Collab by me and Datadogie
Zenohunt outer rim space
Trius starFor eons, the slumber has lasted this time. The usual wake-up sign was calling, the sun was dying.
Regaining its composure and getting its bearings, the ancient began to check itself, hull, propulsion, fade drive and finally sensorium.
Figuratively opening its eyes, the ancient looked around itself. Yes, the sun was dying around it. The last stages before going supernova was already in effect. It was time to leave.
With drives older than the currently living stars, the ancient cast itself into motion, the power given off the final spark needed to ignite the super-nova.
As the star was literally exploding behind it, it moved faster and faster. Shooting itself out of the rapidly dying star looking like a comet entering an atmosphere.
Seeing it would not be able to outrun the exponentially accelerating blast, the ancient faded out of this existence and into hyperspace with a flickering like shuddering jello.
"Strange, there seems to be an anomaly," one of the Zenohunts at the consoles read. They were far enough from the Supernova to have time to study it and it's effects before it reached them. The lead scientist of the team strolled his way behind the man, peering over his shoulder. It appeared he was right; something had shot out of the star, before vanishing, almost as if it was entering hyperspace. However, it had seemed to flicker strangely before doing so. Did the Supernova influence a new kind of hyperspace travel?
"Record everything, save everything," the leader of them said. "We'll take the files home and have them studied, this is very interesting. We haven't seen anything like that before." He turned to a different Zenohunt, who sat up once she realised she was being stared at. "How much time until we have to-"
The lead scientist was interrupted by the warning for hyperspace travel echoing throughout the ship, a low beeping alarm. The Zenohunt hyperdrives worked through brutally opening a hole in space, 'brutally' being an almost incorrect term as those within the ship actually felt nothing but perhaps a little ambient vibration in the deck plates, and it wasn't uncommon to feel a little ill for a few moments on the other side.
After a few moments, the Zenohunt ship was on it's way away from the system, heading back home.
Zenohunt core space
Loskel system
Planet LoskelThe travel through hyperspace had been short and uneventful, the ancient was already back on going on its instinctive route. This was something the ancient lived for, was it some long lost order? Or a subconscious wish or hope? It did not know, but it knew it was its purpose and that was enough.
As it reached the closest site on its route the ancient faded into realspace as usual, but found odd things it had never seen before.
Figuratively cocking its head to the side, it gazed upon lights, structures and metal things in the space around the planetoids of the system.
Even what its deeper subconscious told it was a "ship". Seeing this the ancient's curiosity was sparked.
It had already gotten contact with the array, so its task here was done and it could leave if it wanted, but these structures and lights was far to interesting for it to ignore.
It quickly zoomed across the system, gracefully zig-zagging around a moon of the gas giant and over its rings before reaching the living planet with its abundant greenery.
Reaching the atmosphere, the ancient stopped, turned into a purple lightning bolt going from orbit to the surface and was now standing upon the ground in its humanoid form.
It had appeared in a nice green valley with agricultural buildings and massive fields of crops, some leaf tree patches in the distance.
The sight was peculiar to the ancient, never before had it seen sapient life. The concept of buildings was a bit off as well.
It decided it was nests, similar to those of birds. Used by the bipedal animals of this world.
The black and purple giant hovered over the fields and gazed upon the strangeness of it all.
UZF Angel's Glory
Loskel System"Captain!" The Zenohunt who owned that rank turned to the sensor ensign in question, unspoken words asking for a report. The ensign was quick to oblige. "New sensor contact, class unknown. It's moving for Loskel." Because of the distances involved with space, the ship would have already made significant movements toward the planet. And, the ship hadn't asked for clearance; with little doubt, the captain believed that the ship had hostile intentions, perhaps was a new rebellion in the making - there was bound to be one soon, after the last one was put down so quickly.
It then came to him that one of the Tapresiden-Radaughte was visiting Loskel, in order to ease the minds of the people there after the raids of the anti-government group on the planet's surface. Could this be an attempt at assassination?
"Red alert!" The captain bellowed. It wasn't a moment later that the lights snapped to red, and an alarm blared throughout the ship. "Weapons, bring guns to full ready. Operations, order the marines to load up..." The captain glanced at his console to see where the unknown (now determined hostile) ship was, displayed by a helpful red triangle, in respect to the planet, "... And launch to the surface, Marine-Commander's choice where." Next, he turned to the communications officer, who sat ready to obey. "Comms, order Celestial Sif and Salamol Fire to form up, we're moving to the planet. Also, let the planet know the situation, and give the Tapresiden-Radaughte's Zenofighter the full report file."
***
Planet Loskel
Indigo City
20 minutes later"Tapresiden-Radaughte," Zenofighter Luna Kota spoke, after making what Amy Farport believed was the fifth or sixth security precaution. "I still advise against this. Some people believe that it's still a new hostile rebellion, some believe it is in fact alien, and I personally agree that it may be. Whatever it is, it seems dangerous. Let another person handle it, hell, let the marines shoot it or the flotilla send a missile from orbit." She pulled the slide back on her rifle, before sliding it into her back holster.
"Luna, don't you see?" Amy Farport was one of the few excluded from the people forced to add the Zenofighter prefix to Luna's name, "You said it yourself, this might be an alien ship as opposed to another rebellion. I want to be one of the first to meet it, to convince it of our good." They walked out to a waiting shuttle, a pair of soldiers standing at full attention. Luna would have better preferred marines than army, but they were all dedicated to setting up a perimeter around the ship that was being judged more and more as being alien; a rebellion would have already started to shoot by now.
It wasn't long before the shuttle touched down near the strange ship, allowing it's two passengers to dismount. As soon as they were out, and Luna couldn't blame him, the shuttle pilot made his way as fast as he could from the airspace. A platoon of the UZF's finest surrounded the Tapresiden-Radaughte and her escort, and they walked until they were about one hundred meters from the ship.
It was at this point that both Amy and Luna thought it wasn't a ship, but some strange, floating god. The marines chattered, almost nervously, to those next to them, and Luna studied the strange, floating... person, she couldn't think of it as anything else. Amy stepped forward, cupping her hands to her mouth, calling out to it, "Hello?"
As the ancient was studying a barn a bit closer a small vessel flew over the scene and landed nearby. This caught the attention of the ancient whom kept looking at the metal construct as it landed close by.
As several life forms began to leave the small vessel the ancient had closed the distance to about 20 metres and was tilting its head as they moved about.
Seemed to be some sort of herd animals the ancient pondered, they wore fibres from other animals and plants over their bodies. Perhaps as a way to impress the other sex?
One of them suddenly cupped its hands and did something. The ancient tilted its head to the other side trying to figure out this behaviour. Before realizing it might be trying to communicate.
Fascinating, it forced air through its body to vibrate the air to produce shockwaves in the surrounding atmospheric gas. The other animals can probably pick up on this with sensory organs.
Mimicking the thing, the ancient cupped its hands in front of its face and vibrated the air around it with micro-vibrations of its body. Using different frequencies and volumes.
The area around it violently shook with the cacophony of noise, the shockwave shot out around the thing with such force the tall wheats in the field was toppled over away from the ancient and remained lying on the ground in a 10 metre diameter.
The noise danced all over the audible spectrum, beginning high pitched and ending on a low seismic bass which was probably audible within hundreds of miles.
Some of the zenohunt troops were holding their ears from the pain, the shock wave had even cast one or two to the ground and they were now writhing in agony.
The ancient stopped, gazed upon the animals and returned to its initial posture. Communicating was exciting!
The smile of Amy grew as she saw the thing cup it's own hands in front of it's face, just as she had! It was the first step to communication! Even Luna seemed excited, and the marines had stopped chatting, watching. This excitement within Amy, and the others at the scene, ended very quickly. The sound that was made by the strange flying humanoid was agonising. She thought she could hear someone screaming in pain, but she wasn't quite sure.
Finally, the noises ended. Moving the pain into a corner of her mind like she had been trained to do, and had to do anyhow in previous engagements, Luna drew her rifle, the marine platoon following suite when they had recovered. The twin barrels of the rifles rotated at magnificent speeds, preparing to launch semi-explosive slugs at the target. Amy stepped in front of Luna, holding her hands up at her chest, palms out. "Stop, don't do anything!" Amy said quickly. "Hold fire, but keep ready," Luna spoke loudly to the marines, after a little hesitation. Their guns did not waver from their target, however.
Amy turned back to the Ancient, staring up at it. She had no idea how she was going to communicate to it, let alone ask if it spoke Zenospeak. It's native language could be much different to theirs! "Luna, what's the gesture for a pilot to lower? To come closer?"
The Zenofighter sighed, shaking her head. Staring up at the Ancient, she held up one of her hands, and began to perform the required gestures, rifle still held in one hand.
Studying the creatures, the ancient understood that one of them held supremacy over the others since it could halt their actions with only a few motions and signals.
Recognizing the procedure as something oddly familiar, the ancient pondered for a few moments as the creatures were now waving their appendages around. They were probably exchanging tasks, relaying orders.
Again, the odd familiar feeling.
It suddenly remembered, it had a task, a mission. For too long had it been examining the nests of animals. It was time to carry on.
It flicked through some of the pre-recorded messages, its parameters was that if another lifeform was hindering the relay patrol, it would send this message.
It was not exactly the correct use of it, but in a way these creatures were hindering its work.
Overlaying the vision of those present within a light second, a moving image of a being similar to the ancient overlaid some of the visual spectrum of those present. Effectively showing a picture in picture with the message, with a simple translator enabling all creatures to understand it.
-"This unit is performing a task important to the goal, stand down any aggressions or be forced to surrender energy. You have been warned. What is your intentions?" The message was still sending as the ancient began to float away.
It was slightly sad, it would have liked to keep studying the creatures, but it was time to carry on with the mission.
The ancient turned one final time, the mysterious creatures were moving about seemingly confused or perhaps dancing? After all, the mating rituals of organic species was as fascinating as it was complex and varied.
And evidently something the ancient didn't understand a single bit.
With a bright flash of lightning reaching to orbit, the ancient was in space and faded out of reality with a blur. The orbiting zenohunt fleet barely reacting before it was gone.
It was back on track, moving to the next relay.
