NationStates Jolt Archive

(OOC: Looking for one person whom wishes to discover my little Empire after it’s loss as part of my backstory, so first-come-first-served – although I would prefer a literate RPer interested in character-developing for this one. And no blowing up my nation, please.)

Where any budding enthusiasts of galactic history to search the ancient historical archives of the Terran colonisation of the Milky Way, they would be hard-pressed to discover many references to Vindikar; a small, private colonisation scheme numbering some two hundred thousand volunteers and several hundred million dollars worth of construction materials and equipment, hydroponics technology and design blueprints that left the eternal motherland and went to the stars in search of new frontiers. The several dozen Starships eventually located and colonised a small, Earth-like planet in a system several hundred lightyears from the cradle of humanity, and set up a home in what was declared the Vindikar system, named after the colony’s first elected President, Sir Thomas Vindikar.

From this point on, the almost non-existent records than totally disappear following a complete loss of all communication with the colony through any means whatsoever. Several ships sent forth by both state- and privately-funded investigators were unable to find a single trace of the Vindikar system, let alone the colony. Vessels approaching the galactic coordinates of the system reported an area of strange spatial anomalies too dangerous to enter, as if someone had dropped a barrier around the entire system of four planets, six moons and a Sol-type star. Completely baffled, the matter was put down to some cataclysmic failure within the Vindikar star that had completely eradicated the system, and the issue was dismissed as one of the many failed settlements in the history of Terran expansion across the galaxy.

The mystery surrounding the disappearance of the entire Vindikar system would have remained forgotten were it not for the signal. Two hundred years after the complete disappearance of the Vindikar system within the area of spatial anomalies, the barriers disappeared as suddenly as they formed. From the depths of a star system lost for two centuries and now completely unknown in culture, society and technology to the rest of the galaxy, a signal was beamed beyond the borders of Vindikar, and to anyone who might be listening. A basic hailing message of mathematics, human biology and greetings, the underlying announcement was plain.

'We are here.'

Bump

ooc: Why not... I have a character set aside for the RP and a single ship that is not capable of destroying a planet though it can defend itself. Just let me know what you are looking for

IC:

The Rangers were created by the Abh Empire to listen and watch the workings of the universe. They searched from one galaxy to another just listening and waiting. Intelligence gathering was key to any nation's survival but something more was needed than just the Abh Intelligence Agency (AIA) and thus the Rangers were created from the furthest reaches of the Empire. The finest warriors were pulled together for this never ending mission. They were all trained on D'Hara by Lord Rahl and there weapons may look primitive but each one was uniquely crafted with its own special ability. No lightsaber would break these.

A sole Whitestar vessel was traveling in Hyperspace. Commander Ike, who was one of the few actual Abh in the Rangers, sat at the helm of the vessel. They had taken to studying the history of past nations that were no longer on the galactic scene. Times were strange now as those once though gone were now returning. And so Ike's ship was sent into the depths of space to find out these past civilizations in hopes that they were not gone for ever. Of course there was always the case where corporations had stepped in and taken the planet for its economic value. Such were the dead ends of this mission.

Now they were drifting towards another such system where planets were said to be dorment. Ike's team would now scan every inch of rock to find out the truth for themselves. This mission may not have been a great success but they were mapping the universe in greater detail than had ever been done before. "Anything yet?"

The woman that was manning the communications station shook her head. "No nothing yet."

Ike sighed and rested his head on his right fist while looking at a holographic map screen in front of his face. "Alright, bring us towards this sector at grid 5-3 and increase the power to the scanners. Take weapon systems offline if you have to."

"Yes sir. Changing course."

The Whitestar turned changing course as it came out of Hyperspace over a planet. Scanners were set to as full as was possible. At first there was nothing but then a signal that couldn't be ignored come bouncing back at them. "Sir, we have a signal incoming. Message reading 'We are here'."

Ike sat up a little. "Send a message in response. Match their frequency and try to send this message back directly to the same source."

The woman worked at the controls for a moment. "Transmission settings have been refigured. Ready for message."

"Alright. Send this...."

This is Ranger Ike of the Abh Empire. We were exploring this sector for lost civilizations when we locked on to your signal. We do not mean to cause you harm, merely to gain an understanding of the universe's history.

Character and Ship:
Ike (http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h255/Abh_Empire/Fire%20Emblem/scr_125.jpg)
Whitestar (http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h255/Abh_Empire/wsglory.jpg)

OOC: Largely looking for an opportunity to introduce my nation and culture, build up some characters to RP with later, and perhaps forge some diplomatic ties. Thanks for the excellent post, by the way.

The signal from the Abh Whitestar shot through space like a bullet of digital audio information, leaving the confines of the system they currently visited and travelling at lightning speed into the mysterious borders of the Vindikar Solar System nearby. It bounced off a newly-constructed relay beacon established on Vindikar 4-2, the second moon of the gas giant Vindikar 4, sitting at the edge of the system.

From there, it was bounced further through space and time, travelling with pinpoint accuracy to a blue-green gem of life that sat second-closest to the sun, comparatively far from it's radiation and heat so as to sustain life.

Then there was quiet.

Almost half a standard hour later, a second message returned along the same route as the Abh correspondance, bouncing from the Vindikar 4-2 Relay and out towards the Whitestar sitting in the neighbouring system.

We have received your reply and acknowledge your alleged intentions. You are given permission to approach the borders of our sovereign territory, established at 6 AUs outside of the orbital path of Vindikar 4, our furthest body. You will then be met by a Vindikaran Escort and given further instructions.
The message finished, and Vindikar returned once again to silence.

OOC: Bump for people wanting to read

ooc: No problem.

IC:

The Whitestar sat in space for quite some time while the message was being relayed. As the half hour was slowly approaching its end, doubts began to creep into the crew's mind. "Do you think it could be just an ancient beacon that was recently activated by seismic activity?"

Ike was back in his previous pose with his head on his fist while his left fingers drummed the arm rest. "That is always a possibility. Did you track the transmission?"

"No sir, we didn't have time to follow it but there are trails that would indicate that the message was sent elsewhere."

Ike lifted his head. "If it was relayed, then that means this is only a beacon to travellers and explorers. A beacon with a message that would allow a hidden system to discern our motives and our true intentions. Very clever. Keep the ship in position and..."

"Sir. Receiving transmission."

"Put it through."

The transmission was read back to him. "Alright. Set our course and proceed with caution. I don't want to appear like a bat out of hell."

"Roger that."

A flash of light and then a tear in the fabric of space showed the gateway back into hyperspace. The flight only take a minute or so until the same display reappeared signaling the entrance into normal space. The whitestar glided silently to its assigned destination.

The edge of the Vindikar System was a largely desolate piece of space, inhabited only by some general asteroid debris that commonly attached itself to the gravitational pull of stars they passed. At this distance, Vindikar 4 and it’s collection of moons would have been clear on magnified viewers, but little beyond that at this distance.

Again, the Whitestar was left in silence, with no transmission from deep within the confines of the solar system. The beacon at Vindikar 4-2 had gone completely quiet, awaiting any potential message that is was asked to convey.

Time dragged on, passing two Earth Standard hours, and still the Whitestar was left sitting. Sensors readings into the system would still be hazy, with the remains of the spatial anomalies still not completely faded from our dimensions of existence. However, scanners would have picked up massive sources of unexploited mineral reserves, and that the second planet to the star held some form of life.

As with seemingly everything associated with the Vindikar system so far, the contact appeared quite suddenly. Long-range sensors would have detected an incoming Starship travelling at twice the speed of light, and a few moments later a brilliant flash denoted its return to sublight speeds.

The craft approached with the Vindikar Star directly behind, its outline casting a dark shadow against the stark colour of the sun. Scans of the ship would have reported it to be layered with 300 millimetres of steel armour around its hull and superstructure, and powered by a fusion reactor.

As the vessel drew closer and left the glare of the star, its design could be seen much clearer. A spherical hull, seemingly the command section, made up the front of the craft, with a spherical secondary hull attached to the rear of the craft. Two long, thin, spherical faster-than-light nacelles sat on pylons extending from the roof and the underside of the secondary hull like a pair of spears poised to be thrown. The only visual armament was the torpedo tubes in the centre-forward section of the command hull, and on the rear of the secondary hull below what seemed to be a spacecraft hangar. Illuminated along the sides of the sphere was the name ‘VFS Aquilla’ , with the registry number ’NIC-105’ printed upon the nacelles, along with ’Federation of Vindikar’ in bold capitals.

The craft slowed to a halt, seemingly staring down the Whitestar from where it sat. Then, a audio message was transmitted from the ‘Aquilla’ to the Whitestar,

This is Kapitain Alzander of the Vindikaran Federation Starship 'Aquilla' to Ranger Ike of the Abh Empire. We thankyou for following your provided instructions. We would like to request a meeting between you and myself onboard the 'Aquilla' to establish basic ties as representatives of our respective governments. After this, we will escort you to the Federation homeworld to further your investigations.

The Whitestar sat there in space patiently waiting for another reply or possible visual on the civilization that they were chasing down. Instead they were greeted with more silence. Ike went back to drumming his fingers on the panel once again. "If we actually make contact with these people, I believe improving their communication capabilities should be a priority."

Slight chuckles came from the crew that were sitting around him. "Is there anymore information from their history?"

A man that was acting as the scholar on this journey shook his head. "No. The only information our library could come up with was a few remarks about the nation and a general area from which they came."

Ike hmphed. "I see. I wonder what kind of technology they use and what their ships look like."

He need not wonder any longer as the ship revealed itself in a flash. New or different were words that described this ship unjustly. The scanners picked it up at once when it approached the whitestar. "Commander, picking up unknown ship. I believe it is who we are looking for."

"Excellent. Put it on screen and show me."

The command deck appeared to shimmer and dissolve when in reality it was merely another holographic screen displaying the universe around them. The ship was magnified until it took up the entire screen. "Well. I think we found the natives."

"Sir, they are sending another transmission."

The message went through the same channels as before and was read to Ike. "Prepare a shuttle and send this in reply."

Request granted. A shuttle will depart shortly for your ship. I look forward to meeting with you face-to-face.

A small shuttle dropped from the lower docking bay of the ship and shot off towards the Aquilla.

OOC: As a general reference, I design my own starships but tend to adhere loosely to the style of early Star Trek vessels - all the pictures I've done are in pencil in a notebook however, so I'll have to scan them in along with the specs at some point.

IC:

The Shuttle from the Abh Whitestar was instructed to maneouvre around to the rear of the Secondary Hull, where it was placed on a flightpath for docking. The flight deck doors slid open silently in the void, and several navigation lights illuminated the edges of the hangar so as to aide navigation. Below the hangar doors, the lower half of the curved cylinder end held a pair of torpedo tubes that stared ominously at the approaching shuttle as it slowed for touchdown.

Inside the hangar, the shuttle touched down onto the flight deck next to a pair of small fighters, roughly ten metres in length and seemingly armed with some kind of cannons within the nose-cone. At the other end of the hangar, a long tinted window next to a pressure hatch observed the alien vessel as it secured itself.

The hangar doors shut, and a recorded voice in English messaged the shuttle, politely informing them that the hangar was being pressurised and not to leave the craft. After several moments, the sound of an alarm horn could be discerned as soundwaves were allowed to move once more. Once the pressurisation was complete and the atmosphere created, the alarm horn ceased.

At that point, the pressure hatch hissed as the hydraulic locks were released, and the thick door slid open. At that point, twelve people stepped through the gap. The first thing was that they were noticeably human, but with areas of difference. Two hundred years of development in a new system with a different biosphere had caused slight changes, making these people alien at the same time as familiar. Their skin color was a deep orange, and each man was slightly but noticeably shorter and broader-shouldered then the average human, with heights ranging from five feet four inches to the tallest five feet nine, each with a larger muscular build. They were dressed in two-piece uniforms comprising black trousers and dark grey pullovers, with their rank insignias in white. On the left shoulder of each person was a flag, vaguely resembling the Old Glory in its thirteen stripes but instead maintaining an earth-like globe in its top left corner. The group split into two assemblies of six, and lined up either side of the hatchway to the Abh shuttle like a human corridor, facing inwards. Each had a rifle at their sides, the design suggesting a form of primitive laser weapon.

Following them through the hatchway was a man dressed in a similar fashion, say for a black peaked cap upon his head with 'VFS Aquilla' printed across the front, with 'NIC-105' in smaller text below that. He stood at the end of the two rows of people, facing the entrance to the shuttle. His own rank insignia comprised of four globe-shaped pins along his collar, denoting some authority. In a nod to historical naval fashion, one of the waiting men took a whistle from his pocket and sounded the three-note signal for people coming aboard.

The group waited.

The manuever provided Ike with a fuller view of the ship and allowed him time to get a better measure of size. The design was a fairly old one, one that the Abh had not seen for sometime. Now with a closer look, it was easier to tell that there had been modifications to the overall design. Hopefully, they were all improvements. Many years ago, ships like these had found their way into conflict with the Abh fleets and their weaknesses were discovered through battle.

Ike's shuttle slowly entered the docking bay firing thrusters every so often to keep in line. Three panels from the bottom of the ship dropped down to act as support for landing. Ike waited patiently inside the hatch as the instructions had asked. "Well at least they know Galactic Standard. I suppose it wouldn't be funny to speak Baronh to them... No probably not."

Silence was his signal that it was time to greet this hidden nation. A staired ramp in the back of the shuttle dropped for Ike's descension. Hard heeled boots clicked on the metal as he slowly walked down the stairs and around the shuttle to come into full view.

As was custom with the Abh race, his hair was blue. Ike's in particular was a fairly dark and rich hue. Unlike the Abh though, he wore no tiara so his extra sensory organ was in plain view in the middle of his forehead. To those that were unfamiliar with the Abh race, it would only appear to be a small swirling grey jewel set in the middle of his forehead.

The Abh considered themselves the "Kin of the Stars" since they were created perfectly for life in space, however Ike's body had changed somewhat during his time with the Rangers. The Abh were rumored to be exceptionally beautiful with pale skin. They were typically skinnier on the average and stood at about six feet tall. Ike stood at about six foot three inches and he was anything but skinny. Muscles graced his body from training with the large sword that rested at his hip. A red cape hung loosely at his shoulders and a half leather breast plate that covered his right chest. The emblem of the Abh empire was embroidered on it. An eight headed dragon with six heads facing opposite directions and two heads encircling in the middle.

Ike clicked his heels together and saluted once he was closer. "I am Ranger Ike of the Abh Empire."

The man in the peaked hat, now clearly the man in charge, stood stiffly to attention in front of the Ranger. At five feet and seven inches of height, the Abh towered over the smaller Vindikararan Officer; if the shorter man felt nervous at this, then he showed nothing but quiet authority in his eyes.

He saluted Ike, bringing the side of his palm to his eyebrow at a 45 degree angle, before twisting his arm down at the elbow so it was horizontal across his chest. He then smiled and relaxed his stance slightly. "I welcome Ranger Ike of the Abh Empire," he said in Galactic Standard English, albeit with an unusual accent that caused him to 'b' and the 'p' in each word. "I am Commander J'rod D'vidson, second-in-command on the 'VFS Aquilla.'"

He looked over the man a few moments. The Abh was an interesting man, with a decorative style of uniform dress that was unusual to the Vinidkaran Officer, who was used to the simple and spartan designs of dress on his planet and in the military.

The shorter man smiled, and indicated the pressure door. "If you would care to follow me, Captain Alzander is currently on the bridge in a Conference Call with Vindikaran Federation Fleet Command over the matter of some pirate activity."

He turned and walked towards the door, with the Abh ensemble following. "If you have any questions in the meantime, I would be more than pleased to answer your questions so far as I am allowed."

Ike listened carefully to the man and picked up on the unusual accent. He had far stranger languages so the addition of a 'b' or 'p' was hardly a concern. Ike stepped in line behind the Captain and followed him through the ship taking notice of the interior and layout of the place. The problem with pirates perked his ear up somewhat and he would have to remember this problem.

They walked on in silence from some time until he finally spoke up. "How long have your people been hiding here in this system?"

Commander D'vidson smiled slightly as he led the procession through the pressure door and into the corridor. It was a spartan design, with black doors interspersing the grey walls, and gratings at each intersection that seemed to house circuitry and other systems. "We were not so much hiding sir, as we were trapped," he said as they continued down the corridor. Pausing momentarily, the Commander called an elevator which presently arrived. The group stepped onboard and began their movement sideways along the Secondary hull.

"Our records show," the officer continued, "that roughly six months after our nation was established, the system was isolated by spatial distortions that made any attempt to pass our Solar borders impossible in terms of radiation and Starship damage. There are early records of us trying to send signals and vessels through the barrier, but with no success."

"I see." Ike stepped inside the elevator and stood next to the Commander with a hand on the pommle of his sword and the other on his hip.

"You must consider yourself fortunate in some regards then. You are fortunate to have missed many galactic wars, famine, disease, tyranny,the bad times, and the good ones. I must say Lady Luck has smiled down on you to grace you with a planet that was capable of sustaining your population for such a long time. Am I right in assuming that your homeworld is fertile?"

"I see." Ike stepped inside the elevator and stood next to the Commander with a hand on the pommle of his sword and the other on his hip.

"You must consider yourself fortunate in some regards then. You are fortunate to have missed many galactic wars, famine, disease, tyranny,the bad times, and the good ones. I must say Lady Luck has smiled down on you to grace you with a planet that was capable of sustaining your population for such a long time. Am I right in assuming that your homeworld is fertile?"

The Commander nodded as the elevator slowed in its sideways movement, and then began elevating upwards towards the Bridge. "The Motherland is indeed a fertile planet, and still contains a vast area which we have not yet settled and cultivated." He hestitated momentarily. "There are...areas of our homeworld that are currently uninhabitable, but that's due to an unfortunate time in our past."

"As for fortune, we do indeed believe we have been fortunate to be isolated from the galactic strife we no doubt believe has occured, although we also recognise having missed out on many favourable opportunities."

A red cloth wrapped around his wrist and rested over the back of his hand with a little ring around his middle finger to keep it in place, contained a green gem on the back which began to flash in unison with a woman's voice. "Commander, are you alright?"

Ike flinched. "How embarrassing. I forgot to check in with my chief of staff. I swear she worries too much." Bringing his clyuno up closer to his mouth, "Yes chief everything is fine. My apologies, I simply forget to check back in."

"Just don't let it happen again."

Ike sighed and let his hand fall back down to the side. "Yes there have been the good times. The parties on a galactic scale are quite phenomenal from what I've been told lasting weeks at a time with food as far as the eye could see, music and dancing. Yes there is always good in every situation."