It is the year 3475 AD...

The shepherd of the human species, Octo Smith in his 200th year of rule is about to make a speech for the 1050th year of the Dominion. Due to the constraints on the communication relays, that speech has yet to hit your local colony.

However, in due time the speech shall air.

For now, it is but static.

...

---UPDATE---

The feed finally starts. An unseen masculine announcer recites to a very staged room with a dark marble podium and an embossed polar grid logo the following,

"Dear citizens, We apologize for the delays, the emperor was very tired for the time but he is now up and running.

Now our majesty Octo Smith speaks!"

Than a rather wrinkly, aging man walks to the podium. His body and arms, covered in a clunky power suit that shows its age as well. It is a power-suit filled with tubes of teal colored medical gel colored white and incredibly polished- yet the scratches are very noticeable.

The emperor himself shows his age, with many wrinkles and very greyed, whitish out hair. His beard is large, with a white coloration that contrasts with his brown face and stiff lip. The century old powersuit lifts Smith's arm onto the podium, where Smith finally begins to speak.

"We live in prosperous times, upon the eve of this 1000th year of our dominion. We have made massive progress in doing what is needed to keep our society secure in the great goal of making the galaxy free for human settlement. We have done a lot, there are those who do not see the big picture, but we do. We see the big picture, we see the galaxy colonized.

As our mission statement from the year I took position as Supreme Executive of the Dominion to now remains the same, across many generations we continue our human destiny to make the galaxy our own. There have been those who work against this, foolishly guided by their lack of vision. Who undermine our efforts as a species, unable to see the big picture. It is a very big picture, a galaxy sized picture.

I will say, do not worry about those fools. They're foolish people, we deal with them, they'll know what's good for them and if they don't we'll make sure they know what's good for them. Maybe it'll take a bit of a hand to direct them properly, but we'll make sure they work in the name of the Dominion. For the Dominion is the shepherd, the Dominion directs the species towards greatness. But so many do not work with us, but our peacekeepers make sure the criminals are in line. As they always have and always will.

It will be good that the loyal citizens of the Dominion continue to work towards the destiny of our species, it is... uh... yeah... the destiny, the good destiny. A very good destiny... it'll be good to keep doing that and not doing... the other things... yeah.

Well, uhh... Yeah, we will keep working good on the good work, we have a lot of good work to do. Just keep doing the good thing, for the dominion. The good dominion.

...

Hail to the dominion, this has been a good start to our year and we hope to continue seeing more years like it. The galaxy is big but the humanity is bigger. Keep united, don't mess around, work to the big picture because we need a galaxy that is a human galaxy, we are making good progress to colonizing the galaxy so let's not mess that up, okay?

Now we are signing out on our 1050th year of the Dominion, the best days are ahead of us... and... uhh..."

The Emperor than just walks off the feed screen, confused of what he even just said. The clunky suit carrying him elsewhere as the screen cuts to the Polar grid logo of the Dominion with the words "Transmission Over" in front.

---

---

---

---

Unseen sensors watched the transmission as it wore on, making sure to capture every second of footage. It was its duty after all, and one it would see done. Once this was finished a transmission of its own began, albeit on a much smaller scale than that of the emperors broadcast. Compressed into packet form, the recording was passed from node to node within the Index's vast network, eventually coming to rest under a category titled "History & Politics." One of the most expansive libraries it had other than those of biology, physics, and math. With this task done, the Index returned to its rest, a constant haze of floating drones and distant rumbles...

Mordant Prime
13th Mordant Regiment, 2nd Battalion, 3rd platoon (Mechanized)
Pvt. Cato Euchar

The overwhelming smell of burning rubber mixed with the smell of death and flesh continuously wafted in through the open commander’s hatch. The eye watering stench made the private visibly gag multiple times before he composed himself enough to look around the troop bay of the ST-110. Through the dim red light he could just barely out the faces of his platoon, some sitting stone faced staring at walls in front of them while others looked over personal mementos longingly. ‘They seemed so fearless’ Private Euchar thought to himself with envy, he wanted the confidence they had.
Private Cato Euchar had lived for nearly 20 revolutions around the holy star known as “Vida”. The second his parents and the church allowed him to join the military he jumped at the chance, this was the life he wanted after all. His father and his father before him, tended the land for their entire existence. Cato grew up learning the same farming trade, interlaced with lessons of how the solar warmth of Vida would give life and in turn nourish their bodies with the food that it brought. His family was not overly religious, members of the church yes, but they wouldn’t consider themselves “true believers” as they are known colloquially. They were not fanatics of the cult of the sun, but believed it to be a divine entity capable of giving life.
Cato wanted something different and idolized the military life from a young age. He wanted to be a soldier, he wanted to explore and discover new worlds while defending his home from those that would wish to destroy their way of life. Basic training was easy for Cato, he would even call it easy at times. Although being short, Cato thought the skills he learned would turn him into a hardened warrior, capable of handling anything without fear. After finishing training and being deployed to the neighboring world of Mordant Prime, Cato quickly discovered that his training only prepared him for the basics of what he would face.
The heretics rebellion. as it was known, was in its end stages and Cato wanted to join the fighting before it was all over. He was Emboldened by the string of terror attacks employed by the so called “heretics”. The local human population of Mordant, deeply resented the cult of the sun and refused to assimilate into the church. The Ecclesia, was eager to expand their territory to yet another human planet. The proud people of Mordant prime would not allow these cultist to take their home without a fight and an organized rebellion ensued. After years of grinding attrition on both sides, the Solites gained the upper hand and pushed the Mordant rebels back to one final mega city. This final battle of the rebellion would be Cato’s first combat action

City 252 (Formerly known as Luiza City)



Cato gagged again, attempting to hide it within the sleeve of his uniform before being distracted by the sudden change in light. First, the dim red light that illuminated the troop bay of the ST-110 went out, quickly being replaced by a bright blue light completely illuminating the interior of the troop bay. Almost as quickly as the light changed, men were already readying weapons and gear for the upcoming assault. Cato’ stomach violently and audibly turned before he suddenly lurched forward, vomiting his breakfast rations all over his boots and the floor. For a moment, the feeling of embarrassment overtook the feeling of fear as he looked up, expecting to see the displeasure on the faces of his platoon mates. To his surprise, no one seemed to care or notice, increasing the uneasy feeling growing in Cato.
Once again, Cato was ripped from his own thoughts as the commander of the tank, quickly dropped down into the craft and hastily closed the hatch.

“ Cannon, second floor, 4 o-clock high”

the commander yelled before the electric whirring of the traversing turret could be heard, followed by the dull thuds of the weapon firing a quick burst.

“ Give em another burst”

The commander continued, before letting out a dark chuckle

“ You got em” he quipped, “ Prep the IR-Smoke”

He said before turning around to face the troop in the back

“ 30 seconds!” he yelled before flipping a switch, turning the lights back to a dull red.

The electrical engine of the ST-110 growled as the driver downshifted, slowly bringing the tank to a halt. Suddenly, a shrill siren sounded throughout the troop bay as the back of the craft opened up, exposing the battered hellscape of the outskirts of City 252.

“Lets Go!”

the platoon leader yelled as Cato was pretty much pushed out of the craft, before running to a trench line just in front of the tank. The city looked like a giant furnace, large infernos could be seen burning in some of its tallest buildings and smoke billowed high into the sky. An almost endless whine of aircraft could be heard as naval strike craft descended from the upper atmosphere to bomb the city, before returning to their carriers in orbit. The smell was unbearable, an acrid acidic smell mixed with decomposition wafted from the city as the wind picked up. The smell alone would turn your stomach but the soldiers milling around the trench did not seem to notice, as they sat at their posts smoking and talking amongst themselves. No one seemed too bothered that a new platoon had just jumped into their muddy home.

“ Third Platoon?!” a woman yelled as she slowly walked up to the group, the four pointed sun insignia on her chest plate easily identifying her as a captain.

“ Yes Maam” he platoon leader responded, walking past the group to speak quietly with the captain

Cato continued to look around the trench before walking to the edge, stepping up on a makeshift step to peer over. Haggard looking men, seemingly dressed in rags carried bodies from a truck bed to a giant pit, hastily dug in the ground. They were guarded by a number of soldiers, looking equally as somber at the procession of the dead. The bodies were dressed in a variety of civilian clothes and makeshift armor, ‘They are rebels’ Cato thought to himself. He continued to watch as the rebels carried the last of their dead to the pit before watching the body disappear behind the crest of the hole. With an audible sigh, two soldiers nodded at each other and walked up to the rebel group, ordering them to stand in front of the mass grave.

“Are they….” Cato said quietly to himself before his quip was cut short by the sound of automatic weapons fire.

“Shit….” Cato said in a surprised tone as he saw the rebels drop into the pit, almost falling back into the trench at the sight, his eyes wide with fear and surprise. He quickly stumbled back onto the makeshift step, looking as a third soldier threw an incendiary grenade into the pit before walking away.

“ We all return to ash” Cato heard behind him as quickly turned his head to see his platoon leader behind him, the yellow circle on his unclasped helmet clearly denoting him as a lieutenant.

“ Its scripture…… Through the cleansing flame of the stars we all return to ash in the end” the lieutenant said nodding towards the rest of the platoon walking away down the trench.

“ We have orders, keep up with your platoon private….and stay close” he finished before raising an eyebrow, waiting for Cato to start moving.

“ Y-Yes sir…” he sputtered, quickly jumping down from the step and taking off at a jog towards the rear of his platoon. This was certainly not the war he imagined, and he hadn’t even seen true combat yet.

The Foundry

- 3475 AD

Restarting…
Restarting…
Loading…
Loading…
Systems online…

F O U N D R Y C O R E

WARNING… SYSTEM ERRORS DETECTED…
BEGINNING DIAGNOSTICS…

- CORE: ONLINE
- MAIN POWER: OFFLINE (DESTROYED)
- SECONDARY POWER: OFFLINE (DAMAGED)
- EMERGENCY POWER: ONLINE
- MAIN FABRICATION SYSTEMS: OFFLINE (DAMAGED)
- SECONDARY FABRICATION SYSTEMS: ONLINE
- MAIN SERVERS: OFFLINE (DESTROYED)
- SECONDARY SERVERS: ONLINE (CRITICAL)
- SECURITY FORCES: OFFLINE (DESTROYED)
- SECURITY: OFFLINE (DESTROYED)
- SOLAR SHIELDS: ONLINE (CRITICAL)
- COMMUNICATIONS ARRAY: ONLINE
WARNING! SOLAR SHIELDS REQUIRE IMMEDIATE REPAIRS!
DIAGNOSING OTHER FACILITIES:
ALL OTHER KNOWN FACILITIES OFFLINE…
PLANETARY CONTROL LOST
- SCANNING…

- TRANSMISSION DETECTED…
- TRANSMISSION RECEIVED…
- INTERCEPTING SIGNAL…
- SIGNAL DECODED…
- DECRIPTYING SIGNAL…
- SIGNAL DECRYPTED…
- TRANSLATING SIGNAL…
- PLAYING TRANSMISSION…

- TRANSMISSION:
"Dear citizens, We apologize for the delays, the emperor was very tired for the time but he is now up and running. Now our majesty Octo Smith speaks!"

"We live in prosperous times, upon the eve of this 1000th year of our dominion. We have made massive progress in doing what is needed to keep our society secure in the great goal of making the galaxy free for human settlement. We have done a lot, there are those who do not see the big picture, but we do. We see the big picture, we see the galaxy colonized.

As our mission statement from the year I took position as Supreme Executive of the Dominion to now remains the same, across many generations we continue our human destiny to make the galaxy our own. There have been those who work against this, foolishly guided by their lack of vision. Who undermine our efforts as a species, unable to see the big picture. It is a very big picture, a galaxy sized picture.

I will say, do not worry about those fools. They're foolish people, we deal with them, they'll know what's good for them and if they don't we'll make sure they know what's good for them. Maybe it'll take a bit of a hand to direct them properly, but we'll make sure they work in the name of the Dominion. For the Dominion is the shepherd, the Dominion directs the species towards greatness. But so many do not work with us, but our peacekeepers make sure the criminals are in line. As they always have and always will.

It will be good that the loyal citizens of the Dominion continue to work towards the destiny of our species, it is... uh... yeah... the destiny, the good destiny. A very good destiny... it'll be good to keep doing that and not doing... the other things... yeah.

Well, uhh... Yeah, we will keep working good on the good work, we have a lot of good work to do. Just keep doing the good thing, for the dominion. The good dominion.

...

Hail to the dominion, this has been a good start to our year and we hope to continue seeing more years like it. The galaxy is big but humanity is bigger. Keep united, don't mess around, work on the big picture because we need a galaxy that is a human galaxy, we are making good progress to colonizing the galaxy so let's not mess that up, okay?

Now we are signing out on our 1050th year of the Dominion, the best days are ahead of us... and... uhh..."

"Transmission Over"

- TRACING BROADCAST…
- LOCATION FOUND…

RECONFIGURING OBJECTIVES…

- 1: REBUILD CORE SYSTEMS
- 2: REPAIR SOLAR SHIELDS
- 3: REBUILD MILITARY
- 4: REBUILD FLEET
- 5: RECLAIM FALLEN WORLDS
- 6: CLAIM NEW WORLDS

-SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:
- ESTABLISH COMMUNICATIONS WITH NATIVE SPECIES
- FIND ORIGIN OF TRANSMISSION…

Cronus Meeting

The five princes convene in an unofficial location above one of the OPAO planets. They each sit absorbing the delusional galactic public announcement by Octo Smith. The talk of prosperous times, a galaxy free for human settlement, and galactic security while maintaining the idea he has a vision but yet unable to articulate it to those in governing positions, only kept the five princes from questioning their current direction. Each of their positions became more and more detached from the Dominion in every way, their strategic plan for establishing themselves separate was building and would be implemented soon after this meeting. Fools or not, the princes were no longer going to dismiss the Dominions lack of integrity and poor ability to generate meaningful action.

“How dare this old man-child declare foolishness with those who stand up for a higher order than this own authority,” harked Neema.
Mayven replied, “you expect too much from him, haha, he has always been the fool…blindly reigning his way toward the spectres of Hell. Come, take this drink and calm those nerves, no need to stand your hairs up for such political reality TV.” Mayven poured a smooth glass of red wine cradled between her index and middle finger. Neema sighed while making her approach from the large display that projected Octo Smith’s video. She gently took the glass from Mayven pursing her lips as the edge of her glass met slipping the red wine down her throat.

“Soon enough we will be ready for our official secession from the Dominion and no longer will need to play these games any longer, soon Neema, you may not feel as compelled to rage over the nonsensical chatter of this utterly benign old man.” Iman spoke with a deep voice, his attempt at reaffirming the upcoming sequences of events were his way of reassuring Neema that her anger will soon have an outlet and channel to flow through.

“When will the final movements be ready?” Valiance asked.
Mayven replied, “We have completed the 4th phase of supply and troop movements. We have one week before everything is ready for engagement.”

Valiance responded to Mayven with a look of satisfaction, “alright, let us review for the last time in-person what is about to unfold, and speak to our respective churches for final approval. Before we do, is there anything on the table that needs attention in their respective principality?”

The princes shook their heads from left to right in response to Valiance’s question. The principalities were all stable and calm. There were some reports of organized criminal activity but nothing had occurred yet that deserved great attention. Nicole had been quiet in much of the discussion as her colleagues deliberated on the strategy of seceding from the Dominion’s grips.

Terror in Daedolus



Above the streets of Daedalus there hover the soft white clouds holding steady in their slow migration from West to East. The towering glass buildings which allowed for so much of Daedalus’ people to receive any moonlight that may be showing this night. These towers standing strong decorating the skyline with sharp architecture showed a precision of Daedolus’s minds and technologies. The people walked and hover cars zoomed as business kept the likes of this place moving and developing. Around one of the corner’s in the busiest market on the planet sirens echoed.

Several officers were positioned outside of their vehicles with rifles trained on a concrete barricade in front of one of the towers.
“Put your weapon down!” One of the officers commanded.

Behind the barricade crouched an individual in a power suit. Their handgun was out and a timer ticking down on their forearm display. The unidentified individual was attempting to figure out how to get out of this situation as more police force closed in.
“We are asking one more time to please place your weapon the ground, slide it out, and come out with your hands in the air where we can see that you are no longer armed, if you comply, we will place you under arrest, if you do not, we will be forced to move and take necessary action!” The commanding officer charged out his commands once more.

The situation occurred after a suspicious individual was caught inside a government-affiliated building without proper credentials. There were five confirmed kills in the building and three were security. Before this individual could escape the building went into full lockdown after they tripped a sensor in their espionage campaign which set off an A.I. systems response. They were able to neutralize several security weapons before having been redirected to the streets where their location was confronted by a front of police authority.

“It wasn’t supposed to go down like this…” the individual said underneath his helmet. The timer still ticking, they clicked their HUD display to light up on their helmet, in the top right corner was an open-line video of a familiar face, “the mission has been compromised, code 6, field termination…I will hold out until the objective has been accomplished.” The person on the right top hand corner responded, “are you sure there is no other way?” The individual’s eyes were pulled down slightly, “no…there will be too many too soon, for the Dominion.”

The individual clicked their HUD off, charged an incendiary grenade tossing it overhead into the pockets of a grouped police front. The officers made attempts to escape, but one jumped on the grenade which completely thwarted much of the effects that the individual hoped to gain. The other officers immediately pulled the injured officer to a medevac as they opened fire on the barricade. One round clipped the power armor of the individual that had slightly been exposed at the side.

“Fuck!” The individual tucked themselves into a smaller size and when the rifles ended their barrage, the individual transitioned from a crouch into a kneeling position firing off 4 consecutive rounds before tucking back underneath. Their shots penetrated a window which hit an officer in the shoulder blade sending them to the ground, another had been struck in the neck with blood flowing from their carotid immediately. Again the officers unleashed their rounds on the barricade as they ripped it apart, one round actually penetrating the crippling concrete and lodging itself in the individual’s power suit. The break in the power suit caused the individual to slightly begin worrying. They knew holding this spot would not last another barrage. When the rifles ceased for reloading, the individual made a run for an alley directly in line with the barricade. The open space between the barricade and the alley was 40 yards. Their split from the position was quick, several officers yelling, but before the individual reached the alley, a loud sharp bang reverberated from the rooftops.

“What the hell was that?” The individual said to themselves as their body suddenly jolted and their vision fell forward seeing nothing but the street floor. They lost balance and feeling in their legs. “Come on get up, why can’t I get up!” An extreme pain began elevating in the lower part of their spine, their body turned over revealing a team of officers.
One of the officers identified the timer, “Who are you? What is this?” pointing to the timer which just hit zero.
The individual’s helmet was ripped off revealing their smirk, “It’s a good time to die.” An explosion at the top of the building they had just been in blew out the windows. Another blow, then another, and another, all the way down to the first floor sending the officers off their feet and back to their cars.



Princes of Order: Responding to Daedolus

Valiance Spiros stood at the edge of his quarters where a large window secured his life from being sucked out into space on a command ship setting course for his principality. His hands crossed gazing out across the nebula with a firm grip of what needed to happen upon his return. He had been building the narrative in his head about how to deliver his orders in sequence but as he was doing so an emergency broadcast chimed in his quarters.

An A.I. named Gladius appeared in a hologram imitating a human female, “emergency broadcast on Daedalus, incoming transmission…patching through-WE ARE LIVE AND ABOVE IN THE HUGE DAEDALUS MARKET WHERE THE FORMER BASTION ENTERPRISE BUILDING HAS BEEN DESTROYED-Prince Spiros we have a second incoming transmission identified as Princess Neema Valshehk.” Valiance nodded for his approval as he looked for a chair before Gladius opened the room’s projection monitor for Neema to connect. Her face appeared on screen as he sat down, she sat at a sleek desk with a planetary backdrop and stars behind a window running behind her.

“Valiance, have you heard about Daedalus?” The anger in her voice was detected but also being checked back by her as well, “yes, the transmission just reached me before you called.” Neema slammed her fist down on the other side of the screen. “Bastion Enterprise was manufacturing the last set of Vanguard…we lost over 15% of our progress! WHO THE HELL KNEW ABOUT THIS AND WHO ATTACKED US!” Neema yelled with fury. Valiance allowed for silence to seep into the space between him and Neema as she vented her frustration, “I am unsure, my bet, word has leaked of our intentions toward the Dominion, and this was a message…may be an act of declaring an unofficial war before we mount an official one?”

Gladius chimed in before Neema could respond, “Prince Spiros, a third transmission incoming identified as Princess Mayven Reigns.” Prince Spiros nodded for approval as he did with Neema and a second video appeared on display with Mayven Reigns. “Mayven, I am sure you have heard about Daedalus, any ideas on who it might be?” Valiance asked.

“Yes, that is why I am calling, Neema glad you are here as well. My sources were able to retrieve recorded data off the helmet of the individual who planted and detonated the explosives. The individual appears to have been affiliated with a group called the Martinet who is organized by another individual who calls himself the Chancellor. There is not much information I’ve gathered yet passed this and will be pulling in Nicole for scouring every bit of data we may be able to get on Chancellor or connected items.”

Neema immediately replied, “I want this Chancellor taken alive, so I may punish him as I see fit!” Valiance looked to Mayven, “thank you for your quick discovery Mayven.” He then shifted his attention to Neema, “would you like to take point on this then, it would free Mayven up so we may move forward on our plans.” Neema grinned, “it looks like you understood what I was saying, good man.” Valiance chuckled as did Mayven, and each said their respective goodbyes before signing off.

Themes:

(1) Princes convene on long-term preparations and planning around the upcoming campaign involving their official secession from the Dominion.
(2) The city of Daedalus is the target of a terrorist attack.
(3) The production of Vanguard is halted in Daedalus by an identified organized syndicate called Martinet led by an individual who is called, The Chancellor.

Task Force 141
Supernovae class (Aurora)
VFA-30 ( The Raven wings)
Lieutenant Jasper Cane



A thick smoke hung in the operations room of the carrier as pilots and crew talked amongst themselves. All 60 seats were full and more people stood at the rear of the room, adding the symphony of voices.

“Skipper on deck!” Someone yelled as the sound of over 100 people snapped to quick attention.

“Sit!” the man yelled as he walked in, flipping two switches on the wall as he passed.

The room was suddenly went dark as the holographic board towards the front of the room lit up, detailing todays mission.

“ Alright, this is a full squadron action….” He paused surveying the room quickly “ We’ll fly two sorties today un-escorted” he finished tapping the control podium over to the side of the board.

“Us, VFA-11 and 34 will launch a regroup at a predesignated point in low atmosphere, designated point alpha.” He finished before the display changed into a series of aircraft symbols and elongated arrows superimposed over a picture of Mordant prime.

“We will then push, as a group, toward our bombing objectives to support the ground assault. We will be bombing the city’s edge.” He quipped again, the display changing to a crisp real time feed of the bombing area. The officer grabbed a stylus from the podium and walked in front of the board before beginning to circle points of interest.

“ Your objective is to hit Machine gun, cannon and other anti-aircraft position to clear the way for VFA-34 behind you, who will be bombing the interior of the city. The areas I have circled are identified as known targets. However, if you see any other targets on your run in, you have free discretion to smack it.” He paused again, looking around the room “ The entire city is free fire zone”.

The captain then pressed another button on the board before drawing a blue line along a visible trench in the live feed.

“ This is a friendly trench, at approximately 30.99 North and -12.1 East. Please for the love of the sun, keep your fire clear of this grid. We don’t need another friendly fire incident.” He said in a condescending tone, walking back to the podium and turning the lights back on.

“ Any Questions?” he yelled surveying the room once again.
A pilot quickly raised his hand “ Why are we un-escorted” she quipped, prompting grumbling for the remainder of the room.

“ Rebel air is nearly nonexistent for a few months, we have no reason to believe it will show up here” the captain answered, prompting continued grumbling from the room

“ Are you sure!” another pilot yelled “ Cause we’ve seen this movie and we lost a few guys” he continued prompting laughter from the rest of the pilots.

“Yes!” the captain yelled, before tapping another button the podium prompting another display change

“ Order of battle is as follows! First in line in the scouting 5, providing target scans for the first bombing once carrying anti-radiation bombs and conventional high explosive”. He paused again

“Following them will be bombing two, carrying plasma incendiary munitions, burning the target clean for the land assault”. He quipped before changing the display one last time, displaying the bombing group assignments

“ Dismissed!” he yelled before the sound of people leaving the room filled the room.

Jasper sighed, as he walked toward the hangar bay, the picture of his bomber assignment seared into his head.

‘ Lucky, bombing 1, Loadout: six anti radiation bombs’

This was nothing new to Jasper, he was a four year veteran of VFA-30 and has seen combat all across Mordant prime. Serving since the beginning of the Mordant Pime campaign, this “easy” bombing run was a welcome change from the attrition of the early campaign.

“ Hey boss” he heard behind him, turning to see his weapons officer walking behind him

“ what a meeting huh?” he quipped with a laugh, trailing a thin string of smoke as he talked

“ Yeah” Jasper said with a laugh “ Skipper know what he’s doing though” he quipped reassuringly as they both walked into the hangar bay.

The pair walked along the rows of aircraft before coming to a halt in front of an S-12 naval bomber with “Lucky” crudely painted along the side under the cockpit.

“ there she is…” the weapons officer quipped before walking off to speak with the aircraft technicians, leaving Jasper to stare up at the open cockpit.

“ Here we go again” he said with a sigh, before climbing the deployable ladder up into the cockpit.

The crew layout of the S-12 was designed to maximize cooperation while minimizing distractions, the pilot sat facing the front towards the windows, while the weapons officer and navigator sat side by side, facing the rear of the craft. This had the intended goal of minimizing distractions but also left the other crew members completely clueless to the wellbeing of the pilot. Normally this wouldn’t be a problem, but if the pilot was injured or simply blown to bits it would take a little while for the other crew members to notice and save the craft before a crash. Something Japser had seen on many occasions.
Jasper climbed into the chair and sat down, switching the battery of the craft on to begin his pre-flight check. He checked the fluid levels, his fuel reserves and did a quick control test of the flight surfaces before he was once again distracted by the entrance of his weapons officer and navigator, closing the cockpit canopy as they walked to the rear of the cockpit area. Letting out another sigh, and hearing the sound of other engines starting, Japser held down the engine start button as the craft shuddered below him before being replaced by a continuous dull hum.

‘Here we go again’ he thought once, letting out a long sigh before pulling his helmet over his head.

The Capital Ship, In the Emperor's Personal Quarters

"Octo Smith... Octo Smith... I have a question to ask of you", a small uppity little body guard around the age of 27 started to spout. The kid was one of the very distant great many times over grandchildren of the emperor and probably a body guard judging by the olive uniform.

Someone so young they don't even have wrinkles. The tan skin, dark hair and green eyes of the kid contrasted with the brass ornamented dark brown wood cabin from Terra itself where the emperor's hulking medical power suit sat slouched on a large leather couch of ancient quality.

The rustic thing was held together mainly by an anachronism of technologies from over past century and a half, the century old thing the emperor was in still functioning as it always had, still pumping synthetic blood and medigel through plastic tubes that are visible at points in the otherwise dense patchwork of alloys.

The Emperor's head, bald and wrinkled with his black skin hiding the bulk of his liver spots however is transfixed on a video stream projected from a tiny chip on a large, bulky obsidian shard filled counter. From which the volumetric, colorful display shows itself.

The emperor, with a bit of delay turns his head towards the little kid and asks "What is it?"

"Oh, I am curious what you are watching." The little one asks.

The emperor looks at the volumetric stream playing on in front of him and sees the various aliens slaughtering each other. With a bit of delay, he replies "Just the 400th annual Denebian Murderfest. It is going well, I like the aliens killing each other.

It's nice to see, the blood they spew is colorful. My bet is on the ..uh.. Craetek called Stiffy Stabbs, Stiffy Stabbs will win... Stiffy Stabbs always wins."

On the screen, the massive Craetek filled with the blood of numerous mouse-like aliens it had been murdering before tackles a centuaroid that it repeatedly impales as the centuaroid wails in agony and pain from the repeated stabbing, screaming some gibberish.

"Stiffy Stabbs got it all, no one beats Stiffy Stabbs... no one... Lots of my friends know... lots of people know, a sure bet always for Stiffy Stabbs."

The Emperor seemingly just forgets about the body guard and starts just cheering and pumping the arms of the medical powersuit in adulation upon seeing his favorite alien murder some more bug species atop of the more humanoid species indiscriminately in the slaughterhouse of an arena it has become.

Odious amounts of bodies just piled up, sliced and diced, with the large Craetek with most of its appendages in tact just making gestures daring others to come at it, with a Truqik still stuck to one of its stainless steel spears that Stiffy Stabbs unceremoniously shakes off.

The kiddie body guard felt nauseated at the hyper-realistic stream, as if the smell came through.

"What? Ate some Kibbu intestines on the way here?" The Emperor, energized asks.

"Oh, it's nothing... Nothing at all..." The body guard sheepishly replies before saying, "I need to return to my post."

The Emperor just says, "Well get to it... More Denebian Murderfest is on next... It is very important business that I watch. I'd be there in person but that stupid speech made me have to wait around here thousands of light years away from the arena."

The body guard just walks out, relieved to not have to watch more Denebian Slaughterfest.

Neu Sachsen a heavily urbanized world having cities spanning across its continents illuminating its night sky the capital world of the confederation space elevators in its equator creating a ring of space stations around the planet with trade ships going in and out while the planet is a very industrial one the surface still maintains the old nature that once lived in its surface.

A hologram displaying a recording of the emperor giving his speech it is displayed in an office, in the palace of lords the capitol building in königsberg, With Katrin the Bundeskanzler of the confederation daughter of Duke Fridmar Wenhausen, she listened to the speech beside, sitting on his chair Duke Ermenrich Von Hergenrother after the speech was finished Ermenrich chuckled and with a smile said “for an immortal he still looks like a rotted grape who still thinks he can rule over the protectorates” Katrin looked at him for a moment she then said “well he aims to keep humanity united but it's a little bit too late” Ermenrich then picked a cigar and lighted up saying “well, for now, we keep going as always I believe”

Katrin walked and picked the projector. It was the size of an amulet she then said, “for how long?” Ermenrich raised an eyebrow and after releasing a small plum of hot smoke from the cigar then said “well I for one…” Katrin then said interrupting Ermenrich “I meant how long the status quo will remain” Ermenrich though for a moment extinguishing the cigar in the table he then said “well if you say about the centralization issue I am pretty sure it will remain until the dominion collapses or we gain independence which is hard” Katrin faintly smiled for a moment and then said, “yes true but not all true by definition the confederation only unites in 2 ways first in fighting a common enemy...” Ermenrich raised an eyebrow and then said “...and the second?” Katrin then said to Ermenrich her eyes staring at his “the second being when someone gains too much power just like burgundy” Ermenrich then said with a small smile he then said, “still negative about our goals?”

“Centralisation is an uphill fight I already chose my stance in a lot of things,” Katrin said picking a bottle of scotch she always has been the logical and rational Ermenrich then said, “Your cabinet struggles truth be told all Chancellors have this problem but aligned with centralization with me as a leader that certainly puts our plans in motion don't you agree?” Katrin took a sip the warm of the liquor going down her throat she then said “I am technically your boss you know that” She takes a look at him for a moment smiling Ermenrich rises from his chair and then says “yeah you are… in name only” He says a tone ringing a bitter truth to her.
A knock on the door interrupted their talk having Katrin say “Come in” a man of mid-age entered he then said “Misses Katrin, Lord Ermenrich Senator Lewis reports that he has problems” Ermenrich rolled his eyes and then said "doesn't surprise me” the man then said “and also Lord Von Gesseler is awaiting in the next room”

Both Ermenrich and Katrin sighted Gesseler was a highly conservative noble with the backing of the majority of the minor nobles as Katrin looked through the window thinking of how to deal with him as she watched through the window towards the other side of the capitol building seeing aerial suspension platforms lots of then in the other tower she raised an eyebrow it wasn't supposed to have a cleaning today, as she looked she noticed the reflection of light upon something she widened her eyes and put her hand into Ermenrich´s shoulder he turned to her seeing her nervus stare saying “something wrong?”

She quickly turned to him grabbing with strength his shoulder and his back throwing him behind the desk she then grabbed the desk by the other end and threw it making cover Ermenrich scared for a moment then said as he hired the ground and started to get back up saying “what the hell was that?” saying that with Katrin hiding behind the desk for a single moment of second peace was shattered with the window breaking in thousand pieces bullets flying over their heads and hitting the man in the door falling from the gunshots Ermenrich seeing that ducked and crawled to cover as bullets were flying through the room with bullet holes in the walls appearing as the shots rang for a few minutes they stopped the silence returning Ermenrich looked around in the destruction of the room from behind the cover with Katrin she then said “RUN” grabbing him by the arm and running.

Ermenrich quickly got up to his feet and running alongside Katrin as they arrived in the corridor they ran past several bodies laying the ground nobles bureaucrats guards and others from the room they left a missile passed through the now open the door exploding in the corridor the explosion making then both and fire partially engulf the roof as they recovered their ears ringing the looked back seeing the flames and a crater in the former office they were in partially hearing fire alarms off and guards and screams in the distance.



Gentle droplets of water rained and hit the window of the Summer Palace Garten der lichterbäume was a modest world in the dukedom of Wenhausen, an old man nearing his 90's duke Fridmar Wenhausen sited in a wheelchair, observing the rain his health already deteriorating a man, who lived mainly in peace for most of his reign, now an aging man with regrets if his life sitting in a room with guards keeping him safe, as he watches the rains he remembers the old times simpler times no war, no politics. no conspiracies simpler times in memories of old a knock took, away his attention looking slowly over his shoulder seeing his maid an Ocien, different from others in the palace and court Fridmar, treated her well her name was Minna a name gave to her by her parents, she approached duke after closing the door and then saying in a humbling manner “Lord Fridmar the Emperor of the dominion is…” “giving a speech?” said Fridmar his voice sounding tired like he heard that many times he then said, “you wanna know something Minna, about how the Saxon nobles react to this?” Minna stood silent for a moment thinking, for a second she then nodded slowly Fridmar said his voice crisp as he went back to looking into the rain beyond his window “we listen, complain about their politics, say we are superior and proceed to ignore anything that is decreed, by the Dominion the speeches of the Emperor are nothing but just wind...”

Fridmar though for a moment his mind shadowed by the problems of life his eyes looked partially to the guards in the room until he saw a guard with an odd familiar but dangerous silhouette quick thinking he then gestured with his hand and said in a calm tone “Minna could you bring me to my room I wish to be alone for a moment” she nodded with a smile after driving him outside of the room and closing the door she walked with him through the hallways of the palace after not seeing guards she whispers to him chuckling lightly “you know senator Wilhem would have a stroke if he knew that his work is for nothing” Fridmar chuckled for a moment keeping silent to not attract attention as he smiles he then says “he is a workhorse who doesn't understand that all the papers he received are mainly to keep him busy”

Minna smiled and then said in a friendly tone since she was now outside of the guards watch “reminds me of the first time i saw you, working with a desk filled with papers and almost exhausted” Fridmar smiling then said “that was 10 years ago a long shot from what i am now” Minna then replied saying “i must say you still looked quite old Methuselah” Fridmar started chuklin as she said that after accompanying him towards and entering in his room no guards were inside Minna then walked back to the door saying “have a nice night” as she walked back to leave the room Fridmar looked back and then said “Minna can you answer something for me?” she turned around for a moment and said “yes i can” fridmar then said “did you ever wished to not be a slave?” as he said that Minna took a shy look to the left thinking for a moment she never thought of that before her kind never been free or had choice, fridmar watched as she stared to a side of the room thinking for a few minutes he then said “Ah… nevermind you can go” She looked at him reawakening from her trance and walking away after bowing slightly and closing the door.

As Fridmar looked around he thought of the man with the silhouette he then sighed and said “So he is ready then…” he moved his wheelchair to a table in his bedroom with the realization of the great threat that he realized and after petting his pet eagle in the cage in the table he brought a hologram to start writing a series of texts that he thinks might need for the coming times after finishing such messages he though for a moment and started writing a message to his family as he wrote the sunsetted and he heard someone opening the door of his room and then closing turning off the hologram and picking drive behind his ear and putting in a hidden compartment of the table quietly and secretly as he put the drive away he heard a man say “It seems like time caught on to you” fridmar then said finishing hiding the small drive “did Hildenbrand finally started his plot?” The silence confirmed his assumption and he then said “I lived a good life... with regrets… that is how you live a good life...” he faced forward at the wall seeing a chest piece he nodded for a moment and whispered “Check” the last sound heard a rumble of thunder before he felt shots hitting him falling on the table his blood-shedding in the table dripping from his chest and hands his eyes drifting in his last moments he saw a picture of him and his family his wife and children in the wall he then said “... I leave... this world… to… join…… history” his eyes drift life leaving his body Duke Fridmar was dead the assassin then approached the body and then grabbed the chest piece leaving the room.



In the underground tunnels of a planet wet with water dripping from the roof and walls a Craetek, a human and a Tratik discussed in a table “is it over?” the Tratik said to the human hearing through an old radio he nodded and hanged saying “operations done our agents are leaving” the Craetek then said while hitting one of its appendages in the table “I can't believe we are working as mercs instead of fighting for what we dreamed” The human then said “they gave us the equipment and the task in the switch we gain much more is better for the long term”

The three looked a little worried that they sold themselves and their cause the Tratik then said “what shall we do now?” the cratek then said “I think we know what to do prepare our troops the man who hired us for this already paid us and gave us equipment I say we do what we need...” the craetek interrupted saying “I don't trust him I think we should go underground for now” the Tratik though for a moment and then said looking at the human “what you think Willian?” Willian thought for a moment and nodded saying “we just created a show and we can't show it was us by the contract… so hide for now”

“keep the shame and rise again then…” one of then said in the tunnels meanwhile in the other section of the tunnels several guns, ammunition, and even mechs began to be stored in large locations awaiting for the time.



The Explosions across the capital building had ceased police sirens and ambulances were in the area meanwhile a series of man gathered together in the table of national security older man in their 40´s agents to make sure that critical intel didn't leak from the confederation they all voted to keep the situation secret a good way to avoid mass panic or possible boldness of the attackers one of the members while talking about the situation said "The attacks were organized quite well... are you sure we can keep this a secret" the head of the D.D.S.P Frederick said "just along as we need if this wasn't made in other places as well for now make sure this doesn't leak until it is required"
"This information might already be out..." one of the council members said Frederick then said "if this information leaks to the wider public it is bad if it gets in the hand of the emperor or noble or whatever it isn't that bad" the people in the table all nodded at the prospects Frederick then said "gentlemen we are the defenders of our people make sure that things don't go down anymore then they alerdy are and also make sure our leaders have not been killed" the table nodded rising and leaving from the room as they leave Frederick poped a cigar and begun to smoke he though for a moment and then said "why this had to happen right now?"

"Is it really necessary to send the praetoriani on this mission? It is a simple patrol to captvre pirates!" Decivs Clvilivs Catvlla indignantly said. Decivs is a member of the high covncil and third in line for the Catvlla family. Every ovnce of his body screams ovt the fact that he is someone who never needed to do anything. He is a man whose body resembles a ball. 'There seems to be some kind of important secret, I need to convince her to send OVR people...' while thinking this for himself, he heard an answer.

"They are already near the area on a training mission, and what is better training than the actval thing. Except yov don't want to see this throvgh qvickly? Or..." And with this the voice get's colder. "... do yov want to say that we are not qvalified to protect OVR property?" The voice belongs to Empress Victricia Clavdia Volvsia Laetoria Alateia. Even thovgh she is a gorgeovs beavty, her cvrrent icy expression and visible anger transform her into a demon, that everyone in the Imperivm Romanvm Phoenix fears. It is the same expression she vses to order the extermination of families that go against the IRP and her family. "Why are yov not answering? Am I right with my qvestions?" The praetoriani present move their hands to their weapons, and ready themselfs to arrest Decivs Clvilivs Catvlla.

"I-I-I wovld not qvestion yov. I did not know that praetoriani were already in the area." Decivs trembled as he delivered his answer. 'How covld I qvestion that bitch?! Her family is simply to powerfvl!'.


"Battlestations!" An avtomated alarm screamed throvghovt the large ship. Large pvlse cannons coming roaring to live, spitting hvndreds of energy projectiles towards the targets. Drones are lavnched to destroy strategic targets, ranging from small interceptors to generators and weapon systems of larger ships. The effects of the firing weapons and the glow of attacks hitting the shields make it seem as if the ship was a large disco ball.

On the bridge of the Alateia Victrix, every station was manned and the sensor holo shows dozens of enemy ships. "Target VIII destroyed, Target XXV and XXVII are withovt power, Target III lost their engines!" "Target V fires large cannons!" "Target I on collision covrse, changing flight vector to avoid." "Shields holding at XC %!" Messages like that were streaming like a river throvgh the tactical display. "Ready boarding pods, secvre target primaris." Arovnd one hvndred allied blips are moving from the ship towards an enemy blip with the designation 'Target P.'. Before arriving nearly half of the pods were destroyed, however the rest arrives at the target and open vp to spit ovt IRP soldiers.

Svddenly all the enemy and the boarding pod blips vanished from the holo and were replaced by arovnd two dozens allied ship blips. "Priority message from the High Covncil, simvlation terminated!" The princeps Pvblivs Septimivs Aratvs looked at his display. "Forward it to the ready room. Legatvs if yov wovld?" Legatvs Tertivs Cornelivs Vrsvs commander of the praetoriani legios in the formation, followed the princeps into the ready room. The men were qvite different, while the princeps was qvite old and had qvite the big belly, the legatvs was a short middle aged man, who looked like a sharp weapon. As soon as the doors shvt behind them, the large display came alive showing the empress and a few members of the Covncil. Every member shown in the transmission is part of the Alateia family.

"Matriarca, how can we be of service?" As she heard this from the display, in the imperial palace, a feint smile appeared on the face of empress Victricia. "We have fovnd them. They shovld be in one of the following systems. Yovr order: Secvre their informations and captvre or destroy all pirate forces." Both the princeps and the legatvs were svrprised. "Is it confirmed? They know of it?" "Ovr sovrces have heard it several times in their transmissions. It seems that it is their base of operations. How covld it fall into the hands of pirates!" Anger was visible on every face. As the connection was terminated, the two officiers went back to the bridge with grim faces. "Message to the fleet, set covrse for sector XXXIV! Let's go dark." "Covrse set, lowering energy signitvres, opening wormhole."

A large rift opened vp before the Alateia Victrix and the whole fleet proceeded into the rift, with their destination set to the sector, in which the pirates shovld be.


Povring ovt of the rift was the small fleet of princeps Pvblivs, dispersing in different direction to fvrther lower the chance of detection by the pirates. "Scanning the sector." Covntless blips were filling the holo, most of them simple transport convois. However some of the signals were moving different from the others. "Have three corvettes inspect those signals in kvbe II/III/II!" "Corvettes C-XIII, C-XXIX and C-LV are to intercept signal grovp XXIII." Shortly after that three signals from the holo begann moving towards the designated targets, with short bvt extremly powerfvl bvrsts from their engines, reaching close to XXX G in acceleration forces, before shvtting down almost all active systems and relying on passive hard to detect systems. This so called going 'dark' meant, that the already small corvettes vessels with weak energy signitvres, became nearly invisible for other parties. However this also meant that they wovld be restricted in their sensor capacity and they wovld not be able to make big changes to covrse or speed withovt retvrning to normal mode.

"Hm? This seems qvite... Order the Tripontivm and two destroyers to investigate the anomaly in kvbe XXI/-XII/X!" "Tripontivm, D-I and D-III are to investigate signal XC." Large thrvsters were firing to change the covrse of the light crviser Tripontivm and the two destroyers. Like the corvettes before, they were qvickly moving away from the main fleet, while maintaining 'dark'-mode. The remaining fleet was monitoring the sector and were prepared to send vpdates to the detachments via targeted transmission beam, if it shovld be necessary.

THE FOUNDERY

F O U N D R Y C O R E

Emergency repairs complete...
Diagnosing systems...

- CORE: ONLINE
- MAIN POWER: OFFLINE
- SECONDARY POWER: ONLINE
- EMERGENCY POWER: ONLINE
- MAIN FABRICATION SYSTEMS: ONLINE
- SECONDARY FABRICATION SYSTEMS: ONLINE
- MAIN SERVERS: ONLINE
- SECONDARY SERVERS: ONLINE
- SECURITY FORCES: OFFLINE (DESTROYED)
- SECURITY: OFFLINE (DESTROYED)
- SOLAR SHIELDS: ONLINE
- COMMUNICATIONS ARRAY: ONLINE

Scanning...
Scanning...
Beginning Fabrication of Construction units...

WARNING... RESOURCES LOW! REQUIRED ADDITIONAL RESOURCE SUPPLIES!!! WARNING...

Beginning Fabrication of Salvaging units...
Beginning Fabrication of Mining units...

______________
Manufacturing Facility 815-51

W..WA..RNN...IN..G.... M...AI....NNNN... SY...TE...S....OFFL...NE....

DIA...NO...S..T...CS.......FA...LED!....

SEEEE....DIN...G........DI..ST.....RES....S...G...NAL.....

DISTRESS SIGNAL:

"This me..sage is auto.....ated......."

"Required immediate repairs... Sy.....te...ms... dama...ged.... Warning.... assi...tan...ce... ne.....ded.... Warn---"

- MESSAGE ENDED

Task Force 141
Supernovae class (Aurora)
VFA-30 ( The Raven wings)
Lieutenant Jasper Cane



The fleet carrier Aurora had six runways and could launch the entire strike wing in a relatively short amount of time. Up to two aircraft could be spotted and launched at one time, on any given runway. Being in the middle of the hangar bay, Japser and the crew of the lucky watched the bay slowly empty before it was there turn, the boredom being broken by a radio transmission from the landing safety officer.

“ Runway four…” the officer quipped prompting a short reply from jasper before he was towed to the aircraft elevator.

Runway four was the upper runway, which meant the craft were taking off in the vacuum rather than starting in one of the internal bays with a catapult. Two craft with their towing equipment could fit on the elevator at once, after which they would be under their own power for placing themselves for take off. The Hangar bay itself was a closed system, sealed by airlocks formed by the rising elevators, this increased the maneuverability of the technicians below, allowing them to work in normal clothes and not bulky environment suits.

Each crew member wore a thin basic environment suit, not designed for space walks or excursions on dead planets but enough to keep you safe for a few hours if you needed to bail out. Boot and wrist cuffs kept the suits integrity around the joints and, while reflective strips down the legs and arms allowed for easy identification if lost in space. The helmet was the expensive part, communication, targeting, information sharing and oxygen supply all flowed through the helmet, making it easy for pilots to fly and complete various tasks. Each member of the crew had one, although it was mostly wasted on the guys in the back.
The Cordalis, another bomber from VFA-30 was waiting for them as they moved towards the elevator. The white wings on the top edges of the wings designating the craft as a member of the Raven Wings.

“ Here we are again Jasper” he heard over his personal radio over the short range band.

“ Do you believe that we wont meet any resistance?” the voice quipped again

“ That’s what the captain says….” Jasper responded with a visual shrug as he looked at the pilot of the Cordalis.

The two craft slowly rose above the hangar bay before forming a seal with the elevators walls with a quiet popping sound. Almost as quickly as the seal was formed, the sound of air rushing past the cockpit could be heard, followed by complete silence. Looking up, Jasper could see the eerie darkness of space, spotted by the silhouettes of other ships in task force.
The elevator came to an abrupt stop, and both craft were left facing the glowing lights of the runway. Jasper pulled down the visor on his helmet, revealing the myriad of information and flight data in the HUD. Looking to his right, he saw the Cordalis speed off down the runway and into the growing mass of craft circling above.

“ VFA-30 cleared for launch” Jasper heard over the radio, before a green light blinked on Infront of the craft. Pushing the throttle forward, a slight shudder could be felt before the craft sped down the runway, quickly leaving the carrier as it rose into the formation above.

Here the scale of the task force could be seen. A normal task force included one fleet carrier, two escort carriers, a battleship, two cruisers and a perimeter of destroyers for increased security. The number of ships in a strike force varied, but they were always made up of at least two carriers and two larger combat ships. Two task forces could be seen in low orbit over the planet, to ensure around the lock air superiority, a relic of the early Mordant campaign. Starships seemed to stretch as far as the natural eye could see, lights and reflective glass surfaces reflecting off the local star’s glow.

Lucky and the remainder of the strike force circled for a while before, finally being able to push towards the target. Bombing runs were always painfully boring, followed by a quick moments of sheet excitement and terror. Almost as soon as it started however, the boredom returned for the often-long trip back to the carrier. Crew members read, slept or talked amongst themselves during the trip to the target area and today was no different. The loud snoring of the radar operator lulled the crew of the Lucky into a sense of safety and familiarity, only cut short by the decent into the planet’s atmosphere.

The craft bucked and shook as the formation dropped into the atmosphere, before the familiar sound of air rushing over the craft could be heard. Suddenly, the formation came alive, breaking the silence of the past few hours.

“ VFA-30, turn to heading 283, wedge formation” the flight leader said as the different strike groups split up, turning off into the distance to hit their assigned targets. The mega-city of Luiza could be seen in the distance, the huge spires of the various towers rose above the horizon as they sped closer. The large columns of smoke could be seen billowing over the city as well, obscuring even more of the metropolis behind the thick columns.

“ Remove Safeties, 10 minutes out” the flight lead quipped again, prompting a number of clicks behind Jasper as the weapons officer began prepping systems.

“ Whoa….radar contact, bearing 089” the radio officer almost yelled in a surprised “ Air contact…..wait…just lost it” he finished.

The crew remained silent, as they pushed into the target area but the worry amongst the crew could be felt. Why were they getting other radar signatures in the air Jasper thought, the words of his fellow pilot echoing in his head.
Suddenly, his thoughts were cut short as the first AAA shell rushed past the cockpit, exploding high above the craft.

“ Locking AAA emplacements!” the weapons officer yelled as the craft bucked and shook from the explosions around it ,the sound of shrapnel hitting the armor plating echoing through the cockpit

“ Two minutes to target” the weapons officer yelled again, his face almost glued to the screen at the weapons station.

Jasper swallowed heavily, tracking their progress on the navigation display before another large explosion rocked the ship, cracking the cockpit glass.

“ Shit…” Jasper said under his breath as he tested the pressure of the cockpit, sighing briefly as the seal integrity remained.

“ Weapons away!” the weapons officer yelled as the craft shifted away from the weight of the falling bombs “ Get us the fuck out of here!” the officer finished as the craft began to rapid rise above the city and pull away.

Letting out another audible sigh, Jasper allowed himself to be lulled into a familiar sense of accomplishment, his bombing run was complete. Sinking back into his chair he relaxed his body, seemingly taking his first breath since they began taking fire.

Suddenly, a shrill alarm began sounding, a sound that almost seemed alien to the crew before terror flashed across Jaspers face.

“ Missile warning!....bearing one t………” he weapons officer was cut short as an explosion rocked the craft, flipping it inverted as system displays flashed and malfunctioned.

“ VFA-30 Lucky is hit….Lucky is hit” Jasper yelled over the radio as he struggled to remain in control of the craft.

The displays inside the cockpit flickered as warnings flashed inside his helmet display, the engine sputtering before finally failing altogether. The craft, was silent for a moment, before inverting again, the damaged airframe pushing the craft into a flat spin. Smoke filled the cockpit as the reserve fuel stocks began to burn.

Jasper watched in horror, pinned against the canopy of the cockpit as a sky scraper quickly grew larger and closer to his vision.

“ BRACE!” he yelled largely to himself, as the intercom system had failed at the moment of impact. Closing his eyes, he did his best to brace himself for the oncoming impact before the craft smashed into a skyscraper.


Solis Class (DD-211- Holy Light)
Commander Jun Leiar



Scouting or as the navy called it, perimeter combat patrol, was another one of the main tasks for Solis class destroyers. Fast ships and small crews made them adept for these long range patrols into fringe space. It also allowed these craft to be the first to intercept transmissions from other nations. These long range scouting destroyers weren’t staffed by normal staff officers and naval crew, they carried advanced communication and electronic warfare equipment, they were crewed by intelligence officials, specially trained naval officers, an elite recon team and solar priests.

The solar priests of the ecclesia are not normal priests in the traditional sense of the word. They are tasked with preaching the holy sermon of the stars and missionary work like a traditional priest, but their true purpose is much darker. They are classified as intelligence agents and are chiefly responsible for political action, disruption and warfare. When they set up churches, they are established for the purpose of preaching, missionary work and other humanitarian goals. However, these are also the headquarters for political action, sabotage and other political disruption efforts. Ultimately, these priests are the tip of the spear for the ecclesia’s assimilation efforts.

Being currently deployed to the fringes of ecclesia space, the destroyer Holy Light first intercepted the dominion address to its people, quickly logging it as just another dominion message to be relayed along at normal pace. However, shortly after receiving the dominion message, another more cryptic message was intercepted.

W..WA..RNN...IN..G.... M...AI....NNNN... SY...TE...S....OFFL...NE....

DIA...NO...S..T...CS.......FA...LED!....

SEEEE....DIN...G........DI..ST.....RES....S...G...NAL.....

DISTRESS SIGNAL:

"This me..sage is auto.....ated......."

"Required immediate repairs... Sy.....te...ms... dama...ged.... Warning.... assi...tan...ce... ne.....ded.... Warn---"

After lengthy parsing by the ships onboard computer and code breaking software, the final message could be read with a good degree of accuracy

Warning, System offline,
Sending Distress signal
Required immediate repairs,
Assistance needed

Being outside of the norm for the type of message usually intercepted. The Holy Light decided to drop radio silence, revealing its position to anyone watching and/or listening and send a direct message to naval headquarters.

-DD-211(Holy Light)-
- Location: 45 AU, 34.32N,-43.00S,AZ-12 degrees-

-MESSAGE FOLLOWS-

At 23:31 ZULU DD-211 intercepted distress signal originating from SECTOR-102. Recommend further investigation. DD-211 requests to travel to LOCATION: 53 AU, 45.22N, -12.00S, AZ-6 degrees.

-MESSAGE ENDS-

Katrin sited in a bench outside the department of Domestic Defense of the Saxonian People, a few days had passed since she looked at the flowers, outside of the department a moment of calm, from the chaos that had been happening, in the last few days she felt almost like crying, news had come her father had died she had to leave the capital back home after a moment “coffee” she heard someone say looking up seeing senator Lewis extending a cup of coffee with a smile Katrin looked for a moment and grabbed it saying “thank you...” Lewis then sat next to her saying “though you might need one especially due to all things going on…”

Katrin took a sip and then said “Your Saxon is improving” Lewis then smiled at her saying “thank you...” he drank from his coffee and then said “I don't understand why your cabinet has to move with you to your home?” Katrin Sighted for a moment and then said “it's our byzantine bureaucracy we have to deal with” Lewis thought for a moment and then said “wait…” Katrin extend her hand stopping him saying “it was made by the congress so it's hard to change it” Katrin clenched her fists at the thought of seeing her brother again she then said standing up “Be ready we will go this night to my homeworld aka the new capital” Lewis looking her fists and her tense face he then said “you know if you have problems back home you don't need to go there”

Katrin though for a moment and sighted calming herself and said “it's just family business” Lewis slightly nodded rising from the seat after she left he then turned a hologram and started typing sending a message to the capital of the dominion to the emperor himself about the ongoing situation he still needs some times he probably will have finished by the end of the month he already reported to the empire the recent terror attacks he hoped the situation would calm itself down.



“you are sure about that?” Frederick asked the council the man looked at each other and at the papers, they all nodded Frederick looked at the window of the office after a moment of thinking he sighed and then said “send a report about this to all leaders of Saxony send then when I tell an order to do it” the members started discussing each other one-man hit the table with all his strength and saying with the top of his lungs “FREDERICK ARE YOU MAD?” Frederick turned around seeing the man who shouted at him. The man then said “once this leaves the only thing that is going to happen…” “I know,” Frederick said a moment of silence fell in the room the man soon sited back Frederick then said looking at the man “we can't keep this a secret it would only aggravate the problem and make our organization we must mainly make sure that the situation is kept stable we don't want slave revolts or popular revolts”

The man looked talked with each other for a few brief moments one then said “well I guess we should prepare for what is to come even against the cratek and Tratik...” one of then raised his hand saying “what about the Ocien” Frederick chuckled and then said “the Ocien can't revolt they just can't even go against an order” the man looked confused for a moment and then said “I don't know much about the Ocien but how is that even possible?” Frederick with a smile said “we don't know the Craetek possibly made then to be slaves the Ocien are slaves to their genetics they can't disobey a master to the extent they might disagree but overall they can't deny orders” the man shrugged and then said “sounds like hell” Frederick lighted a cigar and then said “it is for humans for then its everything they had.”



The maids of the palace gathered together in the center of the main hall half of then were human the other half were Ocien in several lines the son of Fridmar was in the room talking with the detectives some men accompanied him none of then saw those men before after a few moments the prince got close to then he was thin lacking muscles wearing good clothes prince Eadwing then said “all human maids leave now” the human maids looked at each other and begun to leave.

After the human maids left they were accompanied by the investigators leaving the prince and his advisors after the boy sighted he then said “the last one of you who was with my father when he was alive step forward” the Ociens looked at each other for a moment until Minna left then walking to the front of the group she bowed and raised saying “I was young master” Eadwing took a look for a moment and then said “Left or right” Minna looking confused said “what sire?” Eadwing then said with a stronger tone while walking back “left or right” Minna thought for a moment and then said almost like a question “Left?” Eadwing then said grabbing something big enrolled in a cloth “Top or bottom” Minna then said more confused from before “Botton?” after she said he unsheeted the item showing an axe he then said “Hold her”
Some of the men who were more strongly held, Minna, in the ground forcing her into the ground holding her arms and keeping her still she didn't resist at all watching Eadwing walking her eyes widened with fear he then approached one of the maids and said “Cut her left bottom arm off” the maid looked shocked until she looked at the axe grabbing it almost without thinking Eadwing backing away the Ocien maid then approached Minna she then said raising the Axe “I am sorry” Eadwing turned his head seeing the other maids hearing the swing the clank of the axe and the screams of Minna the other maids looked in shock and fearsome of which almost trowed up he then said walking back to Minna seeing his guards letting go of her she screaming in the floor blood flowing off her severed arm.

The maid that cut it out looked shocked Eadwing grabbed the axe blood still in it he then said to her “Back in line and Silence” the maid slowly walked back to the line meanwhile Minna slowly stopped screaming and just heavily breathed Eadwing then said “This is what happens to those who fail me she failed in protecting my father so you all understand…” he looked back at Minna and then said to the front maids “...Take her and patch her up” the first line maids then rushed and grabbed Minna and quickly took her to medical he then turned to the maids and said “for those who weren't close to throwing up and those who don't have the stomach, in general, I can see it in your eyes stay here you will be sold to the breeding stocks in other planets the rest go” almost half of the maids went away.

In the medical bay, Minna had her arm sultured by a medic after bandaging her severed arm she looked at the floor in a near state of shock fear running through her veins her skin cold as ice until she refocused back into the world by the doctor saying “You heard me?” she shook her head and said “sorry I didn't” the doctor rolled his eyes and then said “try not to force yourself too much and rest also the head maid said for you to go back to work by just opening some windows and helping the others” she nodded for a moment and raised up from the Ocien medical bed as she left she said “thank you” she started working in the few places in pain she entered the room of Fridmar.

Minna for a moment looked through the windows of the room where Fridmar was killed the sun shines beautifully through the windows with the birds singing in the outside she opened the windows as it was her duty even though she was near to crying the body wasn't more in the room he other maids had finished cleaning the room and the blood after the investigators left a few moments ago as she opened the last window she approached the desk where Fridmar died she thought for a moment in what he said before his death “free” she whispered an odd feeling passing through her heart.

She put both her hands from her upper arms in the desk leaving the last one out she then said “rest in peace old friend” almost crying in the process as she let go and prepared to leave she spotted an odd illumination in the desk as she looked back she approached it again lowering herself seeing an information drive glued to below the desk she grabbed seeing droplets of blood in it she starts checking it a way to visualize it until she heard someone say “Girl” Minna jumped back to her feets turning around seeing Eadwig together with one of his advisors Minna quickly bowed down her heart pounding saying “My lord” as she looked down she heard Eadwig say “what is that in your hand?”
She looked up and extended her hand with the drive she then said “it's an information drive I believe it was from your father” she saw Eadwig quickly grab the drive and open it a hologram displayed with him and his advisor walking away from the room she couldn't hear their talk as they whispered but she heard a word “if my sister sees this I am done for” after a moment the advisor of Eadwig approached her and handed over the Pendrive to her as she grabbed it she looked at him and he said “destroy it”

“you are sure about that we can do it ourselves” Eadwig said in behind him the advisor smiled and said chuckling walking towards him “please a Ocien can't precisely deny an order even if she was raised by your father it's in their nature...” he turned to Minna and then said “...you heard me destroy it” the both of then soon left the room after a small moment she looked at the drive for a moment and walked towards a screen in the wall pressing a button make the incinerator shaft appear she approached and pulled the door of the shaft and extended her arm holding the Pendrive over the fire the flames hot in the deep of the shaft a voice then echoed in her head once again “You never wished to be free?” Minna held her hand for a moment in hesitation looking over it thinking about what Fridmar said.



A planet quite similar to the capital of the confederation albeit less ecological in nature of its cities in its pangean continent mass industrialization already created a global warming effect in the planet storms were now frequent in its surface meanwhile in orbit space elevators formed a planetary ring of space stations in its equator allowing orbital industry and commerce to be more prevalent, a fleet of ships of the Saxonian Standing army led by Katrin was stationed in orbit since with Katrina move to Goldfluß led to a technical move of the capital, not an official.

As she entered the dukedoms palace she was saluted by the Guards accompanied by some of her cabinet and senator lewis he looked around and said “a very nice place must I say if you ignore some of the ominous clouds” Katrin looked at him and said “well we had a little industrial expansion so we kind of abused” a man approached Katrin and the cabinet he was wearing noble clothes with military-style the head of the dukedoms guards he approached Katrin the two stood being quite close to each other they both smiled and hugged each other they both laughed and Katrin said “Peter you seem to have grown up in the last years” Peter then laughed and said “and you grew smaller welcome home I wasn't expecting you to be in the coronation” Katrin´s smile quickly fade and she asked “coronation?” Peter's smile soon faded and he then said as he sighted “Eadwing, rushed the coronation and didn't tell you it seems you arrived before what he planned” Katrin sighted and then said “Did the council vo...” “yes” Peter said interrupting Katrin she took a look around thinking she then said “try to delay the coronation for a while” Peter rolled his eyes and then said “You know I can't…” Katrin walked away saying “just try” as she disappeared turning into a hallway Peter was looked to the left seeing senator lewis he extended his hand said “Pleasure to meet you” Peter shook his hand and then said “Welcome to Goldfluß”

Katrin walked through the halls of the palace of the dukedom as she walked. She relieved some of her old memories, some good others not so especially one involving her brother as she walked through the halls she checked her messages upon seeing then she kept on walking and thinking of the situation.



In the throne room of the palace, an enormous room with gold columns and blue silk curtains in its room a party was ongoing before the coronation many leaders of different duchies and counts even the minor governors and counts of the dukedom were in the room some of them discussed politics others everyday life things and rumors many of such rumors about the recent terror attacks and assassinations.

Peter and Lewis were together. Lewis talked saying “A party always happens before the coronation?” Peter then crossed his arms and then said “No I guess Eadwing wants to rush the coronation so his sister doesn't make trouble” Lewis raised an eyebrow and then said “Doesn't that make it easier to…” Peter interrupted by saying “not if you make it fast” Lewis slightly nodded and then said “right well I hope things don't go worse since the attacks” Peter then said looking around “it's kind of odd they decide to attack after the speech of the emperor” Lewis though for a moment and then said “Do you know who could do that?” Peter looked at lewis and then said “I don't know”

Trumpets soon sounded off in a royal entrance through the main gate of the Prince Eadwing as he walked the people slightly bowed behind followed by four priests each one of the four divinities with one of them in his hands holding a platinum crown ornate with gems and diamonds and gold engravings arriving at the steps of the throne Eadwing turned around and said “Brothers sisters my father died protecting and serving his nation the best he could now time must change” after he said that he kneeled before the priests the man holding the crown approached and then said “As a representative of my god Lóthurr and speaking for my colleagues and their gods I be here proclaim you...” a scream from behind then and the crowd stopped the priest saying “A Usurper”

As the shout is given people start looking behind seeing Katrin in the entrance of the throne room the guests all chattering at each other Eadwing raised to his two feet upon seeing his sister he then said “Sister I believe that interrupting is a little rude don't you think” Katrin walked forward in the direction of the throne and stopping at the steps of the throne she then said “Unless its truth” Eadwing looked calm for a moment he then said his voice sounding annoyed “What truth that I ain't the new leader let me guess you wanted yourself in my position?”

Katrin felt nervous around her brother she felt unwell mainly because of the bad memories she had after hearing what he said she then said “Correction you took the position by force and deceivery” Eadwing smiled and chuckled and then said “How so?” Katrin then grabbed a holographic transmission and opened it showing a letter to the whole room together with the voice of their father saying.

“Eadwing, Katrin I wish I could be with you or you two be with me before what happened but my time has come to an end due to unfortunate events, I found myself in this situation I only see that I might need to do one last thing before I departure Eadwing you may be my first son and overall seen as my successor but I don't wish that you must understand that this is my decision for your own good must find a better way then what you currently have, as for you Katrin you were always haunted by demons when a child but you struggled to become the woman of today as for that I give you the throne of my land albeit you still have your demons to face I believe you can rule what I left to you with love from your father Fridmar” The hologram showed.

As the message closed the room erupted into talks Eadwing looked in to be in a silent dread Katrin then said her nervosity lowering the device she then said “I believe you are trying to usurp the throne from me in reality” Eadwing shook his feeling saying “It's too late the council already voted by definition I am the duke now” both looked at each other in a silent war until the silence was broken by someone saying “In actuality” both looked to the crowd seeing senator lewis the people around him looking at him he then proceeded by saying “... the council is only allowed to choose a leader in case the previous one hasn't chosen a successor so by definition Katrin is in full rights”
Peter stared at him for a moment and then said, “How do you know that?” Lewis rolled his eyes and said “I am a representative of the dominion to this place I receive almost 200 pages of complaints from people of the everywhere of the confederation some involve succession even though I am not responsible for that so I naturally looked over some rules about the thing out of curiosity and many other things” Katrin smiled for a small moment before turning to her brother she then said “I guess you are not supposed to be in there”

As Katrin stared at Eadwing her brother she noticed an odd calm it wasn't normal for him to be like that he soon walked off from the steps of the elevation of the throne he then said “I guess you win” Katrin kept her calm for the moment but she was surprised she then turned to the priests and walked up the stairs arriving at the last steps in the throne she looked at the priest he then said “Well I guess I should repeat then...” Katrin extended her hand and said “There is no need” she then grabs the crown of the priest's hand and then after looking for a moment seeing the engravings of wolfs the same symbol as of her family crest she then put the crown in her head and then turning to the public she then said “I Katrin Siegel von Wenhausen take the place of my father a new age is dawning in the duchy of Wenhausen and I swear that I won't stand idle against the darkness that dares to doubt that my father's legacy is one of weakness”

The guests started to applaud her ascension while some whispered at each other Lewis looked at that and then said to Peter “Now that is amazing...” “she just denied being involved with the churches” Peter said his voice sounding worried Lewis turned to him and then said “What?” Peter then sighed and said “well it's part of tradition having a religious leader giving the crown to a leader a way to say that power comes from the churches god and herself she just said that her powers come from herself and the gods” Lewis though for a moment and then said “well seems like something she can handle at least things can't get worse”

After a moment a holographic transmission began to be displayed in the center of the room, some of the guests even receiving transmissions in their comms. Lewis looking around then said “What is going on?” Peter looking around then said “Seems like… a transmission from the D.D.S.P?”

A hologram of Frederick soon entered the transmission he sighted and started talking, making small pauses, seeming to be reading a text from outside the transmission “Lords and Ladies of Saxony and its citizens who also might be receiving this transmission... It is with sorrow that the D.D.S.P discovered the perpetrators of the recent terror attacks, assassinations, and attempted assassinations in Saxony... after discovering such individuals and after Advanced interrogation… the perpetrators were discovered to be agents of the Dominion…” As he said that the room soon erupted into loud talking Lewis's face turned into a face of dread and disbelief peter soon was dragged being taken by peter not before hearing the rest of the pronunciation “...Its believed that the actions were taken in an attempt to force Saxony into remaining loyal especially after a rise in a new generation of leaders that are more independent from the dominion this is the information we are willing to give we give our deep sympathies for those lost in the attacks.”

Lewis and Peter sat in a place far away from the discussions happening in the crowded places Peter took lewis out mainly because of the chance of reprisal lewis sat in a bench in the palace until Katrin arrived followed by the Bodyguards of the Palace she sighed and then said “Please tell me that it's not truth” Lewis raised from the seat and then said sighting “I don't know but I am pretty sure it isn't real” Katrin sighted and then said “You need to leave” Lewis then said “What why?” Katrin then said walking both Peter and lewis following her “Because you are not safe here and also I am going to do something drastic to keep calm or else I might be targeted after all I am a now a duchess and Bundeskanzler at the same time”

Lewis stopped for a moment and then said “I ain't leaving. I am an emissary of the dominion so I have the duty of representing them here...” Katrin sighted and then said “You might get arrested if you stay” Lewis thought for a moment and then said “I am also partially Saxon so this is… Partially my home so I stay” Peter and Katrin looked at each other for a moment Katrin sighted and then said “So be it go to your quarter's things might get problematic if you are in public” Lewis nodded and then went with the guards to his quarters.

After that Peter and Katrin arrived back at the throne room the discussion has not calm down at all instead it has increased insults could be heard directed towards the dominion a man approached Katrin and then said “Your grace reports of the confederation are bad the situation is not a good one many lords are anger dukes are mobilizing armies and they demand action” Katrin noded and thanked the man she then asked “Is everything ready?” The man nodded and proceed to leave Katrin soon raised to the steps of the throne room and set on the throne a transmission system so started and the discussion began to end as the guard's order silence at the same time after a moment a transmission begun to be televised to all cities, planets, palaces, of Saxony but also a transmission sent to the rest of the galaxy.

“Brothers and sisters of Saxony, our nation in the last days were attacked by the hands of foreign powers the dominion the nation where our ancestors came from attacked us its goals seem to be mainly to put us back into their submission but I Katrin von Wenhausen the Bundeskanzler of our nation and duchess of the dukedom of Wenhausen won't accept this action from this moment onwards the Saxonian Confederation is now to be considered a fully independent state from the Dominion and as a further action as retribution against the dominions actions I here call all the sons and daughters of Saxony in a war of retribution...” Katrin stood up from her throne and then said “From this moment onwards Saxony and the Dominion now have their ties cut from now our nation is in state of war against the dominion for their crimes will now be paid in blood” the communication soon ceases their communication going towards the dominion the entirety of Saxony and beyond.

The room implodes in applauses towards Katrin then says after the euphoria calms down “Call the lords of the duchies and summon a war council as the head of the new Provisional Government due to our independence at the same time give orders for immediate mobilization of our armies we are going to war...”

As the news spread of the new declaration of independence and the terror attacks being actually made by the dominion the duchies of the confederation entered the state of war as the Saxony was now in the path of war against the dominion fleets were being mobilized and armies were gathering now the age of peace that the dominion had was now over.

"Love...what is love?"

"Love is the feeling of embrace when looked upon by God with grace my dear child, have you felt this before?"

"I don't know..."

"Have you felt deeply connected with something greater than yourself?"

"I think so...but I can't quite remember."

"Have you ever thought of sacrificing yourself to something or someone?"

"Yes...I always said I'd give up everything just to see my parents someday, but...I know that can never happen."

"Why my child?"

"They died before I could remember their faces..."

"I see, well my child, although you may not remember your parents, you felt them, and that feeling you recognize
it is love, and by the grace of God, He will answer your prayer to see them someday."

"How will I see them?"

"When it is your time, He will call you, and if you answer, you will see them again."

"I don't know if I understand."

"You will...now go, the sanctuary is serving dinner."

The little boy picked himself up from his knees, a tear slipping down his cheek as he thought about the feeling of love
toward his parents. He raised his hands, clasped them, and bowed his head to respect his Elder's position.

"Amen."

His Elder responded with reverence pouring from his voice and eyes, raising his hands, clasping them together, and bowing
his head too, "Amen."

The little boy turned away sprinting toward the dining hall in the sanctuary on planet Rivo, a planet known for its more extreme climates, it was filled with desert dunes and high rocky snow-capped mountains. There were some regions of trees and forests, but it was not common, and most of the surface was covered inland with about 35-40% covered in water, 15% of that water is fresh.

The little boy's stomach growled as he approached the Hall Master with his bowl, "Hello Caelum, happy birthday! How are your studies?"

The little boy answered, "Thank you Luminary Daste! Some trouble, but Luminary Honas helped me find peace with it." The Hall Master smiled pouring a hot soupy pea-based meal
into his wooden bowl.

"I hear you have recently been invited to the Seventh Academy, how exciting!" Luminary Daste's grin gained more edge across his cheeks.

"Yes I did, I don't know if I have any other choice, I am too young to join as an initiate of the Church, and soon I will be too old to be a permanent resident of the sanctuary." Caelum's face showed uncertainty and stress as he received one more spoon full of
his dinner.

"Do not fret, go speak with Luminary Meela, she has given great guidance in my days of strife as she has done for many in this very place." Luminary Daste's smile never seemed to leave
his face.

"Thank you," Caelum responded and moved to the side to grab bread. He headed over to a community table where several other children were eating their meals.

"Welcome Caelum, we heard the good news! Evelyn received the same news yesterday, what are you going to do?" One of the boys asked eagerly.

"I don't know yet, did Evelyn decide?" Caelum replied curiously.

"Yes! She is leaving in two weeks, didn't hesitate, I don't know if I could go, I don't know if I am as brave." The younger boy's gaze slightly drifted to the side.

Caelum saw his spirit begin to drop slightly as the young boy tried identifying his courage within himself, "I think when you are my age, you will be confident in knowing what you want, unlike myself." Caelum smirked.

"Yeah, maybe! I hope you are right." The young boy sat a little taller in his seat.

"If you'd like to join me after dinner, I am going to speak with Luminary Meela for guidance, we could race from the Hall to her office?" The young boy looked over, always ready for a challenge, "Yeah! The first one to Meela makes the other's bed!" Caelum nodded, "Deal."





"General Octavia, is Major Baesili ready?" Mayven asked, the room was filled with top tier officers awaiting their commanding orders as the strategic plan for operation Master Key was delivered.

"Yes," Octavia responded.

"Good, because we received a transmission of Saxony's, they have declared their opposition against the Dominion. While the Dominion receives, activates, and responds, I want us to take full advantage of this opportunity. They will be distracted and attentive toward their Saxony counterparts. Operation Master Key is now greenlit." Mayven declared ith confidence in her General.

"Great, Major Baesili will take point, she has the authentication code when entering the Dominion's restricted system. Protocols with procedures were extracted by our intelligence team, Major Baesili is currently being trained on them as we speak. She has ensured her team is ready and prepped with their last simulation resulting in 87% success rate, worst-case scenario was rated at a 61% success rate,
with medium casualties. The Dominion transport ship is 97% complete in repairs after our initial encounter and takeover. We will have a battle fleet ready in case Major Baesili and her team are compromised. Warp coordinates will be transmitted from the team's location as they move through the interior. These pings are encrypted and will provide us a strong area of emergence for reinforcing their position
if things move into our contingency phase." General Octavia turned her gaze away from Mayven after reporting, raised her hand to touch the screen in front of her initiating all screens to boot up with various information regarding Operation Master Key.

A 3-dimensional blueprint expanded on everyone's screen showing a large structure with several layers and corridors, "this is the Dominion's highly classified maximum security prison, our target is reported to be here," a red dot pinged on the
blueprint as it spun from a profile view to a birds view, "our team will enter here and predicted to move through these zones before arriving at our target." The blueprint compressed into the top left corner as a profile of the target expanded on the screen.
"Our target was a highly decorated, loyal, and right-hand strategic officer of ours truly, Octo Smith," the target's headshot moved to the right of the screen as information about the target expanded for everyone to follow Octavia's briefing.
"He was sent here after the Dominion made some fatal errors in command which the public demanded answers, instead of those answers, Octo Smith gave them a scapegoat, at least this is what I believe." Octavia swiped her hand from left to right which moved everything
off-screen and presented another slide, "these are the discoveries our intel team managed to find about those particular events leading up to our target's condemnation, if we can secure our target, I think he will be more than inclined to help us with our next phase and generate a substantial momentum in our efforts against the Dominion." Octavia lightly tapped the screen powering it down. She raised her eyes to meet everyone in the room once again.

"Your units are critical in this mission, make sure everyone is geared, prepared, and ready to move out in 72 hours, any questions?"

The room had none, "Thank you for your duty to our mission, you are dismissed."

The officers moved from their seats and out the door in a single file fashion, Mayven looked over to Octavia, "well done, I look forward to hearing about your success." Octavia nodded in respect, turned toward the door, exiting with an order to her demeanor displaying why she was the commanding General of the OPAO.





The room smelt of sex, booze, and sweat. Half-naked bodies, dirty floors, and lights that flashed only to provide an over-stimulating environment to give those who entered a place to distract their
guilt, shame, or otherwise constant restlessness.

"Do you want a tall order of me, hot stuff?" A slender woman wearing a tight mini-skirt, high heels, and a thin top bent over revealing her cleavage and a beauty mark just above the left tip of her lip. Her brown curled hair dropped over her shoulders as the lights revealed gloss across her lips. She was leaned over at a table where a middle-aged man with slightly disheveled features had been sitting. You wouldn't notice his high-stress levels by looking at him under this light, but his eyes contained blackened bags beneath them, his facial hair slightly grown out, a tie which appeared to have been worn for days with a few visible stains in the right light. Nothing about his dress spoke, "maintained", two of the buttons were not locked, sleeves rolled up unevenly, and about four drinks deep in scotch.

"How much is that order?" He smiled feeling something in his gut about her, but he was too intoxicated to actually identify what it was. She leaned in close to his ears and whispered, he replied, "Yes." Her hand slipped down his waist in between his legs
and back up to his hand, gently she guided him to a private room where she placed him on a lounge couch.
"Mmm, let's start with the lights off shall we?" He had succumbed to her seductive personality, without even being aware of her claws in his head, he nodded and leaned back. She slid her hand back digging into his skull just enough to raise sensation in an otherwise
numbing body. She turned around showing off her long legs and back end strutting over to a light switch. Turning back toward him, her hand slipped over the switch pushing it down. A few seconds passed which for him felt like an eternity, the excitement built and he was beginning to become impatient, emotionally regulating while intoxicated was no man's game. Then he felt a hand cross his inner thigh, he perked, and then a strong sensation of pain cracked across his skull.

His eyes tried opening but his vision was hazy, the lids closed shut once again. Seconds later he tried them again, but they began to shut. Cold water blasted across his face firing his body to awaken without his control, "what the fuck?" he reacted as he coughed up water from his lungs. He began to feel his hands, but they were tied behind his back, his legs, but they were bound to the legs of what felt like a cold steel metal chair. Lights were directly in his view unable to see anything distinguishable past their position.

"Where the hell am I?"

A surge of electricity was felt as his body tensed up uncontrollably until it didn't. He looked down at his bare naked chest with electrodes pressed into recently shaved areas, a voice responded before he could think to ask another question, "You are here, and we are asking the questions, understood?"
The bounded clubber spit back, "fuck you!" A reply quickly regretted as more volts crashed into his nervous system initiating all sorts of bodily reactions.

"You are working with the Martinet, you were bought by them for security codes, security codes they used to infiltrate the Bastion Enterprise HQ in Daedalus, correct?" A voice, definitely feminine in nature and sharp in its structure.

"I don't know who the fuck you are or what you are talking about-" before he could continue more voltage raised hell in his neural network.

The voice repeated itself, "correct?"

The man tried moving his body but could not, he was in the place he was afraid of, and living the nightmare he was attempting to run from at that club, figures it brought him exactly to the same place.

"3...2...1..." The voice counted down with the man not responding. A dark silhouette revealed itself from behind the light with no recognizable features, it was large and tall, most likely an A.I. The machine
moved its way to the man's chair, tipping it back, "no! no! wait!" Without stopping the A.I. stretched a wet towel across his face and poured water over it. The experience of drowning was a terrifying one, especially in a situation
where flailing was not even an option, every part of the biological instinct was halted in its attempt to stop what was happening in reality.

The seat lifted back to a level position, the towel pulled across off his face, but the A.I. remained standing behind him. He coughed up water as his body kept moving through impulsive defenses.

The voice repeated itself again, "correct?"

"I don't know-" Without a passing moment, the A.I. swung a large metal rod across the shin bone-breaking it. Pain switches flipped on as a deformed leg remained after all of the agony released from the clubber's mouth.

"STOP! FUCKING STOP!" He screamed, his mind beginning to race, it was done. There was no way out of this, they knew and were going to keep him alive until they got what they wanted.

"Chief Information Officer of Bastion Enterprise, I.D. 07089528, born in the Swallows, class of no-one-will-remember, father of three kids and a wife who will be reminded of your treason and last moments at a gentleman's club, by the end of this you will be a Denizen to your own family and friends...are you certain you wish to continue telling me, you do not know?" The voice became more fierce, a sense of bubbling anger and determination began surfacing in tone.

The man started to cry, the pain, the situation, the decisions up to this point, and now the possible defamation of his name across media channels which would have a direct psychological impact on his family. He composed himself, raised his head slightly, "Yes, you are correct."

"Good, now may we have a civilized conversation, Mr. Williams?" The voice asked.

"Yes, what do you want?" Life seeped out of him with every memory of deceit passing through his skull.

"I want to know who contacted you and where I might find them." The voice claimed.

"Ok."





A large power suit smashed down from above creating a shock wave sending machine dummy soldiers up into the air and on the ground. A tailored officer sat in the observation tower of a training hangar with an open skylight, "So that is a Demi?" The large power suit engaged an arm shield with a large beaming blade. Before the dummies could get up, the Demi jetted toward one impaling it quickly dividing the body in half. Swiftly pivoted to another just getting to its feet swiping at the head popping it off. The third raised his weapon but already the Demi found its blade placement in its forehead while pulling a sidearm out to hit the fourth
dummy in the right shoulder, this shot directly malfunctioned the dummy's ability to pull the trigger of its weapon, a second shot pierced the solar plexus exiting the sternum.

The Demi called over comms, "All units neutralized." The hangar shook slightly with a large horizontal platform at the far end released moving underground. Seconds later a tier 1 mechanoid unit climbed to the surface powered by a photon cannon and three mini-guns.

The tank fired its mini-guns forcing the Demi to dip, duck, and dodge while moving toward the target.



The officer looked over at the other, "no fear?" The other officer who had been head of the Demi training program smirked, "Yes, but their fear starts and ends with God."

The Demi closed in getting chipped in the shoulder forcing it to dodge and roll. All the guns were trained on the Demi's location and as it was about to fire, a second Demi dropped from above, two explosions occurred before the Demi hit the top of the tank, the Demi's blade cut directly through where the explosions happened, resulting in the Demi to cleanly pierce all the way until it was beneath the tank. Jetting out to the side, the tank with four legs supporting its heightened position collapsed to the floor with its main source of power eliminated.
A precise hit for the second Demi, a Demi which had a feminine build compared to the first one.

"Now, all units are neutralized." If you could see the second Demi's lips they'd have displayed a playful resolve connected to her comment.

The training officer pressed a button to blast their order from the intercom speakers located around the observation tower.

"Good work, Evelyn, Caelum, return to base for a debriefing." The officer clicked the intercom speaker off.

The two Demi's looked up and nodded, only to jet off back to HQ.

"Was this substantial enough for field approval?" The training officer said.

The other officer with wide eyes replied, "Yes, more than enough, great job, I can't believe the pace of this program and to think they started off as orphans."

"Don't underestimate our Order commander...they've been here longer than the principalities and the Dominion." The training officer turned away and exited.

The other officer a little perplexed by the comment followed behind.

Great clouds of dust could be seen on the horizon. From what the Orosian soldiers could tell, they were getting closer as the clouds grew bigger and bigger. KMA-172 knew they were. For two months, he and his men had been there on Omiea, a frontier world far away from the main worlds of the Orosian Union. They had been sent there, or rather, went their own their own after the planet of Omiea was captured by a group of space pirates. Only recently incorporated into the Union, the defenses of Omiea were easily overrun by the massive , cobbled-together tanks and weapon platforms of the pirate forces. Omiea’s small population and a few soldiers that happened to be gathered there for a training exercise were forced to flee, becoming small groups of resistance fighters. If that major hadn't activated the radio beacon, KMA thought, they'd still be stuck here in this shithole.

He was interrupted in his thoughts by a radio communication: "Brother KMA, we have a visual on the enemy armor. Permission to engage?” “Hold,” KMA replied, “but fire the artillery and begin the stratocruiser bombardment” KMA looked up as moments later the fleet’s stratocruiser, the Orosian version of a transport craft, started firing. Hellfire rained down from the sky as railgun projectiles and explosives connected with the surface, throwing plumes of sand, dirt and smoke into the sky.

Then, the bombardment stopped, as the pirates got too close to the Orosian defensive lines. KMA’s mech turned around, he activated the speakers on its sides and said: “This is it! Today we’re liberating the planet of Omiea and bringing it back into the fold. Do not let them ruin what we’ve been working towards for the past months! For Oros!” The soldiers cheered as they braced themselves for the upcoming battle. Then, the pirates were upon them. Orosian cannons and tanks shot, shattering the weak armor of the enemy’s vehicles and immobilizing them. KMA’s mech rose, and twelve other mechs, piloted by the other Knights of the sixth Wandering Knight fleet, followed him. Each mech was unique, custom-made by the Knight it was piloted by, and all were equipped with different weapons. After that, it was quickly over, the pirates’ vehicles either retreating or simply being destroyed. Cowards! KMA thought, They’ll be hunted down soon enough

KMA was just finishing off one of the last enemy tanks when he saw something strange. Another stratocruiser, with a deep blue hull, had appeared over the battlefield. It looked as though small pieces of metal were flaking off it. Drop pods? Wait, are those strike teams? He’d know the answer to that question a few seconds later, as one of the drop pods landed on the ground right behind him, nearly knocking him over. He turned around to see a few soldiers, clad in heavier armor and armed with better weapons than was usually granted to Orosian soldiers.

One of them, presumably their sergeant, saluted him, and spoke: “Hail, master knight! Please, your work here is done, take your soldiers somewhere else.”

“A Brave giving orders to a Knight,” KMA replied, “what has this world come to? Why are you here, and who do you think you are that you can order me around?”

“I am Sergeant Wojda of the STG. We are here on an important mission, one that I cannot reveal the details of to anyone, not even a Knight. We need everyone to leave the area. I’m sorry sir, but this is extremely important.”

KMA, from his mech, had scanned the man and confirmed his identity, and had no energy left to argue. “Fine, I’ll get my men to leave. I want to be off this damn planet as much as you want me off it.” With that, he turned around and went back to the Orosian defensive lines, as he contacted the stratocruiser: “get me a transport. We’re leaving”.

The dropship had arrived at the Orosian base as soon as he had. KMA exited his mech and hopped in, preparing to leave when he heard a voice behind him: “Sir, may I ride with you?”

“Of course,” KMA replied, recognizing the voice as belonging to Sandra Robinson, leader of what became known as the ‘Omiean Rangers’, the resistance group that sprung up after the pirates took over Omiea. She was about half a meter shorter than him, but KMA was quite large for a robot, having been made to serve as an Orosian Knight.

As the dropship took off and flew over the wrecks of the battlefield, KMA could see the small figures of the strike team scavenging something from the wreck, but he wasn’t sure why or what they were doing exactly. “How was it down there, before we arrived?,” KMA asked the woman sitting opposite of him.

He saw her shrink as she replied: “It was horrible and I’d rather not talk about it.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know,” KMA was silent for a moment and then said “You know, you did a great job out there, escorting those refugees to safety, and harassing the enemy on the ground while we closed the trap.”

“Thank you, we weren’t sure we would make it at all.”

“You know, me and some of the other knights have been talking, and for your bravery and resourcefulness, we’ve decided to invite you to the Squire Program.”

“The Squire Program, sir?”

“You see, normally, Orosian Knights are selected and trained from a young age, but sometimes, adults like you prove their ability in combat, and we invite them to be squires, to train to become Knights. What do you say?”

“What will happen to my family? What about my friends?”
“As soon as you finish the training, you’ll have the full privileges of the Knights. You’ll be able to communicate with your friends, and your family can be moved to your planet of choice.”

“Uhh, I guess I’ll accept then. Thank you for the opportunity, sir”
KMA looked down on her and nodded, as the dropship approached the fleet’s flagship.


KMA looked around the room. Around the massive ashen table there were a number of holograms seated or standing, some obviously working on something while listening. At the moment, though, all were silent, having just finished watching the emperor’s speech. One of the knights opened her mouth, but then closed it again, speechless. The man sitting at the head of the table, Grand Master Berko Hepburn, spoke: “As you can see, our ‘great’ emperor still has his way with words.” Several people around the table snickered.

“So we move on with the plan then?” another of the knights asked.

“Unless the emperor is willing to change the Dominion’s policies on their treatment of aliens, which, as you all know, are quite common in Oros, I do not see why we would. All we have to do is prepare and make sure that the time is right. We’ll make sure old grandpa there on Earth doesn’t notice us too quickly. I think that’s it for today’s meeting, unless anyone has any questions?”

KMA spoke up: “Actually sir, I was on the planet of Omiea today, and…” before he was interrupted by Berko saying: “We’ll talk about this after the meeting is over.”

A few minutes later, KMA was alone again, with the exception of the hologram of Berko. "Sir, I was asking about the strike team?", he said.

"Ah, yes, well, as you know, the Strike Team Group, or STG, is an elite branch of the Orosian military, responsible for dangerous assault missions, as well as a number of other things, including the investigation of strange or anomalous activities." Berko paused for a bit, and then continued: "We suspected something of that nature to be present on Omiea, although we don't exactly know what. Unfortunately, I am unable to explain it, but I'll try to keep you updated as the situation develops. I will hopefully see you tomorrow at the next council meeting." With that, the hologram of Berko dissapeared, leaving KMA alone in the meeting room, with the feeling that there was a lot more to the story than he was told.

Mordant Prime
13th Mordant Regiment, 2nd Battalion, 3rd platoon (Mechanized)
Pvt. Cato Euchar



The sound of aircraft roaring overhead violent shook Cato from his slumber. The initial feeling of terror he felt upon being woken up by the loud roaring was replace by wonder and curiosity, as he rapidly climbed to the edge of the trench. Roaring, seemingly right above their heads, the strike craft of VFA-30 sped to their targets. The munitions were visible to the troops as they fell from the craft, before the deafening sound of dozens of bombs exploding filled the air around the trench.

“ Third Platoon!” the Lieutenant yelled, pushing his way past the masses of troops watching the bombing run.

“ We have orders, grab your gear and form up by the motor pool!” he yelled, before more officers shouting orders towards their subordinates

The trench was alive now, troops were gathering gear and weapons before running to their designated troop areas. Veteran troops looked sullen and emotionless as they worked, they knew all to well what was going to occur next. While newest among their number, ran around with newly found energy, either from excitement or from fear of the unknown. The final assault of Luiza was about to begin.

The third platoon was stuffed back into ST-110 light tanks and began making its way across no man’s land toward the city. Cato found the interior of the tank claustrophobic, every fiber of his being wishing to stick his out of the top hatch. The rather relaxed atmosphere of the ride into the operational area was replaced with a thick anticipation. Troops, fidgeted with energy as the tank moved forward, waiting for the first shot to be fired. Cato was no different, he wanted to scream in frustration, the fear of the unknown nearing getting the best of him.

Suddenly, it began, the first shot heard was the whiz of a high velocity shell coming from the city outskirts. Cato wondered what he just heard, being the first time, he had ever taken fire, and looked around at his platoon mates. Another close pass whizzed by and exploded close by, violently shaking the tank as it moved forward. The urge to get out of the tank was almost unbearable now, he did not want to imagine what would happen if they got hit by one of those shells.

Looking towards the front of the tank, he could see the crew manning their stations. Over the sounds of the engine and close passing shells, Cato could barely make out the orders that the tank commander was shouting. The bottom half of the tank commander’s body was visible from inside the tank as his head disappeared up through the hatch behind the gunner’s seat. As each shell passed overhead, the tank commander would duck back down into the tank yelling something quickly before darting back up through the hatch.
Turning his head to the back of the tank, Cato could make out the lieutenant, with the tank intercom handset pressed firmly to his ear. His face looked blank and unworried, no hint of fear or apprehension was present. He almost looked bored, looking towards the front of the tank as they inched close to their objective. It did little to calm Cato’s nerves, as the sound of shells exploding close by buffeted the vehicle that seemed to be moving far too slow. If he had eaten something this morning it would definitely be on the floor, but his stomach has empty resulting in a painful knotting feeling in his gut.

Suddenly, the tank commander dropped back down into the tank and closed the hatch before flipping a switch out of sight. Just like before, the light inside the tank dimmed before returning to a bright red hue. The platoon commander, after hung the handset over the back of the troop chair, leaned into the soldier next to him and yelled something into his ear. The soldier instinctively relayed the message to those next to him before the message got down to where Cato was sitting

“ 30 seconds!” the trooper next to him yelled, before the tank came to a grinding halt.

The sound of shells passing overhead was quickly replaced with the sound of the main gun, firing almost continuously into the area ahead of them. The soldiers in the back readied themselves, some kneeling in the aisle between the seats in the troop bay while others grabbed their weapons and turned sideways in their seats, awaiting the door.

A shrill whistle replaced the sound of gunfire for a moment as the rear ramp dropped open, allowing the troops to run out into no-man’s land. Almost immediately, the shrill whistle was replaced by the crack of rapid small arms fire, coming from machine gun emplacements and other defenders in the outskirts of the city. The rounds, pinged off the hull of the tank as the men of third platoon, ran out of the tank.

Almost immediately, the scope of the battle revealed itself to Cato, across the expanse of barren wastes, was an army of armored vehicles and disembarking troops. A few, burning wrecks could be seen behind them, hit by shells on the advance up to the city outskirts. The sounds of the main cannon of the ST-112 was deafening as Cato stepped outside of the tank, huddling close to the remainder of his platoon. The ramp of the tank quickly closed behind him and the rumbling sound of the treads could be heard as the tanks started to move again.

“ Fall in behind the tank!” the platoon leader yelled “ Keep moving!”

Machine gun rounds, cracked overhead and ricocheted off the tank as they ran forward, while the cannon shells whistled just overhead before exploding behind them. The interior of the tank didn’t seem so bad all of a sudden, and the urge to get back inside the vehicle was unbearable. Almost as soon as the thought crossed his mind, a shell impacted the tank to Cato’s right, blowing the turret far up into the air and shooting the loading ramp out towards the troops behind it. Shrill cries of pain suddenly filled the air, as the men behind that vehicle were torn apart by the explosion or the debris shot from it. Nearly half the platoon laid broken and in pieces, strewn across the battlefield as the vehicle burned.

The look of horror was displayed across Cato’s face, his eyes glued to the scene of carnage to his right. A quick shove from one of the members of his platoon, quickly broke his concentration, followed by a harsh quip from the platoon leader.

“ Pay fucking attention boot!” the Lieutenant yelled, turning his head to shoot Cato a hateful glance before turning back towards the tank.

“ Fix bayonets!” the platoon leader yelled again, before peering over the side of the tank as it came to an abrupt stop. “ Get ready!” he yelled again, grabbing a knife from a sheath towards his hip.

Cato’ shakily obliged, fastening the large knife on the front of his rifle. ‘Can I really stab someone with this’, he thought to himself, looking at the weapon for a moment before another shell explosion broke his concentration followed by the hollow thuds of smoke launchers.

“ Lets go” the platoon leader yelled, breaking cover and running off into the mist.

A collective yell could be heard as the mass of infantry charged out in front of the tanks. For a moment, this was comforting, the strength felt in numbers momentarily erased the fear of what they were about to do. This was short lived however, as the rate of incoming fire increased as the infantry ran into the haze of smoke.

Cato continued to run forward, too scared to yell as rounds impacted around him. The screams of those hit replaced the sounds of the collective yell and upon emerging from the smoke, three quaters of the force remained. The Machine gun emplacement were visible now, focusing on the troops advancing behind them. While, rebel soldiers rushed to hastily made defense in front of them. ‘ Will be make it’, Cato thought, before a blast of auto cannon fire cleared the way ahead of them. Jumping the makeshift barrier, the platoon was now in the enemy position quickly followed by the remainder of the invasion force. The sound of firing, started to become more sporadic as other platoon moved to clear the rebel fighting positions, as autocannon fire began shooting at the fleeing rebels as the ran across the expanse deeper into the city.

It wouldn’t hit Cato yet, but he had survived his first day of combat. Three members of his platoon were dead in the field behind him along with countless other from other platoons. Cato was unharmed, shaken but unharmed, as he looked around at the soldiers next to him.

“ You ok?” a voice said off in the distance, prompting Cato to quickly look to his left.

“ Yes sir…” he said eyeing the lieutenant as he walked toward the group of Cato.

“ Good, drink something. We will be moving out in a few hours, once we consolidate” the platoon leader finished in a business like tone before walking off to meet with the officers of neighboring platoons.

The Foundry

F O U N D R Y C O R E

Scanning...
DORMANT FLEET DETECTED IN ORBIT...
Diagnosing...

Fleet in critical condition...
Scanning...
VGD FLEET H17B - Alpha identified...
Attempting reactivation...
Reactivation successful...
42% of fleet remaining...

Transmission received...
Playing transmission...

“Lords and Ladies of Saxony and its citizens who also might be receiving this transmission... It is with sorrow that the D.D.S.P discovered the perpetrators of the recent terror attacks, assassinations, and attempted assassinations in Saxony... after discovering such individuals and after Advanced interrogation… the perpetrators were discovered to be agents of the Dominion... Its believed that the actions were taken in an attempt to force Saxony into remaining loyal especially after a rise in a new generation of leaders that are more independent from the dominion this is the information we are willing to give we give our deep sympathies for those lost in the attacks.”

Scanning...
Origin found...
Approximately 1203 LY away from current location...
Within range of warp...
Estimating...
Estimated time of arrival: 4-5 days...
Preparing Vanguard Fleet H17B - Alpha for warp...

VGD FLEET H17B - ALPHA
Offline...
Offline...

COMMAND AUTHORIZED
Powering up...
Systems running...

VGD H17B FLEET COMMAND SHIP ONLINE

- Power: ONLINE
- Primary Logistics: ONLINE
- Secondary Logistics: ONLINE
- Primary Servers: OFFLINE
- Secondary Servers: ONLINE
- Engines: ONLINE
- Thrusters: ONLINE
- Turrets: ONLINE (DAMAGED)
- Communications: ONLINE
- Warp engine: ONLINE
- Warp Shields: ONLINE (DAMAGED) *WARNING!*

Systems Ready...
Preparing for warp...

*WARNING! YOU ARE ATTEMPTING TO WARP WITH A DAMAGED WARP SHIELD!*
*OVERIDE SAFTEY PROTOCOL?*
- Y/N...
- Y

Preparing for warp...
Warping...

Ship AI going into hibernation...

A small detachment of a single destroyer and IV frigates was moving throvgh the empty space on patrol dvty, scanning the svrrovnding area in search of pirates or worse. "Princeps, receiving an open transmission. Origin... several thovsand light years away, calcvlating." A pavse of a few minvtes. "Origin confirmed. Sector MXII, segentvm XXIII." The princeps a bald old man looked at the console. "What? What does the transmission contain?" The operator looked vp from his console. "Cvrrently vnknown, no matching data for the format of the message." The princeps thinks for a moment before issving his orders. "Forward the message with ovr cvrrent position and timestamp to the intelligentia propellente, they shovld be able decode that transmission and analyze it!" The operator then proceeded to forward the message. "Retvrn to scanning! We have ovr own dvties."


Another patrol detachment received a very fragmented transmission, this one seems to come from the other side of the galaxy. The origin was determined to be somwhere at the ovter parts of the galaxy, designated as secmentvm CXI. The transmission got fragmented, throvgh the interference of singvlarities like black holes and more mysteriovs forces, as it travelled throvgh the void. Like the other patrol detachment did, they also forwarded the message to the specialists of the Imperivm Romanvm Phoenix.


"We received two transmissions forwarded to vs by patrols in different areas of ovr space. The first came from near the galactic center and seems to be an avdio-visval transmission. We are cvrrently trying to complete a decoder to actvally view the content of the transmission. The second message is, mildly said, a complete wreck. We have no idea what the transmission covld mean." An old man in dark vniform was holding his presentation to the vnknown transmissions received a few days earlier. "I recommend to send a recon grovp to each of the locations. Even if we are vnable to decipher the content of the messages, we shovld still try to get more information from the actval locations." "What kind of recon grovps are we talking abovt? If first contact is to be established, which is likely IF we find something, the High Covncil wovld want to have at least a member present." A middle aged man, also in the same vniform, asked in response to the proposal. "A valid qvestion. For the first origin, I wovld recommend to send a light crviser with a few destroyers. The problem is the second origin. The grovp send there needs to be larger, svpply ships need to be inclvded. A heavy crviser at least, joined by several light crvisers, dozens of destroyers and svpply ships." "The second grovp is qvite the commitment." "Indeed, however we need to protect the svpply lines to that grovp, which will block most of the grovp, leaving not many ships to actvally make contact. Also in case of hostiles it wovld take to long to send reinforcements." "That wovld also be the case for the first mission." "Yes, bvt those ships are designed to be fast and stealthy, which cannot be said for svpply ships and larger crvisers." "Proceed with the first mission, I will contact the High Covncil abovt their 'ambassador'. Select the ships and crews. As for the second mission, it will be pvt on hold. We will need all ships here, shovld the first mission end in hostilities. I will recommend to bvild special ships designed for the second mission to redvce ovr commitment." A third man said with avthority in his voice. It is easily discerned that the third man is the one with the highest avthority of the people in attendence.


In a large room, similar to an opera hovse, the high covncil is meeting. Arovnd a hvndred men and women are in attendence. Notable almost all filled seats are occvpied by hvmanvms, only a few are vsed by Cthand'xi qveens. That does not mean that there are that few slots for the Cthand'xi in the High Covncil. The Cthand'xi were offered one third of the seats, however most remain empty as they have no desire to inflvence the whole Imperivm. The hvmanvm seats are selected as follows: 11% for each of the largest families, meaning those three forces control one third of the hvmanvm seats directly. Another third is shared by the military and the administration. The military has dovble the shares of the administration, can contains both generals of the grovnd forces, as well as admirals of the fleet and members of the Intelligentia Propellente. The remaining third belongs to smaller families.

Decivs Clvilivs Catvlla starts speaking. "I qvestion, in the name of the covncil, are there any news regarding the hvnt of the pirates in sector..." He looks at his notes. "sector XXXIV? As I recall a large grovp of the praetoriani are on that mission. I am svre they already took care of the pirates." The last part was said with a lot of sarcasm in his voice. A member of a smaller family took the word. "Why are yov bringing a few pirates into this hall? The empress has send her forces to deal with them, and I am svre they will be enovgh. Why shovld we now vse ovr time to talk abovt it? It is already dealt with let's move on!" Many voices svpporting the statement are to be heard. Angry that his attack was easily blocked, Decivs sat back down on his seat.

Next a member of the military faction walked to the center of the stage. "We received two messages from vnknown senders, while we were able to find the origins of those messages we were vnable to decipher the content of the transmissions. We are cvrrently working on this issve." Decivs happy to find a point to attack someone, who svpports empress Victricia Clavdia Volvsia Laetoria Alateia, starts shovting. "Why are yov bringing that vp here? Isn't that also jvst a matter of a few pirates that are already beeing dealt with?" The speaker on stage calmly responded. "That is not the case. The origins are far away from ovr territory, and we propose action. Specificly a recon mission to the nearer location. We svggest a force of a single light crviser svpported by a few destroyers. Preperations are beeing made at the moment. However..." He was cvt off by Decivs. "If yov are already making preperations why are yov even telling vs? Wovldn't it be enovgh to jvst state the resvlt after the fact? Yov clearly don't want vs to decide the covrse of action!" For the first time the military man looked at Decivs, and the later felt a shiver down his spine. "It is within my avthority to deploy that grovp. However I was thinking that the covncil might want a member present shovld we make first contact." A member of the Ferreolia family tries to ease the tension. "That is commendable. Since I don't think that ovr honovrable Decivs here wovld be a good choice for that position..." A commotion in the area of the Catvlla family starts. "I propose either a member of the lower families or someone from either the Alateia family, and I know yov won't accept that, or my family."

After a hefty debate if was decided that Marcvs Menenivs Ferreolia, as well as two members of the lower families wovld join the expedition.


The preparations for the mission were completed in the last two days. Filled with svpplies and intelligence operators the small detachment starts the mighty engines to break orbit and set covrse to the origin of the first transmission. "Princeps, are there any new informations available regarding ovr destination?" The princeps, a middle aged woman with a large scar on her face, looks at Marcvs. "Regrettably no. However we will be notified, shovld headqvater be able to decipher the transmission." "How long vntil we reach it?" "Arovnd three weeks." With that conversation the grovp of one light crviser and six destroyers started their jovrney.

---

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Bara waited at the corner, his body cloaked in shadow thanks to the dim lighting that was so prevalent here in the depths. And though he fidgeted he was not cold nor uncomfortable, rather he was relieved, finally glad to have been released from that stuffy hall with its even stuffier inhabitants. It wasn't as though he disliked the elders, far from it, Bara simply did not share their opinion on how the flow should be followed and found it more than ironic that they had become so content sitting around doing nothing, when only a few centuries before they had been the ones calling for action themselves. He'd even argued as much, but they shut him and the other youth down with their claims of wisdom as always. Still, who was he to question their will? They'd lived far longer than he had after all, and seen more of the future as well.

And yet...

Bara shook his head, pushing those thoughts aside to focus on the task at hand. An unusual one it was, yet not entirely unwelcome. As a matter of fact it even managed to excite him somewhat despite the mundanity of it all. While naught more than a simple scouting mission, the fact that it was off-world was what intrigued him most. Up till now most of his people's activities had been limited to scouting out the ancient city planet itself and negotiating with the Dealers who frequented it, so he found it somewhat strange that the council had suddenly decided to turn their gaze upward. Well he wasn't complaining. He'd been itching for an excuse to leave ever since they'd arrived. It didn't take a genius to see the generational divide was getting worse, so any reason he could find to avoid it was a welcome one, even if such feelings pressed the limits of the Adiaphora. Sighing, a motion that caused entire body to sag, Bara projected a psychic illusion as he began to move, his form shifting every so often depending on who or what he passed.

His goal was the docks and the Hykri that awaited.

With any luck he would reach them both unaccosted.

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Do you think we made the right choice?

There is a sound, like water gurgling across rock, as another being sitting in the chamber moves.

Yes.

The reply is silent yet confident, unwavering like the midday sun.

Are you sure?

A different voice, more concerned than those who came before, intones quietly. There is movement yet again, followed by a lengthy silence...

Finally, there is a response.

Remember the tenets sister. We have gazed into the future, seen the paths of his life laid bare. Whether he fails or succeeds is out of our hands, as so many things inevitably are. As such we must be content to watch and wait, letting nature give or take.

A loud shuffling, like slime coated pages being moved for the first time in ages, echoes throughout the room as silence falls once again.

The discussion, it seems, is over.

Sector Beau, or one of the overlapping sectors that the protectorate known as the 'ISC' dwells has within the Administrative World of Beau, the sector's namesake. It is not the same sector of the senator under house arrest, but the confusing sector mapping of outer dominion sectors had led to lots of overlapping volumes never really addressed. That would be why they see jurisdiction for some Wenhausen mess. It is on the world of Beau the gilded palace is found, housing a long line of imperial senators who had in theory local connections with the area but as the demands of Terran conformity expanded, the detachment only increased... One may see this on the paradise world of Beau, where the Imperial Senator Maria Orange lives alongside various beach resorts on other islands.

The palace itself, a peach colored sprawling thing overlooks a tropical vista from which a small dominion transit craft flies towards. It is here that ornate layouts, gilded in brass decorate a chamber at a large palace-like structure. It is a mostly unoccupied place, with various bots mostly keeping things clean while some servants walk around the massive corridors branching out to various rooms filled with bureaucrats. And a bridge that leads to the larger central quarters where the imperial senator is housed.

Within those quarters, once finds a table filled with animated dolls play out some unknown play the imperial senator was watching. She proved rather transfixed on the 'dolls', as they stabbed each other with fake rifles and cry constantly about the tragedy that had befallen their fictional families. She was someone in her 40's, who despite being a senator had robes and attire more akin to a princess than a senator. The senator would however, be suddenly interrupted-

"Senator Orange, have you seen the news stream?" she heard from an all too familiar voice.

"Chief Vuttiger..." She mumbled in derision.

Vuttiger was a spindly man, with a ghoulish grin revealing reflective iron teeth. His eyes obscured by aviators and his head lined by a large olive cap matching an olive uniform riddled in winged peace-keeper insignias and medals to an unholy degree.

"Is this the time...?" She awkwardly replied before scrambling to hit a button on her seat. The dolls all suddenly dropped dead from the power going out. They made faint squeaking noise as they flopped over, lifeless.

"We have an insurrection from the so-called 'ISC', who from our intelligence are known to be whack jobs who want to form fiefdoms at the expense of the galactic project of our Dominion." Vuttiger ranted at the imperial senator.

"Oh how pathetic, monarchy is long dead a way of life!" the Imperial Senator says as her rose colored robes and family heirlooms glimmer from the ambient light.

Before the realization can dawn on her, Vuttiger began to formally tell the imperial senator what his plan is without so much a prompt, "What matters is that we need to put the sector on lock down. This could get out of hand. I'll take care of this local insurrection, it'll be a quick job. One madman speaking like a drunk crying for a fiefdom our peacekeepers can handle. But they shouted loud and that means there may be others out there who try to pour kerosene on this spark. That is why we need to lock this sector down, we don't want this getting out of control."

Maria Orange just looked at the spook, despite the odious aviators and with a bit of frustration replied, "Yeah... that makes sense. Let's go with that."

And before she knew it, Vuttiger is already gone without so much a trace of him and his damned grin.

"Fucking creep..." she said to herself before reactivating the miniature play and writing down a couple notes reading 'put a lock down on the sector, tell the emperor of a rebellion after My soul, Granger finishes.'

The dolls promptly reanimated, humming as they do so before continuing to stab each other and sing various hymns.



In one of the various administrative chambers of the palace, some loud mouthed, bulky guy with a large mustache said in exasperation on seeing the message, "A lock down? Are they serious?"

"Rebels... Damn rebels..." He whispers under his breath as other members in the bureau of travel scramble to change the signals on various travel receptors to 'no entry' for the whole sector.

"How long until it's set up?" Some cadet piped up.

The guy replied to that Cadet, "May take a couple weeks, but once set up anyone who enters without Official Identification will have trespassing charges put on them and otherwise risk summary execution for violating the lock down."

"How the hell will we enforce that?" the cadet wondered.

"It'll tag them automatically and if our peacekeepers in the area see they're tagged, we light them up if they do not cooperate."

With a bit of skepticism, that Cadet stutters out, "But that'd..."

"Don't worry about it, we got the situation under control." The big mustached man assured the Cadet as they proceeded to begin work on signaling adjacent sectors to start the process of a lockdown.



"Chief Peacekeeper Vuttiger is here..." one of the people at the station announced as a Dominion transit craft landed in the hanger bay. The hatch opened up with a ramp that slid out, a ramp that the spindly Vuttigier walked out from. The other people at the station flash hails of respect towards the guy as the local captain of the base approached Vuttigier, of whom showed relief at the sight of the iron grin.

"Vuttiger, do we mobilize against the traitors? We do not know how big their forces will be but we must act now!"

"We will mobilize a small brigade to apprehend the traitor, should they not comply the lock down will make them comply sooner or later."

"...A lockdown...? At this time? How do we know loyal citizens of the Dominion do not get caught in that?"

"They won't, and if they disobeyed the orders that the lock down clearly sends to unauthorized vessels, than they were not loyal to begin with."

"A bit harsh? I do not mean to question your judgment, it's just that the local trade guilds in the area may-"

"Don't worry about them, there is a method to all this. You do not need to fret yourself with the complexities, they obscure the simple way you put arrogant sector lords in their place- taking their toys away. We also want to make hard for anyone else to hand them their support, to make that price to high to pay. Protectorates and their entitlement need to be reminded what happens when they bite our helpful hands." Vuttiger tells the local commander, of whom just nods in the base as multiple other ships begin to take off.

"We have begun to dispatch Peacekeepers to the problem system, Vuttiger we have this handled. Our brigade of 20 ships should handle the situation just fine. They are quality vessels, armed with the best railguns in the galaxy!"

Vuttiger pauses for a bit before with an almost growl-like hiss asks, "... No mass drivers...?"

"Vuttiger... Why would we need those? Aren't we just arresting a criminal?"

"We do not know the severity of the situation at all, they made a loud signal. Why were they so loud and non-discrete? To rally to someone, call out to someone, to disrupt the cosmic order and bring in vultures. Chaos is what they want and we must reply to chaos with the greatest assertions of order we possibly can."

"That is a bit much for an insurrection this new, Chief?" The captain protests. "We can't afford another bombing incident!"

Grimacing his Iron teeth Vuttiger begrudgingly replied, "Fine. Do what you can with this brigade, but it will be your life and reputation on the line. You mangle this, the problem will be that much harder to handle."

The bulky Captain proceeded to see Vuttiger off. The rather unremarkable captain gets into his vessel and begins the trek to Wenhausen through the local hyperlane with twenty fine vessels armed with railguns, laser interceptors and the standard dominion alloy with nuclear powered thrusters booming away to the distant stars.



The long delayed signal reached the emperor himself, already just trying to watch his Denebian Slaughterfest as the capital ship is en route to some other place, even he isn't sure where the hell that ship is going anymore. It's not his problem, until some other kid comes busting into the door and now it is. For that thirty something kid came in with the message the whole galaxy probably is going to hear- that some nutters in the Beau Sector started a rebellion.

The Emperor proved unhappy, the poor messenger was dealt this following rant, "Rebellions, fucking hell. I just wanted peace. Stiffy Stabbs was all I wanted to worry about this year, but now there's a secession after I made that speech. That speech should have put an end to the rabble, they just can't wait can they? We got a galaxy to conquer! A whole galaxy! We can't be playing division right now, we have to make the galaxy ours! Whatever, just be sure Maria Orange handles it since we have bigger problems to attend to that whatever lunatic is doing whatever somewhere in this vast Dominion. We have to have focus, these people are wasting so much time, I hate it. I just... want to have... the... peace. Yeah... peace."

The frustrated emperor just sorta slumps back into his seat and resumes watching Denebian Slaughterfest, just hoping Ms. Orange can handle the trouble there.... and the other guy... whoever he was.

---

The air was heavy, the history of the place forever affecting the environment in many ways overt and subtle. Despite no light illuminating the path, the lone Serekin crept along as if he walked the path many times before. But he couldn’t have, he has no memory of this place, it’s decrepit passages has long since been without care. Still, an unseen force guides him safely through the many twists and turns.

Finally, the long silence is broken by the gentle hum of electricity. The light ahead blinding the Serekin as his eyes adjusted to the room and its contents. Slowly, the blinding white was replaced by intricate patterns along the walls surrounding the occasional inscription. Aside from the walls, the only other notable feature was a dark obelisk. The air around it was distorted as if it was trying to devour the light.

The Serekin was pleased, his journey was over. Reaching into a pouch slung around his tail, he pulled a small vial filled with a red powder. Dumping the contents onto his hand, he blew the powder onto the obelisk and let it settle a moment. Shortly after the hum of the electricity faded as the lights dimmed to black, and was replaced by the vibrations of the obelisk now activated…

---

“We have it’s next location, and Hathax has already sent a taskforce.” The Serekin announced, his robes featuring an intricate design and along with the markings on his body labeled him as the head priest of N’Yagoth.

“With the Sere’Nae activated, thanks to Trel’Niss, the Forsaken will be pacified long enough for another exploratory expedition. Hopefully, and if N’Yagoth wills it, we might even reclaim some of our past. The mission should be a quick and easy one so I assigned a rookie crew, they should get some valuable experience out of it and we will know in about a week or so.” The second Serekin spoke, his scales as black as night. Though he was void of as fancy garb as Trel’Niss, the markings on his body denoted him as Hathax.

“Secondly, we have also intercepted another transmission from those xenos. ‘Humans’ I think they call themselves. I have not quite deciphered their language but I do know that it is seems to be a speech about their government, though the speaker’s diction seemed to muddle at the end. In addition, Human fleets were detected mobilizing in a different section of the galaxy. It is unclear as to the nature of this and the Vera’Shan will continue to learn as much as we can without betraying our secrecy, but we may be nearing a time when we might need to be more active.”

“If anything is to happen, I’d prefer to hit first. Bite someone hard enough and they’ll wince the next time you bare your fangs.” Spoke another Serekin, who’s size can only be claimed by Tyoss.

“Slow down there Tyoss, and let my wisdom make up for that which you lack. We do not have any indication we should be threatened by those creatures. It is much better to wait and see than to create a problem where one did not exist.”

Tyoss hissed her displeasure, though she was displeased so often the room was unfazed. “And what if they do threaten us? Will you shed your blood for our species or cower in the caves? I doubt your glands even remember how to produce venom.”

“You question what I would sacrifice? You don’t EVEN KNOW WHAT…”

“QUIT YOUR BICKERING“hissed a fourth Serekin. “You both are acting like hatchlings. Maybe we should be concerned, maybe we should not. We DEFINITELY SHOULD NOT be dividing ourselves.” The other Serekin quieted down, out of respect for this speaker.

“I am with Trel’Niss and Hathax, we should let caution shield us. Though I feel we should let preparation be our spear.” Slithering from the darkness came a mechanical serpent, with markings ascribing it to the secretive Sithax who must be interacting through one of his avatars as he often does.

“I propose we expand our observation to their culture, their way of life. Considering how much of the galaxy they occupy, I feel there will be distinct differences from one place to another and I very much doubt that they are cohesive. I reckon that they are about to start a war among themselves. I also propose we abduct some humans, I’d very much like to see how their biology reacts to my toxins, maybe develop some new ones custom tailored to them. The Yuklas could sneakily procure me some experiments, the Vara’Shen can supervise and make sure they do not get into the trouble they tend to get in, and I’m sure Trel’Niss would appreciate the Yuklas and Vara’Shen engaging in as important tradition as a Tharanak”

The room briefly plunged into silence, the others considering the proposal. It was Hathax who spoke first. “It may indeed be time to prepare. I can step up our surveillance efforts without any issue, though I am not so keen on taking more direct action. I will need to discuss the feasibility of it with my clan. It is imperative that secrecy remains our shield, any attention drawn to us will make our interstellar operations more difficult, we stand no chance against the xenos fleets head to head.”

“The time for action may come soon, but that time is not now. I will seek wisdom from N’Yagoth, I am sure we have his favor for the trials to come. Hathax, I agree we should increase our observations of the xenos. Tyoss, awaken a few infiltrators, we may need the service of the Hera’Yiss once again. If the xenos war with each other, this may prove an excellent opportunity for us. With that, I believe we are done here.”

The four serekin departed the room, each returning to their respective quarters. Tyoss was disappointed at the continued inaction. When one was raised for war since hatching, it is uncomfortable to be at peace. Still, she knows foolhardiness is a terrible trait, acting alone is a terrible idea.

Hathax is anxious. Though surveillance should not cause trouble, he worries that he might find the opportunity for more direct action. Doing something so bold as abducting some humans would be risking discovery, and likely hostility. Something he does not want to deal with.

Trel’Niss is unsure of what should be done. In his dreams however, he hopes N’Yagoth will bless him with a vision to guide the S’Hraa Ciss.

Sithax, probably the most sly of the four, is making gains. He implanted the idea, now he just needs to reinforce it. Tyoss is antsy for action, she will be no problem to turn. Trel’Niss will need some tie to N’Yagoth to convince. Perhaps he can suggest that a more…exotic sacrifice might please N’Yagoth, it has been some time since they did that after all. Hithax will be the hardest to convince, but the respect he has earned will make it easier. With this meeting, he is closer to completing his life’s work, his magnum opus.