Xaxl

Colliding Worlds: Europe 1200 AD

I guess I'm interested.

I'll be bringing in naga/drider hybrids, assuming my attention holds.

EDIT: Is there magic in this? Or rather, how does it work? Is there a limited spell list or are we allowed to use some creativity?

The Stars Themselves || Sci-Fi Nation Roleplay

Seeing the weapons that the jhingese carried, the alkay team leader rested one palm on the holster at his own side and flashed a subtle hand signal to the exomorph, which shifted its weight in anticipation, vents hissing as muscles coiled and internal machinery wound up. Still, as it became clear that the aliens had no intention of using their firearms (at least for the time being) the little group relaxed.

As the jhingese skittered around examining the contact team and flashed their own intentions for orbit, the lead alkay grumbled. Raising one finger to click his comms, he asked, "Authority, are you getting this?"

"Confirmed, Contact Alpha. Are you prepared for an extended stay aboard the xeno vessel?"

The alkay shifted uncomfortably. "We don't have a whole lot of choice, do we? They're not outright hostile so protocols say we've got to give it a shot, correct?"

"Correct. We will be diverting an additional pair of escort vessels to support an emergency extraction, however. Please allow Contact Delta to relay this information. Ceasing communication."

Under the team leader's direction, Aeren played another hologram, this time showing the Jetha following its course around Key but with two additional ships joining it from orbit around the moon and following it as it slingshot around the Jovian. Once they were confident that the xenos had gotten the message, Aeren packed up the projector cube and followed their hosts out of the featureless white room.

The Stars Themselves || Sci-Fi Nation Roleplay

The alkay actually have a religion roughly opposite to yours.

The universe *was* orderly and purposeful back when there were gods and demons, but all those divine entities are dead now and the universe is as such inherently meaningless and entropic. The only purpose or meaning that any mortal can find is inherently self-driven and invented (so PARTY HARD).

The Stars Themselves || Sci-Fi Nation Roleplay

One of the three alkay in the contact team sighed as the message played over the intercom. Turning to a female who was carrying some manner of mobile computer gear in a compact backpack, he asked, "The black box getting anything out of that?"

"Not really," she said, large and milky eyes flicking across the readouts in her helmet. "Whoever these xenos are, they've been quiet until now. Not a lot for the software to work with. I'd guess they're at least trying to do the same thing to our end of things, though."

The team leader nodded. "This is probably going to be a touch frustrating then. It's a shame they didn't pick up on the whole 'contact team' bit; face-to-whatever interaction would have made things go a lot smoother. Instead they've stuck is in an empty room."

The third alkay took a look around. "You don't think it's, uh, some sort of trap, do you?"

The team leader shook his head. "Not at the moment, no. Eleven-thirteen ought to be able to cut through the door if things go badly, though, yeah?"

The many-legged arthropod-like exomorph made a clicking noise and wavered segmented antennae, folding some of its legs underneath it and settling into a sitting position. Some of the smooth cylinders that extended from ports in its carapace hissed and vented little bursts of steam. "I do not know how long it would take, but my rasping-limbs would hopefully be strong enough to part the door. Should we perhaps focus less on this conversation and more on responding to their attempt at communication? This seems rather informal given the directions of protocol."

The lead alkay shrugged. "Yeah, well, I wasn't exactly expecting to get pulled for a xeno contact. Not normally my division, you know? But, sure. We might as well work with what they're giving us. Aeran, you think you can at least try to give them that orbital trajectory to follow?"

The third alkay nodded an affirmative, pulling out a holoprojector and feeding it some quick data. Setting it down on the floor, the little cube unfolded its array and projected a fuzzy image of the local orbital region, with trajectories overlaid over markers representing both the corvette and the Jetha. Blinking to call attention to itself, the trajectory path bent and curved into a stable orbit around the moon. The little animation repeated itself a few times, shifting slightly each time to simulate a course correction further and further from the present. Finally, an iteration ran where the Jetha did not change course, the corvette broke away to return to the moon, and several of the orbiting warships broke out of their orbits and accelerated to intercept the scientific vessel.

Once the hologram had played out, the team leader spread his arms and spoke slowly to the ceiling. "It would be appreciated if we could conduct this meeting face to face. Your arrival was... unanticipated, and you are violating local traffic authority. Our government is concerned and sent us to make sure that you are not acting threatening on purpose. The sooner we can figure out working translations the sooner we can resolve this issue."

The Stars Themselves || Sci-Fi Nation Roleplay

The alkay corvette would indeed move to attach itself to the Jetha, thrusters flaring and pulsing as it rolled and aligned itself properly. Entering into the pressurized environment and working their way deeper, a small team of three alkay in environment suits (trailed by a many-limbed exomorph) made their way forwards. Their suits were practical affairs; close-fitting rubberized plating, articulated armour inserts, synthetic muscle fibres, and the large and angular hooked bubble-helmets that wrapped around the odd, bone-like "hoods" of the alkay gave them an oddly insect-like look. Somewhat more unnerving were the wraps of warm skin and muscle that clung to the chests like short cloaks, nutrient and oxygenation tubes carefully patched in. It was, at first glance, a bit of an oddly vulnerable element to an environment suit, but the alkay had found that having such exposed vat-flesh around provided a useful early warning system as to how hostile surroundings were.

As the contact team attempted to enter the Jhingese vessel, the corvette repeated its last message, this time adding a series of coordinates to the end which, if the Jetha matched courses with, would put them into orbit around the moon.

The Stars Themselves || Sci-Fi Nation Roleplay

As the Jetha burned towards the small moon, preparations were hastily conducted. One of the satellite platforms arrayed about the edge of the largest industrial-colony complex flared with the light of a booster rocket. A shuttle climbed into orbit, reaching up to meet with one of the many vessels that waited around the moon; cargo haulers, tugs, a scattering of light warships, civilian liners and corporate yachts.

As the Jhinga ship approached, it would find a corvette matching trajectories and flying alongside it. The alkay vessel would flash its exterior lights and cycle its airlocks, once again sending a transmission.

Yddr Colonial Authority said You will slow your trajectory and take up a stable orbit above this moon. A contact team has been mobilized aboard this craft to enact diplomatic talks; please provide a point of entry and ready a diplomatic team who may discuss the matter of your fleet's arrival in this system and the jurisdictional matters it raises.

The Stars Themselves || Sci-Fi Nation Roleplay

Isotope said
Varza are fun enemies.

While I've played a few in my day, I've come to realize that its a lot more fun to subvert the "ravenous unreasoning horde of space locusts" trope than to play it straight. Always Fighting All The Time is a bit limiting and gets boring fast IMO.

The Stars Themselves || Sci-Fi Nation Roleplay

Freeshooter92 said
You are underestimating the sheer amount of casualties my brand of warfare produces. Hundreds of thousands of men die in every single battle. so I need a bunch of worlds popping out new soldiers, and a bunch of worlds to arm them.

And a planet can support BILLIONS of people. Again, get a better sense of scale.

The Stars Themselves || Sci-Fi Nation Roleplay

Freeshooter92 said
My faction cannot work conceptually without shitloads of territory. If there isn't many inhabited worlds there aren't many places churning out bodies. If I'm to far away the time it takes to conquer anything would be far too long to allow me to actually interact with anyone, and third if there isn't much 'land' then what has the Empire been doing? jacking off? No, without the territory I can't have my faction, therefore instead of arguing and arguing and arguing for something I won't be able to have I'll simply withdraw to prevent any arguing or frustrations.

Get a better sense of scale and your faction works fine. Planets are BIG. A dozen or two planets is a LOT, especially when factions like mine (which are supposed to be reasonably-sized civilizations in their own right) have, like, six core planets.

The Stars Themselves || Sci-Fi Nation Roleplay

Freeshooter92 said
Terrans or not, war is coming to you. you are REALLY close to the Vazra. Hell, the Terrans'll probably do an excellent job at distracting those monstrosities.

You have a strange definition of "close".

In any case, potentially revised size: http://www.kupax.com/files/22778_lbuqi/revisedhexes.png