[@mattmanganon][@Absolis][@SgtEasy][@Flamelord]

[center] - Arcadia-1 - [/center]
[center] - Imperial Palace - [/center]

Anger. The Emperor could feel it, even through the dimensional barriers. The explosion of rage, and the power of a raging god. The Fulgurite had been used, and he knew that it meant the complete and utter annihilation of Conablum Labs. It also meant that they had been attacked by a force they did not believe they could handle on their own. It appeared that Cyano and her ilk were not as sensible as the Ethereal had been in their meeting, and their aggression had been their downfall. He took a moment to grieve the innocent lives that had been lost, the senseless annihilation of millions of souls. He had been hesitant to give the Fulgurite to his diplomats, and yet it appeared he had judged correctly, even if his judgement had had such cataclysmic consequences.

While Banha, Ruiko and Absolis had been fighting for his life, he had been drawing on the power of the Golden Throne, recovering. While he was not yet at full strength, his power had recovered significantly. With a gesture and a thought he activated one of the many terminals placed around his throne, guiding the power to open a gate to Conablum Labs. A wide doorway shimmered into existence, floating peacefully a couple of inches off the ground. Through it he could clearly see his trio of diplomats, surrounded by the bodies of the Outliners. They would most likely wish to return to this reality, to recover both physically and mentally from their confrontation. He touched each of their minds in turn, and he learned of all that had transpired. He gave a look at Ruiko, and nodded. "You had no choice." To say more would be pointless, understanding would come in time, regardless of what he said.

Several of the lizardfolk had already gathered, and they would march through a secondary portal. Each had been equipped with superior gear, having visited the Yakuza's tech division. Suits of high-powered armour, with bolter-like weapons in their hands. They were fearsome soldiers, albeit with a childlike attitude, and more importantly they were under the complete command of the Emperor. They would march through the empty remains of Conablum Labs, deactivating the remaining independent security systems as they secured the area. Weapons, technology and computers were taken, moved towards the several portals the Emperor had now opened and then stored in the rather expansive hallways of the Imperial Palace, an important addition to their resources. And, perhaps more importantly, information on the true nature of the Dark Outliners. He would need to look through this information, as he prepared for the inevitable meeting with the Outliners that would follow this act of war, and the battles that might come soon after.

With the aid of both the Golden Throne and the Terminals, opening up even a large number of portals cost almost no effort. As such, he was easily able to detect the mind of a human being outside of his palace. Even as Ace raised his hand to knock, the door opened by itself, the massive doors slowly swinging to the side. The Emperor took a moment to look through Ace's mind, and in that moment he learned all he needed to know about the adventurous human. He also sensed this being's nature, as one of the anomalies of fate. He possesses an intrinsic capability to alter the string of destiny, to cause the infinite random future to bend in his favour. It was a rather impressive ability, even if the human in question did not even realize he possessed it. This human would make for a useful ally. "Greetings, Ace Rimmer. I welcome you to the Imperial Palace. I suppose you have come seeking an explanation of where you are, and what has happened to you."