Star Chronicles: A New Light

[Albion]

GrieveWriter
Watching with patient care, Wang Xi gave a nod to one of the officer occupying the comms station. Several pings bounced off the ship, but no communications returned. Frowning and shaking his head, he gave a nod to one of the other diplomatic officers, who opened the line to the battle group. "Move ahead, captain... keep an eye out for any survivors," He said simply. The Frigate captain nodded and the ships slowly glided through space, several corvettes acting as point defense, their smaller cannons swivelling, searching for any enemy targets. Suddenly a beacon lit up the screen of the comms officer, and the frigate slowly changed course, decelerating as it neared the shuttle.

As the ship came within a few hundred meters of the shuttle, the corvettes took up point positions, ready to attack any enemies that may come upon them. A platoon from the home guard stationed on board the ship exited out the docking hatch, tethering themselves to the rings on the outside and letting their impulse packs jet them closer and closer to the shuttle. After sweeping the outside and finding nothing, the soldiers came closer, their magnetic boots clamping onto the top of the shuttle. Carefully, they attached the tethers to any decent points they could hook them through, while one of the soldiers knocked on the door, letting the inhabitants inside prepare for the tethering in. Slowly the winches drew them in, the soldiers using their impulse packs to slow the ascent when necessary. Finally they came within meters of the docking hatch and slid back inside, the winch bringing it in and the magnetic seal clamping onto the ships' hatch after a moment. Several soldiers flanked the door, waiting with guns drawn but not at the ready as they waited for the occupants to exit.

 

[GrieveWriter]

The Drokoi Consulate
Interaction/Mention: Albion
​

Nurstrom still wasn't waking up.

She was breathing, something that Grus was thankful for. He wasn't a Doctor, he fixed ships for most of his life. His medical skills only went as far as stabilizing folks in the case of workplace accidents. The Trokoids weren't known for warrior-like capabilities, and the moment they lost her mech he knew she'd be in more danger than any of them. The fact that she was even alive at this point was a miracle to him, yet she wouldn't be able to help him in this state. And it was help he most definitely needed, especially as the foreign ships approached.

He could only assume they belonged to whoever the Polities were, as their design was unfamiliar. He supposed he was thankful it hadn't been a pirate trap, with how things had been going lately he'd been hesitant to get his hopes up. As the threat of Zen's Swallowed faded, the very real realization that he'd have to be the ambassador for this interaction came closer and closer to the forefront of his mind. The Consulate had met numerous primitive species in the past, many of which were being safely observed at that very moment, but never before had they met another species capable of space travel or communications like these Polities.

Even despite that, the Consulate did have people for this, it had experts who could work this kind of thing out. Nurstrom would've had an easier time of it, Norlaq would've probably had teh experience needed to handle it, Grus was not the diplomatic type. Which meant he'd have to hope that they could help Lady Nurstrom, she could get everything fixed if she'd just wake up. As the Foreign creatures tethered the shuttle from outside, Grus found himself trying to get a good view of them from the shuttle's viewport. From what he could see, they were at least shaped like Drovokki, though the space suits they were utilizing didn't reveal much. As they were pulled into one of the ships, Grus kneeled beside Lady Nurstrom and found himself staring down at her whilst stuck in contemplation.

Eventually, the ship came to a stop and Grus had to scoop Nurstrom into his arm before standing at the door for a few seconds. He found himself rubbing the handle of his Machine Pistol, fingering the trigger a bit before grunting and sliding it into a holster on his side. Clenching his hand into a fist several times, Grus eventually reached over and opened the shuttle's doors. As they opened, he reached up to press at the side of his helmet, which sealed up as he stepped out of the shuttle.

Armed bipedals awaited, and Grus fought the urge to bring his hand closer to his weapon. He reminded himself that the Consulate would probably keep armed gaurds around if the roles were reversed as well. Even with the gear, he found these bipedals on the shorter side, but could not bring himself to care at the moment. Comparisons and physiological differences were for scientists and researchers, he didn't have the time or interest for such things and instead immediately brought up a hand to point to Nurstrom in his grasp.

"Za ash bolkum ghulum," He said whilst gesturing towards the portions of her form that had been hastily patched up with Rev-Gel and a form of biotic wrappings "goth skazg ul"

He remained tense, knowing that he probably wouldn't survive any hostilities from the bipedals even if he did have proper armor on.

 

[Albion]

GrieveWriter
OPS Wilted Widow
As the large biped stepped forth from the shuttle, the soldiers tensed for a moment before it pointed at the other wounded crewmember. Looking between themselves, one of them took the initiative. "Thank god Xi ordered doctors onboard. Hernandez, get a stretcher. Rookwood, you go with him, bring this one to Aft Bay 6, that's where the med-heads are stationed. They should be able to help." Cooper was a bit informal, but a damn good shot. Speaking of... the remaining two put their rifles away, instead taking a bio scanner and running it along the one still walking in case it needed any assistance. Once it returned only minor injuries, they beckoned it to follow them to the cafeteria for some food while they waited for the frigate to dock with the station. and their gear to transfer over. The two sent off returned with a stretcher, placing the crewmate onto it gingerly and wheeling it off to the medbay.

The doctors had a field day - not only was this first contact with two species of high capability, based off that warship design, but also an opportunity to perform surgery and heal another species for the first time. They ran the bio scanners, testing compatibilities with the drugs, procedures, and general knowledge they had. The compatibility was decent enough, at least. The surgeons finished preparations quick enough, and set to work peeling back the biogel bandages to begin the delicate process of healing.

The soldiers were uncertain what to get the hulking humanoid, offering it different foods as it pleased. Eventually there was a low, quiet thrum as the magnetic clamps tugged on the ship and the docking hatch attached to the crew tube. Wang Xi entered the cafeteria after some directions, several comms technicians and diplomatic experts in tow. Sitting down at the table, they offered their larger counterpart a small microphone device, attached to a complex computer which would attempt to match words as best it could. while it only had a thirty three percent efficiency rate, it was the best they had with no groundworks. Xi had his own microphone device, and ran a test phase through, allowing the microphone to pick up his language. Then he gestured for his counterpart to try.

 

[GrieveWriter]

The Drokoi Consulate
Interaction/Mention: Albion
Location: OPS Wilted Willow

Grus was thankful for his helmet, as it allowed his eyes to survey the 'Polities' with impunity. It also hid the suspicious looks forming on his face as they spoke to one another in alien tongues. At the first speaker's words, two holstered their weapons prompting Grus to let his own hand go somewhat lax until they raised another device towards him. He released low growls as they ran it along him, with him hoping that it was some form of scanning device and nothing more. What a pain would it be to survive a Swallowing yet to get taken out by some kind of alien radiation?

That thought alone was what encouraged him to keep his helmet on at first, even as the display inside of it showed no signs of harmful environmental statuses.

After they 'scanned' him, Grus begrudgingly followed their hand motions as they showed him deeper into the ship. The motions were far easier to interpret than their speech, a small boon to the engineer as a duo approached with a stretcher. Though hesitant to relinquish Nurstrom, Grus had told them that she needed aid. Whether they were able to understand his request or not, he admitted that these creatures would probably have a better chance at figuring out what was wrong with her than him. They were smart enough to form space travel and send out signals, so Grus had to hope they'd be able to handle foreign biology and aid. He passed her over, watching as the two of them whisked her away.

For their part, the doctors would find that the small green creature has sustained several large lacerations across its body, much of which had been kept closed due to the gel and bandages. Furthermore, signs of head trauma could be found along with small splats of blood that were not the creatures own dribbled along its fur in several places.

Grus was led to what he figured was either a meeting hall or eatery, the latter seeming more likely due to the offerings that were soon offered to him. Grus could feel his stomach grumbling at several cooked meats, but he refrained from partaking in any. Even as a mere Engineer, he wasn't eager to discover what types of chemical reactions the meals standard to this species would cause in his own body. Even after nearly a day of fighting and surviving on the Gourmanti, he just wasn't at that state of hunger yet. He waved off all of the offerings, even though hesitated with several. But the line of meals was eventually interrupted by the feeling of the vessel stopping.

He figured they'd reached that station nearby, and soon found his deduction at least partially proven when new figures entered. Watching as these ones brought in equipment with them, Grus could finally note that their skin seemed far too soft. Even from a distance he could tell that these creatures had a resounding lack of natural grown defenses, not even any fur like the Trokoids. The Consulate had run into a number of primitive creatures, and he knew beings with skin similar to these existed, but it was seeing it for himself that threw him for something of a loop.

But the arrival of new Softskins prompted Grus to reconsider the potential hazards of the environment. Briefly checking his helmet's internal display again, he gave a grumbly sigh before reaching up and removing his helmet. Setting it on the table beside him just as they slid what looked like a speaking device in front of him, Grus adjusted his jaw and flexed his neck muscles before watching as one of their own sat across from him with a similar device and spoke into it. It was here that Grus took note of the machine that these devices were linked to, and slowly he heard several words come together in the mess of speech the machine soon produced. It was far closer to something legible, and the message was clear as the Softskin gestured for him to do the same.

It must've been some kind of translator device, faulty yet a blessing to the engineer as he realized it was time. With only vague ideas of what the council expected from its diplomats, he had figured the safest bet would be to simply put forth his rank and designation. Treating this as if being screened by a recruitment officer would bring at least some level of familiarity.

Reaching forward to draw the device closer to him, he did that very thing.

"Izg'm zongot Grus ob the CF-Gourmanti, third-gen lufut lundar ob the Drokoi Consulate." he stated whilst looking to gauge the Softskin's reactions "Travelaumn with Trokoid firukav claukuk Technician, Nurstrom rank ukeven."

But like that, he found himself narrowing his eyes and leaning forward, "Graaviavude for aid, Trokoid bettura for communicaavion"

 

[Albion]

GrieveWriter
Diplomatic Station/Frigate
With deft hands, the doctors were soon working quickly, closing and sealing the smaller wounds with a biodegradable gel which would encourage tissue regeneration and prevent further bleeding. The larger lacerations were slowly and deftly closed by hand, the creature's tiny body making it difficult but not impossible. They tested its biological compatibility with several different drugs, landing on a pair that would encourage blood regeneration and one which would maintain the deep state of healing until it was ready, ensuring it would not wake up in an unfortunate situation. Then its head was washed as the doctors searched for external injuries to the head. Finding none, they finished up before putting their tools away, leaving the creature on the bed with only some basic devices and an IV while they waited for it to awaken. Then they headed to the Cafeteria to report, leaving only a skeleton crew to ensure the creature's safety and recuperation.

Meanwhile, in the cafeteria, the diplomatic team were enjoying themselves, writing down the words the translator could not get as well as what they believed to be nouns. Some of it they could parse out - a lufut lundar was probably a ship type, Grus seemed to be this one's name, and Trokoid might've been the species name of the other crewmate. They ran these guesses through and the translating machine picked them up, making new connections of its own. Finally they nodded and Xi began speaking.

"Thank you for informing us of this," He began, nodding solemnly. "Once your crewmate awakens we will speak to them and figure out how to communicate with your nation. Until then, can you answer some questions?" He said. "What attacked you? Is this station in danger from them? Are there any other crew mates we need to rescue or assist? Should we demolish the ship?" He asked, speaking slowly so the translator would have a higher chance of working. The doctors appeared, entering from one of the doorways. "Xi, we finished patching up that other creature. Depending on its healing rates it shouldn't be terribly long," They confirmed. Then they looked Grus over, nodding their heads. Wang Xi turned to Grus. "It seems that, ah, Nurstrom has been patched up and will be fine with time," he added.

 

[Chuckles]

The Tel’tsu Commonwealth
Unknown system
SF-Vlaycli

persons of interest
Captain Awundhersun Toezeer
Major Āhmz Aikkirow

“We look forward to this momentous occasion.” Toezeer bowed slightly as they ended their communication. The deck was silent for only a moment before business erupted. The Captain turned to the chief of the watch, “Prepare the officer’s mess. This meeting should be happening on Elæseh, we will have to make due. Direct their shuttle to dock to the officers deck airlock and prepare to adjust life support on that deck to suit our guests as closely as is reasonable.”

The Chief bowed and left the bridge to see to it that everything was put in order. While others returned to their normal duties Major Aikkirow, still floating, awaited instruction. “Major, you will be one of our welcome party, select an executive staff guard, XO Arhem will join us,” he paused for a moment in thought, “Senior Chief Silas should be there as well, he is the senior most Mika aboard, they deserve to have a representative at this historic event.”

Aikkirow bowed her head in lieu of a full bow accounting for her floating state. “Chief Silas will be most humbled by the honor sir. I will prepare the guard.” She turned and kicked off a railing toward the ladderwell. She navigated the halls and ladderwells with impressive skill, even among those who were so accustomed to zero G environments. Where most of the crew was proficient in maneuvering in zero G, the pace at which they did was never quite as fast as it was under thrust, Āhmz seemed to be even faster in this state. She expertly shot herself from point to point, electing to travel headfirst down ladders and hallways as opposed to the more traditional method of keeping one’s feet relatively pointed “down”. This was to avoid the disorientation that could occur when transitioning from zero G to thrust, Tel’tsu marines spent countless hours of practice so that even the most sudden change in orientation didn’t disorient them.

She floated through the marines birthing and called out several names, “Jiar, Thessalian, Gehoh, Kedwhard, executive guard, thirty minutes, OS1.” The four marines acknowledged her order and sprung from what they were doing to prepare.

Her own quarters were just beyond the general birthing area. Entering she shut the door and allowed herself a moment to gather her thoughts. She was about to make the first face to face contact with a new species. The weight of the situation was not lost in her, even in her weightless state. Pulling her service uniform off she opened a locker and retrieved a finer service dress uniform. It was primarily the soft red of the Tel’tsu flower with one broad and two narrow vertical white stripes down the left side. From her shoulder many ainguilette’s were draped, each for a different service distinction. A decorative gorget was fastened around her neck, a hold over from warrior of eons past when Avarian warriors wore elaborate armor in combat that has been historically described as “elegant death”. Now it serves less for protection than to highlight the dangerous task ships marines were trained for.

She adjusted everything in a mirror and took a deep breath. This was something she had been trained for, but only barely. Vlaycli was to lead ship in their exploration group, but Elæseh was the diplomatic relations ship, Vlaycli was a military vessel first and foremost. Still, this was history, she would have to swallow what nerves she felt. Engaging her mag boots, floating around in service dress was simply not something one did, she left the room.

Less than a half hour had elapsed from leaving the command deck when she entered the officers' mess where Captain Toezeer, XO Commander Arhem, and Chief Silas were already present. Their uniforms contrasted her red and white striped design with all blue with yellow trim accents. The navy had adopted ribbon bars in lieu of the armies ainguilette’s, but not to be out done for pomp the Captain and Commander wore paludamentum over their left shoulder, tucked neatly aside so as to not obscure the ribbon bars. Senior Chief Silas’ uniform was more understated, but no less sharp for it.

“Apologies on my tardiness Captain. The guard will be here shortly.” Āhmz, bowed.

“No need Major, you had a task. Now, I know we all expected this would be in the hands of Elæseh and her crew, but I have worked with you all for years and have every confidence that you will represent our glorious union to the utmost. Thank chance and fate for being given this opportunity, and may your ancestors rejoice. Let us meet these new visitors with open arms, and be remembered for opening a new and prosperous relationship among the stars.” The Captain finished and received bows from his new emissaries.

A voice came over the coms “sir, shuttle approaching now. Directing them to OS1 lock. T minus 20 minutes.”

On the coms deck a controller exchanged telemetry data with the incoming shuttle pilot, guiding them carefully into the ship. Engineering had quickly determined that internal docking would be the simplest solution for their guests, avoiding unnecessary complications trying to make an airtight connection for parasitic docking with an wholly unfamiliar craft. As they approached they would see the bay doors open and a shuttle slide out into space, assuring them plenty of room to dock their craft.

Albion

 

[Albion]

Chuckles
Farfoot shuttle
The slow glide of the shuttle soon came to an end, and Adil found his nerves jumpy. The pilot received the telemetry information, and Adil puzzled over the raw data in fascination, intrigued by the notation system his counterparts used. Still, even this came to an end - a shuttle passed them by, making space for their own shuttle to smoothly glide into the bay, landing with a soft clank as the magnetic landing gear activated. Once the shuttle was settled, he nodded to his fellow crewmates, stepping off the shuttle and being guided by a couple of the crew to the officer's mess. They came to a stop outside and Adil brushed himself off, preparing the gifts as he entered the room, offering them to his counterpart as he entered a shallow bow. "I, Adil al-Mansur, thank your crew and your nation for its hospitality, and offer these gifts as a sign of goodwill." Once the goods were handed over, he began introducing his fellow crew members. Compared to the glamour of their counterparts uniforms, theirs were rather drab - dark, economic blues and greens, with only the patches on their arms signifying any higher rank. One of the communications officers moved off to the side, picking up an artifact and activating it. It floated into the air, jetting along until it found the right angle, then took a picture of the two counterparts meeting. The picture would be forwarded to the Gal-Net, released for public viewing as well as a briefing on how the meeting went.

 

[GrieveWriter]

The Dorkoi Consulate
Interaction/Mention: Albion
Diplomatic Station

From the Softskin's words that were translated properly, they seemed confident that they had a chance at fixing Lady Nurstrom. Grus wanted that more than anything at this very moment, but knew to temper his expectations. The Trokoid had been slashed hard enough to send her head-first against a solid metal wall, and probably would've died if not for Norlaq's medical capabilities. He didn't doubt that a space faring nation would at least hold suitable medical capabilities, but again the physiological difference could be damning. Grus wasn't even sure she could be helped, as Norlaq only had enough time to seal the wounds before they became life-threatening. They had no way to tell if there was internal bleeding, and the bruised head alone had told them there could be further injuries they were unaware of.

Grus forced himself to stop thinking about that, as he'd already rolled the dulce by trusting her with the Softskins. Time would tell whether luck would be in his favor. Until then, the Softskin began asking about danger in a questioning tone, the words that got through implying they wanted to know about what was threatening them on the ship. Grus released a deep breath at that, as he just now realized they may not even understand the concept of Zen. It would be a long explanation that would surely stretch the capabilities of their translation technology, and already he was thinking about ways to abbreviate as much as possible.

But then they started saying words like survivors and demolish ship, with Grus narrowing his eyes in response. But slowly he realized that while he'd been caught up in getting Nurstrom help and escaping that blasted ship, he'd overlooked a stinging detail that should've been obvious a while ago.

The Gourmanti hadn't been destroyed, Grus was certain everyone would take notice if Norlaq had actually made it to the Reactor.

"Ship ukavill there..." he muttered before shaking his head before leaning it forward into his palm "Oh Norlaq..."

There'd be no way to know if she was still alive unless by sheer coincidence they contacted the vessel while she was close to communications. But even then, the place had been torn up after their message went out. No, even if Grus wanted to implore these aliens to go look for her, there was still a chance that she had just slowed down and would cause the reactor to implode at any minute. He couldn't risk anyone going in there, even if she'd wound up changing her mind on that whole unfinished business thing,

He had been silent through this contemplation, looking up only when the Softskin implied that Nurstrom would successfully recover. Taking a deep breath, he shook his head at the Softskin.

"Don'av go par ship, iavuk Swallowed." he warned before leaning back and held up one finger "Maybe ni ukurvivor... maybe."

He leaned forward again and frowned, "Too dangerouuk." he stated before gesturing all around them "Zen ukpreaduk quick, conavaminaave ukavaavion um noav careful."

 

[Albion]

GrieveWriter
Neutral Space, Frigate Tempest
The diplomatic team nodded and began quietly conversing among themselves. "I think if I'm understanding Grus right, one of them was supposed to stay and destroy it, but one of them got 'swallowed'? Whatever this is, it's probably too dangerous if he's telling us not to." Wang Xi said, looking to his fellow officers for confirmation or dissent. There was none of the latter; the hulking warship had clearly taken a beating, and whatever could harm that greatly would no doubt be too much for a battalion of soldiers. "Then perhaps we ought to just broadside the ship until it's destroyed? Whatever's on there can't be allowed to spread onto the station." Xi added. Many looked trepidatious, but none voiced dissent as was their right. Xi turned to the microphone. "We appreciate the confirmation. Our current plan is to destroy the ship - is that alright?" Xi asked, beckoning in the general direction of the ship which was faintly visible out of the Cafeteria viewport. While he spoke, one of the officers was sending off a message to the other frigate officers and corvette captains to get into position and hold until further orders were given.

 

[Nyq]

Unknown Space, the Lwarp Survivors

As the Pegasus Gunship's gravity increased, many of the rampaging Gorstak simply fell onto the ground, unable to run around the ship anymore. Some calmed down after the fall, while some didn't. Those that didn't screamed and cried out in terror and frustration. Those that never succumbed to the madness sighed in relief. Eventually, the Pegasus was able to dock with the Envouira, and gravity decreased to levels acceptable by Gorstak parameters. The ship's doors opened, and the Gorstak prepared themselves to leave the ship, some brandishing batons out of habit as they knew that their panicked fellows could not be convinced to leave any other way. However, their preparations were interrupted by a loud crash. Some of the Gorstak ran out to see what caused it, and found a nearly wrecked fighter in the hangar. As a clearly not-so-human form emerged from the wreckage and started screaming about attacking the ship, the Gorstak cried out alarums, causing those who brought their weapons along to take up defensive positions near the Pegasus' exits as those that left ran back in. Unfortunately, some weren't fast enough to make it before they got shot to pieces by the new aliens.

 

[The Governor]

Pegasus Interior

As the gunship crashed, Blaise's head slammed into the bulkhead. A shock of pain ran through him, and he worried what would have happened if he hadn't been wearing his helmet. As things were, he could hear the sounds of battle just outside. Shouts and moans mixed with the echoes of laser rifles and explosions. He removed his restraints, and charged through the transport doors. A laser bolt slammed into his armor, and he felt the shockwave of a turret exploding. He could see the Ascendant Ones' defensive line now, and the young soldier knew Seraphim Company wouldn't take it without cost.

As Blaise opened fire on nearby enemies, another explosion happened, knocking him to the ground and blowing apart less fortunate NAC personnel. Through the ringing in his ears, he heard a single voice saying, "Get up, Blaise. We need you."

The voice belonged to his commanding officer, and he offered a hand up. "Get up, Blaise," the voice said again. "We need you. The enemy is right here. Get up!"

As he returned to consciousness, Ensign Blaise Bescond could feel one of his friends shaking him, and hear alarms going off in the Envouira hangar. "I'm here," the commando officer said as he got to his feet and drew his sidearm and a detonator. Seeing the Gorstak had taken up defensive positions, Blaise requested covering fire, and walked into the storm of lasers outside. He was still dazed, and shot quickly at the boarders. He felt some of their shots flying past him, and could see where some of his commandos had already fallen.

"Lampago Company, on me! We're going to send these pirates back into space!" As Blaise gave the command, he threw the detonator, and fired off a volley from his CI-56 pistol before running behind a cargo crate for cover. As for the commandos already in the hangar before the new arrivals, about a fifth had been killed by the various crashes, and combat afterwards. Still, they outnumbered the pirates, and understood the environment much better than their enemies.

Envouira Bridge

"We have good news and bad news, Captain. Blaise and the survivors are safely back, and the jump drive is ready. But some of the pirates landed in the hangar."

"What's the state of the enemy ship?" St. Clare asked.

"More or less crippled. They can still capably engage us, but I don't think they could pursue us if we jumped."

"Good. But just to be safe, bring us somewhere safe. Somewhere they wouldn't dare follow us, even if they could." The Captain thought for a moment before saying, "Take us to the Agincourt."

"Yes, Captain," the helmsman replied. Moments later, the ship made the jump.

 

[Just_a_loneley_pilgrim]

'What will you do when you find out that god is dead?'



The empire was in disaray, now that it was known to the public that the health of the emperor was declining. The different factions formerly united by the emperor were now grabbing more and more power out of the sickly hands of the emperor. The huge economic boost that the empire had may have been for nothing. It lead to the expansion of the empire but now it will maybe lead to its decline.

“Emperor you can’t do this you’re still too weak”

“If I don’t make this public appearance there will be nothing left for Myrion to inherit. You know that Baeryon, I trust you as head of the imperial guard to protect my son and advice him. He’s young and naive Baeryon, he isn’t yet ready for the heavy burden of the crown.”

“My lord” Baeryon kneeled right in front of Lyraethis “I swear on my honor that I will protect your son no matter what.”

“Stand up Baeryon we have to go” Lyraethis smiled. A few days later Lyraethis began his grand journey throughout the vast territory of the empire. He began in the city of Artemis on the planet of Yraethis. Everything went smooth, crowds of people were waving at to the god emperor some even tried to touch him but were quickly stopped by the imperial guard. Lyraethis was loved by his people, under his rule the empire became big and technologically advanced. While Lyraethis had been striving for peace the last 100 years, his son supported by many nobles had other plans. Lyraethis knew that if his son Myrion were to inherit the empire now, he would be simply used as a puppet.
“Garaerys!” The chanting of that word took the emperor back to reality. Garaerys is a word used as battle cry or greeting to the emperor literally meaning ‘ten thousand years (of life to you)’.

Suddenly one of the carriages in front of the emperors carriage was blown to pieces. Pure chaos errupted people screaming and imperial trying their best to maintain order. It was the carriage of Baeryon, Lyraethis climbed out of his carriage and walked in the direction of the crash site. “My lord you shouldn’t be here, it isn’t safe” With the guards lacking a leader it was obvious that killing the emperor would be way easier now.

Lyraethis was suddenly pushed inside an armored vehicle and brought to safety. He was brought to one of his nearby estates (which were always heavily guarded). Lyraethis walked through the grand door of his castle like palace and was met with faces of relieve. “My emperor” the man kneeled “ you’re still alive, we’re sorry for our incompetence” the man that kneeled next to him said “yes please forgive us”. “The only way you can atone for your incompetence is by finding the scum who did this”. “Yess yess of course we’re already working on that”. “Good then I will now continue my tour around the city if you wouldn’t mind”Lyraethis began making his way back to one of his carriages. ”My lord, with all due respect but we haven’t found them yet. It will be far too dangerous to continue”. “Hah! I will not give in to terrorism, if we do that we will have lost all credibility, and i shall not discuss with you. The conversation is over”.

It was over indeed, Lyraethis continued his journey without making any alteration to the route. This time someone did manage to blow up the right carriage. It was only a couple hours after the first attack, the emperor died that day because of his foolishness not because of his illness. Out of this we can conclude that even gods can be fools on occasion. It is said afterwards that Lyraethis dead marked the end of an era for the empire of Alaeryian.

“The emperor is dead my lord”. “I know” he smiled “It was me who gave the order”. It was the grand prince Asaryth Lirion III who is also the head of the Alaeryian parliament. “You can go now” the servant stood up and walked away. Asaryth turned around and walked towards his ballroom. Once he walked inside, he said “Attention attention my dear lords and ladies. You have all gathered here to celebrate the death of the Emperor. It isn’t only speculation anymore though, it has become reality”. The crowd of lords and ladies began clapping. “We can finally start working to make our vision a reality. That is the vision of claiming our rightful place of the number one power in the known galaxy” he looked around and unsheathed his decorative sword and hold his sword up “Garaerys!” ​

 

[Succuboi]

Endoval System
Endoval IV
Western Lowlands
Contested Sein’Hae Land

Interaction: PixelSymphony Thrace Chuckles​

The jungle that awaited the party was fraught with difficult terrain and uncertain dangers, resembling a Terran rainforest taken to the extreme; Wet, swampy terrain that threatened to swallow men whole, jagged rock formations and exotic foliage with all kinds of bizarre qualities. All around, the cries of wildlife momentarily broke the relentless pattering of the rainfall from above, though actually seeing any of the alien creatures on the planet proved to be a rare occurrence.

A few miles into their journey, the group found a momentary break in the rough terrain in the form of what looked like a narrow dirt trail. The trail had been eroded and overrun by wildlife over many years, but a careful eye could still follow it with some difficulty. A short ways up the road, the remains of a vehicle was present, abandoned at the trailside and long since turned to an unusable wreck. It was of Terran design, that much was obvious, and seemed to have once been designed for pathfinding based on its suspension and reinforced framework.

Endoval System
Endoval IV
Western Lowlands
Contested Sein’Hae Land

Interaction: GrieveWriter​

The hijacked IRD Pod skulked through the halls of the shipwreck purposefully, its movements unnatural and alien to those used to how they typically flew. This one hung only a few feet off the ground based on its still transmitting camera feed, and now appeared to be stalking the remaining drones through the ship. It trailed behind them, dodged away from sightlines and retreated when it was close to being detected.

Whatever creature had hold of the drone was not alone as Burnish was soon to find out, when another pod found itself being hijacked in a similar manner, this time through the floor as it was dragged downward violently before its visual feed cut off, the cameras possibly broken by an unseen impact.

Much, much further away from the wreck site, the damaged Pod on its own was having more luck gathering information. The entrance led into a small, abandoned dock, likely used for patrol craft rather than any kind of warship. At the further end of the dock, the Pod could make out fortified doors leading deeper into the cliff face, as well as what could only be described as a tiny, primitive village built over and around the dock. Huts and small walls built from a mixture of plants, wood and salvaged materials formed a crude perimeter, almost blending in with their surroundings and looking like little more than rubble to the untrained eye. As the pod peered closer, it could briefly make out the shapes of a few creatures quickly darting into hiding behind cover, lacking a uniform silhouette between them. Before the pod could approach any closer however, one of these mysterious creatures poked itself up from behind the wall.

It bore a vaguely egg-like shape, composed of various metal and polymer panels crudely bound together by dark green vines, which sourced from within the shell. Fitted to its front was a hodgepodge array of small lights and sensors, which blinked and shone at the pod to illuminate it quite suddenly. With the new light source, Burnish could make out the shape of a heavy-duty machine gun mounted to its top, loaded with ammunition and connected to the shell by a swivel mechanism. Really, the creature looked more like some kind of sentry gun than a living being, and yet Burnish would be met with this thing barking out a message to him through the pod, spoken in garbled, robotic tone but also a virtually identical language to those on the ship he was in a current standoff with.

“Halt! You are unrecognised, traveller! Speak now of your person, let us know what guides you here.”

 

[GrieveWriter]

The Rustafan Raiders
Unknown Space, Morfus

Interaction/Mention: The Governor Nyq​

"They're making a break for it!" One of the deckhands shouted as the Boss cackled

"Broadside the bastards!" she roared "That hunk o' junk's leavin in flames!"

The Morfus, despite its numerous damages, continued to release a broadside of blasts after the Envouira as it made its escape. The moment the ship made its jump, she had to shout around the command deck in order to get her crew to stop their flurry of attacks. But once it was over, a cheer rang out through the ship with Rustafans chest-bumping and raising fists to their victory.

The Captain was less than satisfied as her crew, having wanted to destroy their targets instead. But it was the nature of the weak to run, what mattered was their prize. Standing up, she shouted for them to get to work on repairing their ship, whilst also sending messages out to the Rustafan Fighters still out in space to get to scavenging the ruined ship that had been left behind.

But elsewhere the battle was far from over...

Envouira Hangar
​

Despite being small in number, the boarding party proved far more vicious than anticipated. Throughout the time that the ship was able to make its jump, the Hangar specifically had been turned into a warzone. The Rustafans were indiscriminate, whether Gorstak or a member of the Envouira's crew, they opened fire on anyone that wasn't one of them. Though clearly at a disadvantage in both numbers and environmental awareness, their morale held true. Laughing and roaring even as their opponents grew more and more capable of fighting them off.

Truly, the battle wasn't over until the last of the Boarders had been taken down. It had stretched on for far longer than it had any right to, with the hangar being scarred by energy weapons explosions and more. But finally , the last pirate collapsed, laughing even then as he waved an empty energy pistol at the air, pulling the trigger repeatedly until he passed out from his wounds.

The Drokoi Consulate
Neutral Space, Frigate Tempest

Interaction/Mention: Albion​

Grus couldn't help but feel relief, it seemed as though the Softskins could at least understand the potential danger of what was on that ship in spite of the communication issues. Zen had taken over far too many of the Gourmanti's crew for the station to take on. Even if they might've been able to defeat them, the odds of Zen spreading to this station was simply too high to consider. Through the viewport, he watched as the ships surrounded the Gourmanti, knowing before they'd even spoken what the Softskins would ask next.

They felt as though they'd need to destroy the ship, which they definitely did. Grus was still furious at the idea of letting Norlaq die after everything she did to help Nurstrom and him escape, but she'd made her choice.

"Yeuk," he nodded to them before pointing to the Gourmanti "Ship no be boardun, cannoav be ignorun, must be deukavroyun!"

Boarding it was basically sending people to their deaths, Zen had the advantage inside the vessel now, and no matter how much Grus told the Pinkskins there was no way they'd be prepared enough to counter it without prior experience fighting it. Just leaving that ship alone would just let Zen fester in there until some poor, dumb scavengers touched it and unleashed a scourge across this entire star system. Destroying it and letting space swallow its remains would at least nullify a majority of the threat it posed, but it wasn't as though the Gourmanti was some simple freighter. Luckily both Zen and them had both damaged a number of portions of the ship, meaning it was nowhere near as sturdy as a Warship of its caliber usually was.

Honestly, losing a vessel like it would cause grumbling among the Consulate, but they knew the procedures to properly deal with a Zen outbreak. Grus did not, and was not willing to take chances with the Gourmanti.

Endoval System
Interaction/Mention: RayPurchase Succuboi
​

The situation that Burnish had found himself in was far too stressful for him to hold back. Soon after issuing that horrible-feeling statement to the 'Union', he'd cracked open a tube of Crognac Sizzle and let the fumes calm his nerves. It was as they awaited for a response from the opposing ship that he grabbed the tube and breathed deeply, moving away from his console to turn his attention to the only thing where they were actually making any progress: the IRD Pods. They were offering a veritable bounty of visual data for the Trokoids back at the fleet to comb over, granting a better understanding of the beings onboard the other ship they were stuck in a standoff with.

The only problem was the local ecosystem getting in the way time and time again, that one being that had taken ahold of one of them was actively stalking the others if the visual feed was any indicator. It was keeping out of the way for the most part, but yet another drone went dark just as it was being dragged way by some unseen force. After all the work they'd done to get eyes into this vessel, Burnish wouldn't be satisfied with anything less than a complete comb-over. But with the rate their last drones were dropping off, there was a good chance that wouldn't happen.

"Captain, you may want to view this." the Overseer stated before gesturing to a screen.

Burnish leaned over and raised an eyebrow at the sight of what was obviously a dock, old and abandoned but a dock no-less. As Burnish scanned the feed, he narrowed his gaze before taking another deep breath of Crognac Sizzle. It was as he was letting his heart rate calm down, that he noticed it.

"Hold up, over there." he pointed "That... those are structures."

The Pod stopped its scanning of the dock and focused upon the primitive buildings, carefully approaching as Burnish took note of the construction. He'd seen similar construction done by primitives, but these had incorporated scrap from more complex structures in their buildings. As the Lone Pod examined this seemingly-makeshift villa, it took note of the figures moving just out of sight.

"Captain-"

"I see 'em." Burnish stated before gesturing towards the robot "Keep it steady, if its anything like the wildlife we've seen already it could pounce at any-"

And then an egg jumped out on screen, causing Burnish's words to dry up as it aimed what looked to be some kind of ballistics weapon at the pod. It wasn't completely machine, as through the cracks in its shell were the blatant signs of plant-life holding it together. But the sight of an odd plant-machine hybrid jumping out of nowhere with a gun was by no means the oddest thing before Burnish. But when it started speaking that some alien drivel that the small pink-skinned creatures in that other vessel spoke, the Captain's expression visibly tightened into a grimace.

Without hesitation he upturned his tube of C-Sizzle and downed it, prompting the Overseer to look to him and tilt its head.

"Captain, that product is not recommended to be administered in such a-"

"Shut up and get this to the fleet," he grunted before tossing the empty tube away. He was about to take a step away before pausing an glancing back to the screen, "Actually, move aside."

The pod had come to a stop, hovering before the local in silence before finally something came through its speaker. It was Burnish's voice, stiff and awkward due to the struggle he still had with the language. Only knowing what he'd gathered from the work of the Fleet's Trokoids. He had to keep it concise and straightforward, but he needed info and wasn't about to let the stunted bureaucracy of the Council get one of his last Pods destroyed.

"Planet... claimed by... Union." his voice came out, straining with the words "Here to...investigate...claim."

He was actively gripping the side of his head in frustration, the words he spoke felt wrong in his mouth. But hopefully, he'd be able to get across his need for info. Negotiation wasn't his specialty, and dealing with Primitives was far from his department, but he'd make do with what he had for as long as he could.

​

 

[Death Korps of Krieg]

Gran Kanarus​

Orvud System
Interaction: Archene

Gran Kanarus had always been an enigma to the galaxy. That secretive nation that secluded itself in the galactic west was as mysterious as it was involved with international affairs. They were, as the humanocentric organizations of the universe would say, humans that had aligned themselves with a xenos race that shook in shame of its past. The stories of how one of the colonization groups of the human expansion saved an alien species from reptilian predators were quite well known in the rest of the worlds and systems which the boot of man had stomped upon.

Its agents stalked the shadows of its underground cities and sprawling metropolises, seemingly keeping dark secrets out of the light. Fearful whistleblowers make claims of monsters being forged in the laboratories and black sites of Gran Kanarus, only for them to forget all that they knew the next days. The peoples of the nation laughed at this rabble rousers, thinking that the nightmare creatures that these speakers of doom were no more than products of excessive use of narcotics. The shadowy agents of the state whisper amongst themselves in the darkness; It is all according to plan.

Orvud was a system of no great importance. At least, it isn't one now. However, during the halcyon days of the Jotorun Federation, the avians had built several Gateway portals on its planets, turning it into a hub of activity and productivity. It was a prime shipbuilding site; thousands of ships were constructed using minerals from its thick asteroid belt, as well as the barren moons of its gas giants. That all changed when the Shako invaded; the reptilians destroyed each of the Gateway portals, and fell upon the populations of the worlds below in a ravenous feast, the remnants of man, woman, and child being spat out unto bloodied piles of millions. The entirety of Orvud's population was completely devoured, with the sole exception of the occupants of a dozen cruise ships that managed to warp out in time. It would be no exaggeration to say that the Jotorun had no desire to resettle a land filled with the bones of their dead; even their human comrades found the images of the bleached piles and blasted ruins distateful for a relocation site. As such, the Orvud system had remained abandoned for the last three centuries, with only random patrols and research stations being the only signs of life...

Now, though, there was something else.

"Captain?", a concerned bridge crewman swiveled his seat around to face the captain of the frigate they were all in, "I'm picking something up in the sensors. Medium sized object, with movements too precise to be that of a celestial body."

"Do we have visual?", the captain asked?

"Not yet, as we are still too far away from it, but it's within communications range."

Just what we need to make this patrol on a site of mass murder to be a little more interesting. "Hail them."

"Link is now open, captain."

With both a spoken and text message, a communique was sent to the mystery vessel; "This is Captain Raphael De Costa of the GKS Amenecer. Identify yourselves, and prepare to be boarded for a routine inspection."

The captain leaned back on his chair, and joked. " Gotta hope that those are one of those smuggler ships with meat products. I haven't eaten a steak in a while."

------------------------------------------------------------
Classified Location
Arcturus Forsythe

The Defiant floated lazily over the space station, the faint flow of the red dwarf illuminating the surface of its hull with a sickly hue. It wouldn't be long before its engines started up, flames of blue quietly accelerating it away from the orbital facility...

"No luck?", Trajan Pyke asked as a pair of feet stepped out of the shuttle, before the next few other pairs. "We're having a bad week, eh, Arcie?"

"Well, we always have next week to turn things around, right?", Arcturus Forsythe winked as he patted Trajan on the head as if he was his child. "Speaking of which, what are the new files that the agency has given us through the courier ship?"

"Ah, right.", Trajan threw open a tablet, which then projected a hologram of a... man... thing. No one can tell, really, as he had tentacles for hair.

Arcturus shook his head as he began reading through the file. "Damn, what did the SciTech Division do this time?"

"Apparently, they tried to make a human-Yukara chimera." Trajan then clicked on the screen to show a video of the containment breach that resulted in the chimera's escape. "Ten people on Site 21 were killed at a breach. Several experiments escaped, but by far, this one's the most concerning."

Arcturus drank tthough a flask, and furrowed his brows at the text. "Why is that?"

"Well, the chimera is... uh... it's intelligent-"

"He." Arcturus corrected. "Poor sod, the SciTech Division tries to make more monsters and he's their guinea pig, and now we have to get him before he causes real damage. Anyway, carry on."

"He poses a serious security leak risk. If he gets to, like, the Federated Colonies or the Confederacy, he could expose everything bad that has been happening in all the black sites, as he was created to be a living hard drive."

"I wouldn't say that those psycho eggheads with their damn motto of 'science requires sacrifice' don't deserve it..." Arcturus tapped on the tablet screen's, shaking his head. "But the risk of being embargoed by the rest of the entire galaxy will destroy our economy. Any leads?"

"Well there's this little bit here..."

 

[Archene]

Acruani Collective
​

Orvud System: Death Korps of Krieg

"This is Captain Raphael De Costa of the GKS Amenecer. Identify yourselves, and prepare to be boarded for a routine inspection."

Once the comm link was open, the ship would stop and begin slow movement towards the GKS Amenecer stopping once visuals could be generally gotten. Through the path there was only silence coming from the ship, but there was also no signs of weapon systems being turn on or even shields.

After the ship stopped, there was a reply sent in Galactic and Confederate Standard text.

"This is Wanderer Ship ACS U27-W11 of the 27th Exploratory Fleet of the Acruani Collective. According to our maps, this system is unpopulated and unclaimed, and we are in the process of checking whether or not it is appropriate for development. Has this system been previously claimed?"

"Regarding inspection and boarding, there is no area in this ship that organics may access, we are open to scanning if this is part of your nation's territory."

The Acruani Collective had a few dealings with a few other nations though usually limited to small trades or technology sharing. Their systems are spread out through and near old human space, but they seldom claim systems as theirs save for the ones with population.

 

[The Governor]

CIS Bourreau, Bridge, Jorayont Orbital Space
As she looked down on the planet below, Agent Tara Gladstone raised a glass of Nova-Cola to her lips, and recalled her mission objectives as she took a sip. Some sort of dangerous alien had been spotted on Jorayont, and it was causing damage to Government Property and killing Confederate citizens. It would be terminated like all the others, and in most cases, a less senior member of Confederate Intelligence would respond. But this was a new threat, and Intelligence's Head of Xenocide Operations wanted to see it for herself. According to the information they had, it was probably from far away, and was extremely dangerous. It had killed several civilians, and most of the local police force. For that reason, Governor Lalande had requested assistance.

As she walked towards the turbolift to the hangar, Tara checked her reflection in a powered down monitor. Her dark blonde hair was neatly brushed, her dark green eyes were covered by black glasses, and her fit body was covered by a long, white coat, with a grey combat weave shirt and pants underneath. A silenced laser carbine was slung across her back, as well as a trisilviate longsword. Finally, a CI-28 laser pistol hung at her waist. Her final weapon was her body, trained in many forms of combat. Whatever waited on the planet below, she could handle it.

Tara was still cautious however, and had brought a platoon of forty STAR Commandos from Inferno Company to help terminate the creature. They were already waiting in a Pegasus gunship, and as the descent to the planet began, Tara briefed their leader on the mission.

"We've been sent to kill a dangerous alien life form. We dont know exactly what it is, but reports said it had tentacles, high intelligence, and enormous strength. Even so, it's probably not as bad as the monsters from the Ascendancy. We have to be careful though. It could still surprise us."

"Of course. We know all about bad intel, Agent Gladstone," Midshipman Maurice Leblanc replied. "We should be able to handle this thing though. Like you said, it can't be worse than the Delieggen." Maurice's armour was grey and orange, and much larger than standard Naval Assault Corps gear. It had to be to accommodate them. The STAR Commandos were those that had completed the procedures of Project Super Sapien, and were much stronger, larger, smarter, and faster than baseline humans. Soon, the final descent alarm blared through the ship, and it set down on an old landing platform.

Planet Surface, Jorayont
As Tara and the commandos disembarked, they walked through dark streets. One of the old strongholds of the Ascendant Ones, this neighborhood had never been rebuilt after the Confederate Civil War, and unstable, bombed out ruins remained where beautiful spacescrapers once stood. Only their sympathizers remained in this area, and they had been most of the creature's prey so far. No one really cared that former terrorists were being massacred, but eventually, the creature would move on to more loyal areas. Tonight's mission was about preventing that. They walked slowly, and kept alert for anything out of the ordinary.

 

[Death Korps of Krieg]

Gran Kanarus​

Orvud System

"Acruani Collective?", De Costa scratched his head, not sure where he had heard that name from before. "Pull up the database and the archives please, and search for any references to this Collective."

Several holograms began to rapidly shift, showing a stream of information from the entire database of the Gran Kanarus. After a few moments of awkward silence, several holopanels lit up with text written in Galactic Standard.

De Costa read the information intently for a little bit of time, taking it in as he looked over the dot on the holomap that represented the Acruani exploration ship. "So we don't know a lot about them other than the fact that they're mysterious robots that like to wander around..."

Clearing his throat, he then spoke, addressing the Acruani vessel. "Ah, yes. This system was claimed in the past, but it has abandoned after the massive slaughter that its population endured in a war three centuries ago."

He then turned to the nearest crewman, motioning with his head for footage of the destruction of Orvud to be transmitted to the Acruani, as well as images of its present situation. The former would show armies of towering reptilians devouring millions of Orvudians while the skyscrapers fell from withering hellfire. The bones of the dead would be piled up high, and spy drone footage captured a Shako feast that entailed the invaders taking their victims out of cages and then placing them on dining plates as if it was a free for all buffet.

"This is the system's past. Do you still wish to linger here?"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jorayont

The Defiant, as of this moment, was parked above Jorayont. Its engines were inert and cold; it had shut them off in order to conceal its position from prying eyes as shuttles and fighters from its underside hangar descended upon the planet.

"This is bad. Very bad." Trajan Pyke looked a little worried as he gazed on the screen of his tablet. "The chimera has begun to kill people on the planet."

"Of course.", Arcturus replied. "What else did you expect? That a human and a marine apex predator being put together would be as cuddly as... you?"

"God, no.", Trajan rolled his eyes. "Come on, it's your cue."

"Ah, yeah. Right. Ehem." Arcturus cleared his throat as he put the communicator on his mouth to address the rest of the task force that sought to neutralize the creature. "Everyone, this is Arcturus Forsythe speaking. We are en-route to some pretty dark ruins, and we have intel that says that the Confederates are already having trouble with the chimera down there. We have to get it before they do, lest it exposed you know what. Stick together and shoot to kill when you see it. That's all."

----------------------------------------------------------------
The Confederates wouldn't need to wait long for the creature to come along. A few tense moments passed before a nearby wall exploded into a shower of rock and metal, revealing a monstrous abomination charging straight out of the bowels of hell and the jaws of death. It was at least 20 feet long and five feet wide, with insectoid looking jaws filled with serrated teeth. It had an elderly man in an advanced state of consumption wrapped in its tentacles, as well as a hard exo-skeleton covering the rest of its body.

It then spoke, a hissing sound that read like a snake. "What is this? More food for my stupendous stomach? You just saved me the trouble of hunting for more."

------------------------------------------------------------
"Oh no." Trajan gasped. "We found it, but it has engaged Confederate agents."

"Damn it.", Arcturus hissed. "All shuttles, full thrusters. We need to get the teams there as soon as possible, covertness be damned. If they capture it, it will expose us. Fighters, shoot it with kinetic weaponry as soon as you get into range. And Trajan,"

He tapped his long time partner and friend on the shoulder, and winked. "You know what we always do."

"Ah, here we go again..."

 

[The Governor]

As Tara took in the sight of the massive beast, she took some steps back, and said over a comm, "All units, engage! Lieutenant Rochette, lock on our life signs. If mine and Inferno Company's all go dark, bombard our position from orbit. This thing can't escape!"

Meanwhile, Maurice signalled the men under his command to open fire. Some of them hurled grenades at it, and many hesitated. While they were used to fighting the Delieggen in their monstrous, natural forms, this thing was something else entirely. Or was it? The Confederacy's oldest enemies were known, talented shapeshifters, and this one could just be a more creative one.

Maurice and Tara dismissed the theory at the same time though. While the Delieggen could take a number of forms and regenerate lost limbs, they couldn't have produced as many as this thing has tentacles. While Tara sifted through the data streams of her glasses' scanners, Maurice raised his vibrosword, and swung hard towards one of the creature's tentacles.

CIS Bourreau, Bridge
As Lieutenant Jean-Luc Rochette received Tara's transmission, he said to the ship crew, "All weapons, target the planer's surface, lock on the response team's life signs."

"Sir?" a confused gunner replied. "Why are we targeting them?"

"Because Agent Gladstone herself wants us to bombard the area. Whatever's down there, it's taken our Head of Xenocide Operations and the veterans of Inferno Company by surprise." He added after some consideration, "I think they'll be able to handle it. But if for some reason they can't, we make sure it doesn't escape."

"Sir! Contact on sensors! Shuttles and fighters, making for the planet's surface! Should we move to engage?"

The L'Toile Marine officer gave the question some thought. Technically, he had authority to engage unknown vessels in Confederate space, but the design suggested they were human. And they definitely weren't Ascendancy. Even if they were foreign and unidentified, it really wasn't the job of Confederate Intelligence to detain them.

"Negative. We're here to kill a hostile alien, not detain mystery vessels. Bring us closer, and run scans on them, but keep our weapons and targeting systems on the team's location. And if they choose to contact us, we'll answer."

"Understood, Lieutenant," the bridge crew replied almost in unison.

 

[Archene]

Acruani Collective
​

Gran Kanarus​

Orvud System

"Acruani Collective?", De Costa scratched his head, not sure where he had heard that name from before. "Pull up the database and the archives please, and search for any references to this Collective."

Several holograms began to rapidly shift, showing a stream of information from the entire database of the Gran Kanarus. After a few moments of awkward silence, several holopanels lit up with text written in Galactic Standard.

De Costa read the information intently for a little bit of time, taking it in as he looked over the dot on the holomap that represented the Acruani exploration ship. "So we don't know a lot about them other than the fact that they're mysterious robots that like to wander around..."

Clearing his throat, he then spoke, addressing the Acruani vessel. "Ah, yes. This system was claimed in the past, but it has abandoned after the massive slaughter that its population endured in a war three centuries ago."

He then turned to the nearest crewman, motioning with his head for footage of the destruction of Orvud to be transmitted to the Acruani, as well as images of its present situation. The former would show armies of towering reptilians devouring millions of Orvudians while the skyscrapers fell from withering hellfire. The bones of the dead would be piled up high, and spy drone footage captured a Shako feast that entailed the invaders taking their victims out of cages and then placing them on dining plates as if it was a free for all buffet.

"This is the system's past. Do you still wish to linger here?"

After a short delay, a voice reply came through the comms. The voice sounded androgynous but human-like, but it still gave an eerie feeling that it was just something generate rather than spoke. "We understand, thank you for the information!" Generated or not, there was a hint of excitement and sincerity in the reply, "As long as the system is currently unclaimed, we would like to continue with scans to also obtain mineral and radiation information. We won't touch any cultural sites as to preserve history." There was a small pause, "Also, would you say which nation your vessel represents, there is no information pertaining in our immediate database."

The images and information obtained were quickly transferred to their fleet which would later transfer it once again to the rest of the Collective. At the very least, the Acruani in control of this vessel would gain some access just given the historical information just obtained, maybe even more if proper resources are found in the system or if a trade relation can be obtained.

 

[Death Korps of Krieg]

As Tara and her Confederate commandos began to engage the monstrosity, the creature screamed in anger and pain. It was a chilling shriek, one that could give a fully grown man nightmares for a thousand years. Under the moonlight, its monstrous features would become more prominent. It was a humanoid creature, though it walked on all fours. Its tentacles hid a white jaw and sunken golden eyes; its breath reeked of death, and warm blood still dripped from its teeth. Maurice's vibrosword cut cleanly through a tentacle, much to the monster's chagrin, which quickly jumped towards a nearby building side in an effort to escape from a battle that it knew it couldn't possibly win. Even if killed a lot of them, it will not be able to do so in time...

Six pairs of floating headlights burst into life, all pointing towards the creature that had anchored itself on the wall of a ruined apartment. The light of the moon would cast shadows; six fighter craft, which immediately opened fire at the creature. It, however, towards one of the hovering starfighter, ripping at the cockpit with its teeth and sending the pilot towards the ground. The other fighters broke away and started circling the area, their headlights still shining bright in the midnight air.

The monster dropped back into the ground, cracking the concrete street in its descent. It would, however, be met with withering gunfire, not from the Confederates, but from a team of Gran Kanarus agents, some of whom clung on building sides with magnetic shoes in order to have the high ground advantage.

Several individuals, suited in special power armor, hovered around the monster and shot it with harpoons, each of which ran a high voltage current of electricity. It raged and screamed, and grabbed one of the harpoons and nearly flung the man on the end to his death, but it was beginning to weaken, and the agent disconnected his harpoon just in time.

As if in cue, a squad of jetbikes sped right up to Tara and her squadron. Arcturus Forsythe and Trajan Pyke stepped off their bikes, landing their boots upon the ruined ground of the ruined planet. "Apologies for the trouble, miss.", Arcturus said, bowing as the creature's shouts still reverberated in the background. "I'm afraid that he is our fugitive."

A smashing sound interrupted into the din of the ensuing conversation. Arcturus turned to see that the creature had still broken loose, and the fighters were unloading gunfire at its form to little avail. "I think we will need to use the cognito sedatives... the big ones..."

-------------------------
A reply was quickly in order. "This vessel represents Gran Kanarus. And, legally, it still owns the system. I will have to relay this to my superiors in order for proper negotiations to be begin."

Once that was done, the captain turned his chair around, nervous that the Jotorun would immediately block any efforts for anyone to settle this system. Some of them, after all, had declared Orvud a cursed place. It probably was.

"That was oddly enthusiastic.", Raphael said to the bridge crew as the Acruani gave its reply. "We literally just sent it footage of one of the worst mass murders in galactic history... why is it so... happy?"

"Machines don't feel, captain.", the helmsman replied. "It's probably just programmed to reply that way."

"Makes sense..."

 

[Archene]

Acruani Collective​

A reply was quickly in order. "This vessel represents Gran Kanarus. And, legally, it still owns the system. I will have to relay this to my superiors in order for proper negotiations to be begin."

Once that was done, the captain turned his chair around, nervous that the Jotorun would immediately block any efforts for anyone to settle this system. Some of them, after all, had declared Orvud a cursed place. It probably was.

"That was oddly enthusiastic.", Raphael said to the bridge crew as the Acruani gave its reply. "We literally just sent it footage of one of the worst mass murders in galactic history... why is it so... happy?"

"Machines don't feel, captain.", the helmsman replied. "It's probably just programmed to reply that way."

"Makes sense..."

Regarding the previous seemingly enthusiastic voice, it was due to how Acruani could obtain higher ranks, better resources and the like within the Collective; obtaining more meaningful information and diplomatic connections. They also had a thing for 'practicing' and emulating emotions. While uncanny at times, some did implement such functions to the point they'd become affable. That said soon, a reply came, "Understood, we we will append to the database. There is very limited information regarding Gran Kanarus on our database as it is. And apparently, no formal diplomatic ties."

"It would be very good to be able to have proper negotiations regarding this system, and other matters if necessary. It seems that I will be the responsible for negotiations. I may be addressed as Rank 4 Acruani Kiitsu, Currently In Charge Of Relations With Gran Kanarus." The voice did return to a stable, serious tone, even if this was great news for the Acruani. Had the mothership of this Wanderer been in this system, it'd have to transfer control over the negotiations to them, but as they aren't and there is no previous responsible for this specific civilization, it was up to it.

 

[The Governor]

Jorayont Surface
As the creature screamed, most of the Inferno Company fell to the ground, or pushed their hands to the side of their heads. While the shriek was haunting enough for Tara, the near-sonic shriek was much worse for the STAR Commandos with their highly enhanced senses. As Maurice removed his helmet to wipe blood away from his ear, he saw Tara talking to a pair of foreign agents. He didn't know who they were aligned with, but they were obviously other secret intelligence operatives. They seemed to have the creature well in hand though, so the midshipman signalled his men to hold their fire until further notice.

As for Tara, she observed the outsiders with interest, especially as they engaged the monster. When the jet bikes stopped beside her, she listened to the newcomers. Eventually she said, "There's no need to apologise. Even though it's a little different than what we usually handle, this is another day at the office for me. My name is Tara Gladstone, and I'm the Head of Xenocide Operations for the Dothvalian Confederacy. My division doesn't kill every alien we encounter. But when certain dangerous ones like this one are in our space, we're the specialists called to respond."

After a moment's pause, she said directly to the one who'd spoken first, "And while we could have handled this, I'm glad handsome strangers like yourself were deployed to respond, Monsieur..." Tara trailed off, inviting the newcomers to provide their names.

 

[Death Korps of Krieg]

"Understood, we we will append to the database. There is very limited information regarding Gran Kanarus on our database as it is. And apparently, no formal diplomatic ties."

"It would be very good to be able to have proper negotiations regarding this system, and other matters if necessary. It seems that I will be the responsible for negotiations. I may be addressed as Rank 4 Acruani Kiitsu, Currently In Charge Of Relations With Gran Kanarus." The voice did return to a stable, serious tone, even if this was great news for the Acruani. Had the mothership of this Wanderer been in this system, it'd have to transfer control over the negotiations to them, but as they aren't and there is no previous responsible for this specific civilization, it was up to it.

"Very well then, Rank 4 Acruani Kiitsu, we will send a message to our superiors." The space station orbiting Orvud Prime itself was immediately notified of the recent developments concerning the Acruani Collective and their seemingly benign intentions. Several messages streamed back and forth between the patrol frigate and the station, with the station's commander being a little too lazy for his own good. He questioned if the frigate could just send the message by itself; the immediate answer was a curt no.



Begrudgingly, the station sent out a message towards the nearest communications array, which would then relay the message to the Gran Kanarus High Command within the hour. As such, the frigate and the Acruani vessel would simply stare at each other rather awkwardly. Had their guest been organic, De Costa would have invited them over for tea in the ship's mess hall, but given that it was just a single artificial intelligence, such formalities were out of the question.



After two hours that seemed like an eternity, a trio of warp signatures appeared over the planet of Orvud. The ships breached the fabric of space and time, coming out headfirst as they came to rest over the ruined world that still echoed of ghosts and death. If one were to look at the markings of the hulls, they'd know that these were no ordinary envoys; these were vessels commandeered by the right hand men and women of the overlords of High Command. Those fools couldn't be bothered to leave their posts, so it was these second in commands that led the charge to meet the machine race that had just surprised them.



The three ships were the Speranza, a stealth destroyer with advanced cloaking capabilities; the Aurelios, a diplomatic cruiser; and the Cabrera, another destroyer of less lofty description. These three then advanced towards the Acruani vessel, with the destroyers sticking closely to the envoy vessel.

"This is Terrence Blackmore of the Aurelios, designated envoy to the Acruani Collective. We shall now commence negotiations… by first sharing our history and culture to you."

The Acruani ship would then receive a data stream, a full timeline and history of Gran Kanarus and its predecessors, as well as the varied culture of the myriad peoples that live upon its worlds. This will be the beginning of a beautiful friendship…

-----------

Jorayont Surface

As the creature screamed, most of the Inferno Company fell to the ground, or pushed their hands to the side of their heads. While the shriek was haunting enough for Tara, the near-sonic shriek was much worse for the STAR Commandos with their highly enhanced senses. As Maurice removed his helmet to wipe blood away from his ear, he saw Tara talking to a pair of foreign agents. He didn't know who they were aligned with, but they were obviously other secret intelligence operatives. They seemed to have the creature well in hand though, so the midshipman signalled his men to hold their fire until further notice.

As for Tara, she observed the outsiders with interest, especially as they engaged the monster. When the jet bikes stopped beside her, she listened to the newcomers. Eventually she said, "There's no need to apologise. Even though it's a little different than what we usually handle, this is another day at the office for me. My name is Tara Gladstone, and I'm the Head of Xenocide Operations for the Dothvalian Confederacy. My division doesn't kill every alien we encounter. But when certain dangerous ones like this one are in our space, we're the specialists called to respond."

After a moment's pause, she said directly to the one who'd spoken first, "And while we could have handled this, I'm glad handsome strangers like yourself were deployed to respond, Monsieur..." Tara trailed off, inviting the newcomers to provide their names.

"Thomas Leonhart." Arcturus refrained from using his true identity, as that could lead to serious repercussions not just for his crew, but for the entire nation of Gran Kanarus as well. "And this right here is Alejandro Salazar."

In the background, several more of the soldiers that spared through the air with specialized power armor fired at the creature, this time using gas made with a highly potent sedative, with each blast capable of putting a Terran elephant to sleep. They hovered all around the eldritch monstrosity, gassing the damn thing right at the face until its movements slowed and eyes began to droop. One of the fighters was currently stuck in one of the nearby ruins as a smoldering wreck… something that the Kanarusians would quickly deal with once the situation with the Confederate agents was resolved in the quiet way that the operatives of Kanarus had always found to be successful: amnestics.

"Well, now that's done… we're deeply sorry for the damage that the creature has done to your… place." Arcturus bowed at Tara; he would seem to be sincere in his apologies. "It had escaped containment, and now, we're bringing it right where it came from-"

Crack. The creature's shell began to shake and crack, as if it was an egg that was beginning to hatch.

And it did.

The whole monster exploded into a mess of blood and insides, leaving in its place not one, but two additional creatures; smaller ones, sure, but their eyes were glowing, and had these weird growths on their hands that also glimmered in purple. One of them immediately discharged a chemical bolt at one of the hovering starfighters, which was avoided very, very narrowly.

"Oh, bloody hell." Arcturus drew out a rifle from the jetbike's seat compartment, shuddering at the sight. "It was merely a shell being controlled by a pair of chimeras augmented with ranged corrosive weaponry… ah, damn it. They never told us about this part… are the idiots trying to get rid of me?"

 

[Nyq]

The Envouira, Lwarp Survivors

The Lwarp survivors leaped into action, pinning down the aliens with a relatively large volume of laser fire. Red beams of death streaked across the battlefield as the Gorstak crew peeked out of their cover and unleashed as many shots as their guns would allow before they overheated before getting back into cover to swap out their heat sinks. Various obscenities flew out of the mouths of the sailors, either cursing the pirates, their own luck, or their searing hot heat sinks as they ended up touching them by accident. Even with the pirate's obvious numerical disadvantage, they still fought unexpectedly hard, even as their comrades dropped like flies in front of them. Despite being on the upper hand, some of the unluckier Gorstak still found themselves dead on the ground, causing the others to let loose more strings of curse words directed at the pirates. Eventually, the pirates were wiped out, and the survivors set out to mourn their dead and care for their injured.