The Disruption (IC)

Vey frowned. "I'm not entirely sure of all of this. We know the Liirlith helped him escape. For one, there was the guards, poisoned as I said before. Furthermore, when we followed the rail left behind, it led us to a place where it was obvious a ship had come and gone. And we also found the bodies of two dead Liirlith. No doubt the Liirlith still hoped to make use of him, but he betrayed them and killed his rescuers. Naturally we tried to track him down, but Jiiran had disappeared and we could find no trace of him. We have not heard from him since."

Vey sighed. "Until recently, that is. Just a month ago, a Markovan vessel came to our world, badly damaged. We gave them what they needed in terms of medical service and repair, of course, but what was truly disturbing about this incident was the news they brought with them. They said they had been attacked near the Draz system by unidentified ships, and that whoever was controlling the ships referred to themselves as the Imperial Despot of Jiiran."

Vey was silent for a moment, a stricken look on his face. "I could barely contain my anguish on that day. It would seem that Jiiran is fulfilling the purpose of his creators. Whether he is looking for stability as you suggested, Ravage, or he has other reasons, I don't know. Perhaps this is some extension of his paranoia. Perhaps he believes that everyone is out to get him, and that the only way to protect himself is to keep everyone else under his thumb."

Vey looked up. "Regardless, if he really does mean to attack us, then we are up against a formidable foe, such as not been seen in the history of Vathoris."

Ravage's pupils contracted slightly, as she once again started to scan the room, some sort of hypervigilance having been brought on by the Prince's words. "We should then act accordingly to this threat." She said. "You need to carefully watch all moons and planets, as well as sizable asteroids, that are located in this star system, and neighboring stars to the sun. You never know what hidden cranny an enemy base may hide on, but if they set one up, it allows easier transportation of supplies and a place to repair damaged ships. You should also check spaceports and any suspicious shipments, as we have evidence of a conspiracy taking place right under our beaks, or noses, I should say." She added the last bit, she was pretty much the only creature with a beak present. "I myself can handle a violent situation, should a merchant seek to stop us."

Vey scratched his chin. "I will certainly have ships at my disposal search every area they can. I can also recommend the Board of Trade check everything that goes out or in." He frowned thoughtfully. "It might also be prudent to call an emergency meeting of all of the Vathoris heads of state so they can make their own preparations and precautions."

Ravage nodded, "Then we should do so. I will assist in anything that needs to be done. If there is any threat to national security, I have vowed to protect Vathoris, and it seems that there is grave danger in the near future. Even though we don't know when Jiiran or the Conspirators strike, we should regard this situation as urgent, and leave nothing to chance. We should hurry and warn everyone, so that we are prepared."

"I'll arrange to have one held first thing tomorrow, if that is soon enough," replied Vey. "I think maybe you should be there Ravage. Since you were fortunate enough to overhear the conversation outside your ship, I expect the heads of state will want to hear your testimony."

He sighed. "In the meantime, is there any arrangement I can make for you for dinner and lodging?"

Ravage shook her head, "There is no need. I have lived inside of my Stealth Strider for years, and I can go for days without requiring food. I would rather you not trouble yourself over such things. My eating habits and dietary preferences are extremely unorthodox, and on this planet, may even be considered taboo or disturbing. The sole reason I accepted the dinner invitation was to make sure I could warn you about the Conspiracy, before the ones responsible for the plot could grow suspicious and stop me." She frowned slightly, and blinked her clear eyelids once, "I may eat fruit and vegetables in the presence of others, but they do not truly exist in my diet, nor do I favor their taste as I once did. Anything cooked, in general, does not have any flavor." She flicked her tail slightly, at this, and it was obvious what she was implying. She ate raw meat, and disliked vegetables, or anything that had been cooked. Cooked meat was acceptable for most carnivores, but in the presence of an herbivorous species, to eat raw meat might be seen as unnerving or threatening. It served as a constant reminder that one was a dangerous predator, that in ancient times might have mistaken a neighbor for prey. "I only need water." She said, ending the point.

Vey nodded. "Very well, I can provide for that."

"Wait a moment," said Mott looking at Ravage. "Did you say something about a conspiracy? What sort of conspiracy?"

Ravage looked at Mott, scowling somewhat, "There's a conspiracy brewing on Vathoris to take over the planet. I can't tell you too many details, Mott, for the sake of ensuring that as few people know about this as possible before the time I am supposed to present evidence." She scanned the faces in the room, her expression intense, "I want all of you here to know, that what was said in this room, stays in this room. We don't know who our enemy is, and if they find out that there's any suspicion at all, each and every one of us will become targets. You don't know what they look like, or what they are capable of, so don't give them any reason to think we are a threat. Worry about the Priest, look shaken and upset, this must be kept secret. I don't care if you have friends you want to tell, or if you don't like telling lies. I've seen too many worlds go up in flames because of power struggles. I'm not about to watch the same thing happen to Vathoris."

She rose to her feet, and looked at the Prince, "Sir, we have to adjourn this, we have many preparations to make. We cannot stay too long, lest anyone think something is wrong. It is surely growing dark outside, by now, and I do not know how strong the guards' night vision is. I cannot risk giving away my hidden abilities, should someone plan to have me eliminated from the equation. I will leave nothing to chance."

Vey nodded. "Don't worry, Ravage, no one here shall breath a word of what has taken place. In the meantime, Allé, go to the clinic and see how the old fellow is doing. Mott," he whispered something in Mott's ear that Ravage couldn't catch. "Just tell them you decided to carry out the routine check early," he finished aloud.

"Right," said Mott, and left the room.

Vey wrote something on some paper and handed it to Tirri. "Give this to General Scaus, please." Tirri nodded, and hurried off.

Vey sat down and rubbed his brow. "This has certainly been an eventful day," he said wearily. He looked at Ravage. "Still, I'm glad you were here. If it hadn't been for you, we may not have had any information on any sort of conspiracy, and then who knows what would have happened. I can't thank you enough."

He sighed. "You're probably tired, I expect. I know I am. Still, I need to send a quick call to the heads of state. They should all be assembled by tomorrow morning. Please be ready, they'll need to here your story. I've also had some extra guards posted near your ship."

Vey stood and placed his right fist to his left palm. "Thank you, Ravage. Your service is very much appreciated. I'll see you in the morning."

___________________________________________________

Night was also falling over Mondar. However, sleep was the last thing on Jiiran's mind.

He stood studying large blueprint on his table, playing with a pencil in his hand. This was what he was working towards. A weapon. A powerful weapon. The prototype for it was almost complete. However, it was no bigger than a standard satellite. The final work would be far greater. All it needed was a power source.

Jiiran frowned ever so slightly. The power needed for this thing was immense. No ordinary power source would do. Only certain ones that he was now working to obtain. Five, to be exact. Two of them, the orbs, were hidden somewhere within Confederacy territory. One he already had. The other two were on Vathoris. And Jiiran knew exactly where to find them.

Jiiran straightened up and looked towards the door. A single attendant stood there. Jiiran walked over to him, and began to stare at him. The attendant shifted nervously. "Is there something you require, My Lord?" he asked nervously.

Jiiran made no response, but continued to stare at him. The attendant licked his lips, his body starting to quake. "Is. . . is there something you require, My Lord?" he stammered.

Jiiran continued to stare at him in silence. The attendant was shaking like a reed now, stammering out the same question over and over, his words getting mixed up, and eventually turning into terrified gibberish. Without warning, Jiiran arm shot out. A scream rent the air. Jiiran's claws stopped just short of the attendant's face, and then were drawn away. The attendant collapsed on the floor in a miserable heap, shaking and sobbing in fear. Jiiran returned to the table.

The only thing to do to others was make them fear him. Keep them subdued. At least, that was what Jiiran used to think. But as time progressed, his mind had become all the more twisted. Now it wasn't enough to subdue, he concluded. He must destroy. Only then will I e safe, he thought to himself.

Ravage dipped her beak, "Very well, then, Sir. I will see you at the meeting tomorrow." With this, she left the palace, and returned to her Stealth Strider. However, she did not sleep easily. She was wary of threats, and felt that she could not rest unless she slept with one eye open. She would protect Vathoris, she had made a promise, and she intended that she would keep it. it was her responsibility.

(Sorry, post is a little bit short)

Morning dawned over Daro. Vey stood on the balcony, watching the sun rise. Sleep had not come easy to him. The prospect of an impending assault upon Vathoris had all but robbed him of sleep. Especially knowing who was going to attack.

A butler approached. "The heads of state have been assembled, Sire."

Vey turned. "Thank you, Maz," he said. He quickly made his way to where the Stealth Rider was. He knocked on the side. "Ravage, it's time. Can you hear me? The heads of state are convening."

The hatch in the Stealth Strider emerged, and Ravage flew out of it, landing on the ground a distance from Vey. Although it was still somewhat scratched and battered-looking, her armor seemed to be far shiner than it had been earlier, as though she had been trying to polish it. The melted ranks that had adorned the shoulder pads of her armor had also been removed, and different badges that hadn't been damaged were re-inserted back into the slots, where they were meant to click into place. Traditionally, the badges consisted of blue bars against a metal background matching the color of the armor, but in this case, the background of the ranks were chrome-like, as though they had come from a different set of armor. The chrome badges proudly displayed whatever rank had originally been impossible to read.

Lieutenant Colonel, a high rank among the Chimerosu.

Ravage, overall, had taken the time to get ready for the meeting, so that she didn't look too out of place. Her armor looked a bit war-torn with the scratches and dents that afflicted various segments, but after the effort to buff out some of the damage, and the application of the polish, it gleamed like obsidian. The chrome ranks, while not matching the armor, seemed to beautifully stand out. Overall, she appeared to be a seasoned warrior, who took pride in wearing the armor she had fought in. While it was dented, it seemed that she took good care of it.

The reason why she had done this, was to ensure that people didn't take lightly anything that she said or did. She wasn't a civilian, but a soldier that had earned and was deserving of respect and attention. First impressions often determined future treatment, and Ravage intended to make a good one. Of course, this also ran a certain risk. She had mentioned things earlier that could be traced back to the first contact the Chimerosu Empire had made with another alien race, and someone who knew Chimerosu history (The small amount that existed in the galaxy that hadn't been destroyed) would be able to identify who she really was, based on her rank. Lieutenant Colonel Scree, prized Stealth Strider captain, and representative of the Chimerosu race.

Ravage looked over at Vey, "Let's go, then." She said.

The Covenant fleet stayed tightly in formation as automatic targeting systems on the ships activated and the defensive hulls went up.

"The Anti-Matter weapon seems to be activating again," the bridge commander said, thinking. "Focus the Fortress Ship's genesis device on that. After they reveal themselves and fire, shoot the beam directly at their superweapon."

First, the missiles that Absolute had launched hit. The AI was wrong about the mechanics of the shield locking, and many of the drill missiles exploded onto the energy shields with minimal damage. Some had hit smaller vessels and tore holes straight through them. Next, the shock torpedoes that Marr's fleet had fired hit. The Sentinel was expecting this, thus the activation of defensive hulls. These act as metal barriers to protect the interior of ships from damage. Many of the torpedoes hit these doing minimal damage - However, when some of them hit the shields, the systems in some of the smaller ships fried, while those in the Destroyers and Fortress Ship were protected very well. As Marr's fleet reappeared, the automatic weapons took over, firing magnetohydrodyamic beams directly across the fleet and many thermal missiles. The Genesis Device also ended its activation stage and fired directly at Marr's superweapon. As this happened, the Ryun-Wreae Fleet covered the flanks, firing heavily upon both fleets, especially the one that had been cloaked. The attack was cunning and devastating to some parts of the fleet, however, the Krathunian culture values defense, and it was beginning to show.

The despotic vessels took heavy damage.

"What is the stasis of the Anti-matter cannon?" he demanded.

"The ship has been damaged, but the weapon is still functional. The other ships were able to shield it," replied the helmsman. At the moment, fifty despotic ships emerged from the wormhole.

"Finally," said Marr, "reinforcements have arrived. Have them blast those ships. In the meantime, let's take care of that weapon of theirs. Is the one cloaked ship still around?"

"Yes, Sir," replied the helmsman.

"Excellent," said Marr. "Tell them to move as close as they can to the ship holding the weapon without being detected. Then tell the Anti-matter Cannon to aim for that ship and fire."

"Er, won't that weapon be able to catch the attack and send it back at them?" asked the helmsman.

"Indeed," said Marr. "In fact, I'm counting on it."

"But, Sir, the Anti-matter Cannon won't be able to take another hit, unless you order some of the reinforcements to shield it."

"Not to worry," replied Marr cheerfully. "Here are the final orders. The cloaked ship will hold its position until the Anti-matter Cannon fires. Once it does, the hidden ship must set a course for the weapon at ramming speed." Marr chuckled. "They'll catch the Anti-matter, sure enough. What they won't realize is that they have a ship headed right for them under cloak. It should hit them right as they are about to shoot the Anti-matter back at us; at the very least, when they're firing back, the hidden ship should be right in front of them. Either, the resulting explosion should take care of their little weapon and anything that happens to be nearby."

"But, Sir," said the helmsman, "that will destroy our ship too."

Marr smirked. "I'm perfectly aware of that, fool. Send out my orders. They won't dare refuse."

The secret resistance member was dismayed. I have to find some way of stopping this, he thought. Then an idea came to him.

The Anti-matter Cannon fired. The ship should be on a ramming course now, thought the resistance member. He closed his eyes and concentrated. He was in the cloaked ship's system. He had control of the cloaking mechanism. The ship dropped cloak. I just hope that gives them enough time to react, he thought noting with some dismay how perilously close the formerly cloaked ship was to its target.

______________________________________________

Vey and Ravage entered a room dominated by a long table. Twelve seats were there, one of which, presumably Vey's, was empty. The only people Ravage recognized were the one Prime Minister she had met, and the Grand Viceroy. The rest were strangers to her. Vey introduced them all (I'm too lazy to go into that right now). Vey then introduced Ravage, and explained the strange vision that the priest had claimed to have had the night before.

"In addition to this, our friend Ravage was fortunate enough to overhear someone discussing a plot to overthrow our world." Vey turned to Ravage. "Ravage, would you please be so good as to tell everyone what you heard?"

Ravage nodded, and stood before the group of officials, "What you are about to hear is a replicated version of the conversation. I am capable of perfectly mimicking tone and voice, and can still recall exactly what was said. Therefore, you will be hearing the same catches of conversation I heard from within my ship. From what can be determined, they were examining my ship in an attempt to determine if I was a threat to their plans. However, the conversation then turns to something highly suspicious, which gives us good reason to think a conspiracy exists." She said. She then began to mimic a playback of the conversation, almost like a recording. This was much like how she had done so for the Prince in the kitchen yesterday. Because this was evidence, it was a wonderful advantage that Ravage had this ability at her disposal.

"-I'm looking at it right now. It looks to be an original model. The pilot though is something quite different from the ordinary."

"I fail to see why you have brought this to my attention. The Chimerosu are all but extinct. I care not for any survivors or their ships. This one you speak of is no concern of ours. All you must worry about is doing your part when the time comes."

"-And you'll remember your promise, won't you? That the whole of Vathoris would belong to me?"

"Yes, you have my word."

With this, she blinked her clear eyelids once, the recording over. "This is all that I heard, however, despite very little being said, it is rather clear that there is a conspiracy involved, as promises regarding, quote, 'the whole of Vathoris' can only be treated as a plan to place the world under a new ruler. I see no other reasonable way to look at it."

The Bridge Commander watched as the anti-matter cannon fired. "They're aiming for this ship. I want the Genesis Device to capture the energy, charge it up, and fire it back at them. Bring up the defensive hulls and increase power to shielding and the magnetohydrodynamic guns. I want them on automatic targeting." The other ships in the fleet continued to fight in their normal formations, the Destroyers going into a more offensive state in which they heavily fired upon the enemy fleets.

When the energy was starting to be charged up within the Genesis Device, the ship decloaked. "Now!" the Bridge Commander yelled furiously. The magnetohydrodynamic beam weapons targeting systems activated and four of the guns focused on the approaching ship before it could hit. The beams of molten molten ripped through the Mondarian ship, tearing it apart before it could hit. The Genesis Device ended it charging stage and fired the energy from the antimatter weapon back at Marr's fleet.

There was silence in the council room. Prime Minister Gesme of Tesmis spoke up. "This is certainly some very disturbing news, especially the idea that we have a traitor somewhere amongst us. I for one think we ought to work together to try to ferret out whoever this traitor might be, and interrogate him."

There were some murmurs of agreement. All except from Viceroy Godmar. He slowly and regally stood up.

"If I may," he began, "let us examine this issue. We are being asked to call a huge search for heaven knows who, and make a great deal of fuss and bother over the delirious ramblings of an old priest, and the words of a complete stranger to our world. Meaning no offense to our distinguished guest," he continued in a tone indicating he couldn't care less if Ravage was offended or not, "or to the respectable old priest, but I question whether this emergency meeting was entirely called for. Prince Vey's concern for our world is commendable, as always; however, as I'm sure your all aware, our good prince (meaning no offense to him) has, on occasion, had a bit of tendency to overreact to things and take more action than is really called for. I for one find this whole matter a little dubious. While I do not question the integrity and honesty of our guest, I must say this whole conspiracy thing seems to be a bit of a stretch."

_____________________________________________

"The ship decloaked, Sir!" cried the helmsman.

"What?!" shrieked Marr. They looked in dismay as the Covenant ships weapons destroyed the vessel.

"Their weapon is firing!"

"Tell them to take evasive action!" roared Marr. Too late. The Anti-matter Cannon exploded spectacularly.

Marr roared curses, spittle flying form his mouth. "Take every ship we have and bombard those [unprintable] creatures! Hit them with everything we have!"

The despotic ships rained down with disruptor torpedoes, ion cannons, and cutting beams.

"What of the mission?' sad the cloaked Mondarian.

"Don't bother me right now," snarled Marr. "I'm busy."

The cloaked Mondarian came closer. "Let me remind you that this mission was specifically commissioned by Lord Jiiran himself. It cannot fail."

"Well, it must wait a bit," replied Marr. "Circumstances simply aren't suitable at this moment."

"Can you send me to one of those ships?" demanded the cloaked Mondarian. "If you can, do so. One of the creatures on that vessel must surely have the information Jiiran needs."

"And what if they don't?" asked Marr sarcastically. "Suppose those ships are simply manned by the stupid rank and file? Holding them up won't do you much good, will it? Wait. An opportunity may still come."

The cloaked Mondarian frowned, and began studying some of the beaming controls.

Ravage had, in truth, expected a reply like this from the Viceroy. From what she had heard about him, he seemed to encourage isolationism on the planet, and use his silver tongue in order to convince people not to search for what might be under their own noses. She would have to handle this situation with precision, in order to keep people alert. "It is true, that I am a stranger, whom many of you know little about. However, how can you truly know a person that you have never met and spoken to in person?" The question was rhetorical, but the point was clear. You didn't really know what someone was like until you met them, and judged for yourself who they were. Ravage scanned the members of the council, "Only Prince Vey, Prime Minister Gesme, and Viceroy Godmar have met me before, and for two of them, the encounters were brief, as more pressing matters needed their attention. Many of the faces in this room, I have not seen before, and you, to whom I am speaking, have not met me, but have possibly heard of me, though what you have heard, I cannot be sure. However, you surely do not believe everything you were told, and only believe after you investigate the matter. You do not believe the words of a person, until you investigate what they tell you multiple times, and then find them to be true each time. Such a person is deemed honest, and if from what you know, they have never lied, then you will automatically see that they are telling you the truth, and may eventually cease to investigate altogether."

Ravage continued, "If I may make a point, you trust the Prince, do you not? Has he not had the best interest of Vathoris and its citizens at heart? I have not known him for long, but I have spoken to him enough, to know that he has been a kind and generous person, deserving of respect. He has earned my admiration, and more importantly, my trust. Trust without any reason to give it is faith, and Prince Vey has put his faith in me by calling me as a witness before the council. I am not here before you because you yourselves trust me, but because the Prince is willing to put his faith in me. I am eternally grateful for the kindness of this world, and to the Prince, and have promised to do anything within my power to protect him and Vathoris." Her words were heartfelt and strong, "So yes, you may have no reason to trust me, but I am asking all of you to put your faith in me, and believe what I say." Despite the fact that she was a bit of a mystery, Ravage was a surprisingly powerful speaker.

"I have lived a very harsh life, my people are all but extinct, because of what our courses of action were. We didn't worry about the Dominion and the Karthla, even though they were right on our doorstep, and could attack us at any moment. We never took safety measures, when we should have." Her eyes scanned the council as the pupils contracted into slits. "I was on Krylon, the day we were attacked. I saw my own neighbors, shot with Karthla virus, and turned into mindless beasts, with no trace of their former selves, or who they once were. I myself was caught trapped under a collapsing building, and barely clinging to life, as I clawed my way out of the rubble. My feathers started to catch, and I became a living torch, as I slowly began to burn alive." Her eyes narrowed, "I escaped the planet miraculously, just in time to see my home explode, and at the time, I was in so much pain, and wanted so badly for it to end, it's amazing that I didn't end it then and there. When you feel those things, you want to die, because maybe then you won't feel it anymore."

Ravage was then silent for a moment, to let the story sink in, before she started to speak again. "I would rather everyone overreact, and find nothing, than to do nothing, and watch more friends die, and see Vathoris burn. I take it seriously, because I know what happens when you don't. I tell you, the Prince isn't overreacting, he's making sure that the planet is safe, and I won't have you say he's at fault for doing so. I was a Lieutenant Colonel, I was a refugee, I saw terrible things that you cannot even fathom. I know what it's like to fight for your life, I know what it's like to kill another person. I am not the way I am because I want to be, I am the way I am because of the horrible things that I had to do in order to survive." She scanned the group again, an intense silence following, "I do not feel like a stranger, because Vathoris is so much like Krylon, that it hurts. The people here are good people, who deserve to live in peace. Being here gave me purpose, a world and friends that I could care about again. Yes, I am a stranger to you people, and perhaps I am too emotional about all of this. Regardless, as long as I am here, I will not let a matter like this rest until it is addressed properly. It won't be dismissed as long as I am here, because I have every reason to care."

A thunderous ovation followed Ravage's speech; she had clearly had an impact. Vey smiled gratefully to her. Speeches had never been something he himself was good at.

Godmar waited until the clapping had died before speaking. "Very touching," he said. "You've certainly had a great deal of experience. I'm sure we all find it perfectly understandable you should feel so strongly. I suppose it is not unreasonable to take a few precautions. Still, we mustn't be hasty. We are not sure who exactly this is who plots our destruction, or why, or how. It might be expedient to take some time, perhaps, to investigate this matter a little further before taking any decisive action. I think you will agree that in such situations as this, one cannot afford to be careless."

Ravage's left eye squinted at Viceroy Godmar, which was the Chimerosu equivalent of raising an eyebrow, "Suggesting that we be cautious only proves the point, Viceroy, of why we must launch this investigation. A conspirator is not going to knock on our front door, and tell us his plan. He will go to great lengths to make sure that nobody knows his identity, or what he intends to do. An open investigation of suspicious shipments and cargo, and of habitable locations near Vathoris is fine for searching for an invading threat, but threats on the inside require secrecy. It is hard for an invading armada to change plans if something goes wrong, because of the sheer number of ships that must be moved. But a conspiracy doesn't require many to exist, it only has two people, as far as we can tell. With lesser numbers, if the conspirators know they are suspected, then they can vanish like smoke, and the trail will be lost completely. To investigate these traitors, we must be subtle, and look for them, without arousing too much suspicion."

She scanned the gathered people, "If you want to catch a traitor who can change plans quickly, you have to lull them into a false sense of security, let them think that their current plan will work without complications. Because there is both the conspiracy, and the fact that there might be a true invasion, the two might not be connected at all, there is very little evidence to go by if the two have ties, although it is not impossible. So, it would stand to reason that if we made a great deal of fuss about investigating neighboring habitable worlds looking for some force that might be preparing to attack, the conspirators may believe that we are too distracted to notice them." She blinked, "All the while, agents can quietly look into the matter, and with all the commotion, nobody should see them, either."

Murmurs of agreement ran through around the table. Ravage's sound strategy was obviously being well-received.

"However," said Vey, "as to the identity of at least one of the people Ravage heard, namely, the one speaking over the Comm, I think I can give him an name. I know the voice well. The voice speaking over the Comm was, without a doubt, Jiiran's."

Gasps and exclamations were heard all around. Godmar laughed. "Jiiran? Why, he hasn't been seen on Vathoris for twenty years. And the last time we heard of him, he was just one single person."

"Things have changed, though," replied Vey. "Just a month ago we made contact with a race known as Markovans, and they claimed to have been attacked by an empire terming itself the Imperial Despot of Jiiran." Vey looked at everyone. "Jiiran, it seems, now has a full empire at his disposal. He has obviously been busy while he was away."

"Rather unsettling, indeed," said Godmar, not looking particularly unsettled at all. "I think perhaps our good friend Ravage here has given us some quite worthwhile suggestions that would be expedient to follow."

Everyone at the table agreed. "Thank you," said Vey. "I know everyone will do their best to ensure the safety of our world." The meeting adjourned shortly afterwards.

After the meeting was over, and everyone she didn't know had left, Ravage sighed, and shook her head, suddenly seeming somewhat haunted. Although she could seem extremely composed when she needed to, she was actually shattered inside. She was able to recall memories that she once tried everything in her power to avoid remembering, but sometimes she wondered if it was for the best. Telling her story about the invasion of Krylon was a good way to win support and understanding, but it made the past no less painful. She might be better off never saying what happened that day. Despite this, she knew that no matter how hard she tried to stop from reflecting, those memories would come to her. No amount of strength devoted to suppressing them could stop it. They didn't press her in her waking hours, but Ravage could always see and hear them vividly in her sleep. She no longer dreamed, or slept peacefully, and woke up, thinking she was under attack. She could go a long time without food without suffering any negative effects, but sometimes, her fasting extended past what was good for her well-being.

Normally, she was too strong and willful to let such things show, but now, she felt hollow and numb. Usually, she danced around the memory, but this time, she had directly said what had happened. She closed her clear third eyelids, making her eyes appear milky white to anyone watching, save for the faint shadow of where her pupils were. She kept them closed, a visor to protect from the outside world. You could never tell from her healthy-looking feathers, and flawless skin, that she had been burned alive. In truth, when one looked closely, she had an unusual lack of scars, despite her obviously violent past. The scars between her knuckles, present yesterday, had vanished over the course of dinner. With so little evidence of injury, nobody knew that Ravage was constantly harming herself, both mentally, and physically, during fits of madness. Such things, while she might mention madness, brought her eternal shame, if anyone knew what truly happened within the walls of her Stealth Strider. Nobody on Vathoris had entered the strange ship. Anyone who did enter, might never know from the spotless rooms, furniture, and equipment, that they had been bathed in the pilot's blood, drawn from self-inflicted wounds. The only evidence anyone could see, were the claw marks. Extremely deep claw marks, indicating three razor-sharp claws per hand.

Ravage turned to face Vey, "I am tired, Prince Vey. I confess, I did not sleep well, last night." She said. "I will return to my ship, there is not much else I can do, presently." Her voice was somewhat flat, and she looked as though she might either collapse, or burst into tears. Before her words could receive a response, she left the room to go wait outside. It was clear that she was now avoiding any further conversation that might remind her of her story, until she could compose herself again. Prince Vey was an empathetic person, who would show sympathy, but sometimes, the best form of sympathy someone can give is silence. What can anyone say that makes the situation better? Words felt hollow and pathetic, when they couldn't explain what you felt.

A cluster of iron ships slid into space nearby. They were hug and had purplish pink lights that shined from the crevices. The fires that shot out from the ends of any of the rockets were pinkish and very powerful.

Inside the command bay was a tall creature that sat in a gray and pinkish throne. He was colored pink like the rest of his kind and he had long slippery, almost rubbery locks of hair along his head and down his neck. He had yellowish green eyes with black snake-like slits as pupils. His arms sat on the arms of the metal throne. He watched at the techs piloted the ship.

"General Dravin! We are approaching a large cluster of ships! Our scanners indicate a massive battle! Should we make contact with the aliens?" asked the pilot. The General saw the ships of the Confederacy, the UFIAI, and the Markovians. He clicked a few buttons on a console next to the throne.

"No. But if the aliens attack us... Flush them out!" he growled. The techs nodded, pressing on the metal consoles that glowed purple, green, yellow, blue, and pink.

A specimen dressed in fine armors approached the throne. He bowed his head in respect then eyed the General. "General, my armed forces are ready if an assault is to be made. Our Invasion Dropships are also read, by your command sir."

"There is no need Commander. I want to figure out who these creatures are first. If they prove to be hostile or potential slave material, I want them alive to fulfill the tasks I have in mind" said Dravin.

"What if they would prove good as allies?" asked this commander. Dravin stood up, pointing at the commander.

"Then we'd sort things out with the Emperor. Until then we must keep a very brute-like approach. You remember what the Konabul did to us when we trusted them?"

"Yes sir. Nobody has forgotten the Old War" said the Commander.
"That is exactly why we don't trust aliens. Keep all weapons ready to fire in case these slimes try anything! When the fires have cleared contact the biggest ship there is" Dravin said sitting back down.

With the attacking Mondarian vessels sufficiently distracted by the Krathunian and Federation ships, the Jorro'kil fleet was free to engage and attack the UFIAI ships once more, launching a salvo of missiles and other, plasma-based weaponry. several Destroyers advanced on a couple of UFIAI ships, and battered them with high-powered plasma lances.


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Meanwhile....

Emperor Xonoc, still inside the protective chamber on Muthara, continues to pace, still wishing to join Shipmaster Xavitra onboard The Punisher... Finally making up his mind, he moves to a teleportation device and attempt to beam up to the Jorro'kil Super Destroyer...

The Bridge Commander, having been distracted by the recent events, turned to the COMM transmitter. "Shipmaster, send those ships behind them now." He then turned, seeing the Anti-Matter weapon being destroyed and the Mondarian's new assault. "I want all ships in a defensive position. Shield locks and defensive hulls up. Jettison nearby meteors and derelict ships toward them as to get in the way of the missiles." He turned back to the COMM device and directed it towards the Ryun-Wreae Fleet. "Barborin, I want half of your ships, including the newly arrived Dreadnought to focus on this enemy fleet, as they just focused all fire on us. The other half should focus on the UFIAI."

Soon, the assault hit. The defenses of the fleet soaked up much of the damage, and the jettisoned debris took a battering for the Krathunians. However, one of the Destroyer's shielding systems were fried and it was forced to retreat to the nearby shield world of Hunais for repairs. Several smaller cruisers and and warships were completely or mostly destroyed. However, reinforcements were constantly arriving.

"Now! I want all a full scale assault on those ships. We need to make them retreat at the least." Magnetohydrodynamic cannons on all ships fired, with heat torpedoes, drill missiles, and particle weaponry firing at full force. However, the ships retained a defensive position and kept defensive hulls up, while the shield lock disappeared to allow for individual ship systems to repair.

The Ryun-Wreae fleet also went into action, heavily firing upon both fleets, trying to draw them slowly away from the planet.

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"Interesting." Captain Talithe said, nodding at the Lieutenant. "As for us, the Federation has been in effect for approximately two hundred years, though we have only been a part of the galactic community for about eleven. We are governed by the high council, comprised of three Ryun and three Wreae. In addition, we are a part of the Confederacy. It is not the same as the Third Arm Confederacy, though it retains several of the same empires - The Dranzoot Empire, Jorro'kil Free Absolute, Krathunian Covenant of Sethega, Lumeriana, and us."

Talithe eyed the Vil'Nolwikkan wearily. "Have you had any past experiences with the Confederacy, TAC, or any of the empires I mentioned?"

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"Excellent," The Wreae unit stated, observing its upgrade. "Is the Overcharge device ready for action?"