Siastraplinicorn Interdiction Vessel Asteroid Pen SS-50
Captain Daintyflash galloped through the winding halls of the core installation of the asteroid network at full speed. On his mad dash to the command center, he passed by many siastraplinicorns that were in a similar frenzied hurry, bolting off in every direction. The base was in complete disarray, with the wailing sirens providing the soundtrack for the collapse of anything resembling routine. Panicked voices barked order and counter order at each other over the station intercom system as they tried in vain to reach consensus on some course of action. This was the first time any Interdiction Vessel Pen had raised their alarm for a reason other than training drills.
Daintyflash recognized one of the siastraplinicorns he passed as Ensign Hubert Bright, one of his own crew. He was sat against the grilled deck of one of the passages of the stations, his frontal hooves rested against his shaking head as he murmured incomprehensibly to himself. Daintyflash had no time to pause and comfort him.
As Daintyflash made it to headquarters, he found the door left wide open. At the far end of the room was base commander Rear Admiral Wellrock, his gaze stuck on the view screens lining the circular room.
"Sir, I--!" Captain Daintyflash called out.
"I damn well -know-, captain!" Wellrock snapped back, interrupting him.
Captain Daintyflash suddenly rose from the floor. He kicked about in futility as he was tugged into the air. The artificial gravity hadn't given out, or otherwise the rest of the personnel in the room would be levitating as well. It was at this moment he noticed the arcs of blue electricity dancing around Wellrock's horn and emanating from his intensely glowing eyes. As Wellrock yanked his head back, Daintyflash came flying across the room. He came to an abrupt halt just before the view screen, which he was then rotated mid-air to face towards, Wellrock magically forcing him to take in the view outside of the compound.
Daintyflash's mouth hung wide open. The reports of enemy vessels were a certainty, but...
"They're... no... they're... b-battlecruisers, sir?!" Daintyflash stammered in astonishment. While there was only battlecruiser in the formation, the three Altars were nonetheless much larger than anything the Captain was used to serving on, or indeed anything stationed at the base, barring a few tender vessels they kept for long range missions. That and this was afterall their first contact with an unfamiliar race, so misindentification was to be expected. "How did they find us?!"
Wellrock scowled. The sapphire glow once isolated to his eyes and horn now enshrouded his entire body. Daintyflash was suddenly flung around in the space above Wellrock violently. "You, you idiot! You! The quartermaster has informed me that one of the self-destruct devices was left in the storage bay, and gee I wonder who's formation was the one that forgot to pick it up!?" Wellrock harangued. "They never would have detected this installation through the magical shroud, never pinpointed our position, without interrogation of captured personnel!" This, of course, wasn't at all true. Siastraplinicorn stealth measures weren't anywhere near as impervious as Wellrock reckoned them to be, but extreme arrogance is endemic to their kind.
In the confusion and agitation, the commander had not heard his attendant inform him of the incoming message. By the time his angered rant had simmered down, the transmission had been decoded. The siastraplinicorns gathered in the command center collectively flicked their ears up attentatively at the new voice. Daintyflash was at last set back down, where he then collapsed in exhaustion and pain.
"We bring greetings from the Holy Dominion of C'ran. Do not be alarmed by the appearance of our ships, we wish only to establish contact."
"Contact, huh..." Wellrock tiredly muttered to no one in particular, he himself drained from exerting all his magic reserves through taking out his anger upon Daintyflash. Wellrock raised a hoof to draw the attention of those in the room. "Under normal circumstances, procedure dictates that we get in contact with the Splendiferous Leader and gain his input, but these aren't normal circumstances." Wellrock spun about to face the personnel arrayed around the central terminal banks. "Try to send a response. Convey to them that this is a military base belonging to the Social-Nationalist Interstellar State of Siastrapliny, that we will not attack unless if provoked first. Furthermore, if they're here about the... convoy." Wellrock turned to Daintyflash, who was still sprawled out against the floor. He scowled again. "... That we would be more than willing to let them detain those responsible, as an apologetic gesture."