Nouvelle
Had the Tinkerer's eyes worked, and were used rather than mass detection, they would've been alight with skepticism and anger. Tiny amounts of tension was applied to his muscles instead, and while any seeing creature would see absolutely nothing different unless they were specifically looking for it, they would not have noticed. With mass detection, it's a little easier to detect, and both of his companions both noticed, and reacted the same way. In many cases, the Tinkerer's actions influenced his followers around him; they were the leaders, after all.

Planet Nouvelle, Capital City Hollie
Royal Palace, Throne Room, The Meeting

Queen Sabine sat at ease upon her throne, patiently watching each of the parties present speak their individual pieces. She watched each group closely, not necessarily studying them, but rather, trying to understand whom they were as individuals, as singular beings. Sabine looked at their features, their anatomy, and their mannerisms. The Valkians were very methodical, purposeful in the way they spoke, perhaps more detail oriented than the other two groups before her. She listened to what the Lord Tinkerer said intently as he addressed her. To say the least, he was highly intelligent and spoke with a purpose.

She took in all he said, appreciating the time he took to explain his words and the meaning behind them. He was true, in a sense, she supposed. There was an inherent risk in technology being introduced to the people of Nouvelle. Such new and unthought-of inventions could benefit Nouvelle, advancing the now apparent inferior technological level of the Nouvellian people by decades if not centuries, but, on the other hand, it could make the Nouvellians dependent upon another culture for research and development. Technology home grown and developed by the Nouvellians was a great sense of pride, though how could her people hope to compete, let alone survive against a galaxy full of far greater powers. She weighed this heavily in her mind as she continued to listen.

She took no offense when Lord Tinker stated the obvious, her people were far underdeveloped compared to those in attendance. She took this as a technological level, rather than a cultural level. She had decided that she would have to make accommodations to have a permanent building built for the Valkians to operate out of, an embassy of sorts. Their honesty was commendable, and would surely be needed for the times to come. Her guards seemed at ease, which was good, at least to her, as they did not see any threat amongst their guests. She quickly looked back to Lord Tinkerer of the Valkians.

He had finished speaking, having taken his seat once more. She looked at him warmly, part of her saddened by their inability to see the world with their no longer existent eyes. Sabine had taken note that these races seemed to have not fully interacted with one another before this time, barring the Terran and Eternal Union members. This in itself may be seen as something insignificant, but, to Sabine, it spoke volumes of the great galaxy around her home world. The fact that the Valkians had attempted to contact her other guests, and they had thus far chose to ignore that contact was to her seen as a blatant misgiving in protocol. Either way, that was their choice, and she would have to see how they responded before coming to any conclusions.

The Valkians seemed true and genuine. Queen Sabine smiled at the compliment given to her upon how her people had accommodated the Valkians with all due haste that they could muster. She nodded her head to Lord Tinkerer when he had thanked her, quickly responding in kind with “You are welcome Lord Tinkerer, it was our honor to host you here today.” She was happy that they had proposed establishing an agreement or perhaps a treaty first, which would mean it would be easier for her to create friendly relations between the two peoples. It was now time to hear the other speak their cases, and to learn whom they were.
The next group to speak were the members of the Eternal Union. From a fleeting glance, none of the members of the E.U. had any weapons, which Queen Sabine took to her heart kindly. Hopefully, all of the groups were unarmed, but it was nice to see that at an outwards glance her request for no weapons was honored. She leaned forward in her throne as she listened to the diplomat speak to her, introducing himself as Archmage Cavenus. He spoke quickly and politely, favoring brevity in his first conversation with the Queen of Nouvelle. She could not help but look upon them with a sense of unease, or rather, that something was amiss. Sabine could not quite pinpoint it, but either way, she put those thoughts towards the back of her mind.

She wondered who this Immortal Aaliyah was, perhaps one of their gods, or their only god, or their leader. She would ensure that she asked about this later on, when it would be appropriate. Her violet eyes starred at Archmage Cavenus, taking in what he said about his people, the culture of the Eternal Union in a sense. War was always at odds with peace, but, in her people’s case, war was needed to ensure true peace and prosperity for her people those millennia ago. Peace and prosperity, these words were held dear to the people of Nouvelle. Sabine continued listening, finding the next part most interesting.

The war, or conflict between those of the Eternal Union and the Terran had been concluded, which was intriguing since it looked as those from the Terran looked startled by this revelation. She was curious to whom the Archmage was referring to as the tyrants. This would have to be further looked into, when time permitted. Either way, they spoke little of who they were beyond that they are a peaceful and friendly nation, wishing prosperity for those that valued peace. Curious indeed were these beings with wings, Sabine thought, as she smiled at Archmage Cavenus, bowing her head to him, and thanking him for speaking so kindly to her.

When the Eternal Union representative sat down, finishing speaking his piece, the Terrans leader stood up to speak her piece. She was most similar to the Nouvellian people, aside from their few outward physical differences. The woman curtsied before Queen Sabine, while it was a bit tense, it still flowed with a sense of practiced elegance. Her plain white dress added to the overall effect of the Terran woman’s greeting. Queen Sabine was very taken by the greeting, finding such a custom was not only common place upon her world, but on another, at least at one time. She would have to speak with this Terran woman alone when time permitted.

Queen Sabine looked at the woman glance over at the E.U. delegation, seeing her unease, the way her eyes and face betrayed her true emotions running deep within. This was noteworthy, and Sabine looked over to the Eternal Union diplomat, looking at him for a few moment, before redirecting her attention at the Terran woman. She offered a small greeting to her counterparts from the other races, before turning her attention upon Sabine herself. She spoke almost the same dialect as the Nouvellians, though, it lacked some of the flair and uniqueness of the Nouvellians. Sabine wondered if she was able to speak High Nouvellian as well, though, that was for a later discussion.

Praskoviva Lovisa was her name, and she held the rank of Captain with her people. They called themselves the United Terran Federation, which Sabine took as perhaps they were more than one select group of people, or perhaps even more than one planet. Curious, all these new cultures and peoples Sabine thought, as she continued to listen to Praskoviva speak. The woman spoke of her name, and its meaning, which was intriguing in that while perhaps Captain Lovisa’s people may not have put emphasis on the meaning of a name, the Nouvellians did. Famous Warrior, coupled with preparation, a curious combination that no doubt showed itself well, as from Sabine’s eyes, Miss Lovisa knew how to speak with royalty. These Terrans were an interesting group for sure.

Lovisa went on to explain how her people perceived time, the length of a second, which, and hopefully on Captain Lovisa’s accord, Sabine noticed a reddening of her cheeks during this explanation. Their days were twenty four hours long, which Sabine could only assume as the time it took for the sun to rise again for them, or perhaps, for them to fully rotate upon their axis. She leaned forward, her attention raptly upon Lovisa. The people of the Terran, or Earth, could live up to two hundred years old, with their medical technology. Yet, barring anything other than fire and perhaps basic tools, they could only expect to live until their twentieth year, which was woefully sad. Sabine was curious as to why this was, but her attention was quickly brought back to the matter at hand.

The people of Earth, the Terrans, had settled thus far four celestial bodies within their home system, places called Earth, Venus, Europa, and Titan, two of which were moons like Nouvelle was. Each world Praskoviva described was different from the others, each with its own unique way of life and native life forms. The good captain took her time to describe the worlds of which her people came from in order to draw a picture of their culture perhaps. What was noteworthy was the fact that the Terrans had peacefully colonized these worlds, without harming the native life, which Sabine respected greatly. She wondered to herself if one of these probes had ever came to Nouvelle, perhaps crashing into the uncharted regions of the world.

Captain Lovisa went into detail of the events leading to her people’s exploration of space, of how her home world’s inner turmoil led to a new dawn for the Terran people. Companies, a word that Sabine did not particularly relish, were also a thing upon the Terran worlds. These companies perhaps played a role in the global instability that lead to the war upon the Terran world. Sabine sat back, saddened at how an entire region of a world ended up becoming devastated, causing no doubt countless deaths of innocent lives. The nation that instigated this war was dissolved, no more, and replaced with a term simply as District. No doubt to prevent such violence and chaos from happening again.

What was sadder still, was the fact that the differences of a person’s physical appearance caused great unrest in these peoples, dividing their world. Such a trivial thing had never happened upon Nouvelle, as the people all had seen themselves as one ever since the upheaval and defeat of the Militarist factions so many millennia ago. The Terrans must have overcome so much to be where they are today, and these trials and tribulations no doubt made them better for it, Sabine hoped to herself. To oppress another people simply because they look different was so barbaric.

Sabine nodded her head as she listened, intently interested in the Terrans, and Valkians. They had spoken volumes about themselves thus far, showing that they were open enough to show whom they were to other races, other peoples. It was how would you say, a sign of trust and respect even among strangers. Captain Lovisa explained how the war had changed the world she lived on, for what seemed from her depiction for the better. She also added, which Sabine herself could relate to, was how the Terran people were fiercely independent, priding themselves on their freedom, and their desire to stay independent of an outside oppressor.

Sabine watched as the Terran woman spoke to the Eternal Union diplomat, Archmage Cavenus. Captain Lovisa spoke in a saddened tone of sorts, as she lamented on the fact that so many people had to die because of the inability for another culture to see how much the Terrans valued freedom and independence. Sabine looked upon Captain Lovisa with a shared sense of sorrow, knowing that life was such a precious thing. The Terran woman returned to her normal tone, looking back at Queen Sabine.

Sabine smiled at Lovisa when she spoke of how her people enjoyed speaking about themselves, that the Terran’s were an open people, comfortable with answering what would seem any question. The Terrans were an interesting people, with their own unique way of doing things, of living their lives. Captain Lovisa spoke of how they were trained in interacting with new races and cultures. Queen Sabine nodded as she listened, finally letting the Terran finish speaking. Captain Lovisa added in closing, as she turned to address the Eternal Union once more of how she hoped they spoke the truth of the conflict’s resolution, that lying was not honorable, and how the Terran’s were very forgiving people.

Queen Sabine turned to look at the Valkians, noticing that Lord Tinkerer had seemingly become slightly unsettled, or perhaps alarmed by Captain Lovisa’s introduction. It was a small movement, slight, but out of place for what outwardly appeared as a normally controlled being. Lord Tinkerer spoke aloud, at what seemed directed towards both the Terran and Eternal Union representatives. He was curious into the nature of the conflict that had ensued between the Terran and E.U. He spoke tersely towards the two of them, unsettled and disdainful towards those that would dare start a conflict without due reason, especially for the dastardly deed of subjugating another person.

Lord Tinkerer went into further detail about his people, in order to better explain his feelings on the matter. He delved deeply into the history and breakdown of his people, how they had been broken up into three succinct sub-species within the great Valkian people. To a time when they had their eye sight, and their names more closely represented their walks of life. A time when a great war had nearly wiped his people out, forcing them to flee underground, adapting and evolving to their new habitat. He spoke of a Great War, and the counter-offensive that saw his people return to the surface, reclaiming their world, and that of the aggressor. Lord Tinkerer explained how all this history tied into the present, that the Valkians would be a staunch supporter of peace, stability, and life, and for those who would dare tread upon a darker path, the consequences would be most dire.

Lord Tinkerer stared at the Terrans and the Eternal Union diplomats, speaking to them cooling, not out of trying to intimidate them, but rather, stating a matter of fact, that any act of violence, of conflict against a friend, ally, or even perhaps a neutral peaceful people, would be paramount to attacking the Valkian people themselves. War is costly, and lives are precious were what his words spoke to Sabine, as she listened to him speak aloud. Dare to attack us, or those we protect, and you will face our wrath, till you are no more. A war to end all wars in a sense. Sabine sat back in her throne, knowing that the coming times would require her to be most cautious.

The Valkians spoke volumes of their character. They were not here to interfere, nor meddle. They were watchers, mentors of sorts, a big brother or sister. Someone to care for the younger races and help them grow into their own greatness in due time. Lord Tinkerer would no doubt do all he could to protect anyone he saw as an innocent, that war was a final and utterly last resort. In a sense, they were like a police force, or perhaps, a peace keeping like species. Either way, Queen Sabine noted all of what the Valkians said, especially what was to come next.

He started off by saying he was the only one of his group who could understand all that was being said. That in mind, he and his kind had no wish for closer contact with the Eternal Union beings. Lord Tinkerer’s words were like hammer blows to the mind of Sabine, as she listened to what he said. The Eternal Union had done something that could not readily be explained. In the words of the Valkians, the E.U. had somehow manipulated the minds and feelings of those present upon their landing. Sabine brought her hand up to her mouth, aghast and unsettled at such a revelation. She turned to look upon Archmage Cavenus as Lord Tinkerer addressed him directly.

Queen Sabine said nothing, still reeling from what had just been confirmed to her. The Eternal Union had powers beyond that of sword and gun, beyond weaponry and technology. They possessed a power that could not have ever been imagined before. Such tales were mere fantasy, ghost stories and legends. Sabine looked at Archmage Cavenus gravely as Lord Tinkerer spoke his solemn and somber words, thinking of the implications of all that these powers could mean, when the Archmage responded in turn.

Archmage Cavenus almost seemed indignant that he was being accused of doing something wrong, that his powers were harmful or wrongfully used. He explained these powers briefly, perhaps leaving out the greater details for a reason. From what Sabine could glean from his spoken words were that, these telepathic abilities were not harmful, and that it required consent. That there are such abilities to worry about, ones that overpower anyone and anything to bend them to the caster’s will, and that this caster had to be very powerful. Yet, how could that explain how it had affected her people almost so completely, that trained soldiers and guards just stopped what they were doing, and stood there… Queen Sabine shook her head, listening to Cavenus’s final words before formulating her words in order to ask her numerous questions.

Queen Sabine sat in her throne, her mind alight with furious trains of thought. She pondered the situation that she now found herself in. These were three drastically different groups, sharing only in their ability to explore the stars, and to utterly decimate the people of Nouvelle if they were inclined to do so. She looked at each of the leaders present, looking at their faces, their features, trying to make sense of all that was swirling about her. She turned to look at the Eternal Union representative first, Archmage Cavenus and his retinue. Looking at him with a bit of apprehension, she spoke out calmly as she could muster.

“Archmage Cavenus, first, I thank you for your words about your people. Perhaps in time, you will be so kind as to elaborate more upon your Eternal Union. Though, I must address more pressing matters first, if you will allow it. I find it personally reprehensible that anyone could have such a… a gift as yours to… to influence the minds of others. You are gifted with a power that is beyond my ability to describe or comprehend. As such, I humbly request that until we know more about this… ability… this gift of yours that you refrain from using it while you are here upon Nouvelle. It is ultimately your choice in this matter, but, the free will of the Nouvellian people is paramount to me, and, with all due respect Archmage Cavenus, I will have to react accordingly to any transgressions against my people. I want to be able to peacefully and happily interact with your great people, but, please, all I ask is that this power of yours be restrained for now.” Sabine smiled, showing that she meant no harm, nor wish for any conflict with the Eternal Union.

“The other subject I wish to address with you, good Archmage, is the conflict with the Terran. I will honor your request for this matter not to be brought up after my inquiry, but, allow me to ensure that nothing is amiss. You have related to all of us that this conflict has been resolved, and that the ‘Tyrants’ whom committed these acts of war are to be punished justly. Not to sound… how do you say it, skeptical, but, the good Captain Lovisa had no word of the conflict’s resolution. The Terran were caught off guard by this revelation. I feel by their reaction that either they have yet to be told, or that your great people are the ones who have stood down with no formal… ceasefire or recognition, or, and I do not mean to offend you, but, that there is the possibility that you are concealing the truth of the matter. Please, would you be so kind as to at least enlighten me onto this matter. I, as guardian of my people, do not wish for a conflict to ensue in the skies above our peaceful world where the Nouvellians could become collateral casualties. Please, tell me more Archmage Cavenus.” Sabine found herself sitting on the edge of her chair, her words perhaps having come out more concerned and harsh than she truly wanted. She knew that she had to get to the bottom of this matter, because its repercussions and echoes could seriously affect her people if the outcome were… negative.

Queen Sabine bowed her head to Archmage Cavenus, letting him have the floor in order to properly respond in his own time. She watched him closely, not letting her gaze wander to the other to groups. She wanted to make sure all he said was the truth, and that he was not trying to hide anything from her. It was in these moments that it would take the Archmage to explain himself and his people that Queen Sabine would be most vulnerable to any sort of telepathic abilities the Eternal Union members possessed. If they wished to do something unethical, the time was now. Queen Sabine would let the Archmage finish, before addressing the other two groups.

It would have to be noted that, perhaps if such a telepathic power were to be used, it could be very possible that the other two groups may notice it either being “cast” upon whomever it would be directed at, or, they may notice its after effects, if such a power was used. If no attempt was made, if the Eternal Union respect the Queen’s wishes to not use their power, their gift while upon Nouvelle until further notice, then all would continue as usual. Queen Sabine smiled, nodding to Archmage Cavenus after he explained himself, taking what he said to formulate her next questions and responses.

She would turn to look at the Terrans, the people of Earth and their other planets. Sabine looked at Captain Lovisa, smiling at her before addressing her. “Captain Lovisa, of Earth, you and your fellow Terrans sound highly fascinating. We share a great deal in common, from physical traits to cultural beliefs. Your people were among the first to greet us in a sense, your theatrics and uncommon entrance have been talked about much within the palace. You are a unique individual, not only having knowledge of your own people, but, our courtly mannerisms as well. You seem to know so much, and your name in itself is a matter of pride and honor. I can only hope that we will be able to further interact with one another. Allow me to extend the full welcome of my people in a gift of a permanent domicile for your people upon Nouvelle… an embassy for diplomatic relations to be conducted out of. I would also be honored if you would fancy me with a more personal meeting at a later time, if your time permits such a meeting. I have much I wish to ask you, and much I want to learn from you.” Sabine found herself standing now, walking down from the dais that her throne sat upon to stand at the same level as her guests.

“Captain Lovisa, and Archmage Cavenus, if both your people need a neutral ground in order to further mediate a peace accord, I would be honored to host it here. The same goes for anyone that your people may be in conflict with. I wish to help instill a feeling a sanctuary here upon Nouvelle, one that no matter the feud or hatred, how long or short, can come together upon a safe ground where both sides need not fear each other.” Sabine moved to face the Valkians once more, looking at Lord Tinkerer, bowing slightly before him before speaking to him.

“Lord Tinkerer, I grant unto your people the right to fly within our skies, to patrol and provide assistance should it ever be needed. I am honored that you would take it upon yourselves to not only protect your own people, but the people of other worlds as well. I find this sense of duty and character noteworthy, and highly commendable, and thus, you have my people’s thanks, and my own personal thanks as well. I would be honored even further if you would accept a permanent domicile for your people as well upon Nouvelle, an embassy for you and other Valkians to stay at while upon Nouvelle.” Sabine smiled at Lord Tinkerer, allowing him to speak in turn, before moving to sit back upon her throne once more. She looked at the Eternal Union representative once more, speaking to him after she had taken her seat.

“Archmage Cavenus, I too extend an offering of an embassy for your people to stay in while upon Nouvelle. It would be an honor to have you upon our planet as well while you needed to conduct diplomatic interactions with me. I believe that we all can learn much from one another, and that time itself will help our relations with one another grow. I will also take into consideration of perhaps different feelings for one another, and as such, I will take steps to see that each embassy is separated from one another to ensure neutrality, and the feeling of security.” Sabine looked at all her guests, and smiled at them all.

“Now please, ask any questions you may have. Allow me to help better your understanding of my people. If you require any food or drink, please ask, and we shall do our best to bring it to you. Let us make your stay here as comfortable and pleasing as possible. I thank you all for coming here, and for taking the time to speak to me about yourselves, for humoring a Queen of a… less privileged people as yourselves.” She smiled, and left the floor to her honored guests.

Planet Nouvelle, Capital City Hollie
Trade District, Café Dae’leeone

He sat in the patio, sipping his coffee and munching on some pastries. He looked at his watch, checking the time to ensure that he was on schedule. Beside him sat a travel bag, a stiff leather one. He touched it with his right foot, making sure it was still there. Satisfied that all was in order, he went back to his work in front of him. He read through his morning paper, idly passing the time for when he would need to make his way to the canals, and out of the city. Soon, he thought, as he drank some more of his drink. Soon indeed.

Planet Nouvelle, Frontier Regions
City of the Gods, Central Ruins

A power signature grew greatly from the center of the regions ruins. Deep within a long forgotten structure, gears and mechanical components whirred to life, resonating as they went about their assigned task that had been programmed long ago. The skies above the ruins slowly began to cloud, ever so slightly. Whatever was happening, it seemed to have something to do with the weather. For those in the skies above, orbiting the planet, it could be quite possible to notice this change, the massive surge in power that came from within that mountainous region that had been utterly abandoned for centuries, if not millennia.

Stalking

Rune was a star mauler, a significantly larger configuration of the star crawler and several orders more massive and elongated than the petite star cutter. A bulky, heavily-armored and armed thing engineered and constructed to house thousands of MITVs. Sharing rights and crew privileges to the craft had been gifted to a vul'kruun pack of raiders when they successfully laid waste to an alien 'lush world' that had played host to approximately seven million prey animals.

To its current crew, Rune was a piece of expressive history—a legacy manifested in the form of fine art.

The vessel's predetermined designation as an esteemed tool for the wholesome slaughter of the wrong-doer and extraterrestrial oppressor had prompted the craft's conceited vul'kruun handlers (both current and presently absent) to ecstatically douse its reinforced interior shell in a far-reaching multitude of mystical inscriptions, hieroglyphic icons and war trophies. The entire scene was quite macabre in aspect and intent, with each winding symbol illustrating a sentient creature being subjected to the pin-point and violent vengeance of a directed-energy weapon, an object being utterly sundered by a vul'kruun atomic weapon of exceptional high-yield, or an assortment of poorly-drawn xeno specimens being savagely dismembered by automatic cannon fire. The arcane symbols, however, were written forms of worship directed towards whatever passed for deities in the vul'kruun's limited culture, while the war trophies constituted fragments and shards of enemy starships that Rune had slain with bestial zeal.

The images were vivid, consistent and coherent, dancing about Rune's inner-hull in delegate loops, calculated twists and abrupt turns, the depictions never conflicting with one another nor the bits of foreign hull that peppered the innards of Rune's cartridge-shaped body--but above all, they were quite exquisite in detail, the quality of the images accurately showcasing the artistic expertise of Rune's pilots and engineers.

Rune and its crew had been traversing the void for ten or so cycles on a hunter-seeker directive; within two cycles, a crew rotation would need to be initiated, the Mes tanks would have to be refilled and the propellant magazines would need to be topped-off with additional charges for Rune's next group of handlers. But not before the reconnaissance mission had been concluded of course. Though powerful and instantaneous, vul'kruun sensor installations and relay fortresses still suffered form occasional technical mishaps and xeno molestation; in the event of such issues, the nearest up-to-task vessels were driven to act as quick stop gaps until complete coverage could be reinstated.

Wayward electromagnetic energy signatures and gravitational distortions had eventually lured Rune past Alpha Centauri and exceptionally 'close' to Sol.

Response to Eternal Union
"After some time we have considered your request and we are now agreeable with the terms you have put forth. For the designated region of space we will be sending Assault Fleet 032 with a decommissioned Naval Refit Station that can serve as a starting point for a base. It should be fully refurbished and ready to accommodate crews."

Nouvelle Frontier, Aboard PNSS Might of a Thousand Suns
"I appreciate your allowance for my men to rest in Cherac, and I greatly appreciate you telling us the capital of your fine world. I will notify my superiors immediately so you should notify them, if you can, to let them know that an envoy will be en route within a few days. If you could follow me to help identify where your capital is this would greatly help."

High Marshal Surek'sum and Captain Reynald strode over to the center of the bridge, where a large, holographic globe laid before them. It was able to identify mountains, bodies of water, and sprawling continents thanks in part to the Geographic Information System Drones that had been deployed prior. Captain Reynald pointed out to where the capital city, which he identified as Hollie, was. The Marshal taped onto the city to get coordinates, and then sent a ping to the flagship of the Assault Fleet, PNSS Zephyr of True Divinity. Shortly after this, however, a low rumbling could be heard. Moments later a burst of static sounded through the bridge PA followed by a message.

"PNSS Might of a Thousand Suns, this is PNSS Rapture, we are currently homing in on your position to provide support. We are currently marking your location to send resources to help get you into orbit."

Not long after, the Navigation Officer reported that a Rakora-Class Corvette was detected 130 kilometers starboard, and was beginning to slow down.

"Captain Reynald, you will be escorted shortly. I have to speak with the captain of that ship." Marshal Surek'sum declared, before moving to her position on the bridge and having Reynald escorted by her marines to the Officer's Lounge aboard the ship.

In Orbit Above Nouvelle, PNSS Zephyr of True Divinity
The tantalizing hours for Fleetmaster Urak'tum finally paid off when a ping for the capital was sent by Might of a Thousand Suns, after confirming that the destroyer was safe and that the citizens of Nouvelle were a peaceful one, he had an additional envoy consisting of a Rakora-Class Corvette and an Outreach-Class Diplomatic Vessel sent planetside to speak with the leader of the world.

Diplomacy with Sazkarjhia
"Thank you very much, however before we proceed we have a treaty to propose, that would form what we would call the Union of Space-Faring Nations, attached is the treaty, if you would agree. The system in which the research division is setting up has two worlds, one is colonization by your species due to its Chlorine Gas atmosphere, as well as a planet suitable for us to breathe. We propose joint colonization of the system as well as setting up the Governing Facilities for the Union somewhere in this system."



Matron
"I am going to take this suit to a firing range we have setup. We have seen these weapons used by the Ethereals, but we would like to gather more data."

The matron began moving, having to duck under most of the hall-ways as they did not account for the size of the suit. Upon entering the test-fire range, several reinforced metal shuttles stood to help test the weapons. No one was in them. Tullus first fired a few void warheads at one of the shuttles.

Nouvelle
"The offer of embassy is great your majesty, and we thank you. As for the conflict with the Terrans Immortal Aaliyah is currently attending to them and working out and deal, and while I was kept up-to-date on what was going on I am not so sure about the Terrans here. As for not using our gift on Nouvelle, I will not use telepathy nor any other of my kind unless everyone nearby has their consent given to us. However to stop using our gifts entirely would be impossible. Our gifts do not just govern telepathy, but rather almost everything, it is very versatile in that way. We use it for almost everything, and if you would be willing I could demonstrate a few other abilities, I will not without your permission however." said Cavenus.

Third Fleet
As the small fleet limped back into Septomian space the crew let out a sigh of relief. A journey that was supposed to take two to three days took the damaged ships two weeks. Most of the vessels had taken a beating and their sensitive FTL equipment had also been damaged. That first jump after the engagement nearly sheared the ship in half and overheated the reactor, it was quickly decided that maintenance must be done before jumping again. Ten days were spent traveling by conventional means while the equipment was repaired and refitted, leaving the entire crew with a sense of cabin fever. The following jumps were just as nerve racking but a tad more stable, given that most of it had to be patched up by “unconventional means”. Everyone was happy to pass through the ‘Twin Giant’ gas cloud and finally see the Taoshe dockyards, everyone except for the defeated marines onboard the ship.

Third Fleet
Taoshe Dockyards
Shao IX

The news of the engagement had already reached the core woulds by the time the Third fleet got there, but no one knew how bad the battle went until they arrived. Vessels that left freshly painted white, green and gold, were now pockmarked and burned down to their grey metal color. Everyone on the station who expected the fleet to come back victorious was taken aback by how they limped back into port, needing some serious repairs. The situation got worse inside the station when the wounded marines and crew began being unloaded, followed by the dead. The entire surviving landing force slowly made their way down towards the large shuttle bays that provided transport down to the planet, it was a mostly silent trip. Everyone felt the same thing, failure, they went up against an enemy force and lost. Everyone was eager for payback and everyone wanted it as soon as possible.

Sinidas finally made his way off the ship, followed by the rest of his platoon, minus one. The loss hit them all hard, they were like family and one of their sisters had been killed. The staging area for returning troops was stocked with all the delicacies of home. Wine flowed from stone fountains, the finest meats and other treats covered tables nearly as far as the eye could see. All the freshest smoking herbs known to the concordant were on display and available for use but few actually took advantage of these treats. As the Marines and crew of the Jaques unwound and relaxed Sinidas and the remainder of his platoon jumped in a small transport jeep and rode towards Naval High command.

“ Whats the rush sir?!” an operator yelled over the sound of the wind. Sinidas held up a small chip from a dead marine’s helmet, the entire engagement was recorded on the flash drive. “ We need to get this to the Rear Admiral, this can be used for training purposes, maybe even some new advancements in weapons?” Sinidas said, stuffing the chip back in his breast pocket for the ride. Naval high command was a rather large domed building, held up by hundreds of stone pillars. More akin to a pavilion, the entire structure was open to the air, inside the perimeter of pillars was a large star map engraved into the floor and various trophies of battles past. It would be quite the tourist attraction if one didn’t notice the large glass elevator towards the center of the room, leading down to the actual Naval headquarters. Ten stories into the earth a large chasm was excavated and reinforced, housing all aspects of the Septonian Navy. Research and Development, Weapons testing lab and everything in between happens down in the bowels of Naval High command. Between Sinidas and the offices were security checks, biometric scans and a handful of I.D passcard gates, initial security was tight but internal security was another matter altogether. Being the home of the Navy, this was also the home of the Naval Special Warfare command. Operators in full armor and weapons walked the halls, moving from training evolution to evolution. The facility offered full firing ranges and assault courses, so most of the staff was also armed or could be armed at a moments notice.
Sinidas and the rest of the platoon made their way down the hallways, exchanging greetings with the operators they knew before coming to the Rear Admirals office. After another round of I.D passcard gates the platoon was through the door and face to face with Rear Admiral Gerrard. “ What do you have for me Commander Kalai?, I heard your team took quite the beating on…..what are we calling it now? Jaques rest?”. Sinidas nodded and placed the small chip in the Admirals desk and the image of the New Condia crash site quickly appeared on the holoscreen. The admiral had already compiled the images of the space battle, which were on independent holoscreens around the office. After a short amount of time, the sounds of battle filled the room, everyone watched until a clear picture of the enemy was visible. The admiral stopped the picture and pointed towards the screen “ Is that their line soldier?” he said turning towards Sinidas “ Yes, at least I think. Those were the only line troops we saw. However I would like to bring your attention to these units”. Sinidas fast forwarded a couple minutes to the introduction of the black suited aliens “ Here are their special troops sir, shielded and telekinetic, able to spout flames from their fingertips.” The admiral pressed a series of buttons and copied the image to another holoscreen around the room, joining the pictures of enemy vessels and other troops.

Septonian Senate Chambers
Taoshe

Cameras and reporters clamored to try and get a decent shot of Valag Timonus before be began to speak. The entire senate floor was full of people waiting for the news of war. What happened on Jaques rest was now public knowledge and everyone wanted a piece of the story. “ Septonians, no doubt you have heard of the events that befallen our naval forces out in the abyss of space. What we have learned from our enemies is that they have no regard for peace and no will to pursue diplomacy, this is either needer nor acceptable. I understand that the concordant hasn’t gone to war since the battle of the five families but I have no doubt in our ability to succeed. With this knowledge, and with fierce delegation amongst the senators of the concordant, I officially declare war against this irreconcilable race”.

STC Syren ( BH-109)
In the space around Nouvelle
Cmdr. Vellais

The crew of the Syren had been together for years, during that time they had seen every emotion and every possible character flaw and strength in each other. To the crew there were no surprises, except the declaration of war. What first tipped Commander Vellais off to something being wrong was the look of utter terror on her communication officer’s face, it was like he saw a ghost. “ Ma’am, I have something that you need to see” he said slowly handing a tablet to the commander. The commander took the tablet, looking at the officer’s face before bringing her eyes down towards the tablet. “ War?!” she yelped “ Yes Ma’am, the targeting package is in the data” the officer said again, walking her down towards the bridge. “ These are the targeting packages we have gotten and these are the vessels we need to look out for”, as the officer finished his sentence the images of at least a dozen EU vessels popped on on the view screen. Suddenly one of the radar contacts on the view screen began to flash “ Enlarge that radar contact” Commander Vellais said just before a grainy image of the vessel was enlarged on the view screen, accompanied by the radar specifications of the ship. “ Well, isn’t that a surprise…” the weapons officer said looking back up towards the commander “ What do we do Ma’am?”. Commander Vellais studied the ship for a moment before walking back to the command chair “ Engage Stealth protocols and close distance, lets find out what we can about this ship. Keep a decent stand off distance and lets see if we can probe their radar net” she said, pressing the general quarters alarm

Nouvelle
The Tinkerer leaned back slightly, taken aback by what the Queen had just said. He took several minutes to process this- his people could hardly refuse without hindering negotiations, and it'd certainly look good to others if they took a primitive under their wing, and protected them from outside elements. He waited long past everyone else, thinking of hundreds of benefits and disadvantages of having a foreign, primitve race under their protection. They were close, practically neighbors, which was good. Research would have to be done to create a warpgate of some kind, so that instant transportation between the two sectors could be possible. It would be needed if they needed to protect them as much as he hoped.

He took a deep breath, and stood up.

"Queen Sabine, I do not think you would mind if one of my companions sent this new data to our brothers and sisters in our shuttle, and if they alerted our ship in orbit as to our new status regarding our relation to this planet and its people. I suspect that you'll probably have a small fleet in orbit at all times- at some point in the future, I think after we've adapted one of our ships more to the needs of your people, you will have the ability to look down on your moon from hundreds of miles in the sky. We'll also have to set up groundside defenses- our people keep defenses all around our cities, and if you would permit, we would protect your cities as we would ours. Discreet, small defenses- we do not want to give your people the effect of being kept in, not being protected. If you would like to speed up the technological development as fast as possible, then I suggest that you come up with the plans to that. We are unsure as to how to proceed with such a thing- our people can help you with what will bring you up to speed. In your people's name, as well, we will patrol the solar system. Anything in this solar system is yours, and will be ready for you to expand to and collect in the future. The only thing we will take will be for repairs after any kind of conflict, or for emergency refueling. We can set up bases elsewhere in the system for mining and production for you to use when you reach the proper technological level. My race's homeworld has over a dozen asteroids in orbit acting as defense bases."

He very deliberately turned to the Eternal Union members, continuing. "Terran Diplomats. Later, perhaps, may we meet and discuss your peoples and recent events? You two obviously have made contact and negotiations with each other, and we feel more comfortable talking with you." Again, he turned away, back to staring straight forward, towards Queen Sabine. "My apologies for my thoughts by voice, I often liked to voice my thoughts for better understanding and more innovation. And my apologies again if I made the mistake of misinterpreting your offer- we have not let any planet we set foot on have few defenses. Each of our planets that have a sizable population will be heavily protected. We do not want to put our own people on foreign soil that might not offer complete defenses. If it puts your people at ease, we can train some of them to work with our technology. It may be difficult, and require tinkering-" At this, the Valkian gave the first sign of positive emotion, a very light lift of the lips into a very small smile," ... to make it manageable for both Valkian and Nouvellian use. We do not know how your economy or politics work, so we will have to leave up the actual integration of new technology to you. I can act as a mediator in future endeavors so that you may learn about what we will offer your people. I see this not as a burden among my own, but as a long-term investment. Someday, you will colonize your entire solar system, and have power in your own respect. You would make a good ally, if you are an example of your people."

He paused then, and his mind switched gears, going down a new track of thought. The smile of sorts had already disappeared; in its place, his head was tilted slightly, thinking at a much faster pace than before. Half a minute passed before he spoke again. "My people are, I am quite sure, the only ones here that has committed mass genocide of another race, that may or may not have been peaceful. It was a terrible thing for us to do, and they had ceased fighting for years before we were able to summon the resources and people to attack them. Had our ancestors not committed said crime, though, it would be a much different race here instead of I."

Then he sat down and quickly whispered to his two companions, the Engineer flipping open a small device on his forearm, and typing something in. It wouldn't be legible to any of those present- it was on a black screen, with no color of any kind, just little tiered/raised portions that the mass sense could detect much better than eyesight could.

In Orbit around Nouvelle
The Explorer and Varren pair drifted aimlessly above, restless for something to happen, or to be known. They kept as close tabs on the other ships in orbit as possible, going so far as to slightly approach what appeared to be a battle fleet, but did not come close to extreme weapons range. Instead, they just cruised about, mapping out the surface and waiting for a ping.

When it came, the entire bridge crew of the ship paused, reading the message, and then growing very confused. They were becoming... protectors? They were sure why, or how, but they figured that it was a gift from the All Mother to redeem themselves for their genocide... or something.

So they moved closer to the surface, after firing a pod to return home to deliver the new news, and then panicked when they realized that if all the ships in orbit had technology similar to their own, they'd know where to go to get to their home system. Shortly after the first one fired, another fired after the first, to warn the system of possible foreign entities knowing the location of the system.

If the unknown ships didn't find out the home system location from the first one, the second one would most definitely be easy to trace. The bridge commander would've facepalmed if such a thing existed in his culture.

Combat Carrier Li Wen, Pearl Fleet Vanguard Squadron Flagship, Docking Alongside STC Acheron

It was, perhaps the furthest thing from a proper first contact that Admiral Hei had imagined. In the plays and movies shown back at home, in all the romantic space operas shown back in the Alarai Empire, first contact with a first species had always been with an aquatic species - in an underwater palace, as the Alarians would greet with their new allies in the finest dresses with a great feast. However, this was strange. The hall was drained, the Alarians were on aquagills and their first contact didn't breath water. There was food strewn all over the floor and the Septonian uniforms were wet and stained, but then again, so were those of the Alarians.

However, that was of no concern to the Admiral. First contact was still first contact. Returning the salute and shaking the Lieutenant Commander's hand, the Admiral smiled. "Please, Lieutenant Commander, let there be no ranks between us yet." he said, not willing to demand respect from the lieutenant commander. They were of differing militaries, after all, and different nations - there was much to learn first. As the Septonian officers came to attention, the Alarian officers bowed in their own form of respect, keeping their head bowed as the Alarian form of attention on land.

"We Alarai do not drink liquid in the conventional sense," he explained in response to the wine, "But we do consider flavoured liquid as a luxury item - for us, it changes the ocean around us - not exactly something we consume, but it still comforts us." he said, doing his best to explain what was essentially the underwater equivalent of an air freshener. "I do believe that we can make conversation better out of this docking bay," Admiral Hei said, "But perhaps your ship would be in order? Our ship would be, well..." he looked around at the still half flooded docking bay. "it would most likely not be the best choice." he said with a chuckle.

STC Syren ( BH-109)
In the space around Nouvelle
Cmdr. Vellais

“What was that?! Weapons discharge?” the commandeer said, watching as the two pods quickly moved off the radar screen. “ I don’t know, I don’t think they are. Those two pods were moving on an escape vector out of the system. Very long range weapons? but I doubt it”. Everyone knew there wasn’t a targeting system that had that type of range, but this had been a day of firsts, the crew wasn’t leaving anything to chance. “Make a note of the vector of those pods and steer well clear of that vessel and the fleet. We are going to have to thread the needle of this one” the commander said, going over her options as they continued to stalking the EU ship.

Lt. Cmdr Zilicin
Aboard the Li Wen

Commander Zilicin nodded and made a sweeping gesture back towards his side of the docking bridge. The Septonians respected rank even from foreign militaries, they knew it took skill and wisdom to achieve the rank of Admiral. “ Of course sir, we will use our combat information center as a meeting room, we shall have it prepared for your arrival shortly” Zilicin said, waving on of his junior officers over. After a short bout of whispering between the two Aradites the junior officer ran back down towards the Acheron to tell the crew to prepare for guests. The preparations wouldn’t take more then a couple minutes so Commander Zlicin began to lead the Alarai party down towards the Acheron. Upon opening the outer airlock the staging area would be visible to the Alarai crew. The staging area would be a large expanse with large circular dome lighting hanging overhead. The walls would be painted bone white with a green strip painted around the perimeter of the room. The bay would have a dome shape with lockers on either side for gear and weapons. There would only be one exit directly infant of the airlock towards the back of the room, where a sealed bulkhead separated the staging area from the combat information center.

Nouvelle
"Our communications technology is extremely slow compared to theirs. We don't even know the outcome of that first battle yet. As for the Embassy offer, we accept it. The moment I can, I'll get a message to High Command."

She turned to the Valkians, smiling despite what they had said about genocide.

"Nobody can avoid wrongdoing, no matter how heinous the crime, there is always a way to balance out your actions. That, if you ask me, is what the life of a Terran is: A quest for redemption. It doesn't matter if you aren't actively searching it either, because eventually, you'll find it. That's what I believe, anyway."

Turning back to Queen Sabine, she continued to smile, but it was clear that she was trying to decide on something.

"We too, pledge to protect your people, though we are simply incapable of assisting to the extent the Valkians are offering. We're a backwater nation in this galaxy, caught up in problems meant for a civilization far more powerful than us. Still, as I said earlier, we exist to seek redemption. Our offer of protection still stands, and while we may not be anywhere near the power of the other civilizations, we have a habit of pulling off impossible feats. As for questions... what do your people do for entertainment?"

TSS Alcubierre
"XO, two probe-sized signatures have been detected leaving at escape velocity. Both were launched from the Valkian fleet, given the info we're being fed, they're probably not weapons."

"If they're not weapons, then what the hell are they?"

"Ladar isn't that great since we're in-atmo, but scans suggest that they're simple comm drones."

"Interesting, the Valkians don't use quantum transmitters. Perhaps they don't have FTL data transmission?"

"Their ship drives could just be faster. Still, it's good to know. It seems nobody else has done much research into quantum physics, we should have the data on quantum physics transferred to physical documents. When you combine our knowledge of reality with the magic of an entire species..."

Shuddering at the thought, the Captain finished for him.

"Such a civilization would be omnipotent."

Another crew member joined in, a look of shock on her face.

"We were never meant to have such knowledge."

Oort Cloud, Sol
"No sign of of alien vessels, Captain."

It was a sentence spoken every day for the past few months, and every day it was harder to speak. Oxygen was running out, and everyone knew it. Half of the lights on the bridge were shut off in a vain attempt to spare enough power for electrolysis. All the CO2 scrubbers had been replaced with makeshift contraptions, the originals floating around the zero-g environment of the ship. The controls were covered in ice, and everyone wore a spacesuit (without the helmet) simply to keep warm. The ship was the a destroyer, sent to find the origin of the portal that had appeared on Pluto so long ago. It was pathetic, that such a ship would lose to the foe of nature.

"Dammit... deactivate ladar, too much power."

"Ladar deactivated, switching to radar viewing."

Suddenly, the lights came back on, as did the heat. Water started to drip from the controls as the ice melted, most were too happy about the return of moisture to realize what had just happened. On the main screen, the engineering officer appeared.

"We've managed to convert Reactors 26 through 51 to uranium generation, that should give us enough power to bring life support back online. We're working on the rest, we might just be able to get WarpComm and full combat capability back online."

"I heard about the net connection." Said the Captain "That entangled particle transmitter cost a billion credits to install, it's a shame the compartment was depressurized."

"We couldn't have manipulated the damn things anyways, the magnets were fried. Right now, I'd just be happy to get a cup of wh-"

"Bogey off the port bow! Course suggests recent heavy burn or an origin point of Alpha Centauri, it has a radar signature suggest dreadnought size!"

"Can we open a short range channel with our radio?"

"Yes Sir, but we don't have any guarantee that-"

"Open a channel, now!"

"Channel open!"

The Captain picked up the bridge microphone, speaking into it as he looked at the main screen, which now displayed an image of empty space.

"This is Commander Quidel of the spacecraft Antiman, United Terran Federation. If you have come to do anything but fight, help us! We've been here for so long, and all because those damn bureaucrats on Charon won't tell anyone about the attack! Our ship is falling apart, and our comms are down, please, we'll do anything!"

Utopia Planitia Shipyards
Holographic displays filled the room, with dozens of people speaking into microphones as they directed departing and arriving spacecraft. Engineers sat in front of dormant displays, wearing neural link helmets as they operated worker drones. Through the windows, a gigantic vessel could be seen in construction. It was a new dreadnought, Norway-Class just like the other two recently built ones. Other drydocks could be seen off in the distance, building mostly Russia-Class battlecruisers, Poland-Class escorts, and Britan-Class carriers. All of them were part of the new FTL-Capable military doctrine, the point being to reduce maintenance costs by making it possible to station one fleet per system instead of one fleet per colony. The new classes were modular, but not with the intent of quick adaptation. Instead, they were designed to provide for easy upgrades in the event of a military technology breakthrough.

The current defense fleet was being phased out by the new vessels, with most new ships being constructed out of salvaged materials. In fact, swarms of nanobots controlled by hundreds of specially trained personnel broke down the old vessels and assembled new ones in a matter of weeks, the operators having been born to parents genetically modified to be capable of controlling nanobot swarms without losing the ability to control a human body. They were the result of a major genetic modification program started by The District with the purpose of creating soldiers capable of controlling military nanobot swarms. Since the war ended before these individuals were reading novels, they never had the chance to be enslaved, instead earning the right to choose their profession. Since automated swarms were a safety risk, many decided to enter construction careers so they could prevent a "grey goo" situation.

They were considered wonders of genetic modification, with their brains being incredibly dense to allow them to control two vastly different "bodies". Due to their increased brain density, internal organs were optimized, the heart and lungs were vastly more powerful than those of a normal human. Muscle density was also increased, due to fears of the head being too heavy for the neck to support. Even with their original purpose, great care had been taken to ensure that their drastic genetic differences could still mesh with those of a normal human, allowing reproduction. Every hybrid child's DNA was analyzed the moment fertilization was confirmed, with any complications being immediately taken out of the child's DNA.

Despite the differences, every one of them looked somewhat normal. The only noticeable difference was a slightly larger head, resulting in rare birth complications where the brain was not as dense as originally planned. Surgery had to be performed at the moment of birth to fix such problems, but there were no recorded deaths from the complication, and every patient went on to live a normal life. This physical difference was hardly ever noticed, and the only thing rarer was a reaction to noticing it. The latter was the result of a more tolerant society being combined with a complete ban on "geneism", a crime which usually resulted in a hefty fine.

Among all of this, two people stood in a sealed-off room, observing the construction of the new dreadnought. One of them was a middle-aged man, one of the genetically-modified. He popped a pill into his mouth, swallowing a gulp of pristine water with it. A badge on his white suit showed that he was a high-ranking member of the Diplomatic Corps, though it was partially obscured by his long, blonde hair. Looking over to the other person in the room, an old woman wearing a military uniform with no lack of medals, he broke the silence.

"So, why did you bring me here, Admiral?" He said in an official tone. "You know I take rerouting meds, so I assume you didn't just need someone to fill in for a sick nanobot operator."

"Of course not, nanobot operator can't get sick. The modified antibodies and white blood cells take care of all known diseases." She replied, teasing him. Sighing-but smiling-at her joke, he continued.

"You know what I mean, so seriously, why am I here?"

"I'm giving you the Iceland the moment she's finished." She said, gesturing to the ship in construction. "We're giving it negative mass tanks instead of a cargo bay."

"Excuse me, but I'm in the Diplomatic Corps, we don't command dreadnoughts."

She laughed at his comment, an action to which he responded with a quizzical stare. After composing herself, she stopped toying with him and gave him a straight answer.

"Not in battle, you don't. It'll be a temporary assignment, and an exploratory one as well. The purpose of your mission will be to make first contact with other civilizations and hopefully make some friends. What better way to earn someone's trust than having a Diplomat commanding the mission?"

"In a multi-kilometer dreadnought with a four-pronged railgun running down it's spine?"

"It's an exploration mission, we want you to look like you're ready for war. It could pacify a hostile species, and earn us the favor of one that honors strength. If the new contact is closer to our own culture, you simply explain that the galaxy is unknown to us and we're being cautious."

"Then why are you sending a Diplomatic Corps officer as the captain?"

"Oh, you'll be supported by military and scientific personnel as well. Besides, you're one of the few people who chose to take these meds." She said, picking up the pill bottle. "They take all of that brain power meant for nanobot control and put it wherever you want, and these are critical thinking meds. You're basically a top-level tactician, even though you have no experience. If you don't feel confident, then your XO can always take control during a battle."

"Well, it's not like I can disobey this order." He responded, taking the pill bottle out of her hands and putting it back into his suitcase. "I'll get ready."

"On the contrary, you can refuse the assignment it you want."

After a short silence, he smiled confidently and began walking towards the door.

"Like I would do that!"

"I had a feeling you would say that." She said as he walked out of the door into the control room, dropping off a paper packet at one of the engineer's stations before her entered the elevator and descended towards the zero-g core of the station.

Epsilon Indi Colony, Report
=Decoding Data Bursts=
=Trial-and-Error Piecing Initiated=
=Piecing Complete, Displaying Message=
"The fifth shipment arrived safely, we're a full-blown city now. Orbital defenses are online, and we've fielded twenty interplanetary patrol vessels. All the clones are healthy and happy, a few were sent back with the transport this time, but most chose to stay. Farming of Terran crops is underway in the agricultural biosphere, but the plants and animals outside are actually edible. However, we have come across trouble while hunting. The prey will often get away and be found hours later, dead, and the only body parts missing are usually the head, horns, tusks... things you'd put above a mantle. I'm not ruling out odd feeding habits or instinctual stockpiling, but to me, it looks like sport hunting. If that's what it is, then we're dealing with a civilization, and one that has gunpowder already. The planet is mostly light forests, especially on our continent. However, on the nearest one to ours, there's a lot of dense rainforest, lots of things that could conceal a settlement. Judging by the fact that we didn't see any lights from orbit, they're probably native, if they exist of course. We won't need any soldiers sent here though, the clones are enough, and our weapons technology is vastly superior. I suggest continued expansion in this system, more transports should be sent to this planet to build new cities, and the outposts we currently have on the two moons of this planet and the nearest other would should be expanded into cities as soon as possible. We could use some nanobot operators too, it would greatly speed up development. Epsilon Indi out."
=End of Message=

[REDACTED], Sol System
Two men wearing hazmat suits stood in a dark room, the only light being the faint glow of the salvaged Iscandarian device in front of them.

"I'm picking up expected radiation, can you confirm?"

"Affirmative, K-Rays are being emitted. Begin molecular scan."

A ray of blue light protruded from two tablets they were holding, and data appeared on their dim displays.

"My god... the speed of light withing the bubble..."

"It's 1.59c! There's something else too... these readings are impossible! It's defying the law of conservation of mass!"

An object began to appear in front of them, glowing with a red haze. It shifted form constantly, eventually settling on a form reminiscent of the paintings of M.C. Escher.

"Odd, it ended up as an optical illusion."

One of the two men walked to one side, and immediately froze.

"No it didn't."

"Can't you see it? It's a classic staircase illusion."

"I can see it, it just isn't an illusion."

The other man rushed over to inspect it, and found that he was right. He began to feel an intense pain in his head as he attempted to processes the image. Both of them looked away from the object, their hearts beating faster and faster. Outside of the room, medical personnel reached for the button that would knock them both out. Luckily, once they looked away, their vitals returned to normal as they began to calm down. Amazingly, the object disappeared the moment the looked away.

"That's not possible..." Said one of them, panting.

"What's happening now?' Said the other, who had turned around. Turning around with him, the man found that objects now appeared as a hazy circle, which constantly changed color in an oddly terrifying fashion. Lines protruded from the circles, almost looking like blurred strings. They had fixed colors, until one bumped into them, at which point they suddenly changed. The pulses of the two men jumped again, far higher than before. Their minds refused to comprehend the sight, even though it seemed so simple. They began to sweat profusely, all the while their heads felt as though they were splitting open.

"HELP US!" Cried out both of them at the same time, their voices distorted into gibberish by the time they were transmitted to the medical personnel. They began to band on the strings and circles, only to be met with a horrible, unnatural noise. It wasn't like anything else, and it only added to the terrible sensation in their heads. The moment the noise began, both of them suddenly felt extreme pain across their entire body, as if they had just died a trillion times in every imaginable way. They tried to clutch their heads, but found that they were no longer heads. Instead, they had taken on the same form as every other object, a circle with blurred strings stretching out horizontally. Both of them processed the information as their heads being spaghettified in a black hole, and the pain became beyond description.

Outside of the room, the medical personnel immediately slammed the button, but nothing changed. The distorted, unnatural voices from the two men began to affect them as well, and they too began to feel intense pain in their heads as their brains tried and failed to process the noise. Immediately, they cut power to the device and brought the lights back on. Rushing into the room, they found the two men lying in the fetal position, their helmets having been wrestled off. But there was a horrifying sight as well, dozens of identical men were in the room as well, but they were fused together so closely that they formed a skin-colored floor, which pulled with the gravity of an entire planet. Nobody knew it, but none of those duplicates was ever alive, they were simply duplicates without any neural activity. The original two were perfectly fine, and laid atop the disgusting floor of clean flesh.

It didn't stay clean for long.

Upon the sight, everyone vomited. Calls for help were sent out, and eventually dozens of civilian and government ships had arrived at the isolated asteroid facility. The non-profit hospital ship Nightingale volunteered to care for the personnel. Drones were sent out to collect them, as the messages had all told them to not even think about entering the facility. Once they had been brought aboard, the crew of the Nightingale rushed to carry them to the beds, carrying some in stretchers and others by the shoulders. All but one of the two men was a gibbering mess, incapable of formulating any kind of logical thought.

"H-higher... we were never meant to see that... everything... we transcended... we did what was forbidden by the universe itself. Destroy... destroy the asteroid, no, no.. anhilliate the asteroid... leave only gamma radiation behind. We broke the law... we were punished... the bodies... fused... duplicates... future, past... humanity was never meant to know those sights, those sounds, those feelings. Annihilate it... now... no more, no, no, no, no!"

The crew desperately tried to calm them down, putting some into stasis just to stop them from literally dying of stress. Nobody knew exactly what happened, but after seeing their bodies disobeying hardwired reflexes to the point that they would die from the anxiety, nobody wanted to. The Nightingale activated it's antimatter drive for a comfortable cruise back to Earth under the order of the only survivor who hadn't seen the room: the project manager. He demanded that they be taken to Alas Prime, refusing to give any explanation.

Sol
"I suppose we don't have a choice. Very well, we accept your terms fully."

Before she left, a loud ping from her tablet told her she had gotten orders from the Council itself. Her face changed from a defeated look to a horrified one, and she quickly turned to the Iscandarians.

"We have personnel that desperately require medical aid from your people, according to this message, they've been kept in stasis to prevent death from anxiety. Only one is reported to still be capable of logical thought, and all he said to them was that they did something he called 'forbidden by the universe itself'..."

As the continued to read, she dropped the tablet and put her hand to her mouth, making an unsettling noise with her throat. Given the physical similarities between humans and Iscandarians, she was holding back vomit.

"I... I can't understand how he's even possible of any thought at all after reading that. Please, you have to help these people. What they've seen... I think he was right when he said it was forbidden."

Jalag
Off the port of Old Yal'thque
Ariamas Talai

A pair of tired eyes settled on the young operative strapped to the front of a very powerful and large rocket, grumbling at the thought that this under-designed piece of equipment may actually work. Lifting her tablet to look at the status of the engines and operative, Ariamas slowly walked down the runway toward her Vanguard. As she arrive, a lieutenant saluted her, only to not receive one back from the former Captain. Clearing his throat, he spoke. "Ms. Talai, all preparations have been made and we simply waiting for our lane to clear." Ariamas sighed. "Tell me lieutenant...... what's your name?" The man straightened himself out. "Ulisism. Cassius Ulisism." Aria rolled her eyes. "Lieutenant Cassius.... do you intend to be as useful as my tablet or are you going to be a living breathing Aradite and tell me what you think." She spoke blandly as she stared at her tablet. The officer was taken off gear by her remark as she turned her attention to the operative. "Vanguard 079, what is your opinion on our little test?" Aria asked loudly. The cameras on the vanguard's helmet focused on Aria, keeping his eyes trained on the runway. "Well Ma'am.... I'm strapped to a rocket that may explode when launched and if this test is a success, then I will be flying at high speed out into the ocean. All in all, I think this is going to be fun either way."Aria patted 079 on the shoulder and smiled before looking toward Lieutenant Cassius. "This isn't a military operation, Cassius. Speak your mind or don't speak at all." Cassius' shoulders dropped as he sighed. "Ma'am I am worried about the safety of the operative. This barely seems practical and even then that is a stretch." 079 chuckled loudly as he settled into his position. Aria grinned. "I agree! This device would be more effective if it could deliver a squad to the battlefield, but we are testing whether or not it is possible for an operative to pilot the device without hitting the ground or flying into the air uncontrollably. 079, do you have your fail safe button on hand and ready?" He nodded as Cassius slowly began to walk off the run way. Aria waved toward the medical team close by. "Are you gentlemen ready if anything 'interesting' happens?" The team leader gave her a thumbs up as she followed the lieutenant. Settling in at the observation area, Ariamas leaned back in her chair. "Fire when ready...." She remarked calmly.

The Sol System
Aaliyah stepped forward, her expression turning towards curiosity as to what was going on. She beckoned for most of the delegation who had came with her to return to the ship, except Fergus and Emily. She approached the diplomat who had been working out the treaty with Aaliyah and began speaking.

"I shall go and help them, Whatever they encountered,,, It was truly something to see. I will need permission to see whatever they encountered after I give them medical assistance. We need to figure out what it is and what it is doing here, and with my powers and abilities I have a far greater chance of surviving it."

Nouvelle
They could not get access to the sensor net, or find out its range. Those both were linked into the ship's computer systems of the ship. They could not figure out how to get into those either, as the systems the EU used were completely different and foreign. It would take years and access to a actual EU system before the Septonians could learn how to hack into one. Luckily however it was just a scout ship, such ships were equipped for probing planets and mapping space, not for detecting stealth ships. It shields and weapons were active though, in-case anything happened with the other ships orbiting Nouvelle.

Planet Nouvelle, Frontier Regions, Northern Hemisphere
Aboard the PNSS Might of a Thousand Suns

Captain Reynald was deeply honored by the thanks from his most gracious host. He smiled, bowing deeply before her. “It is my honor to host your fine comrades in arms to earn some rest and relaxation from the daily grind High Marshal. No doubt they will enjoy the local sights and perhaps even the coming change of seasons. But, I digress. As to contacting my superiors, I have no way of doing so from here. Our communications systems are mostly telegraph and telegram. Well, they are one in the same. The scientists have cooked up something called radio, but, it is still being tested before it will be fully implemented. Upon my return to my station, I will have my signal man send ahead of your imminent arrival.” He smiled, happy to be facilitating this interaction with such beings.

“Thank you High Marshal Surek’sum, I appreciate the time you took to converse with me. Best of luck to you.” He rendered a proper salute, before being escorted off. He looked about, still enamored by the sights of the ship itself, and all the technology the reptilian beings possessed. He made himself at ease within the officer’s lounge, finding a comfortable spot to sit and lounge about as he waited for whatever was to come next.

"Captain Reynald, you will be escorted shortly. I have to speak with the captain of that ship." Marshal Surek'sum declared, before moving to her position on the bridge and having Reynald escorted by her marines to the Officer's Lounge aboard the ship.

Skies above Hollie, Capital of Nouvelle, Upper Atmosphere

Far above the world orbited many ships of the reptilian beings. Their metal craft occasionally refracting the sunlight from the system’s sun, Temp’lar. To the citizens in the cities and towns below, these ships in orbit were little more the twinkling lights in the afternoon sky, more angles in a sky that now had so many. It was then that two specs broke off from the cluster, their metal hulls glinting brightly in the sunlight before glowing brightly as they came down to the world below, making a bee line for the capital. Citizens looked up pointing and spreading the word amongst one another, more angels were coming from the heavens, to speak with the children of Temp’lar.

These two ships broke through the sporadic clouds, finding themselves over a vast and sprawling early 20th century metropolis. A city that covered the same size as Paris, but cleaner, nicer, and more organized. Numerous large areas that housed parks, squares, or parade grounds dotted the city. Without a doubt, the reptilian beings would be able to notice the ships of the races that had already made contact with the Nouvellians, all of the ships have landed within a relative close distance to the Royal Palace. The main parade ground in front of the palace looked exspansive enough to hold probably another three or four ships like the PNSS Might of a Thousand Suns.

At its center sat the Eternal Union craft, barricaded off by local police and military forces, whom had formed a cordon at all the entrances to the parade ground. The skies around the palace itself were patrolled by slow flying biplanes and airships. The biplanes took notice of the massive vessels, taking care to fly towards them, but, not in a manner that was threatening. The pilots waved at the massive vessels, trying to indicate to them that they could land within the parade ground, or, off in the distance, an airfield the housed the bulk of Nouvelle’s air forces. The choice was ultimately up to the Sazkarjhian pilots where they wished to land.

Nouvelle, Hollie. Royal Palace, Throne Room
Queen Sabine Addressing the Eternal Union. 5:00 P.M.

Queen Sabine nodded to Archmage Cavenus as he spoke. She listened to him graciously accept her offer of diplomatic relations and an embassy for the Eternal Union peoples. She looked at him closely as he spoke of this Immortal Aaliyah, and how this individual was overseeing the peace negotiations with the Terrans. She leaned forward, even more curious as to whom this individual was. She let Archmage Cavenus finish, taking in all he said about their unique ability to manipulate things in a way she never could understand, at least perhaps for now. She sat back in her throne as he finished, thinking deeply upon what the Eternal Union ambassador had said.

She allowed a few moments to pass before asking her more pertinent questions. “Archmage Cavenus, I know that we have no doubt pestered you with these questions, but, for the sake of peace, for my people and their freedom, I must ensure that all my questions are answered before anything else proceeds. I ask because of my own people’s history, and the knowledge that tyrants have members that are most loyal to them to the point of fanaticism. You say that the tyrants whom were in charge, that ordered the acts of violence against the Terrans have been deposed, taken into custody, I would assume, or, if fate favors the past, they are on the run within their own bastions of power. These tyrants, who were they? Are they gifted as you are, or, are they more powerful? If you possess the power to manipulate the mind telepathically, who is to say that they can’t do the same either? You make it sound as though they gave up without a fight, which, and I mean no disrespect in this, I find unbelievable. The Terrans have had no word of cessation of hostilities, and, while it could be a simple lack of communication, I wish to err on the side of caution. So, Archmage Cavenus, of the Eternal Union, please, explain to me, and all of us here upon the peaceful world of Nouvelle, what is the current state of affairs for your people? We need to know if the Eternal Union is stable… that you are not experiencing a civil war as my people have, so many, many years ago.” She found herself standing now, looking gravely at Archmage Cavenus.

“I want to trust you, I truly do. You have shown no signs of aggression nor reason for me to think otherwise. But, I must ensure that for all our sakes, that your tyrants are not a threat any longer. I ask you, as a Queen, as a fellow living being, as a friend perhaps, to be as concise as possible. I need details, Archmage. I need you to explain in length who these tyrants were, and who now leads your people. I would hate to see your people consumed by a war that pits brothers against one another, father against son. A war that would destroy the unity of a people completely in two. A war that could threaten the stability of all those around it, nations like my own, or the Terrans, or even the Valkians. So, Archmage Cavenus, please, I beg of you, to explain to us the nature of your situation.”

Queen Sabine would allow the Archmage to explain himself and the situation of his people. She listened politely, perhaps asking a few questions when she needed to. Her attitude would change in accordance to Cavenus’s answers and explanations, hopefully for the better. She would sit upright, showing that she was listening closely to all the Eternal Union representative had to say. At long last he finished, and Queen Sabine quickly addressed his later inquiries from earlier. “Archmage, I thank you for explaining yourself to me. I truly appreciate it. As to your telepathic abilities, for now, I will ask that you refrain from using them on the people of Nouvelle. I will allow you to use what you need to in order to continue your life as normal. In due time, I would be honored to see more of the gifts your people can use. Archmage Cavenus, I will see to it that a time is set aside so we can meet more personably and discuss your people’s great ability. I truly hope that our futures together will be bright and prosperous.” With that, Sabine smiled, finishing with Eternal Union members for the time being.

Nouvelle, Hollie. Royal Palace, Throne Room
Queen Sabine Addressing the Valkians

Having finished talking to the Eternal Union, she turned to look at Lord Tinkerer, bowing her head to him, and allowing him to speak. She watched how her words had sunk deeply into him. He took his time to think, which was nice to see, a mind that took all that was said to it, all that it heard, and formulated their response. She let him take his time, sitting idly upon her throne as she wondered whether or not Lord Tinkerer would accept her request for formal diplomatic relations. She did not have to wait much longer for his answer.

Lord Tinkerer would stand, stepping from his table to better address Queen Sabine. He first asked to send news to his comrades aboard the shuttle that he had come down to the planet on. He explained that in doing so, his comrades would be able to contact their orbiting ships, and hence, be able to contact their home world, and their leaders there. This would allow for a fleet of Valkian ships to eventually orbit the planet, providing a permanent defending force for Nouvelle. Queen Sabine sat back, taking in what the ramifications of this could very well mean.

But, the fleet would only be but the beginning of what Lord Tinkerer had to offer. He went further in offering the possibility of groundside defenses. He wanted to ensure that the Nouvellians were just as protected as his own people were, to ensure that no enemy, large or small, would dare attack the peaceful people of Nouvelle without facing stiff resistance. These defenses would be small and discreet, blending in with the city itself rather than standing out. The defenses would be there to protect the people, not to keep them in. To give the Nouvellians peace of mind and security from outside threats.

The next part of Lord Tinkerer’s offer came in the proposition of technological development for Nouvelle, or rather, to help speed up the process at which the Nouvellians had been finding out newer technologies for themselves. Though, he was unsure of how to properly address that option, which Sabine took as it would have to be discussed in further detail in a more personal setting. She continued to listen to the Valkian speak, happy that such progress was being made between the two races.

She nodded at Lord Tinkerer as he continued with his offer to the Nouvellian people. They would not only protect the planet of Nouvelle itself, but the system in which Nouvelle was a part of, or, at the very least, the gas giant which Nouvelle orbited around, and the other moons that orbited the planet. This was offered in conjunction with the possibility of setting up mining operations amongst the other celestial bodies within the system too. The Valkians in a sense offered to open up the skies to the Nouvellian people, to help uplift them into the new age where they too could join the other space faring races. Lord Tinkerer had offered this, and to Queen Sabine, was asking for so little in return, only the need to use resources for repairs, and if the need arose, to use the gas giant for emergency refuels. Queen Sabine thought on this greatly, formulating a proper response once Lord Tinkerer had finished speaking.

She watched as he quickly addressed the Eternal Union and Terran diplomats, speaking more cordially toward the Terrans in particular. He soon redirected his attention back to Sabine, offering explanation as to why he wished to ensure that the planet was safe for not only the Nouvellians, but also the Valkians as well. He made sure to ensure that he meant no offense, and that his thoughts and words were for the sake of both people. Sabine found Lord Tinkerer to not only be intelligent, but thorough as well, not leaving anything out for uncertainties. He even offered to help train the local Nouvellian forces to man the defensive weapons, and to better the relations of their two peoples. It was here, that Sabine could make out what she interpreted as a smile.

The Valkians cared deeply for life as it would seem, and their drive to create a lasting relationship between themselves and the Nouvellians was commendable. They wanted to help, without hampering the ingenuity of the Nouvellians. Lord Tinkerer put the mind of Queen Sabine at ease, letting her know that as long as she and the Valkians were friends, their futures would be intertwined, and peace and prosperity were paramount. She smiled at the Valkian, bowing her head in thanks to all his kindness and generosity. His words help paint a bright picture of the future wherein both peoples would work closely together to achieve more than they could alone. Allies… he used the word, it sounded so… enticing.

Lord Tinkerer ended with a show of remorse, of how quickly violence can get the better of any person, any race. He showed that his people’s history made them who they are today, and that while they wish that the past could have been different, in the regards of exterminating an entire race, they were deeply influenced by that event, in a way that profoundly made the Valkians who they are today. She felt deeply for the pain that Lord Tinkerer must have felt, sitting back upon her throne as she let him finish.

She pondered what he said, taking the few extra moments to really think about what she wished to say before speaking out to Lord Tinkerer. “Lord Tinkerer, your people continue to show everlasting generosity and a deeply seeded sense of duty, to protect and defend the innocent in a sense. I speak for all the people of Nouvelle, that on this day, we graciously accept your offer of protection and diplomacy. We all look forward to the honor, happiness, and prosperity that this relationship will bring us both. You make not only the people of Nouvelle eternally grateful, but myself as well. You have my most express thanks, and I find myself indebted to the kindness and generosity of your great people Lord Tinkerer. I must repay you in due time, and I will not take no for an answer.” Sabine smiled, standing again as she addressed the Valkians.

“You offer us more than just mere protection and safety. You offer us freedom from tyranny and injustice, be it from the stars above, to the great darkness beyond. We will do all that we can to work towards creating a lasting and meaningful relationship with your people, Lord Tinkerer, in order to help begin to repay all that we find ourselves now owing to you. Our technology may not be as advanced nor impacting as your own, but you will find the heart and minds of Nouvellian people more than enough to help compensate for that. It would be not only our honor, but also a matter of duty and pride to undertake the task to learn, and help man the defenses you propose to build to defend our peaceful planet.” She moved to stand level with the Valkians.

“Your ships may come and go as they please. Our skies are open to those that are peaceful and friendly, even more so to those that we can perhaps call ally as well, as you put it. Our system, with the planetary bodies and the like, would no doubt benefit from being developed and grown to one day support my people’s future, and the futures of all races tied to Nouvelle, friend or foe. You are the expert here, and I leave it to your discretion as how to best proceed with all that you have offered. Lord Tinkerer, now, more than ever, is a time of renaissance, of new ideas and meetings, of numerous people coming together to create a future that is bright and shining against the darkness that resides in not only space, but within the hearts of evil men and beings. Nouvelle finds itself not only wanting your help, but perhaps, in a greater part, needing your help.”

“I truly do wish to soar among the stars as you do, as all of you do here. But, I want the Nouvellian people to be the driving force beyond that endeavor. Yes, we lack the technology to do such, and, at your discretion, perhaps you could teach our scientists and inventors the gifts that you have, and thus, would allow them to think and create those ideas, inventions, and technologies in their own way, with proper respect paid to you, of course, for helping to uplift us as a people and culture. Lord Tinkerer, when time permits, I will discuss with you in more detail your offer, but for now, know that we accept it whole heartedly. I find that you leave nothing to hide, and while you may have been but a stranger not so long ago, I now count you among my people’s greatest friends. Thank you for your kindness.”

She smiled, looking at Lord Tinkerer intently. He was far different on the outside, and yet, his character, his inner self, shown brightly as the character of Sabine did, or, at least she hoped her character did. She curtsied before the Valkian, a deep sign of respect, especially from a queen no doubt. She finally stood up, and bowing her head once more, made her way to retake her seat upon her throne.

Nouvelle, Hollie. Royal Palace, Throne Room
Queen Sabine Addressing the Terrans

The Terrans accepted her offer of an embassy, wishing to communicate with their command in order to relay the new events that had unfolded. The did show concern with the conflict with the Eternal Union, stating that they had yet to learn of the first battle’s outcome, let alone if a ceasefire or peace had been brokered. Captain Lovisa turned, speaking to the Valkians for a moment, to perhaps not only emboldened her position, but, to sympathize with these new beings as well. Her message was clear from her words, no one is beyond redemption, and that to quest for it is a noble and honorable goal. She looked back at Sabine, and paused, clearly thinking about something.

As she spoke, she too pledged to help protect and defend the Nouvellian people. While she explained her people may not be as powerful and able as the Valkians, they would still do everything they could to help out a future friend, and perhaps, an ally. Captain Lovisa was clear in her message, the Terrans had inner problems, and while those problems could easily be solved by a greater people, she pointed out that for the Terrans to solve these problems, it would be an act of redemption on their part for all the people on their world. In a sense, they could surprise even themselves at times. It was here, that Captain Lovisa asked a simple question, one that made Sabine smile greatly. “What do your people do for entertainment?”

Sabine stood, smiling broadly at Captain Lovisa. “Entertainment you ask? Why, we have much to offer in the way of entertainment, though, my personal favorite is theatre, and, while I can not prove this claim, we have the best theatre performances I’ve ever seen. We would be honored to have a performance set up for all of you here in attendance. Though if theatrics is not your forte, perhaps we could interest you in some sports, or even some melee combat amongst the guards. We have much to offer, and all you need to do is ask. It is an honor to host you, honored guests.” Sabine returned to her seat, and eased herself to recline in it.

“I guess that opens the floor to all of you. Do any of you have questions? Anything at all?”

Nouvelle, Hollie. Trade District, Café Dae’leeone, 5:15 P.M.

It was time the man noticed. He had looked at his watch ever so often, while he waited to undertake his mission. His coffee had been finished quickly, and he stood up, heading towards the water closet. His brief case in tow, he darted inside, and locked the door. He moved quickly, setting the case behind the toilet, opening it, and meddling with something inside, before hurrying out. He moved his way through the café, to the outside, where he quickly knelt beside the wall of the building itself, stenciling something upon it. As he rose, he checked his watch once more, noting the time, before running off at break neck speed.

The clock struck 5:18 when a low rumble could be heard throughout the city. It was though the very earth shook for a split second, to be replaced by a loud and resounding boom. Where the café once stood was now a raging inferno. The shop and those surrounding it were engulfed in flames and wreckage. People ran and screamed, trying to escape the devastation. Sirens sounded as the local fire crews rushed to combat the flames and save lives. Police and military forces rushed to cordon off the area, and protect the populace from getting too close. The flames licked and lapped at the wreckage. The wood and other flammables fueling the fire, while the water from the fire crews fought to extinguish it.

Nouvelle
"While the Tyrant's combined power is more then that of Immortal Aaliyah's and even a individual Archmage, not our total combined strength. They also no longer have access to our grand armory that store's all of our magical artifacts and magic-boosters. We have not apprehended them yet, but they have very few supporters and are in hiding. They would not attempt to use telepathy as they it would expose them and we could capture them easily. As for who they are, you have heard me mention several times Immortal Aaliyah. That title is not a misnomer, she is literally biologically immortal. She can still die, but not as easily and as long she avoids the normal causes of death Old Age will not hinder her. The abilities of a Immortal with magic are also amplified ten fold. They also gain the abilities of all 3 of the sub-types. The ability of casters to tap directly into magic, the power of the Sentinels, which would be the ones with wings behind me that are acting as my guards, to fly and manipulate weather, and the Earthen's affinity for nature."

Cavenus paused for a moment, taking a minute to catch his breath before speaking again.

"Immortals are also the greatest hero of our Union. They ascend to their position through great actions. The first Immortal David became one by uniting all of our divided Kingdoms into one single unified nation. That is also why Immortals become our leaders, they deserve it due to their great deeds and wisdom. However we still believe that what the people want are important, and they defied this by attacking the Terrans, There is four, however the other three are the Tyrants I have spoken of. Aaliyah never approved of the attacks on the Terrans, and thus she remains as our sole leader. These actions of the other three were unusual though, while David has great influence over the other two he almost never acted like this. It is my belief that other influences may have touched him. And I am fine with the questions your majesty, I will answer as many as needed to make sure you feel safe with my people around yours. However there is certain things I may not be able to answer. As for the Terrans I was just notified that peace was worked out, I do not know why the Terrans have not been updated on this."

STC Syren ( BH-109)
In the space around Nouvelle
Cmdr. Vellais

The remaining members of the Special Forces platoon were ordered to the staging bay to receive tasking orders, given the new declaration of war everyone knew they were here to do some actual fighting. No one knew the mission however, they were all roused from their bunks to suddenly attend a briefing “ What are we up here for sir?” one of the operators said, still in the process of waking up. “ I don’t know, we were ordered up here by the commander. I expect we will find out when she gets here.” a junior special forces officer said, shooting a ‘shut up’ look back towards the operator. A round of quiet conversations could be heard as the remainder of the platoon began to ease in to what could be a long wait before the groups commander walked in, followed by Commander Vellais. “ Attention!” the special forces captain yelled as the entire room snapped to attention, making the room uncomfortably silent.

Commander Vellais looked at her watch before pressing a collection of buttons on the wall, making a series of holographic screens appear. “ Good morning special forces group one, on the screens you can see our target. Around six hours ago we received word from Naval High Command outlining the declaration of war against this new enemy. We don’t have a name for them yet, so until it otherwise stated they will be designated as unknown”. The holographic images around the room ranged from grainy to mildly detailed images of the EU scout ship from different angles. It was clear to the operators in the room that this would be a strike mission, the how and when was still to be decided. “ My crew has already shaped the H.E warheads and made both the Nuclear and H.E warheads portable.” she said before one of the operators raised their hand “ Yes?", she said quizzically expecting a dumb question. “ Ma’am, from what Im reading from this combat report, these vessels are virtually impregnable. Shield strength is off the charts and they have decent space based weapons. So instead of trying to beat them in a fair match……why don’t we play a little dirtier”? Commander Velais raised an eyebrow towards the operator and nodded “ Alright, shoot” she said, clasping her hands behind her back. “ Well Ma’am, this race has an obsession with creating peace between nations, I think we could trick them, and somehow get a couple nuclear charges into their ship”. Commander Vellais smirked, chuckling slightly, she didn’t know how creative these Special Forces operators could be “ So, who wants to sacrifice themselves” she said looking around the room.

Silence washed over the room, no one wanted to sacrifice themselves to take out one ship. “ Draw straws”? an operator said quietly only to be met by multiple no’s. “ How about a shuttle”? a junior special forces officer said “ Remotely controlled of course and packed with explosives”? Vellais cocked her head to the side slightly as she contemplated this “ A shuttle in deep space? That isn’t too believable, I feel like we have to betray our position anyway. Someone will have to be sacrificed in order for this to work, regrettably”. The commander tapped on a series of buttons, tapping into the bridge intercom “ Open a channel with the enemy contact and tell them we are in need of assistance, encrypt a mayday signal in there too. Make sure to keep our position hidden, send it in a burst message and then lets use the compressed air thrusters to move us away from the source”. ‘Yes ma’am’ was the response from the bridge before the channel closed.

*Burst traffic, mayday to EU scout ship* ( only the EU scout ship)
To any potentially friendly vessels in the area, this is a Septonian vessel, we are having engine and life support trouble. We need immediate support. Our lives are in danger.

STC Acheron, In Docking Alongside Alarai Combat Carrier Li Wen

Admiral Hei followed Lieutenant Commander Zilicin into the STC Acheron with two of his officers, the political officer and the chief science officer, following them, slithering forward much like a naga or a snake would do with their tails. While the Alarai had been trained for surface emergencies like this, it was still much more exhausting than normal swimming. As such, keeping up with the Lieutenant Commander's professional walk was the Alarian equivalent of a jog. As military men, it was not as tiring as it would be to a normal civilian so it was no problem, allowing officers each still to have time to examine Septonian interior ship design.

It was then that the political officer received a message on an earpiece through his aquagill, causing him to stop. "Are you sure?" he whispered. After a moment of silence, he whispered furiously again. "No, we are not ready! We cannot ensure her safety-"

There was another moment of silence again, then the political officer sighed. "Understood. I will inform the Admiral." Turning to Admiral Hei, who was still examining the staging area, the political officer whispered in his ear, causing the Admiral's eyes to widen.

"What? But -"

"We cannot refuse the Golden Fleet, Admiral."

Admiral Hei was silent for a moment then nodded. "Very well." he said. "If the Empresses wishes it, then the Zheng He is to open the portal for the Golden Throne Fleet immediately."

Turning to Lieutenant Commander Zilican, Admiral Hei spoke. "Lieutenant Commander," Admiral Hei spoke, "I do not know how your people travel the stars, but we feel that it is best to inform you now that our Empress is headed to our location en route to establish diplomatic contact with another alien people known as the 'Eternal Union' whom we had established contact with minutes before establishing contact with you. We feel we should tell you just in case so your men won't be alarmed and start a possibly catastrophic incident."

The New Condria Invasion

S'Luk arrived in the ethereal transports, and behind them the vangaurd of the S'Luk invasion force, five battleships. The group began the invasion.
The Battleships moved forwards towards the planet, targetting any nearby ships or orbital platforms and firing a single thin beam, which was designed to destabalise the atomic field and disperse the matter, and then dragging it across, attempting to slice in half the hostile constructs.
The shuttles moved towards the planet, and two of the battleships diverged off from the group and moving towards the surface of the planet.
S'Luks battleships did not appear to be overgrown with the same parasitic biomass as previous encounters, at least there was none externally at this time, which suggested they were newly taken or constructed ships. They also did not match the constructs of the races that the EU had contacted, which left two possibilities; They were either taken from some uncontacted third party, or they were a design created by the hive its self, which was least likely but in some ways more concerning.
There was another type of ship, a larger one. It appeared some thousand miles behind the others and didnt appear to do anything for the moment, though it produced a startling amount of energy.
There was a single voice that all on the planet heard. It was gravelly, yet something in its tone denoted an air of intelligence and authority.
"Children of the enemy, you are a flagging world; Soon you shall be L'Er, your stolen thoughts added to our own, your consciousness ours. I wondet what we shall find, I wonder, did you think this rock was yours?"

For ten thousand years we have waited for you to once again flourish, we have watched from the shadows, biding our time, growing stronger, and now the time has come for once again this universe shall know CHAOS

Sol, Warp Space
Lord Markus Finch, Warmaster of the Night Lords Legion gazed into the empty void of the warp.

It had been far too long since he had destroyed the souls of lesser beings, to long since he had freed the slaves of empires and kingdoms and false Gods.

This galaxy was ripe for corruption, the Primordial Truth would have their prize.

Energy readings within Sol spike around Mercury as space is torn open momentarily and a massive lone vessel drifted forth.

The ships entire ship including life support was completely powered down and there were numerous parts of the ship that had obviously been blown apart by something. Even with these flaws the ship held host to hundreds of gun batteries and bristled it's side.

DRACONIAN

---

Some distance from New Condia, and from the Hivemind Invasion Force
Energy levels fluctuated; radioactive photons began appearing, shooting out in all directions from a single spot. Moments later, a sphere of light appeared, the size of a rock but brutally bright. It shone, and bolts of energy shot out, like lightning. Several hundred meters away, another orb of light appeared, lightning shooting out from that one too. They occasionally locked together in a bolt of lightning, and each time, another orb appeared, against some distance from the other two. By the time there were five orbits of light, the very first orb exploded, throwing out enough light and energy to be easily noticeable to any passive sensor. Moments later, the second orb did the same. Each time the light died away, a ship was left. This went on, resolving into the shapes of forty-seven ships.

They were different, dynamic, set for a variety of roles. If someone were close enough to scan their hulls, they would see a single, massive ship, larger than any Dreadnought, and much more powerful from the number of turrets. The would see ships ideal for bombardment; large ballistic cannons extending from the front, and yet another ship, similar to the bombardment type ship, that has a great many holes sticking in its hull, presumably for missiles. And yet another, numbering only in six, that was skeletonal, three engines that are close enough to be half of the entire ship combined, with a great point sticking forwards, as if a powerful cannon. It was covered in not armor, but lumpy bits and blocky things, devices and other kinds of technology. As the fleet powered up from its teleport, and began lurching forward, these six ships seemed to shoot forward in comparison. As they reached a high speed, one might detect the engines shutting down, almost the entire craft shutting down, and then the six skeletons abruptly disappearing.

All in all, as they came in behind the unknown, parasitic fleet, someone was going to have a bad day against these guys.