Disruption (IC)

The door opened and Aarin was there, looking relieved. "Is everything alright?"

He looked Ravage right in eye, and suddenly looked disturbed, the look of someone who has seen something horrible that they had seen before and had hoped never to see again.

Isbar came in and snorted. "One of them got away!" He gave a quick account of what had occurred and what the Liirlith had said, though he skipped over the exact details of Ravage's words simply giving one the idea that she had had a temper tantrum. Aarin cast another gaze at Ravage, one that she might have found a little uncomfortably intense, as if he could see what he wasn't being told.

"What did you do with the bodies?" he asked.

Isbar shrugged. "Left them where they were. The animals can take care of them."

Aarin went for the door. "They need to be buried."

"Why?" asked Isbar. "They're only Liirlith."

Aarin turned and looked at everyone around in a stern manner that was quite surprising for him, who almost never seemed to get upset.

"First of all," he began, "when the other librarians get here, how are they going to react when they find dead bodies on the ground? Second of all," he continued, and the sternness of his voice seemed to increase a little, "regardless of what those Liirlith did, we still should bury them, because it is the correct and civilized thing to do. I know some of you are probably thinking that their actions negated such treatment, and believe me, I know how evil the Liirlith can be; I've seen it first-hand. But it is still something that is good, indeed, necessary, to do, if not for their sake, then for our own. They may have done things deserving of punishment, but if we are to claim superior moral status, then we must maintain standards, and treat everyone, even our enemies, in a civilized, honorable manner, or we risk becoming just the same as them. Now who is coming out to help me?"
______________________________________

"None, my good sir," came the enthusiastic reply from the Markovan fleet. "We're with you all the way."

Ravage's eyes had the iciest, most chilling quality to them that one's blood would run cold when they made eye contact with her, they were the eyes of someone that felt no compassion or sympathy, and although there was something tormented, there was no guilt, as though Ravage had no regrets that she had brutally slaughtered the Liirlith. They were the eyes of a killer, who took the lives of others without remorse, the gaze of a wounded animal that had been cornered, and was now viciously lashing out, determined to hurt the attacker in any way possible. All kindness and pride that had been present in Ravage's gaze, was now gone. It was as though she had been drained of all that made her who she was, and was now replacing it with something heartless and numb. She seemed to have decided something, and was going to go through with it, but there was the awful realization that it didn't even seem to be with regard to her own well-being.

Ravage's emotionless expression did not change, "Let's bury them, then." She said, not even saying it in a manner that suggested she was helping them in a voluntary manner. It was the kind of response given when someone was carrying out a given command, and that there wasn't some sort of choice involved. It was as though her presence wasn't even there at all, and that the real Ravage was somewhere else. It was obvious that a 'temper tantrum' did not even begin to describe how unnatural Ravage's behavior was. The change was so abrupt, it was alarming, and yet, somehow, heartbreaking at the same time, because she was the last possible person one would expect to be broken by any experience.

Without another word, Ravage went back outside, and Rune walked over to Aarin, now having dusted his feathers with charcoal dust, so that his wings were pure black, like his cloak, almost like the Chimerosu personification of death, perhaps. Rune whispered quietly into Aarin's ear when the door closed behind her, "She is willing to give up her freedom to destroy the Liirlith, Aarin. She is planning on pledging her loyalty to a cruel person that would perhaps even torture her, because he is capable of defeating them. Preserving her genetics was one of the greatest reasons why the blood of so many stain her hands, and now that blood has been shed in vain. She has in a matter of moments reduced herself to something less than a person, because she is preparing to become a slave."

Rune's voice was oddly sad, though his face was hidden behind his mask, "I know this, because of the way she speaks, and because I know how the heart and mind of a person works. This has nothing to deal with maintaining moral superiority, anymore, because she has already come to see herself as sullied and corrupted by terrible deeds. She already sees herself as something just as terrible as the Liirlith. If you want to help her, because I know I myself cannot, you must remind her that she is a person, and a person who deserves freedom. You must remind her that people do depend on her as more than just a tool or a soldier, and you must help her see that her life is something worth living, because she no longer sees any of that herself."

With this secret passed on, Rune gave a small nod to Isbar, knowing he had withheld the full story for Ravage's sake, and went outside to assist in burying the bodies.

Everyone exchanged questioning glances, wondering why Ravage was acting so peculiar, but regardless, all headed out to help.

The burial of the Liirlith was a somber affair. All of them had been badly ravaged in the fight, and it was unpleasant business dealing with their bodies. "I can't believe I'm doing this," Isbar was heard to mutter.

As the last bit of dirt was being piled on, Allé, who had been scanning the bodies, came up to Aarin. "I was scanning them, and I've noticed something strange about them. This was something I noticed when I autopsied the ones living on Vathoris, too. The brain of dead creature always keeps some imprint of the thought patterns the creature had. This varies from individual to individual of course, but it doesn't in Liirlith."

Aarin held his hand up. "Thank you, Allé," he said loudly enough for all to hear, "but I think this should wait until we get back to the building. Let's everyone head back. . . except you, Ravage. There's something very important I need to speak to you in private, right away."

Ravage had already been heading back after the burial of the Liirlith; when Aarin told her to wait, she merely stopped walking, but voiced no worded response. She didn't even turn around to look at him, and her eyes were downcast, not looking at anyone or anything but the ground directly. She didn't want to talk to anyone, she had made up her mind, and another vow of revenge had been sworn, another race added to the list, first the Karthla and all the people who allied with the Dominion, and now, the Liirlith. She felt depressed and sad, but eventually, just like she had the first time, she would push all those feelings out with hatred and indifference. She would humble herself, first, though, and learn how to be a servant, never having any meaning unless her superior gave her one.

When this stage was done, she would be the heartless rogue that had joined the Warrior's Way and become a mutant, shortly after. She would also, however, know how to be a slave, living to do the bidding of another person, because she no longer felt any interest in her own well-being. Her future master had offered her a deal; he would help her do something, if she pledged loyalty to him and became his servant. Ravage knew she was capable of becoming his favorite, the one who accompanied him, protected him, and even prepared and served the food, doing far more than just that. In essence, a strange mix of bodyguard, maid, chef, attendant, and hopefully, adviser, as well.

Ravage didn't mind that this person chased away all the servants he hired, that he was known for smashing their faces into plates of rejected food, for striking, lashing out, and behaving overall in a highly unpredictable manner. She didn't mind that when she had met him, he had been laughing cheerfully like any other child was expected, and then had suddenly turned dark, cold, and menacing. She didn't even care that his current favorite at the time had been covered with bandages, as though he had been harmed repeatedly. Ravage was still capable of healing from any injury without scarring, so a bit of pain did not matter, and the skills needed to prepare food and appease an unstable, troubled mind could be learned. The child had extended an offer to her, and she would take that offer, and become the best servant she possibly could.

For now, however, there was the matter of making everyone leave her alone, and accept that there was no changing her mind. Ravage turned around, and looked at Aarin, after a long pause, "Rune told you, because that's the kind of good person he is. Don't try to change my mind about what I'm going to do, Aarin, because all of this has happened to me before. What I've told you about my past is only a watered down, sugar-coated version of the truth. The true story is so horrific, that you wouldn't even so much as glance in my direction, or touch the ground I walked on, because innocent and guilty people alike are dead because of me." Her voice was cold and hateful.

One's mind would flash back to Ravage's suspicious behavior, when she had first arrived on Vathoris, and then had gradually warmed up to Vey, Aarin, and the others. It seemed that being on the planet had been good for her, even though events had turned incredibly sour near the end. It seemed clear now, that Ravage had been a cold, heartless person when she had arrived on the planet, and then had gradually lost that aspect of herself. Now, however, it looked very much like she was regressing back to whoever she was before she met her friends. Whoever that person was, was perhaps too horrifying to imagine, and it seemed that Ravage was now trying to deliberately get rid of her friends, so that they did not try to prevent it.

Aarin moved so that he was standing between Ravage and the way to the building; the only way she would get back was to physically move him.

"If that is what you think, then you don't know me, Ravage," he said. "I have heard many terrible confessions in my time, including from my own brother."

Aarin paused a moment to let that sink in, then continued. "I think I am correct to say that you consider Vey to be an admirable person, and you are right, for he is. But he is not nor was he ever perfect. He has always been plagued by anger and feelings of worthlessness and inadequacy. You may find that surprising, since he shows little sign of this. Like you, he learned over time to exercise control over these things. But it was not always the case. One incident in particular is one in which he still feels guilt and shame to this day. You recall the power that the device on his skull gives him. It can be a blessing, but at one time, he used it for something terrible."

Aarin paused, frowning as his mind went back. "I was only fifteen then. Mott had just made the Dark Energy Convertors, when one was stolen by someone who had professed to be an ally to us, but was secretly scheming to use us. As you can imagine, this incident lead to war. On one occasion, me, my brother, and a small group of soldier were on a reconnaissance mission, though I stayed behind on the ship. Then I heard yells and death cries. A whole legion of enemy soldiers had ambushed ours and slaughtered them and captured Vey. I remember the leader was bragging about what they were going to do to Vey. Vey saw his soldiers lying dead around, him, and, to describe it in sugar-coated terms, went berserk."

"I couldn't see what took place from where I was. All I heard was the screaming, screams of anguish from the enemy, and screams from my brother, screams of rage, so distorted by hate that I didn't even recognize the voice as his at the time. When he finally came back to the ship, he had a look in his eyes similar to what yours were when you came back from fighting those Liirlith just now, cold and dead. I never saw what happened, but he told me himself later, often weeping in guilt and self-loathing as he did so. Using his power, he had slaughtered the entire legion of soldiers, every last one of them. According to him, many tried to get away, but he didn't let them; he didn't want them to. He destroyed every last one of those soldiers. Some he telekinetically crushed till they were unrecognizable; for others, he raised up huge mounds of dirt and stones and buried them alive. He did these, and many others which are too horrible to describe. All in the space of less than an hour's time."

Aarin paused again. "Vey has always described that day as the one where he almost lost his soul, and has said that if I hadn't been there to bring him back to his senses, he might have lost it permanently. Needless to say, Vey did something terrible on that day, something that he regrets to this day. But he's still a good person. He has striven tirelessly to be so from that day forward, and he has done quite well; I think he has at least, although he still at times has trouble seeing the good in himself."

"You say you have done terrible things, Ravage, and I don't doubt your telling the truth about that. But you're still a good person. I've seen it. It wasn't a monster that saved Vey's life, or helped save Vathoris, or help her new-found people in their time of need, or took pity on a poor Spiromander; it was a caring and compassionate person, one who has admittedly made her fair share, perhaps even more than her fair share, of mistakes. But if the fact that you made mistakes makes you a monster, than we are all monsters. You clearly regret those things you did, and, I think, prevent them if you could do it again. You are a good person, Ravage, and you would only waste yourself if you did what you're planning to do. You've made mistakes, but I am asking you, nay begging you, as a friend who cares about you, don't make another one."

Ravage's face did not show any sort of strong emotion, and it seemed that she was merely tired of it, "Aarin, I have treated you and many others with kindness, and understanding, because that was all I ever had to remind me of who I used to be. That does not mean anyone should forget what I was before I came to Vathoris, or that I am so proud or noble, that I wouldn't use a devious tactic to achieve my goal. The Liirlith have stolen my genetic code, by sneaking into my home, and taking samples from Xenos and I while we slept. They did not just kill someone, or destroy something I cared about, they broke into my home, and by taking my genes, have violated me, as a person. They have wounded my pride, and there is no punishment I can think of that can possibly fit what I think they deserve, because I don't have a right to my own DNA, anymore, and who knows what they will do with it?"

Her eyes narrowed slightly, a small touch of anger, "They now have the DNA of a powerful animal with skin so thick that nothing sharp may cut it, and worse, DNA of a person like me. They don't have my bladed claws, because they aren't a part of my genetic code, but that makes no difference, because if they make more creatures like me, that they can control, it's all over for the people they target. Don't you understand, that for me, any creation they make using what came from me, that hurts people, might as well have been if I had killed those people myself? It's sickening, and perhaps you might see it as different, but I've had my genetics ruined enough as it is, and I've been poked, prodded, and sought after by enough scientists to say I don't trust what medical examiners say anymore. I've lived my whole life, paranoid about something like this happening, and killed people to stop it, but now, people have my DNA, and I can think of no one worse to get their hands on it!"

She took a deep breath, and let it out to calm herself, "Aarin, the person I plan to work with is probably about thirteen, by now, and is therefore a child, but he is the only member of his kind who would even consider helping track down the Liirlith. He has a warped, twisted mind, and I cannot help but think his behavior stems from some sort of abuse in the past, though to confront him on the matter would only result in a screaming fit of rage. You must understand that he found my ship once, and invited me to his home for a meal, during which he called his current attendant useless, and said I would probably be much better at the job. He kept appearances until his attendant failed to properly prepare a dish, and lost his temper, but as soon as he had shooed the attendant away, he apologized. In all truth, I do not know what might occur if I take his offer, for he did show me an unusual amount of respect, it seemed, for one who was so clearly used to dominating others, even at a young age."

She folded her arms, "I will try, for the sake of you and everyone else, to maintain my sense of dignity, pride, and honor, but you must understand that I have no choice if we want this person as an ally, but to accept his offer, and become his new attendant. I am simply making sure I am prepared, because I must prepare for the worst, in case he decides to truly mistreat me, and I cannot defend myself, if that is the case. I only noticed that he has a peculiar desire for attention and affection, and that he does not appear to have any family at all. He does not have any sort of parental figure, or role model to follow, and I feel that may be what he is searching for in an attendant. My aim is to see if I can become that role model, and thus, have some sway over his decisions, perhaps so that he will respect my own."

She looked Aarin in the eye, the somewhat harsh quality of her gaze not gone, although the fierce steely glint had returned, and it seemed like the show of concern had been able to snap her out of the depression and cruelness that she had felt moments before. This did not, however, change her decision, only how she was going to approach the situation she was planning to put herself in, "Aarin, I have lived my life taking orders, and I know I can handle almost anything. If I have to endure the madness of being the servant of a child while he helps to track down the Liirlith, I will. I have to stop them from using my genetics, personal vendettas set aside. Perhaps I may set aside my darker vows for revenge, but I can't allow them to use the DNA they've collected from the voyage; Chimerosu are biologically powerful races, in contrast to those that are more advanced technology-wise. Our DNA is more dangerous than our weaponry."

She then walked up and stood before him, "Now please, Aarin, move, the sun is beginning to set, so it is around seven in the afternoon. In two hours, the librarians will be here. My mind is made up, and I am choosing the route that will help others the most, even if it is not favorable."

Kradus cracked a grin, a bit of his white fangs becoming visible. His dark voice rang out, like thunder, but yet like silk. "Indeed," Kradus' voice purred. "You seem transfixed that the world has changed so drastically so, never, Wreae. You forget how much it is similar. Ten years is but a day in my life, which burns on and on like a fire that cannot be flushed out or ended. I am no mere Jadel, as you have noted. But can you comprehend the complete power of these implants? If not, I believe that is a lesson is ought to be taught."

Kradus' throat lit up and as he opened his mouth a blaze of infernos blasted forth, coming towards Unsilenced.

Aarin gazed at Ravage for a long moment, and then sighed. "Very well then, if you are so resolved, as long as revenge is not an issue, I will let the matter go. Just promise me one thing, Ravage," at which he looked her in the eye again, and laid his hands on her shoulders. "You are a good person, and no mutagen can change that, and there are people who care about you no matter what. Promise me you'll take care of yourself and not forget that."

Meanwhile. . .

The home world of the Liirlith was a secret they had revealed to none. However, they had secret bases scattered all over Ravena. It was at one such base that Nazra was coordinator. He it was that received all reports, oversaw all experiments and operations. And at this moment he was listening to a report as he sat at a communication panel.

"You were able to obtain the ssssamplessss and information then?" he said. "You have done well."

"Thank you, ssssir," came the reply. "I sssserve the Father assss do we all, though I regret to ssssay that the three information gatherersssss we had on board their ship did not make it out alive."

Nazra shrugged and waved a hand dismissively. "Occupational hazardsssss. They knew the risssskssss of our ssssacred work, asssss do we all. They're ssssacrificccce wassss not in vain."

"Indeed," came the reply. "However, I have sssssomething elsssse to report. The one called Ravage sssssaid she knew of a raccce called the Werean. She thought they might be able to track ussss and sssstop usss in our work. I though I should tell you jusssst in casssse thissss isssss causssse for concccccern."

Nazra narrowed his eyes. "Oncccce again, you have done well. Anything of thissssss nature isssss worthy of conssssideration. Nothing mussst be overlooked." He thought for a moment. "Continue here with your ssssamplessss. I musssst commune with the Father about thisssss."

"I live to sssserve the Father," came the ceremonious reply. "May the great realm of the godssss come again sssssoon."

Ravage sighed, "I can take a very large amount of abuse, Aarin, when the need arises. If I didn't think I could handle something, then I wouldn't do it. I've been suicidal only once in my life, and the simple fact is that I only caused myself pain, so I'm determined to never let myself think in that fashion ever again." With this, she went past Aarin and back into the building.

When Aarin came back in, Rune walked up to him, clearly intending to remain disguised for the rest of the group's time in the abandoned colony. "It looks like you didn't change her mind, but you snapped her out of whatever depression or sullen rage she was in. That's enough, though, people who injure others are dominating, but insecure. If Ravage is confident and remains strong, whoever this master she plans to pledge loyalty to would not feel confident in harming her." He glanced over at her, and Ravage was watching Rune with a knowing look, making him hurriedly look away, "It's been awhile since someone practically read my thoughts, how is it that someone I just met can guess accurately how I regard a situation?"

Two hours later...

An hour after sunset, there was activity in the park, as the Librarians all arrived exactly at the designated time, clearly not wanting to be too early, or too late. The first person to arrive, on some sort of small open vehicle that seated one person, was the Pavolite that everyone recalled Rune calling by the name of Spyros, the one with the pure white feathers and the red iridescence. He wasn't wearing a suit, this time, but a kind of black leather jacket over a dark navy shirt. Clearly, he intended to look fashionable, and it seemed that for whatever reason, having come from a city, that there was a gap in technological development between the city and the more rural country areas. It seemed cities had far more advanced technology, due to the attire Spyros was wearing, although everyone knew Rune himself had provided the transportation.

The second person to arrive was the female Pavolite, still wearing her brown tweed jacket and round glasses, looking every bit as awkward as she had the first time people had seen her. It seemed she might have walked a certain distance, and if so, the reason she seemed to be completely exhausted was narrowed down to two things: she was either not athletic, or she was tired because of the enormous, overstuffed pack on her back. She looked like she was about to faint, and she did, in fact, stumble, as though she were about to collapse. She was caught, however, by the third arrival, the older Pavolite male with the cream-colored feathers and the fall-colored iridescent quality to his feathers. "Woah, there, young lady! What are you doing carrying a pack that heavy?!" People could hear him exclaiming.

Finally, the two Thundarians arrived, seemingly having met up at some point, and deciding to travel together. When they landed, they simply stared at the Pavolites, and the Pavolites stared back. It seemed that the Librarians had never met one another and person, and it was a huge possibility that they had never encountered a member of the other species native to Maozhu. After a moment, though, the tension broke, when the older, bluish-grey Thundarian decided to speak, "So we're all here, then?" He began, "We're all here, where is Cipher?"

The Pavolite girl looked around, and spotted the darkened Administrative building, and pointed at it, something everyone inside could see, "I think we're supposed to go in there." She said.


Inside the building, Rune looked at everyone, "They will be inside at any moment, remember, you cannot call me by name, you will have to call me Cipher, from now on." Everyone outside started to walk towards the building, "Let us give them some space, there is a larger meeting hall further in. Let us wait there. Ravage, you can go out and greet them." He said. With this, he led everyone back.

Ravage sighed, "I don't know why it's me, but, I suppose it makes sense." She said. With this, she came out of the building, and everyone promptly stopped in their tracks, staring at her. Ravage let them stare for a moment, before speaking, "Allow me to introduce myself, I am Ravage, Lieutenant Colonel of the United Chimerosu Nations, and I am working with Cipher currently. He has asked me to lead you to the area where our meeting will be held."

"My intentions are.. resolute."  Resara said. By this time, she was sitting on the floor, legs tucked in and arms wrapped round them.
 
She was thinking of her ship, the Intent. It would have reached Jorro'kil space by now, and informed the High Councils, atleast, of what had happened. They couldn't tell whether or not she was dead, which gave her cause for worry, and also cause for hope, given the possibility that they still believe her to be alive. All she could do was wait.. and wait.. and wait...
 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Date: [REDACTED]
 
Location: Sev Solar System
 
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///Passcode(A)\\\ [Exchanged]
///Sec.Scan(L4)\\\ [Confirmed]
///VoiceScan\\\ [Overridden]
///Command.Confirm\\\ [Overridden]
///Not.Req.\\\ [Lev. 5 Alert]
///Ship.Ident\\\ [High Justice; Class:Destroyer; Designate:Intent]
Bridge Cam 2
 
"Sir. Velas Xrazun, Bridge Officer first-class. I've been standing in as this ship's commander."
 
"Velas.. what exactly happened? Level 5's don't exactly warrant a disinterest."
 
"We were sent into space belonging to the Vil-Nolwikkan Greater Dominion, as part of an attempt at diplomacy with the Vil-Nolwikkans. Not longer than an hour after arriving, our commander, Resara Y'traale, sent a message over the COMM ordering us to evacuate Nolwikkan space if she did not return to the ship within five minutes, having previously descended to the surface of the world that we visited."
 
"Was there any confirmation on her death?"
 
"None whatsoever, before we slipped out of the system."
 
"Du'rakk."
 
"Sir."
 
"You'll need to come down to the surface, specifically the Complex, and give a report in-person. You'll recieve your directives once I return there. Until you recieve those directives, you are to wait here."
 
"Yes, Sir."
 
"I hope, for your Commander's sake, that whoever caused that order, is not intent on using her against us."
 
 
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 
 
No inquisition or obstinance was dealt by the Jorro'kil fleet, and they immediately began incorporating the plan of attack into their ships' battle computers, ready to coordinate with the allied forces.  
 
Most cruisers and battleships diverted power from the multiple fission reactors to the weapons systems. In the coming assault, firepower mattered more than defensive capability, negating the lowered energy shield levels.
 
Within the numerous carrier ships, large racks of exo-atmosphere fighters were prepped for rapid launching, in such a way as to swarm their opponents over.
 
None among the fleet could deny a growing confidence.

"I suppose I need not tell anyone to watch your manners," said Aarin.

"That means no killing anyone, Isbar," said Tevri, giving Isbar a playful nudge. Isbar gave him a look that would have curdled a pail of new milk.

"Is there anything you expect of us, Rune, when they come in?" asked Aarin.

The meeting hall of the Administrative building consisted of what looked more like an auditorium, facing rings with rising levels of seats designed for Chimerosu. Rune had led the group so that they stood on the stage. At Aarin's question, Rune flicked his tail sharply, creating a light snapping sound from the fabric concealing it, "You must remember to call me Cipher in front of these people, to know too many details about my identity would damage my credibility, as I am hardly what people expect when they consider my reputation as a detective. Try to maintain enough bearing so that you have an aura of authority, and command respect, at least for the first part of our meeting, at least until introductions are out of the way." Everyone looked up as they could hear the group conversing, while Ravage led them to the meeting hall, drifting through open doors.

Ravage maintained her military bearing as she led the group to the meeting hall, but regardless, even this task was more difficult than it should have been. "Wow, an alien Chimerosu, this is so cool!" The brownish-colored Thundarian said, largely coming off as very sweet and friendly, but overall, naive and inexperienced, and perhaps a bit brash, which seemed to fit the fact that despite being an adult, he was somewhat young in appearance. He proceeded to launch into a barrage of questions, even though nobody else thought it was wise to say anything, as Ravage did not seem sociable. "What planet do you come from? What species are you? What's the UCN? What is space-"

Ravage promptly cut him off, "Your questions will be answered during the meeting." She said, even though she was tempted to say something less professional.

With this, the young man fell silent, and she led them into the large meeting hall, which was very dim, save for any lights the group had with them, as there were no windows. They then noticed the gathering of strange characters on the stage of the auditorium. It was in that everyone who had been led there was filled with obvious wonder and amazement. "Oh, my goodness...there's so many Chimerosu...are they all from different planets....?" The female Pavolite asked, seemingly overwhelmed, yet mystified. Nobody else seemed capable of words for the first few moments. They were still trying to comprehend what was happening.

Suddenly, Spyros broke the spell, walking past Ravage and the others and regarding the group in a haughty manner. “So, which of you guys is Cipher?” He asked, clearly trying to look either tough or cool to everyone. Ravage, standing behind him, smirked slightly with amusement, her beak wrinkling with the expression and revealing her sharp teeth. “You made us come a long way to get here, don’t tell me you’re still hiding?” It sounded a bit like a challenge.

“That would be me you are referring to,” Cipher said, stepping forward, looking no less mysterious than as he had been when represented by the symbol he used. He wasn’t recognizable as any Chimerosu species, and he didn’t look like one to be trifled with, either, as his gloves were tipped with metal razor-like nails. He seemed to walk with a hunched-over posture, but regardless, surprised Spyros. Cipher immediately set to shutting down any sort of challenge posed, “You did not have to come here, and I provided transport. I am not hiding, Spyros Eburnus, lyra viol musician from the capital city of Karira, for I assure you, I am Cipher, and I am aware that my sudden calling of a meeting forced you to cancel one of your performances.”

Spyros froze, stunned, before quickly putting back up his cool front, “Okay, so you aren’t hiding, and you really are Cipher, I guess that’s proof enough. But what about all these other people here? Who are they?"

Cipher flicked his tail, "I intended to introduce all of you, but first let me state that these people are all representatives that came from the space-faring races, along with other alien groups assisting in their diplomatic mission." He turned to the group of UCN representatives, "Allow me to formally introduce you all to the five other librarians." He began indicating them by their names, gesturing to each one. Everyone knew who Spyros Eburnus was, but the other names were new. The older Pavolite male was Doug Ancile, and the female, nervous-looking one was Agatha Lenis. The grey-blue Thundarian was Lorne Cuileag, and the brownish-yellow one was Torn Maorach. Overall, these were perhaps the first Chimerosu anyone had met who seemed to have first and last names.

Cipher then finished with introducing the librarians, and turned to the group of aliens, "I suppose that you are better at meetings such as this, and better at explaining why you are on Maozhu. I will let you explain that," he said.

After acceptance of the Sentinel's strategy from each fleet present, all Confederate ships present went into formation. The Ryun-Wreae fleet took up position at one side flank of the Terminus Pact vessels, with the Markovan ship doing that same at the other side. All Confederacy ground personnel had been sent to the Federation's formation due to their planned stratagem of getting the ships into Kvanun's shield. The formation of said dropships was spearheaded by the Anomaly, every crew member aside from Theranis and Rakluth present aboard the frigate. Before the counterattack could commence, however, a transmission was sent from the Fortress Ship, to the entire fleet.

"This is Sentinel Theranis Ra'agus," It began, the Krathunian speaking in a low, grim tone. "This war has been brutal. We face callous, merciless enemies, who desire nothing more than to seize what is rightfully ours. In doing so, they shatter what we hold most closely to our hearts, whether it be our freedom, morals, honor, or our family. Yet, this conflict has also brought about unity, and a hunger for those who are not corrupted and poisoned to seek vindication and justice. The Confederacy is a symbol of the virtuous and altruistic, the protectors of Ravena. During these next several hours, we must deliver righteousness to those of Kvanun and prove to those suffering elsewhere that it is our absolute duty to do the same. We shall emerge from the dust and debris victorious on this day! For Kvanun! For the Spirits! For the Confederacy! For Ravena!"

With that, the battle began.



The Krathunian and Jorro'kil combined fleets advanced forward towards the Terminus Fleet, firing a multitude of weaponry into the swarming mass of ships beyond. The Covenant vessels in particular lit up the ever dark void with their magnetohydrodynamic cannons, brilliant red beams of molten metal alloys streaming across space and impacting their targets with immense energy and heat. The Vrentus fleet responded in kind as soon as thought possible, rearranging its silently formation to approach this new threat. The Vanguard flagship slowly turned around to face the Confederate ships, activating a massive amount of direct energy weaponry lined upon along its structure, though the bacteriophage machine continued its work. The rest of the Confederacy's ships awaited the response from the rest of the Pact, however.


Meanwhile...

The planet of Kvanun orbits a binary star composed of one medium sized yellow star and a more massive blue star, the latter slowly consuming its neighbor, a steady stream of material and energy flowing from the stretched body of the smaller star into the larger. Close to this structure waited a ship, no bigger than a frigate. Its make was unlike anything in the galaxy - It was undoubtedly graceful and beautiful, its silver and blue surface flowing like the liquid of a calm stream into a magnificent structure. Yet, there was something off putting about the vessel, an ominous aura of the unknown and the incomprehensible.

The Wanderer had arrived, observing the beginning of the battle of Kvanun. There was no doubt in his mind that the awakening had finally begun, and the civilizations of the galaxy were hopeless to stop it.

________________________________

The fiery flare that had been released by Kradus seemed to encompass Unsilenced Retribution entirely, consuming the machine in a hellish inferno. When the flames dissipated and settled, the robot that had once stood there was completely gone. This would appear a victory for Kradus, if not for the figure standing at a distance from him to the side. "Your arrogance and ignorance is all too apparent, Kradus." Unsilenced Retribution spoke, unharmed from the blast aside from small burnt parts of his armor. "I reckon that if your vanity had not completely consumed you, that you would be more intelligent." The Wreae glowed with a blinding blue light as he activated his powers, first deciding to release a powerful, irradiating beam of energy from his armor, travelling towards Kradus with incredible speed.

The Markovan fleets threw themselves in with a will. Storming in customary formations, they swooped agilely amongst the Terminus ships, attacking with missiles and cutting beams. They blithely defied the enemy, dodging attacks; of the all the Confederate ships present, the Markovans represented the most difficult targets to hit.

The Despotic vessels continued their assault on the shell of the planet below, only firing on other ships if they themselves came under attack; however, they did release another swarms of pods. Rather than heading for the planet, however, they swarmed towards the Confederate ships. Those that made it through attached themselves to the Confederacy vessels, and began attempting to drill through their hulls so as to release droids within.
__________________________________

Aarin and Allé placed their right fists to their left palms and bowed. "I am Aarin Tiirmot," said Aarin, "and this is Allé Hadrin. We are Vatarri, and we are from Daro, a nation of the Confederacy of Vathoris, a multi-racial society. We come as friends of the United Chimerosu Nations; one of their members," he continued, motioning to Ravage, "gave us a great deal of assistance in our need, and our participation is a way to return the favor." Aarin glanced at Isbar, but he simply folded his arms and didn't say anything. "This is Isbar," said Aarin at last. "He is a mercenary, you might say, who volunteered to accompany us."

Tevri stepped forward. "I am Tevri din Ethrin, son of Asmir din Ethrin, the emperor of the Markovan Empire. I have come on this mission as a representative of my people. We are friends of the people of Vathoris, and I sincerely hope of the United Chimerosu Nations as well. If I may. . ." Here he drew his sword, slowly so as not to frighten anyone. "There is a customary way amongst my people to greet people and extend peace and trust to them." He presented the librarians his sword hilt first. "Here is my sword and here is my hand in friendship," he said.

Kradus, struck at the side, was flung many meters across the field, falling onto his side as he crashed into the ground. The dirt made a large crater where he had fallen. He came to a stand, chuckled, and spat at the ground which sizzled upon touch of the ground. His claws flexed and he stretched his neck as he approached. "Arrogance? Ignorance? Vanity?" Kradus laughed. "I am far more intelligent than you'll ever dream to be, good Wreae. Who else could bond a Karthla and a Jadel so elegantly? Who else could resurrect an empire and restore its power in such a short time? My dear, dear Wreae. Unsilenced Retribution, your name sells you out for the concept of endless revenge. And that is my goal. Yet you say I am soiled with vanity. Arrogance? I am not bold to say I am powerful, for gaze upon me closely! Look at me! Do you not see something that could do damage?" Kradus swung his tail, destroying several boulders, shattering them and sending the shards into the air. Kradus scoffed. "I just fought some sort of Vrentus, who seemed to have the same approach as you. You both say I am old-fashioned, and that I will not last. I must agree to disagree." Kradus' right hand bubbled up into a large cluster of biotic material, mainly cartilage, whose cracks glowed red. It opened, firing thousands of darts of red energy at Unsilenced Retribution. Kradus' snarl turning rotten. His face tensed a bit, as he began to lose his chuckle. His hate turning on. Turning on quickly....

Xej continued along the reinforced metallic wall, until coming to an aperture fifteen feet up the wall. It was half closed, and sparks flew from some of the inbetween the blades, minute spaces which would allow said blades to pass over eachother. It was probably the result of a conflict, rather than sabatoge, as Xej could see blast marks on some of the blades, fire nipping at the air, and smoke continually elevating from the metal highway stretching to and from the aperture. The span of the highway was not unusually long, and the two Confederacy soldiers could not see the end of it.

Next to the highway, closer to the aperture, Xej spotted a ladder, attached to the city wall. It was dark purple in color, and the lower half of it was folded upwards, locked in place magnetically by metal clamps. The upper half led up to a large rectangular station, set to overlook the highway. Xej guessed that inside of it were the controls for the aperture.

"There's out way in. Hopefully this highway is deserted by now." Xej said, pointing to the ladder.

"I'll need you to shoot the clamps so the ladder can release, and I can climb up onto the highway." He said to Svar.

Svar, using his plasma beam, quickly destroyed the clamps, and the lower portion of the ladder fell downward, stopping with a clang. Afterwards, Xej immediately proceeded to climb up, and swung over to the highway. Damaged and destroyed anti-grav vehicles lay burning, some in heaps of two, or even three. He stopped to survey the ravaged environment only for a moment, before turning to go through the half-opened aperture. It was opened only wide enough to allow perhaps one small vehicle, and little else in addition.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Jorro'kil ships pummelled those of the Pact's, launching multiple plasmatic and acidic missiles, along with strategically placed wounds inflicted by dozens of Prism Lances, disabling some enemy ships completely. Plasma batteries on their vessels held off most of the smaller assaults, such as the drones from the Despot's fleet, though some were able to get through and gnaw into the smaller cruisers and battleships, and even carriers. MAP cannons launched dozens of tungsten projectiles at the Terminus fleet, badly bruising their vessels, destroying some of the smaller ones. Cruisers, carriers, and other ships did not go unchallenged, however, and some had started to fall out of the battle, badly incapacitated, while others were destroyed, or cut in half.

Rapid Assault Exo-Atmospheric fighters attacked the Terminus vessels in swarms, thousands of them overwhelming the very small ships, whereas others shot down pods heading towards the Confederacy fleet, or engaging fighters of the Pact's own.

Torn looked fascinated, once again affirming that he was somewhat naive about the world, "That's incredible!" He said, as he reached out to touch the sword with one finger. Before he could do so, Ravage gave him a light swat on the back of his hand, and he flinched back, looking up at her, as she leaned over and whispered something into one of the ear-like tufts that had seemingly replaced horns for Chimerosu in Thundarians. He frowned, then nodded, understanding, before turning back to Tevri, suddenly taking up the inexperienced-recruit-trying-to-look-official-but-not-quite-pulling-it-off look, as he dipped his beak, "You may keep your sword, but we accept your friendship." He said. He then swiftly looked up at Ravage, also apparently eager to please a superior, "How was that?" He asked. Ravage gave him a silent nod, and his face lit up; he was surprisingly endearing, but he was also perhaps a bit prone to making mistakes? That wasn't quite clear, yet.

It was by this point that Agatha, clearly the shy member of the group, who had finally worked up the courage to speak since encountering Cipher and the aliens with him, worked up the courage to speak, "It's nice to meet you..." She said, her voice so quiet a few people looked as though they were straining to hear her voice. When people looked at her, her beak turned an extremely bright shade of red, and she immediately chose to hide behind Doug, still to uneasy to hide behind a Thundarian, even though Lorne was standing much closer. Doug quickly stepped aside, disliking being used as a shield, and yet, somewhat amused.

Spyros, meanwhile, was glancing up at Ravage, "So what did you do to get an entire nation to help you out? It must have been pretty crazy stuff." He said, somewhat interested.

Ravage flicked her tail, and glanced down at Spyros, still one of the taller people in the room, "I wind up in a lot of interesting situations, and really, the reason events turned out the way they did was because I didn't bother to pay attention to where I was going, and since my ship was cloaked, Aarin wound up crashing his right into mine. One event led into another, and it's a wild story, but it would take a long time, and that's not a valid point regarding the topic we're supposed to discuss." She said.

Aolani, trying to work up her nerve despite the confusion, finally came up and spoke, "Okay, guys, the reason we're here, the UCN, or United Chimerosu Nations, is a collective group of all Chimerosu from all their respective planets. We are all races descended from the original race from planet Krylon, which, unfortunately, was destroyed a decade ago in a nasty war." Everyone seemed stunned by that, but Aolani pressed on, "The Krylonians are largely extinct, but there are three remaining members of their kind in this room. That being said, Ravage, Samir, and Horus helped us find the Chimerosu worlds, including Maozhu, and we wouldn't have found your planet without their assistance in translating Krylonian text." She flicked her tail, "We have come here in hopes that Maozhu would join the UCN, because of our common heritage, but the planet isn't ready for that yet."

"Such does seem to be the case," said Aarin. "The reception we received wasn't exceptionally warm. However, I believe Cipher had a plan as to how this could be overcome. Am I right, Cipher?" He looked at Rune.
____________________________________

Jiiran sent a quick message back to camp: "Bring the trap closer to this area."

Meanwhile, a large force of droids and Mondarian troops accompanied Malefactor as he approached the Zraak line. A mech droid took aim with its plasma cannon and blew a large breach in their impromptu fortifications, killing quite a few soldiers at the same time.
______________________________________

The droid pods that managed to get through quickly dispatched their contents within the Confederacy vessels, mostly rapid-fire droids. The Mondarian ships also launched a stream of fighters, all automated, that counterattacked those of the Confederacy.

Cipher nodded, "That would be correct, but this plan requires full cooperation from those of us here, and there is a wide variety of tasks that must be completed." He reached into the satchel he had been carrying, and withdrew a large scrolled piece of paper from it, and, not having a table, rolled it out on the floor, spreading the talons of his foot to keep it from trying to close. It appeared to be a complete map of Maozhu, detailing every location on the planet in both hemispheres. Judging by the color of the paper, it seemed that this map was up-to-date, and freshly made. Cipher had prepared for this meeting for a long time, it seemed, waiting for the day he would have to map out his plan.

"Now, as you can see, this is a map of the entire planet, not just one hemisphere, as the rest of you are used to seeing." Cipher began, as he crouched down and touched a spot on the map with his razor-tipped finger, detailing a forest somewhere up in the northeast. "The first thing we must do, in order to restore peace, is to fix the problems that are forcing the Thundarians to raid Pavo. The main cause is a severe food shortage, caused by a very low number of prey animals that act as the main food source to Thundarians. Through extensive research, I have discovered the cause of this food shortage, and much of it is rooted in history that occurred a long time ago, before the raids began and started the war." Cipher moved his hand to point at another forest, just north of the previous one, that was separate and isolated by a mountain, "The cause of this food shortage, is that Thundarians do not realize that they have been competing for ages with another predatory species, originally only restricted to this one area."

By this time, Lorne scowled, "So there's some animal killing off our quarry? I guess that would make sense, but how come we haven't seen any?" He asked.

Cipher looked over at him, "The food shortage is affecting the predatory animals, as well, and the simple fact is the population of prey is too low to support either one of you." He looked back and tapped on the spot he was pointing at, "Ages ago, the species was separated from all other locations by this mountain range, here. However, at some point in history, a devastating fire caused by lightning strike, as the trees there were actually flammable, burned down their habitat, and in response, they migrated south over the mountain to the forests where your people hunt. This is an easy problem to fix, in my opinion, but the actual execution of the plan is not so easy."

Cipher rose back up, removing his finger from the map, as he stood hunched over it, "How we fix this problem is simple. By now, the forest that was burned down has completely re-grown into a habitat that can support the predators, and Thundarians do not live there. We can re-locate a few of the sparse remaining predators back to this place, where their population should thrive, and then kill off any remaining members of the species in Thundarian hunting grounds." He then looked over at the three Pavolite librarians, "While the Thundarians are working on this re-location, I require the Pavolites to capture a species similar to the prey animal in Thundaria, so that we can re-locate healthy breeding stock back into the population, which will save them from inbreeding depression. With the new genetic variation, the population should reach a healthy number that isn't at risk of extinction quite rapidly, and Thundarians should stop raiding Pavo when they discover their own food source is enough to survive."

Cipher folded his arms, "Are there any questions?"

Xej continued along the highway for what seemed like hours. All of the anti-grav vehicles that had once travelled busily along the roadway had clattered to the ground, and few were undamaged. Occasionally, Xej would see carbon scoring, bullet holes or circular burns on vehicles, the road, and bodies. Most of the bodies belonged to Dranzoot, though rarely there would be a dead Zraak. At those points, Xej would step carefully, making sure that no weapons or active technology remained along with the Zraak soldiers. Sometimes weapons would move, quickly, out from under the bodies of their former users. Other than this, the area was wholly deserted.
 
The Zealot's armor dully reflected what light there was left in the day, and despite the strong breeze from the thunderstorm, resisted the movement, keeping a steady inertia.
 
The scene could not be said to be entirely peaceful, as lightning, accompanied by thunder, dashed across the sky. It was more suspenseful, perhaps even sorrowful, a fitting addition to the events that were taking place.
 
About three quarters of the way through Xej and Svar's journey, the highway which they had been following abruptly stopped, cut barbarously in half. Fortunately, some vestige of the path still remained, albeit downward, a wide, arcing iron beam which stopped about a meter above the ground. Xej followed this first, and upon reaching the ground, made sure to survey the surrounding environment, recording everything with his HUD.
 
The scene had major indications of heated combat and plundering, and there was little to indicate which of them was more prominent.
 
Some hundred feet away, Xej saw a derelict tramcar. Wanting to see if any in it might be alive, he ventured over. Inside, blood was spattered across several surfaces, and mangled bodies lay in pitiful positions across the interior.
 
Shaking his head with disdain, Xej looked to a window on the opposite side of the tramcar, and through the distortion of cracked glass and a minor bloodstain, he saw a Dranzoot church.
 
"That's right..." He thought, remembering the Dranzoot to be religious. Quickly, he exited the derailed car, came around to see the church from a better position, and paused.
 
Would there be any survivors inside? He wasn't sure, but there was little else to do. Cautiously, he advanced out into the street, when a squad of Zraak rounded the corner. He pulled back, drawing his sword but not allowing the blades to heat. Taking cover behind the tram, Xej waited for them to pass, gesturing for Svar to do the same, as Xej preferred the Confederates remained entirely undetected. Tense moments passed as synchronized footsteps neared, until, much to the Zealot's relief, they began to pass, and soon they could barely be heard in the distance.
 
Returning to the adjacent street once more, with no other threat in sight, Xej sprinted to the door of the church. Opening it with some difficulty, he found that inside, conditions were no better than the city outside. Pews were propped against the walls, flipped upside down, and in general disarray. What the Dranzoot would consider holy objects were smashed or vandalized, just another attribute of Zraak hatred.
 
Passing into another chamber, Xej could hear a soft lament. Cocking his head, he listened. The whimpering continued, and Xej began to look for a passage that would lead him to the source of it. Nothing, only a stained-glass window leading into the next chamber. Glancing around, Xej decided to try to get into the room using this. It was certainly large enough for him. He retracted his sword's blades, and place the hilt on his thigh armor. With his hands free, Xej began to climb up the wall, utilizing his claws to gain a hold in the widely spaced bricks. The stained-glass window was within an indentation, and the lowest surrounding slant was not sufficient for grabbing a hold, leaving Xej with no other choice than to smash the window, and climb through.
 
As he passed through and leapt to the ground, he found something that he was not expecting.
 

 
Old memories passed through Xej's mind, renewed because of what he saw before him.
 
"Xej Therus, mission commander. You would be.. Lamor Arius?"
 
"Lamor, get the Orb!"
 
"Kradus must die.. we will do this.. together."
 
These and other memories flashed across the Zealot's mind, as he stood observing the bloody, beaten figure in front of him.
He stepped forward, slowly, bits of stained glass cracking further under his boots.
 
He drew his sword, presenting the dual blades, and in mere moments they grew red-hot. In two deft swings, he cut the chains holding the Dranzoot warrior in place, and caught him before he could fall to the ground.
 
"Lamor.. Lamor Arius."
 
"My friend."
 
Xej looked upon his ally with a solemn expression, still supporting him.
 
"You're not in the best of conditions, are you?" He said, his voice lightening up, along with his expression.
 
Propping Lamor against a pillar, Xej removed his helmet, and looked between Lamor, and the dirty floor of this dark chamber.  
 
"For our fallen.. they will be avenged." He said, glancing at Lamor. This was not simply said for consolation, as one might expect, but rather a vow of action.
 
"Come, we're leaving here." With this, the Zealot put his helmet on once more, and once more went to support his wounded comrade.

"This is certainly a grand plan," said Allé, but it's going to take time and require quite a bit cooperation from both races. Do you think they'll be willing to work together on this?"

"And what exact sort of predator are we dealing with?" asked Isbar, breaking his silence.

Cipher nodded, and pulled out a smaller roll of paper, unfolding it to reveal what looked like a scientific drawing of some strange reptilian animal, clearly predatory in nature, complete with colored inks and labels detailing notable aspects, and close-ups of certain parts of its anatomy. It had a raptor-like body, with sharp, hooked claws on its feet and short arms, a scale revealing each one to be on average about five feet in height. It had a notably long, thin, drawn-out snout like some crocodilian species, and it seemed to have six reptilian eyes, three on each side of the head, and a kind of shallow indent between the small, nearly nonexistent nostrils and the first pair of eyes. A smaller sub-drawing detailed the open jaws, revealing long, sharp teeth like saws, and a forked tongue that wafted air towards the indents in the face, containing chemoreceptors that enhanced its sense of smell. Sharp spine-like quills began at the back of the creature's head, and tapered off at the base of the tail, and details noted that the spines served as armor, and each one totaling about a foot in length, could come loose and stick into an opponent's flesh, the natural material it was made from typically causing inflammation and extreme pain.

More details were included, along with the generic information, such as a detail of the female's skull compared to a male's, revealing that males were larger and dominant, possessing a brightly-colored dewlap frill on the bottom of their necks that they displayed to attract mates and intimidate attackers. There was a barb at the tip of these creatures' tails, as well, revealing that they were stingers that had an effect similar to the sting of a giant wasp or bee. A single sting was identified as non-lethal, but these creatures could sting multiple times, and were apparently pack-hunters, meaning that multiple stings could prove to be fatal, depending on the creature that was being targeted. They were very good communicators, and could alert their packs over long distances, and their colors made it easy to identify males from females, in addition to size. The females were a dull, creamy grey-brown, and the males were pure white, with pale purple scales on the tail tip, base of feet and arms, and in general, a very intense violet was marked on the closed dewlap.

Cipher tapped at the picture, "These creatures are called Atroxniks. Highly-developed pack hunters, armed with a strong sense of smell and powerful vision that allows them to spot prey or predator from miles away. Their quills are long enough to pierce clean through the average rib cage, and not only is it very painful, but small microscopic barbs make it incredibly difficult to remove them, because they hook into the flesh. Their tail stingers only contain at any given time a maximum amount of venom to sting five times, before they run out and their venom glands have to replenish their supply. They use their quills and stingers largely in competition between males, and self-defense, seldom for hunting, as they prefer using their incredible speed and their sharp teeth and claws."

Cipher folded his arms, "Do not be discouraged, though, by how strong these creatures are, for overall, they are actually rather docile, and would prefer to flee from Chimerosu, rather than fight. It is possible to calm them down by covering the head with a sack, and females are peaceful enough that you can easily approach a nest and touch their eggs or hatchlings without being attacked, if you are careful. Re-locating them should be easy enough, so long as those performing the task to not do anything to upset or frighten them. The females and juveniles should be easy to return to their original location. What you must be careful in relocating are the males. Males can generally be pacified in the same way as females, especially older ones, but younger males in their prime are more likely to behave aggressively and threaten you. If you react properly, you can overall deal with these creatures, but when faced with an aggressive male that displays its dewlap, one wrong move could cause it to attack you."

Torn stared a the picture, "So they're like feral dogs?" He asked.

Cipher nodded, "Exactly, that is a good comparison to draw, although feral dogs won't react well to having their heads covered. In general, these creatures are easy to work with, so long as you approach slowly, and carefully, and do not to anything that would make them see you as a threat. I actually feel bad, because we may have to kill a few of them, and they are not mindless beasts. Their intelligence is about the same as a dog's, as well." Cipher flicked his tail, "With this in mind, I have pin-pointed the general range and territories of all five packs located in Thundarian hunting grounds that are the main cause of famine, we must try to re-locate a minimum of these creatures from each pack to prevent inbreeding once they are returned to their native forest."

Cipher turned back to Isbar, "With this in mind, a minimum number that has to be re-located is three matched Atroxnik pairs from each pack. That means fifteen males, and fifteen females. Taking this in account, don't try to randomly select the first ones you find, but search for the most fit members of each group, ones that have signs of good health and breeding, such as symmetrical body shape, and higher social status, which would have to be learned by a certain degree of observation." His tail flicked, "Once the bare minimum is reached, you may feel free to do what you like with the rest. You may continue to re-locate them into their home territory, if you find yourself feeling compassionate towards the creatures, or if you do not want to go through the trouble, kill them, though I cannot say I like the concept of harming them."

Cipher flicked his tail, and looked up at Aarin, "As for cooperation, that would normally not occur, however, many people have grown tired of this war, and certain groups considered to be a part of law enforcement or the government sometimes keep agendas of their own." One could almost imagine the eyes hidden behind the reflective lenses gleaming, "I have assisted law enforcement for both nations, and my existence is perhaps the one thing they both have in common, though they would not normally work together. Both have been plotting to end the war for a long time, and though it would greatly irritate the people in charge, the Tani Yard and Arashi Michi respect the information I give them by now. If Cipher were to, say, anonymously deliver by some means information about this re-location plan, and tell them that this is guaranteed to end the war, they would cover up how they got the information. However, it would not be long before the head of these two groups suddenly stated they were cooperating with operatives on the other side of the wall, conducting some sort of mission that would end the war. All that has to be done, is make it so that the head of each department gets credit."

Cipher's eyes narrowed, "If all else fails, I can use more daring forms of persuasion, or we can jump ahead to the next stage of the plan, reducing hostility between the two groups by playing on their emotions. A bit off-handed, but who does not love a happy ending?"

Ieegar

Vasorin approached the rest of the Ryun-Wreae Conglomeration and the Grand Councilors, grinning in anticipation. He wore his signature black armoring, shaped and molded almost like a business suit, though its material makeup suggested that it could be used for protection in combat. All of the Ryun and Wreae present stood behind a clear hardlight construct, a sort of window, overlooking a large, sterile chamber. Blinding, pure white lights illuminated the gray walled room, marked with military and industrial symbols, in particular that of the corporations that made up the Conglomeration. Opposite to the separate room where the political and corporate leaders stood, a large, heavy doorway was slightly indented into the walls of the area below.

Vasorin cleared his throat, a clicking sound considering the biology of the Ryun species, as he looked to the others present, before speaking. "My comrades and friends, it is my pleasure to introduce to you a project within the Alicor Corporation that has been running for a long time. It is one but many steps in our grand Federation taking the initiative within the Confederacy and finally, rightfully, surpassing all opposition." With these words, the door silently opened, and several heavy Wreae guards, each marked with the Alicor logo and using dark, heavy armor not too different in overall composition from that of Unsilenced Retribution, escorted a pod of sorts. The capsule was cylindrical in shape, bearing blue lights that adorned its shining silver surface. It hovered slightly above the ground, guided by its robotic guards. They stopped at the center of the room, the pod slowly settling to the ground.

"I introduce to you Project Predator's Solace," Vasorin announced. The surface of the pod rippled as thousands of hexagonal plates shifted apart at the center, revealing what was within. A pale blue Ryun floated in the center of the cylinder, held up by an antigravity machine. Tubes and wires encompassed him in a black cocoon, carrying many sorts of fluids and chemicals. The most notable and horrifying thing about this being, however, was his transformation. His entire exoskeleton seemed to have been hardened and made more durable - In places, an extremely dense and strong metal alloy was grafted in place of the exoskeletal shell. In other places, particularly the chest, forearms, triceps, thighs, and calves, a more flexible, muscle-like material could be seen, though muscular structures in Ryun were always beneath the exoskeleton rather than above. The Ryun was only slightly larger than average but it was clear that this specimen was capable of feats of strength and speed that a normal Ryun could not. He wore only a nanocomposite jumpsuit in places where it was socially necessary.

The Ryun opened his eyes, and the tubes began to dis-attach themselves from his body, particularly small holes in the grafted metal armoring. He descended softly to the ground, vibrating the capsule slightly upon reaching the surface. He stared forward intently as he walked confidently outside the capsule, taking in deep breaths. After several steps, he stopped, and held both arms out at each side. Indentations in the ceiling opened up, and two more cylinders descended, one at each side of the Ryun. They opened facing him, revealing an assortment of armoring. This floated out and automatically attached itself to the Ryun, in several layers, though it was rather compressed and light. The armor was a dark gray in color, with a minimal amount of blue lights. Most of it was featureless, completely smooth, aside from the occasional hexagonal pattern and a small white Alicor logo on the shoulderpad, beneath that of the Federation. From an unseen location beneath the chamber where the officials watched, most likely from another pod, a sword hovered towards the Ryun, assisted by two antigravity machines. The weapon was intricately designed and created, made out of an incredibly durable and sharp alloy. The blade was double edged and completely straight, coming to a sudden and abrupt point at the end. The Ryun slowly walked forward and grabbed the weapon, bringing it down to his side with expertise, as if he had used the sword his entire life.

One of the executives of the corporation, staring in awe of the Ryun, turned to Vasorin. "Please, Director, describe to me his... augmentation."

Vasorin nodded. "Subject underwent heavy genetic modification before birth and gene therapy afterwards, ensuring perfect natural ability in combat, power, and speed, as well as disease resistance and other traits. Subject underwent training from birth, as well as chemical injections and other methods to ensure maximum muscle growth. In addition, the subject underwent Superconducting Fibrification of Neural Dendrites and Occipital Capillary Reversal to maximize and optimize reflexes and eyesight, as well as other procedures to increase the ability of the senses. Grafting of alloys and other structures to the exoskeleton, as well as injections, was necessary to maintain durability within his bodily structure. As a result of all of this, the subject saw heavily increased strength, speed, agility, perception, reflexes, and more. In addition, his armor is state of the art, even equipped with a prototypical particle wall generator for increased mobility. He is... the perfect soldier." Vasorin tapped the hardlight structure, its hue changing to a cyan blue and the window itself reforming into a platform directly overlooking the room. Vasorin stepped out into it, calling down to the Ryun below with one simple word. His name. "Netheun..."

Netheun stared up at Vasorin, quietly observing the rest of those present. Within a deep voice that commanded authority, he spoke to the Director. "What are my orders, sir?"

"That is yet to be seen," Vasorin exclaimed, tilting his head to the left slightly. "Though... Give my friends here a demonstration of your abilities. Guards!"

The Wreae guards pointed their large plasma guns at Netheun, their aim never faltering from perfection. The Ryun looked at all of the machines present, six in total, thinking over a strategy, clutching his sword with cool, calm serenity. The scene was peaceful, even for what was about to occur. In a blink of the eye, Netheun bolted forward towards the Wreae directly in front of him, a blur, his blade pointed directly forward. Nehteun looked back at the others as the machine fell, a gaping hole created in the center of its body with unbelievable accuracy. The other guards began firing their weapons, but Netheun simply ignored them, dashing towards his next target with incredible speed. The next three Wreae fell to a flurry of slashes and blows, cut cleanly apart. As if displaying his ability, the supersoldier ran up to a wall, dodging a hail of plasma, using his particle wall generator to create a small force field that allowed him to leap off of the wall and gain momentum for his next strike. This landed, and one Wreae remained. Netheun stood silently, as if taunting the robot, who had ceased its firing and seemed to be surrendering. The Ryun, seemingly instantaneously, was on top of the machine, blade lodged into the Wreae’s chest cavity, destroying its primary AI core.
Netheun stood, lifting his blade out. The sword folded into a more compact structure, which he then put away into his armor. The Ryun stared up into the eyes of each official present, as Vasorin observed his son, smiling with pride.

_______________________________

Svar approached Xej and Lamor with caution, having followed the former aside from jumping through the window – Due to his size, the Krathunian was unable to accomplish the feat in the same manner and with the same grace, instead preferring to blow a hole into the chamber with his railgun. He was about to ask Xej who this new companion was, when noise interrupted his train of thought. Zraak.

Acting instinctually and  with great haste, Svar knelt beside the two and converted his plasma beam into his railgun, neurologically setting the ammunition to plasma rounds in case the Zraak had kinetic barriers. He faced the source of the commotion, holding up his railgun and using his HUD to prepare to target each. As the squad approached through the hole blown through the wall, seemingly drawn in by the sound of the glass shattering and likely even more so by the explosion he had caused, Svar brought them down one by one, his accuracy with the plasma railgun lethal and deadly. He moved seamlessly from target to target, taking them down before they could react. One was able to sneak past this and approached Lamor and Xej, weapons drawn. However, before any harm could befall either, Svar leapt to his feet, whipping out his sword. He drove the blade through the Zraak’s chest, forcing him into the nearest wall, seeing as the beast would not die. Switching to his conventional gun he pumped metal into the Zraak’s body, killing it. With that finished, he approached Xej and Lamor once again, his helmet retracting into his armor.
“Xej…” He started again. “Do you know this Dranzoot?”

____________________________________________

Unsilenced Retribution’s shields were able to block most of Kradus’ counterattack, though they were damaged considerably and would have to recharge after several minutes of repair by nanobots – several minutes that may cost the Wreae dearly. The rest of the bolts of energy hit Unsilenced’s armor, though due to the nature of the armor being designed to conduct large amounts of energy without the risk of overheating or being damaged.

Unsilenced Retribution continued to pace, observing Kradus, taking in large amounts of information and storing them in his data banks. “I do not doubt your power, Kradus. Even though you claim it does not exist, your ignorance and arrogance is still overpowering. You claim to be more intelligent than I could ever dream of being, and yet… You do not even know who I am.” Unsilenced stepped forward, energy flowing out of his body and creating a glowing circle beneath Kradus, though it did not harm him. “I am the union of organic and synthetic life, artificial intelligence molded into a new design. I am the most rational, irrational being you will ever encounter, combining the logic and calculations of an AI with the unpredictability of an organic. It is not that you are more intelligent than I am… Your mind simply functions differently.” With this, the Wreae clenched his fist, and the circle around Kradus erupted in blue energy, engulfing the surrounding area with cone-shaped energy that flowed upwards.

_____________________________________

The Krathunian fleet, combining its strength with the Jorro’kil’s ships, surged forward, the enemy attacks doing less than normal due to the Krathunian specialization in defense and protection in warfare. Meanwhile, the Federation fleet began its assault, attacking from the opposite side. The Confederacy’s large assortment of dropships glided underneath the Wrath, the capital dreadnought blasting forward with cruisers defensively positioned around it. It targeted a large Vrentus carrier that had begun to fire against it and was a major obstacle before the opening of Kvanun’s shield. The Wrath fired forth a strange, experimental projectile towards the carrier, which impacted the enemy ship as the dropships surged forward, protected by the fire and hulls of defensive cruisers. Where the projectile had impacted the Carrier, a swarm of nanobots appeared, growing exponentially and devouring everything in its path. The self replicating machines engulfed the Vrentus craft, eating away at its very structure as the dropships grew near. Just before they would have hit the Vrentus ship, the nanobots had created a large hole right in the center of it, creating a ring-like formation as to allow the dropships through and have access to the shield of Kvanun. With this, the dropships entered the shield, setting down and letting off a multitude of soldiers of all sorts of races. The Anomaly’s airlock doors opened up and Q’ren, escorted by the rest of the crew there, set foot upon the shield, oxygen levels maintained due to emergency energy shielded life support systems.
((You may now have your ground commanders and troops start to interact))

Aarin nodded. "This sounds good, though it will be lengthy. Perhaps the crew of the Majesty could be of assistance?"

"Perhaps," said Allé. "That certainly is worth considering.
______________________________



The initiation room was one to chill the blood. It was constantly darkened, and the various control panels present through out an eerie glow over anything. It was here that the Liirlith children were "initiated," as it was described. And it was into this room that Nazra entered.

At one end was a raised dais, surrounded by a series of small globes mounted on small platforms. There were about twenty of them in total. Right now, they were dull and inactive. On the dais itself stood another globe. This one always glowed slightly with an eerie red glow that occasionally grew in intensity, before subsiding into the globes depths.

Nazra mounted the dais, his long robe of office trailing behind him. He came up to the globe and placed his long hands on it.

"Father of ussssss all," he intoned, "thou who didsssst called ussssss from besssssstial ignorancccccce into the knowledge of ssssssapiencccce, thy child begsssssss to ssssssspeak to thee."

Slowly at first, but then with increased speed, the red glow grew more intense, until it filled the globe. The light flashed and flickered throwing its spectral light over the room, giving Nazra himself an eerie necromancer-like appearance. His eyes became dull and blank as his mind was whisked away.

From his perspective, the room around him faded into gray mists, illuminated with flickering red. He was born upwards, before coming to rest in one location. In front of him the mist took shape until it formed into the rough shape of a massive long-snouted head, with what looked like horns and crest-like features, although one couldn't have really made them out clearly. But the eyes were clear.

One eye, the left one, shone as a flame. But then other, was more like some evil spotlight, red and covering Nazra with its intense beam.

"What dost thou wish to say to me, my child?" said a voice from the shadow.

"My lord and father," said Nazra, "we retrieved the ssssssamplessssss asssss directed. But the one known asssss Ravage hassssss sssssaid that she meansssss to usssssse one, called a Werean, to find usssss and sssstop ussss in our ssssacred causssse."

The left eye burned fiercely. "They dare to interfere? Interference cannot be permitted!"

"What isssss to be done, then, Father?" said Nazra. "Who are thessssse Werean?"

"An ancient race," said the shadow figure. "They had already achieved great power and had lived long as civilized beings when the gods came to Ravena, fleeing the destruction of their own galaxy. But the gods were older still, hailing from a galaxy older by far than Ravena."

"What shall we do about thissss one, oh Father?"

The shadow was silent for a moment. "I must take though to this matter. Leave for now. I will speak to thee later when I reach my conclusion."

Nazra bowed. "May the realm of the godssssss live again."

The shadowy figure dissolved away, and then the landscape with it. Nazra blinked as his mind returned to the room he was in. He removed his hands from the globe, its light flickering away to a dim flicker. Nazra blinked as he regained his bearings. Then he left the room, just as another Liirlith was entering the base. Nazra came the moment he heard him.

"Do you have it?" he asked him.

The other smiled and produced a vial from a special refrigeration pouch in his belt. Nazra took the vial, his forked tongue sliding in and out of his mouth as he studied the vial.

"Excccccellent!" he said in a sibilant hiss. "You have done well. All it needsss now issss refinement. Are the sssspeccccimensssss ready?"

"Ready, Ssssssir," said another Liirith.

"Excellent!" he handed him the vial. "Find the proper ssssequencccce and purify it, then clone it. Oncccce enough hassss been prepared, take sssssome to faccccility 000023 and begin experimentation."

The Liirlith smiled as he took the vial. "May the realm of the godsssss live again!"
____________________________________

A small group of droids delivered to the shield world by a Despotic pod made a go at the Q'ren and the rest. Zizo took out a rapid-fire with his disintegrator. Menawhile, three melee droids approached Admiral Lirr, who was just opening his comm to begin relaying instructions to the Markovan troops. Dropping the link, he countered the spinning blades of the droids with his own, and cut the first two droids in half. Jumping over the third droid, he reversed his swords and sent them through the droid's back, terminating its function. He then retrieved his comm.

"Markovan Legion 663, General Dismic, bring your Legion to sector nine. Admiral Lirr out." He turned to his companions.

"Let's go kick some Terminus behind!"

Lamor merely groaned for a moment, only being able to see Xej through one eye as his other was swolen shut. He had to stare at him wildly for a moment, questioning if he was even real. "X... Xej..." he said. "It's n-not what you think. It-t, it... it's him."

Suddenly, from somewhere off in the room where Xej had came in from, there was a minuscule electronic beeping sound that seemed to buzz...

_________________________________________________________

Kradus was still snarling at Unsilenced Retribution when something went off about his armor. He looked to his metal gauntlets at his wrists and saw that a light was blinking and buzzing. He clicked it off, his eyes narrowing and his pupils dilating with such a horrendous look of hatred that it would have made mirrors shatter. He turned his head an looked at Unsilenced. "I hate to leave so early in the fight, but I have more important matters to attend to," he said. "If that motion sensor is on the frits I'm going to kill someone" he grumbled to himself. As he dashed out of the field, he caught a Zraak on a Kolgocraft with his arm as it was speeding by, completely stopping it. Using his massive foot he kicked the soldier out and hopped on, then steering it back towards the city.