Disruption (IC)

Ambigon flicked his tail at Svar's question, "You ask me for answers that come from ancient roots, for I have been in this galaxy for longer than most races have existed. I will tell you some of the things you wish to know, but others, I either cannot, or will not answer. I do have good reason, though, should I choose to withhold information." He answered, speaking slowly in his tinny, echo-like voice, one with no true factor that defined it as male or female. It seemed to come from within him, but he had no mouth to speak of that would produce the sounds. "I am an anomaly, for I exist by chance alone. Eons ago, a star collapsed in on itself, and I was formed from the energy of it. Afterwards, it became a black hole, a hostile environment, even to me, for not even light can truly escape it. He flicked his tail again, "I come from no true race, so I come from nowhere, I am an energy being, and that is all that truly defines me. There are others like me, but they can interact with the physical world, and are more dangerous than I, and less likely to care for others."

Xej reached the end of the large corridor, the door at the end opening automatically for him as he approached it.
Infront of the Zealot was a bridge extending from the building, and reaching towards another, more compact one with large black doors. The bridge also split off into two other sections, one connecting to a set of stairs and the other to another, nearby building.

The bridge itself was a combination, with smooth granite forming the walkway, and a silver metal composing the bottom and sides. The granite also extended upward from the sides in seperated blocks.

From the right side of the bridge when you exit from the northwest plaza hallway as Xej and Unsilenced Retribution did, a courtyard could be seen, with a group of Jorro'kil soldiers doing training exercises as a drill sergeant commanded them.

Xej proceeded past the bridge and into the building with the large black doors. He briskly walked over to the front desk, arranged at a corner between two walls. The Jorro'kil at the desk wore all black, with a HUD frame over his beak and head.

"Xej Therus and Wreae to see executives." Xej said.

The Jorro'kil at the desk scanned his face with his HUD frame, matching it with photos of the Zealot's face.

"Take one of the provided seats while this request is processed." He said.

Xej complied, and sat down on a metal bench up against the wall on the righthand side of the door which he had just come through.

The outermost layer walls and floor of the facility were made of the same dark granite as the walkway on the bridge. They were bare save for a few paintings of ancient battles.

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Commander Iel listened to the transmission which the Markovan presented.

"Hm. I'm certainly not familiar with this...Vrentus Collective." He thought over the recording for a moment, then looked again at General Tissin.

"Thank you for bringing this, if these aliens do plan to attack, it's a great deal of help to know in advance." he said.

"Meh, yet another enemy. I wonder if one of our allies is familiar with them.." He thought to himself.

"When you leave, you will receive escort out of our territory and a certain distance towards your destination, if you'd like." He said.

Unsilenced Retribution followed Xej closely, sitting down next to the Jorro'kil at the bench. Information from the fleet, Federation, and Irooscin constantly streamed into its AI core. News of the assault had spread quickly, and several news feeds showed this. The status of the fleet was also shown, most of the ships undergoing repairs or already finished. Several of the Confederacy and Federation leaders had already sent the Wreae messages, either congratulating it on the achievement or requesting a meeting for further plans. News of the Karthla virus in Confederacy territory was also shown, which unsettled the Wreae slightly.

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Svar listened carefully to Ambigon's words, finding his origins to be very interesting. The energy being was indeed an anomaly. "That is intriguing, Ambigo," Svar remarked. "Eons of existence, centuries of observing, so it would seem. This is something I would enjoy. You must have seen much in your life. If you may, tell me why you are on the Majesty. Although, if I were in your position, I would find these people and their culture very noteworthy, it is interesting that you are accompanying us." Svar, though he knew of Ravage's origins, he did not know of her relationship to Ambigon nor of the energy being's knowledge of the mission.

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As the group walked into what looked to be a never ending void, lights suddenly flooded the area, nearly blinding them. They were standing on a bridge of hexagonal platforms, suspended in the air by anti-gravity devices. At the end of the bridge there was a larger platform with three arches at the top three sides. There was no observable floor - The room looked to reach down infinitely. On each wall there were more closed door, similar to the apertures seen in shield worlds. Every surface was a dark, metallic gray, with linear patterns of red lights.

Q'ren lead the way, striding with confidence to the end of the bridge. Admiral Rakluth followed closely, awed by the scale of the archives even though he had been on many shield worlds. The Wreae was next to Rakluth, quickly observing the room. Theranis hobbled forward at the back, still in pain even though the medication was effective. Upon the group reaching the arches, holographic displays activated within each of them. These displayed the layout of the archives, showing where everything was. Q'ren worked effortlessly, inputting commands into the console as if it were second nature. After a while, he had been able to locate the room where the Serath Device was stored, ignoring all of the other wondrous technologies stored within the vault. After entering this location as their destination, the platform slowly descended. After around a minute, it stopped, and the wall opened up to the group's left to reveal a largely sterile, empty room.

The platform stopped at the entrance, and the group walked forward into the chamber. It was nearly completely dark, except for red lights lining the floor and a single pedestal that was lit by an unknown source. At the center of this pedestal was a gray, shining disk. Q'ren reached forward and grabbed it, smiling. "Hello, my dear." He whispered, putting the device in a compartment in his armor. "You're with your creator now."

Suddenly, the pedestal was lowered into the floor and a hologram of the galaxy appeared. It was updated with the current races and territories even though the archives hadn't been touched since the beginning of the war against the Karthla. A single red dot flickered at a specific location, just outside Krathunian territory closer to the core. Q'ren's eyes widened, and he muttered a curse. Theranis' mouth gaped open, and the Admiral was taken aback, though not to the degree of the others. He turned to face the other members of the group. "We're travelling into... What used to be the territory of the Vrentus Collective. I don't believe they're active at the moment, but it will be extremely dangerous. Do any of you know about the Vrentus?"

((tonysaur, maybe have Lirr receive a notification on the Destroyer or something))

General Tissin nodded. "Thank you. If the Confederacy ever needs our assistance against this new threat, we will be happy to provide it."
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The words were barely out of Q'ren's mouth, when something in Lirr's gauntlet beeped. He peered at it for a moment, then looked up gravely. "I've just received a general warning from the Markovan Military Command Center. Listen." He pressed a button, and the following transmission came out: Attention all military personnel. It has come to the Empire's attention that a potentially hostile race has been recently contacted by one of our officers, a race identifying themselves as the Vrentus Collective. Be warned!

After a short conversation with the active AI’s Master Carrefour was chosen to greet this new race and possible ally. A small dot disengaged from the Dyson’s sphere, and took a direction to the Ulivus system as the Deceiver had instructed. However, this dot was small only when compared to the Dyson’s sphere that was encasing a star. The ship was large like a business center of a large city, and actually looked like it had been made from one: Its main hull was oval-shaped, and had tower-like structures all over its both top and bottom flat surfaces. The structures were higher towards the middle, reaching their highest about one third of the ships length from the engines. While the UFIAI ships tended to be lightly armoured, this ship didn’t have even that. Its structures were visible and messy and it looked much like the constructions UFIAI made on planets.

It engaged its warp drive, causing it to deform before it was slung trough the space. After some time the ship arrived its destination system. Kalfu stopped the ship just outside the orbit of the farthest planet and sent a bland signal, just telling of the ships presence in the system and waited for ansver.

Master Carrefour's ship disengaged warp drive to a remarkable sight, even for an AI. Each celestial body within the Ulivus system was covered in huge, towering industrial and mineral extraction complexes. These systems were automated, constantly working. Drones streamed from planet to planet, transporting raw materials from surface to surface. As one got closer to the star, the space within the system became more dense. The first notable structure close to the star was a large gate-like structure, the inside of which glowed with blue light. Next there was the innermost planet, and the largest, which was covered in what looked to be a shield world. However, an opening in it facing the UFIAI ship revealed a burning surface of magma. Hydraulic pumps could be seen coming down from the planet "shield," and pushing the lava up and down. Next there was the star - It was middle aged, around the size and color of the Sun. However, it was surrounded by what is known as a Dyson Swarm. The swarm was made up of hundreds of spherical devices with two spikes jutting from opposite sides. One spike faced the star, seeming to absorb heat energy, while the other spike transferred this energy to the system.

The next odd thing about the system was the ships approaching the UFIAI fleet. There were three of them - Two transportation vessels and what looked to be a large Destroyer. The Destroyer would have looked to be of ancient Krathunian make, except for the fact that it had green lighting rather than red, and its armor was slightly lighter. The transport ships opened cargo bays in the front and the sides, and thousands of small spheres rushed out. Each of the spheres flattened and attached to one other, and after a minute or so there were two more ships identical to the one the Master Carrefour had brought. The center Destroyer activated its communication systems, directed at the UFIAI fleet.

"Greetings, Kalfu." The Deceiver's voice sounded, less distorted. "This is the Ulivus system. Please, follow us." The ships all turned around simultaneously and activated engines, heading towards the innermost planet.

((Very busy at the moment, Continuum Corrupter content coming later))

Ambigon shook his head, "Ages of mere observation may seem wonderful, but without a purpose to it, there is no true meaning for why I exist." The energy being said, in response to Svar's idea that it would be enjoyable to spend eons simply existing and watching others. "As for why I am here, why were you not told? The Arachnarche infest this arm of the galaxy, creatures that can devour energy beings such as myself, and bring an end to civilization as it is known to physical beings. However, they are not blindly hostile creatures, but simply insects that do not know that what they do is wrong. I am here to advise, should they be encountered, in hopes that we may have diplomacy and peace, rather than the alternative." Ambigon flicked his tail, "I am not a violent entity, I am peaceful, for ages of seeing history repeat itself has taught me many things. What good does pointing out differences and not believing do, but make that negative thought more real? Positive energy will attract positive experiences in life, but negatives will attract negatives, such is the way the universe and fate work. It is not what you want, but how much you are willing to believe that something will happen. Without doubt, I know diplomacy with the Arachnarche is possible, but only if we find the queen and befriend her. I am here also, to make sure that the UCN and those representatives here do not make the mistake of automatically assuming that they are the enemy."

The energy being then looked past Svar, "The Jorro'kil approaches." He said.

Iel, once the Markovan left, hasted to order the Destroyer to exit the system and reach the inner worlds, to report the message from the Vrentus Collective. The recorded conversation was eventually sent to Ryun-Wreae, Krathunian and Jorro'kil authorities, to discern what next action should be taken, with the malicious intent towards the Confederacy contained in the recording.
 
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Xerin walked down to the engine room and entered it, dodging some pipes and electrical systems, to see Svar and Ambigon.
 
"Well....Hello. Svar, who's this?" He asked, looking at the energy form.
 
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There was a fifteen-minute wait while the Zealot's request was processed, afterwhich the Jorro'kil behind the desk asked Xej and the Wreae to take the hallway to the right of the desk, also informing them of the room number to which they had been assigned. The hallway led to a room filled with various elevators, though not like the previously mentioned ones, these elevators being simple square pads with an energy field extending upwards from the outside of the pad and mimicking the pad on which one would stand at the top, though these fields only activate once one steps on, they are much more powerful than the metal which makes up the walls and ceiling of normal elevators. As Xej and the Wreae stepped on one, an artifical voice spoke. "Authorization Scan...    Completed. Processing section request. Section request processed." The elevator started to descend, and soon arrived in a section two levels underground.
 
(You can post as if Xej and Unsilenced go and find the room, and I'll post of the room's inhabitants afterwards, Zar.)

"Xerin, this is Ambigon. Ambigon, this is Xerin Grei of the Jorro'kil Confederacy." Svar stated, looking between the two of them. Turning to Xerin, he quickly explained. "I wanted to investigate the engine room, and upon arriving here I noted that there were rumors of ghosts. I investigated, and found Ambigon."

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Unsilenced Retribution followed Xej through this section of the Resolute Complex until they reached the needed room. After identity versifiers and several scans of the Wreae's AI core, the door to the meeting room opened.

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Q'ren blinked at the message Lirr played, staring at the floor. He stepped forward, looking to the others, and motioned for them to follow the Krathunian. As the aperture closed and the platform ascended once more, he started to explain. "The Vrentus Collective... To put it simply, were the most fearsome enemy the Covenant has ever faced. Each individual Vrentus is an energy being, usually encased in a metal, spherical shell. They do not feel emotions the way we do. Vrentus are unnaturally ruthless, logical, and will stop at nothing to achieve a goal." The platform reached the bridge, and the group stepped off, continuing to follow Q'ren. "They have the capability to scan lifeforms, ships, and any robots or AI, using machinery to take on their appearance, thought patterns, some memories, and more. With this ability they can be unparalleled saboteurs and infiltrators, as well as a nearly unmatched military force." Reaching the end of the bridge, Q'ren stepped briskly up the stairs leading to the initial room where they had fought the Yvinar. "The Vrentus are also controlled by Primes. They are technically the same species, but the Primes act as hiveminds. They control sections of the empire, using every last resource and every last advantage. However, they can also create a Supreme. Supremes are more intelligent and advanced than the Primes, and can override decisions made by the Primes. They are like the warrior-kings that used to dominate Sethega, except the Vrentus Supreme has one of the most devastating military force the galaxy has seen at its disposal."

Q'ren entered the ruined room where the fight had occurred earlier. He noted that the machine had transformed back into a cube and been lowered into the floor once more. "During the war against the R'lek, we found some of the Vrentusi with a Prime. We assumed them to be AI, and attempted to take control of the Collective. Though they were very effective as weapons initially, as soon as we won the war we discovered the mistake we had made. The Prime we had disturbed was named The Creator, and it had been destroyed in our efforts. During this process the rest of the Collective was awakened and vowed to bring us down for subjugating the Vrentus and killing one of their sovereign leaders." At this point, the group had exited the building, and the Sentinel contacted military and historical officials on the location of the archives. The group walked through the crowded streets of Sethega, noting that a light snowfall had begun. "The war was brutal, and the Vrentus proved to be extremely formidable. It was by pure chance that we were able to stop them, and now... They're back." Q'ren stopped at the center of the plaza nearby the building, surrounded by huge towers and other Krathunians. "Admiral Lirr, if what you showed is true, and what Sentinel Theranis said was also true... The galaxy is completely unprepared for the Vrentus. They will not end their assault until the Confederacy is completely destroyed."

Lirr stood forward proudly despite his injured legs. "Well, I can assure you, the Confederacy does not stand alone. The Markovan Empire will most certainly aid you."

Teglin groaned. "Great, just great. As if Lord Jiiran and his robotic allies weren't bad enough, now we've got copycat energy beings to worry about."

Zizo scratched his chin. 'Does seem a bit bleak, doesn't it. How did you manage to beat the blighters last time?"

Theranis looked to Lirr, smiling. "Thank you, Admiral."

Q'ren nodded at Teglin's comment, and turned his head to Zizo as he spoke. The Krathunian looked to the sky, thinking. After a couple seconds he began to speak. "By luck, we had been able to kill the current Vrentus Supreme. This sent the Collective into disarray, throwing off several of their strategies due to the Supreme leading them. The majority of their forces retreated, regathering their strength. It was then that we decided to go into a short period of isolation to completely avoid the Vrentus. You see, the Collective spends much of its time in hibernation, though its industries are all automated. They only awaken when something they perceive as a threat encroaches upon their territory. This is what occurred when we initially discovered them. Somehow, cutting off our empire worked. We don't truly know why. It's possible that the death of the Supreme caused too much chaos between the Primes and they gave up on attempting to defeat us." Q'ren narrowed his eyes, looking to Zizo. "They are quite the enigmatic species. The fact that they have returned is very unsettling."

"Interesting." Xerin said.

"Well, hello, Ambigon." Xerin dipped his beak, then sat down on a nearby box container, using it as a makeshift seat.

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Xej stepped in alongside the Wreae, and gathered around a long, bronze, oval-shaped table was several Jorro'kil Councilors.

"Greetings." Said the one at the end of the table opposite the one which Xej and the Wreae where closest too. He had a booming, welcoming voice, and gave off an air of someone who was quite used to meeting people and a good speaker. He was Xenoform Relations specialist R'jal Mevrin, an individual from the second High Council, and the one appointed to lead this group of Councilors for the meeting, along with Four-Star General Xayarus Evirin.

"Welcome, Wreae, Zealot, please sit down." He motioned to two large, empty chairs, also bronze, sitting near the end of the table which the pair were facing.

"we're very eager to hear what you have to say." Said R'jal.

"I am R'jal Mevrin, Xenoform Relations official and High Councilor, and here is Xayarus Evirin, Four-Star General and military commander, along with several other Councilors." They all dipped their beaks at the two, as a sign of respect.

Ambigon flicked his tail, "Greetings, to you." The energy being said. He then hovered silently for several moments, composing what he would say next, "Are there any other questions that you desire the answers to? We will arrive rather quickly at Silex. You may not notice me, but I observe more than most think I do, and I know much of what occurs on this vessel. I have already calculated our approximate arrival time, and am aware of certain things you may or may have not noticed earlier." There came a sound almost like laughter, perhaps it was, "Although, some things are meant to be discovered, not told. Some things are quite amusing, to me, and are for others to figure out on their own." One could only guess Ambigon was thinking of something they didn't know, and that it was incredibly interesting, to him.

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Blair slowly walked back to his room, wondering why it was that he seemed to attract strange events and situations to himself as though he were a magnet to those things. When he had first met Ravage, he had acknowledged that she was strange and different, even from Krylonians, and that there was something about her that struck him as incredible. Even now, he still had no idea why he was so attracted to her, why he found her beautiful when nobody else had. He had partly hoped that he would be able to escape those feelings, but he found that he could not stop himself from complimenting her. He had actually found himself growing nervous with the prospect of Samir coming aboard the Majesty, and had immediately felt a hot stab of jealousy when he learned that the male Krylonian had been traveling with her for five years. He had secretly brooded on the worry that there was something between the two, and had barely stopped himself from showing visible signs of his discomfort.

Blair had been relieved when he had seen that Ravage seemed to have a certain degree of dislike for Samir, and it had nothing to deal with Samir, and everything to deal with the Cavernian Brigadier not wanting Ravage to have any sort of affection for anyone other than him. Like it or not, Blair acknowledged that he had a powerful jealous streak in him, one that he was unused to, and didn't even know he was capable of. It also maddened him to think about abandoning his feelings for her, now, but it was also equally upsetting that the description of their mission could cause a scandal if certain people found out about it. There was nothing illegal about dating a fellow officer, but in a mission as sensitive as this one, it might seem like a conflict of interests, and at best, a dangerous distraction.

Svar smiled, his icy, cyan eyes sparkling slightly from the light that Ambigon emitted. "I think that is all for now, my friend. I will not be going planetside to Silex, as my people aren't exactly meant to fly nor swim. If either of you need me, I'll likely be in the forge." Svar started to walk towards the exit, but stopped midway and turned back to Ambigon. "Thank you." With that, the Krathunian left.

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Unsilenced Retribution, before sitting down, clasped its hands at chest level and bowed slightly. "It is a great honor." With this, the Wreae sat down and began to speak on its purpose here. "As you may know, I am Captain Unit 8164392, the product of the Overcharge Protocol's activation. In all future encounters I would prefer it if you would refer to me as Unsilenced Retribution - My AI cores have been altered due to the process and thus I find that a non-numeral name is necessary to interact with organics more efficiently." The Wreae paused for a bit, observing the Jorro'kil councilors, before continuing. A hologram projector from within the robotic body activated, projecting to the center of the bronze table. It showed the fleet that had attacked Nidum. "As you must have heard by now, a Confederacy fleet headed by the Federation Dreadnought Wrath, commanded by myself and Zealot Xej Therus, has attacked a communications hub within the UFIAI territory. This location is known as Nidum, and the fleet succeeded in destroying it. With this, we were able to temporarily disable several major AIs, disrupt the wormhole network, and halt the advance of the UFIAI on the Confederacy." The hologram shifted to a rendering of Nidum's destruction, before fading back to a map of Ravena.

"However," the Wreae continued, its voice seeming to be a mix of Ryun and Jorro'kil due to the collaboration on the project, "There are a couple results of this besides the obvious." The hologram zeroed in on Confederacy territory, outlining it, before showing a UFIAI fleet. "This is a stealth and reconnaissance fleet from the an unknown UFIAI intelligence that has been reported in a couple systems. These ships carry an interesting payload - The Karthla virus. What this means is that the UFIAI is now under control of more radical, younger intelligences who have less of a sense of honor, in a way. They will resort to any means possible regardless of morals or experience to obtain the orbs." The hologram zoomed back out to the galaxy and centered in on the star system the fleet had escaped to after destroying Nidum. "In addition, there is the issue of the Imperial Despot of Jiiran. Upon escaping the collapsing communications and wormhole hub we came across a fleet of Mondarian vessels in this system. They, not very subtly, displayed a superweapon called the Entropy Accelerator." The hologram changed to that of the frozen ship husks. "This is the result of our encounter - Each of these ships were unmanned, derelict, and damaged. We used that as a shield when they fired the weapon. After this, the ships escaped." The map showed Ravena again and highlighted an area in the 4th arm, near the core. However, it was notably larger than the actual Despot territory. "After they escaped we were able to trace some of the energy signals from the Mondarian ships. Their actual territory is likely smaller than this highlighted area, but it's certainly here. Even if it is this large, from what has been observed their industrial capabilities, while certainly powerful, are not to the scale of the Confederacy." The hologram shut off, and Unsilenced Retribution stood up.

"The next step in my plan requires knowledge of all this." The Wreae spoke after a couple seconds. "The first part is a section of the combined Confederate imperial fleets, spearheading assaults on the general area close to the Mondarians. Ryun-Wreae and Krathunian fleets will likely make up the majority of the composition of these attack groups due to their proximity to this area. We need to find and destroy the superweapon and take the fight to these illusive assailants." The Wreae was pacing, occasionally looking down at his own reflection in the bronze table, though he focused on the councilors. "Next, defenses need to increase in Confederate worlds, especially Jorro'kil territory, due to the possibility of Karthla infection. This is likely to be most problematic in Free Absolute systems, as the Krathunians have shield worlds and are generally more prepared for viral outbreaks, while over half of the Federation's population are Wreae systems. Be on guard for that fleet, and should they come, attempt to eliminate of them at any cost. Fortify any and all systems, especially vital systems close to planets such as Irooscin. Thirdly, keep a steady march forward on the fronts. We've gained momentum in the war, and we cannot afford to lose that momentum. Lastly, we should continue stealth, sabotage, and espionage activities within UFIAI territory. I will lead these personally due to my understanding and knowledge of the AIs. We shall disable communications systems, disrupt AI thought patterns, sabotage industrial output, among others."

The Wreae sat back down, resting his hands on the table, the sound reverberating. "The combination of all of this makes for a potentially devastating assault on the UFIAI and Imperial Despot of Jiiran. We will effectively cut off the AI's only known alliance, stop the Karthla virus from spreading, maintain the momentum we have gained on the fronts, and continue to disrupt their systems. It is part two of a plan long in the works, and it will be effective." The Wreae stopped, sitting back, before speaking again. "Of course, this needs approval. Prior to this process are there any questions, recommendations, suggestions, or otherwise you have?"

((tonysaur, due to my leave of absence for a bit, in your next post you could say something like "The group, after spending a bit more time in the Ra'anian, departed Sethega for their next objective."))

Zaroas wrote:Just a quick notice to everyone: I won't be able to post in the IC from tomorrow morning to Sunday afternoon (EST). I'm going on a campout, though I will have my phone - Thus, I will still be able to monitor the site but I will not have the ability to make IC posts.

"I certainly see where it could be problematic," said Zizo thoughtfully. "I wouldn't be surprised if these Collective fellows were bearing a grudge."

"Regardless," said Lirr, "I can assure you that we will aid in any way we can."

The group, after spending a bit more time in the Ra'anian, departed Sethega for their next objective.

The purified air inside the meeting chamber was altered slightly with the scent of electricity and a hint of artificial fluid from the Wreae.
The plan, as recited by the Wreae, was very well received by the Councilors, save for the part where Unsilenced mentioned the UFIAI being in possession of the Karthla Virus, this came as a surprise to most of the Jorro'kil in the room, especially Xej, as the reports had not yet reached The Resolute Complex.
 
Several of the Councilors muttered to eachother, discussing how the UFIAI could do with the Karthla virus, and how they got their hands on it.
 
Xej spoke up after the Wreae finished. "Very good, very good plan. Though it is strange the UFIAI would use the Karthla virus, without pure Karthla, any infected will simply become mindless husks...Hmm." He said, staring off into space, thinking over previous events from the Dominion war.
 
"This is an excellent plan, Unsilenced Retribution. Very well thought out....but what else could we expect?" Said R'jal, complimenting the Wreae.
 
At this point Xayarus started to talk.
 
"During the espionage which you will lead, I think it is of the utmost importance to discover what AI ordered the use of the Karthla virus, and finding a way to shut it down. We will also see about lending some of Glorious War's ships to your endeavor against the despot of Jiiran.....One more thing, I believe the assault fleets against the Despot could make good use out of one of the Mondarians which we took in after it helped save the life of our own Emperor. He is a part of a resistance movement and, I believe, could be invaluable to the effort. I'll do what I can to persuade him to go on the attack, aboard one of our own ships. Other than that, I believe you have everything worked out quite well. You have my approval."
 
The other Councilors present either voiced agreement or simply nodded.
 
"Unless you wish to accompany Unsilenced Retribution, Zealot, you may be apart of the commanding officers on the attack against the Despot's territory." Said Xayarus.
 
The Zealot looked up from his seat, having snapped out of his ponderings.
 
"Thank you, General. I will consider this most gratuitous offer." He replied. After a moment of silence, he spoke up. "Unsilenced, I will accompany you on your espionage mission if you still have need of me, if not I will go with the Fleet on the assault against the Mondarians. Either one, the enemy will be hurting." He said to Unsilenced Retribution.

((One last quick post before I leave, will be back on Sunday))

The Wreae nodded, agreeing with Xayarus. It turned to Xej, starting to speak. "Zealot, it would be preferred if you accompanied me on my mission. The resistance member joining the attack will likely be invaluable. I believe Grand Admiral Barborin will be commanding Federation fleets, though I have not been contacted by the Krathunians yet."

After saying their thanks, the two headed out of the room, the meeting had dispersed. The plan was to go into action effective immediately.

Ambigon flicked his tail, watching Svar go, before turning to Xerin, "I will be going now to observe more happenings about this vessel." There was then a pause, "I cannot help but wonder, you are a well-respected officer of the Jorro'kil, and know very well tradition, discipline, and military focuses. However, in regards to diplomacy with the re-discovered breeds of Chimerosu, what will you do, when your traditions and disciplines are far more different than theirs? They all began as one, but became unique cultures over the ages, and now they are separate, but united under the golden feather of unity. Unity has been the key, but it lies in finding similarities between two things. You will have to adapt to this challenge, as a soldier does in battle. We have entered the solar system, now, and I am sure the planet is populated. The Silexians, I feel, are still very much alive, and their energy is so great that I may sense it from a distance, for in essence, everything is formed from energy. If they truly possess the great will and power they had when they first grew independent, then they have not lost it."

Without any more explanation for how it was that Ambigon was aware of the Silexians being alive, even at a distance, he vanished in a flash of light. Perhaps, like the Arachnarche flying in space and finding metal, the energy being had senses beyond what others thought was possible, the power to sense intelligent life.

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Travis saw the bright blue planet Silex, and immediately knew it held life. It was covered with countless dots of land, islands, different shapes and sizes, none large enough to seem like continents. Thousands, if not millions, of specks floating in an enormous salty ocean. The islands were different kinds, some like deserts, some sandy, some with red or brown or grey stone, most with gigantic, steep cliffs, apparent even from space. A huge white moon, giving Silex tides, orbited the world, and Travis knew that they would be landing at night time on this side of the world. He pressed on the com. button, "Attention, everyone, we have arrived at planet Silex. All volunteers report to the docking site of the Jewel, we will be landing on the surface under the cover of night, so as to not cause panic among the locals, should there be any."

Travis squinted, hard at the world's surface, were those trees, or grass. He didn't see any evidence of civilization, and yet, he knew that few Chimerosu worlds ever showed any from space. Only large cities were readily seen from the stars. What was reassuring, however, was the fact that this planet seemed healthy. That meant that there was a chance someone was there.

Allé hauled his pack into the docking area of the Jewel. He noticed Tevri adjusting his sword and a small pack on his shoulder horns. A second later, Isbar strolled casually in.

"Where's Aarin?" Allé asked. "He did want to come didn't he?"

"I haven't seen him since our last stop," replied Isbar coolly.

"I think he may be in his quarters still," volunteered Tevri. "That's where I saw him last."

"Well, someone better go get him," said Allé, "or he'll find himself left behind."

"Interesting fellow..." Xerin remarked upon Ambigon's sudden disappearance. With that, he left the engine room, to go and get ready for the landing on Silex and the meeting with the new Chimerosu. As he walked down one of the various hallways, this one containing passenger's quarters, he noticed Aarin still in his room, and peered in.

"We'll soon be ready to go down to the new planet, I believe it's called Silex, if you intended to come, I'm heading down to the ship hanger now." He said.

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Aarin was in a semi-kneeling position on a mat he had placed on the floor. On either side of him was a lit candle, and in front of him was a statue, consisting of a post with two perpendicular branches opposite each other near the top. Looking inside his quarters, one would have seen the rug he had received from Greta displayed on the one wall, while near his bed were a few books he had brought with him. On a table were some paper, pens and an electronic palm-computer type device. Also placed on the table were three pictures he had apparently brought with him as mementos of home. The one on the left side of the table showed three Vatarri together. Two of them were Vey and Aarin, although they were both far younger; Aarin was a mere teenager in the picture, and Vey couldn't have been older than twenty-five. With them was another Vatarri with a strong, yet kindly face; in appearance, he was almost a mirror image of Aarin. The picture on the right side was of a female Vatarri. She was small and slender, and bore a resemblance to Vey; however, the calm, quiet expression on her face reminded one ot so much of Vey as of Aarin.

The middle picture was the biggest and the easiest one from Xerin's position to make out. In it were four people. Three of them were Vey, Aarin and Mott Gatiir. Although not as young as in the picture on the left, the people in the image were clearly at least twenty years younger than the people Xerin had met. All were smiling, and Mott was posing outrageously. However, the fourth person was someone Xerin did not recognize. The first noticeable things about him was how much bigger he was than the other three. Aarin, being about six feet in height, was fairly tall, but even he looked like a midget next to this other person. The other noticeable thing was that this person didn't look like anything Xerin had seen. Ravage, who had seen Jiiran, and knew his story, might have guessed who this was, but to Xerin, this creature was a mystery.

Aarin looked up. "Thank you, Xerin," he said. "I just wanted to finish up my prayers." Leaning over, he blew out the candles and carefully put them away, along with the mat and the unusual religious symbol. He then grabbed his pack and sword, and hurried out with Xerin to the docking area.

"Sorry I'm late," he said, as they arrived.

Travis nodded, "That's quite alright, we still have time. Sunup on Silex is still a few hours away, where we're planning on landing." The Frigian then walked into the Jewel and entered the cockpit, and everyone else going on the mission filed in afterwards. Once again, after all of them were seated, Arrow and Xenos got in and lay down in the main aisle running down the back of the ship. No doubt, at least some of the members of the group who had gone on the smaller ship multiple times were starting to grow used to being crammed into a small space. Ravage and Blair wound up sitting across from each other. The Cavernian looked up at her, "So, are ye ready to land on this strange alien planet, then, lass?" He asked her, squinting one eye.

Ravage returned a small smile, "As ready as I'll ever be, I've been landing on enough alien worlds to be prepared for almost anything they can throw at me. If flying carnivorous fish leap out of the ocean, I'll make sure we're all alive by the end of it." She said, regarding the moment with humor. Perhaps she was simply joking, or maybe she had really been attacked at one point by such a thing.

"All right, people, we'll be landing on the planet pretty fast, y'all just sit tight!" Travis called back from the cockpit, and the airlock sealed, the Jewel once again taking off and heading this time to land on the planet. They picked out a nicely-sized island that appeared to have trees on it, and soon, they were landing. When they touched down, and the hatch in the back of the ship opened, people were able to walk out and look at the area around them. They had landed in a clearing under the cover of night, and they appeared to be in the middle of a small grove of trees. They had rather thick grey-blue trunks, with waxy purple leaves, and twining roots and vines that tangled around one another, like mangroves. Clusters of yellow orb-shaped pods hung from their branches, perhaps a kind of fruit. The bright white moon shone brightly in the sky.

Everyone filed out, and Ravage looked around, breathing in a deep breath, and hearing the sounds of waves crashing upon the rocks of a distant bluff, took in the smell of sea salt and brine. The air wasn't freezing, but it was cool, and a gentle breeze came from the sea. It was quiet, save for one, distinctive sound that indicated life. The splashing of fish jumping out of the water was audible, even at a distance. This was a marine planet, much of its life was within the sea.

Travis came out of the ship, "Alright, people, we need to have a look around, and we can't be too loud, if there are locals or predators here. We can't risk getting attacked by either one, so let's be cautious, shall we? We should head towards those rocky cliffs north of here, It looked like there might be something promising there."

As the party marched, Aarin took a deep breath and sighed. "Sea air, nothing quite like it."

"Indeed. A unique planet." Said Xerin, walking along with the others.

"An interesting change of pace from the metal hallways." He noted.

Xerin wasn't particularly fond of water but could swim well enough, having learned during his military training.

Travis looked around once more, to see if there was anything around them, "Alright, people, the rocky plains are this way, keep quiet, we don't want to disturb anything." He said. With this, everyone headed off, slowly walking through the grove. Deeper into the trees, a bit of life became apparent. There was a faint chirping of cricket-like insects, and there appeared to be seabirds sleeping in nests on the branches. Everyone froze in their tracks when an ear-splitting shriek was heard, a gwaaaaaayyyy! sound. It sounded eerily like someone was screaming at them to go away. Upon looking at the source, it was none other than a nocturnal species of bird. It had a flat face that was black, with a hooked beak and grey rings around its eyes. The rest of its body, however, was pure white. It appeared to be a sort of fishing owl, for its talons had webbing in them. It looked down at them with bright orange eyes, and opened its beak, screaming at them again, before opening its wings and flying away. Everyone relaxed when it vanished, but there was tension, now, because it had been so alarming.

Eventually, they came to the rocky area Travis had wanted to see earlier. There, they found something that was clearly not made by an animal. Standing in the ,middle of the plains, was a kind of hut. The hut's walls were made out of slabs of the same slate-like rock as the plains it was standing on, and had a roof made of thatched dry grass, which was now grey in coloration, from age. A square window, protected by twig-like bars so animals couldn't get in, revealed that pegs on the inside wall were hung with cooked fish. A mat of woven grass made up the floor, and a kind of waxy, waterproof hammock seemed to run down the center of the shack. If one looked further, they realized that in the distance, there appeared to be an entire collection of shacks like these, although larger, as though this one belonged to a single resident, and the others to families. As soon as they had landed, they had come upon a village, and it looked as though the buildings were still inhabited, though there were no lights coming out of any of the windows, presently.

Travis looked at the shack again, stepping back from it, "Well, guess my suspicions were pretty accurate, we've just located an entire village with people still living in it. Where do you think they are? Whoever lives here isn't in their hammock, and I don't think anyone's home right now."

Ravage lifted her head and sniffed, "Well, something tells me they're out fishing, it's early in the morning, and if you go fishing, now is the best time to do it, all the fish are feeding right now, and pretty close to the shallows, at that. I bet we'll find someone if we go looking down at the base of the cliffs." She then sniffed again, "It's this way." She said, taking the lead and heading off towards the edge of the island.