NationStates Jolt Archive

This RP is closed. Lunatic Retard Robots, Roania, Valinon and Xanthalian (Mirfak, Than IV, Than VI) nations only.

Long-range sensor stations monitoring the Than System have begun reporting signs of heavy combat in the area, possibly a sign that the standoff that has existed for nearly fifty years between the two planets in the system has ended. Since 2610, when the planets of Than IV and Than VI split into seperate nations following the disappearance of Xanthal in 2603, the star system has existed in a perpetual state of alternating warfare and cease-fires, the latest of which ended major combat in 2869.

During this time of unrest, trade and diplomacy out of the system stagnated until Than became a "dark" system, cut off from the rest of the galaxy. Periodic reports from stray transmissions and refugees originating in the area have indicated that the inner planet, Than IV, has continued under the classic Xanthalian model of elected dictatorship and socialism, while Than VI has been seized by a totalitarian principality. Any specifics are unavailable to those outside the system. The nature of the current combat is unknown.

Tag.

The thin beam of light criss-crossed the skies to a point just beyond the range of vision of the fortification's guards. Than VI the messenger thought, disgustedly. Everything I expected. he fumbled for his belt and activated his Personal Cloaking Device, and winced as the world faded into a greyish fog from which people and buildings loomed as mere suggestions of shapes. I move as swiftly as a cloud... the invisible man thought, and then he moved forward, looking for a hint as to the Prince's lair.

"Hawaii's aggressiveness will be striken for the first time. Hawaii will not allow you to complete this procedure. We will only let Hawaiian soldiers, professional troops, to walk in your borders and protect your country. You may call this an invasion, war, or just a international friendly aid from Hawaii. Our soldiers will be in your country and kept there for you safety of the country. There, you will not worry about defenses but just offences."

- Leader Jason Batista

IC:

About 70,000 soldiers from the National 4th Army Aviation Regiment Hawaii, has been assigned to participate in the Invasion for Safety, Than. Hawaiian Islands' Fleet #17 of the 3rd Power Fleet has been deployed along with the Tank Regiment of 34th.

OOC: *too busy laughing to respond*

Ha ha ha ha *deep breath* huh...no. Just...no. Go away now. Come back when you're willing to understand the concept of a nation being in outer space and thus unreachable like that.

Um. With your permission, of course, Xanth.

OOC: While Roania may not have been very nice about it, he is correct. This is a space-nation conflict taking place in another solar system. If you do not have space fleets to use, you cannot realistically participate. If you do, however, you're welcome to.

The cloaking device keeps the messenger hidden throughout his journey. The air on Than VI has a sinister twinge to it, and the once beautiful scenery has been erased by centuries of warfare and industrial strippingof natural resources. The streets are, in most places, little more than dirt roads. The best-off people live in ramshackle houses; but most just make due with shacks or tents composed of whatever materials could be found for their construction. The Than themselves, the emaciated bug-like residents of the planet, rarely speak to one another, keeping their heads down and trying not to be noticed. It is a depressing place, with no greenery, no infrastructure, and no hope. The streets are patrolled by countless police, who are not beyond using their authority to steal, rape, and kill anyone that's not to their liking. The occasional dead body can also be seen, most of their sunken eyes and underdeveloped bodies indicating extreme lifelong malnutrition.

As the intruder makes his way further into the capital city, it is not long before the location of the Prince's compound becomes evident. There is a sharp increase in the quality of the houses towards the center, and for two blocks one can almost believe, as long as they did not look behind them, that they were living in a second-world nation. The dwellings are well-built, in some cases having two stories, unheard of among the larger population. The streets are paved and kept in fairly good condition. The police are still promiscuous here, but are dressed in full uniform and do not engage in the more questionable activities of their lower-class counterparts. These are the residences of the Prince's closest advisors and friends, and one of a handful of richer neighborhoods across the whole planet.

Than VI has not had money or resources to spare for a very long time, and most of what it has is put into building and maintaining its military. This military is, at the moment, slowly failing in the face of an unprecedented assault by Than IV, the Principality's more benign neighbor, driven to the use of overwhelming force after over two hundred years of abuse by the Prince's fleets. Though the commoners of Than VI know nothing of it, those in the compound the Roanian messenger now stands before are aware that they have only a few days before they are at the mercy of their neighbors.

The compound itself is simple but impressive, with twenty-foot high walls of reinforced concrete, a large courtyard containing the majority of what little remains of Than VI's natural beauty, and a large, five-story central building, also built of reinforced concrete, where the Prince himself resides. The guards seem to be from the police forces, judging by their uniforms, but their armament is an impressive upgrade from the normal handheld sidearm of the normal police. These guards posess all manner of large and dangerous-looking energy weapons, though there are no identifiable models in the lot. On the roof of the compound, heavy artillery is pointed not only at the sky, but also down at the city itself to deal with the occasional riot or rebellion. The main gate of the compound is closed, as are all entrances to the inner building itself, leaving the intruder to figure out the best way inside without rousing the entire fortress against him.

rumors of unrest in this area of space had reached the Atlantian Senate. Knowing that Mirfak was fairly close, Commander Vega of the Olympia had managed to pursuade the Council to send cloaked long-range probes into the area, to keep a close eye on the activity in the vicinity.

OOC: Long-winded tag

The HMS Sovereign, a Prince Viktor-class heavy cruiser in Her Majesty's Kriegsmarine, had been dispatched by the Admiralty to investigate the former sectors once under the sway of the fallen Xanthalian government.

The United Star Empire of Valinon had heard almost nothing from its erstwhile ally in Xanthal since the apparent collapse of the Xanthalian state during the days of Old Emperor Gustav's reign. But reports had come in more frequently from independent merchantmen and several of the vast shipping concerns of the Star Empire that activity had returned to the Xanthalian sector. It appeared that some factions had survived the collapse of the Xanthalian government at the hands of the Abh.

And with the Star Empire's economic interests once again shifting to look beyond the markets of the Raumreich, the Kriegsmarine was being made more and more aware of the uneasy state that had come to exist in the space that surrounded the Vaterland of Alpha Centauri. Although the apparent reformation of both the Empire of Steel Butterfly after its long and bloody civil war and the Associated System of Klonor had relieved many elements of instability, the Xanthalian sectors remained wild and unpacified.

And so Kapitan zur Sternen Heinrich Jager found his command preparing to jump into Xanthalian space from the system known as P3-X99, one of the unclaimed stars that lay between Xanthal and most sections of space. Jager watched as the elongated lines of the Marlowe-class fleet tender drifted away from his ship, orienting itself for its own engagement of its Verner drive.

"Mr. Kent, do we have a course set for the Than system?"

Jager's executive officer, a Fregattenkapitan who had not seemed to have seen advancement since the end of the War of the Lion, looks up from where he was momentarily supervising the navigation section.

"Yes, sir. Confirmed exit point for the outer Than system is set. Awaiting to reorient at your discretion."

Jager nodded. He ran a brutally efficient ship, a necessary factor in one of the cruisers of Her Majesty's navy. Especially on a cruiser that often found itself detailed to grueling long deployments, guarding the long trade routes connecting Valinon with the likes of the Orion Sector. He turns away from the view of the accelerating tender and makes his way back toward his own station toward the rear of the cruiser's compact bridge.

"Helm?"

"Yes, Captain?"

"You are released to engage the Verner drive at your discretion."

"Aye, sir. Verner engagement in thirty seconds, preparing for final reorientation."

Jager starts to access his own terminal, bringing up the bridge station's stand by display and reviewing the tell-tales.

"Ten seconds."

"Five seconds."

"Engaging Verner drive."

A nexus of blue-white light ripples through the dark of normal space in front of the Sovereign. The cruiser seems to stretch and elongate toward the nexus, then it stretches out of existence. For a moment of time the cruiser exists in a state of limbo, momentarily trapped in the null-zone between entry and exit points in the realm of space the Verner drives cross. The phenomena lasts for only a handful of heartbeats, and then a new nexus of energy opens on the fringes of the Than system and the Sovereign begins its latest patrol in the name of Her Majesty.

Jager looks up, "Status report."

"Helm at the ready."

"Guns at the ready."

"Navigation awaiting orders, sir."

"Sensors at the ready."

"Engineering acknowledging."

"Tactical ready for orders."

Jager nods, "Set a course in-system all ahead one-third. Sensors will remain at passive. I do not want to attract undue attention at this time. Vic?"

Jager waits a moment until the Sovereign's class standardized AI, named in honor of the second son of Penrod the Great, shimmers into existence.

"Yes, Kapitan?"

"Release a flight of Ferret drones and have them make for the inner system using their ECM and EW suites to maintain obscurity. Have them report back via live feed."

"Yes, Kapitan."

Jager stands and reassumes his position at the end of the command catwalk, looking at the distant primary of the Than system. Three of the small Ferret-class reconnaisance drones seperate from the Sovereign and activate their own gravimetric drives. They sweep ahead of the cruiser extending their electronic eyes and ears outward while they bring up their dedicated stealthing and electronic cloaking systems to mute their own presence. The last merchantman that had drifted through the fringes of the Than system had reported signs of an active conflict between two of the worlds in the system. It was time to see just how much of Xanthalian society had survived the collapse of the central government.

The RGSV Jungle Is Massive arrives in the Than system with a bang. The heavy freighter, spherical in shape and bristling with armements, is, or rather was, a Flotilla independent cruiser until the breakup of the flotilla and the dissolution of the Robotic state as, well, a state. The current condition makes a change of classification necessary.

It comes to the system to investigate reports of fighting, picked up by long range sensors arrays and overheard by Robotic crewmembers here and there.
The Robotic State used to be on good terms with old Xanthal, and would certainly not dislike seeing it return to something of its former self. Trade concerns are another factor in the Jungle Is Massive's visit, as destabilization of potentially profitable regions of space are never a good thing. But most of all, the freighter's expedition is motivated by genuine concern for the people of the Than system. The captain plans to sort things out, although he doesn't quite know how just yet.

"We have arrived in the Than system."
"Primary array is scanning, we'll have a holographic plot in a few seconds."
"There's some activity going on for sure, but the primary will need a little while to adjust resolution."

The primary sensors array, the term for the vessel's first-line electromagnetic detectors dispersed to give complete coverage around the freighter, takes a little while to adjust. But when adjusted, the Lunkwill & Fook electromagneto-detector Model 5000 is one of the most useful instruments out there.

(OCC: A glorified tag pending a more detailed post tomorrow or something.)

The first thing the drones come upon is Than VI itself. Scans reveal the planet to be devoid of most of the natural resources a world of its class ought to have. There are no forests, no farms. There seems to be almost no flora or fauna besides the Than themselves, which are established in population centers of various sizes across the planet's barren surface. The vast majority of dwellings seem to be of very basic, low-class quality. Even the richest dwellings show few signs of being built by a nation of Xanthalian advancement.

Its orbit is a different story. It is immediately obvious that all but the bare necessities have been sacrificed by the surface to build in space. Shipbuilding and defense stations make up most of this infrastructure. The probes that pass too close to the planet are detected despite their low profile and destroyed by energy weapons fire. The rest are able to proceed deeper into the system, where, just before the orbit of Than V, they come upon two large fleets, containing several thousand ships each, locked in combat.

They are advanced ships, but well behind galactic standards. They seem to be primarily made up of low-quality imitations of Xanthalian technology. The defending fleet, which seems to be holding the line against attackers moving outward to Than VI, is obviously losing. From basic analysis it is evident that they will not last more than a day or two. Probes giving the battlezone a wide berth make it to the final destination of interest: Than IV.

This planet is almost as well-defended as the outer planet, but it and its people seem to be much less the worse for wear than their Than VI counterparts. Its natural resources, while obviously heavily impacted by centuries of mining, are basically intact, and its population centers seem to be at a more or less modern stage of development, if rather bare-boned. It seems that Than IV, too, has put most of its resources into space, and its technology level has advanced beyond that of its neighbor, if only by a small amount. Any probe coming within range is warned away by defensive stations in orbit of the planet. Those that do not comply are destroyed.

OOC note: Posting with Mirfak since this is who I'm logged in as and there's no planet-specific activity here. I wrote this for Valinon, but the sensor readings apply to LRR too, so I'll forsake posting again.

It was a simple matter for the messenger to distract the guards and sneak past. There was a brief whisper of a command word, and the images of several dozen visible Imperial Soldiers appeared around the entire palace, their rifles firing up at the watchers.

In the confusion, our invisible friend snuck into a building, after first walking into two walls, a tree, and a single guard (who then wet himself). This had better be the right place...

The infiltrator gets only a few yards into the compound before alarms begin sounding and the entire area is on full alert. The diversion approach quickly proves to have been an unwise one, as guards fill the building. An anti-cloak scan is prepared quickly as the guards realize the holographic attackers are a diversion, and the Prince's office is locked down. Stealth, it is apparent, would have been a much better option. With all security procedures in full effect, the messenger now has little chance of getting to the Prince, and even less of speaking to him.

OOC: Nice one. Than VI may be poor, but their military and police forces reflect the fact that they've spent over two hundred years at war. Don't underestimate them again.

(Au contraire. It just shows I was right about them.)

The 'man' dropped the cloak and then the shield device, revealing herself to the guards around the room. "You will show me into your master now. Attempt to attack me and your world will be destroyed from orbit. If I do not contact my fleet in 4 hours your world will be destroyed from orbit. I know you understand me." she sighed and moved a hand to the shield again. Thanite weaponry might be primitive, but she knew to her cost (and frequent testing) that an arrow could kill a man or woman just as easily as a bullet. And the Thanite weapons were more advanced than arrows, whatever else you could say about them. "I represent an interest that has a proposal for your master, and if you don't deal with me then I'll bring it to Than IV and you will all die. It really is that simple."

The Lover had no idea why the Prince had chosen her, out of the entire Nine, to carry this mission out. She was not a big fan of subtlety, however, and she had brought an entire battle-fleet with her, just in case she needed to provide an example of the power she would offer to these primitives. Waste of time for me, really. We should move in and take over both and get our energy that way. Curse the prince and his whims. "You may all come with me into your Prince's office if you don't trust me, of course." Oh, PLEASE try to shoot me. I'll just enter into my 'spare' on the Repulse and order the destruction of this world.

((See, Xanth, The Lover is an arrogant bitch. I know OOCly I wouldn't be able to win with just one battle fleet against both nations. But she's still willing to threaten them because she knows she could do a LOT of damage. And if your military is as good as you say then they'll know when to stand down and give someone what they want. Remember, you can always cancel a deal later...))

OOC: Fair enough. Posting with Mirfak again.

IC: The Than, despite the intruder's assertion, do not understand. They chitter amongst themselves in their native language, then one of them addresses the offender in the same unintelligible clicking. This one moves forward with a pair of handcuffs while all the rest keep their weapons trained on the strange foreigner. They do not understand who she is or what she has asked for, nor have they comprehended her threat. The Than have been isolated for such an extended period of time that their knowledge of foreign languages has disappeared, and all pre-existing Universal Translator settings are too dated to be of any use.

"Primary array is calibrated..."
"What a barren system! It almost reminds me of Tau."
"Do we have any charts of this area?"
"We don't have any new ones...what we have are about sixty years old, but it is not hard to calibrate for our current readings."
"There might even be a battle going on, from the looks of things, near this planet labeled Than V. Lots of ships, that's for sure. They look almost like old Xanthalian types, by their electromagnetic signatures."
"Good that we keep our distance for now, eh?"
"There's another vessel not far away, and by its LIDAR cross section it could be from Valinon."

Unlike the Soveriegn, the Jungle Is Massive doesn't see much reason to hide its large amounts of electromagnetic radiation. After all, whatever comes at it can most likely be outfought or outran, so Captain Ix Dakar figures that the powerful Primary Array should be used to its full potential.

For this reason, the Soveriegn, (unless it is operating some kind of cloaking device) is noticed by the AI and sensors operators.

"Attention Valinor ship...wait...are we sure?"
"Yes."
"Attention Valinor ship, this is the RGSV Jungle Is Massive. Eh...hello. What brings you to the Than system?"

The AI, or rather the ship, greets the Soveriegn awkwardly, not quite knowing what it is supposed to do or not do. The ship keeps an eye on the Thanese vessels, not quite knowing their intentions and also aware of their superior numbers, but their distance and the fact that they seem to already be involved in something rather significant convinces the captain and ship that they will have more than enough time to run.

Than VI arrays detect the Jungle Is Massive and, when it calls the Sovereign, Valinon's vessel as well. Under anything but these extreme circumstances, they would have immediately dispatched every available ship to drive the intruders out. Fortunately for everyone involved, this is no ordinary day. Than VI has no resources to send, so the two vessels are left alone, for the moment.

Jager restrains his urge to curse at the LRR ship, and indeed a wave of tension passes through the entirety of the bridge. Over the past century, the Star Empire has become increasingly secretive in nature, often not wanting to demonstrate how far its sphere of interest is expanding. But, unfortunately for the fanatically professional Kriegsmarine, not all of the space-faring navies have embraced their degree of prudence.

"Do we have a trajectory on the LRR freighter?" Jager says quickly.

"Yes, Kapitan," Kent's reply comes quickly.

"Comm, focus a tight-beam on the LRR vessel. Use the last encryption update we have between Sanctuary's ciphers and the LRR central command."

"Encryption sequence being brought online, sir. Tight-beam transmission has established positive reception with the LRR onboard receiving network. Ready at your station's discretion, sir."

Jager toggles the transmission activation, "Jungle is Massive, this is Kapitan zur Sternen Heinrich Jager, commanding Her Majesty's cruiser Sovereign. I have been dispatched here on behalf of Her Majesty and Her Majesty's Government to investigate the extent of the instability being reported in former Xanthalian space by independent merchantmen operating under the banner of the Star Empire."

Jager neglects the fact, at least obviously that his mission perrogatives asked for an air of discretion upon his part. But his tone is rather curt, even for an officer of the Kriegsmarine.

"I have also been tasked with the mission of aiding and assisting any commerce vessels, either under the banner of Her Majesty or those of nations friendly to Her Majesty."

Jager watches with mounting concern the images coming in from the two surviving Ferret drones reorienting toward the fleet engagement after completing their survey of the inner inhabited world. One Ferret had allowed itself to stray too close to the defenses surrounding the outermost world, and had been destroyed. Jager holds the open link for a moment and turns to his tactical officer.

"Earnshaw, do we have a confirmation on where those ships originate?"

"Vic is doing a more indepth profile research now, sir, but the ships do not match any configuration currently being employed to CIC's knowledge. There are some configuration and construction similarities between these vessels and former Xanthalian class warships, however, they do not appear to be of complete Xanthalian manufacture. I would say it is most likely a remnant force, sir."

Jager nods, allowing Earnshaw's assessment to confirm his own. He then turns back to the comm.

"Also, Jungle is Massive, I would respectfully request you allow my command to escort you during your tenure here. It appears the inhabitants are engaged in an armed conflict, and I would be loathe to see any harm befall neutral trading vessels that share trade agreements with the Vaterland."

Jager notices Kent's slightly raised eyebrow at his commanding officer's remark. Jager looks intently at his executive, they share a language that has long since moved beyond the spoken word. If the secrey of the Sovereign's arrival has been compromised, and that is the most secure assumption at this time, then Jager wants his command's presence to be justified--however thinly.

"That would be fine, Captain Jager. We too have detected signs of armed conflict, and although I think our ship can take care of itself, a little company is never unwanted."

Captain Dakar tends to some switches and knobs on his console for a moment, which wraps completely around the bridge and would confuse just about anything besides a computer. Screens flicker and indicator lights flash for a few seconds as more sensors data is displayed and recorded. Dakar then turns back to the conversation with the Soveriegn.

"What kind of encryption do we have?"
"I dunno...let's see here..."
"Its good enough..."
"Eh, my apologies, Captain. If you could excuse me for a second..."

More lights flash as switches and knobs are adjusted.

"There. that should be a fairly good encryption level. Sorry about that. We are not in the Than system so much for trading as for more or less diplomatic reasons. Ever since the collapse of the Xanthalian central authority, Than has not been too popular with our merchants. Sure, we've evacuated refugees and shipped in medical supplies before, but its been terribly dangerous. Now, from the reports that merchants like myself have heard, this war or whatever it is seems ready to climax. We're here to observe and make contact with the parties involved, and to escort neutral and civilian shipping...perhaps pick up some ore or manufactured goods while we're at it."

It would be understandable if Jager found Dakar less than what he would expect a military captain to be. Discipline in the old RGF was always lax, and with the collapse of the flotilla it is questionable as to whether chains of command exist anymore on many ships. However, such an unconventional operating procedure has never caused too much trouble. Robotic ships, their captains, and their crews get the job done somehow. Not to mention, Robotic crewmembers have vast stores of technical knowledge that one would be hard-pressed to get out of the average human tar. Captain and crew are more like tasks than stations, so the atmosphere aboard a robotic vessel is generally much more laid-back than on a human one. Many experts attribute this to the disgustingly low incidence of mutiny aboard Robotic ships, while others argue that the absence of a fleet structure and a clear source of orders makes such contrast useless.

"What the blazes do you think you're doing?!" The Lover demanded, moving back. "Do you understand me?" she flipped at her own UT and swore, finally finding the language she wanted, way back in the memory banks. Old Xanthalian. "Look, me big woman my country. You take me to big chief here, chop chop, or I chop chop you." If The Seeker hears about this, I'll NEVER live it down.

~~

High above the planet, a Divine Fleet waited for its orders. The Admiral had heard, and disregarded, the empty chatter between the Valinon and LRR ships, confident in his effective invincibility against anything else in this system. Still, he was starting to get bored. And a bored man with his own battlefleet and landing crew was a man who could do quite a lot. 3 more hours, woman... then we do this my way.

On Than VI:
The Than guard, who have not understood Xanthalian for generations and wouldn't be biologically able to speak it if they did, complete their arrest of The Lover. Under normal circumstances she would have simply been shot on sight, but this was an outsider, and no one had any orders regarding outsiders in the Prince's palace. They chitter in Than amongst themselves, trying to decide what to do with their handcuffed prisoner.

Their conference is cut short without warning by the Prince himself, who pushes his way through the ranks, clicking furiously at his police guards. He confronts the intruder, and one of the guards hands him all the technology they had found on The Lover. The Prince examines the stuff, then picks out the Universal Translator. He speaks to the guard, who dashes off, then takes another guard's sidearm and points it at the foreign messenger. No one makes any further moves; they seem to be waiting for something.

Near orbit of Than V, sector 17:
The battle continues as the defending fleet is slowly pushed back, outmaneuvered by the ships presumably originating from the inner world. They still hold their adversaries at bay, but just barely. Both sides continue to soak up heavy damage and casualties, but the longer the fight lasts, the more the advantage seems to shift to the offensive force. The destruction accellerates as the advancing fleet begins flanking the defenders. It now seems that the battle will be decided in mere hours instead of the previously-projected days.

The Lover started to sweat anxiously, her eyes narrowed. Her options were surprisingly limited. She could contact the fleet that hung in OPO and have them get her out of here. She could wait patiently for this...thing to come to conclusion. Or she could try to kill the 'Prince' and call up for an invasion.

She decided to see how this played out. The prince seemed to be an autocrat, and that inspired her to like him.

Shortly after he left, the guard returns with a robot, shackled and obviously heavily modified. The Than Prince addresses a series of clicks to the robot, who replies in kind. Then the Prince speaks to the robot again and the machine relates the information in Galactic Standard. The Lover's translator picks up on the robot's language and translates to Aguan. This two-step translation process, while crude, proves effective as the Prince's words finally become intelligible to the Lover. "Answer my questions or die. Who are you and why are you here?"

The Lover smiled and adjusted her top a little, letting a glance of her skin become visible. "My name is of no importance. You may call me The Lover. As to where I am from...I come from a distant nation. We wish to see conflict continue in your system until you are victorious, oh great and powerful Lord, may you live a thousand years." she curtsied. "I offer you our assistance. In this system is a fleet from my homeland. With your permission, it will demonstrate its power upon the fleet of your enemies."

The Prince hisses, then replies. "Our conflict is an internal matter. The two nations of Than are united only in driving out foreigners from this system. If your mighty fleet destroys our enemies, you will then turn on and destroy us. I know this, as do my enemies. Outsiders seek only to dominate what they can and destroy what they cannot dominate. I will not leave myself open to attack. If you interfere with our battle, you will face both the fleets of Than."

A new, younger Than appears on the scene. This one has no weapons, and seems to be an aide of some sort. He speaks to the Prince in low tones, and the Prince replies with an angry set of clicks and screeches. The aide rushes off, and the Prince steps towards the Lover. "I am informed that vessels from both Valinon and the nation of robots have entered the system. Which of them do you represent?"

"Myself and my fleet represent neither party." The Lover curtsied again. Inside her mind, she swore. Foreigners! That could ruin everything! "I come from another nation, known as the Divine Imperium of Roania. Our martial traditions stretch back centuries." she pointed up at the sky and hissed, improvising madly. "The nations of Valinon and Lunatic Retard Robots are evil! They seek to destroy your right to rule and weaken your people! They are merchants and the children of merchants, machines that turned upon their creators. If you do not work with us, they will crush you."

"My fleet is in orbit around the outer edge of your system now. We seek only to defend your way of life and strengthen it. We will provide you weapons and leave, returning only to receive our payment."

IC PROPAGANDA! IC PROPAGANDA!

The Prince growls again. "What causes you to select us over our neighbors?"

Because you're greedy and vain and stupid. the Lover thought. What she said was, "because we have a common kinship as members of the true form of government. My Tsar, though his armies swell in numbers unbelievable to you, holds you as a cousin because..." Okay, Alyosha is going to kill me for that. "of your marked similarity to our nation. We have shared enemies, too."

The Prince steps back and lowers his weapon, but the guards keep their guns trained on the Lover. "You are a liar. How do I contact this grand fleet of yours?" He holds up her confiscated communications device.

"Just press the red button." she snapped, her patience wearing thin.

The Prince does so, then holds it up to the Lover's face. "Tell them to come out. I don't make deals with people I can't see."

"De-activate the hide shield. This the Lover."

~~

Outside the orbit of Than VII, a shimmering hologram ended. Several miles of asteroids and empty space suddenly turned into the Divine Imperial 3rd Battlefleet. The Admiral snatched the comm from his aide. "This is Admiral Zamyotev. This had better be good, woman. We're a target here!"

The Prince holds a hurried conversation with a communication device of his own, then snorts. "You seek to persuade me you are powerful with ten combat vessels?" He deactivates the communication device and places his weapon against the Lover's head. "Your new challenge is to pursuade me to let you run back to your fleet instead of killing you right here."

She shrugged. "Sir, I beg leave of you to watch this demonstration..." her personal comm device suddenly folded out and revealed a large videoscreen. "Admiral? Show our friend here the estimated placement of the Divine Imperial War Fleet at present."

The Admiral's voice echoed through the hall. "The Divine Imperial 1st War Fleet will be present..." a picture of the Than system appeared on the screen and a number beneath it, "in 4 standard days. Their orders are to lay waste to this entire system if our peaceful mission is not accepted and take what we came for by force."

The Lover smiled her enigmatic smile. "Of course, you could...hear my proposal."

The Prince smiles. "Or not." He fires his weapon, killing the Lover on the spot. He then activates the communicator again, holding it near the translator so the Admiral can understand him. "Your negotiator is dead. Leave this system or you will face the full force of the Thanic fleet. Attack and you will be destroyed."

The Admiral smiled as he noted the Energy Retriever marked specifically for The Lover flash on. "...you can stay in there and rot a little while." he said, smiling. "Four more days, Than...four more days... reactivate the holo-shield." the fleet vanished once more.

And in the depths of space the massed might of the 1st Imperial Warfleet began to draw closer...

I Hate to OCC, but I need to wait for Valinon...just a bump so this stays on the radar.

OOC: Frankly, LRR, I can't see what else we can do at this point. I was just watching the whole affair between the Lover and the Prince unfold.

OOC: ...And a fleet of ten Roanian warships and their support vessels materialize before you, then disappear again. I thought you might want to react to that. Seems like the kind of thing that would ring some alarm bells.

OOC: No, no. Don't mind us. We're okay. And ignore the vast warfleet heading in your direction, too. Yep. Nothing to see here, move along! ;)

"Kapitan on the bridge," comes the firm calm from the duty officer, Leutenant Varden head of the tactical section. Jager nods to him crisply as the man vacates the Kapitan's station.

"Situation report, Herr Varden."

"Active engagement is still continuing between the two Than fleets. So far there has been no firm resolution, but it is clear Than IV's fleet is losing ground and could possibly fold within a few hours. We have not been hindered in our approach pattern in any way, nor has the LRR freighter."

Jager nods and turns to Vic's avatar.

"Any details on the Than system yet, Vic?"

"It is sketchy, Kapitan, most data regarding Xanthalian space has not been updated since the fall of the Socialist Empire. But from what I've been able to gather the Principality of Than is the most direct descendent from the old Xanthalian administration, certainly the most official as far as our own records are concern."

"Do we have any new directives from Sanctuary?"

"The Admiralty has been informed that Her Majesty wishes to establish contact with the Principality, in the interest of returning to relations with the legimate Xanthalian successor states. You have been granted permission to act as a temporary representative of Her Majesty's Government until such time that an envoy from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs can be dispatched from Alpha Centauri."

Jager nods, "Comm?"

"Yes, Kapitan?"

"Contact the Principality's aerospace control terminal. If they will not hail us we will at least alert them to our intention. Prepare a general beam link to the planetary system."

"Done, sir."

"Principality Aerospace Control this is Kapitan zur Sternen Heinrich Jager of Her Imperial Majesty's Kriegsmarine commanding the cruiser Sovereign. We have been dispatched by Her Majesty and the Star Lords of Her Majesty's Admirality to reestablish relations with the Principality of Than and request formal clearance to enter into an orbital pattern over the planet. We will await your response."

The response is curt and rude, from the Than Prince himself. "I just killed an outsider, and I'll kill you too if you meddle in the affairs of the Than. If it were not for our fleet's engagement wih the fleet of the Xanthalian Republic of Than IV I would have dealt with you already. I alone lord over my people. Xanthal is dead. You have no place here."

OOC: Than IV is a virtual miniature replica of Xanthal. The Principality of Than VI is the least like Xanthal of the three surviving nations.

OOC: Xanthal, if you would be so kind as to TGram me a bit more detailed profile on the Than system nations it would be greatly appreciated.

The long-range sensor probes left behind days ago in the Than system where systematicly picked up by cloaked Atlantian scout ships. They where delivered to the Capital world, Cirrus, where the Senate went over the findings.

"We see here, that our suspicious where correct" Senator Kvel said, pointing to the large compiter screen that was imbedded in the wall of the Illiad's conference lounge. The group of senators and Admirals directly responsible for the probes didn't want to call a full scale meeting in the Senate halls.

Kvel continued "We have recorded fleet movements between different major galactic powers in the region. LRR, Roanian, and Valinon ships have been spotted, and possible Mirfak intervention has been located as well"

Varox, the head senator, nodded. Then he asked "What would LRR be doing in Than space?"

"Not a clue" replied Kvel.

"Interesting" Admiral Gol thought "Prehaps we should ask LRR, and--"

Varox cut him off "No. We won't jepordize our cover. We'll send in a few scout patrols into the system. Active espionuge as opposed to mear space probes"

The group looked at each other and nodded in agreence.

"Agreed" said Admiral Ilith "We shall keep an active eye open on them"

*************

A few days later, the Atlantian scoutships Loki, Athena, Vahalla, Jupiter, and Orion departed from their shipyards near Cirrus and headed on into the Than system, remaining cloaked and going in different directions.

OCC: Eh...sort of...er...missed that.

*Embarrassment*

IC:

The Jungle Is Massive is surprised at the sudden appearance of a large fleet near Than VI. What was formerly a weak group of signals, blending in perfectly with radiation originating from the planet, became quite strong and then decreased to nothing again.

The Thanic threats are not taken very seriously by the Jungle Is Massive, which, utilising its jamming systems to full, trails behind the Soveriegn, hiding itself from pinpointing by Thanic sensors.

Something is obviously going on, and the Jungle Is Massive decides to stick around, if only for archival purposes.

((Page 4. It's SHOWTIME!!))


The Divine Imperial First Warfleet leaps from hyperspace near the system. A vast wall of metal, spanning mile upon mile, it doesn't even bother to conceal its presence. Relays of communication spin from ship to ship, vast armies of servitors prime each weapon for battle, and fighter pilots and drone-ships scramble from their ports.

The Holo-Shielded battlefleet suddenly reappears and warps to join its comrades and make a report. The assembled admirals and captains meet in quiet discussion, using their private comm. report systems. Somewhere amongst this fleet dozens upon dozens of landing craft ready themselves for the assault and brutal revenge this system had brought upon itself.

But to all in the system there is absolute radio silence. Not a single communication comes from any of the capital ships to either the Thanites or their visitors. It's as if the Imperials are waiting for something. No overtly hostile moves are broadcasted yet, either.

And soon it becomes clear exactly what they were waiting for, as at the back of the fleet several immense nets open up, casting the entire fleet into a hyperspace shadow. Soon those nets would be in position around the system...

OOC: Okay, we're jumping ahead here.

IC: By the time the Atlantian and Roanian fleets arrive, Than VI has been under direct assault by the Xanthalian Republic's fleet for almost a day, the last of its orbital defenses crushed. The fleet's remaining 127 warships now focus on the planetary shield itself, wearing it away bit by bit. The final elimination of the outer planet's forces also frees a contingent to stand before the outsiders' fleets for the first time since they arrived. A general address is issued.

"Attention foreign vessels. The Xanthalian Republic is currently engaged in a military takeover of Than VI. Your presence here, as long as you do not interfere with us, will be tolerated as a show of goodwill. We lack the power to do combat with you, so we can only ask for a return of the good faith we offer you. You will be offered official audience when our primary operation is complete."

The Than fleet, only twenty-five ships in the face of the massive foreign force, sits in space before the outsiders, blocking the most direct path to Than IV.

The Loki, the nearist ship to Than IV, silently watched, invisible to the naked eye. The information on it was relayed back to the Atlantian Senate on Cirrus. To a ship without a device to detect cloaks, the constant open subspace channel was the only way to detect the ship. And even that was faint.

It moved in closer, making long range scans of the Roanian fleet, and short-range scans of the Xanthalian fleet, as well as the mediocere Than defenses. It also kept an eye on the LRR ship, the Jungle Is Massive.

Meanwhile, the Jupiter and Orion where tailing the Roanian fleet once they had jumped in. Also cloaked, these ships where detailing the fleet's movements. However, they where not sending information back to the Senate. Instead, they where running silent.

The other two ships, the Athena and Vahalla where further in the Than system, nearing Than 1. Nothing was happening, but Atlantis wanted a clean sweep of the system.

Back near Than IV, the Loki sent a message to the Senate to have more ships put on standby, just in case one of the other vessels managed to spot an Atlantian scout ship, and attack it.

OOC: I'm not doing any crushing. In a page I'm going to have a messenger sent in system. The Admiral is effectively the head of his own state, and the Tsar will abide by his decisions. *got impatient*

OOC: I'm not doing any crushing. In a page I'm going to have a messenger sent in system. The Admiral is effectively the head of his own state, and the Tsar will abide by his decisions. *got impatient*
OOC: Crushing? Eh? What are you talking about?

OOC: ...Roanian Warfleet = Uber. To EVERYTHING else in the system. So, yeah. I'm not attacking. That would kinda get in the way of your plans, yes?

OOC: Little bit presumptious to consider yourself uber when the bulk of Star Empire's fleet is only a jump removed from Xanthalian space. Xanthal, I will try and post some today, but I have a couple of papers and such due so it might be tomorrow.

I'm with Valinon on this one. Don't be overconfident Roania. Also, don't push your luck. You've used up all your "godmodding tolerance" points for this RP.

OOC: ...Roanian Warfleet = Uber. To EVERYTHING else in the system. So, yeah. I'm not attacking. That would kinda get in the way of your plans, yes?

Atlantian 3rd Fleet > Your fleet. And its only a few Jump Nodes away.

Jager calmly disengages his implant and eyes Kent cooly from across the desk in his ready room.

"It appears that we seem to have stumbled into quite a mess, sir," Kent says. He knows the moods of Jager well, and knows that now the master of the Sovereign is liking the deployment to the Than system less and less.

"Indeed. I have forwarded a courier drone to the nearest Nu-space relay zone to send an update to Sanctuary, but our mission mandate at this point is quite clear. If possible without having to generate hostilities we are to restablish contact and relations with the Than state that is the true successor of the Xanthalian state. Quite clearly this is not the Principality as previously believed. Especially considering the images we are getting from the Principality's home world," Jager adds with some measure of distaste. The images from the surface of Than VI bear more in common with that of a prison world of the Ortagan Hegemony than the creation of any sane state.

"So we are to move again?"

"Yes, have us break orbit at once, Andrew. Put us on a course that will carry us along the plane of the ecliptic initially, then divert to rendezvous with the central elements of the Republican fleet. Establish a tight beam transmission and inform the Republican flag commander that we wish to move into formation and act as military observers. Also inform him that I have forwarded a request to Alpha Centauri request the Star Lords consider the Roanian expeditionary force a possible threat willing to use extraordinary means to purge the Than system and that if need be the Star Empire will move to protect the former elements of our ally in Xanthal."

"Aye, sir," with that Kent stands and salutes before leaving. Jager reactivates his implant and begins to try and shift through the labyrinth of archaic data the Star Empire has maintained on the former Xanthalian systems. Quite clearly it will take more to unravel this charade than previously thought.

As the entire fleet, with the exception of the contingent sent to face off the outsider ships, is engaged in battle with Than VI's stubbornly resiliant planetary shield, only a few thousand kilometers brings them within close range. The admiral in charge of the attack on Than VI responds to a hail from the Sovereign declaring its goodwill. He speaks in Than, which his own ship's computer translates to Galactic Standard. "I do not know why so many outsiders have come here in this critical hour, but due to the nature of our engagement we are unable to stop you from doing as you please. You must understand, under normal circumstances I would be obliged to drive you out of our system. Officially, I'm not talking to you right now. Unofficially, on the verge of this new era I am not willing to make enemies on the outside when we are so close to ending our enemies on the inside. If the intentions of the Roanian fleet are as you say, we will be powerless to stop them. In light of that, I will violate my nation's laws and ask you for any help you can provide in stopping outside aggression. Internal matters, we will handle ourselves."

OCC: I think my level of involvement in this stage is becoming irrelevant, so I will withdraw from this RP.

Have fun all.

bump?

OOC: It's you, Valinon, and Roania. I'm waiting for actionable items.

OOC: Okay, I'm closing this thread for lack of participation.

IC: The foreign forces check one another, allowing Than IV to successfully overtake Than VI and begin its ground opearations without interference. All foreign forces withdraw for the moment, but Than IV's dictator promises audience to any nation that asks for it once the system is secured.