Disruption (IC)

Within the planetary shield of Kvanun...

A lone Krathunian stood at one of many control consoles for the shield world's automated defenses. Viruses and malware had been pumped into Kvanun's computer systems, disabling the communications systems connected to Krathunian and Confederacy networks as well as rendering any of the other computer systems controlling the defenses useless, their permissions having been completely overridden. The Krathunian wore light silver EACR power armor, set into the locked position, though the helmet was down. This revealed almost black facial plates, laden with scars and marks of war and combat. However, the most disturbing detail of the Krathunian was his piercing, blood red eyes.

It was these eyes that scanned a hologram of the planet under siege, emitted from a display connected to the console. He quietly observed this for a while - The bombardment fleets would encounter a problem, soon, the primary energy shielding of the shield world. However, this issue would be negligible due to the efforts of the Vrentus machine, annihilating the section of the structure holding the generator for said energy shielding. However, the Krathunian knew that it was only a matter of time before the Confederacy resistance arrived. Until then, the Terminus Pact needed to inflict as much damage as possible.

The Krathunian's thoughts were interrupted by a group of three soldiers barging through the door, each equipped in heavy, black armor with harsh red lighting. The center Krathunian held a finely made blade, about a meter long and perfectly straight, while the duo beside him carried heavy duty hydromagnetodynamic assault rifles, the intimidating weaponry pointed directly at the midsection of the figure standing at the console.

"Put your hands up, now!" The center soldier shouted in a harsh voice, the trio slowly moving forward towards the odd Krathunian standing at the console. Slowly, he turned, his arms raised, palms facing those apprehending him. They drew near, coming about two feet away from him before stopping. The center soldier spoke once more,"You are hereby under arrest fo-"

"No." The Krathunian growled as a smile rose upon his mouth. Suddenly, his figure shifted, transforming into something else entirely. The sterile white lights of the room showed a huge character, its body a midnight black. Red lights ran down its surface, as did crackles of blinding electricity. Abarron, standing a foot over each of his assailants, forcefully grabbed the heads of the two Krathunians to the side of the center with his first pair of arms. He vigorously drove them down, slamming the two into the ground, their armoring and bones cracking from the sheer force of their opponent. Electricity surged forth from his clawed fingers, killing both instantly.

Abarron looked up just as the center Krathunian's blade came down towards him, tip first. Quickly, Abarron raised his bottom left arm and slammed into against the side of the swords, shattering the metal. Surprise rose to the soldier's face as the former Supreme leaped towards him, grabbing his neck with his upper right arm, and slammed him into the ground. This one's armor was more durable, however. Abarron placed his top left fist on the Krathunian's chest, crushing the armor underneath. Almost instantaneously, plating on the Vrentus' gauntlet opened up, and searing plasma surged forth, melting the metal and the organic tissue below. Abarron's foe died screaming as he was devoured by the plasma, which cooled shortly after, forming a glass like material. Abarron stood up, staring at the bodies for several seconds before returning to the console. Alarms blared in the distance, and emergency communications were starting to override Abarron's power in the system.

The Confederacy was coming.

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Unsilenced did not glance at the others as he activated jets and thrusters within his upgraded armor, propelling himself off into the distance. However, he found something strange. Amid ruins and bleak fields of destruction, two figures faced each other in battle. One, a Vrentus, recognizable as Praedromus from Confederacy reports and the video he had transmitted to the Krathunian military network. The other was a Jadel, interestingly, but it was not who the Wreae would recognize as Skandalon. It was someone far more intimidating, a Jadel with unimaginable power. Slowly the machine's systems realized what was occurring, and as he flew near, Unsilenced Retribution placed a small white orb within his chest cavity. As he began his descent towards the monument grounds, his black armor glowed blue with energy, and plates sealed the area where he had placed the catalyst. Power levels in his body increased drastically, flowing through the Wreae's upgraded form.

As Unsilenced hit the ground, kneeling, and slowly rose, a single voice was heard from his armor, "Overcharge activated." The Wreae looked to Praedromus and Kradus as he straightened up, preparing for a fight.

Praedromus, on the other hand, had different intentions. This fight was becoming too drawn out, and in the end, it would gain him nothing but pain. The Supreme jumped back, decreasing his mass greatly as he leaped back towards his shuttle. Repairs to his damaged body were necessary, and besides, he needed to speak with the Protector on the latest... Research. Praedromus' shuttle ascended into the atmosphere of Dranus, entering the void before creating a small slipspace portal and rushing through.

Meanwhile, Svar stalked up, preparing his multitude of weaponry, looking for foes whose blood he could spill.

((I'm not sure who to have him fight right now))

The rest of the trip passed without incident. Nobody felt secure. Perhaps it was their imaginations, fired by Isbar's words, but the feeling grew on all that they were being watched by scheming, unfriendly eyes.
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The Markovan vessels, fifty thousand of them, sped full speed to Kvanun in response to Lirr's call.
____________________________________

Jiiran had moved closer to the battle, and was carefully watching as Praedromus retreated. He noted the approach of Svar and UR.

It took only a quarter of an hour for the message sent by Zjer to penetrate into High Command, a section of the High Councils themselves. Quickly, combined with distress signals from Kvanun, various ships, including cruisers, carriers, and battleships, and destroyers were organized. The coordinates were synced, the firing solutions and defense algorithms were spread across the fleet, and a force to be reckoned with, belonging to none other than the famous, or infamous depending on your point of view, fleet of High Justice, was sent, travelling through slipspace, to defend Kvanun... in the thousands.


Forty thousand heavily armed and armored pieces of war, a mere fraction of the might of the Jorro'kil Navy, was intimidating, to say the least.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Xej pulled up a digital map of the topography of Dranus from his multi-feature wrist COM. It was outdated by over a decade, but he was sure most of the major cities would still remain.. in some form, atleast. From their location, Xej was able to judge the distance to the nearest large habitation. They would go directly into the heart of the invasion, and find what they would.

He deactivated the holographic screen which had been casting a blue glow on his armor but a moment before, and started to walk through the field. Stopping himself, the Zealot turned to Svar.

"Coming with?"

The Mondarian bombards over Kvanun halted their bombardment just long enough to release thousands of pods. A lot of them were shot down by planetary defense systems, but the greater number got through and latched onto the surface of the shield world. These promptly began to drill through until they reached the passages and chambers within the shield itself. Once through, droids poured through the holes, rapid-fire units, and plasma-throwers. These promptly scurried through the passageways in groups, firing on all they found. In the center of each group of droids was three more droids. These were special saboteur units, designed to find any important control systems and sabotage everything they could, and shut down important systems if they could.

Kvanun

In the distance, not far from Kvanun, yet another large Terminus fleet appeared. A signal was sent to the other Terminus ships, signaling to them that these new ships only meant to help them. On board these ships, of course, were Vil-Nolwikkans and Taiang. These Greater Dominion ships were armed to the teeth with weaponry, and had a relatively small ground force on each one. On one of these ships was a newly-perfected weapon, known as the mining laser. The battle at Kvanun would be their first test.

Slowly, the Nolwikkan ships mingled with the Terminus fleet, ready to attack the shield of Kvanun.

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Kanakka, Lanipus

"Ah. So that's what this is about?"

"Indeed it is. To be honest, I've known about you and your outlets for a while.

"Wait, a while?"

"I had other sources of information. That's why I tried to catch you out here -- I couldn't come to you directly without a big chance of being watched. Yura underestimates me, she doesn't know what I know."

"...I see. And why should I trust you?"

"You've known me all me life. I wouldn't betray you, and I couldn't if I wanted to."

"Very well. You're right. You don't have the... the..."

"Courage?"

"Of course. Well, at any rate, welcome to the Dilay Lanipodos Kyrrite."

"Wow, that easily?"

"You're the exception. You are by far the most trustworthy Nolwikkan that I've ever recruited, Edacious."

"Very well, then... Meet me here again in nine days, at this exact time, okay, Kalak? I have some more things to wrap up beforehand."

"We'll keep an eye on you until then..."

"I'm counting on it."

After one uneventful day of travel, which lasted long into the night, the group had made much progress, and had now found themselves being led by Rune up an ascending path that seemed to be built into the mountains forming the wall that divided Maozhu. It was more like an enormous stone staircase carved into the rocks, but despite its spacious size, it was well-hidden by ridges on both sides, and rocky overhangs concealed it from above. In addition, regardless of the fact that one did not have to lift their legs very high to climb the staircase, it seemed to never end, and most people grew tired before they reached their destination, especially those not used to walking long distances. Everyone eventually noticed, however, that the stairs leveled out into a sort of long road, and as they proceeded, the crude rock became a well-made brick road, and finally, it lapsed into the kind of paving one would associate with an advanced race. It wasn't long until they reached where the meeting with the librarians was to be held, after this transition: the abandoned space-age colony.

Largely hidden from others because of it's location further north, and in an incredibly dense part of the mountains where nobody went, the former colony happened to be an incredibly large city, which had remained well-preserved, despite much weathering over the ages. Old abandoned buildings on the outskirts of the city were largely ruins, most of them looking structurally unstable and dangerous to enter, but further in, things had endured quite well. Looking at these larger towers, one became painfully aware of how incredible Chimerosu society must have been in the past before its civilization was lost. There were hardly any sharp angles or cubic buildings to speak of, and most had curving designs that were like spires reaching towards the sky. There were also buildings held off the ground by towers, walkways supporting multiple levels, and greenhouses were prevalent as well, spheres stacked one on top of the other with hexagon-like structures being the frame; overgrown plants spilled out from them, although there were also many dead ones, as well.

There were many more kinds of designs, and it was clear that the city had not only been efficient, but incredibly beautiful, however; Rune paid no attention to these features. Instead, he continued leading them deeper into the city, until finally, they were in the very heart of it, where from the ground, an enormous sort of tree-like pillar that doubled as a building fanned out branch-like shapes, supporting a hexagon-shaped platform on top, with smaller branches descending down to form walkways to the top. On this platform was supported a beautiful, notable building that was shaped much like a teardrop or comet, the fat end facing down, with smaller prisms fanning out around it. It had to be some sort of administrative building, no longer used today, however. It overlooked a kind of park, because old abandoned water fountains, and an area where plants grew were beneath it, the plants capable of growing due to the walkways being semi-transparent, allowing light through, but not the alarming effect of standing on nothing.

Ravage looked down at the ground, a bit upset and disturbed by seeing a place with architecture and plants similar to those on Krylon, as most of the greenery in the center was not green, but an extremely vivid shade of blue. Rune flicked his tail, "The plants in this park remained completely as they were originally, because the city kept them from growing anywhere else. Most are fascinated to find that much of the plant life on the homeworld wasn't green, but blue." He nodded at the main building and the structure supporting it, "We're going to stay in the offices underneath the administrative building. At nine tonight, the others should arrive, so we should make ourselves comfortable, so as to give the impression we are in control of the situation."

Allé examined the plants beneath the walkway. "Maybe we could take a few cuttings back. It might be worthwhile to try to propagate these, you know, a little insurance against extnction."

"Maybe," said Aarin, examining a filing cabinet to see if there was anything in there worth preserving. "I assume the people we'll be meeting know where to go once they get here."

Meanwhile, Isbar strode around the office, eyes peering, quills twitching, ever alert. Was that just the slightest breeze he felt? He passed Ravage as if simply walking by her, but she could catch what he said under his breath.

"They're here!"

Ravage, a very convincing actor, showed no visible reaction to Isbar's words, the same way she had kept her bearing despite obvious risks when she had been trying to assist in unearthing the conspiracy on Vathoris. Her typical scowl was a mask that hid her inner thoughts, and she was so effective in keeping calm under a tense situation that wasn't direct combat, that her feathers didn't even ruffle. She gave just the faintest nod, looking at Isbar calmly, acknowledging that he didn't mean the librarians had arrived. Ravage doubted they would come into the city early, they were told specifically to arrive at nine later that night, and they all seemed to have a great respect for Rune, or Cipher, as they knew him to be. Ravage knew from Isbar's reaction that he must have meant the Liirlith, who had somehow managed to find this ruined city, despite the fact that she doubted it had anything of value in it, as everything had been abandoned and destroyed.

Ravage continued to casually stand off to one side, her tail slowly flicking, as though impatient, something completely normal for her character, as she had the tendency to constantly analyze her own behavior. She wasn't simply lounging around, though, she was now concentrating, trying to detect the unseen threat as Isbar had. It was true that sight, smell, and sound hid the Liirlith, but they were still made of matter, and thus affected the medium, air, that they were moving through. As the machinery keeping the building's heating and cooling no longer worked, there was no justification for moving air aside from what was disturbed by movement from people in the building. As a bird-like alien, Ravage was naturally inclined to read air currents, something that was quite useful in flight, as it prevented countless possible accidents as a result of not working with the direction the wind was blowing in.

Ravage's tail flicked slightly faster, when she finally detected movement that didn't have any sort of apparent cause, a dead giveaway that they were invisible Liirlith sneaking around the group. Her pupils contracted vaguely, as she registered the information, and she angled her gaze out the window, looking outside where the response could be blamed on the sunlight. She walked over to the window, and looked outside, "It would be wonderful if we could preserve those plants. It's been such a long time since I saw blue plants. My heart aches just knowing that they survived out here, but that still most of our animals didn't. You would have loved to see what a Skelran looked like, they were such majestic creatures, and intelligent, too, almost like Xenos."

She looked over at the group, the look so sad and melancholic in appearance that it was completely unlike her. Her feathers ruffled, though, and unless someone knew her very well, they would think this was a normal emotional reaction. Most of the time, though, Ravage's feathers only ruffled when there was about to be a dangerous situation.

A Vaurik ship was decimated by an enormous Samian Beltek Cruiser. This cruiser was very large and rather snake-like in structure. It had large metal tendrils that lengthened from the sides and crushed opponents. A large sphere of energy powered an enormous gun at its front. Quickly it blasted a bright pink beam that ripped through a large Varmal ship. A Vaurik ship materialized from the matter assembled in its space from one of the other ships. It cut into the side of the beast, the Beltek fighting back. More Vaurik ships cut into it. However quickly it expanded a large field of energy from its surface.

The Vaurik ships immediately detonated from the vaporative energy of the field which afterwards dissipated. The ship then released its fighters which came out and undone much of the Vaurik's previous success.

Syprus' warped hologram sneered, eyes narrowed. "I think it's time to prove a point. No more games! Release the Superior Droppods!"

After activation, large ships were released from the Mass. These ships were guarded by large elite ships that easily struck away Dominion forces. Soon, the core ships split into many smaller shards and approached the surface of the planet at an alarming rate. They rapidly split apart more and more until what seemed like millions of darts were raining down.

The large individual drop pods crashed down onto the surface, each about twenty feet tall and ten in width. They were spherical, and opened up in an ellipse. Quickly creatures began to emerge. Many were not creatures at all, but droids.

Several were taller than most Samians and far stronger looking. In fact, many of them shared nearly no resemblance in body structure to the Samians themselves.

One of them was roughly eight feet tall. It resembled a Thelan, but had a diamond-shapes head. It had a mask that covered its mouth and lower face. The top of it head was bare to allow the massive spikes atop it to shine out at the world. It was coated in gray armor with some purple and pink lighting. Thick yellow eyes just above the mask, long and deadly. Two that were symmetrical. A third one just below the one on the right. It had an enormous gun cased to its right hand, blazing the battlefield into fire and destroying a large amount. This was a Dreadcorror. It was followed by two enormous creatures that came from a nearby drop pod.

These two were gigantic creatures. About twenty feet tall and completely robotic. Droids that were heavily armored and equipped with two enormous energy blades on the ends of their arms. The Sentinels. They crushed all that dared come their way.

A smaller pod dropped, crushing the dirt below. It was tear-drop in shape and had a strongly lit, blue ellipse in the center. It was colored a dark black as well. Quickly it split open from the top, much like a bloom. The entire pod soon became nearly flat, a large X on the ground but near the center rising just below the knees of another figure.

This figure was unlike all the others. Instead of primary colors of gray and pink, it was colored black. This creature wore a mask, but it was obvious what was underneath was very alive. Two deep amber eyes beneath with broken slits sewn as the pupils. The head structure looked similar to a Thelab, but far sharper and filled with more needle-like features. The head was cased in the armor of the metal mask, a visor out in front. The body of the creature cased in a thick black metal, yet the creature still maintaining a slender appearance. The eyeholes of the mask glowed a bright blue, as well did other parts of the armor. A collar with life-support strung around his neck and a neck-case that with protective yet flexible like rubber. This creature had medium-sized metal claws striking out from the ends of its hands. Then it was obvious, the limbs of the creature were all robotic and amazingly so. A bit of the abdomen was also the same way. A long blackish blue cape strode behind resembling the night sky. The creature looked like the night sky wrapped over a living being.

A COMM rang on its helmet. It gave the contraption a tap. From the inside of its helmet it heard a voice transmitting to it.

"Malefactor, the city is about three miles from your position. Do you read me?"

The voice of the creature rang out, dark and masculine, noting it was male. "I can hear you..." the creature said. "Who do I kill?"

"Well," said the voice in his helmet, rather feminine. "Your objective is to capture the city. Make your way inside and take down the Zraak keeping it together. But I had better warn you about something..."

"What?" Malefactor snarled.

"There are two Eraak in there. Ones you have encountered before, and--" the operator could not finish as Malefactor pulled out the COMM in the back of his helmet and threw it on the ground. If he had the ability to express facially, he'd be scowling darkly.

"Mortemalo and Tarsus... The only two Eraak I know that call themselves brothers... It seems the time has come. Now, now I can finally do to them what they've done to me..."

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Kradus coughed, gazing at Praedromus angrily as he left. He pondered the creature for a moment as realization began to settle in... A new enemy had risen. He suddenly took the creature with more severity. He turned to look at Unsilenced Retribution, noting the power the creature was holding.

His dark voice chimed in again. "And who might I have the honor of gazing upon this evening?"

Aarin cast a glance in her direction, eyes narrowing in some confusion at what he new to be a rather uncharacteristic whay of expressing herself. Had she picked up on something? Aarin new she sensed things better than others. At the exact moment that thoughts of the Liirlith occurred to him, Rune gave a small surprised yelp. It felt like a needle had stuck him in his left haunch.

Isbar lunged at the area behind Rune, swinging his head back and forth, and then raised his gun as if to fire, but stopped when he saw Tevri standing there. He lowered his gun, not risking firing and injuring someone. Turning to Rune, he quickly smelled the area where a small drop of blood welled out. He then began to cast about for any sign at all.

Aarin hurried to Rune. "Has he been stung Isbar?" he asked anxiously.

"He's fine," growled Isbar. "They just sampled him, that's all. Makes some sense, what with him being 'unique.'"

Ravage's eyes narrowed coldly, "That's it, I'm going hunting." she said, her hands clenching into fists, as she seemed to double in size, because her feathers puffed up to make her appear larger. She looked over at Isbar, "Isbar, we can't use distance weapons on them, not in an enclosed space, but the simple fact is that their stealth technology still can't completely elude detection. Their movements disturb the airflow in this room, and all vents no longer have any sort of function to speak of, so the air is normally completely still. By choosing to mess with us in an enclosed space, they've also made themselves much easier prey. I think I'm ready to say we need to get them out of here, even if we use lethal force."

Rune scowled, and the feathery sail of his tail spread out, as a bright yellow light began to shine from between the feathers, illuminating the room, "I do not take kindly to being treated like an exotic beast, as I have been animalized enough in my life by Pavolites and Thundarians as it is." With this, he took out the strange, mysterious bag from its satchel, and proceeded to pull out its contents, which appeared to be clothing of some sort. He quickly donned it, revealing that the clothing was a thick black Chimerosu version of a cloak and hood that covered every part of his body, including his tail, belly, and legs, almost like a loose full-body suit. He then pulled out what appeared to be a featureless white mask, clearly meant to hide his identity, and donned it, his face completely covered, and even his eyes not visible because of darkened reflective lenses that covered them.

As Rune pulled out matching Chimerosu versions of shoes and socks, complete with sharp-looking hollow blades that slid easily over his talons, Ravage nodded slowly, "The fabric of that cloak is incredibly thick. It's not armor, but it would protect you from a duller blade, teeth, claws, and I imagine you hope it protects you from the sting, as well." She commented.

Overall, it had taken Rune only about a few seconds to don the clothing, as though he were well-practiced, like an emergency responder. Behind the mask, he spoke, his voice the only thing recognizable past the mask, "Yes, I am not immune to their venom, I will not say I am, like you, however, the fabric this is made from is typically used by police forces, and in a thicker form it makes a bulletproof vest, though this doesn't have the same protective quality. Most sharp objects though cannot penetrate this fabric." His concealed tail flicked, one of the few expressions of body language he performed, "This outfit is made to conceal my identity, but it also serves as armor in situations such as this. The gloves I have not only conceal my hands, but also give me bladed talons, which should be sufficient as weapons."

Ravage frowned, "I don't think I want you coming along, you can't detect them." She said.

Rune looked at her through the reflective lenses of his mask, "Neither can you, we are both capable of detecting changes in airflow, however. It is a risky business trying to go after Liirlith, but I will take my chances. This mission is too important."

The Grand Council Chamber - Ryun-Wreae Unity Edifice, Ganna, Ieegar
Shortly after the Daryssan Incident
______________________________

At the peak of the grand and imposing silver spire that the city of Ganna was centered around, the Ryun-Wreae Unity Edifice, was the Grand Council Chamber. It was here that the democratically elected but absolute leaders of the Federation convened to discuss both domestic and foreign affairs. Since the end of the Metan War, the power of the Federation in the empire, still new to the galactic community, had been unchallenged. The Grand Council of the current times had allowed the Federation to become a part of the Confederacy and grow into one of the most prosperous and impressive civilizations within the galaxy. Most citizens believed that the Grand Council’s power would never be challenged, simply due to how well it had operated. This was a general belief that continued… Until one day of judgement.

Around the Grand Council’s table, an elaborate titanium platform that levitated, surrounded by six chairs for each Councilor, sat not the Grand Council, but a different group. Four Ryun and two Wreae inhabited the seats of the famed heads of government, waiting patiently. The heavily secured door to the chamber slowly opened, and a new congregation entered – The Grand Council. The six were flanked by Wreae soldiers with integrated silver armor, and judging by the way the councilors approached the table, these were not their personal guard. The machines took up position around the table, signaling for the Councilors to sit down upon six chairs laid out in front of the table, normally reserved for those visiting, consulting, or observing the Council. All six complied, though in a puzzled and confused manner. The first to speak was Grand Councilor Zaroas.

“What is the meaning of this?” He demanded, cybernetic arm twitching slightly from anger and anxiety. It was clear that the Councilor was infuriated by this new development. Each of the beings seated at the table stood simultaneous, turning to face the Councilors after several seconds. One by one, they introduced themselves.

“Unit 2910478, Chief Executive Officer, the Leuval Munitions Company,” The first Wreae spoke in a monotonous voice, devoid of all emotion. This machine had undergone heavy upgrades, and looked more like a gray skinned Ryun than an AI controlled robot.
“Galvunin, former Admiral, Head Director of the Erkinan Ship Building Corporation,” a Ryun with dark blue exoskeleton pigmentation spoke, wearing his officer robes from his days in the navy. However, across the white material of the sleeves were identification codes for many Ryun and Wreae – those MIA or KIA serving alongside Galvunin.

“Unit 321486, President , the Velein Security Enterprise.” This Wreae was clearly built for warfare, standing at about nine feet tall and huge, intimidating armor. Lining its design were several spots for attachments such as small plasma turrets or missile launchers, though none of these were present.

“Julisn and Uliai, Co-Chairmen, the Geminus Organization.” Two Ryun spoke simultaneously, one a pale blue male dressed in a black garment, the other a female with a darker coloration with white robing. The two were clearly twins, and the manner in which they spoke was very uncanny, and aside from their clothing and exoskeleton coloration, there was literally no way to tell the two apart.

“Vasorin, former Grand Admiral, Alicor Corporation.” The final Ryun spoke, standing with his arms behind his back at the head of the table. The most notable thing about this Ryun was his face – Rather than biological tissue, the area were his left eye used to be was covered by a metallic sheet, clearly a cybernetic augmentation that restored sight to a man missing part of his. Vasorin wore black, thin power armoring with cyan lights, a red cape flowing from his shoulders. The others sat down while Vasorin remained standing, pacing slightly. “We are the Conglomerate, an organization composed of several of the largest military contracting corporations in the Federation.”

Vasorin paused before continuing. “Grand Councilors… Are you so blind? The Ryun-Wreae Federation is squandering its potential in this galaxy. We are a far younger nation than the others in our illustrious alliance. Before our Federation was even conceived, the Jorro’kil, Markovans, and Krathunians had spread about stars and made their presence known. Yet, we have been able to advance to the level of or surpass each of these other empires. However, we are still not fulfilling our capabilities.” Vasorin observed each of the Grand Councilors slowly, eyes shifting from each of the exquisitely robed figures. “The Suppression Act, created to protect ourselves from overextending military funding and advancement, shortly following the Metan War. It has no purpose in our current affairs. We no longer need to worry about deterioration of our government from within, because we face far larger threats. The Conglomerate can allow for true power, the ability to protect and rule the Confederacy. We have surpassed the rest of the Federation, successfully allowing for our military to become even more powerful.”

Grand Councilor Zaroas stood up angrily, dismissing Vasorin with the wave of a hand. “What are you proposing? Recalling the Suppression Act would be a mistake, as would granting our military’s powers to a trust!”

Vasorin grinned, placing both hands on the table. “I am not proposing anything. Is it not clear, Grand Councilor? We are in control now, and there is nothing you can do to stop us.” Vasorin sat back down, tapping his fingers lightly on the titanium surface of the table as the Grand Councilors came to realization. “Of course, the council will still be in existence, but you are but a vessel for the Conglomerate’s purposes. The Ryun-Wreae Federation of the United Ieegan Systems has been relinquished, indirectly, to us, and it is time for us to reach out to our destiny.” He gestured to the Wreae guards, who promptly led the former leaders out of the room where they once decided the fate of the Federation. Now, those seats were inhabited by a new entity that threatened the Confederate balance of power.

The Conglomerate had arisen.

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Kvanun system

The first fleet to arrive at the rendezvous point was that of the Ryun-Wreae Federation. It was immediately apparent that its vessels had undergone incredible upgrades since the transfer of powers from the Grand Council to the Conglomerate and the removal of the Suppression Act. Each ship had been upgraded in regards to weaponry, shielding, and armoring, visibly more advanced. One ship in particular stood out – The infamous Dimension Class Capital Dreadnought, the Wrath. Grand Admiral Barborin’s command center had been the subject of many changes that led to it being considered the most powerful ship in the combined Confederate navy. Nearly all aspects of the ship had been improved upon by the Alicor Corporation and the Erkinan Ship Building Company, and it had a few surprise weapons under its hood. The rest of the fleet was composed of three Redshift class Heavy Carriers, an enormous amount of cruisers, numbering in the thousands, and many smaller ships. It was clear that the Federation intended to showcase its newfound power in combat.

Another slipspace rupture appeared, and the imposing Covenant fleet materialized from it, the massive black ships swarming the rendezvous point. The Krathunian ships in the fleet would certainly outnumber those in that of the other Confederate races due to Kvanun being their planet. The Daemon class Fortress Ship from the battle above Muthara, titled the Yvalus, was present, as well as a couple destroyers and a huge number of cruisers. The Anomaly came with these, Sentinel Theranis Ra’agus being transferred to the fleet for medical care while Admiral Rakluth assumed his position on the deck of the commanding vessel Yvalus. The two fleets awaited the arrival of the others, sending out a short range signal seeking acknowledgement before the attack could commence. Theranis had a plan, and it had better be effective if the Confederacy wanted to be the savior of Kvanun.

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Svar looked to the Zealot and nodded, approaching the Jorro’kil. “At your command, sir,” He spoke, attempting formality towards his greater. In the meantime, Svar’s railgun and augmented rifle were fully prepared for warfare, and he held his sword by his side with great reverence for the weapon.

Unsilenced Retribution stared defiantly at Kradus, armor shifting to maintain a balance of power following Overcharge. The machine constantly grew larger as energy coursed through its systems. The Wreae thought about how to introduce itself for several seconds before beginning. “I am life, and yet, I bring death upon those who oppose me,” He began, showcasing his raw power with a visible aura of blue energy. “I am fate incarnate, and you have just tempted me. I am the Unsilenced Retribution, the bane of all who stand before the Confederacy in opposition. Now, who do I have the pleasure of greeting? It certainly isn’t every day that you encounter a Jadel.”

Isbar was all set and ready to accompany the two Chimerosu.

"Wait a moment," said Allé. "We can't all go."

Aarin frowned a moment, but then shook his head. "Go, Isbar. We'll close the door and lock ourselves in. Can you sense any Liirlith present?"

"Hold still, everyone," said Isbar. He spread his body out and stood at an angle, his neck and quills fully extended as he sensed for air movements. He stood this way for a moment, and then suddenly sprang into the air with blades extended. He jumped over and around everyone, swinging and slashing until he had covered the entire room in this fashion. He then sheathed his blades and then shook his head.

"There do not appear to be."

"Good," said Aarin, a little shaken by Isbar's dramatic display. "We'll lock ourselves in then. Be careful, you three."
______________________________________

Shortly after the the Krathunian's arrived, the Markovan vessels arrived at the rendezvouspoint . A transmission came through.

"This is Admiral Ariz min Davris, reporting in. What is the plan for attack?"
______________________________________

The Despotic vessels renewed their assault on the Dominion ships over Dranus. Ion cannons and torpedoes flew, along with periodic blasts from the anti-matter cannons. In addition to this, swarms of saboteur droids were released, charging towards the Dominion ships. Those that got through the gunfire scurried over the Dominion ships, searching for anything they tamper with.
___________________________________

Jiiran observed the powerful Wreae that had arrived. Marr also took note from where he was, and left off the battle to watch.

Xej started off, translating the data on his wrist COM to a mini-map in the upper-left corner of his HUD. At times, he and Svar would encounter stragglers, which they would finish off, or groups of soldiers which they steathily avoided.

"Krathunian-..Svar. We have encountered many enemies so far. Zraak, Mondarian droids, even xenoforms which I am unfamiliar with.. and yet no Dranzoot. A cause to worry.."

Moments later, they came upon the entrance to a large Dranzoot city, visible through the clearing which they now stood in.

"This is the city." Xej announced, checking his wrist device for a complete confirmation. All this time, he had had his HUD recorder on, and made sure to make thorough observations of the outer wall.

"This way." He said, and made a sprint for the nearest portion of the city boundaries. They needed to get in undetected.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________


Small tears in the fabric of normal space aligned to make a large rupture, as thousands of Jorro'kil cruisers, battleships, carriers, and destroyers appeared at the rally point. Quickly, the fleet connected with the flagship heading the operation, and had this connection synchronized between the alpha vessels among the Jorro'kil fleet.

Their appearance was rather compact, after the slipspace ruptures had disappeared. Many of the cruisers were arranged in tight flanking positions, and no fighters were visible, all being stored within the carriers.

Everyone quickly exited the building, and once they heard the tell-tale sounds of the door being locked, Rune gave the slightest of nods from behind his mask, "Good, they've locked the entrance, now comes the matter of locating the Liirlith, and ensuring that they no longer pose any sort of threat. We have the entire day to complete our task, we need to dispatch them before sunset, and they could not be very far from our current location, I doubt they are outside the radius of this city. However, as we are outside, the task of recognizing them will be much more difficult, as there will be airflow. We do not have cause to worry, however, as Maozhu airflow is a predictable thing, especially in a city filled with buildings. At our current location, airflow blows in from the northwest, and will bend around the buildings; I leave how that will change things up to you."

Ravage flicked her tail, "Isbar, I am familiar with Liirlith venom, but I have never actually seen a member of their kind. You may have to lead this whole mission, because I'm not as aware of their tendencies."

Kradus grinned darkly, his eyes narrowing and his pupils dilating with blood-thirst. A dark noise droned off in his voice. "You gaze upon the creature whom began it all, Wreae. I am Kradus Kryle, Lord of the Dominion." Kradus shrunk back down, to stand at the same height as Unsilenced Retribution. His armor materialized, though many would wonder how. Kradus did indeed have a certain cybernetic implant in his brain that assembled his armor as weaponry before him. His deathly black armor formed, donning a long, black cape. The war-scythe formed in his hand, blazing a bright red along the edge of the blade.

________________________________________________

There was a horde of Zraak at the gates of the city, all hiding behind large metal barricades and pointing their guns at the horizon, ready for a fight. Shancar stood at the head of them all. He scanned the horizon and eyed the blade in his hand. He recalled his past, his history, and tried to contemplate his very future after this battle, whether it be death... or life.

Malefactor approached, the Zraak firing their weapons. Each bullet deflected from a shield bubble around him.

_______________________________________

Isbar stood, his quills extended and stiff as he sensed the environment around him, paying special attention to air currents.

"They're tall, thin, lizard-like creatures," he said. "They operate by stealth, and they won't try to come close to us unless they're sure they can. It is most likely they are here purely for reconnaissance purposes." He cocked his head a little, frowning.

"The venom is delivered through the forefinger of each hand. They are agile and swift, but not very strong."

He paused, paying special attention to a stream of flowing air coming between to buildings. There was a brief interruption in a small area of the airflow.

"They're watching us. They probably know we're looking for them."

Suddenly a stick flew out from somewhere, and almost struck Isbar. He cursed. "They're playing with us!"

Ravage flicked her tail, "Don't get angry at them, because that's what they want; they're acting like three-day-old chicks who want to play a mean game." She said, folding her arms, and using her senses to detect all ripples in airflow. Being a bird, it was incredibly easy, and the task was almost disappointing, considering that because she knew the wind flow direction, and the movement that it would have between buildings was easily picked up, she would rapidly be able to figure out with a high level of accuracy where the Liirlith were hiding. She detected a ripple, and reached down, picking up the stick that had been thrown at Isbar. Without a moment's hesitation, she rapidly cocked back the stick and threw it, striking something, because the stick seemed to collide with thin air, no doubt very hard. She flicked her tail, squinting one eye, "If you Liirlith out there insist on acting like spoiled brats, then I'm going to treat you like spoiled brats!"

She then looked at Isbar, "How about we just stop talking, and just attack any interruptions in airflow that we see? Once you learn how the airflow in this area is, they're all as easy to detect as though they weren't cloaked at all." Her eyes narrowed, "Perhaps, though, we shouldn't engage in close combat, considering that we can't see their hands. I think we should do what I just did, find some sharp rocks perhaps, and see how close we can make their impact like a bullet."

Rune flicked his tail, "You are very confident about this, all of a sudden, that was quite different than how you saw Liirlith before."

Ravage flicked her tail, "Why should I be scared of people that think they can get away with throwing a stick at us? I'm not mad, I just think it's childish, and I expected Liirlith to have more common sense and discipline than what these people here have shown us. Puts all of us who have military training to shame."

Rune's expression couldn't be seen, but he must have frowned behind his mask, slightly, "I believe you are the only one here who has military training."

Ravage glanced at him, "You're still more mature than that, and you're not an adult, even."

Rune looked around, searching for disruptions, "I suppose you are correct, but I am not like most my age."

Isbar moved forward, sensing the airflow. Suddenly, he gave a cry, and collapsed writhing. A laugh came from somewhere.

"We can't have our experimentsssss running rogue without sssssome way to ssssstop them, now, can we?" said a sibilant voice that seemed to come from several places at once.

Isbar struggled to all fours, gasping as he glared out at the area around him. "What did you just do to me? Show yourselves!"

Another laugh. This time the voice sounded different. "Oh, I don't think sssssso. That would not be an expedient courssssse of action."

Isbar cursed as he tried to locate the sound. "Confusssssed are we?" said the first voice. "Good. We are quite good at throwing our voiccccccessssss around when we want to be."

Isbar started to stand again, and then collapsed again with a cry of pain. "Now now," chided the second voice, "no one sssssaid you could get up. Jussssst remember, you belong to ussssss."

"I. . . don't. . . belong. . . to you," gasped Isbar. "You. . . don't. . . control me." He then cried out again, and writhed in pain.

"Oh, but we beg to differ," said the second voice. "We may not have sssssuccccccceeded in getting you to obey our voiccccessss, but we can alwaysssss try torture. Auditory commandssss aren't the only method we usssse for controlling our experimentsssss."

Rune shifted his foot, and inclined his head slightly towards Ravage, "Ravage, I am going to attempt something, fly up, look away, and cover your ears. I will attempt to even out our odds." He said, keeping his voice so quiet it was more like muttering under his breath. Even someone up close would have a great deal of trouble understanding, which was why it was the perfect way to convey a message to a super-soldier. Ravage gave a small nod, and opened her wings, revealing the glaring eye pattern, as she took off, vanishing rapidly into the clouds above, seemingly fleeing from the battle, though most would think she would dive back down to attack. Rune took whatever distraction it made to use it to his advantage, and inwardly apologized to Isbar, hoping perhaps despite his situation he could at least react in his own defense.

Suddenly, Rune's tail lit up through his cloak with a brilliant yellow, and after a short crackling of sparks, there was a blinding flash that started off the same bright yellow, but grew into a harsh, searing white, that would have completely disrupted the sight of anyone who had looked, as though a flash grenade had gone off. Accompanying this, was an incredibly loud rumbling crack! sound, as though lightning had struck the ground with great intensity right within the area, only much, much louder, enough to hurt hearing, and disrupt the fluids of the inner ear, which would cause vertigo, as well. If Rune's trick worked, which it probably would, as he was perhaps the only hybrid on Maozhu, then the Liirlith would be blinded, off-balance, and unable to hear for a good amount of time, though all effects were temporary. In some ways, it was more effective than Thundarian lightning, because it completely ruined the abilities that allowed a warrior to function.

Ravage, up in the clouds, gazed down after the glow had faded, her beak wrinkling angrily, "How do you like a taste of your own medicine?" She hissed maliciously.

There was silence for awhile after Rune made his move. Isbar's body was in pain from the strange attack that had been afflicted on him, and his sneses were swimming from Rune's display. Then something clicked. Some of his senses such as his ability to feel, had not been affected, and were working perfectly. Perhaps it was a slight disturbance in the air or faint vibration in the ground that he felt. But he instantly knew something was approaching him.

His blades came out, and he slashed. He was rewarded by blood, and screeching sound. He saw a depression suddenly form in the grass, and he struck. Two long-fingered hands suddenly became visible as they were severed from their owner, but Isbar wasn't finished yet. He jumped on the invisible Liirlith and smashed his beaked snout home. Once, twice, thrice. On the third, there was the sound of some small machine breaking, and the entire Liirlith was visible. It lay on the ground, gurgling and choking, its abdomen slashed open, its hands gone, and bearing a smashed ribcage.

Ravage, it seemed, was not going to reappear, until suddenly, she materialized hovering right by a disturbance marking the presence of a still-hidden Liirlith, having used her camouflage ability to sneak up on it, as she doubted its senses were anywhere close to matching her own. She didn't waste any time trying to figure out what part she hit, and she wasn't going to reveal her metal claws to them, either, considering she was already fascinating from a scientific perspective as things were. She instead relied on her normal talons, as they were still incredibly strong, and could tear through flesh, sufficient for what she intended to do, as she had no desire to leave any of her enemies alive. She gored the invisible Liirlith with her horns, moving her head in every direction, so as to slash it apart with them, but held it so the force of her blows didn't knock him out of her range. She then reached out and grasped what she felt was a throat, considering she could feel a fast-pounding pulse, and without hesitation, ripped it out, knowing that it was a sufficient wound to kill.

Rune's movements were far more cautious than Ravage or Isbar, but they were precise and effective; he stood in the large area where blue grass was growing, and as it was taller because it wasn't maintained, he could easily see the footprints of all the Liirlith that came his way. It was remarkable, partly because people wouldn't expect him to be very strong or combat-savvy, and also because he was so young to think clearly in a situation such as this. He danced around the first Liirlith that came within attack range, and used his wings to get behind the assailant, knowing because the attacker had walked forward in a looping motion to follow him. Then, Rune struck out with the razor-tipped gloves that concealed the nature of his hands, slicing into flesh around the height where the neck connected to the back of the head, severing the spinal chord. He moved around the grassy area again, always keeping each set of footprints in sight.

Overall, the Liirlith's situation was beginning to deteriorate, as they were up against two super-soldiers, one an intelligent Virc of their own design, and the third member of the party an eerie-looking character robed in black fabric that was like armor, with a featureless white mask and reflective lenses for eyes masking what his appearance was. Even though Rune was not a super-soldier, he was definitely capable of holding his own in combat, even though he did not possess brute force as the others did. It seemed he was much stronger than he appeared to be, but at the same time, it made sense. Nobody else was looking after him, and chances were Rune was faced with dangerous situations in the past.

Isbar seized the dying Liirlith and hauled him into a sitting position.

"Alright, you, start talking! How many more are there of your filthy species here?"

The Liirlith actually smiled at Isbar. "There wasssssss three, but now there isssssss only two. The fourth hassss already departed with all the information that we provided him with, that we collected on your little voyage."

Isbar glared at him. "What are you talking about?"

The Liirlith choked a little as he laughed. "Three of ussss were on your sssshhhip the whole time, and you didn't even know it! We have been collecting data on everything you did and everywhere you went. We even managed to sssssneak into your one mutant friend'sssss private vesssssel and take a look around; we even took sssssome ssssamplesssss from her and her pet while they sssssslept. When you fought the Arachnarche, one of ussss wassss out there with you, collecting ssssamplesssss from the ssssslain ssssoldier Arachnarche. And now we have handed over all of our information to another of our brethren who rendezvoused here with usssss, and he issss sssssafely away. We have accomplisssshed our missssion."

The Liirlith gave one last choking laugh, and then died.

Isbar went to find Rune and Ravage. "Don't bother searching for anymore," he said grimly when he learned they had each killed one. "The only other one that was present is long gone." He gave them a brief account of what he had learned. He was clearly angry at it. "They've been around the entire time, hoodwinking us all the way!"

Unsilenced Retribution did not move from his position, simply staring at the Jadel. His armor continued to shift as Overcharge activated further, making the machine larger and more intimidating. After a couple of seconds, he slightly cocked his head, observing Kradus. He began to slowly pace, walking back and forth, though keeping his sight on the lord of the Dominion. After a while, Unsilenced began to speak once more. "Kradus Kryle... I stood above your body and that of Emperor Whoster, your lifeless vessel in the maw of death. Those Karthla implants are quite a wonder, so it would seem..." The Wreae seemed to be lost in its own musings for a bit before continuing to speak. "While you may have sparked this conflict, much has changed within ten years. Many an empire have arisen. I suppose it is time for you to test your mettle in a world that has not felt your malicious touch in ten glorious years." The Wreae, radiating blue energy, beckoned for Kradus to strike.

__________________________

Svar continued to follow Xej, watching their surrounding carefully with his HUD.

___________________________

As soon as each of the Confederate fleets were acknowledged by the others, a transmission from the Krathunian fleet was sent to the rest of the ships present. Rakluth, fully armored, though his helmet was not present, stood on the bridge of the Fortress ship, and began to speak, explaining the plan of counterattack. "This is Admiral Rakluth Bretuin of the Intragalactic Krathunian Covenant of Sethega," He began, using a tone of dread, though it was laced with hints of hope here and there. "These orders have been handed down to me directly by Sentinel Theranis Ra'agus, military executive in charge of the operations against the Terminus Pact. As you can see, the planet of Kvanun is under siege by a number of ships belonging to several different civilizations - the Vrentus, the Mondarians, the UFIAI, and the Vil'Nolwikkans, though we only have knowledge of the last due to negotiations conducted between the Greater Dominion and the RWF a while back. The planet's shield defenses and communications are currently offline due to Pact interference with the planetary networks, though the smaller, automated defenses are still operable. The enemy forces also contain a number of highly dangerous vessels, most notably a Vrentus Dreadnought and a UFIAI vessel that holds a Gaze of God superweapon. In addition, the shield apertures normally used to gain access to the interior of the shield are completely deactivated, so unless we send dropships directly towards the bombardment area, we have no way in. We face a number of problems, though we are prepared with a plan." Rakluth cleared his voice before continuing. "The combined Confederacy fleet needs to split into three groups. The first, composed of Jorro'kil and Krathunian forces, will approach the planet directly from this rendezvous point, behind the Terminus forces, and began an assault from afar. As soon as the Pact reorganizes its defenses to neutralize this threat, the other two fleets will appear. Thus, I need Ryun-Wreae ships to one side of the fleet at this range as to be undetected, as well as the Markovan fleet on the other side. This way, when the Terminus Pact adapts to our attempt at attacking, they will be flanked from two sides at once. From there, we need to find a way to allow our ground troops access to Kvanun so they may reactivate the defense system and prevent any artifacts in the archives from being stolen. I believe that the Federation has proposed a solution to this, but in order for it to work, we require all dropships to follow the RWF to their flanking area."

Rakluth smiled slightly. "Any questions?"

Ravage's beak wrinkled as she bared her teeth, and her feathers spiked up; if a look could obliterate the soul of those it was directed at, then Ravage would have destroyed everyone, "Grubblons, Sludge-stained ground-worms!" She cursed, never before having used language as foul as she had in that moment, "All I ever worked for in keeping my genetics a secret! All the people I slaughtered so that nobody would ever be able to create another being like me again!" She snarled, before punching the ground, so hard that it split in a small crater around her fist, as the rage turned to anguish, "I bathed in the blood of countless men to keep people from creating a super-soldier like me, and I spent an entire decade, living like a savage, so that my genetics would remain hidden." Her eyes opened, and her pupils contracted to thin slits, "Mark my words, they'll suffer a fate worse than anything they could comprehend, for this. I'll make sure that their blood is spilled, until the galaxy overflows with it, and not a single Liirlith remains."

Her hands clenched into tight fists, until the knuckles turned white, and she rose back onto her feet, "Worthless, pathetic excuses for intelligent beings like them aren't fit to live. If they want a war, I'll give them a massacre and genocide so horrible, that I'll never be remembered for any good thing I've done. People will label me as a monster, but so be it! If it must be a bloodbath before the punishment is severe enough, if I must destroy and never do a good thing ever again, then I will!" Her words had faded to a quiet, menacing hiss, "If I have to cooperate and soil my hands by serving the one being who would have the power to destroy them, if I have to be a slave for the rest of my life to the one who would destroy the Liirlith for fun, so be it, I'll spend the rest of my life in servitude."

She was finished, it seemed, and she turned to slowly go back to the administrative building, before she paused, as Rune stopped her, "Ravage, what do you mean by being a slave?" He asked.

Ravage looked over at Rune, her gaze drained of all emotions or feeling, as though she had gone numb, "There is a race of beings known as the Werean, ancient beings so old that they exceed all other races in age; they were intelligent and space-faring, when we all were still single-celled organisms. They are so intelligent, that their entire empire is hidden, and nobody can ever find it, unless the Wereans want you to. They could care less what happens to inferior beings in the galaxy, but among them, there is one who finds the members of his own race to be boring, and would gladly take on the task of tracking down the Liirlith. He is not even an adult, however, he is far from it, and he is childish, mentally disturbed, and sadistic. That is the one that I will become a slave for, I will be his precious plaything that does whatever he wants, if he will destroy the Liirlith; I will make that deal, if I must, and even if he were to physically harm me for his own amusement, I'll never cry or complain, because it will be the price I pay for revenge."

She then walked away, and over to the administrative building, knocking so everyone would unlock the door, and going in, leaving Rune and Isbar standing in the field, the only ones who heard that she was willing to sacrifice her own freedom for such a terrible cause. Rune was silent for a long moment, before speaking, "So that is what she is willing to do, to destroy these beings, she wouldn't die, but she would live the rest of her life in torment, serving a twisted child." His tail flicked barely at the tip, "To be so angry over samples of her genetics being taken, to have protected them as much as she had, it seems that was all she had lived for, and taken pride in. She truly seems to believe that she has nothing left worth living for. To claim revenge, becoming a goal so great that she would sacrifice all that makes her who she is, now I know why she chose 'Ravage' as her name."

Rune's voice, normally a monotone that was calculating, now seemed sad, for some reason, "What, I wonder, could drive someone to that point? What is she thinking now? It is as though she had her wings clipped, and will never fly again." With this, Rune slowly proceeded back into the building, leaving Isbar alone out in the grassy blue field, littered with the bodies of slain Liirlith.