spark that believed everyone could live happily ever after. In a sense, it felt wrong to be here. This was a place for a different me.

    I wasn’t too far from home; the place where my kind has lived for centuries could be seen on the night sky of this faraway rock. The Crown Jewels, that place is called. Five bright white stars, each with a small solar system, right next to each other; an ancestral home of us Novakid. I was born there, my parents were born there, and so were their parents and grandparents. I’m the last of the line, and so far the only one who hasn’t died there.


    I walked closer to the counter. Two elderly humans were sitting in a corner table. The other was asleep, but the one awake stared at me. As far as I could tell, he had no expression. Could he recognize me? I doubted that. The man was likely merely drunk and confused. As a Novakid it isn’t that odd to be stared at by the fleshy species.
    The bartender kept his eyes on a glass he was polishing with a little cloth as I got closer. I knew he had seen me and was simply pretending not to, and he knew that I knew that. It had been seven years, and he still hadn’t forgotten their little game. It made me feel I was just in the right place.

    I leaned to the counter. He was still rubbing the scratchy whiskey glass as if nobody was there. “Hello, Walrus.”


    His name was not Walrus. He was Waldemar McCormack, the only barkeep on the entire planet, and as such a much respected member of the community. He was an Apex, and badly mutated. He says he was born like that; gray, hairless and disfigured. A pair of white tusks came out of his mouth. He blames the pollution of his old home planet of his appearance, but everyone knows the truth may be even more horrifying. Everyone has heard the rumors of the Apex Government experimenting on their people.

    Long ago, two humans had arrived to the town and met Waldemar. For some reason, his appearance had amused the humans greatly, to the point he almost removed them from the bar. After a good explanation and a few drinks, it became clear he resembled an Earthling creature called walrus (Which are now extinct, as the homeworld of the humankind was destroyed a few years ago). Other of the humans even sketched an image of the beast and gave it to Waldemar before they left. From there on, his nickname was Walrus. He always acts like he hates that name, but everyone knows the truth. After all, he has the framed image of his namesake on the wall behind the bar counter.


    Walrus raised his eyes and let a wide smile on his face. I saw his eyes were wet. Even the Novakid know what tears mean. If I were a fleshy, I’d be crying too. Instead, I was glowing really brightly. “Well, isn’t it the legendary Shooting Star. It’s been a while, Brighton. It’s good to see you. You came to chat, or chat and drink?” The Apex frowned playfully. “Maybe you have forgotten, but I told you I don’t like that name.”

    “If I had forgotten I wouldn’t be calling you that. Nice to see you too, old friend,” I said. “Only chat for now, I’m just passing by. I’ll be back later in the evening, with a friend. We can talk all night about these past years… and other things.”

    Walrus nodded and put the glass aside. “Things seem to be good for you. I’m happy you’re all right,” he said and reached over the counter to put his hand on my shoulder. “You were gone for so long. I thought… I thought something had happened to you. You’ve always been… reckless, to say the least.”

    I raised my hand on his shoulder. “I didn’t let anything to happen to me before coming back here and telling you that I’m sorry I left without a goodbye.” I looked at Walrus in the eyes, although he couldn’t see it from my eyeless face. “I’m sorry for leaving without a goodbye.” I did regret that. I hadn’t forgotten my past selfishness.

    He nodded respectfully. “I forgive you. That’s always been your nature. Coming and going as you will,” he leaned back and clapped his hands together. “Now, did you have something special in mind? The Brighton I remember wouldn’t have come just to pass by. If you had no business with me you’d come here later today with Libra to surprise me.”
    That startled me. He shouldn’t have known that Libra was with me. “H- How… did you know that she was--?”

    The protruding tusks twisted his grin. “You know I know. You said you had a friend with you. Who else could it be? I’ve seen most of the old faces after you left, except you two.”
    I could feel my internal temperatures falling. His words were literally chilling. He had seen the old faces after my disappearance, alarmingly most of them. “I should’ve known you know,” I said with a hissing Novakid sigh. “You’ve met the old gang, you say. Can you remember who?” I tensed in fearful anticipation.

    Walrus scratched his multiple chins, humming while in thought. “Ash has been around these nearby systems for all these years, waiting for you two to come back. Radon I haven’t seen, but I know he’s been wandering. Lilia visited me not long after you went missing. Regulus and Margarete stop by every year. The locals have seen Li’l Grinder flying by several times lately. Umbra and Carbonite were here – let’s see – five, six weeks ago. The rest: never even met them.”

    That was a lot. I was genuinely taken aback by the commotion. Especially… “Wait, did you say Talion and Hypernova were here, in the tavern, together, a few weeks ago?” I asked.

    “They were both here, alive and well,” Walrus stated. It worried me to hear those two were working with each other – especially after what had happened seven years ago.

    I rapidly nodded as if I’d be happy to hear it. I knew Walrus didn’t buy the act, but he didn’t say a word about it. “Interesting. I did have something to ask from you, in all honesty. Could you do me a little… favor?” Saying the word hurt, knowing that I had returned after several years of absence a minute ago. “It’s not for me only, but Libra too. And I’ll pay back, for sure this time!” I added quickly.

    “Sure. What do you need?” he replied like nothing was wrong. He was being too kind for me. Like always.

    “Could you keep an eye for jobs?” I asked carefully. “I’ve been out of the local circles for so long. All the old, trustworthy faces have retired. Nobody knows me. I was hoping you could recommend me and Libra to someone… if that isn’t too much trouble.”

    Walrus shrugged. “You’re back in the business, as I expected. I think I can pass some notes under the table. I can’t promise anything, but I’ll do my best. You’re wrong in thinking that you’re unknown. Everyone still remembers the legend of the notorious Shooting Star.”

    I am notorious? It almost sounds like an insult to me. Although I’ll gladly accept it if it brings me jobs. “Thanks, Walrus. I never really left the business; I was doing it elsewhere. Now I’m back, and it feels good to be home,” I said and straightened up. “Please excuse me, someone is waiting me. I’ll be back later.”

    Walrus nodded and I headed back to the entrance. Midway through, he shouted after me. “I know you’d bring it up later, but just you know I don’t believe the stories of what happened back then. You aren’t like that.”

    Without turning back I replied “I know you know!”

    As I parted the front door to open it the Apex yelled across the room once more. “If the Sun needs any maintenance, keep in mind I know a guy that can help!” I turned around, gleaming in mischievous amusement.

    “Excuse me, what needs maintenance?” I asked jestingly. He had no idea.

    “Noble Sun, that Starfighter of yours. Don’t tell me you’ve lost it,” he said with a delightfully confused look on his face.

    “No, I’ve not,” I said cheerily, “It isn’t just called that anymore.” I stepped out of the bar to brisk winter air.




    =================================================================================================

    Initializing.

    Initializing..

    Initializing…

    Process complete.


    DataBook™ Personal Edition
    Copyright © 2446 Terra Technologies
    All rights reserved. In error situations, please contact the manufacturer for support.


    Current date is 01/06/2478
    Collecting planetary data…
    Current local time is 2:34pm


    Welcome, [NEW USER]!

    Enter username:
    [​IMG]


    Welcome, Shooting Star!

    =================================================================================================



    =================================================================================================
    ||01/06/2478 2:41pm||

    To my bright little spark.

    May this gift help you remember all the wonderful moments you will come to experience.
    Never forget who you are.

    Your loving father, Garett Brighton
    =================================================================================================



    =================================================================================================
    ||01/06/2478 3:10pm||

    pa givE BOOok
    book mmakes NOISE

    I aM OOOooOm riHTonn.. I IS STAR

    it is Bitrhdaaai
    =================================================================================================



    =================================================================================================
    ||01/06/2478 3:15pm||

    CAN SHTOUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    !!!!!!!! eeeYAH

    PA laughts
    MA thinkns book sillyyy
    =================================================================================================



    =================================================================================================
    ||01/06/2478 3:17pm||

    [System Error: Request unknown. Device cannot respond. Please consult manual.]
    =================================================================================================



    =================================================================================================
    ||01/06/2478 3:22pm||

    pa say bOOk can go bREak! OOOoooOm muts be cearfulll!!!!!!!!!
    bOOk very importnat.
    =================================================================================================



    =================================================================================================
    ||21/03/2485 4:55pm||

    Is this working? It has power and it looks good. I won’t throw this thing away.

    By the thousand suns the storeroom is so dusty my corona is dimming.
    =================================================================================================



    =================================================================================================
    ||03/06/2488 8:05pm||

    Dear notebook-diary-thing,

    I forgot I had this logbook. It’s better than nothing, cause I needta make notes somewhere. Pa let me check out the family ship. He told me I’m old enough and he’s gonna teach me in ships. He told me I needta write down what I think so here I go.

    The engine looks weird. The thrusters are so hot they could burn me away like a real big red giant burns planets. I got no clue what the parts are called or how they work. It ain’t easy, but I’ll figure em all out someday.
    =================================================================================================



    =================================================================================================
    ||04/06/2487 4:02pm||

    What I learnt today: in the ship engine there’s a funnel thing that connects to a cylinder thing. There’s also a bright ball that blinks really fast, faster than anyone can see. Pa told the most important part is the shiny crystals on the left of the big bunch of tubes. The ship gets all the energy from fuel which has a funny name.

    So how’s the engine working? Still no darn clue. Pa said I hafta learn that by myself, like he did when he was a starling like me. Doing it by myself ain’t a problem, but why does it needta be this hard?
    =================================================================================================



    =================================================================================================
    ||12/06/2487 7:38pm||

    I decided it’s the time to start listing all the parts. I’ll name each because don’t know what they’re really called, if anything. Then I describe em and their place in the ship. After I’m done with that I can start figuring out what the parts do.

    Ma says the ship stuff is silly and I oughta be doing something more useful. But it’s summer, so there’s no work except herding the cattle. I’m too young for mines. Crops won’t need attention until later.

    If I practice hard enough I might get to be a mechanic someday. It’s a good job.
    =================================================================================================



    =================================================================================================

    ||22/07/2487 11:02am||
    Finally! All the parts are cataloged. Now I can really start thinking what the ship really does, but now my time is running short. The harvest is getting close and I hafta help Pa and Ma.

    Pa really likes me using this book. He’s saying that I should make note about everything. He had some uncle that had a real book. Not shiny-light-book but a real old parchment-book. Pa insists it’s a tradition in the family but he never kept one so I should instead.
    =================================================================================================



    =================================================================================================

    ||25/07/2487 22:45pm||
    So I figured the archus-something-fuel never comes out of the ship. Nothing comes out because there ain’t exhausts from the light-speed-tower. But if something goes in something gotta come out. The fuel vanishes to nothing.

    WHY EVERYTHING GOTTA BE SO CONFUSING
    =================================================================================================



    =================================================================================================
    ||26/07/2487 6:03pm||
    I asked Pa about the engine, but he won’t be telling. I hafta figure it out myself. I’m a bright little starling like that, or that’s what he’s saying.

    By the blazing thousand suns I’m helpless. May the mighty suns give me ideas.
    =================================================================================================



    =================================================================================================
    ||27/07/2487 4:32am||

    Thankyou suns for the dream

    I know it now it was in a dream with space and a lot of stars and a big lightstorm where a ship was in. the fuel doesn’t disappear it, doesn’t leave with pipes, the engine dumps it to the hyperspace when it goes thru it
    =================================================================================================



    =================================================================================================

    ||27/07/2487 3:16pm||
    I told what I realized last night to Pa and he said it was as right as I could get it. He told he’s gonna buy me a book about ships from the festival market later this year! Books are really expensive so I’m really thankful.

    I’m gonna keep using this book. It was a birthday gift. Without it I would have forgot the dream and the idea it gave. If I keep using it, I won’t ever forget a thing.
    =================================================================================================



    =================================================================================================
    ||14/08/2487 4:40pm||
    The harvester machine broke today, but Pa fixed it. He knows things, but he isn’t telling me. It would be so easy just to tell me everything instead of making me learn alone. Pa says that I’ll understand someday.

    The harvest festival is getting closer. I just hafta keep working hard on the fields and soon I can go back to work with the ship.

    I’m writing here but this book has still so many mysteries. It has text I can’t read and weird yellow symbols I could put to the text.
    =================================================================================================



    =================================================================================================
    ||17/08/2487 7:22pm||
    I asked Pa yesterday about the symbols. He says they are human faces.

    They got no brand but are still yellow like me and Ma. Instead they have these changing shapes. Look at em!
    :sneaky::sneaky::unsure::p:(:rofl::V:DD:iswydt:

    Everyone is right about em. They are scary. I hope no human comes here ever. Thousand suns protect me and Pa and Ma from em.
    =================================================================================================



    =================================================================================================
    ||17/08/2487 7:56pm||
    they are human faces and weird text is human text

    THIS IS A HUMAN BOOK

    goodbye you traitor
    =================================================================================================



    =================================================================================================
    ||22/08/2487 1:45pm||
    I talked with Pa yesterday. This is a human book and everyone knows what the humans are. Ma told me the stories when I was a sparkling and Pa told what they did to great-uncle.

    But Pa says the book is a book. A book can’t be bad, and it ain’t a human book anymore. It’s a novabook now. Ma said I needta remember the stories so I can tell them to sparklings when I’m old. Oughta write em here.
    =================================================================================================



    =================================================================================================
    ||29/08/2487 10:12am||
    [REDACTED]
    Author's note: Preparing for something... interesting!

    =================================================================================================
     
    Last edited: Jun 10, 2016
    Ponamis, The Squid and Alkanthe like this.
  3. Alkanthe

    Alkanthe Supernova

    Oh I'm sorry, I thought you wanted somebody else to post so you could post again. HERE, LEMME FIX THAT FOR YA
     
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  4. Tatterdemalion

    Tatterdemalion Phantasmal Quasar

    I like your new base of operations! The Noble Sin Chronicles is very interesting so far. I'm glad that we've got another Zebe original to follow! Also, your mock-computer interfaces are so much better than mine. You really went the distance on that, good on you!
     
    Zebe likes this.
  5. The Squid

    The Squid Oxygen Tank

    The Noble Sin Chronicles are really good. I'm interested to hear the rest of this story. I have to agree with Tatterdemalion; the whole computer setup thing is much better and more "believable" than the one I made. Also,
    The future's looking bright. :up:
     
    Zebe likes this.
  6. Zebe

    Zebe Space Kumquat

    Thanks for comments!

    Very bright and very unsure. no idea what to put there
     
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  7. Mister Pixel

    Mister Pixel Big Damn Hero

    Oh, man. Those tags...

    Just look at all those tags!
     
    Zebe likes this.
  8. Zebe

    Zebe Space Kumquat

    okay take a step back
    How could I totally forget the second main reason in creating this thread, besides Noble Sin? It was the poor old text document called "night sky scraps", containing several short scenes that I gave up on since they didn't serve any purpose in the story. I'll post them here as extras, after some polishing they desperately need.

    Starting off with Negotiation: A Resistance Tale, which was my entry to the good ol' book contest way back in... last August? Pretty wonky, and definitely not intended to promote Night Sky at all. Nooope.

    I just discovered these forums had tags. Of course the first thing to do with them is nothing sensible.
     
  9. The Squid

    The Squid Oxygen Tank

    The forums have tags?! *rushes off to other threads to add all of the tags*
     
    Zebe likes this.
  10. Zebe

    Zebe Space Kumquat

    It's been a while.

    It's probably obvious this thread is done for. My interest in writing Starbound fanfiction is basically gone after Night Sky. I'm not happy about it, but here I am. Ending my dear threads.
    But it ain't over yet.

    I have one more final project. It's something that would've served as an introduction to Noble Sin Chronicles. NSC is over like the rest of my stories, but I'm still going to finish this project.
    Here are the two previously released teaser images, plus a completely new one. What are they pointing at!?


    [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG]
     
  11. Zebe

    Zebe Space Kumquat

    [​IMG]

    A Novakid pointing at something. What might this something be?

    This mystery will soon have an answer....
     
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  12. Zebe

    Zebe Space Kumquat

    *drumroll*

    [​IMG]

    Mystery solved? Mystery solved.


    Even though it's not even near complete, I'll start putting out what I have. Been working on this for far too long, and now it's time to do this. Maybe I'll have more motivation to work with it this way.
    But what is it, exactly? Well, one more hint remaining...
     
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  13. Zebe

    Zebe Space Kumquat

    Tomorrow.

    [​IMG]



    Also this is a bit of a test too. I'm not too sure what font should I use. I'd really want something that looks "serious", but I don't find it easy to read if the font is too "stiff". If that makes any sense. Here's an alternative one.

    [​IMG]

    Any opinions are appreciated.
     
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  14. The Squid

    The Squid Oxygen Tank

    WHAT IT'S A COMIC
    HOLY CRAP IT'S GONNA BE AWESOME
    ALSO I WOULD USE THE FIRST FONT
    :DD
     
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  15. Alkanthe

    Alkanthe Supernova

    I think either would work. The first is more traditional, though if you wanted to look different I think the second would work, too.
     
    Zebe likes this.
  16. Zebe

    Zebe Space Kumquat

    Thanks! I think I'll go with the first, unless I can find any other fonts I could use.

    AND YES ITS A COMIC
    A COMIC THAT'S 98% EXPOSITION BUT IT'S STILL A COMIC
     
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  17. Zebe

    Zebe Space Kumquat

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  18. Zebe

    Zebe Space Kumquat

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