Mankind's Story - RP

[RIPSaidCone]

Elysium Genetics, Mox Catra, Katrax
January 1st, 2787
01:27AM

"Director Alfaderis, what a pleasure it is to see you again." A tall pale woman with short, jet black hair and a gleaming white military uniform with black highlights said as she entered through a set of automatic glass doors into a large lobby-looking room with a similar color scheme to the uniform she was wearing. Approaching another, shorter woman who was donning a white labcoat and skirt with dark brown hair tied up into a a tight ponytail. The two shaking hands as they stood in-front of one another, the woman in the military uniform soon being flanked by multiple other women in heavy sets of sleek, white armor, these other women being members of the Femian Ground Corps, the same branch of the Armed Forces who had dispatched one of their top high-ranking officers; Commander Satera to meet with the Director of Elyisum Genetics, the largest genetics and birthing corporation in Femian space to inquire about specific upgrades to the Femian genome for the next generation and their potential benefits to the military and its many exploits.

"Likewise, Commander Satera. I trust the Belief gave you wind to make great haste from Ground Corps Command." Alfraderis replied with a smile as she turned around and gestured with her hand for the Commander to follow her, as the two women begun walking down the lobby, the soldiers not following now as they took up their strict guard positions at the entrance where they would wait until the Commander returned. Satera nodding with her own courteous smile, though in reality had little patience for this corporate banter, as long as the military recieved the results it desired in the end. "Indeed it did, I couldn't have gotten here any quicker even if I had tried." Another set of automatic polished-glass doors slid open in-front of the two as they strolled into another room, Alfraderis returning with her own words shortly thereafter. "Well I am certainly glad to hear that, sister. Although I must admit I was taken aback with the urgency that your superiors expressed when they asked about the quality of the next generation of our Growth-Sisters. I hate to seem as if I have morally decayed but I can't help but as to inquire about what the need for such urgency was? Have any of the baseline factions or the decadent fools of Mars declared war on us?" The smaller of the two women asked with a slight concern to her tone.

Satera shook her head with a more fond smile than anything else. "I am well aware that your morals are in a perfectly acceptable state, sister you need not be concerned about that. And you need neither be concerned about our relations with either the Baselines or the Decadents. My superiors are simply eager to begin the next phase of advances to our genome, they wish--as we all do to further improve ourselves and our future sisters. It is the belief of both the Admiral of the Home Fleet and the Sisters' Assembly that it is best to begin the next advances now rather than later, not out of any immediate concerns but more out of intelligent and justifable precaution when considering the irrationality of the Baselines and the hatred of the Decadents." Alfraderis gave an understanding hum as they continued with their walk, entering a long, sleek white hallway with similarly healthy green accents running across the walls in beautiful designs and markings, other women in labcoats now passing by as they busied themselves with their work.

"That is more than understandable, thank you sister. I'm aware you had no obligation to answer such a question given the privacy of your work." Alfraderis responded as they reached the end of the long corridor and a third set of glass doors slid open for them, the two stepping through and entering what now appeared to be a control room of sorts, the walls littered with various sophisticated computers and other equipment, many of which were being operated by even more women in labcoats as they went to and from one machine to another, making sure everything was working just as it should have been as the Director and her military associate went relatively unnoticed upon their arrival. Satera speaking up, "No need to thank me. I believe its more than fair for someone of your caliber to know the inner-workings of such an urgent request. Speaking of which, how are the upgrades to our genome and the next generation of Growth-Sisters coming along?" She asked curiously, although losing some of her military formality and stiffness as she asked that question, swallowing briefly as she fixed her stance. Alfraderis looking to her with a more fond expression as she gave the Commander her answer.

"The upgrades are coming along better than even we expected don't you worry, sister. And I hope it is not out of place for me to bring this up but I am aware that you and your Bondmate are expecting your own daughter in the next generation?" She said with a warm smile, Satera nodding slightly as she looked over the various computers that were running this control room. "It is not out of place, fear not. And yes, me and Mayra are expecting our daughter relatively soon. We're considering naming her Deia, after the great general from the Era of Expansion." Alfraderis nodded once more, still genuinely happy to hear about that. "Well, Commander. You should have no further reason to feel any worry for your daughter's genetics, they will be by far the best this corporation has ever developed, she will be the perfect Femian and one that will contribute greatly to our Hierarchy." It was then Satera's turn to smile again. "Thank you, Director. I look forward to holding her for the first time, and once I see the results of your work in this labratory for myself then I can return to my Superiors and confidently assure them of the quality of your developments. However they also do have some suggestions."

"Suggestions?" Alfraderis asked curiously. Satera nodding as the pair sat down by a nearby desk and set of chairs. "Just some minor things, not mandatory but the Admiral of the Home Fleet and her advisory council believed them to be wise additions to the next generation. I'll have you read over them and provide feedback." Satera said as she tapped on a thin white band around her wrist a few times as a blinking white light then appeared on the thin white band around Alfraderis' wrist.

Fishman Lord Axel The Englishman Petroshka Pat Crumbli Shireling KindlyPlagueDoctor Tierax​

 

[Fishman Lord]

Three of the High Councillors walked through the arid Martian forest. Pine needles and dry dirt cracked underfoot, and pinecones were scattered here and there. A creature that looked like a furry octopus swung from branch to branch above them. Seraim and Ojahn III were comfortable in their native environment, while Tagisor Honara was forced to wear a suit to survive the cold, thin atmosphere. They all walked in silence for a while, admiring the world they had created. Finally, Seraim spoke up. "So, Tagisor. I assume you had a reason for wanting to meet with us. I also assume you had a reason for excluding Ajax and Akiki?" Tagisor laughed, an almost-cruel old man's laugh, one of the few things that reflected his true age. "Yes, I suppose I did. The Femian Hierarchy is no longer a threat we can ignore. They go against our very way of life, everything we stand for; the sole reason they exist is to oppose our values. We should have shot them all instead of letting them leave on those damn ships, but here we are, and we cannot change the mistakes of the past, only build a better future."

The three stopped on top of an outcropping of red rock, a natural piece of Mars for all eternity. "There is no other option but to strike them before they strike us. The labs at Mykoi Habitat are hard at work at something rather... interesting. They have a few names for it, but it can target the Femian genome and kill the host with 100% lethality. It spreads faster than wildfire, it's near-undetectable until it destroys its host in a few hours, and it won't affect anyone else. It needs some ingredients that we are unable to provide, unfortunately, which is why I need you." Ojahn III spoke up. "You just assumed we'd accept your mass genocide and that we'd help you with it." Tagisor laughed again, harsher this time. "Yes, I did, and you will, because you know the Femians are not only a threat, they are the darkest kind of sinner. They have the gift of genetic engineering, but they use it to build one race, not many. They preach uniformity, not diversity. They don't truly spread life, they're more like a tumor: spreading, technically alive, but hurting true life instead of aiding it. You know as well as I do they must be stopped." Ojahn III had no rebuttal to that.

The sun began to set over the horizon. "So, what I need is to send covert agents into Femian territory and get samples of the newest clone generation's DNA. Our Femian DNA archive is almost 50 years out of date, and so any weapon we create to defend or attack them will be inefficient. We can create Femians loyal to us to serve as spies, and they can simply said to be older to explain their out of date DNA. I need the Department to get these agents in to the Hierarchy; your ships are the only ones of ours ever even allowed in. I need the Church's approval simply to have this done, a 3/5 majority will approve this mission. Do you all agree." The dog and the deer looked at each other grimly, then nodded. "Excellent. Let's get back to the spaceport and head to Mykoi Habitat; we can show you our work on the Virus and introduce you to our Femian agents, they are eager to meet their glorious leaders."
RIPSaidCone

 

[Axel The Englishman]

Yirath / Clides D3GP Atmosphere
A colossus of some sort breached the skies above the land of Yarith. It was alien; something that had never been seen here before. A beast straight from mythological texts. A foreigner in an untouched land. For why it was here, the answer was completely unknown.

Along its flank, the words 'Rhapsody' was tattooed onto its skin with a glaring red substance. It was in a language unseen before.

Soon enough, miniatures of the great figure began to descend down to the surface at a frightening speed, before disappearing behind the disguise of trees.

First Lieutenant Aaron Newman
As the vessel made contact with the surface, a junction of figures clad in armour piled out of the cargo door. Each carried a weapon of some sort, in case the welcoming party didn't seem too friendly. Each of these visitors followed a single individual as they made their way onto the surface of the planet.

Soon their parade came to a halt, as the figure the rest had followed turned towards them. "Alright, men." He started, his vocal communicator trying to make sense of his words. "1st Platoon gets the honour of surveying Region 1. From what satellite footage tells us, this planet is devoid of inhabitants. But that doesn't give you lot an excuse to die today. Spread out and form into squads."

As soon as the order was issued, these visitors dispersed from the main crowd and reformed into smaller gatherings, before heading deep into the swamps of this alien planet.

KindlyPlagueDoctor​

 

[KindlyPlagueDoctor]

Veezkus Tutzpochtlu-Yirath

Veezkus Tutzpochtlu had been in Ra'lash when the monster descended from the sky. Naturally many young and aspiring hunters came to him to relay what they had seen, and to ask to venture out with him. Of course he would go and confront the beast and its...spawn, after all, his people followed strength and he could not afford to appear weak or, gods forbid, a coward. He gathered his weapons as fast as he could and gathered a group of his best hunters, leaving Xok-Qahtzish and his warriors at the settlement, just if the intruders tried to attack their home.

Veezkus and his hunters wasted no time and made their way to the swamps, the scouts had told him these strange creatures spawn had headed there. This sent a wave of relief through Veezkus, he knew in the swamps the hunters would be at an advantage. They reached "the border" of the main swampland's, they began to slink into the waters, using their tails as rudders to glide through the murky water, ducking their bodies fully under every now and then. Some of the hunters chose to ascend the trees, using their darker scales to somewhat blend in.

They eventually found the intruders, now Veezkus could examine them, that's how you deal with new prey after all, you learn everything about it. However this prey was different, this prey stood on two legs like they did, carried..things like they did, although he didn't know what things they where carrying. Perhaps they weren't prey...perhaps they where hunters themselves, but then what had they come to hunt?

Veezkus didn't understand the intruders well enough to strike or attempt conversation with yet, instead he and his hunters continued to stalk them, practically hanging onto the men's belts.​

Axel The Englishman

 

[Petroshka]

Irisviellya Von Reichenau, Ursa Prime. Skaekeg Estate.

Spoiler: Ursa Prime

As Irisviellya's Transport Flew down from the clouds above she was met with two dozen fighter escorts redirecting the pilot to the landing area. "my my, someone is showing off" Iris commented as she watched on the screen observing the planet and its cities; after a while the transport finally veered downward and onto a landing pad where she could see there was common with ranks of soldiers and curious peasants lining up. When the transport settled down, Iris got up from her seat and walked to the hanger door right as it dropped down. She was met with the intense light of Ursa Major's sun and the sound of tens of thousands of people kneeing before her; when her eyes adjusted she saw before her ranks of soldiers mostly men at arms and a few knights lining the half kilometer bridge kneeing and behind them, peasants who were all on their knees with their head to the ground. Beyond the peasants themselves and off of the bridge in the far distance were massive war machines, their legs bent mimicking the rest, it was obvious to her that the ruler of this planet was trying very hard to impress her after she sent word that she was coming to their planet to check on things. With a smile she walked forth onto the planet's capital keep; she was used to this kind of reception and didnt expect otherwise.

Once she reached the end of the bridge there waiting for her was one Otarr Skaekeg; he was dressed in lavish robes and bowed to her before returning to his usual posture and extended a head to greet her. "Welcome to Ursa prime Your majesty." Irisviellya accepted his hand and he lead them inside the keep. She could hear the people outside get up and start talking and gossiping about her, even celebrating. She followed the Skaekeg to what seemed like a large dining hall "So what brings the most important lady of the order here today?" he asked her before sitting down, gesturing for a servant to get her chair for her and for her to sit down. "The situation with House Skyre." She declined his offer, instead preferring business. Skaekeg exhaled as he knew this conversation was going to happen sooner or later. "Yes, our relations seem strong so far but the real concern is the Hierarchy, Skyre isnt so much a threat as we are dependent on them for our resources but the Hierarchy is very militarized like we are but they are much larger." he responded to her. Iris gave the old Aristocrat a long cold stare, the Skaekeg family had been trading with them for years and she suspected he may be more loyal to them than to her. "We can't continue to stay dependent on them forever, you know this. Efforts to expand have been opposed by a few select people." Iris sat down on the chair with her elbows on the table. "I suspect these people happen to be in high places what do you think Skaekeg?"

Sir Gwalter Eberwolf, Yirath.

Spoiler: Stealth Corvette

Gwalter's stealth Corvette snapped back into real space in low orbit of Yirath after there was a report of foreign ships in the atmosphere of Yirath. Soon enough he was met with the image of a large ship of some kind below him. "By the crows wing, the Nobles will be unhappy about this." he reported back to the small research station on the planet that there was a large ship in atmosphere. Not wanting to get shot at he flew at cruising speed to minimize any chance detection sensors will see him as he continued to monitor the ship and its happenings On the ground was a small hidden research base were a team of a dozen scientists who were doing research on the planets biodiversity were now wondering what to do. The four knights with them suggested that they keep low and send for help and they had an argument that these invaders will disrupt the natural evolution of the planet and the knights were concerned with the safety of everyone on the base. They finally settled with calling in a strike fleet and for their pilot to ward them off with warnings. Gwalter, was not amused by this news, there was no way he could take out a ship that large alone, but orders were orders. Sighing he got out of visual range and clicked on his communicator to hail the ship. "Unidentified ship this planet is Quarantined under decree of Count Ermelandus of the Tempus Concordat. Turn back, the planet's flora and fauna is hostile to any foreign entities." he let go of the communicator and watched the ship in case it got hostile.
KindlyPlagueDoctor Axel The Englishman

 

[Axel The Englishman]

P.N.V. Rhapsody, Yerith / Clides D3GP Orbit
The Rhapsody was a fine vessel. A ship, fresh off of the production line and already tasked with its first mission of charting the galactic map. And for a little departing gift, brigades of Expeditionary Corps and an escort of frigates made the birthday of this beast an even more grand event.

Commander Thomas Randolph
The Captain of the ship sat ever so comfortably in the bridge of his vessel. And he's probably going to be sat like that for a long time, until the Expeditionary Corps finished their reconnaissance planetside. Well, at least that's what he thought until an officer on the bridge disturbed him during his tranquil moment.

"Sir, incoming hail." The officer announced. And shortly after these words, an image appeared on the holocommunicator of the bridge. Whoever it was on the other side, they clearly didn't want them around. In response, the commander returned with "Unidentified vessel. You are required to produce official documents regarding your claim. Failure to do so, and you will be considered to be interfering with official military business."

The commander wasn't going to play it safe. He was an officer of the Purview's naval forces. He wouldn't simply back down to uncited claims.

Petroshka

​

​

 

[Shireling]

Canticle, Philemon
​

Tiang. Tiang. Tiang. The steel bell clanged and the sound reverberated down the streets of Canticle. People looked out their windows and stood in darkened doorways as the ornate hearse that bore the bell in a scaffold above the casket passed by, drawn by a single, majestic white horse. The hearse was followed in short order by a small troop of soldiers in black dress uniforms. Behind them, a small phalanx of monks with their cowls drawn over their heads. A dirge hung off all their lips like a collective murmur.

Former High Curator Larates Skyre, laid in a plain black coffin, had died early that morning of pulmonary exhaustion. He was close to one hundred years old. After his Last Rites performed, he was conveyed to a sepulchre in Saint's Common where he would dwell for the rest of time. The ringing of the bell called all to the mourning of their leader, he the exhaulted chief of the Curatorai. The day was grey as they laid him in his tomb and the door was sealed. Close by, Aldone Skyre stood and stared at the door in disbelief. A man approached him, dressed in a fashionable but mournful black suit, head covered with a similarly coloured wide fedora.

"How shall I speak, Joseph?" Spake the new Curator, "He through whom I was born, through whose sweat I was fed and lodged, through whose love I was made lovable, and through whose gift of life I regard the spectacle of creation, has been laid low, and will return to ashes. Oh, unhappy day..."

The man removed his hat and held it in front of him with both hands. "My solemn condolences, my liege."

Aldone turned to look into his unnaturally blue eyes. "Thank you, Joseph. What tidings do you bare?"

Joseph Lockmore, Master of Spies, a brilliant mentat, shook his head. "Nothing good, I fear. Much interest has been taken in the savage lizard men of Yirith. Katrax is said to be working some form of diabolism, of which sort I have no clue. The Institute are suspicious of them as well as the Order of the Crows. This much my spies have told me."

Aldone nodded. He glanced back towards the tomb. "I have been in this post only six hours and yet I feel the whole weight of Civilized Space on my shoulders. Pray for me, Joseph."

"It will be done, sir. Now come, your dominion awaits. Let the monks and soldiers so loved by your father bury him, and you bury him as well in your turn.."

 

[KindlyPlagueDoctor]

Veezkus Tutzpochtlu-Yirath

Veezkus Tutzpochtlu and his men had been stalking the men for some time now and he had determined that these men had been more than just simple animals, perhaps they where hunters or perhaps they where warriors but he couldn't tell. He kept watching them with his own hunters trailing alongside him.

And then it hit him, they must have been a tribe of hunters being led by their chieftain! Veezkus quietly hissed his idea to his fellows, who also saw the possibility. Veezkus, being one to stick by his cultural traditions knew he had to "greet" them. He maneuvered his way in front of the intruders, waiting for his men to get into their new positions.

Then he rose up from the swamp waters in unison with his hunters, for a moment it would have seemed like the swamp had come to life. The Za'lashi surrounded the intruders and Veezkus stepped forward and plunged his spear into the ground at the strange men's feet.
​

Axel The Englishman

 

[Wandering Grim Hollow]

ATLUS NEWS BUREAU
Remembrance, Future Hopes, and a Missing Fleet
Today marks the 5th Year since the end of what we hope to be the only Atlusian Civil War to happen on our pristine planet. Rebuilding efforts on the effected regions are proceeding smoothly with the Capital of Markova being restored back to its prime with the addition of a new statue in Liberty Square. The statue will be officially unveiled tomorrow by His Majesty, Prince Branwen.

Moving on to the latest update regarding the missing Observation Ship, the HMS Edelweiss. The last report from the ship came in almost two weeks ago before a freak Solar Storm in the Procyon system is believed to have knocked out their communications array. We can only hope for their safe return of our brave men and women out in the harshness of space.

Now onto the weather.
---------------------------------------------------------
Atlus Spacey
HMS Edelweiss
Location: ???​

"All hands, brace!" The Captain cried out as the ship shuddered violently as it plunged through subspace into unknown territory. Commander Eirika Gunther, a normally unflappable ship Captain with a pristine uniform, was clutching onto the armrest of her Captain's chair for her dear life, her cap askew. There was panic in the bridge as multiple systems red lined or failed. The warning alarms added to the noise as the crew did their best to keep their ship together. The helmsman was doing his best to wrestle some control back but the solar flare had knocked out some of the more delicate systems.

"It won't hold Captain! I need to take us out of warp before the engines blow!" The Helmsman shouted as the ship shuddered and the Engineering Deck flashed red on the status screen. Eirika glanced at the warp map and seeing no choice, made a snap decision.

"Send a distress signal on all frequencies after we leave warp! Helmsman, take us out!" Eirika barked out the order. Even if she was afraid for her life, an officer has to show some dignity. That way they die a dignified death instead of blubbering like a child.

"Roger! Hang on, everyone!" The Helmsman slammed down on the warp switch and the ship hurtled out of a freshly made rupture in real space over the swampy planet of Yirath. Before anyone could relax, they noticed that unlike usual warps, they weren't slowing down. Rather, they were speeding up. Towards the planet.

"Situation report!" Eirika ordered, attempting to adjust her cap before the ship violently shuddered, throwing most of the crew off their seats. A loud alarm sounded as the ship switched to emergency power. That could only mean...

"Bloody hell! We lost the fuckin' Engine Room! The damned warp engine exploded!" A crewman reported. Eirika could barely bark out another order when the situation went south faster than free-fall onto Asterios. "Captain, I-I lost control of the ship! We're heading straight for the planet!"

"Verdammt! Everyone assume crash positions! Helmsman, I don't know how but I want you to get us down on that planet properly!" Eirika ordered as she buckled herself to her seat and gripped tight onto the armrests. The Helmsman merely nodded and did his best to control the ship's flaming descent onto the planet.

Despite his best efforts, the ship soon became a bright meteor as it burst through the planet's atmosphere. Just when it seems the ship will crash bow first into the planet, it managed to lift its bow and continued to skim the surface for a good 2 minutes before finally crashing on somewhere to the Southeast of the planet. It continued to gash into the muddy swamp for a good 900m before finally grounding to a halt.

Is it unknown if anyone survived.

KindlyPlagueDoctor Axel The Englishman Petroshka

​

 

[Shireling]

Spaceport, Mars​

The spy looked over his shoulder and shifted his gaze to the upper deck of the concourse as he debarked from the commercial spaceliner on Martian soil. He wore a grey, wool coat in a modern style, carried a dull brown suitcase, and his hair was messy red. From behind glasses, charismatic brown eyes surveyed the people and uplifted animals in line in front of him until they reached the Customs Official's desk. Upon reaching the desk, a lionness in a sleek Customs uniform accosted him for his identification. He presented a holofilm passport that marked him as a citizen of Temperus Alterium. It was convincing enough to fool the official, and thus he made his beeline to a man in a black coat standing by a telescreen near a shuttered food vendor, out of sight of most of the concourse. He was told that this would be his contact on Mars.

"Olympus Mons really came out ahead in the soccer game last night, huh?"

"Yes, but to be fair, Cenae Mare's best goalie was out injured."

The spy smiled imperceptibly, uttering the codephrase and hearing the coded reply. His interlocuter glanced at him through opaque, black sunglasses.

"So, schematics of the type-VI rifle and the new cartridge design?" He asked.

"Yes, among other things." The spy replied, tapping his suitcase affectionately.
The man nodded. "So I'll be blunt, Mr. Hensen, why do you want to sell out your country?"

The spy nodded and pretended to watch the sports match on the telescreen. "Why else? Money, my friend. Money, and the splendors of this fantastic republic. Really, you cannot imagine it. My home on Indi had scarce a telescreen anywhere," he said, gesturing to the device on the wall, "and people read books! Paper."

"How barbaric." The man with the black glasses agreed.

"Indeed, and all the praying, and the fasting, and the stricture, always looking back."

"Indeed." Replied his interlocuter.

"This place, science has transformed into a veritable Eden. This is the world we should strive to build, instead of waiting for God to build it for us, and guarding nought but the past in ancient despotism."

"Yes, I concur." The man in the black glasses pushed up his coat sleeve to 'check his watch'. The jammer, cleverly disguised as a wristwatch, was still covertly jamming the frequency of the one nearby security camera, projecting a false image in which neither of them would appear. It could be undone, of course, by backtracking and looking at the metadata of the camera, but it would only yield corrupted image files if the device was working properly. He turned back to Mr. Hensen, "I think you were followed." He said and pointed behind him.

The spy turned instinctively to see if he had, indeed, been compromised. His interlocuter then gently but swiftly placed his hands on his back and the back of the spy's neck. Small, poisoned needles shot out from two pneumatic guns mounted under the wrists, one piercing the heart and killing Mr. Hensen instanty, and one slicing through the brain rendering him mute. The assassin caught the body as it fell and stood him up against the nearby wall inconspicuously, then grabbed the briefcase. He removed his glasses and tossed them aside, revealing a pair of bright blue eyes that glowed like moonlight. With the grace and seemless performance of a ballet dancer, he converged with the crowd boarding a passenger liner to Philemon, and by the time the body of Mr. Hensen was discovered, the assassin was probably safely behind the confines of House Skyre space.

Fishman Lord

 

[Petroshka]

Sir Gwalter Eberwolf, Yirath.
​

Gwalters eyes narrowed. "Military business? what kind of military operations would anyone want here?" He forwarded the message to the base below and both scientist and knight were confused. Aside from the absurd abundance of natural life on Yirath there wasn't much to want the planet. It isn't habitable at all; the atmosphere hardly had enough oxygen, the inhabitants were only slightly less than hostile. They themselves hadn't found any trace of rare minerals either, it was simply a planet uninhabitable to any human life. Just as Gwalter was pondering about it one of his three man crew shouted that they got another signal off planet but before Gwalter could tell them to pull it up something was on the scanner rocketing at them. "Evasive maneuvers!" The small corvettes afterburners(or equivalent boosters whatever) activated and zoomed out of the way of what was presumably a large meteor of some sort "What was that?!" he looked over his crew and a screen showed up from one of the various sensors. The orange fireball collided into the planet in a less than graceful fashion but then it started to take shape. It was another ship of some sort however this one was definitely larger than his corvette. "Pull up the signal!" It was a distress signal from a HMS Edelweiss of the Principality of Atlus. He relayed the information to the aristocrats planetside, no doubt they'd felt the crash and gotten the signal.

Count Ermelandus, Yirath​

Back on the ground Count Ermelandus had been surveying the situation with the unknown entities, he also confused why a military branch would be here at all. More panic and confusion hit his science team as they felt a tremor and a boom followed by a call from Sir Gwalter. "My liege, it appears an Altusian warship has crash landed into the planet, what shall i do?" The count rubbed his chin why would the Altusians be here? were they going to colonize? he was then reminded of the unknown entities. If they were hostile it would be a good idea to get the aid of the Altusians, the strike fleet wont be here until a couple of days. "Message them to stay in their ship and the coordinates to our base. The atmosphere is not breathable, we'll send an extraction squad to help out and bring back a few to get them back home." the Count turned around to his science team and the four knights that were hired to stand guard for them. "Hopefully the unknowns wont cause trouble and the Altusians comply." he looked over to the knights "i need one of you to stay behind in case we are found." The knights nodded and looked at each other for a moment before three of them walked off, presumably out of the base and into the wilderness.

Back up in the atmosphere Gwalter got word to provide any support the ground knights needed, as well as a basic and classified dossier on the count to forward to the unknowns it reads that he is a lead scientists on biology and the behaviors of animals as well as he is an count with some influence in one of the concordats planets.

Axel The Englishman Wandering Grim Hollow KindlyPlagueDoctor

 

[Axel The Englishman]

Yerith / Clides D3GP Surface​

Sergeant Joshua Radnitzky

Radnitzky and his unit were deep in the swamps, carrying out their mission as ordered. They had moved to the north to survey the terrain and assess it for classified reasons. The details were never spared for a grunt such as Josh. His paygrade wasn't high enough to get his hands on some top-secret documents. But he had a mission, and it wasn't like he was planning on moving here.

The Sergeant got a little jumpy. Bog people rose from the marshes as if they were waiting for them, ready to spring a trap. In a quick flash, Josh and his men were back to back, ready to open fire. The Rules of First Contact made it clear not to open fire on potential xenoes, though being surrounded by swamp people wasn't the most comfortable of situations.

Then when of them approached, raising his spear. Josh kept his finger tight to the trigger. If this bog man tried anything, he'd be more dead than Einstein's analysis of FTL travel.

Whoever this boggie was, he redirected his spear into the ground. The Sergeant was unsure what to make of it. He reached towards it, risking a gesture of disrespect if he picked it up. And then there was another little surprise.

Another ship breached the atmosphere. The flames bursting free from the ship made it appear as if it was some sort of galactic hot rod. It was obviously going to crash at this point, and the Sergeant watched in awe as it plunged into the horizon. A voice barked over the communications. "1st Platoon, your orders have changed. You are to investigate the crash site and search the wreckage for survivors or potential hazards."

Shuttles approached in the distance, with one diverting from its path and directly heading for the Sergeant and his men.

Wandering Grim Hollow KindlyPlagueDoctor
​

 

[KindlyPlagueDoctor]

Veezkus Tutzpochtlu-Yirath

Veezkus watched carefully as the stranger that he perceived to be a chieftain reach for the now grounded spear, he noticed how these foreign hunters pointed their......weapons at him, again, he didn't know what they where but he assumed they where weapons, why else would the strangers be pointing them like that. Seeing this stranger reach for the spear told Veezkus two things, h either wanted a duel or he was going to attack, either way it meant blood would be spilled.

It seemed the decision was about to be made when...something blazed out from the sky, a great ball of fire, this stunned Veezkus, he turned his head quickly to face it, the ornaments on his helmet jingling. His gaze turned back to the stranger, giving him an awkward stare that seemed to bypass the language barrier. Where the Gods angry with them? was that why the sky was falling?

His thoughts would be interrupted yet again when he saw more creatures descend from the sky. Thinking they where some angry spirit or monster that came to punish him by stealing his new prey, he hissed to his men to aim their bows and spears at them, they where to attack at his command.
​

Axel The Englishman

Gar'shal Yutzelhup-Yarith

Gar'shal Yutzelhup had been in his village, attempting to make sense of the monsters coming from the sky, he thought that rather than punishing them, the Gods where testing them by sending otherworldly foes and prey. Gar'shal grabbed his weapons and assembled his own group of hunters and warriors. The crash was fairly close to them and they set off immediately.

The time had been short, mainly because the idea of the Gods being displeased with them was already enough motivation to get there. They quested through the swamps until they found the creatre. It had left a trail of destruction in its wake, but Gar'shal was a warrior and he was confident he could take it.

The swamps had done a decent job at quenching the flames and Gar'shal looked at it from every angle he could and it still made no sense to him but he figured it was the creatures way of distracting those it prayed on.

Gar'shal borrowed a spear from one of the hunters and aimed it at the monster, he threw it. His throw was followed by other spears and arrows but to their shock...they simply bounced off the creature....
​

Wandering Grim Hollow

​

​

 

[Petroshka]

Irisviellya Von Reichenau, Otarr Skaekeg, Ursa Prime. Skaekeg Estate.
​

"I've Been hearing rumors there is a plot against you my queen."
"oh?"
"only whispers in the higher circles"
"go on"
"i didnt hear much but" he leaned in closer "word has it one of the princesses is organizing something"
Irisviellya stood up from her seat slowly and looked down at the count. "You know what you speak is treason Otarr Skaekeg"
Otarr rose his hands to her. "I speak only to serve you my queen" He closed his eyes not wanting to know when his end will be at the exact moment. But instead of a quick death like he anticipated he felt the cold metal of her gauntlet grasp his neck tightly and pulling him off the ground.
"If what you say is fabricated not only you will be punished"
She let go of him and he fell back on his chair; as he watched Irisviellya walk away he added one last thing. "It might not just be one!"

Iris gave a glance back at the old count and continued to walk her way back to the shuttle with her mind racing with these new thoughts. Who cloud it be? Felicia is the most suspicious, Larissa is still young. But what if it was both? what if it was her brothers too? When she walked out of the city keep she saw the peasants mixed with some of the men at arms partying to her arrival, she grimaced slightly and quickly walked to her shuttle to go back home as quickly as possible.

 

[RIPSaidCone]

Destructor-class Super Battledestroyer, FSV Arrowhead
Command vessel of the 22nd Outer Fleet
Outer Colonies, Femian Space

One of the furthest reaching fleets of the Femian Naval Corps, the 22nd Outer Fleet was one of countless that patrolled the more distant regions of Femian controlled territory, regions that other nations may not put as much priority on due to them not being as developed or populated as their inner territores but that the Hierarchy took utmost priority in ensuring were defended and patrolled by vast, powerful warships that were reaching quite high figures in terms of quantity. This decision primarily being due to the Femian ideology of not picking one over the other, as such and as one could expect the Naval Corps were undoubtedly the largest and most powerful out of all the branches of the Hierarchy in-order for them to confidently patrol their own territory and to use their great might to expand said territory further out into the galaxy at large. With both of those capabilities being something that the Hierarchy had once upon a time stressed its emphasis on desiring to have, but which they now did have fortunately for them. A tall, lean woman in a grayish uniform now stood at the front of the Command Deck of the gargantuan vessel known as the Arrowhead, one of many countless ships of its class that spanned god knows how long due to the classified nature of the ship's schematics but were such a huge size even to the naked eye that one could only assume that their length started in the low miles. The woman standing at the front of the Command Deck now being approached by another woman in a uniform of the exact same appearance, a grayish color with a few red and blue bars indicating her rank attached to the left-breast of her uniform. Clicking her boot-covered heels together as they emitted a noticeable tapping sound before putting her fist to her chest in salute of her superior, the woman she had approached or as everyone else knew her, Admiral Lateria. "Ma'am." The lower-ranking officer spoke up first in introduction as the Admiral turned around to face her, giving her a single light nod as her subordinate lowered her salute. This subordinate being a Captain under the name of Atheria. "Yes, Captain?" She asked curiously, a brow raised in question at the other woman.

"Naval Intelligence is reporting increased communications and movement around a small swamp world known as FETNS-098B." The Captain informed her superior with, the Admiral giving an acknowledging nod as the Captain handed over a datapad that had been tucked in-between her other arm, Lateria taking it as she read it over. "Interesting, do we know from which of the baseline nations?" She questioned curiously. "Why yes ma'am, from initial reports we can confirm that the First Purview of Immensum, the Tempus Concordat and the Principility of Atlus are all present or near FETNS-098B." Atheria told her superior confidently, the Admiral turning around to look out from the Command Deck to the everlasting black abyss of space, dotted by thousands and thousands of little bright dots with the occasional Conquerer-class Battlecruiser drifting past in their usual patrol pattern that surrounded the Arrowhead, even these gigantic ships being dwarved to an unimaginable extent by the sheer scale of the Arrowhead. Lateria's bright green eyes skimming over the details of the electronic document she had been given, humming in confirmation to herself with every bit she read. "And did Naval Intelligence give us an exact request as to what they wanted us to do with this newfound information?" She asked again, wanting to know everything she could about what she had been told about. The Captain shaking her head as she spoke, "No, ma'am. They merely thought that it would be best for the operational security of this fleet since we are one of the closest Femian fleets to the area that we know about this in the event that anything unexepected appears." Lateria nodded firmly. "Understood, tell Naval Intelligence I'll upgrade the Readiness Level to a 2.0, that should get us in the condition to respond to anything immediate. Thank you, Captain." The Admiral said with a dismissive tone, however surprised when the Captain spoke up again with something other than a yes ma'am. "Actually, ma'am. There is another incident that I believe you should have a look at." She said, Lateria swiftly coming back with. "You believe?" She questioned, the Captain nodding. "Yes, ma'am. Naval Intelligence didn't spawn this report but I believe it will be an interesting update for you, here." She said, leaning over and tapping at the datapad she had given to the Admiral that remained in said Admiral's hands, another report popping up but this time from Interior Intelligence.

"Captain Atheria, where did you acquire this?" Lateria asked, the young Captain looking anxious as she responded. "Well, a friend in the Interior filled me in on it, told me that it seemed important enough for someone in your position to know since it will most likely take a great while before the Imperial Chiefs come to an agreement on whether or not to distribute this information widely." At this, Lateria shook her head with a soft smile. "Now I should have you reported for this." Atheria winced slightly. "But I admire your intuition and your dedication to the Naval Corps, however naive it may be. Excellent work, Captain. But don't allow this one incident to set a precedent, understood?" The Captain nodded quickly. "Of course, ma'am." And with that they seemed to be on good terms as Lateria begun reading through this questionably attained document, brow furrowing at it as she did so. "A murder in a Spaceport on Mars?" She asked, the Captain nodding. "Might I ask why this is important enough to break regulation for? Is there something I'm not seeing." Atheria nodded. "With all due respect, yes there is ma'am. The security footage of the area where the murder occured was scrambled with for the duration of the event. And upon an autopsy and investigation the victim appeared to be both a defector to House Skyre and to have been poisoned." Lateria nodded. "Interesting, although it may have just been an isolated incident. Defectors occur in baseline nations all the time." "Of course ma'am but on the topic of Mars we have also picked up much more activity than we usually have along their religious lines of communication. Usually a sign of there being an important moral decision to be made. Something which Naval Intelligence believes we should be on the look-out for." Lateria agreed with a soft grunt. "Yes I agree, again, excellent work, Captain. Dismissed." Atheria nodded, another fist to her chest as she made her salute, clicked her booted heels and left. Leaving the Admiral to her view of the 22nd Fleet and countless shining stars.​

 

[Fishman Lord]

The Femian First-Strike initiative had quickly collapsed as soon as the University and E.C.O. found out what was happening. They simply would not allow this; it was genocide of potentially billions. The labs were shut down, the scientists reprimanded, and the project removed from all records. However, a good amount of Femians had already been created, and it would be such a shame to waste them. Councillor-Admiral Honara briefed 40 of them on Kyslev Station. "You are all performing a great service to the Institute. Hopefully this mission won't be too risky, you won't be any positions where you're likely to be noticed, but the Hierarchy is a fascist shithole so who knows what they might find, even for low-downs like you. If you are caught, die knowing you have served your nation, having said not a word to betray us. Together, we can build a Zion, an Eden, an Elysium. All you need to do is study the dark and authoritarian ways of those like the Femians. Good luck!" The spies saluted the Councillor-Admiral and then filed into many different ships. These ships were stealthy, and they bore the symbols of known Femian corporations and organizations in case they were caught while delivering the agents. Upon arrival, the agents would be assuming the identities of the Femians they had been cloned from; as the DNA was 20 years old at the youngest this may not be possible and they may have to be homeless and beggars as cover. From there, Femian society and day-to-day life would be studied to build up the incomplete knowledge on that matter.
RIPSaidCone



"Where in the Prophet's name is he?" Agent Akus was impatient. Some Skyre traitor had contacted them with a very promising offer, but he had never shown up. The Institute had no quarrel with House Skyre, but it was always good to have insurance. Even friends could become foes. A gazelle rushed up to Akus. "Sir, the contact has been found dead. He was assassinated, by house Skyre most likely." "Damn it. I hope they don't try to use this against us... things are already tense as it is, with the anti-biological Venerians and the anti-diversity Femians. We need allies... contact E.C.O. I need to talk with them." Soon, the diplomatic powerhouse was on the line and heard Akus's proposal. Soon after, an offer of an alliance was sent to Sedna: offers of trade privileges and certain scientific breakthroughs in exchange for working together. General Deth Glitch Shireling

 

[Shireling]

Offices of the Ministerium Artibai Peregrin
Mars
​

The Ministerium Artibai Peregrin, or MAP, was the "Ministry for Foreign Diplomacy", a governmental organization loyal to the High Curator of House Skyre. They had embassies with most factions, even the Femians, although some of the embassies were only manned by a skeleton crew to signify relations were poor.

House Skyre's embassy on Mars was well-staffed, not because the two states were diplomatically close, but because so much of interstellar affairs ran through Mars and it was necessary to have as many spies as possible on the Red Planet. The Ministerium Veilitas, or the "Veiled Ministry" was the Curatorai's spy and assassins agency, and was mixed thoroughly within the ranks of the Artibai Peregrin.

The highest diplomat on Mars, Aurelius Typhon, was a seasoned diplomatic veteran. He was surprised when the phone on his desk began to glow as it was receiving a call, apparently from one of his superiors. He stood and walked to a nearby computer terminal to ensure that the communications uplink was encrypted, then he picked up the receiver.

"Hello?"

"Aurelius, this is Ptolemy."

A bead of sweat collected on the diplomat's brow. "What do you want? You know better than to call me."

"I know, my lord, but listen. Word is, the Institute's eggheads started some sort of research project and then immediately scrapped it. My head is turning in circles to figure out what it is. Damn. Where's that Mentat?"

"He's offworld on errands, Ptolemy. Look, is that what you called to tell me?"

"No, that's not all. I think there's a real chance of conflict between the Institute and the Femians. At least, I get the sense that they're scared shitless by the Hierarchy."

"It would make sense. The premier military power of the Colonized 'Verse, and the Institute but a facsimile of Nero's Rome. Time is running out for the Institute, I fear. War will come. But we need to find out who will win, and thus consequently whose side we will join."

"Petrarch thinks the project was a weaponized virus, like the one we think they hit Yerunik with back in '12, when that province was under out command."

"We don't have any proof of that."

"Still, it would make sense. I'll have Petrarch look deeper into the issue. We might look into convincing some of the government here to, well, reverse their decision about that bioweapon for the Femians."

"I don't think Lord Skyre would want that. This one has spoken harshly of Dirty Matters before, especially biological weapons."

"Yes, but I would rather House Skyre contend with these mad scientists than the awesome might of the Hierarchy."

"You worry too much, Ptolemy. God will deliver us."

"Christ helps those that help themselves."

"Touché. Look, just return to an intelligence gathering stance. Don't draw too much attention to yourselves."

"Will do, and boss, better to call the Ambassador and ask to hear about 'the unfortunate demise of Mr. Hensen'. They likely know that we made the hit, but if you pine over the traitorous wretch it will be plausible deniability."

"Understood."

"Peace be with you."

"And also with you."

A click, and Aurelius hung up the phone. Quickly he picked it up again and dialed up his counterpart, the Institute's deputy secretary of state. He told the ambassador that he would like to meet personally with him to ask about the investigation into their poor Aparatorai's death. After this was done, he hung up the phone for the last time. A petite secretary entered the room with a tea tray and set it out for him. He smiled blankly.

"Grazi, Edna." He said, through slanted lips and the yellowed, crooked teeth of lifelong tea aficionado. He placed his lumps of sweetener in and reclined in his large leather chair, a day of worries still on the docket. He glanced out the window into the street as it started raining, the forms of antelopes and hyenas and every animal under the sun, plus humans flicked their umbrellas up as they walked. He scoffed and munched a biscuit worriedly.

Fishman Lord RIPSaidCone

 

[Axel The Englishman]

Yerith / Clides D3GP Surface

Sergeant Joshua Radnitzky

Radnitzky noticed the boggies redirecting their attention, and he didn’t like where this was going. They wouldn’t know what would come after if they lot loose a barrage of arrows. They’re tribal way of thinking made them too simple to understand what was even happening. To them, this was game. But some game will fight back. He needed some way to distract them.

Radnitzky had a thought. He held up a piece of chocolate he (if that’s what it even was, anyway) he’d been saving for later. When he thought he might have had their attention, he tossed it over to a stretch of land above the water level. Maybe it would be enough to interest these tribals to keep them from trying to to take down their ride. Or maybe the boggies would carry on with their suicidal hunt.

Staff Sergeant Alesky Sówka

“LZ, we have a visual. Chicks closing in. Over.” A strong accent transmitted these words through the airways. None other than Sówka, of course. An experienced pilot, and a man who knows how to treat a VTOL properly. He was a personal favourite of the 1st Platoon. Mainly because one would be freed from the burden of actually walking if Sówka was coming your way.

“Roger, Dash 1-2. Be advised, mutliple unknowns. Over.” The Staff Sergeant learned through the cockpit. He noticed that the people that needed extracting were surrounded by what could be potential hostiles “Roger. Out.”

Now was the time to take a risk. Approaching a bunch of unknowns could lead to some unprecedented consequences, but the orders had already been issued. Sówka would just have to take that risk.
​

KindlyPlagueDoctor

 

[Wandering Grim Hollow]

Atlus Spacey
ET(L) Sergeant A.Connors
Location: HMS Edelweiss Engineering Deck, Sub-Section B​

"-arning. Lethal Radiation levels detected. Radiation medication required within the next 5 minutes. Nearest Medical station: 200 meters West. Warning. Lethal Radiation levels detected." The automated voice from his arm mounted datapad finally awoke Sgt Adrian from his stupor. His memories were in a blur. There was a loud explosion, everything felt so warm. He attempted to move before feeling a sharp pain in his side. Reaching over, he could barely feel the pieces of shrapnel that penetrated his safety suit.

".... shit..." Adrian grunted before baring with the pain to get up properly. He slowly staggared to his feet and managed to stand up for a moment before being forced to lean against a nearby wall for proper support. Gasping from exhaustion and pain, he tapped his datapad, silencing the warning message. A glance at the built in Geiger counter that showed the area to be bathed in almost 900 rads of radiation. He tapped his datapad again.

"GLDYS, situation report...." Adrian weakly requested. The datapad beeped softly. "Warp engine: Non-functional. High levels of radiation detected in all sub-sections of Engineering and Hanger Bay 1. Radiation contamination has been contained into these areas. Decon required. Error: Decon systems offline."

"At least the rad's not getting out... How about the rest of the ship...?" The datapad beeped. "Multiple hull breaches detected. Severe atmospheric leak detected. Error: Automatic Sealant systems offline. Warning: Breathable atmospheric conditions rapidly deteriorating due to leaks. Air filtering systems offline. Please restart the system. Nearest command console: 300 meters East."

"Damn... Better get a move on then..." Adrian grunted before slowly shuffling towards the command console. As he made his way past the dim hallways, his memory slowly returned to him. He remembered the warp engine heading into the red. The brief relief when they exited warp before it all went to hell. The last thing he remembered was shoving someone into an escape pod and slamming his hand down on the launch button. Still, it became clear that not everyone made it. There was the occasional body on the ground, their datapads sounding a long beep as it displayed a flatline. Adrian pushed that thought aside. Even if alone, he has to get those vital systems online.

"GLDYS... How far to the command console....?"

"100 meters West. Warning: Vital signs failing. Significant radiation poisoning symptoms detected. Please head to the nearest Medical station: 400m East." Adrian softly chuckled to himself. "No can do GLDYS... Set primary objective to the command console..."

"Affirmative. Warning: Course of action will lead to a significant drop in survival chances."

"I know that... I've always been stubborn..." Adrian joked to nobody in particular. He felt his legs start to give out but he forced himself to push on. He softly hummed the Captain's favorite song to himself as a morale booster. Panzerlied. An old song from 20th Century Earth that became quite the hit with the German speaking soldiers. He himself never understood why they liked it but it did remind him of the launch day. There they were, 527 of the best and brightest naval crew, marines, pilots, and scientists the Principality had to offer. And in honor of Captain Gunther, they played Panzerlied before their first warp out of Atlus controlled space. Adrian even remembered what he was doing at that moment. He was fixing a broken music player after a prank went wrong. Of course he was pinned as the mastermind but he preferred tinkering over drinking anyway. That memory brought a smile to his face.

"Objective reached." GLDYS' notification tugged him out of his reminisce and he went to work. Luckily, the console was intact and the backup generators had already kicked in. He could feel his vision begin to blur but he pressed on. He managed to bring the Automatic Sealant Systems and the Air Filtration Systems back online before he had a coughing fit. Hunched over the console, he coughed up blood over the keypad.

"Warning: Internal hemorrhaging detected."

"Not now, GLDYS... Almost.... There...! Ahaaa.... I... did.... it...." Adrian slumped over the console before collapsing onto the floor as the vents roared to life. "All vital atmospheric and self-repair systems online. Decon systems online. Radiation contamination will be back to safe levels in 48 hours. Warning: User vitals are dropping."

"Its fine GLDYS..." Adrian groaned as he slowly pushed himself towards the wall and managed to drag himself into a sitting position. His back on the wall for support. He weakly tugged on his pistol holster and freed his sidearm.

"Say GLDYS... Do you think... I lived a good life...?" Adrian weakly inquired, flicking the safety off. "Unknown query. User voice unclear."

"Heh.... Guess I did...." He placed the pistol against his right temple. "S-Sieg... Atlus..."

The gunshot echoed through the hallways of the Engineering Block.

----------------------------
Atlus Spacey
Commander Eirika Gunther
Location: HMS Edelwiess Bridge​

"Ugh.... Sound off if you're alive..." Eirika groaned as she stirred from her unconscious state. The groans and grunts from the various bridge crew indicated that she wasn't the only one who survived the crash. Satisfied with the responses she was getting, Eirika undid her straps and slowly rose from her seat. Taking a look around, she noted that the ship seems to be in one piece based on the sole fact that the bridge was receiving power from Engineering.

"Alright... Status report." Eirika ordered, realizing that her cap was by her feet and bending down to pick it up. As she dusted the now crumpled cap, the Lead Engineer re-booted the bridge's computer. She heard the man curse under his breath as he toggled through the various systems they had left.

"Not good, Ma'am. All our lifters and thrusters got wrecked in the crash along with most of the ship's weapons. More than half the CIWSes, cannons and missile batteries are inoperable. Even those that work are not that great... Cannons 1 and 2 are only at half operational capabilities and the remaining CIWSes need to be manually operated to work. Missile batteries 4, 8, and 9 are all we have for missiles. Energy shields can be raised but the crash literally burned through most shield energy reserves." He reported. Eirika mused over the news. The ship is literally a sitting duck now with limited defensive capabilities. Still, there are other things to worry about.

"How about hull integrity and atmosphere control?" Eirika asked. Stuck on an unknown planet, this ship may be the only place with safe air to breath. And if the hull is breached...

"Ah! Good news! Someone in Engineering must have fired up the automated systems! The hull breaches are sealed and they even got the air filters up and running!" The bridge crew would have cheered at that news if they weren't so banged up while Eirika sighed in relief and quietly muttered a word of thanks.

"Very well... Start an internal scan of the ship, I want our crew strength. Mira, get the internal communications systems back online before sending out a distress signal out to space. Hopefully our FTL communications made it too. Unver, Alicia, head down to the crew deck and check out the conditions there. If we don't have comms up within 5 minutes, one of you report back to me with a report."

"Aye, Ma'am!" With that affirmation of her orders, the crew got to work before Eirika started pacing about. She occasionally glanced at her crew at work and couldn't help but feel a twinge of pride for them. They truly are showing the Atlusian Spirit by persevering onward despite not knowing if they are going to live to see home ever again. She silently thanked no one in particular for having such a dedicated crew under her command. Forget a twinge, she had all the right to feel proud about them.

"Crew vital monitoring is up! .... Captain... You might want to see this...." Eirika rushed over to the crewman as he moved aside to let her see the screen. She felt a sense of relief at the mostly blue screen, indicating the presence of living crew on the ship. Then her eyes wandered over to Engineering. She gasped at the readout.

"All... dead...? H-How can the entirety of Engineering be dead...? Are you sure this is correct....?"

"Positive, Captain. We lost all of our Engineers and whoever was in Engineering at the time of the explosion. Although..." The crewman tapped a few buttons and the display changed to that of the ship's escape pod count. "13 escape pods were launched just before we breached the atmosphere. All of them are from the Engineering Deck."

"Ah.... Das ist gud.... Once we get confirmation of their distress beacons, we'll launch a Search and Rescue party to pick them up."

"Ma'am! Internal comms are back up! I also got the external cameras online and... Well... You.... might wanna see this yourself." Eirika quickly moved over to the Communications Officer's station. She took one look at the screen and froze.

"...... Are those.... Lizards....?"

Axel The Englishman Petroshka KindlyPlagueDoctor

 

[Petroshka]

Lady Geleswintha, Yirath.
​

As Geleswintha and her brothers made their way to the Crashed Altusian ship they made sure to avoid the areas with known hostile wild life such as herds and tribal villages, they looked out for the various man eating plants they discovered throughout their time here, it took them a while but they eventually got to the crashed ship only to be stopped when they found the lizard-men gathering around it. "Shit what do we do?" she cursed under her breath, although, unneeded as she was in her armor. If they went in guns blazing the lizards wouldn't be a problem but the nobles back at base wouldn't be very happy about that. So instead they stood in the shadows locating any kind of air lock or any time of entrance, with Gwalter above she decided to use him as their short range radio satellite.
"Gwalter, have you established communications with the Altusians yet?"
"No, ive been hailing them but it seems their comms are down, but i will remain vigilant"
"Affirmative"
Geleswintha signaled her brothers to stay put and hidden.
KindlyPlagueDoctor Wandering Grim Hollow Axel The Englishman

Princess Felicia Von Reichenau, Philemon, Canticle.

Spoiler: Felicia's face

Spoiler: Transport

As the Transport Containing the fourth born Reichenau snapped into real space above the Curatorium Capital it was immediately identified as a concordat vessel, as the pilot explained why they were there; Felicia was going over what she was there for and what she was going to do. House skyre had been the Orders main and reliable supplier of much needed raw materials for both their military, economy, and their civilian sectors. Where as House Skyre bought ready made goods from the Concordat to either be used by themselves or sold to other nations. Making trade between the two easier would be a huge boon for both nations and for her standing amongst the families of the order, and she would need that for whats to come. The ship was redirected to a landing pad and it settled down, Felicia, garbed in robes hiding much of her body with only her face really the only thing to be seen got up from her seat and walked to the hanger door as it slowly opened revealing the capital and home of house Skyre. If she was correct she was meeting the high minister.

Shireling

 

[Shireling]

Canticle, Philemon
​

The planet Philemon had a very curious ecology. From orbit, it looked like a round dirtclod with seas that seemed to shift colors in the light from dark blue to almost black. In orbit, large bulbous space stations and shipyards crowded the sky and large freighters crowded nearby a hypergate past the orbit of the planet's one moon, which glistened as sunlight reflected off of the glass, geodetic domes of its cities. Approaching the capital, they would have flown over a large stretch of countryside. The land was flat as a board for many miles and carved up like a quilt by a patchwork of mechanized farms. The closer they got, they could see great machines plowing the rich soil, or crowds of men pitching cotton, or hay or corn to be transported offworld for the herds of the colonies. Here and there, a forest of large and great-bowered trees rose between the farms and villages. A great banded highway, filled with large trucks and assorted automobiles, stretched across many horizons in a straight line to teach Canticle, which rose from the banks of the Sea of Tears, whose dark waters had murmured a billion years without the accompaniment of the great city. The sprawl of Canticle seemed to stretch out like a cephalopod gripping into the soil from every direction, such was the circumference of the metropolis, and it was bounded all around by an alabaster wall that separated it from the farmlands that fed it.

The city itself was an assemblage of metal and stone buildings that towered high above the surrounding plains. The heavy clouds that always seemed to hang above the Philemon sky licked the tops of some of the buildings and buried some others, such was their height. The tallest building by far was the Cathedral of Light, which was a massive Gothic church that rose up from the center of the city and towered above all else. Other buildings that could be clearly seen, the tall spires of the Guild Headquarters of the Freighter's Guild, and the prodigious Dorian columns of the Library of Songs far to the eastern side of the city. The Palace, perhaps the smallest building of note, was a lower, more humble dwelling that could be observed on the western side of the city, near the sea.

And finally, the shuttle touched down at an unremarkable spaceport. As Felicia Von Reichenlu disembarked from her transport she was assaulted by the sounds of the city: police sirens, hover-vehicle motors, horns, and over all the tolling of an iron bell as it marked the 3rd Hour, PM. It was close to dark.

Meeting her at the platform was the Minister of the Aurum Ministerium, Edward Lobel. Lobel was a middle-aged fellow with Gallic features and a nice, respectable face. His uniform was a stylish grey suit and overcoat. The air was only around 60F but the wind blew consistently cold air off the Sea and made it feel much colder. The Curatorai straightened his dark reddish hair and approached her.

"A solemn pleasure to make your acquaintance, your majesty." He said. He searched for her hands to see if he could find a ring to kiss, as was customary for dignitaries of her stature, but alas her hands were hidden in her robes so he put his hand across his chest and bowed low at the waist.

Petroshka

 

[Petroshka]

Princess Felicia Von Reichenau, Philemon, Canticle.
​

Felicia bowed in return. "Please, call me Felicia, i am not a queen like as sister is. I do not deserve such dignitaries such as majesty" When she got back up she looked at the scenery that was all around her, the chilling winds reminded her of her home on Tempus Alterium, although the business of it all made her admire the Culture. Tempus Alterium was indeed busy however here it seemed the sky was choked in ships of all types. she started to walk toward him, two knights seemed like they were about to accompany her but a glace in their direction stopped them in their tracks "Your world is beautiful, High minister, will you be showing me around or shall we get to business at your estate?" Herself stopping a few feet away from him. She was tall for a person of the order, especially for someone who didn't seem to be wearing power armor like her knights.

Shireling

 

[Shireling]

Diplomatic Meeting
​

"Ah, an estate. You could call my dwelling that," he said with a coy grin. "Normally I would be obliged to give a tour, but in my country it is customary to attend to work before pleasure. Therefore, let us be off."

He whirred on his heels and gestured for her to follow him and to climb into his motorcar, which was a large, steel-bodied black behemoth with a nuclear engine, about as big and luxurious as an old-fashioned Cadillac. Her escorts could follow her, but only if they exited their powered armor as they wouldn't fit inside the vehicle with their suits on.

Driving down a wide boulevard, Felicia would probably notice that there was very light automobile traffic for such a large city. Two reasons were given for this. On the one hand, the city had both an extensive underground and elevated metro train system. On the other, the privilege of driving a car was a relative luxury. With fossil fuels being scarce, most vehicles had nuclear engines that, while more efficient than a simple electric motor, were not cheap. Aparatorai could be seen, however, riding bicycles, walking, or driving work trucks. Occasionally, they would see mounted policemen astride large horses, their electro-shock lances couched. They also passed lines of schoolchildren dressed in uniforms being escorted by nuns and processions of monks in sackcloth robes, usually humming a hymn in High Speak.

Finally, they arrived at the Minister's apartment. He was right in saying that it was not an estate, as it had no land attached save a small courtyard garden, yet it was larger than most houses and in the middle of town, consisting of six or seven three-story buildings that had all been sewn together. The interior was lavishly decorated, with wood floors and tables of the native trees, plush leather chairs and couches, and wrought iron chandeliers. In one room was a large mahogany desk that had a computer terminal, a phone, and a mountain of papers and books piled upon it. The Minister invited her in and they were greeted immediately by his butler, a severe, thin-faced man with tufts of silver hair about the temples and nothing else.

"Would you care for a drink, sir? Madam?"

"I'll have a glass of merlot, Aristos." The Minister turned towards Felicia. "Will you have anything?"

Petroshka

 

[Petroshka]

Princess Felicia Von Reichenau, Philemon, Canticle.
Diplomatic Busniess
​

On the car ride Felicia was fascinated by architecture of this world, she personally wouldn't trade her home for it but it was interesting to say the least, simple, practical. It appeared their peasants were also as busy although it seemed they had much more time to waste. When they got to the Ministers apartment she wasn't very impressed at the outward appearance but she had guessed it would be something like this compared to all the other buildings she'd seen so far. The interior felt, warm, and homey, and she walked in bowing slightly to the servant looking about at the various nick-knacks and material that everything was made in as well as the piles of papers. "Your house is, very welcoming." She commented before the servant offered her and the minister some wine, glancing at the minister she asked. "What do you suggest minister?" She had her own prefered wines but she wanted to know how this man was like as well as how his people feel like.

Shireling

 

[General Deth Glitch]

S.T.A.S.
*Thwack* as a golf ball is hit with a club. "Fantastic shot Ingstrom. Maybe you will finally be able to match my record for this course." came the voice of House Master Gailian in response to the shot. "Right, because your matching me on all the other courses Taylor?" He replied. "Alright, well its my turn no-"
"Sir, there's a message from the Solar Institute." a nearby House-servant interrupted.
"I shall attend to politics once I have finished the course." Was the Trade masters unimpressed responce
"Sir, they have offers of trade deals and potential science access."
"Well why didn't you say so, what do they want in return?" He said before turning to Gailian, "Should only be a moment, you understand."
"They didn't say, they merely stated that they wanted cooperation in return for, and I quote, 'Trade Privileges and Certain Scientific Breakthroughs.' With the political climate as it is, its likely w-" "war related, yes I know. However the Institute is a big market and their scientific advances certainly are not to be ignored... Who is the nearest Regional Executive?" "Jorge of House Lindvisk, New Blood Sir." "Of course, the Near Earth Region those slimy bastards got themselves running. I will not have this dealt with by Mud Bloods,Taylor would you be up for a meeting with the Solar Institute? I am afraid we would have to cut our game short but we can't trust Mud Bloods with a deal like this."
"Ofcourse Jethro, I will keep your office updated. Tell Gaela and Julie that I'm asking after them." Was the response of Taylor Gailian, House Master of the Gailian Household and one of the Old bloods that supported Ingstrom becoming Trade Master after the Death of the last one. Without hesitation he set off as Ingstrom called after him "Shall do." Business was important and this business needed attending too.

Gailian made his way to the docks and boarded his vessel, he had asked his son to meet him there so he could learn a bit about how to conduct such business. They set off and, after a courteous acknowledgement of the Regional Executive he hailed the Institute and made a course to dock in preparation for the meeting.
Fishman Lord

Spoiler: Gailians Ship