Disruption (IC)

Travis looked over at Aarin, and responded, keeping his voice low, "Look at the nature of the homes they live in, they do not appear to have electricity or anything made of metal, they may not be at very high risk, and they are also on the outskirts of the Fifth Arm, still. Besides, if they lack spaceships, what good would it do for us to make them worry?" Indeed, so far, they had seen nothing made out of metal, in fact, everything the Silexians lived in seemed to be made of either wood or stone, and so far, there were no visible power plants, it seemed that there were fireplaces, however, so perhaps they used fires for light and warmth. Indeed, the people of Silex seemed less developed, in regards to technology, and generally, only modern space-faring worlds would face a major disaster if the Arachnarche came to their planets. Travis doubted that these people even had spaceships, and he didn't think that the large presence of water on their world would be found very appealing.

"What do you speak of, this electricity and metal, what risk?" Alder asked, squinting one eye.

"You see, there is another reason for us being out here. There is a race of insects spreading in your part of the galaxy, which feed on energy, and construct their nests out of metal. Aarin is worried that you may be at risk of being attacked by them, because they might come here in search of those two things, we're currently working on seeing if we can make peace and get them to stop." Travis explained, trying to be as lighthearted about the matter as possible. If these people couldn't leave their planet, all this news would do is cause a major panic. Technology on this world had clearly regressed, that much should have been obvious.

Alder frowned, "I do not think we must fear these creatures, metal is perhaps useful on other, drier worlds, but here, it is quite useless to us, and most deposits remain buried under the sea, where pressure will kill most things, we only know because we can dive down surprisingly deep, despite breathing air. I tell you, here it is very difficult to find a place that the salty air from the sea does not touch, and saltwater can be carried on the wind. It is too difficult to keep metal, it rusts too easily, and is not a safe building material, as a result. We make our homes from abundant resources we can easily access, that means wood and stone, or thatched grass. We do not use electricity, for wiring has the same downfall as metal, it rusts, and becomes hazardous. Fires are easier to run, for our planet has much charcoal on its volcanic islands. I am afraid, that we are not advanced enough to be seen as worth these insects' time."

Travis frowned, "Well, there are ways to protect metal, but I suppose you are better off, not having it. We can show you how to make wiring that doesn't rust, and help you advance your technology, we could get you back into space. That's what the UCN is for, we help other members of our kind."

Alder frowned thoughtfully, and folded his arms, "I am afraid I do not have the authority to speak for this entire planet, but I would gladly allow you to help my village, and I do not think the other villages will mind, either. How will this advancement be done, though?"

"Well, first, we aren't going to tell everyone you're here, too many people will take advantage of it. We send over some of our people to start building stuff, and help you train some of yours to do the same things. We can give you ships, we ain't going to ask for payment, having you join us is enough."

Alder nodded, "Alright, then. I will not protest to this, we may join you, but not immediately, until other leaders can agree. There is an entire network amongst the isles, so communication will work well."

The Federation fleet took note of the Mondarian's rather straightforward strategy, and wanted to take advantage of it. However, they knew that the Despotic fleet would likely be planning something - It wasn't like Jiiran's military to rush into battle with little regard for safety and fire everything they had. The fleet maintained its defensive position while sending for backup. This didn't take long, and several warships soon exited from cloak to both sides of the large Mondarian fleet, flanking them. The various ships of the Confederacy fired particle beams and plasma projectiles, attempting to take out as many ships as possible, though most power was diverted to maintaining shields.

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Unsilenced Retribution stared forward for a while, thinking over its optios. It turned to Xej, blue electrical energy flowing through the machine's armor. "With that taken into consideration... Let's try something different." The Valence's warp drives were activated and it disappeared, the space rippling behind it, and the rest of the fleet followed soon.

((Computer about to die, will post everything else tomorrow.))

A number of the Mondarian ships turned themselves to face outwards, apparently trying to counter the flanking move; however, there still didn't seem to be any particular strategy other than mindless shooting.
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"We certainly would look forward to knowing you better," replied Aarin. "If your people decide to join, the Confederacy of Vathoris would be willing to assist the United Chimerosu Nations to build you up."

Aarin cast a glance at Tevri. Tevri was confused for a moment, but then understood what Aarin was hinting at. Clearing his throat, he spoke. "Er, my people also would be honored to assist in any way." A short embarrassed silence followed, and then he stood and placed his right fist to his left heart (Markovans have two hearts, and the left one is generally considered the good one), a sign of true contrition in a Markovan.

"Mr. Alder, Sir, I am sincerely sorry for my provocation early, and I swear on my honor that I meant no harm. You see, it is an ancient custom amongst my people to present your weapon to someone as a gesture of trust. If I may. . ." He drew his sword carefully, and presented it hilt first to Alder. "Here is my sword, and here is my hand in friendship," he said with the greatest solemnity.

“Interesting, thank you for answering. But now we should probably discuss the matter at hand, or what to do with the confederacy”, Kalfu answered to deceiver. While Kalfu and rest of the UFIAI were more than exited to meet such an unusual for of life, Kalfu had started to feel uneasy from the moment that the Deceiver started to mimic its voice. “So far we have understood that you have been, hmm, hibernating for some time. Therefore I’d like know how well you know the current situation in this galaxy. Also, we do not know the capabilities of your military forces. We’d like also some information on that, so that we can coordinate our fleets and troops better to balance the power across the frontline”, Kalfu said in deceivingly calm tone. “In exchange we will give you our charts of the frontline with the locations of our fleets and the locations of any seen Confederacy’s fleets. Our survey information is very accurate”, Kalfu said. It paused, almost like it was hesitating for a moment before continuing in the calm tone from before: “We also have blueprints from numerous Confederate defenses and ships. Their accuracy varies, the least accurate being the charts from Krathunian shield worlds.” Kalfu then paused, waiting for Deceiver’s answer.

"We have been gathering information from the data banks of the other races, and intercepted transmissions even while in hibernation." The Deceiver responded. "Most of the Collective now knows much about recent events, and information spreads like a fire between Vrentus. However, we do not know many of the finer details." the Deceiver paused. "Our military is not conventional. As we have demonstrated we can replicate ships, whether they be friend or foe. Thus, we can use the strengths of our enemies to our advantage, although we do possess the industrial output to produce many conventional ships, though we have several now. Our military is not to be taken lightly. The Krathunian Covenant of old could barely stand after we were through" The Deceiver thought a bit about how he would answer Kalfu's questions, but this process only took a second before it spoke again.  "We know the UFIAI is chasing the orbs. We do not wish to take advantage of these objects. We have no need for them. To us, they are simply another anomaly. We seek only to bring about the collapse of the Confederacy, and in that regard, Kalfu, as well as any other AI listening to me, our civilizations could benefit from an alliance." The Deceiver stopped, awaiting a response.

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"Thank you, Greta. I'm not sure if this would be a challenge but it would mean much to me." Svar remarked. A compartment in the armor on his right arm opened up to a projector-like device, which then let out a hologram. The video it showed was a bit hazy with static but its contents could still be seen to a degree. It depicted an arctic planet, choked by ice and snow. A cluster of buildings could be seen in the distance, fire raging through them and towers crumbling. In the foreground there was a cliff of stone, with snow lightly falling upon it. A Krathunian, wearing dark armor similar to Svar's, walked slowly into the foreground. He was slightly taller, and wore a torn red cape that flowed gently in the wind. He was also carrying a strange, large device. It was made out of a material similar in texture and color to stainless steel. There was a circular pad, at the center of which a rectangular prism jutted upwards, the top slanted. The sides of this glowed with a green light.

The Krathunian set it down near the edge of the cliff, adjusting settings with a device on his gauntlet. The device glowed brighter, and suddenly a strange sight was seen. The gray, cloudy sky lit up, as if cracking with blue lightning. The Krathunian watched this in awe, shielding his eyes.  The glow faded away, and a huge fleet of small ships ascended into the atmosphere, engines burning. In the distance more of these could be seen flying up. One of the ships closer to the Krathunian got shot down, and he stepped back as the vessel burned up in a fireball and crashed down below the cliff. He turned back to the mounted camera this was being recorded on, taking his helmet off. His plate coloring was darker than most Krathunians, though he shared ice blue eyes with Svar. He roared in anger, shouting in a language that would be unknown to Greta. Very shortly after this Karthla swarmed the area. The Krathunian's armored shifted, his right gauntlet becoming a shield and the left becoming a cannon similar to Svar's railgun. He fought the Karthla valiantly, smashing the first off the cliff with his shield and blasting the next closest. However, his position was overwhelmed - The creatures did not stop coming. After a couple minutes he got knocked to the ground by a huge Karthla General, whose foot rested on his chest. The Krathunian looked to the camera, smiling, as a blade on the Karthla's hand came up, about to sweep down and kill its foe. However, the Krathunian revealed his final gambit. In his right hand he held up a small trigger device, and clicked it in defiance. The Karthla stepped back in confusion as the Krathunian's  armor started to glow in a deep red hue between the plate cracks before blowing up in a brilliant explosion. The camera cut out at this time, becoming static. Svar stopped the transmission, breathing in somewhat heavily, though he tried to shield this.

"Apologies if that was too morbid," He started, pacing around, his head low. "That Krathunian was a direct ancestor of mine, Ulanth Levantus. At the time, the Krathunian Old Worlds were under attack by the Dominion, and the New World refused to send aid as the two sections of the empire were very divided. Ulanth was one of a few who chose to go the Sethega against the will of the government and attempt to fortify our homeworld. Just after his arrival planetside, the Dominion attacked. With the aid of dishonorable rebels, they had altered our planetary energy shielding to exclusively let Dominion vessels in, and nothing out without being destroyed." He gulped, his mouth dry. "Ulanth was able to disable the shielding, as seen here, to let millions escape into the New Worlds. He recorded this with a dis-attached HUD, streaming it to the New World network. He was a well-known and highly ranked soldier, so many would notice. His last words before dying, what he shouted to the camera translated to, "There is no honor in war if you are not the savior of many others." This was exactly what he had done, and it was directed at both the Karthla behind the camera and the government." Svar rubbed his forehead in distress. "That is my request, Greta. Ulanth Levantus and his story means much to me, and I would much appreciate his sacrifice to be memorialized in art."

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Ryun-Wreae Federation fleet continued to return fire, attempting to break large, dense areas of ships with their weaponry. They stayed on guard, waiting for the Despotic fleet to attempt something.

((Continuum Corrupter and next part of Unsilenced Retribution tomorrow, apologies))

As the battle went on at Daryssan, at another location not far away, a transmission went out: "This is High Admiral Fedrin Marr calling the UFIAI. We are currently involved in a battle with the Confederacy. Would you care to join?"

Alder knew there was probably some sort of traditional response to Tevri's question, but because he did not know it, he simply had to guess. "You may keep your sword, but I will gladly accept your friendship," He said, his hand gripping the young Markovan's and giving it a firm shake. It seemed he did not need to know tradition, for the look on the faces of the others told him that he had somehow done it properly. He then straightened, "Well, with this being said, I will send messengers to the islands, and we will meet in the great city on the water, where all diplomatic business is held. I will see if I may persuade all the great peoples to accept the help of the UCN, and perhaps, in the future, we will join you, though I think there will be little to no opposition on the decision."

A barren planet, swept by howling winds and cold, dry sand, orbited the star Pralius. A graveyard of ancients ships ranging in size and make from small fighters to enormous destroyers surrounded the planet, orbiting both closely to its gray surface and far. It was here that Q'ren's ship came out of warp, silently gliding towards. The blue star emitted a harsh light as the ship closed in on the planet.

Q'ren stood in the bridge with the others, looking at scans of the planet. "We got lucky," He began, the Krathunian's mouth dry. "This is a rather inactive part of the Collective's reach, though I'm certain there are still Vrentus units down there, undoubtedly awakening from their slumber. Now is the ideal time to obtain the Seraph Shell."

The vessel eventually came through the planet's gray atmosphere and landed. Everyone was required to wear gas masks due to the toxicity of the air. The wind roared, whipping the faces of those who exited the ship. Theranis stayed back, starting to establish a perimeter so that he could defend the ship.

Q'ren, Rakluth, Lirr, Teglin, and Zizo all went ahead, however, observing their surroundings. The planet's surface consisted mostly of low, sweeping hills of beige sand. Ruined communications towers and orange rocks reached up into the monotonous, grey atmosphere. The planet was rather bleak, and showed no signs of life aside from broken down technology.

"Spread out." Ordered Rakluth, looking ahead intently. "The Vrentus will likely have their base be underground, so search for any openings in the surface, especially near the towers."

Tevri was greatly relieved that all was behind them now. Aarin smiled and nodded to him. He had done well. He then turned back to Alder. "That is good to here. I'm sure I speak for everyone here when I say that we look forward to hearing their answer."
_______________________________________

The party moved forward, keeping in sight, yet keeping apart to see as much as possible.

"Absolutely dreary," observed Zizo.

"Er, I think I found something," said Teglin, looking at a fairly large opening in the base of a particularly dilapidated building.

It took a while before Marr’s message was answered. It bounced back and forth through the system, meeting only automated programs which sent it to other automated programs. Finally an AI named Anima caught the message from the infinite datastream. It gave it a look, and wondered for a moment if it could pass it to someone else. Seeing that everyone else was also very busy, probably even more than Anima, it decided to answer the message itself: “Greetings High Admiral Fedrin Marr, this is Anima responding. UFIAI will be happy to offer its help. However, our forces are also stretched quite thin right now, and we can only afford to send the exact amount of forces needed”, Anima said with its high, sensual female voice, a voice not expected to come from a mouth of a machine. “So, what kind of assistance do you prefer: defense, invasion, destruction? And what is the approximate strength of the opposition?” Anima asked.

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Master Carrefour answered lingering with the words, placing them carefully: “The UFIAI agrees. It would seem that our interests meet but do not cross. The Confederacy is in our way, possessing the orbs, and you want Confederacy destroyed. Confederacy’s destruction will help us both closer to our goals”, Kalfu stated. Hopefully we will reach our goal before you will yours, or else we are going to have a real mess on our hands, Kaflu added, but only in its mind.

"We are currently engaged in trying to take back some property they took from us, and I have devised a plan by which I hope to smash the force they had reinforcing the area. We have a large force of automatic ships attacking them right now, numbering about five thousand (that's what it was originally, at least) that currently outnumbers them; however, I am currently not having them try to win, rather, in a little bit, I shall have them stage a retreat in which hopefully they will be followed by the majority of the Confederate ships. I shall then surround them with a force twice as large that I am currently keeping hidden a little ways off."

Marr paused a moment. "I heard of the little incident at the one planet of yours. I thought you might appreciate this opportunity to strike back. I think I can leave it to you to decide what sort of force wold be most appropriate for the occasion. These are our coordinates, and the approximate number of the Confederate ships present, if you're interested." He sent the information to Anima.

Travis smiled, "So, is there anything else that we need to know, before we send some of our boys your way?" He asked Alder. "We'd like to stay, but we have several other planets to investigate, so we have to rush off, hope you don't find it rude of us." Although Travis didn't have as much of a military bearing, and he wasn't of the highest rank on the Majesty, it was becoming apparent why he was in charge. His friendly, easygoing manner, and generally straightforward approach made him perfect for negotiating with people. He could do it, and still retain enough focus on the big picture to keep moving forward, and not get stuck on one single task.

Alder smiled, and shook his head, "I am afraid there is not much more that I can do, although I would like for you to send some representatives that can stay here for some time whenever everyone gets here, to represent you during the meetings. It would help to persuade people if they know the face of the people they're considering joining." He clasped his fingers together, "Regardless, people will also be more willing if you show how much you can help our society, you are clearly more advanced than we are, things such as space travel are like legends to us, now. To think that it can be made possible will make many people want to have a taste of adventure, I would have enjoyed such a thing, but I digress, and I am much too old. My place is helping my village."

Travis nodded, "Alright, then, we'll send some of the best representatives from each race to come and join you." He said.

Alder then thought for a moment, "Now that I think of it, if we are to start having relations, should I not send someone with you on your mission, so that we have someone who knows about these things?" He asked.

Travis' eyes widened, "It's not required, but we would love it if you did-"

Alder cut him off, "Then it's settled. I have someone I want you to educate, considering I cannot provide the same level on Silex." He turned to look at his daughter, who was clearly like him, fluent in international tongue, "Mira, my daughter, it is time you receive your higher education. I want you to go with them and learn as much as you can about intergalactic travel. Don't complain about leaving your home planet, you're a smart girl, and I have no intentions of you settling for anything less than what someone of your level of thinking can achieve. Society pressures you to settle for being a wife of the home, and that is not alright with me, you are capable of being a great leader on this planet, someday."

Mira's beak dropped open, and she looked stunned, "Go with...them? But I've never been outside the waters surrounding the village!" She cried.

Alder scowled, "Don't take that tone with me, you're old enough to be on your own, and you need to see that there is more to our existence than just the village and the ocean. This is for your own good, space-faring should help build some character, and I can think of nothing better for you than to do this."

Mira clamped her beak shut, and looked over at Travis, scowling. The Frigian, now uncomfortable with being dragged into something personal, was a bit slow to think of proper words, "Eh...It's not my place to say anything, but we will take good care of her. She's bold enough to hold her own against others her age, so she'll be fine." Mira's beak tightened, and she looked angry, as Travis continued, "We'll give her the rank of Cadet, and assign her to the Third Squadron, led by Lieutenant Colonel Ravage, here." Ravage looked over at him, hearing her name mentioned, "Something tells me you'll get along quite well." He told her.

Aarin looked at Alder, and then Mira. It was clear enough that Mira was not happy with this. Aarin agreed that it might be good for Mira to travel with them, but he couldn't help feeling sorry for her. She obviously didn't want to go, and who could blame her? She was essentially being uprooted from everything she had known, and was going to be faced with potentially dangerous situations with which she had no experience.

Still, no doubt Ravage would be an enormous help to her. Ravage was a fine officer, and Aarin couldn't help but agree with Travis' last statement. They had much in common.
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Jessic stood a ways away from Mott Gatiir's quarters, looking for all the world as if he was just hanging around. However, he was keeping careful watch on Mott's quarters. Since overhearing about Mott working on some sort of weapon, he was determined to find out what it was.

After an hour of waiting, Jessic saw the door open, and Mott came out. The Humdar made an inquiry of a passerby s to the location of the nearest site for refreshment, and then made off. As soon as the coast was clear, Jessic hurried over and entered Mott's quarters. Carefully shutting the door behind him, he quickly began to scan the room. His eyes fell upon the table, which was covered with various papers with notes and hasty sketches. But there was something else there too. Coming over the table, Jessic picked up Mott's project and began to examine it.

It seemed to be some sort of handgun, though it did not appear to be the standard energy weapon; indeed, it seemed to be made to fire a projectile. Jessic foun something that he figured was what was meant to be fired from the weapon, a sharpened bolt, the base of which seemed to have some strange energy device built into it.

Jessic picked up a piece of paper and read the following; If my calculations are correct, then this should be able to deal with the Arachnarche Queen. If it becomes necessary to eliminate her, I must be sure to present this to the others as a possible means of killing her. However, I desperately hope it won't come to this. The very idea of what this would do the Queen are disturbing, to say the least.

Jessic picked up another paper, and read it. It detailed how exactly the device worked. "Clever fellow," said Jessic aloud. "This is certainly useful to know." Jessic then carefully put everything back where it was before. Peaking outside, he checked to make sure no one was there. Satisfied that no one seemed to have noticed, he quietly exited, shutting the door behind him. He then went to his quarters.

(If anyone wants to have noticed him him leaving, go ahead.)

Outside of Mott's room, a shape seemingly materialized from the shadows, so silent that nobody could even hear him. Kerr's piercing blue eyes watched as Jessic left, a suspicious look on his face. Kerr wasn't the most talkative, and wasn't the best at diplomacy, in fact, the main reason he was on the Majesty was because they needed a Stagnumian to represent the UCN. One thing Kerr was good for, however, was ensuring that rules were followed, especially ones regarding privacy rights. It didn't take a genius to tell that Jessic had been snooping, and if there was one thing Kerr loathed, it was someone who stuck their beak where it didn't belong. Jessic was already sending up a million red flags, he struck most people as shifty almost immediately, and considering his blatant disregard for other alien races, a lot of people wondered why he even came on this mission. Now, Kerr saw that he was, even worse, a loose cannon who apparently decided he knew what was best for people, even if he didn't. Jessic's actions could very well destroy the peace on the Majesty, threaten the entire mission, and also, cause him to be convicted under criminal charges.

Kerr wouldn't say anything, yet, but he would have to discuss this with Tevri. The Mondaran prince needed to reign Jessic in, or the Chimerosu on the ship would. Even a heavily-armed foe wouldn't want an entire flock of angry Chimerosu to deal with.

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Ravage flicked her tail, eying Mira cautiously, "Well, considering that I don't have much of a choice, welcome to the Third Squadron. These three cadets with me, Lucas, Lloyd, and Watson, are on the same squadron as you, so you should expect having to work with them, in the future." She said. Behind her, the three cadets waved, looking somewhat childish, as though they had never grown up. Their enthusiasm was good, however, so Mira couldn't help but smile a bit at them, though she scowled when she looked back at Ravage. She didn't know what she had in common with this woman, she had teeth and spines down her back, and what was with her eyes? She looked weird, how on Silex were they alike in any way? She doubted this would work well, but she didn't dare protest any further. She clamped her beak tightly.

Ravage, seeing that Mira was going to be willful and stubborn, folded her arms, "You don't have a choice, right now. You can either try to be a good sport and say hello to your comrades, or you can be a sourpuss and ruin everyone's day, and make yourself miserable. Either way, you're coming back to the Majesty with us, and you're going to have to listen to me. You don't want to know how I deal with disobedience." They glared at each other, and people could practically see lightning shooting between their eyes. Ravage was definitely a fitting mentor to handle the Silexian girl, but before they made any progress, the chain of command had to be established, and that was happening right now. The two stood there, staring at one another in silence, before finally, Mira threw up her arms.

"Fine! Whatever!" She cried, frustrated.

Ravage gave an approving nod at the surrender, "Alright, then." She turned back to Travis, "Is there anything else we should do here, or should we head back to the ship? I need to have her fitted for armor, the Silexian body type is different than others, we won't have a current uniform that fits. Once we get the measurements, a smith can make it. I have a pretty good name for someone that could make armor I think Mira will be quite pleased with, there's no sense giving cheap quality. The better the design is, the more likely she'll be willing to polish and maintain it. Winning uniform inspection has become quite a big deal in the Squadron, and I won't force her to miss out because she doesn't have one."

Travis thought for a moment, and shook his head, "No, there's nothing left to do. We can go ahead and head back, but first-" He looked over at Corey, "Corey, that beacon you gave us? Can you go out and set it up?" He turned to Alder, "Once the beacon is set up, we can find you, but you need to keep it safe from the rain, that's all you need to do, for now, in order for us to help you out."

Alder nodded, "Certainly!"

An hour later....

The airlock opened as the Majesty once more received the Jewel, this time, carrying with it not only the representatives and soldiers, but a special new cadet, as well. People gathered outside the airlock, to see what happened, and news spread like wildfire that a Silexian had come back with them.

Mott hurried to the airlock, eager to see the new cadet.

"Hello, chaps," he said cheerfully. "Ah, this must be the new cadet. The name's Mott. Mott Gatiir."

"Mott, come here a moment," said Aarin. He whispered in the Humdar's ear. "Don't be pushy, Mott. I'll explain later."

Isbar promptly left the airlock, the moment he was out of the ship.

Xerin was quiet for most of the conversation between Alder and the others, though carefully observed all happenings. Once they returned to the Majesty, he made his way through the crowd, and went back inside the armory to resume work on the armor components he brought along.
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51,763

The Resolute Complex

Records Center

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Xonoc browsed the various records cases, looking over the collection of known empires within the large library.

In his youth, the Emperor - then simply a prince, had abandoned the Empire and his role in it when his mother died, in favor of a life of exploring and adventuring, he encountered many empires and species in his travels, including the Karthla themselves.  

Eventually, however, events brought him back to his home planet, and just intime to assume the role of Emperor, when his father was killed by a Dominion assassin.

The Records Center was a large facility, with several floors contaning many aisles of shelves, with records inside thin rectangular storage cases. The cases themselves emitted a soft blue glow on thin slit ports at the sides, and altogether they gave the library a blue hue, and a very unique sight.  The walls and floor were smooth and colored both a solid dark grey, and a rich, wooden-esque brown, the two colors split to cover the various structures and furniture.

Xonoc was searching to see an empire whom he had encountered in his travels, and one the Jorro'kil had not met during the Dominion War.

Ah, there it was, finally. the Vil-Nolwikkans. A record given to the Jorro'kil by the Ryun-Wreae Federation.

So, as if their uninvolvement with the Dominion War had not been enough of a heads-up, they are a somewhat reclusive race, atleast in the way of diplomacy. That fit with Xonoc's memory of his brief encounter with them.

"Interesting." He thought.

"Initiating contact with them may be useful... Perhaps we can persuade them to be a force on the side of the Confederacy."

Xonoc, taking the file on the Vil-Nolwikkans with him, left the Records Center, with the intent of creating a mission to visit this empire.

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51,764

Jorro'kil Destroyer Intent

Outside known Vil-Nolwikkan space

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The Destroyer and its accompanying fleet of ships, all of them from the Fleet of High Justice, drifted slowly towards Vil-Nolwikkan space, but did not cross over. The Commander of the Intent,  Resara Y'traale, stood firmly on the bridge, staring at the stars infront of her through the front viewscreen, arms folded.  The fleet had sent a message requesting a meeting with the Vil-Nolwikkans, and awaited the reply.

Mira just looked around at all the people looking at her, and it was clear she felt uneasy. Her feathers weren't like the traditional sort, but the long, yellow ones wrapped around her horns frilled up just slightly, enough to suggest that she wasn't comfortable with the crowd, even though it was innocent curiosity to see how the diplomacy mission on Silex had gone. Her beak was clenched tight, and she looked like she intended to murder the next person who got too close. She glared up at Ravage, who was standing next to her, Xenos loyally on her other side. "This stinks like three day-old fish." Mira said, the words biting. It seemed she was trying to provoke Ravage into an argument, perhaps to vent her own anger. Maybe if she caused enough trouble, they would bring her back, and she could convince her grandfather to let her stay in the village. She seriously hoped so.

Ravage, however, did not react as she had hoped or expected. Ravage looked over at Mira, and squinted one eye, "That's what I said, too, when I first started in this line of work. They start to grow on you, eventually, but it takes a great deal of tolerance and a strong hold on your temper." She watched as Aarin pulled Mott away, "Don't mind Mott, he's always been a bit overbearing, but he means well. Few scientists devote so much of their time for the benefit of others." She flicked her tail, and put one hand on Xeno's snout to guide him. She then started to lead him through the crowd, which stepped aside to allow the great Spiromander a wide berth.

Watson, Lloyd, and Lucas looked after the Lieutenant Colonel, before charging after her, trying to take advantage of the path her companion cleared before it closed up again and trapped them in the throng of people. "Ravage, wait up!" Lucas called, and the cadets tripped over one another as they ran, boyish as ever, and incredibly endearing in a childish sort of manner. There was utter devotion in their actions, they were loyal cadets, and had great potential as officers. Mira, not knowing what else to do, hesitated, before following after.

_____________________________________

Kerr had arrived in the airlock, and slowly made his way through the crowd. He came to meet them, and then walked up to Tevri, "Tevri, I need to have a word with you. It's about Jessic, something's come up." He said. Of course, over the cheering of the people, nobody but the person he was speaking to could have heard. Even a Cavernian would have problems concentrating over the noise.

Aarin chuckled at the boyish behavior of the three cadets. How devoted they were to their new commander. His attention then was caught by the sight of Kerr coming close to Tevri.

Tevri looked at Kerr. "I'm sorry, I don't think I've met you."

Aarin popped up. "Tevri, this is Kerr." He looked at Kerr. From what he had seen of him, Aarin knew that the Chimerosu was a creature of few words. If he wanted to say something, it must be important.

"Pleased to meet you," said Tevri. "What were you saying about Jessic?"

51,763

The Grand Palace at Kanakka

The Main Transmissions Room

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It was midnight.

There was a lone Vil-Nolwikkan sitting in the Main Transmissions Room tonight. He was chosen out of everyone else to keep watch over the room. Of course, nobody would volunteer; nobody wanted to work the graveyard shift. He hated it,  of course, but he had to do it or he would be fired, and he would be ridiculed for getting fired from a job at the Grand Palace. It was supposed to be an honor, but sometimes the Nolwikkan considered it a nightmare.

The Nolwikkan sat at the desk in the center of the room, keeping watch over his computer. This is ridiculous, he thought, Nobody wants to communicate with us! The colonies wait until it's daytime over here to be courteous. I hate this job.

He leaned back into his chair and zoned out, hoping that the hours would just fly by. Of course, they won't. His eyes became unfocused and everything became blurry, leaving himself to his own thoughts. They refocused barely a minute later when the normally eternally-glowing red light on his desk became a blinking green light.

Incoming transmission, he realized. Finally, it stopped blinking, but remained green. Halfheartedly, he restarted his computer to see who sent it.

Irooscin? The homeworld of the Jorro'Kil? He looked at it for a few more seconds before he fazed out again. I'll have something to show my boss when he wakes up, he thought to himself.

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51,764

Battleship Glorious Dawn

The edge of Vil-Nolwikkan territory

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General Yura Umakeme walked into the main bridge from her cabin. A nolwikkan dressed in grey approached her and informed her that they had made visual contact with the Intent. Yura nodded silently.

"Okay, Jur, Let's start a transmission," Yura ordered. The Nolwikkan named Jur pressed a few buttons and began a live transmission between the Glorious Dawn and the Intent.

Yura greeted the Intent calmly, "Welcome, Jorro'kil. Last year, you have contacted us in hopes of a meeting. Speak your mind."

She didn't try too hard to make a good impression. Nolwikkans were very jingoistic, which meant they were not very kind to anything that isn't them.

The group gathered around the opening that Teglin had found in the partially collapsed ruins of the building. It was very dark, and the faint light from the outside was only able to travel for a couple feet into the interior before succumbing to seemingly infinite darkness.

Q'ren, upon seeing this, nodded. "This is definitely a place where the Vrentus would lurk. Don't worry about the dark, it will get brighter further down inside. Let's go." The Sentinel took the lead, followed by the Lieutenant Unit, Teglin and Zizo, and Admiral Rakluth. He had only taken a couple steps inside when his communications systems activated, receiving a call from someone.

"Q'ren, it's Theranis. It would be best if we could communicate with this in case something happens on either end," A voice on the other side read as Q'ren accepted the call.

"Fine," Q'ren muttered, looking ahead of him as if he wanted to just go on. "The reception may be bad down there, so I may not be able to hear you." The group walked forward, into the jaws of the abyss.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Agreed, Kalfu." The Deciever spoke. "Is there anything else you would like to inquire about? If not, feel free to exit the system."

((Going to wait for the next post for Unsilenced Retribution, writer's block.))

51,763

The Resolute Complex

Emperor's Meeting Chamber

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"Thank you all for attending." Xonoc said. He, along with other high-ranking Jorro'kil, sat in the large chamber created for when the Emperor requires a meeting to discuss whatever has come to his attention. The room itself was large and circular, with decorative columns at the edge of the room. It was colored a light, dull silver, with purple highlights on the walls and pillars, purple being the color of honor in the culture of the Jorro'kil.  The table at which all the present Jorro'kil sat was also circular. It was a dark bronze, with a single, long stand running through the bottom middle of it.

Xonoc himself was dressed in the ornate golden armor which all Emperors traditionally wear, the armor covered in intricate designs and engravings.

"I have summoned all of you to discuss an Empire which I feel we should contact. I have the data on them here." He took out the record case, and set it in a holotransmitter, which shot up a screen showing information on the Vil-Nolwikkans, though little was contained in it.

"This was given to us by the Ryun-Wreae Federation." He said, gesturing towards the holoscreen.

They all studied the information and image provided, then looked to the emperor as he spoke again.

"These Vil-Nolwikkans are a reclusive race, I believe that is part of the reason they were not seen during our war with the Dominion." He paused, then continued. "However, I think that their very nature could be helpful for us. If they have not been contacted by the UFIAI, an agreement, maybe even an alliance could very well be beneficial to us, to have one more on our side."

The officials pondered the Emperor's words, most of them agreeing with him.

"You Majesty, if I may." Said a general, Xayarus.  Xonoc nodded.

"In light of recent events, I think it would be more appropriate if were to wait until the next year. I do agree, however, that creating an agreement with these Vil-Nolwikkans could certainly turn out many benefits."

"Excellent point." Xonoc replied. "So, we will go next year. But who will lead this mission?" He asked.

"Your Majesty, I think I know. She has excellent combat skill but can be tactful and diplomatic." Another Councilor said.

"Do you mean..." Xayarus started. "Resara Y'traale." The Councilor finished. "She was a fantastic commander during our war with the Dominion, and was also present at our meeting with the Zolans."

"Hm. Interesting choice. I know she has not seen a lot of action during our current war.. But, I suppose I agree, she should be able to work well in this instance." Xayarus said.

"Then it is agreed, Resara Y'traale shall lead the mission." Xonoc said. "Now, to move on to the details."
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51,764

Jorro'kil Destroyer Intent

Outside known Vil-Nolwikkan Space

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The Intent recieved the message from the Glorious Dawn, and Commander Resara made ready a reply which was sent over a live COM.

"Greetings, Vil-Nolwikkan. We have come to meet with you and discuss our Empire, and yours. We request a docking place to meet in-person."

51,763

The Grand Palace at Kanakka

Archlord Reskullus's Throne Room

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Reskullus sat on his throne. He normally wasn't sitting here; he was usually doing something else. However, he was intrigued about these Jorro'kil.  He sat quietly while he listened to the news.

"So, basically, we received a message from Irooscin last night, asking for a diplomatic meeting. We-"

"Yes, yes, I know," Reskullus interrupted, "You told me thrice before. This is something I'll need to discuss." He then dismissed the messenger, and thought to himself of the possibilities.

The Jorro'kil... want a meeting... with us. I wonder what they expect of us. Would they think that we're barbarians? They know nothing about us, to my knowledge. Why would they want an alliance if they know nothing about us? How do they know that we won't shoot them out of the skies the instant we see them?

He stepped off his throne, sighing. Reskullus thought to himself, It's probably not gonna happen. I have big plans for expansion, after all. He couldn't help but smile as he walked down the hall towards the staircase.

Maybe it will happen, though. Maybe.

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51,764

Battleship Glorious Dawn

The edge of Vil-Nolwikkan Territory

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Yura listened to the Jorro'kil's Reply, then thought to herself.

She then replied, "We will escort you to a nearby planet called Estrompir, where there is a large space station." Yura then narrowed her eyes, and continued, "Don't try anything."

She ordered the Glorious Dawn to turn, and started drifting towards Estromepir. Smaller ships stayed behind to follow the Intent.

Kerr nodded, his eyes hard, "Listen carefully, you need to keep an eye on that Jessic fellow. His actions are suggesting he keeps an agenda of his own, and that will cause much trouble if left unchecked. He is doing things that in regular Chimerosu society could get him convicted under criminal charges. He was trespassing in Mott Gatiir's quarters earlier today, and I saw him slip out of the Humdar's room, when he thought nobody was watching. I have said nothing of this to the others, but I must warn you, no matter how good a warrior Jessic thinks he is, he cannot escape a Chimerosu prison, and if he is charged, he can face up to five years in prison, which, I have heard, is a long time for your people." He flicked his tail, "You need to find a way to keep him reigned in, if he endangers this mission, there are worse punishments he could face, Chimerosu often have a tendency to take justice into their own hands, regardless of what is written in the law, and the last thing we need is a group of vigilantes on this ship."

Teglin was frightened, more so than he had ever been. He looked at the others, and saw that they all seemed to have the same grim, yet resolute look on their faces.

What a coward I am, he thought miserably.
_______________________________

Tevri was shocked to hear this news. He turned to Aarin. "What should I do?"

Aarin was silent for a moment before speaking. "I think it would be best for you to confront him on this matter. If he really has been doing such things behind peoples backs, he has to know that he cannot get away with it." He turned to Kerr. "Thank you for mentioning this. By the way, your grandmother Greta asked us to ask you to drop in on her sometime."

51,763

Jorro'kil Destroyer Intent

Lunch Room - Bridge

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Resara had just finished eating her regular lunch aboard the docked Intent, when news reached her of a message that had arrived, from the Resolute Complex itself. She quickly got up and left, heading to the bridge to listen to the message. Upon arriving, she ordered it played, and listened.

"Commander Resara Y'traale, in order to warn you of events coming next year, this message has been sent to you. You will be sent outside Confederacy territory, to meet with an empire known as the Vil-Nolwikkans, and initiate diplomacy." The message ended, leaving Resara to think over it.

"Hmm.....Vil-Nolwikkans.. I see.."
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51,764

Jorro'kil Destroyer Intent

Inside Vil-Nolwikkan Space

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Y'traale heard the Vil-Nolwikkan's message, however, sent none in return. Resara was oddly familiar with Yura's obviously displayed untrusting attitude, something she herself had, though kept it more privately.
She ordered the Intent to move forward towards the given destination, and also to watch those escort ships left behind closely.

Upon reaching the space station at Estrompir, she requested permission for the Destroyer to send out a smaller ship to dock, which she and a few others would be on.