NationStates Jolt Archive

"Priestess, I believe it goes without saying that what you are proposing is not only dangerously ambitious, but would involve the genocide of countless existing and potential civilizations."

The matka, or high priestess, sat upon a seat carved from the wall of the main structure through microfungal sculpting. Her own attire was a mix of lizardskin and chemically processed leaf fibers, and Sentinel Beetles under her dominion crawled through her hair. The lesser priestess prostraited before her was similiarly garbed, but with moths that chittered constantly rather than insects meant to repel attackers.

"I understand, matka, but our teachings do dictate that the strongest should grow outward by whatever means available. As we know, space travel is an available mean. As are adequate control of diseases to reshape ecosystems. We can terraform a planet in under a decade, and will be able to colonize it with a thousand to start and a single priestess."

"I understand the potential and implications, it is the repercussions that worry me. You are working on the assumption that we are the strongest force within reach of our system." The priestess prepared to speak, but the matka raised her hand. "Not all powers can be as aggressive as we Devrakin. You know how many creatures take their prey in a reactionary manner. Do you doubt there can be a civilization like that?"

"Then bypass such reactionary races! Strike only those that cannot defeat us! Is that not the way of our teachings?" The priestess almost rose in her anger. "Is that not the way of our people?"

"It is." The matka sighed and gave the gesture of approval. "If I do not die at the hand of another priestess, there is no doubt in my mind this plan of yours will make you matka after me."

The priestess smiled and took her leave. As she rose and turned, the moths in her hair flew out to send word of her plan and the blessing of the matka. Soon, spore pods would be launched to nearby star systems, carrying a potent virus that had once nearly consumed the Devrakin. How, the matka preceeding the current sacrificed herself to immunize the local inhabitants by sending out a pulse to the microlife to adapt their biology, overloading her own mind in the process. However, there was no matka, no immunity, no hope for other worlds. The first stage of the Great Blooming had begun.

Levin was relaxing in the cockpit of the CADRE ship Indivic. As he snoozed, the ship spoke, "Hey, Lev, get off your butt and check the scans."
He yawned, "What is it Indi?"
"Bio-ball of the port bow."
"Well track it and reverse track it. Find out where it's going and came from. Then if you ccan, find out what it is, we may be dealing with another annoying hive species."
"Ya, them swarmers are aggrevating."
Indivic began tracking the destination appearent of the spore pod, and the most likely launch point of said pod.

Ironically, that particular pod would be the first of roughly a dozen to reach their intended targets. Scans would reveal a superdense exterior carapace adequate for artificial gravity, a similiar bulb on the interior, and micro-organic musclulature between. Within the interior bulb was an air pocket where the virus was stored.

The intended target happened to be an Earth-like planet that had yet to develop beyond their ecquivolent of amphibious fish and small plants as far as evolution went. The pod was travelling fast enough, thanks to internal gravitic acceleration and the initial launch velocity, to be reaching the intended target within the hour. The outer shell and microsmucles would burn up in the atmosphere, and the inner shell would rupture either due to rapid cooling or breaking upon solid ground, releasing the virus into the air.

The virus was a bottom feeder, taking out the weakest creatures first and working its way up. Unlike most viruses, it wasn't picky about the medium of travel or cell it consumed. As a result, it functioned rather similiarly to leprosy, except that it could travel through air and water. Naturally, the unprepared ecosystem would face a epidemic that would last, depending on natural resistence, surface area, and abundance of life, anywhere from a month to two years. In the case of the pod located by Theao, it would be three months without interruption.

((OC- I think I'll bite into this one.. =^^= ))

--

*The Soklin Star System*

..basically a system of four planets, with a small twist. The third planet here, whether by cosmic chance or other power, had a huge M-Type planet the size of Neptune, with seven moons that played strange havoc with the world's vast oceans. It's a pure wonder there's life on here at all, though no better than primordial-prehistoric.

Here, three Ascendancy warships, am Eternus Class Battlestar and two Avalon Class Cruisers. All for a mere exploration/scientific mission.

A demonstration of how much power the Ascendancy weilded, for no more than peaceful purposes.

And where the son patroled admist danger, the mother and father dwelt admist presumed peace. Or so Achika and Nobuyuki think. Sent out to survey, in force given the dangers present, for systems near the United Mankind Absorption zones, for the heck of it. They aren't expecting anything.

If only.....

An errant pod makes its way to the Trasnia System, one of three population centers controlled by the Socialist Republic of Xanthal. The small, low-powered vessel enters at an angle just above the ecliptic, managing to evade the relatively basic outer system detection grids. It never even enters range of the outer planet's orbital early warning systems as Trasnia VI is on the other side of the Trasnia star when the object passes its orbit. One private merchant ship registers the object and logs it, but does not intercept. Ultimately the spore pod enters the atmosphere of Trasnia II, a small, hot gas giant, where it and its contents are incinerated; averting catastrophy for Xanthal but also precluding any chance for study of this new threat.

***Light Battleship "Good Omen" in orbit around Orbital Station 'Clarion Call', Osolan System***

The orbital station, for twelve years now, monitored the star system for potential threats and alien incursions. As a system just beyond the fringe of the Larsima Colony Systems (a protectorate of the Empryian Federated Monarchy), the orbital station provided a safe haven for mining ships that strip mined the asteroid belts in the system as a staging ground for Task Force 56, Larsima Protectorate Navy (technically Empryian Federated Navy). The Larsima economy, both the margarine and missile sides of the economy, benefitted from the materials brought in from the fringe worlds outside of real Larsima control. They benefitted from the materials of the Osolan asteroid belts so much that Task Force 56, 33 warships, were stationed at 'Clarion Call' and its sister station, 'The Watchtower'.

Admiral Hykel watched as the mining ships moved from one asteroid to the next, leaving shadows of the asteroid's former self behind. The miner's themselves each had small detachments of Task Force 62 and 63 accompanying them, task forces designed for the explicit purpose of escorting non-combatant ships through the Fringe and Badland worlds. Task Force 56 has its own job to do: be ready for full-scale engagements.

He felt the anomalous object appear within the system. He was connected into the Light Battleship via plugs on his body and neural pathways to his brain. He controlled the starship, and that removed nearly 75% of the crew otherwise necessary to pilot an Empryian warship.

He sent a message to the other warships of the taskforce. "Anomalous signal detected. Scout Cruisers Lorel, Omicr, and Sendais are to cloak, proceed, and scan this new arrival."

The three scout cruisers followed the pod all the way to the fourth planet in the system. They monitored for twenty minutes before beginning preliminary analysis.

Hykel was intrigued...

OOC: Yay- first FT RP

Station D-29 was but one of the many outposts on the extreme outer edge of the Charlevoix system, the farthest outlying system of the Sevarisian Empire. This station, like many others, monitors freight, passenger, and other traffic into the system. Normally, everything's quiet there, and the only action occurs when pirates attempt to hijack frieghters just off the border.

Patrolling the station were the frigates Ansbach and Emden, and their E-Wing complements. It seemed just another quiet day for Commander Downing's squadron, which had patrol duty this time. His group of fighters were around 10 klicks away from the frigates, near the sensor buoy.

Orange 4, piloted by Lieutenant Cattermole, was weaving in and out of formation when he saw something- it looked like a proton torpedo almost, but had an eerie glow about it- the Academy had never said anything about this.

"Orange 4 to Orange Leader. Over."

"Orange Leader reporting in. Over."

"Orange Leader, unknown object spotted approximately 0.8 klicks due east- permission to engage, over."

"Belay that, Orange 4. Wait for further instructions."

Downing then contacted Ansbach over comlink, and requested instructions. He was instructed to wait until the object's point of origin had been located, and then ordered Orange 4 to tail.

Cattermole was disturbed, to say the least. This thing, though it again looked normal, had eerie qualities about it- such as maybe there was more than just a piece of debris. Perhaps it was a probe or some sort- someone was spying? No, it couldn't be. The Empire had no enemies. His R7 was confused to no end as well, then again, being an astromech, it wasn't surprising.

Fortunately, though, the order was soon handed down to destroy. Cattermole opened fire on the pod, four shots did it in. He, along with the rest of the squadron, was ordered to return to the ship at once. It became apparent that this otherwise quiet day at D-29 wouldn't be so anymore.

The next pod to appear was in the Miehmish system of Sara. Both inhabitable planets wre well defended due to their status as population centers and military bases, and the first Behemoth Battlecruiser to investigate immediately backpolotted the course that had led it to their system. Then it opened fire with all of its laser batteries, whatever it was, it wasn't friendly, and it would be destroyed...

Although attempts to destroy the biopods were successful, they first did something that wasn't expected of them.

They moved out of the line of fire of the initial attacks. The internal bulbs were wrenched, displacing the internal gravity of the pods and propelling them off course to avoid attack. Their premature destruction, however, signalled back to the Devrakin priestesses overpowering the minds of the micromuscles not to intrude on that system.

As for the Solin and Larsima Star Systems, the pods landed within visual range of the surveyor team, close enough to investigate but far enough so none were injured by the initial blast. The Solin scientists would find it was only natural to investigate. However, if they should, they would find the same thing as the Larsima initial scans: an utter lack of microlife within the blast radius, the virus claiming its easiest prey.

Transmission to the Originating planet of the Sphere:

Are you aware that there is a deadly plague originating from your planet? If so, please remedy this at once, before we must remedy it for you...

"There was a miscommunication with the initial launch of the plague pods. Civilized planets were not intended to be targetted. This message is being transmitted to all targeted planets with a warning to isolate all exposed life. The virus consumed whatever biomatter it enters, and can travel through virtually all liquids and gases. Further launchs shall be excluded to uninhabited planets. The virus is part of a terraforming function and a project of extraplanetary expansion. We apologize for all lives that may be lost, and be assured that those responsible will be punished accordingly."

The matka pulled away from the transmission bulb and started breathing again. "It seems, priestess," She glared at the woman who had suggested the project. "That the order you gave out did not correlate with my blessing. We will make the best of things, and your corpse shall become the first colonizer's pilot bulb."

"Matka!" The priestess rose in objection, and it seemed as though the matka's hair attacked her. In fact, it was a small swarm of tiny scarab-like beetles nested in her hair to protect her. They withdrew quickly, taking only scraps of flesh. However, they also took the priestess's eyes. Shock overwhelmed her, and she collapsed.

"I will not be worked around like some teratogen attendant. Prepare the first wave of colonizers for the uninhabited worlds successfully targetted and a second wave of plague pods. I have a corpse to begin the growth of the first colonizer." Moths took flight from the dead priestess's hair, spreading the legitimate word to the proper supervisors.

The DPS-Razor a ISD watched the Devrakin ship lanch these pods.

"There goes another one captain."

"Thats been the 5th one. Come along side of there nearest ship and and decloak."

The Razor came to the starboard side of the ship and deactavated its cloak.

"Hail them"

"Yes captain."

"Devrakin ship this is the DPS-Razor. THe Empire of Dweladelfia Prime orders your goverment to stop firing these pods. Or we will be forced to stop you."

OOC: Pods are being launched from planetside. Poles are forests, temperate zones are swamps, tropical zones are wastelands. However, there are Devrakin ships in orbit. Imagine a Zerg Overlord without tentacles or optical organs and a pair of crab claws for fighters. There's also a big one being grown from the priestess's corpse that looks roughly spherical at this point.

The Socialist Republic gets ahold of the matka's public address through international channels. Xanthal has had knowledge of the star system in which this race lives for some time, several hundred light-years from Xanthalian territory, but no contact had been made with the sentient beings there by the sord exploration commission, whose only task was to chart the star's position. Intrigued, Xanthal's executives dispatch a Ministry of Transportation ship with a diplomatic envoy, a small Käleka type vessel that they hope will not be seen as a threat. Arriving just inside the alien star system the ship stops short, transmitting the following message: "The Socialist Republic of Xanthal extends its best wishes to you. It is our hope that through peaceful contact our two nations can coexist in friendship."

===Käleka===
The Käleka light transport and its many variants are the most mass-produced of all Xanthalian ships. Incredibly functional, most larger ships carry at least one aboard to use both for transportation between vessels and facilities and as an escape vehicle when evacuation orders are issued. Because its facilities total up to be little more than engines and a basic AI for information storage and navigation, the two-compartment Käleka, though small, has a great deal of empty space by volume for transporting people, cargo, or any combination of the two.
http://url.photobucket.com/albums/v88/Zorak950/NS/Space/Calicke.jpg
*Dimensions: 10x8x4 meters.
*Decks: 1.
*Cost: $500,000.
*Powerplant: One substance/antisubstance reaction chamber (10 terawatt output).
*Ion engines: maximum speed 60,000 km/s.
*Space-time bubble generator.
*Maneuverability rating: 3.
*Fuel capacity: 1,000 liters.
*Fuel range: about 5 days normal operation.
*Complement: 2 crew, 1 AI, up to 30 passengers OR 150 cubic meters cargo.
*No weapons.
*No shields.
*Armor rating: 1.
*Takeoff/Landing capable with adequate landing pad.

A loud chittering overwhelms the ship's communications array, and from it the verminous cacophony synthisizes the speech of the lunar station operator. "The virus in our matka's address has consumed our planet, but we are immune. Our lunar station has been cleansed for purposes of foreign arrivals. You are clear to land through the specified film."

On the surface of the planet's prominent moon, a mass of infested woodlike material folds back, revealing a thin organic film through which the ship is to pass. "The film will yield around your ship with airtight proximity and reform one you have passed, so pressure is maintained within the hanger. The priestess managing the station will be waiting with a small escort. We are eager to meet the representatives of Xanthal."

Aboard the shuttle, the ambassador gives a nod to his sole companion, the human pilot, indicating that he should proceed. Their original mission was simply to deliver the Triumvirate's message and return with any reply, but it seems that this race has other plans. Not wishing to insult the new contacts by rejecting their offer, the young xanthalian excercised his discretion to make direct contact. "Presai teparkal to keerai gensh," he orders the human. The pilot, an older man, simply nods, knowing that it is a necessary precaution.

"We are proceeding as directed," the ambassador transmits; then he ends the transmission and leaves the pilot alone in the small cockpit, closing the door behind him as he enters the cabin and straps himself into a seat. The Käleka hurtles at high speed towards the moon, though in a universe brimming with technologically advanced peoples the Xanthalian ship's maximum sublight speed of just over 0.2 times the speed of light isn't very impressive. It takes several hours for KKPZ-624 to reach the moon, where it passes through the film into the hangar and lands without incident. The ship powers down its systems and sits on the ground silently.

When the shuttle bay door opens, a trio of humanoids stand outside waiting. They all have lean figures, dark skin, and jet black hair. Although they appear human, their golden feline eyes and pointed ears give away their alien nature.

The two on the flanks are the escort, wearing thick exoskin armor over their body, legs, feet, and forearms and wielding claw gauntlets. Their medium hair is braided into strands, which are tied behind their heads. Their faces have been painted with skulls.

The center figure, the priestess, wears a lizardskin vest and skirt and has a small swarm of moths crawling in her freely braided hair. She smiles, and bows slightly for greeting. "I'm sorry if you were not expecting to be appearing in person, but we are technologically and culturally inclined toward in person appearances."

"That is not a problem," replies the xanthalian, who opens the rear hatch of the shuttle just in time to hear the priestess. "I rather share that sentiment. I apologize for the delay, but tests had to be run on your atmosphere to ensure the environment was clean and compatible with my own physiology before I could exit the ship." The young man presses a few buttons from where he stands on the deck of the Käleka, about a meter off the ground, and a ramp extends outward and down, providing a less vertical means of egress. The man has chiseled, yet somehow flowing features, typical of his species; which resemble humans with various superficial differences. He wears the official garb of Xanthalian diplomats; a skin-tight uniform composed of black shoes, pants, and undershirt under a thin black coat with grey-blue shoulders and a gold trim and fastening in front. His smartly cut and parted blonde hair with his eyebrows and lashes adorn his otherwise hairless body, his features steady but still betraying a healthy measure of discomfort; this will be not only his first time engaging in talks with a previously uncontacted species, but also his first meeting with a representitive of a society not already an established friend of the Xanthalian state.

He smiles with the confidence he can muster as he reaches the bottom of the ramp and bows deeply, almost as glad that his counterpart and he share a proficiency in the galactic standard language as he is that he was able to ad-lib an initial response to the priestess' question on adrenaline without panicking. He announces himself, fervently going over his first contact training in his mind, hoping desperately that he has not already made a fatal mistake. "My name is Kadonomaro Tsuchie. I represent the Socialist Republic of Xanthal. Please accept my best wishes and the best wishes of the Xanthalian people."

The priestess smiled as she looked the representative over. The only thing she liked more than meeting new cultures is meeting ones she already knew of. "It is most appropriate that such wishes be made now, with our recent campaign of expansion. No doubt, after hearing our public transmission, you will want to know just how we plan to turn genocide of nonsentient ecosystems into colonizations. If you would be so kind as to accompany me to the main observation bulb, I can explain in full detail so as to avoid any more public emnity than priestess who suggested the plan garnered through her disloyalty."

She gestures to another film, which shrinks into the speckled walls to reveal a film-windowed tunnel along the perimeter of the station. Through the windows, one can see ships being, suprisingly, grown from plants. The priestess begins to walk, looking over her shoulder to make sure Tsuchie was following her. The view outside showed the ships in orbit of the planet as well as more plague pods being grown in various stages, their origins being what appears to be captured convicts.

"Representative Kadonomaro, I think it should first be said that any sentients harmed by the virus were on account of the priestess Myoka, who suggested the operation. Our political and spiritual leader, the matka Ravis, insisted no planets with sentients present were to be targetted. Myoka ignored this condition. As her punishment, her corpse will be made into the pilot bulb for the first colonizer vessel. We had no hostile intentions with this virus."

Levin and Indivic watched the pod as it travelled to the planet and proceeded study it's interactions with local animal life an what it did to the enviroment.

After a period, Indivic jumped to the planet of origination of the pod and began tracking the various ships and bodies as it approached.

"Yes, I have been informed by my government that there was some uncertainty regarding your intentions. I am glad to hear your expansion is to be peaceful, though I would suggest that you take care to inform the international community of future targets to ensure there are no further problems. Since the Socialist Republic was not previously aware of your species' existence I presume that you are new to the galactic stage. If that is true, know that my government is willing to share its databases and render any assistance your people need, though it seems you are quite capable of adequately attending to yourselves."

Kado is relieved, and quite pleased with himself. So far things seem to be going very well for him here. He stops for a moment to examine one host body in particular. It is, perhaps, morally questionable what is being done here, but Xanthal's diplomatic corps haven't gained their shining reputation by being overly judgmental of the species and societies they are called upon to contact. "So," he inquires, "these are hosts for the terraforming virus?"

A teratogen runner scrambled through the tunnels of the stronghold on the planetside. He hands a moth to the base commander, which clicked rapidly to synthesize a voice stating the arrival of the Theao vessel and what lifescans revealed regarding the viral status of the vessel.

Not wasting any time, the commander leapt through a small hole in the wall into the transmission chamber. The myriad larval moths within soon connected him to the ship's communications and began clicking, opening the transmission. "Your planet of origin has been infected with a potent virus. If you have not already, get as many of your people as possible to our planet for treatment if you value your lives. According to our calculations, you will be suffering dangerous symptoms within ten minutes."

OOC: He'll be able to find where to land. The initial symptoms for sentients is the area of intial infection beginning to rot way at an almost visible rate.

Levin began laughing as he heard the transmission, which Indivic, with it's strange sence of humour decided to transmit. Once the spasms of laughter subsided, he commented(which was also transmitted), "It would be a VERY extraordinary occurance if you could do that, considering it's been reduced to it's component atoms for countless millenia."

The commander sighed after the vessel replied. "Unless you are telling me that the last time you launched from a planet was 'countless millenia' ago, I find that highly unlikely. If you have proper equipment, you may have noticed a pod enter the atmosphere of the planet you launched from. Any lifesigns nearby would have been infected. I suggest you hurry if you wish to live."

"I launched from a worldship that is presently somewhere on the far side of the universe." He sent back, "I tracked the pod to the planet, and then back-tracked it to here."

The commander leaned back and sighed. "Very well then. Make sure no sentient other than a Devrakin leaves that planet, and don't let any non-Devrakins who aren't condemned to death arrive upon it. The virus spreads at a dangerous rate."

Meanwhile, at the first planet to be infected, the next stage was beginning. New spore pods had been launched, this time carrying seed spores and microlife immunized against the virus and programmed to set up the new ecosystem, feeding on the waste of the virus's spread. Soon, trees and fungi would cover the landscape, as well as larvae.

"Not my buisness to police your problems." He sent back, "And for one thing, I don't even know what a Devrakins is or looks like."

OOC: Did you miss this post? Repost for good measure.
"Yes, I have been informed by my government that there was some uncertainty regarding your intentions. I am glad to hear your expansion is to be peaceful, though I would suggest that you take care to inform the international community of future targets to ensure there are no further problems. Since the Socialist Republic was not previously aware of your species' existence I presume that you are new to the galactic stage. If that is true, know that my government is willing to share its databases and render any assistance your people need, though it seems you are quite capable of adequately attending to yourselves."

Kado is relieved, and quite pleased with himself. So far things seem to be going very well for him here. He stops for a moment to examine one host body in particular. It is, perhaps, morally questionable what is being done here, but Xanthal's diplomatic corps haven't gained their shining reputation by being overly judgmental of the species and societies they are called upon to contact. "So," he inquires, "these are hosts for the terraforming virus?"

*post edited* please respond to it.

One of the unihabited planets that had been made the target of the pod was a fra reaching outer-rim planet, with a very inviting atmoshpere that would be perfect for colonization. The pod had reached the planet without any problem and settlers could be expected to follow quickly.

The planet of Tnir in the Kinnick system had only one drawback. Some five thousand years ago it was claimed by The Navigator Commonwealth, whose own civil war had lasted until just recently, and one of The Autarch's first priorities was to re-establish control of claimed territories, something which his Varangian Guard had been carrying out effectively and brutally.

Tnir was the only planet suitable for conventional life in the system and was the first one to be visited as Fleet Control Group-F entered the Kinnick system to begin a survey that would be followed by Thilite, Human, and Navigator colonization.

The young Varangian Navrost leaned forward looking over the pilots shoulder at the image of Tnir on the view screen.

"Looks promising enough, Voltaug, what do your scans show?" He asked, the ship responded , it's semi human head bobbing down from the ceiling.

Preliminary scanning shows no major changes since this planet was first catalogged, no larger life forms have yet developed..........................wait." Voltuag paused as it scanned deeper.

Navrost stood and looked back, his violet glowing eyes casting headlight like beams over Voltaug "What is it Voltaug?"

Voltaug bobbed "Anamolous readings my Lord. I am uncertain of what exactly it is. I will have to move closer to get a better reading on waht the anamoly is."

Navrost noded to the pilot "Move in, bring us into near orbit."

bump

bump

The Empryian light battleship Good Omen held geosynchronis orbit over the fourth planet for two hours now as the task force's carriers Et Virtutis and Obumbrata saved those that could be saved. There were very few of them. Only 125 Empryians were allowed off the planet.

The scout cruiser Omicr was the first to arrive on scene and began transmitting images to the flagship Good Omen immediately. Hykel, from the command bridge, had watched as the pod had entered the atmosphere and crashed into the jungle world. Empryian Command established a few military bases on the planet, mostly with provisions in case the system were ever to be attacked. 5,630 warriors of the God-Emperor held station on that planet.

Hykel watched in horror during those two hours as the pod began to systematically destroy the living entities on the planet. He quickly summoned the nearest warships to him. Three battlecruisers, six heavy cruisers, five cruisers, two strike carriers, plus sixteen destroyers and frigates, held geosynchronsis obrit over the fourth planet with their flagship.

And the planet now burned. Nuclear, Antimatter, Quantum and Singularity missiles were unleashed upon the planet. Following standard procedure, the atmosphere was seeded with Catalyst balloons to increase the rate of destruction. Filled with highly flammable gasses, oxygen in particular, the balloons released their contents into the high atmosphere. And the Good Omen fired its Antimatter weapons first, beginning a fiery armageddon for the planet below. The rest of the ships in high orbit followed suit. Within five minutes of the first warhead explosion, the planet's ambient temperature reached 2,000 degrees celsius and was rising. Singularity missiles were fired into the planet's core creating millisecond long black holes. Detonating at the same time in the center of the planet created a power fusion explosion as the core fused rapidly. By the end of fifteen minutes, the Empryian Navy had turned the planet into a miniature sun, the ambient temperature reaching 6,000 degrees, and the core temperature reaching past 10 million degrees celsius.

Hykel watched the planet burned as the ship's external feeds sent the image directly to his brain. He could not contain himself. Overwhelmed, tears stung his eyes. Even inside the capsule, attached to the ship through various circuits and tubes, his soul burned. He knew the outcome of this action. Whether by accident or by the designs of scheming conquerors, the Federated Monarchy would answer this outrageous assault upon its worlds. He soul burned and ached over those whom he knew would die, because of the war that would follow this act upon the Empryian people. And in a low voice, slow low that the monitor barely picked it up, he sung out, "O Fortuna, velut luna, statu variabilis..."

War would come. It was inevitable.

As reports of planets targeted by the alien virus continue to come in, the Xanthalian government becomes increasingly distressed. Whether populated worlds were selected with the knowledge of the matka of Devrakin or not is likely to be irrelevant. Of particular worry is the newest report; an Empryian military garrison has been infected, over 5,500 dead. The Lanalphini know very well that the tolerance of the Socialist Republic is a rarity in an often reactionary universe, and rightly fear that a backlash for this new hive state may be inevitable.

With a potential war on the horizon and a diplomat on assignment in a system that could already be in the crosshairs of invading forces, a unanimous decision is made to take action. The Alphin activates the Fourteenth Fleet of the Labule, ordering it to the Devrakin home system to observe multilateral movements there and, if possible, keep the peace. They make their move painfully aware that it may be too late to halt a catastrophic progression of events. The fleet won't launch for at least four standard hours, and transit time will cost another hour before the reconnaissance group arrives at its destination, plenty of time for thousands or even millions to be killed if level heads do not prevail.

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Xanthalian authorities, Kadonomaro Tsuchie stands with a Devrakin priestess on her homeworld's moon, the ships Indivic and Razor already in the area and the ire of the Miehmish and Larsiman governments hanging heavily over the imperiled Devrakin society. Peace may indeed be a futile pursuit.

The Larsima Protectorate High Command went into an utter state of shock. Admiral Hykel was but the first of a flow of reports. In all, twelve pods had made their way into Larsima controlled territory and hit planets on the Larsima Colony fringe. Most of these planets were but lifeless rocks. Two however, were jungle worlds, and one just happened to land on a planet containing a small colony of civilians. All twelve planets were fire bombed. The small colony of 13,000 was the heaviest loss of the Larsima Colony Worlds. The Jungle worlds themselves only contained small garrisons, 2,000 and 1,300 respectively. One of the lifeless rocks also contained a small garrison and a research station. Fortunately for its inhabitants, the entire research station was shut tight, and was on the other side of the planet when the pod hit. The inhabitants of 631 were evacuated and were deemed safe. They, are however, in quarantine.

In total, approximately 21,800 Empryians lost their lives.

However, there were twelve in total that Larsima Command knew about. Scout cruisers were immediately dispatched to search all systems near and within the Larsima Colony Worlds. This would be the Larsima's biggest problem by far. Empryian Naval technology is very expensive, and sometimes almost prohibitively so. The amount of ground to cover with such a limited amount of warships would take time the Larsima Colony Worlds most certainly didn't have. If this was a precusor to a real invasion, reinforcements were needed.

Task Force 56 was sent to the New Rydel system, where scouts had tracked the trajectory and pinpointed a star from which the pod had come from, to subsequently land on the jungle planet New Rydel VI. Task Force 56, 33 warships, Task Force 58, 30 warships, and Task Force 59, 29 warships, met to form Flotilla 7. Admiral Hykel was given overall command of the flotilla and was charged with waiting for further orders while the Larsima Government sent word...

...from one side of the galaxy..

...to the other...

The Larsima Colony Worlds were literally just that, colony worlds, settled by huge colony ships from the other side of the galaxy where the Federated Monarchy of Empryia resides. The Emperor must be notified. Were this to have taken place within the boundaries of the Monarchy, the Emperor most likely would just whiped the planet into oblivion. Reinforcements would be sent, but the trans-galactic gate in Larsima Prime could only be used for a certain amount of jumps before recharges and overhauls were required.

In the meatime, the Larsima Government decided to use an older way to deal with this. They sent a message to the system from which the pods had originated from. A Trial of Grievance they called for.

*** Begin Transmission***

Aliens who threaten our lands. A Trial of Grievance is called upon you. By the lives of our people, you shall pay for your transgression. Call up a fleet of your best warriors, and meet us in the Osolan System. 92 warships of the Larsima Protectorate Navy will meet you there. There, you shall fight. What forces shall you bring to this trial. You have 48 hours to comply. If you do not reply by then, Total War be upon you. And we will not rest until your planet, and every last one of your kind...

Is put to the torch.

***End Transmission***

As the first destroyed planet, and the first loss of Empryian lives, Osolan was chosen, and Hykel, who had to first see the loss of Empryian lives, chosen to avenge the honor of those lost. Flotilla VII, ninety-two warships, arrived in the Osolan system, prepared strategy, and made ready for war.

Above New Rykel, Task Forces Sixth through Seventy, 302 warships in total, joined together to form Flotilla 6. And above Larsima, Task Forces Fifty through Fifty-five, and Fifty-seven, 190 warships, gathered. They made ready to move to the system where the pods had come from if the reponses was not made.

Hykel watched and waited. He knew what would come. His forces were ready and determined. 92 warships were under his command. Eight of those were Heavy Carriers. The great hammer of the Empryian Fleet. What his Battleships and Battlecruiser could not do, his Strike-Wings could.

Hykel made his plans...

Better
Upgrade
Missiles
Pronto

OOC: Damn parents, making me visit relatives. DP, your post still says you're trying to hail the ship that launched the pods when they're coming from the planet and moon.

IC:
The matka nods in confirmation. "We believe in reusing all resources available. We have picked up transmissions about how the ultimate punishment outside our system is death. Here, however," The matka gestures toward a freshly planted pod, where a corpse is growing dense and bulbous. "It is rebirth. These criminals sought to harm our world for their own advance, so in balance we harm them to advance our world. The virus weakened us, so in balance it will strengthen us."

As she finished her statement, the Xanthalian ships could be seen through the film. She sighs and turns toward the representative. "Either you are late in returning, or our people are about to pay for the transgressions of the priestess who targetted inhabited planets. I doubt even a living rebirth is enough puni-"

The matka is cut off by a moth flying down the hall to her and landing on her ear. She looks concerned as she probes the creature's mind, then scowls. "My apologies, but it is no longer safe for you in our system. My escort shall return you to your ship so that you can safely take leave. I must prepare my fleet for combat. Apparently we need to face a Trial of Grievance or something like that."

Moths suddenly fill her hair from slits in the walls, and she brims over with messages. Cancel further pod launchs. Prepare the deadgliders, woodwraiths, rotwurms, all combat vessels capable of intersystem travel. Reinforce system defenses. Grow more combat vessels, increase punishment severity if neccesary.

Bring me to the Perfect Circle.

OOC: N o it says pods are coming form the planet so i found a ship thats around the planet.

OOC: You're going to have to wait on the Xanthalian ships; it'll take them hours to even leave Xanthalian space, so I'll treat your mention of them as a mistake. Also, I didn't think my character was talking to the matka, just a priestess.

IC: "I am sorry to hear that. I will inform my government of the Devrakin's proclaimed intentions and attempt to mobilize a diplomatic effort towards establishing relations with your people when I return. I am sorry that the Devrakin's first foray into the universe beyond your system has gone so badly, and I hope that we can meet again." With that, Kado executes a final bow and returns to the Xanthalian shuttle. A few minutes later the Käleka lifts off and leaves the base, beginning its flight back to the sord.

OOC: Dev, I'm going to imagine you sent a reply to the Trial message acknowledging that you would meet my forces in the Osolan System... Unless, you want to fight a battle over your home planet.

IC:

Good Omen beheld the annihilated planet below her in sorrow and anger. The atomic and antimatter fires had all but extinguished, but the planet was still a complete hellhole. Tectonics were unstable, volcanoes and earthquakes were prevalent and a greenhouse effect of black smoke covered the planet. The utter destruction tore into the souls of everyone who looked upon it: a pristine jungle paradise, a diamond, a shining beacon of life in an uncaring, death filled universe, eradicated in a mere instant.

Hykel could not tell if he felt the warship itself grieve for the loss of such beauty, or if it was just his own emotions reverberating throughout it. He had heard reports that a few of the pods had been found, infesting lifeless balls of rocks. They were put to the torch as well. Empryia had already dealt with its own bout of planet consuming viruses, and felt that such a virus constituted the utmost threat to the security of its people. She had already used such weapons upon herself, during the Splintering Years, as the entire nation crumbled into open warfare upon its various sects and groups. Untold billions had lost their lives, especially as the end drew near, and the instigators of the rebellion were cornered in their last stronghold. The entire solar system, totalling 27 billion, had died in one catasthrophic death blow as their leaders made their last stand, turning their planet consuming viruses onto themselves and launching their nuclear and antimatter weapons at the sun. The system still remains, as a reminder of the horrors of those times...

And Hykel made sure that he would be the first to die before he saw the ushering in of those times again especially since the first reinforcements from Empryia proper had just arrived. Those reinforcements included a Power-class Heavy Battleship, a beautiful warship of power and destruction just over 7,000 meters long, with the firepower to match that of two Executor-class Star Dreadnaughts (SW canon recently changed their identification to Star Dreadnaughts). Hopefully, it would not come to the use of such large warships.

He maneuvered his warship into a new angle, taking one last glance of the planet below him. He warped away, ready to take on his new enemy.

They would arrive soon.

OOC: No, you didn't. (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=10175905&postcount=12) Good call assuming the transmission, Emp, I was going transitory mode with the posts.

IC:
The Devrakin fleet screamed through the stars, a humble host grown from scratch toward a single goal: slaughter.

The smallest of the ships were the deadgliders, clawed pods that had been seen before by the Xanthalian shuttle. They were scattered throughout the fleet in clusters, taking the role of fightercraft.

Next in order were the woodwraiths, solid corvettes infused with unnatural growth. Each bore a quartet of vinelike tentacles headed with large pores, and the nose of the vessel held a pilot bulb.

Slightly larger than the woodwraiths in overall mass were the rotwurms. There were only a few, but their design worked toward a dedicated purpose. The pilot bulb at the head was especially dense, the the lengthy body layer with rending spines. They were intended to fight larger prey.

There were also three light cruisers, each individually designed. One was a squirming mass of micromuscles and pores, ready to spray corrosive microlife at any foe within range. There was a sleek vessel with an insectlike design and clawed limbs the size of corvettes. The third seemed the most ominous, being a large pod covered with especially dense smaller pods.

The main vessel, however, was the Perfect Circle. It was the command ship, only the size of a corvette. However, aside from the parts devoted to maintaining life, the ship was formed completely of microneurons, connecting directly to the matka's brain. These excess neurons allowed her to control the fleet as one with ease, and hopefully allow her to delve critical data from the minds of her foes.

She made some quick calculations, and all the pilot bulbs reversed their positions. The Devrakin had arrived.

Repling to my post would be nice.....

The warships of the Flotilla 7 had positioned themselves within the system, ready to pounce upon their foes upon their entry. The arrival of the Devrakin warships definately did not go unnoticed. The scout cruisers Lorel and Sendais watched as the enemy fleet entered into the system. Their numbers were only a few in their larger capital ships, but the numbers of their lighter craft had yet to come in since the distance the scout cruisers put between themselves and the enemy fleet, plus their cloak, could mean their sensor amplification could only work so much without announcing their location to the enemy.

The scout cruiser Omicr however, warped to within a few hundred kilometers of the enemy fleet. Her ECM fully engaged, she began evasive maneuvers to a predesignated position. The black and gold painted starship flew through the void, her drives pushing her easily through space. Even while in evasive manuevers, her powerful sensors read off the larger capital ships. When she arrived, she fired off a tight beam transmission...

And seven Longbow-Heavy Cruisers, Four Gunslinger-class Heavy Cruisers, Three Wall of Fire-class Cruisers and a Disturbance-class Assault Carrier warped to the Omicr. The seven Longbows and four Gunslingers opened fire on the light cruiser, the sleek vessel with the crab like claws.

The Longbows vomited antimatter torpedoes from their external racks, the torpedoes flying fast towards their target. As they neared their target, their warheads primed. The Gunslingers opened fire with their large Railguns. The antimatter tipped slugs launched from their barrels at nearly half the speed of light, and only increased in speed as they kept moving.

The three Wall of Fire Cruisers interspersed themselves between the larger Heavy Cruisers. The warships carrying the coveted Assault Missile Launchers and Rapid Fire Railguns and large amounts of LAMS (Laser Anti-Missile System), the Wall of Fire crusiers were meant to defend against missile and fighter strikes.

All of the warships launched their StrikeFighters. Almost all Empryian warships carried some amount of StrikeFighters, as a way to balance out their very expensive high-tech warships. The Catechysm of Light, the Disturbnance-class Assault Carrier, launched 70 StrikeFighters and 30 StrikeBombers.

The war was on.

When the Triumvirate learns that fighting has already begun, they call off their fleet and content themselves with observing from afar. The Devrakin will be heard from again, after all. If, that is, they survive.