NationStates Jolt Archive


An act of War, only to survive (Open - Attn. Skeelzania)

Jenrak
02-09-2005, 21:56
The Catastrophe, the Moving Throne
He sat there, his arms crossed over his chest, his skull white mask barely hiding the black, empty, soulless eyes that trickled in his body, the hands still delicately dripping with blood on his shining steel gauntlets, fingers flickering amongst the everlasting candles of light, red rays of flaming fire still perched on his walls. He stood there, his eyes in a grimace, his fingers in a fist, and his form standing tall and strong. No one ever saw beneath the bloody red robes that hung from his shoulders, or the dark jet black cape the perched itself around him, consuming the very stone foundations of his precious bridge, the lights still flickering a red ray of doom towards his foes. For he was an enemy, to life, and all of it’s great trappings, and he lives yet still so that he may release his foes’ souls into the cavernous emptiness of nihilism. Many people uttered his name throughout his ship, and throughout his fleet, but they say it with a frightening glimpse, for he heard the echoing words, the wandering minds still etched deeply into his thoughts. The man he was, was dead. He was no longer the valorous soul he stood as. He stood as a new force, a new threat, no longer an asset to the vaunted universe. His name was Darth Totalius, the leader of the fleets of the Mobile Empire.

For many, many years he sat on his abode, watching and waiting, always looking past the stars in the brim beyond, to look for flesh and bone to feed his everlasting bloodlust, to feed the bloodlusts of his victims, and always find a way to keep them sustained. Always finding a way to keep them under his grasping fist, his closed hands of power. Now, his powers usually waded, but always it came back, in full wane, in full strength. Now, he was at a time of wading control, and his legions became restless, waiting for a victim to plunge their sucking fangs into, and burst only with the necessities of life, so that they may take it from others. A council was held, in the chambers of torment, as corpses, still rotting, blood feeding afresh the running creeks of red that trickled down into the usually empty gauntlet. As always, the Commanders had things to disagree on. Totalius, like always, would wrestle control on the decisions.

“We must keep our strength nigh and vigilant.” He said, in his cruel voice, his voice holding a swift paining action of torment, like a thousand people screaming out his words, as they became tormented and tortured, always in the bearing darkness of his pain. “If we are to survive, as true fighters do, a united power we must be, under my rule.” He notion, his hands flaring up a large twist of electricity, as they crackled around the room, illuminating the area.

“Yes, I agree, Lord Totalius.” One of them spoke, a tall and hooded masked man, red lightsabers hung at his helm, mouth still slow and deliberate, his voice a deep strong voice. “Our power must increase by taking the planets more.

“But what planets are there to take? We have leeched the unwanted to the degree where there is a pattern to our moves. Everyone is mocking us, for we have nothing left to take.” Another one chimed up, a powerfully built monstrous being, in a thick silver armour, a long writhing blade standing precariously at his side, as a large blaster rifle hung on his back. “Perhaps if we kept searching - ”

“No.” Totalius interrupted. “We will no longer become a soft group of fighters that take the leftovers. We must take something that is someone else’s’.” He said, and the others agreed in tandem, nodding precariously and also shaking hands, electricity still bolted from the tips of his fingers. “But we must co-ordinate a strategy that will divulge no pattern, for we must put together a plan cannot be read.” He said, as they agreed still on his decision.

“Perhaps the raid will be more than a raid, but an invasion? Perhaps our forces will leach off the ends of an entire system?” One of the Lords asked. “After all, they have much to lose, but we have nothing.” He said, nodding to the others, as they nodded in return.

“That is a good idea, Lord Triask. We all await death with open hands, and we have enough fuel to last us a fully fledged war. Should we raid and take planets lightly guarded, we shall be powerful enough to take the battle to the core. Is everybody with me?” He asked once more, his voice a torturously loud yelp of pain.

They all agreed, not out of brilliance, but out of fear of the strategy. They did not want to die so quickly, so intently, at the feet and the hands of their Lord, who stood there still flashing electricity from his fingers. They stood up, bowed lowly to his presence, and headed off towards their respective ships, as Totalius walked forwards back to his stone bridge. He waited patiently, as the captains arrived, in their dark suits and matching hats, their eyes blank and wondrous, sitting down and obeying his commands without a single word of disagreement. “Find the nearest planet.” Totalius told them, as they nodded, and the fleet entered Warp-Space travel. The blue funnelling lights lit up around them, and the red tinge of blood became a blue swivelling light.

“Where are we headed?” Totalius asked his servants, but they merely shook their heads in unknown thought.

“There is no name for it in our database, lord. It is named something, but not by us, and we will not call it that name.”

“Very well. When the planet is ours, but what about the nearby star?” Totalius had a rare flair of curiosity shown back there.

“It’s called QX2 by the owners of the planet. It’s a gas giant, fairly average for it’s size, we believe.” The servant replied to him, obviously still scared of their Lord’s temperament.

“How far is this planet from the enemy military core?”

“A little far. Not far enough to elude attack, however.”

“Very well. It should be enough to launch a surprise pre-emptive strike. I want all forces ready and on the count. When my ships launches the drones, I want all ships, fighters and boarders to follow, and all capital ships get into invading range.”

“But sir, there’s a station there as well.”

“I see that.” He said tenaciously, as they exited the Warp-travel, and finally saw the lumbering planet, the scolding flames from the volcanoes, the gas giant, and the metal weaving wires, the steel outlying pieces of a fairly pretentious station, a piece of metal that posed to be a threat, or possibly a nuisance. Whatever it could be, it would prove to be critical that the station be destroyed. “What is the name of that platform?” He pointed to the station.

“It’s labelled as Sancho Station. Those things are docking tubes, and they could be utilized to our advantage, lord.” He pointed to the docking tubes, protruding from the ends of the station, but only it’s shadowy silhouette still remained.

“Alright, on my count, I want this attack to succeed. All forces should begin immediate scanning,” He said, as the servant pressed a combination of codes, a long ringing sound echoed through the halls of the ship, “and when the fighters from my fleet have emerged, I want all fighters to begin attack of the station. All boarders prepare to hijack any enemy ships that may come out, and all capital ships to launch fire at the station.” He told his servants, as they nodded in return and pressed another button, as the ringing became louder, and lights flashed red. Totalius waited a little while, looking out at the complacent station, when he heard the servant nearest to him speak.

“All Commanders are ready, and all soldiers prepared, Lord.” He said, as Totalius nodded in retrospect.

“Launch the fleets. Keep pushing forwards, no matter what the cost.” He said, as he stood there, arms crossed.

From the metal doors, opened the hangar bays, as the fighters poured out in hives, like drones, long ended, swift and sleek, with wings on either end, and another layer on the bottom, if the top one was shot apart. Fast sensors scanned the area, the gleaming lasers getting ready to unleash their firepower, as they flung themselves in highly organized groups and ranks, spinning around in unity as they flashed still through the void of space.

Soon, more and more fighters came from the giant bellies of the other capital ships, and burst forth in a legion of metal and steel, a strong blaster gun at their helm, as they swerved and dodged each other, until forming yet another line of fighters, all positioned around their larger counterparts, patrolling swiftly, spinning around, waiting for their time to jump into the action. Boarders emerged from the helms once more in the berths of the capital ships, large rectangular ships, with thick masses of metal carried all about it’s surface, holes seen placed at it’s bottom, slowly flying out into the cold areas of space. But nothing, whatsoever, could have changed things, when the capital ships, with their cannons, and their turrets, their huge amount of firepower, had their sights locked on the station, in a flurry, they let loose their volley. Following directions, the swift fighters twisted around into their foes’ territory, and let loose their own swift judgement, while the boarders stayed passive, waiting for the ripe time to unleash the massive payload of infantry to clean up the erratic mess that could be left behind.

The Invasion of the Sancho Station had begun.
Skeelzania
02-09-2005, 22:04
<tag>
Skeelzania
03-09-2005, 07:53
Sancho Station, Quixote System

Colonel Franjr had just left his quarters when the station’s klaxons went mad. Dropping down from normally hidden hatches, the flashing lights bathed the corridors in a blood-red glow, while simultaneously emitting a shattering, electrical clanging. Uttering a short curse, Franjr took off at a run to the nearest lift tube, arriving at the command center moments later. Hurriedly returning the salutes he received, Franj worked his way over to the Intelligence Officer, who stood overseeing his particular corner of the room. “What seems to be the problem lieutenant? Orks?”

The young man shook his head. “Negative, commander. Signatures don’t match anything we’ve encountered before. They’re moving fast enough to be Orkish, but…well, better take a look at this.” Leaning forward, the lieutenant flicked on the vidscreen, tuning it to long-range display. The expertly-constructed forms of the incoming ships leapt into focus; definitely not the clunky rust cans the Orks crewed. “The force is bearing straight down on us, Commander,” continued the Intel Officer. “Being of unknown class, I can’t give you an ETA for when they’ll have us in range…”

Franjr and the rest of the room’s occupants were subjected to a second barrage of alerts as the inbounds released their swarms of fighters. “I expect they’ll have us in range quite soon, lieutenant,” said Franjr grimly. Returning to the center of the room he began giving orders for the station’s defense. “Sound battle stations. Bring all shields online immediately and initiate lockdowns. Only people crucial to the station’s defense are allowed movement. Comms, transmit the following on the command wave. Code Jericho, the band approaches.”

The outside of Sancho Station, normally a dull gunmetal grey, rapidly switched to greenish-purple as the Isotropic Coating spilled over it. Dense nano-machine sludge, it enveloped the station’s surface in a matter of minutes. Any electromagnetic beams being used to scan it disappeared as the nanites went to work, ‘fooling’ the rays they were striking something other than neo-steel.

Armored blast doors at the north and south poles of the station swung back, revealing hidden defenses to fight back the attackers. Although Orks were relatively uncommon in this part of the Empire, Sancho had been fitted with heavy railguns as a precaution. Large, squat, and ugly, they were capital-ship-smashing weaponry, well suited to pulverizing the lightly-shielded Ork hulks. How they would perform here remained to be seen. As the new arrivals advanced, the railguns smoothly lined up on the nearest capital ship.

With a blindly flash that seemed to surpass even the fiery inferno below, the enemy fleet let loose their first barrage. Beams of unnatural fire scorched into the station’s shielding, most being defused by the IC but a great deal still burning its way through to the armored shell. The railguns spat back, sending 250 pound spikes hurtling at tremendous speeds through the swarms of fighters and into the bows of their targets. The enemy barrage prevented the PD weaponry on the outward side from engaging, but on the side not under attack more hatches swung open, revealing quick-firing plasma turrets. These went to work on the strikecraft, filling the void of space with neon-green lightning to counter the enemy’s own.
Jenrak
03-09-2005, 17:16
"They've retaliated, lord." The captain replied, as Totalius still stood there, his mind racing with thought.

"Good. Advance with the marauders, deploy all clusters." He said, as the captain nodded.

From the hulls of the fighters, each and every single one, came tiny little spider like drones, flung in swarms unto the enemy forces, as their foes' fire smashed already an adequate number of batallions. They are armed. Push harder. He commanded to his legions, in his thoughts.

Whether his forces heard his command or not, their swarms came in great vestiges, carrying tiny little rifles that did only so little damage, but there were only so many of them to compensate. The Clusters, large powerful, miniature versions of the capital ships, unleashed an evoking group of heavy fighters from their vaunted red halls, long and swift but firing massive shots of destructive green rays.

"Push forward. Do not retreat." He said, as a stray shot from the enemy smashed his ship's shield, but his ship, thankfully, was unharmed. "That was too close. I don't want to risk this again." He commanded, his fingers twitching with anger.

"Destroy the station." He said, as the capital ships opened their quad cannons, and aimed at the floating platform.
Christopher Thompson
03-09-2005, 18:30
Bentusi Trade Ship, Sancho Station, Quixote System

The ship of the trade, shaped like a horse-shoe, copper in color and enscribed with ancient writings and what looked like a city of lights on the inside of the horseshoe sped along space, hoping to procure funds as they always did. Today they wished to offer rare goods to Sancho Station before moving on to Einhauserian space. However, their visit would bring not an act of peace and trade, but an act of war. The trade ship noticed the ensuing battle above it as it neared the station, took note, and left--hyperspacing into the void. It's new destination: Hiigara.


Sobanii Defence Station, Hiigara

The controller for the defence station sat at his post drinking a caffinated beverage, which was not the norm--strange how there was such little traffic today. Then it struck him--Sjet Station was handling the imports today, and with the dwindling exports, there wouldn't be much action for him today; something he now looked at happily: same pay, less work, he thought to himself. Then klaxons in the stationn went off as probes detected a hyperspace signiture blowing right past the checkpoint line--where all ships are required to stop for inspection.

"Sir! Ship incoming!"

"From where? Scan it's hyperspace signiture!"

"Yes sir, ri-"

"Sir! Message from the ship! It's reads: 'The traders of old have come to meet with the council of high.' It's a Bentusi vessel!"

"Shut down security systems! Let them pass! And somebody alert the Diamnid."


Diamid, Neo-Tiir, Hiigara

The Diamid, the ruling council of Hiigara, was locked in debate about the trade deficit. It was the first time they had had a deficit in trade for over one-thousand years, and it would soon affect the value of the gil if not dealt with soon.

"I propose a tarrif on imports, that wa-"

"A tarrif? are you trying to scare off the Bentusi? How foolish!"

"How dare you interrupt me, I am-"

"Sirs!" the head of the Diamid said. "We have larger matters at hand to deal with at the moment."

"What could be more important than our trade deficit?"

"We have a Bentusi Trade ship in high orbit communicating to us that they have found a new, powerful trading partner who is now in the peils of a defensive war. One of their outposts is begining to fall to an unknown force, expected to be pirates or terrorists, right now."

That the Bentusi had said this silenced the Diamid at once. The hot issue of what to do about the deficit seemed in equal impotance now as to how many licks it took to get to the center of a tootsie-pop. What the Bentusi, the galaxy's most ancient space-faring race, said was true. Unquestionably and undoubtedly true.

"What do they request?" one man in the Diamid asked.

"For us to save the station," he replied. "They are suspected to be pirates or perhaps even raiders or terrorists. They may be inginuitive, but if we press hard enough for long enough, they'll fall. I suggest we send in a carrier group guarded by a few destroyers and frigates. If it gets too hot for them, we can always call in the Silvana."


Sobanni Defence Station, Hiigara, twenty minutes later

"Roger that command, acess for hyperspace granted. Bring over the jumper."

The 'jumpers', as they we called by some, were the massive, fifteen kilometer mothership-class vessles that provided the far jumping capabilites of the Hiigaran Empire. They themselves never saw combat unless absolutely necessary, but rather provided the abylity fo others to make far-jumps, putting battle groups right into the heart of combat from unimaginable distances away. The massive ship, the Pride of Hiigara, suddenly appeared in front of the station, filling everyone's view-screen. The massive ship put all who saw it in utter awe as it prepared to wrench the battlegroup into hyperspace. The group gave the all-green, and suddenly they were gone, in the throes of hyperspace, wrenched into it by the awesome power of it's core, and in seconds they had traversed many thousands of light years, arriving precisely where they wanted to.

The battlegroup, comprised of two standard Hiigaran carriers (http://well-of-souls.com/homeworld/hws/hw2/images/display.htm?533091_20030827_screen011.jpg), four destroyers (http://well-of-souls.com/homeworld/hws/hw2/images/display.htm?e3gs_homeworld2_screen023.jpg) , and six Flak Frigates (http://well-of-souls.com/homeworld/hws/hw2/images/display.htm?gsvidcap04.jpg) exited from hyperspace, fifteen kilometers rear of the invading force. They then proceeded to hail them and warn them to cease fighting at once. They also contacted the Sanch Station, requesting permission to engage the enemy.

OOC: I've been looking for a good fight for a while. If you don't want me in this, I can leave though. For stats on these ship, please visit the webpage in my sig.
Jenrak
04-09-2005, 00:40
OOC: Honestly, I highly doubt Sancho Station will survive, beign as you guys have battlegroups and as a nomadic army, I'm using every single thing in my disposal...so, muhahaha....

IC:

Enemy fire blasted at the fighters, and the droid-like drones, as they plummeted into the bright blazes of battle, the metal shears tearing up everywhere, debris heading towards the planet as small beautiful meteorites.

"I want the planet, not the station. Destroy it, and ever single living thing aboard it's pitiful defenses." He said, as a rail shot narrowly missed his bridge, but Totalius did not flinch. "Now!" He commanded, his captains quickly entering more things into their screens, as more fighters emerged from the hulls.
Christopher Thompson
04-09-2005, 01:33
OOC: Yes...your full force. Just what is your full force. I don't wanna get number-wanky here, just curious is all.

IC:

"Sir, what should we do?" a comms officer asked as the group exited hyperspace.

"Contact both sides. Open channels. Warn the attackers, and tell the defenders that help has arrived."

"Yes sir."

Message to unidentified offensive forces:

Cease your attack at once and retreat from this space within fifteen lightyears. If you will follow these orders, no harm shall come to you. You have one minute to begin to comply.

Message to Sancho Station:

We have been sent to bolster defences in this area as per request of the Bentusi. We pledge our full support to your defence, may an era of peace and prosperity between us come to be when this conflict is over. We request IFF data, as to not incur friendly fire.

"All ships, get into formation. Carriers side by side, Destroyers in a box formation around them, and Flak Frigates in a delta formation leading up the front. Scramble all strike-craft immediately!"

In moments, all manner of stroke-craft plummeted out of the two carriers as the battle group was still getting into formation. When they were finished, there would be thirty squadrons of Interceptors (http://www.rakrent.com/rtsc/pix/hw2/hw2-interceptor02.jpg) (five craft per squadron), ten squadrons of bombers (http://www.rakrent.com/rtsc/pix/hw2/hw2-hiibombers.jpg) (five per squad.), twenty squads of Gunships (http://www.rakrent.com/rtsc/pix/hw2/hw2-gunships.jpg) (3 per squad), and ten more squads of Pulsar Gunships (http://www.rakrent.com/rtsc/pix/hw2/hw2-pulsar.jpg) (3 per squad).
Jenrak
04-09-2005, 14:11
OOC: I'm not a numbers fan. I'm more of a writer, so meh.

IC:

"I have a signal from other beings in the area." The captain reported to Totalius. "What shall we do?"

"I'll reply." He said. "All forces, we will retreat." He said, and it did not seem to fit him, something was wrong, and all of that was no doubt explained, when he finished his line, "Once the station is destroyed."

"Keep the forces moving. Press on harder." He said.
Skeelzania
05-09-2005, 16:29
OOC: Right now Sancho Station is, for all intents and purposes, disposable. So…kaboom!

IC:

Sancho Station, by this time, was on the verge of total collapse. Much of its shielding had been shot away, and the fleetward side was a tangle of twisted and molten metal, evidence to the ferocity of the enemy barrage. The North Railgun had been disabled, its shielding shot away and barrel smashed, while its southern counterpart struggled vainly to return fire. Franjr, trying to breathe and see through the smoke filling the command center, was dimly aware of the incoming message. We have . . . . .bolster defences . . . . . . request of . . . . . Bentusi. We pledge our . . . . . defence . . . . . prosperity between us come to . . . . . IFF data, as to not incur friendly fire.

“Alerk!” he yelled. “Who the hell is that?”

“No idea <cough> sir! Sensors are gone, and we barely have comms. No reply from Headquarters.”

Not altogether surprising, thought Franjr. They never had developed instantaneous communication. “Well, bugger them. They sound friendly enough, but that doesn’t mean we have to trust them. Now listen up! Order all personnel to evacuate the station. Use the hyperspatial pods to retreat-”

The man was cut off as the station rocked with a tremendous explosion. A whole new wall-full of alarms opened up, adding another splash of color to the chaotic scene. “Reactor breach!” someone yelled. “Emergency shutdown protocols activating. Sir, we aren’t going to have power much longer!”

“Then stop gabbering and get that evacuation started!” Franjr yelled back into the smoke.

A final set of hatches hissed open on the planetward side of the station, away from the enemy guns. Gauss launchers propelled the escape pods out through these, ejecting the bulbous and heavily-armored craft away from the station and presumably to safety. Ignoring the swarms of interceptors, the pilots engaged their high-burn engines and rocketed away from the battle and the planet, to open space and the ability to jump.

The last pod exited the station with moments to spare. The end was signaled by a spout of radioactive fire, alerting all those who watched that the emergency protocols had failed to contain the run away reaction. The fire spread, consuming the station from inside out in its insatiable lust for fuel. Approaching a docked freighter, the fire tore into it with hunger, only to seal its own fate. The freighter, an old Tortugan, was carrying a rather volatile mix of chemicals normally use in planet mining. With a blast of light rivaling that of the enemy fleet, the freighter exploded, blowing apart the planet-side of the station like a bullet hitting a rations tin. Thrown from its orbit by the blast and the loss of stabilizers, the station drifted down towards the roaring inferno of the planet, gradually gaining momentum.
Christopher Thompson
06-09-2005, 05:03
Sword of Kharak, Hiigaran Carrier, 15 Km behind attackers

"Bloody hell," was all the Captain could muster as he saw the station being pummeled into pieces and emergency escape pods being fired.

"Where are they going?" the captain asked.

"Trajectories indicate into deep space, sir," Gillium, the ship's AI, replied.

"And the station?"

"Into the plantet. It will most-likely disintrigrate before reaching the surface, however."

"I see."

"Our next course of action, sir?" the communications officer asked.

"Move out. Flank speed."

"Yessir!" th engine officer replied.

The mighty carrier lurched and ached as it's engines finally overcame its inertia and began to move it forward, moving a lumbering, sky blue shape through the eternal night of space.

"Engines answer flank speed, sir!"

"Good. Hold formation and have the Destroyers open up on the enemy as soon as they're in effective range. Have them fire their torpedos as soon as possible. The torpedos shall target the enemy strike-craft first. Keep all Strikecraft back. When the Destroyers commence fire, rush them in."

"Roger sir, issuing orders now."

"Power up all weapons and shields on all ships."

"Yessir!"

The battlegroup made its way toward the enemy in the deep of space with escape pods rushing by them.

OOC: I'm gonna ask for some rough guesses in numbers from you so I know to call in re-enforcements or not. If I'm over-whealmed, I could, but if this is a fairly even fight, I won't. Also, you could simply run--Carriers and Destroyers are large (3km and 1km) and thus not fast in any manner of speaking.
Jenrak
07-09-2005, 01:56
OOC: Hit and run tactics are what the fleet is resorting to right now. Like a massive blitzkrieg. The station is merely for notice purposes, so that a certain strategy will work. I'll explain it to you in the IC.

IC:

"Jump to warp travel." He commanded aboard his bridge.

"Why?"

"We want to make a presence, but we don't want to be hit yet."

"Yes, sir." The captain said, as they entered the bleak fragmented blue tunnel of hyperspace, once more.
Christopher Thompson
07-09-2005, 03:56
OOC: Okey-dokey
IC:
Sword of Kharak

"Sir," the forward sensors operator said.

"Yes?" the Captain replied.

"Detecting slip-space rupture. The enemy has entered hyperspace."

"Damnit all!" the Captain screamed as his fist met the metal of his arm rest.

"What shall we do sir?"

"Track the jump. Fire a probe into it."

"Yes sir, right away."

The man made a few taps on his keyboard, and Gillium made the rest of the calculations, firing off the probe into the blue void where it promptly latched onto the nearest frigate-sized or larger enemy vessel. The probe, ten meters in length, had an outer layer of ruhinthium, and when combined with an adequite computer system, looked just like whatever it was attached to. It would, however, continue to send out a narrow-bandwidth signal beacon until de-activated or destroyed.

"Recall all strikecraft, prepare all drives for jump. We'll follow them all the way to Balcora if we have to. Send a transmission back home. Tell them to bring in a Battlecruiser with a full compliment of escorts."
Jenrak
07-09-2005, 20:29
The Cracked Homeworld of Xarazin, Main base of the Catastrophe...

They had entered into the powerful gravity of the shimmering green planet, the core showing still meticulously from the frothing edges of the flames that arose brightly still amongst the gleam. Rumbling of thunder was heard as they neared the planet's omniscious core, as massive wires and heathing spikes of steel seemed to gore out of the surface, like a great slice of urchin. The Moving Throne, as well as the fleet, had recently come back from their raid of grotesque adventure, and they needed to refuel for a single last bout, before attacking once more against the foes. This base would prove to be their final asset.

"Land down into the Academy Core." He said, as they neared a massive twirling tower, greater than the others that protruded, inside a jagged canyon strewn with molten lava.

As they neared the tower, glistening grey marble walls showed the light and delicate but sturdy shielding that ebbed and flowed throughout the outer edges of the academy, as massive mechanical doors opened up for the great capital ship to enter. Battlements laid bare across the plains, giant refineries still pumping out resources, it was the largest single structure on the planet, he whispering ghosts still breathing with evil of untold torments inside it's fallowed halls.

"It is good to be back, at the Academy of Totalius."