NationStates Jolt Archive

The cold darkness of space tore itself apart as Tidani Sonar class TRS Pioneer transitioned into real space. Sensor systems sprung to life taking in all around them. A typical system really; two scorched planetoids close to the sun, a fertile green and blue planet, another habitable rocky planet, a large purple gas giant, followed by two more gas giants. The two habitable planets showed signs of life, but that was not the thing that drew the captain’s attention. The purple gas giant had no moons, but it had a large bright energy rift orbiting like a moon. It was unlike anything they had seen before, so their first action was to investigate. They moved inward to the gas giant and the rift.
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“Darkbreed, they have entered our enemy’s stronghold. What are your orders?” A dark and twisted voice asked from a dark, dimly purple-lit bridge.

The answer came from the face on a communications display. “Our plans are moving ahead too quickly here to allow interference. Do not let them make contact, destroy them.” The connection was terminated.

“Phase the ship, prepare weapons, and target the Orothean ship. I want to destroy them and get out of here fast. I don’t like being around my old home.” The captain commanded the bridge crew.

A subordinate spoke up. “If we reveal ourselves, the others will kill us.”

The captain took out his side arm and shot the crewmember. As he was dragged away the captain barked at the rest of the crew. “We will give our lives for the advancement of the Core!” Then he added, “One way or the other.”
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The Pioneer was getting close to the rift when behind them a massive ship materialized. It’s hull was dark and looked like it was covered by living matter. Its form was indescribable, like it had been formed by dozens of other ships fused together. Without warning or time to react energy bolts crackling with black lightning slammed into the ship.
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A large alien male stood high on a bridge looking out a bridge window. Outside bright swirling energy was all around them. Another approached and saluted. “Keeper, a core ship has entered the system. It has begun attacking another ship, scans indicate…Orothean life signs.”

The commander of the ship was stirred to attention. “What? How is that possible?”

“Unknown Keeper,” The other replied, “but their ship is not well equipped. We estimate 20 min until lethal damage.”

“Move us out. Tell the Bagala’s to protect the Orothean ship, or what ever it is. I want our Quors to direct a full bombardment at the Core ship as soon as they have a clear shot.”
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The Pioneer was a Sonar class, designed for exploration not combat. Its shields fell quickly, the hull ruptured in many places. The deathblow left the hostile ship and shot towards the Pioneer, but this time the bolt impacted half way between the ships. The electric energy discharged across an unseen mass as it outlined a hull. Now stealth systems dropped and a sleek black ship appeared. The ship that had taken the hit for the Pioneer vectored off and fired a few beams at the enemy. A massive bolt of golden energy slammed into the hostile ship as a small armada exited the rift. Energy and torpedoes flowed forth from the fleet severely damaging the forward section of the hostile. The hostile ship continued to charge its weapons trying to fire, but the damage made the banks unstable. Massive eruptions ripped through its bow as chain reactions found their way back to the reactors and generators. The entire ship ripped apart. Heavily armed destroyers moved in and began pounding the remains into dust. It was like they knew something about the ship that made it too dangerous to salvage or take prisoners.

Water was still venting into space from the heavily damaged Pioneer. The large carrier ship that had come to the rescue of the small sonar class now moved in close. Water was beamed from the sonar into a sealed section of the carrier. Lifesigns were beamed off the Pioneer and into the section.
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Captain Oda of the Pioneer awoke to strange surroundings. His head hurt very badly as he strained to focus on suited strangers approaching him. They spoke to him, “Welcome Orothean. I am Groll, commander of this ship, and Keeper of Hyr and the Confederation of Tidan. Welcome home lost one.” Then the vision of the strangers faded as Oda blacked out again.

Navguard, Aquila

Chancellor Ryak sat back in his chair. He stared blankly at the world outside his window as a school of fish wandered by. He was awakened by the door pager, looking at the monitor his guest was identified as Vice Chancellor Alac and he opened the door.

"Alac! It's good to see you. How was your vacation?"

The Vice Chancellor continued walking to the desk. There was a blank look in his eyes, he did not answer.

Ryak became worried. "What's wrong Alac?" It was too late, the Vice Chancellor no longer had a will of his own. Alac stood just infront of the desk and his face morphed to show excruciating pain as inside of him chemicals mixed and detonated.
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Sirens filled the capital as dust and debris drifted from the Senate building. A large hole had been ripped out of the side of the building, half was in danger of collapsing.

Minister of Law Qwade appeared on national, planetary, and galactic news nets. Earlier today the Chancellor and Vice Chancellor were assassinated in an explosion that damaged the Senate building. In order to conduct a thorough investigation into those behind this attack, marshal law has been enacted throughout the nation. Travel in and out of Aquila has been suspended, and a curfew has been enacted in the capital and other major cities. Senators and government officials are being rounded up for questioning following the attack until we can determine who if anyone in the government was involved in this betrayal. As of this moment the nation is under military control. I will continue to breif the nation as the investigation continues.
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Later in the Minister of Law's office in the Guardian Headquarters a communication channel chimed to life. Qwade opened the channel.

A shadowy figure appeared on the screen, his features could not be made out apart from the red glowing eyes that pierced the screen. "Well?"

"Everything is proceeding according to plan. Soon there will be no political resistance." Qwade answered.

Oda awoke to being carried into a bright room. He was lowered into a seat, adjusting to the light he saw a large curved table with eleven aliens sitting at it. Each one was different, but they all looked…familiar. Just then he noticed that he was out of the water. Grabbing for his gills he noticed that his aero-breathers were in place.

“A little more advanced than the orothe tech from ages past, but we figured it out.” One of the aliens sitting near the center said. His skin was lightly tanned and his hair looked like ivy.

Oda tried to understand what was going on around him. “How…Who are you?”

The aliens looked back and forth amongst each other for a minute. Oda couldn’t hear what they said, if anything. This time the blue-skinned one sitting in the center chair, regal robes draped over its form, spoke up. “Why orothean, we are you. We are the same.”

“I don’t understand. Why do you keep calling me orothean?”

The center figure looked puzzled. “That is what you are. Just as Drajan is a d’Reshi;” He pointed to one of the aliens sitting at one of the ends of the table, and then to the other end. “Odavast is a Naran, Olabra is a Bograthi, Boria is a Paradan, Targ’n is a Kybarite, Zaya is a Weaver, Motash is an Underneather, Barak is a Calder, Jaela is an Arderial, and Orwin is a Naroomi so are you an Orothean. That is your region, your tribe.”

“My what? How do you know who I am? I am Tidani not Orothean.”

The leader laughed. “As are we all. We are hyren, a species of this world. There are hyren that while very intelligent are not advanced and live like animals. Those whom you see before you represent the ten tribes of sentient hyren, we call ourselves Tidani.” The leader saw that his guest was still confused. “Perhaps something of a history lesson is in order.” He gathered his thoughts. “We are the Universal Council. Each member here is an Elder of his or her tribe and together we rule the Confederation of Tidan. It has been this way since the beginning. Then Orothe was a member of the Council, before the Shadow War. You see, we are not being of dust and ash as others of this universe. Our people were born in the Dream Realm, a plane of reality beyond this one. When the first sentient species awoke in this reality they began to dream. It was from these first dreams that the Dream Realm was forged. For millions of years we lived in innocence, until the Core emerged. The Core unleashed the nightmares of the universe against us and we banished them from our realm. The Dream Realm was finally and forever pure. Alas, we could not stay hidden away forever. This world, Hyr, was created linked to our realm. We were drawn out to this reality to live mortal lives, only able to return when our lives here have ended. The Core had been preparing for that day, and attacked our people. We fought for centuries until we finally drove them from our space again, but not without taking heavy casualties. Orothe took very heavy losses and the region was corrupted. They felt betrayed and despite our protests left Hyr for the stars. We had not heard from you until now.”

“Who attacked us then?”

“That was the Core. We don’t know why they would sacrifice themselves to prevent you from coming here, but the Core has no good motives. We would like to return you to your people and meet with your leaders. If the Core is stalking you we must warn your people.” He dismissed the Council and took Oda with him down the hallway. He smiled at the young captain. “We have waited for you for a long time, Orothean.”

Six Months Later

Navguard, Aquila

A sinister voice came through the holo-communicator. "I hope you have progress to report this time Qwade. I have been very disappointed by your set backs so far."

Emergency Chancellor Qwade folded his arms in frustration. "If you had given us more time to prepare things would have gone smoother. We were not ready for this, BUT you will be happy to know that rebels have taken control of the government agencies, the senators have been arrested and executed, and the entire third and fourth fleets have been replaced with rebel personnel while the others have been grounded." Qwade's smug attitude did not hide itself in the slightest.

The red eyes stared at him through the darkness for a minute. "What about the first fleet and Star General Kanya?"

Qwade's mood was destroyed as his superior brought up his largest failure since the coup. "She...remains elusive. We think she is being aided by some of our allies but we have not been able to determine who." Infact, Kanya and her fugitive fleet had been on the run for 3 months. When sweeping tranfers and purges were implemented throughout the fleets and her ships had been grounded, she had seen enough of the "Emergency Government" and disobeying orders fled the system. Her fleet had been raiding Aquila's convoys and trade routes to stay alive since then. Fighting her own people had been hard but she could not return.

"Then you had best look harder." Was the reply and the channel went dead.

Some time later...

In Orbit of Aquila
A small dark ship silently slips past the blockade of Aquila's rebel defenders and their new found friends. On board Qwade smiles to himself, his mission here is done. The coup went far better than they had ever expected, an entire fleet replaced by his co-conspirators had escaped already, and though the Tidani had now managed to stop him... it was too late. He began to laugh as he passed by the large ships that had no idea he was even there, and quietly jumped out of the system.

Navguard
Commander Faal and his team moved in on the Chancellor's chamber. The Universal Council had come to aid the rebellion he had been helping for months. They also managed to sway the public away from the insidious traitors sent by the Core, to behind his movement. Their new found tidani borthers had warned them of the corruption and destruction that the Core would bring, Faal only hoped they could reverse things before it was too late.

They smashed in the door and hydro-concussive grenades detonated inside. The team rushed the office, but it was empty.

Several hours later
A search of the city had turned up nothing. Qwade had dissolved into clear water.

Faal leaned back in the Chancellor's chair as he reported the news to the allied fleet in orbit. "Unfortunately the searches are still turning up nothing. There is no trace of him here, and both security and the main computer cores are wiped clean. We have no way of knowing what they were planning or who is corrupted."

The communications conferrenced Mobis, the new leader of Aquilan Tidani or as they were now refered to Orothean, Orwin the representitive of the Universal Council of the Confederation of Tidan who had come to Aquila fearing the worst and had been ready for a fight, as well as Star General Kanya.

Mobis began the replies. "If there is truely nothing left we need to put this whole thing behind us and prepare ourselves for a second attack."

Orwin and Kanya chimed in arguing what actions to take, but Faal's attention drifted. Something off caught his eye.

Navguard

Crews had been working to recover any data left on the AI network system. So far not much had been recovered, but the address of several messages to the former chancellor caught his eye. AIC&C. Aquilan Iceburg Command and Control. The military command charged with the planet's defenses.

Faal started to sweat. He accessed the military network. On the surface the Iceburg Cannons appeared to be operational, but a deeper check revealed that their control had been sabotaged. This was bad.

The debate between the leaders of the orbiting fleets continued while Faal worked, but now he interrupted them. "We have a big problem. Qwade disabled our defenses before he left."

"What?" Mobis was enraged.

Kanya sunk. "That traitor escaped and now we are sitting ducks. How could things get worse?"

Faal grimissed.
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Asteroid Belt, Vengence System, Current Base of the Core

A small black shuttle arrived in the system several hours ago. The occupant was rushed to the thrown room. Some time later a large missile launched from one of the asteroids. It left the belt and jumped out of the system.

In the shadows these events passed through the sight of one they were not intended to. A young naroomi spy broke his cover and transmitted all he had seen to the council. Then he ran.

Unfortunately there was no where to go, and before too long Yaki stood in front of the head of the Core's secret police. "Hey Morag, I was wondering when you guys would catch up to me. You're losing your touch."

Morag towered over the young naroomi. His dark form resembling something like a dead twisted tree from a nightmare was covered with glowing teal ruins.

"You have eluded me for the last time fool. I would kill you myself, but Darkbreed has other plans."

A smile if it could be called that formed on his face, one that would make even the vilest tyrrant awake in a cold sweat.

Yaki was brought to the thrown room where the leader of those bannished from paradise awaited. He was chained and forced to kneal before Darkbreed.

Darkbreed looked down at the spy, his glowing red eyes narrowed with arcane pleasure.

"Well, well. For one so young you are very brave. You will make a most worthy servant."

Darkbreed's wings opened wide and with a deep breath he breathed out a dark cloud of shadow essence. The shadow wrapped itself around Yaki and as he writhed in pain his body morphed, and the darkness overcame him.

Vengence System

Space broke open as a Bagala destroyer appeared from a near by system. When Yaki was taken captive he had activated a panic signal. It had been jammed amost immediately but it needed only a split second to fulfill it's purpose.

The destroyer's cloaking systems hid it from the Core's defenses for now. It flew into the field close enough to get a lock on Yaki's bio locator.

"Sir, I've got his signal but his lifesigns are failing."

The captain of the ship responded. "Well then get him out now."
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Yaki was forced to his knees by the power corrupting him. His body was numb and being ravaged by shadow. His mind was not so lucky. He was completely aware as the darkness assaulted his mind, powerless to resist.

Darkbreed stood victorious as his foe was consumed, but then a spark of light interrupted the process.
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Yaki awoke on a medical bed back home. The nightmare faded from his mind until he opened his eyes. His body was dark and corrupted, fortunately he had been pulled out before his mind was enslaved. He still felt like himself, though evil voices taunted the dark recesses of his mind.

He had been saved from servitude to the Core, though his life had been changed forever.